cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-Based Plumage Changes in the Lance-Tailed Manakin: A Two-Year Delay in Plumage Maturation

Abstract I investigated the relationship of plumage to age and sex in the Lance-tailed Manakin (Pipridae, Chiroxiphia lanceolata) in the lowlands of western Panama from 1999–2004. I captured birds in mist nets, categorized their plumages, examined them for molt, and followed them for several years to document plumage changes. Male Lance-tailed Manakins exhibited three distinct postjuvenal plumages. Males achieved definitive adult plumage through sequential changes that occurred in the same order as in other Chiroxiphia manakins. Definitive male plumage developed over the same time span as reported for C. caudata but one year faster than C. linearis. Juvenal male plumage was similar to that of females, and 5% of 226 females had plumage similar to formative male plumage. Genetic sexing verified that changes observed late in the formative male plumage unambiguously identified sex and age of individual birds. This information can be used in behavioral studies to identify the age of male Lance-tailed Manakins ...
Managing patients with hepatitis-B-related or hepatitis-C-related decompensated cirrhosis

Treatment of patients with hepatitis-B-related or hepatitis-C-related decompensated cirrhosis should focus on controlling the complications of cirrhosis, surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma and, if applicable, preparation for orthotopic liver transplant. Interferon-based regimens for the treatment of hepatitis C have been somewhat successful in patients with cirrhosis, although treatment of patients with decompensated cirrhosis should be approached with caution. Given the potential for exacerbation of decompensation and poor tolerance of adverse effects, treatment should be reserved for those patients awaiting liver transplantation. Eradication of HCV before liver transplantation reduces the chances of recurrent hepatitis C infection after transplant. HBV can be treated with few adverse effects in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. This treatment is associated with improvement in decompensation in some patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a significant risk in all patients with cirrhosis, and control of or eradication of HBV or HCV does not remove this risk.
The delta chart: A method for R&D project portrayal

Flow charts and network methods are vital tools used to facilitate clear concise planning and scheduling of large projects. The limited flexibility and vocabulary of existing tools do not suit the planning and depicting of research and development (R&D) projects. DELTA charts described in this paper have been designed to incorporate not only events and activities but also decision and logic functions that enable representation of alternative approaches and feedback paths, both of which are essential in R&D project planning. A precise syntax for the DELTA chart components is defined in order to make them capable of presenting a clear precise picture that is self-explanatory to a wide audience. Two examples of DELTA charts are presented, the first of which is a DELTA chart that indicates the procedure for making a DELTA chart.
Effects of ryanodine on skinned myocardial fibers of the rabbit.

Skinned fiber bundles from papillary muscle of rabbits were used to study the effects of ryanodine (1) on direct Ca2+ activation of the contractile proteins, and (2) on direct Ca2+ uptake and release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Caffeine (25 mM) was used to release Ca2+ from the SR and to generate a tension transient. Each tension transient occurred after sequential immersion of the fiber bundles into five solutions: loading (uptake phase, [U]) and releasing (release phase, [R]). The height of free Ca2+-activated tension development of the contractile proteins, and the area of the tension transient generated by caffeine were assessed. (1) The direct free Ca2+-activated tension development of the contractile proteins was not significantly affected by ryanodine up to 0.1 mM, either at the submaximal or maximal free Ca2+ concentrations. (2) Ryanodine (1 nM–1 μM), in U, R, or in U and R, did not significantly change the immediate caffeine-induced tension transients. In the same preparation after ryanodien treatments, the second control caffeine-induced tension transients (C2, no ryanodine) were decreased in a dose-dependent manner (IC50=50, 10 nM, 10 nM for R, U, and U and R, respectively). The depression caused by ryanodine on the SR was “activity”-dependent and not readily reversible. Total calcium content in the SR of C2 was not significantly changed by small quantities of ryanodine (<0.1 μM) and was decreased with greater amounts of ryanodine (≥0.1 μM). Thus, at low concentrations of ryanodine, the negative inotropic action is due to decrease Ca2+ release from the SR, at high concentration of ryanodine, it is due to decrease in calcium accumulation in the SR.
Superoxide dismutase and lung toxicity

