cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Careful Examination of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster Merger

As great admirers of The Boss and as fans of live entertainment, we share in the popular dismay over rising ticket prices for live performances. But we have been asked as antitrust scholars to examine the proposed merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, and we do so with the objectivity and honesty called for by The Boss’s quotes above. The proposed merger has been the target of aggressive attacks from several industry commentators and popular figures, but the legal and policy question is whether the transaction is at odds with the nation’s antitrust laws. One primary source of concern to critics is that Ticketmaster and Live Nation are two leading providers of ticket distribution services, and these critics argue that the merged entity would have a combined market share that is presumptively anticompetitive. We observe, however, that this transaction is taking place within a rapidly changing industry. The spread of Internet technologies has transformed the entertainment industry, and along with it the ticket distribution business such that a reliance on market shares based on historical sales is misleading. A growing number of venues, aided by a competitive bidding process that creates moments of focused competition, can now acquire the requisite capabilities to distribute tickets to their own events and can thus easily forgo reliance upon providers of outsourced distribution services. If self-distribution is an available and attractive option for venues, as it appears to be, then it is unlikely that even a monopolist provider of fully outsourced ticketing services could exercise market power. Ultimately, a proper assessment of the horizontal effects of this merger would have to weigh heavily the emerging role of Internet technologies in this dynamic business and the industry-wide trend towards self-distribution. The second category of arguments by critics opposing the merger rests on claims that vertical aspects of the transaction would produce anticompetitive effects. Indeed, Ticketmaster’s and Live Nation’s core businesses are in successive markets, and thus the proposed transaction is primarily a vertical merger, but there is broad agreement among economists and antitrust authorities that vertical mergers rarely introduce competitive concerns and are usually driven by efficiency motivations. This wealth of academic scholarship, which is reflected in current antitrust law, has not - from our vantage point - been properly incorporated into the public dialogue concerning the proposed merger. To the contrary, critics articulate concerns, including the fears that the merger would lead to the leveraging of market power and the foreclosure of downstream competition, that are refuted by accepted scholarship. Moreover, there are a number of specific efficiencies that, consistent with economic and organizational theory, are likely to emerge from a Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger and would be unlikely but for the companies’ integration. For these reasons, we submit this analysis in an effort to inform the debate with current economic and legal scholarship.
Studies in Difference Spectra of Cerebrospinal Fluid

Cerebrospinal fluids were treated with acid and the extent of protein denaturation along with surface perturbations was followed spectrophotometrically (method of difference spectra). It was found that the fluid samples from patients suffering from a number of neurologic diseases differed considerably among themselves and from pure proteins. The spectrophotometric differences obtained by the addition of a high concentration of acid (pH 1.2, final) were found to be enhanced when the spectra of the fluids at graded acid levels were compared. Cerebrospinal fluids could be divided into two groups based on their responses to smaller concentrations of acid (at pH levels of 7.0 and 4.0). Fluids from patients with multiple sclerosis were found in only one group.
Solubility of Ethylene in the Presence of Hydrogen in Process Solvents under Polymerization Conditions

The concentration of ethylene in the solvent of slurry polymerization process is important as it determines the extent of reaction, reaction temperature, heat duty, and molecular weight. In the present study, gas liquid behavior of ethylene, in the presence and absence of hydrogen, was studied in two process solvents namely, hexane and Varsol at various process pressures and temperatures. Solubility of ethylene increases with increase in pressure and decreases with increase in temperature in both the solvents. Ethylene solubility decreases with increase in carbon number of solvent at identical conditions. The presence of hydrogen strongly influences the solubility of ethylene in hexane and varsol. The solubility of ethylene in hexane decreases in the presence of hydrogen compared to its binary solubility, while the presence of hydrogen increases the solubility of ethylene in varsol compared to its binary solubility. A heterogeneous thermodynamic model based on the Chao−Seader method was adopted for modeli...
Rapid near-infrared spectroscopic method for the determination of free fatty acid in fish and its application in fish quality assessment.

A rapid, simple, and environmentally friendly near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopic method has been developed to directly determine free fatty acids (FFA) in fish oil and for the assessment of mackerel quality. The use of first derivative mathematical treatment for near-IR spectra of fish oil samples provides better results than N-point smoothing and second derivative. Both Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression are used for calibration. However, the calibration equation for FFA obtained from PLS gives higher correlation coefficients of calibration and prediction (rc and rp), and lower standard errors of calibration and prediction (SEC and SEP). The relative errors of prediction for FFA in mackerel fat are less than 8% using the calibration equation obtained from PLS. In this research, FFA change in mackerel has the same trend as hypoxanthine (Hx) change as a fish freshness index. Therefore, near-IR spectroscopy could be a useful technique to determine FFA contents in ...
Mechanisms of HIV-1 escape from immune responses and antiretroviral drugs

Abstract Despite the fact that HIV-1 induces vigorous antiviral immune responses, viral replication is never completely controlled in infected individuals. Recent studies have provided insight into the mechanisms by which focused immune pressure directed at particular B or T cell epitopes leads to the rapid appearance of escape mutations. Even if anti-HIV-1 immune responses could be enhanced to the point where they inhibit viral replication to the same extent as certain combinations of antiretroviral drugs, eradication would be unlikely because of the persistence of the virus in an extremely stable latent reservoir in resting memory CD4 + T cells.
THE EFFECT OF X-IRRADIATION ON RENAL DAMAGE SECONDARY TO ISCHEMIA.

