cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
OTC product: Florastor kids.

Category: Probiotic/nutraceutical derived from the yeast cells of Saccharomyces boulardii. Manufacturer: Biocodex, Inc. Use: To promote and maintain intestinal health and to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in children. Availability: Powder packets containing S. boulardii 250 mg; 10 packets per box. Discussion: AAD can be defi ned as an otherwise inexplicable diarrhea usually occurring with antibiotic treatment.1 AAD may occur within the fi rst day or up to several weeks after treatment with an antibiotic.2,3 Reports indicate that AAD may occur in up to 25% of all patients receiving antibiotic treatment and in as many as 30% of children.2,3 Diarrhea most commonly occurs during broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy (e.g., aminopenicillins, cephalosporins, clindamycin).1 Diarrhea severity can vary from mild (e.g., loose watery stools with no other complications) to severe (e.g., complications including electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, pseudomembranous colitis).1 Often, AAD is managed via early termination of the antibiotic treatment, leading to suboptimal therapy.2 Probiotics are living organisms that purportedly promote intestinal health and maintain bowel function. They are nonpathogenic bacterial or yeast microbiota. S. boulardii is unique among probiotics because it is derived from yeast.2,3 Its proposed mechanism of action involves increasing the chloride absorption within the jejunum and the descending colon; it is also thought to affect nitric oxide responsible for intestinal water and electrolyte transport.2 However, this supposed mechanism has never been substantiated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the safety and effi cacy of the product remain unknown. Probiotics (including this product) cannot legally claim to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Patient information5 Take one packet twice a day. ■ The contents of the packet may ■ be sprinkled on apple sauce, sour cream, or yogurt. The contents of the packet may be ■ mixed with water, orange juice, apple juice, or formula. The product may be used in children ■ with lactose intolerance because it only contains a small amount of lactose. Must be stored at room temperature; ■ no refrigeration is required. Should not be taken if recipient has ■ any allergies to yeast or is currently taking any antifungal products. This product is not proven to diag ■ nose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition.
Automatic design of colors for magazine covers

In the design of a magazine cover, making a set of decisions regarding the color distribution of the cover image and the colors of other graphical and textual elements is considered to be the concept of color design. This concept addresses a number of subjective challenges, specifically how to determine a set of colors that is aesthetically pleasing yet also contributes to the functionality of the design, the legibility of textual elements, and the stylistic consistency of the class of magazine. Our solution to automatic color design includes the quantification of these challenges by deploying a number of well-known color theories. These color theories span both color harmony and color semantics. The former includes a set of geometric structures that suggest which colors are in harmony together. The latter suggests a higher level of abstraction. Color semantics means to bridge sets of color combinations with color mood descriptors. For automatic design, we aim to deploy these two viewpoints by applying geometric structures for the design of text color and color semantics for the selection of cover images.
Bilateral Acute Corneal Calcification

A 38-year-old man with brittle, juvenile onset diabetes mellitus and bilateral severe dry eyes with recurrent corneal ulcers developed atypical band-shaped calcifications of both corneas during a 24-hour period. Serum calcium, phosphate, and carbon dioxide levels all were within normal limits. The patient was mildly uremic but was not in renal failure. When EDTA chelation failed to clear the deposits, partial keratectomies were performed in both eyes and the specimens were examined by light and electron microscopy, including energy dispersive x-ray analysis. Microscopic studies revealed an atypical calcific keratopathy which involved neither Bowman's layer nor the most superficial stromal lamellae. The deposits were confined to deeper lamellae in the anterior stroma and by electron microscopy were composed of extracellular crystalline aggregates. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis of these aggregates confirmed the presence of calcium and phosphate. Corneal dessication appeared to be a major contributing factor in the rapid formation of these deposits.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater: A Case Study in Inside-the-Box Creativity

This article traces the development of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, perhaps the most famous private dwelling in the world, as a case study in creative thinking. It has been reported that Wright conceived the house in one creative leap when he first visited the site. Wright supposedly did nothing further on the house until 9 months later, when he produced complete plans in 2 hours.This story can be taken as support for the claim that creative products come about through “outside-the-box” thinking, in which the creator goes far beyond the present to produce something completely new. However, examination of the historical record supports a model of creative thinking that assumes that creative products—even extraordinary products such as Fallingwater—come about in small steps firmly founded on the past, in this case the early work of Wright and of other architects. It is not necessary to postulate any extraordinary form of thinking to understand the development of Fallingwater. This case study thus supp...
State Sovereignty in Space: Current Models and Possible Futures

