cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting drug release kinetics from nanocarriers inside dialysis bags

Dialysis methods are frequently used to determine the in vitro drug release kinetics of nanoparticle drug delivery systems. However, the need for the released drug to diffuse through the dialysis membrane delays its appearance in the sampling compartment. Thus, the apparent drug release data outside the dialysis bag typically does not match the desired release kinetics inside the bag adjacent to the nanocarriers. To address this issue, here we describe a simple approach to determine the actual drug release kinetics from nano drug carriers inside the dialysis bag from the experimental data measured from the sampling compartment. First, a calibration experiment is carried out to determine the diffusion barrier properties of the dialysis membranes. The apparent drug release profile of the nanocarrier is then determined using the dialysis method, and a mathematical model is applied to determine the actual drug release kinetics from the experimental data. The model was tested on DOXIL® (doxorubicin liposomes), and an excellent agreement was found between the predicted and measured drug concentration inside the dialysis membranes. By taking the barrier effects of dialysis membranes into consideration, our model independent of drug carrier not only enables the proper interpretation of the data from dialysis studies but also helps to evaluate the dialysis methodology applied to in vitro drug release assays.
The Properties of Urethan Considered in Relation to Its Action on Mitosis

V. Summary With so little known about the action of carbamates there is little that can be presented as solid conclusions. Rather, the ideas discussed are summarized here uncritically as ideas to be more mercilessly attacked in the future. Urethan rapidly penetrates a cell, and the whole molecule attaches where it alters the action of one or more enzymes, and whence it can easily be dislodged. As mitosis begins, low concentrations stimulate enzymes, increase the number of dividing cells, and shorten prophase. In metaphase, the ever-sensitive spindle is disturbed, but not completely inactivated, resulting in some blocked metaphases and all intergrades of chromosome maldistribution. At telophase, furrow constriction proceeds well until the final pinching off, at which point urethan interferes. Incomplete, the furrow regresses. In the binucleate egg, twin mitotic figures form and divide the cell into four blastomeres. Finally, in the interphase, urethan in small amounts attacks the chromosome, perhaps by chemical combination causing breaks and mutations.
Adverse drug effects related to multiday ketamine infusions: multicenter study

Ketamine, an N -methyl- D -aspartate-receptor antagonist, provides effective nonopioid analgesia for refractory headache[1][1] and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).[2][2] Adverse drug effects (ADEs), including hallucinations, may still occur at subanesthetic doses,[3][3] but previous studies
Fundaments of Toxicology—Approach to the Poisoned Patient

Management of the poisoned patient begins with supportive care, assessment of organ function and dysfunction, and consideration of known or suspected poisons. The possibility of multiple ingestions should be considered with intentional exposures or suicide attempts. Enteric decontamination involves treatment to prevent the absorption of toxins from the gastrointestinal system and includes the use of activated charcoal. Poisoned patients may benefit from the use if antidotes are available, or enhanced elimination as with salicylate ion trapping during urinary alkalinization. The use of intravenous lipid therapy is of clinical benefit in poisoning from bupivacaine, amitriptyline, and bupropion. Hemodialysis is the most inexpensive, widely available, and most commonly used method of extracorporeal drug removal in the treatment of poisoning. Chelators with different chemical properties can bind toxic metals, providing an essential mechanism for detoxification, and may be used in combination with extracorporeal therapies such as DFO with HD for aluminum or iron, and DMSA or DMPS with HD to treat arsenic or mercury intoxication. The use of displacers with hemodialysis can be considered to augment clearance of protein-bound toxins.
Dynamic Driving Risk Potential Field Model Under the Connected and Automated Vehicles Environment and Its Application in Car-Following Modeling

This paper proposes a new dynamic driving risk potential field model under the connected and automated vehicles environment that fully considers the dynamic effect of the vehicle's acceleration and steering angle. The statistical analysis of the model's parameter reveals that acceleration and steering angle will directly affect the distribution of the driving risk potential field and that this strong correlation should not be ignored if one is interested in the vehicle's microscopic motion behavior. We further develop a driving risk potential field-based car-following model (DRPFM) to remedy the failure of acceleration consideration under the conventional environment, whose parameters are calibrated by filtered I-80 NGSIM data with frequent traf?c oscillations. Simulation results indicate that our proposed DRPFM model is proved to be a good description of car-following behavior and outperforms two classical car-following models (Optimal Velocity Model and Intelligent Driver Model) in frequent oscillation phases due to our consideration of potential acceleration data acquisition in real-time under the CAVs environment. In addition, this DRPFM model is applied to deduce the safety conditions for vehicle lane-changing. The analysis results prove that this model can reasonably explain the influencing factors between driver types and lane-changing safety conditions in practice.
Gaining Organizational Adoption: Discovering New Uses for Existing Innovations

