cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Children and Adolescents

It has been a common occurrence that children with chronic, unexplained fatigue receive no specific diagnosis because of difficulties posed by the 1988 research criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The lack of a specific diagnosis creates medical uncertainty and may lead to increased psychosocial and educational disruption. With the recent publication of new research criteria these problems may be improved as the new criteria are less restrictive. In the process of developing new research criteria, data was collected for children who presented for evaluation of chronic unexplained fatigue over a two year period. Diagnosis of CFS was based upon the 1988 CDC criteria or clinical criteria based upon activity limitation and the associated symptom complex. Comparison of these two groups showed differences in symptom severity and degree of activity limitation, while demographics, psychosocial variables, and symptom pattern were similar. These results would suggest that chronic fatigue syndrome exists in...
On the State, Democratization and Some Conceptual Problems: A Latin American View with Glances at Some Postcommunist Countries

Abstract The article argues that for proper understanding of many processes of democratization, current conceptions of the state must be revised, especially with reference to its legal dimension. On this basis several contrasts are drawn between representative, consolidated democracies and the democratic (i.e., polyarchical) forms that are emerging in most newly democratized countries, East and South. From this perspective, various phenomena not presently theorized (except as deviations from a presumed modal pattern of democratization) are discussed. Concepts such as delegative democracy, low-intensity citizenship and a state which combines strong democratic and authoritarian features are introduced for the purpose of that discussion.
Transcendental meditation and improved performance on intelligence-related measures: A longitudinal study

This two-year longitudinal study investigated the effect of participation in a special university curriculum, whose principal innovative feature is twice-daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi program, on performance on Cattell's Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT) and Hick's reaction time. These measures are known to be correlated with general intelligence. One hundred college men and women were the subjects—45 from Maharishi International University (MIU) and 55 from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). The experimental group (MIU) improved significantly on the CFIT (t=2.79, P<0.005); choice reaction time (t=9.10, P<0.0001); SD of choice reaction time (t=11.39, P<0.0001), and simple reaction time (t=2.11, P<0.025) over two years compared to the control group, which showed no improvement. Possible confounds of subject's age, education level, level of interest in meditation, father's education level, and father's annual income were controlled for using analysis of covariance and stepwise regression. The results replicate the findings of previous longitudinal studies on intelligence test scores at MIU, and indicate that participation in the MIU curriculum results in improvements in measures related to general intelligence.
Why does the brain predict sensory consequences of oculomotor commands? Optimal integration of the predicted and the actual sensory feedback

When the brain initiates a saccade, it uses a copy of the oculomotor commands to predict the visual consequences: for example, if one fixates a reach target, a peripheral saccade will produce an internal estimate of the new retinal location of the target, a process called remapping. In natural settings, the target likely remains visible after the saccade. So why should the brain predict the sensory consequence of the saccade when after its completion, the image of the target remains visible? We hypothesized that in the post-saccadic period, the brain integrates target position information from two sources: one based on remapping and another based on the peripheral view of the target. The integration of information from these two sources could produce a less variable target estimate than is possible from either source alone. Here, we show that reaching toward targets that were initially foveated and remapped had significantly less variance than reaches relying on peripheral target information. Furthermore, in a more natural setting where both sources of information were available simultaneously, variance of the reaches was further reduced as predicted by integration. This integration occurred in a statistically optimal manner, as demonstrated by the change in integration weights when we manipulated the uncertainty of the post-saccadic target estimate by varying exposure time. Therefore, the brain predicts the sensory consequences of motor commands because it integrates its prediction with the actual sensory information to produce an estimate of sensory space that is better than possible from either source alone.
Gene duplication and the environmental regulation of physiology and development

