cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Tree Modification by African Elephant ( Loxodonta africana ) on Herpetofaunal Species Richness in Northern Tanzania

In Africa, no other nonhuman animal fulfils the role of ecosystem engineers to the extent of the elephant. However, little is known about the relationship between elephant modified habitats and species composition of other animals. Our objective was to sample the herpetofauna within an Acacia habitat that varied in the degree of elephant impact. If elephant foraging was only modifying but not degrading or enriching the habitat, then herpetofauna species abundance and richness were predicted to be similar in elephant damaged and elephant excluded areas. We conducted this study at Endarakwai Ranch in northeastern Tanzania for 6 months in 2007 and 2008. We sampled herpetofaunal species richness and abundance within high, medium and low elephant damaged areas and in a plot that excluded elephants. Areas of heavy damage yielded higher species richness than the exclusion plot. Species diversity did not differ between the damaged areas and the exclusion plot. Frogs were more abundant in areas of high damage; in contrast, toads were found the least in high damage areas. The results support the notion that free ranging elephants influence herpetofaunal species distribution by creating habitat complexity through modifying the woodland area. Resume En Afrique, a part l’homme, aucun animal ne joue le role d’ingenieur de l’ecosysteme autant que l’elephant. Cependant, l’on sait peu de chose de la relation entre les habitats modifies par l’elephant et la composition des autres especes animales. Notre objectif etait d’echantillonner l’herpetofaune d’un habitat a acacias ou le degre d’impact des elephants etait variable. Si l’elephant, en se nourrissant, modifiait seulement l’habitat, sans le degrader ni l’enrichir, il etait prevu que l’abondance et la richesse des especes de l’herpetofaune soient similaires a celles des zones endommagees ou desertees par les elephants. Nous avons realise cette etude a l’Endarakwai Ranch, dans le nord-est de la Tanzanie, pendant six mois, en 2006 et 2007. Nous avons echantillonne la richesse et l’abondance, des especes de l’herpetofaune dans des zones fortement, moyennement et peu endommagees par les elephants et dans une parcelle d’ou ils etaient exclus. Les zones fortement endommagees contenaient une plus grande richesse en especes que la parcelle sans elephant. La diversite des especes ne variait pas entre les zones endommagees et la parcelle d’exclusion. Les grenouilles etaient plus abondantes dans les zones tres abimees alors que les crapauds etaient la le moins nombreux. Les resultats confortent l’idee que les elephants en liberte influencent la distribution des especes de l’herpetofaune parce qu’ils creent une diversite d’habitats en modifiant les zones boisees.
Stock Option Expense: The Sword of Damocles Revealed

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123 is one of the most controversial accounting standards ever issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB 1995) (SFAS No. 123, para. 376). More than five years have passed since SFAS No. 123 first required firms to either recognize or disclose stock option expense based on the fair value of options granted. In light of the fractious debate surrounding its passage and ongoing differences of opinion regarding the usefulness of stock option expense data, this paper reports how the standard impacts firm performance. This study examines the effect of stock option expense on the diluted earnings per share and return on assets of 100 firms identified by Fortune magazine as “America's Fastest‐Growing Companies.” We find that stock option expense has a material impact on the performance measures for a majority of our sample firms. Moreover, our analysis predicts stock option expense will grow over the next several years, potentially doubling in m...
Profound Peripheral Insulin Resistance, Independent of Obesity, in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Hyperinsulinemia secondary to a poorly characterized disorder of insulin action is a feature of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO). However, controversy exists as to whether insulin resistance results from PCO or the obesity that is frequently associated with it. Thus, we determined in vivo insulin action on peripheral glucose utilization (M) and hepatic glucose production (HGP) with the euglycemic glucose-clamp technique in obese ( n = 19) and nonobese ( n = 10) PCO women and age- and body-composition-matched normal ovulatory women ( n = 11 obese and n = 8 nonobese women). None had fasting hyperglycemia. Two obese PCO women had diabetes mellitus, established with an oral glucose tolerance test; no other women had impairment of glucose tolerance. However, the obese PCO women had significantly increased fasting and 2-h glucose levels after an oral glucose load and increased basal HGP compared with their body-composition-matched control group. There were statistically significant interactions between obesity and PCO in fasting glucose levels and basal HGP ( P < .05). Steady-state insulin levels of ∼100 μU/ml were achieved during the clamp. Insulin-stimulated glucose utilization was significantly decreased in both PCO groups whether expressed per kilogram total weight ( P < .001) or per kilogram fat free mass ( P < .001) or when divided by the steady-state plasma insulin (I) level (M/I, P < .001). There was residual HGP in 4 of 15 obese PCO, 0 of 11 obese normal, 2 of 10 nonobese PCO, and 0 of 8 nonobese normal women. The metabolic clearance rate of insulin did not differ in the four groups. We conclude that 1 ) PCO women have significant insulin resistance that is independent of obesity, changes in body composition, and impairment of glucose tolerance, 2 ) PCO and obesity have a synergistic deleterious effect on glucose tolerance, 3 ) hyperinsulinemia in PCO is not the result of decreased insulin clearance, and 4 ) PCO is associated with a unique disorder of insulin action.
Adaptive weighted learning for unbalanced multicategory classification.

