cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior and Evolution: Crossed Glances

Ethology was founded successively by the naturalist, psychological and neurophysiological trends. After the classic opposition between the environmentalist and the objectivist view on behavior, and then the constructivist currents of the naturalist ethology, a first synthesis was proposed by Tinberghen’s four questions, integrating several scientific disciplines, and including the evolutionary question of ultimate causalities. In order to analyse what the theory of evolution brought to ethology and conversely, we collected and commented the opinions of several ethologists of different currents, in the context of the naturalist thought in ethology and the recent development of phylogenetics. Compared to the other data, the use of behavior in systematics raised some methodological problems concerning its ephemeral nature, the supposed difficulty to identify homology and the pretended lack of reliability of behavioral data compared to morphological and molecular ones. As a matter of fact, behavioral characters mapped on a tree or integrated into the phylogenetic data matrix have great potential, even though they remain controversial in systematics. As a source of heritable characters for phylogeny inference, behavior embodies both a product of evolution and one of the evolutionary factors. Hence behavioral studies can bring complementary explanations to evolutionary processes of speciation involving behavioral factors. A further and promising interest of the combined study of behavior and evolution concerns the epigenetic perspective of the influence of behavior on the rate of DNA methylation, which confirms that numerous behavioral adaptations appear before corresponding genetic modifications or mutations.
Assessment in the Pathways Model

This chapter describes the process of assessment of clients according to the Pathways Model. Emphasis is placed on active participation of the client in identifying immediate concerns, major problems, and setting goals for treatment. Quotations from typical clients are utilized to highlight the importance of the therapeutic relationship. Examples of standardized testing are provided. Multilevel treatment recommendations using the Pathways Model derive from the self-report and professional evaluation.
Neglect benevolence in human-swarm interaction with communication latency

In practical applications of robot swarms with bio-inspired behaviors, a human operator will need to exert control over the swarm to fulfill the mission objectives. In many operational settings, human operators are remotely located and the communication environment is harsh. Hence, there exists some latency in information (or control command) transfer between the human and the swarm. In this paper, we conduct experiments of human-swarm interaction to investigate the effects of communication latency on the performance of a human-swarm system in a swarm foraging task. We develop and investigate the concept of neglect benevolence, where a human operator allows the swarm to evolve on its own and stabilize before giving new commands. Our experimental results indicate that operators exploited neglect benevolence in different ways to develop successful strategies in the foraging task. Furthermore, we show experimentally that the use of a predictive display can help mitigate the adverse effects of communication latency.
Food Allergy: Epidemiology and Natural History

The prevalence of food allergy is rising for unclear reasons, with prevalence estimates in the developed world approaching 10%. Knowledge regarding the natural course of food allergies is important because it can aid the clinician in diagnosing food allergies and in determining when to consider evaluation for food allergy resolution. Many food allergies with onset in early childhood are outgrown later in childhood, although a minority of food allergy persists into adolescence and even adulthood. More research is needed to improve food allergy diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Complex Numbers and Polar Coordinates

Polar coordinates are used to name points in the plane and are an alternative to rectangular coordinates. This chapter presents a relationship between polar and rectangular coordinates. It presents a graph of equations in which the variables are given in polar coordinates. A complex number is any number that can be written in the form a + bi , where a and b are real numbers and i 2 = −1, The form a + bi is called standard form for complex numbers. The number a is called the real part of the complex number. The number b is called the imaginary part of the complex number. If b ≠ 0, then a + bi is also an imaginary number. The absolute value or modulus of the complex number z = a + bi is the distance from the origin to the point ( a, b ). If this distance is denoted by r , then .
Contribution of Adipose Tissue to Development of Cancer

Solid tumor growth and metastasis require the interaction of tumor cells with the surrounding tissue, leading to a view of tumors as tissue-level phenomena rather than exclusively cell-intrinsic anomalies. Due to the ubiquitous nature of adipose tissue, many types of solid tumors grow in proximate or direct contact with adipocytes and adipose-associated stromal and vascular components, such as fibroblasts and other connective tissue cells, stem and progenitor cells, endothelial cells, innate and adaptive immune cells, and extracellular signaling and matrix components. Excess adiposity in obesity both increases risk of cancer development and negatively influences prognosis in several cancer types, in part due to interaction with adipose tissue cell populations. Herein, we review the cellular and noncellular constituents of the adipose "organ," and discuss the mechanisms by which these varied microenvironmental components contribute to tumor development, with special emphasis on obesity. Due to the prevalence of breast and prostate cancers in the United States, their close anatomical proximity to adipose tissue depots, and their complex epidemiologic associations with obesity, we particularly highlight research addressing the contribution of adipose tissue to the initiation and progression of these cancer types. Obesity dramatically modifies the adipose tissue microenvironment in numerous ways, including induction of fibrosis and angiogenesis, increased stem cell abundance, and expansion of proinflammatory immune cells. As many of these changes also resemble shifts observed within the tumor microenvironment, proximity to adipose tissue may present a hospitable environment to developing tumors, providing a critical link between adiposity and tumorigenesis. © 2018 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 8:237-282, 2018.
Design Exploration on Robots to Support Single Women at Home in China

