cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of a Sexual HIV Risk Reduction Intervention for African American Mothers and Their Adolescent Sons: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Purpose The aim of the article was to test the efficacy of an HIV risk reduction intervention for African American mothers in reducing condomless vaginal intercourse among mothers and their adolescent sons. Methods In a randomized controlled trial design, mother–son dyads residing in public housing developments in Philadelphia, PA, were allocated to one of two four-session interventions: HIV risk reduction targeting sexual risk behaviors or attention-matched control targeting other health behaviors. Only mothers received the interventions; mothers and sons completed self-report measures preintervention, immediately postintervention, and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postintervention. The primary outcome was frequency of condomless vaginal intercourse in the past 3 months. Results A total of 525 mother–son dyads participated, with 523 included in primary outcome analyses. Generalized estimating equations analyses revealed that condomless sex was reduced in the HIV risk reduction intervention compared with the attention control group, adjusting for baseline self-reports and time of postintervention assessment. The intervention's efficacy did not differ between mothers and sons or among the postintervention periods. Conclusions Mother–son interventions are an effective strategy to reduce sexual risks among African American mothers and their adolescent sons residing in public housing.
Hydrothermal Decomposition of a Lignin Dimer under Neutral and Basic Conditions: A Mechanism Study

Efficient cleavage of the β-O-4 linkages in lignin is the key to obtaining phenolic chemicals from lignin. The hydrothermal treatment of lignin in neutral and alkaline water is highly utilized but remains poorly understood, preventing the development of strategic depolymerization methods. Herein, the hydrothermal decomposition of a guaiacol-based β-O-4 lignin dimer is systematically explored at varying hydroxide and carbonate base concentrations at 175 °C and supplemented by density functional theory calculations to elucidate the mechanisms of monomeric phenolic product formation. Weakly basic conditions were found to efficiently cleave the β-O-4 linkage yielding guaiacol as the primary product and vanillin and acetovanillone as minor products. Intramolecular substitution, bimolecular elimination, and intermolecular substitution mechanisms are proposed for β-O-4 bond cleavage, and their theoretical rates are compared by transition state theory calculations. The downstream product pathways of this reaction...
Working Visually, Mapping Artfully: Taskscapes of the K-12 Beginning Art Teacher:

Drawing from qualitative research using participatory hand-drawn maps of beginning art teachers, I consider the ways hand-drawn maps are both artistic and contribute to a social justice agenda of h...
Metastatic breast cancer presenting as acute liver injury: diagnostic dilemma in the setting of suspected hemochromatosis.

A 70-year-old female with a history of lobular carcinoma of the breast, status post-mastectomy followed by adjuvant radio-chemotherapy in remission for 4 years was admitted with the features of acute liver failure (ALF). Iron studies revealed a hemochromatosis picture and the CT and MRI scans of the abdomen suggested cirrhosis. An extensive workup failed to identify an etiology. A trans-jugular liver biopsy was obtained and revealed poorly differentiated carcinoma consistent with the metastasis of breast primary. The patient's condition deteriorated and died within a week following the onset of acute hepatic failure. DNA testing revealed that the patient was heterozygous for H63D mutation. In cases of ALF with the suspicion of malignancy, liver biopsy should be obtained to evaluate an infiltrative hepatic disease.
Medical Education During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic: Learning From a Distance

As paradigms of clinical care delivery have been significantly impacted by the novel coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, so has the structure, delivery, and future of medical education. Both undergraduate and graduate medical education have seen disruptions ranging from fully virtual delivery of educational content and limited clinical care for medical students to increased clinical demands with redeployment for residents and fellows. Adherence to social distancing has led to the adoption and implementation of already available technologies in medical education, including video conferencing softwares and social media platforms. Efficient and effective use of these technologies requires an understanding not only of these platforms and their features but also of their inherent limitations. During a time of uncertainty and increased clinical demands, the approach to medical education must be thoughtful with attention to wellness of both the educator and learner. In this review, we discuss the influence of the pandemic on the existing medical education landscape, outline existing and proposed adaptations to social distancing, and describe challenges that lie ahead.
A numerical study of the effect of changing compression ratio on the auto-ignition of iso-octane in an RCM

