cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Male lower urinary tract symptoms: treatment with a-blockers, 5-a-reductase inhibitors, antimuscarinics, or a combination.

Pharmacological therapy is now considered a firstline treatment for men with moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms. Given the success of antimuscarinic agents, α-sympathetic blockers, and 5-α-reductase inhibitors in treating symptoms, the interest in combination therapy has grown. Despite this, large-scale trials to test the efficacy of such combination therapy are still lacking.
Retinopathy due to Renovascular Hypertension in a Patient With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Ocular involvement and visual symptoms from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may occur from direct tumor involvement of the iris, choroid, retina, vitreous, and optic nerves.1We describe visual loss due to retinopathy resulting from renovascular hypertension in a patient with renal artery stenosis due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Report of a Case. —A 19-year-old white man had intermittent headaches for 2 months and painless, progressive visual loss for 10 days in his right eye. Stage IV highgrade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed 2 years earlier following a right hemicolectomy for a cecal mass. The patient received chemotherapy. Six months later he had an autologous bone marrow transplant after a preparative regimen of high-dose cyclophosphamide and total-body irradiation (12 Gy). He had no spot radiation to the kidneys and was disease free for 18 months subsequent to the transplant. He had no history of ocular problems or hypertension. Best corrected visual acuities were 20/800
Comparison between the Shkuratov and Hapke scattering theories for solid planetary surfaces: Application to the surface composition of two Centaurs

This project examines the different approaches which deal with the theory of radiative transfer on atmosphereless bodies. We present the relative merits of two scattering theories based on the equivalent slab model: the extensively used Hapke theory (Hapke 1981, J. Geophys. Res.86, 3039–3054) and the Shkuratov theory (Shkuratov et al. 1999, Icarus141, 132–155). We found that their main difference is the role of the phase function of individual particles of regolith, which is predicted (and generally forward directed) in the case of the Shkuratov model instead of being a free parameter as formulated in the Hapke model. We also emphasize that different assumptions as to the manner in which different constituents are physically mixed in either model have a substantial effect on the synthetic spectra inferred. This leads to a significant extension of the validity of Hapke's or similar practical approaches to areas where these approaches are valid. We used two objects (the Centaurs 5145 Pholus and 8405 Asbolus) as examples. Previous modeling of the spectra of these two bodies with the Hapke approach gave suspect results in terms of the derived grain sizes, which were smaller than the wavelength, violating key assumptions of the model (Cruikshank et al. 1998, Icarus135, 389–407 for Pholus; Barucci et al. 2000, Astron. Astrophys.357, L53–56 for Asbolus). We considered several different types of powdered surfaces to interpret the surface composition of these two Centaurs. The effect of fine-scale contamination of water ice grains by small amounts of carbon and/or tholins is also explored. We can explain the strong red color and the rich near-infrared spectral signatures of Pholus using a five-component surface (contaminated water ice, amorphous carbon, Titan tholin, olivine, and methanol ice) where the grain sizes are consistent with the model assumptions. These components are similar to those inferred by Cruikshank et al. (1998), but we obtain very different grain sizes and relative abundances. For example, we obtain a relative abundance of water ice on the surface of Pholus of about 40% instead of 6% found with the Hapke model. Organic and carbonaceous components change by similar amounts. In the case of Asbolus, a tholin and amorphous carbon areal mixture can reproduce the spectrum, with water remaining at 9% or less. Using the albedo published by Fernandez et al. (2002, Astron. J.123, 1050–1055) which is higher than most workers assume for Centaurs and Kuiper belt objects, a surface composition similar to that of Pholus is found. It appears that model-based uncertainties in relative compositions must be regarded with more attention.
Bleomycin analogs. Synthesis and proton nmr spectral assignments of thiazole amides related to bleomycin a2

The synthesis of a series of 2-substituted thiazole-4-carboxamides of 3-aminopropyldimethylsulfonium chloride is described and the proton nmr spectral assignments of these derivatives are made. The compounds, which are fragments and analogs of the DNA-binding portion of the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin A2, will serve as probes of structure-activity relationships in this family of drugs.
Blood pressure reductions: correcting for regression to the mean

Reductions in high blood pressure (BP) from participating in screening and treatment programs are often assessed by comparing BP measurements before and after participation. The interpretation of such changes in measured blood pressure is confounded by the tendency of high pressures to decline as a result of a statistical artifact--regression to the mean. The problem arises whenever baseline measurements are used both for selection of participants and for comparisons with pressures obtained later. We developed a statistical model which predicts the average decline due to regression for participants in a screening or treatment program. This regression effect must be subtracted from the observed reduction in BP (the difference between baseline and later measurements) to obtain the average net reduction in BP from the program. The regression effect is estimated as the product of two factors. The first factor is the proportion of the variance in the baseline (preprogram) measurement due to measurement error and the short-term variation (e.g., 0.24 for two replications averaged). The second factor is the difference between the mean baseline pressure of full participants and that of the underlying population of potential participants. The model was first illustrated with successive BP measurements from community screening programs, where the "program" was only remeasurement. The mean observed decline in diastolic BP between screens for 145 persons with elevated baseline BP was 7 mm Hg. After adjustment for regression to the mean, the net decline between screens was estimated to be 2 mm Hg. This decline is apparently due to the pressor effect, or stress of screening, and agrees with findings from other studies. Next the model was applied to the treatment phase of the Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program. Overall, net reductions predicted by the model agree with those from independent measurements to within 0.1 mm Hg. The findings indicate the one can compute net reductions in BP from before-and-after comparisons in screening and treatment programs with reasonable accuracy, and these net reductions are generally much smaller than the crude BP declines.
A hardware trigger for temporal indexing of the electrocardiographic signal

