cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black-spot poison ivy: A rare phenomenon

Purpose: To provide an overview of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and treatment with advanced practice nursing implications of black-spot poison ivy phenomenon. Data sources: Case presentation and comprehensive literature review on black-spot poison ivy. Conclusions: Black-spot poison ivy is a rare phenomenon and usually poses a diagnostic challenge. It usually presents after exposure to a higher concentration of uroshiol on Toxicodendron plants. Patients present with black-spot deposits on the epidermis with underlying poison ivy dermatitis. The black deposits cannot be washed off the skin and are followed by itchy blisters. They eventually peel off and the skin heals without scarring. Implications for practice: An understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and management of this rare phenomenon is important for the nurse practitioner (NP) to be able to make an accurate diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment without delay. The NP's recognition and differentiation of it from other skin disorders including melanoma is paramount. Language: en
Evaluation of 2 brief instruments and a food-frequency questionnaire to estimate daily number of servings of fruit and vegetables

Background Measurement of fruit and vegetable intake is important in the surveillance of populations and in epidemiologic studies that examine the relations between diet and disease. Some situations require the use of brief dietary assessment tools. Objective Our objective was to evaluate the performance of 2 brief dietary assessment instruments, a 7-item standard screener and a new 16-item screener, and a complete food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in measuring total fruit and vegetable consumption. Design About 800 men and women from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study completed an FFQ, 1 of the 2 screeners, and two 24-h dietary recalls. Fruit and vegetable intakes as measured by each screener and the FFQ were compared with estimated true usual intake by using a measurement-error model. Results Median daily servings of fruit and vegetables were underestimated by both screeners. The estimated agreement between true intake and the screener was higher for the new screener than for the standard screener and was higher for women than for men. The estimated agreement between true intake and the FFQ was higher than that for both screeners. Attenuation coefficients for the FFQ and screeners were comparable. Conclusions For estimating median intakes of fruit and vegetables and the prevalence of recommended intakes being met, the use of screeners without appropriate adjustment is suboptimal. For estimating relative risks in the relations between fruit and vegetable intake and disease, screeners and this FFQ are similar in performance.
In Vitro Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis in the Zoospores of the Aquatic Fungus Blastocladiella emersonii

The zoospores of Blastocladiella emersonii posses three ribonucleic acid polymerases. No general or specific inhibitor for the enzymes were found in the protoplasm of the spores.
Integrative Gene Regulatory Network Analysis Reveals Light-Induced Regional Gene Expression Phase Shift Programs in the Mouse Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

We use the multigenic pattern of gene expression across suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) regions and time to understand the dynamics within the SCN in response to a circadian phase-resetting light pulse. Global gene expression studies of the SCN indicate that circadian functions like phase resetting are complex multigenic processes. While the molecular dynamics of phase resetting are not well understood, it is clear they involve a “functional gene expression program”, e.g., the coordinated behavior of functionally related genes in space and time. In the present study we selected a set of 89 of these functionally related genes in order to further understand this multigenic program. By use of high-throughput qPCR we studied 52 small samples taken by anatomically precise laser capture from within the core and shell SCN regions, and taken at time points with and without phase resetting light exposure. The results show striking regional differences in light response to be present in the mouse SCN. By using network-based analyses, we are able to establish a highly specific multigenic correlation between genes expressed in response to light at night and genes normally activated during the day. The light pulse triggers a complex and highly coordinated network of gene regulation. The largest differences marking neuroanatomical location are in transmitter receptors, and the largest time-dependent differences occur in clock-related genes. Nighttime phase resetting appears to recruit transcriptional regulatory processes normally active in the day. This program, or mechanism, causes the pattern of core region gene expression to transiently shift to become more like that of the shell region.
Formation, thermal stability, and surface composition of size-selected AuFe nanoparticles

The surface composition of isolated Au0.5Fe0.5 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by micelle encapsulation and supported on TiO2(110) has been investigated. The study reveals that phase-segregated structures are present after annealing at 300°C. A subsequent thermal treatment at 700°C resulted in the formation of a AuFe alloy. At this temperature, a state characteristic of Fe was identified at the NPs’ surface. Annealing at 900°C resulted in the disappearance of the Fe surface state, which is attributed to Au segregation to the surface. The initial hexagonal NP arrangement on the TiO2(110) surface was preserved up to 900°C. At 1000°C, Au desorption was observed.
Recent Research in West Mexican Archaeology

The last decade has seen the greatest increase in archaeological research in western Mexico since the 1940s. Unlike previously heralded renewals, this one is accompanied by widespread skepticism of the dominant culture-historical paradigm linking west Mexico to the rest of Mesoamerica, to the American Southwest, and to South America. Current research offers substantive new data and interpretations bearing on issues such as the definition of Mesoamerica, the role of South American long distance contacts, the human ecology of highland lakes, the role of river systems in Mesoamerican prehistory, and the nature/role of prehispanic elite exchanges.
A method of finding unstable steady solutions by forward time integration: relaxation to a running mean

