cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of clinical pharmacokinetic parameters of linezolid using animal data by allometric scaling: applicability for the development of novel oxazolidinones

1. Allometric scaling has previously been used as an effective tool for the prediction of human pharmacokinetic data. The pharmacokinetic data for linezolid, a novel oxazolidinone to treat Gram-positive pathogens, in mice, rats and dogs were subjected to simple allometric scaling. Generated allometric equations for parameters such as clearance (CL), volume of distribution (Vss) and elimination rate constant (K10) were used to predict human pharmacokinetic parameters including elimination half-lives. In addition, the human plasma concentration-time curve was simulated using a one-compartmental model. 2. Application of simple allometry (Y = aWb) for animal parameters such as CL, Vss, and K10 showed excellent allometric fit (r > or = 0.98). The allometric equations for CL, Vss, and K10 were -0.5465W(0.6595), -0.1369W(0.9246), and -0.4117W(-0.3139), respectively. The confidence in predictability of CL and Vss parameters was particularly high since the allometric exponents of CL and Vss almost approached the suggested values of 0.75 and 1.00, respectively. 3. Animal pharmacokinetic parameters generated in the present authors' laboratories for linezolid were in close agreement with reported literature values. The predicted human values for CL (4.68 l h(-1)), Vss (37.07 litres), and K10 (0.10 h(-1)) were within the range observed for linezolid in the literature (CL = 4-10.5 l h(-1); Vss = 21-53 litres; K10 = 0.09-0.3 h(-1)). The human half-life (t(1/2)) predicted using allometry (6.9 h) was similar to reported values in humans of 5 h. In summary, the retrospective analysis for linezolid suggests that allometric scaling can be used as a prospective tool for predicting human pharmacokinetic parameters of novel oxazolidinones.
On the failure of the Drell-Yan parton model to account for production of the J/Ψ in nucleon-nucleon interactions

Abstract We calculate the cross sections for the production of the J/Ψ in nucleon-nucleon interactions on the basis of a naive Drell-Yan-type parton model where the Ψ production is considered as production through the resonant or fusion interaction of quarks and antiquarks resident in the colliding nucleons. The interacting quarks are assumed to act as free point Dirac particles obeying the Bethe-Heitler description of annihilation to lepton pairs. Unitarity limits on Ψ production established by calculations conducted on this basis are shown to be much smaller than the measured cross section, indicating that such models are unsatisfactory. Similar considerations suggest that the Ψ production cannot be described by the interactions of nearly free gluons.
Distinct Electrical and Chemical Connectivity Maps in the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus: Potential Roles in Synchronization and Sensation

GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (nRt) provide thalamocortical relay neurons with feedback inhibition that influences sensory processing and thalamocortical rhythm generation. Mutual interactions between reticular neurons coordinate oscillatory activities developed within the network during normal sleep and in absence epilepsy, but the chemical versus electrical nature of these connections and their functional influence remain controversial. Here, we investigated the incidence and spatial extent of intra-nRt connectivity in vitro in horizontal and coronal thalamic slices from rat. Laser scanning photostimulation activated presynaptic nRt cells during patch-clamp recordings of postsynaptic neurons. Photolysis of caged glutamate evoked GABAergic IPSCs and/or depolarizing events (spikelets, mediated via electrical coupling) in a large proportion of neurons, thus indicating connectivity with presynaptic cell(s). Synaptic inputs were organized along the major axis of the nucleus in the same orientation as, but commonly exceeding the extent of, dendritic arborization of the postsynaptic neuron. In the anteroposterior (horizontal) plane, chemical connectivity had higher incidence (60% of recorded neurons vs 40% in vertical plane) and longer spatial extent, whereas in the dorsoventral (vertical) plane, electrical coupling dominated (47% incidence vs 37% in horizontal plane) and was more widely distributed. These data demonstrate that both electrical and chemical synapses are prominent within nRt and suggest different roles for the two types of connections. We thus propose that, along the vertical plane, electrical connectivity will promote coordinated rhythmic activity of sleep and/or thalamocortical epilepsy, whereas along the horizontal plane, chemical connectivity will oppose widespread thalamocortical synchronization and modulate sensory throughput.
Enzymatic syntheses of 13C-enriched geranylgeranyl diphosphate and casbene from 13C-labeled isopentenyl diphosphate

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate and casbene were synthesized in high yields from [4-13C]-3-methyl-3-butenyl diphosphate, using coupled enzyme reactions.
Effects of heavy metals on structure, function, and metabolism of ciliated respiratory epithelium in vitro.

