cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stages of change and weight loss among rural African American women.

Objective: Obesity is a prevalent public health problem in the United States, especially for rural African American women, and causes increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether the transtheoretical stages of change model was generalizable to weight loss intention among overweight and obese rural African American women and to identify important predictors of the stages of change. Research Methods and Procedures: The study was conducted in two rural counties in central Virginia. A population-based sample of 200 women under the age of 40 completed questionnaires concerning weight loss behavior and beliefs about weight. Ordinal logistic regression was used to predict stage of change. Results: A total of 142 of the 200 women (71%) were overweight or obese (body mass index of ≥25) and were classified into a stage of change. Overall, 30% of respondents were in the precontemplation stage, 15% in the contemplation stage, 48% in the preparation stage, 4% in the action stage, and 3% in the maintenance stage. Education, what friends think about weight, body mass index, and a scale of the positive aspects of weight loss were significant predictors of the stage of change (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Several predictors of stage were the same as those found in studies of other health behaviors, and this research provides support for applying a stages of change model for weight loss intention among rural African American women. Two predictors in particular, significance of what friends think about weight and a scale of the positive aspects of weight loss, have implications for health education initiatives and social support in weight loss interventions.
Taiwanese mothers’ beliefs about reading aloud with preschoolers: findings from the parent reading belief inventory

In this study we adapted DeBaryshe and Binder’s Parent Reading Belief Inventory (PRBI) with middle‐class, well‐educated (M = 14–15 years of education) Taiwanese mothers to find what their beliefs were about reading aloud to young children. Parental reports of home literacy practices including children’s emergent literacy behaviours were also surveyed. Seven hundred and thirty‐one mothers and their three‐ to five‐year‐old preschoolers (389 boys and 242 girls; M = 54.7 months) were recruited from both public (279) and private (452) licensed pre‐kindergarten programmes located in the six districts of Tainan city in Taiwan. Factor analysis resulted in the retention of 24 items from the original PRBI scales; these organised into five subscales (Knowledge, Verbal Participation, Positive Affect, Teaching Efficacy and Reading Instruction) with adequate alpha coefficients ranging from .63 to .90. The key concepts featuring parent reading belief from both cultures were quite similar. Taiwanese mothers did place mor...
Progress on MMT-POL: the 1-5µm adaptive optics optimized polarimeter for the MMT

MMT-POL is an adaptive optics optimized imaging polarimeter for use at the 6.5m MMT. By taking full advantage of the adaptive optics secondary mirror of the MMT, this polarimeter will offer diffraction-limited polarimetry with very low instrumental polarization. This instrument will permit observations as diverse as protoplanetary discs, comets, red giant winds, galaxies and AGN. We report on progress toward regular operation of MMT-POL, including early laboratory calibration and optimization. Characterization of the 1-5μm Virgo array and supporting electronics is included, as are tests of the polarimetry optics at the heart of this instrument.
Computational synthesis of complex ballistic circuits in magnetic fields

Abstract A computer program that permits the rapid simulation of electron motion in two-dimensional mesoscopic circuits of a certain type, in the presence of a magnetic field, is described. As an illustration, a preliminary comparison is made with experimental results of a loop circuit. The introduction of ‘gate’ into the computer version of the circuit can be used to find the connection between the properties of the circuit and the states of the isolated loop. Impurity elastic scattering can be simulated.
Risk of Terrorism to Cyber-Physical and Organizational-Societal Infrastructures

Information technology has increased the interconnectedness and interdependencies of critical infrastructures, including transportation. This interdependence makes them especially vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Risk of attack to critical cyber-physical infrastructures and to the organizational-societal infrastructures that enable and sustain democratic societies must be addressed with a holistic approach rather than on an ad hoc basis. To appreciate the need and importance of a holistic risk assessment and management process for addressing terrorism, it is constructive to characterize it in three categories, which frequently overlap: (a) risk to critical cyber-physical infrastructures; (b) risk to organizational-societal infrastructures; (c) risk to human lives and to individual property, liberty and freedom. Approaches to developing a systematic, quantitative and principle-based risk assessment and management process are discussed.
A castration parasite of an ant–plant mutualism

Exploring the factors governing the maintenance and breakdown of cooperation between mutualists is an intriguing and enduring problem for evolutionary ecology, and symbioses between ants and plants can provide useful experimental models for such studies. Hundreds of tropical plant species have evolved structures to house and feed ants, and these ant–plant symbioses have long been considered classic examples of mutualism. Here, we report that the primary ant symbiont, Allomerus cf. demerarae , of the most abundant ant–plant found in south–east Peru, Cordia nodosa Lam., castrates its host plant. Allomerus workers protect new leaves and their associated domatia from herbivory, but destroy flowers, reducing fruit production to zero in most host plants. Castrated plants occupied by Allomerus provide more domatia for their associated ants than plants occupied by three species of Azteca ants that do not castrate their hosts. Allomerus colonies in larger plants have higher fecundity. As a consequence, Allomerus appears to benefit from its castration behaviour, to the detriment of C. nodosa . The C. nodosa –ant system exhibits none of the retaliatory or filtering mechanisms shown to stabilize cheating in other cooperative systems, and appears to persist because some of the plants, albeit a small minority, are inhabited by the three species of truly mutualistic Azteca ants.
Implementation of an APL-driven laboratory interface

