cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Vendian record of Sr and C isotopic variations in seawater: Implications for tectonics and paleoclimate

New Sr and C isotopic data, both obtained on the same samples of marine carbonates, provide a relatively detailed record of isotopic variation in seawater through the latest Proterozoic and allow, for the first time, direct correlation of these isotopic changes in the Vendian (∼ 540–610 Ma). The strong isotope variations determined in this study record significant environmental and tectonic changes. Together with a fairly poorly constrained Nd isotopic record, the Sr and C isotopic records can be used to constrain rates of erosion, hydrothermal alteration and organic C burial. Further, comparison of these records with those of the Cenozoic permit investigation of the general relationship between global tectonics and continental glaciation. In particular, results of this study show a very large change in the 87Sr/86Sr of marine carbonates from low pre-Vendian ( > 610 Ma) values ( ∼ 0.7066) to high Middle Cambrian values ( ∼ 0.7090). This change is greater in magnitude than the significant increase in seawater 87Sr/86Sr through the Cenozoic. Both changes are attributed to high erosion rates associated with continent-continent collisions (Pan-African and Himalayan-Tibetan). In the latest Proterozoic these high erosion rates, probably coupled with high organic productivity and anoxic bottom-water conditions, contributed to a significant increase in the burial rate of organic C. Ice ages mark both the Neoproterozoic and Cenozoic, but different stratigraphic relationships between the Sr isotopic increase and continental glaciation indicate that uplift-driven models proposed to explain Cenozoic climatic change cannot account for the latest Proterozoic ice ages.
The Logician’s Dilemma: Deductive Logic, Inductive Inference and Logical Empiricism

One of the consistent and admirable features of the practice of logical empiricist philosophers of science during the period in which logical empiricism dominated English-language philosophy of science was the remarkable extent to which they subjected their own philosophical conceptions to persistent criticism, especially with respect to the question of their adequacy as an account of the (sound elements of) the actual practice of scientists. During roughly the decade 1955–1965 it became clear, largely as a result of investigations by logical empiricists (see, e.g., Feigl 1956; Hempel 1954, 1958, 1965a) that there were serious problems to be solved if logical empiricism was to prove adequate to the task of explicating all of “... the relevant facts concerning the logic and procedure of science.” In a number of papers (Boyd 1972, 1973, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984a, 1984b) I have argued that in fact logical empiricism is inadequate to this task and that a scientific realist conception of scientific knowledge is required in order to obtain an adequate account of even instrumental knowledge in science. My strategy in those papers has been to try to show, about every recognized feature of scientific methodology, that its epistemic reliability (even with respect to instrumental knowledge) can neither be explained nor justified except from a realist perspective.
Shortest‐path network interdiction

We study the problem of interdicting the arcs in a network in order to maximize the shortest s–t path length. “Interdiction” is an attack on an arc that destroys the arc or increases its effective length; there is a limited interdiction budget. We formulate this bilevel, max–min problem as a mixed-integer program (MIP), which can be solved directly, but we develop more efficient decomposition algorithms. One algorithm enhances Benders decomposition by adding generalized integer cutting planes, called “supervalid inequalities” (SVIs), to the master problem. A second algorithm exploits a unique set-covering master problem. Computational results demonstrate orders-of-magnitude improvements of the decomposition algorithms over direct solution of the MIP and show that SVIs also help solve the original MIP faster. Published 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Infinite Chains and Antichains in Computable Partial Orderings

We show that every infinite computable partial ordering has either an infinite chain or an infinite antichain. Our main result is that this cannot be improved: We construct an infinite computable partial ordering that has neither an infinite chain nor an infinite antichain.
Sperm banking and the cancer patient.

The current concepts, recommendations, and principles of sperm banking as it pertains to the comprehensive care of young men of reproductive age with cancer are reviewed. Obstacles to sperm banking are addressed as well as future directions for fertility-preserving technologies. All cancer therapies—chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—are potential threats to a man’s reproductive potential. In addition, cancer itself can impair spermatogenesis. Thus, sperm cryopreservation prior to initiating life-saving cancer treatment offers men and their families the best chance to father biologically related children and should be offered to all men with cancer before treatment. Better patient and provider education, as well as deliberate, coordinated strategies at comprehensive cancer care centers are necessary to make fertility preservation for male cancer patients a priority during pretreatment planning.
Neutropenic Enterocolitis, a Growing Concern in the Era of Widespread Use of Aggressive Chemotherapy

