cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GANG PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA

The article summarizes an evaluation of youth gang prevention and intervention programs across 33 boys and girls clubs which were designed to implement strategies and techniques for reaching and mainstreaming at-risk youth or those on the fringe of gag insolvent. Thirty boys and girls club sites were funded as prevention program sites (of which eight receives additional funds to develop youth gang prevention consortiums) and three were funded as intervention program sites. This study, conducted form April 1991 to February 1992, was designed as a process evaluation, summarizing what happened across the club sites. The information collected and used for evaluation contained basic demographic descriptors, indicators of at-risk factors, and indicators of school performance. The evaluation was based on data obtained from case management information collected by club personal at all sites, on-sites observation, and interviews by members of the research team. The evaluation center on actual program implementation in order to draw inference concerning the degree to which gang prevention and intervention program objectives were achieved. In addition, the descriptive data suggests that some outcome objectives were achieved; however, the evaluation was note designed as a scientific out study . overall, the results of this evaluation demonstrate that these programs were effective in reaching targeted youth and that come of the efforts implemented deserve consideration by those planning future prevention and/or intervention undertakings. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
Distributed authentication for peer-to-peer networks

A public key infrastructure is generally (and effectively) used for cryptographically secure authentication in networks. Ad-hoc networks are formed in a haphazard manner. Security services for ad-hoc networks cannot assume the existence of a particular infrastructure. Peer-to-peer technology is promising in addressing security issues in ad-hoc networks. We provide a novel; cryptographically secure representation of trust based on secure groups - troupes. We show how troupes can be constructed in a distributed manner using RSA accumulators. Troupe-membership is verified using the zero-knowledge protocol of modular exponentiation. Each node in a group has an identity within a group, but it is not required to reveal the identity during verification. This trust model is not centrally controlled and can be deployed incrementally in the network. This paper presents protocols and a prototype implementation of the troup based authentication system.
NT-proBNP levels in the ICU do not predict the etiology of respiratory distress.

BNP and NT-proBNP are hormones released by the ventricular myocardium in response to pressure and volume overload. Their levels help differentiate cardiac from noncardiac etiologies of dyspnea. For example, NT-proBNP above 1000 pg/ml is as a cutoff value indicating CHF is a more likely cause of dyspnea in non-ICU patients. The applicability of this test to a mixed ICU population is unclear and there is no known correlation between PCWP and BNP levels in these patients. In addition, there is no known correlation between elevated NT-proBNP and the incidence of respiratory failure.
Seed Zinc of Soybean as an Indicator of Zinc Status of the Mother Plant

ABSTRACT Evaluation of soybean (Glycine max L.) genotypes for iron (Fe) deficiency can be influenced by zinc (Zn) deficiency. Post-harvest analysis for seed-Zn concentration [Zn] is one way to assess the likelihood that Zn deficiency interfered with genotype assessment. A greenhouse study was conducted on a calcareous soil low in available Zn to determine the influence of ZnSO4 (0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 mg Zn kg−1) on growth and seed [Zn] of three soybean genotypes differing in seed size (BS-8920H—large; MK1009HP—intermediate; and EX9228N—small). Maximum seed yields were obtained with 2 mg ZnSO4-Zn kg−1 for all three genotypes. Severity of Zn-deficiency symptoms in the absence of Zn fertilizer was less pronounced in BS-8920H than in MK1009HP and EX9228N. The relative response to Zn fertilizer was also least with BS-8920H, the large-seeded genotype. However, critical seed [Zn] values were similar for the three genotypes. Seed [Zn] of 31 to 33 mg Zn kg−1 or greater indicated that seed yield was not affected by Zn ...
Comparison of psychosocial adjustment of mothers and fathers of high-risk infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective To compare the psychosocial adjustment of mothers and fathers to the birth of a premature or critically ill infant hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Study design Using a comparative design, we studied 165 mothers and father pairs of high-risk neonates. Mothers were 29.1 +/- 6.7 and fathers were 30.7 +/- 6.8 years old. All infants were hospitalized in the NICU. Couples completed questionnaires in either English or Spanish during the infant's NICU stay. Results Mothers were more poorly adjusted and were more anxious, hostile, and depressed than fathers, but both parents experienced levels of emotional distress significantly above normative values. Mothers and fathers reported equal levels of family functioning and social support and shared similar feelings of control related to the health status of their infant. Conclusion The birth of an infant who requires care in the NICU environment is highly stressful for both parents. Physicians, nurses, and other health professionals working in the NICU should assess the psychosocial adjustment in both parents, but mothers may require more intense education and counseling to reduce the distress they experience.
Bit and symbol error rates for complementary code key modulation with alternative bit mappings

Full-rate modulation in the IEEE 802.11b standard employs complementary code keying (CCK) with a set of 256 signals that provides 11 Mb/s in favorable indoor propagation environments. The bit-to-symbol mapping of IEEE 802.11b is suboptimal for applications in which the bit error probability is important. We present analytical and simulation results on the bit and symbol error probabilities for IEEE 802.11b CCK and alternative bit mappings that improve CCK systems that need not adhere to the standard.
Vibrating cantilever mass flow sensor