Summary. In multicategory classification, standard techniques typically treat all classes equally. This treatment can be problematic when the dataset is unbalanced in the sense that certain classes have very small class proportions compared to others. The minority classes may be ignored or discounted during the classification process due to their small proportions. This can be a serious problem if those minority classes are important. In this article, we study the problem of unbalanced classification and propose new criteria to measure classification accuracy. Moreover, we propose three different weighted learning procedures, two one-step weighted procedures, as well as one adaptive weighted procedure. We demonstrate the advantages of the new procedures, using multicategory support vector machines, through simulated and real datasets. Our results indicate that the proposed methodology can handle unbalanced classification problems effectively.
Milk Production Response to Diets Supplemented with Dried Brewers Grains, Wet Brewers Grains, or Soybean Meal

Forty four multiparous Holsteins, 114 +/- 28 days in milk (32 kg/day, 3.4% fat), were fed a basal diet of 12% crude protein and 20% acid detergent fiber for 10 days, then stratified by milk production into four groups. Cows were randomized to one of nine diets in a 3 X 3 factorial in which basal was supplemented with dried brewers grains, wet brewers grains, or soybean meal to supply in the diet 14.5, 16.0, and 17.5% crude protein. Eight cows remained on basal during the 50-day trial. Basal contained: 14% alfalfa silage, 27% ensiled ground-corn, 53% corn silage, and 6% vitamin-mineral mix. Milk production (kg/day) for cows fed dried brewers grains (29.4) and wet brewers grains (28.9) was higher than soybean meal (26.2) and basal (23.1). Milk production was different for diets with high (29.6) vs. low (27.8) and medium (27.2) protein. Dry matter intake (as percent of body weight) was 3.7, 3.5, 3.3, and 2.9 for dried brewers, wet brewers, soybean meal, and basal, respectively. Milk protein percent and milk fat percent differed for protein source. Rumen fluid ammonia nitrogen for combined 2, 4, and 6 h post-feeding, was (mg/100 ml) 10.4 for dried brewers, 14.9 for wet brewers, and 18.0 for soybean meal and increased from 13.2 to 15.4 with increased protein. Plasma urea tended to follow patterns of rumen ammonia. Dried brewers grains had lower apparent nitrogen digestibility but equal nitrogen balance, indicating more efficient metabolic use than soybean meal.
Profiles of structural heterogeneity in native lipooligosaccharides of Neisseria and cytokine induction

Fine differences in the phosphorylation and acylation of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) from Neisseria species are thought to profoundly influence the virulence of the organisms and the innate immune responses of the host, such as signaling through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM). MALDI time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry was used to characterize heterogeneity in the native LOS from Neisseria gonorrheae and N. meningitidis. A sample preparation methodology previously reported for Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) employing deposition of untreated LOS on a thin layer of a film composed of 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone and nitrocellulose was used. Prominent peaks were observed corresponding to molecular ions and to fragment ions primarily formed by cleavage between the 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) and the lipid A (LA). Analyses of these data and comparison with spectra of the corresponding O-deacylated or hydrogen fluoride-treated LOS enabled the detection of novel species that apparently differed by the expression of up to three phosphates with one or more phosphoethanolamine (PEA) groups on the LA. We found that the heterogeneity profile of acylation and phosphorylation correlates with the induction of proinflammatory cytokines in THP-1 monocytic cells. This methodology enabled us to rapidly profile components of structural variants of native LOS that are of importance biologically.
Approximation of calculations for forward discrete cosine transform

This paper presents new schemes to reduce the computation of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) with negligible peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) degradation. The methods can be used in the software implementation of current video standard encoders, for example, H.26x and MPEG. We investigated the relationship between the quantization parameters and the position of the last nonzero DCT coefficient after quantization. That information is used to adaptively make the decision of calculating all 8/spl times/8 DCT coefficients or only part of the coefficients. To further reduce the computation, instead of using the exact DCT coefficients, we propose a method to approximate the DCT coefficients which leads to significant computation savings. The results show that for practical situations, significant computation reductions can be achieved while causing negligible PSNR degradation. The proposed method also results in computation savings in the quantization calculations.
Meta-level coordination for solving negotiation chains in semi-cooperative multi-agent systems

A negotiation chain is formed when multiple related negotiations are spread over multiple agents. In order to appropriately order and structure the negotiations occurring in the chain so as to optimize the expected utility, we present an extension to a single-agent concurrent negotiation framework. This work is aimed at semi-cooperative multi-agent systems, where each agent has its own goals and works to maximize its local utility; however, the performance of each individual agent is tightly related to other agent's cooperation and the system's overall performance. We introduce a pre-negotiation phase that allows agents to transfer meta-level information. Using this information, the agent can build a more accurate model of the negotiation in terms of modeling the relationship of flexibility and success probability. This more accurate model helps the agent in choosing a better negotiation solution in the global negotiation chain context. The agent can also use this information to allocate appropriate time for each negotiation, hence to find a good ordering of all related negotiations. The experimental data shows that these mechanisms improve the agents' and the system's overall performance significantly.
A 10-minute, US Food and Drug Administration-approved HIV test.

