cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review of Atypical and Anaplastic Meningiomas: Classification, Molecular Biology, and Management

Although the majority of meningiomas are slow-growing and benign, atypical and anaplastic meningiomas behave aggressively with a penchant for recurrence. Standard of care includes surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiation in anaplastic and partially resected atypical meningiomas; however, the role of adjuvant radiation for incompletely resected atypical meningiomas remains debated. Despite maximum treatment, atypical, and anaplastic meningiomas have a strong proclivity for recurrence. Accumulating mutations over time, recurrent tumors behave more aggressively and often become refractory or no longer amenable to further surgical resection or radiation. Chemotherapy and other medical therapies are available as salvage treatment once standard options are exhausted; however, efficacy of these agents remains limited. This review discusses the risk factors, classification, and molecular biology of meningiomas as well as the current management strategies, novel therapeutic approaches, and future directions for managing atypical and anaplastic meningiomas.
Mucosal Immunity in COVID-19: A Neglected but Critical Aspect of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

The mucosal immune system is the largest component of the entire immune system, having evolved to provide protection at the main sites of infectious threat: the mucosae. As SARS-CoV-2 initially infects the upper respiratory tract, its first interactions with the immune system must occur predominantly at the respiratory mucosal surfaces, during both inductive and effector phases of the response. However, almost all studies of the immune response in COVID-19 have focused exclusively on serum antibodies and systemic cell-mediated immunity including innate responses. This article proposes that there is a significant role for mucosal immunity and for secretory as well as circulating IgA antibodies in COVID-19, and that it is important to elucidate this in order to comprehend especially the asymptomatic and mild states of the infection, which appear to account for the majority of cases. Moreover, it is possible that mucosal immunity can be exploited for beneficial diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic purposes.
Slow-Wave Sleep and MRI Markers of Brain Aging in a Community-Based Sample

Objective To test the hypothesis that reduced slow-wave sleep, or N3 sleep, which is thought to underlie the restorative functions of sleep, is associated with MRI markers of brain aging, we evaluated this relationship in the community-based Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort using polysomnography and brain MRI. Methods We studied 492 participants (age 58.8 ± 8.8 years, 49.4% male) free of neurological diseases who completed a brain MRI scan and in-home overnight polysomnography to assess slow-wave sleep (absolute duration and percentage of total sleep). Volumes of total brain, total cortical, frontal cortical, subcortical gray matter, hippocampus, and white matter hyperintensities were investigated as a percentage of intracranial volume, and the presence of covert brain infarcts was evaluated. Linear and logistic regression models were adjusted for age, age squared, sex, time interval between polysomnography and MRI (3.3 ± 1.0 years), APOE e4 carrier status, stroke risk factors, sleeping pill use, body mass index, and depression. Results Less slow-wave sleep was associated with lower cortical brain volume (absolute duration, β [standard error] = 0.20 [0.08], p = 0.015; percentage, 0.16 [0.08], p = 0.044), lower subcortical brain volume (percentage, 0.03 [0.02], p = 0.034), and higher white matter hyperintensities volume (absolute duration, −0.12 [0.05], p = 0.010; percentage, −0.10 [0.04], p = 0.033). Slow-wave sleep duration was not associated with hippocampal volume or the presence of covert brain infarcts. Conclusion Loss of slow-wave sleep might facilitate accelerated brain aging, as evidence by its association with MRI markers suggestive of brain atrophy and injury. Alternatively, subtle injuries and accelerated aging might reduce the ability of the brain to produce slow-wave sleep.
WHY DO FIRMS PAY DIVIDENDS? INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE ON THE DETERMINANTS OF DIVIDEND POLICY

Abstract In the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, and Japan, the propensity to pay dividends is higher among larger, more profitable firms, and those for which retained earnings comprise a large fraction of total equity. Although there are hints of reductions in the propensity to pay dividends in most of the sample countries over the 1994–2002 period, they are driven by a failure of newly listed firms to initiate dividends when expected to do so. Dividend abandonment and the failure to initiate by existing nonpayers are economically unimportant except in Japan. Moreover, in each country, aggregate dividends have not declined and are concentrated among the largest, most profitable firms. Finally, outside of the US there is little evidence of a systematic positive relation between relative prices of dividend paying and non-paying firms and the propensity to pay dividends. Overall, these findings cast doubt on signaling, clientele, and catering explanations for dividends, but support agency cost-based lifecycle theories.
Natural Disasters, Trade, and Local Factor Prices: The Urban Equilibrium Effect of Rerouted Trade

