cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple Deterministic Mathematical Model of Maintained Drug Self-administration Behavior and Its Pharmacological Applications

Currently dominating psychological theories of drug self-administration explain some experimentally observed facts, however, at the same time they lead to logical contradictions to other accepted facts. A quantitative pharmacological theory of self-administration behavior states that cocaine-induced lever pressing behavior occurs only when cocaine concentrations are within a certain range, termed the compulsion zone. These concentrations can be calculated using standard pharmacokinetic mathematical models. The lower and upper limits of this range of concentrations are the priming and satiety thresholds, respectively. This pharmacological theory explains all phases of the self-administration session but is particularly useful at explaining the intervals between drug injections during maintained self-administration in terms of a mathematical model that contains only three parameters: the drug unit dose, the satiety threshold and the drug elimination rate constant. The satiety threshold represents the equiactive agonist concentration. Because competitive antagonists increase equiactive agonist concentrations and the agonist concentration ratio increases linearly with antagonist concentration, the satiety threshold model allows the measurement of the in vivo potency of dopamine receptor antagonists using the classical mathematical method of Schild. In addition, applying pharmacokinetic models to the time course of the magnitude of the antagonist-induced increase in the satiety threshold allows the pharmacokinetics of antagonists to be calculated. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models explain self-administration behavior and make this paradigm a rapid and high-content bioassay system useful for screening agonists and antagonists that interact with important neurotransmitter systems in the brain.
Marches des sous-produits du coton : tendances mondiales et implications pour les producteurs Africains de coton

This paper analyzes and compares the structure of cotton by-products industries in se-lected countries (Uganda, Tanzania, Benin, and Burkina Faso) in the context of the global vegetable oil market. It reaches several conclusions. First, because the markets for various edible oils are highly integrated with each other, examination of each oil market should be done in conjunction with all other (relevant) edible oil markets. Second, the recent surge in demand for commodities used as feedstocks for biofuels is unlikely to become a new source of growth for the cotton oil market. Third, within the context of deepening the on-going reform efforts in West and Central African countries, cotton by-products should be taken into consideration, both in terms of the cotton price setting mechanism and the size of the organization of the cotton by-products industry. Fourth, trade policies including export bans or import tariffs to protect the domestic crushing industries, and policies that favor crude over refined oils, should be rationalized. Fifth, large cottonseed processing operations using advanced technology, while efficient from a technological perspective, tend not to be economically profitable in the African context. Last, research efforts for new cotton varieties should consider the value of by-products, not just lint.
Schnittstellen zur Problemformulierung

Der Begriff “Schnittstelle” wird hier verwendet, um allgemeine, nicht anwendungsspezifische Mittel zur Kommunikation zwischen den Benutzern und einem EUS zu bezeichnen. Dabei kann zwischen Vorbereitungs- und Problemformulierungsdialogen unterschieden werden. Wahrend in der Vorbereitungsphase vor allem die fur eine Entscheidung benotigten Objekte ausgewahlt werden, umfast die Problemformulierung zum einen das selektive Lesen und Verandern des Inhalts von Datenbanken, zum anderen das Aufrufen und Verwenden von Benutzeroperatoren.
Clinical Reasoning: Ventriculomegaly detected on 20-week anatomic fetal ultrasound.

A 23-year-old G1P0 woman was referred for fetal MRI after her 20-week anatomic fetal ultrasound demonstrated cerebral ventriculomegaly. Her pregnancy to date had been uncomplicated without notable fevers, illnesses, or need for medications aside from prenatal vitamins. The fetal MRI obtained at 24 weeks gestation demonstrated a phenotypically male fetus with severely dilated lateral ventricles measuring up to 30 mm with marked thinning of the cortical mantle, aqueductal stenosis, diencephalic fusion, and brainstem dysplasia (figure, A and B).
Reversing wetland death from 35,000 cuts: Opportunities to restore Louisiana’s dredged canals

We determined the number of permits for oil and gas activities in 14 coastal Louisiana parishes from 1900 to 2017, compared them to land loss on this coast, and estimated their restoration potential. A total of 76,247 oil and gas recovery wells were permitted, of which 35,163 (46%) were on land (as of 2010) and 27,483 of which are officially abandoned. There is a direct spatial and temporal relationship between the number of these permits and land loss, attributable to the above and belowground changes in hydrology resulting from the dredged material levees placed parallel to the canal (spoil banks). These hydrologic modifications cause various direct and indirect compromises to plants and soils resulting in wetland collapse. Although oil and gas recovery beneath southern Louisiana wetlands has dramatically declined since its peak in the early 1960s, it has left behind spoil banks with a total length sufficient to cross coastal Louisiana 79 times from east to west. Dragging down the remaining material in the spoil bank back into the canal is a successful restoration technique that is rarely applied in Louisiana, but could be a dramatically cost-effective and proven long-term strategy if political will prevails. The absence of a State or Federal backfilling program is a huge missed opportunity to: 1) conduct cost-effective restoration at a relatively low cost, and, 2) conduct systematic restoration monitoring and hypothesis testing that advances knowledge and improves the efficacy of future attempts. The price of backfilling all canals is about $335 million dollars, or 0.67% of the State’s Master Plan for restoration and a pittance of the economic value gained from extracting the oil and gas beneath over the last 100 years.
Teaching Leisure Activities with Social Initiations Through Video Prompting

