cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Daily Evapotranspiration from one Time-of-Day Measurements

Jackson, R.D., Hatfield, J.L., Reginato, R.J., Idso, S.B. and Pinter, P.J., Jr., 1983. Estimation of daily evapotranspiration from one time-of-day measurements. Agric. Water Manage., 7: 351–362. The estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) on a regional basis requires remote sensing inputs. When obtained from air or space platforms, remotely sensed measurements are usually made at periodic intervals, and are essentially instantaneous in nature. A problem, then, is the estimation of daily values of ET from one time of day measurements. A technique is presented that allows the calculation of the coefficient necessary to convert one time of day measurements to daily totals. Input requirements are latitude, day of year, and time of day. This coefficient was applied to measured one time of day ET values and the results were compared to lysimetrically determined daily totals obtaind at five locations and for four crops. One time of day ET was also calculated using an ET model that requires remotely sensed surface temperatures. These values were converted to daily totals and compared with measured values. The results indicated that reliable estimates of daily total ET from one time of day measurements could be made for cloud free days. For cloudy days the results are less reliable, but they suggest that estimates may be improved by considering the amount and temporal distribution of cloud cover.
The next digital transformation: from an individual-centered to an everyone-to-everyone economy

Purpose – Based on extensive interviews and analysis, the article aims to explain how the next digital transformation, which is already underway, will result in a paradigm shift from one that is customer-centricity to an everyone-to-everyone (E2E) economy. Design/methodology/approach – For the 2013 IBM Digital Reinvention Study that this article is based on, IBM researchers surveyed approximately 1,100 business and government executives and 5,000 consumers across 15 countries. Thirty leading futurists were also interviewed. Of those interviewed for the executive study, 42 percent are C-level executives, with Chief Executive Officers comprising 10 percent of that group. More than three-fourths of the consumer study participants are university graduates, with 68 percent between the ages of 25 and 54. Findings – E2E is characterized by hyper-connectedness and collaboration of consumers and organizations across the gamut of value chain activities: co-design, co-creation, co-production, co-marketing, co-distri...
Florid cutaneous papillomatosis.

• The abrupt onset of acanthosis nigricans (AN) or of multiple seborrheic keratoses in middle-aged or older people is often associated with underlying malignant neoplasms. We describe a 64-year-old woman who developed a large number of verrucous papillomas on the trunk and extremities, followed within a few months by the sudden appearance of both the lesions of AN and those of multiple seborrheic keratoses. Laparotomy disclosed a gastric adenocarcinoma. A number of similar cases have been described in the literature. It is emphasized that patients with suddenly appearing verrucous papillomas should be examined carefully for an underlying cancer. To call attention to this eruption, which may be mistaken for generalized warts, we suggest the term "florid cutaneous papillomatosis." (Arch Dermatol114:1803-1806, 1978)
THERMAL DEGRADATION OF POLYMER CONCRETE

Abstract Polymer concretes (in which polymers, rather than cements, are used as binders of aggregate materials) are increasingly used in a wide variety of applications. In this paper, a relatively simple experimental procedure for evaluating the thermal degradation of polymer concrete is described and the results of testing two distinct polymer concretes (one based on methyl methacrylate and the other on a polyester) are presented. Thermal degradation was determined by measuring the weight loss experienced by samples exposed to various temperatures for different times. In addition, each sample was given a subjective structural integrity rating on a scale of ‘A’ to ‘D’ (where ‘A’ and ‘D’, respectively, indicate no observed loss of structural integrity and complete loss of cohesion). It was observed that, for given times of exposure ( t ), there exist well-defined ‘characteristic’ temperatures, T w (t) and T s (t) , respectively, below which no weight loss or mechanical degradation was observed. For the methacrylate based polymer concrete, exposed to elevated temperatures for two minutes, no loss of strength was observed below T s (2) ≈ 680° F and zero weight loss was measured below T w (2) ≈ 600° F . When the exposure time was raised to ten minutes, both characteristic temperatures (i.e. T s (10) and T w (10) ) dropped to about 520°F. For the polyester based polymer concrete, after a two minute exposure, no loss of strength was found below T s (2) ≈ 740° F and no weight loss was observed below T w (2) ≈ 620° F ; after a ten minute exposure, T s (10) and T w (10) dropped to about 610°F and 540°F, respectively.
The Danger of Improperly Capped Milk Bottles

