cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of botanically derived agents for hyperpigmentation: A systematic review

Background Hyperpigmentation disorders are common among those seeking care from dermatologists and primary care physicians. The cosmeceutical and natural product industries are rapidly growing and many botanical agents are purported to improve hyperpigmentation disorders. Objective We sought to review clinical evidence for the use of botanical agents in the treatment of hyperpigmentation. Methods We searched MEDLINE and Embase databases and a total of 26 articles met inclusion criteria. Study methodology was analyzed and the reproducibility of the studies was graded. Results Several botanical agents appear promising as treatment options but few studies were methodologically rigorous. Several plant extract and phytochemicals effectively lighten signs of epidermal melasma and hyperpigmentation induced by ultraviolet radiation exposure. Results were mixed for treatment of solar lentigines or dermal hyperpigmentation. Limitations There were few rigorously designed studies; future research will be critical to further ascertain the discussed results. Conclusions The subtype of hyperpigmentation is important for treatment prognosis, with dermal hyperpigmentation less responsive to treatment. Botanical extracts may play an integrative role in the treatment of hyperpigmentation and further studies that integrate them with standard therapies are needed. Side effects, including worsened hyperpigmentation, need to be discussed when considering these therapies.
Public Issue Priority Formation: Media Agenda-Setting and Social Interaction

A mathematical model was developed to explain the public's issue priority by integrating two processes: media agenda-setting and social interaction. The media agenda-setting component of the model, based in part on cognition theory, states that memories for media coverage decline over time for each individual. Both components are discussed in terms of their ability to sustain the priority among people who previously agreed with the importance of the issue, and to recruit others to that issue position. The model was tested using two independently collected time series data sets covering six issues. The results support the hypothesis that the public's issue priority was influenced by both media and social interaction.
Formation and characterization of NixInAs/InAs nanowire heterostructures by solid source reaction.

The formation of crystalline NixInAs and NixInAs/InAs/NixInAs heterostructure nanowires by the solid source reaction of InAs nanowires with Ni is reported for the first time. The fundamental kinetics of the Ni/InAs alloying reaction is explored, with the Ni diffusion reported as the rate determining step. The diffusivity of Ni is independent of the nanowire diameter, with an extracted diffusion activation energy of ∼1 eV/atom. The metallic NixInAs exhibits a modest resistivity of ∼167 μΩ·cm for diameters >30 nm, with the resistivity increasing as the nanowire diameter is further reduced due to the enhanced surface scattering. The alloying reaction readily enables the fabrication of NixInAs/InAs/NixInAs heterostructure nanowire transistors for which the length of the InAs segment (i.e., channel length) is controllably reduced through subsequent thermal annealing steps, therefore enabling a systematic study of electrical properties as a function of channel length. From the electrical transport studies, an e...
“Who was Saved?” Families, Snitches, and Recuperation in Pynchon's Vineland

(1990). “Who was Saved?” Families, Snitches, and Recuperation in Pynchon's Vineland. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction: Vol. 32, Vineland, pp. 77-91.
Cancer monitoring with nanoparticles and microfluidics

Monitoring cancer after the first treatment requires ultra-sensitive personalized biosensors with high specificity. We present here some of the nanoparticle based microfluidic techniques pursued at the Nano Tumor Center towards this goal.
Automated data acquisition and analysis in muscle physiology research

Research in muscle physiology has progressed in both the volume and complexity of data examined. Dependence on manual methods to analyze and condense this amount of information can present a narrow bottleneck to the efficient completion of a study, and can compromise the reliability of the results. We designed a general purpose computerized system for data acquisition in experiments in our cardiovascular physiology laboratory. In addition, we developed a software program specifically for the analysis of data from studies of isolated, isometrically contracting myocardium. This system has reduced the time for analysis of such data by approximately 50-fold over that of manual techniques, and has contributed significantly to our confidence in the measured results.
Parental correlates of Rorschach human movement responses in children

The meaning of the human movement response (M) to inkblot stimuli was explored in terms of correlations between children's M productions and the attributes of their parents in 119 familes. M scores were available for the family members; and for each parent there were also measures of personality, values, and childrearing attitudes. A number of the parent-child correlational patterns were congruent with Rorschach's theories concerning the significance of M.
Multiple soliton solutions for an integrable couplings of the Boussinesq equation

Abstract We use the algebra of coupled scalars to develop a nonlinear integrable couplings of the Boussinesq equation. The Backlund transformation and the simplified Hirota's method will be used for this study. We show that these couplings possess multiple soliton solutions the same as the multiple soliton solutions of the Boussinesq equation, but differ only in the Backlund transformations. This difference exhibits soliton solutions for some equations and anti-soliton solutions for others but with the same amplitude.
Some Psychological Objectives and Techniques in Ethnography

(1937). Some Psychological Objectives and Techniques in Ethnography. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 285-300.
Susceptibilities of Propionibacterium acnes ophthalmic isolates to moxifloxacin.