Scholars have shown how the introduction of innovations, often developed by entrepreneurs, upend or potentially threaten an adopting organization’s work practices. While much research considers why...
National Security vs. Human Rights: A Game Theoretic Analysis of the Tension between These Objectives

Abstract We explore why human rights violations take place in the midst of a rebellion. Authoritarian governments may not care for human rights but surprisingly several democratic governments have also condoned such violations. We show that the primary cause of such violations is faulty intelligence. There are two type of defective intelligence that can occur viz., missed alarm and false alarm. We consider each of these cases and determine the optimal human rights standard of the government. We then examine the effect of a decrease in the human rights standard on the probability of quelling the rebellion. In our theoretical model, this effect is indeterminate (i.e. can be positive or negative). We empirically quantify this effect using the case of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in India. Since the probability of quelling the rebellion is not directly observable, we use the magnitude of violence as its indicator. The magnitude of violence should be negatively related to the probability of the government’s success. We find that a lowering of the standard of human rights increases violence (i.e. reduces the chance of quelling the rebellion) and this effect is statistically significant.
Neurogenetic and genomic approaches reveal roles for Dpr/DIP cell adhesion molecules in Drosophila reproductive behavior

Drosophila reproductive behaviors are directed by fruitless neurons (fru P1 isoforms). A reanalysis of genomic studies shows that genes encoding dpr and DIP Immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) members are expressed in fru P1 neurons. Each fru P1and dpr/DIP (fru P1 {cap} dpr/DIP) overlapping expression pattern is similar in both sexes, with dimorphism in neuronal morphology and cell number. Behavioral studies of fru P1 {cap} dpr/DIP perturbation genotypes point to the mushroom body functioning together with the lateral protocerebral complex. Functionally, we find that perturbations of sex hierarchy genes and DIP-{varepsilon} changes sex-specific morphology of fru P1 {cap} DIP- neurons. A single-cell RNA-seq analysis shows that the DIPs have high expression in a restricted set of fru P1 neurons, whereas the dprs are expressed in larger set of neurons at intermediate levels, with a myriad of combinations.
Elementary Principles and Techniques of Cinematographic Analysis as Aids in Athletic Research

(1939). Elementary Principles and Techniques of Cinematographic Analysis as Aids in Athletic Research. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 3-24.
A methodology for measuring the total displacements of structures using a laser–camera system

Abstract Railroad bridge inspection manuals recommend measuring bridge displacements under train crossing events. Traditional displacement measurement methods require humans climbing the infrastruc...
Balancing Forces: Medical Students' Reflections on Professionalism Challenges and Professional Identity Formation.

Background and objectives Professionalism is essential in medical education, yet how it is embodied through medical students' lived experiences remains elusive. Little research exists on how students perceive professionalism and the barriers they encounter. This study examines attitudes toward professionalism through students' written reflections. Methods Family medicine clerkship students at Stanford University School of Medicine answered the following prompt: "Log a patient encounter in which you experienced a professionalism challenge or improvement opportunity." We collected and analyzed free-text responses for content and themes using a grounded theory approach. Results One hundred responses from 106 students generated a total of 168 codes; 13 themes emerged across four domains: challenging patients, interpersonal interactions, self-awareness, and health care team dynamics. The three most frequently occurring themes were interacting with emotional patients, managing expectations in the encounter, and navigating the trainee role. Conclusions Medical students view professionalism as a balance of forces. While many students conceived of professionalism in relation to patient encounters, they also described how professionalism manifests in inner qualities as well as in health systems. Interpersonal challenges related to communication and agenda-setting are predominant. Systems challenges include not being seen as the "real doctor" and being shaped by team behaviors through the hidden curriculum. Our findings highlight salient professionalism challenges and identity conflicts for medical students and suggest potential educational strategies such as intentional coaching and role-modeling by faculty. Overall, students' reflections broaden our understanding of professional identity formation in medical training.
Deep Learning to Estimate Biological Age From Chest Radiographs.

Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to assess whether a deep learning estimate of age from a chest radiograph image (CXR-Age) can predict longevity beyond chronological age. Background Chronological age is an imperfect measure of longevity. Biological age, a measure of overall health, may improve personalized care. This paper proposes a new way to estimate biological age using a convolutional neural network that takes as input a CXR image and outputs a chest x-ray age (in years) as a measure of long-term mortality risk. Methods CXR-Age was developed using CXR from 116,035 individuals and validated in 2 held-out testing sets: 1) 75% of the CXR arm of PLCO (Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial) (N = 40,967); and 2) the CXR arm of NLST (National Lung Screening Trial) (N = 5,414). CXR-Age was compared to chronological age and a multivariable regression model of chronological age, risk factors, and radiograph findings to predict all-cause and cardiovascular mortality with a maximum 23 years and 13 years of follow-up, respectively. The primary outcome was observed mortality; results are provided for the testing datasets only. Results In the PLCO testing dataset, a 5-year increase in CXR-Age carried a higher risk of all-cause mortality than a 5-year increase in chronological age (CXR-Age hazard ratio [HR]: 2.26 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.24 to 2.29] vs. chronological age HR: 1.77 [95% CI: 1.75 to 1.78]; p Conclusions Based on a CXR image, CXR-Age predicted long-term all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Do Investment Promotion Agencies Promote Bilateral Investment Treaties

In this chapter, I examine whether state investment promotion agencies (IPAs) include bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in their marketing pitches to potential foreign investors. In other words, do BITs have a place in IPA strategies for presenting their state as a desirable place for foreign investment? And if they have a place, is it a prominent one? Many scholars suggest that BITs either are or have the theoretical capacity to be major drivers of foreign investment decisions. While existing studies typically examine statistical relationships between BITs and foreign investment flows to infer that BITs are important to investors, this study takes a different approach by examining whether states, acting through their IPAs, act as if BITs are important to investors. The study’s basic empirical finding is easy to summarize: IPAs frequently fail to mention BITs at all on their websites and, when they do, BITs never appear as a central plank in the IPA’s image-building efforts. Given the conventional wisdom that BITs are very important to investor decision-making, the failure of state IPAs to market their BIT commitments is surprising. I discuss two competing implications of the study. First, the findings may indicate that IPAs still have some work to do in crafting effective messages to potential investors. If conventional wisdom is correct, IPAs are making a potentially major error by failing to more prominently promote their states’ BITs on their websites. In that case, this chapter may usefully serve as a reminder to IPA professionals to consider whether the prominence of BITs in their marketing campaigns should be increased.
Movement-based Music Making: An Aesthetics-based Evaluation

This proposed research investigates movement-based interaction techniques for designing new musical instruments. It provides an aesthetics-based evaluation of a case study, Bodyharp, a new digital musical instrument at the intersection of music and dance. My dissertation examines not only developing new musical instruments but also performance practices that can be shared across diverse skill sets and abilities. In this project, I investigate this approach by bringing both the musician’s and the mover’s experiences closer to each other. In this paper, the design of the instrument and its earlier iterations are provided as well as an ongoing user study. The preliminary results of the user study, the future directions of this dissertation project, and its anticipated contributions are discussed.
1968 Congressional FHA Amendments to the National Housing Act: Their Impact on Urban Areas

This paper analyzes the impact of the 1968 Congressional Federal Housing Administration (FHA) amendments on urban areas. The legislation's major impact on population, employment, and the fiscal condition in urban areas is likely to occur through changed neighborhood property values. Some provisions of the programs have a positive impact and others a negative impact on urban property values. Thus, the overall impact of the programs is unclear.
Survival, self-sufficiency, and repair: reentry strategies and resources for wrongfully convicted people

In this paper we draw on 26 in-depth interviews to explore the strategies and resources utilized by wrongfully convicted people to transition from prison to communities. Our findings suggest a mult...
Editorial Comment: A Go-To Review for Imagers on Immunotherapy and Interpretation.

This Editorial Comment discusses the following AJR article: Imaging of Cancer Immunotherapy: Response Assessment Methods, Atypical Response Patterns, and Immune-Related Adverse Events, From the AJR...
The IMCO Convention on Limitation of Shipowners' Liability: Should the United States Ratify?

Resolution of these conflicts does not, however, appear forthcoming from the judiciary. The Supreme Court has been recently reviewing approximately two admiralty cases per year. The few cases that it decided often led to further confusion.2 In November, 1976, the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO)3 drafted a "Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976." 4
U.S. Financial Markets Growth and the Real Economy

U.S. financial development varies a good deal over the last half century, primarily increasing since the 1980s. We ask whether this variation had consequences for the real economy. Difference-in-difference tests reveal that increases in financial development have disproportionate effects on industries that depend more on external finance. Higher financial development forecasts externally dependent industries using more external finance, having higher turnover of leading businesses, greater variation in firm-growth rates, more new firms entering, more mature firms exiting, lower concentration, and at the aggregate level more innovation and faster growth. The mosaic of our evidence is consistent with a Schumpeterian framework linking the supply of finance to competition, innovation, and growth. Our findings suggest that the growth in finance had some real effects that are socially beneficial.
Changes in Adenine Nucleotides of Intact Chromatium D Produced by Illumination

