cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a new class of sulforaphane-enabled self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SFN-SEDDS) by high throughput screening: A case study with curcumin.

Abstract Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) have been used as a formulation strategy to overcome the challenges in formulating poorly water soluble drugs. The objective of the present study was to report on the solubilizing capacity of sulforaphane (SFN) and its utilization to formulate SEDDS of poorly water soluble drugs. A set of 24 drugs was tested for their solubility in SFN of which Cyclosporine A, Celecoxib, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, and Curcumin were selected for subsequent SEDDS formulation development utilizing SFN as common solubilizer. SFN-SEDDS formulations were developed utilizing a step-wise screening method that enabled the selection of the most efficient surfactants and co-surfactants to yield transparent microemulsions by microscopic analysis and absorbance data. The optimized SEDDS formulation for curcumin was selected for further investigation by DSC and FTIR, and was subjected to a dissolution study where more than 95% of the drug was found to dissolve within 10 min in both simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. The physical stability of the SEDDS was also confirmed in both media when monitored at three different temperatures (4, 25 and 37 °C) up to 30 days. This study introduced a new approach to formulating SEDDS by utilizing the solubilizing capacity of SFN and introduced high throughput screening approach to formulation development and stability study.
Cross-pressures: Political

Cross-pressure theory entered the study of politics in the 1940s via the quantitative analysis of voting behavior. Primarily employed to explain how the decision-making process is affected by the presence of divergent and conflictual antecedent factors, it has since fallen into disuse. The author argues that this is because cross-pressure theory is theoretically inadequate. As long as the theory fails to take into account causal directionality, subjective reality, the strength of the cross-pressure conditions, and the valence of the conflicts, it cannot generate correct predictions of human behavior. The introduction of better measures and the adoption of the necessary theoretical revisions, however, have been shown to yield highly successful predictions.
Idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis causing obstructive jaundice in young adults: two case reports and literature review

Chronic pancreatitis is uncommon in children and adolescents. A rare syndrome of idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis has been reported in 28 patients, ages 4 months to 17 yr. We report two young adults with this syndrome who presented with obstructive jaundice. Both were seen in adult gastroenterology practice, and one is the oldest reported patient at age 20. We review the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of this disorder, which merits attention by adult gastroenterologists.
Newly recognized anticarcinogenic fatty acids.

Evidence leading to the recognition of the anticarcinogenic activity of the conjugated dienoic derivatives of linoleic acid (CLA) is reviewed. New data indicate that CLA has potent antioxidant activity. Because the c-9,t-ll CLA isomer is esterified in phospholipid, it may represent a heretofore unrecognized in situ defense mechanism against membrane attack by oxygen radicals.
Mimetic peptides, demanding enzymes and drug discovery

Thirty-six years ago, R. Bruce Merrifield published the synthesis of a tetrapeptide on a solid support [1]. Over the years that seminal paper revolutionized modern organic chemistry, leading not only to solid-phase synthesis of peptides and proteins, but also to the synthesis of DNA and RNA fragments, gene probes, and the combinatorial chemical synthesis of small organic molecules. I am deeply honored to receive the Merrifield Award, and I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my students, my colleagues, and the Merrifield Award Selection Committee for their efforts on my behalf.
How to Tax the Rich

This article reviews the menu of major options for increasing tax liabilities for the richest Americans. It concludes that a number of options that have received considerable attention and support are not viable as a practical matter — looking at actual amounts of revenue raised and taking into account administrative considerations. This includes such options as taxing capital gains as ordinary income, which according to the official budget offices would raise little revenue due to the effect on realization behavior, and annual wealth taxes or broad mark-to-market accounting, which would be extraordinarily challenging to administer. The article then goes on to identify more viable options, the most promising of which may be taxing — at least partially — unrealized gains at death or gift, but also include a number of other policies like substantially expanding transfer taxes or increasing the tax rate on ordinary income.
Does Tolerance Develop During Long-Acting Nitrate Therapy? A Critical Review

Nitroglycerin and long-acting nitrate esters are playing an increasingly wide role in medicine. These agents are effective in the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular conditions (Table 1) and are the mainstay of therapy in the medical treatment of angina pectoris. Many patients with moderately severe congestive heart failure benefit from nitrates, with reductions in left-ventricular filling pressures and maintained or increased cardiac output. During the past 5–7 years it has been shown convincingly that high-dose nitrate therapy is often necessary, particularly in heart failure or refractory angina. Many patients are now receiving nitrates in amounts that formerly would have been considered excessive, but are actually necessary to provide adequate bioavailability and sustained pharmacological activity (1, 2).
Online System Identification and Calibration of Dynamic Models for Autonomous Ground Vehicles

