cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the ‘Exercise Your Options' Programme:

The Exercise Your Options (EYO) programme was designed to help middle school students make healthy food and activity choices on a daily basis. The following are intended student outcomes for EYO: (1) Students will recognise that they are unique and will apply their individual perspective to the decisions they make every day that influence their health, specifically their food and activity choices. (2) Students will organise and analyse their food choices and make a personal plan for improvement utilising the Food Guide Pyramid. (3) Students will identify the connection between physical activity, food choices, and good health and then make a plan to include activity in their choices each day. The overall results of this study indicate that students who complete the EYO programme reported changes in their food consumption that were consistent with the goals of the EYO program. These results suggest that the EYO programme was effective in changing students reported food use.
Detection and Recognition of RF Devices Using Support Vector Machine

Radio Frequency RF devices produce some amount of Unintended Electromagnetic Emissions UEEs. UEEs are generally unique to a device and can be used as a signature for the purpose of detection and identification. The problem with UEEs is that they are very low in power and are often buried deep inside the noise band. The research herein provides the application of Support Vector Machine SVM for detection and identification of RF devices using their UEEs. Experimental Results shows that SVM can detect RF devices within the noise band, and can also identify RF devices using their UEEs.
THE PREDICTION OF NOx FORMATION FOR THE COMBUSTION OF NITROGEN-DOPED DROPLETS OF HEXANE INSIDE A REFRACTORY TUBE

Abstract The detailed kinetic model developed by Tang and Churchill for the prediction of the combustion of premixed-gaseous or evaporated-liquid hydrocarbon fuels in a refractory plug flow burner has been extended to account for nitrogen compounds in the fuel. In the modified model the nitrogen compounds are postulated to decompose thermally to HCN in the flame front prior to oxidation. The concentrations of NO2 computed from this model for 0.795% wt. nitrogen in hexane are found to be in excellent agreement with measured values for fuel-lean mixtures doped with diethylamine, isobutylamine, pyridine and piperidine, and in fair agreement for fuel-rich mixtures up to an equivalence ratio of 1.3. The formation of NO2 from fuel-nitrogen is found to be essentially complete after 1 ms in the postflame zone. All nitrogen-containing species except N2 and NO are computed to be in negligible concentration for fuel-lean mixtures. Significant concentrations of HCN, NH3 and HN2 are predicted for the combustion of ver...
Hotel-industry Averages: An Inaccurate Tool for Measuring Performance

Abstract The commonly used average measures of ADR, RevPAR, and occupancy may be insufficient to see what the “typical” hotel's performance is really like.
Influence of pretreatment systolic blood pressure on benefit from carvedilol in severe chronic heart failure patients.

In his letter, Dr. Ghali notes that one may expect patients with heart failure and the lowest systolic blood pressure, those at highest risk, to enjoy a higher relative benefit from the use of carvedilol. Indeed, in the COPERNICUS study ([1][1]), patients with the lowest systolic blood pressure were
A language for inquiring about the run‐time behaviour of programs

This paper describes a language for studying the behaviour of programs, based upon the data collected while these programs are executed by a computer. Besides being a useful tool in debugging, the language is also valuable in the experimental evaluation of the complexity of algorithms, in studying the interdependence of conditionals in a program and in determining the feasibility of transporting programs from one machine to another. The program one wishes to analyse is written in an Algol 60-like language; when the program is executed it automatically stores, in a data base, the information needed to answer general questions about computational events which occurred during execution. This information consists (basically) of the list of labels passed while the program is being executed, and the current values of the variables. Since the list of labels is describable by regular expressions, these expressions can also be used to identify specific subparts of the list and therefore allow access to the values of the variables. This constitutes the basis for the design of the inquiry language. The user's questions are automatically answered by a processor which inspects the previously generated data base. The paper also presents examples of the use of the language and describes the implementation of its processor.
SU‐GG‐J‐152: Assessment of Normal Tissue Response to Therapy Using FLT PET

