cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The morphology and relationships of Medusagyne (Medusagynaceae)

The comparative vegetative and reproductive morphology and anatomy of the endangered, monotypic, dicotyledonous genusMedusagyne was studied, and detailed descriptions of leaf, axis, nodal, wood, floral, pollen, fruit, and seed structure are presented. Overall, the genus has many specialized features, including the possession of extreme, habitat-related specializations. Flowers are either bisexual or staminate, and are interpreted as retaining some primitive aspects, such as many free parts spirally arranged on an elongate floral axis. One of the most salient structural features of the plant is the massive development of ensheathing fibrous elements around the vascular system of both vegetative and reproductive tissues. Diffuse foliar sclereids are absent. Particular attention is paid to the unusual multicarpellate, synovarial gynoecium and comparisons are made with theCaryocaraceae. The totality of morphological and anatomical evidence confirms the view thatMedusagyne is a very distinct and evolutionarily isolated genus, best treated as forming the monotypic familyMedusagynaceae. Observations are presented, including the occurrence of stamen fascicle traces, that link the family to the dillenialean and thealean assemblage. Like other isolated thealean taxa,Medusagyne shows affinities to several different families, without having especially close relationships with any particular extant taxon.
Frequency domain robust stability criteria for linear delay systems

Some results in robust stability of differential delay systems and H/sub /spl infin// control are combined to obtain frequency domain based criteria for the robust stability of linear differential delay systems. These tests are amenable to graphical verification. >
Benchmarking nanotechnology for high-performance and low-power logic transistor applications

Recently there has been tremendous progress made in the research of novel nanotechnology for future nanoelectronics applications. In particular, several novel nanoelectronic devices such as carbon-nanotube field effect transistor (FET), Si nanowire FET, and planar III-V compound semiconductor FET, all hold promise as device candidates to be integrated onto the silicon platform for enhancing circuit functionality and also for extending Moore's law. For high-performance and low-power logic transistor applications, it is important that these research devices are frequently benchmarked against the existing Si logic transistor data in order to gauge the progress of research. In this work, we compare these novel nanoelectronic devices to the state-of-the-art planar and nonplanar Si logic transistors in terms of intrinsic speed, energy-delay product, and electrostatics. The results of this benchmarking exercise indicate that while these novel nanoelectronic devices show promise and opportunities for future logic applications, their device characteristics and electrostatics still need to be improved. We believe that BENCHMARKING is a key element in accelerating the progress of nanotechnology research for logic transistor applications.
Classifying and quantifying basins of attraction

A scheme is proposed to classify the basins for attractors of dynamical systems in arbitrary dimensions. There are four basic classes depending on their size and extent, and each class can be further quantified to facilitate comparisons. The calculation uses a Monte Carlo method and is applied to numerous common dissipative chaotic maps and flows in various dimensions.
Kepler and hebrew astronomical tables

L'A. compare les tables astronomiques hebraiques a celles de Kepler concernant l'elongation de la lune a partir de la position du soleil
Survey of Salmonella serotypes shed in feces of beef cows and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

Salmonella prevalence on cow-calf operations was studied as a part of a national study of health and management of the U.S. beef cow-calf industry and was conducted as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System. Within this study, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. shed in feces was determined. A total of 5,049 fecal samples were collected from 187 beef cow-calf operations each visited on a single occasion. The number of fecal samples collected per operation was predetermined based on herd size. Salmonellae were recovered from 1 or more fecal samples collected on 11.2% (21 of 187) of the operations. Overall 78 salmonellae representing 22 serotypes were recovered from 1.4% (70 of 5,049) of samples. Multiple serotypes were recovered from eight samples from a single operation. The five most common serotypes were Salmonella Oranienburg (21.8% of isolates), and Salmonella Cerro (21.8%), followed by Salmonella Anatum (10.3%), Salmonella Bredeney (9.0%), and Salmonella Mbandaka (5.1%). The most common s...
Structure of the nucleon from electromagnetic timelike form factors

Recent experimental data on spacelike and timelike form factors of the nucleon are analyzed in terms of a model with an intrinsic structure and a meson cloud. The calculations are in perfect agreement with spacelike proton data, but deviate drastically from spacelike neutron data at ${Q}^{2}g1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{(\mathrm{GeV}∕c)}^{2}$. We suggest that timelike data be used to understand this discrepancy. Analysis of timelike data shows excellent agreement with both proton and neutron data in the entire range of measured ${q}^{2}=\ensuremath{-}{Q}^{2}$, $3.52\ensuremath{\leqslant}{q}^{2}\ensuremath{\leqslant}15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{(\mathrm{GeV}∕c)}^{2}$ values.
Design of optimal FIR prefilters for wavelet coefficient computation

