cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulated Rotational Raman Scattering in Hydrogen-Filled Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber

We present a multispectral laser for LIDAR applications based on stimulated Raman scattering in a hydrogen-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Six rotational Stokes orders with unique temporal profiles are produced in 1.5-2 bar H 2 with 7 ns pulses from a 1.064 μm pump laser.
Transport of Lysine and Hydroxylysine in Streptococcus faecalis

Abstract Data are presented which support the view that l-lysine is transported by two systems in Streptococcus faecalis. The system with the higher affinity for l-lysine appears to be specific for l-lysine among the common amino acids and to require an energy source. The second system transports both l-lysine and l-arginine and does not appear to require an energy source. Both of these systems will accept hydroxy-l-lysine as a substrate as shown by the energy requirement for hydroxy-l-lysine transport and by the inhibition of uptake by l-arginine as well as by l-lysine. The affinity of both systems appears to be considerably lower for hydroxy-l-lysine than for l-lysine. A mutant of S. faecalis which is resistant to the growth inhibitory action of hydroxy-l-lysine appears to differ from the parent strain by having a defective l-lysine-specific transport system. In this mutant, hydroxy-l-lysine is not readily transported via the l-lysine-specific system because of the mutation or via the second system because of the high concentration of l-arginine present in the growth medium. This overall lack of transport prevents hydroxy-l-lysine from reaching inhibitory levels within the cell.
Muscle capillary-to-fiber perimeter ratio : morphometry

It is known that a substantial amount of capillary tortuosity is found in shortened muscles. However, the increased capillary length and surface area contributed by tortuosity and branching are seldom taken into account when capillarity is estimated and/or blood-tissue exchange is modeled in muscles. In this paper, we sought morphometric estimates of capillarity in transverse sections that incorporated data on capillary geometry. We derived equations to estimate capillary perimeter per fiber perimeter (i.e., capillary-to-fiber perimeter ratio) in transverse sections. We show how capillary-to-fiber perimeter ratio is related to capillary surface per fiber surface, i.e., to the amount of capillary surface available for exchange per muscle fiber surface area, and how it can be obtained by morphometry. Because capillary tortuosity and fiber perimeter are both a function of sarcomere length, the degree of extension or shortening of muscle samples obviously needs to be taken into account when capillary-to-fiber perimeter ratio is compared between muscles and/or samples. Using data currently available on capillary length and diameter with fiber shortening and extension, we show that it is a feature of capillary-to-fiber perimeter ratio to change relatively little with sarcomere length. As sarcomere length decreases from 2.80 to 1.58 microns in perfusion-fixed hindlimb muscles of rats, capillary and fiber perimeters in transverse sections increase substantially, whereas the ratio between the two variables, capillary-to-fiber perimeter ratio, changes only less than or equal to 10-15%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vibrators and Other Sex Toys are Commonly Recommended to Patients, But Does Size Matter? Dimensions of Commonly Sold Products

Abstract Introduction Vibrators and dildos are commonly used by women and men in the United States, and are increasingly recommended by clinicians. In addition, sex toys and various household objects are sometimes used for sexual stimulation in ways that pose health risks to their users. Data about the dimensions of such products may inform clinicians' recommendations. Aim The purpose of the present study was to assess the sizes (length and circumference) of vibrators and dildos marketed for vaginal or anal insertion on websites that sell sexual enhancement products. Methods Eight websites that sell sexual enhancement products were identified for inclusion in the study. The dimensions of vaginal vibrators and dildos listed for sale on each website were noted, and descriptive data were calculated for each website. Main Outcome Measures Product length and circumference (mean, median, and range). Results Popular sex toy distributers offer a variety of product sizes. The length of many vibrators and dildos was sized between 4 and 6 in, and circumference was between 4 and 5 in. However, some companies featured products of a considerably larger size than others. Conclusion Length and circumference of vibrators and dildos varied, but on average approximated mean penile dimensions. Clinicians' recommendations for use of vaginal or anal products can be enhanced by familiarity and offering additional information about product sizes and retailers. Herbenick D, Barnhart KJ, Beavers K, and Benge S. Vibrators and other sex toys are commonly recommended to patients, but does size matter? Dimensions of commonly sold products. J Sex Med 2015;12:641–645.
Identification of lectin-binding proteins in Chlamydia species

