cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in the Management of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Obesity.

Introduction The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has gained significant traction given the lack of therapeutic monitoring and the need for anticoagulant bridging. There is a paucity of data on their effectiveness in obese patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). Preliminary subgroup and pharmacokinetic analyses suggest reduced efficacy in those with a bodyweight >120 kg or body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg per m2 and it is currently not recommended that these agents be used as first-line agents. We aimed to assess the rate of VTE recurrence in obese patients diagnosed with VTE and treated with DOAC therapy. Methods We utilized the Health Facts Center National Data Warehouse (Cerner) to perform a retrospective analysis of patients with VTE (acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism) that presented to the hospital between 2010 and 2016 and were managed with DOACs. The cohort of patients diagnosed with DVT or PE were identified using International Classification of Disease (ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM). Patients were divided into two groups based on their weight: 1) weight 120 kg. Six-month VTE recurrence rates were recorded. Summary and univariate statistics were performed. Results A total of 18,147 patients with a mean (±SD) age of 62 (17) years were included; 48% (n=8732) were male. A total of 2,419 (13%) patients weighed >120 kg while the rest (N=15,728, 87%) weighed 0.05). There was no significant difference in six-month readmission rates for VTE recurrence in patients that weighed 120 kg (36%) (p=0.08). Conclusion Our study suggests that the use of DOACs in obese patients is equally efficacious with similar VTE recurrence rates in comparison with non-obese patients. This study paves the way for prospective multi-institutional randomized control trials to further reinforce the safe use of such agents in this patient population.
Introducing the Sixth Source of Vocational Anticipatory Socialization: Using the Internet to Search for Career Information:

Research examining vocational anticipatory socialization (VAS) has identified five sources of information. This article presents a potential new source of career socialization information. Emerging...
What is the meaning of (statistical) life? Benefit–cost analysis in the time of COVID-19

Efforts to support public policy decisions need to be conducted carefully and thoughtfully Recent efforts to estimate the social benefits of reductions in mortality risks associated with COVID-19 interventions are likely understated There are large uncertainties over how much larger the social benefits could be This raises questions about how helpful conventional approaches to valuing mortality and morbidity risks for benefit–cost analyses can be in contexts such as the current crisis
Virginia Woolf in the River: The Intersection of Eastern Philosophy and Western Modernism in Mrs. Dalloway

The modernist period ushered forth numerous scientific and philosophical theories that had a notable influence on art, literature, psychology, and philosophy. Discoveries such as Einstein’s general theory of relativity inspired theologians, philosophers, and psychologists to focalize new concepts of self, identity, time, reality, and human experience. These shifts in contemporary human understanding developed in concurrence with increased global travel and intellectual exchange between Western and Eastern countries. As a result, writers, philosophers, and artists became more interested in Buddhism and other Eastern philosophical beliefs. Virginia Woolf, while being a self-proclaimed atheist, was deeply influenced by Eastern philosophy and well versed in contemporary scientific theories. Drawing on literary and biographical criticism of Virginia Woolf, I trace the intersections of Eastern philosophical beliefs and Western scientific theories through the stream of consciousness narration of Mrs. Dalloway by analyzing both what and how things are experienced by individual characters. In the novel, the integration of each character's stream of consciousness fabricates a dissonant medium in which singular moments in the present time are experienced through the minds of multiple characters, while they simultaneously navigate past spans of time within their individual narrative consciousness. Through the analysis of narrative form and narrative consciousness in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, it is possible to track the impact of Eastern philosophies and Western scientific theories in the novel’s exploration of external and internal perceptions of reality.
Conservation, wildlife crime, and tough-on-crime policies: Lessons from the criminological literature

Abstract As wildlife crime increasingly threatens global biodiversity, many conservation scientists and practitioners have turned to aggressive land management and criminal justice strategies, particularly use-of-force policies in protected areas and punitive sentencing laws for poaching and trafficking violations. However, evaluative studies on “tough-on-crime” sentencing policies generally support the conclusion that such an approach has not only proved ineffective at reducing crime rates and recidivism (re-offending), but is ultimately harmful to individuals, communities, and state economies. Here we briefly review the deterrence theory and tough-on-crime literature, examine wildlife crime sentencing policies in the context of criminological understanding, and outline alternative approaches for those working on wildlife crime. The perspective offered here is part of the ongoing discourse on the merits and drawbacks of severe tactics in addressing wildlife crime, and specifically aims to encourage an interdisciplinary dialogue between criminology and conservation science.
Timing isn’t everything: opposing roles for perisomatic inhibition

Perisomatic inhibition from parvalbumin-containing (PV) interneurons is critical for timing, but the role of cholecystokinin-containing (CCK) interneurons remains obscure. Utilizing a novel mouse model, Dudok et al. demonstrate fundamentally distinct behavioral roles for these neuronal subpopulations during behavior.
The Information Content of Quarterly Earnings in Syndicated Bank Loan Prices

This paper examines the information content of quarterly earnings announcements in the syndicated bank loan market by focusing on the private release of earnings information to loan syndicate members. In contrast to the literature on equity price reactions to earnings announcements, we find significant price movements in the secondary loan market four to five weeks prior to public earnings announcement dates, around the time of mandated covenant reports to members of the syndicate. This paper finds that the loan market reaction to private information about earnings is asymmetric, such that loan returns decline when earnings decline, but there is no significant loan market reaction to earnings increases. The results are robust to controlling other earnings pre-announcement information.
Research Involving Participants With Impaired Consent Capacity: An Examination of Methods to Determine Capacity to Consent.

