cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Libertarian paradox: some further observations*

It is shown that the weak Pareto principle consists of two parts: Pareto Neutrality and Weak Pareto Unanimity. It is the Pareto Neutrality which is responsible for the Paradox of the Paretian Libertarian. The libertarianism condition can also be factorized into two parts: the Libertarian Invariance and the Libertarian Non-Imposition. It is the Libertarian Invariance which is responsible or the Paradox of the Paretian Libertarian. Under conditions of Unrestricted Domain, Pareto Neutrality and Libertarian Invariance, if we require a social preference to be acyclic, then(1) neither can individuals' personal rights be respected, nor can they be reversed;(2) neither can unanimous group rights be respected, nor can they be reversed. Consequently, the Paradox of the Paretian Libertarian is due to the inconsistent use of information contained in the weak Pareto principle and the libertarianism condition.
Short-term fluctuations in death by cause, temperature, and income in the United States, 1930-1985.

Abstract Disclosures that this decade has had the five hottest years ever recorded globally raise concern that extreme temperatures might be associated with higher mortality. An analysis of fluctuations in annual cause‐specific deaths, seasonal temperatures, and annual income per capita in Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Utah, North Carolina, and Mississippi, 1930 to 1985, suggests that, on the contrary, a temperature increase throughout the year was associated with fewer deaths from all causes combined, including deaths from infectious diseases, heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, pneumonia, and influenza. An average temperature increase of one degree Fahrenheit was associated with a more than 2 per cent decline in deaths from pneumonia and influenza. The only category of deaths showing no significant association was death from malignant neoplasms. Compared to spring, summer, and fall temperature fluctuations, unusually cold winter temperatures had the strongest fatal effects, but only in Nort...
Sampling and quantization of bilevel signals

Abstract Results are presented on the relationship between sampling interval, number of quantization levels, and the point spread function of the digitizer in order to achieve detection of light and dark areas of the input signal.
Development and validation of isooctane skeletal mechanisms based on LLNL detailed mechanism

This paper describes recent development of isooctane skeletal mechanisms for Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines. Two skeletal mechanisms were constructed: one with 259 species and the other with 291 species. The former was developed for accurate predictions of Start of Combustion (SOC) and the latter aiming at accurate predictions of both SOC and emissions. Evaluations of the performances of these skeletal mechanisms were conducted under extensive conditions. Both skeletal mechanisms are found satisfactory in predicting SOC with a speeding up factor of 15?20. The expanded version is found necessary for accurate predictions of CO and unburned hydrocarbon emissions.
ASEPTIC MENINGITIS AND VIRAL MYELITIS

Meningitis and myelitis represent common and very infrequent viral infections of the central nervous system, respectively. The number of cases of viral meningitis that occurs annually exceeds the total number of meningitis cases caused by all other etiologies combined. Focal central nervous system infections, such as occur in the spinal cord with viral myelitis, are much less common and may be confused with noninfectious disorders that cause acute flaccid paralysis. This article reviews some of the important clinical features, epidemiology, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies for patients with aseptic meningitis and viral myelitis. Particular focus is placed on the diseases caused by enteroviruses, which as a group account for most aseptic meningitis cases and many focal infections of the spinal cord.
Effects of nitroxide free radicals on proton donor chemical shifts

Abstract Chemical-shift changes in samples containing the proton donors CF 3 CH 2 OH and C 6 F 5 OH and a nitroxide free radical have been measured. The values of the association constants for the donor:radical complexes determined from them are smaller than those measured by observing the changes in hyperfine coupling constants in the EPR spectrum of the same radical:donor systems because the chemical-shift measurements are sensitive to all interactions between the radical and donor solvent molecule nuclei, not just those arising from the formation of the transient hydrogen-bonded complex.
Preliminary study of the therapeutic and toxic effects of 4-(1-methyl-3-indolylethyl)pyridine hydrochloride in ambulatory patients with psychoneurosis

Abstract The effect of methylindolylethylpyridine on thirty-six outpatient psychoneurotics treated for a total of 1344 patient days was studied. Definite relaxation was produced, with occasional drowsiness. The drug was a potent ataractic agent and was effective in this broad group of cases. Unfortunately, reversible leucopenia occurred in nine patients. IN 399 seemed superior to its benzyl analog, IN 461, as an ataractic agent, but because of hematologic toxicity it should be used with great care. Analogs with similar potency but without toxicity should be further investigated.
Explaining persistent unemployment in eastern Germany

Relatively high rates of persistent unemployment plaguing the eastern region of Germany are argued to be caused especially by two factors engendering slack labor demand relative to supply. Demand for East German labor declined as (1) rapid privatization was followed by cross-regional capital flows, resulting in high levels of capital intensity and a dramatic shedding of labor. Reindustrialization and service-sector expansion proved too weak to generate sufficient labor demand. (2) Related to privatization, business headquarters moved to the west of Germany, resulting in a notable pattern of reindustrialization and the eastern region's specialization in intermediates vis-a-vis finished goods, engendering weak labor demand.
Hospitalist time usage and cyclicality: opportunities to improve efficiency.

