cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polyelectrolyte multilayered nanoparticles: using nanolayers for controlled and targeted systemic release.

The simplicity of layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly [1] – a method that involves the alternating adsorption from water of two or more polymers or other multivalent species with complementary interactions – has led to a recent and greatly accelerated growth of new drug delivery systems that take advantage of the mild aqueous conditions and high drug loadings that are possible using this method [2–4]. The ability to incorporate a broad range of therapeutic molecules at meaningful drug loadings, from small molecule drugs to sensitive biologics such as peptides, proteins, growth factors and nucleic acids has contributed significantly to this revolution. Furthermore, there is significant promise in the ability to release multiple drugs from a singular nanoscale thin film with independent release profiles of each drug tuned to the desired pharmacokinetics [5]. This promise is furthered by recent demonstrations that multilayer thin films can regulate not only relative release behavior, but yield time-sequenced release from surfaces [6,7]. Many exciting new applications involve the use of coated micron-sized particles and microcapsules that are of interest for localized release biomaterials, cellular mimics and the targeting of cells that readily engage with micronscale particles, such as macrophages and certain immunological cells [8]. The advantages described above are highly relevant to the goals of targeted nanomedicine, in which the nanoscale nature of the delivery vehicle itself enables accumulation of drug carriers in pathological tissues and access to tissues via various modes of cell penetration and entry. The concept of generating drug delivery nanoparticles that provide controlled, staged and/or triggered release of different drugs at appropriate points in the body is highly attractive to the treatment of cancer, infectious disease, lung, cardiovascular
The transcription factor ATF5 : role in neurodevelopment and neural tumors

We review recent findings regarding the properties of ATF5 and the major roles that this transcription factor plays in development of the nervous system and in survival of neural tumors. ATF5 is a widely expressed basic leucine zipper protein that has been subject to limited characterization. It is highly expressed in zones of neuroprogenitor cell proliferation. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that it functions there to promote neuroprogenitor cell expansion and to suppress their differentiation into neurons or glia. ATF5 expression is down-regulated by trophic factors and this is required for their capacity to promote neuroprogenitor cell cycle exit and differentiation into either neurons, oligodendroglia or astrocytes. ATF5 is also highly expressed in a number of tumor types, including neural tumors such as neuroblastomas, medulloblastomas and glioblastomas. Examination of the role of ATF5 in glioblastoma cells indicates that interference with its expression or activity causes them to undergo apoptotic death. In contrast, normal astrocytes and neurons do not appear to require ATF5 for survival, indicating that it may be a selective target for treatment of glioblastomas and other neural neoplasias. Further studies are needed to identify the transcriptional targets of ATF5 and the mechanisms by which its expression is regulated in neuroprogenitors and tumors.
Connectionist model for object recognition

An application of neural networks is the recognition of objects under translation, rotation, and scale change. Most existing networks for invariant object recognition require a huge number of connections and/or processing units. In this paper, we propose a new connectionist model for invariant object recognition for binary images with a reasonable network size. The network consists of five stages. The first stage shifts the object so that the centroid of the object coincides with the center of the image plane. The second stage is a variation of the polar- coordinate transformation used to obtain two N-dimensional representations of the input object. In this stage, the 0 axis is represented by the positions of the output units; therefore, any rotation of the original object becomes a cyclic shift of the output values of this stage. The third stage is a variation of the rapid transform, which provides invariant representations of cyclic-shift inputs. The next stage normalizes the outputs of the rapid transform to obtain scale invariance. The final stage is a nearest neighbor classifier. We tested the performance of the network for character recognition and good results were obtained with only one pattern per class in training.
Extrapolation and the method of regularization for generalized inverses

Abstract Richardson's “extrapolation to the limit” idea is applied to the method of regularization for approximating the generalized inverse of a linear operator in Hilbert space. Uniform error bounds for successive extrapolates are derived for the case of bounded linear operators with closed range. For bounded linear operators with arbitrary range, and for densely defined closed linear operators, pointwise error bounds are derived, assuming certain “smoothness” conditions on the data.
Some economic determinants of accounting policy choice

Abstract This paper utilizes probit analysis to determine if size, risk, capital intensity, concentration, and the existence of incentive compensation plans affect the choice of accounting principles. The results indicate that they do but not on a consistent basis.
Field Experiments and Numerical Models for the Condition Assessment of Historic Timber Bridges: Case Study