Purpose: In treatment of disease, dosing of drugs is often limited by normal tissue toxicities. The feasibility of [18F]‐fluoro‐3′‐deoxy‐3′‐L‐fluorothymidine (FLT) PET to assess changes in normal tissuephysiology over the course of therapy was investigated. Methods: Sixteen cancer patients representing a variety of disease pathologies received sunitinib, a multi‐targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with anti‐angiogenic and anti‐proliferative effects. Doses of 50mg/kg/day were administered in two schemes: Cohort A (n = 8) used a 4/2 (four weeks on/two weeks off) schedule; Cohort B (n = 6) used a 2/1 schedule. FLT‐PET images were acquired at baseline, peak drug exposure, and the end of the first planned treatment break. Regions of interest in liver, spleen, and marrow were segmented, and the mean standardized uptake value (SUV mean ) was compared across the three scans. Two patients with liver metastases were excluded from analysis. Results: At peak exposure, both cohorts exhibited similar trends; SUV mean , was elevated relative to baseline in liver (30% ± 9%) and spleen (15% ± 10%), and reduced in marrow (−10% ± 7%). During treatment break, SUV mean in all tissues approached pre‐treatment levels for Cohort A, decreased in liver (13% ± 6%) and spleen (10% ± 9%) and increased in marrow (5% ± 2%). For Cohort B, SUV mean approached pre‐treatment levels in spleen (3% ± 10%), but remained near peak exposure levels in liver (29% ± 14%) and marrow (−10% ± 9%). This suggests a one‐week break may not allow sufficient time for normal tissue recovery. Large standard errors reflect a high degree of inter‐patient variability. Conclusions: Significant changes in FLT uptake during sunitinib treatment were observed in liver, marrow, and spleen. A high degree of inter‐patient variability was noted. FLT‐PET may provide a unique tool to monitor physiological changes prior to the development of dose‐limiting toxicities. Research sponsored by Pfizer corporation.
Operator theory on noncommutative varieties, II

An n-tuple of operators T := [T 1 ,..., T n ] on a Hilbert space H is called a J-constrained row contraction if T 1 T* 1 + ... + T n T* n ≤ I H and f(T 1 ,...,T n ) = 0, f ∈ J, where J is a WOT-closed two-sided ideal of the noncommutative analytic Toeplitz algebra F ∞ n and f(T 1 ,..., T n ) is defined using the F ∞ n -functional calculus for row contractions. We show that the constrained characteristic function Θ J,T associated with J and T is a complete unitary invariant for J-constrained completely non-coisometric (c.n.c.) row contractions. We also provide a model for this class of row contractions in terms of the constrained characteristic functions. In particular, we obtain a model theory for q-commuting c.n.c. row contractions.
RNA enzymes with two small-molecule substrates

Abstract Background: The ‘RNA world' hypothesis posits ancient organisms employing versatile catalysis by RNAs. In particular, such a metabolism would have required RNA catalysts that join small molecules. Such anabolic reactions now occur very widely, for example in phospholipid, terpene, amino acid and nucleotide synthetic pathways in modern organisms. Present RNA systems, however, do not perform such reactions using substrates that do not base pair. Here we ask whether this lack is a methodological artifact due to the practice of selection-amplification, or a fundamental property of active sites reconstructed within RNA structures. Results: Three rationally modified RNA enzymes, Iso6-G, Iso6-2G and Iso6-3G, catalyze the formation of (5′→5′) polyphosphate-linked oligonucleotides in trans . One of these, Iso6-G RNA, has a specific substrate site for a guanosine triphosphate, GTP, dGTP or ddGTP, and one nonspecific substrate site for a terminal-phosphate-containing small molecule. This ribozyme catalyzes multiple turnovers, proceeding at a constant rate. Guanosine specificity is probably not attributable to Watson-Crick base pairing. Conclusions: Ribozymes can readily bind multiple small-molecule substrates simultaneously and catalyze reactions that build up larger products, apparently independent of substrate-RNA Watson-Crick base pairing. RNA enzymes therefore parallel proteins, which often overcome the entropic difficulties of positioning multiple small substrates for catalysis of anabolic reactions. These results support the idea of a complex ancestral metabolism based on RNA catalysis.
A Microtiter Assay Shows Effectiveness of Fungicides for Control of Colletotrichum spp. from Strawberry

The anthracnose pathogens, Colletotrichum acutatum, C. gloeosporioides, and C. fragariae, have developed resistance to several fungicides. We used a microtiter assay to test in vitro the activity of 16 agrochemicals against 10 isolates of Colletotrichum spp. using a dose-response format. At a concentration of 30 μM, captan, thiram, cyprodinil, chlorothalonil, azoxystrobin, and kelthane provided nearly 100% inhibition of the growth of all 10 Colletotrichum isolates. Iprodione, vinclozolin, metalaxyl, and fosetyl-Al did not inhibit growth of any isolate. Benomyl and thiobendazole inhibited growth of the C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides isolates, but did not inhibit growth of the six C. acutatum isolates. This article not subject to US copyright law. Patrick Page is currently affiliated with the School of Pharmacy, University of Southern Mississippi.
Analysis, operation and maintenance of a fuel cell/battery series-hybrid bus for urban transit applications