Abstract A key aspect of maintaining the correct ratio of air to fuel at the intake of fuel-injected internal combustion engines is measuring the mass flow (kg/s) of incoming air. In one method, the hotwire anemometer, utilizing the phenomenon of forced convection, has seen considerable development for this purpose. In this paper an alternate technique, using the effect of aerodynamic drag on a vibrating object, is explored. In particular, the drag damps the resonance oscillations of the vibrator in an amount proportional to the mass flow. The vibrators are small cantilever blades driven at resonance (1–5 kHz range) by piezoelectric actuators. Such factors as blade size, resonant frequency and gas density were experimentally explored. The technique is attractive because of its non-thermal nature and its potential for taking advantage of the economics of silicon batch fabrication methods.
Forage Quality and Production of Small Grains Interseeded into Bermudagrass Sod or Grown in Monoculture

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is productive in summer but dormant for much of the year in the central USA. The grazing season for bermudagrass can be lengthened with fall-interseeded small grains, which provide forage for early-season grazing. We compared forage yield and quality of rye (Secale cereale L., two cultivars), wheat (Triticum aestivum L., three cultivars), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L., one cultivar) when interseeded into bermudagrass sod or grown in monoculture. Field plots of each small grain were harvested two to four times each season and analyzed for in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and crude protein (CP). Cumulative forage production for early spring (growing degree days [GDD] 1000) production of barley was usually greater than that of rye, but wheat cultivars were more balanced in seasonal production. Total forage production among small grains was often similar within each system, but the monoculture system had an almost threefold advantage. Although cultivars varied for IVDMD in the monoculture system, comparisons of digestible dry matter (DDM) were more consistent among harvests. Early DDM production of barley was usually lowest among the species, but as high or higher than other species for ryes. Concentrations of CP were variable, but relative CP production and yield had similar trends. In this study, rye was the best-suited species for interseeding in bermudagrass for early-season forage in grazing systems.
Cranial Morphology of a Pantolestid Eutherian Mammal from the Eocene Bridger Formation, Wyoming, USA: Implications for Relationships and Habitat

Pantolestinae is a eutherian subfamily of mammals whose members are known from the middle early Paleocene through at least the beginning of the Oligocene of North America. They are also known from Europe, and possibly Africa. A lack of information on pantolestine skulls has prevented the use of cranial anatomy in evaluation of this group’s enigmatic higher-level phylogenetic relationships. Conversely, postcranial skeletons are well known and locomotor interpretations based on them are robust. The most complete known skull of a pantolestine, Pantolestes longicaudus (YPM 13525), is described here and compared to potential close fossil relatives and extant mammals. Semicircular canal morphology is used to test locomotor hypotheses. YPM 13525 lacks an ossified bulla. It has a mediolaterally broad basioccipital, a large entoglenoid process, and a deeply incised glaserian fissure of the squamosal, caudal and rostral tympanic processes on the petrosal, a foramen for an internal carotid artery (ICA) that entered the tympanic cavity from a posteromedial position, bony tubes enclosing the main stem and transpromontorial branch of the ICA, a large anterior carotid foramen formed within the basisphenoid, evidence of a stapedial artery ramus superior, a groove on the dorsal aspect of the basisphenoid leading to the piriform fenestra possibly for drainage of the cavernous sinus to an extracranial inferior petrosal sinus, a dorsum sellae with well-developed posterior clinoid processes, a foramen rotundum within the alisphenoid, and a sphenorbital fissure between the alisphenoid and orbitosphenoid. Overall, the morphology is not strikingly similar to any potential close relative and the phylogenetic position of Pantolestinae cannot be estimated without cladistic analysis of a character matrix that includes this new morphology and broadly samples extant and extinct eutherian taxa. Semicircular canal morphology differs from that of two likely terrestrial Paleocene mammals, Aphronorus (another pantolestid) and Eoryctes (a palaeoryctid), suggesting a different, possibly semi-aquatic, lifestyle for Pantolestes.
Using counterfactual exercises to enhance decision-making in sexual health.

In 1996, in a large metropolitan city in the Southwest, a 14-year-old girl went to a party. After the party, around midnight, she agreed to go for a ride with two 18-year-old boys she met. Sitting between the boys in the front of the driver's truck, she was pressured to engage in sex. She strongly resisted. The boys threw her out of the truck and drove away, leaving her on a deserted city street around two in the morning. Clearly the young woman's decision to go with the boys was a poor one.
Ultrasensitive native fluorescence detection of proteins with miniaturized polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by laser side-entry excitation.

