cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Public Opinion in Drug Resource Allocation Decisions

Drug resource allocation decisions have a very real and direct impact on the public, due to cost and availability constraints resulting from these decisions. This presents an opportunity for public opinion to play an important role in influencing decisions that have far-reaching effects. Public opinion regarding pharmaceutical issues is influenced by drug companies, special interest groups, researchers and others. Since these groups often have conflicting goals, they may send contradictory messages to the public. In this article, we examine the issues of who comprises the public, how public opinion is influenced and what impact public opinion does and should have on drug resource allocation decisions. We emphasise that, for appropriate resource allocation decisions to be made, there is a continuing need to conduct high quality outcomes research and to continue the trend of increasing interest in how drugs are used rather than how much is sold or how much they cost. There is also a major role for pharmacoeconomic research to play in this issue, with a real need to make such research accessible and understandable by the public, including patients, physicians, pharmacists and policy makers, so that policy decisions can be based on such research.
Being Warren Buffett: A Classroom Simulation of Risk and Wealth When Investing in the Stock Market

Students who are new to statistics and its role in modern finance have a hard time making the connection between variance and risk. To link these, we developed a classroom simulation in which groups of students roll dice that simulate the success of three investments. The simulated investments behave quite differently: one remains almost constant, another drifts slowly upward, and the third climbs to extremes or plummets. As the simulation proceeds, some groups have great success with this last investment—they become the “Warren Buffetts” of the class, accumulating far greater wealth than their classmates. For most groups, however, this last investment leads to ruin because of its volatility, the variance in its returns. The marked difference in outcomes surprises students who discover how hard it is to separate luck from skill. The simulation also demonstrates how portfolios, weighted combinations of investments, reduce the variance. Students discover that a mixture of two poor investments emerges as a s...
Properties of semiconducting lead iodide

Abstract The paper reports measurements of photoconductive decay and photo-valtaic contact effects in lead iodide crystals grown in gels.
Defensive chemicals of tawny crazy ants, Nylanderia fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their toxicity to red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Nylanderia fulva (Mayr) has been reported as being able to displace Solenopsis invicta Buren, one of the most aggressive invasive ants in the world. Like S. invicta, N. fulva use chemical secretions in their defense/offense, which may contribute to their observed superior competition ability. In this study, the defensive chemicals of N. fulva workers and their toxicity against S. invicta workers were investigated. Like other formicine ants, N. fulva workers produce formic acid in their poison glands and 2-ketones and alkanes in Dufour glands. Of these, undecane and 2-tridecanone are two principal compounds in the Dufour gland. Topical LD50 values of 2-tridecanone and undecane against S. invicta workers ranged from 18.51 to 24.67 μg/ant and 40.39 to 84.82 μg/ant, respectively. Undecane and 2-tridecanone had significantly higher contact toxicity than formic acid, whereas formic acid had significantly higher fumigation toxicity than undecane and 2-tridecanone. The combination of 2-tridecanone as a contact toxin and formic acid as a fumigant significantly decreased KT50 values when compared to those of individual compounds. N. fulva does not seem unique in terms of the chemistry of its defensive secretion as compared to other formicine ants. However, this ant contained more than two orders of magnitude of formic acid (wt/wt) than other formicine ants and one order of magnitude of 2-tridecanone than the common crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille). The quantity, rather than quality, of the chemical secretion may contribute to the superior competition ability of N. fulva.
Turbulent mass transfer and rates of combustion in confined turbulent flames

In previous papers, data on reaction rates and turbulent exchange coefficients as a function of position in the burning zones of confined turbulent flames and a tentative model describing the reaction rates were presented. Flames were of stoichiometric mixtures of propane and air burning in a 3-in.×1-in. duct at feed velocities of 60, 100, and 175 ft/sec. The present paper reports data for two additional feed velocities, 250 and 350 ft/sec, and discusses the application of the model to the results from all five flames. The model used depends on the burned-unburned character of the composition of the burning zone, and the burning zone is described as spherical parcels of burned (or unburned) gas dispersed through a continuum of unburned (or burned) gas, the size and number of parcels being selected to match the composition and reaction rate. Application of the model to all five flames shows that it is necessary to allow for splitting of the parcels, and when the splitting probability is set equal to the absolute value of the local gradient of mean velocity, a reasonable agreement between the mathematical description of the model and the data is obtained. The only adjusted constant in the correlation is the mean parcel radius computed at the point of 50 volume per cent burned gas. The values obtained are in qualitative agreement with expectations based on the nature of the flow. The 250 ft/sec flame generated considerably more noise than the other flames. Visual observation and chemical analyses showed that this flame spread more rapidly than the others, and the reaction-rate profiles were markedly different. The fact that in spite of these differences the reaction-rate data fitted the model indicated that the principal effect of the noise is in modification of the parcel sizes and turbulent transfer rates.
THE NUCLEAR DNA AND RNA COMPONENTS OF THE AQUATIC FUNGUS BLASTOCLADIELLA EMERSONII.