Lectin-binding proteins of chlamydiae were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. All three Chlamydia species tested expressed two proteins when whole-elementary-body lysates were reacted with the biotinylated lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin. The protein with a molecular mass of 18 kilodaltons (kDa) responded strongly compared with a higher-molecular-mass protein that varied from 27 to 32 kDa with each chlamydia strain tested. Among six lectins tested, including concanavalin A, D. biflorus agglutinin, Ulex europaeus agglutinin, soybean agglutinin, peanut agglutinin, and wheat germ agglutinin, the latter was the only lectin that did not recognize any chlamydial protein. For each lectin that reacted against the elementary body of serovar L2 of Chlamydia trachomatis, the same two peptides, an 18-kDa peptide and a 32-kDa peptide, were revealed. These two polypeptides adhered to HeLa cell surface components. Binding of a lectin to the L2 reticulate body resulted in a reduced response at the 18-kDa peptide. The 18- and 32-kDa peptides were purified from L2 serovar elementary bodies by affinity chromatography. The two proteins isolated from a concanavalin A-agarose column maintained their lectin-binding capacities and elicited hemagglutinating properties against mouse erythrocytes. Periodate oxidation abolished the abilities of the peptides to adhere to any of the lectins tested. These results suggest that these lectin-binding proteins are glycoproteins that may be an essential factor for attachment of chlamydial organisms to host cells.
Real Even Symmetric Ternary Forms

Let Sen, m denote the set of all real symmetric forms of degree m = 2d. Let PSen, m and ΣSen, m denote the cones of positive semidefinite (psd) and sum of squares (sos) elements of Sen, m, respectively. For m = 2 or 4, these cones coincide. For m = 6, they do not, and were analyzed in Even Symmetric Sextics, by M. D. Choi, T. Y. Lam, and B. Reznick (1987, Math. Z.195, pp. 559–580). We present an easily checked, necessary and sufficient condition for an even symmetric n-ary octic to be in PSen, 8 and for an even symmetric ternary decic to be in PSe3, 10; we also show that there is no corresponding condition for even symmetric ternary forms of degree greater than 10. We proceed to discuss the extremal elements of the cones PSe3, 8 and PSe3, 10. This leads to the question: how many of these extremal forms have sos representations? We prove that PSe3, 8 = ΣSe3, 8 and demonstrate that PSe3, 10\ΣSe3, 10 is nonempty, providing many new examples of psd forms which are not sos. We give a graphic representation of ternary forms which also indicates whether or not an element of Se3, 8 or Se3, 10 is psd. We interpret elements of PSe3, m as inequalities; in particular, we give all symmetric polynomial inequalities of degree ≤ 5 satisfied by the sides of a triangle.
Dental nerve regeneration in rats. I. Electrophysiological studies of molar sensory deficit and recovery.

Abstract Return of sensory nerve function in rat molars following cut or crush injury to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) was measured by observing the jaw opening reflex (JOR) response of the digastric muscle to electrical stimulation of individual molars or the gingiva. The IAN was injured from a lateral approach to the mandibular ramus at a site approximately 2 mm proximal to the incisor apex. Following nerve injury, the JOR threshold to stimulation of the first molars increased 6-fold: preoperative threshold mean = 47.4± 21.3 μA (n = 27), postoperative threshold mean = 248.5 ± 127.1 μ,A (n = 25). A 4-fold postoperative increase in JOR threshold was found for the second molars, and the thresholds were not significantly affected for third molars or gingiva. These postoperative results indicated that the major pathway of sensory innervation to the first and second molars was affected by the IAN injury, whereas the third molars and gingiva had alternate sources of innervation which remained unaffected by the IAN injury. At 1 week following injury, there was partial return of sensitivity, by 3 weeks there was approximately 50% recovery, and by 6 weeks complete return to normal JOR thresholds was found. The degree of sensory deficit, as reflected in JOR inhibition, and the rate of recovery were not significantly different after cut or crush injury in these experiments; however, there was a tendency for greater sensory loss and for more rapid recovery after crush injury. This study forms the basis for a subsequent autoradiographic analysis of nerve location in rat molars of known sensory deficit, partial recovery, or full sensory recovery.
Harmonic shells: a practical nonlinear sound model for near-rigid thin shells

We propose a procedural method for synthesizing realistic sounds due to nonlinear thin-shell vibrations. We use linear modal analysis to generate a small-deformation displacement basis, then couple the modes together using nonlinear thin-shell forces. To enable audio-rate time-stepping of mode amplitudes with mesh-independent cost, we propose a reduced-order dynamics model based on a thin-shell cubature scheme. Limitations such as mode locking and pitch glide are addressed. To support fast evaluation of mid-frequency mode-based sound radiation for detailed meshes, we propose far-field acoustic transfer maps (FFAT maps) which can be precomputed using state-of-the-art fast Helmholtz multipole methods. Familiar examples are presented including rumbling trash cans and plastic bottles, crashing cymbals, and noisy sheet metal objects, each with increased richness over linear modal sound models.
Quasiresonant Raman Scattering from TlBr Crystals

Second-order Raman-scattering spectra have been measured in TlBr single crystals as a function of exciting-light frequency at low temperatures. The results obtained indicate that as the exciting frequency approaches the first exciton peak frequency, a new resonant-scattering mechanism becomes important, as evidenced by the appearance and rapid increase of a sharp peak at twice the LO phonon frequency ($q=0$), and by the absence of such a feature in analogous spectra taken for TlCl, where only off-resonant scattering is expected to occur.
Solid phase microextraction for the determination of volatile organics in the foliage of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri)

