cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental two-dimensional torsional potential function for the methyl internal rotors in acetone

Abstract The two-dimensional torsional potential function for the methyl internal rotors in acetone, CH 3 COCH 3 , was derived by a global least-squares fit to spectroscopic data only. The data consisted of the torsional transitions in the far infrared and two-photon photoionization spectra and the torsionally split rotational transitions. This new potential function avoids previous contradictions in the values for the effective barrier to internal rotation. It contains potential top–top coupling terms as large as 66% of the effective barrier of 251±3 cm −1 . It is similar to the potential function predicted in recent ab initio calculations. The combination of data from rotational and vibrational spectroscopy was crucial to the achievement of a potential function that is compatible with both kinds of data.
A comparison of image characteristics and convenience in panoramic radiography using charge-coupled device, storage phosphor, and film receptors.

This study compared the image layer characteristics, dose requirements, and convenience in use of panoramic radiography using each of four different image receptors including traditional indirect exposure x-ray film, a storage phosphor system, and two solid-state sensors. The OP 100 D (Instrumentarium Imaging, Tuusula, Finland) charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor provided an instant image with a wide focal trough, making patient positioning error unlikely, but at the same time required a patient dose higher than that used with film. While the DigiPan (Trex/Trophy, Marne-la-Vallee, France) CCD significantly reduced the patient dose to radiation and also provided an instant image, the focal trough was narrower making patient positioning error more likely. The storage phosphor system provided high resolution and a reasonable focal trough width, but the procedure took longer than traditional film radiography and did not provide a dose saving.
Melanoma susceptibility and cell cycle genes in Xiphophorus hybrids.

Xiphophorus interspecies hybrids provide genetically defined models of both spontaneous and inducible melanomagenesis. In both models, backcrossing F1 hybrids of different strains of X. maculatus and X. helleri to a X. helleri parental fish results in segregation of melanoma susceptibility, fitting a Mendelian two-gene inheritance model. The sex-linked Xmrk oncogene is required for melanoma development in both crosses. The XiphophorusCDKN2A/B gene, which is homologous to mammalian CDKN2A/B cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (p16 and p15), is a candidate melanoma susceptibility gene. In this model, tumor susceptibility segregates with homozgyosity for CDKN2A/B from the recurrent X. helleri parent in backcross hybrids. We found that both CDKN2A/B mRNA and protein are highly overexpressed in melanoma. Because the p13 protein product of CDKN2A/B is a putative regulator of the G1 checkpoint, we investigated expression of other components of Xiphophorus G1 checkpoint control. By real-time PCR analysis, retinoblastoma gene (RB) is consistently expressed twofold higher in both tumors and melanized skin than in normal tissue, indicating that RB is not downregulated by the overexpression of CDKN2A/B in Xiphophorus melanoma. We also found a significant correlation between the quantitative level of CDKN2A/B and Xmrk RNA in tumors, suggesting a functional relationship between Xmrk and CDKN2A/B expression. Although X. helleriCDKN2A/B protein contains a non-conservative substitution, the biochemical function appears to show little overt defect. These studies indicate that in Xiphophorus melanoma, CDKN2A/B is functionally insufficient to mediate cell-cycle arrest in the presence of Xmrk. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Patch Clamp Recording of Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes

Since its development by Sakmann and Neher (1, 2), the patch clamp has become established as an extremely useful technique for electrophysiological measurement of single or multiple ion channels in cells. This technique can be applied to ion channels in both their native environment and expressed in heterologous cells, such as oocytes harvested from the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Here, we describe the well-established technique of patch clamp recording from Xenopus oocytes. This technique is used to measure the properties of expressed ion channels either in populations (macropatch) or individually (single-channel recording). We focus on techniques to maximize the quality of oocyte preparation and seal generation. With all factors optimized, this technique gives a probability of successful seal generation over 90 percent. The process may be optimized differently by every researcher based on the factors he or she finds most important, and we present the approach that have lead to the greatest success in our hands.
Supervised learning of maternal cigarette-smoking signatures from placental gene expression data: A case study

This paper aims to conduct supervised learning of the cigarette-smoking signatures from the placental gene expression data sets under the neural network framework and build classifiers to identify the cigarette-smoking moms during pregnancy. First, a unified model for gene selection is proposed to single out a set of informative gene sets (up-or down-regulated genes). The selected signature gene sets are subject to refinement, and then so refined informative gene sets are fed into three supervised statistical learning algorithms, linear discriminant function (LDF), probabilistic neural network (PNN) and support vector machine (SVM) for training and testing. It shows that SVM is the best classifier in predicting the cigarette-smoking moms compared to other methods tested.
Noncovalent Derivatization: A Laboratory Experiment for Understanding the Principles of Molecular Recognition and Self-Assembly through Phase Behavior.