Summary In conclusion, SOD appears to play a critical part in the normal 'non-structural' defense system of the lung, especially under common environmental and clinical conditions of hypcroxidant challenge. In addition, its recently proposed role in affecting lung damage produced by smok- ing and in inflammatory conditions of the lung and other foci, together with its intriguing possible role in cancer etiology/ chemotherapy, makes it a truly 'fertile' area (h la Claude Bernard) for continued inten- sive research endeavors. Reading list 1 McCord, J. M and Fridovich, I (1977) m Superoxule and Superoxide Dismutases (M]chelson, A.M., McCord, J.M. and Fndovich, l, eds), pp. 1-10, Academic Press, New York 2 Halliwell, B. (1978) Cell Btol. lnternat. Reports 2, 113-128 3 Frank, L., Bucher, J.R. and Roberts, R.J. (1979)J. Appl. PhysioL 45,699-704 4 Frank, L., Summervdle, J. and Massaro, D. (1980)J. Clm. Invest. '65, 1104-11 tO 5 Frank, L, Amor, A. P. and Roberts, R. J. (1977) J. Pediatr 90, 105-110 6 Frank, L (1981) Biochem. Pharmacol. 30, 2319-2324 7 Huber, W., Sailer, M. G P. and Williams, L D. (1980) m Biological and Chnical Aspects of Superoxule and Superoxide Dismutase (Bannis- ter, W H. and Bannister, J V., eds), pp. 395-407, Elsevier/North-Holland, New York 8 Mustafa, M G. andTlemey, D. F. (1978)Amer. Rev. Respir. Dis. 118, 1061-1090 9 Carp, H. and Janoff, A. (1980)Exp. Lung. Res. 1,225-237 10 Petrone, W. F., English, D K, Wang, K. and McCord, J. M. (1980) Proc. Natl Acad Sci US.A. 77, 1159-1163 11 Oberley, L. W and Buettner, G.R. (1979) Cancer Res. 39, 1141-1149 12 Menander-Huber, K. B. (1980)mBtologtcaland (_lmical Aspects of Superoxide and Superoxtde Dtsmutase (Bannister, W H and Bannister, J.V., eds), pp 408--423, Elsevier/North- Holland, New ~ork Lee Frank received his M.D. degree from the Uni- versity of Cincago School of Medtcme and his Ph.D. m Pharmacology from the Umversity of Iowa. After clinical training m Pedmtrics and obtainmg a Fellowship in Pulmonary Research, he was appomted as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami School of Medieme and Research Associate in the V.A. Career Develop- ment Program. He currently does full-time research on oxidant lung toxicity as Director of the V.A. Pulmonary Toxicology Laboratory.
Inverse Dynamics of Constrained Multibody Systems

The method is applicable to a class of problems in which the multibody system is subjected to both force and kinematic constraints. The method is based upon the concept of partial velocity and generalized forces of Kane's method to permit the choice of constraint forces for fulfilling both kinematic and force constraints
Six Types of Trap or Reservoir-Producing Configurations in Trenton Limestone Reservoir, Northwestern Ohio: ABSTRACT

Six types of petroleum-producing configurations are recognizable in the oil and gas fields of the Lima-Indiana trend whose reservoirs are the Trenton Limestone of Ordovician age. The data that support recognition of these six structural, structural-stratigraphic, and possibly stratigraphic-permeability trapping configurations are mixed, but involve consideration of the pattern of 34 fields or pools on the main anticlinal trend of the Findlay arch as well as 12 smaller fields or pools to the northwest in the Michigan basin and 20 fields to the southeast at the updip edge of the Appalachian basin. The reservoir is mainly dolomite and the producing portion of the reservoir generally occurs near the top of the Trenton Limestone. The more porous dolomite has been analyzed chemically for Ca/Mg ratios, Na, Sr, Fe, and other elements in cores to supplement petrographic studies off the main oil field trend in Wyandot County. The six play configurations are the following. (1) An anticlinal trap along the crest of the Findlay arch. Here, as elsewhere, the seal and presumably the source are the overlying Utica Shale. (2) A faulted anticlinal trap on the western side of the Findlay arch. The fault, the Bowling Green fault, generally limits production to the upthrown eastern side. (3) An updip facies change from the Trenton Limestone into the overlying Utica End_Page 1917------------------------------ Shale to the south. This change, together with draping of the Utica over the underlying competent Trenton, traps petroleum along the southwestern extension of the Lima-Indiana trend. (4) Fracture systems related to regional fracturing of the early Paleozoic rocks. Apparently these systems have provided fracture-enhanced reservoirs. Similar configurations are well known in the Scipio-Albion trend in southern Michigan. Secondary dolomitization and sulfide mineralization are common in association with these fractured features. (5) Possible porosity-permeability traps, probably on structure, where dolomite is replaced laterally by dense limestone. (6) Small anticlinal terraces off the main arch system, related to minor production. These terraces appear as down-to-the-basin noses on struct ral maps. Considered together, the Lima-Indiana fields are a "giant" field extending 120 mi (193 km) in Ohio and another 50 mi (80 km) in Indiana. Before 1900, thousands of wells were drilled, as shallow as 1,100 ft (334 m), producing over 220 million bbl of oil at initial rock pressures between 100 and 450 psi (690 and 3,100 kPa). Exploration continues at a modest pace. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1918------------
Chemistry of organically bound sulphur forms during the mild oxidation of coal