SummaryOn the basis of the results obtained, it appears reasonable to suggest that the effect of radiation in modifying acute rejection is possibly secondary to its effect upon ischemia. Whatever the mechanism may be, it appears that a small amount of radiation has a beneficial effect upon the kidney damaged by anoxia, a finding which may have therapeutic value in a variety of conditions.
The prediction of behavior from attitudinal and normative variables.

Abstract Fishbein's (1967) extension of Dulany's (1967) theory of propositional control was tested in the context of the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) game. The theory holds that a person's behavior (B) is a function of his behavioral intention (BI) which is determined by his attitude toward the act (A-act) and by his beliefs about the expectations of the other player, i.e., social normative beliefs (NBs). Two PD games differing in Cooperation Index (CI) were each played in a cooperative, a competitive, and an individualistic motivational orientation. CI and motivational orientations affected questionnaire measures of the theoretical constructs and game behavior as expected. Their influence on B was mediated by BI through A-act and NBs. BI correlated highly with B and was in turn accurately predicted from A-act and NBs in a multiple-regression equation. The relative importance of A-act and NBs in predicting BI and B varied as expected with the motivational orientation: in the cooperative condition norms were relatively more important; under competition more relative weight was placed on A-act.
Precision of soil moisture sensor irrigation controllers under field conditions

Abstract New soil moisture sensor systems (SMSs) for irrigation control have been commercialized in recent years. However, limited research has been carried out to evaluate their precision to measure the volumetric soil water content (θ). The objectives of this research were to: (a) determine the relationship between θ and the θ sensed by four commercially available SMSs, (b) quantify the proportion of scheduled irrigation cycles (SICs) that the SMSs bypassed, and (c) determine the θ at which SICs were allowed or bypassed. Sensors from brands Acclima, Rain Bird, Irrometer, and Water Watcher were buried at 7–10 cm depth, on plots with common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]. A calibrated ECH2O probe was also installed in every plot, at the same depth, to monitor θ continuously. When comparing the ECH2O readings with θ sensed by the SMSs, significant correlations were found for the three Acclima RS500 (AC) systems tested, and for two of the three systems of Irrometer Watermark 200SS/WEM (IM) and Rain Bird MS-100 (RB). Most of the SMS-based treatments bypassed the majority of the SICs during rainy periods, and allowed irrigation during the dry periods. On average, 71% of the SICs were bypassed by the SMS treatments, without detriment to the turfgrass quality. However, most of the SMSs were not found to be precision instruments, because sometimes they bypassed SICs and sometimes they did not, even when reading the same or a lower θ. Considering the average θ range of over which the different SMS treatments always allowed or always bypassed irrigation, brand AC resulted in the significantly narrowest range (1.4%) followed by RB (3.2%), suggesting that they were more consistent and precise in measuring θ than Water Watcher DPS-100 (WW) and IM (7.4 and 7.8%, respectively). These results are consistent with the reported water savings achieved by these SMSs in related studies.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced osteoclastogenesis from mononuclear precursors: a mechanism for osteolysis in chronic otitis.

Osteoclasts are the only cells capable of carrying out bone resorption and therefore are responsible for the osteolysis seen in infectious diseases such as chronic otitis media and infected cholesteatoma. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common organism isolated from these infectious middle ear diseases. In this study, we examined the mechanisms by which P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulates osteoclastogenesis directly from mononuclear osteoclast precursor cells. Osteoclast precursors demonstrated robust, bone-resorbing osteoclast formation when stimulated by P. aeruginosa LPS only if previously primed with permissive, sub-osteoclastogenic doses of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), suggesting that LPS is osteoclastogenic only during a specific developmental window. Numerous LPS-elicited cytokines were found to be released by osteoclast precursors undergoing P. aeruginosa LPS-mediated osteoclast formation. Two lines of evidence suggest that several cytokines promote Oc formation in an autocrine/paracrine manner. First, inhibition of several cytokine pathways including TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 block the osteoclastogenesis induced by LPS. Secondly, increased expression of the receptors for TNF-α and IL-1 was demonstrated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Such a mechanism has not previously been established and demonstrates the ability of osteoclast precursors to autonomously facilitate bone destruction.
Supported Molecular Iridium Catalysts: Resolving Effects of Metal Nuclearity and Supports as Ligands

The performance of a supported catalyst is influenced by the size and structure of the metal species, the ligands bonded to the metal, and the support. Resolution of these effects has been lacking because of the lack of investigations of catalysts with uniform and systematically varied catalytic sites. We now demonstrate that the performance for ethene hydrogenation of isostructural iridium species on supports with contrasting properties as ligands (electron-donating MgO and electron-withdrawing HY zeolite) can be elucidated on the basis of molecular concepts. Spectra of the working catalysts show that the catalytic reaction rate is determined by the dissociation of H(2) when the iridium, either as mono- or tetra-nuclear species, is supported on MgO and is not when the support is the zeolite. The neighboring iridium sites in clusters are crucial for activation of both H(2) and C(2)H(4) when the support is MgO but not when it is the zeolite, because the electron-withdrawing properties of the zeolite support enable even single site-isolated Ir atoms to bond to both C(2)H(4) and H(2) and facilitate the catalysis.
Effect of Piperidylmethyl Benzodioxane on the Cold Pressor Response.

