cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin B12 : A Review

Abstract Recently, there has been considerable interest among coaches in the effects of vitamin B12 on athletic performance. This review article summarizes the research reported on the source and requirements of vitamin B12 in the diet, the role of this vitamin in red blood cell formation and metabolism, the effects of vitamin B12 on growth and work performance, and the relative efficiency of oral and parenteral feeding of this nutrient.
Harsh Environment Sensor Array-Enabled Hot Spring Mapping

We report the design, fabrication, and application of temperature and electrical conductivity sensor arrays for studying the harsh environments of hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. Centimeter-scale measurements are necessary to measure sharp gradients in geochemical parameters across the photosynthetic/nonphotosynthetic transition zone known as the photosynthetic fringe. Platinum, parylene-C, and fused quartz were the critical materials used in fabrication of both sensor arrays. More than 700 temperature and 90 conductivity measurements were taken in the mixing zone, where two geochemically distinct hot spring channels converged. We present a new technique, whereby microscale temperature measurements can be used to predict ion concentrations that represent the bulk ion chemistry via electrical conductivity (or other conservative chemicals) in this mixing zone. High-spatial-resolution data confirm that the strong temperature gradients across these regions largely determine where photosynthetic organisms appear.appear.
Genetics and gerontological nursing: a need to stimulate research.

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to discuss how genetics will affect gerontological nursing. The chapter will answer two questions: (1) Which aspects of genetics will be most relevant to future gerontological nursing practice? and (2) What will be the impact of genetics on the future of gerontological nursing education and research? MEDLINE was searched for relevant articles from 1995 to 2001 using the key words aging, genetics, geriatrics, nursing education, research, and gerontology. CRISP was searched using the thesaurus terms education/planning, genetics, health education, model design/development, psychological model, pubic health curriculum, behavioral/social science research, and research nursing/genetics. A total of 101 nursing and nonnursing articles were reviewed. Research reports were selected if they focused on issues related to gerontological nursing. Articles were reviewed that had application to genetic nursing, complex diseases, and genetics. The evolution of the science of genetics will revolutionize gerontological nursing and affect future nursing education and research as the concepts of genetic science and the technology they generate are translated into everyday clinical practice. Genetic discoveries in common complex diseases will affect care provided by gerontological nurses in the 21st century. Gerontological nurses must move quickly to recognize this genetic paradigm shift and to incorporate genetics issues into their nursing practice.
Syria, Cost-sharing, and the Responsibility to Protect Refugees

The Syrian refugee crisis may soon be the largest since the Second World War. This Article is the first to analyze the devastating fallout of this crisis, and to propose a novel approach to a perennial international law problem at its center. Nearly all of the more than 4 million refugees that have fled the conflict in Syria are concentrated in five countries in the region. These countries do not have the resources to sustain these refugees and there is no principled basis for the current distribution of the responsibility of protecting Syrian refugees. Instead, geo-graphic proximity to conflict and porousness of borders remain the primary determinants of which nations bear the heaviest cost. The resulting distribution of refugees threatens Syrian lives, regional stability and international security. Despite the gravity of the Syrian refugee crisis, however, states can mitigate it if they cooperate to share the cost of protecting these refugees. Regrettably international refugee law offers no basis for achieving this cooperation. This Article proposes a means of achieving international cooperation to share the cost of protecting refugees fleeing mass atrocities, such as those fleeing Syria. It uses an as yet unexplored avenue to do so: the international doctrine of the responsibility to protect (RtoP). International actors and scholars have typically focused on when and how RtoP facilitates state cooperation for coercive international action against human rights violators. This Article argues for a new, non-coercive use of the existing doctrine — facilitating international refugee cost-sharing. It proposes a mechanism for achieving this refugee cost-sharing to address rising international displacement from conflict, and applies it to the Syrian refugee crisis to illustrate how the mechanism would function. Some scholars will question the suitability of RtoP as a frame for pursuing international cooperation for refugee protection, in light of the concerns that commentators have generally raised regarding the doctrine in other contexts. To overcome these concerns, this Article proposes a new approach to how international actors develop and apply RtoP even beyond the context of refugee protection.
The history of Britain is dead; long live a global history ofBritain

AbstractI propose a global history of modern Britain around an account of the rise, demise and reinvention of a liberal political economy that reified the market as the organising principle of government. It is a story that is inseparable from the growth and collapse of the British Empire, as well as the continuing, if precarious, global hegemony of the Anglosphere. The liberal political economy that germinated within the British Empire may have had a world system built around it, but events, processes and peoples far beyond the Anglosphere shaped the history of its rise, demise and reinvention. This history of Britain is then a global story, not because of that old imperial conceit that Britain made the world, but because the world made Britain.This article has been peer reviewed.
Living with Cancer: an Educational Intervention in Cancer Patients Can Improve Patient-Reported Knowledge Deficit