Direct detection of separated proteins inside polyacrylamide gels has many advantages compared to staining methods. Ultrasensitive native fluorescence detection of proteins with miniaturized 1 -D and 2-D PAGE was achieved with laser side-entry excitation. The detection limit for R-phycoerythrin protein spots in 1-D SDS-PAGE with 532 nm excitation was as low as 15 fg, which corresponds to only 40 000 molecules. The average detection limit of six standard native proteins was 5 pg per band with 275 nm excitation. The dynamic range spanned more than three orders of magnitude. By using the same detection setup, approximately 150 protein spots from 30 ng of total Escherichia coli extraction were detected on a 0.8 cm x 1 cm gel in 2-D separation. The significant improvement in sensitivity for laser side-entry excitation comes from higher excitation power and lower background level compared with other excitation modes.
Slotted third-harmonic peniotron forward-wave oscillator

An experiment has been built to test the novel, efficient peniotron interaction at the third harmonic in a slotted eight-vane waveguide by using the axis-encircling electron beams produced by a gyroresonant rf accelerator. By configuring the oscillator so that the peniotron is excited as a forward wave at the cutoff frequency of a travelling-wave circuit, the peniotron can be made to dominate over the usually stronger gyrotron interaction. The 10 GHz peniotron will be driven by a 70 kV, 3.5 A axis-encircling electron beam with (alpha) equals v(perpendicular)/VZ equals 1.3 and is predicted by a nonlinear, self-consistent, multi-mode PIC code to yield 110 kW with 45% efficiency. The travelling-wave circuit is terminated on the upstream end by a load and by a transition to a TE41/TE11 mode converter on the collector end. PIC code simulation results and a description of the assembled experiment are presented.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Clinging to Mammy: The Faithful Slave in Twentieth-Century America – By Micki McElya

In 1893 Nancy Green—former slave and black domestic—debuted as “Aunt Jemima” at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in a marketing ploy for the R. T. Davis Milling Company's ready‐mix panca...
Inventing the “All-American Boy” A Case Study of the Capture of Boys' Issues by Conservative Groups

In the United States and internationally in recent years, a great deal of attention, particularly within popular publications, has been paid to boys, their rearing, and their education. While much of this concern has clearly had conservative aims or at least conservative overtones, even the more progressive elements of the concern over boys have been “pulled into” the conservative camp. Indeed, the entire advocacy position for boys has often been (discursively, at least) relegated to conservatism. This article examines why this happens and, more important, shows how this occurs on a small scale. The author focuses here on how conservatives “pull in” rather than how the Left “pushes out.” Using frameworks laid out by Apple, Bernstein, Bourdieu, and others, the author shows how an unlikely artifact—a toy catalog—might serve as a case study for the methods conservative groups use to pull the debate, as well as those teachers and parents who are intimately affected by its outcomes, under the “umbrella” of con...
Is a Positive Bladder Neck Margin Truly a T4 Lesion in the Prostate Specific Antigen Era? Results From the SEARCH Database

Purpose: Positive bladder neck margins after radical prostatectomy are currently designated as pT4 lesions. However, to our knowledge the prognostic significance of a positive bladder neck margin in the prostate specific antigen era is unknown. We examined the association between positive bladder neck margins and prostate specific antigen recurrence relative to other pathological findings.Materials and Methods: We examined 1,722 men from the Shared Equal Access Research Cancer Hospital Database who were treated with radical prostatectomy without lymph node metastases. Time to prostate specific antigen recurrence was compared in men with positive vs negative bladder neck margins using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for multiple clinical and pathological features.Results: A positive bladder neck margin in 79 patients (5%) was significantly associated with other poor prognostic features, including higher prostate specific antigen, higher pathological Gleason sum, extracapsular extension, seminal ve...
Extraperitoneal urine leak after renal transplantation: the role of radionuclide imaging and the value of accompanying SPECT/CT - a case report

The differentiation of the nature of a fluid collection as a complication of kidney transplantation is important for management and treatment planning. Early and delayed radionuclide renography can play an important role in the evaluation of a urine leak. However, it is sometimes limited in the evaluation of the exact location and extent of a urine leak. A 71-year-old male who had sudden anuria, scrotal swelling and elevated creatinine level after cadaveric renal transplantation performed Tc-99 m MAG3 renography to evaluate the renal function, followed by an ultrasound which was unremarkable. An extensive urine leak was evident on the planar images. However, an exact location of the urine leak was unknown. Accompanying SPECT/CT images confirmed a urine leak extending from the lower aspect of the transplant kidney to the floor of the pelvic cavity, presacral region and the scrotum via right inguinal canal as well as to the right abdominal wall. Renal scintigraphy is very useful to detect a urine leak after renal transplantation. However, planar imaging is sometimes limited in evaluating the anatomical location and extent of a urine leak accurately. In that case accompanying SPECT/CT images are very helpful and valuable to evaluate the anatomical relationships exactly.
433 Eros: Problems with the meteorite magnetism record in attempting an asteroid match

