cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Context, acute tolerance, and subjective response affect alcohol-impaired driving decisions

Alcohol intoxication produces effects that can impair judgment and increase engagement in risky behaviors, including alcohol-impaired driving (AID). Real-world AID decisions are informed by contextual circumstances and judgments of associated risk. How individuals vary in their AID decision-making across contexts and whether subjective alcohol responses (stimulation, sedation, acute tolerance) differentially affect AID decisions are critical, but under-studied research questions. We systematically investigated predictors of AID decisions at different hypothetical driving distances across the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) curve. Young adults (n = 40; 55% female) completed two laboratory sessions in a within-subjects alcohol/placebo design. At multiple points along the BAC curve (M peak BAC = 0.101 g%), participants rated their subjective intoxication, stimulation, sedation, and perceived dangerousness of driving prior to indicating their willingness to drive distances of 1, 3, and 10 miles. Multilevel mixed models assessed within- and between-person predictors of the maximum distance participants were willing to drive at matched BACs on the ascending and descending limb. Under intoxication (but not placebo), participants were willing to drive greater distances on the descending versus ascending limb. At the momentary level, participants were willing to drive further when they felt less intoxicated, stimulated, and sedated, and perceived driving as less dangerous. Individuals differed in the distance they were willing to drive as a function of indicators of intoxication, implicating driving distance as an important contextual factor relevant to AID decisions. Individuals may simultaneously perceive themselves as “unsafe” to drive, but “safe enough” to drive short distances, particularly when BAC is falling.
Evaluation of the interactive stratospheric ozone (O3v2) module in the E3SM version 1 Earth system model

Abstract. Stratospheric ozone affects climate directly as the predominant heat source in the stratosphere and indirectly through chemical feedbacks controlling other greenhouse gases. The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 1 (E3SMv1) implemented a new ozone chemistry module that improves the simulation of the sharp tropopause gradients, replacing a version based partly on long-term average climatologies that poorly represented heating rates in the lowermost stratosphere. The new O3v2 module extends seamlessly into the troposphere and preserves the naturally sharp cross-tropopause gradient, with 20-40% less ozone in this region. Additionally, O3v2 enables the diagnosis of stratosphere-troposphere exchange flux of ozone, a key budget term lacking in E3SMv1. Here, we evaluate key features in ozone abundance and other closely related quantities in atmosphere-only E3SMv1 simulations driven by observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs, years 1990-2014), comparing with satellite observations and the University of California, Irvine chemistry transport model (UCI CTM) using the same stratospheric chemistry scheme but driven by European Centre forecast fields for the same period. In terms of stratospheric column ozone, O3v2 shows improved mean bias and northern mid-latitude variability, but not quite as good as the UCI CTM. As expected, SST forcing does not match the observed quasi-biennial oscillation, which is mostly matched with the UCI CTM. This new O3v2 E3SM model retains mostly the same climate state and climate sensitivity as the previous version, and we recommend its use for other climate models that still use ozone climatologies.
Correction to: College Costs and Credit Cards: How Student Credit Card Use Influences College Degree Attainment

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The corrected details are given below.
Efficiency in China’s Banking Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Pre- and Post-Basel II Eras

This study investigates the effects of Basel II and Basel III capital adequacy rules and the regulatory framework adopted by Chinese banking regulators on the efficiency of the banking sector in Ch...
Evaluating the influence of land use, drought and reach isolation on the occurrence of freshwater mussel species in the lower Flint River Basin, Georgia (U.S.A.)

Summary 1. North American freshwater mussels have been subjected to multiple stressors in recent decades that have contributed to declines in the status and distribution of many species. However, considerable uncertainty exists regarding the relative influence of these factors on observed population declines. 2. We used an occupancy modelling approach to quantify relationships between mussel species occurrence and various site- and catchment-level factors, including land cover, stream size, the occurrence of drought and reach isolation due to impoundment for 21 mussel species native to the lower Flint River Basin, Georgia, U.S.A. 3. Our modelling approach accounted for potential biases associated with both incomplete detection and misidentification of species, which are frequently not accommodated as sources of bias in freshwater mussel studies. 4. Modelling results suggested that mussel species were, on average, four times less likely to be present following severe drought, but the negative effects of drought declined rapidly with increasing stream size. Similarly, mussel species were 15 times less likely to occupy small streams that were isolated from mainstem tributaries by impoundments. 5. This study provides insight into the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on freshwater mussel species. Our findings add to a growing body of literature aimed at improving understanding of the predominant factors influencing freshwater mussel populations and fostering the development of more informed and effective conservation strategies.
Do Statutory Rape Laws Work