BACKGROUND: Academic medical centers (AMCs) have a constrained resident work force. Many AMCs have increased the use of nonresident service hospitalists to manage continued growth in clinical volume. To optimize their time in the hospital, it is important to understand hospitalists' work flow. DESIGN: We performed a time-motion study of hospitalists carrying the admission pager throughout the 3 types of shifts we have at our hospital (day shift, swing shift, and night shift). SETTING: Tertiary academic medical center in the Midwest. RESULTS: Hospitalists spend about 15% of their time on direct patient care, and two-thirds of their time on indirect patient care. Of the indirect activities, communication and documentation dominate. Travel demands make up over 7% of a hospitalists' time. There are spikes in indirect patient care, followed closely by spikes in direct patient care, at shift changes. CONCLUSIONS: At our AMC, indirect patient care activities accounted for the majority of the admitting hospitalists' time spent in the hospital, with documentation and communication dominating this time. Travel takes a significant fraction of hospitalists' time. There is also a cyclical nature to activities performed throughout the day, which can cause patient delays and impose variability on support services. There is a need for both service-specific and systemic improvements for AMCs to efficiently manage further growth in their inpatient volume. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010;5:329–334. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Response to x-irradiation of a tumour recurring after a tcd95 radiation dose.

CHINESE hamster cells which survived 1,500 rads (a survival fraction of ≈2 × 10−3) were found to have several heritable altered biological properties. These included a slower cell population doubling time, a smaller cell size, an abnormal chromosome number and morphology, and an increased radio-sensitivity—namely a D0 value of ≈135 rads instead of the 205 rads for the unirradiated or control cell line. Furthermore, these characteristics persisted in a number of the sub-lines for many months of continuous culture1. That changes of this type should occur in cells of tissue irradiated in vivo is plausible, and if they do occur such alterations would have important implications for tumour radiobiology and for clinical radiotherapy. This report describes an initial experiment that was designed to test for such an effect.
Krakatau 1883: The Volcanic Eruption and Its Effects

During the last couple of years, scientific and general interest in volcanos has surged as a result of the lively performance of Mt. St. Helens, and that's why Krakatau 1883 promises to become a good seller. What does it offer? The writers begin the volume with a detailed chronology of the eruptions, eyewitness accounts, and media coverage that cover local and regional effects, the tsunamis and their catastrophic results, and the sonic effects. Next is a section with translated parts of Verbeek's monumental monograph on the 1883 eruptions, followed by reprints of other scientific papers, and summaries of recent work on the event. For those deficient in French or Dutch, the translation of Verbeek's work will be especially welcome, because this civic engineer described and interpreted a colossal amount of data.
Personality, Drug Preference, Drug Use, and Drug Availability:

This study examined the relationship between drug preference, drug use, drug availability, and personality among individuals (n = 100) in treatment for substance abuse in an effort to replicate the results of an earlier study (Feldman, Kumar, Angelini, Pekala, & Porter, 2007) designed to test prediction derived from Eysenck's (1957, 1967) theories. Drug preference was measured by the method of paired-comparison and personality was measured with the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire-50 CC. Contrary to expectations, high compared with low scorers on Sociability and Impulsive-Sensation Seeking preferred depressants. Surprisingly, low compared with high scorers on neuroticism did not differ in preference for alcohol. As in the previous study, drug preference, use, and availability were highly correlated, although ease of availability was slightly more predictive of drug use than drug preference. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.
HIV Protease Inhibitors Activate Volume-Sensitive Chloride Current in Ventricular Myocytes by Generating Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species

HIV protease inhibitors (HIV PI) have been successfully used to reduce morbidity and mortality of HIV infection. However, their long-term use causes significant side effects including cardiac arrhythmias. Previously we showed that outwardly-rectifying, volume-sensitive Cl current (ICl,swell) is regulated by signaling pathways that elicit production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because certain HIV PI recently were reported to augment ROS production, we tested whether HIV PI stimulate ICl,swell in rabbit ventricular myocytes. Under isosmotic conditions, ritonavir (15 μM, 20 min) and lopinavir (15 μM, 25 min) induced outwardly-rectifying Cl currents (1.5 ± 0.3 pA/pF and 1.9 ± 0.3 pA/pF at +60 mV, respectively) that were fully inhibited by the highly selective ICl,swell-blocker DCPIB (10 μM). In contrast, amprenavir (15 μM, 30 min) and nelfinavir (15 μM, 30 min) did not modulate ICl,swell, and raltegravir (MK-0518, 15 μM, 30 min), an HIV integrase inhibitor, also was ineffective. Two major sources of ROS in cardiomyocytes are sarcolemmal NADPH oxidase and mitochondria. The specific NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (500 μM) failed to inhibit the ritonavir- or lopinavir-induced currents, although we previously found apocynin blocks ICl,swell activation upon osmotic swelling and stretch. In contrast, rotenone (10 μM, 30 min), a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor that limits electron flux to and ROS production by complex III, blocked 102 ± 4% of ritonavir- and 82 ± 12% of lopinavir-induced ICl,swell. Furthermore, the membrane-permeant, glutathione peroxidase mimetic ebselen (15 μM, 15 min) suppressed ICl,swell elicited by ritonavir (102 ± 3%) and lopinavir (93 ± 6%). These results suggest that ritonavir and lopinavir activate ICl,swell via mitochondrial ROS production by complex III. Activation of ICl,swell by certain HIV PI may contribute to their untoward effects in heart and potentially other tissues.
“A Well-Regulated Faculty …”: The Coerciveness of Accountability and Other Measures That Abridge Faculties’ Right to Teach and Research

