cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The chemopreventive properties of soy isoflavonoids in animal models of breast cancer.

Genistein (5,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone), one of two major isoflavonoids in soy, has anti-proliferative effects on mitogen-stimulated cell growth of human breast cancer cells in culture and is a candidate for use in the prevention of breast cancer. Soy protein preparations containing isoflavonoid conjugates have chemopreventive activity in carcinogen-induced rat models of breast cancer. Recent experiments in these models with purified genistein have revealed that the timing of the exposure of rats to this isoflavonoid is critical. Rats treated neonatally or prepuberally with genistein have a longer latency before the appearance of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumors and a marked reduction in tumor number. The mechanism of genistein's preventive action is in part dependent on its estrogenic activity, which causes a more rapid differentiation of the cells of the mammary gland, analogous to the effects of an early pregnancy. Rats administered genistein after 35 days of age have smaller alterations in breast cancer risk, with a maximum reduction in mammary tumor number of 27%. In ovariectomized nude mice, dietary genistein increases cell proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cell xenografts compared with a control diet. This estrogen-like effect of genistein is not observed in non-ovariectomized rats. Future studies on the anticancer potential of soy isoflavonoids should examine their interaction with other phytochemical components of soybeans and exploit newly developed animal models of breast cancer in which specific genes have been activated or inactivated.
Prenatal Care 120 Years Ago

This article is presented as an interesting view of prenatal care 120 years ago. It brings to light the fact that many modern concepts are not as new as one might think and shows that some rather startling ideas were still considered fact even by educated people at that time. The article is condensed from a book by the author's great‐great grandfather. She found it in the North Carolina Collection at the University of North Carolina, the copy there having been presented originally to the wife of the Governor in 1851.
International cities: some geographical considerations and a case study of Montreal☆

Abstract Several cities perform important international functions to such an extent that they may be described as international cities. This paper discusses their activities and influence with a view to establishing a conceptual framework for geographic research. A major argument is that there are opportunities for geographers to utilise familiar concepts and approaches in a new context, and to contribute to a research problem which has both theoretical and applied significance. The paper also discusses the case of Montreal, examining a number of its internationally oriented activities.
Electron microscopic analysis of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine-β-hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase immunoreactive innervation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in the rat

The catecholaminergic innervation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat was studred by preembedding immunocytochemical methods utilizing specific antibodies which were generated against catecholamine synthesizing enzymes. Phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT)-immunoreactive terminals contained 80–120 nm dense core granules and 30–50 nm clear synaptic vesicles. The labeled boutons terminated on cell bodies and dendrites of both parvo- and magnocellular neurons of PVN via asymmetric synapses. The parvocellular subnuclei received a more intense adrenergic innervation than did the magnocellular regions of the nucleus. Dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH)-immunopositive axons were most numerous in the periventricular zone and the medial paryocellular subnucleus of PVN. Labeled terminal boutens contained 70–100 nm dense granules and clusters of spherical, electron lucent vesicles. Dendrites, perikarya and spinous structures of paraventricular neurons were observed to be the postsynaptic targets of DBH axon terminals. These asymmetric synapses frequently exhibited subsynaptic dense bodies. Paraventricular neurons did not demonstrate either PNMT or DBH immunoreactivity. The fibers present within the nucleus which contained these enzymes are considered to represent extrinsic afferent connections to neurons of the PVN.
Positional variation in the soil energy balance beneath a row-crop canopy

When crops are grown in a row configuration, differential shading of the soil, coupled with other soil-canopy micrometeorological interactions, may result in large positional variations in the soil energy balance. Experiments were conducted near Manhattan, KS, to examine positional variations in the soil energy balance beneath a soybean (Glycine max) canopy during periods of partial cover. Continuous measurements of net radiation (Rn) and soil heat flux (G) were obtained at four equally spaced positions between one pair of plant rows. Net radiation was calculated from radiation, temperature, and emissivity measurements of the soil, canopy, and sky. Soil heat flux was determined at each location from detailed heat flux and subsurface temperature measurements. When the soil surface was dry, sensible heat flux (H) was estimated as a residual of the heat balance by assuming that latent heat flux was negligible. Measurements of H and soil-air temperature gradients were used to estimate aerodynamic transport coefficients at each position. Results indicate that the magnitude and pattern of the soil heat balances are strongly dependent on location beneath the canopy. The patterns of G, Rn, and surface temperature at each measurement position were associated with the patterns of shortwave soil irradiance, which were functions of sun-canopy geometry. Soil irradiance between the plant rows sometimes exceeded global irradiance because of reflected radiation from the canopy. Daily Rn between the rows was five to ten times greater than that measured directly beneath the canopy, depending on environmental conditions. Large positional variations in G were also documented. Temperature differences between the sunlit and shaded portions of the surface exceeded 25°C when the surface was dry. Air temperatures, measured at 5 cm above each position, were also dependent on position with respect to the plant rows. When the surface was dry, the majority of sensible heat flux occurred from the soil directly between the plant rows, exceeding 400 W m−2 under certain conditions. Estimates of local aerodynamic transfer coefficients for the soil surface ranged from 1 to 50 mm s−1, but were highly variable and not correlated with above-canopy windspeeds or position beneath the canopy. Results suggest that positional variation in aerodynamic transport from the soil cannot be discerned with the methods used in this study.
Prenatal prediction of neonatal growth status in twins using individualized growth assessment.

