cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of isotope dilution and excretion methods for determining the half-life of ascorbic acid in the guinea pig.

The half-life of ascorbic acid (AA) in guinea pigs was investigated by the isotope dilution and excretion methods. The dilution method measures (1-14C)AA disappearance from the plasma, whereas the excretion method measures the elimination of (1-14C)AA and the metabolites from the body. Two groups of animals underwent both isotope studies in reverse order. Animals were conditioned to the experimental procedures and fed 2.5 mg AA/100 g body weight orally to maintain a daily intake of the vitamin independent of food consumption. The two isotope procedures imposed similar stress on the animals, as determined by plasma cortisol levels and body weight changes. The AA half-life calculations of the rapidly exchangeable pool by the isotope dilution method yielded values of 1.23 and 0.34 hours for the two groups, respectively. The half-life of the slowly exchangeable pool for the two groups was 60.2 and 65.8 hours, respectively. The half-life of AA in the rapidly exchangeable pool, as measured by the excretion studies, was 4.57-8.75 hours. For the slowly exchangeable pool, it was 146-149 hours. The longer half-life of both pools obtained with the excretion method indicates that the isotope is disappearing from the plasma more rapidly than it is being excreted. This suggestsmore » that a portion of the (1-14C)AA leaving the plasma is removed to a body pool that is not sampled by the isotope excretion method.« less
Struggling for Democracy and Human Rights – Cosmopolitanism in Transitional Democracies

Since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, global society has been characterized by a transition from international law, based on treaties among states, to cosmopolitan law, which endows individuals with rights in a way that challenges established forms of sovereignty. Most debates on the challenges posed by cosmopolitanism have presupposed a stable institutional framework in which the principles of sovereignty and democracy coincide, thus obscuring the role played by the state. In this paper, I analyze these challenges from the point of view of weak, transitional democracies in which sovereignty remains in tension with the demands of both democracy and human rights. I then attempt to reformulate Seyla Benhabib’s notion of the “democratic paradox”, based on the tension between universal rights and sovereign self-determination, and focus on the democratic decision made by transitional regimes of whether or not to prosecute past human rights abuses. I argue that the most promising way to mitigate such tensions, as Benhabib suggests for consolidated regimes, is the principle she develops of “democratic iteration,” which is a deliberative, open-ended process, even if, in transitional regimes, it cannot ultimately guarantee either the respect for human rights nor democratic stability. No outcome can be determined in advance.In consolidated democracies, the state has to confront the undemocratic demands of rights that do not have their basis in the state. In transitional democracies, it also has to confront the undemocratic demands of those that do. In consolidated regimes, these demands might lead to discussions about the redefinition of sovereignty; in transitional regimes, these demands might bring about their demise. Deliberation and iteration shed light on the limits to sovereign democracy posed by cosmopolitan norms. Transitional democracies, which cannot take for granted a stable framework, shed light on the limits of deliberation and iteration, that is, the limits of cosmopolitanism itself.
Improving clustering analysis for credit card accounts classification

In credit card portfolio management, predicting the cardholders’ behavior is a key to reduce the charge off risk of credit card issuers. The most commonly used methods in predicting credit card defaulters are credit scoring models. Most of these credit scoring models use supervised classification methods. Although these methods have made considerable progress in bankruptcy prediction, they are unsuitable for data records without predefined class labels. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate the applicability of unsupervised learning methods in credit card accounts classification. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to explore an unsupervised learning method: cluster analysis, for credit card accounts classification, (2) to improve clustering classification results using ensemble and supervised learning methods. In particular, a general purpose clustering toolkit, CLUTO, from university of Minnesota, was used to classify a real-life credit card dataset and two supervised classification methods, decision tree and multiple-criteria linear programming (MCLP), were used to improve the clustering results. The classification results indicate that clustering can be used to either as a stand-alone classification method or as a preprocess step for supervised classification methods.
Outcomes for Patients with Poor-Grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: To Treat or Not To Treat?

neurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a potentially devastating condition that confers high rates of A morbidity and mortality. Although mortality from aSAH has decreased significantly over the past several decades, current estimates of case fatality in the United States and Western Europe remain as high as 40% for all patients. Improvements in microsurgical and endovascular techniques, coupled with the development of neurocritical care as a distinct discipline, have contributed to the steady decline in overall morbidity and mortality from aSAH. Although outcomes have improved, aSAH continues to account for almost 30% of stroke-related years of potential life lost before age 65 despite being responsible for only 4.4% of all stroke-related mortality. Survivors of aSAH not only suffer from increased all-cause mortality, but also from significant morbidity well after recovery from the acute phase of illness. Studies indicate functional dependence in approximately 20% of survivors.
Robots as Recruitment Tools in Computer Science: The New Frontier or Simply Bait and Switch?