Solid phase micro extraction (SPME) was investigated for the determination of volatile chemicals in the foliage of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri). Advantages of SPME include its speed, sensitivity, and ability to determine volatiles without chemical solvents. In this study, qualitative comparisons were performed of the volatiles emitted from living foliage (in situ), damaged living foliage (in situ damaged), and severed foliage (ex situ). These studies suggest that β-phellandrene and γ-terpinene may be emitted as a response to foliar injury. Comparisons were made of the volatiles collected by SPME with ex situ sampling to previous studies in our laboratory using methylene chloride extraction. Similar results were obtained by the two extraction methods.
On the manipulation of transfer prices in a static environment

In a static environment, J. Hirschleifer's marginal cost solution to the transfer pricing problem is commonly accepted as analytically correct. However, actual pricing practice within Western corporations and socialist-planned economies generally deviates from marginal cost pricing. Some form of average cost pricing is more commonly chosen. Recently in this journal, H. Enzer has claimed to show that some form of average cost pricing is indeed the analytically correct solution to the transfer pricing problem when choice of technique and manipulation are allowed. Enzer claims that optimal decisions made by each of two divisions according to their individual self-interests are made compatible with overall firm optimization when the transfer price assigned to the internally-transferred commodity is any form of average cost. We show that the marginal cost solution is correct for Enzer's problem in the absence of manipulation by either division. Indeed, this was all that Hirschleifer claimed. In the process, we uncover a fundamental mathematical error in Enzer's argument. When manipulation of the transfer price by divisions is allowed, we demonstrate the faults with Enzer's average cost solution and conclude Hirschleifer's original statements on manipulation to be correct even in Enzer's environment. A final section briefly indicates the importance to the transfer pricing problem of a growing body of economic literature on incentive structures.
Brefeldin A inhibits insulin‐dependent receptor redistribution in HIRcB cells

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a potent inhibitor of intracellular vesicle traffic. We have investigated the effects of BFA on the traffic of the insulin receptor in HIRcB cells, a cell line derived from Rat-1 fibroblasts that over-expresses a normal human insulin receptor. We report here that insulin-dependent receptor redistribution is inhibited by BFA and that this drug has no effects on the insulin-dependent redistribution of the receptor. Auto-phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and the stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by insulin were not affected by treatment with the drug. The effects of BFA were further shown to require addition of the drug prior to the addition of insulin. BFA added 10 min after stimulation with insulin had no effects on the redistribution of the receptor. Dose-response studies demonstrated that the effects of BFA were half-maximal at a dose of 1 microgram/ml and maximal at about 10 micrograms/ml. These findings suggest that BFA blocks an early step in the chain of events that lead to insulin receptor internalization without affecting the interactions of the receptor with insulin, the stimulation of the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor by the hormone, or other insulin-regulated signalling pathways, such as the activation of MAPK.
Pharmacologic Treatment of the Catastrophic Epilepsies

Treatment of the catastrophic epilepsies [infantile spasms (IS), Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), and progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME)] remains a challenge to clinicians. For IS, adrenocorticotropic hormone has traditionally been the drug of choice in the United States but may be associated with serious side effects in some patients. Vigabatrin has shown promise in treating IS patients, particularly those with tuberous sclerosis. However, the drug is associated with visual field loss and is not commercially available in the United States. Newer antiepilepsy drugs (AEDs), such as zonisamide, topiramate (TPM), and lamotrigine (LTG), may be useful in patients with IS. Although LTG, TPM, and felbamate are approved in the United States for the treatment of LGS, the overall effectiveness of therapy in patients with LGS is poor. For PME, valproate is a first-line treatment. Zonisamide and levetiracetam also show promise. Supplementation with certain cofactors to correct deficiencies and increase mitochondrial function may be useful in some patients with PME, but response to such therapy is not well documented. Advances in our understanding of the etiologies, mechanisms, and genetics underlying the catastrophic epilepsies may facilitate more effective pharmacologic interventions.
Integrated wireless sensor network for large scale intelligent systems

There is a critical need to improve the efficiency of the large systems and eco-system of this planet. It is important to successfully integrate a variety of technology blocks ranging from sensors to communication system to analytics software in order to realize our goal of smarter systems and eco-systems. In order to apply a proactive approach to solve this planet's problem, everything must be instrumented. We would like to deploy the sensors widely so that these sensors act as the eyes, ears, and noses for the analytics engine and provide real time data at a desired frequency. In this paper, we demonstrate the first step to realize a convergence of wireless sensor network with analytics software. The wireless sensors transmit data at regular intervals through the 2.4 GHz ISM band to a coordinator. The coordinator forwards the aggregated data to a messaging software. The time stamps, topics, and payloads of the messages can be visualized using a GUI explorer of the messaging software. These messages can be further forwarded through a message broker to database servers and web servers via internet. Accordingly, the analytics software could make use of the live data to provide decision support for engineers, automated control system, and actuators.
TORC2 and Chemotaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum

Publisher Summary Chemotaxis involves the cellular reactions of motility and directional sensing that enable cells to sense and move along extracellular chemical gradients. Dictyostelium discoideum cells display robust chemotactic responses to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Extensive characterization of these responses provides insights into the mechanisms of chemotaxis. In this system, chemotaxis is composed of multiple signaling pathways including the TORC2–PDK–PKB module where target of rapamycin complex 2 (TORC2) and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase (PDK) function as upstream activators of protein kinase B (PKBs) through hydrophobic motif (HM) and activation loop (AL) phosphorylations, respectively. This module forms a unique signaling pathway where chemoattractant signals are separated and then converge on substrate phosphorylations mediated by two PKB homologues: (1) phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-tris phosphate (PtdIns (3,4,5)P3)-dependent PKBA and (2) -independent PKBR1. PKBA and PKBR1 contribute minor, redundant, and major activities, respectively. The TORC2–PDK–PKB module is selectively activated at the front of morphologically polarized cells by an upstream regulator, RasC, during chemotaxis. Spatial dysregulation of this pathway, exemplified by pten– cells or cells expressing an active form of RasC where PtdIns (3,4,5) P3–PKBAor TORC2-dependent PKBR1 is overactivated, respectively, leads to extension of pseudopods all around cells and to severe chemotaxis defects. The results suggest that this pathway has critical roles in linking chemotactic stimuli to cytoskeletal rearrangements.
Changing interest among physicians toward pneumococcal vaccination throughout the twentieth century.

Interest in using pneumococcal vaccination among physicians has come full circle since the early twentieth century. Interest first arose during an epidemic among South African gold miners when a potential therapeutic agent, ethylhydrocupreine, caused significant toxicities. When a safe and effective vaccine became available in , interest in using it paradoxically waned as its introduction coincided with the advent of pen- icillin. Physicians believed that this effective new antibiotic would change pneumonia from a dreaded infection to a casual, infrequent occurrence. The manufacturer was unable to promote vaccine use and withdrew it from the market. Enthusiasm for vaccination remained low long after limitations in antibiotic therapy of pneumococcal infections became clear in the s and a new vaccine once again became available in . Interest in vaccination was eventually renewed in the s when the propagation of pneumococcal resistance to multiple agents diminished the complete confidence that physicians had in antibiotics and when populations at risk for infection were expanding. Scientific evidence of vaccine efficacy, demonstrated in  and , has not alone been sufficient to convince physicians to use vaccination. Rather, doctors have accepted the need to vaccinate for pneumococcus when they have recog- nized the shortcomings of therapeutic measures during epidemic periods.
RTCGAToolbox: a new tool for exporting TCGA Firehose data.

Background & Objective Managing data from large-scale projects (such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)) for further analysis is an important and time consuming step for research projects. Several efforts, such as the Firehose project, make TCGA pre-processed data publicly available via web services and data portals, but this information must be managed, downloaded and prepared for subsequent steps. We have developed an open source and extensible R based data client for pre-processed data from the Firehouse, and demonstrate its use with sample case studies. Results show that our RTCGAToolbox can facilitate data management for researchers interested in working with TCGA data. The RTCGAToolbox can also be integrated with other analysis pipelines for further data processing.
Inventory Depletion Management

Consideration is given to problems of choosing the order of issue of items from a stockpile of material whose utility characteristics are changing with time. Conditions are given under which either LIFO last in, first out or FIFO first in, first out is an optimal issue policy.
Pharmacology and physiology of metabotropic glutamate receptors in mammalian central nervous system

Until recently, all receptors for glutamate and other excitatory amino acids (EAAs) were thought to be ligand-regulated cation channels which, when activated, lead directly to cell depolarization. This family of glutamate receptors is referred as the ionotropic glutamate receptor family and is involved in transmission of fast synaptic responses. It is now clear that glutamate also acts on a distinct family of metabotropic receptors. These glutamate receptors are not cation channels but are linked to effector systems via guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins). To date, the best-characterized G protein-coupled glutamate receptor is linked to phospholipase C and stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. The pharmacology of this receptor subclass has been thoroughly investigated and is clearly distinct from that of the ionotropic glutamate receptors. Until recently, little was known about the physiological roles of the metabotropic glutamate receptors. However, the recent discovery of selective metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists has made it possible to begin to investigate the physiological effects of activation of this novel class of glutamate receptor.
Federal Investments and Economic Stimulus at the End of the Cold War: The Influence of Federal Installations on Employment Growth, 1970–1990

A growing body of evidence points toward the distinctiveness of the state's political and military policies and of the impact of these policies on economic processes. Regional scientists have been stressing the importance of new industrial districts, with an emphasis on interfirm relationships and the regional economy in which firms are embedded. In this paper, we document the state's role in regional growth and offer a reminder of the external and political actors which have influenced growth of industrial districts. We have acquired information from the US General Services Administration on each piece of property owned by the United States, including data on the agency controlling the installation and the functions performed at this location. Our examination of employment growth from 1970 to 1990 provides evidence that federal installations did stimulate growth in the regions in which they were located. More specifically, we find that NASA installations and the military's industrial facilities exerted a...
Modern developments in flow control

