cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Suspected Opioid Overdose With Naloxone in Out-of-Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review

Background Naloxone is effective for reversing opioid overdose, but optimal strategies for out-of-hospital use are uncertain. Purpose To synthesize evidence on 1) the effects of naloxone route of administration and dosing for suspected opioid overdose in out-of-hospital settings on mortality, reversal of overdose, and harms, and 2) the need for transport to a health care facility after reversal of overdose with naloxone. Data sources Ovid MEDLINE (1946 through September 2017), PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) materials, and reference lists. Study selection English-language cohort studies and randomized trials that compared different doses of naloxone, administration routes, or transport versus nontransport after reversal of overdose with naloxone. Main outcomes were mortality, reversal of overdose, recurrence of overdose, and harms. Data extraction Dual extraction and quality assessment of individual studies; consensus assessment of overall strength of evidence (SOE). Data synthesis Of 13 eligible studies, 3 randomized controlled trials and 4 cohort studies compared different administration routes. At the same dose (2 mg), 1 trial found similar efficacy between higher-concentration intranasal naloxone (2 mg/mL) and intramuscular naloxone, and 1 trial found that lower-concentration intranasal naloxone (2 mg/5 mL) was less effective than intramuscular naloxone but was associated with decreased risk for agitation (low SOE). Evidence was insufficient to evaluate other comparisons of route of administration. Six uncontrolled studies reported low rates of death and serious adverse events (0% to 1.25%) in nontransported patients after successful naloxone treatment. Limitation There were few studies, all had methodological limitations, and none evaluated FDA-approved autoinjectors or highly concentrated intranasal formulations. Conclusion Higher-concentration intranasal naloxone (2 mg/mL) seems to have efficacy similar to that of intramuscular naloxone for reversal of opioid overdose, with no difference in adverse events. Nontransport after reversal of overdose with naloxone seems to be associated with a low rate of serious harms, but no study evaluated risks of transport versus nontransport. Primary funding source Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (PROSPERO: CRD42016053891).
Effect of Seasonal Changes on a Hybrid Soil–Geofoam Embankment System

The effects of climatic variations on the performance of the bridge infrastructure were not adequately addressed. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the effect of seasonal temperature and precipitation variations on a bridge infrastructure located in Johnson County, Texas. This bridge has undergone a rehabilitation process by partially replacing the embankment soil with lightweight expanded polystyrene geofoam (EPS geofoam) to reduce bridge approach slab settlements. Four years of monitored vertical deformation and pressure cell data from the field instrumentation was used to analyze the performance of the bridge slab and adjoining roadway pavement system. From the analysis, it was observed that the vertical pressures and total deformations were increased with an increase in temperature and were decreased with a decrease in temperature. Also, with an increase in the temperature, it was observed that the bridge retaining wall exerted lateral pressure on the geofoam blocks and with a decrease in temperature the pressures decreased considerably. This study highlights the observations made on the bridge approach slab and adjoining roadway pavement vertical deformations with respect to temperature and precipitation variations.
Opioid Prescribing Practices of Neurosurgeons: Analysis of Medicare Part D.

Objective The Centers for Disease Control have declared that the United States is amidst a continuing opioid epidemic, with drug overdose−related death tripling between 1999 and 2014. Among the 47,055 overdose-related deaths that occurred in 2014, 28,647 (60.9%) of them involved an opioid. Methods The Part D Prescriber Public Use File, which is based on beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, was used to query information on prescription drug events incurred by Medicare beneficiaries with a Part D prescription drug plan from 31 June 2014 to 30 June 2015. Only those providers with the specialty description of neurosurgeon, as reported on the provider's Part B claims, were included in this study. Results A total of 271,502 beneficiaries, accounting for 971,581 claims and 22,152,689 day supplies of medication, accounted for the $52,956,428.40 paid by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for medication that the 4085 neurosurgeons submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Part D program in the 2014 calendar year. During the same year, 402,767 (41.45%) claims for 158,749 (58.47%) beneficiaries accounted for 6,458,624 (29.16%) of the day supplies of medications and $13,962,630.11 (26.37%) of the total money spent by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Part D that year. Nationwide, the ratio of opioid claims to total Medicare Part D beneficiaries was 1.48. No statistically significant regional differences were found. Conclusions The opioid misuse epidemic is a complex and national issue with patterns of prescription not significantly different between regions. All neurosurgeons must be cognizant of their prescribing practices so as to best support the resolution of this public health crisis.
Effects of iron-oxide nanoparticles on compound biofilms of streptococcus gordonii and fusobacterium nucleatum