The genome of the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii has been demonstrated to consist of two distinct species of DNA. The major or α -DNA component has a guanine-cytosine content of 66%, and the minor or β -DNA component has a guanine-cytosine content of 51%. The β -DNA component is present only in the chromatin fraction of the nucleus, whereas α -DNA is present in both the chromatin and nucleolar fractions. The characterization of 32 P pulse-labeled RNA from both nuclear fractions by chromatography on methylated albumin columns has indicated the nucleolus as the site of ribosomal RNA synthesis, and the chromatin as the probable site of messenger RNA synthesis.
Symmetries on the moduli space of (2,2) superstring vacua

Abstract Symmetries of the space of (2,2) string vacua for c = 3, 6, 9 are discussed in the context of orbifoldized Landau-Ginzburg theories. A general method for finding the maximal symmetry groups on the moduli space of untwisted marginal operators is presented, by studying deformations of superpotentials. We give a complete discussion for the c = 3, 6 untwisted sectors. In particular we find non-abelian symmetry groups on the moduli space of c = 6 which are shown to correspond with automorphism groups of K3 surfaces. All these groups are subgroups of O(20, 4, Z). Some elements of these groups relate small volume target spaces to large ones.
Indomethacin polymeric nanosuspensions prepared by microfujidization

Abstract Polymeric nanosuspensions containing indomethacin were prepared by a microfluidization-solvent evaporation method. The nanosuspensions were evaluated with respect to total drug content, drug content in the polymer and aqueous phase, particle size, drug crystallization in the aqueous phase, in vitro drug release, and stability to flocculation in 0.1 N HCl and pH 7.4 phosphate buffer. Nanosuspensions with a total drug content of 35 mg indomethacin/ml nanosuspension could be prepared without drug crystallization. More than 98% of the drug were found within the polymer phase. Unwanted drug crystallization in the aqueous phase depended on the drug loading, the drug-polymer compatibility, the organic solvent, and the type and amount of surfactant used. Indomethacin was released rapidly from ethyl cellulose nanoparticles within 15 minutes. Nanoparticles intended to provide drug release over longer periods of time were obtained by using mixtures of ethyl cellulose and poly (methyl methacrylate). In pH 7.4 buffer, anionic, nonionic and macromolecular stabilizers protected the nanosuspensions against flocculation while nonionic surf octants were good stabilizers in 0.1 N HCl.
Rate of major complications is higher in laparoscopic than abdominal hysterectomy but quality of life improves with both procedures

Abstract Question Is the risk of major complications greater following laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with abdominal and vaginal hysterectomy for non-malignant conditions? Study design Two parallel, multi-centre randomised trials. Main results More major complications were experienced with laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with abdominal hysterectomy (11.1% vs 6.2%; mean difference 4.9%, 95% CI 0.9% to 9.1%, number needed to harm 20). There was no significant difference in complication rates between laparoscopic and vaginal hysterectomy groups (complication rate 9.5% for both groups). Pain scores were higher following abdominal hysterectomy compared with laparoscopic hysterectomy (mean difference 0.4, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.7). There was no detectable difference in the vaginal trial. Quality of life at 12 months improved with all interventions. Authors’ conclusions Major complications were more common following laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with abdominal hysterectomy. The vaginal trial was inconclusive.
Incorporating GOMS analysis into the design of an EEG data visual analysis tool

In this paper, we present a case study where we incorporate GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selectors) [2] task analysis into the design process of a visual analysis tool. We performed GOMS analysis on an Electroencephalography (EEG) analyst's current data analysis strategy to identify important user tasks and unnecessary user actions in his current workflow. We then designed an EEG data visual analysis tool based on the GOMS analysis result. Evaluation results show that the tool we have developed, EEGVis, allows the user to analyze EEG data with reduced subjective cognitive load, faster speed and increased confidence in the analysis quality. The positive evaluation results suggest that our design process demonstrates an effective application of GOMS analysis to discover opportunities for designing better tools to support the user's visual analysis process.
EFFECT OF STORAGE CONDITIONS ON THE CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF STANLEY PLUM PASTES

Stanley plums were processed into purees and then pastes by heat concentration to 25 and 300 Brix. The Brix of these two pastes was increased to 40 and 450, respectively, by sugar addition. Pastes were stored at 4 and 22 ± 2C in the dark for up to 24 weeks. Physical-chemical characteristics and microbiological quality were determined at 4 week intervals. Sensory evaluation was conducted at 0 and 24 weeks. Total solids, water activity, rheological properties and microbiological quality were stable during storage. Total acid, total anthocyanins, total pectin and Hunter ‘L’ and ‘a’ values decreased significantly during storage (P < 0.01). The degradation rate of total anthocyanins was much higher for pastes stored at 22C than those at 4C. Hue angle and Hunter ‘b’ values increased during storage. Sensory evaluation indicated that pastes were still acceptable after 24 weeks of storage.
HDAC4 Governs a Transcriptional Program Essential for Synaptic Plasticity and Memory