Abstract Proposed is a method of finding unstable steady solutions based on relaxation to a running mean. It works for moderate supercriticality, when the growth rates of the instabilities do not exceed their frequencies. To calculate the running mean one should use the decaying exponential function as a kernel in the convolution formula, it offers a combination of necessary stabilization properties with the efficiency of numerical implementation. The method requires specification of the relaxation T R and averaging T A time scales, such that in the transformed eigenspectrum frequencies above the cutoff 1/ T A experience additional damping with 1/ T R rate. All originally decaying modes remain decaying. The zero frequency remains unchanged, which implies that the steady states are invariant under the transformation. The acceptable values for T R and T A can be obtained from an estimate of the frequencies and growth rates of the modes leading to instability. For faster convergence to the steady state T R should be set as large as possible, provided it causes sufficient damping of the instability. The numerical implementation of this method requires only very simple modifications to the program used for time integration of the original system.
Ubiquilin-1 regulates nicotine-induced up-regulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Chronic exposure to nicotine, as in tobacco smoking, up-regulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptor surface expression in neurons. This up-regulation has been proposed to play a role in nicotine addiction and withdrawal. The regulatory mechanisms behind nicotine-induced up-regulation of surface nicotinic acetylcholine receptors remain to be determined. It has recently been suggested that nicotine stimulation acts through increased assembly and maturation of receptor subunits into functional pentameric receptors. Studies of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors suggest that the availability of unassembled subunits in the endoplasmic reticulum can be regulated by the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway, resulting in altered surface expression. Here, we describe a role for ubiquilin-1, a ubiquitin-like protein with the capacity to interact with both the proteosome and ubiquitin ligases, in regulating nicotine-induced up-regulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Ubiquilin-1 interacts with unassembled α3 and α4 subunits when coexpressed in heterologous cells and interacts with endogenous nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in neurons. Coexpression of ubiquilin-1 and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in heterologous cells dramatically reduces the expression of the receptors on the cell surface. In cultured superior cervical ganglion neurons, expression of ubiquilin-1 abolishes nicotine-induced up-regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors but has no effect on the basal level of surface receptors. Coimmunostaining shows that the interaction of ubiquilin-1 with the α3 subunit draws the receptor subunit and proteosome into a complex. These data suggest that ubiquilin-1 limits the availability of unassembled nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in neurons by drawing them to the proteosome, thus regulating nicotine-induced up-regulation.
Preventing recurrent pressure ulcers in veterans with spinal cord injury: impact of a structured education and follow-up intervention.

Abstract Rintala DH, Garber SL, Friedman JD, Holmes SA. Preventing recurrent pressure ulcers in veterans with spinal cord injury: impact of a structured education and follow-up intervention. Objective To test the hypothesis that enhanced education and structured follow-up after pressure ulcer surgery will result in fewer recurrences. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants Forty-nine veteran men with spinal cord injury or dysfunction were approached on admission for pressure ulcer surgery. Five never had surgery, 2 refused to participate, and one withdrew. Forty-one were randomized into 3 groups. Three participants' ulcers did not heal, so follow-up could not begin. Interventions Group 1 received individualized pressure ulcer education and monthly structured telephone follow-up (n=20); group 2 received monthly mail or telephone follow-up without educational content (n=11); and group 3 received quarterly mail or telephone follow-up without educational content (n=10). Follow-up continued until recurrence, death, or 24 months. Main Outcome Measure Time to pressure ulcer recurrence. Results Group 1 had a longer average time to ulcer recurrence or end of study than groups 2 and 3 (19.6mo, 10.1mo, 10.3mo; P =.002) and had a smaller rate of recurrence (33%, 60%, 90%; P =.007). Survival analysis confirmed these findings ( P =.009). Conclusions Individualized education and structured monthly contacts may be effective in reducing the frequency of or delaying pressure ulcer recurrence after surgical repair of an ulcer.
Jaundice due to nicotinic acid therapy.

