cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A school-based, family-centered intervention to prevent substance use: the family check-up.

Background/Objectives: The Family Check-Up (FCU) is a selected intervention model that can be delivered in contexts such as schools that serve at-risk children and families. It is grounded in developmental theory and targets salient risk factors for the development of later problem behavior such as substance use, family management deficits, deviant peer affiliations, and problem behavior at school. Methods: The FCU model has been implemented in schools across several randomized trials. The model includes the development of a family resource center in the schools and interventions that target youth at risk for problem behavior and substance use. Results: Twenty years of research associated with the FCU have produced outcomes that show that the model is effective for enhancing family management skills, reducing risk behavior, and reducing the long-term risk for substance use in adolescence. Conclusions and Scientific Significance: Implications for public policy and the delivery of interventions to prevent s...
Optimal analysis of intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography for predicting myocardial functional recovery in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Objective: This study attempted to determine the optimal interpretation method of intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) for predicting myocardial functional recovery in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Background: Assessment of the myocardial contrast effect is subjective and there is currently no universal agreement on the pulsing interval (PI) for imaging. Methods: Twenty-nine patients underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) 4.8 ± 1.9 days after acute myocardial infarction and intravenous MCE before and 24 hours after PTCA by using intermittent harmonic angioimaging at a series of PIs of 4, 8, 12, and 16 cardiac cycles. Adequate contrast enhancement was defined by homogeneous (MCEhomo score) and heterogeneous patterns (MCEheter score), and by a combination of intensity threshold and computed planimetry (MCEcom score). Adequate contrast enhancement at a shorter PI defined a higher MCE score (1 vs 5). The regional wall motion in the risk area was assessed before PTCA and 2 months after PTCA to evaluate functional recovery. Results: A significant improvement after PTCA was noted in the MCEhomo score (3.2 ± 1.7 vs 3.6 ± 1.7, P = .008) and the MCEcom score (2.9 ± 1.6 vs 3.3 ± 1.5, P P = .058). Twenty-four hours after PTCA, segments with functional recovery had a higher MCEheter score (4.9 ± 0.5 vs 3.8 ± 1.6, P = .002), MCEhomo score (4.2 ± 1.4 vs 2.6 ± 1.9, P P Conclusion: Using a combination of intensity threshold and computed planimetry for interpreting myocardial contrast enhancement at a long PI can optimize the value of MCE in predicting functional recovery after PTCA in patients with acute myocardial infarction. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:1262-8.)
A specific, sensitive method for the determination of hyaluronate.

Abstract A sensitive and specific assay for hyaluronate was devised. Hyaluronate contained in biological mixtures was digested with a commercially available microbial hyaluronate lyase. The β-Δ4,5-eneglucopyranuronic acid residues contained at the nonreducing termini of the resulting oligosaccharides were oxidized with periodic acid to yield, among other products, formyl pyruvic acid. The latter compound reacted with thiobarbituric acid to yield a chromophore with an absorption maximum at 549 nm. Optimal conditions for quantitative assay of hyaluronate are described.
A transformation technique for optimal control problems with partially linear state inequality constraints

This paper considers optimal control problems involving the minimization of a functional subject to differential constraints, terminal constraints, and a state inequality constraint. The state inequality constraint is of a special type, namely, it is linear in some or all of the components of the state vector. A transformation technique is introduced, by means of which the inequality-constrained problem is converted into an equality-constrained problem involving differential constraints, terminal constraints, and a control equality constraint. The transformation technique takes advantage of the partial linearity of the state inequality constraint so as to yield a transformed problem characterized by a new state vector of minimal size. This concept is important computationally, in that the computer time per iteration increases with the square of the dimension of the state vector. In order to illustrate the advantages of the new transformation technique, several numerical examples are solved by means of the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm for optimal control problems involving nondifferential constraints. The examples show the substantial savings in computer time for convergence, which are associated with the new transformation technique.
PI3K/mTOR Signaling Regulates Prostatic Branching Morphogenesis

