cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An optimum iterative method for solving any linear system with a square matrix

A method is presented to solveAx=b by computing optimum iteration parameters for Richardson's method. It requires some information on the location of the eigenvalues ofA. The algorithm yields parameters well-suited for matrices for which Chebyshev parameters are not appropriate. It therefore supplements the Manteuffel algorithm, developed for the Chebyshev case. Numerical examples are described.
2(S),6(R)‐Di­methyl‐4‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)‐5(R)‐ethyl‐3‐cyclo­hexene‐1(S)‐carboxyl­ic acid and its enantiomer: potential therapeutic agents for prostate cancer

The synthesis, isolation, and definitive diasteriomeric characterization of the racemic title compound, C18H24O3, (I), was accomplished. The two enantiomers are hydrogen bonded through their respective carboxyl­ic acid groups, forming an octagonal bridge. A preliminary study indicates that (I) definitely inhibits prostate cancer-cell proliferation.
Integrated phase-locked multi-THz comb for broadband offset locking

We demonstrate an integrated InGaAsP/InP 2.06 THz broadband comb for offset locking SG-DBR widely tunable lasers. The comb has 70 lasing lines and is generated using a hybrid mode-locked laser with intracavity gain flattening.
Novel approaches to high resolution recording of emotion- related PFC signals in different ethnic groups

The optical method to distinguish blood concentration changes from blood oxygenation relating to the release of vasoactive substances from the mitochondria and other sources, or from the saturation changes due to activation of mitochondrial metabolism.
Are fast-growing martian dust storms compressible?

A simple scale analysis demonstrates that rapidly-expanding Martian dust storms are driven by extremely large density differences. Thermal gradients appear to be inadequate to produce these density contrasts. When dust produces the densities required, the storms become compressible because of the slowing of the speed of sound due to the addition of particles. Though compressible, particle-laden flows have never been analyzed due to their highly complex nature, pressure waves produced by these flows could be hypothesized to provide a positive feedback capable of producing rapid growth.
Cation requirements of HeLa cells in tissue culture

Abstract A method of tissue culture is described which is suitable for the accurate study of nutritional requirements and the effect of metabolic inhibitors and viruses. In the absence of potassium or magnesium, cultures of HeLa cells died in 24 hr. Cells were able to survive and grow in the absence of added calcium. The minimum optimal requirements for growth were 0.5 mg ions/l K+, 0.1 mg ions/l Mg2+ and 0.005 mg ions/l Ca2+. All three cations affected growth rate, total population and survival. Deficiency of potassium produced a characteristic cell morphology. The rounding and detachment of viable cells in cultures with little or no added calcium is compared with the cohesiveness of malignant cells.
Using Social Sensors for Influence Propagation in Networks With Positive and Negative Relationships

Online social communities often exhibit complex relationship structures, ranging from close friends to political rivals. As a result, persons are influenced by their friends and foes differently. Future network applications can benefit from integrating these structural differences in propagation schemes through socially aware sensors. In this paper, we introduce a propagation model for such social sensor networks with positive and negative relationship types. We tackle two main scenarios based on this model. The first one is to minimize the end-to-end propagation cost of influencing a target person in favor of an idea by utilizing sensor observations about the relationship types in the underlying social graph. The propagation cost is incurred by social and physical network dynamics such as propagation delay, frequency of interaction, the strength of friendship/foe ties or the impact factor of the propagating idea. We next extend this problem by incorporating the impact of message deterioration and ignorance, and by limiting the number of persons influenced against the idea before reaching the target. Second, we study the propagation problem while minimizing the number of negatively influenced persons on the path, and provide extensions to elaborate on the impact of network parameters. We demonstrate our results in both an artificially created network and the Epinions signed network topology. Our results show that judicious propagation schemes lead to a significant reduction in the average cost and complexity of network propagation compared to naive myopic algorithms.
Advances in the theory of swelling in irradiated metals and alloys

Abstract Recent advances in the theory of swelling are reviewed. These include (1) the development of a cascade diffusion theory to treat quantitatively the fluctuations in point defect concentrations caused by locally inhomogeneous point defect production, (2) the incorporation of mobile helium and its effects on void growth into the theory, and (3) the spatial variation in swelling during charged particle bombardment. Summaries of (1) and (2) are given. A more complete development of (3) is presented. Three phenomena responsible for spatial variation of swelling during heavy-ion bombardment are assessed. Loss of point defects to the free surface results in only a minor perturbation of swelling under the usual conditions considered. Interstitials injected by the bombarding beam may severely deplete the void volume under certain conditions. The effect is extremely sensitive to defect and materials parameters and is largest for low swelling materials. The previously unexplored depletion of swelling resulting from diffusional spreading of point defects out of the region of maximum energy deposition is evaluated and found to be significant.
Leadership for School Culture: Knowing the Norms, Behaviors, and Issues

The right preparation program can go a long way toward improving the cultural leadership skills of beginning principals. Here's an outline for such a program.
Pleiotropic deficiency of carbohydrate utilization in an adenyl cyclase deficient mutant of Escherichia coli.