It is now an established fact that rapid HIV tests have important applications in a number of testing situations. Currently, four rapid HIV assays have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, including the one discussed in this review. A rapid, lateral flow HIV assay was evaluated at the University of Maryland, USA, one of several sites involved in the clinical evaluation. Samples used in the evaluation totaled 9000 and consisted of serum, plasma and venous whole-blood sets of samples from 3000 study subjects that included population groups considered to be at high risk for HIV infection (n = 1000), from HIV-positive individuals (n = 1000), and from population groups considered at low risk for HIV infection (n = 1000). US Food and Drug Administration-licensed screening and confirmatory assays were used as reference tests. The rapid assay exhibited a sensitivity of 100% across all three sample media and exhibited a specificity of 99.8% using whole blood and plasma and 99.7% using serum. This ...
Arabidopsis Decapping 5 Is Required for mRNA Decapping, P-Body Formation, and Translational Repression during Postembryonic Development

Eukaryotic processing bodies (P-bodies) are implicated in mRNA storage and mRNA decapping. We previously found that a decapping complex comprising Decapping 1 (DCP1), DCP2, and Varicose in Arabidopsis thaliana is essential for postembryonic development, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we characterized Arabidopsis DCP5, a homolog of human RNA-associated protein 55, as an additional P-body constituent. DCP5 associates with DCP1 and DCP2 and is required for mRNA decapping in vivo. In spite of its association with DCP2, DCP5 has no effect on DCP2 decapping activity in vitro, suggesting that the effect on decapping in vivo is indirect. In knockdown mutant dcp5-1, not only is mRNA decapping compromised, but the size of P-bodies is also significantly decreased. These results indicate that DCP5 is required for P-body formation, which likely facilitates efficient decapping. During wild-type seed germination, mRNAs encoding seed storage proteins (SSPs) are translationally repressed and degraded. By contrast, in dcp5-1, SSP mRNAs are translated, leading to accumulation of their products in germinated seedlings. In vitro experiments using wheat germ extracts confirmed that DCP5 is a translational repressor. Our results showed that DCP5 is required for translational repression and P-body formation and plays an indirect role in mRNA decapping.
Physiological studies on pea tendrils. XIII. Respiration is necessary for contact coiling

When 9 day old light grown pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska 2B) plants are irrigated for 4–6 days with 50 μM 4-chloro-5-(dimethylamino)-2-(α, α, α-trifluoro-m-totyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone, designated San-6706, the new leaves and tendrils grow morphologically normal, but with neither chlorophyll nor the ability to carry out photosynthesis. Excised tendrils from these plants coil in response to rubbing as well as those from water irrigated controls. Tendrils from San-6706 irrigated plants, which have been dark adapted for 2 or 3 days, proceed to coil when illuminated, just as do those from water irrigated plants. Rubbing of dark adapted tendrils results in an increased respiration rate over the first hour or two, when most of the coiling response occurs. Inhibitor studies indicate that blockage of oxidative phosphorylation, but not of the alternative, cyanide-insensitive, path of respiration, results in a failure of tendrils to coil in response to mechanical perturbation. It is concluded that the normal path of respiration, perhaps via ATP production, may be necessary for thigmosensory perception leading to contact coiling in pea tendrils.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Credit Default Swaps: But Were Never Told

Credit default swaps (CDSs) have been identified in media accounts and by various commentators as sources of risk for the institutions that use them, as potential contributors to systemic risk, and as the underlying reason for the bailouts of Bear Stearns and AIG. These assessments are seriously wide of the mark.They seem to reflect a misunderstanding of how CDSs work and how they contribute to risk management by banks and other intermediaries. In addition, the vigorous market that currently exists for CDSs is a significant source of market-based judgments on the credit conditions of large numbers of companies—information that is not publicly available anywhere else. Although the CDS market can be improved, excessive restrictions on it would create considerably more risk than it would eliminate.
Academic and emotional functioning in early adolescence: Longitudinal relations, patterns, and prediction by experience in middle school