Abstract The total adenine nucleotide content of suspensions of Chromatium D averaged 14 nmoles/mg of dry weight. Of this, one-third to one-half was adenosine triphosphate (ATP), even in suspensions incubated in darkness. Illumination with high intensities caused a rise in ATP and a drop mainly in adenosine diphosphate, the new steady state being reached in 5 to 15 sec at room temperature. The dark steady state was re-established 15 to 30 sec after returning the suspensions to darkness. The rates of these changes were little affected by the presence of electron donors or CO2, though their magnitude was reduced when substrates were added to starved suspensions. At limiting light intensities, complex kinetics characterized the transition from both dark to light and light to dark, and, at lower light intensities, more ATP was produced in suspensions supplemented with electron donors than in starved cells. The results show that photophosphorylation accompanying cyclic electron flow occurred in intact cells, and suggest that noncyclic phosphorylation can also occur.
Assessing and Monitoring Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder Through Natural Interaction With an Adaptive Dialogue System

We present an Adaptive Dialogue System, able to make conversation in natural language with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-suffering users, and guide the way that allows eliciting information about their disorder and progress of their treatment. As the conversation unfolds, the system gathers information enabling us to calculate a PTSD score and perform an initial screening of the users. We generate the system's response in real time and continuously monitor an estimate of the user's emotional state. If a user becomes frustrated, angry, sad, etc., we provide encouragement and observe any changes in the dialogue. The system will be trained with data from real and simulated interactions, using automatic virtual agents. Last, we present our plans for evaluation with PTSD-suffering and non-PTSD-suffering users.
Automorphisms of the Lattice of Recursively Enumerable Sets and Hyperhypersimple Sets

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the automorphisms of the lattice of recursively enumerable (r.e.) sets and hyperhypersimple (hh-simple) sets. While Maass proved a sufficient criterion for hh-simple sets to be automorphic, in Herrman, those properties of these sets has been analyzed; and it can be concluded when such sets are not automorphic even if their r.e. superset structures are isomorphic. The Lachlan's construction of hh-simple sets is universal from the point of view of their lattice position. The automorphism analysis of the hh-simple sets is an extensive topic for itself. There are still many open problems and questions. The main problem is to find a necessary and sufficient condition for two hh-simple sets to be automorphic. The isomorphism type of the family P*I(A) for the hh-simple set A could be such a condition.
The Dream Experience: A Systematic Exploration

Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Do Dreams Exist? The Recall and Collection of Dreams. The Measurement of Dreams. Dreams and Psychological Differences. Normative Dreams, Typical Dreams, and Repetitive Dreams. Psychopathologic Dreams (Nightmares) and Dreams in Psychopathologic States. The Reactive Nature of Dreaming. Dreams and Waking Thought. Dream Meaning. The Functions of Dreams. The Biology of Dream Formation. Journey's End? No, A Time for Assessment. Bibliography. Index.
Cumulative Innovation and Market Value: Evidence from Patent Citations*

If innovations are rapidly made obsolete by subsequent discoveries, firms may have lower ex ante incentives to invest in R&D. This article empirically demonstrates the relevance of this problem and shows that it might be mitigated if the inventing firm reabsorbs its ‘spilled’ knowledge in its later inventions. Using new data on sequences of patent citations, I estimate the relationship between a firm's stock market value and the citations it receives. Citations on which the firm builds in a future period are positively related to market value, whereas citations on which the firm does not build are negatively related to value.
The Use Of Exclusive Contracts To Deter Entry

This paper shows that an upstream monopolist that sells to competing downstream firms can profitably use exclusive contracts to deter entry even where scale economies are absent. The incumbent monopolist can often place each downstream firm in a prisoner's dilemma by offering downstream firms a discount if they sign an exclusive contract covering later periods. Because a downstream firm that refuses to sign the exclusive contract loses profit in the initial period to downstream firms that sign the exclusive contract, downstream firms will sign exclusive contracts even when, over the longer-term, they would obtain the upstream good at a lower price if they all refused to sign.
Quantifying Alfalfa Yield Losses Caused by Foliar Diseases in Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Vermont