The fuel cell hybrid bus (FCHB) program was initiated at the University of Delaware in 2005 to demonstrate the viability of fuel cell vehicles for transit applications and to conduct research and development to facilitate the path towards their eventual commercialization. Unlike other fuel cell bus programs, the University of Delaware's FCHB design features a battery-heavy hybrid which offers multiple advantages in terms of cost, performance and durability. The current fuel cell hybrid bus is driven on a regular transit route at the University of Delaware. The paper describes the baseline specifications of the bus with a focus on the fuel cell and the balance of plant. The fuel cell/battery series-hybrid design is well suited for urban transit routes and provides key operational advantages such as hydrogen fuel economy, efficient use of the fuel cell for battery recharging, and regenerative braking. The bus is equipped with a variety of sensors including a custom-designed cell voltage monitoring system which provide a good understanding of bus performance under normal operation. Real-time data collection and analysis have yielded key insights for fuel cell bus design optimization. Results presented here illustrate the complex flow of energy within the various subsystems of the fuel cell hybrid bus. A description of maintenance events has been included to highlight the issues that arise during general operation. The paper also describes several modifications that will facilitate design improvements in future versions of the bus. Overall, the fuel cell hybrid bus demonstrates the viability of fuel cells for urban transit applications in real world conditions.
Inoculum potential and other VAM fungi parameters in four sugar maple forests with different levels of stand dieback

The inoculum potential of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi, spore abundance, and the VAM fungi colonization levels of young feeder roots in sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) were investigated in four Vermont sugar maple forest stands for which different levels of crown dieback status previously were estimated. Physical and chemical properties of soils were determined and the relationships between these properties and maple root colonization and spore abundance were investigated. Propagule densities, estimated by a greenhouse assay, ranged from 0.03 to 5.23 propagules g−1 dry soil among four study sites and were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.704, P < 0.01) with VAM fungi colonization levels in maple roots. Colonization levels ranged from 9 to 30% of root length. The VAM fungi structures most frequently observed were intracellular coiled hyphae and arbuscules; vesicles were rarely seen. Counts of VAM fungi spores in the four forest soils ranged from 118 to 217 spores g−1 dry soil. The most frequently occurring species at all four sites were Glomus rubiforme and Glomus fasciculatum. The site with the greatest crown dieback had the lowest viable propagule density and the lowest VAM fungi colonization levels in maple feeder roots. However, the two sites with relatively little dieback differed markedly in their VAM status. Therefore, no clear relationship between sugar maple VAM and forest dieback was indicated. Correlation and multiple regression analyses suggested that concentration of soil potassium was the key predictor for variations observed in colonization levels and for the occurrence of arbuscules in root cortex cells. Spore abundance was correlated with concentrations of soil available and reserve phosphorus and soil pH. The difference in concentrations of soil potassium between the two sites with little dieback might explain the considerable difference in mycorrhizal formation on those sites.
Model Selection in Science: The Problem of Language Variance

ABSTRACTRecent solutions to the curve-ﬁtting problem, described in Forster and Sober ([1994]),trade off the simplicity and ﬁt of hypotheses by deﬁning simplicity as the paucity ofadjustable parameters. Scott De Vito ([1997]) charges that these solutions are ‘conven-tional’ because he thinksthat the number ofadjustable parameters maychange whenthehypotheses are described differently. This he believes is exactly what is illustrated inGoodman’s new riddle of induction, otherwise known as the grue problem. However,the ‘number of adjustable parameters’ is actually a loose way of referring to a quantitythat is not language dependent. The quantity arises out of Akaike’s theorem in a waythat ensures its language invariance. 1 Introduction2 A methodological puzzle redescribed3 The curve-ﬁtting problem redeﬁned4 Akaike’s theorem revisited5 The grue problem as a curve-ﬁtting problem6 Language invariance restored 1 Introduction Five years ago Elliott Sober and I published an article on the general problemof selecting from amongst a set of quantitative models (Forster and Sober[1994]). The article described a solution to the problem ﬁrst worked out indetail by Akaike ([1973]). The idea has not been widely publicized evenamongst statisticians, until recently. Since then, there has been a growinginterest in the subject, especially on the part of scientists themselves.
NON-DIABETIC GLYCOSURIA

A light or even a heavy glycosuria is not an uncommon finding in the routine examination of patients. In Table I, I have collected references to such findings as have been reported by various observers in the recent literature. Noteworthy among these observations are those in which the condition had been observed over very prolonged periods, viz., from 3 to 35 years. Various terms have been applied to this non-diabetic type of glycosuria. Thus it has been called diabetes innocens; renal diabetes; renal glycosuria. Such terms as the last two of these are misnomers since glycosuria is always renal, being dependent upon the renal threshold as well as the glycemic level. Glycosuria innocens is a better term since it indicates at least the non-diabetic character of the glycosuria—but for this very reason, since whenever glycosuria is present it is imperative to determine whether or not it is due to a diabetic condition, I have adopted the term non-diabetic glycosuria as most applicable to glycosuria of this type.
Ghosts of the forest: Mapping pedomemory to guide forest restoration