There is little doubt that the use of robots in introductory classes is an effective way to spark an initial interest in Computer Science and recruit students into our classes, and subsequently recruit some of them as Computer Science majors. But when the semester is over, the vast majority of our students are unlikely to see robots in the classroom again until they take advanced courses in AI or Robotics. It is time for those of us who are proponents of the use of robots in Introductory Computer Science to start thinking seriously about how we are using robots in our classes, and how to sustain the interest and enthusiasm of our students as they move on to more traditional courses. While the focus of this paper is on the use of robots in Introductory Computer Science courses, my goal is to initiate a more general discussion on the use of any sort of cool new technology (tangible or not) into both undergraduate and K-12 education. These technologies successfully attract students to study subjects that we ourselves are deeply engaged in. But we need to discuss as a community what happens when our individual classes conclude and the rest of their studies commence.
DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF SELF AND OTHER CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS

Summary.-Children in Grades 1. 3, 5 and 7 were presented with 4 achievement and 4 social situations varying in outcome (positive-negative) and asked to explain why these events might happen to them and to their best friend. Results indicated that only the oldest age children assigned less personal causation to their own than friends' actions in line with Jones and Nisbett's (1971) analysis. This finding was only obtained in response to positive, social situations. Number of causes mentioned per situation tended to increase with age. Artributions made for achievement situations were more self-serving in nature than attributions made for social situarions. The type of act being judged was seen as an important variable in examining self-other attributions in both children and adults. Jones and Nisbett (1971) proposed that individuals typically use situational or environmental reasons to explain their actions whereas dispositional or personal causes are more often used to explain the same actions performed by another person. Empirical results consistent with this theoretical statement have been reported in several studies involving adult subjects (e.g., Nisbett, Caputo, Legant, & Maracek, 1973; Storms, 1973; Taylor & Koivumaki, 1976). Little is known about whether similar attributions are made by children, and if so, their developmental characteriscics. Presently, only two studies have investigated developmental trends in self versus other attribution. Mischel, Mailer, and Zeiss' reported that children averaging seven years of age chose personal causes more often to explain events supposedly involving themselves than the same events involving best friends. Five-yr.-olds, however, showed the opposite tendency. Also, older children chose personal causes more often to explain their behavior than did younger children. Alvaret and Harvey (1977) had first, third, sixth, and eighth graders play a perceptual-motor game while another child passively watched. Subjects (both actors and observers) were led to believe that the actor achieved either a "superior" or "average" score. Actors in Grades 3, 6, and 8 attributed superior (but not average) outcomes more to effort, a personal cause, than observers. No actor-observer differences were found among first graders on effort attributions or for children in any grade on ability and task difficulty attributions.
Orthodontic therapy for the restorative patient. Part I: The biomechanic aspects

The integration of interspecialty treatment before the restorative and prosthodontic efforts of the dentist can eliminate conditions that have the potential to jeopardize successful completion of the proposed treatment. Adult dentitions that have deteriorated because of neglect, fear, caries, extractions, or trauma can be restored to stability, health, function, and esthetics. In "Part I, The biomechanic aspects," the orthodontic paralleling of proposed abutment teeth displays premolar (buccolingual) and molar (mesiodistal) uprighting procedures that achieve improved force distribution to these teeth. Molar intrusion (occlusoapical) to improve an occlusal plane distribution of adverse forces to the proposed opposing fixed partial denture is discussed. These vexing problems facing successful reintegration of the altered states of occlusal relationships frequently can be answered by the incorporation of preprosthodontic corrections.
Critical heat capacity in a 3-methylpentane + nitroethane mixture near its consolute point

A computerized high-resolution ac calorimetric technique has been used to measure the heat capacity ${C}_{\mathrm{px}}$ of a critical 3-methylpentane + nitroethane binary-liquid mixture. An analysis of these results yields universal parameters in good agreement with those expected for the $d=3$, $n=1$ (three-dimensional Ising) universality class. The critical exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}={\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ lies in the range 0.11-0.12, the ratio $\frac{{A}^{\ensuremath{'}}}{A}$ of the amplitudes of the leading singularity in ${C}_{\mathrm{px}}$ above and below ${T}_{c}$ is 1.79\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06. The ratio of the corrections-to-scaling amplitudes $\frac{{D}^{\ensuremath{'}}}{D}$ is \ensuremath{\sim}1. The quantity $\frac{{A}_{v}{\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}^{3}}{{k}_{B}}$, which relates the critical amplitude of the heat capacity to that of the correlation length, is also in agreement with the renormalization-group value for the three-dimensional Ising model as expected from two-scale-factor universality.
Measurement of the De Haas-Van Alphen effect in the transition metal oxide ReO3

Abstract We have measured the De Haas-Van Alphen effect in the transition metal oxide ReO 3 . Three groups of oscillations have been observed.
Evolutionary Psychology and False Confession.

