cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A condition-dependent male sexual signal predicts adaptive predator-induced plasticity in offspring

The possibility that sexual selection promotes adaptive evolution in variable environments remains controversial. In particular, where the scale of environmental variation results in parents and their offspring experiencing different environmental conditions, such variation is expected to break down associations between adult sexual traits and adaptive offspring traits. However, when adaptive offspring plasticity in nonsexual traits acts as an indirect benefit of mate choice, then mate choice for males that produce more plastic offspring could promote adaptation to variable environments. This hypothesis assumes that male sexual signals predict offspring plasticity, which has rarely been tested. To test this assumption, we used spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata) to investigate whether variation in male sexual signals predicts the expression of tadpole tail-fin plasticity in response to predation cues. Such plasticity has been shown to be adaptive in numerous amphibian taxa. We found that condition-dependent male call characteristics predicted offspring plasticity. Generally, both phenotypic plasticity and female mate choice are ubiquitous in nature; therefore, adaptive associations between male sexual signals and offspring plasticity such as the one reported here might be common. Sexual signals can indicate individuals’ capacity to sire high-quality offspring, which provides a mechanism by which sexual selection can contribute to adaptive evolution. Whether this occurs in variable environments is unclear, however, because variable environments can expose parents and their offspring to different selection pressures. To address this uncertainty, we investigated the possibility that sexual signals can signal the capacity to sire offspring that express adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to prevailing selective pressures. Using spadefoot toads, we found that condition-dependent male sexual signals predict the expression of tadpole tail-fin plasticity in response to predation cues. Because this form of plasticity has been demonstrated to be adaptive in several amphibian taxa, our results suggest that associations between sexual signals and adaptive offspring plasticity can allow sexual selection to promote adaptive evolution in variable environments.
The one-year impact of accountable care networks among Washington State employees.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the impact of a new, two-sided risk model accountable care network (ACN) on Washington State employees and their families. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Administrative data (January 2013-December 2016) on Washington State employees. STUDY DESIGN We compared monthly health care utilization, health care intensity as measured through proxy pricing, and annual HEDIS quality metrics between the five intervention counties to 13 comparison counties, analyzed separately by age categories (ages 0-5, 6-18, 19-26, 18-64). DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS We used difference-in-difference methods and generalized estimating equations to estimate the effects after 1 year of implementation for adults and children. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We estimate a 1-2 percentage point decrease in outpatient hospital visits due to the introduction of ACNs (adults: -1.8, P < .01; age 0-5: -1.2, P = .07; age 6-18: -1.2, P = .06; age 19-26; -1.2, P < .01). We find changes in primary and specialty care office visits; the direction of impact varies by age. Dependents age 19-26 were also responsive with inpatient admissions declines (-0.08 percentage points, P = .02). Despite changes in utilization, there was no evidence of changes in intensity of care and mixed results in the quality measures. CONCLUSIONS Washington's state employee ACN introduction changed health care utilization patterns in the first year but was not as successful in improving quality.
Reliable trajectory-adaptive routing strategies in stochastic, time-varying networks with generalized correlations

Abstract This paper focuses on the problem of finding optimal trajectory-adaptive routing strategies in stochastic time-varying networks with generalized spatio-temporal correlations. A representation for jointly distributed continuous link travel times across the entire network with time-varying distributions and correlation structures is presented, and the crucial characteristics and methodological difficulties of the problem are discussed. The paper presents a generalized 2-stage path and strategy finding solution approach that can serve for finding both exact and approximate solutions with the tuning of a risk-level tolerance parameter. The first stage of the solution approach generates eligible paths, where the risk-level parameter is used to eliminate paths that are likely to be inefficient. The second stage finds reliable trajectory-adaptive strategies, using the eligible paths only, based on one or multiple reliability-based optimality conditions. Thus, the approach allows the user to determine the optimal strategy for one or multiple groups of travelers with different reliability preferences. Numerical experiments show that the average running time of the algorithm reduces super-linearly with the increase of the risk-tolerance parameter ∊ , while incurring some loss to the objective function relative to the exact solution. Thus, the heuristic can offer significant benefits in reducing the run time of the solution algorithm, while finding adaptive strategy solutions that consistently maintain better objective function values compared to the a priori (i.e., non-adaptive) solutions.
Chapter 34. Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses studies that analyze different aspects of biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. Various studies on the distribution of drug from plasma to the target tissue area were reported. The stratum corneum was shown to be a readily accessable compartment for griseofulvin, which accumulates rapidly in the skin after oral administration, and falls off more rapidly in skin than in blood upon discontinuation. Water loading was shown to increase the fraction of drug excreted free and the apparent renal clearance of sulfamethazine, sulfisomidine, and sulfathiazole. The metabolic clearance of these drugs, however, was unaffected. Lower plasma phenacetin concentrations were found in cigarette smokers than in controls possibly due to increased metabolism of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract or during first pass through the liver. Studies on the biliary excretion of lidocaine, epironolactone, and riboflavin were reported. While the bile concentration and the blood level of Telepaque ® were related hyperbolically, the total amount of drug excreted per unit time was linearly related to bile flow.
Comparison of spatial relation definitions in computer vision

