cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 2.73 Absorption Band of Fused Silica

DR. D. G. DRUMMOND, in commenting1 upon his own and our suggestions2 that the 2.73 band of fused quartz is possibly produced by dissolved carbon dioxide, suggests that it would be of interest to know whether the quartz specimens which we used were prepared without contact with carbon. This interest arises from the fact that in none of our specimens did we find a trace of the band in question, whereas other investigators always have found such a band. Inasmuch as we had made a particularly careful study of a 5 mm. plate furnished us by the Hanovia Chemical and Manufacturing Company, of Newark, N.J., we wrote to this company and wish to quote them as follows: ” Quartz specimens of our manufacture are prepared between carbon blocks and fusion is done with names containing carbon dioxide. As a result, our quartz has an excellent opportunity to dissolve carbon dioxide gas.” Inasmuch as we found no trace of the 2.73 band in this company's product, it seems that the impurity which enters in some methods of manufacture must be other than carbon dioxide. We made observations on several other samples, some of which were probably furnished by other companies, but we are unable to make a complete trace of the records of purchase.
Optimization of Traffic Signal Offsets with High Resolution Event Data

AbstractRecently, high-resolution data has emerged as an economical means of obtaining detailed information about signal operations. This has enabled the development of metrics to examine progressi...
Cardiovascular Prevention Strategies in Breast Cancer.

With advances in breast cancer therapy, there has been substantial improvement in cancer-specific prognosis for women with breast cancer. As expected, with greater breast cancer survival, risks for competing causes of death have increased in this group of patients, specifically the risk of
Backstepping Control of Gliding Robotic Fish for Trajectory Tracking in 3D Space

Autonomous underwater gliders have become valuable, energy-efficient tools for a myriad of applications including ocean exploration, fish tracking, and environmental sampling. Many applications, such as, exploring a large area of underwater ruins or navigating through a coral reef, would benefit from fine trajectory tracking. However, trajectory tracking control of underwater gliders is particularly challenging due to their under-actuated, nonlinear dynamics. Taking gliding robotic fish as an example, in this work we propose a backstepping-based controller for the gliding motion to track a desired reference for the pitch angle and position in the 3D space. In particular, the challenge of under-actuation is addressed by exploiting the coupled dynamics and introducing a new modified error term that combines pitch and horizontal position tracking errors. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is demonstrated via simulation and its advantages are shown via comparison with a PID controller.
Effect of Aryl Ligand Identity on Catalytic Performance of Trineopentylphosphine Arylpalladium Complexes in N-Arylation Reactions

A series of air-stable [(Np3P)Pd(Ar)Br]2 (Np = neopentyl) and (Np3P)Pd(Ar)(amine)Br complexes (amine = morpholine and isobutylamine) have been prepared and tested as precatalysts for the coupling o...
Time series analysis of Cryptocurrency returns and volatilities

There is a significant interest in the growth and development of cryptocurrencies, the most notable ones being Bitcoin and Ripple. Global trading in these cryptocurrencies has led to highly speculative and “bubble-like” price movements. Since these cryptocurrencies trade like stocks, provide a feasible alternative to gold and appreciate during uncertain times, it can be hypothesized that their prices are partly determined by the global stock indices, gold prices, and fear gauges such as the VIX and the US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index. In this paper, we test this hypothesis by conducting a time series analysis of returns and volatilities of Bitcoin and of Ripple. We use the Autoregressive-moving-average model with exogenous inputs model (ARMAX), Generalized Autoregressive Conditionally Heteroscedastic (GARCH) model, Vector Autoregression (VAR) model, and Granger causality tests to determine linkages between returns and volatilities of Bitcoin and of Ripple. We find that the Bitcoin crash of 2018 could have been explained using these time series methods. We also find that returns of global stock markets and of gold do not have a causal effect on Bitcoin returns, but we do find returns on Ripple have a causal effect on Bitcoin prices.
Vaginal Bleeding Decreases over Time with a Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System.

Bleeding decreased over time for most women after the insertion of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system.
Research Note: Age, Retirement, and Intertemporal Resource Decision Ability

Population studies show the importance of active aging for maintaining cognitive health, but much of the research has focused on episodic memory and verbal skills. Aging and ability to make rational intertemporal financial decisions is less understood, despite its critical role in consumer finance. This study describes the relationship between age, retirement, and intertemporal decision ability. A survey of adults examines the interplay of aging and retirement related to completing simple calculations with time trade‐offs in benefits. A negative association between intertemporal skills and age is indicated, with a sharp downward inflection around age 66. Regression analysis results in a significant, negative retirement‐age interaction term. This research has implications for policy and consumer decision‐making. The negative relationship of age and retirement status may suggest limits to career extension, or alternatively, that extending some types of careers could provide cognitive benefits. Further research is needed to understand the direction of causality.
The anatomy of clinical documentation: an assessment and classification of narrative note sections format and content.