M.J. Shensa previously proposed an algorithm in the computation of wavelet series transform (WST) or continuous wavelet transform (CWT), where a sampled signal is first prefiltered. The Mallat's discrete wavelet transform (DWT) algorithm is then applied to the prefiltered sequence. The prefiltering is used to reduce the approximation error between the computed and desired wavelet transform coefficients. The optimal finite impulse response (FIR) prefilter design problem for the Shensa algorithm in computing the WST coefficients is studied. It is shown numerically that the error for the computed WST coefficients is reduced significantly more by using the designed optimal prefilters than that obtained from the algorithm of S. Mallat. >
Gamma-radiation-induced photodarkening in ytterbium-doped silica glasses

Photodarkening phenomenon in ytterbium (Yb)-doped silica glasses was experimentally investigated by measurements such as electron spin resonance (ESR), X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS), and optical transmittance. A predominant increase of Al-oxygen hole center (OHC) was observed for Al-Yb co-doped silica glasses both by the incidence of pump light and by gamma-ray irradiation. It was also recognized that the optical transmission loss similarly increased in both cases. These results indicate that the formation of Al-OHC is the prime cause of the excess loss induced by photodarkening. XAFS measurement indicated that the second-nearest-neighbor atoms around Yb may be related to the mechanism of photodarkening phenomenon.
Control of Practice and Level of Feedback in Computer-Based Instruction

This study investigated the effect of type of control and level of feedback during computer-based instruction. Subjects completed a computer lesson about the microscope that presented either mandatory or optional practice questions. Practice was accompanied by either elaboration feedback, correct-answer feedback, or no feedback. Results indicated that level of feedback had a significant effect on achievement and attitudes. Implications for including feedback in computer-based instruction are discussed.
Inhibitory effect of acetosyringone on two aflatoxin biosynthetic genes.

Aims: The objective of this study was to determine if acetosyringone affected the expression of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes. Methods and Results: Two genes, nor1 and ver1, representing genes whose products are involved in early and late steps in aflatoxin biosynthesis, were examined. Two GUS (β-glucuronidase) reporter constructs, nor1::GUS (pGAP12) and ver1::GUS (pGAP13), were used to study the effect of acetosyringone on expression of aflatoxin biosynthetic (AF) genes, nor1 and ver1. The product of nor1 is involved in the formation of norsolorinic acid, the first stable intermediate in the aflatoxin pathway. The ver1 gene codes for the enzyme catalyzing the formation of demethylsterigmatocystin, an intermediate late in the AF pathway. GUS activities of these two reporter constructs were inhibited by 80% in the presence of 2 m mol l−1 acetosyringone. Conclusions: Aflatoxin production in a toxigenic strain 42-12 was also shown to be inhibited by acetosyringone to the same level. The levels of inhibition in aflatoxin production and gene transcription are congruous in these three strains. Significance and Impact of the Study: Recent studies have indicated that some phenolics act as signal molecules in plant microbial interactions. Concentration of acetosyringone is shown to increase about ten fold when certain metabolically active plant tissues are wounded. The knowledge gained can be applied to develop strategies in plant breeding programs. The compound may be useful for studying molecular mechanism of modulating aflatoxin biosynthesis.
Sampling and initial findings for a study of fluoride in drinking water in the United States

Abstract The role of fluoride in reducing the risk of dental caries, especially among children, is well recognized and is the basis for current intake recommendations. The US Department of Agriculture, Nutrient Data Laboratory conducted a comprehensive study of the fluoride content of US drinking water, as part of the US National Fluoride Database and Intake Assessment Study, a collaborative effort with the University of Minnesota, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The sampling method involved: serpentine ordering of the US population by census region, division, and county; dividing the population into 72 equal population size zones; and randomly selecting one county per zone and two residences per county. Participants were recruited by phone to provide two tap water samples, 3–4 months apart; samples ( n = 2 8 8 ) were analyzed by the direct read method. Well water averaged
PTEN Modulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Mediated Signaling and Angiogenic Effects

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is activated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and many of the angiogenic cellular responses of VEGF are regulated by the lipid products of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The tumor suppressor PTEN has been shown to down-regulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling, yet the effects of PTEN on VEGF-mediated signaling and angiogenesis are unknown. Inhibition of endogenous PTEN in cultured endothelial cells by adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a dominant negative PTEN mutant (PTEN-C/S) enhanced VEGF-mediated Akt phosphorylation, and this effect correlated with decreases in caspase-3 cleavage, caspase-3 activity, and DNA degradation after induction of apoptosis with tumor necrosis factor-α. Overexpression of PTEN-C/S also enhanced VEGF-mediated endothelial cell proliferation and migration. In contrast, overexpression of wild-type PTEN inhibited the anti-apoptotic, proliferative, and chemotactic effects of VEGF. Moreover, PTEN-C/S increased the length of vascular sprouts in the rat aortic ring assay and modulated VEGF-mediated tube formation in an in vitroangiogenesis assay, whereas PTEN-wild type inhibited these effects. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that PTEN potently modulates VEGF-mediated signaling and function and that PTEN is a viable target in therapeutic approaches to promote or inhibit angiogenesis.
Parallelization Strategies and Performance Analysis of Media Mining Applications on Multi-Core Processors