Propionibacterium acnes has become an important pathogen in nosocomial infection, including endophthalmitis. The treatment of endophthalmitis presents many diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Although P. acnes has demonstrated in vitro susceptibilities to many beta-lactam agents, clindamycin, and
ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RATIO OF MEAN TO STANDARD DEVIATION IN SMALL SAMPLES FROM NON-NORMAL UNIVERSES

LET X and s be the mean and the standard deviation respectively of a sample of n drawn from a universe having mean M and standard deviation a. Let x be the deviation, X M, of the mean of a sample from the mean of the universe. The ratio z = x/s (or t = z v/nn-1) plays an extremely important part in a number of statistical problems such as determining the probability that the mean of the sample does not deviate from the mean of the universe by more than a stipulated amount, comparing two mean values, and finding the sampling errors of regression coefficients*. The distribution of z for samples of n from a normal universe has been completely determined-originally by " Student," who applied it to the first of the problems just mentioned-and tables of the distribution for various values of n have been constructed.
Large dataset offers view of math and computer self-efficacy among computer science undergraduates

First-year data from a large, nationwide, three-year longitudinal study of undergraduates in the computing disciplines have been obtained and are in the process of being analyzed. Participants were from both Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. This paper presents an initial analysis of just two of the twelve variables being investigated -- math self-efficacy and computer self-efficacy -- and focuses primarily on computer science undergraduates. Comparisons are made between the first-year computer science subjects and first-year subjects from non-computing disciplines who also participated in the survey in order to verify commonly held views about these two variables. Among the computer science subjects, the two variables are examined more closely with respect to gender, ethnicity, university type, and year in school.
Objective and subjective determinants of prospective residential mobility

The increasing interest in subjective as well as objective measures of well-being raises the issue of the relative importance of these two different types of measures when they are included as independent variables in analytical or predictive models. In the research reported here, survey data are used to evaluate the relative importance of objective and subjective indicators in providing an understanding of why households desire to move. Overall, it is found that subjective indicators add considerably to the explanation of mobility inclinations over and above that contributed by objective indicators. A comparison of explanatory powers for the full sets of objective and subjective predictors within two length of residence subgroups indicates some interesting differences, however. Objective and subjective predictors are close in explanatory power for longer-term residents, while subjective measures are considerably more important for shorter-term residents.
Measurement of Emissions from Air Pollution Sources. 5. C1−C32 Organic Compounds from Gasoline-Powered Motor Vehicles

Gas- and particle-phase organic compounds present in the tailpipe emissions from an in-use fleet of gasoline-powered automobiles and light-duty trucks were quantified using a two-stage dilution source sampling system. The vehicles were driven through the cold-start Federal Test Procedure (FTP) urban driving cycle on a transient dynamometer. Emission rates of 66 volatile hydrocarbons, 96 semi-volatile and particle-phase organic compounds, 27 carbonyls, and fine particle mass and chemical composition were quantified. Six isoprenoids and two tricyclic terpanes, which are quantified using new source sampling techniques for semi-volatile organic compounds, have been identified as potential tracers for gasoline-powered motor vehicle emissions. A composite of the commercially distributed California Phase II Reformulated Gasoline used in these tests was analyzed by several analytical methods to quantify the gasoline composition, including some organic compounds that are found in the atmosphere as semi-volatile and particle-phase organic compounds. These results allow a direct comparison of the semi-volatile and particle-phase organic compound emissions from gasoline-powered motor vehicles to the gasoline burned by these vehicles. The distribution of n-alkanes and isoprenoids emitted from the catalyst-equipped gasoline-powered vehicles is the same as the distribution of these compounds found in the gasoline used, whereas the distribution of these compounds in the emissions from the noncatalyst vehicles is very different from the distribution in the fuel. In contrast, the distribution of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their methylated homologues in the gasoline is significantly different from the distribution of the PAH in the tailpipe emissions from both types of vehicles.
The origins and sustainability of Mexico's free trade policy

Standard explanations for trade liberalization do not fully account for Mexico's turn toward free trade during the 1980s. To a large extent, the initiative came from within the country. Even many Mexican entrepreneurs whose sectors seem likely to lose from increased competition now support trade liberalization. Four conditions lowered the “political cost-benefit ratio” for policymakers and entrepreneurs. First, Mexico's leaders dispersed implementation into several financial ministries, thereby better insulating this policy from lobbying by the likely “losers.” Second, potential losers were less well-informed than were likely “winners.” Third, under these conditions, the liberal ideological biases of Mexican elite policymakers and investors flourished, prompting them to accept a higher political cost than would have been tolerated otherwise. Finally, many Mexicans came to perceive trade liberalization as a necessary tool in the fight against inflation. Each of these hypotheses, however, also flags a possible threat to the policy's future political survival.
Austen and Austin