Abstract Objective To examine methods of assessing consent capacity in research protocols involving participants with impaired consent capacity, and examine instruments used to evaluate research consent capacity. Methods A retrospective review of 330 active research protocols involving participants lacking capacity to consent over a 10-year period (January 1, 2009, through March 1, 2019) was conducted to collect protocol characteristics (medical specialty, level of risk and type of study, consent and assent procedures, and type of vulnerable or protected population). Methods to assess consent capacity are described, and instruments to assess consent capacity are summarized. Results The specialties most frequently involving participants with impaired consent capacity in research were Neurology (27.3%), Critical Care (16.7%), and Surgery (10%). Type of studies are observational (43.9%), clinical trials (33%), chart review (11.5%), biobank (6.1%), and biomarker (5.5%). Minimal risk (53.3%) outnumbered greater than minimal risk (46.7%) studies. Most obtained written informed consent (77%) and assent (40.9%). The most common method to assess consent capacity was direct assessment by investigators (32.7%). Only 86 (26%) studies used instruments to assess consent capacity. Of the 13 instruments used, the most common was the Evaluation of Decision-Making Capacity for Consent to Act as a Research Subject, and is the only instrument that assesses all four components of decisional capacity: understanding, appreciation, reasoning, and choice. Conclusion Generally, there was lack of uniformity in determining capacity to consent to research participation. Very few studies used instruments to assess consent capacity. Institutional review boards can provide greater guidance for research consent capacity determination.
Enhancement of win-shift radial maze retention by peripheral posttraining administration of d-amphetamine and 4-OH amphetamine

We examined the effect of posttraining subcutaneous injections of d-amphetamine and 4-OH amphetamine on acquisition of a win-shift task in an eight-arm radial maze. On each day, rats were allowed to obtain food from four randomly selected maze arms and were then removed from the maze. After a delay, the rats were returned to the maze for a retention test in which all eight arms were open and only the four arms that were not visited (i.e., win-shift) prior to the delay contained food. On the experimental day, rats were injected with drug or vehicle after completion of the first four choices, and a retention test was given after a delay of 18 h. Posttraining injections of 1.0-mg/kg d-amphetamine enhanced win-shift retention relative to the performance of saline-injected controls, while doses of 0.5 mg/kg and 2.0 mg/kg were ineffective. Posttraining injections of 4-OH amphetamine (2.0 mg/kg), an analogue that does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier, also enhanced win-shift retention, while doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 4.0 mg/kg had no effect. Injections of memory-enhancing doses of d-amphetamine and 4-OH amphetamine administered 2 h posttraining were ineffective. The memory enhancement observed following administration of 4-OH amphetamine suggests that peripheral actions of amphetamine may be sufficient for improving retention. However, the difference in effective doses of the two amphetamines suggests that d-amphetamine may enhance win-shift retention by either a direct central action or a dual action on the brain and periphery.
Measuring outcomes of hospital care using multiple risk-adjusted indexes.

Abstract Using existing data sources, we developed three risk-adjusted measures of hospital quality: the risk-adjusted mortality index (RAMI), the risk-adjusted readmissions index (RARI), and the risk-adjusted complication index (RACI). We describe the construction and validation of each of these indexes. After these measures were developed, we tested the relationships among the three indexes using a sample of 300 hospitals. Actual numbers of adverse events were observed for each hospital and compared to the number predicted by the RAMI, RARI, and RACI models. Then each hospital was ranked on each index. Our results showed that no relationship existed between a hospital's ranking on any one of these indexes and its ranking on the other two indexes. This result provides some evidence that no measure of quality should be used by itself to represent different aspects of the quality of hospital care. Adequate overall measures of hospital quality will need to include multiple measures in order to be credible and to reflect the complexity of hospital care. The findings suggest that consumers, payers, and policymakers cannot simply choose one hospitalwide measure, such as the mortality rate, to validly represent a hospital's performance: those hospitals with high rankings on their mortality rates do not necessarily rank high on their readmission rates or complication rates.
Scheduling multi-rate traffic in a time-multiplex switch