When different life stages have different environmental tolerances, development needs to be regulated so that each life stage experiences environmental conditions that are suitable for it, if fitness is to be maintained. Restricting the timing of developmental transitions to occur under specific combinations of environmental conditions is therefore adaptively important. However, impeding development can itself incur demographic and fitness costs. How do organisms regulate development and physiological processes so that they occur under the broadest range of permissive conditions? Gene duplication offers one solution: Multiple genes contribute to the same downstream process, but do so under distinct combinations of environmental conditions. We present a simple model to examine how environmental sensitivities of genes and how gene duplication influence the distribution of environmental conditions under which an end process will proceed. The model shows that the duplication of genes that retain their downstream function but diverge in environmental sensitivities can allow an end process to proceed under more than one distinct combination of environmental conditions. The outcomes depend on how upstream genes regulate downstream components, which genes in the pathway have diversified in their sensitivities, and the structure of the pathway.
Involuntary smoking and asthma severity in children: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Study objectives: We sought to determine the indicators of asthma severity among children in the United States with high and low levels of tobacco smoke exposure. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Nationally representative survey of participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (from 1988 to 1994). Participants: Five hundred twenty-three children with physician-diagnosed asthma. Measurements and results: We stratified the study participants into tertiles on the basis of serum levels of cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine that indicates tobacco smoke exposure). We used logistic and linear regression modeling, adjusting for known covariates, to determine the effect of high environmental tobacco smoke exposure on the following outcomes: asthma severity (determined using reported symptom and respiratory illness frequency); lung function; physician visits; and school absence. Among our study sample, 78.6% of children had mild asthma, 6.8% of children had moderate asthma, and 14.6% of children had severe asthma. Asthmatic children with high levels of smoke exposure, compared with those with low levels of exposure, were more likely to have moderate or severe asthma (odds ratio, 2.7 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 6.8) and decreased lung function, with a mean FEV1 decrement of 213 mL or 8.1% (95% CI, 14.7 to 3.5). Conclusions: Involuntary smoke exposure is associated with increased asthma severity and worsened lung function in a nationally representative group of US children with asthma. (CHEST 2002; 122:409 – 415)
Osteonal Structure in the Equine Third Metacarpus

In studying the flexural fatigue properties of the equine third metacarpal (cannon) bone, we previously found that the dorsal region was weaker monotonically, but more fatigue resistant, than the lateral region. Fatigue resistance was associated with fracture surfaces which demonstrated that secondary osteons had "pulled out" of the surrounding matrix; this never happened in lateral specimens. We therefore became interested in the osteonal structure of this bone, and began to study its birefringence patterns in circularly polarized light. We found that the predominant type of secondary osteon was one in which only the outermost few lamellae were circumferential, with the inner lamellae being longitudinally oriented. This "hoop" pattern had not been described in Ascenzi's classic papers. Using basic fuchsin-stained, undecalcified cross-sections from the dorsal, medial, and lateral midshaft regions of 12 pairs of cannon bones, we classified 360 secondary osteons according to their birefringence patterns, and measured their inner and outer diameters. We found that variants of the hoop category comprised 60% of all osteons, but were significantly less common in the dorsal region, where the predominant types were Ascenzi's "longitudinal" or "alternating" patterns. The dorsal region also had smaller osteons (OD = 156 +/- 19 microns) than the medial (179 +/- 13 microns, p = 0.0004) and lateral (182 +/- 13 microns, p = 0.0001) regions. We postulate that these regional variations in osteonal size and structure, which are obviously produced by regional variations in remodeling, have important mechanical implications.
Chemical Structures of Corn Stover and Its Residue after Dilute Acid Prehydrolysis and Enzymatic Hydrolysis: Insight into Factors Limiting Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Advanced solid-state NMR techniques and wet chemical analyses were applied to investigate untreated corn stover (UCS) and its residues after dilute acid prehydrolysis (DAP) and enzymatic hydrolysis (RES) to provide evidence for the limitations to the effectiveness of enzyme hydrolysis. Advanced solid-state NMR spectral-editing techniques as well as 1H-13C two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation NMR (2D HETCOR) were employed. Our results indicated that dilute acid prehydrolysis selectively removed amorphous carbohydrates, increased aromatic CH/other protonated -C═C- and enriched alkyl CH and CH2 components. Cinnamic acids were increased, and proteinaceous materials and N-containing degradation or condensation compounds were absorbed or coprecipitated in RES. 2D HETCOR experiments indicated a close association between lignin and the residual carbohydrates. Ketones/aldehydes were not detected in the DAP, in contrast to a report in which an appreciable amount of ketones/aldehydes was generated from the acid pretreatment of a purified cellulose in the literature. This suggested that acid pretreatment may modify the structure of purified cellulose more than biomass and that biomass may be a better substrate than model biopolymers and compounds for assessing structural changes that occur with industrial processing. On the basis of NMR and wet chemical analyses, we found the following factors could cause the limitations to the effectiveness of enzymatic hydrolysis: (1) chemical modification of carbohydrates limited the biologically degradable carbohydrates available; (2) cinnamic acids in the residue accumulated; (3) accessibility was potentially limited due to the close association of carbohydrates with lignin; and (4) proteinaceous materials and N-containing degradation or condensation compounds were absorbed or coprecipitated.
Self-assembly of thin film superstructures based on alternating metal-bisphosphonate and cobalt-diisocyanide layers