The expansion of private-sector space activities is significantly changing the dynamics of space policy in the United States and potentially the entire field of space exploration and utilization. However, state sovereignty remains, and shall remain, central to the law, politics, and economics of space. States will continue to be important space actors, and even as private space actors emerge, governments shall play a vital enabling and regulatory functions. The exact role states will play in future economic development of space, as well as the nature of the relationship between state and non-state actors in space, depends on the concept of state sovereignty. This article discusses theoretical understandings of state sovereignty, outlines the current legal regime for space, examines controversies in space law, and explores possible scenarios for future forms of state sovereignty or jurisdiction in space. It concludes that the best outcome is where international law evolves in anticipation of these new deve...
Predicted Geometry Effects on Oil Vapor Flow Through Buffer-Gas Labyrinth Seals

Mass transport characteristics of buffer-gas labyrinth seals operating in the flooded, nonmist regime were studied using numerical simulations. Discussion is given of the extension, to account for oil vapor mass transport, of a finite volume computer code that was previously validated using nonoil labyrinth hot-film anemometer as well as leakage measurements. A parametric study was conducted to obtain a first understanding of oil vapor transport from the liquid film on the stator wall and to assist oil seal designers. Various geometry effects with various oil film lengths were investigated. It was found in the present investigation that increasing the buffer gas pressure can increase the oil vapor mass flow to the process gas due to increased evaporation from the liquid oil film. In addition, it was found that buffer-gas mass flow is mainly affected by the clearance and the total flow area of the buffer-gas injection.
Standing waves observed at the dayside magnetopause

Energetic (greater than 24 keV) ion distributions are used in remotely sounding an ion trapping boundary at the dayside magnetopause for two inbound crossings of ISEE-2 on days 347 and 312, 1977, at 0830 and 1100 LT. Applying single particle trajectory models to the observed temporal relationships between trapping boundary distance and orientation parameters, it is concluded that longitudinal standing waves occur on the boundary, having typical wavelengths of 1500-3000 km, amplitudes of 500 km, and periods of 200-400 sec. The standing wave nodes move along the node axis with velocities ranging from 1.5 to 6 km/sec. The data are found to be inconsistent with models of traveling waves moving tailward along the boundary.
Parlange receives the Macelwane Medal

The 1997 James B. Macelwane Medal, given by AGU for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability, was presented to Marc B. Parlange at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony on May 28, 1997, in Baltimore. The award citation and Parlange's response are given here.
Small Bowel Obstruction Due to MALT Lymphoma Sonographic Appearance and CT Correlation

Extranodal marginal zone lymphomas comprise approximately 5% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. These tumors may arise in any epithelial tissue, including the bowel lining. A report is presented of a pa...
Higher affinity quadruply hydrogen-bonded complexation with 7-deazaguanine urea.

UG forms a highly stable quadruply hydrogen-bonded heterocomplex with DAN, but the fidelity of the complex is lowered somewhat by the Hoogsteen-side oligomerization of UG (Kassoc ∼ 230 M-1, CDCl3). DeUG was prepared as a more robust analogue of UG lacking the Hoogsteen nitrogen atom. Remarkably, the deaza analogue, DeUG, forms a much more stable complex with DAN (>10-fold higher Kassoc for DeUG·DAN vs UG·DAN) but also dimerizes more strongly (Kdim = 880 ± 40 M-1, CDCl3) by adopting a conformation preorganized for both binding and dimerization.
Purification of human liver acid β-d-galactosidases using affinity chromatography

Abstract Affinity column chromatography was utilized to purify human liver acid β- d -galactosidases (EC 3.2.1.23). A 21,720 and a 21,951-fold purification was obtained with respect to 4-methylumbelliferyl β- d -galactoside and GM1 ganglioside, respectively, employing a sequence of concanavalin A-Sepharose and Sepharose 4B-6-aminohexyl 1-thio-β- d -galactopyranoside column chromatography. This acid β- d -galactosidase preparation represents the highest specific activities yet reported for the human liver enzymes. Starch-gel electrophoresis followed by a slicing zymogram indicated the presence of both acid β- d -galactosidase A and B activities, whereas acrylamide-gel electrophoresis at a basic pH demonstrated one band of protein coincident with one peak of enzymatic activity.
Field independence as a conceptual framework for prediction of variability in ratings of others.

