cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seed predation and patterns of fruit production in Asclepias syriaca L.

Seed predation in relation to patterns of pod (and seed) distribution was examined in five samples of the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.), in tests of the “resource-concentration” effect both within- and beween-plants. The proportion of pods in a cluster that were attacked, particularly by the weevil Rhyssomatus lineaticollis, was not consistently related to the number of pods contained in a cluster, the frequency of cluster sizes in a population, or the variance of cluster sizes on a stem. Proportions of pods attacked per stem were not correlated with stem density in one sample and were not associated with stem height in any sample. Large clusters of pods produced more undamaged pods and, by this measure, were more successful than smaller clusters, but there was no tendency in any population for stems to produce the more successful cluster sizes more frequently. Stems producing more clusters of pods also produced more undamaged pods. We found no evidence that weevil predation contributed to the regulation of the distribution of pods among clusters on a stem.
Charmed baryons in a quark-diquark model

A quark-diquark model of baryons is generalized to include charmed baryons within the framework of the broken-symmetry groupsSU8 andSU8 ×O3. Mass relations are obtained for the baryons belonging to the lowest-lying level ofSU8, and some qualitative features of the higher levels are given.
Privacy and Senior Willingness to Adopt Smart Home Information Technology in Residential Care Facilities

Objectives: With large predicted increases of the older adult (65 years and older) population, researchers have been exploring the use of smart home information technologies (IT) in residential care (RC) facilities to enhance resident quality of life and safety. Older adults’ perceptions of privacy can inhibit their acceptance and subsequent adoption of smart home IT. Methods: This qualitative study, guided by principles of grounded theory research, investigated the relationship between privacy, living environment and willingness of older adults living in residential care facilities to adopt smart home IT through focus groups and individual interviews. Results: The findings from this study indicate that privacy can be a barrier for older adults’ adoption of smart home IT; however their own perception of their need for the technology may override their privacy concerns. Privacy concerns, as a barrier to technology adoption, can be influenced by both individual-level and community-level factors. Conclusions: Further exploration of the factors influencing older adults’ perceptions of smart home IT need is necessary.
Sources of instability of ‘wired’ enzyme anodes in serum: urate and transition metal ions

Abstract The glucose electrooxidation currents of anodes with films of glucose oxidase and redox polymers electrically connecting (‘wiring’) its redox centers to electrodes decay much more rapidly in serum than in pH 7.2 saline phosphate buffer. Rapid decay is observed also in buffer in the presence of urate and transition metal ions, which are constituents of normal serum. Urate is electrooxidized to dimeric or trimeric products, which precipitate in the electrocatalytic film. Transition metal ions, like Zn 2+ and Fe 2+ , coordinatively crosslink pyridine or imidazole functions of the redox polymers and also inhibit glucose oxidase.
A visualizing application of line integral convolution techniques

Abstract The line integral convolution (LIC) technique, a texture synthesis technique, has served as a useful method for visualizing vector data. However, a number of shortcomings have been identified in the LIC technique, not the least of which are that the technique is computationally expensive and adopts a more or less brute force approach. This paper presents a modification of the original LIC method which addresses these shortcomings. Our method, although used for visualizing atmospheric vortical flows, is also applicable to other atmospheric phenomena. In our method we employ a particular colouring scheme to unambiguously identify the nature of the vortical flows irrespective of the hemisphere in which they occur.
817 SUBCUTANEOUS DEFEROXAMINE (ScDF) PLUS HYPERTRANSFUSION (HiTx) IN THALASSEMIA MAJOR (TM): A THREE YEAR FOLLOW-UP

12 TM patients (pts.) aged 5-25 yrs. on moderate Tx protocol were begun on HiTx and ScDF with yearly monitoring of serum ferritin (SF), height age (HA), bone age (BA), cardiac function (CF [eccho, EKG, treadmill, Holter]), and GTT. Net negative iron balance was maintained. Results are tabulated. Comparison of Initial and 3 Yr. Follow-Up Study by Presenting The above data suggests that young pts. with TM may be protected from iron overload sequelae by the early administration of HiTx and ScDF. Similar therapy in older patients does not seem to prevent the development of or improve existing overt pathology.
TH‐D‐BRC‐06: The Investigation and Correction of a Bowtie‐Related Cone‐Beam CT Circular Band Artifact

