cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image clustering using multimodal keywords

Extending our previous work on visual keywords, we use the concept of template-based visual keywords using MPEG-7 color descriptors. MPEG-7, also called the Multimedia Content Description Interface, has been a standard for many years. These color descriptors have the ability to characterize perceptual color similarity and need relatively low complexity operations to extract them, besides being scalable and interoperable. We then demonstrate the power of these visual keywords for image clustering, when used in tandem with textual keyword annotations, in the context of latent semantic analysis, a popular technique in classical information retrieval which has been used to reveal the underlying semantic structure of document collections.
Degenerate two-phase incompressible flow: III. Sharp error estimates

This is the third paper of a series in which we analyze mathematical properties and develop numerical methods for a degenerate elliptic-parabolic partial differential system which describes the flow of two incompressible, immiscible fluids in porous media. In this paper we consider a finite element approximation for this system. The elliptic equation for the pressure and velocity is approximated by a mixed finite element method, while the degenerate parabolic equation for the saturation is approximated by a Galerkin finite element method. A fully discrete approximation is analyzed. Sharp error estimates in energy norms are obtained for this approximation. The error analysis does not use any regularization of the saturation equation; the error estimates are derived directly from the degenerate equation. Also, the analysis does not impose any restriction on the nature of degeneracy. Finally, it respects the minimal regularity on the solution of the differential system.
Federal agency compensation of intervenors

Public participation has now been recognized as an important facet in administrative decision making. Many public intervenors remain financially unable to participate, though, and their potential contribution to the quality of administrative decision making will remain unrealized. Several methods are now being proposed for increasing the representation of the general public before Federal agencies, including: agency cost-shifting, intra-agency public representation, a Federal public advocacy agency, legal aid programs for intervenors, and agency compensation of intervenors. This article provides a brief analysis and comparison of these various methods of increasing public representation, and concludes that direct agency compensation of intervenors appears to be the most promising. The major issues raised by this alternative are then examined in detail. The examination focuses on the development of comprehensive legislation to guide Federal agency compensation of intervenors, with particular reference to one such proposal, S.2715, a bill which reached the floor of the Senate in July, 1976, but was not voted upon before the close of the legislative session in October. S.2715 represents Congress' starting point on agency compensation of intervenors. Its proponents introduced similar legislation as soon as the Senate reconvened in January, 1977. (MCW)
Primate Behavior: Significance for Understanding Humans

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by E.A. Fox, J. Altmann, volume 18, pp. 12017–12023, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Efficiently Approximating Weighted Sums with Exponentially Many Terms

We explore applications of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for weight estimation over inputs to the Weighted Majority (WM) and Winnow algorithms. This is useful when there are exponentially many such inputs and no apparent means to efficiently compute their weighted sum. The applications we examine are pruning classifier ensembles using WM and learning general DNF formulas using Winnow. These uses require exponentially many inputs, so we define Markov chains over the inputs to approximate the weighted sums. We state performance guarantees for our algorithms and present preliminary empirical results.
Visible-frequency hyperbolic metasurface

Metamaterials are artificial optical media composed of sub-wavelength metallic and dielectric building blocks that feature optical phenomena not present in naturally occurring materials. Although they can serve as the basis for unique optical devices that mould the flow of light in unconventional ways, three-dimensional metamaterials suffer from extreme propagation losses. Two-dimensional metamaterials (metasurfaces) such as hyperbolic metasurfaces for propagating surface plasmon polaritons have the potential to alleviate this problem. Because the surface plasmon polaritons are guided at a metal-dielectric interface (rather than passing through metallic components), these hyperbolic metasurfaces have been predicted to suffer much lower propagation loss while still exhibiting optical phenomena akin to those in three-dimensional metamaterials. Moreover, because of their planar nature, these devices enable the construction of integrated metamaterial circuits as well as easy coupling with other optoelectronic elements. Here we report the experimental realization of a visible-frequency hyperbolic metasurface using single-crystal silver nanostructures defined by lithographic and etching techniques. The resulting devices display the characteristic properties of metamaterials, such as negative refraction and diffraction-free propagation, with device performance greatly exceeding those of previous demonstrations. Moreover, hyperbolic metasurfaces exhibit strong, dispersion-dependent spin-orbit coupling, enabling polarization- and wavelength-dependent routeing of surface plasmon polaritons and two-dimensional chiral optical components. These results open the door to realizing integrated optical meta-circuits, with wide-ranging applications in areas from imaging and sensing to quantum optics and quantum information science.
DARPA Robotics Grand Challenge Participation and Ski-Type Gait for Rough-Terrain Walking

