cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reasons given by homebound older adults living in a large Midwestern city for taking or not taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

The prevalence of vitamin and mineral supplement usage in a group of homebound older adults in a large Midwestern city and their motivation for supplement use or nonuse were evaluated. Sixty-one selected homebound individuals 60 years and older from three assistance programs for older adults participated in the study. Forty-seven percent reported taking vitamin or mineral supplements, and of these 93% were taking a multivitamin supplement. Most participants received their information regarding supplements from a health care professional, generally a physician. For those not taking supplements, the most common reason given was the absence of a prescription/recommendation. For those taking supplements, the most common reason given was that supplements were prescribed/recommended.
Use of glycine as a non-enzymic procedure for separation of mouse embryonic tissues and dissociation of cells☆

Abstract A non-enzymic procedure for separation and cell dissociation of mouse embryonic tissues is described, utilizing solutions of either 1 or 0.5 M glycine with EDTA. Incubation of blastocysts in glycine resulted in decompaction of cells without complete dissociation. Post-implantation egg cylinders were readily separated into component tissue layers, with subsequent dissociation into single cells. Cell viability was high after such treatment, and all cell types adhered rapidly and spread out on plastic culture dishes. Parietal endoderm, visceral yolk sac and amnion tissues from 10th and 14th day embryos were incubated in glycine, with resulting cell dissociation and/or tissue separation. Changes in cell adhesion properties appear to take place during development of these tissues. PSA1 embryoid bodies readily separated into the outer ‘endoderm’ layer and inner embryonal carcinoma cell core after a brief incubation in glycine. However, this procedure was unsuccessful for dissociation of cells from a plastic or gelatin substrate in vitro, suggesting that cell-substrate adhesion in vitro may differ from that in vivo.
GPS Tracking of Travel Routes of Wanderers and Planners

Abstract Some of the most basic but vital data on recreation and travel behavior at tourism destinations consists of the places people visit, their travel routes, and the amount of time spent at each location. Despite that travel patterns are a fundamental aspect of the tourism phenomenon, little attention has been given to spatial and temporal tourist behaviors. Furthermore, although tourist typologies have identified some differences in visitor behaviors, little is known of how these typologies are related to actual travel patterns. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine if people with different travel styles differ in their actual movement patterns by combining spatial movement data with non-spatial visitor characteristics. This study used GPS to track tourists’ use of an area and surveys to measure different activity styles based on a typology of ‘wanderers’ and ‘planners.’ The ‘wanderer-planner’ typology was validated through confirmatory factor analysis. Factor composite scores were use...
Gust-Front Factor: New Framework for Wind Load Effects on Structures

In comparison with atmospheric boundary layer winds, which are customarily treated as stationary, winds associated with gust fronts originating from a thunderstorm/downburst exhibit rapid changes during a short time period, which may be accompanied by changes in direction. This introduces nonstationarity both in the mean and the standard deviation of wind fluctuations. In order to realistically capture characteristics of gust-front winds and their attendant load effects, a new analysis framework is presented, which is named here as the gust-front factor approach. This is akin to the gust loading factor format used in codes and standards worldwide for the treatment of conventional boundary layer winds. The gust-front factor expresses a generalized description of the genesis of the overall wind load effects on structures under both gust-front and boundary layer winds and it reduces simply to the gust loading factor for the case of conventional boundary layer winds. This approach encapsulates both the kinematic and dynamic features of gust-front induced wind effects on structures that distinguish themselves from those experienced in conventional boundary layer flows, i.e., variation in the kinematics of the velocity profile and its effects on the associated aerodynamics, dynamic effects induced by the sudden rise in wind speed, nonstationarity of turbulence in gust-front winds, and transient aerodynamics. To facilitate expeditious utilization of this framework in design practice and inclusion in codes and standards, the analysis framework and its workflow is introduced within a web-based portal. This eliminates the need for an in-depth understanding of the background within the framework and the need for associated computational effort. The portal has a user-friendly interface, which is available at http://gff.ce.nd.edu, permitting convenient analysis of several design scenarios with a host of potential loading conditions including the current ASCE 7-05 procedure in boundary layer winds for immediate comparison.
Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase activity is decreased in Alzheimer's disease brains

Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the synthesis of epinephrine and a specific marker for epinephrine neurons. We have previously described the stability of this enzyme in a variety of pre- and postmortem conditions in human brain autopsy specimens and demonstrated its presence in areas of the human brain that are associated with memory and attention. We now report on 5 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who had a decrease in PNMT activity of 37 to 48% in areas of the brain affected by the disease but not in the cerebellum, an area of the brain unaffected by the disease. The degree of decrease in PNMT activity in the hippocampus correlated significantly with the degree of dementia. We have provided direct immunochemical evidence that the decrease in PNMT activity in AD is due to the loss of this specific enzyme protein.
GEOMETRIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHAOS IN HEATED PLATE VIBRATIONS

