cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Interventions to Enhance Apolipoprotein A-I-Mediated Cardioprotection

The principal function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is to facilitate the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) and inhibition of atheroma formation. Epidemiological studies and interventional trials have suggested that HDL has cardioprotective properties. However, increasing HDL concentration may not necessarily increase RCT, especially if the increase in HDL levels is the result of inhibiting HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) flux. The results of recent phase III clinical trials utilizing a cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor to increase HDL-C levels in hypoalphalipoproteinaemia have shown that this approach of elevating HDL-C levels is insufficient to combat atherosclerosis and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although there are several interventions that increase HDL-C by preventing its turnover in the circulation, a more desirable approach is to enhance de novo production of HDL in the liver and/or small intestine. To this end, our acquired knowledge of the apolipoprotein-I (apo A-I) gene promoter as well as the signalling pathways that modulate its expression, has fuelled the development of novel therapeutic strategies to increase HDL-C flux. Promising pharmacological agents that selectively regulate transcription of the apo A-I gene, therapeutic strategies to de-repress apo A-I gene expression, and infusion of recombinant apo A-I or apo A-I mimetics are under development and may be clinically beneficial in the near future.
Solar hydrogen production via pulse electrolysis of aqueous ammonium sulfite solution

Abstract A long-standing challenge for hydrogen production via solar water splitting is the efficiency of converting solar energy to hydrogen chemical energy. Thermolysis, photocatalysis and electrolysis are three basic solar water splitting processes that utilize solar thermal, photonic and electrical energies. A technology using a combination of these processes can utilize a wider spectrum of solar radiation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of solar energy conversion. Due to the simplicity and maturity of photovoltaic (PV) cells and electrolyzer cells, solar hydrogen production via PV cells plus water electrolysis has been implemented and widely used as a bench mark process. The present study focuses on solar hydrogen production via direct current pulse electrochemical oxidation of aqueous ammonium sulfite solutions, one important step in solar sulfur–ammonia (S-NH 3 ) thermochemical water splitting cycles. The results show that pulsating electrolysis enhances the efficiency of hydrogen production. The effects of pulsating parameters (such as pulsating on time and off time, frequency and duty cycle) on hydrogen evolution rates are discussed in detail.
Eastern Chajoma (Cakchiquel) Political Geography: Ethnohistorical and Archaeological Contributions to the Study of a Late Postclassic Highland Maya Polity

The Chajoma were a major Late Postclassic polity in highland Guatemala. Referred to as the Akajal or Akul in the Annals of the Cakchiquels and Popol Vuh, their territory previously has not been fully defined. Based on a small group of sixteenth-century documents preserved in the records of a later litigation, it is now possible to identify the origins of the Chajoma, approximate the time of their arrival in their new territory, and define the extent of their territory. Combined with information on archaeological sites associated with this occupation, we can provisionally characterize the polity's composition and estimate its population.
Ripping Graphene: Preferred Directions

The understanding of crack formation due to applied stress is key to predicting the ultimate mechanical behavior of many solids. Here we present experimental and theoretical studies on cracks or tears in suspended monolayer graphene membranes. Using transmission electron microscopy, we investigate the crystallographic orientations of tears. Edges from mechanically induced ripping exhibit straight lines and are predominantly aligned in the armchair or zigzag directions of the graphene lattice. Electron-beam induced propagation of tears is also observed. Theoretical simulations account for the observed preferred tear directions, attributing the observed effect to an unusual nonmonotonic dependence of graphene edge energy on edge orientation with respect to the lattice. Furthermore, we study the behavior of tears in the vicinity of graphene grain boundaries, where tears surprisingly do not follow but cross grain boundaries. Our study provides significant insights into breakdown mechanisms of graphene in the ...
Digging the Africanist Presence in American Performance: Dance and Other Contexts

Acknowledgments Introduction Up from Under: The Africanist Presence First Premises of an Africanist Aesthetic Don't Take Away My Picasso: Cultural Borrowing and the Afro-Euro-American Triangle Barefoot and Hot, Sneakered and Cool: Africanist Subtexts in Modern and Postmodern Dance Stripping the Emperor: George Balanchine and the Americanization of Ballet Past Imperfect: Performance, Power, and Politics on the Minstrel Stage Dance and Theater in a Multicultural Context: Who Stole the Soul, Who Takes the "Rap," or Free To Be You and Me? Illustrations References Index
Biogeochemistry of particulate organic matter in the oceans: results from sediment trap experiments

