cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Calculator to Estimate Overall Survival Benefit from Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Background Our group reported that patients with clinically node-negative esophageal adenocarcinoma do not derive overall survival (OS) benefit from neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) compared with clinically node-positive patients. The aim of this study was to develop a calculator that could more easily identify which patients derive OS benefit from nCRT. Study Design Using the National Cancer Data Base (2006 to 2012), patients with clinical status T1b to T4a, N−/+, M0 adenocarcinoma of the esophagus who underwent resection were selected. Of this cohort, 80% were randomly selected to develop and test the prediction model using Cox regression. The remaining 20% were used to internally validate the model, and performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curves. Results A total of 8,974 patients met study criteria. Using the model testing cohort (7,179 patients), variables that were independently associated with OS in multivariable analysis were included in the model. These variables included Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score, tumor grade, clinical T and N status, and nCRT before surgery. Factors associated with increased risk of death were higher grade and higher T or N status. Receipt of nCRT was associated with improved OS. After validation, model performance showed an area under the curve of 0.630 and 0.682 for 1-year and 3-year OS, respectively. Conclusions A novel OS calculator was developed for esophageal adenocarcinoma that reasonably predicts which patients are expected to derive OS benefit from nCRT. This tool can be helpful in determining OS benefit from nCRT to assist with treatment decision making.
Earthly and Divine Mothers in Ancient Egypt

The pictorial and textual record of ancient Egypt (ca. 3000 B.C.–A.D. 200) is rich with documentation about motherhood. This chapter discusses the reality of being a mother, how mothers were regarded by society, their expected roles and duties, fertility and family size, bareness and the tradition of adoption, and family planning including pregnancy tests and contraceptives. Aspects of civil law will also be examined, especially the care of children following divorce, and annuity contracts (a form of alimony to financially provide for a divorced woman and her children).
Mining mobile app markets for prioritization of security assessment effort

Like any other software engineering activity, assessing the security of a software system entails prioritizing the resources and minimizing the risks. Techniques ranging from the manual inspection to automated static and dynamic analyses are commonly employed to identify security vulnerabilities prior to the release of the software. However, none of these techniques is perfect, as static analysis is prone to producing lots of false positives and negatives, while dynamic analysis and manual inspection are unwieldy, both in terms of required time and cost. This research aims to improve these techniques by mining relevant information from vulnerabilities found in the app markets. The approach relies on the fact that many modern software systems, in particular mobile software, are developed using rich application development frameworks (ADF), allowing us to raise the level of abstraction for detecting vulnerabilities and thereby making it possible to classify the types of vulnerabilities that are encountered in a given category of application. By coupling this type of information with severity of the vulnerabilities, we are able to improve the efficiency of static and dynamic analyses, and target the manual effort on the riskiest vulnerabilities.
Unilateral pleural effusion as the sole clinical presentation of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a systematic review

The pathophysiology of isolated pleural effusion in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is not well defined. The objective of the current review is to delineate the pathophysiology, risk facto...
Laboratory Studies on Cohesive Sediment Deposition and Erosion

Processes of erosion and deposition of fine-grained, cohesive sediment are reviewed with reference to laboratory results generally applicable to low to moderate energy estuarial environments. Under steady turbulent flows, the rate of deposition depends not only on the flow condition and the concentration regime, but also on the degree of cohesion and the uniformity of the sediment. Weakly cohesive sediment characteristically exhibits sorting during deposition. Particle size gradients can thereby result, as for example in river deltas. The rate of erosion is controlled by the bed shear strength and its variation with depth. Consequently, under steady flows, soft, partially consolidated beds erode in a different manner than dense, settled beds. Waves tend to weaken the bed due to oscillatory loading. Wave-induced erosion can result in the generation of a high density, near-bed fluid mud layer, which can be easily transported to areas prone to sedimentation.
Evaluation of Social Studies and Civic Education Programs

Although social studies and civics are largely ignored in the George Bush era No Child Left Behind legislation, these are subjects that have generated considerable activity in terms of state-level curriculum and testing. These efforts, however, have not been coherently or consistently evaluated. Most of the recent social studies/civics curriculum work has occurred at the state level; yet most of the curriculum evaluation has been focused on narrowly defined, foundation-sponsored projects. These evaluations demonstrate some effect, but the challenges of assessing the large state-level curriculum efforts have thwarted any real sense of the impact.
The Ground Floor