A cancer diagnosis requires significant information to facilitate health care decision making, understand management options, and health care system navigation. Patient knowledge deficit can decrease quality of life and health care compliance. Surveys were distributed to attendees of the Mayo Clinic "Living with and Surviving Cancer" patient symposium January 2015. Follow-up survey was sent to participants 3 months after the symposium. Surveys included demographic data and patient-reported disease comprehension, symptom burden, desired information, and quality-of-life assessment. Demographics: 113 patients completed the pre-intervention survey. Average age was 64.7 years. Disease types included hematologic (N = 50) and solid malignancies (N = 77). Most patients self-reported adequate baseline understanding of their disease (80 %), screening tests (74 %), and monitoring tools (72 %). Lowest knowledge topics were legal issues (13 %) and pain management (35 %). Pre- and post-analysis: 79 of the initial 113 participants completed both surveys. In the post-symposium setting, durable knowledge impact was noted in disease understanding (pre 80 % vs post 92 %), treatment options (pre 60 % vs post 76 %), nutrition (pre 68 % vs post 84 %), and legal issues (pre 15 % vs post 32 %). Most patients desired increased understanding regarding disease, screening tests, nutrition, and stress and fatigue management. The level of desired information for these topics decreased in the post-symposium setting, statistically significant decrease noted in 4 of 5 topics assessed. Knowledge needs and deficit in cancer care range from disease-specific topics, social stressors, and health care navigation. A cancer patient-centered symposium can improve patient-reported knowledge deficit, with durable responses at 3 months, but patient needs persist.
A Tetragonal Phase Self-Organized from Unimolecular Spheres Assembled from a Substituted Poly(2-oxazoline)

Synthesis and living cationic ring-opening polymerization of a 2-oxazoline containing self-assembling minidendrons with hexadecyl groups are reported. Structural analysis using X-ray diffraction, molecular modeling, and reconstructed electron density maps revealed multiple self-organized periodic arrays, including columnar hexagonal P6mm, cubic Pm3n, and tetragonal P42/mnm phases, which have not been observed before in a single homopolymer. The degree of polymerization (DP) of the poly(2-oxazoline) programs the sequence of these periodic arrays. The cubic Pm3n phase was observed for DP = 5 whereas the tetragonal P42/mnm for 10 ≤ DP ≤ 50. For DP ≥ 75, only a columnar hexagonal P6mm phase was accessible because the polymer chains are too long to form a single supramolecular sphere. This sequence was rationalized by the columnar character of supramolecular spheres to provide the richest diversity of structures assembled from a single polymer and an unprecedented example of a tetragonal phase organized from...
Variable-rate coding with feedback for universal communication systems

Classical coding schemes that rely on joint typicality (such as Slepian-Wolf coding and channel coding) assume known statistics and rely on asymptotically long sequences. However, in practice the statistics are unknown, and the input sequences are of finite length. In this finite regime, we must allow a non-zero probability of codeword error and also pay a penalty in the rate. The penalty manifests itself as redundancy in source coding and a gap to capacity in channel coding. Our contributions in this paper are two-fold. First, we develop a universal scheme for the specific example of the binary symmetric channel. With n channel uses and a fixed , the gap to capacity of our scheme is O( √ n). The prior art for channel coding with known statistics shows that the penalty is Ω( √ n). Therefore, we infer for communication systems that rely on joint typicality that the penalty needed to accommodate universality is Θ( √ n). Second, we derive the penalty incurred in variable-rate universal channel coding when we restrict the number of rounds of feedback. Surprisingly, it turns out that using only two or three rounds of feedback provides near-optimal performance for systems of practical interest. This rule of thumb is valuable for practical communication systems.
Psychoanalytic Sensibility and Honoring Individual Differences: A Conversation with Nancy McWilliams

Nancy McWilliams, who is greatly influenced by the work of George Atwood and Robert Stolorow on intersubjectivity, wonders if, as clinicians, we are able to view the patient through larger frameworks beyond the symptomology described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013). She asks in her interview, “Is the person’s life improving in the areas of love, in work, and play? Or increasing in self-esteem and affect tolerance and regulation or security of attachment?” And, “Do they have a sense of vitality?” Most importantly, she views these questions in the context of the intersubjective attunement she shares with each person she works with.
Mapping Current Wars and Conflicts

Current Wars and Conflicts … (Belligerents and Supporters, Killed and A.I.R.S.)2017, detailThere is a lot of suffering and displacement due to armed conflicts in our world.But how much? And how man...
A learning from demonstration framework for implementation of a feeding task

