cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-capacity multiwavelength optical fiber communication systems

This paper deals with the implementation of multichannel wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) to more fully utilize the enormous fiber bandwidth for high-speed data transmission. The main research activities described in this paper relate to the all-optical network. The fundamental systems assumptions include: i) all-optical processes can potentially avoid an optoelectronic speed bottleneck, and ii) wavelength shifting of an incoming optical channel will be required in a reconfigurable WDM network in which there are fewer wavelengths than total users. The two main projects are: i) simultaneous all-optical packet-header replacement and wavelength shifting, and ii) all-optical TDM-to-WDM data format conversion. Project 1: We experimentally demonstrate a method simultaneous all-optical header replacement and wavelength shifting. These functions, important in a dynamically-reconfigurable WDM network, are realized by using cross-gain compression in semiconductor optical amplifier and by using three-level modulation of a probe laser only when the header bits require changing. We simultaneously replace the 8-bit modulation of a probe laser only when the header bits require changing. We simultaneously replace the 8-bit header of a 1-Gbit/s packet and wavelength-shift the entire packet by 19 nm. A receiver sensitivity of -27 dBm at 10-9 BER is measured when using a 416-bit NRZ data packet. Our approach requires no guard bits and allows both the header and data to be at the same bit rate and wavelength. Project 2: We demonstrate both single-stage and two-stage all-optical TDM-to- WDM data format converters based on cross gain compression in an SOA. Our method simultaneously time demultiplexes and wavelength shifts each channel's data within a TDM packet. We convert a 2-Gbit/s 4-channel TDM data stream at 1552 nm into four 500-Mb/s WDM channels at 1535, 1537, 1540, and 1571 nm. Moreover, we extend this single-stage approach by demonstrating a two-stage TDM-to-WDM converter that selectively time demultiplexes and wavelength shifts a 2-Gbit/s TDM input data stream into two 500-Mb/s WDM channels after the second stage. We find that low power penalties (< 2 dB can be achieved by using this scheme for both the single- and two-stage cases. This conversion scheme may be quite useful in WDM switching nodes. This work is performed in the context of a three-investigator multidisciplinary research program sponsored by the NSF initiative on all-optical networks.
A vectorized multigrid solver for the three-dimensional Poisson equation

A vectorized version of the multigrid (MG) method has been implemented on the CDC Cyber 205 for solving the three-dimensional Poisson equation on a rectangular domain with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This paper describes the techniques employed in vectorizing the MG processes of relaxation, residual transfer, and interpolation. It discusses the data structures and programming concepts employed, and presents resulting performance details. It concludes with some suggestions for future applications efforts.
The Perception of Communication Related Value-Added Educational Activities: A Survey of Graduate Business Students.

The purpose of this article is to evaluate value-add methods and activities applied to organizational communication college-level course work. Graduate organizational communication faculty are aware that their classes serve as direct preparation for students entering business and professional careers. The knowledge learned and the skills acquired in these communication classes are abilities that students take with them to the career marketplace. As such, instructors look for ways to extend the boundaries of the classroom beyond the text and traditional instruction. Faculty believe that each method selected adds value to the educational experiences of students. However, do these methods and activities truly add value to the educational experience as the instructors hope they will? Furthermore, are specific programs more valuable than others?
Wavelets in electronic structure calculations

A three-dimensional wavelet analysis is employed to develop a new formalism for electronic structure calculations. The wavelet formalism provides a systematically improvable and tractable description of electronic wave functions and overcomes limitations of conventional basis expansions. The potential power of the wavelet formalism for [ital ab] [ital initio] electronic structure calculations is demonstrated by a calculation of 1[ital s] states for all the naturally occurring nuclei on the periodic table and the interaction energies of the hydrogen molecule ion.
An improved enzymatic radioassay for ribose 1-phosphate.

Abstract A method for measuring ribose 1-phosphate in cell extracts is described. Cell extracts are first fractionated on polyethyleneimine-impregnated cellulose columns to remove nucleoside and base components which otherwise interfere with the enzymatic assay. Ribose 1-phosphate in the eluate is made limiting for the conversion of [ 14 C]hypoxanthine to [ 14 C]inosine in the presence of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Labeled substrate and product are then easily separated on boronate gel columns or by paper chromatography.
EFFECT OF ACROLEIN VAPOR ON UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT UPTAKE OF ACETALDEHYDE