ABSTRACT In this paper, we briefly introduce the history of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge programs with particular focus on the 2012 Robotics Challenge. As members of team DRC-HUBO, we propose different approaches for the Rough-Terrain task, such as enlarged foot pedals and a transformation into quadruped walking. We also introduce a new gait for humanoid robot locomotion to improve stability performance, called the Ski-Type gait. We analyze the stability performance of this gait and use the stability margin to choose between two candidate step sequences, Crawl-1 and Crawl-2. Next, we perform a force/torque analysis for the redundant closed-chain system in the Ski-Type gait, and determine the joint torques by minimizing the total energy consumption. Based on the stability and force/torque analysis, we design a cane length to support a feasible and stable Crawl-2 gait on the HUBO2 humanoid robot platform. Finally, we compare our experimental results with biped walking to validate the Ski-Type gait. We also present our team performance in the trials of the Robotics Challenge.
Building capacities and producing citizens: the biopolitics of HIV prevention in Brazil

Capacity-building has become a mainstay of many AIDS and public health programmes. This article examines its impact on civil society organisations and claims-making around citizenship, as these have been articulated through heterogeneous policy networks doing HIV prevention work. Drawing on a growing literature on the Foucauldian notions of biopower and governmentality, the genealogy of capacity-building as a globalised technology of governmentality is traced, examining its uses both at the international level and in Brazil. Brazilian civil society organisations have undoubtedly been transformed by their participation in networks carrying out capacity-building projects. While recognising these effects, the conflicts and productive tensions inherent to such networks are highlighted.
Current and Emergent Treatments for Symptoms and Neurocognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia

Current treatments for schizophrenia function by blocking neurotransmission at dopamine D2 receptors. These compounds have proven highly effective for treatment of schizophrenia and especially for management of positive symptoms. A range of compounds and formulations are presently available, which permits tailoring of side effects to optimize treatment for individual subjects. Nevertheless, many patients suffer from persistent negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits that contribute to persistent psychosocial impairments and long-term disability. At present, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for either negative symptoms or neurocognitive dysfunction. Instead, various behavioral approaches such as diet, exercise and cognitive remediation may be needed to help optimize cognitive function and mitigate symptoms. Furthermore, neuromodulation approaches, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are beginning to be employed both to minimize symptoms and to augment cognitive retraining approaches. At present, encouraging effects of tDCS on persistent auditory hallucinations have been reported, and if confirmed, may open the way for more widespread use of non-pharmacological treatments. At present, phase III studies remain ongoing for α7 nicotinic agonists in treatment of cognitive impairments and glycine reuptake inhibitors for suboptimal treatment response. Furthermore, preclinical studies suggest that glutamate-based treatment approaches may be effective if applied early in the illness. Future studies are needed to determine whether this will lead to effective approaches to halt illness progression for individuals at high clinical risk for schizophrenia.
Enhanced obstetrics training for family practice residents: a unique collaborative program.

Access to obstetric services in rural areas has been and continues to be a challenge. 4 When available, much of the obstetric care in these areas has been provided by family physicians. I ,5 Unfortunately, the number of family physicians who practice obstetrics has been in decline. In 1996 only 26% of active members of the American Academy of Family Physicians included obstetrics in their practice. Although rural family physicians are more likely than their urban counterparts to provide maternity care, less than one half perform routine deliveries. The obstetric services needed in rural areas include access to providers who can perform cesarean deliveries.7 Norris et al performed a survey of 41 rural hospitals in Washington State. They found that most of these hospitals depend on family physicians for this operative intervention. Furthermore, they found that a family physician's comfort in doing cesarean deliveries was closely related to their formal training during residency. Opportunities for advanced obstetric training have included the following: (1) an emphasis on obstetrics (including operative obstetrics) during residency training; (2) I-year fellowship programs (typically community-based programs that emphasize skills for rural practice including obstetrics)9,lo; (3) onthe-job training in the communities or in some other nonresidency setting; (4) rural training tracks with a strong emphasis on obstetrics ; and (5) combined family practice-obstetrics programsY Although the importance of having family physician educators to model advanced obstetric skills is critical, it is also important to improve educational ties between departments of family practice and obstetrics and gynecology. As stated by Caudle et aI, I "It is time for academic medical centers to
Changes in the RNA of Cellular Nuclei During Wound Tissue Regeneration

SummaryPreviously reported changes of total RNA in the cells of regenerating wound tissue are largely accounted for by changes in the level of nuclear RNA. The rates of collagen and cellular protein syntheis in this tissue coincide with the quantitative changes in the level of nuclear RNA. As wound tissue regeneration progresses, there is a marked increase in the proportion of DNA-like RNA in the nuclei.
Women and the Hindu Tradition

The concept of the female in Hindu ideology presents an essential duality:1 on the one hand, she is fertile, benevolent-the bestower; on the other, she is aggressive, malevolent-the destroyer. As a popular statement about the goddess suggests, "in times of prosperity she indeed is Laksmi, who bestows prosperity in the homes of men; and in times of misfortune, she herself becomes the goddess of misfortune, and brings about ruin."2 In a similar vein, the name of the South Indian goddess Mariyamman is made up of mari, death or rain or, according to folk
The kinematic history of the central Andean fold-thrust belt, Bolivia: Implications for building a high plateau

