cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Topographic analysis of esophageal double-peaked waves

Abstract Background & Aims: Esophageal double-peaked waves occur with increased frequency in patients with functional esophageal symptoms. This study was undertaken to further understand the mechanisms responsible for their production. Methods: Topographic methods that consider temporal and spatial relationships of pressure data were used to examine 74 double-peaked waves detected in 18 subjects referred for manometric evaluation of unexplained symptoms. The studies were performed with a computerized data acquisition and analysis system designed for topographic plotting. Results: The second peak appeared to represent muscle contraction that merged with an unusually strong pressure site in the third topographic segment and covered 6.3 ± 1.6 cm (33.5% ± 8.5% esophageal length) proximal to this site. In 50 swallows (67.6%), the peak itself progressed in a retrograde direction at 13.2 ± 10.8 cm/s, suggesting cephalad extension of a strong distal motor event. Analysis of wave onsets and movement of the peristaltic trailing edge detected retrograde propagation in up to 33.8% of waves, antegrade propagation in 2.7%, and simultaneous contraction in the remainder. Conclusions: In symptomatic patients, the second peak in a double-peaked wave is typically a short, simultaneous, or retrograde pressure event in the region of and merging with the third topographic segment in the distal esophageal body. Topographic methods help explain the common association of these waveforms with other features of exaggerated contraction in the distal esophagus and suggest their relationship to inadequate inhibitory nerve function. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2000;118:469-476
Neurobehavioral Consequences of Prenatal Exposure to Smoking at 6 to 8 Months of Age

Between 400,000 and 800,000 infants are born in the United States each year to women who smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy. Whereas the physical health consequences to infants of prenatal exposure to smoking are well established, the early neurobehavioral consequences are less well understood. This study investigated the neurobehavioral consequences of prenatal exposure to smoking using an epidemiologically derived sample of 454 infants who were drawn from a larger sample of 1,292 infants whose families were recruited at birth. Results indicated that, on average, infants who were exposed to higher levels of prenatal smoking exhibited less positive affect and greater irritability. Moreover, among male infants, elevated levels of prenatal exposure to smoking were associated with lower levels of approach, gross motor movement, reactivity, and attention. There was no evidence that the effects of prenatal exposure to smoking on infant neurobehavioral functioning were mediated by physical growth paramete...
In Vitro Studies with UK-18,892, a New Aminoglycoside Antibiotic

Abstract The antibacterial activity of UK-18,892, a new semisynthetic aminoglycoside, was examined against aminoglycoside-susceptible and aminoglycoside-resistant clinical isolates of gram-negative bacilli and Staphylococcus aureus. UK-18,892 had a similar degree of activity to those of amikacin and kanamycin A against aminoglycoside-susceptible bacteria but was less potent than gentamicin against all isolates except Providencia spp. UK-18,892 was highly active against aminoglycoside-resistant bacteria, inhibiting 93% of the 268 isolates examined at 12.5 μg/ml. Amikacin was similarly active, whereas gentamicin inhibited only 14% of these isolates at 12.5 μg/ml.
A Viral Model for Corneal Scarring and Neovascularization Following Ocular Infection of Rabbits With a Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) Mutant

Purpose: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) remains a major cause of corneal scarring and visual loss. Although efforts have been made, no reproducible animal model is available to examine recurrent comeal disease. Here we propose a rabbit ocular model to study recurrent corneal disease using an HSV-1 mutant that reactivates with high efficiency. Methods: Rabbits were ocularly infected with 2 X 10 5 PFU/eye of the parental McKrae, dLAT2903 (a LAT-null virus with a low-reactivation phenotype), or CJLAT (a high-reactivation virus). Acute ocular disease [days 2, 4, 7, and 10 postinfection (pi)], recurrent ocular disease, and neovascularization (days 30 to 58 pi) were monitored. Results: All acute ocular disease symptoms, including conjunctivitis and corneal disease, were similar with all 3 viruses. No corneal scarring was detected in any eyes up to day 30 pi. Between days 35 and 58 pi, corneal scarring was observed in 11/14 (experiment 1) and 18/22 (experiment 2) eyes of CJLAT-infected rabbits. Significantly less corneal scarring was seen in eyes of rabbits infected with McKrae (0/18 and 0/16) or dLAT2903 (0/16 and 3/24) (P < 0.0001). Many of the eyes with corneal scarring developed obvious, measurable neovascularization. Conclusions: Rabbits infected with CJLAT developed cornea scarring and neovascularization similar to that of clinical ocular HSV-1 recurrent disease. Because this occurred well after the acute infection had resolved, the comeal scarring and neovascularization appeared to be recurrent disease. Thus, CJLAT ocular infection of rabbits may provide a good and reproducible animal model to study factors involved in comeal scarring and neovascularization from recurrent ocular HSV-1.
Field independence, achievement values and the evaluation of a competency related dimension on the least preferred co-worker (LPC) measure.