Purpose: In the course of developing projection‐space preprocessing algorithms for improving on‐board CBCTCT number accuracy and uniformity, a persistent, prominent circular band artifact (CBA) with asymmetric illumination shadows was discovered. The CBA remain unchanged even after applying beam‐hardening, scatter subtraction, and veiling glare corrections to Varian OBI full‐fan projection data but only when a bow‐tie filter is used. This study investigates the causes and correction strategies of the CBA. Method and Materials:CBCTimages were acquired, preprocessed, and reconstructed with an in‐house FDK engine for phantoms of different diameters and locations relative to isocenter, on several OBI systems, to characterize CBA behavior and to form hypotheses as to its origin. Numerical simulations were used to evaluate all hypothesized contributing factors, as assessed by the necessary experimental measurements. A custom calibration was performed to identify the dependence of kV source location and flat‐panel detector pose as a function of gantry angle. Different correction approaches were tried on both synthetic and measured datasets, including gantry‐angle‐dependent normalization, full‐ and partial kV beam geometry calibrations, and empirical cancellation. The interplay between the CBA corrections and scatter and beam hardening corrections was also studied. Results: The CBA had a diameter of about 15 cm, was centered at the isocenter, and had similar asymmetric illumination, for all phantom dimensions, locations, and machines, and was reproducible over time. It appeared only when the bowtie filter was used. Simulations and experimental studies identified that a combination of geometric wobble and the bowtie filter slope caused the artifact. Gantry‐angle dependent calibrations of normalization were sufficient for about 80% CBA mitigation, but that complete elimination required gantry‐angle dependent beam‐hardening corrections. Conclusion:CBCT geometric wobble with the presence of bowtie filter could cause a circular band artifact. Supported by NIH P01 CA116602 and a grant from Varian Medical Systems.
What can we hope for? Rousseau and Durkheim on human nature

L'A. compare les conceptions de J.-J. Rousseau et d'E. Durkheim concernant la nature humaine. Il montre de quelle maniere Durkheim envisage les theories developpees par Rousseau dans «Le Contrat social». Il examine les conceptions du lien social et de la sociabilite elaborees par Durkheim et par Rousseau. Il souligne que, selon Durkheim, la vie humaine est intrinsequement sociale ce qui n'apparait pas avec clarte chez Rousseau. Il se demande ce que l'on peut attendre de la vie sociale et de son evolution en suivant chacune de ces deux perspectives
Isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency due to compound heterozygosity for two new mutations in the GH-releasing hormone receptor gene.

OBJECTIVE Mutations in the GH releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) have recently been shown to cause autosomal recessive isolated GH deficiency (IGHD). Patients who are homozygous for GHRH-R mutations have a subnormal GH response to pharmacological agents that stimulate GH secretion and an appropriate response to exogenous GH therapy. We searched for mutations in the GHRH-R gene in a family in which two of three siblings were affected by IGHD. DESIGN We sequenced the 13 coding exons, the intron-exon boundaries and 327 bases of the promoter of the GHRH-R gene from peripheral blood cell genomic DNA of an index patient. RESULTS Both affected individuals were compound heterozygotes for two previously undescribed GHRH-R mutations: a change in codon 137 that replaces histidine with leucine (H137L), and a 5 bp deletion in exon 11 (Del 1140-1144). The patients' father was heterozygous for the H137L mutation, and the mother was heterozygous for the exon 11 deletion. We used site-directed mutagenesis to create the mutants in wild-type GHRH-R cDNA. Transient transfection of GHRH-R cDNAs in Chinese hamster ovary cells showed that cells transfected with both mutant receptors failed to increase cyclic AMP after treatment with GHRH. CONCLUSIONS We describe a family in which two siblings with IGHD were compound heterozygotes for two new mutations in the GHRH-R gene. These results suggest that mutant alleles for GHRH-R gene may be more common than previously suspected.
Zero-branch tree encoding of speech pitch/voicing signals

A computationally efficient, although suboptimal, tree encoding method for the pitch and voicing parameters of an LPC (linear predictive coding) vocoder is presented. It is shown that when pitch and voicing signals are combined, it becomes difficult to take advantage of linear predictors and at the same time avoid any errors in voicing. The modified pitch tree coder presented here solves this problem by incorporating a branch leading to zero pitch value from each node of the tree. Only two bits per analysis frame are used to convey the combined pitch/voicing signal, with 1.585 bits being used to encode nonzero pitch values. >
Complementarity between sperm surface β-l,4-galactosyl-transferase and egg-coat ZP3 mediates sperm–egg binding

