cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Pharmacists’ Recommendation Process in an Internal Medicine Resident Clinic

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the number and type of recommendations made by pharmacists in an internal medicine residency clinic, the percentage of recommendations that were addressed and acted upon by the residents, whether changes needed to be made to the recommendation process, and areas in which pharmacy services could be improved. Setting Outpatient, urban, internal medicine clinic Practice Description The clinic operates Monday through Thursday afternoons. Each of these afternoons, six to eight medical residents evaluate patients. Pharmacists provide services on Monday and Thursdays. The pharmacists spend the mornings before patients' visits reviewing charts and making recommendations for more appropriate medication use. Originally, pharmacists' recommendations were listed on a form that was attached to the front of each patient's chart but did not become a part of the medical record. At times, pharmacists made recommendations while a medical resident presented the patient's case to the attending physician. Practice Innovation Data for calendar year 2002 were analyzed retrospectively to identify a recommendation acceptance rate, areas of potential improvement, and actions that might enhance pharmacists' effectiveness. Main Outcome Measures Number of recommendations made, number of each type of recommendation made, percentage of overall recommendations addressed and acted upon by the residents, and percentage of each type of recommendation addressed and acted upon by the resident physician. Results For 61 patients, 135 recommendations were made by pharmacists during 2002. Of these, 72 (53.3%) were therapeutic interventions and 63 (46.7%) were recommendations for laboratory monitoring. Overall, 66 (49.0%) recommendations were addressed and acted upon by the residents, while 69 (51.1%) were not addressed by the residents. Because of deficiencies identified in the communication process, a new form was developed that includes spaces for pharmacists' recommendations and residents' responses. Other potential future enhancements include providing more education for residents and implementing a pharmacist-run disease clinic. Conclusion This retrospective analysis showed that pharmacists were able to identify many therapeutic and laboratory interventions, thus serving a useful role in patient care and physician education in an internal medicine residency clinic.
Online Building Segmentation from Ground-Based LiDAR Data in Urban Scenes

The availability of active 3D sensing devices such as LiDAR has significantly increased the collection of 3D urban scenes with rich details. The sheer amount of data brings a lot of opportunities but also poses tremendous challenges for both academic research and industrial applications on point cloud classification and building reconstruction. In this paper, we present an online algorithm to automatically detect and segment buildings from large scale unorganized 3D point clouds of urban scenes acquired by ground-Based LiDAR devices. The core idea is that buildings can be observed in a street view separated by empty spaces such as alleys. By progressively projecting 3D points onto views along the scanning path, buildings can be detected as large regions with dense points. Experiments on several large scale datasets show that our approach can efficiently produce satisfactory results.
Effect of finite hole mass on edge singularities in optical spectra.

A theory of optical transitions from a valence state to the conduction band taking into account the dynamical response of the Fermi sea is given using the functional-integral method. The method yields an approximation for the effects of the finite hole mass and finite temperature on the Mahan edge singularities. Magneto-optical spectra are calculated for n-doped quantum wells, which explain the range of observed behavior corresponding to finite-to-infinite hole mass at various temperatures.
NEWMOD+, a new version of the NEWMOD program for interpreting X-ray powder diffraction patterns from interstratified clay minerals

NEWMOD was developed by R.C. Reynolds, Jr., for the study of two-component interstratifications of clay minerals. One-dimensional X-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles of an interstratified system of two clay minerals can be simulated using NEWMOD, given a set of parameters that describes instrumental factors, the chemical composition of the system (e.g. the concentration of Fe and interlayer cations), and structural parameters (e.g. proportions of the two components, the nature of ordering, and crystallite size distribution). NEWMOD has served as the standard method for quantitatively evaluating interstratified clay minerals for >20 y. However, the efficiency and accuracy of quantitative analysis using NEWMOD have been limited by the graphical user interface (GUI), by the lack of quantitative measures of the goodness-of-fit between the experimental and simulated XRD patterns, and by inaccuracies in some structure models used in NEWMOD. To overcome these difficulties, NEWMOD+ was coded in Visual C++ using the NEWMOD architecture, incorporating recent progress in the structures of clay minerals into a more user-friendly GUI, greatly facilitating efficient and accurate fitting. Quantitative fitting parameters (unweighted R-factor, Rp, weighted R-factor, Rwp, expected R-factor, Rexp, and chisquare, χ2) are included, along with numerous other features such as a powerful series generator, which greatly simplifies the generation of multiple simulations and makes NEWMOD+ particularly valuable for teaching.
A Note on "Planning an Experiment in the Company of Measurement Error" by Levin and Subkoviak

Levin and Subkoviak (1977) contend that experi menters should consider the reliability of their measures when comparing the power of fixed-ef fects completely randomized designs with that of randomized block designs. The two major purposes of this note are (1) to show that under the condi tions specified by Levin and Subkoviak, it is not necessary to consider the reliabilities when compar ing these two designs and (2) to identify certain er rors in the illustrative example used by Levin and Subkoviak.
Lack of sex differences in knowledge of, attitudes about, and behaviors related to substance use in adolescents in a sample of high school students in the Northeastern USA.