Every state in the United States has laws which prohibit sexual activity with individuals under a certain age. These laws are typically strict liability. Generally, they are justifed under the auspice of protecting young women from 'predatory' older males. However, nobody has examined the effectiveness of these laws. Using data from the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLSY), and exploiting the differences in the laws among states and over time, we examine whether the laws restricting the number of legal sexual partners delays the sexual debut of both males and females. We find that the laws are successful in accomplishing these goals. Overall, an additional 1 year of potential partners leads to about a 10% increase in the probability of sexual debut at any age.
A design methodology for implementing DSP with Xilinx/sup /spl reg// System Generator for Matlab/sup /spl reg//

This paper presents a methodology for implementing real-time DSP applications on a reconfigurable logic platform using Xilinx/sup /spl reg// System Generator for Matlab/sup /spl reg//. The methodology aims at improving the efficiency of learning the use of such complex design system. The methodology steps are demonstrated using DSP design examples built with Xilinx/sup /spl reg// System Generator for Matlab/sup /spl reg//. Assessment of the methodology is also discussed.
Design of service-based systems with adaptive tradeoff between security and service delay

Service-based Systems (SBS) have the advantage of composing distributed systems from various services provided by multiple providers transparently. In addition to functional correctness, multiple non-functional QoS requirements should also be satisfied in such systems. Among these QoS requirements, security protection and real-time performance are the two major concerns. However, neither application users, nor service providers, have adequate control over such QoS of SBS. In this paper, an approach to the design of SBS with the capability of tradeoff between security and service delay of composite services running across various service hosts is presented in order to satisfy both security and real-time performance requirements simultaneously.
Information analysis in UML and ORM: a comparison

Since its adoption by the Object Management Group as a language for object-oriented analysis and design, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) has become widely used for designing object-oriented code. However, UML has had only minimal adoption among practitioners for the purposes of information analysis and database design. One main reason for this is that the class diagrams used in UML for data modeling provide only weak, and awkward, support for the kinds of business rules found in data-intensive applications. Moreover, UML's graphical language does not lend itself readily to verbalization and multiple instantiation for validating data models with domain experts. These defects can be remedied by using a fact-oriented approach for information analysis, from which UML class diagrams may be derived. Object-Role Modeling (ORM) is currently the most popular fact-oriented modeling approach. This chapter examines the relative strengths and weaknesses of UML and ORM for conceptual data modeling, and indicates how models in one notation can be translated into the other.
Welsh Americans: A History of Assimilation in the Coalfields

Review of: "Welsh Americans: A History of Assimilation in the Coalfields," by Ronald L. Lewis.
Organ Donation Beyond Brain Death: Donors as Ends and Maximal Utility

Overby and colleagues (2015) address the challenges surrounding informed consent in controlled donation after circulatory determination of death (cDCDD). They identify a number of ethical issues, i...
Effect of Mycophenolate Mofetil on Long-Term Outcomes in African American Renal Transplant Recipients

Abstract . African American renal transplant recipients have poorer graft survival. A study using the United States Renal Data Registry documented an improvement in graft survival for patients who took mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) compared with azathioprine (AZA). This analysis did not address the impact of MMF on African American renal transplant recipients. The present study aimed to quantify potential beneficial effects of MMF therapy on long-term renal allograft survival in African Americans. With the use of the United States Renal Data Registry, all adult Caucasian and African American patients who had received a primary renal transplant between 1988 and 1997 were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models. Primary study end points were death with a functioning graft and graft failure censored for death. A total of 57,926 patients were studied. For African Americans, 3-yr patient survival was 96.3 versus 93.2% ( P versus 75.1% ( P versus 93.2% for MMF and AZA, respectively. Three-yr death-censored graft survival for Caucasians was 90.1 versus 86.4% ( P
A Method that Will Captivate U

In an age of next-generation sequencing, the ability to purify RNA transcripts has become a critical issue. In this issue, Duffy et al. (2015) improve on a pre-existing technique of RNA labeling and purification by 4-thiouridine tagging. By increasing the efficiency of RNA capture, this method will enhance the ability to study RNA dynamics, especially for transcripts normally inefficiently captured by previous methods.
Financing Urban Government in Transition Countries: Assessment Uniformity and the Property Tax

The area-based property tax has been gaining influence in developing and transitional countries around the world. While an area-based property tax is advocated for its simplicity and transparency, it is often criticized as being unfair because assessed values upon which property tax liabilities are based are not related to market values. We present a case study in Lithuania that explores the uniformity of assessments, and thus the implications for fairness of the distribution of property tax liabilities across properties, for an area-based tax as opposed to an ad valorem property tax. The findings suggest that, in Lithuania, assessments are more uniform, and the distribution of property tax liabilities across properties are more fair, for detached housing under the area-based assessment than under the market-based assessment; alternatively, uniformity and fairness of the distribution of tax liabilities for flats are better under market-based than area-based assessment.
Optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism studies on insulin and its trypsin-modified derivatives