Objective To determine if the growth status at birth of twins can be predicted in the third trimester using the Prenatal Growth Assessment Score (PGAS). Methods The growth of 40 twin fetuses were studied with ultrasound from 14 weeks until delivery. Measurements of the head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), thigh circumference (ThC), femur diaphysis length (FDL), head cube (A), and abdominal cube (B) were made at 2 to 3 week intervals. Rossavik growth models for these parameters were determined from second trimester measurements. These models were used to define expected third trimester growth curves and birth characteristics. Comparisons of expected and actual third trimester measurements were used to calculate PGAS values after various time points (PGASAt) and after the last time point (PGASAT). Similar comparisons after birth were used to determine Growth Potential Realization Index (GPRI) values for HC, AC, ThC, weight (WT), and crown-heel length (CHL), with and without correction for decreased soft tissue deposition. These two sets of GPRI values were used to calculate two sets of Neonatal Growth Assessment Scores (NGASS, NGASTw). Using NGASS and NGASTw (as well as GPRI values in some cases), the twin neonates were classified as Normal (N), Decreased Soft Tissue Deposition, (DSTD), Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR) and Macrosomia (M). Results At birth 22/40 (55%) were classified as N, 9/40 (22.5%) as DSTD, 6/40 (15.0%) as IUGR, and 3/40 (7.5%) as M. All -PGASAT values in the N group were greater than -0.40% with one exception (-PGASAT = -0.43%). All PGASAt values were above this same boundary except for one fetus. No differences were seen between the N and DSTD groups [mean -PGASAT (range): N, -0.12% (0% to -0.34%); DSTD, -0.10% (0% to -0.30%)]. The IUGR group had 4 fetuses with -PGASAT values between -0.65% and 2.79% and two with values of 0.0% and -0.12%. Growth retardation in the latter two was limited to a decrease in thigh soft tissue deposition. -PGASAt values in the first 4 fetuses were below -0.40% 1.6 to 9.5 weeks before delivery (mean: 6.1 weeks). Fetuses in group M had +PGASAT values of 0.0%, +1.8%, and +1.2%. PGASAt values were above +0.40% at 3.6 and 9.8 weeks before delivery in the latter two fetuses. Conclusions These results support the concept that PGASAT and PGASAt values outside +/- 0.40% indicate either IUGR or macrosomia. Almost all fetuses with growth problems in the third trimester can be detected, on average, 6 weeks before delivery unless the growth abnormality is limited to decreased soft tissue deposition.
Two new cockroaches of the genera Pelmatosilpha and Henschoutedenia, with a key to the West Indian species of Pelmatosilpha (Dictyoptera: Blattaria)

Synopsis Two new species, of Pelmatosilpha and Henschoutedenia, are described from males and females (found on imported fruit in Great Britain), the provenance of which is discussed. A key given for the species of Pelmatosilpha found in the West Indies and Trinidad includes the new species.
Brief Report : Exposure to Muscular Male Models Decreases Men’s Body Satisfaction

The current study was designed to examine the effect of exposure to muscular ideal bodies on body satisfaction in men. College men (N= 104) at a medium-sized mid-south university completed the Body Assessment (BA)scale, which measures body satisfaction, before and after exposure to either muscular or nonmuscular advertisements. BA scores were examined using a repeated measures (pre and post) ANOVA with muscularity of image (view images of muscular men vs. view images ofaverage men) as the between-participants factor. Results indicated that men’s self-rated body satisfaction decreased after viewing images of muscular men but did not change after viewing images of average men. Thus, it appears that men’s body satisfaction may be influenced by exposure to brief images of muscular models. These results are congruent with results of previous investigations of the effects of viewing images of thin models on women’s body satisfaction.
The time it takes elderly and young individuals to draw pictures and write words.