A 22-year-old woman who was admitted with pruritus and marked jaundice had taken 3 g nicotinic acid along with several other vitamin preparations daily for several years. A liver biopsy specimen showed hepatitis with submassive necrosis, as well as cholestasis and marked bile duct proliferation. Her symptoms did not improve until the nicotinic acid was stopped. The long history of pruritus, the liver biopsy findings, and the failure of the patient to improve until nicotinic acid was discontinued were consistent with and suggestive of nicotinic acid hepatotoxicity.
Is Oil Different? A Comparison of the Social Backgrounds and Organizational Affiliations of Oil and Non-Oil Directors

This paper examines the internal integration of the U.S. capitalist class. I compare directors of oil companies with non-oil directors on the basis of social class background, membership in social clubs and policy organizations, and participation in more than one board of directors. This comparison is interesting because of the supposed maverick nature of the oil industry. Although there are some differences between oil and non-oil directors, there is little evidence that the oil industry is not integrated into the capitalist system. I discuss the implication of my findings for theories of the unity, segmentation, and internal structure of the capitalist class.
Cycloaddition reactions of some analogs of the acridizinium ion

The 1-aryl-2-imidazo[1,2-b]isoquinolin-4-ium system (3 and 4), prepared by the action of aniline, or a suitable aniline derivative upon 2-phenacyl-3-chloroisoquinolinium bromide undergoes cycloaddition reactions only with the more nucleophilic alkenes such as cyclopentadiene or 9-vinylcarbazole. The pyrazino[1,2-b]isoquinolin-5-ium-2-oxide (8–10) system reacts with nucleophilic alkenes more readily than does the acridizinium system 1. For both systems the cycloaddition appears to occur across the meso position of the central ring.
Derivation and simulation of an imaging correlography algorithm - A modification of the Idell-Fienup algorithm

A correlographic image reconstruction technique, using pupil-plane intensity pattern generated by a coherently illuminated diffuse object, has been developed. The technique consists of evaluating the pupil-plane intensity autocorrelation function and taking the Fourier transform of it. The resulting speckle power spectral density contains a term proportional to the autocorrelation of the object intensity in addition to a δ-function term. The object intensity autocorrelation (i.e. correlogram) is used to calculate the modulus of the object field, which is used as the seed for the phase-retrieval algorithm. The mathematical basis for this technique is derived in the paper and the results of computer simulation are also presented. The present technique is similar to that proposed by Idell and Fienup but contains a significant modification, and the difference manifests itself in the mathematical formulation and the computer simulation results.
Selenium in Irrigated Agricultural Areas of the Western United States

A logistic regression model was developed to predict the likelihood that Se exceeds the USEPA chronic criterion for aquatic life (5 μg/ L) in irrigated agricultural areas of the western USA. Preliminary analysis of explanatory variables used in the model indicated that surface-water Se concentration increased with increasing dissolved solids (DS) concentration and with the presence of Upper Cretaceous, mainly marine sediment. The presence or absence of Cretaceous sediment was the major variable affecting Se concentration in surface-water samples from the National Irrigation Water Quality Program. Median Se concentration was 14 μg/L in samples from areas underlain by Cretaceous sediments and < 1 μg/L in samples from areas underlain by non-Cretaceous sediments. Wilcoxon rank sum tests indicated that elevated Se concentrations in samples from areas with Cretaceous sediments, irrigated areas, and from closed lakes and ponds were statistically significant. Spearman correlations indicated that Se was positively correlated with a binary geology variable (0.64) and DS (0.45). Logistic regression models indicated that the concentration of Se in surface water was almost certain to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency aquatic-life chronic criterion of 5 μg/L when DS was greater than 3000 mg/L in areas with Cretaceous sediments. The best logistic regression model correctly predicted Se exceedances and nonexceedances 84.4% of the time, and model sensitivity was 80.7%. A regional map of Cretaceous sediment showed the location of potential problem areas. The map and logistic regression model are tools that can be used to determine the potential for Se contamination of irrigated agricultural areas in the western USA.
Extremal Principles and Optimization Dualities for Khinchin-Kullback-Leibler Estimation.

This paper presents a new extremal approach to deriving dual optimization problems with proper duality inequality which simplifies, and generalizes the Fenchel-Rockafellar scheme. Our derivation proceeds in two stages, (i) inequality attainment,(ii) decoupling primal and dual variables, The power and convenience of this approach are exhibited through a new, much simpler derivation of the Charnes-Cooper results for Khinchin-Kullback-Leibler statistical estimation [1], the immediate establishment of the C2 duality for general distributions and its extensions to general linear inequality constraints, plus the development of a new two-person zero-sum game connection.
Beliefs About the Permissibility of Abortion and Their Relationship to Decisions Regarding Abortion