Except in the case of our certified milks, the protection that the dairyman and distributor can give the milk ceases when it is bottled and left by the driver on the consumer's doorstep; in fact, it can be said that the protection essentially ceases at the time when the milk is bottled. During the interval between the bottling and consumption of the milk there exists a period when the "safety bars" are let down, so to speak. I refer to the imperfect covering for the top of the milk bottle--the so-called slip-in type of bottle cap which leaves the lip of the bottle and the top entirely exposed. The writer has frequently noticed a bottle of milk on the family doorstep surrounded by flies and often a dog or cat licking the droplets of milk from the top. Aside from the repulsiveness of such occurrences, the r616 of flies in the transmission of typhoid and numerous other diseases is so well estabtablished that a discussion is unnecessary. But probably most important, although least thought of, is the fact that the bottle is grasped around the top by the driver or other person handling it. The objection to this practice is obvious. Sanitarians have long insisted upon the danger of unclean hands of employees handling food stuffs, and in the ease of a product so delicate and perishable as milk, this danger and objection is doubly serious. The certified dairies have solved the uncovered bottle top problem by supplying a cover that slips over the outside, thus protecting the lip of the bottle over which the milk must pass
Effect of Lower Extremity Fasciotomy Length on Intracompartmental Pressure in an Animal Model of Compartment Syndrome The Importance of Achieving a Minimum of 90% Fascial Release

Background:There has been an increase in minimally invasive surgery for chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS), despite the potential for incomplete compartment release and iatrogenic injuries. To our knowledge, no study has examined the effect of the length of fascial release on compartment pressures.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose was to explain the high failure rate seen in fascial release for CECS by evaluating the effect of fasciotomy length on intracompartmental pressures. We hypothesized that complete fascial release would need to be performed to return pressures to baseline levels.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:Five male swine (10 lower extremities) were anesthetized. A slit catheter, connected to a pressure monitor, was inserted into the anterior compartment and a solution containing 5% swine albumin was injected into the compartment until the compartment pressure was >25 mm Hg for 10 minutes. Pressures were measured at rest, after the injection, and after each 10% increm...
Insurance reimbursement for the treatment of obesity in children

Abstract Objective: Although the prevalence of obesity among children in the United States is rapidly increasing, third party payer reimbursement for evaluation and management may be limited. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate third party payer reimbursement rates for a pediatric weight management program for obese children and associations among child characteristics (eg, degree of obesity), insurance policy type, and reimbursement rates. Study design: Cross-sectional survey in a tertiary care pediatric medical center. Reimbursement rate of charges for initial evaluation and management and patient characteristics were evaluated for children 2 years or older enrolled in the Children's Hospital Weight Management Program. Results: From October 17, 1995, to December 23, 1997, 191 children were evaluated in the Children's Hospital Weight Management Program. The children were on average 10.1 ± 0.3 years old, with a mean body mass index z-score of 4.9 ± 0.2; 46% were black, and 65% were female. The median reimbursement rate was 11% and varied widely (0% to 100%). Reimbursement rates differed significantly among policy types. Reimbursement rates did not differ between boys and girls or white and black children, nor were reimbursement rates associated with the degree of obesity. Conclusions: Despite the need for weight management services for obese children, these low reimbursement rates preclude the long-term financial viability of such programs without external support or a significant proportion of patients who can pay "out-of-pocket." (J Pediatr 1999;134:573-8)
Hymenolepis microstoma: tegumentary disks.

Abstract The distribution and concentration of disk-like tegumentary bodies were studied in adult Hymenolepis microstoma using electron microscopy. Two sets of tissue were examined. In the first set, the tissue was post-fixed with osmic acid and stained with uranyl acetate and bismuth subnitrate or with potassium permanganate. In the second set, osmium exposure was avoided and the tissue was stained with either phosphotungstic acid or potassium permanganate. The staining revealed that the electron-opaque disk is composed of a dense central core that is surrounded by an electron-lucid region. Electron-opaque and electron-transparent bodies were found to be present at constant concentrations in the tegument of the immature, mature, and gravid regions. Also, it was found that postfixation with osmic acid concealed the presence of numerous stacks of electron-opaque bodies in the tegument. The stacks of disks have a tendency to be aligned perpendicular to the tegument surface.
Comment on "Probabilistic Evaluation of Prime Implicants and Top-Events for Non-Coherent Systems

The numerical example given by Inagaki & Henley to illustrate their methodology for the probabilistic evaluation of non-coherent systems contains incorrect calculations. Their otherwise satisfactory paper contains several numerical errors which appreciably affect the value of the top-event occurrence-probability and s-expected number of failures for their example.
Comparative inhibitory activities of sulforaphane and phenethyl isothiocyanate against leukemia resistant CEM/C2 cancer cells

Abstract The potentials of sulforaphane and phenethyl isothiocyanate as functional food ingredients against hematological malignancies were evaluated on the intracellular targets of these antiangiogenic compounds in CEM/C2 T leukemia cells. CEM/C2 cells were seeded and incubated with various concentrations of sulforaphane or phenethyl isothiocyanate for 24 or 48 h. Sulforaphane at 0–30 μmol/L dose-dependently suppressed CEM/C2 cell growth and proliferation and caused cell death by apoptosis with down-regulation of bcl-2 and increased release of cytochrome c within 48 h. Phenethyl isothiocyanate at 0–15 μmol/L dose-dependently inhibited CEM/C2 cell viability within 48 h and caused cell death by apoptosis with down-regulation of bcl-2 and increased expression of cytochrome c. CEM/C2 cell death was accompanied by inhibition of IκB phosphorylation and degradation and nuclear translocation of p65-nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) by sulforaphane as well as phenethyl isothiocyanate. CEM/C2 cell viability and proliferation can be inhibited by functional food ingredient inhibitors of the NF-κB pathway.
Calibration of Smart Motorways and Comparison of Two Schemes

