cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative neuropharmacology of N-(2-methoxybenzyl)-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (NBOMe) hallucinogens and their 2C counterparts in male rats

Abstract 2,5-Dimethoxyphenethylamines (2C compounds) are 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonists that induce hallucinogenic effects. N-methoxybenzylation of 2C compounds markedly increases their affinity for 5-HT2A receptors, and two such analogs, 2-(4-chloro-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamine (25C-NBOMe) and 2-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamine (25I-NBOMe), have emerged in recreational drug markets. Here, we investigated the neuropharmacology of 25C-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe in rats, as compared to their 2C analogs and the prototypical 5-HT2A/2C agonist 1-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)propan-2-amine (DOI). Compounds were tested in vitro using 5-HT2A receptor binding and calcium mobilization assays. For in vivo experiments, 25C-NBOMe (0.01–0.3 mg/kg), 25I-NBOMe (0.01–0.3 mg/kg), 2-(4-chloro-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine (2C-C) (0.1–3.0 mg/kg), 2-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine (2C-I) (0.1–3.0 mg/kg) and DOI (0.03–1.0 mg/kg) were administered subcutaneously (sc) to male rats, and 5-HT2A-mediated behaviors were assessed. NBOMes displayed higher affinity for 5-HT2A receptors than their 2C counterparts but were substantially weaker in functional assays. 25C-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe were much more potent at inducing wet dog shakes (WDS) and back muscle contractions (BMC) when compared to 2C-C and 2C-I. Pretreatment with the selective 5-HT2A antagonist (R)-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl){1-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)ethyl]-4-piperidinyl}methanol (M100907) reversed behaviors produced by all agonists. Interestingly, binding affinities at the 5-HT2A receptor were significantly correlated with potencies to induce BMC but not WDS. Our findings show that NBOMes are highly potent 5-HT2A agonists in rats, similar to effects in mice, and consistent with the reported hallucinogenic effects in human users. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘Psychedelics: New Doors, Altered Perceptions’.
Hybrid Optimal Control for Time-Efficient Highway Traffic Management

This article examines the hybrid traffic control problem to minimize total travel time (TTT) of a highway network through traffic management infrastructures, including dynamic speed limit signs, ramp metering, and information board. We first build the traffic flow model based on the Moskowitz function for each highway link to predict traffic status within a control horizon. The traffic density is predicted based on the flow dynamic model and corrected periodically by the measured traffic flow data. The minimum TTT traffic control problem is then formulated as a mixed-integer quadratic programming problem with quadratic constraints. Numerical simulation of a real world highway network is provided to demonstrate a significant reduction of TTT and alleviation of traffic congestion compared to results obtained from ALINEA and PI-ALINEA methods.
Outlier classification performance of risk adjustment methods when profiling multiple providers

When profiling multiple health care providers, adjustment for case-mix is essential to accurately classify the quality of providers. Unfortunately, misclassification of provider performance is not uncommon and can have grave implications. Propensity score (PS) methods have been proposed as viable alternatives to conventional multivariable regression. The objective was to assess the outlier classification performance of risk adjustment methods when profiling multiple providers. In a simulation study based on empirical data, the classification performance of logistic regression (fixed and random effects), PS adjustment, and three PS weighting methods was evaluated when varying parameters such as the number of providers, the average incidence of the outcome, and the percentage of outliers. Traditional classification accuracy measures were considered, including sensitivity and specificity. Fixed effects logistic regression consistently had the highest sensitivity and negative predictive value, yet a low specificity and positive predictive value. Of the random effects methods, PS adjustment and random effects logistic regression performed equally well or better than all the remaining PS methods for all classification accuracy measures across the studied scenarios. Of the evaluated PS methods, only PS adjustment can be considered a viable alternative to random effects logistic regression when profiling multiple providers in different scenarios.
Experimental Modal Analysis of a Prestressed Concrete Double-Tee Joist Roof Subject to Blast

Prestressed concrete has received increased attention as a structural system for blast resistance and protection. However, prestressed concrete members not intentionally designed to resist blast loads, as well as connections to such members, may be especially susceptible to blast initiated damage. Full-scale testing of a prestressed double-tee joist roof in an industrial building was conducted both prior to and after internal detonation of a modestly sized explosive charge located approximately six feet below the base elevation of the double-tee joists. The testing included experimental modal analysis of the roof using a pair of long stroke electrodynamic shakers and a distributed network of 60 accelerometers. A large set of modal parameter estimates are extracted from the measurement data using a combined stochastic-deterministic subspace identification algorithm. Comparisons are made to a numerical model of the roof, developed using properties obtained from supplemental nondestructive evaluation and local historic design handbooks, to assess the plausibility of the modes. Differences in the natural frequencies and mode shapes are highlighted to qualitatively draw conclusions on plausible damage to the roof system alongside physical observations from the site.
Plasma Concentration of Chloramphenicol and Bone Marrow Suppression