Prostatic branching morphogenesis is an intricate event requiring precise temporal and spatial integration of numerous hormonal and growth factor-regulated inputs, yet relatively little is known about the downstream signaling pathways that orchestrate this process. In this study, we use a novel mesenchyme-free embryonic prostate culture system, newly available mTOR inhibitors and a conditional PTEN loss-of-function model to investigate the role of the interconnected PI3K and mTOR signaling pathways in prostatic organogenesis. We demonstrate that PI3K levels and PI3K/mTOR activity are robustly induced by androgen during murine prostatic development and that PI3K/mTOR signaling is necessary for prostatic epithelial bud invasion of surrounding mesenchyme. To elucidate the cellular mechanism by which PI3K/mTOR signaling regulates prostatic branching, we show that PI3K/mTOR inhibition does not significantly alter epithelial proliferation or apoptosis, but rather decreases the efficiency and speed with which the developing prostatic epithelial cells migrate. Using mTOR kinase inhibitors to tease out the independent effects of mTOR signaling downstream of PI3K, we find that simultaneous inhibition of mTORC1 and mTORC2 activity attenuates prostatic branching and is sufficient to phenocopy combined PI3K/mTOR inhibition. Surprisingly, however, mTORC1 inhibition alone has the reverse effect, increasing the number and length of prostatic branches. Finally, simultaneous activation of PI3K and downstream mTORC1/C2 via epithelial PTEN loss-of-function also results in decreased budding reversible by mTORC1 inhibition, suggesting that the effect of mTORC1 on branching is not primarily mediated by negative feedback on PI3K/mTORC2 signaling. Taken together, our data point to an important role for PI3K/mTOR signaling in prostatic epithelial invasion and migration and implicates the balance of PI3K and downstream mTORC1/C2 activity as a critical regulator of prostatic epithelial morphogenesis.
US hospital preparedness for obstetrics patients with possible Ebola.

Since early March 2014, >20,000 probable and suspect cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, with more than 8000 deaths reported as of Jan. 4, 2015.1 Although pregnancy data are limited, reports of pregnant women with EVD in this2,3 and previous4,5 outbreaks describe very high maternal, fetal, and neonatal death rates. The diagnosis of EVD remains rare in the United States with only 4 confirmed cases and none among pregnant women. Because the greatest risks for exposure to Ebola virus remain residence in or travel to countries with wide-spread Ebola virus transmission, pregnant women should continue to be screened regarding recent international travel and potential exposure to Ebola virus.4,6
Matrix Fluorescence Photobleaching Recovery for Polymer Molecular Weight Distributions and Other Applications

A new method for determining molecular weight distributions is explored. Matrix fluorescence photobleaching recovery (MFPR) requires dye attachment to the polymer analyte. No physical separation of macromolecules is accomplished, as in the predominant gel permeation chromatography technique. Rather, the distribution of diffusion coefficients is determined by inverse Laplace transformation of fluorescence photobleaching recovery decay profiles, and the diffusion data are then mapped onto molecular weight using a measured calibration. Resolution is enhanced by forcing the labeled polymer analyte to diffuse through a solution that contains unlabeled matrix, which can even be the same type of polymer. Relative to free diffusion, this increases the dependence of diffusion on molecular weight, making it easier to differentiate components having similar mass. Simulated, noise-corrupted data for molecules diffusing by reptation suggest that excellent resolution may be achieved. Empirical tests were conducted usin...
Symbiotic Properties of Antibiotic-Resistant and Auxotrophic Mutants of Rhizobium leguminosarum

A number of auxotrophic and antibiotic-resistant mutants of Rhizobium leguminosarum were isolated and their symbiotic properties examined. Among the auxotrophic mutants tested, only those with an adenine requirement were found to be symbiotically defective and these were all non-infective. Of the antibiotic-resistant mutants isolated, only a minority of the rifampicin-resistant mutants had a modified symbiotic phenotype and this was ineffective. Preliminary evidence suggests that the basis for the resistance in these mutants is a modified DNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
Anopheles gambiae feeding and survival on honeydew and extra-floral nectar of peridomestic plants.

Abstract. It is widely believed that the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) rarely or never feeds on sugar in nature. If so, the need for supplemental blood-feeding may be increased and this would help to explain why it is such an efficient malaria vector. Nonetheless, both sexes of this mosquito species readily imbibe and digest sugar solutions, and sugar is a staple of laboratory colonies. In this study, we investigated whether An. gambiae will feed on the extra-floral nectar of three common peridomestic plants in Africa, and on honeydew of the mealybug Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozetti) (Hemiptera: Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), and how this affects survivorship. We found that both males and females of An. gambiae provided with vegetative parts of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) survived as well (x = 26.3 and 19.2 days, respectively) as they did on 50% sucrose solution (x = 29.7 and 24.3 days, respectively) and much longer than they did on water alone (x = 1.8 days, both sexes). Females provided with mealybug honeydew also lived substantially longer (x = 16.5 days) than those on water alone. Males and females provided with vegetative parts of castorbean (Ricinus communis L.) also survived much longer (x = 12.7 and 7.8 days, respectively) than on water, but those provided with flowering lantana (Lantana camara L.) did not. Anthrone tests of females after one night of exposure to these potential energy sources confirmed that they obtained fructose from cassava, from mealybug honeydew, and from non-flowering castorbean, but not from lantana or from castorbean lacking its petiolar nectaries. Previous laboratory studies had shown that sugar availability affects the survival and biting frequency of An. gambiae. It now appears that this mosquito can locate natural sources of plant sugar readily and utilize them effectively. Nectar-producing plants in the domestic environment may play a significant role in this mosquito's energy budget and malaria vectorial capacity.
Hutchins’s University of Utopia: Institutional Independence, Academic Freedom, and Radical Restructuring