An experiment focusing on the creation of phase diagrams involving nonconvalent derivatives of hydroquinone and bis[N,N-diethyl]- terephthalamide (HQ-DETPA) is presented. A phase diagram was assembled by taking samples of different compositions (i.e., 40% hydroquinone and 60% bis[N,N-diethyl]terephthalamide, 70%/30%, etc.) and determining the melting points of each sample. This experiment is suitable for students enrolled in a physical chemistry class or materials science course and was effectively accomplished by three pairs of students. The experiment requires two 3-h lab sessions. Background information, experimental procedure and hazards, and results of the research are detailed. Results indicate that the noncovalent derivatization successfully provides a co-crystal that assembles into a 50:50 molar ratio. The eutectic points are shown to take place at the 25:75 and 75:25 molar ratios, respectively. Because entropy was the driving force behind the assembly of the co-crystals, the presence of a maximum point on the phase diagram, which represents the highest value of enthalpy and lowest point of entropy, was also witnessed and occurred at the 50:50 molar ratio of HQ to DETPA.
The impossible gift of love in The Merchant of Venice and the sonnets

Departing from Luther's distinction between gifts between people as being things of “portions and pieces” as opposed to the wholeness of God's gift of grace, this paper explores the nature of the gift in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice as a mode of forging, negotiating or alienating love. The argument will encompass the analysis of the nature of the gift by Marcel Maus and Jacques Derrida, and explore parallels between Shakespeare's comedy and his sonnets.
Effect of contaminated filtration sand on performance of household biosand filters

Household biosand filters are one point-of-use water treatment technology that can be used to provide clean drinking water to people living in communities without access to improved water supplies. There have been several studies investigating the importance of design variables on biosand filter performance, and biosand filters have been demonstrated to improve health outcomes in communities were they have been deployed. In constructing the biosand filter, it is recommended that sand from a rock quarry or gravel pit be used as filtration sand, as it is likely to be uncontaminated by waterborne pathogens. However, due to the cost or availability of sand from these sources, river sand may be used for filtration sand in a biosand filter. If the river water is contaminated with pathogens, it is likely that the sand will also be contaminated. In this study, we investigated the use of contaminated river sand on removal efficiencies of E. Coli and total coliforms from a biosand filter in the laboratory and installed in a community in Madagascar. We found that in the laboratory, the biosand filter constructed with contaminated sand had lower removal efficiencies than a filter constructed with clean sand over a 26 day period. In the field, we found that a biosand filter loaded with filtration sand obtained from a contaminated river performed well with removal efficiencies greater than 95%.
Chemically robust fluoroalkyl phthalocyanine–oligonucleotide bioconjugates and their GRP78 oncogene photocleavage activity

The first representative of functionalized fluoroalkyl phthalocyanines, F48H7(COOH)PcZn, is reported. The complex generates 1O2 affording long-lasting photooxidation of an external substrate without self-decomposition. The carboxylic group couples with an antisense oligonucleotide targeting GRP78 oncogenes, resulting in the F48H7PcZn–cancer targeting oligonucleotide (CTO). The bioconjugated fluorophthalocyanine effectively hybridizes complementary GRP78 DNA and mRNA sequences. Piperidine cleavage assays reveal desired photochemical oligonucleotide oxidative degradation for both F48H7PcZn–CTO:DNA and F48H7PcZn–CTO:mRNA hybrids. This new materials strategy could be extended to other functional fluorinated phthalocyanines–antisense oligonucleotide combinations for long-lasting oncogene-targeting photodynamic therapy.
SU-E-T-158: Neutron Damage of Power Electronics Used during Image Guidance in Proton Therapy.

Purpose: A series of measurements were performed in a clinical proton therapy beam to assess the sensitivity of silicon‐based electronics in commercial x‐ray generators to single event burnout from the secondary neutron background in proton therapy treatments. Methods: Failure rates were nondestructively measured in various metal oxide semiconductor field‐effect transistors(MOSFETs) as a function of applied voltage using a dedicated test circuit board. Neutrons were produced by 230 MeV protons stopping in a brass beam target and high beam current was used to accelerate testing.Neutron fluences were measured by activation analysis of carbon and aluminum in both the test setup and in situ at the generator. Failure rates were determined by scaling results based on beam monitor output to the relevant neutron fluence rate. Results: Current pulses from the test board clearly indicated the onset of single event burnout without destroying the MOSFET. The neutron fluence measured on the test board was 4.3 ± 0.8×106 n cm‐2 MU‐1 and this is consistent with previous measurements. The MOSFET failure rate decreased rapidly with a reduction in the applied voltage and is 20‐30 times lower in higher‐rated components at the same voltage. Under nominal operating conditions the estimated failure rate is tens of failures per year for a generator 6m from the treatment position. Conclusion: The sensitivity of x‐ray generator power electronics to neutron‐induced single‐event burnout is significant and can affect the implementation of image‐guided techniques for proton therapy. Strategies and system designs to mitigate this phenomenon are being investigated to help enable x‐ray generators withstand the proton therapy environment. This research was supported by the NIH/NCI under grant number 6‐PO1 CA 21239
1037 ADHERENCE OF HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE b TO EPITHELIAL CELLS OF CHILDREN

