cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dispersion analyses and resource utilization of aphid parasitoids in a non-depletable environment

Dispersions and resource utilization of primary and secondary parasitoids developing in non-depletable primary host populations were determined for an aphid-parasitoid community occurring on strawberries. Analyses of dispersions based onGreen's coefficient andLloyd's Patchiness Index indicated parasitized aphids were highly aggregated initially, became less aggregated as density increased, and remained aggregated following collapse of the aphid populations. The “index of aggregation” values calculated usingTaylor's Power Law concurred with results from the other indices, and the similarity of the regression coefficients from both seasons suggests that the index of aggregation may be characteristic for communities as well as species. Analysis withIwao's regression of mean crowding on the mean generated similar results when population data were stratified temporally, and also indicated that the individual was the basic unit of the population.
Planning Neurosurgery wiih Interactive 3D Computer Imaging

Planning intracranial neurosurgery involves understanding the three-dimensional interrelationships of normal and pathologic structures, and contrasting alternate surgical approaches. The present study demonstrates the usefulness of interactive 3D imaging of CT data for surgical planning. Imaging options allow the surgeon to manipulate structures, obtain quantitative data on spatial relations, and contrast alternate surgical approaches based on 3D images similar to what is seen during surgery. The surgeon can choose the surgical approach that permits the best tumor exposure with minimal disruption of neural structures.
Dependence on diffusion time of apparent diffusion tensor of ex vivo calf tongue and heart.

The time dependence of the apparent diffusion tensor of ex vivo calf heart and tongue was measured for diffusion times (τd) between 32 and 810 ms. The results showed evidence of restricted diffusion in the muscle tissues of both organs. In regions where the myofibers are parallel, the largest eigenvalue (λ1) of the diffusion tensor remained the same for all diffusion times measured, while the other eigenvalues (λ2, λ3) decreased by 29–36% between τd = 32 ms and τd = 400 ms. In regions where the fibers cross, the λ1 also changed, decreasing by 17% between τd = 32 ms and τd = 400 ms. The restricting compartment size and volume fraction were effectively estimated by fitting the time courses of the eigenvalues to a model consisting of a nonrestricted compartment and a cylindrically restricted compartment. To our knowledge, this study is the first demonstrating diffusion time dependence of measured water diffusion tensor in muscular tissue. With improvement in scanning technology, future studies may permit noninvasive, in vivo detection of changes in muscle myoarchitecture due to disease, treatment, and exercise. Magn Reson Med, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A model for assessing interdisciplinary approaches to wetland research

An interdisciplinary approach to research in wetlands is necessary to avoid incorrect extrapolations and projections about broad wetland functiors based on limited knowledge. The values of several lesser-used disciplines or fields of study are often overlooked and therefore not incorporated into study designs. To address this problem, a model was developed that relates ten ecological and environmental science disciplines to each other (geohydrology, surface water hydrology, water chemistry, soil/sediment chemistry, stratigraphy/sedimentology, paleoecology, plant ecology, animal ecology, remote sensing, and seedbank studies). A matrix and compartmentalized model cross-identify each discipline as a research tool and as a type of study for which a given tool can be used in data collection. Use of the model is demonstrated by assessing the research approach utilized in the study of three wetland systems (shallow dune ponds, bog, fen) at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the study of the pocosin wetlands as presented in a comprehensive volume on that subject.
A randomized trial of combined modality therapy of childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

From 1975 to 1978, 69 children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were staged and treated in a randomized protocol to determine the contribution of involved-field radiotherapy (IF-RT) to an effective drug regimen in Stages III-IV and the efficacy of prophylactic treatment of the central nervous system with cranial irradiation and intrathecal methotrexate in Stages II-IV. Induction therapy for Stages I-II was vincristine, prednisone, cyclophosphamide and IF-RT (3000–3500 rad). Stages III-IV received the same three drugs plus adriamycin, and were randomized to receive or not receive IF-RT. The complete remission rate was 88%. After randomization to receive CNS prophylaxis or not, all children received oral mercaptopurine and methotrexate for 18 months. The two-year actuarial estimate of disease-free survival for all responders is 55% and is significantly influenced by stage. (Ninety percent disease-free survival for Stages I-II, versus 38.8% for III-IV, P <.05). We observed no benefit but added toxicity from IF-RT in Stages III-IV. Efforts at CNS prophylaxis in high-risk children are warranted, since only 1 of 18 children randomized to receive prophylaxis developed CNS disease as the site of first relapse, whereas 4 of 16 receiving no prophylaxis did so. Cancer 45:630-637, 1980.
Exercise training improves functional status in patients with peripheral arterial disease