Introduction. We systematically analyzed the most commonly used narrative note formats and content found in primary and specialty care visit notes to inform future research and electronic health record (EHR) development. Methods. We extracted data from the history of present illness (HPI) and impression and plan (IP) sections of 80 primary and specialty care visit notes. Two authors iteratively classified the format of the sections and compared the size of each section and the overall note size between primary and specialty care notes. We then annotated the content of these sections to develop a taxonomy of types of data communicated in the narrative note sections. Results. Both HPI and IP were significantly longer in primary care when compared to specialty care notes (HPI: n = 187 words, SD[130] vs. n = 119 words, SD [53]; p = 0.004 / IP: n = 270 words, SD [145] vs. n = 170 words, SD [101]; p < 0.001). Although we did not find a significant difference in the overall note size between the two groups, the proportion of HPI and IP content in relation to the total note size was significantly higher in primary care notes (40%, SD [13] vs. 28%, SD [11]; p < 0.001). We identified five combinations of format of HPI + IP sections respectively: (A) story + list with categories; (B) story + story; (C) list without categories + list with categories; (D) list with categories + list with categories; and (E) list with categories + story. HPI and IP content was significantly smaller in combination C compared to combination A (-172 words, [95% Conf. -326, -17.89]; p = 0.02). We identified seven taxa representing 45 different types of data: finding/condition documented (n = 14), intervention documented (n = 9), general descriptions and definitions (n = 7), temporal information (n = 6), reasons and justifications (n = 4), participants and settings (n = 4), and clinical documentation (n = 1). Conclusion. We identified commonly used narrative note section formats and developed a taxonomy of narrative note content to help researchers to tailor their efforts and design more efficient clinical documentation systems.
Cost Leadership, Differentiation or Focus: A Study of Corporate Financial Strategy at Levi Strauss

Strategic management involves acquiring and sustaining intrinsic advantages over rival firms in order to ensure long-term success and profitability. While few brands recovered in today’s “fast fashion,” others still manage to survive by banking on past reputation and favorable brand image. This paper applies Michael Porter’s Typology of Strategy Options framework to the case study of Levi Strauss, a company that has been in decline for about 20 years and mostly known for its high-quality jeans brand, Levi’s 501. After examining the financial performance and historical account of Levi Strauss as an apparel company, it evaluates the corporate strategies for revitalizing the iconic brand/company. This case highlights the managerial implications of Porter’s framework for analyzing and designing competitive strategies in the denim jeans industry. It draws some implications for management and offers broad takeaways to aid it in decision-making. Finally, it evaluates the characteristics of declining companies in the hope that we can identify the problems confronting financial analysts hoping to value them properly.
The 2021 PhD Board-Certified Clinical Chemist Compensation Survey.

Introduction Doctoral-level clinical chemists work in various settings including academia, healthcare systems, reference laboratories, and industry. Information regarding compensation and benefits for PhD board-certified clinical chemists is limited. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry's (AACC) Society for Young Clinical Laboratorians (SYCL) Core Committee completed a compensation survey in February 2021 and compared that to previous survey results. Methods The 2021 salary survey was made available to all doctoral-level AACC members working in the United States and Canada. Respondents provided information on type of degree and board certification, years of experience, employment sector, geographic location, and gender. The survey collected confidential self-reported data from 208 respondents, with 187 (90%) respondents residing in the United States. Results The 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile total compensation range for 113 PhDrespondents who are certified by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry (ABCC) and residing in the United States was $150 000 to $159 000, $180 000 to $189 000, and $230 000 to $239 000, respectively. Most of the respondents worked in either an academic, hospital, or healthcare system setting, with 47% of respondents working at academic medical centers. Conclusions In this 2021 compensation survey, we continue to see an upward trend in compensation ranges for board certified PhD clinical chemists. This report is important in allowing individuals to actively advocate with prospective and current employers for equal and fair compensation as well as other benefits that impact career development and growth.
Why do People Seek Shopping Recommendations in Social Commerce Sites

Understanding why people seek shopping recommendations from others on social commerce sites can help managers design strategies to encourage users’ engagement of social commerce. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of customers’ intention to seek shopping recommendations on social commerce sites. Drawing upon the theories of social capital and behavioral intention, a research model was developed by incorporating perceived helpfulness, perceived trustworthiness, and subjective norm to predict users’ intention to seek shopping recommendations in the future. The model was empirically evaluated via SEM analysis using survey data collected from 204 subjects. The results reveal that perceived usefulness, subjective norm, and perceived trustworthiness can directly or indirectly influence behavioral intention. The implications of this study on theory and practice are discussed.
Introduction to the national archives of japan digital archive service