As evidenced by recent events, natural disasters are increasingly potent and cause significant disruptions to international trade. I investigate the impact of Hurricane Katrina and the resulting rerouting of international trade on employment and factor prices in otherwise unaffected Floridian communities. Developing a new identification strategy that exploits the disaster-induced quasi-random variation in trade, my IV results are the first to quantify the urban economic impact of international cargo shipments and suggest that a 10% increase in seaport services raises factor prices and employment by 0.46% to 0.69%. Consistent with the predictions of the urban equilibrium theory, I find that the productivity-enhancing effects in traded goods-producing industries and transportation sectors drive the estimated intensive margin effects of transport infrastructure. As natural disasters are not the only cause of changing shipping patterns, my findings have considerable relevance for trade and other public policies that shape the affected urban equilibria.
Estimating the states of the Kauffman bracket skein module

The states of the title are a set of knot types which suffice to create a generating set for the Kauffman bracket skein module of a manifold. The minimum number of states is a topological invariant, but quite difficult to compute. In this paper we show that a set of states determines a generating set for the ring of SL2(C) characters of the fundamental group, which in turn provides estimates of the invariant.
Abstract 15920: The Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Disease in Those With Connective Tissue Disease as a Function of Age, Race, and Traditional Risk Factors

Background: Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease with an intrinsic inflammatory component, but it may also be influenced by systemic inflammation. There is cardiovascular risk associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but there is still a need to clarify the contributions of traditional risk factors in those with inflammatory connective tissue diseases (CTD, which includes RA) in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). It would also be useful to identify particular groups of patients that are at disproportionately greater conferred risk for ASCVD owing to their CTD. For these reasons, a cross-sectional analysis of a diverse patient population could help develop finer ASCVD risk estimations in those with and without CTD. Results: A systematically queried warehouse of de-identified data from over a quarter-million adult patients at our urban medical center over the past six years showed that prevalence of ASCVD steadily increases with age, consistent with rates found in ot...
XPS AND UPS investigation of NH/sub 4/OH-exposed Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ thin films

Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the compositional and electronic changes occurring in Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ thin films as a result of immersion in aqueous ammonia solution. We find that NH/sub 4/OH-treated CIGS surfaces are preferentially etched of indium and gallium, resulting in the formation of a thin layer of a degenerate Cu-Se compound that we tentatively identify as Cu/sub 2/Se. The work function of ammonia-treated samples is found to increase by 0.6 eV relative to as-grown CIGS thin films. The uniformity of chemical bath effects (etching & deposition) was found to be improved by the addition to the bath of a non-ionic surfactant. Initial device results show that the new surfactant-based chemical bath deposition (CBD) method may lead to better and thinner CdS buffer layers.
Adaptive Bilinear Model Predictive Control

An adaptive controller for bilinear plants without delay and with stable inverses is defined based upon a bilinear model predictive control law and a classical recursive identification algorithm. For the case with no disturbance both the control error and the identification error converge to zero. For the case with a bounded disturbance, the control error is bounded and the identification converges. For the case with a constant disturbance, the control error often converges to zero and the identification converges.
The Use of Prior Convictions after Apprendi

In Apprendi v. New Jersey, the Supreme Court announced the general rule that "[o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt." Since Apprendi, most courts have read this language to mean that a defendant who contests the existence of a prior conviction for sentencing purposes is not entitled to a jury trial or to proof beyond a reasonable doubt on the fact of the prior conviction. On the other hand, courts have split as to the process that must have been afforded by the tribunal that rendered the prior judgment. Some courts have held that a judgment rendered by a nonjury tribunal may not be used to enhance the penalty for a subsequent offense. Other courts have held that a prior conviction produced by a nonjury tribunal may increase the penalty for a subsequent offense as long as the nonjury tribunal followed a reliable factfinding process. In this article, I examine two settings: (1) the process for determining whether the defendant incurred the prior conviction asserted by the prosecution and (2) the process that must have been afforded in the tribunal that rendered the prior judgment. With respect to court determination of the existence of a prior conviction, I argue that the Constitution guarantees that the prior conviction be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and that the defendant be afforded a right to a jury trial. With respect to the process resulting in a prior conviction or adjudication, I suggest that the prior tribunal must have employed the reasonable doubt standard, but it need not have afforded a right to a jury trial. A requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt would invalidate the use of prior convictions rendered by foreign tribunals that employ lesser standards of proof, and it would invalidate the use of civil adjudications that are based on the preponderance of the evidence standard.
Expert Witnesses, Adversarial Bias, and the (Partial) Failure of the Daubert Revolution

