cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leibniz seminorms for "Matrix algebras converge to the sphere"

In an earlier paper of mine relating vector bundles and Gromov-Hausdorff distance for ordinary compact metric spaces, it was crucial that the Lipschitz seminorms from the metrics satisfy a strong Leibniz property. In the present paper, for the now non-commutative situation of matrix algebras converging to the sphere (or to other spaces) for quantum Gromov-Hausdorff distance, we show how to construct suitable seminorms that also satisfy the strong Leibniz property. This is in preparation for making precise certain statements in the literature of high-energy physics concerning "vector bundles" over matrix algebras that "correspond" to monopole bundles over the sphere. We show that a fairly general source of seminorms that satisfy the strong Leibniz property consists of derivations into normed bimodules. For matrix algebras our main technical tools are coherent states and Berezin symbols.
Duoethnography with children

Duoethnography, a new form of qualitative research, consists of two main components: (1) two or three participants who share a similar life experience and (2) a conversation among the individuals about their experience resulting in both a shared understanding of the similarities of the participants' views and the differences in the participants' life experiences. The paper begins with a review of the research on children as research participants: this includes both traditional and more child engaging perspectives, qualitative methods commonly used when researching children, reasons that children's perceptions are not considered accurate, and ethical issues related to conducting research with children. Two duoethnographies with children are presented; each is followed by a discussion of the methods used and problems encountered. The discussion focuses on the positive aspects of adult–child duoethnographies and suggests several alternatives to the adult–adult duoethnographic approach when conducting child d...
Bis(benzonitrile)palladium(II) Dihalides: Structures and Cocrystallization of the Cubic Cluster Pd6Cl12 with (E)-Stilbene and with Bis(benzonitrile)palladium(II) Dichloride

Crystals of the planar, trans complexes, bis(benzonitrile)palladium(II) dichloride and bis(benzonitrile)palladium(II) dibromide, suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies are obtained b...
GABA neurons in the superficial layers of the rat dorsal cochlear nucleus: Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry

This article is an application of light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry to the study of the neuronal circuit of the superficial layers in the rat dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN). An antiserum against the intrinsic marker glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) is used to identify and map axon terminals and neurons that use gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a neurotransmitter. It is demonstrated that layers 1 and 2 of the DCN contain a very high density of GABAergic boutons, matched only by the granule cell domains of the ventral cochlear nucleus, especially the superficial granule cell domain. These two layers also contain much higher concentrations of GABAergic cell bodies than all other magnocellular regions of the cochlear nuclear complex. Cartwheel and stellate neurons, and probably also Golgi cells, previously characterized in Golgi and electron microscopic investigations, appear immunostained and, therefore, are presumably inhibitory. The synaptic relations between parallel fibers, the axons of granule cells, and cartwheel and stellate neurons are confirmed. The present study also supports the conclusion that stellate cells are coupled to one another by gap junctions. Also scattered in layer 1 are large, GABAergic neurons that occur with irregular frequency and presumably represent displaced Purkinje cells, previously identified with a Purkinje-cell-specific marker. Granule neurons and pyramidal neurons remain unstained, even after topical injection of colchicine, which enhances immunostaining of the other glutamate-decarboxylase-positive cells, and therefore must use transmitters different from GABA. The possible analogies between the spiny cartwheel and the aspiny stellate cells of the DCN and the cerebellar Purkinje and stellate/basket cells are discussed in the light of data from Golgi, electon microscopy, and transmitter imunocytochemistry.
INTERACTION BETWEEN CONFIGURATIONS WITH SEVERAL OPEN SHELLS

Antisymmetrized product wave functions are written for atomic configurations with an arbitrary number of partially or entirely filled shells. Interaction matrix elements between such wave functions are calculated and a numerical evaluation is given for the autoionization of an inner excitation level of neon. A suitable notation keeps the analytical complexities within reasonable bounds.
Debt Relief: Implications of Secondary Market Discounts and Debt Overhangs

An efficient rescheduling of the debt must take into account the market value of the debt. I argue here that the appropriate approach is not to write down the debt to its value on the secondary market, but to scale the flows of payments on the debt. The key to an efficient rescheduling is to offer debt relief reflecting the market discount, where the reliefs is contingent upon the country's adjustment effort ( rather than setting repayment terms "once and for all" as in the Brady plan). I propose, as an example, that stabilization or adjustment programs under the aegis of the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank could include provisions allowing debt servicing or repurchase for a set duration at the secondary market rate. This would both reflect and provide incentives to increase a country's ability to repay. Copyright 1990 by Oxford University Press.
MITF: master regulator of melanocyte development and melanoma oncogene

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) acts as a master regulator of melanocyte development, function and survival by modulating various differentiation and cell-cycle progression genes. It has been demonstrated that MITF is an amplified oncogene in a fraction of human melanomas and that it also has an oncogenic role in human clear cell sarcoma. However, MITF also modulates the state of melanocyte differentiation. Several closely related transcription factors also function as translocated oncogenes in various human malignancies. These data place MITF between instructing melanocytes towards terminal differentiation and/or pigmentation and, alternatively, promoting malignant behavior. In this review, we survey the roles of MITF as a master lineage regulator in melanocyte development and its emerging activities in malignancy. Understanding the molecular function of MITF and its associated pathways will hopefully shed light on strategies for improving therapeutic approaches for these diseases.
Effect of Experimenter's Race, Sex, and Presence of Rewards on Delay Preference of Black Males.