The widespread adoption of home robots shows a high demand for in-home assistance. Since single women account for a large proportion of the Chinese population, it is important to design home robots to support their lives at home. This study aims to explore the possible design features of home robots to support single women in China. Interviews and an online survey were used to gauge user perception and expectations of home robots. Our research reveals the unique lifestyle preferences of single women in China and how home robots could be designed to support their needs. We discuss our findings and design implications based on three aspects: lifestyle, intelligence, and sense, to inspire better robot design for women.
Neoliberal Developments, National Consciousness, and Political Economies of Resistance in Palestine

This essay explores the concept of political economies of resistance in Palestine as an alternative to the anticolonial imaginary articulated by nationalist visions, and the potential for liberatio...
Inflorescence spiders: A cost/benefit analysis for the host plant, Haplopappus venetus Blake (Asteraceae)

Predators on flower visitors, such as spiders, could influence plant reproduction by determining the balance between pollination and seed predation by insects. This study examines the net effect of predation by the inflorescence spider, Peucetia viridans (Hentz), for seed production by a native plant species on which it hunts. Both pollination and seed set of Haplopappus venetus (Asteraceae) were reduced on branches with spiders; however, the release of viable, undamaged seed was higher on inflorescence branches with spiders than on those without. Occurrence of P. viridans was associated with the flat-topped inflorescence branch structure characteristic of H. venetus rather than with the vertical structure of its congener, H. squarrosus. Thus, the interaction should be a reinforcing selective pressure on inflorescence branch morphology of H. venetus over time. Two factors providing constraints on the degree and rate of coevolution of the plant-spider interaction are suggested by the results: (1) the critical role of phenological synchrony and (2) the opposing requirements of interacting species and of subsequent life history stages within a species.
Primary immunodeficiencies and invasive fungal infection: when to suspect and how to diagnose and manage.

Purpose of reviewInvasive fungal infections (IFIs) most often occur secondary to acquired immunodeficiency states such as transplantation, AIDS or immune-modulatory treatment for neoplastic and autoimmune disorders. Apart from these acquired conditions, several primary immunodeficiency disorders (PI
Myocardial oxygen supply-demand relations during isovolemic hemodilution.

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes several studies in anesthetized dogs to assess myocardial oxygen supply-demand relations during isovolemic hemodilution. The specific objectives of these studies have been to determine limits to cardiac compensation during isovolemic hemodilution in normal hearts compared to that in hearts with an acute coronary stenosis, and to define underlying mechanisms; to compare response to isovolemic hemodilution in the left and right ventricles; and to evaluate cardiac effects of controlled hypotension in the presence of isovolemic hemodilution. Cardiac failure during extreme hemodilution occurs because of inadequate subendocardial oxygen supply in the left ventricular wall. A critical stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) increases the hematocrit. This has been apparently because the stenosis prevents the normal increase in coronary blood flow during hemodilution. The present findings demonstrate that acute coronary stenosis can reduce the tolerance of the left ventricle to hemodilution. They also underscore the importance of recruitment of coronary vasodilator reserve in the preservation of both total and regional myocardial oxygenation during hemodilution. Similarly, the right ventricle also can tolerate decreases in hematocrit to as low as 10% during progressive isovolemic hemodilution. Both heart ventricles depend on increased blood flow alone to maintain oxygen consumption during hemodilution. The mobilization of the oxygen extraction reserve in the right ventricle by isoproterenol during hemodilution suggests that the lack of augmented oxygen extraction there during hemodilution alone has been because of inadequate capillary recruitment that shortened transit times, thus limiting exchange of oxygen across the capillary wall. The sodium nitroprusside (SNP) -induced hypotension during hemodilution has been accompanied by proportional decreases in myocardial blood flow and myocardial oxygen consumption, suggesting intact metabolic control of coronary blood flow. On the other hand, Adenosine-induced hypotension during hemodilution increased myocardial blood flow while it has been decreasing myocardial oxygen consumption.
Can defense attorneys detect forensic confirmation bias? Effects on evidentiary judgments and trial strategies

Abstract. Knowledge of task-irrelevant information undermines the probative value of forensic evidence (i.e., forensic confirmation bias). Cross-examination may sensitize jurors to bias – but do at...
Higher levels of plasma inflammation biomarkers are associated with depressed mood and quality of life in aging, virally suppressed men, but not women, with HIV.