Despite its importance, the molecular basis of mammalian gamete recognition has remained unclear. The enzyme beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (Gal-transferase) has been viewed traditionally as a biosynthetic component of the Golgi complex, but is also found on the surface of many cells where it can bind its specific glycoside substrate on adjacent cell surfaces or in the extracellular matrix. In mouse it has been suggested that Gal-transferase on the sperm head mediates fertilization by binding oligosaccharide residues in the egg coat, or zona pellucida, and that the ability of the zona pellucida to bind sperm is conferred by oligosaccharides of the ZP3 glycoprotein. However, it has not been confirmed that Gal-transferase and ZP3 are in fact complementary gamete receptors whose interaction mediates sperm-egg binding. Here we show that mouse sperm Gal-transferase specifically recognizes those oligosaccharides on ZP3 that have sperm-binding activity, but does not interact with other zona pellucida glycoproteins. In contrast, all zona pellucida glycoproteins are recognized by non-sperm Gal-transferase, demonstrating a more stringent substrate specificity for the sperm enzyme. This interaction is required for sperm-egg binding because blocking or removing the binding site for Gal-transferase on ZP3 inhibits its ability to bind sperm. After the release of the sperm acrosome, the transferase relocalizes to a new membrane domain where it can no longer bind to ZP3, which is consistent with the inability of acrosome-reacted sperm to bind ZP3 or to initiate binding to the zona pellucida. Following fertilization, ZP3 is modified by egg cortical granule secretions so that it loses sperm receptor activity, which can be accounted for by a selective loss of its binding site for sperm Gal-transferase. These results show that sperm surface beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase and the egg-coat glycoprotein ZP3 are complementary adhesion molecules that mediate primary gamete binding in the mouse.
Effects of pH on the actions of dizocilpine at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor complex.

1. The effects of varying pH from 6.5 to 7.4 and 8.0 on the actions of dizocilpine (MK801) on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor were investigated by use of a [3H]-dizocilpine binding assay and NMDA-induced intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) increases in cultured forebrain neurones. 2. Increasing pH from 6.5 to 8.0 significantly increased the rate of association and dissociation of [3H]-dizocilpine. The association process was better described by two rate constants under each condition, while only dissociation of [3H]-dizocilpine at pH 8.0 required two rate constants adequately to describe the curve. Equilibrium affinity of [3H]-dizocilpine was not altered by changing pH from 6.5 to 8.0. 3. NMDA and glycine together increased [Ca2+]i measured by fura-2 microspectrofluorimetry in single cultured neurones from rat forebrain. Compared to control response measured at pH 7.4, the combined effects of NMDA and glycine were reduced to 38.9% of control values by lowering pH to 6.5 and increased to 148.9% by raising pH to 8.0. 4. Dizocilpine (200 nM) effectively reversed increases in [Ca2+]i produced by NMDA together with glycine. The rate of reversal produced by this concentration of dizocilpine was considerably slower than that required for cells to recover to baseline following agonist removal. The rate at which dizocilpine reversed NMDA- and glycine-induced [Ca2+]i increases was not altered by raising pH from 6.5 to 8.0. 5. These data support the hypothesis that the rates associated with [3H]-dizocilpine binding are controlled by the level of activation of the receptor. In addition, these data confirm previous findings that NMDA responses are sensitive to small changes in pH.However, the lack of sensitivity to pH changes of dizocilpine inhibition of NMDA responses show that other factors are also important in controlling the action of channel-blocking NMDA receptor antagonists.
A chronometric study of some relations between sentences

An attempt was made to study how people handle syntactic relations among English sentences by measuring the time required to convert one type of sentence into another. Preliminary results based on ...
A Substantive Theory of the Relative Efficiency of Environmental Treaty Compliance Strategies: The Case of CITES

Abstract To date, there has been no effort to analyze systematically the reasons for noncom‐pliance with The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the various strategics available to address those shortcomings. This article reports on a study which proposes a substantive theory of the relative efficiency of environmental treaty compliance strategies in the CITES context. In brief, the theory suggests that countries will comply more fully with their treaty obligations if the costs of compliance are reduced, and certain strategies are more efficient in reducing these costs than others. The costs and benefits of various strategies, applicable to both the target and the initiator of the strategy, are detailed. Hypotheses about the relative efficiency of the strategies and corollaries relating to the selection of target countries and the appropriateness of certain strategies for treaty parties are also described.
Timing of ibuprofen use and musculoskeletal adaptations to exercise training in older adults

Prostaglandins (PG) increase in bone in response to mechanical loading and stimulate bone formation. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), the enzyme responsible for PG synthesis, by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) impairs the bone formation response to loading in animals when administered before, but not after, loading. The aim was to determine whether the timing of ibuprofen use (400 mg before versus after exercise sessions) is a significant determinant of the adaptive response of BMD to exercise training in older adults. We hypothesized that taking ibuprofen before exercise would attenuate the improvements in total hip and lumbar spine BMD in response to 36 weeks of training when compared with placebo or with ibuprofen use after exercise. Untrained women and men (N=189) aged 60 to 75 years were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment arms: placebo before and after exercise (PP); ibuprofen before and placebo after exercise (IP); and placebo before and ibuprofen after exercise (PI). The difference between groups in the change in BMD was not significant when IP was compared with either PP (hip, -0.5% (-1.4, 0.4); spine, 0.1% (-0.9, 1.2)) or PI (hip, 0.3% (-0.6, 1.2); spine, 0.5% (-0.5, 1.5)). Ibuprofen use appeared to have more adverse effects on BMD in women than men. The study demonstrated that ibuprofen use did not significantly alter the BMD adaptations to exercise in older adults, but this finding should be interpreted cautiously. It had been expected that the inhibition of bone formation by ibuprofen would be as robust in men than women, but this did not appear to be the case and may have limited the power to detect the effects of ibuprofen. Further research is needed to understand whether NSAID use counteracts, in part, the beneficial effects of exercise on bone.
A note on price cap regulation and competition