Abstract The impacts of several rapid compression machine (RCM) parameters on ignition delay time were explored with 0D CHEMKIN simulations that consider the volume profile when accounting for the heat losses that occur during the compression and post-compression periods. Five compression ratios were considered, each with a unique combination of initial conditions, t 50 and post-compression heat loss. The models were used to simulate the auto-ignition of iso-octane from low to high temperatures at an equivalence ratio of ϕ = 1.3 and a compressed pressure of P c = 20 bar. The results show that the method used to obtain the compressed condition, particularly the use of different compression ratios and diluent gas compositions, can strongly influence the ignition delay time, especially under two-stage ignition conditions. Comparison with the altered volume profiles shows that a reduction in post-compression heat losses leads to shorter ignition delay times. Furthermore, for conditions at which the ignition delay time is short ( 15 ms), longer t 50 initiates reactivity prior to the end of the compression stroke, thus reducing the ignition delay time. The influence of t 50 and post-compression heat loss at different equivalence ratios and on different diluent gases is also studied. This range of simulation conditions helps provide a diverse array of auto-ignition results, involving single-stage and two-stage auto-ignition.
Use of Figurative Language by People With Parkinson Disease to Describe “Off” Periods: Clear as Mud

Abstract Background OFF periods are characterized by the reemergence of motor and non-motor symptoms in individuals with PD and often negatively impact daily functioning. Individuals’ experiences are diverse and may be difficult to articulate; figurative language is often used by patients to describe such experiences. Our objective was to understand how individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) use figurative language to explain OFF periods and how experts interpret such expressions. Methods Individuals with self-reported PD participating in the online Fox Insight (FI) study were invited to participate in a survey about OFF periods. Those endorsing OFF periods were asked to describe their experiences with open-ended free text responses. Instances where any type of figurative language was used were identified and classified into themes. Three movement disorder neurologists reviewed each phrase and specified what symptoms they felt were likely represented. Results 109 instances of figurative language phrases were identified across descriptions from 86 patients. Allusions to viscous materials (e.g. mud, cement) and effects of chemicals (e.g. drunkenness) were common (18.35% and 17.43% of phrases, respectively). Most phrases were interpreted by the neurologists as representing motor symptoms, but neurologists agreed on what specific symptom was being referred to for only 42 (38.5%) phrases. Conclusion To describe OFF periods, individuals with PD use various forms of figurative language, but this language is not uniformly interpreted and understood by specialists. Given the subjective interpretation of figurative language, exploring what patients are trying to convey when they employ such language is important and could improve patient-physician communication.
Deciphering the shifting role of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers on moss decomposition in peatlands over a 5-year period

Bryophytes are largely responsible for globally significant carbon accumulation in peatland ecosystems. This accumulation is primarily caused by the slow decomposition of these mosses, which can be attributed to a combination of intrinsic (chemical) characteristics of decaying mosses and extrinsic (environmental) influences. Here we investigated the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of moss decomposition in peatlands and hypothesized that the early stages of decay will be driven primarily by intrinsic characteristics, while extrinsic drivers will become more important in the later phases of decomposition. We tested this hypothesis by placing litterbags of three moss types (Sphagnum divinum, Sphagnum angustifolium/fallax and Polytrichum sp.) into hummock and hollow microtopographies in a bog and a lawn microtopography in a nearby poor fen in northern Minnesota, USA. Decomposition was measured over a 5-year period and confirmed our hypothesis; while intrinsic and extrinsic variables were both important in driving decay rates over time, decay in the first year was primarily predicted by litter type, while extrinsic influences (e.g. peat temperature, moisture, nutrient limitation) that varied at peatland and microtopographic scales became more important by year 5. Though the nutrient (i.e. nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P]) content of decaying mosses did not explain the variation in decay rates among litter types, analysis of N:P in moss litter suggested that litter-decaying microorganisms became increasingly P-limited over time. The majority of litter decomposition studies in peatlands are generally of short duration (< 3 years). Our study suggests that longerterm studies are needed to reveal the roles of multiple drivers of moss decay. Improving the mechanistic understanding of decomposition processes in peatlands will be critical to developing more robust representations of peatlands and their ecosystem processes in carbon and climate models.
Inverse sequence alignment from partial examples

When aligning biological sequences, the choice of parameter values for the alignment scoring function is critical. Small changes in gap penalties, for example, can yield radically different alignments. A rigorous way to compute parameter values that are appropriate for biological sequences is inverse parametric sequence alignment. Given a collection of examples of biologically correct alignments, this is the problem of finding parameter values that make the example alignments score close to optimal. We extend prior work on inverse alignment to partial examples and to an improved model based on minimizing the average error of the examples. Experiments on benchmark biological alignments show we can find parameters that generalize across protein families and that boost the recovery rate for multiple sequence alignment by up to 25%.
Simplification of drug dosage calculation by application of the surface area principle.