Since the publication of J.L. Austin's How to Do Things with Words in 1962, cultural and literary scholars have worked to connect his “performative” language theory to the vital, often gender and sexuality-based, field that has since become known as “performance studies.” Little has been written, however, about the author whose marriages are ubiquitously performative: the philosopher's “namesake,” Jane Austen. In Philosophy the Day After Tomorrow (2005), Stanley Cavell broke news to literary scholars in writing about Austin and Austen, focusing on the moral perfectionism of Emma. By contrast this article follows the spirit of linguistic conformity and play in Austen's earlier major fiction, Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility. Precisely because Northanger Abbey does not unveil the “transparent mind” of free indirect speech or achieve what D.A. Miller calls final “Austen Style,” the author argues for its engagement with the contestable social and linguistic environment of making “sense.” Not until A...
Comparison of two optimizations of a nonlinear boundary-value problem.

The effect of NH and NRe on the fluid temperature during a transient varies greatly depending on their initial and steadystate values. In some cases, such as those shown in Figs. 2b and 2c, the peak transient temperature can be an order of magnitude greater than the initial or steady-state value, whereas in others, such as those shown in Fig. 4, the effect may be quite small. Since unsteady fluid temperatures may substantially differ from the steady-state values, precautions may have to be taken in the operation of some MHD devices to prevent overheating during a transient such as a startup.
Analysis of energy level shifts in the photoemission spectra of adsorbed molecules: CO on Ni

Abstract Self-consistent Hartree-Fock calculations on a linear NiCO cluster have been used to analyze and interpret the experimental relative binding energy shifts of CO upon adsorption on a Ni surface. Chemical shifts due to the changed environment of the adsorbed molecule are found to contribute significantly to the initial state shifts of nonbonding levels. The final state or relaxation shifts are quite different among groups of levels; bonding, valence non-binding, and core.
The Ixodes Ticks (Agarina: Ixodidae) of Nepal

Until 1970 only 2 species of the medically important genus Ixodes were known to occur in Nepal. Herein we present data on the subgenera Ixodes, Partipalpiger, Pholeoixodes , and Scaphixodes which include information on at least 15 species. Descriptions and/or illustrations are provided for all undescribed or poorly known taxa and for unassociated immature stages within these subgenera.
Volatile constituents of the produced water effluent from the buccaneer gas and oil field

Abstract The volatile constituents of the effluent are concentrated on Tenax-GC using an automated purge-and-trap device and are then examined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Some 200 compounds are resolved using a bonded-phase fused-silica column, and they are characterized with the aid of several data manipulation techniques. While the n-alkanes are the individual compounds found in highest concentration, the alkylaromatic hydrocarbons comprise a significant proportion of the total hydrocarbons.
Molecular models for DNA damaged by photoreaction

Structural models of a DNA molecule containing a radiation-induced psoralen cross-link and of a DNA containing a thymine photodimer were constructed by applying energy-minimization techniques and model-building procedures to data from x-ray crystallographic studies. The helical axes of the models show substantial kinking and unwinding at the sites of the damage, which may have long-range as well as local effects arising from the concomitant changes in the supercoiling and overall structure of the DNA. The damaged areas may also serve as recognition sites for repair enzymes. These results should help in understanding the biologic effects of radiation-induced damage on cells.
Predicting depression and psychological distress in persons with spinal cord injury based on indicators of handicap.

ABSTRACT This study examined whether experiences of handicap influence levels of depression and distress among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) during the years after initial discharge from rehabilitation. SCI outpatients (163), who had received inpatient treatment at one of two rehabilitation centers in Michigan and who were between 2 to 7 years since injury, participated in the study. Measures of depression, of psychological distress and of handicap were collected during 2 consecutive years utilizing the Zung Self-Rating Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) in conjunction with the Perceived Handicap Questionnaire (PHQ), respectively. According to the study's findings, depressed/distressed SCI subjects reported spending more hours in bed (P<0.01), fewer days out of the house (P<0.03) and receiving more paid personal care assistance (P<0.02) than did other subjects. They also expended more for general medical expenses (P<0.001) and reported less access to readily available transportation (P<0.003). CHART total scores, reflecting a simple objective measure of handicap as described by Whiteneck et al. (Whiteneck GG, Charlifue SW, Gerhart KA, Overholser JD, Richardson GN: Guide for Use of the CHART: Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique. Craig Hospital, CO, 1988) were significantly associated with both distress and depression as measured during the second year of data collection. Other significant predictors of depression and distress included subjects' self-perceived handicap (measured by the PHQ), gender, marital status and age. Together both measures of handicap were among the strongest predictors of depression and distress after discharge by SCI subjects who were on average 4.5 years post-injury.
Using a Module-based Laboratory To Incorporate Inquiry into a Large Cell Biology Course