Acetaldehyde and acrolein are nasal toxicant vapors that are both present in tobacco smoke. Quantitative risk assessment for inhaled vapors requires knowledge of the relationship between inspired concentration and delivered dose. Previous studies in this laboratory have shown that acrolein alters nasal uptake of acetone vapor; the current study was designed to determine if acrolein alters nasal uptake of acetaldehyde vapor. Toward this end, uptake of acetaldehyde vapor at an inspired concentration of 14 mug/L was measured in the surgically isolated upper respiratory tract (URT) of anesthetized male rats throughout a 40-min exposure to acetaldehyde alone or in combination with 2, 10, or 20 mug/L acrolein. Uptake was measured under unidirectional inspiratory (50, 100, 200, or 300 ml/min) or pseudocyclic (207 ml/min mean inspiratory flow) conditions. Although uptake of acetaldehyde vapors rapidly attains a steady state in animals exposed to this vapor alone, simultaneous exposure to acrolein resulted in non-...
Characterization of Metal Oxide Sensor Thin Films Deposited by Spray Pyrolysis

Chemical Spray Pyrolysis (CSP) of ZnO and SnO2 is of interest for gas sensor applications. The structural properties of the deposited film can be strongly influenced by deposition conditions. In this work, two solutions consisting of Tin Chloride and Zinc Chloride was sprayed on a heated substrate, where temperature was varied from 400° C to 450° C for ZnO, and from 350° C to 500° C for SnO2. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, indicating a non-homogenous-structured film formed at low temperature for both oxides. At 450° C, a porous structure is observed for SnO2. This structure becomes homogenous at higher temperature. It was also found that at temperatures lower than 450° C, substrate temperature has significant impact on the composition of the synthesized films.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Foremen At Work — An Interim Report on Method

This is an interim report on a new method for recording the activities of foremen in a modern industrial plant. The method was developed in connection with a series of studies in mass production work environments under the general direction of Charles R. Walker, Institute of Human Relations, Yale University.
An Implicit Multigrid Algorithm for Computing Hypersonic, Chemically Reacting Viscous Flows

An implicit algorithm for computing viscous flows in chemical nonequilibrium is presented. Emphasis is placed on the numerical efficiency of the time integration scheme, both in terms of per-iteration workload and overall convergence rate. In this context, several techniques are introduced, including a stable,O(m2) approximate factorization of the chemical source Jacobian and implementations of V-cycle and filtered multigrid acceleration methods. A five species?seventeen reaction air model is used to calculate hypersonic viscous flow over a cylinder at conditions corresponding to flight at 5 km/s, 60 km altitude and at 11.36 km/s, 76.42 km altitude. Inviscid calculations using an eleven-species reaction mechanism including ionization are presented for a case involving 11.37 km/s flow at an altitude of 84.6 km. Comparisons among various options for the implicit treatment of the chemical source terms and among different multilevel approaches for convergence acceleration are presented for all simulations.
Identifying the Rate-Limiting Step in Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy in a Training Hospital.

Abstract Study Objective To identify the lengthiest step of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) in a teaching hospital and to determine which clinical factors affect the duration of this step. Setting The University of Louisville Hospital. Design Single institution retrospective case series. Methods and Main Results This is a retrospective chart and video review that included 135 benign, elective TLHs performed at The University of Louisville. TLH was divided into 5 steps: (1) insertion of laparoscopic ports and adhesiolysis to restore normal anatomy; (2) identification of the ureter and resection of adnexal structures to transection of the round ligament; (3) transection of the round ligament to transection of the uterine artery; (4) lateralization of the uterine vessel pedicle to completion of colpotomy; and (5) completion of vaginal cuff closure. The random intercept and slope model was used to identify the lengthiest step of TLH, and the backward elimination procedure was used to evaluate which clinical factors affected this step. Mean ± SD total length of TLH was 81 ± 30 min. The lengthiest step was colpotomy, with a mean duration of 24 ± 13 min. Uterine weight significantly increased the length of time required for colpotomy (p = .001). The primary energy source (ultrasonic scalpel vs monopolar hook) used to perform colpotomy did not influence the length of time (p = .539 vs p = .583). Uterine weight (p Conclusions At a teaching institution where surgeries are performed by residents and fellows, colpotomy is the lengthiest step of TLH and is influenced by uterine weight. This finding may reflect the training levels of the surgeons performing these cases and the learning curve associated with a challenging surgical skill. Further research should focus on simulation models and/or tools for colpotomy that may result in greater efficiency in the operating room.
Super Resolution Drift Correction with Intermittently Observable Markers

Microscope drift correction necessary for super-resolution microscopy over extended time periods generally requires either significant modification of the microscope setup or the introduction of large fiduciary markers into the sample, which may perturb the cell. Further, existing drift correction methods expect the fiduciary markers to be continually observable, ruling out most quantum dots due to blinking. Similarly, single fluorophores have insufficient signal to make ideal markers, and as such, large particles or fluorescent beads are common fiduciary markers. Here, a drift correction method is developed allowing for intermittent observations, allowing quantum dots, which are less likely to perturb cells, to serve as fiduciary markers. A statistical comparison of intuitive methods of drift correction with the method developed here reveals that naively applying typical methods to intermittent particles introduces significant amounts of additional uncertainty, sufficient to significantly reduce the effective localization accuracy over the course of super-resolution experiments. The method developed here works equally well whether particle observations are intermittent or continual, as long as a comparable number of total particle observations are available.
Acceleration of Atrial Ectopic Tachycardia as a Guide to Successful Radiofrequency Ablation

