cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of key pinch strength on patient preference for inflatable penile prosthesis: a prospective study comparing Coloplast™ and AMS™ models.

Our purpose was to determine if key pinch strength is predictive of patient preference for a single IPP model among three currently available models (Coloplast™ Titan, Coloplast™ Titan Touch, and the Boston Scientific AMS 700™). We prospectively recruited men without penile prostheses over 65 years old from our urology clinic. Demographic and medical history were recorded. To measure key pinch strength study participants squeezed a dynamometer between their thumb and index finger while seated with their arm resting at 90°; the strongest of three attempts was recorded. Participants were asked to operate three inflatable penile prosthesis devices installed within identical penis models. The number of pumps required to achieve erection with each device was recorded. Participants were asked to rate difficulty of inflation on a 1–5 scale. Participants ranked, from best to worst, which device they preferred based on ease of inflation. A total of 100 men completed the study. Median age and key pinch strength were 70.0 years and 19.0 pounds. Coloplast Titan was the most favored pump based on ease of inflation (58%). The median age, median key pinch strength, and median number of pumps required for erection were similar among men that favored Coloplast Titan as compared with AMS 700 and Coloplast Titan Touch. Multivariate linear regression of the 1–5 rating scale revealed lower grip strength to be associated with increased difficulty of inflation of Coloplast Titan Touch (p = 0.045). No other factors were associated with increased difficulty of inflation. Men with below-average key pinch strength may benefit from being offered a model other than Coloplast Titan Touch. Whether these findings translate to men who have already received implants remains to be determined. Nevertheless, evaluation of pinch strength should be considered in men prior to implantation of IPP.
Single-exposure contrast enhanced spectral mammography

Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) is being implemented to overcome the limitations of conventional mammography where tumor visualization is obstructed by overlapping glandular tissue. CESM exploits the spectral properties of a contrast agent by subtracting two images one obtained above and other below the K-edge energy. The most common approach requires dual-exposure where two images are obtained with differ- ent incident spectra. However, this comes at the expense of increased patient dose and susceptibility to motion artifacts. We propose the use of photon counting spectral detectors to simultaneously obtain multiple images with single-exposure. This is demonstrated using a wide area CdTe Medipix3RX detector to acquire images of iodine contrast agent in an anthropomorphic breast imaging phantom. The electronic thresholds in the detector replace the traditional physical filters. Our results show single-exposure CESM for the detection of iodine with concentrations as low as 2.5 mg/mL of a 10 mm diameter target in a 5 cm thick heterogeneous background. These results demonstrate the viability of photon counting detectors for low dose contrast-enhanced mammography.
A Capacity Reconfigurable Multimode Origami MIMO Antenna

In this work, a receconfigurable multimode Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna is proposed. This antenna is composed of seven identical dual band elements each simultaneously operating in two orthogonal modes. The antenna is implemented on an accordion origami support structure which allows the inter-element spacing to be uniformly varied. This spatial reconfigurability results in a 15% and 13% variation in capacity for the first and second modes, respectively. With this antenna, the capacity, gain, and physical size can be optimized for real-time operational requirements.
Advancing Advocacy: Implementation of a Child Health Advocacy Curriculum in a Pediatrics Residency Program

Introduction ACGME program requirements for graduate medical education state that pediatric residency programs should include elements of child advocacy education. Finding readily available, easily...
The Effects of Weather Shocks on Economic Activity: What are the Channels of Impact?

Abstract Global temperatures have increased at a historically unprecedented pace. This paper finds that the negative effect of temperature on output in countries with hot climates runs through reduced investment, depressed labor productivity, poorer human health, and lower agricultural and industrial output. We find that hot low-income countries suffer the largest costs. In a median low-income country, aggregate output is about 2 percent lower and investment is about 10 percent lower, seven years after a 1 degree increase in average annual temperature. We also find that economic development, in general, helps to shield countries from temperature shocks, with hot regions in high-income countries on average sustaining less economic damage from rising temperatures than hot regions in low-income countries.
A study on aetiology and outcomes of viral lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized children from South India

Introduction: Viral respiratory infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in children, especially those less than 5 years old. Objectives: To study the aetiology and seasonal variation of viral lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in hospitalized children and to assess the morbidity and mortality. Method: A retrospective cohort study was done on children, aged 1 month to 16 years, admitted in G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Coimbatore, South India. Case records of children hospitalized with features of LRTI, for whom respiratory viral panel was sent, were retrospectively reviewed and were analysed from July 2017 to June 2018. The aetiology of viral infection, age wise distribution, severity of illness and seasonal variation were studied. Multiplex PCR panel was done from either throat swab or nasopharyngeal aspirate in 69 children admitted with a clinician diagnosis of LRTI. Results: Respiratory viruses were identified in 33 (47.8%) of the 69 children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Influenza viruses A and B, parainfluenza virus and boca virus were the common viruses isolated from hospitalized children with LRTI. RSV and bocavirus were common among children less than 2 years old. RSV infection began in July, peaked during September and October and continued till January. Influenza virus was common among children more than 2 years and occurred between September and March. Conclusions: RSV, Influenza A and B viruses, parainfluenza virus and bocavirus were the common viruses isolated from hospitalized children with LRTI. RSV infection peaked from September to October whilst influenza virus infection peaked from January to March. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2020; 49(3): 218-222
Process Implications of Executable Domain Models for Microservices Development

