cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quorum sensing in natural environments: emerging views from microbial mats

Much laboratory-based information exists on quorum sensing, a type of bacterial cell-to-cell communication that depends upon exchanges of molecular signals between neighboring cells. However, little is known about how this and other microbial sensing systems operate in nature. Geochemical and biological modifications of signals probably occur in extracellular environments, and these could disrupt intended communication if signals are no longer recognized. However, as we discuss here, signal alterations might result in other outcomes: if a modified signal is able to interact with a different receptor then further environmental information can be gained by the receiving cells. We also postulate that quorum sensing occurs within cell clusters, where signal dispersion might be significantly influenced by extracellular polymers. As a model system to discuss these points we use microbial mats – highly-structured biofilm communities living under sharply-defined, fluctuating geochemical gradients.
Coronary Intervention with the Excimer Laser: A Current Perspective

One variety of the excimer coronary laser system (Advanced Interventional Systems) has been available for use in selected clinical centers from 1989 through 1995. This over-the-wire catheter-laser system uses a 308-nm laser and requires prepositioning of a 0.014′’to 0.018′’guidewire across the target stenosis. Development of the coronary laser system was stimulated by the limitations of conventional angioplasty, which have included abrupt reclosure, coronary dissection, restenosis, and chronic total occlusion. The excimer coronary laser angioplasty (ELCA) registry includes nearly 4,000 patients who have undergone attempted laser angioplasty. A success rate comparable to standard balloon angioplasty and an acceptably low complication rate were achieved in this registry database. While laser angioplasty has been promoted for long, diffuse lesions, total occlusions, lesions with substantial side branch involvement, and a possible therapy to reduce the incidence of restenosis, the highly selected nature of patients enrolled in the registry prevents any definite conclusions regarding the utility of intracoronary laser in these potential indications. Additionally, the advent of newer technologies, including rotablator and stenting, may further erode any potential advantages of coronary laser angioplasty. Randomized trials of newer interventional devices will be required to determine their true value and clinical utility. (J Interven Cardiol 1996;9:175–178)
The effect of long-term exposure to elevated CO2 on nitrogen gas emissions from Mojave Desert soils

[1] In arid regions, emissions of nitrogen (N) gases are important to long-term soil fertility and regional atmospheric chemistry, making alterations in N gas emissions an important aspect of ecosystem response to climate change. Studies at the Nevada Desert FACE Facility suggest that rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations impact ecosystems N dynamics in the Mojave Desert; our objective was to identify whether those responses translate into changes in trace N gas emissions. We measured soil fluxes of reactive N gases (NO, NOy, NH3) and N2O in plots receiving long-term fumigation with ambient and elevated (550 ppm) CO2. Reactive N gas emissions were significantly lower under elevated CO2 during high soil moisture conditions in the spring and fall. The strongest responses occurred in the islands of fertility created by the dominant shrub Larrea tridentata, where fluxes were 3–5 ng N m−2 s−1 lower in elevated CO2 plots. Changes in total N gas emissions were driven by reduced NO and NH3 emissions, with smaller changes in NOy efflux and little to no production of N2O. Lower N gas emissions under elevated CO2 reflect changes in plant and microbial demand for N, suggesting increased uptake or immobilization coupled with decreased rates of N mineralization and nitrification. This response of N gas efflux to elevated CO2 in the growing season suggests that in deserts, elevated CO2 promotes ecosystem retention of N during periods of peak biological demand. Concomitantly, exposure to elevated CO2 alters inputs of new reactive gases into the atmosphere, potentially impacting local atmospheric processes.
Modeling Uncertainties in Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Calculations of Hypersonic Leading-Edge Flow

The effects of uncertainties in the gas–surface and intermolecular interaction models on a hypersonic boundarylayer development are investigated by propagating these uncertainties through direct simulation Monte Carlo calculations of Mach 10 and 20 flows. The model input uncertainties considered are the momentum accommodation coefficient in the Maxwellian gas–surface interaction model, surface temperature and the viscosity exponent in the variable hard sphere molecular model. The effects of the input uncertainties are quantified by computing produced uncertainties in the flowfield temperature, flowfield density, surface shear, pressure, and heat flux. A nonintrusive generalized polynomial chaos expansion is used to propagate the uncertainties; reconstruct the probability density functions; and calculate the mean, standard deviation, and skewness of the output variables. It is shown that the polynomial chaos expansion with just three flowfield samples can propagate uncertainties with an accuracy equivalent to Monte Carlo methods with 10 million samples. The uncertainty analysis shows that the surface fluxes and the flowfields in the hypersonic boundary layer are more sensitive to the accommodation coefficient uncertainty than surface temperature or viscosity exponent uncertainty. An input uncertainty of 19% in the accommodation coefficient results in a 20% uncertainty in the flowfield temperature at Mach 10 and a 31% uncertainty at Mach 20. This input uncertainty results in 22 and 28% uncertainties in the surface fluxes at the two Mach numbers. The produced uncertainties generally increase with Mach number, and the effect of introduced uncertainty diminishes away from the leading edge.
If It's Hard to Read, It's Hard to Do Processing Fluency Affects Effort Prediction and Motivation

