cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reality is only an option: Firesign theatre and surrealism

Early twentieth‐century surrealists developed a number of innovations which influenced the theatre of the 1960s and 1970s. Firesign Theatre was a group from the 1970s which worked in a variety of media, including stage, radio, recordings, and later computer disc interactives. This essay examines how the group used surrealist innovations with language to create satiric commentary on American life.
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Strengthening the Capacities of Nonprofits (1971–2008)

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services is a nonprofit organization that delivers cutting-edge research and support services to the nonprofit community. Over its 30-year history, CompassPoint has transitioned from a small management support agency into a nationally-recognized leader in nonprofit capacity building and nonprofit management research. Through its strong internal operations and external connections, the agency has been able to stay current on the multiple challenges facing the local and national nonprofit community. CompassPoint has been a valuable resource for the nonprofit sector as it has struggled to retain its identity over the past 30 years, in relation to political and economic changes that have altered the functioning of the sector as a whole.
IGD motifs, which are required for migration stimulatory activity of fibronectin type I modules, do not mediate binding in matrix assembly.

Picomolar concentrations of proteins comprising only the N-terminal 70-kDa region (70K) of fibronectin (FN) stimulate cell migration into collagen gels. The Ile-Gly-Asp (IGD) motifs in four of the nine FN type 1 (FNI) modules in 70K are important for such migratory stimulating activity. The 70K region mediates binding of nanomolar concentrations of intact FN to cell-surface sites where FN is assembled. Using baculovirus, we expressed wildtype 70K and 70K with Ile-to-Ala mutations in 3FNI and 5FNI; 7FNI and 9FNI; or 3FNI, 5FNI, 7FNI, and 9FNI. Wildtype 70K and 70K with Ile-to-Ala mutations were equally active in binding to assembly sites of FN-null fibroblasts. This finding indicates that IGD motifs do not mediate the interaction between 70K and the cell-surface that is important for FN assembly. Further, FN fragment N-3FNIII, which does not stimulate migration, binds to assembly sites on FN-null fibroblast. The Ile-to-Ala mutations had effects on the structure of FNI modules as evidenced by decreases in abilities of 70K with Ile-to-Ala mutations to bind to monoclonal antibody 5C3, which recognizes an epitope in 9FNI, or to bind to FUD, a polypeptide based on the F1 adhesin of Streptococcus pyogenes that interacts with 70K by the β-zipper mechanism. These results suggest that the picomolar interactions of 70K with cells that stimulate cell migration require different conformations of FNI modules than the nanomolar interactions required for assembly.
Segmentation of the Home-Buyer Market: A Cincinnati Study

To better understand the segmentation of the home-buyer market in American metropolitan areas, cluster analysis is applied to the results of three surveys of 6,173 recent home buyers in Hamilton County (Cincinnati), Ohio. Life-style orientation was particularly important in identifying 8 clusters, which highlights the value of using attitudinal as well as objective census-type measures. A large contiguous grouping of cosmopolitan submarkets close to downtown indicates the impact of a growing segment of the population with a taste for urban living. Methods of attracting home buyers to cosmopolitan and baseline communities—those with modestly priced homes suitable for households beginning the family mobility cycle—are discussed.
ADHD symptoms and benefit from extended time testing accommodations.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between ADHD symptoms, executive functioning problems, and benefit from extended time testing accommodations. Method: College students completed a battery...
Psychodrama research—therapy and theory: A critical analysis of an arrested modality

A critical review of psychodrama was presented. Psychodrama was defined as a therapy that utilizes theatrical principles as clients act out their problems. The need for a clear delineation of the method was discussed. Both the theoretical foundation and therapeutic implications were reviewed. Relevant research was examined from both social psychological and psychodramatic perspectives. The research in psychodrama was evaluated in the three general areas of: (a) therapeutic strategies, (b) case illustration reports, and (c) controlled research. The need for empirical research, to answer questions that have long been ignored, was clear.
Development of a therapeutics curriculum to enhance knowledge of fourth-year medical students about clinical uses and adverse effects of drugs.

Background: Enhanced clinical pharmacology and therapeutics education of medical students is important for improving effective and safe drug therapy. Increased education about pharmacovigilance is needed because serious drug-induced adverse effects are increasing. Fostering the needed scientific approach to prescribing requires knowledge of evidence-based drug therapy, based on understanding clinical trials. Therapeutic agents with novel mechanisms of action are increasingly available, and an unbiased understanding of the risks and benefits of novel agents is also important. These issues can be addressed in clinical pharmacology courses. However, many medical schools lack sufficient clinical pharmacologists to teach such courses. The Southern Illinois University Medical School faculty implemented an Advanced Therapeutics course to address these issues. Description: Development of this course involved defining appropriate content and organizing preclinical pharmacology and clinical faculty into teaching te...
Weeding Older Social Sciences Journals