Abstract The optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism properties of insulin and its trypsin-modified derivatives, desoctapeptide insulin and the C-terminal, B-chain heptapeptide and octapeptide, have been studied in both the far-ultraviolet and in the aromatic absorption region. Analysis of the circular dichroism data based on the recently published poly- l -lysine parameters of Greenfield and Fasman gave solution estimates of 27–30% α-helix for the parent hormone and 30–36% α-helix content for the three desoctapeptide insulin preparations investigated. These findings suggest that the liberation of the B-chain tryptic peptides by trypsin must leave the conformation of the desoctapeptide insulin core largely unaltered. The somewhat more negative molar ellipticities of desoctapeptide insulin at 208–209 mμ and the less positive ellipticities at 192–194 mμ suggest the loss of some β-structure. The X-ray structure of insulin indicates that in the basic dimer or hexamer unit of the hormone the B-chain residues B23–B30 released by trypsin form the internal intersubunit β-structural regions. The circular dichroism and optical rotatory dispersion of the B-chain peptides indicate that this portion of the hormone suffers some conformational changes as a result of cleavage by trypsin.
A quasi-linear model of plasma shock structure in a longitudinal magnetic field

It is pointed out that interpenetration of two plasma streams along a uniform magnetic field is prevented by the hose instability. Thus the shock thickness resulting from supersonic streaming of a tenuous plasma along a uniform magnetic field may be very much less than the collision length. We suggest that an actual stationary shock front under these conditions is formed by the hose interaction between the incoming supersonic stream and a precursor, consisting of ions evaporating forward from the non-linear disordering which results when the hose instability reaches large amplitude. Treating the growth of the hose instability with the WKB approximation applied to the linearized equations, we show that the scale of the shock front is characterized by the ion and electron Larmor radii, and that the density in the precursor relaxes to a small but non-vanishing value, proportional to one over the square of the Mach number, infinitely far ahead of the shock.
Excretion of urea by two teleosts exposed to different concentrations of ambient ammonia.

Abstract 1. 1. When rainbow trout were subjected to increased ambient ammonia they excreted decreased amounts of ammonia nitrogen and total waste nitrogen. 2. 2. Ammonia-N, urea-N and protein-N accounted for an average of 94 per cent of total nitrogen excreted by trout. 3. 3. Except for a slight increase in urea excretion at very low ambient ammonia levels the rate of urea and protein excretion by trout remained constant throughout the range of ammonia levels tested. 4. 4. Trout acclimated to 5 μg ammonia/ml showed no increase in urea excretion above that of fish acclimated to 0·5 μg/ml. 5. 5. Goldfish subjected to increased ambient ammonia levels showed an increase in urea excretion rates. 6. 6. The rate of urea excretion by goldfish was dependent on the 24-hr experimental ammonia levels but was not affected by the concentration of ambient ammonia during acclimation or the duration of acclimation.
Illumination of the melanopsin signaling pathway.

In mammals, a small population of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) plays a key role in the regulation of nonvisual photic responses, such as behavioral responses to light, pineal melatonin synthesis, pupillary light reflex, and sleep latency. These ipRGCs also express melanopsin (Opn4), a putative opsin-family photopigment that has been shown to play a role in mediating these nonvisual photic responses. Melanopsin is required for the function of this inner retinal pathway, but its precise role in generating photic responses has not yet been determined. We found that expression of melanopsin in Xenopus oocytes results in light-dependent activation of membrane currents through the Gαq/Gα11 G protein pathway, with an action spectrum closely matching that of melanopsin-expressing ipRGCs and of behavioral responses to light in mice lacking rods and cones. When coexpressed with arrestins, melanopsin could use all- trans -retinaldehyde as a chromophore, which suggests that it may function as a bireactive opsin. We also found that melanopsin could activate the cation channel TRPC3, a mammalian homolog of the Drosophila phototransduction channels TRP and TRPL. Melanopsin therefore signals more like an invertebrate opsin than like a classical vertebrate rod-and-cone opsin.
Pseudo tricuspid regurgitation: Unusual etiology of a pulsating liver

Abstract A pulsating liver is characteristic of significant tricuspid regurgitation [Cha SD, Desai RD, Gooch AS, et al. Diagnosis of severe tricuspid regurgitation. Chest 1982; 82(6):726–731.]. An adult man with known tricuspid atresia presented with clinical features of marked tricuspid regurgitation. In the presence of tricuspid atresia, tricuspid regurgitation is an impossibility. Electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, phonocardiogram, and pulse tracings were obtained to confirm the physical examination and better document the pathophysiology.
Friction stir channeling: Characterization of the channels

Abstract Commercially available compact heat exchangers are currently fabricated in several steps by joining multiple tubes, or by independently fabricating and joining fluid channels. Friction stir channeling (FSC) is a simple and innovative technique of manufacturing heat exchangers in a single step by creating continuous, integral channels in a monolithic plate in a single pass. FSC relies on the frictional heat generated between the tool material and the metal workpiece to soften and deform the material to facilitate the creation of a continuous channel. The channel shape, size, and integrity depend on the processing parameters and the tool design. In this paper the structural characteristics and the relationship between the channel features and the processing parameters are discussed. FSC is being developed as a technique for manufacturing heat exchangers. The channel is characterized by roughness features on the inside, which can be analyzed using optical microscopy techniques.
Filbertworm sex pheromone : Identification and field tests of (E,E)- and (E,Z)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol acetates.