The Magnetometer experiment (MAG) onboard the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft detected no global scale magnetization and established a maximum magnetization of (2.1x10^(-6) Am^2 kg^(-1)) for asteroid 433 Eros. This is in sharp contrast with the estimated magnetization of other S-class asteroids (Gaspra ~ 2.4 x 10^(-2) Am^2 kg^(-1), Braille ~ 2.8 x 10^(-2) Am^2 kg^(-1) and is below published values for all types of ordinary chondrites. This includes the L/LL types considered to most closely match 433 Eros based on preliminary interpretations of NEAR remote geochemical experiments. The ordinary chondrite meteorite magnetization intensity data was reviewed in order to assess the reasonableness of an asteroid - meteorite match based on magnetic property measurements. NRM (natural remanent magnetization) intensities for the ordinary chondrite meteorites show at least a 2 order of magnitude range within each of the H,L,LL groups, all well above the 2.1 x10^(-6) Am^2 kg^(-1) level for 433 Eros. The REM values (ratio of the NRM to the SIRM (saturation remanent magnetization)) range over 3 orders of magnitude for all chondrite groups indicating no clear relationship between NRM and the amount of magnetic material. Levels of magnetic noise in chondrite meteorites can be as much as 70% or more of the NRM. Consequently published values of the NRM should be considered suspect unless careful evaluation of the noise sources is done. Goddard studies of per unit mass intensities in large (> 10,000gm) and small (down to <1 gm) samples from the same meteorite demonstrate magnetic intensity decreases as size increases. This would appear to be explained by demagnetization due to magnetic vector randomness at unknown scale sizes in the larger samples. This would then argue for some level of demagnetization of large objects such as an asteroid. The possibility that 433 Eros is an LL chondrite cannot be discounted.
A Combination Therapy of Nicotinamide and Progesterone Improves Functional Recovery following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Abstract Neuroprotection, recovery of function, and gene expression were evaluated in an animal model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a combination treatment of nicotinamide (NAM) and progesterone (Prog). Animals received a cortical contusion injury over the sensorimotor cortex, and were treated with either Vehicle, NAM, Prog, or a NAM/Prog combination for 72 h and compared with a craniotomy only (Sham) group. Animals were assessed in a battery of behavioral, sensory, and both fine and gross motor tasks, and given histological assessments at 24 h post-injury to determine lesion cavity size, degenerating neurons, and reactive astrocytes. Microarray-based transcriptional profiling was used to determine treatment-specific changes on gene expression. Our results confirm the beneficial effects of treatment with either NAM or Prog, demonstrating significant improvements in recovery of function and a reduction in lesion cavitation, degenerating neurons, and reactive astrocytes 24 h post-injury. The combina...
Circumferential modes of vibration of a model for a solid-propellantrocket.

A thick-walled solid cylinder, with a gas filling the circular cylindrical cavity, is encased in a thin elastic shell. The material of the solid cylinder is incompressible, and the behavior in shear is dependent on frequency. In this paper, the transcendental frequency equation for free nonaxially symmetrical motion in plane strain of the gas-solid-case system is derived, and is solved numerically. For various values of the relative thickness of the shell and for a large number of modes, the frequencies are shown vs the ratio of inner and outer radius of the cylinder. The dynamic interaction between gas and solid is discussed.
The observation of surface sensitive M2,3 absorption edge shifts by Reflected Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (REELS)

Abstract We have observed that an electron beam of kinetic energy 100–200 eV is scattered from some transition metal surfaces like Ti, Fe and Ni with a strong resonant energy loss corresponding to the M 2,3 core-level excitation. Because of the low kinetic energy, the scattering is principally from the surface atomic layer, and core-level spectroscopy of just the surface atoms is therefore possible. Chemisorption of oxygen on these transition metals caused substantial shifts in the M 2,3 threshold energies which appear to be related to charge transfer bonding with the oxygen.
Effects of correlation on the structure of impurity bands

Electron-electron interaction effects on electronic states density in electron gas impurity bands, using matrix method
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the European green crab (Carcinus maenas)

Carcinus maenas (Decapoda: Portunidae) has proven a highly successful invasive marine species whose potential economic and ecological impacts are of great concern worldwide. Here, we characterize 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in C. maenas and its sister species Carcinus aestuarii. These markers will prove useful for fine-scale genetic analyses of native and introduced populations, for assessment of the sources and routes of invasion and for evaluation of post-invasion population dynamics.
Accountability in philosophical research

This paper explores standards of accountability in philosophical research, particularly in relation to publication. The responsibility of researchers, editors, reviewers, and other scholars are discussed. Problems receiving special attention include: pressure to publish in order to obtain jobs, tenure, promotion, or merit pay; standards of quality; acknowledgement of the work of others; plagiarism; fabrication; distinguishing honest from careless misinterpretation; validation of empirical claims that underlie philosophical positions; and difficulties in detecting misconduct in philosophical research. The importance of self‐monitoring and moral character is stressed.
Cis-2-decenoic Acid Inhibits S. aureus Growth and Biofilm In Vitro: A Pilot Study