Purpose: In patients with intermittent claudication (IC) a structured walking exercise program improves exercise performance. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of exercise training on functional status during daily activities. We hypothesized that a supervised exercise training program would improve functional status in patients with IC, with 24 weeks of training more beneficial than 12 weeks. A secondary aim was to evaluate the effects of strength training and combinations of strength and treadmill training on functional status. Methods: Twenty-nine men with disabling IC were randomized to 12 weeks of either supervised treadmill training (3 hr/wk at a work intensity sufficient to produce claudication), strength training (3 hr/wk of resistive training of six muscle groups of each leg), or to a nonexercising control group. Functional status was assessed by questionnaires characterizing walking ability (Walking Impairment Questionnaire, WIQ), habitual physical activity level (Physical Activity Recall, PAR), and physical, social, and role functioning, well-being, and overall health (Medical Outcomes Study SF-20, MOS). Patients also had their activity levels monitored with an activity monitor (Vitalog). Results: After 12 weeks of treadmill training PAR scores increased by 48 metabolic equivalent hr/wk, the MOS physical functioning score by 24 percentage points, and the number of bouts of walking activity measured by the Vitalog by 4.5 bouts/hr (all p p Conclusions: A supervised treadmill training program improved functional status during daily activities, with 24 weeks more effective than 12. In addition, treadmill training alone was more effective in improving functional status in patients with IC than strength training or combinations of the training modalities.
Local spatial biclustering and prediction of urban juvenile delinquency and recidivism

Using a novel database, ProDES, developed by the Crime and Justice Research Center at Temple University, this article investigates the relationship between spatial characteristics and juvenile delinquency and recidivism—the proportion of delinquents who commit crimes following completion of a court-ordered program—in Philadelphia, PA. ProDES was originally a case-based sample, where the cases were adjudicated in family court, 1994–2004. For our analysis, we focused attention on studying 6768 juvenile males from the data set. To address the difficult issue of nonstationarity in the data, we considered various two-way clustering algorithms to group the juveniles into ‘types’ by way of the many variables that described the juveniles. Following different modeling scenarios, we applied the plaid biclustering algorithm in which a sequence of subsets (‘layers’) of both juveniles and variables are extracted from the data one layer at a time, but where overlapping layers are allowed. This type of ‘biclustering’ is a new way of studying juvenile-offense data. We show that the juveniles within each layer can be viewed as spatially clustered. The layers were determined as descriptive tools to aid in identifying subsets of the data that could be useful in policy making. Statistical relationships of the variables and juveniles within each layer are then studied using neural network models. Results indicate that the methods of this paper are more successful in predicting juvenile recidivism in urban environments when different crimes are modeled as separate data sets rather than being pooled together as a single data set. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 2011 © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
‘Duty to Warn’ vs. ‘Patient Confidentiality’: The Ethical Dilemmas in Caring for HIV-Infected Clients

An ethical dilemma that health professionals working with HIV-infected clients currently face is the issue of maintaining patient confidentiality vs. the professional's duty to warn persons at potential risk for acquiring the virus. Multiple factors are involved when trying to resolve what a health professional's obligations are when he or she becomes aware of a risk to another individual. Professional standards require that patient confidentiality be maintained in order to promote a helping relationship. Yet, the well-being of the one at risk must be considered. Legal precedents with other sexually transmitted diseases have been established that place the burden upon the clinician to warn in order to prevent litigation. Yet, an action on the part of the clinician should not be carried out just to prevent litigation. Actions that are taken should consider what is healthiest for all parties involved. Two cases are presented that cite specific instances in which a sexual partner was put at risk. A flow chart is presented that should assist in decision-making.
Why Anatomically Modern People Did Not Disperse from Africa 100,000 Years Ago

Two competing hypotheses continue to dominate specialist thinking on modern human origins. The first posits that modern people originated in Africa and spread from there to replace non-modern humans in Eurasia (Brauer and Rimbach 1990; Stringer and Gamble 1993). The second suggests that modern humans originated everywhere—in Africa, but also in Eurasia—where non-modern humans had lived before (Wolpoff et al. 1994; Wolpoff 1996). The controversy will be resolved only with additional fossils and many new, reliable dates, especially in Africa and east Asia. However, the case for replacement is very strong in Europe and west Asia, where relevant fossils and dates are most abundant. In both places, the last non-modern people were the well-known Neandertals, who evolved in Europe before 130,000 years ago (Stringer and Gamble 1993; Hublin 1996) and later spread to west Asia, perhaps at the beginning of the Last Glaciation, about 80,000 years ago (Tchernov 1992, 1994). In both places, fully modern humans were widespread by the 40,000 year limit of conventional radiocarbon dating. Almost everywhere, the Neandertals seem to have disappeared very quickly, perhaps in less than a millennium. Possible exceptions to this rule include western France, where modern humans and Neandertals may have coexisted from 40,000 to 34,000 years ago (Hublin et al. 1996) and southern Spain, where a Neandertal enclave may have survived until 30,000 years ago (Hublin et al. 1995). For those who favor the replacement hypothesis, a potential difficulty is to explain why anatomically modern or near-modern humans expanded to Eurasia only between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago, more than 50,000 years after they occupied Africa and its immediate southwest Asian margin (Israel) (Rightmire and Deacon 1991; Schwarcz 1994). The reason, however, is probably that early modern or near-modern Africans were not behaviorally modern. In every detectable archeological respect, they were in fact in-
An Examination of Trust Dimensions across High and Low Dependence Situations