In a crisis-plagued world looking to higher education for knowledge, wisdom, and solutions, higher education itself is stumbling. Its transformational thinking has frozen up like an overstressed computer program; and we need, in effect, to “push the reset button.” In 1953, the renowned and controversial president of the University of Chicago, Robert M. Hutchins, authored a refreshing and provocative work, The University of Utopia, containing ideas that still challenge today’s paradigms. He argued for institutional independence over “accountability,” “outcomes,” and “stakeholders.” He indicted educational evils he called “industrialization,” “specialization,” “philosophical diversity,” and “social and political conformity” and suggested ways to defeat them. Although his 56-year-old thoughts on reconceptualizing the multiversity are not a panacea, they could help higher education make a fresh start. This essay reintroduces the modern reader to Hutchins’s iconoclastic and stimulating ideas in the hope of restarting the stalled agenda for educational reform.
Effects of Glucose Homeostasis on Protein Metabolism in Patients With Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease

Insulin deficiency is known to be associated with a state of increased muscle protein breakdown; this process is mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Convincing in vitro data are further supported by extensive studies in humans with insulin deprivation and are further substantiated by reversal of muscle protein breakdown with insulin treatment. In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and diabetes mellitus (DM), muscle protein breakdown is enhanced in both acute and chronic conditions. Recent data also point to the potential protein catabolic effects of insulin resistance combined with insulin deficiency. Because ESRD is associated with a state of insulin resistance, uremic muscle wasting may also be mediated by this pathway.
Synthesis and DNA binding of novel water-soluble cationic methylcobalt porphyrins.

Organocobalt derivatives of tetracationic water-soluble porphyrins are difficult to prepare via the typical reductive alkylation of the Co(II)(por) (porH2 = porphyrin ligand). None have been report...
Usefulness of nutritional screening for the identification of Xanthomonas campesths DNA homology groups and pathovars

A nutritional screen of 143 carbon sources was done on 88 strains of xanthomonads from 39 different Xanthomonas campestris pathovars, X. albilineans, X.fragariae, and ‘X. gardneri’. Six compounds, cellobiose, fructose, fumarate, glucose, L-malate and succinate supported growth of all strains except X. albilineans, whereas 92 substrates were not utilized by any strain. Substrate utilization patterns appeared sufficiently uniform among the various genomic groups within Xanthomonas to allow their differentiation. The most easily distinguished pathovars were X. cam. pv. oryzicola and X. cam. secalis of genomic groups 4 and 3, respectively, because they used few substrates. Genomic group 1 was the most difficult to distinguish because utilization patterns differed substantially among the pathovars that comprise the group. Substrate utilization was useful for distinguishing pathovars within genomic groups. For example, X. campestris pv. pelargonii of genomic group 5 was differentiated from X. cam. carotae, X. cam. taraxaci, and ‘X. gardneri’ by growth on aconitate but not D-tartrate. Similarly, use of D-tartrate differentiated X. celebensis from X. cam. pv. juglandis within group 6. Sorbitol was utilized only by X. cam. pv. plantaginis of group 2 and arabitol was a useful substrate for identifying X. cam. pv. pisi and pv. eucalypti. Most patterns of carbon utilization were confirmed with Biolog tests but there were exceptions as was found with utilization of glycerol and D-arabitol. The Biolog test also revealed some differences in carbon utilization not detected by standard tests of carbon substrates. It is concluded that nutritional screening has promise for identifying genomic groups and various pathovars within the genus Xanthomonas.
Ectopic pancreatic tissue in the gastric antrum

3. Lusher JM, and Zuelzer WW: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in childhood, J Med 68:971, 1966. 4. Harker LA, and Slichter S J: The bleeding time as a screening test for evaluation of platelet function, N Engl J Med 287:155, 1972. 5. Ahn YS, Harrington WJ, Seelman RC, and Eytel CS: Vincristine therapy of idiopathic and secondary thrombocytopenias, N Engl J Med 291:376, 1974. 6. Laros RK, and Penner JA: Refractory thrombocytopenic purpura tested successfully with cyclophosphamide, JAMA 215:445, 1975. 7. Reiquiam CW, and Prosper JC: Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia: Treatment with prednisone, 6-mercaptopurine, vincristine and fresh plasma transfusion, J Med 68:885, 1966. 8. Leibowitz S, et al: Malignancy as a complication of immunosuppressive therapy, Adv Intern Med 17:95, 1977. 9. Cridland MD: Antineoplastic and immunosuppressive drugs. Adverse effects and therapeutic problems, Drugs 3:352, 1972.
Chylothorax in a patient with metastatic Kaposi sarcoma: Differential diagnostic considerations