Observations on the relationship of administered dosage per unit of body surface area and blood concentration achieved when different amounts of sulfadiazine and acetylsalicylic acid were given patients varying widely in size indicate that a direct proportionality exists for these two drugs regardless of patient size. On the basis of this finding body surface area was used as the common denominator in the calculation of dosages of a large variety of drugs for a period of more than one year on a service dealing with patients ranging from small prematures to young adults. The clinical results suggest that this method of dosage calculation offers the advantages of simplification and greater accuracy over calculations based on a unit of body mass or on the patient9s age.
Response of Vascular Cells to Herpes Simplex Virus Infection

Injury to blood vessel cells has been implicated in the development of a variety of vascular disorders including atherosclerosis (Ashford and Freiman, 1968; French, 1966), disseminated intravascular coagulation (Colman et al., 1972) and immune vasculitis (Rosenberg et al., 1971). Endothelial cell injury can arise from a variety of causes including hemodynamic stress (Stemerrnan et al., 1977), hypercholesterolemia (Ross and Harker, 1976), infectious agents (Friedman et al., 1981; Minick et al., 1979; Robbins, 1967), oxygen (Kistler et al., 1976) and other chemical agents such as homocysteine (Wall et al., 1980). Renewed interest in the relationship between vascular injury due to viral infection and atherosclerosis stems from recent observations which demonstrated that virus particles, virus antigens and virus DNA can be detected in vascular lesions of chickens (Fabricant et al., 1978; Minick et al., 1979) and humans (Benditt et al., 1983; Gyorkey et al., 1984; Melnick et al., 1983) with atherosclerosis. Viruses may produce vascular injury by mechanisms other than direct invasion of endothelium. Antigen-antibody complexes involving hepatitis B surface antigen have been isolated from the sera of some patients with periarteritis nodosa (Fye et al., 1977). Tumor formation as a result of viral infection is another possible mechanism by which viruses may induce vascular disease as is the case with cytomegalovirus and Kaposi’s sarcoma (Giraldo et al., 1980).
Investigation of the Dilution Process for Measurement of Particulate Matter from Spark-Ignition Engines

Measurements of particulate matter (PM) from spark ignition (SI) engine exhaust using dilution tunnels will become more prevalent as emission standards are tightened. Hence, a study of the dilution process was undertaken in order to understand how various dilution related parameters affect the accuracy with which PM sizes and concentrations can be determined. A SI and a compression ignition (CI) engine were separately used to examine parameters of the dilution process; the present work discusses the results in the context of SI exhaust dilution. A Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) was used to measure the size distribution, number density, and volume fraction of PM. Temperature measurements in the exhaust pipe and dilution tunnel reveal the degree of mixing between exhaust and dilution air, the effect of flowrate on heat transfer from undiluted and diluted exhaust to the environment, and the minimum permissible dilution ratio for a maximum sample temperature of 52°C. Measurements of PM concentrations as a function of dilution ratio show the competing effects of temperature and particle/vapor concentrations on particle growth dynamics, which result in a range of dilution ratios-from 13 to 18-where the effect of dilution ratio, independent of flowrate, is kept to a minimum. This range of dilution ratios is therefore optimal in order to achieve repeatable PM concentration measurements. Particle dynamics during transit through the tunnel operating at the optimal dilution ratio was found statistically insignificant compared to data scatter. Such small differences in number concentration may be qualitatively representative of particle losses for SI exhaust, but small increases in PM volume fraction during transit through the tunnel may significantly underestimate accretion of mass due to unburned hydrocarbons (HCs) emitted by SI engines. The fraction of SI-derived PM mass due to adsorbed/absorbed vapor, estimated from these data, is consistent with previous chemical analyses of PM. © 1998 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis on veterinary CPR. Part 1: Evidence analysis and consensus process: collaborative path toward small animal CPR guidelines.

Objective To describe the methodology used by the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) to evaluate the scientific evidence relevant to small animal CPR and to compose consensus-based clinical CPR guidelines for dogs and cats. Design This report is part of a series of 7 articles on the RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis and consensus-based small animal CPR guidelines. It describes the organizational structure of RECOVER, the evaluation process employed, consisting of standardized literature searches, the analysis of relevant articles according to study design, species and predefined quality markers, and the drafting of clinical CPR guidelines based on these data. Therefore, this article serves as the methodology section for the subsequent 6 RECOVER articles. Setting Academia, referral practice. Results RECOVER is a collaborative initiative that systematically evaluated the evidence on 74 topics relevant to small animal CPR and generated 101 clinical CPR guidelines from this analysis. All primary contributors were veterinary specialists, approximately evenly split between academic institutions and private referral practices. The evidence evaluation and guideline drafting processes were conducted according to a predefined sequence of steps designed to reduce bias and increase the repeatability of the findings, including multiple levels of review, culminating in a consensus process. Many knowledge gaps were identified that will allow prioritization of research efforts in veterinary CPR. Conclusions Collaborative systematic evidence review is organizationally challenging but feasible and effective in veterinary medicine. More experience is needed to refine the process.
Diffraction from photorefractive gratings in quarter-wave semiconductor mirrors