Neutropenic enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening disease with substantial morbidity and mortality, seen primarily in patients with hematologic malignancies. The frequency of NEC has increased with the widespread use of chemotherapeutic agents such as the taxanes, which cause severe gastrointestinal mucositis. Neutropenic patients with fever and abdominal symptoms (cramping, pain, distention, diarrhea, GI bleeding), should undergo evaluation of the abdomen for bowel wall thickening of >4 mm, the hallmark of NEC. Clostridium difficile infection should be ruled out, as well as other etiologies such as graft-versus-host disease. Complications include bacteremia, which is often polymicrobial, hemorrhage, and bowel wall perforation/abscess formation. Management includes bowel rest, correction of cytopathies and coagulopathies, and broad spectrum antibiotics and antifungal agents. Surgical intervention may be necessary to manage complications such as hemorrhage and perforation and should be delayed, if possible, until recovery from neutropenia.
Direct and indirect associations between experiential avoidance and reduced delay of gratification

The ability to delay gratification and wait for larger long-term rewards is crucial for maximizing outcomes in commonly valued areas of living such as career, health, and relationships. Past research suggests that emotional distress impairs this ability to delay gratification. Research also indicates that persons who exhibit higher levels of experiential avoidance, the tendency to negatively evaluate and avoid emotion and cognition, tend to report higher levels of distress. There is limited research to date on the direct or indirect relationships between experiential avoidance and delay of gratification. The current study was designed to assess these relationships in order to integrate findings from the literature on experiential avoidance and delay of gratification. Two hundred and two university students provided ratings of their experiential avoidance, depression, anger, and delay of gratification. Results indicated these variables were moderately and significantly correlated. Path analysis suggested that experiential avoidance has a direct relationship with delay of gratification, and an indirect relationship through higher depression and anger. These findings suggest that acceptance-based behavior therapies that reduce experiential avoidance and distress may potentially enhance delay of gratification.
The Politics of Classic-Period Ritual Interaction

The Classic period along the Oaxaca Coast was a time of population growth and increased sociopolitical complexity, as marked by the prominence of hierarchical settlement systems, large regional centers, and the proliferation of monumental artworks. An iconographic examination of standing stone sculpture from six archaeological sites between the Rio Verde and the Rio de los Perros indicates that these later Classic societies were concerned with the same religious themes that prevailed at that time throughout the Peripheral Coastal Lowlands: the Underworld death and rebirth of the celestial deities in mythical events reenacted in the ritual ballgame. With no single dominant power dictating cult orthodoxy, independent political leaders interpreted these rituals freely. As permanent public expressions of the polity's stature, the sculptures and the religious message they encoded appear to have both enhanced a leader's prestige in intergroup social competition and helped foster internal social differentiation.
Role of insulin signaling impairment, adiponectin and dyslipidemia in peripheral and central neuropathy in mice

One of the tissues or organs affected by diabetes is the nervous system, predominantly the peripheral system (peripheral polyneuropathy and/or painful peripheral neuropathy) but also the central system with impaired learning, memory and mental flexibility. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the pre-diabetic or diabetic condition caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) can damage both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Groups of C57BL6 and Swiss Webster mice were fed a diet containing 60% fat for 8 months and compared to control and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic groups that were fed a standard diet containing 10% fat. Aspects of peripheral nerve function (conduction velocity, thermal sensitivity) and central nervous system function (learning ability, memory) were measured at assorted times during the study. Both strains of mice on HFD developed impaired glucose tolerance, indicative of insulin resistance, but only the C57BL6 mice showed statistically significant hyperglycemia. STZ-diabetic C57BL6 mice developed learning deficits in the Barnes maze after 8 weeks of diabetes, whereas neither C57BL6 nor Swiss Webster mice fed a HFD showed signs of defects at that time point. By 6 months on HFD, Swiss Webster mice developed learning and memory deficits in the Barnes maze test, whereas their peripheral nervous system remained normal. In contrast, C57BL6 mice fed the HFD developed peripheral nerve dysfunction, as indicated by nerve conduction slowing and thermal hyperalgesia, but showed normal learning and memory functions. Our data indicate that STZ-induced diabetes or a HFD can damage both peripheral and central nervous systems, but learning deficits develop more rapidly in insulin-deficient than in insulin-resistant conditions and only in Swiss Webster mice. In addition to insulin impairment, dyslipidemia or adiponectinemia might determine the neuropathy phenotype.
Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Techniques for Neuropathic Pain

When comprehensive medical pharmacological therapy titrated to maximum doses fails to provide an appropriate level of analgesia, or side effects associated with these therapies impair the ability to increase the doses to obtain appropriate therapeutic effects in patients with a variety of chronic neuropathic pain conditions, alternative methods, such as spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation, are effective alternative options. This article discusses important concepts to consider when implementing spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation therapy for the treatment of neuropathic pain conditions other than failed back surgery syndrome. The focus is primarily on post-surgical pain syndromes, which are frequently encountered in daily clinical practice.
Valuing the Benefits of the Education Provided by Public Universities: A Case Study of Minnesota

Abstract This study estimates the value of the private and public benefits that accrue to Minnesota residents from state government subsidies to higher education. In 2005, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system received $832 million from Minnesota's state government to support educational programs. These subsidies allow these institutions to offer lower tuition rates, increasing the number of Minnesotans with bachelor and graduate degrees. We calculate that removing these subsidies would eventually lead to 14,000 fewer graduate degree holders in Minnesota, and reduce those with bachelor's degrees or “some college” by 42,000. The annual economic cost of these subsidies is about $326 million; this is less than annual state appropriations because most of those appropriations are income transfers from taxpayers to students, not an economic cost. We estimate that the annual value of the benefits of these subsidies is between $531 and $786 million ($381 and $570 million) when a 3% (5%) discount rate is used. We also discuss some of the income distribution consequences.
Control of manganese dioxide particles resulting from in situ chemical oxidation using permanganate.