Summary As part of an ongoing investigation, data were collected on behaviors and attitudes about substance abuse and general knowledge about substances for high school students (N=1,103) during the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 academic years. In preliminary analyses no meaningful sex differences were found for type or frequency of use, attitudes about substance use, or knowledge about substances. Lack of meaningful sex differences were evident even when comparisons by sex group were made within this ethnic minority population as well as within school Grades 10, 11, and 12. It is suggested that being a boy or a girl may have little to do with the American middle-class adolescents' choice to use substances. Findings should be understood to suggest possible cohort effects.
Exisulind, a selective apoptotic antineoplastic drug.

Exisulind (Aptosyn, Cell Pathways, Inc.) is the first of a new class of targeted, pro-apoptotic drugs that show promise in the treatment of cancer. These agents induce apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death) in a broad range of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissues without affecting normal cells. The antineoplastic effect of exisulind appears to be the result of activation of protein kinase G (PKG) which leads to multiple downstream effects culminating in apoptosis. Exisulind has demonstrated antineoplastic activity in solid tumour and haematological cancer cell lines and is an inhibitor of tumour growth in rodent models of colon, prostate, bladder, mammary and lung cancer. Preclinical data evaluating selective apoptotic antineoplastic drugs (SAANDs) in combination with various chemotherapy drugs indicates additive or synergistic antineoplastic effects. In clinical studies, exisulind prevented colorectal polyp formation in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) over 24 months. In a randomised, placebo-controlled study of prostate cancer patients, exisulind inhibited the rise of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in men with PSA progression after radical prostatectomy. Exisulind has been well-tolerated by most patients in clinical trials. In conclusion, preclinical evidence and early clinical results suggest that exisulind and other drugs in this class may have wide applications in treating cancer both as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy and other targeted agents.
The interaction of vapor-deposited Al atoms with CO2H groups at the surface of a self-assembled alkanethiolate monolayer on gold

The interaction of vapor-deposited Al atoms with self-assembled monolayers of HS(CH2)15CO2H chemisorbed at polycrystalline Au(111) surfaces has been studied using time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. The Al deposition was performed incrementally at room temperature. The Al atoms do not penetrate into the organic monolayer, but rather they remain at the vacuum interface where they undergo chemical interactions solely with the CO2H groups. Reaction of the CO2H groups continues until slightly more than one atom per reacting group is deposited, on average; thereafter, no further reaction is observed. However, 20−25% of the CO2H groups remain unreacted, regardless of the Al coverage. These results are explained on the basis of a combination of chemical and steric effects.
Rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of formaldehyde

Abstract A rhodium-catalyzed formaldehyde hydroformylation as a critical step in the synthesis of ethylene glycol from syngas has been studied. Rhodiumphosphine complexes have been found to be efficient catalyst precursors for this reaction. The catalyst was stabilized by an excess of free phosphine ligands, but this significantly lowered the catalyst activity in the absence of a promoter. A small amount of a variety of amines was found to significantly increase the catalyst activity, even in the presence of excess of phosphine ligands. A major side reaction in this system was found to be the condensation of glycolaldehyde to higher boiling by-products. This problem becomes more severe under more basic conditions. The effects of the phosphine/Rh ratios and the concentrations of amine promoters on the catalyst activity and selectivity are described. Possible mechanisms and their implications are also discussed.
Finding your inner voice through song: Reaching adolescents with techniques common to poetry therapy and music therapy

Literature supports the use of both poetry therapy and music therapy with adolescents. Song writing in particular has been recognized for its wide appeal among the adolescent population. In fact, many of the techniques incorporated into the song writing process are common to both poetry therapy and music therapy. This paper will examine some of those common techniques and provide an overview of related literature. A case study will be provided to illustrate some of the techniques mentioned within the review of literature.
Homeownership and Child Welfare

Recent studies have concluded that homeownership is beneficial to children. This result is important because it is used to justify large government subsidies that encourage homeownership. We reexamine the results of two of the most prominent of these studies using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Public Use Microsample, and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data. We extend this research by controlling for residential mobility, wealth, dwelling type and vehicle ownership, as well as by using a “differences in differences” methodology to deal with possible treatment effects bias. We find that the beneficial effects of homeownership previously measured are substantially reduced or eliminated by controlling for these factors. We confirm these results using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.
Activists playing a dual role: identities, organizational goals, and public relations practices