Slit~i?~zary.-The purpose of the study was to investigate personality correlates of Fiedler's Least Preferred Co-worker Scale (LPC), which has been found to be predictive of leadership effectiveness. The independent variables were several measures of psychological differentiation (field dependence-independence) and a measure of achievement versus affiliation orientation. The dependent variables were the LPC total score and several subscales derived from principal components analysis. As predicted, the results showed that for a sample of 55 male undergraduates those Ss who evaluated their least preferred co-worker relatively unfavorably on the Competence subscale of the LPC were field independent, masculine (the moderator variable), and achievement- rather than socio-emotionally oriented. As predicted, no relationships appeared for measures of field independence and the socio-emotional subscales of the LPC. The authors discuss the significance of the measures of field independence for leadership research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the personality correlates of Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC), a measure found to be predictive of leadership effectiveness by Fiedler (1967). Fiedler measures a leader's evaluation of the co-worker with whom he has found it most difficult to get a job done well by means of a 17-item bi-polar adjective checklist similar to the Semantic Differential (Osgood, Suci, & Tannenbaum, 1957). A leader who rates his leasr preferred co-worker at a relatively low level is presumed to be taskoriented in a manner similar to the Initiation of Strucnire dimension of the Ohio State Leadership Studies (Fleishman, 1957). A leader who is relatively lenient in his evaluations of his least preferred co-worker is presumed to behave in a manner similar to the Consideration dimension of the Ohio State srudies. A previous study by Gruenfeld, Rance, and Weissenberg (1968) demonstrated that low LPCs behave in a task-oriented fashion, whereas high LPCs behave in a manner reminiscent of socio-emotional facilitation. However, in another st~tdy by Weissenberg and Gruenfeld (1966) it was not possible to demonstrate relationships between Fiedler's LPC and the Initiation of Structure and Consideration scales of the Leadership Opinion Questionnaire [a selfreport measure of attitudes toward how a supervisor should behave (Fleishman, 1957)J. Neither did Arbuthnot (unpublished study, 1968) observe direct relationships between LPC and the two Ohio State dimensions. Bass, et al. (1964) found LPC scores unrelated to a large battery of psychological tests; however, a factor analysis performed by Bass on the scores on the psycho
The transposable genetic element Tc1 in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract Tc1 is a 1.6 kbp DNA sequence present in about 30 copies in some strains of C. elegans and 300 or more copies in other strains. Tc1 elements excise much more frequently in somatic cells than in the germ line. Germ-line transposition of Tc1 has been detected and is under genetic control. Tc1 has become very useful as a tool for cloning C. elegans genes identified solely by mutation.
Rat tail tendon denaturation and rheumatic diseases.

DR. B. J. RIGBY and co-workers1,2 in their studies on mechanical properties of rat tail tendon have extrapolated a possible explanation for the pathological alterations that occur in rheumatic diseases of humans. They consider the damaging effects of rheumatic diseases to be caused in part by a denaturation of collagen which was a function of temperature. It is our contention that the extrapolation cannot be made for several reasons.
Pedagogy in diversity: Teaching religion & spirituality in the clinical social work classroom

Abstract The role of religion and spirituality in clinical work is often a particularly sensitive subject, rich with diverse opinions and experiences. As professional, psychodynamically oriented clinicians and instructors, we have had an ambivalent relationship with religion and spirituality extending as far back as Freud. The concepts of postmodernism, identity complexity, and transitional space are revisited and utilized in this paper as tools to help develop a framework for teaching religion and spirituality in clinical social work. This framework provides the conceptual scaffolding for establishing teaching goals that emphasize the development of: (1) increased comfort with the subject; (2) increased ability for self‐reflection and self‐knowledge; (3) enhanced ability to learn how to listen for spiritual themes in client narratives; and (4) strengthened skills for clinical intervention with clients around the subject of religion and spirituality.
An Augmented Plane Wave Method for the Periodic Potential Problem

A new method is proposed for solving a periodic potential problem in which the potential can be approximated as a constant outside spheres surrounding the atoms, spherically symmetrical within the spheres. We set up unperturbed functions consisting of a plane wave outside the spheres, joined continuously and with continuous derivative to functions derived from the spherical problem within the spheres. These spherical solutions are linear combinations of eigenfunctions of Schr\"odinger's equation within the spheres, subject to the boundary conditions that the logarithmic derivative of the function of each $l$ value at the surface equals the logarithmic derivative of the corresponding Bessel function in the expansion of the plane wave, thereby insuring continuity of the derivative of the wave function over the sphere if the function itself is continuous. The coefficients in the expansion within the spheres are determined by demanding that the expectation value of the energy of the wave function be stationary when the coefficients are varied. The secular equation connected with this variation problem can be solved exactly, leading to wave functions having the general character of orthogonalized plane waves. A linear combination of such functions is then used to build up an approximate solution of Schr\"odinger's equation. It is shown that the tightly-bound states are handled quite differently from the conduction band, and that the treatment of the conduction band can well resemble the free-electron approximation, thereby perhaps explaining the empirical success of the free-electron approximation for the conduction electrons in metals. The method can be extended to a case where the potential does not have the simple behavior postulated, by treating the difference between the actual potential and the postulated form as a perturbation.
MR Image Encoding by Spatially Selective rf Excitation: An Analysis Using Linear Response Models

