cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hormonal Effects of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonist in Men: Effects of Long Term Treatment with GnRH Agonist Infusion and Androgen

Constant infusion of GnRH agonist (GnRH-A) leads to far greater suppression of spermatogenesis and gonadotropins in the monkey than its intermittent administration. We assessed if greater suppression of gonadotropins and spermatogenesis could also be achieved in man by continuous GnRH-A administration. Seven normal men were given 400 micrograms GnRH-A daily by constant sc infusion using a mechanical pump device and bimonthly injections of 200 mg testosterone (T) enanthate for 16 weeks. Basal serum LH, FSH, T, and estradiol concentrations were measured every week during a 5-week control period, daily on treatment days 0, 1-11, 14, 18, 22, 26, 28, and every week thereafter until day 56, and every 2 weeks thereafter during the remainder of the treatment phase and during the 14-week recovery phase. Detailed analysis of LH and FSH secretion during the 24-h period was performed by multiple blood sampling on days 0, 1, 10, 28, 56, 84, and 112. Semen analyses were performed every week during the control phase and every 2 weeks during the treatment and recovery phases. The mean sperm count declined by 93% to a nadir of 6 +/- 3 (+/- SE) million/mL between weeks 14-16. Four men had sperm counts less than 1 million/mL, and three subjects were azoospermic during treatment. Basal serum immunoreactive LH concentrations, after an early increase, declined to near baseline by day 14. The basal and 24-h integrated serum LH concentrations and 24-h urinary LH excretion were not significantly lowered by treatment. Bioassayable serum LH concentrations, however, after an early rise, declined significantly below baseline by day 28 and remained low thereafter. The frequency and amplitude of LH pulses were reduced by GnRH agonist infusion. Basal and 24-h integrated serum FSH concentrations, after a brief initial increase, declined to baseline by day 10, but were not significantly below baseline by day 112. Serum T concentrations did not fall into the hypogonadal range at any time during the treatment period. After discontinuation of treatment, serum LH and FSH and sperm counts returned to normal in all men. Thus, this regimen, employing constant infusion of 400 micrograms GnRH agonist daily plus T led to a greater suppression of spermatogenesis than the previous regimen employing single daily injections of 200 micrograms of the same agonist plus T. Whether the higher dose or the constant infusion was responsible for the greater inhibition of spermatogenesis is not clear. It is conceivable that a still higher dose of the agonist, given by constant infusion, might induce azoospermia in all men.
Transient growth responses of the primary roots of Zea mays.

1. The technique of streak photography was modified to use seven parallel cameras, each focused on an individual root in a guide holding flowing nutrient. Streak photographs representing displacement of points on the longitudinal axis of the root were projected on the table of an image plane digitizer. The displacement data are collected on cards by an IBM 526 key punch and processed by an IBM 360-65 computer. All graphic data were plotted by an EAI line plotter having a resolution of 600 lines per inch. 2. Roots of corn held at a temperature of 25°, a pH of 5.6, with constant oxygen concentration and basic nutrient composition, were subjected to step changes in oxygen and auxin (3-indoleacetic acid, IAA) concentrations. When O2 was lowered the response of the root consisted of a large reduction in growth rate followed by a series of oscillations with a period of about 30–50 min. Step changes in IAA from 0–10-8M (or less) resulted in heavily dampened oscillatory responses as well as reduction in growth rate. 10-7 M IAA, however, elicited the initial inhibition followed by full recovery of growth rate after a few hours.
Flow due to an oscillatory point source in a rotating compressible fluid

A linearised calculation of the motion induced by an oscillatory point source in a rotating compressible, inviscid fluid is given. The equations governing the flow are elliptic or hyperbolic according as the frequency of oscillation of the source is greater or less than the frequency of rotation of the fluid. The solutions in both cases are obtained in closed form using the Fourier-transform method and imposing Lighthill's radiation condition (in the hyperbolic case). In the elliptic case, it is found that the disturbance in the flow is continous everywhere, but is non-wavy in nature and due to the compressibility effects decays exponentially away from the source. In the hyperbolic case, a cone with vertex at the source and axis along the axis of rotation becomes a surface of discontinuity. The solution inside the cone resembles that of the elliptic case, but outside the cone the solution represents a wave originating from the source and propagating to infinity. These waves are not present in an incompressible fluid.
Product market competition and R&D rivalry

Abstract This paper analyzes the impact of a future R&D race on current firm behavior in the product market. It is shown that, in order to “soften” rivals in the future R&D race, firms behave less aggressively in the pre-innovation product market than in the standard duopoly models. As a result, the R&D rates are lower than what firms would choose if standard duopoly outcomes are assumed. R&D cooperation is shown to be capable of restoring the duopoly outcome.
Learning How to Change Ladders for Professional Growth

The conventional method to professional growth has been to climb up a commercial ladder by mostly hard work. Individuals need to be able to change from one ladder to another thus making their own opportunities for professional growth. Hard working geographic areas like Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, and Cleveland, to name a few, have made it possible for technical people to change ladders with very little rung position changes. This conference record can save time, generate ideas, solve your problems, cut your cost, build your expertise, and allow you to change ladders if necessary to achieve professional growth, build financial opportunities, and be successful.
Genetically different isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi elicit different infection dynamics in raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana).