Abstract Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a low-grade mesenchymal tumor involving blood and lymphatic vessels. There are four types, based on clinical presentation: classic, endemic (Africana), iatrogenic (typically, involving renal allograft recipients), and AIDS-associated (epidemic). Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus infection has been linked along with other factors to the development of KS. The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus interacts and encodes for numerous molecular proteins that play a role in the pathogenesis of KS, including latency-associated nuclear antigen, viral G protein-coupled receptor, viral FLICE inhibitory protein, and viral IL-6. KS primarily affects the skin and causes disseminated disease in a variety of organs. Involvement of visceral organs other than the lining of the alimentary tract is extremely rare. While the chylous pleural effusions of KS may resemble other pulmonary diseases (including lymphangioma, lymphangectasis, and lymphangioleiomyomatosis) with chylous effusions at thoracic CT, differentiating features may allow for more prompt diagnosis and treatment. The presumptive diagnosis of AIDS-related pulmonary KS is often clinical. A tissue diagnosis is not required to establish the diagnosis of pulmonary KS. There are a variety of causes of chylothorax. The primary finding is a near-water-attenuating pleural effusion. The secondary findings of chylothorax can help differentiate the etiology.
Steroid Metabolism by the Lung: Conversion of Dihydrotestosterone to 5α-Androstan-3α,17β-Diol by Rat Lung Tissue in Vitro

The potential of lung tissue of adult male rats metabolize dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in vitro was examined. Within 3 min, a homogenate of 100 mg lung tissue, cleared of blood by perfusion before homogenization, metabolized 90% of the [3H]DHT substrate. Appoximately 80% of the DHT was converted to 5 alpha-androstan- alpha, 17 beta-diol. The amount of 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol formed during a 5-min incubation increased linearly, with substrate concentrations ranging from 3.3 x 10(-8) to 3 x 10(-6) M. Thus, the capacity of rat lung tissue to metabolize DHT in vitro and the rate of 3 alpha-reduction of DHT are sufficiently great to consider the possibility that lung may be responsible for the rapid clearance of DHT from the circulation in this species.
Factors affecting equal catchability in two swallowtail butterflies, Papilio polyxenes and P.glaucus

. 1. Recapture probabilities were analysed for individually marked black swallowtails, Papilio polyxenes F., and tiger swallowtails, P.glaucus L. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). 2. Recapture rates differed with sex and behaviour at time of capture for P.polyxenes, but not with age. For P.glaucus, only differences related to behaviour at time of capture were significant. 3. Black swallowtail males that were not physically restrained in identification had a recapture probability (73%) that was significantly higher than the 45% for males that were captured and handled. The higher rate was also exhibited by released, laboratory-reared males. 4. The capture effect was due to increased dispersal out of the areas and not to avoidance of capture or the capture site.
Dishing Dirt in the Digital Age: Celebrity Gossip Blogs and Participatory Media Culture

Meyers, E. A. (2013). Dishing Dirt in the Digital Age: Celebrity Gossip Blogs and Participatory Media Culture. New York, NY: Peter Lang. 171 pages.In Dishing Dirt in the Digital Age, Erin Meyers pr...
The photometric titration of mercury with trien

Abstract A mercury(II) solution containing copper ion can be titrated photometrically at pH 4.7 with triethylenetetramine solution (trien) after the addition of iminodiacetic acid (IDA) ; IDA causes a reversal of the effective formation constants of Hg-trien and Cu-trien and permits the titration. Copper-trien which absorbs at 580 mμ serves as the indicator for the titration. Mercury can be determined in presence of many other metals with an accuracy of about 1%; the main interferences are iron-(III), nickel, bismuth and chloride ion.
The use of linear models in A/D converter testing

This paper demonstrates how a linear modeling technique can be applied to three common methods for testing analog-to-digital converters (ADC's)-the servo-loop method, the tally-and-weight method, and the code density method-to improve their efficiency and accuracy. In order to compare the accuracy of the test procedures that incorporate the linear modeling technique with the corresponding procedures that do not, confidence intervals are derived for the integral and differential nonlinearity (INL and DNL) estimates obtained in both cases. Since the linear model may itself introduce some error in the estimates, the accuracy of the model must be determined in order to make the comparisons meaningful. This is accomplished by using a nested experimental design to determine how much of the variance in the transition levels is accounted for by the model.
Conversion to valproate monotheraphy in nonretarded adults with primary Generalized tonic-clonic seizures

Abstract Studies have demonstrated improved seizure control with fewer side effects when multidrug regimens are converted to valproate monotherapy. We studied 71 nonretarded adults, a group often unwilling to risk changes, with primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Their antiepileptic treatment was changed from treatment with one or more antiepileptic medicines to valproate monotherapy because of uncontrolled seizures or unacceptable side effects of the original regimen; 77% were successfully converted. Of those, 71% became seizure-free or had a >50% reduction in seizure frequency. The most frequent side effects of valproate were tremor, weight gain, and initial gastrointestinal irritation. Side effects were usually mild and interfered with the patient's quality of life less than those that prompted treatment conversion (sedation, gingival hypertrophy, cognitive dysfunction). One case of Reyes-like syndrome developed, but the patient recovered fully after valproate was discontinued. We concluded that conversion to valproate monotherapy is safe and effective for most treatment-resistant adults with primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures.
Yucca Mountain Project Preclosure Ventilation Heat Transfer Analysis: Sensitivity of the Ventilation Efficiency to Uncertainties in Key Inputs and Design Parameters