Abstract A hardware trigger has been constructed to aid in the alignment of successive waveforms in real-time averaging of electrocardiographic signals on a general purpose digital computer. The device minimizes demands on central processor time and core storage while providing accurate time alignment to within plus or minus one sample for analog-to-digital conversion rates in excess of 500 samples per second. The performance of the hardware trigger is analyzed in detail for various types of electrocardiographic signals. The stability of the electrocardiographic signal is also examined.
Denial and deception practices of WMD proliferators: Iraq and beyond

(1995). Denial and deception practices of WMD proliferators: Iraq and beyond. The Washington Quarterly: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 83-105.
Household registration, economic reform and migration.

Everyone born in China has a household registration which identifies the type of household registration agricultural or nonagricultural determined by the household one is born into and the official residence. While determining ones type of residence household registration also determines ones eligibility and access to government social services and benefits and influences ones motivation to migrate. The author explores the relationship between type of household registration and the type of and reasons for migration in China. Data are used from the Zhejiang Province segment of the 1986 National Urban Migration Survey. The Zhejiang part of the survey sampled approximately 1400 households with 5229 individuals. Results suggest that agricultural registration is a clear deterrent to permanent migration but does not influence temporary migration. Permanent migrants with agricultural registration predominantly move for noneconomic reasons while those with nonagricultural registration are more likely motivated by economic reasons. The pattern is reversed in temporary migration. A key to understanding individual migration behavior is to understand household registration and its function as the intermediary through which the government exercises control over migration. Overall changing market conditions associated with economic reforms account for these new patterns of spatial mobility.
General results on tolerance intersection graphs

In this paper, general results are presented that are related to ϕ-tolerance intersection graphs previously defined by Jacobson, McMorris, and Mulder. For example, it is shown that all graphs are ϕ-tolerance intersection graphs for all ϕ, yet for “nice” ϕ, almost no graphs are ϕ-tolerance interval graphs. Additional results about representation of trees are given.
Breaking the bad news of cancer: the patient's perspective

Objective: Head and neck cancers present a special challenge to the patient and the physician because they affect the quintessential aspects of living such as breathing, eating, and speaking. Numerous articles have described how the physician should perform the difficult task of conveying bad news, but only a small number of articles specifically assess the patients' perceptions when being told of a serious diagnosis. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the thoughts and concerns of patients receiving diagnoses of head and neck cancer. Study Design: Questionnaire survey. Methods: A 41-item questionnaire was sent to head and neck cancer patients who have been treated for and remain free of disease for at least 2 years. Results: All of the respondents felt that their diagnosis was adequately explained to them and that no further explanations were necessary. Eighty-one percent of the respondents did not wish to have anyone else present at the time of diagnosis. Additionally, 75% of the respondents did not want the physician to touch their hands or hug them when given the bad news. Only 63% of the respondents had further discussions with family, friends, or other physicians after being told of their diagnosis. Conclusion: When patients are told of the diagnosis of head and neck cancer, they want their physician to be truthful, caring, and compassionate. The patients want their diagnosis in simple and direct terms without the incorporation of complex medical terminology. The results of this survey can provide insightful information to physicians when they are undertaking the difficult task of conveying bad news to their patients.
You Say You'll Change the Constitution?

Ten years from now, what kinds of issues of interest to politics will dominate the agenda of the United States Supreme Court? Will a dominant approach to constitutional interpretation emerge to guide the justices in their handling of these significant cases?Keith E. Whittington is professor of politics at Princeton University and visiting professor of law at the University of Texas, Austin (kwhittington@law.utexas.edu).
Suction-induced pseudolipomatosis.

Deshmukh-Rane and Wu1 suggested that suction likely contributed to inducing aggregations of adipocyte-like artifactual, oval, clear spaces in all 50 endometrial tissue samples studied. Wysocki and colleagues2 provide evidence supporting this …
Die Einwirkung von Magnesiumoxyd auf ein Gemisch von Arsentrisulfid und Schwefel

Bei der Einwirkung von Magnesia auf ein Gemisch von Arsentrisulfid und Schwefel in wasseriger Suspension entsteht eine Reihe von Verbindungen, deren Mengenverhaltnis von den herrschenden Versuchsbedingungen: Temperatur, Schutteln, Zeitdauer, moglicherweise auch von der Wassermenge abhangt.
Ultramicro assay of anti-erythrocyte antibodies and erythrocyte antigens.