Abstract Particulate organic matter collected in sediment traps from various oceanic regimes— Sargasso Sea, equatorial North Atlantic, central North Pacific, California Current, and Peru coastal upwelling—have been analyzed for their lipid and amino acid composition and flux. Despite rapid settling of the large particles through the water column and a relatively small depth gradient for total organic carbon flux, there are major changes in the composition and flux of lipids and amino acids associated with the particles. The rapid disappearance of the more labile compounds, such as amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with increasing depth indicates that the major sources of such compounds are in the upper part of the water column and that they are readily degraded as the particles sink. On the other hand, the intermittent appearance of large amounts of wax ester, along with the changing fatty acid composition of the particles, points to deep-water sources for some of these compounds.
Adapting Life-Review Therapy for Elderly Female Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

The author describes the use of life-review therapy in the resolution of childhood sexual abuse with older women through four case illustrations of older women in rural Appalachia. Therapists must take great care to preserve functional defense mechnisms for the survivor, utilize nonverbal techniques to process intense feelings and assist in the memory retrieval process, and incorporate creative techniques to address family-of-origin issues. The author discusses the importance of choice in empowering clients, even when clients reject treatment as an expression of empowerment.
A functional equation of Ih-Ching Hsu

A recent note of Ih-Ching Hsu poses an unsolved problem, to wit, the general solution of the functional equation g(x1, x2) + g(φ1(x1), φ2(x2)) = g(x1, φ2(x2)) + g(φ1(x1),x2), where the φi are given functions. This short paper obtains the general solution. It gives conditions which imply that anycontinuous solution has form g1(x1) + g2(x2).
Three-dimensional strong Langmuir turbulence and wave collapse.

Results from the first fully three-dimensional simulations of driven damped strong Langmuir turbulence and wave collapse are presented. Key results are that turbulence is maintained at least in part by nucleation, the cores of most collapsing objects are pancake shaped in form, and the power spectrum falls off approximately as the product of a power law and an exponential at large wave number.
Bran-induced changes in water structure and gluten conformation in model gluten dough studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The impact of bran addition on the state of water and gluten secondary structure in gluten dough was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to understand the underlying physical mechanism by which bran impacts dough properties. Comparison of the OH stretch band of water in gluten dough with that of H2O–D2O mixture having the same water content revealed formation of two distinct water populations in gluten dough corresponding to IR absorption frequencies at 3580 cm−1 and 3180 cm−1. The band intensity at 3180 cm−1, which is related to water bound to gluten matrix, decreased with increase of moisture content of the dough. Addition of bran to gluten dough caused redistribution of the bound water in the gluten-bran dough system. This water redistribution affected the secondary structure of gluten in the dough as evidenced from changes in the second-derivative spectrum in the amide I region. In the hydrated state, β-turn (in the form of β-spiral) was the major secondary structure (∼60%) in gluten. Addition of bran to gluten dough caused conversion of β-spirals into β-sheet and random structures. However, the extent of this conversion in the presence of bran was inversely related to the moisture content of the dough. This study revealed that when bran is added to gluten dough, water redistribution promotes partial dehydration of gluten and collapse of β-spirals into intermolecular β-sheet structures; this trans-conformation might be physical reasons for the poor quality of bread containing added bran.
Infrared-microwave two-photon spectra of the ν3 bands of 12CH3F and 13CH3F

Abstract Infrared-microwave two-photon spectra have been obtained for the ν3 bands of 12CH3F and 13CH3F with a two-photon spectrometer employing a CO2 laser and a computer-coupled microwave source operating in the 8–18 GHz region. Even though the intensities of the spectra for the double parity levels in these molecules are inversely proportional to the square of the microwave frequency, transitions have been observed with microwave frequencies of up to 16 GHz. Comparison of these observed two-photon frequencies to frequencies predicted from infrared laser Stark spectroscopy, and to frequencies calculated from vibration-rotation parameters obtained by fitting these and other frequencies, shows agreement to within a few MHz. Spectroscopic parameters for the ground and ν3 excited states of the two species are reported.
Cultivation of Enterobacter hormaechei from human atherosclerotic tissue.

Aim: To determine whether culturable bacterial strains are present in human atheromatous tissue and to investigate their properties using culture, quantitative PCR, metagenomic screening, genomic and biochemical methods.Methods: We analyzed femoral atherosclerotic plaque and five pairs of diseased and healthy arterial tissue for the presence of culturable bacteria using cell cultures and genomic analysis.Results: Gram negative aerobic bacilli were cultivated from the plaque tissue. Ribosomal 16S DNA amplification and sequencing identified the isolates as Enterobacter hormaechei. The isolate was resistant to ampicillin, cefazolin, and erythromycin. A circular 10kb plasmid was isolated from the strain. Antibiotic protection assays of the isolate demonstrated invasive ability in a human monocytic cell line. To extend the study, five matched pairs of diseased and healthy aortic tissue were analyzed via quantitative PCR. Eubacterial 16S rDNA was detected in all specimens, however, E. hormaechei DNA was detected in surprisingly high numbers in two of the diseased tissues only.Conclusions: While it is well documented that inflammation is an important risk factor for vascular pathophysiology, the association of bacteria with atherosclerosis has not been clearly established, in large part due to the inability to isolate live bacteria from atheromatous tissue. This is the first study providing direct evidence of Enterobacter spp. associated with atheromatous tissues. The data suggest that chronic infection with bacteria may be an under-reported etiologic factor in vascular pathogenesis. Importantly, characterization of the clinical isolate supports a model of atherogenesis where systemic dissemination of bacteria to atherosclerotic sites may occur via internalization in phagocytic cells.
Use of the availability heuristic in probability estimates of future events: The effects of imagining outcomes versus imagining reasons