This study explores the relationship among identities, goals, and public relations practices of an activist organization through in-depth interviews and document analysis. Findings suggest different levels of the participant organization's identity in communication with its different audiences. In playing its dual role (as a “public” to its target organizations and a “public communicator” to its own publics), the organization acts as an honest representative voice and a credible source of information to both parties, a process that requires a balance position compatible with its mission. Its public relations practices were found to be consistent with the identities it appropriates and the values it respects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of recombinant human growth hormone in Escherichia coli fermentation broth by micellar high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method for the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) determination of recombinant methionylaspartyl-human growth hormone (MD-HGH) in Escherichia coli fermentation broth is described. The technique utilizes mobile phases containing n-propanol and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) under micellar conditions at pH 6.4. The methodology is directly applicable to the analysis of samples solubilized via sulfitolysis in the presence of SDS, and offers superior resolution in comparison with chromatography in the absence of the surfactant. Using this method, acceptable precision (day-to-day R.S.D. = 4.9%), accuracy, selectivity, range, linearity and ruggedness were achieved.
Head and neck sarcomas: the UCLA experience

Abstract Purpose To profile the clinical presentation, subtype distribution, and treatment results of sarcomas of the head and neck at a single tertiary academic center over an 11-year period. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed by examining the records and reviewing the pathology of 186 patients with head and neck sarcomas treated at UCLA Medical Center from 2000 to 2011. Results The mean age of the study population was 49 ± 22 years. 58% of the patients were male and 42% were female. Median duration of follow-up for the entire group was 18.5 months. The most common presenting symptom was a mass lesion in 59.9% of patients. The nasal cavity/sinus was the most common presenting site seen in 22% of patients. Solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma was the most common subtype. 15% of patients had evidence of prior radiation exposure. 26.3% of tumors were greater than 5 cm and 35.5% were high-grade. Margins were positive in 31.2% of patients. Lymph node metastasis was rare at 6.5%. Perineural invasion was identified in 6.5%. Among all subtypes, 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival were 50% and 49%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that grade and margin status were predictors of recurrence-free survival while grade and age affected overall survival. Conclusions Head and neck sarcomas are a rare entity frequently presenting as a mass lesion. In our series, lesions tended to be high-grade with a significant portion of surgical specimens having positive margins. Grade and margin status were the most important predictors of survival.
ATG plus corticosteroid therapy for acute graft-versus-host disease : Predictors of response and survival

Innovative treatment strategies for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) have not replaced corticosteroids as the primary therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 74 patients who received equine antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in addition to corticosteroids as therapy for GVHD, 21 who received primary therapy and 53 who received ATG after progressing or failing to improve with corticosteroids alone. The groups were comparable in clinical characteristics and in timing and severity of GVHD. After primary therapy with ATG 67% of patients' GVHD symptoms were stable or improved by 28 days versus 56% in those receiving secondary ATG (p=0.57). In univariate analysis the absence of multiple organ, GI, and liver aGVHD and a clinical stage score ≤4 were predictive of a favorable response, while in a multivariate logistic regression model only a clinical stage score ≤4 was independently associated with a favorable response (odds ratio 0.08, 95% CI 0.02–0.32, p=0.003). ATG response rates and 6-month survival (38 vs. 40%, p=0.89) were similar following primary and secondary ATG. Patients stable or improved 28 days after ATG therapy had a significantly better 6-month survival than those whose aGVHD had progressed (50 vs. 30%, p=0.02). Further study is required to assess whether some initial presentations of aGVHD would predictably fail corticosteroid therapy and may thus suggest a role for ATG in the primary management of aGVHD. For this determination, formal prospective comparative trials are needed.
Modifier and Additive Effects in the Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride from Spiked-Sand and Suphedrine Tablets

The effect of modifier and additive composition upon pseudoephedrine recovery from spiked-sand and Suphedrine tablets was examined. Recovery was shown to be dependent on CO2 density as well as on the addition of an ion pairing agent to the matrix. The presence of methanol in the extraction vessel prior to SFE was shown to play a significant role in the ion-pair extraction process. Recovery was also shown to be a function of ion-pairing reagent composition and concentration. The most successful recovery was obtained in the presence of 1-heptanesulfonic acid (HSA), sodium salt in methanol at a 5:1 molar ratio (reagent to drug). The increased extractability in the presence of ion-pairing reagent was attributed to reduced analyte polarity and analyte-matrix displacement. Alternatively, a matrix-spiked mixture of methanol and 1% water by itself was just as effective as a matrix-spiked mixture of methanol and HSA for attaining efficient extraction. Several in-cell (e. g. to the matrix) and in-line (e. g. to the fluid) modifiers were examined for the extraction of pseudoephedrine from Suphedrine tablets. The greatest pseudoephedrine recovery from Suphedrine tablets of 82% (7.0%) was achieved with 10% (l% H2O) methanol-modified CO2 in the presence of 400 μL of methanol (l% H2O). Finally AgCl tests and infrared analyses were performed on two tablet extracts. It was confirmed that even in the absence of any in-cell modifier, a small fraction of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride could be extracted.
Robustness and stability of power-system models using damping and synchronizing torques