The human mouth is a host of a large gamut of bacteria species, with over 700 of different bacteria strains identified. Most of these bacterial species are harmless, some are beneficial (such as probiotics assisting in food digestion), but some are responsible for various diseases, primarily tooth decay and gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Dental plaque has a complicated structure that varies from patient to patient, but a common factor in most cases is the single species of bacterium acting as a secondary colonizer, namely Fusobacterium nucleatum, while the actual disease is caused by a variety of tertiary colonizers. We hypothesize that destruction of a compound biofilm containing Fusobacterium nucleatum will prevent tertiary colonizers (oral pathogens) from establishing a biofilm, and thus will protect the patient from developing gingivitis and periodontitis. In this paper, we report on the effects of exposure of compound biofilms of a primary colonizer Streptococcus gordonii combined with Fusobacterium nucleatum to iron oxide nanoparticles as possible bactericidal agent.
An Examination of Self-Determination Within Alumni of an Early College Entrance Program:

This article describes outcomes from a subpopulation of a larger study (The Alumni Study) of early college entrance alumni through the lens of self-determination theory. The Alumni Study used mixed...
Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome Type IV (Vascular): Gastrointestinal Features

Ehlers–Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen. Severity of the disease depends on the mutation inherited. The disorder occurs in approximately one in 5,000 births.
Dysbiosis in the oral bacterial and fungal microbiome of HIV-infected subjects is associated with clinical and immunologic variables of HIV infection.

Background The effect of smoking on microbial dysbiosis and the potential consequence of such shift on markers of HIV disease is unknown. Here we assessed the relationship of microbial dysbiosis with smoking and markers of HIV disease. Methods Oral wash was collected from: (1) HIV-infected smokers (HIV-SM, n = 48), (2) HIV-infected non-smokers (HIV-NS, n = 24), or (3) HIV-uninfected smokers (UI-SM, n = 24). Microbial DNA was extracted and their bacterial and fungal microbiota (bacteriome and mycobiome, respectively) were characterized using Ion-Torrent sequencing platform. Sequencing data were compared using clustering, diversity, abundance and inter-kingdom correlations analyses. Results Bacteriome was more widely dispersed than mycobiome, there was no noticeable difference in clustering between groups. Richness of oral bacteriome in HIV-SM was significantly lower than that of UI-SM (P ≤ .03). Diversity of HIV-NS was significantly lower than that of HIV-SM or UI-SM at phylum level (P ≤ .02). Abundance of Phylum Firmicutes was significantly decreased in HIV-NS compared to HIV-SM and UI-SM (P = .007 and .027, respectively), while abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly increased in HIV-NS compared to HIV-SM and UI-SM (P = .0005 and .011, respectively). Fungal phyla did not differ significantly between the three cohorts. Cumulative smoking was positively correlated with Facklamia but negatively with Enhydrobacter, and current alcohol use was negatively correlated with Geniculata. Bacteria Facklamia exhibited weakly positive correlation with longer PI duration (r = 0.094, P = 0.012), and a negative correlation with nadir CD4 count (r = -0.345; P = 0.004), while Granulicatella was negatively correlated with nadir CD4 count (r = -0.329; P = 0.007). Fungus Stemphylium correlated negatively with nadir CD4 (r = -0.323; P = 0.008). Conclusions Dysbiosis of the oral microbiota is associated with clinical and immunologic variables in HIV-infected patients.
Identifying the Stereotypical Who, What, and Why of Physics and Biology

Physicists are stereotyped as highly intelligent, not at all warm and friendly, and as working in a field that is very difficult and does not value helping others.
Introduction: “I Don’t Want Batman as President”

It’s natural to open up a collection like this and ask, somewhat skeptically, “What does Batman have to do with politics?”
Transcription and Data Management

You may think that transcription is the simple yet tedious process of typing recordings of conversations or interviews before data analysis can begin. Nothing could be further from the truth. As you plan your research project, a series of questions must be asked and answered to assure that the transcripts support the data analysis process. Questions like “What level of detail should be included?” “How should the data be represented?” “Who should do the transcribing? “What recording and transcription equipment is needed? “What ethical considerations need to be taken into account?” “How do I keep track of all the data?” In this chapter we present a process for qualitative researchers to select the transcription approach best suited to their project.
Selecting appropriate machine learning methods for digital soil mapping

Abstract Digital soil mapping (DSM) increasingly makes use of machine learning algorithms to identify relationships between soil properties and multiple covariates that can be detected across landscapes. Selecting the appropriate algorithm for model building is critical for optimizing results in the context of the available data. Over the past decade, many studies have tested different machine learning (ML) approaches on a variety of soil data sets. Here, we review the application of some of the most popular ML algorithms for digital soil mapping. Specifically, we compare the strengths and weaknesses of multiple linear regression (MLR), k-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector regression (SVR), Cubist, random forest (RF), and artificial neural networks (ANN) for DSM. These algorithms were compared on the basis of five factors: (1) quantity of hyperparameters, (2) sample size, (3) covariate selection, (4) learning time, and (5) interpretability of the resulting model. If training time is a limitation, then algorithms that have fewer model parameters and hyperparameters should be considered, e.g., MLR, KNN, SVR, and Cubist. If the data set is large (thousands of samples) and computation time is not an issue, ANN would likely produce the best results. If the data set is small (
Corn: A Cultural Shift in Identity Due to Severe Food Insecurity

