cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Dietary Fiber on Bowel Function Following Radical Hysterectomy: A Randomized Trial☆

Abstract Objective. To assess the effect of high-fiber dietary instruction in relieving chronic constipation, a known and accepted complication of radical hysterectomy (RH). Methods. Thirty-five women with a diagnosis of cervical cancer who were scheduled for RH were randomized into groups that followed either a high-fiber diet plan or their usual diet. Data were gathered using a validated subjective bowel function questionnaire (SBFQ); a typical day's intake form and food frequency tool; and a diary used to record food, medication, bowel, and exercise information. Patients were evaluated at 1, 4, and 7 months after surgery. Results. Postoperatively, the dietary fiber intake was significantly higher for the treatment (T) group (22.9 g) than the control (C) group (12.4 g) ( P = 0.007). With regard to intergroup comparisons, there were few differences at the first follow-up. By the second visit, the T group reported taking medications to achieve regularity less often ( P = 0.0269), straining less often ( P = 0.0210), having pain with bowel movement (BM) less often ( P = 0.0116), and having crampy abdominal pain less often ( P = 0.123) than the C group. Four significant positive changes occurred in the T group, whereas only one occurred in the C group. With regard to intragroup comparison, the significant changes in bowel function in the T group were generally positive, whereas all of the C group's significant changes were negative. According to summary questions on the SBFQ, the T group reported a significant change in the frequency of BM ( P = 0.0096); however, the C group reported no significant changes. Analysis of bowel function records showed clearer differences. The T group took less time to defecate ( P P P P P P Conclusion. Dietary management seems to be an inexpensive effective therapeutic intervention for addressing bowel dysfunction associated with RH.
Determination of N-nitrosoproline at the nanogram level.

Abstract Two sensitive detection systems are described for the quantitative determination of a nonvolatile nitrosamine, nitrosoproline. One procedure involves denitrosation followed by derivatization of the amino product, proline, with 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl). The highly fluorescent NBD-proline compound formed is then identified and quantitated by either thin-layer chromatography or high-pressure liquid chromatography(HPLC). In the second system,the volatile methyl ester of the intact nitrosoproline is prepared, then detected by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), and confirmed by combined gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (GLC-MS). Both methods permit the quantitative detection of less than 10 ng of nitrosoproline. However, the HPLC fluorescence technique is approximately ten times as sensitive as the GLC method.
A Spatial Analysis of Primary Health Care Markets in Rural Areas

An exponential spatial interaction model was used to analyze primary-health-careseeking patterns of rural consumers in northern California. A macrotheory of spatial interaction and a microtheory of consumer search were combined as a logically consistent rationale for the model. Ordinary least squares proved superior to nonlinear least squares and a limited dependent variable maximum likelihood technique in predicting health-care-seeking patterns. The model was used to address policy questions including the impact of removing local providers on patient flows to remaining providers and the market shares that could be expected by a new provider.
IMMUNOCHEMICAL STUDY OF A BACTERIAL ENDOTOXIN: SHIGELLA FLEXNERI TYPE Z

The endotoxins of the Gram-negative bacteria have similar biological and chemical properties. The toxic antigen of Shigella flexneri Type Z was selected as a representative endotoxin, and it was confirmed that the antigen consists of a polysaccharide conjugated with phospholipid and protein. By the technique of zone electrophoresis, the polysaccharide of the purified endotoxin was shown to be conjugated with each of three different proteins, and each conjugate proved toxic and antigenic for the rabbit. Two of the protein conjugates were digested by trypsin and the released polysaccharide appeared to conjugate with the remaining trypsin-resistant protein. Immunological analysis revealed that the purified toxic antigen is heterogeneous and that the polysaccharide and protein components possessed serological activity. The trypsin-treated toxin had a single electrophoretic zone and its precipitation in gel suggested immunological purity. Proteolytic treatment of the endotoxin did not destroy its toxicity or antigenicity for the rabbit.
Scheduling a System of Nonsingular Affine Recurrence Equations onto a Processor Array

Most work on the problem of scheduling computations onto a systolic array is restricted to systems of uniform recurrence equations. In this paper, this restriction is relaxed to include systems of affine recurrence equations. In this broader class, a sufficient condition is given for the system to be computable. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the existence of an affine schedule, along with a procedure that constructs the schedule vector, when one exists.
Uptake of C5a by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) after focal cerebral ischemia. I: Effect of tirilazad mesylate intervention on C5a uptake by PMNs