Summary form only given. We present a novel device, a quarter-wave semiconductor mirror, which yields similar theoretical diffractive performance without the insertion loss associated with asymmetric Fabry Perot (ASFPs). A quarter-wave mirror operates in a high reflectivity region and does not require the careful control of surface quality and Fabry-Perot resonance placement necessary for the MQW ASFP. The device is similar in construction to stratified volume holographic optical elements except that it consists of alternating quarter-wave optical thickness layers of a nonabsorbing spacer and a photorefractive material.
Azanaphthalenes: Part I. Huckel orbital calculations

Abstract Energy levels, wave functions and charge densities are reported for 74 azanaphthalenes. Calculations were performed using the Huckel method. Comparison of the lowest singlet-singlet transition with that calculated by the Pariser-Parr method is given for 21 compounds.
Chapter 35 Rare earth lasers

Publisher Summary This chapter describes rare earth lasers. Rare earths have been employed extensively for lasers. Stimulated emission has been observed from three divalent and n in trivalent lanthanide ions; in hosts including crystalline and amorphous solids. Rare earths have found their widest application in optically-pumped solid-state lasers. Of the different transition metal ion groups that fluoresce in solids and are thereby candidates for stimulated emission, the rare earths predominate. The wide applicability and versatility of rare earths for lasers arise from several attractive spectroscopic properties. Rare-earth lasers provide pulsed or continuous monochromatic radiation of high intensity, coherence, and directionality. Their many and varied applications include laboratory use and research, materials processing, communications, and military. The chapter reviews the fundamental physics of lasers, the energy levels, radiative and nonradiative transitions, and sensitization of rare earth ions, and the relationship of these properties to achieving stimulated emission.
Mental Health Counseling and the AMCD Multicultural Counseling Competencies: A Civil Debate

This article introduces a JMHC special section on the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development's (AMCD) Multicultural Counseling Competencies (Arredondo et al., 1996). Authors were asked to respond to Weinrach and Thomas's (2002) recent critique of the Competencies published in JMHC. The present article provides an overview of the positions taken by Weinrach and Thomas in their critique. Four articles by six preeminent leaders in the field of multiculturalism follow this introduction.The special section concludes with an article by Weinrach and Thomas, who respond to the reactors' comments and expand on their original position.
Conception of the human-to-human relationship in nursing

Abstract It is obvious from the analysis of these publications focused on nursing, that the definition of this term is based on a nurse–patient relationship by some authors. The aim of our survey is to elucidate the nurse–patient relationship based on the approach developed by Joyce E. Travelbee, who is an American psychiatric nurse, educator and writer. She introduced the concept of interpersonal relationships in the 1960s. We used textual analysis of documents to process data for this paper, during which there was a historical and analytical approach adopted. Only publications focused on concepts of one-to-one relations in the approach of Joyce E. Travelbee were subjects of the textual analysis. Globally, there is a relatively small number of studies dealing with this issue regarding the approach of Joyce E. Travelbee. On the basis of textual analysis, we concluded that Joyce E. Travelbee was successful in highlighting the importance of the mutual understanding in creating interpersonal relationships, communication skills of nurses, overcoming of nurse–patient stereotypes and the emphasis on meeting the needs of both patients and nurses.
CVaR (superquantile) norm: Stochastic case ☆

Abstract The concept of Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) is used in various applications in uncertain environment. This paper introduces CVaR (superquantile) norm for a random variable, which is by definition CVaR of absolute value of this random variable. It is proved that CVaR norm is indeed a norm in the space of random variables. CVaR norm is defined in two variations: scaled and non-scaled. L-1 and L-infinity norms are limiting cases of the CVaR norm. In continuous case, scaled CVaR norm is a conditional expectation of the random variable. A similar representation of CVaR norm is valid for discrete random variables. Several properties for scaled and non-scaled CVaR norm, as a function of confidence level, were proved. Dual norm for CVaR norm is proved to be the maximum of L-1 and scaled L-infinity norms. CVaR norm, as a Measure of Error, is related to a Regular Risk Quadrangle. Trimmed L1-norm, which is a non-convex extension for CVaR norm, is introduced analogously to function L-p for p
Clinical Trials, Disparities, and Financial Burden: It's Time to Intervene.