This paper studies how to parallelize the emerging media mining workloads on existing small-scale multi-core processors and future large-scale platforms. Media mining is an emerging technology to extract meaningful knowledge from large amounts of multimedia data, aiming at helping end users search, browse, and manage multimedia data. Many of the media mining applications are very complicated and require a huge amount of computing power. The advent of multi-core architectures provides the acceleration opportunity for media mining. However, to efficiently utilize the multi-core processors, we must effectively execute many threads at the same time. In this paper, we present how to explore the multi-core processors to speed up the computation-intensive media mining applications. We first parallelize two media mining applications by extracting the coarse-grained parallelism and evaluate their parallel speedups on a small-scale multi-core system. Our experiment shows that the coarse-grained parallelization achieves good scaling performance, but not perfect. When examining the memory requirements, we find that these coarse-grained parallelized workloads expose high memory demand. Their working set sizes increase almost linearly with the degree of parallelism, and the instantaneous memory bandwidth usage prevents them from perfect scalability on the 8-core machine. To avoid the memory bandwidth bottleneck, we turn to exploit the fine-grained parallelism and evaluate the parallel performance on the 8-core machine and a simulated 64-core processor. Experimental data show that the fine-grained parallelization demonstrates much lower memory requirements than the coarse-grained one, but exhibits significant read-write data sharing behavior. Therefore, the expensive inter-thread communication limits the parallel speedup on the 8-core machine, while excellent speedup is observed on the large-scale processor as fast core-to-core communication is provided via a shared cache. Our study suggests that (1) extracting the coarse-grained parallelism scales well on small-scale platforms, but poorly on large-scale system; (2) exploiting the fine-grained parallelism is suitable to realize the power of large-scale platforms; (3) future many-core chips can provide shared cache and sufficient on-chip interconnect bandwidth to enable efficient inter-core communication for applications with significant amounts of shared data. In short, this work demonstrates proper parallelization techniques are critical to the performance of multi-core processors. We also demonstrate that one of the important factors in parallelization is the performance analysis. The parallelization principles, practice, and performance analysis methodology presented in this paper are also useful for everyone to exploit the thread-level parallelism in their applications.
Primate models of movement disorders of basal ganglia origin

Movement disorders associated with basal ganglia dysfunction comprise a spectrum of abnormalities that range from the hypokinetic disorders (of which Parkinson's disease is the best-known example) at one extreme to the hyperkinetic disorders (exemplified by Huntington's disease and hemiballismus) at the other. Both extremes of this movement disorder spectrum can be accounted for by postulating specific disturbances within the basal ganglia-thalamocortical 'motor' circuit. In this paper, Mahlon DeLong describes the changes in neuronal activity in the motor circuit in animal models of hypo- and hyperkinetic disorders.
An empirical anisotrophic intermolecular potential for He + CO2

Abstract Total differential cross section measurements for He + CO 2 scattering, which are sensitive to the attractive well region of the intermolecular potential, are presented and analyzed. These measurements cannot be fitted using even highly flexible central-field potentials. However, a physically reasonable anisotropic potential does yield a high quality fit to the data.
Light and electron microscopic observations on red algal galls.

Lobocolax deformans Howe was found to be a bacterial gall onPrionitis lanceolata. Rodshaped bacteria were distributed throughout the gall in intercellular locations. Algal cells in the gall area exhibited numerous proplastids and irregular cell walls. Bacterial cells were also found in galls located onPolyneuropsis stolonifera (gen. et sp. nov.). These elongated and sometimes branched bacteria occur primarily in the outer areas of the gall. As inLobocolax the cells contained numerous proplastids, however, a large increase in the amount of ER was also noted.
Stable dual-passive mode-locking of a 7W, thermal-lens-shaped Nd:GdVO4 laser

The novel combination of a saturable Bragg mirror (amplitude modulation) and a weak second harmonic nonlinear mirror (phase locker) generates extremely stable 10-30ps pulses at 76MHz from a 7W, TEM00-mode, thermal-lens-shaped, diode-pumped, Brewster Nd:GdVO4 laser.
A digital full‐text biotechnology system at Georgetown University

Georgetown University recently designed a prototype digital full‐text system to provide clinicians and researchers with electronically transmitted journal articles that include illustrations. The system enables health practitioners to quickly search a database and retrieve full‐text articles with the touch of a few keys. It includes new technical methods of storing, transmitting, and delivering documents electronically using a small test base in cancer and genetics. The project goals are to accelerate the library's ability to deliver full‐text documents in the clinical setting and to improve knowledge management and library services by using advanced technologies. The objectives are 1) to design and maintain a digital full‐text database of articles with illustrations; 2) to develop, test, and modify the storage/retrieval system and transmission technology; and 3) to provide users with access to the full‐text system and evaluate its usefulness and applicability.
The Attack on Teachers and Schools of Education: Identifying the Bullies and Bystanders.

