cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors impacting development time for online postsecondary instruction

FACTORS IMPACTING DEVELOPMENT TIME FOR ONLINE POSTSECONDARY INSTRUCTION Karen Hughes Miller
Heat risks associated with synthetic athletic fields.

It is well known that humans can suffer adverse health effects when exposed to elevated temperatures. These include heat stress, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, Rhabdomyolysis, heat syncope and acute...
Assessing Eligibility for Lung Cancer Screening Among Women Undergoing Screening Mammography: Cross-Sectional Survey Results From the National Health Interview Survey.

Abstract Purpose Millions of women undergo mammography screening each year, presenting an opportunity for radiologists to identify women eligible for lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose chest CT and smoking cessation counseling. The purpose of our study was to estimate the proportion of women eligible for LCS and tobacco cessation counseling among women reporting mammography screening within the previous 2 years using nationally representative cross-sectional survey data. Methods Women between the ages of 55 and 74 years in the 2015 National Health Interview Survey without history of lung or breast cancer who reported mammography use in the previous 2 years were included. The primary outcome was the weighted proportion of women eligible for LCS. Secondary outcomes included self-reported receipt of LCS and current smoking. Bivariate and multiple variable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between primary and secondary outcomes and sociodemographics, accounting for complex survey design elements. Results Among 3,806 women meeting inclusion criteria, 7.1% were eligible for LCS and 9.8% were current smokers. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that LCS-eligible women were more likely to be white, younger, and non-college-educated and have lower household incomes (all P Conclusions The majority of LCS-eligible women received mammography screening but did not receive LCS. Mammography encounters may represent prime opportunities to increase LCS participation among patients already receiving imaging-based screening services.
Thy Kingdom Come: The Church and the Kingdom of God in Loisy’s L’Évangile et l’Église:

This article examines Alfred Loisy’s (1857–1940) ecclesiology as evidenced in his famous work L’Evangile et l’Eglise. Ecclesiological concerns are a generally understudied area of Loisy scholarship...
An Exploration of Employability Competences of Greek Accountants: The Employers’ Opinion

The present study reports on the generic employability skills required by employers for a range of accounting and financial type positions in Greece. Despite the high unemployment rates in Greece, employers claim that they cannot find qualified employees who possess the proper abilities that allow them to become competitive and offer more value-added goods and services. This paper derives the competencies needed by employers from job ads on the most browsed career website in Greece by employing content analysis as the research method. This approach allows a close and accelerated method to define competencies needed with very short time delay and additionally shows how industry is moving towards digitalization. 550 ads were examined in detail and the related skills were identified and ranked according to the importance assigned from employers. Key findings display that there is no skills differentiation by employer while the top skills demanded by market place are IT and group working skills.
Abstract 4746: Identifying states of collateral sensitivity during the evolution of therapy resistance in Ewing’s sarcoma

During the evolution of therapeutic resistance many cancers exhibit a phenomenon termed collateral sensitivity, where resistance to one drug aligns with sensitivity to another drug. It has further been shown, in leukemia and non-small cell lung cancer, that this state of collateral sensitivity can vary over time. We hypothesized that this process will also occur in Ewing’s sarcoma (EWS), and that these phenotypic states can be identified with molecular signatures based on gene expression. The standard chemotherapy for EWS is repeated cycles of two alternating drug cassettes, one is a combination of vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (VDC), and a second is a combination of ifosfamide and etoposide (IE). This treatment is highly effective, though advanced stage disease often relapses, and then drug resistance invariably develops, a process following the laws of Darwinian evolution. Finding predictable patterns, or signatures, of collateral sensitivity would provide a useful decision support tool in the clinic to help guide chemotherapy choices. Recent studies in other cancers, bacteria, and in silico simulations have explored and identified optimal timing of switching among the drugs of collateral sensitivity to achieving maximal efficacy. To analyze temporal changes in collateral sensitivity in EWS, we exposed two EWS cell lines, A673 and TTC-466, to half maximal inhibitory concentrations of VDC/IE combinations in vitro. As the cultures recovered from drug exposures, we determined their sensitivities against a panel of drugs including the ones used for the treatment and a new generation of drugs that show efficacy against EWS. The new drugs consist of SP2509, pazopanib, olaparib, dactinomycin, temozolomide, vorinostat, and SN-38. We also collected RNA samples to analyze the transcriptomic alterations which correlate with changes in their collateral sensitivity. Significant findings for the A673 cell line include increased resistance to dactinomycin, doxorubicin, etoposide and vincristine for all treatment replicates, and maximal sensitivity to temozolomide halfway through the treatment schedule for all treatment replicates. Notably, every tumor is different and may develop collateral sensitivity at unique time points. Even in this experiment we observe variation between evolutionary replicates that were originally genetically identical. Future work should include investigating a quick and cost-effective method for testing temporal collateral sensitivity of individual tumors so our findings can be implemented clinically. Citation Format: Erin McClure, Masahiro Hitomi, Jessica Scarborough, Jacob Scott. Identifying states of collateral sensitivity during the evolution of therapy resistance in Ewing’s sarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4746.
Advances in Financial Machine Learning: Lecture 5/10 (seminar slides)

Machine learning (ML) is changing virtually every aspect of our lives. Today ML algorithms accomplish tasks that until recently only expert humans could perform. As it relates to finance, this is the most exciting time to adopt a disruptive technology that will transform how everyone invests for generations. In this course, we discuss scientifically sound ML tools that have been successfully applied to the management of large pools of funds.
Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to the Uptake of Best Practices for the Treatment of Co-Occurring Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder.