Twenty elderly and 20 young Ss drew pictures or wrote words for picture or word stimuli. Elderly Ss had slower response initiation than young Ss, especially when drawing. Beyond this, both age groups processed picture and word stimuli similarly. Elderly and young Ss exhibited equivalent latency increases for cross-modality trials (e.g., draw a picture given a word) over within-modality trials (e.g., draw a picture given a picture), regardless of stimulus or task modality. Strong support was found for a mathematical model of these results, which assumes age-related additive slowing for input and output subprocesses but age invariance for a cross-modality transfer subprocess. However, regressing elderly on young whole-condition latencies indicated general, multiplicative slowing: a discrepancy that questions the utility of the global Brinley plot procedure in revealing the nature of age-related slowing.
The Natural Abundance of Isotopes of Stable Elements

The natural isotopic abundances of the following elements have been determined by mass spectrometric techniques: Different masses were focused by variation of the magnetic flux in Nier-type, 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} mass spectrometers. Ion currents were measured potentiometrically. Each measurement represents at least 15 determinations. Many measurements are averages of series with different spectrometers and ion sources. From available packing fraction data and these abundances the chemical atomic weights have been computed.
Family Environments of Adolescents With Lifetime Depression: Associations With Maternal Depression History

ABSTRACT Objective To assess family functioning of adolescents with a history of depression, taking into account maternal history of depression. Method Lifetime major depression was assessed with standardized interviews in an epidemiological sample of adolescent twins and their parents Family members completed questionnaires measuring family functioning. The families of three groups of adolescents were compared: ever-depressed adolescents with ever-depressed mothers ( n = 37), ever-depressed adolescents with never-depressed mothers ( n = 42). and never-depressed control adolescents ( n = 82). Results A greater proportion of ever-depressed adolescents had ever-depressed mothers than did control adolescents (47% versus 18%); rates of paternal depression did not differ between the two groups. Ever-depressed adolescents with ever-depressed mothers described poorer family functioning than did ever-depressed adolescents with never-depressed mothers and controls. Relative to control mothers, mothers of both groups of ever-depressed adolescents reported family difficulties, particularly in the father-adolescent relationship. Fathers' descriptions of family relationships did not differ among the three groups. Ever-depressed adolescents came disproportionately from divorced families. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of considering parental depression in the treatment of adolescent depression and underscore the need to understand the interactional patterns in families of depressed youth, particularly those with multiple depressed members.
Evidence for adduct formation at the semiconductor-solution interface. Photoluminescent properties of cadmium selenide in the presence of lanthanide. beta. -diketonate complexes

Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of etched, single-crystal n-CdSe demonstrate that the semiconductor surface engages in adduct formation with a family of lanthanide {beta}-diketonate complexes, Ln(fod){sub 3} (Ln = lanthanide; fod = 6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionato anion), in isooctane ambient.
Facile Ester Synthesis on Ag-Modified Nanoporous Au: Oxidative Coupling of Ethanol and 1-Butanol Under UHV Conditions

A dilute Ag alloy of nanoporous Au (npAu) has been shown to self-couple methanol with 100 % selectivity and high conversion under catalytic flow conditions. However, because prior studies in flow reactors showed difficulty in self-coupling ethanol and 1-butanol over npAu in flow reactors, the inherent capability on npAu for self-coupling of ethanol and 1-butanol was examined under ultrahigh vacuum conditions on identical npAu catalysts. This study shows that the oxygen-covered Ag-modified npAu does efficiently effect the self-coupling of ethanol and 1-butanol under UHV conditions. The coupling is initiated by adsorbed atomic oxygen formed from O2 dissociation via a chemisorbed molecular state. The amount of ester formed increases with the degree of oxygen precoverage at the expense of aldehyde production. Repeated annealing of the catalyst above 550 K for temperature programmed reaction changes the ligament and pore sizes, affecting the product distribution, but high reactivity is sustained over many heating cycles.
Concentrations of anesthetics across the water–membrane interface; the Meyer–Overton hypothesis revisited

The free energies of transferring a variety of anesthetic and nonanesthetic compounds across water-oil and water-membrane interfaces were obtained using computer simulations. Anesthetics exhibit greatly enhanced concentrations at these interfaces, compared to nonanesthetics. The substitution of the interfacial solubilites of the anesthetics for their bulk lipid solubilities in the Meyer-Overton relation, was found to give a better correlation, indicating that the potency of an anesthetic is directly proportional to its solubility at the interface.
Mechanistic Studies on Au(I)-Catalyzed [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangements using Cyclopropane Probes

A comparative study of the Au(I)-catalyzed [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of propargylic esters and propargyl vinyl ethers is described. Stereochemically defined cyclopropanes are employed as mechanistic probes to provide new synthetic and theoretical data concerning the reversibility of this type of rearrangement. Factors controlling the structure-reactivity relationship of Au(I)-coordinated allenes have been examined, thereby allowing for controlled access to orthogonal reactivity.
Internationalizing Your Marketing Course: The Foreign Study Tour Alternative:

Internationalizing the marketing principles course using a foreign study tour is discussed, and the advantages of the foreign study tour over more traditional internationalization methods are addressed. Multiple pedagogical techniques that can be used for an overseas class and variations for applying this concept to other marketing courses are examined.
Estudio crítico comparativo: la ergatividad, posibles aplicaciones para el análisis textual

Ergativity as a concept has appeared in a relatively recent form in the main contemporary grammatical approaches. In fact, the same term has undergone evolutionary changes in its interpretation. In this study, as a part of a broader project (Fondecyt 1020786), some general aspects with respect to this concept are investigated comparatively from four grammar theories (traditional, generative, descriptive and systemic functional) and a critic to the systemic functional conception of ergativity is developed. A new conception of the term is proposed that takes to operate this concept. For this purpose, it is showed with some examples of the project's corpus, how it is possible to assign a gradual value of ergativity to different textual fragments. In the conclusion, some of the practical and theoretical projections of this work are presented along with its potential utility for textual analysis.
The Spirituality Index of Well-Being: a new instrument for health-related quality-of-life research.

PURPOSE Despite considerable interest in examining spirituality in health-related quality-of-life studies, there is a paucity of instruments that measure this construct. The objective of this study was to test a valid and reliable measure of spirituality that would be useful in patient populations. METHODS We conducted a multisite, cross-sectional survey using systematic sampling of adult outpatients at primary care clinic sites in the Kansas City metropolitan area (N = 523). We determined the instrument reliability (Cronbach’s α, test-retest) and validity (confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validation) of the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB). RESULTS The SIWB contains 12 items: 6 from a self-efficacy domain and 6 from a life scheme domain. Confirmatory factor analysis found the following fit indices: χ2 (54, n = 508) = 508.35, P <.001; Comparative Fit Index = .98; Tucker-Lewis Index = .97; root mean square error of approximation = .13. The index had the following reliability results: for the self-efficacy subscale, α = .86 and test-retest r = 0.77; for the life scheme subscale, α = .89 and test-retest r = 0.86; and for the total scale α = .91 and test-retest r = 0.79, showing very good reliability. The SIWB had significant and expected correlations with other quality-of-life instruments that measure well-being or spirituality: Zung Depression Scale (r = 0–.42, P <.001), General Well-Being Scale (r = 0.64, P <.001), and Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB) (r = 0.62, P <.001). There was a modest correlation between the religious well-being subscale of the SWB and the SIWB (r = 0.35, P <.001). CONCLUSIONS The Spirituality Index of Well-Being is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in health-related quality-of-life studies.
From Rule-Breaking to ROM-Hacking: Theorizing the Computer Game-as-Commodity.

This paper develops a theory of the game as a commodity form by looking at the unique practices of console hackers and videogame emulation communities. This theory argues for the necessity of understanding a game's system of rules in relation to the material conditions and constraints of the media within which it is constructed and distributed. After deriving the computer game-as-commodity from a combination of institutional and material restrictions and protections on the free-play of the execution of game rules, I provide an account of emulation and ROM-hacking communities as a cultural critique and playful resistance of such commodification within the rigid legal and technological infrastructures of autonomous, executable, and copyrighted machine code. Rather than asking whether videogame emulation is “right or wrong” in the abstract, I examine the legal, economic, and aesthetic implications of emulation practices, asking what the efforts of the emulation and ROM-hacking community have to contribute to the study of console videogames. Finally, I argue that analyzing and embracing the efforts of a variety of practices within the emulation and ROM-hacking communities is helpful and essential to both mapping past struggles and tracing future paradigms of the computer game's contradictory status as a commodity to be consumed and an algorithm to be uncovered.
A probabilistic model for the growth of creep cracks

Abstract We present here a model for creep crack growth in which the primary mechanism for crack extension is the coalescence of the crack with adjacent voids. The model incorporates several key probabilistic features, notably random placement of the voids along the grain boundary, and random values for the grain boundary and self-diffusivities. The predictions of the model are in good agreement with C ∗ - controlled crack growth data for type 304 stainless steel at lower C ∗ values. However, the agreement with K-controlled crack growth data for Inconel-718 is poor, possibly because crack growth in this material occurs by a different mechanism than that postulated here.
A multiphase partitioner and scheduler for distributed memory systems