Preclosure ventilation is a key design feature of the repository to store high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. The efficiency of the ventilation to remove heat generated by radionuclide decay from the repository is predicted using a lumped parameter heat transfer analysis that considers thermal radiation, convection, and conduction in the drift and the surrounding rock mass. The sensitivity of the ventilation efficiency to uncertainties in key inputs and design parameters is investigated using a statistical approach known as the Delta Method. The standard deviation (normally distributed) of the ventilation efficiency about the mean of 88.0% is 2.6% for a 600-meter long drift. In addition, the influence of each of the standard deviations of the inputs and design parameters on the mean ventilation efficiency and standard deviation is determined. The results show that the most significant variables in the ventilation heat transfer analysis are the inlet air temperature, the air flow rate, the host rock thermal conductivity (as a function of matrix saturation and specific heat), and the convection heat transfer coefficients.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Growth in culture of the peripheral axons of the spiral neurons in response to displacement of the receptors.

Observations were made on the growth of the peripheral axons of the spiral neurons in injured explants of the cochlea of the mouse. Opening of the cochlear duct during explantation usually results in a displacement of the hair cells into the outgrowth zone if the basilar membrane of the excised organ of Corti faces the substrate.
Rescue of key features of the p63‐null epithelial phenotype by inactivation of Ink4a and Arf

Mice lacking p63 cannot form skin, exhibit craniofacial and skeletal defects, and die soon after birth. The p63 gene regulates a complex network of target genes, and disruption of p63 has been shown to affect the maintenance of epithelial stem cells, the differentiation of keratinocytes, and the preservation of the adhesive properties of stratified epithelium. Here, we show that inactivation of p63 in mice is accompanied by aberrantly increased expression of the Ink4a and Arf tumour suppressor genes. In turn, anomalies of the p63-null mouse affecting the skin and skeleton are partially ameliorated in mice lacking either Ink4a or Arf. Rescue of epithelialization is accompanied by restoration of keratinocyte proliferative capacity both in vivo and in vitro and by expression of markers of squamous differentiation. Thus, in the absence of p63, abnormal upregulation of Ink4a and Arf is incompatible with skin development.
Microturbidimeter for Determination of Rubber Content of Latex

Abstract It is desirable to devise a method for determining the dry rubber content of latex which will be both more rapid than the two trial coagulation methods and more precise than the hydrometric method. The turbidity of latex, depending upon the volumetric number and size of the suspended rubber particles, offers a satisfactory criterion for the determination of the rubber content of latex. A microturbidimeter, herein described, has been adapted to such determinations. It permits more rapid determinations of the rubber content than the two trial coagulation methods. Its precision is less than the lengthy trial coagulation method, involving coagulation, creping, and drying, but is probably greater than that of the shortened trial coagulation method involving only coagulation and creping. Its precision is approximately 1 per cent rubber in 35 per cent latex. The turbidity of latex obeys the turbidity-dilution law for rubber-content values less than 15 per cent. The use of color filters, transmitting the...
The interaction problem in policy analysis

A problem little noted in the literature on policy analysis is that analysis can interact with problems to make them different and more difficult to solve than they would be without analysis. Four varieties of interaction can be distinguished. All are rooted in the methods and assumptions of economics, the discipline that now dominates federal analysis, and particularly in its limited capacity to set policy goals. To prevent interaction, analysts would have to be able to set goals with greater independence so that aims were not swayed by the analytic process. They would need either their own theory of ends or closer political guidance.
Instability threshold of a negatively buoyant fountain

Experimental simulations were carried out to investigate the onset of instability in negatively buoyant fountains by injecting glycerin–water mixtures into silicon oil. The transition from a stable to an unstable fountain structure is primarily governed by the Richardson number, and to a lesser extent, Reynolds number, viscosity ratio, Weber number and vent geometry. Transition nominally occurs at a Ri = 1.0. For a fountain issuing from a cylindrical pipe, the major effect of the Reynolds number is in determining whether or not the fountain is laminar or turbulent. The Reynolds number effect can be largely accounted for by basing a corrected Richardson number on the root mean square of the mean velocity. Viscosity ratio deviating from unity has the effect of stabilizing the flow structure and thereby reducing the transition Richardson number. Similarly, interfacial tension stabilizes the flow pattern resulting in a trend of increasing transition Richardson number with increasing Weber number. The results are valid in rectangular vents if the Richardson number and Reynolds number are based on the hydraulic diameter.
Bryozoans as ephemeral estuarine habitat and a larval transport mechanism for mobile benthos and young fishes in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