The Chemical Engineering Department at Case Western Reserve University has constructed an APL-driven, multi-unit hierarchial, microcomputer laboratory interface to connect real-time experiments to time-shared APL computers. The key aspect of the system is that it can be used and reconfigured by the relatively naive user totally in APL. The systems that we have built will be described, including the hardware structure, software and problems encountered. The theoretical background of the system will be outlined in appendix III.
Development of a reduced biodiesel surrogate model for compression ignition engine modeling

Abstract Methylbutanoate (MB), a C 4 methyl ester, represents the simplest surrogate that captures the chemical effects of the ester moiety in biodiesel and biodiesel surrogates. An updated chemical kinetic model has been developed to characterize the ignition and flame characteristics of MB. The mechanistic elements within this model that relate to the MB and smaller ester/oxygenate sub-mechanisms are drawn from the prototypical Fisher et al. model and from more recent theory and modeling efforts. The MB model development which is based on an iterative procedure involving global sensitivity analyses to identify elementary reactions that govern ignition and subsequent high level ab initio based theoretical updates to these reaction rates are presented. The MB model makes reasonable predictions of ignition delays and laminar flame speeds. The C 5 –C 7 submechanisms from the LLNL n -heptane (NH) model were merged with the present MB model to obtain a detailed chemical kinetics model for a surrogate blend representing biodiesel. The detailed MB-NH model (661 species) was reduced using graph based techniques. The robust reduction techniques employed result in a reduced model (145 species) that is in good agreement with the detailed model over a wide range of conditions. 3-D compression ignition (CI) engine simulations utilizing this reduced chemistry model for MB-NH blends as a surrogate for biodiesel show good agreement with the experimental data suggesting the utility of this model for predictions of combustion and emission characteristics of biodiesel in realistic CI engine simulations.
The Controversy over Outdoor Warning Sirens

On the evening of June 11, 2008, more than 100 Boy Scouts, teenage staff, and adult leaders were scattered around the wooded grounds of the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Little Sioux, Iowa. Halfway...
Proposal for a new test of Bell's inequality in an optical interference experiment

Abstract A new experimental test of Bell's inequality is proposed, that depends on measurements of the two-photon detection probability as a function of position in an interference experiment. Although the experiment also makes use of polarizers, the polarization angles remain fixed and only the detector positions are varied. The proposed experiment differs from most previous tests of Bell's inequality in that the measured quantities are mutually exclusive probabilities.
Influence of the clinker SO3 on the cement characteristics

Abstract This paper aims to clarify the influence of the clinker SO 3 on the cement characteristics. The impact on the strength development rate and the level of sulfate resistance were studied .The results show that increasing the amount of clinker SO 3 at low alkali level reduces the percentages of the tricalcium aluminate (C 3 A) and alite as well as the alite/belite ratio, leading to a modification in the cement quality. For these reasons cements produced from a clinker containing high sulfate and low alkali, have slower strength development and higher sulfate resisting level than that produced with low sulfate clinker.
Interaction of thiamine and pyridoxine in Neurospora. II. Competition between pyridoxine and the pyrimidine precursor of thiamine.

Abstract It has been shown that pyridoxine inhibits thiamine biosynthesis. This inhibition is overcome efficiently and noncompetitively by thiamine, competitively by pyrimidine, and inefficiently and noncompetitively by thiazole. In view of these findings, the fact that 4-deoxypyridoxine (a known antimetabolite of pyridoxine) can act in an identical fashion, the great structural similarity of these pyridine compounds to pyrimidine, as well as findings published elsewhere (1–3, 6), it is concluded that pyridoxine competitively prevents pyrimidine utilization, probably by acting as a competitive substrate for the enzyme which couples pyrimidine (or pyridoxine) to thiazole.
Accuracy of fluoroscopy in closed reduction and percutaneous fixation of simulated Bennett's fracture.