Most of the current loop partitioning methods for distributed memory systems first partition program data (either automatically or through user specified distributions) and then use 'owner computes' rule to to localize the underlying references. Since parallelism is an inherent characteristic of the code, for aggressive optimizations, one should take an orthogonal approach of first partitioning the code to maximize the parallelism and then allocate data appropriately. We describe a multiphase partitioner and scheduler based on the above motivation which consists of five phases. First, the code partitioning phase determines a set of directions for minimizing the communication by trading the parallelism to a certain extent. Next, the data distribution phase attempts to achieve computation+communication load balance by distributing the underlying data. The granularity adjustment phase attempts to further eliminate communication to minimize completion time. Finally, the load balancing phase attempts to reduce the number of processors without degrading the completion time and the mapping phase schedules the partitions on available processors.
Economical Design of Wind Generating Plants

A definitive analysis technique is proposed for designing wind generating plants to produce electrical energy at minimum cost. The method employs variation in essential design parameters: rated power level, rated wind velocity, design wind velocity, and number of generator poles. These parameters in turn define wind turbine radius, turbine speed, rated torque at step-up gear input, and step-up gear ratio. When these are combined with site (or region) specific wind statistics, appropriate wind plant cost functions, and criteria by which to compute annual cost of ownership, the result yields the cost of produced energy for the several design variations. The selected design is that one for which the cost of produced energy is minimum.
Patterns of Gene Expression During Drosophila Mesoderm Development

The transcription factor Twist initiates Drosophila mesoderm development, resulting in the formation of heart, somatic muscle, and other cell types. Using a Drosophila embryo sorter, we isolated enough homozygous twist mutant embryos to perform DNA microarray experiments. Transcription profiles of twist loss-of-function embryos, embryos with ubiquitous twist expression, and wild-type embryos were compared at different developmental stages. The results implicate hundreds of genes, many with vertebrate homologs, in stage-specific processes in mesoderm development. One such gene, gleeful, related to the vertebrate Gli genes, is essential for somatic muscle development and sufficient to cause neural cells to express a muscle marker.
Measurement and analysis of heart signal based on the pressure sensor

This paper presents a measurement of heart signal and analyzes to educe heart rate based on the pressure sensor. The heart pumps out blood and causes the vibration of body and the objects contacted with the body. The pressure sensor transforms the vibration into electrical signals. The electrical signals are put into filters, amplifiers, and other signal processing circuits. Then the output is analyzed by wavelet and improved mode maximum value algorithm to educe the heart rate. Compared with a single channel simultaneously recording electrocardiograph (ECG), the experiment results show that the educed heart is basically the same as the simultaneous recording ECG.
On Feature Strength: Three Minimalist Approaches to Overt Movement

Procrastinate (Chomsky 1993) favors covert movement; therefore, when movement is overt, it must have been forced to operate “early” by some special requirement, one that Chomsky codes into “strong features.” I compare Chomsky's three successive theories of strong features and argue that two ellipsis phenomena, pseudogapping and sluicing, provide evidence bearing on the nature of strong features. I argue that movement or ellipsis can rescue a derivation with a strong feature, and I conclude that PF crash is relevant either directly, as in Chomsky 1993, or indirectly, as in the theory presented in Chomsky 1995a augmented by the multiple-chain theory of pied-piping (especially as interpreted by Ochi (1998)).
The Use of Concrete-Enclosed Reinforcing Rods as Grounding Electrodes

The findings of Ufer that concrete-encased metal objects were effective in providing improved grounding under adverse soil conditions suggests that the reinforcing framework of footings for the columns of structural steel buildings would provide effective grounding function and means. Ensuing tests in high, medium, and low resistivity soils indicate that the grounding capability of such reinforced foctings (per unit) is equivalent to that of conventional electrodes under low and medium soil resistivity conditions and superior to them under high soil resistivity conditions. In addition, the much larger number of column footings required for structural reasons does, when used, provide much more effective grounding under all soil conditions than previously used systems. The steel framework of such buildings, if electrically connected at each column base to an inherent grounding electrode, then functions as a very efficient grounding network for system, lightning, and static grounding. Fault grounding should always employ a return conductor following the routing of the faulted conductor. The use of new types of grounding electrodes is becoming obligatory due to the widening unsuitability of water pipe systems for grounding purposes. This unsuitability is due to the use of nonconducting joints in the water piping and to the use of nonconducting piping for the water system.
Disparate survival outcomes after front-line chemoimmunotherapy in older patients with follicular, nodal marginal zone and small lymphocytic lymphoma