Background Cis-2 decenoic acid (C2DA) disperses biofilm in many strains of microorganisms. However, whether C2DA inhibits bacterial growth or has potential to boost the actions of antibiotics is unknown.
An Enhanced Stability Model for Electrostatic Comb-Drive Actuator Design

This paper presents a stability model for predicting the snap-in behavior of electrostatic comb-drive actuators, while taking into account the bearing direction stiffness and error motion of the associated flexure suspension. Error motions typically arise from the flexure suspension kinematics or manufacturing variations. The presented model allows for a more accurate determination of the comb-drive actuator’s motion range, limited by snap-in instability, as well as robustness against this instability over the motion range. Ultimately, this model is used as an effective design tool to help evaluate several existing and new flexure suspension geometries for range and robustness.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Regulation of pseudopodia localization in lymphocytes through application of mechanical forces by optical tweezers

T-lymphocytes are responsible for cell-mediated immunity, and recognize antigens on target cells (e.g., tumor cells, virus-infected cells) and antigen presenting cells (e.g., macrophages, dendritic cells). While mechanical forces applied to a cell surface can produce alterations in the cytoskeletal structure, leading to global structural rearrangements and changes in the intracellular biochemistry and gene expression, it remains unknown if local mechanical forces acting at the lymphocyte-antigen interaction site play any role in lymphocyte activation following antigen recognition. In this study we investigate the effect of such forces induced by optical tweezers on the lymphocyte's morphological response. We brought optically trapped polystyrene beads, coated with a specific antibody against a clonotypic epitope of the T-cell receptors (TCRs), in contact with individual lymphocytes and applied mechanical forces at the TCR-antibody interaction site. Although bead size was a factor, simple bead contact tended to induce formation of pseudopodia that appeared randomly over the cell's surface, while application of tangential forces at the interaction site redirected pseudopodia formation toward that site and promoted endocytosis activity. We propose that local forces play a key role in the initial lymphocyte adhesion to antigen-bearing cells, and may be implicated in antigen-specific motility, transendothelial migration, and tissue homing to sites of inflammation.
Hipparcos Parallaxes of Eclipsing Binaries and the Radiative Flux Scale

Eclipsing binaries with Hipparcos parallaxes are found to define a radiative flux relation for main-sequence stars in the B6-F0 range about as well as stars with angular diameters and to extend the range to F8. The fluxes of components of binaries showing large intrinsic variations fall well below the curve for other stars and its extension to lower temperatures. Angular diameters of main-sequence stars obtained with the new generation of stellar interferometers should improve and extend the flux calibration.
Disability Outcomes of Older Medicare HMO Enrollees and Fee‐for‐Service Medicare Beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether older Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare risk health maintenance organizations (HMOs) have different rates of disablement than fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of annual functional status transitions using the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 1991 to 1996. SETTING: Telephone interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty-five person-years of annual functional status transitions for noninstitutionalized older Medicare beneficiaries who were either risk HMO enrollees or FFS beneficiaries with or without private supplementary insurance. MEASUREMENTS: Five multinomial logit models were estimated as single-state transition models, with five functional states, death, and censored as outcomes. The probability of being in a certain functional state the following year was specified as a function of individual risk factors and HMO versus FFS supplementary insurance status. RESULTS: Among functionally independent beneficiaries, the odds of becoming disabled in activities of daily living (ADLs) within a year were lower among FFS individuals with supplementary insurance (odds ratios (OR) = 0.67, P < .01) and HMO enrollees (OR = 0.58, P < .01). Among older people who were functionally impaired, neither HMO enrollment nor private supplementary insurance affected the risk of further functional decline or functional improvement. Supplementary insurance, but not HMO enrollment, was associated with lower mortality risk among beneficiaries with functional limitations (OR = 0.65, P < .05) or moderate ADL disability (OR = 0.72, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Medicare risk HMO enrollment and FFS private supplementary insurance convey similar benefits of slowing functional decline and extending life span for nonseverely disabled older people. That no association was found between adverse functional status outcomes and risk HMO enrollment has favorable implications regarding the quality of care of managed care plans.
The Acquisition of Simple and Complex Spatial Locatives in English: A Longitudinal Investigation:

The emergence of simple and complex spatial locatives was investigated in six children learning English obtained from the CHILDES archives. We traced the emergence of 13 locative prepositions from the average age of 1;10 to 4;2. The locatives were as follows: (1) simple, in, on, into, onto, out of, off of, and (2) complex, across, along, around, through, deictic front, deictic back/behind, between. We determined the age of the initial occurrence and the age of the initial contrast with a related locative, e.g., into/onto and across/along. On average, the simple set emerged at 2;1 with minimal variability and maximal contrast, and the complex set at 3;4 with considerable variability and minimal contrast. The data were evaluated in the context of conceptual and linguistic factors.
Chromosomal rearrangements in cancer: Detection and potential causal mechanisms