The story of Thanksgiving is a more complicated and complex story than the tale of peaceful beginnings that is typically associated with the Pilgrims’ meals shared with Native Americans. The story of the pilgrims’ first years included tragic death, severe food insecurity and a politically charged meal that brought enemies together. The first Thanksgiving is a tale of a dramatic shift in American identity and culture as pilgrims struggled to survive in a harsh, unfamiliar world. Corn, a food source associated with poverty, simplicity and demeaned as “native” and unworthy of European palettes became a central staple in the diet and a central feature in a shared American identity. Yet, it was the death of half the pilgrim’s colony and their lack of preparation (as they faced starvation and uncertainty) that introduced corn to the American diet. Today, corn has become interwoven into our diet and American consumerism. My paper documents this surprising and dramatic shift and follows the corn as it goes from a hated food source to become an integral iconic part of the American identity.
A scalable parallel algorithm for direct-forcing immersed boundary method for multiphase flow simulation on spectral elements

In this work, we propose a highly scalable parallel double binned ghost particle (DBGP) algorithm for direct-forcing immersed boundary spectral element method for multiphase flow simulations. In particular, the DBGP algorithm is designed to obtain fully distributed data storage and scalable data transfer across hundreds of thousands of processors. The proposed algorithm uses a queen and worker data structure for fully resolved particles to demarcate particle-level and marker-level quantities and communication. In the DBGP algorithm, each particle’s centroid is represented by a queen marker and the particle surface is covered with a uniform distribution of surface worker markers. The queen marker contains information on the translational and rotational motion of a particle and integrates the force and torque computed at all the worker markers, while the worker marker implements the fluid–particle interaction. Ghost queen and ghost worker markers are generated for each real queen and real worker marker during computation for particle-level and marker-level communications, respectively. A double Cartesian binning process is introduced that divides the physical domain into a coarse queen-bin and a fine worker-bin structure in three dimensions. The queen-bin and worker-bin sizes are determined by their zone of influence at the particle-level and marker-level communication, respectively. Bin-to-rank maps that relate each queen-bin and worker-bin to all the MPI ranks that they interact with are created. By using the queen/worker marker representation and two-layer bin-to-rank maps, data communication across very large number of MPI ranks is efficiently carried out. A scaling analysis has been conducted, showing excellent performance of the DBGP algorithm for up to 16,384 MPI ranks in both weak and strong scaling studies. The proposed method has been demonstrated to accurately predict sedimentation of particle clouds. The simulated correlation between the mean settling velocity and volume fraction is in good agreement with empirical correlations from previous studies.
Citizens United and Independent Expenditures in State Supreme Court Elections

Following the decision by the US Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010, questions about the impact of unlimited independent expenditures on state supreme court ele...
Is Liberal Socialism Possible? Reflections on “Real Utopias”*:

This essay, written in memory of Erik Olin Wright (1947–2019), explores the possibility of liberal socialism. Wright sought to rescue both liberalism and socialism from their demonstrated capacity ...
Automatic Blossom Detection in Apple Trees using Deep Learning

Abstract Overcropping in fruit trees results in decreased fruit size, poor fruit quality, biennial bearing, and reduction in productive life of orchards. Although flowers and fruits are removed/thinned naturally, they require additional thinning for commercial grade fruit production. Integration of machine vision system in mechanical/chemical thinning facilitates automated selective blossom thinning. The primary requirement for automating blossom thinning is to estimate the blossom density in apple trees under varying background and lighting conditions. In this work, we implement Mask-RCNN algorithm to perform instance segmentation of apple blossoms. Different image augmentation techniques were implemented and their impact on blossom detection were assessed. Experiments were conducted to achieve optimal values of hyperparameters of the deep learning network during the training. Implementation of image augmentation was crucial to reduce validation loss and improve detection accuracy of segmentation algorithm. The proposed system achieved average precision (AP) of 0.86 in detecting blossoms in test dataset previously unseen by the network.
Interleukin-6 Signaling and Anti-Interleukin-6 Therapeutics in Cardiovascular Disease.

IL (interleukin)-6 is a pivotal cytokine of innate immunity, which enacts a broad set of physiological functions traditionally associated with host defense, immune cell regulation, proliferation, a...
From indigène to entrepreneur immigrant: Racism in the era of neoliberalism:

In the past two decades, there has been a shift to the so-called civic integration model across European countries along with the development of a European migration regime. This article explores t...
Full Abstract to Published Manuscript: Evaluation of the Scientific Impact of the American Society of Breast Surgeons Conference.