This paper presents a model for the kinematic evolution of the central Andean plateau based on balanced cross sections across the Bolivian Andes. The proposed model links the formation of the Andean plateau to the development of the Andean fold-thrust belt through the creation and propagation of two large basement mega thrusts. Support for large, basement- involved thrust sheets is found in significant steps in both the topography and the exposed structural elevation of the Andean fold-thrust belt. The structurally highest basement thrust raised folds and faults in predominantly lower Paleozoic rocks of the Eastern Cordillera with respect to Tertiary rocks in the broad, internally drained basin of the Altiplano to the west, and east- verging folds and faults in upper Paleozoic rocks of the Interandean zone to the east. The Interandean zone was in turn raised (both structurally and topographically) with respect to the frontal folds and faults of the fold-thrust belt (the Subandean zone) by a second, structurally lower basement thrust sheet. Thus, these two megathrusts divide the Andean fold-thrust belt into four areas of markedly different structural elevations. The Eastern Cordillera can be further subdivided into two zones of west- and east-vergent folds and thrusts. Shortening accommodated by the fold-thrust belt can be divided among these tectono-structural zones and linked to shortening accommodated by the inferred basement megathrusts. The proposed kinematic model suggests that the eastward propagation of the structurally highest basement thrust fed ∼105 km of slip into the Eastern Cordillera along east-vergent and west-vergent faults. This structure also fed ∼90 km of eastward slip into the Interandean zone. The initiation and eastward propagation of a lower basement thrust structurally elevated the Interandean zone with respect to the foreland while feeding ∼65 km of slip into the Subandean zone. Out-of-sequence basement thrusting to the west is proposed to have elevated the western edge of the plateau and accommodated ∼40 km of shortening within the Altiplano. Total cumulative shortening within the cover rocks of the Andean fold-thrust belt (300–330 km) can be balanced by an equivalent amount of shortening along two basement megathrusts. To the first order, the eastern margin of the central Andean plateau (defined by the 3 km topographic contour) is contiguous with the leading edge of the upper basement megathrust. This relationship between the basement highs and the physiographic boundaries of the Andean plateau suggests that extensive megathrust sheets (involving strong rocks such as crystalline basement or quartzite) play an important role in the formation of the central Andean plateau, and a similar link between megathrust sheets and plateaus may be found in other orogens.
Painting in a Different Kind of Void

The reception of Forrest Bess's work has primarily portrayed the artist as a “visionary” without external influence. By doing this, critics have downplayed the historical and cultural moment of Bess's productions and, subsequently, the well-developed interpretive models available from the history of art. This essay positions Bess and his work within the New York School of painting and its critical discourses of gendered metaphors and heteronormative formal evaluation. Recognizing how the artist participated in the conventions of vanguard painting of this time period offers new insights into Bess's singular style. Bess's works reveal the blind spots created by the visual grammar of Abstract Expressionism in his attempts to figure his repressed same-sex desires.
Use of a rapid HIV testing algorithm to improve linkage to care

Abstract Background Awaiting definitive diagnosis before scheduling healthcare visits complicates HIV screening and referral. Clients screened by rapid tests as initially reactive often fail to return to receive definitive test results, are not linked to care and enter care late or not at all. Objectives To evaluate statewide, (1) the accuracy of a single-visit, two test HIV rapid testing algorithm (RTA) and (2) its effect on referral to care for positive clients. Study design A two-test RTA was implemented at 24 sites in New Jersey beginning in December 2008. All clients with a reactive rapid HIV test were offered a second rapid HIV test, and RTA results were compared with Western blot (WB). Referral to care occurred based upon two sequential positive rapid tests. Results The RTA program has screened 51,413 individuals obtaining 426 reactive rapid test results; 394 (92.5%) were reactive by a second rapid test, 32 (7.5%) had a negative second rapid test. Twenty-eight individuals refused WB testing. Of 369 RTA-positive individuals who have WB results, 368 (99.5%) were confirmed positive. Of RTA-positive clients, 290 (73.6%), including 25 (6.6%) who refused Western blot, were immediately referred for care including one individual with a false-positive RTA. Conclusions The RTA reduced false positive results by 6.2% and agreed with WB results 99.5% of the time. Improved referral to care compared to traditional rapid HIV screening occurs when immediate referral is based on RTA verification of a preliminary positive rapid test. WB confirmation is not essential for effective screening and contributes to difficulties linking individuals to care.
Bis‐type modifiers in polymerization. I. Behavior of various disulfides in bulk styrene polymerization