In this paper, a learning from demonstration (LFD) approach is used to design an autonomous meal-assistance agent. The feeding task is modeled as a mixture of Gaussian distributions. Using the data...
Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Success in diagnosing a disease depends to a large extent upon the choice of diagnostic techniques. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the case of gastroduodenal infection withHelicobacter pylori. H. pylori had been observed in the gastric mucosa by several independent investigators since the beginning of the twentieth century (Krienitz 1906; Luger and Neuberger 1921; Doenges 1939; Freedberg and Barron 1940), yet its existance was often doubted by the experts of the time. In 1954 Palmer reported a large study of more than 1000 patients undergoing suction biopsies of their stomachs.Palmer had specifically looked for the “spirochetes” observed by others, but found none and concluded that these organisms were just “simple contamination of the mucosal surface by swallowed spirochetes.” Palmer missed the opportunity to discover H. pylori by using an inappropriate diagnostic test. He stained his biopsies with the commonly used H&E stain. This stain is excellent for displaying tissue morphology but can be a relatively poor stain for visualizing H. pylori. Twenty-five years later Warren in Australia was studying gastric mucosa using a Warthin-Starry silver stain (Marshall 1989). This stain shows the bacteria very well, and soon he and Marshall surprised the scientific community by reporting the presence of “unidentified curved bacilli on gastric epithelium in active chronic gastritis” (Warren and Marshall 1983).
Law and medicine: pediatric faith healing

Exceptions to child-neglect laws allow parents to forgo medical care for their children in accord with religious beliefs, leaving courts to deal with cases where exercise of religious freedom has resulted in death of a child. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Sleep and Health

There are epidemiological data to suggest that an optimal amount of sleep is associated with longevity. That is, too much or too little sleep does not promote good health. Sleep deprivation studies have shown the extreme sensitivity of humans to modest sleep deprivation, and have documented the enormous recuperative powers of sleep. Sleep can be objectively studied by recording brain wave activity and other physiologic measures which allow the determination of specific stages of sleep generally described as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. These states of consciousness oscillate with a regular periodicity throughout the night, and thematic dreaming is generally associated with REM sleep. REM sleep also is associated with marked alterations in physiologic functioning which may create risk of for respiratory and cardiovascular disturbance. Sleep is largely controlled by the circadian temperature cycle which regulates the onset of REM sleep and the total duration of sleep. Clinical sleep disorders are common and have significant behavioral and physiological consequences. The most prominent of these would be obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by upper airway occlusion during sleep and is associated with significant cardiopulmonary consequences, sleep fragmentation, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Insomnia is perhaps the most common clinical complaint concerning sleep and is commonly associated with significant behavioral abnormalities such as anxiety, depression, and the conditioning of poor sleep habits.
Cervical Cytology (The Pap Test)

Widespread adoption of the Pap test as a screening tool for cervical cancer is arguably one of the most significant advances in public health in human history. While much of the basic performance of the Pap test has remained the same over the years, the addition of liquid-based cytology, automated image analysis, and concomitant testing for high-risk human papillomaviruses have had a substantial impact on the screening and treatment paradigm and the way the Pap test has been used over the last decade. These technologies have helped advance the detection of cervical cancer and its precursors.
Simultaneous quantification of cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and CB1 receptor antagonist in rat plasma: An application to characterize pharmacokinetics after passive cannabis smoke inhalation and co-administration of rimonabant.

Abstract A highly sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol, and rimonabant in rat plasma was developed. Analytes and the internal standard were extracted from plasma using a combination of protein precipitation followed by liquid-liquid extraction. Chromatographic separation was done using Waters Symmetry C18, 4.6 × 150 mm, 5 um column using 10 mm ammonium formate buffer and methanol. The total run time was 6 min, and separation was achieved using isocratic elution at a flow rate of 1 mL/min using a 10:90 (aqueous: organic) ratio. The ionization of the analytes was optimized using electrospray ionization in positive mode, and multiple reaction mode was used for this analysis. This method showed linearity from 0.1 to 100 ng/ml for all the analytes and was validated according to FDA Bioanalytical Method Validation Guidance in terms of accuracy, precession, linearity, stability, matrix effect, recovery, and stability. This method was successfully applied to characterize the pharmacokinetics of THC in rats after continuous passive smoke exposure for 50 min when rimonabant was co-administered with cannabis smoke. Maximum concentration (Cmax) for THC was observed immediately after rats were removed from the exposure chamber (10 min post completion) which declined with a terminal half-life of 3.7 h and clearance was calculated to be 1.1 (L/h). Rimonabant (i.p) at a dose of 3 mg/kg was rapidly absorbed and maximum concentration (Cmax) was seen at 11 min which declined with a terminal half-life of 5.4 h and clearance was calculated to be 2.0 (L/h). Exposure AUCinf (h* μg/L) for THC and rimonabant were 13.9 and 457.6 respectively. As this method was highly sensitive and required only 50 μL of plasma, it is applicable in rodent models that assess the exposure-response relationships of these drugs.
Local Differential Privately Anonymizing Online Social Networks Under HRG-Based Model