In this paper, Lyapunov exponents are successfully calculated and employed to design a sinusoidally excited heated plate system representing hypersonic skin panels on transatmospheric vehicles, for the prevention of chaotic oscillations. The single mode equation of motion governing the vibrations of the heated plate system is of Duffing form. The coefficients of the equation are obtained as functions of the design variables. The boundaries of regular and chaotic regions of motion are defined in various two-dimensional parametric spaces defined by the values of the largest Lyapunov exponent at each point. The critical buckling temperatures that transform the potential form from single-well to double-well are discussed for various plate aspect ratios. It is shown that finding chaos-free aspect ratios is possible, and chaos can be eliminated or delayed at the design stage simply by choosing the appropriate size and aspect ratio for the panel. The influence of the thickness of panels on the chaotic response of the system is investigated. The results of this research have direct impact on shape optimization considerations for skin panels subject to high temperatures, and on the design of various other dynamical systems that are influenced by a combination of thermal loads and external excitation.
Isolation of a starfish trypsin by affinity chromatography.

1. 1. An affinity chromatography procedure has been developed for the rapid isolation of trypsins from pyloric caeca extracts of the starfish Pisaster brevispinus. The procedure utilized alkaline elution of the enzymes from a lima bean inhibitor-Sepharose column. 2. 2. In P. brevispinus two trypsins were found which resembled vertebrate trypsins in molecular weight, reaction with inhibitors and cleavage specificity. 3. 3. The starfish trypsins were unstable in acid solutions and in this respect resemble other invertebrate trypsins and the anionic trypsins from vertebrates.
Substring compression problems

We initiate a new class of string matching problems called Substring Compression Problems. Given a string S that may be preprocessed, the problem is to quickly find the compressed representation or the compressed size of any query substring of S (Substring Compression Query or SCQ) or to find the length l substring of S whose compression is the least (Least Compressible Substring or LCS problem).Starting from the seminal paper of Lempel and Ziv over 25 years ago, many different methods have emerged for compressing entire strings. Determining substring compressibility is a natural variant that is combinatorially and algorithmically challenging, yet surprisingly has not been studied before. In addition, compressibility of strings is emerging as a tool to compare biological sequences and analyze their information content. However, typically, the compressibility of the entire sequence is not as informative as that of portions of the sequences. Thus substring compressibility may be a more suitable basis for sequence analysis.We present the first known, nearly optimal algorithms for substring compression problems---SCQ, LCS and their generalizations---that are exact or provably approximate. Our exact algorithms exploit the structure in strings via suffix trees and our approximate algorithms rely on new relationships we find between Lempel-Ziv compression and string parsings.
Continental drift and economic minerals in Antarctica

Abstract At present there are no deposits of minerals known in Antarctica that can be economically exploited. Minor amount of copper, iron, chromium, and major beds of coal are known, but these cannot presently support mining operations. Projections of known belts and areas of economic mineralization into Antarctica from other segments of Gondawanaland show that a potential exists for discovering deposits of nickel, copper, gold, diamonds, and other high value commodities. Reconstruction of pre-drift positions of Africa and Australia adjacent to Antarctica makes it possible to pinpoint the most promising areas for initial exploration. Although exploration for deposits in Antarctica is not now economically attractive, the continent does offer potential for the future.
The incidence of infection in neuroblastoma patients receiving chemotherapy.

Abstract The hospital records of 32 neuroblastoma patients diagnosed during a 6-yr period were reviewed, with special emphasis on a comparison of the incidence of infection in patients receiving chemotherapy and those not receiving the treatment. Examination of the records of the survivors and comparison of their frequency of infection both while receiving and not receiving the treatment indicate that the administration of chemotherapy may be related to an increased incidence of infection in these patients.
Anhydrous photochemical reduction of well-defined uranyl(VI) complexes

The photochemical reactivity of well-defined cationic uranyl(VI) complexes is presented under non-aqueous conditions employing systematic control over variable experimental conditions, with a focus on structural and electronic characterization of the products. The results offer mechanistic insight into alternate pathways of dioxo activation during the photochemical reduction of uranyl(VI) that are operable only under anhydrous conditions.
Study of winglets applied to biplanes

The possibility of improving the aerodynamic characteristics of a biplane configuration by adding winglets is examined both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical calculations show good agreement with experiment in predicting inviscid drag due to lift. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the addition of winglets to an optimized biplane configuration can increase the ideal efficiency factor by up to 13 percent, as well as increasing the lift curve slope and maximum lift coefficient.
REGULATION OF FIBRONECTIN EXPRESSION BY PDGF-BB AND IGF-I IN CULTURED RAT THORACIC AORTIC ADVENTITIAL FIBROBLASTS