Three chiidren with atrial ectopic tachycardia (AET), ages 7–10 years, underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Two had AET localized to the inferolateral orifice of the right atrial appendage, one had AET at the posteroinferior orifice of the left atrial appendage. Each patient received RFA at 15–16 watts for 30 seconds per application. Acceleration of AET rate was observed only during successful RFA application in each palienf. occurring within 5 seconds and Jasfing 2–4 seconds. All unsuccessful applications failed to show this phenomenon. Observation of acceleration of AET rate during RFA was a useful predictor of successful procedure, possibly indicating destruction of abnormally automatic substrates.
DNA copy number changes associated with characteristic LOH in islet cell carcinomas of transgenic mice

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) provides a method of surveying the entire tumor genome for regional variations in DNA sequence copy number. Such variations, if found recurrently, may indicate the locations of genes that contribute to tumor development through upregulation of oncogenes (copy number increase), inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes (copy number decrease), or changes in the level of expression through gene dosage effects. Thus, CGH is a powerful tool for screening for new cancer genes. Although CGH is widely applied to human genome analysis, application to the mouse is only beginning. The present study is designed to compare results obtained by CGH with those obtained by other techniques used for analysis of the murine genome. We report CGH analysis of several control cell lines with cytogenetically established regional copy number changes, as well as analysis of 16 primary insulinomas, four tumor-derived cell lines, and three hyperplasia-derived cell lines from transgenic mice expressing the SV40 large T antigen under control of the rat insulin promoter. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosomes 9 and 16 had previously been found to be frequent in primary insulinomas, and specimens were selected for the present study based on the LOH status of these chromosomes. We found complete concordance of the CGH results with the cytogenetically described copy number changes in the control cell lines and with the LOH on chromosomes 9 and 16 in the tumors. Thus, CGH can provide accurate data in murine systems, and it reveals that the LOH in these islet cell tumors most frequently results from deletion of one of the alleles.
Ecosystem constraints to symbiotic nitrogen fixers: a simple model and its implications

The widespread occurrence of N limitation to net primary production (NPP) and other ecosystem processes, despite the ubiquitous occurrence of N-fixing symbioses, remains a significant puzzle in terrestrial ecology. We describe a simple simulation model for an ecosystem containing a generic nonfixer and a symbiotic N fixer, based on: (1) a higher cost for N acquisition by N fixers than nonfixers; (2) growth of fixers and fixation of N only when low N availability limits the growth of nonfixers, and other resources are available; and (3) losses of fixed N from the system only when the quantity of available N exceeds plant and microbial demands. Despite the disadvantages faced by the N fixer under these conditions, N fixation and loss adjust N availability close to the availability of other resources, and biomass and NPP in this simple model can be substantially but only transiently N limited. We then modify the model by adding: (1) losses of N in forms other than excess available N (e.g., dissolved organic N, trace gases produced by nitrification); and (2) constraints to the growth and activity of N fixers imposed by differential effects of shading, P limitation, and grazing. The combination of these processes is sufficient to describe an open system, with input from both precipitation and N fixation, that is nevertheless strongly N-limited at equilibrium. This model is useful for exploring causes and consequences of constraints to N fixation, and hence of N limitation, and we believe it will also be useful for evaluating how N fixation and limitation interact with elevated CO2 and other components of global enviromental change.
Bile acid concentrations in human and rat liver tissue and in hepatocyte nuclei

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Bile acids exert cellular and molecular effects in the liver, but little is known about tissue concentrations. The aim of this study was to characterize bile acid composition in human and rat liver tissue and hepatocyte nuclei and examine the effects of experimental cholestasis and bile acid administration. METHODS: Bile acids were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Liver tissue concentrations of sham-operated rats were 130.8 +/- 21.3 nmol/g, representing 2%-4% of the bile acid pool; cholic and delta 22- beta-muricholic acids were the major bile acids identified. Concentrations increased 7-8-fold with bile duct ligation; deoxycholate and hyodeoxycholate disappeared. Lithocholate concentrations were higher in ligated rats (6.4 +/- 0.4 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.5 nmol/g for sham- operated). Total bile acid concentrations in human liver tissue were 61.6 +/- 29.7 nmol/g and comprised mainly chenodeoxycholic and cholic acids. Concentrations were higher during ursodeoxycholate or tauroursodeoxycholate administration (157.2 +/- 45.6 and 161.6 +/- 43.4 nmol/g, respectively), and liver tissue was enriched 30% in ursodeoxycholate at the expense of hydrophobic bile acids. Bile acids were identified in rat hepatic nuclei (50-110 pmol/4 x 10(7) nuclei), accounting for > 0.1% of liver tissue levels. CONCLUSIONS: Human and rat liver tissue bile acid concentrations are low, increase with bile acid administration or bile duct ligation, and account for only a small fraction of the bile acid pool. (Gastroenterology 1997 Jan;112(1):226-35)
Preoperative idoxuridine and radiation for large soft tissue sarcomas: Clinical results with five-year follow-up