Spatially selective radiofrequency (rf) excitation has been applied to encode magnetic resonance (MR) images using non-Fourier basis sets such as wavelets. While non-Fourier- encoded MRI has the advantage of flexibility allowing for various adaptive imaging strategies, pulse sequence implementation for spatially se- lective rf excitation presents unique problems. Two linear response models are described that aid in the analysis of non-Fourier- encod- ing methods. The models represent important characteristics of the physical system involved in the encoding process and formalize mathematically aspects of the implementation that are relevant for pulse sequence design. As an illustrative example, these response models are applied for an analysis of a three-dimensional echo-planar method that encodes MR images using a basis derived by singular value decomposition. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst
Relationship infidelity: A loss perspective

Abstract A particularly poignant type of loss may be experienced by persons involved in intimate relationships in which a partner is sexually or emotionally unfaithful. As a means of exploring women's and men's perceptions about and personal experiences of unfaithfulness, approximately 140 participants completed a lengthy questionnaire relevant to close relationships. As expected, participants perceived selected gender differences in reasons for and reactions to a partner's infidelity. Based on personal reports about relationship infidelities, it appears that extrarelationship involvement is a complex issue that may result in substantial losses for relationship partners.
A clinical-performance biopsy instrument.

ABSTRACTA clinical-performance biopsy (CPB) instrument was introduced to enhance direct observation and timely feedback from supervising faculty during family practice resident continuity clinics.
Current management of biliary strictures.

The definitive management of benign biliary strictures depends upon numerous factors, including the complexity and location of the stricture, the degree of inflammation and fibrosis, the presence of ongoing infection or sepsis, and the capability and experience of the surgeon and interventional radiologist at the institution.For some,such as high-risk or compromised patients or those with anastomotic strictures, percutaneous or endoscopic techniques may be most appropriate not only for diagnosis and delineation of the anatomy, but also as initial forms of management. However, successful outcomes regarding the management of most benign biliary strictures requires careful planning by a multidisciplinary team with regard to preoperative preparation, thorough diagnostic studies, and appropriate operative approach.Whatever most appropriate treatment option is selected, the need for careful long-term follow-up must be strongly emphasized, as no therapy is totally free of stricture recurrence.
Migration, Sexual Behavior and Perceptions of Risk: Is the Place of Origin a Factor in HIV Infection?

Migration is an important process of change, especially for populations in developing countries. Just by moving to new places, migrants are different from those who do not migrate in terms of socio-demographic characteristics. This study focuses on migration in Kenya and its interaction with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk. Two main research questions are addressed: To what extend does the sexual behavior of migrants differ from non-migrants? Do migrants know more about HIV risk than non- migrants? The analysis is based on the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data. The results show that migrants are significantly more likely to report fear of HIV infection than non-migrants. The perception of risky sexual behavior is significantly correlated with non-use of condoms for migrants than for non-migrants. Migrants who perceive themselves as being at risk of HIV infection are less likely to use a condom at their last non-marital sexual encounter. Also, migration is significantly correlated with multiple sexual partners. There is a remarkable difference in the mean age of migrants and non-migrants; migrants on average are significantly older and more likely to be married than non-migrants.
Magnetic studies on Shergotty and other SNC meteorites

The results of a study of basic magnetic properties of meteorites within the SNC group, including the four known shergottites and two nakhlites, are presented. An estimate is made of the strength of the magnetic field which produced the remanent magnetization of the Shergotty meteorite, for the purpose of constraining the choices for the parent body of these SNC meteorites. Remanence measurements in several subsamples of Shergotty and Zagami meteorites reveal a large variation in intensity that does not seem to be related to the abundance of remanence carriers. The other meteorites carry only weak remanence, suggesting weak magnetizing fields as the source of their magnetic signal. A paleointensity experiment on a weakly magnetized subsample of Shergotty revealed a low temperature component of magnetization acquired in a field of 2000 gammas, and a high temperature component reflecting a paleofield strength of between 250 and 1000 gammas. The weak field environment that these meteorites seem to reflect is consistent with either a Martian or asteroidal origin, but inconsistent with a terrestrial origin.
The Facts about Sunn Hemp Toxicity

Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is an annual plant widely grown in the tropics. The genus Crotalaria includes some species known to be toxic to animals. Development of seed-producing cultivars for the continental United States at Auburn University, AL, has raised the question of whether its seeds and forage are toxic. This review will present the evidence reported in the literature on the presence of toxic compounds in sunn hemp seed and foliage and other Crotalaria species found in the United States and their effect on animals. Results from research on sunn hemp demonstrate it is a valuable source of forage without toxic effects. The seed does not cause acute toxicity to domestic animals because it has only a small amount of the toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids characteristic of the genus Crotalaria. Therefore, its presence as a feed contaminant does not pose a problem. However, sunn hemp seed should not be incorporated in animal diets because, depending on the amount in the diet and the length of time that the diet is fed, it may cause weight loss and potential death. Conflicting reports found in the literature regarding seed toxicity of C. juncea appear to be caused by the amount of seed included in the diet, length of time the diet was fed, and animal species that consumed it. Statements indicating that sunn hemp forage is toxic seem to be due to misinterpretation of the literature and unwarranted extension of the toxicity problems found in other Crotalaria species to sunn hemp.
Performance of the RF Bunch Coalescing System in the Fermilab Main Ring

Both the proton and antiproton bunches which will collide in the Tevatron have longitudinal emittance greater than can be accelerated by the Main Ring from 8 GeV without large loss and emittance growth. To circumvent this restriction, several bunches of smaller intensity are accelerated in the Main Ring to an energy of 150 GeV where these bunches are coalesced into a single high-intensity bunch. Coalescing has possible uses in other applications. Applications could be any time that a beam which has been accelerated by an rf system of one frequency must be captured by another rf frequency. The bunch coalescing system is described and some preliminary coalescing results are shown.
Delayed-type hypersensitivity, in vitro T-cell responsiveness and risk of active coccidioidomycosis among HIV-infected patients living in the coccidioidal endemic area.

The prognostic importance of specific and general tests of immune function were examined among a cohort of 170 subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV), living in an area endemic for the fungal infection coccidioidomycosis. Using the proportional hazards model and multivariate analysis, lack of expression of coccidioidal delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) was found to be dependent on anergy in response to the non-coccidioidal antigens mumps, Trichophyton and Candida (relative hazard 4.2, 95% CI 1.8-9.8, P=0.001). Among subjects with CD4 lymphocyte counts >/=250 microl-1 on entry into the study, the in vitro lymphocyte transformation (LT) response to the coccidioidal antigen toluene spherule lysate was 4967+/-1652 (mean counts per minute (c.p.m.)+/-SEM) in subjects with coccidioidal DTH compared with 136+/-222 in those with negative DTH (P<0.001). However, amongst those whose CD4 count was <250 microl-1, LT responses were low and there was no significant difference based on coccidioidal DTH (P=0.965). Using the proportional hazards model and multivariate analysis, only a CD4 count <250 microl-1 was prognostically associated with the development of either active coccidioidomycosis or AIDS. These data indicate that immunodeficiency, particularly a CD4 lymphocyte count <250 microl-1, is the most important factor in the lack of expression of specific immunity to coccidioidomycosis and in the development of active coccidioidomycosis among HIV-infected individuals living in the coccidioidal endemic area.
Planning Horizons for Production Smoothing with Deterministic Demands: I. All Demand Met from Regular Production

In Part I of this paper, we develop an algorithm for finding planning horizons for the deterministic production smoothing problem when all demand must be met from regular production, under rather general assumptions for the production, production smoothing, and holding cost functions. In Part II, planning horizons will be developed when the model is extended to include backlogging and overtime. The techniques developed here are essentially forward-looking and marginal-cost-balancing in nature, rather than total-cost-minimizing and backward-looking such as dynamic programming, or total-cost-minimizing and omni-looking in nature such as linear programming. The fact that the planning horizon theorems do not depend on having discount rates less than one illustrates that the approach developed here is fundamentally different from ordinary infinite horizon dynamic programming techniques. The algorithm is “user oriented” in the sense that only a small amount of forecasting work and computation ordinarily must be done to determine the horizon; the nature of the algorithm also makes the exact dependence of the horizon on the forecast clear for sensitivity analysis. Firms facing a seasonal demand pattern will often find that the horizon occurs within the first several periods after the peak period if there is a sufficient enough drop in demand afterwards. This result complements the findings of Modigliani and Hohn and provides insight into the nature of the optimal policy for stochastic planning problems.
The Complete DNA Sequence of the Mitochondrial Genome of a "Living Fossil," the Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