Purpose: Relationship marketing literature has provided support of a multidimensional trust construct; however, there is little consensus on its structure. This article builds on existing theory to propose and empirically test a three-dimensional trust construct including ability, integrity, and benevolence dimensions. Furthermore, the article examines this conceptualization of the construct across different relationship types as established by dependence form. Methodology: We choose to use a scenario/survey data collection method to replicate specific relationship types for a national purchasing agent sample. This method allows us to obtain adequate sample sizes to compare the relative importance of trust dimensions using structural equation modeling. Findings: We found empirical evidence to support a three-dimensional trust construct for use in further examination of buyer–seller relationships. In addition, we found differential importance of those dimensions across different relationship forms. Researc...
Hospital Laboratory Leadership and the Dyad Model of Management

The medical director of the hospital-based clinical laboratory is ultimately responsible, according to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) regulations, for the quality of services provided. The medical director, however, may have little authority over laboratory operations, possibly because of the organizational structure of the laboratory or the limited interaction between the medical director and hospital administrators. The Dyad (pair) model of management is ideal for implementation in the clinical laboratory. In this model, as applied in the hospital laboratory setting, the medical director and a member of the hospital administration team form a dyad to embrace shared accountability and to implement a common vision and shared goals. As a result, the hospital administrators view the laboratory through the perspective of the medical director, and the medical director gains a defined mechanism to exert influence over the laboratory production process. * COO : chief operating officer; CLIA : Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act; TAT : turnaround time; CAP : College of American Pathologists; VP : vice president; CEO : chief executive officer; QC : quality control; PT : proficiency testing; CE : continuing education
The open-ring/active-bus network structure: access techniques and their heavy-traffic performance

The open-ring/active-bus network structure for packet-switched, multiple-access communication over high-speed fiber-optic networks is studied. The structure is shown to suffer from fewer synchronization constraints than a closed ring structure and to provide a capacity greater than unity because it allows reuse of channel bandwidth. Various access mechanisms on this structure are discussed, and their channel capacities are analyzed. >
3‐Triethylsilyloxy‐1,4‐pentadiene

[62418-65-9] C11H22OSi (MW 198.42) InChI = 1S/C11H22OSi/c1-6-11(7-2)12-13(8-3,9-4)10-5/h6-7,11H,1-2,8-10H2,3-5H3 InChIKey = RCMWXQHEDHJRTI-UHFFFAOYSA-N (a masked vinyl ketone synthon;7, 8 a precursor for either the diene or dienophile in the intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction2) Physical Data: bp 140 °C; n20D 1.4390. Solubility: sol pentane, benzene, THF, ether, CH2Cl2. Analysis of Reagent Purity: NMR, GC (4.56 min on 1 mm 5% OV 225 on Chromosorb W at 108 °C) or TLC: Rf = 0.15 (pentane) or 0.6 (benzene). Form Supplied in: commercially available. Preparative Method: by silylation of 3-hydroxy-1,4-pentadiene with Chlorotriethylsilane.1, 2 Other relatives of the title compound are available by silylation with Chlorotrimethylsilane2 or tert-Butyldimethylchlorosilane.3 3-Trimethylsilyloxy-1,4-pentadiene is usually prepared and used in situ. Storage of 3-trimethylsilyl-1,4-pentadiene at −30 °C is recommended.2 The dianion of the parent 3-hydroxy-1,4-pentadiene can also be prepared.4 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: use in a fume hood.
Cultural differences in emotions: a context for interpreting emotional experiences

In this article, it is suggested that cross-cultural assessment of emotional disturbances would benefit from the consideration of cultural differences in the modal, and normative emotions. A summary of the research literature on cultural differences in emotions, in particular in antecedent events, subjective feeling, appraisal, and behavior is provided. Cultural differences in emotions are understood functionally, such that the most prevalent emotional phenomena in a culture are those that fit and reinforce the distinct cultural models (i.e. goals and practices) of self and relationship. It is argued that a culture-sensitive approach to emotional disturbances would entail the assessment of emotional phenomena that are dysfunctional to the cultural models of self and relationship.
Progesterone and estrogen receptors: opposing prognostic indicators in meningiomas.