People are more likely to engage in a given behavior the less effort it requires. As numerous studies have indicated, high perceived effort is a major impediment to behavior change, from adopting an exercise routine (e.g., DuCharme & Brawley, 1995) to changing one's diet (e.g., Sparks, Guthrie, & Shepherd, 1997). Although previous research has shown that task type (e.g., Buehler, Griffin, & Ross, 1994) and previous experience (e.g., Thomas, Handley, & Newstand, 2007) influence the accuracy of effort predictions, little is known about how people estimate the effort involved in a novel behavior. One possibility is that people run a mental simulation of the behavior and infer effort from the
Nanostructuring polymers, colloids, and nanomaterials at the air–water interface through Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett techniques

Nanostructuring macromolecules and nanomaterials at the air–water interface through Langmuir monolayers, Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) and Langmuir–Schaefer (LS) films has been effectively used to investigate surface chemical/physical properties and achieve well-controlled surface morphologies. In this article, we review research progress and approaches in utilizing specific amphiphilic polymers, π-conjugated polymers, dendrons/dendrimers, metal/semiconductor nanoparticles, and colloidal spheres. Well-designed polymers, colloids, and nanomaterials enable structure–property correlation and observation of new phenomena not previously observed in bulk materials.
Hypertension control at physicians' offices in the United States.

BACKGROUND Uncontrolled hypertension is a common and important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Nevertheless, the control rate among patients taking prescribed medication and/or therapeutic lifestyle modification has remained about the same for the past several decades. METHODS We analyzed 2003 and 2004 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data to determine hypertension control in the physician offices in the United States. All visits for hypertension with measured blood pressure levels were included in the analyses. Survey weights were applied to obtain national estimates. Characteristics associated with hypertension control status were identified. RESULTS About 176 million hypertension-related office visits occurred (9.7% of total office visits) during 2003 and 2004. Of these, 17, 44, and 62% of visits had blood pressure <130/80 mm Hg, 140/90 mm Hg, and 145/95 mm Hg, respectively. The likelihood of hypertension control (<140/90 mm Hg) was associated with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease (odds ratio (OR) 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-2.35), visits with increased serum cholesterol (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.09-1.65), visits with patients' primary care physician vs. those with non-primary care physicians (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.05-2.10), and visits with internists (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.05-1.67) or cardiologists (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.17-2.471) vs. those with family physicians. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, health insurance status, and prescription of types of antihypertensive medicine were not associated with hypertension control in office visits. CONCLUSIONS The hypertension control rate of 44% in US office visits leaves substantial room for improvement. A strong emphasis on improving hypertension management is needed to reduce hypertension-related morbidity and mortality.
Vector polarons in a degenerate electron system

We consider a one-dimensional model of an electron in a doubly (or nearly) degenerate band that interacts with elastic distortions. We show that the electron equations of motion reduce to a set of coupled nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations. For the case of interband electron-phonon coupling stemming from local Jahn-Teller interactions, multicomponent self-localized polaron solutions-vector polarons- are described and classified. The phase diagram for the different types of vector polarons in this model is presented. By interpreting the components of the orbital doublet as those of spin-$\frac{1}{2}$, our results can also be used to describe bound magnetic polarons.
Deformation Studies of Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Abstract Oriented liquid crystalline polymers exhibit a macroscopic optical effect which appears as a sequence of bright and dark bands perpendicular to the orientation direction. Although these bands appear to be similar to the Williams domains in low molecular weight liquid crystals, their interpretation must satisfy not only the optical observations but also the rheological properties of the mesophases and the high mechanical properties typically exhibited by the oriented polymer morphologies produced by processing such mesophases. In view of these criteria, we discuss the formation of band patterns in thermotropic and lyotropic polymer systems and propose that the band patterns result from the ordering of macroscopic domains.
Addressing Bullying of Students with Autism Suggestions for Families and Educators

Bullying or any aggressive behavior of a more powerful person or group toward a less powerful person is a widespread problem in the U.S. educational system. While bullying is a significant problem for all students, students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a particularly high incidence rate of becoming victims of bullying. The social and communication deficits characteristic of students with ASD provide significant challenges in teaching and preparing these students for bullying situations. Cooperative work between teachers and parents, analyzing an individual student’s needs, educating the student about bullying, teaching how to cope with and reporting it in both controlled settings and natural environments, and developing a monitoring system are key components of preventing the students with ASD from being bullied. An illustrative example and practical suggestions and approaches are provided.
Reflector Antenna Distortion Compensation Using Sub-Refl ectarrays: Simulations and Experimental Demonstration [AMTA Corner]

