cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proline protects liver from D-galactosamine hepatitis by activating the IL-6/STAT3 survival signaling pathway.

The oral administration of proline, one of the non-essential amino acids, has been shown to effectively protect the liver from d-galactosamine (GalN)-induced liver injury and to improve the survival rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of this protective action of proline. We paid particular attention to the effect of proline on inflammatory activation, regenerative response, and the associated signal transduction in the liver. Male Fischer rats received intraperitoneal injections of GalN (1.4 g/kg) with or without the oral administration of proline (2 g/kg) 1 h before GalN treatment. Liver pathology, plasma indices of inflammation, and the level of proliferative marker in the liver were monitored. The hepatic activation of interleukin-6 (IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 pathway, which is downstream of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/nuclear factor-κB, was also studied. GalN induced massive inflammatory expansion in the liver, leading to a high death rate (60 %) more than 72 h after the treatment. Proline administration significantly suppressed inflammatory infiltration in the live after 48 h, which was accompanied by depletion of plasma TNF-α, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and glutamic pyruvic transaminase. The mRNA expression of histone H3, a marker of proliferation, was significantly upregulated in the liver of proline-treated animals. Furthermore, IL-6/STAT-3 pathway, an anti-inflammatory and regenerative signaling pathway, was strongly activated prior to these observations, with the upregulated expression of downstream genes. These results suggest that the tissue-protective mechanism of proline involves the early activation of IL-6/STAT-3 pathway in the liver, with subsequent activation of the regenerative response and suppression of massive inflammatory activation.
The use of the galerkin method for radiation transfer in an anisotropically scattering slab with reflecting boundaries

Abstract Radiation transfer in an absorbing, emitting, anisotropically scattering, plane-parallel medium with diffusely reflecting boundaries is solved by application of the Galerkin method. With this approach, the radiation heat flux, angular distribution of radiation intensity, and the divergence of the radiation heat flux anywhere in the medium can be determined highly accurately. For optical thicknesses up to about 10, exact results are also readily obtainable if sufficient number of terms are considered in the expansion. Numerical results are presented for representative cases.
J/ψ dissociation in parity-odd bubbles

Abstract We calculate the quarkonium dissociation rate in the P and CP-odd domains (bubbles) that were possibly created in heavy-ion collisions. In the presence of the magnetic field produced by the valence quarks of colliding ions, parity-odd domains generate electric field. Quarkonium dissociation is the result of quantum tunneling of quark or antiquark through the potential barrier in this electric field. The strength of the electric field in the quarkonium comoving frame depends on the quarkonium velocity with respect to the background magnetic field. We investigate momentum, electric field strength and azimuthal dependence of the dissociation rate. Azimuthal distribution of quarkonia surviving in the electromagnetic field is strongly anisotropic; the form of anisotropy depends on the relation between the electric and magnetic fields and quarkonium momentum P ⊥ . These features can be used to explore the properties of the electromagnetic field created in heavy ion collisions.
Damage imaging of reinforced concrete structures using electromagnetic migration algorithm

Reconstructing damage geometry with computationally efficient algorithms is of primary importance in establishing a robust structural health monitoring system (SHMS). In this paper electromagnetic migration, a linearized imaging algorithm, is adopted to image the damages in reinforced concrete structures. This algorithm is formulated in time-domain for 3-D inhomogeneous isotropic and lossy structures. In order to reduce the computational cost and to examine the damage resolution of this imaging algorithm, different imaging conditions are introduced. Numerical simulations in 2-D transverse magnetic (TM) wave for a reinforced concrete slab with multiple damages are performed to test the effectiveness of the algorithm. All synthetic sensor data, incident field, and migration field are computed via a finite difference time-domain (FDTD) method. It is concluded that the proposed imaging algorithm is capable of efficiently identifying the damages geometries, is robust against measurement noise, and may be employed in a SHMS.
Eolian Origin of Quartz in Soils of Hawaiian Islands and in Pacific Pelagic Sediments

The particle-size distribution and oxygen-isotopic composition of quartz isolated from Hawaiian soils, east-central Pacific sediments, and tropospheric dusts are remarkably uniform. A common origin and tropospheric transport from continental land masses is suggested.
Three regulatory regions of the Aedes aegypti glutamine synthetase gene differentially regulate expression: identification of a crucial regulator in the first exon.