The applicability of the recently developed frequency-domain, matrix-norm robustness margins for physical systems is explored in this paper using a power-system example. The power system is modeled using the damping- and synchronizingtorque framework. The robustness margins evaluated at several junctions of the power-system model are shown to be useful measures of the system's tolerance for unmodeled shaft torsional dynamics and variations in the effectiveness of power-system controllers (e.g. multi-terminal high-voltage DC modulators). In addition, the robustness margins are shown to be useful for comparing the robustness of alternate controller designs. This paper ends with general guidelines for applying the matrixnorm robustness margins to physical systems.
Screening: Assessing bone structure in the prediction of osteoporotic fractures.

Measuring bone structure could improve prediction of bone strength, but the clinical feasibility of available imaging technologies is limited. The trabecular bone score—a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry texture algorithm—has shown promise in fracture prediction in a large cohort study, and might provide a practical means of assessing bone quality.
Quantification and localization of EEG interictal spike activity in patients with surgically removed epileptogenic foci

Abstract Objective To demonstrate if interictal spike activity was localized within the resected area in surgically treated epilepsy patients; and if there is correspondence between the degree of localization and improvement after surgery. Methods We analyzed long-term EEGs from 34 patients. Interictal spikes were grouped in clusters and averaged according to morphology and topography. The relative contribution of each cluster to the total number of spikes in each patient was estimated. Dipole and distributed EEG source localization of each cluster was made. The percentage of spike activity localized within the site of resection (SR) during the onset was estimated. The relationship between the percentage of activity within SR and the surgery outcome was assessed. Results Fourteen patients had 90–100% of spikes within SR, 9 had 50–89%. Most patients with more than 50% of activity localized within SR were seizure free, while the 5 patients who had all activity localized outside SR were not seizure free. Conclusions Localization of clusters containing the largest quantity of interictal spikes during onset generally corresponded to the likely location of the epileptogenic cortex. Significance Computer-assisted EEG source localization with our methodology can be a useful adjunct for the evaluation of candidates for epilepsy surgery.
SU‐FF‐I‐09: Pediatric Patient Dose Management From a 64 Slice VCT

Purpose: As the clinical utilization of CT grows, it becomes more important to manage patient dose without compromising image quality, especially in children. A special effort should be made to reduce pediatric patient dose through age‐ and size‐specific protocols. Methods & Materials: A pediatric 64 slice VCT scanner(GE Lightspeed) was tested with a group of cylindrical acrylic phantoms with diameters ranging from 6 – 32 cm. In addition, anthropomorphic phantoms (CIRS adult and pediatric dosimetry verification phantoms) were employed to correlate the CTDI values with the skin doses measured by a solid state dosimeter (Unfors PSD). The dose affecting factors included: kVp, mAs, beam filtration, beam collimation, pitch, patient size, detector configuration and dose reduction techniques such as mA modulation and post‐processing. Various techniques and their combinations were included in this study. Finally, clinical protocols for pediatric applications were evaluated and adjusted based upon the measured patient dose and image quality. Results: The automated CTDI values displayed on the system agreed with our measurements when the standard phantom sizes were used, i.e., 16 cm in diameter for head, 32 cm for adult body and 16 cm for pediatric body. However, the measured dose differed from the automated CTDI by a factor of 1.72 for a reduced head phantom size of 6 cm in diameter and a factor of 3.2 for a reduced body phantom size of 10 cm in diameter. Patient age also played an important role in estimating effective dose. The changing beam filtration caused a variation of up to 42% in the in‐air dose output. Concurrently, noise from the phantom images was evaluated. Conclusion: The clinical protocols were established based upon the dose level corresponding to the patient size and age as well as the tolerable noise level corresponding to the specific clinical applications.
Applications of graphene in quality assurance and safety of food

Abstract There is tremendous interest in graphene and its derivatives [graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO (rGO)] due to their superior mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and chemical-adsorption properties. In the past few years, graphene-based materials attracted much attention and were used for a myriad of practical applications in various industries. In this review, we present a comprehensive, state-of-the art assessment of graphene applications in the food industry. We critically examine recent developments on graphene synthesis from foodstuffs, use of graphene for food analyses, and graphene-based analytical methods in detection (e.g., composition, contaminants, toxins, and volatile organic compounds), which help to ascertain quality and/or safety of foods. We also discuss antibacterial properties of graphene-based nanomaterials and their applications in food packaging.
Pro-life role for c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase at rostral ventrolateral medulla in experimental brain stem death