ConclusionsBenzodioxane, administered intravenously in dosage of 10 mg per sq m of body surface, does not inhibit the cold pressor response.
PILOT COMPARISON OF LIGHT-BASED OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY VERSUS ULTRASOUND FOR REAL-TIME IMAGING OF NEONATAL INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE. † 1189

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an optically-based tomographic imaging system versus conventional ultrasound for the detection of intraventricular hemorrhage in the premature neonate. A real-time bedside monitor for high-risk patients might allow care to be changed early in the course of injury, possibly preventing such injury from becoming irreversible, as well as permit monitoring of the efficacy of any intervention. Low-level visible and near-infrared light pass through human bone and tissue in small amounts, and the time of photon transit through the tissue can be used to measure tissue oxygenation as well as to reconstruct tissue images (Benaron, Science, 1993). We had previously described construction of an optical imaging system and had tested this device in model systems and pathological brain samples (van Houten, Ped. Res., in press). We then converted the device into a real-time clinical scanner. Premature infants undergoing ultrasound examination were, after informed consent, scanned optically as well. Optical images were read in a blinded manner. Optical scanning correctly identified the site and grade of bleeding in 75% of cases, with one of the two incorrect diagnoses explainable based upon the age of the bleed, and the other error occurring as a missed evolving bleed of intermediate grade. In the first case, a clot visualized in earlier optical scans of the same infant was missed two weeks out. As a clot ages, the optical properties change as hemoglobin is metabolized. Thus, similar to MRI, optical scanning may provide a method for dating bleed age via an age-dependent signal. Further, alterations in local hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation near the site of the hemorrhagic events were found, raising the possibility that such signs accompany, and perhaps precede the hemorrhagic event. Such findings may allow for a degree of hemorrhage prediction. Supported by NIH N43-NS-4-2315 & RR-00081, ONR N-00014-94-1-1024, and the Spectros Corporation (equity held except by JVH, DKS).Table
Impact of Pore Size Characteristics on the Electrosorption Capacity of Carbon Xerogel Electrodes for Capacitive Deionization

Conductive, monolithic carbon xerogel electrodes have been synthesized using a flexible carbon support and a resorcinolformaldehyde (RF) polycondensation reaction with RF precursor weight percentages of 37, 40, 45, and 50 to tailor pore size distributions for electrosorption. Increased RF weight percentages produced carbon electrodes with pore volumes greater than 0.4 cm3/g. External pore size examined by SEM was shown to decrease with increasing RF weight percent from >300 nm to <50 nm for 37 wt% RF and 50 wt% RF, respectively. Carbon electrodes were used in a capacitive deionization cell demonstrating electrosorption capacities between 2.8–3.5 mg NaCl/g carbon using an applied potential of 1.2 V. Surface utilization of the carbon for electrosorption was found to decrease with increasing RF wt% corresponding with decreasing of the external pore size from macroporous to mesoporous. A mixture of macroporous and mesoporous content is preferred for fast time scale applications such as capacitive deionization. © 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.007212jes] All rights reserved.
Prostate‐specific antigen. An important marker for prostate cancer treated by external beam radiation therapy