A questionnaire assessing beliefs about the permissibility of abortion was administered to 70 single women who had never been pregnant (n = 22) or who were deciding to terminate (n = 25) or continue (n --23) an unplanned pregnancy. Respondents were given a list of 22 circumstances and asked to indicate the general permissibility and the permissibility for themselves of each item, in addition to indicating the most and least adequate circumstances for abortion. Factor analysis revealed similar structures of beliefs when women considered what was permissible for others as for themselves, although the factors reversed in importance in the two conditions. With the exception of one factor of the general permissibility of abortion, all the factors discriminated between women deciding to have abortions and women deciding t ~ continue their pregnancies. The origin of these different judgments is discussed. Abortion continues to be one of the most polarizing issues of this decade. While the 1973 Supreme Court ruling has established abortion as a private matter at the discretion of the individual woman, public debate is continuing, and the legality This research was supported by Grant #BNS76-83384 from the National Science Foundation and represents a portion of the research submitted in partial satisfaction Of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Drs. Nancy Adler, M. Brewster Smith, and Elliot Turiel. An earlier version of this paper was presented at a symposium on Current Research on Contraception and Abortion at the 86th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Canada. Requests for reprints should be sent to the author at the Universityof Michigan, Psychology Dept., 580 Union Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.
Laminate Reinforced Dental Amalgam

The flexural strength of amalgam specimens was increased significantly by the application of ductile metal laminates in regions that are subjected to tensile forces and perpendicular to the direction of the applied force. Laminates were silver-tin alloy, pure gold, pure silver, and silver-plated stainless steel. The embedded stainless steel laminate in a thickness of 0.0015 inches was the most effective. Substantial strengthening also was noted with an embedded stainless steel laminate in a Class II restoration of a typodont tooth.
Noninvasive methods of diagnosing thoracic splenosis

Thoracic splenosis is a rare condition resulting from concomitant rupture of the spleen and left hemidiaphragm, with autotransplantation of splenic tissue into the left hemithorax. It is usually an incidental finding on chest plain film or computed tomogram and is rarely diagnosed without biopsy or operation. A history of old splenic trauma and findings of left-sided, pleural-based nodules should indicate the diagnosis, which can be confirmed with nuclear medicine studies.
Initial experience of FDG-PET/CT guided IMRT of head-and-neck carcinoma

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) fused with planning computed tomography (CT) on tumor localization, which guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of patients with head-and-neck carcinoma. Methods and Materials: From October 2002 through April 2005, we performed FDG-PET/CT guided IMRT for 28 patients with head-and-neck carcinoma. Patients were immobilized with face masks that were attached with five fiducial markers. FDG-PET and planning CT scans were performed on the same flattop table in one session and were then fused. Target volumes and critical organs were contoured, and IMRT plans were generated based on the fused images. Results: All 28 patients had abnormal increased uptake in FDG-PET/CT scans. PET/CT resulted in CT-based staging changes in 16 of 28 (57%) patients. PET/CT fusions were successfully performed and were found to be accurate with the use of the two commercial planning systems. Volume analysis revealed that the PET/CT-based gross target volumes (GTVs) were significantly different from those contoured from the CT scans alone in 14 of 16 patients. In addition, 16 of 28 patients who were followed for more than 6 months did not have any evidence of locoregional recurrence in the median time of 17 months. Conclusion: Fused images were found to be useful to delineate GTV required in IMRT planning. PET/CT should be considered for both initial staging and treatment planning in patients with head-and-neck carcinoma.
An Integrative Literature Review of Student Affairs Competencies: A Meta-Analysis

The study reviewed 17 years of research extending the work of Lovell and Kosten (2000) on student affairs competencies important for professional preparation and practice. A meta-analysis was used to organize and present data on 22 articles concerned with knowledge, skills, dispositions, curriculum, multicultural competency, and professional development. Findings indicated a developing consensus in student affairs toward a more administrative focus to compliment human facilitation skills and the need for continuing research.
Lower-bounding term frequency normalization

In this paper, we reveal a common deficiency of the current retrieval models: the component of term frequency (TF) normalization by document length is not lower-bounded properly; as a result, very long documents tend to be overly penalized. In order to analytically diagnose this problem, we propose two desirable formal constraints to capture the heuristic of lower-bounding TF, and use constraint analysis to examine several representative retrieval functions. Analysis results show that all these retrieval functions can only satisfy the constraints for a certain range of parameter values and/or for a particular set of query terms. Empirical results further show that the retrieval performance tends to be poor when the parameter is out of the range or the query term is not in the particular set. To solve this common problem, we propose a general and efficient method to introduce a sufficiently large lower bound for TF normalization which can be shown analytically to fix or alleviate the problem. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method, incurring almost no additional computational cost, can be applied to state-of-the-art retrieval functions, such as Okapi BM25, language models, and the divergence from randomness approach, to significantly improve the average precision, especially for verbose queries.
Quantitative tumor oxymetric images from 4D electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI): Methodology and comparison with blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) MRI