Abstract PMNs are believed to play an important role in eschemia and C5a uptake is an important functional indicator for G protein-coupled receptor trafficking. The ability of PMNs to internalize 125 I-labeled C5a in vitro is an index of the functional state of these cells. We evaluated the effects of model preparation and focal cerebral ischemia by middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCA:O/R) on internalization of C5a by PMNs isolated from baboons ( Papio anubis/ cynocephalus ). Similar assays were performed on PMNs isolated before and after exposing the animals undergoing MCA:O/R to an anti-inflammatory 21-aminosteroid, tirilazad mesylate (U74006F). Surgical implantation of the MCA occlusion device had no measurable effect on uptake of C5a to the cytosol by the PMN. In contrast, MCA:O/R appeared to decrease uptake of C5a. Both in vivo and in vitro administration of tirilazad, to otherwise untreated animals and to isolated cells, respectively, reduced baseline values of C5a uptake in the PMNs. Cytosolic uptake of C5a was also reduced in PMNs isolated from subjects that had undergone MCA:O/R and tirilazad treatment. These results suggest that focal cerebral ischemia, with or without exposure to tirilazad mesylate, may inhibit internalization of C5a by the PMN receptors. The effects of stroke on the ability of C5a to gain entry into the PMN may result from receptor down-regulation or “desentization” of the cell, possibly due to activation of complement and generation of C5a which occupied the receptors. Alternatively, the effect of tirilazad presumably results from the ability of this drug to enter the membrane lipid layer and reduce fluidity.
Nonverbal recognition and recency discrimination deficits in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

In a study of verbal temporal ordering, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) were impaired in making Judgements of the relative recency of serially-presented words but were normal in word recognition; by contrast, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were impaired on both verbal tasks (Sagar et al , 1985, 1988 b ). The present study used a nonverbal analogue of the verbal temporal ordering task to examine whether the deficit in recency discrimination of the PD patients transcended material-specific bounds or was specific to verbal material. The nonverbal task was administered to the patients with PD, patients with AD and normal control subjects studied with the verbal task. The results showed that the retention functions for the recognition of verbal and nonverbal material differed qualitatively from each other and this difference was present in all three subject groups. For verbal and nonverbal recency discrimination and verbal content recognition, performance declined with increasing retention intervals, for nonverbal content recognition, however, performance was essentially unchanging across retention intervals. As on the verbal test, recency discrimination on the nonverbal test was impaired in both patient groups. In contrast to the results with the verbal task, both groups were impaired on content recognition The patterns of impairment, however, differed between the two patient groups in a parallel way to those of the verbal task: performance of the AD group was impaired at the longest retention intervals but not at the shortest intervals, whereas the performance of the PD group was impaired at the shortest but not at the longest intervals. This deficit in nonverbal short-term recognition memory was present even in PD patients who scored within the normal range on a quantitative test of dementia. These results show that deficits in recency discrimination and short-term memory processing in PD extend to nonverbal as well as verbal material and imply bilateral frontal lobe dysfunction in the genesis of these deficits.
ONIOM Study of Chemical Reactions in Microsolvation Clusters: (H2O)nCH3Cl + OH-(H2O)m (n + m = 1 and 2)

The reliability of the two-layered ONIOM (our own N-layered molecular orbital + molecular mechanics) method was examined for the investigation of the SN2 reaction pathway (reactants, reactant complexes, transition states, product complexes, and products) between CH3Cl and an OH- ion in microsolvation clusters with one or two water molecules. Only the solute part, CH3Cl and OH-, was treated at a high level of molecular orbital (MO) theory, and all solvent water molecules were treated at a low MO level. The ONIOM calculation at the MP2 (Moller-Plesset second order perturbation)/aug-cc-pVDZ (augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence double-zeta basis set) level of theory as the high level coupled with the B3LYP (Becke 3 parameter-Lee-Yag-Parr)/6-31+G(d) as the low level was found to reasonably reproduce the "target"geometries at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The energetics can be further improved to an average absolute error of <1.0 kcal/mol per solvent water molecule relative to the target CCSD(T) (coupled cluster singles and doubles with triples by perturbation)/aug-cc-pVDZ level by using the ONIOM method in which the high level was CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ level with the low level of MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ. The present results indicate that the ONIOM method would be a powerful tool for obtaining reliable geometries and energetics for chemicalmore » reactions in larger microsolvated clusters with a fraction of cost of the full high level calculation, when an appropriate combination of high and low level methods is used. The importance of a careful test is emphasized.« less
Optical Control of Active Integrated Antenna

The reactance of MESFETs in the active integrated antenna are controlled by illuminating with a laser or a fiber illuminator. For the slot antenna with reactive FETs operated by an external source, the optical tuning range of 110 MHz was obtained at 10 GHz. Further, for the quasi-optical oscillator using a MESFET and a slot radiator, the unoptimized optical tuning range of 10 MHz was achieved.
17.3: Visual Calibration of Displays for Accurate Contrast Reproduction