Abstract A strain of E. coli deficient in adenyl cyclase activity has been isolated. This strain neither ferments nor grows on lactose, maltose, arabinose, mannitol or glycerol, and ferments weakly and grows slowly on glucose, fructose and galactose. Cyclic AMP restores the normal utilization of all of these carbon sources. The mutant makes very little β-galactosidase in the absence of cyclic AMP. It is concluded that cyclic AMP is necessary for the normal utilization of a number of carbon sources by E. coli, because it is required for the synthesis of enzymes involved in their metabolism.
The role of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and estradiol in rabbit corpus luteum progesterone production

To determine whether insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a role in rabbit corpus luteum (CL) physiology the authors examined: IGF-I expression, the effect of IGF-I on progesterone (P) production in vitro, and the interaction of IGF-I with estradiol, the primary luteotropin in the rabbit. Northern blot analysis revealed that IGF-I mRNA is present in the rabbit CL throughout pseudopregnancy. An intact ovarian in vitro perfusion model and dispersed luteal cell culture were used to determine the effects of IGF-I on P production and interactions with estradiol. IGF-I significantly stimulated P production compared to control medium by the isolated, intact perfused rabbit ovary and by dispersed, cultured luteal cells. Estradiol alone did not stimulate P production in vitro. Estradiol did augment IGF-I-stimulated P production in the intact perfused ovary and in luteal cell culture. These findings support a role for IGF-I in rabbit CL P production.
Revision of the stereochemistry of batzelladine F. Approaches to the tricyclic hydroxyguanidine moiety of batzelladines G, H, and I.

The polycyclic guanidine alkaloids batzelladines F−I isolated from a Jamaican sponge of the genus Batzella in 1997 are of potential value for the treatment of AIDS because they induce p56lck-CD4 dissociation at micromolar concentrations. Comparison of the spectral data for both the synthetic syn and anti tricyclic left-hand portions of batzelladine F establishes that the natural product has the syn rather than the anti stereochemistry originally assigned. Approaches to the tricyclic hydroxyguanidine moiety of batzelladines G−I are described.
Reduction of noise floor for molecular, fluorescence-enhanced optical imaging

Near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) optical imaging has been successfully demonstrated to offer a high specificity and sensitivity in detecting various diseases. However, the measurement sensitivity of NIRF optical imaging system is limited by strong backscattered excitation light leakage. Herein, appropriate filter combination and collimation optics was adapted to the NIRF optical imager. The sensitivity of near-infrared fluorescence imaging instrumentation can be dramatically improved upon using the appropriate filter combination and collimation optics. This validation and qualification approach to reduce the noise floor and improve sensitivity is presented a standardized metric for all fluorescence based imaging systems proposed.
Influence of age on sperm concentration in the male golden hamster

Abstract Male golden hamsters were separated into three age groups: adolescent, 2–4 months; adult, 12–13 months; aged 20–24 months, and maintained on a reversed light cycle. Body, testis and epididymal weights were recorded at the time of sacrifice. Stock suspensions of sperm were obtained from the cauda epididymidis and serially diluted in saline. Optical density (O.D.) readings and sperm counts were taken for each dilution sample. Data points, O.D. versus sperm counts, were computer fit. Comparison of the regression lines demonstrated a significant difference between the slopes of curves for adolescent males and for adult and aged males (99% confidence level). Mean sperm counts for the adult and aged males were significantly higher than for the young males. The increased counts were accompanied by decreases in O.D. with advancing age. Trypsin treatment of the sperm revealed no effect on O.D. indicating that separation of heads and tails was not responsible for the change in O.D. values of sperm samples....
Corrupt political jurisdictions and voter participation

An FBI investigation of county purchasing activities in the mid 1980s resulted in the conviction of 55 of Mississippi's 410 county supervisors. Analyzing data from the state's 1987 county supervisor elections and hypothesizing that candidates' demands for votes increase as the gains from holding public office increase, we predict larger voter turnouts in the 26 of the state's 82 counties where supervisor corruption was exposed. Holding constant average voter turnout in the preceding U.S. presidential election and controlling for the competitiveness of supervisor races, we find that more Mississippians indeed voted in corrupt than in non-corrupt counties.
Phonon expansion and dispersion for material diagnosis in condensed matter channels