(E,E)- and (E,Z)-8,10-Dodecadien-1-ol acetates were identified in a 1∶4.3 ratio in the extract of abdominal tips of female filbert-worm moths,Melissopus latiferreanus (Walsingham). The identifications were based on electroantennogram (EAG) analysis, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, ozonolysis, and synthesis. TheE,Z isomer produced the stronger EAG response. In the field tests of various ratios ofE,E∶E,Z, the ratio found in the extract captured the most males. The pureE,E isomer initially was not attractive by itself (<0.1%E,Z) but became attractive after a few days, presumably because of isomerization. TheE, Z isomer (<0.1%E,E) was attractive initially, but this compound might have isomerized faster than theE,E isomer. A study of the isomerization showed that regardless of the initial mixture of 8,10-dodecadien-1-ol acetate isomers, almost complete equilibration existed after one month. The equilibrium mixture consisted of 9%Z8,E10, 65%E8,E10, 23%E8,Z10, and 3%Z8,Z10. Concentrations in rubber septa (1∶4 ratio ofE,E toE,Z) of 0.03–3.0 mg/septum produced equivalent trap catches.
ATPG for Noise-Induced Switch Failures in Domino Logic

Domino circuits have been used in most modern high-performance microprocessor designs because of their high speed, low transistor-count and hazard-free operation. However, with technology scaling, domino circuits are increasingly susceptible to switch failures due to various noise sources that include crosstalk, charge sharing and leakage. To test for such failures in a manufactured chip, we describe a test pattern generation methodology that generates specific test patterns to target such failures. These test patterns activate noise from multiple sources such that their combined effect causes a switch failure at a domino gate output. In addition, the test patterns propagate the resulting error to an observable output within the duration of the circuit's clock cycle. The methodology has been implemented and validated using a domino multiplier circuit.
Menstrual concerns and intrauterine contraception among adolescent bariatric surgery patients.

Abstract Objective: Adolescent obesity has dramatically increased in recent decades, and along with that so have other medical comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and pseudotumor cerebri. Obesity and related comorbidites may be contraindications to hormonal contraception, making contraception counseling of morbidly obese adolescents more challenging. Obese adolescent females seeking bariatric surgery need effective contraception in the postoperative period. This study is designed to determine the acceptance rate of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) and describe common menstrual problems in obese adolescent bariatric surgery patients. Methods: This is a historic cohort study of adolescent females who underwent bariatric surgery over a 2-year period at a tertiary referral center for pediatric obesity. Data were systematically abstracted. The percent of patients with menstrual problems and the acce...
A Novel Approach for Batch Fabrication of Bifunctional AFM-SECM Probes

This paper presents a novel batch fabrication process for manufacturing bifunctional Scanning Electrochemical-Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM-SECM) probes with a recessed integrated ring electrode. The presented tip fabrication procedure enables the integration of a micro ring electrode at a precisely defined distance above the apex of the AFM tip. The electroactive area integrated into a scanning probe tip allows obtaining electrochemical data independently and separated from the topographical image. The tip fabrication is based upon batch processing, which provides bifunctional scanning probe tips on a wafer scale at low cost with high processing reproducibility and uniformity. Electrochemical characterization of an AFM tip-integrated ring electrode and combined electrochemical and topographical imaging using the bifunctional probe are demonstrated in this study.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Recognizing design decisions in programs

The authors present a characterization of design decisions that is based on the analysis of programming constructs. The characterization underlies a framework for documenting and manipulating design information to facilitate maintenance and reuse activities. They identify and describe the following categories of design decisions: composition and decomposition; encapsulation and interleaving; generalization and specialization; representation; data and procedures; and function and relation. The authors discuss how to recognize and represent design decisions. >
Zirconium behavior in the system HNO3-30% tributyl phosphate-dodecane in the presence of monobutyl phosphoric acid☆