Adopting a motivational perspective on adolescent development, these two companion studies examined the longitudinal relations between early adolescents’ school motivation (competence beliefs and values), achievement, emotional functioning (depressive symptoms and anger), and middle school perceptions using both variable- and person-centered analytic techniques. Data were collected from 1041 adolescents and their parents at the beginning of seventh and the end of eighth grade in middle school. Controlling for demographic factors, regression analyses in Study 1 showed reciprocal relations between school motivation and positive emotional functioning over time. Furthermore, adolescents’ perceptions of the middle school learning environment (support for competence and autonomy, quality of relationships with teachers) predicted their eighth grade motivation, achievement, and emotional functioning after accounting for demographic and prior adjustment measures. Cluster analyses in Study 2 revealed several different patterns of school functioning and emotional functioning during seventh grade that were stable over 2 years and that were predictably related to adolescents’ reports of their middle school environment. Discussion focuses on the developmental significance of schooling for multiple adjustment outcomes during adolescence.
Waves in active and passive periodic structures: A review

The theory and recent applications of waves in periodic structures are reviewed. Both the Floquet and coupled waves approach are analyzed in some detail. The theoretical part of the paper includes wave propagation in unbounded and bounded active or passive periodic media, wave scatterring from periodic boundaries, source radiation (dipole, Cerenkov, transition, and Smith-Purcell) in-periodic media, and pulse transmission through a periodic slab. The applications part covers the recent development in a variety of fields: distributed feedback oscillators, filters, mode convertors, couplers, second-harmonic generators, deflectors, modulators and transducers in the fields of integrated optics and integrated surface acoustics. We also review the work on insect compound eyes, mehanical structures ocean waves, pulse compressions, temperature waves, and cholestric liquid crystals. Particles interaction with crystals is briefly reviewed, especially in the case of zeolite crystals and supelattices. Recent advances in fabrication techniques for very fine gratings me also covered. Finally, speculations about future problems and development in the field of waves in periodic structures are given.
Chaos game representation of gene structure.

Abstract This paper presents a new method for representing DNA sequences. It permits the representation and investigation of patterns in sequences, visually revealing previously unknown structures. Based on a technique from chaotic dynamics, the method produces a picture of a gene sequence which displays both local and global patterns. The pictures have a complex structure which varies depending on the sequence. The method is termed Chaos Game Representation (CGR). CGR raises a new set of questions about the structure of DNA sequences, and is a new tool for investigating gene structure.
Psychiatric morbidity in research volunteers.

To the Editor.— Evaluation of normal controls in various psychobiological tests is essential to describe abnormalities in different psychiatric illnesses. Generally, a "normal" control sample is collected from project staff or through a newspaper advertisement. However, in these normal volunteers, systematic clinical evaluation is rarely carried out other than in a short unstructured or semistructured interview. Recently, we carried out systematic evaluations of research volunteers to collect and characterize a normal control pool. To our surprise, a history of serious psychiatric illnesses was found in more than half of the putatively normal paid research volunteers. This stresses the need for such a systematic approach in collecting a sample of normal controls for psychobiological testings. Methods and Results.— An advertisement was placed in major metropolitan and suburban area newspapers recruiting normal research volunteers "to participate in interviews, measurements of eye movements, and sleep studies." The research center where all the procedures
Monoamine interactions measured by microdialysis in the ventral tegmental area of rats treated systemically with (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin.

The effect of (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propyl-amino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a selective serotonin 5-HT1A agonist, on levels of extracellular norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and 5-HT (measured simultaneously) was investigated by microdialysis in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of freely moving rats, and their behavioral activity was monitored. At 50 micrograms/kg s.c., 8-OH-DPAT reduced 5-HT levels but enhanced NE and DA levels in VTA dialysate. These effects were not altered by pretreatment with systemic idazoxan (5 mg/kg i.p.), a selective alpha 2 antagonist, or local sulpiride (10 microM), a selective D2/D3 antagonist. At 500 micrograms/kg s.c., 8-OH-DPAT further enhanced or more persistently reduced dialysate NE or 5-HT content but had little effect on dialysate DA content. Its DA level-increasing effect could be seen dramatically with local infusion of cocaine (30 microM) and, to a lesser extent, sulpiride (10 microM). Depletion of endogenous 5-HT with p-chlorophenylalanine attenuated both the 5-HT level-reducing and DA level-enhancing effects of 8-OH-DPAT without affecting its maximal NE effect and the locomotor-stimulatory effect. Partial depletion of endogenous NE with N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine failed to change the monoamine response but diminished the locomotion induced by 8-OH-DPAT. These results suggested that (a) the low dose of 8-OH-DPAT may act at presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors to modulate 5-HT and DA release, while acting at postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors to modulate NE release; (b) the high dose of 8-OH-DPAT may activate D2 receptors to offset its DA level-increasing effect; and (c) the locomotor-stimulatory effect of 8-OH-DPAT might be mediated primarily by postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors and the NE system.
Neuropsychological Performance in Long-term Cannabis Users

