cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transitions in interaction landscapes of multidrug combinations

Drug combinations are a promising strategy to increase killing efficiency and to decrease the likelihood of evolving resistance. A major challenge is to gain a detailed understanding of how drugs interact in a dose-specific manner, especially for interactions involving more than two drugs. Here we introduce a direct and intuitive visual representation that we term interaction landscapes. We use these landscapes to clearly show that the interaction type of two drugs typically transitions smoothly from antagonism to no interaction to synergy as drug doses increase. This finding contradicts prevailing assumptions that interaction type is always the same. Our results, from 56 interaction landscapes, are derived from all possible three-drug combinations among 8 antibiotics, each varied across a range of 7 concentrations and applied to a pathogenic Escherichia coli strain. Such comprehensive data and analysis are only recently possible through implementation of an automated high-throughput drug-delivery system and an explicit mathematical framework that disentangles pairwise versus three-way as well as net (any effect) versus emergent (requiring all three drugs) interactions. Altogether, these landscapes partly capture and encapsulate selective pressures that correspond to different dose regions and could help optimize treatment strategies. Consequently, interaction landscapes have profound consequences for choosing effective drug-dose combinations because there are regions where small changes in dose can cause large changes in pathogen killing efficiency and selective pressure.
Feud and Internal War: Legal Aspects

Law has long been considered the antithesis of feuding and internal warfare. Where law represents order and reason and civilization, feud/internal warfare represents disorder, passion, and tribalism. Dissatisfied with the traditional contrast, some scholars have emphasized continuities instead, arguing that sending and internal warfare are the functional equivalent of law in societies that lack a legal system. More recently, the emergence of a new social scientific field—the sociology of conflict management (Black 1976, 1973)—has yielded a sharper understanding of the similarities and the differences between law and intrasocietal violence. From a conflict management perspective, although the presence of neutral, authoritative third parties, often administering explicit rules, is distinctive to law, both law and feud/internal warfare are confrontational ways of handling conflict in which two sides seek victory rather than compromise and in which third-party supporters commonly play a crucial role. Moreover, law and violence flourish under similar, though not identical, social conditions. Hence, law and feud/internal warfare are best thought of neither as siblings nor as strangers, but as cousins.
Generalizing Latent Attrition Models for Multi-Activity Customer Base Analysis

Customer base analysis is a key element in customer valuation and can provide guidance for decisions such as resource allocation. Yet, extant models often focus on a single activity, such as purchases from a retailer or donations to a non-profit organization. These models do not consider other ways that an individual may engage with an organization, such as purchasing in multiple categories or contributing user-generated content. In this research, we propose a framework to generalize extant models for customer base analysis to multiple activities.Using the data from a website that allows users to purchase digital content and/or post digital content at no charge, we develop a flexible "buy 'til you die" model to empirically examine how the two activities are related. Compared to benchmarks, our model more accurately forecasts the future behavior for both types of activities. In addition to finding evidence of coincidence between the activities while customers are "alive," we find that the latent attrition processes are related. This suggests that conducting one type of activity is informative of whether customers are still "alive" to conduct another type of activity, and consequently impacts inferences of customer value.
Biomechanical Aspects of Blunt and Penentrating Head Injuries

The objective of this presentation is to discuss certain biomechanical aspects of head injuries due to blunt and penetrating impacts. Emphasis is given to fundamental data leading to injury criteria used in the United States (US) regulations for motor vehicle safety. Full-scale and component tests done under US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are described. In addition, results providing occupant safety and vehicle crashworthiness information to the consumer from frontal and lateral impact crash tests are discussed with an emphasis on head injury assessment and mitigation. In the area of penetrating impact, newer experimental techniques are described for a better understanding of head injury secondary to penetrating impacts, with specific reference to the civilian population.
Effects of protonophores on membrane electrical characteristics in NG108-15 cells.

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of bath application of the protonophores carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy)-phenylhydrazone (FCCP) on membrane electrical characteristics of differentiated NG108-15 (neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid) cells. Membrane resting potential (Vm), input resistance (Rin) and electrically induced action potential generation were measured using intracellular micro-electrode techniques. Both compounds produced concentration-dependent depolarization rather than the hyperpolarization commonly found with other central mammalian neurons. CCCP and FCCP also reduced Rin and disrupted the generation of action potentials in a concentration-dependent manner. The contribution of the observed alterations to the in vivo toxicity of these compounds remains to be established.
Free and Forced Vibrations of an Infinitely Long Cylindrical Shell in an Infinite Acoustic Medium