Abstract We developed a visual calibration method (free of instruments) to characterize color display response, and demonstrate its capability to produce wide dynamic range achromatic display accurately as needed for measuring contrast sensitivity. We performed calibration and verification on both CRT and LCD monitors, and report differences between them. 1. Introduction Vision science experiments are conducted using on-screen stimuli, where the stimulus contrast often plays an important role in the experimental outcome. Similarly, medical and other critical display applications require a high level of precision in luminance reproduction. The ability to accurately control the contrast is often an important requirement [1], [2] On a generic computer system the display nonlinearity and the limited bit-depth of the graphic card poses constraints to both the range and accuracy of displayable contrasts. While there are commercial systems specifically designed for vision science (e.g. Cambridge Research Systems, Rochester, Kent, UK), they are often expensive and have a proprietary software interface (where the calibration information might not always be accessible to other applications). We developed a visual calibration method which comprises a series of psychophysical tasks to be completed by an operator with normal vision without using any measurement instruments. The method is applicable to most general-purpose displays. The calibration procedure results in a lookup table, indexed by relative luminance, which is used to set luminance levels for a gray-scale stimulus accurately and over a wide dynamic range. The calibration is designed to be general-purpose, and at the time of our implementation it was targeted at a computerized letter contrast sensitivity test. Such an application measures observer’s contrast threshold by presenting letters of variable contrasts on a bright background, and hence it is very important to generate precise contrast particularly at low levels near the threshold. The standard 8-bit dynamic range is insufficient and it is even further reduced following linearization of the display. Thus, a method to expand the dynamic range is required. The paper is organized in the following sections. Section 2 describes the visual method for gamma estimation. Section 3 shows how to obtain the ratio of luminances between primary colors (
Land mine detection measurements using acoustic-to-seismic coupling

During the early 1980s, the phenomenon of acoustic-to- seismic coupling was used to detect buried objects or mines. In these early measurements, large 2 Hz geophones measured the low frequency normal component of the soil particle velocity over buried targets. Several different, naturally- occurring ground types were studied in these measurement, including grass-covered ground; bare, sandy soil surfaces; and 'dirt' roads. Since the large geophone averages the particle velocity over the area of the sensor case, acoustic-to-seismic transfer function measurements were made with new, smaller-sized geophones. Higher frequency measurements were made using accelerometers. 3D maps of the surface particle velocity were made using measured seismic/acoustic transfer function data. Recognizing the need for a non-contact sensor and the need to investigate the geophone/soil coupling effect in the acoustic-to-seismic transfer function, additional measurements were made using a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). This paper explains the acoustic-to-seismic coupling mine detection measurement technique using both geophones and an LDV. The early measurements of the acoustic-to-seismic coupling transfer function for mine-like targets are discussed as well as some recent measurements using a LDV.
Holocene beaver damming, fluvial geomorphology, and climate in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Abstract We use beaver-pond deposits and geomorphic characteristics of small streams to assess long-term effects of beavers and climate change on Holocene fluvial activity in northern Yellowstone National Park. Although beaver damming has been considered a viable mechanism for major aggradation of mountain stream valleys, this has not been previously tested with stratigraphic and geochronologic data. Thirty-nine radiocarbon ages on beaver-pond deposits fall primarily within the last 4000 yr, but gaps in dated beaver occupation from ~ 2200–1800 and 950–750 cal yr BP correspond with severe droughts that likely caused low to ephemeral discharges in smaller streams, as in modern severe drought. Maximum channel gradient for reaches with Holocene beaver-pond deposits decreases with increasing basin area, implying that stream power limits beaver damming and pond sediment preservation. In northern Yellowstone, the patchy distribution and cumulative thickness of mostly
Factors driving the metabolism of two north temperate ponds

Two beaver ponds in central New York State, one in a forested and one in an agricultural setting, were studied to determine the influence of nutrient enrichment on metabolic activity in small, shallow north temperate lentic systems with extensive littoral zones. Metabolic activity was determined from every 15-min oxygen measurements during the growing season utilizing a sonde and wind, temperature, and depth data. The agricultural Timmerman Pond was more enriched in phosphorus and nitrogen than the forested Hoxie Gorge Pond, a factor likely driving the greater gross primary production (GPP) and more positive net ecosystem production (NEP) measured in Timmerman. Average daily GPP was over 3X greater for the more enriched pond and seasonal average NEP was positive in the enriched pond while negative for the forested pond. Daily GPP and NEP were positively correlated (P < 0.001) with daily solar radiation at both ponds. The active metabolism of small ponds, the most abundant size class of lentic systems, further confirms the important role of inland waters in the transformation of carbon on a global scale.
Reactive Esters in Amide Ligation with β-Hydroxyamines

Amide formation between mildly activated esters and 1,2-amino alcohols occurs without the need for coupling reagents. The reaction pathway involves facile intermolecular transesterification and intramolecular ON transacylation. The method is environmentally friendly and offers no risk of racemization via highly activated acylating intermediates.
Low incidence of hepatotoxicity associated with long-term, low-dose oral methotrexate in treatment of refractory psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. An acceptable risk/benefit ratio

