cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of supplemental potassium and sodium chloride salts on ruminal turnover rates, acid-base and mineral status of lactating dairy cows during heat stress.

Effects of added dietary sodium and potassium chloride salts on ruminal turnover rates, acid-base balance and mineral status of lactating dairy cows experiencing a nycterohemeral cycle of heat stress were examined. Black globe-humidity index in the chambers averaged 94 during the daytime and 68 during the nighttime. Four ruminally cannulated multiparous Holstein cows in mid-lactation were confined in climatic chambers for a single-reversal experiment consisting of two 17-d periods. To the basal diet (50% corn silage: 50% concentrate, which contained .97% potassium, .19% sodium and .20% chloride), 1.25% sodium chloride plus 1.85% potassium chloride were added, making the high mineral treatment (1.93% potassium, 68% sodium and 1.85% chloride). Liquid dilution rates from the rumen were measured by chromium-ethylenediaminetetraacetate disappearance. Turnover rates of solids were determined by appearance of ytterbium in feces. Ruminal contents, arterial blood and urine were collected hourly for 26 h. Grab samples of feces were sampled over 6 d. Dry matter intakes and milk yields were not affected by the diets (averaging 17.8 and 21.1 kg/d, respectively). Cows fed the high mineral diet drank 17% more water (P less than .01). Tests for homogeneity of regression were utilized to compare chromium disappearance and ytterbium appearance data, which were best described by second-order polynomial functions. Increased ruminal chromium disappearance (P less than .01) and decreased total volatile fatty acid concentrations (P less than .01) suggested faster liquid dilution rates with high mineral diet, but turnover rates of solids were not affected. Urinary potassium secretion compensated for the high potassium content of the high mineral diet without an alkalogenic effect on acid-base status. Lower urine pH and higher urine ammonium concentrations during cool hours suggested that the high chloride content of the high mineral diet had an acidogenic effect. The results are interpreted to indicate that high level inclusion of sodium and potassium chloride salts altered digestive, acid-base and mineral status of heat-stressed lactating cows.
Towards Markerless Grasp Capture.

Humans excel at grasping objects and manipulating them. Capturing human grasps is important for understanding grasping behavior and reconstructing it realistically in Virtual Reality (VR). However, grasp capture - capturing the pose of a hand grasping an object, and orienting it w.r.t. the object - is difficult because of the complexity and diversity of the human hand, and occlusion. Reflective markers and magnetic trackers traditionally used to mitigate this difficulty introduce undesirable artifacts in images and can interfere with natural grasping behavior. We present preliminary work on a completely marker-less algorithm for grasp capture from a video depicting a grasp. We show how recent advances in 2D hand pose estimation can be used with well-established optimization techniques. Uniquely, our algorithm can also capture hand-object contact in detail and integrate it in the grasp capture process. This is work in progress, find more details at https://contactdb. this http URL.
Gas or Liquid? The Supercritical Behavior of Pure Fluids

By definition, the distinction between a gas and a liquid ceases to exist beyond the critical point for pure fluids. Nevertheless, there remains a strong desire to attribute gas-like or liquid-like...
Patterns of Symptom Management Medication Receipt at End-of-Life Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Lung Cancer.

Abstract Context Older adults with advanced lung cancer experience high symptom burden at end of life (EOL), yet hospice enrollment often happens late or not at all. Receipt of medications to manage symptoms in the outpatient setting, outside the Medicare hospice benefit, has not been described. Objectives We examined patterns of symptom management medication receipt at EOL for older adults who died of lung cancer. Methods This retrospective cohort used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results—Medicare database to identify decedents diagnosed with lung cancer at age 67 years and older between January 2008 and December 2013 who survived six months and greater after diagnosis. Using Medicare Part B and D claims, we identified monthly receipt of outpatient medications for symptomatic management of pain, emotional distress, fatigue, dyspnea, anorexia, and nausea/vomiting. Multivariable logistic regression estimated associations between medication receipt and patient demographic characteristics, comorbidity, and concurrent therapy. Results Of the 16,246 included patients, large proportions received medications for dyspnea (70.7%), pain (62.5%), and emotional distress (49.4%), with lower prevalence for other symptoms. Medication receipt increased from six months to one month before death. Women and dual Medicaid enrolled were more likely to receive medications for pain, emotional distress, dyspnea, and nausea/vomiting. Receipt of symptom management medications decreased with increasing age and racial/ethnical minorities. Conclusion Symptom management medication receipt was common and increasing toward EOL. Lower use by males, older adults, and nonwhites may reflect poor access or poor patient-provider communication. Further research is needed to understand these patterns and assess adequacy of symptom management in the outpatient setting.
Association of prescription opioids and incident cardiovascular risk factors among post-9/11 Veterans.