Smart Motorways (SM), previously known as Managed Motorways (MM) schemes are being steadily rolled out by the Highways Agency (HA) in England. Outwardly the SM schemes have significantly more infrastructure than a regular stretch of motorway. Although most people refer to the physical infrastructure when thinking or talking about SMs, the full benefits cannot be realised without careful set-up and tuning of each scheme. This set up and tuning is referred to as calibration and optimisation. SM schemes aim to reduce congestion, not worsen safety and reduce journey times. This paper describes how Smart Motorways work, how they are calibrated and the key expected benefits. It compares initial highlight results from two schemes (M62 J25-30 and M4/M5), drawing out similar characteristics of interest as well as differences between the two. Finally, current and potential future enhancements are described.
A Story Mapping Intervention to Improve Narrative Comprehension Deficits in Adolescents with ADHD

The current study examined the effects of an 8-week story mapping intervention (SMI) to improve narrative comprehension in adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thirty 12–16-year-old adolescents with ADHD who were participating in a summer treatment program for adolescents with ADHD received the SMI instruction ten times and completed SMI homework ten times in a structured environment with teacher feedback. Recall of fables and story creation were assessed before and after the SMI. At post-test, fable recalls included more of the most important events, were more coherent, and included a greater number of plausible inferences than pre-test fable recalls. SMI homework scores accounted for increases in recall of important events and plausible inferences, suggesting that consistent practice and feedback with story mapping could contribute to important recall gains. In contrast, the inclusion of goal-based events and the rated coherence of created stories did not improve, suggesting that more explicit instruction in applying story mapping to story creation may be required.
Template Engineering Through Epitope Recognition: A Modular, Biomimetic Strategy for Inorganic Nanomaterial Synthesis

Natural systems often utilize a single protein to perform multiple functions. Control over functional specificity is achieved through interactions with other proteins at well-defined epitope binding sites to form a variety of functional coassemblies. Inspired by the biological use of epitope recognition to perform diverse yet specific functions, we present a Template Engineering Through Epitope Recognition (TEThER) strategy that takes advantage of noncovalent, molecular recognition to achieve functional versatility from a single protein template. Engineered TEThER peptides span the biologic–inorganic interface and serve as molecular bridges between epitope binding sites on protein templates and selected inorganic materials in a localized, specific, and versatile manner. TEThER peptides are bifunctional sequences designed to noncovalently bind to the protein scaffold and to serve as nucleation sites for inorganic materials. Specifically, we functionalized identical clathrin protein cages through coassembly...
An Exploratory Study of Choice Rules Favored for High-Stakes Decisions

As information technology becomes more sophisticated, consumers will be able to access more information to help them make difficult high-stakes choices, such as medical and financial investments or career decision making. The purpose of this article is to examine how consumers think such information should be used in making decisions for which there are high stakes. Results, based on five exploratory studies, indicate that subjects do not spontaneously favor the use of compensatory decision procedures, such as multiattribute utility theory (MAUT). Explanation and structured pedagogical procedures significantly increase the subjects’ endorsement of decision rules over no decision rules, but they do not increase the endorsement of MAUT. Further, subjects believe that they would be more likely to use compensatory models when they have more options and more information about the options, more time, less certainty about their goals, and more accountability. Paradoxically, although subjects generally do not want to use compensatory rules themselves, they are more likely to want their agents (e.g., physicians or financial or career advisors) to use these rules in making decisions.
Resistance to psychological prophylaxis in hospital pediatrics.

Summary 1. A fund of evidence indicates that improper hospital management often results in psychiatric disturbance. 2. Iatrogenic psychopathology is believed to be a major public health problem. 3. Many hospitals have taken steps to institute psychologically prophylactic management, but the number appears relatively few. 4. Though there is general agreement, either for mental health or humane reasons, on providing adequate psychological care of pediatric patients, hospitals do not develop and institute the necessary management methods for reducing children's fear and emotional distress to an absolute minimum. 5. If iatrogenic psychopathology is to be prevented, it seems necessary to inquire into and formulate the dynamics of the hospital resistance to modern psychological management and prophylaxis.
Ventilation/perfusion reverse mismatch in septic pulmonary emboli.