Thirty patients with psoriasis or other nonmalignant diseases had liver biopsies done before treatment with low-dose methotrexate, 15 mg/week, and then at one- to two-year intervals as long as they continued the methotrexate. All patients were symptomatically improved on this regimen. The 15 patients who had normal liver biopsies at the start of the study had normal biopsies after methotrexate. Fifteen others had minor hepatic histologic abnormalities before treatment. Eleven patients had fatty infiltration. Ten showed no significant change after treatment while one had increased fat and portal fibrosis on a fourth liver biopsy done seven years after MTX was begun. This last patient, a former alcohol abuser, continued methotrexate and showed no further worsening at 8 years. The remaining four had portal fibrosis before treatment. One patient had less fibrosis after methotrexate, two patients slightly more fibrosis, and one a marked increase in portal fibrosis. No patient developed cirrhosis or clinical liver disease. Our results suggest that in the absence of alcohol consumption, low-dose weekly methotrexate treatment rarely causes clinically significant liver damage.
Role of uridine phosphorylase in the anabolism of 5-fluorouracil

The activities of enzymes responsible for activating 5-fluorouracil (FUra) to 5-fluorouridine-5'-monophosphate (FUMP) were compared in normal and tumor tissues of rodents to assess the potential capacity of uridine phosphorylase to anabolize FUra to the nucleoside in the presence of ribose-1-phosphate (R-1-P). The activity of the alternative pathway to FUMP with a pyrimidine phosphoribosyltransferase [FUra + 1-pyrophosphoribosyl-5-phosphate (PPRP)] was approximately 15 to 17 nmoles/mg protein/hr in bone marrow from mice and rats and ranged from 28 to 47 nmoles/mg protein/hr in tumor tissues. Uridine phosphorylase [measured as the formation of 5-fluorouridine (FUrd) from FUra and R-1-P] was 35-230 nmoles/mg/hr in bone marrow and in two FUra-sensitive solid tumors, colon tumor No. 38 in mice and RPMI colon tumor in rats; the activity of uridine phosphorylase from L5178Y ascites leukemic cells was notably lower, 8 nmoles/mg/hr. Levels of uridine kinase ranged from 55 to 187 nmoles/mg protein/hr. Thus, the activities of the enzymes of the two-step FUra activating pathway were high compared to the PPRP-dependent activity in all tissues except L5178Y; also, the FUra-sensitive tumors yielded extracts with 1.5 to 6.5 times greater enzyme activity than the corresponding activity in bone marrow. Uridine phosphorylase was partially purified from rat liver, RPMI rat tumor and colon tumor No. 38; the apparent Km of FUra averaged 50 microM, almost 9-fold lower than that of uracil, and the apparent Km of R-1-P for condensation with FUra was 33 microM. The tissue concentration of R-1-P was greater than 70 microM in kidney and liver of rodents and somewhat less in spleen. Colon tumor No. 38 and RPMI colon tumor had 12 and 20 microM R-1-P, respectively, but these low values may reflect low tumor viability. The high levels of uridine phosphorylase and uridine kinase activities in normal tissues and even higher levels in tissues from FUra-sensitive tumors, as well as the sufficient concentration of R-1-P relative to its kinetic constant, suggest that FUra metabolism by the two-step pathway to FUMP may be a significant factor in the activity and selectivity of FUra.
Insulin-Like growth factor I (IGF-I) and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate regulate IGF-binding protein-3 gene expression by transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms in mammary epithelial cells.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a potent mitogen for both normal and transformed mammary epithelial cells (MEC), and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) potentiates IGF-I action in these cells. The synthesis of IGFBP-3 is stimulated by both IGF-I and agents that increase intracellular cAMP (e.g. forskolin) in the bovine MEC line MAC-T. In addition, the combination of IGF-I and cAMP increases IGFBP-3 messenger RNA to a greater extent than does either treatment alone. The molecular mechanisms responsible for this regulation are not known and therefore represent the focus of this study. The half-life of IGFBP-3 messenger RNA in untreated MAC-T cells was determined to be 11 h. Exposure to IGF-I or forskolin increased the half-life to 27 and 101 h, respectively. Nuclear run-on assays indicated that IGFBP-3 transcription rates were increased 3.5 +/- 0.83-fold (n = 4) in cells treated with a combination of IGF-I and forskolin. To further study this regulation, 1.1 kb of the 5'-flanking region of the IGFBP-3 promoter were fused to a promoterless reporter plasmid encoding luciferase. Transient transfection assays indicated that both IGF-I and forskolin alone produced small, but significant, increases in IGFBP-3 promoter activity of 1.57 +/- 0.12 and 1.59 +/- 0.08-fold (P < 0.01), respectively (mean +/- SE; n = 7). However, the combination of IGF-I and forskolin increased IGFBP-3 promoter activity 2.25 +/- 0.14-fold above control values (P < 0.01), suggesting that these factors activate discrete signaling pathways that act in concert to stimulate IGFBP-3 gene transcription. Deletion analysis indicated that promoter fragments containing as little as 267 bp upstream of the TATA box retained responsiveness to IGF-I and forskolin. This region contains a 200-bp sequence that is approximately 80% homologous between the murine and bovine promoters. It contains several conserved AP-2 and Sp1 consensus binding sequences that may be important for the effects of IGF-I and forskolin on IGFBP-3 promoter activity. In summary, these data indicate that IGF-I and cAMP, working through separate signaling pathways, activate both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms to stimulate IGFBP-3 synthesis in MEC.
Second generation waste package design and storage concept for the Yucca Mountain Repository