Background: Local control remains an important issue in the management of large soft tissue sarcomas. Radiation is the main adjuvant to surgery for local therapy of sarcomas, but it requires relatively high doses, hitherto considered prohibitive in areas such as the retroperitoneum. We developed a preoperative treatment approach to large soft tissue sarcomas that would deliver a high total dose of radiation administered in conjunction with the halogenated pyrimidine radiosensitizer idoxuridine (IdUrd).
An Eighteenth Century Attempt at an Experimental Psychology

(1954). An Eighteenth Century Attempt at an Experimental Psychology. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 63-77.
Parental Psychological Distress and Children's Mental Health: Results of a National Survey

Abstract Objective Questions persist as to which dimensions of child mental health are most associated with parental mental health status and if these associations differ by parental gender. We assessed associations between parental psychological distress and children's mental health. Methods Pooled data from the 2001, 2002, and 2004 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS), a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of US children aged 4 to 17 (n = 21,314), were used. Multivariate logistic regression was performed assessing associations between parental psychological distress, measured by the Kessler 6 scale, and the extended-form Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scales. Results Logistic regression demonstrated associations between parental psychological distress and increased likelihood of child mental health problems. Children aged 4 to 11 were more likely to have mental health problems if they had a psychologically distressed father (odds ratio [OR] 7.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3–24.3) or mother (OR 6.7, 95% CI 2.7–16.7). Children aged 12 to 17 with a psychologically distressed father (OR 4.53, 95% CI 1.18–17.47) or mother (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.34–11.37) were also more likely than those without to have mental health problems. In parents of both genders, associations existed between parental psychological distress, and abnormal emotional symptoms in younger children, conduct disorder in older children, and hyperactivity in children of all ages. Conclusions Parental psychological distress appears similarly associated with adverse child mental health outcomes, regardless of parental gender. These findings corroborate limited prior research and demonstrate that associations between child mental health and parental mental illness are similar in magnitude for fathers and mothers.
Multiple factors interact to produce responses resembling spectrum of human disease in Campylobacter jejuni infected C57BL/6 IL-10 -/- mice

Background Campylobacter jejuni infection produces a spectrum of clinical presentations in humans – including asymptomatic carriage, watery diarrhea, and bloody diarrhea – and has been epidemiologically associated with subsequent autoimmune neuropathies. This microorganism is genetically variable and possesses genetic mechanisms that may contribute to variability in nature. However, relationships between genetic variation in the pathogen and variation in disease manifestation in the host are not understood. We took a comparative experimental approach to explore differences among different C. jejuni strains and studied the effect of diet on disease manifestation in an interleukin-10 deficient mouse model.
In/visible dimensions: framing the intercultural communication course through a critical intercultural communication framework

This article highlights how course material on ‘culture’ and ‘intercultural communication’ faces a distinctive challenge in crafting an engaged power‐focused positionality for students. I discuss the importance of incorporating a ‘critical intercultural communication perspective and practice’ into an upper‐division diversity/intercultural communication course in the US academic context.
Communication to Enhance Silence: The Trappist Experience

“Working on relationships in oral exchange permits the retreat into silence to be more efective and meaningful.”
Implications of universal screening for HIV infection

Ethical concerns must be considered and sound practices adopted Universal voluntary screening of all adolescents and adults for HIV infection is now recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force.1 This follows similar recommendations announced by the US Centers for Disease Control in 2006.2 Although there are good reasons for endorsing universal screening, the ethical and practical implications of this approach need to be considered. Universal voluntary screening could help identify asymptomatic people who are infected with HIV but who might otherwise go undetected until late in the course of infection. It is essential to identify such people for their own personal health and the health of others to whom they may unwittingly transmit the virus. Because of advances in the care of HIV infection, early treatment is paramount, both for individual benefit and for decreasing the likelihood of transmission. Taken together, there is a clear public health imperative to screen for this infection.3 A crucial aspect of the task …
Doctrines of Last Resort

The doctrines of good faith and fair dealing, fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment are doctrines of last resort because they are activated only when all other potentially applicable commands from constitutions, statutes, regulations, ordinances, common law decisions and contracts have been exhausted. In these circumstances ⎯ where positive law and private ordering are otherwise incomplete ⎯ contracting parties rely heavily on informal social sanctions to protect against opportunism, but the doctrines of last resort reinforce these social sanctions. Rather than regulating all of the deviations and adjustments that are common in contractual relationships, doctrines of last resort constrain extreme deviations from social norms, reinforcing agreements precisely in those contexts where informal social sanctions are weakest.
Sub-Pixel Mapping of Tree Canopy, Impervious Surfaces, and Cropland in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin Using MODIS Time-Series Data