. An ultramicro assay has been developed for the rapid qualitative and semi-quantitative characterization of anti-erythrocyte antibodies and antigens. Sensitivity is comparable to, or greater than, standard tube and microtiter assays; and the method requires as little as 1 μl of antibody and 2,000 red cells. Utilizing microliter quantities of eluted anti-erythrocyte auto-antibody, sub-populations of auto-antibodies, differing in antigenic specificity, can be identified and semi-quantitatively assayed.
Reevaluation of the plasticity in the rat supraoptic nucleus after chronic dehydration using immunogold for oxytocin and vasopressin at the ultrastructural level

Abstract It has been shown that during physiological stimuli, such as dehydration, supraoptic nucleus (SON) neurons undergo profound morphological changes. However, little is known about how much each type of cell, oxytocin (OT) or vasopressin (VP), contributes to this plasticity during dehydration. Using postembedding immunogold cytochemistry for both OT and VP hormones at the electron microscopic level, we address this question. Rats were chronically dehydrated (given 2% saline to drink for 10 days) and their SON neurons were studied morphologically. The results were compared to control animals with free access to water. Both VP and OT somata showed an enlargement in size in dehydrated animals. Percentage of somasomatic/dendritic membrane contact increased significantly in both VP and OT neurons, with no significant changes in percentage of coverage of the cells by astrocytic membrane. Only the VP cells had a lesser amount of axosomatic membrane contact after dehydration, possibly due to an increase in cell size rather than a decrease in synaptic contact. Multiple synapses (MSs) (i.e., terminals that form more than one synapse with adjacent somata and or dendrites) occurred only between positively labeled cells and between negatively labeled cells, but not between positively and negatively labeled cells. The number of MSs per 100 μm OT somatic membrane or per 100 OT cells was significantly higher in dehydrated rats but was unchanged with regard to VP neurons. These findings indicate that both VP and OT neurons undergo morphological changes during chronic dehydration and, thus, that plasticity is not limited to OT cells as some earlier reports have suggested.
Correlates of Internet Software Piracy

Software piracy has become a significant problem for businesses and educational institutions, and as computer crime continues to proliferate in our Information Age, its causes and roots merit academic inquiry. This exploratory piece establishes the correlative and contributory factors in software pirating, specifically concerning types of Internet access and past experience with the unlawful duplication of computer CD-ROMs. An independent samples t test and a bivariate correlation matrix were used to empirically evaluate relationships between variables. The results of this study suggest policy aimed at combating the onset and perpetuation of unethical and illegal computing activity among students.
The alteration of membrane proteins in human erythrocyte membranes induced by quinolinic acid, an endogenous neurotoxin. Correlation of effect with structure

Quinolinic acid (2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), an endogenous metabolite of L-tryptophan, reportedly via the kynurenine pathway, has been previously shown to possess neurotoxic properties when injected into rat striatum (Schwarcz, R., Whetsell, W.O., Jr. and Mangano, R.M. (1983) Science 219, 316-318) and to alter the physical state of human erythrocyte membrane proteins, as judged by ESR spectroscopy (Farmer, B.T., II and Butterfield, D.A. (1984) Life Sci. 35, 501-509). Both the morphologic and ESR studies employed nicotinic acid as one comparative control and found that the effect of quinolinic acid is significantly different from that of nicotinic acid. In the present study, we report that the effects of several structural analogues and positional isomers of quinolinic acid on the ESR parameter associated with the physical state of membrane proteins in human erythrocyte membranes suggest the following conclusions concerning the structure-effect relationship of quinolinic acid: The alteration in the conformation of membrane proteins: (1) requires the presence of two carboxylic acid groups; (2) is independent of their relationship to one another on the pyridine ring; (3) is slightly dependent on the presence of the pyridine nitrogen atom but is independent of the positional relationship of the two carboxylic acid moieties to the heteroatom; and (4) seems to depend upon the presence of restricted internal motion derived from the aromaticity in these compounds.
Evaluation of the lysis-centrifugation system for culturing dialysates from continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients with peritonitis