They called me Carp at school because I had a big head. I was not the only child who had a big head, but I was the only one stuck with the name of the most stupid fish, the one that had landed on people's dinner plates more than any other fish I had known. Other children had other nicknames?Ping-Pong Ball, Eggplant, Light Bulb?all better than mine because they were not my nickname. It was not any better at home. Sister Jin called me Piglet. Grandpa called me Little. Mom, when she was in a good mood, called me Bunny, Penguin, Duckling, any name of a harmless ani mal, but when her sunny mood turned overcast, as it often did without warning, I became Wolverine. Dad was the only one who used my real name, but he spoke the least in the family, so it did not help much. A second floor auntie called me Rubber Doll, a name reminding me of the mud-covered rubber boots the grownups wore on rainy days. The upper level aunties all called me Little Fat Jin, mean ing I was the fat little sister of Jin. Uncles in the building usually responded only with a nod when I greeted them, and when they needed to say a word to me, they called me Li's Daughter. I was seven going on eight, anxiously waiting for the day I would be the respectable age of ten, when my real name would take a firmer stand. "Ten years old and you are done with your human years," Grandpa warned me. This was the ancient tale he had told me: at the begin ning of the world, Man was assigned a life span of ten years. As he grew older and smarter, Man, naturally, was not satisfied with the short ten years he got. He went to God and asked for more years, but God refused, saying the request would throw off the balance of the world. Man cried and cried, and his tears moved a hundred animals. One by one they entered the palace of God, and asked to give up a year of their own lives for Man. God assented, and Man got another hundred years. "That's why you never hear of a person older than a hundred and ten," Grandpa said. "And a man is a pure
Digital System Controllers for Exact Model Signal Tracking

New results are given for controller design for discrete-time tracking systems. The resulting feedback systems have transient performance selected by the designer. After the transient period, a specified transformation of the plant state exactly tracks any reference input from a class chosen by the designer. The methods are especially suitable for microprocessor-based control systems.
T-Cell Growth Factor (Interleukin-2)

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) undergo a blast transformation when cultured with the plant lectin phytohemagglutinin (PHA) (1). These lymphocytes go through one or two cycles of cell division but could not be maintained in culture. The conditioned media from these lymphocyte cultures were found to have a variety of protein factors that affected growth and differentiation of human cells of many lineages (2). One of these factors was identified to specifically support the growth of activated human T-lymphocytes and was termed T-lymphocyte growth factor or T-cell growth factor (TCGF) (3,4). It is now more commonly referred to as interleukin-2 (IL-2). Detailed studies have been reported on the characteristics of the cells that produce IL-2, accessory cells and factors involved in its induction, and on the target cell that responds to IL-2 (5–9). IL-2 has been purified to homogeneity from normal peripheral blood lymphocytes and also from gibbon and human leukemic cell lines (10–13). cDNAs encoding this lymphokine have been isolated and sequenced (10,14,15) and the IL-2 gene characterized (16–17). The IL-2 gene has been localized to chromosome 4q (18).
Detecting Payload Attacks on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) play critical roles in industrial control systems (ICS). Providing hardware peripherals and firmware support for control programs (i.e., a PLC's “payload”) written in languages such as ladder logic, PLCs directly receive sensor readings and control ICS physical processes. An attacker with access to PLC development software (e.g., by compromising an engineering workstation) can modify the payload program and cause severe physical damages to the ICS. To protect critical ICS infrastructure, we propose to model runtime behaviors of legitimate PLC payload program and use runtime behavior monitoring in PLC firmware to detect payload attacks. By monitoring the I/O access patterns, network access patterns, as well as payload program timing characteristics, our proposed firmware-level detection mechanism can detect abnormal runtime behaviors of malicious PLC payload. Using our proof-of-concept implementation, we evaluate the memory and execution time overhead of implementing our proposed method and find that it is feasible to incorporate our method into existing PLC firmware. In addition, our evaluation results show that a wide variety of payload attacks can be effectively detected by our proposed approach. The proposed firmware-level payload attack detection scheme complements existing bumpin-the-wire solutions (e.g., external temporal-logic-based model checkers) in that it can detect payload attacks that violate realtime requirements of ICS operations and does not require any additional apparatus.
Diverse Ensemble Evolution: Curriculum Data-Model Marriage

We study a new method (``Diverse Ensemble Evolution (DivE$^2$)'') to train an ensemble of machine learning models that assigns data to models at each training epoch based on each model's current expertise and an intra- and inter-model diversity reward. DivE$^2$ schedules, over the course of training epochs, the relative importance of these characteristics; it starts by selecting easy samples for each model, and then gradually adjusts towards the models having specialized and complementary expertise on subsets of the training data, thereby encouraging high accuracy of the ensemble. We utilize an intra-model diversity term on data assigned to each model, and an inter-model diversity term on data assigned to pairs of models, to penalize both within-model and cross-model redundancy. We formulate the data-model marriage problem as a generalized bipartite matching, represented as submodular maximization subject to two matroid constraints. DivE$^2$ solves a sequence of continuous-combinatorial optimizations with slowly varying objectives and constraints. The combinatorial part handles the data-model marriage while the continuous part updates model parameters based on the assignments. In experiments, DivE$^2$ outperforms other ensemble training methods under a variety of model aggregation techniques, while also maintaining competitive efficiency.
A role for phosphorus redox in emerging and modern biochemistry