Using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)Medicare data (1996 – 2010), we compared survival and toxicity outcomes in 6993 patients older than 65 years with follicular (FL), nodal marginal zone (NMZL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) receiving front-line therapy with rituximab (R), RCHOP (R, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), RCVP (R, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone) or R – fl udarabine-containing regimens within 3 years from diagnosis. We demonstrated signifi cant heterogeneity by histology after various regimens in multivariable survival models. Compared with RCHOP, overall survival was inferior with fl udarabine-based regimens in FL (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53, p 0.0001) and NMZL (HR 1.88, p 0.0018). Conversely, in SLL outcomes were similar with any regimen. In NMZL and SLL, survival was not signifi cantly diff erent after single-agent R compared with multi-agent combinations. Choice of front-line chemotherapy may thus impact survival in older patients with indolent lymphomas, and heterogeneity by histology should be accounted for in clinical trials.
Difference without fear: Adorno contra liberalism

This article intervenes in recent debates surrounding Adorno’s contribution to critical social theory. Where it is something of a commonplace to argue that Adorno pessimistically withdraws from political concerns, the article argues for a more productive set of normative contributions – based within his utopian gestures towards a ‘difference without fear’. At stake is not only a more sensitive approach to Adorno’s texts, but the broader normative question of difference and its political meaning.
Modelling air temperature gradients across managed small streams in western Washington

Leaving riparian strips on both sides of a stream is widely accepted to be an effective management approach in sustaining the valuable functions of stream and riparian ecosystems. The authors' overall objective is to provide microclimatic information for assessing the effectiveness of these strips. During the summer of 1993 and 1994, air temperatures were collected across 20 small, buffered streams in western Washington, USA, including five streams sampled before and after harvesting of the forest. These data were statistically analysed to examine the effects of adjacent harvesting with preservation of 16–72 m riparian forest strips. Regression models were developed to predict air temperatures at the stream and buffer edges, the difference between two locations, and seasonal changes. The authors found: (1) clearcutting in winter 1993/94 increased air temperature on the stream by up to 4°C, and changes in temperature variability from the stream to the upland, measured by coefficient of variation (CV), were significantly higher after harvesting; (2) forest buffers provided minimal protection for stream air temperature during the middle of summer (July) but were more effective early and late in the season; (3) buffer width was not a significant variable in predicting stream air temperature, suggesting that even a 72 m buffer was not sufficient to maintain a stream environment because of greater depth of edge influences.1998 Academic Press
Non-specific interstitial pneumonia as the initial presentation of biphenotypic acute leukemia: a case report

Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia has been linked to numerous etiologies including, most recently, haematologic malignancy. We present a 46-year-old woman with recent-onset rheumatologic illness who developed pulmonary symptoms as the presenting feature of biphenotypic acute leukaemia. Chest radiology demonstrated bilateral infiltrates, and lung biopsy revealed nonspecific interstitial pneumonia. Corticosteroid therapy resulted in resolution of both her pulmonary and rheumatologic symptoms, and her pulmonary symptoms did not recur following treatment of her leukemia. The case highlights the importance of searching for an underlying etiology when confronted with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.
Understanding, being, and doing: medical ethics in medical education.

Over the past 15 years, medical schools have paid some attention to the importance of developing students' communication skills as part of their medical education. Over the past decade, medical ethics has been added to the curriculum of most U.S. medical schools, at least on paper. More recently, there has been growing discussion of the importance of professionalism in medical education. Yet, the nature and content of these fields and their relationship to one another remains confused and vague, and that lack of clarity, in turn, impairs the effectiveness of medical education. This ambiguity invites serious contention over who should design and teach the curriculum as well as when, where, and how it should be taught.
Iterative noncoherent sequence detection and decoding of serially concatenated coded MSK

Some previous research has been done on the coherent serially concatenated coded MSK (SC-MSK) (V.F. Szeto et al., Sept. 1999). We propose an iterative noncoherent sequence detection (NSD) and decoding of SC-MSK based on the soft-output (SO) NSD (G. Colavolpe et al., Sept. 2000). Here, the exponentially decaying observation window (EDW) (R. Schober et al., Dec. 1999) is applied in SO-NSD, in place of the original rectangular observation window (RW). The SO-NSD with EDW can achieve comparable performance to that of the optimal and more complex noncoherent BCJR (N-BCJR) with RW (G. Colavolpe et al., Sept. 2000) in the iterative detection. Besides its use in AWGN channel, we also extend it to flat Rayleigh fading channel and derive the decoding metric without channel state information (CSI). The noncoherent SC-MSK is robust to smaller phase change in AWGN channel, and it also performs well in slow, flat Rayleigh fading channel.
Silica-coated dimers of silver nanospheres as surface-enhanced Raman scattering tags for imaging cancer cells