Purpose Restoration of joint congruity has been shown to be an important factor in the prevention of arthritis in patients with Bennett's fracture. It is for this reason that surgical management is generally recommended for displaced intra-articular fractures of the base of the thumb metacarpal. Adequacy of closed reduction after pinning of Bennett's fracture is usually evaluated by fluoroscopic examination. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of fluoroscopic examination compared to plain radiographs and direct visualization in closed reduction and percutaneous pin fixation of simulated Bennett's fractures. Methods In 8 fresh-frozen cadaveric hands, Bennett's fractures were created and the incisions were closed. Under fluoroscopic visualization the fractures were close reduced and pinned using 1.14-mm (0.045-in) K-wires. These reductions were all judged to be acceptably aligned with fracture stepoff and displacement less than 1.5 mm under fluoroscopy. Anteroposterior and lateral plain radiographic films were then taken to assess the reduction. Finally, the carpometacarpal joint was opened and visualized to directly assess the reduction for fracture stepoff, displacement, and gap. Results After percutaneous fixation, all closed reductions were deemed acceptable. Examination with plain radiographs demonstrated an average anteroposterior view displacement of 0 mm, lateral view gap of 0.1 mm, and articular stepoff of 1.1 mm. Direct examination of the joints showed an average articular gap of 0.9 mm, stepoff of 2.1 mm, and displacement of 3.1 mm. The values for stepoff and displacement were significantly different when the direct measurements were compared to the fluoroscopic measurements. Radiographic measurements were significantly different from direct measurements for displacement of the fracture fragments. Conclusions After closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of simulated Bennett's fractures in a cadaver model, the assessment of the articular gap, stepoff, and displacement as detected by fluoroscopy is often in error compared to that detected by plain radiographs and direct examination.
Radiative mean lives of some electronic terms in atomic and ionic carbon

Abstract The beam-foil technique has been used to measure the mean lives of four electronic terms in CI, CII and CIII. Transition probabilities for the multiplets involved are derived from the results and compared with theory.
Effect of education on the appropriateness of serum drug concentration determination

The purpose of this study was to document the effect of education on the appropriateness of serum drug concentration (SDC) collection. This study included a period of education for hospital personnel involved in the acquisition of drug levels. These included nursing staff, lab personnel, house-staff (residents/interns), ward clerks, and pharmacists. This study included patients receiving aminoglycoside and/or vancomycin while on the general medicine service during the specified study periods. Patients receiving less than 72 h of antimicrobial therapy and patients transferred to or from the surgery service were excluded from the study. A retrospective pre- and posteducation comparison using Chi-square analysis was made to determine whether the percentage of appropriate and useful SDCs was improved through education. There was a significant difference (p less than 0.005) between the percentage of appropriate SDCs in the pre- and posteducation period. As a result of the study, a change in procedure for ordering SDCs was initiated, using an educational program, in order to continue the trend of appropriate SDCs at the Veterans Administration.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF PERSONALITY VARIABLES TO ORGANIZATIONAL WITHDRAWAL

The relationship of personality variables to turnover and absenteeism was investigated using Cattell's 16 PF. Results indicated Factors G (conscientiousness) and Q4 (anxiety) accounted for most of the predictable variance in both indices or organizational withdrawal. The Porter and Steers “polar” hypotheses for organizational withdrawal were not confirmed except for the anxiety factor. Results are discussed in terms of Lyons’(1972) conclusions on the relationship of absenteeism and turnover and the generality of findings to other samples of employees.
Experience With 800 X 800 Virtual Phase And 500 X 500 Three-Phase CCD Imagers

A description of the Galileo/Institute for Astronomy charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging system and its initial operation has been presented previously. Originally designed to operate a 500 x 500 backside illuminated three-phase CCD, the system has been modified to allow use of either the 500 x 500 sensor or the TI 800 x 800 virtual phase CCD. The modifications for the operation of the virtual phase CCD and current system performance with each type of sensor are discussed. A description is given of the implementation of various techniques discovered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that improve imager performance. These techniques include tri-level clocking of the virtual phase CCD to eliminate spurious charge generation in the serial register, the use of ultraviolet light flood with the backside thinned 500 x 500 three-phase device to dramatically improve the quantum efficiency in the blue, and the practical elimination of deferred charge in the three-phase device. Results of astronomical observations with each sensor are presented.
Kinetic Basis for the Substrate Specificity during Hydrolysis of Phospholipids by Secreted Phospholipase A2

Kinetics of hydrolysis of aqueous dispersions of arsono-, sulfo-, phosphono- and phospholipids by phospholipase A2 from pig pancreas are characterized in terms of interfacial rate and equilibrium parameters. The enzyme with or without calcium binds with high affinity to the aqueous dispersions of the four classes of anionic lipids and shows the same general kinetic behavior. The rate of hydrolysis of anionic substrates does not show an anomalous change at the critical micelle concentration because the enzyme is present in aggregates even when bulk of the substrate is dispersed as a solitary monomer. Apparent affinities of the enzyme for the interface of different anionic lipids are virtually the same. Also, affinities of these substrates for the active site of the enzyme at the interface are comparable. However, a significant change in the catalytic turnover rate is seen as the sn-3 phosphodiester group is modified; the apparent maximum rate at saturating bulk substrate concentration, VMapp values, increa...
Discrimination of supersymmetry and universal extra dimensions at hadron colliders

We contrast the experimental signatures of low energy supersymmetry and the model of Universal Extra Dimensions and discuss various methods for their discrimination at hadron colliders. We study the discovery reach of the Tevatron and the LHC for level 2 Kaluza-Klein modes, which would indicate the presence of extra dimensions. We find that with 100 fb −1 of data the LHC will be able to discover the γ2 and Z2 KK modes as separate resonances if their masses are below 2 TeV. We also investigate the possibility to differentiate the spins of the superpartners and KK modes by means of the asymmetry method of Barr.
The minimizing style: perceptions of psychological abuse and quality of past and current relationships.