Scheduling algorithms are investigated for multi-rate traffic, both point-to-point and multicast. In particular, blocking probability is evaluated for the random and optimal scheduling algorithms. It is established that for multicast calls, optimal scheduling provides considerable improvement over random scheduling. The performance of the call splitting algorithm is also evaluated for multicast calls. It is demonstrated that, in the case of multi-rate traffic, call splitting is unable to bridge the gap between optimal and random scheduling. A novel scheduling algorithm called slot splitting is then introduced. The performance of slot splitting is evaluated and it is shown that it achieves a performance close to the optimal schedule. >
Buchner method of ring expansion

Benzene reacts with diazoacetic ester to give cyclohepta-2,4,6-trienecarboxylic acid ester. Cf. Pfau-Platter azulene synthesis.
Prolonged Walking Attenuates Hypersympathetic State In Swine With Bilateral Femoral Artery Occlusion

An increased sympathoexcitation state (SES) has been found in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Symptoms include an exaggerated response of blood pressure (BP) during increasing physical activity. This high SES is detrimental to PAD patients. To determine whether physical training could alleviate SES, 11 Yucatan male pigs received bilateral femoral artery occlusion (BiFemOccl), and were either limited to cage activity (Sed, n=5) or walked about 30 min/d (3 mph) on treadmill for 12 wks (Tr, n=6). Arterial baroreflex function was assessed by intravenously infusing adenosine to trig sympathetic drive (1.5 mg /kg) or phenyleprine (PE, 0.1 mg/kg) for parasympathetic drive. BP and heart rate (HR) were recorded through a catheter in the thoracic aorta while animals stood on treadmill. Net change of HR was calculated to change of BP in each animal. Even though resting BP (125 ±5 mm Hg) and HR (110±5 bpm) showed no differences between Sed and Tr group at either prior or post training, the slopes of ...
Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase and the Proton ATPase Pma1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In eukaryotes, the Cu/Zn containing superoxide dismutase (SOD1) plays a critical role in oxidative stress protection as well as in signaling. We recently demonstrated a function for Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sod1p in signaling through CK1γ casein kinases and identified the essential proton ATPase Pma1p as one likely target. The connection between Sod1p and Pma1p was explored further by testing the impact of sod1Δ mutations on cells expressing mutant alleles of Pma1p that alter activity and/or post-translational regulation of this ATPase. We report here that sod1Δ mutations are lethal when combined with the T912D allele of Pma1p in the C-terminal regulatory domain. This "synthetic lethality" was reversed by intragenic suppressor mutations in Pma1p, including an A906G substitution that lies within the C-terminal regulatory domain and hyper-activates Pma1p. Surprisingly the effect of sod1Δ mutations on Pma1-T912D is not mediated through the Sod1p signaling pathway involving the CK1γ casein kinases. Rather, Sod1p sustains life of cells expressing Pma1-T912D through oxidative stress protection. The synthetic lethality of sod1Δ Pma1-T912D cells is suppressed by growing cells under low oxygen conditions or by treatments with manganese-based antioxidants. We now propose a model in which Sod1p maximizes Pma1p activity in two ways: one involving signaling through CK1γ casein kinases and an independent role for Sod1p in oxidative stress protection.
The age of occurrence of gonadal tumors in intersex patients with a Y chromosome.

Abstract A total of 320 intersex patients with a Y chromosome were classified into four groups; (1) gonadal dysgenesis, (2) asymmetrical gonadal differentiation, (3) virilizing male hermaphroditism, and (4) feminizing male hermaphroditism (testicular feminization syndrome). Of these 320 cases, 98 were from the files of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the remainder from the literature. The incidence of tumors in relation to age and clinical classification was analyzed by computer. The results were plotted for each group. It was found that the percentage of tumors rose appreciably soon after the age of puberty in the first three groups, and it was concluded that the gonads were best removed before the age of puberty. In the case of testicular feminization patients, procrastination until the age of 25 could be considered, if one were willing to assume the risk of neoplasia of about 3.6 per cent until then.
Heterodyne laser frequency stabilization for long baseline optical interferometry in space-based gravitational wave detectors

The European Space Agency (ESA) selected the gravitational universe as the science theme for L3, a large space mission with a planned launch in 2034. NASA expressed a strong interest in joining ESA as a junior partner. The goal of the mission is the detection of gravitational waves of frequencies between 0.1 mHz and 0.1 Hz, where many long-lived sources are expected to be steady emitters of gravitational waves. Most likely, the mission design will evolve out of the earlier Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) concept. The interferometric heterodyne phase readout in LISA is performed by phase meters developed specifically to handle the low light powers and Doppler-drift of laser frequencies that appear as complications in the mission baseline. LISA requires the frequency noise of its seed lasers to be below $300\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ throughout the measurement band due to uncertainties in the absolute interferometer arm lengths. We have developed and successfully demonstrated Heterodyne Stabilization (HS), a novel cavity-laser frequency stabilization method that integrates well into the LISA mission baseline due to similar component demand. The cavities for the test setup were assembled with Clearceram-Z spacers, an ultralow thermal expansion coefficient material with potential applicability in interferometric space missions. Using HS, we were able to suppress the frequency noise of two lasers in a bench-top experiment to a level that meets the LISA requirement, suggesting both HS and Clearceram-Z can be considered in future mission concepts.
Deformations of dihedral 2-group extensions of fields