Nutter, F. W., Jr., Guan, J., Gotlieb, A. R., Rhodes, L. H., Grau, C. R., and Sulc, R. M. 2002. Quantifying alfalfa yield losses caused by foliar diseases in Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Plant Dis. 86:269-277. Although foliar diseases of alfalfa occur throughout the United States wherever alfalfa is grown, little work has been done to quantify yield losses caused by foliar pathogens since the late 1980s. To quantify the yield losses caused by foliar diseases of alfalfa, field experiments were performed in Iowa, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin from 1995 to 1998. Different fungicides and fungicide application frequencies were used to obtain different levels of foliar disease in alfalfa. Visual disease and remote sensing assessments were performed weekly to determine the relationships between disease assessments and alfalfa yield. Visual disease assessments of percentage of defoliation, disease incidence, and disease severity were performed weekly, approximately five to six times during each alfalfa growth cycle. Remote sensing assessments also were obtained weekly by measuring the percentage of sunlight reflected from alfalfa canopies using handheld, multispectral radiometers. Yield loss estimates were calculated as the yield difference between the fungicide treatment with the highest yield and the nonfungicide control, divided by the yield obtained from the highest yielding fungicide treatment × 100. Over the 4-year period, significant alfalfa yield losses (P ≤ 0.05) occurred on 22 of the 48 harvest dates for the four states. The average significant yield loss for the 22 harvests was 19.3%. Both visual and percentage of reflectance assessments were used as independent variables in linear regression models to quantify the relationships between assessments and alfalfa yield. From 1995 to 1998, visual disease assessments were performed for a total of 209 dates and remote sensing assessments were performed on 198 dates from the four states. Yield models were developed for each of these assessment dates. There were 26/209, 26/209, and 17/209 significant yield models based on percentage of defoliation, disease incidence, and disease severity, respectively. Most of the significant models were for disease assessments performed on or within 1 or 2 weeks of the date of alfalfa harvest. When the significant models were averaged, percentage of defoliation, disease incidence, and disease severity explained 51, 55, and 52% of the variation in alfalfa yield, respectively. There were a total of 68/198 significant alfalfa yield models based on remote sensing assessments, and the significant models (averaged) explained 62% of the variation in alfalfa yield. Alfalfa foliar diseases continue to have a significant negative impact on alfalfa yields in the United States and remote sensing appears to offer a better means to quantify the impact of foliar diseases on alfalfa yield compared with visual assessment methods.
Analyzing the effect of fiber reinforcement on properties of syntactic foams

Interest in fiber-reinforced hollow particle filled composites (syntactic foams) is increasing in recent times and several experimental studies are available evaluating mechanical properties of such composites. The present study uses numerical simulations to evaluate the effect of the presence of fibers on the modulus and the stress distribution in syntactic foams. The numerical results show a close match with the experimental data obtained from a published study. It is observed that in composites containing thin-walled hollow particles the maximum stress is located in the particle wall, whereas increasing the wall thickness results in shifting the location of maximum stress to the fiber. The study provides an insight into the use of particle wall thickness in controlling the properties of fiber-reinforced hollow particle composites.
The rate of convergence of Sinkhorn balancing

Abstract We prove that Sinkhorn balancing always converges linearly, provided the starting matrix has total support. For our purposes we define Sinkhorn balancing as the iteration x t +1 = f ( x t ), where f is thattransformation on row stochastic matrices x defined by first balancing the columns of x and then the rows. The proof hinges on determining the precise nature of the eigenspace of the maximal eigenvalue 1 of the Jacobian matrix J f of f evaluated at the limiting doubly stochastic matrix D = lim t x t . We examine the spectral properties of the Jacobian matrix for a class of growth transformations which contains f . Then we prove a generalization of Ostrowski's theorem on linear convergence, yielding sufficient conditions under which linear convergence occurs in the presence of eigenvalues of J f of modulus 1.
Relations of perceived physical self-efficacy and motivational responses toward physical activity by urban high school students.

To be effective in promoting physical activity among urban, minority adolescents, the factors and psychological processes that motivate them to engage in and maintain a physically active lifestyle should be examined. The relation of physical self-efficacy and motivational responses toward physical activity in 46 urban minority adolescents was explored. As hypothesized, there were significant positive relationships among Percieved Physical Ability, Physical Self-presentation Confidence, Effort, and Enjoyment (coefficients ranged from .29 to .80), suggesting that participants who had higher perceived physical ability were likely to report higher perceptions of self-presentation, more enjoyment of physical activity, and harder work in physical activity. These results indicate specific relationships among Effort, Enjoyment, Perceived Physical Ability, and Physical Self-presentation Confidence in this sample. Physical self-efficacy appears to be a stronger predictor of motivational responses in physical activi...
Bone ingrowth and total knee replacement