Because cell biology has rapidly increased in breadth and depth, instructors are challenged not only to provide undergraduate science students with a strong, up-to-date foundation of knowledge, but also to engage them in the scientific process. To these ends, revision of the Cell Biology Lab course at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse was undertaken to allow student involvement in experimental design, emphasize data collection and analysis, make connections to the “big picture,” and increase student interest in the field. Multiweek laboratory modules were developed as a method to establish an inquiry-based learning environment. Each module utilizes relevant techniques to investigate one or more questions within the context of a fictional story, and there is a progression during the semester from more instructor-guided to more open-ended student investigation. An assessment tool was developed to evaluate student attitudes regarding their lab experience. Analysis of five semesters of data strongly supports the module format as a successful model for inquiry education by increasing student interest and improving attitude toward learning. In addition, student performance on inquiry-based assignments improved over the course of each semester, suggesting an improvement in inquiry-related skills.
Demonstration of Loss of Heterozygosity by Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Microarray Analysis and Alterations in Strain Morphology in Candida albicans Strains during Infection

Candida albicans is a diploid yeast with a predominantly clonal mode of reproduction, and no complete sexual cycle is known. As a commensal organism, it inhabits a variety of niches in humans. It becomes an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients and can cause both superficial and disseminated infections. It has been demonstrated that genome rearrangement and genetic variation in isolates of C. albicans are quite common. One possible mechanism for generating genome-level variation among individuals of this primarily clonal fungus is mutation and mitotic recombination leading to loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Taking advantage of a recently published genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map (A. Forche, P. T. Magee, B. B. Magee, and G. May, Eukaryot. Cell 3:705-714, 2004), an SNP microarray was developed for 23 SNP loci residing on chromosomes 5, 6, and 7. It was used to examine 21 strains previously shown to have undergone mitotic recombination at the GAL1 locus on chromosome 1 during infection in mice. In addition, karyotypes and morphological properties of these strains were evaluated. Our results show that during in vivo passaging, LOH events occur at observable frequencies, that such mitotic recombination events occur independently in different loci across the genome, and that changes in karyotypes and alterations of phenotypic characteristics can be observed alone, in combination, or together with LOH.
Slit function effects in atomic spectroscopy

Abstract Solutions of the convolution integral are presented to show the influence of triangular, Gaussian and Lorentzian slit functions on the spectral distribution of the irradianee, E , and the radiant power, Φ, in the measurement of Lorentzian and Gaussian shaped spectral lines. Expressions in the limit of narrow and wide slits are used to discuss: (i) the measurement of the total intensity or the total absorption of an atomic spectral line, (ii) instrument calibration with a continuum light source, (iii) the definition of the spectral bandwidth and (iv) the advantage of using a peak integrating device in the photoelectric detection of atomic spectra.
Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Chemoradiotherapy Compared With Chemoradiotherapy Alone for Regionally Advanced Unresectable Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Cancer and Leukemia Group B

Purpose Standard therapy for unresectable stage III non–small-cell lung cancer includes concomitant chemoradiotherapy. In Cancer and Leukemia Group B 39801, we evaluated whether induction chemotherapy before concurrent chemoradiotherapy would result in improved survival. Patients and Methods Between July 1998 and May 2002, 366 patients were randomly assigned to arm A, which involved immediate concurrent chemoradiotherapy with carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 2 and paclitaxel 50 mg/m2 given weekly during 66 Gy of chest radiotherapy, or arm B, which involved two cycles of carboplatin AUC 6 and paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 administered every 21 days followed by identical chemoradiotherapy. The accrual goal was 360 patients. Results Thirty-four percent of patients were female, 66% were male, and the median age was 63 years. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities during induction chemotherapy on arm B consisted mainly of neutropenia (18% and 20%, respectively). During concurrent chemoradiotherapy, there w...
A Primer for the Design of Practice Manuals: Four Stages of Development

Treatment manuals are increasingly being used to guide interventions with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. However, little is known about best practices in designing m...
Bully prevention in positive behavior support: Preliminary evaluation of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade attitudes toward bullying

The current pilot study demonstrates the potential of adding simple and efficient bully prevention strategies to already established School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. The self-report surveys of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students from three elementary schools evaluated the relationship between the implementation of Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support and attitudes related to bullying, harassment, and school safety. Results indicated significant improvements in 12 of the 13 dependent variables after the intervention was implemented. Student perceptions of assertiveness, bystander support, and use of a “stop” signal were particularly altered. Considerable methodological limitations are described along with potential implications for practice and recommendations for future research.
Reducing the risk of surgical site infections: embracing basic and innovative risk reduction strategies