This paper demonstrates main-reflector antenna-distortion compensation using a novel sub-reflectarray compensation technique, through extensive simulations and measurements on a symmetric dual-reflector antenna system at Ku band. A sub-reflectarray Cassegrain system was used for the study. The distortion was created by adding an annular metallic ring to the main refl ector's surface. This ring-type distortion created pattern degradation and performance deterioration of the dual-reflector system. Back-projection holography was used to study the effects of the distortion on the antenna's performance. The conjugate-fi eld-matching method was used to obtain phase excitations at the sub-refl ectarray element locations for distortion compensation. A prototype microstrip-patch-type sub-refl ectarray was designed and fabricated. Radiation-pattern measurements and holographic diagnostics demonstrated the compensating technique, and showed that the sub-refl ectarray drastically improved the antenna's performance.
Tests of general relativity using astrometric and radio metric observations of the planets

Abstract Current least squares fits to solar system data, including transit circle observations of the terrestrial and giant planets, radar observations of the terrestrial planets, Mariner 9 range fixes to Mars, and Pioneer 10 11 range fixes to Jupiter, have yielded some new results of interest to experimental relativity. Solutions have been obtained for the PPN parameters β and γ, the solar gravitational quadrupole moment J 2 , a time variation in the gravitational constant G , and four Nordtvedt parameters. The existing planetary data provide no significant result on the Nordtvedt effect. Under the assumption that the precession of the perihelion of Mercury is caused exclusively by planetary perturbations, general relativity, and the gravitational quadrupole moment, a value of (2.5 ± 1.6) × 10 −6 is obtained for J 2 . There are various combinations of the PPN parameters β, γ, α 1 , and α 3 that will also yield the observed precession of the perihelion, but there is no real empirical evidence for PPN values which disagree with general relativity. A positive upper bound of 1.4 × 10 −10 yr −1 is indicated for G G from existing data. A few months of Viking data are needed to refine this result, and at least 2.5 yr of Viking data are needed to determine the Nordtvedt effect to the same accuracy as the current lunar laser result.
Pathways of acid mine drainage to Clear Lake: implications for mercury cycling.

Pore fluids from Clear Lake sediments collected near the abandoned Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine have low pH (locally <4) and elevated sulfate (≥197 mmol/L), aluminum (≥52 mmol/L), and iron (≥28 mmol/L) contents derived from oxidation of sulfide minerals at the mine site. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is entering Clear Lake by advective subsurface flow nearest the mine and by diffusion at greater distances. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios, combined with pore fluid compositions, constrain the sources and pathways of contaminated fluids. Sediment cores taken nearest the mine have the highest concentrations of dissolved sulfate, aluminum, and iron, which are contributed by direct subsurface flow of AMD from sulfide-bearing waste rock. Sediment cores as far as 100 m west of the Clear Lake shoreline show the presence of AMD that originated in the acidic lake that occupies the abandoned Herman Pit at the mine site. High sulfate content in the AMD has the potential to promote the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria ...
MPIPairwiseStatSig: parallel pairwise statistical significance estimation of local sequence alignment

Sequence comparison is considered as a cornerstone application in bioinformatics, which forms the basis of many other applications. In particular, pairwise sequence alignment is a fundamental step in numerous sequence comparison based applications, where the typical purpose of pairwise sequence alignment step is homology detection, i.e., identifying related sequences. Estimation of statistical significance of a pairwise sequence alignment is crucial in homology detection. A recent development in the field is the use of pairwise statistical significance as an alternative to database statistical significance. Although pairwise statistical significance has been shown to be potentially superior than database statistical significance for homology detection (evaluated in terms of retrieval accuracy), currently it is much time consuming since it involves generating an empirical score distribution by aligning one sequence of the sequence-pair with N random shuffles of the other sequence. In this paper, we present a parallel algorithm for pairwise statistical significance estimation, called MPIPairwiseStatSig, implemented in C using MPI. Distributing the most compute-intensive portions of the pairwise statistical significance estimation procedure across multiple processors has been shown to result in near-linear speed-ups for the application.
Democracy by Default

Recent studies of democratization increasingly focus on the impact that decisions and explicit pacts made by influential elites have on the direction and speed of regime change. Based on the idea that individuals have power to shape outcomes, these studies look at microprocesses and at the relative indeterminacy of regime transitions (e.g., O'Donnell et al., 1986; Di Palma and Whitehead, 1986). This focus is in marked contrast to influential studies of political change published during the 1960s and 1970s (Moore, 1966; O'Donnell, 1973), which emphasized the constraints caused by existing social arrangements and political alliances, alliances that did not necessarily result from explicit bargains. These studies emphasized macroprocesses and tried to identify the most likely paths of political transitions given past decisions and existing context. The contrast goes beyond an emphasis on conjuncture or structure, on microor macroprocesses, to a contrast in mood. While the 1960s and
Material transport in dip-pen nanolithography

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is a useful method for directly printing materials on surfaces with sub-50 nm resolution. Because it involves the physical transport of materials from a scanning probe tip to a surface and the subsequent chemical interaction of that material with the surface, there are many factors to consider when attempting to understand DPN. In this review, we overview the physical and chemical processes that are known to play a role in DPN. Through a detailed review of the literature, we classify inks into three general categories based on their transport properties, and highlight the myriad ways that DPN can be used to perform chemistry at the tip of a scanning probe.
Acidification Trends and the Evolution of Neutralization Mechanisms through Time at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM), U.S.A.