Abstract Biological fixation by bone ingrowth into prosthetic components in total knee arthroplasty is a complex process involving the integration of numerous biological and mechanical factors. These factors include the presentation of an appropriate porous-coated surface of such pore size and pore geometry as to allow bone ingrowth. Additionally, there must be intimate contact and minimal interface motion between the prosthesis and the bone for ingrowth to occur. Numerous factors have been shown to influence bone ingrowth including various types of bone graft material, electrical stimulation, drugs and ionizing radiation. The application of ingrowth biology to total knee arthroplasty technology has unique implications for the patellar, femoral and tibial prosthetic components. While the early clinical and retrival results of total knee arthroplasty using bio-ingrowth technology were somewhat controversial, more recent reports have been more favourable. As more clinical, basic science and retrieval studies become available in the 1990s the role of bio-ingrowth technology in the clinician's armamentarium will be further elucidated.
Challenges in Mobile Networking and Information Assurance

Summary form only given. The author presents some of the key challenges the Department of Defense faces in mobile networking and information assurance. In mobile networking, episodic connectivity, a variety of waveforms, changing topology, and scarce bandwidth presents a number of challenges in mapping currently available commercial technologies to the mobile ad hoc networking environment. Challenges in information assurance include being able to design self-defending networks, robust defenses, situational awareness utilities, self-monitoring, self-evolving software, trust-based dynamic credentialing, and traceback and attribution tools
Isolation and Characterization of Multiply Antibiotic-Resistant Clostridium perfringens Strains from Porcine Feces

Multiply antibiotic-resistant strains of Clostridium perfringens were isolated from porcine feces. Strains that were resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, and lincomycin were isolated, but no penicillin- or chloramphenicol-resistant strains were obtained. Typical minimal inhibitory concentrations for resistant strains were 16 to 64 μg of tetracycline per ml, 64 to >128 μg of erythromycin per ml, ≥128 μg of lincomycin per ml, and 16 to 128 μg of clindamycin per ml. Resistance to erythromycin was always associated with resistance to lincomycin and clindamycin. Minimal inhibitory concentrations were determined for 258 strains from six farms that used antibiotics in their feeds and 240 strains from five farms that did not use antibiotics. The results show that 77.9 and 22.7% of the strains from the former farms were resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin-clindamycin-lincomycin, respectively. The comparable data from the latter farms were 25.0 and 0.8%, respectively. Agarose gel electrophoresis failed to reveal a plasmid band that was common to the resistant strains but absent in the susceptible strains. Attempts to transfer tetracycline, erythromycin, and clindamycin resistance from one strain, CW459, were not successful. Antibiotic-susceptible mutants were not isolated from this strain, despite the use of a variety of curing agents. Images
Alkaline Phosphatase Predicts Survival in Patients with Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

The clinical course of patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors is highly variable. While some patients experience an indolent clinical course over many years, other patients may rapidly succumb to their disease. Little is known about prognostic factors in these patients, making decisions regarding their management more difficult. We performed a retrospective analysis of 137 patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors referred to our institution for treatment. Potential prognostic factors were evaluated using multivariate survival analysis. The median overall survival of patients in our cohort was 6.0 years, although the range of survival times was broad (48 days to 23.4 years). Alkaline phosphatase levels above normal were predictive of shorter survival in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Elevated chromogranin A levels were also associated with shorter survival in univariate analysis; in a multivariate analysis, however, this correlation was no longer significant. There was no association between survival and gender, primary tumor site, or presence or absence of carcinoid syndrome. Elevated alkaline phosphatase is a robust adverse prognostic factor for survival in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors and may be superior to chromogranin A in this setting. Close monitoring of alkaline phosphatase levels may be useful when considering initiation or changes of therapy in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors.
Longitudinal data analysis in medical device clinical studies.

Several statistical approaches are discussed for analysis of longitudinal clinical data from a two independent groups, randomized, prospective, multicenter study of patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) who are treated with either a new transurethral microwave thermotherapy device (TUMT, n = 147) or sham control (n = 73) at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months follow up. The primary clinical endpoint, based on the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score from 7 questions (each scored 0–5) with 35 as the worst total score, is illustrated in this paper. The primary effectiveness null hypothesis is no treatment effect at any follow-up time against the alternative hypothesis of a favorable treatment effect at one or more follow-up times. Based on the prespecified clinical input of TUMT improvement in AUA mean score as a possible early effect, the expected change of slope between baseline to month 1 (baseline slope) and from month 1 to the end of month 6 (longitudinal slope), with knot at on...
A model of the formation of marine algal flocs by physical coagulation processes