This manuscript raises two questions that have been surprisingly missing from the voluminous law review literature on expert evidence since the landmark Daubert decision. First, what is the underlying rationale for the replacement of the old qualifications-only, let-it-all standard for expert testimony with Daubert/Federal Rule of Evidence 702's requirement that all expert testimony be subject to a stringent reliability test? Second, once we have identified this rationale, has the Daubert revolution succeeded on its own terms? I conclude that the implicit rationale for the reliability test is to preserve the perceived advantages of the adversarial system, while mitigating the harms to the courts' truth-seeking function by the inevitable strong biases that accompany adversarial expert testimony. These biases include the conscious biases of hired guns, the unconscious biases of other paid experts, and the selection biases that result from the fact that attorneys shop for their experts from a large pool of qualified individuals. Rule 702 thus attempts to serve a worthy goal, but it far from fully succeeds in efficiently achieving this goal. First, in the context of forensic expertise in criminal cases, Rule 702 does nothing to address the huge gaps in resources between the prosecution and most defendants that severely inhibit defendants' ability to challenge unreliable prosecution expert testimony. Second, Rule 702, applied correctly, does succeed in barring junk science causation evidence in toxic torts cases. However, it does so at the expense of excluding speculative evidence supporting causation, even when most experts in the field would conclude that the relevant evidence is a sufficient basis from which to find causation by a preponderance of the evidence. While Rule 702 is easily preferable to the prior overly permissive regime, it likely goes too far in insisting on a reliability test that makes the courtroom stricter about causation evidence than is the scientific community itself. The way around this problem is to amend Rule 702 to allow courts to admit educated guesses about causation, but only when nonpartisan experts, not subject to adversarial bias, are willing to make such guesses. Finally, Rule 702 puts severe restrictions on the testimony of experience-based testimony by connoisseurs. Such experts may only testify if their field of expertise is a legitimate one, and they have proven to the court that they truly have the expertise they claim. Rule 702 also properly prevents attorneys from shopping for outlier and hired gun connoisseurs, given that there is no objective way for a jury to determine whether an experience-based expert's views are correct or representative of other experts in the field. Therefore, in the context of connoisseur testimony, courts should either replace adversarial experts with a panel of nonpartisan experts, or only allow an adversarial expert to testify if his conclusions are consistent with those of a nonpartisan advisory panel.
Radiosensitivity at Specific Autosomal Loci in Mature Sperm and Spermatogonial Cells of Drosophila Melanogaster.

The mutation rate, when calculated with point mutations, was higher in mature sperm than the rate for spermatogonia with 900 r of x radiation. The higher rate in sperm shows a difference in the mutational sensitivity of the two types of cells. Selection of chromosome breakage types from spermatogonia cannot account for the difference. The spermatogonial mutants show the same proportion of viable and lethal mutations as obtained with mature sperm with 900 r. The absence of chromosome aberrations remained characteristic of spermatogonial mutants. (auth)
A taxonomic review, new species and a key to species of Platycoelus Blanchard, 1843 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini)

Based on the study of type material for species of Platycoelus Blanchard, 1843 significant changes to the current taxonomy of species included in this genus is required. Psegmatopterus politissimus (White 1846) from New Zealand is found to be congeneric with Platycoelus species and so is a new combination. Platycoelus irideomicans (Tschitscherine 1890) status novum; P. caledonicus (Tschitscherine 1901) status novum; P. sulcatulus (MacLeay 1888) status novum; and P. planipennis (MacLeay 1871) status novum; each previously considered synonyms of P. poeciloides are each recognized as a distinct species. Five new species are described, four from Queensland, Australia: P. chongheeae sp. nov., type locality Iron Range National Park; P. orion sp. nov., type locality Normanton; P. brigalowphilus sp. nov., type locality Southwood National Park; and P. politus sp. nov., type locality Cooloola National Park. The fifth species described is P. hermes sp. nov., type locality Aitape, Papua New Guinea. These changes and additions bring the total number of species in the genus to 19. A key and habitus images for all species is provided as are illustrations of the male genitalia for species where male specimens were available.
Modeling and simulation of power sharing and interaction between riders on a tandem bicycle

Recent studies along with applied experiments have proved the relationship between forced or active-assisted exercise (tandem cycling) and improvement in motor function of Parkinson's decease (PD) patients. With the assistance of a trainer, patients pedaled at a rate 30% greater than their preferred voluntary rate. A good replacement for a trainer would be an automated smart bike that could assess patient conditions and dynamically change the exercise parameters to provide the best therapeutic experience to the PD patients. One important step in designing the optimize algorithms for smart bike is to study the interaction between the trainer and rider on the tandem bike, as well as the relationship between the load and the pedaling rate. In this paper, the relationship between the torque and cadence (RPM), as well as the interaction between riders on a stationary tandem bike have been studied. First, modeling and simulation of the power sharing and dynamical interaction on the tandem bike are discussed. Then, the model identification for the bike and power sharing between the riders based on the real data recorded from actual exercise sessions is presented.
A computer-generated phrase index from document titles

A computer program was written in SPITBOL to generate a printed phrase index from document titles. The documents to be indexed were theses and dissertations, which tend to have informative and specific titles. It was hoped that a phrase index would be more useful than either a KWOK or KWIK index, since the former sacrifices precision for recall, while the latter is unnecessarily cumbersome.
THE HARD-SPHERE FERMI GAS AND FERROMAGNETISM IN NEUTRON STARS.