Children with autism typically have a limited repertoire of activities they engage in during their free time and are often observed to engage in inappropriate or non-functional play. Previous research has suggested that deficits in leisure skills are not only a factor of the diagnosis, but also influenced by structural constraints such as lack of resources, support, and opportunity. This study used a multiple probe across participants design to assess the effects of video prompting and error correction on the acquisition of a leisure activity and social initiation for three children with autism. Results indicate that video prompting may be effective in increasing appropriate engagement in a leisure activity. However, findings are mixed concerning the use of video prompting to teach a social initiation. This study expands on previous research by systematically selecting a leisure activity to teach and by including a social component.
Brain activity during self-paced vs. fixed protocols in graded exercise testing.

Electroencephalography research surrounding maximal exercise testing has been limited to male subjects. Additionally, studies have used open-looped protocols, meaning individuals do not know the exercise endpoint. Closed-loop protocols are often shown to result in optimal performance as self-pacing is permitted. The purpose of this study was to compare brain activity during open- and closed-loop maximal exercise protocols, and to determine if any sex differences are present. Twenty-seven subjects (12 males, ages 22.0 ± 2.5 years) participated in this study. A pre-assembled EEG sensor strip was used to collect brain activity from specific electrodes (F3/F4: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, or dlPFC; and C3/Cz/C4: motor cortex, or MC). Alpha (8–12 Hz) and beta (12–30 Hz) frequency bands were analyzed. Subjects completed two maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer, separated by at least 48 h: a traditional, open-loop graded exercise test (GXT) and a closed-loop self-paced VO2max (SPV) test. Mixed model ANOVAs were performed to compare power spectral density (PSD) between test protocols and sexes. A significant interaction of time and sex was shown in the dlPFC for males, during the GXT only (p = 001), where a peak was reached and then a decrease was shown. A continuous increase was shown in the SPV. Sex differences in brain activity during exercise could be associated with inhibitory control, which is a function of the dlPFC. Knowledge of an exercise endpoint could be influential towards cessation of exercise and changes in cortical brain activity.
Amorphous solid dispersions containing residual crystallinity: Influence of seed properties and polymer adsorption on dissolution performance.

Abstract The solubility advantage of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) is contingent upon supersaturation being generated and maintained. If crystals are present within an ASD, these crystals directly result in lost solubility advantage, and may also seed crystal growth leading to desupersaturation. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of residual crystals on ASD supersaturation profiles. Indomethacin-copovidone (PVPVA) ASDs with different levels of residual crystallinity were manufactured by hot melt extrusion (HME). PVPVA at 5 and 50 µg/mL was found to be a highly effective nucleation and crystal growth inhibitor of indomethacin at high supersaturation. Evidence of polymer adsorption onto indomethacin crystals was observed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. HME ASDs containing 0–25% residual crystallinity demonstrated lost solubility advantage, along with minimal desupersaturation during non-sink dissolution testing. While bulk seeds did not properly represent the impact of residual crystals, extensive polymer adsorption onto residual seed crystals resulted in poisoned crystal growth, limiting the potential dissolution performance consequences. Several risk factors related to the presence of residual crystallinity were identified: polymeric crystal growth inhibition effectiveness, seed properties, and supersaturation conditions.
Perception and Experience of In-Sequence and Out-of-Sequence Engineering Students in a General Chemistry Laboratory

The ChANgE Chem (NSF-1625378) utilizes Cognitive Apprenticeship as a theoretical framework for integrating engineering practices into a freshman chemistry laboratory course for engineering majors with the goal of better supporting all students to degree completion. The activities are structured as three-week Design Challenges (DCs) where students use chemistry knowledge to solve authentic engineering problems. This study explores the experiences of students taking the course in-sequence (i.e. fall of freshman year) versus those taking it out-of-sequence (i.e. spring), where out-of-sequence students have been identified as at higher academic risk. Data was collected through audio and video recordings and post-laboratory surveys. Video recordings were coded using a protocol to identify type and frequency of issues and questions asked. The post-laboratory surveys obtained information concerning students’ perception of task difficulty and their feelings of being like an engineer. The data demonstrated that while out-of-sequence students ask more questions and experience more issues, they did feel like successful engineers and did not find the tasks too difficult. Therefore, additional curriculum supports as well as assistance from a Teaching Assistant are needed in order to positively influence the persistence of out-of-sequence students in spite of the challenges they may face.
Multicultural integration in Germany: Race, religion, and the Mesut Özil controversy