Abstract Dibutyl and monobutyl phosphoric acids result from the radiolytic degradation of tributyl phosphate in the solvent extraction processing of spent nuclear fuel. Information is needed about the interaction between zirconium and monobutyl phosphoric acid to assess the relative importance of this degradation product in terms of zirconium extraction, retention and solids formation. Monobutylphosphoric acid (H2MBP) extracts zirconium from nitric acid to a similar extent as dibutyl phosphoric acid (HDBP). Zirconium extracts containing H2MBP aged at low acidity, ≤0.1 M H+, undergo a reaction to produce a species that is retained by the solvent. There is no retention in the presence of HDBP alone. Gelatinous solids are formed in zirconium solutions in nitric acid by the addition of H2MBP. Analyses of these solids correspond to the empirical formula Zr(MBP)2·H2O. In addition to this compound, an intermediate solid with a MBP Zr molar ratio of one is formed in 0.2 M HNO3. The addition of H2MBP to zirconium extracts in 1.09 M TBP in dodecane containing HDBP leads to a solid having a formula corresponding to Zr(OH)x(NO3)y (DBP)-(MBP) where x + y = 1. Addition of H2MBP to a zirconium extract in the absence of HDBP leads to a solid with a MBP Zr molar ratio of two. Solubility estimates of these solids show that the MBP compounds are more insoluble, by at least two orders of magnitude, than the corresponding DBP complexes. Extraction of zirconium in the system is mostly determined by HDBP while H2MBP determines zirconium retention and precipitation.
Interfacial surface area in dispersions and porous media

Abstract The structure of a dispersion of interpenetrating spheres (particles or pores), of uniform or of varying sizes, is characterized by its n -particle correlation functions. Such correlations are used to derive the general expression for the interfacial area. Two simple limiting cases, randomly placed and totally impenetrable spheres, are considered in detail, as well as the Blum-Stell model for spheres of limited interpenetrability. In the random case the interfacial area depends only on the number concentration of spheres and on the second and third moments of the distribution of sphere radii. The surface area is maximized, either at constant number concentration or at constant volume fraction of the particle phase, when the spheres are of uniform size. The general expression for the distribution of the interfacial area over the various components in a multisized dispersion is also reported. The results are generalized to the case of inclusions of any shape.
Long-term industry performance following IPOs

Abstract While firms are more likely to go public when the corresponding industry prospects are favorable, they may also serve as formidable threats to pull market share from the industry. In addition, if IPOs are timed when industry valuations are unusually high, there may be an aftermarket correction in the industry. We find that the corresponding industry rival portfolios experience unfavorable price performance on average over the 36-month period following an IPO. The dispersion in long-term industry effects following the IPOs can be partially explained by competitive effects and the timing of the IPO. The adverse industry effects are more pronounced when the IPOs are small, and when the IPO is the first in the industry within the last 2 years. Furthermore, the adverse industry effects are more pronounced when the IPOs are in regulated industries, and when prevailing industry multiples are relatively high at the time of the IPO. Overall, these characteristics document the influence of competitive effects and timing signals on industry effects associated with IPOs.
Presence and induction of epoxide hydrase in cultured human leukocytes.

Epoxide hydrase (EH), a microsomal enzyme, is present and inducible in cultured human leukocytes. Its base levels ranged between 0.05 and 0.20 nmoles of diol among 12 individuals tested. It is inhibited by trichloropropene oxide (TCPO) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO). EH was inducible up to 1.6 times resting levels by 3-methylcholanthrene and up to 2.0 times by phenobarbital in a 24 hr period. Other hydrocarbons—dibenz(a,h)anthracene, benz(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene—gave either weak or no measurable induction. The magnitudes of induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and EH by the same inducing agent showed a high correlation, suggesting that the mechanism for the induction of the two enzymes is the same.
Relation of structural and vibratory kinematics of the vocal folds to two acoustic measures of breathy voice based on computational modeling.

Purpose To relate vocal fold structure and kinematics to 2 acoustic measures: cepstral peak prominence (CPP) and the amplitude of the first harmonic relative to the second (H1–H2). Method The autho...
Work in progress — A proof-of-concept prototype of a communication system for course instructions and laboratory experiments

In electrical and computer engineering, communications is an interesting but challenging area of study for undergraduate students. To improve the quality of learning and understanding of the basic principles of communications, we have been developing a proof-of-concept prototype of a 2.4 GHz communication system as a framework of laboratory experiments suitable for undergraduate students. The framework primarily consists of a small mesh network of mobile robots realized in hardware and software and analog beamforming realized with off-the-shelf hardware components. In this Work-in-Progress paper, we describe our prototype under development and highlight key functionalities of the prototype that will eventually appear as specific contents of laboratory experiments in the near future. From the progress so far, we have observed that development of our proof-of-concept communication system, initially for research in indoor positioning technologies, is suitable for laboratory experiment for a semester-long communications course for upper-division undergraduate students.
Specific optimal control of the linear regulator using a minimal order observer

Abstract The problem of designing an optimal (n — m)-order Luenberger observer for an nth-order time-invariant linear system with m (m <n) outputs is considered. The performance functional for this problem is the expected value of the well-known quadratic regulator measure. It is assumed that only the mean and covariance of the initial system state are known. The observer structure is fixed but the parameter values, including the feedback gain, are left free to be specified via the specific optimal control problem. Necessary conditions for optimality are derived and a design algorithm is obtained. A separation theorem typo result is shown to apply to this problem and consequently the core of the design algorithm requires only the solution of two steady-state Riccati equations, one of order n and one of order (n — m). A simple example is presented to illustrate the procedure
Complex alloy phases for binary hard-disc mixtures