An intravenous drug abuser was noted to have vegetations on the tricuspid valve. A blood culture was positive for Staphylococcus. Evolving lung lesions were undoubtedly related to septic pulmonary emboli. Lung scans revealed a distinct reverse mismatch. Septic pulmonary emboli should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a ventilation/perfusion reverse mismatch.
Implications of ambiguity for scientometric measurement

The essence of Scientometrics is precise measurement. Yet the measurements made in Scientometric research is steeped in ambiguity. This article explores the nature of ambiguity in measurement, and probes for mechanisms that allow regularities to be discovered in an environment in which ambiguity is pronounced.
A Tutorial on Data-Base Organization

Abstract The purpose of this report is to clarify certain issues of data-base support. The main issues are data independence, security, integrity, search, and the integrated data base. The first section of the report is an introduction, which includes data-management history, trends, and terminology. The second section presents a theory of operational data based on the notions of entity sets and data maps. The third section is an exposition of data-bank design, emphasizing structure, search, and maintenance. The fourth section shows why data independence is a necessary feature of a viable data base system. The report should not be construed as representing a commitment or intention of IBM. The opinions expressed are personal and do not represent a corporate position. The intent of the report is tutorial, and the viewpoint is that of a systems programmer. Data independence Integrated data base Data integrity Search Data management Systems programming Data security 21 Programming
Transcriptional regulation of rat intestinal angiotensin-converting enzyme and dipeptidyl peptidase IV by a high proline diet☆

Abstract A high proline diet (50% gelatin) was found to induce a 3–8 fold increase in the activity of rat small intestinal angiotensin-converting enzyme and dipeptidyl peptidase IV. Induction was also accompanied by a increase in steady state levels of enzyme mRNA. It was observed that the rate of gene transcription for these two enzymes is increased to levels corresponding to the changes in their mRNA. These results indicate for the first time that dietary components can influence the expression of various intestinal brush border membrane hydrolases at the level of gene transcription.
Current-induced domain wall motion

Abstract The present understanding of domain wall motion induced by spin-polarized electric current is assessed by considering a subset of experiments, analytical models, and numerical simulations based on an important model system: soft magnetic nanowires. Examination of this work demonstrates notable progress in characterizing the experimental manifestations of the “spin-torque” interaction, and in describing that interaction at a phenomenological level. At the same time, an experimentally verified microscopic understanding of the basic mechanisms will require substantial future efforts, both experimental and theoretical.
Structure and adsorption characteristics of (111) and (11?) surfaces of InSb cleaned by ion bombardment and annealing

Abstract Low energy electron diffraction studies have been made of five (111) and (11 1 ) surfaces of InSb which were cleaned by argon ion bombardment and annealing. From the diffraction patterns obtained in both (110) and (112) azimuths, a double-spaced structure of surface atoms appears to be present on (111) and (11 1 ) surfaces. Exposure to oxygen resulted in a gradual decrease in intensity of all beams, indicating that an amorphous layer of oxygen was formed. The sticking coefficient for oxygen on the cleaned surfaces has a maximum value of 10−5, and appears to be smiliar on both (111) and (11 1 ) surfaces. The cleaned surface pattern could be regenerated by heating the crystal at about 330°C for approximately 1 hr.
Manometric squeeze pressure difference parallels functional outcome after overlapping sphincter reconstruction.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of overlapping anal sphincter reconstruction and to determine the manometric parameters that correlate with a successful functional outcome. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who had undergone overlapping sphincter reconstruction for anal incontinence from 1988 to 1999 was undertaken. Only patients with preoperative and six-months-postoperative anal manometry were included in this study. Standard statistical tests were used to compare pre- and postoperative findings. RESULTS: A total of 52 overlapping sphincter reconstructions were performed on 49 patients (46 females). The mean age was 44 (± standard error, 15.8; range, 20–81) years, with follow-up at six months. Forty-two patients had a history of complicated vaginal delivery (episiotomies, tears, forceps delivery); 36 patients had a history of anal or perineal surgery; and two patients had perianal Crohn's disease. Nine patients (17 percent) had undergone prior sphincter repair. Incontinence grade improved in 37 patients (71 percent), and complete continence returned in 21 patients (40 percent). The presence of a rectovaginal fistula, postoperative complications, previous sphincter repair, and increase in pudendal nerve terminal motor latency did not affect functional outcome (P = not significant). Patients older than 50 years had a better functional outcome than their younger counterparts after sphincter repair (P=0.02). Although mean maximal squeeze pressure and mean anal sphincter length increased significantly after sphincter reconstruction (P=0.0006 and 0.004, respectively), only squeeze pressure difference correlated with functional outcome (r=0.37;P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Overlapping sphincter reconstruction improved anal function in the majority of patients. The most important factor in the return to normal sphincter function is an increase in squeeze pressure.
Measurements of the complete solvation response in ionic liquids.

Dynamic Stokes shift measurements of the solvatochromic probe trans-4-dimethylamino-4‘-cyanostilbene were used to measure the solvation response of five imidazolium and one pyrrolidinium ionic liquid at 25 °C. The Kerr-gated emission and time-correlated single-photon-counting techniques were used to measure spectral dynamics occurring over the time ranges of 100 fs−200 ps and 50 ps−5 ns, respectively, and a combination of data sets from these two techniques enabled observation of the complete solvation response. Observed response functions were found to be biphasic, consisting of a sub-picosecond component of modest (10−20%) amplitude and a dominant slower component relaxing over times of a few picoseconds to several nanoseconds. The faster component could be correlated to inertial characteristics of the constituent ions, and the slower component to solvent viscosity. Dielectric continuum calculations of the sort previously used to predict solvation dynamics in dipolar liquids were shown to work poorly fo...
Internet Service Provision in the U.S. Counties: Is Spatial Pattern a Function of Demand?