Abstract Surgical-site infections (SSIs) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in high-risk patient populations. The probability of a patient developing a postoperative SSI is influenced by selected intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors present at the time of surgery. It is estimated that between 750 000 and 1 000 000 SSIs occur in the USA each year, utilising 3.7 million extra hospital days and costing more than US$1.6 billion in excess hospital charges each year. The cornerstones for reducing the risk of SSI include exquisite surgical technique, timely and appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis, effective and persistent skin antisepsis and identification of adjunctive strategies for reducing wound contamination while promoting wound healing. Historically, SSI surveillance was conducted in a retrospective manner, however efforts to implement a timely and effective infection control program requires a prospective interdisciplinary system for: (i) identifying selective and non-selective SSIs; and (ii) rapid implementation of appropriate interventional strategies designed to mitigate risk. In the USA, national efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality of SSIs has resulted in the adoption of the Surgical Care Improvement Project, which focuses on four evidenced-based interventional strategies including glycaemic control in cardiothoracic and vascular patients, appropriate hair removal, timely and appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis, and maintenance of normothermia in colorectal patients. Efforts to reduce the risk of SSI in the future will require a focussed, multidisciplinary commitment, embracing sentinel evidence-based strategies in addition to novel, yet effective, innovative risk reduction technologies.
Impact of Stromal Sensitivity on Radiation Response of Tumors

BACKGROUND Irradiation of tumors causes the death of both parenchymal tumor cells as well as normal tissue stromal cells (e.g., endothelium, connective tissue). However, it has been difficult to distinguish the contributions to overall tumor response after irradiation from the two compartments. The development of the severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse provides a model in which the contribution of stromal cell responses to ionizing radiation to overall tumor response can be defined, because its normal tissue cells are extremely radiosensitive. Therefore, the results of irradiation of tumors in radiation-sensitive (SCID) and radiation-resistant hosts can be compared, and the contribution of the normal tissue stroma clarified. PURPOSE Our purpose was to investigate the effects of radiation-induced stromal cell damage on tumor cell death, using tumor growth delay (GD) and local control (complete and permanent regression of the irradiated tumor) as end points. METHODS Tumor GD and local control experiments were performed in SCID, athymic, and C3H mice. Sixty SCID and 60 nude mice for each of three human tumor cell lines (HGL9, HSTS26, HCT15) and for each of five murine cell lines (FSC1, FSC2, FSM1, FSM2, E01) and 60 SCID and 60 C3H mice for the FSa2 spontaneous C3H sarcoma were studied. Neoplasms were produced by injection of 10(6) cells from in vitro tissue cultures into the flanks of donor mice; after tumors had grown, experimental neoplasms were produced by transplanting 2- to 3-mm fragments into recipient mice. Animals were randomly assigned to various groups when tumors reached average volumes of 120 mm3. Graded, single-dose x irradiations (15-115 Gy, dose rate about 7 Gy/min) were given under acutely hypoxic conditions. Tumors were scored one to two times per week until recurrence. RESULTS The x-ray doses needed to achieve local control in 50% of the animals (tumor control doses, TCD50) ranged from 45.1 to 58.0 Gy for human tumors and from 36.3 to 114.0 Gy for murine tumors. On average, the TCD50 values in SCID mice were only about 3.5% lower than values in nude or C3H mice. The amount of GD defined at 66% of the TCD50 for the various groups was, however, 27% longer in the SCID mice (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS While the three-fold higher radiation sensitivity of the normal tissue stromal cells in the SCID mice did not alter the percentage of tumors controlled by x irradiation in the SCID mouse hosts as compared with other hosts, there appear to be significant differences in GD. Radiation-induced stromal cell damage does not significantly contribute to tumor cell death; however, it can prolong the interval of tumor regression.
The Facilitative Glucose Transporter SLC2A8 Regulates Reproductive Outcomes and Growth Phenotype in Mice