Aedes aegypti glutamine synthetase (GS) is expressed constitutively at various developmental stages and its relative mRNA abundance increases in the midgut following blood feeding in support of the biosynthesis of chitin, a component of the peritrophic matrix. To understand the regulation of GS expression better, GS-luciferase reporter fusion genes were constructed and analysed in transiently transfected C6/36 cells. These studies have identified three GS regions: GS-A, -B and -C (C1, C2) that are required for efficient transcription. The crucial regulatory DNA sequence is located within 140 nucleotides of the GS-C region in the first exon. GS-B region between −209 and +4 contains a negative modulator that represses transcription of the GS-C promoter, but the 5′-GS-A region, between −476 and −282, can negate the transcription inhibition of GS-B and promote GS transcription of the GS-C promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that nuclear proteins for GS-A, GS-B and GS-C1 are present in the C6/36 cells, and therefore that GS-A, GS-B and GS-C1 indeed possess regulatory function. By contrast, nuclear proteins isolated from both cultured cells and midgut tissues bound to GS-C2, suggesting that GS-C2 plays an important role in GS transcription and that GS-C2 is regulated by several different and redundant transcription factors to achieve constitutive expression in a wide variety of tissues.
Surface-plasmon-induced desorption by the attenuated-total-reflection method.

Surface plasmons excited by a Nd:YAG (YAG, yttrium aluminum garnet) laser in an attenuated-total-reflection (ATR) geometry were used to desorb Al atoms from smooth Al films. The ejected Al atoms were ionized by a pulse-excimer laser and measured by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. The desorption rate exhibits a sharp maximum at the surface-plasmon resonance angle. The experiment demonstrates that surface-plasmon-induced desorption can be accomplished on smooth surfaces. Since ATR excitation allows the use of a wide range of wavelengths, this method will be useful in the study of electronic desorption processes.
Effect of abuse on self-perception of rural Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white adolescents

The prevalence of adolescent abuse has serious community health ramifications because of its associated psychological responses. Theoretical frameworks have described behaviors arising from interpersonal interactions as being affected by self-concept. Therefore, the issue of assessing the self-concept is critical in research and practice for understanding the behavior of abused adolescents. This research arose from clinical practice in a rural Mexican-American and non-Hispanic White community. The practice focused on individual and group counseling for adolescents in abusive relationships. This study proposed to refine the theoretical basis for interventions related to self-concept and woman abuse for rural Mexican-American and non-Hispanic White adolescents.
Probing solvent fractionation in electrospray droplets with laser-induced fluorescence of a solvatochromic dye

Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy is used to profile solvent fractionation in an electrospray plume containing Nile Red, a solvatochromic dye (i.e., a dye for which spectral features are sensitive to solvent polarity). The results confirm gradual enrichment of the less volatile component in spray droplets as a result of solvent evaporation. Changes in solvent composition are evident in both axial and lateral profiles. The influences of capillary voltage, nebulizing gas, an electrolyte modifier, and flow rate on the extent of solvent fractionation are assessed. The results suggest that, in addition to volatility of the solvents, major factors affecting solvent fractionation include initial droplet size, droplet velocity, and the cooling effect of the nebulizing gas. Isolating contributions from these factors will require complementary data from other experiments.
Latino Gay and Bisexual Men's Relationships with Non-Gay-Identified Men Who Have Sex With Men

This study investigated relationships between Latino gay-identified men in metropolitan New York City and their non-gay-identified male partners. Phase 1 consisted of in-depth interviews (N = 33), and Phase 2 consisted of quantitative surveys (N = 120) with Brazilian, Colombian, and Dominican men who have sex with men (MSM). A majority of participants reported having had sex with heterosexually identified men, and in many cases, the relationship was sustained over time. We found mixed results concerning an attitude sometimes attributed to Latinos that sexual orientation is defined by sexual role, with receptive MSM seen as gay and insertive MSM seen as straight. Although there were no significant associations between partner sexual orientation and unprotected anal intercourse, gay men were less likely to take the insertive role in oral or anal sex with straight-identified male partners than with gay partners.
Postoperative reparalysis after rocuronium following nebulized epinephrine

We report a case of postoperative reparalysis in the recovery room, following nebulized epinephnne. The patient was pharmacologically reversed with edrophonium after paralysis with rocuronium. A 12-yr-old girl developed postoperative reparalysis following the intraoperative administration of rocuronium. A total of 0.92 mg·kg−1 rocuronium was administered. After surgery, pharmacological reversal was achieved with 20 mg edrophonium with 0.15 mg. atropine sulfateiv 35 mm after the last administration of rocuronium. Muscular relaxation was monitored using an ulnar peripheral nerve stimulator (PNS). After reversal, a full train-of-four and sustained tetanus at 50 Hz were present. In the recovery room, following nebulized epinephrine, the patient became apneic. The patient was paralyzed and an ulnar PNS demonstrated only one faint twitch. The paralysis was reversed with 1.5 mg neostigmine with 0.3 mg glycopyrrolate. Postoperative reparalysis following rocuronium may be a cause of postoperative respiratory distress. The definitive diagnosis is made using PNS and observing the response to pharmacological reversal. Nebulized epinephrine may have a previously undescribed role in the development of postoperative reparalysis.
Are there sensible ways to analyze and use subjective indicators of urban service quality

The application of subjective social indicators to evaluating local governmental services poses problems of interpretation and analysis. For several reasons, higher levels of subjective performance do not necessarily imply that in any other sense service performance is higher. Therefore, it may be erroneous to interpret an indicator such as expressed citizen satisfaction with a service as a measure of the quality of service government actually provides. Comparisons of average satisfaction levels can be especially misleading, as several simple simulation examples illustrate. This paper discusses some of the techniques and assumptions necessary for dealing with these problems, and offers some recommendations for using subjective indicators in local policy analysis.
Cerebral metabolic relationships for selected brain regions in Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases.

