cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Superior Sleep of Healthy Elderly Nuns

The nocturnal sleep structure of ten healthy elderly nuns was compared to that of ten healthy age-matched female controls. The nuns fell asleep more quickly and had less early morning awakening, as well as greater REM sleep time. These differences may reflect the more highly entrained life style of the nuns, including modest habitual sleep restriction (and thus accumulated sleep debt) of about one hour each night. The current findings, reviewed in relation to the sleep and aging literature, tend to support the concept that some of the effects of aging on sleep can be offset by attention to good “sleep hygiene,” including careful entrainment of sleep schedule and modest habitual sleep restriction. However, age-related decrements in slow-wave sleep and sleep maintenance were not significantly better in the nuns.
Determinants of paternal and maternal investment in children

Le but de cette etude etait d'enqueter sur les determinants d'investissement socioemotionnel maternel et paternel en l'enfant. Les participants faisaient partie d'une sous-etude dans un des 10 sites participant a l'Etude sur le Mode de Soin Precoce de l'Enfant de l'Institut National de Sante Infantile et de Developpement Humain (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development). Soixante-six peres residant dans des familles participant deja l'etude plus large du NICHD ont ete recrutes pour participer au recueil de donnees supplementaires durant les visites au domicile de ces familles lorsque les enfants etudies avaient 15 mois. Trois sous-echelles (Acceptation et al Reaction, le Plaisir, et la Connaissance et la Sensibilite) de l'echelle d'Investissement Parental dans les Enfants (PIC, en anglais) constituaient les variables dependantes. Base sur les domaines d'influence identifies par Doherty et ses collegues (1998), l'influence relative des facteurs suivants a ete examinee: contexte (revenus et besoins), l'enfant (temperament et le statut de developpement), la relation coparentale (qualite conjugale), le statut d'emploi de la mere, et la qualite de l'emploi du pere (tensions venant du travail). Des differences dans les determinants du parentage maternel et du parentage paternel ont ete trouvees. Pour les peres, le score Bayley de l'enfant ainsi que le stress lie au travail du pere avaient une influence negative sur l'acceptation et la reaction paternelle, alors que la qualite conjugale avait une influence positive et que le fait que la mere travaille et que le pere soit stresse a cause de son travail avaient une influence negative sur la connaissance et la sensibilite, Aucun des indicateurs n'ont intluence le plaisir paternel. Pour ce qui concerne l'acceptation et la reaction maternelle, le temperament de l'enfant avait une influence negative, et le fait de travailler (pour la mere) avait une influence positive. Le qualite conjugale etait un indicateur important de connaissance et sensibilite maternelle, alors que le stress lie au travail du pere avait un impact positif sur le plaisir maternel.
The nature of inclusions in erythrocytes of turkeys treated with diethylstilbestrol.

Abstract Two types of inclusions were found in erythrocytes of turkeys treated with diethylstilbestrol. As determined by light and electron microscopy, the most common type was confined by a membrane and was composed of a central core of glycogen that was enveloped by a layer of acid mucopolysaccharide. The other type of inclusion, which developed at a later date and was found less frequently, appeared to be lipid in nature. Occasionally, both types of bodies were present in the same erythrocyte.
Vacuum ultraviolet emissions from a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge in neon and neon–hydrogen mixtures

Abstract The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emissions from a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (C-DBD) excited by radio frequency (rf) power at 13.56 MHz in both pure Ne and in a mixture of Ne and H2 were analyzed. Measurements of the relative emission intensity of the Ne resonance lines and the Ne 2 ∗ excimer continua in pure neon were studied as a function of pressure, rf power, and gas flow rate. In Ne–H2 mixtures, we studied the emission of the H Lyman-α line as a function of H2 concentration, pressure, gas flow rate, and rf power. The observed dependence of the VUV emissions on the gas pressure, net rf power, gas flow rate and, in the case of the spectra of the Ne–H2 plasma, the H2 concentration is explained on the basis of a detailed microscopic analysis of the excimer formation and destruction processes and the competition between the vibrational relaxation processes, quenching processes, and the radiative decay of two excimer states involved.
Effect of gestational age at the prior cesarean delivery on maternal morbidity in subsequent VBAC attempt.