Abstract X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the chemistry of organically bound sulphur species in coal during mild coal oxidation. Spectra of preserved and oxidized samples were obtained and compared. Both techniques indicate that sulphide sulphur forms are converted to oxidized forms while the thiophenic forms remain largely untouched under these experimental conditions.
Hyperuricemia and gout among heart transplant recipients receiving cyclosporine

Abstract purpose: To determine the frequency and characteristics of hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis among cyclosporine-treated heart transplant recipients. patients and methods: One hundred ninetysix surviving adult heart or heart/lung transplant recipients were evaluated. Medical records were reviewed to determine peak serum uric acid levels after transplantation, and to evaluate potential risk factors for hyperuricemia. Patients were surveyed by postal questionnaire for a history of gouty arthritis, with positive responses evaluated by telephone interview and/or examination of the patient. results: Hyperuricemia occurred in 72% of male and 81% of female patients and was not correlated with cyclosporine level, presence of hypertension, or degree of renal insufficiency. Eleven (6%) patients had gout prior to transplantation; 14 (8%) had onset of definite gout and seven (4%) had probable gout a mean of 17 months after transplantation. Polyarticular arthritis and/or tophi developed in six (43%) of the posttransplant-onset definite gout group within a mean of 31 months. conclusion: Both hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis occur with increased frequency among cyclosporine-treated heart or heart/lung transplant recipients. The clinical course of gout in these patients is often accelerated, with management complicated by the patients' renal insufficiency and interaction with transplant-related medications.
Host-specific variation in infection by toxigenic fungi and contamination by mycotoxins in pearl millet and corn.

Pearl millet is widely consumed in regions of Africa and Asia, and is increasingly being grown as an alternative grain in drought-prone regions of the United States. Pearl millet and corn were grown in dryland conditions at Tifton, Georgia, USA and grains were compared for pre-harvest infection by potentially toxigenic fungi and contamination by mycotoxins. Corn hybrids Agripro 9909 and Pioneer 3146, and pearl millet Tifgrain 102 were grown in 2000 and 2001; pearl millet HGM 100 was included in the test in 2001. Hybrids were sown on multiple planting dates in each year to induce variation in flowering time. Host species differed in the frequency of isolation of potentially toxigenic fungal species in both years. Across years, corn hybrids were more prone to infection by Aspergillus flavus Link (maximum isolation frequency = 8.8%) and Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon sensu lato (maximum isolation frequency = 72.8%), with corresponding greater concentrations of aflatoxins (maximum concentration = 204.9 μg kg−1) and fumonisins (maximum concentration = 34,039 μg kg−1). Pearl millet was more prone to infection by F. semitectum Berk. & Ravenel (maximum isolation = 74.2%) and F. chlamydosporum Wollenweb & Reinking (maximum isolation = 33.0%), and contamination by moniliformin (maximum contamination = 92.1 μg kg−1). Beauvericin (maximum concentration = 414.6 μg kg−1) was present in both hosts. Planting date of corn affected aflatoxin and beauvericin contamination in 2000, and fumonisin concentration in 2001. The observed differences in mycotoxin contamination of the grains, which are likely due to host-specific differences in susceptibility to pre-harvest mycoflora, may affect food safety when the crops are grown under stress conditions.
Reductionism versus Holism: multiple models of the spiritual quest

Abstract The transfiguration of ontology through structural coupling, an autopoesis of ego and mediation, produces consequent large-scale changes in human culture. The Web is assuming the role of the collective mind of humanity; soon all of our “knowing” will be in reference to it. Interaction with our artifacts makes us inseparable from them; our tools inform our ontology.
Morphological changes in the clasper gland of the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina, associated with the seasonal reproductive cycle

The clasper gland of the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina, was examined over a 1-year period, covering an entire reproductive cycle. Changes in clasper gland tissue architecture, fluid production, and cell proliferation were assessed. No changes in tissue architecture were observed. Evidence of cell proliferation in the gland epithelium was not detected using immunocytochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a cellular marker of mitosis. Epithelial cells were not observed to undergo mitosis, and cell membranes remained intact. The lack of structural changes and epithelial cell proliferation supports the proposed merocrinal mode of fluid secretion. Rays captured in nonbreeding months had clasper glands that exhibited tubules with reduced lumens. In contrast, rays caught during the breeding season had clasper gland tubules with enlarged lumens. Clasper gland fluid production was quantified through measurements of the fluid area and tubule area calculated from digital images. Clasper gland fluid production was significantly higher during the mating period than during months not associated with copulatory activity. These data support the notion that the clasper gland is involved in stingray copulatory activity. This study adds to the limited amount of literature focused on this poorly understood component of reproduction in skates and rays.
Meteor induced chemistry, ablation products, and dust in the middle and upper atmosphere from optical spectroscopy of meteors