Summary: Local CMRGlc values were determined for 13 regions in each hemisphere from tomographs of patients with Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases who were studied using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose with positron emission computed tomography. Intercor-relations among the 26 regional measures were calculated for each disease state and for normal controls, and were accepted as reliable at p < 0.01, uncorrected for the number of comparisons. The number of reliable correlations was found to be decreased in Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, two primarily subcortical disorders, and increased in Alzheimer's disease, a primarily cortical disorder. The changes suggest that one role of the basal ganglia involves coordinating or pacing the ability of cortical brain regions to function as a unit.
Action Potentials from an Arthropod Ocellus: The Median Eye of Limulus.

Trilobital Median eyes Compound lateral eyes Ventral eyes Xiphosura2' 3 Median eyes Compound lateral eyes Ventral eyes Rudimentary median and lateral eyes Eurypteridal Median ocelli Compound lateral eyes Pycnogonida4 Median ocelli No lateral eyes Anachnida5 Median ocellia ("Anterior Lateral ocellia (including median eyes") "posterior median eyes") Branchiopoda6 Naupliar eye Conmpound lateral eyes Ostracoda6 Naupliar eye No lateral eyes in most species Copepoda6 Naupliar eye No lateral eyes Cirripedia6 Naupliar eye in nauplius Compound eyes in cypris larva larva None in adult None in adult
A state-variable decomposition method for estimating modal parameters

A nonsymmetric, generalized eigenvalue problem is constructed from state-variable ensembles. The data-based eigenvalue problem is related to the state-variable formulation of linear multi-degree-of-freedom systems. The inverse-transpose of the eigenvector matrix from this eigenvalue problem converges to the state-variable modal eigenvectors, and the eigenvalues lead to estimates of frequencies and modal damping. The interpretation holds whether damping is modal or nonmodal, and without the need of input data. The method is illustrated on an eight degree-of-freedom mass-spring-dashpot example.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Stabilized operation of the Spallation Neutron Source radio-frequency quadrupole

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) had resonance control instabilities at duty factors higher than approximately 4%. Systematic investigations have been carried out to understand the cause of the instability and to ensure the operational stability of the RFQ. The most critical source of the instability is revealed to be an interaction between hydrogen released by beam bombardments and the RFQ rf field resulting in a discharge, which consumes additional rf power and could cause the RFQ to operate in an unstable region. This paper reports improvement of the SNS RFQ operational stability based on the findings during the SNS operation.
Hypnosis and nonhypnotic techniques for reduction of pain and anxiety during painful procedures in children and adolescents with cancer

Hypnosis was compared with nonhypnotic behavioral techniques for efficacy in reducting pain and anxiety in 27 children and adolescents during bone marrow aspiration and in 22 children and adolescents during lumbar puncture. The patients and independent observers each rated (scale of 1 to 5) pain and anxiety during one to three procedures prior to intervention and one to three procedures with intervention. Prior to intervention for both groups, pain during bone marrow aspiration was rated as more severe (P
221: Systemic inflammation: Its role in periodontal disease and preterm birth

BIRTH MICHAEL RUMA, AMANDA HORTON, KIM BOGGESS, KEVIN MOSS, HEATHER JARED, AMY MURTHA, JAMES BECK, STEVEN OFFENBACHER, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dental Ecology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Duke University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Durham, North Carolina OBJECTIVE: Periodontal disease (PD) is associated with preterm birth (PTB), however conflicting data exists on the effect of treatment of PD and PTB. Our objective was to determine if systemic inflammation plays a role in PD and PTB. STUDY DESIGN: A secondary analysis from the Oral Conditions and Pregnancy Study was performed. Healthy pregnant women enrolled at 26 weeks underwent an oral health examination, serum sampling, and delivery follow-up. PD was categorized clinically as present or absent. Maternal serum was assayed for C-reactive protein (CRP) and stratified as elevated ( 75th percentile) or not elevated ( 75th percentile). PTB was defined as delivery 37 weeks. Odds ratios (OR) for PTB were stratified by PD and CRP level. RESULTS: 142 (18.3%) of 775 women delivered preterm. Women with PD were more likely to deliver preterm than those without PD (29% vs. 16%, P 0.002). Women with CRP 75th percentile were no more likely than those with CRP 75th percentile to develop PTB (22% vs. 17%, P 0.2). Women with PD and CRP 75th percentile were not at increased risk for PTB (adjusted OR 1.3, 0.6-2.6), compared to women without PD and either CRP 75th or 75th percentile. CONCLUSION: Systemic inflammation does not appear to play a role in PD and PTB.
Parameter heterogeneity in growth regressions