The reference waste package design and operating mode to be used in the Yucca Mountain Repository is reviewed. An alternate (second generation) operating concept and waste package design is proposed to reduce the risk of localized corrosion of waste packages and to reduce repository costs. The second generation waste package design and storage concept is proposed for implementation after the initial licensing and operation of the reference repository design. Implementation of the second generation concept at Yucca Mountain would follow regulatory processes analogous to those used successfully to extend the design life and uprate the power of commercial light water nuclear reactors in the United States. The second generation concept utilizes the benefits of hot dry storage to minimize the potential for localized corrosion of the waste package by liquid electrolytes. The second generation concept permits major reductions in repository costs by increasing the number of fuel assemblies stored in each waste package, by eliminating the need for titanium drip shields and by fabricating the outer container from corrosion resistant low alloy carbon steel.
American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World

For four hundred years-from the first Spanish assaults against the Arawak people of Hispaniola in the 1490s to the US Army's massacre of Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee in the 1890s-the indigenous inhabitants of North and South America endured an unending firestorm of violence. During that time the native population of the Western Hemisphere declined by as many as 100 million people. Indeed, as historian David E. Stannard argues in this stunning new book, the European and white American destruction of the native peoples of the Americas was the most massive act of genocide in the history of the world. Stannard begins with a portrait of the enormous richness and diversity of life in the Americas prior to Columbus's fateful voyage in 1492. He then follows the path of genocide from the Indies to Mexico and Central and South America, then north to Florida, Virginia, and New England, and finally out across the Great Plains and Southwest to California and the North Pacific Coast. Stannard reveals that wherever Europeans or white Americans went, the native people were caught between imported plagues and barbarous atrocities, typically resulting in the annihilation of 95 percent of their populations. What kind of people, he asks, do such horrendous things to others? His highly provocative answer: Christians. Digging deeply into ancient European and Christian attitudes toward sex, race, and war, he finds the cultural ground well prepared by the end of the Middle Ages for the centuries-long genocide campaign that Europeans and their descendants launched-and in places continue to wage-against the New World's original inhabitants. Advancing a thesis that is sure to create much controversy, Stannard contends that the perpetrators of the American Holocaust drew on the same ideological wellspring as did the later architects of the Nazi Holocaust. It is an ideology that remains dangerously alive today, he adds, and one that in recent years has surfaced in American justifications for large-scale military intervention in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. At once sweeping in scope and meticulously detailed, American Holocaust is a work of impassioned scholarship that is certain to ignite intense historical and moral debate.
Puncture wounds : Normal laboratory values in the face of severe infection in diabetics and non-diabetics

Purpose Using infected puncture wounds as a basis for comparison, we pose the question of whether white blood cell count (WBC) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is lower in diabetic patients with foot infections as compared with nondiabetic patients. Patients and methods This case control study consisted of two groups, both with infected puncture wounds of the foot, admitted to a 700-bed urban university teaching hospital between 1985 and 1992. The experimental group contained 77 patients with diabetes mellitus. The control group consisted of 69 patients without diabetes. All subjects received emergent incision and drainage of the affected site. Results Results revealed a normal WBC count in 57.6% of patients. The ESR was normal in 36.3% of admissions. More nondiabetic patients presented with normal ESR than diabetic patients (62.3% versus 13.7%, respectively; P Conclusion We conclude that, while a glaringly elevated WBC count or ESR should alert the clinician to the possibility of infection, normal values should not be relied upon to rule out a serious event.
Pines JM, Hollander JE Emergency Department Crowding is Associated with Poor Care for Patients with Severe Pain

Editor’s Capsule Summary What is already known on this topic Emergency department (ED) crowding may result in delays in the administration of medication such as antibiotics for pneumonia. What question this study addressed Does crowding cause delays in treatment for pain? What this study adds to our knowledge In this retrospective analysis of 13,578 patients treated at a single inner-city ED, patients with severe pain were slightly less likely to receive pain medications quickly when the ED volume increased. How this might change clinical practice Crowding may delay the administration of pain medication in some patients. Standing orders for the administration of pain medication might mitigate such delays.
Developmental course work and early placement: Success strategies for underprepared community college students