Modifiers with bis-type structures are of interest as a means for conferring reactive groups onto the highest possible fraction of polymer chain ends. Various disulfides and other bis-type compounds—some with reactive groups attached—were compared as to their effectiveness as modifiers in low conversion bulk styrene polymerizations and studies made of their mechanism of cleavage. Alkyl disulfides of primary thiols had transfer constants too low to be of much interest for this work, even when substituted at carbons near the sulfur-sulfur bond. Aryl disulfides proved to have much higher transfer constants, and substitution on each ring with appropriate groups offered a means both of increasing the transfer constant and of incorporating desired groups. It has been shown quite conclusively that aryl disulfides cleave so as to confer one-half the molecules onto each end of the polymer. This was demonstrated by analyzing the end group concentrations of styrene polymers of wide molecular weight range which contained various types of end groups—carboxyl, amino, naphthyl, and benzothiazyl—and comparing, wherever possible, with polymers modified with thiols containing similar groups. Polymerizations carried out at 25, 50, and 75°C. with certain of the bis-type compounds and with a normal and a tertiary mercaptan showed that activation energies are very slight if the transfer constant is high, and begin to reach significant levels only at low levels of transfer constant.
REGENERATION OF BLUE AND PURPLE MEMBRANES FROM DEIONIZED BLEACHED MEMBRANES OF Halobacterium halobium

— Bleached purple membrane normally binds Ca2+ and Mg2+, which can be removed by the divalent cation chelator ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Regeneration of pigments from EDTA-treated bleached membrane (apomembrane) and retinal leads to the formation of blue membrane at pH 4.8, and purple membrane at neutral pH. The pigments take much longer to regenerate than with un-deionized apoprotein. Adding back cations to the deionized apomembrane only partially speeds up the regeneration process. Like native purple membrane, the regenerated purple membrane also undergoes a photocycle and shows a light-induced proton release and uptake, although with much slower kinetics than the native species. Thus, cations control the kinetics of pigment regeneration, and also some aspects of the pigment's conformation which controls the photocycle kinetics. The removal and replacement of the cations is not completely reversible, suggesting the cations are not merely bound in the double layer.
Atmospheric Water Vapor Pressure over Land Surfaces: A Generic Algorithm with Data Input Limited to Air Temperature, Precipitation and Geographic Location

A lack of information for surface water vapor pressure (WVP) represents a major impediment to model-assisted ecosystem analysis for understanding plant-environment interactions or for projecting biospheric responses to global climate change. This paper reports on a generic algorithm that captures global variation in monthly WVP. The algorithm solves WVP in terms of reduction from saturation WVP as a negative exponential function of potential evapotranspiration; the reduction rate per unit potential evapotranspiration in turn varies with monthly precipitation and a series of variables that distinguish local climate regimes. Data input to the algorithm is limited to monthly air temperature and precipitation, plus latitude, longitude and elevation. The algorithm is specified through regression fitting to monthly climate normal data from 852 stations around the world. It accounts for 96% of the variance in the WVP data, with a root mean square error of 0.17 kPa, or 12% of the data mean. The algorithm closely reproduces five-year sequential monthly WVP data for each of five selected United States locations representitative of diverse climate regimes: the average error generally falls within ±12% of the data mean, and the absolute error within ±0.2 kPa. Its projections also compare favorably against the WVP output from the General Circulation Models for temperature and precipitation conditions under the scenario of a doubled atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentration: the two fall within ±10% of each other for 75% of a total 264 data cases, or within ±20% for 94% of the cases. These statistics suggest that the spatially-based algorithm is useful for projecting temporal variation in WVP, and for extrapolative applications beyond the fluctuation range of present climate.
Alternate signaling pathways selectively regulate binding of insulin‐like growth factor I and II on fetal rat bone cells

Bone cells synthesize and respond to IGF-I and IGF-II which contribute to bone remodeling and linear growth. In osteoblasts, prostaglandin (PG)E2 stimulates IGF-I but not IGF-II synthesis through a cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA)-related event. However, protein kinase C (PKC) activation by PGE2 enhances replication and protein synthesis by less differentiated periosteal cells more so than in osteoblast-enriched cultures from fetal rat bone. Using various PGs and other PKA and PKC pathway activators, the importance of these aspects of PGE2 activity has now been examined on IGF receptors in these bone cell culture models. PGE2 and other agents that activate PKA enhanced 125I-IGF-II binding to type 2 IGF receptors on both cell populations. In contrast, agents that activate PKC enhanced 125I-IGF-I binding to type 1 receptors on less differentiated bone cells, and of these, only phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), which activates PKC in a receptor-independent way, was effective in osteoblast-enriched cultures. No stimulator increased total type 1 receptor protein in either cell population. Consequently, ligand binding to type 1 and type 2 IGF receptors is differentially modulated by specific intracellular pathways in bone cells. Importantly, changes in apparent type 1 receptor number occur rapidly and may do so at least in part through post-translational effects. These results may help to predict new ways to manipulate autocrine or paracrine actions by IGFs in skeletal tissue.
NEW RODENT MODELS FOR STUDIES OF CHEMOPREVENTIVE AGENTS