Objective The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of gestational age at the time of prior cesarean on maternal morbidity in women attempting vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC). Study Design A retrospective cohort study of women attempting VBAC, comparing women with a prior cesarean delivery ≤ 34 completed weeks to women with a prior cesarean delivery > 34 weeks. The primary outcome was maternal morbidity, including uterine rupture. Univariable, stratified, and multivariable analyses were used to estimate the effect of a prior cesarean performed at ≤ 34 weeks on maternal morbidities. Results Of 19,474 women with 1 prior cesarean, 12,535 attempted VBAC and 508 of those had a previous cesarean ≤ 34 weeks. Study groups had similar risks of uterine rupture (adjusted OR [AOR], 1.5; 95% CI, 0.7-3.5; P = .32) and composite morbidity (AOR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.8; P = .81). Conclusion Prior cesarean delivery at ≤ 34 weeks' gestation does not appear to increase the risk of maternal morbidity in a subsequent VBAC attempt.
Deweyan Democracy and Education About Religion

Quebec's “Ethics and Religious Culture” curriculum shares many similarities with John Dewey's child-centered approach to education. The curriculum suggests how and why Dewey's approach of encouraging students to think critically and engage in sympathetic imagination can be integral to democratic citizenship and essential to the securing of respect for religious freedom in particular. Still, that a Deweyan education about religion is superior to the alternatives does not mean that it is flawless. If the Quebec curriculum for the most part highlights the strength of the Deweyan approach, it also suggests that, at least in the case of religion, an education aimed at developing critical and imaginative skills can sometimes also violate democratic norms of religious respect. The article concludes by briefly considering how Quebec's curriculum could be altered and supplemented to make its implementation practically feasible in the United States and consistent with widely shared views in the United States on rel...
An Experiment Control and Data Acquisition System for the Biology Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Station

An experiment control and data acquisition system for experiments to be conducted at the Biology Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Station at the National Synchrotron Light Source is under development. The primary function of the system is to acquire and record x-ray diffraction patterns in time-slice (or time-frame) mode, where the basic average rate of data collection is 106 detected photons/second and the biological process under study can be divided up into ~101 - 103 separate time slices. Furthermore, the system must provide external sample stimuli which bring about the biological process and must coordinate these stimuli with the time slices. A multiprocessor system has been designed. The principle behind the system design is to use a commercially available computer system to perform the standard functions associated with experiment control and data acquisition, while partitioning off the non-standard functions onto auxiliary computer processors. This technique has led to a four-processor system in which interprocessor communication is accomplished by means of a multiported shared memory module. A discussion of the computer system components, both hardware and software, which make up the system is presented. The description of hardware includes the processors, peripheral devices, and special-purpose hardware components present in the system; the software description covers the computer programs, operating systems, and special-purpose software which execute within the system itself and extends to a brief description of the software utilized to develop experiment control and data acquisition programs for execution on the system.
Ultrastructural observations of virion maturation in Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus infected Spodoptera frugiperda cell cultures

Abstract The assembly and maturation of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus virions was observed in detail. Nucleocapsid maturation appeared to begin with the assembly of capsid sheaths on base structures in the pockets of the virogenic stroma. The partially assembled precapsid appeared to associate end-on with the matrix of the virogenic stroma during acquisition of nucleoprotein core complex. Packaging of the nucleoprotein complex appeared to be associated with the cap structure. Nucleocapsid length measurements between wild-type and insertion-mutant virus revealed that greater genome size leads to increased capsid length. A model of nucleocapsid morphogenesis is suggested. Maturation of virions through acquisition of either cell membrane-derived or de novo synthesized envelopes was initiated by attachment of the cap structure of unenveloped nucleocapsids to the enveloping membranes.
Effect of Acetylcholine on the Pulmonary Circulation in Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease

Twenty-seven patients with various forms of chronic pulmonary disease have been studied with constant infusion of acetylcholine directly into the pulmonary artery. Although many showed a slight decrease in pulmonary artery pressure, this was not great and those with the highest pressures showed the least response. Pulmonary resistances showed similar small changes, if any. Arterial oxygen saturations did not fall uniformly and in those with the lowest levels, an actual increase was observed. It is suggested that vasomotor activity is only one of several factors determining pulmonary artery pressure in patients with chronic pulmonary disease and that anatomic or extravascular factors may become primary. Vasomotor activity seems to be relatively unimportant in the regulation of ventilation/perfusion relationships in patients with far-advanced disease.
A study of performance and scalability metrics of a SIP proxy server - a practical approach

In recent years, Internet Protocol (IP) telephony has been a real alternative to the traditional Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN). IP telephony offers more flexibility in the implementation of new features and services. The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is becoming a popular signalling protocol for Voice over IP (VoIP) based applications. The SIP proxy server is a software application that provides call routing services by parsing and forwarding all the incoming SIP packets in an IP telephony network. The efficiency of this process can create large scale, highly reliable packet voice networks for service providers and enterprises. We established that the efficient design and implementation of the SIP proxy server architecture can enhance the performance characteristics of a SIP proxy server significantly. Since SIP proxy server performance can be characterised by its transaction states of each SIP session, we emulated the M/M/1 performance model of the SIP proxy server and studied some of the key performance benchmarks such as average response time to process the SIP calls, and mean number of SIP calls in the system. We showed its limitations, and then studied an alternative M/M/c based SIP proxy server performance model with enhanced performance model and studied additional key performance characteristics such as server utilisation, queue size and memory utilisation. Provided the comparative results between the predicted results with the experimental results conducted in a lab environment.
Back to Basics: Rules, Praise, Ignoring, and Reprimands Revisited