Abstract Individuals have been shown to estimate the probability of future events by the ease with which they can recall or cognitively construct relevant instances. Previous research, however, has not precisely identified the cognitive processes mediating this “availability heuristic.” We proposed two potential mediators, (1) imagery of the event itself and (2) perceived reasons or causes for the event, and hypothesized that probability estimates are influenced by the latter but not by the former. Using the 1984 presidential debate as the to-be-predicted event, we tested this hypothesis by manipulating debate outcome (Reagan vs Mondale wins), imagery of the outcome, and reasons for the outcome in a factorial design. As hypothesized, debate predictions were affected by the availability of reasons but not by imagery of the outcome. Participants' self-generated reasons for the debate outcome, as assessed during the experiment by a thought-listing procedure, also affected debate predictions. The results are consistent with several lines of research indicating the importance of causal thinking in judgment under uncertainty.
Development of the RLS algorithm based on the iterative equation solvers

In this paper we propose an approach towards developing a RLS algorithm that is based on the iterative techniques for solution of the linear system of equations. Two such fundamental methods namely the Steepest Descent and the Gauss-Seidel algorithms are used to solve the least squares normal equations. Simple optimization is presented to reduce the overall complexity of the algorithm and not compromising on the performance. Simulation results are compared with those of the classical RLS algorithm and it is shown that the proposed algorithm gives convergence results similar to those of Classical RLS with the added advantage of reduce computational complexity.
Effects of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor in Cirrhotic Rats with Pneumococcal Pneumonia

A rat model was used to study the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia in cirrhosis. G-CSF or 5% dextrose in water was administered subcutaneously to cirrhotic and control rats before or after transtracheal infection with type 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae. In both groups, G-CSF significantly increased the total number and percentage of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in peripheral blood (P < .002) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (P < .01). An in vivo phagocytosis assay revealed no increase in uptake of pneumococci by PMNL within the lungs of cirrhotic or control rats receiving G-CSF. G-CSF administered before infection did not protect cirrhotic or control rats, but G-CSF treatment after infection significantly reduced mortality in control (P = .04) but not cirrhotic rats. These data suggest that despite increasing numbers of circulating and pulmonary PMNL, G-CSF does not protect against fatal pneumococcal pneumonia in cirrhotic rats.
Acute Febrile Respiratory Illness in the ICU: Reducing Disease Transmission

Acute febrile respiratory illness (FRI) leading to respiratory failure is a common reason for admission to the ICU. Viral pneumonia constitutes a portion of these cases, and often the viral etiology goes undiagnosed. Emerging viral infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza present with acute FRIs progressing to respiratory failure and ARDS. Therefore, early recognition of a viral cause of acute FRI leading to ARDS becomes important for protection of health-care workers (HCWs), lessening spread to other patients, and notification of public health officials. These patients often have longer courses of viral shedding and undergo higher-risk procedures that may potentially generate aerosols, such as intubation, bronchoscopy, bag-valve mask ventilation, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, and medication nebulization, further illustrating the importance of early detection and isolation. A small number of viral agents lead to acute FRI, respiratory failure, and ARDS: seasonal influenza, avian influenza, coronavirus associated with severe ARDS, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, varicella, human metapneumovirus, and hantavirus. A systematic approach to early isolation, testing for these agents, and public health involvement becomes important in dealing with acute FRI. Ultimately, this approach will lead to improved HCW protection, reduction of transmission to other patients, and prevention of transmission in the community.
Hurricane impacts on US forest carbon sequestration

Recent focus has been given to US forests as a sink for increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Current estimates of US forest carbon sequestration average approximately 20 Tg (i.e. 10(12) g) year. However, predictions of forest carbon sequestration often do not include the influence of hurricanes on forest carbon storage. Intense hurricanes occur two out of three years across the eastern US. A single storm can convert the equivalent of 10% of the total annual carbon sequestrated by US forests into dead and downed biomass. Given that forests require at least 15 years to recover from a severe storm, a large amount of forest carbon is lost either directly (through biomass destruction) or indirectly (through lost carbon sequestration capacity) due to hurricanes. Only 15% of the total carbon in destroyed timber is salvaged following a major hurricane. The remainder of the carbon is left to decompose and eventually return to the atmosphere. Short-term increases in forest productivity due to increased nutrient inputs from detritus are not fully compensated by reduced stem stocking, and the recovery time needed to recover leaf area. Therefore, hurricanes are a significant factor in reducing short-term carbon storage in US forests.
Thermal Pressure Coefficient of a Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)-Reinforced Epoxy Resin