National Archives of Japan provides two digital archive projects; Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) and National Archives of Japan Digital Archive (NAJDA). This presentation provides outline of these two projects focusing at their common technical specifications such as EAD/XML, Dublin Core, and Z39.50.
Robust Corrective Topology Control

Keywords: mixed integer programming; optimal power flow; power generation dispatch; power system operations; power system reliability; power transmission control; robust optimization
A visual tool for teaching multithreading in Java

This paper describes a tool that provides visual support for teaching concurrent programming in Java. It is known that teaching concurrent programming is hard. One reason is that students cannot visually observe the concurrent execution of multithreading programs, especially the synchronization among threads. The tool described in this paper can display the execution of threads and the synchronization among threads in a graphical form, and replay the execution sequence in terms of events of interest. The tool uses AspectJ to collect data for the events of interest, and it does not modify the programs' source code, nor does it recompile the programs with instrumented libraries.
Structured Mathematical Modeling

This chapter discusses a way to write down complete explicit mathematical models of complex systems. For mathematical modeling, the top-down approach mostly enters before the design of the mathematical model, that is, in the specification of goals and physical context for the model, as per the conceptual-mathematical-posed-problem structure. It is possible, to some extent, to design the mathematical model itself in a top-down manner. The methods of modularity and data abstraction can support specification of the overall structure and relationships within a model, where the details are filled in later. Modularity in programming means that programs are built as a hierarchical collection of independent components having well-defined interfaces. It helps one to decompose complex problems into simpler ones that are easier to understand and implement; often, the modular subparts are standardized and kept in libraries. The benefits of modularity apply as well to mathematical modeling.
Making Soviet melodrama contemporary: conveying ‘emotional information’ in the era of Stagnation

AbstractThis article examines Stagnation-era Soviet melodrama. With the re-emergence of the generic category of ‘melodrama’ for the Soviet film industry by the 1960s, critics began re-examining the USSR's own engagement with the form, thus establishing a normalized space for the genre by the mid-1970s. Goskino needed to compete with imported melodramas and demanded that Soviet film-makers work directly in this hitherto forbidden genre. This article explores changes in Soviet melodrama at a moment when it became acceptable in criticism and a generic category for transmitting ‘emotional information’. Through an analysis of critical debates I argue that, in making the genre ‘contemporary’, authorities in the culture industry had to differentiate late-Soviet melodrama both from its ‘bourgeois essence’ and from 1920s debates about the genre. Popular melodramas emerged from, and coincided with, these debates, including The Step-Mother (1973) and Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1979), which foregrounded the fa...
Estimating the emigration rates of legal immigrants using administrative and survey data: The 1971 cohort of immigrants to the United States

Based on administrative and survey data as well as data-based assumptions about the bounds on alien address reporting, this study provides estimates of the lower and upper bounds for the cumulative net emigration rates, by country and area of origin, of the FY1971 cohort of legal immigrants to the United States as of January 1979. The merged data indicate that the cumulative net emigration rate for the entire cohort could have been as high as 50 percent. Canadian emigration was probably between 51 and 55 percent. Emigration rates for legal immigrants from Central America, the Caribbean (excluding Cuba), and South America were at least as high as 50 percent, and could have been as high as 70 percent. Emigration rates for Koreans and Chinese could not have exceeded 22 percent over the same period.
Responsiveness of Drug Store Sales to Shelf Space Allocations

Sales-to-shelf facing relationships for three drug store products were proven significant in eight chain drug stores over a period of nine to sixteen weeks. Courses of action for the manufacturer a...
Optical limits of the Glauber approximation for nucleus-nucleus collisions

Abstract We derived a modification of an expression obtained previously for nucleus-nucleus scattering using the Glauber approximation, which considers certain collision processes originally assumed negligible. Our results cast doubt on the validity of previous applications of the optical limit of the Glauber approximation to collisions between finite nuclei.
Perceptions of women medical students and their influence on career choice.

Background: Although women make up nearly half of medical school classes in the United States, just over 20% of residents in surgery are women (excluding obstetrics/gynecology). The objective of this study was to identify whether the proportion of women surgeons on the faculty who have frequent encounters with medical students during their surgery rotation influences the student’s perceptions about women surgeons or their career choice. Methods: Seven US medical schools with proportions of women surgeons on the fulltime faculty varying from 10% to 40% were selected to participate in this survey. Women medical students graduating in the spring of 2000 were asked to complete an anonymous 29 question survey designed to assess their perceptions of women surgeons’ career satisfaction. Demographic information about the students such as career choice, age, and marital status was also collected. The differences in responses between those schools with 40% women faculty and those with less than 15% were analyzed. Results: The overall response rate was 74% (305 of 413). Forty-five percent of students had daily or weekly contact with a woman surgery attending. There were no differences in perceptions of women surgeons’ career satisfaction for those students at schools with 40% women surgeons versus those with less than 15%. However, 21 of 24 (88%) students choosing surgery as a career were from the three schools with a greater number of women surgical role models (P <0.0001). Students who chose a career in surgery perceived the women faculty’s career satisfaction to be higher than did those students not choosing a surgical career (P <0.01). Conclusions: Women medical students perception of women surgeons’ career satisfaction did not appear to be affected by the proportion of women surgeons on the faculty at their medical school. However, their choice of surgery as a career was strongly associated with a higher proportion of women on the surgical faculty.
Interdiffusion of lateral composition modulated (GaP)2/(InP)2 short‐period superlattices with different encapsulants