Neuronal activity influences genes involved in circuit development and information processing. However, the molecular basis of this process remains poorly understood. We found that HDAC4, a histone deacetylase that shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, controls a transcriptional program essential for synaptic plasticity and memory. The nuclear import of HDAC4 and its association with chromatin is negatively regulated by NMDA receptors. In the nucleus, HDAC4 represses genes encoding constituents of central synapses, thereby affecting synaptic architecture and strength. Furthermore, we show that a truncated form of HDAC4 encoded by an allele associated with mental retardation is a gain-of-function nuclear repressor that abolishes transcription and synaptic transmission despite the loss of the deacetylase domain. Accordingly, mice carrying a mutant that mimics this allele exhibit deficits in neurotransmission, spatial learning, and memory. These studies elucidate a mechanism of experience-dependent plasticity and define the biological role of HDAC4 in the brain.
Systematic corrections to the rotating-wave approximation and quantum chaos.

Quantum chaos has been demonstrated in several studies of the interaction between N two-level quantum systems and a single-mode radiation field interacting in a resonant cavity. It has been shown that the mechanism for this chaos is dynamically identical to a periodically perturbed, near-separatrix motion of a pendulum. Identification of this mechanism followed from examination of the rotating-wave approximation and corrections to this approximation. Our earlier study established the nature of the corrections on the basis of numerical simulation experiments and heuristic arguments. In this paper we invoke an averaging procedure which enables us to systematically establish the form of these corrections. We first apply this procedure to the Rabi model in order to illustrate its utility and exhibit its structure, and then we apply it to the more complicated problem of quantum chaos.
A Gentle Introduction to Learn by Doing

We believe the master's program in Software Engineering offered by Carnegie Mellon University's Silicon Valley Campus to be unique in that it is entirely team-based and project-centered [1]. Students learn by doing as they are coached just in time by faculty in the context of authentic projects, and they are evaluated on the work they produce. Student satisfaction is high: 94% believe that the program has given them a competitive advantage with respect to their professional peers, and their promotion and salary histories bear out this belief. This tutorial introduces the attendees to our learn-by-doing instructional approach through participation in a learn by doing experience, performing a usability analysis of a commercial website, followed by discussion to highlight what we believe to be important principles of teaching by coaching.
(De)Constructing Dependency: Institutional, Historical Perspectives of Welfare

In contrast to most methodology in the welfare state literature, this approach will problematize, rather than assume, the tripartite division of states, families, and markets in modern liberal society. The author proposes that this very tripartite division is the result of a disciplinary strategy, under which the conditions of life became contingent and private. She demonstrates that in the early nineteenth-century United Kingdom, welfare, defined as the transfer of resources to families outside of the market mechanism, became the institutional enforcement condition of the private sphere. Following a review of the welfare state literature, including both traditional and feminist contributions, a disciplinary approach is proposed, building on the work of Michel Foucault. Proposals for improving the position of women and relieving some of the dilemmas of the modern welfare state are offered in conclusion.
Value of in Situ Elemental Microanalysis in the Histologic Diagnosis of Silicosis

Pulmonary specimens obtained from ten normal subjects and 53 patients with various pulmonary diseases were studied with energy-dispersive x-ray analysis. The amount of silicon in the pulmonary tissue was determined and expressed as a silicon/sulfur (Si/S) ratio. This Si/S ratio was below 0.2 in the ten normal subjects and in 14 patients who had various interstitial pulmonary diseases but had no previous history of exposure to silica or other dusts known to cause pulmonary fibrosis. The Si/S ratio was greater than 0.3 in 19 of 22 patients who had a history of exposure to silica dust and had clear-cut histologic evidence of silicosis. The Si/S ratio was less than 0.2 in 12 and between 0.2 and 0.3 in two of the 14 patients who had a history of exposure to silica dusts but no clinical or histologic evidence of silicosis. We conclude that the determination of the silicon content of tissue by energy-dispersive x-ray analysis is useful in separating the fibrosis due to silicosis from the other causes of pulmonary fibrosis.
Finite-Difference Schemes on Regular Triangular Grids

The phase error and isotropy properties of various finite-difference schemes on grids consisting of regular triangles are compared with similar schemes on square grids. The comparisons are based on a Fourier analysis of semidiscrete solutions to the two-dimensional linear convection equation. The finite-difference schemes presented on the triangular grid include a second-order method, a compact fourth-order method, and a modified compact method designed to extend the accurate wave number range of the numerical approximation. All of the schemes considered are centered and hence nondissipative. In each case, the finite-difference scheme on the triangular grid reduces the anisotropy of the phase error in comparison with a similar scheme on the square grid.
Equating quantitative emphysema measurements on different CT image reconstructions