Regulation of fibronectin (FN) by Platelet-derived Growth Factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) in cultured rat thoracic aortic adventitial fibroblasts were examined. PDGF-BB enhances FN mRNA levels in a time and concentration-dependent fashion. The effect of IGF-I on PDGF-BB-induced FN levels was also examined. There was a larger increase in FN mRNA levels (4-fold) in the cells treated with both IGF-I and PDGF-BB than with either IGF-I (2-fold) or PDGF-BB (2-fold) alone. The effects of PDGF-BB and IGF-I on FN levels were examined. There was a larger increase in FN levels (135%) in the cells treated with both PDGF-BB and IGF-I than with either PDGF-BB (43%) or IGF-I (45%) alone. Regulation of adventitial fibroblast FN may lead to blood vessel diseases and/or angiogenesis.
Aluminum water treatment residuals as permeable reactive barrier sorbents to reduce phosphorus losses.

Abstract Two aluminum water treatment residuals (Al-WTRs) from water treatment plants in Manatee County, FL and Punta Gorda, FL were evaluated as potential permeable reactive barrier (PRB) media to reduce groundwater phosphorus (P) losses. Short-term ( 70 g kg−1. Sorption and desorption studies were conducted on the 98% P sorption effectiveness at shaking times ⩾2 h). The effect of DOC was minimal at 75 g kg−1, respectively, and the lifespan of an Al-WTR PRB is likely many decades. Desorption was minimal ( 70 g kg−1. The
Vitamin D Deficiency Suppresses Cell-Mediated Immunity in Vivo

Severe vitamin D deficiency has been produced in mice as evidenced by severe hypocalcemia and an absence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood. Vitamin D deficiency was accompanied by a slight decrease in body weight and food consumption. Vitamin D-deficient and vitamin D-sufficient mice were sensitized with dinitrofluorobeazene (DNFB). Sensitivity to DNFB was determined by treatment of one ear with DNFB. The ratio of thickness of the treated ear to that of nontreated ear was used as an index of cell-mediated immune reaction. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the DNA of the ear was also used as an index of cell-mediated immunity as was the response of thymus lymphocytes to concanavalin A. Vitamin D deficiency markedly decreased the ear thickness ratio and the [3H]thymidine incorporation ratio in DNFB-sensitized mice. Similarly, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the DNA of concanavalin A-treated thymus lymphocytes from DNFB-sensitive mice was significantly reduced in vitamin D deficiency. These results show that in vivo vitamin D deficiency impairs cell-mediated immunity. The provision of a vitamin D-sufficient diet for 8 weeks corrected the impaired response of the immune system, while vitamin D administration for 3 weeks did not.
Factors affecting reaction times to short anterior postural disturbances

Abstract One source of falls in the elderly may be an inability to sufficiently adjust to transient postural perturbations or slips. Identifying useful predictors of fall potential, as well as factors that affect the ability of an individual to detect a movement of the standing support surface may provide insight into postural stability and methods to increase stability in elders. The effects of acceleration, displacement, neurological status, and age on movement detection reaction times were studied in 25 individuals—11 young adults, seven neurologically intact elderly adults, and six elders with (diabetic) peripheral neuropathy. Acceleration detection thresholds for anterior perturbations of 1, 4, and 16 mm of the support surface was previously determined for each subject via a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) protocol, with longer (16 mm) moves yielding lower 2AFC thresholds (12–39 mm/s 2 ) that varied by group. Using the acceleration threshold value determined, and 125% of that threshold (suprathreshold), reaction times to the start of the platform movement were determined for all three displacements. Reaction times to an additional superthreshold movement (4 mm at 100 mm/s 2 ) were also measured. Lower acceleration values over longer moves required longer reaction times for motion detection. Reaction times were also influenced by peak energy imparted to the subject through the move. The higher prevalence of falls in the elderly and elderly diabetic may be due to slowing reaction times compounded by larger amounts of imparted energy needed for detection of a slipping event.
From worms to targeting virulence factors.

Rising antibiotic resistance means that alternative antibacterial strategies are sorely needed. In this issue, Zhu et al. (2015) report the use of a Caenorhabditis elegans model to validate the Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor LasB as a potential therapeutic target and to identify a LasB inhibitor with in vivo efficacy.
Age Related Decline in Postural Control Mechanisms.