Glucose is a primary source of energy for all mammalian cells, and its uptake or exit by the cell is primarily controlled through the presence of specialized gateways, called glucose transporters. The facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs), structurally-related membrane-spanning glycoproteins encoded by a family of SLC2A genes, are responsible for the uptake of several monosaccharides including glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose and glucosamine [1]. To date, fourteen SLC2A proteins are known to be expressed in human and mouse cells. Although SLC2A proteins possess a high degree of sequence similarity, they differ significantly in their substrate specificity and binding kinetics as well as in their tissue-specific expression and subcellular distribution [1, 2]. The more recently discovered SLC2A8 (also known as GLUT8) binds and transports glucose with a higher affinity and is expressed in human and mouse tissues including the testis, brain, heart, liver, uterus, and ovary [3]. Although the currently available data suggest that SLC2A8 may exist at the level of the plasma membrane or as an intracellular transporter, the physiological significance of SLC2A8 remains poorly understood. In this regard, an interesting study published in the current issue of Biology of Reproduction by Adastra et al. [4] provides novel evidence to suggest that SLC2A8 plays a major role in controlling the reproductive outcomes in both males and females and in the post-natal growth in mice.
Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in Spouses of Cardiac Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Few studies have examined risk-reducing interventions in spouses of coronary artery bypass patients. This study examined the effects of the Partners Together in Health (PaTH) intervention versus usual care on cardiovascular risk factors. Spouses in the experimental group (n = 17/group) attended cardiac rehabilitation with patients and made the same physical activity and healthy eating changes as patients. Spouses in the usual care group attended educational classes with patients. Spouses' 30-year cardiovascular risk was calculated using the Lifetime Risk Scale before and after cardiac rehabilitation (3 months), and at 6 months. Spouses in both groups significantly reduced 30-year risk scores at 3 and 6 months. Exercise was the key ingredient in lowering risk. There was a trend toward reduction in systolic blood pressure and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both groups. Although there were no group differences, having spouses participate in cardiac rehabilitation with the patient was effective for reducing spouses' cardiovascular risk.
When bulk density methods matter: Implications for estimating soil organic carbon pools in rocky soils

Resolving uncertainty in the carbon cycle is paramount to refining climate predictions. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major component of terrestrial C pools, and accuracy of SOC estimates are only as good as the measurements and assumptions used to obtain them. Dryland soils account for a substantial portion of global SOC, but the pool dynamics are highly uncertain. One crucial component of accurate estimates of SOC on an areal basis is bulk density (rb), the mass of soil per unit volume. Here, we review methods used for calculating rb and assess their prevalence. We show how treatment of coarse fragments (particles >2 mm diameter) influences rb values and discuss the implications for SOC estimates in drylands. In four dryland examples, methods that varied in their treatment of coarse fragments led to substantial (up to 26%) differences in rb. Calculated SOC pools responded proportionally, with SOC differing by up to 518 g C m �2 . We suggest a revised method for accounting for coarse fractions in rb calculations. A large portion of the world’s soils, particularly in drylands, are fine enough to allow rb determination with cores, but contain coarse fragments that substantially impact SOC mass estimates if not explicitly considered.
Simplification of robot dynamic model based on system performance

The dynamic performance of a robot manipulator is directly dependent on the efficiency of the controller and the dynamic model of the robot. This paper addresses the fundamental issue of how much manipulator dynamics information should be included in the manipulator dynamic model for control such that the manipulator will achieve the desired system performance under a proportional-plus-derivatlve control scheme. An efficient minimax simplification scheme has been developed which automatically generates simplified closed-form manipulator motion equations in symbolic form while maintaining the desired manipulator system performance under a proportional-plus-derivative controller. The scheme involves the identification and selection of basis functions that represent the dynamic coefficients in the dynamic model. These basis functions consist of a linear combination of the product terms of sinusoidal and polynomial functions of the generalized coordinates and form a Chebyshev set on the workspace of the manipulator. A multi-layered decision scheme is developed for selecting significant basis terms in each layer for each dynamic coefficient. The linear combination of these significant basis terms is then utilized to construct each simplified dynamic coefficient based on the minimax approximation technique. A verification of the proposed scheme on a Stanford robot arm is included for discussion.
The Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Mechanical Properties of the Surface of the Sea-Urchin Egg

There is evidence that high hydrostatic pressure can solate and weaken gel-like structures within cells. It was thus of interest to determine its effect on the mechanical properties of the cell surface since it has been suggested that there is a gel-like cortex beneath the plasma membrane which makes a significant contribution to its mechanical properties. The mechanical property measured was the resistance to deformation when the eggs were compressed mechanically. The eggs of Arbacia were compressed by placing a small plate made either from a fragment of coverslip or Melinex plastic sheet on a small group of eggs (20-100) so that the eggs supported the plate. The deformation of the eggs was determined by measuring their increased diameter. The mechanical properties of the cell membrane of unfertilized eggs appear to be unaffected by high hydrostatic pressure. When compressed fertilized eggs, from which the fertilization membrane had been, removed by urea treatment, were subjected to pressure of about 7x10 4 kN m -2 (10000 lb/in. 2 ) there was a significant increase in cell diameter. This increase was such that it appeared as if the resistance to deformation of the membrane were about quartered. Surprisingly after a few minutes the diameter decreased again indicating a contraction at the membrane even while under high hydrostatic pressure. Release of the hydrostatic pressure resulted in a further reduction in diameter and thus contraction at the surface, the final diameter sometimes being less than that before the hydrostatic pressure was applied.
Static interpretation of modules