Summary.-The purpose of this study was to explain variability in evaluative rating in terms of Witkin's differentiation hypothesis. The dependent variables were several indices of variability, such as variance across ratees and covariance among attributes (halo effect). Independent variables were the Rodand-frame Test, Kohs Blocks, and both individual and group Embedded-figures Tests. For 55 male students it was predicted that variability of ratings would correlate with the differentiation measures for relatively masculine Ss but not for relatively feminine Ss (the moderator variable). For 48 female nurses, it was predicted that RFT would correlate directly with the dependent variables. The results showed that, as predicted, RFT correlated with each of the dependent variables under conditions of high masculinity for the male Ss. The hypothesis for the female group was also clearly supported. The results obtained with the Kohs Blocks and Embedded-figures Tests did not converge, suggesting that EFTtype tests are inadequate substitutes for the RFT. It was concluded that raters who exhibit high variability in their evaluations of others are relatively more field independent; this means that they are relatively more active and more taskand achievement-oriented. The implications of these findings for research methodology and leadership studies were discussed. The aim of this research was to determine the construct validity of a particular rating style which, in a previous investigation by Gordon ( 1966), was found to be predictive of performance in production of scientific proposals. The study was designed to relate a person's cognitive style to his rating style (the manner in which a judge differentiates among ratees.) This study was part of a larger research project which is designed to investigate the applicability of Witkin's differentiation hypothesis (Witkin, et al., 1962) to leadership behavior. The differentiation hypothesis is a means for conceptualizing the communality of behavior in several areas of psychological functioning. It states that individuals differ in their ability to perceive themselves and their environment in either a global or an analytical fashion. Individuals whose perception is global assimilate differences; individuals whose perception is analytical perceive items as discrete from their background and can impose structure upon their environment. The general hypothesis was that an individual's level of differentiation would be reflected in the way in which he rates others. Since measures of differentiation are also correlated with certain dimensions of personality, it was anticipated that this study co~~ld contribute to
Methods for the Study of Transverse Momentum Differential Correlations

We introduce and compare three differential correlation functions for the study of transverse-momentum correlations in p+p and A+A collisions. These consist of inclusive and eventwise and a differential version of the correlation measure C-tildeintroduced by Gavin for experimental study of the viscosity per unit entropy of the matter produced in A+A collisions. We study the quantitative difference between the three observables on the basis of PYTHIA simulations of p+p collisions and A+A collisions consisting of an arbitrary superposition of p+p collision events at {radical}(s)=200 GeV. We observe that inclusive and eventwise correlation functions are remarkably similar to each other whereas the observable C-tilde differs quantitatively from the two. We study the robustness and efficiency dependencies of these observables based on truncated Taylor expansions in efficiency in p+p collisions and on the basis of Monte Carlo simulation using an ad hoc detector efficiency parametrization. We find that all the three observables are essentially independent of detector efficiency. We additionally study the scaling of the correlation measures and find all the observables exhibit an approximate 1/N dependence of the number of participants (N) in A+A collisions. Finally, we study the impact of flowlike anisotropy on the inclusive correlation function and find flowmore » imparts azimuthal modulations similar to those observed with two-particle densities.« less
Enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) cyclic trimer

Oligoesters present in poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers are commonly extracted from the fiber during processing, such as aqueous-based dyeing. Aqueous, insoluble oligoesters, particularly cyclic trimers that precipitate on processing machinery and on the fiber surface are difficult to remove under benign conditions. Reported is a new method for the efficient removal of cyclic trimer by enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis. Almost complete hydrolysis of trimer was accomplished at pH 8 and 60°C. Effects of time, agitation, surfactant, and enzyme and trimer concentrations on the efficiency of hydrolysis are reported. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2545–2552, 2003
New shape representation and similarity measure for efficient shape indexing

Efficient search and retrieval of similar shapes in large databases stipulates two hardly compatible demands to the shape representations. On one hand, shape similarity conveys similarity of spatial relations of the shape parts. Thus, the representation should embed a kind of graph description of the shape, and allow estimation of the (inexact) correspondence between these descriptions. On the other hand, the representation should enable fast retrieval in large databases. Current shape indexing solutions do not comply well to these stipulations simultaneously. The G-graphs have been introduced as shape descriptors conveying structural and quantitative shape information. In the current work we define a representation of the G-graphs by strings consisting of the symbols from a four-letter alphabet such that two G-graphs are isomorphic as G-graphs if and only if their string representations are identical. This allows us to represent shapes by vectors consisting of strings and to introduce a shape representation satisfying both above demands. Experimental results are presented.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
TiO 2 memristor devices

This paper presents the fabrication technique and results obtained for a titanium oxide based memristor design. A memristor wafer was developed that contains isolated devices as well as small memristor crossbar arrays (36 devices). The current-voltage relationship of the devices shows a memristive switching effect that is more apparent when the devices are negatively biased.
Psychological and Physiological Effects of Relaxation and Nitrous Oxide Training