Many cancers exhibit chromosomal rearrangements. These rearrangements can be simple, involving a single balanced fusion that preserves the proper complement of genetic information, or complex with one or more fusions that disrupt this balance. Recent technological advances have improved our ability to detect and understand these rearrangements, leading to speculation about potential causal mechanisms such as defective DNA double strand break repair and faulty DNA replication. A better understanding of these potential cancer-causing mechanisms will lead to novel therapeutic regimens to fight cancer. This review describes technological advances in methods used to detect simple and complex chromosomal rearrangements, cancers that exhibit these rearrangements, potential mechanisms for rearrangement of chromosomes, and intervention strategies designed specifically against fusion gene products and causal DNA repair/synthesis pathways.
On the pebbling threshold of paths and the pebbling threshold spectrum

A configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a graph is solvable if one can place a pebble on any given root vertex via a sequence of pebbling steps. A function is a pebbling threshold for a sequence of graphs if a randomly chosen configuration of asymptotically more pebbles is almost surely solvable, while one of asymptotically fewer pebbles is almost surely not. In this paper we tighten the gap between the upper and lower bounds for the pebbling threshold for the sequence of paths in the multiset model. We also find the pebbling threshold for the sequence of paths in the binomial model. Finally, we show that the spectrum of pebbling thresholds for graph sequences in the multiset model spans the entire range from n^1^/^2 to n, answering a question of Czygrinow, Eaton, Hurlbert and Kayll. What the spectrum looks like above n remains unknown.
Cutaneous vasomotor responses to cold pressor stimulation.

Two experiments are reported which tested the effect of cold pressor (CP) stimulation on cutaneous vasomotor activity. Both experiments confirm earlier findings that some Ss show decreased digital blood volume to CP (constrictors) while others show an increase (dilators). In Experiment I, it is demonstrated that the constrictor-dilator responses cannot be attributed to differential response to instruction. A superimposed reaction time task is shown not to change ongoing response to CP. Experiment II investigates the effects of levels of tonic activity upon response to CP stimulation in males and females by two methods: experimental manipulation of tonic level by shock and independent measurement of tonic sympathetic activity by other physiological measures (pulse amplitude and skin conductance). Resting levels of pulse wave amplitude are significantly correlated with response to CP, the higher the amplitude, the greater the time to blood volume rebound. The results tentatively support the hypothesis that constrictors and dilators differ in sympathetic vasomotor tonus prior to cold pressor.
Air and fluid leak tests after NOTES procedures: a pilot study in a live porcine model (with videos).

Background Transluminal access site closure remains a major challenge in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Objective Our purpose was to develop in vivo leak tests for evaluation of the integrity of transgastric access closure. Settings Survival experiments on 12 50-kg pigs. Design and Interventions After a standardized transgastric approach to the peritoneal cavity and peritoneoscopy, the gastric wall incision was closed with T-bars (Wilson-Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, NC) deployed on both sides of the incision and then cinched together. Gastrotomy closure was assessed with air and fluid leak tests. The animals were observed for 1 week and then underwent endoscopic evaluation and necropsy. Main Outcome Measurements (1) Leak-proof closure of the gastric wall incision. (2) Gastric incision healing 1 week after the procedure. Results The mean intraperitoneal pressure increased 10.7 ± 3.7 mm Hg during gastric insufflation when the air leak test was performed before closure compared with 0.9 ± 0.8 mm Hg after transmural closure of the transgastric access site with T-bars ( P Limitations Leak tests were only evaluated on an animal model. Conclusions Fluid and air leak tests are simple techniques to evaluate in vivo the adequacy of the transluminal access site closure after NOTES procedures. Leak-proof gastric closure resulted in adequate tissue approximation and full-thickness healing of the gastric wall incision.
Performance of Nanofiltration Membranes in Ethanol

Abstract Several nanofiltration membranes were tested for flux and rejection of selected solutes in ethanol. The membranes were initially conditioned with pure solvent containing increasing concentrations of ethanol. Flux decreased with increase in ethanol concentration and increased at higher temperatures and pressures. The type of solute had an influence on membrane rejection profiles. The DK membrane showed increasing rejection of polyethylene glycols (PEG) dissolved in ethanol from 29% at a molecular weight (MW) of 200 to 80% at MW 1000. However, the MW of sugars and lipids had little or no effect on rejection with the DK membrane; their rejection averaged 87%. In contrast, the TFC‐SR1 membrane showed higher rejections with higher MW compounds: lipid rejection increased from 19% to 71%, sugars from 35% to 85%, and lipids from 77% to 89%. The TFC‐SR2 membrane was much more open and showed the lowest rejections of all these compounds. Flux generally showed opposite trends, with the DK showing the lowest...
A Novel Interpretation of Plato’s Theory of Forms

In several recent issues of this journal, I argued for an account of property possession as strict, numerical identity. While this account has stuck some as being highly idiosyncratic in nature, it is not entirely something new under the sun, since as I will argue in this paper, it turns out to have a historic precedent in Plato’s theory of forms. Indeed, the purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to show that my account of property possession can be utilized to provide a novel interpretation of Plato’s theory of forms. And the second is to show that once it has been divorced from a variety of implausible doctrines with which it has historically been wedded, Plato’s central insight that all properties possess themselves, far from being of mere historical interest, is independently plausible, ironically enough, even from an empirical point of view.
Chromosomal banding pattern and idiogram of the cotton rat, Sigmodon arizonae (Rodentia, Muridae).