Weeding collections of older materials in order to make room for newer materials is now an accepted part of librarianship. Accordingly, a consistent set of objective principles for weeding now exist. Applying these objective principles of weeding to older social sciences materials is problematic in light of the epistemological debate over how the social sciences are, or should be practiced. This article will first discuss the debate over the nature of the social sciences. It will then outline the objective principles of weeding. These principles will be then be applied to an older social scientific journal that is a candidate for weeding. Finally, the article will discuss how the debate in the social sciences potentially can affect the librarian's judgment about these older materials.
Rapid increases in cerebellar Purkinje cell glutamic acid decar☐ylase (GAD67) mRNA after lesion-induced increases in cell firing

Loss of the inferior olive-climbing fiber input to the cerebellar cortex doubles the simple spike activity of the cerebellar Purkinje cell. There is a 3- to 4-fold increase in Purkinje cell messenger RNA for the 67 kDa form of glutamic acid decar☐ylase (a synthetic enzyme for the neurotransmitter GABA) within 4–5 h of the increase in electrical activity, suggesting a rapid response of mechanisms influencing neurotransmitter synthesis or stability to altered electrophysiological activity.
Anticancer efficacies of cisplatin-releasing pH-responsive nanoparticles.

The objective of these investigations was to test the hypothesis that a rapid cytoplasmic release profile from nanoparticles would potentiate the anticancer activity of cisplatin. Cisplatin-loaded nanoparticles with pH-responsive poly[2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA) cores were synthesized from PDEA-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PDEA−PEG) copolymer by using a solvent-displacement (acetone−water) method. Nanoparticles with pH-nonresponsive poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) cores made from PCL-block-PEG (PCL−PEG) were used for comparison. Nanoparticle sizes, ζ potentials, drug-loading capacities, and pH responsiveness were characterized. The cellular uptakes and localization in lysosomes were visualized by using confocal fluorescence microscopy. Cytostatic effects of free and encapsulated cis-diammineplatinum(II) dichloride (cisplatin) toward human SKOV-3 epithelial ovarian cancer cells were estimated by using the MTT assay. Intraperitoneal tumor responses to cisplatin and cisplatin/PDEA−PEG were eval...
Evaluation of visible-light photolysis of ozone-water cluster molecules as a source of atmospheric hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide

Abstract The visible-light photolysis of ozone-water van der Waals complexes was evaluated as a potential source of atmospheric hydroxyl radical and/or hydrogen peroxide. These reactions were shown to account for no more than 1.3% of the atmospheric burden of OH and no more than 7% of atmospheric H 2 O 2 . Upper limits to the production of OH and H 2 O 2 were evaluated in static, gas-phase ozone/water mixtures irradiated with natural sunlight. Upper limits to hydroxyl radical concentrations were inferred from the catalytic destruction of ozone. Hydrogen peroxide was determined by purging the bulb contents into a receiving solvent, which was analyzed for H 2 O 2 by the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence technique.
Simultaneous intracellular recordings from longitudinal and circular muscle during the peristaltic reflex in guinea‐pig distal colon

1. Simultaneous intracellular recordings were made from longitudinal muscle (LM) and circular muscle (CM) cells of guinea-pig distal colon during the peristaltic reflex. 2. Spontaneous rhythmical depolarizations with superimposed action potentials (mean amplitude: 19 ± 2 mV) were regularly recorded from the LM (mean interval: 7 ± 1 s). In contrast, in the CM layer, spontaneous action potentials occurred with an irregular frequency. Although spontaneous action potentials in LM were rarely correlated in time with those in CM, spontaneous inhibitory junction potentials (sIJPs) were found to occur synchronously in both muscles (5 out of 27 animals; 19 %). 3. Graded inflation of an intra-luminal balloon or mucosal stimulation oral to the recording electrodes elicited gradeable compound IJPs synchronously in both LM (mean amplitude: 6 ± 1 mV) and CM (mean amplitude: 9 ± 1 mV) (descending inhibitory reflex). Evoked IJPs were often followed by action potentials in both muscle layers. 4. Mucosal stimuli applied anal to the recording electrodes elicited compound excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) synchronously in both muscles layers that were often associated with the generation of action potentials. In the LM, evoked EJP amplitudes ranged from 3 mV (subthreshold) to 31 mV (including the action potential) and in the CM from 4 mV (subthreshold) to 44 mV (including the action potential). 5. Apamin (500 n M) reduced the evoked IJP in the CM by 55 % (from 11 ± 2 to 5 ± 1 mV), but caused no significant reduction in the LM layer (from 8 ± 1 to 6 ± 1 mV). Apamin-resistant IJPs in both muscle layers were likely to be due to nitric oxide, since they were abolished by L-NA (100 µM). 6. Atropine (1 µM) abolished the ascending excitatory reflex in both muscles. 7. Injection of neurobiotin into the LM and CM confirmed that simultaneous intracellular recordings were made from different muscle layers. 8. In conclusion, during the peristaltic reflex, the LM and CM layers receive synchronous inhibitory neuromuscular inputs during descending inhibition and synchronous excitatory neuromuscular inputs during ascending excitation. No evidence was found to support reciprocal innervation.
An experimental investigation of BWR/4 long-term cooling with either intact or broken jet pumps