Tracheal explants were used to evaluate the relative ciliostatic and cytotoxic potential of heavy metal salts (cadmium chloride, chromium chloride, nickel chloride, and copper sulfate). Explants from hamster, rat, and guinea pig were all sensitive to the metals, though guinea pig explants showed the greatest difference between the untreated and metal treated tissues. Dosage levels were 50, 100, and 500µM, for 24 to 148 h. Cadmium caused the greatest degree of ciliostasis and cell necrosis. Copper was less toxic, and nickel and chromium caused marginal damage when tested at 100µM or lower. In each instance, damage became detectable at approximately 24 to 48 h and was nearly stabilized by 72 h. A significant loss of ciliary motion was always accompanied by a decrease in metabolic activity (dehydrogenase activity and ATP content). Transmission and scanning electron microscopy revealed a severely necrotic epithelium after exposure to cadmium, with only subtle morphological alterations after exposure to other metals. With all of the treatments there was no overt structural damage to cilia and little alteration in membranes of cells remaining in the epithelium. Some coagulation or vacuolization was noted in cadmium and copper treated explants but most cellular organelles did not display obvious damage. The most significant changes in the tracheal epithelium exposed to heavy metal salts in vitro were a loss of ciliary motion and a decrease in total ATP content.
Distinct patterns of ΔFosB induction in brain by drugs of abuse

The transcription factor DeltaFosB accumulates and persists in brain in response to chronic stimulation. This accumulation after chronic exposure to drugs of abuse has been demonstrated previously by Western blot most dramatically in striatal regions, including dorsal striatum (caudate/putamen) and nucleus accumbens. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to define with greater anatomical precision the induction of DeltaFosB throughout the rodent brain after chronic drug treatment. We also extended previous research involving cocaine, morphine, and nicotine to two additional drugs of abuse, ethanol and Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC, the active ingredient in marijuana). We show here that chronic, but not acute, administration of each of four drugs of abuse, cocaine, morphine, ethanol, and Delta(9)-THC, robustly induces DeltaFosB in nucleus accumbens, although different patterns in the core vs. shell subregions of this nucleus were apparent for the different drugs. The drugs also differed in their degree of DeltaFosB induction in dorsal striatum. In addition, all four drugs induced DeltaFosB in prefrontal cortex, with the greatest effects observed with cocaine and ethanol, and all of the drugs induced DeltaFosB to a small extent in amygdala. Furthermore, all drugs induced DeltaFosB in the hippocampus, and, with the exception of ethanol, most of this induction was seen in the dentate. Lower levels of DeltaFosB induction were seen in other brain areas in response to a particular drug treatment. These findings provide further evidence that induction of DeltaFosB in nucleus accumbens is a common action of virtually all drugs of abuse and that, beyond nucleus accumbens, each drug induces DeltaFosB in a region-specific manner in brain.
Structure and Composition of Mushrooms as Affected by Hydrogen Peroxide Wash

An experimental H 2 O 2 /browning inhibitor wash treatment and its effect on mushroom structure and composition were studied. Experimentally washed mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) were compared with conventionally washed mushrooms and untreated controls. Examination by scanning electron microscopy showed damage to hyphae producing a matted appearance at the pileus surface with both experimental and conventional washed samples. Mushrooms after the experimental wash had an elevated sodium content from the sodium erythorbate browning inhibitor but contained no H 2 O 2 residue, in pileus tissue, soluble phenol levels were higher and the content of free amino acids was lower in mushrooms after the experimental wash. No other notable compositional differences or adverse effects of treatment on quality were found.
Joint probability-density function of irradiance scintillations in the turbulent atmosphere

The log-normally modulated Rician model for the probability-density function of optical irradiance fluctuations caused by refractive turbulence can be obtained by applying central-limit theorem arguments to various aspects of the scattered fields. Each of the resulting Gaussianrandom variables is assumed to be also jointly Gaussian when it is sampled simultaneously at two points in space, thus extending the model to predict the joint probability-density function of the irradiance fluctuations at two points in space. Good agreement with experimental results is provided by this model.
Miniaturized cardiac monitor as an aid in anesthesia in dentistry.

Abstract A device has been described which gives continuous monitoring of the rate and rhythm of the heart that no manual monitoring can afford. (Mechanical monitors are not meant to replace the human element of careful observation but act merely as an additional aid.) A device such as this makes cardiac monitoring of the anesthetized patient practical in the dental office. It is small, self-contained, relatively inexpensive, and easy to apply and use.
Sensitivity of high-resolution tropical cyclone intensity forecasts to surface flux parameterization