Object. The preponderance of progesterone receptors (PRs) and the scarcity of estrogen receptors (ERs) in meningiomas are well known. The expression of PRs may relate to tumor grade and recurrence. Cytogenetic abnormalities are associated with aggressive behavior, recurrence, and progression. In this study, the authors focus on the prognostic implications of hormone receptors in meningiomas to help determine the clinical and biological aggressiveness of tumors and their correlations with cytogenetic abnormalities. Methods. Two hundred thirty-nine patients with meningiomas were separated into three groups. Group 1 (PR-positive group) comprised patients whose meningiomas displayed expression of PRs alone. Group 2 (receptor-negative group) included patients whose lesions did not have receptors for either progesterone or estrogen. Group 3 (ER-positive group) included patients whose tumors displayed expression of ERs. Clinical and histological findings, proliferative indices, tumor recurrence, and cytogenetic findings were analyzed by performing the Fisher exact test. Compared with the receptor-negative (Group 2) and ER-positive (Group 3) groups, the PR-positive group (Group 1) had a statistically significant lower proliferative index and a smaller number of patients in whom there were aggressive histopathological findings or changes in karyotype. In Groups 1, 2, and 3, the percentages of cases with aggressive histopathological findings were 10, 31, and 33%, respectively; the percentages of cases with chromosomal abnormalities were 50, 84, and 86%, respectively; and the percentages of cases in which there initially was no residual tumor but recurrence was documented were 5, 30, and 27%, respectively. A statistically significant increase in the involvement of chromosomes 14 and 22 was identified in receptor-negative and ER-positive de novo meningiomas, when compared with the PR-positive group. Abnormalities on chromosome 19 were statistically significantly higher in receptor-negative meningiomas than in PR-positive tumors. Conclusions. The expression of the PR alone in meningiomas signals a favorable clinical and biological outcome. A lack of receptors or the presence of ERs in meningiomas correlates with an accumulation of qualitative and quantitative karyotype abnormalities, a higher proportional involvement of chromosomes 14 and 22 in de novo tumors, and an increasing potential for aggressive clinical behavior, progression, and recurrence of these lesions. Sex hormone receptor status should routinely be studied for its prognostic value, especially in female patients, and should be taken into account in tumor grading. The initial receptor status of a tumor may change in progression or recurrence of tumor.
Probability of Target Presence for Multistatic Sonar Ping Sequencing

In this communication, the problem of determining effective pinging strategies in multistatic sonar systems with multiple transmitters is addressed. New algorithms are presented to determine effective pinging strategies for generalized search scenarios. An important part of this work is the development of metrics to be used in the optimization procedures. For maintaining search coverage, a ldquoprobability of target presencerdquo metric formulation is used. This formulation utilizes sonar performance prediction and a Bayesian update to incorporate negative information (i.e., searching an area but finding no targets) into the optimization procedure. The possibility of targets moving into previously searched areas is accounted for by using a Fokker-Planck (FP) drift/diffusion formulation. Monte Carlo simulations are used to show the accuracy and efficiency of this formulation. This formulation is shown to be computationally efficient compared to Monte Carlo simulations. It is also demonstrated that by choosing the ping sequence intelligently, the field performance can be improved compared to random or sequential ping sequencing.
Polymer science and biology: structure and dynamics at multiple scales

I give a brief, biased survey of some recent problems in molecular and cell biology from the perspective of physical science, with a few answers, but a great many questions, challenges and opportunities.
Prescription drug abuse: executive summary of a policy position paper from the American College of Physicians.

Prescription drug abuse is a serious public health problem. Physicians and other health professionals with prescribing privileges are entrusted with the authority to use medications in the treatmen...
The Synthesis and Characterization of Tricarbonylchromium Complexes of Substituted Anilines and Flurobenzenes, Part II

Abstract The tricarbonylchromium complexes of the following arenes have been prepared: the ortho, meta and para isomers of phenetidine, 2,6-dimethyl-fluorobenzene, 3,4-dimethylfluorobenzene, ethyl p-fluorobenzoate, 2-fluoro-5-methylaniline. 2-methyl-6-isopropylaniline, p-methylacet-anilide and cyclohexylbenzene. Preparative and spectral data are presented.
Calcineurin regulation in fungi and beyond.

Calcineurin (PP3/PP2B) is a serine-threonine-specific phosphatase of the p rotein p hosphatase (PP) family (EC 3.1.3.16), which also includes PP1, PP2A, and PP4 to -7 ([25][1]). Phosphatases share a highly conserved primary structure in eukaryotes and were originally grouped based on their
Disturbed circadian variation of serum thyrotropin in patients with endogenous depression.

The relationship between the degree of depression and the circadian variation of serum TSH, T3 and T4 was investigated in 19 endogenously depressed patients. The difference between the hormone concentrations at 2 p.m. and at 12 p.m. was taken as an estimate of the magnitude of circadian variation. It was found that the circadian variation in serum TSH was inversely related to the degree of endogenous depression. This was mainly due to a diminution or absence of the night increase of TSH in severely depressed patients. A circadian variation of serum free T3 was found in the less depressed patients whereas no diurnal change was found in serum free T4. In severely depressed patients there were no significant diurnal changes in free thyroid hormone concentrations. The results indicate a hypothalamic dysfunction in manic-depressive psychosis.
Discovering molecular pathways from protein interaction and gene expression data.