Calls for accountability, long the focus of stewardship for public monies and public employment in institutions of higher education, have now exceeded their original purposes. The growing “managerialism” and corporatization of public universities had created an “audit culture,” one effect of which is to regulate the use of faculty time away from teaching, research, service and student advising and toward multiple, and often overlapping, reporting requirements. Several examples from three separate states are offered as brief examples of the restrictions created by institutions and legislatures on the freedom to teach, as well as academic freedom more broadly. I argue that increasing calls for accountability as well as legislative regulations on teaching and student challenges to teaching effectively abridge long-standing faculty rights and absorb critical time for thinking, teaching, research and even public service the traditional missions of a university.
BIDDER WELFARE IN AN AUCTION WITH A BUYOUT OPTION

A buyout option enhances an auction by allowing a bidder to purchase the item at a pre-specified price (instead of attempting to obtain the item by way of auction). A comparison is made between the ex ante welfare of bidders in an auction with a buyout option to a traditional auction with no such option. The impact on bidder welfare is shown to depend upon the distribution from which bidder valuations are drawn. In comparison to a traditional auction with no buyout option, when a buyout option is in place either: all bidders are weakly better off (in which case the option results in an ex ante Pareto improvement) or bidders with "relatively high valuations" are worse off.
Impurity effects on metallic cohesion: Lithium-row atoms in nickel clusters

We present results from a theoretical study of the localized bonding in atomic clusters consisting of octahedral nickel hosts and interstitial atoms from the lithium row of the Periodic Table. Trends in impurity binding energies and the effects of impurities on the elastic properties of the host are established by comparison of total energies and interatomic forces of the doped clusters with results for the bare host. Properties of the host cluster are strongly dependent upon impurity atom type. An orbital analysis identifies the microchemical mechanisms through which the elastic properties of the host respond to changes in impurity-host bond character, as we progress from strongly electropositive lithium to strongly electronegative fluorine. The tendency of Li and F to form ionic bonds destabilizes and weakens the Ni host cluster. A bonding mode which is predominantly covalent characterizes the remainder of the first-row series. A nonuniform variation of impurity-induced strain and elastic properties of the host is found, with midrow atoms B, C, and N effecting an appreciable strengthening of the host. Trends in the stability and strengthening character of the midrow series of atoms is a result of competing atom size and covalency effects. There is good qualitative correspondence betweenmore » the trends and relative effects of different impurities in this study and the observed effects of first-row impurities on the cohesive properties of metallic host interfaces. This relationship suggests the microchemical properties of the cluster model may serve to identify atomic-level factors important to understanding macroscopic impurity effects in grain-boundary segregation.« less
Thermal instability of red blood cell membrane bilayers: Temperature dependence of hemolysis

Rates of human red blood cell hemolysis were measured as a function of temperature. Three distinct temperature intervals for hemolysis were noted: a) At temperatures equal to or less than 37°C no hemolysis was observed for the duration of the incubation (30 hr). b) For temperatures exceeding 45°C hemolysis rates are rapid and are accompanied by gross changes in cellular morphology. The activation energy for hemolysis is 80 kcal/mole; this value is characteristic of protein denaturation and enzyme inactivation suggesting that these processes contribute to hemolysis at these high temperatures. c) Between 38 and 45°C the energy of activation is 29 kcal/mole, indicating that a fundamentally different process than protein inactivation is responsible for hemolysis at these relatively low temperatures. A mechanism based on the concept of the critical bilayer assembly temperature of cell membranes (N.L. Gershfeld,Biophys. J. 50:457–461, 1986) accounts for hemolysis at these relatively mild temperatures: The unilamellar state of the membrane is stable at 37°C, but is transformed to a multibilayer when the temperature is raised; hemolysis results because formation of the multibilayer requires exposing lipid-free areas of the erythrocyte surface. An analysis of the activation energy for hemolysis is presented that is consistent with the proposed unilamellar-multibilayer transformation.
Foreign Language Teachers and the "New" Student: A Review Article.