In order to study voluntary and reflexive mechanisms of postural control, young and elderly persons were given large-fast and small-slow ankle-rotation postural disturbances while standing on a movable platform capable of measuring ground reaction forces. Large-fast rotations were employed to activate long-loop reflexes, and small-slow rotations were employed to tap the higher level sensory integration aspects of postural control. Overall, the elderly persons exhibited more perturbation induced sway and showed a slowing in voluntary, as opposed to reflexive mechanisms of correcting postural disturbance. For both age groups, reflexive mechanisms were found to be relatively intact. When small perturbations were given, the elderly persons swayed more than young participants and produced sporadic reflexive activity. Moreover, elderly persons did not adapt to the small perturbations and exhibited increased postural sway to repetitive presentation of the perturbation, whereas young participants substantially decreased their postural sway. These data demonstrate that elderly persons are at some disadvantage when posture is under the control of slower, higher level sensory integrative mechanisms.
Hole transfer in a C-shaped molecule: Conformational freedom versus solvent-mediated coupling

The electronic coupling matrix elements attending the charge separation reactions of a C-shaped molecule containing an excited pyrene as the electron acceptor and a dimethylaniline as the donor are determined in aromatic, ether, and ester solvents. Band shape analyses of the charge-transfer emission spectra (CT → S0) provide values of the reaction free energy, the solvent reorganization energy, and the vibrational reorganization energy in each solvent. The free energy for charge separation in benzene and toluene solvents is independently determined from the excited state equilibrium established between the locally excited pyrene S1 state and the charge-transfer state. Analyses of the charge separation kinetics using the spectroscopically determined reorganization energies and reaction free energies indicate that the electronic coupling is solvent independent, despite the presence of a cleft between the donor and acceptor. Hence, solvent molecules are not involved in the coupling pathway. The orientations ...
Determining the kinetic reaction rate order for the thermal denaturation of β-lactoglobulin using two statistical approaches.

Abstract Literature data, reporting the kinetic reaction rate order of the thermal denaturation of β -lactoglobulin ( β -lg), were reviewed using two statistical approaches including R 2 and the Box–Cox transformation. Although R 2 , the coefficient of determination, has been used by many researchers as a criterion to compare the fit of data to various kinetic reaction rate orders, this statistic should not be considered appropriate for transformations of the same data set. The Box–Cox transformation, however, was constructed to systematically approach the problem of choosing a data transformation, which is the basis for the different reaction rate orders. The results of the analysis showed that, for some data sets, the reaction rate order determined using R 2 was not in agreement with the Box–Cox determination. Just as importantly, the Box–Cox transformation resolved that for most data sets analyzed, the reaction rate order was indeterminate and that more than one reaction rate order could represent the data. The conflicting results reported in the literature on the thermal denaturation of β -lg could result from the statistical approach used to analyze the data and determine a reaction rate order.
Independence of whole blood and haemoglobin solution oxygen dissociation curves from haemoglobin type.

Independence of Whole Blood and HAEmoglobin Solution Oxygen Dissociation Curves from HAEmoglobin Type
Pattern of disease recurrence and prognostic factors in patients with osteosarcoma treated with contemporary chemotherapy

BACKGROUND The goal of the current study was to define the clinical features and outcome of recurrent osteosarcoma (OS) in children and young adults initially treated with contemporary chemotherapy. METHODS The authors reviewed the clinical features, therapy, and outcome for 59 patients from the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center (Seattle, WA). They were diagnosed initially with OS between January 1990 and December 2000, received multiagent chemotherapy (most frequently cisplatin, doxorubicin, high-dose methotrexate, and ifosfamide), and developed disease recurrence after achieving an initial complete response (CR). RESULTS The most common site of initial disease recurrence was the lung only (n = 36 patients), followed by distant bone (n =8 patients), combined lung and other sites (n =7 patients), and other sites (n =8 patients). The median time to first disease recurrence was 15 months (range, 2–92 months) from the initial diagnosis. Thirty patients with isolated pulmonary recurrence achieved a second CR, either with surgery alone (n =15 patients) or surgery and salvage chemotherapy (n =15 patients). For this group, the 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival rates were 7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0–16%) and 28% (95% CI, 11–45%), respectively. For all 59 patients with recurrent OS, the 4-year DFS and overall survival rates were 6% (95% CI, 0–12%) and 23% (95% CI, 10–36%), respectively. The only factors associated with improved DFS and overall survival rates were unilateral pulmonary recurrence, solitary pulmonary nodule at recurrence, more than 24 months between the initial diagnosis and first disease recurrence, and achievement of a second CR. CONCLUSIONS The DFS and overall survival rates for recurrent OS after contemporary therapy remained poor even for patients with isolated pulmonary recurrence. Therefore, new treatment strategies are needed. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
A search for posteclipse brightening of Io in 1973. II

Four eclipse reappearances of Io were observed with an area-scanning photometer during the 1973 apparition of Jupiter. The results of these observations and of the ones reported in the preceding paper are discussed in the context of recent physical models for posteclipse brightening. An evaluation of the relative merits and deficiencies of all observational techniques which have been used to search for posteclipse brightening of Io leads to the conclusion that the reality of this phenomenon remains very much in doubt.
Immunization of mice with baculovirus-derived recombinant SV40 large tumour antigen induces protective tumour immunity to a lethal challenge with SV40-transformed cells.