Abstract A new chemical strategy for the synthesis of self-assembled (SA) multilayer superstructures is described which allows facile incorporation of aligned nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores. This strategy involves alternating layers of the well-established metal-bisphosphonate system with layers of the recently reported cobalt-diisocyanide SA system. Previously, building SA multilayers with oriented NLO chromophores has required extra activation or deprotection steps that are time consuming and which often involve harsh chemical treatments. Several results showing the feasiblity of the new approach are presented. A film incorporating the desired chemistries was synthesized and characterized by ellipsometry. Control experiments demonstrating the necessary metal-ligand binding specificity (cobalt with isocyanide versus hafnium with phosphonate ligands) are reported. Cobalt-diisocyanohexane films exhibiting alkyl-isocyanide-cobalt linkages are reported for the first time, including characterization by ellipsometry and grazing angle X-ray diffraction. Thus, both alkyl- and aryl-isocyanide functionalities in cobalt-isocyanide multilayers have now been shown to be feasible components of the proposed supramolecular structures. Finally, preliminary second harmonic generation data are presented, demonstrating the potential utility of the materials.
Regulated and Entangled Photons from a Single Quantum Dot

We propose a new method of generating nonclassical optical field states. The method uses a semiconductor device, which consists of a single quantum dot as active medium embedded in a $p$- $i$- $n$ junction and surrounded by a microcavity. Resonant tunneling of electrons and holes into the quantum dot ground states, together with the Pauli exclusion principle, produce regulated single photons or regulated pairs of photons. We propose that this device also has the unique potential to generate pairs of entangled photons at a well-defined repetition rate.
Accelerated kinetics of surface hardening by diffusion near phase transition temperature: Mechanism of growth of boride layers on titanium

Abstract Accelerated kinetics of titanium boride (TiB) layer growth on titanium surfaces during solid-state diffusion of boron at temperatures very close to the α → β phase transition temperature (β-transus) has been demonstrated. On the basis of the fact that hcp metals such as Ti show enhanced (anomalous) self-diffusion near the phase transition temperature, the hypothesis of this work has been that the diffusivity enhancement should cause rapid ingress of interstitial/substitutional atoms, thereby accelerating the growth kinetics of the hard boride layer. It is shown in this work that a much deeper growth of TiB into the Ti substrate and an increased coating thickness (∼75 μm) indeed occurs at temperatures very close to the transition temperature, compared with that at temperatures away from the transition. Hardening of the surface layers was also achieved to a significant depth (∼100 μm), with the maximum surface hardness reaching ∼20 GPa (HK), which are desirable for improved surface performance. A diffusion model based on error function solutions to Fick’s second law was developed to quantitatively illustrate the combined effects of normal B diffusion in the TiB phase and anomalous B diffusion in the Ti phase in accelerating TiB layer growth. It has been found that this model adequately explains the accelerated boride layer growth kinetics near the phase transition temperature. The results of the study generally suggest that diffusion near the phase transition temperature can be used as a means of achieving greater diffusion depth of penetration of hard coatings in phase transforming metals.
Advances in the Diagnosis of Etiologic Subtypes of Ischemic Stroke

A fundamental goal of etiologic stroke classification is to generate subgroups with discrete phenotypic, therapeutic, and prognostic features. Accurate stroke classification requires integration of multiple aspects of diagnostic stroke evaluation in a standardized manner. Diagnostic test findings can be simply organized into major etiologic groups to create a phenotypic subtype, or they can be reduced to a single causative subtype through a decision-making process. It is essential for a classification system to provide consistent results across different raters in different clinical settings. Comparability of subtype assignments is the key to valid communication of research results across the field. This article highlights important theoretical aspects of etiologic stroke classification and reviews major etiologic classification systems that have benefited from recent advances in etiologic stroke evaluation.
Gemini: An Emergency Line of Defense against Phishing Attacks

This paper proposes a simple but very effective approach called Gemini to prevent victim users from exposing sensitive credentials to a phishing site. As an emergency line of defense, Gemini assumes that a victim user is already deceived into a phishing site and starts the user authentication procedure. Gemini springs into action once the username field is filled in, and tackles the phishing problem from a new perspective. In particular, by exploiting username input, Gemini is able to provide more accurate detection of a phishing site and much stronger protection for a password, the most confidential and crucial information for user authentication. To validate the efficacy of Gemini, we implement different prototypes of Gemini as a browser extension for IE, Firefox, and Chrome, respectively, and conduct extensive live experiments over various legitimate and phishing websites for more than one month. Our experimental results show that Gemini can achieve zero false negative rate and less than 1% false positive rate, and Gemini can effectively block the access to a phishing site before a victim user begins to enter in a password. Moreover, Gemini is complementary to existing anti-phishing tools. The performance overhead induced by Gemini is minor and has a negligible effect upon users' browsing activities.
Methionine-Enkephalin and β-Endorphin Levels in Brain, Pancreas, and Adrenals of db/db Mice*