The scientific rigor of the abstracts presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) annual meeting has not been recently evaluated. In this study, we sought to determine the rate at which abstracts presented at the 2017 and 2018 ASBrS meetings were published in peer-reviewed journals, and compared the rates with breast abstracts presented at the 2018 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) meeting. Abstracts from the 2017 and 2018 ASBrS and 2018 SSO conferences were searched in PubMed for published manuscripts using the abstract title and/or first or last author. In 2017, 21.6% of the 268 abstracts presented at the ASBrS conference resulted in full publication, compared with 36.6% of the 273 abstracts presented at the 2018 ASBrS conference, resulting in a significant difference in the publication rate (p < 0.001). Of the 158 abstracts published from the 2017 and 2018 meetings, 75 (47.8%) were published in Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO). There was no correlation between impact factor and time to publication. Oral presentations and quick shots were more likely to be published than poster presentations, and oral presentations were more likely to be published in higher-impact journals. The 2018 SSO meetings resulted in 54 of 111 (48.6%) breast abstracts leading to full publication. Approximately 29.2% of the abstracts presented at the ASBrS 2017 and 2018 conferences resulted in a published manuscript. A higher publication rate in higher impact journals for oral presentations indicates that the abstract review process properly stratifies the research.
The Marketing of Professional Health-Care Services

Revolution is changing the American health-care system. Changes taking place are unquestionably some of the most dramatic in the history of American health care. Impact of the trends now affecting the health-care system undoubtedly will influence structure and functioning of the system well into the 21st century.
Inductive link modeling and design guidelines for optimum power transfer in implantable wireless microsystems

In this paper, we present a new approach for wireless link modeling in inductively powered microsystems. We will also provide design guidelines for obtaining a maximum coupling coefficient and achieving minimum misalignment sensitivity between an integrated microcoil and an external planar coil. Maxwell/spl reg/ 3D simulations are used to model the link and to calculate the coupling coefficient between the coils. For analysis and design, both coils are assumed to be planar and square. The simulations are performed for completely aligned, laterally misaligned, angularly misaligned, and laterally/angularly misaligned coils. It is shown that external coil dimensions are an important design parameter for optimum coupling at fixed separations. Experimental and simulation results are shown to be in good agreement to within less than 5%.
Analysis of Biaxially Loaded Steel H-Columns

A number of problems on the inelastic stability of biaxially loaded columns were solved by utilizing an incremental approach. The matrix of influence coefficients, referred to herein as the tangent stiffness matrix, varies with the loading and depends upon the penetration of yielding across the section, the magnitude of external loads, and the displacements of the column. The matrix must therefore be revised with each increment of load, and during each cycle of iteration. Successive corrections are made until the condition of equilibrium between the internal and external forces is satisfied. The analysis covered two different types of loading, proportional and nonproportional. The influences of material yielding, residual stress, end warping restraint, end bending restraint, and initial imperfection were included. The problems of centrally loaded columns and lateral-torsional buckling of beam-columns were also examined by using the biaxial bending theory and the concept of initial imperfection.
Coadsorption phase diagram for Kr/CCl4 on graphite

We present an extensive thermodynamic study of methane coadsorbed on graphite precoated with a saturated monolayer of carbon tetrachloride. A combination of heat capacity and volumetric equation of state data permit construction of the multilayer coadsorption phase diagram between 70 and 115 K. Displacement of the preadsorbed CCl_4 by CH_4 occurs by a continuous process across the temperature range studied. While the continuous nature of the transition implies a single phase mixed film during displacement, the observation of a commensurability transition characteristic of CH_4 on bare graphite suggests the emergence of order in the coadsorbed CH_4 in the early stages of displacement. At low temperatures and multilayer coverages, the coadsorption phase diagram shows small but measurable differences from the pure CH_4 data, indicating that the multilayer film formed after displacement is not identical to that of CH_4 in the absence of CCl_4. At higher temperatures, a new first order phase transition is observed to correspond with the completion of displacement. One interpretation is that the phase boundary represents the melting of a nearly pure CH_4 monolayer solid into a mixed liquid film phase, with the size of the melting point depression indicating a concentration of nearly 1% CCl_4 in the liquid phase.
Disablism Reflected in Law and Policy: The Social Construction and Perpetuation of Prejudice

There are widespread historical and cultural analyses of the problems associated with racism, sexism, classism, and other types of prejudice; however, there is a paucity on disablism. As with other prejudices, an examination of the origins and perpetuation of disablism is controversial because it is cloaked in narrow legal and policy analyses of the historical and cultural documentation on the notion of disability. There has been little systematic research on disablism and typically it has been misrepresented as a health, economic, technical, or safety issue rather than prejudice. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) was signed into law with the assumption that it would provide equal accommodations for disabled people. In this paper, we examine the institutions of education and the workplace to analyze how “equal accommodations” under such policies pose some serious and problematic political processes and consequences in shaping disability rights. Our analysis suggests that from an international perspective most disability policies remain rooted in a narrow medical model, despite evidence of attempts to construct politics of diversity and self definition.
The Mode of Action of Vitamin K IDENTIFICATION OF γ-CARBOXYGLUTAMIC ACID AS A COMPONENT OF PROTHROMBIN