Recovery of organisms from continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with peritonitis presents special problems to the laboratory. The Isolator (Dupont Co, Wilmington, DE), based on lysis and centrifugation, is generally used for the recovery of blood isolates. This study determined the efficacy of the Isolator relative to the Bactec System (Johnston Laboratories, Inc, Towson, IVID) for the culture of dialysates from CAPD patients with peritonitis. On the basis of clinical criteria, 31 episodes of peritonitis were included for our study. Dialysate was inoculated into an Isolator and Bactec 613 and 7D bottles. A causative agent was isolated by the Isolator in 29 of 31 episodes, by the Bactec in 29 of 31, and by one or both techniques in 30 of 31 episodes (overall sensitivity 97%). The Isolator failed to detect a Pseudomonas lutelola and the Bactec failed to detect a coagulasenegative staphylococcus. Coagulase-positive and negative staphylococci represented 58.1 % of the isolates. The Isolator detected 21.4% (six of 28) of the isolates 24 to 72 hours earlier than the Bactec; the Bactec was faster in this regard in 3.6% (one of 28). Time to positivity for the remaining 21 cultures was the same in both systems. Isolate identification and antimicrobial sensitivity was available 24 hours earlier using the Isolator in 96.4% (27 of 28). The Isolator was more rapid and as sensitive as the Bactec system in detecting causative organisms of peritonitis in CAPD patients.
User interfaces for structural engineering relational data base

The needs of engineers in their interaction with engineering data bases are very different from those of their counter-parts in the business world. Business data base management system interfaces typically provide only a single mode of textual communication, usually a structured query language. However, in an idealengineering data base interface, an engineer would be able to define constraints, give examples, point at parts of pictures, and (sometimes) use several modes of communication simultaneously. The paper presents an example from an engineering design application to show how a traditional query language can be enhanced to accommodate the engineering needs. The paper further describes a conceptual approach for multimodal engineering data base interface combining multipurpose graphics, an engineering query language, and other interface methodologies in an engineering workstation environment.
Case-like categories in children: The actor and some related categories

Abstract Case categories were investigated using a method in which pictures are presented accompanied by a sentence describing the scene: Preschool children learn to put tokens on the objects in the pictures according to the role each object plays in the scene as described. Generalization trials explore what the children include within the various roles. Children rapidly learn to associate tokens with case-like categories during the training phase, and readily transfer to new stimuli in generalization trials. The experiments demonstrate that children have a broad Actor category. The Actor “does” the action, and Actors are not necessarily animate. However, animacy is a class property of stimuli to which the children were very sensitive. There was evidence that User and Instrument are subcategories of Actor that are differentiated only when a sentence contains both. The data also suggest a Locative category, and Patient as a category of the grammatical object. Finally, the children appeared to treat subjects of predicate adjectives as a separate category, here called the Subject of Attribution, distinct from Actor, and functionally independent of objects of transitive verbs.
Moral education: An act-utilitarian view1

In this essay, I distinguish two significant act-utilitarian theories of moral education: the traditional rule of thumb view and the Harian intuition view. I argue that there are problems with the traditional view and that an act-utilitarian ought to adopt a version of the Harian view. I then explain and respond to a major objection to the intuition view given by Bernard Williams. Williams argues that the system of moral thought which the Harian view advocates we teach is inherently unstable and is certain to undermine itself. I argue that there is reason to expect a great deal of stability in this system.
Guanylyl cyclase (GC)-A and GC-B activities in ventricles and cardiomyocytes from failed and non-failed human hearts: GC-A is inactive in the failed cardiomyocyte

Cardiomyocytes release atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide to stimulate processes that compensate for the failing heart by activating guanylyl cyclase (GC)-A. C-type natriuretic peptide is also elevated in the failing heart and inhibits cardiac remodeling by activating the homologous receptor, GC-B. We previously reported that GC-A is the most active membrane GC in normal mouse ventricles while GC-B is the most active membrane GC in failing ventricles due to increased GC-B and decreased GC-A activities. Here, we examined ANP and CNP-specific GC activity in membranes obtained from non-failing and failing human left ventricles and in membranes from matched cardiomyocyte-enriched pellet preparations. Similar to our findings in the murine study, we found that CNP-dependent GC activity was about half of the ANP-dependent GC activity in the non-failing ventricular and was increased in the failing ventricle. ANP and CNP increased GC activity 9- and 5-fold in non-failing ventricles, respectively. In contrast to the mouse study, in failing human ventricles, ANP-dependent activity was unchanged compared to non-failing values whereas CNP-dependent activity increased 35% (p=0.005). Compared with ventricular membranes, basal GC activity was reduced an order of magnitude in membranes derived from myocyte-enriched pellets from non-failing ventricles. ANP increased GC activity 2.4-fold but CNP only increased GC activity 1.3-fold. In contrast, neither ANP nor CNP increased GC activity in equivalent preparations from failing ventricles. We conclude that: 1) GC-B activity is increased in non-myocytes from failing human ventricles, possibly as a result of increased fibrosis, 2) human ventricular cardiomyocytes express low levels of GC-A and much lower levels or possibly no GC-B, and 3) GC-A in cardiomyocytes from failing human hearts is refractory to ANP stimulation.
Giant cell arteritis in the ocular ischemic syndrome.