A procedure for obtaining G-bands on chromosomes of mammals is outlined. The procedure was utilized in an investigation of the idiogram and banding pattern of the mitotic chromosomes of the cotton rat, Sigmodon arizonae. The diploid number of this species is 22, and each pair of homologues is easily separated on the basis of size, centromeric position, and banding pattern. The autosomes are represented by four pairs of large submetacentric chromosomes, three pairs of medium to small submetacentric chromosomes, two pairs of large subtelocentric chromosomes and one pair of small acrocentric chromosomes. The X chromosome is acrocentric and averages from 5.42% to 5.46% of the haploid female complement. The Y chromosome is a minute acrocentric and easily separated from the smallest acrocentric autosome. The usefulnes of Sigmodon arizonae as a laboratory animal for cytogenetic studies is substantiated.
The functional behavior of a macrophage/fibroblast co-culture model derived from normal and diabetic mice with a marine gelatin–oxidized alginate hydrogel

Tissues/cells-mediated biodegradable material degradation is epitomized by the constantly changing tissues/cell-implant interface, implicating the constant adaptation of the tissues/cells. Macrophages and fibroblasts are multi-functional cells highly involved in the interactions; the two cell types modulates the behaviors of each other, but their combinatorial functional behavior in the presence of interactive bioactive wound dressings has not been adequately examined. The activity is further complicated by the implantation of biodegradable materials, such as hydrogels commonly utilized as wound dressings, in a pathological environment and this is exemplified by the macrophages with a diabetic pathology producing an alternative cytokine profile which is implicated in wound healing delay. In this study, an in situ gelable formable/conformable hydrogel formulated from modified alginate and marine gelatin was used as a model biodegradable interactive wound dressing to elucidate the combinatorial behavior of macrophages/fibroblasts derived from both normal and diabetic hosts. Cell proliferation, migration and distribution were first characterized; this was followed by simultaneous quantitative detection of 40 inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by a protein microarray. The results showed that the macrophages/fibroblasts co-culture promoted fibroblasts proliferation and migration in the presence of the hydrogel; moreover, the expressions of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were altered when compared with the corresponding fibroblasts or macrophages monocultures. The inflammatory cytokines patterns between the normal and diabetic hosts were considerably different.
Population recovery and spatial dynamics of colony recruitment in a harvester ant: a case study in a park

The recovery process of Messor aciculatus (Fr. Smith) harvester ant colonies from habitat disturbance by construction work in an urban park was investigated from 1989 to 1994. Colonies located in 1989 were considered to be survivors of the disturbance, and colonies located for the first time after 1990 were considered to be recruits. The colonies continuously increased in number after the disturbance, and the population size more than doubled just after the disturbance. Analyses of the nest site distribution of colonies in 1989 and 1994 suggest that landform modification destroyed some of them, and that the changed nest site distribution in 1989 affected the distribution in 1994, or, in other words, the disturbance indirectly affected the nest distribution 5 years later. Analyses of the nearest neighbor to each colony suggested that established colonies would obstruct newly recruited colonies around their nests. Construction may open up space for recruitment colonization by removing established colonies, and may also create suitable conditions by destruction of original vegetation, or returning vegetation to the early stages of plant community succession. As a result, the disturbance may facilitate the subsequent recruitment of new colonies and rejuvenate the population.
A simple method for diagnosing M. tuberculosis infection in clinical samples using PCR.

Species identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a cumbersome process. We have developed a simple method for treating clinical samples which permits direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of mycobacterial target DNA without organic extraction. Samples were boiled for 30 min in TE-Triton, then were subjected to 30 cycles of amplification using primers derived from the repetitive clone pMTb4 developed by Patel and coworkers (1990; Journal of Clinical Microbiology 28, 513). Specificity of amplification was confirmed by hybridization with a specific probe labelled non-isotopically. In a model system consisting of cultured bacilli, this system routinely allows detection of a single organism in a sample. In preliminary studies examining applicability of this method to 96 clinical samples, 74 were positive by both PCR and mycobacterial culture, and eight were negative by both methods. Fourteen samples were negative by culture and positive by PCR, and none were positive by culture and negative by PCR. These results suggest that the PCR method may provide a sensitive alternative to conventional species-specific diagnostic methods, and that nonisotopic labelling can be used to detect hybridization in this assay.
Trimetazidine for stable angina pectoris.