The additional financial burden of clinical trial participation and the lack of availability of trials at safety net facilities make it essentially impossible for underserved patients to participate. If allowed to continue, these trends will ensure that only affluent cancer patients will be able to participate in clinical trials. Interventions to better handle financial stresses and widespread policy change are necessary to optimize high-quality care for all patients with cancer.
Experiments on Determination of Cow Manure in Milk; Moisture Content and Solubility of Cow Manure

Summary The moisture in the cow manure examined averaged nearly 83 per cent. Air dry manure contains about 6 per cent of moisture; 5 per cent of the remaining solid matter is soluble in milk. This would indicate that only 11 per cent of dry manure dissolved in milk, 6 per cent of this being water. Nearly 85 per cent of fresh cows’ manure will dissolve in milk, 83 per cent of this being moisture. Manure in whatever condition is less soluble in milk than in water. Of the manure present in bottled milk, 91 per cent will be visible on the bottom of the bottle, leaving 9 per cent of foreign matter in suspension.
A Textbook to Help Students Think Like Microbiologists

Review of : Microbiology , 1st ed.; David R. Wessner, Christine Dupont, and Trevor C. Charles; (2013). John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. 960 pages.
Exact path-integration for the two-dimensional Coulomb problem

Abstract The lagrangian path integral for the Coulomb problem in two dimensions is explicitly calculated in the parabolic coordinates with the new “time” parameter of Duru and Kleinert.
Supervision transcripts: III—Some problems in a claustrophobic case

IN THIS excerpt from a supervisory session several points should be noted. In the first place, although the student had already treated the patient's fear of driving with notable success, she nonetheless, because of her earlier psychoanalytic orientation, leapt at speculative hypotheses when the patient suffered a setback dunng her efforts at treating his claustrophobia. These hypotheses were put forward as ~f "on principle", not because the circumstances of the setback pointed to them. In fact, the setback closely followed locking the patient in the trunk of a car as a therapeutic measure. It was this, evoking considerable anxiety, that was the starting point for a reconditioning of both claustrophobic anxiety and pervasive anxiety. Another point is that the enclosure m the car trunk was brief. Brief strong anxiety stimuli often increase anxiety-conditioning; while prolonged exposure (flooding) can be beneficial, paradoxical as it may seem. However, this is not a matter on which it is at present possible to generalize. Flooding is not always effective. There is much to be learned about the necessary conditions for it to succeed. Clinical experience, both in the Behavior Therapy Umt and elsewhere, indicates that it is probably wise to present the flooding stimulus in the first place at an intermediate intensity. Research at Oxford (Gelder, 1972) suggests that prolonged weak anxiety arousal may be optimal. The immediate effect of the patient's enclosement in the trunk was a high level of anxiety. Thin subsided and then built up again in the course of a few days, probably on the basis of cognitwe reminiscence of the experience. Anxiety conditioning, due to anxiety evoked by imagined stimuli is a common phenomenon that is hardly ever mentioned.
Creating a Public Face for Posterity: The Making of Chiang Kai-shek’s Shilüe Manuscripts:

In the midst of war, secretaries began selecting and organizing excerpts from Chiang Kai-shek’s diary, telegrams, written reports, and speeches to form the shilue gaoben , which might be roughly translated as “draft” or “working manuscripts.” Yet because of the Guomindang’s later exodus to Taiwan, these manuscripts remained incomplete and in different stages of draft form. As such, they open an intriguing window into the process of establishing a Chinese leader’s political legitimacy in the eyes of posterity. In comparing the shilue to its nearest equivalent, the dynastic Standard Histories, this article finds that its content reflected the change from the relationship between emperor and subject to that between national leader and citizen. In addition, by clarifying the methodology informing the shilue as a political/historical document, this article finds that the secretaries’ varying goals for, and abilities to put together, the shilue influenced how posterity would view Chiang’s legacy.
Mean field upper bound on the transition temperature in multicomponent ferromagnets

Using local Ward identities and a new correlation inequality, we prove that the mean field transition temperature is an upper bound on the true transition temperature in multicomponent Heisenberg-type classical ferromagnets.
Exact representation of meson-meson scattering amplitudes consistent with current-algebra constraints