BACKGROUND Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a valuable serum marker for prostate cancer. However, the prognostic importance of baseline PSA values in relation to other prognostic factors has not been elucidated. The incidence of postradiation rising PSA values has not been documented, and the extent to which PSA influences the assessment of radiation therapy is unclear. This study was designed to address these issues. METHODS Three hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with baseline PSA values who were treated between 1987 and 1991 with external beam radiation alone were reviewed for disease outcome and posttreatment PSA levels. RESULTS Clinical stages at diagnosis were: Stage A2, 87 (28%); Stage B, 108 (34%); and Stage C, 119 (38%). At a mean follow-up of 21 months, 25 patients had relapsed, 53 had developed rising PSA profiles, and 58 had either relapsed or had rising PSA profiles. The actuarial relapse rate was 20% at 4 years, the incidence of rising PSA profiles was 38% at 4 years, and the incidence of either relapse or rising PSA was 40% at 4 years. In multivariate analysis, baseline PSA value was the single most important factor predicting for local relapse, metastatic relapse, any disease relapse, and posttreatment rising PSA values. Using relapse or rising PSA as endpoints, the following four prognostic groupings based on baseline PSA and M.D. Anderson (MDA) grade were delineated: I, PSA less than or equal to 4 ng/ml, any grade; II, PSA greater than 4 but less than or equal to 10 ng/ml, Grades 1 and 2; III, PSA greater than 4 but less than or equal to 10 ng/ml, Grades 3 and 4 or PSA greater than 10 but less than or equal to 30 ng/ml, Grades 1 and 2; and IV, PSA greater than 10 but less than or equal to 30 ng/ml, Grades 3 and 4 or PSA greater than 30 ng/ml, any grade. The actuarial incidence of relapse or rising PSA in these groups was: I, less than 10% at 3 years; II, 20% at 3 years; III, 55% at 3 years; and IV, 90% at 30 months. When using traditional endpoints of disease outcome, the patients in this series had an outcome equivalent to that in 799 patients treated in our institution in the pre-PSA era; when using rising PSA profiles as endpoints, treatment was significantly less effective. CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment serum PSA level is the single most significant predictor of disease outcome after radiation therapy for local-regional prostate cancer. Moreover, postirradiation PSA values may potentially serve as an early endpoint to evaluate treatment efficacy. Using a rising posttreatment PSA profile as an index of treatment failure reveals that total and permanent eradication of prostate cancer with radiation therapy alone is not achieved as often as previously believed and that multimodal treatment approaches to prognostically unfavorable early stage disease need investigation.
Increased expression of Na,K-ATPase and a selective increase in phosphorylation at Ser-11 in the cortex of the 2-kidney, 1-clip hypertensive rat.

BACKGROUND The mechanism by which blood pressure increases during renovascular hypertension is incompletely understood. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that in the 2-kidney, 1-clip (2K-1C) rat, in which hypertension develops due to increased angiotensin II (Ang II) levels, there is increased expression and phosphorylation of Na,K-ATPase at Ser-11 and Ser-18 in the kidney cortex. The rationale is Ang II is reported to directly stimulate Na,K-ATPase activity in proximal tubules, which reabsorb 2/3 of filtered sodium, via increased phosphorylation at Ser-11 and Ser-18 and the Na,K-ATPase drives sodium reabsorption. METHODS Five-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats underwent unilateral or sham clipping of the right renal artery and placement of telemetry transmitters. Six weeks later blood pressure and plasma Ang II were measured and kidneys harvested. The amount of Na,K-ATPase, phosphorylation at Ser-11 and Ser-18, and the expression of β-actin in each kidney cortex were measured by quantitative immunoblotting. RESULTS Clipping significantly increased mean arterial pressure from 110 ± 3 to 148 ± 13 mm Hg, plasma Ang II, cortical Na,K-ATPase in the unclipped kidney of 2K-1C compared to sham-clipped rats, the total cortical Na,K-ATPase in both kidneys compared to sham-clipped rats, and the extent to which the Na,K-ATPase was phosphorylated at Ser-11. Clipping did not significantly change phosphorylation at Ser-18, β-actin, or the total protein in the cortexes of both kidneys. CONCLUSIONS Thus, in the kidney cortex of rats with renovascular hypertension there is increased expression of Na,K-ATPase and a selective increase in its phosphorylation at Ser-11 that could increase the capacity to reabsorb sodium and water.
Layer specific tracing of corticocortical and thalamocortical connectivity in the rodent using manganese enhanced MRI

Information about layer specific connections in the brain comes mainly from classical neuronal tracers that rely on histology. Manganese Enhanced MRI (MEMRI) has mapped connectivity along a number of brain pathways in several animal models. It is not clear at what level of specificity neuronal connectivity measured using MEMRI tracing can resolve. The goal of this work was to determine if neural tracing using MEMRI could distinguish layer inputs of major pathways of the cortex. To accomplish this, tracing was performed between hemispheres of the somatosensory (S1) cortex and between the thalamus and S1 cortex. T(1) mapping and T(1) weighted pulse sequences detected layer specific tracing after local injection of MnCl(2). Approximately 12 h following injections into S1 cortex, maximal T(1) reductions were observed at 0.6+/-0.07 and 1.1+/-0.12 mm from the brain surface in the contralateral S1. These distances correspond to the positions of layer 3 and 5 consistent with the known callosal inputs along this pathway. Four to six hours following injection of MnCl(2) into the thalamus there were maximal T(1) reductions between 0.7+/-0.08 and 0.8+/-0.08 mm from the surface of the brain, which corresponds to layer 4. This is consistent with terminations of the known thalamocortical projections. In order to observe the first synapse projection, it was critical to perform MRI at the right time after injections to detect layer specificity with MEMRI. At later time points, tracing through the cortical network led to more uniform contrast throughout the cortex due to its complex neuronal connections. These results are consistent with well established neuronal pathways within the somatosensory cortex and demonstrate that layer specific somatosensory connections can be detected in vivo using MEMRI.
Finding a Voice: Freedom through Digital Literacies

This article examines how the use of multimedia sources can deepen student engagement, comprehension, and questioning of a variety of texts. Through an American literature project, The Art of War, high school juniors work in collaboration to read, analyze, and create original digital texts using Animoto.com. As a result, educators are able to see academic strengths in students that might otherwise go unnoticed with the sole use of traditional teaching practices and print text.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Ensuring Student Success Through Alternative Schools