Training in progressive muscle relaxation can improve psychophysiological response to stress but is often time-consuming and may prove ineffective for some individuals. Nitrous Oxide (N2O)may offer an effective adjunct or alternative to training. This study evaluated the relative efficacy of these procedures. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions: relaxation-only, N2O only, relaxation with N2O, and room air-control. The relaxation procedure was modeled on color videotape. Nitrous oxide was administered from a balloon. In addition to various psychological measures, treatment effects were measured for skin temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and two measures of diastolic blood pressure. Subjective reports of tension were also recorded. There was a significant multivariate difference between treatment groups. The relaxation-only procedure was generally superior to the others on most dependent measures. Subjects receiving N2O appear to have experienced an improvemen...
Age-Related Mechanical Work Expenditure During Normal Walking: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to delineate age-associated kinematic and kinetic gait patterns of normal walking, and to test the hypothesis that older adults exhibit gait patterns that reduce generative mechanical work expenditures (MWEs). We studied 52 adult Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants (means age 72+/-9, from 60 to 92 years) who could walk 4m unaided. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic parameters assessed during rotation-defined gait periods were used to estimate MWEs for the rotation of lower extremities about the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) axes of proximal joints, which represent MWEs in the AP and ML sides, respectively. Relationships between gait parameters and age were examined using regression analysis with adjustments for walking speed, sex, height, and weight. Older age was associated with slower self-selected walking speed (p<0.001), shorter stride length (p<0.001), and greater propensity of landing flat-footed (p=0.003). With older age, hip generative MWE for thigh rotation was lower about the AP axis (hip abduction and adduction) during stance (p=0.010) and higher about the ML axis (hip extension and flexion) during late stance (p<0.001). Knee absorptive MWE for shank rotation about the AP axis (knee abduction and adduction) during early stance was also lower with older age (p<0.003). These age-related gait patterns may represent a compensatory effort to maintain balance and may also reflect mobility limitations.
Oxidation and diffusion in black chrome selective solar absorber coatings

Abstract Black chromium selective solar absorber coatings deposited by sputtering and electrodeposition have been studied after heat treating. Both sputter-deposited Al2O3− Cr and electrodeposited Cr2O3−Cr black chromium coatings degrade at temperatures below 400°C by oxidation of chromium to Cr2O3 in the coating. At higher temperatures, degradation by diffusion of the substrate occurs when the Cr2O3−Cr coating is deposited on mild steel, nickel or stainless steel. Electrodeposited coatings on substrates of tin, copper, and tantalum degraded at temperatures below 450°C by oxidation of the substrate.
Electrically evoked compound action potential using Nucleus RP8

Abstract This paper describes recordings of the compound action potential recorded from the auditory nerve in response to electrical stimulation through the Nucleus Research Platform 8 (RP8) cochlear implant. Recordings made from three subjects are described. Measurements of growth of response with level as well as channel interaction using a two pulse forward masking paradigm are described.
Sex Pheromone Dispenser Type and Trap Design Affect Capture of Dogwood Borer

Using a ternary sex pheromone blend [86:6:6 v:v:v (Z,Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl acetate: (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienyl acetate: (Z,E)-3,13-octadecadienyl acetate], we tested the effect of dispenser type and trap design for capture of dogwood borer (DWB), Synanthedon scitula Harris (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) in apple orchards in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Wing-style sticky traps baited with polyethylene vial pheromone dispensers captured more male DWB over the first 2 months than traps baited with rubber septum pheromone dispensers. However, catches in vial-baited traps decreased considerably after the first 2 months, possibly due to the antagonistic effect of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy acetophenone that diffused from the polyethylene vials. By contrast, traps baited with rubber septum dispensers captured DWB males for at least 6 months; over the last four months of the flight season, catches in traps baited with a rubber septum were greater than those in traps baited with a vial dispenser. Therefore, the rubber septum dispenser is recommended for season-long monitoring of DWB. A release-rate study, using laboratory and field-aged dispensers, demonstrated that desorption of DWB sex pheromone from polyethylene vial or rubber septum dispensers followed first order kinetics, with half-lives of 1.6 and 10.7 months, respectively. Several trap designs, including wing-and delta-style sticky traps, and white and green “bucket-style” traps, baited with rubber septum dispensers were compared in commercial apple orchards for catch of DWB. Bucket traps caught more moths when moth populations were high, because the sticky surfaces of the 1C and delta traps likely became saturated. However, among the commercially available traps tested, no particular design gave consistently higher catches. Further work is needed to explore capture mechanisms and maintenance needs of different trap types.
Ultrafast dynamics of a new class of highly fluorescent boron difluoride dyes

The first ultrafast study of the dimeric fluorescent BF2 dye BOPHY is presented. When compared to a structurally related BODIPY dye, similar photophysical dynamics are observed, including an intermediate kinetic component present in both dye types.
An inexact NE/SQP method for solving the nonlinear complementarity problem

In this paper, we present an extension to the NE/SQP method; the latter is a robust algorithm that we proposed for solving the nonlinear complementarity problem in an earlier article. In this extended version of NE/SQP, instead of exactly solving the quadratic program subproblems, approximate solutions are generated via an inexact rule.Under a proper choice for this rule, this inexact method is shown to inherit the same convergence properties of the original NE/SQP method. In addition to developing the convergence theory for the inexact method, we also present numerical results of the algorithm tested on two problems of varying size.
CMOS active pixel sensor achieving 90-dB dynamic range with column-level active reset