Author(s): Ellis, Ronald J; Letendre, Scott L; Atkinson, J Hampton; Clifford, David; Collier, Ann C; Gelman, Benjamin B; Marra, Christina; McCutchan, J Allen; Morgello, Susan; Sacktor, Ned; Tang, Bin; Heaton, Robert K | Abstract: Background and objectivesPeople with HIV (PWH) often suffer from depressive symptoms which have a deleterious impact on numerous domains including antiretroviral adherence and quality of life. In the general population, a treatment-resistant phenotype of depression is associated with systemic inflammation, which is of considerable importance as it responds favorably to anti-inflammatory medications. Aging PWH experience increasing inflammation. We sought to evaluate the impact of chronic inflammation in aging PWH on depressed mood.MethodsPWH were recruited at 6 U.S. academic medical centers. Depressed mood was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II. Inflammatory biomarkers measured at the 12-year follow-up visit in blood plasma using immunoassays were neopterin, sTNFRII, d-dimer, IL-6, CRP, MCP-1, sCD14 and sCD40L. Factor analyses with oblique Equamax rotation were employed to reduce the dimensionality of the biomarkers.ResultsParticipants were 78 PWH, 14 (17.9%) women, 40 (51.3%) non-White, mean age 55.3 (±SD 8.29), with a nadir and current CD4 of 134 (IQR 36, 204) and 567 (316, 797), respectively. 80.5% were virally suppressed. A factor analysis of the eight inflammatory biomarkers in plasma at the 12-year follow-up visit yielded 3 Factors, with Factor 1 loading on neopterin and sTNFRII, Factor 2 loading on d-dimer, IL-6 and CRP, and Factor 3 loading on sCD40L (MCP-1 and sCD14 did not appear in any of the factors). Univariate regressions of each factor vs BDI-II scores yielded significance only for Factor 2 (rn​=n​0.295; pn​=n​0.0083 (Bonferroni-adjusted pn​=n​0.0261). Of the Factor 2 component biomarkers, BDI-II scores correlated significantly with d-dimer and IL-6, but not CRP. Women had worse BDI-II scores (pn​=n​0.0127). In a logistic regression with sex and Factor 2, both variables were significant (sex pn​=n​0.0246, Factor 2 pn​=n​0.0168). The relationship between Factor 2 and BDI was significant for men (rn​=n​0.348 [95% CI 0.111, 0.547]; pn​=n​0.0049), but not women (rn​=n​0.0580 95% CI -0.488, 0.571]; pn​=n​0.844). Viral suppression was not significant in the multivariate model.ConclusionsSome PWH with depressed mood have elevated markers of inflammation in blood. Men showed this relationship, while women did not. Together with previous findings that an inflammatory depression phenotype responds to treatment with anti-inflammatory medications, our findings suggest that treatment with anti-inflammatory medications might benefit at least a subset of depressed PWH who have a high inflammatory biomarker profile, as well as poor response to antidepressant medications alone, and that the pathophysiology of depression in men and women with HIV may differ.
Theoretical predictions of the generalized contrast-to-noise ratio for photoacoustic images

Target detectability in photoacoustic imaging applications is traditionally analyzed using image quality metrics, such as signal-to-noise ratio, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio. These metrics are difficult to interpret in the context of target detectability due to their lack of an upper bound and their sensitivity to image manipulation techniques such as thresholding. The generalized contrast-to-noise ratio (gCNR) is a recently introduced metric designed to assess the probability of lesion detection in ultrasound images. Previous work used empirical models of target and background signals to demonstrate the applicability of gCNR to analyzing target detectability in photoacoustic images. In this work, a theoretical framework for gCNR prediction is developed and validated using simulated, experimental, and in vivo data. We compare predicted and measured gCNR values across variations in channel SNR, laser energy, and frame averaging. Mean absolute errors between predicted and measured gCNR values were 0.032 ± 0.052, 0.057 ± 0.127, and 0.023 ± 0.033 for 1,215 simulated images, 3,888 experimental images, and 810 in vivo delay-and-sum images, respectively, with channel SNRs ranging −40 dB to 40 dB. In addition, we explored relationships among gCNR, laser energy, and channel data frame averaging. Results have the potential to improve our understanding of minimum energy requirements when designing photoacoustic imaging systems. In addition, the theoretical gCNR prediction framework provides a promising foundation to improve the efficiency of presurgical tasks such as energy selection for photoacoustic-guided surgeries.
Korean listeners’ processing of suprasegmental lexical contrasts in Korean and English: A cue-based transfer approach

Abstract This study investigates whether listeners’ use of prosodic cues to lexical contrasts can transfer from one phonological phenomenon in the native (first) language (L1) to another in a second/foreign language (L2). It investigates how Gyeongsang-Korean (GK) and Seoul-Korean (SK) listeners process English lexical stress. GK does not have lexical stress but has lexical pitch accents, whereas SK has neither; GK listeners are thus hypothesized to be more sensitive to pitch as a cue to lexical contrasts than SK listeners. GK and SK listeners completed a task in which they recalled four-item sequences of Korean words differing suprasegmentally (pitch accent contrast) or segmentally (phonemic contrast). The results showed a significant L1-by-contrast-type interaction, with GK listeners outperforming SK listeners in the pitch accent contrast condition. These results confirm GK listeners’ greater sensitivity to pitch in the L1. The same GK and SK listeners, who were matched in English proficiency, and native English listeners completed a similar task with English words differing suprasegmentally (stress contrast) or segmentally (phonemic contrast). The results showed a significant L1-by-contrast-type interaction, with GK listeners outperforming SK (and English) listeners in the stress-contrast condition. These results provide robust evidence for a cue-based transfer approach to L2 lexical stress processing.
An Empirical Investigation Into Milestones Factor Structure Using National Data Derived From Clinical Competency Committees.