Based on an experimental brain stem death model, we demonstrated previously that activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)/mitogen-activated protein kinase signal-interacting kinase 1/2 (MNK1/2) cascade plays a pro-life role in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), the origin of a life-and-death signal detected from systemic arterial pressure, which sequentially increases (pro-life) and decreases (pro-death) to reflect progressive dysfunction of central cardiovascular regulation during the advancement towards brain stem death in critically ill patients. The present study assessed the hypothesis that, in addition to ERK1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), the other two mammalian members of MAPKs that are originally identified as stress-activated protein kinases, are activated specifically by MAPK kinase 4 (MAP2K4) or MAP2K6 and play a pro-life role in RVLM during experimental brain stem death. We further delineated the participation of phosphorylating activating transcriptional factor-2 (ATF-2) and c-Jun, the classical transcription factor activated by JNK or p38MAPK, in this process. An experimental model of brain stem death that employed microinjection of the organophosphate insecticide mevinphos (Mev; 10 nmol) bilaterally into RVLM of Sprague–Dawley rats was used, alongside cardiovascular, pharmacological and biochemical evaluations. Results from ELISA showed that whereas the total JNK, p38MAPK, MAP2K4 and MAP2K6 were not affected, augmented phosphorylation of JNK at Thr183 and Tyr185 and p38MAPK at Thr180 and Tyr182, accompanied by phosphorylation of their upstream activators MAP2K4 at Ser257 and Thr261 and MAP2K6 at Ser207 and Thr211 in RVLM occurred preferentially during the pro-life phase of experimental brain stem death. Moreover, the activity of transcription factors ATF-2 at Thr71 and c-Jun at Ser73, rather than Elk-1 at Ser383 in RVLM were also augmented during the pro-life phase. Furthermore, pretreatment by microinjection into the bilateral RVLM of specific JNK inhibitors, JNK inhibitor I (100 pmol) or SP600125 (5 pmol), or specific p38MAPK inhibitors, p38MAPK inhibitor III (500 pmol) or SB203580 (2 nmol), exacerbated the depressor effect and blunted the augmented life-and-death signal exhibited during the pro-life phase. On the other hand, pretreatment with the negative control for JNK or p38MAPK inhibitor, JNK inhibitor I negative control (100 pmol) or SB202474 (2 nmol), was ineffective in the vehicle-controls and Mev-treatment groups. Our results demonstrated that activation of JNK or p38MAPK in RVLM by their upstream activators MAP2K4 or MAP2K6 plays a preferential pro-life role by sustaining the central cardiovascular regulatory machinery during experimental brain stem death via phosphorylation and activation of nuclear transcription factor ATF-2 or c-Jun.
Stigmatizing Women in the Workplace: The Consequences of Gendered Labeling of Aggression

Research suggests that language reflects and transmits stereotypes (Wigboldus & Doublas, 2005), but there has been little investigation into the effects of common labels in employment contexts. A g...
The activity coefficient of oxygen in ternary liquid An-Cu-Ag and similar alloys

Abstract A theoretical equation is derived for the activity coefficient of oxygen in ternary liquid solutions A-B-C. For this solution, the oxygen behavior in binary B-C may be described by the Wagner one- parameter equation, while those in binaries C-A and A-B by the two-parameter equation. The calculated values of the activity coefficient of oxygen in ternary Sn-Cu-Ag using this equation agree well with the experimental data reported in the literature.
Irradiation decreases vascular prostacyclin formation with no concomitant effect on platelet thromboxane production.

Abstract Effects of irradiation on vascular tissue include endothelial cell degeneration, vasoconstriction, and thrombus formation. The effect of irradiation on the in-vitro production of prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) was evaluated, since it is a potent antithrombotic metabolite and vasodilator. After a single dose of 200 rad, umbilical artery PGI 2 levels were much decreased when estimated both by bioassay and by evaluation of the stable end-product of PGI 2 , 6-keto-prostaglandin in F 1α . The mean PGI 2 production in control tissue was 0.94±0.14 (1SEM) ng/mg vascular tissue compared with 0 .18±0.07 ng/mg in paired irradiated vessels (p 2 production may be inhibited for the total period of radiotherapy.
Serotonin uptake and release by subcellular fractions of bovine retina