Background: Although cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, its long-term cognitive effects remain inadequately studied. Methods: We recruited individuals aged 30 to 55 years in 3 groups: (1) 63 current heavy users who had smoked cannabis at least 5000 times in their lives and who were smoking daily at study entry; (2) 45 former heavy users who had also smoked at least 5000 times but fewer than 12 times in the last 3 months; and (3) 72 control subjects who had smoked no more than 50 times in their lives. Subjects underwent a 28-day washout from cannabis use, monitored by observed urine samples. On days 0, 1, 7, and 28, we administered a neuropsychological test battery to assess general intellectual function, abstraction ability, sustained attention, verbal fluency, and ability to learn and recall new verbal and visuospatial information. Test results were analyzed by repeatedmeasures regression analysis, adjusting for potentially confounding variables. Results: At days 0, 1, and 7, current heavy users scored significantly below control subjects on recall of word lists, and this deficit was associated with users’ urinary 11nor-9-carboxy-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations at study entry. By day 28, however, there were virtually no significant differences among the groups on any of the test results, and no significant associations between cumulative lifetime cannabis use and test scores. Conclusion: Some cognitive deficits appear detectable at least 7 days after heavy cannabis use but appear reversible and related to recent cannabis exposure rather than irreversible and related to cumulative lifetime use. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58:909-915
Field measurement of reflectance: some major considerations.

Success in determining when, whether, and in what conditions to acquire remote sensing data for describing a given target (e.g., vegetation) is contingent on understanding the reflectance properties of the target and its surroundings. Unfortunately, relatively little information on the reflectance properties of the earth's surface exists in the literature. Field measurements of a target's reflectance are usually made with single-beam instruments by sequentially viewing the target and a white standard reflector, which is assumed to be Lam-bertian. Because variations in atmospheric transmission can occur between the times of measuring the target and reflector, substantial errors in reflectance calculated from these measurements may result. To avoid these errors the irradiance on and radiance from the target must be measured simultaneously. Measurements of the spectral hemispherical-conical reflectance of vegetative canopies were made by simultaneously measuring irradiance and radiance with pairs of portable spectroradiometers. The procedures for calibrating the instruments and for collecting and analyzing spectral reflectance data are described. Major instrumental sources of error and their magnitude are discussed as are problems involved in making such measurements.
Potential utility of near-infrared spectroscopy in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: an illustrative case series.

Objective. We evaluated the measurement of tissue oxygen content (StO2) by continuous near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during and following cardiopulmonary rescuscitation (CPR) and compared the changes in StO2 and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) as a measure of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) or rearrest. Methods. This was a case series of five patients who experienced out-of hospital cardiac arrest. Patients included those who had already experienced ROSC, who were being transported to the hospital, or who were likely to have a reasonable amount of time remaining in the resuscitation efforts. Patients were continuously monitored from the scene using continuous ETCO2 monitoring and a NIRS StO2 monitor until they reached the hospital. The ETCO2 and StO2 values were continuously recorded and analyzed for comparison of the time points when patients were clinically identified to have ROSC or rearrest. Results. Four of five patients had StO2 and EtCO2 recorded during an episode of CPR and all were monitored during the postarrest period. Three patients experienced rearrest en route to the hospital. Downward trends were noted in StO2 prior to each rearrest, and rapid increases were noted after ROSC. The StO2 data showed less variance than the ETCO2 data in the periarrest period. Conclusions. This preliminary study in humans demonstrates that StO2 dynamically changes during periods of hemodynamic instability in postarrest patients. These data suggest that a decline in StO2 level may correlate with rearrest and may be useful as a tool to predict rearrest in post‐cardiac arrest patients.
Prevention of Experimental Cerebral Vasospasm by Intracranial Delivery of a Nitric Oxide Donor From a Controlled-Release Polymer Toxicity and Efficacy Studies in Rabbits and Rats

Background and Purpose— A reduction in the local availability of nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in the etiology of chronic cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We investigated the toxicity and efficacy of a locally delivered NO donor from a controlled-release polymer in preventing experimental cerebral vasospasm in rats and rabbits, respectively. Methods— Diethylenetriamine/NO (DETA/NO) was incorporated into controlled release ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVAc) polymers. Twenty-eight rats were used in a dose-escalation toxicity study to establish a maximally tolerated dose of DETA/NO-EVAc polymer. In the efficacy experiment, 20 rabbits were assigned to 4 experimental groups (n=5 per group): sham operation; SAH only; SAH+empty EVAc polymer; and SAH+DETA/NO-EVAc polymer. Treatment was initiated 30 minutes after blood deposition. Basilar artery lumen patency was assessed 72 hours after hemorrhage to evaluate the efficacy of DETA/NO in preventing cerebral vasospasm. Results— In the toxicity study, a dose of 3.4 mg/kg was identified as the LD20 (dose with 20% mortality during the study period) of this DETA/NO formulation. Brain histology revealed hemorrhage and ischemic changes at the implantation site associated with high concentrations of DETA/NO. In the efficacy study, treatment with DETA/NO-EVAc polymer resulted in a significant decrease in basilar artery vasospasm compared with no treatment (93.0±4.9% versus 71.4±11.9%; P =0.035) or compared with treatment with blank EVAc polymer (93.0±4.9% versus 73.2±6.4%; P =0.003). Conclusions— Local delivery of DETA/NO prevents vasospasm in the rabbit basilar artery. Local delivery of DETA/NO via polymers is a safe and effective strategy for preventing cerebral vasospasm after SAH in this model.
The corporate inner group