Soil morphology can provide insight into how ecosystems change following periods of extensive disturbance. Soils properties can often be linked to historic environmental influences (e.g., vegetation or climate) to provide a record of pedomemory. Identification and mapping of soil pedomemory properties show promise in providing context for ecological restoration. We have developed a novel use of digital soil mapping of spodic morphology to estimate historical forest composition in the high-elevation forests of the Central Appalachians. This region was extensively disturbed by clear-cut harvests and related fires during the 1880s–1930s. Hardwood forest species recovered much better than local conifers and generally encroached into historic populations of red spruce (Picea rubens) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Spodic soil morphology, which is often associated with subalpine and boreal conifer forests, was mapped using a random forest probability model and showed correspondence to red spruce — eastern hemlock distribution, as derived from local historic property deed witness tree records from 1752 to 1899. These data and resulting models indicate a greater spatial extent of spodic soil properties than documented in previous soil maps, which is more consistent with general theories of much more extensive historic spruce populations. The resulting maps and models provide guidance for field scale restoration planning for historically disturbed spruce–hemlock forests. Our results suggest that historic Euro-American disturbance probably induced conifer-to-hardwood state transitions at mid to high elevation coniferous ecological sites within the Appalachians. Where transitions have occurred, there appears to have been dramatic losses in forest floor thickness (O-horizons) and associated soil organic carbon stocks into atmospheric carbon pools. Spatial modeling of similar pedomemory properties and other soil-ecology linkages is likely to be a powerful tool to guide restoration in other regions as well.
Low-dose-melphalan-induced up-regulation of type-1 cytokine expression in the s.c. tumor nodule of MOPC-315 tumor bearers and the role of interferon γ in the therapeutic outcome

We have previously shown the importance of endogenous tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production for the curative effectiveness of low-dose melphalan (L-phenylalanine mustard) for mice bearing a large MOPC-315 tumor. In the current study we demonstrate that low-dose melphalan is actually associated with enhanced expression of mRNA for TNFα in the s.c. tumor nodule. Moreover, the expression of mRNA for interferon γ (IFNγ) and interleukin-12 (IL-12; p40) is also elevated at the tumor site. However, while elevation in the expression of mRNA for TNFα and IFNγ is evident within 24 h after the chemotherapy, elevation in the expression of mRNA for IL-12(p40) is first evident 72 h after the chemotherapy. Moreover, neutralizing anti-IFNγ mAb, like neutralizing anti-TNF mAb but not neutralizing anti-IL-12 mAb, reduced the curative effectiveness of low-dose melphalan for MOPC-315 tumor bearers. Studies into the mechanism through which IFNγ mediates its antitumor effect in low-dose-melphalan-treated MOPC-315 tumor-bearing mice revealed that MOPC-315 tumor cells, which are not sensitive to the direct antitumor effects of TNF, display some sensitivity to the antiproliferative activity of high concentrations of IFNγ. However, unlike TNFα, IFNγ is unable to promote the generation of anti-MOPC-315 cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity and, in fact, exerts an inhibitory activity on CTL generation. Taken together, our studies illustrate that low-dose melphalan therapy of MOPC-315 tumor bearers is associated with the rapid elevation in the expression of mRNA for IFNγ and TNF, two cytokines which are important for the curative effectiveness of low-dose melphalan, and which mediate their antitumor effect, in part, through distinct mechanisms.
Solution synthesis and characterization of indium-zinc formate precursors for transparent conducting oxides.

A series of In−Zn formate mixtures were investigated as potential precursors to amorphous In−Zn-oxide (IZO) for transparent conducting oxide (TCO) applications. These mixtures were prepared by neutralization from formic acid and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) measurements. Thermal analysis revealed that a mixture of In and Zn formates reduced the overall decomposition temperature compared to the individual constituents and that OH-substitution enhanced the effect. In terms of precursor feasibility, it was demonstrated that the decomposition products of In−Zn formate could be directed toward oxidation or reduction by controlling the decomposition atmosphere or with solution acid additives. For TCO applications, amorphous IZO films were prepared by ultrasonic spray deposition from In−Zn formate solutions with annealing at 300−400 °C.
Regulation of progenitor cell proliferation and granulocyte function by microRNA-223

MicroRNAs are abundant in animal genomes and have been predicted to have important roles in a broad range of gene expression programmes1,2. Despite this prominence, there is a dearth of functional knowledge regarding individual mammalian microRNAs. Using a loss-of-function allele in mice, we report here that the myeloid-specific microRNA-223 (miR-223) negatively regulates progenitor proliferation and granulocyte differentiation and activation. miR-223 (also called Mirn223) mutant mice have an expanded granulocytic compartment resulting from a cell-autonomous increase in the number of granulocyte progenitors. We show that Mef2c, a transcription factor that promotes myeloid progenitor proliferation, is a target of miR-223, and that genetic ablation of Mef2c suppresses progenitor expansion and corrects the neutrophilic phenotype in miR-223 null mice. In addition, granulocytes lacking miR-223 are hypermature, hypersensitive to activating stimuli and display increased fungicidal activity. As a consequence of this neutrophil hyperactivity, miR-223 mutant mice spontaneously develop inflammatory lung pathology and exhibit exaggerated tissue destruction after endotoxin challenge. Our data support a model in which miR-223 acts as a fine-tuner of granulocyte production and the inflammatory response.
Compiler-based multiple instruction retry