Abstract Landau's Fermi liquid function for a hard-sphere gas of neutrons is used to predict the onset of ferromagnetism for this system at densities in the range of gravitationally stable dense neutron matter.
Effect of Stimulus Intensity on Atrial Refractoriness and Sinus Node Recovery

Stimulus Intensity Effect on SA Tissue. Introduction: Prior studies of sinus node function in man stated that the stimulus intensity of overdrive pacing has no effect on (he response of the sinus node to overdrive suppression; however, data documenting these statements were lacking. Previous studies have also suggested that drive train stimulus intensity can alter ventricular refractoriness, but similar studies have not been performed on the human atrium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of drive train stimulus intensity on atrial effective refractory period and sinus node recovery time. Methods and Results: The effect of drive train stimulus intensity on atrial effective refractory period and sinus node recovery time was studied in 42 patients undergoing clinical electrophysiologic tests. The atrial effective refractory period was shorter at 10 mA (221 ± 20 msec) and 5 mA (232 ± 25 msec) than at a drive train stimulus intensity of 1.5 times late diastolic threshold (248 ± 24 msec, P < 0.05 for pairwise comparison). The sinus node recovery time did not demonstrate a similar effect in the baseline state, following beta-adrenergic blockade, or following combined parasympathetic and beta-adrenergic blockade. However, following isolated parasympathetic blockade with atropine, the corrected sinus node recovery time shortened from 88 ± 51 msec at 1.5 times late diastolic threshold to 48 ± 55 msec at 10 mA (P < 0.05). Significant variability was present in sinus node recovery time measurements a(baseline and following beta blockade; this variability decreased following parasympathetic blockade. Conclusion: These data suggest that drive train stimulus intensity can affect the electrophysiologic properties of sinus node and atrial tissue. This effect appears to he mediated by local catecholamine and acetylcholine release and provides further evidence that the interaction between pacing stimuli and the cardiac autonomic system may need to be considered in evaluating electrophysiologic effects.
An application of web‐based data mining: selling strategies for online auctions

Purpose – This study aims to introduce an application of web‐based data mining that integrates online data collection and data mining in selling strategies for online auctions. This study seeks to illustrate the process of spider online data collection from eBay and the application of the classification and regression tree (CART) in constructing effective selling strategies. Design/methodology/approach – After developing a prototype of web‐based data mining, the four steps of spider online data collection and CART data mining are shown. A business dataset from eBay is collected, and the application to derive effective selling strategies for online auctions is used. Findings – In the web‐based data‐mining application the spiders can effectively and efficiently collect online auction data from the internet, and the CART model provides sellers with effective selling strategies. By using expected auction prices with the classification and regression trees, sellers can integrate their two primary goals, i.e. auction success and anticipated prices, in their selling strategies for online auctions. Practical implications – This study provides sellers with a useful tool to construct effective selling strategies by taking advantage of web‐based data mining. These effective selling strategies will help improve their online auction performance. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature by providing an innovative tool for collecting online data and for constructing effective selling strategies, which are important for the growth of electronic marketplaces.
Rung 3.5 density functionals: Another step on Jacob's ladder

Applications of density functional theory (DFT) to computational chemistry and solid-state physics rely on a “Jacob's Ladder” of progressively more complicated approximations to the many-body exchange-correlation (XC) density functional. Accurate, computationally tractable DFT calculations on large and periodic systems remain challenging for existing XC functionals. Simple XC functionals on the three lowest rungs of Jacob's Ladder are insufficiently accurate for many properties, while fourth-rung hybrid functionals incorporating nonlocal information can be prohibitively expensive. This perspective presents our work toward a compromise, a new class of “Rung 3.5” functionals that incorporate a linear dependence on the nonlocal one-particle density matrix. This work reviews these functionals' formal underpinning, numerical performance, and prospects for modeling solids and surfaces. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands. Management of recurrent, advanced, or persistent disease with hyperthermia and radiation therapy

Adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) of the salivary glands are aggressive tumors characterized by multiple late local recurrences and distant metastases. Current therapy includes wide local excision and high-dose postoperative radiation therapy (XRT) (5400 to 7000 cGy). Despite early aggressive treatment, local recurrence remains a major problem with limited safe and effective therapeutic options available. The excellent local responses obtained in four patients (six sites) with ACC of the head and neck treated either with additional low-dose irradiation (2160 to 3420 cGy) in conjunction with two to five hyperthermia (HT) treatments or with full dose XRT and HT as part of the overall treatment plan are reported. All HT treatments were for 45 minutes once steady state conditions were obtained. Monitored intratumoral temperatures for all treatments achieved average maximum (Tmax), average mean (Tave), and average minimum (Tmin) temperatures of 44.2 degrees C, 41.2 degrees C, and 38.9 degrees C, respectively. A complete response was obtained for all six fields with no significant long-term complications. Two patients remain alive and free of local disease at 42 and 63 months of follow-up. Two patients died--one with metastases (with persistent local control) and one with a local recurrence at 9 and 30 months, respectively, after XRT and HT. This is the first report of HT and low-dose XRT in the management of previously irradiated ACC and suggests a potential role for the use of this modality in the treatment of ACC.
Acute Respiratory Failure in the Patient with Cancer: Diagnostic and Management Strategies