Abstract All four-point Green functions connected to the vector and axial-vector currents by Ward identities are constructed, consistent with the constraints of an arbitrary current algebra. The structure of the four-point functions is separated into one-particle reducible and irreducible parts, without approximations. That is, no single-particle approximation is made, nor is it assumed that the strangeness-changing vector currents are conserved. The result is a representation of the meson-meson scattering amplitude that explicitly satisfies all the constraints of the current algebra. In particular, it satisfies: (i) threshold theorems, (ii) crossing symmetry and (iii) reduction to the usual tree-approximation in the single-particle approximation. Application is made to kaon-pion scattering, obtaining a representation of the scattering amplitude that is suitable for the investigation of the constraints of elastic unitarity.
Natural vital staining of the teeth of infants and children

Abstract Clinical and histologic findings in the teeth of three patients who were jaundiced soon after birth have been presented. In each instance natural vital staining occurred in those teeth which were forming during the period of jaundice. Two of the patients recovered and the bile stain in the deciduous teeth showed no diminution in intensity up to the time that they were exfoliated. The third patient died at 6 1 2 months of age and the unerupted teeth were examined post mortem. In none of the patients was gross or microscopic hypoplasia of enamel or dentine clearly associated with the bile staining. Histologically the staining was found to demarcate particular incremental zones of tooth substance which, especially in the dentine, could be correlated with the clinical history of the variations in severity of jaundice. In addition, certain differences in the vital staining of enamel and dentine were observed and compared with the in vitro staining of these structures. Finally, the direct reaction of bile-stained enamel to the diazo reagent of the van den Bergh test was determined and its possible significance discussed.
Pure endoscopic removal of pineal region tumors

Purpose Endoscopic resection of pineal tumors using an endoscope with a mounted rigid suction that allows bimanual handling of the tumor for resection. This contrasts to the established method of biopsy of pineal tumors through intraventricular approach.
Exercise training prevents development of cardiac contractile dysfunction in hypertensive TG(mREN2)27 rats

Abstract Angiotensin II (Ang II) contributes to cardiac remodeling and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. In contrast, exercise may have beneficial effects on LV structure and function. We investigated the effects of low-intensity exercise training (ET) on in-vivo cardiac function in hypertensive TG(mREN-2)27 rats (Ren2), which develop LV hypertrophy and dysfunction. Ren2 rats and Sprague-Dawley (SD) controls (4 to 5 weeks) began treadmill exercise every day for 5 to 6 weeks. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Cardiac output and stroke volume were increased by ET in both the 8-week-old SD and Ren2. Slope of mitral deceleration time, a noninvasive measure of diastolic function, was lower in the Ren2 rats, but not changed by ET. LV collagen deposition, as assessed by hydroxyproline assay, was not affected by rat strain or ET at 10 to 11 weeks of age. LV B-type natriuretic peptide mRNA levels were higher in the Ren2 rats (100%), but not affected by ET. Both α (∼14.5-fold) and β (∼2.5-fold) myosin heavy chain mRNA were higher in the LV of Ren2 rats ( P
PPAR Genomics and Pharmacogenomics: Implications for Cardiovascular Disease

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) consist of three related transcription factors that serve to regulate a number of cellular processes that are central to cardiovascular health and disease. Numerous pharmacologic studies have assessed the effects of specific PPAR agonists in clinical trials and have provided insight into the clinical effects of these genes while genetic studies have demonstrated clinical associations between PPAR polymorphisms and abnormal cardiovascular phenotypes. With the abundance of data available from these studies as a background, PPAR pharmacogenetics has become a promising and rapidly advancing field. This review focuses on summarizing the current state of understanding of PPAR genetics and pharmacogenetics and the important implications for the individualization of therapy for patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Duloxetine treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women: Effects of demographics, obesity, chronic lung disease, hypoestrogenism, diabetes mellitus, and depression on efficacy

Abstract Objective To identify poor responders, we evaluated the impact of demographic characteristics and comorbidities on efficacy using an integrated database including data from four large randomized controlled trials. Duloxetine has been shown to be effective in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Study design A total of 1913 women 22–83 years of age with predominant SUI (diagnosed using a validated clinical algorithm) were randomly assigned to receive placebo ( n =955) or duloxetine ( n =958) for 12 weeks. Efficacy outcome variables included a weekly incontinence episodes frequency (IEF) from patient-completed diaries, the Incontinence Quality-of-Life (I-QOL) questionnaire score, and a Patient Global Impression of Improvement rating. Subgroups selected a priori included: ethnicity, age, body mass index (BMI), chronic lung disease, hypoestrogenism, diabetes mellitus, and depression. For safety comparisons, adverse events were compared across age and ethnicity subgroups. Results Reduction in IEF was minimal and not significantly different between duloxetine and placebo in women with chronic lung disease. The decrease in IEF for women ≥65 years of age was slightly diminished for duloxetine and placebo groups, but the treatment differences were maintained. There was a significantly different I-QOL improvement by BMI subgroup, with greater increases in scores associated with a higher BMI (>28kg/m 2 ). There were no other notable subgroup impacts on efficacy. Conclusions With the possible exception of chronic lung disease, no characteristic was identified that predicted a lack of treatment response with duloxetine in the treatment of women with SUI. Elderly patients may experience lower response rates to duloxetine presumably due to age related changes in the lower urinary tract.
An Exact Solution for Outage Probability in Cellular Networks