Abstract Trypanosoma cruzi is a genetically and biologically diverse species. In the current study we determined T. cruzi infection dynamics in two common North American reservoirs, Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and raccoons (Procyon lotor). Based on previous molecular and culture data from naturally-exposed animals, we hypothesised that raccoons would have a longer patent period than opossums, and raccoons would be competent reservoirs for both genotypes T. cruzi I (TcI) and TcIIa, while opossums would only serve as hosts for TcI. Individuals (n = 2 or 3) of each species were inoculated with 1 × 106 culture-derived T. cruzi trypomastigotes of TcIIa (North American (NA) – raccoon), TcI (NA – opossum), TcIIb (South American – human), or both TcI and TcIIa. Parasitemias in opossums gradually increased and declined rapidly, whereas parasitemias peaked sooner in raccoons and they maintained relatively high parasitemia for 5 weeks. Raccoons became infected with all three T. cruzi strains, while opossums only became infected with TcI and TcIIb. Although opossums were susceptible to TcIIb, infection dynamics were dramatically different compared with TcI. Opossums inoculated with TcIIb seroconverted, but parasitemia duration was short and only detectable by PCR. In addition, raccoons seroconverted sooner (3–7 days post inoculation) than opossums (10 days post inoculation). These data suggest that infection dynamics of various T. cruzi strains can differ considerably in different wildlife hosts.
Reading the Web as Fetish.

Abstract Although theorists have defined hypertext as an iconoclastic medium that debunks traditional literary concepts as the “author” and “work,” in practice students can regard information on the World Wide Web with idolatrous awe. To take advantage of the Web’s pedagogical potential, teachers of composition need to develop a rhetoric of the image that avoids both the Platonic suspicion of the visual and the urge to subordinate images to the Word. Cyberspace has been compared to the hybrid sacred/secular space of Renaissance painting. Within this space, individual Web pages can act as fetishes, negotiating the distance between these two conceptual spaces by a dialectic between metaphor and metonymy as master tropes, and, more specifically, as improvisational altars. The use of the altar-as-fetish as a metaphor for the Web suggests the ways in which “awe” before the visual rhetoric of cyberspace can be used and abused. It also suggests that composition teachers need to be less puritanical about the sensuous dimension of the Web’s visual rhetoric.
A recurrent velocity filter for detecting large numbers of moving objects

We present a method for detecting a large number of moving targets, such as cars and people, in geographically referenced video. The problem is difficult, due to the large and variable number of targets which enter and leave the field of view, and due to imperfect geo-projection and registration. In our method, we assume feature extraction produces a collection of candidate locations (points in 2D space) for each frame. Some of these locations are real objects, but many are false alarms. Typical feature extraction might be frame differencing, or target recognition. For each candidate location, and at each time step, our algorithm outputs a velocity estimate and confidence which can be thresholded to detect objects with constant velocity. In this paper we derive the algorithm, investigate the free parameters, and compare its performance to a multi-target tracking algorithm.
Aquaporin-assisted and ER-mediated mitochondrial fission: A hypothesis

It is well established that the status of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, and the interactions between them, is critical to numerous cellular functions including apoptosis. Mitochondrial dynamics is greatly influenced by cell stress, and recent studies implicate ER in mitochondrial fission. Although a number of proteins have been identified to participate in ER-induced mitochondrial fission, the molecular mechanism of the process is little understood. In the current study, we confirm the involvement of ER in mitochondrial fission and hypothesize the involvement of water channels or aquaporins (AQP) in the process. Previous studies demonstrate the presence of AQP both in the ER and mitochondrial membranes. Mitochondrial swelling has been observed following mitochondrial calcium overload, and studies report that chelation of cytosolic calcium induces extensive mitochondrial division at ER contact sites. Based on this information, the involvement of ER in mitochondrial division, possibly via water channels, is hypothesized. Utilizing a multi-faceted imaging approach consisting of atomic force microscopy on aldehyde-fixed and semi-dry cells, transmission electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence microscopy on live cells, the physical interactions between the two organelles are demonstrated. Mitochondrial fission following ER stress was abrogated with exposure of cells to the AQP inhibitor mercuric chloride, suggesting the involvement of AQP(s) especially AQP8 and AQP9 known to be present in the mitochondrial membrane, in mitochondrial fission.
Sequences for Impairment Mitigation in Coherent SPE-OCDMA