Abstract The recent intense Leonid meteor storms have seen a rejuvenation of optical meteor studies, including the first application of cooled CCD technologies and the first large-scale use of intensified slit-less video spectrographs. The Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign has provided a wealth of diverse new data. This paper is an initial attempt to ask what the myriad of Leonid observations have taught us, by bringing the observations and early modeling efforts together, and by presenting a `grand vision' of the interaction of fast meteoroids with the atmosphere. An overview is given of the physical conditions in meteors, their products, and their influence on the Earth's atmosphere.
Notes on reproduction of Peters' Leaf-toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus reissii (Squamata, Gekkonidae), from Peru

147 Species of Phyllodactylus occur in semiarid to arid regions along the Pacific coast in extreme southern California, Baja California and western Mexico through Central America, some of the Caribbean Islands, northern Colombia, southern Venezuela, the Galapagos Islands, northwestern Peru and northern Chile (Dixon 1973, Savage 2002). Peter’s Leaf-toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus reissii (Gekkonidae) is known from southern Ecuador and northwestern Peru from sea level to ca. 2000 m (Dixon and Huey 1970). Its primary habitat appears to be arid tropical scrub west of the Andes and cacti dominated areas of the northern interandian basins of Peru (Dixon and Huey 1970). To my knowledge, the only information on its reproductive biology is a report of egg clutches in Dixon and Huey (1970). The purpose of this note is to add information on the reproductive biology of P. reissii from a histological examination of gonadal material from museum specimens. The first information on the testicular cycle is presented. Information on reproduction of P. reissii is compared with that Notes on reproduction of Peters’ Leaf-toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus reissii (Squamata, Gekkonidae), from Peru
Controlled suppression of ionization of Rydberg atoms in a microwave field

Abstract A computational procedure for controlling the stochastic ionization of one-dimensional single electron Rydberg atoms in the correspondence principle regime is developed. Using our procedure it is possible to suppress excitation and ionization of the one-dimensional Rydberg atom even in strong microwave fields for which ionization would otherwise be instantaneous.
Libraries as Strategies for Empowering Women for Greater Political Participation in a Democratic Nigeria

Advocates the use of public and school library services to empower women in urban and rural areas of Nigeria with political education, enlightenment and awareness and equip them to counter and equal the dominant position of men in the democratic governance of Nigeria. The Nigerian government is enjoined to provide the necessary funds, human and material resources for libraries to provide appropriate services to accomplish this goal.
Perinatal outcomes in HIV positive pregnant women with concomitant sexually transmitted infections.

Objective. To evaluate whether HIV infected pregnant women with concomitant sexually transmitted infection (STIs) are at increased risk of adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Methods. We conducted a cohort study of HIV positive women who delivered at an inner-city hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, from 2003 to 2013. Demographics, presence of concomitant STIs, prenatal care information, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected. The outcomes examined were the association of the presence of concomitant STIs on the risk of preterm birth (PTB), postpartum hemorrhage, chorioamnionitis, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, small for gestational age, low Apgar scores, and neonatal intensive care admission. Multiple logistic regression was performed to adjust for potential confounders. Results. HIV positive pregnant women with concomitant STIs had an increased risk of spontaneous PTB (odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–3.97). After adjusting for a history of preterm birth, maternal age, and low CD4+ count at prenatal care entry the association between concomitant STIs and spontaneous PTB persisted (adjusted OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.01–3.78). Conclusions. HIV infected pregnant women with concomitant STIs relative to HIV positive pregnant women without a concomitant STI are at increased risk of spontaneous PTB.
Willa Cather's Voyage Perilous: A Case for One of Ours

Willa Cather's One of Ours, despite its Pulitzer Prize, has been and continues to be one of her least understood works as readers consistently miss its complex expression of her romantic-modernist ...
Flow unsteadiness in chemical-oxygen-iodine lasers and its' influence

Time dependent, three-dimensional simulations of chemical oxygen-iodine laser and related flowfields are performed to elucidate the influence of unsteady fluid dynamics upon laser performance.
In search of a European model of strategic management

Abstract Focusing on middle managers from France and Germany, Michael Lubatkin and Steven Floyd's central question in this article is — does there exist a common European approach to management that facilitates knowledge transfer and other collaborative work efforts? The authors find that there are differences, along at least three dimensions, in perceptions that French and German managers hold about strategic management - traceable to historic predispositions. At the same time, there are similarities as well. The co-existence of differences and similarities in perceptions about strategic management may hinder the actual achievement of benefits from cross-national collaborations.
Dynamic analysis of cracks in micropolar elastic materials

Abstract Micropolar elasticity theory offers an advantage over classical elasticity theory in its ability to take into account the properties of the microstructure of a material within a continuum framework. In this investigation this theory was incorporated into a plane-strain finite element formulation to analyze the dynamic response of a crack. Two cases were considered: the first was a stationary crack subjected to a dynamic load; the second was a crack propagating at a constant velocity while under constant load. In both cases materials with strong micropolar properties were often found to have significantly lower dynamic energy release rates than their classical elastic material counterparts.
Effect of elongational viscosity on axisymmetric entrance flow of polymers