Stable angina pectoris, a symptom of coronary heart disease (CHD), manifests as stress-induced ischaemic episodes resulting in severe chest pain. Therapeutic aims are to improve quality of life by decreasing anginal attacks and to prevent myocardial infarction (MI) and death. Current anginal medications include beta-blockers and calcium antagonists, which decrease ischaemic severity by reducing cardiac workload, and nitrates, which increase coronary blood flow. A new therapeutic approach is the use of metabolic agents, such as trimetazidine, which are cytoprotective during ischaemia. Results of several clinical trials demonstrated that trimetazidine, at the standard dose of 20 mg t.i.d., increased exercise capacity, decreased anginal incidence and decreased left-ventricular (LV) dysfunction compared to placebo. Trimetazidine was also as effective as propranolol (120 - 160 mg/day) and nifedipine (40 mg/day) in decreasing anginal episodes and improving exercise parameters. Trimetazidine improved anginal frequency and symptoms in patients in which treatment with diltiazem, nifedipine, propranolol, pindolol, oxprenolol or long-acting nitrates had failed. Trimetazidine was also more effective than isosorbide dinitrate (30 mg/day) as an adjunct to propranolol. Despite efficacy being equivalent to that of beta-blockers and calcium antagonists, trimetazidine does not depress cardiac function and, correspondingly, is not contraindicated in any condition. Adverse effects of trimetazidine are mild and infrequent. In summary, clinical data indicate that trimetazidine is a safe, effective treatment for the symptoms of stable angina pectoris when used either as a monotherapy or an adjunctive therapy. Longer-term trials are necessary to determine whether trimetazidine will be effective in reducing rates of mortality and MI.
Pourquoi la démocratie délibérative est-elle différente ?

Tous les theoriciens de la democratie ont a confronter le probleme fondamental qui consiste a trouver une facon moralement justifiable de prendre des decisions collectives contraignantes face a des desaccords moraux persistants. Une theorie deliberative de la democratie nous fournit l’approche la mieux defendable de ce probleme parce qu’elle laisse ouverte la possibilite que les valeurs morales exprimees par un large eventail de theories puissent etre justifiables. Le principe fondamental de notre theorie deliberative est que les citoyens doivent se justifier reciproquement les lois qu’ils s’imposent mutuellement. Les citoyens ou leurs representants offrent des raisons les uns aux autres dans un processus permanent de justification mutuelle. Les principes qui guident ce processus sont provisoires moralement et politiquement et permettent donc la persistance du desaccord moral a propos de lois, de politiques et d’institutions tout en ouvrant la possibilite de l’accord moral sur les lois, politiques et institutions qui sont mutuellement justifiables.
Axis formation in Arabidopsis – transcription factors tell their side of the story

Apical-to-basal auxin flux is a defining feature of land plants and determines their main body axis. How is the axis first set up in the embryo? Recent studies reveal that the establishment of embryonic polarity with the asymmetric first division as well as the separation of shoot and root fates within the proembryo depend on transcriptional regulation in the zygote and early embryo. Although the functional connections need to be better defined, this transcriptional network likely provides the positional information required for initiating the machinery capable of processing the systemic signal auxin in a context-dependent manner.
Monte Carlo calculation of electron transport properties of bulk AlN

The Monte Carlo method is used to simulate electron transport in bulk, wurtzite phase AlN using a three valley analytical band structure. Spherical, nonparabolic conduction band valleys at the Γ, K, and U symmetry points of the Brillouin zone are fitted to a first-principles band structure. The electron drift mobility is calculated as a function of temperature and ionized donor concentration in the ranges of 300–600 K and 1016–1018 cm−3, respectively. The effect of compensation on ionized impurity scattering and the associated change in the mobility are considered. The simulated electron steady-state drift velocity and valley occupancy for electric fields up to 600 kV/cm are presented for 300, 450, and 600 K. Our calculations predict that AlN will exhibit a much smaller negative differential mobility effect than GaN, and that the drift velocity versus electric field curve will show a very broad peak.
Visual cognition: An introduction

Abstract This article is a tutorial overview of a sample of central issues in visual cognition, focusing on the recognition of shapes and the representation of objects and spatial relations in perception and imagery. Brief reviews of the state of the art are presented, followed by more extensive presentations of contemporary theories, findings, and open issues. I discuss various theories of shape recognition, such as template, feature, Fourier, structural description, Marr-Nishihara, and massively parallel models, and issues such as the reference frames, primitives, top-down processing, and computational architectures used in spatial cognition. This is followed by a discussion of mental imagery, including conceptual issues in imagery research, theories of imagery, imagery and perception, image transformations, computational complexities of image processing, neuropsychological issues, and possible functions of imagery. Connections between theories of recognition and of imagery, and the relevance of the papers contained in this issue to the topics discussed, are emphasized throughout.