Robust performance of spectrally phase encoded OCDMA with key impairments depends on the encoding sequences, according to correlation properties and pulse shapes.
Storm-Water Bioinfiltration as No-Irrigation Landscaping Alternative in Semiarid Climates

AbstractIn semiarid cold desert climates, bioinfiltration gardens as green infrastructure storm-water management facilities show promise to serve as both on-site storm-water management and no-irrigation landscaping. Both services must be demonstrated for bioinfiltration to be considered green infrastructure, because most urban centers in cold desert climates in the western United States (e.g., Salt Lake City, Utah; Boise, Idaho; and Denver, Colorado) must import water from the Colorado River for landscape irrigation, radically changing local and regional hydrology. To verify that storm-water runoff can sustain properly selected plants, we installed soil moisture sensors in a bioinfiltration garden in a cold desert climate with a contributing impervious area to garden area ratio of 1∶1 and monitored soil water for one summer. In spite of the small contributing impervious area, we found that the minimum soil water potential (ψ) observed was −2.5 mPa. Plants native to cold desert climates often do not show ...
A general mathematical model for balanced global isostasy

A general mathematical model of balanced global isostasy is presented that describes the geometrical relationships among atmospheric, oceanic, lithospheric, and asthenospheric components relative to a fixed, external frame of reference in terms of 19 parameters of mass, density, area, and thickness in five basic equations and various corollaries. The model is applicable and necessary for evaluating lithospheric processes that operate on a global scale or that affect globally oriented parameters such as sea level, freeboard, and ocean basin depth. It also provides a means of testing the internal consistency of a given set of mass, density, volume, and area parameters relative to present crustal geometry by showing how well they combine to predict present continental free-board. With modification, the basic model can be used to examine more complex questions involving glacially induced sea level fluctuations and long-term crustal evolution resulting from differential energy flux to Earth, short-term modulation of heat flux from the asthenosphere, and long-term monotonic cooling.
Experiments with constrained chimney-plume flows in the system ammonium chloride–water: comparison with the unconstrained case

Thermo-solutal chimney-plume flows from a solidifying dendritic mushy region have been promoted in thin-walled glass tubes of internal radii from 0.3 mm–2.0 mm. Flow rates, liquid compositions and temperatures were measured as functions of the depth of immersion of capillary tubes in the advancing mushy region. The results demonstrate competition between buoyancy pressures and the restrictions of liquid recirculation within the dendritic array and have been analysed to provide permeability data for the mushy region at high liquid fractions. These data have been used to make some assessments of channel/plume dimensions for naturally occurring, unconstrained flows in the same system.
Neuropeptide Delivery to Synapses by Long-Range Vesicle Circulation and Sporadic Capture

Summary Neurotransmission requires anterograde axonal transport of dense core vesicles (DCVs) containing neuropeptides and active zone components from the soma to nerve terminals. However, it is puzzling how one-way traffic could uniformly supply sequential release sites called en passant boutons. Here, Drosophila neuropeptide-containing DCVs are tracked in vivo for minutes with a new method called simultaneous photobleaching and imaging (SPAIM). Surprisingly, anterograde DCVs typically bypass proximal boutons to accumulate initially in the most distal bouton. Then, excess distal DCVs undergo dynactin-dependent retrograde transport back through proximal boutons into the axon. Just before re-entering the soma, DCVs again reverse for another round of anterograde axonal transport. While circulating over long distances, both anterograde and retrograde DCVs are captured sporadically in en passant boutons. Therefore, vesicle circulation, which includes long-range retrograde transport and inefficient bidirectional capture, overcomes the limitations of one-way anterograde transport to uniformly supply release sites with DCVs.
Implementation of an ADME enabling selection and visualization tool for drug discovery

The pharmaceutical industry has large investments in compound library enrichment, high throughput biological screening, and biopharmaceutical (ADME) screening. As the number of compounds submitted for in vitro ADME screens increases, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting will become rate limiting in providing ADME–structure-activity relationship information to guide the synthetic strategy for chemical series. To meet these challenges, a software tool was developed and implemented that enables scientists to explore in vitro and in silico ADME and chemistry data in a multidimensional framework. The present work integrates physicochemical and ADME data, encompassing results for Caco-2 permeability, human liver microsomal half-life, rat liver microsomal half-life, kinetic solubility, measured log P, rule of 5 descriptors (molecular weight, hydrogen bond acceptors, hydrogen bond donors, calculated log P), polar surface area, chemical stability, and CYP450 3A4 inhibition. To facilitate interpretation of this data, a semicustomized software solution using Spotfire® was designed that allows for multidimensional data analysis and visualization. The solution also enables simultaneous viewing and export of chemical structures with the corresponding ADME properties, enabling a more facile analysis of ADME–structure-activity relationship. In vitro and in silico ADME data were generated for 358 compounds from a series of human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors, resulting in a data set of 5370 experimental values which were subsequently analyzed and visualized using the customized Spotfire® application. Implementation of this analysis and visualization tool has accelerated the selection of molecules for further development based on optimum ADME characteristics, and provided medicinal chemistry with specific, data driven structural recommendations for improvements in the ADME profile. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 93: 1131–1141, 2004
The role of anaerobic bacteria in upper respiratory tract and other head and neck infections