This paper is concerned with system identification and the calibration of parameters of dynamic models used in different robotic platforms. A constant time algorithm has been developed in order to automatically calibrate the parameters of a high-fidelity dynamical model for a robotic platform. The presented method is capable of choosing informative motion segments in order to calibrate model parameters in constant time while also calculating a confidence level on each estimated parameter. Simulations and experiments with a ⅛ th scale four wheel drive vehicle are performed to calibrate two of the parameters of test vehicle which demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the approach.
Toward Secure and Efficient Communication for the Internet of Things

Internet of Things has been widely applied in everyday life, ranging from transportation and healthcare to smart homes. As most IoT devices carry constrained resources and limited storage capacity, sensing data need to be transmitted to and stored at resource-rich platforms, such as a cloud. IoT applications need to retrieve sensing data from the cloud for analysis and decision-making purposes. Ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the sensing data is essential for the correctness and safety of IoT applications. We summarize the new challenges of the IoT data communication with authenticity and integrity and argue that existing solutions cannot be easily adopted to resource-constraint IoT devices. We present two solutions called dynamic tree chaining and geometric star chaining that provide efficient and secure communication for the Internet of Things. Extensive simulations and prototype emulation experiments driven by real IoT data show that the proposed system is more efficient than alternative solutions in terms of time and space.
The 1984-1985 Taulbee survey

Presented here is the Computer Science Board's survey on the production and employment of Ph.D.'s and faculty in computer science and engineering.
Prospective randomized investigation of topical anesthesia during unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses.

Objective To compare pain-related responses in mares receiving topical or injected anesthesia of the ovarian pedicle prior to standing unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy. Study design Prospective randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study. Animals Fifteen healthy research mares. Methods Mares were restrained in stocks and administered sedation. A right or left paralumbar ovariectomy was performed by using a laparoscopic portal and two instrument portals. Mares were divided into two treatment groups, and equal volumes of mepivacaine anesthesia were administered either topically (n = 8) or by injection into the ovarian pedicle (n = 7). Saline controls were simultaneously administered topically (n = 7) or by injection (n = 8), and surgeons were blinded to the treatment group. Ovarian removal was performed with traumatic forceps and a blunt tip vessel sealer and divider. Pain responses were measured by operative visual analog scale (VAS) scoring and perioperative serum cortisol response. Visual analog scale and serum cortisol were compared between groups by using Mann-Whitney testing. Serum cortisol concentrations were evaluated using repeated-measures one-way analysis of variance. Results Ovaries were removed in all mares by using the described technique without operative complications. Quantity of sedation required to complete the procedure, operative VAS scores, and perioperative cortisol concentrations did not differ between treatment groups. Conclusion Application of topical mepivacaine to the ovary provided intraoperative analgesia similar to injection of the ovarian pedicle when performing unilateral standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares. Clinical significance Topical anesthesia application to the ovary could provide an alternative to laparoscopic needle use, reducing the risk of inadvertent trauma to the pedicle or other visceral organs during laparoscopic ovariectomy.
Retention Strategies in Working With Justice-Involved Women:

Research-based findings with vulnerable populations are strengthened by strong retention rates at the time of postintervention data collection. Women in the criminal justice system face a variety o...
Disparities in breast cancer among 236,101 patients in Florida

10790 Background: For minorities with breast cancer, access to healthcare has been an issue. A number of studies have reported racial differences in the pattern of care for women with breast cancer...
Specificity of Childhood Trauma Type and Attenuated Positive Symptoms in a Non-Clinical Sample.

Background: Childhood traumatic experiences have been consistently associated with psychosis risk; however, the specificity of childhood trauma type to interview-based attenuated positive psychotic symptoms has not been adequately explored. Further, previous studies examining specificity of trauma to specific positive symptoms have not accounted for co-occurring trauma types, despite evidence of multiple victimization. Methods: We examined the relationship between childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) with type of attenuated positive symptom, as measured by the Structured Interview for Psychosis-risk Syndromes (SIPS) among a non-clinical, young adult sample (n = 130). Linear regressions were conducted to predict each attenuated positive symptom, with all trauma types entered into the model to control for co-occurring traumas. Results: Results indicated that childhood sexual abuse was significantly associated with disorganized communication and childhood emotional neglect was significantly associated with increased suspiciousness/persecutory ideas, above and beyond the effect of other co-occurring traumas. These relationships were significant even after removing individuals at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis (n = 14). Conclusions: Our results suggest that there are differential influences of trauma type on specific positive symptom domains, even in a non-clinical sample. Our results also confirm the importance of controlling for co-occurring trauma types, as results differ when not controlling for multiple traumas.
Greater cognitive and motor impairment predicts dependence after stroke