Abstract We investigate the phase diagram of two-dimensional binary mixtures of hard dises. There are two parameters in the problem, the ratio r of the radii of the two dises, and the concentration p of smali dises. We determine the possible phases by trying different periodic structures and minimizing the area per particle of the alloy for given r and p. We discover over ten distinct pure phases, along with large regions of the phase diagram which are oceupied by ‘lattice gas’ and ‘random tiling’ phases. The system tends to separate into two coexisting triangular lattices for r⋧ 0.5. The phase diagram becomes increasingly complicated at small size ratio and large concentrations of small discs.
Reinforcing effects of stimulants in humans: sensitivity of progressive-ratio schedules.

Drug self-administration methodologies have been developed for use in humans to model naturalistic stimulant drug-taking behaviors. These methodologies use a number of schedules of reinforcement, including progressive-ratio schedules. As the name implies, in a progressive-ratio schedule, the response requirement for each subsequent delivery of drug increases and the primary outcome variable is often the break point (i.e., the last ratio completed to receive a drug delivery). These schedules have been used in a number of human laboratory studies evaluating the reinforcing effects of stimulants. The results of these studies demonstrate that progressive-ratio schedules are sensitive to manipulation of a pharmacological variable, dose, as well as to non-pharmacological variables contributing to stimulant drug effects. In addition, findings with progressive-ratio schedules are largely concordant with clinical findings, suggesting that drug self-administration under these schedules has predictive validity in terms of drug abuse and dependence. Future research is necessary, however, to understand better how pharmacological factors like route of administration, onset of effects and pretreatment influence the reinforcing effects of stimulants under progressive-ratio schedules.
A Time-Sequenced Rotation And Scale-Invariant Optical Correlator For Multiple Target Recognition

A rotation and scale-invariant optical correlator has been developed, assembled, and evaluated for use as a multiple target recognition system. The system consists of an optical correlator with magneto-optic spatial light modulators (MOSLMs) at the input and filter planes and a vidicon at the correlation plane. A COMPAQ 386 (IBM compatible) personal computer with a frame grabber board is used to acquire, binarize and load binary amplitude-only video images to the input MOSLM, to write sequential stored binary phase-only filters to the filter MOSLM, and to sample and statistically analyze correlation plane data in order to locate and recognize objects of interest in the input scene. The sequential correlations and output data samples are obtained at near video rates (15 per second), allowing multiple targets at any scale and in-plane rotation in a given input image to be located and classified in seconds. Experimental results indicate that this system can correctly identify objects within its target class more than 90% of the time, even in the presence of severe clutter and noise.
Clonal differences in IgE antibodies affect cutaneous anaphylaxis-associated thermal sensitivity in mice

Abstract Cellular and molecular mediators of immune responses are increasingly implicated in acute and chronic pain pathophysiologies. Here we demonstrate that passive cutaneous IgE/Ag anaphylaxis provokes increased thermal sensitivity in the hind paw tissue of mice. The murine anti-DNP IgE antibodies SPE-7 and ɛ26 are known to induce differential cytokine production in bone marrow cultured mast cells in vitro without antigen challenge. We found a novel, antigen-dependent heterogeneity in the thermal pain responses elicited in the hind paws between SPE-7 and ɛ26 sensitized DNP-challenged mice. Mice experienced pronounced hind paw thermal sensitivity lasting 6 h after DNP challenge when sensitized with SPE-7 but not ɛ26 IgE. The two IgE clones induced equivalent hind paw edema, neutrophil influx, cytokine production, and reduction in tissue histamine content in vivo , and bound to the same or overlapping epitopes on the DNP antigen in vitro . Therefore IgE antibodies against the same antigen can induce comparable inflammation, yet contribute to markedly different anaphylaxis-associated pain within an allergic response, suggesting that non-canonical IgE binding partners such as sensory neurons may play a role in allergy-related pain responses.
Farewell to objectivity

This paper focuses on one of the major contributions Heinz von Foerster has made to epistemology and the philosophy of science. It traces earlier disagreements with the traditional theory of knowledge and sketches the history to which von Foerster's interpretation of the principle of indifferentiated coding supplied a decisive final chapter.
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) thermoregulatory behavior and adaptations for overwintering in Mexico