Abstract Experiments simulating emergency core cooling (ECC) conditions after a hypothetical design basis loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) in a 218-BWR/4, for either intact or broken jet pump seals, were performed at RPI in a special parallel channel effects (PCE) test section in which Freon-114 was used as the working fluid. The experimental results show that, as expected, core uncovery occurs first in the cold channels. These data were shown to agree with the results of an analytical drift-flux model, and indicate that broken jet pump seals can lead to early core uncovery, and may have a determinal effect on the long-term cooling of a BWR/4. Moreover, it was found that breaks in the lower seal are far more detrimental than a breach of the throat-to-diffuser slip joint.
Corrections to "MOGAC: A multiobjective genetic algorithm for hardware-software cosynthesis of distributed embedded systems"

In the above-named article [ibid., vol. 16, pp. 920?935, Oct. 1998] there is an error in the experimental results reported for the Hou 3&4 (clustered) benchmark, due to a typographical error in its task collection input file. The last line of the The Hou 3&4 (clustered) row of Table IV on page 932 of the original article should be replaced with Table I of this short paper. For this example, average price increases when the effort level is changed from three to four. In general, solution quality increases, i.e., the price decreases, with increasing optimizer effort. This trend is not expressed in this case as a result of the limited number of samples (30). When run with 500 samples, price strictly decreases with increasing effort. The Hou 3&4 (clustered) row of Table VI on page 933 of the above paper1 should be replaced with Table II of this short paper.
Fourier Shape Descriptors For Surfaces Of Multi-Dimensional Closed Volumes

There are a variety of descriptors available to describe surfaces that enclose as boundaries of multi-dimensional solid bodies. For such surfaces, we propose a new method for the generation of shape invariant set of descriptors. These descriptors are based on a new intrinsic function; the multi-dimensional solid angle for the surface enclosing the solid body. Because of its intrinsic smoothness, appreciable Fourier spectral bandwidth compression is possible. Using these descriptors, it is also possible to reconstruct two-dimen-sional (2D) boundaries.
Calculation of 3 μm probe transmission in p-Ge excited by a CO2 laser

Abstract We present a theory to describe the enhanced transmission of a weak tunable probe laser with a wavelength near 3 μm in the presence of a high-intensity saturating beam with a wavelength near 10 μm. The mechanism responsible for the increased transmission is the depletion of holes in the heavy-hole band by the saturating beam.
Sedimentary Silica in Newark Basins of Eastern United States: ABSTRACT

One way in which low-temperature, near-surface excess silica was introduced into the Newark sedimentary system was by extensive chemical weathering in the source area, when tectonic quiescence allowed it. Further concentration of silica within the basins was accomplished in the following ways: (1) eogenesis, by fluctuating pH, with values greater than 9.5 causing silica to be extracted from silicates within playa lakes or within soil zones; (2) eogenesis, by stands of silica-concentrating plants such as Equisetites, within ponds, playas, or fringes of larger lakes; and (3) mesogenesis, by pressure solution among quartz grains and possibly other silicates, possibly associated with high pH, causing release of silica. In all situations, the silica, either from solution or gel, probably initially formed as opal-A and proceeded to the opal-CT stage, and then to the stable quartz phases of chalcedony, microquartz, and the megaquartz that we find today. The stable quartz phases are associated with primary silica precipitation in playa lakes, replacement of carbonate in playa lakes, possible replacement of carbonate oolite in playa lakes, vadoids in silcrete paleosols, possible replacement of vadoids in caliche paleosols, replacement of wood cell walls, syntaxial overgrowths on quartz grains, and nonaffiliated pore filling. The various processes of quartz formation, coupled with associated microfacies and paleoenvironments of deposition, may be used for finer delineation of fluctuating paleoclimates during Newark deposition. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1450------------
The Estimation of Probability Densities and Cumulatives by Fourier Series Methods