The interdiffusion of lateral composition modulated (GaP)2/(InP) 2 short‐period superlattices (SPSs) is reported. The lateral composition modulation is achieved by the strain induced lateral layer ordering (SILO) process. A blueshift in the interband transition is observed by photoluminescence spectroscopy for capless and SiO 2 encapsulated annealed SPSs (800 °C, 5.5 h), while the intensity and wavelength of Si3N4 encapsulated annealed SPSs are only slightly perturbed. From transmission electron microscopy, capless annealed SPSs (800 °C, 5.5 h) retain their lateral composition modulation, however, the (001/2) satellite reflections disappear. For long anneal times (48 h), the interband transition corresponds to that of a In0.50Ga 0.50P alloy, suggesting the lateral composition modulation disappears. The observed lateral interdiffusion coefficient exceeds the vertical by a factor of ∼30, suggesting SPS interdiffusion is enhanced by native point defects.
Multiple sclerosis susceptibility alleles in African Americans

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease characterized by complex genetics and multifaceted gene-environment interactions. Compared to whites, African Americans have a lower risk for developing MS, but African Americans with MS have a greater risk of disability. These differences between African Americans and whites may represent differences in genetic susceptibility and/or environmental factors. SNPs from 12 candidate genes have recently been identified and validated with MS risk in white populations. We performed a replication study using 918 cases and 656 unrelated controls to test whether these candidate genes are also associated with MS risk in African Americans. CD6, CLEC16a, EVI5, GPC5, and TYK2 contained SNPs that are associated with MS risk in the African American data set. EVI5 showed the strongest association outside the major histocompatibility complex (rs10735781, OR=1.233, 95% CI=1.06-1.43, P-value=0.006). In addition, RGS1 seems to affect age of onset whereas TNFRSF1A seems to be associated with disease progression. None of the tested variants showed results that were statistically inconsistent with the effects established in whites. The results are consistent with shared disease genetic mechanisms among individuals of European and African ancestry.
Developing Quality Multiple-Choice Tests for Physical Education

(2001). Developing Quality Multiple-Choice Tests for Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 72, No. 6, pp. 23-28.
High-resolution spectroscopy using a frequency magnifier

We experimentally demonstrate a spectral magnifier using an imaging system with two time-lenses based on four-wave mixing in a Si nanowaveguide. We achieve a magnification factor of 105 with a frequency resolution of 1 GHz. The system offers potential as a tool for single-shot, high resolution spectral measurements.
Orthostatic acute renal failure in a renal transplant

Complications due to ureteric obstruction are an occasional cause for renal transplant dysfunction. Here we report an unusual case of orthostatic renal failure in a renal transplant recipient. Our patient had the previously reported predisposing risk factors including: female sex, obesity, and lax abdominal musculature. It is important to recognize this unusual complication of renal transplantation early in order to preserve long-term graft function.
Empowerment zones? women, internet cafés, and life transformations in egypt

Information technology is said to provide paths to empowerment, yet hard data about how this occurs are scant, especially concerning women's IT practices in the Middle East and North Africa. This article uses 25 interviews with female Internet cafe users in Cairo as a small step toward bridging this gap. In general, this study found three main empowerment narratives among females who regularly use Internet cafes in Egypt (the average number of hours online per week was 9.87 for those interviewed). The Internet is said by participants in this study to 1) increase information access/professional development, 2) expand or maintain social networks and social capital, and 3) transform social and political awareness. While this study is based on a small sample size that cannot be generalized at this stage, the analysis does reveal subtle ways in which Egyptian society is changing---one Internet-enabled person at a time.
Machine capacity planning in group technology

The paper develops a procedure in Group Technology environment to determine the number of machines, their groupings and the amount of material transfer between the groups, so that all components can be processed within the plant with minimum total cost. The procedure involves further analysing and modifying the solution of an existing GT cell formation method. The factors used in the analysis are machine capacity requirements and between group material handling transfer cost, for each component, as well as the machine cost for each machine. Sequential or non-sequential processing of the components plays an important role in the final grouping and cost.
The citric acid content of human teeth.