(2007). Introduction to the Special Issue: Ensuring Student Success Through Alternative Schools. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 3-4.
“ The older women are men :” navigating the academic terrain, perspectives from Ghana

This qualitative study investigates how the intersection of gender, socio-cultural factors, and organizational culture impact professional experiences of women academics at a selected public university in Ghana. Given the glaring absence of women in academic positions across many African universities, particularly at academic ranks beyond the entry-level, junior-lecturer or lecturer positions, this study provides an understanding of socio-cultural and institutional factors that have impacted the upward mobility of women academics and the strategies these women have employed to navigate professional contexts that are not always supportive. This study is theoretically informed Barriteau’s (Fem Afr 7:9–31, 2006) scholarship on Caribbean feminism, to examine the intersections of culture, gender, and post-colonial legacy on the professional lives of academic women. The key findings are centered around three themes that emerged from this study; the first highlights socio-cultural and family factors that impact the professional trajectory of Ghanaian women academics; the second, explores the manifestation of socio-cultural factors within the university; and the third focuses on organizational or institutional factors that affect their professional experiences.
Splenic artery embolization in blunt trauma.

In prior decades, splenic arterial embolization (SAE) was used increasingly in the setting of nonoperative management of blunt splenic trauma. Recently, however, multiple studies have questioned the efficacy of SAE in the blunt trauma population; at the very least, the clinical indications for SAE appear to be changing.1 At many institutions, however, including ours, SAE remains a mainstay in the treatment of patients suffering blunt trauma to the spleen. Although there is evidence that in certain patient populations SAE improves outcome, the superiority of a specific technique (proximal embolization, distal embolization, or a combination of both) is still debated. This article briefly reviews indications, general techniques, and complications of SAE; specific attention is paid to our preferred technique for SAE, with an emphasis on the distinction between proximal and distal embolization.
Preclinical evaluation of the putative antidepressant nefazodone

The effects of the putative antidepressant, nefazodone, which possesses prominent 5-HT2 antagonist properties and moderate 5-HT uptake inhibition activity, on several neurochemical measures commonly observed in clinically efficacious antidepressants and serotonergic agents were evaluated. These include: (1) the number of β-adrenergic and 5-HT2 receptors and (2) measures of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. Chronic administration of nefazodone at clinically relevant doses resulted in small but significant decreases in the density of cortical 5-HT2 and β-adrenergic receptors. Moreover, chronic nefazodone administration resulted in an increase in cortical CRF receptor number. Acute administration of nefazodone (1-100 mg/kg sc) did not alter plasma ACTH concentrations. Only the 100 mg/kg dose increased plasma corticosterone concentrations. Like nefazodone, acute administration of the selective 5-HT2 antagonist ketanserin (1.5-10 mg/kg) did not alter plasma ACTH or corticosterone concentrations. Neither acute (3.3 mg/kg sc) nor chronic (33.3 mg/kg/day × 28 days) administration of nefazodone altered the regional brain concentration of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in any of 10 brain regions examined. These data suggest that the 5-HT2 antagonist properties of nefazodone are sufficient to inhibit any stimulation of HPA axis activity that may result from the drugs' inherent agonist activity (i.e., 5-HT uptake inhibition and agonist activity of its metabolite m CPP). Moreover, chronic administration of nefazodone at a dose which produces down regulation of conical 5-HT2 and β-adrenergic receptors, an effect commonly observed after administration of other clinically effective antidepressants, increased cortical CRF receptor binding density, possibly the result of diminished extra-hypothalamic CRF release. These data, taken together, provide further neurochemical evidence for the purported antidepressant effects of nefazodone. Depression 1:315-323 (1993). © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cloud condensation nucleation activity of biomass burning aerosol

[1] We examine the hygroscopic properties of particles freshly emitted from laboratory biomass burning experiments conducted during the second Fire Lab At Missoula Experiment (FLAME-II). Values of the hygroscopicity parameter, kappa, were derived from both hygroscopic growth measurements and size-resolved (30–300 nm in diameter) cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measurements for smokes emitted by the open combustion of 24 biomass fuels from the United States and Asia. To analyze the complex cloud condensation nuclei response curves we propose a new inversion scheme that corrects for multiple charge effects without the necessity of prior assumptions about the chemical composition and mixing state of the particles. Kappa varied between 0.02 (weakly hygroscopic) and 0.8 (highly hygroscopic). For individual smokes, kappa was a function of particle size, with 250 nm particles being generally weakly hygroscopic and sub-100 nm particles being more hygroscopic. At any given size the emissions were often externally mixed, showing more and less hygroscopic growth modes and bimodal CCN activation spectra. Comparisons between growth factor-derived and CCN-derived hygroscopicities were consistent when taking this heterogeneity into account. A conceptual model of biomass burning emissions suggests that most particles are CCN active at the point of emission and do not require conversion in the atmosphere to more hygroscopic compositions before they can participate in cloud formation and undergo wet deposition.
Subjectively weighted utility: A descriptive extension of the expected utility model