Acute respiratory failure (ARF) remains the major reason for admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) in patients with cancer and is often associated with high mortality, especially in those who require mechanical ventilation. The diagnosis and management of ARF in patients who have cancer pose unique challenges to the intensivist. This article reviews the most common causes of ARF in patients with cancer and discusses recent advances in the diagnostic and management approaches of these disorders. Timely diagnosis and treatment of reversible causes of respiratory failure, including earlier use of noninvasive ventilation and judicious ventilator and fluid management in patients with acute lung injury, are essential to achieve an optimal outcome. Close collaboration between oncologists and intensivists helps ensure that clear goals, including direction of treatment and quality of life, are established for every patient with cancer who requires mechanical ventilation for ARF.
Transanterior perforating substance approach to the thalamomesencephalic junction.

Objective Lesions in the thalamomesencephalic junction can be reached via an anterolateral approach, interhemispheric approach, transcortical (parieto-occipital lobule) approach, subtemporal approach, supracerebellar approaches, or transsylvian-insular approach. We now describe a new approach, a transanterior perforating substance approach, to this territory. Methods A 33-year-old man with progressive right arm tremors, mild hemiparesis, and a cavernous malformation of the thalamomesencephalic junction was followed for 5 years. Because of clinical progression, he underwent a left orbitozygomatic approach to the cavernous malformation, which could not be accessed because of a high-riding basilar artery. Hence, a new transsylvian corridor of exposure was developed using frameless neuronavigation. The trajectory, which was dorsal to M1, led through the perforating branches of M1. Care was taken to avoid violating any arterial perforators. To reach the lesion, a small opening into the brain was created near the optic tract. Results The cavernous malformation was resected totally. Postoperatively, the patient's tremors were cured. No visual deficits were encountered. Imaging showed a small ischemic stroke in the basal ganglia likely related to manipulation of a perforator. Initially, his hemiparesis worsened, but it improved significantly within 10 months with only a moderate decrease in strength. Conclusion The transanterior perforating substance approach effectively allowed access to the thalamomesencephalic junction and was associated with significant morbidity. However, the safety of the approach needs further validation. Neuronavigation is indicated to choose the most direct trajectory through the M1 perforators. Tractography may help protect the optic tract.
Single-port laparoscopy in colorectal surgery

Purpose Laparoscopy is the approach of choice for the majority of colorectal disorders that require a minimally invasive abdominal operation. As the emphasis on minimizing the technique continues, natural orifice surgery is quickly evolving. The authors utilized an embryologic natural orifice, the umbilicus, as sole access to the abdomen to perform a colorectal procedure. Herein, we present our initial experience of single-port laparoscopic colorectal surgery using a Uni-X™ Single-Port Access Laparoscopic System (Pnavel Systems, Morganville, New Jersey, USA) with a multi-channel cannula and specially designed curved laparoscopic instrumentation. Method The abdomen was approached through a 3.5 cm incision via the umbilicus and a single-port access device was utilized to perform a right hemicolectomy on a patient with an unresectable caecal polyp and a body mass index of 35. Ligation of the ileocolic artery was done with a LigaSure Device™ (Covidien Ltd, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA), and was followed by colonic mobilization, extraction and extracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis. Results The total operative time was 115 min with minimal blood loss. Hospital stay was 4 days with no undue sequelae. Conclusion Single-port laparoscopic surgery may allow common colorectal laparoscopic operations to be performed entirely through the patient’s umbilicus and enable an essentially scarless procedure. Additional experience and continued investigation are warranted.
Chromosome counts in Clibadium (Compositae, Heliantheae) from Latin America

New meiotic chromosome counts are reported from 86 populations from Mexico to Ecuador of 13 species ofClibadium (Compositae, Heliantheae). These, plus previous reports, yield a total of 120 counts from 20 of the approximately 39 species recognized in the genus (Arriagada, in prep.). All counts aren=16 with a few fragments or B-chromosomes observed sporadically in some populations. One population, containing what appear morphologically to be interspecific hybrids betweenC. mexiae andC. microcephalum, showed one tetravalent and fragments. Species in both historical sections (Clibadium andTrixidium, created by Candolle and maintained by Schulz) and from the five sections to be proposed in a new classification of the genus (Arriagada, in prep.) have now been counted. The uniformity of chromosome numbers withinClibadium is correlated with observed allopatric distribution of closely related taxa.
Sensorimotor Gating and Dopamine Function in Postpartum Rats