T RADITIONALLY the Northeast Conference has been spearheading foreign language education in America. Yet fast moving events and quickly shifting values can overtake even the most aggressive organization. Proof of this is in the 1970 Reports' which embody our profession's first massive response to the "new student." However, reacting to trends rather than creating them may represent just a transitory stage. The emergence of the "new student," the possible danger of sinking enrollments, the sudden oversupply of teachers in certain areas and the theoretical and pragmatic counterthrusts against "audiolingualism" are phenomena that could be studied, understood, and interpreted with a view towards an intelligent reassessment of our educational goals and professional strategies. The issues thus raised are so crucial that these Reports deserve comment exceeding the bounds of the average book review. It may be fair to say that, on the whole, the Northeast Conference has, somewhat ' contrecceur, accepted its share of responsibility for the needed reassessment. On the premise that "to know is to master," WORKING COMMITTEE I offers in its Report a model "Foreign Language Attitude Questionnaire (15-30) which was developed by Leon A. Jakobovits of the Center for Comparative Psycholinguistics, University of Illinois. This questionnaire can be administered to students who have taken a foreign language (Form S1) as well as to those who have not (Form S,). It is expertly designed, and simple to administer and evaluate with the help of the guide published in the Report. Teachers now have an effective means of eliciting information about their students' foreign language backgrounds, the factors which may influence their choice of foreign languages, their preferences for the various language skills, their reactions to specific aspects of the instructional process, their interest in and possible motivation for foreign language study and their personal involvement in it (including possible symptoms of anomie). The Committee invites teachers and school systems to reproduce the questionnaire for their own use without charge, with the only request that users communicate local results to the Committee. The questionnaire will no doubt be widely administered and further refined in use. It could generate within the next two years a better understanding of the "new student."2 Meanwhile, the Conference has refrained from trying to define the "new" student, beyond as-
Synergistic effect of cortisol and HIV-1 envelope peptide on the NK activities of normal lymphocytes.

In order to examine the potential role of stress hormones and circulating HIV-1-derived products in the progression of HIV infections, we developed an in vitro model system that investigates the effects of cortisol and HIV soluble gene products on the natural killer cell activity of normal lymphocytes. The system employs a 4-h 51Cr release assay and K562- and LAV-infected 8E5/LAV target cells. Direct addition of cortisol at 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 μg/ml or the HIV recombinant peptide, env-gag, at 1, 10, and 50 ng/ml separately to the mixture of effector and prelabeled target cells did not produce any significant immunoregulatory effects on NK cell activity against either target. However, cortisol or env-gag at concentrations that did not produce any inhibitory effect on NK activity when used separately, manifested significant inhibitory effects when added in combination. Suppression was evident at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml of env-gag and 0.05 μg/ml of cortisol and was observed at different effector:target cell ratios. Suppression was not caused by nonspecific toxicity of cortisol or HIV peptides when added in combination to the effector cells nor was due to decreased susceptibility of targets to lysis by effector cells. A non-HIV viral antigen (Rubeola virus) and another HIV-1 envelope-derived sequence (env 578-608 aa) were used as controls separately or in combination with cortisol and did not produce significant inhibition thus demonstrating the specificity of env-gag-induced inhibition. The synergistic inhibitory effect of cortisol-and HIV-derived soluble products in patients with HIV infections are consistent with a model that proposes that stress and circulating HIV-1-derived products may be involved in the progression of HIV infections.
Technical issues in measuring scholastic improvement due to compensatory education programs

Abstract Evaluation studies which require measurement of the effect of an intervention have been plagued by problems due to the effect of regression to the mean. In this paper, we review some of the efforts made to overcome problems due to this phenomenon in the evaluation of compensatory programs for reading and mathematics. We report on a study of Chapter 1 projects in the School District of Philadelphia where a new index of performance was created to overcome the effects of regression to the mean.
Touring a dental clinic in Volgograd, USSR.

Dr. Wolf was given a brief tour of a dental clinic in Volgograd, during a trip to the Soviet Union in July 1974.
Defect-based analog fault coverage analysis using mixed-mode fault simulation

A fault coverage analysis has become an important tool to evaluate the testability of developing circuits and to come up with an effective test plan. However, the fault coverage analysis of analog circuits has not gained much attention due to the long fault simulation time and the absence of widely accepted fault models. This paper presents an efficient framework for the analog fault coverage analysis to provide repeatable and predictable analog test metrics. The presented method uses a defect-based analysis method in which faults are modeled at a transistor-level to examine faulty behavior in a structural way. In order to conduct the defect-based fault simulation in a manageable time, we develop a mixed-mode fault simulation how which uses both behavioral-level HDL (Hardware Description Language) model and transistor-level SPICE model simultaneously. Also, the information of transistor geometry is used in the analysis to reflect the different defect probabilities of transistors of various sizes. Our method was applied to a full-chip level fault analysis of a commercial mixed-signal IP, and the analysis result shows a good correlation with an actual post-silicon test data.
Application of the footing effect in the micromachining of self-aligned, free-standing, complimentary metal–oxide–semiconductor compatible structures