Abstract A parsimonious extension to the Expected Utility (EU) model is proposed involving one additional parameter. The model is an example of a Subjectively Weighted Utility (SWU) model, which differs from the EU model only in the way probabilities are incorporated. The probability transformation is of a form that has appeared in the literature on human information processing and the additional parameter α has been interpreted as an index of information processing performance. The SWU model is shown to have considerable descriptive ability. It is discussed in the context of the substitutability axiom, distinct utility curves, insurance purchasing and gambling behavior, and probability variance preferences.
SPONTANEOUS INTERSEXUALITY IN THE RAT

BECAUSE of the reports on the feminizing influence of estrin on rat fetuses, the repeated, spontaneous occurrence of a similar, but more pronounced type of intersexuality in our rat colony seems worthy of brief description, especially as no similar case appears to have been recorded. The abnormality was first noted in the fall of 1938, and during the ensuing two years, eight cases, in litters of 3, 2 and 3, have been observed. All were exactly alike and may be described together; two were observed over periods of six months and one year. Externally, these rats were females in every respect. The vaginae were blind pouches, about one-half centimeter deep, and opened at the age of 3 months. Nipples indistinguishable from those of female rats were present, which is significant, as the male rat does not possess even rudimentary nipples. Internally, no trace of ovaries, uteri or Fallopian tubes could be found.
Reply to ``Comment on `Jamming at zero temperature and zero applied stress: The epitome of disorder' ''

We answer the questions raised by Donev, Torquato, Stillinger, and Connelly (DTSC) in their preceding Comment on ``Jamming at zero temperature and zero applied stress: The epitome of disorder'' [Phys. Rev. E 70, 043301 (2004)] We emphasize that we follow a fundamentally different approach than they have done to reinterpret random close packing in terms of the ``maximally random jammed'' framework. We define the ``maximally random jammed packing fraction'' to be where the largest number of initial states, chosen completely randomly, have relaxed final states at the jamming threshold in the thermodynamic limit. Thus, we focus on an ensemble of states at the jamming threshold, while DTSC are interested in determining the amount of order and degree of jamming for a particular configuration. We also argue that soft-particle systems are as ``clean'' as those using hard spheres for studying jammed packings and point out the benefits of using soft potentials.
The skill of writing.

Recently, I asked some of my medical toxicology colleagues: “What is the most important skill a medical toxicologist can have?” They provided a splendid range of answers: diagnosing and caring for severely ill undifferentiated patients, deductive and inductive reasoning, understanding dose–response relationships, etc. Surprisingly, no one answered “writing skills.” While many skills are essential for the successful practice of medical toxicology, I would argue that writing skills supersede all others, especially when the question is framed in light of academics. In 1975, Michael Crichton described medical writing as awkward, bad, and weak [1]. Almost four decades later, not a lot has changed. Formal instruction in writing or scientific writing is not typically part of residency or fellowship curricula. In fact, I am unaware of a single Medical Toxicology Fellowship program that currently offers formal instruction in writing, scientific writing, or peer review on a consistent basis. Polished writing skills remain vital to fulfilling our scientific mission of advancing the field and igniting ideas for further study. Why then do residency and fellowship programs place little—if any— emphasis on this important aspect of graduate medical education? Let’s face it—writing is often viewed to be an unpleasant task. For many of us, it is something that does not come easy. Teaching someone to be a better writer is even more challenging. To top things off, budding and seasoned authors alike get frustrated when their stylistic expression is quashed to meet the dull and formulaic format of many medical journals [2]. Other barriers to writing have been identified and include lack of time, no confidence, anxiety, and the inability to start or finish [3]. Although the roadblocks to effective writing seem insurmountable at times, the real challenge before us is imparting the importance and power of written communication to our legacy of learners—to spark a flame where perhaps there was none before.
Presentation Modality and Taxonomic Category as Encoding Dimensions for Good and Poor Readers

The asymmetrical release from proactive inhibition found in poor readers on the modality dimension (auditory to visual: no release; visual to auditory: slight release) by Farnham-Diggory and Gregg (1975) was not obtained when two critical control groups were included. On a Wickens' release from proactive inhibition task, both good and poor readers in grades 4,5, and 6 showed a build-up of inhibition across the first group of trials and a release on the last trial with a shift in modality of presentation when the comparison was between a shift and a no-shift group on the last trial, as suggested by Wickens (1972), and with a shift in taxonomic category. There were also no differences between groups on a recognition of presentation modality task. Both good and poor readers, therefore, store information indicating whether a word was heard or seen and information concerning a word's category membership.
Responses of young and aged Fischer 344 rat inferior colliculus neurons to binaural tonal stimuli.