rankings/about/03human_meth.htm National Opinion Research Center. (1997). A review of the methodology for the U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of undergraduate colleges and universities. Retrieved January 15, 2003, from the Washington Monthly Web site: www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/ 2000/norc.html Thompson, N. (2000, September). Playing with numbers: How U.S. News mismeasures higher education and what we can do about it. Retrieved January 21, 2003, from the Washington Monthly Web site: www.washingtonmonthly .com/features/2000/0009.thompson.html
Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma in Persons With Inflammatory Bowel Disease From 1998 to 2010

Background & Aims The relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the incidence and mortality of colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) has not been evaluated recently. Methods We calculated the incidence and standardized incidence and mortality rate ratios of CRC among adult individuals with intact colons using Kaiser Permanente of Northern California's database of members with IBD and general membership data for the period of 1998 to June 2010 (data through 2008 were used to calculate mortality). We also evaluated trends in medication use and rates of cancer detection over time. Results We identified 29 cancers among persons with Crohn's disease (CD) and 53 among persons with ulcerative colitis (UC). Overall, the incidence rates of cancer among individuals with CD, UC, or in the general membership were 75.0, 76.0, and 47.1, respectively, per 100,000 person-years. In the general population, the incidence of CRC was 21% higher in 2007–2010 than in 1998–2001 ( P for trend, P for trend was as follows: CD, .98; UC, .40). During 1998–2008, the standardized mortality ratio for CRC in individuals with CD was 2.3 (95% CI, 1.6–3.0) and 2.0 in those with UC (95% CI, 1.3–2.7). Over the study period, anti–tumor necrosis factor agents replaced other therapies for CD and UC; the rate of colonoscopy increased by 33% among patients with CD and decreased by 9% in those with UC. Conclusions From 1998 to 2010, the incidence of CRC in patients with IBD was 60% higher than in the general population and essentially stable over time.
Repetition and attitudinal discrepancy effects on the affective response to television advertising

Abstract Significant, favorable attitudinal response toward both the brand and ad were observed at the first exposure in a laboratory experiment on the effects of repeated exposure to television advertisements. At higher levels of repetition, lower, although still positive, ratings were obtained. Response was significantly mediated by prior brand attitude. Mean differences in attitude toward the brand and ad were only partially accounted for by changes in brand perception.
Synthesis and evaluation of phospholipid analogs as inhibitors of cobra venom phospholipase A2

Synthese d'analogues de phosphatidylcholine ou le groupe situe en 2 est remplace par des oxo-2 alkyle ou des hydroxy-2 alkyle
Inhibition of iron uptake from iron salts and chelates by divalent metal cations in intestinal epithelial cells.

Iron chelates, namely, ferrous bisglycinate and ferric EDTA, are promising alternatives to iron salts for food fortification. The objectives of this study were to compare iron uptake from radiolabeled ferrous sulfate, ferrous ascorbate, ferrous bisglycinate, ferric chloride, ferric citrate, and ferric EDTA by Caco-2 cells with different iron status and in the presence of divalent metal cations. Iron-loaded Caco-2 cells, with reduced DMT-1 and elevated HFE mRNA levels, down-regulated uptake from ferrous ascorbate and bisglycinate but not from ferric compounds. Nevertheless, iron uptake from all compounds was markedly inhibited in the presence of 100-fold molar excess of Co2+ and Mn2+ cations, with ferrous compounds showing a greater percent reduction. Our results suggest that ferrous iron is the predominant form of iron taken up by intestinal epithelial cells and the DMT-1 pathway is the major pathway for uptake. Iron uptake from chelates appears to follow the same pathway as uptake from salts. Keywords: I...
Enhancing the magnetic anisotropy of cyano-ligated chromium(II) and chromium(III) complexes via heavy halide ligand effects.

A method of increasing the axial zero-field splitting parameter for transition metal complexes of utility in the assembly of magnetic clusters is demonstrated through the use of heavy atoms as auxiliary ligands. The octahedral complexes [Cr(dmpe)2(CN)X]+ (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane, X = Cl, Br, I) and Cr(dmpe)2(CN)X (X = Cl, I) are synthesized and structurally characterized. Variable-field magnetization measurements show the magnitude of D for these complexes to increase significantly as the halide ligand varies from chloride to iodide, ranging from 0.11 cm−1 for [Cr(dmpe)2(CN)Cl]+ to 6.26 cm−1 for Cr(dmpe)2(CN)I.
Experimental evaluation of a boron-lined parallel plate proportional counter for use in nuclear safeguards coincidence counting

Abstract Boron-lined proportional technologies are increasingly being considered as a viable option for the near-term replacement of 3 He-based technologies for use in international nuclear safeguards neutron detection and coincidence counting applications. In order to determine the applicability and feasibility of any replacement technology for international safeguards, it must be evaluated against performance parameters specific to nuclear safeguards applications. In this paper, we present an experimental evaluation of a boron-lined parallel plate proportional counter developed by Precision Data Technology, Inc. (PDT). The counter performance was evaluated using a high-rate 252 Cf spontaneous fission neutron source and a set of 137 Cs gamma-ray sources with a dose rate of 450 mR/h at the detector face. The performance data were subsequently compared with an equivalent 3 He-based system defined using the Monte Carlo N -particle eXtended (MCNPX) radiation transport code.
Pedicled flaps: an experimental and clinical study.