Covered wooden bridges and the principles of heavy timber framing by which they were built represent both a significant chapter in this country’s civil engineering heritage, and a subclass of bridges that are in immediate need of repair and rehabilitation. This work often falls on the shoulders of the municipalities who own the bridges or local consulting engineering companies, neither of which have the resources to perform state-of-the-art damage assessment analyses. This study presents two case studies in which a simplified approach to damage assessment is used. The writers explore the importance of proper condition assessments, including both field observations and load tests, to the creation of viable finite-element models that practicing engineers may use in their repair and rehabilitation of these unique structures. Experimental tests were performed on two covered bridges: Morgan Bridge in Belvidere, Vermont and Pine Grove Bridge, in Oxford, Pennsylvania, and comparisons were made to finite-element ...
EDUCATIONAL SALIENCY AND CAREERS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: THE CASE OF LOUISIANA

Abstract While there is little consensus as to the exact form and structure of an academic criminal justice program, the traditional model of higher education, with its emphasis on qualified and productive faculty, has gained popular acceptance in the past decade. Concurrently, graduates of criminal justice programs have often found that prospective employers do not value their degrees. This article explores the relationships between student evaluations of their educational experiences, the structural characteristics identified as essential to an educational program, and the mechanisms used by ex-students to reduce dissonance caused by employer rejection or a poor job market. In 1980 a total of 411 recent graduates of eight criminal justice programs in Louisiana responded to a questionnaire designed to measure their attitudes toward and evaluations of their educations. Several key structural variables frequently associated with quality higher education failed to predict student evaluations. Two exceptions were ration of senior faculty and ratio of ex-police as faculty, and the effects of these variables on student evaluations were inverse. Overall, the best predictor of the saliency of one's educational experiences was the student's evaluation of the current job market in criminal justice. This variable was followed, in descending order by sex, ratio of faculty with senior rank, years since graduation, type of degree granted, and ratio of ex-police as faculty.
Anti-PD-1 blockade and stereotactic radiation produce long-term survival in mice with intracranial gliomas.

Purpose Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and radiation is one of the main treatment modalities. However, cure rates remain low despite best available therapies. Immunotherapy is a promising modality that could work synergistically with radiation, which has been shown to increase antigen presentation and promote a proinflammatory tumor microenvironment. Programmed-death-1 (PD-1) is a surface receptor expressed on activated and exhausted T cells, which mediate T cell inhibition upon binding with its ligand PD-L1, expressed on many tumor types including human GBMs. We tested the combination of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy with stereotactic radiosurgery in a mouse orthotopic GBM model. Methods and Materials We performed intracranial implantation of mouse glioma cell line GL261 transfected with luciferase into C57BL/6 mice. Mice were stratified into 4 treatment groups: ( 1 ) control; ( 2 ) radiation only; ( 3 ) anti-PD-1 antibody only; and ( 4 ) radiation plus anti-PD-1 antibody. Overall survival was quantified. The mice were killed on day 21 after implantation to assess immunologic parameters in the brain/tumor, cervical lymph nodes, and spleen. Results Improved survival was demonstrated with combination anti-PD-1 therapy plus radiation compared with either modality alone: median survival was 25 days in the control arm, 27 days in the anti-PD-1 antibody arm, 28 days in the radiation arm, and 53 days in the radiation plus anti-PD-1 therapy arm ( P Conclusions The combination of PD-1 blockade and localized radiation therapy results in long-term survival in mice with orthotopic brain tumors. These studies provide strong preclinical evidence to support combination trials in patients with GBM.
Stratospheric variability in summer

Rocketsonde observations and infrasound results are used to investigate the variability of the summer stratopause region during one month in summer. Fluctuations of 2-3 days and about 16-day periods are evident, and they appear to be propagating vertically. In this month the 2-3 day oscillations have an amplitude envelope equal in period to the longer period oscillations, implying a connection between the two phenomena. Observations of the diurnal tide and shorter period variability during the month are also presented.
Workers' Compensation Issues in Construction

Workmen's compensation insurance laws were enacted in the United States to protect injured employees, who were often unable to attain restitution from employers because they could not afford the co...
The Influence of a Brand Name's Association Set Size and Word Frequency on Brand Memory

Theory that memory for brand information is enhanced by associations related to the brand name (because each association represents a possible retrieval cue) is countered by other theory that associations may cue competing concepts and so produce interference. The current research examines this issue in terms of the distinctiveness hypothesis. Results of two studies suggest that brand names composed of words encountered frequently in the language elicit nondistinctive processing, and memory for brand information is inversely related to the number of related associations. However, brand names composed of low frequency words stimulate distinctive encoding, which may eliminate or reverse the former pattern of effects.
Computation of unsteady transonic flows by the solution of Euler equations

On utilise un schema de volumes finis pour la discretisation spatiale de la forme integrale des equations d'Euler pour un domaine mobile
A convex penalty method for optical human motion tracking