Abstract Reports indicate that long-term opioid therapy is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Using VA electronic health record data, we measured the impact of opioid use on the incidence of modifiable CVD risk factors. We included Veterans whose encounter was between October 2001 to November 2014. We identified Veterans without CVD risk factors during our baseline period, defined as the date of first primary care visit plus 365 days. The main exposure was opioid prescriptions (yes/no, long-term (i.e. ≥90 days) vs no opioid, and long-term vs short-term (i.e. After excluding prevalent CVD risk factors, we identified 308,015 Veterans. During the first year of observation, 12,725 (4.1%) Veterans were prescribed opioids, including 2028 (0.6%) with long-term exposure. Compared to patients without opioid use, Veterans with opioid use were more likely to have CVD risk factors. Those with long-term exposure were at higher risk of having hypertension (adjusted average hazards ratio [HR] 1.45, 99% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–1.59), dyslipidemia (HR 1.45, 99% CI 1.35–156), diabetes (HR 1.30, 99% CI 1.07–1.57), current smoking status (HR 1.34, 99% CI 1.24–1.46), and obesity (HR 1.22, 99% CI 1.12–1.32). Compared to short-term exposure, long-term had higher risk of current smoking status (HR 1.12, 99% CI 1.01–1.24). These findings suggest potential benefit to screening and surveillance of CVD risk factors for patients prescribed opioids, especially long-term opioid therapy.
Testing Usability and Feasibility of a Mobile Educator Tool for Pediatric Diabetes Self-Management: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Background: Mobile interventions hold promise as an intervention modality to engage children in improving diabetes self-management education, attitudes, and behaviors. Objective: This pilot study aimed to explore the usability, acceptability, and feasibility of delivering a mobile diabetes educational tool to parent-child pairs in a clinical setting. Methods: This mixed methods pilot study comprised two concurrent phases with differing study participants. Phase 1 used user testing interviews to collect qualitative data on the usability and acceptability of the tool. Phase 2 used a single-arm pre- and poststudy design to quantitatively evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the intervention. Study participants (English-speaking families with youth aged 5-14 years with insulin-dependent diabetes) were recruited from an urban hospital in Massachusetts, United States. In phase 1, parent-child pairs were invited to complete the intervention together and participate in 90-min user testing interviews assessing the tool’s usability and acceptability. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. In phase 2, parent-child pairs were invited to complete the intervention together in the clinical setting. Measures included parental and child knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to diabetes management (self-report surveys) and child hemoglobin A1c levels (medical record extractions); data were collected at baseline and 1-month follow-up. Pre- and postoutcomes were compared using paired t tests and the Fisher exact test. Results: A total of 11 parent-child pairs (N=22) participated in phase 1 of the study, and 10 parent-child pairs (N=20) participated in phase 2 of the study. Participants viewed the mobile educational tool as acceptable (high engagement and satisfaction with the layout, activities, and videos) and identified the areas of improvement for tool usability (duration, directions, and animation). Conclusions: The findings from this pilot study suggest that the mobile educational tool is an informative, engaging, and feasible way to deliver diabetes self-management education to parents and children in an urban hospital setting. Data will inform future iterations of this mobile diabetes educational intervention to improve usability and test intervention efficacy.
Een klinisch-farmacokinetische vergelijking van orale en rectale toediening van thiazinamiummethylsulfaat

Met behulp van plasmaconcentratiemetingen werd de biologische beschikbaarheid bepaald na orale en rectale toediening van de quaternaire ammoniumverbinding thiazinamiummethylsulfaat aan CARA-patienten. Na orale toediening van een gecoate tablet Multergan forte® (bevattende 300 mg van de werkzame stof, berekend als base) werd een biologische beschikbaarheid van 3,6±1,7% (S.D.) van de dosis gevonden gedurende de eerste 7 uren na toediening. Na extrapolatie werden hogere waarden gevonden. Het maximum in de plasmaconcentratie/tijd-curve werd na ongeveer 2,5 uur gevonden en bedroeg gemiddeld 73±27 ng/ml (S.D.) en resulteerde in de meeste gevallen in een aanzienlijke vermindering van de aanwezige bronchusobstructie. Na rectale toediening van 150 mg thiazinamiummethylsulfaat (berekend als base) in Witepsol H15 suppositoria werd een biologische beschikbaarheid van 5,8±3,2% (S.D.) van de dosis gevonden. De maximale plasmaconcentratie werd nu eerder bereikt namelijk na ongeveer 1 uur en bedroeg gemiddeld 103±89ng/ml (S.D.). Deze curve daalde sneller dan die na orale toediening. In het algemeen werden met deze toedieningswijze therapeutische plasmaconcentraties bereikt.
Media trust and infection mitigating behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis. It is becoming increasingly clear that people’s behavioural responses in the USA during this fast-changing pandemic are associated with their preferred media sources. The polarisation of US media has been reflected in politically motivated messaging around the coronavirus by some media outlets, such as Fox News. This resulted in different messaging around the risks of infection and behavioural changes necessary to mitigate that risk. This study determined if COVID-related behaviours differed according to trust in left-leaning or right-leaning media and how differences changed over the first several months of the pandemic. Methods Using the nationally representative Understanding America Study COVID-19 panel, we examine preventive and risky behaviours related to infection from COVID-19 over the period from 10 March to 9 June for people with trust in different media sources: one left-leaning, CNN and another right-leaning, Fox News. People’s media preferences are categorised into three groups: (1) those who trust CNN more than Fox News; (2) those who have equal or no preferences and (3) those who trust Fox News more than CNN. Results Results showed that compared with those who trust CNN more than Fox news, people who trust Fox News more than CNN engaged in fewer preventive behaviours and more risky behaviours related to COVID-19. Out of five preventive and five risky behaviours examined, people who trust Fox News more than CNN practised an average of 3.41 preventive behaviours and 1.25 risky behaviours, while those who trust CNN more than Fox News engaged in an average of 3.85 preventive and 0.94 risky behaviours, from late March to June. The difference between these two groups widened in the month of May (p≤0.01), even after controlling for access to professional information and overall diversity of information sources. Conclusions Our findings indicate that behavioural responses were divided along media bias lines. In such a highly partisan environment, false information can be easily disseminated, and health messaging, which is one of the few effective ways to slowdown the spread of the virus in the absence of a vaccine, is being damaged by politically biased and economically focused narratives. During a public health crisis, media should reduce their partisan stance on health information, and the health messaging from neutral and professional sources based on scientific findings should be better promoted.
Accuracy and Cost-effectiveness of a Telemedicine Triage Initiative for Patients With Suspected Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