Given a G-Galois extension of number fields L/K we ask whether it is a specialization of a regular G-Galois cover of PK. This is the "inverse" of the usual use of the Hilbert Irreducibility Theorem in the Inverse Galois problem. We show that for many groups such arithmetic liftings exist by observing that the existence of generic extensions implies the arithmetic lifting property. We explicitly construct generic extensions for dihedral 2-groups under certain assumptions on the base field k. We also show that dihedral groups of order 8 and 16 have generic extensions over any base field k with characteristic different from 2.
Context effects and inefficient initiation at non-AUG codons in eucaryotic cell-free translation systems.

Abstract The context requirements for recognition of an initiator codon were evaluated in vitro by monitoring the relative use of two AUG codons that were strategically positioned to produce long (pre-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase [CAT]) and short versions of CAT protein. The yield of pre-CAT initiated from the 5'-proximal AUG codon increased, and synthesis of CAT from the second AUG codon decreased, as sequences flanking the first AUG codon increasingly resembled the eucaryotic consensus sequence. Thus, under prescribed conditions, the fidelity of initiation in extracts from animal as well as plant cells closely mimics what has been observed in vivo. Unexpectedly, recognition of an AUG codon in a suboptimal context was higher when the adjacent downstream sequence was capable of assuming a hairpin structure than when the downstream region was unstructured. This finding adds a new, positive dimension to regulation by mRNA secondary structure, which has been recognized previously as a negative regulator of initiation. Translation of pre-CAT from an AUG codon in a weak context was not preferentially inhibited under conditions of mRNA competition. That result is consistent with the scanning model, which predicts that recognition of the AUG codon is a late event that occurs after the competition-sensitive binding of a 40S ribosome-factor complex to the 5' end of mRNA. Initiation at non-AUG codons was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by introducing appropriate mutations in the CAT and preproinsulin genes. GUG was the most efficient of the six alternative initiator codons tested, but GUG in the optimal context for initiation functioned only 3 to 5% as efficiently as AUG. Initiation at non-AUG codons was artifactually enhanced in vitro at supraoptimal concentrations of magnesium.
PRIORITY EIGENVECTORS IN ANALYTIC HIERARCHY/NETWORK PROCESSES WITH OUTER DEPENDENCE BETWEEN ALTERNATIVES AND CRITERIA

This work continues consideration of the relations between Analytic Hierarchy and Network processes. It shows that in the case of a simple network with outer dependence between alternatives and criteria, the priority vectors can be constructed not only via the powered supermatrix but also by the eigenvectors of the supermatrix. The relationship to the AHP least squares approach and other methods of priority estimation are considered as well. An ANP matrix of local eigenvectors includes priorities for all the compared items in the whole network. Here we interpret the complex AHP/ANP connections and show clearly how they result in priority estimations useful for applied decision making. http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v3i2.123
Blue-sensitive cones do not contribute to luminance

By using violet backgrounds we selectively altered blue-cone sensitivity but found no change in flicker photometric sensitivity. This indicates that blue cones do not contribute to luminance as defined by flicker photometry.
A Comparative Analysis of the Analytical Capabilities of Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) Relative to Raman Scattering and Absorption Spectroscopy

The performance capabilities of coherent anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) relative to incoherent Raman scattering and absorption spectroscopy are considered for gases. Four gases are considered for model calculations: hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon monoxide. The signal/noise ratio is estimated for these molecules under a number of assumed experimental conditions. The signal/noise ratios for CARS and Raman scattering scale quite differently with partial pressure and temperature. CARS offers distinct advantages when detecting a major component of a gas mixture at total pressures of considerably less than 1 atm pressure. Raman scattering offers 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater sensitivity for a signal/noise ratio of unity when detecting a minor component of a gaseous mixture at 1 atm total pressure. These model calculations should be of use when a specific experimental method is to be chosen for spectroscopic examination.
Quantification of circulating cells using an in vivo flow cytometer

Flow cytometery has been used extensively for the characterization and quantification of circulating cells in animals and humans. The development of sophisticated fluorescent labels has allowed detection of cells with very specific attributes in a highly sensitive manner. In conventional flow cytometry, cell samples are extracted and analyzed outside the body. We have developed a flow cytometer for the detection of circulating fluorescently labeled cells in vivo, without the need to extract a blood sample from the study subject. The technique allows for continuous monitoring of the circulating cell population of interest and, thus, for detection of a very small number of cells, and it yields quantitative results without affecting the physiology of the subject. It could be used for the in vivo detection and quantitative monitoring of red and white blood cells during disease development and processes such as tissue and organ transplantation or of other circulating cells, such as cancer cells in the process of metastasis.
THE ROLE OF EDRF IN THE MAINTENANCE OF BASAL PULMONARY VASOMOTOR TONE IN THE NEONATAL PIGLET