Following the trend of online social networks (OSNs) data sharing and publishing, users raise serious concerns on OSN privacy. Differential privacy is a mechanism to anonymize sensitive data. It employs graph abstraction models, such as the hierarchical random graph (HRG) model, to extract graph features and then add sufficient noise. However, the noise amount, determined by the sensitivity, is usually proportional to the size of the whole network. Therefore, achieving global differential privacy may harm the utility of releasing graphs. In this paper, we define the notion of group-based local differential privacy. In particular, by resolving the network into 1-neighborhood graphs and applying HRG-based methods, our scheme preserves differential privacy and reduces the noise scale on the local graphs. By deploying the grouping algorithm, our scheme abandons the attempt to anonymize every relationship to be ordinary, but we focus on the similarities in HRG models. In the final released graph, each individual user in one group is not distinguishable, which greatly enhances the OSN privacy. We experimentally evaluate our approach on three real-world OSNs. It produces synthetic graphs that are more closely matched with the originals compared with the existing differential-privacy results.
Reducing disruptive behaviors in students with serious emotional disturbance

A multicomponent intervention that included a precision request program, mystery motivators, token economy with response cost, and antecedent strategies (i.e., public posting of classroom rules and...
Phase II Clinical Trial of Pembrolizumab in Patients with Progressive Metastatic Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas

Metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (MPPGs) are rare endocrine malignancies that are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality because of their large tumor burden and location, progression, and release of catecholamines. Systemic therapies for MPPGs are limited. MPPGs are characterized by pseudohypoxia that may prevent immune system recognition. We conducted a phase II clinical trial of pembrolizumab in patients with progressive MPPGs. The primary endpoint was the non-progression rate at 27 weeks. The secondary endpoints included the objective response and clinical benefit rates, progression free and overall survival duration, and safety. We also determined whether PDL-1 expression and the presence of infiltrating mononuclear inflammatory cells in the primary tumor were associated with clinical response and hereditary background. Eleven patients were included in this trial, four (36%) with germline mutations and seven (64%) with hormonally active tumors. Four patients (40%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 12-74%) achieved the primary endpoint. The objective response rate was 9% (95% CI: 0-41%). The clinical benefit rate was 73% (95% CI: 39-94%). Four patients had grade 3 adverse events related to pembrolizumab. No patients experienced grade 4 or 5 adverse events or a catecholamine crisis. Progression free survival time was 5.7 months (95% CI: 4.37-not reached). The median survival duration was 19 months (95% CI: 9.9-not reached). PDL-1 expression and the presence of infiltrating mononuclear inflammatory cells in the primary tumor did not seem to be associated with disease response. Single-agent pembrolizumab has modest treatment efficacy in patients with progressive MPPGs. Positive responses seemed to be independent of patients' hereditary backgrounds, tumor hormonal status, and the presence of infiltrating mononuclear inflammatory cells or PDL-1 expression in the primary tumor.
Aptamers and siRNAs in Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the United States, and is a leading cause of morbidity. In addition, many drugs used to treat various arenas of cardiovascular disease have untoward side effects and less than desirable safety profiles. To meet the challenge of developing safe and effective treatments, aptamers and siRNAs are being developed that display promising potential. Aptamers are relatively small, synthetic nucleic acid ligands that possess high affinity and specificity for their target proteins. Also, antidote oligonucleotides may be rationally designed against any aptamer, thus introducing an additional level of safety. Similarly, siRNAs may be rationally designed to cleave any messenger RNA through sequence complimentarity, thus silencing gene expression. Also, their effects have been shown to be long lasting, reducing the need for daily treatment. Here, we present background information on both aptamer- and siRNA-based therapeutics, and in particular focus on their applications to many areas of cardiovascular disease, namely anticoagulation, intimal hyperplasia, hypertension, myocardial ischemia, atherosclerosis and heart failure. In addition, potential challenges to both fields are discussed, and ideas on how to overcome these hurdles are offered. Overall, both aptamers and siRNAs represent attractive, novel nucleic acid therapies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Implementation and Costs of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Demonstration