Microservice architecture has been recognized as an important enabler for continuous development of many cloud-based systems. Code generation has been tried in the tool chain of building microservices. However, most existing tools generally do not consider the risks from continuous development.We have been developing a toolkit which generates microservices from application domain models. Our approach aligns development process to this toolkit and coordinates domain modeling activity over project life cycles. In this paper, we describe its framework and corresponding development process which eliminates delays brought by the uncertainty of a project at a relatively early stage. Several minimum viable products have been built upon the proposed approach during the past years, including automated generation of code from domain decomposition. Our result shows 10% saving of effort and fewer issues. Effort saving increases to 30% under an extreme condition with high-rate personnel turnover. We also discuss our findings on running these projects and raise discussion and questions for future enhancement.
The Lineaments of Life and Death: Desire, Sexuality and Manhood in Wide Sargasso Sea

Since the novel’s publication, coinciding with both feminism and 1960s “free love,” it has been surprising how little attention has been paid to the sexuality of Antoinette and Amelie (to say nothing of Jane Eyre, of course, lurking in the background), other than in Sue Thomas’s The Worlding of Jean Rhys. Sexuality is in itself a many layered “text,” often more performance than disclosure. This chapter “reads” three eras of sexual “revolution” relevant to thinking about the novel: the world of the Caribbean in the nineteenth century, the worlds of Paris and London in the first half of the twentieth century and the world in which we live now (part materialist Tinder and Bumble, part renascent right-wing phobia about sexual, racial and class “transgressions”).
Nutritional Therapies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a Focus on Prebiotics and Probiotics

The pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is incompletely understood, but in at least some patients, alterations in the gut microbiome are likely to be etiologically relevant. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the available evidence to date for the use of prebiotics and probiotics in the treatment of IBS, with particular attention to broad themes in therapeutic rationale as well as critical gaps in the literature. A number of individual studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated efficacy in the use of prebiotics and probiotics for IBS. Even so, variability in study design, risk of bias, and short follow-up intervals limit the ability to draw robust conclusions in aggregate. More research is needed to understand the intricacy of the gut microbiome and how it relates to IBS symptomatology, but the effectiveness of prebiotic and probiotic agents demonstrated so far implies a worthy therapeutic signal within the noise.
Apple Inc.: The Future of the Mac

This public-sourced case uses Apple Inc. (Apple) and its Mac line of personal computers to allow for an analysis of competitive positioning and the building of sustainable competitive advantage. In the spring of 2020, as Apple evolves its various product offerings, a product manager at Apple must think about how the Mac fits into its broader product portfolio. What is the future for desktop and laptops broadly, and the Mac specifically? The case facilitates an exploration of Apple's underlying capabilities and of broader market dynamics in the face of uncertainty over the industry's future direction. The case provides a historical summary and an overview of the current forces in the personal computing industry, including market share trends, mobile computing, cloud computing services, the Mac portfolio of products, and competitors. The case offers the opportunity to conduct a Five Forces analysis as well as explore competitive advantage and market position. Excerpt UVA-S-0340 Oct. 8, 2020 Apple Inc.: The Future of the Mac Our goal has never been to make the most. It's always been to make the best. —Tim Cook The Decline of PC Culture . . .
Sustained inhibition of the NaV1.7 sodium channel by engineered dimers of the domain II binding peptide GpTx-1.

Abstract Many efforts are underway to develop selective inhibitors of the voltage-gated sodium channel Na V 1.7 as new analgesics. Thus far, however, in vitro selectivity has proved difficult for small molecules, and peptides generally lack appropriate pharmacokinetic properties. We previously identified the Na V 1.7 inhibitory peptide GpTx-1 from tarantula venom and optimized its potency and selectivity via structure-guided analoging. To further understand GpTx-1 binding to Na V 1.7, we have mapped the binding site to transmembrane segments 1–4 of the second pseudosubunit internal repeat (commonly referred to as Site 4) using Na V 1.5/Na V 1.7 chimeric protein constructs. We also report that select GpTx-1 amino acid residues apparently not contacting Na V 1.7 can be derivatized with a hydrophilic polymer without adversely affecting peptide potency. Homodimerization of GpTx-1 with a bifunctional polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker resulted in a compound with increased potency and a significantly reduced off-rate, demonstrating the ability to modulate the function and properties of GpTx-1 by linking to additional molecules.
Partnerships for Crime Prevention