Objective: Patients with a combination of chronic pain and opioid use disorder have unique needs and may present a challenge for clinicians and health care systems. The objective of the present stu...
6G: A survey on technologies, scenarios, challenges, and the related issues

Abstract In our present-day world, the global technological and industrial revolution is accelerating. The widespread application of new generation ICT (information and communication technologies), such as AI, VR (Virtual Reality)/AR (Augmented Reality)/XR (Extended Reality), IoT (the Internet of Things), and blockchain technology, has driven the emergence of the 6 G communication system. Building on the basis of 5 G, the development of 6 G will have a profound impact on the intelligence process of communication development, which consists of intelligent connectivity, deep connectivity, holographic connectivity, and ubiquitous connectivity. To identify 6 G and its related issues, we conducted a survey of extant research on 6 G. In this paper, its prospects, core technologies, scenarios, challenges, and the related issues are discussed. Moreover, a potential framework for 6 G is proposed as well. The main contribution of this survey is that it clarifies the state of the art of 6 G for future study.
Soil nutrient management: fueling agroecosystem sustainability

Agricultural production must approximately double to support global population by 2050. Practices optimizing crop yield, nutrient use efficiency (NUE; fraction of applied nutrient taken up by crop)...
The Impact of Online Consumer Reviews on Online Sales: The Case-Based Decision Theory Approach

In this paper, we conduct a two-stage study to examine whether and how consumer reviews influence other consumers. In the first stage, we utilize a difference-in-difference specification to identify the causal effect of online reviews on sales and apply the proposed model to electronic appliances on a large Chinese retail website. In the second stage, we design a computational model with agents guided by case-based decision theory and we calibrate the simulated market to the real data. The literature identifies two channels for the effect of reviews on sales: the awareness effect and the persuasive effect. We find evidence for both effects, but we find the persuasive effect is slightly larger than the awareness effect. This suggests that consumers who have had a bad experience should not hesitate to leave bad reviews. We also find evidence that consumers are concerned whether reviews are genuine, but that the method used by this website of tying a “user grade” to volume of previous purchases may be an effective way of communicating whether a reviewer is a genuine customer. We use the computational model to predict unobserved consumer behavior: consumers’ loyalty. We find the loyalty of artificial consumers is relatively high but falls. We also believe the case-based decision theory simulation approach may help estimate other unobserved consumer behaviors.
The COVID-19 herd immunity threshold is not low: A re-analysis of European data from spring of 2020

The recent publication of the Great Barrington Declaration (GBD), which calls for relaxing all public health interventions on young, healthy individuals, has brought the question of herd immunity to the forefront of COVID-19 policy discussions, and is partially based on unpublished research that suggests low herd immunity thresholds (HITs) of 10-20%. We re-evaluate these findings and correct a flawed assumption leading to COVID-19 HIT estimates of 60-80%. If policymakers were to adopt a herd immunity strategy, in which the virus is allowed to spread relatively unimpeded, we project that cumulative COVID-19 deaths would be five times higher than the initial estimates suggest. Our re-estimates of the COVID-19 HIT corroborate strong signals in the data and compelling arguments that most of the globe remains far from herd immunity, and suggest that abandoning community mitigation efforts would jeopardize the welfare of communities and integrity of healthcare systems.
Provoking a Cultural Shift in Data Quality

Ecological studies require quality data to describe the nature of ecological processes and to advance understanding of ecosystem change. Increasing access to big data has magnified both the burden and the complexity of ensuring quality data. The costs of errors in ecology include low use of data, increased time spent cleaning data, and poor reproducibility that can result in a misunderstanding of ecosystem processes and dynamics, all of which can erode the efficacy of and trust in ecological research. Although conceptual and technological advances have improved ecological data access and management, a cultural shift is needed to embed data quality as a cultural practice. We present a comprehensive data quality framework to evoke this cultural shift. The data quality framework flexibly supports different collaboration models, supports all types of ecological data, and can be used to describe data quality within both short- and long-term ecological studies.
Heritage language maintenance of Chinese immigrant families: Perceptions, practices, and challenges