Research begun in the 1960s provided the impetus for teacher educators to urge classroom teachers to establish classroom rules, deliver high rates of verbal/nonverbal praise, and, whenever possible, to ignore minor student provocations. In that there have been significant advances in the knowledge of what constitutes effective classroom management, a review of past-to-present literature was conducted to determine whether it is time to alter the thinking about one or more of these basic behavioral strategies. The research conducted over the years supports the basic tenets of these strategies, but with some important caveats. Finally, there are several newer strategies that warrant attention.
Investigation of Al-rich clays on Mars: Evidence for kaolinite–smectite mixed-layer versus mixture of end-member phases

Abstract Aluminous clay deposits on Mars are recognized from remotely sensed infrared spectral features similar to those of montmorillonite, beidellite, and/or kaolinite. The nature of aluminous clay deposits on Mars is of interest because they likely indicate a different formation mechanism than that of Fe–Mg clays, which are widespread on Mars and likely alteration products of the Fe–Mg-rich basaltic crust. The near-infrared reflectance spectra of aluminous martian clay deposits frequently display characteristics typical of both montmorillonite and kaolinite. The question arises whether such mixed character is due to the existence of end-member phases or to kaolinite–smectite mixed-layer (K–S). The issue is relevant because K–S implies the existence of a smectite precursor that alters into kaolinite, and thus constrains the timing and intensity of the alteration processes that generates it. A mixture of kaolinite and smectite end-members may indicate locally heterogeneous alteration processes, or alternatively, could result from the physical mixing of altered materials of different provenance. A group of natural K–S samples and synthetic kaolinite/smectite mixtures of known proportion, all of which had been thoroughly characterized in previous work using several analytical techniques, were investigated here using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The NIR spectral features correlate well with their kaolinite–smectite relative proportions. The shape of spectral features attributed to Al–OH in K–S is subtly different from those in physical mixtures of kaolinite and smectite. Based on qualitative comparison, some regions on Mars appear to have spectral signatures similar to K–S. We also applied a quantitative technique using the second derivative of spectra. In this technique, plots of the height of the features at ( λ =) 2.21 μm (band present in kaolinite and montmorillonite) and 2.17 μm (kaolinite only) were able to discriminate between K–S and kaolinite–smectite physical mixtures, as they generated correlations with different slopes. The method of discrimination was applied to Mars spectra, which resulted in reasonable evidence for the existence of K–S in Nili Fossae and Mawrth Vallis, and mixtures of end-members in Mawrth Vallis and Leighton Crater. This is one of the first times that evidence for mixed-layer clay minerals, and particularly K–S, on Mars has been gathered. The ability to detect mixed-layer clays is an important step forward for further development of our understanding of the processes that generated clay on Mars.
Corrosion of Ti-6Al-4V in simulated body fluids and bovine plasma

The corrosion of Ti-6Al-4V at 37°C in several simulated body fluids and bovine plasma was studied using the passive current-time technique. A 0.9% NaCl (bw)-0.1 N NaH2PO4 solution gave results closest to those using bovine plasma as an electrolyte. All of the samples showed an activation period of 10–15 hr, after which an increase in the corrosion rate was observed. Several possible explanations for this effect are given. For comparison, a sample of Type 316 L stainless steel was tested using isotonic saline solution as the electrolyte. Both the initial and final current densities were considerably higher than those for Ti-6Al-4V indicating a corrosion rate considerably higher for the Type 316 L stainless steel.
The need for preventing chronic pain: the "big elephant in the room" of healthcare.

Chronic pain conditions are the number one reason patients seek care, number one cause of disability and addiction, and number one driver of healthcare costs, costing more than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.1-2 It is the “big elephant in the room” of healthcare and costs the United States alone over $650 billion in healthcare and lost work.1-2 This is equivalent to 25% of total healthcare costs and nearly 5% of the total gross national product of the United States. The personal impact in terms of suffering, loss of function, disability, depression, addiction, and other consequences is incalculable.1-3 Chronic pain is the most common cause of disability and opioid dependency, leading to more deaths than motor vehicle accidents.4,5 If we want to reform healthcare, we must focus on preventing chronic pain.
Leptin and IGF-I levels in unconditioned male volunteers after short-term exercise

We have previously shown that serum gonadotropins, particularly LH, decline after acute exercise in male volunteers. The mechanism for this decline is unknown. Plasma leptin and IGF-I concentrations were measured in seven male volunteers after acute exercise to exhaustion using the Bruce protocol. Leptin concentrations declined following exercise reaching nadir values 30-120 min after exercise. As anticipated, plasma IGF-I concentrations showed a transient rise immediately after exercise falling thereafter to nadir levels 60-90 min after exercise before returning towards baseline levels. In view of the previously described decline in gonadotropin release after acute exercise, the decline in plasma leptin levels, perhaps related to the rise in IGF-I, may play a role in exercise-induced inhibition of gonadotropin release presumably by inhibition of GnRH secretion.
Specific soman-hydrolyzing enzyme activity in a clonal neuronal cell culture