The purpose of this study was to determine if selected input and environmental variables had an effect on the successful outcome of degree-seeking, underprepared students entering a comprehensive, public, 2‐year community college, ASSET test scores were used to identify underprepared students and placement in developmental English, math, and reading course work. Successful underprepared students differed significantly from unsuccessful underprepared students on the measured input, environmental, and output variables. Results of the study showed that completion of a developmental reading and English course was a significant variable in separating the 2 groups of underprepared students. In addition, those who completed developmental course work early in their college career fared better academically than those who did not. Findings support recommendations of mandatory placement and successful completion of developmental reading and English courses prior to or concurrent with enrollment in other college cour...
Teaching safe sex practices to psychiatric patients.

An occupational therapist presented her 45-minute program called AIDS Education and Safe Sex 5 times to female mental patients in the locked ward of Cedarcrest Regional Hospital in Newington Connecticut to inform them about safe-sex practices and AIDS. She first administered a pretest then spoke briefly about AIDS and safe-sex practices. The lecture emphasized various important points such as no cure for AIDS exist casual contact (e.g. kiss on the cheek handshake) cannot transmit HIV and effectiveness of using latex condoms. The occupational therapist spent much of her time addressing myths about AIDS and what safe-sex practices are. The patients discussed sexual abuse and dishonest partners. She administered a posttest which was the same as the pretest. Some sessions attracted more people than did other sessions. Test scores increased for every patient and for every session. They ranged from a 5% (68-73%) increase for the 3rd session to a 24% (67-91%) increase for the last session. She was not able to determine however whether the increased knowledge would translate into positive behavioral changes. Patients psychiatric symptoms may have interfered with learning resulting in less than ideal improvements in knowledge. These symptoms were hypomanic behavior restlessness and distractibility. Perhaps other sessions with experiential techniques (e.g. putting condoms on dummies) would increase their understanding. This program helps fill the information gap not provided by the mass media which avoid mentioning safe-sex practices.
Thermionic reactor ion propulsion spacecraft for unmanned outer planet exploration

Thermionic reactor electric propulsion for unmanned outer planets exploration, discussing spacecraft design, launch vehicle, weight factors, etc
Comparisons among regression estimators under the generalized mean square error criterion

It is not always prossible to establish a preference ordering among regression estimators in terms of the generalized mean square error criterion. In the paper, we determine when it is feasible to use this criteion to couduct comparisons among ordinary least squares, principal components, ridge regression, and shrunken least squares estimators.
Determination of the ratio of the nuclear electric quadrupole moments of 97Mo and 95Mo by nuclear quadrupole double resonance spectroscopy of Mo(CO)5P(C6H5)3 and CIS-Mo(CO)4[P(C6H5)3]2

Abstract Nuclear quadrupole double resonance techniques have been used to investigate the NQR spectra of two compounds Mo(CO) 5 P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 and cis-Mo(CO) 4 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 . Nuclear resonances for 95 Mo and 97 Mo were observed for the first time and the absolute value of the ratio of the nuclear electric quadropole moments was determined to be 11.466 ± 0.042.
Fiscal Policy and the Democratic Process in the European Union

The construction of a monetary union with a single currency in Europe raises serious concerns for those who understand the democratic process as one in which social groups compete on different ideo...
Chemoinformatic analysis of NCI preclinical tumor data: evaluating compound efficacy from mouse xenograft data, NCI-60 screening data, and compound descriptors.

We provide a chemoinformatic examination of the NCI public human tumor xenograft data to explore relationships between small molecules, treatment modality, efficacy, and toxicity. Efficacy endpoints of tumor weight reduction (TW) and survival time increase (ST) compared to tumor bearing control mice were augmented by a toxicity measure, defined as the survival advantage of treated versus control animals (TX). These endpoints were used to define two independent therapeutic indices (TIs) as the ratio of efficacy (TW or ST) to toxicity (TX). Linear models predictive of xenograft endpoints were successfully constructed (0.67 <r2 ≤ 0.74)observed_versus_predicted using a model comprised of variables in treatment modality, chemoinformatic descriptors, and in vitro cell growth inhibition in the NCI 60-cell assay. Cross-validation analysis based on randomly chosen training subsets found these predictive correlations to be robust. Model-based sensitivity analysis found chemistry and growth inhibition to provide the...
Chronic statin administration may attenuate early anthracycline-associated declines in left ventricular ejection function.