Some recent studies of the effects of chemopreventive agents have begun to use new rodent models to improve the analysis of stages of colonic preneoplasia, and how chemopreventive agents modify progressive abnormal cell development. In one of the models of inherited predisposition to colon cancer, mice carrying a truncated Apc allele with a nonsense mutation in exon 15 have been generated by gene targeting and embryonic stem cell technology (Apc1638 mice). These mice develop multiple gastrointestinal lesions, including adenomas and carcinomas, focal areas of high-grade dysplasia (FAD), and polypoid hyperplasias with FADS. The incidence of inherited colonic neoplasms has now been modulated by a chemopreventive regimen. Colonic lesions significantly increased in Apc1638 mice on a Western-style diet, which has higher fat content and lower calcium and vitamin D compared to the same mice on AIN-76A diet. In another rodent model, Min mice were treated with sulindac, which markedly reduced the incidence of intestinal tumors. A third new rodent model containing a targeted mutation in the gene Mcc (mutated in colorectal cancer) recently became available for chemoprevention studies. These mice develop multiple types of neoplasms including adenocarcinomas, focal areas of gastrointestinal dysplasia, papillomas of the forestomach, and tumors in other organs including lung, liver, and lymphoid tissue. Feeding a Western-style diet to the Mcc mutant mice also resulted in significantly increased gastrointestinal lesions. These nutrient modifications also have been given to normal mice, demonstrating without any chemical carcinogen that a Western-style diet induced colonic tumorigenesis. Western-style diets also have now induced modulation of cell proliferation in other organs including mammary gland, pancreas, and prostate. These findings help develop new preclinical rodent models to aid the analysis of genetic and environmental factors leading to neoplasia, as well as new methods for evaluating the chemopreventive efficacy of specific nutrients and pharmacological agents.
Carrier and Hapten Antibody-Producing Cells, in Vitro I. Cytokinetics

SummaryNormal spleen cells or HRBC-primed spleen cells were cultured with HRBC, TNP-HRBC or without an in vitro immunogen. Anti-HRBC and anti-TNP responses were assessed on Days 2, 3, and 4. Antibody-producing cells detected on Day 2 arose mainly from late, on Day 3 from intermediate and on Day 4 from early precursor cell types. We envision APC development proceeding through the following maturation sequence: early precursor cells → intermediate precursor cells → late precursor cells → APC. The relative proportion of these precursor cell types at any given time is dependent on the immunological status of the animal. Later precursor cell types can be triggered non-specifically to develop into APC.This work was supported by GM 15956 and AEC Contract No. C00-1632-30. T.L.P. was supported by NIH 1 F02 GM 50743-01. We thank Ahmed Elashkar for his skillful technical assistance.
Expression, characterization, processing and immunogenicity of an insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus autoantigen, IA-2, in Sf-9 cells

Autoantibodies to a 64-kD protein and a 40-kD tryptic fragment from pancreatic islets have been detected at high frequency in the sera of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). IA-2, a newly isolated transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase, is a major islet cell autoantigen in IDDM and the precursor of a 40-kD tryptic fragment. To express large quantities of recombinant IA-2 protein and analyse post-translational modifications we expressed full-length human IA-2 in baculovirus-infected Sf-9 cells. IA-2 expression was analysed by Western blot and by immunoprecipitation of 35S-methionine-radiolabelled proteins with rabbit antisera or IDDM sera. A 120-kD IA-2 protein was detected during the early, but not the late, phase of the infection. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the 120-kD protein was processed into fragments of 64 kD and smaller fragments of approximately 50 kD, 38 kD and 32 kD. The 64-kD fragment appeared as a doublet. Tunicamycin and PNGase F treatment down-shifted the 120-kD protein and the 64-kD doublet into lower molecular weight bands, suggesting that both were glycosylated. Trypsin treatment converted the 120-kD protein and the 64-kD doublet into a 40-kD fragment. Baculovirus-expressed IA-2 was as sensitive or slightly more sensitive than in vitro translated IA-2 in detecting autoantibodies to IA-2: 66% of sera from newly diagnosed IDDM patients reacted with baculovirus-expressed IA-2 compared with 59% of the same sera which reacted with in vitro translated IA-2. It is concluded that baculovirus-expressed IA-2 is a good source of autoantigen and that a number of lower molecular weight fragments with which IDDM autoantibodies react are derived from the 120-kD full-length IA-2 molecule.
Analysis of pump-induced temporal contrast degradation in optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification

The pump-induced degradation of the temporal contrast of laser pulses amplified by optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) is studied analytically. In OPCPA systems, the temporal fluctuations of the pump pulse are coupled to the spectrum of the chirped signal by the instantaneous parametric gain and lead to a reduction in the temporal contrast of the recompressed amplified signal. The intensity and shape of the induced temporal pedestal depend on the pump fluctuations and the parametric amplifier operating regime. General equations describing the contrast degradation are derived and applied to the case of sinusoidal pump-intensity modulation and pump amplified spontaneous emission. The reduction of the contrast in the amplified pulse is quantified analytically and via simulations for an OPCPA system.
Educational Choice: The Stratifying Effects of Selecting Schools and Courses.