This research examined sub-pixel land-cover classification performance for tree canopy, impervious surface, and cropland in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin (GLB) using both time-series MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro radiometer) NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and surface reflectance data. Classification training strategies included both an entire-region approach and an ecoregion-stratified approach, using multi-layer perceptron neural network classifiers. Although large variations in classification performances were observed for different ecoregions, the ecoregion-stratified approach did not significantly improve classification accuracies. Sub-pixel classification performances were largely dependent on different types of MODIS input datasets. Overall, the combination of MODIS surface reflectance bands 1-7 generated the best sub-pixel estimations of tree canopy (R2 = 0.57), impervious surface (R2 = 0.63) and cropland (R2 = 0.30), which are considerable higher than those derived using only MODIS-NDVI data (tree canopy R2 = 0.50, impervious surface R2 = 0.51, and cropland R2 = 0.24). Also, sub-pixel classification accuracies were much improved when the results were aggregated from 250 m to 500 m spatial resolution. The use of individual date MODIS images were also examined with the best results being achieved for Julian days 185 (early July), 217 (early August), and 113 (late April) for tree canopy, impervious surface, and cropland, respectively. The results suggested the relative importance of the image data input selection, spatial resolution, and acquisition dates for the sub-pixel mapping of major cover types in the GLB.
In vitro metabolism of a model cyclopropylamine to reactive intermediate: insights into trovafloxacin-induced hepatotoxicity.

Trovafloxacin (Trovan) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic drug with a long half-life and broad-spectrum activity. Since its entry into the market in 1998, trovafloxacin has been associated with numerous cases of hepatotoxicity, which has limited its clinical usefulness. Trovafloxacin possesses two substructural elements that have the potential to generate reactive intermediates: a cyclopropylamine moiety and a difluoroanilino system. The results presented here describe the in vitro metabolic activation of a synthetic drug model (DM) of trovafloxacin that contains the cyclopropylamine moiety. Cyclopropylamine can be oxidized to reactive ring-opened products—a carbon-centered radical and a subsequently oxidized α,β-unsaturated aldehyde. Experiments with monoamine oxygenases, horseradish peroxidase, flavin monooxygenase 3, and cDNA-expressed P450 isoenzymes revealed that P450 1A2 oxidizes DM to a reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, M1. Furthermore, myeloperoxidase (MPO) was also demonstrated to oxidize DM in the...
Morphological transformation of 10T1/2 mouse embryo cells can be initiated by DNA double-strand breaks alone

Malignant transformation of mouse fibroblasts was produced by electroporation with restriction enzymes. Similar transformation frequencies were observed with Pstl, Pvull, and Xbal, which cut genomic DNA at similar overall frequencies but have different termini, i.e., a 3' overhang, a blunt end, and a 5' overhang, respectively. The dose-response curve for restriction enzyme transformation shows a marked plateau in frequencies of transformed foci per surviving cell, whereas x-irradiation of the same cells gives a linear dose-response curve. Evidently, transformation can be caused by DNA double-strand breaks alone at a limited number of sites, but the evidence from x rays suggests that other kinds of DNA damage can cause transformation independently.
Preoperative Angiotensin System Inhibitor Use Attenuates Heparin-Induced Hypotension in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Objective Both angiotensin system inhibitor (ASI) use and heparin are associated with hypotension. This study attempted to determine whether preoperative ASI therapy affected the hemodynamic response to heparin administered to patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Design Sixty-two patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery requiring full (300 units/kg) systemic heparinization were studied prospectively. Thirty-three patients were receiving preoperative ASI therapy, whereas 29 patients were not. Anesthetic technique and mechanical ventilation parameters were standardized. Hemodynamics were recorded at 3 time points: baseline (just before the administration of heparin), 1-minute post–heparin administration, and 4-minute post–heparin administration. Setting Single university hospital. Participants Patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results The 2 groups were similar regarding preoperative demographics and baseline hemodynamics. Baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP) in non-ASI patients was 82.0 mmHg, and it decreased significantly to 76.3 mmHg (1 min; p Conclusions This prospective clinical study indicated that preoperative ASI therapy until the day before surgery may attenuate heparin-induced hypotension. Definitive mechanistic insight requires further clinical study.
POTATO ONTOLOGY: Surviving Postsocialism in Russia

Asked to explain the mechanisms of everyday survival in Russia, many people answer with one word: “potato.” Potato is a key factor in subsistence throughout postsocialist countries, but potato discourses and practices serve as well to dramatize the stark devolution of state–society relations and the ceaseless industry of the population. This essay posits potato as an axis of practice, around which myriad gestures of labor, exchange, and consumption are organized; it also presents potato as a complex system of knowledge, embedded in historical memory and encapsulating local theories of economic devolution. Several ethnographic and economic studies have analyzed the significance of postsocialist food growing; this essay focuses on the chief product of that labor and the narratives that circulate around it. It argues that although potato conveys popular critiques of social stratification, it also frames experiences of personhood.
Culturally heterogeneous vs. culturally homogeneous groups in distributed group support systems: effects on group process and consensus