Abstract This paper explores the appropriateness of pooling many diverse countries together in growth regressions. It is shown that estimates are sensitive to small changes in the sample, and separating OECD and non-OECD countries can result in drastic differences.
Copulatory Behavior of the Coconut or Robber Crab Birgus Latro (L.) (Decapoda Anomura, Paguridea, Coenobitidae) 1)

Wahrend der Nacht wurden - uber eine Dauer von 14 Minuten - Liebesspiel und Kopulation von Birgus latro beobachtet (Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands). Bei der Kopulation kehren sich beide Partner die Ventralseiten zu, wobei das Weibchen auf dem Rucken liegt. Die Beine beider Partner sind ineinander verschlungen. Das Mannchen wird von den Ambulatorextremitaten des Weibchens umarmt. Die Absetzung der Spermatophoren erfolgt auf der ventralen Coxa-Oberflache der weiblichen Ambulatorbeine 2 und 3. Das Kopulationsverhalten von B. latro scheint weniger haufig vorzukommen, von kurzerer Dauer zu sein, und weniger visuelle und taktische Vorgange zu umfassen als bei den meisten verwandten Arten.
Gastrotomy closure using bioabsorbable plugs in a canine model

The repair of gastric perforation commonly involves simple suture closure using an open or laparoscopic approach. An endolumenal approach using prosthetic materials may be beneficial. The role of bioprosthetics in this instance has not been thoroughly investigated, thus the authors evaluated the feasibility of gastric perforation repair using a bioabsorbable device and quantified gross and histological changes at the injury site. Twelve canines were anesthetized and underwent open gastrotomy. A 1-cm-diameter perforation was created in the anterior wall of the stomach and plugged with a bioabsorbable device. Intralumenal pH was recorded. Canines were sacrificed at one, four, six, eight, and 12 weeks. The stomach was explanted followed by gross and histological examination. The injury site was examined. The relative ability of the device to seal the perforation was recorded, as were postoperative changes. Tissue samples were analyzed for gross and microscopic tissue growth and compared to normal gastric tissue in the same animal as an internal control. A scoring system of -2 to +2 was used to measure injury site healing (-2= leak, -1= no leak and minimal ingrowth, 0= physiologic healing, +1= mild hypertrophic tissue, +2= severe hypertrophic tissue). In all canines, the bioprosthesis successfully sealed the perforation without leak under ex vivo insufflation. At one week, the device maintained its integrity but there was no tissue ingrowth. Histological healing score was -1. At 4-12 weeks, gross examination revealed a healed injury site in all animals. The lumenal portion of the plug was completely absorbed. The gross and histological healing score ranged from -1 to +1. The application of a bioabsorbable device results in durable closure of gastric perforation with physiologic healing of the injury site. This method of gastrotomy closure may aid in the evolution of advanced endoscopic approaches to perforation closure of hollow viscera.
High strength micron size carbon fibers from polyacrylonitrile–carbon nanotube precursors

Abstract An improved, high strength, carbon fiber derived from islands-in-a-sea bi-component gel spun polyacrylonitrile (PAN)–carbon nanotube (CNT) precursor fibers containing 1 wt% mixture of single, double, and few walled CNTs was developed. Microscale experiments with properly designed MEMS tools provided the mechanical properties of individual, 1-μm diameter carbon filaments, which were isolated from bundles of 407 fibers. The statistics of the mechanical strength were described well by the cumulative Weibull probability density function that resulted in characteristic strength of 6.2 GPa and a Weibull modulus of 4.5, while the highest tensile strength and Young’s modulus values were 7.3 GPa and 318 GPa, respectively. At the lower end of the spectrum, the strength values correlated well with predictions based on an effective flaw size obtained from fracture cross-sections. On the other hand, the failure cross-sections of the high strength carbon fibers contained a large number of long and oriented CNTs but no discernible flaws. The high interfacial strength between the CNTs and the surrounding carbon resulted in fracture and telescopic pull-out of the CNTs, which was corroborated by individual CNT pull-out experiments with MEMS tools inside an SEM, and in situ fiber failure observations of telescopic pull-out of CNTs inside a TEM.
Exceptional neurologic recovery in a teenage football player after second impact syndrome with a thin subdural hematoma.