A class of estimators (referred to as the Fourier estimators m and m) of the probability density function f and the associated cumulative distribution function F are considered. Here m = Σmk=0 âkψk and m = Σmk=0 Âk ψk where the functions {ψk} comprise an orthogonal set with respect to weight function w(x), and the statistics âk and Âk are formed from the n unordered observations.Simple expressions are found for the mean integrated square errors, M.I.S.E., of the estimators m and m, i.e., E∫{ƒ(x) – m(x)}2ω(x)dx and E∫{F(x) – m(x)}2w(x)dx in terms of the variances of âk and Âk and the Fourier coefficients of f and F.For Fourier estimators based upon the trigonometric orthogonal functions the âk are the sample trigonometric moments. The variances and covariances of the statistics âk and Âk for these special cases are shown to be linear functions of the density f's Fourier coefficients. Therefore, simple expressions are obtained which relate the M.I.S.E. of the Fourier estimators m and m to the Fourier coeffi...
Solubility of carbon dioxide in polymers by the quartz crystal microbalance technique

The use of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) has been demonstrated to be an accurate and relatively easy technique to measure gas solubility in polymers at high pressures. The technique is reversible and could be used for real-time monitoring of a process. We have compared solubility measurements of CO2 into numerous polymers with literature data, obtained from measurements using a gravimentric approach, with good agreement. With improved electronic sensitivity, this technique could be extended to measure the partitioning of a component present at low levels of CO2 into polymers. This would provide a direct measurement technique that would provide value to investigations into the use of CO2 as an agent to infuse chemicals into polymers.
Transgenerational cross-tolerance to stress: parental exposure to predators increases offspring contaminant tolerance

Transgenerational effects of stressors can have important implications for offspring fitness and the responses of offspring to future stressful conditions. Parental effects, a common type of transgenerational effect, are non-genetic influences on offspring phenotype that result from parental phenotypes or environments. Little is known, however, about how parental exposure to a stressor effects offspring responses to other stressors despite this type of multi-stressor scenario being common. To better understand the role that parental effects have on offspring contaminant tolerance, we raised freshwater snails, Biomphalaria glabrata, in the presence or absence of predator threat (crayfish + crushed snail) for 12 weeks. Predators are common stressors in aquatic systems and can co-occur with chemical contaminants. We then collected egg masses from parental snails and exposed their offspring to cadmium and malathion survival challenges. Snails raised in the presence of predator threat displayed indicators of stress, including increased time to first reproduction, lower production of egg masses per snail per day and fewer eggs per egg mass, and had smaller shell lengths at 6.5 weeks old compared to snails not exposed to predator threat. Parental exposure to predator threat increased the cadmium tolerance of offspring but did not affect malathion tolerance. These results may have important implications for understanding effects of multiple stressors and indicate that the parental environment can influence responses to contaminants in offspring. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that a biotic stressor in the parental environment can significantly affect the contaminant tolerance of their offspring.
Maternal morbidity and perinatal outcomes among foreign-born Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans in Washington State, 1993-2006.

This study examined differences in perinatal outcomes of Southeast Asian (SEA) women compared with non-Hispanic white women in Washington. Using linked birth certificate and hospitalization discharge records for the years 1993–2006, we compared singleton births of Cambodian (3,858), Laotian (2,223), and Vietnamese (12,949) women with a random sample of white women (35,581). Associations between maternal nativity and perinatal outcomes were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. There are clear nativity differences among SEAs for gestational diabetes mellitus, anemia, placenta previa and febrile illness. SEAs had increased risks for these disorders when compared with white women. Compared with infants delivered of white women, infants of SEAs had increased risks for moderate to heavy meconium, birth injury and low birth weight. Differences in nativity among SEAs (populations that are traditionally studied in aggregate) should be considered when designing and carrying out interventions to prevent adverse pregnancy morbidity and outcomes among immigrants.
Evidence-Based Comprehensive Treatments for Early Autism

Early intervention for children with autism is currently a politically and scientifically complex topic. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated positive effects in both short-term and longer term studies. The evidence suggests that early intervention programs are indeed beneficial for children with autism, often improving developmental functioning and decreasing maladaptive behaviors and symptom severity at the level of group analysis. Whether such changes lead to significant improvements in terms of greater independence and vocational and social functioning in adulthood is also unknown. Given the few randomized controlled treatment trials that have been carried out, the few models that have been tested, and the large differences in interventions that are being published, it is clear that the field is still very early in the process of determining (a) what kinds of interventions are most efficacious in early autism, (b) what variables moderate and mediate treatment gains and improved outcomes foll...
An Interview with Jon Wallace, Christian College President

Without question, effective leadership is essential to the future of higher education. Presidential leadership is seen as the key to strategically positioning the future of colleges and universities. This may be even more critical for Christian institutions. It is imperative that boards are successful in selecting, developing, and supporting their presidents. Similarly, it is crucial that the president be judicious in sharing and collaborating institutional vision with all constituencies. How this vision is communicated, to a great extent, will determine the university's success. Jon Wallace is the president of Azusa Pacific University. He is respected as a successful Christian university president. Jon would describe himself as a work in progress. His journey to the presidency is marked by arriving in 1972 as a freshman and then being academically dismissed at the end of his freshman year. He reflected on that experience and related that during his year off, he committed to being serious about his studie...
Signaling without the risk of illegitimate receivers: do predators respond to the acoustic signals of Cyprinella (Cyprinidae)?