Humans are quite adept at recognizing and labeling regions and objects in visual scenes. One of the cues for such labeling is the spatial relationships exhibited among the regions. This is usually coupled with the interpreter's understanding and expectations of scene content. For example, it is normally the case that, in a natural outdoor scene, the sky should be above the trees and that vehicles should be on a road. Context plays a very important role in the interpretation of an image. This determination of spatial relations has been a difficult task to automate. There have been several attempts at defining spatial relationships between regions in a digital image, most recently, with the use of fuzzy set theory. In this paper, we examine three methods for defining spatial relations to gain insight into this complex situation.
Dense space division multiplexed transmission technology

We review recent progress in ultra-high capacity transmission based on dense space division multiplexing (DSDM) for future scalable optical transport networks, and present the latest multi-core multi-mode fiber, spatial multi/demultiplexers, and MIMO signal processing technique.
Yu Keping, Democracy Is a Good Thing: Essays on Politics, Society, and Culture in Contemporary China

“Democracy is a good thing. This is true not only for individuals or certain officials, but also for the entire nation and for all of the people of China.” So begins Yu Keping’s seminal essay that is the inspiration for the title of this compilation of his most important essays. Yu, the Deputy Director of the CCP’s Central Compilation and Translation Bureau and Director of the Center for Chinese Government Innovations at Peking University, plays an important role as a close advisor to both President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. It is because of that relationship and his standing within the CCP that makes this anthology of his works compelling for anyone interested in the rise of democracy in China. While Yu’s original article has been the subject of both much discussion and heated debates within and outside of China, the book is much more than just a series of readings on “Democracy with Chinese Characteristics.” Rather, the book provides an excellent assemblage of Yu’s most influential works ranging from a discussion about the state of both political science and public administration to an assessment of the continuing struggle for intraparty democracy within the CCP to good governance. Yu also provides insightful social commentary ranging from an assessment of China since the opening and reform of the late 1970s to a call to preserve China’s culture in the face of modernization and globalization. The book is divided into four parts, reflecting the breadth of Yu’s concerns: Political Development in Reform-Era China, Social Transformation and Civil Society, Culture, Modernity, and Sustainability, and Globalization and Governance. The essays contained in each section were originally published in scholarly journals or magazines between 2006 and 2008. Most have been translated into English for the first time for this anthology. The essays themselves reflect Yu’s underlying thesis: that China can make a transition to democracy with relatively “minimum political and social costs.” J OF CHIN POLIT SCI (2010) 15:341–342 DOI 10.1007/s11366-010-9106-2
Transnational Civic Education Inquiry in the Lands of Contention

Transnational civic education as defined here refers to the systematic study of nations throughout the world as they struggle with lawlessness and recover governance values and ideas consistent with human dignity and the rule of law. Analytical reasoning is heralded as one approach to dissecting nations' civic cultures. One hundred Palestinian teachers examined the civic education documents and practices of seven nations, including Romania, the United States, and Palestine. They read original legal texts, conducted oral histories, learned content analysis, and learned horizontal human rights debate practices.
The role of impedance monitoring in patients with extraesophageal symptoms

Objectives/Hypothesis Ambulatory esophageal impedance monitoring is commonly employed to assess for nonacid reflux in patients with extraesophageal reflux. We aimed to determine if on therapy impedance data can be predicted from off therapy upper endoscopy, manometry, or pH parameters. Study Design Prospective Cohort Study. Methods Patients with extraesophageal reflux symptoms and either partial- or nonresponders to twice-daily PPI underwent impedance monitoring on twice-daily PPI, as well as manometry, upper endoscopy, and 48-hour wireless pH monitoring off acid-suppressive medications for 1 week. Percent time pH < 4 and number of reflux episodes were obtained. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine association between the impedance data on therapy and upper endoscopy, manometry, and pH parameters measured off therapy. Results Seventy-five patients (77% female, median BMI 29, 38% with hiatal hernia, and 19% with esophagitis) were studied both on and off therapy. Thirty-five percent had abnormal impedance monitoring on therapy and 84% had abnormal pH testing off therapy. There was no significant (P = 0.184) overall correlation between total number of impedance events and the baseline physiologic parameters of hiatal hernia, degree of acid reflux, or manometric findings, with only weak correlation (r = 0.54, P = 0.045) with % time pH < 4 among patients with esophagitis. Conclusions In patients with suspected extraesophageal reflux refractory to PPI therapy, impedance measures on therapy cannot be predicted from traditional baseline esophageal physiologic parameters. We recommend caution regarding over-interpretation of impedance data. Level of Evidence 2b. Laryngoscope, 123:2463–2468, 2013
Matrix Polynomials and Canonical Forms