This work presents a methodology for obtaining quantitative oxygen concentration images in the tumor-bearing legs of living C3H mice. The method uses high-resolution electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). Enabling aspects of the methodology include the use of injectable, narrow, single-line triaryl methyl spin probes and an accurate model of overmodulated spectra. Both of these increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resulting in high resolution in space (1 mm)(3) and oxygen concentrations (approximately 3 torr). Thresholding at 15% the maximum spectral amplitude gives leg/tumor shapes that reproduce those in photographs. The EPRI appears to give reasonable oxygen partial pressures, showing hypoxia (approximately 0-6 torr, 0-10(3) Pa) in many of the tumor voxels. EPRI was able to detect statistically significant changes in oxygen concentrations in the tumor with administration of carbogen, although the changes were not increased uniformly. As a demonstration of the method, EPRI was compared with nearly concurrent (same anesthesia) T(2)*/blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI. There was a good spatial correlation between EPRI and MRI. Homogeneous and heterogeneous T(2)*/BOLD MRI correlated well with the quantitative EPRI. This work demonstrates the potential for EPRI to display, at high spatial resolution, quantitative oxygen tension changes in the physiologic response to environmental changes.
Tracer diffusion in nanofluids measured by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Nanofluids exhibit some intriguing thermal properties, and have great potential to increase efficiency in various heat technological applications in micro- and nano-technology. Recent studies on mass transport in nanofluids yielded some interesting but controversial results. In this communication, we report the tracer diffusion of fluorescent dye in different nanofluids. Measurements were performed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Nanoparticle concentration in the nanofluid varied up to 1.7 vol%, and the diffusion coefficient of fluorescent dye was measured. Our results showed no significant changes in diffusion of dyes in the concentration range used, and the results indicate that more research is needed to completely understand the diffusion in nanofluids. This communication brings upon the powerful FCS technique for the first time to study the dynamics of nanofluids.
Black chromium-molybdenum: A new stable solar absorber

Abstract A new solar selective black which is more stable at high temperatures in air than standard black chrome has been electrodeposited. It is based on two refractory metals and their oxides, chromium and molybdenum. Their micromorphology is the same as found in black chrome and the solar absorption mechanisms are similar. Plating mechanisms are discussed and related to film structure. Chemical structure via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) as a function of depth reveal important differences to the structure of standard black chrome which affect stability but not optical response before heating. Absorptance is stable at a value of 0.95 to at least 425°C in air in the best composites which have Mo/Cr ratios of about 0.05. The molybdenum is not present as metal and the total metallic Cr content decreases as the Mo content increases. The Mo percentage is very high near the surface of the film.
Unbalance Response of Flexible Rotors Coupled With Torsion

The effect of coupling with torsion on the unbalance response of flexible rotors, supported by isotropic flexible and damped bearings is investigated. Flexural vibrations of the shaft-disk system are coupled with torsional oscillations through mass eccentricity. The governing equations of motion of the continuous system are solved numerically with a modified Myklestad-Prohl method without the necessity of considering an equivalent lumped system
Determinants of Teaching Quality: What's Important to Students?.

A method for using student evaluations to help faculty improve their teaching performance is presented. A survey of current methods of student evaluations of teaching identified a need to improve the statistical information obtained from these evaluations. An ordinary least squares framework is used to identify the factors that students feel are important in teacher and course ratings. This framework is used to estimate weights that students assign to various teacher and course attributes and to test whether students apply these weights consistently across teachers and courses. About 81 percent of the explained variation in teacher ratings was associated with attributes that contribute to student enjoyment of the learning process. Over 90 percent of the explained variation in course ratings was associated with attributes that measure how much a student learned in the course. Students were found to apply these attributes or weights consistently across teachers and courses. Implications for developing effective teaching strategies, faculty recruitment, and curriculum reform are discussed.
Directional Spread of Septoria Leaf Spot in Tomato Rows

ABSTRACT Disease severity of Septoria leaf spot in rows of fresh-market tomato plants that were not staked was assessed in 1992 and 1993 following inoculation of the center plant in each row. Both temporal disease increase and spatial disease gradients were best described by the logistic model. Apparent infection rates for Septoria leaf spot epidemics averaged 0.282 day-1 (SE = 0.015, r2 = 0.96, P < 0.0001) in 1992 and 0.260 day-1 (SE = 0.011, r2 = 0.96, P < 0.0001) in 1993. Apparent infection rates remained relatively constant at increasing distances from initial foci. Estimated values for disease gradient slopes 3 to 5 weeks after inoculation ranged from -0.26 to -1.05 m-1. Velocities of disease spread ranged from 0.3 to 1.3 m/day. Results of analysis of disease severity data for these 2 years suggest that Septoria leaf spot epidemics can develop at rapid rates, but steep disease gradients limit the velocity of spread.
Marginal Horticulturalists or Maize Agriculturalists? Archaeobotanical, Paleopathological, and Isotopic Evidence Relating to Langford Tradition Maize Consumption