Abstract An enzymatic activity that specifically hydrolyzes the highly toxic organophosphorus anticholinesterase compound soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate) has been identified and partially characterized in the clonal neuronal neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid NG108-15 cell line. Using the whole cell homogenate as the enzyme source and 1 mM substrate, the relative rate of hydrolysis of two other toxic anticholinesterase compounds sarin (isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) and tabun (ethyl- N -dimethyl phosphoramidocyanidate) is approximatelt one-tenth the rate of hydrolysis of soman, while DFP (diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate), paraoxon ( p -nitrophenyl diethylphosphate), and a phosphinate PNMPP ( p -nitrophenyl methyl (phenyl) phosphinate) are not hydrolyzed. Analysis of the kinetics of soman hydrolysis reveals two components of the enzyme activity with different affinities and reaction rates. Unlike previously reported enzymes of this type, this enzyme lacks chiral specificity and thus hydrolyzes both toxic and non-toxic soman stereoisomers at equal rates. The enzyme activity is stable at low temperature, found almost exclusively in the soluble fraction of these cells, and enhanced significantly by Mn 2+ and by chemical differentiation of these cells in culture. The results suggest possible application of this enzyme for soman detection and/or detoxication, and use of the NG108-15 cell line to study the natural function(s) of enzymes of this type.
Teaching Scientific Literacy in an Introductory Women's Studies Course: A Case Study in Interdisciplinary Collaboration.

Background and purpose:The purpose of this exploratory case study is to describe how scholars negotiated disciplinary divides to develop and communicate to their students an understanding of the basic features of scientific knowledge. Our goals were to examine boundary crossing in interdisciplinary collaboration and to assess the efficacy of adding science content to an introductory Women’s Studies course.Sample:We studied a collaboration between faculty in Biology and Women’s Studies and evaluated science modules in a Women’s Studies course at a regional four-year university in the Midwestern USA. The study included 186 student participants over three semesters and four faculty from Philosophy, Women’s Studies and Biology.Design and method:Women’s Studies and Biology faculty collaborated to design and implement science content learning modules that included the case of women and science in an introductory Women’s Studies course. Qualitative data collected from faculty participants in the form of peer deb...
How do investors make predictions? Insights from analogical reasoning research

Previous work on investor decision making has focused almost exclusively on information specific to the company being judged. Consequently, every decision is viewed as a novel event, disconnected from the investor's existing knowledge. In this study, the analogical reasoning literature provides the theoretical support for arguing that investors frequently utilize existing knowledge as a basis for generating predictions about a company's future. The specific proposal is that investors transfer their existing knowledge via two different forms of analogical reasoning. The first, relational reasoning, is based primarily on structural correspondence between a novel company and an existing schema. The second, literal similarity reasoning, is based primarily on surface correspondence of a novel company and a previously encountered company. Our theoretical framework is tested in a study in which experienced investors predict the outcome of a novel company's strategy after reading about the experiences of other companies who implemented a similar strategy. The results are consistent with the occurrence of both relational and literal similarity reasoning, with relational reasoning emerging as the dominant approach to generating investors' predictions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Cis-acting regulator of enzyme tissue specificity in Drosophila is expressed at the RNA level

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is expressed according to qualitatively different patterns in Drosophila grimshawi and two closely related species, D. orthofascia and D. formella. This regulatory difference is under control of a cis-acting genetic factor. The ADH of these species is very similar to ADH of D. melanogaster and a genomic ADH clone derived from the latter hybridizes specifically to ADH coding sequences of the other species. Using this hybridization probe, it is shown that the above cis-acting regulator acts before or shortly after transcription to control ADH expression.
Analysis of Fuel Ethanol Transportation Activity and Potential Distribution Constraints

An analysis is provided of fuel ethanol transportation activity and potential distribution constraints if the total 36 billion gal of renewable fuel use by 2022 is mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Ethanol transport by domestic truck, marine, and rail distribution systems from ethanol refineries to blending terminals is estimated with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's North American infrastructure network model. Most supply and demand data provided by EPA were geocoded, and the transportation infrastructure network was updated through use of available commercial sources. The percentage increases in ton-mile movements by rail, waterways, and highways in 2022 are estimated to be 2.8%, 0.6%, and 0.13%, respectively, compared with the corresponding 2005 total domestic flows by various modes. Overall, a significantly higher level of future ethanol demand would have a minimal impact on the transportation infrastructure. However, ...
Hypertension and hypertensive heart disease are associated with increased ostial pulmonary vein diameter.