Purpose: To mathematically model the relationship between CT measurements of emphysema obtained from imagesreconstructed using different section thicknesses and kernels and to evaluate the accuracy of the models for converting measurements to those of a reference reconstruction. Methods: CT raw data from the lung cancer screening examinations of 138 heavy smokers were reconstructed at 15 different combinations of section thickness and kernel. An emphysema index was quantified as the percentage of the lung with attenuation below −950 HU (EI950). Linear, quadratic, and power functions were used to model the relationship between EI950 values obtained with a reference 1 mm, medium smooth kernel reconstruction and values from each of the other 14 reconstructions. Preferred models were selected using the corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc), coefficients of determination (R 2), and residuals (conversion errors), and cross-validated by a jackknife approach using the leave-one-out method. Results: The preferred models were power functions, with modelR 2 values ranging from 0.949 to 0.998. The errors in converting EI950 measurements from other reconstructions to the 1 mm, medium smooth kernel reconstruction in leave-one-out testing were less than 3.0 index percentage points for all reconstructions, and less than 1.0 index percentage point for five reconstructions. Conversion errors were related in part to imagenoise, emphysema distribution, and attenuation histogram parameters. Conversion inaccuracy related to increased kernel sharpness tended to be reduced by increased section thickness. Conclusions: Imagereconstruction-related differences in quantitative emphysema measurements were successfully modeled using power functions.
Material transformations in semiconductor and magnetic thin films

Abstract Rapid energy deposition in chalcogenide thin films is utilized to induce reversible amorphous to crystalline phase transformations. The kinetics of the transformation in these alloys is investigated utilizing time-resolved techniques combined with electron spectroscopies (TEM, AES, XPS). Thus, the requirements for glass formation and the physical parameters controlling the rate of crystallization are directly measured. Laser quenching is also utilized to alter the magnetic state of amorphous magnetic materials. Depending on the rate of energy removal, the effect of the rapid heating leads either to a simple magnetic reversal or can irreversibly alter the magnetic properties of the absorbing layer as a consequence of atomic structural changes. Dynamic studies of the effect of rapid annealing in these materials will be presented.
Respiratory muscle function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Respiratory muscle (RM) dysfunction is a progressive process, including both RM weakness and fatigue, that may advance to the point of respiratory failure. It occurs as a result of increased RM workloads, altered length-tension relationship of respiratory muscles, malnourished states, and altered cellular environment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Consideration of multiple patient factors is necessary when identifying patient risk for RM dysfunction and designing plans of care. This article discusses the RM pump, including its measurement, in patients with COPD.
Optical resolution enhancement and background reduction by stimulated emission depletion structured illumination microscopy with structured excitation

We propose stimulated emission depletion (STED) structured illumination microscopy (SIM), which has structured excitation and structured STED light with the same grating vector. Numerical simulation shows the possibility of improving resolution and reducing background fluorescence.
Grain boundary misorientation in DC-cast aluminum alloy

Mackenzie and Thompson calculated, for cubic crystals, the probability of a grain boundary having a particular angle of misorientation in a random polycrystalline array. Their work was based on 150 theoretical random orientations. In subsequent work, Mackenzie extended his characterization of the rotation axes corresponding to these angles. The angle probability results are often quoted and have been used recently as a comparison to test the Oriented Nucleation'' model for the origin of recrystallization texture in various samples. If a texture, such as the [001] cube'' texture in rolled and recrystallized fcc metals, arises by oriented nucleation then the frequency of new grains forming within say 10 or 20[degree] of exact cube will be higher in the real sample than the random value. To test the results the authors must know the accurate random values. Calculations of misorientation distribution functions also needed the same characterization of random misorientation distribution. In the present paper, they have experimentally measured the frequency of misorientation angles in a random textured material in order to confirm the validity of the theoretical calculations. The material studied has been previously used and is currently being used in a range of recrystallization and deformation studies, so its characterizationmore » in terms of initial structure is important.« less
Reconciling Relationships while Pursuing Justice: The Case Of Land Redistribution in Zimbabwe

This article explores the ways in which land redistribution efforts in Zimbabwe contribute to the building of constructive intercommunal relationships and a sustainable peace. Paradoxical questions are conceptualized and analysis and recommendations offered, elicited from stakeholder communities. For theorists interested in reconciliation, this case points towards the need for critical reflection into the ways in which social and economic relationships and structures factor into peace-building.
Low-Velocity Subcooled Nucleate Flow Boiling at Various Orientations

Subcooled forced convection nucleate boiling experiments with R-113 were conducted at low velocities using both thin film semitransparent gold-on-quartz and gold-coated copper substrate flat heaters at various orientations. The experiments demonstrate that if buoyancy is significant relative to bulk liquid momentum, then a decrease in the buoyant force normal to and away from the heater surface enhances the heat transfer, with the effect being greatest at low values of heat flux. Furthermore, the effect of the bulk liquid velocity is shown to be dependent on the surface orientation.
Model-averaged ℓ1 regularization using Markov chain Monte Carlo model composition