Drawing on sociocultural theories of language and literacy practice and Curdt-Christiansen’s theoretical framework of family language policy (FLP), this multiple case study investigates the percept...
Assessment of microplastic accumulation in wild Paracentrotus lividus, a commercially important sea urchin species, in the Eastern Aegean Sea, Greece

Abstract In recent years, concern about the presence of microplastic in food has grown due to their ubiquity in the environment and potential adverse effects on human health. This study investigated microplastic ingestion by wild Paracentrotus lividus, a sea urchin species of commercial value, and microplastic pollution within its natural habitat in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Microplastic particles were present in every sea urchin (1.95 ± 1.70 g − 1 ww) and sediment sample (70 to 430 microplastics kg − 1 dw). Moreover, microplastic concentrations in P. lividus were positively correlated to microplastic concentrations within sediment samples from the habitat. When ingesting plastic particles, P. lividus does not appear to discriminate between particle sizes, but between particle colours. The present results suggest that the consumption of P. lividus involves the uptake of microplastics. However, the overall content of microplastics in P. lividus appears to depend on the extent of microplastic pollution in its environment and on the characteristics of the particles present.
Nanoscale Bioreceptor Layers Comprising Carboxylated Polythiophene for Organic Electrochemical Transistor-Based Biosensors

We investigated the carboxylated conjugated polymer poly 3-(3-carboxypropyl)thiophene-2,5-diyl as a nanosized (200–350 nm) biomolecule receptor layer on the channel of organic electrochemical trans...
NASA Workmanship Hot Topics: Water Soluble Flux and Esd Charge Device Model

This slide presentation reviews two topics of interest to NASA Workmanship: (1) Water Soluble Flux (WSF) and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) safety. In the first topic, WSF, the presentation reviews voiding and the importance of cleanliness in using WSF for welding and soldering operations. The second topic reviews the NASA-HDBK-8739.21 for Human Body Model, and Machine Model safety methods, and challenges associated with the Charged Device Model (CDM)
Biosynthesis of Lactosylceramide and Triglycosylceramide by Galactosyltransferases from Rat Spleen

Abstract The transfer of galactose from labeled uridine diphosphogalactose to glucosylceramide and to galactosyl-glucosylceramide (lactosylceramide) was shown to occur in incubations with rat spleen, brain, kidney, liver, and bone marrow preparations. In all tissues examined, glucosylceramide stimulates the biosynthesis of lactosylceramide, and lactosylceramide stimulates the biosynthesis of galactosyl-galactosyl-glucosylceramide (triglycosylceramide). These biosynthetic reactions were characterized further in spleen, which contains endogenous levels of glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide of, respectively, 0.13 to 0.25 and 0.01 to 0.02 µmole per g of wet weight. The biosynthesis of lactosylceramide, previously shown with glucosylceramide and labeled UDP-galactose, was confirmed by its formation from radioactive glucosylceramide and unlabeled UDP-galactose. Triglycosylceramide was identified by its elution pattern from Florisil columns, its resistance to mild alkaline hydrolysis, the location of the radioactivity in galactose, and chromatography with triglycosylceramide standards in six solvent systems. The enzymatic activities involved in the biosynthesis of the two glycosphingolipids are both located in the microsomal fraction, are markedly stimulated by Mn++ and have the same optimal pH (6.1). However, they were differentiated from each other by their lability to heat, extent of inhibition by various sphingolipids, and stimulation by Mg++. They also appear different from the galactosyltransferase found in chicken brain (29) and rat spleen which catalyzes the formation of ganglioside Gm1 from UDP-galactose and Tay-Sachs' ganglioside.
Myoepithelioma of the Skin with P63 Expression

A case of cutaneous myoepithelioma is reported. A 37 year-old woman presented with a 2 cm well-circumscribed dermal nodule of the forehead. The tumor was enucleated with the clinical diagnosis of an epidermal inclusion cyst. Histologically, the tumor was located within the dermis and was well circumscribed. It was composed of spindle-shaped and epithelioid cells arranged in organoid nests. Focal areas of extracellular hyalinized stroma were present. Well-defined glandular structures, chondroid matrix, and significant nuclear pleomorphism were absent. The tumor expressed widespread cytoplasmic positivity for cytokeratin (using AE1/AE3) and nuclear positivity for p63. Variable reactivity was noted with EMA and S-100. The tumor was negative for smooth muscle actin, GFAP, chromogranin, synaptophysin, and CEA. These immunohistochemical results supported myoepithelial differentiation. Myoepitheliomas of the skin are rare neoplasms that have only recently been recognized in the skin. A single publication has reported the diagnostic utility of p63 in the diagnosis of myoepithelial tumors of the skin. Myoepitheliomas often display variable expression of myoepithelial markers, with no single marker that is 100% sensitive. The current case highlights the need for a battery of markers, including p63, to detect myoepithelial differentiation.
Overactive Bladder: Pharmacologic Therapy