The appearance of reticulocytopenia and of vacuolated marrow blast cells has been correlated with elevated plasma levels and prolonged marrow exposure to free chloramphenicol. It is suggested that chloramphenicol may have produced bone marrow suppression in these patients in part by acting as an antimetabolic agent.
Independent Applications of Near-IR Broadband Light Source and Pulsed Electric Potential in the Suppression of Human Brain Cancer Metabolic Activity: An In-Vitro Study

The roles of two different non-conventional techniques in suppressing the metabolic activity of a malignant human brain cancer (glioblastoma) cell line were explored through the application of (i) pulsed electric field, or (ii) independent application with a continuous wave broadband near infrared light channeled through a fiber-optic bundle exposing cancer cells within growth medium. Human glioblastomas were grown in T-75 flasks and were utilized when the cells were 50–70% confluent. The cells were either transferred into 96 well plates for exposures through a fiber bundle, or into 1.4 ml sterile eppendoff tubes for exposures to pulsed electric potential. The glioblastomas within wells were light exposed through a fiber bundle at an average intensity of 0.115 W/cm2 from the underside of the well, with the light dose (fluence) values ranging from 0.115—50 J/cm2. Glioblastomas exhibited a maximal decline in the metabolic activity (down 80%) relative to their respective sham exposed control counterparts between the fluence dose values of 5.0–10 J/cm2. The cellular metabolic activities for various treatment doses were measured through the colorimetric MTS metabolic assay 3 days after the broadband near infrared light exposure. Interestingly, the metabolic activity was found to return back to the (sham exposed) control levels as the fluence of exposure was increased up to 50 J/cm2. Glioblastomas in suspension within sterile eppendoff tubes were exposed to pulsed electrical potential fluctuations: rectangular pulse width = 250 ms with pulse amplitude = 100 V, with 8 square pulses per burst, 2 bursts per second. A time course study of treatment exposure revealed a complete obliteration of glioblastomas for in-vitro treatment duration beyond 7 min.
Large-scale simulations of crack–void and void–void plasticity in metallic fcc crystals under high strain rates

We have simulated the failure of three-dimensional fcc solids containing voids under mode one tension using molecular dynamics, simple interatomic potentials and a system comprising 15 million atoms. When a linear brittle crack front approaches a void, the void acts to impede the progress of the front by causing dislocation emission, thereby rendering the system ductile. When two voids are alone in the system, failure is via ductility with, first, dislocation loops being emitted from the void surfaces and, then, these loops interacting with one another to form.
Colored Stochastic Petri Nets

Use of the standard set of SPN building blocks to model very large or complex systems can sometimes result in nets that have an enormous number of places and transitions. One popular strategy for obtaining more concise specifications in such cases is to associate “colors” with both tokens and transitions and to work with “colored stochastic Petri nets” (CSPNs). This approach is especially effective when the system under study is composed of many subsystems having a similar structure or behavior.
P235 The prevalence of microalbuminuria in children with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)

Background The prevalence of childhood-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has increased globally, reflecting the pediatric epidemic of overweight and obesity. Children with T2DM have a higher prevalence of other comorbidities at diagnosis, including obesity, elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease and microalbuminuria, compared to youth with type 1 diabetes of a similar age. Method A retrospective chart review of the last twenty five children with documented diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was performed Results Patients ranged in age from 8 to 15 years at diagnosis. The female:male ratio was 1.3:1. Sixty percent of patients were Hispanics. All BMIs were above 85th percentile for age and sex. Twelve percent of them had micro or macroalbuminuria at diagnosis (only 60% had persistent microalbuminuria after follow up) while only 5% had documented persistent hypertension. Conclusion Screening for renal disease in children with T2DM should begin at diagnosis and annually thereafter. The best recommended test is a first-morning or random urine for albumin to creatinine ratio. Careful laboratory documentation of persistent albuminuria is critical since transient albuminuria can be caused by acute hyperglycemia at diagnosis. It is therefore important to demonstrate persistent albuminuria over a three- to six month period. Persistent albuminuria is defined as an elevated urine albumin to creatinine ratio in two of three urine samples taken over three to six months. The diagnosis of T2DM in young children raises concern regarding the possibility of related comorbidities including renal involvement as a similar concern of adult presentation. Early diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of microalbuminuria can prevent the progression of renal disease in diabetes.
Doubling Down in Hollywood: Escalation of Commitment in the Product Launch Stage

Limitations of the escalation of commitment literature include (1) examining hypothetical, typically unfinished projects, (2) using a limited set of predictor variables, and most importantly (3) ig...
Poly(ADP-ribose): A Dynamic Trigger for Biomolecular Condensate Formation

Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is a nucleic acid-like protein modification that can seed the formation of microscopically visible cellular compartments that lack enveloping membranes, recently termed biomolecular condensates. These PAR-mediated condensates are linked to cancer, viral infection, and neurodegeneration. Recent data have shown the therapeutic potential of modulating PAR conjugation (PARylation): PAR polymerase (PARP) inhibitors can modulate the formation and dynamics of these condensates as well as the trafficking of their components – many of which are key disease factors. However, the way in which PARylation facilitates these functions remains unclear, partly because of our lack of understanding of the fundamental parameters of intracellular PARylation, including the sites that are conjugated, PAR chain length and structure, and the physicochemical properties of the conjugates. This review first introduces the role of PARylation in regulating biomolecular condensates, followed by discussion of current knowledge gaps, potential solutions, and therapeutic applications.
A Humean Approach to the Boundaries of Morality

Hume maintains that the boundaries of morality are widely drawn in everyday life. We routinely blame characters for traits that we find disgusting, on this account, as well as those which we percei...
Moonshots and Other Metaphors: The BRAIN Initiative.

The BRAIN Initiative can be described an American moonshot to advance our collective understanding human brain function, a scientific project comparable to the Human Genome Project in both its scal...
Superior gluteal nerve injury following landmark‐guided corticosteroid injection for greater trochanteric pain: A case report

This report describes an isolated superior gluteal nerve injection injury following a corticosteroid injection for greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Ultrasound-guided injections may be beneficial to target multiple pain-producing regions of the hip while avoiding nerves and tendons.
More Than the Sum of their Parts: a Dyad-Centered Approach to Understanding Adolescent Sexual Behavior

Research has documented multiple levels of influences on adolescent sexual behavior but has generally focused less on the relational nature of this behavior. Studies with dyadic data have provided important findings on relationship process, including the role of gender in different-sex dyads. However, both of these bodies of literature typically utilize a variable-centered approach, which examines average influences of particular variables on sexual behavior. This study expands upon this research by presenting a dyad-centered approach to adolescent sexual behavior that can identify types of couples based on patterns of multidimensional risk and protective factors. I demonstrate the dyad-centered approach using data from different-sex dyads in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to uncover profiles marked by individual, parent, peer, and religion predictors for both male and female partners. Analyses uncovered five classes of dyadic influences, four of which were marked by relative similarity between partners and one marked by lesser approval of sex for women compared with men. Dyads marked by both partners intending to have sex and being in a context that is more approving of sex were more likely to engage in sexual intercourse. Findings demonstrate the heterogeneity of influences and intentions to have sex among adolescent couples and identify profiles of dyads that are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse. This approach can explicate dyadic processes involved in sexual behavior and the types of couples that exist in a population, leading to more tailored and efficacious interventions.
Polysubstance use and adherence to antiretroviral treatment in the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort

Evidence for a relationship between polysubstance use, depression, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is limited. The objectives of this study were to examine the associations of depress...
Implementation of quantum key distribution and quantum clock synchronization via time bin encoding

Quantum key distribution allows for a provably secure transmission of cryptographic keys over an optical channel. Encoded polarization states or time-bin degree of freedom have been used for successful demonstrations. However, photon losses in long fibers, slow single photon detectors, and detector dark counts significantly limit the overall bit rate. Improving key throughput and reducing the overhead of key reconciliation remain as major challenges. Methods which utilize multiple time bins allow for multiple key bits to be encoded in a single photon, thus increasing the fidelity of transmitted keys and decreasing the overhead of key reconciliation in real-world conditions. Previous implementations of these methods required that Alice and Bob share a time reference by sharing a dedicated classical channel used for synchronization. This work presents a technique that allows two parties to exchange time-bin encoded photons without the need for synchronized time references. Our technique uses a framing protocol which allows Alice to encode a time reference along with a key which is determined by Alice before transmission. Security can be achieved by monitoring the visibility of a pair of Franson interferometers, using decoy pulses and measuring the round trip time between Alice and Bob. The bit rate of this technique is limited only by the recovery time of the detector and the speed of the modulation electronics. We experimentally demonstrate a raw bit rate of 5Mb/s over an optical channel with 55dB of loss, which is competitive with current research. We also demonstrate absolute timing synchronization with an accuracy of 20ps.
Conservative Betrayal, Natural Law and Legal Positivism

Conservative Justices frequently "betray" conservative principles. The primary reason is that most Republican-appointed judges embrace legal positivism and reject natural law The Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence established the Republic upon natural law. Therefore, one cannot be a true originalist without an embrace of the principles of the Declaration and Natural Law.
Routine Analysis of Ascorbic Acid in Citrus Juice Using Capillary Electrophoresis