Abstract The inferior colliculus (IC) is one nucleus of the central auditory system which displays age-related changes. Inputs to the IC use primarily the amino acid neurotransmitters glutamate and γ-aminobutryic acid (GABA). Neurochemical and anatomical studies of the Fischer 344 (F344) rat IC have shown decreases in GABA and GABA receptor levels (see Caspary et al., 1995 for review). GABA neurotransmission affects binaural response properties in the IC (Faingold et al., 1991a,b; Vater et al., 1992a; Park and Pollak, 1993, 1994). We hypothesized that aged F344 rats would show alterations in binaural IC neuronal response properties due to an imbalance in the relative levels of inhibition and excitation. Extracellular recordings from 189 single units localized to the IC of anesthetized aged (24 month) F344 rats were compared to those obtained from 221 IC units in young adult (3 month) animals. Quantitative analyses were performed to determine the distribution of ipsilateral and binaural rate/intensity functions (RIFs) in the central nucleus of the IC and external cortex of the IC units. The majority of IC units in both young and aged F344 rats were not responsive to monaural ipsilateral characteristic frequency tone bursts. Although there was some shift in the distribution of binaural RIF shapes with age, it was not statistically significant. The shift included a reduction in the percentage of units classified as E/I (excited by contralateral stimulation/ipsilaterally inhibited during binaural stimulation), but an increase with age in the percentage of units classified as E/f (excited by contralateral stimulation/ further facilitated by the addition of low intensity ipsilateral stimulation, but inhibited by higher intensity ipsilateral stimulation). Despite the role of inhibitory neurotransmission in binaural processing in the IC, age-related neurochemical deficits in the IC do not appear to result in a major deficit in the processing of simple binaural stimuli in F344 rats.
Hospital variation in risk-standardized hospital admission rates from US EDs among adults.

Abstract Background Variation in hospital admission rates of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) may represent an opportunity to improve practice. We seek to describe national variation in hospital admission rates from the ED and to determine the degree to which variation is not explained by patient characteristics or hospital factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of ED visits among adults within the 2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey ED data of hospitals with admission rates from the ED between 5% and 50%. We calculated risk-standardized hospital admission rates (RSARs) from the ED using contemporary hospital profiling methodology, accounting for patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results Among 19 831 adult ED visits in 252 hospitals, there were 4148 hospital admissions from the ED. After accounting for patients' sociodemographic and clinical factors, the median RSAR from the ED was 16.9% (interquartile range, 15.0%-20.4%), and 8.1% of the variation in RSARs was attributable to an institution-specific effect. Even after accounting for hospital teaching status, ownership, urban/rural location, and geographical location, 7.0% of the variation in RSARs from the ED was still attributable to an institution-specific effect. Conclusions and relevance There was variation in hospital admission rates from the ED in the United States, even after adjusting for patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and accounting for hospital factors. Our findings suggest that suggesting that the likelihood of being admitted from the ED is not only dependent on clinical factors but also at which hospital the patient seeks care.
Studies of surface adsorption on LiAlO2

Computational and experimental approaches are being taken to understanding surface adsorption/desorption effects on tritium inventory and release. The computational survey integrates a thermodynamic treatment of surface adsorption and bulk phase effects such as solubility and gas phase composition. The system T/sub 2/O:T/sub 2/:LiAlO/sub 2/ was examined. The calculations indicate that surface adsorption can be expected to contribute most to tritium inventory under the conditions of lower temperatures and higher oxygen activities. Higher temperature and lower oxygen activity favor lower surface inventory. In the experimental work, a high temperature gas chromatograph was constructed in order to measure the H/sub 2/O:H/sub 2/ surface adsorption isotherms and the solubility of hydroxide in LiAlO/sub 2/. Preliminary data indicate that at 478K approximately 15% of the surface is covered for a partial pressure of H/sub 2/O of approximately 52 Pa. Calculated values can be obtained that are in reasonable agreement with this.
Research Article: Hybrid stochastic simulations of intracellular reaction-diffusion systems

With the observation that stochasticity is important in biological systems, chemical kinetics have begun to receive wider interest. While the use of Monte Carlo discrete event simulations most accurately capture the variability of molecular species, they become computationally costly for complex reaction-diffusion systems with large populations of molecules. On the other hand, continuous time models are computationally efficient but they fail to capture any variability in the molecular species. In this study a hybrid stochastic approach is introduced for simulating reaction-diffusion systems. We developed an adaptive partitioning strategy in which processes with high frequency are simulated with deterministic rate-based equations, and those with low frequency using the exact stochastic algorithm of Gillespie. Therefore the stochastic behavior of cellular pathways is preserved while being able to apply it to large populations of molecules. We describe our method and demonstrate its accuracy and efficiency compared with the Gillespie algorithm for two different systems. First, a model of intracellular viral kinetics with two steady states and second, a compartmental model of the postsynaptic spine head for studying the dynamics of Ca+2 and NMDA receptors.
A phase i study of high-dose topotecan, ifosafamide/mesna and etoposide (Time) Followed by autologous stem cell rescue in refractory malignancies