This chapter is devoted to matrix decompositions. The main studies are on the Schur decomposition, spectral decomposition, singular value decomposition, Jordan decomposition, and numerical range. Attention is also paid to the polynomials that annihilate matrices, especially the minimal and characteristic polynomials, and to the similarity of a complex matrix to a real matrix. At the end we introduce three important matrix operations: the Hadamard product, the Kronecker product, and compound matrices.
Type and severity of cognitive decline in older adults after noncardiac surgery.

Background: The authors investigated type and severity of cognitive decline in older adults immediately and 3 months after noncardiac surgery. Changes in instrumental activities of daily living were examined relative to type of cognitive decline. Methods: Of the initial 417 older adults enrolled in the study, 337 surgery patients and 60 controls completed baseline, discharge, and/or 3-month postoperative cognitive and instrumental activities of daily living measures. Reliable change methods were used to examine three types of cognitive decline: memory, executive function, and combined executive function/ memory. SD cutoffs were used to grade severity of change as mild, moderate or severe. Results: At discharge, 186 (56%) patients experienced cognitive decline, with an equal distribution in type and severity. At 3 months after surgery, 231 patients (75.1%) experienced no cognitive decline, 42 (13.6%) showed only memory decline, 26 (8.4%) showed only executive function decline, and 9 (2.9%) showed decline in both executive and memory domains. Of those with cognitive decline, 36 (46.8%) had mild, 25 (32.5%) had moderate, and 16 (20.8%) had severe decline. The combined group had more severe impairment. Executive function or combined (memory and executive) deficits involved greater levels of functional (i.e., instrumental activities of daily living) impairment. The combined group was less educated than the unimpaired and memory groups. Conclusion: Postsurgical cognitive presentation varies with time of testing. At 3 months after surgery, more older adults experienced memory decline, but only those with executive or combined cognitive decline had functional limitations. The findings have relevance for patients and caregivers. Future research should examine how perioperative factors influence neuronal systems.
Abstract 2165: Sprouty loss leads to aberrant regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways and accelerates mammary tumorigenesis

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The SPROUTY (SPRY) proteins, key negative regulators of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, control developmental processes such as organ branching and maintain cellular homeostasis. The SPRY proteins inhibit critical signaling pathways that are downstream of RTKs, including the Ras-MAPK, PI3K-AKT, and the PLCα-PKC pathway. These pathways are highly deregulated in various cancers including HER2 overexpressing and PIK3CA mutant breast cancers. Importantly, the SPRY genes are significantly down-regulated in many cancers including 90% of human breast cancer cases, suggesting that they may function as putative tumor suppressors. To understand the role of Spry in normal mammary development, we examined the mammary glands of our Spry1 mutant mice at various developmental stages. In virgin Spry1-/- mice we observed a trend towards more branching of developing breast ducts. Upon pregnancy there was striking overgrowth of the mammary epithelium in Spry1+/− mice (Spry1-/- mice are sterile), suggesting that Spry regulates mammary development. To investigate the role of Spry in breast cancer we explored the consequence of Spry loss in vitro and in vivo. We found that Spry deficient cells possess accelerated cell growth, enhanced cell survival, and increased tumorigenic potential. In addition these cells were hypersensitive to a number of growth factors including EGF, showing enhanced and prolonged activation of the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways. To examine the role of Spry loss in promoting mammary tumorigenesis in vivo, we crossed Spry1 mutant mice with mice in which we can induce HER2/neu or PIK3CA expression. We found that Spry1 loss cooperates with oncogenic activation of HER2/neu or PIK3CA to increase cell proliferation and accelerate mammary hyperplasia. Breast tissues from the Spry1-/- mice with oncogenic activation of HER2/neu exhibited a trend towards increased levels of activated Mapk and Akt compared to their Spry1+/+ counterparts. These Spry1-/- breast tissues also accumulated significantly more DNA damage. Finally, microarray gene expression analysis of these tissues identified that genes differentially expressed in Spry1-/- breasts are involved in cell cycle regulation and the DNA damage response. Collectively, this data suggests that Spry functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer opposing HER2/neu and PIK3CA by suppressing MAPK and AKT activation to prevent DNA damage. Our work demonstrates that the misregulation of critical signaling pathways, through loss of Spry, leads to increased cell growth, enhanced cell survival, and accelerated tumorigenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2165. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2165
The pattern of termination of pallidal axons upon cells of the subthalamic nucleus.