Abstract In situ chemical oxidation using permanganate is an approach to organic contaminant site remediation. Manganese dioxide particles are products of permanganate reactions. These particles have the potential to deposit in the subsurface and impact the flow-regime in/around permanganate injection, including the well screen, filter pack, and the surrounding subsurface formation. Control of these particles can allow for improved oxidant injection and transport and contact between the oxidant and contaminants of concern. The goals of this research were to determine if MnO 2 can be stabilized/controlled in an aqueous phase, and to determine the dependence of particle stabilization on groundwater characteristics. Bench-scale experiments were conducted to study the ability of four stabilization aids (sodium hexametaphosphate (HMP), Dowfax 8390, xanthan gum, and gum arabic) in maintaining particles suspended in solution under varied reaction conditions and time. Variations included particle and stabilization aid concentrations, ionic content, and pH. HMP demonstrated the most promising results, as compared to xanthan gum, gum arabic, and Dowfax 8390 based on results of spectrophotometric studies of particle behavior, particle filtration, and optical measurements of particle size and zeta potential. HMP inhibited particle settling, provided for greater particle stability, and resulted in particles of a smaller average size over the range of experimental conditions evaluated compared to results for systems that did not include HMP. Additionally, HMP did not react unfavorably with permanganate. These results indicate that the inclusion of HMP in a permanganate oxidation system improves conditions that may facilitate particle transport.
Studies in Dialogue and Discourse: An Exponential Law of Successive Questioning.

The structure of natural conversations in first-grade classrooms is the focus of this inquiry. Analyses of a particular type of discourse, namely, connected conversations initiated and sustained by questioning, suggest that the probability that a conversation will be continued may be expressed as a simple exponential function. The formula, pi = ari−1, generates a curve of theoretically-expected rates of successive questions in a series that closely matches observed rates. The formula is based on the application of a constant ratio, that is, the ratio of rates within each pair of adjacent questions is the same throughout the series: p2:p1=p3:p2 = p4:p3. … Thus, it appears that the probability of a ‘next’ question following an exchange that contains a previous question remains constant through the length of the discourse series. In other words, the probability of a question is independent of the temporal location of an utterance in this type of connected conversation. The analyses suggest further that the model of a finite Markov chain, that is, of a particular type of stochastic process, may be applicable to certain features of a discourse. (Conversational analysis, sequencing in exchanges, U.S. English in first-grade classrooms.)
Combination of phenylbutyrate and 13-cis retinoic acid inhibits prostate tumor growth and angiogenesis

Differentiation-inducing agents, such as retinoids and short-chain fatty acids, have an inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth in preclinical studies. Clinical trials involving these compounds as single agents have been suboptimal in terms of clinical benefit. Our study evaluated the combination of phenylbutyrate (PB) and 13-cis retinoic acid (CRA) as a differentiation and antiangiogenesis strategy for prostate cancer. On the basis of previous evidence, common signal transduction pathways and possible modulation of retinoid receptors and retinoid response elements by PB could be responsible for such activities. We assessed the effect of the combination of PB and CRA on human and rodent prostate carcinoma cell lines. The combination of PB and CRA inhibited cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in vitro in an additive fashion as compared with single agents (P < 0.014). Prostate tumor cells treated with both PB and CRA revealed an increased expression of a subtype of retinoic acid receptor (retinoic acid receptor-beta), suggesting a molecular mechanism for the biological additive effect. The combination of PB and CRA also inhibited prostate tumor growth in vivo (up to 82-92%) as compared with single agents (P < 0.025). Histological examination of tumor xenografts revealed decreased in vivo tumor cell proliferation, an increased apoptosis rate, and a reduced microvessel density in the animals treated with combined drugs, suggesting an antiangiogenesis effect of this combination. Thus, endothelial cell treatment with both PB and CRA resulted in reduced in vitro cell proliferation. In vivo testing using the Matrigel angiogenesis assay showed an additive inhibitory effect in the animals treated with a combination of PB + CRA (P < 0.004 versus single agents). In summary, this study showed an additive inhibitory effect of combination of differentiation agents PB and CRA on prostate tumor growth through a direct effect on both tumor and endothelial cells.
Interconnect design using convex optimization