This study was initiated in order to find a reliable, inexpensive, convenient and clinically applicable method to predict pedicle flap viability. The method, if valid, would enable rapid patient rehabilitation. The method evaluated in this study is flap temperature.
Peptibodies: A flexible alternative format to antibodies

Peptibodies or peptide-Fc fusions are an attractive alternative therapeutic format to monoclonal antibodies. They consist of biologically active peptides grafted onto an Fc domain. This approach retains certain desirable features of antibodies, notably an increased apparent affinity through the avidity conferred by the dimerization of two Fcs and a long plasma residency time. Peptibodies can be made in E. coli using recombinant technology. The manufacturing process involves fermentation and downstream processing, including refolding and multiple column chromatographic steps, that result in overall yields and quality suitable for commercial development. Romiplostim, marketed under the brand name Nplate®, is the first peptibody to be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency and is indicated for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura. AMG 386, a peptibody antagonist to angiopoietins 1 and 2, is being evaluated in Phase 3 clinical testing in combination with chemotherapy in women with ovarian cancer. AMG 819, a peptibody targeting nerve growth factor for pain has also progressed to clinical trials. These peptibodies illustrate the versatility of the modality.
Novel imidazolium chiral ionic liquids that contain a urea functionality

Abstract Nine chiral room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), which contain a chiral moiety and a urea functionality bonded to a imidazolium ring, have been designed and synthesized. The synthesis of these ionic liquids is concise and practical due to the commercial availability of the starting materials. These novel RTILs were readily prepared from 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole and amino acid ester derived isocyanates. We envision that these new chiral RTILs can serve as effective reaction media as well as chiral catalysts, which are presently being investigated in our laboratory.
A note on deletion diagnostics for estimating equations

We describe an algorithm based upon the Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury formula for the inversion of matrices with special structure that occur in formulae for deletion diagnostics. Substantial computational savings relative to a method based upon Cholesky's decomposition are illustrated. The result has broad application to regression diagnostics for clustered data.
A displacement bound principle for elastic-plastic structures subjected to blast loading

Abstract An energy principle is derived which provides upper bounds on the plastic deformations that occur in an elastic-plastic structure subjected to blast loading. Applications are made to several problems for which complete solutions are known in order to assess the accuracy and the applicability of the technique. Reasonably accurate bounds are obtained with a substantial saving in effort over the complete analysis. The present technique provides a safe estimate of the critical permanent deformations in problems for which the complete solution may require lengthy numerical calculation.
The correlation potential for two‐electron atomic ions

The correlation potential is computed for two electron atomic ions with atomic numbers from 1 to 10 using the charge density reconstructed from a natural orbital expansion of a Kinoshita-like atomic wave function. Over the wide range of densities involved, the correlation potentials are not even approximately a local function of the density.
Atrioventricular Conduction System in Left Bundle-Branch Block with Normal QRS Axis

In nine patients with left bundle-branch block (LBBB), normal QRS axis, and normal P-R interval, atrial, His bundle, and ventricular electrograms were recorded. The extrastimulus method was utilized to determine the relative refractoriness of the various components of the atrioventricular conducting system. The functional refractory period (FRP) of the A-V node was normal in all but one patient. In six patients, the effective refractory period (ERP) of the ventricular specialized conducting system (VSCS) was greater than the FRP of the A-V node. The differential refractoriness within the three components of the VSCS was determined. Before the ERP of the VSCS was reached, a leftward shift in the mean QRS axis was noted in all six patients, thus documenting participation of the left anterior division of the LBB in ventricular depolarization. We found no evidence that the left posterior division participated in ventricular activation and conclude that it is functionally silent in LBBB. Conduction abnormaliti...
Toward a proof of entropy increase in the presence of quantum black holes

A sufficient condition for the quantum entropy to be nondecreasing under a trace-preserving positive linear map is that the 'totally random' state be stationary. It is argued that this condition will be satisfied by the quantum system consisting of the region external to one or more black holes. This would explain why a 'generalized second law of thermodynamics' appears to hold in the presence of black holes.
Analysis and testing of the divergence and alignment indicator using the Penn State neutron radiography beam