This study examined the effect of the experimenter's race and sex and the visual presence or absence of rewards on black children's preference for larger delayed rewards versus smaller immediate rewards. Forty-eight black males with a mean age of 5 years 7 months were randomly assigned to one of eight cells of a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Using a paradigm developed by Mischel and Ebbesen, subjects were placed in a situation whereby they could receive a preferred reward if they waited 15 minutes or a less preferred reward if they chose not to wait. The dependent variable was the amount of time waited. Whereas previous research has shown that reward absence facilitates preference for delayed rewards, the significant 3-way interaction found in the present study indicates that when the experimenter was white and female, the absence of rewards inhibited rather than facilitated preference for delayed rewards. Results were viewed as supporting the situational specificity of delay preference.
Mantle layering from ScS reverberations: 4. The lower mantle and core-mantle boundary

This is the final installment in a four-part sequence that examines the nature of mantle layering required by the multiple-ScS phases and internal reflections observed within the reverberative interval of SH-polarized seismograms. In this paper, long-period, SH-polarized, multiple-ScS phases reflected once from a mantle discontinuity (first-order reverberations) are used to search for abrupt shear-wave impedance contrasts in the lower mantle. Beneath the geographic regions sampled, the depth interval of 1000–2600 km (Bullen's region D′) appears free of any distinct, radial layering, in agreement with the majority of recent seismic models and the notion of near-adiabatic compression of a compositionally homogeneous lower mantle. To pass undetected, discontinuities in D′ must be either small (SH-polarized reflection coefficient R0<1.0%), highly intermittent or subject to lateral depth variations well in excess of 50 km. At greater depths, corresponding to the D″ region of the lowermost mantle, we find evidence for a reflector of long-period seismic energy situated an average of 325 km above the core-mantle boundary (CMB), similar to the discontinuity proposed by T. Lay and coworkers. Our results indicate a 4.4% increase in shear wave impedance and a 1.7% increase in density if the 2.75% increase in shear velocity proposed by Lay and Helmberger (1983) holds true for our study area. The discontinuity is observed beneath less than one-third of the 18 seismic corridors examined and does not appear to be a ubiquitous feature of the lower mantle. This, plus an observed correlation of discontinuity depth and lower-mantle velocity heterogeneity, and the lack of experimental evidence for deep-mantle phase transformations strongly favor a compositional origin. Mantle-side layering nearer the CMB, perhaps associated with a thin chemical boundary layer, would mimic the effects of the surface crust, producing a complex wave train of first- and higher-order reverberations superposed upon all other reverberative interval arrivals. If present and unaccounted for, CMB structure would drive estimates of crustal structure and QScS obtained by multiple-ScS waveform inversion away from their true values. Compared to independent estimates, our results admit little bias. Monte Carlo tests are used to assess the sensitivity of this technique to CMB layering, which decreases with decreasing boundary layer thickness. Nonetheless, the results limit CMB transition zones in excess of 20 km to impedance contrasts less than 12% (8% for a 40-km transition) beneath much of the western Pacific, Australia, Melanesia, and Indonesia.
Difficult Airway Management in the Emergency Department: GlideScope Videolaryngoscopy Compared to Direct Laryngoscopy

Abstract Background Videolaryngoscopy has become a popular method of intubation in the Emergency Department (ED), however, little research has compared this technique with direct laryngoscopy (DL). Objective To compare the success rates of GlideScope (Verathon Inc., Bothell, WA) videolaryngoscopy (GVL) and DL in emergent airways with known difficult airway predictors (DAPs). Methods We evaluated 772 consecutive ED intubations over a 23-month period. After each intubation, the physician completed a data collection form that included: demographics, DAPs, Cormack-Lehane view, optical clarity, lens contamination, and complications. DAPs included: cervical immobility, obesity, small mandible, large tongue, short neck, blood or vomit in the airway, tracheal edema, secretions, and facial or neck trauma. Primary outcome was first-attempt success rates. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the odds of failure for DL compared to GVL. Results First-attempt success rate with DL was 68%, GVL 78% (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.001). Adjusted odds of success of GVL compared to DL on first attempt equals 2.20 (odds ratio [OR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51–3.19). After statistically controlling for DAPs, GVL was more likely to succeed on first attempt than DL (OR 3.07, 95% CI 2.19–4.30). Logistic regression of DAPs showed that the presence of blood, small mandible, obesity, and a large tongue were statistically significant risk factors for decreasing the odds of success with DL and increasing the odds of success of GVL. Conclusion For difficult airways with the presence of blood or small mandible, or a large tongue or obesity, GVL had a higher success rate at first attempt than DL.
CYP2E1 genotype and isoniazid-induced hepatotoxicity in patients treated for latent tuberculosis