Two wire sizing formulations for optimizing interconnect are presented. The first minimizes the delay under wire width constraints, while the second minimizes the wiring area under delay and width constraints. A convex programming formulation is proposed, and an efficient algorithm is used to perform the optimization. Experimental results show that the first formulation, which has been the prevalent one in the literature, provides bad engineering solutions, and that the second formulation leads to significantly better results. >
Closed-form 2D angle estimation with uniform circular array via phase mode excitation and ESPRIT

The UCA-ESPRIT algorithm represents a significant advance in the area of 2D arrival angle estimation. It is a closed form algorithm for use in conjunction with uniform circular arrays (UCAs) that provides automatically paired source azimuth and elevation angle estimates. In contrast, the algorithms for 2D arrival angle estimation to date have required expensive spectral searches, iterative solutions to multi-dimensional optimization problems, or ad-hoc schemes for pairing direction cosine estimates with respect to each of a number of different array axes. UCA-ESPRIT is fundamentally different from ESPRIT in that it is not based on a displacement invariance array structure but rather is based on phase mode excitation and hinges on a recursive relationship between Bessel functions. In the final stage of UCA-ESPRIT, the ith eigenvalue has the form /spl mu//sub i/=sin /spl theta//sub i/e(j/spl phi//sub i/) where /spl theta//sub i/ and /spl phi//sub i/ are the azimuth and elevation angles of the ith source. >
Crystallization and Degassing in the Basement Sill, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

The Basement Sill is part of the Ferrar Large Igneous Province exposed in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The sill is � 330 m thick in the Bull Pass area and 450 þ m thick in the Dais area, � 12 km to the west, and is characterized by phenocryst-free lower and upper margins and an orthopyroxene-rich central ‘tongue’ (opx 1^5 mm in size). Halogen variations in apatite from a suite of samples collected along vertical transects through the sill were examined to evaluate the process of crystallization-induced degassing (i.e. second boiling) and its effects on magma chemistry. Apatite grains from any given sample are generally unzoned with respect to Cl and F concentrations, but may vary by 20^30 mol% in the halogen site between grains. Overall average Cl/F mass ratios increase with height from the lower margin to the center of the sill, and then decrease to near zero towards the top margin where the rocks are relatively oxide-rich. The Cl/F trend parallels those of bulk MgO and grain size. The upper margin contains abundant mafic pegmatoids and the apatite in these segregations has lower Cl/F ratios compared with that in the host-rocks, although REE show no measurable difference. Numerical modeling illustrates that a cooling and crystallizing sill initially develops two separate vapor-saturated zones at the lower and upper margins owing to the irreversible heat loss to the cooler country rock. Vapor separating from the lower zone migrates upward into hotter silicate liquid, where it is resorbed, thus increasing the Cl/F mass ratio of the liquid. This process leads to saturation and precipitation of apatite from the liquid with a higher Cl/F ratio than would otherwise occur. Volatile enrichment can also aid compaction and grain growth in the central part of the sill. In contrast, the relatively Fe-rich, Cl-poor nature of the upper zone rocks suggests that these rocks may have crystallized from more evolved, degassed silicate liquid, possibly compacted out of the underlying crystal mush. In addition, as vapor sourced from the lower and central parts of the sill ascends into the cooler upper zone of the sill, the vapor may be localized (along with late interstitial silicate liquid) to form pegmatoids at temperatures at which Cl is less favored in apatite and can be leached from existing apatite by the ascending vapor, the latter causing the observed decrease in the Cl/F mass ratio of apatite in the (evolved) pegmatoids.
Theileria equi isolates vary in susceptibility to imidocarb dipropionate but demonstrate uniform in vitro susceptibility to a bumped kinase inhibitor

The apicomplexan hemoparasite Theileria equi is a causative agent of equine piroplasmosis, eradicated from the United States in 1988. However, recent outbreaks have sparked renewed interest in treatment options for infected horses. Imidocarb dipropionate is the current drug of choice, however variation in clinical response to therapy has been observed. We quantified the in vitro susceptibility of two T. equi isolates and a lab generated variant to both imidocarb dipropionate and a bumped kinase inhibitor compound 1294. We also evaluated the capacity of in vitro imidocarb dipropionate exposure to decrease susceptibility to that drug. The efficacy of imidocarb dipropionate for clearing infection in four T. equi infected ponies was also assessed. We observed an almost four-fold difference in imidocarb dipropionate susceptibility between two distinct isolates of T. equi. Four ponies infected with the less susceptible USDA Florida strain failed to clear the parasite despite two rounds of treatment. Importantly, a further 15-fold decrease in susceptibility was produced in this strain by continuous in vitro imidocarb dipropionate exposure. Despite a demonstrated difference in imidocarb dipropionate susceptibility, there was no difference in the susceptibility of two T. equi isolates to bumped kinase inhibitor 1294. The observed variation in imidocarb dipropionate susceptibility, further reduction in susceptibility caused by drug exposure in vitro, and failure to clear T. equi infection in vivo, raises concern for the emergence of drug resistance in clinical cases undergoing treatment. Bumped kinase inhibitors may be effective as alternative drugs for the treatment of resistant T. equi parasites.
Optical Power Transmission Through Adhesive and Bonding Layers