Anaerobes are common pathogens in chronic upper respiratory tract and head and neck infections. They can be recovered in chronic otitis media and sinusitis, play a role in tonsillitis, and predominate in complications of these infections, causing deep oral and neck infections and abscesses. In addition to their direct pathogenicity, they play an indirect role through the production of the enzyme beta-lactamase, "shielding" non-beta-lactamase-producing bacteria from penicillins. Failure to provide adequate therapy against anaerobes may lead to clinical failures. Management of anaerobic infection is complicated by the slow growth of these organisms, by their polymicrobial nature, and by their growing resistance to antimicrobials. Antimicrobials are often the only form of therapy needed, but surgical approach is needed in some cases. Because anaerobes often are mixed with aerobic organisms, the antimicrobials given should provide adequate coverage against all pathogens.
Outdated dermatologic drug samples and obligations to the patient

A 37-year-old man with a slightly raised, red, scaly patch on his left arm is seen in the clinic of an academic teaching hospital by a young dermatologist. Following examination and biopsy, he is found to have squamous cell carcinoma in situ. The patient was recently laid off fromwork and had lost access to his health insurance. He is struggling to make ends meet for his family, so it would be difficult for him to cover any extraneous health-related expenses. Upon relaying this information to the dermatologist, the patient is provided with a full course of 5-fluorouracil (topical cream 5%) from the clinic’s sample cabinet. Later in the day, it is discovered that the same batch of drugs has been outdated for more than 4 months. Because the dermatologist was only recently hired, she worries that she will be severely reprimanded for her failure to inspect the expiry date.
Elective cryopreservation of all embryos with subsequent cryothaw embryo transfer in patients at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome reduces the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes: a preliminary study.

Objective To test the hypothesis that patients who undergo elective cryopreservation of all embryos, due to risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and elevated peak serum estradiol (E 2 ), previously defined as level >3,450 pg/mL (90th percentile) during in vitro fertilization (IVF), will be less likely to have small for gestational age (SGA) infants and preeclampsia as compared with patients with elevated peak serum E 2 who undergo fresh embryo transfer (ET). Design Cohort study. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Patient(s) Twenty women who underwent elective cryopreservation of all embryos with subsequent cryothaw ET and 32 similar women with elevated peak E 2 during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF who underwent a fresh ET. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Prevalence of SGA infants and development of preeclampsia in patients with cryothaw ET or fresh ET in the setting of elevated peak E 2 . Result(s) After adjusting for confounders (body mass index, antral follicle count, peak serum E 2 level) using forward stepwise logistic regression, the patients who elected cryopreservation of all embryos and subsequent cryothaw ET were statistically significantly less likely to deliver SGA infants as compared with the patients who had fresh ET in the setting of elevated peak E 2 . In the entire cohort, a total of seven women had preeclampsia, all of whom had had fresh ET in the setting of elevated peak serum E 2 : 7 (21.9%) in the fresh ET group versus 0 women in the elective cryopreservation group. Conclusion(s) This preliminary study suggests that elective cryopreservation of all embryos in patients with elevated peak serum E 2 for subsequent cryothaw ET in cycles with a better physiologic hormonal milieu may reduce the odds of SGA and preeclampsia in IVF singleton deliveries.
The significance of insignificant results from the Oklahoma time-of-day rate experiment

Abstract During the past two years, the results of the sixteen or more federally funded TOD experiments have been published. This paper will review these published results and those of the Oklahoma experiment: to indicate any consistent patterns that have emerged, to identify potential obstacles to widespread implementation of TOD rates, and to identify gaps in existing knowledge requiring additional research.
Rate of Elimination of Dimethylsulfoxide from Tissues of Euthermic and Hypothermic Rats

SummaryIt was shown that following the intraperitoneal injection of 1.5 g of dimethyl-sulfoxide/kg of body weight in rats, the drug reaches peak concentrations in all organs studied within 1 hr under euthermic conditions. Similar results were seen under hypothermic conditions in all organs except the spleen, which continued to increase in DMSO concentration until the second hour after rejection. The rate of loss from the tissues is relatively rapid during the initial 2 hr after peak concentration is reached, and becomes slower during the later periods. The loss curves under hypothermic conditions all demonstrate significantly lower rates of loss than their respective euthermic counterparts. It has been suggested that the observed early fast loss may represent depletion of a free or unassociated DMSO in the tissues.
EFFECTS OF PHOTOCYCLES AND PERIODIC AMMONIUM SUPPLY ON THREE MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES. I. CELL DIVISION PATTERNS1