Date Presented 04/05/19 Identifying factors early in the rehabilitation process that predict the inability to return home independently after stroke may better inform treatment decisions. Therefore, we performed a secondary analysis to examine demographic, medical, and cognitive factors that might predict nonresponse during inpatient rehabilitation. Using a backward stepwise logistic regression, we found that the variables most strongly correlated with dependence were cognitive impairment and motor impairment. Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah Walker Contributing Authors: Elizabeth Skidmore, Lauren Terhorst
Novel approaches for efficient in vivo fermentation production of noncoding RNAs

Genome-derived noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), play an essential role in the control of target gene expression underlying various cellular processes, and dysregulation of ncRNAs is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases in virtually all species including humans. Understanding ncRNA biology has opened new avenues to develop novel RNA-based therapeutics. Presently, ncRNA research and drug development is dominated by the use of ncRNA mimics that are synthesized chemically in vitro and supplemented with extensive and various types of artificial modifications and thus may not necessarily recapitulate the properties of natural RNAs generated and folded in living cells in vivo. Therefore, there are growing interests in developing novel technologies for in vivo production of RNA molecules. The two most recent major breakthroughs in achieving an efficient, large-scale, and cost-effective fermentation production of recombinant or bioengineered RNAs (e.g., tens of milligrams from 1 L of bacterial culture) are (1) using stable RNA carriers and (2) direct overexpression in RNase III-deficient bacteria, while other approaches offer a low yield (e.g., nano- to microgram scales per liter). In this article, we highlight these novel microbial fermentation-based technologies that have shifted the paradigm to the production of true biological ncRNA molecules for research and development.
Transmission of influenza A virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus using a novel nurse sow model: a proof of concept

The mechanisms of transmission of influenza A virus (IAV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in pigs during the pre-weaning period are not fully elucidated. Since viable IAV and PRRSV can be found on the udder skin of lactating sows and the use of nurse sows is a common management practice, we developed a novel nurse sow model to evaluate the transmission of IAV and PRRSV from lactating sows to their adopted piglets. In two studies, we infected pigs with either IAV or PRRSV who then contaminated the udder skin of lactating dams with their nasal and oral secretions while suckling. Once the skin was confirmed virus positive for IAV and PRRSV, the sows were moved to separate empty clean rooms to adopt IAV and PRRSV negative suckling piglets. After adoption, 1 out of eight (12.5%) piglets tested IAV positive 1-day post-adoption (dpa) and the entire litter (8 out of 8) became positive by 4 dpa. In the case of PRRSV, 3 out of 11 (27.3%) pigs tested rRT-PCR positive 2 dpa and there were 7 out of 11 (63.6%) pigs positive at the termination of the study at 7 dpa. This study documented the transmission of IAV and PRRSV between litters of piglets by nurse sows and highlights the importance of the nurse sow-piglet as a unit that contributes to the maintenance of endemic infections in breeding herds. The use of nurse sows in pig farms, though beneficial for minimizing pre-weaning mortality and maximizing farm productivity, is seemingly detrimental as this practice may facilitate the transmission of IAV and PRRSV to piglets prior to weaning.
Commerce, Capital, Consumption

Seventeenth-century troubles spared no form of commerce, though intercontinental trade was least afflicted and for the shortest time. Already in the 1640s Asian routes began to recover, Atlantic a decade later. By about 1700 revival was general, including within Europe. Established products were central to renascent trade. Many, however, now came from new areas: the Caribbean replaced Brazil as premier sugar supplier, while Brazil became the world’s preeminent source of gold; Scotland, Ireland, and Silesia turned into important linens exporters. Novel items (such as potatoes, maize, tomatoes, and cotton textiles) were introduced or metamorphosed from curiosity to commonplace.
13 – Thermoplastic Elastomers

Publisher Summary Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are a rapidly growing segment of polymer manufacturing. The primary advantage of TPE over conventional rubber is the ease of processing, the wide variety of properties available, and the possibility of recycling and reuse. To qualify as a thermoplastic elastomer, a material must have three essential characteristics: the ability to be stretched to moderate elongations and, upon the removal of stress, return to something close to its original shape; processable as a melt at elevated temperature; and absence of significant creep. Most TPEs have certain similar structural characteristics. The comonomers typically have long runs, making the material a block copolymer. The comonomers are almost always dissimilar, leading to microphase separation on a nanometer length scale, which means these materials are properly termed nanomaterials. This chapter is concerned with the TPE morphology, as the morphology determines their physical and mechanical properties. It illustrates specific examples of the effect of structure on the physical properties. It also discusses the thermodynamics of phase separation, which includes detailed discussions on morphology as well as thermal behavior. This chapter also studies the rheology and processing of these materials. It closes with some applications for thermoplastic elastomers.
Response to Comment on Lee et al. The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Diabetes Management. Diabetes Care 2020;43:1094-1101.