In this paper, we analyze the optical power transmission in structures that include a low-index intermediate layer and sources with a wide angular distribution. Special attention is paid to the angular average of the transmission coefficient, which can be cast in a universal form for two practically relevant classes of source layers. Due to the so-called frustrated total internal reflection, the structure transparency is highly sensitive to the intermediate layer thickness and index contrast. We show that the transmission coefficient for isotropic radiation may remain low even for optically thin low-index intermediate layers, so that the usual comparison between the optical thickness and the wavelength is no longer a reliable criterion. Calculations are presented for exemplary structures, such as a semiconductor scintillator bonded to a photodiode. The angular dependence of the transmission coefficient is shown to satisfy a simple and universal sum rule.
Screening in GI Cancers: The Role of Genetics

Genetic and epigenetic alterations identified in tumors of different cancer types can provide insights regarding the roles played by different cell signaling pathways in carcinogenesis. Somatic mutation profiles of GI tumors are used to guide choice of chemotherapy and can facilitate identification of individuals whose cancers arise in the setting of genetic predisposition. This review provides a framework for how clinical history, family history of cancer, and tumor genomic phenotype can be used to screen patients with colorectal, gastric, or pancreatic cancer for hereditary cancer syndromes. Early identification of individuals who carry germline mutations can affect clinical care not only for patients with cancer but also for their at-risk relatives.
Advances in the Development of Multimodal Imaging Agents for Nuclear/Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging

Multimodal imaging agents were first introduced a decade ago and consist of a targeting moiety that is dual-labeled with radioactive and fluorescent contrast. These compounds allow whole-body and intraoperative imaging to be performed through administration of a single agent and provide complementary diagnostic information that can be used to guide tumor resection. Since their initial evaluation, interest in dual-labeled agents has continued to grow and their design has subsequently evolved alongside the development of novel chelating agents, improved fluorophores, and highly selective coupling techniques for bioconjugate formation. In this review, will discuss how changes in the labeling components and schemes for multimodal agent development have impacted imaging performance and will focus on antibody- and peptide-based agents as models for dual labeling. We will also describe the growing role of modular dual labeling strategies as well as direct labeling methods using radiohalogens.
Henricia pumila sp. nov.: A brooding seastar (Asteroidea) from the coastal northeastern Pacific

A small species of the seastar genus Henricia Gray, 1840 occurs along the cool temperate Pacific coast of North America from near Sitka, Alaska to just south of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Its small adult size, mottled aboral colors, and benthic external brooding reproductive mode have long been noted, but it has never been formally separated from the larger, free-spawning Henricia leviuscula (Stimpson, 1857), with which it has been confused. Here we amplify the description of H. leviuscula, based on examination of the holotype and new specimens, and restrict it to only one of several similar species that co-occur in Puget Sound and vicinity. We also describe the small mottled brooder as Henricia pumila sp. nov., characterize its distribution, and contrast its morphology with H. leviuscula based on the arrangement of marginal plates and the microanatomy of aboral spines.
Secure multi-agent coordination in a network monitoring system

We have developed a mobile-agent based network monitoring system. In this system, multiple agents coordinate with each other to collectively perform network monitoring. This paper deals with the coordination of multiple agents to achieve monitoring functions and failed component recovery. We also address the security needs of our monitoring system, i.e. types of attacks that could be launched on the system, and our solutions to thwart them. Finally, we present our experiences with the system and the resource overhead imposed by it.
Extrapolation of Laboratory Data to Human Health Effects

Experimental dose-response data has traditionally been fit by various mathematical models in order to estimate parameters such as an LD 50. Although statisticians have debated the appropriateness of the mathematical functions, the resultant estimates have not depended to any great extent upon the choice of function, as long as responses are estimated within the experimental region. However, human risk estimation invariably involves estimating low-dose effects well below the normal experimental region. This extrapolation process then becomes a scientifically fragile activity. Needless to say, the choice of mathematical model is crucial. Unfortunately, the choice is often made without sufficient biological understanding of the mechanisms involved in the response being estimated.
Comparison of Beef Cattle Performance and Forage Characteristics for Alfalfa or Tall Fescue-Red Clover in a Rotational Grazing System