Surface flux parameterization schemes used in current dynamic models are primarily based upon measurements at low and moderate wind speeds. Recent studies show that these parameterization schemes may be incorrect at high wind speeds (e.g., tropical cyclone forecasts). Five high-resolution numerical model experiments are designed to assess the sensitivity of tropical cyclone intensity forecasts to changes in the surface flux parameterization. The sensitivity experiments are conducted by running 48 h forecasts of the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) for six selected tropical cyclones with individual modifications to surface flux calculation that include: (1) limiting the surface stress for wind speeds greater than 33 m s−1, or 64 knots (kt); (2) computing the stress at the top of the model bottom grid layer (MBGL) by averaging results from surface layer similarity and turbulence mixing parameterization for wind speeds greater than 33 m s−1; (3) increasing the roughness lengths for heat and moisture transfer by a factor of ten; (4) setting the roughness lengths for heat and moisture transfer to 1/10 of the momentum roughness length; and (5) cooling the sea surface temperature (SST) by a prescribed rate at high winds. Averaged responses for the six storms to these sensitivity tests show that: (i) the limit on surface stress at high winds significantly increases the cyclone intensity in 48 h forecasts; (ii) the averaged surface layer stress at high winds increases the cyclone intensity but to a much lesser degree than limiting the surface stress; (iii) large increases in the roughness lengths for heat and moisture transfer are needed to significantly impact the intensity forecast; (iv) the different roughness length formula for surface transfer coefficients notably increases C h/C d ratio from 0.59 to 0.79 for 25 m s−1 and 0.41 to 0.75 for 50 m s−1 that significantly increases the predicted cyclone intensity; and (v) cooling of the SST by −5.8°C in 48 h reduces the maximum surface wind speed by −32 kt, or 16.5 m s−1, at 48 h forecast. These results suggest that a surface flux parameterization scheme suitable for tropical cyclone intensity forecast must correctly model the leveling-off character of surface stress and C h/C d ratio at high winds. All modifications to surface flux calculation have little influence on 48 h track forecasts, even though they may significantly impact the intensity forecasts.
Issues facing pharmacy leaders in 2013.

The Director’s Forum provides directors of pharmacy practical ways to develop patient-centered pharmacy services. Pharmacy directors must understand the key issues facing their departments and incorporate strategies for these issues as part of their strategic planning process. Health care reform and the Affordable Care Act require that departments operate efficiently and closely monitor their drug expense. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative will serve as a valuable resource during 2013 to enhance the pharmacy practice model. By using their health care workforce, particularly pharmacy technicians, in an innovative way, pharmacy directors will allow the pharmacists to increase their clinical activity. By promoting the role of the hospital pharmacist to patients, directors will help to improve patients’ understanding of their medications and increase their satisfaction with their care. Finally by changing the activities of pharmacy students in practice models, the patient care role of the pharmacist can be expanded. Through a greater understanding of the issues facing them and their effect on the operations of the pharmacy, pharmacy directors will learn effective ways to develop patient-centered pharmacy services.
Monomers in Polymer Dispersions. Part IV: Partition of Acrylonitrile in Rubber Latex as Studied by Raman Spectroscopy

The swelling of polymeric latex particles with monomers and the partition of slightly water soluble monomers between the particle and aqueous phases are of great importance in understanding the kinetics of emulsion polymerization and particle structure formation. The overall rate of polymerization is directly influenced by the monomer concentration at the loci of chain propagation reaction (latex particle, monomer droplet, or aqueous phase). In addition, initiator efficiency, rates of radical transfer, and copolymer or graft composition (in multistage reactions) also depend on monomer concentration and partition.
Atomistics and mechanical properties of silicon

Abstract Recently it has become possible for the first time to directly observe dislocation kink motion by electron microscopy. The method is discussed in which ab initio quantum molecular dynamics calculations in combination with these images have deepened our understanding of the atomic processes involved in both ductility and fracture in single-crystal silicon, and have allowed the controlling energy barriers to be estimated. The ab initio method avoids the need for empirical atomic potentials, on which results may otherwise sensitively depend. The electron microscope images may be used to eliminate possible defect structural models, while suggesting others. Dislocation kink formation and migration energies are measured and calculated. For silicon, unlike metals, it is found that kink mobility rather than kink formation limits dislocation velocity for given conditions of stress and temperature. Movies of kink motion have shown kinks delayed at obstacles. The fracture toughness for cracks running on (111) in silicon, the (111) shuffle and glide termination surface energies, and the surface reconstructions which cleavage generates have also been computed ab initio in good agreement with experiment. Long-range ion–ion interactions are found to be important in fracture, while shorter range valence electron forces control the shearing motions involved in dislocation kink motion and ductility. Thus the combination of in situ atomic-resolution electron microscopy and diffraction, together with ab initio calculations provide a powerful approach to understanding the structure and energetics of the atomic-scale defects which control the mechanical properties of crystalline materials. This work is a necessary preliminary to the more challenging problems of understanding fracture and plasticity at interfaces at the atomic level.
We don't need a microscope to explore the chimpanzee's mind