THE citric acid in the soft tissues and body fluids has been quite adequately I studied," 2 but less attention seems to have been paid the calcified tissues. Dickens3' 4 showed that 70 per cent or more of the citric acid in various animals is in the bones and may amount to 1000 mg. per cent of dry, fat-free bone. The citric acid of rats' bones was reported by Class and Smith5 to be 0.616 per cent and Nicolaysen and Nordb06 found 0.50 to 0.66 per cent. Thunberg7 reported that the bones of birds and fish contained large amounts of citric acid, i.e., 2.63 per cent and 2.67 per cent in the scapula and sternum, respectively, of the black-headed gull, 5.25 per cent in the spine of the herring, and an average of 4.25 per cent in the bones of other species of fish. According to Thunberg,' 9,10 egg shells may contain 0.03 to 0.35 per cent citric acid. MArtensson" found 0.11 to 0.35 per cent citric acid in renal and vesical stones; three salivary concretions contained 0.58, 0.11, and 0.00 per cent citric acid, and two arthroliths from a knee joint contained 0.53 per cent and 0.40 per cent citric acid, but no citric acid was found in gallstones. Information on the citric acid of bones of domestic animals and man is meager. Thunberg12 determined the citric acid in the bones of horses, cattle, and man of the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries and found 0.9 to 9.3 per cent, 2.2 to 3.4 per cent, and 0.7 to 1.8 per cent citric acid, respectively. Attempts to correlate the age of the specimens with their citric acid content were accepted with reservation. Thunberg7 reported the femur, clavicle, rib, and vertebra of man to average 1.62, 1.88, 1.75, and 0.89 per cent citric acid, respectively. Data on the citric acid of teeth appears to be limited to the work of Thunberg8 who reported "about 0.5 per cent" in the teeth of cats, cattle, and swine, and to Free13 who found 540 mg. per cent and 110 mg. per cent in dog's dentin and enamel, respectively. The only report on human teeth appears to be that of Free"3 who found 800 mg. per cent and 90 mg. per cent in the dentin and enamel, respectively. It appeared of interest, therefore, to add to the data of Free13 on human teeth and particularly to determine if any relation might exist between the citric acid content and the past dental caries history.
Transport properties of Kondo holes in a Kondo insulator

We calculate the low-temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of a Kondo insulator (described within the mean-field large-N theory) in which a small number of rare-earth vacancies are present. Treating the vacancies within the coherent-potential approximation (which becomes exact at small concentrations), we obtain the resistivity as a sum of an activated part and an impurity-band part. For small enough concentrations the resistivity shows a peak as a function of inverse temperature with a maximum value that can be two orders of magnitude larger than the unitarity limit.
Costs and Benefits of Using Intelligent Transportation Systems as an Alternative Data Source: Case Study

Intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) are an alternative data source that could lead to win-win situations: this source will not only benefit the transportation operations and planning communities by allowing them to access more and better data, but it will also enhance the appeal of ITS deployment by significantly broadening its originally intended benefits. Use of ITS-generated data as an alternative data resource is reflected in the archived data user services (ADUS) in the national ITS architecture. Usually, an agency will evaluate the costs and the benefits of ADUS before it decides whether to deploy ADUS. The costs and benefits of ADUS are examined on the basis of results from a case study in which ITS-generated traffic data were analyzed to determine whether they can help meet such traffic data needs as estimating the total travel volume and the total vehicle miles traveled. The cost is measured in terms of the effort needed to archive and reformat the data, revamp the software, and address dat...
Subsurface Event Detection and Classification Using Wireless Signal Networks

Subsurface environment sensing and monitoring applications such as detection of water intrusion or a landslide, which could significantly change the physical properties of the host soil, can be accomplished using a novel concept, Wireless Signal Networks (WSiNs). The wireless signal networks take advantage of the variations of radio signal strength on the distributed underground sensor nodes of WSiNs to monitor and characterize the sensed area. To characterize subsurface environments for event detection and classification, this paper provides a detailed list and experimental data of soil properties on how radio propagation is affected by soil properties in subsurface communication environments. Experiments demonstrated that calibrated wireless signal strength variations can be used as indicators to sense changes in the subsurface environment. The concept of WSiNs for the subsurface event detection is evaluated with applications such as detection of water intrusion, relative density change, and relative motion using actual underground sensor nodes. To classify geo-events using the measured signal strength as a main indicator of geo-events, we propose a window-based minimum distance classifier based on Bayesian decision theory. The window-based classifier for wireless signal networks has two steps: event detection and event classification. With the event detection, the window-based classifier classifies geo-events on the event occurring regions that are called a classification window. The proposed window-based classification method is evaluated with a water leakage experiment in which the data has been measured in laboratory experiments. In these experiments, the proposed detection and classification method based on wireless signal network can detect and classify subsurface events.
Phase II trial of oral uracil/tegafur plus leucovorin in patients with hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma

BACKGROUND The current study evaluated the efficacy of oral uracil/tegafur (UFT) and leucovorin (LV) in patients with hormone-refractory metastatic prostrate carcinoma. METHODS Twenty-eight patients with hormone-refractory metastatic carcinoma of the prostate who had undergone antiandrogen withdrawal and no more than 1 prior chemotherapy treatment were enrolled on a single-institution Phase II trial. Patients were treated with oral UFT at a dose of 300 mg/m2/d and oral LV at a dose of 90 mg/day for 28 days followed by 7 days off therapy on a 35-day cycle regimen. RESULTS Twenty-six patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. There was no response by objective criteria in 9 patients with measurable disease. Four responses by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) criteria (i.e., PSA decrease by > 50%) were noted (15%) lasting a mean of 20.5 weeks. Therapy was generally well tolerated, with 2 patients developing Grade 4 toxicity (1 patient each with diarrhea and hand-foot syndrome) and 4 patients having significant Grade 3 toxicity (anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and vomiting) (Toxicity was graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria). Six patients had stable disease by clinical, laboratory, and radiologic criteria for an average of 5 cycles of treatment (25 wks). CONCLUSIONS Although UFT and LV are generally well tolerated in the setting of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate carcinoma, the combination has a low level of activity. Its toxicity and activity is similar to that observed when intravenous 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine are given alone. It may be an option for further investigations in combination regimens. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Postnatal development of cholinergic neurons in the rat: I. Forebrain

The postnatal development of cholinergic projection and local-circuit neurons in the rat forebrain was examined by use of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry. Although regional nuances were apparent, a general trend emerged in which cholinergic projection neurons in the basal nuclear complex (i.e., medial septal nucleus, vertical and horizontal diagonal band nuclei, magnocellular preoptic field, substantia innominata, nucleus basalis, and nucleus of the ansa lenticularis) demonstrated ChAT-like immunoreactivity earlier in postnatal development than intrinsically organized cholinergic cells in the caudate-putamen nucleus and nucleus accumbens, although this disparity was less apparent for local circuit neurons in the olfactory tubercle and Islands of Calleja complex. Ontologic gradients of enzyme expression also existed in some regions. A lateral to medial progression of ChAT and AChE appearance was observed as a function of increasing postnatal age in the nucleus accumbens and rostral caudate-putamen nucleus. By comparison, a rostrocaudal gradient of expression of ChAT-like immunoreactivity was apparent within the basal nuclear complex. Moderate to intense ChAT positivity, for example, appeared first in the medial septal nucleus. Furthermore, compared to more caudal regions, a greater proportion of AChE-positive neurons in rostral aspects of the basal forebrain expressed ChAT immunoreactivity on postnatal day 1, a difference that was no longer present by postnatal day 5. Cholinergic neurons in all forebrain regions also underwent an initial stage of progressive soma and proximal-dendrite hypertrophy, which peaked during the third postnatal week, followed by a period of cell-body and dendritic shrinkage that persisted into the fifth postnatal week when adult configurations were reached. These soma and dendritic size increases and decreases were not correlated with the magnitude of postnatal ChAT expression, which increased progressively until adult levels were attained approximately by the third to fifth weeks after birth. Expression of AChE in putative cholinergic neurons appeared to precede that of ChAT, especially in the caudate-putamen complex. Staining intensity of AChE also incremented earlier than that of ChAT.
Validation of the latex glove provocation procedure in latex-allergic subjects.

Background A latex provocation test is needed to clarify the allergic status of patients who present with a positive clinical history for latex allergy and a negative latex skin test and /or serologic test. Objective In the present study, we aimed to optimize and validate the performance and safety of a latex glove provocation protocol and to employ it to verify the barrier properties of the Dermapor expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) glove liner (liner) for latex glove allergen. Methods Twenty-one skin test positive latex-allergic subjects donned goggles and a silicone mask, washed their hands and then put high allergen-containing latex gloves (mean = 15,072 AU/mL) on a moist, bare and liner-covered hand. Due to an absence of verifiable reactions on the bare hand in the first five subjects, the protocol was modified to puncture the skin in the three sites on the hand prior to donning the liner/glove or latex glove alone. Subjects were observed for 30 minutes for localized allergic symptoms (pruritus and hives). Lined and unlined hands were compared for reactions. Results Application of highly allergenic latex gloves onto the bare hands of five skin test-positive, latex-allergic subjects produced some mild pruritus but no visually detectable dermatitis. In contrast, all 17 latex-allergic subjects who underwent the modified glove challenge protocol involving a puncture prior to glove application experienced intense pruritus with measurable wheals and erythema at sites where their skin was punctured. Equivalent wheal and erythema reactions were observed at a site where a puncture was performed directly through the glove. These same subjects experienced no pruritus or hives on their opposite hands that received a liner prior to latex glove application. Conclusions Direct application of highly allergenic latex gloves onto the hands of skin test-positive, latex-allergic individuals does not commonly produce localized allergic symptoms after minutes, especially if the subject has successfully avoided latex and has no evidence of dermatitis. By puncturing the skin prior to latex glove donning, quantifiable hives are produced within 15 minutes following glove application. A Dermapore ePTFE liner prevents the transfer of allergen from gloves onto the skin and therefore can serve to minimize contact exposure as part of avoidance therapy.
Novel Ser/Thr protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) regulated targets during DNA damage identified by proteomics analysis.