Acoustic and visual signals are commonly used by fishes for communication. A significant drawback to both types of signals is that both sounds and visual stimuli are easily detected by illegitimate receivers, such as predators. Although predator attraction to visual stimuli has been well-studied in other animals, predator response to acoustic stimuli has received virtually no research attention among fishes and snakes. This study assessed whether the calls of male tricolor shiner (Cyprinella trichroistia) made during the breeding season would attract potential predators. We also examined the effect of visual stimulus of tricolor shiners on predators. Predators used were red eye bass (Micropterus coosae) and midland water snakes (Nerodia sipedon pleuralis). Neither predator was attracted to tricolor sounds when presented alone. Micropterus coosae responded significantly more to a visual stimulus, and to a combination of visual and acoustic stimuli, but with no greater intensity in the latter. Nerodia sipedon pleuralis did not responded to visual stimulus presented alone, but did respond to visual and acoustic stimuli presented simultaneously, and with greater intensity to the latter, indicating that acoustic signals may play a role in prey detection by N. sipedon pleuralis.
Some comments on the calculations of oscillator strengths from approximate wave functions

Abstract Energy factors, operators, and wave functions used in the calculation of electronic oscillator strengths are critically examined. The role of electron correlation in such calculations is emphasized. Oscillator strengths for the Mulliken bands of C 2 ( 1 Σ g + - 1 Σ u + ) have been calculated from wave functions including configuration interaction.
Advancing the Speaking and Listening Skills of K-2 English Language Learners through Creative Drama.

In recent decades the United States has experienced a dramatic increase in children entering school whose home language is not English. If they are to achieve to their full potential, these children need direct and frequent interaction with individuals who can provide English language learners with accurate feedback. Creative drama activities that allow for the use of nonverbal communication in combination with verbal interactions can be an effective way for teachers to directly interact with many children at once, providing feedback and building vocabulary. This article describes a standards-based creative drama curriculum designed to enhance K–2 English-language development. Readers are invited to download lesson materials developed by the San Diego Unified School District and the University of California, Irvine, as well as to view online streaming videos of classroom interactions.
Adenocarcinoma of the Endometrium: Survival Comparisons of Patients with and without Pelvic Node Sampling

Abstract From 1969 to 1990, 649 patients with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were surgically managed by gynecologic oncologists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. All patients underwent TAH-BSO and washings. Two hundred twelve patients had multiple-site pelvic node sampling (mean number of nodes, 11), 205 patients had limited site pelvic node sampling (mean number of nodes, 4), and in 208 patients, nodes were not sampled. Historical prognostic features, including tumor grade, depth of invasion, adnexal metastasis, cervical involvement, and positive cytology, were equally distributed in the three groups. Mean follow-up was 3 years. Patients undergoing multiple-site pelvic node sampling had significantly better survival than patients without node sampling ( P = 0.0002). When patients were categorized as low risk (disease confined to the corpus) or as high risk (disease in the cervix, adnexa, uterine serosa, or washings) multiple-site pelvic node sampling again provided a significant survival advantage compared to patients without node sampling (high risk, P = 0.0006; low risk, P = 0.026). In a comparison of patients receiving whole pelvic radiation for grade III lesions or deep myometrial invasion, patients with multiple-site pelvic node sampling had better survival than those in whom nodes were not sampled ( P = 0.0027). The significant survival advantage for patients having multiple-site node sampling, overall and in high- and low-risk groups, strongly suggests a therapeutic benefit. Additionally, adjuvant therapy may be more appropriately directed in these patients.
Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Response to Simvastatin Therapy in Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S)

Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and response to simvastatin therapy in Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) - Response
Do Voters Really Fail to Detect Changes to Their Ballots? An Investigation of Ballot Type on Voter Error Detection

Data from previous research that investigates whether or not voters fail to notice changes to their electronic ballot selections indicate that high percentages of people do not notice if their votes were altered, even after inspecting a final review screen. This paper questions if voters really do not notice changes as the previous studies found, or if the findings are an artifact of the types of races and propositions that they vote for in the experimental mock elections. Specifically, previous research studies used ballots that were comprised of fabricated candidates and propositions, which do not reflect the types of real-world issues presented on a ballot during an actual election. To investigate the issue, this study replicated the prior research, but introduced into the experiment a new type of ballot that was based on actual people and issues that the participant population was familiar with and felt was relevant to their current circumstances. Our findings reveal that the type of races presented t...
Protection of rats from isoproterenol induced myocardial necrosis by trolnitrate phosphate (Metamine).