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags have been actively explored as a multiplexing platform for sensitive detection of biomolecules. Here, we report a new type of SERS tags that was fabricated by sequentially functionalizing dimers made of 50 nm Ag nanospheres with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as the Raman reporter molecule, silica coating as a protective shell and antibody as a targeting ligand. These dimer-based tags give highly enhanced and reproducible Raman signals owing to the presence of a well-defined SERS hot spot at the junction between two Ag nanospheres in the dimer. The SERS enhancement factor (EF) of an individual dimer tag supported on a glass slide can reach a level as high as 4.3 × 106. In comparison, the EFs dropped to 2.8 × 105 and 8.7 × 105, respectively, when Ag nanospheres and nanocubes with sizes similar to the spheres in the dimer were used to fabricate the tags using similar procedures. The SERS signals from aqueous suspensions of the dimer-based tags also showed high intensity and good stability. Potential use of the dimer-based tags was demonstrated by imaging cancer cells overexpressing HER2 receptors with good specificity and high sensitivity.
Reconsidering Hand Hygiene Monitoring

Observations are also generally limited to work shifts when a full complement of personnel is available for administrative tasks (ie, daytime). Further, the direct observation strategy for measuring HH compliance has long been limited by the “Hawthorne effect,” which refers to a change in behavior that results from the direct visualization of activities. Anecdotally, virtually every healthcare epidemiologist can almost certainly retell a conversation in which an HCW recounted performing HH only when observers were present and conducting compliance audits. Though many organizations attempt to mitigate this effect by using unknown, nonstaff, volunteer, or other types of “secret” observers, over time most individuals working in patient care units will be able to determine the purpose of any person not usually identified as being part of the patient care environment. Implementation of electronic moni
Decision analysis of hormone replacement therapy after the Women's Health Initiative

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to estimate the quality-adjusted life expectancy with and without hormone replacement therapy. Study design We compared the quality-adjusted life expectancy with and without combination hormone replacement therapy in three cohorts of women with menopausal symptoms over a 20-year period using a Markov decision-analysis model. Women were either at high or low risk for breast cancer and coronary heart disease or at high risk for osteoporosis. Results Hormone replacement therapy decreases life expectancy slightly compared with no hormone replacement therapy if menopausal symptoms are not considered. However, if relief from menopausal symptoms is considered and the usefulness of life with symptoms is worth Conclusion Combination hormone replacement therapy decreases life expectancy if quality of life with menopausal symptoms is not considered. However, the benefit of hormone replacement therapy can exceed the risk for women with menopausal symptoms.
A New Three-Phase Rectifier for Regenerative Braking Application

This paper proposes a new regenerative rectifier for motor loads. The controller is implemented with simple analog components. Yet, it has the power of controlling a three-phase Voltage Source Inverter to operate either as a Power Factor Correction rectifier or as a Grid Connected Inverter according to motor's operational status. In both cases, the currents are sinusoidal. A 5 KW simulation model and a 350 W experimental prototype were built to verify the concept. It is proven both in simulation and experiment that the proposed regenerative rectifier is capable of performing front-end power processing for a motor regardless of its operational status. The control is realized through the injection of three phase reference voltage signals, whose amplitude is adjusted according to motor's power level and operational status. At the motor's normal operational status, the amplitude of injected reference voltage signals are adjusted to be low and the measured phase currents are sinusoidal and in phase with the phase voltages. During braking, the amplitude of injected voltage signals are tuned high so that the energy from the motor is recycled back to the grid with sinusoidal and 180deg out of phase waveforms that marks the significance of regenerative braking (inverter) technology. DC bus voltage remains constant in both situations. Due to its high performance as well as prominent simplicity and reliability, the proposed regenerative rectifier provides an excellent solution for motor drives.
Smarter Architecture & Engineering: Game changer for requirements management: A position paper

This paper addresses the challenges of large commercial and government that struggle with requirements understanding, increasing delivery quality and estimating costs. The paper discusses Smarter Architecture & Engineering (SmarterAE) as an approach that applies scrutiny, metrics and analysis to architecture, requirements management and engineering as is historically given to development, testing and operations. SmarterAE facilitates business agility by capturing the essence of the enterprise business into an actionable business architecture. It treats IT architecture, requirements, engineering as key business processes and accelerates acceptance among users, business stakeholders, development, testing and operations. The approach is based on Best Practices and encourages asset reuse and management.
Is there a future for quantifying drinking in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of alcohol use disorders?