Purpose To investigate whether milestone data obtained from clinical competency committee (CCC) ratings in a single specialty reflected the 6 general competency domains framework. Method The authors examined milestone ratings from all 275 U.S. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited categorical obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) programs from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. The sample size ranged from 1,371 to 1,438 residents from 275 programs across 4 postgraduate years (PGYs), each with 2 assessment periods. The OBGYN milestones reporting form consisted of 28 subcompetencies under the 6 general competency domains. Milestone ratings were determined by each program's CCC. Intraclass correlations (ICCs) and design effects were calculated for each subcompetency by PGY and assessment period. A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) perspective was used, and the pooled within-program covariance matrix was obtained to compare the fit of the 6-domain factor model against 3 other plausible models. Results Milestone ratings from 5,618 OBGYN residents were examined. Moderate to high ICCs and design effects greater than 2.0 were prevalent among all subcompetencies for both assessment periods, warranting the use of the multilevel approach in applying CFA to the milestone data. The theory-aided split-patient care (PC) factor model, which used the 6 general competency domains but also included 3 factors within the PC domain (obstetric technical skills, gynecology technical skills, and ambulatory care), was consistently shown as the best-fitting model across all PGY by assessment period conditions, except for one. Conclusions The findings indicate that in addition to using the 6 general competency domains framework in their rating process, CCCs may have further distinguished the PC competency domain into 3 meaningful factors. This study provides internal structure validity evidence for the milestones within a single specialty and may shed light on CCCs' understanding of the distinctive content embedded within the milestones.
Effect of Antenna Orientation on the Air-to-Air Channel in Arbitrary 3D Space

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) often lack the size, weight, and power to support large antenna arrays or a large number of radio chains. Despite such limitations, emerging applications that require the use of swarms, where UAVs form a pattern and coordinate towards a common goal, must have the capability to transmit in any direction in three-dimensional (3D) space from moment to moment. In this work, we design a measurement study to evaluate the role of antenna polarization diversity on UAV systems communicating in arbitrary 3D space. To do so, we construct flight patterns where one transmitting UAV is hovering at a high altitude (80 m) and a receiving UAV hovers at 114 different positions that span 3D space at a radial distance of approximately 20 m along equally-spaced elevation and azimuth angles. To understand the role of diverse antenna polarizations, both UAVs have a horizontally-mounted antenna and a vertically-mounted antenna—each attached to a dedicated radio chain—creating four wireless channels. With this measurement campaign, we seek to understand how to optimally select an antenna orientation and quantify the gains in such selections.
Singlet Oxygen Oxidation of the Radical Cations of 8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine and Its 9-Methyl Analogue: Dynamics, Potential Energy Surface, and Products Mediated by C5-O2 -Addition.

8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (OG) is the most common DNA lesion. Notably, OG becomes more susceptible to oxidative damage than the undamaged nucleoside, forming mutagenic products in vivo. Herein the reactions of singlet O2 with the radical cations of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (OG.+ ) and 9-methyl-8-oxoguanine (9MOG.+ ) were investigated using ion-molecule scattering mass spectrometry, from which barrierless, exothermic O2 -addition products were detected for both reaction systems. Corroborated by static reaction potential energy surface constructed using multi-reference CASPT2 theory and molecular dynamics simulated in the presence of the reactants' kinetic and internal energies, the C5-terminal O2 -addition was pinpointed as the most probable reaction pathway. By elucidating the reaction mechanism, kinetics and dynamics, and reaction products and energetics, this work constitutes the first report unraveling the synergetic damage of OG by ionizing radiation and singlet O2 .
Advancing Reform: Embedded Activism to Develop Climate Solutions

Activists increasingly seek to influence organizations that also espouse support for social movement goals, encouraging the use of collaborative tactics. While there has been growing research on in...
Reliability Variations of Strength in Test-Retest Situations

Abstract The reliability of right wrist flexor strength was studied in test-retest situations using 20 male subjects. Five trials were secured three days in succession. Measurement procedures were repeated three weeks later, and again three months later. Acceptable, though varying, levels of reliability were obtained under each of the test conditions separately (R's of .91, .99 and .97). Significant differences ranging from 8 to 15 percent for means of tensiometer strength between test condition 1 and both retest conditions affected test-retest reliability. The apparent factors affecting reliability were tentatively identified as being due to either a physiological response to initial measurement procedures, a lasting motor learning effect, or a combination of such factors. Consideration of the significance of such factors in strength research was noted.
Anatomy of a Visual Domain-Specific Language Project in an Industrial Context