The paired catchment study at the forested Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) U.S.A. documents interactions among short- to long-term processes of acidification. In 1987–1989, runoff from the two catchments was nearly identical in quality and quantity. Ammonium sulfate has been added bi-monthly since 1989 to the West Bear catchment at 1800 eq ha−1 a−1; the East Bear reference catchment is responding to ambient conditions. Initially, the two catchments had nearly identical chemistry (e.g., Ca2+, Mg2+, SO 4 2− , and alkalinity ≈82, 32, 100, and 5 μeq L−1, respectively). The manipulated catchment responded initially with increased export of base cations, lower pH and alkalinity, and increased dissolved Al, NO 3 − and SO 4 2− . Dissolved organic carbon and Si have remained relatively constant. After 7 yr of treatment, the chemical response of runoff switched to declining base cations, with the other analytes continuing their trends; the exports of dissolved and particulate A1, Fe, and P increased substantially as base cations declined. The reference catchment has slowly acidified under ambient conditions, caused by the base cation supply decreasing faster than the decrease of SO 4 2 , as pollution abates. Export of Al, Fe and, P is mimicking that of the manipulated watershed, but is lower in magnitude and lags in time. Probable increasing SO 4 2− adsorption caused by acidification has moderated the longer-term trends of acidification of both watersheds. The trends of decreasing base cations were interrupted by the effects of several short-term events, including severe ice storm damage to the canopy, unusual snow pack conditions, snow melt and rain storms, and episodic input of marine aerosols. These episodic events alter alkalinity by 5 to 15 μeq L−1 and make it more difficult to determine recovery from pollution abatement.
A fast and efficient algorithm for low-rank approximation of a matrix

The low-rank matrix approximation problem involves finding of a rank k version of a m x n matrix A, labeled Ak, such that Ak is as "close" as possible to the best SVD approximation version of A at the same rank level. Previous approaches approximate matrix A by non-uniformly adaptive sampling some columns (or rows) of A, hoping that this subset of columns contain enough information about A. The sub-matrix is then used for the approximation process. However, these approaches are often computationally intensive due to the complexity in the adaptive sampling. In this paper, we propose a fast and efficient algorithm which at first pre-processes matrix A in order to spread out information (energy) of every columns (or rows) of A, then randomly selects some of its columns (or rows). Finally, a rank-k approximation is generated from the row space of these selected sets. The preprocessing step is performed by uniformly randomizing signs of entries of A and transforming all columns of A by an orthonormal matrix F with existing fast implementation (e.g. Hadamard, FFT, DCT...). Our main contribution is summarized as follows. 1) We show that by uniformly selecting at random d rows of the preprocessed matrix with d = ( 1/η k max {log k, log 1/β} ), we guarantee the relative Frobenius norm error approximation: (1 + η) norm{A - Ak}F with probability at least 1 - 5β. 2) With d above, we establish a spectral norm error approximation: (2 + √2m/d) norm{A - Ak}2 with probability at least 1 - 2β. 3) The algorithm requires 2 passes over the data and runs in time (mn log d + (m+n) d2) which, as far as the best of our knowledge, is the fastest algorithm when the matrix A is dense. 4) As a bonus, applying this framework to the well-known least square approximation problem min norm{A x - b} where A ∈ Rm x r, we show that by randomly choosing d = (1/η γ r log m), the approximation solution is proportional to the optimal one with a factor of η and with extremely high probability, (1 - 6 m-γ), say.
Comparison of the cost and effectiveness of two strategies for maintaining hepatitis B immunity in hemodialysis patients.

A decision-analysis model was developed to compare the strategies to maintain hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunity in hemodialysis patients who responded to the primary HBV vaccine. Our hypothesis is that the routine, annual administration of the vaccine booster to all hemodialysis patients (non-screening strategy) is more cost-effective than the current strategy of vaccination based on anti-HBs titers (screening strategy). Under baseline assumptions, the screening strategy was less costly and was associated with fewer HBV infections than the non-screening strategy. The results of our model did not support our hypothesis, and indicate that regularly screening patients for HBV immunity before revaccination is less costly and more effective than the empiric vaccination of hemodialysis patients.
Müllerian inhibiting substance regulates its receptor/SMAD signaling and causes mesenchymal transition of the coelomic epithelial cells early in Müllerian duct regression