Abstract : A method is presented which permits the determination of the frequencies of vibrations of infinitely long thin cylindrical shells in an acoustic medium. Expressions are obtained for the displacements of the shell and for the pressures in the medium in the case of forced vibrations due to sinusoidally distributed radial forces. The results indicate that there is a low-frequency range, where no radiation takes place, and a high-frequency range where the external force provides energy which is radiated. Resonance occurs in the low-frequency range only; in the high-frequency range it is prevented by the damping due to radiation. Free and forced vibrations of steel shells submerged in water are discussed; with limitations, the theory may be applied approximately to stiffened shells. The method requires only a minor modification to account for the effect of static pressure in the surrounding medium. The treatment of transient problems is also considered. If high-frequency terms occur in the force, or shock effects are wanted within a short time after the application of the force, a treatment using solely modes of vibration of the submerged structure would be incomplete, as additional terms occur in the solution. As an alternative approach, the modes of free vibration of the structure may be used as generalized coordinates which fully describe the response of the structure but leave the medium to be treated, by means of the differential equations for the potential or in any other way desired.
Multiple coordination modes of a new ditopic bis(pyrazolyl)methane-based ligand.

A new ditopic ligand, N-(2,2-bis(pyrazolyl)ethyl)-2,2-bis(pyrazolyl)acetamide ((pz)2CH–C(O)–NH–CH2–CH(pz)2, L4Pz, pz = pyrazolyl ring), comprising two bis(pyrazolyl)methane donor groups linked via an amide bridge, has been prepared from the reaction of HOOCCH(pz)2 and H2NCH2CH(pz)2. The ligand coordinates to various metallic salts (i.e. AgO3SCF3, PdCl2, Re(CO)5Br, and Fe(BF4)2), in either a κ2–μ–κ2 or a κ3–μ–κ2 fashion, depending on the coordination preferences of the metallic center. These compounds were characterized by NMR, UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy, and in solid state by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the case of silver(I), a mono-dimensional coordination polymer was obtained, while the others were found to be discrete complexes. The synthesis and characterization of a heterobimetallic complex is also described. In solid state, all compounds are associated into supramolecular architectures via hydrogen bonding and pyrazolyl embrace interactions.
Opportunities and barriers for endangered species conservation using payments for ecosystem services

Abstract Endangered species laws seek to prevent extinction by outlawing actions that may cause harm or lead to extinction. In doing so, these laws are sometimes criticized for limiting management flexibility and subjecting landowners to regulatory burdens. One proposed solution to this challenge is development of payment for ecosystem service (PES) programs. These programs provide an economic incentive to conserve endangered species by compensating landowners for the costs of conservation or forgoing other profitable uses of land and resources. To assess the utility of PES as a means of overcoming opposition to endangered species regulations, we surveyed ranch operators in Arizona and New Mexico facing new regulations related to endangered jaguars (Panthera onca). Our findings suggest that PES cannot overcome the perceived burdens of species protection regulations and are unlikely to increase collaboration between landowners and government agencies. PES approaches are only likely to succeed where there is strong fit between institutional design and resource manager preferences. In the context of endangered species, PES proponents must pay particular attention to institutional arrangements that reduce concerns about regulatory risk. To this end, to effectively meet endangered species conservation goals, we recommend: 1) framing PES programs as voluntary conservation incentives, 2) focusing incentives on healthy ecosystems rather than a single species, and 3) using private funding to support incentives. Under these circumstances, PES may be an effective endangered species conservation tool.
Beware the Mental Pitfalls: Confirmation Bias in Accounting

Confirmation bias seems to be widespread in many areas of our everyday life, ranging from political discussion and opinion to many aspects of business, including accounting. In the field of financial investing, Lazaroff (2016) found that when making financial investment decisions, investors have a habit of collecting evidence that confirms their decisions, instead of taking into consideration all available evidence. The effect of confirmation bias can be even more significant with prevailing beliefs. The reason for that is because people are more likely to accept information that confirms existing beliefs while more carefully scrutinizing evidence that questions those beliefs.
Protecting children: the American turn from polio to cancer vaccines

From 1964 through 1978, the United States poured billions of dollars into an ambitious program larger than the Human Genome Project: developing a human cancer vaccine. This massive program emerged in spite of cancer specialists’ continuing denials that human cancer viruses even existed, rather
Assessment in Health Professions Education

List of Figures List of Tables Preface, Steven M. Downing and Rachel Yudkowsky Chapter-Specific Acknowledgments 1 Introduction to Assessment, Steven M. Downing and Rachel Yudkowsky 2 Validity, Steven M. Downing and Thomas M. Haladyna 3 Reliability, Rick D. Axelson and Clarence D. Kreiter 4 Generalizability Theory, Clarence D. Kreiter 5 Statistics of Testing, Steven M. Downing 6 Standard Setting, Rachel Yudkowsky, Steven M. Downing, and Ara Tekian 7 Written Tests: Constructed-Response and Selected-Response Formats, Steven M. Downing 8 Observational Assessment, William C. McGaghie, John Butter, and Marsha Kaye 9 Performance Tests, Rachel Yudkowsky 10 Simulations in Assessment, William C. McGaghie and S. Bary Issenberg 11 Oral Examinations, Ara Tekian and Rachel Yudkowsky 12 Assessment Portfolios, Ara Tekian and Rachel Yudkowsky List of Contributors Index
Prognostic analysis of chemotherapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer

Objective To discuss the prognosis of chemotherapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Methods 20 patients with HRPC were treated with 3-17 cycles of chemotherapy (10 cases with docetaxel plus prednisone, 10 cases with mitoxantrone plus prednisone), and divided into PSADT <1.6 months group (n=9) and PSADT ≥1.6 months group (n=11), then the chemotherapy efficiency, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results The chemotherapy efficiency was 55.0% in 20 patients, 70.0% in docetaxel group, and 40.0% in mitoxantrone group; 33.3% in PSADT <1.6 months group, and 72.7% in PSADT ≥1.6 months group. PFS was 1-16 months, average (3.8±2.5) months in 20 patients, (4.8±1.1) months in docetaxel group, and (2.8±1.6) months in mitoxantrone group; (2.7±0.4) months in PSADT <1.6 months group, and (4.9±0.6) months in PSADT ≥1.6 months group. OS was 6-58 months, average (28.6±6.3) months in 20 patients, (30.4±4.3) months in docetaxel group, and (27.3±5.4) months in mitoxantrone group; (16.4±4.7) months in PSADT <1.6 months group, and (31.2±5.6) months in PSADT ≥1.6 months group. Conclusions HRPC patients with PSADT ≥1.6 months and docetaxel chemotherapy can obtain higher chemotherapy efficiency and longer PFS and survival. However, due to the small sample size of the study, it is still necessary to be further confirmed by large sample study. Key words: Hormone refractory prostate cancer; Chemotherapy; Prognosis
Critical phenomena in the presence of symmetric absorbing states: A microscopic spin model with tunable parameters

The Langevin description of systems with two symmetric absorbing states yields a phase diagram with three different phases (disordered and active, ordered and active, absorbing) separated by critical lines belonging to three different universality classes (generalized voter, Ising, and directed percolation). In this paper we present a microscopic spin model with two symmetric absorbing states that has the property that the model parameters can be varied in a continuous way. Our results, obtained through extensive numerical simulations, indicate that all features of the Langevin description are encountered for our two-dimensional microscopic spin model. Thus the Ising and direction percolation lines merge into a generalized voter critical line at a point in parameter space that is not identical to the classical voter model. A vast range of different quantities are used to determine the universality classes of the order-disorder and absorbing phase transitions. The investigation of time-dependent quantities at a critical point belonging to the generalized voter universality class reveals a more complicated picture than previously discussed in the literature.
Polymorphism of gold under laser-based ramp compression to 690 GPa

The high-pressure behavior and polymorphism of gold have attracted strong recent interest from theory as well as from both static and dynamic experiments. In this study, gold was dynamically ramp-compressed to 690 GPa via laser ablation using the Omega Laser Facility (University of Rochester) in order to investigate the stability regions of this noble metal's polymorphs. Stresses were determined from measurements of surface or interface velocities by laser interferometry. In situ x-ray diffraction was carried out to constrain the structure and density. The ambient face-centered-cubic (fcc) phase was observed at 162 GPa, followed by a mixed-phase region consisting of the fcc and body-centered-cubic (bcc) phases. The presence of only the bcc phase was observed between 377 and 690 GPa. Our results are consistent with recent shock-compression experiments and demonstrate that gold transforms to the bcc phase under conditions of both ramp and shock loading.
Selective and reversible adsorbents for nitric oxide from hot combustion gases

Abstract This report provides an updated review and discussion of all selective, reversible sorbents for adsorption of NOx from combustion gases. The sorbents must selectively adsorb NOx over other gas molecules that are also contained in combustion gases: SO 2 , H 2 O, CO 2 , O 2 and N 2 .
Luis Ortega's Rawhide Artistry: Braiding in the California Tradition

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Chuck Stormes and Don Reeves Year: 2010 Pages: 160 Details: Foreword by Mehl Lawson Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press ISBN: 978-0-8061-4055-1 (hard cover). Prices: $55.00 USD(hard cover).
Facilitating effective virtual reality for architectural design