Cow-calf performance and diet composition were compared between established alfalfa and tall fescue-red clover pastures in a rotational grazing system. Eighty cow-calf pairs were randomly allotted to the two dietary mixtures with three replications. Each of the six pastures was subdivided using a six-paddock rotation so that the paddocks were grazed for 6 d and rested for 30 d throughout the 121-d trial. Put-and-take animals were used to evaluate stocking rate. One ruminally fistulated cow was used in each of the six pastures to determine composition of grazed forage from reticulorumen evacuation at the beginning and end of grazing in paddock 1 (on d 0, 6, 36, 42, 72, 78, 108 and 114). Both treatments sustained similar stocking rates. Cow gain and body condition score change were not different due to treatments (P>0.10). However, weight gains of calves grazing alfalfa were 11.5% higher (P<0.05) than those of calves grazing tall fescue-red clover. Calf gain per hectare for the alfalfa pastures also tended to be higher (P=0.15) than that for tall fescue-red clover. This was due to the improved calf performance on alfalfa with similar stocking rates. Alfalfa was lower in NDF and ADF (P<0.05), and higher in CP at the beginning of grazing (P<0.05). After grazing, alfalfa was lower in NDF and higher in CP (P<0.05). Both alfalfa and tall fescue-red clover effectively maintained cow performance, whereas the alfalfa resulted in improved calf gain.
An update on the use of transdermal oxybutynin in the management of overactive bladder disorder

Antimuscarinic medications are used to treat nonneurogenic overactive bladder refractory to nonpharmacologic therapy. Side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness, and impaired cognition limit the tolerability of therapy and are largely responsible for high discontinuation rates. Oxybutynin is a potent muscarinic receptor antagonist whose primary metabolite after first-pass hepatic metabolism is considered largely responsible for its associated anticholinergic side effects. Transdermal administration of medications bypasses hepatic processing. Specifically with oxybutynin, whose low molecular weight permits transdermal administration, bioavailability of the parent drug with oral administration is less than 10%, whereas with transdermal delivery is a minimum of 80%. The result has been an improved side effect profile in multiple clinical trials with maintained efficacy relative to placebo; however, the drug may still be discontinued by patients due to anticholinergic side effects and application site reactions. Transdermal oxybutynin is available as a patch that is changed every 3-4 days, a gel available in individual sachets, or via a metered-dose pump that is applied daily. The transdermal patch was briefly available as an over-the-counter medication for adult women, although at this time all transdermal formulations are available by prescription only.
Simplified RF Carrier Extraction and Reuse in OFDM Radio-Over-Fiber Systems

We propose and experimentally demonstrate techniques for efficient RF carrier extraction and reuse in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) radio-over-fiber (RoF) system. In this system, an RF carrier is generated in the base station through optical heterodyning between two uncorrelated optical carriers delivered from the central office. The RF down conversion is accomplished by mixing the intermediate frequency signal with the extracted RF carrier. This not only relaxes the phase noise requirement on the RF carrier, but also minimizes signal-signal beat interference. We demonstrate an RoF network carrying 8.2 Gb/s QPSK data in OFDM modulation format for both downlink and uplink, which share the same RF carrier, which avoids the need of an additional RF oscillator in the customer unit.
Appropriate strength training

Strength training stimulates predictable cardiovascular and neuromuscular responses. The cardiovascular responses result in nonpathologic concentric left ventricular hypertrophy with preservation of ejection fraction and no diastolic dysfunction. Resting heart rates and blood pressures in strength-trained individuals remain unchanged or decrease slightly. Strength gains occur from enhanced neuromuscular activation over the initial 8 weeks and from increased muscle fiber density and hypertrophy during subsequent weeks. Significant strength gains are possible in all populations, including children, women, and the elderly, when exposed to an adequate strength-training program. Strength training can also be a valuable adjunct in cardiac rehabilitation with the possible exception of patients with baseline abnormal left ventricular function.
Experimental Characterization of the Vibro-Acoustic Response of a Simple Residential Structure to a Simulated

Experiments performed to validate a model used to predict the transmission of weak sonic booms into a residential building are discussed in detail. The experimental effort encompassed the construction of a simple structure that retains the essential characteristics of a residential building, the instrumentation of this structure, and the production of a realistic simulated sonic boom with the use of detonating cord. Vibro-acoustic data were collected using the simulated sonic boom as excitation. The sonic boom transmission mechanism was identified by analyses of the structural and interior acoustic cavity responses in conjunction with data from modal tests. These results are presented and discussed in detail.
Oxymetazoline Applied Topically to the Nasal Mucosa Decreases Trans-Mucosal Nitrous Oxide Exchange for the Middle Ear.