THE ROLE OF EDRF IN THE MAINTENANCE OF BASAL PULMONARY VASOMOTOR TONE IN THE NEONATAL PIGLET
CONCEALED PLEASURE: LUCRETIUS, DE RERUM NATURA 3.237–42

As they appear in E.J. Kenney's Cambridge edition, these lines are:iam triplex animi est igitur natura reperta,nec tamen haec sat sunt ad sensum cuncta creandum,nil horum quoniam recipit mens posse crearesensiferos motus et mens quaecumque volutat. 240quarta quoque his igitur quaedam natura necessestadtribuatur …
Sally Sargeson, Reworking China's Proletariat . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. xviii + 278pp. $75.00 cloth; Barbara Entwisle and Gail E. Henderson, eds. Re-Drawing Boundaries: Work, Households and Gender in China. Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2000. xii + 344 pp. $19.95 paper.

The past two decades in China have seen massive internal population movements, a proliferation of forms of property relations, and the wrenching move from a planned socialist to a quasi-capitalist economy. These transformations have responded to, and resulted in, an ongoing restructuring of work and labor. The two books under review offer perspectives on, and insights into, this complex process.
Efficient determination of resonance frequencies in resonant structures using the FDTD method

In this paper, we present a finite-difference time-domain technique for determining the resonance frequencies of microwa e components by deri ing the standing-wa e patterns rather than simulating the scattering parameter spectra of the component. We show that, compared to the S-parameter spectra simulation technique, the technique proposed herein can sa e the time needed to compute the resonant frequencies by an order of magnitude. 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 28: 244 247, 2001.
ProtoCAM: an innovative IR camera for astronomy

ProtoCAM, a new infrared array camera, has been built for the NASA 3-m Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). The camera is built around a 62 x 58 InSb hybrid array and is sensitive throughout the 1-5-micron atmospheric windows. The camera is equipped with standard astronomical filters as well as a full complement of continuously variable filters providing a spectral resolution down to 1 percent. On the IRTF, the platescale is variable real-time from 0.14 to 0.35 arcsec. The camera, the electronics, the software, and the performances are discussed, and some preliminary astronomical results are presented.
An Implementation Model of RFID Information Security and Privacy

The technology of Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) was being applied to various trade promotions, and Tag is considered to be the next generation of Barcode. However, the RFID is via transmission of radio frequency manner, so hacker could obtain information through the analysis way of frequency signal. The personal privacy will be violated if used in the user's privacy information and transmission without any protective measures to protect. RFID data transmission and storage with hardware ways to achieve the security of information is the best way, but this had been in the problem of Tag costs and capacity. The study taking from the applications ways is to achieve RFID information security and privacy, and do the information securities between the low-cost Tag and the Reader. The study submitted an EPC specification and combined with XOR logical implementation model to achieve privacy by the way of discussion currently. We got the data after simulations to show that XOR computing to 8 bytes actual test, the required time is 17.29 Ticks in average, the spend time is rather short. Follow-up our simulations to the test data of DES encryption methods, an average time of 8,039.41 Ticks is required, the two time required considerable differences.
Influence of Sperm Number on Fertility of Frozen Bovine Semen

Summary Eighty-three ejaculates from ten Holstein bulls were split and 40% extended to 20×10 6 and 60% extended to 30×10 6 progressively motile spermatozoa per milliliter (dose) before freezing and storage in liquid nitrogen (LN). The 60- to 90-day per cent nonreturn rate (NR) was 71.7 from 5,607 first-service inseminations for 20million concentration and 72.2% NR from 5,638 first services for 30million. A weighted mean difference of 0.17% NR in favor of the 30million was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Measurements were made which included motility, per cent survival, sperm number, and cooling time and correlated with per cent NR on a within treatment split-ejaculate basis. No correlation was of sufficient magnitude to be of value in predicting fertility.
The importance of measuring biotic and abiotic factors in the lower egg pocket to predict coho salmon egg survival

Based on results from simulated redds of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch, the amount of fine sediment <0.5 mm in the lower half of the egg pocket, rather than the entire egg pocket of the redd, was a strong predictor of egg survival to hatching (r 2 = 0.62). The relationship was much stronger than observed in other studies, which typically ignore egg pocket structure. Abundance of a fish egg-eating worm, Haplotaxis ichthyophagous, an oligochaete that may have been attracted to fine sediment and dead eggs in the egg pocket, was also associated with a decrease in egg survival. The worm however, accounted for little of the variance in survival compared to fine sediment. Only 10% fine sediment (<0.5 mm) in the lower pocket was required to decrease survival from 100 to 5%. Other abiotic factors had weaker (gravel permeability) or non-existent (dissolved oxygen) correlations with survival.
Plasma osteocalcin levels in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta

Osteocalcin, a calcium-binding protein of the bone matrix, plays an important role in the regulation of mineral deposition and the remodeling process of bone? Osteocalcin is found in all osseous tissues, comprising approximately 1% to 2% of the total bone protein2; its appearance coincides with histologically detectable bone mineralization, 3 and it is synthesized by bone. 4 The osteocalcin content of bone increases linearly with increasing bone density? It can be measured in plasma, and is found to be elevated in the plasma of patients with bone diseases in which there is an increased bone turnover. 6 Osteogenesis imperfecta is characterized by generalized osteoporosis, with frequent fractures and severe skeletal deformities. Increased bone turnover with predominant bone resorption is evident in studies using tetracycline labeling 7 and radiocalcium tracers? We measured plasma osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and BMD in patients with untreated osteogenesis imperfecta to determine whether osteocalcin levels were consistently elevated in this disease and to test the relationship, if any, of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase and the BMD.
X-ray absorption near edge structure and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of chloride in passive oxide films

Abstract X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), utilizing both electron yield and X-ray fluorescence detectors, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to follow chloride uptake by oxide-covered aluminum in 0.1 M NaCl solutions. The aluminum samples were polarized at selected potentials below (less positive than) the pitting potential. The electron yield XANES and XPS showed multiple peaks. The XPS chloride spectra showed two distinct sets of doublets. One doublet is related to chloride on the surface and the second is related to chloride incorporated in the oxide film. The XANES results also showed two peaks which are attributed to chloride on the surface and in the bulk of the oxide.
How Many Plant Species are There, Where are They, and at What Rate are They Going Extinct?

How many flowering plant species are there? Where are they? How many are going extinct, and how fast are they doing so? Interesting in themselves, these are questions at the heart of modern conservation biology. Determining the answers will dictate where and how successfully conservation efforts will be allocated. Plants form a large taxonomic sample of biodiversity. They are important in themselves and directly determine the diversity of many other taxonomic groups. Inspired by conversations with Peter Raven, we set out to provide quantitative answers to these questions. We argue that there are 450,000 species, two thirds of which live in the tropics, a third of all species are at risk of extinction, and they are going extinct 1000 to 10,000 times the background rate. In obtaining these results, we point to the critical role of dedicated taxonomic effort and biodiversity monitoring. We will only get a good answer to the age-old question of “how many species are there?” when we understand the population biology and social behavior of taxonomists. That most missing species will be found in biodiversity hotspots reaffirms their place as the foci of extinction for decades to come. Important, but not yet addressed, are future studies of how long plant species take to become extinct in habitat fragments. These will deliver not only better estimates of extinction rates, but also the critical timeframe of how quickly one needs to act to prevent extinctions.
Methyl xanthine, adenosine, and human taste responsivity

The influences of three methyl xanthines (MX) on human taste responsivity, caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, were examined using blind control procedures. Taste responsivity in the same subjects was determined using the matching procedure described by Schiffman (Study 1) and the whole-mouth procedure described by Sheperd (Study 2). In each study, the duration of MX pretreatment necessary to enhance taste responsivity was examined. No potentiation of overall- and taste-quality specific intensity ratings was observed for any tastant, independent of test procedure, type, and concentration of MX pretreatment, or length of MX pretreatment. Taste intensity ratings, especially for NaCl, were higher following pretreatment with water than methyl xanthine or adenosine combined with caffeine. Adenosine, added at several concentrations to caffeine pretreatments, influenced neither taste responsivity nor taste intensity ratings.
PROBENECID AND ZIDOVUDINE METABOLISM

The effects of probenecid, a known inhibitor of glucuronidation, on the pharmacokinetics of zidovudine were assessed in eight subjects receiving zidovudine as treatment for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Zidovudine plasma concentrations were measured while subjects were receiving zidovudine alone, after 3 days of zidovudine plus 500 mg probenecid every 8 h, and after 3 days of zidovudine plus 500 mg probenecid plus 260 mg quinine sulphate every 8 h. A median increase of 80% in the area under the zidovudine plasma concentration/time curve occurred with the addition of probenecid. Quinine sulphate prevented the probenecid effect but had no effect on zidovudine kinetics when taken without probenecid by four other subjects. All of the effects were secondary to changes in zidovudine metabolism, since neither probenecid nor quinine changed the renal elimination of zidovudine. Probenecid could be used in combination with zidovudine to extend the interval between doses and reduce the daily requirement for zidovudine, thus enhancing convenience and reducing costs.
Time-asymmetric two-body problem in special relativity

S>We treat a Lorentz-covariant two-body problem due to Fokker: One electric charge experiences the retarded field of a second, while the he first; this is pure action at a distance, with no self-action; conservation principles exist. We show that this (apparently generally soluble) time-asymmetric problem is exactly soluble for straight-line motiom and admits solutions in which the charges move in circles about a commom center. We briefly consider nonelectrodynamic time-asymmetric interactions and aspects of quantizing thc motions. (auth)
SOME POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF BIRTH CONTROL ON THE INCIDENCE OF DISORDERS AND ON THE INFLUENCE OF BIRTH ORDER.