A CMOS active pixel sensor array using column-level active reset has been fabricated and tested. Column-level active reset requires one additional transistor per pixel, bringing the total to 4, and a per-column op-amp. The added transistor per pixel controls the gate of the reset transistor. There are two important feedback mechanisms in active reset. The first is the amplification by the Miller effect of the effective capacitance on the photodiode during reset, hence reducing kT/C noise. The second is the control of the resetting current via modulation of the transconductance of the reset switch. The level of noise reduction is comparable to, or may exceed, what true correlated double sampling can achieve. Readout noise of 44 microvolts and a dynamic range of 90 dB (15 bits), rms, has been measured. Room temperature noise as low as 5.1 electrons, rms, referred back to the photodiode node, has been measured on small photodiode pixels (5.8 fF capacitance). This compares to 38.3 electrons when measured with a standard “hard” reset, for a factor of 7.6 improvement. Row and column fixed pattern noise were also improved by up to a factor of 21, going from 1% for both to 0.048% and 0.27%, respectively.
Fast gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

We report here the first coupling of fast GC to IRMS, in a system capable of 250 ms peak widths (fwhm) at 1 mL/min flow rates, one-fifth as narrow as any previously reported GCC-IRMS system. We developed an optimized postcolumn interface that results in minimal peak broadening, using a programmable temperature vaporization injector in place of a rotary valve or backflush system to divert solvent, a narrow capillary combustion reactor followed by a cryogenic water trap with narrow-bore ( 600 pmol C on column; precision for the narrow peaks (250 ms) was considerably better for injections <150 pmol C on column. SD(δ13C) < 1‰ was achievable for injections of 5−15 pmol on column for 2...
Sociomoral development in direct-instruction, eclectic, and constructivist kindergartens: A study of children's enacted interpersonal understanding☆

Enacted interpersonal understanding was studied in 56 children from three kindergarten programs in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods: a direct-instruction program (DI) called DISTAR, representing the cultural-transmission paradigm in educational thought; a constructivist program (CON) representing the cognitive-developmental paradigm; and an eclectic program (ECL) having some characteristics of both paradigms. Pairs of children were videotaped playing a board game and dividing stickers. Selman's conceptualization of enacted interpersonal understanding at three levels of Negotiation Strategies (NS) and Shared Experiences (SE) was used in microanalytic coding of videotapes and transcripts. Analysis of 8,256 NS and SE showed a predominant use of Level 1 in all groups. The CON group consistently had the highest percentage of Level 2 and DI the lowest. The CON group was more interpersonally active, having a greater number and variety of NS and SE than the other two groups. When group differences in Level 0 NS and SE appeared, CON had the lowest percentage and DI the highest. Analysis of 292 conflicts during the game showed no differences among the groups on number or subject of conflict, but revealed the same pattern of program differences in levels of interpersonal understanding as described for the entire game. No gender differences and no differences in cognitive understanding of the game were found. No differences were found in mothers' reported childrearing attitudes and practices. Interviews on life in their classrooms showed differences among programs in children's perceptions of rules, punishments, activities, and responsibilities. Differences were observed among the groups in the degree to which children continued their activities when the teacher left the classroom. While the directinstruction group had significantly higher scores on preschool-screening tests and first-grade achievement tests than both constructivist and eclectic groups, the differences between direct-instruction and constructivist groups disappeared by third grade. Results are discussed in terms of policy implications for early education.
An algebraic representation of the affine Bäcklund transformation

In 1980 Chern and Terng defined a Backlund transformation for affine minimal surfaces. In this paper we show that this Backlund transformation can be simply represented by an involution and translation of the affine conormal.
The Effect of Electro-Acupuncture on Spasticity of the Wrist Joint in Chronic Stroke Survivors

Abstract Mukherjee M, McPeak LK, Redford JB, Sun C, Liu W. The effect of electro-acupuncture on spasticity of the wrist joint in chronic stroke survivors. Objective To quantitatively assess the change in spasticity of the impaired wrist joint in chronic stroke patients after electro-acupuncture treatment. Design Crossover design. Setting University medical center research laboratory. Participants Seven chronic stroke subjects (age, 63.14±7.01y). Intervention Participants received two 6-week treatment regimens: combined electro-acupuncture and strengthening twice a week, and strengthening twice a week only. Muscle strength and spasticity of the wrist joint were quantified by using the Biodex multijoint System 3 Pro. Electro-acupuncture was given through a commercial electro-acupuncture device. Main Outcome Measures Velocity sensitivity of averaged speed-dependent reflex torque (VASRT); segmented averaged speed-dependent reflex torque (SASRT); Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) scores; and integrated electromyographic activity of the affected wrist flexors during passive stretch of the affected wrist joint. Results VASRT was reduced significantly in the combined treatment group ( P =.02) after the 6-week period, but not in the strengthening-only group ( P =.23); however, no significant immediate effect of electro-acupuncture was observed ( P >.05). MAS scores also showed a significant reduction ( P P Conclusions A combination of electro-acupuncture and muscle strengthening exercise for 6 weeks significantly reduced spasticity. The effect of spasticity reduction was consistent across different joint positions and different velocities of passive stretch.
Antimicrobial ambiguine isonitriles from the cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua.