Domain-specific languages (DSL) are specialized modeling languages targeting a narrow domain. In this paper, we present the results of a research project on visual DSLs set in an industrial context, using the domain of elevator controllers. After domain analysis and inception of new, abstract modeling concepts a language prototype was developed, considering aspects such as usability, combination of visual and textual DSLs, and performance of generated code. We describe the challenges encountered during the project, such as defining a user-friendly concrete syntax or tool limitations, and analyze them in retrospective. The paper concludes with several metrics to support the findings.
Chronic Female Pelvic Pain—Part 1: Clinical Pathoanatomy and Examination of the Pelvic Region

Chronic pelvic pain is defined as the presence of pain in the pelvic girdle region for over a 6-month period and can arise from the gynecologic, urologic, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems. As 15% of women experience pelvic pain at some time in their lives with yearly direct medical costs estimated at $2.8 billion, effective evaluation and management strategies of this condition are necessary. This merits a thorough discussion of a systematic approach to the evaluation of chronic pelvic pain conditions, including a careful history-taking and clinical examination. The challenge of accurately diagnosing chronic pelvic pain resides in the degree of peripheral and central sensitization of the nervous system associated with the chronicity of the symptoms, as well as the potential influence of the affective and biopsychosocial factors on symptom development as persistence. Once the musculoskeletal origin of the symptoms is identified, a clinical examination schema that is based on the location of primary onset of symptoms (lumbosacral, coccygeal, sacroiliac, pelvic floor, groin or abdominal region) can be followed to establish a basis for managing the specific pain generator(s) and manage tissue dysfunction.
Autoregressive spectral models of heart rate variability

Autoregressive time series model-based spectral estimates of heart period sequences can provide a parsimonious and visually attractive representation of the dynamics of interbeat intervals. While a corollary to Wold's decomposition theorem implies that the discrete Fourier periodogram spectral estimate and the autoregressive spectral estimate converge asymptotically, there are practical differences between the two approaches when applied to short blocks of data. Autoregressive spectra can achieve good frequency resolution and excellent statistical stability on short segments of heart period data of sinus origin. However, the order of the autoregressive model (number of free parameters to be estimated) must be explicitly chosen, a decision that influences the trade-off of frequency resolution with statistical stability. Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), an information-theoretic rule for picking the optimum order, is sensitive to the aggregate amount of data in the analysis. Thus, the best model order for estimating the spectrum of a 4-minute segment of data will generally be lower than the best order for estimating an hourly spectrum based on averaging 15 4-minute spectra. A major advantage of the autoregressive model approach to spectral analysis is the ease with which it can be extended to handle messy data frequently seen in heart rate variability studies. A number of autoregressive-based robust-resistant techniques are available for the analysis of heart period sequences that contain a high volume of nonsinus and other unusual beats intervals. A theoretically satisfying framework is also available for spectral analysis of unevenly sampled data and missing data.
PERSISTENT PNEUMOTHORAX |[lpar]|PTX|[rpar]||[period]| DIAGNOSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

The time-course of resolution of PTX in neonates is not known. We evaluated infants developing PTX, both prospectively (6 mo.) and retrospectively (18 mo.) to determine the time of resolution of PTX. Incidence of PTX was 7.6% (65/851 admissions). Fifty infants required tube thoracostomy. Ten infants who died within 24 hours of tube thoracostomy without resolution of PTX were excluded from further analysis. Fifty-four PTX in 40 infants (27 premature, 13 term) form the basis of this report. Thirty-one infants required mechanical ventilation. Majority (87.5%) of the infants developed PTX within 72 hours of birth. Twenty-eight 50 and 83% of PTX resolved (absence of pleural air on radiograph and cessation of bubbling through underwater seal) within 24, 96 and 168 hours of tube thoracostomy, respectively. Only 17% PTX persisted beyond 168 hrs; all in mechanically ventilated infants. In infants with PTX unresolved by 168 hours (7 infants) there were a greater number of preterm than term infants (5 vs 2). A significantly (p<0.05) greater number of preterm infants with persistent PTX developed chronic lung disease (requirement for supplemental oxygen and/or ventilatory assistance for ⋝28 d) than infants with PTX resolved by 168 hrs. We suggest that PTX unresolved by 168 hrs of tube thoracostomy be defined as persistent and intervention be considered, especially in preterm infants, since chronic lung disease is associated with its persistence. 1Supported by NIH Clinical Investigator Award HL01156.
The relationship between reduced testosterone, stimulated growth hormone secretion and increased carotid intima‐media thickness in obese men