Hypertension and Pulmonary Vein Dilation. Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased ostial pulmonary vein (PV) diameter and commonly with hypertension. We sought to investigate ostial PV anatomy in patients with and without AF with the goal of characterizing the relationship to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results: Ostial PV diameter was assessed by preprocedural spiral computed tomography in 100 AF patients undergoing a PV isolation procedure and in 24 age- and sex-matched non-AF control patients. Ostial diameter of 392 PVs in 100 AF patients was increased compared to 106 PVs in 24 non-AF controls (1.50 ′ 0.31 vs 1.20 ′ 0.31 cm, P < 0.001) and diameters of individual PVs were uniformly affected (r = 0.45-0.62, P < 0.001). Left atrial dilation was associated with a larger PV diameter (1.56 ′ 0.32 vs 1.44 ′ 0.29 cm, P < 0.01). PV diameter in AF patients with hypertension (1.55 ′ 0.32 cm), particularly if associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (1.66 ′ 0.37 cm), was larger compared to AF patients without hypertension (1.43 ′ 0.26 cm, P < 0.01). PV diameter in control patients with hypertension (n = 14) was larger than in those without hypertension (n = 10, P < 0.01). Patients with persistent AF had larger PV diameters (1.61 ′ 0.34 cm) than patients with paroxysmal AF (1.47 ′ 0.30 cm, P < 0.01). Male gender (P < 0.01), history of hypertension (P < 0.01), and persistent AF (P < 0.05) were identified as independent cofactors of increased ostial PV diameter. Conclusion: PV dilation affects all PVs uniformly in AF patients. Hypertension and hypertensive heart disease in patients with and without AF are associated with PV dilation, supporting theories that impaired left ventricular diastolic function is associated with a stretch-induced PV arrhythmia mechanism.
Hierarchical self-assembly, coassembly, and self-organization of novel liquid crystalline lattices and superlattices from a twin-tapered dendritic benzamide and its four-cylinder-bundle supramolecular polymer.

The synthesis and structural analysis of the twin-dendritic benzamide 10, based on the first-generation, self-assembling, tapered dendrons 3,4,5-tris(4′-dodecyloxybenzyloxy)benzoic acid and 3,4,5-tris(4′-dodecyloxybenzyloxy)-1-aminobenzene, and the polymethacrylate, 20, which contains 10 as side groups, are presented. Benzamide 10 self-assembles into a supramolecular cylindrical dendrimer that self-organizes into a columnar hexagonal (Φh) liquid crystalline (LC) phase. Polymer 20 self-assembles into an imperfect four-cylinder-bundle supramolecular dendrimer, and creates a giant vesicular supercylinder that self-organizes into a columnar nematic (Nc) LC phase which displays short-range hexagonal order. In mixtures of 20 and 10, 10 acts as a guest and 20 as a host to create a perfect four-cylinder-bundle host–guest supramolecular dendrimer that coorganizes with 10. A diversity of Φh, simple rectangular columnar (Φr-s) and centered rectangular columnar (Φr-c), superlattices are produced at different ratios between 20 and 10. This diversity of LC lattices and superlattices is facilitated by the architecture of the twin-dendritic building block, polymethacrylate, the host–guest supramolecular assembly, and by hydrogen bonding along the center of the supramolecular cylinders generated from 10 and 20.
Corrections to horizontal drain hole productivity equations for wellbore friction effect

Abstract Most horizontal drain holes (horizontal or multilateral wells) do not produce oil and gas at the expected production rate. The discrepancy can be attributed to several factors including reservoir heterogeneity and non-perfectly horizontal wellbores. This study reveals that the frictional pressure loss in the horizontal drain hole is a key factor affecting inflow performance of highly productive and small-diameter and/or long horizontal wells. The frequently used equations for horizontal drain hole productivity are corrected for the wellbore friction effect in this work. In this study, equations for pressure distribution in horizontal oil and gas drain holes were first derived by rigorously coupling reservoir inflow and drain hole hydraulics. Simple functions for oil and gas flow rate profiles in the drain holes were then developed. Equations for deliverability of horizontal oil and gas drain holes were obtained by evaluating the flow rate functions at the heels. Sensitivity analyses with the equations indicate that neglecting the frictional pressure losses in the horizontal drain holes can cause over-estimate of well productivity by 30% in highly productive reservoirs and by 50% in small and/or long horizontal wellbores. This paper provides petroleum engineers modified equations for accurately predicting inflow performances of horizontal and multilateral wells.
Statistical properties of artificial neural networks

Convergence properties of empirically estimated neural networks are examined. In this theory, an appropriate size feedforward network is automatically determined from the data. The networks studied include two- and three-layer networks with an increasing number of simple sigmoidal nodes, multiple-layer polynomial networks, and networks with certain fixed structures but an increasing complexity in each unit. Each of these classes of networks is dense in the space of continuous functions on compact subsets of d-dimensional Euclidean space, with respect to the topology of uniform convergence. It is shown how, with the use of an appropriate complexity regularization criterion, the statistical risk of network estimators converges to zero as the sample size increases. Bounds on the rate of convergence are given in terms of an index of the approximation capability of the class of networks. >
Estimating Transitional Probabilities with Cross-Sectional Data to Assess Smoking Behavior Progression: A Validation Analysis.