In this article the authors reason that current reform efforts in education--such as those fueled by Race to the Top (www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop) or the Common Core Standards (www.commoncorestandards.org)--emphasize the need to improve teacher preparation programs in ways that ensure graduates are ready for the realities in today's diverse classrooms. The wide range of students' interests, needs, cultural backgrounds, and languages are influential variables that present both challenges and opportunities for teachers; this is the reality in America's ever-expanding pluralistic society. The authors make the argument that it is a mistake to lay the sole responsibility for a child's success or failure in school solely with the teacher while ignoring other influential variables, such as the child's home, community, and cultural background. In this era of high-stakes testing, stakeholders such as education-minded politicians, administrators intent on proving students' adequatete yearly progress, and parents who may not know how to support their child's academic development are looking to teachers for the answers. Each often acts as a bully--putting the task of educating the nation's children solely on the shoulders of classroom teachers. The article warns that there are no silver bullets to fix educational dilemmas and that bullying with bureaucratic and punitive measures only undermines initiative and enthusiasm, which are essential qualities of well-prepared dedicated teachers. The authors close by saying that the bystanders need to confront the bullies and make them back off. Language: en
Estimating DEA technical and allocative inefficiency using aggregate cost or revenue data

In this paper, we address the question of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) evaluation of efficiency when aggregate cost or revenue data must be used. We show that the DEA technical inefficiency measure using total revenues as the single output variable or total costs as the single input variable equals the aggregate technical and allocative inefficiency. We employ this result to estimate allocative inefficiency and construct statistical tests of the null hypothesis of no allocative inefficiency analogous to those of the null hypothesis of no scale inefficiency. We illustrate our method using revenue and personnel data for the top U.S. public accounting firms over 1995–1998. Our empirical results indicate the existence of statistically significant allocative inefficiency in the public accounting industry.
trans-2,3-dihydroxy-6a,7,8,12b-tetrahydro-6H-chromeno[3,4-c]isoquinoline: synthesis, resolution, and preliminary pharmacological characterization of a new dopamine D1 receptor full agonist.

We report the synthesis of trans-2,3-dihydroxy-6a,7,8,12b-tetrahydro-6H-chromeno[3,4-c]isoquinoline hydrochloride 6 and the resolution of its enantiomers. This new compound is an oxygen bioisostere of the potent dopamine D1-selective full agonist dihydrexidine. The initial synthetic approach involved, as a key step, a Suzuki coupling between a chromene triflate and a boronate ester, followed by isoquinoline formation and reduction of the resulting isoquinoline. Subsequently, a more efficient route was developed that involved conjugate addition of an aryl Grignard reagent to a 2-nitrochromene. The title compound possessed high affinity (Ki = 20−30 nM) for porcine D1-like receptors in native striatal tissue and full intrinsic activity at cloned human dopamine D1 receptors but had much lower affinity at dopamine D2-like receptors (Ki = 3000 nM). The binding and functional properties of this compound illustrate again the utility of constructing dopamine D1 agonist ligands around the β-phenyldopamine pharmacop...
B4-4: A Novel Technique for Analysis of Uncontrolled Confounding in Non-experimental Comparative Effectiveness Research

Background/Aims Comparative effectiveness research (CER) investigates the effects of treatments and practices, thus requires causal inference. Routine data such as billing, pharmacy or EHR, while often incomplete on important confounding variables, are the usual sources of information for nonexperimental CER. The lack of randomization introduces important considerations regarding uncontrolled confounding, especially in large datasets, which potentially magnify systematic error. Yet, quantitative bias analysis in CER is not common practice. In this paper we formalize and demonstrate easy-to-implement record-level simulation techniques for analysis of uncontrolled confounding in cancer treatment CER.
The Statin Choice decision aid in primary care: a randomized trial.

Objective To assess the impact of a decision aid on perceived risk of heart attacks and medication adherence among urban primary care patients with diabetes. Methods We randomly allocated 150 patients with diabetes to participate in a usual primary care visit either with or without the Statin Choice tool. Participants completed a questionnaire at baseline and telephone follow-up at 3 and 6 months. Results Intervention patients were more likely to accurately perceive their underlying risk for a heart attack without taking a statin (OR: 1.9, CI: 1.0-3.8) and with taking a statin (OR: 1.4, CI: 0.7-2.8); a decline in risk overestimation among patients receiving the decision aid accounts for this finding. There was no difference in statin adherence at 3 or 6 months. Conclusion A decision aid about using statins to reduce coronary risk among patients with diabetes improved risk communication, beliefs, and decisional conflict, but did not improve adherence to statins. Practice implications Decision aid enhanced communication about the risks and benefits of statins improved patient risk perceptions but did not alter adherence among patients with diabetes.
A Free Entry and Exit Experiment.