Summary Objective Obesity is associated with reduced testosterone and growth hormone (GH). However, the interrelationship between these axes and their independent contributions to cardiovascular risk is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the association between testosterone and GH in obesity, (2) whether excess adiposity mediates this association and (3) the relative contribution of reduced testosterone and GH to increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in obesity. Design Fifty obese men were studied with GH-releasing hormone–arginine testing, and morning free testosterone (FT) was measured by equilibrium dialysis. Metabolic, anthropometric and cardiovascular risk indices, including cIMT were measured. Twenty-six normal weight men served as controls. Results Obese subjects demonstrated lower mean (±SEM) peak stimulated GH (5·9 ± 0·6 vs 36·4 ± 3·9 μg/l; P < 0·0001) and FT (0·41 ± 0·03 vs 0·56 ± 0·03 nmol/l; P = 0·0005) compared to controls. GH was significantly associated with FT (r = +0·44; P < 0·0001) and both were inversely related to visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (GH: r = −0·65; P < 0·0001; FT: r = −0·51; P < 0·0001). In multivariate regression analysis controlling for VAT, FT was no longer related to GH. Both GH and FT were associated with cIMT in univariate analysis. However, in multivariate modelling including traditional cardiovascular risk markers, GH (β = 0·003; P = 0·04) but not FT (P = 0·35) was associated with cIMT. Conclusions These results demonstrate a strong relationship between FT and GH in obesity and suggest that this relationship is more a function of excess adiposity rather than a direct relationship. While reduced FT and GH are both related to increased cIMT, the relationship with reduced GH remains significant controlling for reduced FT and traditional cardiovascular disease risk markers.
Capturing Key NANDA-I Nursing Diagnoses From Actual Clinical Data for Patients With Heart Failure

Purpose The purpose of the study was to identify key nursing diagnoses with related factors and signs/symptoms using NANDA-I for patients with heart failure (HF). Methods A retrospective descriptive design was used to address the research questions. Data were obtained from the records of patients discharged for 1 year with the medical diagnoses of HF from a Midwestern community hospital. A total of 272 inpatient records were analyzed to describe the frequency and percentage of NANDA-I diagnosis with related factors and signs/symptoms. Results The top 10 NANDA-I diagnoses associated with related factors and signs/symptoms were identified. Conclusion Further research related to standardized nursing terminologies such as NANDA-I using large clinical databases from health information systems is needed to support evidence-based nursing diagnosis decision making.
Achieving Isotropic Permeability for Integrated Inductors

Partially perpendicular anisotropy in Permalloy thin films was found to produce reliably isotropic permeability in the plane of the film. Isotropic permeability is especially desirable for integrated closed-loop magnetic solenoid inductors in order to create an efficient return path for the flux. Material properties for the Permalloy were verified through hysteresis loop, permeability, and magneto-optic Kerr effect microscopy and utilized to simulate the behavior of the inductor. Laminated Permalloy films with partially perpendicular anisotropy yielded a relatively high permeability value of 860 isotropically in-plane. Simulation results indicate that, depending on the permeability, in-plane closure can yield $2\times $ the inductance or more compared with a rectangular magnetic core with the same permeability. The enhancement due to closure was seen to depend heavily on permeability, increasing at a rate of 6.8 per unit permeability.
Detection of targets above rough surfaces using millimeter-wave bistatic radars

In this paper, we report on a new set of indoor measurements aimed at characterizing the bistatic radar return from rough surfaces at Ka-band. The polarimetric response over the entire upper hemisphere, at both low and high incidence and scattering angles, and at near forward and backward directions are reported. This first of a kind data reveals the angular dependence of various polarimetric quantities such as the copolarization ratio, the crossto copolarization ratio, and the correlation between various polarized radar returns. It can be used to validate existing or new surface scattering models and to identify and evaluate bistatic configurations for radar operation. The potential of bistatic radars in detecting the presence of targets embedded in clutter is also demonstrated experimentally using a simple target above a rough surface.
Optimal time-lag systems with sensitivity constraint

Linear time-lag systems containing a constant parameter \varepsilon are considered. The problem is to find an optimal control which minimizes a given cost functional subject to a given sensitivity side constraint involving the parameter \varepsilon Necessary and sufficient conditions for an optimal control are investigated.
Review: the use of Kirchhoff's method in computational aeroacoustics

A comprehensive review of the use of Kirchhoff's method in computational aeroacoustics is given. Kirchhoff's integral formulation allows radiating sound to be evaluated based on quantities on an arbitrary control surface S if the wave equation is assumed outside. The control surface S is assumed to include all the nonlinear flow effects and noise sources. Thus only surface integrals are needed for the calculation of the far-field sound. A numerical CFD method can be used for the evaluation of the flow-field solution in the near-field and thus on surface S. Kirchhoff's integral formulation has been intended to an arbitrary, moving, deformable piecewise-continuous surface. The available Kirchhoff formulations are reviewed and various aeroacoustic applications are given. The relative merits of Kirchhoff's method are also discussed
Real time alert system: a disease management system leveraging health information exchange.