The thermal pressure coefficients of a neat, unfilled, epoxy resin and a 10 wt % POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane)-filled epoxy nanocomposite have been measured using a thick-walled tube method. It is found that just below the glass transition temperature the thermal pressure coefficient is ∼ 20% smaller for the polymer composite containing 10% POSS than for the neat, unfilled resin. The thermal expansion coefficient and thermal pressure coefficient of the uncured POSS itself are also reported. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
NSF Support of Basic Research in Computer Science

Interestingly enough, much of the computer architecture research currently supported by the National Science Foundation is related to the theme of this issue. Below, John R. Lehmann, program director of NSF's Computer Systems Design Program, has provided a list of principal investigators and the titles of their research, as well as a brief statement on how to submit a research proposal.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF STRUCTURAL WOOD MEMBERS

This paper reviews techniques that can or have been used for determining the key properties of structural wood members, largely softwood lumber and structural panels. For solid wood materials, moisture content, density, and defects are underlying basic properties that must be assessed independently to arrive at structural values. In reconstituted materials, an additional variable, adhesive quality dominates. In addition to reviewing these properties, an assessment is provided for the state of maturity of the relevant technologies.
Engaged Learning and Peace Corps Service in Tanzania: An Autoethnography

The Peace Corps Masters International program offers students the opportunity to combine their Peace Corps service with their master’s education. This article demonstrates how classroom learning strengthened the author’s Peace Corps service in Tanzania, which in turn strengthened her master’s thesis. Peace Corps supports an approach to community development that situates Volunteers closely with people in power, but this makes it difficult for them to gain the participation of the poor and marginalized. How can one strike a balance between effectiveness and cultural appropriateness? As an outsider, how do one’s relationships with community members affect project processes and outcomes? This autoethnography investigates the first author’s learning experience in undertaking community development in Tanzania’s southern highlands. Although the conclusions are specific to the case reported here, the learning process applies to others who are beginning to contemplate how they might enter a community, assess its needs, and do good work.
EPA Underestimates, Oversimplifies, Miscommunicates, and Mismanages Cancer Risks by Ignoring Human Susceptibility

If exposed to an identical concentration of a carcinogen, every human being would face a different level of risk, determined by his or her genetic, environmental, medical, and other uniquely individual characteristics. Various lines of evidence indicate that this susceptibility variable is distributed rather broadly in the human population, with perhaps a factor of 25- to 50-fold between the center of this distribution and either of its tails, but cancer risk assessment at the EPA and elsewhere has always treated every (adult) human as identically susceptible. The National Academy of Sciences “Silver Book” concluded that EPA and the other agencies should fundamentally correct their mis-computation of carcinogenic risk in two ways: (1) adjust individual risk estimates upward to provide information about the upper tail; and (2) adjust population risk estimates upward (by about sevenfold) to correct an underestimation due to a mathematical property of the interindividual distribution of human susceptibility, in which the susceptibility averaged over the entire (right-skewed) population exceeds the median value for the typical human. In this issue of Risk Analysis, Kenneth Bogen disputes the second adjustment and endorses the first, though he also relegates the problem of underestimated individual risks to the realm of “equity concerns” that he says should have little if any bearing on risk management policy. In this article, I show why the basis for the population risk adjustment that the NAS recommended is correct—that current population cancer risk estimates, whether they are derived from animal bioassays or from human epidemiologic studies, likely provide estimates of the median with respect to human variation, which in turn must be an underestimate of the mean. If cancer risk estimates have larger “conservative” biases embedded in them, a premise I have disputed in many previous writings, such a defect would not excuse ignoring this additional bias in the direction of underestimation. I also demonstrate that sensible, legally appropriate, and ethical risk policy must not only inform the public when the tail of the individual risk distribution extends into the “high-risk” range, but must alter benefit-cost balancing to account for the need to try to reduce these tail risks preferentially.
Side effects and compliance with low- and conventional-dose oral contraceptives among adolescents