Human motion tracking from monocular image sequences has been explored widely. However, there is a lack of a framework addressing the variety of sensing conditions. In this paper, we present a simple, efficient, and robust method for recovering plausible 3D motion from a video without knowledge of the camera's parameters. Our method transforms the motion capture problem into a convex problem and employs a hierarchical geometrical solver for the minimization. This algorithm was applied to synthetic and real image sequences with very encouraging results. Specifically, our results indicate that it can handle challenges posed by variation of lighting, partial self-occlusion, and rapid motion.
TH‐D‐AUD C‐04: Four‐Dimensional Motion Correction to Distinguish Respiratory From Biological Changes in Treatment Response Assessment Using Molecular Imaging

Purpose: The in‐vivo imaging of tumor biology through positron emission tomography(PET) scans has become an invaluable tool for therapy response assessment since it provides tumor response data at early treatment stages. However, imaging in‐vivo small molecular changes in tissues subject to respiratory motion is infeasible as the PET tracer is smeared during the acquisition process introducing errors up to 75% associated with degraded tracer activity. The purpose of this study was to develop a motion detectionsystem that quantifies respiratory changes using spatio‐temporal Bspline deformable image registration for analysis of motion‐degraded PET datasets. Method and Materials: A clinical software tool implemented the Bspline deformable image registration method. Algorithm output is a motion‐corrected 4D PETimage containing only treatment‐induced changes. The motion‐free dataset can be summed to provide a simple 3D dataset that is used to for therapy evaluation using the standard tools developed for motion‐free treatment sites. Results: Capabilities of motion correction algorithm were established in studies on tumor motion in dynamic phantoms using checkerboard and surface distance tools and in patients using the convergence analysis method. The BSpline model was able to reproduce respiratory motion with a maximum error of 3 mm on five clinical cases of lung lesions. Conclusion: The integrated motion‐correction 4D PETsystem will provide a standardized protocol for characterization of tumor response using a combination of conventional and motion‐sensitive measures. The algorithm discerns between respiratory and treatment induced changes and thus, enables individual tumor response and evaluation of anti‐angiogenic therapies in images of thoracic tumors affected by respiration.
Kinetic studies in mass spectrometry—IV. The [M — Cl] reaction in substituted chlorobenzenes and the question of molecular ion isomerization.†

The [M]+˙ → [M Cl]+ reaction in a series of m- and p-X substituted chlorobenzenes has been studied, utilizing a simple kinetic approach, comparison of metastable ion relative abundances, and by measurement of ionization and appearance potentials. All evidence obtained is consistent with rearrangement prior to cleavage in the molecular ions, in which substituent position becomes effectively randomized. These findings are related to known hydrogen randomization reactions occurring in either the molecular ion or [M Cl] ion of chlorobenzenes. Mechanisms involving carbon scrambling via such species as ionized benzvalenes or prismanes, or ring-opening to isomeric acyclic molecular ions in which hydrogen randomization might occur can be entertained, but mechanisms involving simple hydrogen shifts in the intact benzene ring appear less likely.
Conflicts and contradictions among feminists over issues of pornography and sexual freedom

Abstract The intense debate over the sexual politics of pleasure and of violence against women continues to be played out in the women's movement, particularly over the issue of pornography and sexual sadomasochism. In general the arguments have clustered around two positions: one emphasizing women's sexual colonization and victimization, and the other emphasizing women's sexual repression and passivity. By juxtaposing the arguments in this essay, the author suggests that both sides tend to categorize each other essentially as either virgins or whores. This dichotomous thinking has served to increase the polarization on these issues.
Comparison of Three Techniques of Lung Lavage in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

One hundred fifty-three lung lavage procedures were performed on 81 cystic fibrosis patients during the years 1963 to 1976. Local analgesia was used in 24 lavages done via a rigid bronchoscope and in a group of 73 lavages directed by a fiberoptic bronchoscope. No abnormalities in cardiac rate or rhythm were observed with the lavages directed by fiberoptic bronchoscope. Fifty-six lavages were performed under general anesthesia with 20 cardiac abnormalities being noted among this group. Subjective improvement was noted in 96 percent of the 56 patients who had lavage under general anesthesia. Objective improvement was apparent in 45 percent of the 24 patients who had lavage with the rigid bronchoscope and 64 percent of the 36 patients who had lavage by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. It is concluded that patients with cystic fibrosis of varying stages of disability can more safely (and with good improvement) have bronchial washouts with the fiberoptic bronchoscope than with either of the other two techniques.
The use and optimization of stainless steel mesh cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) provide a high-yield method for producing hydrogen from renewable biomass. One challenge for commercialization of the technology is a low- cost and highly efficient cathode. Stainless steel (SS) is very inexpensive, and cathodes made of this material with high specific surface areas can achieve performance similar to carbon cathodes containing a platinum catalyst in MECs. SS mesh cathodes were examined here as a method to provide a higher surface area material than flat plate electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry tests showed that the electrochemically active surface area of certain sized mesh could be three times larger than a flat sheet. The relative performance of SS mesh in linear sweep voltammetry at low bubble coverages (low current densities) was also consistent with performance on this basis in MEC tests. The best SS mesh size (#60) in MEC tests had a relatively thick wire size (0.02 cm), a medium pore size (0.02 cm), and a specific surface area of 66 m 2 /m 3 . An applied voltage of 0.9 V produced a high hydrogen recovery (98 � 4%) and overall energy efficiency (74 � 4%), with a hydrogen production rate of 2.1 � 0.3m 3 H2/m 3 d(currentdensityof8.08A/m 2 ,volumetriccurrentdensityof188 � 19A/m 3 ). These studies show that SS in mesh format shows great promise for the development of lower cost MEC systems for hydrogen production.
Biological and biochemical properties of defective interfering particles of equine herpesvirus type 1.