The inner group of the economic elite is composed of those persons who are directors in more than one major corporation. Using government data on interlocking directorates among the top 130 corporations, this paper examines the frequency of interlocks among the 13 largest (holding one‐eighth of the nation's corporate assets). The data show that each of these 13 companies had an average of 4.5 direct and 122.5 indirect links with the others. Twenty‐six individuals were found to hold multiple directorships within this cluster of 13 corporations, thereby comprising the inner group. None of these 26 sat with fewer than 6 other members of the inner group. Their linkages to the remaining corporations in the top 130 is remarkably high, providing further evidence of the inner group's potential power.
A packaged intervention to reduce disruptive behaviors in general education students

This investigation employed a combination multiple baseline/reversal design across individuals to examine the effects of a packaged intervention designed to reduce disruptive behaviors in two 8-year-old female students, with a third 8-year-old female student serving as a control. The intervention was delivered through a contingency contract and was comprised of precision requests, antecedent strategies (i.e., public posting of classroom rules, and teacher movement), positive reinforcement (i.e., mystery motivators, token economy), and the reductive technique of response cost.During baseline, the percentage of intervals that the students evidenced disruptive behaviors averaged 41%. This was reduced to an average of 20% during treatment. In the withdrawal phase, disruptive intervals increased to an average of 25%. Reinstatement of the intervention resulted in a further reduction of disruptive intervals of 20%. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
How reliable are parallel disk systems when energy-saving schemes are involved?

Many energy conservation techniques have been proposed to achieve high energy efficiency in disk systems. Unfortunately, growing evidence shows that energy-saving schemes in disk drives usually have negative impacts on storage systems. Existing reliability models are inadequate to estimate reliability of parallel disk systems equipped with energy conservation techniques. To solve this problem, we propose a mathematical model — called MINT — to evaluate the reliability of a parallel disk system where energy-saving mechanisms are implemented. In this paper, we focus on modeling the reliability impacts of two well-known energy-saving techniques — the Popular Disk Concentration technique (PDC) and the Massive Array of Idle Disks (MAID). We started this research by investigating how PDC and MAID affect the utilization and power-state transition frequency of each disk in a parallel disk system. We then model the annual failure rate of each disk as a function of the disk's utilization, powerstate transition frequency as well as operating temperature, because these parameters are key reliability-affecting factors in addition to disk ages. Next, the reliability of a parallel disk system can be derived from the annual failure rate of each disk in the parallel disk system. Finally, we used MINT to study the reliability of a parallel disk system equipped with the PDC and MAID techniques. Experimental results show that PDC is more reliable than MAID when disk workload is low. In contrast, the reliability of MAID is higher than that of PDC under relatively high I/O load.
Freedom is Not Enough: The Opening of the American Workplace – By Nancy MacLean

The author of this book provides a well‐researched examination of the economics of inclusion and exclusion in the United States after 1955. After describing the prevailing attitude found in the Uni...
Multidimensional Scaling for Selecting Small Groups in College Courses

Many college courses use group work as a part of the learning and evaluation process. Class groups are often selected randomly or by allowing students to organize groups themselves. However, if it is desired to control some aspect of the group structure, such as increasing schedule compatibility within groups, multidimensional scaling can be used to form such groups. This article describes how this has been adopted in an undergraduate statistics course. Resulting groups have been more homogeneous with respect to student schedules than groups selected randomly—an example from winter quarter 2004 increased correlations between student schedules from a mean of .29 before grouping to a within-group mean of .50. Further, the exercise allows opportunities to discuss a wealth of statistical concepts in class, including surveys, association measures, multidimensional scaling, and statistical graphics.
Cytochrome P450 eicosanoids regulate fatty acid metabolism via PPARα

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) eicosanoids regulate vascular tone, renal tubular transport, cellular proliferation and inflammation. CYP epoxygenases produce stereo- and regioisomeric epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) which are hydrated by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) into dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs). CYP epoxygenases and sEH are selectively induced or repressed upon activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) by fatty acids and xenobiotics. We hypothesize that CYP eicosanoids can bind to and activate PPARα, thereby regulating their own levels as well as the levels of PPARα target genes. In transactivation assays, 14,15-DHET was the most potent activator of PPARα. In addition, 14,15-DHET strongly activated PPARγ. EETs also activated PPARα and PPARγ but were half as potent as 14,15-DHET. Gel shift assays showed that EETs and DHETs induced PPARα-specific binding to its response element. The effects of 14,15-DHET on fatty acid metabolism were examined in HepG2 cells by RT-PCR. Expression of acyl-CoA synthetase was increased 3-fold, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A increased 2-fold. In contrast, hydroxy methylglutaryl CoA expression was unaffected. In conclusion, 14,15-DHET has been identified as a potent endogenous activator of PPARα and plays a role in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism in the human liver. Funded by NIH grants HL53994 and GM07175 and a predoctoral fellowship from the PhRMA Foundation. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P45–P45; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.169
Short-wavelength automated perimetry can predict glaucomatous standard visual field loss by ten years.