Oral contraceptives are the most popular birth control method for teenagers, yet many teens discontinue use of these contraceptives prematurely. The need to minimize any potential long-term medical complications from the use of contraceptive hormones must be balanced with the desirability of increasing acceptance of contraceptives by adolescents. There has been concern that the use of so-called "low-dose" estrogen preparations, although decreasing the likelihood of complications, may lead to side effects that make compliance less certain. The present study comparing two commonly used oral contraceptive preparations, one low dose, one conventional dose, tests the hypothesis that among adolescents an association exists between oral contraceptive side effects and compliance. Using a double-blind crossover method, 55 sexually active adolescent females received two months each of a preparation containing 35 micrograms ethinyl estradiol and 0.5 mg norethindrone and another containing 50 micrograms mestranol and 1.0 mg norethindrone. The 50-microgram preparation was associated with fewer side effects when administered during the first two months. No differences in side effects were noted in the latter two months, but there was a slight increase in weight gain when compared with the 35-microgram preparation. The most common side effect was inter-menstrual bleeding with the 35-microgram pill. There was no documented relationship between the occurrence of side effects and compliance.
How Does Information Technology Affect Productivity? Plant-Level Comparisons of Product Innovation, Process Improvement, and Worker Skills

To study the effects of new information technologies (IT) on productivity, we have assembled a unique data set on plants in one narrowly defined industry— valve manufacturing—and analyze several plant-level mechanisms through which IT could promote productivity growth. The empirical analysis reveals three main results. First, plants that adopt new IT-enhanced equipment also shift their business strategies by producing more customized valve products. Second, new IT investments improve the efficiency of all stages of the production process by reducing setup times, run times, and inspection times. The reductions in setup times are theoretically important because they make it less costly to switch production from one product to another and support the change in business strategy to more customized production. Third, adoption of new IT-enhanced capital equipment coincides with increases in the skill requirements of machine operators, notably technical and problem-solving skills, and with the adoption of new human resource practices to support these skills.
The promise of analog computation

Future computing paradigms and technologies will have to be more like the physical processes by which they are realized, and because these processes are primarily continuous, post-Moore’s law computing will involve an increased use of analog computation. Traditionally analog computers have computed ordinary differential equations of time, but analog field computation permits massively parallel temporal integration of partial differential equations. In principle many different physical media – not just electronics – can be exploited to implement the basic operations of analog computing, a small number of which are sufficient to approximate a wide variety of analog computations, thus providing a basis for universal analog computation and general-purpose analog computers. The contentious issue of the computational power of analog computers is addressed best on its own terms, rather by asking it within the context of Church-Turing computation, which distorts the relevant questions and their answers.
Market considerations in the reuse of electronic products

To be effective, product reuse programs must fit well with the company's business strategies, and must meet real market needs. This paper examines key challenges and opportunities that electronics manufacturers experience in marketing products for reuse. >
A neutral particle beam system for ITER with RF acceleration

A concept for a current drive system that is based on negative ions with beam energies >1 MeV is presented. Preliminary physics calculations, which are discussed, show that the core current necessary for stability enhancement can be achieved by beams with energy ranging from 1 to 3 MeV. Further study and experiments will better define the optimum energy. Work under way at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, at AccSys Technology Inc., and at collaborating institutes in the United States, Canada, and the Federal Republic of Germany is continuing to define systems, their elements, configurations, and operational scenarios deemed appropriate for such devices as ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) ARIES (Advanced Reactor Innovation and Evaluation Study), and other future steady-state tokamaks. The cost of the RF-accelerated beam should be quite competitive with DC beam concepts being considered for current drive. Not only would the cost per unit power for the RF concept be attractive but the development costs and time also should be quite reasonable. >
Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats

Abstract Antibiotics and immunostimulants are used in the systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections in small animals. The major antibiotic groups commonly utilized are the macrolides, lincosamides, potentiated sulphonamides, I²âlactamaseâresistant penicillins, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Empirical usage, culture and sensitivity, mode of action, dosages, efficacy and sideâeffects are reviewed. A summary of the veterinary literature relative to immunostimulants is also included. RA©sumA©â Antibiotiques et immunostimulants sont utilisA©s dans le traitement systA©mique des infections bactA©riennes cutanA©es des animaux de compagnie. Les families d'antibiotiques les plus utilisA©es sont les macrolides, les lincosanides, les sulfonamides potentialisA©s, les pA©nicillines rA©sistantes A la lactamase, les cA©phalosporines et les fluoroquinolones. L'utilisation empirique, l'isolement et l'antibiogramme, le mode d'action, les dosages, l'efficacitA© et les effets secondaires sont prA©sentA©s. Un rA©sumA© de la littA©rature vA©tA©rinaire concernant les immunostimulants est A©galement inclus. [White, S. D. Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats. (Traitement systA©mique des infections bactA©riennes cutanA©es du chien et du chat). Veterinary Dermatology 1996; 7: 133â143.] Resumen Para el tratamiento sistA©mico de ls infecciones bacterianas cutAineas en pequeA±os animales se usan antibiA³ticos e inmunoestimulantes. Los grupos de antibiA³ticos mAis frecuentemente utilizados incluyen los macrA³lidos, lincosamidas, sulfonamidas potenciadas, penicilinas betaâlactamasa resistentes, cefalosporinas y fluoroquinolonas. Se revisan su uso empirico, cultivo y sensibilidad, mecanismo de acciA³n, dosis, eficacia y efectos colaterales. Se incluye un resumen de la literatura veterinaria sobre immunoestimulantes. [White, S. D. Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats. (Tratamiento sistemico de las infecciones bacterianas cutaneas de perros y gatos). Veterinary Dermatology 1996; 7: 133â143.] Zusammenfassungâ Antibiotika und Immunstimulantien werden in der systemischen Behandlung von bakteriellen Hautinfektionen bei Kleintieren eingesetzt. Die Hauptgruppen der gewA¶hnlich verwendeten Antibiotika sind Markrolide, Lincosamide, potenzierte Sulfonamide, betaâLaktamaseâresistente Penicilline, Cephalosporine und Fluroquinolone. Die empirische Anwendung, Kultur und Empfindlichkeit, Wirkungsweise, Dosierung, Wirksamkeit und Nebenwirkungen werden dargestellt. Eine Zusammenfassung der VeterinA¤rliteratur bezA¼glich Immunstimulantien wird miteingeschlossen. [White, S.D. Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats (Systemische Behandlung von bakteriellen Hautinfektionen bei Hund und Katze). Veterinary Dermatology 1996; 7: 133â143.]
Tree Rings and the Aging of Trees: A Controversy in 19th Century America