Abstract Background Recent studies have shown an association between statin therapy and a reduced risk of heart failure among breast cancer survivors. Our goal was to evaluate whether statin therapy for prevention of cardiovascular (CV) disease would ameliorate declines in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) that is often observed during anthracycline-based chemotherapy (Anth-bC). Methods There were 51 participants (33 women and 18 men, aged 48 ± 2 years). We obtained cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) measurements of LVEF before and 6 months after initiation of Anth-bC for patients with breast cancer, leukemia, or lymphoma. Fourteen individuals received statin therapy, and 37 patients received no statins. MR image analysts were blinded to participant identifiers. Results Individuals receiving statins were older and often had diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and hyperlipidemia (HLD). For those receiving statins, LVEF was 56.6% ± 1.4% at baseline and 54.1% ± 1.3% 6 months after initiating anthracycline treatment ( P = 0.15). For those not receiving statins, LVEF was 57.5% ± 1.4% at baseline and decreased to 52.4% ± 1.2% over a similar 6-month interval ( P = 0.0003). In a multivariable model accounting for age, sex, DM, HTN, HLD, and cumulative amount of anthracycline received, LVEF remained unchanged in participants receiving a statin (+1.1% ± 2.6%) vs a −6.5% ± 1.5% decline among those not receiving a statin ( P = 0.03). Conclusions These data highlight the finding that individuals receiving statin therapy for prevention of cardiovascular disease may experience less deterioration in LVEF with early receipt of Anth-bC than individuals not receiving statins. Further studies with large numbers of participants are warranted to determine if statins protect against LVEF decline in patients receiving Anth-bC.
Diffusion and geometric effects in passive advection by random arrays of vortices

The Lagrangian transport of a passive scalar in a class of incompressible, random stationary velocity fields, termed ‘‘random‐vortex’’ models, is studied. These fields generally consist of random distributions of finite‐sized elementary vortices in space with zero mean velocity in the presence of molecular diffusion D. The effects of vortex density, vortex strength, and sign of the vorticity on the Lagrangian history of a fluid particle [i.e., mean‐square displacement σ2(t) and velocity autocorrelation function R(t)] on the specific random‐vortex models which possess identical energy spectra but different higher‐order statistics for a Peclet number of 100 are investigated. This is done by a combination of Monte Carlo simulations of the Langevin equations and analysis. It is found that the Lagrangian autocorrelation R(t) and the mean‐square displacement σ2(t) can be significantly different as the density of the vortices increases and when there are long‐range correlations in the sign of the vorticity. A simple theory based on a model for R(t) agrees strikingly well with the present simulations. It is found that D* increases with vortex density, suggesting that Gaussian fields are maximally dissipative among a wide class of vortex flows with given energy spectra.
Automatic Integration of Web Services

In today's web application paradigm, web services play a vital role as reusable application components. Web services act as bridges to connect different software applications, running on a variety of platforms and/or frameworks. We developed a web based system to integrate the reusable application components and to provide different applications a way to link their data: Automatic Integration of Web Services (AIWS). AIWS connects various web services and provides a means to search, invoke, integrate, and examine the web services. AIWS proposes a way to determine QoS (Quality of Service) metrics for examining existing web services, which focuses on testing three main QoS requirements: Performance, Reliability, and Capacity as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The core functionality of AIWS is to provide users an ability to create graphical web service composition in Microsoft .Net, which allows different web services to be connected through their inputs and outputs.
The Relation between Auditors' Fees for Non-Audit Services and Earnings Management

This paper examines whether auditor fees are associated with earnings management and the market reaction to the disclosure of auditor fees. Using data collected from proxy statements, we present evidence that non-audit fees are positively associated with small positive earnings surprises, the magnitude of absolute discretionary accruals, and the magnitude of income-increasing and income-decreasing discretionary accruals. In contrast, audit fees are negatively associated with these earnings management indicators. These results are robust to a variety of alternative variable definitions and model specifications. Specifically, contrary to the claims of Ashbaugh et al. (2002), the results are robust to the use of performance-matched discretionary accruals. Moreover, contrary to the claims of Francis and Ke (2002), the results for small positive earnings surprises are robust regardless of whether the comparison group is all other earnings surprises or small negative earnings surprises. Our final set of results provide evidence of a significant negative association between non-audit fees and share values on the date the fees were disclosed, although the effect is small in economic terms.
Conformational motion of the ABC transporter MsbA induced by ATP hydrolysis.