The footing or notching effect is observed when silicon or polysilicon layers on buried dielectric films are overetched during dry processing. This effect is considered an undesirable feature for most applications, even though it is usually negligible in conventional reactive ion etching of submicron features due to the low current fluxes and small dimensions. However, the etching of wide trenches (several microns or more) using newer high density plasma etchers, can exhibit a notching effect that extends laterally a few microns. The minimization and suppression of notching depends on achieving a balance between the deposition of passivating films and silicon etching. Therefore, we review the dependence of the footing effect on etching conditions in a time multiplexed deep etcher. The microfabrication of cantilevered structures using the footing effect is demonstrated by the micromachining of self-aligned, released electrostatic actuators. Silicon etching, structure release and sidewall passivation or die...
Green chemical synthesis of 2-benzenesulfonyl-pyridine and related derivatives

A practical synthesis of 2-benzenesulfonylpyridine, 1, is described which is a key starting material for the manufacture of an investigational new drug candidate at Eli Lilly and Company. An optimized green chemical process was developed which features a novel tandem SNAr/oxidation under mild conditions to produce the target sulfone, 1, in 86% yield and>99% purity. In addition, this novel, environmentally friendly methodology was found to be general for the synthesis of substituted aromatic pyridyl sulfides and sulfones.
Nonlinear theory of the broadening of low frequency spectra of magneto plasmas

Abstract A nonlinear theory is described for the marked spectral broadening observed for low frequency waves. This theory is based on the frequency degeneracy of such waves. This degeneracy is split by nonlinearities, and this frequency splitting leads to broadening - consistent with some experiments.
Developmental pattern of cAMP, adenyl cyclase, and cAMP phosphodiesterase in the palate, lung, and liver of the fetal mouse: Alterations resulting from exposure to methylmercury at levels inhibiting palate closure

Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg: 10 mg Hg/kg maternal body weight) on 12(6) (days hours) of gestation significantly delays palate closure in the Swiss Webster CFW mouse. The cAMP content and activity of adenyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase (PDE) were measured in the tissues of control and MeHg-induced cleft palates between 13(6) and 17(6) of gestation. Lung and liver were investigated similarly to determine if MeHg affected the adenyl cyclase system of the palate in a unique manner. In control palatal tissue, cAMP levels increased sharply from 13(22) (undetectable) to 14(6) (maximum). PDE activity increased similarly up to 14(2), but decreased 50% between 14(2) and 14(6). Since it has been reported that cAMP induces the synthesis of PDE, the difference in cAMP/PDE from 13(22) to 14(2) and from 14(2) to 14(6) suggests the localization of relatively high levels of cAMP in at least two separate compartments. Between 14(6) and 14(10), the adenyl cyclase activity of control palates decreased significantly. This rapid decrease suggests relatively high adenyl cyclase activity in the medial edge epithelial cells which undergo autolysis prior to shelf fusion (centered at 14(15). Maternal MeHg administration at 12(6) delayed the median time of palatal shelf rotation (14(13)) by 5 hours, and significantly altered the developmental pattern of the adenyl cyclase system. Thus, the increase in cAMP between 14(2) and 14(6) was abolished and the decrease in adenyl cyclase activity between 14(6) and 14(10) was delayed by almost 20 hours. These changes may be manifestions of a MeHg-induced delay in medial edge epithelial cell differentiation. In a previous study, we observed that the fetal liver exhibits the highest MeHg concentration of all tissues. Since MeHg only slightly altered the adenyl cyclase system of the fetal liver compared to the lung and palate (in which MeHg uptake is considerably less), it may be that the effects of MeHg on palatal tissue are not due to a direct effect of MeHg on components of the adenyl cyclase system.
Nip1p Associates with 40 S Ribosomes and the Prt1p Subunit of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 3 and Is Required for Efficient Translation Initiation

Nip1p is an essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein that was identified in a screen for temperature conditional (ts) mutants exhibiting defects in nuclear transport. New results indicate that Nip1p has a primary role in translation initiation. Polysome profiles indicate that cells depleted of Nip1p and nip1-1 cells are defective in translation initiation, a conclusion that is supported by a reduced rate of protein synthesis in Nip1p-depleted cells. Nip1p cosediments with free 40 S ribosomal subunits and polysomal preinitiation complexes, but not with free or elongating 80 S ribosomes or 60 S subunits. Nip1p can be isolated in an about 670-kDa complex containing polyhistidine-tagged Prt1p, a subunit of translation initiation factor 3, by binding to Ni2+-NTA-agarose beads in a manner completely dependent on the tagged form of Prt1p. The nip1-1 ts growth defect was suppressed by the deletion of the ribosomal protein, RPL46. Also, nip1-1 mutant cells are hypersensitive to paromomycin. These results suggest that Nip1p is a subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 3 required for efficient translation initiation.
Electromagnetic simulation environment