Abstract Background and objective: New analytical tools are needed to advance tobacco research, tobacco control planning and tobacco use prevention practice. In this study, we validated a method to extract information from crosssectional survey for quantifying population dynamics of adolescent smoking behavior progression. Methods: With a 3-stage 7-path model, probabilities of smoking behavior progression were estimated employing the Probabilistic Discrete Event System (PDES) method and the cross-sectional data from 1997-2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Validity of the PDES method was assessed using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 and trends in smoking transition covering the period during which funding for tobacco control was cut substantively in 2003 in the United States. Results: Probabilities for all seven smoking progression paths were successfully estimated with the PDES method and the NSDUH data. The absolute difference in the estimated probabilities between the two approaches varied from 0.002 to 0.076 (p>0.05 for all) and were highly correlated with each other (R2=0.998, p<0.01). Changes in the estimated transitional probabilities across the 1997-2006 reflected the 2003 funding cut for tobacco control. Conclusions: The PDES method has validity in quantifying population dynamics of smoking behavior progression with cross-sectional survey data. The estimated transitional probabilities add new evidence supporting more advanced tobacco research, tobacco control planning and tobacco use prevention practice. This method can be easily extended to study other health risk behaviors.
Traffic engineering for next generation mobile communication systems

This paper describes the traffic engineering required for the next generation mobile communication systems. The next generation mobile communication systems will offer a variety of services (e.g., voice, data, video) to the mobile users (MUs) with different mobility behavior (e.g., stationary, pedestrian, vehicular) in both public and private environments. The traffic engineering presented in this paper considers all the above mentioned features. We introduce the handover rate and the time it takes a user to leave a cell area as the effects of user mobility, and the use of different traffic engineering models for a variety of services. We apply these models to a real mobile network and compare them with the existing models with respect to the network efficiency.
Within-stem oxygen concentration and sap flow in four temperate tree species: does long-lived xylem parenchyma experience hypoxia?

Oxygen levels as low as 1‐5% (gaseous mole fraction) occur in secondary xylem, but it is not known if there is a consistent pattern of decline in O 2 from the cambium toward the pith, or whether parenchyma cells experience hypoxic conditions deep within the stem. We developed a system for repeated in situ measurement of O 2 at different depths within stems of Acer rubrum , Fraxinus americana , Tsuga canadensis , and Quercus rubra . In summer during active transpiration, O 2 declined from the cambium toward the heartwood boundary in F. americana , T. canadensis and Q. rubra , but remained constant in A. rubrum . Average sapwood O 2 was about 10%, with the lowest values observed in the innermost sapwood around 3‐5%. Before spring leaf flush, O 2 content in the outer sapwood was reduced in Q. rubra and T. canadensis relative to summer, and was occasionally lower than in the inner sapwood. Sapwood respiration in T . canadensis was constant above 5% O 2 , but reduced by about 65% at 1% O 2 . In F . americana , sapwood respiration was constant above 10% O 2 but reduced by 25% at 5% O 2, and by 75% at 1% O 2 , the most extreme inhibition observed. However, when prolonged (72 h) exposure to 1%, 5% and 10% O 2 was followed by re-equilibration to 10% O 2 , no inhibition was found. Given the minor (and reversible) effect of low O 2 on parenchyma metabolism at levels common in the inner sapwood, it is unlikely that O 2 content severely limits parenchyma respiration or leads to parenchyma cell death during sapwood senescence. Within-stem O 2 levels may instead be most relevant to metabolism in the cambial zone and phloem, for which sapwood could serve as a significant source of O 2 .
Relationships between genetic polymorphisms and anticancer drug cytotoxicity vis-à-vis the NCI-60 panel.

Introduction: The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-60 panel consists of 60 human tumor cell lines initially established for screening thousands of molecules for antiproliferative activity. It has been powerful for deciphering the relationships between anticancer drug cytotoxicity and cell molecular characteristics. We tested its potential interest for establishing relationships between the polymorphism of genes involved in drug metabolism and transport or in DNA repair, and drug cytotoxicity extracted from NCI databases. Methods: Using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques, three frequent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed: Lys751Gln in the Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD, ERCC2) gene, Asp1104His in the Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group G (XPG, ERCC5) gene and Ile105Val in the glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene. Results: The allelic frequencies of the variants were 33% for ERCC2, 23% for ERCC5 and 39% f...
Cloning and Over-Expression of the E. coli D-Xylose Isomerase Gene in Various Microorganisms