Fractionation of bovine retina yielded two synaptosomal fractions of distinct morphology. TheP1 fraction was enriched in synaptic components of the outer plexiform layer, i.e. large photoreceptor terminals with post-synaptic horizontal and bipolar elements still attached. TheP2 fraction contained small brain-like synaptosomes primarily from amacrine, and bipolar terminals. TheP2 fraction demonstrated a high affinity uptake (Km = 4.58 × 10−7 M ) and K+ stimulated, Ca2+ dependent release of [3H]serotonin. The uptake system was saturable, sodium and temperature dependent, and demonstrated a high degree of pharmacologic specificity. TheP1fraction showed very little uptake and no evoked release. These results suggest that the majority of serotonin accumulating neurons have small terminals which sediment in theP2 fraction and which are virtually absent from theP1 fraction. Thus the serotonin systems appear to be localized to elements of the inner plexiform layer, i.e. bipolar or amacrine cells.
Polarization characteristics of an altazimuth sky scanner.

A theoretical description of the polarization characteristics of an altazimuth sky scanner optical system based on Mueller-Stokes calculus is presented. This computer-driven optical system was designed to perform laboratory studies of skylight and of celestial objects during day or night, and has no space limitations; however, the two parallel 45 deg tilt mirrors introduce some intrinsic polarization. Therefore, proper data interpretation requires a theoretical understanding of the polarization features of the instrument and accurate experimental determination of the Mueller-Stokes matrix elements describing the polarizing and depolarizing action of the system.
Adipose stromal vascular fraction cell construct sustains coronary microvascular function after acute myocardial infarction.

A three-dimensional tissue construct was created using adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells and evaluated as a microvascular protection treatment in a myocardial infarction (MI) mo...
Asylum Conditionality: Development of Asylum Systems in the Western Balkans in the Context of the European Union’s External Dimension

The article aims to examine how the establishment of asylum systems has evolved into a requirement for accession to the European Union for the countries in the Western Balkans and the rationale underlying this. The requirements of international law concerning fair and efficient asylum procedures are also discussed with reference to the requirement under the European Union acquis relating to asylum of a full and inclusive application of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Furthermore, the legality of asylum conditionality in the context of accession to the European Union is looked at and an examination made of the progress achieved to date in the four countries in the region that have functioning asylum procedures.
Analytic derivation and evaluation of a state-trajectory control law for DC-to-DC converters

Mathematical representations of a state-plane switching boundary employed in a state-trajectory control law for dc-to-dc converters are derived. Several levels of approximation to the switching boundary equations are presented, together with an evaluation of the effects of nonidea1 operating characteristics of converter power stage components on the shape and location of the boundary and the behavior of a system controlled by it. Digital computer simulations of dc-to-dc converters operating in conjunction with each of these levels of control are presented and evaluated with respect to changes in transient and steady-state performance.
A NEW LOOK AT OLD ROMAN CHANT - II

I. THE MUSIC: GALL-TO-GREG-TO-ROM For archaeologists of plainchant - those who deal with the music before there are notational records - the focus has been on the repertories ROM-11 and GREG-8/10. Thanks to Susan Rankin and David Ganz for many improvements. Abbreviations for repertories: ROM = Old Roman; GREG = Gregorian; GALL = Gallican; MOZ = Old Hispanic or Mozarabic. Numerals indicate a century or range of centuries: GREG-8/10 = Gregorian recension, text witnesses of the late eighth century, as represented in R.-J. Hesbert, Antiphonale missarum sextuplex [hereafter AMS] (Brussels, 1935), with first musical witnesses of the tenth century, as in Graduale triplex , ed. M.-C. Billecocq and R. Fischer (Solesmes, 1979); ROM-8 = Old Roman states of the eighth century; ROM-9/11 = Old Roman states of the ninth through eleventh centuries, that of the eleventh century in Die Gesange des altromischen Graduale Vat. Lat. 5319, ed. B. Stablein and M. Landwehr-Melnicki (Monumenta monodica medii aevi, 2; Kassel, 1970). Each represents a ‘Roman’ practice. ROM-11 appears in a handful of manuscripts from the region of Rome, dating from the eleventh through thirteenth centuries; the liturgical usage is Urban. GREG-8/10 appears in hundreds of manuscripts from all over Europe, with verbal texts reaching back to the late eighth century, and with neumatic notations to the late ninth. In liturgical and textual respects GREG is a near twin of ROM, yet it has clear marks of formulation in the Frankish north. In musical respects, what is most significant about the repertories is that they share certain amounts of modal-melodic substance, yet they differ markedly as to process, style and detail. It has been a major challenge to define those relationships and determine what they mean about earlier musical developments. D. Hiley, Western Plainchant: A Handbook (Oxford, 1993) summarises earlier positions (pp. 561-2); recent book-length contributions include P. Bernard, Du chant romain au chant gregorien (Paris, 1996); M. Haas, Mundliche Uberlieferung und altromische Choral (Bern, 1997); T. Karp, Aspects of Orality and Formularity in Gregorian Chant (Evanston, 1998); J. W. McKinnon, The Advent Project: The Later Seventh-Century Creation of the Roman Mass Proper (Berkeley, 2000).
Deterministic regularization of three-dimensional optical diffraction tomography