Multiple effective agents are available orally, transdermally, and intravesically for the treatment of OAB. Most patients will respond to either of the available agents. In those patients with a greater degree of complexity, or a negative quality-of-life impact, we prefer to use an oxybutynin-based agent, either orally or transdermally, because the circulating level can be individualized via a combination of doses and routes, realizing that expected dry mouth severity may limit patient compliance, although tolterodine may be preferable in the elderly poly-pharmacy patient. The future of OAB therapy looks promising as new agents increase the available treatment options for patients with OAB.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Aspirin

Aspirin is very rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract when administered as a solution, and somewhat more slowly when administered in tablets. It is rapidly hydrolyzed in the body to salicylic acid; the plasma concentration of the latter must be maintained within a relatively narrow range to obtain an adequate anti-inflammatory effect and to minimize systemic adverse effects. The two major pathways of salicylate elimination, i.e., formation of salicyluric acid and salicyl phenolic glucuronide, become saturated at relatively low body levels of the drug. Consequently, steady-state ("plateau") salicylate levels increase more than proportionately with increasing daily dose, and the time required to reach steady state increases with increasing daily dose. The renal clearance of salicylic acid increases markedly with increasing urine pH; antacids capable of increasing urine pH can therefore cause a pronounced lowering of steady-state salicylate concentrations under clinical conditions. There are pronounced intersubject differences in salicylate elimination kinetics; dosage must be individualized on the basis of plasma concentration and clinical response. The drug is readily transferred across the placenta and is only slowly eliminated by the newborn infant. The drug is also transferred from mother to nursing infant through the breast milk.
Data acquisition varies by bat phonic group for 2 types of bat detectors when weatherproofed and paired in field settings

Manufacturers of acoustic bat detectors use proprietary microphones with different frequency responses, sensitivities, and directionality. Researchers implement various waterproofing strategies to protect microphones from inclement weather. These factors cause different detector models to have unique sampling areas and likely results in dissimilar data recording. We tested whether SM2BAT+ (SM2) and Anabat SD2 (Anabat) bat detectors record dissimilar data when weatherproofed in a manner suitable for long-term passive sampling. We deployed detectors at 71 random points near Indianapolis, Indiana (USA), from May to August, 2012–2013. We used 45° polyvinyl chloride tubes to weatherproof directional Anabat microphones and the stock foam shielding to cover omnidirectional SM2 microphones. Anabat and SM2 microphones were paired at 2-m and 5-m heights. We adjusted file parameters to make Anabat and SM2 data comparable. We identified files to phonic group (low, midrange, and Myotis) using Bat Call ID software. The effects of detector type, phonic group, height, and their interactions on mean files recorded per site were assessed using generalized estimating equations and least-significant-differences pairwise comparisons. Anabats recorded more low and midrange files, but fewer Myotis files per site than did SM2s. When comparing the same model of detectors, deployment height did not affect data acquisition. Weatherproofing may limit the ability of Anabats to record Myotis, but Anabat microphones may have greater detection ranges for low and midrange bats. We demonstrated that the ability to record bat calls in different frequency ranges varies with microphone type and weatherproofing strategy, which implies that best practices for presence–absence surveys may also vary for bats in different phonic groups. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Comparison of n-type Gd 2 O 3 and Gd-doped HfO 2

Gd2O3 and Gd-doped HfO2 films were deposited on p-type silicon substrates in a reducing atmosphere. Gd 4f photoexcitation peaks at roughly 7 and 5 eV below the valence band maximum have been identified using the resonant photoemission of Gd2O3 and Gd-doped HfO2 films, respectively. In the case of Gd2O3, strong hybridization with the O 2p band is demonstrated, and there is evidence that the Gd 4f weighted band exhibits dispersion in the bulk band structure. The rectifying (diode-like) properties of Gd-doped HfO2–silicon and Gd2O3–silicon heterojunctions are demonstrated.
Why lies fail and what behaviors betray a lie.

This chapter provides a theoretical analysis of why some lies fail while others succeed and presents a discussion of its implications for the design and interpretation of research on deception. New findings on the measurement of facial expression, body movement, voice and verbal behavior are reported which show that the combination of facial and vocal measures allows highly accurate identification of deceptive behavior. Other data show, however, that most people do not make use of the behavioral cues most relevant to detecting deception, but instead they depend upon those behaviors least valuable in the detection of deception.
SR-2P Vaginal Microbicide Gel Provides Protection against Herpes Simplex Virus 2 When Administered as a Combined Prophylactic and Postexposure Therapeutic