Abstract An unusual tryptic peptide isolated from the protein, prothrombin, has recently been shown to contain at least a portion of the vitamin K-dependent region of this protein (Nelsestuen, G. L., and Suttie, J. W. (1973) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 70, 3366–3370). A modified glutamylserine dipeptide has been isolated from proteolytic digests of this vitamin K-dependent peptide and has been characterized. It has been unambiguously demonstrated that the glutamic acid of the glutamylserine has been substituted by carboxylation of the γ carbon atom so that the dipeptide structure is: [see PDF for equation] Presumably, the incorporation of the second γ-carboxyl group is dependent on vitamin K.
A synthesis procedure for Hopfield's continuous time content addressable memory

A technique is presented for designing content-addressable memories to be implemented by Hopfield neural networks. The technique guarantees that each desired memory is stored and is attractive. The procedure also guarantees that the resulting network is implementable, a requirement that is often overlooked by other methods. The synthesis procedure does not require a symmetric interconnection matrix; instead, stability is guaranteed by use of the results presented by A.N. Michel and R.K. Miller (Qualitative Analysis of Large Scale Dynamical Systems, Academic Press, 1977). Two examples are presented to demonstrate the synthesis procedure's storage capacity and flexibility. >
Subject heading authority list, computer prepared

A Subject Heading Authority List containing main entries, scope notes, cross-references, and subdivisions is compiled, printed, and updated by computer. A code-sort method preserves the Library of Congress format of the subject headings and allows for random insertion and deletion of entries. The master tape and updated punched cards are used to produce biweekly change notices plus a quarterly revision of the list. Design criteria, programing, input preparation, printing, and future refinements of the list technique are covered. Selection from among several design alternatives is emphasized.
Osteogenic PTHs and vascular ossification—Is there a danger for osteoporotics?

Inflammation in vascular (mostly arterial) walls and heart valves triggered by the trans-endothelial influx of LDL particles and the action of subsequently modified (e.g., by oxidation) LDL particles can trigger true bone formation by valvar fibroblasts, by a subpopulation of re-differentiation-competent VSMCs (vascular smooth muscle cells) or by vascular pericytes. Vascular ossification can lead to heart failure and death. Elderly osteoporotic women who need osteogenic drugs to restore their lost skeletal bone are paradoxically prone to vascular ossification-the "calcification paradox." The recent introduction into the clinic of a potently osteogenic parathyroid hormone peptide, Lilly's rhPTH-(1-34)OH (Forteotrade mark), to reverse skeletal bone loss raises the question of whether this and other potently osteogenic PTHs still in clinical trial might also stimulate vascular ossification in such osteoporotic women. Indeed the VSMCs in human and rat atherosclerotic lesions hyperexpress PTHrP and the PTHR1 (or PTH1R) receptor as do maturing osteoblasts. And the evidence indicates that endogenous PTHrP with its NLS (nuclear/nucleolar localization sequence) does stimulate VSMC proliferation (a prime prerequisite for atheroma formation and ossification) via intranuclear targets that inactivate pRb, the inhibitory G1/S checkpoint regulator, by stimulating its hyperphosphorylation. But neither externally added full-length PTHrP nor the NLS-lacking PTHrP-(1-34)OH gets into the VSMC nucleus and instead they inhibit proliferation and calcification by only activating the cell's PTHR1 receptors. No PTH has an NLS and, as expected from the observations on the externally added PTHrPs, hPTH-(1-34)OH inhibits calcification by VSMCs and cannot stimulate vascular ossification in a diabetic mouse model. Encouraging though this may be for osteoporotics with their "calcification paradox," more work is needed to be sure that the skeletally osteogenic PTHs do not promote vascular ossification with its cardiovascular consequences.
The double-edged effects of emotional intelligence on the adaptive selling–salesperson-owned loyalty relationship

Emotional intelligence can positively impact sales outcomes. However, research is needed to enhance our understanding about how salesperson's emotional intelligence affects adaptive selling and customer outcomes. This study uses dyadic data from 150 customers matched with 25 salespeople to investigate relationships among emotional intelligence, adaptive selling (AS) and customer loyalty perceptions. Research findings show that regulation of emotions negatively affects salesperson-owned loyalty (SOL), while it positively moderates the AS-SOL relationship. These findings are critical as they challenge the pervasive conception of the positive impact of regulation of emotions in sales. Results also provide further evidence that SOL is important to the firm as it positively affects loyalty to the service provider and through mediating processes also impacts word of mouth.
The valuation effects of bank mergers

Abstract This paper examines the valuation effects of a sample of 558 bank mergers from 1980–1997. The overall results indicate that bank mergers create wealth. On average over a 36-day (−30, +5) event window, targets gain over 22%, bidders break even, and combined firms gain 3%. The results further indicate that mergers in the 1990s, which have not been extensively studied in prior work, have positive effects. In the 1990s over the 36-day window: target gain significantly, bidder returns are positive and statistically larger than the mid-1980s, and combined firm returns are significantly positive. These results are consistent with the notion that bank mergers occur for synergistic reasons and are not the result of empire building. However, bidder returns are sensitive to the event window implemented. Examining returns over an 11-day (−5, +5) window, target returns remain significantly positive, while bidder returns are statistically negative, and combined firm returns are statistically positive. Results over both windows indicate that overall wealth effects from bank mergers are positive over time, particularly in the 1990s.
XAS study of mercury(II) ions trapped in mercaptan-functionalized mesostructured silicate with a wormhole framework structure.