In this paper, we discuss a deterministic regularization algorithm to handle the missing cone problem of three-dimensional optical diffraction tomography (ODT). The missing cone problem arises in most practical applications of ODT and is responsible for elongation of the reconstructed shape and underestimation of the value of the refractive index. By applying positivity and piecewise-smoothness constraints in an iterative reconstruction framework, we effectively suppress the missing cone artifact and recover sharp edges rounded out by the missing cone, and we significantly improve the accuracy of the predictions of the refractive index. We also show the noise-handling capability of our algorithm in the reconstruction process.
PowerSpy: location tracking using mobile device power analysis

Modern mobile platforms like Android enable applications to read aggregate power usage on the phone. This information is considered harmless and reading it requires no user permission or notification. We show that by simply reading the phone's aggregate power consumption over a period of a few minutes an application can learn information about the user's location. Aggregate phone power consumption data is extremely noisy due to the multitude of components and applications that simultaneously consume power. Nevertheless, by using machine learning algorithms we are able to successfully infer the phone's location. We discuss several ways in which this privacy leak can be remedied.
Screening for hybridomas producing antibodies to steroid hormone receptors: interference from phenol red in the hybridoma culture supernates.

The culture supernates from a variety of mouse hybridomas which were known to secrete antibodies to antigens unrelated to steroid hormone receptors were examined for routine use as experimental controls for monoclonal anti-oestrogen receptor (ER) antibodies. During this process, we made an observation which is important for all investigations on monoclonal anti-receptor antibodies. Our results indicated that the phenol red dye present in these hybridoma culture fluids by binding to the immunoglobulins (Ig) secreted by the hybridoma cells, may impart to the Ig-dye complex, a capacity to interact with ER/progesterone receptors(PR) which are present in the cytosols or in the sections of ER+ tumors. The Ig-dye may thus mimic anti-receptor antibody activity. Growth media containing phenol red and Ig-free bovine calf serum supplement or culture fluids from a non-Ig secreting hybridoma failed to show similar binding to ER+ tissues. This observation documents the need for Ig-dye complex formation to obtain such E...
Characterization of botulinum progenitor toxins by mass spectrometry

Botulinum toxin analysis has renewed importance. This study included the use of nanochromatography-nanoelectrospray-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry to characterize the protein composition of botulinum progenitor toxins and to assign botulinum progenitor toxins to their proper serotype and strain by using currently available sequence information. Clostridium botulinum progenitor toxins from strains Hall, Okra, Stockholm, MDPH, Alaska, and Langeland and 89 representing serotypes A through G, respectively, were reduced, alkylated, digested with trypsin, and identified by matching the processed product ion spectra of the tryptic peptides to proteins in accessible databases. All proteins known to be present in progenitor toxins from each serotype were identified. Additional proteins, including flagellins, ORF-X1, and neurotoxin binding protein, not previously reported to be associated with progenitor toxins, were present also in samples from several serotypes. Protein identification was used to assign toxins to a serotype and strain. Serotype assignments were accurate, and strain assignments were best when either sufficient nucleotide or amino acid sequence data were available. Minor difficulties were encountered using neurotoxin-associated protein identification for assigning serotype and strain. This study found that combined nanoscale chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques can characterize C. botulinum progenitor toxin protein composition and that serotype/strain assignments based upon these proteins can provide accurate serotype and, in most instances, strain assignments using currently available information. Assignment accuracy will continue to improve as more nucleotide/amino acid sequence information becomes available for different botulinum strains.
Symptom attenuation by a satellite RNA in vivo is dependent on reduced levels of virus coat protein.

Abstract Many plant RNA viruses provide replication and encapsidation functions for one or more satellite RNAs (sat-RNAs) that can modulate the symptoms of the associated helper virus. Sat-RNA C, a virulent sat-RNA associated with turnip crinkle virus (TCV), normally intensifies symptoms but can attenuate symptoms if the TCV coat protein (CP) is replaced with that of cardamine chlorotic fleck carmovirus [Kong et al. (1995) Plant Cell 7, 1625–1634] or if TCV contains an alteration in the CP initiation codon (TCV-CPm) [Kong et al. (1997b) Plant Cell 9, 2051–2063]. To further elucidate the mechanism of symptom attenuation by sat-RNA C, the composition of the CP produced by TCV-CPm (CP CPm ) was determined. Our results reveal that CP CPm likely has two additional amino acids at its N-terminus compared with wild-type TCV CP. TCV-CPm produces reduced levels of CP, and this reduction, not the two additional residues at the CP N-terminus, is responsible for symptom attenuation by sat-RNA C.
Anticholinergic suppression of ovine fetal swallowing activity