Research Objective Medicaid has historically reimbursed community mental health centers using fee‐for‐service or negotiated managed care rates that did not always cover the full costs of the services provided by these clinics. To address this problem and improve quality of care, eight states implemented the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Demonstration—the first large‐scale test of Medicaid value‐based payment for community mental health centers. Clinics that became CCBHCs received a fixed daily or monthly prospective Medicaid payment set by the state to cover the full costs of nine required types of services. CCBHCs were expected to adhere to staffing and care coordination requirements, increase access to care, and report quality measures that could be used to award bonus payments. This presentation describes how CCBHCs expanded services; the extent to which payment rates covered costs; and how states and CCBHCs used quality measures.
Translocation and persistence of soil applied chlorantraniliprole as a control measure for Chloridea virescens in tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum

Abstract Chloridea (Heliothis) virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (tobacco budworm) management in pre-topped tobacco remains a concern for growers. Chlorantraniliprole, an anthranilic diamide insecticide, emerged as an option for C. virescens in early season tobacco because it selectively targets caterpillars, exhibits systemic action, and satisfies reduced risk classification. It is currently recommended for foliar application at threshold; however, because of its systemic action, many growers deploy soil applications at transplant. We conducted a series of experiments to determine the potential efficacy and longevity of soil applications of chlorantraniliprole for use against C. virescens in tobacco. First, tobacco plants were grown in the NCSU Phytotron, a controlled environment facility, and were treated with chlorantraniliprole soil applications either as a soil injection or soil drench at field equivalent rates at transplant. Plants were either watered daily or two times per week. A field experiment was established at two locations where at transplant in furrow and soil drench applications of chlorantraniliprole were compared to foliar applications. In both these experiments, one of the youngest leaves of adequate length on a subset of plants was sampled weeks three through nine after transplant in the phytotron and five through eight after transplant at the field stations. One-half of each leaf was exposed to second instar C. virescens to assess mortality and feeding, and the other half was analyzed for chlorantraniliprole concentration. Mortality differed between treatments in phytotron and field trials after 96 h exposure. Frass production and survivorship increased as plants grew. Phytotron trials demonstrated longer toxicity to C. virescens than field experiments, and chlorantraniliprole concentrations decreased at a slower rate in the Phytotron than in the field. Our field results suggest that soil applications of chlorantraniliprole are not likely to provide acceptable early season C. virescens control in the field.
Optimal Polynomial Backoff for IEEE 802.11 DCF

In the IEEE 802.11 protocol, the binary exponential backoff (BEB) function is implemented to handle retransmissions of packets to detect or avoid network congestion. In the recent related works, different backoff functions such as the Cubic backoff, which is a polynomial backoff (PB) function, have been shown to have better performance than the BEB function. However, it is unknown whether the Cubic backoff function achieves the maximum performance among all candidate PB functions with higher exponents. This paper aims to find the optimal PB function with the highest saturation throughput for both the Basic access and the RTS/CTS access mechanisms under various saturation conditions. We developed an analytical model based on the Markov chain model to calculate the saturation throughput for any PB function with any exponent for both access mechanisms. The results obtained using the analytical model were validated through simulations using the Network Simulator tool. Using this framework, we compared and analyzed 16 PB functions for both access mechanisms, which led to quite interesting results. They indicate that the PB with an exponent of 6 is the most optimal for the Basic access. In contrast, the PB with an exponent value of either 1 or 3 is the most optimal for the RTS/CTS access, which is dependent on the number of stations. In general, the results demonstrate that it is advantageous to choose a PB function that typically increases rapidly for the Basic access, whereas a PB function that typically increases slowly is more beneficial for the RTS/CTS access.
Use of Community Listening Sessions to Disseminate Research Findings to Past Participants and Communities

The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed methods study is to determine changes in attitudes towards research, trust in medical researchers and the process, and willingness to participate in research among African Americans immediately after receiving past study findings in a community listening session (CLS). We developed and implemented four CLSs with a total of 57 African Americans who were either past research participants or members of the community-at-large. In the quantitative (dominant) phase, 32 participants completed pre-post surveys and 10 of those participants completed the follow-up semi-structured interviews. Paired samples t-tests and McNemar's test determined bivariate differences between pre- and post-surveys. Thematic analyses determined emerging themes to further understand these differences. There was a significant increase in: (1) perceived advantages of clinical trials pretest (M = 26.63, SD = 5.43) and post-test (M = 28.53, SD = 4.24, p < .01); and (2) in trust in medical researchers from pre to post (M = 36.16, SD = 10.40 vs. M = 27.53, SD = 9.37, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in pre- and post-tests as it relates to perceived disadvantages of clinical trials and willingness to participate. Qualitative analysis yielded the following themes: (1) sharing research results and the impact on attitudes towards research; (2) community listening sessions: a trust building strategy; and (3) satisfaction with the community listening session. Community listening sessions hold promise as a method that researchers can use to simultaneously disseminate research findings and positively impact research perceptions and potentially participation among racial and ethnic minorities.
Seasonal ecology of non-planktonig marine diatoms on the western coast of Norway