Phosphorus is a major biogeochemical element controlling growth in many ecosystems. It has presumably been an important element since the onset of life. In most chemical and biochemical considerations, phosphorus is synonymous with phosphates, a pentavalent oxidation state that includes the phosphate backbone of DNA and RNA, as well as major metabolites such as ATP. However, redox processing of phosphates to phosphites and phosphonates, and to even lower oxidation states provides a work-around to many of the problems of prebiotic chemistry, including phosphorus's low solubility and poor reactivity. In addition, modern phosphorus cycling has increasingly identified reduced P compounds as playing a role, sometimes significant, in biogeochemical processes. This suggests that phosphorus is not redox-insensitive and reduced P compounds should be considered as part of the phosphorus biogeochemical cycle.
Why Moral Status Matters for Metaethics

I show that an overlooked feature of our moral life—moral status—provides a route to vindicating naturalist moral realism in much the same way that the Humean theory of motivation and judgment internalism are used to undermine it. Moral status presents two explanatory burdens for metaethical views. First, a given view must provide an ecumenical explanation of moral status, which does not depend on the truth of its metaethical claims (say, that there are mind-independent facts about moral status). Second, its explanation must be consistent with persistent normative ethical disagreement about what constitutes moral status. I conclude that naturalist moral realism succeeds, while quasi-realism fails because it cannot meet the latter requirement. This argument has three results: we have a new route for metaethical vindication more generally and for naturalist moral realism in particular; quasi-realism's plausibility is undermined by an inability to explain disagreement, but not for the familiar reasons.
Flyover states, No Man's Land, and the Bible Belt: Introducing critical regionalism for rhetorical analysis

Courses: Rhetorical Criticism, Rhetorical Theory, Rhetoric and Public Memory, Rhetoric of Space/Place.Objectives: This unit introduces critical regionalism as a methodology for rhetorical analysis....
Nanotechnology: A molecular four-wheel drive

Nanoscale systems designed to imitate functions from the macroscopic world lead to a new appreciation of the complexity needed to actuate motion at the limits of miniaturization. A nanoscale 'car' is the latest example. See Letter p.208 Any future artificial transporters and robots operating at the nanoscale are likely to require molecules capable of directional translational movement over a surface. Even the design of such molecules is a daunting task, however, as they need to be able to use light, chemical or electrical energy to modulate their interaction with the surface in a way that generates directional motion. Kudernac et al. now unveil just such a molecule, made by attaching four rotary motor units to a central axis. Inelastic electron tunnelling induces conformational changes in the rotors and propels the molecule across a copper surface. By changing the direction of the rotary motion of individual motor units, the self-propelling molecular 'four-wheeler' structure can follow random or preferentially linear trajectories. This design provides a starting point for the exploration of more sophisticated molecular mechanical systems, perhaps with complete control over their direction of motion.
Agent-Based Modeling in Mathematical Biology: A Few Examples

Agent Based Modeling is a computer based modeling approach that allows undergraduate students to dive into research with very little mathematical background. This chapter aims to give students and faculty a better idea of what ABM is and a few examples of where and how it can be used to model real-life problems in mathematical biology. An example project is explained in detail for the reader to use as a guide. Also, in the afterword, the student co-authors will discuss their experience and share their advice to other students interested in doing research in mathematical biology.
Bio-management of Antibiotics

Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to the survival of mankind, and it is being consistently rising every year. The use of unregulated antimicrobials in the aquaculture, livestock, and agriculture industries has played a major role in its rampant dissemination. It has become crucial to devise effective strategies to manage and promote the optimized use of antibiotics so as to save them from becoming completely useless. This chapter focuses on the various antimicrobial strategic plans being implemented across the globe for the bio-management of antibiotics and discusses few case studies that have shown promising results in controlling the adverse outcomes of antibiotic resistance.
Temperature dependence of viscoelastic Poisson’s ratio of cement mortar

Concrete creep research has focused primarily on uniaxial response. However, biaxially prestressed concrete structures are common, resulting in a multiaxial stress state that can complicate the behavior of a viscoelastic material like concrete. Significant creep strains may be induced in directions transverse to each principle stress due to Poisson’s effect. Past research is unclear regarding the viscoelastic or viscoplastic properties of concrete outside of uniaxial response. It has been reported in separate studies that concrete viscoelastic/viscoplastic Poisson’s ratio (VPR) is an increasing, decreasing and constant function with time, with all reported measurements performed at room temperature. In this paper, the 3D basic creep response of mature cement mortar is examined using a confined compression experiment that allows direct determination of the full stress and infinitesimal strain tensors in a single test, which enables the determination of VPR under a multiaxial stress state. For this purpose, a unique, miniature version of the standardized concrete creep frame is designed that is amenable to placing in climate chambers and temperature ovens. The experimental results indicate that the VPR of sealed, mature cement mortar is nearly constant and equal to the elastic at room temperature, while the VPR gradually increases with time when measured at 60 °C.
Adaptive Tube Model Predictive Control for Manipulating Multiple Nanowires with Coupled Actuation in Fluid Suspension