: The question of whether chimpanzees, like humans, reason about unobservable mental states remains highly controversial. On one account, chimpanzees are seen as possessing a psychological system for social cognition that represents and reasons about behaviors alone. A competing account allows that the chimpanzee's social cognition system additionally construes the behaviors it represents in terms of mental states. Because the range of behaviors that each of the two systems can generate is not currently known, and because the latter system depends upon the former, determining the presence of this latter system in chimpanzees is a far more difficult task than has been assumed. We call for recognition of this problem, and a shift from experimental paradigms that cannot resolve this question, to ones that might allow researchers to intelligently determine when it is necessary to postulate the presence of a system which reasons about both behavior and mental states.
Using advanced compiler technology to exploit the performance of the Cell Broadband Engine TM architecture

The continuing importance of game applications and other numerically intensive workloads has generated an upsurge in novel computer architectures tailored for such functionality. Game applications feature highly parallel code for functions such as game physics, which have high computation and memory requirements, and scalar code for functions such as game artificial intelligence, for which fast response times and a full-featured programming environment are critical. The Cell Broadband EngineTM architecture targets such applications, providing both flexibility and high performance by utilizing a 64-bit multithreaded PowerPC® processor element (PPE) with two levels of globally coherent cache and eight synergistic processor elements (SPEs), each consisting of a processor designed for streaming workloads, a local memory, and a globally coherent DMA (direct memory access) engine. Growth in processor complexity is driving a parallel need for sophisticated compiler technology. In this paper, we present a variety of compiler techniques designed to exploit the performance potential of the SPEs and to enable the multilevel heterogeneous parallelism found in the Cell Broadband Engine architecture. Our goal in developing this compiler has been to enhance programmability while continuing to provide high performance. We review the Cell Broadband Engine architecture and present the results of our compiler techniques, including SPE optimization, automatic code generation, single source parallelization, and partitioning.
Correlations between social-emotional feelings and anterior insula activity are independent from visceral states but influenced by culture.

The anterior insula (AI) maps visceral states and is active during emotional experiences, a functional confluence that is central to neurobiological accounts of feelings. Yet, it is unclear how AI activity correlates with feelings during social emotions, and whether this correlation may be influenced by culture, as studies correlating real-time AI activity with visceral states and feelings have focused on Western subjects feeling physical pain or basic disgust. Given psychological evidence that social-emotional feelings are cognitively constructed within cultural frames, we asked Chinese and American participants to report their feeling strength to admiration and compassion-inducing narratives during fMRI with simultaneous electrocardiogram recording. Trial-by-trial, cardiac arousal and feeling strength correlated with ventral and dorsal AI activity bilaterally but predicted different variance, suggesting that interoception and social-emotional feeling construction are concurrent but dissociable AI functions. Further, although the variance that correlated with cardiac arousal did not show cultural effects, the variance that correlated with feelings did. Feeling strength was especially associated with ventral AI activity (the autonomic modulatory sector) in the Chinese group but with dorsal AI activity (the visceral-somatosensory/cognitive sector) in an American group not of Asian descent. This cultural group difference held after controlling for posterior insula activity and was replicated. A bi-cultural East-Asian American group showed intermediate results. The findings help elucidate how the AI supports feelings and suggest that previous reports that dorsal AI activation reflects feeling strength are culture related. More broadly, the results suggest that the brain’s ability to construct conscious experiences of social emotion is less closely tied to visceral processes than neurobiological models predict and at least partly open to cultural influence and learning.
Some Useful Applications Of Polarized Light In Holography And Optical Information Processing

Some applications of polarized light in holography and optical information processing are reviewed. The holographic applications include polarization contrast, image subtraction, color interferometry and the study of photoelasticity. In optical information processing the applications discussed are real-time optical modulators, photodichroic crystals, Vectograph film, superresolution, polarization gratings and polarization interferometers. Each application is presented in sufficient detail to clearly illustrate how the properties of polarized light are utilized.
Hindered Convection of Ficoll and Proteins in Agarose Gels

The hindered convection of rigid macromolecules in hydrogels was studied by measuring the sieving coefficient (Θ, the ratio of filtrate concentration to retentate concentration) of various sizes of Ficoll for agarose membranes of varying concentrations. Samples of filtrate and retentate were fractionated by size-exclusion chromatography to obtain results for Ficolls with specific Stokes-Einstein radii (r S ) ranging from 3.0 to 7.0 nm, and the volume fraction of agarose (o) was varied from 0.04 to 0.08. Immunoglobulin G (IgG, r S = 5.2 nm) was also employed as a test solute. The values of Θ decreased with increasing r S or increasing o, as expected. That is, transport was increasingly hindered as steric solute-gel interactions became more prominent. The sieving coefficient for Ficoll was very similar to that for IgG of the same r S , as well as that for other globular proteins studied previously, indicating that molecular shape and charge were not important variables. The calculated values of the convective hindrance factor (K c , the ratio of solute velocity to fluid velocity) tended to increase above unity and then to decrease toward zero as r S was increased, a trend that is qualitatively consistent with predictions from a previously reported theory for the hindered convection of rigid spheres through regular arrays of parallel fibers.
How essential are essential fatty acids