AbstractLangford Tradition horticulture was long viewed as representing a marginalized form of Middle Mississippian agriculture resulting from an adaptation to the less fertile landscapes and marginal climatic conditions of northern Illinois. This adaptation was characterized as involving semi-sedentary maize horticulture combined with an intensive use of wild game and plants. Until recently direct evidence for reconstructing Langford diet and subsistence practices had been limited. In this first systematic study of the specific evidence of Langford maize consumption from archaeology, paleopathology, archaeobotany, and isotopic studies we suggest that these people are best characterized as maize dependent agriculturalists.If maize was universally available in the Midwest by at least A.D. 900 … why did the Oneota not practice agriculture with the same flourish as their nearby Middle Mississippian neighbors?—John P. Hart (1990)
Reasonable abstractions: Semantics for dynamic data visualization

Chi showed how to treat visualization programing models abstractly. This provided a firm theoretical basis for the data-state model of visualization. However, Chi's models did not look deeper into fine-grained program properties, such as execution semantics. We present conditionally deterministic and resource bounded semantics for the data flow model of visualization based on E-FRP. These semantics are used in the Stencil system to move between data state and data flow execution, build task-based parallelism, and build complex analysis chains for dynamic data. This initial work also shows promise for other complex operators, compilation techniques to enable efficient use of time and space, and mixing task and data parallelism.
Indoor robotic terrain classification via angular velocity based hierarchical classifier selection

This paper proposes a novel approach to terrain classification by wheeled mobile robots, which utilizes vibration data. In our proposed approach, a mobile robot has the ability to categorize terrain types simply by driving over them. Classification of terrain is based on measurements obtained from an inertial measurement unit strapped directly to the robot's chassis. In contrast to the previous approaches, we use acceleration and angular velocity measurements in all cardinal directions to extract over 800 features. Sequential Forward Floating Feature Selection is used to narrow down this large group of features to a set of 15 to 20 that are the most useful. The reduced set of features is used by a Linear Bayes Normal Classifier to classify terrain. Furthermore, different feature sets are generated for different velocity conditions, and the classifier switches based on the current robot velocity. Experimental results are presented that show the strong performance of the proposed system, including 90% accuracy over 20 continuous minutes of driving across different terrains.
Empty names and 'gappy' propositions

In recent years a number of authors sympathetic to Referentialistaccounts of proper names have argued that utterances containingempty names express `gappy,' or incomplete, propositions. In this paper I want to take issue with this suggestion.In particular, I argue versions of this approach developedby David Braun, Nathan Salmon, Ken Taylor, and by Fred Adams,Gary Fuller, and Robert Stecker.
Electrophysiological and biochemical sequelae of the destruction of hippocampal noradrenergic afferents by DSP4

Abstract The effects of DSP4 lesions were examined 20—53 days postlesion in the rat hippocampus. A single treatment with DSP4 produced decreases of 42–94% in the norepinephrine (NE) content of this brain region. There was, however, no effect of DSP4 treatment on either the number of affinity of beta-adrenergic receptor sites as determined by radioligand binding studies with (−)-[ 125 I]pindolol; furthermore, there was no relationship between the concentrations of NE and the number of receptor sites in individual hippocampi. The DSP4-induced depletion of functionally releaseable NE was confirmed by the loss of electrophysiological responsiveness to amphetamine in the in vitro hippocampus following such lesions. In contrast, electrophysiological responses to direct acting beta-adrenergic or alpha-adrenergic agonists were unchanged following DSP4 treatment. This finding again suggests tha lack of any change in postsynaptic sensitivity. The results of this study demonstrate that while the potent noradrenergic neurotoxin DSP4 is able to reduce NE concentrations significantly in noradrenergic target regions in brain, these lesions are not necessarily associated with postsynaptic changes in adrenergic systems.
Growth hormone and thyrotropin secretory profiles and provocative testing in aged rats

The impact of aging on both basal and induced GH and TSH secretion in male and female rats was investigated. Analysis of the individual GH secretory profiles in young (3-4 month) and old (19-20 month) rats indicated that sex-dependent patterns of GH secretion was preserved in old animals. However, we observed a reduction of individual GH peak amplitudes of 66% in old males and 53% in old females when compared to their respective young animals. Further, the GH response to an intravenous bolus of GH-releasing factor (GRF), morphine and clonidine was dramatically blunted or absent in old male and female animals. In contrast to GH, basal TSH secretion was elevated, while the TSH response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was not significantly affected in old animals of either sex. The present data provide evidence that reduced pituitary sensitivity to GRF may be a possible cause for reduced GH secretion in old animals. Further, the elevation in plasma TSH observed in old animals is not the result of an increased pituitary sensitivity to TRH.
Interference of Xolair (anti-human IgE) in serological assays for total and allergen specific IgE