Directly assembled wormhole mesostructures with high level functionalized mercaptan (MP-HMS) have been shown to be effective mercury(II) (Hg2+) trapping agents. Sorption of Hg2+ onto MP-HMS was inv...
Further studies of antigenic structure of Pasteurella pestis in gels.

SummaryPasteurella pestis, virulent or avirulent; contains 7 antigens demonstrable in the Oudin test. Five are common to P. pseudotuberculosis; 3 of these are thermo-labile and 2 are thermostable. Of the 7 antigens of P. pestis 4 are thermolabile and 2 thermostable. The remaining antigen is haptenized Fraction I. Formalin affects all of the antigens except one, rendering them thermolabile; toluene does not affect them.
Spatio-temporal stationary covariance models

Stationary covariance functions that model space-time interactions are in great demand. The goal of this paper is to introduce and develop new spatio-temporal stationary covanance models. Integral representations for covariance functions with certain properties, such as α-symmetry in the spatial lag, are established. Mixture models are proposed through purely spatial and temporal covariance functions.
Single electron tunneling in TlBa2(Ca0.8Y0.2)Cu2O7 thin films at 10K

Tunneling measurements on TlBa2(Ca0.8Y0.2)Cu2O7 taken at low temperatures with a scanning tunneling microscope reveal clear evidence of single electron tunneling behavior. Topographical studies of the film with both scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy provide a simple explanation of the source of the ultra small capacitors necessary to explain the single electron tunneling spectra as a natural result of the planar crystal structure of TlBa2(Ca0.8Y0.2)Cu2O7.
Analysis of a diffusion-limited island growth mechanism for chemisorption and epitaxy

We consider an island growth mechanism wherein species adsorbed on top of two-dimensional islands diffuse to the edge and are then incorporated. A simple matrix formulation is developed for this random-walk problem which allows exact calculation of the growth probability distribution, neglecting island rearrangement. Furthermore, we also show how related trapping probabilities can be calculated recursively for various stages of island growth. The case of imperfect trapping at island edges is also considered, and reduction to Eden-model--type growth in the low-trapping-probability regime is demonstrated. In general, the growing islands are rounder and have fewer defects and narrower active zones than Eden clusters.
Federal judges' perceptions of social research in judicial decision‐making

Social science methods have come to play an ever increasing role in judicial decisions, particularly in civil rights cases. Results of an exploratory survey of the federal judiciary indicated at least two rather remarkable patterns. Although most federal judges thought knowledge of empirical methods could be helpful, they believed that a workable knowledge of such methods was not essential in either judicial rulings or legal education. Such thinking suggests several serious implications for the character and quality of judicial decisions and, as a result, offers students of communication and the law an important opportunity to contibute to the futher study of legal argument.
Boltzmann Fluctuations in Numerical Simulations of Nonequilibrium Lattice Threshold Systems.

Nonequilibrium threshold systems such as slider blocks are now used to model a variety of dynamical systems, including earthquake faults, driven neural networks, and sliding charge density waves. We show that for general mean field models driven at low rates fluctuations in the internal energy field are characterized by Boltzmann statistics. Numerical simulations confirm this prediction. Our results indicate that mean field models can be effectively treated as equilibrium systems.
Chromosome engineering in mice

Chromosomal rearrangements are the major cause of inherited human disease and fetal loss. Translocations and loss of heterozygosity are important genetic changes causally involved in neoplasia. Chromosomal variants, such as deficiencies, are commonly exploited in genetic screens in organisms such as Drosophila because a small portion of the genome is functionally hemizygous. In the mouse, deficiencies are not generally available, thus genetic screens for recessive mutations are cumbersome. We report here that defined deficiencies, inversions and duplications extending to 3-4 cM can be constructed in embryonic stem cells. This was achieved by consecutive targeting of loxP recombination substrates to the end points of a genetic interval followed by Cre-induced recombination. This reconstructs a positive selectable marker which facilitates direct selection of clones with a chromosome structure specific to the relative orientation of the loxP sites. Duplication and deletion alleles have been transmitted into the mouse germ line. The availability of mice with defined regions of segmental haploidy will allow their use in genetic screens and enable accurate models of human 'chromosomal' diseases to be generated.
META PI: an on-line interactive compiler-compiler

It is difficult to specifically date the origin of the research efforts within the programming discipline that are directed at describing and implementing a language which would produce compilers.
Behavioral Contrast Using a Percentage Reinforcement Procedure