Bayesian model averaging (BMA) is an effective technique for addressing model uncertainty in variable selection problems. However, current BMA approaches have computational difficulty dealing with data in which there are many more measurements (variables) than samples. This paper presents a method for combining l1 regularization and Markov chain Monte Carlo model composition techniques for BMA. By treating the l1 regularization path as a model space, we propose a method to resolve the model uncertainty issues arising in model averaging from solution path point selection. We show that this method is computationally and empirically effective for regression and classification in high-dimensional data sets. We apply our technique in simulations, as well as to some applications that arise in genomics.
Immune Response to Neonatal Genetic Immunization

The effect of genetic immunization of neonatal mice was tested with a plasmid vector expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein. Mice inoculated within 24 hr after birth with the plasmid DNA developed antibodies as well as T helper cells to the rabies virus glycoprotein. The response could not be distinguished from that seen upon vaccination of adult mice. Taken together, these data clearly show that the immune system, known to be prone to induction of immunological tolerance to some antigens applied during the early neonatal period, can readily respond to rabies virus glycoprotein induced by a plasmid vector.
Exit Decisions in Mature Industries

Measures of exit barriers and inducements to exit are constructed in a study of exits from nondeclining industries. Findings are contrasted with those from a study of exits within declining industr...
The evolution of large body size in orangutans: A model for hominoid divergence.

Recent Miocene fossil discoveries of large hominoids resemble orangutans. Since the evolution of large body size was functionally related to a powerful masticatory system in Miocene ape radiations, a better understanding of adaptations in extant orangutans will be informative of hominoid evolution. It is suggested here, based on the behavioral ecology of extant orangutans, that foraging energetics and large body size are tied to a dietary shift that provided access to and utilization of resources not generally available to other primates.
Sphingoid base synthesis is required for oligomerization and cell surface stability of the yeast plasma membrane ATPase, Pma1

The plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase, Pma1, is an essential and long-lived integral membrane protein. Previous work has demonstrated that the Pma1-D378N mutant is a substrate for endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation and causes a dominant negative effect on cell growth by preventing ER export of wild-type Pma1. We now show that Pma1-D378N is ubiquitylated, and it heterooligomerizes with wild-type Pma1, resulting in ubiquitylation and ER-associated degradation of wild-type Pma1. In temperature-sensitive lcb1-100 cells, defective in sphingoid base synthesis, Pma1 fails to oligomerize. At 30 degrees C, lcb1-100 is a suppressor of pma1-D378N because wild-type Pma1 fails to heterooligomerize with Pma1-D378N; wild-type Pma1 moves to the cell surface, indicating that oligomerization is not required for delivery to the plasma membrane. Even in the absence of Pma1-D378N, wild-type Pma1 is ubiquitylated and it undergoes internalization from the cell surface and vacuolar degradation at 30 degrees C in lcb1-100 cells. At 37 degrees C in lcb1-100 cells, a more severe defect occurs in sphingoid base synthesis, and targeting of newly synthesized Pma1 to the plasma membrane is impaired. These data indicate requirements for sphingolipids at three discrete stages: Pma1 oligomerization at the ER, targeting to the plasma membrane, and stability at the cell surface.
CREATINE-CREATININE METABOLISM AND THE HORMONES II. PROGESTIN AND ANTUITRIN-T11

IN THE first study in this series (I) results were published showing that castration in both sexes of young adult white rats resulted in creatinuria which was more intense in the female than in the male. The injection of anterior pituitary hormones (G, T and S), theelin, follutein, and testosterone propionate, caused increases in muscle creatin and in creatin excretion accorripanied by decreases in creatinine excretion. The injection of all these hormones, with the exception of antuitrin‚S and T and of follutein, caused a more significant increase in the total amount of creatine excreted in the castrated rat than in the same rat before castration. A possible synergistic action of the hormones in the body upon creatine and creatinine metabolism was suggested. In the present study progestin and antuitrin-T, and theelol with antuitrin‚S, were injected into normal and castrated female rats. The experimental procedures were given in our first paper of this series (I).
Environmental Study in China: A Transcending Experience for Business Students.

To understand ten thousand books, you have to make a ten-thousand mile journey." The old Chinese proverb is well reflect ed in my recent endeavor, Environmental Study in China, an upper-level course taught for business students at Bryant College. Although a semester's study on campus may fall short of ten thousand books, my students did travel more than ten thousand miles around the world to China to gain a better understanding of the intricacy of environmental issues. Environmental factors play an imper ative role in modern corporation strate gy, management, and decision making; thus, environmental education should be placed in the core of business curricula (Hoffman 1999). How we should inte grate environmental components into business courses, however, and deliver environmental information to business students are debatable issues. Different opinions aside, I believe that a success ful environmental course in a business school demands an interdisciplinary approach, hands-on experience, and most important, integration of global perspectives. At Bryant College, a business specialty
Influence of pretreatment social support on health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors: results from a prospective study.