We welcome the letter by Chen and Parikh (1) sharing their perspective on our study (2) and presenting their recent work on the association of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion with dilated eye exams (3). Joint efforts by providers and patients are vital for successful diabetes management, and the ACA Medicaid expansion could expand the utilization of routine checkups for diabetes care. Through increased access to medical providers and increased attention to self-monitoring behaviors, we believe that the ACA could be leading to important improvements in diabetes management (4). In response to the integrated diabetes management strategy, our research identified diabetes care activities led by providers, such as doctor visits, …
Verbal Behaviors of Instrumental Music Teachers in Secondary Classrooms: A Review of Literature:

The purpose of this article was to review and synthesize research literature on the verbal behaviors of secondary school band and orchestra teachers in their classrooms. A comprehensive search of f...
The Year in Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2019

Abstract This special article is the third in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia that is specifically dedicated to highlights in vascular anesthesiology. This review includes several updates in the perioperative optimization of vascular surgery patients. The first section provides an overview and updated outcomes for a novel endovascular procedure to treat carotid vascular disease. The second section summarizes recent long-term outcomes for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair recently released from the original landmark trials comparing endovascular and open repair. The third and final section is an update on acute kidney injury in vascular surgery. The themes selected for this special article are only a small sample of the advances in the specialty during 2019 but reflect important advances for patients with cardiovascular disease requiring vascular surgery.
Very low birth weight infants receive full enteral nutrition within 2 postnatal weeks.

OBJECTIVE Identify whether an enteral nutrition goal of reaching full feeds by 7 postnatal days for infants 1-1.5 kg and by 14 postnatal days for infants <1 kg was feasible and its associated outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Very low birth weight infant cohort admitted in the first postnatal day and categorized as either Epoch 1 or Epoch 2, 12 months before and after implementation of a revised feeding protocol were compared. RESULT In Epoch 2, 83% infants born 1-1.5 kg and 77% infants born <1 kg reached full feeds by 7 and 14 days compared to 26% and 25%, respectively in Epoch 1 (p < 0.0001). Central line and parental nutrition days were significantly lower in Epoch 2 compared to Epoch 1 with sustained and potentially improved infant growth. CONCLUSION An evidence-based advancement feeding protocol was associated with achieving full feeds within the first 2 postnatal weeks for very low birth weight infants.
A perceptual pathway for voicing-conditioned vowel duration

When codas and vowels are cross-spliced, vowels originally produced with voiced codas are perceived as longer than vowels of the same duration produced with voiceless codas. The spliced coda has the opposite effect: Vowels presented with voiced codas are perceived as shorter. To explain what characteristics make vowels produced with voiced codas sound longer than vowels produced with voiceless codas, four experiments tested how acoustic correlates of voicing affect English speakers’ perception of vowel duration. Vowels were manipulated in a ten-step duration continuum, and listeners categorized each vowel as ‘long’ or ‘short.’ Study 1 tested effects of vowel height categories (/ae, e, ɪ/) and within-category F1. Study 2 tested effects of intensity contour. Study 3 tested effects of spectral tilt. Perceived vowel duration increased with vowel height and rising intensity. Perceived vowel duration decreased with falling intensity and with higher spectral tilt. There was no effect of within-category F1. Study 4 confirmed that the effect of the original coda environment is not specific to English stimuli. The effects of spectral tilt and intensity contour on perceived duration provide a possible perceptual pathway for the development of voicing-conditioned vowel duration; coda voicing influences these characteristics and they in turn influence perceived vowel duration.
The Partisanship of Bipartisanship: How Representatives Use Bipartisan Assertions to Cultivate Support

How do representatives reconcile public expectations of bipartisan lawmaking with the lack of compromise in recent congresses? Representatives—constrained by the actual content of legislation—position partisan legislation to increase public support. Because constituents reward this behavior, representatives reap the rewards associated with bipartisanship through rhetoric alone, providing little incentive to engage in actual substantive compromise. With 434,266 floor speeches I show that bipartisanship is evoked uniformly across the ideological spectrum and that there is no relationship between a legislator's propensity for bipartisan rhetoric and her propensity for bipartisan action. Instead marginal legislators who need to secure support from opposition voters are most likely to make bipartisan appeals. With experiments I show that bipartisan appeals increase support and decrease perceived ideological extremity even for overtly partisan legislation with trivial opposition support. Bipartisan assertions influence public opinion far more than actual evidence of opposition support.
Deep Learning Artificial Intelligence Model for Assessment of Hip Dislocation Risk Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty From Postoperative Radiographs