Cell division patterns in Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grun.), Hymenomonas carterae (Braarud and Fagerl), and Amphidinium carteri (Hulburl) grown in cyclostat culture were analyzed as functions of the periodic supply of light and the limiting nutrient (ammonium) and of combinations of these two factors. In all three species, division patterns were phased by light/dark cycles in N–limited as well as N–replte conditions, and also to ammonium pulses in N–limited growth in continuous light. Both the degree and timing of the cell cycle phasing varied among species. When both stimuli were present, the influence of the photocycle overrode the N–pulse stimulus in H. carterae and A. carteri. while in T. weissflogii, division was always phased by the timing of the N–pulse regardless of the phase angle between the photocycle and the pulse.
Management of renal cell carcinoma with level III thrombus in the inferior vena cava.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Level III thrombus in the inferior vena cava poses a challenge to the surgeon due to its relative inaccessibility. We introduce a new system to redefine level III thrombus in anatomical relation to the hepatic veins and describe a technique of safe resection of these tumors through a transabdominal approach without recourse to cardiopulmonary bypass.Materials and Methods: From August 1997 to July 2001, 23 patients underwent resection of renal cell carcinoma with a level III thrombus. Intraoperative as well as postoperative variables such as operative time, estimated blood loss, number of transfusions, cardiopulmonary bypass, postoperative complications, pathological findings and survival were recorded.Results: A total of 15 male and 8 female patients with a mean age of 62 years (range 25 to 83) underwent resection of a level III thrombus emanating from renal cell carcinoma. Patients were divided into groups IIIa—9 with an infrahepatic thrombus, IIIb—6 with a hepatic thrombus, IIIc—5 with ...
WINTER INDUCED MATING IN THE STONE CRAB, Menippe mercenaria

Winter field collected animals were maintained in a closed seawater system with a salinity of 30 ppt and gradually acclimated to 25±1°C over a 2.5 week period. A 12:12 day:night cycle was maintained. The crabs were fed a diet of frozen fish, scallops, and clams. Molting and copulation occurred 40 to 57 days after acclimation. Egg masses were produced 82 to 109 days after mating. One female produced a second sponge 45 days later. Larvae from the first two egg masses were reared in the laboratory to the first crab stage. Survival was within the normal range for laboratory culture of this species. This study indicates that it is feasible to maintain a continually reproducing population of Menippe mercenaria under laboratory conditions, which in conjunction with larval mass culture systems could be used to provide seedling stocks for natural resource management and mariculture.
Water in epoxy resins Part II. Diffusion mechanism

A model is proposed for the diffusion mechanism of water in glassy epoxy resins. The polymer network is assumed to consist of two regions in which water molecules possess different mobilities. By considering the distribution of water molecules among these regions it is possible to describe the concentration dependency of the diffusion coefficient in the sorption and resorption processes. The diffusion coefficient becomes constant when the sorption temperature is close to the effective glass transition temperature of the epoxy-water binary mixture. An explanation of this effect is also provided by the model.
Post-Silicon Estimation of Spatiotemporal Temperature Variations Using MIMO Thermal Filters

This paper experimentally demonstrates a methodology for proactive estimation of spatiotemporal variations in junction temperature of a silicon chip using multi-input multi-output (MIMO) thermal filters. The presented approach performs on-chip measurements to estimate the relations between power and temperature variations in the frequency domain to construct a MIMO thermal filter. The extracted filter is then used to predict spatiotemporal temperature variations from a known power pattern, even for locations without temperature sensors. The accuracy of the proposed approach is verified through a thermal emulator designed in 130-nm CMOS technology with on-chip digitally controllable power (heat) generators and temperature sensors. Using the proposed MIMO thermal filter, spatiotemporal temperature variations are accurately estimated with small error bound even at locations with no temperature sensors.
A randomized, placebo-controlled study of duloxetine for the treatment of children and adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder

Objective To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the selective serotonin norepinephrine inhibitor duloxetine in children and adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Method Youth aged 7 through 17 years with a primary diagnosis of GAD were treated with flexibly dosed duloxetine (30–120 mg daily, n = 135) or placebo (n = 137) for 10 weeks, followed by open-label duloxetine (30–120mg daily) for 18 weeks. Efficacy measures included the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS), Clinical Global Impression–Severity (CGI-Severity) scale, and Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Safety measures included the Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) as well as vital signs and electrocardiographic and laboratory monitoring. Results On the primary efficacy measure (PARS severity for GAD), mean improvement from baseline to 10 weeks was statistically significantly greater for duloxetine (–9.7) compared with placebo (–7.1, p ≤ .001, Cohen’s d: 0.5). Symptomatic response (50% improvement on the PARS severity for GAD), remission (PARS severity for GAD ≤8), and functional remission (CGAS >70) rates for the duloxetine group (59%, 50%, 37%, respectively) were statistically significantly greater than for the placebo group (42%, 34%, 24%, respectively, p ≤ .05) during acute treatment. Changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and discontinuation because of adverse events did not statistically differ between the duloxetine and placebo groups, although gastrointestinal-related adverse events, oropharyngeal pain, dizziness, cough, and palpitations were reported with a statistically significantly greater incidence for the duloxetine group compared with the placebo group. Mean changes in pulse and weight for the duloxetine group (+6.5 beats/min, –0.1 kg, respectively) were statistically different from the placebo group (+2.0 beats/min, +1.1 kg, respectively, p ≤ .01). Conclusion In this study, duloxetine was superior to placebo on the primary efficacy analysis of mean change from baseline to week 10 on the PARS severity for GAD score, and safety results were consistent with the known safety profile of duloxetine in pediatric and adult patients. Clinical trial registration information—A Study in Pediatric Participants With Generalized Anxiety Disorder; http://clinicaltrials.gov ; NCT01226511 .
Diagnostic and prognostic numerical studies of LIW formation

Abstract We use a hierarchy of diagnostic and prognostic numerical methods to investigate the formation mechanisms of Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW), determine the formation sites and estimate its annual formation rates. Although the three methods are different and use different hydrological/atmospheric forcing data, all of them reach the same qualitative and quantitative results: under mean climatological conditions the LIW is formed during winter in the Rhodes cyclonic gyre with an annual formation rate of 1.0 Sv. The preferred formation site is mainly controlled by the preconditioning of the hydrology, i.e., the presence of the Rhodes gyre, rather than the spatial distribution of surface forcing, which plays a significant role only during extreme meteorological episodes. The interannual variability experiments show that during severe winters, the formation rate is not increased significantly but instead, deep waters are formed in the center of the gyre, and the LIW formation area is extended towards the northeast Levantine. During mild winters, the formation rate is reduced considerably (
Subnormality and composition operators on H2

If ϑ is a non-constant analytic function defined on the unit disk D such that ϑ(D) ⊂D, the composition operator Cϑ is the operator on the Hardy space H2 of the unit disk defined by Cϑf = f ∘ ϑ. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between properties of the symbol ϑ and the subnormality of the operators Cϑ and Cϑ∗. The main theorem shows, under a regularity hypothesis, that Cϑ∗ is subnormal if and only if ϑ is in a restricted class of linear fractional transformations. The two previously known special cases, the affine transformations associated with the Cesaro operator and the automorphisms, are included as the extreme examples. The proof of the main theorem consists of verifying a moment condition and yields, in addition, the construction of a measure μ that exhibits Cgj∗ as multiplication by an analytic function on P2(μ) and the identification of the minimal normal extension as a weighted sum of shifts.
Extensions of Ferejohn and Shipan's Model of Administrative Agency Behavior

Ferejohn and Shipan's modell represents an advance over previous models of political control of administrative agency behavior, primarily because of the prominent place it gives to the president in the model.2 However, because Ferejohn and Shipan require the administrative agency and the president to have identical preferences, their model produces an ambiguity at its core: it is difficult to differentiate the influence of administrative agency, which chooses the administration's policy, from the influence of the president, who can veto legislation that has been passed by the House. To provide a start at separating these influences, I have extended Ferejohn and Shipan's models to 10 cases in which the president and the administrative agency have different ideal points. These 10 cases can give us a clue about what is at stake when the president and the administrative agency differ.3 I will sum-
Responsive pricing under supply uncertainty

Consider a retailer orders a seasonal product from a supplier and sells the product over a selling season. While the product demand is known to be a linear function of price, the supply yield is uncertain and is distributed according to a general discrete probability distribution. This paper presents a two-stage stochastic model for analyzing two pricing policies: No Responsive Pricing and Responsive Pricing. Under the No Responsive Pricing policy, the retailer would determine the order quantity and the retail price before the supply yield is realized. Under the Responsive Pricing policy, the retailer would specify the order quantity first and then decide on the retail price after observing the realized supply yield. Therefore, the Responsive Pricing policy enables the retailer to use pricing as a response mechanism for managing uncertain supply. Our analysis suggests that the retailer would always obtain a higher expected profit under the Responsive Pricing policy. In addition to examining the impact of yield distribution and system parameters on the optimal order quantities, retail prices, and profits under these two pricing policies, we analyze two issues arising from responsive pricing. The first issue deals with the case in which the retailer can place an emergency order with an alternative source after observing the realized yield, while the second issue deals with a situation in which the retailer has to allocate his order among multiple suppliers.
CorrPower: a cross-correlation-based algorithm for triggered and untriggered gravitational-wave burst searches