Oculomotor nerve paresis, ocular hypotony, anterior segment ischemia, and the ocular ischemic syndrome are uncommon manifestations of giant cell arteritis. Four patients with these findings had giant cell arteritis documented by temporal artery biopsy. Cerebral angiography or ultrasonography, or both, performed in three patients, excluded hemodynamically significant stenosis of the internal carotid artery as the cause of ocular ischemia and cerebral aneurysms as the cause of oculomotor nerve paresis. Corticosteroid treatment, administered to three patients, resulted in resolution of the oculomotor deficits and the clinical signs of ocular ischemia, although the visual acuity in one patient improved from 20/400 to 20/60. Giant cell arteritis should.be considered in the differential diagnosis of the ocular ischemic syndrome.
Alterations in oxygenation of cochlear endolymph during loud sound exposure.

The oxygen tension (pO2) of endolymph of the guinea pig cochlea was measured during exposure to loud sound (12 kHz or high-pass noise; 110 dB SPL up to 1h duration). A small, but significant, steady decline in mean pO2 was observed after both pure tone and high-pass noise exposure. The extent of the change in pO2 varied from 0–50% in individual animals. compared with unexposed control animals. All exposed animals had an extensive loss of compound action potential (CAP) thresholds at frequencies of 8–30 kHz. However, there was no relationship between the extent of the change in pO2 of endolymph and CAP threshold loss.
A serotonin agonist phase-shifts the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei in vitro

The mammalian circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) receives a large serotonergic (5-HTergic) projection from the raphe nuclei. Whether the SCN pacemaker can be modulated by this afferent projection is a question of considerable theoretical and practical interest. In this study we investigated whether the 5-HT agonist, quipazine, can reset the phase of the SCN clock when it is isolated in vitro. Our results show that 1 h treatments with quipazine induce robust phase shifts in vitro, and that this effect depends upon the circadian time of treatment. We further show that the ability of quipazine to induce phase shifts is dose-dependent. These results suggest that the SCN circadian pacemaker is sensitive to 5-HTergic stimulation, and therefore that the 5-HTergic projection to the SCN may play a role in modulating the phase of the SCN clock in the intact animal.
Mitosis: Riding the Protofilament Curl

More than 50 years ago, microtubule depolymerization was proposed as the force responsible for chromosome movement. New studies measure the force produced by depolymerization and show that protein ring complexes can couple depolymerization to movement. These results have implications for anaphase chromosome motility and mitotic evolution.
Geometry of Prime End Boundary and the Dirichlet Problem for Bounded Domains in Metric Measure Spaces

In this note we study the Dirichlet problem associated with a version of prime end boundary of a bounded domain in a complete metric measure space equipped with a doubling measure supporting a Poincare inequality. We show the resolutivity of functions that are continuous on the prime end boundary and are Lipschitz regular when restricted to the subset of all prime ends whose impressions are singleton sets. We also consider a new notion of capacity adapted to the prime end boundary, and show that bounded perturbations of such functions on subsets of the prime end boundary with zero capacity are resolutive and that their Perron solutions coincide with the Perron solution of the original functions. We also describe some examples which demonstrate the efficacy of the prime end boundary approach in obtaining new results even for the classical Dirichlet problem for some Euclidean domains.
Effect of diffusiophoresis on particle collection by wet scrubbers

Abstract The effects of diffusiophoresis on participate collection by wet scrubbers are considered. Single droplet collection efficiencies are calculated for particle collection by the combined mechanisms of inertial impaction and diffusiophoresis. The resulting single droplet particle collection efficiencies are used to calculate overall scrubber efficiencies for three cases, positive, negative and zero diffusiophoresis. The calculations indicate that negative diffusiophoresis (droplet evaporation) can cause poor scrubber performance, especially for small particles, whereas positive diffusiophoresis (condensation) can result in greatly improved particulate collection.
Antigen loss and tumor-mediated immunosuppression facilitate tumor recurrence

Evaluation of: Jensen SM, Twitty CG, Maston LD et al. Increased frequency of suppressive regulatory T cells and T cell-mediated antigen loss results in murine melanoma recurrence. J. Immunol. 189(2), 767–776 (2012).While tumor immunotherapy has seen notable success in recent years, mechanisms that tumors utilize to escape immune responses have provided significant hurdles to maximal clinical benefit. Escape mechanisms such as antigen loss, decreased MHC expression, as well as tumor-mediated suppressive effects on antitumor immune responses, can cause the most potent antitumor immune response to be rendered powerless at the tumor site. In this study, the authors show that the adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells combined with tumor cell immunization can elicit regression of established subcutaneous tumors in lymphopenic, but not lymphoreplete, animals. However, using a suboptimal dose of transferred cells followed by vaccination, the authors identify the development of recurren...
On-axis field approximations for a (semi-)spheroid in a uniform field

I have recently been analyzing various problems in the area of breakdown of solids and gases using a highly prolate, conducting spheroid in a uniform electric field as a model for a breakdown channel. The electric field distribution for a prolate spheroid in a uniform field can be solved in spheroidal hyperbolic coordinates. The solution is exact for a conducting prolate spheroid in an infinite, uniform field or a semiprolate conducting spheroid on the surface of a plane electrode with the opposite electrode infinitely far away. In working with these equations, I have developed several approximations, including a very simple equation for the field at the tip of the spheroid and an equation for the field on axis of the spheroid, which may be useful to others.
Gravitational wave tests of general relativity with the parameterized post-Einsteinian framework