The current political climate of educational reform very actively focuses on the positive aspects of increasing parental choice of children's schools, but there is little discussion of (and scant empirical research on) the potentially negative effects of increasing choice. This article examines the rich empirical base on another aspect of choice in education-curriculum choice-to draw parallels between the potentially harmful effects of both types of choice. Specifically, it has been shown that a wide latitude of student choice of courses in high school magnifies the social stratification of educational outcomes. This socially undesirable consequence results from two well-documented relationships: (a) Following a more demanding set of academic courses in high school is strongly and positively associated with higher academic achievement, and (b) less advantaged students are considerably less likely to select such a demanding course of study than are their more academically and socially advantaged counterpar...
Characterization of Haze-Active Proteins in Apple Juice

The nature of the haze-active protein (HAP) in apple juice was investigated. Heat treatment removed protein indiscriminately while polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) treatment was fairly specific for proteins of 15 and 28 kDa. Presumably, the PVPP bound to polyphenols, which in turn were complexed with protein. Three candidate apple HAPs were isolated. Two were extracted from juice with acetone and fractionated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and solid phase extraction with C18 (HAP I) or SAX (HAP II) material. Hydroxyproline-rich protein was extracted from apple tissue (HAP III). The order of haze formation with tannic acid was gliadin > HAP III > HAP II > HAP I > bovine serum albumin, which shows increasing haze formation with increasing proline content. The sizes of HAP I, II, and III were 28, 15, and 12 kDa; the first two corresponded to the sizes of proteins removed by PVPP treatment and are involved in juice haze formation.
Biomass production from selected herbaceous species in the southeastern USA

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine biomass yield, composition and production costs for selected herbaceous species on marginal soils in the southeastern USA. Warm- and cool-season annual and perennial herbaceous crops were grown at four locations in Alabama. These represented three major physiographic regions of the Southeast. Crops were established in 1985 and harvested through September 1988 for yield determination. Subsamples were analyzed for nitrogen (N), hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin content. Economic analysis was based on current budgets developed by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service for hay and silage production. Rainfall was highly variable among locations and years, and on average was 18% below normal. Dry matter yields ranged from 0.44 to 23.6 Mg ha −1 and were strongly influenced by rainfall and age of stand. Biomass composition varied considerably among species, and interacted with yield and production cost ha −1 . This gave a different ranking of species in terms of cost Mg −1 of dry matter and cost Mg −1 holocellulose (hemicellulose + cellulose). Results emphasize the need to determine the relationship between biomass composition and conversion efficiency for different conversion processes.
Upconversion polymeric nanofibers containing lanthanide-doped nanoparticles via electrospinning

Flexible and freestanding poly(methyl methacrylate) nanofibers containing the upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) of lanthanide-doped sodium yttrium fluoride have been successfully fabricated via an electrospinning process. The UCNPs in nanofibers commonly formed chain-like aggregates aligned along the fiber axes. The effect of the electrospinning process on the upconversion properties of the embedded UCNPs was explored by characterizing the time evolution of the upconversion emission following pulsed near-infrared excitation. Our study revealed that there is only a slight reduction of upconversion efficiency for the UCNPs in electrospun nanofibers, indicating that upconversion properties of the UCNPs are largely preserved in the nanofibrous films. The prepared upconversion nanocomposites (in the form of nanofibrous films) with controlled morphologies, structures, and properties could be useful for broad photonic applications.
ISOLATION OF A PARASYMPATHOMIMETIC ALKALOID OF FUNGAL ORIGIN.

SINCE 1947, reports have reached us of excessive salivation in ruminants after consuming certain forages. Frequently these forages were red clover hay, but other types of forages were involved. The cattle would consume from 1 to 3 feedings of such forage, salivate excessively, and then refuse further feed. The refusal of the cattle to consume ‘slobber forage’ represents an economic loss to the farmer, including a loss of milk production and the necessity of purchasing replacement forage.
Coronary risk prediction in adults (the Framingham Heart Study)

Abstract The Framingham Heart Study, an ongoing prospective study of adult men and women, has shown that certain risk factors can be used to predict the development of coronary artery disease. These factors include age, gender, total cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein cholesterol level, systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking, glucose intolerance and cardiac enlargement (left ventricular hypertrophy on electrocardiogram or enlarged heart on chest x-ray). Calculators and computers can be easily programmed using a multivariate logistic function that allows calculation of the conditional probability of cardiovascular events. These determinations, based on experience with 5,209 men and women participating in the Framingham study, estimate coronary artery disease risk over variable periods of follow-up. Modeled incidence rates range from 80% over an arbitrarily selected 6-year interval; however, they are typically
Effects of histamine on atrial and ventricular contractility in the canine isovolumic heart