Abstract Objective: The goals of this current project were to expand and elaborate on the results of Varia, Abidin, and Dass’ (1996) study to better understand what historical parenting factors may contribute in creating a “Minimizing” perception of childhood psychological abuse. A second objective included examining the association between perceptual styles and adult ratings of adult relationship satisfaction. Method: Ninety individuals from a non-clinical adult sample completed self-report questionnaires regarding psychological maltreatment and adult relationship satisfaction. Three groups were created and compared using analysis of variance. The groups were (I) “Non-Abused,” consistent reporters of no abuse; (II) “Acknowledgers,” consistent reporters of abuse; and (III) “Minimizers,” reporters of abuse, but do not label themselves as having been abused. Results: Results indicated a continuum effect with the Non-Abused individuals reporting the highest level of maternal warmth and affection, the Acknowledgers reporting the lowest, with the Minimizers in the middle. The Non-Abused group reported the healthiest adjustment in terms of adult relationship satisfaction. While Minimizers and Acknowledgers reported similar levels of psychologically abusive experiences, Acknowledgers reported more difficulties with adult relationships. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of studying Minimizers, a group which describes abusive events but minimizes the meaning and scope of these experiences. The relatively higher levels of maternal care which the Minimizers reported is hypothesized to be associated with their perceptions that they were not abused and acted as a protective factor associated with better quality adult relationships. The varying degrees of nurturance and care in the early family environment of abused individuals is speculated to be associated with distinct perceptual styles.
On the use of naturality in algorithmic resolution

Abstract This paper provides a simplified presentation of a known algorithm for resolution of singularities (in characteristic zero). It works in the context of marked ideals and uses naturality properties with respect to open restrictions and strong equivalence, to solve a delicate glueing problem that arises when induction on the dimension of the objects considered is applied.
Citrate toxicity during massive blood transfusion.

THE USE OF sodium citrate as the blood anticoagulant for transfusion science dates from 1914 to 1915 and the almost simultaneous publication of the work of four independent investigators. Articles from Hustin,l Agote,2 Weil,3 and Lewisohn,4 published between May 1914 and January 1915, each reported the successful use of citrated blood for human transfusion. Because citrate was known to be toxic to animals, Lewisohn carefully titrated the minimum concentration of citrate required to prevent clotting. Despite the demonstration by Weil that citrated blood could be stored for several days and still be effective,3 and the discovery by Rous and TurnerS that citrated blood supplemented by dextrose was capable of more prolonged storage, citrated blood was not quickly accepted by the general medical community. Though used with success in limited trials on the battlefield in World War 1,6 transfusions with citrated blood were often associated with chills and fever which were incorrectly attributed to the citrate. Febrile reactions were so common with citrated blood that during the 1920s most transfusions consisted of the rapid transfers of nonanticoagulated whole blood, and the use of stored citrated blood did not become commonplace until the mid-1930s. 7 While improvements in transfusion technology and the establishment of blood banks made the administration of blood a standard procedure in the operating room, blood usage was generally limited to a few units for any given patient. Advances in knowledge of the biochemistry of citrate and calcium led to an improved understanding of their interaction as well as the relationship of serum ionized Ca + + to total serum calcium. The development of citrate toxicity due to acute hypocalcemia was demonstrated in dogs as early as 1944. After Wodd War II surgical techniques of increas-
One class of meromorphic solutions of general two-dimensional nonlinear equations, connected with the algebraic inverse scattering method.

Abstract For systems of nonlinear equations having the form [Ln - (∂/∂t), Lm - (∂/∂y)] = 0 the class of meromorphic solutions obtained from the linear equations [Formula: see text] is presented.
Selective, carrier-mediated uptake of dilute aqueous heavy metal ions by metal-sorbing vesicles in the presence of excess Mg2+ and Ca2+

Abstract Phosphatidylcholine vesicles harboring the lipophilic metal ion carrier A23187 in the bilayer and encapsulating ethylenediamine tetraproprionate (EDTP) selectively sequester Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Cd 2+ from dilute aqueous solution at neutral to acidic pH. At pH 7.0, individual metal ion uptake experiments reveal up to a 3-fold difference in permeability and capacity among the three metal ions, whereas at pH 5.5, up to ∼290-fold difference in metal ion permeability and ∼1300-fold difference in capacity is observed in favor of Cu 2+ relative to Cd 2+ . The uptake profiles of metal-sorbing vesicles at pH 7.0 essentially are unchanged in the presence of a 100-fold greater concentration of Mg 2+ relative to the ions of interest. A decrease of about 10–35% in both permeability and capacity is observed at a 100-fold greater concentration of Ca 2+ . The selectivity behavior of these metal-sorbing vesicles is predictable based on intrinsic metal ion and proton affinity parameters of both the encapsulated chelator (EDTP) and the membrane-bound carrier (A23187), and on the composition of the aqueous and membrane environments.
Lack of effect of colchicine on human neutrophil chemotaxis under agarose.