A key goal in virtual reality (VR) is to provide the user with a first-person perspective of a virtual environment that feels every bit as real as the world around them. Achieving this goal is of great interest to fields such as architecture, where it would allow both the architect and their client to explore a space they are designing before it is built, and use its realistic presentation to aid in the decision making process. Careful attention has to be paid, however, to ensure that the virtual representation is faithfully portraying the same sense of space as the real world. Unfortunately, research has uncovered that using an egocentric point of view within virtual environments results in the users experiencing errors in their spatial judgment [1]. Specifically, from a user's perspective, objects in the virtual environment will appear closer than they really are. This poses a serious problem for using virtual environments as veridical representations, as the mismatches occurring between perceived virtual spaces and finalized designs would compromise any conclusions being made within the virtual reality system. This dissertation presents work that explores this misjudgment problem from a cognitive sense, one where we evaluate the effect that a user's sense of presence has in the virtual environment. Our experiments are grounded with an initial study, which finds that placing a user within a virtual environment that matches the real, physical space they occupy does not generate the same errors found in previous studies. Further experiments build off this discovery by exploring the beneficial aspects of co-location of the virtual space with the physical, and delving into the possible cues used in high-fidelity replicas that aid in a user's increased accuracy. In addition, we present work on how to increase the user's spatial accuracy in remote locations, which is the true goal of virtual reality. This research focuses on giving users additional feedback in the virtual world, through the use of full-bodied virtual avatars. With these additional cues, we grant the user the ability to form a better cognitive model of the virtual space, and start making significant headway into eliminating the distance compression problem.
Starvation Response of the Marine Barophile CNPT-3.

Abstract The psychrophilic marine barophile CNPT-3 underwent a starvation-survival response similar to that reported for the marine bacteria Ant-300, DW1, and S-14. The number of culturable cells increased initially and then decreased gradually over a 24-day starvation period, with corresponding decreases in total cell number and direct viability count. A significant reduction in cell size and biovolume accompanied these changes. Starved cells demonstrated a greater tendency to attach at the in situ pressure (400 atm; ca. 40.5 MPa) and temperature (5°C) than at 1 atm (ca. 101 kPa), and the extent of attachment increased with increasing duration of starvation. The membrane fatty acid profile of the marine barophile CNPT-3 was studied as the cells were subjected to starvation conditions. A 37.5% increase in saturated fatty acids was observed during the first 8 days of starvation, with a concomitant decrease in unsaturated fatty acids. There was also an increase in the amount of short-chain (<C15:0) fatty acids.
Competency-based SBIRT training for health-care professionals: nursing and social work students

Background Most health-care professional training programs lack educational curricula on substance use disorders and strategies for early intervention or referral to treatment. The University of Missouri-Kansas City Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (UMKC-SBIRT) training project educates baccalaureate nursing, advanced practice nursing, and master’s of social work students through didactics threaded throughout coursework; roleplays with classmates and faculty; standardizes patient practice; and offers clinical experience to help students achieve competency. Methods
Vegetative response of Sagittaria lancifolia to burning of applied crude oil

Field studies were conducted to evaluate Sagittarialancifolia sensitivity to in-situ burning of appliedcrude oil. Twenty-four plots were constructed (2.4 × 2.4× 0.6 m) in a fresh marsh and experimental treatmentswere: 1) control (no oiling and/or burning); 2) oiling (naturalremediation); and 3) oiling plus burning. South Louisiana Crudewas applied at 2 L m-2, with a garden sprayer, on Sagittaria lancifolia stems and leaves of the oiling andoiling/burning treatment plots. Two marsh burns were conducted,one in August (Site A) and a second on separate plotsthe following April (Site B) to compare seasonal effects ofoiling and burning. Burning was initiated three days after oilapplication when the marsh was flooded to a 15–25 cm depth andwinds were calm. Live stem count, plant height growth and carbonfixation were measured up to 9 times over 52 weeks after thefirst burn (August) and 6 times over 19 weeks after the secondin-situ burn (April). Aboveground biomass was measured atthe conclusion of each study. Oil application and oil burninghad short term effects on Sagittaria lancifoliavegetation. Five to six weeks after each burn, measured Sagittaria lancifolia vegetative parameters in control, oiledand oiled/burned plots were not significantly different. Onlybiomass clipped 20 weeks after the April burn showed significanttreatment differences. Under our experimental conditions, datasuggests leaving oil to degrade and the marsh to recovernaturally may be an option to consider. Plant recovery inoiled/burned plots was as rapid as oiled plant recovery. Thissuggests burning may be a viable remediation method if a rapidresponse is needed to remove oil and control oil migration tosensitive areas.
Return Migration and the Profiling of Non‐Citizens: Highly Skilled BRIC Migrants in the Mexico–US Borderlands and Arizona's SB 1070

Based on interviews conducted between 2011 and 2012, this paper examines how highly skilled migrants from Brazil, Russia, India, and China in Arizona have experienced acculturation to US racial norms and heightened anti-immigration sentiment since 9/11, which in this state culminated in the passage of Senate Bill 1070. We found that negative experiences with incorporation into US racial hierarchies, immigration enforcement at the Mexico–US border, and profiling as ‘foreigners’ had little impact on their deliberations to return to countries that have become new engines for global growth at a time of US economic decline. Interviewees tended to interpret their experiences as having been mistaken for members of other targeted groups, expected exemption from SB 1070 because of their highly skilled and/or documented status, and lacked knowledge of a now defunct provision in the bill that would have affected immigrants by criminalising failure to carry proper documentation. Instead of immigration experiences or the economic downturn in the US, participants were deterred from return because of perceived deficiencies in their countries of origin, which mitigated the attractiveness of the new economic opportunities there. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leadership and Culture