As global virtual teams become more common, the need to better understand how groups composed of individuals from different cultural backgrounds perform has never been more pressing. This study compares groups from the same cultural background with groups from varied cultural backgrounds when they used two different communication media (face-to-face and an asynchronous conferencing system). Data was collected on 46 groups, which included a total of 268 subjects representing 39 countries. Research questions regarding group process and consensus were addressed specifically as they relate to cross-cultural group work. The results of this study suggest that distributed asynchronous GSS may be effectively used by mixed cultural groups facing a value-based cognitive conflict (negotiation) task.
SAMPLE COMPLEXITY FOR FUNCTION LEARNING TASKS THROUGH LINEAR NEURAL NETWORKS

We find new sample complexity bounds for real function learning tasks in the uniform distribution by means of linear neural networks. These bounds, tighter than the distribution-free ones reported ...
Adaptive Range Coding

This paper examines a class of neuron based learning systems for dynamic control that rely on adaptive range coding of sensor inputs. Sensors are assumed to provide binary coded range vectors that coarsely describe the system state. These vectors are input to neuron-like processing elements. Output decisions generated by these "neurons" in turn affect the system state, subsequently producing new inputs. Reinforcement signals from the environment are received at various intervals and evaluated. The neural weights as well as the range boundaries determining the output decisions are then altered with the goal of maximizing future reinforcement from the environment. Preliminary experiments show the promise of adapting "neural receptive fields" when learning dynamical control. The observed performance with this method exceeds that of earlier approaches.
Variations on Injustice: An Exploration of Responses to When Good (Bad) Things Happen to Bad (Good) People

People, in general, have a desire to live in a just world, a place where good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. And yet, injustices do occur: good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Do people view these injustices as equally unjust, and how do they respond to the occurrence of these injustices? Across six experiments and more than 1,300 participants, we show that whereas people state that when bad things happen to good people, a greater injustice has transpired, they are more willing to act in a justice restorative manner when the opposite occurs, when good things happen to bad people. Moreover, we show that this is the result of differences in negative emotional responses to the two types of injustices. Specifically, when people see a bad thing happening to a good person, they state that a greater injustice has occurred, but they experience greater a negative emotional state when a good thing happens to a bad person and, in turn, donate more to a charity that explicitly acts in a justice restorative manner.
CREATING TRANSNATIONAL SOLIDARITY: THE USE OF NARRATIVE IN THE U.S.-CENTRAL AMERICA PEACE MOVEMENT *

As social problems become increasingly global, activists are working across state boundaries and forming transnational social movements. However, there is little information that illuminates how groups are able to overcome ethnic, class, ideological and cultural differences that could be obstacles to collaboration. Through an analysis of the story of Salvadoran martyr Archbishop Romero, I demonstrate how this narrative fostered solidarity between the progressive Central American church and U.S. Christians. By symbolically mirroring the social ontology of Christianity and melodramatically presenting the Salvadoran conflict with moral clarity, Romero's life story facilitated the construction of a transnational collective identity and provided a model of action. The moral credibility of the narrators, and the context in which Romero's story was told, influenced many Christians' decision to prioritize this religious identity over their national allegiance.
Inhibition of surface molds on cheese by polyethylene film containing the antimycotic imazalil

Imazalil, an antimycotic agent, was incorporated into low density polyethylene (LDPE) film and the resulting films tested for ability to inhibit Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus toxicarius growth by measuring the rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) production in sealed jars containing either inoculated potato dextrose agar (PDA) or Cheddar cheese. Inhibition of surface mold growth on cheese was also determined in open systems. An imazalil concentration of 2000 mg/kg LDPE film delayed A. toxicarius growth on PDA while LDPE film containing 1000 mg/kg imazalil markedly delayed Penicillium sp. growth. Furthermore, LDPE film containing 1000 mg/kg imazalil inhibited both molds growing on Cheddar cheese. These data suggest that incorporation of an antimycotic agent such as imazalil into food contact packaging films would inhibit surface mold growth.
Physicochemical properties, bioconversion and disposition of lipophilic prodrugs of 2',3'-dideoxycytidine