A finite element simulation of the flow in a channel with an abrupt contraction is presented. The effects of the shear and elongational viscosities of a polymer on the entrance flow are analyzed employing a truncated power-law model. The power-law index and the strain rate characterizing the transition from Newtonian to power-law behavior for the elongational viscosity are treated as being independent of the values of these two parameters for the shear viscosity. The effect of flow rate on entrance flow is also analyzed. It is confirmed that the Trouton ratio is important in determining the recirculating vortex and the extra pressure loss in entrance flow. Extra pressure loss and vortex length predicted by a finite element simulation of entrance loss are compared with the corresponding predictions from Binding's approximate analysis.
Analysis of Feed Effects on a Single-Stage Gas Centrifuge Cascade

Abstract The Onsager pancake model for the fluid dynamics of the countercurrent flow of gas in a centrifuge is used to study the separation performance of a single-stage gas centrifuge cascade. Based on the fluid dynamic solutions, Cohen-Onsager theory is used to calculate the separative performance. The separation considered is the enrichment of natural 235U to 3%. The effects of the introduction of the feed gas on the separation performance are studied, and this work is compared to similar work by Ratz who used a much simpler model. The present work agrees well with the simpler model on predictions of separative performance but not on parameters such as the axial location of the feed stream.
Company Demographics as an Influence on Adoption of Quick Response by North Carolina Apparel Manufacturers

Quick Response has proven financial benefits, but less than one half of U.S. apparel manufacturers have implemented it. This study investigated apparel manufacturers' demographics as related to ado...
Luminescent chemosensors based on semiconductor quantum dots

Semiconductor quantum dots are inorganic nanoparticles with unique photophysical properties. In particular, their huge one- and two-photon absorption cross sections, tunable emission bands and excellent photobleaching resistances are stimulating the development of luminescent probes for biomedical imaging and sensing applications. Indeed, electron and energy transfer processes can be designed to switch the luminescence of semiconductor quantum dots in response to molecular recognition events. On the basis of these operating principles, the presence of target analytes can be transduced into detectable luminescence signals. In fact, luminescent chemosensors based on semiconductor quantum dots are starting to be developed to detect small molecules, monitor DNA hybridization, assess protein-ligand complementarities, test enzymatic activity and probe pH distributions. Although fundamental research is still very much needed to understand further the fundamental factors regulating the behavior of these systems and refine their performance, it is becoming apparent that sensitive probes based on semiconductor quantum dots will become invaluable analytical tools for a diversity of applications in biomedical research.
Effect of processing conditions on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in polyacrylonitrile solutions

As a result of van der Waal's interactions, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) tend to assemble into bundle/rope structures. It is essential to de-bundle and exfoliate CNTs in polymer solutions in order to utilize their reinforcement potential as far as possible. In this study, a variety of different processing conditions were used to prepare polyacrylonitrile/CNTs composite solutions. The CNT bundle diameter, length, and macro-scale dispersion homogeneity in those solutions were compared. It was observed that the CNT type, solvent type, and polymer concentration were important factors to determine the CNT bundle sizes in the solutions. The results are expected to be beneficial to obtain well-dispersed polymer/CNT nanocomposites. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42177.
Platen's Retreat: On the Poetics and Ethics of Memorizing Ballads

August von Platen's ballad “Das Grab im Busento” mobilizes an old lyric trope, the comparison of poetic discourse with the flow of a river, to interrogate the philosophy of history and memory implicit in the ballad form. By telling the story of a river that covers and protects a king's dead body and his memory, the ballad reenacts and re-encodes the biographical circumstances of its inception: Platen signals the unspeakability of homoerotic love and the difficulty of its transmission by staging the story of a deliberate obfuscation of memory, thereby contravening the traditional relationship between ballad and memory. Since he casts a story of frustrated love as a report of a Germanic burial ritual, the ballad became an important element of literary nationalism in the nineteenth century—and as a poem that dealt with the impossibility of memorialization became one of the most frequently memorized.
Dollar jump fears, 1984–1992: distributional abnormalities implicit in currency futures options

Abstract Deutsche mark and yen futures options over 1984–1992 and 1986–1992, respectively, are examined for deviations from the lognormal assumption underlying standard option pricing models. Two methods are used: an atheoretic ‘skewness premium,’ and daily estimates of moments using a model for pricing American foreign currency futures options under systematic exchange rate jump risk. Substantial variation over time is found in all moments, including implicit skewness and kurtosis. The implicit abnormalities predict future abnormalities in log-differenced $/DM futures prices, but not $/yen. The ‘peso problem’ implications do not explain standard rejections of uncovered interest parity.
Concordance of pharmacogenetic markers in germline and colorectal tumor DNA.