This paper considers the following questions: 1) if the birth of one child with a particular disorder deters the parents from further reproduction what effect would this have on the relative incidence of that disorder and 2) what effect would this selective limitation have on the relation between birth order and the relative incidence of the disorder. The author determines this relation by the control group method and by the method proposed by Greenwood-Yule and also by the Penrose modification of the latter method and in all cases finds that the relation between birth rank and the relative incidence of a disorder will be affected by the selective limitation of family size.
Topology of quantum gauge fields and duality (I): Yang-Mills-Higgs system in 2 + 1 dimensions

Abstract The basic role of the representation of the gauge group in characterizing the topological excitations of the vacuum is pointed out. For SU(N) gauge fields on a lattice, the topological excitations are monopoles in the adjoint representation of the dual group ∗SU(N). This leads to a dual representation of the Yang-Mills-Higgs system in 2 + 1 dimensions. For SU(3) the deal theory in a scalar theory with discrete Weyl symmetry S3. In the presence of adjoint Higgs fields the Weyl symmetry is broken in the Higgs phase but restored by pseudo-particles in the confinement phase.
The use of Cav rather than AUC in safety assessment

Toxicokinetic data have traditionally been presented as maximum observed plasma concentrations (C(max)) and area under the concentration time curve (AUC) values. These values have been used to compare exposures across studies and species to provide valuable interpretation of drug safety data. Increasingly, questions are asked of toxicology studies to more accurately describe the concentration effect relationships in terms of compound affinity for target and off-target receptors. C(max) values can immediately be referenced to known pharmacological activities, particularly when the extent of plasma protein binding is taken into account. This provides a measure of the more pharmacologically relevant free drug exposure. AUC values on the other hand contain the component of time, which means that direct comparison to pharmacological activity values are not immediately possible. Conversion of AUC to average plasma concentration (C(av)) provides a simple and convenient means to allow such a comparison without losing any information imparted by AUC values. In this paper, the benefit and advantage of applying C(av) values is illustrated using examples taken from the literature.
Effect of tin bombardment and deposition on collector mirror reflectivity in dpp euv sources

Summary form only given. The effect of Sn exposure on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reflective properties of candidate mirror materials is a critical issue for the commercial development of EUV lithography. Studies have been carried out at the interaction of materials with particles and components testing (IMPACT), a facility dedicated to the study of interactions of materials with energetic ions. Equipped with multiple in-situ diagnostics for interrogating the surface, information can be obtained from the sample being treated in real time, capturing dynamic effects that can not be observed with ex-situ measurements. The effect of Xe bombardment on the EUV reflectivity response of both single layer and multilayer mirrors has been studied in this facility, giving important insights regarding optics lifetime during EUV source operation. Two types of Sn exposures were performed in IMPACT: exposure to a thermal source and to an energetic source. The thermal source simulates the effect expected due to vapor condensation, while the energetic source simulates bombardment due to energetic ions coming from the pinch. The results obtained for the case of deposited Sn have confirmed previous knowledge about the behavior of EUV optics with Sn overlayers, which lead to a significant reflectivity loss. The case of energetic Sn bombardment has not been studied extensively. It is inherently different from Xe bombardment, since Sn can be assimilated by the sample, while Xe simply escapes provided the fluence is low. Mirrors subject to bombardment at different energies and angles show a saturation effect, also predicted by dynamic Monte Carlo computer simulations of the implantation. This saturation is a consequence of both Sn-induced mixing and sputtering. In-situ surface diagnostics include low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEISS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) conducted in real time during Sn-ion irradiation. In addition, a new in-situ EUV real-time reflectometer that uses a Si target-based photon source at 15 degrees incident with respect to the mirror surface has been installed in IMPACT. Ex-situ diagnosis includes: X-ray reflectivity, electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy
Nitrous Oxide Mediated Oxygen Atom Insertion into a Ruthenium−Hydride Bond. Synthesis and Reactivity of the Monomeric Hydroxoruthenium Complex (DMPE)2Ru(H)(OH)

Treatment of (DMPE)2Ru(H)2 with 1 equiv of N2O affords the hydroxoruthenium complex (DMPE)2Ru(H)(OH) (1) in 41% yield; further treatment with an atmosphere of N2O affords the bis(hydroxo) complex (DMPE)2Ru(OH)2 (4) in 17% yield. The addition of protic reagents to 1 results in the replacement of the OH group with several other ligands, including aryloxo, thiolato, siloxo, C-bound enolate, acetylide, and triphenylstannyl; more deep-seated changes take place when 1 reacts with p-tolualdehyde and hexafluoroacetone.
Multiple-shell ankylography

Ankylography is a newly developed technique for 3D imaging of small objects from a single view. Here we demonstrate that ankylography can in principle be extended to image larger 3D objects by incorporating multiple views.
PSEUDOMONAS CEPACIA AND CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF): EVIDENCE FOR LACK OF PERSON TO PERSON TRANSMISSION