Abstract Defective interfering (DI) particles of equine herpesvirus type 1(EHV-1) were purposely generated in an in vitro system of L-M cells by repeated high-multiplicity, serial, undiluted passage. Quantitation of infectious virus revealed a definite cyclic pattern which increased in magnitude with continued passage; additional experiments indicated that these fluctuations in virus titer were due to the presence of a population of DI particles as judged by interference assays. Attempts to separate standard and defective EHV-1 were unsuccessful. Analysis of DNA isolated from mixed populations of these virions revealed the presence of a high-density (H) variant DNA (ϱ = 1.724 g/cm3) in addition to standard EHV-1 DNA (ϱ = 1.716 g/cm3). Furthermore, it was found that the relative amount of this H-DNA in each passage corresponded very closely to the fluctuations in infectious virus titer. Sedimentation velocity studies of DNA isolated from populations of virions rich in H-DNA (>99%) indicated that the variant genomes were the same size as the standard EHV-1 genome (50–55 S). Comparisons of purified virion populations from 17 high-multiplicity passages with regard to particle counts, relative amount of H-DNA, and infectious virus titer indicated that the relative interference capacity of EHV-1 DI particles increased significantly with continued passage. Although the factor(s) responsible for the increased interference activity is unknown, DNA-DNA hybridization analyses of selected passages rich in H-DNA indicated that the genomes of EHV-1 DI particles became genetically less complex with passage and contained significant amounts of reiterated sequences. The possible mechanisms of the evolution of EHV-1 DI particles and their role in the interference process are discussed.
Gender stereotyping in medical advertising: much ado about something

Gender bias in medical advertising may be one factor contributing to differential treatment of women and men by physicians. Four hundred forty advertisements from three prominent medical journals were analyzed. Significantly more male, compared to female, recipient ads were found overall as well as for cardiovascular drugs. Males and females were both portrayed stereotypically in the ads, but this trend was especially true for males. The facial expressions of men were more likely to be serious/neutral whereas the facial expressions of women were more often judged to be pleasant. Females tended to be younger than the males that were depicted. Since heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women, underrepresentation of women in cardiovascular ads was questioned. Stereotypical portrayals as well as differences in facial expressions and age of depicted recipients may contribute to physicians being less likely to take the complaints of women, compared to men, seriously.
An adjustable expression system for controlling growth rate, plasmid maintenance, and culture dynamics

Recombinant bacterial cells express various levels of model product proteins if the genes of interest are regulated by controllable promoters. The level of gene expression influences the growth-rate differential between plasmid-bearing and plasmid-free cells, and thereby affects the culture dynamics of a plasmid-containing cell population. An expression system has been designed in which host Escherichia coli cells contain the pil operon controlled by a tac promoter; these cells are transformed with plasmids that contain the repressor gene, lacl, for the tac promoter, in combination with an expression system for a model protein, chloramphenicol acetyl tranferase (CAT). Experimental and theoretical results show that plasmid-bearing cells can be maintained as dominant in continuous cultures without selective pressure when 12% or less of the cells' total protein is the model product protein, CAT. This is because the segment cells produce pili greatly in excess of normal wild-type levels, and thus have more of a metabolic burden than do the plasmid-bearng cells that overproduce CAT. However, when the level of the plasmid-directed CAT expression is increased above 12% of the cells' total protein, the growth rate of the plasmid-bearing cells decreases to a value lower than that of the segregant cells. Therefore, plasmid-containing cells lose their selective advantage at this expression level, and cannot be maintained as the dominant cell type in a continuous culture unless antibiotic or other positive selection methods are used. By controlling the growth rate differential of this bacterial host/plasmid system, a variety of interesting competitive culture dynamics is investigated. All experimental measurements for continuous cultures are in very good agreement with theory using kinetic parameters determined from independent batch experiments. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Electronic Medical Records, HIPAA, and Patient Privacy