In this paper, we describe an approach for identifying ‘pathways’ from gene expression and protein interaction data. Our approach is based on the assumption that many pathways exhibit two properties: their genes exhibit a similar gene expression profile, and the protein products of the genes often interact. Our approach is based on a unified probabilistic model, which is learned from the data using the EM algorithm. We present results on two Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression data sets, combined with a binary protein interaction data set. Our results show that our approach is much more successful than other approaches at discovering both coherent functional groups and entire protein complexes.
How we incorporated service learning into a medical student rural clinical training experience.

AbstractBackground: Many medical schools have developed admission policies and clinical training programs designed to address the rural physician workforce shortages in their state.Aim: To enhance medical student rural clinical training experiences, and assist in preparing students for living and working in rural communities.Methods: As part of their Rural Track Clerkship (RTC) Program, the University of Missouri School of Medicine developed the Community Integration Program (CIP). Students, individually or in groups, voluntarily identify a health need and implement a community-based project to meet that need.Results: From 2007 to 2013, 80 (53%) students participated in the CIP and 86% completed the 11-item post-experience questionnaire. After the experience, participants reported a deeper understanding of the broad impact of a rural physician and the impact of rural culture on physician interactions. Participants reported they felt more integrated into the community, had a greater understanding of commun...
Strain-related regional alterations of calcium-handling proteins in myocardial remodeling

Background Cardiac remodeling has been shown to have deleterious effects at both the global and local levels. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of strain in the initiation of structural and functional changes of myocardial tissue and its relation to alteration of calcium-handling proteins during cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction. Methods Sixteen sonomicrometry transducers were placed in the left ventricular free wall of 9 sheep to measure the regional strain in the infarct, adjacent, and remote myocardial regions. Hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and sonomicrometry data were collected before myocardial infarction, after infarction, and 2, 6, and 8 weeks after infarction. Regional myocardial tissues were collected for calcium-handling proteins at the end study. Results At time of termination, end-systolic strains in 3 regionally distinct zones (remote, adjacent, and infarct) of myocardium were measured to be −14.65 ± 1.13, −5.11 ± 0.60 ( P ≤ .05), and 0.92 ± 0.56 ( P ≤ .05), respectively. The regional end-systolic strain correlated strongly with the abundance of 2 major calcium-handling proteins: sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ adenosine triphosphatase subtype 2a ( r 2 = 0.68, P ≤ .05) and phospholamban ( r 2 = 0.50, P ≤ .05). A lesser degree of correlation was observed between the systolic strain and the abundance of sodium/calcium exchanger type 1 protein ( r 2 = 0.17, P ≤ .05). Conclusions Regional strain differences can be defined in the different myocardial regions during postinfarction cardiac remodeling. These differences in regional strain drive regionally distinct alterations in calcium-handling protein expression.
Estradiol interacts with an opioidergic network to achieve rapid modulation of a vocal pattern generator

Estrogens rapidly regulate neuronal activity within seconds-to-minutes, yet it is unclear how estrogens interact with neural circuits to rapidly coordinate behavior. This study examines whether 17-beta-estradiol interacts with an opioidergic network to achieve rapid modulation of a vocal control circuit. Adult plainfin midshipman fish emit vocalizations that mainly differ in duration, and rhythmic activity of a hindbrain–spinal vocal pattern generator (VPG) directly establishes the temporal features of midshipman vocalizations. VPG activity is therefore predictive of natural calls, and ‘fictive calls’ can be elicited by electrical microstimulation of the VPG. Prior studies show that intramuscular estradiol injection rapidly (within 5 min) increases fictive call duration in midshipman. Here, we delivered opioid antagonists near the VPG prior to estradiol injection. Rapid estradiol actions on fictive calling were completely suppressed by the broad-spectrum opioid antagonist naloxone and the mu-opioid antagonist beta-funaltrexamine, but were unaffected by the kappa-opioid antagonist nor-binaltorphimine. Unexpectedly, prior to estradiol administration, all three opioid antagonists caused immediate, transient reductions in fictive call duration. Together, our results indicate that: (1) vocal activity is modulated by opioidergic networks, confirming hypotheses from birds and mammals, and (2) the rapid actions of estradiol on vocal patterning depend on interactions with a mu-opioid modulatory network.
ksniffer: determining the remote client perceived response time from live packet streams

As dependence on the World Wide Web continues to grow, so does the need for businesses to have quantitative measures of the client perceived response times of their Web services. We present ksniffer, a kernel-based traffic monitor capable of determining pageview response times as perceived by remote clients, in real-time at gigabit traffic rates. ksniffer is based on novel, online mechanisms that take a "look once, then drop" approach to packet analysis to reconstruct TCP connections and learn client pageview activity. These mechanisms are designed to operate accurately with live network traffic even in the presence of packet loss and delay, and can be efficiently implemented in kernel space. This enables ksniffer to perform analysis that exceeds the functionality of current traffic analyzers while doing so at high bandwidth rates. ksniffer requires only to passively monitor network traffic and can be integrated with systems that perform server management to achieve specified response time goals. Our experimental results demonstrate that ksniffer can run on an inexpensive, commodity, Linux-based PC and provide online pageview response time measurements, across a wide range of operating conditions, that are within five percent of the response times measured at the client by detailed instrumentation.
Reproducibility of intravascular ultrasound virtual histology analysis.