This brief article reviews the important advances in the field of flow control that took place during the past few years. This broad area of research remains of great interest for its numerous potential benefits for both the military and civilian sectors. Spurred by the recent developments in chaos control, microfabrication and neural networks, reactive control of turbulent flows is now in the realm of the possible for future practical devices. Other less complex control schemes, passive as well as active, are more market ready and are also witnessing resurgence of interest. 115 refs., 4 figs.
Radiation therapy for adjunctive treatment of adrenal cortical carcinoma.

Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare disease which is primarily approached surgically. There have been few reports of the efficacy of radiation therapy and, for the most part, these have been anecdotal. This paper reports on the potential adjuvant role of radiation therapy after surgical excision of primary adrenal cortical carcinoma and also comments about the efficacy of palliative radiation therapy for metastases. We have identified eight patients treated for adrenal cortical carcinomas at Hahnemann University Hospital (HUH) from 1962 until the present and have also identified five patients with the same diagnosis at Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH) from 1962 until its close in 1975. These two groups are examined separately. In the PGH group, in which two patients were diagnosed at autopsy and only one patient was treated by radiation therapy, the median survival was between 0 and 1 month for Stage IV disease with the only patient surviving to 6 months being that patient receiving radiation therapy. In the HUH group, five of eight patients were treated adjunctively after diagnosis, one was not and two received palliative therapy. The median survival for treated Stage III patients was between 34 months and 7 years. The suggestion, based on a limited patient series, is that patients treated post-operatively to the tumor bed and nodal areas in Stage III disease may have improved survival over historic series and improved local control.
Aggressive and minimally invasive surgery for pulmonary metastasis of sarcoma.

Background Pulmonary metastasectomy has become a standard approach for sarcoma, but uncertainty remains regarding risk factors that accurately assess postoperative prognosis and can be used to guide surgical decision making. Methods We identified 145 patients who underwent 204 consecutive pulmonary metastasectomies for sarcoma between 1996 and 2009, and examined 174 complete resections in 118 patients. Predictors included surgical procedure, number/size of lesions, repeat resection, intervals to metastasis and to recurrence, chemotherapy, sarcoma subtype, distribution of pulmonary and extrapulmonary metastasis, and patient age/sex. Survival estimates were based on Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using a log-rank test. Predictors were compared using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results Among patients undergoing R0 resections, median survival was 35 months (95% confidence interval, 22-60 months), with 3-, 5- and 10-year survival of 48%, 42%, and 31%, respectively. The number or size of lesions did not influence survival. Metastasis synchronous to the primary tumor, but not disease-free interval, was a significant predictor of worse survival on single variable and adjusted modeling (hazard ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-6.6; P = .005); the presence of extrapulmonary metastasis and a need for anatomic resection were also likely predictors (P = .06 and P = .07). Recurrence of pulmonary metastasis was not associated with a reduction in survival if completely resected, and a more aggressive and less invasive surgical approach during the later half of the study period was not associated with a significant decline in survival. Conclusions Evolving surgical practice may allow an increasingly aggressive approach to pulmonary sarcoma metastasis, which may be facilitated by increased use of a minimally invasive approach.
Density fluctuations in vibrated granular materials

We report systematic measurements of the density of a vibrated granular material as a function of time. Monodisperse spherical beads were confined to a cylindrical container and shaken vertically. Under vibrations, the density of the pile slowly reaches a final steady-state value about which the density fluctuates. We have investigated the frequency dependence and amplitude of these fluctuations as a function of vibration intensity \ensuremath{\Gamma}. The spectrum of density fluctuations around the steady state value provides a probe of the internal relaxation dynamics of the system and a link to recent thermodynamic theories for the settling of granular material. In particular, we propose a method to evaluate the compactivity of a powder, first put forth by Edwards and co-workers, that is the analog to temperature for a quasistatic powder. We also propose a stochastic model based on free volume considerations that captures the essential mechanism underlying the slow relaxation. We compare our experimental results with simulations of a one-dimensional model for random adsorption and desorption.
The Solicitor General's Amicus Curiae Strategies in the Supreme Court:

Scholars have devoted a great deal of research to investigating the role and influence of the U.S. solicitor general (SG) as amicus curiae in the Supreme Court. Yet, we know little about the SG's decision to file an amicus brief and how this relates to the SG's success on the merits. We fill this void by examining legal, political, and administrative factors that affect the SG's decision to participate as amicus curiae. We subject our hypotheses to empirical testing using data on the 1953 to 1999 Supreme Court terms by linking the SG's decision to file an amicus brief to the SG's ultimate success on the merits, employing a Heckman-style selection model. We find that the SG's decision to file an amicus brief is influenced by legal, political, and administrative considerations, suggesting that the SG is best viewed through the incorporation of a variety of theoretical perspectives.
Gradient separation of pharmaceuticals employing supercritical CO2 and modifiers