Examination of Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) signaling in the rat in vivo and in vitro revealed novel developmental stage- and tissue-specific events that contributed to a window of MIS responsiveness in Mullerian duct regression. The MIS type II receptor (MISRII)-expressing cells are initially present in the coelomic epithelium of both male and female urogenital ridges, and then migrate into the mesenchyme surrounding the male Mullerian duct under the influence of MIS. Expression of the genes encoding MIS type I receptors, Alk2 and Alk3 , is also spatiotemporally controlled; Alk2 expression appears earlier and increases predominantly in the coelomic epithelium, whereas Alk3 expression appears later and is restricted to the mesenchyme, suggesting sequential roles in Mullerian duct regression. MIS induces expression of Alk2 , Alk3 and Smad8 , but downregulates Smad5 in the urogenital ridge. Alk2 -specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) blocks both the transition of MISRII expression from the coelomic epithelium to the mesenchyme and Mullerian duct regression in organ culture. Mullerian duct regression can also be inhibited or accelerated by siRNA targeting Smad8 and Smad5 , respectively. Thus, the early action of MIS is to initiate an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of MISRII-expressing cells and to specify the components of the receptor/SMAD signaling pathway by differentially regulating their expression.
An experimental investigation of initial oscillations in a radial Hele-Shaw cell

Hele-Shaw cell is a laboratory device consisting of two parallel plates of glass separated by a thin gap. In this cell, in the flow of two immiscible fluids, when a fluid of higher viscosity is displaced by a fluid of lower viscosity, the less viscous fluid is observed to form “fingers” into the more viscous one due to the unstable interface. The Saffman-Taylor or viscous finger instability has been examined and modeled for over forty years for the rectilinear Hele-Shaw cell and about half as long for the radial Hele-Shaw cell. In this paper, we study, in detail, the early development of viscous instabilities in a radial Hele-Shaw cell. This source flow configuration has been chosen so that the instability can be monitored precisely. The objective of this study is to examine the onset of fingering, i.e. initial number of fingers that form, and the evolution of interface instability. Our experiments suggest that there may be some order in this formation process and one can model this aspect by considering the unsteady velocity components and predicting temporal changes in wavenumber responsible for the initial number of fingers and may be later accounting for the fingertip oscillations and splitting.
Chutes Versus Ladders: Anchoring Events and a Punctuated-Equilibrium Perspective on Social Exchange Relationships

We integrate concepts from research on emotion and memory to show how critical exchanges—or anchoring events—can suddenly and durably change the rules for organizational relationships, leading them to reach nonreciprocal forms like altruism or competition. We define these events and discuss the likelihood of their occurring as a function of the current state of the relationship, the time in that state of the relationship, and the social context in which the event takes place.
A 6-to-18 GHz tunable concurrent dual-band receiver front end for scalable phased arrays in 130nm CMOS

This paper presents a study and design of tunable concurrent dual-band receiver. Different system architectures and building blocks have been compared and analyzed. A tunable concurrent dual-band receiver front end has then been fabricated and characterized. It operates across a tri-tave 6-18 GHz bandwidth with a nominal 17-25 dB conversion gain, worst-case -15 dBm IIP3, and worst-case -24.5 dBm ICP 1 dB.
Paugvik: A Nineteenth‐Century Native Village on Bristol Bay, Alaska

Paugvik: A Nineteenth-Century Native Village on Bristol Bay, Alaska, Don E. Dumond and James W. Vanstone. Fieldiana, Anthropology, n.s. 24. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1995.109 pp. 2 maps, 45 b/w illus., appendix, bibliography.
Oligomycin sensitivity of mitochondrial F1F0-ATPase in diabetes-prone BHE/Cdb rats

BHE/Cdb and Sprague-Dawley rats differ in their mitochondrial DNA sequence for the ATPase 6 ("subunit a") gene. Base substitutions in this sequence result in the substitution of asparagine for aspartate at position 101 and the substitution of serine for leucine at position 129. Differences in sensitivity to oligomycin were observed. When the isolated F(1)F(0)-ATPase complex was studied and ATPase activity was assessed, that which was isolated from the BHE/Cdb rats was less sensitive to oligomycin inhibition than that which was isolated from the Sprague-Dawley rats. In contrast, when oxygen consumption was measured [oxygen phosphorylation (OXPHOS)] and a dose-response curve was generated with isolated mitochondria from these two strains, there was a shift to the left for the BHE/Cdb rat mitochondria. These mitochondria were more sensitive to oligomycin inhibition of OXPHOS than were mitochondria isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats. The OXPHOS results are consistent with those from human fibroblasts having either a normal or mutated ATPase 6 gene.
Acute lower urinary tract symptoms after prostate brachytherapy with cesium-131.