In the northern Gulf of Mexico, bryozoans detach and concentrate in fall and winter creating a complex habitat offering local organisms a refuge from predation and/or a potential food source. The local reduction of salt marsh habitat acreage due to development, in addition to the well-documented loss of seagrass beds within Mississippi Sound, may increase the importance of ephemeral bryozoan habitat for a suite of young estuarine organisms. We collected 69 taxa or 2.75 organisms/g bryozoan wet weight between 7 October and 2 December 1999 (29 sampling dates) using three gears. Cluster analysis based on Jaccards Index revealed that offshore assemblages differed from onshore assemblages, and this pattern was also supported by quantitative similarity indices. Multiple linear regression indicated that of the seven abiotic variables measured, taxonomic density shows a positive relationship with turbidity and taxonomic richness a positive relationship with turbidity, distance from shore and bryozoan dry weight. Collections yielded a greater taxonomic richness than 82% of studies on other complex ephemeral habitats, many of which were of a longer duration, involved more intense sampling, or which were conducted on other ephemeral habitats associated with highly vegetated seascapes. Ephemeral bryozoans which occur annually along a muddy-bottom landcape in the north-central Gulf of Mexico serve a role as a nursery habitat and a dispersal mechanism as has been shown with other ephemeral habitats like Sargassum and drift algae.
Thermal Conductivity of Ne and He 4 Quantum Crystals

Calculations of lattice thermal conductivities have been performed, using the self-consistent phonon approximation to treat the zero-point motion.
COMPARISON OF WRITTEN AND ORAL RESPONSES FOR SCORING THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPRIVATION SCALE

A 65-item questionnaire was developed and administered to 56 undergraduate students for the purpose of comparing written responses to the usual oral responses necessary for scoring the Environmental Deprivation Scale. Scores based on responses to the questionnaire correlated with those obtained from the standard interview procedure (r = .78, p <.001). Percent agreement for two raters scoring the questionnaire was high (r = .85, p <.001). Advantages of obtaining responses with the questionnaire are discussed.
Oral Health-related Quality of Life: What, Why, How, and Future Implications

Despite its relatively recent emergence over the past few decades, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has important implications for the clinical practice of dentistry and dental research. OHRQoL is a multidimensional construct that includes a subjective evaluation of the individual's oral health, functional well-being, emotional well-being, expectations and satisfaction with care, and sense of self. It has wide-reaching applications in survey and clinical research. OHRQoL is an integral part of general health and well-being. In fact, it is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an important segment of the Global Oral Health Program (2003). This paper identifies the what, why, and how of OHRQoL and presents an oral health theoretical model. The relevance of OHRQoL for dental practitioners and patients in community-based dental practices is presented. Implications for health policy and related oral health disparities are also discussed. A supplemental Appendix contains a Medline and ProQuest literature search regarding OHRQoL research from 1990-2010 by discipline and research design (e.g., descriptive, longitudinal, clinical trial, etc.). The search identified 300 articles with a notable surge in OHRQoL research in pediatrics and orthodontics in recent years.
Estimation error in image quality measurements

The development and adoption of standard image quality measurement and analysis methods have helped both the evaluation of competing imaging products and in technologies. Inherent in the interpretation of results from any particular evaluation, however, are the variation of the method itself, the sampling of test images, equipment, and test conditions. Here we take a statistical approach to measurement variation, and interpret the objective as being the estimation of particular system or image properties, based on data, collected as part of standard testing. Measurement variation was investigated for two signal-transfer methods commonly used for digital camera and scanner evaluation: the ISO 12233 slanted-edge spatial frequency response and the dead-leaves method for texture-MTF evaluation being developed by the Camera Phone Image Quality (CPIQ) Initiative. In each case, the variation due to the selection of analysis regions was computed by repeated analysis. The slanted-edge methods indicated a relative error in the range of 1-3% depending on the nature of the region selection. For the dead-leaves method, the amplitude spectrum (square root of the noise-power spectrum) showed a relative error of approximately 4-6%, however, this can be reduced by applying spectral estimation methods commonly used in image noise analysis.
Mechanical bioeffects of pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound on a simple neural model.

Purpose: To study how pressure pulses affect nerves through mechanisms that are neither thermal nor cavitational, and investigate how the effects are related to cumulative radiation-force impulse (CRFI). Applications include traumatic brain injury and acoustic neuromodulation. Methods: A simple neural model consisting of the giant axon of a live earthworm was exposed to trains of pressure pulses produced by an 825 kHz focused ultrasound transducer. The peak negative pressure of the pulses and duty cycle of the pulse train were controlled so that neither cavitation nor significant temperature rise occurred. The amplitude and conduction velocity of action-potentials triggered in the worm were measured as the magnitude of the pulses and number of pulses in the pulse trains were varied. Results: The functionality of the axons decreased when sufficient pulse energy was applied. The level of CRFI at which the observed effects occur is consistent with the lower levels of injury observed in this study relative to blast tubes. The relevant CRFI values are also comparable to CRFI values in other studies showing measureable changes in action-potential amplitudes and velocities. Plotting the measured action-potential amplitudes and conduction velocities from different experiments with widely varying exposure regimens against the single parameter of CRFI yielded values that agreed within 21% in terms of amplitude and 5% in velocity. A predictive model based on the assumption that the temporal rate of decay of action-potential amplitude and velocity is linearly proportional the radiation force experienced by the axon predicted the experimental amplitudes and conduction velocities to within about 20% agreement. Conclusions: The functionality of axons decreased due to noncavitational mechanical effects. The radiation force, possibly by inducing changes in ion-channel permeability, appears to be a possible mechanism for explaining the observed degradation. The CRFI is also a promising parameter for quantifying neural bioeffects during exposure to pressure waves, and for predicting axon functionality.
Ka-band RF MEMS phase shifters