ABSTRACT Previously, we demonstrated that a single prophylactic dose of SR-2P, a novel dual-component microbicide gel comprising acyclovir and tenofovir, led to a modest increase in mouse survival following a lethal challenge of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). Here, we show that a dose of SR-2P administered 24 h prior to infection provides some protection against the virus, but to a lesser degree than SR-2P administered either once a day for 2 days or 1 h prior to infection. None of the prophylactic doses blocked infection by the virus, and all resulted in 80 to 100% lethality. However, given that a prophylactic dose still provided a significant reduction in overall clinical score, reduced rate of body weight loss, and increased median survival of the mice, we examined whether a repetitive dose regimen (postinfection) in addition to the prophylactic dose could prevent death and reduce the levels of virus in mice. Nearly all (9 of 10 in each group) of the mice that received SR-2P for 2 days prior to infection or that received SR-2P 1 h prior to infection and were administered SR-2P once a day for 10 days after infection showed no clinical symptoms of infection and no viral loads in vaginal swabs and survived for 28 days postinfection. Conversely, mice receiving no treatment or an identical vehicle treatment demonstrated advanced clinical signs and did not survive past day 9 postinfection. We conclude that SR-2P is an effective anti-HSV-2 agent in mice.
Induction of Apoptosis and Activation of Interleukin 1β-Converting Enzyme/Ced-3 Protease (Caspase-3) and c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase 1 by Benzo(a)pyrene

Abstract Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a prototype of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is a potent procarcinogen generated during the combustion of fossil fuels and cigarette smoke. In addition to the carcinogenic and mutagenic effects, BaP and other PAHs, including 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo[p]dioxin, have been shown to induce programmed cell death or apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PAHs such as BaP induce apoptosis are not clear. To investigate the molecular events leading to apoptosis induced by BaP, we studied the involvement of the interleukin 1β-converting enzyme (ICE)/Ced-3 family of proteases (caspases) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), which have been shown to mediate numerous extracellular stimuli-induced apoptosis. On treatment of mouse Hepa 1c1c7 hepatoma cells with BaP, the induction of apoptosis, as determined by genome digestion, was observed at concentrations of 1–30 µm after 24 h of treatments. Importantly, at the apoptosis-inducing concentrations, BaP also induced the activation of an ICE/Ced-3 cysteine protease caspase-3 but not caspase-1 (ICE). The activation of caspase-3 by BaP preceded apoptosis. Furthermore, a specific inhibitor of caspase-3-like proteases, acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde, significantly blocked caspase-3 activity and attenuated apoptosis induced by BaP. Treatment with BaP also caused a time- and dose-dependent activation of JNK1 activity. Interestingly, a much lower concentration (5 nm), as well as much earlier kinetics, were observed in JNK1 activation as compared with caspase-3 activation or induction of apoptosis by BaP. In summary, our results demonstrate that BaP induced apoptosis in the mouse hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cell line via a caspase-dependent pathway, which may be independent of JNK activation.
Retrieval of stratospheric aerosol size and composition information from solar infrared transmission spectra.

Infrared transmission spectra were recorded by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory MkIV interferometer during flights aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft as part of the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition II (AASE II) mission in the early months of 1992. In our research, we infer the properties of the stratospheric aerosols from these spectra. The MkIV instrument employs two different detectors, a HgCdTe photoconductor for 650–1850 cm-1 and an InSb photodiode for 1850–5650 cm-1, to simultaneously record the solar intensity throughout the mid-infrared. These spectra have been used to retrieve the concentrations of a large number of gases, including chlorofluorocarbons, NOy species, O3, and ozone-depleting gases. We demonstrate how the residual continua spectra, obtained after accounting for the absorbing gases, can be used to obtain information about the stratospheric aerosols. Infrared extinction spectra are calculated for a range of modeled aerosol size distributions and compositions with Mie theory and fitted to the measured residual spectra. By varying the size distribution parameters and sulfate weight percent, we obtain the microphysical properties of the aerosols that best fit the observations. The effective radius of the aerosols is found to be between 0.4 and 0.6 μm, consistent with that derived from a large number of instruments in this post-Pinatubo period. We demonstrate how different parts of the spectral range can be used to constrain the range of possible values of this size parameter and show how the broad spectral bandpass of the MkIV instrument presents a great advantage for retrieval of both aerosol size and composition over instruments with a more limited spectral range. The aerosol composition that provides the best fit to the measured spectra is a 70–75% sulfuric acid solution, in good agreement with that obtained from thermodynamic considerations.
Transdermal nicotine reduces cigarette craving and nicotine preference.