To determine whether pharmacogenetic tests such as N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) genotyping are useful in identifying patients prone to antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity in a cosmopolite population. In a prospective study we genotyped 89 patients treated with isoniazid (INH) for latent tuberculosis. INH-induced hepatitis (INH-H) or elevated liver enzymes including hepatitis (INH-ELE) was diagnosed based on the clinical diagnostic scale (CDS) designed for routine clinical practice. NAT2 genotypes were assessed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer probe after PCR analysis, and CYP2E1 genotypes were determined by PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Twenty-six patients (29%) had INH-ELE, while eight (9%) presented with INH-H leading to INH treatment interruption. We report no significant influence of NAT2 polymorphism, but we did find a significant association between the CYP2E1 *1A/*1A genotype and INH-ELE (OR: 3.4; 95% CI:1.1-12; p=0.02) and a non significant trend for INH-H (OR: 5.9; 95% CI: 0.69–270; p=0.13) compared with other CYP2E1 genotypes. This test for predicting INH-ELE had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 39% (95% CI: 26–54%) and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 84% (95% CI: 69–94%). The genotyping of CYP2E1 polymorphisms may be a useful predictive tool in the common setting of a highly heterogeneous population for predicting isoniazid-induced hepatic toxicity. Larger prospective randomized trials are needed to confirm these results.
Modulators of cyclic AMP in monolayer cultures of Y-79 retinoblastoma cells: partial characterization of the response with VIP and glucagon.

VIP markedly stimulates intracellular cAMP accumulation in the human retinoblastoma Y-79 cell line. cAMP increased about 5-fold above the basal level with 10-8M VIP and reached a maximum level (about 70-fold increase) with 2×10-6M VIP. Glucagon at 6×10-8M significantly increased cAMP accumulation with a maximal response at 4×10-7M. Secretin was only effective at micromolar concentrations. Glucagon at 2×10-6M had a synergistic effect with VIP at 2×10-8M. of other substances tested, L-isoproterenol (25-fold increase) and PGE1 (4-fold increase) were most effective. These results demonstrate that VIP and glucagon modulate cAMP accumulation in Y-79 cells and provide a model for studying the effect of these substances on function of neuronal and on malignant cells in vitro.
Bremazocine: A κ-Opioid Agonist with Potent Analgesic and Other Pharmacologic Properties

Bremazocine is a kappa-opioid receptor agonist with potent analgesic and diuretic activities. As an analgesic it is three- to four-times more potent than morphine, as determined in both hot plate and tail flick tests. Bremazocine and other benzomorphan analogs were synthesized in an effort to produce opiates with greater kappa-opioid receptor selectivity and with minimal morphine-like side effects. Unlike morphine bremazocine is devoid of physical and psychological dependence liability in animal models and produces little or no respiratory depression. While bremazocine does not produce the characteristic euphoria associated with morphine and its abuse, it has been shown to induce dysphoria, a property that limits its clinical usefulness. Similarly to morphine, repeated administration of bremazocine leads to tolerance to its analgesic effect. It has been demonstrated that the marked diuretic effect of bremazocine is mediated primarily by the central nervous system. Because of its psychotomimetic side effects (disturbance in the perception of space and time, abnormal visual experience, disturbance in body image perception, de-personalization, de-realization and loss of self control) bremazocine has limited potential as a clinical analgesic. However, its possible utility for the therapy of alcohol and drug addiction warrants further consideration because of its ability to decrease ethanol and cocaine self-administration in non-human primates. In addition, the ability of bremazocine-like drugs to lower intraocular pressure and to minimize ischemic damage in animal models suggests their possible use in the therapy of glaucoma and cardiovascular disease.
Nitrogen sources to watersheds and estuaries: role of land cover mosaics and losses within watersheds