As the need for low-loss phase shifters increases, so does the interest in radio frequency (RF) MEMS as a solution to provide them. In this paper, progress in building low loss Ka-band phase shifters using RF MEMS capacitive switches is demonstrated. Using a switched transmission line 4-bit resonant phase shifter, an average insertion loss of 2.25 dB was obtained with better than 15-dB return loss, a similar 3-bit phase shifter produced an average insertion loss of 1.7 dB with better than 13-dB return loss. Both devices had a phase error of less than 13/spl deg/ in the fundamental states. To our knowledge, these devices represent the lowest loss Ka-band phase shifters reported to date.
Understanding bandwidth-delay product in mobile ad hoc networks

Bandwidth-delay product (BDP) and its upper bound (BDP-UB) have been well-understood in wireline networks such as the Internet. However, they have not been carefully studied in the multi-hop wireless ad hoc network (MANET) domain. In this paper, we show that the most significant difference of computing BDP and BDP-UB in MANET is the coupling of bandwidth and delay over a wireless link, where only one packet is allowed to be transmitted over the channel at a time. Based on this observation, we prove that BDP-UB of a path in MANET is upper bounded by N, where N is the number of round-trip hops of the path. We then further obtain two tighter bounds of BDP-UB, and verify them through ns-2 simulations. The understanding of BDP and BDP-UB also contributes to the solution of how to properly set TCP's congestion window limit (CWL) in MANET, in order to mitigate TCP's congestion window overshooting problem. Past studies have shown that using a small CWL improves TCP performance in certain MANET scenarios, however, no quantitative guideline has been given. In this paper, we provide a systematic solution to this problem, by dynamically applying the path's BDP-UB as TCP's CWL. Simulation results show that our solution effectively improves TCP performance in a MANET environment.
Predicting ground water nitrate concentration from land use

Ground water nitrate concentrations on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, were analyzed to assess the effects of land use on ground water quality. Exploratory data analysis was applied to historic ground water nitrate concentrations to determine spatial and temporal trends. Maximum likelihood Tobit and logistic regression analyses of explanatory variables that characterize land use within a 1000-foot radius of each well were used to develop predictive equations for nitrate concentration at 69 wells. The results demonstrate that historic nitrate concentrations downgradient from agricultural land are significantly higher than nitrate concentrations elsewhere. Tobit regression results demonstrate that the number of septic tanks and the percentages of forest, undeveloped, and high-density residential land within a 1000-foot radius of a well are reliable predictors of nitrate concentration in ground water. Similarly, logistic regression revealed that the percentages of forest, undeveloped, and low-density residential land are good indicators of ground water nitrate concentration >2 mg/L. The methodology and results outlined here provide a useful tool for land managers in communities with shallow water tables overlain with highly permeable materials to evaluate potential effects of development on ground water quality.
NURSERY RESPONSE OF ACACIA KOA SEEDLINGS TO CONTAINER SIZE, IRRIGATION METHOD, AND FERTILIZATION RATE

Planting koa (Acaciakoa A. Gray) in Hawai‘i, USA aids in restoration of disturbed sites essential to conservation of endemic species. Survival and growth of planted seedlings under vegetative competition typically increases with initial plant size. Increasing container size and fertilizer rate may produce larger seedlings, but high fertilization can lead to surface and groundwater pollution and relatively low fertilizer use efficiency. Subirrigation systems may help mitigate this problem. Our study objective was to evaluate koa seedling growth with overhead or subirrigation over a range of container volumes (50 to 656 mL) and fertilizer rates (0 to 9.6 kg·m −3 ). Increasing container volume from 50 to 656 mL yielded koa seedlings with 200% more height and stem diameter growth. Subirrigation resulted in less nutrient leaching losses and yielded seedlings of similar vigor as overhead irrigated seedlings. Subirrigation helps optimize fertilizer delivery, which may improve fertilizer use efficiency and reduce environmental contamination.
The Changing Shape of Metropolitan America