There is much speculation regarding the effects of estrogen withdrawal at the end of pregnancy on forebrain dopamine, however, few studies have directly examine changes in this system postpartum. The present work sought to determine what changes in forebrain dopamine function occur in the postpartum rat. Specifically, prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response (PPI) was measured in primiparous female rats on postpartum day 2 (PPD2) or 14 (PPD14) following treatment with saline or the dopamine D2 agonist, quinpirole. Diestrus (DI) females served as controls. Dopamine content and turnover as well as cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation were determined within the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum in these same females. In addition, circulating levels of plasma corticosterone, estradiol and progesterone were measured. PPI was significantly disrupted in both postpartum groups. This effect was associated with decreased cAMP content within the nucleus accumbens. Quinpirole treatment (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) dose-dependently disrupted PPI in DI controls while PPD2 and PPD14 animals demonstrated reduced sensitivity to the D2 agonist. PPD14 animals demonstrated increased startle amplitude, an effect that was attenuated by quinpirole treatment. PPD14 females were also less sensitive to quinpirole-mediated reductions in DA turnover within the nucleus accumbens and both PPD2 and PPD14 females had an attenuated response to the stimulatory effects of quinpirole on corticosterone secretion. Collectively these findings suggest that the postpartum period is associated with reduced sensorimotor gating and altered forebrain DA systems, which may be related to shifts in circulating hormones.
Effects of Frequency and Specificity of Information Feedback on Acquisition and Extinction of a Positioning Task

An experiment designed to specify the process similarities of information feedback and reinforcement and to note the interaction of 2 major feedback variables on a simple positioning task. 80 students were randomly divided into 4 groups receiving either 25, 50, 75, or 100% schedules of feedback, analogous to fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. The 4 groups were further divided into 2 subgroups that differed in terms of specificity of feedback. Results indicated that when all Ss were provided the same number of feedbacks, the groups did not differ during acquisition. Groups with partial information feedback demonstrated greater resistance to extinction. The coarse-scale treatment facilitated learning but had no effect during extinction. There was no interaction between frequency and specificity of information.
N-bursty emission from Uranus: A cyclotron maser source?

Ray tracing studies of RX-mode emission from the north polar regions of Uranus indicate that the n-bursty radio emission may have a source along field lines with footprints near the northern magnetic pole (perhaps in the cusp), but not necessarily associated with regions of strong UV emission. This is in contrast with similar studies for the Uranus nightside smooth radio emission, which are believed to be due to the cyclotron maser instability. Source regions can be found for both hollow and filled emission cones and for frequencies well above the local gyrofreuquency implying that mechanisms other than the cyclotron maser mechanism may be operating.
Head partitions facilitate feeding by subordinate horses in the presence of dominant pen-mates

Abstract The purpose of the following study was to determine if head partitions would facilitate feeding by subordinate horses in the presence of dominant pen-mates. Six pairs of mares, each with established dominant-subordinate relationships, were allowed to compete for feed in a 112-cm trough following 24 h of deprivation. Time spent feeding by each mare in each pair was recorded with a wire-mesh partition, a solid plywood partition or no partition dividing the trough. Differences in feeding times between dominant and subordinate mares were greatest in the absence of a partition and least (P It was concluded that head partitions on a trough facilitate feeding by subordinate horses in the presence of dominant pen-mates and thus provide a more equitable distribution of food resources.
From lithium to uranium: Elemental tracers of early cosmic evolution, edited by Vanessa Hill, Patrick François, and Francesca Primas

From lithium to uranium: Elemental tracers of early cosmic evolution, edited by Vanessa Hill, Patrick Francois, and Francesca Primas.
Online authentication: principles and practices

Online applications have become ubiquitous and userid/password access control remains firmly in the forefront. This presentation will take a high-level look at the authentication practices used by some of the online applications encountered by typical users to illustrate the good, the bad and the ugly among current practices. The technical controls used to control access will be identified and discussed. Tradeoff issues that govern which controls are used in various circumstances will also be explored.
Complexes exhibiting non-conventional solubility: synthesis and characterization of trans-Pt[(CF3(CF2)5(CH2)2)3P]2Cl2 ☆

Abstract Synthetic approaches have been developed for preparing fluorocarbon solvent and liquid and supercritical CO 2 (sc CO 2 ) soluble organometallic complexes. To explore solubility in these media, the synthesis of a number of organometallic complexes containing the phosphine ligand (CF 3 (CF 2 ) 5 (CH 2 ) 2 ) 3 P 2 , is reported. The platinum(II) complex, trans -Pt[(CF 3 (CF 2 ) 5 (CH 2 ) 2 ) 3 P] 2 Cl 2 1 , has been synthesized, isolated, and characterized by X-ray crystallography and 31 P-NMR spectroscopy. Complex 1 , PtC 48 H 24 Cl 2 F 78 P 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 , with a =11.632(2), b =16.970(2), c =20.838(3) A; α =71.67(1), β =80.22(2), γ =88.18(2)°; Z =2, and R F ( R WF 2 )=0.0789 (0.108) for 8095 reflections. The Pt coordination is trans square planar with the long fluoroalkyl chains of the (CF 3 (CF 2 ) 5 (CH 2 ) 2 ) 3 P ligands being nearly perpendicular to the coordination plane.
Review: Organized stroke unit care reduces mortality more than other forms of care in patients hospitalized with stroke