Abstract Background Dislocation is a common complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA), and accounts for a high percentage of subsequent revisions. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the potential of a convolutional neural network model to assess the risk of hip dislocation based on postoperative anteroposterior pelvis radiographs. Methods We retrospectively evaluated radiographs for a cohort of 13,970 primary THAs with 374 dislocations over 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1490 radiographs from dislocated and 91,094 from non-dislocated THAs were included in the analysis. A convolutional neural network object detection model (YOLO-V3) was trained to crop the images by centering on the femoral head. A ResNet18 classifier was trained to predict subsequent hip dislocation from the cropped imaging. The ResNet18 classifier was initialized with ImageNet weights and trained using FastAI (V1.0) running on PyTorch. The training was run for 15 epochs using 10-fold cross validation, data oversampling, and augmentation. Results The hip dislocation classifier achieved the following mean performance (standard deviation): accuracy = 49.5 (4.1%), sensitivity = 89.0 (2.2%), specificity = 48.8 (4.2%), positive predictive value = 3.3 (0.3%), negative predictive value = 99.5 (0.1%), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 76.7 (3.6%). Saliency maps demonstrated that the model placed the greatest emphasis on the femoral head and acetabular component. Conclusion Existing prediction methods fail to identify patients at high risk of dislocation following THA. Our radiographic classifier model has high sensitivity and negative predictive value, and can be combined with clinical risk factor information for rapid assessment of risk for dislocation following THA. The model further suggests radiographic locations which may be important in understanding the etiology of prosthesis dislocation. Importantly, our model is an illustration of the potential of automated imaging artificial intelligence models in orthopedics. Level of Evidence Level III.
Development of Thermoplastic Composite Reinforced Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Panels for Impact Resistance.

In order to improve flexural and impact performance, thin panels of steel fiber-reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) were further reinforced with external layers of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites. CFRTP sheets were bonded to 305 × 305 × 12 mm UHPC panels using two different techniques. First, unidirectional E-glass fiber-reinforced tapes of polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG) were arranged in layers and fused to the UHPC panels through thermoforming. Second, E-glass fiber woven fabrics were placed on the panel faces and bonded by vacuum infusion with a methyl methacrylate (MAA) polymer. Specimens were cut into four 150 mm square panels for quasi-static and low-velocity impact testing in which loads were applied at the panel centers. Under quasi-static loading, both types of thermoplastic composite reinforcements led to a 150–180% increase in both peak load capacity and toughness. Impact performance was measured in terms of both residual deformation and change in specimen compliance, and CFRTP additions were reduced both by 80% to 95%, indicating an increase in damage resistance. While both reinforcement fabrication techniques provided added performance, the thermoforming method was preferable due to its simplicity and fewer specialized tool requirements.
The Goals of Class Actions

Class actions for monetary relief have long been the subject of intense legal and political debate. The stakes are now higher than ever. Contractual agreements requiring arbitration are proliferating, limiting the availability of class actions. In Congress, legislative proposals related to class actions are mired in partisan division. Democrats would roll back mandatory arbitration agreements, while Republicans would weaken class actions further. This Note explains that many of the battles over class actions for monetary relief can be understood as disagreements over what goals class actions are supposed to serve. It examines two broad justifications for class actions: efficiency and representation. It then offers a taxonomy of the goals of class actions. The efficiency justification is associated with the goals of compensation and monetary deterrence; the representation justification is associated with the goals of providing access to justice and shaping laws and norms. An analysis of recent legislative proposals demonstrates that congressional Republicans prioritize the goal of compensation while congressional Democrats prioritize both representational goals. This Note argues that the goals of class actions can be reconciled. It offers a framework for distinguishing between those class actions that are supposed to serve efficiency goals and those class actions that are supposed to serve representation goals. This framework can guide courts toward a more expansive understanding of the policy interests behind class actions. Furthermore, this Note argues that this reconciled understanding of the goals of class actions may offer a path toward crafting legislative compromises that are reasonably compatible with the current views of both Republicans and Democrats.
Costs of forest-sector mitigation options

Carbon emissions from the forest sector are unevenly distributed across latitudes. Forests from the high- and mid-latitudes are estimated to be sequestering net C on the order of 0.70 ±0.2 Pg yr-1 (Dixon et al. 1994). The low-latitude countries, which are mostly developing nations, are the primary sources of net C emissions, estimated at 1.6 ±0.4 Pg yr-1 —a significant amount, which exceeds the net 1990 C emissions from the United States. The forest sector C emissions vary considerably amongst individual countries so that some are a net C sink (e.g., India) and others are a large net C source (e.g., Brazil) (Makundi et al. 1992).
Fuel unsaturation effects on NOx and PAH formation in spray flames