In the same way that rural towns gave way to cities in the middle of the nineteenth century, cities gave way to metropolitan areas in the middle of the twentieth century. Today, the United States is overwhelmingly metropolitan. Using tabular and spatial data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. Geological Survey, this article explores metropolitan population, employment, and urban settlement trends since 1990. The first part of the article compares intermetropolitan changes in population and employment in 1990, 2000, and 2007. The second part considers the changing intrametropolitan distribution of population and households between 1990 and 2000 and of employment between 1994 and 2003. Finally, the third part explores changes in density and urban land cover between 1990 (or 1992) and 2000 (or 2001). These findings are reported by geographic region, metropolitan area size, and metropolitan gateway status.
Authorship attribution using function words adjacency networks

We present an authorship attribution method based on relational data between function words. These are content independent words that help define grammatical relationships. As relational structures we use normalized word adjacency networks. We interpret these networks as Markov chains and compare them using entropy measures. We illustrate the accuracy of the method developed through a series of numerical experiments including comparisons with frequency based methods. We show that accuracy increases when combining relational and frequency based data, indicating that both sources of information encode different aspects of authorial styles.
On wireless scheduling algorithms for minimizing the queue-overflow probability

In this paper, we are interested in wireless scheduling algorithms for the downlink of a single cell that can minimize the queue-overflow probability. Specifically, in a large-deviation setting, we are interested in algorithms that maximize the asymptotic decay rate of the queue-overflow probability, as the queue-overflow threshold approaches infinity. We first derive an upper bound on the decay rate of the queue-overflow probability over all scheduling policies. We then focus on a class of scheduling algorithms collectively referred to as the "α-algorithms." For a given α ≥ 1, the α-algorithm picks the user for service at each time that has the largest product of the transmission rate multiplied by the backlog raised to the power α. We show that when the overflow metric is appropriately modified, the minimum-cost-to-overflow under the α-algorithm can be achieved by a simple linear path, and it can be written as the solution of a vector-optimization problem. Using this structural property, we then show that when α approaches infinity, the α-algorithms asymptotically achieve the largest decay rate of the queue-overflow probability. Finally, this result enables us to design scheduling algorithms that are both close to optimal in terms of the asymptotic decay rate of the overflow probability and empirically shown to maintain small queue-overflow probabilities over queue-length ranges of practical interest.
Unstable angina: comparison of medical and surgical management.

Medical versus surgical treatment of unstable angina was compared in a prospective nonrandomized study of 118 patients. Acute transient ST-T wave changes were present during chest pain in all patients. Acute infarction was excluded by serial electrocardiograms and enzyme studies. All patients admitted to the coronary care unit from 1970 to 1975 who fulfilled the entry criteria were included in the study. The starting point for data evaluation was 5 days after hospital admission. Characteristics at entry were similar in 66 medically treated patients and 52 patients who had coronary bypass vein graft surgery. During a mean follow-up period of 23 months in 66 medically treated patients with unstable angina the incidence rate of nonfatal myocardial infarction was 17 percent and the total mortality rate 21 percent compared with respective rates of 19 percent and 5.8 percent in 52 surgically treated patients. In the surgical group 8 patients (15 percent) had a perioperative infarction and only 2 (4 percent) had a late infarction; one patient (2 percent) died at operation. Symptomatic improvement was observed more frequently in the surgically treated group. Sixty percent of surgically treated patients were free of angina compared with 21 percent of medically treated patients. Eight medically treated patients (12 percent) required late surgical treatment for persistent severe angina despite optimal medical management.
Application of neural and statistical classifiers to the problem of seafloor characterization

In this paper neural and statistical classifiers are applied to the problem of seafloor classification. The feature vectors used consist of acoustic backscatter as a function of angle of incidence. Simulated seafloor backscatter is obtained by employing the Helmholtz-Kirchhoff approximation and the statistical properties of bottom reverberation. These synthetic data are used initially to train multilayer perceptrons and then to test them for their ability to discriminate among signal returns produced by seafloors with different roughness parameters. The same data are also processed with optimum Bayesian classifiers. A comparison of the results indicates a suboptimum performance for the perceptrons. The same procedures are applied to real data collected by the Sea Beam bathymetric system over two Central North Pacific seamounts. In this case, the perceptron performance is similar to that of the statistical classifier, which is no longer optimum, since no prior knowledge of the probability distribution parameters is available. In addition, Self Organizing Maps are applied to both synthetic and real data and are shown to result in a successful separation of the output space into distinct regions corresponding to different seafloor classes. >
Graphic interface design and deductive proof construction

A graphic means of representing deductive proofs in a sentential system of symbolic logic is presented. Proof construction is characterized as a domain of the cognitive theory of problem solving, and three different interface designs for supporting the working backwards method of proof construction are demonstrated. Following a description of the rule set and the working backwards method, an analysis is given of student performance data that has guided interface development during the past two years. One interface design is shown to be superior to the others in respect to working backwards. Finally, some general conclusions are drawn concerning the relevance of instructional programs for empirically documenting student difficulties and for improving interface designs.