This chapter focuses on the role of the police and partnerships in crime prevention activity. Community policing and partnerships are relatively new ideas and seek to build cooperative alliances among the police, other agencies, and citizens. These collaborations have the potential to bring a wide array of new and innovative ways of looking at problems, as well as proposing solutions to these problems. The chapter discusses the various key elements of community policing, some of which are—community involvement, problem solving, community base, and altering the goals of policing. Other key features of community policing are the less rigid organizational structure, a focus on disorder, different training for officers, collaboration, de-emphasizing calls for service or arrests, and recognizing the complexity of criminal behavior. Local problems and potential solutions will be identified through the interaction among all interested parties as preventive actions will depend on a variety of people. This chapter also discusses the keys to successful partnerships, the various partnership initiatives such as civil abatement approaches and their impact, the Weed and Seed approach, comprehensive communities program (CCP), the strategic approaches to community safety initiative (SACSI), the project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Operation Ceasefire, and the various gang suppression programs.
Energy Release and Transport in Flare Plasmas

We discuss the fundamental issues involved in the dissipation of stored magnetic energy during solar flares, and the various magnetic field topologies and geometries that have been invoked to enhance the energy release rate. Transport of the released energy, particularly by energetic electrons, is reviewed, noting especially the global electrodynamic consequences of such a scenario. Results from hydrodynamic simulations of electron-heated flare atmospheres are compared critically with recent observational data.
Die anodische Korrosion von Großoberflächenplatten aus Blei mit geringen Zusätzen in Blei‐Schwefelsäure‐Sammlern

Es wurden Grosoberflachenplatten aus „Feinblei Harz” mit Zusatzen von Ag, As, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni, Sb, Sn und Zn in der Grosenordnung 0,002 bis 0,05% in Blei-Schwefelsaure-Sammlern bis zu 1000 mal geladen und entladen.
Effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe (补肾通脉方) on protein kinase Bα expression in polycystic ovary rats with insulin resistance

Objective To observe the effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe (补肾通脉方, BSTMR) on mRNA and protein expressions of protein kinase B alpha (PKB α) in hepatic, adipose, muscular, and ovarian tissues of polycystic ovary (PCO) rats with insulin resistance (IR) and to explore the possible molecular mechanism of BSTMR in treating IR and ovulation dysfunction.
Promotion of cell adhesion by single-stranded and triple-helical peptide models of basement membrane collagen alpha 1(IV)531-543. Evidence for conformationally dependent and conformationally independent type IV collagen cell adhesion sites.

Several regions within the triple-helical domain of type IV collagen function as cellular recognition sites. We have demonstrated previously that melanoma cell activities promoted by the alpha 1(IV)1263-1277 sequence are enhanced by triple helicity (Fields, C. G., Mickelson, D. J., Drake, S.L., McCarthy, J.B., and Fields, G.B. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 14153-14160), whereas Eble et al. reached similar conclusions for alpha 1 beta 1 integrin-mediated fibrosarcoma cell adhesion to [alpha 1(IV)]2 alpha 2(IV)434-472 (Eble, J. A., Golbik, R., Mann, K., and Kuhn, K. (1993) EMBO J. 12, 4795-4802). In the present study, we have examined the cell adhesion activities of a third region in type IV collagen. A single-stranded peptide (SSP) incorporating the alpha 1(IV)531-543 sequence promoted the adhesion of melanoma, ovarian carcinoma, and Jurkat cells in a dose-dependent manner, with 40% cell adhesion observed at [SSP] = 1.8, 11.5, and 42.2 microM, respectively. Nearly identical results were obtained for cell adhesion to an all-D-enantiomer of the SSP, suggesting that the cell surface receptor(s) for this site do not discriminate based on chirality. The alpha 1(IV)531-543 sequence maintained its cell adhesion promoting activity when incorporated into a homotrimeric triple-helical polypeptide, although relative levels of adhesion were either slightly enhanced or slightly diminished compared with the SSP. Triple-helical conformation was thus not critical for cellular recognition of the alpha 1(IV)531-543 sequence. Single-site substitution experiments of the SSP showed no overall correlation between the biological effects of substitutions and SSP conformation. The SSP, D-SSP, triple-helical polypeptide, and SSP substitution results suggest that cell recognition of the alpha 1(IV)531-543 sequence is generally independent of substrate conformation. The present and prior studies indicate that "conformationally dependent" and "conformationally independent" cellular recognition sites exist within the triple-helical domain of type IV collagen.
Echocardiographic Effects of Prostacyclin