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Fu, X. and Aggarwal, S. K. Fuel unsaturation effects on NOx and PAH formation in spray flames. Fuel. 2015. 160: 1-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2015.07.075, which has been published in final form in Fuel.
The Age of Newton

In the latter half of the seventeenth century we find a sudden burst of mathematical output in western Europe. One can speculate that this phenomenon followed the developments in notational expression which occurred shortly after Kepler’s time and which permitted a much more profound understanding of many mathematical concepts. Kepler’s notational capacity was quite limited, and was probably typical of his contemporaries. However, somewhat younger men such as Descartes were already facile in notational matters, and with this facility came an understanding of functional relationships. Descartes’s La Geometrie, for example, played an important part in the developments of the second half of the century.1
RATIONAL NEURAL MODELS BASED ON INFORMATION THEORY

Rationality necessitates that the neuron must base its decisions on probability measures established on the interrogative proposition q which essentially defines the neuron as an observer and which is established during learning. This requirement is induced by the fact that probability is the only measure of degree of plausible belief which meets all logical consistency requirements. Similarly, the establishment of a probability measure by a rational neuron must entail the usage of a maximized entropy criterion since this is the only logically consistent means of doing so as based on observable information. A maximum entropy (ME) formulation can be shown to provide the basic functional form of the model neuron including synaptic weights and a sigmoidal transfer characteristic. However, this formulation requires the specification of linear constraints which are unavailable. Alternatively, a maximum mutual information (MMI) formulation is shown to be fully constrained in this regard and can make exclusive use of locally available information. Solutions take the form of the Hopfield neuron model with a requirement for Hebbian learning.
Chapter 7 Making meaning in parent-child interaction: A pragmatic approach

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the progression from the child's initial mapping of communicative intents onto utterances in early child-parent interaction, the subsequent conversations between child and parent in which parents provide contextual support for the child's increasing attempts to convey nonshared information, to the later development of extended discourse skills necessary for sustaining the task of making meaning for others autonomously. The chapter draws data from number of sources, including the New England Corpus available through the Child Language Data Exchange System, mealtime conversations collected for the Home-School Study of Language and Literacy Development, and data available from the School-Age Language and Literacy Corpus. The data from which the chapter draws includes conversations between middle-class parents and their 14–32 month olds (New England Corpus), between working class parents and their children aged three to five years (Home-School Study Corpus), and between parents and their children aged six to eight years enrolled in a program for school-age children with developmental language disorders (School-Age Language and Literacy Corpus). The opportunities available to the two latter groups of children to participate in the collaborative production of extended discourse were of interest precisely because there are considerable data suggesting that extended discourse abilities are related to literacy outcomes and that they are particularly susceptible to disruption from brain injuries or in children with language-learning disorders. Delays in conversational skills and narrative abilities have been found in school age children with language-learning difficulties.
Laparoscopic ligation of testicular veins for varicocele in children. A report of 180 cases.

Background: The technique of the laparoscopic treatment of varicocele in children is described, and its outcome is discussed. Methods: A total of 180 patients from 6 to 14 years of age were studied. All of them had left-sided varicocele; 10 of them were recurrences after treatment by other methods. Varicocele was diagnosed on physical examination and confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography. The laparoscopic procedure included obligatory dissection and preservation of the spermatic artery and tinted lymphatic vessels, followed by double ligation of the spermatic veins. Results: There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications and only one case of recurrence (0.6%). Conclusion: The suggested technique for laparoscopic varix ligation is a highly effective and reliable method for the treatment of pediatric varicocele. It provides the minimal invasiveness of the approach, effective microsurgical quality of visualization, and dissection with guaranteed preservation of the spermatic artery and lymphatic vessels, along with very low rates of complication and recurrence.
Comparing impacts across climate models

In this paper we combine a climate-forecasting model, COSMIC, with a global impact model, GIM, to compare the market impacts of climate change projected by 14 general circulation models. Given a specific date (2100), carbon dioxide concentration (612 ppmv), and global temperature sensitivity (2.5 ◦C), predicted impacts to economies are calculated using climate-response functions from Experimental and Cross-sectional evidence. The Cross-sectional impact model predicts small global benefits across all climate models, whereas the Experimental impact model predicts a range from small benefits to small damages. High-latitude countries are less sensitive to temperature increases than low-latitude countries because they are currently cool. Uniform global temperature changes overestimate global damages because they underestimate the benefits in polar regions and overestimate the damages in tropical regions compared to the GCM predictions.
Chapter 22 International money and international monetary arrangements