The present article analyzes the symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency, both in human beings and in animals. The first part of the article describes the interrelationships between linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids, and how these acids affect the physiological response in experimental animals. Likewise, it discusses the effect of gradual levels of linoleic acid intake, and its use to establish quantitative requirements for essential fatty acids on the basis of biochemical parameters. It provides information also on the effect of dietary non-essential fatty acids on essential fatty acid metabolism. The second part of the article deals with the significance of essential fatty acids in human nutrition. In spite of the available information in this regard, it is suggested that further and more thorough studies be conducted. Data on human blood serum fatty acid composition are presented, which could be used as a basis for comparison when essential fatty acid deficiency is suspected. The author further indicates that there are several dietary factors that could induce essential fatty acid deficiency, or that could result in marginal states of deficiency in these nutrients.
Improvement of Power System Transient Stability Using Optimal Control: Bang-Bang Control of Reactance

The problem of restoring a power system to its initial steady state in minimum time after a transient disturbance is identified as a minimum time problem in optimal control theory. The optimal control obtained to achieve this objective, by use of Pontryagin's maximum principle, is bang-bang control of line reactance. The implementation of this scheme on a simple power system model is shown, along with numerical results.
Comparing evolutionary and temporal difference methods in a reinforcement learning domain

Both genetic algorithms (GAs) and temporal difference (TD) methods have proven effective at solving reinforcement learning (RL) problems. However, since few rigorous empirical comparisons have been conducted, there are no general guidelines describing the methods' relative strengths and weaknesses. This paper presents the results of a detailed empirical comparison between a GA and a TD method in Keepaway, a standard RL benchmark domain based on robot soccer. In particular, we compare the performance of NEAT [19], a GA that evolves neural networks, with Sarsa [16, 17], a popular TD method. The results demonstrate that NEAT can learn better policies in this task, though it requires more evaluations to do so. Additional experiments in two variations of Keepaway demonstrate that Sarsa learns better policies when the task is fully observable and NEAT learns faster when the task is deterministic. Together, these results help isolate the factors critical to the performance of each method and yield insights into their general strengths and weaknesses.
Vortex Merging in a 1‰-Layer Fluid on an f Plane*

Mass, angular momentum, and energy budgets are examined in an analytical model of vortex merging relevant to midlatitude mesoscale eddies. The vortices are baroclinic and cyclogeostrophic. The fluid surrounding them is assumed to remain quiescent. It is shown that due to this surrounding fluid, angular momentum is conserved when expressed in both the inertial and rotating frames of reference. Lens-shaped solid-body vortices can conserve mass, angular momentum, and energy when they merge. If an upper-layer of thickness H1 is included in the model, the merged vortex must have either less energy or mass than the sum of the original two vortices. A more complex model of the vortex azimuthal structure is then considered, which includes a constant vorticity shell surrounding the solid-body core. If the shell is large compared to the core, the mass, angular momentum, and energy can all be conserved in the merged vortex. However, if the shell is small, the merged vortex must have less energy or mass than in the solid-body case.
The "art" of medicine and the "smokescreen" of the randomized trial off-label use of vascular devices.

Once a device is approved for sale in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it can legally be used by doctors to treat any condition a physician determines is medically appropriate. Based on postmarket published data and physician procedural experience, this may even become the standard of care when an alternative device either does not exist or is inferior in performance, even before FDA approval. This right of physicians to practice medicine without FDA approval is Federal law. The off-label use of medical devices for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease has recently become the latest target by groups with interests that have little to do with patient care. This interference has begun to negatively impact the latitude necessary for physicians to best treat their patients. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effective Load Resistance; A New Method to Evaluate DC/DC converters Efficiency

This paper offers an alternative to efficiency measurements as an evaluation tool of power supplies. The proposed method works well with little dependency on the output voltage and temperature.
Distinctly Different Interactions of Anesthetic and Nonimmobilizer with Transmembrane Channel Peptides