Abstract In cats anesthetized with barbiturates, the subthalamic nucleus shows continuous 8–10/sec show-wave activity and a regular pattern of single unit discharge. Pallidal stimulation inhibits both slow wave and single unit activity. Lesions were placed in the globus pallidus and the degenerating terminals in the subthalamic nucleus studied 2–4 days later. The distribution of axonal terminals upon postsynaptic elements was determined and compared with that in the normal subthalamic nucleus. Most boutons (80%) ended upon dendrites. The pattern in the normal and experimental animals was similar except for the absence of axoaxonic degenerating synapses in the latter group. Since relatively few axosomatic terminals were found, it is concluded that pallidosubthalamic fibers mediating an inhibitory action end upon dendrites, and that processes forming axoaxonic synapses must originate somewhere other than the globus pallidus.
Gold investing behavior over the phases of the business cycle

This study is concerned with gold investment behavior over the phases of the business cycle during 1970-85, and draws certain conclusions regarding gold's inflation-hedging property as well as its substitutability with Treasury bills. The hypotheses tested are: First, when the economy is on the road to recovery, gold is likely to be a hedge against inflation. Second, in the downturn of economic activities, Treasury bills seem to be a good substitute for gold as an inflationhedged investment. An alternative interpretation would be that gold is not a hedge against inflation at all times, indicating the importance of timing of purchases and sales of gold. These hypotheses were tested using linear regression analysis. Discontinuous sampling, covering peaks to troughs and troughs to peaks for the period of 1970-85, were utilized to reflect the phases of the business cycle. The estimated equations are:
Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and extended amygdala inputs to dopamine subpopulations in primates

The 'extended amygdala', a forebrain continuum implicated in complex motivational responses, is comprised of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and its sublenticular extension into the centromedial amygdala. Dopamine is also involved in motivated behavior, and is increased in several brain regions by emotionally relevant stimuli. To examine how the extended amygdala influences the dopamine cells, we determined the organization of inputs from subdivisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and sublenticular extended amygdala to the dopamine subpopulations in monkeys. Inputs from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and corresponding regions of the sublenticular extended amygdala are differentially organized. The medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and its medial sublenticular extension have a mediolateral organization with the densest inputs to the medial substantia nigra, pars compacta, and relatively few inputs to the central and lateral substantia nigra. In contrast, the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (and its continuation into the sublenticular extended amygdala) projects across the mediolateral extent of the substantia nigra. The subnuclei of the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis also have differential projections to the dopamine cells. While the central core of the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis has restricted inputs, the surrounding dorsolateral, capsular and juxtacapsular subdivisions project strongly to the dorsal tier dopamine neurons. The posterior subdivision of the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and its continuation into the central sublenticular extended amygdala project more broadly to both the dorsal tier and densocellular region of the ventral tier. From these results we suggest that specific subdivisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis have differential influences on the dopamine subpopulations, influencing dopamine responses in diverse brain regions.
Interhemispheric organization of corticocaudate projections in the cat: A retrograde double-labelling study

The organization of interhemispheric corticocaudate projections in the cat was assessed by the retrograde axonal transport of different marker substances. These double-labelling methods indicated the existence of three types of neocortical efferents terminating in the caudate nucleus (Cd): (1) uncrossed axons projecting only to the ipsilateral Cd; (2) crossed axons projecting strictly to the contralateral Cd; and, (3) divergent axons projecting to both Cds. In all cases, the corticocaudate projections originated from small-to-medium sized pyramidal neurons situated in layers III, IV and V of the rostral neocortex. Interhemispheric inputs to the Cd may account, to some extent, for the functional coupling of the right and left basal ganglia.
Adipose tissue composition in experimentally induced fat deposition in the white-crowned sparrow.

Abstract 1. 1. The gross composition of subcutaneous and mesenteric adipose tissues was investigated in Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii (a migratory finch) made obese by photostimulation. 2. 2. The weights of fat, water and dry residue are linear functions of the gross weights of the tissues. The weight of water is a positive linear function of the weight of fat. Mesentric adipose tissue contains relatively more fat and water than subcutaneous tissue but the differences are slight. 3. 3. In the attributes examined, adipose tissues from captive Z.l. gambelli do not differ essentially from those of laboratory rodents and man. In free-living Z.l. gambelii and in other species that have been investigated, the water content of adipose tissues is conspicuously less or increases less with increasing fatness than in captives. 4. 4. As a working hypothesis that is consistent with this discrepancy it is proposed that the water compartment of adipose tissues in free-living birds can function as a minor water reserve that may assume special significance in maintaining water balance during prolonged migratory flights.
Markers of Intestinal Inflammation for the Diagnosis of Infectious Gastroenteritis

Infectious diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity. A rapid and inexpensive assay for the diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis would expedite appropriate therapy and prevent unnecessary and potentially invasive testing. This article summarizes assays for the diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis based on the host response to bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection. This includes both systemic biomarkers (such as C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum cytokines) and fecal biomarkers (such as lactoferrin, fecal leukocyte analysis, and calprotectin). Although some of these assays have value as adjunct diagnostics, they lack sensitivity and specificity as stand-alone tests in this setting.
Cyberknife targeting the pterygopalatine ganglion for the treatment of chronic cluster headaches.