This paper describes a compiler-based approach to provide multiple instruction rollback capability for general purpose processor registers. The objective is achieved by having the compiler remove all forms of N-instruction antidependencies. Pseudoregister antidependencies are removed by loop protection, node splitting, and loop expansion techniques; machine register antidependencies are prevented by introducing antidependency constraints in the interference graph used by the register allocator. To support separate compilation, inter-procedural antidependency constraints are added to the code generator to guarantee the termination of machine register antidependencies across procedure boundaries. The algorithms have been implemented in the IMPACT C compiler. Experiments illustrating the effectiveness of this approach are described. >
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGE IN SPEED OF PROCESSING DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Throughout childhood and adolescence, there are consistent age differences in speed of processing. Here 72 published studies yielded 1,826 pairs of response times (RTs) in which each pair consisted of adults' mean RT for a condition and the corresponding mean RT for a younger group. The primary results were that (a) children's and adolescents' RTs increase linearly as a function of adult RTs in corresponding conditions and (b) the amount of increase becomes smaller with age in a manner that is well described by an exponential function. These results are consistent with the view that age differences in processing speed reflect some general (i.e., nontask specific) component that changes rapidly during childhood and more slowly during adolescence. Possible candidates for the general component are discussed.
Prevalence and predictors of esophageal varices in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) may develop and bleed from esophageal varices. However, the exact prevalence of esophageal varices in patients with PSC remains unknown and potential predictors of esophageal varices in this population have not been identified. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of esophageal varices in patients with PSC and the variables that predict their presence. Data were collected on 283 patients with PSC treated for the first time at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) during 8 consecutive years. Thirty-six percent (102 of 283) of patients had esophageal varices including 56% (57 of 102) with moderate/large varices. After excluding 28 patients with a history of variceal bleeding, data on 183 patients were analyzed to identify independent predictors of esophageal varices and of moderate/large size varices. Platelet count, albumin level, and advanced histologic disease were independent predictors of esophageal varices (area under the receiver operator characteristic [ROC] curve = 0.88). After controlling for the presence of advanced histologic stage and albumin levels, the odds ratios (OR) of platelet count less than 150 x 10(3)/dL for the presence of esophageal varices was 6.3 (95% CI: 2.6-15.8). The diagnostic accuracy of these results was corroborated by cross-validation of the data in an independent set of 72 patients with PSC (area under the ROC = 0.90). In conclusion, in patients with PSC, noninvasive markers of portal hypertension and of advanced liver disease predict the presence of esophageal varices. Our results suggest a clinically applicable and useful approach to identify patients with PSC who are more likely to benefit from endoscopic screening for esophageal varices.
Resource compartmentation and the stability of real ecosystems

Gardner and Ashby1 and May2 challenged the tenet that ecological stability increases with species diversity. But May concluded that if species are arranged in 'blocks', stability restrictions are relaxed allowing for greater diversity than in the absence of blocking. Recent investigations suggest that communities may contain tightly coupled subunits whose numbers may increase with diversity3–6. McNaughton7 suggested that species may be arranged in resource compartments and that, within these compartments, species interaction strength would decline as diversity increased. Pimm8 found little evidence of food-web compartmentation within habitats and few examples between habitats but cautioned that binary data sets based on connectedness were not optimal for detecting compartmentation. We provide evidence of resource compartmentation based on structural characteristics of a belowground connectedness web9 and on biomass estimates and nitrogen flux rates from its energy flux-web description. Using other food webs, we demonstrate that the relationship between structure and diversity is similar for different resource compartments, suggesting that these compartments behave as entities.
Freezing as a method of sample preservation for the analysis of dissolved inorganic nutrients in seawater

Abstract It is often desirable or necessary to store collected seawater samples prior to analysis for dissolved inorganic nutrients. It is therefore important to establish preservation and storage techniques that will ensure sample integrity and will not alter the precision or accuracy of analysis. We have performed a series of experiments on the storage of nutrient samples collected at the oligotrophic North Pacific benchmark Station ALOHA, using both standard autoanalyses and low-level techniques. Our results reveal that for oligotrophic oceanic waters, the immediate freezing of an unfiltered water sample in a clean polyethylene bottle is a suitable preservation method. This procedure is simple, it avoids potentially contaminating sample manipulations and chemical additions, and it adequately preserves the concentrations of nitrate + nitrite, soluble reactive phosphate, and soluble reactive silicate within a single water sample.
Is precise discrimination of low level motion needed for heading discrimination