Lipophilic prodrugs of 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC), 4,5'-diacetyl-ddC (DAC), 4,5'-ditrimethylacetyl-ddC (DTMAC), 4,5'-dicyclopentylpropionyl-ddC (DCYPP) and 5'-cholesteryl-ddC (CHOL), were evaluated for their utility in improving brain delivery of the parent nucleoside. The lipophilicity of the prodrugs was greater, compared to ddC, with partition coefficient values increasing from 0.03 for ddC to 0.37, 28, 63 and 483 for DAC, DTMAC, DCYPP and CHOL, respectively. Aqueous solubility was decreased proportionally to the increase in lipophilicity. Bioconversion studies were performed in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), human serum, mouse serum, and mouse brain and liver homogenates. Whereas CHOL was stable in vitro in all media, DAC, DTMAC and DCYPP exhibited stability only in buffer, indicating that the hydrolytic reaction for these compounds was, predominately, enzymatically triggered. DCYPP was rapidly hydrolysed in mouse serum and liver and brain homogenates with degradation half-life values of 0.04, 0.35 and 0.34 h respectively. DAC had a longer half-life in mouse serum than did DTMAC (0.82 h vs. 0.38 h), however, in mouse brain homogenate DTMAC (t l/2 =3.9 h) was more stable than DAC (t 1/2 =1.6 h). Both of these prodrugs were rapidly metabolized in the mouse liver homogenate with half-life values of 0.36h for DAC and 0.23h for DTMAC. In-vivo studies performed for ddC, DAC and DTMAC in mice showed that the relative brain exposure (r e ) of ddC was not improved by administering the prodrugs. DTMAC yielded a r e value of 0.023 which was similar to that for ddC (r e = 0.028), while no ddC was detected in brain after DAC administration. Thus, although all of the prodrugs were more lipophilic than ddC, delivery of ddC to the brain was not enhanced in vivo.
Potential Inappropriate Treatment of Suspected Urinary Tract Infections Among Nursing Home Residents.

Objective To determine if nurse practitioners and physicians followed recommended practice guidelines prior to the initiation of antibiotics among long-term care (LTC) residents with suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs). Methods A retrospective review of 1-year reported cases of UTIs in 2 rural southern nursing homes. Results There were 175 cases of UTI reported in the 2 homes, but 6 cases were reported in error. Only 4 of the 169 remaining cases met the diagnostic criteria for UTI. The remaining 169 cases received inappropriate antibiotics. Some of these cases may represent asymptomatic bacteria rather than UTI. Problems were identified with the methods used to collect urine sample that were sent to the laboratory for culture. Conclusion We found that in 2 nursing homes, almost all of the reported cases of UTI did not meet the accepted diagnostic criteria. Also, there was inappropriate antibiotic therapy for most of these residents. Nurse practitioners and physicians should accurately determine the presence of UTI and document in the medical record prior to initiating antibiotic. Urine specimens should be collected using appropriate methods. Nursing homes should only report to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) those cases that meet the diagnostic criteria as a UTI.
Zen and the Art of Pediatric Health Maintenance

Clinical medicine makes you worry — and a good thing, too. When routine care gets too routine, a physician may end up not completely there, in the exam room. Can we learn to be truly in the moment during visits, to still ourselves, concentrate our minds, pay attention?
Non-destructive Measurement of Calcium and Potassium in Apple and Pear Using Handheld X-ray Fluorescence

Calcium and potassium are essential for cell signaling, ion homeostasis and cell wall strength in plants. Unlike nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium, calcium is immobile in plants. Localized calcium deficiencies result in agricultural losses; particularly for fleshy horticultural crops in which elemental imbalances in fruit contribute to the development of physiological disorders such as bitter pit in apple and cork spot in pear. Currently, elemental analysis of plant tissue is destructive, time consuming and costly. This is a limitation for nutrition studies related to calcium in plants. Handheld portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) can be used to non-destructively measure elemental concentrations. The main objective was to test if handheld XRF can be used for semi-quantitative calcium and potassium analysis of in-tact apple and pear. Semi-quantitative measurements for individual fruit were compared to results obtained from traditional lab analysis. Here, we observed significant correlations between handheld XRF measurements of calcium and potassium and concentrations determined using MP-AES lab analysis. Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.73 and 0.97. Furthermore, measuring apple and pear using handheld XRF identified spatial variability in calcium and potassium concentrations on the surface of individual fruit. This variability may contribute to the development of localized nutritional imbalances. This highlights the importance of understanding spatial and temporal variability in elemental concentrations in plant tissue. Handheld XRF is a relatively high-throughput approach for measuring calcium and potassium in plant tissue. It can be used in conjunction with traditional lab analysis to better understand spatial and temporal patterns in calcium and potassium uptake and distribution within an organ, plant or across the landscape.
Changes to intrinsic weather forecast uncertainty in one scenario of extreme future climate