Bacterial adherence to epithelial surfaces may play a role in the colonization and pathogenesis of bacterial infections. Using fluorescent antibody and radiolabeled methods, we have demonstrated that H. influenzae non-typeable (HiNT) adhere more readily to buccal epithelial cells (BEC) than do H.influenzae b (Hib). The adherence or non-adherence of Hib strains was not influenced by BEC source (different adult donors) or site (pharyngeal,nasal or buccal) of the same adult donor,antibiotics or heat-treatment of BEC. One percent mannose, ribose and dextrose inhibited the adherence of the one adherent Hib strain (throat). BEC from 10 asymptomatic children, 8 with confirmed systemic Hib disease,and 10 with symptomatic respiratory infections (URI) were studied using one adherent and three non-adherent Hib strains (2-CSF, 1 ear). Nasal cultures for viruses were positive in 1/10 with URI. The throat strain adhered equally to BEC from all three groups and the non-adherent Hib strains did not adhere to the BEC from 10 control children, the 10 children with symptomatic URI and 7/8 children with confirmed Hib diseases. One child studied twice while asymptomatic and symptomatic (URI) showed no change in Hib adherence. This diminished adherence of Hib strains to epithelial cells may be relevant to the invasiveness of Hib and to the pathogenesis of Hib infection.
Reflections for the future of system dynamics

The foundations of and recent trends in system dynamics are reviewed. The increase in qualitative only modelling has potential dangers and there is a need for better guidelines. New software tools provide increased power and flexibility for quantitative modelling, enabling the 'flight simulator' concept to be applied to a wide range of business environments but more research on interface design is required. Research into the connection between model structure and behaviour, and also the role of optimisation is being undertaken. The growth in the use of system dynamics, including by consulting firms, is fuelling a need for better education and training, which is being met by an expanding number of university programmes. (In the USA the concepts are being successfully introduced into some primary and secondary schools). The next challenge is to extend the application of system dynamics from the (mainly) business area so as to tackle the 'big' national and global problems.
Aspects of family and kinship in a North Carolina coastal community: a comparative study

The almost total absence of social-science data on North Carolina coastal fishing communities has provoked this preliminary study of the role played by family and kinship ties among fishermen and boat builders in such a community, with a view to developing new fisheries management strategies from an assessment of the social and economic impacts of those which already exist.
Assessing the organizational impacts of information technology

The ability systematically and objectively to assess both positive and negative impacts of information technology is of crucial concern to organizations. This paper proposes a framework for a holistic assessment of the organizational consequences of information technology. Impact is assessed along the two orthogonal dimensions of breadth (local and global effects) and depth (direct and induced effects) resulting in four possible categories. Objective measures for isolating impact are identified for each category. Three illustrative applications of information technology are used to demonstrate how the framework may be operationalized. Managerial implications and insights suggested by the framework for the utilization of information technology are presented.
Factors Influencing Error Recovery in Collections Databases: A Museum Case Study

This article offers an analysis of the process of error recovery as observed in the development and use of collections databases in a university museum. It presents results from a longitudinal case study of the development of collaborative systems and practices designed to reduce the number of errors found in the museum’s databases as museum employees packed and moved their collections over a period of five years. Drawing on a specific set of eighteen months' worth of records documenting error rates and error management techniques, this article identifies three factors that influenced the ability of museum staff members to recover from errors found in their collections databases. The article concludes by examining the potential impact of these factors on the design of future collections databases in order to shed light on the wider issue of error recovery procedures in all information organizations.
Empirical Study on Credibility of Electronic Word of Mouth

With the popularity of internet, electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has become a major information source for consumers' purchase behavior. The influence of eWOM depends on its credibility. Therefore, it is very important to research on the credibility of eWOM. By empirical research, it's found that the site trustworthiness, the sender's expertise and the receiver's disposition to trust have positive effect on the credibility of eWOM, which then has positive effect on consumer's purchase decision. Implications for research and practice are further studied.
Hemagglutinin Responses in Japanese Quail Treated with Exogenous Adrenocorticotrophin

Abstract Injections of exogenous ACTH in chickens are known to cause immunosuppression provided that ACTH administration is properly timed with respect to immunization. In randombred Japanese quail, injections of ACTH at various times both before and after immunization with erythrocyte antigens did not significantly alter antibody responses. This finding was consistent whether the ACTH was administered over a 4 hr or a 6 day period, and whether sheep or chukar erythrocytes were used as the antigen.
The nature of memory related activity in early visual areas