Leadership is defined as a broad menu of behaviors, some appropriate to one environment but not second. A number of the more common leadership behaviors are discussed. The article goes on to identify the process of learning some of the behaviors required to lead. It is suggested that an individual build a leadership repertoire based on personal background and experiences. Learning to lead is then discussed as requiring experience, because leadership cannot be learned from a book. A review of several kinds of experience models of instruction follows. Finally, the article addresses the issue of culture and makes the point that organizational culture is based on both the larger culture of which the organization is a part and the behavior of the organization’s leader. The article closes with a recommendation that behaviorists not only learn about behavior analysis but also learn something about the environments in which the behavior analyst is likely to function.
Contracts and Markets: A Very Short Essay Without Footnotes

Contract law is the quintessential law of a market economy. Strangely enough, however, the idea of markets plays a relatively minor role in contemporary contract law theory. This essay suggests that the purpose of contract law is to sustain markets as a social institution and shows how such a focus on markets qua markets might illuminate discussions of the law of contracts. This essay is only a sketch of an argument. I have kept it deliberately short (16 pages) and free of scholarly apparatus (no footnotes) in order to facilitate reading and feedback.
Critical-region model for bubble curves of ammonia–water with extrapolation to low pressures

Abstract A modified Leung–Griffiths correlation for the near-critical phase boundary of ammonia–water is extrapolated to low pressure. The extrapolation is based on the observation that, on a plot of logarithm of pressure vs. inverse temperature, dew and bubble isopleths form straight lines below the critical region. The extrapolation is performed both directly and with additional optimization to a chosen low-pressure data set. On the bubble side, the method yields a useful baseline calculation against which different experimental measurements can be tested for mutual consistency, but the approach is considerably less successful on the dew side.
Reproductive parameters in the sooty mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus atys)

Data obtained over a 7.5 year period from a captive group of sooty mangabeys were analyzed to examine the relationship between demographic variables and reproductive events. Perineal swelling and reproductive data collected from 67 females contributed to the analyses. Sexual maturation, as marked by the onset of swelling cycles, was recorded at an average age of 36.4 ± 1.1 (mean ± SEM) months and first parturition at 56.5 ± 1.8 months, indicating a period of adolescent sterility of over 1 year. A total of 198 births were recorded, of which 165 (83.3%) were live births with infant survival to 30 days of age. Both parity and the duration of infant survival influenced interbirth interval, with the shortest interval observed in multiparous females with infants surviving less than 6 months (10.0 ± 0.5 months) and the longest in primiparous females with infants surviving more than 12 months (22.4 ± 1.2 months). Infant survival did not vary significantly according to the age class of the mother. Births and the onset of perineal swellings in young females showed a seasonal distribution, with swelling cycles and conceptions rarely occurring from April through September.
Psychosocial responses during different phases of sport-injury rehabilitation: a qualitative study.

Context: Athletic trainers have traditionally conceptualized rehabilitation programs in terms of 3 distinct physiologic phases; however, these phases appear to neglect athletes' psychosocial responses to their injuries. Objective: To document injured athletes' psychosocial responses during the different phases of injury rehabilitation. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 8 previously injured athletes (4 men and 4 women) participated in the study. Data Collection and Analysis: We collected participant data by using semistructured interviews, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by directed content analysis. Established themes were triangulated to determine trustworthiness. Results: Initially, athletes' cognitive appraisals were predominately negative in nature, leading to negative emotions. These appraisals changed after diagnosis and when moving to the re...
Technique for quantitative mapping of three-dimensional liquid-gas phase boundaries in microchannel flows

Abstract A diagnostic technique capable of characterizing interfaces between transparent, immiscible fluids is developed and demonstrated by investigating the morphology of liquid–gas interfaces in an adiabatic two-phase flow through a microchannel of 500 μm × 500 μm square cross section. Water seeded with 0.5 μm-diameter fluorescent polystyrene particles is pumped through the channel, and the desired adiabatic two-phase flow regime is achieved through controlled air injection. The diagnostic technique relies on obtaining particle position data through epifluorescent imaging of the flow at excitation and emission wavelengths of 532 nm and 620 nm, respectively. The particle position data are then used to resolve interface locations to within ±1 μm in the focal plane. By mapping the interface within individual focal planes at various depths within the channel, it is possible to determine the complete liquid–gas interface geometry across the channel cross section in a dynamic flow environment. Utilizing this approach, the liquid–gas phase boundaries of annular flows within a microchannel have been successfully characterized.
Exposing and exploiting weaknesses in the merger of Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab

On 9 February 2012 the Somali terrorist organization al-Shabaab officially merged with al-Qaeda. While the significance of the merger is highly contested, it does expose internal weaknesses within the two organizations along ideological, clan, and sectarian lines. The article identifies three key weaknesses of the merger and concludes with a discussion of al-Qaeda's growing presence in trans-Saharan Africa.
Community College Dilemma: Adjunct Faculty

ABSTRACT What is the effect of the diminuation of tenured, professional faculty or librarians by adjunct faculty or librarians? The author explores the effects of adjunct faculty and librarians on student learning, faculty governance, curricula, and academic freedom. The author discusses solutions offered by professional organizations as well as an intriguing new approach to this dilemma.
Selective Removal of Palmitic Acid from Langmuir Monolayers by Complexation with New Quaternary Ammonium β-Cyclodextrin Derivatives

The in vivo toxicity of several cyclodextrins (CyDs) appears to involve binding to and extraction of membrane cholesterol, resulting in altered membrane permeability properties. To investigate whet...
Continuous Adaptive Feedback Canceller Dynamics

This paper investigates the chaotic artifact (Entrainment) observed when correlated input signals are presented to an adaptive feedback canceller. By applying nonlinear analysis and iterating the equations of a simplified feedback canceller, we show that the phenomenon is inherent to a feedback canceller structure, where an adaptive filter is embedded in the closed loop. We also unify the previous attempts to explain this artifact with adaptive filter bias and ill conditioning of the input correlation matrix of the adaptive system.
Effect of repeated ejaculation on semen quality in spinal cord injured men.

AbstractPurpose: We evaluate the effect of repeated ejaculations on semen quality in spinal cord injured men.Materials and Methods: The study included 19 spinal cord injured men with anejaculation. Semen was obtained by penile vibratory stimulation in the clinic and patients were instructed in the technique. Optimized vibration parameters were used (2.5 mm. amplitude at 100 Hz.). Penile vibratory stimulation was performed at least once a week for 12 months. Semen quality was examined at baseline and every 3 months during the 1-year study period. Hormonal assays were also performed at each visit. In 9 patients unilateral testicular biopsy was done at baseline and at the end of the 12 months.Results: Normal sperm counts and low motility were seen at baseline. No semen parameter significantly changed during the 12 months of repeated ejaculation. All hormonal assays during the entire study were within normal range and no significant change was observed. Of the 9 biopsies 6 (67%) showed normal spermatogenesis ...
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 203☆

Abstract Evaluated nuclear structure and decay data for all nuclei within the A = 203 mass chain are presented. This work supersedes the earlier evaluation by S. Rab (1993Ra11), published in Nuclear Data Sheets 70 , 173 (1993).
The Role of Prolactin in the Regulation of the Primate Corpus Luteum

The role of PRL in the control of corpus luteum (CL) function was examined in hyperprolactinemic and euprolactinemic female rhesus monkeys with hypothalamic lesions in which ovulatory menstrual cycles were induced by the pulsatile administration of GnRH, in intact postpartum monkeys nursing their infants, as well as in animals treated with bromocriptine. In the lesioned monkeys, neither markedly elevated nor undetectable (bromocriptine-suppressed) PRL levels influenced the time courses of postovulatory plasma progesterone concentrations compared to those in monkeys with normal PRL concentrations. Plasma progesterone concentrations in the hyperprolactinemic monkeys, however, did not decline to undetectable levels at the end of the luteal phase, as is the case in normal animals, but remained slightly elevated for extended periods, a pattern characteristic of lactating animals. In both lesioned and postpartum animals, bromocriptine administration or removal of suckling infants from the latter resulted in com...
Introducing the Special Section Theme: Recent Developments in Data Sources and Analysis for R&D Evaluation

The papers in this special issue are very good representatives of recent efforts to overcome the serious limitations for R&D evaluation stemming from inadequate data resources. They address the data needs for several evaluation questions in different countries and include drawing on new sources of data and sophisticated uses of computer technology for real time tracking. Taken together they provide a good sense of the state of the art on data development for R&D evaluation. Copyright The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
EVALUATION OF THE AMOUNT AND DISTRIBUTION OF MONTMORILLONITE IN SOME GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA KAOLINS