The divergence and alignment indicator (DAI) was developed to test the alignment of the imaging plane in a neutron beam and to determine the divergence angle of the beam. The construction of the device was intentionally kept simple to allow ease of implementation. The DAI consists of an aluminum plate and rods, and cadmium wire for contrast. The device was tested in the Pennsylvania State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor neutron radiography beam. Three basic cases (aligned, aligned in only one direction, and completely misaligned), were used to determine that the derived equations for calculating the beam divergence were correct for each case. During the use of a newly fabricated DAI device, it was discovered that the most prominent weakness of the DAI is the precision necessary in the construction. For example, the top of the plate must be precisely flat. Otherwise, the minor differences in height will lead to large discrepancies in the data.
The Myth of the Dam

Change and stability can be understood not as polar opposites but as conditions necessary to the viability of organic life. Social transformation may be accomplished, in part, because there exists a mythopoeic faculty which during processes of transformation acts to preserve one's self-concept and collective identification. Although the Nubian practiced labor migration over centuries, he asserts, today, that no one could have left Nubia had it not been for the construction of the Aswan dam in 1902. By reference to the mythical effect of the dam on his natural history, the Nubian could bring into congruence the apparent contradiction between his urban commitment and his loyalty to collective sentiments. Allegorically, by extracting his migratory behaviors from their historical roots and by attaching them to an artifact of symbolic significance for the collectivity, migration would represent no denial of his relation to nature. Myth and ritual may be cohesive forces when they act on a society undergoing change.
Regional and temporal differences in real-time dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens during free-choice novelty

Abstract To assess dopamine efflux during novelty-seeking behavior in rats, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in the nucleus accumbens was combined with free-choice entry into a novel environment. Cyclic voltammograms, confirmed by in vitro testing, revealed that entry into novel, but not familiar, surroundings increased dopamine efflux in a regionally and temporally distinct pattern. Whereas dopamine failed to change in the core region of the accumbens and overlying neostriatum, an abrupt increase occurred in accumbal shell, a limbic-related area implicated in goal-directed behavior. Although the dopamine response was confined to the brief period of entry into novelty (∼8 s duration), a less rapid and more persistent dopamine change (>20 s duration) occurred in the shell–core transition zone, the so-called shore. These results suggest that novelty mimics other positively reinforcing stimuli in enhancing dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens, but the regional and temporal heterogeneity of this effect may represent different aspects of accumbal dopamine function.
Dynamics of coding in communicating with chaos

Recent work has considered the possibility of utilizing symbolic representations of controlled chaotic orbits for communicating with chaotically behaving signal generators. The success of this type of nonlinear digital communication scheme relies on partitioning the phase space properly so that a good symbolic dynamics can be defined. A central problem is then how to encode an arbitrary message into the wave form generated by the chaotic oscillator, based on the symbolic dynamics. We argue that, in general, a coding scheme for communication leads to, in the phase space, restricted chaotic trajectories that live on nonattracting chaotic saddles embedded in the chaotic attractor. The symbolic dynamics of the chaotic saddle can be robust against noise when the saddle has large noise-resisting gaps covering the phase-space partition. Nevertheless, the topological entropy of such a chaotic saddle, or the channel capacity in utilizing the saddle for communication, is often less than that of the chaotic attractor. We present numerical evidences and theoretical analyses that indicate that the channel capacity associated with the chaotic saddle is generally a nonincreasing, devil’s-staircase-like function of the noise-resisting strength. There is usually a range for the noise strength in which the channel capacity decreases only slightly from that of the chaotic attractor. The main conclusion is that nonlinear digital communication using chaos can yield a substantial channel capacity even in noisy environment. @S1063-651X~98!04708-4#
Integration of KLA Starlight for phase-shift mask manufacturing

In the chrome-on-glass photomask inspection arena, KLA Starlight tool is mostly used in manufacturing mode as a particle detector and final plate quality verification, before mounting the pellicle, after pelliclization or both. When it applies to phase-shift reticles -- embedded attenuated as well as PhaseEdge --, there are other applications of Starlight defect detectivity, in addition to the above. This paper describes uses of Starlight technology at several process steps of PSM manufacturing. It addresses case of I-line and DUV Cr/MoSi embedded attenuated and multiple level quartz- etched alternating. Illustrations provided show several typical defect. Finally challenge to migrate from a development use into a full manufacturing integration is discussed. Based on Starlight performance, the price to pay to extend use of initially binary chrome-on-glass tool designed for production of phase-shift reticles is seized.
Differences in large and small firm responses to environmental context: strategic implications from a comparative analysis of business formations

Despite growing recognition of some strategic advantages held by small firms, little comparative research has been performed on the advantages and disadvantages accruing to firm size. In order to delineate the differential responses of small and large businesses to their environmental context, we perform a comparative analysis of the impact of industry structural characteristics on the formation of large and small businesses in a large sample of U.S. manufacturing industries from 1977 to 1987. The results suggest that small businesses possess certain resources that allow them to overcome some barriers which create greater difficulties for their larger counterparts, as well as allow small businesses to exploit certain industry opportunities more readily than larger ones. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coping With Pediatric Cancer: Strategies Employed by Children and Their Parents to Manage Cancer-Related Stressors During Treatment