Abstract In this study, topotecan (TPT) has been dose-escalated from 10 mg/m 2 to 85 mg/m 2 (total dose over 3 days), with stem cell rescue, in combination with ifosfamide and etoposide at fixed total doses of 10 g/m 2 and 1500 mg/m 2 , respectively. A two-hour infusion of ifosfamide is followed immediately by a 30-min. infusion of TPT on days -8, -7, and -6. On days, -5, -4, and -3 a CI of 500 mg/m 2 /d etoposide was administered. A total of 45 patients with refractory cancer were accrued (29- Breast CA, 8- NHL, 7- Ovarian CA, 1- Testicular CA) and the MTD of TPT was found to be 65 mg/m 2 . The DLT was mucositis/enteritis. The 100 day non-relapse mortality was 4.4%. One patient died on day +1- due to sepsis and cardiac failure and one on day +34 due to sepsis and CNS Aspergillus. The median day to engraftment is day +10 for ANC > 500/μL and day +17 for platelets > 50,0000/μL, untransfused. Pharmacokinetic analyses of total TPT and lactone show a harmonic mean t 1/2 of 2.9 h and 2.6 h, median clearance of 14.0 L/h/m 2 and 30.4 L/h/m 2 , and a median V dss of 52.9 L/m 2 and 88.3 L/m 2 , respectively. Median peak TPT concentrations (lactone) and AUC have ranged from 0.179 μM/0.24 μM·h (level 1) to 1.88 μM/2.44 μM·h (level 8). In this study we observed an overall response rate of 32%, with 5 and 9 of 44 evaluable patients achieving a CR or PR, respectively. In NHL, the overall responses rate was 57% (3- CR, 1- PR). The overall and event free survivals for all patients at 12 months were 55% ± 8% and 22% ± 6%, respectively.
Face, culture, and judgments of anger and fear: Do the eyes have it?

Three studies examine the contribution of the eyes to judgments of anger and fear. In Study 1, expressions of anger and fear posed by American and Japanese individuals were presented to American subjects, who judgedwhich emotion was shown, andhow intensely it was shown. In Study 2, the stimuli were judged by American and Japanese subjects, in order to test the effects of judging faces of another visibly different culture. In Study 3, the stimuli were shown to American subjects, who made judgments concerning degree of control and artificiality in the stimuli. The findings from all three studies indicated that the eyes play an important role in labelling emotion and judging its intensity, but do not provide information concerning control or artificiality. The findings also implicated effects of the eyes as a function of facial physiognomy.
Percutaneous subclavian venous catheters in neonates and children

There were 191 central venous catheters placed through the subclavian vein in 135 neonates and children over a 20-mo period, providing central venous access for a total of 4525 patient days. There were 132 (69.2%) catheters inserted in patients who were in their first year of life and 60 (31.4%) weighed less than 2.5 kg. The procedure was associated with a low technical complication rate. The greatest potential intermediate or long-term complication was the development of primary catheter sepsis that occurred in 11 (5.8%) of the catheters placed.
Calcification XVIII. Lack of Correlation between Calcification in vitro and Glycolytic Enzymes.

Summary(1) Glycolytic enzymes and their relation to in vitro calcification of the preosseous cartilage of rachitic rat bone tissue have been studied. The findings indicate that although glycolytic enzymes are present in deep frozen tissue, ability to calcify in vitro is lost. However, if the tissue is treated first with calcium chloride and then stored in the deep freeze, the glycolytic enzymes are either absent or present only in trace amounts while the calcifying mechanism remains virtually intact. (2) Bone sections heated at 65°C and then treated with calcium chloride retain their ability to calcify in vitro despite the destruction of the glycolytic enzymes during the heating process. (3) Demineralization of bones results in a loss of glycolytic enzyme activity. However, when the demineralized bones are treated with chondroitin sulfate and then with calcium chloride, the calcifying mechanism is restored but not the glycolytic enzyme activity. (4) It is concluded that glycolytic enzymes are not part of ...
New serum biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis.

Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is currently used as a biomarker for diagnosis and management of prostate cancer (CaP). However, PSA typically lacks the sensitivity and specificity desired of a diagnostic marker. Objective: The goal of this study was to identify an additional biomarker or a panel of biomarkers that is more sensitive and specific than PSA in differentiating benign versus malignant prostate disease and/or localized CaP versus metastatic CaP. Methods: Concurrent measurements of circulating interleukin-8 (IL-8), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptors 1 (sTNFR1) were obtained from four groups of men: (1) Controls (2) with elevated prostate-specific antigen with a negative prostate biopsy (elPSA_negBx) (3) with clinically localized CaP and (4) with castration resistant prostate cancer. Results: TNF-α Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC = 0.93) and sTNFR1 (AUC = 0.97) were strong predictors of elPSA_negBx (vs. CaP). The best predictor of elPSA_negBx vs CaP was sTNFR1 and IL-8 combined (AUC = 0.997). The strongest single predictors of localized versus metastatic CaP were TNF-α (AUC = 0.992) and PSA (AUC = 0.963) levels. Conclusions: The specificity and sensitivity of a PSA-based CaP diagnosis can be significantly enhanced by concurrent serum measurements of IL-8, TNF-α and sTNFR1. In view of the concerns about the ability of PSA to distinguish clinically relevant CaP from indolent disease, assessment of these biomarkers in the larger cohort is warranted.