To the Editor: I read with interest the manuscript by Hinderliter and other members of the Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Study Group entitled “Effects of Long-term Infusion of Prostacyclin (Epoprostenol) on Echocardiographic Measures of Right Ventricular Structure and Function in Primary Pulmonary Hypertension.”1 I was disappointed that the authors stated conclusions with no supporting data. Previously, these authors reported that a 12-week continuous intravenous infusion of prostacyclin improved survival in patients with severe primary pulmonary hypertension.2 Hinderliter and associates now claim that a 12-week period of prostacyclin therapy also had important beneficial effects on right ventricular structure and function in this same group of patients. Unfortunately, the results were incompletely reported without appropriate statistical comparisons. The baseline echocardiographic features of treated patients and control subjects were well described. However, corresponding measurements, 12 weeks after randomization, were not reported. Furthermore, the authors reported none of the statistical comparisons between baseline and follow-up measurements. By comparing only the median differences between baseline and follow-up echocardiographic variables, the authors arrived at inappropriate and misleading conclusions. The median differences in most echocardiographic variables were so small that it is unlikely …
Nonnormal Approximations to Likelihoods and Posteriors

In this chapter, we continue our presentation of methods which are applied directly to the likelihood or to the posterior. However, in this chapter we work with higher-order approximations to these functions. In Section 3.1, we discuss numerical integration as a method to obtain a close approximation to the marginal of the posterior or of the likelihood. Section 3.2 approaches the problem of higher-order approximations to the posterior or to the likelihood from the point of view of Laplace’s method. Section 3.3 presents the methods of Monte Carlo, importance sampling and rejection/acceptance to realize a sample from the function of interest. Iterative Monte Carlo methods are presented in chapters 5 and 6.
An Empirical Analysis of Internet Search Engine Choice

We investigate consumers' choice behavior for Internet search engines. Within this broad agenda, we focus on two interrelated issues. First, we will document whether consumers develop loyalty to a particular search engine. If loyalty does indeed develop, we seek to understand what is the importance of this loyalty in the search engine choice. We also explore how the level of interaction with the engine enhances or detracts from customer loyalty. Second, we seek to determine how search engine performance affects the user choice behavior. To accomplish our research objective, we first develop a conceptual model of search engine choice based on the literature in human-computer interaction and cognitive psychology. Next, we use a multinomial logit model to study 6,321 distinct search engine choices for six engines over a period of one year. Our findings show that user dissatisfaction with the results negatively affects the user choice both immediately as well as in the future. We also show that the impact of loyalty is small when users use engines primarily for search purposes but quite large when they use personalized features. Finally, we also test whether user choice is affected by the presence of banner advertisements on the Web. The results of this research provide insight into consumer behavior in the marketplace for Internet search engines and offer guidance to managers of these companies in developing sustainable competitive advantage through better product design.
Gas embolism after ingestion of hydrogen peroxide.

Gas embolism to the portal venous system is a well-recognized radiographic sign in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis. It also has been seen after colonic irrigation with hydrogen peroxide solution.1,2 We present what we believe is the first reported patient with radiographic evidence of portal venous gas embolism after ingestion of hydrogen peroxide solution. This finding is important because gas embolism to the portal venous system after colonic irrigation with hydrogen peroxide has been associated with gangrenous and perforated bowel.1,2 CASE REPORT A 2-year-old boy ingested an unknown amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. The child was found with foam around his mouth.
The Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism

Metaphysical naturalism can be taken, roughly, to be the view that there is no God, and nothing beyond nature. Alvin Plantinga has argued that naturalism, in this sense, is self-defeating. More specifically, he argues that an evolutionary account of human origins gives the naturalist (but not the theist) compelling reasons for doubting the reliability of human cognitive faculties, and thus compelling reasons for doubting the truth of any of his beliefs, including naturalism itself. This argument, which has come to be known as the ‘evolutionary argument against naturalism’, has generated a great deal of controversy, and a substantial literature concerning it has grown up as a result. In this paper, I will introduce readers to this literature. I begin by explaining the argument itself, and making clear its intuitive force. I then survey the main objections to it, such as the Perspiration Objection, the ‘Can’t the Naturalist Just Add a Little Something?’ Objection, and the Tu Quoque Objection: in the course of this survey, I pay particular attention to the most interesting of these, a version of the Tu Quoque Objection according to which the problem of evil results in a form of epistemic self-defeat for the theist that is exactly analogous to the self-defeat with which the naturalist is allegedly faced in the evolutionary argument. I go on to suggest that, despite the wide range of objections in the literature, the challenge of the evolutionary argument against naturalism is still very much with us, and I conclude by describing some promising directions for future research.
"Magic" Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The systematic study of the temperature and pressure dependence of matrix-assisted ionization (MAI) led us to the discovery of the seemingly impossible, initially explained by some reviewers as either sleight of hand or the misinterpretation by an overzealous young scientist of results reported many years before and having little utility. The “magic” that we were attempting to report was that with matrix assistance, molecules, at least as large as bovine serum albumin (66 kDa), are lifted into the gas phase as multiply charged ions simply by exposure of the matrix:analyte sample to the vacuum of a mass spectrometer. Applied heat, a laser, or voltages are not necessary to achieve charge states and ion abundances only previously observed with electrospray ionization (ESI). The fundamentals of how solid phase volatile or nonvolatile compounds are converted to gas-phase ions without added energy currently involves speculation providing a great opportunity to rethink mechanistic understanding of ionization processes used in mass spectrometry. Improved understanding of the mechanism(s) of these processes and their connection to ESI and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization may provide opportunities to further develop new ionization strategies for traditional and yet unforeseen applications of mass spectrometry. This Critical Insights article covers developments leading to the discovery of a seemingly magic ionization process that is simple to use, fast, sensitive, robust, and can be directly applied to surface characterization using portable or high performance mass spectrometers.
Lentiviral vector-mediated insertional mutagenesis screen identifies genes that influence androgen independent prostate cancer progression and predict clinical outcome