The DNA damage response is a global phosphorylation signaling cascade process involved in sensing the damaged DNA condition and coordinating responses to cope with and repair the perturbed cellular state. We utilized a label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach to evaluate changes in protein phosphorylation associated with PP5 activity during the DNA damage response. Biological replicate analyses of bleomycin-treated HeLa cells expressing either WT-PP5 or mutant inactive PP5 lead to the identification of six potential target proteins of PP5 action. Four of these putative targets are known to be involved in DNA damage responses. Using phospho-site specific antibodies, we confirmed that phosphorylation of one target, ribosomal protein S6, was selectively decreased in cells overexpressing catalytically inactive PP5. Our findings also suggest that PP5 may play a role in controlling translation and in regulating substrates for proline-directed kinases, such as MAP kinases and cyclin-dependent protein kinases that are involved in response to DNA damage.
Production of number states of the electomagnetic field.

It has been demonstrated recently that it is possible to generate a pure number state, or Fock state, of the electromagnetic field in a resonant cavity when a ''micromaser'' is operated under the appropriate conditions. This prospect is examined here by a direct analysis of the equation for the density-matrix-governing operation of the lossless micromaser, without having to solve the equation or perform numerical analyses. This model micromaser affords a unique example of an open quantum system whose von Neumann entropy may increase at first, but must subsequently vanish.
Pilot study: concordance of disposition for hypothetical medical patients in the emergency department.

Objectives: Emergency physicians (EPs) make dispositions for every patient in the emergency department (ED) and often require agreement from inpatient services to admit medical patients to the hospital. Sometimes disagreements arise. The authors sought to determine in their institution disposition concordance between EPs and admitting medical services of hypothetical ED patients. A second objective was to describe additional information requested by each service. Methods: Within a two-week period, physicians from emergency medicine (EM), family practice (FP), and internal medicine (IM) voluntarily completed anonymous questionnaires asking them to disposition hypothetical ED patients. Eleven case scenarios were followed by three disposition choices (admit, discharge, or cannot tell) from given information (followed by a free-text area). Results: A total of 105 questionnaires were returned: 42 from EM (12 attending physicians/30 residents), 33 from FP (14 attending physicians/19 residents), and 30 from IM (4 attending physicians/26 residents). Admission rates were statistically different for EM (68% attending physicians/65% residents / 66% total) when compared with FP (42% attending physicians/54% residents/49% total) (p 0.05) for EM (23% attending physicians/16% residents/18% total) versus FP (25% attending physicians/14% residents/19% total) and IM (36% attending physicians/16% residents/18% total). The proportion of additional tests requested in the "cannot tell" disposition by attending EPs was about half that of the other groups. Dispositions between FP and IM were not different at any level (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In the authors' institution, when presented with identical hypothetical ED patients, EPs would admit more, discharge less, and ask for fewer additional tests than FP or IM physicians. The FP and IM physicians surveyed disposition patients in a similar manner.
Hygrothermal influence on the interlaminar shear strength of Kevlar-graphite/epoxy hybrid composites

The hygrothermal influence on the interlaminar shear strength of Kevlar 49-graphite/epoxy hybrid composite was investigated in the temperature range −50 to 150 ° C. Moisture was introduced into the specimen by immersion in distilled water until a specified weight gain occurred. Two material lay-up were used in this investigation. In Kev 49/T-300/Kev 49, Kevlar 49 and graphite prepreg tapes were used as outer and centre layer, respectively and in T-300/Kev 49/T-300, it was vice versa. In both cases the tapes were alternated until the total thickness was achieved. The results show that interlaminar shear strength change with the ply sequence of hybrid laminates. The interlaminar shear strength of T-300/Kev 49/T-300 is relatively higher than that of Kev 49/T-300/Kev 49. The interlaminar shear strength of both T-300/Kev 49/T-300 and Kev 49/T-300/Kev 49 decrease with the increase of temperature in the range −50 to 150 ° C. The addition of moisture further degrade the interlaminar shear strength in the same temperature range. Close physical observation showed clear evidence of interlaminar shear failure for most of the specimens.
Discovery of a corona around an early-type star and the problem of mass loss

THE star τ Sco, HD149438, spectral type B0 V, was observed spectroscopically by the Princeton telescope-spectrometer on the Copernicus satellite during June and July 1973. This star is well known1 as being one of the few early type stars with a small projected rotational velocity, v-sini=20 km s−1, thus showing narrow spectral lines with a minimum of overlap or blending. So the spectrum of the star was scanned with a resolution of 0.05 A over the entire wavelength range from 950 A to 1,560 A to obtain a prototype ultraviolet spectrum for an early-B star. This spectrum is in preparation by Rogerson and Upson.
Development of chemotactic smart scaffold for use in tissue regeneration.