We measured the amplitude of conformational motion in the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter MsbA upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding and following ATP turnover by pulse double electron-electron resonance and fluorescence homotransfer. The distance constraints from both methods reveal large-scale movement of opposite signs in the periplasmic and cytoplasmic part of the transporter upon ATP hydrolysis. LPS induces distinct structural changes that are inhibited by trapping of the transporter in an ATP post-hydrolysis intermediate. The formation of this intermediate involves a 33-A distance change between the two ABCs, which is consistent with a dimerization-dissociation cycle during transport that leads to their substantial separation in the absence of nucleotides. Our results suggest that ATP-powered transport entails LPS sequestering into the open cytoplasmic chamber prior to its translocation by alternating access of the chamber, made possible by 10–20-A conformational changes.
Parental Warmth and Hostility as Related to Sex Differences in Children's Achievement Orientation

This article is a critical review of studies concerning the relationship of parental warmth and hostility to sex-related differences in children's achievement orientation. Parental warmth seemed to operate differently upon girls' and boys' achievement orientation in most of the studies cited. Moderate but not high maternal warmth and even slight hostility were related to strong achievement∗ orientation in girls, while high maternal nurturance and affection were associated with strong achievement orientation in boys. However, the article warns against assuming a simple causal relationship between parental warmth and sex-related differences in children's achievement orientation. Achievement theories, two main parental dimensions, and future research directions are also discussed.
Unidentified Language Deficits in Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Meta-Analysis:

Low language proficiency and problem behavior often co-occur, yet language deficits are likely to be overlooked in children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Random effects meta-analyses were conducted to determine prevalence and severity of the problem. Across 22 studies, participants included 1,171 children ages 5–13 with formally identified EBD and no history of developmental, neurological, or language disorders. Results indicated prevalence of below-average language performance was 81%, 95% CI [76, 84]. The mean comprehensive language score was 76.33 [71, 82], which was significantly below average. Implications include the need to (a) require language screening for all students with EBD, (b) clarify the relationship between language and behavior, and (c) develop interventions to ameliorate the effects of these dual deficits.
A top down description of S-CIELAB and CIEDE2000

Recent work in color difference has led to the recommendation of CIEDE2000 for use as an industrial color difference equation. While CIEDE2000 was designed for predicting the visual difference for large isolated patches, it is often desired to determine the perceived difference of color images. The CIE TC8-02 has been formed to examine these differences. This paper presents an overview of spatial filtering combined with CIEDE2000, to assist TC8-02 in the evaluation and implementation of an image color difference metric. Based on the S-CIELAB spatial extension, the objective is to provide a single reference for researchers desiring to utilize this technique. A general overview of how S-CIELAB functions, as well as a comparison between spatial domain and frequency domain filtering is provided. A reference comparison between three CIE recommended color difference formulae is also provided. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 28, 425–435, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.10195
Educational Placement of Hearing Impaired Students as Related to Family Characteristics, Student Characteristics, and Preschool Intervention

The relation between background variables and educational placement of 188 elementary school hearing impaired students was studied by discriminant function analysis. Background information included three groups of variables: family characteristics, student characteristics, and educational intervention. The three educational settings in which the students were placed included special schools for hearing impaired students, special classes within regular schools, and regular classes with integration of hearing impaired students. Placement was related to the family socioeconomic status, hearing threshold, parental hearing status, and number of additional handicapping conditions. Results are discussed, with special consideration of the academic standards and methods of communication in each setting.
A neural network to diagnose liver cancer

A backpropagation neural network is designed to diagnose five classifications of hepatic masses: metastatic carcinoma, hepatoma (HCC), cavernous hemangioma, abscess, and cirrhosis. BrainMaker Professional version 2.5 software is used in this research. The input submitted to the network consists of 35 numbers per patient case, which represents ultrasonographic data and laboratory tests. The network architecture has 35 elements in the input layer, two hidden layers of 35 elements each, and five elements in the output layer. After being trained to a learning tolerance of 1%, the network classifies hepatic masses correctly in 51 of 72 cases. Continued research should provide a computerized second opinion that will be especially helpful to clinicians. >
What can we learn from sport if we take sport seriously as a racial force? Lessons from C. L. R. James's Beyond a Boundary

This article uses C. L. R. James's classic autobiographical study of cricket, Beyond a Boundary (1963/1983), to contribute to a fuller theory of the social force of sport as it pertains to race and ethnicity. Three aspects of the theoretical architecture embedded in this masterpiece of cultural criticism are highlighted: (1) the popularity and symbolic significance of sport in contemporary societies; (2) the cultural capital that sport provides for otherwise marginalized and excluded racial and ethnic minorities; and, (3) the moral structure implicit (if not always fully realized) in sporting practices such as cricket. It is argued that these points, in combination with the more critical insights developed by sport scholars in recent years, help us to better understand the complexity and significance of sport and popular culture more generally with respect to race and ethnicity in contemporary social life.
Radiation pattern of an end-fire optical waveguide coupler☆

Abstract A section of an optical waveguide having thickness less than the mode cutoff value adjoining a section having thickness greater than this value serves as an input-output optical waveguide coupler. Expressions for the radiation pattern of this coupler, the angle at which the maximum occurs, and the angular beam width are derived. Calculations of these quantities as a function of coupler thickness for several waveguide-substrate structures applicable at λ = 10.6 μm are presented. Radiation patterns with small angular widths that result in high coupler efficiencies are found to occur when the waveguide and substrate refractive indices are nearly equal.