Second impact syndrome (SIS) occurs when a person sustains a second brain injury before the symptoms of an initial brain injury resolve [1,2]. Severe brain edema develops due to cerebral vasculature dysautoregulation and causes significant neurologic deficits [1-3]. SIS is a rare condition that occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults. Severe neurologic deficits and death typically occur with SIS [1,2,4]. This report describes an exceptional neurologic recovery in a teenage football player after SIS with a thin subdural hematoma (SDH). Institutional review board approval was obtained for this case study.
CRITICAL PROBLEMS OF RURAL SMALL BUSINESSES: A COMPARISON OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND WHITE-OWNED FORMATION AND EARLY GROWTH FIRMS

This study investigated the critical problems encountered by African American and White-owned formation and early growth firms in rural businesses. Analyses were conducted to determine the most critical types of problems encountered by these businesses and the relationship between the types of problems reported and the owner's race and firm's developmental stage. Strategic problems were the most critical problems by business owners in the sample, regardless of race or developmental stage, followed by administrative and operations. Although no significant relationship was found between the type of problems and the owner's race, a significant relationship was found between problem type and the firm's developmental stage, such that businesses in the formation stage are more likely to encounter strategic problems and early growth firms more often experience administrative problems.
Matching ‘sticks, plates and blobs’ objects using geometric and relational constraints

Abstract A recognition scheme using relational and rough geometric information about three-dimensional man-made objects to recognize instances of the objects in single perspectivenormal views of scenes is described. Experiments performed using the matching scheme show that, in most cases, the object in the view can be identified correctly and reasonable estimates can be made of the unknown camera position responsible for generating the given view. The technique is based on the fact that the camera position constrains the appearance of the various parts of the object. The propagation of these constraints from one planar object surface to another through the projection equations is worked out. This constraint propagation guides the matching scheme in the development of the interpretation of the scene. The results provide an estimate of the camera position within 20° of the actual location.
Phase II study of recombinant α-interferon and recombinant interleukin-2 in metastatic breast cancer

Ten patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with a combination of recombinant alpha-interferon and recombinant interleukin-2. The toxicity of treatment was considerable, including one death on therapy. No objective responses were seen.
Society and territory in human evolution

Abstract A survey of recent data on the socio-territorial organization of primates, carnivores and human hunter-gatheres discloses some striking similarities among them. These common features are integrated into a theory of hominid social evolution. It is postulated that the hominids, throughout most of their evolution, were organized into stable groups with the capacity to disperse into largely independent subgroups that remain affiliated with each other. During the course of hominid evolution, territoriality became an increasingly important function of the larger, stable units. The analysis illustrates the value of combining data from primates, carnivores, and human hunter-gatherers in the reconstruction of early hominid behavior.
Novel Polyanionic Solid Electrolytes with Weak Coulomb Traps and Controllable Caps and Spacers

New chain polymers that contain weakly coordinating anionic groups at controllable anionic separations in a polyether backbone are described. The anions are mono-diacyl-capped orthoborate moieties. In this paper, the polyanionic electrolytes with mono-oxalato-capped and mono-malonato-capped orthoborate structures (called “polyMOBs” and “polyMMBs”, respectively) are presented. After optimizing the anion separation, the conductivities of these lithium ion conducting polyanionic electrolytes are found to be high relative to those of most “dry” single-ion-conducting polymer electrolytes. A maximum ambient conductivity of almost 10-5 S cm-1 has been obtained for a solid polyMOB with 14 ethyleneoxy repeating units. The electrochemical “window” for these materials is in excess of 4.5 V. As prepared here, the polyMOB materials (but not the polyMMBs) contain some residual lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) as a side-product, which can be reduced but so far has not been eliminated. The effect of LiBOB content on co...
RC-Delay Chain-Based RF Time to Digital Converter

An RC delay Chain high-speed Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) is presented. It focuses on the detection of phase difference among Radio-frequency range oscillators. Compared with other TDC solutions, the RC-delay chain can provide configurable granularity, higher resolution, as well as simplicity of implementation.
The Role of Segmental Resection for Bronchiectasis in Conserving Pulmonary Function

CONCLUSION Compensatory hyperinflation of lung tissue following segmental resection does not impair intrapulmonary mixing of gases as shown in both case reports. Pulmonary function of the remaining lung tissue following segmental resection for bronchiectasis is of physiological value.
Secure and portable database extensibility

The functionality of extensible database servers can be augmented by user-defined functions (UDFs). However, the server's security and stability are concerns whenever new code is incorporated. Recently, there has been interest in the use of Java for database extensibility. This raises several questions: Does Java solve the security problems? How does it affect efficiency?We explore the tradeoffs involved in extending the PREDATOR object-relational database server using Java. We also describe some interesting details of our implementation. The issues examined in our study are security, efficiency, and portability. Our performance experiments compare Java-based extensibility with traditional alternatives in the native language of the server. We explore a variety of UDFs that differ in the amount of computation involved and in the quantity of data accessed. We also qualitatively compare the security and portability of the different alternatives. Our conclusion is that Java-based UDFs are a viable approach in terms of performance. However, there may be challenging design issues in integrating Java UDFs with existing database systems.
Demonstrating the viability of automatically generated user interfaces