The “average acoustic pulse dispersion length in condensed matter channels” is expanded to show that propagating acoustic pulses may behave as phonons, which can be characterized and used to evaluate the channel through which they have travelled. Employing transducers, pulser/receivers and condensed matter channels, it is possible to generate and detect a ‘harmonic Gaussian’ pulse (i.e. a Gaussian pulse modulated by a phased carrier frequency). Propagating in the channel the pulse expands, its carrier frequency is diminished, but the harmonic Gaussian property stays. This parallels the quantum-mechanics ‘wave packet’ characterization, relating to such entities as ‘photons’ and ‘phonons’. Channel inhomogeneities affect travelling phonons. Application of nonlinear regression analysis to reflected echoes, at the front and back of the channel, uncovers intrinsic signal parameters. A theory provided relating the derived phonon profile change to average scattering length, mean domain size or defect spacing, g s...
Heat Transfer to Separated and Reattached Subsonic Turbulent Flows Obtained Downstream of a Surface Step

Local heat-transfer coefficients and recovery factors are presented for separated and reattached turbulent flows as obtained by a downward step in an otherwise flat surface in a two-dimensional, subsonic, air flow. The region downstream of the step, the focus of this investigation, contained a region of separated flow with reattachment at about five step heights downstream, followed by a section of reattached flow. The salient feature of the results is the maximum in the local heat-transfer coefficient at the reattachment point, with values thereof diminishing in the separated region and also in the reattached region, where they tend toward values characteristic of turbulent boundary-layer flow. I t is found that for most of the region the heat-transfer coefficient depends on the velocity to about the 0.8 power, though a decreased dependence may exist in the separated region. Recovery factors have the characteristically low values associated with separated flows, and do not attain values typical of turbulent boundary-layer flows within the downstream lengths available.
Faulty logic: reasoning about fault tolerant programs

Transient faults are single-shot hardware errors caused by high energy particles from space, manufacturing defects, overheating, and other sources. Such faults can be devastating for security- and safety-critical systems. In order to mitigate these problems, software developers can add redundancy in various ways to their software systems. However, such redundancy is hard to reason about and corner cases are easy to miss, leaving these systems vulnerable. To solve this problem, we have developed a logic, based on Separation Logic, for reasoning about faults as resources. We show how to use this logic as a language of assertions and incorporate it into a Hoare Logic for verifying imperative programs. This Hoare Logic is parameterized by a formal fault model and it can be used to prove imperative programs correct with respect to that model. In addition to developing this basic verification platform, we have designed a modal operator that abstracts away the effects of individual faults, enabling modularization of proofs and greatly simplifying the reasoning involved. The logic is proved sound and studied through a number of examples, including a simplified version of the RSA Sign/Verify algorithm.
Simple approach to micropattern cells on common culture substrates by tuning substrate wettability.

The ability to spatially control cell adhesion and multicellular organization is critical to many biomedical and tissue-engineering applications. This work describes a straightforward method to micropattern cells onto glass, silicone rubber, and polystyrene using commercially available reagents. An elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane stamp is used to contact-transfer extracellular matrix protein onto a surface followed by blocking cell adhesion in the surrounding regions by the physisorption of Pluronic surfactants. Using self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on gold as model surfaces to control surface wettability, we found that protein printing was most effective at intermediate to highly wetting surfaces whereas Pluronic adsorption occurred at intermediate to low wetting surfaces. Within a regimen of intermediate wettability both techniques were applied in conjunction to restrict cell adhesion to specified patterns. Adjusting the wettability of common tissue culture substrates to the same intermediate...
Strong solutions for semilinear wave equations with damping and source terms

This article deals with local existence of strong solutions for semilinear wave equations with power-like interior damping and source terms. A long-standing restriction on the range of exponents for the two nonlinearities governs the literature on wellposedness of weak solutions of finite energy. We show that this restriction may be eliminated for the existence of higher regularity solutions by employing natural methods that use the physics of the problem. This approach applies to the Cauchy problem posed on the entire ℝ n as well as for initial boundary problems with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions.
The cascade fault tolerance message system

This paper addresses the problem of constructing a highly reliable message delivery system in a distributed environment. It presents a fault tolerance algorithm that guarantees the delivery of a message to its destination despite faults in one or more nodes in the system. The algorithm is distinguished by not using extra hardware or checkpoint facilities that are common to many algorithm of its type. Instead, it maintains an appropriate number of cascading copies of the message in nodes where the message passes. In case of fault, the algorithm locates a copy of the message closest to the destination, and resumes delivery of the message from this location. This special mechanism makes the algorithm suitable to systems without disks, real-time systems, and systems where message transmission time must be minimal.
Medical Necessity and Psychotherapy

Managed care and, specifically, the need to conform to medical necessity requirements have had a dramatic effect on medical and psychiatric practice, especially on psychotherapy. The author describes the progression of the concept of medical necessity from a simple accounting of services reimbursable by insurance companies to an ambiguous term without definitional consensus. He describes its relationship to the medical model and discusses the incongruity between medical necessity and certain aspects of psychotherapy. He proposes a broader concept—health necessity—based on an evaluation on the merits of the advantages, disadvantages, and costs of medical and psychiatric services.
National and Global Origins of Environmental Association