Abstract The seasonal pattern of the common non-planktonic littoral and sublittoral diatoms was determined during approximately one year (1963–1964) in the waters of Raunefjorden and Korsfjorden near the Biological Station, Espegrend. Quantitative estimates of attached diatom productivity were made on constantly submerged glass substrate at various depths. Light intensity, water temperature, transparency, and salinity were measured throughout the period. In general, attached diatom productivity decreased with decreasing light in the autumn to January. In February, with the increase of available light, productivity increased strikingly more or less simultaneously with the phytoplankton pulse. March, with high light intensities, marked a period of great decline in diatoms on glass substrates which corresponded to theshift from “winter” to “spring” species. Attached diatom productivity increased in April, May, and June, but fell off in July and August. The species complement changed greatly through the year ...
Features of Chaotic Spin Waves in Magnetic Film Feedback Rings

The features of chaotic spin waves in magnetic film feedback rings were studied. Experiments made use of an yttrium iron garnet thin film-based active feedback ring. The excitation of chaotic spin waves relied on the three-wave interactions of short- and long-wavelength backward volume spin waves. The features of the chaotic spin waves were evaluated through the calculation of the ambiguity functions (AFs) of the measured signals. The calculation results indicate that one can tune the AF properties of the chaotic spin waves via the ring gain. In particular, an increase in the ring gain leads to the suppression of side lobes in the AF diagram, both in number and amplitude, but produces negligible effects on the main AF peak. The results on cross ambiguity functions are consistent with the chaotic nature of the chaotic spin waves. These results indicate the potential of magnetic film-based chaotic oscillators for chaotic radar applications.
Emerging Directions for International Marketing Research

Where has the international marketing (IM) literature been? What is currently happening in IM research? Where might IM academics focus their research in the future? These three questions are addressed by analyzing the network structure of IM research in a variety of marketing journals. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is used to examine the intellectual nature of the IM literature. Typically, researchers build on theoretical concepts to advance theory. Supporting the notion of research as a network of complementary and competing ideas, this study uses the published academic document (e.g., article, chapter, or monograph) as the unit of analysis. In specific, we identify how IM’s influential works and dominant research topics are interrelated with MDS-based visual depictions, comparisons, and evaluations. This is done to understand the relationships between prevailing theories more clearly. As such, our results are discussed and used to provide suggestions for future IM theory advancement and knowledge development.
Independently evolved toad‐eating snakes exhibit sexually dimorphic enlargement of adrenal glands

Toads are defended chemically by bufadienolides, a class of cardiotonic steroids lethal to most predators. Bufadienolides bind to Na+,K+-ATPases, inhibiting the ability of those cellular pumps to transport ions. In cardiocytes, this inhibition causes arrhythmia and increased contractile strength, which, if prolonged, lead to death. However, several snakes are resistant to bufadienolides and consume toads with no apparent ill effects. Adrenal glands produce hormones that function in the maintenance of Na+,K+-ATPases, and may therefore play an important role in countering the negative effects of bufadienolides. We hypothesized that bufophagous (toad-eating) snakes have enlarged adrenal glands that contribute to the snakes' resistance to bufadienolides, and that sexual dimorphism in adrenal gland size is a general characteristic of bufophagous snakes. We compared phylogenetically independent pairs of taxa to investigate differences in adrenal morphology between bufophagous and nonbufophagous species. We also compared adrenal masses between males and females of bufophagous and nonbufophagous species to test whether sexual dimorphism in adrenal size reported for one species of bufophagous snakes represents a more widespread phenomenon. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the allometric relationship between adrenal mass and body size is significantly different between several bufophagous species and related nonbufophagous species; adrenal size differs between males and females in those bufophagous species, with males having larger adrenal glands, but no such dimorphism exists in related nonbufophagous species. These results demonstrate that parallel morphological responses have occurred repeatedly in bufophagous snakes and suggest that the adrenal glands play a role in mediating the negative effects of bufadienolide ingestion in bufophagous snakes.
New clues found to diabetes and obesity.