EXTENDED ABSTRACT A method developed for measuring small amounts of montmorillonite associated with the kaolinite in the kaolin deposits of the Coastal Plain of southeastern United States (Hinckley and Bates, 1960); consists of exchanging the Sr2+ion on to the montmorillonite, removing the excess strontium by dialysis, analyzing the exchanged sample for strontium by x-ray fluorescence and computing the percentage of montmorillonite from a curve obtained by similar treatment of known standards. Application of the method shows that a precision of approximately ±0.5 percent in the range of 0.5 to 8.0 percent montmorillonite is obtained. In evaluating the data the following assumptions are made: (1) The ratio of the base exchange capacity of the montmorillonite to that of the kaolinite is constant. (2) The base exchange capacity of the montmorillonite in the standards is the same as that of montmorillonite in the samples. The material investigated by this method consists of samples taken from six drill cores obtained from three deposits in the Macon, Georgia; Sandersville, Georgia; and Langley, South Carolina, areas. The cores were drilled in pairs from two “ soft ” type and one “ hard ” type clay pits and were supplied through the courtesy of the Georgia Kaolin Company, the Huber Corporation and the Minerals and Chemicals Corporation. Six samples were taken from each of six cores according to a stratified-random sampling plan in which each core is arbitrarily divided into thirds with no stratigraphic implication and two 6 in. samples are taken at random from each third (Fig. 1). Each 6-in. sample is subdivided into three 2 in. subsamples providing 18 subsamples from each core or a total of 108 individual 2 in. subsamples from the six cores. The 108 subsamples were treated and analyzed according to the method previously described. The two values produced by the x-ray fluorescence analyses of the duplicate packings on each 2 in. subsample were averaged to produce the data appearing in Table 1. The data were treated statistically by an analysis of variance as a combined group of three pits, as a combination of one hard and one soft type pit and independently as hard and soft type pits. The results of these analyses are shown on Table 2. In all instances significant differences are noted on the sixths and cores level.
Characteristics of the servo-controlled micropipet pressure system

Abstract By use of an active nulling device, hydraulic pressures can be measured over a wide pressure and frequency range with glass micropipets having tip diameters smaller than 0.1 μm. Although pipets larger than 0.1 μm have the advantage of being relatively insensitive to external solution resistivity, to electro-osmotic phenomena, and to plugging, they may be too large for some applications. Small pipets, 0.1 μm and less, are sharp enough to pass through the toughest of tissue with minimal force but they require different electrical compensation from large pipets, have less intrinsic gain, are sensitive to resistivity and temperature changes in the external solution, are affected by electric current from contact potentials, and are more likely to become plugged. The behavior of the servo-controlled micropipet pressure system is discussed in terms of the static and dynamic relationship between electrical resistance and pressure in small and large pipets. A detailed description of the operating characteristics of the system is also given. Solutions to a set of equations expressing NaCl concentration and pipet resistance in terms of pipet geometry, pressure, and internal and external NaCl concentration were used to illustrate shifts in concentration profiles in the pipet tips for changes in pressure.
Non-uniform extension of a non-linear viscoelastic slab

Abstract The non-uniform extension of a slab of a non-linear viscoelastic solid is studied. Two boundary value problems are solved, one with deformation prescribed at the upper boundary and the other with the traction prescribed. The formulation uses the deformation in the direction of the slab thickness as the dependent variable, which is found by solving a non-linear integro-differential equation. The numerical calculation is such that at each time step, the problem is equivalent to a fourth order non-linear ordinary differential equation for the current coordinate in the direction of the slab thickness. This equation is then integrated by the same numerical procedure as in the corresponding elastic problem.
Longitudinal Study of Cardiac Remodelling in Rabbits Following Infarction

Abstract Background Cardiac remodelling following myocardial infarction (MI) is a complex, dynamic process. There have been few longitudinal studies of these changes. Methods A 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was performed on 20 rabbits, before and 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after MI (n = 14) and twice for controls (n = 6). Chronic left ventricular (LV) infarct size was histologically characterized and correlated with mechanical function. A linear mixed model was used to analyze longitudinal and infarct size-related changes in LV end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), ejection fraction (EF), sphericity, circumferential strain, and wall motion score index. Results Mean LV infarct size was 28.9% ± 9.3%. After MI, rapid remodelling occurred in LVESV, LVEF, and sphericity for 2 weeks and LVEDV for 4 weeks, with slower changes afterwards. LV infarct size correlated with LVESV ( r = 0.76), LVEDV ( r = 0.71), and LVEF ( r = 0.69). Larger infarcts resulted in greater LVESV dilation ( P = 0.04) and faster LVEDV ( P 0.01), LVEF ( P 0.01), and sphericity ( P 0.01) remodelling. Apical global circumferential strain and wall motion score index increased for 1 week, then stabilized, regardless of infarct size, and apical global circumferential strain was correlated with apical infarction ( r = 0.58). Additionally, regional circumferential strain decreased in segments with severe (> 80%) infarction more quickly ( P P = 0.04) compared with segments with minor ( Conclusions The most dynamic remodelling of cardiac function in this model occurred during the first 4 weeks, stabilizing thereafter, with changes maintained up to 12 weeks. Infarct size affected both the early rate and long-term extent of mechanical remodelling.
Extracting cardiac shapes and motion of the chick embryo heart outflow tract from four-dimensional optical coherence tomography images