Abstract Across most of the World's coastal zone there has been a geographic transition from naturally vegetated to human-altered land covers, both agricultural and urban. This transition has increased the nitrogen loads to coastal watersheds, and from watersheds to receiving estuaries. We modeled the nitrogen entering the watershed of Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, and found that as the transition took place, nitrogen loads to watersheds increased from 1938 to 1990. The relative magnitude of the contribution by wastewater, fertilizers, and atmospheric deposition depends on the land cover mosaics of a watershed. Atmospheric deposition was the major input to the watershed surface during this period, but because of different rates of loss within the watershed, wastewater became the major source of nitrogen flowing from the watershed to the receiving estuaries. Atmospheric deposition prevails in watersheds dominated by natural vegetation such as forests, but wastewater may become a dominant source in watersheds where urbanization increases. Increased nitrogen loads resulting from conversion of natural to human-altered watershed surfaces create eutrophication of receiving waters, with attendant changes in water quality, and marked shifts in the flora and food webs of the affected estuaries. Management efforts for restoration of eutrophied estuaries require maintenance of forested land, and control of wastewater and fertilizer inputs, the major terms in most affected places subject to local management. Wastewater and fertilizer nitrogen derive from within the watershed, which means local measures may effectively be used to control eutrophication of receiving waters.
Cell block findings from residual Preservcyt™ samples in unsatisfactory Thinprep® Paps: No additional benefit

Our objective was to determine whether cell blocks (CB) performed on unsatisfactory ThinPrep Pap Test™ residual samples rendered additional clinically significant pathologic findings not detected in the original ThinPrep® Pap smears. One hundred consecutive ThinPrep® Paps categorized as unsatisfactory were selected for this study. The cytologic diagnosis of unsatisfactory was based on lack of cellularity (squamous) or complete obscuring blood or inflammation. Residual PreservCyt™ samples from these consecutive unsatisfactory ThinPrep® Paps were used to prepare a cell block, using the inverted filter technique. One hematoxylin-eosin (HE 9 patients with squamous dysplasia had a previous abnormal ThinPrep® Pap. A follow-up Pap smear and/or cervical biopsy were performed in 10 of the 15 patients with abnormal cytology detected on CB method revealing: LSIL (1 patient), HSIL (1 patient), ASCUS (1 patient), and within normal limits (7 patients). The findings indicate that the preparation of a CB does not contribute significantly. Importantly, no carcinomas or HSILs were identified on CB preparations. Since a large majority of lesions identified were LSILs, a repeat Pap smear in these cases represented a more cost-effective strategy than cell block preparation, although a cell block preparation may be useful in selected cases. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2002;27:238–243. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment of the agitated demented elderly patient.

One of the most common and hard-to-treat symptoms of demen- tia in the elderly is severe agitation. Usually seen in a nursing home or a hospital when dementia is severe, agitated behavior taxes the patience of the caretaking staff. Demented older people may rock, moan, scream, and wander, and, if not restrained, can become as- saultive, self-destructive, and vio- lent. Agitation is often worse at night, when it is called "sundown- ing." Hazards. Both dementia and the aging process increase the older patient's sensitivity to the side effects of neuroleptics (3). Extrapyramidal symptoms, orthosta- tic hypotension, sedation, and an- ticholinergic symptoms are all more common and more severe when neuroleptics are given to older demented patients. Sedation may be long lasting due to de- layed elimination of these drugs in older patients. Anticholinergic symptoms may worsen dementia and produce increases in confu- sion, disorientation, memory loss, and agitation. That is especially true when neuroleptics are used in conjunction with other anticholin- ergic drugs. Recommendations. Very low doses of neuroleptics should be employed for treatment of agita- tion in the elderly. For example, if a nonsedating neuroleptic such as haloperidol or fluphenazine is to be used, then doses of one- quarter mg to one-half mg three to four times a day may be suffi- cient. If a sedating neuroleptic such as thioridazine is to be used, then doses of 10 mg three or four times a day may be sufficient. These doses may be obtained by drawing up the appropriate amounts of liq- uid preparations of the neurolep- tic in a syringe and dissolving the
The accessory genetic elements of bacteria: existence conditions and (co)evolution

The accessory elements of bacteria, transposons, plasmids and phages provide tillable as well as fertile ground for studying the ecology and (co)evolution of parasite and symbiont interactions with their hosts. The recent climate has yielded a bountiful harvest of delicious evolutionary food for thought.
Reactions of late transition metal complexes with molecular oxygen

Limited natural resources, high energy consumption, economic considerations, and environmental concerns demand that we develop new technologies for the sustainable production of chemicals and fuels. New methods that combine the selective activation of C–H bonds of hydrocarbons with oxidation by a green oxidant such as molecular oxygen would represent huge advances toward this goal. The spectacular selectivity of transition metals in cleaving C–H bonds offers the potential for the direct use of hydrocarbons in the production of value-added organics such as alcohols. However, the use of oxygen, which is abundant, environmentally benign, and inexpensive (particularly from air), has proven challenging, and more expensive and less green oxidants are often employed in transition-metal-catalyzed reactions. Advances in the use of oxygen as an oxidant in transition-metal-catalyzed transformations of hydrocarbons will require a better understanding of how oxygen reacts with transition metal alkyl and hydride comple...
Use of sequential purging with the static headspace method to quantify gasoline contamination