We present a general purpose simulator that includes electromagnetic scattering tools for buried targets and standard signal processing functionality. Additional modules for genetic or gradient optimization, parallel processing, and multi-aspect target detection via Hidden Markov Models are also available. The entire library is completely scriptable for customization and web enabled for publishing results on the internet. It is also extensible so that users can add modules that address their specific need. The tool runs on both Unix and Windows platforms and includes graphic modules for plotting results and images as well as three-dimensional visualization capabilities for displaying target meshes, currents, and scattered fields. Electromagnetic scattering is calculated via either the Method of Moments (MoM) for arbitrarily shaped three-dimensional perfectly electric conducting (PECs) or dielectric targets above or embedded within a lossy half space. The code uses the combined-field integral equations with the rigorous half-space dyadic Green's function computed via the method of complex images. The simulator offers coarsely parallel capabilities for distributing individual frequencies across a cluster of workstations with near linear speed-up.
The effect of distribution of trials upon the habituation of tonic immobility in the tarantula, Aphonopelma californica

Three groups of four tarantulas, A. californica, were examined for the effect of distribution of trials on the duration and induction frequency of tonic immobility. Group 1 received 12 trials/day for 2 days, Group 2 received 4 trials/day for 6 days, and Group 3 received 1 trial/day for 24 days. The differences between the three groups with respect to mean number of induction trials were not significant. However, the differences between the mean log duration times for the three groups were significant (H = 7.9, p < .02), indicating that the greater the distribution of trials, the greater the degree of habituation.
Room-temperature oxidation of Ni, Pd, and Pt silicides

The room‐temperature oxidation of Ni, Pd, and Pt silicides has been studied using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. It has been found that (1) Si atoms oxidize predominantly, (2) the oxidation of Si is enhanced in the metal‐rich silicides, and (3) the growth of the surface oxide layer leaves behind a phase enriched with metal.
Phase I trial of hydroxychloroquine with dose-intense temozolomide in patients with advanced solid tumors and melanoma

Blocking autophagy with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) augments cell death associated with alkylating chemotherapy in preclinical models. This phase I study evaluated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, preliminary activity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of HCQ in combination with dose-intense temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with advanced solid malignancies. Forty patients (73% metastatic melanoma) were treated with oral HCQ 200 to 1200 mg daily with dose-intense oral TMZ 150 mg/m2 daily for 7/14 d. This combination was well tolerated with no recurrent dose-limiting toxicities observed. An MTD was not reached for HCQ and the recommended phase II dose was HCQ 600 mg twice daily combined with dose-intense TMZ. Common toxicities included grade 2 fatigue (55%), anorexia (28%), nausea (48%), constipation (20%), and diarrhea (20%). Partial responses and stable disease were observed in 3/22 (14%) and 6/22 (27%) patients with metastatic melanoma. In the final dose cohort 2/6 patients with refractory BRAF ...
Therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for cutaneous wound healing

Despite advances in wound care, many wounds never heal and become chronic problems that result in significant morbidity and mortality to the patient. Cellular therapy for cutaneous wounds has recently come under investigation as a potential treatment modality for impaired wound healing. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising source of adult progenitor cells for cytotherapy as they are easy to isolate and expand and have been shown to differentiate into various cell lineages. Early studies have demonstrated that MSCs may enhance epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, and neovascularization resulting in accelerated wound closure. It is currently unclear if these effects are mediated through cellular differentiation or by secretion of cytokines and growth factors. This review discusses the proposed biological contributions of MSCs to cutaneous repair and their clinical potential in cell-based therapies.
VISCOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WHOLE SOYBEAN MILK

The rheological behavior of unflavored, whole soybean milk was evaluated. The standard University of Illinois beverage was adequately described by the general power law equation. The soy milk displayed pseudoplastic flow behavior and was mildly thixotropic. The consistency coefficient of the soy beverage decreased with increasing temperature but the flow behavior index was unaltered at higher temperatures. At higher solids levels the apparent viscosity and degree of pseudoplasticity of the beverage increased. Inclusion of soybean hulls in the beverage caused higher apparent viscosity than observed in beverages made from dehulled cotyledons. The doubly homogenized beverage had lower apparent viscosity and greater adherence to Newtonian behavior than the singly homogenized beverage. Beverages prepared from cotyledons blanched in 0.25% NaHCO3 had higher apparent viscosities and were more pseudoplastic than beverages prepared from cotyledons blanched in an acid solution or in tap water.
Limited benefit of atropine as premedication for colonoscopy