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in US men. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves clinical outcome, but tumors often recur and progress to androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) which no longer responds to ADT. The progression to AIPC is due to genetic alterations that allow PC cancer cells to grow in the absence of androgen. Here we performed an insertional mutagenesis screen using a replication-incompetent lentiviral vector (LV) to identify the genes that promote AIPC in an orthotopic mouse model. Androgen sensitive PC cells, LNCaP, were mutagenized with LV and injected into the prostate of male mice. After tumor development, mice were castrated to select for cells that proliferate in the absence of androgen. Proviral integration sites and nearby dysregulated genes were identified in tumors developed in an androgen deficient environment. Using publically available datasets, the expression of these candidate androgen independence genes in human PC tissues were analyzed. A total of 11 promising candidate AIPC genes were identified: GLYATL1, FLNA, OBSCN, STRA13, WHSC1, ARFGAP3, KDM2A, FAM83H, CLDN7, CNOT6, and B3GNT9. Seven out the 11 candidate genes; GLYATL1, OBSCN, STRA13, KDM2A, FAM83H, CNOT6, and B3GNT6, have not been previously implicated in PC. An in vitro clonogenic assay showed that knockdown of KDM2A, FAM83H, and GLYATL1 genes significantly inhibited the colony forming ability of LNCaP cells. Additionally, we showed that a combination of four genes, OBSCN, FAM83H, CLDN7, and ARFGAP3 could significantly predicted the recurrence risk in PC patients after prostatectomy (P = 5.3 × 10-5 ). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Alteration in tRNA Methyltransferase Activity in Mengovirus Infection: Host Range Specificity

The tRNA methyltransferase activity in mengovirus-infected L cells, HeLa cells, and Maden Derby bovine kidney cells has been examined during the course of infection. The first two cell lines yield a productive infection, but have different kinetics of inhibition of host RNA synthesis, whereas the bovine kidney cells are a restrictive host. In infected L cells the enzymes show altered capacity and base specificity throughout the infection. In infected HeLa cells and in infected bovine kidney cells less marked changes were seen. No inhibitors or activators of the enzymes were detected in any of the infected cell lines. Labeling experiments in infected cells indicated that in infected L cells synthesis of RNA was inhibited to a greater degree than was methylation of RNA. The consequence of this would be a hypermethylation of RNA. The methylated derivatives synthesized in infected L cells showed changes in relative proportions. Infection of HeLa cells and bovine kidney cells did not show such marked effects on methylation of RNA.
Reducing Post-Decision Dissonance in International Decisions: The Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach

Abstract This paper describes the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a teaching tool to illustrate the complexities of decision making in an international environment. To this end, the general problem associated with international decision making is first discussed. Specifically, the problem in making good international decisions stems from the complexities of operating in multiple international environments. Managers are confronted with different cultural, legal, political, and economic environments which add a magnitude of complexity to problems that are relatively tractable in a uninational environment. For the purposes of this paper, a generic international facility location problem is developed and solved using a computer based decision making algorithm. The Analytic Hierarchy Process approach uses managerial input to develop pairwise comparisons of relevant decision criteria to efficiently generate an appropriate solution. We argue that because of the unique issues in the international e...
Kaluza-Klein black holes within heterotic string theory on a torus.