CorrPower is a cross-correlation-based algorithm to be used in the LIGO burst analysis. The code looks for excesses of coherent power in multiple interferometers, unifying techniques previously implemented in the LIGO triggered and untriggered burst searches. CorrPower performs three functions: (1) a continuous scan of the data, (2) an r-statistic waveform consistency test on candidates produced by the burst event analysis (Cadonati L 2004 Class. Quantum Grav. 21 S1695–703, LIGO Scientific Collaboration 2005 Preprint gr-qc/0505029), and (3) a search around the time of external triggers, a natural evolution of the analysis used for the gravitational-wave signature of GRB030329 (LIGO Scientific Collaboration 2005 Phys. Rev. D 72 042002, Mohanty S et al 2004 Class. Quantum Grav. 21 S1831–7, Mohanty S et al 2004 Class. Quantum Grav. 21 S765–74). The paper describes the techniques implemented in the continuous data scan and presents its expected performance on simulated data from two or three ideal detectors with white Gaussian noise.
Raising the stakes: assessing the human service response to the advent of a casino.

This article reports the findings of one county’s human service network’s readiness to treat gambling related problems in anticipation of the opening of a new casino. Using a cross-sectional survey design, questionnaires were mailed to executive directors of all mental health, family counseling, drug and alcohol, and faith-based, addiction-related organizations in the county (N = 248); 137 (55.2%) agency directors responded to the questionnaire. The survey requested information about agency demographics, training, screening, treatment, and public awareness/education. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to summarize the findings. The analyses revealed a lack of human service response to the impending start of casino gambling. More than three-quarters of respondents had not sent staff for training in screening or treating gambling disorders, did not screen for problem gambling, did not treat problem gambling, and did not refer clients to other agencies for treatment of gambling-related problems. The most common reason offered for not engaging in prevention and treatment activities was that problem gambling is not considered an issue for the agency. There were differences between mental health and/or substance abuse focused agencies and other service providers. Based on the findings of this study, specific strategies to enhance the service delivery network’s capacity to address problem gambling are suggested.
Jarman's Unholy Sonnet: After the Praying, After the Hymn-Singing

(2007). Jarman's Unholy Sonnet: After the Praying, After the Hymn-Singing. The Explicator: Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 185-188.
A Tale of Two Cities: Distinctiveness Theory and Advertising Effectiveness:

The authors conducted an empirical study to test McGuire's (1984) distinctiveness theory within an advertising context. First, following the distinctiveness theory postulate, they found that member...
An Evaluation of the Relative Influence of Spatial, Statistical, and Biological Factors on the Accuracy of Stream Fish Species Presence Models

Abstract Models relating fish species presence to landscape and stream features are increasingly being used by natural resource managers. The accuracy of these models directly influences the ability to make sound stream management decisions. To evaluate the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on model accuracy, we fit parametric (logistic regression) and nonparametric (k-nearest neighbor) models of species presence at two spatial scales using subwatershed and stream reach characteristics. We then evaluated the influence of model type, spatial scale, and species-specific characteristics on species presence omission and commission errors for the best-fitting scale-specific parametric and nonparametric models (total of four per species). We found that error rates were higher within species than among species and varied among species by 3.9% (omission) and 8.7% (commission). Within-species variation in error rates was primarily related to model type and spatial scale, whereas among-species variation was due ...
Fast and effective characterization of 3D region data

We consider the problem of characterization of spatial region data such as the regions of interest (ROIs) in medical images. We propose a method that efficiently extracts a k-dimensional feature vector using concentric spheres in 3D (or circles in 2D) radiating out of the ROI's center of mass. The proposed method can be applied to classification and similarity searches of ROIs. We also propose a region data growth model that we use to generate artificial data with various properties including homogeneous and non-homogeneous region data. We use the artificial data to evaluate the effectiveness of the characterization method comparing also its classification performance to mathematical morphology. The experiments show that the performance of our method is comparable or better than that of mathematical morphology although it is two orders of magnitude faster which makes it very suitable for application in very large image databases.
Evolution of the DOD microwave and millimeter wave monolithic IC program

The Department of Defense (DOD) Microwave and Millimeter Wave Monolithic Integrated Circuit Program was the culmination of advances in materials research, semiconductor physics, transmission media, modeling and simulation, device development, and manufacturing process development stemming from research conducted prior to and during World War II. Conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, MIMIC's objective was to achieve compact, low-cost, and highly reliable millimeter and microwave circuit functions that could withstand extreme environments in weapon systems. The program provided a. unique architecture in which goals were framed in system terms to provide the linking mechanism between materials research, device design, modeling, simulation, and testing. The program can be applied to four major areas of high technology: radar, communications, countermeasures, counter-countermeasures, and smart weapons. Economy was achieved by fabricating both the active and passive-circuit functions and interconnections in monolithic form in semiinsulating gallium arsenide wafers. When the program was being formulated in 1986, the market was principally military, but when it ended in 1995, the market was primarily commercial. Success of the MIMIC Program makes it a useful model for the design of other programs to achieve national objectives for defense or to improve competitiveness in international markets. The objective of this paper is to define the global environment in which the program was planned, and to identify the elements that made it successful and therefore a valuable model, for public and private sector collaboration.
THE ARTHROPATHY OF THE MUCKLE-WELLS SYNDROME

Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS) is a rare condition characterized by urticaria, arthralgias, deafness and amyloid nephropathy. The arthropathy is poorly documented. We describe the arthropathy occurring in four cases of MWS and discuss the management. Each patient developed recurrent bouts of transient synovitis. One patient developed a persistent sterile pyoarthrosis.
STARNET 2: a web-based tool for accelerating discovery of gene regulatory networks using microarray co-expression data

Background: Although expression microarrays have become a standard tool used by biologists, analysis of data produced by microarray experiments may still present challenges. Comparison of data from different platforms, organisms, and labs may involve complicated data processing, and inferring relationships between genes remains difficult. Results: STARNET 2 is a new web-based tool that allows post hoc visual analysis of correlations that are derived from expression microarray data. STARNET 2 facilitates user discovery of putative gene regulatory networks in a variety of species (human, rat, mouse, chicken, zebrafish, Drosophila, C. elegans, S. cerevisiae, Arabidopsis and rice) by graphing networks of genes that are closely coexpressed across a large heterogeneous set of preselected microarray experiments. For each of the represented organisms, raw microarray data were retrieved from NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus for a selected Affymetrix platform. All pairwise Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for expression profiles measured on each platform, respectively. These precompiled results were stored in a MySQL database, and supplemented by additional data retrieved from NCBI. A web-based tool allows user-specified queries of the database, centered at a gene of interest. The result of a query includes graphs of correlation networks, graphs of known interactions involving genes and gene products that are present in the correlation networks, and initial statistical analyses. Two analyses may be performed in parallel to compare networks, which is facilitated by the new HEATSEEKER module. Conclusion: STARNET 2 is a useful tool for developing new hypotheses about regulatory relationships between genes and gene products, and has coverage for 10 species. Interpretation of the correlation networks is supported with a database of previously documented interactions, a test for enrichment of Gene Ontology terms, and heat maps of correlation distances that may be used to compare two networks. The list of genes in a STARNET network may be useful in developing a list of candidate genes to use for the inference of causal networks. The tool is freely available at http://vanburenlab.medicine.tamhsc.edu/starnet2.html, and does not require user registration.
Feedback scheme for improved lateral force measurement in atomic force microscopy

This paper proposes a signal based on a feedback scheme that gives a measure of lateral forces in atomic force microscopy. This measure, unlike the typically used lateral deflection signal, is not corrupted by the geometrical crosstalk between the normal and lateral signals, accounts for inertial forces experienced by the cantilevers during scans, and misinterpretations due to irregular sliding. This measure varies linearly with the lateral forces for a larger range of forces and scanning bandwidth than the lateral deflection signal. The sensing bandwidth depends on the control design for the feedback scheme. We also present the design of an actuator that enables the lateral feedback scheme. Experimental results are presented that show the inaccuracies in the lateral deflection method for lateral measurement and how these are addressed by the feedback scheme.
Eclipse observations relevant to the coronal heating problem.

We are studying the coronal oscillation spectrum and its implications on the heating of the solar corona through the reduction of our data from observations of the total solar eclipse of 24 October 1995 and with further theoretical and observational investigations. The observations provide tests of proposed mechanisms to explain the heating of the solar corona via weakly compressive magnetohydrodynamic waves. We observed part of the lower corona in the [Fe XIV] green line with a CCD imaging at 5 frames per second from our eclipse site in Mukandgarh, Rajasthan, India. The new observations improve on our previously published observations in a variety of ways, especially by providing a 200 × 300 arcsec field of view instead of only a single point, which at this and at the 1998 and 1999 eclipses should allow us to explore the k-omega space of the coronal oscillation spectrum and thus enable us to distinguish between standing and propagating waves. We are also mapping the electron temperature of the corona through study of the broadening by electron scattering of ultraviolet Fraunhofer lines.
Some Aspects of Multigrid for Mixed Discretizations

A broad class of discretizations of the diffusion operator is based on its first order form, allowing the rigorous enforcement of many desirable physical properties of the continuous model. In this research we investigate the development of multilevel solvers for the local or hybrid forms of these discretizations on logically rectangular quadrilateral meshes. In this case, the local elimination of flux leads to a system that contains both cell- and edge-based scalar unknowns. Based on this natural partitioning of the system we develop approximate reduced systems that reside on a single logically rectangular grid. Each such approximate reduced system, formed as an approximate Schur complement or as a variational product, are used as the first coarse-grid in a multigrid hierarchy or as a preconditioner for Krylov based methods.