A procedure to monitor citrus juice samples was established to quantitate vitamin C by capillary electrophoresis using a previously developed method. Dilution and filtration were the only preparation requirements and separation was achieved with an uncoated capillary using a 35mM sodium borate buffer (pH 9.3) containing 5% (v/v) acetonitrile at 21 kV and 23∞C. Detection was performed by high speed scanning between 200 and 360 nm. From the multiwave length scan, the electropherogram at 270 nm was extracted and used to quantitate ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid concentration was calculated with an internal standard method, with ferulic acid as internal standard. The level of ascorbic acid during analysis was stabilized with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and dithiothreitol was used to reduce dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbic acid to estimate the total vitamin C level. Results were similar to those obtained by liquid chromatography and the method is now used to determine routinely the level of ascorbic acid in citrus juices.
Force Augmentation in Human-Robot Interaction

A human's ability to perform physical tasks is limited, not by his intellect, but by hisl physical strength. If, in an appropriate environment, a machine's mechanical power is closely integrated with a human arm's mechanical strength under the control of the human intellect, the resulting system will be superior to a loosely integrated combination of a human and a fully automated robot. Therefore, we ought to develop a fundamental solution to the problem of "extending" human mechanical power via integrating with a robot. "Extenders" are defined in this work as a class of robot manipulators worn by humans to increase human mechanical strength, while the wearer's intellect remains the central control system for manipulating the extender. The human, in physical contact with the extender, exchanges power and information signals with the extender. The analysis in this paper focuses on the dynamics and control of the robotic systems worn by humans. General models for the human, the extender, and the interaction between the human and the extender are developed. The stability of the system of human, extender, and object being manipulated2 is analyzed and the conditions for stable maneuvers are derived. An expression for the extender performance is defined to quantify the force3 augmentation. The trade-off between stability and performance is described. The theoretical predictions are verified experimentally.
The Common Market Prospectus

Despite the rapid internationalization of the global securities market, regulatory disharmony has been a persistent obstacle to multi-jurisdictional offerings. However, the increased demand for comparable information in the analysis of investment risk necessary to the allocation of assets has facilitated a convergence between market enhancement and market integrity. The process of federalism in the European Communities (EC) has strengthened this will to harmonize, with Member States recognizing the necessity for reducing obstacles to the development of a single European capital market. The article addresses the EC’s major initiatives toward the achievement of regional regulatory harmony for multi-jurisdictional securities offerings. Specifically, this article describes the EC’s two major directives, which establish a mandatory disclosure regime for public offerings of securities, the Listing Particulars Directive and the Public Offer Prospectus Directive. These two directives, when implemented by the EC’s Member States, may result in a “common market prospectus,” which can be used in Member States, subject to minimal additional disclosure requirements. This article concludes that the EC, in seeking to establish a common market prospectus, has become the major force for global harmony in the field of securities regulation.
In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of Hamycin Against Blastomyces dermatitidis

Abstract Clinical responses of patients with blastomycosis to treatment with hamycin have been variable. An explanation for this was sought in a series of studies in which in vitro and in vivo susceptibilities to hamycin of five strains of Blastomyces dermatitidis were compared. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of hamycin for the five strains indicated uniformly high levels of in vitro susceptibility (0.008 to 0.016 μg/ml). In vivo activity was measured in infected mice treated intraperitoneally for a period of 28 days with doses of the drug ranging from 0.001 to 0.030 mg per mouse. Significant differences in response to treatment among the five strains were noted (P 0.030 mg per mouse per day. Further observations of infected mice after treatment revealed marked rates of relapsing infection, and several strains caused death. Persistent inapparent infections were also detected on culture of selected organs. Toxicity due to hamycin alone was not observed. These results suggest that variations in clinical responses to hamycin therapy in treatment of blastomycosis reflect differences in pathogenesis and host response in vivo to the infecting organism rather than differences in susceptibility of B. dermatitidis to hamycin.
Wide-Bandwidth Radiation from Arrays of Endfire Tapered Slot Antennas

Endfire tapered slot antennas, also known as Vivaldi or notch antennas, have been demonstrated to be effective radiators of wide-bandwidth signals [1]–[4]. The antennas can be used singly or in arrays, and they can be designed to operate at microwave or millimeter-wave frequencies. Although many types of “frequency-independent” antennas have been developed, endfire slot antennas are unique in their potential for use in wide scanning arrays where element spacings less than one-half wavelength at the highest frequency are required.
Functional and physical interaction between p53 and BZLF1: implications for Epstein-Barr virus latency.