We examine the origins of voluntary associations devoted to environmental protection, focusing on the divergent trajectories of industrialized versus developing countries. We consider a wide range ...
Silicon carbide distributed buffer gate turn-off thyristor structure for blocking high voltages

Silicon carbide gate turn-off thyristor simulations indicate that including within the drift region an n-type layer, doped 5 × 1016 cm-3 and located 3 µm below the top of the drift region, improves the forward blocking state electrostatic field profile. This structure, with a 15 µm total drift region thickness and no other field termination, blocks 2211 V, against 757 V if the n-type buffer layer is left out.
The computational completeness of extended database query languages

The computational completeness is demonstrated of certain extended database query languages, namely, POSTGRES and GENESIS, and a language defined by A. Aho and J. Ullman (1979). The method used is to implement a Turing machine interpreter in each of the languages. These query languages were defined as extensions to traditional database languages in order to encompass certain specific new applications. Results show that these extensions have already encompassed all the computational power of any programming language. >
The Urinary Metabolite Profile of the Dietary Carcinogen 2-Amino-1-Methyl-6-Phenylimidazo[4,5-b]Pyridine Is Predictive of Colon DNA Adducts after a Low-Dose Exposure in Humans

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that exposure to heterocyclic amines in the diet is an important risk factor for the development of colon cancer. Well-done cooked meats contain significant levels of heterocyclic amines, which have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. To better understand the mechanisms of heterocyclic amine bioactivation in humans, the most mass abundant heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), was used to assess the relationship between PhIP metabolism and DNA adduct formation. Ten human volunteers where administered a dietary relevant dose of [(14)C]PhIP 48 to 72 hours before surgery to remove colon tumors. Urine was collected for 24 hours after dosing for metabolite analysis, and DNA was extracted from colon tissue and analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry for DNA adducts. All 10 subjects were phenotyped for cytochrome P4501A2 (CYP1A2), N-acetyltransferase 2, and sulfotransferase 1A1 enzyme activity. Twelve PhIP metabolites were detected in the urine samples. The most abundant metabolite in all volunteers was N-hydroxy-PhIP-N(2)-glucuronide. Metabolite levels varied significantly between the volunteers. Interindividual differences in colon DNA adducts levels were observed between each individual. The data showed that individuals with a rapid CYP1A2 phenotype and high levels of urinary N-hydroxy-PhIP-N(2)-glucuronide had the lowest level of colon PhIP-DNA adducts. This suggests that glucuronidation plays a significant role in detoxifying N-hydroxy-PhIP. The levels of urinary N-hydroxy-PhIP-N(2)-glucuronide were negatively correlated to colon DNA adduct levels. Although it is difficult to make definite conclusions from a small data set, the results from this pilot study have encouraged further investigations using a much larger study group.
Tgf-β1 Inhibits Cftr Biogenesis and Prevents Functional Rescue of ΔF508-Cftr in Primary Differentiated Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

CFTR is an integral transmembrane glycoprotein and a cAMP-activated Cl− channel. Mutations in the CFTR gene lead to Cystic Fibrosis (CF)–an autosomal recessive disease with majority of the morbidity and mortality resulting from airway infection, inflammation, and fibrosis. The most common disease-associated mutation in the CFTR gene–deletion of Phe508 (ΔF508) leads to a biosynthetic processing defect of CFTR. Correction of the defect and delivery of ΔF508-CFTR to the cell surface has been highly anticipated as a disease modifying therapy. Compared to promising results in cultured cell this approach was much less effective in CF patients in an early clinical trial. Although the cause of failure to rescue ΔF508-CFTR in the clinical trial has not been determined, presence of factor(s) that interfere with the rescue in vivo could be considered. The cytokine TGF-β1 is frequently elevated in CF patients. TGF-β1 has pleiotropic effects in different disease models and genetic backgrounds and little is known about TGF-β1 effects on CFTR in human airway epithelial cells. Moreover, there are no published studies examining TGF-β1 effects on the functional rescue of ΔF508-CFTR. Here we found that TGF-β1 inhibits CFTR biogenesis by reducing mRNA levels and protein abundance in primary differentiated human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells from non-CF individuals. TGF-β1 inhibits CFTR biogenesis without compromising the epithelial phenotype or integrity of HBE cells. TGF-β1 also inhibits biogenesis and impairs the functional rescue of ΔF508-CFTR in HBE cells from patients homozygous for the ΔF508 mutation. Our data indicate that activation of TGF-β1 signaling may inhibit CFTR function in non-CF individuals and may interfere with therapies directed at correcting the processing defect of ΔF508-CFTR in CF patients.
Calcium intake during pregnancy among white and African-American pregnant women in the United States.