We apply a discrete-time method to derive an exact solution for the outage probability in a cellular network as the mobile moves along a given trajectory, employing a hysteresis-based handoff algorithm. The exact solution addresses the relationships among the three key handoff parameters: hysteresis level, fade margin, and outage probability. Our numerical results, obtained from analysis and simulation, show that the proposed solution method is very accurate in both light and heavy shadowing environments, while previous approximate methods are accurate only in some specific environments.
First friedel-crafts diacylation of a phenanthrene as the basis for an efficient synthesis of nonracemic

Reported are the first examples of Friedel−Crafts reactions used to prepare 3,6-diacylphenanthrenes. 9,10-Dimethoxyphenanthrene gives its 3,6-diacetyl derivative in good yield and in large amounts. The ketone's triisopropylsilyl enol ether when combined with 1,4-benzoquinone forms a [7]helicenebisquinone. This bisquinone's reduction product, a bishydroquinone, when combined with methanolic HCl gives the [7]helicene whose peripheral side chains are all methoxyls but whose interior hydroxyls remain. The diastereomeric (1S)-(−)-camphanates can be separated by crystallization. Their structures, analyzed by X-ray diffraction, demonstrate that the camphanates' lactone functions point away from the ring system when the helicene has the (P) configuration and toward it when the helicene has the (M) configuration. This is because the camphanates' OC−C−O dihedral angles are, as expected, close to 0° in the former and close to 180° in the latter. Other derivatives of 3,6-diacetylphenanthrene and of [7]helicenebisquin...
Easy Jmol Web Pages Using the Jmol Export to Web Function: A Tool for Creating Interactive Web-Based Instructional Resources and Student Projects with Live 3-D Images of Molecules without Writing Computer Code

Students and educators can easily create interactive Web pages containing live 3-D molecules using the “Export to Web” function recently added to the open-source Java application Jmol. Additional text and pictures can be added to these pages using standard Web editors. This submission contains examples and a tutorial introducing both the visualization capabilities of Jmol and how to make Web pages using the “export to Web” function. The tutorial is appropriate for use by instructors developing Web-based materials and for class assignments requiring production of Web pages containing 3-D molecular information (shapes, orbitals, etc.).
SUCCINIC DEHYDROGENASE IN AMELOBLASTS DURING FORMATION AND MATURATION OF ENAMEL.

Abstract Enamel organs from upper incisor teeth of adult rats were dissected free of hard tissue and placed in appropriate incubating media for the demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase by means of the tetrazolium method. No fixative or decalcifying agents were employed prior to incubation of tissue, although some tissues were frozen prior to being incubated. At the growing end of the tooth, in ameloblasts that are engaged in matrix production, succinic dehydrogenase was found at the basal end of the cell. In shorter ameloblasts related to the maturation of enamel, intense succinic dehydrogenase activity was found throughout the cell, except for the nuclei and distal processes. In a more incisal part of the enamel organ where the ameloblasts begin to accumulate yellow pigment, succinic dehydrogenase activity was greatest in the basal end of the cell. Near the gingiva, where the ameloblasts are still shorter, succinic dehydrogenase was found throughout the cell. These observations are interpreted as indicating that cells related to maturation of enamel are metabolically very active, and suggest that the activity of ameloblasts in maturation of enamel may be multiphasic.
A new fault tolerance method for field robotics through a self-adaptation architecture

Fault tolerance is increasingly important for urban search and rescue robotic systems because any failure mode may affect the reliability of the robot in meeting mission objectives. To support convenient development of fault tolerant robotic systems, this paper proposes ReFrESH, which is a self-adaptive framework that provides systemic self-diagnosis and self-maintenance mechanisms in the presence of unanticipated situations. Specifically, ReFrESH augments the port-based object by attaching performance evaluation and estimation methods to each functional component so that the robot can easily detect and locate faults. In conjunction, a task level decision mechanism interacts with these fault detection elements in order to dynamically find an optimal solution to mitigate faults. A demonstrative application of ReFrESH illustrates its applicability through a task for visual servoing to a target deployed on a multi-robot system.
On the response and stability of two concentric, contacting rings under external pressure