The continued growth of healthcare information systems (HCIS) promises to improve quality of care, lower costs, and streamline the entire healthcare system. But the resulting dependence on electronic medical records (EMRs) has also kindled patient concern about who has access to sensitive medical records. Healthcare organizations are obliged to protect patient records under HIPAA. The purpose of this study is to develop a formal privacy policy to protect the privacy and security of EMRs. This article describes the impact of EMRs and HIPAA on patient privacy in healthcare. It proposes access control and audit log policies to safeguard patient privacy. To illustrate the best practices in the healthcare industry, this article presents the case of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The case demonstrates that it is critical for a healthcare organization to have a privacy policy.
Wages, Risk, and Profits in the Whaling Industry

I. Wages. — The lay system of wage payment, 641. — Partial shifting of industrial risk from entrepreneur to worker, but no corresponding change in the proportion of profits and wages, 644. — The fall of the fractional lay, 648. — Real wages further lowered by abuses and extortionate charges, 650. — Lack of incentive under the lay system, 651. — Cosmopolitan character of the whaling crews, 653. — Whaling properly regarded as a trade, 654. II. Risk. — The whaling entrepreneur preeminently a dealer in risks. — Three main types: labor, physical, and business risks, 655. — Extraordinary fluctuations in whaling cargoes, 657. — Measures designed to offset risks: the lay system, diversified ownership, marine insurance, 659. III. Profits. — Extreme fluctuations, 662. — Average profits, 663. — Normal rate of profit a modest one, 665. — Illustration of "prizes and blanks" theory, 666. — Relative proportions of profits and wages, 667. — Despite large element of chance, business ability essential for long-run success, 667.
Substance P-immunoreactive nerves in the rat kidney.

Abstract An indirect immunohistochemical method in which an avidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex is bound to the secondary antibody was used to visualize substance P-immunoreactive (SPI) nerves in the rat kidney. Rats were perfused with 2% paraformaldehyde + 0.15% picric acid in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, then transferred to the buffer. After 24–48 h, the kidneys were sectioned with a Vibratome at 200 or 300 μm and incubated in the primary antiserum for 18 h at room temperature. A dense plexus of SPI nerves innervates the rat renal calyx. A small proportion of intrarenal SPI axons innervates interlobular arteries and afferent arterioles, but most perivascular SPI axons terminate on interlobar and arcuate arteries. The densest plexuses are located on segments of interlobar arteries near the hilus of the kidney. Some of these axons probably are nociceptive; others may be chemo- or baroreceptive.
Potential to fall of bipeds using foot kinematics

This research compares normal to unexpected slipping gaits of healthy adults to detect potential to fall. Using various x, y, and z position analyses, including a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), significant differences are shown between normal and unexpected slipping gaits. Our results show that after heel strike of the slipping foot, the recovery foot rapidly changes position to restore balance and lower falling potential. We found RMSE of the recovery foot is significantly greater than the slipping foot, and that potential to fall is easily quantifiable through comparing normal to unexpected gaits. This research provides a solid foundations for a generalized understanding of fall potential for various gaits.
Toward Sustainable Pavement Management: Incorporating Environmental Impacts of Pavement Treatments into a Performance-Based Optimization

Transportation asset management systems are concerned with the daunting task of maintenance and upgrade of infrastructure within the restrictions of an annual budget. Consideration of environmental impacts is normally left out of the analysis. This paper considers the incorporation into strategic planning of environmental impacts resulting from maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements. The energy use of such activities and resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are explicitly considered, and the results of a performance-based optimization are discussed. The study followed a three-step trade-off process: (a) finding the minimum requirement for the annual budget, (b) maximizing pavement condition, and (c) reducing environmental impacts. The results showed that considering environmental impacts in the strategic planning process returned a substantial gain in energy savings and reduction of GHG emissions, although a small sacrifice in pavement performance was required. The consideration of environmental ...
Teaching Theories of Performance Excellence to Sport & Performance Psychology Consultants-in-Training

The importance of theories of performance excellence to the field of sport and performance psychology generally, and to training practitioners specifically, is discussed. Nomenclature surrounding terms such as philosophy, theory, and models is defined and clarified in order to facilitate a more consistent dialogue on these issues. The case is made that theories of performance excellence must be articulated and then empirically assessed in order for the field to progress. An example of how to teach theories of performance excellence is provided, and encouragement given for such a course to become a requirement of sport psychology training programs.
A mechanistically based approach to probability modeling for corrosion fatigue crack growth