Memory for visual items can evoke activity in visual processing regions, which is typically assumed to reflect conscious remembering. However, based on previous findings, we hypothesized that such activity in early visual areas (BA17, BA18) may reflect priming, a form of nonconscious memory. We tested this hypothesis in two fMRI experiments with similar stimulus protocols, but explicit or implicit task instructions. During initial runs, abstract shapes were presented to either side of fixation, filled with parallel lines of random orientation and color. In subsequent runs, old and new shapes (plus related shapes in Experiment 2) were presented at fixation. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed to remember each shape and its spatial location during initial runs; during subsequent runs they classified each shape as old and on the "left", old and on the "right", or "new". A right fusiform gyrus region (BA18) and a left lingual gyrus region (BA18) were preferentially associated with shapes previously presented on the left and right, respectively. In support of our hypothesis, this early visual area activity was independent of response accuracy for spatial location. In Experiment 2, for each shape, participants identified parallel line orientation relative to horizontal. Consistent with our hypothesis, specific neural activity was observed in early visual regions (BA17, BA18, extending into BA19), with old activity greater than related and new activity (likely reflecting priming). The results of these experiments provide convergent evidence that memory related early visual area activity (BA17, BA18) can reflect nonconscious processing.
The fourth amendment and emerging communications technologies

The key US Supreme Court case that addresses the constitutionality of government surveillance is nearly four decades old. This overview considers how technological developments have strained the prevailing legal framework and highlights areas for reform
Simple, high-precision, microliter per minute, fluid-flow sensor

Liquid flow monitoring at μL/min rates is important for many lab-on-a-chip applications. Several technologies have been investigated to achieve this resolution. Most require expensive detection systems and extensive calibration. They also rely on phenomena impacted by diffusion (e.g., heat pulses) that quickly lose accuracy as flow rates decrease. These limitations can be surmounted by using bubbles to mark the flow. A micromachined, bubble time-of-flight device can measure flow rates accurately with minimal calibration. We demonstrate such a device with range from 100 to 2 µL/min and accuracy down to .02 µL/min. A method for detecting sub 100 µL/min is also tested.
Self-Service Technologies (SSTs): determinants of adoption and its post-usage outcomes from a focal company perspective

With the exponential rise of the technological advances, service firms adopt Self-Service Technologies (SSTs) as their innovative weapons to create value. Much research has focused on customers’ perspectives of adopting SSTs, i.e., determinants of SST adoption, attitudes and intentions toward use. Yet, studies on organisational adoption of SST, its post-adoption usage, and its organisational impact have been little explored. This paper conceptually explores the determinants of SST adoption and its post-usage impact from a focal company perspective considering the nomological network of SST adoption. Implications as well as future research opportunities are provided.
Organization and molecular evolution of CENP-A-associated satellite DNA families in a basal primate genome

Centromeric regions in many complex eukaryotic species contain highly repetitive satellite DNAs. Despite the diversity of centromeric DNA sequences among species, the functional centromeres in all species studied to date are marked by CENP-A, a centromere-specific histone H3 variant. Although it is well established that families of multimeric higher-order alpha satellite are conserved at the centromeres of human and great ape chromosomes and that diverged monomeric alpha satellite is found in old and new world monkey genomes, little is known about the organization, function, and evolution of centromeric sequences in more distant primates, including lemurs. Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a basal primate and is located at a key position in the evolutionary tree to study centromeric satellite transitions in primate genomes. Using the approach of chromatin immunoprecipitation with antibodies directed to CENP-A, we have identified two satellite families, Daubentonia madagascariensis Aye-Aye 1 (DMA1) and Daubentonia madagascariensis Aye-Aye 2 (DMA2), related to each other but unrelated in sequence to alpha satellite or any other previously described primate or mammalian satellite DNA families. Here, we describe the initial genomic and phylogenetic organization of DMA1 and DMA2 and present evidence of higher-order repeats in Aye-Aye centromeric domains, providing an opportunity to study the emergence of chromosome-specific modes of satellite DNA evolution in primate genomes.
A Constant Stress-Drop Model for Producing Broadband Synthetic Seismograms: Comparison with the Next Generation Attenuation Relations