Abstract Objective Intravascular ultrasound with virtual histology analysis (IVUS-VH) is a novel technology which allows for the identification of discrete atherosclerotic plaque components using radiofrequency backscatter data. Whether the composition of these plaques can be monitored accurately in a longitudinal fashion remains unclear. We sought to evaluate the reproducibility of plaque composition measurements as determined by IVUS-VH in a clinical setting. Methods Sixteen consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention were included in this study. Prior to and then again following intervention, IVUS images with VH processing were obtained with motorized pullback. Up to 4 frames were selected for analysis for each patient, with a total of 24 IVUS frames used. An IVUS frame was chosen with visible angiographic and ultrasound landmarks. The matching frame on the second pullback was identified using these landmarks. For each frame, vessel and lumen area as well as plaque composition by VH were determined. Results There was a high level of agreement between the two pullback measurements for lumen area, vessel area, and plaque burden (the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were 0.96, 0.96, and 0.95, respectively). Similarly, for plaque components by VH, the coefficients ranged from .90 to .97 and 0.84 to 0.92 for segmental volumetric analysis. The Bland–Altman plots indicated proportional error for the differences of the four measurements between the two pullback trials and were associated with high coefficients of reproducibility. Conclusions Discrete measurements of plaque compositional area and volume in the clinical setting appear to have reproducibility comparable to that of traditional IVUS measurements.
Polyzoom: multiscale and multifocus exploration in 2d visual spaces

The most common techniques for navigating in multiscale visual spaces are pan, zoom, and bird's eye views. However, these techniques are often tedious and cumbersome to use, especially when objects of interest are located far apart. We present the PolyZoom technique where users progressively build hierarchies of focus regions, stacked on each other such that each subsequent level shows a higher magnification. Correlation graphics show the relation between parent and child viewports in the hierarchy. To validate the new technique, we compare it to standard navigation techniques in two user studies, one on multiscale visual search and the other on multifocus interaction. Results show that PolyZoom performs better than current standard techniques.
Surface treatment on the growth surface of semi-insulating GaN bulk substrate for III-nitride heterostructure field-effect transistors

Al0.25Ga0.75N/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor (HFET) structures are grown on semi-insulating GaN substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition with Fe-doped GaN buffer layer and various surface treatments prior to the epitaxial growth of the structure. The surface treatments are intended to remove suspected surface-charge-containing layer and they include wet chemical etching, in-situ thermal etching, plasma dry etching, and photo-enhanced chemical etching. Photo-enhanced chemical (PEC) etching was effective in achieving microscopically smooth surface and in eliminating surface charge layer on the surface of semi-insulating GaN substrates. RMS surface roughness of PEC etched surface of the semi-insulating GaN substrate is 0.1∼0.2 nm for 1×1 μm2 scan. C -V measurement shows well-defined 2-dimensional-gas-related charge without any growth-interface-related charge for a HFET grown on a semi-insulating GaN substrate with optimized photo-enhanced chemical etching of the surface. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A profile of American bed and breakfast entrepreneurs: Bridging the gap to retirement

ABSTRACTThe research is a descriptive profile of owners in the United States who are primarily 50 years and older. Since entrepreneurship is often sought later in life as a bridge to retirement (Kerr & Armstrong-Stassen, 2011), this research profiled the American bed and breakfast entrepreneur who is using this self-employed venture before transitioning into retirement. Considerations of cognitive age, health, and supportive partner will be discussed. For those pursuing bed and breakfasts as a future entrepreneurial venture, this study found important aspects to the operation of the business. Four factors are provided for older Americans considering operating a bed and breakfast including: feeling young and capable, bridge to retirement, supportive partner, and importance of timeline of entrepreneurial process. Future studies will benefit from understanding this exploratory profile of the niche market of bed and breakfast entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry, including human resource practices and de...
Opening the Gate Through Dialogue