Background Head and neck cancer and its treatment can have considerable impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The present study investigated whether social support, assessed before treatment, predicted HRQOL outcomes up to 12 months later in head and neck cancer survivors. Methods Using a prospective longitudinal design, patients (n = 364) were assessed on several clinical and psychosocial characteristics at diagnosis and then at 3- and 12-month follow-up appointments. HRQOL was assessed with the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Head and Neck Cancer Inventory (HNCI). Results Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that greater perceived support present at diagnosis significantly predicted more favorable global and head and neck cancer-specific HRQOL at 3- and 12-month follow-up. Conclusion Results suggest that adequate social support at diagnosis can have a significant, positive impact on HRQOL in head and neck cancer survivors. Thus, it may be useful to evaluate support resources at diagnosis in order to identify individuals at risk for poor HRQOL outcomes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012
Caffeine-induced behavioural stimulation is dose- and concentration-dependent.

1. The relationship between plasma and brain caffeine and metabolite concentrations and behavioural stimulation was investigated over a 4 h time course. 2. CD-1 mice receiving single intraperitoneal doses of caffeine-sodium benzoate solution (caffeine doses: 0, 20, and 40 mg kg-1) were evaluated in an activity monitor, and their plasma and brain caffeine and metabolite concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.). 3. Kinetic variables for caffeine at low and high caffeine doses were: volume of distribution (Vd), 1.16 and 0.88 l kg-1; plasma elimination half-life (t1/2), 1.25 and 1.62 h; brain t1/2, 0.93 and 1.30 h; clearance, 0.64 and 0.38 l h-1 kg-1, respectively, with Vd and brain t1/2 differing significantly between the two caffeine doses. 4. Low-dose caffeine stimulated vertical behaviours significantly more than high-dose, during the first 150 min post-dosage; both doses stimulated vertical behaviours significantly more than vehicle treatment. 5. Low-dose and high-dose caffeine stimulated horizontal and stereotypic behaviours equivalently, during the first 150 min post-dosage; both doses stimulated these behaviours significantly more than vehicle. 6. Only later, 150 min post-dosage, did high-dose caffeine stimulate all behaviours significantly more than both low-dose and vehicle treatment; this occurred when caffeine concentrations had fallen to approximately 10 micrograms g-1 in the high-dose group. 7. The maximal stimulant effects of caffeine occurred in an intermediate concentration range, between 10-20 micrograms g-1, while lower and higher concentrations produced either no additional stimulation or decrements in activity.
HEPATOZOON POLYTOPIS N. SP. PARASITIC IN TWO GENERA AND SPECIES OF COLUBRID SNAKES IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA

Hepatozoon polytopis, described from Coluber constrictor priapus from Palm Beach County, Florida, has short, usually broad gamonts 12.8 × 4.6 μm (10.0–15.0 × 3.5–6.0), with LW 58.5 μm2 (42–84) and L/W 2.84 (1.8–3.7). Nuclei commonly extend into first quarter of gamont (45%), are always present in second quarter, and seldom in third quarter (11%), with dimensions 4.5 × 3.4 (3.0–6.0 × 2.5–4.5) and LW 15.1 (10.0–24.0). Spherical to ovoid oocysts, 122.1 × 104.9 (62–240 × 57–190), with L/W 1.17 (1.0–1.9), contain 31.3 (3–103) sporocysts. Spherical to ovoid sporocysts, 38.0 × 33.9 (28–73 × 25– 58), with LW 1,325.1 (756–4,168) and L/W 1.12 (1.0–1.4), contain 42.9 (22–64) sporozoites. Thamnophis sauritus sackenii from Palm Beach County is infected also by H. polytopis, as indicated from similar gamont dimensions and verified by isolation of an identical haplotype of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene from both host species.
Trajectories of Parenting During Infancy: The Role of Infant Temperament and Marital Adjustment for Mothers and Fathers

Although it is well accepted that parents greatly impact infant development, it is less clear which factors impact change in quantity and quality of parenting across infancy. This longitudinal study (N = 120 families) investigated how infant temperament and marital adjustment related to trajectories of mother and father involvement and sensitivity across infancy using multilevel models. Parental involvement (caregiving and play), infant temperament (surgency, negative affectivity, regulation), and marital adjustment were assessed from questionnaires when the infant was 3, 5, 7, 12, 14, and 20 months of age; parental sensitivity was coded from two episodes of the Still-Face Paradigm in early infancy (3, 5, and 7 months). On average, mothers showed higher levels of caregiving, play, and sensitivity than fathers. Mother caregiving, play, and sensitivity increased over time. Father caregiving and play also increased over time, whereas sensitivity did not change with age. Happier marriages were related to increased play for both mothers and fathers. Infant surgency was also significantly related to caregiving, play, and sensitivity trajectories for mothers but not fathers. Findings are discussed in relation to parenting roles and family dynamics.
Can You Hear the Shape of a Beatty Sequence