In this article, I describe an experiment that demonstrates the dynamic process that leads to long-run equilibrium in a multimarket setting. In the experiment, each student plays the part of a farmer who has to decide each period whether to supply one unit of corn, wheat, rice, or soybeans. It costs different amounts to produce each of the crops, and the prices of the crops depend on the amount supplied and consumer demand. There are no consumers in the experiment. Demand is determined from prespecified inverse demand curves that are unknown to the participants.' Students are instructed to act as profit maximizers. The goal is to see how free entry and exit lead to equal profits across markets in the long run, and how opportunity costs determine what those profits are. In addition, some subtle aspects of the process that leads to long-run equilibrium are revealed. The experiment has two stages. In each round of the first stage, students decide which one of the four markets to enter. The opportunity cost of farming is zero, and long-run equilibrium has zero accounting profits in each market. In the second stage, the government introduces a fallow program whereby it guarantees any farmer a profit of one dollar if he or she does not plant a crop. The fallow program increases the opportunity cost of farming to one dollar and makes that the equilibrium level of accounting profits. Market experiments such as the double oral-auction experiment introduced by Smith (1962) are often run in economics classes (Wells 1991; DeYoung 1993). Such experiments focus on how competitive markets clear and on the efficiency of competitive equilibrium. The experiment discussed here is a natural follow-up to the double oral auction. It should be conducted after economic profits have been defined and the short- and long-run profitability of firms in competitive markets has been discussed.
XUNZI AND THE CONFUCIAN ANSWER TO TITANISM

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle le confucianisme offre la meilleure reponse au titanisme oriental defini comme un superhumanisme. Parmi les philosophes confucianistes, Xunzi apparait comme celui qui preserve le mieux l'integrite de chaque partenaire de la triade cosmique: l'homme, la terre et le ciel
A comparison of three detectors for soft X-ray dosimetry

Abstract Three methods of X-ray dosimetry were tested and compared for broadband synchrotron radiation in the photon energy range 500–6000 eV. A calorimetry technique using thermistors as both the temperature-sensing device and the radiation absorber was easy to implement and gave reproducible results. Radiochromic film was convenient to use and agreed with the calorimetry results, but with more scatter in the measurements. The formation of color centers (F-centers) in alkali halide crystals, specifically NaCl and LiF, provided interesting results but requires further research for the application to low energy synchrotron radiation.
Transmission electron microscopy study of the structure of radio frequency sputter-deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate the structural properties of sputter-deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films. YSZ films were deposited over a range of temperatures and background oxygen levels. Additionally, a multilayered structure was produced by cyclic application of a substrate bias. Plan-view TEM showed that temperature and oxygen levels did not have a significant effect on grain size but did alter the phases present in the thin films. Cross-sectional TEM showed the development of texture in the multilayer film, both within the individual layers and in the entire film.
A new parallel algorithm for constructing Voronoi tessellations from distributed input data

Abstract We present a new parallel algorithm for generating consistent Voronoi diagrams from distributed input data for the purposes of simulation and visualization. The algorithm functions by building upon any serial Voronoi tessellation algorithm. The output of such a serial tessellator is used to determine the connectivity of the distributed domains without any assumptions about how points are distributed across those domains, and then in turn to build the portion of the global tessellation local to each domain using information from that domains neighbors. The result is a generalized methodology for adding distributed capabilities to serial tessellation packages. Results from several two-dimensional tests are presented, including strong and weak scaling of its current implementation.
MASS DIFFUSION COEFFICIENTS AND THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY IN CONCENTRATED HYDROTHERMAL NANO3 SOLUTIONS

Binary mass diffusion coefficients and thermal diffusivities for hydrothermal sodium nitrate solutions as a function of pressure (270 < P < 1000 bar), temperature (400 < T < 500 °C), and concentration (0.25 < C < 3.0 m) were measured by the laser-induced grating technique. In concentrated hydrothermal NaNO3 systems, the critical slowing down was significant as far as 300 bar from the phase-separation pressure, resulting in binary diffusion coefficients near the critical point that are comparable to values at ambient conditions. Further from the critical point the mass diffusion coefficients plateaued at their ordinary values. Ordinary binary mass diffusion was about 15 times faster than at 25 °C and atmospheric pressure. The ordinary binary mass diffusion coefficients were compared with predictions from hydrodynamic diffusion theory. Experimental results agreed well with predictions from the Stokes−Einstein equation, where the diffusing species was best represented by a hydrated contact ion pair. The Wilk...
Do we practice what we preach? A review of actual clinical practice with regards to preconception care guidelines.