The effects of transdermal nicotine in 10 cigarette smokers were studied in a within-subjects, double-blind design. Either 8 mg nicotine base in a 30% aqueous solution or an inactive placebo solution was applied to intact skin under a polyethylene patch. Subjective reports of cigarette craving were collected every 30 minutes during a 90-minute smoking abstinence period. Immediately before and after this abstinence period subjects smoked through a smoke mixing device that allowed them to select their desired nicotine intake with each puff. Transdermal nicotine significantly increased saliva nicotine levels within 30 minutes after application. Cigarette craving was significantly lower in the nicotine condition than in the placebo condition. Nicotine preference during the initial puffs of the smoke mixer test at the end of 90 minutes of deprivation was also decreased by transdermal nicotine. In contrast, measures of cumulative smoke intake were not affected by the nicotine dose used. Our results suggest that transdermal nicotine may enhance success in smoking cessation by preventing the rise in cigarette craving usually observed after cessation. Transdermal nicotine may be preferable to other routes of nicotine administration because of the relative absence of adverse side effects. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1985) 38, 450–456; doi:10.1038/clpt.1985.203
New myocardial perfusion imaging agents: Description and applications

Myocardial perfusion imaging is the most commonly performed procedure in nuclear cardiology. Thallium-201 has been the agent of choice due to its favorable physiologic kinetics: the initial myocardial uptake corresponds to the regional blood flow distribution because of high extraction efficiency during the first transit and the ability to redistribute over time is useful to distinguish scar from ischemia. The physical characteristics of thallium, however, are not ideal for nuclear imaging because of low energy photopeaks, long half-life, and the need for a cyclotron for its production. On the other hand, technetium-99m has very favorable physical characteristics such as a photopeak that has an optimal energy for imaging, a short half-life, and in addition the agent is generator-produced. Thus it is natural to search for technetium-99m-labelled agents for myocardial perfusion imaging to overcome the poor physical characteristics of thallium-201. In this paper, we review the background, technical aspects, clinical application, and future direction.
Density Functional Study of the Roles of Chemical Composition of Di-Transition-Metal-Substituted γ-Keggin Polyoxometalate Anions

The roles of chemical composition (X, M and MFW) of di-transition-metal-substituted γ-Keggin polytungstates and polymolybdates, [(Xn+O4)M2(OH)2(MFW)10O32](8-n)-, on the geometry, electronic structure, and magnetic properties of these species have been investigated at the density functional level. It was shown that the change of the heteroatom X via AlIII−SiIV−PV−SVI slightly stabilizes the broken-symmetry (BS) state over the high-spin (HS) state, increases the antiferromagnetic coupling constant, J, of these species, and lowers the energies of their highest-occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and lowest-unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs). The change of the redox-active center M from Mn to Fe slightly increases the M−(XO4) interaction, J-coupling constant, and energy gap between the HS and BS states. Meanwhile, the LUMOs are stabilized, indicating the stronger oxidant character of [(Xn+O4)M2(OH)2W10O32](8-n)- for M = Fe than Mn. It was shown that the change of addenda atom MFW from W to Mo makes (a) the...
Selecting optimal classification features for SVM based elimination of incorrectly matched minutiae

Rather than use arbitrary matching threshold values and a heuristic set of features while comparing minutiae points during the fingerprint verification process, we develop a system which considers only the optimal features, which contain the highest discriminative power, from a predefined feature set. For this, we use a feature selection algorithm which adds features, one at a time, till it arrives at an optimal feature set of the target size. The classifier is trained on this feature set, on a two class problem representing pairs of matched minutiae points belonging to fingerprints of same and different users. During the test phase, the system generates a number of candidate matched minutiae pairs; features from each of them are extracted and given to the classifier. Those that are incorrectly matched are eliminated from the scoring algorithm. We have developed a set of seven candidate features, and tested our system using the FVC 2002 DB1 fingerprint database. We study how feature sets of different sizes affect the accuracy of the system, and observe how additional features not necessarily would improve the performance of a classifier. This is illustrated in how using a 3 feature set gives us the most accurate system and using bigger feature sets cause a slight drop in accuracy.
Neurologic complications of cocaine abuse

The neurologic complications of cocaine toxicity are responsible for a major portion of the morbidity and mortality associated with cocaine. Most of the complications appear to be related to the hyperadrenergic state induced by cocaine and may be treated symptomatically. Diazepam is the most effective drug for cocaine-induced seizures.
How cues of what can be done in a virtual world influence learning: An affordance perspective

Abstract What we know about learning outcomes for collaborative tasks in virtual environments is a confusing set of results. Many organizations have been hesitant about their use of virtual environments for this reason. Virtual worlds (VWs) have received attention as environments for learning, yet little is known about their attributes, or how they affect learning in collaborative tasks. James Gibson proposed a theory of affordance to explain how cues in an environment are perceived and lead to some course of action. Based on his theory, we developed a model to describe how cues of what can be done in a VW influence learning. In doing so, we focused on the situativity afforded by VWs through context and social facilitation. We showed how VW artifacts and cues make it easier for users to understand the conditions and interactions in a VW. We used this as a basis for predicting a user's mental state and its impact on perceived learning, learning satisfaction, and task participation. We tested our model in a lab experiment set in a VW, using a task that required collaboration between subjects. Our results supported our proposed model. Our work contributed by showing relationships between factors that are unique to a VW, but were not previously recognized. These factors suggest what can be done to influence learning in collaborative tasks in a VW.
Spectral analysis algorithm for material detection from multispectral imagery