Examination of visual fields using standard achromatic automated perimetry (SAP) is essential for glaucoma management. However, as many as 35-50% of retinal ganglion cells can be lost before a visual field defect is detected.1,2,3 Previous studies have indicated that examination of the short-wavelength (blue) sensitive color system may be able to detect early functional loss in glaucoma. Moreover, it has been reported to detect glaucomatous visual field loss as many as 5 years earlier than SAP.4,5,6,7 We describe the case of a patient who demonstrated visual field defects on short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP) ten years prior to developing visual field defects in SAP.
Abundance of six tetracycline resistance genes in wastewater lagoons at cattle feedlots with different antibiotic use strategies

The abundance of six tetracycline resistance genes tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), tet(M), tet(B) and tet(L), were quantified over time in wastewater lagoons at concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) to assess how feedlot operation affects resistance genes in downstream surface waters. Eight lagoons at five cattle feedlots in the Midwestern United States were monitored for 6 months. Resistance and 16S-rRNA gene abundances were quantified using real-time PCR, and physicochemical lagoon conditions, tetracycline levels, and other factors (e.g. feedlot size and weather conditions) were monitored over time. Lagoons were sorted according to antibiotic use practice at each site, and designated as 'no-use', 'mixed-use' or 'high-use' for comparison. High-use lagoons had significantly higher detected resistance gene levels (tet(R); 2.8 x 10(6) copies ml(-1)) relative to no-use lagoons (5.1 x 10(3) copies ml(-1); P < 0.01) and mixed-use lagoons (7.3 x 10(5) copies ml(-1); P = 0.076). Bivariate correlation analysis on pooled data (n = 54) confirmed that tet(R) level strongly correlated with feedlot area (r = 0.67, P < 0.01) and 'total' bacterial 16S-rRNA gene level in each lagoon (r = 0.51, P < 0.01), which are both characteristic of large CAFOs. tet(M) was the most commonly detected gene, both in absolute number and normalized to 16S-rRNA gene level, although tet(O), tet(Q) and tet(W) levels were also high in the mixed and high-use lagoons. Finally, resistance gene levels were highly seasonal with abundances being 10-100 times greater in the autumn versus the summer. Results show that antibiotic use strategy strongly affects both the abundance and seasonal distribution of resistance genes in associated lagoons, which has implications on water quality and feedlot management practices.
Alterations in blood vessels in x-irradiated spinal cords of young rats.

Administration of x-rays (4000 r) to lumbar spinal cords of three-day-old rats caused a loss of neuroglia with an inhibition of myelinogenesis, neuronal damage and necrosis. In contrast, the loss of neuroglia following administration of 2000 r is temporary, with myelinogenesis occurring later than normal. Preliminary observations suggested that differences in vascular responses to these two amounts of x-rays might account for these differing fates of the spinal cords; therefore, this investigation was designed to study further the reactions of the intramedullary vessels. Rats, irradiated when three days of age, were killed 1 to 27 days later. Some were killed by perfusion with Monolite Fast Blue BNVSA Paste, a substance retained in the vessels and readily visualized on microscopic examination. The remaining rats were decapitated, and spinal cords were stained by Gomori's method for alkaline phosphatase. The earliest consistent alteration, a decreased number of vessels, was noted seven days following irradiation with either dose. Rats receiving 4000 r had marked losses of blood vessels, vasodilatation and necrosis by 15 days post-irradiation; whereas, a decreased number of vessels was the only change noted in rats irradiated with 2000 r. Alterations in rats receiving 4000 r remained the same or became more severe throughout the study; spinal cords in rats receiving 2000 r returned to normal. These vascular alterations correlate well with the changes in other spinal cord components described previously by this investigator.
Dignity in Western Versus in Chinese Cultures: Theoretical Overview and Practical Illustrations

Dignity is an important concept in ethics. Human rights organizations justify rights by appealing to human dignity. Prominent politicians have cited the need to protect human dignity and urged the founding of international institutions. The concept of human dignity is often used to evaluate and critique the ethics of select practices. In addition, the idea of dignity is used as a universal principle to ground universalist business ethics. This paper argues that there are substantial differences between the ways in which the West and China construe human dignity. Having documented these major differences, we consider two cases to show how the differences might “cash out” in actual business practice. Instead of relying upon a nonexistent universal concept of human dignity, we suggest that it is respectful and sound to seek to identify the many goods (teamwork, initiative, autonomy, respect for elders) that differing parties see at play in the case at hand and then to try to come up with ways to realize as many of these goods as possible.
Bearing-only landmark initialization with unknown data association