D-Xylose isomerase, also known as D-glucose isomerase, catalyzes the conversion of D-xylose to D-xylulose and D-glucose to D-fructose. Both reactions have important industrial applications. Recently, we have succeeded in the identification of a ColEl-hybrid plasmid containing the Escherichia coli xylose isomerase gene (xylA) from the Clarke and Carbon E. coli gene bank. Subsequently, through subcloning and restriction mapping, xylA was found to be located on a 1.6 kb Bglll fragment. We found that the intact E. coli xylA gene was not expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or Bacillus subtilis. Fusion of the xylA structural gene to the yeast TRP5 or ADH1 promoter did not result in the expression of the hybrid gene in yeast. However, through lacZ fusion, we have been able to demonstrate that the TRP5-xylA hybrid gene did contain the necessary genetic elements to direct the synthesis of a protein in yeast. On the contrary, fusion of the xylA structural gene to a promoter functional in B. subtilis resulted in the expression of the xylA structural gene in the latter organism.
Library composition and adaptation using c++ concepts

Large scale software is composed of libraries produced by different entities. Non-intrusive and efficient mechanisms for adapting data structures from one library to conform to APIs of another are essential for the success of large software projects. Concepts and concept maps, planned features for the next version of C++, have been designed to support adaptation, promising generic, non-intrusive, efficient, and identity preserving adapters. This paper analyses the use of concept maps for library composition and adaptation, comparing and contrasting concept maps to other common adaptation mechanisms. We report on two cases of data structure adaptation between different libraries, indicating best practices and idioms along the way. First, we adapt GUI controls from several frameworks for use with a generic layout engine, extending the application of concepts to run-time polymorphism. Second, we develop a transparent adaptation layer between an image processing library and a graph algorithm library, enabling the efficient application of graph algorithms to the image processing domain.
Relationships Among Personal Space Boundaries, Peer Acceptance, and Peer Reputation in Adolescents

PROBLEM Peer relationships are important to the health of adolescents who are at a developmental period of moving from parental influence to potentially dangerous peer influence. Interpersonal communication processes are logical antecedents of peer relationships. However, research in this area with adolescent populations is limited. METHODS Exploratory descriptive study using observational technique to collect nonverbal and verbal communication data on adolescents (N = 28). Observer ratings of personal boundaries and peer acceptance were correlated with anonymous peer ratings of sociability/leadership, aggressiveness/disruptiveness, and sensitivity/isolation, with comparisons made between males and females. FINDINGS Boundaries are related to peer acceptance and peer reputation and are interpreted differently in males and females. CONCLUSIONS This study provides beginning evidence of the usefulness of Personal Space Boundary Theory in understanding adolescent behavior.
Using Cystic Fibrosis Therapies for Non–Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) is an increasingly prevalent disease that places a significant burden on patients and health systems globally. Although many of the therapies used to treat NCFB were originally developed as cystic fibrosis (CF) therapies, not all of them have been demonstrated to be efficacious in NCFB and some may even be harmful. This article explores the evidence for which therapeutic strategies used to treat CF have been translated into the care of NCFB. The conclusion is that therapies for adult NCFB cannot be simply extrapolated from CF clinical trials, and in some instances, doing so may actually result in harm.
Simulating complex problems with the quantum Monte Carlo method.

We describe a quantum Monte Carlo technique suitable for generically complex problems, such as systems coupled to external magnetic fields or anyons in two spatial dimensions. We find that the gauge plays a nontrivial role in the simulation, and that a judicious choice of gauge considerably reduces the statistical error. One may similarly reduce the statistical error in simulations of particles in external magnetic fields by arranging an approximate cancellation between the (gauge-dependent) phases of the statistical flux and the external magnetic flux.
Characterization of the biological activity of Cryptococcus infections in surgical pathology. The Budding Index and Carminophilic Index

The histologic spectrum of cryptococcosis varies greatly, including florid granulomatous reactions, necrotizing infections, fibrotic nodules or "cryptococcomas", and gelatinous reactions containing scant or absent inflammatory cells. These variants are thought to represent differences both in the duration and activity of the infection as well as the nature and extent of the immune response. However, there exists no method for the quantitation of these factors in tissue sections to form an estimate of the activity of the infection. This communication reviews 16 cases of cryptococcosis and describes a method for the estimation of the biological activity of cryptococcosis in tissue sections by determination of the percentage of budding organisms (Budding Index) and yeasts having carminophilic capsules (Carminophilic Index). These indices may be useful for the assessment of cryptococcal viability and divisional activity within a lesion, as well as estimation of the fungistatic or fungicidal effects of therapy.
A Case Study Comparison of LANDFIRE Fuel Loading and Emissions Generation on a Mixed Conifer Forest in Northern Idaho, USA