SUMMARY In this study, we examine the humoral immune responses and in vivo tumour immunity induced by baeulovirus reeombinant simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumour antigen (rSV40 T-ag). BALB/c mice immunized with rSV40 T-ag produced antibody responses that recognized SV40 large tumour antigen (T-ag) by ELISA. Analysis of these anti-SV40 T-ag responses indicated that the antibodies recognized epitopes associated with both the carboxy and amino terminus of SV40 T-ag. This pattern of SV40 T-ag epitope recognition was similar to that observed in anti-SV40 T-ag responses induced by inoculation with irradiated SV40-transformed cells. Mice immunized with either rSV40 T-ag or with the inactivated transformed cells were protected from a subsequent in vivo lethal tumour challenge with live SV40-transformed cells. These studies suggest that humoral immune responses induced by rSV40 T-ag are similar in epitope specificity to that induced by inactivated SV40-transformed cells. In addition, recombinant tumour-specific antigens from papovaviruses, such as SV40, can be used to induce tumour immunity which protects from a subsequent lethal tumour challenge. This study may provide insight into the use of recombinant tumour antigens as putative tumour vaccines and in the development of active immunotherapeutic strategies for treating virus-induced eancers.
Steps toward optimizing motion artifact removal in functional connectivity MRI; a reply to Carp.

We recently described a motion-related artifact in resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) data that arises from subject head motion (Power et al. (2012), see also Satterthwaite et al. (2012); Van Dijk et al. (2012)). Head motion produces well-known disruptions in BOLD signal (Friston et al., 1996), and these artifactual modulations of BOLD signal, which are similar at nearby voxels, create spurious patterns in correlations in rs-fcMRI. Specifically, head motion augments short-distance correlations and weakens long-distance correlations. Thus, for instance, a higher-motion dataset would typically display weakened correlations between (distantly spaced) default mode regions but enhanced correlations between (closely spaced) visual regions in comparison to a low-motion data-set. We described this artifact in cohorts of children, adolescents, and adults, and its severity (magnitude) was related to the prevalence of motion within a cohort. Motion-related functional connectivity artifact is thus a substantial confound in the examination of single rs-fcMRI datasets and in comparisons of multiple rs-fcMRI datasets.
Revisiting the Two Presidencies: The Strategic Use of Executive Orders

Recent scholarly attention has considerably advanced our understanding of executive orders. We argue that executive orders represent a valuable opportunity to assess the relevance of the two presidencies and the distinction between foreign and domestic policies. The over-time analysis (1953-1997) demonstrates significant differences in the effects for most of the variables explaining executive orders depending on the issue area. For example, we find that the president’s share of congressional party seats significantly affects executive orders on domestic policy, but no such effects are found on foreign policy. This result, as well as many others in the analysis, illustrates that factors shaping the executive’s ability to influence policy in Congress differ substantially in their effects on domestic as compared to foreign policy executive orders. We infer from our analysis that the two-presidencies distinction remains a useful one, at least for understanding executive orders.
A bilateral-market based mechanism for spectrum allocation in cognitive radio networks

We address the problem of spectrum allocation by a moderator employed in a cognitive radio (CR) network in the presence of multiple primary users (PUs). It is assumed that the moderator is uncertain about the state of the PU channel (busy or vacant) and therefore, does not have perfect knowledge about spectrum availability. In order to improve the performance, secondary users (SUs) send their sensing decisions to the moderator. The moderator fuses the data from these SUs and makes an inference about spectrum availability. We assume that the spectrum allocation is made by the moderator only when it decides that spectrum is available. In this paper, we model the interaction between the PUs, SUs and the moderator within a bilateral trading framework, and present an iterative allocation mechanism that guarantees improvement in the revenue of the moderator in every iteration.
Sleep Patterns of College Students at a Public University

Objective: The authors' purpose in this study was to determine the sleep patterns of college students to identify problem areas and potential solutions. Participants: A total of 313 students returned completed surveys. Methods: A sleep survey was e-mailed to a random sample of students at a North Central university. Questions included individual sleep patterns, problems, and possible influencing factors. Results: Most students reported later bedtimes and rise times on weekends than they did on weekdays. More than 33% of the students took longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, and 43% woke more than once nightly. More than 33% reported being tired during the day. The authors found no differences between freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students for time to fall asleep, number of night wakings, or total time slept each night. Conclusions: Many students have sleep problems that may interfere with daily performance, such as driving and academics. Circadian rhythm management, sleep hygiene,...
Benchmarking and Enrollment Management

This chapter looks at the importance of benchmarking in terms of admissions, enrollment, and financial aid within an organization used to assess enrollment management's performance.
Effects of Providing Pre-test Information and Preparation Materials on Applicant Reactions to Selection Procedures