Gravitational wave astronomy has tremendous potential for studying extreme astrophysical phenomena and exploring fundamental physics. The waves produced by binary black hole mergers will provide a pristine environment in which to study strong-field dynamical gravity. Extracting detailed information about these systems requires accurate theoretical models of the gravitational wave signals. If gravity is not described by general relativity, analyses that are based on waveforms derived from Einstein's field equations could result in parameter biases and a loss of detection efficiency. A new class of ``parameterized post-Einsteinian'' waveforms has been proposed to cover this eventuality. Here, we apply the parameterized post-Einsteinian approach to simulated data from a network of advanced ground-based interferometers and from a future space-based interferometer. Bayesian inference and model selection are used to investigate parameter biases, and to determine the level at which departures from general relativity can be detected. We find that in some cases the parameter biases from assuming the wrong theory can be severe. We also find that gravitational wave observations will beat the existing bounds on deviations from general relativity derived from the orbital decay of binary pulsars by a large margin across a wide swath of parameter space.
Better expansion for Ramanujan graphs

The expansion properties of regular graphs are investigated. The best previously known expansion of subsets of linear size of explicit k-regular graphs is k/4. This bound is achieved by nonbipartite Ramanujan graphs of degree k=p+1, which have the property that all but the largest eigenvalue have absolute value at most 2 square root p. The expansion coefficient for linear subsets for nonbipartite Ramanujan graphs is improved to 3(k-2)/8. Other results are established, including improved results about random walks on expanders. >
High PVC film‐forming composite latex particles via miniemulsification, part 2: Efficiency of encapsulation

The application of a density gradient column (DGC) method using sodium polytungstate (SPT) solutions as the medium was investigated for determining the encapsulation efficiency of 11–30% pigment volume concentration (PVC)) latex particles prepared by the miniemulsification process. The encapsulation efficiencies for 11, 20, and 30% PVCs were found to be 100% of the TiO2 encapsulated inside 86.3, 98, and 98.9% of the styrene/n-butyl acrylate copolymer, respectively. The copolymer not participating in the encapsulation (free copolymer) was found in the 1.04 g/mL density layer of the DGC. Particle size analysis by DLS (dynamic light scattering) showed that the encapsulated particle size increased with increasing density. Thus, the number of TiO2 particles (primary particles) inside each encapsulated particle increased to accommodate both the increased size and density. The results obtained by DLS for each DGC layer of the 30% PVC system were confirmed qualitatively by TEM in terms of the increasing encapsulated particle size and broadening of the size distribution as the density increased in the DGC. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 4517–4525, 2006
The role and value of information for supply loop management: Framework and application for the end-of-life cell phone industry

Good decision making regarding product end-of-life management requires information from different life cycle stages. If information is missing or not accessible when needed by the decision maker, it can affect the performance of the entire supply loop. In this paper we investigate the role and value of information for supply loop management. We introduce a generic evaluation method to assess the value of information and apply it to the example of cell phones. Our results suggest that information can have high value and plays an important role affecting the economic and environmental performance of supply loops. However, the potential value of information is realized only if the relevant supply loop members are willing and able to use it for improved decision making. Our evaluation method can be used as a tool to determine what information is most valuable based on its effect on the performance.
Retrograde, Transneuronal Spread of Pseudorabies Virus in Defined Neuronal Circuitry of the Rat Brain Is Facilitated by gE Mutations That Reduce Virulence

The pseudorabies virus (PRV) gE gene encodes a multifunctional membrane protein found in infected cell membranes and in the virion envelope. Deletion of the gE gene results in marked attenuation of the virus in almost every animal species tested that is permissive for PRV. A common inference is that gE mutants are less virulent because they have reduced ability to spread from cell to cell; e.g., gE mutants infect fewer cells and, accordingly, animals live longer. In this report, we demonstrate that this inference does not hold in a rat experimental model for virus invasion of the brain. We find that animals infected with gE mutants live longer despite extensive retrograde, transneuronal spread of virus in the rat brain. In this model of brain infection, virus is injected into the stomach musculature and virions spread to the brain in long axons of brain stem neurons that give rise to the tenth cranial nerve (the vagus). The infection then spreads from neuron to neuron in well-defined, and physically separated, areas of the brain involved in autonomic regulation of the viscera. We examined the progression of infection of five PRV strains in this circuitry: the wild-type PRV-Becker strain, the attenuated PRV-Bartha vaccine strain, and three gE mutants isogenic with the PRV-Becker strain. By 60 to 67 h after infection, all PRV-Becker-infected animals were dead. Analysis of Becker-infected rats killed prior to virus-induced death demonstrated that the virus had established an infection only in the primary vagal neurons connected directly to the stomach and synaptically linked neurons in the immediate vicinity of the caudal brain stem. There was little spread to other neurons in the vagus circuitry. In contrast, rats infected with PRV-Bartha or PRV-Becker gE mutants survived to at least 96 h and exhibited few overt signs of disease. Despite this long survival and the lack of symptoms, brains of animals sacrificed at this time revealed extensive transsynaptic infection not only of the brain stem but also of areas of the forebrain synaptically linked to neurons in the brain stem. This finding provides evidence that the gE protein plays a role in promoting symptoms of infection and death in animals that is independent of neuron-to-neuron spread during brain infection. When this early virulence function is not active, animals live longer, resulting in more extensive spread of virus in the brain.
Safety and efficacy of L-tryptophan and behavioral incentives for treatment of cocaine dependence: a randomized clinical trial.