The Internet has become an important part of the daily lives of millions of Americans. Despite its importance, there is little empirical knowledge about the spatial pattern of Internet growth. Using the number of ISPs (Internet service providers) as an indicator of Internet diffusion and adoption, the authors attempt to understand the spatial pattern of Internet adoption and the factors responsible. Specifically, they seek to answer three research questions: Do U.S. counties exhibit differences in Internet adoption? If so, what is the pattern of adoption? and How do county-level socioeconomic and geographical factors affect the adoption of Internet services? For the spatial analysis, polygon pattern analysis is used to see the pattern of Internet adoption. Three spatial error models (for all counties, metro counties, and nonmetro counties) are used to investigate the relationship between various county-level demand indicators and Internet service status. The result shows that market demand is the driving force as counties that are more urban, have more educated people, more business establishments, and higher housing value also have higher ISP presence. This finding implies that the remote and rural areas will continue to suffer from poor Internet access.
The idea garden: From a qualitative evaluation toward an quantitative evaluation and generalization

To help end-user programmers overcome barriers they encounter in programming, I have been investigating an approach called the Idea Garden, which aims to “help users to help themselves” in the context of their self-directed tasks. In this paper, I present an example Idea Garden feature hosted in the CoScripter environment, and the results from a qualitative evaluation of how the feature helped users overcome a barrier and learn the related programming knowledge as well as a problem-solving strategy. Then I outline the plan for a quantitative evaluation. Finally, I discuss the generalizability of the Idea Garden approach.
Larvae of euphausiids off Queen Maud Land

In a March 1981 study of the Lazare Sea, a sector of the Southern Ocean along Queen Maud Land, Euphausia superba and Thysanoessa macrura larvae were abundant in the north and northwest part of the region near the frontal zone between the Weddell Warm Countercurrent (WWC) and Weddell Gyre, 5°W–15°E. Toward the south, E. superba and E. crystallorophias larvae were numerous in the frontal zone between the WWC and the Antarctic Coastal Current. Only T. macrura larvae occurred in the central part of the sea. The age composition of larvae was most advanced in T. macrura, probably due to the drift of larvae from the northwest. Because the ice cover diminishes later in the flow from the Weddell Gyre (northernmost area of the region) than in the south, E. superba larvae were younger in that oceanic subregion than near the shore. T. macrura larvae were sparse near the coast and an onshore-offshore age difference was not pronounced. Both frontal zones correspond to reproductive areas of E. superba and T. macrura. E. crystallorophias spawns only in the southern area.
On analyses of satellite ion scale reconnection data

[1] Analyses of satellite-measured fields and flows through reconnecting current sheets have assumed that the relative velocity of the satellite and the current sheet is in the direction of the current sheet normal. During analyses, this relative normal velocity has been removed by translation of the satellite data. The assumption that the relative motion is along the normal may be invalid such that, in the satellite reference frame, the reconnection structure moves in the plane of the current sheet during the crossing. In this case, the fields and flows are not measured in the reconnection rest frame although they must be known in this frame for quantitative analyses of the reconnection data. Consequences of this slippage of the reconnection rest frame in the plane of the current sheet are investigated to show that errors may be large and that rotation (minimum variance, maximum variance, or Faraday Residue) or translation (to the normal incidence frame, the deHoffman-Teller frame, etc.) can exacerbate them. It is often the case that little can be done to guarantee a meaningful event analysis because of the insufficiency of the data collected in single satellite crossings of a reconnecting current sheet.
Effect of chlorpropamide on cyclic AMP in rat renal medulla.

Effect of chlorpropamide on the vasopressin-dependent cyclic AMP system was evaluated in rat renal medulla (a) with an addition of chlorpropamide directly into the incubation media, or (b) after an administration of chlorpropamide to the animal in vivo for 7 days. An addition of 10 mM chlorpropamide directly into the incubation media abolished the effect of vasopressin to increase cyclic AMP concentration in renal medullary slices. However, an administration of chlorpropamide to the animal in vivo for 7 days potentiated this effect of vasopressin in medullary slices. The activation of adenylate cyclase by vasopressin was also greater in the preparation obtained from renal medulla of the chlorpropamide-treated animal than that from control animals. But phosphodiesterase activities of renal medulla were not affected by chlorpropamide treatment either in the presence or absence of vasopressin. All these results suggest that chlorpropamide potentiates the effect of vasopressin to increase cyclic AMP generatio...
A multiple-output multiple-input model of the hospital industry in North Carolina