Objectives To evaluate the severity and interval to resolution of the acute lower urinary tract symptoms in men undergoing prostate brachytherapy (PB) with cesium-131 ( 131 Cs). Methods A longitudinal, prospective study of patients who had undergone PB with 131 Cs at our institution and had a minimum of 6 months of follow-up was performed. Urinary symptoms were assessed using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite. Patients were asked to complete a survey preoperatively and at 2 weeks and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Results The first 152 patients who underwent PB with 131 Cs at our institution were included in the present study. The mean Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite urinary summary score decreased significantly from baseline (86.4) at 2 weeks (59.2) and 1 month (62.2) after PB. These scores returned to the clinical baseline by 3 months (79.6) and to the statistical baseline by 6 months (84.0) after PB. The urinary subscales (function, bother, incontinence, irritative/obstructive) followed the same course in returning to the clinical and statistical baseline values. Similar patterns were seen when patients were stratified by PB as monotherapy. For patients undergoing combination therapy, the mean Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite scores returned to the clinical and statistical baseline values by 3 months after their procedure. Conclusions In patients undergoing PB with 131 Cs, the postprocedure lower urinary tract symptoms generally returned to the clinical baseline by 3 months and the statistical baseline value by 6 months after PB.
How does Sarbanes‐Oxley affect outsourcing?

Outsourcing has been a favorite way for many companies to cut costs. But the recently passed Sarbanes-Oxley Act may mean problems. Management must maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting. And this responsibility cannot be transferred to external entities. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cognitive Biases and Nonverbal Cue Availability in Detecting Deception

In potentially deceptive situations, people rely on mental shortcuts to help process information. These heuristic judgments are often biased and result in inaccurate assessments of sender veracity. Four such biases—truth bias, visual bias, demeanor bias, and expectancy violation bias—were examined in a judgment experiment that varied nonverbal cue availability and deception. Observers saw a complete videotaped interview (full access to visual, vocal, and verbal cues), heard the complete interview (vocal and verbal access), or read a transcript (verbal access) of a truthful or deceptive suspect being questioned about a mock theft and then rated the interviewee on information, behavior, and image management and truthfulness. Results supported the presence of all four biases, which were most evident when interviewees were deceptive and observers had access to all visual, vocal, and verbal modalities. Deceivers’ messages were judged as increasingly complete, honest, clear, and relevant; their behavior as more involved and dominant; and their overall demeanor as more credible, with the addition of nonverbal cues. Deceivers were actually judged as more credible than truthtellers in the audiovisual modality, whereas best discrimination and detection accuracy occurred in the audio condition. Results have implications for what factors influence judgments of a sender’s credibility and accuracy in distinguishing truth from deception, especially under conditions where senders are producing messages interactively.
Democratic Education: An (im)possibility that yet remains to come

Efforts to develop democratic schools have moved along particular rules and standards of ‘reasoning’ even when expressed through different ideological and paradigmatic lines. From attempts to make a democratic education to critical pedagogy, different approaches overlap in their historical construction of the reason of schooling: designing society by designing the child. These approaches to democracy make inequality into the premise of equality, assuming a consensual partition of the world and the need for specific agents to monitor partitioned boundaries, thus reinserting differences as the basis of practice. Democracy, however, according to Jacques Ranciere, only becomes visible when its partitioning is challenged under the opinion of equality. Yet, undoing the epistemological dogma of planning embodied in the notions of ‘critical’ and deliberative democracy might also involve confronting the comparative style of thought which provides the epistemological ‘rules’ that insert inequality as equality. Dele...
Comparison of Angiographic CT and Spiral CT to Assess Cement Distribution after Vertebral Augmentation

Purpose To compare angiographic computed tomographic (CT) imaging with standard spiral CT imaging for the depiction of extraosseous cement after vertebral augmentation. Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis of 28 consecutive patients treated with vertebral augmentation for compression fracture was conducted. Intraprocedural angiographic CT and postprocedural spiral CT images were acquired in all patients. Angiographic CT and spiral CT images were evaluated independently by two experienced radiologists. Results All vertebral augmentation procedures were performed successfully. All observed cement leaks were small, and no patient underwent additional treatment for cement leak. One level was excluded as a result of severe motion artifacts that rendered angiographic CT nondiagnostic. Further analysis was performed in the remaining 27 patients (12 men; mean age, 62 years; age range, 31–87 y) corresponding to 48 vertebral levels. Seventeen patients were treated under general anesthesia (33 levels) and 11 were treated under conscious sedation (15 levels). To detect the presence of extraosseous cement, angiographic CT achieved sensitivity of 0.70 and 0.57 for reader 1 and reader 2, respectively, and specificity of 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. Stratified analyses by anesthesia type showed sensitivity of 0.73 and 0.50, respectively, for conscious sedation versus 0.67 and 0.62, respectively, for general anesthesia. Specificity was 1.00 and 1.00, respectively, versus 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. Conclusions Cement leaks were detected with a high specificity and a moderate sensitivity with angiographic CT. No difference was found between treatments with general anesthesia versus intravenous conscious sedation.
Evaluation of a Predicted Dynamic Modulus for Florida Mixtures