Abstract The p53 tumor suppressor protein, which is commonly mutated in human cancers, has been shown to interact directly with virally encoded from papillomavirus, adenovirus, and simian virus 40. The disruption of p53 function may be required for efficient replication of certain viruses and may also play a role in the development of virally induced malignancies. Infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with the development of B-cell lymphomas and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Here we show that the EBV immediate-early protein, BZLF1 (Z), which is responsible for initiating the switch from latent to lytic infection, can interact directly in vitro and in vivo with the tumor suppressor protein, p53. This interaction requires the coiled-coil dimerization domain of the Z protein and the carboxy-terminal portion of p53. Overexpression of wild-type p53 inhibits the ability of Z to disrupt viral latency. Likewise, Z inhibits p53-dependent transactivation in lymphoid cells. The direct interaction between Z and p53 may play a role in regulating the switch from latent to lytic viral infection.
Power allocation algorithm in MC-CDMA

We propose an algorithm to allocate power among subcarriers in an MC-CDMA system. The optimal power allocation coefficients turn out to be the maximum eigenvalue eigenvector of the modified projection matrix orthogonal to the interference signal subspace. We also present a simple on-off control algorithm to decrease feedback information.
Temporal texture and activity recognition

The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the utility of low-level motion features for the purpose of recognition. Although motion plays an important role in biological recognition tasks, motion recognition, in general, has received little attention in the literature compared to the volume of work on static object recognition. It has been shown that in some cases, motion information alone is sufficient for human visual system to achieve reliable recognition. Previous attempts at duplicating such capability in machine vision have been based on abstract higher-level models of objects, or have required building intermediate representations such as the trajectories of certain feature points of the object. In this work we demonstrate that motion recognition can be accomplished using lower-level motion features, without the use of abstract object models or trajectory representations. First, we show that certain statistical spatial and temporal features derived from the optic flow field have invariant properties, and can be used to classify regional motion patterns such as ripples on water, fluttering of leaves, and chaotic fluid flow. We then present a novel low-level computational approach for detecting and recognizing temporally repetitive movements, such as those characteristic of walking people, or flying birds, on the basis of the periodic nature of their motion signatures. We demonstrate the techniques on a number of real-world image sequences containing complex non-rigid motion patterns. We also show that the proposed techniques are reliable and efficient by implementing a real-time activity recognition system.
TET2 Mutations Affect Non-CpG Island DNA Methylation at Enhancers and Transcription Factor–Binding Sites in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia

TET2 enzymatically converts 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine as well as other covalently-modified cytosines and its mutations are common in myeloid leukemia. However, the exact mechanism and the extent to which TET2 mutations affect DNA methylation remain in question. Here we report on DNA methylomes in TET2 wild type (TET2-WT) and mutant (TET2-MT) cases of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). We analyzed 85,134 CpG sites (28,114 sites in CpG islands (CGIs) and 57,020 in non-CpG islands (NCGIs)). TET2 mutations do not explain genome-wide differences in DNA methylation in CMML, and we found few and inconsistent differences at CGIs between TET2-WT and TET2-MT cases. By contrast, we identified 409 (0.71%) TET2-specific differentially methylated CpGs (tet2-DMCs) in NCGIs, 86% of which were hypermethylated in TET2-MT cases, suggesting a strikingly different biology of the effects of TET2 mutations at CGIs and NCGIs. DNA methylation of tet2-DMCs at promoters and non-promoters repressed gene expression. Tet2-DMCs showed significant enrichment at hematopoietic-specific enhancers marked by H3K4me1, and at binding sites for the transcription factor p300. Tet2-DMCs showed significantly lower 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in TET2-MT cases. We conclude that leukemia-associated TET2 mutations affect DNA methylation at NCGI regions containing hematopoietic-specific enhancers and transcription factor binding sites.
Shame-Free Guilt Appeals: Testing the Emotional and Cognitive Effects of Shame and Guilt Appeals

Although many health communication researchers use the terms “shame” and “guilt” interchangeably, arguably these constructs are distinct and have widely divergent psychological consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore distinct cognitive and emotional outcomes resulting from shame relative to guilt appeals. Specifically, this paper provides empirical evidence that negative outcomes such as anger and perceived manipulative intent are more likely to be associated with shame than guilt. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to view either a shame or a guilt appeal about getting tested for STDs and completed an online questionnaire. Shame was correlated with both anger and perceived manipulative intent whereas guilt was not. Participants who viewed the shame appeal reported higher levels of shame, anger, and perceived manipulative intent. Tactics for creating shame-free guilt appeals and future research are discussed.
Collaborative planning and scheduling of interrelated design changes

During the detailed design stage of a building project, a vast amount of mostly interrelated design information is generated and communicated among specialists from several disciplines. Changes in some design information are inevitable due to the iterative nature of the design process. In many cases, when the design of a building component is modified by one discipline, this change affects the design of many related building components that are the responsibility of several other design disciplines. Commitment and resources are needed to accommodate such design changes to maintain compatibility among all the design information. Otherwise, incompatibility errors become embedded in the design information leading to numerous problems during the construction of the project. This paper presents a computer-assisted methodology that helps design managers in planning and scheduling changes with interrelated effects on the design information.
Assessment of Student Clinical Performance The State of the Art