Background: Rates of preventive and disease management services can be improved by providing automated alerts and reminders to primary care providers (PCPs) using of health information technology (HIT) tools. Methods: Using Adaptive Turnaround Documents (ATAD), an existing Health Information Exchange (HIE) infrastructure and office fax machines, we developed a Real Time Alert (RTA) system. RTA is a computerized decision support system (CDSS)that is able to deliver alerts to PCPs for recommended services around the time of the patient visit. RTA is also able to capture structured clinical data from providers using existing fax technology. In this study, we evaluate RTA’s performance for alerting PCPs when their patients with asthma have an emergency room visit anywhere in the state. Results: Our results show that RTA was successfully able to deliver “just in time” patient-relevant alerts to PCPs across the state. Furthermore, of those ATADs faxed back and automatically interpreted by the RTA system, 35% reported finding the provided information helpful. Of those who reported finding information helpful also reported making a phone call, sending a letter or seeing the patient for follow up care. Conclusions: We have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of electronically exchanging important patient related information with the PCP despite lack of a link with their electronic health record (EHR). We have shown that using our ATAD technology, a PCP can be notified quickly of an important event such as a patient’s asthma related emergency room (ER) admission so further follow up can happen in real or almost real time.
Patterns of nitrogen excretion in the phylum echinodermata

Abstract 1. 1. Significant quantities of urea (> 10% of total nitrogen) are excreted by 16 of 22 species of echinoderms, including asteroids (9 of 10 species tested), crinoids (only one tested), holothuroid (three of four tested) and ophiuroids (three of four tested) but not by echinoids (two tested). 2. 2. A higher percentage of total nitrogen excreted as urea occurred during the summer in Pisaster ochracus and during the winter in Ophiura lutkeni . 3. 3. Factors which may determine the form of nitrogen excreted by echinoderms include the existence of phosphoarginine as the phosphagen in some species, species specific differences in the aerobic perfusion of deep tissues and the production of urea as a byproduct of polyamine biosynthesis.
Re-Evaluation of the Isotopic and Archaeological Reconstructions of Diet in the Tehuacan Valley

Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in collagen from bones of individuals who lived in the Tehuacan Valley during the period 8000–1000 years B.P. have been interpreted as indicating earlier use of maize and more utilization of legumes as food sources than is suggested by the occurrence of the remains of these plants in the coprolites and debris excavated along with the bones. Reassessment of the assumptions made in interpreting the bone collagen isotope ratios reduces some but not all of the discrepancy between the isotopic and archaeological reconstructions of diet. The original archaeological reconstruction relied entirely on remains from cave sites, thus introducing seasonal and locational biases into the dietary reconstruction. Using the bone collagen isotope ratios as a guide, we re-interpreted the archaeological data to produce a more complete picture of temporal changes in the overall diet. We suggest that heavy dependence on grains began in the Coxcatlan phase and then may have remained unchanged for the next 5,500–6,500 years. These conclusions, which are based on a relatively small isotopic data base, need to be verified by an extensive program of isotopic analysis of the floral, faunal, and human remains from Tehuacan.
Correlations of Structure with Binding Ability Involving Nine Hemicarcerand Hosts and Twenty-Four Guests1

Hemicarcerands 1−9, composed by coupling through four O(CH2)4O or four 1,3-(OCH2)2C6H4 bridging units in different pair combinations of three tetrol bowls (varying spanners, O(CH2)nO, n = 1, 2, or 3), have been examined for their abilities to incarcerate a variety of organic guest compounds of widely differing structures. When the conformationally flexible tetrol bowl (spanners = O(CH2)3O) was coupled lip-to-lip to either of two rigid bowl units (spanners = OCH2O or O(CH2)2O), the rigid units tended to impose their shapes on the mobile units in the resulting hosts (1H NMR spectral and crystal structure evidence). Complexes were formed by heating to high temperatures host dissolved in a large excess of guest. High structural recognition in complexation was observed for the 1,3-(OCH2)2C6H4-bridged hosts to favor binding of 1,2-disubstituted as compared to 1,3- and 1,4-disubstituted benzenes as guests. Three new crystal structures of hemicarceplexes identical except for their spanner lengths are compared, an...
Loop-shaping for non-minimum phase systems using Contoured Robust Bode plots

In this paper, loop-shaping controller design using the Contoured Robust Controller Bode (CRCBode) plot is for the first time demonstrated for a non-minimum phase SISO system. It is shown that minimizing the robust metric in this process can lead to destabilizing controllers. To address this fundamental ambiguity, a new design tool, the Contoured Robust Q Bode (CRQBode) plot is introduced in which the Youla parameterization, Q(s), of all stabilizing controllers is shaped directly. The compensators designed using C and Q loop-shaping are compared, and the effect of certain algebraic and analytic design constraints on the “forbidden regions” of the Contoured Robust Bode plots are discussed.
EVALUATION OF IgG 4 IN CHRONIC DIARRHEA IN INFANTS