(1983). A multiple-output multiple-input model of the hospital industry in North Carolina. Applied Economics: Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 341-352.
Glucagon stimulation test (GST): Its effect on glucose homeostasis and growth hormone release in the normal and hypopituitary patient

Glucagon stimulation test (GST): Its effect on glucose homeostasis and growth hormone release in the normal and hypopituitary patient
Flora bacteriana aeróbica del tracto digestivo del vampiro común, Desmodus rotundus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

This study addresses the composition of microbial flora in the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) primarily because all available data are outdated, and because of the economical significance of this bat species. Twenty-one bats were collected and their aerobic bacteria documented separately for stomach and intestine. Bacteria were identified through the Analytical Profile Index (API), and results analyzed with the APILAB software. A total of thirty bacterial species were isolated from sixteen females and five males. The most common species were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, although other bacteria, such as Acinetobacter johnsonii, Enterobacter sakazakii, Staphylococcus chromogenes, S. hyicus and S. xylosus were also common. The number of species found in the stomach and intestine was significantly different, and the intestine presented a higher diversity compared to the stomach. This has previously been found in other mammals and it is attributed to a reduction of acidity. Most of the species found in this study are considered normal components of the digestive tract of mammals, although other bacteria common in the skin of mammals and from aquatic environments were found. Bacteria from the skin may invade the vampire’s stomach and/or intestine when the bat has contact with its prey, and may suggest that the vampire’s feeding habit facilitates the invasion of other microbes not common in its digestive tract. The fact that bacteria from aquatic environments were also found suggests that D. rotundus, as previously found by other researchers, drinks free water when available, and water may be another source of microbial invasion.
Innovative interventions for disordered eating: evaluating dissonance-based and yoga interventions.

Objective: Eating-disordered behavior is prevalent among college women. Few interventions have successfully reduced risk factors for these behaviors, however. The most promising interventions are both selective and interactive. This study compared two newer types of interventions that meet these criteria: cognitive dissonance and yoga programs. Method: This study advertised programs for women who were dissatisfied with their bodies. Participants (N = 93) were randomly assigned to dissonance, yoga, or control groups. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that there were no significant post-intervention differences between the yoga and control groups. Dissonance group participants had significantly lower scores than the scores of both other groups on measures of disordered eating, drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, alexithymia, and anxiety. Conclusion: These findings have important implications for interventions on college campuses. In particular, dissonance interventions appear to be an efficient and inexpensive approach to reducing eating disorder risk factors. Additional research regarding the value of yoga interventions is needed. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006
On the modification of exchange perturbation theories

Unperturbed Hamiltonian transformation applied to existing perturbation theories for exchange forces between atoms to obtain correct long range behavior
1,1-Dichloroethylene inhibition of liver microsomal calcium pump in vitro

Abstract Rat liver microsomes were preincubated with 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE) and a NADPH-generating system for 20 min, then ER calcium pump activity determined. Calcium pump activity was inhibited as a function of 1,1-DCE concentration. 1,1-DCE did not inhibit in the absence of a NADPH-generating system. Calcium pump activity was inhibited to a significantly greater extent by 1,1-DCE in microsomes isolated from phenobarbital-pretreated rats than in microsomes from control rats. These studies suggest that the mixed function oxidase system generates a metabolite that attacks the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium pump. The time course of pump inhibition by 1,1-DCE and CCl 4 were compared in vitro . 1,1-DCE produced inhibition of the calcium pump at a substantially slower rate. CCl 4 at 1 μliter/ml inhibited calcium pump activity within l min. 1,1-DCE did not produce significant inhibition within 1 min, but produced 58 ± 5% inhibition by 20 min. CCl 4 but not 1,1-DCE, produced lipid peroxidation as judged by malonic dialdehyde production. It is possible that lipid peroxidation contributes to the rapid course of inhibition produced by CCl 4 . These studies suggest that metabolic activation, but not lipid peroxidation, is a prerequisite for inhibition of the liver ER calcium pump by chlorinated hydrocarbon hepatotoxins in vitro .
Flat and rising R-curves for elliptical surface cracks from indentation and superposed flexure

Flat and rising R-curves, fracture resistance versus crack extension, were determined for a sintered 99% {alpha}-silicon carbide and for a hot-pressed composite of 25 wt% silicon carbide whiskers and alumina, respectively. The R-curves were evaluated from a combination of measured crack lengths, which were produced over a range of Vickers indentation loading, and of measured strengths, which were correlated either with the indentation flaws or with the most severe natural flaws on flexure specimens. A published analysis of the stress-intensity factor for a surface crack in flexure was interpreted to show that the crack front takes the form of a semi ellipse where both the ratio of the minor to major radii and the configuration coefficient itself decrease with increasing crack extension. A power-law function of the indentation load was fitted to the product of an effective configuration coefficient and the flexural strength to evaluate the R-curves. When the configuration coefficient is assumed constant, a customary practice, the R-curves appear to have steeper rises. The assumed constancy of the coefficient of the indentation driving force may also have an effect on R-curves, but the effect would be much less.
Distinctive RR Dynamics Preceding Two Modes of Onset of Spontaneous Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia

RR Dynamics Before VT. Introduction: We hypothesized that autonomic activity preceding spontaneous sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VTsm) as assessed by heart rate (HR) and RR interval variability (RRV) differs between type 1 VTsm which is initiated by morphologically distinct, early cycle, possibly triggering premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and type 2 VTsm in which the initial complex has a QRS waveform identical to subsequent complexes. Methods and Results: Baseline Holter tapes (1,646) from a clinical trial were scanned for VTsm. QRS complexes of VTsm, were compared by two-lead cross-correlation to distinguish type 1 and type 2 VTsm, Frequency domain RRV index were estimated over 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and 24 hours. Type 1 and type 2 VTsm, were present in 15 (group 1) and 33 (group 2) of 48 patients, respectively. HR did not change in group 1 (88.4 ± 15.2 to 89.7 ± 13.0 beats/min, P = 0.89), but increased before the onset of VTsm in group 2 (74.3 ± 16.3 to 81.2 ± 18.0 beats/min, P < 0.001). RRV index were severely depressed in both groups. No RRV index changed significantly before the onset of type 1 VTsm, whereas significant changes occurred before type 2 VTsm from 24-hour average to 30 minutes before VTsm in very low (very low-frequency power [VLFP]: 6.62 ± 1.53 to 6.20 ± 2.07 In msec2, P = 0.036), low (low-frequency power [LFP]: 5.61 ± 1.43 to 5.28 ± 1.59 in msec2, P = 0.004), normalized low (normalized low-frequency power [LFPn]: -0.48 ± 0.58 to -0.55 ± 0.64 normalized units [nu], P = 0.05) and the ratio of LFP to high-frequency power (HFP) (LPP/HFP: 4.20 ± 3.47 to 3.45 ± 2.53, P = 0.017). Declines in RRV index between 2 hours to the 30-minute period before VTsm, occurred in group 2 but not group 1 in LFP (5.85 ± 1.42 to 5.28 ± 1.59 In msec, P = 0.043) and HFP (4.94 ± 5.14 to 3.46 ± 2.52 In msec2 P = 0.008), with a downward trend in LFP/HFP (4.94 ± 5.14 to 3.45 ± 2.53, P = 0.127) and LFPn (-0.38 ± 0.36 to -0.55 ± 0.64, P = 0.15), while HFPn tended to rise (-1.47 ± 0.65 to -1.27 ± 0.64, P = 0.15). Conclusions: HR and RRV did not change before type 1 VTsm, suggesting that short-term changes in autonomic activity were not essential to initiation of apparent PVC-triggered VTsm. In contrast, RR interval dynamics before type 2 VTsm suggested that short-term changes in neurohormonal activity contributed to arrhythmia initiation. Heterogeneities in arrhythmia onset may reflect distinct triggers and substrate properties that could provide a basis for effective therapeutic targets.
The comparative political economy of the welfare state

Comparative research is exploding with alternative methodological and theoretical approaches. In this book, experts in each one of these methods provide a comprehensive explanation and application of time-series, pooled, event history and Boolean methods to substantive problems of the welfare state. Each section of the book focuses on a different method with a general introduction to the methods and then two papers using the method to deal with analysis concerning welfare state problems in a political economy perspective. Scholars concerned with methodology in this area cannot afford to overlook this book because it will help them keep up on proliferating methodologies. Graduate students in political science and sociology will find this book extremely useful in their careers.
Two CD95 tumor classes with different sensitivities to antitumor drugs.

CD95 type I and II cells differ in their dependence on mitochondria to execute apoptosis, because antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family render only type II cells resistant to death receptor-induced apoptosis. They can also be distinguished by a more efficient formation of the death-inducing signaling complex in type I cells. We have identified a soluble form of CD95 ligand (S2) that is cytotoxic to type II cells but does not kill type I cells. By testing 58 tumor cell lines of the National Cancer Institute's anticancer drug-screening panel for apoptosis sensitivity to S2 and performing death-inducing signaling complex analyses, we determined that half of the CD95-sensitive cells are type I and half are type II. Most of the type I cell lines fall into a distinct class of tumor cells expressing mesenchymal-like genes, whereas the type II cell lines preferentially express epithelium-like markers. This suggests that type I and II tumor cells represent different stages of carcinogenesis that resemble the epithelial–mesenchymal transition. We then screened the National Cancer Institute database of >42,000 compounds for reagents with patterns of growth inhibition that correlated with either type I or type II cell lines and found that actin-binding compounds selectively inhibited growth of type I cells, whereas tubulin-interacting compounds inhibited growth of type II cells. Our analysis reveals fundamental differences in programs of gene expression between type I and type II cells and could impact the way actin- and microtubule-disrupting antitumor agents are used in tumor therapy.
Police Academy Socialization: Understanding the Lessons Learned in a Paramilitary-Bureaucratic Organization

Even as community policing has emerged as the dominant paradigm, research indicates that police agencies continue to be highly militaristic and bureaucratic in structure and culture. This article reports findings from an observational study of recruit training at a police academy that had introduced a new curriculum emphasizing community policing and problem solving. The article explores the socialization that takes place there to see how the tension between traditional and community policing is resolved. The authors found that despite the philosophical emphasis on community policing and its themes of decentralization and flexibility, the most salient lessons learned in police training were those that reinforced the paramilitary structure and culture.
Social Movements for Global Democracy . By Jackie Smith. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. 286p.