Levels of methionine-enkephalin immunoreactivity (MEI) and beta-endorphin immunoreactivity (BEI) were measured by means of a specific RIA in pituitary, hypothalamus, pancreas, and adrenal glands of db/db and control mice. We found significantly higher levels of MEI in the pituitaries of db/db mice than in either littermate or background strain controls. There was no significant difference in MEI levels in pancreas, adrenal glands, and hypothalamus. There was a significant difference in the BEI levels in the pituitaries of db/db mice compared with those in controls. No significant difference in BEI levels was observed between db/db and control mice in any of the other regions examined. We conclude from the above data that the opiate peptide system in the hypophyseal-hypothalamic axis of the db/db mouse is abnormal and warrants further investigation. The significance of this finding with respect to the possible etiology of diabetes mellitus is discussed.
Classic Period collapse of the Central Maya Lowlands: Insights about human–environment relationships for sustainability

The ninth century collapse and abandonment of the Central Maya Lowlands in the Yucatan peninsular region were the result of complex human–environment interactions. Large-scale Maya landscape alterations and demands placed on resources and ecosystem services generated high-stress environmental conditions that were amplified by increasing climatic aridity. Coincident with this stress, the flow of commerce shifted from land transit across the peninsula to sea-borne transit around it. These changing socioeconomic and environmental conditions generated increasing societal conflicts, diminished control by the Maya elite, and led to decisions to move elsewhere in the peninsular region rather than incur the high costs of maintaining the human–environment systems in place. After abandonment, the environment of the Central Maya Lowlands largely recovered, although altered from its state before Maya occupation; the population never recovered. This history and the spatial and temporal variability in the pattern of collapse and abandonment throughout the Maya lowlands support the case for different conditions, opportunities, and constraints in the prevailing human–environment systems and the decisions to confront them. The Maya case lends insights for the use of paleo- and historical analogs to inform contemporary global environmental change and sustainability.
Insulin release and suppression by tacrolimus, rapamycin and cyclosporin A are through regulation of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel.

Summary Aim By focusing on the pancreatic β cell response to tacrolimus, cyclosporin A (CsA) and rapamycin we hoped to identify immunophilin, calcineurin and/or novel mechanism involvement and advance the understanding of immunosuppressant regulated insulin control. Methods A glucose responsive β cell model was established in which the glucose response was blocked by immunosuppressant treatment and this model was used to further characterise this effect. Quantification of insulin release to immunosuppressants and specific inhibitors was used to identify the mechanism involved. Results It was found that upon the addition of tacrolimus, rapamycin, or CsA, rapid and significant exocytosis of cellular insulin was seen. A dose response study of this effect revealed optimal concentration windows of 50– 80 nm for tacrolimus, 100–300 nm for rapamycin, and 7–12 mm for CsA in RIN-5F cells. Optimal insulin release for HIT-T15 cells was similar. Additional experiments demonstrate that immunosuppressant pretreatment blocked the subsequent immunosuppressant induced insulin release but not that of a thapsigargin control, suggesting that suppression and release are non-toxic, specific and in the same pathway. Further experiments showed that this insulin release was a calcium dependent process, which was blocked by inhibitors of l-type calcium channels. Continued studies showed that the specific ATP-sensitive potassium channel agonist diazoxide (150 mm) also blocked immunosuppressant-induced insulin release. Conclusions A model that fits this data is a novel calcineurin-independent immunophilin mediated partial closing of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, which would lead to an initial insulin release but would reduce subsequent responses through this pathway.
Reduction of mammalian pineal weight and lipid during continuous light.

Abstract Continuous artificial illumination for 4 weeks in comparison with 14 hr of light per day leads to significant reductions in lipid content and lesser reductions in wet and dry weights of pineals in subadult and adult rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) and in adult hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ). This pineal response is not affected by increased consumption of NaCl or KCl, nor by adrenalectomy, but is blocked by bilateral intraorbital transection of the optic tracts. It is suggested that continuous light in these experiments may be a type of chronic stress and may affect the pineal by way of a neural route including the lateral eyes, brain stem and nervi conarii.
Management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: Insights from the PURSUIT trial

The glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide (INTEGRILIN, COR Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, and Key Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey) is a novel and highly potent antithrombotic agent indicated for the management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The approval of eptifibatide for non-ST-segment elevation ACS was based on the positive results of the Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa in Unstable Angina: Receptor Suppression Using Integrilin Therapy (PURSUIT) trial. With enrollment of almost 11,000 patients, not only is the PURSUIT trial the largest trial of a GP IIb-IIIa inhibitor to date, but it is also the largest clinical study ever conducted in patients with non-ST-segment elevation ACS. The key feature of the PURSUIT trial is that patient management closely resembled standard clinical practice, because decisions about the use and timing of invasive cardiac procedures were made by the individual physicians rather than being prespecified in the study protocol. Eptifibatide therapy was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of the primary endpoint--a composite of death or myocardial infarction at 30 days (14.2 vs. 15.7% in the placebo group; p = 0.042). Of importance is the fact that the beneficial effect of eptifibatide was independent of the management strategy pursued during study drug infusion (invasive or conservative), and it was achieved with few major safety concerns. These findings demonstrate that the use of eptifibatide should be considered for all patients presenting with signs and symptoms of intermediate- to high-risk non-ST-segment elevation ACS.
Accounting activities, security prices, and class action lawsuits

Abstract Provisions in the securities acts provide incentives to purchasers of common stocks to initiate class action lawsuits when stock prices decline at and preceding announcements that directly reduce, or imply a reduction in, previously reported accounting book values. Reported common stock returns associated with alleged misrepresentations in financial statements are consistent with incentives provided by the law. Classification of misrepresentations based on hypothesized relations between announcements and security returns results in observed differences in the association between litigated accounting announcements and common stock returns.
Nonlinear Markov processes: Deterministic case

Deterministic Markov processes that exhibit nonlinear transition mechanisms for probability densities are studied. In this context, the following issues are addressed: Markov property, conditional probability densities, propagation of probability densities, multistability in terms of multiple stationary distributions, stability analysis of stationary distributions, and basin of attraction of stationary distribution.
Efficient shortening of self-chirped picosecond pulses in a high-power CO(2) amplifier.

We report a factor-of-6 shortening of the 240-ps (FWHM) pulses in a triple-pass, 2.5-atm CO2 amplifier. This technique is based on the self-phase modulation of a 10‐μm pulse in a plasma after the first pass of amplification, followed by narrowing of this chirped pulse during further amplification. Subsequently, strong power broadening provides the necessary bandwidth to amplify 40-ps pulses to terawatt power levels.
A theoretical analysis of donnan dialysis across charged porous membranes

Abstract A previously developed model [1] for the transport of ions in charged capillary tubes is used to determine the effect of membrane properties (average pore radius and surface charge density) and solution concentration on steady-state ion and solution fluxes in two types of Donnan dialysis separations. Specifically, the concentration of a dilute metal ion solution into an acid stripping solution by ion exchange across a cation exchange membrane and the removal of an acid contaminant from a metal ion solution using an anion exchange membrane are studied. The model is able to predict the changes in metal ion flux caused by changes in acid and metal ion concentrations in the strip and feed solutions in the Donnan dialysis experiments performed by Lake and Melsheimer [2]. These effects could not be explained by the mass-transfer resistance model used by Lake and Melsheimer [2] and by others [3,4] to describe ion transport across a charged membrane in Donnan dialysis separations. The time-dependent ion concentrations in well-stirred solutions undergoing Donnan dialysis are also modeled. The results are shown to match the experimental data of Ng and Snyder [4] when the boundary layer resistance are negligible and reasonable values for the membrane pore parameters are assumed.
Creating the Future: Apocalyptic Rhetoric in 1 Thessalonians

Recent studies of apocalyptic literature have brought better definitions of the genre and its worldviews, but have largely ignored issues of argumentation and the nature of apocalyptic discourse. Modern theories of rhetorical criticism help the critic to analyse how that discourse helped the early church to talk about their experiences of persecution and marginality, and how those experiences were to be understood in light of the gospel, which promised that believers were to be with the Lord. In effect apocalyptic discourse helped describe the ethical principles to be followed in daily life and create visions of the future that motivated the believers to practise those principles.
Marketing the Results of Analysis

After spending over one million dollars on a major study, a major state agency found that the information was not used by decision makers. Interviews with the decision makers indicated that three heuristics from behavioral decision theory may explain the data neglect. A marketing strategy, rather than a training strategy, was proposed and adopted by the agency. The result was that the data analysis effort on the second data collection was of much more use to the agency.
Comparison of image processing techniques (Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan and ultrasound) for 3D modeling and analysis of the human bones