This retrospective analysis assesses triage accuracy and transportation costs associated with implementation of a multidisciplinary store-and-forward telemedicine triage system for patients with suspected Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Multiweek Experiments for an Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory Course: Synthesis of Nickel Complexes Supported by a Tetradentate Ligand with a N2O2 Donor Set

Inorganic Chemistry teaches students the concept that modifications to ligand structures, especially the donor properties, can have a drastic impact on the reactivity and stability of the metal complexes. Experiments described here reinforce this concept through the investigation of two tetradentate ligands derived from o-phenylenediamine and salicylaldehyde. The Schiff base ligand, H2salophen, reacts with Ni(OAc)2·4H2O to yield a maroon, square planar complex, Ni(salophen). Under the same conditions, the amine-type ligand, H2salophan, forms a light-blue compound analyzed as [Ni(Hsalophan)(OAc)]2. The Ni(salophan) complex free of acetate may be produced from the reaction of H2salophan with Ni(OAc)2·4H2O in the presence of NaOH but undergoes ligand dehydrogenation to yield Ni(salophen). Students conducting these experiments have the opportunity to learn synthetic techniques and various characterization methods. Most importantly, the inquiry-guided experimental design helps them develop critical thinking skills and apply acquired knowledge to solving a research problem in a laboratory course.
Sibling umbilical cord blood infusion is safe in young children with cerebral palsy.

Preclinical and early phase clinical studies suggest that an appropriately dosed umbilical cord blood (CB) infusion has the potential to help improve motor function in young children with cerebral palsy (CP). As many children with CP do not have their own CB available, use of allogeneic cells would extend access to this potentially beneficial therapy to more children. In this phase I, open-label study, 15 children, aged 1 to 6 years, with moderate to severe spastic CP were treated with a single intravenous infusion of allogeneic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched or partially matched sibling CB with a cell dose of ≥2.5 × 107 cells/kg based on the pre-cryopreservation count (median infused cell dose, 3.3 × 107 ; range, 1.8-5.2 × 107 ). There were a total of 49 adverse events (AEs) over a 2-year time period, but there were no AEs related to the CB infusions. Specifically, there were no acute infusion reactions and no antibody formation against platelets, red blood cells, or donor-specific HLA antigens. Donor cells were not detected in peripheral blood 6 months later. Six months after infusion, participants were assessed for response and experienced a mean ± SD increase of 4.7 ± 2.5 points on the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 and 1 ± 2.9 points on the Peabody Gross Motor Quotient. Appropriately dosed, allogeneic partially or fully HLA-matched sibling CB infusion is well tolerated and potentially beneficial in young children with CP.
Rapid growth in clonal Juglans nigra L. is most closely associated with early foliation, robust branch architecture, and protandry

Abstract The advantages of clonal forestry have been well described, but little progress has been made in the identification of phenotypes best suited to this method in high-value hardwood species. The genetic variation within, clonal repeatability (broad-sense heritability) of, and Pearson's correlations among phenological, morphological, physiological, and growth traits (N = 22) of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) were investigated using 25 grafted clonal genotypes. The trees were grown at wide spacing (4.6 m × 6.1 m) in an intensively managed plantation in north-central Indiana, USA. Clonal effect was significant (p 0.70), including foliation dates, first female bloom, first pollen shed, and crown retention rate (autumnal defoliation). Some traits showed moderate repeatability (0.35
Strength-frequency curve for micromagnetic neurostimulation through EPSPs on rat hippocampal neurons and numerical modeling of magnetic microcoil (μcoil)

Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the effect of micromagnetic stimulation (uMS) on hippocampal neurons, by using single microcoil (ucoil) prototype, Magnetic Pen (MagPen). MagPen will be used to stimulate the CA3 region magnetically and excitatory post synaptic potential (EPSP) response measurements will be made from the CA1 region. The threshold for micromagnetic neurostimulation as a function of stimulation frequency of the current driving the ucoil will be demonstrated. Finally, the optimal stimulation frequency of the current driving the ucoil to minimize power will be estimated. Approach: A biocompatible, watertight, non-corrosive prototype, MagPen was built, and customized such that it is easy to adjust the orientation of the ucoil and its distance over the hippocampal tissue in an in vitro recording setting. Finite element modeling (FEM) of the ucoil design was performed to estimate the spatial profiles of the magnetic flux density (in T) and the induced electric fields (in V/m). The induced electric field profiles generated at different values of current applied to the ucoil can elicit a neuron response, which was validated by numerical modeling. The modeling settings for the ucoil were replicated in experiments on rat hippocampal neurons. Main results: The preferred orientation of MagPen over the Schaffer Collateral fibers was demonstrated such that they elicit a neuron response. The recorded EPSPs from CA1 region due to uMS at CA3 region were validated by applying tetrodotoxin (TTX). Application of TTX to the hippocampal slice blocked the EPSPs from uMS while after prolonged TTX washout, a partial recovery of the EPSP from uMS was observed. Finally, it was interpreted through numerical analysis that increasing frequency of the current driving the ucoil, led to a decrease in the current amplitude threshold for micromagnetic neurostimulation. Significance: This work reports that micromagnetic neurostimulation can be used to evoke population EPSP responses in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. It demonstrates the strength-frequency curve for uMS and its unique features related to orientation dependence of the ucoils, spatial selectivity and stimulation threshold related to distance dependence. Finally, the challenges related to uMS experiments were studied including ways to overcome them.
Dynamic Bandwidth Adaptation Using Mobile IP in Hybrid Cellular Networks

As cellular packet data services become widely deployed by the rollout of the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and 3G cellular networks, the packet-switched cellular network is emerging as an alternative to the existing circuit-switched cellular network. While the circuit data service provides wireless bandwidth guarantees, the packet data service offers better radio resource utilization due to its packet-switched multiplexing principle applied in the air interface. Therefore, the capability of having a data service over either the circuit-switched radio or the packet-switched radio provides a tradeoff between the perceived QoS and the radio utilization.
Abundance and stability of erythropoietin receptor mRNA in mouse erythroid progenitor cells

The abundance and stability of erythropoietin (EPO) receptor mRNA was measured in Friend virus-infected mouse splenic erythroblast (FVA) cells. FVA cells correspond to the colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU- E) and cluster-forming unit-erythroid stages of differentiation and they mature in vitro into reticulocytes during 45 to 60 hours of culture. After 20 hours, there was a rapid decline in the EPO receptor mRNA level through the 45-hour culture period. Levels of actin and beta- globin mRNAs were monitored as two representative proteins that are actively synthesized in early versus late stages of terminal erythroid differentiation. A general decrease of actin mRNA level was apparent, whereas globin mRNA levels increased throughout the culture period. The greatest decrease in both EPO receptor and actin mRNA was observed when the cell population was at the stage of basophilic and polychromatophilic erythroblasts. The half-life for EPO receptor mRNA was approximately 75 minutes, as determined using the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D. The half-life measured at several times during the 48-hour culture period remained constant. These results indicate that EPO receptor mRNA must be transcribed continuously until late in the maturation process of FVA cells in order to maintain the levels seen by Northern analysis. The number of copies of EPO receptor mRNA at 0 hours was determined to be 25 copies per cell. This low number and the decline of EPO receptor mRNA correlate with the low receptor numbers on FVA cells, as well as the decline of binding sites with cell maturation.
On Developing Distributed Middleware Services for QoS-and Criticality-Based Resource Negotiation and Adaptation

The Global Resource Management System (GRMS) provides middleware services for QoS- and criticality-based resource negotiation and adaptation across heterogeneous computing nodes and communication networks. This paper presents GRMS‘s design, prototyping, and performance evaluation. We introduce GRMS design principles and two key concepts unified resource model and ripple scheduling—and describe our architectural design based on these concepts. Further, we present a decentralized end-to-end two-phase negotiation and adaptation protocol with the functionality of distributed, dynamic QoS adjustment and stream preemption. We discuss GRMS‘s system prototyping and lessons learned and report our experimentation and simulation results, providing insights into design and implementation of a middleware-based distributed resource management system.
The Organization of Complex Systems

The Nobel Laureate Hideki Yukawa earned his prize by observing that the neutron and the proton required a strong, localized force field to hold them together in the atomic nucleus, and that this field should have the properties of a particle — the particle we now know as the pi-meson or pion. The organizers of this series of lectures, having described it as “an experiment in communication between physicists and biologists”, evidently concluded that those two kinds of particles — physicists and biologists — also required a binding force to hold them in stable communication. Borrowing Yukawa’s idea, they invited me — a behavioral scientist by training — to serve as the pion for the series.
Potential self-tuning analysis of stochastic adaptive control