The complete nucleotide sequence of the 16,407-bp mitochondrial genome of the coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) was determined. The coelacanth mitochondrial genome order is identical to the consensus vertebrate gene order which is also found in all ray-finned fishes, the lungfish, and most tetrapods. Base composition and codon usage also conform to typical vertebrate patterns. The entire mitochondrial genome was PCR-amplified with 24 sets of primers that are expected to amplify homologous regions in other related vertebrate species. Analyses of the control region of the coelacanth mitochondrial genome revealed the existence of four 22-bp tandem repeats close to its 3' end. The phylogenetic analyses of a large data set combining genes coding for rRNAs, tRNAs, and proteins (16,140 characters) confirmed the phylogenetic position of the coelacanth as a lobe-finned fish; it is more closely related to tetrapods than to ray-finned fishes. However, different phylogenetic methods applied to this largest available molecular data set were unable to resolve unambiguously the relationship of the coelacanth to the two other groups of extant lobe-finned fishes, the lungfishes and the tetrapods. Maximum parsimony favored a lungfish/coelacanth or a lungfish/tetrapod sistergroup relationship depending on which transversion:transition weighting is assumed. Neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood supported a lungfish/tetrapod sistergroup relationship.
Secure ad hoc networking

The ad hoc networking technology can enable novel civilian and military applications. However, ad hoc networking protocols are vulnerable to a wide range of attacks. The design of defense mechanisms is a challenging problem, especially in comparison to securing traditional, fixed-infrastructure networks. In this paper, we discuss challenges and guidelines to secure ad hoc networking protocols, and describe a protocol suite for secure and fault-tolerant communication.
Collateral Organization: A New Change Strategy

The claim that managerial flexibility is essential makes more sense to managers and is more relevant to organizational development than the claim that traditional forms of organization should (or will) be displaced by more humanistic, participative forms. Managers can readily understand that finding solutions to different problems calls for different modes of organization. This article outlines a new change strategy-a collateral organization; i.e., a parallel, continuously coexisting organization which a manager can use to supplement his or her existing formal organization. Collateral organizations have norms differing from those usually in force, are used to identify and solve apparently intractable problems, and are carefully linked to the "regular" organization. No new people are required.Two cases illustrate application of the concept, which is also discussed in relation to matrix organizations, task forces, and temporary systems.
On the uniqueness of a solution of a two-phase free boundary problem

In this paper, we study the uniqueness problem of a two-phase elliptic free boundary problem arising from the phase transition problem subject to given boundary data. We show that in general the comparison principle between the sub- and super-solutions does not hold, and there is no uniqueness of either a viscosity solution or a minimizer of this free boundary problem by constructing counter-examples in various cases in any dimension. In one-dimension, a bifurcation phenomenon presents and the uniqueness problem has been completely analyzed. In fact, the critical case signifies the change from uniqueness to non-uniqueness of a solution of the free boundary problem. Non-uniqueness of a solution of the free boundary problem suggests different physical stationary states caused by different processes, such as melting of ice or solidification of water, even with the same prescribed boundary data. However, we prove that a uniqueness theorem is true for the initial–boundary value problem of an e-evolutionary problem which is the smoothed two-phase parabolic free boundary problem.
3D full field strain analysis of polymerization shrinkage in a dental composite

Abstract Objective The objective of this research was to study the polymerization shrinkage in a dental composite using 3D digital image correlation (DIC). Methods Using 2 coupled cameras, digital images were taken of bar-shaped composite (Premise Universal Composite; Kerr) specimens before light curing and after for 10 min. Three-dimensional DIC was used to assess in-plane and out-of-plane deformations associated with polymerization shrinkage. Results The results show the polymerization shrinkage to be highly variable with the peak values occurring 0.6–0.8 mm away from the surface. Volumetric shrinkage began to significantly decrease at 3.2 mm from the specimen surface and reached a minimum at 4 mm within the composite. Approximately 25–30% of the strain registered at 5 min occurred after light-activation. Application of 3D DIC dental applications can be performed without the need for assumptions on the deformation field. Significance Understanding the local deformations and strain fields from the initial polymerization shrinkage can lead to a better understanding of the composite material and interaction with surrounding tooth structure, aiding in their further development and clinical prognosis.
Guilt by association: the arginine case revisited.

If the genetic code arose in an RNA world, present codon assignments may reflect primordial RNA‐amino acid affinities. Whether aptamers selected from random pools to bind free amino acids do so using the cognate codons at their binding sites has been controversial. Here we defend and extend our previous analysis of arginine binding sites, and propose a model for the maintenance of codon‐amino acid interactions through the evolution of amino acids from ribozyme cofactors into the building blocks of proteins.
Reducing the use of physical restraints in nursing homes: will it increase costs?

OBJECTIVES. Reducing the widespread use of physical restraints in nursing homes is a primary goal of the federal nursing home reforms enacted as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. However, some nursing home operators assert that reducing restraint use could be prohibitively expensive, costing payors perhaps as much as $1 billion annually. We investigated whether nursing home residents free from physical restraint require more care and resources than similar residents who are restrained. METHODS. We examined the major component of nursing home costs--staff time--and its allocation among residents who were physically restrained and those who were not restrained. The multivariate analysis used staff-time-study data on the care of 11,932 nursing home residents in 276 facilities in seven states. RESULTS. The analyses indicate that, when differences in impairment and care needs are controlled for, residents who are physically restrained require more nursing care than other residents. Higher ...
Observation of high-lying resonances in the H- ion.