Abstract An approach and methodology for developing a probability model for life prediction and its utility are demonstrated. The goal of this probabilistic approach is to make stochastically tight estimates of life for conditions that are beyond the range used in typical supporting data. Probability models, versus statistically based models, are used to describe the influences of fundamental variables through mechanistically based models of the failure processes. The efficacy of a probabilistic model, therefore, depends crucially upon the availability and quality of a mechanistically based model. The approach and methodology is illustrated through the use of a simplified model for reaction controlled corrosion fatigue crack growth for ferrous alloys in aqueous environments. The stochastic contributions from material properties and from the effects of environmental (electrochemical and thermal) and loading variables are assessed.
Smoking, Smoking Cessation, and Understanding of the Role of Multiple Cardiac Risk Factors among the Urban Poor

Abstract Objective. To determine in a population of low socioeconomic status (SES) patients: (a) rates of current smoking and smoking cessation, (b) persons' understanding of the adverse health impact of multiple cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and (c) if the diagnosis of other CVD risk factors, specifically hypertension or hypercholesterolemia, was related to smoking cessation. Design. Cross-sectional interview survey. Setting. Community clinics and eligibility centers of the Harris County Hospital District (HD), which provides primary care to over 166,000 indigent persons in Houston, Texas. Subjects. Randomly selected adults attending an HD setting for eligibility screening or primary care. Results. Over 93% of subjects approached participated ( n = 547). Their mean age was 40.7 years, 55% were female, and 39% had >9 years of education. The ethnic distribution was 54% Hispanic, 28% black, and 14% non-Hispanic white. Current smoking ranged from 10% among Hispanic females to 56% among black males. The percentage of ever smokers who quit was 24% among black males, 44% among black females, 43% among Hispanic males, and 70% among Hispanic females. The majority recognized the increase in danger from smoking in the presence of hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. Among patients who were smokers when they found out they had hypertension ( n = 70), 65% reported it increased their desire to quit. After adjustment for other variables including age and known CVD, predictors of being an ex-smoker were being female (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.5), being Hispanic (OR 2.8 95% CI 1.5–5.7), and having hypertension (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3–4.2). Conclusion. In this low SES population, there was substantial smoking cessation, widespread acknowledgment of the cumulative effect of smoking and other CVD risk factors, and some evidence that smoking cessation increased after the diagnosis of hypertension.
Three-body problem in nuclear matter

This work reviews some recent developments in the theory of nuclear matter. Assuming familiarity with the basic Brueckner-Goldstone theory described in the preceding article by B. Day, it is first shown that the Brueckner-Goldstone series does not converge in powers of the reaction matrix, and that the perturbation series for the binding energy has to be rearranged in powers of the density $\ensuremath{\rho}$. Physical reasons and actual estimates are provided for expecting convergence in powers of $\ensuremath{\rho}$.A detailed theory is outlined for the evaluation of the three-body energy, which gives the ${\ensuremath{\rho}}^{2}$ term. Attention is paid to both the momentum dependence of the reaction matrix and the tensor nature of nuclear forces. Finally, the last section is devoted to the choice of the single-particle potential energies, suitably designed so as to absorb most of the four-body and higher cluster terms.
Recurrence of low birth weight in siblings

The recurrence of low birth weight (LBW, < 2500 g) in full siblings was studied in 3286 singleton infants born between 1966 and 1986 to 1677 male U.S. Army veterans who were part of a nationwide health study. Hospital of birth medical records were abstracted for these children. Mean birth weights, risks of LBW, LBW occurring with preterm delivery (< 37 weeks) (LBW/p), and LBW in term infants (LBW/t) were examined in successive singleton siblings according to LBW status of prior siblings. The risk of LBW in infants who had prior siblings with LBW was 9.9%, compared with a risk of 2.8% in infants who had prior siblings without LBW (OR = 3.8, 95% CI 2.0–7.3). The excess recurrence of LBW was specifically due to LBW/p. Infants with prior siblings with LBW/p were at high tisk of LBW/p (OR = 9.2, CI 4.4–19.6) but not of LBW/t (OR = 2.0, CI 0.1–9.1). Using modified logistic regression techniques that incorporate familial risks and the effects of other risk factors, the excess sibling recurrence risk of LBW and LBW/p could not be explained by the tendency for recurrence in siblings of other risk factors for LBW, such as pregnancy complications, maternal illnesses, and birth defects. Although the familial factors involved in LBW may or may not be genetic in nature, such factors need to be investigated in epidemiologic studies of LBW and prematurity.
Robust test collections for retrieval evaluation

Low-cost methods for acquiring relevance judgments can be a boon to researchers who need to evaluate new retrieval tasks or topics but do not have the resources to make thousands of judgments. While these judgments are very useful for a one-time evaluation, it is not clear that they can be trusted when re-used to evaluate new systems. In this work, we formally define what it means for judgments to be reusable: the confidence in an evaluation of new systems can be accurately assessed from an existing set of relevance judgments. We then present a method for augmenting a set of relevance judgments with relevance estimates that require no additional assessor effort. Using this method practically guarantees reusability: with as few as five judgments per topic taken from only two systems, we can reliably evaluate a larger set of ten systems. Even the smallest sets of judgments can be useful for evaluation of new systems.
Ultrastructural Changes in Turkey Spermatozoa After Immersion in Glycerolyzed Media and During Various Steps Used for Cryopreservation