To evaluate the role of IgG4 in infants with gastrointestinal (GI) disease, we measured serum IgG4, total IgG, and IgA in seven patients with milk allergic enterocolitis (MAE), confirmed by milk challenge after stabilization on milk restriction, 10 patients with nonallergic chronic diarrhea ≤ 24 months old (ND), and randomly chosen normoalbuminemic control infants without GI disease. IgG4 was measured using a monoclonal anti-IgG4 radio-immunoassay. Lower limit of sensitivity was 0.01 μg/ml. IgG and IgA were measured by nephelometry. The ratio of IgG4 to total IgG was calculated. Differences between groups were evaluated by the Wilcoxon rank sum test.
GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATASE STRUCTURE, REGULATION, AND FUNCTION : AN UPDATE

Work on the glucose-6-phosphatase system has intensified and diversified extensively in the past 3 years. The gene for the catalytic unit of the liver enzyme has been cloned from three species, and regulation at the level of gene expression is being studied in several laboratories worldwide. More than 20 sites of mutation in the catalytic unit protein have been demonstrated to underlie glycogenesis type 1a. inhibition of glucose-6-P hydrolysis by several newly identified competitive and time-dependent, irreversible inhibitors has been demonstrated and in several instances the predicted effects on liver glycogen formation and/or breakdown and on blood glucose production have been shown. Refinements in and additions to the presently dominant "substrate transport-catalytic unit" topological model for the glucose-6-phosphatase system have been made. A new model alternative to this, based on the "combined conformational flexibility-substrate transport" concept, has emerged. Experimental evidence for the phosphorylation of glucose in liver by high-K(m),glucose enzyme(s) in addition to glucokinase has continued to emerge, and new in vitro evidence supportive of biosynthetic functions of the glucose-6-phosphatase system in this role has appeared. High levels of multifunctional glucose-6-phosphatase have been shown present in pancreatic islet beta cells. Glucose-6-P has been established as the likely insulin secretagog in beta cells. Interesting differences in the temporal responses of glucose-6-phosphatase in kidney and liver have been demonstrated. An initial attempt is made here to meld the hepatic and pancreatic islet beta-cell glucose-6-phosphatase systems, and to a lesser extent the kidney tubular and small intestinal mucosal glucose-6-phosphatase systems into an integrated, coordinated mechanism involved in whole-body glucose homeostasis in health and disease.
Filarial Dermatitis in a Striped Skunk

A striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) from Kansas (USA) with severe diffuse dermatitis characterized by extensive alopecic areas, thickened skin, and multiple, scattered cutaneous abscesses on the dorsal aspect of the head, neck, and trunk was submitted for diagnostic evaluation. More than 50 nematodes identified as Filaria taxicleae were found in the dorsal subcutaneous tissue. Histologic examination of the skin revealed multifocal pyogranulomatous inflammation with intralesional larvated nematode eggs, moderate orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, and mild acanthosis. The lesions resemble those reported from badgers (Taxidea taxus) and a lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens) with dermatitis caused by Filaria taxideae. Although F. taxideae has been previously collected from skunks, this is the first report of filarid dermatitis caused by this nematode in a striped skunk.
Approximation methods for the nuclear thermodynamic functions and their validity in a solvable model

Methods which include the effect of mean-field fluctuations on the nuclear partition function and level density of hot nuclei are tested by applying them to a many-body system for which exact solutions are available, the Lipkin model. It is found that for finite systems fluctuation corrections to the mean field partition function and level density can be substantial, and especially so near a shape phase transition where these fluctuations smooth out discontinuities in the mean-field quantities. The model calculations suggest that only time-independent fluctuations are important at high temperatures or at high excitation energies. Moreover, even when fluctuations are restricted to a small set of constraints, a significant improvement over the mean-field calculations can result. This is thus a practical approximation since it requires only knowledge of the deformation free energy surfaces at finite temperature.
Design and analysis of ultrafast systems using commercial optical design programs

Three commercial optical design programs are used to model familiar geometries in ultrafast optics. A set of macros has been created to calculate the pulse delay, group velocity dispersion (GVD), and third order dispersion (TOD) caused by components of an optical system. The programs have also been used to model a number of ultrafast pulse measurement systems using non-sequential ray tracing. This approach can provide evaluation, optimization, and insight into various pulse shaping schemes.
Reductive cleavage of TROC groups under neutral conditions with cadmium-lead couple

Abstract Cadmium-lead couple induces rapid and efficient reductive cleavage of TROC groups under extremely mild conditions. The couple is readily prepared and it is not pyrophoric.
The application of list processing techniques to picture processing

Abstract This paper describes a picture-processing system that was first developed to locate ridge-endings in a fingerprint, but has since been expanded to solve a number of other picture-processing problems. The system extracts from a picture contour a set of features or nodes which are then tied together in a bidirectional list structure. Having the information in this form simplifies elimination of noise. The method used for establishing the list structures provides a convenient means for the performance of summing operations such as accumulation of area or calculation of moments of the picture surface.