Introduction: Most cancer pharmacogenetic studies use germline DNA, as tumor tissue is often inaccessible in the advanced disease setting. However, this relies on the assumption that germline DNA is representative of the tumor genotype. To date, there has been little attention paid to defining the relationship between tumor and germline genomes. Materials and methods: This study compared 28 polymorphisms in 13 genes of high importance to cancer pharmacogenetics from ten different chromosome regions, in DNA from normal mucosa and colon tumors in 44 paired samples. Results: 93% of samples had one or fewer genotype discrepancies. 77% of patients had intraindividual genotypes in complete concordance. In addition, although microsatellite instability (MSI) was identified in 20% of tumors, no significant association between MSI and genotype discrepancies was observed (p = 0.672). Conclusions: While this data validates the use of germline DNA pharmacogenetics in colorectal cancer, statistical analysis and modelin...
The impact of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) on ischemic stroke detection and incidence: minimal impact within a population-based study

There are several situations in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might impact whether an cerebrovascular event is considered a new stroke. These include clinically non-focal events with positive imaging for acute cerebral infarction, and worsening of older symptoms without evidence of new infarction on MRI. We sought to investigate the impact of MRI on stroke detection and stroke incidence, by describing agreement between a strictly clinical definition of stroke and a definition based on physician opinion, including MRI imaging findings. All hospitalized strokes that occurred in five Ohio and Northern Kentucky counties (population 1.3 million) in the calendar year of 2005 were identified using ICD-9 discharge codes 430–436. The two definitions used were: “clinical case definition” which included sudden onset focal neurologic symptoms referable to a vascular territory for >24 h, compared to the “best clinical judgment of the physician definition”, which considers all relevant information, including neuroimaging findings. The 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence rates were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution. Rates were standardized to the 2000 U.S. population, adjusting for age, race, and sex, and included all age groups. There were 2403 ischemic stroke events in 2269 patients; 1556 (64 %) had MRI performed. Of the events, 2049 (83 %) were cases by both definitions, 185 (7.7 %) met the clinical case definition but were non-cases in the physician’s opinion and 169 (7.0 %) were non-cases by clinical definition but were cases in the physician’s opinion. There was no significant difference in the incidence rates of first-ever or total ischemic strokes generated by the two different definitions, or when only those with MRI imaging were included. We found that MRI findings do not appear to substantially change stroke incidence estimates, as the strictly clinical definition of stroke did not significantly differ from a definition that included imaging findings. Including MRI in the case definition “rules out” almost the same number of strokes as it “rules in”.
An Upstream Open Reading Frame Modulates Ebola Virus Polymerase Translation and Virus Replication

Ebolaviruses, highly lethal zoonotic pathogens, possess longer genomes than most other non-segmented negative-strand RNA viruses due in part to long 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) present in the seven viral transcriptional units. To date, specific functions have not been assigned to these UTRs. With reporter assays, we demonstrated that the Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) 5′-UTRs lack internal ribosomal entry site function. However, the 5′-UTRs do differentially regulate cap-dependent translation when placed upstream of a GFP reporter gene. Most dramatically, the 5′-UTR derived from the viral polymerase (L) mRNA strongly suppressed translation of GFP compared to a β-actin 5′-UTR. The L 5′-UTR is one of four viral genes to possess upstream AUGs (uAUGs), and ablation of each uAUG enhanced translation of the primary ORF (pORF), most dramatically in the case of the L 5′-UTR. The L uAUG was sufficient to initiate translation, is surrounded by a “weak” Kozak sequence and suppressed pORF translation in a position-dependent manner. Under conditions where eIF2α was phosphorylated, the presence of the uORF maintained translation of the L pORF, indicating that the uORF modulates L translation in response to cellular stress. To directly address the role of the L uAUG in virus replication, a recombinant EBOV was generated in which the L uAUG was mutated to UCG. Strikingly, mutating two nucleotides outside of previously-defined protein coding and cis-acting regulatory sequences attenuated virus growth to titers 10–100-fold lower than a wild-type virus in Vero and A549 cells. The mutant virus also exhibited decreased viral RNA synthesis as early as 6 hours post-infection and enhanced sensitivity to the stress inducer thapsigargin. Cumulatively, these data identify novel mechanisms by which EBOV regulates its polymerase expression, demonstrate their relevance to virus replication and identify a potential therapeutic target.
Islamic law states and the International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), as the principal judicial organ of the UN, plays an important role in peaceful resolution of international disputes. Traditionally, relations between Islamic law states, international law, and courts have been relatively tense due to the inherent link between Islamic law and the Islamic faith. Yet, several Islamic law states recognize the ICJ’s compulsory and compromissory jurisdiction. This article asks: Why do some Islamic law states extend support to the International Court of Justice, while others turn away from the Court? I argue and empirically demonstrate that specific characteristic of Islamic law can explain variation of Islamic law states’ preferences towards the ICJ. After providing original data on the characteristics of Islamic legal structures, I systematically compare pertinent rules of international law and Islamic law, focusing on similarities and differences between the two. Islamic law features such as respect for legal scholarship and peaceful ...
Temporal evolution of exchange bias in spin-valve nanowires on the nanosecond time scale