The new 2002 AASHTO guide for the design of pavement structures is based on mechanistic principles and requires the dynamic modulus as input to compute stress, strain, and rutting and cracking dama ...
Noise-robust synchronized chaotic communications

Until now, research on the applications of self-synchronized chaotic circuits to communications has been hindered by the great sensitivity of self-synchronized chaotic systems to additive noise. In this paper, the author demonstrates a self-synchronized chaotic system that synchronizes even in the presence of noise much larger than the signal. This system works because it generates signals with two different time scales, allowing noise added to the shorter time scale system to be averaged out by the longer time scale system. He demonstrates a simple communications scheme with this system, and shows that the curve of bit error rate as a function of (energy per bit)/(noise spectral density) is invariant with respect to bit length, allowing this system to operate in arbitrarily low signal-to-noise environments.
View Angle Effects on MODIS Snow Mapping in Forests

article i nfo Binary snow maps and fractional snow cover data are provided routinely from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). This paper investigates how the wide observation angles of MODIS influence the current snow mapping algorithm in forested areas. Theoretical modeling results indicate that large view zenith angles (VZA) can lead to underestimation of fractional snow cover (FSC) by reducing the amount of the ground surface that is viewable through forest canopies, and by increasing uncertainties during the gridding of MODIS data. At the end of the MODIS scan line, the total modeled error can be as much as 50% for FSC. Empirical analysis of MODIS/Terra snow products in four forest sites shows high fluctuation in FSC estimates on consecutive days. In addition, the normalized difference snow index (NDSI) values, which are the primary input to the MODIS snow mapping algorithms, decrease as VZA increases at the site level. At the pixel level, NDSI values have higher variances, and are correlated with the normalized difference vegeta- tion index (NDVI) in snow covered forests. These findings are consistent with our modeled results, and imply that consideration of view angle effects could improve MODIS snow monitoring in forested areas.
Regulation of IL-4 lymphokine gene expression and cellular proliferation in murine T helper type II cells.

Abstract Activation of T cells results in the production of lymphokines and cellular proliferation. Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a key role in this process. It has been shown that this enzyme is essential to elicit a response to Con A or specific antigen in CD4+ T helper type 1 (Th 1) cells that secrete IL-2. We have now explored the signal transduction pathway that leads to transcription of the IL-4 gene and proliferation in murine CD4+ T helper type 2 (Th 2) cells. Surprisingly, we have found in two independently derived Th 2 clones that neither cellular proliferation nor IL-4 lymphokine production is affected by blocking or depletion of PKC. This differential mechanism of signal transmission leading to cellular activation implies a new distinction between murine Th 1 and Th 2 cells.
Maturation of myocardial capillaries in the fetal and neonatal rat: an ultrastructural study with a morphometric analysis of the vesicle populations.

The ultrastructural morphology of the cellular and extracellular components of the developing myocardial capillary wall—from the 16-day-gestation fetus of the rat to the 21-day neonate—was examined. A morphometric analysis of plasmalemmal vesicles and of coated vesicles and pits of capillary endothelial cells was performed during the same developmental period. As the lateral extensions of the capillary endothelial cells change from irregular to regular in their thickness during development, there is an increase in the number of plasmalemmal vesicles and a progression from clusters of plasmalemmal vesicles to a uniform distribution in the endothelial cell. The ratio of vesicles which are open to the luminal front, which are “free” in the cytoplasm, or which are open to the abluminal front of the endothelial cell was consistent throughout development. The numerical density of plasmalemmal vesicles demonstrates a gradual and significant increase. In contrast, the numbers of coated vesicles and pits are variable within a very narrow range, and no pattern of increase or decrease is discernible during development. Similarly, there is no change in interendothelial cell junctions, which consist of occluding and primitive adhesive junctional types, during development. The lamina densa of the basal lamina gradually develops from discontinuous, patchy densities along the abluminal surface of the endothelial cells to a continuous and distinct layer by 21 days gestation. The presence of the proteoglycan species in the developing basal lamina was assessed with the cationic dye ruthenium red (RR), and the appearance of RR-marked proteoglycans was found to parallel the appearance of lamina densa material. The RR sites appear discontinuously in patches; and later, the RR sites appear in a continuous and regular planar lattice in the lamina rara interna and externa at 21 days gestation. A complete array of RR-stainable anionic sites outside a continuous lamina densa near birth indicates that the basal laminae of developing capillaries in the heart are morphologically, and in part biochemically, mature by the end of the first neonatal week. Our results show that the endothelial cells and the subtending basal lamina of myocardial capillaries gradually mature morphologically during the final days of gestation and the first neonatal week. The finding of tight junctions and small areas of vesicle concentration in fetal endothelial cells could indicate that sites of permeability are limited early in myocardial capillary development and that these vesicular sites increase as gestation proceeds and as the myocardial capillaries mature.
Supporting Asian patients with metastatic breast cancer during ixabepilone therapy