Source Citation Stroke Unit Trialists' Collaboration. Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(4):CD000197. 17943737
The optimum choice of gate width for neutron coincidence counting

Abstract In the measurement field of international nuclear safeguards, passive neutron coincidence counting is used to quantify the spontaneous fission rate of certain special nuclear materials. The shift register autocorrelation analysis method is the most commonly used approach. However, the Feynman-Y technique, which is more commonly applied in reactor noise analysis, provides an alternative means to extract the correlation information from a pulse train. In this work we consider how to select the optimum gate width for each of these two time-correlation analysis techniques. The optimum is considered to be that which gives the lowest fractional precision on the net doublets rate. Our theoretical approach is approximate but is instructional in terms of revealing the key functional dependence. We show that in both cases the same performance figure of merit applies so that common design criteria apply to the neutron detector head. Our prediction is that near optimal results, suitable for most practical applications, can be obtained from both techniques using a common gate width setting. The estimated precision is also comparable in the two cases. The theoretical expressions are tested experimentally using 252Cf spontaneous fission sources measured in two thermal well counters representative of the type in common use by international inspectorates. Fast accidental sampling was the favored method of acquiring the Feynman-Y data. Our experimental study confirmed the basic functional dependences predicted although experimental results when available are preferred. With an appropriate gate setting Feynman-Y analysis provides an alternative to shift register analysis for safeguards applications which is opening up new avenues of data collection and data reduction to explore.
The challenge-phage assay reveals differences in the binding equilibria of mutant Escherichia coli Trp super-repressors in vivo

The phenotypes of four mutant Escherichia coli Trp repressor proteins with increased activities have been examined in vivo using the challenge-phage assay, an assay based on a positive genetic selection for DNA binding. These proteins, which differ by single amino acid changes from the wild type (Glu13-->Lys, Glu18-->Lys, Glu49-->Lys and Ala77-->Val), require less L-tryptophan than wild-type repressor for activation in vivo, and are super-aporepressors. However, none of the four mutant repressors binds DNA in a corepressor-independent manner. Three of the four mutant repressors (with Glu-->Lys changes) are more active when complexed with tryptophan, and are superholorepressors. Challenge-phage assays with excess tryptophan rank the mutant holorepressors in the same order as determined by binding studies in vitro. Challenge-phage assays with limiting tryptophan reveal additional phenotypic differences among the mutant proteins. These results show that the challenge-phage assay is a robust assay for measuring the relative affinities of specific protein-DNA interactions in vivo.
Patient satisfaction with screening mammography: Online vs off-line interpretation

Rationale and Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine patient satisfaction with online and off-line methods of interpreting screening mammograms and to determine those characteristics that most influence patient preferences. Materials and Methods. A survey consisting of 17 questions assessing satisfaction and demographics was distributed to women whose screening mammograms were read in one of two ways at the same facility: ( a ) the “online” method, in which all additional requested studies are completed and results are immediately communicated, and ( b ) the “off-line” method, in which mammograms are read in batches the next day, results are communicated at a later time, and patients return for diagnostic studies. To ensure statistical power, at least 174 surveys were collected from each group. Results. Of 192 women whose mammograms were interpreted online, 188 (97%) responded, and of 247 women whose mammograms were interpreted off-line, 181 (73%) responded. Overall mean satisfaction with the mammographic experience and with the time it took to receive results differed significantly between the two groups ( P Conclusion. Patients preferred online mammographic interpretation of screening studies.
Some Implementations of the Boxplot

Abstract An increasing number of statistical software packages offer exploratory data displays and summaries. For one of these, the graphical technique known as the boxplot, a selective survey of popular software packages revealed several definitions. These alternative constructions arise from different choices in computing quartiles and the fences that determine whether an observation is “outside” and thus plotted individually. We examine these alternatives and their consequences, discuss related background for boxplots (such as the probability that a sample contains one or more outside observations and the average proportion of outside observations in a sample), and offer recommendations that lead to a single standard form of the boxplot.
Lagrange and Least-Squares Polynomials as Limits of Linear Combinations of Iterates of Bernstein and Durrmeyer Polynomials

The linear combination of iterates 1?(1 ? Pn)M of Bernstein and Durrmeyer operators of a fixed degree n is considered for increasing order of iteration M. The resulting sequence of polynomials is shown to converge to the Lagrange interpolating polynomial for the Bernstein operators, and the least-squares approximating polynomial for the Durrmeyer operators.
Using a distributed search engine to identify optimal product sets for use in an outbreak detection system