Objective Cluster headache (CH) is a severe unilateral and periorbital facial pain syndrome that is often associated with autonomic symptoms, including ipsilateral lacrimation, nasal congestion, conjunctival injection, miosis, ptosis, and eyelid edema. We evaluated the treatment of medically refractory CH with CyberKnife (Accuray, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) stereotactic radiosurgery targeting the pterygopalatine ganglion. Clinical presentation A 56-year-old man presented with a 20-year history of medically refractory CH. His symptoms were described as left-sided, severe, stabbing, burning, and often being associated with tearing and rhinorrhea. These headaches occurred virtually every morning and interfered with sleep, lifestyle, and work performance. Intervention The patient underwent two pterygopalatine nerve block trials, both of which resulted in the complete relief of headaches for a 24-hour period. Contrast-enhanced computed axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans were fused for target identification and treatment planning. The target volume measured 0.296 cm3 and a single fraction of 45.50 Gy was delivered to the 78% isodose line with a maximum dose of 65 Gy. The patient kept a detailed diary of his headaches and was followed for 12 months after treatment. Conclusion Results of CyberKnife targeting of the pterygopalatine ganglion in a patient with medically intractable CHs have revealed a significant decrease in the severity and frequency of headaches after a 12-month follow-up period. In addition, the patient has been able to reduce his medication intake, allowing for a significant decrease in medication-related side effects. Longer follow-up periods and additional studies are required to determine the long-term efficacy and late side effects of this treatment strategy.
Morphological heterogeneity in relation to structural and functional properties of mumps virus.

Summary The morphological heterogeneity of the chick embryo-adapted Enders strain of mumps virus was examined in relation to biological and biochemical properties of the virus. The range of virion sizes increased as multiplicity of infection (m.o.i.) increased, with virions of 800 to 1000 nm in diam. occurring in preparations grown at the higher multiplicities. There was no evidence for a distinct class of non-infectious haemagglutinating particles. Dense fractions from isopycnic gradients of virus were enriched in larger virions, but virus RNA was predominantly a single 50S species. Despite evidence that many virions were multiploid, u.v. inactivation kinetics were single-hit, suggesting only a single biologically active genome per virion.
THYROXIN AS A DEPRESSANT OF CELL DIVISION ; ITS EFFECT ON THE CLEAVAGE AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF SEA URCHIN AND ASCIDIAN*

Of the many studies of thyroid function that have appeared in recent years, relatively few have been concerned with the part played by the thyroid in differentiation. Fewer still have contributed observations on the influence of the thyroid on cell division. And among the latter, evidence of a direct effect on the dividing cell is almost entirely lacking. Champy (1) described marked accelerations of cell division in certain regions of the frog tadpole following the addition of total thyroid to the aquarium water. Horning and Torrey (2,3) found that the barbule cells of the laced feathers characteristic of male domestic fowls are increased in number and their division accelerated by the addition of desiccated thyroid to the daily ration or the injection of thyroxin into the peritoneal cavity. In neither of these cases, however, is the effect due demonstrably to the direct action of the thyroid hormone on the cells concerned, uncomplicated by contributions from other tissues.
Are blood pressure predictors of cardiovascular disease mortality different for prehypertensives than for hypertensives

Background The ability of diastolic, systolic, mean arterial, and pulse pressures to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) morality has not been assessed for persons with prehypertension (diastolic pressure 80 to 89 mm Hg or systolic pressure 120 to 139 mm Hg). Methods Cox’s regression analyses were conducted using 4849 subjects aged 33 to 87 years from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. A correction was made for the regression–dilution bias. Results There were 327 cardiovascular disease and 258 coronary heart-disease deaths during an average follow-up of 8.6 years. For nonelderly prehypertensives, systolic blood pressure (BP) was a stronger predictor than diastolic BP. The multivariate single predictor hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for CVD mortality were 1.43 (0.65–3.14) and 2.11 (1.28–3.49), for a 10 mm Hg increment diastolic and systolic BP, respectively. For elderly prehypertensives, it was reversed. The equivalent results were 1.53 (1.10–2.13) and 1.25 (0.89–1.60), respectively. For nonelderly hypertensives, diastolic BP was a stronger predictor than systolic BP, and for elderly hypertensives it was reversed. Diastolic and systolic BP provided as much as or more predictive information than pulse and mean arterial pressure in all analyses. Conclusions For nonelderly prehypertensives, systolic BP was the strongest predictor, whereas for hypertensives the strongest predictor was diastolic BP. For elderly subjects this pattern was reversed.
Differential parental communication with adolescents who are disabled and their healthy siblings