The static headspace method used with portable gas chromatographs has become an important means of field screening environmental samples for gasoline contamination. A major limitation in using this method is the simultaneous detection (coelution) of other volatile gasoline constituents with those of interest. This is particularly problematic in the quantitation of methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE), benzene and toluene. A sequential purging technique was used with static headspace analysis to remove coeluting compounds and to improve the accuracy in the quantitation of MTBE and aromatic constituents. Aqueous constituent concentrations determined using sequential purging were generally within 20% of those determined from laboratory purge and trap/gas chromatography (EPA method SW 846-602) analyses. Without sequential purging, constituent concentrations determined using the static headspace method were found to be 2 to over 10 times that of laboratory analyses. Further, in very contaminated samples, sequential purging permitted quantitation of constituents which were not resolvable in the initial headspace analysis due to coelution.
Effects of gender discrimination and reported stress on drug use among racially/ethnically diverse women in Northern California.

Purpose Gender discrimination has been associated with worse health outcomes for U.S. women. Using the stress and coping process framework, we examined whether lifetime gender discrimination was associated with maladaptive coping behaviors, namely, lifetime and recent hard drug use. We also considered whether reported stress from gender discrimination mediated this relationship and whether this process differed across racial/ethnic groups. Methods We used data from a racially/ethnically diverse convenience sample of 754 women attending family planning clinics in Northern California (11% African American, 17% Latina, 10% Asian, and 62% Caucasian). To test our hypotheses, we conducted logistic regression models, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Main Findings Gender discrimination was positively associated with both lifetime and recent hard drug use. We did not find support for the mediation hypothesis, because stress was not associated with either lifetime or recent hard drug use. There was evidence of some race moderation for the Latina sample. Among these respondents, gender discrimination was associated with higher odds of lifetime drug use, whereas stress was associated with lower odds. Conclusion These results suggest that experiences of gender discrimination may still activate negative coping strategies involving drug use, regardless of the stress they cause. For Latina respondents, more research is needed to better understand the stress and coping process related to gender discrimination.
Concentrations of Heavy Metals in American Woodcock Harvested in Connecticut

The American woodcock is an important migratory species to both consumptive and nonconsumptive users throughout the species range. Woodcock populations have been declining steadily since surveys began in 1968. Laboratory and field studies have demonstrated several adverse effects associated with metals in other species, which has led to their inclusion as potential contributing factors to the woodcock population decline. We investigated the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) in pectoral muscle (n = 100), livers (n = 108), and kidneys (n = 104) and Pb in wing bones (n = 53) from woodcock harvested in Connecticut. Cd concentrations were elevated in 99% of woodcock livers and kidneys; 30% of kidneys were above 100 μg/g dry weight, a Cd level of reported adverse tissue and reproductive effects in other species. Hg and Cr concentrations were below current biologically significant thresholds. Asc, Pb, and Se in soft tissues were associated with lead shot use in collection. Se in 24% of livers was above 10 μg/g dry weight, the reported threshold for avian health. Wing-bone Pb was elevated above 20 μg/g in 61% of adults and 23% of juveniles examined. Our findings indicate that woodcock are being exposed to potentially damaging levels of at least two metals with known effects in other species.
Optical Coherence Tomography Assessment of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Changes after Glaucoma Surgery

Purpose To assess changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness in glaucoma patients after filtration surgery by using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Bacterial regrowth model for water distribution systems incorporating alternating split-operator solution technique

This paper presents a new mathematical model of bacterial regrowth in distribution systems, which combines hydraulic calculations, inclusive of dispersion, with a description of the following microbial processes: free and attached growth, detachment, endogenous respiration, and inactivation by chlorine. The microbial process description has been simplified from previous models based on a sensitivity analysis. The alternating split-operator algorithm is used to solve this model. This method differs from previous approaches by decoupling the transport and reaction processes, allowing a choice among numerical algorithms that is best suited for each part of the model. The proposed solution resolves sharp fronts of a concentration profile more accurately than traditional finite difference methods. The results of the model are also compared against EPANET to show the importance of accounting for dispersion, as would occur during low water demand conditions when velocity is low. Use of the model to understand the interaction among key parameters affecting bacterial regrowth is illustrated for a simple hypothetical network.
Assessing Strengths, Resilience, and Growth to Guide Clinical Interventions.