Abstract Automated, highly precise online manipulation of multiple nano and microscale objects is essential to achieve scalable nanomanufacturing. One of the biggest limitations of the wireless external actuation is its global and coupled influence in the workspace, which limits the capability to robustly control multiple nano and microparticles independently and simultaneously. Another challenge for the highly precise manipulation of nanoparticles is due to their uncontrolled variations in structures or compositions that result in different dynamic behaviors. In this paper, we present an adaptive tube model predictive control scheme for the simultaneous manipulation of multiple nanowires under coupled electric fields in fluid suspension. The proposed strategy estimates the unknown mobilities of the individual nanowires online, formulates dynamic tubes that update based on the online estimated mobilities and nonlinear dynamics, and addresses the coupled actuation from the global electric field with dynamic separated tubes constructed for each nanowire. Simulations results show that as the number of simultaneously manipulated nanowires increases, the manipulation time increases and the maximum disturbance the system could reject decreases rapidly.
Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny in the City-States of the Ancient World

Trade-Capitalism was the basic economy of the ancient city-states. Oligarchy—rule by the rich trade merchants and bankers—was the form of government that preceded democracy oligarchy predominated in the Phoenician city-states of Tyre, Sidon, and Carthage, and, oligarchy replaced aristocracy and preceded democracy in the Greek city-states, such as Athens, Croton, and Corinth. Aristotle documents all of this in his Politics and Constitution of Athens.
Pathogen and drought stress affect cell wall and phytohormone signaling to shape host responses in a sorghum COMT bmr12 mutant.

Background As effects of global climate change intensify, the interaction of biotic and abiotic stresses increasingly threatens current agricultural practices. The secondary cell wall is a vanguard of resistance to these stresses. Fusarium thapsinum (Fusarium stalk rot) and Macrophomina phaseolina (charcoal rot) cause internal damage to the stalks of the drought tolerant C4 grass, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), resulting in reduced transpiration, reduced photosynthesis, and increased lodging, severely reducing yields. Drought can magnify these losses. Two null alleles in monolignol biosynthesis of sorghum (brown midrib 6-ref, bmr6-ref; cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, CAD; and bmr12-ref; caffeic acid O-methyltransferase, COMT) were used to investigate the interaction of water limitation with F. thapsinum or M. phaseolina infection. Results The bmr12 plants inoculated with either of these pathogens had increased levels of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) across both watering conditions and significantly reduced lesion sizes under water limitation compared to adequate watering, which suggested that drought may prime induction of pathogen resistance. RNA-Seq analysis revealed coexpressed genes associated with pathogen infection. The defense response included phytohormone signal transduction pathways, primary and secondary cell wall biosynthetic genes, and genes encoding components of the spliceosome and proteasome. Conclusion Alterations in the composition of the secondary cell wall affect immunity by influencing phenolic composition and phytohormone signaling, leading to the action of defense pathways. Some of these pathways appear to be activated or enhanced by drought. Secondary metabolite biosynthesis and modification in SA and JA signal transduction may be involved in priming a stronger defense response in water-limited bmr12 plants.
Using cluster-robust standard errors when analyzing group-randomized trials with few clusters

Accounting for dependent observations in cluster-randomized trials (CRTs) using nested data is necessary in order to avoid misestimated standard errors resulting in questionable inferential statistics. Cluster-robust standard errors (CRSEs) are often used to address this issue. However, CRSEs are still well-known to underestimate standard errors for group-level variables when the number of clusters is low (e.g., < 50) and with CRTs, a small number of clusters, due to logistical or financial considerations, is the norm rather than the exception. Using a simulation with various conditions, we investigate the use of a small sample correction (i.e., CR2 estimator) proposed by Bell and McCaffrey (2002) together with empirically derived degrees of freedom estimates (dofBM). Findings indicate that even with as few as 10 clusters, the CR2 estimator used with dofBM yields generally unbiased results with acceptable type I error and coverage rates. Results show that coverage and type I error rates can be largely influenced by the choice of dof, not just the standard error adjustments. An applied example is provided together with R syntax to conduct the analysis. To facilitate the use of different CRSEs, a free graphical, menu-driven SPSS add-on to compute the various cluster-robust variance estimates can be downloaded from https://github.com/flh3/CR2/tree/master/SPSS .
The Arab Winter: Democratic Consolidation, Civil War, and Radical Islamists: by Stephen J. King, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, 338 pp., $99.99 (hardcover), ISBN 9781108477413