Abstract Purpose: To examine the levels of parental communication and differential conversational styles with adolescents who are disabled and their healthy siblings, to better understand why the adolescent who is disabled has a higher risk of psychosocial problems during the transition into adulthood. Methods: Families who had a disabled adolescent and at least one other adolescent who was not disabled were videorecorded during dinner at home. Twenty adolescents (12 girls and 8 boys) and their families participated. Analyses were conducted on the 392 interactions. Results: Not only did the healthy adolescents participate in family interactions at higher frequencies than the adolescents who were disabled F (1, 383) = 14.00, p F (2, 383) = 5.25, p 2 (1) = 14.36, p F (2, 69) = 5.44, p z = −3.75, p z = −3.91, p Conclusion: These results suggest that adolescents who are disabled may be at a disadvantage when engaged in family interactions in contrast with their healthy siblings.
Epi-topology on spaces of lower semicontinuous functions into partially ordered spaces and hyperspaces

The concept of lower semicontinuity is extended to functions mapping into partially ordered spaces. A study is made of spaces of such lower semicontinuous functions under the epi-topology. These spaces are subspaces of hyperspaces with the Fell topology. The closure of such a function space in the hyperspace is characterized for certain spaces. A continuous selection theorem is established, showing that most such function spaces are not Cech-complete.
Brain norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine in magnesium-deprivation encephalopathy in rats

The effect of Mg deficiency on the regional concentrations of norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the brain was studied in clinically symptomatic young rats fed a diet low in magnesium for 10 days. Decreases in magnesium concentration in the brain were not accompanied by any significant changes in these monoamines.
ESR of carbons in the transition range—II

Abstract The main purpose of this work was the clarification of the ESR behavior of carbons in the heattreatment range 900-1500°C by trying to pin down the reasons for the large broadening of the ESR line observed in this range. The quartz broadening occurring in heating samples in vavuo, and the Hennig-Smaller graphite furnace broadening were investigated and techniques developed for their avoidance. Although the broadening observed upon reheat of carbons heattreated to above 1600°C (Hennig-Smaller effect) has been practically eliminated and in spite of the purity of heating runs achieved, large broadening is still observed for raw carbon materials on first heattreatment (with a maximum of about HTT 1300°C) and for highly heattreated (HTT ⩾ 1600°C) carbons upon anneal, if, previous to anneal, their structure has been damaged by neutron irradiation. The variation in position of the maximum broadening with HTT indicates that the broadening is connected with some changes occurring in the structure of carbons in this range. Decrease in width was obtained by chlorination at 1000°C but the post-chlorination anneals have shown that such chlorination must be a complex process, not amenable to a simple explanation.
Cardiovascular and antiarrhythmic effects of esmolol in children

This prospective study evaluated the cardiovascular and antiarrhythmic effects of esmolol, an intravenous β-blocker with an extremely short half-life. Twenty patients (aged 2 to 16 years) underwent diagnostic electrophysiologic studies at rest and during β-blockade induced with esmolol. An initial dose of 600 μg/kg was infused for 2 minutes and followed by an infusion of 200 μg/kg per minute. The dosage was increased by 50 to 100 μg/kg per minute every 5 to 10 minutes until a reduction of >10% in either heart rate or mean blood pressure was seen. The dosage required to achieve β-blockade ranged from 300 to 1000 μg/kg per minute (mean 550 μg/kg per minute). Electrophysiologic effects included a decrease in the rate of sinoatrial node discharge and delay in conduction through the atrioventricular node. There was no effect on His-Purkinje conduction. Atrial and ventricular effective refractory periods were unchanged. In six patients with supraventricular tachycardia, esmolol prevented induction of tachycardia in four and slowed the rate of the tachycardia in two. In four patients with ventricular tachycardia, clinical findings were improved in three and unchanged in one. Heart rate and blood pressure returned to near baseline values 10 minutes after the esmolol infusion was stopped. Adverse ventricular electrophysiologic effects were observed in two patients with biopsy evidence of myocarditis. No other adverse effects were seen. We conclude that the effects of esmolol in children are similar to those of other β-blockers and that it is useful in the evaluation and management of pediatric tachyarrhythmias. The weight-adjusted dosage required to induce β-blockade in children is larger than the adult dosage, and the effects of esmolol dissipate rapidly.
Laser-induced thermal desorption utilizing FT-MS detection

This letter describes the use of Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FT-MS) to detect molecules desorbed by a pulsed laser from the surface of a Pt(s) [7(111)×(100)] single crystal. FT-MS has many advantageous features, such as high sensitivity, ultra-high mass resolution, simultaneous detection over a large mass range, and close proximity of the detector with respect to the crystal.
Bladder cancer: Always consider extravesical sites when BCG fails.