Recently, the field of mental health has incorporated a growing interest in strengths, resilience, and growth, psychological phenomena that may be associated with healthy adjustment trajectories and profitably integrated into strategies for clinical assessment and practice. This movement constitutes a significant shift from traditional deficit-oriented approaches. Addressing clinical practitioners, this article (a) provides a broad overview of these constructs and phenomena, (b) discusses their relevance for clinical assessment and intervention, and (c) describes selected strategies and approaches for conducting assessments that can guide intervention.
Cost-Aware SEcure Routing (CASER) Protocol Design for Wireless Sensor Networks

Lifetime optimization and security are two conflicting design issues for multi-hop wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with non-replenishable energy resources. In this paper, we first propose a novel secure and efficient Cost-Aware SEcure Routing (CASER) protocol to address these two conflicting issues through two adjustable parameters: energy balance control (EBC) and probabilistic-based random walking. We then discover that the energy consumption is severely disproportional to the uniform energy deployment for the given network topology, which greatly reduces the lifetime of the sensor networks. To solve this problem, we propose an efficient non-uniform energy deployment strategy to optimize the lifetime and message delivery ratio under the same energy resource and security requirement. We also provide a quantitative security analysis on the proposed routing protocol. Our theoretical analysis and OPNET simulation results demonstrate that the proposed CASER protocol can provide an excellent tradeoff between routing efficiency and energy balance, and can significantly extend the lifetime of the sensor networks in all scenarios. For the non-uniform energy deployment, our analysis shows that we can increase the lifetime and the total number of messages that can be delivered by more than four times under the same assumption. We also demonstrate that the proposed CASER protocol can achieve a high message delivery ratio while preventing routing traceback attacks.
Virtual-reality therapy.

The article looks at the uses of virtual-reality programs in therapeutics. The cardinal virtue of virtual reality--the ability to give users the sense that they are "somewhere else"--can be of great value in a medical setting. Researchers are finding that some of the best applications of the software focus on therapy rather than entertainment. In essence, virtual reality can ease pain, both physical and psychological. For the past several years, I have worked with David R. Patterson, a pain expert at the University of Washington School of Medicine, to determine whether severely burned patients, who often face unbearable pain, can relieve their discomfort by engaging in a virtual-reality program during wound treatment. The results have been so promising that a few hospitals are now preparing to explore the use of virtual reality as a tool for pain control. In other projects, my colleagues and I are using virtual-reality applications to help phobic patients overcome their irrational fears and to treat posttraumatic stress disorder in survivors of terrorist attacks. At least two software companies are already leasing virtual-reality programs and equipment to psychologists for phobia treatment in their offices. And the Virtual Reality Medical Center, a chain of clinics in California, has used similar programs to successfully treat more than 300 patients suffering from phobias and anxiety disorders. Because less attention is available to process incoming pain signals, patients often experience dramatic drops in how much pain they feel and spend much less time thinking about their pain during wound care. As a stricter test of whether virtual reality reduces pain, I set out with my colleagues at the University of Washington to measure pain-related brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging. INSET: PAIN-RELATED BRAIN ACTIVITY.
The 2-Cys Peroxiredoxin-Deficient Listeria monocytogenes Displays Impaired Growth and Survival in the Presence of Hydrogen Peroxide In Vitro But Not in Mouse Organs

Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes to reactive oxygen radicals may facilitate its survival in phagocytic cells and against some oxidizing sanitizers. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of the 2-cys peroxiredoxin (Prx) homologue in L. monocytogenes, particularly its survival in a hydrogen peroxide-containing environment. An in-frame prx deletion mutant and a complementation strain were constructed and evaluated for their growth and survival either in media containing different concentrations (0, 15, 20, 25, 50, and 294 mmol x L(-1)) hydrogen peroxide or in macrophages. Bacterial survival in various mouse organs was also investigated after intraperitoneal administration. We found that prx-defective L. monocytogenes was sensitive to hydrogen peroxide in in vitro growth media but not in mouse organs or in macrophages, suggesting that Prx promotes survival in the presence of exogenous hydrogen peroxide but not in mammalian cells or organs.
Energy dependence of the ion-ion potential with a simplified energy density method☆

Abstract A general form of the ion-ion potential is obtained using the energy density method along the lines by Ngo et al ., but with a very simple form of the energy density introduced by Skyrme. The results are in good agreement with the ones of Blocki et al . who used a similar formulation but with an enery density based on the Thomas-Fermi model. We also give a simple derivation for the energy dependence in the ion-ion potential. This is based on the combining of the folding model with the observed energy dependence of the nucleon-nucleus potential and the decreasing effect of antisymmetry between the ions with energy. The attraction in the potential increases at first with energy but then decreases.
The dissolution of cooperative groups: mechanisms of queen mortality in incipient fire ant colonies