Sub- and Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) were used to separate seven purine and pyrimidine-based drugs. A two-pump system was used, where one pump delivered the carbon dioxide, and the other pump delivered modifier. The modifiers used in this work were methanol, and methanol containing 0.001 M tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. Two of the compounds studied were hydrochloride salts. These compounds were analyzed by a Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)/SFC method.
On the solution of a general stochastic linear pursuit-evasion game

In this paper we have considered the existence and uniqueness of a random solution of a stochastic linear pursuit-evasion game described by a linear stochastic differential equation of the form We give only one transition equation where x( t;ω) can be thought of as the distance between the pursuer and evader, Thus, by a simple transformation, a pursuit-evasion game becomes a contest to bring a point in n-dimenaional space into an e-ball about the origin. The pursuer tries to minimize the time required, while the evader tries to maximize the time. The above transition equation is the most general formalization of a stochastic linear differential equation in the sense that all the functions involved are stochastic. Furthermore, the random function x(t;ω) appears on the right-hand side of the equation. Physically this means that the object(s) being controlled have energy of their own. Integrating the state equation with respect to time l and using some concepts of admissibility theory introduced by Tsokos in...
A study of the fine structure of the optic vesicle and lens placode of the chick embryo during induction

Abstract 1. 1. The observations, in general, confirm the morphological details of the chick optic vesicle and lens ectoderm during the time which induction of the lens is supposed to take place as described by McKeehan (1951) . 2. 2. The fine structure of the optic vesicle and lens ectoderm is described. 3. 3. An interepithelial space, separating the optic anlage from the lens anlage, generally 1–3 μ in width, containing filaments, particles, basement membrane, and PAS-positive interepithelial clouds, is present in all stages investigated (stages 11 through 14, inclusive). 4. 4. There is a statistically significant change in the relative abundance of RNP particles between the optic vesicle and lens ectoderm, progressing from a greater abundance in the optic vesicle in stages 11 through 13 to a greater abundance in the lens ectoderm by stage 14. 5. 5. The findings are interpreted in the light of the suggestion of McKeehan (1956) that RNA may be transferred from optic vesicle to lens ectoderm during induction.
Direct Assessment of the α-Helix Nucleation Time

The nucleation event in α-helix formation is a fundamental process in protein folding. However, determining how quickly it takes place based on measurements of the relaxation dynamics of helical peptides is difficult because such relaxations invariably contain contributions from various structural transitions such as, from helical to non-helical states and helical to partial-helical conformations. Herein we measure the temperature-jump (T-jump) relaxation kinetics of three model peptides that fold into a single-turn α-helix, using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, aiming to provide a direct assessment of the helix nucleation rate. The α-helical structure of these peptides is stabilized by a covalent cross-linker formed between the sidechains of two residues at the i and i+4 positions. If we assume that this cross-linker mimics the structural constraint arising from a strong sidechain-sidechain interaction (e.g., a salt-bridge) in proteins, these peptides would represent good models for studying the nucleation process of an α-helix in a protein environment. Indeed, we find that the T-jump induced relaxation rate of these peptides is approximately (0.6 μs)−1 at room temperature, which is slower than that of commonly studied alanine-based helical peptides but faster than that of a naturally occurring α-helix whose folded state is stabilized by a series of sidechain-sidechain interactions. Taken together, our results put an upper limit of about 1 μs for the helix nucleation time at 20 °C and suggest that the subsequent propagation steps occur with a time constant of about 240 ns.
The Use of Performance Control Charts in Business Schools: A Tool for Assessing Learning Outcomes

The authors propose the use of performance control charts as a useful tool for tracking student assessments that rely upon faculty administered exams and projects as well as assessing teacher performance. This quantitative, formative evaluation process can be integrated into the classroom during an actual semester and utilized as a means to improving performance in future years.
Catecholamine metabolism in the brains of ageing male mice.

Several age-related changes of catecholamine metabolism in senescent C57B1/6J male mice were observed: (1) reduced levels of striatal dopamine, (2) reduced conversion of l-[3H]tyrosine and l-[3H]DOPA to catecholamines in 4 brain regions, and (3) slowed catabolism of total norepinephrine in the hypothalamus and of total dopamine in the striatum.
A multiple-center phase II study of weekly docetaxel and oxaliplatin as first-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric cancer