Human polymorphonuclear neutrophil chemotaxis under agarose was assessed following in vitro treatment of cells with colchicine. No inhibition of random migration or chemotaxis was detected. The discrepancy between these results and reports utilizing micropore filter assays could be due to the need for cell deformability in the latter.
A CMOS fully integrated concurrent dual ultrawideband receiver frontend

A new fully integrated receiver front-end operating concurrently over the two bands of 3.1–4.8 and 6.3–7.9 GHz of the UWB spectrum (3.1–10.6 GHz) has been developed using a 0.18-μm CMOS process. The receiver front-end occupies a chip size of only 1.18 × 0.87 mm2 and exhibits conversion gains from 12.5–16.5 dB and 14.5–16 dB and RF return losses from 10 to 11 dB and 10.5 to 12 dB over the 3.1–4.8 GHz and 6.3–7.9 GHz bands, respectively. The measured input 1-dB compression points are −4.1 and −5.2 dBm at 4 and 6.5 GHz, respectively. The measured noise figure is from 7.5 to 12.5 dB across 3.1–7.9 GHz and less than 10 dB up to 7 GHz. The receiver front-end consumes about 42 mA of current from a 1.8 V power supply. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 2003–2007, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24586
Blood flow changes and conceptal development in pregnant rats in response to caffeine

Alterations in blood flow to the uterus and its contents during pregnancy have been suggested to account for the teratogenicity and/or embryotoxicity of several agents, including caffeine. Using a radioactive microsphere technique, blood flow to several maternal organs, including ovary, uterus, decidua, and chorioallantoic placenta (CAP), was measured following a single dose of 0 or 120 mg/kg caffeine by gavage to pregnant CD rats on Day 12 of gestation. At 1 or 4 hr after treatment, animals were anesthetized and strontium 85-labeled microspheres (25 micrometers diam) were infused into the left ventricle. Whole body and tissue radioactivity were determined. Maternal cardiac output (CO) and absolute flow (f1; ml/min), relative flow (f2; ml/min/g tissue), and flow as %CO (f3) to each tissue were calculated. Maternal CO was not altered. All blood flow parameters for ovaries, uterus, and bladder were reduced in treated animals at both time points except for absolute flow (f1) to the ovaries at 1 hr. Decidual changes included reduced weight at 1 hr, reduced f2 at 4 hr, and reduced f1 and f3 at both times. However, CAP weight and blood flow wre not significantly altered by caffeine treatment. Examination of conceptuses from thse litters, and from other animals at 24 hr after treatment or at term did not reveal any significant effect of this dose of caffeine on viability, growth, or physical development. The ratio of embryo to maternal blood caffeine concentrations was approximately 1, indicating free transfer of caffeine to the embryos.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Surface force measurements at kaolinite edge surfaces using atomic force microscopy

Abstract Fundamental results obtained from research on the properties of the edge surfaces of kaolinite particles (∼500 nm) are reported. Of particular significance was the development of the experimental protocol. Well-ordered kaolinite edge surfaces were prepared as an epoxy resin sandwich structure having layered kaolinite particles in the center of the epoxy resin sandwich. Images of the sectioned kaolinite edge surfaces were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the average thickness of kaolinite particles in this study was determined to be 38.3 nm ± 11.7 nm. Furthermore, the surface charge of the kaolinite edge surfaces was evaluated with a super sharp Si tip. The point of zero charge (PZC) of the kaolinite edge surface was determined to be below pH 4, in contrast to the traditional view that the edge surfaces of kaolinite particles may carry a positive charge at pH 4. This lower PZC of the kaolinite edge surface was attributed to the lack of isomorphous substitution in the silica tetrahedral layer when compared to the PZC for the muscovite edge surface. Our results are consistent with the particle aggregation and flotation behavior of kaolinite, and should provide the basis for improved flotation strategies leading to the efficient recovery and utilization of mineral and energy resources.
Investigation of electronic structure and proton transfer in ground state acetylacetone

Abstract Various quantum chemical methods, including Hartree–Fock (HF), density functional (DFT/B3LYP), Moller–Plesset perturbation (MP2), and coupled-cluster [CCSD, CCSD(T), CC3] schemes, have been exploited with correlation-consistent basis sets in an attempt to resolve controversies surrounding the equilibrium structure of ground-state acetylacetone. Geometry optimizations performed at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory predict a global minimum-energy configuration of C s symmetry that exhibits an interoxygen distance of 2.575 A, with the symmetric (C 2v ) transition state for proton transfer presenting a potential barrier of 1276.7 cm −1 height. The resulting theoretical description of acetylacetone is in excellent agreement with recent electron diffraction experiments.
High-fat diet offsets the long-lasting effects of running-wheel access on food intake and body weight in OLETF rats