We point out that in heterotic string theory compactified on a six-torus, after a consistent truncation of the 10-dimensional gauge fields and the antisymmetric tensor fields, four-dimensional black holes of Kaluza-Klein theory on a six-torus constitute a subset of solutions.
Serial dilutions: Error effects and optimal designs

SUMMARY The effect of small errors of dilution is shown to be sizeable when serial dilutions are required to estimate particle concentrations. Optimal dilution designs are given. The error effect and optimal design are also investigated for ratios of estimates. We wish to investigate the problem of estimating the concentration of particles such as bacteria or phage in suspension in a fluid. The actual counting process may involve a counter or, as in the problem motivating this study, counting growth colonies on an agar plate. It is often necessary or desirable to dilute the initial concentration before taking the final sample to be counted. An example where dilution is an integral part of an estimation scheme is given by Alling (1971); there dilutions are required to obtain an estimate of an unknown parameter. Dilution of the initial concentration is called for in other situations because the concentration prohibits accurate counting. For example, too many colonies on a plate are difficult to count due to sheer numbers, overlapping of colonies, possible interference, etc. The purpose of this note is to investigate the effect of small errors of dilution on the distribution of the number of particles in the final sample to be counted. The precision of calibration of equipment such as pipettes used in the dilution process is often expressed in terms of the coefficient of variation. A coefficient of variation of less than two percent is often claimed. However, a coefficient of variation as large as four or five percent is quite possible when the equipment is used. For example, incomplete mixing and human error, often compounded by problems such as a time constraint on the process, may contribute to the problem. It will be seen that errors of this magnitude can result in dramatic increases in the variation of the estimate of the initial concentration. In ? 2 we introduce the notation and discuss the distribution of sample counts for dilutions known without error. The errors on the dilutions are introduced in ? 3 and expressions for the mean, variance and mean squared error of the usual estimate are given. The results of ? 3 are compared with those of ? 2 to illustrate the effect of dilution errors on the parameters of interest. Optimal dilution designs are also given. An application using ratios of estimates is discussed briefly in ? 4 and a table is given to illustrate the effect of dilution errors on the variance of the ratio estimate.
PITUITARY-ADRENAL CORTICAL ANTAGONISM TO ESTROGENIC STIMULATION OF THE UTERUS OF THE OVARIECTOMIZED RAT

IT WAS demonstrated in an earlier report (Szego and Roberts, 1948) that adrenal cortical hyperactivity, induced by adrenocorticotrophin, had a powerful inhibitory influence on the responsiveness of the castrate uterus to administered estrogen. Attempts to reproduce a similar degree of depression with adrenal cortical extract or with certain pure crystalline steroids which were available at that time met with but partial success. The striking inhibition exerted by adrenocorticotrophin was not duplicated by any of the following: Compound A, testosterone, Up John’s adrenal cortical extract in oil, progesterone, or desoxycorticosterone acetate. The latter two steroids appeared to interfere to some extent with the uterine response to estrogen. However, the degree of inhibition was far short of the virtual obliteration of the response observed with endogenous adrenal cortical hyperactivity induced by adrenocorticotrophin. In an extension of these observations, it has been possible to demonstrate, as described i...
Cold Bonding of Iron Ore Concentrate Pellets

Iron ore concentrate pellets are traditionally hardened at high temperatures in horizontal grates and grate-kiln furnaces. However, heat induration requires tremendous quantities of energy to produce high-quality pellets, and is consequently expensive. Cold bonding is a low-temperature alternative to heat induration. Pellets can be cold bonded using lime, cement, sponge iron powder, and organic materials such as starch and flour. Cold bonding consumes less energy than heat induration, and has found favor for bonding self-reducing pellets and for refractory ores that are difficult to heat-treat. Herein, we review the principal cold bonding methods and their fundamentals.
The Profession and the People: Primary Health Care in Nicaragua

Recent reforms in the Nicaraguan health system provide an arena in which to observe the competition between professional and citizen priorities in health planning and delivery. Professional dominance continues to be a factor in the nationalized health system. Yet, new bureaucratic and administrative structures are allowing citizen groups to challenge professional dominance at national and local levels. This research focuses upon several strategies of popular participation and how each is affected by the professional/populist agendas. Events in the larger political economy of Central America are likewise seen to affect the professional and popular approaches to primary care within the health system.
An economical multi-channel cortical electrode array for extended periods of recording during behavior

We report the development of a low-cost chronic multi-channel microwire electrode array for recording multi-unit cortical responses in behaving rodents. The design was motivated by three issues. First, standard connector systems tended to disconnect from the head-stage during extended periods of behavior. Disconnections resulted in a loss of data and an interruption of the animals' behavior. Second, the use of low insertion force connectors with locking mechanisms was cost prohibitive. Finally, connecting the head-stage to a skull-mounted connector on an unrestrained animal was highly stressful for both the researcher and animal. The design developed uses a high insertion force DIP socket separated from the skullcap that prevents inadvertent disconnects, is inexpensive, and simplifies connecting unrestrained rodents. Electrodes were implanted in layer IV of primary auditory cortex in 11 Sprague-Dawley rats. Performance of the electrodes was monitored for 6 weeks. None of the behaving animals became disconnected from the recording system during recording sessions lasting 6 h. The mean signal-to-noise ratio on all channels (154) following surgery was 3.9+/-0.2. Of the 154 channels implanted, 130 exhibited driven activity following surgery. Forty percent of the arrays continued to exhibit driven neural activity at 6 weeks.
ADAPTIVE TESTING WITHOUT IRT IN THE PRESENCE OF MULTIDIMENSIONALITY