In this paper we present the first stage of a unified two-stage approach to analyzing stochastic adaptive control. In the first stage, we study the issue of potential self-tuning where we ask the question whether a certainty-equivalence adaptive control scheme achieves the same control objective as the ideal control design at the potential convergence points of the estimation algorithm. We exploit the fact that this important property can be analyzed independent of the estimation method that is used, without restoring to complicated convergence analysis. For linear time-invariant systems, this reduces to simply studying two identifiability equations; the Identifiability Equation for Internal Excitation (IEIE) and the Identifiability Equation for External Excitation (IE3) whose solutions determine the potential convergence points of the parameter estimates. Sufficient conditions and necessary conditions are then derived for potential self-tuning and identifiability of general control schemes. Applications of these general results to specific adaptive control policies then show that regardless of the external excitation, the certainty-equivalence adaptive control based on generalized Minimum-Variance, generalized predictive, and pole-placement control are potentially self-tuning. On the other hand, the LQG feedforward and feedback control designs are shown to require sufficient external excitation. In the next stage, we will show how to proceed from potential self-tuning to asymptotic self-tuning.
A model-theoretic semantics of the multilevel relational model

A multilevel relational database represents information in a multilevel state of the world, which is the knowledge of the truth value of a statement with respect to a classification level in a security lattice. We develop a model-theoretic semantics of the multilevel relational model with tuplelevel classification, which formalizes the notion of validity in multilevel relational databases. We also identify the multilevel security constraints that precisely characterize the validity of multilevel relational databases.
THEORETICAL MODELLING OF THE INFRARED FLUORESCENCE BY INTERSTELLAR POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

We modelled the IR emission of interstellar PAHs. Substantial differences between the IR properties of interstellar and laboratory PAHs are found, possibly resulting from ionization. The various IR features being dominated by distinctly different size PAHs, their observed relative intensities are sensitive indicators of the size distribution. A number of applications of our model related to future ISO and SIRTF IR data are pointed out.
Consumer Spending for Pharmaceuticals and Its Implications for Health Care Financing The Case of Kazakhstan

The health care sector in the countries of the former Soviet Union experienced significant changes in the 1990s and moved away from the principle of providing free care. Kazakhstan experienced a similar trend infinancing pharmaceuticals. After the introduction of direct patient contri- butions for outpatient pharmaceuticals, the economic burden on poor and rural people increased significantly. This article examines various policy changes in promoting equity and analyzes the implications andfeasibility of subsidy programs on the health care budget. The simulations from a two- part model suggest that the program covering the poor increases the health care budget by 7.7 percent. This increases to 20 percent when extended to people in rural areas. Instead of adopting a straightforward subsidy program for certain groups, this article identifies policy alternatives that may enhance social welfare by decreasing economic inefficiencies. The formal health care sector in developing countries is dominated by pub- licly financed, government-supervised services. The main goal of policies is to provide an adequate amount of health care services to the entire population. Ideally, an individual's location or income should not prevent him/her from
Characteristics and prevalence within serogroup O4 of a J96-like clonal group of uropathogenic Escherichia coli O4:H5 containing the class I and class III alleles of papG

The recent discovery of a geographically dispersed clonal group of Escherichia coli O4:H5 that includes prototypic uropathogenic strain J96 prompted us to determine the prevalence of J96-like strains within serogroup O4 and to further assess the characteristics of such strains. We used O:K:H;F serotyping, PCR-based genomic fingerprinting, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), and PCR detection of the three papG alleles and of the cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (cnf1) and aerobactin (aer) gene sequences to characterize the 15 O4 strains among 336 E. coli isolates from three clinical collections (187 from mixed-source bacteremia, 75 from urosepsis, and 74 from acute cystitis). J96-like strains constituted approximately half of the O4 strains, or 2% of the total population. In contrast to other O4 strains, the J96-like strains characteristically exhibited specific group III capsular antigens, the H5 flagellar and F13 fimbrial antigens, a distinctive PCR genomic fingerprint, the class III papG allele (plus, in 50% of strains, the enigmatic class I papG allele), and cnf1 but lacked aer. A subset of these strains was remarkably homogeneous with respect to all these characteristics and exhibited a distinctive PFGE fingerprint and MLEE pattern. These findings clarify the epidemiological relevance of J96 as a model extraintestinal pathogen, provide further evidence of the class I papG allele outside of strain J96, and offer insights into the evolution of E. coli serogroup O4.
Lazy Annotation Revisited

Lazy Annotation is a method of software model checking that performs a backtracking search for a symbolic counterexample. When the search backtracks, the program is annotated with a learned fact that constrains future search. In this sense, the method is closely analogous to conflict-driven clause learning in SAT solvers. In this paper, we develop several improvements to the basic Lazy Annotation approach. The resulting algorithm is compared both conceptually and experimentally to two approaches based on similar principles but using different learning strategies: unfolding-based Bounded Model Checking and Property-Driven Reachability.
Asymptotical optimality of Akaike's final prediction error