Normal observers judge heading well both when moving in a straight line and when moving along a curved path. Judgments of curved path motion require depth variations in the scene while judgments of straight line heading (pure translation) do not. Here we show that a stroke patient who is impaired in low level 2D motion discrimination tasks and cannot accurately judge 3D structure from motion can accurately judge heading for straight line self-motion. This patient is impaired in judgments of curved path self-motion. This suggests that accurate heading judgments for observer translation do not require accurate 2D motion perception or 3D reconstruction of the scene. Judgments of curved path motion appear more dependent on accurate 2D motion perception.
Ship-Borne Termite (Isoptera) Border Interceptions in Australia and Onboard Infestations in Florida, 1986–2009

ABSTRACT Alate termite flights from mature colonies infesting marine vessels is a primary mechanism for anthropogenic transoceanic establishment of invasive termite species. A taxonomic review is given of 133 recorded termite infestations onboard vessels in Australia and Florida between 1986 and 2009. The differing governmental approaches to regulating entry by foreign boats appears to reflect the relative frequency of exotic termite establishments in Australia and Florida.
Early Childhood Caries and the Impact of Current U.S. Medicaid Program: An Overview

Pediatric dental caries is the most common chronic disease among children. Above 40% of the U.S. children aged 2–11 years have dental caries; more than 50% of them come from low-income families. Under dental services of the Medicaid program, children enrolled in Medicaid must receive preventive dental services. However, only 1/5 of them utilize preventive dental services. The purpose of this overview is to measure the impact of Medicaid dental benefits on reducing oral health disparities among Medicaid-eligible children. This paper explains the importance of preventive dental care, children at high risk of dental caries, Medicaid dental benefits, utilization of dental preventive services by Medicaid-eligible children, dental utilization influencing factors, and outcome evaluation of Medicaid in preventing dental caries among children. In conclusion, despite the recent increase of children enrolled in Medicaid, utilizing preventive dental care is still a real challenge that faces Medicaid.
On public capital analysis with state data

Abstract Based on state production models with fixed effects, recent studies have argued public capital is not productive. We show multicollinearity is a potential problem and caution is warranted in interpreting estimation results for models with public capital and fixed effects.
Operative mortality rate for elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is not increased by the presence of a previous or concurrent thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic dissection.

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to determine the likelihood of mortality after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in patients with thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic dissection. Methods: Fourteen patients (11 men, three women) with known thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic dissections underwent elective AAA repair from 1986 to 2001, including three patients with acute dissections (less than 14 days) and 11 patients with chronic dissections (14 days or longer). All 14 patients had type III aortic dissections. Stent graft exclusion of the aortic dissection was performed in one patient before AAA repair. Preoperative patient characteristics, intraoperative events, perioperative complications, and 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were assessed. Results: Elective AAA repair in the setting of thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic dissection in this series was associated with no 30-day mortality and a 1-year mortality rate of 7.1%. Furthermore, preoperative patient characteristics, intraoperative events, and perioperative complications did not appear to be associated with late, 1-year, mortality. Conclusion: Elective AAA repair in the setting of acute or chronic aortic dissection is associated with mortality rates similar to those generally attributed to elective AAA repair without accompanying aortic dissection. Nevertheless, the conduct of the operation is usually complex, especially in the setting of an acute aortic dissection. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:690-5.)
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES AND POLICY RESEARCH: THE CASE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

It has been argued that social science disciplines influence their members policy research via theoretical focus, methods, norms, and system maintenance mechanisms and that these forces inhibit the usefulness of policy research for policy-making. Political science is found to influence substantially its members policy research output and to decrease its policy usefulness, primarily by promoting explanations of policy, although the extent of influence and lack of usefulness are less than studies of other disciplines suggest. Whereas highly useful outcome analyses are produced less frequently than many advocates of policy research would hope, a sub-stantial body of policy research undertakes objectives that when satisfied, particularly in the area of problem definition, provide moderately useful output to decision makers. In addition, policy research output is remarkably diverse substantively, but less so in terms of the purposes it serves.
Importance of Kinetics in Surface Alloying: A Comparison of the Diffusion Pathways of Pd and Ag Atoms on Cu(111)

The microscopic details of how metals alloy have important consequences for both their material properties and their chemical reactivity. In this study, the initial stages of alloying of Pd and Ag with Cu(111) are compared. Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that physical vapor deposition of Pd and Ag at or above room temperature yields remarkably different surface alloys: Pd predominantly incorporates at the nearest ascending Cu step edge, whereas Ag appears to be able to traverse step edges rather easily and alloys into terraces both above and below its initial adsorption site. Density functional theory calculations reveal that even though Pd adatoms have a lower barrier than Ag for traversing step edges, unlike Ag they bind very strongly to ascending step edges and remain there permanently. This leads to a situation in which Pd atoms have at most a very small number of attempts to leave the terrace on which they are deposited before they are incorporated into the nearest ascending st...
Economic Interest Group Allocations in Open-Seat Senate Elections