We conducted a user study that demonstrates that automatically generated interfaces can support better usability through increased flexibility in two dimensions. First, we show that automatic generation can improve usability by moving interfaces that are constrained by cost and poor interaction primitives to another device with better interactive capabilities: subjects were twice as fast and four times as successful at completing tasks with automatically generated interfaces on a PocketPC device as with the actual appliance interfaces. Second, we show that an automatic generator can improve usability by automatically ensuring that new interfaces are generated to be consistent with users' previous experience: subjects were also twice as fast using interfaces consistent with their experiences as compared to normally generated interfaces. These two results demonstrate that automatic interface generation is now viable and especially desirable where users will benefit from individualized interfaces or where human designers are constrained by cost and other factors.
Seasonal and habitat abundance and distribution of some forensically important blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Central California.

Abstract Seasonal and habitat calliphorid abundance and distribution were examined weekly for two years (2001–2003) in Santa Clara County, California, using sentinel traps baited with bovine liver. Of the 34,389 flies examined in three defined habitats (rural, urban, and riparian), 38% of the total catch represented Compsomyiops callipes (Bigot) and 23% represented Phormia regina (Meigen). Other flies collected in this survey included Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus), Calliphora latifrons (Hough), Lucilia sericata (Meigen), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), and Lucilia mexicana (Macquart), which is a new record for the area. Multivariate MANOVA and ANOVA ( P ≤ 0.05) analysis indicate significant seasonal habitat preference for all fly species examined. This information may be used to identify potentially forensically important fly species within Santa Clara County, California.
Selection and utilization of solanum phureja clones with high resistance to different strains of pseudomonas solanacearum

Over 250 accessions ofSolanum phureja from Colombia and 300S. phureja—S. tuberosum hybrids were screened in the greenhouse for resistance toPseudomonas solanacearum (isolate K-60). Each plant was inoculated by stem puncture at the pre-bud stage and then held at a constant 28 C for 15 days. Seventeen clones with different levels of resistance to K-60 were inoculated with nine additional isolates representing all three races of the bacterium. The reactions of individual clones varied from resistance to almost all isolates, resistance to only one isolate, or complete susceptibility. Crosses amongS. phureja clones and betweenS. phureja and 24-chromosomeS. tuberosum stocks gave progeny with various percentages of resistant plants. Clones with resistance equal to that inS. phureja were found in theS. phureja × S. tuberosum crosses. Tests conducted in growth chambers showed that resistance was expressed more frequently at high light intensity (2000 ft-c) than at low intensities (1300 ft-c) at 24 C and 28 C. Resistance appears to be relatively simply inherited and the prospects for transferring a high level of resistance into cultivated forms are promising.
A multi-method evaluation of journals in the decision and management sciences by US academics

Numerous studies published in the academic literature address the issue of journal quality. However, little has been done to evaluate the broad set of journals pertinent to academic research in the decision and management sciences. This study examines the quality of such journals from a US point of view using both survey- and citation-based measures of journal quality. The survey-based measure is the perceived quality ratings assigned by US academics in the management science field. The citation-based measure is the impact factor, an indication of how often the articles in a journal are cited. This study finds that perceived quality ratings of the journals are positively correlated with citation impact factors. Also, both of these quality measures are found to be positively correlated with journal circulation and negatively correlated with acceptance rate. Journal quality ratings appear to vary across reviewers with different research interest areas and reviewers seem to rate journals higher if they have published in them.
Interfacial sub-oxide regions at SiSiO2 interfaces: minimization by post-oxidation rapid thermal anneal

Transition regions at Si-SiO 2 interfaces contain suboxide bonding arrangements which contribute to interface roughness and may give rise to electronically active defects. Interfacial transition regions with suboxide bonding are a direct result of thermal and plasma-assisted oxidation at temperatures up to at least 800°C, but sub-oxide bonding is significantly reduced following a 30 s, 900°C RTA. The kinetics of annealing are essentially the same as those for separation of homogeneous sub-oxide thin films (SiO X , x < 2) into silicon nanocrystals and stoichiometric SiO 2 .
Alter/native Heroes: Native Americans, Comic Books, and the Struggle for Self-Definition

This article offers a critical interpretation of Native Americans as objects and authors of comic books, an often maligned and neglected domain of kids' popular culture. The discussion begins with a brief overview of the misappropriation of Indianness in North America. Against this background, it elaborates a three-fold analysis. First, it details the prominence of anti-Indianism in comic books, particularly as means through which Euro-American authors and audiences have made claims on and through Indianness. Second, it unpacks the use of comic books to challenge and question dominant misappropriations and misunderstandings. Third, it examines the recent emergence of indigenous comics intent to use the medium to reclaim Indianness. In conclusion, it proposes that the alternative uses of comic books should be read as an excellent example of a larger movement for visual sovereignty in native North America.
Predicting bed shear stress and its role in sediment dynamics and restoration potential of the Everglades and other vegetated flow systems.