This article scrutinizes shifts in media coverage of soccer player Mesut Ozil during the 2018 World Cup and his subsequent resignation from the German national team. Our analysis highlights the dom...
Seizures Related to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Case Series and Literature Review

Neurological manifestations are common in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. We present three cases of COVID-19 patients with seizures. Two patients had a history of seizures but very well controlled. They presented with seizure activity likely triggered by COVID-19. The third patient had no history of seizures and presented with new onset of seizure activity. All these patients were routinely screened for COVID-19 on admission and tested positive on nasopharyngeal real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). None of these patients had respiratory symptoms. Electroencephalography (EEG) was abnormal in all three patients. All these patients recovered and were discharged in a stable condition.
Moisture-Induced Structural Degradation in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin Films

Methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3, MAPbI3) belongs to the group of organic–inorganic halide perovskites (OIHPs) that exhibit exceptional electrical and optical behavior suitable for photovolta...
Using a Systematic Evaluation to Establish Need and Buy-In Prior to Adoption of a SWPBIS Model.

Most schools throughout the United States are adopting Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). Many school administrators and PBIS teams appear to be implementing SWPBIS w...
Stay-at-Home: Coronavirus and Its Impact on the Right to Intrastate Travel

This article analyzes whether the Louisiana governor’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order in March 2020 negatively impacted the right of persons to travel within the state of Louisiana, i.e., “the right to intrastate travel". It notes that there are also issues related to interstate travel, and it acts as a thoughtful guide as the government contemplates travel restrictions.
Poster: Virtual Hand Rehabilitation using a Mobile Camera

In this poster, we position and present preliminary work of the design of camera based virtual hand rehabilitation. We position the proposed system as an application that can be hosted on any mobile device such as smartphone, tablet or a personal computer. The primarily focus of the application is to serve as a self-monitoring tool for home-based exercise programs for personnel experiencing stroke recovery. This is made possible by using a mobile camera to capture and measure hand movements during the prescribed rehabilitation exercise performance and provide real-time feedback to the user. Through this approach, we posit that our visual feedback-based approach and the innovative use of mobile camera technology for rehabilitation, has the potential to revolutionise home-based exercise programs for individuals with chronic disabilities.
Novel insights into liver homeostasis and regeneration.

Studies of liver regeneration after injury have provided knowledge of the role of external signals and internal metabolic and regenerative pathways. However, less is understood about homeostatic maintenance of normal liver size in the absence of external injury. Three important new studies explore liver regeneration and homeostasis using novel lineage tagging of hepatic cells and single-cell RNA transcriptomics.
Thromboelastography (TEG) results are predictive of ischemic and hemorrhagic complications in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with flow diversion.

IntroductionFlow diversion is an effective treatment modality for intracranial aneurysms but is associated with ischemic and hemorrhagic complications. Patients treated with flow diversion require ...
Low Carbohydrate Diets and Estimated Cardiovascular and Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Prostate Cancer.

Purpose:A low carbohydrate diet (LCD) was shown to suggestively slow prostate cancer (PC) growth. In noncancer patients, LCDs improve metabolic syndrome (MetS) without weight loss. However, concern...
Responsive Governance in the European Union

The chapter provides an introduction to topic and its relevance, a summary of the argument and findings as well as a discussion of the core contribution. It also summarizes each chapter.
Enhanced sintering of β″-Al2O3/YSZ with the sintering aids of TiO2 and MnO2

Abstract β″-Al2O3 has been the dominated choice for the electrolyte materials of sodium batteries because of its high ionic conductivity, excellent stability with the electrode materials, satisfactory mechanical strength, and low material cost. To achieve adequate electrical and mechanical performance, sintering of β″-Al2O3 is typically carried out at temperatures above 1600 °C with deliberate efforts on controlling the phase, composition, and microstructure. Here, we reported a simple method to fabricate β″-Al2O3/YSZ electrolyte at relatively lower temperatures. With the starting material of boehmite, single phase of β″-Al2O3 can be achieved at as low as 1200 °C. It was found that TiO2 was extremely effective as a sintering aid for the densification of β″-Al2O3 and similar behavior was observed with MnO2 for YSZ. With the addition of 2 mol% TiO2 and 5 mol% MnO2, the β″-Al2O3/YSZ composite was able to be densified at as low as 1400 °C with a fine microstructure and good electrical/mechanical performance. This study demonstrated a new approach of synthesis and sintering of β″-Al2O3/YSZ composite, which represented a simple and low-cost method for fabrication of high-performance β″-Al2O3/YSZ electrolyte.
The complete genome sequence of Clostridium indolis DSM 755T