Akaike's FPE procedure as a data dependent method of selecting the degree and the number of pieces of a piece wise polynomial estimator of a regression function is proposed here. The proposed method requires no assumption of smoothness of the regression function. It is shown the asymptotic efficiency of FPE is achieved both in a.s. convergence and in theg-th mean convergence.
The Distribution of Heating Potential Inside Lossy Spheres

The distribution of the heating potential inside a lossy sphere having the same electrical characteristics as those of brain tissue was investigated in the frequency region of 10 MHz to 12 GHz. The conditions under which a potential hot spot appears inside the sphere and its shape were determined and were displayed in a radius vs. frequency diagram. The results show that hot spots appear inside only for spheres with radii 8 cm > R > 0.1 cm and only in the frequency range of 300 < f < 12,000 MHz. It was found that the heating potential is always non-uniformly distributed, and in cases where it was maximum inside the sphere it was larger by a factor of approximately ten to the values calculated by the plane slab or the average cross section model.
Multiple inhibition of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase by heterocyclic nitrogen bases

Abstract Multiple inhibition studies were carried out with inhibitor pairs composed of various combinations of eleven nitrogen bases previously shown to be competitive inhibitors with respect to NAD+ in the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (alcohol:NAD+ oxidoreductase E.C.I.I.I.I.)-catalyzed oxidation of ethanol. In studies of inhibitor pairs in which both inhibitors were adenine derivatives, mutual exclusion was demonstrated. A mutual exclusion was likewise demonstrated in all combinations of inhibitors studied involving phenanthrolines and benzoquinolines. Quinoline, although bound simultaneously to the yeast enzyme with adenine derivatives, shows mutual exclusion when studied with N1-methylnicotinamide chloride. It was proposed that phenanthrolines and benzoquinolines like quinoline are bound at the “pyridinium ring” region of the NAD+ binding site of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. Charge transfer complexes were observed between N1-methylnicotinamide chloride and the four adenine derivatives studied.
AutoBrief: a multimedia presentation system for assisting data analysis

We present an approach to generating multimedia presentations that integrates hierarchical planning to achieve communicative goals, and task-based graphic design. A planning process decomposes domain-specific goals to domain-independent goals, which in turn are realized by media-specific techniques such as task-based graphic design. We apply our approach to developing AutoBrief, a system that summarizes large data sets using natural language and information graphics. Finally, we analyze AutoBrief in terms of the standard reference model (SRM).
Predicting Protein Co-Expression Fractions in Living Cells

Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy utilizes the fluctuation in a fluorescent signal to determine molecular brightness, concentration, and diffusion properties of fluorescent particles passing through an optical volume. Brightness analysis is used to quantify the stoichiometry of protein association and to determine the number of proteins in a complex. In protein hetero-dimerization studies, it is highly desirable to be able to control protein co-expression fractions. The expression of each protein should be selected in order to maximize the likelihood of protein association. Yet protein expression is the output factor from a lipid-mediated transfection process in which only the plasmid DNA (input parameter) can be explicitly controlled. In this work we develop and test a working model which relates the protein expression fraction of two proteins to the plasmid DNA mixing fraction. Experimentally, we express two differently colored fluorescent proteins in CV-1 cells and split their emitted signal into two different detection channels based on color. The intensity fraction from the two channels is used to determine the relative amount of expressed protein in the cell. The experiments show that the DNA mixing fraction determines the average protein expression fraction. We extend this work by examining the cell-to-cell variation in protein expression and constructing a simple model which relates the expression variation to the average number of active plasmids. This study provides insight into the fundamentals of lipid-mediated transfection and demonstrates that we can control protein co-expression fractions through selection of plasmid DNA mixing fractions. This work is supported by NIH grant R01GM064589.
The Intracellular Expression Pattern of the Human Papillomavirus Type 11 E1∧E4 Protein Correlates with Its Ability to Self Associate

Abstract The function of the human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV 11) E1 ∧ E4 spliced protein is not known. E1 ∧ E4 protein in HPV-infected tissue is detected in the cytoplasm of differentiated epithelial cells and as immunoreactive bands corresponding to potential monomers, dimers and trimers in immunoblots. The yeast two-hybrid system was employed to test for self association of the HPV 11 E1 ∧ E4 protein. To confirm the results of the yeast two-hybrid experiments, coimmunofluorescence studies of a green fluorescent fusion protein (GFP-E1 ∧ E4) and a T7 epitope-tagged E1 ∧ E4 protein were performed in C33a keratinocytes. E1 ∧ E4 protein was shown to self associate in the yeast two-hybrid system, and this result was confirmed by colocalization of GFP-E1 ∧ E4 and T7-E1 ∧ E4 proteins in keratinocytes. Analysis of E1 ∧ E4 mutants established that the C-terminus was required for self association and that sequences in the N-terminus influenced the intracellular localization of E1 ∧ E4 protein. The intracellular expression patterns of GFP-E1 ∧ E4 and GFP-E1 ∧ E4 mutants were correlated with E1 ∧ E4 binding in the yeast two-hybrid system. Those E1 ∧ E4 mutants that did not self associate in the yeast two-hybrid system were detected as diffuse cellular fluorescence when expressed as GFP fusions. In contrast, GFP-E1 ∧ E4 was detected as a perinuclear aggregate. All E1 ∧ E4 mutants capable of associating with E1 ∧ E4 in the yeast two-hybrid system were detected as aggregates when expressed as GFP fusion proteins in keratinocytes.
Effects of chronic benzodiazepine exposure on stress-induced neuroactive steroid levels