In work described on page 1544, researchers have identified a major new target for drugs aimed at treating type 2 diabetes--and possibly for anti-obesity drugs as well. The team made found that mice that have been genetically modified so that they can9t make an enzyme called phosphotyrosine phosphatase IB (PTP-IB) showed increased sensitivity to insulin, an intriguing finding since type 2 diabetes is thought to be due to decreased sensitivity to the hormone. In addition, the animals proved resistant to the obesity usually induced by a high fat diet. It9s currently unclear whether PTP-1B abnormalities play a causative role in diabetes or obesity, but even if they don9t, it might be possible to treat the conditions with drugs that inhibit the enzyme9s activity.
Local circuits and ocular dominance columns in monkey striate cortex

The relationships between ocular dominance columns and intrinsic cortical circuitry were examined in brain slices prepared from the striate cortex of macaques. Ocular dominance columns in layer 4C beta were visualized in vitro following anterograde transport of rhodamine injected into the lateral geniculate nucleus in vivo. The axonal and dendritic arborizations of individual layer 4C beta cells were revealed by intracellular fluorescent dye injections. Both qualitative observations and quantitative analysis showed that the dendrites of cells close to borders remained preferentially, although not absolutely, in the "home" column (the column containing the cell body). Thus, the segregated pattern of afferent input appears to have considerable influence on the pattern of dendritic arbors. Similarly, while axon collaterals within layer 4C beta could cross into the adjacent column, their limited lateral spread produced arbors that remained primarily within the home column. The terminal arbors of collaterals that travelled from layer 4C beta to layer 3 had a larger lateral spread, and the termination pattern appeared to be independent of column borders. Thus, our observations indicate that, while the course of many layer 4C beta dendrites appears to be guided by columnar boundaries as defined by geniculate afferents, there exist morphological substrates for intercolumnar interactions even between 4C beta cells. Intercolumnar interactions are seen more commonly in layer 3, however, where larger, denser axon arbors originating from 4C beta cells can freely cross ocular dominance column boundaries.
Ford 450 Car Catalyst Field Test

This paper evaluates the performance of monolithic automotive exhaust catalysts under conditions of actual customer usage. Based upon the results obtained for the 450 catalyst equipped vehicles, it was concluded that the monolithic type catalyst is an efficient device for reducing hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions in customer usage. The effects of accumulated vehicle mileage, engine maintenance, three alternate catalyst designs, catalyst over-temperature. partially melted catalysts, misfueling with leaded fuel, and vehicular accidents on the performance of the catalyst system are discussed. /GMRL/
The Internet of Postal Things

The U.S. Postal Service has always been a major creator of large datasets — from mail origin/destination information to quality of service data, and letter mail scans. Recently, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General has been examining how postal operators and customers could benefit from the big data USPS has access to. In this talk we envision an Internet of Postal Things (IoPT) that embeds sensors and other data collection technologies into physical objects, infrastructures, and the surroundings in which people live and businesses operate. The declining cost of sensors, wireless data connectivity and storage opens up virtually unlimited opportunities to collect and process data from any device, infrastructure, machine and even human beings. The IoPT would transform the postal infrastructure (vehicles, mailboxes, machines, letter carriers etc.) and help the USPS bring data management to the next level. It would create new rich data sources that could help the Postal Service improve operational performance, customer service, create new products and services, and support more efficient decision-making processes. The IoPT could also have a positive effect on non-postal sectors. For example, the use of sensors on postal trucks to collect environmental data could benefit local governments. This talk will describe our exploration of the concept and how it could apply to the Postal Service.
Structures of C5 and C6

Recent experiments involving laser vaporization of graphite, followed by supersonic expansion, 1–4 have rekindled interest in the structures of small carbon clusters. While theoretical calculations have firmly established the structure(s) of 04, 5–8 relatively little theoretical work has thusfar been reported for C5 and C5, most such studies being small model calculations on diamond and graphite. There has been, however, a MINDO/2 geometry search on small carbon clusters which included C5 and C6 9. in that work C5 was found to be trigonal bipyramidal, and C5 was found to be a distorted octahedron of C2V symmetry. The available experimental data, from matrix isolation studies, indicate that C5 and C5 are linear.10–11
Rapid spectrophotometric technique for quantifying iron in cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: potential translation to the clinic.

Labeling cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles provides the ability to track cells by magnetic resonance imaging. Quantifying intracellular iron concentration in SPIO labeled cells would allow for the comparison of agents and techniques used to magnetically label cells. Here we describe a rapid spectrophotometric technique (ST) to quantify iron content of SPIO-labeled cells, circumventing the previous requirement of an overnight acid digestion. Following lysis with 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) of magnetically labeled cells, quantification of SPIO doped or labeled cells was performed using commonly available spectrophotometric instrument(s) by comparing absorptions at 370 and 750 nm with correction for turbidity of cellular products to determine the iron content of each sample. Standard curves demonstrated high linear correlation (R(2) = 0.998) between absorbance spectra of iron oxide nanoparticles and concentration in known SPIO-doped cells. Comparisons of the ST with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometric (R(2)) determinations of intracellular iron contents in SPIO containing samples resulted in significant linear correlation between the techniques (R(2) vs ST, R(2) > 0.992, p 0.995, p < 0.0001) with the limit of detection of ST for iron = 0.66 µg ml(-1) for 10(6) cells ml(-1). We have developed a rapid straightforward protocol that does not require overnight acid digestion for quantifying iron oxide content in magnetically labeled cells using readily available analytic instrumentation that should greatly expedite advances in comparing SPIO agents and protocols for labeling cells.
A controversy in fetal ecology