Isoproterenol (Isoprenalin), 2 mg/kg pro Tag fur 5 Tage i.p., ruft Myocardnekrosen in Ratten hervor, die durch wiederholte Nach- oder Vorbehandlung mit Metamin® (Trolnitrat, Triathanol-amintrinitrat), 20 mg/kg pro Tag fur 5 Tage p.o., abgeschwacht werden konnen.
A fundamental problem in linear inequalities with applications to the travelling salesman problem

We consider a system ofm linearly independent equality constraints inn nonnegative variables:Ax = b, x ≧ 0. The fundamental problem that we discuss is the following: suppose we are given a set ofr linearly independent column vectors ofA, known asthe special column vectors. The problem is to develop an efficient algorithm to determine whether there exists a feasible basis which contains all the special column vectors as basic column vectors and to find such a basis if one exists. Such an algorithm has several applications in the area of mathematical programming. As an illustration, we show that the famous travelling salesman problem can be solved efficiently using this algorithm. Recent published work indicates that this algorithm has applications in integer linear programming. An algorithm for this problem using a set covering approach is described.
Minimal impact urethroplasty allows same-day surgery in most patients

Abstract Objectives To present our evaluation of the safety and feasibility of decreasing the impact of anterior urethroplasty by minimizing the surgery time, maximizing adjuvant pain therapy, and using anesthetic agents that decrease the incidence and severity of side effects, which allows most patients to leave the hospital comfortably within 4 hours of surgery. Methods A retrospective chart review of 54 consecutive anterior urethroplasty patients from August 2000 to August 2004 (34 anterior anastomotic and 20 ventral onlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty) was performed. Results Historically, 27% of patients had undergone same-day surgery (SDS). After the initiation of minimal impact surgery and early discharge, 85% did so. All but one admission was planned (1 patient [2%] had hypotension in the recovery room and was admitted). No postoperative readmissions or emergency room visits occurred. The admitted patients had comparable stricture length to, but slightly older age (49 years compared with 42 years) than, the SDS patients. The perioperative complications were mild (small wound gap, small scrotal hematoma) and were seen in 5% of SDS patients and 0% of admitted patients. Late complications (chordee, mild erectile dysfunction, and urinary tract infection) were seen in 19% of SDS patients and 18% of admitted patients. The incidence of recurrences after a mean follow-up of 27 months was comparable (3% for the SDS and 6% for the admitted group). Conclusions Decreasing the impact of urethroplasty surgery allows safe early discharge for most patients. Unexpected admissions were uncommon, and we continue to plan for admission only for the extremely elderly, those with severe comorbidities, and those expected to undergo lengthy (longer than 5 hours) surgery.
Economic Planning in a Mixed Economy: The Indian Experience

Economic planning, which as a concept emerged as a socialistic idea, is now considered an important aspect of all national economies with varying political and ideological persuasions and at different stages of socio‐economic development. There are as many types and forms of economic planning as the number of countries, because each country formulates a plan according to its political and economic environments and goals of the national economy. In a general sense, the term economic planning can be defined as formulation of control and regulation of economic activity by public agency with a view to achieving well‐defined objective(s). Since the key questions implicit in this definition such as formulation of economic policies, regulation and control of economic activity and goals and objectives of the national economy, are closely related to the political structure of a society, the techniques and patterns of economic planning thus become intricately woven with its political system.
Seeker: A bandwidth-based association control framework for wireless mesh networks

The rapid deployment of wireless mesh networks across universities and enterprises, and the pervasiveness of mobile devices equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, has resulted in a scenario wherein end users have the option to choose from a multitude of access points at any given location. Moreover, with the increasing availability of rich online content, there has been a steady increase in mobile Internet traffic. Since the choice of access point that a user associates with will directly impact his performance, it is imperative that there exist an efficient association control mechanism, in order to enhance the end user's experience. As part of this work, we propose Seeker, a novel framework for association control in wireless networks that utilizes "available bandwidth" as the design metric. The goal of Seeker is to assist the mesh network in making an intelligent decision regarding which access point a client should associate with. As part of our scheme, we implement and evaluate a passive tool to estimate available bandwidth in wireless networks. We then describe how we use this tool to implement our association control scheme, and evaluate it via extensive experiments on an outdoor testbed. Seeker takes into consideration the performance of the mesh backhaul, in addition to the client-to-AP link quality, thereby achieving significant advantages over traditional association control schemes for wireless-LANs.
Status of the viking missions.