Clostridium indolis DSM 755T is a bacterium commonly found in soils and the feces of birds and mammals. Despite its prevalence, little is known about the ecology or physiology of this species. However, close relatives, C. saccharolyticum and C. hathewayi, have demonstrated interesting metabolic potentials related to plant degradation and human health. The genome of C. indolis DSM 755T reveals an abundance of genes in functional groups associated with the transport and utilization of carbohydrates, as well as citrate, lactate, and aromatics. Ecologically relevant gene clusters related to nitrogen fixation and a unique type of bacterial microcompartment, the CoAT BMC, are also detected. Our genome analysis suggests hypotheses to be tested in future culture based work to better understand the physiology of this poorly described species.
The Structure of Federal Policy: Deciphering the United States Code

Abstract CSWE mandates the study of social welfare policy, its history, and its evaluation; thus, assignments that require students to select policy for study are common. Educators provide frameworks for analysis but may not address the prerequisite step of locating policy for study, so students flounder in government documents without the tools to navigate the organizational and retrieval structures. This article provides basic tools for locating federal law and for deciphering the United States Code (USC), which topically organizes and houses all federal legislation. It uses the familiar examples of social security, welfare reform, and charitable choice. Familiarizing social workers with the USC provides useful knowledge for various policy projects and a conceptual framework for understanding federal policy, past, and present.
Equity Policies for the Production and Distribution of Wealth

This paper applies the methodological approach of “see-judge-act” put forward in Pope John XXIII’s encyclical letter Mater et Magistra (1961) to argue in favour of a greater emphasis on social equity considerations in development policies, rather than a more restrictive emphasis on the promotion of wealth alone. As countries move from conditions of underdevelopment and poverty to new levels of economic sustainability and prosperity, the question of who benefits from the distribution of wealth remains crucial. Too often, the rich benefit at the expense of the poor.
Information Asymmetry Around Earnings Announcements

This study examines bid-ask spreads to determine how the anticipation and release of earnings announcements affect information asymmetry in the stock market. I use regression analysis and find that bid-ask spreads are negatively related to public information availability and positively related to earnings variability and the market reaction to prior unexpected earnings. The results suggest that firms for which earnings is expected to yield a relatively larger stock market reaction have greater information asymmetry than firms for which earnings are expected to yield a smaller market reaction. I also find that bid-ask spreads gradually increase in the four days prior to earnings announcements, and increase sharply the day prior to, the day of and the day after the earnings announcements. Bid-ask spreads seven to ten days after earnings announcements are not significantly different from bid-ask spreads seven to ten days prior to earnings announcements.
System Description: IVY

IVY is a verified theorem prover for first-order logic with equality. It is coded in ACL2, and it makes calls to the theorem prover Otter to search for proofs and to the program MACE to search for countermodels. Verifications of Otter and MACE are not practical because they are coded in C. Instead, Otter and MACE give detailed proofs and models that are checked by verified ACL2 programs. In addition, the initial conversion to clause form is done by verified ACL2 code. The verification is done with respect to finite interpretations.
Oxygen and nitrate-dependent regulation of dmsABC operon expression in Escherichia coli: sites for Fnr and NarL protein interactions

Escherichia coli can respire anaerobically using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) as the terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic energy generation. Expression of the dmsABC genes that encode the membrane-associated DMSO/TMAO reductase is positively regulated during anaerobic conditions by the Fnr protein and negatively regulated by the NarL protein when nitrate is present. The regions of dmsA regulatory DNA required for Fnr and NarL interactions in response to anaerobiosis and nitrate, respectively, were examined. Mutations within the Fnr site that deviated from the wild type sequence, TTGATaccgAACAA, or that removed an entire half-site, either impaired or abolished the anaerobic activation of dmsA-lacZ expression. The region for phosphorylated NarL (NarL-phosphate) binding at the dmsA promoter was identified by DNase I and hydroxyl radical footprinting methods. A large 97 bp region that overlaps the Fnr and RNA polymerase recognition sites was protected by NarL-phosphate but not by the non-phosphorylated form of NarL. Hydroxyl radical footprinting analysis confirmed the NarL-phosphate DNase I protections of both dmsA strands and revealed 8–9 protected sites of 3–5 bp occurring at ten bp intervals that are offset by 3 bp in the 3' direction. These findings suggest that multiple molecules of phosphorylated NarL bind along one face of the DNA and may interfere with Fnr and/or RNA polymerase interactions at the dmsA regulatory region. The interplay of these transcription factors insures a hierarchical expression of the dmsABC genes when respiration of the preferred electron acceptors, oxygen and nitrate, is not possible.
Fault Detection of Discrete-Time Stochastic Systems Subject to Temporal Logic Correctness Requirements