During the late 19th Century there was considerable debate in the United States among members of the legal profession, the general public and even some scientists about the validity of using tree rings to determine tree age. In an earlier boundary dispute case in Maryland (1830) the Honorable Theodorick Bland rejected the use of tree rings to establish the date when a purported witness tree was marked with an identifying blaze. Bland did not believe that there was enough scientific evidence or legal precedent to support this idea. A review of the current scientific literature of the time, however, indicates that most scientists, especially in Europe, accepted that tree rings could be used to determine age. In the United States, however, this idea was debated, particularly in the late 19th Century, in both the popular press and scientific publications. The main argument of opponents such as A. L. Child was that the number of tree rings was often wildly in excess of the known age of the tree. These inconsis...
Use of non-convex optimization to recover signals distorted by memoryless non-invertible sensor nonlinearities

This paper is concerned with the recovery of bandlimited signals that are distorted by non-invertible sensor nonlinearities. When the nonlinear sensor characteristic is such that the input-output relationship is invertible, the distortion caused by sensor nonlinearity may be compensated and the signals may be reproduced from the distorted sensor measurements. However, such methods may not work if the nonlinear sensor dictates ill-posed input-output behavior such as saturation and dead-band. We propose a new approach that optimizes a non-quadratic criterion to reproduce the signal from the distorted sensor data. The fact that the introduction of a non-quadratic penalty in the cost function does not alter the optimal solution as much as the quadratic penalty does, makes it a better candidate for the problem posed. However, this is a non-convex optimization problem, which implies that multiple local optimal solutions may exist. A systematic solution procedure is presented to interpret the solutions generated by non-quadratic criteria and to identify the global optimal point. Illustrative examples are presented to further explain the proposed framework.
The spacing of rain‐gages and the measurement of flood‐producing rain

A study has been made of the accuracy with which the volumes of rainfall sufficient to cause primary floods on watersheds of the Muskingum Basin, Ohio, can be measured with various networks of rain-gages. The basic rainfall-data used were the four-hourly observations from approximately 400 rain-gages set up on the 8,000 square-mile area of the Muskingum Basin by the Soil Conservation Service. The approximate volumes of rainfall necessary to produce flooding were estimated from unit-hydrographs, rates of discharge at flood-stage, base-flow, and assumed amounts of retention.
Bonding and Structure of Copper Nitrenes

Copper nitrenes are of interest as intermediates in the catalytic aziridination of olefins and the amination of C-H bonds. However, despite advances in the isolation and study of late-transition-metal multiply bonded complexes, a bona fide structurally characterized example of a terminal copper nitrene has, to our knowledge, not been reported. In anticipation of such a report, terminal copper nitrenes are studied from a computational perspective. The nitrene complexes studied here are of the form (beta-diketiminate)Cu(NPh). Density functional theory (DFT), complete active space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) electronic structure techniques, and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods are employed to study such species. While DFT methods indicate that a triplet (S = 1) is the ground state, CASSCF calculations indicate that a singlet (S = 0) is the ground state, with only a small energy gap between the singlet and triplet. Moreover, the ground-state (open-shell) singlet copper nitrene is found to be highly multiconfigurational (i.e., biradical) and to possess a bent geometry about the nitrene nitrogen, contrasting with the linear nitrene geometry of the triplet copper nitrenes. CASSCF calculations also reveal the existence of a closed-shell singlet state with some degree of multiple bonding character for the copper-nitrene bond.
A lizard-inspired active tail enables rapid maneuvers and dynamic stabilization in a terrestrial robot