This paper examines the properties of a price-cap regulatory regime similar in design to a plan recently proposed by AGT Ltd. in hearings on Alternative Forms of Regulation before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The price-cap plan incorporates a number of novel features which include (i) quantity weights that evolve through time rather than remaining fixed; (ii) adjustments for productivity that incorporate yardstick competition; and (iii) allowing the weights to reflect the firm's market power or absence thereof in the presence of competition. Hence, should competitive circumstances permit, the regulatory regime allows for its own sunset.
A computational study of gas flow in a De‐Laval micronozzle at different throat diameters

A numerical study has been carried out to investigate the gas flows in a micronozzle using a continuum model under both slip and no-slip boundary conditions. The governing equations were solved with a finite volume method. The numerical model was validated with available experimental data. Numerical results of exit thrust showed good agreement with experimental data except at very low Reynolds numbers. For parametric studies on the effect of geometric scaling, the nozzle throat diameter was varied from 10 to 0.1 mm, whereas throat Reynolds number was varied from 5 to 2000. A correlation has also been developed to calculate the specific impulse at specified throat diameter and Reynolds number. The effect of different gases on the specific impulse of the nozzle, such as helium, nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide, was also examined. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Notes: Selection to Increase Survival of Smolts in Four Successive Broods of Coho Salmon

Abstract Survival from smolt to adult for full and half-sib families of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch was used to identify families with the highest survival rates at Big Creek Salmon Hatchery in Oregon. Adult fish from families with high survival were bred selectively for four consecutive generations in an attempt to increase smolt survival. A significant improvement in survival in the select line compared to the control after two generations of selection was not maintained in subsequent generations. We concluded that selection was not an effective method for increasing survival of smolts released at Big Creek Hatchery.
Alleviating the suffering of seriously ill children

Modern medicine has largely focused on the physical aspects of disease, aggressively attacking the illness, often at the expense of caring for pain and suffering. Medical interventions based solely on the diagnosis and treatment of disease limit the medical care of the severely ill child. Such an approach is particularly detrimental when caring for the terminally ill. Successful care of children with chronic, life-threatening, or terminal illnesses requires a comprehensive assessment of their physical, psychological, and spiritual needs as well as a process of collaboration between members of the multiple disciplines involved in the care of the patient and the family unit as a whole. Supportive/palliative care serves as a bridge between a scientific (disease-oriented) and humanistic (person-oriented) approach to patient care. Bridging this gap early in the course of life-threatening illness is essential for successful palliative intervention to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for the child and his or her family. A model that introduces supportive, palliative, and hospice services into the mainstream of medical therapy is emphasized as a standard for the care of all children with significant chronic, life-threatening, or terminal illness. This article expands on a previous paper published in the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care (Kane JR, Barber RG, Jordan M, et al.: Supportive/palliative care of children suffering from life-threatening and terminal illness. May/June 2000; 17(3): 165-172).
Between Demythologizing and Deconstructing the Map: Shawnadithit's New-found-land and the Alienation of Canada

Understood as the product of an agent of knowledge, the cartographic work of Shawnadithit (the last known Beothuk survivor in Newfoundland) questions a whole set of essential and Eurocentric notions of identity, space and history. Geographically, it displaces the 'new'-ness and emptiness of the Europeans' Newfoundland. Historically, it disrupts a traditional treatment of native people as at once sacrificial victims and heroic proxies in Canadian national history. And epistemologically, it serves to put into question some of the dominant modes of classifying 'indigenous cartography' within cartographic history. In order for such disruptive effects to be realized, it is necessary to shuttle between demythologizing and deconstructing the map—two modes of analysis that need to be better distinguished in scholarship that addresses maps as technologies of power/knowledge. [Colonial boundaries drawn on maps] provide perhaps the most spectacular illustrations of how an anticipatory geography served to frame colon...
A Novel High Resolution Epoxy Based Dry Film Material for Wafer Level Packaging Application

Applications of a novel epoxy based dry film photoresist, PerMX3000, have been investigated in this work in case of 3D structure architecture, micro-fluid tunnel, and wafer surface molding. For different package level requirements, such material provides high resolution patterning ability for narrow pitch layout design; controllable side wall shape from positive slope to negative slope; good adhesion property with silicon, silicon dioxide, BCB, polyimide, and general UBM metals for RDL and bumping in wafer level package; high chemical resistivity with alkaline, organic alkaline, acidic solutions. Dry film type material even enlarges the compatibility for the purpose of wafer level packaging process. In this work, single layer and multi-layers stacking laminations were performed. Non-planar surface with over 30um topography differences can be laterally modified into 2um by over-lamination of PerMX3000 material. Furthermore, the material with low cross-link temperature and low shrinkage reduces wafer warpage concerned in thermal curing process. The demonstration results shows high expected potential and possibilities for new package demand in next generation.
Lattice-based Integrated-signal Nanocellular Automata (LINA) for the future of QCA-based nanoelectronics

Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) are one of the few currently well developed nanoelectronics paradigms which offer a potentially suitable replacement to CMOS ICs. However, to compete as a CMOS alternative, QCA circuits must show advantages in speed, density, and/or power dissipation requirements while maintaining reliabilities which are acceptable to hardware designers. Past and recent studies of these QCA properties have produced evidence that QCA may indeed provide advantages over end-of-the-line CMOS, however, not without their own set of challenges. In particular, current implementation strategies to create QCA which produce reliable room temperature operation depend on single nanometer molecular cells with no near-term fabrication solutions. In an attempt to resolve this issue, the QCA architecture has been modified to provide a reasonable route to near term implementation. These new designs feature lattice placed 2-dot QCA cells that utilize adjustable wire and gate widths which self-correct faulty signals and provide increased QCA reliabilities. With these designs, larger materials, which are able to be fabricated with near term technologies, could be explored for reliable room temperature QCA operation. This work introduces these new geometries and cell structures forming the Lattice-based Integrated-signal Nanocellular Automata (LINA) QCA variant. Simulation results of the LINA designs are also presented which show additional improvements in power, speed, and circuit density against traditional QCA designs.
The twain shall meet: libraries meet academic computing centers

Academic computing services provide computing for student instruction and faculty research. Recently, academic computing centers have taken on the task of providing On-line Public Access Catalogs for libraries. Besides serving a new audience, there has been a paradigm shift. The On-line Public Access Catalogs are indeed production systems and understanding this paradigm shift is crucial for a continuing dialogue between academic computing centers and information systems providers like libraries.This paper will look at this paradigm shift and will discuss the following areas. OrganizationPriority settingSystem requirementsUser needs
The incidence of ethanol-induced hypoglycemia.

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence of ethanol-induced hypoglycemia. All nondiabetic patients who had blood alcohol levels above 0.10% and a random serum chemistry drawn (including glucose) were included. Over a 6-month study period, 378 patients were included in the study. Fifteen patients (4%) presented with hypoglycemia (glucose 106 mg%). Nonfasting glucose measurements from a control group of 96 nondiabetic, nonintoxicated patients were compared with those of the study group. Two patients (2%) presented with hypoglycemia and none (0%) presented with profound hypoglycemia. Forty-five patients (47%) presented with normoglycemia, and 49 (51%) with hyperglycemia. There were no statistically significant differences found in the hypoglycemia rate between the intoxicated patients and nonintoxicated control population (odds ratio of 0.75; P > .05). Four of 378 intoxicated patients (1%) had profound hypoglycemia ( P P
Production of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) by Alcaligenes latus from maple sap

Maple sap, an abundant natural product especially in Canada, is rich in sucrose and thus may represent an ideal renewable feedstock for the production of a wide variety of value-added products. In the present study, maple sap or sucrose was employed as a carbon source to Alcaligenes latus for the production of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). In shake flasks, the biomass obtained from both the sap and sucrose were 4.4 +/- 0.5 and 2.9 +/- 0.3 g/L, and the PHB contents were 77.6 +/- 1.5 and 74.1 +/- 2.0%, respectively. Subsequent batch fermentation (10 L sap) resulted in the formation of 4.2 +/- 0.3 g/L biomass and a PHB content of 77.0 +/- 2.6%. The number average molecular weights of the PHB produced by A. latus from maple sap and pure sucrose media were 300 +/- 66 x 10(3) and 313 +/- 104 x 10(3) g/mol, respectively. Near-infrared, (1)H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and (13)C-MRI spectra of the microbially produced PHB completely matched those obtained with a reference material of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid]. The polymer was found to be optically active with [alpha](25) (D) equaled to -7.87 in chloroform. The melting point (177.0 degrees C) and enthalpy of fusion (77.2 J/g) of the polymer were also in line with those reported, i.e., 177 degrees C and 81 J/g, respectively.
No-carrier-added radioiodination of triolborates, water-soluble complexes of boronic acids

A convenient and rapid synthesis of iodine-123 labeled aryl and heteroaryl iodides from water-soluble complexes of aryl- and heteroarylboronic acids has been developed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Multiscale Wavelet Solver with O(n) Complexity