The effects of intracoronary administration of histamine on atrial and ventricular contractility were determined in a paced canine isovolumic heart preparation. Contractility was assessed by recording the pressure developed in saline-filled balloons placed in each of the four cardiac chambers. At doses above 0.1 mg and up to 100 mg histamine produced dose-related positive inotropic responses in all chambers. These were preceded by transient negative effects. The positive responses were not affected by a combination of H1 and H2 receptor antagonists antazoline and cimetidine but were almost completely abolished by the beta adrenoceptor, blocker timolol. The negative responses were uninfluenced by either treatment. It was concluded that, in the canine isovolumic heart not subjected to complicating chronotropic and extracardiac factors, moderate doses of histamine are devoid of inotropic effects. Higher doses do produce myocardial stimulation, not mediated by histamine receptors, but probably due to norepinephrine release. These responses are preceded by transient non-specific depressant effects.
Down‐regulation of cardiac lineage protein (CLP‐1) expression in CLP‐1 +/− mice affords cardioprotection against ischaemic stress

In order to understand the transcriptional mechanism that underlies cell protection to stress, we evaluated the role of CLP-1, a known inhibitor of the transcription elongation complex (pTEFb), in CLP-1 +/− mice hearts. Using the isolated heart model, we observed that the CLP-1+/− hearts, when subjected to ischaemic stress and evaluated by haemodynamic measurements, exhibit significant cardioprotection. CLP-1 remains associated with the pTEFb complex in the heterozygous hearts, where as it is released in the wild-type hearts suggesting the involvement of pTEFb regulation in cell protection. There was a decrease in Cdk7 and Cdk9 kinase activity and consequently in phosphorylation of serine-5 and serine-2 of Pol II CTD in CLP-1 +/− hearts. However, the levels of mitochondrial proteins, PGC-1α and HIF-1α, which enhance mitochondrial activity and are implicated in cell survival, were increased in CLP-1+/− hearts subjected to ischaemic stress compared to that in wild-type CLP-1+/+ hearts treated identically. There was also an increase in the expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK-1), which facilitates cell adaptation to hypoxic stress. Taken together, our data suggest that regulation of the CLP-1 levels is critical to cellular adaptation of the survival program that protects cardiomyocytes against stress due collectively to a decrease in RNA Pol II phosphorylation but an increase in expression of target proteins that regulate mitochondrial function and metabolic adaptation to stress.
Measurement of Perihematomal Edema in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose—Perihematomal edema (PHE) is a marker of secondary injury in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). PHE measurement on computed tomography (CT) is challenging, and the principles used to detect PHE have not been described fully. We developed a systematic approach for CT-based measurement of PHE. Methods—Two independent raters measured PHE volumes on baseline and 24-hour post-ICH CT scans of 20 primary supratentorial ICH subjects. Boundaries were outlined with an edge-detection tool and adjusted after inspection of the 3 orthogonal planes. PHE was delineated with the additional principle that it should be (a) more hypodense than the corresponding area in the contralateral hemisphere and (b) most hypodense immediately surrounding the hemorrhage. We examined intra- and interrater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman plots for interrater consistency. CT-based PHE was also compared using magnetic resonance imaging–based PHE detection for 18 subjects. Results—Me...
Depression in spouses of chronic pain patients: the role of patient pain and anger, and marital satisfaction.

Abstract Although several studies have shown that spouses of chronic pain patients may experience clinically significant depressive symptoms few studies have comprehensively examined the role of both patient and spouse-related factors in the development and maintenance of this emotional distress. Twenty-nine married male chronic benign low back pain patients and their spouses were recruited in order to examine the role of patient, spouse, and marital factors in spouse depressive symptomatology. The results indicated that 28% percent of the spouses in the sample reported significantly depressed mood. A 2-stage regression analysis was employed that revealed 3 significant predictors of spouse's depressed mood, namely patient's average pain, patient's reported levels of anger and hostility, and the spouse's level of marital satisfaction. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for clinical interventions for pain patients and their families.
Thymus size and its relationship to the respiratorydistress syndrome

Thymic size can be affected by both exogenous and endogenous glucocorticoids. The risk of respiratorydistress syndrome is reduced after maternal steroid administration. To find whether fetal lung maturity correlates with size of the thymus, the cardiothymic: thoracic ratio was measured in 167 newborn infants with and without RDS. Mean CT/T was significantly greater (0.40 vs 0.35; P
Review: Acamprosate increases abstinence in patients with alcohol dependence

Source Citation Rosner S, Hackl-Herrwerth A, Leucht S, et al. Acamprosate for alcohol dependence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;(9):CD004332. 20824837
Complications dermatologiques de l'insuffisance veineuse chronique : prise en charge médicale et autres mesures