L-tryptophan (ie, tryptophan) has shown promise as a pharmacotherapy in cocaine addiction treatment. Abstinent contingent voucher incentives have shown efficacy in abstinence initiation and maintenance for treatment of cocaine dependence. The present study evaluated these two approaches singly and in combination in a relapse prevention + treatment design. A double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled design was used. Cocaine-dependent patients (N = 199) were stratified and randomized to one of four groups: tryptophan + contingent vouchers, tryptophan + non-contingent vouchers, placebo + contingent vouchers, and placebo + non-contingent vouchers. The study included residential stabilization (4–9 days), where patients achieved initial cocaine abstinence; outpatient treatment evaluation (16 weeks), where patients received medication, vouchers, and urine testing thrice weekly; and disposition. Main outcomes were retention in treatment, urinalysis, self-reported drug use, and self-reported side effects. T...
How treating psychoanalysts respond to psychotherapy research constraints.

The psychoanalytic community increasingly recognizes the importance of research on psychoanalytic treatments, yet a significant number of psychoanalysts continue to believe that research is either irrelevant to psychoanalysis or impossible to accomplish. Psychoanalysts who accept the value of research express concern that intrusions required by research protocols create significant distortions in the psychoanalytic process. The authors, all psychoanalysts, are studying the outcome of a brief (twenty-four-session) psychodynamic treatment of panic disorder. They report their experiences and struggles with the intrusions of videotaping, working with a treatment manual, and time-limited treatment. This research process required them to question old beliefs and to confront feelings of disloyalty toward their analytic training and identity, particularly with regard to keeping a “clean field” and routinely performing long-term analysis of character. The therapists' psychoanalytic knowledge, however, emerged as c...
Mechanical Characterization of Annealed ZrB2-SiC Composites

Composites consisting of 70 vol% ZrB2 and 30 vol% α-SiC particles were hot pressed to near full density and subsequently annealed at temperatures ranging from 1000°C to 2000°C. Strength, elastic modulus, and hardness were measured for as-processed and annealed composites. Raman spectroscopy was employed to measure the thermal residual stresses within the silicon carbide (SiC) phase of the composites. Elastic modulus and hardness were unaffected by annealing conditions. Strength was not affected by annealing at 1400°C or above; however, strength increased for samples annealed below 1400°C. Annealing under uniaxial pressure was found to be more effective than annealing without applied pressure. The average strength of materials annealed at 1400°C or above was ~700 MPa, whereas that of materials annealed at 1000°C, under a 100 MPa applied pressure, averaged ~910 MPa. Raman stress measurements revealed that the distribution of stresses in the composites was altered for samples annealed below 1400°C resulting in increased strength.
Ellsworth-Whitmore Mountains Crustal Block, Western Antarctica: New Paleomagnetic Results and Their Tectonic Significance

Preliminary paleomagnetic study of granitic and sedimentary rocks from the Ellsworth­ Whitmore Mountains crustal block (EVH), Vest Ant­ arctica, leads to the following conclusions: (1) The EVH has a paleogole for the Middle Jurassic located at 235°E, 41 S, (ag 5 "' 5.3, N = 8 sites) assuming that no widespreaCI regional tilting has occurred since the magnetization measured was acquired. A Middle Jurassic paleolatitude of 47°S is indicated for the sites and precludes an origi­ nal location for the EVH block south of the Ant­ arctic Peninsula crustal block (AP). (2) This pole is not significantly different from the pre­ viously published Middle Jurassic paleopole ob­ tained from rocks of the northern Antarctic Penin­ sula. The combined AP-EVH paleopole, compared to the Middle Jurassic mean paleopole obtained from igneous rocks of the Ferrar Supergroup in East Antarctica, suggests about 15° tectonic clockwise rotation of the AP and EVH. Since the AP and EVH poles coincide, these two crustal blocks may have moved as one unit since the Middle Jurassic. ( 3) The new data are compatible with two different Gondwanaland reconstructions. The first considers the AP and EVH as separate entities. The second is based on the movement of the AP and EVH as one block. For the Middle Jurassic, both reconstruc­ tions would locate the EVH west of Coats Land and south of the Falkland Plateau, with the adjacent AP located south of southernmost South America. (4) Enigmas concerning the structural trend and isolation of the thick Ellsworth Mountains Paleo­ zoic succession persist.
Assessing the contribution of working conditions to socioeconomic disparities in health: a commentary.