This commentary is based on a Plenary Address at th 2006 Meetingof the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) held in Sydney, Australia, which posed the simple question: Is There a Future for Quantifying Drinking in the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Alcohol Use Disorders? The intention is to stimulate dialogue among the many disciplines represented in the alcohol field about where we should be going with respect to diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders (AUDs), now that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched initiatives for the construction of the fifth revision of the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) and the l1th edition of the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Our position is that quantifying drinking is very relevant to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of AUDs. Good examples are the diagnostic criteria developed over time for other complex diseases (e.g. hypertension and diabetes), in which diagnoses are a combination of quantifiable measures (e.g. blood pressure and blood glucose level) and risk factors for disease (e.g. age, weight, lifestyle, and co-morbid conditions). For each of these disorders, diagnostic criteria have developed from simple cutpoints (e.g. diastolic and systolic blood pressure cutpoints for diagnosing hypertension in relation to heart attack and stroke), but have been continually refined as data on other dimensions of risk became available. The data to develop multidimensional, scalable diagnostic criteria for AUDs similar to those for hypertension (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2001a), diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2006), and high blood cholesterol (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2001b) are not yet sufficiently refined owing to the absence of quantifiable biomarkers. However, as described below, we do have enough data to begin developing diagnostic criteria for AUDs based on symptom severity and the quantification of …
Coi-wiz: An interactive computer wizard for analyzing cardiac optical signals

A number of revolutionary techniques have been developed for cardiac electrophysiology research to better study the various arrhythmia mechanisms that can enhance ablating strategies for cardiac arrhythmias. Once the three-dimensional high resolution cardiac optical imaging data is acquired, it is time consuming to manually go through them and try to identify the patterns associated with various arrhythmia symptoms. In this paper, we present an interactive computer wizard that helps cardiac electrophysiology researchers to visualize and analyze the high resolution cardiac optical imaging data. The wizard provides a file interface that accommodates different file formats. A series of analysis algorithms output waveforms, activation and action potential maps after spatial and temporal filtering, velocity field and heterogeneity measure. The interactive GUI allows the researcher to identify the region of interest in both the spatial and temporal domain, thus enabling them to study different heart chamber at their choice.
NATURAL AND MANIPULATED SOURCES OF HETEROGENEITY CONTROLLING EARLY FAUNAL DEVELOPMENT OF A SALT MARSH

Ecosystem recovery following wetland restoration offers exceptional opportunities to study system structure, function, and successional processes in salt marshes. This study used observations of natural variation and large-scale manipulative experiments to test the influence of vascular vegetation and soil organic matter on the rate and trajectory of macrofaunal recovery in a southern California created salt marsh, the Crown Point Mitigation Site. During the first three years following marsh establishment, macrofaunal density and species richness recovered rapidly within the Spartina foliosa (cordgrass) zone; densities in the created marsh were 50% of those in the natural marsh after 16 mo and 97% after 28 mo. However, the early successional assemblage had a lower proportion of tubificid and enchytraeid oligochaetes, and a higher proportion of chironomids and other insect larvae than did the mature natural marsh. Most of the colonizers arrived by rafting on sea grass and algae rather than by larval dispersal. Initial planting of S. foliosa had no influence on macrofaunal recovery, perhaps because of variable transplant survival. However, subsequently, both positive and negative correlations were observed between densities of some macrofaunal taxa and shoot densities of S. foliosa or Salicornia spp. (pickleweed). Salinity and measures of soil organics (belowground biomass, combustible organic matter, and chlorophyll a) also were correlated with macrofaunal densities and taxon richness. Of four added soil amendments (kelp, alfalfa, peat, and Milorganite), Milorganite (a sewage product) and kelp both promoted macrofaunal colonization during year 1, but effects were short lived. The most significant sources of heterogeneity in the recovering marsh were associated with site history and climate variation. Faunal recovery was most rapid in highly localized, organic-rich marsh sediments that were remnants of the historical wetland. Elevated sea level during the 1998 El Nino corresponded with similarity of macrofaunal communities in the created and natural marshes. The large spatial scale and multi-year duration of this study revealed that natural sources of spatial and temporal heterogeneity may exert stronger influence on faunal succession in California wetlands than manipulation of vegetation or soil properties.
Integration of Aphthona spp. flea beetles and herbicides for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) control

Abstract Neither herbicides nor Aphthona spp. biological control agents provide satisfactory leafy spurge control in all environments where the weed is found. Open-release and caged field studies were conducted to determine the effect of herbicides used in combination with Aphthona spp. flea beetles on both the leafy spurge control and the biological control agent populations. Leafy spurge density was reduced more rapidly when A. nigriscutis or a mixture of A. czwalinae and A. lacertosa was combined with a fall-applied treatment of picloram plus 2,4-D than when either method was used alone. The combination treatment reduced leafy spurge density 3 to 5 yr earlier than did either the herbicides or the biocontrol agents alone and once reduced, the Aphthona flea beetles maintained acceptable control for at least 7 yr. Spring-applied herbicides eliminated the adult food source and negatively affected the flea beetle establishment, but fall-applied treatments did not reduce the flea beetle establishment or its ...