Patients treated with two or more courses of BCG for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer are at increased risk of second-site primary tumours of the upper urinary tract and prostatic urethra. A new study highlights the importance of looking for urothelial cancer in extravesical disease sites.
The problem of inherited radiogenic strontium in sedimentary age determinations

The major source of error in Rb/Sr age determinations on whole-rock samples of shale is the presence of inherited radiogenic strontium in the detrital minerals. As a result, if the shale samples are assumed to have been closed systems to Rb and Sr since deposition, ages measured in this manner are necessarily maxima. In cases where the provenance of the detrital material was young or where there was a major selective enrichment of Rb relative to Sr during the processes of weathering, transportation, and sedimentation, this maximum age may be close to the true age. Nineteen samples of shale from the Hamilton Group (Middle Devonian) of New York and Pennsylvania give an apparent isochron age of 398 ± 12 m.y., not more than 15 per cent in excess of the actual age of the Middle Devonian as estimated from published data on igneous and metamorphic rocks. The relatively small error in this case is believed to be due primarily to derivation of the sediments from a young source area. Lack of any significant concentration of inherited radiogenic Sr in the coarser particles of the shale precludes the use of an empirical correction to the measured age. The use of whole-rock Rb/Sr chronology for ancient unfossiliferous sediments is recommended.
The relationship between anxiety sensitivity and obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions.

Abstract Background and objectives Anxiety sensitivity (AS), the tendency to fear arousal-related body sensations based on beliefs that they are dangerous, is a cognitive vulnerability factor for certain anxiety symptoms such as panic and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Very little research, however, has examined the relationship between AS and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, which was the objective of the current research. Methods We administered dimensional measures of AS and OC symptoms to a large sample of undergraduate students ( N = 636). We also included measures of general distress and cognitive distortions related to OCD (i.e., obsessive beliefs) as control variables. Results Regression analyses indicated that AS was predictive of OC symptoms even after controlling for general distress and obsessive beliefs. In addition, the three domains of AS (physical, social, and cognitive concerns) were differentially associated with the four dimensions of OC symptoms (contamination, responsibility for harm, symmetry, and unacceptable thoughts). Limitations Our findings are based on a non-clinical student sample and their generalization to OCD requires replication with a sample of OCD patients. Conclusions These results provide preliminary evidence that AS plays a role in OC symptoms. Implications for clinical practice and for future research are discussed.
Validating a behavioral economic approach to assess food demand: effects of body mass index, dietary restraint, and impulsivity.

Behavioral economic theory is a useful framework for analyzing factors influencing choice, but the majority of human behavioral economic research has focused on drug choice. The behavioral economic choice paradigm may also be valuable for understanding food-maintained behavior. Our primary objective was two-fold: (1) Validate a human laboratory model of food-appetitive behavior, and (2) Assess the contribution of individual level factors that may differentially impact food choice behavior. Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, female subjects (N = 17) participated in two consecutive food choice experimental sessions, whereas in Study 2, female subjects (N = 21) participated in one concurrent food choice experimental session. During consecutive choice sessions (Study 1), demand for the more palatable food (i.e., high-sugar/high-fat) was more inelastic than the less palatable (i.e., low-sugar/low-fat) option. During concurrent choice sessions, demand for the more palatable food (i.e., high-sugar/high-fat) was more inelastic for restrained vs. unrestrained eaters, and for those who were overweight vs. normal weight. Demand for both palatable and less palatable choices was more elastic for high-impulsive vs. lowimpulsive subjects. These findings suggest that the behavioral economic framework can be used successfully to develop a human laboratory model of food-appetitive behavior.
Discrete Orthogonal Polynomial Expansions of Averaged Functions

Abstract Starting from the classical Fourier coefficients of a given function ƒ(x), Boas and Izumi [J. Indian Math. Soc.24 (1960), 191-210] derived an explicit expression for the Fourier coefficients of g(x), or appropriately defined average of ƒ(x). Later, Askey [J. Math. Anal. Appl.14 (1966), 326-331] demonstrated how their result may be obtained more naturally as a special case of Fourier expansion in terms of Jacobi polynomials P(α,β)n(x) as the orthogonal eigenfunctions. In this paper we present an extension of this idea to classes of polynomials that satisfy an orthogonality relation with respect to a discrete rather than a continuous measure. In particular, we focus on the q-Hahn polynomials Qn(q−x; a, b, N; q), defined by a terminating basic hypergeometric power series. This class has the ordinary Hahn polynomials Qn(x; α, β, N) and the little q-Jacobi polynomials pn(x; α, β; q) as limiting cases. Both these classes have the ordinary Jacobi polynomials as a limiting case.
The 0.78 Å Structure of a Serine Protease: Bacillus lentus Subtilisin†,‡