Joule heating from current pulses is used to vary the temperature of exchange biased spin-valve nanowires on the nanosecond timescale. By varying the magnitude and duration of a current pulse in the presence of small magnetic fields the temperature dependence of the temporal evolution of the exchange field of the reference magnetic electrode is determined. We observe that with increasing current strength an increasing fraction of the exchange bias anisotropy is reversed consistent with a distribution of exchange bias energies. This reversal takes place on a short time scale of from ~1–10 nanoseconds, which we attribute to the switching time of the ferromagnetic reference layer. By using sufficiently large current pulses the direction of the exchange anisotropy can be fully and repeatedly reversed on the nanosecond time scale.
An on-line character recognition system for effective Japanese input

An online character recognition system has been developed in order to allow effective Japanese entry via a pen interface. The system consists of handwriting recognition, contextual postprocessing, and enhanced Kana-to-Kanji conversion subsystems. The recognition subsystem uses a hybrid algorithm consisting of a pattern matching discriminator and a neural network verifier. Special care was taken to improve recognition of non-Kanji and simple Kanji characters frequently used in fast data entry. The postprocessor predicts consecutive characters on the basis of biagrams modified by the addition of parts of speech and substitution of macro characters for Kanji characters. A Kana-to-Kanji conversion method designed for ease of use with a pen interface is also integrated into the system. In an experiment in which 2499 samples of Kanji and non-Kanji characters were taken from 20 subjects, it was observed that the original recognition accuracy of 85% (the result obtained by using the pattern matching discriminator) was improved to 91.5% by adding the hybrid algorithm, and that it was further improved to 94.5% by adding the postprocessor. Improved recognition accuracy. >
Recruitment and Retention of Latino Dementia Family Caregivers in Intervention Research: Issues to Face, Lessons to Learn

Purpose: This article reviews and critiques several issues of importance to those whose goal is to make intervention research with Latino caregivers more "user-friendly." Issues range from current demographic trends showing the ever-increasing number of Latino caregivers to discussion of cultural values that influence their help-seeking behavior. Design and Methods: This article presents a review of current published information on this topic. The gerontological literature was searched for the past decade for relevant material; in addition, the authors' own experience in this area is described. Results: Although limited information was found that derived from actual empirical studies, a number of articles describe potential barriers to research involvement and provide suggestions for making participation more attractive and culturally appropriate for Latinos. Implications: Clinical researchers need to increase their sensitivity to such issues as cultural values and language preference and develop effective collaborations with the Latino community so that intervention research programs can be designed and implemented successfully with Latinos caring for cognitively impaired elderly family members at home.
How Important Is ‘Accuracy’ of Surrogate Decision-Making for Research Participation?

Background: There is a longstanding concern about the accuracy of surrogate consent in representing the health care and research preferences of those who lose their ability to decide for themselves. We sought informed, deliberative views of the older general public ($50 years old) regarding their willingness to participate in dementia research and to grant leeway to future surrogates to choose an option contrary to their stated wishes. Methodology/Principal Findings: 503 persons aged 50+ recruited by random digit dialing were randomly assigned to one of three groups: deliberation, education, or control. The deliberation group attended an all-day education/peer deliberation session; the education group received written information only. Participants were surveyed at baseline, after the deliberation session (or equivalent time), and one month after the session, regarding their willingness to participate in dementia research and to give leeway to surrogates, regarding studies of varying risk-benefit profiles (a lumbar puncture study, a drug randomized controlled trial, a vaccine randomized controlled trial, and an early phase gene transfer trial). At baseline, 48% (gene transfer scenario) to 92% (drug RCT) were willing to participate in future dementia research. A majority of respondents (57–71% depending on scenario) were willing to give leeway to future surrogate decision-makers. Democratic deliberation increased willingness to participate in all scenarios, to grant leeway in 3 of 4 scenarios (lumbar puncture, vaccine, and gene transfer), and to enroll loved ones in research in all scenarios. On average, respondents were more willing to volunteer themselves for research than to enroll their loved ones. Conclusions/Significance: Most people were willing to grant leeway to their surrogates, and this willingness was either sustained or increased after democratic deliberation, suggesting that the attitude toward leeway is a reliable opinion. Eliciting a person’s current preferences about future research participation should also involve eliciting his or her leeway preferences.
Maximum likelihood angle and velocity estimation with space-time adaptive processing radar