Objective: To characterize the calcium intake in a racially mixed cohort of pregnant women, including the contribution of supplementation and antacids.Methods: A cohort of women was interviewed twice during their pregnancies. The interviews included a food frequency questionnaire and questions on calcium supplementation and antacid intake. Pregnant women seeking prenatal care at a Pittsburgh hospital in the first trimester were enrolled. 454 women were enrolled and did not miscarry; 385 completed two interviews and were of white or African-American race.Results: Mean and median intakes of calcium were 1671 mg/day and 1482 mg/day. 36% of the women were under the former RDA level (1200 mg/day) for calcium, while 26% were under the current AI (1000 mg/day). Six percent were taking in less than 600 mg/day, and 15% over 2500 mg/day, the tolerable upper limit. Young women were particularly likely to have low intakes (12% of those less than 21 years of age had less than 600 mg/day). Black women were slightly ove...
Influence of solid-liquid-liquid interactions on multiphase transport behavior in porous media

This paper examines the effect of two types of surfactants (one nonionic and the other anionic) on wettability and multiphase flow characteristics by conducting contact angle measurements and flow tests through porous media using three different rock-fluids systems. The contact angle measurements have been made using the Dual-Drop Dual-Crystal (DDDC) technique and the multiphase flow characteristics are reported as oil-water relative permeabilities computed using a simulator by history matching the pressure drop and production data obtained during flow tests.
Efficient representation and computation of reachable sets for hybrid systems

Computing reachable sets is an essential step in most analysis and synthesis techniques for hybrid systems. The representation of these sets has a deciding impact on the computational complexity and thus the applicability of these techniques. This paper presents a new approach for approximating reachable sets using oriented rectangular hulls (ORHs), the orientations of which are determined by singular value decompositions of sample covariance matrices for sets of reachable states. The orientations keep the over-approximation of the reachable sets small in most cases with a complexity of low polynomial order with respect to the dimension of the continuous state space. We show how the use of ORHs can improve the efficiency of reachable set computation significantly for hybrid systems with nonlinear continuous dynamics.
The Ultimate High: Sexual Addiction and the Bug Chasing Phenomenon

This study sought to explain the existence of a controversial subculture of gay men, a group whose main attribute is an active desire to voluntarily contract HIV. The following research reasons “bu...
The association between chronic disease burden and quality of life among breast cancer survivors in Missouri

Greater chronic disease burden may decrease quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer survivors. Our objective was to investigate the association between chronic disease burden and QOL in breast cancer survivors at 1 year post-diagnosis. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected 1 year post-diagnosis from a sample of female breast cancer survivors identified from the Missouri cancer registry. We used eight RAND-36 subscales to assess physical, emotional, and social functioning QOL domains. Using Katz's measure of comorbidity, we computed chronic disease burden (0, 1, and 2+). Multivariable general linear models for each QOL subscale were used to examine associations between chronic disease burden and QOL after controlling for potential covariates: socio-demographic, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral risk factors, and access to medical care. Participants (n = 1089) were 58-year old on average (range 27-96) and mostly White (92%), married (68%), had at least a high school education (95%), and had health insurance (97%). Sixty-six percent of survivors had a chronic disease burden score of 0, 17% had 1, and 17% had 2+. Chronic disease burden was significantly associated with each QOL subscale in crude models (P < 0.001). In fully adjusted models, chronic disease burden was still significantly correlated with six subscales, but not with the emotional well-being and role limitations due to emotional problems subscales. One year post-diagnosis, breast cancer survivors with higher chronic disease burden had lower physical and social functioning than survivors without additional health conditions. These differences were not fully explained by relevant covariates. Identifying modifiable targets for intervention will be critical for improving QOL outcomes among survivors who have other chronic health conditions.
1930s Animals as Hard Times Heroes in American Children's Books

In the 1930s, picture books offered children animal heroes who expressed many of the concerns and contradictions of the adult world. Scrupulously realistic, inhabiting a full range from wild to tame, these animals suffered fragile social ties and many failed adventures. Alternative heroic pathways emerged for animals toward the decade's end, but they met fierce competition from animalized steam machines, Disney's animated creatures, and the Superheroes born on radio. This article explores the adult world of children's book production, the threats posed by new media for children, and the ways in which the decade's confusing social forces crept into texts and illustrations as animal metaphors.
Conflicts of interest, authorship, and disclosures in industry-related scientific publications.