Abstract Rationale The effect of Xolair (Omalizumab: monoclonal anti-human IgE) administration on the accuracy of serological immunoassays for IgE has not been reported. We studied the potential interference of Xolair on a widely-used, FDA-cleared immunoassay for total and allergen-specific IgE. Methods Sera from atopic adults [total serum IgE levels: 78-1186 kIU/L] were incubated (1hr,37oC; 16-18hrs,23oC) with constant volumes of buffer or 7-ten-fold concentrations of Xolair to obtain 8 anti-human IgE:human IgE molar ratios: 0-(sham control), 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10,000. Specimens were analyzed in duplicate in the Pharmacia FEIA CAP System for total and allergen-specific IgE antibody to 8 allergen specificities: yellow jacket venom, common ragweed, cat dander, dog dander, D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, Alternaria alternata and Peanut. Results Minimal but reproducible artifactual decreases in measured total serum IgE up to 14% were observed when sera were incubated with 1 to 10 fold molar excess of anti-IgE to IgE. Greater interference was observed with all sera analyzed in the allergen-specific IgE assay. Allergen-specific IgE antibody levels in sham-control sera receiving no Xolair ranged from 0.82 to 65.70 kIU/L. Xolair interference was independent of allergen specificity but dependent on the initial level of allergen-specific IgE. Measured decreases in allergen-specific IgE from 10% to 54% were seen at therapeutically achieved anti-IgE:IgE molar ratios of 1 to 10. Conclusions Total serum IgE CAP analyses appear minimally altered by Xolair in serum, but allergen-specific IgE measurements on sera from allergic patients receiving Xolair should be interpreted with caution, since their accuracy may be compromised by anti-IgE interference.
Identification of a "new" rabbit and human serum protein with fast electrophoretic mobility.

Abstract A new protein has been identified in both rabbit and human serum. The salient characteristic of this protein is its high negative charge as revealed by its rapid anodal migration during electrophoresis at alkaline pH. This protein has tentatively been designated fast-moving protein because of its electrophoretic mobility. Molecular weight determination by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicated that the molecular weight was 85,000 daltons. A goat antiserum made to the rabbit fast-moving protein cross-reacted with both rabbit and human serum albumin. Although no apparent structural relationship between fast-moving protein and albumin was found by peptide-mapping studies, a peptide with a molecular weight of 24,000 daltons and with antigenic determinants in common with rabbit fast-moving protein, was isolated from cyanogen bromide-treated human serum albumin. The structural relationship between fast-moving protein and albumin is discussed.
Vicarious acquisition of a simple concept with experimenter as model

Abstract Samples of 3- and 4-year old, upper-middle-class, 4- and 5-year old culturally disadvantaged, and 6-year old middle-class children were taught an equivalence-rule by the experimenter, herself serving as model. From pre-modeling baseline scores of virtually zero (which no-modeling control groups maintained), all age-samples gave substantial and highly significant changes demonstrating observationally-induced concept acquisition. A procedure combining modeling with verbal rule-cues did not surpass modeling-alone on the initial task, but appeared to enhance rule-transfer to a new stimulus arrangement.
Direct site-specific labeling of the Cys-tag moiety in scVEGF with technetium 99m.

Angiogenesis is a fundamental feature of tumor development, and therefore, the tracers for molecular imaging of specific angiogenic biomarkers are expected to be useful for diagnostics, patient monitoring, and drug development. We have created a new class of imaging agents based on the most important mediator of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Our latest version is a single-chain (sc) VEGF protein containing an N-terminal Cys-tag designed for site-specific modification with a variety of imaging and therapeutic moieties. We have recently found that the Cys-tag itself can form a stable chelate with 99mTc using tin-tricine as an exchange reagent. This self-chelation approach yields a highly stable and fully functional form of radiolabeled scVEGF that can be used as a SPECT tracer for tumor angiogenesis. Also of note is that directly labeled scVEGF has less than one-half the nonspecific renal uptake of 99mTc-HYNIC-scVEGF. The simple production of scVEGF for direct chelation of 99mTc m...
The Convergence of the Results of Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis in the Latent Structure of a Standardized Affective Measure.

For a sample of 271 tenthand eleventh-grade students from middle-class families residing in a suburban setting, both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out on a correlation matrix of 90 items and on a correlation matrix of 18 subtests, each consisting of five items. Both correlation matrixes were derived from an affective measure comprising six relatively homogeneous factor scales, each with 15 items. A comparison of the various orthogonal and oblique solutions for the item correlation matrix and for the subtest correlation matrix revealed comparable dimensions. Application of goodness-of-fit indexes in the confirmatory analyses revealed that the six-factor oblique solution for either the item or subtest correlation matrix accounted for the greatest amount of covariation in each matrix. It was concluded that in the instance of a multidimensional affective measure with homogeneous scales a high degree of convergence was realized in the solutions obtained by either exploratory or conf...
Self-referencing fluorescence sensor for monitoring conversion of nonisothermal polymerization and nanoscale mixing of resin components