Five new antibacterial ambiguine K−O isonitriles (1−5) and eight previously described indole alkaloids were isolated from the cultured cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua (UTEX 1903) by bioassay-guided fractionation. The planar structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis including MS and 1D and 2D NMR. X-ray crystallography was used to determine the absolute stereoconfiguration of ambiguine K isonitrile. The isolates were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against a set of bacterial targets, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Bacillus anthracis. Ambiguine K and M isonitriles showed the most potent activity against M. tuberculosis, with MIC values of 6.6 and 7.5 μM, respectively. Ambiguine A isonitrile showed the most potent activity against B. anthracis, with a MIC of 1.0 μM.
The effects of overloads in fatigue crack growth

Abstract Several theories have been proposed to explain the transient fatigue crack growth decelerations and accelerations which follow overloads. The mechanisms that have been proposed to explain retardation after a tensile overload, for example, include residual stress, crack deflection, crack closure, strain hardening, and plastic blunting/resharpening. These mechanisms are reviewed in the light of recent experimental results, and implications with regard to their applicability are examined. It is suggested that no single mechanism can be expected to represent observed effects over the entire range of da/dN versus ΔK; eg, behaviour ranging from the near threshold region to the Paris region.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of itopride (100 and 200 mg three times daily) on gastric motor and sensory function in healthy volunteers.

Itopride, a dopamine D2 antagonist and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, significantly improved symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia in one phase II randomized trial. However, the mecha- nisms by which itopride may improve symptoms are unknown. We aimed to compare the effects of two doses of itopride and placebo on gastric volumes, gastric emptying, small bowel transit and satiation in female and male healthy volunteers. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated gastric function before and after 7 days of itopride 100 mg (n ¼ 16) or 200 mg (n ¼ 15) or placebo (n ¼ 15) t.i.d. Validated methods were used to study gastric accommodation (single photon emission com- puted tomography), gastric emptying and orocecal transit and satiation postnutrient challenge. The three arms were comparable with regard to age, gender and body mass index. There were no statistically signifi- cant effects of itopride on gastric emptying, orocecal transit, fasting gastric volume, maximum tolerated volume or aggregate symptom score with nutrient drink challenge. Postprandial (PP) change in gastric volume differed in the three groups (P ¼ 0.019): 625(±28 (SEM)), 555(±26) and 512(±33) in placebo, itopride 100 and 200 mg groups, respectively. In healthy subjects, itopride reduced total PP gastric volume without accelerating gastric emptying or sig- nificantly altering gastric motor and sensory function in healthy individuals. Keywordsaccommodation, itopride, motility, stomach.
Cancer of the lung and los-angeles-type air pollution. Prospective study

A prospective study was conducted in Los Angeles California in an attempt to answer the question of whether longterm residents of Los Angeles at comparable smoking levels have a higher rate of pulmonary cancer than the longterm residents of other metropolitan areas of California. Questionnaires on cigarette smoking status residence history and other characteristics were mailed to men of the California Division of the American Legion. Subsequent checking of this population against the California mortality records for 1959 through 1962 revealed the number of deaths including those due to cancer of the lung and provided 336571 man years of observation. The pulmonary cancer gradient by smoking level was less pronounced than that found in other studies. Los Angeles and Bay Area and San Diego - the 2 major metropolitan areas - had higher mortality rates for cancer of the lung than remaining mixed rural and urban counties and these differences were relatively greater among nonsmokers. With controls for smoking and length of residence the risk of pulmonary cancer in Los Angeles where photochemical air pollution levels are highest was not greater than in Californias other major metropolitan areas.
From sophomore to success— entering the second year

Abstract Accepting your first faculty position after completing your formal education and postgraduate training is very exciting and rewarding. As you enter the second year, you will have several new opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges in both the professional and personal sectors of your life. To achieve your professional and personal goals, and to have a successful career, there are several things to consider and evaluate as you enter your second year (and beyond): (1) reflect on the past year and understand what was expected of you, (2) develop a good relationship with your Department Chair and/or manager, (3) find a mentor or mentors, (4) reevaluate short-term and long-term goals, (5) develop and maintain a portfolio for annual evaluations and eventual promotion, (6) learn to manage stress, renew your energy, and take care of yourself, and (7) identify areas for improvement and resources available to address them. It is hoped that the practical advice and resources discussed here will help you achieve your professional and personal goals and help guide you to a successful career.
Oxidant stress but not thromboxane decreases with epoprostenol therapy.