On July 25, 2021, Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, suspended the country’s parliament and dismissed the prime minister. To justify these extraordinary actions, President Saied invoked Article 80 of...
Model development and verification for mass transport to Escherichia coli cells in a turbulent flow

[1] Theoretical studies imply that fluid motion does not significantly increase the molecular diffusive mass flux toward and away from microscopic organisms. This study presents experimental and theoretical evidence that small-scale turbulence modulates enhanced mass transport to Escherichia coli cells in a turbulent flow. Using the technique of inner region and outer region expansions, a model for dissolved oxygen and glucose uptake by E. coli was developed. The mass transport to the E. coli was modeled by the Sherwood (Sh)-Peclet (Pe) number relationship with redefined characteristic length and velocity scales. The model Sh = (1 + Pe1/2 + Pe) agreed with the laboratory measurements well. The Peclet number that quantifies the role and function of small-scale turbulence on E. coli metabolism is defined by Pe = () where Ezz is the root mean square of fluid extension in the direction of local vorticity, ηK is the Kolmogorov length scale, Lc is the length scale of E. coli, and D is the molecular diffusion coefficient. An alternative formulation for the redefined Pe is given by Pe = () where = 0.5(ɛν)1/4 is the Kolmogorov velocity averaged over the Kolmogorov length scale, ɛ is dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, and ν is the kinematic viscosity of fluid. The dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy was estimated directly from measured velocity gradients and was within the reported range in engineered and natural aquatic ecosytems. The specific growth of E. coli was up to 5 times larger in a turbulent flow in comparison to the still water controls. Dissolved oxygen and glucose uptake were enhanced with increased ɛ in the turbulent flow.
Course 6 Crackling noise and avalanches: Scaling, critical phenomena, and the renormalization group

Publisher Summary The chapter reviews the basic ideas and methods used to understand crackling noise— critical phenomena, universality, the renormalization group, power laws, and universal scaling functions. These methods and tools were originally developed to understand continuous phase transitions in thermal and disordered systems. The focus is largely on crackling noise in magnetic hysteresis, called “Barkhausen” noise, the magnetic pulses emitted from (say) a piece of iron as it is placed inside an increasing external field. Systems, when stressed or deformed slowly, respond with discrete events spanning a broad range of sizes, called “crackling noise.” The chapter also focuses on understanding the emergent behavior in crackling noise (power laws and scaling functions) by exploring the consequences of this self-similar structure. The process by which models are designed and tested by experiments using Barkhausen noise is illustrated. The chapter introduces the renormalization group, and uses it to explain universality and self-similarity in these (and other) systems. The renormalization group used to explain the power laws characteristic of crackling noise, and uses it to derive the far more powerful universal scaling functions.
Potencial del nuevo marco normativo para el impulso de la rehabilitación y la regeneración urbana en los ámbitos autonómico y local

The new legal framework (Act 8/2013) offers intervention possibilities in the housing sector at both the local and regional levels. If not implemented at these levels, a golden opportunity to confirm the possible results of this new law on today’s largely obsolete building sector will be missed, especially considering that at this very challenging time stimulating political and investment measures is of vital importance. Examining the experience in Zaragoza, we propose some management formulas to promote refurbishment and urban renewal: support during the very first stages of the process, the creation of mixed (public-private) entities, and the securing of European funding.
{2-[Bis(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)meth­yl]phenolato-κO}dimeth­yl(tetra­hydro­furan-κO)aluminium(III)

The title compound, [Al(CH3)2(C25H21N2O)(C4H8O)], was isolated as a minor component from a reaction mixture of the parent indolyl ligand and trimethyl­aluminum in tetra­hydro­furan. The ligands adopt a distorted tetra­hedral geometry around aluminium. Obvious hydrogen-bonding interactions are not present.
GAMETOGENIC CYCLE OF THE PONDEROUS ARK, NOETIA PONDEROSA (SAY, 1822), FROM CEDAR KEY, FLORIDA

Abstract The gametogenic cycle of the ponderous ark, Noetia ponderosa (Say, 1822), was studied in a Cedar Key, Florida population between March 2001 and January 2003. Ponderous arks are dioecious, and no hermaphrodites were found in this study (n = 592). The sex ratio of females to males was 0.84:1.00, but was not significantly different from parity. On the Gulf coast of Florida, the ponderous ark dribble spawns over most of the year, peaking in the summer and fall months and with the least spawning activity occurring during the spring when gametes are maturing. A small percentage (5.2%) was found infested with an undescribed digenetic trematode. The Cedar Key area has an important commercial hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) aquaculture industry, and the implications of these findings on the potential for its diversification based on this species are discussed.
Crowdsourcing Construction Activity Analysis from Jobsite Video Streams