Abstract Fluorescence sensor techniques have been developed for monitoring nonisothermal polymerization reactions as well as for mixing of resin components both at the nanoscale and macroscale. A polarity-sensitive probe, 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)-4′-nitrostilbene (DANS), was used to monitor the cure of an industrially relevant epoxy resin system through a fluorescence emission intensity ratio, which is self-referencing and independent of excitation intensity and monitoring geometry. The ratio demonstrated significant sensitivity to cure, increasing by a factor of 5.9 over 80% conversion. It was shown that the spectral shape, and thus the intensity ratio, was independent of temperature at a given state of cure. This insensitivity to temperature makes practical monitoring of nonisothermal reactions much simpler than many fluorescence techniques whose measurable is a function of both extent of reaction and temperature. In addition, the solvatochromatic nature of DANS was utilized to monitor nanoscale mixing of epoxy resin components, with spectral shape showing significant sensitivity to well-mixed resin composition. Fluorescence nonradiative energy transfer, which involves a nanoscale dipole–dipole interaction between excited-state donor and acceptor chromophores, has also been shown to be useful for monitoring molecular scale resin mixing. Further, a method of multiple, directly excited fluorescence probes was introduced to monitor overall stoichiometry in epoxy resin systems through spectral shape, showing sensitivity to changes of ±1% in composition.
The texture of light

The Texture of Light is research on lighting principles and the exploration of life feed video metamorphosis in the public space using reflection of light on transparent materials. The Texture of Light is an attempt to fight the boredom of everyday life. This project employs the simple use of chemistry, Plexiglas, and plastic patterns to form a reconstruction of reality, giving it a texture and an expressive form. The transformation of life feed video comes from physical, plastic circles that act as different masks of reality. These masks can be moved around and swapped by the public, enabling collective expression. This metamorphosis of the public space is presented in real time as a moving painting and is projected on city walls. The public can record video clips of their 'moving painting' and project them back onto different city locations.
Spreading Non-natural Concepts: The Role of Intuitive Conceptual Structures in Memory and Transmission of Cultural Materials ¤

The four experiments presented support Boyer’ s theory that counterintuitive concepts have transmission advantages that account for the commonness and ease of communicating many non-natural cultural concepts. In Experiment 1, 48 American college students recalled expectation-violating items from culturally unfamiliar folk stories better than more mundane items in the stories. In Experiment 2, 52 American college students in a modie ed serial reproduction task transmitted expectation-violating items in a written narrative more successfully than bizarre or common items. In Experiments 3 and 4, these e ndings were replicated with orally presented and transmitted stimuli, and found to persist even after three months. To sum, concepts with single expectation-violating features were more successfully transmitted than concepts that were entirely congruent with category-level expectations, even if they were highly unusual or bizarre. This transmission advantage for counterintuitive concepts may explain, in part, why such concepts are so prevalent across cultures and so readily spread.
Void-nucleation vs void-growth controlled plastic flow localization in materials with nonuniform particle distributions

Abstract Plastic flow localization may occur after significant void growth or immediately after void nucleation. In the present work, a model is developed to investigate the role of nonuniform particle distributions (e.g. random distribution, clusters) in plastic flow localization. A parameter is developed to quantitatively determine whether localization is predominantly controlled by void-nucleation or by void-growth. It is established that, for large clusters of particles, localization is more likely to be initiated by void nucleation, while it is dominated by void growth for small clusters. Both critical strain and stress void-nucleation criteria are investigated. It is observed that void-nucleation governed by the critical stress criterion initiates plastic flow localization at a much lower strain level than that governed by the critical strain criterion.
A Functional Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-γ Ligand-binding Domain Is Not Required for Adipogenesis

The nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is the central regulator of adipogenesis. Although it is the target for several drugs that function as agonist activators, a high affinity endogenous ligand for this receptor that is involved in regulating adipogenesis has yet to be identified. Here, we investigated the requirement for ligand activation of PPARγ in fat cell differentiation, taking advantage of a natural mutant of this receptor that does not bind or become activated by any known natural or synthetic ligand. When ectopically expressed in PPARγ-null fibroblasts, this Q286P allele was able to strongly promote morphological adipogenesis, without any significant difference compared with wild-type PPARγ. In addition, no significant differences were found in the expression of several adipogenic genes between the wild-type and Q286P mutant alleles. To extend our studies to an in vivo setting, we performed subcutaneous injections of PPARγ-expressing fibroblasts into nude mice. We found that both wild-type and Q286P mutant-expressing fibroblasts were able to generate fat pads in the mice. These results suggest that the binding and activation of PPARγ by agonist ligands may not be required for adipogenesis under physiological conditions.