We have previously demonstrated that running-wheel access normalizes the food intake and body weight of Otsuka Long-Evens Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. Following 6 wk of running-wheel access beginning at 8 wk of age, the body weight of OLETF rats remains reduced, demonstrating a lasting effect on their phenotype. In contrast, access to a high-fat diet exacerbates the hyperphagia and obesity of OLETF rats. To determine whether diet modulates the long-term effects of exercise, we examined the effects of high-fat diet on food intake and body weight in OLETF rats that had prior access to running wheels for 4 wk. We found that 4 wk of running exercise significantly decreased food intake and body weight of OLETF rats. Consistent with prior results, 4 wk of exercise also produced long-lasting effects on food intake and body weight in OLETF rats fed a regular chow. When running wheels were relocked, OLETF rats stabilized at lower levels of body weight than sedentary OLETF rats. However, access to a high-fat diet offset these effects. When OLETF rats were switched to a high-fat diet following wheel relocking, they significantly increased food intake and body weight, so that they reached levels similar to those of sedentary OLETF rats fed a high-fat diet. Gene expression determination of hypothalamic neuropeptides revealed changes that appeared to be appropriate responses to the effects of diet and running exercise. Together, these results demonstrate that high-fat diet modulates the long-lasting effects of exercise on food intake and body weight in OLETF rats.
The theory of stationary point processes.

Axiomatic formulation for stationary point processes interpreted as ordered sequences of points randomly located on real line, noting relation to set theory
Multiphoton optical image guided spectroscopy method for characterization of collagen-based materials modified by glycation.

The cross-linking with reducing sugars, known as glycation, is used to increase stiffness and strength of tissues and artificial collagen-based scaffolds. Nondestructive characterization methods that report on the structures within these materials could clarify the effects of glycation. For doing this nondestructive evaluation, we employed an in situ one-photon fluorescence as well as multiphoton microscopy method that combined two-photon fluorescence and second harmonic generation signals. We incubated collagen hydrogels with glyceraldehyde, ribose, and glucose and observed an increase in the in situ fluorescence and structural alterations within the materials during the course of glycation. The two-photon fluorescence emission maximum was observed at about 460 nm. The fluorescence emission in the one-photon excitation experiment (λex = 360 nm) was broad with peaks centered at 445 and 460 nm. The 460 nm emission component subsequently became dominant during the course of glycation with glyceraldehyde. Fo...
Immortalized liver endothelial cells: a cell culture model for studies of motility and angiogenesis

Hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSECs) are a unique subpopulation of fenestrated endothelial cells lining the hepatic sinusoids and comprising the majority of endothelial cells within the liver. HSECs not only have important roles in blood clearance, vascular tone, and immunity, but also undergo pathological changes, contributing to fibrosis, angiogenesis, and portal hypertension. There are few cell culture models for in vitro studies of motility and angiogenesis as primary cells are time-consuming to isolate, are limited in number, and often lack features of pathological vasculature. The aim of this study was to generate an immortalized cell line derived from HSECs that mimic pathological vasculature and allows detailed molecular interventions to be pursued. HSECs were isolated from mouse liver using CD31-based immunomagnetic separation, immortalized with SV40 large T-antigen, and subcloned on the basis of their ability to endocytose the acetylated low-density lipoprotein (AcLDL). The resulting cell line, transformed sinusoidal endothelial cells (TSECs), maintains an endothelial phenotype as well as some HSEC-specific features. This is evidenced by typical microscopic features of endothelia, including formation of lamellipodia and filopodia, and a cobblestone morphology of cell monolayers. Electron microscopy showed maintenance of a limited number of fenestrae organized in sieve plates. TSECs express numerous endothelia-specific markers, including CD31 and von Willebrand's factor (vWF), as detected by PCR array, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence (IF). Functionally, TSECs maintain a number of key endothelial features, including migration in response to angiogenic factors, formation of vascular tubes, endocytosis of AcLDL, and remodeling of extracellular matrix. Their phenotype most closely resembles the pathological neovasculature associated with chronic liver disease, in which cells become proliferative, defenestrated, and angiogenic. Importantly, the cells can be transduced efficiently with viral vectors. TSECs should provide a reproducible cell culture model for high-throughput in vitro studies pertaining to a broad range of liver endothelial cell functions, but likely broader endothelial cell biology as well.
Equilibrium store locations when consumers minimize travel time plus waiting time

Abstract This note studies a simple variant of the classical Hotelling model for store locations: It assumes that in choosing a store, consumers take into account not only travel time but also waiting time for service in each store, which in turn depends on the number of consumers choosing that store.
Research Plot Planter for Furrow Irrigated Cropping Systems