Since the neuroactive steroid 3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone (3alpha,5alpha-THP) has pharmacologic actions similar to benzodiazepine agonists such as diazepam, the influences of chronic diazepam exposure on stress-induced brain levels of 3alpha, 5alpha-THP were examined. Groups of male, female, orchidectomized (ORCH), and ovariectomized (OVX) rats were compared, along with OVX groups given hormone replacement. Chronic diazepam exposure diminished stress-induced brain levels of 3alpha,5alpha-THP and serum corticosterone, although gender, gonadectomy and hormone replacement had disparate influences on these two endocrine responses to stress.
Meet-distributive lattices and the anti-exchange closure

This paper defines the anti-exchange closure, a generalization of the order ideals of a partially ordered set. Various theorems are proved about this closure. The main theorem presented is that a latticeL is the lattice of closed sets of an anti-exchange closure if and only if it is a meet-distributive lattice. This result is used to give a combinatorial interpretation of the zetapolynomial of a meet-distributive lattice.
Teaching of Circuit Theory and Its Impact on Other Disciplines

In order to place the teaching of circuit theory in proper perspective, it is necessary first to formulate rather explicitly the principles and the philosophy of educational methods and objectives in an engineering curriculum. Subject content and subject order, as well as difficulties experienced because of existing academic policies, provide the central theme which is concerned with developments throughout the past 35 years in which circuit theory experienced its major growth.
The explorer XVII satellite

Abstract Explorer XVII, the first Aeronomy satellite, employed for instrument housing, a vacuum-tight stainless steel sphere, whose construction reflected the most useful and established ultra-high vacuum techniques. The sensors carried included ionization gages, magnetic mass spectrometers and electrostatic probes, each mounted in and projecting through the stainless steel shell. Accessory equipment to provide the necessary supporting functions for the experiments included a PCM telemetry system, a command and control system, and a silver-zinc battery power supply which provided for fifty hours of satellite operation over a period of 100 days commencing 3 April 1963. The quantity of data obtained greatly surpasses all previous rocket data, and provides new information about the atmosphere for altitudes and geographical locations not previously explored.
Early Phonological Behavior in Normal-Speaking and Language Disordered Children

Various aspects of the phonological behavior of three normal-speaking and three language disordered children, matched on the basis of mean utterance length, sex, and cognitive development, were compared. The children's spontaneous speech was analyzed to reveal selection constraints inferred from characteristics of the adult form of the words attempted by the child, production constraints inferred from characteristics of the children's productions, phonological processes, and five dimensions of phonological variability. While some individual variation was noted, no substantial group differences were revealed. The phonologies of the normal-speaking and language disordered children were strikingly similar. The implications of these similarities are discussed in terms of a synergistic view of linguistic disorders and remediation.
The complexation chemistry of cyclohexaamyloses: Adducts with 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid and anion

Abstract A study is reported of complexation reactions of cyclohexaamylose (Cy) with 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid and its anion using conductometry, pH potentiometry, and 13 C nmr spectrometry. Binary and ternary (2 mol Cy/mol substrate) complexes are detected with both the acid and anion, and standard entropies and enthalpies of complexation are determined from the temperature dependences of the formation constants for all except the very weak ternary complex with the anion. Both the 13 C nmr results and the entropy of complexation confirm the earlier suggestion that the anion in binary complexation is structured with the adamantanyl group in proximity to, but not penetrating, the Cy cavity. However, a negative Δ S o for formation of this complex is reported which casts doubt on an earlier proposal that the adamantyl binary complex binding mode involves an “apolar” mechanism accompanied by loss of solvated water molecules. Values are also reported for p K a , Δ H o , and Δ S o for the aqueous dissociation of 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid.
New Directions for the Business Curriculum.

Abstract More than three decades have passed since the last major revision of the business curriculum. Since then, corporate restructuring, industry downsizing, growth of small-business opportunities, and business and government “reinvention” have taken place. Business curricula have also been undergoing reexamination. In this article, we analyze the current state of affairs and offer recommendations for a cross-functional curriculum that provides the foundation students need for career success.
Characterizing gastrointestinal transit time in four lemur species using barium-impregnated polyethylene spheres (BIPS).