This study examined the effects of providing applicants with pre-test information and preparation (PTIP) materials on pass rates and reactions to the selection process. Applicants for chemical process operator positions that had (n ¼38) and had not (n ¼57) received PTIP materials before completing a test battery were surveyed after they had received notice of the outcome of the testing. Providing the PTIP materials did not influence overall pass rates or applicant reactions. However, results indicated that testing outcome (pass vs fail) had a strong influence on applicant reactions to the testing process. Among those that did not pass the testing hurdle, providing PTIP materials markedly improved perceptions of fairness and satisfaction with the testing process. These findings show that the use of PTIP materials reduces negative applicant reactions experienced by individuals that do not pass employment tests.
Radiation from a Vertical Magnetic Dipole in Inhomogeneous Stratified Media above a Horizontal Conducting Plane

ABSTRACT The study of the radiation from a vertical magnetic dipole in mi inhomogeneous half space and also in inhomogeneous stratified media above a horizontal conducting infinite plane is considered. The formal expression for the Hertz potential, from which all the field components can be derived. is presented in the form of a contour integral. These formal results are employed for special cases using suitable profiles for relative dielectric constants so that the electromagnetic fields can be expressed in terms of known functions. The contour integral is evaluated asymptotically by saddle point method of integration in each of the examples using special profiles for e(z). Possibilities of the existence of surface waves in appropriate configurations are also discussed. The results for homogeneous media are also extracted from those of the corresponding inhomogeneous media by taking appropriate limits.
Effects of shock‐induced tensile failure on mb‐Ms discrimination: Contrasts between historic nuclear explosions and the North Korean test of 9 October 2006

[1] Rayleigh wave excitation is studied for an explosion source model consisting of a superposition of isotropic (monopole), tensile failure, and tectonic release point sources. The body-force representation for shock-induced, deep-seated tensile failure is a compensated linear vector dipole CLVD, where the relative strength of the CLVD is given by an index K. Rayleigh wave amplitudes are reduced owing to destructive interference between an explosive monopole and a CLVD source with vertical axis of symmetry in extension (K > 1). The effect of tensile failure on Ms is to enhance the explosion-like characteristics on a plot of mb-Ms. This model suggests that the success of the mb-Ms discriminant results from the fact that nuclear tests were conducted under containment practices for which tensile failure is ubiquitous, while the North Korean nuclear test of 9 October 2006 is a harbinger of poor mb-Ms performance when tensile failure is completely suppressed.
Effects of hyperbaric pressure on oxygen concentration in the swim bladder of Poecilia latipinna.

Poecilia latipinna was subjected to varying hydrostatic pressures in the laboratory which demonstrated the following points. The hyperbaric chamber is a suitable apparatus for testing gas gland secretion in this teleostean fish. Oxygen concentration within the swim bladder increased with increasing hydrostatic pressure. Pressures encountered by fishes at various levels of the water column and their effects on oxygen concentration in the swim bladder may be simulated in the laboratory.
Diagnostic biases in DRIS evaluations on sweet cherry and hazelnut

Abstract Five hundred leaf analyses of sweet cherry and hazelnut leaves were evaluated to determine if biases in DRIS formulas could prevent the detection of some deficiencies or excesses. Both one‐equation and two‐equation calculation procedures were evaluated. The one‐equation approach has several disadvantages. The data imply that there are limits on minimum or maximum values that an index can obtain for some elements, but not for others. The range of index values obtainable varies considerably among elements. If the sum of DRIS indices, regardless of sign, is used as a criterion to identify imbalances, relative deficiencies or excesses for some elements are masked. These difficulties are lessened but not entirely eliminated with the original two‐equation procedure. Regardless of the calculation procedure the relationship between DRIS indices and the respective concentrations varied for the elements N, K, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, B, and Zn. Some indices are so dependent on the concentration of the elemen...
Friction stir processing of aluminum cast alloys for high performance applications

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a novel process developed based on the principle of friction stir welding (FSW) that locally manipulates the microstructure by imparting a high level of energy in the solid state resulting in improved mechanical properties. Additionally, FSP has emerged as an advanced tool to produce surface composites by embedding second phase particles into the matrix. Our work to date has shown that FSP can be implemented as a post-casting method to locally eliminate casting defects, such as porosity due to gas evolution during casting. Coarse second phases are broken up into fine nearly equiaxed particles and distributed uniformly in the matrix; grain refinement is also attained by dynamic recrystallization during FSP. This results in improved mechanical properties. Furthermore, our work shows that friction stir processing is a viable means of producing localized composite zones in cast Al components. Such improvements have important implications for manufactured components for diesel engines and for critical and high integrity components. The convenience of FSP as a post-processing step that can easily be carried out during machining operation makes it quite attractive for adoption.
Extended interval for retrieval of vena cava filters is safe and may maximize protection against pulmonary embolism.