Ultrahigh-resolution X-ray diffraction data from cryo-cooled, B. lentus subtilisin crystals has been collected to a resolution of 0.78 A. The refined model coordinates have a rms deviation of 0.22 A relative to the same structure determined at room temperature and 2.0 A resolution. Several regions of main-chain and side-chain disorder have been identified for 21 out of 269 residues in one polypeptide chain. Hydrogen atoms appear as significant peaks in the Fo - Fc difference electron density map, and carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms can be differentiated. The estimated standard deviation (ESD) for all main-chain non-hydrogen bond lengths is 0.009 A and 0.5 degrees for bond angles based on an unrestrained full-matrix least-squares refinement. Hydrogen bonds are resolved in the serine protease catalytic triad (Ser-His-Asp). Electron density is observed for an unusual, short hydrogen bond between aspartic acid and histidine in the catalytic triad. The hydrogen atom, identified by NMR in numerous serine proteases, appears to be shared by the heteroatoms in the bond. This represents the first reported correlation between detailed chemical features identified by NMR and those in a cryo-cooled crystallographic structure determination at ultrahigh resolution. The short hydrogen bond, designated "catalytic hydrogen bond", occurs as part of an elaborate hydrogen bond network, involving Asp of the catalytic triad. While unusual, these features appear to have conserved analogues in other serine protease families although specific details differ from family to family.
Interferometer Stability In Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry

The effects of signal-averaging in Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) have been well characterized and are well known. In some applications, such as aas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (GC/FT-IR), it may be necessary to collect single-scan interferograms. There is considerable interest in the direct processing of interferometric data as opposed to spectral domain data processing. Areas of study to which interferometric data handling have been directed are chromatogram reconstruction, search systems and compound classification. Any instability in the interferometer leads to noise in the interferogram. The character of this noise and its effects have been investigated.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Agent models I: UTSAF: a multi-agent-based framework for supporting military-based distributed interactive simulations in 3D virtual environments

A Military-based distributed interactive simulation (DIS) such as ModSAF has been used for many years. Several problems of the DIS-based simulation to support a large and heterogeneous virtual simulation environments have been discovered (Stone, Zyda, Brutzman, and Falby 1996). To solve these problems, we propose an architectural multi-agent-based framework to support a large military-based simulation with 3D visualization using inexpensive game simulators. Several software agents are used to support interoperability between DIS-based military simulation nodes and Unreal Tournament game simulators. An agent is used to reduce DIS traffic to efficiently utilize network bandwidth. It also performs protocol conversion between DIS protocol and a game engine protocol. Additionally, using a multi-agent system, our work is easily expandable to support several network environments and also to support agent-based intelligent operations. Our main contribution is twofold. We use a multi-agent system which is scalable to support our framework. In addition, our framework builds a simulation bridge that enables affordable high-quality 3D viewer node using affordable game simulations for military simulations.
Shifting the Center in Teacher Education: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Critical Race Theory and Teacher Education

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead’’ (James 2: 14–17 NKJV).
Effects of Dietary Polychlorinated Biphenyls on Vitamin E and Selenium Nutrition in the Chick

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on vitamin E-selenium nutrition in the chick. Results showed that 10 p.p.m. Aroclor(R) 1254 in the diets of breeding S.C.W.L. hens increased the susceptibility of progeny to vitamin E-selenium deficiency when those chicks were reared on a diet deficient in vitamin E and supplemented with a marginal level of selenium. Susceptibility to this deficiency, as measured by the incidence of exudative diathesis, was also increased when PCBs were added to chick diets. Dietary PCBs were shown to induce hepatic microsomal benzopyrene hydroxylase and induction of this activity was associated with decreased biological utilization of dietary selenium. PCBs were shown to increase the apparent requirements of the chick for vitamin E and selenium for prevention of exudative diathesis. However, discrimination between effects on vitamin E function and effects on selenium function was not possible in these experiments.
Linking Competitive Strategies with Human Resource Management Practices

Within academia there has been similar growing awareness of this need. Although this awareness is being articulated in several ways, one of the most frequent involves the conceptualization and investigation of the relationship between business strategy and the personal characteristics of top managers.2 Here, particular manager characteristics such as personality, skills, abilities, values, and perspectives are matched with particular types of business strategies. For example, a recently released study conducted by Hay Group Incorporated, in conjunction with the University of Michigan and the Strategic Planning Institute, reports that when a business is pursuing a growth strategy it needs top managers who are likely to abandon the status quo and adapt their strategies and goals to the marketplace. According to the study, insiders are slow to recognize the onset of decline and tend to persevere in strategies that are no longer effective; so, top managers need to be recruited from the outside.