In this paper I am interested in presenting the Palestinian narrative, which is rarely heard in the West. Like all narratives, the Palestinian’s narrative is a product of their experience. The fact that the Palestinians and the Israelis have conflicting narratives of same events does not make either of them untrue. Each community has its own collective memories that bind them together. For example the Israelis call the 1948 war their war of independence, while for the Palestinians the same war is called Nakba or catastrophe. These symbolic words “independence” and “Nakba” are reflections of both peoples’ perception and interpretation of the event. The story of the war of independence and the story of the Nakba provide each community with a context for self understanding and an apprehension of their collective existence as a community and a nation. This point was beautifully illustrated by Voegelin, when he argued that the idea of a community “cannot be found anywhere except in the mind of the people belonging to the community and in their intellectual creations ”. Similarly, the idea of the Palestinian community can only be found in the mind of the Palestinian people who believe in it. For this reason narratives are real regardless of their historical accuracy or conflicting symbolizations. As Voegelin said, “The symbols in which a society interprets the meaning of its existence are meant to be true.” They express reality even if they are the creation of the imagination for imagination produces reality. Furthermore, Edward Said, a Palestinian-American literary theorist, said, “The one place in which there’s been some interesting and innovative work done in Arab intellectual life is in literary production generally, that never finds its way into studies of the Middle East. You’re dealing with the raw material of Politics… You can deal with a novelist as a kind of witness to something .” Thus, there are many reasons to present the Palestinian narrative through a novel. I will explore the novel A Beggar at Damascus Gate as a narrative of the Palestinian experience in diaspora.
Macroscopic response of particle-reinforced elastomers subjected to prescribed torques or rotations on the particles

Abstract Particle-reinforced rubbers are composite materials consisting of randomly distributed, stiff fibers/particles in a soft elastomeric material. Since the particles are stiff compared to the embedding rubber, their deformation can be ignored for all practical purposes. However, due to the softness of the rubber, they can undergo rigid body translations and rotations. Constitutive models accounting for the effect of such particle motions on the macroscopic response under prescribed deformations on the boundary have been developed recently. But, in some applications (e.g., magneto-active elastomers), the particles may experience additional torques as a consequence of an externally applied (magnetic) field, which, in turn, can affect the overall rotation of the particles in the rubber, and therefore also the macroscopic response of the composite. This paper is concerned with the development of constitutive models for particle-reinforced elastomers, which are designed to account for externally applied torques on the internally distributed particles, in addition to the externally applied deformation on the boundary of the composite. For this purpose, we propose a new variational framework involving suitably prescribed eigenstresses on the particles. For simplicity, the framework is applied to an elastomer reinforced by aligned, rigid, cylindrical fibers of elliptical cross section, which can undergo finite rotations in the context of a finite-deformation, plane strain problem for the composite. In particular, expressions are derived for the average in-plane rotation of the fibers as a function of the torques that are applied on them, both under vanishing and prescribed strain on the boundary. The results of this work will make possible the development of improved constitutive models for magneto-active elastomers, and other types of smart composite materials that are susceptible to externally applied torques.
A New Species of Euschoengastia (Acari: Trombiculidae) from the Mountain Beaver in Oregon, USA

Euschoengastia maseri is described from the Mountain Beaver, Aplodontia rufa , taken in Coos Co., Oregon, USA.
Thymoquinone Modulates Blood Coagulation in Vitro via Its Effects on Inflammatory and Coagulation Pathways.

Thymoquinone (THQ) is a major component of black seeds. Given that both THQ and black seeds exhibit anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities, we hypothesized that THQ will affect cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), which is primarily triggered by tissue factor (TF) and inflammation. The effect of both black seed-extracted and purchased (“pure”) THQ on normal blood coagulation was tested with in vitro thromboelastography (TEG) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) coagulation assays. The effect of pure THQ on CAT was tested with aPTT assay using pancreatic cancer cell lines that are either positive or negative for TF, and with TEG assay using lipopolysaccharide as an inflammatory trigger. Additionally, the direct effect of THQ on the inactivation of factors IIa and Xa was assessed. Since TNF-α facilitates crosstalk between inflammation and thrombosis by triggering the NF-κB pathway, we tested THQ’s ability to interfere with this communication with a luciferase assay. Both extracted and pure THQ had minimal effects on normal blood coagulation. Pure THQ reversed CAT initiated by both TF and inflammation to basal levels (p < 0.001). Mechanistically, while THQ had minimal to no effect on factor IIa and Xa inactivation, it strongly reduced the effects of TNF-α on NF-κB elements (p < 0.001). THQ has a minimal effect on basal coagulation and can reverse CAT in vitro, possibly by interfering with the crosstalk between inflammation and coagulation. This study suggests the utility of THQ as a preventative anticoagulant and/or as a supplement to existing chemotherapies and anticoagulant therapies.
Understanding the Influence of Nickel Doping in a Tungsten Grain Boundary on Mechanical Strength