Material detection from multi-spectral imagery is critical to numerous geospatial applications. However, given the limited number of channels from various air and space-borne imaging sensors, coupled with varying illumination conditions, material-specific detection rules tend to generate large numbers of false positives. This paper will describe a novel approach that uses various band ratios (for example, [Blue + Green]/Red) to identify targets-of-interest, regardless of the illumination conditions and position of the sensor relative to the target. The approach uses a physics-based spectral model to estimate the observed channel-weighted radiance based on solar irradiance, atmospheric transmission, reflectivity of the target-of-interest and the spectral weighting functions of the sensor's channels. The observed channelweighted radiance is then converted to the expected channel pixel value by the channel-specific conversion factor. With each channel's pixel values estimated, the algorithm goes through a process to find which band ratio values show the least amount of variance, despite varying irradiance spectra and atmospheric absorption. The band ratios with the least amount of variance are then used to identify the target-of-interest in an image file. To determine the expected false alarm rate, the same band ratios are evaluated against a library of background materials using the same calculation method for determining the target-of-interest's channel pixel values. Testing of this approach against ground-truth imagery, with as few as four channels, has shown a high rate of success in identifying targets-of-interest, while maintaining low false alarm rates.
Augmentation of GABAA receptor function by chronic exposure to GABA-neutral and GABA-negative benzodiazepine ligands in cultured cortical neurons.

Abstract Chronic benzodiazepine agonist administration may lead to decreases in γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABA A ) receptor binding and function, but little information is available concerning chronic GABA-neutral or GABA-negative benzodiazepine exposure. We evaluated effects of chronic exposure to flumazenil (Ro15-1788) and FG 7142 ( N -methyl- β -carboline-3-carboxamide) on GABA-dependent chloride uptake in chick cerebral cortical neurons in primary culture. Acute flumazenil treatment (1 μM) had no effect on chloride uptake, but uptake was increased after 2 days of exposure. Similar increases were observed after 4 and 10 days. Flumazenil, 0.1 μM, had no effect after 10 days, and a 10 μM concentration had a similar effect as the 1 μM concentration. Acute FG 7142 (1 μM) decreased chloride uptake, but uptake was increased markedly after 2, 4, and 10 days of treatment. No effect was observed after treatment for 10 days with 0.1 μM, but a 10 μM concentration showed similar enhancement to the 1 μM concentration. Concurrent treatment with 0.3 μM flumazenil which did not affect chloride uptake and 1 μM FG 7142 for 10 days substantially attenuated the effects of FG 7142, suggesting that FG 7142 effects are mediated at the benzodiazepine site. Benzodiazepine receptor binding was increased in cultures treated for 10 days with 1 μM flumazenil or FG 7142, with an increase in receptor number in both cases but no change in apparent affinity. Neither flumazenil nor FG 7142 (1 μM for 10 days) altered GABA-independent chloride uptake, total cellular protein, protein synthesis or degradation, or neuronal survival. These results indicate that both chronic GABA-neutral and GABA-negative benzodiazepine exposures in cultured cortical neurons lead to increases in GABA-dependent chloride uptake and benzodiazepine binding. Effects of GABA-negative benzodiazepine exposure appear to be greater than those observed with GABA-neutral benzodiazepine exposure.
Fuzzy sets and typicality theory

Abstract A set whose elements take grades of membership in the interval [0,1] is known as a fuzzy set. In practice, assignment of grades of membership to the elements of a fuzzy set is based on statistical considerations. This paper is concerned with the problem of identifying what should be meant by a “typical” element of a fuzzy set. Because of the subjective nature of membership grades, use of the common statistical measures such as the mean or median is theoretically unjustifiable. In an effort to solve this problem, we draw heavily on the works of Kruse, Kwakernaak, Ralescu, Kandel and others. In particular, we employ the concepts of the fuzzy expected value and fuzzy random variable as the basis for a measure of what is typical of a fuzzy set, an approach which we believe shows promise in fields like pattern recognition and expert systems. We propose a flexible algorithm which incorporates subjective ideas of typicality and some simple statistical techniques to arrive at the typical element of a fuzzy set. No attempt is made to further fuzzify the element of the given fuzzy set with respect to the typical element; we believe, however, that it is an issue worth considering at a later stage. The investigation assumes that we are given a well-defined fuzzy set; i.e., the grades of membership are known. Subjective feelings of “cohesiveness” within a set (based on proximity and density, for example) are incorporated within the algorithm.
Piperidine alkaloid content of Picea pungens (Colorado blue spruce)