This paper presents a technique for compiling Standard ML Modules into typed intermediate language fragments, which may be compiled separately and linked using traditional linking technology to form executable code. The technique is called static interpretation and allows compile-time implementation details to propagate across module boundaries. Static interpretation eliminates all module-level code at compile time.The technique scales to full Standard ML and is used in the ML Kit with Regions compiler. A framework for smart recompilation makes the technique useful for compiling large programs.
Character of Shell Beds Flanking Herod Point Shoal, Southeastern Long Island Sound, New York

Abstract High biogenic productivity, strong tidal currents, shoal topography, and short transport distances combine to favor shell-bed formation along the lower flanks of a cape-associated shoal off Herod Point on Long Island, New York. This shell bed has a densely packed, clast-supported fabric composed largely of undegraded surf clam (Spisula solidissima) valves. It is widest along the central part of the western flank of the shoal where topographic gradients are steep and a stronger flood tide results in residual flow. The bed is narrower and thinner toward the landward margins where currents are too weak to transport larger valves and topographic gradients are gentle, limiting bed-load transport mechanisms by which the shells are concentrated. Reconnaissance mapping off Roanoke Point suggests that shell beds are also present at the other cape-associated shoals off northeastern Long Island, where relatively similar geomorphic and oceanographic conditions exist. These shell beds are important to the Lon...
Behavior is more fundamental than representations

An input-output system is a relation between two function spaces. The classical input-output framework treats a system as a map between function spaces. The graph of this map, which is the collection of all compatible input-output pairs, constitutes the behavior of the system. The behavior of a system can sometimes admit a behavioral equation representation such as a kernel representation or a difference equation representation. Such a representation, when it exists, may not be unique. Given a representation with a certain structure it is usually easily shown that the represented behavior has a corresponding property. However, if the behavior has a property (say, non-anticipation), representations of the behavior may not have the corresponding structure (lower triangularity). Therefore, representations are of secondary importance to behaviors. It is the behavior that is fundamental, not its representation. >
An efficient finite-field convolution to enhance the performance of the wavelet cryptosystem on handheld devices

In this paper, we design a fast finite field cyclic convolution algorithm to improve the speed of wavelet cryptosystems on handheld devices. We propose an efficient polynomial multiplication algorithm of degree 7 to design a bilinear cyclic convolution of length 15 that is used in the wavelet cryptosystem. The number of multiplications of the bilinear cyclic convolution is significantly less than the prime factor and the direct method of convolution. We implemented both the wavelet cryptosystem of key length 256 and DES on a Palm OS platform. Our simulation results indicate that the wavelet cryptosystem is approximately 3.3 and 6.6 times faster than DES for encryption and decryption, respectively.
Epistemic Beliefs and Moral Reasoning

Abstract The relationship among age, education, gender, syllogistic reasoning skill, epistemic beliefs, and moral reasoning in adults was examined. It was predicted that five epistemic dimensions would explain unique variance in moral reasoning over and above all other variables. This hypothesis was confirmed. Beliefs corresponding to simple knowledge, certain knowledge, omniscient authority, and quick learning each explained the significant variation in performance on the Defining Issues Test (Rest, 1979). Results showed that multiple epistemic assumptions play an important role in young adults' moral reasoning over and above other social and personal variables. Implications concerning the development of epistemic beliefs are discussed.
Harvester Ant Nests Improve Recovery Performance of Drought Impacted Vegetation in Grazing Regimes of Semiarid Savanna, Texas

Vegetation composition is often dictated by grazing intensity in semiarid savannas; recovery following drought may depend on pre drought species composition. Nests of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, affect the dynamics, composition and recovery of post drought communities due to their larger size, greater seed production and higher perennial grass richness. We hypothesized that vegetation at ant nests would survive drought and recover faster than vegetation in the surrounding grasslands, but that individual and population recovery would depend on plant species composition, which, in turn, would be influenced by grazing intensity. We assessed nest influence on density, cover, number of inflorescences and dynamics of grass and forb species. Disk margins (area encircling the ant nest) were compared with grassland locations in unreplicated heavy, light and ungrazed treatments before, immediately after and one year after a severe drought. Significantly greater aerial and basal cover of grasses was found on disk margins compared to grasslands in each treatment. Grass cover and number of inflorescences increased faster on disk margins compared to grasslands. Fastest grass growth was seen on margins in the ungrazed treatment. There was greater diversity in ungrazed treatments of grazing intolerant mid-grasses compared to the grazed treatments, suggesting that mid-grasses may persist belowground, leading to faster productivity in the ungrazed treatment. Grass densities were generally higher and increased faster in grasslands resulting in smaller grasses compared to the large, more robust grasses on disk margins. Forbs showed significantly lower abundance and cover on margins compared to grasslands. These observations suggest that red harvester ant nests may serve as drought refugia for grass survival and a seed source for recovering grass populations after drought in semiarid savannas.
Learning Mixtures of Gaussians with Maximum-a-posteriori Oracle