Epoprostenol has improved the outcome of patients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH); however, its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Isoprostanes are easily measured markers of oxidant stress and can activate platelets leading to increased thromboxane A2 (TxA2) production. We hypothesized that oxidant stress is associated with increased TxA2 synthesis and that epoprostenol decreases oxidant stress and TxA2 production in patients with PPH. Morning urine samples were obtained from 19 patients with PPH. We measured urinary metabolites of the isoprostane, 8-iso-PGF2α (F2–IsoP-M), and of TxA2 (Tx-M) before and after treatment with epoprostenol in patients with PPH. Mean (±SE) levels of F2–IsoP-M were elevated at baseline in our patients, 863 ± 97 pg/mg creatinine. During treatment with epoprostenol, values decreased to 636 ± 77 pg/mg creatinine (P = 0.011), and there was a strong correlation between the change in F2–IsoP-M and follow-up pulmonary vascular resistance (R2 = 0.69, P < 0.001). Tx-M levels were markedly elevated at baseline and were unchanged with therapy. These results indicate that oxidant stress decreases with epoprostenol therapy and is associated with hemodynamic and clinical improvement. The failure of Tx-M to decrease with therapy suggests that epoprostenol does not exert a beneficial effect through inhibition of TxA2 production in patients with PPH.
In vivo effect of a β-adrenergic agonist on activity of calcium-dependent proteinases, their specific inhibitor, and cathepsins B and H in skeletal muscle

Abstract DEAE-Sephacel and phenyl-Sepharose chromatography were compared as methods for separating and quantitatively isolating calpain I, calpain II, and calpastatin from lamb muscle extracts. DEAE-Sephacel chromatography gave greater than 90% recovery of all three proteins, while phenyl-Sepharose gave only 70, 66, and 48% of the DEAE recovery of calpain I, calpain II, and calpastatin, respectively. Additionally, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography was shown to effectively separate calpastatin and calpain I. Consequently DEAE-Sephacel appears to be superior to phenyl-Sepharose for quantitative isolation of the components of the calcium-dependent proteinase system from muscle extracts. Dietary administration of β-agonist (L-644,969; Merck Sharpe & Dohme Research Laboratories) decreases extractable calpain I activity in lamb longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle by 10–14% (P
Literature review on the applications of data mining in power systems

Power system is a highly interconnected network which delivers electric power to the electricity users. Sustaining the secure and reliable delivery of electric power requires continuous monitoring of the system. To process the large volumes of data obtained from the measuring devices, it is essential to investigate effective data enhancement techniques. In this paper, a comprehensive study on the applications of data mining in power systems is presented. Data visualization, clustering, outliers detection and classification are investigated as four major areas of data mining and related works in power systems which utilize each of these methods are presented in an organized and structured fashion.
Effects of monitored nicotine fading and anxiety management training on smoking reduction

Abstract This study provided clinical trial evaluation of a monitored nicotine fading procedure, while examining the hypothesis that nicotine fading plus anxiety management would be more effective than nicotine fading alone. Twenty-eight dependent smokers were separated into high and low trait anxious groups, based on a median split of Trait Anxiety scores, and then randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions. Contrary to prediction, training in anxiety management did not add to the effectiveness of monitored nicotine fading and may have detracted from its effectiveness for high anxious smokers. Overall treatment producedmodest abstinence at six month follow-up: 4 of 25 total subjects; 3 of 11 in the nicotine fading only group. Monitored nicotine fading continued to demonstrate that non-abstinent subjects control their smoking by continuing to smoke brands lower in nicotine and tar than their baseline brands: 18 of 21 subjects reported smoking a lower nicotine/tar cigarette at six month follow-up. These subjects were not found to compensate by increasing rate of smoking, but the possibility of other compensatory changes in smoking was not assessed in this study.
Evolution of phenotypic plasticity a comparative approach in the phylogenetic neighbourhood of Arabidopsis thaliana

The evolution of phenotypic plasticity has rarely been examined within an explicitly phylogenetic framework, making use of modern comparative techniques. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine phylogenetic patterns in the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in response to vegetation shade (the ‘shade avoidance’ syndrome) in the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana and its close relatives. Specifically, we asked the following questions: (i) Do A. thaliana and related species differ within or among clades in the magnitude and/or pattern of plasticity to shade? (ii) Are the phenotypic variance–covariance matrices (phenotypic integration) of these taxa plastic to the changes in light quality induced by the presence of a canopy? (iii) To what extent does the variation in uni- and multivariate plasticity match the phylogeny of Arabidopsis? In order to address these questions we grew individuals from six taxa of known phylogenetic relationship in a greenhouse under full sun and under a grass canopy. Taxa differed in the magnitude, but not in the pattern, of plasticities for all traits. At the univariate level, the late flowering species, A. pumila and A. griffithiana, as well as the late flowering Moscow ecotype of A. thaliana, showed greater plasticity for allocation to vegetative and reproductive meristems. At the multivariate level, several taxa displayed a very low stability of their variance–covariance structures to environmental change, with only one taxon sharing as many as three principal components across environments. We conclude that both univariate and multivariate plasticities to vegetation shade can evolve rapidly within a genus of flowering plants, with little evidence of historical constraints (phylogenetic inertia).
Prognostic significance of DNA ploidy in male breast carcinoma. A retrospective analysis of 32 cases.