PSEUDOMONAS CEPACIA AND CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF): EVIDENCE FOR LACK OF PERSON TO PERSON TRANSMISSION
Optimization of multistage vapour compression systems using genetic algorithms. Part 1: Vapour compression system model

The vapour compression cycle is the most common type of refrigeration cycle in use today. Most vapour compression systems are simple, having only four major components: a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator. Multistage vapour compression systems are more complex with, for example, extra compressors, aftercoolers, intercoolers, flash tanks and liquid-to-suction heat exchangers. The study performed here considers 121 different configurations operating at condensing and evaporating temperatures that range from −50 to 50°C. The refrigerants used are ammonia, R-22, R-134a, R-152a and R-123. The basis of comparison for the systems is multistage effectiveness. Multistage effectiveness is a novel term defined as the ratio of the coefficient of performance of a multistage system to the collective coefficient of performance of an equivalent group of basic single-stage systems operating at the same cooling capacities and evaporating and condensing temperatures. Equivalency here is defined on the basis of achieving the same cooling capacity at their respective temperatures as dictated by the multistage systems. The vapour compression system model presented here was put through genetic optimization with interesting results. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thin film tandem solar cells based on CuInSe2

Abstract The CuInSe 2 /(CdZn)S heterojunction is the best developed low bandgap solar cell for use in a two-junction tandem device. The potential performance of large area terrestrial systems based on this junction is reviewed. A monolithic tandem cell in which the high bandgap cell is a (CdHg) Te/CdS heterojunction deposited onto a CuInSe 2 /(CdZn)S cell is being developed and progress with this system is described.
The Post-Industrial Economy: Labour, Skills and the New Mode of Production

The rise of services signifies the emergence of a new mode of production, through which services, manufacturing and the relationship between the two are transformed. Firms are developing high value-added production systems, by focusing on quality rather than cost, by vertically disintegrating production to limit their exposure, by training and retraining a core group of employees and by relying on temporary workers to complete rime-delimited projects. Presenting several examples of this new mode of production, the article outlines the new firm's human resources and training policies and examines the brooder obstacles to its development.
Signal-to-noise ratio for temporal integrated drifting images: a model for perceived image sharpening

A formulation of signal-to-noise ratio is constructed that uses temporal integrated images from image sequences. Given a blurred image that drifts horizontally at various speeds and at various linear blurs, we prove that this formulation of the signal-to-noise ratio consistently increases with an increase in speed. This increase is shown to model the trends in the human vision system by which drifting blurred images are perceived with increased sharpness. The existing widely used objective quality techniques fail to model the perceptual increase in sharpness. This new formulation, along with other objective quality measures, is tested on several blurred drifting image sequences. The new formulation reflects the theoretically predicted increase in perceived sharpness.
Shape-based MRI data segmentation in the presence of intensity inhomogeneities using level sets

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) intensity inhomogeneities can be attributed to imperfections in the RF coils or some problems associated with the acquisition sequences. The result is a slowly varying shading artifact over the image that can produce errors with conventional intensity-based classification. The removal of the spatial intensity inhomogeneities from MR images is difficult because the inhomogeneities could change with different MRI acquisition parameters from patient to patient and from slice to slice. We propose a shape-based classification technique to overcome this problem using the level set approach. A signed distance function is dedicated to describe the model of the tissue of interest. Then, a partial differential equation (PDE) is derived to describe the evolution of an observed structure. At each iteration, the observed structure is registered with the prior shape model. The algorithm is used at different levels of noise and intensity inhomogeneities showing a good accuracy.
Isolation and characterization of kinetoplast DNA and RNA of Phytomonas davidi.

Abstract Kinetoplast DNA networks were isolated from stationary-phase culture forms of Phytomonas davidi . The networks banded in CsCl at a density of 1.699 g/ml and consisted of covalently closed circular molecules. The networks were sensitive to shear forces and exhibited several discrete sedimenting components in neutral and alkaline sucrose. Closed monomeric minicircles were isolated from sonicated networks by alkaline band sedimentation. Closed monomers showed a heterogeneous banding pattern on electrophoresis in acrylamide-agarose gels and had sedimentation coefficients of 20.5 S in alkaline sucrose and 11 S in neutral sucrose. The mean minicircle molecular weight as measured by cospreading with φXRF II was 0.70 × 10 6 or 1064 nucleotide pairs. Minicircles exhibited a sequence microheterogeneity as evidenced by restriction enzyme analysis, melting analysis, and renaturation kinetics. Network maxicircles were evidenced by the appearance of high molecular weight fragments after restriction with several enzymes and by the existence of supertwisted “edge loops” extending out from the periphery of networks. The maxicircle molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 24 × 10 6 . A purified kinetoplast-mitochondrion fraction was found to contain 9 and 12 S RNA species that comigrated with L. tarentolae 9 and 12 S kinetoplast RNAs.