We present a novel approach to stabilizing rapid locomotion in mobile terrestrial robots inspired by the tail function of lizards. We built a 177 (g) robot with inertial sensors and a single degree-of-freedom active tail. By utilizing both contact forces and zero net angular momentum maneuvering, our tailed robot can rapidly right itself in a fall, avoid flipping over after a large perturbation, and smoothly transition between surfaces of different slopes. We also use a modeling approach to show that a tail-like design offers significant advantages to other alternatives, including reaction wheels, when the speed of response is important.
Thermostatted micro gas chromatography column with on-chip thermal conductivity detector for elevated temperature separation

We present the design, fabrication and experimental evaluation of the first thermostatted micro gas chromatography (μGC) column with an integrated micro thermal conductivity detector (μTCD). The chip contains on-chip sensors and heater on the backside to provide robust temperature programming capability. Our unique μTCD offers many advantages over previously reported designs including low dead volume, elimination of flow restrictors, and reduction of the number of fluidic interconnects from 4 to 2. The 2cm×4cm chip was fabricated using a 3-mask process. The temperature control capabilities allowed elevated temperature separation without interfering with the detection of the TCD operation. The coated column-detector chip has successfully separated 4-component representative hydrocarbons mixture at a temperature of 75°C in less than 1 minute.
Organizing and Summarizing Data

We have said that statistics is concerned with making sense out of numerical information. It is much simpler to interpret data sets that are properly organized than to deal with haphazardly arranged numbers.
Accelerated image reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography using a nonuniform updating scheme with momentum and ordered subsets methods

Fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) is a significant preclinical imaging modality that has been actively studied in the past two decades. It remains a challenging task to obtain fast and accurate reconstruction of fluorescent probe distribution in small animals due to the large computational burden and the ill-posed nature of the inverse problem. We have recently studied a nonuniform multiplicative updating algorithm that combines with the ordered subsets (OS) method for fast convergence. However, increasing the number of OS leads to greater approximation errors and the speed gain from larger number of OS is limited. We propose to further enhance the convergence speed by incorporating a first-order momentum method that uses previous iterations to achieve optimal convergence rate. Using numerical simulations and a cubic phantom experiment, we have systematically compared the effects of the momentum technique, the OS method, and the nonuniform updating scheme in accelerating the FMT reconstruction. We found that the proposed combined method can produce a high-quality image using an order of magnitude less time.
ISRAEL'S ECONOMIC GROWTH: AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON 1

I examine the growth rate of GDP per capita in Israel, and compare it with the growth of many other countries. Although Israel’s growth rate was above average, its ranking changes when the comparison is conditioned on the initial level of development, as measured by GDP per capita. This is particularly the case when decade-long averages are used to compare growth rates, because it then transpires that Israel’s growth rate was relatively high only in the 1960s. Israel’s relative growth rate fell significantly in the 1970s and was extremely disappointing in the 1980s. An examination of the sources of the rise in total factor productivity (TFP) in the 1970s and 1980s shows that slightly more than half the rise in TFP can be attributed to R&D investment and the rest to a rise in the level of education.
Mutual (In)Comprehensions: France and Britain in the Long Nineteenth Century. Edited by Rosemary Mitchell. (Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013. Pp. xxvi, 279. $76.95.)

This provocative, wide‐ranging collection explores many influences that ultimately shaped British and French national and global identities in the period. What unites this seemingly disparate group...
Ovulation Worksheet as an Aid to Understanding Pregnancy Prevention

(2003). Ovulation Worksheet as an Aid to Understanding Pregnancy Prevention. American Journal of Health Education: Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 368-371.
Vegetable and Fruit Acceptance during Infancy: Impact of Ontogeny, Genetics, and Early Experiences

Many of the chronic illnesses that plague modern society derive in large part from poor food choices. Thus, it is not surprising that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, aimed at the population ≥2 y of age, recommends limiting consumption of salt, fat, and simple sugars, all of which have sensory properties that we humans find particularly palatable, and increasing the variety and contribution of fruits and vegetables in the diet, to promote health and prevent disease. Similar recommendations may soon be targeted at even younger Americans: the B-24 Project, led by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA, is currently evaluating evidence to include infants and children from birth to 2 y of age in the dietary guidelines. This article reviews the underinvestigated behavioral phenomena surrounding how to introduce vegetables and fruits into infants' diets, for which there is much medical lore but, to our knowledge, little evidence-based research. Because the chemical senses are the major determinants of whether young children will accept a food (e.g., they eat only what they like), these senses take on even greater importance in understanding the bases for food choices in children. We focus on early life, in contrast with many other studies that attempt to modify food habits in older children and thus may miss sensitive periods that modulate long-term acceptance. Our review also takes into consideration ontogeny and sources of individual differences in taste perception, in particular, the role of genetic variation in bitter taste perception.
Uncertainty Propagation in Technology Valuation Based On Expert Elicitation