Abstract Aggregates of organic matter (“marine snow”) are highly visible phenomena oceanic waters which can control material fluxes to the deep sea. These aggregates take many forms and undoubtedly have many causes. One form frequently described is that composed of algae, usually diatoms, occurring after an algal bloom. A model combining kinetic coagulation theory and simple algal growth kinetics describes the dynamics of such an algal bloom. Results show this to be a two-state system in which coagulation processes are either unimportant when algal concentrations are low or dominant when they are high, with a rapid transition between the two states. Critical algal concentration for this transition is inversely related to fluid shear, algal size and stickiness, and is similar to values observed after a bloom. The role of coagulation in controlling particle dynamics for more complicated aquatic systems will depend on other biological particle production and consumption processes, such as zooplankton feeding and defecation. These results emphasize the importance of measuring algal sizes and abundances when studying floc formation.
GLOBALLY OPTIMAL NONLINEAR FEEDBACK: APPLICATION TO NONISOTHERMAL CSTR CONTROL

ABSTRACT Approximations of the globally optimal nonlinear quadratic regulator (NQR) strategy are employed to control the unstable steady state of a continuous stirred tank reactor. It is shown that the proposed approximate NQR controllers can be uniquely determined through solution of Riccati and linear matrix equations and can deliver better dynamic performance than the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) if the process model is proper. Stability, optimality, and constraint satisfaction regions for these controllers are identified.
Attachments in aid of international arbitration – the American position

ARTICLE II(3) of the 1958 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards provides that a court of a contracting state, when ‘seized’ of an action involving a written arbitration agreement, ‘shall, at the request of one of the parties, refer the parties to arbitration … ’1 A few American courts, including New York's highest court, have interpreted the obligation to ‘refer’ as an implicit prohibition of the power to grant provisional orders of attachment in aid of arbitration agreements falling under the Convention.2 This paper first considers the provisional remedy of attachment in its usual American, particularly New York, judicial setting and the relation of the remedy to ordinary arbitration agreements. It then contends that the prohibition of the remedy in aid of arbitration agreements falling under the Convention is unwarranted. ### Attachment in New York By the end of the nineteenth century the law of New York confirmed the provisional remedy of attachment in its modern function as a security device. That was not its original purpose. The remedy had previously served as a common law jurisdictional weapon: the defendant's property was seized to compel his appearance; if he did not appear the property was lost.3 In modern practice the remedy is defined by statute and granted as security.4 While the remedy retains a limited jurisdictional function (the so-called ‘quasi-in-rem’ jurisdiction),5 orders of attachment primarily ensure that assets will be preserved against the day when a money judgment may be obtained and enforced. Once an order of attachment is delivered to the sheriff the plaintiff has a lien on defendant's personal property, including debts owed to him. The lien is superior, to the extent of the amount covered by the attachment, to the rights of any transferee of such property and to the rights of creditors …
Physical characteristics of speech rhythm of deaf and normal-hearing speakers

Abstract Speech of young adult deaf males and normal-hearing males was judged for speech rhythm proficiency and subjected to acoustical analyses. Deaf subjects, as compared to normals, exhibited less variation of fundamental frequency and intensity, greater total duration and average syllable duration, but the same relative variation of syllable duration. Speech rhythm proficiency was unrelated to fundamental frequency variation, somewhat related to intensity variation, and highly related to absolute duration measures.
Efficient sets in graphs

Abstract The efficiency of a set S of vertices in an undirected graph G =( V , E ) is defined to be e ( S )=|{ v | vϵV — S and v is adjacent to exactly one vertex in S }|, i.e., the number of vertices in V—S that are dominated by exactly one vertex in S . The efficiency of a graph G =( V , E ) equals the maximum efficiency of any subset S of vertices of V . A linear time algorithm is presented for computing the efficiency of an arbitrary tree and an NP-completeness proof is given for the problem of deciding if an arbitrary planar bipartite graph has a set S such that e ( S )≥ k , for some positive integer k .
Incorporation of Fiber Optic Beam Shaping into a Laparoscopic Probe for Laser Stimulation of the Cavernous Nerves

The cavernous nerves (CN) course along the prostate surface and are responsible for erectile function. Improved identification and preservation of the CN's is critical to maintaining sexual potency after prostate cancer surgery. Noncontact optical nerve stimulation (ONS) of the CN's was recently demonstrated in a rat model, in vivo, as a potential alternative to electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) for identification of the CN's during prostate surgery. However, the therapeutic window for ONS is narrow, so optimal design of the fiber optic delivery system is critical for safe, reproducible stimulation. This study describes modeling, assembly, and testing of an ONS probe for delivering a small, collimated, flat-top laser beam for uniform CN stimulation. A direct comparison of the magnitude and response time of the intracavernosal pressure (ICP) for both Gaussian and flat-top spatial beam profiles was performed. Thulium fiber laser radiation (λ=1870 nm) was delivered through a 200-μm fiber, with distal fiber tip chemically etched to convert a Gaussian to flat-top beam profile. The laser beam was collimated to a 1-mm-diameter spot using an aspheric lens. Computer simulations of light propagation were used to optimize the probe design. The 10-Fr (3.4-mm-OD) laparoscopic probe provided a constant radiant exposure at the nerve surface. The probe was tested in four rats, in vivo. ONS of the CN's was performed with a 1-mm-diameter spot, 5- ms pulse duration, and pulse rate of 20 Hz for a duration of 15-30 s. The flat-top laser beam profile consistently produced a faster and higher ICP response at a lower radiant exposure than the Gaussian beam profile due, in part, to easier alignment of the more uniform beam with nerve. With further development, ONS may be used as a diagnostic tool for identification of the CN's during laparoscopic and robotic nerve-sparing prostate cancer surgery.
Rigor mortis: a response to Nilsson's “logic and artificial intelligence”