A chronology of Viking 1 lander activities is presented for the first 43 sols (Martian days) of surface sampling and analysis. The orbital insertion of the second Viking spacecraft is reviewed along with the search for the second landing site. A general assessment of the planet is made on the basis of the data thus far obtained. Some of the findings reported are that: (1) there is extensive evidence of volcanism, fluvial and aeolian erosion, and deposition over the entire surface; (2) the floor of Vallis Marineris is significantly younger than the planet's surface; (3) the morphology of Martian crater ejecta is indicative of surface flow rather than ballistic deposition; (4) the rocks in the immediate vicinity of the lander are all covered by a layer of fine red dust; (5) the atmosphere is optically thick and well mixed, with suspended particles giving the sky a pink color; (6) the N and Ar isotopic ratios are different from those on earth; (7) atmospheric water vapor varies with both time of day and location; (8) the summer northern polar regions have a high water concentration in the atmosphere; (9) a large fraction of magnetic material resides in the surface; and (10) no complex organic compounds have been detected in the two samples analyzed.
Predictors of on-line services and e-participation: a cross-national comparison

Effective e-government creates an environment for citizens to have greater access to their government and, in theory, makes citizen-to-government contact more inclusive. Our research examines two distinct but related measures of e-government effectiveness, namely the online service index and the e-participation index, both reported in the 2010 e-government survey conducted by the United Nations. We analyze the impact of political structure, administrative culture and policy initiatives on both indices in more than 150 countries. Our multiple regression analysis shows that there is greater e-government capability in countries that have an administrative culture of sound governance and policies that advance the development and diffusion of information and communication technologies. More democratic institutions and processes, however, appear to have a negative impact on e-government. In addition, countries that practice effective governance and promote competition in the telecommunications sector demonstrate more extensive provision of e-participation. These results suggest that the path to e-government leverages different strategies depending on a nation's political structure, and that authoritarian countries may be utilizing e-government to maintain the status quo.
New therapies in development for autoimmune diseases: their rationale for combination treatment

Over the past decade, combination therapy has emerged as the preferred treatment for severe as well as early aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This therapeutic approach has been driven by recognition that RA is not only debilitating disease with significant morbidity, but that it can cause premature mortality. Even though methotrexate (MTX) has become a “gold standard” of therapy, its use rarely results in disease remission. The recent introduction of new treatments which offer significant incremental improvements in both efficacy and tolerability argues strongly for utilization of combination therapy.
Hemodynamic significance of coronary jet velocity in patients: Limitations of the Bernouilli equation in small conduits

Abstract The objective of this study was to assess the use of coronary stenosis velocity in the determination of translesional pressure gradients. In the physiologic assessment of coronary stenosis, the accelerated intracoronary flow velocity within a narrowing has correlated with minimal lesion cross-sectional area according to the continuity equation. In large conduits the jet velocity can determine pressure gradients when used in the Bernouilli equation. However, the use of intralesional flow velocity for calculation of translesional pressure gradients by the simplified Bernouilli equation (▴P = 4V 2 ) may be inaccurate in small ( r = 0.27, F = 1.63, p = 0.21). The correlation between stenosis cross-sectional area with flow velocity values and directly measured pressure gradients was weak and neared statistical significance ( r = 0.421, F = 4.1, p = 0.057). No correlation was found between the Doppler-derived cross-sectional area and angiographic indexes of stenosis severity. These findings indicate that the intralesional jet velocity cannot be used to estimate translesional coronary pressure gradients.
The effect of methadone and buprenorphine on human placental aromatase

Methadone and buprenorphine (BUP) are used for treatment of the pregnant opiate addict. CYP19/aromatase is the major placental enzyme responsible for the metabolism of methadone to 2-ethylidine-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) and BUP to norbuprenorphine (norBUP). The aim of this investigation was to determine the effects of methadone and BUP on the activity of placental microsomal aromatase in the conversion of its endogenous substrates testosterone to 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) and 16alpha-hydroxytestosterone (16-OHT) to estriol (E(3)). The conversion of testosterone and 16-OHT by human placental microsomes exhibited saturation kinetics, and the apparent K(m) values were 0.2 +/- 1 and 6 +/- 3 microM, respectively. V(max) values for E(2) and E(3) formation were 70 +/- 16 and 28 +/- 10 pmol/mg proteinmin, respectively. Also, data obtained revealed that methadone and BUP are competitive inhibitors of testosterone conversion to E(2) and 16-OHT to E(3). The K(i) for methadone inhibition of E(2) and E(3) formation were 393 +/-144 and 53 +/- 28 microM, respectively, and for BUP the K(i) was 36 +/- 9 and 6 +/- 1 microM. The higher potency of the two opiates and their metabolites in inhibiting E(3) formation is in agreement with the lower affinity of 16-OHT than testosterone to aromatase. Moreover, the metabolites EDDP and norBUP were weaker inhibitors of aromatase than their parent compounds. The determined inhibition constants of methadone and BUP for E(3) formation by a cDNA-expressed CYP19 preparation were similar to those for placental microsomes. Therefore, data reported here suggest that methadone, BUP, and their metabolites are inhibitors of androgen aromatization in the placental biosynthesis of estrogens.
Quantitative Neuropathology of a Focal Nerve Injury Causing Hyperalgesia

The chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathy in the rat produces hyperalgesia and allodynia in the sciatic distribution of one hindlimb. We previously described the pathology of the affected nerves at the light microscopic and electron microscopic levels and in this report quantify the morphological changes of the nerves. This analysis gives new insights into the pathophysiology and pain-related mechanisms in this model of human neuropathy. We observed that total fascicular area increased up to fourfold due to an initial massive increase in edema and, later, endoneurial cells. Intact myelinated nerve fibers were reduced from 75% of fascicular area to 29.7% on day 1 and to a minimum of less than 0.5% on day 14 when edema had resolved. The few surviving myelinated fibers were in the small to medium size range. Fiber size histograms revealed an increase in fiber size early on, corresponding to fiber swelling, and the later loss of large as well as small myelinated fibers. Unmyelinated nerve fibers dropped from 19.36/1,000 μm 2 to 6.08/1,000 μm 2 on day 5, and increased from there on. Sprouts were first visible on light micrographs on day 7, occupying 6.8% of fascicular area, while regenerating fibers that were undergoing myelination reached 42.6% of fascicular area by day 42. Macrophage numbers were maximal on day 14 and were still increased on day 42. These data support the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of the extended hyperalgesia following chronic constrictive nerve injury is temporally linked with Wallerian-like degeneration and macrophage activation. It seems important that some nerve fibers survive the injury since complete ablation of the endoneurial contents produces anesthesia to peripheral stimuli. Hyperalgesia resolves during the period of nerve fiber regeneration.
Mechanisms in photodynamic therapy: Part three—Photosensitizer pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, tumor localization and modes of tumor destruction

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been known for over a hundred years, but is only now becoming widely used. Originally developed as cancer therapy, some of its most successful applications are for non-malignant disease. The majority of mechanistic research into PDT, however, is still directed towards anti-cancer applications. In the final part of series of three reviews, we will cover the possible reasons for the well-known tumor localizing properties of photosensitizers (PS). When PS are injected into the bloodstream they bind to various serum proteins and this can affect their phamacokinetics and biodistribution. Different PS can have very different pharmacokinetics and this can directly affect the illumination parameters. Intravenously injected PS undergo a transition from being bound to serum proteins, then bound to endothelial cells, then bound to the adventitia of the vessels, then bound either to the extracellular matrix or to the cells within the tumor, and finally to being cleared from the tumor by lymphatics or blood vessels, and excreted either by the kidneys or the liver. The effect of PDT on the tumor largely depends at which stage of this continuous process light is delivered. The anti-tumor effects of PDT are divided into three main mechanisms. Powerful anti-vascular effects can lead to thrombosis and hemorrhage in tumor blood vessels that subsequently lead to tumor death via deprivation of oxygen and nutrients. Direct tumor cell death by apoptosis or necrosis can occur if the PS has been allowed to be taken up by tumor cells. Finally the acute inflammation and release of cytokines and stress response proteins induced in the tumor by PDT can lead to an influx of leukocytes that can both contribute to tumor destruction as well as to stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells even at distant locations.
Tryptophan Synthase and Production of L-Tryptophan in Regulatory Mutants

A 5-fluorotryptophan-resistant mutant of Brevibacterium flavum, No. 187, accumulated 2.6 g of indole 3-glycerol (InG) in addition to 8.0 g of l-tryptophan per liter in the culture medium. The addition of l-serine to the medium decreased the accumulation of InG and increased that of l-tryptophan up to a concentration of 10.3 g/liter, while the addition of l-tryptophan increased the InG accumulation, suggesting that InG was formed by hydrolysis of indole 3-glycerol phosphate (InGP), the substrate of tryptophan synthase (TS) which catalyzed the final step reaction of tryptophan biosynthesis. Then, in order to examine the mechanism of the InG accumulation, TS was purified from tryptophan auxotroph, TA-60. The reaction mechanism of TS was Ordered Bi Bi with Km’s of 0.63 and 0.038 mm for serine and InGP, respectively. Tryptophan, a product of the TS reaction, inhibited TS competitively with respect to serine and the Ki for tryptophan was estimated to be 2.0 mm. On the other hand, anthranilate synthase (AS), the...
Reversible colorimetric ion sensors based on surface initiated polymerization of photochromic polymers

Spiropyran containing polymer brushes were used as reversible, photoswitchable optical sensors that show selectivity for different metal ions and drastic changes in surface wettability.