The use of fire as a land management tool is well recognized for its ecological benefits in many natural systems. To continue to use fire while complying with air quality regulations, land managers are often tasked with modeling emissions from fire during the planning process. To populate such models, the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) program has developed raster layers representing vegetation and fuels throughout the United States; however, there are limited studies available comparing LANDFIRE spatially distributed fuel loading data with measured fuel loading data. This study helps address that knowledge gap by evaluating two LANDFIRE fuel loading raster options—Fuels Characteristic Classification System (LANDFIRE-FCCS) and Fuel Loading Model (LANDFIRE-FLM) layers—with measured fuel loadings for a 20 000 ha mixed conifer study area in northern Idaho, USA. Fuel loadings are compared, and then placed into two emissions models—the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) and Consume—for a subsequent comparison of consumption and emissions results. The LANDFIRE-FCCS layer showed 200%* higher duff loadings relative to measured loadings. These led to 23% higher total mean total fuel consumption and emissions when modeled in FOFEM. The LANDFIRE-FLM layer showed lower loadings for total surface fuels relative to measured data, especially in the case of coarse woody debris, which in turn led to 51% lower mean total consumption and emissions when modeled in FOFEM. When the comparison was repeated using Consume model outputs, LANDFIRE-FLM consumption was 59% lower relative to that on the measured plots, with 58% lower modeled emissions. Although both LANDFIRE and measured fuel loadings fell within the ranges observed by other researchers in US mixed conifer ecosystems, variation within the fuel loadings for all sources was high, and the differences in fuel loadings led to significant differences in consumption and emissions depending upon the data and model chosen. The results of this case study are consistent with those of other researchers, and indicate that supplementing LANDFIRE-represented data with locally measured data, especially for duff and coarse woody debris, will produce more accurate emissions results relative to using unaltered LANDFIRE-FCCS or LANDFIRE-FLM fuel loadings. Accurate emissions models will aid in representing emissions and complying with air quality regulations, thus ensuring the continued use of fire in wildland management.
Spin torque and Nernst effects in Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya ferromagnets

Here, we predict that a temperature gradient can induce a magnon-mediated intrinsic torque in systems with a nontrivial magnon Berry curvature. With the help of a microscopic linear response theory of nonequilibrium magnon-mediated torques and spin currents we identify the interband and intraband components that manifest in ferromagnets with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and magnetic textures. To illustrate and assess the importance of such effects, we apply the linear response theory to the magnon-mediated spin Nernst and torque responses in a kagome lattice ferromagnet.
Feedback Control of Temperature Profiles During Microwave Joining of Ceramics

The goal of this research is to develop an automatic feedback control system for ceramic samples being heated by microwave energy for the purpose of joining the samples. This paper describes two major topics connected with the research. First, the temperature control algorithm is described, and experimental results from testing that control algorithm with actual ceramic samples are presented. Secondly, the microwave cavity is modeled using a transmission line approach to relate iris and plunger positions to absorbed power. Equations are presented which give the proper positions for maximizing the absorbed power, and a control strategy for the iris and plunger is discussed. This research has been funded under NSF Grant No. DDM - 9115417.
Regionalism VS. Sectionalism in the South's Place in the National Economy

T HE assumptions underlying this discussion are that there are certain fundamental distinctions between sectionalism, such as the authentic earlier sectionalism of the South or Frederick Jackson Turner's equally authentic, historical, political, and economic sectionalism of the whole nation, on the one hand, and the developing cultural and administrative regionalism of the United States of the I930's, on the other. Moreover, Professor Turner's prophecy that sectionalism in America was likely to increase rather than decrease seems well on the way to fulfillment in a sort of recurring "new sectionalism," which appears to be primarily a revivification of the older sectionalism rationalized into the "new regionalism." The common confusion of Turner's sectionalism with the newer prospects of regionalism is not academic and is of critical importance at this time. What the distinctions and their implications are and how important it is to turn this present trend toward sectionalism into realistic regionalism will be discussed in another paper. It will suffice here, therefore, simply to point to certain distinctions which have a particular bearing upon the southern regions in the national economy. In the first place, regionalism envisages the Nation first, making the national culture and welfare the final arbiter. On the other hand, sectionalism sees the region first and the nation afteiwards. Or, in Professor Turner's characterization, the section thinks "in other words, of the nation in terms of itself." This is no more nor less true of one section than another; no less applicable if leaders who happen to be in federal control interpret, to quote Turner again, their own particular sectional "culture, economics, politics, and well-being as best for all the nation." In the second place, sectionalism emphasizes political boundaries and state sovereignties, technical legislation, local loyalties, and confederation of states "with common interests, menaced by federal action." Where sectionalism features separateness, regionalism connotes component and constituent parts of the larger national culture. Or, to use Turner's definition again, sectionalism is characterized by "those manifestations of economic and social separateness involved in the existence in a given region of a set of fundamental assumptions, a mental and emotional attitude which segregates the section from other sections or from the nation as a whole." Or still again, "the various sections of which the country is composed are thus seen as potential nations," and "the imagination stirs at the possibilities of the future, when these