Broadband (0.1-20 Hz) synthetic seismograms for finite-fault sources were produced for a model where stress drop is constant with seismic moment to see if they can match the magnitude dependence and distance decay of response spec- tral amplitudes found in the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) relations recently developed from strong-motion data of crustal earthquakes in tectonically active re- gions. The broadband synthetics were constructed for earthquakes of M 5.5, 6.5, and 7.5 by combining deterministic synthetics for plane-layered models at low fre- quencies with stochastic synthetics at high frequencies. The stochastic portion used a source model where the Brune stress drop of 100 bars is constant with seismic mo- ment. The deterministic synthetics were calculated using an average slip velocity, and hence, dynamic stress drop, on the fault that is uniform with magnitude. One novel aspect of this procedure is that the transition frequency between the deterministic and stochastic portions varied with magnitude, so that the transition frequency is inversely related to the rise time of slip on the fault. The spectral accelerations at 0.2, 1.0, and 3.0 sec periods from the synthetics generally agreed with those from the set of NGA relations for M 5.5-7.5 for distances of 2-100 km. At distances of 100-200 km some of the NGA relations for 0.2 sec spectral acceleration were substantially larger than the values of the synthetics for M 7.5 and M 6.5 earthquakes because these relations do not have a term accounting for Q. At 3 and 5 sec periods, the synthetics for M 7.5 earth- quakes generally had larger spectral accelerations than the NGA relations, although there was large scatter in the results from the synthetics. The synthetics showed a sag in response spectra at close-in distances for M 5.5 between 0.3 and 0.7 sec that is not predicted from the NGA relations.
Linking classroom learning with SPC software

It is suggested that laboratory sessions which stress construction and interpretation of control charts and other statistical tools can strengthen students' understanding of SPC (statistical process control) concepts. The statistical software package used by the author in her laboratory sessions reinforces the "calculations" side of the SPC along with construction and interpretation of control charts. Students learn of economical, statistical software packages currently available that simplify and enhance control charting as well as other statistical tools. Each laboratory session is designed to reinforce a corresponding lecture. >
Accelerating applications of RF superconductivity-success stories

RF superconductivity has become an important technology for accelerators at the energy and luminosity frontiers as well as at the cutting edge of nuclear physics and basic materials science. Nearly one kilometer of superconducting cavities have been installed in accelerators to provide more than 5 gigavolts of acceleration. Superconducting cavities support beam currents above one ampere, and deliver up to 380 kW of beam power. Steady advances in science and technology are responsible for spectacular increases in performance since the large installations of CEBAF (Jefferson Lab) and LEP-II (CERN) during the 1990's. The gradient of niobium cavities has more than tripled over the last decade, spurring new accelerators. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory switched to superconducting technology in 2000. The X-ray Free Electron Laser at DESY will provide angstrom-wavelength beams of unprecedented brilliance. Recently an International Technology Recommendation Panel selected the superconducting option for the International Linear Collider. The 500 GeV collider will require 20,000 superconducting cavities, each about one meter long, operating at 2 K. Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) studies are flowering for a variety of applications: ultra-fast, high brilliance light sources as well as electron beams for cooling or colliding with ions in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Lab. Designs for the nuclear Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) demand high performance cavities. With many years of operating experience at major accelerators demonstrating a robust technology, SRF is ready to launch major initiatives.
Two novel fully complementary self-biased CMOS differential amplifiers

Two CMOS differential amplifiers, one that is intended for applications in which the input common-mode range is relatively limited, the complementary self-biased differential amplifier (CSDA), and one that is intended for applications in which the input common-mode range is bounded only by the supply voltages, the very-wide-common-mode-range differential amplifier (VCDA), are discussed. Both differ from conventional CMOS differential amplifiers in having fully complementary configurations and in being self-biased through negative feedback. The amplifiers have been applied as precision high-speed comparators in commercial VLSI CMOS integrated circuits. >
Abdominal aortic pulsed wave Doppler patterns reliably reflect clinical severity in patients with coarctation of the aorta.

Objective. There are situations in which standard echocardiography does not adequately define the aortic arch. We sought to determine what additional information could be gained by analyzing abdominal aortic Doppler flows in coarctation. Design. Previously recorded echocardiographic data were reviewed in 70 controls and 248 patients with coarctation, including abdominal aortic values for pulsatility indices, pulse delay, and presence of early diastolic reversal. Ability of these variables to distinguish controls from coarctation patients and to assess coarctation severity was assessed. Results. Corrected maximum instantaneous gradient and all abdominal aortic flow variables were associated with severity of obstruction. Early diastolic reversal was universally absent in significant coarctation. Threshold values for other parameters associated with significant obstruction were: corrected pulse delay ≥3.4 msec1/2, pulsatility index <2.0, and systolic to diastolic velocity ratio <3.6. A combined abdominal aortic “variable” (absence of early diastolic reversal and corrected pulse delay ≥2.8 msec1/2) was found to be the best predictor of clinical coarctation status (positive predictive value = 93%, negative predictive value = 88%). Conclusions. In the absence of a ductus arteriosus, abdominal aortic Doppler parameters can reliably predict the presence of significant coarctation. When early diastolic reversal was present, obstruction was always absent. Lack of early diastolic reversal with a prolonged pulse delay was the best predictor of significant obstruction. Abdominal aortic Doppler evaluation should become a routine part of the evaluation of patients with known or suspected coarctation.
A Study of Bare PC SIP Server Performance