Abstract Objective: Fetal swallowing contributes importantly to amniotic fluid volume regulation as the primary route of fluid resorption, reaching 500 to 1000 ml/day near term. Near-term ovine fetal swallowing activity occurs predominantly during low-voltage electrocortical activity. In view of the potential to pharmacologically alter electrocortical activity, we hypothesized that fetal administration of a centrally acting cholinergic antagonist may be used to modulate fetal swallowing activity. To explore cholinergic modulation of swallowing activity, we examined fetal swallowing and electrocortical activity in response to central and peripheral cholinergic suppression by atropine sulfate. Study Design: Singleton ovine fetuses ( n = 6) were chronically prepared with vascular catheters and thyrohyoid, nuchal, and thoracic esophageal electromyogram and biparietal electrocortical electrodes. Swallowing and electrocortical activity were monitored for 2 hours before and after intravenous injection (1 ml of 0.15 mol/L sodium chloride) of atropine sulfate (1 mg/kg). On a subsequent day an identical study was performed with use off atropine methyl nitrate (3 mg/kg), an atropine analog that does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Results: Atropine sulfate decreased low-voltage electrocortical activity (56% ± 5% to 14% ± 4%), increased high-voltage electrocortical activity (40% ± 5% to 81% ± 5%), and did not change intermediate electrocortical activity (4% ± 1% to 5% ± 1%). Fetal swallowing activity decreased from 46 ± 12 to 12 ± 2 swallows per hour after atropine sulfate administration. Atropine methyl nitrate had no discernible effect on either fetal electrocortical or swallowing activity. Fetal arterial pressure, plasma osmolality, pH, Pco 2, and Po 2 did not change. Conclusions: Central cholinergic antagonism suppresses low-voltage fetal electrocortical and swallowing activity in the ovine fetus. Studies exploring spontaneous or induced fetal swallowing should consider the behavioral state of the fetus when conclusions are drawn about changes in the swallowing activity.
Instructional Case—Activity-based Costing Incorporating both Activity and Product Costing

In recent years, accounting educators have responded to pressure from various stakeholders to improve the skills of accounting graduates. The skills demanded by these constituencies are consistent and include analytical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. The purpose of this paper is to describe our approach to addressing these issues in our undergraduate cost/managerial accounting classes by supplementing textbooks with an activity-based costing (ABC) case. The case is unstructured and students are required to prepare both first and second stage allocations, interpret the information, and suggest how management can use the information. An unstructured problem is an ideal setting for activity-based costing because of the difficulties in its implementation. In particular, this case illustrates one of the difficulties encountered in implementing ABC, which occurs when companies collect costs in the general ledger in the traditional functional manner instead of by major production activity.
A controlled evaluation of a school-based intervention to promote physical activity among sedentary adolescent females: project FAB.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effect of a school-based intervention designed to increase physical activity among sedentary adolescent females. Methods Sedentary adolescent females were assigned to a control (n = 22) or intervention (n = 25) group based on school attended. Students at the intervention school enrolled in a special physical education class. All participants completed clinical and behavioral assessments at baseline and after 4 months. Physiological tests included cardiovascular fitness (VO 2 peak via bicycle ergometer), body composition (via dual x-ray absorptiometer; DEXA), and body mass index (BMI). Psychosocial assessments included a physical activity recall, report of lifestyle activity, and self-efficacy, perceived barriers, social support, and enjoyment related to physical activity. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) for continuous variables, and logistic regression for hard activity (scored as a dichotomous variable). Results The intervention had a significant effect on cardiovascular fitness ( p = .017), lifestyle activity ( p = .005), and light ( p = .023), moderate ( p = .007), and hard ( p = .006) activity. All changes were in a direction that favored the intervention. There was no effect of the intervention on psychosocial factors related to exercise. Conclusions A school-based intervention targeting sedentary adolescent females can increase physical activity and prevent a decline in cardiovascular fitness. Moreover, the effect of the intervention generalized to lifestyle activity.
Multidimensional Cultural Competence Providing Tools for Transforming Psychology

This comment on the major contribution addresses the conceptual richness and strengths of the model; offers some possible extensions to enhance its application to counseling psychology; and discusses its implications for practice, training, and research. Academic programs can use the multiple dimensions of cultural competence (MDCC) model to assess their curriculum and policies and design new approaches to infusing multiculturalism. The conceptual framework of the MDCC also can be used to customize counseling services to better meet the needs of a diverse client base. Future implications for use of this model as a transformative tool for counseling psychology are also explored.