Pediatric cancer patients and their families face significant physical, emotional, and psychosocial challenges. Few studies have investigated how children manage these challenges and how parents may help in the process. This qualitative study aimed to explore common cancer-related stressors for children and to examine child coping and parental assistance in coping with these stressors during treatment. Fifteen children undergoing cancer treatment and their parents participated in semistructured interviews. Four themes emerged capturing cancer-related stressors: cancer treatment/side effects, distressing emotions, disruption in daily routines, and social challenges. Six themes emerged regarding child coping strategies that were classified within an approach/avoidance coping framework. Approach coping strategies included the following: cognitive restructuring, relaxation, practical strategies, seeking social support, and emotional expression. Distraction was the only avoidant coping strategy. Parents tended...
A Preliminary Evaluation of Functional Communication Training Effectiveness and Language Preference When Spanish and English are Manipulated

We evaluated whether differences in treatment effectiveness or preference between languages emerged across Spanish and English during functional communication training (FCT) for young children with developmental disabilities exposed to Spanish and English in the home environment. Participants were 2 young children with developmental disabilities who displayed destructive behavior maintained by social contingencies and whose families spoke Spanish and English at home. All procedures were conducted in the participants’ homes by their mothers with coaching from the investigator. The effectiveness of FCT was evaluated within a reversal design across baseline, FCT, and extinction conditions. A multielement design across language type (Spanish and English) was embedded within the reversal design during the extinction and FCT conditions to evaluate differences in treatment effectiveness across type of language. Finally, during all FCT sessions, a concurrent schedules design was used to evaluate participant preference for type of language. Results suggested that FCT was effective in reducing destructive behavior, increasing manding, and/or increasing task completion for these 2 participants across Spanish and English treatment conditions. Preference for the type of language did not emerge for either participant during FCT. Results are discussed in terms of the merits of systematically evaluating language variables when working with culturally and linguistically diverse families and children.
An application of computer algebra to algebraic topology

In this work we study a certain formal power series that is of considerable interest to algebraic topologists, the [p k ]-series. We define the series in a purely combinatorial way and indicate its usefulness. Then, by using computer algebra techniques, we compute it up to a high coefficient. Our computation has led to some interesting information on the coefficients of the [p k ]-series.
Posthatch Carbohydrate Feeding and Subsequent Performance of Turkey Poults

Abstract In two floor pen trials, day-old poults were fed a low-protein (18.6%) diet for the first 24 or 48 h compared with control poults fed a 28% protein diet. Beyond these initial treatments, all poults were treated identically and were fed the normal progression of starter, grower, and finisher diets to market weight. The treatments did not alter market age body weight or feed conversion. Early mortality and feed intake during the first 48 h were unaffected by the treatments. Feeding the low-protein diet for 24 h enhanced liver glycogen reserves compared with the control. In a battery cage trial, diets containing 50, 33, or 15% available carbohydrate (20, 28, or 35% crude protein, respectively) were fed for 24 h posthatch. The diets had no effect on blood glucose level, but liver glycogen concentration increased with increasing dietary carbohydrate. The results clearly indicate that carbohydrate metabolism is altered by posthatch dietary carbohydrate level. The results also suggest that the dietary protein requirement during the first 24 or 48 h posthatch may not be as high as it is currently thought to be.
Immune Influence on Adult Neural Stem Cell Regulation and Function

Neural stem cells (NSCs) lie at the heart of central nervous system development and repair, and deficiency or dysregulation of NSCs or their progeny can have significant consequences at any stage of life. Immune signaling is emerging as one of the influential variables that define resident NSC behavior. Perturbations in local immune signaling accompany virtually every injury or disease state, and signaling cascades that mediate immune activation, resolution, or chronic persistence influence resident stem and progenitor cells. Some aspects of immune signaling are beneficial, promoting intrinsic plasticity and cell replacement, while others appear to inhibit the very type of regenerative response that might restore or replace neural networks lost in injury or disease. Here we review known and speculative roles that immune signaling plays in the postnatal and adult brain, focusing on how environments encountered in disease or injury may influence the activity and fate of endogenous or transplanted NSCs.
Vancomycin in Pediatrics