In bare computing, applications run directly on an ordinary PC without using an operating system (OS). Advantages of bare PC computing include elimination of overhead due to the OS, and immunity against attacks targeting OS vulnerabilities. We evaluate the performance of a bare PC SIP server by determining its throughput and latency in a dedicated test network using the open source SIPp workload generator to generate requests for registration (register, register update, and register logout operations), proxying (invite and invite-not-found operations) and redirection (invite redirect operation) with and without authentication. We also report internal timings for the server. The performance of the server is then compared with the OpenSER and Brekeke SIP servers running on Linux and Windows respectively. Our results show that the bare PC SIP server has low cost for internal SIP-related operations, higher throughput than the Windows server, and higher or equal throughput than the Linux server except in the case of redirection. Its latency is more than that of an OS-based server only in the case of invite with authentication and invite-not-found without authentication.
Emergency contraceptive update.

Emergency contraception (EC) is particularly important for patients who have unprotected sexual intercourse or who experience an oral contraceptive “lapse” while taking a known teratogenic drug such as isotretinoin or methotrexate. In a previous review paper it was noted that the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved emergency oral contraceptive (Plan B®; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA North Wales PA USA) consisted of two 0.75-mg levonorgestrel tablets to be taken at 12-hour intervals and within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. This agent has largely been supplanted by two versions of a more convenient single-dose 1.5-mg levonorgestrel tablet to be ingested within 72 hours of sexual exposure (Next Choice® [Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. Corona CA USA] and Plan B One-Step® [TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA]). As of December 1 2010 another emergency contraceptive Ella® (Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc.) has become available in the USA. This new agent consists of a single 30-mg dose of ulipristal acetate a selective progesterone receptor modulator which delays or inhibits ovulation. This recently released drug is available only on prescription not over-the-counter as is the case with the levonorgestrel-based drugs. However it is comparably priced and demonstrates no significant adverse events. Perhaps more importantly the newer drug has several advantages. Firstly this EC agent affords pregnancy rates that are 65% and 42% lower in the first 24 and 72 hours after unprotected intercourse respectively compared with the older agents.23 Secondly the newer drug retains considerable efficacy (and is approved for use) even when taken up to five days following sexual intercourse compared with the markedly reduced efficacy of the levonorgestrel-based medications at this time-point. It is important for dermatologists to be aware of the expanding alternatives for EC that are available to patients who use medication that is considered to be highly risky should an unexpected or undesired pregnancy occur. (full text)
Exceptional Properties by Design

Materials, be they natural or humanmade, come with characteristic combinations of mechanical properties. For example, ceramics have high stiffness but break easily, metals have high strength but limited ability to deform elastically, and polymers can recover from large deformations but carry relatively low stresses. Materials scientists have long tried to make materials that combine desirable properties in unusual ways. One such material is the nanocomposite reported by Hao et al. ( 1 ) on page 1191 of this issue. This material combines high strength, high recoverable strain, low stiffness, and biocompatibility. It may find application in dental braces, cardiac pacemakers, implantable devices, and flexible medical instruments.
Breeding system of Linum rigidum and effect of heterospecific pollen from introduced Euphorbia esula

This study investigates the reproductive biology of, and effect of heterospecific pollen from introduced Euphorbia esula on, Linum rigidum , an annual plant native to western and central North America. Breeding-system studies revealed that L. rigidum is self-compatible, with similar pollination success, fruit set and seed set for flowers pollinated with self or outcrossed pollen. Untreated flowers not exposed to pollinators set seed, albeit at a lower rate than hand-pollinated flowers, indicating that L. rigidum can autonomously self pollinate. Experiments investigating whether heterospecific pollen transfer from E. esula interferes with pollination of L. rigidum indicated that large amounts of heterospecific pollen receipt 2 - 4 hours prior to conspecifc pollen receipt reduced fruit and seed production, but that small amounts of heterospecific pollen or larger amounts received immediately prior to conspecific pollen did not affect reproduction. Pollen of E. esula was observed to germinate on and penetrate into L. rigidum stigmas and styles. Nevertheless, Euphorbia esula is unlikely to interfere with L. rigidum ’s reproduction because L. rigidum is self-compatible, capable of autonomous self-pollination, and unaffected by receipt of small amounts of Euphorbia pollen.
Integrated and Decoupled Corporate Social Performance: Management Commitments, External Pressures, and Corporate Ethics Practices

Corporations can respond to expectations for socially responsible processes and outcomes in organizationally integrated ways or in easily decoupled fashion. This study focused on a particular type ...
The Effect of Stochastically Varying Creep Parameters on Residual Stresses in Ceramic Matrix Composites