Abstract Logicism has contributed greatly to progress in AI by emphasizing the central role of mental content and representational vocabulary in intelligent systems. Unfortunately, the logicists' dream of a completely use-independent characterization of knowledge has drawn their attention away from these fundamental AI problems, leading instead to a concentration on purely formalistic issues in deductive inference and model-theoretic “semantics”. In addition, their failure to resist the lure of formalistic modes of expression has unnecessarily curtailed the prospects for intellectual interaction with other AI researchers.
Digital particle imaging velocimetry of viscoelastic fluids

We investigate the utility of digital particle imaging velocimetry (DPIV) for performing kinematic measurements in non-Newtonian flows. With the advances in numerical techniques for simulation of viscoelastic flows, acquisition of spatially dense 2-D kinematic data in steady and time-dependent deformations can be useful in verifying predictions of the corresponding computational studies. Furthermore, kinematic measurements of the velocity field and rate of deformation in prototypical industrial processes can significantly enhance the rational design and optimization of polymer processing unit operations. Application of a high seeding density DPIV technique in viscoelastic media is discussed, and quantitative data are obtained in a number of industrially relevant flow geometries. The issues of velocity-position assignment and the effects of a velocity gradient across DPIV correlation regions are discussed. A simple yet effective averaging technique preserves the order of accuracy and assigns the velocity vectors to their appropriate positions using an overlapping discretization scheme. The examples studied experimentally include steady flow in circular pipes, flow past obstructions, flow in a lid-driven cavity, and time-dependent free-surface extensional flows in a liquid filament. With the exception of the first example, these flow geometries constitute an important collection of configurations in which quantitative experimental data for non-Newtonian fluids are scarce or nonexistent.
Drug effects under automaintenance and negative automaintenance procedures

Three food-deprived pigeons were initially exposed to an automaintenance procedure in which brief periods of response key illumination were followed by food delivery without regard to the subject's behavior. Keypecking occurred at a high rate while the key was illuminated and was reduced in dose-dependent fashion by acute administration of LSD (0.05--0.45 mg/kg), quipazine (1.0--8.0 mg/kg), haloperidol (0.08--0.32 mg/kg), and pentobarbital (4.0--16.0 mg/kg). The animals were then exposed to a negative automaintenance procedure in which food delivery followed key illumination only if the lighted key was not contacted. Keypecking occurred at a low rate under this procedure, with no responses occurring during the majority of key illuminations and was decreased or unaffected by LSD, quipazine, and haloperidol; pentobarbital increased responding at doses of 4.0 mg/kg and 8.0 mg/kg and reduced responding at a dose of 16.0 mg/kg.
Children's Use of Frames of Reference in Communication of Spatial Location

The frames of reference used by 4-, 6-, and 8-year-old children were studied in a spatial direction-giving task. Children were asked to specify verbally the location of a toy hidden under one of several identical cups. The child and listener sat facing each other at opposite ends of a room that had distinctive or nondistinctive landmarks proximal and distal to the hiding location. Location needed to be specified with respect to either the left-right dimension, the front-back dimension, or both. The results indicated that (1) although children's overall performance improved with age, communication about the left-right dimension was particularly difficult for 4-year-old children and showed a higher rate of improvement with age than communication about the front-back dimension; and (2) the frames of reference that children incorporated into their directions changed with age and differed for directions about the front-back and left-right dimensions. Both 4- and 6-year-old children used person references (themselves or the listener) to specify front-back relations, but only the 6-year-olds were able to compensate for their apparent difficulty in using the terms left and right by using landmarks to specify the left-right dimension. Eight-year-olds used a combination of person and landmark references in directions about both dimensions. Discrepancies between the frames of reference children used to communicate spatial location and those typically used in other spatial cognition tasks are discussed in terms of developmental and task constraints.