This paper studies the fault detection of discrete-time stochastic systems with linear-time temporal logic (LTL) as correctness requirement—A fault is a violation of LTL specification. The temporal logic allows system correctness properties to be specified compactly and in a user-friendly manner (being close to natural-languages), and supports automatic translation into other formal models such as automata. We introduce the notion of input-output stochastic hybrid automaton (I/O-SHA) and show that the refinement of a continuous physical system (modeled as stochastic difference equations) against a certain class of LTL correctness requirement can be modeled as an I/O-SHA. The refinement preserves the behaviors of the physical system and also captures requirement-violation as a reachability property. Probability distribution over the discrete locations of hybrid system is estimated recursively by computing the distributions for continuous variables for each discrete location. This is then used to compute the likelihood of fault, a statistic that we employ for the purpose of fault detection. The performance of the detection scheme is measured in terms of false alarm (FA) and missed detection (MD) rates, and the condition for the existence of a detector to achieve any desired rates of FA and MD is captured in form of Stochastic-Diagnosability, a notion that we introduce in this paper for stochastic hybrid systems. The proposed method of fault detection is illustrated by a practical example.
Cell library for automatic synthesis of analog error control decoders

This paper presents a cell library for automatic synthesis of analog error control decoders. By using some basic cells, analog error control decoders can be automatically synthesized. Also, using automatic synthesis based on this cell library, the circuit performance is not degraded and the circuit is smaller and lower power compared with corresponding canonical designs.
Pulmonary sclerosing papillary adenoma

Pulmonary papillary adenomas are very rare benign neoplasms, with approximately 24 cases reported in the English literature. They typically do not contain any more than an occasional focal area of sclerosis. Indeed, sclerotic interstitium within a sclerosing hemangioma has been reported to be a criterion used to distinguish it from pulmonary papillary adenoma. We present a case of pulmonary sclerosing papillary adenoma, with extensive sclerotic stroma and scattered areas containing typical papillary architecture.
A high-rate frequency shift keying demodulator chip for wireless biomedical implants

A high-rate frequency shift keying (FSK) data transfer protocol and demodulator circuit has been developed with a data-rate to carrier-frequency ratio up to 67%. Its primary application is in the wireless biomedical implants in need of data transfer rates above 1 Mbps. The demodulator circuit extracts the serial data bit stream and a constant-frequency clock from an FSK carrier signal in the 2/spl sim/20 MHz range, which is used to power the implant through inductive coupling. The chip occupies 0.41 mm/sup 2/ in the AMI 1.5 /spl mu/m 2M/2P standard CMOS process and has a simulated data-rate of up to 2 Mbps and a measured rate of 200 Kbps while consuming less than 0.5 mW.
Radical prostatectomy in patients with indwelling inflatable penile prosthesis

Patients with impotence who have undergone placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) and then subsequently are diagnosed with carcinoma of the prostate (CaP) present a surgical dilemma. We performed radical retropubic prostatectomy on 3 patients with clinically localized CaP and an indwelling IPP. At laparotomy all 3 patients had the IPP reservoir relocated to facilitate dissection. In each case the reservoir was relocated to the left hypogastrium within the extraperitoneal space without disrupting the vacuum tubing system. There were no complications related to IPP, no IPP was injured, and each IPP was reactivated successfully 6 weeks after surgery.
A singular perturbation-finite element procedure for the analysis of edge effects in shell structures

Abstract Problems of shell analysis are often complicated by the existence of edge layer solution components in the total shell solution. A particular type of edge layer solution is considered. This is the cylindrical shell edge layer. A singular perturbation procedure is used to develop finite element shape functions for this problem. These shape functions have a spatial variation which makes them appropriate for edge layer problems. However, they retain an implementable form. A comparison of the accuracy of the singular perturbation edge element to the accuracy of a traditional element is presented.
Analysis of the amino terminal presequence of the feline immunodeficiency virus glycoprotein: Effect of deletions on the intracellular transport of gp95

Abstract The envelope glycoprotein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) consists of two noncovalently associated subunits, the surface glycoprotein (SU; gp95) and the transmembrane glycoprotein (TM; gp40). An unusual feature of the open reading frame (ORF) encoding the FIV glycoprotein is the presence of an unusually long amino terminal sequence (149 amino acids, “L” region or n-region of the signal sequence) preceding the predicted hydrophobic signal sequence. To examine the role of this n-region in the biosynthesis of gp95, the gene-encoding signal sequence and the surface glycoprotein (gp95) were expressed using recombinant vaccinia viruses. Glycoprotein mutants were constructed with 25, 42, 73, 102, and 147 amino acids removed from the n-region. Expression studies revealed that deletion of 25–102 amino acids did not appreciably effect the biosynthesis, intracellular transport, and release of gp95 from the cell surface. In contrast, removal of 147 of 149 amino acids resulted in the gp95 that was blocked in release from the cell. These results indicate that between 3 and 47 amino acids of the n-region are required for the proper biosynthesis, processing, and release of the FIV gp95 from infected cells.
High-Precision Automated Measurement of Surface Separation for the Surface Forces Apparatus