In this paper, we use the biorthogonal wavelets recently constructed by Dahlke and Weinreich to implement a highly efficient procedure for solving a certain class of one-dimensional problems, (?21/?x21)u = f,I ? Z, I > 0. For these problems, the discrete biorthogonal wavelet transform allows us to set up a system of wavelet-Galerkin equations in which the scales are uncoupled, so that a true multiscale solution procedure may be formulated. We prove that the resulting stiffness matrix is in fact an almost perfectly diagonal matrix (the original aim of the construction was to achieve a block diagonal structure) and we show that this leads to an algorithm whose cost is O(n). We also present numerical results which demonstrate that the multiscale biorthogonal wavelet algorithm is superior to the more conventional single scale orthogonal wavelet approach both in terms of speed and in terms of convergence.
Drought Indicators and Triggers: A Stochastic Approach to Evaluation

Drought management depends on indicators to detect drought conditions, and triggers to activate drought responses. But determining those indicators and triggers presents challenges. Indicators often lack spatial and temporal transferability, compara- bility among scales, and relevance to critical drought impacts. Trig- gers often lack statistical integrity, consistency among drought categories, and correspondence with desired management goals. This article presents an approach for developing and evaluating drought indicators and triggers, using a probabilistic framework that offers comparability, consistency, and applicability. From that, a multistate Markov model investigates the stochastic behavior of indicators and triggers, including transitioning, duration, and fre- quency within drought categories. This model is applied to the analysis of drought in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in the southeastern United States, using indicators of the Standardized Precipitation Index (for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months), the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index. The analysis revealed differences among the perfor- mance of indicators and their trigger thresholds, which can influ- ence drought responses. Results contribute to improved understanding of drought phenomena, statistical methods for indi- cators and triggers, and insights for drought management. (KEY TERMS: drought; indicators; triggers; stochastic; Markov model; Standardized Precipitation Index; Palmer Index; Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin.)
Multifunctional hybrid neural network: real-time laboratory results

Real-time optical laboratory data is provided on the CMU hybrid optical/digital neural network (NN). Our simulator verifies prior laboratory results and identifies the major system error source as the lack of a true zero input neuron value. Our real-time optical laboratory data includes associative processor (AP), multitarget (MTT) optimization, and adaptive learning NNs.
Einfluss der thorakalen Epiduralanalgesie auf die frühe postoperative Phase nach Eingriffen am Gastrointestinaltrakt

Hintergrund. Die thorakale Epiduralanasthesie wird in der Viszeralchirurgie als adjuvantes Anasthesieverfahren angewandt und in der Regel als postoperative thorakale Epiduralanalgesie (TEA) weitergefuhrt. Die spezifische Unterbrechung nozizeptiver Reflexe begrenzt die chirurgische Stressantwort, steigert durch Blockade der sympathischen Aktivierung die intestinale Durchblutung, kann die pulmonale Funktion verbessern und die gastrointestinale Motilitat gunstig beeinflussen.
Ethanol substitutes for the discriminative stimulus effects of m-chlorophenylpiperazine.

Abstract Rats were trained to discriminate the 5-HT agonist m -chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) from saline. Ethanol (0.1 to 1 g/kg, i.p.) partially substituted for the discriminative stimulus effects of 1 mg/kg mCPP. Methysergide (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5-HT 1/2 receptor antagonist, blocked the ability of ethanol (1 g/kg) to substitute for mCPP. The largest dose of ethanol markedly reduced response rate. These findings suggest an important role of serotonin receptors in mediating the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol.
Design of a multi-purpose titanium bottle for uncontaminated sampling of carbon monoxide and potentially of other analytes

The design, construction, and performance of a non-contaminating titanium sampler for carbon monoxide (CO) are described. In light of the favorable properties of titanium and the minimal contact of O-rings with samples, this multi-purpose design is expected to excel at a broad range of other uses: sampling gases, organic compounds, some trace metals, and living and dead particles.
Control of airway function during and after exercise in asthmatics.

ABSTRACT Control of airway function during and after exercise in asthmatics. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 1(Suppl.), pp. S4-S11, 1999. In asthmatics, airway function can be quite variable during exercise depending on the level of exercise intensity, the duration of exercise, and whether the exercise is at constant load or variable in intensity. Airway diameter can be affected by activity of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves, by systemic mediators such as catecholamines, and by local mediators such as histamine or leukotrienes. Asthmatic airways are populated with more inflammatory cells than normal airways, and bronchoconstrictor mediator release from these cells is probably caused by drying of the mucosa during and after periods of increased ventilation. There are a few bronchodilating mediators present in both asthmatic and normal airways that could protect against this bronchoconstriction, including prostaglandin PGE2 and nitric oxide. Although it is clear that many of the inflammatory mediators play a role in causing bronchoconstriction after exercise, the role of either bronchoconstrictor or bronchodilator mediators in controlling airway function during exercise has yet to be resolved. In addition, the mechanical interaction between lung parenchyma and airways may provide a bronchodilating influence. In conclusion, the variability in airway function during exercise in asthmatics could be caused by balance among various bronchodilator and bronchoconstrictor mediators, but it may also reflect a mechanical effect of varying levels of ventilation.
Withdrawal from morphine in mice suppresses splenic macrophage function, cytokine production, and costimulatory molecules.