Abstract Behavioral contrast can be defined as an inverse relation between rate of responding in one component of a multiple schedule and the conditions of reinforcement in the other component. The present study was an attempt to produce contrast by changing the probability of reinforcement. Four pigeons pecked a key for mixed-grain reinforcers delivered by a two-component multiple schedule. In each component, reinforcers were scheduled by a variable-interval schedule and were delivered at a certain probability (i.e., a percentage reinforcement procedure). In contrast conditions, the probability of reinforcement in the second component was either increased or decreased. In some contrast conditions, nonreinforcement in the second component was signaled and in other conditions it was not. Nonreinforcement was always signaled in the first component. The changes in probability of reinforcement produced contrast. However, the contrast produced by changes in probability of reinforcement could not be differentiated from the contrast produced by changes in the rate at which reinforcers were delivered. The present results demonstrate that behavioral contrast can occur when a percentage reinforcement procedure is employed. Furthermore, although the results do not suggest that probability of reinforcement can be varied independently, they do extend the generality of contrast and its potential practical implications.
A study of acoustic emission generated during orthogonal metal cutting—1: Energy analysis

Abstract The application of acoustic emission (AE) sensing in metal cutting process monitoring requires a knowledge of the signal dependence on the variables encountered in the process and an understanding of the source mechanisms responsible for AE generation. In this paper, we study the dependence of the AE signal energy on orthogonal machining variables such as cutting velocity, uncut chip thickness and the chip-tool contact length. Controlled contact length tools were used in orthogonal machining of tubular 6061-T6 aluminum, at varying cutting velocities and feed rates (the feed rate in this case is equal to the uncut chip thickness). The root mean square (RMS) value of the AE signal was found to be linearly proportional to the cutting velocity. Based on this observation, the damping of dislocation motions is proposed as a possible AE source mechanism at the high strain rates encountered in metal cutting. The validity of the dislocation damping based model for AE generation is supported by experimental results and observations.
A pivotal role for serotonin (5HT) in the regulation of beta adrenoceptors by antidepressants: reversibility of the action of parachlorophenylalanine by 5-hydroxytroptophan

An acute reduction in the synaptic availability of serotonin (5HT) by p-chlorophenlalanine (PCPA) nullifies the decrease in the density of cortical beta adrenoceptors caused by desipramine (DMI) but does not appreciably alter the attenuation of the norepinephrine (NE) sensitive adenylate cyclase. The analysis of competition-binding curves of [3H]-dihydroalprenolol shows that the affinity of the agonist (−)-isoproterenol for cortical beta adrenoceptors is profoundly reduced following PCPA. This reduction in agonist affinity is enhanced by DMI. Resupplying 5HT by by-passing trptophan hydroxylase inhibition, by administering 5-hydroxytryptophan, converts a DMI non-responsive to a DMI responsive beta adrenoceptor population and shifts the markedly decreased agonist affinity towards the affinity values found in control preparations. The results demonstrate the pivotal role of 5HT in the regulation of the density and agonist affinity characteristics of cortical beta adrenoceptors and contribute to the scientific basis of the ‘serotonin-norepinephrine link hypothesis’ of affective disorders.
Synovial fluid pH, lactate, oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressure in various joint diseases

Fifty-five samples from knee joints of 44 patients with a wide variety of joint diseases were analyzed by routine gross and microscopic examination, and for pH, pO2 and pCO2; 18 fluids were analyzed for lactate. pO2 values ranged from 8–78 mm Hg. Lower values were found generally in fluids of the inflammatory type. pH values ranged between 6.6 and 7.41 units and correlated poorly with pO2. pCO2 ranged between 34 and 150 mm Hg. pO2 correlated poorly with pCO2 (r = −0.22) but better with lactate (r = −0.67). In the same 18 samples, lactate correlated better with pH (r = −0.9) than did pCO2 (r = −0.38). No single entity could be identified with a given degree of physiologic abnormality. These changes appear to be nonspecific. The good correlation between lactate and both pH and pO2 suggests that anaerobic glycolysis by an anoxic synovium may be the most important underlying factor.
Glucose micro- and nanosensors based on nanoassembled enzyme/polymer/dye composites

Minimally-invasive glucose sensors are attractive for disease management as well as medical and biological research applications. Fluorescent sensors, coupling enzymes to catalyze specific reactions with glucose, have been developed for this purpose. Our work has focused on the downscaling of these technologies to the micro- and nano-scale by using self-assembly to build the sensing components of the assays. Both "solid" polymers and hollow microshells have been developed to physically couple the sensing materials together in biocompatible, semipermeable packages suitable for use in biological systems. Fabrication details and sensor characterization are used to demonstrate the potential of these sensor concepts.
Effects of static and rhythmic twitch contractions on the discharge of group III and IV muscle afferents