Abstract Multiple beam interferometry is a simple, yet powerful, technique that can be used to determine changes in the distance between two surfaces; under optimal conditions, the resolution of the measurement is less than 1 A. Multiple beam interferometry is utilized effectively in conjunction with the surface forces apparatus to measure the forces acting between two opposed surfaces as a function of their separation. The conventional method of measurement is based on visual observations of interference fringes which shift continuously in wavelength as the distance between the surfaces is varied. Data collection is a slow and demanding process, and precision is limited by both the skill and the stamina of the experimenter. We report here on an automated system designed to measure the wavelengths of interference fringes produced in a typical surface forces experiment. The measurement precision obtained with the automated system exceeds that of the conventional manual method, while the measurement time required is comparable. The distinguishing feature of our system is the development and implementation of a versatile algorithm designed to quantify the shapes of the interference fringes. Capabilities of the automated system that are not afforded with the manual method include accurate curve fits to the observed fringes and simultaneous measurements of all fringes in the field of view.
Melting relations of the aliende meteorite.

The proportions of major oxides in the Allende carbonaceous chondrite after partial reduction are remarkably similar to those in possible mantle material of the earth. When heated, the Allende meteorite generates a sulfide melt (47 percent iron, 25 percent nickel, and 24 percent sulfur by weight), a ferrobasaltic melt, and olivine with or without pyroxene, over a wide pressure range (5 to 25 kilobars). The silicate melt contains more sodium and less titanium than lunar ferrobasalts. An aggregate of the Allende chondrite rich in calcium and aluminum produces silica-undersaturated, calcium-rich melt and spinel over a wide pressure and temperature range. From these studies, it is suggested that the earth's core contains significant amounts of both nickel and sulfur and that a 3 : 2 mixture of Allende bulk sample and calcium- and aluminum-rich aggregates is closer in major element abundances than either of these components to the average composition of the moon.
Multimode antenna optimization

The design and optimization of the TOPHAT feed horn is presented. This horn is a nonimaging antenna with a few modes. Diffraction effects are approximated using ray-trace techniques with the addition of phase information.
A retrospective evaluation of vitamin K1 therapy to reverse the anticoagulant effect of warfarin.

Study Objective. To assess compliance with the 2001 consensus guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) regarding administration of vitamin K 1 to reverse the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. University teaching hospital. Patients. Fifty-five adult inpatients who received both warfarin and vitamin K 1 between September 2001 and January 2002. Measurements and Main Results. The patients' medical records were evaluated; data were collected on patient demographics and on vitamin K 1 dosage and route of administration, warfarin dosage, and international normalized ratio (INR) before and after vitamin K 1 administration. Administration routes and 87 doses of vitamin K 1 prescribed for the 55 patients were assessed for compliance with the ACCP guidelines. Administration routes were subcutaneous (40.2% of doses), intravenous (35.6%), oral (13.8%), and intramuscular (10.3%). The most frequently prescribed dose of vitamin K 1 was 10 mg (32.2%), followed by 2 mg (21.8%) and 5 mg (18.4%). Rates of compliance with the ACCP guidelines categorized by INR value were as follows: INR below 5, 12.2%; INR 5-9, 27.8%; INR between 9 and 20, 26.7%; and INR above 20, 0%. Four patients had documented episodes of bleeding and received seven doses of vitamin K 1 . Twenty-six patients received fresh frozen plasma with vitamin K 1 . Overall compliance with ACCP-recommended doses and routes of vitamin K 1 was only 17.2%. Conclusion. The most frequently prescribed administration routes for vitamin K 1 were subcutaneous and intravenous, indicating that the oral route is often not used as recommended. The vitamin K 1 doses prescribed for reversal of warfarin anticoagulation were highly variable, and for most (83%) patients, the recommended guidelines were not followed. The clinical significance of noncompliance with the ACCP guidelines for vitamin K 1 administration warrants further study.
Tocodynamometry Detects Preterm Labor in the Bitch Before Luteolysis

Preterm labor (PTL), myometrial actvity, and accompanying cervical changes can lead to the loss of pregnancy via resorption or abortion before term gestation. Idiopathic PTL has no metabolic, infectious, congenital, traumatic, or toxic cause identified; however, hypoluteoidism has been hypothesized to cause PTL in the bitch, based on progesterone measurements at the time of clinical pregnancy loss. This study documents the use of tocodynamometry to detect PTL in 5 bitches; progesterone measurements in these bitches were normal for pregnancy at the time PTL was diagnosed.
Efficacy and safety of terbinafine for nondermatophyte and mixed nondermatophyte and dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis.