BACKGROUND DNA aneuploidy has been prognostically significant in female breast carcinoma of low stage, but its value in male breast carcinoma remains undetermined. METHODS Flow cytometric DNA analyses were performed retrospectively on paraffin-embedded tissue from 32 men with breast carcinoma (mean follow-up time, 5.97 years [standard deviation +/- 4.63]; range, 1 to 18 years). RESULTS Multivariate discriminant function analysis showed only tumor size less than 2 cm to be independently predictive of better disease-free survival (P less than 0.05). DNA ploidy (aneuploid, 25 patients; diploid, 7 patients) and lymph node status (positive, 22 patients; negative, 10 patients) were not predictive of survival, regardless of tumor size. CONCLUSIONS The authors concluded that DNA ploidy may not significantly predict survival in male breast carcinoma.
Participation Rates in a Worksite Wellness Program Using E-Mail Wellness Messages.

The purpose of this study was to determine which days of the work week had the largest rate of opened e-health messages, whether detailed or basic e-health messages were more likely to be opened, if motivation influenced the rate of message opening, and if the rate of opening messages declined over time. Ninety-one city employees (52 male and 39 female) of a medium-sized Midwestern city in the United States participated in the study. Participants were divided into four groups according to desire to receive wellness email messages and amount of information provided in the message. These groups were motivated-detailed (n=25), motivated-basic (n=23), unmotivated-detailed (n=20), and unmotivated-basic (n=23). A total of 38 weekly messages focused on one of seven dimensions of wellness: physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, or occupational wellness. The basic e-health message consisted of an e-mail with health tips for the specific topic; whereas the detailed message included the basic message plus links to games, surveys, and websites to supplement the basic message. A total of five to six e-health messages for each wellness dimension were sent by a scheduled rotation. Day of the week showed no differences in frequency of opening messages Employees who wanted to receive the messages were more likely to participate. Basic messages were more likely to be opened. Overall, there was a steady decline in the number of messages opened. It was concluded that sending basic e-health messages any day of the week to employees who desire such information may be most effective.
Neuromuscular and Neuropsychological Assessments in Survivors of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Exploratory Comparisons with an At-Risk Cohort

Long-term studies of survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have reported neuromuscular, quality of life, and neuropsychological impairments. This study aims to determine if development of ARDS was associated with neuromuscular weakness and depression at 6-month following hospital discharge in a population-based cohort of patients at high risk for ARDS. A validated lung injury prediction model prospectively identified adult patients at increased risk for ARDS admitted to Mayo Clinic between October 2008 and July 2011. Instruments for functional impairment [Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale (ONLS)] and the presence of depressive symptoms (the Yale Single Question) were administered at baseline and at 6 months. Of 107 patients enrolled in the study, 98 (92 %) underwent baseline assessment. Of these, 83 (85 %) were admitted to intensive care, 41 (42 %) developed ARDS, and 67 (68 %) completed assessment at 6 months. Patients with ARDS had longer intensive care and hospital length of stay (7.9 vs. 3.1 days, p = 0.005 and 19.5 vs. 10.6 days, p = 0.004, respectively). There was no difference in reported functional impairment at 6 months from baseline in the ARDS group compared to the non-ARDS group—mean ONLS Total Score 2.95 versus 2.07 p = 0.09 and 3.0 versus 2.1 p = 027, respectively. There was also no difference in the prevalence of depression at 6 months between the ARDS and non-ARDS group (21.9 vs. 30.7 % p = 0.41). In this single-center population-based cohort study, survivors of ARDS in the community had similar reported functional impairment and depression prevalence compared to an at-risk cohort that did not develop ARDS.
Effect of beam attenuation on photorefractive grating erasure

We investigate the influence of attenuation on the speed of erasure of photorefractive gratings by solving the coupled-wave equations in the undepleted pump approximation and by taking into account the attenuation and Gaussian intensity profile of all the beams. The extrinsic grating decay rate is significantly lower than the intrinsic photorefractive decay rate in samples with overall attenuation as low as 10%. The Gaussian beam profiles of the readout and the erasing beams result in a further reduction of the extrinsic decay rate. The results of these calculations are used to determine the spectrum of intrinsic decay rates in a photorefractive polymer.