AbstractThe advent of affordable jobsite cameras is reshaping the way on-site construction activities are monitored. To facilitate the analysis of large collections of videos, research has focused on addressing the problem of manual workface assessment by recognizing worker and equipment activities using computer-vision algorithms. Despite the explosion of these methods, the ability to automatically recognize and understand worker and equipment activities from videos is still rather limited. The current algorithms require large-scale annotated workface assessment video data to learn models that can deal with the high degree of intraclass variability among activity categories. To address current limitations, this study proposes crowdsourcing the task of workface assessment from jobsite video streams. By introducing an intuitive web-based platform for massive marketplaces such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) and several automated methods, the intelligence of the crowd is engaged for interpreting jobsite vid...
The eigenvalue problem for collective motion in the random phase approximation

Abstract The random phase approximation yields a description of collective nuclear excitation in terms of an eigenvalue problem involving a non-hermitian matrix. It is shown that there exists a related hermitian matrix H, satisfying the standard eigenvalue problem Hs = hs, whose solution directly yields the solution of the original problem.
Cholinergic mediation of motor effects of ethanol in rats.

Abstract The role of cholinergic neurons in the motor depressant effects of ethanol was examined. Choline chloride pretreatment (30–90 mg/kg i.p.) potentiated the hypomotility produced by 2 g/kg of ethanol. Physostigmine pretreatment (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) also enhanced the motor depression produced by ethanol. Conversely, in animals pretreated with scopolamine (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) the depressant effect of ethanol was less. The potentiation produced by choline was not associated with changes in levels of ethanol in blood. It is concluded that cholinergic neurons are involved in the motor activity changes produced by ethanol. Such a mechanism may operate in conjunction with the dopaminergic neuronal system.
Comparison of gene expression and DNA copy number changes in a murine model of lung cancer.

Activation of oncogenic Kras in murine lung leads to the development of numerous small adenomas, only some of which progress over time to overt adenocarcinoma. Thus, although Kras is the initiating oncogene, it is likely that secondary genetic events are required for progression from adenoma to adenocarcinoma. Some of these secondary events may also be important in human lung adenocarcinoma. By comparing gene expression profiles with DNA copy number changes, we sought to identify genes that play key roles in tumor progression in this model. Gene expression profiling revealed significant heterogeneity among the tumor samples. In 27% of the tumors analyzed, whole- or subchromosome duplications or deletions in one or more chromosomes were seen. Recurrent duplications were seen on chromosomes 6, 8, 16, and 19, whereas chromosomes 4, 11, and 17 were frequently lost. Notably, focal amplifications or deletions were not seen. Despite the lack of focal amplication, we showed that chromosome duplication has a measurable effect on gene expression that is not uniform across the genome. We identified a group of genes whose gene expression was highly correlated with changes in DNA copy number. These highly correlated genes were enriched for gene ontology categories involved in the DNA damage response and telomere maintenance. This article contains Supplementary Material available at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/1045-2257/suppmat. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Theophylline disposition in residents living near a chemical waste site

The pharmacokinetics of theophylline were compared in 11 residents living near a chemical waste site (Love Canal) and 25 control subjects from Western New York. Love Canal residents had documented chronic exposure to a variety of organic and halogenated compounds. Only young adults with no overt diseases were examined. Theophylline plasma clearances were similar in the two groups, although the enzyme inductive effects of tobacco smoking were further confirmed. The lack of environmental effect on theophylline clearance indicates that no chronic net change in one pathway of microsomal P-448 oxidation occurred. The possibility of acute changes related to seasonal chemical exposure and mixed inductive/repressive effects from the myriad types of chemicals may confound the data.
Using an APL macroprocessor to implement generalized software systems

Several techniques for implementing generalized software packages in APL are considered. One technique in particular, data-driven code generation, is expanded upon. When this technique is employed, application software is written in template form. These templates are then compiled into APL objects when an individual application is configured. Some areas which are investigated are the use of software templates, an APL macrolanguage, and an APL macroprocessor. Specific examples relevant to data base management systems are presented.
Humanlike Robots - The Upcoming Revolution in Robotics