Recent advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT), and the development of image reconstruction algorithms, enabled four-dimensional (4-D) (three-dimensional imaging over time) imaging of the embryonic heart. To further analyze and quantify the dynamics of cardiac beating, segmentation procedures that can extract the shape of the heart and its motion are needed. Most previous studies analyzed cardiac image sequences using manually extracted shapes and measurements. However, this is time consuming and subject to inter-operator variability. Automated or semi-automated analyses of 4-D cardiac OCT images, although very desirable, are also extremely challenging. This work proposes a robust algorithm to semi automatically detect and track cardiac tissue layers from 4-D OCT images of early (tubular) embryonic hearts. Our algorithm uses a two-dimensional (2-D) deformable double-line model (DLM) to detect target cardiac tissues. The detection algorithm uses a maximum-likelihood estimator and was successfully applied to 4-D in vivo OCT images of the heart outflow tract of day three chicken embryos. The extracted shapes captured the dynamics of the chick embryonic heart outflow tract wall, enabling further analysis of cardiac motion.
Political Mistrust among African Americans and Support for the Political System

Recent research argues that political mistrust among African Americans represents unhappiness with the political system. To date, however, no study has directly examined the influence of black mistrust on support for the system. In this study I show that greater mistrust among blacks leads to greater support for change in the party and electoral systems. I also find evidence of inter-racial differences in the influence of mistrust on support for the political system. These findings have implications for our understanding of the nature of political trust and add to a growing literature demonstrating the political consequences of mistrust in government.
How did bank holding companies prosper in the 1990s

Abstract This paper examines the improved performance of US bank holding companies (BHCs) from 1991 to 1997. Analysis of cost and profit functions using several alternative output specifications suggests that the gains were primarily due to productivity growth and changes in scale economies. Various econometric methodologies yield productivity growth of about 0.4% per year and the optimal size seems to have increased in the 1990s era of deregulation, technological change, and financial innovation. Estimates of both productivity growth and economies of scale are robust across traditional and non-traditional output specifications. Despite the overall success, however, substantial cost and profit inefficiency existed for BHCs of all sizes in the 1990s. These efficiency estimates are particularly sensitive to the output specification and failure to account for non-traditional activities like off-balance sheet (OBS) items leads profit efficiency, but not cost efficiency, to be understated for the largest BHCs.
PROCEDURAL AND DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE IN THE EDITORIAL REVIEW PROCESS

Based on organizational justice theories, a model of procedural and distributive justice is proposed to explain authors' reactions to editorial decisions and the editorial review process. Authors (n= 106) provided justice perceptions and future journal submission intentions upon receiving an editorial decision letter. The editor provided information on editorial decisions and review processes. Explanation and interpersonal sensitivity were important procedural justice dimensions in predicting distributive justice reactions and intentions to submit future work to the journal. Explanations appear particularly important when the decision is negative. Journal submission intentions were positively related to distributive justice reactions for inexperienced, but not experienced, authors. In addition, journal submission intentions were positively related to the perceived explanation received for experienced, but not inexperienced, authors. Discussion focuses on implications for organizational justice theories and for journal publishing and HR practices.
In Vitro Production of Equine Embryos

Abstract The development of methods to produce embryos in vitro in the horse has been delayed compared with other domestic species. Oocytes can be collected from excised ovaries or from the small or preovulatory follicles of live mares. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is the only reliable method to fertilize equine oocytes in vitro. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection-produced embryos can be transferred into the oviducts of recipient mares or cultured to the morula or blastocyst stage of development for nonsurgical embryo transfers into recipients' uteri. Embryos cultured in vitro have some morphological differences compared with embryos collected from the mares' uteri. Most notably, the embryonic capsule does not form in culture, and the zona pellucida fails to expand completely. However, embryo produced in vitro can result in viable pregnancies and healthy offspring.
Crystallization monitoring by Raman spectroscopy: Simultaneous measurement of desupersaturation profile and polymorphic form in flufenamic acid systems

In this study, the application of Raman spectroscopy to quantitative in-line monitoring of the crystallization from solution of an enantiotropic polymorphic system, flufenamic acid, is explored. Separate feasibility studies were performed to evaluate the utility of Raman spectroscopy to quantitatively monitor changes in solution concentration and to measure polymorphic composition. The crystallization of flufenamic acid was then monitored as a function of temperature and time using an immersion probe coupled to a Raman spectrometer. The spectral data contained information about both the solution phase and the crystallized solids. Using standard data analysis techniques, solution and solids information could be deconvoluted. Changes in solute concentration as a function of time were quantified from the Raman data and showed good agreement with results from other techniques used for corroboration. The polymorphic forms initially crystallizing from solution, in the presence and absence of seeds, could be cle...