It is essential in many applications that mobile robots localize themselves with respect to an unknown environment. This means that the robot must build a map of its environment and then localize using the map. This process is called simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). This paper presents an iterative solution to the landmark initialization problem inherent in a bearing-only implementation of SLAM. No prior knowledge of the environment is required, and furthermore, there are no requirements about having the data association problem solved. Once landmarks are initialized, they are inserted into an extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to solve the SLAM problem. Both indoor and outdoor experiments are presented to validate the method.
A multiscale stochastic finite element method on elliptic problems involving uncertainties

In this study a multiscale stochastic finite element method (MsSFEM) is developed to resolve scale-coupling stochastic elliptic problems, based on formulations of a stochastic variational approach and scale-bridging multiscale shape functions. By employing polynomial chaos expansions and Lagrange polynomials, stochastic Galerkin method and stochastic collocation method are introduced and combined with deterministic multiscale methods, i.e. Variational Multiscale Method and Multiscale Finite Element Method. The resulting spectral and pseudo-spectral stochastic finite element methods are incorporated into the fine- and coarse-mesh computation of the MsSFEM. A benchmark multiscale model and the numerical experiment based on the formulated MsSFEM are provided for illustration. It is expected that the proposed MsSFEM can act as a paradigm for solving of general stochastic partial differential equations involving multiscale stochastic data.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Mechanisms of Bleeding and Approach to Patients With Axial-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices”

We appreciate the letter by Dr Jennings regarding our recently published review.1 This letter clarifies the anticoagulation protocol used by the Henry Ford Hospital for patients treated with Heartmate II left ventricular assist device, which we reported incorrectly.1 Our source for the reported international normalized ratio (INR) range of 1.8 to 2.2 was the abstract presented by Henry Ford group at the American Society of Artificial Organs in 2011 …
ENSO’s Impact on Regional U.S. Hurricane Activity

Abstract Regional variations in North Atlantic hurricane landfall frequency along the U.S. coastline are examined in relation to the phase of El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). ENSO warm (cold) phases are known to reduce (increase) hurricane activity in the North Atlantic basin as a whole. Using best-track data from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, regional analysis reveals that ENSO cold-phase landfall frequencies are only slightly larger than neutral-phase landfall frequencies along the Florida and Gulf coasts. However, for the East Coast, from Georgia to Maine, a significant decrease in landfall frequency occurs during the neutral ENSO phase as compared to the cold phase. Along the East Coast, two or more major (category 3 or above) hurricanes never made landfall in the observational record (1900–2004) during a single hurricane season classified as an ENSO neutral or warm phase.
An Analysis of Perceived Constraints to Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation has been an integral part of American life for many decades. While overall participation in outdoor recreation is expected to grow with the population, participation per capita is expected to decline partly because of projected structural change in sociodemographics in future. Previous studies have revealed a significant variation among ethnic and marginalized groups in terms of their interest in and constraints toward participating in outdoor recreation. However, due to limited sample size and geographic coverage, many studies often failed to examine the perceived constraints faced by these ethnic and marginalized groups. This study, taking advantage of a national level household survey, analyzed whether ethnic minoritiesâ€”African-Americans, American-Indians, Asians, and native Hawaiiansâ€”and marginalized groups, such as rural dwellers, females, and older people in American society perceived more constraints to outdoor recreation activities than their counterparts (Whites, urban dwellers, males, and younger people). Seventeen constraints related to health, safety, socioeconomic standing, and other personal or psychological factors were examined employing logistic regression model. Results indicated ethnic minorities, older people, females, and rural dwellers perceived more constraints to outdoor recreation than their respective counterparts. Comparing these results to an earlier study, marginalized groups in American society perceive more constraints today than a decade ago to outdoor recreation. Hence, outdoor recreation planning and management agencies may utilize these findings to help enhance their understanding of the limitations and barriers to outdoor recreation encountered by different sociodemographic and ethnic groups. Furthermore, as many of these constraints were related to personal safety, language, money, time, and transport, agencies may have the ability to help ameliorate many of these constraints through localized actions. For instance, the personal safety constraint may be addressed by making recreation sites physically safer (i.e., better lighting, promoting a user buddy system). Language-related constraints could be reduced by making information available in multiple languages. Some money-related constraints may be addressed by adopting discriminating prices policies to different visitors. Timeand transport-related constraints may be somewhat addressed by connecting public parks and recreation sites to public transport routes. As the share of ethnic minorities and elderly people in American population is expected to increase in the future, innovation in outreach, marketing, and recruitment may be needed to increase their participation to outdoor recreation.