Importance of the field: Ixabepilone is currently FDA-approved in metastatic breast cancer, and most patients in the registrational trials were Caucasian. Studies in Asian populations receiving other cytotoxic agents have revealed differential pharmacokinetics and clinical outcomes. As such, clinicians should understand the possible contributions of Asian ethnicity and culture to the clinical profile of ixabepilone.Areas covered in this review: Studies in Asian patients receiving other chemotherapeutics reported altered toxicity profiles for myelosuppression, neurotoxicity and gastrointestinal symptoms. Encouragingly, the limited clinical data in Asian patients receiving ixabepilone suggest that efficacy and toxicity in these women resemble those reported in the ixabepilone registrational trials.What the reader will gain: The reader will better understand how Asian genetics and culture may influence treatment outcomes and patient attitudes toward therapy and interaction with caregivers. Management of ixab...
Migrainous infarction : the Charcot-Féré syndrome ?

The writings of Charcot and Fere on migraine and its permanent complications are translated. They emphasize how the art of observation was considered of paramount importance in clinical neurology, as stated by Charcot on 28 February 1888: "Let someone say of a doctor that he really knows his physiology and anatomy, that he is dynamic--these are not the real compliments; but if you say he is an observer, a man who knows how to see, this is perhaps the greatest compliment one can make." These writings also reveal that arteriolar vasoconstriction in migrainous infarction and the vascular theory of migraine are hypotheses generated over 100 years ago and still being tested by contemporary neurologists.
Brain Mets A poem in three voices

Part 1: Patient The circus has run out of smiles today. The trapeze artist hangs by his shoelaces Hoping the fall will be quick When it comes. You do not need to know all of this, You, audience, viewing from …
Does Alcohol Contribute to the Confluence Model of Sexual Assault Perpetration

The confluence model of sexual assault provides a useful theoretical integration of factors that influence men's likelihood of committing sexual assault (Malamuth, Sockloskie, Koss, & Tanaka, 1991). This study replicates and extends the confluence model by including alcohol at multiple levels. Participants' usual alcohol consumption and alcohol consumption in sexual situations were included as predictor variables. The number of sexually aggressive acts that participants committed after consuming alcohol and the number of sexually aggressive acts participants committed when sober were separately calculated so that the predictors of each could be distinguished. Participants were 356 men who completed a survey that included measures that assessed the key components of the confluence model. Results of path analyses indicated that the expanded model fit the data well, with both general and situational measures of alcohol use predicting frequency of sexual assault when drinking alcohol. These findings highlight the importance of developing universal and targeted prevention programs for young men.
Getting out of the life: Crime desistance by female street offenders.

Although increased attention is being paid to gender variations in the nature and extent of crime, little has been done to describe the termination of criminal careers by female offenders. This paper describes how 30 women with long histories of criminal involvement changed their perspectives toward life and criminal behavior. Changes in criminal behavior occurred as a result of a three‐stage process: building resolve or discovering motivation to stop (i.e., socially disjunctive experiences), making and publicly disclosing the decision to stop, and maintaining new behaviors and integration into new social networks. Desistance appears to be a process as complex and lengthy as the processes of initial involvement. Overall, the social processes and turning points described by the women in the present research are quite similar to those reported by men in previous studies.
Tissue-viability assessment with the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter in acute injuries of extremities.

Three cases are reported. Two were injuries to the hand, in which other indications of blood flow were absent but flowmeter data showed that it was adequate. These data allowed proper nerve and tendon suture to be accomplished, without vascular complications. A third case of injury to the calf presented flowmeter data which indicated arterial obstruction, cured by fascial release.
The S = 1 Ising Model for 3 He- 4 He Mixtures

As a preliminary study toward understanding phase transitions in 3He-4He mixtures, the S = 1 Ising model has recently been proposed1 by Blume, Emery, and Griffiths (BEG) and, within the Weiss molecular-field approximation, qualitatively good agreement was obtained in comparison with experiment. Previously the model as applied to magnetism had been studied in the Weiss approximation independently by Capel2 and Blume.3 For helium mixtures the Hamiltonian used by BEG and formulated in terms of the grand canonical ensemble is given by $$\widetilde H = - J\sum\limits_{ } {{S_i}{S_j}} + \Delta \sum\limits_i {S_i^2} $$ (1) where the summation is taken over all distinct nearest-neighbor pairs, S i = 0 corresponds to a 3He atom occupying lattice site i, and S i = ±1 corresponds similarly for a 4He atom, 2J > 0 denotes the interaction strength between neighboring 4He atoms, and ∆ ≡ μ 3 − μ 4 is the difference in chemical potentials of the 3He and 4He atoms. There is a fixed number N of lattice sites and no vacancies are allowed. Then the thermal expectation value 〈S i 〉 simulates the superfluid order parameter and the concentration of 3He atoms is given by x ≡ 1 − 〈S i 2 〉.