Abstract The treatment of repetitive reproductive failure has many forms, including both preventive and definitive therapy. Included in the former has been the administration of diethylstilbestrol. Recently, clear cell carcinoma of the vagina has been encountered in the daughters of mothers who have received such medication during pregnancy. The experimental evidence upon which this therapy was based has been reviewed. It is emphasized that the amount of the agent recommended was in relation to a definite dose response and not as a replacement regimen, apparently an important distinction.
Initiating and Reciprocating Verbal Aggression: Effects on Credibility and Credited Valid Arguments.

Felson's Impression Management Theory of violence was used to conceptualize a source credibility approach to studying verbal aggression. Research participants listened to a recorded discussion of two speakers arguing a controversial topic. One speaker initiated either a high or low level of verbal aggression and the other speaker either reciprocated or did not reciprocate the verbal aggression. Participants in the control group listened to a discussion containing no verbal aggression. The initiators of verbal aggression were seen as less credible, and had fewer valid arguments credited to them by observers. In comparison, the target of verbal aggression was seen as more credible, and was credited with more valid arguments, when s/he reciprocated a level of verbal aggression. An unexpected finding was that participants overestimated the amount of verbal aggression in the discussion.
Colonial consciousness: Rudolf Steiner’s Orientalism and German cultural identity

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), founder of Anthroposophy and the Waldorf schools, is one of many German intellectuals who have turned to the Orient in pursuit of poetic and philosophical inspiration, a...
Service Oriented Database Architecture: APP server-lite?

As the capabilities and service levels of enterprise database systems have evolved, they have collided with incumbent technologies such as TP-Monitors or Message Oriented Middleware (MOM). We believe this trend will continue and have architected the upcoming release of SQL Server to advance this technology trend. This paper describes the Service Oriented Database Architecture (SODA) developed for the Microsoft SQL Server DBMS. First, it motivates the need for building Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) features directly into a database engine. Second, it describes a set of features in SQL Server that have been designed for SOA use. Finally, it concludes with some thoughts on how SODA can enable multiple service deployment topologies.
Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a disorder of the connective tissue. There are six forms of the disease, with the vascular form being the most dangerous. Persons with this form of the disorder are often misdiagnosed. At times the first indication of the disease is arterial rupture, which is often lethal. The Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation was established to bring awareness, provide support, and raise funds for research. This nonprofit organization was founded in 1985 by one person and has grown to include many thousands of members that either have a form of the disorder or care for someone with it.
Addendum to: Curvature of contact manifolds

If the sectional curvature of any plane containing the characteristic vector field of a contact metric manifold is non-vanishing, then we prove that a vector field leaving the Riemann curvature tensor invariant; is homothetic. In addition, two corollaries have been obtained.
Una retrospectiva crítica de la obra cinematográfica de Lourdes Portillo

Esta retrospectiva critica analiza la obra cinematografica de la directora latina, Lourdes Portillo, empezando con su primer film de cortometraje, Despues del terremoto (1979), codirigido por Nina Serrano hasta uno de sus mas recientes documentales, Senorita Extraviada, (2001). Las peliculas de Lourdes Portillo plantean una serie de aspectos pertinentes para el feminismo descolonial/poscolonial y son emblematicas del amplio espectro de las preocupaciones sociales, culturales y politicas de las artistas feministas y latinas. En todas sus obras, Portillo adopta una amplia vision transnacional, colocando a la mujer en el centro de sus historias y documentando las politicas economicas neoliberales, el legado de violencia de los regimenes militares, asi como el vinculo de la violencia de genero con las estructuras de dominacion en la vida cotidiana de las mujeres.
Partitioning by iterative deletion

Netlist partitioning is an important and well studied problem. In this paper, a linear time partitioning approach based on iterative deletion is presented. We use the partitioning problem to allow a fair comparison of the iterative deletion approach with well known iterative improvement methods. For partitioning problems with a range of edge weights, and for multi-way partitioning, the iterative deletion approach can outperform the iterative improvement method. The algorithmic approach is flexible and can support complex cost functions directly.