To the Editor: I applaud Mayo Clinic Proceedings for publishing the provocative piece on the oversight of medical journals by Hirsch1 and the thoughtful accompanying editorial.2 The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) recognizes the various “interests” that physicians have. This is reflected in our Position Statement on Physician/Industry Relationships,3 which states “There is no inherent conflict of interest in the working relationship of physicians with industry and government. Rather, there is a commonality of interest that is healthy, desirable, and beneficial.” Medical journal editors are among those who have “commonality of interest.” These interests include the public, the scientific community, the journal's readership, the advertisers, and the organizations they serve. A few notable examples of this commonality of interest are those which Mayo Clinic shares with Mayo Clinic Proceedings and the American Medical Association shares with the Journal of the American Medical Association. Historically, and I would argue justifiably so, our editor-colleagues have been entrusted with substantial power to influence the practice of medicine. At the same time, we have expected them to be balanced and transparent. Hirsch points out that this trust may be subject to violation and that such violation may never be entirely preventable despite exhaustive disclosures and onerous restrictions on editors. Indeed, the theory that closely monitoring and regulating physician interaction with industry is the key to ensuring integrity has yet to be supported by balanced scientific evidence. Nonetheless, Hirsch makes a cogent argument that disclosure requirements for journal editors who are entrusted with accepting or rejecting manuscripts or who publish their own manuscripts should be as rigorously scrutinized as those being aggressively promoted for the medical community at large—perhaps no more, but certainly no less.
International law and domestic institutions: reconciling North American “unfair” trade laws

While scholars have written much about the role played by international institutions in cooperative behavior among nations, they have not examined the domestic political motives that may lie behind nations' decisions to join such organizations. Two-level games analysis provides a framework for studying domestic politics not as a constraint upon nations that enter into international agreements but as a catalyst for nations to enter into agreements. The dispute settlement procedures of the North American Free Trade Agreement and its predecessor, the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, offer an empirical illustration of this point.
Bacterial utilization of different size classes of dissolved organic matter

Bacterial utilization of high-molecular-weight (HMW; > 1 kDa) and low-molecular-weight (LMW; < 1 kDa) dissolved organic C (DOC) was investigated in freshwater and marine systems by measuring dissolved oxygen consumption, bacterial abundance, and bacterial production in size-fractionated samples. Tangentialflow ultrafiltration was used to separate HMW and LMW DOC. More than 80% of the DOC in Amazon River samples was recovered in the HMW fraction, whereas most marine DOC (up to 70%) was of LMW. Bacterial growth efficiencies were consistently higher in the LMW fractions (16-66%) than in the HMW fractions (8-39%), indicating compositional differences in the two size fractions. In all experiments, measured rates of bacterial growth and respiration in HMW incubations were higher than those in LMW incubations. Carbon-normalized bacterial DOC utilization rates were ‘1.4-4-fold greater in the HMW fractions than in the LMW fractions, and a greater proportion (0.7-22.5%) of HMW DOC was utilized per day than LMW DOC (0.5-6.6%). All bacterial growth and respiration measurements indicated that HMW DOC was utilized to a greater extent than LMW DOC in all environments investigated. The traditional model of DOM degradation, stating that LMW compounds are most bioreactive, does not appear to apply to the bulk of natural DOM. Rather, the data and results from independent studies suggest a new conceptual model whereby the bioreactivity of organic matter decreases along a continuum of size (from large to small) and diagenetic state (from fresh to old). This size-reactivity continuum model suggests that the bulk of HMW DOM is more bioreactive and less diagenetically altered than the bulk of LMW DOM.
Pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of a novel nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist--DMP 811.

DMP 811 exhibited high binding affinity for the angiotensin II subtype receptor AT1 in rat adrenal tissues with an IC50 of 6 nM, but not for the subtype receptor AT2. In the isolated rabbit aorta, DMP 811 inhibited the contractile response to angiotensin II selectively and noncompetitively with a KB value of 0.1 nM. In conscious renal hypertensive rats, DMP 811 decreased blood pressure with i.v. and p.o. ED330s of 0.005 and 0.03 mg/kg, respectively (p.o. ED30 for losartan=0.59 mg/kg). In conscious furosemide-treated dogs, DMP 811 given either at 0.3 or 1 mg/kg p.o. decreased blood pressure. DMP 811 has oral bioavailabilities of 7 and 29% in rats and dogs, respectively, after a solution dose and 8 and 13%, respectively, after a suspension or capsule dosing. Our study indicates that DMP 811 is a selective and insurmountable AT1 receptor antagonist and is a 20-fold more potent orally-active antihypertensive agent than losartan.
Field and Laboratory Evaluation of Persistence and Bioavailability of Soil Termiticides to Desert Subterranean Termite Heterotermes aureus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Control information for the desert subterranean termite Heterotermes aureus (Snyder) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is limited, despite being one of three major termite pests in the United States. Annual control information comes from field evaluations by the USDA–Forest Service. This partial assessment of termiticide efficacy is likely deficient without concurrent residual analysis and laboratory bioassays of termiticides. In this study, six termiticides were evaluated using exposed and covered field plots in Tucson, AZ, over a 5-yr period for persistence and efficacy by using both residue analysis and laboratory bioassays. All the termiticides degraded significantly during the study. Termiticide degradation seemed to be consistently slower in covered plots than in exposed plots, although this trend was not statistically supported. A comparison of yearly degradation rates showed the three classes of termiticides degraded at different rates. Chlorpyrifos, the organophosphate, degraded quickest at a rate of 68.9% for each doubling of time, whereas chloronicotinyls and pyrethroids degraded at much slower rates (50.4 and 48.4% for each doubling of time, respectively). Bioassays showed termites tunneled 1.26 ± 0.61 cm deeper in uncovered plots than in those that were covered. Mortality rates in bioassays from covered treatments were 16.13 ± 9.87% higher than in uncovered treatments. Our study demonstrated that the termiticides evaluated could remain effective against H. aureus for at least 4 yr after application, particularly under covered conditions. Additionally, it is anticipated that retreatments may be necessary before the 5-yr warranty expires when using final grade applications to stem walls in warmer parts of Arizona.
Big Bath Earnings Management: The Case Of Goodwill Impairment Under SFAS No. 142