It is unrealistic to suppose that standard item response theory (IRT) models will be appropriate for all of the new and currently considered computer-based tests. In addition to developing new models, we also need to give some attention to the possibility of constructing and analyzing new tests without the aid of strong models. Computerized adaptive testing currently relies heavily on IRT. Alternative, empirically based, nonparametric adaptive testing algorithms exist, but their properties are little known. This paper introduces a nonparametric, tree-based algorithm for adaptive testing and shows that it may be superior to conventional, IRT-based adaptive testing in cases where the IRT assumptions are not satisfied. In particular, it shows that the tree-based approach clearly outperformed (one-dimensional) IRT when the pool was strongly two-dimensional.
A framework for reasoning with soft information

In order to provide for the representation and manipulation of human sourced soft information we turn to the fuzzy set based theory of approximate reasoning. We describe how approximate reasoning provides a framework for representing and manipulating a wide body linguistically expressed information. We then suggest a number of extensions of the theory to enhance its representational capacity. One such extension focuses on the ability to model imprecise variables as well as imprecise values for the variable. We consider the representation of possible qualified propositions. We look at the issue of deduction in the face of conflict in our knowledge base and suggest an approach compatible with human behavior.
Effect of meningococcal endotoxin on histamine content of blood and tissues of rabbits.

SummaryMeningococcal endotoxin injected intravenously into rabbits caused a rapid decrease in the histamine content of the blood and an increase in the histamine content of liver and muscle.The decrease in histamine in the blood was not prevented by the intravenous injection of histamine along with the endotoxin.The survival time of rabbits injected intravenously with meningococcal endotoxin was markedly shortened by a simultaneous injection of a small dose of histamine.
An Aliphatic Bifunctional Free Radical Initiator. Synthesis of a Block Copolymer from an Azoperester by Sequential Thermal and Photochemical Initiation

The azoalkaneperester tert-butyl 7-methyl-7-(tert-butylazo)peroxyoctanoate (7) has been found to be a viable bifunctional free radical initiator. Unlike the radicals from previously studied compounds 4−6, those from 7 neither fragment nor cyclize, presumably on account of the medium ring that would be required. Thermolysis of 7 with styrene affords macroinitiator 21 while photolysis affords 22. Photolysis of 21 with MMA yields block copolymer 23 while thermolysis of 22 with MMA affords block copolymer 24. One advantage of 7 is that the photolysis−thermolysis sequence can be reversed, as can the order of addition of monomers.
Tumor proliferative rate and response to chemotherapy.

Excerpt One of the widely held ideas in oncology is that rapidly dividing tumors are sensitive to chemotherapy, whereas slowly growing tumors are resistant. This idea might have been fostered by th...
The Relationship of the Curl of the Local Wind Stress to the Circulation of the Cayman Sea and the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The curl of the annual mean wind stress is proposed as the forcing mechanism for the anticyclonic gyre observed in the Cayman Sea. A simple wind-driven model is presented to illustrate how a steady-state gyre in the Cayman Sea and another gyre in the western Gulf of Mexico can be spun-up by the wind. The model results also indicate that the exchange of mass between the two basins can be enhanced by the wind field. Temporal changes in the upper layer temperature structure of the Cayman Sea gyre are consistent, qualitatively, with changes predicted by a simple wind-forcing model. The same model does not appear valid in the western Gulf of Mexico.
Functional equations in dynamic programming

where p and q represent the state and decision vectors, respectively, T represents the transformation of the process, and f(p) represents the optimal return function with initial state p. This functional equation can be studied in several ways, either with respect to the type of processes giving rise to (1), or with respect to the precise form of (1), or with respect to the computational aspects of (1). In this survey article, this function will be treated according to the different types of processes. In addition to the optimization problems in dynamic programming as shown in (1), the dynamic programming concept can also be used to solve various types of boundary value problems arising in engineering and physical sciences. The dynamic programming concept without optimization is known as invariant imbedding. The resulting functional equation of invariant imbedding is very similar to (1) except for the absence of the maximization operation. Dynamic programming involves a completely different approach to formulating the problem: Instead of only considering a single problem with a fixed duration, the dynamic programming approach is to colasider a family of problems, with duration of the process ranging from zero to the duration of the original problem. In order to consider these different duration processes, the corresponding initial conditions for these processes must also be calculated and interpolated
Government without trust