Differences in dietary profiles and gastrointestinal (GI) morphologies observed across lemur species suggest that there may be variation in patterns of digesta flow through the GI tract related to the method of digesta processing. Using radio-opaque barium-impregnated polyethylene spheres (BIPS), we characterized such patterns in four lemur species: Varecia variegata (VV), Eulemur fulvus (EF), Propithecus verreauxi (PV), and Hapalemur griseus (HG) (n=2 per species). After an initial radiograph was taken under light sedation, the animals were fed the BIPS together with a small meal. A combination of 30 small (1.5 mm) and 10 large (5 mm) BIPS was administered. Radiographs were then taken on a species-dependent basis up to 48 hr post-dosage. For small BIPS, the gastric transit time (GTT; time of first exit of BIPS from stomach) was 0.25–2 hr for VV, EF, and HG, and approximately 10 hr for PV. The oro-rectal transit time (ORTT; time of first appearance in the rectum) was <2 hr for VV and EF, and 24.0 hr for PV and HG. The intestinal transit time (ITT, measured as ORTT – GTT) was <1.5 hr for VV and EF, and approximately 14 hr and 22 hr for PV and HG, respectively. These data suggest that the GTT of digesta as measured with BIPS was rapid for VV, EF, and HG. For VV and EF, the ORTT and ITT were also rapid, while for HG they were much slower. PV was characterized by delayed GTT, and a more rapid ITT compared to HG. Thus, patterns of flow for PV and HG, despite similar ORTT, differed in that HG emptied BIPS more rapidly and ITT was slower. The flow of BIPS did not differ for VV and EF. These data reveal new information in addition to the total tract transit time, and complement existing knowledge regarding anatomy and diet. Am. J. Primatol. 64:309–321, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Human Ethology: Eating, Security, and Curiosity

This study replicated an earlier one on selection of seats and looking up in a college eating environment. Both studies showed that solitary individuals chose wall tables more often than center tables. Opposite findings held here for looking up, with almost twice as much occurring at wall tables whether by solitary individuals or groups. The differences between these studies may reflect environmental variables. Sitting at wall tables may enhance security and promote looking-up as an indication of exploratory behavior or alternatively and more simply an exploratory need may determine the selection of wall tables.
Using operational planning horizons for determining setup changes

Abstract We consider operational planning horizons required for managing shop floor resources. Our concept of horizons is different from those developed in the literature for aggregate production planning; the focus is on operational-level decisions. Our problem is of scheduling machine setup changes and we conduct the study on a system implemented at a manufacturing facility. This system schedules machine setup changes at a particular stage of manufacturing. We identify a horizon parameter, l, which impacts the number of setup changes made. Short horizons increase the number of setup changes while reducing the work-in-process, whereas long horizons reduce the setups while increasing the work-in-process. We develop a metric for assessing the setup change schedules made by the system and use this to show that l is related to certain shop floor characteristics. We conclude that these characteristics should be used to determine l.
A Simple Photocell To Demonstrate Solar Energy Using Benign Household Ingredients

A laboratory exercise for the construction of a dye-sensitized solar cell using everyday household and benign products has been developed. The simple and easy-to-assemble construction successfully demonstrates the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy. This project is intended for high school students as well as college students of chemistry, physics, or biology classes as an inexpensive hands-on exercise. A brief outline on basic measurements related to photovoltaic cell performance and its characterization is also presented, and approaches to use these concepts for demonstration are suggested.
Self-consistent Monte Carlo simulations of the electron and ion distributions of inhomogeneous liquid alkali metals. II. Longitudinal and transverse density distributions in the liquid-vapor interface of binary metallic alloys

We present the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the liquid-vapor interface of sodium-cesium alloys. The longitudinal density profile of each alloy shows that the liquid-vapor interface consists of a well-defined monolayer of cesium sitting on top of a slab of the bulk alloy. Underneath the monolayer there is a slight excess of sodium. A comparison with a van der Waals analog of one of the alloys shows that the presence of the well-defined monolayer of cesium on the outside of the liquid-vapor interface is a feature peculiar to metallic mixtures. The transverse pair correlation functions of the cesium monolayer are insensitive to the composition of the bulk of the slab.
Determining Subgroups of Teens for Targeted Driving Injury Prevention Strategies: A Latent Class Analysis Approach

Objective: To utilize teen traffic safety belief profiles to improve targeting of resources and messages to young novice drivers. Methods: The National Young Driver Survey is a nationally representative sample 5665 of 9th to 11th graders in the United States. Using latent class analysis, we grouped beliefs about 25 safety-relevant behaviors into a summary set of belief profiles and related these profiles to demographics and driver/passenger experience. Results: We determined 5 safety belief profiles of teens: “everything” (rated most of the 25 behaviors as important to safety); “drivers/personal responsibility” (rated driver-related behaviors but few others as important); “driver drinking” (rated only driver alcohol use as always important); “distractions/external forces” (rated predominantly passenger rather than driver issues as important); and “nothing” (rated no issues as important). Three key groups emerged who were more likely than their counterparts to belong to the distractions/external forces tha...