Abstract Background Retrieval of optional vena cava filters (VCF) has been demonstrated to be safe and feasible in injured patients in 4 recent studies. However, 2 pulmonary emboli PE were reported in these studies with mean implant durations less than 19 days. In light of these occurrences, we changed our practice for VCF retrieval when patients had recovered from their injuries and at least 30 days after their discharge, or had been stable on therapeutic anticoagulation for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or PE for at least 2 weeks. The aim of the current study was to assess the safety of this approach. Methods A review of prospectively collected data on optional VCF over a 16-month period. The filters were inserted prophylactically per an institutional practice guideline or for the presence of DVT or PE with a contraindication and/or complication to anticoagulation. All patients underwent duplex imaging of the lower extremities and had pre- and post- retrieval cavagrams. Demographics, duration of implantation, and complications were recorded. Results Eighty-three patients had optional VCF inserted since the change in our clinical practice. Indications included prophylaxis for high-risk trauma patients (n = 58), DVT or PE with acute contraindication to therapeutic anticoagulation (n = 22), or complications of anticoagulation (n = 3). Two patients developed lower extremity DVT after filter insertion and 1 patient developed a vena cava thrombosis. Retrieval was successful in 47 of 54 cases (87%) attempted. Median implantation duration was 142 days (range 17–475). A filter strut fracture occurred during retrieval without further consequences. No post-insertion or post-retrieval PE occurred in this study. Conclusion Extended intervals for retrieval of VCF are safe and may maximize protection against pulmonary embolism.
Assertive Communication in Condom Negotiation: Insights From Late Adolescent Couples' Subjective Ratings of Self and Partner

Abstract Purpose Assertive communication has been associated with higher levels of condom use among youth using self-report survey methodology. The purpose of this study was to examine the subjective ratings of assertiveness among young, romantically involved couples in the context of a condom negotiation task. Methods Using an innovative video-recall procedure, 32 couples (64 youth) engaged in a videotaped condom negotiation task and then rated self and partners' level of assertiveness. Both individual ratings of assertiveness and couple-level assertiveness were assessed using dyadic hierarchical linear modeling. Results Individuals' assertiveness was positively associated with condom use. Unexpectedly, the overall level of assertiveness in couples showed a curvilinear association with condom use. Very high and very low assertiveness was associated with lower condom use, whereas moderate levels of assertiveness were associated with higher condom use. Conclusions Moderate levels of assertiveness during condom negotiation may facilitate condom use in young couples. Increasing condom use among romantic partners may require developing interventions that strengthen youths' ability to engage in assertive communication strategies that balance emotional intimacy with self-advocacy.
Natural history of vancomycin‐resistant enterococcal colonization in liver and kidney transplant recipients

At Mayo Medical Center (Rochester, MN), surveillance rectal (and other-site) cultures have been routinely collected from liver transplant recipients as part of a selective bowel decontamination program. Beginning in 1995, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization and infection were identified in Mayo Clinic liver and kidney transplant patients through our surveillance cultures. The purpose of this study is to describe the natural history of VRE colonization in this patient population. Fifty-two patients with VRE colonization (predominantly with a single vanB clone) were identified from September 1995 through December 1997. Five hundred ninety cultures were reviewed for this study (mean, 11.3 cultures/patient). The median time from initial VRE colonization to the last surveillance culture obtained was 306 days (range, 1 to 1,393 days). VRE infection was documented in 6 patients (11.3%). Eighteen patients (35%) met the criteria for clearance of VRE colonization, defined as VRE-negative rectal culture results on at least 3 consecutive occasions greater than 1 week apart. However, VRE was detected on subsequent surveillance cultures from 2 of these patients (11% relapse rate). Of the remaining 34 patients, 16 remained colonized with VRE and 18 did not meet the definition for clearance of VRE colonization because of incomplete follow-up. This study documents that VRE colonization usually persists for months to years in liver and kidney transplant patients.
Microfluidic microdialysis: Spatiotemporal control over solution microenvironments using integrated hydrogel membrane microwindows

Inspired by the two-step circulation-diffusion distribution strategy of human circulatory system, scientists have developed ``hydrogel membrane microwindows'' in microfludic devices as a powerful and versatile means to establish and manipulate chemical and electric-field gradients with speed.
Comparison of 1.48-um and 980-nm pumping for Er-doped superfluorescent fiber sources

The characteristics of Er-doped superfluorescent fiber sources are simulated for pump wavelengths in the 980 nm and 1.48 ?m pump absorption bands. Because absorption near 980 nm occurs to a short-lived pump state, while absorption near 1.48 ?m occurs to the long-lived upper-laser state, sources pumped in these wavelength regions have different characteristics. Both pump bands are found to have optimal pump wavelengths for stability and power (976 nm and 1.475 ?m). While both pump bands are efficient, the 1.48 ?m pump band has a lower threshold pump power level and a higher slope efficiency. On the other hand, the 980 nm pump band produces broader spectra and permits the use of shorter fiber lengths. These and other source characteristics are discussed in detail.
Memory for musical tempo: Additional evidence that auditory memory is absolute