Objective:Determine if the middle ear (ME) trans-mucosal nitrous oxide (N2O) gas exchange rate can be pharmacologically modulated by the nasal application of a vasoconstrictor.Methods:In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 20 adults received a nasal spray challenge containing either oxymetazoline or saline (placebo). At each session, subjects were fitted with a non-rebreathing mask and breathed room air for 20 minutes, 50% N2O:50% O2 for 20 minutes, and 100% O2 for 10 minutes. Throughout, heart rate, blood pressure (BP), and blood O2 saturation were monitored, and bilateral ME pressure was recorded by tympanometry every minute. The primary outcome measure was the slope of the ME pressure-time function for the experimental period, a direct measure of the transMEM N2O exchange constant. The effects of treatment, session, and period on the measured vital signs and of treatment, session, disease history, and ear on the ME pressure-time slopes were evaluated for statistical significance using repeated...
Increasing oxygen tension dilates fetal pulmonary circulation via endothelium-derived relaxing factor

We examined the role of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in the increase in pulmonary blood flow caused by increasing oxygen tension in the lungs of the fetus. Fetal lambs at 133 days of gestation were instrumented for intrauterine measurement of pulmonary arterial, left atrial, and amniotic fluid pressure and pulmonary blood flow. Three days later oxygen tension in the pulmonary arterial blood of the fetus was doubled by having the ewe breathe 100% oxygen at 3 atm absolute pressure. In the control fetuses (n = 5), hyperbaric oxygenation increased pulmonary blood flow eightfold. Blocking EDRF production by infusing 45 mg of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine into the superior vena cava of the fetus over 5 min starting 30 min after the beginning of hyperbaric oxygen reversed the increase in pulmonary blood flow (n = 5). Blocking EDRF production by infusing NG-nitro-L-arginine at 1 mg/min for 60 min starting 30 min before hyperbaric oxygen blunted the initial increase in pulmonary blood flow and eliminated it by the end of the experiment (n = 5). As hyperbaric oxygen did not significantly alter pulmonary arterial or left atrial pressure, changes in pulmonary vascular conductance paralleled those in pulmonary blood flow. We conclude that the majority of the vasodilation of the fetal pulmonary circulation caused by increasing oxygen tension is mediated by EDRF. We speculate that EDRF is involved in maintaining low vascular tone at the relatively high oxygen tension of the postnatal lung.
Training for the Unthinkable: Examining Message Characteristics on Motivations to Engage in an Active-Shooter Response Video

Campus safety is becoming an increasing concern for academic institutions due to numerous recent tragedies. To prepare students, staff, and faculty for these events, schools are beginning to use active shooter response training videos such as Run, Hide, Fight—a 5-minute video created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Framed in protection motivation theory, this study employs a 3 x 2 factorial design to test the influence of message medium (email, text, or tweet) and frame (direct or fear-based message) on students' completion of the safety training video. The findings suggest that the combination of message frame and message medium influence training completion. Additionally, the video itself led to a significant increase in participants’ self-efficacy, safety knowledge, and campus safety salience.
An investigation of brand placement effects on brand attitudes and purchase intentions: Brand placements versus TV commercials☆

Abstract Brand placements are gradually becoming an important part of promotional toolkit of many major companies. However, despite the increasing volume of research on brand placements during the last decade, several important questions still remain unanswered. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of brand placements in television sitcoms and contrast it with the effectiveness of 30-second commercials. The authors administer a quasi-natural experiment to a sample of research panel participants to investigate how brand placements in television sitcoms affect their attitudes and purchase intentions. Results of the study suggest that people have a more positive attitude toward brand placements than toward traditional television commercials. Moreover, placements can be more effective than 30-seconds commercials when targeting audiences with low attitude toward advertising. Finally, a combination of a brand placement and a commercial within one program doesn't significantly increase brand attitudes and purchase intentions compared with sole exposure conditions.
Additive manufacturing of a compact 3D dipole antenna using ABS thermoplastic and high temperature carbon paste

This paper describes a novel method for of three dimensional (3D) printed electromagnetic structures by using additive manufacturing (AM) technology with emphasis on the antenna as an essential component in every wireless communication system. To demonstrate this technique, a dipole antenna has been designed, simulated, and fabricated to work at the center frequency of 3 GHz. The substrate part of the antenna has been fabricated utilizing a desktop 3D printer. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic has been used for the fabrication of the substrate part. A high temperature carbon paste has been utilized to implement the conducting part of the antenna. The measurement results demonstrate that the proposed method can be a good candidate for the additive manufacturing of 3D embedded antennas.
Law and Morality

Law and morality are two normative systems that control and regulate behaviors in a human community so as to allow harmonious and effective intersubjectivity between individuals who recognize one another as bearers of rights. Both notions have their common foundation in the concept of individual autonomy and equal respect for everyone. They have a complementary relationship. Law compensates for the functional weaknesses of morality and morality tempers the mechanical implementation of positive law through the notions of solidarity and responsibility. Different legal thinkers have interpreted the relationship between law and morality in different ways. On the one hand, there are those who argue that law and morality are independent – though not unrelated. For this first group, a law cannot be disregarded merely because it is morally indefensible. On the other hand, there are those who maintain that law and morality are interdependent. For this second group, any law that claims to regulate behavioral expectations must be in harmony with moral norms. Approached from this perspective, the law must be enacted in such a way that it secures the welfare of the individual and the good of the community. Thus, the aim of all laws should be both the attainment of the end of the state and the common good of the community, both immediate and ultimate. For Habermas, law and morality deal with the same problem: legitimately ordering interpersonal relationships through justified norms.
Line-of-Sight Stroke Graphs and Parzen Shape Context Features for Handwritten Math Formula Representation and Symbol Segmentation