Let \(K({x}_{1},\ldots,{x}_{d})\) be a polynomial. If you are not given the real numbers \({\alpha }_{1},{\alpha }_{2},\ldots,{\alpha }_{d}\), but are given the polynomial K and the sequence \({a}_{n} = K(\lfloor n{\alpha }_{1}\rfloor,\lfloor n{\alpha }_{2}\rfloor,\ldots,\lfloor n{\alpha }_{d}\rfloor )\), can you deduce the values of α i ? No, it turns out, in general. But with additional irrationality hypotheses and certain polynomials, it is possible. We also consider the problem of deducing α i from the integer sequence \({(\lfloor \lfloor \cdots \lfloor \lfloor n{\alpha }_{1}\rfloor {\alpha }_{2}\rfloor \cdots {\alpha }_{d-1}\rfloor {\alpha }_{d}\rfloor )}_{n=1}^{\infty }\).
Assessing the Validity of Can‐Do Statements in Retrospective (Then‐Now) Self‐Assessment

In this study, the authors evaluated the strengths and limitations of a self-assessment based on ACTFL Can-Do statements (ACTFL, 2013) as a tool for measuring linguistic gains over an internship abroad in Russia. They assessed its reliability, determined how its items mapped with the ACTFL scale, and measured the degree to which students' self-evaluations matched oral proficiency interview (OPI) test results (i.e., predictive validity). Data revealed a high level of reliability. Furthermore, self-assessment items ascended in the order of difficulty expected (i.e., Superior items were the most difficult, followed by Advanced), but differences between the means for items representing the ACTFL levels were not statistically significant. Finally, while students demonstrated significant gains from pre- to posttests on both the OPI and the self-assessment, correlations between these measures were only moderate.
Animal Models of Obesity

Animal models have played an important role in advancing our understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity. The spontaneous single gene mutations led to the discovery of leptin and the melanocortin signaling pathways and were important to the understanding of hypothalamic systems that control energy balance. The use of transgenic and gene targeting technologies has opened a new era of investigation, identifying new genes that regulate the development or prevention of obesity and providing the tools for proof of function of genes. These studies have shown that a wide range of genes expressed primarily in the central nervous system or in adipose tissue are potential targets for the treatment of obesity. Keywords: leptin; melanocortins; agouti; adipose tissue; uncoupling proteins; hypothalamus
Spontaneous UV-emission from nitrogen and rare-gas halogen excimers in a fast-flowing crossed-beam plasma-mixing device for pollution control

Summary form only given. Air pollution, water (under ground or ground), and soil contamination have become major issues with increasing industrialization. In addition to conventional incineration techniques, non-thermal plasma techniques and photolysis have been demonstrated to be very powerful tools converting pollutants into harmless chemicals. The use of excimer lamps for pollution control provides an important advantage. Emission spectrum of excimer molecules depends on the type of the gas molecules in the discharge tube forming the particular excimer molecule. Therefore, by choosing the adequate gas mixture, an emission may be found which coincides with the absorption maximum of the pollutant. One other advantage of using excimer lamps is the high efficiency of these lamps in the UV region compared to the conventional lamps. The photon energy efficiency of an excimer lamp can be as high as 10% depending on the design. We have developed the technique of "fast plasma mixing" which overcomes some of the disadvantages of excimer generation in a glow discharge, or in an electron beam sustained gas discharge, and offers an effective way to generate continuous wave UV radiation. This technique utilizes near resonant energy and charge transfer from metastable rare gas atoms and ions to molecules. A fast-flowing crossed-beam plasma mixing device can be utilized to obtain high efficiency UV lamps for industrial use. In this work, basic concepts of the crossed-beam plasma-mixing device operation are presented.
Hyperkalemia and ionized hypocalcemia during cardiac arrest and resuscitation: possible culprits for postcountershock arrhythmias?

Abstract Study objective: Early countershock of ventricular fibrillation (VF) has been shown to improve immediate and long-term outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, studies indicate that countershock of prolonged VF most commonly results in asystole or a nonperfusing bradyarrhythmia (pulseless electrical activity [PEA]), which rarely respond to current therapy. The cause of these postcountershock rhythm disturbances is not well understood but may be related to electrical injury of the globally ischemic myocardium or to local metabolic abnormalities that impair impulse formation and cardiac contraction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in serum potassium and free calcium homeostasis during cardiac arrest and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) interventions. Methods: After sedation, intubation, anesthesia, and instrumentation, VF was induced in 13 dogs. After 7.5 minutes of VF, animals were immediately countershocked, standard closed-chest CPR was initiated, and epinephrine was administered (1 mg in repeated doses if necessary). Results: Ten animals could not be resuscitated despite 20 minutes of ACLS interventions. In these animals, a progressive increase in serum potassium was observed from the onset of ACLS to the termination of resuscitation efforts (4.3±.6 to 6.0±.8 mEq/L, P P Conclusion: Ionized hypocalcemia and hyperkalemia occur during prolonged resuscitative efforts and may be related to dysfunctional transcellular ionic transport mechanisms. These cations play important roles in cardiac electrical and contractile activity and may play a role in refractory postcountershock rhythm disturbances. [Niemann JT, Cairns CB: Hyperkalemia and ionized hypocalcemia during cardiac arrest and resuscitation: Possible culprits for postcountershock arrhythmias? Ann Emerg Med July 1999;34:1-7.]
Geotactiv behavior of Chlamydomonas.