(...) The planter was designed and constructed for establishing research plots in furrow-irrigated cropping systems. The planter drive wheels provide flexibility for furrow spacings ranging from 0.25 to 2.2 m. Two tool bars with no interfering support brackets allow numerous row spacing arrangements for seed and furrow openers. The planter can be adjusted quickly (approximately 1 h) for different furrow systems, and thus, used for research and/or extension demeonstration purposes both on- and off-station
History Lessons: The End of American Exceptionalism? Mobility in the United States Since 1850

Abstract New longitudinal data on individuals linked across nineteenth century U.S. censuses document the geographic and occupational mobility of more than 75,000 Americans from the 1850s to the 1920s. Together with longitudinal data for more recent years, these data make possible for the first time systematic comparisons of mobility over the last 150 years of American economic development, as well as cross-national comparisons for the nineteenth century. The U.S. was a substantially more mobile economy than Britain between 1850 and 1880. But both intergenerational occupational mobility and geographic mobility have declined in the U.S. since the beginning of the twentieth century, leaving much less apparent two aspects of the “American Exceptionalism” noted by nineteenth century observers.
Towards an integrated marine policy in developing countries

The author advocates the development of an integrated marine policy, particularly for developing countries. He stresses the value of such an approach, but discusses the difficulties and complexities involved in achieving implementation. The basic requirements for an integrated policy are reviewed, with emphasis upon the institutional aspects. In large measure, the article reflects the philosophy of the United Nations, recognizing the efforts of nations to maximize their benefits from the adoption in 1982 of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.
Education of Limited English Proficient Students in California Schools: An Assessment of the Influence of Proposition 227 on Selected Teachers and Classrooms

Abstract This pilot study provides documentation on policy-and practice-based questions regarding the implementation of Proposition 227 in eight selected but representative districts. Focusing on teachers' reactions to Proposition 227, this study examines how teachers both shape and are affected by Proposition 227 implementation. Proposition 227 was intended to place a premium on English language development in a highly uniform and prescriptive manner throughout the state. Our initial study reveals that the nature of Proposition 227 implementation has a great deal to do with teacher ideology.
Use of the holmium:YAG laser in coronary disease

ABSTRACT The holmium:YAG laser, a new solid-state, infrared laser system, is being used increasingly more often for treating pe-ripheral vascular disease. We discuss the early use of this device in coronary laser angioplasty. The holmium:YAG laser hasseveral advantages over excimer systems and may prove to be an effective adjunctive to coronary balloon angioplasty. 1. INTRODUCTION Vascular lasers have been steadily improving since their introduction in the mid-1980s.' MUItifiber open-beam probes arebeing investigated as new sources of pulsed laser energy evolve.2 The preliminary results of excimer laser studies show acutecomplication and restenosis rates comparable to those of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (VFCA).3 Coronaryangioplasty has recently been performed with the holmium lase5 2. OBSERVATIONS We found the holmium laser (a 2100-nm infrared pulsed thulium/holmium:YAG system) to be successful in treating tightstenosis, total occlusions, and ostial lesions. We first reported the initial coronary application of this device in a 79-year-old manwith unstable angina.4 After unsuccessful PTCA, the holmium laser was able to recanalize a totally occluded bypass graft.Geschwmd, et aL, reported their use of the holmium laser in 23 patients.5 Three of these patients were unsuccessfully ap-proached, and three were treated with stand-alone laser treatmentWe recently used a holmium:YAG system with a divergent lens that creates a larger channel than the fiber. This Halocathcatheter (Trimedyne) was used in two patients: (1) an ostial protected left main stenosis was successfully treated with the 2.0Ha1OCath catheter, and (2) a totally occluded coronary artery was treated successfully with the 1.6 mm Halocath probe. We abutthe stenosis prior to turning the laser on to see if we can cross the area of stenosis; this eliminates the possibility that that vesselis being recanalized mechanically. Whether this device has a Dottering effect is still unknown. Although calcium can, theoreti-cally, be effectively ablated with this device, our observations by fluoroscopy do not show conclusively whether calcium actu-ally can be crossed with the hohnium:YAG system. In one of our cases, angioscopy did not reveal evidence of any thermaldamage. However, larger studies need to be done to clarify whether this is clinically important
Inhibitory effects of ventral signals on the development of Brn-3.0-expressing neurons in the dorsal spinal cord.