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the current research on the basic purpose and functions of international monetary arrangements. The terms and conditions under which assets denominated in different currencies may be exchanged for each other are related both to the intrinsic worth or “purchasing power” of the different currencies and to restrictions imposed by the issuers of currencies, as influenced by the agreed rules of the system. At the heart of such a system are the rules for financing and adjusting payments imbalances to insure continued convertibility. Research is done on the demand for reserve assets that is in principle dependent on the design of the system, because it depends upon the chosen mix between adjustment and financing of payments imbalances. Thus one considers the effects of floating exchange rates, the degree of capital mobility, central bank intervention in exchange markets, and the use of private bank financing of payments imbalances on the demand for reserve assets. The chapter also discusses the optimal design of international monetary arrangements. There is a potentially wide choice of degree of flexibility of exchange rates and degree of reliance on markets as opposed to institutions. Given national preferences and behavior, recent analysis discusses how national policies interact under different sets of international monetary arrangements. Such analysis leads to proposals for changes in the design of the system to improve the international distribution of income, to improve control over the growth of international reserve assets, and to improve the macroeconomic performance of the world economy as it is affected by the interaction of national economic policies.
TRANSDUCTION IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS

Thorne, Curtis B. (Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.). Transduction in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 83:106-111. 1962.-A bacteriophage, SP-10, isolated from soil carries out general transduction in Bacillus subtilis. Phage propagated on a streptomycin-resistant mutant of the wild-type strain W-23 was capable of transducing to prototrophy strain 168 (indole(-)), as well as all of the auxotrophic mutants of W-23-S(r) tested, which included mutants requiring arginine, histidine, adenine, guanine, thiamine, leucine, or methionine. Although strain 168 was transduced by phage SP-10, lytic activity on this strain could not be detected and attempts to propagate the phage on it failed. Transductions occurred at frequencies in the range of 10(-6) to 10(-5) per plaque-forming unit. Homologous phage was ineffective, deoxyribonuclease had no effect on the frequency of transduction, and transduction was prevented by the addition of phage antiserum. Phage SP-10 was capable of lysogenizing strain W-23-S(r), and this condition was maintained through repeated growth and sporulation cycles in potato-extract medium. Although heating at 65 C for 60 min inactivated free phage particles, spores retained their lysogenic condition after such heat treatment. When heat-treated spores of the lysogenic cultures were used as inocula for growth in a nutrient broth-yeast extract-glucose medium, filtrates contained 10(9), or more, phage particles per ml.
Pontine respiratory-modulated activity before and after vagotomy in decerebrate cats

The dorsolateral (DL) pons modulates the respiratory pattern. With the prevention of lung inflation during central inspiratory phase (no-inflation (no-I or delayed-I) tests), DL pontine neuronal activity increased the strength and consistency of its respiratory modulation, properties measured statistically by the η2 value. This increase could result from enhanced respiratory-modulated drive arising from the medulla normally gated by vagal activity. We hypothesized that DL pontine activity during delayed-I tests would be comparable to that following vagotomy. Ensemble recordings of neuronal activity were obtained before and after vagotomy and during delayed-I tests in decerebrate, paralysed and ventilated cats. In general, changes in activity pattern during the delayed-I tests were similar to those after vagotomy, with the exception of firing-rate differences at the inspiratory–expiratory phase transition. Even activity that was respiratory-modulated with the vagi intact became more modulated while withholding lung inflation and following vagotomy. Furthermore, we recorded activity that was excited by lung inflation as well as changes that persisted past the stimulus cycle. Computer simulations of a recurrent inhibitory neural network model account not only for enhanced respiratory modulation with vagotomy but also the varied activities observed with the vagi intact. We conclude that (a) DL pontine neurones receive both vagal-dependent excitatory inputs and central respiratory drive; (b) even though changes in pontine activity are transient, they can persist after no-I tests whether or not changes in the respiratory pattern occur in the subsequent cycles; and (c) models of respiratory control should depict a recurrent inhibitory circuitry, which can act to maintain the stability and provide plasticity to the respiratory pattern.
Mediational relations between 12-Step attendance, depression and substance use in patients with comorbid substance dependence and major depression.