This paper presents a new representation for handwritten math formulae: a Line-of-Sight (LOS) graph over handwritten strokes, computed using stroke convex hulls. Experimental results using the CROHME 2012 and 2014 datasets show that LOS graphs capture the visual structure of handwritten formulae better than commonly used graphs such as Time-series, Minimum Spanning Trees, and k-Nearest Neighbor graphs. We then introduce a shape context-based feature (Parzen window Shape Contexts (PSC)) which is combined with simple geometric features and the distance in time between strokes to obtain state-of-the-art symbol segmentation results (92.43% F-measure for CROHME 2014). This result is obtained using a simple method, without use of OCR or an expression grammar. A binary random forest classifier identifies which LOS graph edges represent stroke pairs that should be merged into symbols, with connected components over merged strokes defining symbols. Line-of-Sight graphs and Parzen Shape Contexts represent visual structure well, and might be usefully applied to other notations.
Assessment of the structure and function of the aorta by echocardiography

Echocardiography is the primary modality for imaging the aorta for the diagnosis and serial evaluation of pathological conditions. In this article, we review the methodology for optimal echocardiographic imaging of the various segments of the aorta and discuss abnormalities of the aorta including stenosis, dilation including aortopathy and sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, and fistulous communications involving the ascending aorta including aortoventricular tunnel and ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. We review novel echocardiographic measurements of aortic functional properties of the aorta such as elasticity and stiffness, and review the literature on the potential additive value of such measurements for structural assessment alone. Finally, we discuss the limitations of echocardiography in the precise and optimal imaging of the aorta.
History of Overweight/Obesity as Predictor of Care Received at 1-year Follow-Up in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa or Atypical Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract Purpose Previous research has indicated that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) or atypical AN with premorbid history of overweight/obesity have greater weight loss and longer illness duration than patients with no such history. However, little is known about the association of premorbid overweight/obesity and receiving inpatient medical care during treatment for an eating disorder. Methods Using logistic regression, we sought to determine if history of overweight/obesity was associated with receiving inpatient medical care in a sample of 522 patients (mean age 15.5 years, 88% female) with AN/atypical AN. Results Binary results demonstrated greater percent weight loss (27.4% vs. 16.2%) and higher percent median body mass index (%mBMI, 99.8% vs. 85.2%) at presentation in those with a history of overweight/obesity ( p p = .09). In models adjusted for demographics and percent weight loss, history of overweight/obesity was associated with lower odds of receiving inpatient medical care (odds ratio .60 [95% confidence interval: .45–.80]) at 1-year follow-up. However, these associations were no longer significant after adjusting for %mBMI. Mediation results suggest that %mBMI fully mediates the relationship between history of overweight/obesity and inpatient medical care, in that those with a history of overweight/obesity are less likely to receive care due to presenting at a higher weight. Conclusions Our findings suggest that, despite greater degree of weight loss and no difference in duration of illness, participants with a history of overweight/obesity are less likely to receive inpatient medical care.
Short Description of the Relations between Dislocations and Point Defects, and Dislocation Dynamics

This section shall present a short description of notions which are important in dislocation theory, but which are not applied in this monograph. The details are found in the literature (e.g. Nabarro, 1967; Hirth and Lothe, 1968).
Mechanical circulatory support challenges in pediatric and (adult) congenital heart disease

Purpose of reviewIncreased miniaturization of ventricular assist devices (VADs) and new mechanical support strategies (MCS) has increased the use of MCS in the pediatric and congenital heart disease (CHD) population. This comes with the need for care providers specialized in this field to determine
Personal and Professional Distress among Social Caseworkers

Human services organizations generally do not have methods for identifying early signs of distress among social caseworkers. The author discusses a developmental-interactional model that allows sup...
Structure of chlorotristrimethylphosphine cobalt(I), C9H27ClCoP3

The crystal structure of CoCl(PMes3)3 has shown that the compound is not isostructural with its rhodium analogue. The title compound crystallizes in the cubic space groupPa3 (No. 205) whereas the analogous Rh compound belongs to the triclinic space groupP ¯1. The cobalt derivative exhibits unit cell constanta=15.490(7) A andZ=8 forDc=1.15 g cm−3. Full-matrix least-squares refinement gave a finalR value of 0.055 for 283 observed reflections. The Co-Cl bond in the molecule lies along a crystallographic three-fold axis with a Co-Cl distance of 2.21(1) A. The unique Co-P distance is 2.240(6) A.