Brn-3.0, a POU-domain transcription factor, is expressed in specific postmitotic neurons in the dorsal part of the neural tube which are among the first spinal cord neurons to appear in development. In the mature spinal cord, the Brn-3.0 cells form a numerous population of scattered neurons in the intermediate spinal gray. Ablation of the notochord in chick embryos extends the domain of Brn-3.0 expression into the ventral neural tube, while ectopic grafts of notochord tissue suppress Brn-3.0 expression. The notochord effects on Brn-3.0 expression are reproducedin vivoby the implantation of a local source of recombinant Shh protein. The down-regulation of Brn-3.0 expression in the dorsal spinal cord by the notochord and Shh contrasts with the known inductive effects of these ventral signals on the approximately simultaneous development of the spinal motor neurons. In cultured explants of neural plate from the region of the presumptive spinal cord, Brn-3.0 neurons develop in the absence of surface ectoderm and ventral midline tissue, suggesting that the Brn-3.0 phenotype may represent a “default” developmental pathway for early spinal cord neurons. Together these results advance the understanding of the mechanism of the generation of neuronal diversity in the developing vertebrate CNS.
Featured review article

The self as research instrument The I in Science: Training to Utilize Subjectivity in Research. Judith R. Brown. Oslo/Boston: Scandinavian University Press, 1996.
Human and rhesus macaque hematopoietic stem cells cannot be purified based only on SLAM family markers

Various combinations of antibodies directed to cell surface markers have been used to isolate human and rhesus macaque hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These protocols result in poor enrichment or require multiple complex steps. Recently, a simple phenotype for HSCs based on cell surface markers from the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family of receptors has been reported in the mouse. We examined the possibility of using the SLAM markers to facilitate the isolation of highly enriched populations of HSCs in humans and rhesus macaques. We isolated SLAM (CD150+CD48−) and non-SLAM (not CD150+CD48−) cells from human umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells as well as from human and rhesus macaque mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ cells and compared their ability to form colonies in vitro and reconstitute immune-deficient (nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency/interleukin-2 γc receptornull, NSG) mice. We found that the CD34+ SLAM population contributed equally or less to colony formation in vitro and to long-term reconstitution in NSG mice compared with the CD34+ non-SLAM population. Thus, SLAM family markers do not permit the same degree of HSC enrichment in humans and rhesus macaques as in mice.
The Whole Language Approach in the FLES Classroom: Adapting Strategies to Teach Reading and Writing

ABSTRACT The Whole Language Approach provides a learning environment in which the student participates in meaningful language experiences. Through the process of constructing language for communication purposes, the student develops the ability to listen, speak, read, and write in a natural manner. In the FLES program, where there is limited exposure to the foreign language, the adaptation of whole language strategies can be an effective tool for instruction. This article will discuss the development and implementation of an instructional unit that applies selected whole language strategies to teach reading and writing in the beginning stages of literacy in French. The unit details how an authentic folktale can be used as the focus of instruction for integrating topics from the elementary curriculum to form a well-designed L2 curriculum that meets the needs of the FLES program.
Feasibility studies for biomass-to-ethanol production facilities in Florida and Hawaii

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) process development unit has been operating since 1995 to test technology to convert lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol. Following this type of testing, a pre-commercial scale engineering demonstration is likely to be needed to demonstrate this technology at or near proposed commercial plant sites. As a result, NREL began a program to help industrial partners complete a sound feasibility studies that include detailed siting plans. These studies examine biomass availability and cost projections, delineate site requirements, identify qualifying sites, examine environmental and community impacts, and provide financial evaluations and projections. Results from two of the completed studies on the big island of Hawaii, and in central Florida provide valuable insight for future potential biomass-to-ethanol commercializing organizations.
Our Babies Are What We Feed Them

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,” so wrote Anthelme Brillat-Savarin nearly 300 years ago. This age-old saying can be extrapolated to our NICUs to mean, “Tell me how you feed your babies and I will tell you how well you care for them.” Indeed, generations can be impacted by small changes in feeding practices early in life. If we are what we eat, then our babies are what we feed them! Managing nutritional needs of sick neonates has never been easy. When choices lie between optimizing heart and lung function of a sick neonate versus advancing nutrition, nutrition often takes the back seat. The result is a nutritional deficit that accrues in the first weeks of life and is often hard to overcome in subsequent weeks (Fig. 1). The goal for nutrition of the preterm infant should be to get to the same growth rate a normal fetus would have achieved at the same gestational age in utero. Mother’s milk would be optimal but is often not available. Poor gut motility, reflux, and inadequate digestive function further complicate the picture. The cause of postnatal growth restriction in preterm infants is arguably multifactorial, but it has been estimated that about 50% of the variance can be attributed to inadequate nutrition. There is also a delicate balance between optimizing caloric intake and running the risk of complications such as fluid overload, liver damage, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The result: an unacceptable level of variability in practices and outcomes when it comes to growth and nutrition. Yet there are solutions. Breast milk has been shown to have innumerable benefits but is still grossly underutilized. It is not always clear why that is the case; socioeconomic status and lack of maternal commitment have often been blamed but many inner-city NICUs claim near universal breast-feeding rates. Numerous studies have shown that breast milk is better tolerated and reduces the risk of NEC. There are also immunologic benefits that translate to lower risk of infections and immune disorders later on in life. Then there is the issue of early and aggressive versus delayed and slow feeding advances. Evidence shows that early initiation and targeted rapid advances result in