Ninety-seven healthy male and female subjects, 18–70 years of age, entered a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study conducted over a 24-week treatment period and a 72-week follow-up (study week 96) period without treatment. Subjects received: (1) terbinafine 250 mg for 12 weeks followed by placebo for 12 weeks; (2) terbinafine 250 mg for 24 weeks; or (3) placebo for 24 weeks. Clinical and mycologic evaluations of a target toenail were performed before, during, and after the treatment period. Evaluations consisted of measurements of nail growth, unaffected nail length, and estimated percentage of nail involvement. Cultures and KOH microscopy were used for mycologic evaluations. The primary efficacy variable was effective treatment, defined as negative mycology and either no nail involvement or at least 5 mm of new unaffected nail growth at 48 weeks. Complete cure, the secondary variable, was defined as negative mycology and zero nail involvement at 48 weeks. Overall efficacy was assessed after 12, 18, and 24 weeks of therapy and every 6 weeks up to week 48 by both investigator and subject using a five-point scale (excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor). Adverse events were assessed after 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 weeks of treatment and after a 6-week follow-up period with no treatment. Adverse events were graded by severity (mild, moderate, or severe) and relationship to the study drug (not related, remote or unlikely, possibly, probably, or definitely).
Time-varying and static magnetic fields act in combination to alter calcium signal transduction in the lymphocyte.

We have tested the hypothesis that extremely low frequency (ELF) time-varying magnetic fields act in combination with static magnetic fields to alter calcium signalling in the lymphocyte. Results indicate that a 60-min exposure of thymic lymphocytes at 37 ± 0.05°C to a 16 Hz, 421 mG (42.1 μT) magnetic field simultaneously with a colinear static magnetic field of 234 mG (23.4 μT) (a.c./d.c. field intensity ratio = 1.8) inhibits calcium influx triggered by the mitogen Concanavalin A. Significantly, resting lymphocytes do not respond to the fields, thus, only mitogen-activated cells undergoing calcium signalling exhibit a field response. These results indicate that signal transduction involving calcium is an important biological constraint which operates to mediate this field interaction. Additional split field exposures show that the presence of the a.c. field or the d.c. field alone does not produce an effect. This is consistent with a proposed parametric resonance theory of interaction of low intensity magnetic fields with biological systems (L.L. Lednev (1991) Bioelectromagnetics 12, 71–75), which predicts the occurrance or biological effects at specific values for the frequency and field intensity of the ELF and static magnetic fields.
Antiangiogenic therapy in the management of brain tumors: a clinical overview

Central to the process of brain tumor development is angiogenesis, which involves a host of molecules and receptors. In recent years, antiangiogenic therapies have been developed and tested for their effectiveness against these tumors. Among them are inhibitors against vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors, as well as inhibitors targeting the platelet-derived growth factor family, integrins, and histone deacetylase. While many have been shown to be effective with limited toxicity, some tumors are able to adopt escape mechanisms. Further research is needed in the development of effective multi-targeted agents to reduce these effects.
Atmospheric pressure as a natural climate regulator for a terrestrial planet with a biosphere

Lovelock and Whitfield suggested in 1982 that, as the luminosity of the Sun increases over its life cycle, biologically enhanced silicate weathering is able to reduce the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) so that the Earth’s surface temperature is maintained within an inhabitable range. As this process continues, however, between 100 and 900 million years (Ma) from now the CO2 concentration will reach levels too low for C3 and C4 photosynthesis, signaling the end of the solar-powered biosphere. Here, we show that atmospheric pressure is another factor that adjusts the global temperature by broadening infrared absorption lines of greenhouse gases. A simple model including the reduction of atmospheric pressure suggests that the life span of the biosphere can be extended at least 2.3 Ga into the future, more than doubling previous estimates. This has important implications for seeking extraterrestrial life in the Universe. Space observations in the infrared region could test the hypothesis that atmospheric pressure regulates the surface temperature on extrasolar planets. evolution Gaia greenhouse habitability
A Pascal-like triangle from finding power sums

A Pascal-like triangle is constructed so that power sums can be conveniently obtained by college (or high school) students with no need for memorizing complicated formulas or performing difficult calculations.
The Borda method is most likely to respect the Condorcet principle

We prove that in the class of weighted voting systems the Borda Count maximizes the probability that a Condorcet candidate is ranked first in a group election. A direct result is that the Borda Count maximizes the probability that a transitive, binary ranking of the candidates is preserved in a group election. A preliminary result, but one of independent interest, is that the Borda Count maximizes the probability that a majority outcome betweenany two candidates is reflected by the group election. All theorems are valid when there is a uniform probability distribution on the voter profiles and can be generalized to other “uniform-like” probability distributions. This work extends previous results of Fishburn and Gehrlein from three candidates to any number of candidates.
Patient self-evaluation of cosmetic outcome of breast-preserving cancer treatment