Abstract Entrainment of sediment by flowing water affects topography, habitat suitability, and nutrient cycling in vegetated floodplains and wetlands, impacting ecosystem evolution and the success of restoration projects. Nonetheless, restoration managers lack simple decision-support tools for predicting shear stresses and sediment redistribution potential in different vegetation communities. Using a field-validated numerical model, we developed state-space diagrams that provide these predictions over a range of water-surface slopes, depths, and associated velocities in Everglades ridge and slough vegetation communities. Diminished bed shear stresses and a consequent decrease in bed sediment redistribution are hypothesized causes of a recent reduction in the topographic and vegetation heterogeneity of this ecosystem. Results confirmed the inability of present-day flows to entrain bed sediment. Further, our diagrams showed bed shear stresses to be highly sensitive to emergent vegetation density and water-surface slope but less sensitive to water depth and periphyton or floating vegetation abundance. These findings suggested that instituting a pulsing flow regime could be the most effective means to restore sediment redistribution to the Everglades. However, pulsing flows will not be sufficient to erode sediment from sloughs with abundant spikerush, unless spikerush density first decreases by natural or managed processes. Our methods provide a novel tool for identifying restoration parameters and performance measures in many types of vegetated aquatic environments where sediment erosion and deposition are involved.
Growth of single crystals of anhydrous lanthanide halides

Abstract A consistently successful procedure for growing optically pure single crystals of the anhydrous lanthanide halides is described. It involves drying the hydrated lanthanide halide with the corresponding ammonium halide, purification by vacuum distillation, and subsequent growth by the Bridgman-Stockbarger method. All critical steps in the procedure are explained, and the relatively simple apparatus is described in detail.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ATTENUATION OF SHORT WATER WAVES BY TURBULENCE

Measurements of the dissipation of short water waves in a wave tank are analysed and described. Monochromatic waves with lengths between 6 and 10 cm generated by an axisymmetric wavemaker propagated through a turbulent flow field generated by a submerged vertically oscillating grid below the wavemaker. The horizontal turbulence velocity was measured with a hot-film anemometer with the grid oscillating, but the wavemaker off. With the wavemaker operating, wave amplitude vs. distance from the wavemaker was measured with and without operation of the turbulence generator. Wave dissipation due to turbulence was measured and quantified. Much of the wave energy transfer to turbulence may not occur in the normal energy-containing depth of the waves. Rather, most of it may first be convected downward and out of the wave zone by the vertical turbulent velocities. The experimental data are consistent with this possibility.
A Proposed RF System for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility

Preliminary rf system design for the accelerator portion of the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility is in progress. The 35-MeV, 100-mA, cw deuteron beam will require 6.3 MW rf power at 80 MHz. Initial testing indicates the EIMAC 8973 tetrode is the most suitable final amplifier tube for each of a series of 15 amplifier chains operating at 0.5-MW output. To satisfy the beam dynamics requirements for particle acceleration and to minimize beam spill, each amplifier output must be controlled to ±1° in phase and the field amplitude in the tanks must be held within a 1% tolerance. These tolerances put stringent demands on the rf phase and amplitude control system.
Production‐allocation scheduling and capacity expansion using network flows under uncertainty

This paper extends Connors and Zangwill's work in network flows under uncertainty to the convex costs case. In this paper the extended network flow under uncertainty algorithm is applied to compute N-period production and delivery schedules of a single commodity in a two-echelon production-inventory system with convex costs and low demand items. Given an initial production capacity for N periods, the optimal production and delivery schedules for the entire N periods are characterized by the flows through paths of minimal expected discounted cost in the network As a by-product of this algorithm the multi-period stochastic version of the parametric budget problem for the two-echelon production-inventory system is solved.
Semi-autonomous evolution of object models for adaptive object recognition