Technology valuation for technologies under development is a complex process. The impacts of these technologies on system level performance metrics are often unknown. Modeling of these technologies combined with appropriate quantification methods pose further challenges to the process. Absence of any historical data to capture the impacts of these technologies on the system necessitates elicitation of information from subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs are asked about their opinion regarding estimated impacts on the system based on their experience and prior knowledge. Due to the inherently uncertain nature of expert elicitation in the technology valuation process, appropriate uncertainty quantification and propagation is very critical. The uncertainty in defining the impact of an input on performance parameters of a system makes it difficult to use traditional probability theory. Often the available information is not enough to assign the appropriate probability distributions to uncertain inputs. This work explores the application of the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence based technique to SME-driven technology valuation. The proposed technique seeks to offset some of the problems faced by using deterministic or traditional probabilistic approaches for uncertainty propagation. It is observed that an evidence theory based technique provides more insight on the uncertainties arising from incomplete information or lack of knowledge as compared to deterministic or probability theory methods.
Toleration and moral diversity: Bosnia or Pennsylvania.

La tolerance commence par la reconnaissance de la liberte de pensee et de religion de chacun, bafouee elle remet en cause la bioethique
Effects of propolis and gamma-cyclodextrin on intestinal neoplasia in normal weight and obese mice.

Obesity is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). This effect might be attributed to adipokine-supported signaling. We have established that propolis suppresses survival signaling in CRC cells in vitro; therefore, we ascertained the ability of a propolis supplement to modulate intestinal neoplastic development in C57BL/6J-ApcMin/+/J mice in the lean and obese state. To induce obesity, mice were fed with a Western diet containing 40% fat. Since the propolis supplement includes gamma-cyclodextrin, the interventions included diets supplemented with or without gamma-cyclodextrin. The animals were administered the following diets: (1) control diet, (2) control diet/gamma-cyclodextrin, (3) control diet/propolis, (4) Western diet, (5) Western diet/gamma-cyclodextrin, and (6) Western diet/propolis. Western diet, resulting in obesity, accelerated neoplastic progression, as evidenced by the larger size and higher grade dysplasia of the neoplasms. In the context of normal weight, gamma-cyclodextrin and propolis affected neoplastic progression, as determined by the size of the lesions and their grade of dysplasia. A statistically significant decrease in the number of adenomas was detected in mice fed a control diet with the propolis supplement (61.8 ± 10.6 vs. 35.3 ± 7.6, P = 0.008). Although there was no significant difference in the polyp numbers between the six groups, the mice with the lowest number and size of adenomas were those fed a Western diet with gamma-cyclodextrin. This unexpected outcome might be explained by the increased levels of apoptosis detected in the intestinal tissues of these obese mice. We posit that butyrate derived from the metabolism of gamma-cyclodextrin may contribute to the decreased neoplastic burden in the context of obesity; however, future studies are required to address this possibility.
Ileal Trigonal Conduits: 10-year Followup

AbstractNonrefluxing ileal trigonal conduits were constructed in 21 patients with neurogenic bladder to prevent the long-term sequelae of standard ileal conduit urinary diversion. Although the initial results at 5 years were encouraging the findings at 10 years were not as promising. Of the patients 50 per cent had evidence of pyelographic deterioration. Reflux occurred in 41 per cent of the renal units. Over-all, 8 patients (45 per cent) have done well. Today, these patients probably would not have undergone diversion.
Arthur Lessac’s embodied actor training

Arthur Lessac has long been considered one of the primary voice practitioners in actor training in the United States. In Arthur Lessac’s Embodied Actor Training, Melissa Hurt argues that Lessac’s w...
Work and Family in Copreneurial Family Businesses Extending and Integrating Communication Research

Family businesses, especially the enterprises of married couples or copreneurial businesses, are a unique, but largely ignored, context in which work and family domains are intrinsically intertwined. Indeed, scholars from other disciplines who study copreneurial and family businesses have called for investigations from multiple perspectives including communication. We review the literature linking work and family life within the arena of married couples’ (copreneurial) businesses in order to lay the foundation for a research agenda for marital, family, and organizational communication scholars and for researchers in other disciplines in which family businesses and work-life integration are central. Specifically, we examine work-family linkages of copreneurs through the frameworks of relational dialectics, boundary, work-family border, and structuration theories. We also highlight findings from marital communication research—marital schemata and equity, conflict patterns, and stress contagion effects—to gu...
Effects of acute graft-versus-host-disease on physical and psychological functioning following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

7038 Background: Acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) is a significant early complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Little is known about the effects of aGVHD...