This article reviews assessment of student clinical performance in medical education. With reference to important components of clinical performance as a thread of continuity (knowledge, problem solving, clinical skills, and habits) the reader is reminded how each of these was assessed in the past, how those assessments have changed into present practices, and what the future might have in store. It is interesting to note that the entire evolution process seems to have occurred in the last two or three decades, with the most significant contributions coming very recently.
Infrared spectral absorption coefficients for water vapor

IR spectral absorption coefficients determined for water vapor at high temperatures, describing experimental details including data acquisition and reduction
The intrasanguineous host-mediated assay procedure distribution and retention of yeast in the mouse.

Abstract A study of the factors that could affect a method to detect mutations in cells recovered from different organs after intravenous injection in mice, was performed by using the D 4 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The recovery of the yeast cells 5 min to 3 days after injection in the host animal was investigated. The circulation, distribution and localization of the cells were determined, and histopathologic analysis was performed in order to detect possible interactions between the mice and the microorganisms. We found that the yeast cells were trapped primarily in the capillaries of the organs; 3 days after injection no cells were found outside of the tissue-blood vessels. The spontaneous gene-conversion frequency of the yeast cells recovered at different times after injection was increased, but this increase was not time-dependent.
Quantitative specific binding of breast cancer cells in an antibody-functionalized microchamber array

The system performance of an antibody-functionalized microchamber array, developed for selectively binding target cancer cells, is quantitatively characterized. The devices are designed to allow accurate counting of loaded and captured cells from heterogeneous suspensions. Specific interaction between cancer cell receptors and immobilized surface ligands has been demonstrated under static conditions. Performance measures such as specificity, sensitivity and accuracy are uniquely defined and experimentally evaluated. Several cell mixtures have been tested, and the quantitative system performance criteria are reported as a function of cell concentrations in the tested suspensions. These criteria provide a critical quantitative basis for a comparison among different systems aimed at selectively isolating target bio-species from complex mixtures.
Seeded Crystal Growth of Yba 2 Cu 3 O 6.5 in Semisolid Melts

Melt textured single crystals of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6.5} (123) superconductors were produced by isothermal solidification from a semisolid melt using single crystal NdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6.5} or SmBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6.5} seeds. The microstructure within the single crystals shows an inhomogeneous segregation of Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5} (211) particles trapped in the 123 crystals during solidification. The concentration of 211 particles varies with the crystal axes in 123 crystals produced from precursors with compositions of 80 wt.{percent} 123 powder and 20 wt.{percent} excess 211. The 211 particle concentration along the c-axis in the crystal is much lower than that along the a- or b-axes during initial crystallization. This concentration increases in both directions as the crystal grows larger. The 211 concentration along the c-axis increases more quickly than the concentration along the other axes during solidification, which allows the 211 concentration to approach that on the other axes as the solidification continues. 211 particle segregation in stoichiometric 123 samples formed {open_quotes}X{close_quotes}-shaped tracks instead of the variations in 211 concentration described above. A single crystal growth model of 123 is proposed and employed to interpret these experimental observations. Quenched samples were prepared to investigate the volume fraction of 211 particles in more » the liquid phase. A constant distribution of 211 particles was observed in the liquid, except very near the crystal interface, where the 211 concentration decreased rapidly. Copper oxide content in the liquid was also measured. It is found that the copper content is lower at the (001) interface compared with (100) or (010) interfaces. {copyright} {ital 1997 Materials Research Society.} « less
Beam finite element for nonlinear analysis of pressurized fabric beam–columns

Abstract In this paper, a Timoshenko beam element is developed for the nonlinear analysis of pressurized fabric beam–columns. The analysis is based on an incremental virtual work expression that explicitly includes the work done by pressure under deformation-induced volume changes. Localized compressive buckling of the fabric (commonly termed wrinkling) and geometric nonlinearity arising from P – Δ effects are included in the formulation. Details of the numerical approach used to develop the pressure-dependent, nonlinear moment–curvature relationship for the beam cross-section which accounts for fabric wrinkling are presented. The finite element model is shown to accurately predict experimentally observed load–deflection response of pressurized, coated fabric beams loaded in four-point bending. Simulations indicate that inclusion of the work done by the confined, pressurized air is essential for the accurate calculation of beam stiffness and capacity. In addition, the flexural buckling of pressurized fabric columns is investigated using the finite element model. Fabric wrinkling is shown to significantly reduce buckling loads.
On the economic order quantity under conditions of permissible delay in payments