Several series of doubly excited resonances have been observed in ${\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ photodetachment, appearing as dips in the production cross section of excited neutral hydrogen. At least three resonances are clearly visible converging on each of the thresholds n=5, 6, 7, and 8. The data support recent theoretical calculations for the energies of doubly excited resonances and verify a Rydberg-dipole formula for the main resonance positions.
The Nonacademic Curriculum of the Japanese Preschool.

(1994). The Nonacademic Curriculum of the Japanese Preschool. Childhood Education: Vol. 71, No. 1, pp. 9-13.
Experimental analysis of worker division of labor in bumblebee nest thermoregulation (Bombus huntii, Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Bumblebee colonies experience daily and seasonal fluctuations in ambient temperature, but proper brood development requires a stable nest temperature. This study examined how adaptive colony responses to changing ambient temperature are achieved through the in-nest workers’ behavioral plasticity. We studied three Bombus huntii colonies in the laboratory. In the first experiment, we manipulated ambient temperature and recorded brood cell incubation and wing fanning by individually marked, known-age bees. The colonies maintained their nests closer to appropriate brood development temperatures (28 to 32°C) when exposed to a range of ambient temperatures from 10.3 to 38.6°C. Incubation activity was greater in cooler treatment conditions, whereas in the highest temperature treatment, some bees fanned and others moved off the brood. As the ambient temperature dropped, workers increased the duration of their incubating bouts, but, except at the highest temperature, the number of workers that incubated did not differ significantly among treatments. A subset of the bees incubated significantly more than their nest mates, some of which never incubated. Worker body size, but not age, was a good predictor of incubation rates, and smaller bees incubated at higher rates. In the second experiment, we removed the most actively incubating workers. Immediately after removals, the total colony incubation effort was lower than pre-removal levels, but incubation effort rebounded toward pre-removal levels after 24 h. The increased thermoregulatory demand after removals was met primarily by bees increasing their rates of incubation rather than by bees switching from a different task to incubation. We conclude that some B. huntii workers specialize on nest thermoregulation, and that changes in work rates are more important than task switching in meeting thermal challenges.
Design, fabrication, and evaluation of a mobile robot for polar environments

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a mobile robot as part of a radar system for measuring ice characteristics in Greenland and Antarctica. The robot can survive the polar environments, navigate the terrains, is capable of carrying the necessary radar equipment while providing power, can tow an antenna, and can provide precise positioning for the bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
Diets of Three Species of Anurans from the Cache Creek Watershed, California, USA

We evaluated the diets of three sympatric anuran species, the native Northern Pacific Treefrog, Pseudacris regilla, and Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog, Rana boylii, and the introduced American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, based on stomach contents of frogs collected at 36 sites in 1997 and 1998. This investigation was part of a study of mercury bioaccumulation in the biota of the Cache Creek Watershed in north-central California, an area affected by mercury contamination from natural sources and abandoned mercury mines. We collected R. boylii at 22 sites, L. catesbeianus at 21 sites, and P. regilla at 13 sites. We collected both L. catesbeianus and R. boylii at nine sites and all three species at five sites. Pseudacris regilla had the least aquatic diet (100% of the samples had terrestrial prey vs. 5% with aquatic prey), followed by R. boylii (98% terrestrial, 28% aquatic), and L. catesbeianus, which had similar percentages of terrestrial (81%) and aquatic prey (74%). Observed predation by L. catesbeianus on R. boylii may indicate that interaction between these two species is significant. Based on their widespread abundance and their preference for aquatic foods, we suggest that, where present, L. catesbeianus should be the species of choice for all lethal biomonitoring of mercury in amphibians.
Analysis of radar human gait signatures

The authors develop methods for the time-frequency (TF) analysis of human gait radar signals. In particular the authors demonstrate how knowledge of different motion classes can be obtained via a Markov chain model of state transitions based on the TF envelope structure associated with the motion sequence being analysed. The class-conditional knowledge thus obtained allows us to effectively extract the motion curves associated with different body parts via a non-parametric partial tracking algorithm that is coupled with an optimum Gaussian g-Snake modelling of the TF structure. The optimum segmentation of the TF structure into different half-cycles as well as the determination of the initial Doppler control points (corresponding to each half-cycle) is facilitated by a dynamic programming algorithm wherein the associated cost function involves a mean-square minimisation of the best quadratic fit to each segment together with a sparsity prior that enables us to control the smoothness of the approximation space in which the time series being analysed is effectively projected. Finally, the authors describe some of the limitations of our approach and point out future research directions that can overcome some of the difficulties associated with the complex interaction between the inherently non-linear dynamics of human gait motion and radar systems.
Airborne Doppler radar analysis of a TOGA COARE waterspout storm