Introduction Occupational health researchers can play a pivotal role in increasing our understanding of the role of physical and psychosocial working conditions in producing socioeconomic health disparities and trends of increasing socioeconomic health disparities, contributing to interventions to reduce such disparities, and helping to improve public education materials on this subject. However, a number of methodological challenges in this field need to be considered. Methods Commentary, including a review of selected studies. Results/Conclusion Research needs to be guided by models of the associations between social (socioeconomic position (SEP), race/ethnicity, immigration status, and gender) and occupational variables and health, to avoid inappropriate control for confounding, and to specify causal pathways (mediation) and interaction effects. Different approaches to the theory and measurement of SEP also need to be tested. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:95–103 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment of basilar tip aneurysms with horizontal PCA to PCA stent-assisted coiling: case series

Backgroun and objective Coiling of wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms is technically challenging and is often assisted by the placement of a stent. Stent placement in an anterograde fashion either with a single or Y-stent is typical. However, in some cases the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) angle of origin at the base of the aneurysm precludes anterograde catheterization. A series of patients with wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms treated with a single stent placed via the posterior communicating artery from PCA to PCA is presented. Methods A retrospective database review was performed to identify all stent-coiled basilar tip aneurysms. Patients with attempted horizontal P1eP1 stenting via the posterior communicating artery were identified. Procedural imaging, follow-up angiography and clinical notes were reviewed. Results P1eP1 stenting was attempted in 10 patients and was successful in eight. Angiographic follow-up was available in six patients, all of whom had >90% obliteration at last follow-up. There was one procedurerelated subarachnoid hemorrhage that resulted in patient death. There were no cases of significant PCA stenosis on angiographic follow-up. Conclusions This stenting technique is an effective way to treat wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms but is limited by the anatomy of the posterior communicating arteries and P1 segments.
Herbage productivity and ungulate use of northeastern Nevada mountain meadows

The effects of grazing by cattle (Bos taurus) and recently reestablished elk (Cervus elaphus) on mountain meadows in northeastern Nevada are poorly understood. We evaluated production, use, and species richness of herbage standing crop in and outside 3 meadow exclosures in northeastern Nevada’s Jarbidge Mountains across 3 seasons in 1999 and 2000. Treatments included control, wildlife (mainly big game), and cattle. There was less forb standing crop in fall than in early or midsummer, but no difference in forb standing crop from early to mid-summer across all treatments. There were no differences in graminoid standing crop among treatments in 1999, while there was significantly less graminoid crop in cattle treatments in 2000 than in the control or wildlife treatments. Species lists in exclosures and cattle treatments overlapped 48.9‐68.4%. Clipping treatments to evaluate effects of use on yearly productivity were light use (13.3‐24.7%) and total use (clipped to ground) in early and mid-summer, and control. There was no difference in fall or graminoid herbage between controls and quadrats clipped lightly in early summer and mid-summer and there was no difference in forb or graminoid yield (seasonally clipped herbage plus end of growing season herbage) in clipped quadrats and controls. Across years, forbs and graminoids clipped to ground in early summer and mid-summer regrew by fall to no more than 19.2, 4.2, 24.7, and 10.0%, respectively, of the amount in control quadrats. Managers should consider delaying cattle grazing until late summer on mountain meadows used consistently by elk in early summer.
RBF neural networks for classification using new Kernel functions

In this paper, we introduce a new class of kernel functions and try to combine Kmean, EM, and new kernels together, instead of using linear function, we introduce nonlinear softmax output function and cross entropy error function into RBF networks. The resulting network is easy to use, and has favorable classification accuracy. Experiments show that our new model has better performance than traditional RBF neural networks and is super compared with MLP and other nonparametric classification tools.
Mck1: Meiosis and centromere regulatory PK (S. cerevisiae) (Ypk1)

The MCK1 locus was identified, independently, by two functional dosage-dependent assays: a screen for positive regulators of the sporulation pathway and a screen for suppressors of a centromere mutation. In addition, the protein, then called Ypk1, was uncovered in a general screen for phosphotyrosyl proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in vivo. Genetic and molecular biological analyses revealed that meiosis and centromere regulatory PK (Mck1) plays at least three independent roles in cellular regulation: as a positive, transcriptional regulator of the meiotic activator Ime1; as a stimulator of ascus maturation; and as a promoter of centromere activity. Mck1 is a dual-specificity protein kinase. Mck1 has several potential phosphorylation sites for PKC (P) and CK2 (P), but the physiological relevance of these is not known. Mck1 is most closely related to the β isoform of rat GSK3, which has been shown to be the functional homologue of shaggy/zeste-white 3 of Drosophila. melanogaster. The biological relevance of this homology is currently under investigation.