Vancomycin, a complex glycopeptide antibiotic, has achieved somewhat limited use since its introduction in 1956. It has excellent antibacterial activity against a variety of Gram-positive organisms, including those resistant to semisynthetic penicillins such as methicillin. Because of its higher potential for adverse side effects, such as thrombophlebitis and ototoxicity, it should be reserved for illnesses associated with methicillin-resistant staphylococci or in patients who have serious allergies to the penicillins. It has shown excellent effectiveness in a wide range of serious infections due to Gram-positive bacteria. Vancomycin should be administered intravenously, except in the case of staphylococcal or pseudomembranous colitis associated with C difficile in which oral administration is the appropriate route. In infections with enterococci, combination with an aminoglycoside is indicated as synergism occurs. It is excreted by the kidney; extra care must be taken in treating patients with renal failure. Dosing in anephric patients undergoing dialysis is greatly simplified by its prolonged half-life and is usually necessary only every seven to 14 days. Monitoring the serum concentration is desirable in all patients receiving vancomycin to ensure an efficacious, but nontoxic level.
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the guinea pig: variation in peripheral blood lymphocyte responsiveness to myelin basic protein during disease development.

Abstract Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from guinea pigs with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by sensitization with bovine whole white matter, proliferated in vitro upon exposure to bovine myelin basic protein (B-MBP). The degree of the response increased with clinical severity. PBL from EAE-sensitized guinea pigs which failed to develop clinical disease did not respond to B-MBP. PBL from complete Freund's adjuvant-sensitized and nonsensitized normal guinea pigs were not responsive to B-MBP. EAE-sensitized animals displaying clinical signs of disease showed concanavalin A (Con A) responsiveness which paralleled that of B-MBP. Animals that did not develop EAE demonstrated Con A responses similar to those of control guinea pigs. Thus, in this acute autoimmune demyelinating condition, PBL responsiveness to B-MBP might provide a monitor of disease development.
Studies in the Simaroubaceae—IV. Resume of the American genera

The genera of the Simaroubaceae are for the most part well marked and sharply delimited. Sintarouba, Simaba, and Quassia are closely related, and might conceivably be united in an ultra-conservative treatment, but are nonetheless readily separable. The other American genera are so distinctive as to be poor subjects for either combination or segregation. With the genera so well delimited, it is not surprising that the family is loosely knit and poorly marked. It has been confused with, and is in one or another respect similar to the Rutaceae, Sapindaceac, Zygophyllaceae, Anacardiaceae, and Burseraceae, as well as some others. It is here accepted in the sense of Engler, who apparently had a very good understanding of it. In general, though with numerous exceptions, the Simaroubaceae may be distinguished by their very bitter bark, the absence of gland-dots on the leaf surfaces, the weakly united or distinet carpels borne on a short broad gynophore, and, in most genera, pinnately compound leaves. The natural position of the family is in the order Geraniales, adjacent to the Rutaceae. I wish to thank Dr. R. T. Major, Director of the Research Laboratory of Merck & Co., Ine., who made this study possible, Dr. Bassett Maguire and Mr. B. A. Krukoff, of the New York Botanical Garden, who have given helpful advice and criticism, and aided in obtaining necessary material, and the curators of the following herbaria (designated hereinafter by the letters at the left), who have loaned specimens for study:
Temporary Occlusion of the Middle Cerebral Artery in the Monkey: Clinical and Pathological Observations

The right middle cerebral artery (MCA) was exposed in monkeys via a retro-orbital microsurgical approach. In 43 animals a temporary occlusive clip was placed on the MCA origin for one to 24 hours. In 20 animals, the origin of the MCA was permanently occluded. Clinical evaluation of the monkeys one to three days postoperatively showed that one to two-hour clipping caused no or mild neurological deficits, four-hour clipping caused mild to moderate deficits, six to eight-hour clipping caused moderate to severe deficits, and 24-hour clipping produced severe deficits or death, a result equivalent to that produced by permanent occlusion. Gross and microscopical evaluation of the brains showed that one to two-hour clipping usually caused no or mild damage, four-hour clipping caused mild to moderate damage (often with capsular sparing), and six to eight-hour clipping and 24-hour clipping produced severe extensive infarction not different from that caused by permanent occlusion. Six to eight-hour clipping and 24-h...
Demographic factors affecting constitutional decisions: the case of municipal charters

After decades of studying municipal charters largely by looking for patterns in the data, we have a good basis for proceeding more formally with testable theories. The political significance of demographic change becomes apparent by looking at its impact on political conflict in combination with the biases in social-choice rules. The theory of civil rights provides a framework for doing this. It suggests identifying (1) the distribution of civil rights conveyed to citizens by alternative charters and (2) the bases for political conflict, such as different demands for services and the unequal command of economic resources to satisfy them. Charters, then, become political tools. Simple statistical tests fail to refute this.
Conserved RB functions in development and tumor suppression

The variety of human cancers in which the retinoblastoma protein pRb is inactivated reflects both its broad importance for tumor suppression and its multitude of cellular functions. Accumulating evidence indicates that pRb contributes to a diversity of cellular functions, including cell proliferation, differentiation, cell death, and genome stability. pRb performs these diverse functions through the formation of large complexes that include E2F transcription factors and chromatin regulators. In this review we will discuss some of the recent advances made in understanding the structure and function of pRb as they relate to tumor suppression, and highlight research using Drosophila melanogaster that reveals important, evolutionarily conserved functions of the RB family.
Rheological Properties of Yogurt Made with Encapsulated Nonropy Lactic Cultures