Most studies of political action committees (PACs) focus on the incumbent-oriented contribution strategies of PACs, whereas contributions to open-seat candidates remain relatively unexplored. Based on the assumption that open-seat candidates have an insatiable need for campaign money, we model the allocations of PACs to open-seat senate candidates from 1980 to 1994. The results of our analyses indicate that allocations in open-seat senate elections are more partisan than those in incumbent elections, although incumbent-like effects are evident in allocations by corporate, labor, and trade association PACs, which largely support aspirant House of Representatives members who have previously existing connections to monied interests. Unlike the bipartisan behavior exhibited by investor PACs in open house races, labor and investor interests reinforce the partisan divisions in senate contests by engaging in competitive funding of opposing candidates.
Short-Term Monitoring of Formaldehyde: Comparison of Two Direct-Reading Instruments to a Laboratory-Based Method

Airborne formaldehyde concentrations can be measured using several different techniques, including laboratory-based methods and direct-reading instruments. Two commercially available direct-reading instruments, an RKI Instruments Model FP-30 and a PPM Technology Formaldemeter htV, were compared with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Method 2016 in different test environments to determine if these direct-reading instruments can provide comparable results. The methods yielded the following mean concentrations for 47 samples: NIOSH Method 2016, 0.37 ppm; FP-30, 0.29 ppm; and htV, 0.34 ppm. Results from both of the direct-reading instruments were correlated with the laboratory-based method (R2 = 0.78 for FP-30, and 0.902 for htV). Comparison of the means of the three methods showed that on average the FP-30 instrument (p < 0.001) differed statistically from NIOSH Method 2016, whereas the htV (p = 0.15) was not statistically different from the NIOSH method. Sensitivity and specificity tests...
Interactions of a new antitumor agent, 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis[[2-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-ethyl]amino]-9,10-anthracenedione, with nucleic acids.

Abstract 1,4-Dihydroxyl-5,8-bis [[2-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethyl]amino]-9,10-anthracenedione (DHAQ), a new antitumor drug (NSC 279836), suppressed cell progression at the G 2 phase in vitro at concentrations of 1–10 ng/ml. Cells blocked in G 2 contained increased amounts of RNA. The drug bound to both DNA and RNA in the nuclear chromatin with a preference for the nucleolus and to RNA in the cytoplasm of cells in situ . Spectroscopic evidence indicated that DHAQ interacts by intercalation with both natural and synthetic nucleic acids, although electrostatic interactions also play a part in the binding. All A and B structure nucleic acids intercalated DHAQ though there was no clear base specificity; interactions with polymers containing only A-T base pairs were somewhat weaker than with other polymers, and alternating polymers exhibited stronger affinity than did homopolymer pairs. Electrophoretic dye titration with SV 40 DNA provided additional proof that DHAQ binds to DNA by intercalation. The intrinsic association constant of the drug ( K i ) was 1.8 × 10 6 M −1 , its binding site size ( n ) was 5 nucleotides, and the unwinding angle (φ) was 26.5°. Because DHAQ precipitated single-stranded polymers, it is possible that the drug interacted electrostatically with the anionic exterior of single-stranded nucleic acids with subsequent stacking. The data indicated that the pharamacological effect of DHAQ may be related to drug intercalation into double-stranded nucleic acids which may impair DNA transcription and RNA processing.
An Examination of Psychiatric-Mental Health Outcomes From the Perspectives of Logical Positivism and Phenomenology:

The current philosophical paradigm in psychiatry is based in logical positivism, as outcomes are viewed as objective and scientifically verifiable. This approach, although making important contributions to the field, fails to acknowledge outcomes from the perspective of the client. A growing movement within the mental health field is promoting the use of phenomenology and the lived experience, which provides new opportunities for defining outcomes from the client’s perspective. The purpose of this article is to briefly review the main tenets of both philosophical perspectives and to demonstrate how these perspectives influence the conceptualization of outcomes in psychiatric-mental health nursing practice and research. Finally, a proposal is made for clinicians and researchers to adopt an integrative model, a blending of the two viewpoints, to capture the most complete experience of the client and to define the most appropriate outcomes.
Ligand and surfactant effects on a novel electrochemiluminescent reaction involving cadmium

Abstract Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is the generation of light during a chemical reaction with at least one of the reagents being generated in situ at an electrode. Recently, a host of methods have been developed employing ECL reactions as an analytical technique where one of the ECL reagents is the analyte. Electrochemiluminescent reactions involving aqueous metal ions can offer an alternative method for quantitation of dissolved metals. Previous work developed an ECL system using 1,10-phenanthroline as an ECL reagent in conjunction with Cd2+ ions providing sufficient emission for reliable cadmium detection. This paper explores the effects of ligand modification, choice of surfactant, and the interaction between the surfactant and the co-reactant tripropylamine (TPA). The effectiveness of the reagents tested can be ranked as phenanthroline, bathophenanthroline salt, terpyridine, dimethylphenanthroline, and bipyridine in order of decreasing Cd2+ specific ECL emissions. The non-ionic surfactants Triton X-100, Thesit, and Nonidet P40 were surveyed.
Further studies on the synthesis of α-fluoro carbonyl compounds [1]