AIM: Among patients with substance dependence and comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) receiving treatment in a controlled trial, we examined if group differences in depression were mediated by 12-step involvement, and if the effects of 12-Step involvement on future alcohol and drug use were mediated by reductions in depression. DESIGN: Controlled trial of Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF) and Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT), delivered in outpatient groups for 6 months with adjunct pharmacotherapy. SETTING: Outpatient dual diagnosis clinic in Veteran's Affairs Healthcare Center. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans (N = 209) diagnosed with alcohol, stimulant, or marijuana dependence and substance-independent MDD. MEASUREMENTS: Twelve-step attendance and affiliation, depression severity, percent days drinking, and percent days using drugs assessed at baseline and Months 3, 6, and 9. FINDINGS: In multilevel analyses greater 12-step meeting attendance predicted lower depression and mediated the superior depression outcomes of the TSF group, explaining 24.3% of the group difference in depression. Independent of treatment group, lower depression severity predicted lower future alcohol use and mediated the effects of 12-step meetings, explaining 15.7% of their effects on future drinking. Controlled, lagged models indicated these effects were not confounded by current substance use, suggesting that depression had unique associations with 12-step meeting attendance and future drinking. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with substance dependence and MDD, attendance at 12-step meetings is associated with mental health benefits that extend beyond substance use, and reduced depression could be a key mechanism whereby 12-step meetings reduce future drinking in this population. Language: en
Statistical mechanics of noncovalent bonds in polyamino acids. I. Hydrogen bonding of solutes in water, and the binding of water to polypeptides

By using the Nemethy-Scheraga theory of water structure, a calculation was made of the energy changes for the rupture of a DH…A solute–solute hydrogen bond in water. A partition function was also obtained for the binding of water and other solutes to the DH and A groups in the special case where these are the NH and CO groups of a random coil polypeptide chain. In subsequent papers of this series, these calculated quantities will be used in a statistical mechanical treatment of the helix–coil transition for polypeptides in water.
Death from skin cancer among the elderly: epidemiological patterns.

Background: Melanoma has been the focus of early detection efforts of skin cancer because it is the leading cause of death from skin disorders. Objective: To document the patterns of mortality from skin cancer throughout life. Design: Population-based mortality registration. Setting: United States, 1979 through 1991. Patients: Decedents from skin cancer. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measure: Distribution of deaths from skin cancer by cause of death, age, gender, and race. Results: Skin cancer was responsible for 61 458 deaths during the 8 years studied, 72% of which were attributed to melanoma. Melanoma accounted for about 90% of deaths from skin cancer among whites younger than 50 years, but only a minority of deaths among blacks and among whites older than 85 years. Conclusion: Efforts at early detection among the elderly white population should focus on both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Arch Dermatol. 1997;133:1207-1209
Local Government Risk Financing and Risk Control Pools: Understanding Their Forms, Functions, and Purposes

One of the most significant public risk management developments of the past 15 years has been the creation of local government risk control and risk financing pools. Today it is estimated that over 200 pools provide services for up to 20,000 local governments. This article is an introductory discussion of pooling and includes information drawn from the first nationwide survey of pools, and gives suggestions for future research.
Engineering Escherichia coli for improved ethanol production from gluconate

We report on engineering Escherichia coli to produce ethanol at high yield from gluconic acid (gluconate). Knocking out genes encoding for the competing pathways (l-lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate formate lyase A) in E. coli KO11 eliminated lactate production, lowered the carbon flow toward acetate production, and improved the ethanol yield from 87.5% to 97.5% of the theoretical maximum, while the growth rate of the mutant strain was about 70% of the wild type. The corresponding genetic modifications led to a small improvement of ethanol yield from 101.5% to 106.0% on glucose. Deletion of the pyruvate dehydrogenase gene (pdh) alone improved the ethanol yield from 87.5% to 90.4% when gluconate was a substrate. The growth rate of the mutant strain was identical to that of the wild type. The corresponding genetic modification led to no improvements on ethanol yield on glucose.
The Influence of Alkyl Chain Length on Stability Constants of Zn(II) Complexes with 1‐Alkylimidazoles in Aqueous Solutions and Their Partition Between Aqueous Phase and Organic Solvent

Abstract The extraction of Zn(II) complexes with nine derivatives of 1‐alkylimidazoles (R from C4H9– to C14H29–) from aqueous solutions [I = 0.5 (KNO3) at 25°C] with toluene, p‐xylene, dichloromethane, and 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol was investigated. The extraction curves for all four solvents were found to displace towards lower pH values with increasing alkyl chain length. Stability constants of the complexes formed in the aqueous phase, β n , were determined as well as partition constants, P n , of the extracted species. With increasing alkyl chain length, both the stability constants and the partition coefficients of the complexes have been found to increase. With the more soluble 1‐alkylimidazoles, pseudo‐tetrahedral together with pseudo‐octahedral complexes were formed at the second or third complexation steps. The appearance of configurational equilibria has been found to be dependent on the nature of the solvent used. In this respect, dichloromethane and 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol were more favorable than toluene a...