Docetaxel and oxaliplatin are active agents for advanced gastric cancer (GC). The combination of these two drugs in a triweekly schedule is an active and attractive regimen for gastric cancer but with significant hematological toxicities. A multicenter phase II study was designed to establish an active regimen with good tolerability by using a weekly docetaxel–oxaliplatin (DO) combination in GC patients. Eligible patients had histologically confirmed stage IV gastric cancer without previous palliative chemotherapy; age ≥18 years; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤2; at least one measurable lesion; and adequate hematological, renal, and liver functions. All patients received premedications with dexamethasone and 5-HT3 antagonist before the chemotherapy. Docetaxel (Taxotere®; Sanofi-Aventis) 30 mg/m2 followed by oxaliplatin (Eloxatin®; Sanofi-Aventis) 65 mg/m2 were administered on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle. Treatment continued until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or consent withdrawal. Toxicities were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) version 3.0. Tumor responses were evaluated every 2 cycles by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Guidelines. From May 2007 to December 2008, a total of 47 patients were enrolled. There were 8 females and 39 males with a median age of 57 years (range 26–76). Forty-three patients were evaluable for response. Two patients obtained a complete response (4.7%) and 12 patients had a partial response (27.9%), with an overall response rate of 32.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.1–48.5); 20 patients experienced stable disease (46.5%), and the disease progressed in 9 patients (20.9%). Median time to disease progression was 4.2 months and median overall survival was 8.3 months. All 47 patients were assessable for toxicity. Major grade 3/4 hematological toxicities were anemia (5 patients, 10.6%), neutropenia (2 patients, 4.3%), and leukopenia (1 patient, 2.1%). The most common grade 3/4 non-hematological toxicities were fatigue (3 patients, 6.4%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation in 3 patients (6.4%). The combination of weekly DO demonstrated a well-tolerated profile with moderate activity in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Further studies of the combination together with a fluoropyrimidine are warranted.
Superconducting proximity effect in Ag—Mn

Abstract The proximity effect was studied by measuring the thermal conductivity of double layers films made of a normal metal (Ag or Ag—Mn) and a superconductor (Pb–5% Bi), in the temperature range of 0.3–2 K. Thermal conductivity ratios have been used to estimate induced energy gap in silver and in dilute silver manganese alloys. No evidence for bound states in the presence of magnetic impurities was observed.
Clinical evaluation of two one-bottle dentin adhesives at three years

ABSTRACT Background The method currently used to adhere resin to dentin involves etching, priming and bonding. Many commercial adhesives now combine priming and bonding functions in a single solution, and these are frequently called one-bottle adhesives. The purpose of this study was to compare the 36-month clinical performance of two commercial one-bottle adhesives. Methods The authors enrolled 33 patients with noncarious cervical lesions in the study. A total of 101 lesions were restored with either a filled, ethanol-based adhesive (OptiBond Solo, SDS Kerr) or an unfilled, acetone-based adhesive (Prime & Bond 2.1, Dentsply Caulk) and a hybrid resin-based composite. Enamel margins were not beveled, and no mechanical retention was placed. The restorations were evaluated at baseline and six months, 18 months and 36 months after placement using modified Cvar/Ryge criteria. Results The retention rates at 36 months were 93.3 percent for the ethanol-based adhesive and 89.4 percent for the acetone-based adhesive. The difference in retention rates was not statistically significant. In both groups, 12 percent of the retained restorations had marginal staining, but no recurrent caries was detected around any restoration. Other restoration characteristics such as marginal adaptation and color match remained excellent three years after placement. Conclusions The performance of both adhesives was excellent during this 36-month clinical trial. At the most recent recall evaluation (that is, 36 months), the filled, ethanol-based adhesive exhibited slightly better bond durability, but the difference between the two materials was not statistically significant. Clinical Implications The one-bottle adhesives evaluated in this study provided excellent clinical retention of Class V restorations without mechanical retention. When the materials are used properly, restorations are retained at a high rate during at least three years of clinical service.
Dysregulated cytokine production by dendritic cells modulates B cell responses in the NZM2410 mouse model of lupus.

The breakdown in tolerance of autoreactive B cells in the lupus-prone NZM2410-derived B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 (TC) mice results in the secretion of autoantibodies. TC dendritic cells (DCs) enhance B cell proliferation and antibody secretion in a cytokine-dependent manner. However, the specific cytokine milieu by which TC DCs activate B cells was not known. In this study, we compared TC and C57BL/6 (B6) control for the distribution of DC subsets and for their production of cytokines affecting B cell responses. We show that TC DCs enhanced B cell proliferation through the production of IL-6 and IFN-γ, while antibody secretion was only dependent on IL-6. Pre-disease TC mice showed an expanded PDCA1+ cells prior to disease onset that was localized to the marginal zone and further expanded with age. The presence of PDCA1+ cells in the marginal zone correlated with a Type I Interferon (IFN) signature in marginal zone B cells, and this response was higher in TC than B6 mice. In vivo administration of anti-chromatin immune complexes upregulated IL-6 and IFN-γ production by splenic DCs from TC but not B6 mice. The production of BAFF and APRIL was decreased upon TC DC stimulation both in vitro and in vivo, indicating that these B cell survival factors do not play a role in B cell modulation by TC DCs. Finally, TC B cells were defective at downregulating IL-6 expression in response to anti-inflammatory apoptotic cell exposure. Overall, these results show that the TC autoimmune genetic background induces the production of B cell-modulating inflammatory cytokines by DCs, which are regulated by the microenvironment as well as the interplay between DC.
Unipedal balance in healthy adults: effect of visual environments yielding decreased lateral velocity feedback.