The big bath theory of earnings management suggests that firms experiencing low earnings in a given year may take discretionary write downs to reduce even further the current period’s earnings. The notion is that the company and its management will not be punished proportionately more for the big hit it takes to its already depressed earnings. This “clearing of the decks” makes it easier to generate higher profits in later years. SFAS No. 142, with its new requirement to test goodwill annually for impairment, provided a unique opportunity to test this big bath theory. Examining Fortune 100 companies, this study presents compelling evidence that the big bath theory is more than just a theory but is instead a practiced method of managing earnings.
Introduction to Game Theory

Prior chapters of this book have been focused on the search by a single decision maker (individual or firm) for a strategy whose net benefit is largest, equivalently, whose net cost is smallest.
Frequency, activation, and the production of verb inflection in agrammatic aphasia

ABSTRACTBackground: The production of verb inflectional morphology has been shown to be differentially impaired in agrammatic aphasia: agreement is preserved relative to tense. The consistency with which this pattern has been observed across a wide range of typologically diverse languages should be viewed as surprising, given that language-specific characteristics have been demonstrated to correlate with differences in agrammatic performance on various grammatical constructions. In addition, the preservation of agreement, a primarily syntactic inflection, over tense, a semantic inflection, appears to run counter to previous research showing impairments of syntactic processing in agrammatic aphasia. Representational and processing-based accounts have attempted to explain the dissociation of agreement and tense morphology in agrammatic speech, but have neglected these two points.Aims: The purpose of this review is to investigate the degree to which current theories can account for the differential impairmen...
Anorexigenic action of methylphenidate (ritalin) and pipradrol (meratran).

Summary1. Anti-appetite action of d-amphetamine, d-desoxyephedrine, pipradrol (Meratran) and methylphenidate (Ritalin) was tested in selected trained cats. The agents were given s.c., once prior to, and twice following presentation of food. 2. A delay in eating response of half hour or more appears at dose levels of 0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg with all 4 agents. At doses of 0.63-1.58 mg/kg food consumption was reduced by more than half and eating response delayed 10-30 hours. 3. The compounds inhibited also at 1 to 2 mg/kg dose levels the operant behavior (bar pressing for food reward) of unconditioned and conditioned rats. 4. No qualitative or quantitative differences were found among the 4 agents studied with regard to stimulation of motor activity, toxicity and anorexigenic action. 5. Site of action of the anorexigenic effect of the compounds is discussed and similarity of this and other effects of piperidine stimulants on one hand and of amphetamine excitants is stressed.
Study of 3D Structural Differences between CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes

We acquired confocal image stacks from human CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes extracted from spleen tissues to reconstruct and quantify their 3D morphology. Statistically significant differences in nuclear volume were found between the two subtypes.
The symptomatic and functional effects of manual physical therapy on plantar heel pain: a systematic review

Objectives: Plantar heel pain is common and can be severely disabling. Unfortunately, a gap in the literature exists regarding the optimal intervention for this painful condition. Consequently, a systematic review of the current literature regarding manual therapy for the treatment of plantar heel pain was performed.Methods: A computer-assisted literature search for randomized controlled trials in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Source, was concluded on 7 January 2014. After identification of titles, three independent reviewers selected abstracts and then full-text articles for review.Results: Eight articles were selected for the final review and underwent PEDro scale assessment for quality. Heterogeneity of the articles did not allow for quantitative analysis. Only two studies scored ≥7/10 on the PEDro scale and included joint, soft tissue, and neural mobilization techniques. These two studies showed statistically greater symptomatic and functional outcomes in the ...
Effect of type II diabetes on male rat bladder contractility