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography scanning (CT scan), and ultrasound imaging techniques (UI) were used for data acquisition to construct/develop a 3D solid model of the human tibia, femur, and skull. CT scan was found to be an acceptable technique for cadavers. CT scans are harmful to the human body in large doses, while MRIs and ultrasound are known to be safe. However, MRIs form a better tool in performing this image generation task for living beings because of its high resolution capacity when compared with images obtained using ultrasound techniques. High resolution poses to be a very important factor, as the consideration of various material properties of the bones was part of the emphasis of this research. MRIs have the capacity of displaying a distinct boundary between the muscles and the bone, in addition to the boundary between the cortical and the cancellous region within the bone. Ultrasound was found to be the cheapest technique and gave reasonably good results for just the outside boundaries of the bone. The models of the human bones were generated on a Computer Aided Design (CAD) system. The cross-sections obtained from (MRI, CT, or UI) were scanned into the computer. Image processing software was used to detect the boundaries of the bones. A C + + program was used to read the coordinates of the edges and construct a B-spline curve on the CAD system. The curves were converted to a B-rep solid using skinning. The solid models were meshed, constrained, and material properties were assigned to different regions of the models for Finite Element Analysis (FEM).
Laser terminal attitude determination via autonomous star tracking

Freespace laser communication systems require an initial spatial acquisition process to coalign the cooperating terminal line of sites (typically to sub-microrad accuracy). The complexity and time required for this process can grow dramatically with the size of the host platform(s) initial uncertainty field-of-view. The feasibility of significantly refining the laser terminal attitude knowledge prior to the initiation of the spatial acquisition process via a preliminary star tracking operation is addressed. It is shown that currently planned laser terminal designs are capable of supporting this star tracking function with minimal hardware augmentation. An analysis of stellar spectral irradiance is presented which enables the computation of the tracking noise equivalent angle versus stellar class and visual magnitude.
Body Image and Appearance-Management Behaviors in College Women:

The contemporary ideal standard offemale beauty in the Western world is based on thinness, attractiveness, and fitness. Women are enculturated to monitor these personal characteristics, and to construct their appearances to meet these normative expectations. Because most body image research to date has focused on quantitative methods of assessing the complex interrelationships among variables, women's "lived experiences" were examined through a qualitative study of 95 college women to explore the subjective nature of body satisfaction, the extent to which agency and control influence the construction of appearance, and what appearance-management behaviors are typically practiced andlor advisable. Nine themes emerged from the written essays. The most common theme was risky appearance-management behaviors that were practiced in response to gendered social norms, indicating the prevalent feeling that the body is malleable and considered to be under individual control. Common socio-cultural constructs were so...
Inhibition of the Deciduomal Response by Preexisting Deciduomata in the Mouse

SummaryWhen traumatization of one horn of the uterus of progesterone-treated ovariectomized mice was delayed until 4 days after the traumatization of the contralateral horn, deciduomata developed only in the horn first stimulated. On the other hand, deciduomata developed in both horns when the uterus was traumatized bilaterally during a single operation. Since the deciduomal reaction is the experimental equivalent of the maternal placenta, these observations suggest that the maternal placenta plays an important role in the desensitization of the pregnant uterus to decidua formation. This is an important factor in the prevention of superfetation.
Hyperbaric oxygen As a radiation sensitizer in the treatment of brain tumors

Abstract Rat brain tumor cells grown in a monolayer culture were irradiated in 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 atmospheres absolute oxygen pressure. Sensitivity of the cells to radiation was not increased by raising oxygen pressure above 1.0 atmosphere absolute during exposure to radiation.
Comparison of gene silencing in human vascular cells using small interfering RNAs.

Background Gene silencing achieved through small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection represents a promising approach to vascular gene therapy. Here we characterize the behavior of RNA interference (RNAi) in vascular biology by comparing the RNAi response to single- and multigene siRNA transfections in vitro in human vascular cells. Study design The strength and specificity of multigene silencing in cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle and human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCASMC/HCAEC) were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) and Western blot after transfection singly or simultaneously with siRNAs targeting glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate, and cadherin 11. RNAi response to low-dose (0.25 to 10 nM) siRNA transfection was characterized between the two cell types by QRT-PCR and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. Results Powerful and specific silencing of all targets was observed in both cell types after multigene siRNA transfections, but with a reduction in effect compared with single-gene siRNA transfections. Multigene messenger RNA (mRNA) reductions in HCAECs exceeded those achieved in HCASMCs, and superior mRNA silencing and siRNA delivery were observed in HCAECs after low-dose siRNA transfections. Conclusions Multigene silencing by siRNA stands as a promising nonviral approach for manipulating gene expression in human vascular cells. Under our in vitro conditions, endothelial cells were more susceptible to siRNA transfection and gene silencing than vascular smooth muscle cells. RNAi technology could potentially find use in the development of siRNA cocktails for application to vein bypass grafts or for modulating endothelial cell function in other forms of vascular disease.
Deep ocean temperature profile measurements