Abstract We have previously shown that abstinence from morphine by either abrupt (AW) or precipitated (PW) withdrawal induces greater than 80% suppression in the capacity to mount an in vitro plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells at 24-h post withdrawal. Present studies on the mechanisms of immunosuppression showed that addition of normal unfractionated spleen cells, macrophage-enriched adherent cells, or CD11b + purified macrophages, to spleen cells taken from withdrawn mice, restored immune responses. Spleen cells from mice undergoing withdrawal also had decreased splenic mRNA and/or protein levels of IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α, IL-12, and IFN-γ. Addition of IL-1β or IFN-γ to AW cultures was able to reverse their immunosuppression. These results strongly suggest that morphine withdrawal results in a deficit of macrophage function.
Genetic and Genomic Public Health Strategies: Imperatives for Neonatal Nursing Genetic Competency☆☆☆

Genetics and genomics are emerging as the central science for 21st century health care. Proficient nursing care incorporates this central science. Nursing genetic competency includes anticipating future demands spurred by knowledge advancement. Three emerging public health areas that call for future neonatal nursing genetic competency development will be discussed here: increasing emphasis on neonatal family health histories, population genetic biobanking, and family genetic advocacy. Neonatal nurses can develop genetic competency by targeting (1) collaborative efforts between nurse and family regarding neonatal family health history preparation and understanding its genetic implications; (2) referrals to and partnerships with genetic advocacy groups in programs that empower neonate's families; (3) familiarity with biobank practices that interface nursing care domains.
Prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia: An Update

Note from Dr. Merle A. Sande--We have recently come to appreciate the fact that successful chemotherapy of opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS is akin to treatment of certain malignancies: In both instances, induction, followed by maintenance, therapy is required. Although control of initial infections is usually successful with current regimens, relapse is common if lifelong prophylactic or suppressive therapy is not used. This is true in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, and cytomegaloviral infection. Because Drs. Joseph A. Kovacs and Henry Masur of the National Institutes of Health have been instrumental in developing strategies for the management of P. carinii pneumonia, they were asked to discuss their current approach to chemoprophylaxis of this infection in this AIDS Commentary.
Sociology: Parochial or Universal?

Sociologists in the main define their field as the scientific or systematic study of human groups, human societies, or human social behavior, a formulation that does not imply any spatial limit upon its scope. In practice, most sociological studies are conducted within one society, and fezv theoretical propositions can find support in research results based on comparable data from many societies. To counter such undesirable parochialism, this paper calls urgently for recognition of the need for much more emphasis on cross-societal comparative research and proposes ways in which such an expansion can be facilitated. Science . . . is not, as is sometimes thought, a way of building a solid indestructible body of immutable truth, fact laid precisely upon fact in the manner of twigs in an anthill. Science is not like this at all: it keeps changing, shifting, revising, discovering that it was wrong and then heaving itself explosively apart to redesign everything. It is a living thing, a celebration of human fallibility (Thomas, 1). American sociologists seem everlastingly to conduct probing and frequently skeptical evaluations of the sociological enterprise. In private conversations, in their own courses, and in print they are wont to call into question even the most sacred foundations of our discipline. Mayhew's recent charge that "American sociologists are generally unfamiliar with a sociological apprehension of social phenomena" because the field "has been dominated by an individualist, psychologistic perspective" (335) is a good case in point. My own purpose is to direct attention to what I regard as a serious shortcoming of sociology, to point to the available means of overcoming the problem, and to propose ways to facilitate the movement in what I see as the desirable direction. The defect to which I refer is parochialism. My awareness of this situation began over 15 years ago soon after I became a visiting professor in *Presidential address delivered at the annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society, 1981; a revised version of a lecture presented at Auburn University on May 2, 1979. I am indebted to faculty members at Auburn and to David W. Coombs, John V. D. Saunders, and Marilyn Emplaincourt for helpful comments and suggestions. I 1981 The University of North Carolina Press. 0037-7732/81/020416-31$01.60
Nonparametric bottom-up saliency detection by self-resemblance

We present a novel bottom-up saliency detection algorithm. Our method computes so-called local regression kernels (i.e., local features) from the given image, which measure the likeness of a pixel to its surroundings. Visual saliency is then computed using the said “self-resemblance” measure. The framework results in a saliency map where each pixel indicates the statistical likelihood of saliency of a feature matrix given its surrounding feature matrices. As a similarity measure, matrix cosine similarity (a generalization of cosine similarity) is employed. State of the art performance is demonstrated on commonly used human eye fixation data [3] and some psychological patterns.
The Development of Policy Recommendations to Address Individual and Family Needs of Infants and Young Children Affected by Family Substance Use

This article describes a process by which the state of California defined pertinent issues in the development of state policy regarding the individual and family needs of infants and young children affected by family substance use. The complex nature of the problem calls for a multifaceted approach to policy development. To this end, the California Child Development Programs Advisory Committee convened researchers and experienced practitioners in medicine, education, childcare, foster care, child development, psychology, teen counseling, chemical dependency, legislative offices, and government agencies for two scheduled “think tanks.” Twenty-one recommendations addressing 12 topics were generated and disseminated to the state administration, the legislature, state agencies, other state and local policymakers, and individuals in the private sector. These policy recommendations, as they apply to the delivery of early intervention services, are discussed.
SES differentials in health by age and alternative indicators of SES.