Although it plays no clinical role in general anesthesia, gramicidin A, a transmembrane channel peptide, provides an excellent model for studying the specific interaction between volatile anesthetics and membrane proteins at the molecular level. We show here that a pair of structurally similar volatile anesthetic and nonimmobilizer (nonanesthetic), 1-chloro-1,2,2-trifluorocyclobutane (F3) and 1, 2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6), respectively, interacts differently with the transmembrane peptide. With 400 microM gramicidin A in a vesicle suspension of 60 mM phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylglycerol (PC/PG), the intermolecular cross-relaxation rate constants between (19)F of F3 and (1)H in the chemical shift regions for the indole and backbone amide protons were 0.0106 +/- 0.0007 (n = 12) and 0.0105 +/- 0.0014 (n = 8) s(-1), respectively. No cross-relaxation was measurable between (19)F of F6 and protons in these regions. Sodium transport study showed that with 75 microM gramicidin A in a vesicle suspension of 66 mM PC/PG, F3 increased the (23)Na apparent efflux rate constant from 149.7 +/- 7.2 of control (n = 3) to 191.7 +/- 12.2 s(-1) (n = 3), and the apparent influx rate constant from 182.1 +/- 15.4 to 222.8 +/- 21.7 s(-1) (n = 3). In contrast, F6 had no effects on either influx or efflux rate. It is concluded that the ability of general anesthetics to interact with amphipathic residues near the peptide-lipid-water interface and the inability of nonimmobilizer to do the same may represent some characteristics of anesthetic-protein interaction that are of importance to general anesthesia.
Robust stability of linear interval parameter matrix family problem revisited with accurate representation and solution

This paper revisits the problem of checking the robust stability of matrix families generated by interval parameters in a matrix. Previous research on this topic (including that of this author) erroneously assumed that this family can be represented as a standard convex combination of vertex matrices (matrices evaluated at the end points of the interval parameters). Solutions offered to this important problem with this erroneous assumption suffered various set backs in the form of counterexamples which caused considerable disillusionment in the research community, especially for this author, warranting continued research on this problem. As a result of this new research, for the first time in the literature, in this paper, explicit expressions for the convex combination coefficients in terms of the interval parameters are derived. These expressions help to clarify and explain the misconceptions that currently exist in the research community about the nature of the convex combination coefficients induced by the interval parameters and shed significant insight into the ‘correct’ scenario for this case. A previously presented ‘vertex algorithm’ by the author for this tough problem was derived under the misunderstood mapping of the parameter space to the matrix element space that currently exists in the literature (in the absence of the explicit expressions derived in this paper). Based on the correct mapping presented in this paper, a thorough and correct vertex solution is offered for this tough problem. Several examples are given which clearly demonstrate effectiveness of the new, corrected algorithm.
Directional Selectivity for FM Sweeps in the Suprageniculate Nucleus of the Mustached Bat Medial Geniculate Body

Mustached bats emit echolocation and communication calls containing both constant frequency (CF) and frequency-modulated (FM) components. Previously we found that 86% of neurons in the ventral divi...
Spectra of mantle shear wave velocity structure

SUMMARY We applied the stochastic method of Gudmundsson, Davies & Clayton (1990) (which was applied to ISC P-wave data) to teleseismic ISC S-wave data to obtain an independent estimate of mantle structure. We inverted the variance of S-wave traveltime residuals of bundles of rays to obtain a description of the spectrum of lateral heterogeneity as a function of depth through the mantle. The technique yields robust estimates of the traveltime scattering power (the product of a characteristic scalelength of heterogeneity and the mean square of slowness perturbations). We can estimate the characteristic scalelength (half-width), from the autocovariance; which can be reconstructed from the spectra. Hence by division, we can estimate the root mean square slowness. By extrapolating the variance of bundles of rays to bundles of zero cross-sectional area we can also estimate the scale-incoherent signal (which is a plausible estimate of the noise in the data), which is removed from the data. We find that most of the structure generating shear wave traveltime residuals is located in the uppermost mantle. About half of the structure is short scale (harmonic degree 1 > 50). The large-scale structure (1 < 50) has a half-width of about 500 km in the upper half of the mantle. This S-wave half-width is consistent with the P-wave half-widths determined by Gudmundsson et al. (1990). The S-wave half-width in the lower half of the mantle is poorly constrained. It varies from 500 to 3000km, which spans the better constrained value of 1200 km found by Gudmundsson et al. (1990) for P-waves. The incoherent scatter suggests that the signal-to-noise ratio of the S-wave data set is around 1.5. Assuming that the compressional and shear wave velocity variations are correlated then the signal weighted value of the ratio d In (y.)ld In (y,) is =2, as also found in normal mode studies. This is much larger than the value of ~0.8-1.4 suggested by laboratory experiments undertaken at atmospheric pressure. There is no evidence of periodicity in the traveltime autocovariance; this suggests little or no periodicity in the underlying convection. The short half-width through most of the mantle suggests high Rayleigh number convection, with its attendant small-scale structures. The power decreases by an order of magnitude or more in going from the upper mantle to the lower mantle, the same as found by Gudmundsson et al. (1990) for P-waves. This large difference suggests either a change in convective regime and/or a difference in the temperature sensitivity of elastic constants in both layers. The increased short-scale structure at the top of the mantle suggests that a large part of the seismic signature at this boundary is compositional, since one would expect a red spectrum for a thermal boundary layer. The derived spectra between 1 = 10 and I = 50 are similar in shape to spectra from the mantle convection simulations of Glatzmaier (1988) with a Rayleigh number of 106-107, which would suggest layered convection, if the comparison is valid.
Do environmental characteristics influence foreign direct investment growth? A cross-national study, 1990-2000