ntergranular glassy films (IGFs) have been known to affect high temperature creep and fracture behavior of nanostructured ceramics significantly. Similar to IGFs in nanostructured ceramics, grain boundary (GB) embrittlement in nanostructured metals intended for high temperature applications is considered an important determinant of mechanical strength. GB embrittlement occurs through diffusion of a small atomic fraction of liquid metals such as nickel (Ni) in GBs of intrinsically ductile materials such as tungsten (W) during sintering or during high temperature operation. The problem of W GB embrittlement is not new. Toth and Lockington examined W GBs and found that Ni phase present at the surface of W powder before activated sintering had segregated along the W GBs afterwards. This was referred to as GB segregation, a fundamental contributor to GB embrittlement. Nieh presented an evidence of GB segregation of Ni in W using auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Gupta et al. used high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and AES to reveal the presence of nanometer-thick, Nienriched, disordered films at W GBs for the first time. While it is certain that Ni segregation in W GBs leads to embrittlement as well as material strength degradation, the effect of change in Ni atomic fraction in W GBs and the influence of such variation as a function of operation temperature on GB strength has not been characterized. Primary hindrances are the time scale limitations of molecular simulation methods to predict an equilibrium GB structure as a function of operating temperature in the presence of impurities and limitations of spectroscopy as well as microscopy based approaches in predicting atomic composition of nanometer sized GBs as a function of change in temperature. Another issue is the inability to predict GB mobility using molecular simulations while taking into account precise chemical composition due to molecular simulation time scale limitations. In this work, such limitations are circumvented by analyzing an experimentally observed - GB analyzed in the work of Gupta et al. The focus of the present work is on analyzing the influence of Ni doping in the examined W GB on its mechanical strength as a function of temperature while accounting for the effect of atomic level bond strength and lattice dynamics. W and W alloys have earlier been analyzed for their tensile strength and fracture strength. It has been shown that both temperature and Ni atomic fraction affects mechanical strength of nanostructured W. However, a relationship describing such has not been established. The GB structure experimentally observed by Gupta et al. is
Hypothesis: Neuroendocrine Mechanisms (Hypothalamus-Growth Hormone-STAT5 Axis) Contribute to Sex Bias in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and hereditary pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) is approximately two- to four-fold higher in women than in men. Paradoxically, there is an opposite male bias in typical rodent models of PH (chronic hypoxia or monocrotaline); in these models, administration of estrogenic compounds (for example, estradiol-17β [E2]) is protective. Further complexities are observed in humans ingesting anorexigens (female bias) and in rodent models, such as after hypoxia plus SU5416/Sugen (little sex bias) or involving serotonin transporter overexpression or dexfenfluramine administration (female bias). These complexities in sex bias in PH remain incompletely understood. We recently discovered that conditional deletion of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5a/b (STAT5a/b) in vascular smooth muscle cells abrogated the male bias in PH in hypoxic mice and that late-stage obliterative lesions in patients of both sexes with IPAH and HPAH showed reduced STAT5a/b, reduced Tyr-P-STAT5 and reduced B-cell lymphoma 6 protein (BCL6). In trying to understand the significance of these observations, we realized that there existed a well-characterized E2-sensitive central neuroendocrine mechanism of sex bias, studied over the last 40 years, that, at its peripheral end, culminated in species-specific male (“pulsatile”) versus female (“more continuous”) temporal patterns of circulating growth hormone (GH) levels leading to male versus female patterned activation of STAT5a/b in peripheral tissues and thus sex-biased expression of hundreds of genes. In this report, we consider the contribution of this neuroendocrine mechanism (hypothalamus-GH-STAT5) in the generation of sex bias in different PH situations.
The Future of NATO Expansion: Slovakia: Catching Up to Its Neighbors

This chapter analyzes political, economic, and military-security developments in Slovakia since the fall of communism and, especially, since it became independent on January 1, 1993. In Part I I review Slovakia's democratization process, its economic performance, and the security situation it found itself in after achieving sovereignty. Part II examines Slovak foreign policy since 1993 and Bratislava's campaign for NATO membership. Part III concentrates on matters pertaining to civil–military relations. In the last section of the chapter the focus shifts to military reform and the state of the Slovak armed forces. DOMESTIC POLITICS, ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE, SECURITY STATUS Domestic Politics The postcommunist era in Slovak politics may be conveniently divided into three distinctive periods. The first, December 1989–December 1992, spans from the fall of communism to the breakup of federal Czechoslovakia. The second phase, January 1993–September 1998, embraces the nearly six-year period in which Slovakia was ruled – with a brief interruption in March–October 1994 – by Vladimir Meciar and his semi-authoritarian populist-nationalist coalition government. The third stage, September 1998 to the present, represents the tenure of liberal democratic coalition governments under the premiership of Mikulas Dzurinda. The improbably peaceful “velvet revolution” was initiated and led by Czech dissidents in Prague. From the beginning, their Slovak colleagues were followers rather than leaders of the democratization process which made them vulnerable to being portrayed as insufficiently dedicated to pursuing specifically Slovak interests. After the collapse of the communist state, Czechoslovak politics were repluralized quickly.