Monarch butterflies from eastern North America migrate each fall to high altitude habitats in central Mexico and must avoid freezing, desiccation, heat stress, and predation while drawing on unrenewable lipid reserves for at least 90 d. Survival involves a heat—gaining morphology and behaviors in which thermoregulation plays a central role. Heat production by shivering permits raising of thoracic temperatures sufficiently for the butterflies to crawl up vegetation to sun—bask where they warm rapidly to flight threshold (°12.7°—16.0°C). Shivering and basking can also achieve or maintain flight temperature during partly cloudly weather. Both behaviors delay the decline of thoracic temperatures below flight threshold and consequent thermal trapping either on the ground beneath clusters of other monarchs, or while the butterflies are at water or nectar sources. The monarch thus is the first butterfly in which shivering has been shown to be of major ecological importance. At the other end of the thermal spectrum, basking in the intense insolation at this lattitude causes rapid warming at ambient temperatures as low as 9°. To avoid overheating and rapid depletion, the butterflies adopt sum—minimizing postures or fly out of insolated clusters and glide above the colony, losing heat to the cold ambient. Calculations suggest that a large proportion of the butterfies dies from depleting lipid stores. Maintenance of low body temperatures to conseve lipids is one of the major reasons why migrant monarchs select these high mountain forest as their overwinterin habitat.
Measurement of 55Fe in Reactor Samples by an Intrinsic Germanium Detector

Determination of “Fe in reactor samples requires some care because of the low-energy x-rays emitted following decay by electron capture and the presence of “Fe and other possible y-ray emitting contaminants in radiochemical separations. This problem was dealt with by radiochemical separation of Fe followed by use of an intrinsic germanium detector operated at high amplifier gain to count the low-energy x-ray emissions to quantitate “Fe. Separation of this important nuclide in reactor samples was by solvent extraction using triisooctylamine in xylene. Low-energy photon counting was done with a high gain setting and a 3 ps shaping time, which provided accurate quantitation without interference of rVFe and other potential contaminants, which were either removed by separation or discriminated against by the counting procedure. Iron-59. either present in the sample or added as a spike, was used as a tracer for determining radiochemical yield, which was about 70%. The lower limit of detection was found to be 80 pCi/g based on a 10 g sample and a 5 min counting time.
Nocturnal Choking Episodes: Under-Recognized and Misdiagnosed

Causes of nocturnal paroxysmal events include a variety of disorders such as epileptic seizures, parasomnias, sleep-related movement disorders, and psychiatric disturbances. Timing and semiology of the events, simultaneous video-electroencephalographic observation, presence of any daytime events, and relevant psychiatric and medical history may help in sorting out various possibilities considered in the differential diagnosis of such events. Timely diagnosis of these events is crucial for appropriate management; under-recognition and misdiagnosis of nonepileptic events is not uncommon. Described here are two cases within the spectrum of nocturnal paroxysmal events, one with nocturnal panic attacks and the other with frontal lobe epilepsy, each presenting with choking episodes.
Fast floorplanning for fixed-outline and nonrectangular regions

We present a fast evolutionary algorithm using sequence pair (SP) representation for hard block fixed-outline and non-rectangular floorplanning. We use dummy modules to represent various non-rectangular floorplans. The dummy module locations on layout and the feasibility of candidate solutions are verified directly on the SP representation without generating constraint graphs or floorplans. It significantly speeds up the algorithm. The developed fixed-outline floorplanner is fast and has a high success rate for hard block fixed-floorplans with dead spaces limited by 10%, 8% and 6%. It can also efficiently handle preplaced modules. Experimental results are presented.
Targeting Effector Memory T Cells with the Small Molecule Kv1.3 Blocker PAP-1 Suppresses Allergic Contact Dermatitis

The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 has been recently identified as a molecular target that allows for selective pharmacological suppression of effector memory T (T(EM)) cells without affecting the function of naive and central memory T cells. We here investigated whether PAP-1, a small molecule Kv1.3 blocker (EC50=2 nM), could suppress allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). In a rat model of ACD, we first confirmed that the infiltrating cells in the elicitation phase are indeed CD8+ CD45RC- memory T cells with high Kv1.3 expression. In accordance with its selective effect on T(EM) cells, PAP-1 did not impair sensitization, but potently suppressed oxazolone-induced inflammation by inhibiting the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and reducing the production of the inflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-17 when administered intraperitoneally or orally during the elicitation phase. PAP-1 was equally effective when applied topically, demonstrating that it effectively penetrates skin. We further show that PAP-1 is not a sensitizer or an irritant and exhibits no toxicity in a 28-day toxicity study. Based on these results we propose that PAP-1 could potentially be developed into a drug for the topical treatment of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.
THE CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF BENZYL (2-METHOXYPHENYL)-DIPHENYLPHOSPHONIUM BROMIDE