In several species of ants, queens often form temporary cooperative associations during colony foundation. These associations end soon after the eclosion of the first workers with the death or expulsion of all but one of the queens. This study examined competition between foundress queens of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Although attacks by the workers contributed to queen mortality, queens gained no advantage by producing more workers than their co-foundresses. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of mitochondrial DNA showed that the queen producing more workers during colony founding was no more likely to survive than the less productive queen. In experimentally manipulated colonies in which all the workers were daughters of only one of the queens, the mother of the workers was no more likely to survive than the unrelated queen. Queens producing diploid males reared fewer offspring but were as likely to survive as queens producing only workers. These results suggest that workers do not discriminate between related and unrelated queens within colonies. Aggressive encounters between queens were common. Queens were more likely to die or be expelled if paired with heavier queens or if they lost more weight than their co-foundress during the claustral period. Finally, when queens were separated by screens through which workers could pass, the workers usually attacked and killed the queen farther from the brood. These results suggest that queen survival is promoted by a high fighting ability relative to co-foundresses, rather than by increased worker production, and that workers respond to queen differences that are independent of kinship.
Artificial surfactant treatment in lambs with severe respiratory distress syndrome." A controlled study

ers. Two studies report clinical improvement in human babies after surfactant replacement therapy?. ~ These preliminary results are exciting, but the effects of the surfactant were not clearly distinguished from those of the surfactant delivery methods, which themselves may have had beneficial effects. This report describes the results of experiments in which lambs with respiratory distress syndrome were treated with liquid or dry surfactant delivered under pressure and compared with similar lamps treated with pressure alone.
PROSLAVERY EXTREMISM GOES TO WAR: THE COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY CONFEDERACY AND REACTIONARY MILITARISM*

Recent scholarship on Southern intellectual history has tended to minimize the importance of America's most reactionary defenders of bondage. This essay revisits the significance of proslavery extremists by attending to how George Fitzhugh and a group of fellow polemicists legitimated Confederate authoritarianism during the early 1860s. By joining together as avowed counterrevolutionaries during a period of rapid change, these publicists vindicated force and “institutionalism” as an alternative to the American founders' commitment to consensual government and equal political rights. Conjuring up sweeping historical vistas and developing a modish vocabulary of organic social development helped these popular essayists gain a hearing for their strikingly frank hostility towards popular government. In their growing attention to martial themes, they forecast an impending transition within Southern authoritarianism. As emancipation made earlier proslavery efforts obsolete, the enduring affinity for martial principles among Southern conservatives demonstrated the prescience of those writers who first recast an emphasis on racial domination into an even broader species of reactionary militarism.
Metabolic Fates of Gramine in Barley II: Biotransformation of Gramine into Indole-3-carbinol and Indole-3-carboxylic Acid in Barley

When gramine, labeled in the methylenic side chain with both 14C and tritium, was administered to 60-day-old barley shoots, it was biotransformed to indole-3-carbinol and indole-3-carboxylic acid. A mechanism involving an indolenine intermediate is proposed. The mechanism is reminiscent of the stepwise degradation of serotonin to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in man and suggests that enzymes capable of biodegrading the side chain of indoles may be common to both the animal and plant kingdoms.
Nitric oxide sensors using combination of p- and n-type semiconducting oxides and its application for detecting NO in human breath

Abstract Mixtures of WO 3 and Cr 2 O 3 in varying weight ratios as well as adjacent alignment of these two powders were both examined as possible designs for NO-selective sensor. Studies focused on resistance measurements toward NO and CO at 300 °C were carried out. Using the sensor design with the adjacent alignment of n-type WO 3 and p-type Cr 2 O 3 resulted in optimal performance. This sensor design exploits the different majority carriers in these two semiconducting oxides for selective NO gas sensing. The advantage of such a sensor system is that the device can be sensitive to NO at low ppb level (18 ppb detection limit) and discriminate against CO at concentrations a thousand-fold higher (20 ppm). The sensing mechanism was investigated by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared studies. Characterization of the adjacent p–n interface was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman imaging study. Practical application of this device is demonstrated by measuring NO in human breath samples.
An elusive antecedent of superior firm performance: The knowledge management factor

Knowledge management (KM) concepts, principles, and technologies provide a foundation for understanding and building systems for acquiring, assimilating, selecting, generating, and emitting knowledge-a crucial resource of the firm. In the knowledge management community, it is commonly contended that knowledge, and capabilities for processing it, comprise a major resource that can differentiate one firm from another in the sense of yielding better performance or a competitive edge. However, aside from anecdotes, there has been little to substantiate this contention. Can any empirical link be discovered between a firm's KM success and that firm's financial performance? To develop an answer to this question, we use an independent research company's reports of firms judged to be highly successful in their KM initiatives, plus related data reported by COMPUSTAT. As an initial investigation of the linkage between KM performance and firm performance, as measured by financial ratios, this study uses the Matched Sample Comparison Group methodology to evaluate research hypotheses. The analysis reveals a heretofore elusive antecedent of firm performance-evidence that superior KM performance is indeed a predictor of superior bottom-line performance. This study contributes to the information systems (IS) literature by demonstrating that KM, a basic foundation for IS, is an important factor to consider from the standpoint of achieving strong financial performance. As such, it suggests that KM furnishes an important context for understanding designs, applications, and possibilities for IS with respect to achieving such performance. In the context of devising and executing KM initiatives, both technological and human treatments of knowledge need to be cultivated and integrated in ways that lead to superior KM performance. This study also contributes to the management literature by going beyond anecdotes and case studies in buttressing the proposition that a firm's KM competencies are an important ingredient in that firm's performance. It solidifies the raison d'etre for investigating KM phenomena and methods (computer-based and human), both within and across modern organizations. It gives practicing managers evidence that bottom-line benefits are indeed associated with superior KM strategy and execution.
Comparability of Large-Scale Studies of Agricultural Chemical Contamination of Rural Private Wells