Although both static and rhythmic twitch contractions of the hindlimb muscles of anaesthetised cats have been shown to reflexly evoke pressor responses, the increase in arterial pressure evoked by the former type of contraction has been shown to be substantially larger than that evoked by the latter. We have therefore recorded the impulse activity of single group III and IV muscle afferents, whose activation reflexly increases arterial pressure, while we both statically and rhythmically twitch-contracted the triceps surae muscles of anaesthetised cats. We found that group III afferents (n=17) discharged significantly more impulses in response to static contraction than in response to rhythmic contraction. By contrast, group IV afferents (n=18) fired approximately the same number of impulses in response to the two types of contraction. In addition, we found that many of the group III but only a few of the group IV afferents displayed discharge properties suggestive that these afferents were mechanoreceptors. We conclude that the discharge of group III afferents are likely to be responsible for the difference in the magnitudes of the reflex pressor responses evoked by static and rhythmic contraction.
Physical Dynamics of the Noncleidoic Egg of Stephanitis pyrioides (Heteroptera: Tingidae) During Development

Overwintering feral eggs of the immigrant azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides (Scott), and eggs laid on plants in a rearing chamber were sampled over time and measured for changes in size and weight during development. Eggs collected from both sources that were incubated in a rearing chamber were found to increase significantly in width and breadth. For eggs laid in the rearing chamber the greatest rate of change occurred between days 2 and 4 of embryo development, whereas in the feral eggs it occurred between Julian days 54 and 82. Although a cubic relationship was significant between day of embryo development and width and breadth for rearing chamber eggs, a quadratic relationship was significant between Julian day and width and breadth for feral eggs. Measured length of rearing chamber eggs did not change over time, but the length of feral eggs increased linearly with Julian day. An increase in weight of feral eggs was linearly related to Julian day and the mean weight of eggs laid in the rearing chamber was quadratically related to day of embryo development. Excised leaves with feral eggs were sampled biweekly during periods of dormancy and spring growth. It was determined that adequate moisture was present in the leaves for the embryo to complete development. Because number of days to preemergence was significantly influenced by Julian day (i.e, sampling date), the mean number of nymphs to emerge at each particular sampling day was not significantly influenced by moisture or day. The significant increase in egg width, breadth and weight indicates that the egg of S. pyrioides is noncleidoic and that the chorion is both pervious and elastic. A possible impact on voltinism is discussed.
Patterns of change in design metaphor: a case study

Design metaphors play an important role in the development of many software projects. However, the influence of metaphors on project functionality, design methodology and the interactions among members of the development team is not well understood. This paper seeks insights into these issues by examining the experiences of a design team in building a system under the influence of a particularly strong design metaphor.
Dimensions of deceptive responding in criminal offenders.

This study assessed whether faking-good and faking-bad involve 2 different concepts or are simple opposites on a single bipolar dimension. For 2 groups of Ss, 125 suspected child abusers and 305 incarcerated offenders, scores on 9 objective inventory scales for the detection of deception were factor analyzed. The results are consistent with role-playing and accuracy-of-knowledge models of deception
ATP‐dependent canalicular transport of cysteinyl leukotrienes

The liver is the major organ which eliminates leukotriene C4 (LTC4) and other cysteinyl leukotrienes from the blood circulation into bile. Transport of LTC4 was studied using inside-out vesicles enriched in canalicular and sinusoidal membranes from rat liver. The incubation of canalicular membrane vesicles with [3H]LTC4 in the presence of ATP resulted in an uptake of LTC4 into vesicles. The initial rate of ATP-stimulated LTC4 uptake was about 40-fold higher in canalicular than in sinusoidal membrane vesicles. When liver plasma membrane vesicles were incubated in the absence of ATP, an apparent transient uptake of LTC4 was observed which was temperaturedependent and not affected by the osmolarity. This indicates that LTC4 was bound to proteins on the surface of plasma membrane vesicles. Two proteins with relative molecular weights of 17,000 and 25,000 were detected by direct photoaffinity labeling as major LTC4-binding proteins. One protein (Mr 25,000) was ascribed to subunit 1 (Ya) of glutathione S-transferase which was associated with the membrane. LTD4, LTE4, N-acetyl-LTE4, and ω-carboxy-N-acetyl-LTE4 were also transported into liver plasma membrane vesicles in an ATP-dependent manner with initial rates relative to LTC4 (1.0) of 0.46, 0.11, 0.35, and 0.22, respectively. Mutual competition between the cysteinyl leukotrienes and S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-glutathione for uptake indicated that they are transported by a common carrier. Apparent Km values of the transport system for LTC4, LTD4, and N-acetyl-LTE4 were 0.25, 1.5, and 5.2 μM, respectively. The ATP-dependent transport of LTC4 into vesicles was not inhibited by doxorubicin, daunorubicin, or verapamil, or by the monoclonal antibody C219, suggesting that the transport system differs from P-glycoprotein. Liver plasma membrane vesicles prepared from mutant rats deficient in the hepatobiliary excretion of cysteinyl leukotrienes lacked the ATP-dependent transport of cysteinyl leukotrienes and S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-glutathione. These results demonstrate that the ATP-dependent carrier system is responsible for the transport of cysteinyl leukotrienes and glutathione S-conjugates from the hepatocytes into bile.