Airborne surveillance radar performance can be improved with space-time adaptive processing (STAP) to cancel ground clutter and interference. This paper considers maximum likelihood (ML) angle and velocity estimation for airborne radar employing STAP. The ML estimator requires a two-dimensional optimization. A computationally efficient quasi-Newton approach is proposed, whereby a positive definite approximate Hessian is formed using only the secondary data processed by three adaptive space-time filters. The algorithm is naturally initialized by the target detection location within a coarsely spaced angle-Doppler filter bank. Monte-Carlo simulations show that the new algorithm nearly achieves the Cramer-Rao bound and outperforms conventional one-dimensional estimators, which suffer from location-dependent biases when employed in STAP scenarios.
The real two-zero algorithm: a parallel algorithm to reduce a real matrix to a real Schur form

We introduce a new method to reduce a real matrix to a real Schur form by a sequence of similarity transformations that are 3D orthogonal transformations. Two significant features of this method are that: all the transformed matrices and all the computations are done in the real field; and it can be easily parallelized. We call the algorithm that uses this method the real two-zero (RTZ) algorithm. We describe both serial and parallel implementations of the RTZ algorithm. Our tests indicate that the rate of convergence to a real Schur form is quadratic for real near-normal matrices with real distinct eigenvalues. Suppose n is the order of a real matrix A. In order to choose a sequence of 3D orthogonal transformations on A, we need to determine some ordering on triples in T={(k,l,m)|1/spl les/k >
Conservative coevolution of Müllerian mimicry in a group of rift lake catfish.

Biological mimicry has long been viewed as a powerful example of natural selection's ability to drive phenotypic evolution, although continuing debates surround the mechanisms leading to its development and the nature of these mimetic relationships. Mullerian mimicry, in which unpalatable species derive a mutual selective benefit through evolved phenotypic similarity, has alternatively been proposed to evolve through either a two-step process initiated by a large mutational change, or through continuous gradual evolution toward a common aposematic phenotype. I exposed a model predatory fish species to two species of endemic Lake Tanganyikan Synodontis to provide evidence for aposematism and the presence of Mullerian mimicry in these species. Predators quickly became conditioned to avoid the venomous catfish and did not discriminate between the two species when they were switched, supporting a hypothesis of functional Mullerian mimicry in this group of similarly colored fish. Ancestral state reconstructions and statistical comparisons of color pattern divergence in Tanganyikan Synodontis indicate that Mullerian mimicry in these catfish has developed through diversification of an aposematic common ancestor with subsequent conservative mutualistic coevolution among its daughter lineages, rather than advergent evolution of a mimic toward a nonrelated model, as assumed by widely accepted models of Mullerian mimicry evolution.
A Challenge to Philosophers in the Atomic Age

PHILOSOPHY, I know, is philosophia perennis. A "dated" philosophy, therefore, would appear almost to amount to a contradiction in terms. In this sense the "challenge" implied by the title of this paper seems out of place. A challenge to philosophers-well, perhaps. But a challenge to philosophers in the atomic age (or, for that matter, in any specific age)-no! In general such an objection is well taken. But we are, of course, never confronted with a situation "in general," but always with a very specific-and to-day, moreover, with a unique-situation. It is a situation which has changed radically even since the close of official hostilities at the so-called end of World War II. True enough, the history of the two world-wars had already brought home to us the fact that, with the accelerating development of applied science and technology, wars were rapidly approaching a tremendous scale of destructive power. Thus it became difficult to imagine any possibilities of still more powerful implements of devastation. But one's pious hopes at this point are like those of the famous Swedish scientist and inventor, Alfred B. Nobel. Having invented the process of making dynamite, he is said to have prophesied that his invention would make wars on any large scale hereafter impossible because of the terribly destructive power of his new invention! All of us have lived through the years which have been the death-dealing refutation of such a naive notion.
At the Roots of Violence the Progressive Decline and Dissolution of the Family

The authors reflect on the origin of the family and its traditional dynamic force in the social and moral education, and in the affective support and protection of its members. They expound on their thesis that since the institution of the family is progressively crumbling under the pressures of ever changing socioeconomic events, people feel more insecure and frustrated. It is their belief that the present day family often does not pass on to its members those traditional high moral values of honesty and responsibility so important for good citizenship and self-esteem, and that the above, compounded by unemployment and the widespread presence of psychoactive drugs in our streets, may be a basic factor in the upsurge of violence and criminal behavior in our homes and our cities. Sociological and psychological thoughts are offered in support of their theories on the importance of the family as a germ-cell of society. Even though violence in the streets is multifactorial and the too easy availability of gun...
Time-frequency localization operators: a geometric phase space approach

The author defines a set of operators which localize in both time and frequency. These operators are similar to but different from the low-pass time-limiting operator, the singular functions of which are the prolate spheroidal wave functions. The author's construction differs from the usual approach in that she treats the time-frequency plane as one geometric whole (phase space) rather than as two separate spaces. For disk-shaped or ellipse-shaped domains in time-frequency plane, the associated localization operators are remarkably simple. Their eigenfunctions are Hermite functions, and the corresponding eigenvalues are given by simple explicit formulas involving the incomplete gamma functions. >