Detection of agricultural chemicals in ground water has prompted numerous studies. Federal, state, and regional studies were conducted in the last 10 years in order to assess the occurrence of agricultural chemicals in ground water. The results of the studies present the number or percentage of samples with agricultural chemicals above the drinking water standard or health advisory levels as well as samples with detections of one or more compounds. Data comparison from one state or region to another are frequently referred to by regulatory and agency personnel involved in water quality and agriculture issues. Unless the history of pesticide use, method of chemical analyses, detection limits, statistical design of the sampling plan, well type, well depth, geology of the formation material, and typical land use around the wellhead are known, such comparisons can be misleading. Reporting the limitations or presenting a disclaimer should be a key element for a study so that “apples and oranges” are not compared.
Assessment Beyond Definitions.

Definitions do not provide enough information to guide the assessment of gifted and talented students. Although concepts of abilities, potential, talent development, and differentiated programs are directly or indirectly described in most definitions, the practitioner must still decide how to operationalize them. Using types of validity as criteria, the author proposes a model that uses measurement and nonmeasurement descriptions. The model includes (a) the identification of domain-related abilities that discriminate among gifted and talented students; (b) the use of differentiated activities during a prereferral process to determine the need for special services; (c) the dynamic assessment of abilities to determine the zone of proximal development or potential; (d) the use of norm-referenced measures that relate to the domain, differentiate among abilities, and are reliable; and (e) the design of effective programs that develop abilities. Not counting the various models and theories of giftedness, more than 100 definitions address such psychological constructs as intelligence, creativity, talent, ability, aptitude, leadership, and even entrepreneurship. The same construct may also be defined differently in diverse fields. Professionals emphasize invention in physics, novel products in business, imagination in art, and new classification systems in philosophy-all of which may
The Queue Inference Engine: Addendum

A simple modification of one equation in Larson 1990 reduces the computational complexity of the algorithm for the Queue Inference Engine QIE from ON5 to ON3, where N is the number of customers queued during a congestion period.
Are antiepileptic drugs used in the treatment of migraine associated with an increased risk of suicidality

Three antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), valproic acid, gabapentin, and topiramate (TPM), are used frequently in the prophylactic treatment of migraines. In December 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning suggesting that the use of all AEDs is associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation and behavior. This warning has been received by the medical community with great skepticism, and the validity of the findings of the meta-analysis that led to its publication has been questioned because of various methodological problems. Yet, migraine by itself is associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation and behavior as well as with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders that facilitate the development of suicidal behavior. Furthermore, TPM has been associated with psychiatric adverse events that potentially could result in suicidal ideation and behavior. In this article, we review data to determine whether the AEDs used in the prevention of migraine are associated with an increased risk of suicidality.
Puerto Rican families caring for an adult with mental retardation: role of familism.

Abstract The role of familism (a cultural value including interdependence among nuclear and extended family members for support, loyalty, and solidarity) in caregiving was explored for Puerto Rican...
Effect of repeated administration of soman on selected endocrine parameters and blood glucose in rats

Abstract The effects of repeated administration of soman on plasma glucose levels, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in erythrocytes and hypothalamus, and plasma levels of corticosterone, glucagon, insulin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were studied in male rats. Rats were given soman subcutaneously (sc), either 30 μg/kg every 24 hr for 5 or 12 days or 40 μg/kg every 24 hr for 5 days. All doses of soman markedly depressed AChE activity in the hypothalamus and completely inhibited AChE activity in erythrocytes. Soman 30 μg/kg given for 5 days did not alter plasma levels of any hormone assayed and produced few signs of intoxication. Soman 40 μg/kg given for 5 days elevated plasma levels of glucose and corticosterone and produced signs of severe cumulative intoxication. Daily administration of 30 μg/kg of soman for 12 days inhibited hypothalamic AChE activity 75%, lowered plasma insulin, and produced signs of moderate intoxication. Repeated administration of soman produced endocrine alterations only when significant signs of intoxication were evident. The absence of increases in plasma levels of catecholamines and corticosterone in rats exhibiting signs of moderate intoxication, and of catecholamines in rats exhibiting signs of severe intoxication, may indicate an impairment by soman of the normal endocrine response to stress.