Constituent properties, along with volume fraction, have a first order effect on the microscale fields within a composite material and influence the macroscopic response. Therefore, there is a need to assess the significance of stochastic variation in the constituent properties of composites at the higher scales. The effect of variability in the parameters controlling the time-dependent behavior, in a unidirectional SCS-6 SiC fiber-reinforced RBSN matrix composite lamina, on the residual stresses induced during processing is investigated numerically. The generalized method of cells micromechanics theory is utilized to model the ceramic matrix composite lamina using a repeating unit cell. The primary creep phases of the constituents are approximated using a Norton-Bailey, steady state, power law creep model. The effect of residual stresses on the proportional limit stress and strain to failure of the composite is demonstrated. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted using a normal distribution for the power law parameters and the resulting residual stress distributions were predicted.
The economic institutions of capitalism

The article reviews the book “The Economic Institutions of Capitalism,” by Oliver Williamson.
Successful Completion of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in a Patient With Colon Cancer Experiencing 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Cardiac Vasospasm.

Fluoropyrimidines are the chemotherapy backbone in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the colon. Adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin (LV) has been shown to significantly increase recurrence-free survival compared to surgery alone for patients with stage III colon cancer. Furthermore, the addition of oxaliplatin to 5-FU/LV (FOLFOX) in the adjuvant setting has been shown to provide an improved disease free survival compared to adjuvant 5-FU/LV therapy alone. Cardiotoxicity associated with 5-FU or capecitabine is a rare but serious adverse effect that can present as cardiomyopathy, vasospastic angina, coronary thrombosis and dissection, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. We report a case of successful completion of adjuvant FOLFOX therapy in a patient who experienced 5-FU einduced cardiotoxicity. This was completed through aggressive inpatient supportive care and cardiac monitoring. The patient showed no signs of delayed cardiotoxicity or colon cancer recurrence at 10-month follow-up.
Microelectromechanical Switches for RF Applications

There are a number of ways to classify various switch architectures. The classification followed in this chapter places switches in three main groups: fixed-fixed beam switches, cantilever beam switches, and compliant beam switches. Each of the above architectures satisfies specific requirements related to the type of switch, series versus shunt, the type of contact, metal-to-metal versus capacitive, and the actuation voltage required for the switch operation. A discussion on switch characteristics in each of the above groups is provided in detail.
Reciprocity, Denial, and the Appearance of Impropriety: Why Self-Recusal Cannot Remedy the Influence of Campaign Contributions on Judges' Decisions

The system of privately financed elections of judges in most states across the country has long been controversial, with both the scholarship and advocacy relating to this subject directed toward identifying the problems of public perception and potential for biased decisions and then focusing on solutions that range from merit selection to public campaign financing to recusal. The Supreme Court’s decision in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. addresses the problem by finding a due process violation when a contribution or donation is likely to have a “significant and disproportionate influence” on the judge’s election. At the same time, the Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC opens the door to unfettered corporate support for (or opposition to) judicial candidates. This essay examines from a social science perspective the potential for campaign contributions to undermine judicial impartiality as a result of unconscious operation of the principles of reciprocity and denial. The author concludes that these principles combine to create a probability that judges will be influenced by campaign support from lawyers and parties appearing before them, even if the amounts of money involved are not “significant and disproportionate.” Thus, reliance on the judge’s decision to recuse - under almost any standard - will likely be inadequate to combat that influence. In states that do not abandon judicial elections, the potential impact of the reciprocity principle might be mitigated by rules preventing assignment of a case to a judge who has received contributions from a party or counsel, by requiring judges to make public at the commencement of consideration of any case or appeal any donations or contributions by parties or counsel, and possibly by a statement that such contributions will not affect the judge’s impartiality.
Institutionalizing a Weak State: Law and Jurisdictional Conflict between Bureaucratic and Communal Institutions in the Albanian Highlands

Why do some states fail to establish the capacity of legal regulation among significant sections of their population, and instead allow alternative norms of social order to take the place of those promoted by the state? Existing models of state building in the sociological literature treat the building of modern bureaucratic authority as a political process in which weak state authority results from a state's inability to defeat rival bases of power. On the other hand, neo-institutionalist theory highlights the significant effects that institutional environments have on organization building, but its elaborations of state building have mainly emphasized processes of the diffusion of world society models as central to the making of the modern nation-state. Both models fail to explain how limitations in new states' capacities to govern populations emerge in cases when states fulfill conditions specified by each model. I use the case of state building in the Albanian highlands to show that jurisdictional struggles and resistance that emerge out of distinct cultures of legality are key to understanding why organizationally capable states may fail to establish durable mechanisms of governance among marginal social groups.
Consideration of Secondary Effects in Frame Design

The contributions to the P-Δ moments of such sources as semirigid connections, initial-story eccentricity, column-axial shortening, and panel zone deformation can be calculated and included in the preliminary design of multistory steel frames. For all practical purposes, the second-order effects are equal to the first-order values multiplied by an amplification factor which is a function of the story stiffness. It is shown that all these sources can significantly reduce frame stiffness to the point of causing damage to light partitions and windows.
Demonstration of strongly saturated multiple plate optical limiter based on excited state absorbers