Abstract An airborne Doppler radar analysis of a waterspout parent storm is presented. An 8-min window centered around the time of the visual observation of the waterspout is presented. The waterspout was associated with a small, intense cloud that developed ahead of a squall line. It was observed by radar from a distance of 3 km, with a cross-beam resolution of approximately 70 m. One radar scan cut through the vortex, revealing the structure. The high-resolution dual-Doppler analysis of the Electra Doppler radar was used to investigate the velocity and vorticity structure of the parent storm. These observations were consistent with a low-level vorticity source. No cloud-scale vorticity was observed until the time of the visual observation of the storm.
What mom and dad’s match means for junior: Marital sorting and child outcomes

This paper employs recently developed marital matching models to examine empirically the role played by marital sorting in observed measures of marital production. Using the US Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP), a large-scale study from the 1960s, and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY), we find that marital surplus is strongly correlated with indices of child quality, as measured by cognitive test scores, and with the durability of the marital union. At ages beyond infancy, the correlation between cognitive outcomes and marital surplus is robust to the inclusion of the parental characteristics that generate the match, suggesting that the correlation represents effects of the match itself. High marital surplus is associated with assortative mating on education and age, suggesting complementarity in parental inputs in child production. Our results suggest that marital surplus is an important input for child quality above and beyond its indirect effects on marital stability.
Nature and extent of metal-contaminated soils in urban environments (keynote talk)

Research on the nature and extent of metal-contaminated soil began with an urban garden study in Baltimore, MD (USA). Largest quantities of soil metals were clustered in the inner city with lesser amounts scattered throughout metropolitan Baltimore. The probability values of metal clustering varied from P value 10−15–10−23 depending on element. The inner-city clustering of lead (Pb) could not be explained by Pb-based paint alone. A major Pb source was tetraethyl lead (TEL), developed as an anti-knock agent for use in vehicle fuel, thereby making highway traffic flow a toxic substance delivery system in cities. Further study in Minneapolis and St. Paul confirmed the clustering of inner-city soil metals, especially Pb. Based on the evidence, the Minnesota State Legislature petitioned Congress to curtail Pb additives resulting in the rapid phasedown of TEL on January 1, 1986, 10 years ahead of the EPA scheduled ban. Further research in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA), verified the link between soil Pb, blood Pb, morbidity, and societal health. Although Pb is a known cause of clinical impairment, there is no known effective medical intervention for reducing children’s blood Pb exposure. Ingestion and inhalation are routes of exposure requiring prevention, and soil is a reservoir of Pb. Children’s blood Pb exposure observed in pre-Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005) NOLA underwent substantial decreases 10 years post-Katrina due to many factors including input of low Pb sediment residues by the storm surge and the introduction of low Pb landscaping materials from outside of the city. Investigation on the topic is ongoing.
Glucocorticoid inhibition of immunoreactive β-endorphin release from the anterior lobe of the rat pituitary: in vitro and in vivo studies

Glucocorticoid control of pituitary beta-endorphin (beta-END) release was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Cultured cells of both rat anterior (AL) and neurointermediate (NIL) lobe released beta-END-like immunoreactivity (beta-END-LI) in response to epinephrine (10(-7) M); however, only the response of AL cells was prevented by corticosterone (10(-8)-10(-6) M) or dexamethasone (10(-9)-10(-7) M). Gel chromatographic analysis (Sephadex G-50) revealed that the major forms of beta-END-LI released by AL cells corresponded to beta-END and beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) in molecular size, whereas virtually all of the immunoreactivity released by NIL cells resembled beta-END. In vivo administration of dexamethasone attenuated the stress-induced release of beta-END-LI in a dose- and time-related fashion, having a more pronounced effect on plasma levels of beta-END-LI corresponding to beta-LPH in molecular size. Metyrapone (100 mg/kg), an inhibitor of glucocorticoid synthesis, evoked a rapid (20-40 min) four- to sixfold increase in total plasma beta-END-LI and 75% of this rise was due to immunoreactivity resembling beta-LPH in size. This response was diminished by coadministration of either dexamethasone (0.05-1.25 mg/kg) or corticosterone (0.05-1.25 mg/kg) and completely prevented by 4-hr pretreatment with dexamethasone (50 micrograms/kg). The briskness of the plasma beta-END-LI response to acute changes in glucocorticoid status suggests that a "rapid" feedback mechanism operates in the physiologic control of pituitary beta-END-LI secretion. Moreover, the ability of glucocorticoids to selectively inhibit AL release of beta-END-LI in vitro and their pronounced effect on plasma levels of beta-END-LI resembling beta-LPH, a marker of AL secretion, together indicate that glucocorticoids exert a selective influence over the secretion of AL corticotrophs in vivo. This demonstration of differential regulation of the AL versus IL secretion of beta-END-LI in vivo most likely reflects a phenomena having biologic importance related to the different physiologic actions of the several molecular forms of beta-END-LI secreted by the two tissues.
Detecting Near-replicas of Web Pages Based on Keywords