Objectives: To review what past studies have found with regard to existing clinical practices and approaches to providing preconception care. Methods: A literature review between 1966 and September 2005 was performed using Medline. Key words included preconception care, preconception counseling, preconception surveys, practice patterns, pregnancy outcomes, prepregnancy planning, and prepregnancy surveys. Results: There are no current national recommendations that fully address preconception care; as a result, there is wide variability in what is provided clinically under the rubric of preconception care. Conclusions: In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored a national summit regarding preconception care and efforts are underway to develop a uniform set of national recommendations and guidelines for preconception care. Understanding how preconception care is presently incorporated and manifested in current medical practices should help in the development of these national guidelines. Knowing where, how, and why some specific preconception recommendations have been successfully adopted and translated into clinical practice, as well as barriers to implementation of other recommendations or guidelines, is vitally important in developing an overarching set of national guidelines. Ultimately, the success of these recommendations rests on their ability to influence and shape women's health policy.
Hydroxyurea effects in the C3H mouse. II. Mammary tumor cell kinetics.

The cellular kinetics of C3H mouse mammary tumors were studied following a single dose (3 mg/g body weight) of hydroxyurea (HU). This dose was large enough to cause a significant perturbation in the growth curves of these tumours. This was accomplished by labeling the cells with tritiated 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine and performing detailed autoradiographic analysis. This dose of HU caused a temporary inhibition in growth and completely inhibited DNA synthesis for 4–5 hr. The HU-killed cells (pyknotic and karyorrhectic) reach a maximum around 10–12 hr and are apparently all removed in about 1 day. Tumors from a fast-growing line (S102F) showed some evidence for cell synchrony upon recovery from HU inhibition but desynchronization occurred within one cell cycle. The cell generation time was not decreased during the acute recovery phase, but the growth fraction shifted from 0·6 to 1·0, and the data suggested that the normal flow of cells from the proliferating pool to the degenerate pool was temporarily interrupted. The cellular kinetic parameters have probably returned to normal by 48 hr after the HU injection.
Molecular mechanics study of myelin basic protein peptide 87-118: Some local energy minima

Myelin basic protein (MBP) is the major extrinsic protein of the myelin sheath in the central nervous system. It is this protein that is destroyed in such demyelinating diseases as multiple sclerosis. We have examined the predicted structures of one segment of MBP using the molecular mechanics program ECEPP83 developed by Scheraga and co-workers as modified by Chuman, Momany, and Schafer. We have focused upon a segment, 87-118, containing the Pro-Pro-Pro sequence (residues 100–102), which has been predicted from standard algorithms to exist in a hairpin loop connecting anti-parallel beta-strands. Several local energy minima have been found and reported. Tripoline sequences are not rare in proteins, but their structure and function is still uncertain.
Description and validation of a hybrid model of forest growth and stand dynamics for the Great Lakes region

Abstract We describe and test Forest 5, an individual-tree growth and dynamics model for the Great Lakes region. Forest 5 includes reasonably detailed descriptions of physiology, soil and climate, and incorporates both empirically- and physiologically-based modules from Crobas, Linkages, Forest, Sortie, PnET, 3-PG, and other sources. We have evaluated a nonspatial variant of Forest 5 as a scientific statement of knowledge by comparing simulation results to a battery of ecosystem-level expectations. We also evaluated the same model as a tool for management by comparing single-species, single-age simulations against mensurational and ecological expectations. We finally compared multiple-species multi-age simulations against six measurements of permanent sample plots, spanning approximately 30 years, from a database from the University of Minnesota Cloquet Forestry Center. Here we describe Forest 5 in detail, introduce, explain, and apply the diagnostics, and interpret their results in the light of the model structure and goals. The model was judged defensible under certain circumstances but exhibited shortcomings that are probably due to nutrient cycling and the simulation of tree shape, crown shape, and competition. These shortcomings are in turn instructive in considering refinements to Forest 5 and possibly other models.
Urological Complications of Regional Enteritis

Urological complications of regional enteritis occur frequently and may be clinically unsuspected. Radiographic findings include nephrolithiasis, characteristic stricture of the ureter, panvesiculitis, and enterovesical fistula. Less specific findings include renal amyloidosis and retroperitoneal abscesses. Mucosal nodularity of the bladder dome, even without gastrointestinal symptoms, should raise the possibility of regional enteritis. On the other hand, occult ureteral stenosis in patients with known regional enteritis may be present. For this reason, it is recommended that routine and periodic excretory urograms be a central part of the evaluation of the patient with regional enteritis.
Identification of roughskin newt medullary vasotocin target neurons with a fluorescent vasotocin conjugate.