There seems to be a declining public trust in government, and this decline may not be the symptom of a major problem. Rather, it may be the inevitable result of the declining role of government in the age of economic globalisation. It can be argued that the economic system has become so advanced that it has become highly independent from traditional state control and regulation, so public trust in government will naturally decline because there will be less need for it in the future than in the past. This perspective bears some significant implications for future research and practice concerning public trust in government.
Re-Presenting Government and Representing the People: Budget Publicity and Citizenship in New York City, 1908-1911

Governmental budget systems do not only allocate public resources, they also influence the way in which people interact with their government and conceive of their role as citizens. The contemporary politics of budget making tends to mask this influence. As originally conceived, however, public budgets in America were meant to serve as a tool to reshape democratic citizenship. This article explores the history of governmental budget reform and the impounding effect on citizens from before the twentieth century. The author highlights publicity and political discourse surrounding the topic as well as governmental advertisements.
The logistic (Verhulst) model for sigmoid microbial growth curves revisited

Abstract The logistic (Verhulst) growth model and its various current modifications are all based on the notion that the isothermal momentary growth rate is proportional to the momentary population’s size and the fraction of resources that are still available in the habitat. The model as originally formulated is inappropriate for growth curves that exhibit a long lag time when plotted on semi logarithmic coordinates. This problem can be eliminated by replacing the number of organisms as the independent variable in the equation by the logarithmic growth ratio. Moreover, the actual growth rate’s dependence on the population’s momentary size and residual resources might have scaling factors that are different from unity as the original model requires. When these are incorporated into the equation, the resulting generalized model can account for almost all observed sigmoid growth patterns, isothermal and non-isothermal, except for those that show a true peak. This is demonstrated with published growth data of various bacteria in different media, including some that exhibit a particularly long ‘lag time’. Since most sigmoid isothermal growth curves can be described by empirical models that have only three adjustable parameters, the expanded model, like other modified versions of Verhulst’s equation, does not abide by the principle of parsimony. However, its scaling factors provide a tentative kinetic explanation of a large class of observed growth patterns without invoking hypothetical universal relationships between growth parameters, as some current models do.
EUS to detect evidence of pancreatic disease in patients with persistent or nonspecific dyspepsia.

Background: Mild chronic pancreatitis is difficult to diagnose and the diagnosis is therefore not sought routinely in patients with dyspepsia. The aim of our study was to compare the prevalence of endosonographic pancreatic abnormalities in patients with dyspepsia and control subjects. Methods: The number of endosonographic abnormalities was compared prospectively in patients with dyspepsia and control patients. Patients in whom there was any suspicion of pancreatic disease were analyzed separately. Results: Between November 1998 and January 1999, 156 patients with dyspepsia were compared with 27 control patients. The groups were similar except that control patients were significantly older and more likely to be men. The mean number of endosonographic abnormalities was higher in dyspeptic patients than in control patients (mean number of abnormalities 3.3: 95% CI [2.9, 3.6] vs. 1.9: 95% CI [0.3, 1.7]). The strongest independent predictors of severe endosonographic abnormalities (defined as 5 or more abnormalities) were the presence of suspected pancreatic disease (odds ratio 7.29: 95% CI [2.03, 26.14]) and dyspepsia (odds ratio 7.21: 95% CI [1.99, 26.26]). In the dyspepsia group, no clinical variables were significant predictors of severe abnormalities. However, most patients had nonspecific-type dyspepsia or persistent symptoms after therapeutic trials of acid suppression. Conclusions: Dyspepsia may be an atypical presentation of pancreatic disease in patients with persistent or nonspecific symptoms. Endosonography may be useful to screen for pancreatic disease in patients with persistent dyspepsia. (Gastrointest Endosc 2000;52:153-9.)
A Natural Rate of Suicide for the U.S., Revisited:

The proposition of a positive, nonzero “natural rate” of suicide (Yang&Lester, 1991) for a society is extended by examining time-series, cross-section (panel) data of state suicide rates and socioeconomic factors over the 1985–1995 time period. Statistical allowances are made to control for the majority of observed and unobserved state and time factors affecting suicide rates. Results lend support to the natural rate hypothesis with robust specification.
Stabilization of the maize seedling amino acid incorporating system

Abstract The amino acid incorporating system isolated from maize seedlings has been stabilized and its ability to incorporate labeled leucine enhanced 10-fold. By treatment of the microsomal pellet with sodium deoxycholate, a reproducible and stable ribosomal component is obtained routinely. A moderately stable supernatant component is prepared from a concentrated homogenate of the maize plumules. The increased activity and stability of these components correlate with a decrease in endogenous levels of ribonuclease (EC 2.7.7.16) present in both components. No net increase in protein or formation of labeled soluble protein has been demonstrated.