Thirty-two patients with Stage I or II breast cancer who had completed conservative breast-preserving treatment were asked to rate their cosmetic outcomes. Within this group, extent of the surgical excision of the breast tumor varied, with biopsy scars ranging from 2 to 19.5 cm. All patients had received external beam radiotherapy, with local boost doses in 17 cases. The average interval between self-evaluation and the completion of radiotherapy was 19 months. Patients completed a questionnaire rating the appearance of the treated breast, the degree of difference between breasts and overall satisfaction with cosmesis. They were asked to describe differences between breasts and to make any additional comments. Appearance of the treated breast was rated good to excellent by 94%, although 88% noted a difference of slight to moderate degree between treated and untreated breasts. Overall, 78% of patients were very to extremely satisfied, while moderate satisfaction was reported by 19%. Reports of breast differences included reduced size of the treated breast (44%), increased firmness (31%), elevation (25%), and skin color changes (22%). Reasons for dissatisfaction included chronic breast pain in 3 patients, breast edema in one and arm edema in one. Two patients wanted the untreated breast reduced in size. Statistically significant inverse relationships were found between the length of the biopsy scar and patient ratings of both appearance of the treated breast and overall satisfaction. These results indicated that although most patients were satisfied with cosmetic results of breast-preserving treatments, they are quite discriminating in their evaluations of differences between breasts. Functional factors such as pain and edema had a negative impact on satisfaction with cosmesis.
Safety of obesity drugs

The safety of obesity drugs has historically been poor. This and the stigmatisation of obesity in society ensured that a higher standard of safety for obesity drugs must be met. The authors review the safety disasters of obesity drugs that were withdrawn. The authors then review the safety of presently available drugs – benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, diethylpropion, phentermine, sibutramine and orlistat. The safety of rimonabant, a drug with a pending new drug application that has an independent effect on metabolic syndrome, is also reviewed. The authors compare the stage of obesity drug development to that of hypertension in the 1950s. As new and safer drugs with more downstream mechanisms are developed that have independent effects on the cardiovascular risks associated with obesity, third party reimbursement for obesity medicine is likely to improve. This may lead to obesity being treated like hypertension and other chronic diseases with long-term medication. With improved technological tools, the aut...
Confidence bands for the CDF when sampling from a finite population

We develop two methods for obtaining a confidence band for the cumulative distribution function (CDF) based on a simple random sample from a finite population of known size. The methods are exact when the population contains no repeated values, and conservative otherwise. The first method consists of using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov-type band, and the second method consists of combining together separate, equal-coverage-probability confidence intervals for each ordered population value. Confidence bands obtained using either method yield simultaneous confidence intervals for all ordered population values. Coverage probabilities are computed using a new recursive algorithm.
Werbung mit irrelevanten Produktattributen

In this article we describe four types of so-called irrelevant attributes which are often used in marketing practice. First, we give some examples to illustrate these types. Then we present theories explaining the effects of these irrelevant attributes on product attractiveness. We give an overview of relevant studies published in literature and add findings from new experiments to the existing literature. The results show that there is neither a general positive nor a general negative effect of irrelevant attributes. Depending on the type of an irrelevant attribute and its valence a positive or a negative effect on product attractiveness can be observed.
Enhancement by LPS of B-cell function in genetically deficient mice.

Abstract CBA/N mice are apparently deficient in mature B cells, but not in immature B cells. Experiments reported here were designed to test the ability of the adjuvant and B-cell mitogen, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to induce B-cell function in CBA/N mice. CBA/N spleen cells, which respond poorly to erythrocyte antigens in vitro , developed high numbers of hemolytic antibody-forming cells when cultured with LPS. When injected along with erythrocyte antigens, LPS enhanced in vivo immune responses, as shown by increases in direct and indirect hemolytic antibody-forming cells. These data demonstrate that both in vivo and in vitro , in the presence of LPS, CBA/N B cells can become antibody-forming cells.
Gender Differences in U.S. College Students' Fear for Others

This study examines U.S. college students’ fear of crime for others and uses the “doing gender” perspective to help explain gender differences. A sample of 931 college students (421 male students/510 female students and 605 White students/326 Black students) under the age of 30 from a Southeastern public university provided information on fear of crime, fear for others, and other variables often associated with fear of crime. When splitting the sample by gender, results suggest that both male and female college students fear for others, but do so in very different ways. While male students’ fear for others was associated with their personal characteristics (race, age and parental status) and whether they lived with an intimate, female students’ fear for others was most influenced by constrained behaviors and personal fear of crime. Additionally, when testing race specific models, there were not enough minority men to split the sample for men. However, when separating the sample by race for women only, the model generally did not work for non-White women, while the model worked well for White women. Overall, the results suggest that younger individuals’ fear of crime for others is gendered, associated with living status for men and personal fear for women and that racial differences among men and women should be examined in the future.