The paper presents a semi-autonomous model evolution approach to object recognition under variable perceptual conditions. The approach assumes that (i) the system has to recognize objects on separate images of a sequence, and (ii) the images demonstrate the variability of conditions under which objects are perceived (gradual change in resolution, lighting, positioning). The adaptation of object models is executed due to perceived, over a sequence of images, variabilities of object characteristics. This adaptation involves (i) the application of learned models to the next image, (ii) the monitoring of recognition effectiveness of the models, and (iii) an activation of learning processes if needed (i.e., when the recognition effectiveness of the models decreases). Model adaptation (evolution) integrates recognition processes of computer vision with incremental knowledge acquisition processes of machine learning in a closed loop. The paper presents both an outline of the iterative evolution methodology and the investigation of an incremental model generalization approach using the example of a texture recognition problem. Experiments were run in a semi-autonomous mode where a teacher secured soundness behavior of the evolution system. The experiments are compared for three system configurations: (i) a one-level control structure, (ii) a two-level control structure, and (iii) a two-level control structure with data filtering. The obtained results are evaluated for system recognition effectiveness, recognition stability, and predictability of evolved models. >
Drawing Politics in Pink and Blue

Assessing the current condition of editorial cartooning invites engagement in a number of potential perspectives: Cartoons may be positioned as journalism, artistic expression, entertaining satire, and political and historical record. A rhetorical perspective examines cartoons as expressions of political discourse positioned within the wider culture that defines, constructs, and frames larger social ideologies as a backdrop to events of the day. Cartoonists accomplish this task not only by devising explicit messages about their subjects, but in the implicit expression of societal norms and values in the conceptual lenses and commonplaces they employ. This essay considers the conceptual lens of gender as it has been used by cartoonists in recent years to frame politicians, and the implications of that framing.
Lack of herbal supplement characterization in published randomized controlled trials.

Abstract Purpose Herbal supplements in the United States and abroad have poor quality control and high content variability. We assessed the extent to which recently published randomized controlled trials of herbal supplements characterized and verified the content of the supplement under study. Methods We identified all MEDLINE-indexed English language randomized controlled trials evaluating single-herb preparations of echinacea, garlic, ginkgo, saw palmetto, or St. John's wort that were published between January 1, 2000, and February 9, 2004. From each article we extracted information characterizing the herbal supplement studied. Results Of 81 randomized controlled trials meeting inclusion criteria, 12 (15%) reported performing tests to quantify actual contents, and 3 (4%) provided adequate data to compare actual with expected content values of at least one chemical constituent. In those 3 studies, actual content varied between 80% and 113% of expected values. Studies of higher overall quality (Jadad score ≥3) performed testing somewhat less frequently (5/54; 9%) than those with lower Jadad scores (7/27; 26%) ( P = .09). Conclusion Documented characterization of herbal supplements in published randomized controlled trials is inadequate. Investigators may be unaware of the extent to which herbal quality-control issues may detract from the value of otherwise well-designed clinical trials. The scientific and clinical utility of future herbal randomized controlled trials would be enhanced if authors provided evidence that the herbal products studied were of high quality.
Cellular Localization of Receptors Mediating the Actions of Steroid Hormones

The sections in this article are: 1 Nuclear Localization of Most Unliganded Steroid Receptors 1.1 Basis for the Initial Two-Step Translocation Model of Steroid Action and Location 1.2 Current Nuclear Localization Model for Most Steroid Receptors 1.3 Glucocorticoid Receptor Localization 2 Nuclear Import and Export of Steroid Receptors 2.1 Entry of Proteins Into the Nucleus 2.2 Nuclear Localization Signals 2.3 Mechanism of Nuclear Import 2.4 Nuclear Export and Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling 2.5 Conclusions 3 Alternate Steroid Receptors and Nongenomic Steroid Responses 3.1 Estrogen Receptor-β 3.2 Glucocorticoids 3.3 Mineralocorticoids 3.4 Progesterone 3.5 Estrogen 3.6 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 3.7 Testosterone 4 Conclusions
Modeling and characterization of fiber-reinforced plastic honeycomb sandwich panels for highway bridge applications

Abstract Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite decks have been increasingly used in highway bridge applications, both in new construction and rehabilitation and replacement of existing bridge decks. Recent applications have demonstrated that FRP honeycomb panels can be effectively and economically used for highway bridge deck systems. This paper is concerned with design modeling and experimental characterization of a FRP honeycomb panel with sinusoidal core geometry in the plane and extending vertically between face laminates. The analyses of the honeycomb structure and components include: (1) constituent materials and ply properties, (2) face laminates and core wall engineering properties, (3) equivalent core material properties, and (4) apparent stiffness properties for the honeycomb panel and its equivalent orthotropic material properties. A homogenization process is used to obtain the equivalent core material properties for the honeycomb geometry with sinusoidal waves. To verify the accuracy of the analytical solution, several honeycomb sandwich beams with sinusoidal core waves either in the longitudinal or transverse directions are tested in bending. Also, a deck panel is tested under both symmetric and asymmetric patch loading. Finite element (FE) models of the test samples using layered shell elements are further used to correlate results with analytical predictions and experimental values. A brief summary is given of the present and future use of the FRP honeycomb panel for bridge decks. The present simplified analysis procedure can be used in design applications and optimization of efficient honeycomb structures.