A prospective double-blind trial was performed comparing atropine (0.5 mg) by slow intravenous administration to placebo as premedication for colonoscopy, to assess the possible beneficial effects of this vagolytic agent on the performance and safety of the procedure. A total of 77 patients was randomly assigned to receive atropine (38 patients) or placebo (39 patients) before colonoscopy in conjunction with our standard initial medications for conscious sedation (meperidine, 0.4 mg/kg and midazolam, 0.03 mg/kg). Total procedure time was 31 min for the atropine group and 35 min for the placebo group (p greater than 0.05), and there was no overall difference in the total amount of intra-procedural medications required. No statistically significant differences were observed relative to the number or severity of vagal episodes, and neither the endoscopist nor the patients noted any differences in the ease or tolerance of the procedure (p greater than 0.05). Although these results fail to demonstrate a significant benefit of atropine when given routinely as premedication for colonoscopy, this study does not rule out the potential usefulness of atropine in counteracting vagal episodes when they occur.
Orthogonal-rotating tetrahedral scanning for cone-beam CT

In this article, a cone-beam CT scanning mode is designed assuming four x-ray sources and a spherical sample. The x-ray sources are mounted at the vertices of a regular tetrahedron. On the circumsphere of the tetrahedron, four detection panels are mounted opposite to each vertex. To avoid x-ray interference, the largest half angle of each x-ray cone beam is 27°22', while the radius of the largest ball fully covered by all the cone beams is 0.460, when the radius of the circumsphere is 1. Several scanning schemes are proposed which consist of two rotations about orthogonal axes, such that each quarter turn provides sufficient data for theoretically exact and stable reconstruction. This design can be used in biomedical or industrial settings, such as when a sequence of reconstructions of an object is desired. Similar scanning schemes based on other regular or irregular polyhedra and various rotation speeds are also discussed.
Big data privacy and security challenges

The ability to collect and organize large data sets has proven to be transformational: instead of just a linear improvement of older techniques, the ability to effectively process huge amounts of information creates radically new abilities and opportunities. Unfortunately, these abilities come with new security, privacy and legal risks: privacy that was previously protected only by the fact that data gathering was difficult can now be trivially violated. This talk will describe research challenges that arise in this field.
The Pace of Cultural Evolution

Today, humans inhabit most of the world’s terrestrial habitats. This observation has been explained by the fact that we possess a secondary inheritance mechanism, culture, in addition to a genetic system. Because it is assumed that cultural evolution occurs faster than biological evolution, humans can adapt to new ecosystems more rapidly than other animals. This assumption, however, has never been tested empirically. Here, I compare rates of change in human technologies to rates of change in animal morphologies. I find that rates of cultural evolution are inversely correlated with the time interval over which they are measured, which is similar to what is known for biological rates. This correlation explains why the pace of cultural evolution appears faster when measured over recent time periods, where time intervals are often shorter. Controlling for the correlation between rates and time intervals, I show that (1) cultural evolution is faster than biological evolution; (2) this effect holds true even when the generation time of species is controlled for; and (3) culture allows us to evolve over short time scales, which are normally accessible only to short-lived species, while at the same time allowing for us to enjoy the benefits of having a long life history.
Influence of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on striatonigral dynorphin system: a study with deprenyl and clorgyline.

Abstract This study examined the influence of selected monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors on basal ganglia neurotransmitter (dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine) and neuropeptide (dynorphin) systems of Sprague-Dawley rats. The striatum or substantia nigra or both were used for biochemical determinations. The striatal concentrations of DA, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and their metabolites were determined by HPLC. The levels of striatal and nigral dynorphin A (1–8) (DYN) were determined by radioimmunoassay. The abundance of striatal prodynorphin (PD) mRNA was determined by Northern blot analysis using a cRNA probe. Deprenyl, a MAO-B selective inhibitor (0.25, 0.5, 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously (s.c.) for 4 d) and clorgyline, a MAO-A inhibitor (0.5, 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg/day, s.c. for 4 d) produced a dose-related increase in DA and 5-HT and a decrease in their metabolites in the striatum. Only high doses (20 mg/kg) of deprenyl or clorgyline induced an increase in DYN levels in the striatum and substantia nigra (DYN terminal region); the increased level of DYN was accompanied by an increase in PD-mRNA levels in striatum (DYN cell-body region). Co-administration of low doses (2.5 mg/kg/day, s.c. for 4 d) of deprenyl and clorgyline, that would selectively inhibit MAO-B and MAO-A respectively, produced a marked increase in DA and 5-HT, a decrease in DOPAC and 5-HIAA, an increase in DYN levels in the striatum and substantia nigra and an increase in PD-mRNA levels in the striatum. The results indicate that concurrent inhibition of MAO-B and MAO-A, that results in markedly elevated levels of DA and 5-HT in the striatum, is associated with an increase in dynorphin biosynthesis in the striatonigral neurons.
Diffuse attenuation in optically-shallow water : effects of bottom reflectance