Recently a new design for optical limiters, the bottleneck limiter design, based on strong saturation of excited state absorbers has been discussed. The bottleneck limiter functions by first reaching a state of strong saturation at the exit plane of the nonlinear material. Upon further increase of the incident energy the nonlinear material is progressively driven into strong saturation further upstream from the exit, thus providing further attenuation and a bottlenecking of the output energy. Design considerations lead to a requirement for a characteristic gradient of the concentration of nonlinear absorbers across the sample, or to a varying spacing of discrete plates, to achieve complete saturation and maximum attenuation. In order to test the basic design concept we have performed nonlinear transmission measurements on single and multiple plates of nonlinear absorptive material. In particular, we have attempted to demonstrate that single plates of nonlinear absorbers can be driven into strong saturation and that sequences of multiple plates can be saturated when properly spaced, providing nonlinear attenuation which is given by the product of attenuations of saturated single plates. The proper spacing of the plates provides a scaling of spot sizes so that strong saturation (i.e., F ~ 2.5 Fs) is achieved at plate exit planes and the input fluence for the downstream plates is maintained below the damage fluence (Fd).
Treatment of behavior disorders in children: A review of the literature

After surveying, even if rather sketchily, the literature of the treatment of behavior problems in children, one cannot help being impressed by the great advances which have been made in this branch of the therapeutic art. Never before has the spotlight of public interest been so focused upon the child as in the last quarter century, but even as this is being written signs are apparent that the focus of attention is shifting beyond the child to the conditions which create the problem of children.
Angle-independent Salisbury screens based on nonlocal nanowire metamaterials

We demonstrate that nonlocal nanowire metamaterials can help to alleviate one of the main limitations of Salisbury screens, their dependence on the incident angle.
Response of Human Pregnant Uterus to Pitocin Tannate in Oil.

ConclusionsPitocin tannate in oil, in com-parison with Pitocin, requires 3 to 4 times the dosage to elicit a comparable response; the latent period after injection is twice as long; the duration of action 3 to 4 times as long. The preparation may be used when a longer acting oxytocic is desirable but possesses the same inherent dangers of ordinary posterior pituitary hormone.
236 SUPPLEMENTAL VITAMIN A NORMALIZES MESSENGER RIBONUCLEIC ACID LEVELS OF STAT3 AND E-CADHERIN IN PRETERM LAMBS TREATED WITH CONVENTIONAL VENTILATON.

Background Conventional ventilation (CV) impairs alveolar formation in preterm humans and lambs, whereas nCPAP preserves alveolar formation. 2D protein electrophoresis identified STAT3, a transcriptional factor regulating cell proliferation, and E-cadherin, a cell adhesion molecule, as candidate genes affected by CV. Vitamin A (VitA) supplementation of CV-treated preterm lambs normalizes alveolar formation. Objective We hypothesized that VitA of the CV-treated preterm lamb would normalize mRNA levels of STAT3 and E-cadherin. Methods Preterm lambs were treated with CV or nCPAP. Half of the CV lambs were treated with 5,000 U/kg/d of VitA. Ovine STAT3 and E-cadherin cDNAs were cloned and sequenced. Lung mRNA levels of STAT3 and E-cadherin in 3 d preterm lambs treated with CV (n = 3), CV + Vit (n = 4), nCPAP (n = 4), as well as term lamb lungs (n = 4). Results The STAT3 sequence was 631 bp and demonstrated 94% homology to human STAT3. The E-cadherin sequence was 818 bp and demonstrated 83% homology to human E-cadherin. The following results are presented as percent of nCPAP ± SEM. VitA decreased STAT3 and E-cadherin mRNA levels to 52 ± 14% (p Conclusion VitA supplementation normalizes mRNA levels of STAT3 and E-cadherin toward the levels found in normal term lambs, which may represent a VitA-induced maturational effect. Supported by CHRC, HL62875, HL56401, T35 HL07744.
Proving and Spreading of the Value Theorem in Different Calculus

The paper has given two methods to make assistant function while proving value theorem in different calculus, and the theorem's spreading in unary function, multi variant vectors function and abstract function.
Points to consider on clinical trials of medicinal products for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke

Currently,drugs for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke have been the hot-point of drug development.A few investigational new drugs have been approved for clinical studies which were developed by certain companies,and other companies are engaging in the development of new drugs too.This article makes a detailed introduction of the points to consider which should be concerned in the clinical trials of drugs for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.Wish to have some instructional effect on the clinical trials for related drugs.
Fetal and Neonatal Echocardiography

Abstract • Echocardiography is used to assess cardiac anatomy and physizology. • Appropriate interpretation requires an understanding of its limitations.