Les patients presentant une insuffisance veineuse developpent souvent des complications qui peuvent avoir comme consequence une morbidite significative et une mortalite occasionnelle. Les ulceres veineux de jambe, le type le plus repandu d'ulcere des membres inferieurs, sont la sequelle la plus frequente de l'insuffisance veineuse et affectent negativement la qualite de vie des patients. La plupart se sont focalises sur les ulceres veineux, mais d'autres complications peuvent survenir comprenant la dermatite, l'atrophie blanche, la lipodermatosclerose, et le cancer. La dermatite de contact est une complication commune vue dans le traitement de la maladie veineuse. Les patients presentant une insuffisance veineuse ont une barriere epidermique lesee, les rendant plus susceptibles que la population generale a une sensibilisation de contact et a une dermatite ulterieure. La dermatite veineuse est souvent la premiere manifestation de l'insuffisance veineuse et doit etre rapidement prise en charge. L'atrophie blanche, aboutissement d'une serie de conditions, se traduit par des plaques atrophiques de peau blanche ivoire avec des telangiectasies. La lipodermatosclerose est une plaque induree au niveau de la malleole interne qui peut parfois etre sensible et douloureuse. La degenerescence maligne est une complication rare mais grave de la maladie veineuse puisque les tumeurs qui se developpent dans un contexte d'ulcere tendent a etre plus agressives. La douleur est une caracteristique de la maladie veineuse souvent negligee et generalement insuffisamment traitee. Enfin, les consequences psychosociales telles que l'inquietude et la depression sont plus frequentes chez les patients presentant une maladie veineuse et devraient etre correctement prises en compte. L'identification de ces complications de l'insuffisance veineuse chronique est importante car une intervention precoce est essentielle pour eviter aux patients des douleurs et une gene inutiles.
Large-scale multicentre study of fluconazole in the treatment of hospitalised patients with fungal infections

The purpose of this prospective, open-label, noncomparative, multicentre study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fluconazole in the treatment of hospitalised patients with mycoses. A total of 587 patients with diagnosed fungal infections were enrolled. Fluconazole was given orally or intravenously in a 200 or 400 mg loading dose, followed by 100 or 200 mg once daily. The most common candidal infections were fungemia, esophageal candidiasis, bronchopulmonary candidiasis, peritonitis, oropharyngeal candidiasis, urinary tract infection and deep wound infection. Meningitis was the most common cryptococcal infection. Of the 291 evaluable patients with candidiasis, 96% (70/73) of AIDS patients and 79% (171/218) of non-AIDS patients were clinically cured or improved. Of the 36 evaluable patients with cryptococcosis, 69% (20/29) of AIDS patients and 100% (7/7) of non-AIDS patients responded clinically. The overall mycological eradication rate was 85%; eradication was similar in patients with and without AIDS. Most adverse events during fluconazole therapy were mild to moderate in severity. This investigation confirms the results of previous studies demonstrating high response rates to fluconazole therapy in AIDS and non-AIDS patients with fungal infections. Even during long-term therapy treatment-limiting adverse events were uncommon with fluconazole.
Effect of Sodium Fluoride and Stannous Fluoride on the Rate of Corrosion of Dental Amalgams

Corrosion studies have been carried out on dental amalgams with and without additions of stannous fluoride to the alloy before trituration. Corrosion studies also were carried out with additions of sodium fluoride and stannous fluoride to test solutions. When added to the amalgam, stannous fluoride caused a decided increase in its deterioration. Addition of stannous fluoride to the test solution had no effect on corrosion, whereas addition of sodium fluoride to the solution decidedly increased the corrosion rate.
Lateral photodetector operating in the fully reverse-biased mode

A one-dimensional model of a reverse-biased lateral photodetector is analyzed. The effect of background illumination is considered. An ac equivalent circuit for the device is derived. From this equivalent circuit the transient response is calculated and device parameters that determine its characteristics are presented.
Content preparation for cross-cultural e-commerce: a review and a model

Content preparation is an important stage in e-commerce website development. It is critical to present appropriate information content to facilitate consumers' decision-making. In the international e-commerce setting, to better serve users from different countries, their different information preferences must be accommodated by taking cultural differences between countries into consideration in content preparation. After examining relevant literature, this paper proposes a conceptual model on content preparation for cross-cultural e-commerce. The model explores cultural effects on information processing of consumers by taking into account both normative effects and psychological effects. Tentative conclusions about cultural differences that need to be accommodated in content preparation are also offered.
Fourier analysis of energy transfer data obtained by simulating a 14-MeV α-particle in water

Abstract Data from Monte Carlo transport codes are used to model radiobiological effects. We previously reported the Fourier analysis of ionization data generated by simulating a 500-keV proton traversing water. Here, we extend Fourier analysis to energy transfer data of another radiation type, a 14-MeV α-particle. A radiobiological model based on this frequency-domain analysis views cell as an information processing system [8] . It lends itself naturally to traditional engineering analyses. One engineering principle—the output response of a linear system to random signal—is applied here to explain the fact that there is measurable difference in the magnitude of the biological effectiveness when a given biological system is irradiated with two different radiation types of the same Linear Energy Transfer (LET).