Humans have always sought to imitate the human appearance, functions and intelligence. Human-like robots, which for many years have been a science fiction, are increasingly becoming an engineering reality resulting from the many advances in biologically inspired technologies. These biomimetic technologies include artificial intelligence, artificial vision and hearing as well as artificial muscles, also known as electroactive polymers (EAP). Robots, such as the vacuum cleaner Rumba and the robotic lawnmower, that don't have human shape, are already finding growing use in homes worldwide. As opposed to other human-made machines and devices, this technology raises also various questions and concerns and they need to be addressed as the technology advances. These include the need to prevent accidents, deliberate harm, or their use in crime. In this paper the state-of-the-art of the ultimate goal of biomimetics, the development of humanlike robots, the potentials and the challenges are reviewed.
Augmentation Therapy for α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency

alpha(1)-Antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a common but under-recognised condition. Since its first description by Laurell and Eriksson in 1963, significant advances have been made in understanding the genetics, physiology and pathophysiology of this condition. The intravenous administration of purified AAT to AAT-deficient individuals has been shown to confer biochemical efficacy by raising the serum AAT level above an epidemiologically established 'protective threshold' while preserving the biochemical properties and functional capacity of the protease inhibitor. Although the lack of a large randomised controlled trial to date has precluded the definitive demonstration of clinical efficacy of intravenous AAT augmentation therapy, substantial evidence supporting its use in AAT-deficient individuals with moderate airflow obstruction has accumulated. For example, both large observational studies comparing rates of forced expiratory volume decline among recipients of augmentation therapy versus non-recipients have shown slower rates of decline among augmentation therapy recipients, especially those with moderately severe airflow obstruction. Also, some evidence suggests that use of augmentation therapy confers an anti-inflammatory effect. For example, a web-based survey suggested that recipients of augmentation therapy experienced fewer respiratory infections than non-recipients. Despite its high cost, intravenous AAT augmentation therapy remains the only US FDA-approved treatment option for patients with AAT deficiency. Research into new and evolving treatments is currently underway.
A Review of Calcium Preparations

There are more than a dozen commonly prescribed calcium supplements and hundreds of different formulations commercially available. Numerous factors need to be considered when selecting a calcium preparation. Physical properties such as solubility, interference from coingested medications or foodstuffs, dosage, and timing can all affect the bioavailability of calcium. Medical conditions such as lactose intolerance, impaired gastric acid secretion, and high risk profile for kidney stone formation may impact on selection of a calcium supplement. This article will review the available literature and make general recommendations for the optimal use of calcium preparations.
The lower bound for the volume product Vn(K)Vn(K

Abstract We demonstrate by construction that the (conjectured) lower bound for the volume product holds with equality for a simplex.
A system for electromagnetic blood flow measurement with extracorporeal sinusodial field magnet.

Abstract This paper describes the construction details and circuitry of a system for electromagnetic determination of blood flow by means of intravascular flow sensors passed through angiographic catheters introuced by percutaneous technique. The extracorporeal magnet coil is fed by a sinusodial current and the sinusodial induced flow signal is detected by a phase-sensitive amplifier. The main novel feature of this amplifier is a combination of phase-sensitive detection with a boxcar integrator which results in an exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio. A two channel system is also described which permits simultaneous monitoring of a signal in phase quadrature with respect to the magnetic field and, hence, to the flow signal. This system makes it also possible to monitor variations in artery diameter which is measured through a transformer e.m.f. induced in a loop of the sensor whose area is modified by the artery diameter in a fashion securing approximate linear relationship between the artery diameter and the loop output. The loop output voltage is also used to ascertain the instrument calibration in case of an arbitrary orientation and distance from the magnet coil of the intravascular sensor. The intravascular sensor is a loop of insulated fine elastic wire which forms an oval frame which collapses as it is introduced through an intravascular catheter and expands maximally as it emerges into an artery which harbors the catheter end portion. Two diametrically opposed electrodes placed across the loop, pick up the flow signal induced in the blood stream by an extracorporeal air-core magnet coil whose magnetic axis is as nearly as possible perpendicular to the area of the sensor and to the artery axis. The paper reviews artifacts and the capabilities as well as the limitations of the method in its present form and suggests a solution for the main weakness--the inability to provide a reliable zero-based line without recourse to arrest of blood flow.
Imaging the PM/AICD patient; just because we can, should we?

Methods Over 3 years, 48 patients were imaged via MRI/CMR (1.5T GE, Milwaukee, WI). Specifically: 8 AICD, 7 AICD/PM, 2 retained lead, 2 REVO and 29 dual chamber PM. Specific criteria were followed for all pts to objectively define whether final diagnosis provided additional information towards pt care. A checklist of 3 questions was answered following scan interpretation by both the technologist and performing MRI physician: 1) Did the diagnosis change? 2) Did the MRI provide additional information to the existing diagnosis? 3) Did patient management change? If ‘Yes’ was answered to any of the above questions, it was considered that the MRI scan was of value to patient diagnosis and/or therapy.
Application of Quality Function Deployment for New Business R&D Strategy Development