SYNOPSIS The normal negative geotaxis (motility oriented against gravity) of Chlamydomonas is an energy-dependent response that requires coordinated flagellar activity. It is evident from quantitative assays that the rate of geotaxis is steady, and slow relative to the average swimming speed. Geotaxis is inhibited when the horizontal swimming path is less than 200 μm, suggesting that normal geotactic reorientation maneuvers involve long gradual turns. Videomicrographic tracking of cells confirms that such turns are common. In contrast, contact-reorientations generate random cell orientations. When collision frequencies increase, geotaxis in inhibited. The mechanism of normal geotactic orientation, then, depends on long slow reorientation maneuvers (from net downward to net upward vectors) that require hundreds of micrometers of free swimming space. Mechanisms of geotaxis that would require passive reorientation or sedimentation, or rapid active responding, are excluded. Unusually dense populations sediment with atypical rapidity, probably due to formation of functionally aggregated subpopulations. Sodium azide causes an inhibition of orientation behavior that is selective relative to its effects on general motility. Evidence presented suggests that active physiologic mechanisms for geotaxis should be reconsidered.
Proof of the Van den Berg–Kesten Conjecture

We prove the following conjecture of J. van den Berg and H. Kesten. For any events A and B in a product probability space, Prob(A□B) ≤ Prob(A)Prob(B), where A□B is the event that A and B occur disjointly.
No-Go to Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Transient Ischemic Attack

Thrombolysis is not a rational or evidence-based therapeutic option for transient ischemia, irrespective of vascular status. Even with overt middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, complete resolution of symptoms during evaluation does not warrant intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Symptom resolution may result from head-down positioning with improved hemodynamics, and rapid improvement remains one of the most common reasons cited for withholding thrombolysis.1,2 Multimodal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have since enabled clinicians to rapidly depict proximal arterial occlusion, tissue status, and perfusion through the brain. Identification of an MCA occlusion, however, dangles an elusive carrot that may incite harm with unnecessary thrombolysis. The prevailing obsession with arterial occlusion has erroneously focused attention on clots rather than ischemia. Hemodynamic insufficiency, and not clots, causes symptoms when collaterals falter.3 The persistence of thrombolysis as the sole treatment for acute ischemic stroke perpetuates the notion that occlusion is a red flag for intervention, yet collaterals may offset or dissipate symptoms, even in proximal arterial …
Coproduction or cohabitation: Are anonymous online comments on newspaper websites shaping news content?

The technology that allows readers to post anonymous online comments on newspaper websites gives readers unprecedented opportunities to participate, but poses challenges to the journalistic value of transparency, practice of gatekeeping, and conception of expertise. This nationwide survey of 583 US journalists explores whether the technology has affected their work practices, workplaces, or news coverage. The study, grounded in social shaping of technology theories, finds that journalists are not opposed to sharing their web platforms with readers’ comments, but dislike user anonymity and ignore reader input. Despite the technological affordance that provides journalists a means to receive instant, global feedback from readers, journalists are maintaining their jurisdiction over news content and are not participating with readers in mutual shaping. This study finds that journalistic norms and conceptions of expertise prevent journalists from engaging with readers.
Synopses for query optimization: a space-complexity perspective

Database systems use precomputed synopses of data to estimate the cost of alternative plans during query optimization. A number of alternative synopsis structures have been proposed, but histograms are by far the most commonly used. While histograms have proved to be very effective in (cost estimation for) single-table selections, queries with joins have long been seen as a challenge; under a model where histograms are maintained for individual tables, a celebrated result of Ioannidis and Christodoulakis observes that errors propagate exponentially with the number of joins in a query.In this paper, we make two main contributions. First, we study the space complexity of using synopses for query optimization from a novel information-theoretic perspective. In particular, we offer evidence in support of histograms for single-table selections, and illustrate their limitations for join queries. Second, for a broad class of common queries involving joins (specifically, all queries involving only key-foreign key joins) we show that the strategy of storing a small pre-computed sample of the database yields probabilistic guarantees that are almost space-optimal, in the sense that in order to provide the same guarantee as sampling, any strategy requires almost the same amount of space. This is an important property if these samples are to be used as database statistics. This is the first such optimality result, to our knowledge, and suggests that pre-computed samples might be an effective way to circumvent the error propagation problem for queries with key-foreign key joins. We support this result empirically through an experimental study that demonstrates the effectiveness of pre-computed samples, and also shows the increasing difference in the effectiveness of samples versus multi-dimensional histograms as the number of joins in the query grows.