Abstract The trimethylsilyl enol ethers of cycloalkanones and acid esters are converted in high yields (70–90%) to the corresponding α-fluoro carbonyl derivative using XeF 2 in CH 2 Cl 2 . Non-cyclic α-hydroxy ketones such as ethyl mandelate are efficiently transformed to the α-fluoro product by DAST and by Ishikawa's reagent. Nucleophilic displacement of halogen by fluoride failed in cyclic systems, giving instead, α,β-unsaturated ketones in DMF or CH 3 CN (18-crown-6) and 1,2-diones in DMSO, with KF acting as a base. Attempts at DMSO oxidation of I(Br)F adducts failed to give the α-fluoro ketones, but resulted in dehydrohalogenation to the trans -vinyl fluorides.
The Disproportionate Incarceration of African Americans for Drug Offenses: The National and Illinois Perspective

ABSTRACT In 2000, a Human Rights Watch report identified Illinois as having the country's highest African American–White disparity in prison admissions for drug offenses. In response to the report, a disproportionate minority confinement (DMC) working group was formed to investigate further the nature and extent of racial disparities in the incarceration of drug offenders in Illinois. This article summarizes information collected in the DMC project, discusses national trends in arrests and incarcerations for drug offenses, and describes the unstinting growth in the prison population attributable to increases in the number of persons imprisoned for drug offenses. It concludes with recommendations for future research on the origins of disproportionality as well as policy changes to alleviate prison overcrowding and racial disparities in imprisonment for drug crimes.
Blinky blocks: a physical ensemble programming platform

A major impediment to understanding programmable matter is the lack of an existing system with sufficiently many modules of sufficient capabilities. In this paper we describe the requirements of physically distributed ensembles and discuss the use of the distributed programming language Meld to program ensembles of these units. We demonstrate a new system designed to meet these requirements called Blinky Blocks and discuss the hardware design we used to create 100 of these modules.
Diffractive optical elements for spectral imaging

Diffractive optical elements fabricated on flat and non-flat substrates frequently act as dispersive elements in imaging spectrometers. We describe the design and electron-beam fabrication of blazed and computer-generated-hologram gratings for slit and tomographic imaging spectrometer.
Protective Effect of Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene Transfer against Oxyhemoglobin-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction

The current study was designed to determine the effect of recombinant heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression on endothelial function in cerebral arteries. Isolated canine basilar arteries were exposed ex vivo (30 minutes at 37°C) to an adenoviral vector (1010 PFU/mL, total volume 300 L) encoding either the HO-1 gene (AdCMVHO-1) or the -galactosidase (-Gal) reporter gene (AdCMV-Gal). Twenty-four hours after transduction, arterial rings were suspended in organ chamber for isometric force recording. Endothelium-dependent relaxations were obtained in response to bradykinin (10-10 to 10-6 mol/L) during contraction to uridine-5´-triphosphate (UTP; 3 10-6 to 3 10-5 mol/L). Certain rings were incubated with oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb; 10-5 mol/L) overnight (16 to 18 hours of 24 hours). Expression and localization of recombinant protein were shown by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to bradykinin and endothelium-independent relaxation to forskolin (10-9 to 10-5 mol/L) and DEA-NONOate (10-10 to 10-5 mol/L) were identical in -Gal– and HO-1–transduced arteries. Exposure to OxyHb caused impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation to bradykinin (P 0.05). This protective effect of HO-1 was reversed by coincubation with tin protoporphyrin (SnPP9; 10-5 mol/L), a selective inhibitor of HO-1 (P < 0.01). Basal levels of 3´,5´-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) in HO-1–transduced vessels were not significantly different from those in -Gal–transduced vessels. Pretreatment with OxyHb significantly reduced cGMP level in -Gal–transduced rings (P < 0.01), whereas it had no effect in HO-1–transduced rings. These results demonstrate that HO-1 gene transfer does not affect endothelial and smooth muscle function of normal arteries, and that expression of recombinant HO-1 in cerebral arteries protects vasomotor function against OxyHb-induced injury.
Severe penile erosion after use of a vacuum suction device for management of erectile dysfunction in a spinal cord injured patient. Case report

We report a case of severe erosion and cellulitis at the base of the penis as a result of vacuum suction device constriction bands left on for 4 hours in a spinal cord injured patient with paraplegia and hypesthesia of the genital area. All patients using vacuum suction devices need to be properly educated regarding usage and risks with adequate follow up; patients with hypesthesias and spinal cord injuries need information specifically related to their decreased or absent level of sensation. Only two out of seven vacuum suction device brochures reviewed warn of the risk to patients with decreased sensation in the penis, but none specifically address usage or risks to men with spinal cord injuries.