This study tests an approach for identifying sets of over-the-counter (OTC) thermometer products whose aggregate sales correlate optimally with aggregate counts of emergency department (ED) visits where patients have symptoms consistent with Constitutional syndrome such as fever and chills. We show that by using a distributed search engine alongside search algorithms (Brute-force), we can quickly identify a minimum set of OTC thermometer products whose sales are optimally correlated to the ED data. We used the Pearson correlation coefficient function to measure the degree of correlation between OTC and ED time series. The optimal OTC product set—comprising 9 thermometer products found by the Brute-force algorithm—has a correlation coefficient value of 0.96. We believe the approach used in this study can be used to efficiently identify different optimal OTC sets for detection of different types of disease outbreaks.
Requirements for branched chain amino acids and their interactions in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Branched chain amino acid (BCAA) requirements and their interactions were studied in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . Optimal, deficiency and toxic levels affecting nematode population growth were determined for each of the three BCAAs. The optimal range for leucine was 0.72-2.8; for isoleucine, 0.86-1.7; and for valine, 0.51-4.1 mg ml -1 . Leucine at high concentrations was toxic. When isoleucine and valine were both added at high concentrations, they also exerted a marked toxic effect. The interactions of the branched chain amino acids found among vertebrate animals were not observed in C. elegans . Les besoins relatifs aux amino-acides en chaine ramifiee et leurs interactions chez le nematode Caenorhabditis elegans - Les besoins relatifs aux amino-acides en chaine ramifiee (BCAA) et leurs interactions ont ete etudies chez le nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . Les niveaux optimal, de deficience et toxique affectant la croissance de la population du nematode ont ete determines pour chacune des BCAA. L'optimum est, pour la leucine de 0,72 a 2,8, pour l'isoleucine de 0,86 a 1,7 et pour la valine de 0,51 a 4,1 mg ml -1 . A forte concentration la leucine est toxique. Si l'isoleucine et la valine sont ajoutees a forte concentration elles exercent egalement une action toxique prononcee. Les interactions entre BCAA observees chez les vertebres ne l'ont pas ete chez les C. elegans .
Synthesis and characterization of fluorene end-labeled polymers prepared by nitroxide-mediated polymerization

Abstract The fluorene-based alkoxyamine 9-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-hydroxypiperidinyloxy)fluorene was prepared and investigated as a unimolecular initiator in the nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) of styrene. Reactions performed in either bulk or ethereal solvents at 125 °C generated polymers possessing low polydispersity indices (PDIs) and number average molecular weight ( M n ) values close to those anticipated based on monomer-to-initiator ratios. A linear relationship between monomer conversion and M n values was observed by analysis of reaction aliquots with 1 H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), while PDI values remained low throughout. Analysis of the polymers by UV–vis spectroscopy indicated that approximately 80% of the polymer chains were labeled with the fluorene chromophore, while fluorescence spectroscopy was used to verify that the fluorene was polymer-bound.
Tracing origins with molecular sequences: metazoan and eukaryotic beginnings.

Abstract Milestones in the evolution of the eukaryotic cell are being discovered through the analysis of molecular sequences. As sequence data become increasingly plentiful, our ability to reconstruct the most distant evolutionary branchings of evolutionary trees is limited only by the mathematics of phylogenetic reconstruction. Analysis of ribosomal RNAs agrees with traditional analyses of morphological and developmental characters that all multicellular animals probably arose from a common ancestor, but high-lights one of the major limitations of the various mathematical algorithms used. Refined methods of sequence analysis also suggest a previously unsuspected sister relationship between the eukaryotic nucleus and eocytes, a group of extremely thermophilic, sulfur-metabolizing bacteria, that questions the classical eukaryote/prokaryote division.
Infiltration Pain and Local Anesthetic Effects of Buffered vs Plain 1% Diphenhydramine

Objective: To compare the levels of infiltration pain and local anesthetic effects of plain and buffered 1% diphenhydramine. Methods: A prospective, randomized. double-blind, paired study was performed using 30 adult volunteers. Intradermal injections (0.5 mL) of plain and buffered 1% diphenhydramine were made in the subjects' forearms. one in the left and the other in the right. The pain of infiltration was recorded on a previously validated 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). The volunteers also were asked which injection was less painful. Sequential measurements of the diameter of anesthesia to pinprick were made at 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes. The VAS scores and anesthetic diameters were compared for plain and buffered diphenhydramine using a paired Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between buffered diphenhydramine and plain diphenhydramine for pain of injection (23.5 ± 19.2 mm vs 28.2 ± 18.7 mm. p = 0.24). Repeated-measures analysis of variance for anesthetic diameters demonstrated no significant difference between buffered diphenhydramine and plain diphenhydramine (p = 0.87). At no single measurement period were the anesthetic diameters different. Conclusions: In a study with a sample size large enough to detect an 11-mm difference in VAS scores (power = 80%,), no difference was found in pain of infiltration and anesthetic effects when plain 1% diphenhydramine was compared with buffered 1% diphenhydramine. Buffering of diphenhydramine does not appear to result in a clinically significant reduction in the pain of infiltration.