The author engages several theoretical traditions in both economics and sociology to examine the impacts of levels of environmental efficiency and environmental institutions on foreign investment location in less-developed countries. Results from static score design panel OLS models of 52 countries provide mixed results. Less-developed countries with higher levels of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product attract higher levels of foreign investment, whereas less-developed countries with environmental ministries attract lower levels of foreign investment. Other independent variables - including sulfur dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, environmental treaty ratification, and environmental INGO presence/rate - show no statistically significant relationship with foreign investment location. The results underscore the continuing importance of the pollution havens hypothesis as well as the need for further research.
Optimizing First-Line Treatment Options for Patients with Advanced NSCLC

CME Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA category 1 credit at CME.TheOncologist.com
Influence of interchain forces and supermolecular structure on the drawing behavior of nylon 66 fibers in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide

The drawing behavior and mechanical properties of as-spun and highly oriented nylon 66 fibers drawn in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) were investigated. Conditions including different temperatures, CO2 pressures, and plasticizers with different polarity were systematically studied. Results indicate that CO2 is an efficient plasticizer for as-spun nylon 66 fibers as shown by decreases in the draw stress. In contrast, CO2 shows only a slight influence on the drawability of highly oriented nylon 66 fiber. The effect of other plasticizers such as water, methanol, and ethanol on the drawability of nylon 66 fibers is very similar to that of CO2. Tenacity and modulus of one-stage drawn fibers were less than 0.8 and 5.0 GPa, respectively. Fibers with the highest tenacity and modulus, 0.96/5.04 and 1.06/5.04 GPa, were obtained by two-stage drawing in SCCO2 from as-spun and drawn nylon 66 fibers, respectively. The main reason for the extremely low draw ratios (<6.0) of nylon 66 fibers was the presence of hydrogen bonds in the crystalline phase. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2282–2288, 2004
Preadolescent orthodontic treatment need: objective and subjective provider assessments and patient self-reports.

Introduction In the age of evidence-based dentistry, an interesting question is whether dentists' subjective or general assessments of preadolescent orthodontic treatment need are correlated with objectively determined need. In addition, because children from socioeconomically disadvantaged and underrepresented minority backgrounds in the United States have limited or no access to orthodontic treatment, it is worthwhile to investigate whether unmet orthodontic treatment need is correlated with preadolescent smile assessments and desire for braces. Our objectives were to explore (1) whether pediatric residents' objective and subjective assessments of preadolescent orthodontic treatment need are correlated and also correlate with the treatment recommendations made, (2) whether preadolescent responses concerning their smile-related quality of life and desire for braces are correlate, and (3) whether dentist and patient assessments are related. Methods Data were collected from 1566 preadolescents (age range, 8–11 years; 47.3% boys, 52.7% girls; 55.7% black, 39.7% white, 2.9% Hispanic) in oral examinations and face-to-face interviews. Malocclusion was determined with the index of orthodontic treatment need. Results Objective and subjective orthodontic treatment need indicators were correlated (r = .719, P P P P P P = 0.001; r=.141, P P Conclusions Although subjective and objective assessments of preadolescent orthodontic treatment need are rather consistent, the percentage of actual treatment recommendations exceeded both the subjective and objective assessments of treatment need. Preadolescent self-assessments and desire for braces were significantly correlated, and also correlated with the treatment recommendations and the objective and subjective components of the index of orthodontic treatment need score.
Adsorption of serum fetuin to hydroxylapatite does not contribute to osteoblast phenotype modifications

Osteoblasts exhibit enhanced differentiation and altered gene profiles when cultured on hydroxyapatite (HA) compared to plastic surfaces. To begin determining mechanisms for this response, we used proteomics to identify proteins predominantly found in osteoblasts on HA but not plastic surfaces. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and Western analyses indicate that fetuin is abundant in extracts from HA, but not plastic surfaces. Incubation of HA and plastic surfaces with cell culture medium (containing 10% serum) under cell-free conditions shows that fetuin is predominantly derived from the culture medium serum and readily adsorbs to the HA surface. However, we did detect low levels of fetuin B mRNA in osteoblasts. Serum albumin, actin-beta, apolipoprotein-AI, and vimentin also adsorbed to HA. To determine the role of fetuin in the HA-induced osteoblast phenotype changes, osteoblasts were seeded onto fetuin-coated or uncoated HA under serum-free conditions. Osteoblast morphology was similar on both HA surfaces, suggesting that HA alone (without adsorbed serum proteins) is sufficient for cell attachment and spreading. Similarly, genes previously reported to be modulated by HA (glvr-1, DMP-1, osteoglycin, and proliferin 3) were modulated even in the absence of fetuin or other serum proteins. These data show that HA surface can be enriched selectively with fetuin from serum; however, neither fetuin or other serum proteins are required to mediate HA-induced osteoblast attachment, spreading, or changes in expression of genes examined. This finding suggests that factors intrinsic to HA are required for the response.
Trustworthy Migration and Retrieval of Regulatory Compliant Records