Temperature is one of the most frequently measured parameters of the ocean because of its importance to the understanding and prediction of oceanic and meteorological events, and also because the measurement is required for the determination of salinity and density. The ocean temperature range is narrow, -2\deg to 35\deg C, but measurement is complicated by the harsh ocean environment, the necessity of remote hands off readings, power limitations due to the cable, and the fast response required to obtain a profile in a reasonable length of time. Platinum and copper thermometers are used for most precision measurements with thermistors or thermocouples used in some cases to improve speed of response and for lesser accuracy. A number of very different circuits have been used successfully in salinity, temperature, and depth profiling systems and achieve millidegree accuracies in laboratory measurements. However, very careful precautions and many checks are required to achieve that accuracy in the field, and to achieve the correlation of conductivity, pressure, and temperature readings required for equivalent accuracy in the salinity and density measurements.
Cone-beam computed tomography of the maxillofacial region--an update.

Background During the last few years, craniomaxillofacial diagnosis of the head has been confronted with an increasing number of innovations and improvements. The main progress occurred following the introduction of cone-beam technology in computed tomography in the 1990s. The number of manufacturers and devices using this technology for the maxillofacial region is growing rapidly and they are now becoming readily available. Materials This article focuses on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) devices applied to the maxillofacial region. CBCT serves as a bridge from two dimensions (2D) to three dimensions (3D), with lower irradiation than conventional CT. Different manufacturers and models are now available to satisfy the different needs of clinicians. Results A recent review of the manufacturers found 23 CBCT devices on the market. The specifications, applications and other issues of currently available CBCT devices are presented and discussed. Conclusions 3D imaging is developing at a very fast pace. New technologies and machines are emerging and CBCT is becoming readily available. Due to the growing demand for the technology based on the needs of clinicians, there is now a wide and growing selection of devices on the market. Some of the new advances now mean that CBCT imaging should be a well-considered option in maxillofacial imaging. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In vitro culture of Trichogramma pretiosum on an artificial medium.

The composition of an artificial medium and environmental conditions are described for the in vitro rearing of the egg parasite Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). The medium was composed of defined amounts of protein, carbohydrates, lipid, salts, and vitamins, but also contained up to 40% insect hemolymph. The hemolymph was necessary to induce pupation. T. pretiosum eggs were obtained by dissection of Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) eggs. In vitro reared T. pretiosum were similar in size to H. virescens reared T. pretiosum, and females were fecund. RESUME Elevage in vitro sur milieu artificiel de Tricho-gramma pretiosum Les oeufs de Trichogramma pretiosum ont ete obtenus par dissection d'oeufs d'Heliothis virescens. T. pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptere, Trichogrammatidae) a ete eleve avec succes sur un substrat synthetique. Outre des quantites definies de proteines, glucides, lipides, elements mineraux et vitamines, la ration contenait aussi jusqu'a 40% d'hemolymphe de Manduca sexta. L'hemolymphe etait necessaire pour induire la nymphose. En plus de la nourriture, les conditions d'environnement sont apparues extremement importantes pour elever T. pretiosum dans des conditions satisfaisantes. Le controle de l'humidite relative, en particulier, etait le facteur le plus important. Les adultes produits au cours de cette etude etaient d'apparence normale; ils se sont accouples sans problemes, les femelles etaient fecondes et leur taille ne differait pas de celle d'individus eleves sur H. virescens.
A cost analysis of long term antibiotic prophylaxis for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhosis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to perform a cost analysis of different strategies of long term antibiotic prophylaxis for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. The study involved a cost analysis using a decision analysis model and patients with cirrhosis and ascites who are at risk for developing SBP. Methods: Two different strategies of antibiotic prophylaxis were compared with a “no prophylaxis” strategy in patients with cirrhosis and ascites using a decision analysis model. In strategy I, antibiotic prophylaxis was administered in all patients with cirrhosis and ascites and in strategy II, patients were stratified into a low risk and a high risk group on the basis of serum bilirubin and ascitic fluid protein levels; only patients in the high risk group received antibiotic prophylaxis. The cost per patient treated for 1 yr was the outcome measure compared in the different strategies. Clinical input probabilities and ranges used were obtained by searching the MEDLINE database for English language articles. Cost estimates were obtained from a university hospital setting. Cost analysis was done with a societal perspective, and only direct costs were taken into account. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of variations in the key clinical probabilities and cost estimates ranging from a best case to a worst case scenario on the outcome measure. Results: The estimated cost per patient treated in strategy I, strategy II, and strategy III (the strategy of “no prophylaxis”) were $1311, $1123, and $3509, respectively. Over a broad range of clinical and cost variables, the strategy of risk stratification and restriction of antibiotic prophylaxis to the subgroup of patients with cirrhosis and ascites who were at high risk for SBP (as identified by serum bilirubin >2.5 mg/dl and ascitic fluid protein <1 g/dl) was the most favored strategy. However, when the cost of prophylaxis was low or the probability of a primary episode of SBP was at the lower end of the range reported in the literature, administering antibiotic prophylaxis to all patients with cirrhosis and ascites was the least costly strategy. Conclusion: This cost analysis indicates that antibiotic prophylaxis particularly when restricted to a subgroup of patients who, by simple laboratory parameters, are identified to be at high risk for SBP, is very cost-effective in the prevention of SBP in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.
Cancer immunotherapy and nanomedicine.