It is well-known that in the ocean, where the depth of the ocean floor is large compared with the attenuation length of irradiance, the diffuse attenuation coefficients for vector and scalar irradiance (K-functions) are not affected by the optical properties or proximity of the ocean floor. This is the case of an optically deep ocean where the attenuation coefficients are determined solely by the inherent optical properties of the water and the distribution of radiance. Since, within optical-deep water, variability in the K- functions due to radiance distribution are small relative to the effects of the inherent optical properties of water, K- functions have been treated as quasi-inherent optical properties. Furthermore, when the depth of the ocean floor is shallow enough so that it becomes illuminated by down- welling irradiance, i.e. when the ocean is optically shallow, the in-water light field is modified by the optical properties of the ocean floor. The effect decreases with increasing depth and distance from the ocean floor. It is not generally appreciated, however, that the associated K- functions will also be affected by both the optical properties and the proximity of the ocean floor and, therefore, cannot be treated as quasi-inherent optical properties. If these effects are neglected, large errors, exceeding 25 percent in some cases, can result from modeling the optically shallow scalar irradiance profile as a function of a constant diffuse attenuation coefficient.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Chemoreceptors of adult Mexican bean beetles: External morphology and role in food preference

The Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant (Coleoptera; Coccinellidae), is an oligophagous insect that accepts leaves of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, as food but exhibits distinct preferences among varieties. It is believed that the basis for discrimination between the resistant PI 229358 and the susceptible cv. ‘Williams’ is chemical. By the ablation of chemosensilla on antennae, maxillary palpi, labial palpi, and foretarsi, followed with leaf disc preference tests, we found antennal and maxillary palp chemosensilla to be almost entirely responsible for Mexican bean beetles' discrimination between foliage of the resistant and susceptible genotypes. All appendages, and the epipharynx, were observed by scanning electron microscopy and, except for foretarsi, were found to bear several types of presumably olfactory and gustatory sensilla, which are figured and described. Since behavioral observations show that olfaction is usually sufficient to cause rejection of PI 229358, we conclude that olfactory sensilla mainly on antennae and maxillary palpi are critical in food discrimination in this system. RESUME Chimiorecepteurs d' Epilachna varivestis adultes: Structures et importance dans la selection des aliments E. varivestis Mulsant, insecte oligophage, accepte les feuilles de Glycine max (L.) Merrill (soja) comme aliment, mais presente des preferences marquees parmi les varietes. On considere que l'origine de la discrimination entre le cultivar sensible ‘Williams’ et PI 229358 resistant, est chimique. Des experiences de choix avec des rondelles de feuilles, apres ablation des sensilles chimiques des antennes et des palpes maxillaires et labiaux, et des tarses anterieurs, ont montre que les sensilles chimiques etaient presque entierement responsables de la discrimination entre les feuillages de genotypes resistant et sensible. Tous les appendices ont ete observes au microscope a balayage, et, a l'exception des tarses anterieurs, ils portaient plusieurs types de sensilles gustatives et olfactives, qui ont ete representees et decrites. Puisque les observations comportementales montrent que l'olfaction est normalement suffisante pour provoquer le rejet de PI 229358, nous concluons que les sensilles olfactives des antennes et des palpes maxillaires jouent un role crucial dans le choix de l'aliment.
Diagnostic imaging of ventricular septal defect

Abstract Ventricular septal defect is a common congenital cardiac anomaly, occurring in isolation or as part of more complex defects. Angiography was the sole means of detecting and localizing ventricular septal defects in the living patient until the 1980s. Angled angiographic views were developed to display all parts of the complex interventricular septum. In the early 1980s, echocardiography had developed sufficiently to provide accurate detection and localization of ventricular septal defects. The advent of sensitive Doppler color flow mapping boosted the diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of cardiac ultrasound for ventricular septal defects and other anomalies. By the early 1990s, several studies had shown that echocardiography with Doppler color flow mapping has a sensitivity and specificity for detecting ventricular septal defects similar to angiography, even for multiple defects in the presence of equal pressures in the two ventricles. Magnetic resonance imaging has also been used to detect ventricular septal defects. This review presents a summary of the angiographic, echocardiographic and magnetic resonance views and projections used to demonstrate ventricular septal defects of various types. Emphasis is given to echocardiography because it has become the primary diagnostic modality for ventricular septal defects and congenital heart defects in general. Currently, most large centers for childhood heart disease in the United States undertake infant repair of ventricular septal defect, and most other congenital heart defects in which a two-ventricle repair can be accomplished, on the basis of echocardiography and Doppler color flow mapping without cardiac catheterization and angiography.
Determination of niobium in rocks, ores and alloys by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry.

Abstract Niobium, in concentrations as low as 0.02% Nb2O5, is determined in a variety of materials without separation or enrichment. Chemical and ionization interferences are controlled, and sensitivity is increased, by maintaining the iron, aluminium, hydrofluoric acid and potassium content within certain broad concentration limits. There is close agreement with the results of analyses by emission spectrographic, electron microprobe and X-ray fluorescence methods.