Compliance storage servers are designed to meet organizational needs for trustworthy records retention, largely mandated by recent legislations such as HIPAA, SEC Rule 17a, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These devices export a file-system-level interface, and enforce write-once read- many (WORM) semantics for file access. Compliance storage protects records from alteration, as long as they remain on the same storage server. However, the decades-long records retention requirements of recent legislation mean that a compliance storage server will often be obsolete long before the documents it contains can be destroyed. Unfortunately, records will be vulnerable to change during migration to a new server. Records are also vulnerable during retrieval, when they are taken off the server and "migrated" to the person or organization who needs them. In this paper, we propose techniques for trustworthy document migration and retrieval, by enhancing the storage servers with the capability to sign their files and directories. The proposed techniques can be used to verify that a migration was carried out properly, even across multiple migrations, deletions of expired documents, and changes in the content and structure of migrated directories. In our approach, file writers incur no performance penalty, which is important since compliance workloads are write-intensive. Migration incurs a reasonable 5-10% space overhead and requires 24 msec processing time per file. The result of the migration can be verified at a rate of 24 msec per file by a trustworthy auditor (or ordinary user), who can then generate a certificate attesting to the correctness of the migration.
Inaccuracies with Multimodel Postprocessing Methods Involving Weighted, Regression-Corrected Forecasts

AbstractEnsemble postprocessing is frequently applied to correct biases and deficiencies in the spread of ensemble forecasts. Methods involving weighted, regression-corrected forecasts address the typical biases and underdispersion of ensembles through a regression correction of ensemble members followed by the generation of a probability density function (PDF) from the weighted sum of kernels fit around each corrected member. The weighting step accounts for the situation where the ensemble is constructed from different model forecasts or generated in some way that creates ensemble members that do not represent equally likely states. In the present work, it is shown that an overweighting of climatology in weighted, regression-corrected forecasts can occur when one first performs a regression-based correction before weighting each member. This overweighting of climatology results in an increase in the mean-squared error of the mean of the predicted PDF. The overweighting of climatology is illustrated in a ...
Plan to Resolve Conflict in Jordan and Begin Serious Dialogue Process

Revolutions in Arab States and movement demands reform turn from peaceful marches to violence and conflicts, also become difficult to deal with, and often there is a need for a new political approach to solving them. In these papers we describe one of these new political approaches. It also contains new thought and how to deal with these types of conflicts in the political arena. Because the root causes of many conflicts outside diplomacy are based on the government and citizens, so there is need to be recognized and assist in a crucial role in changing and building positive political relations between people through general and peace operations.
Pullout Resistance of Anchors Buried in Sand

Anchors are used for many purposes, and it is important to be able to predict the pullout resistance. The study presented herein was made to clarify the relationship between sand density anchor size, overburden stress, and pullout resistance of deep anchors ( D / B = 5) buried in sand. The study involved small scale lab tests and a limited number of field tests.
Facultative Oviposition of Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) in Response to Water Reduction of Aquatic Habitats

Plastic responses by amphibian larvae to various pond hydroperiods have received much theoretical and empirical attention. In contrast few studies examined maternal plasticity in oviposition in response to different hydroperiods. Using the Eastern Newts as a model, we tested a hypothesis that mothers respond to water reduction of aquatic habitats and alter life history traits such as timing of oviposition, clutch size, and egg size. Alternatively, females may entirely forgo oviposition if aquatic habitats are unsuited for larval survival, in which case we predicted greater body-mass gain of females that forgo oviposition. We daily monitored oviposition of 20 females for 38 d, 10 in constant water treatment and 10 in water reduction treatment. Six females deposited a total of 265 eggs in the constant water treatment whereas only one female deposited 17 eggs in the water reduction treatment, suggesting females facultatively altered oviposition behavior in response to water reduction. Contrary to the prediction, oviposited females gained significantly more body mass, suggesting those females that skipped oviposition stopped vitellogenesis during the experiment; whereas, oviposited females still contained yolk-laden ova at the end of the experiment. We could not test maternal plasticity in timing of oviposition, egg size, and clutch size because only one female from the water reduction treatment deposited eggs. The present study demonstrates that the Eastern Newt is a potentially useful model to further explore maternal plasticity in amphibians.
Three Key Plays for the Writing 'Coach'

This article describes techniques a supervising lawyer can use to give feedback to other lawyers on writing projects.