Arginine8 vasotocin (AVT), a neurohypophyseal peptide in nonmammalian vertebrates, plays a key role in the regulation of social behaviors related to reproduction. In male roughskin newts (Taricha granulosa), AVT is an important facilitator of several reproductive behaviors, including courtship clasping of females. Although AVT is known to act in certain brain regions and AVT receptors have been localized to some extent, specific target neurons for this peptide have not been identified in any species. Internalization of a receptor-specific conjugate of AVT and the fluorescent dye Oregon green was used to identify AVT target cells in the medulla of male roughskin newts. Medullary neurons are of interest because they appear to mediate facilitation of clasping by AVT. Direct application of AVT-Oregon green to the fourth ventricular surface of the medulla in vivo resulted in conjugate internalization by a widespread population of medullary neurons, particularly in the medial reticular formation and nuclei of cranial nerves V, VII, VIII, IX, and X. Some fourth-ventricle ependymal cells were also labeled. Reticulospinal neurons, which play an important role in clasping, were identified by retrograde labeling with tetramethylrhodamine dextran amine. AVT-Oregon green was internalized by 72% of these neurons. These results show that AVT can directly affect a very large and diverse medullary neuronal population, which may underlie the peptide's role in multiple neuroendocrinological processes, including autonomic and behavioral regulation. Selectivity of the AVT action may arise through interactions between AVT and steroids such as corticosterone. J. Comp. Neurol. 491:381–389, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Use of a Self-monitoring Application to Reduce Stereotypic Behavior in Adolescents with Autism: A Preliminary Investigation of I-Connect

Many students with autism engage in a variety of complex stereotypic behaviors, impacting task completion and interfering with social opportunities. Self-monitoring is an intervention with empirical support for individuals with ASD to increase behavioral repertoires and decrease behaviors that are incompatible with successful outcomes. However, there is limited evidence for its utility for decreasing stereotypy, particularly for adolescents in school settings. This study evaluated the functional relationship between I-Connect, a technology-delivered self-monitoring program, and decreases in the level of stereotypy for two students with ASD in the school setting utilizing a withdrawal design with an embedded multiple baseline across participants. Both students demonstrated a marked decrease in stereotypy with the introduction of the self-monitoring application. Results and implications for practice and future research will be discussed.
Attitude instability regions of a spinning symmetric satellite in an elliptic orbit.

Attitude stability of spinning rigid symmetric satellite in elliptic orbit examined for motion about equilibrium position with spin axis normal to orbit plane
From Remediation to Acceleration: Recruiting, Retaining, and Graduating Future Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Educators

This ethnographic case study explores one mid-western state university's response to the challenge of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD), especially Latino/a, student recruitment and reten...
Pathogenesis of Retinopathy of Prematurity: Does Inflammation Play a Role?

Abstract Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of retinal–blood vessel development that is potentially blinding. ROP is the number one cause of blindness in infancy and the second leading cause of childhood blindness in the Unites States. The exact etiology is not completely understood and many factors appear to contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of the disease. These factors may include prematurity, low birth weight, genetic predisposition, oxygen, hypoxia, ischemia, insulin-like growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and sepsis. This article reviews the process of retinal development, the pathogenesis of ROP and how oxidative stress, infection and inflammation may contribute this pathogenesis.
First-principles study of the electronic and magnetic structure of c(2×2) sulfur chemisorbed above Fe(001)

We have performed the first, first-principles study of the adsorption of sulfur above a magnetic, Fe surface. Our results, derived from the all-electron, film full-potential linearized augmented-plane-wave method applied to a seven-layer Fe film with and without c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) layers of S positioned next to the two surface Fe [Fe(S)] layers, include determinations of the equilibrium sulfur height (${H}_{\mathrm{eq}}$) and vibrational frequency, as well as the associated electronic and magnetic structures. We find excellent agreement between our calculated value (1.12 A\r{}) of ${H}_{\mathrm{eq}}$ with the earlier result [1.09(5) A\r{}] derived by Legg, Jona, Jepsen, and Marcus from a dynamical low-energy electron diffraction intensity analysis. The adsorption induces antibonding minority surface states immediately above and below ${E}_{F}$ which play an important role both in reducing the magnetic moment of the Fe(S) atom (by \ensuremath{\sim}20%) and in the rather small calculated increase (0.85 eV) in work function. These states should be clearly resolvable in both integrated and angle-resolved, spin-polarized photoemission and inverse-photoemission experiments. We present additional predictions, including the adsorption-induced changes in the hyperfine fields and in the angle-resolved, spin-polarized surface state spectra, and relate our findings to questions associated with the sulfur-induced poisoning of an iron catalyst.
Bifrontal, bitemporal and right unilateral ECT electrode placement are similarly effective for reducing depressive symptoms.