Despite the general persistence and even increase of strong socioeconomic status (SES) differentials in health in the United States, research suggests that SES differentials in health may diminish or become nonexistent at older ages. However, most research has used only limited measures of SES (e.g. education, income), and has not thoroughly investigated intra-elderly age differences in this trend. The current study investigates how SES differentials in health vary by age in the United States, using fairly detailed age categories (through ages 85+), and 2 alternative indicators (home ownership and liquid assets) of a major additional dimension of SES, financial assets, which may be especially important at older ages. We address (a) how strongly financial assets are associated with health, considered both alone and net of education and income; (b) if the health effects of financial assets vary by age; and, more specifically, (c) if their effects are especially pronounced in older age, again considered both...
NASA/JPL Tumbleweed polar rover

The Tumbleweed rover, currently under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is a large, windblown, inflated ball, which carries an instrument payload in its interior. Such rovers offer an effective and simple means of gathering data over large spatial extents of Earth, Mars, and other solar system bodies. Tumbleweeds could prove to be a safe and economical way of deploying instruments such as a ground penetrating radar or a magnetometer in numerous hostile environments. The latest version of the rover was recently deployed in Greenland, where it completed a more than 130km autonomous traverse across an ice sheet. Communicating via the Iridium satellite network, the rover in question successfully and reliably relayed live GPS, temperature, and pressure data to a ground station at JPL for nearly ten days. The follow-on rover is currently being readied for a traverse from the South Pole to the coast of Antarctica some 2000km away. The Antarctic test is set to take place in February of 2004 and will serve to verify Tumbleweed as an effective means of harvesting data in extreme and remote settings.
Sensitive Periods in the Development of the Brain and Behavior

Experience exerts a profound influence on the brain and, therefore, on behavior. When the effect of experience on the brain is particularly strong during a limited period in development, this period is referred to as a sensitive period. Such periods allow experience to instruct neural circuits to process or represent information in a way that is adaptive for the individual. When experience provides information that is essential for normal development and alters performance permanently, such sensitive periods are referred to as critical periods. Although sensitive periods are reflected in behavior, they are actually a property of neural circuits. Mechanisms of plasticity at the circuit level are discussed that have been shown to operate during sensitive periods. A hypothesis is proposed that experience during a sensitive period modifies the architecture of a circuit in fundamental ways, causing certain patterns of connectivity to become highly stable and, therefore, energetically preferred. Plasticity that occurs beyond the end of a sensitive period, which is substantial in many circuits, alters connectivity patterns within the architectural constraints established during the sensitive period. Preferences in a circuit that result from experience during sensitive periods are illustrated graphically as changes in a ''stability landscape,'' a metaphor that represents the relative contributions of genetic and experiential influences in shaping the information processing capabilities of a neural circuit. By understanding sensitive periods at the circuit level, as well as understanding the relationship between circuit properties and behavior, we gain a deeper insight into the critical role that experience plays in shaping the development of the brain and behavior.
Perceived coping as a mediator between attachment and psychological distress: A structural equation modeling approach

This study examined perceived coping (perceived problem-solving ability and progress in coping with problems) as a mediator between adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and psychological distress (depression, hopelessness, anxiety, anger, and interpersonal problems). Survey data from 515 undergraduate students were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that perceived coping fully mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and psychological distress and partially mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and psychological distress. These findings suggest not only that it is important to consider attachment anxiety or avoidance in understanding distress but also that perceived coping plays an important role in these relationships. Implications for these more complex relations are discussed for both counseling interventions and further research.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice Appraising Its Usefulness for Young Children with Disabilities

Recently, many educators have advocated the use of the Developmentally Appropriate Practice approach in preschool programs for young children who are developing normally, as well as for young children with special needs. This article reviews the rationales and basic premises of both the Developmentally Appropriate Practice approach and early childhood special education. We highlight areas in which developmentally appropriate practice guidelines overlap those of early childhood special education. We also point out the insufficiencies of these guidelines for planning, carrying out, and evaluating early childhood special education programs. We provide a selective literature review to clarify issues that still separate the two areas and discuss the implications of these divisions for future integration efforts. Finally, we offer suggestions for standards that should guide the evaluation of all programs that serve young children with disabilities.