Future extreme climate scenarios may harbour flows that have notably different intrinsic uncertainty from those of the present day. Here, ensemble perturbation analysis is used to explore this possibility for tropospheric flow on weather time-scales for a climate scenario from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Modeling System version 4 (CCSM4). Statistically significant changes are found in terms of basic uncertainty metrics including ensemble-average perturbation total energy, ensemble variance, and the growth rate of perturbation total energy and ensemble variance. Strong seasonal, geographic, and vertical variation in the changes are observed. For the winter season, the poles and the jet levels are regions that exhibit notable increases in ensemble uncertainty under the extreme scenario. These increases are accompanied in some cases by substantially larger peak growth rates. For the summer season, there are prominent increases in uncertainty under the extreme scenario in terms of moist metrics. Meanwhile, there are noteworthy reductions in uncertainty for many synoptic variables. These changes in uncertainty properties are accompanied by significant changes in measures of both baroclinic and convective flow stability. Collectively, the results suggest the changes in intrinsic uncertainty under the extreme climate scenario have a fairly nuanced character. Since the CCSM4 exhibits one of the lowest climate sensitivities of available climate models, the results define a conservative estimate of the changes to intrinsic uncertainty that might be expected from extreme climate change.
Prospective Study of 3'-Deoxy-3'-18F-Fluorothymidine PET for Early Interim Response Assessment in Advanced-Stage B-Cell Lymphoma.

Current clinical and imaging tools remain suboptimal for early assessment of prognosis and treatment response in aggressive lymphomas. PET with 3′-deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) can be used to measure tumor cell proliferation and treatment response. In a prospective study in patients with advanced-stage B-cell lymphoma, we investigated the prognostic and predictive value of 18F-FLT PET in comparison to standard imaging with 18F-FDG PET and clinical outcome. Methods: Sixty-five patients were treated with an induction/consolidation regimen consisting of 4 cycles of R-CHOP-14 (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) followed by 3 cycles of ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide). 18F-FLT PET was performed at baseline and at interim (iPET) after 1–2 cycles of therapy. 18F-FDG PET was performed at baseline, after cycle 4, and at the end of therapy. The relationship between PET findings, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was investigated. Results: With a median follow-up of 51 mo, PFS and OS were 71% and 86%, respectively. 18F-FLT iPET, analyzed visually (using a 5-point score) or semiquantitatively (using SUV and ΔSUV) predicted both PFS and OS (P
Parathyroid localization with technetium-99m-sestamibi: a prospective evaluation

Background The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate parathyroid localization using technetium-99m-sestamibi (MIBI). Study design Technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy was performed in 124 patients with hyperparathyroidism and the results were correlated with serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, weight, location, and pathology of parathyroid tissue, and associated thyroid abnormalities. Results Hyperparathyroidism was primary in 118 patients, secondary in four patients, and tertiary in two patients. The parathyroid pathology was a solitary adenoma in 95 patients (77 percent), double adenoma in five (4 percent), hyperplasia in 14 (11 percent), carcinoma in one (1 percent), and unconfirmed in nine (7 percent) who underwent noncurative parathyroidectomy. Associated thyroid disease was present in 29 (23 percent) patients. Fourteen patients (11 percent) had undergone previous parathyroid exploration. The mean calcium level was 11.4 +/- 0.8 mg/dL (range, 8.3 to 13.7 mg/dL) and the mean adjusted PTH level was 395 +/- 702 (range, 70 to 4,331). The sensitivity and positive predictive value of MIBI scintigraphy were 81 and 89 percent, respectively, in patients with a solitary adenoma and 37 and 100 percent, respectively, in patients with multiglandular disease. The mean adjusted PTH level was higher in patients with true-positive scans compared with false-negative scans (440 +/- 628 compared with 243 +/- 499, p > 0.05). The mean adenoma weight was 1,877 +/- 3,212 mg in patients with a true-positive scan compared with 485 +/- 296 mg with a false-negative scan (p > 0.05). Conclusions The sensitivity and positive predictive value of MIBI scintigraphy is comparable to or better than the results reported for other localization procedures. Its lack of sensitivity for detection of multiglandular disease precludes its use in lieu of routine bilateral neck exploration in the management of patients with hyperparathyroidism.
Oral Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: Some Economic Considerations

In the formal medical curriculum, little has been provided to prepare the clinician for an understanding of the economics of health care. The questions are often far more complicated than they initially appear to be, and the
Interdisciplinary rehabilitation approach for functional neurological symptom (conversion) disorder: A case study.

Objective To describe a coordinated interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of functional neurological symptom (conversion) disorder (FNSD), mixed symptoms, including motor dysfunction, in a rehabilitation setting. Design Adult patient was admitted with worsening neurological symptoms in the absence of contributory clinical pathology. Interdisciplinary diagnostic and treatment approach included physiatry, neuro- and rehabilitation- psychology, occupational, physical, recreational, and speech therapy. Providers coordinated care and delivered psychologically informed therapies consistent with the standards appropriate to the setting. Results Diagnosis of FNSD was made 5 weeks after admission. The patient achieved symptom remission at 13 weeks after admission. He remained symptom free at 6 months postdischarge. Implications Rehabilitation settings are uniquely suited to the treatment of FNSD.