Abstract Turkey spermatozoa were examined with the transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopes before and after freezing in a medium containing glycerol as the cryoprotective agent. Examination of the spermatozoa with the TEM showed an alteration of the cytoplasmic membrane and some swelling of the mitochondria when glycerol was added to the semen. Distortion of the mitochondria at the midpiece was also evident when the spermatozoa were examined with the TEM. Centrifugation to lower the glycerol level stressed the cells additionally causing their disruption, especially after freezing and thawing.
Signaling stress? An analysis of phaeomelanin-based plumage color and individual corticosterone levels at two temporal scales in North American barn swallows, Hirundo rustica erythrogaster

Sexually selected traits confer greater reproductive benefits to individuals with more elaborate forms of the signal. However, whether these signals convey reliable information about the physiology underlying trait development remains unknown in many species. The steroid hormone corticosterone (CORT) mediates important physiological and behavioral processes during the vertebrate stress response, and CORT secretion itself can be modulated by melanocortins. Thus, sexually selected melanin-based plumage coloration could function as an honest signal of an individual's ability to respond to stressors. This hypothesis was tested in North American barn swallows, Hirundo rustica erythrogaster, where males with darker ventral plumage color exhibit higher phaeomelanin content and are more successful at reproduction. Because reproductive behavior occurs months after plumage signals are developed, we also addressed the potential temporal disconnect of physiological state during trait development and trait advertisement by analyzing three different measurements of CORT levels in adult males during the breeding season (trait advertisement) and in nestling males while they were growing their feathers (trait development). Variation in adult plumage color did not predict baseline or stress-induced CORT, or stress responsiveness. Likewise, there was no relationship between nestling plumage color and any of the CORT measurements, but heavier nestlings had significantly lower baseline CORT. Our finding that a predominantly phaeomelanin-based trait is unrelated to circulating CORT suggests that phaeomelanin and eumelanin signals may convey different physiological information, and highlights the need for further study on the biochemical links between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the production of different melanin-based pigments.
Managing context evolution in pervasive environments

In this work we address the problem of managing the evolution of different context dimensions in context-aware pervasive environments. We postulate that, in addition to the correlation of different observed/measured values from different sensors, the reaction to a particular event may need to have proactive consequences, in the sense of focusing on monitoring activities in different locations, that previously were of no interest. Towards that end, we argue that a modification of the triggers used in the Active Databases, may provide a paradigm that caters the desired awareness.
A parallel algorithm for bisection width in trees

Abstract The bisection width b ( G ) of a graph G is the number of edges necessary in an edge cut of G so that the two sides of the cut have equal (within one element) size. Our main result is an O ( n 2 ) processor O (log 2 n loglog n ) time parallel algorithm for determining b ( T ) when T is a tree.
LOOKING INWARD: BUILDING A CULTURE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

This article discusses the steps taken at an urban community college in California to focus the college on a decision‐making process driven by student success. The author describes an institution‐wide activity, including many faculty, staff, and students working together to identify a series of indicators of student success. College leaders formed several “task teams” designed to measure and improve the success of students. The indicators of success included student goal attainment, course retention, success in subsequent course work, fall‐to‐fall persistence, degree / certificate completion, and placement rate in the work force. The college also worked to measure and improve the transfer rate, employer assessment of students, success after transfer, academic value added, student satisfaction, student professional growth, and student involvement. Also included in this article is a blueprint for effecting change within the institution. The steps in that process include providing a catalyst for change, caus...
Characteristics of homeless alcohol and drug abusers identified through an assertive outreach program

Differences between substance abusers and non-abusers, and among abmers of alcohol, drugs, or both substances, were investigated for 1166 persons identified as homeless or at risk of homelessness by an assertive outreach program in a moderate size city. The 603 self-reported substance abusers included disproportionate numbers of male, Black, unmarried, and currently homeless persons with a history or symptoms of mental illness, who expressed a primary need for assistance dealing with the social service system. Type of abuse was associated with demographic characteristics, length of homelessness, mental illness status, and primary expressed needs. An accurate picture of subgroup differences can aid design and delivery of services for the homeless.
Images in clinical medicine. Toxic neutrophils in Streptococcus pneumoniae sepsis.