QUESTION Question: How does the effi cacy of the new method of bifrontal electrode placement for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) compare with standard bitemporal or right unilateral placement in people with depression? Patients: 237 adults (age 20–87 years) with acute depression and a DSM-IV diagnosis of primary major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, with or without psychosis, who had been referred for ECT. Setting: Five Consortium for Research in ECT centres in the
Intelligent Model-based Optimization of the Surface Grinding Process for Heat-Treated 4140 Steel Alloys With Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheels

This paper presents implementation results of surface grinding processes based on the model-based optimization scheme proposed by Lee and Shin (Lee, C. W., and Shin, Y. C., 2000 Evolutionary Modeling and Optimization of Grinding Processes, Int. J. Prod. Res. 38(12), pp. 2787-2813). In order to accomplish this goal, process models for grinding force, power, surface roughness, and residual stress are developed based on the generalized grinding model structures using experimental data. The time-varying characteristics due to wheel wear are also investigated in order to determine the optimal dressing interval. Grinding optimization is considered as constrained nonlinear optimization problems with mixed-integer variables and time-varying characteristics in this study. Case studies are performed with various optimization objectives including minimization of grinding cost, minimization of cycle time, and process control. The optimal process conditions determined by the optimization scheme are validated by experimental results.
Analysis of a compliant static deformable mirror for wavefront error cancellation

The Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) array, located near Flagstaff, Arizona, transports 12.5 cm diameter stellar radiation simultaneously from six primary collectors through a 9,000 cubic foot vacuum relay system prior to entering a specialized laboratory where further manipulations of each beam occur. The relay system redirects each 12.5 cm beam 10 times. Ground-based optical interferometry requires very high quality, ideally flat, relay mirrors. The mirrors used in the relay system have flatness deviation tolerance 32 nm peak-to-valley over the 18.3 cm clear aperture. Once mounted in the 10-element optical train, errors from each mirror tend to stack up and increase the resultant wavefront distortion for that path. This leads to reduced fringe contrast, fringe tracking, and number of observables. In a previous paper, it was shown that it is possible to mitigate the resultant wavefront distortion by using a phase-shifting interferometer combined with a single compliant static deformable mirror and control system. In that work, the mirrors tested showed a fairly uniform, concentric concavity deformation, which a single, centrally located actuator may significantly improve. In this paper, we extend the previous analysis to consider an off-center actuator acting on a mirror to counteract an asymmetric wavefront distortion resulting from the superposition of several relay mirrors. The shape applied to a single corrector mirror was determined from the resultant wavefront distortion of a 7-reflection optical relay system using phase-shifting interferometer data. Finite element analysis results indicating how resultant wavefront error from a collection of slightly deformed mirrors can be cancelled are presented and discussed.
Separator technologies for lithium-ion batteries

Although separators do not participate in the electrochemical reactions in a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, they perform the critical functions of physically separating the positive and negative electrodes while permitting the free flow of lithium ions through the liquid electrolyte that fill in their open porous structure. Separators for liquid electrolyte Li-ion batteries can be classified into porous polymeric membranes, nonwoven mats, and composite separators. Porous membranes are most commonly used due to their relatively low processing cost and good mechanical properties. Although not widely used in Li-ion batteries, nonwoven mats have the potential for low cost and thermally stable separators. Recent composite separators have attracted much attention, however, as they offer excellent thermal stability and wettability by the nonaqueous electrolyte. The present paper (1) presents an overview of separator characterization techniques, (2) reviews existing technologies for producing different types of separators, and (3) discusses directions for future investigation. Research into separator fabrication techniques and chemical modifications, coupled with the numerical modeling, should lead to further improvements in the performance and abuse tolerance as well as cost reduction of Li-ion batteries.
Molecular and chemical genetic approaches to developmental origins of aging and disease in zebrafish.

Abstract The incidence of diseases increases rapidly with age, accompanied by progressive deteriorations of physiological functions in organisms. Aging-associated diseases are sporadic but mostly inevitable complications arising from senescence. Senescence is often considered the antithesis of early development, but yet there may be factors and mechanisms in common between these two phenomena over the dynamic process of aging. The association between early development and late-onset disease with advancing age is thought to come from a consequence of developmental plasticity, the phenomenon by which one genotype can give rise to a range of physiologically and/or morphologically adaptive states in response to different environmental or genetic perturbations. On the one hand, we hypothesized that the future aging process can be predictive based on adaptivity during the early developmental period. Modulating the thresholds of adaptive plasticity by chemical genetic approaches, we have been investigating whether any relationship exists between the regulatory mechanisms that function in early development and in senescence using the zebrafish ( Danio rerio ), a small freshwater fish and a useful model animal for genetic studies. We have successfully conducted experiments to isolate zebrafish mutants expressing apparently altered senescence phenotypes during embryogenesis (“embryonic senescence”), subsequently showing shortened lifespan in adulthoods. We anticipate that previously uncharacterized developmental genes may mediate the aging process and play a pivotal role in senescence. On the other hand, unexpected senescence-related genes might also be involved in the early developmental process and regulation. The ease of manipulation using the zebrafish system allows us to conduct an exhaustive exploration of novel genes and small molecular compounds that can be linked to the senescence phenotype, and thereby facilitates searching for the evolutionary and developmental origins of aging in vertebrates. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Animal Models of Disease.