In this note, I amend Goyal's model by considering the difference between unit price and unit cost. I then establish an easy analytical closed-form solution to the problem. The theoretical results obtained here reveal the following two managerial phenomena. (1) In certain cases, the economic replenishment interval and order quantity decreases under the permissible delay in payments, which contradicts to Goyal's conclusion. It makes economic sense for some customers to order less quantity (or shorten the replenishment time interval) and to take the benefits of the permissible delay more frequently. (2) If a supplier wants to reduce his/her large level of inventory, then he/she should charge an excessive interest rate on his/her customer's outstanding amount after the credit term expires. Consequently, his/her customers will order to buy more quantity than the classical economic order quantity. As a matter of fact, these two managerial phenomena have been demonstrated in the decision making of using credit cards. For example, most credit card companies provide card holders 25 days of grace period, and charge 18-20% interest on the amount past due (ie, the second phenomenon). However, for a well-established credit card holder, he/she will take the benefit of 25 days of grace period constantly, but will not spend over his/her limit and face an excessive finance charge (ie, the first phenomenon).
Structure, scattering patterns and phase behavior of polymer nanocomposites with nonspherical fillers

Polymer nanocomposites made with carbon nanotubes, clay platelets, laponite disks and other novel nonspherical fillers have been the focus of many recent experiments. However, the effects of nanoparticle shape on statistical structure, polymer-mediated effective interactions, scattering patterns, and phase diagrams are not well understood. We extend and apply the polymer reference interaction site model liquid state theory to study the equilibrium properties of pseudo one-, two- and three-dimensional particles (rod, disk, cube) of modest steric anisotropy and fixed space-filling volume in a dense adsorbing homopolymer melt up to relatively high volume fractions. The second virial coefficient, nanoparticle potential-of-mean force, osmotic compressibilities, and isotropic spinodal demixing boundaries have been determined. The entropic depletion attraction between nanoparticles is dominant for weakly adsorbing polymer, while strongly adsorbing chains induce a bridging attraction. Intermediate interfacial cohesion results in the formation of a steric stabilizing adsorbed polymer layer around each nanoparticle, which can partially damp inter-filler collective order on various length scales and increase order on an averaged length scale. The details of depletion, stabilization, or bridging behavior are shape-dependent and often, but not always, trends are monotonic with increasing filler dimensionality. Distinctive nanoparticle shape-dependent low angle features are predicted for the collective polymer structure factor associated with competing macrophase fluctuations and microphase-like ordering. The influence of nonzero mixture compressibility on the scattering profiles is established.
High-Stress Piezoresistance and Mobility in Degenerate Sb-Doped Germanium

The resistivity of germanium containing between $N=3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{17} \mathrm{and} {10}^{19}$ antimony atoms per cc was measured at 1.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K under uniaxial compressions of up to ${10}^{10}$ dyn ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. These stresses are high enough to effect an observable saturation in the piezoresistance, that is, to transfer all electrons to a single conduction-band valley ([111] compression) or to two valleys ([110] compression). Two distinct ranges are observed in degenerate germanium: for $Nl{10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ the mobility increases with $N$ and shows impurity-band effects; for $Ng{10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ the mobility decreases and ionized-impurity scattering is the dominant scattering process. The latter range is $Ng3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ for large [111] compression. The resistivity was measured for current flowing parallel and perpendicular to the stress direction. The mobility anisotropy was found to be $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{II}}}=3.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ for $Ng4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. This indicates that the mean free path is nearly isotropic. The mobility for electrons in 1, 2, and 4 valleys is compared with Csavinszky's partial-wave treatment of impurity scattering. The change of screening with the number of valleys was taken into account. Csavinszky's theory overestimates the $N$ dependence and the magnitude of the scattering. This is attributed to the failure of the individual-scattering assumption.
City as Ideology: Reconciling the Explosion of the City Form with the Tenacity of the City Concept

This paper is a theoretical reexamination of the traditional concept of the city in the context of urbanization processes that exceed it. Recent decades have seen a proliferation of new variations on the city concept, as well as calls to discard it altogether. I argue that both options are inadequate. The city has generally been understood as a category of analysis�a moment in urbanization processes�but might now be better understood as a category of practice: an ideological representation of urbanization processes. I substantiate this claim through an examination of three tropes of the traditional city which in material terms have been superseded in recent decades in the Global North but retain their force as ideological representations of contemporary urban spatial practice: the opposition between city and country, the city as a self-contained system, and the city as an ideal type.
Benefits of Rake and Skew for Turbulence Ingestion Noise