Abstract The crystal structure of benzyl(2-methoxyphenyl)diphenylphosphonium bromide has been determined from three dimensional X-ray data collected on a three circle diffractometer using MoKα radiation. The salt crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with cell constants α=15.528 (7), b=16.892 (7), and c=17.921 (8) A. The observed and calculated densities for 8 molecules per unit cell are 1.308 (5) and 1.309 g · cm−3 respectively. The structure was refined by full matrix least squares to final residuals of R=0.089 and R w0.120 for the 1757 independent reflections in the range 2° > 2θ> 42° whose intensities were above background. The cation has near tetrahedral geometry with an average P-C bond distance of 1.819 (14) A and the configuration of the ion is such that the oxygen atom of the methoxy group is trans to the alkyl carbon atom of the benzyl group. The phosphorus-oxygen distance of 2.878 (12) A suggests a weak bonding interaction and qualitative support for this view is obtained from energ...
Multiple arrangements of viral DNA and an activated host oncogene in bursal lymphomas

Proviruses of avian leukosis virus (ALV) are located in the vicinity of a putative cellular oncogene (c-myc) in ALV-induced bursal lymphomas. Enhanced expression of c-myc occurs in association with proviruses found in any of three configurations: (I) on the 5′ side (‘upstream’) of c-myc in the same transcriptional orientation; (II) on the 3′ side (‘downstream’) of c-myc in the same orientation; (III) upstream, in the transcriptional orientation opposite to that of c-myc. Thus, activation of adjacent cellular genes by retroviral DNA can involve mechanisms other than provision of a transcriptional promoter.
THE VERIFYNOW PRU IS ASSOCIATED WITH OPTIMAL DURATION OF CLOPIDOGREL INTERRUPTION PRIOR TO CABG SURGERY: SUB–ANALYSIS OF TARGET CABG STUDY

The utility of thrombelastography (TEG) to determine the timing of CABG in patients (pts) treated with clopidogrel was evaluated in the first prospective study, TARGET CABG which showed that pts non–responsive by TEG had no greater chest tube output when operated within 24 hrs of last clopidogrel
Propagation of mumps virus in suckling mice and in mouse embryo tissue cultures.

Summary1. Mumps virus has been carried through 20 passages in mouse embryo tissue culture in the course of which it developed a progressive ability to grow in brains of suckling mice, without apparent illness of the animals. 2. Another strain of mumps, after passage in brains of suckling hamsters, also multiplied readily in the brains of suckling mice, leading to illness and, in a small proportion, to death on continued passage. 3. Practical and theoretical implications of this adaptation of mumps virus to mice have been discussed.
Effects of thermal history upon the behavior of crystalline fast ionic conductors

Abstract Investigations of the effects of thermal history have shown that cooling rates play an important role in affecting the properties of Na beta″ alumina and NASICON. We have found that by rapidly quenching samples of beta″ alumina from high temperature the conductivity at room temperature is four times larger that of untreated samples. Structural studies have found a more random Na distribution in the fast quenched material. Cooling rates also have a large effect upon the thermal properties of NASICON. By fast quenching samples the enthalpy of the low temperature Faraday transition is increased by 300% relative to samples which are slow-cooled. We believe our results illustrate the major role played by framework-mobile ion interactions and we have demonstrated that changes in the cationic arrangement in the immobile lattice introduce substantial changes in the mobile ion distributions.
X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets: case report.

SUMMARY Introduction X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) is a dominant inherited disease caused by isolated renal phosphate wasting and impairment of vitamin D activation. We present a girl with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) as a consequence of de novo mutation in the PHEX gene. Case Outline A 2.2-year-old girl presented with prominent lower limb rachitic deformity, waddling gait and disproportionate short stature (79 cm, A (p.G579R) (exon 17), XLHR was diagnosed. Analysis of the parental PHEX gene did not show the abnormality, which indicated that the child's XLHR was caused by de novo mutation of this gene. Conclusion Identification of genetic defects is exceptionally significant for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of hereditary HR.
The effect of changes in tumor size on breast carcinoma survival in the U.S.: 1975–1999

BACKGROUND Temporal comparisons of case survival are commonly used to assess improvement in cancer treatment at the population level. However, such comparisons may be confounded by secular trends in disease prognosis, even within conventional stage categories. The objective of the current study was to characterize within-stage migration of tumor size in breast carcinoma, and to estimate the effect of this shift on reported breast carcinoma survival. METHODS Population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data were used to evaluate secular trends in tumor size at the time of diagnosis and relative survival among localized and regional invasive breast carcinoma patients diagnosed between 1975–1999. Outcomes were stage-specific tumor size distribution, 5-year relative survival, relative survival standardized to the tumor size distribution of the cohort diagnosed between 1975–1979, and the percentage of improvement in relative survival attributable to shifts in tumor size distribution. RESULTS Within each stage category, the proportion of smaller tumors increased significantly over time. Comparing patients diagnosed between 1995–1999 with those diagnosed between 1975–1979, within-stage migration of tumor size accounted for 61% and 28%, respectively, of the relative survival increases noted in localized and regional breast carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS The tumor size distribution of incident breast carcinomas in SEER has shifted toward smaller tumors. A substantial fraction of the improvement in breast carcinoma survival noted since 1975 may be attributable to within-stage migration of tumor size. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.