World government is once again being taken seriously. For decades the target of ridicule, some form of institutionalized global decision making may be inevitable. As the proposition wins broader acceptance, scholars are coming to more closely explore the modalities of world government and the place of democracy within it. The enhanced profile of new actors in globalization's wake has magnified the challenge. Amid conditions of deep instability, isolating elements of a new decision-making architecture is a formidable theoretical task.
Respiratory Symptoms in Mothers of Young Children

Objectives. Children receiving child care outside the home are at greater risk of upper respiratory infection, but whether parents of those children are also at increased risk is undocumented. We describe the incidence of 2 or more respiratory symptoms in the previous 2 weeks among 185 mothers of children 3 years of age or younger by child care use. Methods. Mothers in Michigan and Nebraska were interviewed by phone regarding respiratory symptoms, use of outside child care (for an index child), sleeping habits, and demographic information. Results. Nearly one half (46.5%) reported 2 or more symptoms during the past 2 weeks; 15.1% had contacted a health care provider and 13.0% spent 1 or more days in bed because of their symptoms, which lasted an average of 5.5 days. Prevalence of symptoms was invariant to sociodemographic characteristics. Mothers using outside child care (74.6%) were twice as likely as those without outside care to have been ill in the past 2 weeks (odds ratio: 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12,4.54). Most mothers (69.2%) reported having their sleep interrupted by their children at least once in the last 2 weeks or sharing a bed with a child part or all of the night (61.1%); 25.4% slept 6 hours or less nightly. Women reporting that they rarely or never felt rested (26.5%) were 2.65 times more likely to be ill (95% CI: 1.26,5.55), compared with those reporting that they frequently or always felt rested (46.5%), after adjusting for any outside child care. Conclusions. Future studies should focus on risk factors that can be modified to reduce illness among both children and their parents.
Multi-hospital validation of critical care simulation model

The objective of the study reported herein was to design and validate a general simulation model of a hospital's critical care units, such that with minor changes to the model's input variables, the model can be used to represent the critical care area in a variety of different hospitals. A model was written in GPSS/H and validated for four Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs). The model includes exponential patient interarrival time distributions and lognormal length of stay distributions. The results from this research suggest that a general critical care model can be written which is valid for multiple hospitals. The general model described in this article is easily tailored to the unique patient characteristics and critical care unit configurations of a given hospital.
Upper airway size analysis by magnetic resonance imaging of children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Detailed analysis of the upper airway has not been performed in children with obstructive sleep apnea. We used magnetic resonance imaging and automatic segmentation to delineate the upper airway in 20 children with obstructive sleep apnea and in 20 control subjects (age, 3.7 +/- 1.4 versus 3.9 +/- 1.7 years, respectively). We measured mean and minimal cross-sectional area, length, and volume of: (1) the total airway; (2) regions along the adenoid, tonsils, and where adenoid and tonsils overlap; and (3) 10 segments at 10% increments along the airway. The mean cross-sectional area of the total airway of the obstructive sleep apnea group was significantly smaller in comparison with the control group, 28.1 +/- 12.6 versus 47.1 +/- 18.2 mm2, respectively (p < 0.0005). Minimal cross-sectional area and airway volume were smaller in this group, 4.6 +/- 3.3 versus 15.7 +/- 12.7 mm2 (p < 0.0005), and 1,129 +/- 515 versus 1,794 +/- 846 mm3 (p < 0.005), respectively. Regional analysis suggested that the upper airway in children with obstructive sleep apnea is most restricted where adenoid and tonsils overlap. Segmental analysis demonstrated that the upper airway is restricted throughout the initial two-thirds of its length and that the narrowing is not in a discrete region adjacent to either the adenoid or tonsils, but rather in a continuous fashion along both.
Botanicals used in complementary and alternative medicine treatment of cancer: clinical science and future perspectives.

Background: Botanicals and herbal combinations are among the most common complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches used by cancer patients both for cancer treatment and management of cancer symptoms. Despite their widespread use, however, the safety and efficacy of many botanicals has not been established in controlled clinical trials. Objectives: This article reviews the published evidence for the safety and clinical benefit of botanicals used in the treatment of cancer and cancer symptom management and describes the continuing clinical trials of botanicals with applications in oncology. Methods: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Clinical Trials databases, Pharmaprojects and CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) clinical trials databases. Conclusion: A number of botanicals have shown promise for cancer symptom management but need further study. A limited number of multi-agent nutritional supplement approaches are being explored in clin...