Type II diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes. One of the primary complications of diabetes that significantly affects quality of life is bladder dysfunction. Many studies on diabetic bladder dysfunction have been performed in models of type I diabetes; however, few have been performed in animal models of type II diabetes. Using the Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rat model of type II diabetes, we examined the contractility and sensitivity of bladder smooth muscle in response to mediators of depolarization-induced contraction, muscarinic receptor-mediated contraction, ATP-induced contraction, and neurogenic contraction. Studies were performed at 16 and 27 wk of age to monitor the progression of diabetic bladder dysfunction. Voiding behavior was also quantified. The entire bladder walls of diabetic rats were hypertrophied compared with that of control rats. Contractility and sensitivity to carbachol and ATP were increased at 27 wk in bladder smooth muscle strips from diabetic rats, suggesting a compensated state of diabetic bladder dysfunction. Purinergic signaling was increased in response to exogenous ATP in bladders from diabetic animals; however, the purinergic component of neurogenic contractions was decreased. The purinergic component of neurogenic contraction was reduced by P2X receptor desensitization, but was unchanged by P2X receptor inhibition in diabetic rats. Residual and tetrodotoxin-resistant components of neurogenic contraction were increased in bladder strips from diabetic animals. Overall, our results suggest that in the male ZDF rat model, the bladder reaches the compensated stage of function by 27 wk and has increased responsiveness to ATP.
Garden: A Mixed Reality Experience Combining Virtual Reality and 3D Reconstruction

Garden is a Mixed Reality (MR) experience that combines both Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), and lets players transform their environment into a virtual garden they can play in. This is done by doing both stereoscopic rendering and 3D reconstruction on Project Tango, a tablet with motion tracking and depth sensing capabilities made by Google. During gameplay, we scan the environment in real-time and build a virtual voxel world. We spawn virtual objects in the voxel world, and allow simple hand and leg interactions. The tablet is mounted on the user's head using the Durovis Dive headset so that the user can see the world in VR. All this is done in ~60 fps for user comfort. With this approach, we have created a fully immersive, untethered experience where players can freely walk around large spaces in the real world and avoid obstacles, while interacting with a virtual environment.
Population Sizes and Flocking Features of Wintering Common Cranes and White-Naped Cranes in Poyang Lake

Surveys were conducted from October 2012 to April 2013 of common cranes( Grus grus) and white-naped cranes( Grus vipio) wintering in the Poyang Lake for population size,distribution and flocking features,as well as age composition of the common cranes. The maximum number of common crane individuals in one entry of record was 599 and of white-naped crane individuals was 600. Common crane populations were observed and recorded in 18 of the 34 lakes( or farmland) surveyed in four nature reserves,and peaked in size during the period from early January to early March and 62. 87% of the population gathered in Baishazhou Nature Reserve in Poyang County. White-naped cranes were observed and recorded in 12 of the 34 lakes( or farmlands) surveyed in four nature reserves and peaked in population size from late February to early March and 95. 77% of the population were found in Poyanghu Nature Reserve. Comparison with the records of the past years reveals that changes happened in major gathering area of common cranes,but nothing did with white-naped cranes. The mean size of flocks of common cranes and of white-naped cranes was 8. 50 ± 19. 84( n = 148)and 7. 52 ± 21. 47( n = 63),respectively,indicating no significant differences between the two species in any wintering periods( P 0. 05). The flocks of common cranes were mostly family-based ones,which accounted for 70. 07%,and flocks of individual gathering was the second,accounting for 23. 36%. The flocks of families were mostly composed of families of two adults plus one offspring,each,which accounted for 46. 88%. The flocks of individual gathering were often composed of 5-9 individuals each,which accounted for 71. 88%. The mean flock size of the former was 2. 76 ± 0. 69( n= 96) and of the latter 13. 84 ± 20. 82( n = 32). The two types of flocks did not change much in size with time period( P 0. 05). In the flocks of common cranes,juveniles accounted for 20. 21%. In light of the situation in the Poyang Lake,some corresponding measures have been proposed for protection of the two species of cranes therein.
Ureteroneocystostomy in the treatment of reflux in neurogenic bladders.

AbstractThere were 15 patients with neurogenic bladders, representing 23 renal units with reflux, who underwent reimplantation with the Politano-Leadbetter technique. The over-all success rate was 30 per cent. Failures, including persistent reflux or obstruction, were demonstrated on at least 1 side of all bilateral reimplantations and 3 of 7 unilateral procedures. These results are compared to those in the recent literature. We conclude that case selection, limiting the operation to only those patients with balanced bladders, will ensure uniformly good results. External sphincterotomy in patients with reflux may alter the clinical course, either obviating the need for reimplantation or creating a balanced bladder. Other forms of therapy, such as urinary diversion, are indicated only in those patients who persist with markedly abnormal bladders and renal deterioration.