Abstract Objective: To test the (null) hypotheses that the reliability of unipedal balance is unaffected by the attenuation of visual velocity feedback and that, relative to baseline performance, deterioration of balance success rates from attenuated visual velocity feedback will not differ between groups of young men and older women, and the presence (or absence) of a vertical foreground object will not affect balance success rates. Design: Single blind, single case study. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Two volunteer samples: 26 healthy young men (mean age, 20.Oyrs; SD, 1.6); 23 healthy older women (mean age, 64.9 yrs; SD, 7.8). Main Outcome Measure: Normalized success rates in unipedal balance task. Methods: Subjects were asked to transfer to and maintain unipedal stance for 5 seconds in a task near the limit of their balance capabilities. Subjects completed 64 trials: 54 trials of three experimental visual scenes in blocked randomized sequences of 18 trials and 10 trials in a normal visual environment. The experimental scenes included two that provided strong velocity/weak position feedback, one of which had a vertical foreground object (SVWP + ) and one without (SVWP − ), and one scene providing weak velocity/strong position (WVSP) feedback. Subjects' success rates in the experimental environments were normalized by the success rate in the normal environment in order to allow comparisons between subjects using a mixed model repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The normalized success rate was significantly greater in SVWP − than in WVSP ( p = .0001) and SVWP ( p = .013). Visual feedback significantly affected the normalized unipedal balance success rates ( p = .001); neither the group effect nor the group × visual environment interaction was significant ( p = .9362 and p = .5634, respectively). Normalized success rates did not differ significantly between the young men and older women in any visual environment. Conclusions: Near the limit of the young men's or older women's balance capability, the reliability of transfer to unipedal balance was adversely affected by visual environments offering attenuated visual velocity feedback cues and those devoid of vertical foreground objects.
Thrill of victory and agony of defeat: Emotional rewards and sales force compensation

When sales territories are imbalanced, how do salespersons’ emotions-pride and disappointment in goal attainment-affect the choice between sales contests and sales quotas? First, profits in a quota system increase when pride in the weaker territory or disappointment in the stronger territory increase. In a sales contest, by contrast, feelings of disappointment reduce profits regardless of territory characteristics. Second, a simultaneous strengthening of pride and disappointment enhances the advantage of quota over contest created by territory imbalance. However, the interpersonal nature of the contest, pitting a salesperson against a known rival, may generate stronger emotions than a quota-system, with its impersonal sales targets. So, third, a contest may overcome the profit advantages of the quota-system. Fourth, if pride and disappointment are strongly felt because of territory imbalance, handicapping either contest or quota is unprofitable, and moreover, if pride and disappointment are greater in interpersonal situations, handicapping may be more detrimental to a contest than to a sales quota-system.
Purchase Information Acquisition and Cognitive Style

Summary Researchers in a previous work suggested that information processing and coding behaviors are influenced by dogmatism. Such an influence would have significant implications in the realm of consumer behavior. In the present study, the amount of predecision purchase information search and the sources of information utilized were examined in relation to the level of dogmatism present in an individual's belief-disbelief system by means of questionnaires. The data were based on actual purchases of two relatively expensive consumer products—hi fi stereo systems (n = 49) and multispeed bicycles (n = 67). The hypothetical purchase of a new economy size car was also included as a third product (n = 220). In order to minimize differences in information search resulting from sociodemographic characteristics like age, education, income, and stage of life cycle, which have been observed in prior studies, the respondents were selected from a relatively homogeneous population consisting of male and female univer...
Relative biological effectiveness (R.B.E.) of Cf-252 vs. acute Co-60 and low dose rate Cs-137 irradiation by spleen weight loss.

R.B.E. of Cf-252 on lymphoid tissue was assessed by radiation study of spleen weight loss following acute Co-60, and low dose rate (L.D.R.) Cs-137 and Cf-252 irradiations. Acute Co-60 and L.D.R. Cs-137 dose-response followed two component exponential curves with a 1.3-fold greater effect of L.D.R. Cs-137 vs. acute Co-60 on the first slope and 1.9-fold greater effect for the 2nd slope. L.D.R. Cf-252 response was 1.3x greater than acute Co-60 but was 1.0 vs. L.D.R. Cs-137 for the first slope indicating a similar effect of Cf-252 mixed neutron/gamma radiation to L.D.R. gamma radiation in producing spleen shrinkage. There was no effect of different sequences and schedules of mixing acute Co-60 with Cf-252 irradiation observed by endogenous CFU-S survival. The R.B.E. of 1.0-1.9 indicates that lymphohemopoietic in vivo, presumably well oxygenated, does not respond acutely or as sensitively as hypoxic tumor where R.B.E. is 5-7.