The immune system has the ability to recognize and kill pre-cancer and cancer cells. However, with the immune system’s surveillance, the survival tumor cells learn how to escape the immune system after immunoselection. Cancer immunotherapy develops strategies to overcome these problems. Nanomedicine applications in cancer immunotherapy include the nanodiagnostics and nanobiopharmaceuticals. In cancer nanodiagnostics, it looks for specific “molecular signatures” in cancer cells or their microenvironment by using genomics and proteomics. Nanobiopharmaceuticals is the field that studies nanotechnology-based therapeutic agents and drug carriers. DNA, RNA, peptides, proteins and small molecules can all be used as cancer therapies when formulated in nanocarriers. Currently, cancer vaccines are applied in treatments with existing cancer or to prevent the development of cancer in certain high risk individuals. Most of the non-specific immune activation agents include adjuvants which enhance immunogenicity and accelerate and prolong the response of cancer vaccines. The carriers of vaccines, such as viruses and nanoparticles, have also been in clinical studies for many years. This review will discuss the relationships between the tumor and the immune system, and also will include topics covering the strategies used in eliminating tumors by using nanomedicine.
Evolution of Transport and Magnetic Properties near the Ferromagnetic Quantum Critical Point in the Series CaxSr1−xRuO3

A series of epitaxial films were grown across the solid solution ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ in order to pinpoint the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic quantum phase transition in this system and to study the evolution of transport and magnetic properties in its vicinity. The ferromagnetic ${T}_{c}$ of $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ was found to decrease linearly with Ca doping levels up to 70%. Further doping resulted in the abrupt elimination of ferromagnetic order, and the onset of low temperature $(l10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$ non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) resistivity of the form $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\propto}{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}+A{T}^{1.5}$ for samples with $x\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.75\ensuremath{\leqslant}1.0$. The resistivity exponent of 1.5 matches that previously observed for intermetallic alloys (such as MnSi) at their ferromagnetic quantum critical points, indicating the possible universality of this NFL behavior. Field-dependent specific heat measurements on bulk samples at compositions near the quantum phase transition provide additional evidence for NFL behavior $(C∕T\ensuremath{\propto}{\mathrm{log}}_{10}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}T)$ and show the conditions under which spin fluctuations contribute to the specific heat.
Self-Stabilization of the Optical Frequencies and the Pulse Repetition Rate in a Coupled Optoelectronic Oscillator

A coupled optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) based on a laser with a high finesse intracavity etalon is presented. Unlike a conventional COEO, the incorporation of the etalon produces a 10.24-GHz spaced optical frequency comb by selecting a single optical supermode. The same etalon serves as a reference for active stabilization of the optical frequencies and the pulse repetition rate via the Pound-Drever-Hall stabilization method. This results in 160 to 190 comb lines with sub-1-MHz drift and sub-10-kHz linewidth, as well as subpicosecond pulses and 350-Hz maximum deviation of the pulse repetition rate over 10 min. The completely self-contained source allows the COEO utility to extend to a host of new coherent communication and signal processing applications.
Where Theologians Fear to Tread

This essay appeals to the practice of Baroque musical ornamentation as an analogy to the place of reflection on angels and demons in Christian theology. In ways left to the discretion of the performer, this reflection functions to enhance the main theological melody of God, Christ, human salvation, and, in particular, eschatology. Jonathan Edwards and Karl Barth are the text cases for this thesis. While Edwards' treatment of angels and Satan mutes his eschatology of glory by drawing attention to the humility and suffering of Christ, Barth's treatment underscores the sovereignty of God and Christ's victory over sin.