The content and pattern of piperidine alkaloid accumulation in Picea pungens, the Colorado blue spruce, was studied as a function of growth stage and plant part. Qualitative and quantitative differences were encountered between early seedlings, mature trees, needles, stems and other plant parts. A new natural piperidine imine alkaloid, 2-methyl-6-propyl-1,6-piperideine, was found and postulated to be an intermediate leading to epidihydropinidine, the major alkaloid found in spruce needles.
Linear systems analysis of the ciliary steering behavior associated with negative‐phototaxis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In response to light stimulation Chlamydomonas reinhardtii changes the beating frequency, beating pattern, and beating synchrony of the trans and cis cilia to steer the freely-swimming cell relative to light sources. To understand the cell steering behavior the impulse responses of the beating frequency and stroke velocity of each cilium have been obtained with high temporal resolution on cells held with a micropipette. Interestingly the response of each cilium is quite different. The trans cilium responds with less delay than the cis cilium for both beating frequency and stroke velocity. For light stimulation at 2 Hz, the critical cell-rotation frequency, both responses of the trans and cis cilia are about 180° out of phase. The trans-cilium beating frequency response peaks at a stimulus frequency of 5–6 Hz, higher than the cis at 1–2 Hz. The stroke velocities of the trans and cis cilia have the same stimulus-frequency response (˜2 Hz), but the trans cilium has a shorter delay than the cis. The times to maximum response are much shorter than the time for a rotation of the cell. The use of two different approaches that enable the trans cilium to respond ahead of the cis for both the beating frequency and stroke velocity responses suggests the importance of both responses to phototaxis. Internal cell processing responsible for the time course of the responses is proposed. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distributive Justice and Rural Healthcare: A Case for E-Health

People living in rural areas make up 20 percent of the U.S. population, but only 9 percent of physicians practice there. This uneven distribution is significant because rural areas have higher percentages of people in poverty, elderly people, people lacking health insurance coverage, and people with chronic diseases. As a way of ameliorating these disparities, e-health initiatives are being implemented. But the rural e-health movement raises its own set of distributive justice concerns about the digital divide. Moreover, even if the digital divide is overcome, e-health services may be of an inferior quality compared to face-to-face medical encounters. In this paper, I argue that before we can fully understand the distributive justice implications of e-health, we must first understand what distributive justice means. I argue that five elements- fairness, quality, accessibility, availability, and efficiency-constitute a general conception of justice and that all of these elements must be considered when evaluating e-health for rural health profession shortage areas. In doing so, it may be necessary to make important tradeoffs among these elements. I then examine the development of e-health programs in light of Rawls's principle of equal opportunity and Daniels's notion of species-typical functioning. I conclude that in the context of e-health, Rawls's principle should be expanded to include geography as a prima facie morally relevant criterion for allocating healthcare benefits. I also conclude that Daniels's notion of species-typical functioning provides grounds for thinking of health and some healthcare services as special goods.
A comparison of Langevin and microcanonical simulations for fermions

Abstract Langevin and microcanonical methods are studied on a quantum mechanical system which exhibits symmetry breaking. We introduce a dynamical step-size adjustment to improve the numerical accuracy of the simulations. Also, we present a heat bath method on the pseudofields which decreases the autocorrelation time and enforces the ergodicity of the microcanonical simulations.
CT enterography: is it the current state-of-the-art for small bowel diagnostics?

CT enterography has rapidly emerged as the preferred small bowel imaging modality at several tertiary care medical centers. It utilizes negative or neutral oral contrast agents to enhance small bowel
Smoking and timing of cessation: impact on pulmonary complications after thoracotomy.

Study objective The benefit of smoking cessation just prior to surgery in preventing postoperative pulmonary complications has not been proven. Some studies actually show a paradoxical increase in complications in those quitting smoking only a few weeks or days prior to surgery. We studied the effect of smoking and the timing of smoking cessation on postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing thoracotomy. Design and setting Prospective study conducted in a tertiary care cancer center in 300 consecutive patients with primary lung cancer or metastatic cancer to the lung who were undergoing anatomical lung resection. Results The groups studied were nonsmokers (21%), past quitters of > 2 months duration (62%), recent quitters of 60 pack-years (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.28 to 5.04; p = 0.0008) were independently associated with overall pulmonary complications. Conclusions In patients undergoing thoracotomy for primary or secondary lung tumors, there is no evidence of a paradoxical increase in pulmonary complications among those who quit smoking within 2 months of undergoing surgery. Smoking cessation can safely be encouraged prior to surgery
The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han – By Mark Edward Lewis

Han China was roughly the equivalent in population, territory, and administrative sophistication to the Roman Empire. To provide a short, authoritative introduction to the period is a considerable ...
Detection of anti-HeLa antibodies in rabbit antiserum by indirect hemagglutination.

SummaryMaterial obtained from sonically disrupted HeLa cells by extraction of trichloracetic-acid precipitate with buffered saline was used to sensitize tanned sheep erythrocytes. Sensitized erythrocytes were agglutinated to high titer by anti-HeLa rabbit serum, but minimally by normal rabbit serum. Reactivity of the sensitizing extract was considerably reduced by treatment of HeLa cells with tannic, acid prior to disruption and extraction.