BACKGROUND Regenerative medicine aims to obviate the need for autologous grafting through the use of bioengineered constructs that combine stem cells, growth factors, and biocompatible vehicles. Human mesenchymal stem cells and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have both shown promise for use in this context, the former because of their pluripotent capacity and the latter because of its chemotactic activity. The authors harnessed the regenerative potential of human mesenchymal stem cells and VEGF to develop a chemotactic scaffold for use in tissue engineering. METHODS Human mesenchymal stem cells were transduced with human VEGF via lentivirus particles to secrete VEGF. The chemotactic activity of the VEGF-transduced stem cells was evaluated via a trans-well assay. Migration through semipermeable membranes was significantly greater in chambers filled with medium conditioned by VEGF-transduced cells. VEGF-transduced cells were then seeded on apatite-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds, thereby creating the Smart Scaffold. To determine in vivo angiogenesis, the Smart Scaffolds were implanted into subcutaneous pockets in the backs of nude mice. RESULTS Significantly larger numbers of capillaries were observed in the Smart Scaffold compared with control implants on immunohistologic studies. For the chemotactic in vivo study, human mesenchymal stem cells tagged with a fluorescent dye (1,1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide) were injected intravenously via tail vein after the subcutaneous implantation of the Smart Scaffolds. In vivo fluorescent imaging revealed that fluorescent dye-tagged human mesenchymal stem cells successfully accumulated within the Smart Scaffolds. CONCLUSION These observations suggest that VEGF may play a vital role in the design of clinically relevant tissue regeneration graft substitutes through its angiogenic effects and ability to chemoattract mesenchymal stem cells.
Specific RNA-binding antibodies with a four-amino-acid code.

Numerous large non-coding RNAs are rapidly being discovered, and many of them have been shown to play vital roles in gene expression, gene regulation, and human diseases. Given their often structured nature, specific recognition with an antibody fragment becomes feasible and may help define the structure and function of these non-coding RNAs. As demonstrated for protein antigens, specific antibodies may aid in RNA crystal structure elucidation or the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic drugs targeting disease-causing RNAs. Recent success and limitation of RNA antibody development has made it imperative to generate an effective antibody library specifically targeting RNA molecules. Adopting the reduced chemical diversity design and further restricting the interface diversity to tyrosines, serines, glycines, and arginines only, we have constructed a RNA-targeting Fab library. Phage display selection and downstream characterization showed that this library yielded high-affinity Fabs for all three RNA targets tested. Using a quantitative specificity assay, we found that these Fabs are highly specific, possibly due to the alternate codon design we used to avoid consecutive arginines in the Fab interface. In addition, the effectiveness of the minimal Fab library may challenge our view of the protein–RNA binding interface and provide a unique solution for future design of RNA-binding proteins.
Dynamic Viscoelastic Behavior of Model Poly(vinyl chloride) Blends Characterized at Small Deformation in Shear Oscillation

In the present study, dynamic shear oscillation measurements at small strain were conducted on four model blends of equal amounts (50/50 by weight) of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with three compatible and one incompatible polymers. The compatible polymers were nitrile rubber containing 30% acrylonitrile (NBR-30), poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL), and copolyester thermoplastic elastomer (trademark HYTREL). The incompatible one was nitrile rubber containing 22% acrylonitrile (NBR-22). Double logarithmic plots of loss modulus G″(ω) against storage modulus G′(ω) were employed as a systematic, practical way of treating the data. The modulus logG″(ω)–logG′(ω) scheme was shown to enable one to characterize and interpret the viscoelastic behavior of the blends related to the mixing history and morphological changes.
The perfectionism of Nussbaum's adaptive preferences

Although the problem of adaptiveness plays an important motivating role in her work on human capabilities, Martha Nussbaum never gives a clear account of the controversial concept of adaptive preferences on which she relies. In this paper, I aim both to reconstruct the most plausible account of the concept that may be attributed to Nussbaum and to provide a critical appraisal of that account. Although her broader work on the capabilities approach moves progressively towards political liberalism as time passes, I aim to show that her account of adaptive preferences continues to maintain her earlier commitment to perfectionism about the good. I then distinguish between two obligatory kinds of respect for persons, which I call, respectively, primary and secondary recognition respect. This distinction allows us to see that her perfectionist account of adaptive preferences allows her to show persons primary but not secondary recognition respect. Ultimately, I claim that an acceptable account of adaptive prefer...