This paper describes a decision-making framework for Research and Development (RD an inverse usage of QFD that defines new customer needs from new technology development can support a step-by-step approach for future business creation in this context. The paper includes a detailed example from the medical device industry that demonstrates the utility of the method in R&D strategy decision process.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Intramolecular diyl trapping reactions en route to the bicyclo [3.2.1] framework; an approach to aphidicolin

We describe an application of the intramolecular diyl trapping cycloaddition reaction to the assembly of the bicyclo [3.2.1] framework, and utilize the outcome to complete a formal total synthesis of aphidicolin.
Femtosecond time-resolved measurements of electronic excited-state relaxation in pyrene excimer-forming crystals

Abstract Femtosecond time-resolved transient grating experiments reveal an extremely fast relaxation process in pyrene excimer-forming crystals following electronic excited-state production via two-photon absorption. We interpret this as relaxation of the initially excited, delocalized exciton into the self-trapped, distorted excimer state.
Morphine increases intake of beer among rats

Rats were maintained on a daily regimen of 22 h of water deprivation followed by a 2-h opportunity to take water and sweetened alcoholic beverage containing 12% ethanol. After 30 days, the alcoholic beverage was changed to beer containing either 3% or 6% ethanol. After 20 daily sessions with beer, they received, before the next session, an injection of saline. On the next day, they received a 1.0 mg/kg injection of morphine before the session. Morphine reliably increased rats' mean intake of both kinds of beer. Subsequently, the concentration of ethanol in each groups' beer was changed. The 3% group's beer was switched to 6%, and the 6% group's to 3%. Both groups altered their mean intake of beer in an apparent attempt to maintain intakes of nearly the same amount of ethanol, but presentation of 6% beer resulted in greater intakes of ethanol.
The Future of Cash and Counseling: The Framers' View

The Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead decision made it clear that state long-term care systems must provide a continuum of services that allows people to live where and how they want. But how do we achieve this reform? Cash and Counseling appears to be part of the solution. Already this promising model is spreading—spurred with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In an environment nurtured by President Bush's New Freedom Initiative, the Cash and Counseling option has drawn attention; The Systems Change Grants for Community Living, which provide seed money to states, have played a key part in building the support and infrastructure necessary to support such major systems change. Now, as numerous states attempt to create a more balanced long-term care delivery system and move toward Medicaid reform, Cash and Counseling has gained bi-partisan recognition and credibility. Despite this broad support, questions remain. The literature is full of stories detailing the difficulties states have in implementing innovative policy changes even under the best of circumstances (Sparer 2004). Will Cash and Counseling be any different? Even with the research results from the controlled experiment, doubters, and even some detractors, remain. Many home care agencies, care managers, union organizers, and state budget officials continue to question whether the Cash and Counseling option can be adapted for their states without running into quality problems, negatively affecting paid workers, or increasing state home care costs. It will be important to assess the expansion experience to examine how the model evolves in different environments and contexts and whether it is still able to generate such positive outcomes. Meanwhile, in this paper we want to reflect on the progress the original states have made as the completion of the demonstration and evaluation and show how this model has spread to other states, how it has evolved over time, and what is left to improve. Then, we will discuss the generalizability of the Cash and Counseling approach beyond long-term care. We will venture some thoughts on what still needs to be learned and where we hope to be in 10 years. Finally, we will suggest some of the contingencies, such as the block-granting of Medicaid or persistent state budget problems, that could affect the diffusion of this innovation.
Flow path design for automated guided vehicle systems

An important factor in the design of automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS) is the flow path design. This paper presents an approach to determining the optimal flow path. The objective is to find the flow path which will minimize total travel of loaded vehicles. The problem is formulated as a zero-one integer program. Examples are presented to demonstrate the approach.
IV. DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS EFFECTS OF NARCOTICS: EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ACTIONS

Abstract Results of studies on the discriminative stimulus effects of narcotics are consistent with the hypothesis that multiple receptors mediate the effects of these compounds. In the rat, at least three subsets of discriminative effects exist, although some drugs appear to have effects that transcend more than one subset. The discriminative effects of morphine-like narcotics (μ agonists), for example, are often clearly distinguishable from the discriminative effects produced by κ agonists, such as ketazocine, and from those produced by phencyclidine-like agonists, such as SKF-10,047 and cyclazocine. Cyclazocine, however, has been reported to have discriminative effects in common with morphine (45) and fentanyl (17) and appears to have κ-like, in addition to phencyclidine-like, discriminative effects. The relative ability of pure narcotic antagonists to block the discriminative effects of these compounds also provides evidence for distinct pharmacologic actions of these drugs. In the rat, the discriminative effects of morphine are blocked by doses of naloxone that are considerably smaller than those that are needed to block the discriminative effects of cyclazocine (44). The discriminative effects of phencyclidine are not altered at all by naltrexone (63).