We consider the problem of estimating the parameters of a mixture of distributions, where each component distribution is from a given parametric family e.g. exponential, Gaussian etc. We define a learning model in which the learner has access to a “maximum-a-posteriori” oracle which given any sample from a mixture of distributions, tells the learner which component distribution was the most likely to have generated it. We describe a learning algorithm in this setting which accurately estimates the parameters of a mixture ofk spherical Gaussians in R d assuming the component Gaussians satisfy a mild separation condition. Our algorithm uses only polynomially many (ind;k) samples and oracle calls, and our separation condition is much weaker than those required by unsupervised learning algorithms like [Arora 01, Vempala 02].
Atrial natriuretic peptide and glomerular hyperfiltration during onset of spontaneous diabetes mellitus

The mechanisms responsible for the elevation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in early stages of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are undefined. The objectives of this study were to define the temporal pattern of onset of glomerular hyperfiltration in the spontaneously diabetes-prone (BB/DP) rat and to evaluate the possible role of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) as the primary mediator of the observed alterations in renal hemodynamics. GFR was significantly higher (1.38 +/- 0.07 ml.min-1 x g-1; n = 5) in moderately hyperglycemic BB/DP rats (blood glucose > 270 mg/dl) 14 days after the onset of IDDM compared with age-matched diabetes-resistant rats (BB/DR), which averaged 1.03 +/- 0.07 ml.min-1 x g-1 (n = 7). Circulating ANP levels in moderately hyperglycemic BB/DP rats 1, 7, and 14 days after onset of IDDM were within the normal range, averaging 100 +/- 21, 57 +/- 12, and 65 +/- 6 pg/ml, respectively, and were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from ANP levels in age-matched normoglycemic BB/DR rats. To further test the role of ANP in glomerular hyperfiltration, an ANP receptor antagonist was infused into anesthetized BB/DP rats (n = 10) 14 days after onset of IDDM, after baseline measurements of mean arterial pressure, renal hemodynamics, and renal fluid and electrolyte excretions. ANP receptor antagonism caused a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure from 120 +/- 3 to 103 +/- 2 mmHg; however, there were no significant effects of ANP receptor blockade on GFR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

1. Larry J Smith, PhD SH(ASCP)[⇑][1] 1. is at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, New York, NY 1. Address for correspondence: Larry J Smith PhD SH(ASCP), Department of Clinical Laboratories, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York NY 10021. (212) 639-7063. (646) 422-2313 (fax). Smith7{at}mskcc.org Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired clonal stem cell disorder resulting from a somatic mutation in the hematopoietic stem cell. It is characterized by intravascular hemolysis, cytopenias, frequent infections, bone marrow hypoplasia, and a high incidence of life-threatening venous thrombosis. An absent glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored receptor prevents several proteins from binding to the erythrocyte membrane. These include the complement–regulatory proteins, CD55 and CD59, whose absence results in enhanced complement-mediated lysis. Patients present with anemia and hemoglobinuria. Laboratory diagnosis includes the sucrose hemolysis test, Ham acid hemolysis test, and fluorescent-activated cell analysis. There is considerable overlap between PNH, aplastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome and some cases evolve into acute leukemia. Treatment is mainly supportive consisting of trans-fusion therapy, anticoagulation, and antibiotic therapy. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be curative. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is an acquired stem cell disorder characterized by intravascular hemolysis, hemoglobinuria, and life-threatening thrombotic episodes.1 PNH occurs with an incidence of two to six per million persons. In addition, it may be considered a chronic hemolytic anemia caused by a defect intrinsic to the erythrocyte. PNH is unique, in that it is the only hemolytic anemia due to an intrinsic defect that is acquired and not inherited. The disorder was described in 1882 by Strubing as a case of intermittent hemoglobinuria, wherein a patient presented with hemoglobinuria upon awakening.2 Strubing went on to suggest that the hemoglobinuria was due to erythrocyte destruction within the blood vessels. Strubing's main contribution was to distinguish his patient from a common condition known… ABBREVIATIONS: DAF = decay accelerating factor; GPI = glycosylphosphatidylinositol; PNH = paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria; MIRL = membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis. [1]: #corresp-1