The presence of replicas or near-replicas of documents is very common on the Web. To solve near-replicas of large-scale web pages crawled by search engine, a similarity dealing algorithm was proposed based on
Memory-efficient symbolic online planning for factored MDPs

Factored Markov Decision Processes (MDP) are a de facto standard for compactly modeling sequential decision making problems with uncertainty. Offline planning based on symbolic operators exploits the factored structure of MDPs, but is memory intensive. We present new memory-efficient symbolic operators for online planning, prove the soundness of the operators, and show convergence of the corresponding planning algorithms. An experimental evaluation demonstrates superior scalability on benchmark problems.
Gangs and Society

Not long after the 2011 UK riots, I co-wrote a paper for Policing Today questioning the role of gangs in urban disorder (Densley and Mason, 2011). I argued that by attributing the riots to gangs, the government had conflated the actions of gang members as individuals (‘gang member’ activity) with the actions of gangs as organizations (‘gang-related’ activity); a subject to which I shall return in Chapter 3. Gangs were present at the riots but not controlling them, I said, in part because gang identities ceased to be relevant in such a context. If anything, the riots actually disrupted conventional gang activity because gangs lost control of their markets. The perceived suspension of normal rules instead presented gang members with an unprecedented opportunity to acquire consumer products for ‘free’. In the words of Philip Zimbardo (2008, p. 8), author of the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, ‘You are not the same person working alone as you are in a group.’
Additive anti-mutagenic effect of Tahitian Noni® juice (TNJ) and methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) in ICR mice.

A73 Our previous studies have demonstrated that TNJ made from Noni fruits in Tahiti by Tahitian Noni International and MSM made by Cardinal Nutrition possessed a significant anti-mutagenic effect on micronuclei (MN) formation of erythrocytes (ETC) in bone marrow of ICR mice treated with cyclophosphamide (CPA), a well know anticancer drug that is mutagenic. The inhibition of mutagenic activity of known mutagens in experimental animals can provide an end point to evaluating the safety and anti-mutagenic activity of new chemopreventive agents, enabling us to predict their protective efficacy in humans. Noni (Morinda citrifolia), a tropical plant growing indigenously in the South Pacific area, has been used as a medicinal food in folk medicine for over 2000 years. MSM is an organic sulfur donor and a natural nutritional supplement traditionally used for pain relief. Our previous studies demonstrated that the combination regimen of TNJ and MSM has a synergistic cancer preventive effect on DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis at the initiation stage, as well as a synergistic liver protective effect in chronic liver injury induced by CCl4 in female SD rats. In this study, we demonstrated the additive anti-mutagenic effect of TNJ and MSM by using the micronucleus test of bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) in ICR mice. Thirty 22-24 g ICR mice were divided into 5 groups: 2 untreated controls, 5% TNJ, 5% MSM, and a combination group of 5% TNJ plus 5% MSM. Each group contained 3 males and 3 females. TNJ, MSM, and their combination were supplied in drinking water for 1 week. On the 7th day, 50 mg/kg CPA was given by i.p. to all animals, except the negative control group. All animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation at the 24th hour after CPA administration. The frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE) was assessed under LM. The MN in the negative control, positive CPA control, 5%TNJ, 5% MSM, and 5% TNJ+5% MSM group were 2.35±1.03, 88.0±6.6, and 62±1.9, 60±1.5, and 43.0±1.5 MN per 1000 ETCs, respectively. The data indicated, in an extremely significant manner, that there was 30% inhibition in the TNJ group (p
Phase Field Crystal Simulation of Grain Growth in BCC Metals during Additive Manufacturing

In this work, we demonstrate that the phase field crystal (PFC) method can be applied to identify and predict the microstructure evolution during the solidification of the BCC metals in additive manufacturing. The results reveal the columnar structure of the grains, which matches the grain growth observed in real samples produced with the additive manufacturing technique. The effect of ambient temperature, seed-seed distance and seed-seed misorientation on the grain growth has been investigated. In addition, the formation of crystal defects during the process is recorded and the resulted long-range stresses are calculated using the eigenstresses theory.
Goals of Care and Difficult Conversations

Neurocritical illness can be difficult for patients’ surrogate decision-makers to navigate. Multiple factors influence surrogate decision-makers’ perceptions of patient prognosis and wishes. Certain communication techniques have been demonstrated a particularly effective when talking with surrogates. Providers must recognize and acknowledge surrogates’ emotions and demonstrate understanding, support, and empathy. The neurocritical care team should integrate principles of palliative care in concert with ongoing maximal medical management as a fundamental component of comprehensive patient care. Discussions regarding limitations of life-sustaining therapy can be conducted in stepwise fashion.