We report evidence that long-term memory retains absolute (accurate) features of perceptual events. Specifically, we show that memory for music seems to preserve the absolute tempo of the musical performance. In Experiment 1, 46 subjects sang two different popular songs from memory, and their tempos were compared with recorded versions of the songs. Seventy-two percent of the productions on two consecutive trials came within 8% of the actual tempo, demonstrating accuracy near the perceptual threshold (JND) for tempo. In Experiment 2, a control experiment, we found that folk songs lacking a tempo standard generally have a large variability in tempo; this counters arguments that memory for the tempo of remembered songs is driven by articulatory constraints. The relevance of the present findings to theories of perceptual memory and memory for music is discussed.
Pituitary volume and clinical trajectory in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia.

Background Stress and vulnerability likely interact to play a major role in psychosis. While much has been written about the neural diathesis-stress model in psychosis and its clinical risk states, little is known about HPA axis biomarkers in non-help-seeking individuals at familial high risk (FHR). We sought to prospectively measure pituitary volume (PV) in adolescents and young adults at FHR for schizophrenia and to follow their emerging sub-clinical psychotic symptoms and clinical trajectories. Method Forty healthy controls and 38 relatives of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were identified in Pittsburgh, USA. PV was derived from baseline 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging. Chapman's schizotypy scales were acquired at baseline, and structured clinical interviews for DSM-IV-TR Axis I diagnoses were attempted annually for up to 3 years. Results Seven individuals converted to psychosis. PV did not differ between FHR and control groups overall. Within the FHR group, PV was positively correlated with Chapman's positive schizotypy (Magical Ideation and Perceptual Aberration) scores, and there was a significant group × PV interaction with schizotypy. PV was significantly higher in FHR subjects carrying any baseline Axis I diagnosis (p = 0.004), and higher still in individuals who went on to convert to psychosis (p = 0.0007). Conclusions Increased PV is a correlate of early positive schizotypy, and may predict trait vulnerability to subsequent psychosis in FHR relatives. These preliminary findings support a model of stress-vulnerability and HPA axis activation in the early phases of psychosis.
The impact of evidence-based medicine on diabetes therapy.

Introduction Diabetes in all of its forms is one of the most important chronic diseases of the developed and developing world. The incidence and prevalence of the disease is increasing and parallels the increasing problem of overnutrition and obesity. Two other comorbidities are closely related and contribute importantly to the overall burden of disease. These comorbid states are hypertension and dyslipidemia. Although progress in all these conditions can be individually considered, the purpose of the present commentary is to look at the impact of evidence-based medicine on these comorbid conditions collectively. Thus, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia frequently exist together in the same individual.
Do Electoral Rules Matter? Political Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America

Despite the growing importance of domestic institutions in the political economy literature, few studies explore the effects of disaggregated measures of political institutions, specifically electoral rules and systems, on foreign direct investment (FDI). Building on institutional accounts, this articles tests the effects of electoral rules on FDI inflows for 16 Latin American countries from 1978 to 2000. Using panel data and controlling for common explanations in the FDI literature, the authors find that candidate-centered electoral systems increase political access for voters and industries supportive of FDI inflows. The results show the benefits of unpacking political institutions to explain FDI inflows, paving the way for many new research avenues.
Eclectic method for feature reduction using Self-Organizing Maps

This paper presents an eclectic method for extracting simple classification rules using a combination of a genetic algorithm, a self-organizing map and the ID3 decision tree algorithm. After outlining the method for extracting rules, we assess them for effectiveness, complexity and precision and compare them with similar methods which use support vector machines. While it is no surprise that the method proposed reduced the complexity of classification, it was surprising that the simple rules extracted from the SOMs were both more effective and more precise than the SOM from which they were extracted.
Biosynthesis of fosfazinomycin is a convergent process

Fosfazinomycin A is a phosphonate natural product in which the C-terminal carboxylate of a Val–Arg dipeptide is connected to methyl 2-hydroxy-2-phosphono-acetate (Me-HPnA) via a unique hydrazide linkage. We report here that Me-HPnA is generated from phosphonoacetaldehyde (PnAA) in three biosynthetic steps through the combined action of an O-methyltransferase (FzmB) and an α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) dependent non-heme iron dioxygenase (FzmG). Unexpectedly, the latter enzyme is involved in two different steps, oxidation of the PnAA to phosphonoacetic acid as well as hydroxylation of methyl 2-phosphonoacetate. The N-methyltransferase (FzmH) was able to methylate Arg-NHNH2 (3) to give Arg-NHNHMe (4), constituting the second segment of the fosfazinomycin molecule. Methylation of other putative intermediates such as desmethyl fosfazinomycin B was not observed. Collectively, our current data support a convergent biosynthetic pathway to fosfazinomycin.