Turbulent flow through a fan or pump produces a broadband spectrum of unsteady lifting forces on the blades. These forces cause undesirable blade stresses, blade vibration and sound. Jonson (1994) has shown that broadband improvements can be obtained by adding rake and skew to the stacking line of rotor blade sections. This paper adds understanding to those experimental results, and shows that benefits can be reliably predicted using analytical methods.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
METHYLXANTHINE INHIBITION OF AFLATOXIN PRODUCTION

The effects of caffeine and theophylline on growth and aflatoxin B, production by Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 were studied in AMY medium at pH 4.5. Caffeine levels of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/ml decreased aflatoxin production by 86, 96 and lOO%, respectively. Theophylline levels of 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mg/ml were tested, but only the highest concentration was inhibitory, decreasing aflatoxin production by 54%. Inhibition of growth was noted, but did not completely account for the reduction in aflatoxin production. The data help explain why aflatoxins are not usually isolated from caffeine-containing commodities, and indicate that aflatoxin synthesis may be regulated by cyclic AMP. the literature that have elucidated this apparent activity. Since both commodities are a source of naturally occurring methylxanthines, this suggested that this group of compounds may have anti-aflatoxigenic properties. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of two methylxanthines (caffeine and theophylline) on growth and aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus in semi-synthetic medium as a preliminary means of determining if methylxanthines contribute to the apparent anti-aflatoxigenic properties of cocoa and coffee.
The pulmonary venous wedge pressure in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The comparability of the main pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and the pulmonary venous wedge pressure (PVWP) was assessed during cardiac catheterization in 89 patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and increased pulmonary blood flow. Preliminary evaluation revealed a wide disparity between the 2 determinations. Fifty-five pull-back pressure recordings from branch-to-main pulmonary artery were analyzed. Twenty-four percent (13/55) had systolic pressure gradients >20 mm Hg. between branch and main pulmonary artery. When PVWP and only ipsilateral branch PAP were compared (n=48), diastolic and mean (m), but not systolic PVWP, correlated closely with branch PAP (r=0.77, r=0.73 and r=0.59, respectively). In 46 of 48 patients the PVWPm was not significantly greater than the ipsilateral PAP. Twenty-nine of 30 patients with PVWPm 40 mm Hg. had severe PAH. It is concluded that: 1) hemodynamically significant branch-to-main PAP gradients are present in some patients with PAH and may result in erroneously high pulmonary arteriolar vascular resistance when calculated from main PAP; 2) properly performed PVWP determination can define the lower limit of mean pressure in the ipsilateral branch pulmonary artery; 3) a PVWPm 30 mm Hg. is compatible with either moderate or severe PAH; 5) correlation of PVWP with PAP is not related to pulmonary blood flow.
The Significance of Changing Needles When Inoculating Blood Cultures: A Meta-Analysis

Several recent studies have concluded that the changing of needles prior to inoculation of blood culture bottles does not reduce the contamination rate, although there is a consistent trend toward a reduction in number of contaminated cultures when the needle is changed prior to inoculation. We performed a meta-analysis of available studies prospectively comparing blood culture contamination rates with and without a needle change prior to inoculation. The overall weighted contamination rate when the needle was changed prior to inoculation was 2.0%, compared to 3.7% when the needle was not changed. Since an increase of approximately $5,000 in costs per patient is associated with a contaminated blood culture, this reduction in contamination rate could save approximately $85,000 for every 1,000 cultures performed. Our meta-analysis demonstrates reduced blood culture contamination when the needle used for phlebotomy is changed prior to inoculation. This should be considered when setting clinical policy regarding the performance of blood cultures.
The Molecular Basis of Pneumococcal Infection: A Hypothesis

New insight has been gained into the mechanisms underlying the tissue tropism and inflammation of pneumococcal infection. Virulence has been linked to a transparent colonial morphology. Adherence has been characterized at the molecular level, and the importance of receptors arising upon activation of eukaryotic cells in promoting the progression to disease has been established. The contribution of peptidoglycan and teichoic acid to the generation of inflammation has suggested the need to couple anti-inflammatory therapy with antibiotic treatment in order to improve the outcome of invasive disease. Elucidation of the pathogenesis of pneumococcal infection, including the identification of virulence determinants by recently developed genetic strategies, can provide a paradigm for new mechanisms that are active in gram-positive bacterial infections and that are clearly distinct from the familiar pathways triggered by endotoxin.
A convenient method for locating sets of related short sequences in DNA sequences of any length

In investigating sequence variants in a family of highly repeated rat DNA, we needed to search the consensus sequence of the repeat unit of this family for short sequences which would become, with one base change, recognition sites for various restriction endonucleases. To do this, we have designed a pair of programs to search DNA sequences of any length for sets of related short sequences, allowing user-specified mismatches in the short sequence. Since putative regulatory regions are generally short sequences, these programs are also useful for locating all possible versions of such sequences in any given DNA. We describe the programs, and present results of searches using the programs.