A previously healthy, 37-year-old woman presented to the emergency department obtunded and hypotensive. The previous night, a cough and sore throat had developed, and the patient had awoken with a purpuric rash and abdominal pain. Laboratory tests showed that the patient's white-cell count was 20,180 per cubic millimeter, with 5 percent metamyelocytes, 6 percent bands, 88 percent neutrophils, and 1 percent lymphocytes. Her platelet count was 41,000 per cubic millimeter. The tests also showed a depressed fibrinogen level and an elevated D-dimer level — findings consistent with the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. A peripheral-blood smear showed highly vacuolated neutrophils, . . .
Lipase activity in the serum and hemolymph cells of the soft-shelled clam, Mya arenaria, during phagocytosis

Abstract Quantitative determinations of lipase activity in the sera and hemolymph cell homogenates of Mya arenaria that had been challenged with heat-killed Bacillus megaterium and those of control clams have revealed that there is an increase in both fractions of the hemolymph during phagocytosis. The occurrence of lipase in serum and cells suggests that suitable substrates could be degraded by hydrolysis extracellularly as well as within phagocytes.
Classification of melanoma using wavelet-transform-based optimal feature set

The features used in the ABCD rule for characterization of skin lesions suggest that the spatial and frequency information in the nevi changes at various stages of melanoma development. To analyze these changes wavelet transform based features have been reported. The classification of melanoma using these features has produced varying results. In this work, all the reported wavelet transform based features are combined to form a single feature set. This feature set is then optimized by removing redundancies using principal component analysis. A feed forward neural network trained with the back propagation algorithm is then used in the classification process to obtain better classification results.
Ethical Obligations in a Tragedy of the Commons

When people use a resource without a co-ordinated plan the result is often a tragedy of the commons in which the resource is depleted. Many environmental resources display the characteristics of a developing tragedy of the commons. Many believe that each person is ethically obligated to reduce use of the commons to the sustainable level. I argue that this is mistaken. In a tragedy of the commons there is no reasonable expectation that individual, voluntary action will succeed. Our obligation is not fruitlessly to reduce individual use, but to support a collective agreement to reduce everyone’s use to the sustainable level.
Human Upf proteins target an mRNA for nonsense-mediated decay when bound downstream of a termination codon.

Abstract Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) rids eukaryotic cells of aberrant mRNAs containing premature termination codons. These are discriminated from true termination codons by downstream cis -elements, such as exon–exon junctions. We describe three novel human proteins involved in NMD, hUpf2, hUpf3a, and hUpf3b. While in HeLa cell extracts these proteins are complexed with hUpf1, in intact cells hUpf3a and hUpf3b are nucleocytoplasmic shuttling proteins, hUpf2 is perinuclear, and hUpf1 cytoplasmic. hUpf3a and hUpf3b associate selectively with spliced β-globin mRNA in vivo, and tethering of any hUpf protein to the 3′UTR of β-globin mRNA elicits NMD. These data suggest that assembly of a dynamic hUpf complex initiates in the nucleus at mRNA exon–exon junctions and triggers NMD in the cytoplasm when recognized downstream of a translation termination site.
Bidirectionality of Reciprocal, Lossy or Lossless, Uniform or Periodic Waveguides

Using the scattering-matrix equations for two antennas placed in the fields of a waveguide, it is proven that all reciprocal, lossy or lossless, uniform or periodic waveguides are bidirectional. Since Maxwell's equations imply directly that propagation constants on a lossless reciprocal waveguide come in pairs (beta,-beta*), "complex waves" on a lossless reciprocal, uniform or periodic waveguide come in quadruplets with propagation constants (beta,-beta, beta*,-beta*).
Doppler derived coronary flow reserve during dobutamine stress echocardiography further improves detection of myocardial ischemia.

Background: The coronary flow velocity (CFV) has been used to estimate coronary flow reserve (CFR) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). However, the relationship of the CFR to myocardial wall thickening (WT) has not been investigated. Objectives: The aims of this study were: (1) to assess the feasibility of obtaining systolic and diastolic CFV and thus CFR during DSE and (2) to assess the relation between CFR and stress induced WT. Methods: Distal left anterior descending CFV was recorded by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography during DSE. Systolic and diastolic velocities were measured at rest, low and peak dobutamine doses, simultaneously, WT of distal anteroseptal segment was assessed by 2D-guided M-mode. The CFV and CFR of patients with normal WT defined as thickening of O50% (group 1) at peak stress were compared to that of patients with abnormal WT (group 2). Results: A total of 67 patients, 34 females and 33 males (mean age of 66.5 G 14.5 years) were studied. The feasibility of assessing the CFR was 97% from peak diastolic velocity, 91% from diastolic time velocity integral, 91% from peak systolic velocity, and 90% from systolic time velocity integral. Contrast agent was used in 6 patients (7%) to obtain the CFV. Twenty-five of 67 patients demonstrated abnormal