Rheological properties were determined for skim milk that had been fermented with ropy cultures, nonropy encapsulated cultures, and nonropy unencapsulated cultures. Reconstituted NDM was cultured with single strains or combinations of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus at 37°C until the desired pH (4.6 for single-strain yogurt and 4.2 for mixed-strain yogurt) was attained. Yogurt made with encapsulated nonropy strains had higher shear stress values than yogurt made with unencapsulated nonropy strains. Ropy strains produced yogurts with the highest shear stress values. The consistency coefficient (upward flow) and apparent viscosity (downward flow) of yogurt made with encapsulated nonropy strains were higher than those of yogurt made with unencapsulated nonropy strains. Encapsulated nonropy mixed cultures produced yogurt that had a higher stability index than that of yogurts made with ropy and unencapsulated nonropy strains. Bacterial capsules might cause weak points within the gel structure, resulting in a product with lower values for shear stress. Although both types of polysaccharides (capsular and ropy slime) influenced the rheological properties of yogurt, each produced different effects. Slime polysaccharides produced a stretchable structure unlike capsular polysaccharide, but both polysaccharides increased viscosity.
Continuing Pregnancy Rates by Number of Concepti Transferred

The purpose of this analysis is to examine the pregnancy potential of individual concepti according to the number of concepti transferred. This may shed further light on the optimum number of concepti to be transferred and evaluate further the pregnancy potential of any untransferred concepti which might be preserved for future transfer.
A statistical framework for the analysis of long image time series

Coarse spatial resolution satellites are capable of observing large swaths of the planetary surface in each overpass resulting in image time series with high temporal resolution. Many change‐detection strategies commonly used in remote sensing studies were developed in an era of image scarcity and thus focus on comparing just a few scenes. However, change analysis methods applicable to images with sparse temporal sampling are not necessarily efficient and effective when applied to long image time series. We present a statistical framework that gathers together: (1) robust methods for multiple comparisons; (2) seasonally corrected Mann–Kendall trend tests; (3) a testing sequence for quadratic models of land surface phenology. This framework can be applied to long image time series to partition sources of variation and to assess the significance of detected changes. Using a standard image time series, the Pathfinder AVHRR Land (PAL) NDVI data, we apply the framework to address the question of whether the in...
A New Constellation Rearrangement without Signaling for IR-HARQ in the IMT-Advanced System

This paper has presented a new constellation rearrangement (CoRe) theme for a good performance/complexity tradeoff if circular buffer rate matching (CBRM) is applied for incremental Hybrid ARQ (IR-HARQ) with turbo coding or LDPC coding. The presented technique is applied to high order modulation, such as 16QAM and 64QAM, with 2 versions. For all transmissions of one HARQ process, the previous half uses the first version depicted by the constellation in [1], and the last half uses the second version which swaps the high reliability bits and low reliability bits within each QAM symbol. The constellation rearrangement version distribution is the same among all transmissions for the same HARQ Process. This scheme doesn't need any signaling bit to indicate the CoRe version of the current transmission, and easily average out the unequal bit reliabilities of the overlapping section. For example, when the overlapping happens in IR-HARQ with CBRM, the beginning/tail part of the second transmission shall overlap with the tail/beginning part of the first transmission, which provides an averaging effect among the reliability of the overlapped bits. Simulation results have proved that the proposed scheme outperforms the traditional CoRe scheme with 2 versions, and has close performance to traditional CoRe scheme with 4 versions.
Anomalous trend in soil evaporation in a semi-arid, snow-dominated watershed

Soil evaporation in arid and semi-arid regions is generally moisture-limited. Evaporation in these regions is expected to increase monotonically with increase in precipitation. In contrast, model simulations in a snow-dominated, semi-arid Reynolds Mountain East (RME) watershed point to the existence of an anomalous trend in soil evaporation. Results indicate that soil evaporation in snow-dominated watersheds first increases and then subsequently decreases with increasing precipitation. The anomalous variation is because of two competing evaporation controls: (a) higher soil moisture in wetter years which leads to larger evaporation, and (b) prolonged snow cover period in wetter years which shields the soil from the atmosphere, thus reducing soil evaporation. To further evaluate how the competition is mediated by meteorological and hydrogeological characteristics of the watershed, changes in the trend due to different watershed hydraulic conductivity, vegetation cover, and snowfall area fraction are systematically studied. Results show considerable persistence in the anomalous trend over a wide range of controls. The controlling factors, however, have significant influence both on the magnitude of the WY evaporation and the location of the inflection point in the trend curve.