Abstract The problem considered involves two concentric, smoothly contacting rings under external pressure. The outer ring is initially circular but the inner ring has a localized initial imperfection which causes a small section of the ring to be detached from the outer one. The pressure is applied externally but also in the cavity formed by the imperfection. The formulation used is general enough to allow for large deflections. The material of both rings is assumed to be linearly elastic. The nonlinear response of the structure was found to be characterized by a limit load type of instability. The mode of collapse and the limit load are shown to depend on the geometric characteristics of the two rings and those of the initial imperfection.
Evidence of the particle concentration effect for lead and other metals in fresh waters based on ultraclean technique analyses

Ultraclean methods were used to produce reliable concentration data for the trace metals Pb, Ag, and Cd in fresh waters and for Ph, Ag, Cu, and Zn in estuarine waters. Partitioning of metals between filter-retained and filtrate fractions exhibited a dependence on total suspended solids (TSS) concentration. This phenomenon, the particle concentration effect (PCE), has been previously documented almost exclusively in marine and estuarine systems and lab simulations, and mainly for radionuclides. The partition coefficient, Kd, was independent of major ion chemistry and pH, supporting the hypothesis that the PCE is caused by metals associated with colloidal particles but counted with the filtrate (“dissolved”) fraction. Partition coefficients of the measured metals in fresh waters are predictable across the full range of TSS measured, spanning more than two orders of magnitude. The inferred true partition coefficient for Pb (between solution and particles of all size classes) is greater than 107.4, suggesting that truly dissolved Pb concentrations are extraordinarily low. Previously published data are reinterpreted to show that naturally occurring 210Pb also exhibits the PCE. Freshly precipitated Fe oxyhydroxides partition metals exactly like organic detritus and clays in spite of the great difference in their surface chemistry. The same data rule out the possibility that the PCE could be caused by a decrease in surface area (and surface complexation sites) due to resuspension of larger particles under high TSS conditions. A surprising result is that, while the slope of a log (Kd) — log (TSS) plot for 210Pb is the same as for stable lead, absolute Kd values for 210Pb are uniformly lower by a factor of 4. This suggests that 210Pb and stable lead behave differently from each other in the surface waters studied. One possible explanation is that this dissimilarity may be attributable to differences in speciation that are persistent on a time scale of months, corresponding to the water residence time or Pb removal rate.
Drug use patterns and trends in rural communities.

Context and purpose This study examines the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use among adolescents and adults in 3 types of counties: "rural" (nonmetropolitan counties with urban population less than 20,000), "urbanized nonmetropolitan" (nonmetropolitan counties with urban population 20,000 or higher), and "metropolitan" (counties in metropolitan areas). Methods Data from the 2002-2004 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health are used to compare residents of the 3 county types. Descriptive findings and a multivariate model of marijuana use among adolescents are presented by county type. Findings Past year illicit drug use is generally similar among adolescents in rural, urbanized nonmetropolitan, and metropolitan counties, except that Ecstasy use is higher among youth in metropolitan and urbanized nonmetropolitan counties than rural counties, while rural youth have a higher prevalence of stimulant and methamphetamine use than metropolitan youth. Gender, race/ethnicity, and family income functioned differentially across the 3 county types as predictors of youth marijuana use during the past year. Rural adults had generally lower rates of illicit drug use than metropolitan adults, but adults in rural and urbanized nonmetropolitan areas had higher rates of methamphetamine use than those in metropolitan areas. Rural youth had a higher prevalence of past month use of tobacco and alcohol. Rural adults had higher rates of tobacco use but lower rates of alcohol use. Conclusions This study dispels the notion that substance abuse is only an urban problem and provides information useful in developing and implementing interventions that consider the unique characteristics of rural residents.
Multiple osteochondral autografts for treatment of a medial trochlear ridge subchondral cystic lesion in the equine tarsus.

Objective— To adapt the multiple osteochondral autograft technique for treatment of a subchondral cystic lesion (SCL) of the proximal medial trochlear ridge (MTR) of the equine talus and assess long term outcome. Study Design— Case report. Animals— Quarter horse stallion with SCL of the proximal MTR of the talus. Methods— Osteochondral autograft techniques used in dogs and humans were adapted and optimized in equine cadavers. A horse with a SCL of the MTR of the talus was treated by osteochondral autografting. Three osteochondral autografts were harvested from the distal lateral trochlear ridge of the talus in the affected tarsus. No curettage or debridement of the osteochondral lesion was performed. Three recipient beds were predrilled and osteochondral autografts were press-fit into the proximal MTR of the talus. Outcome was assessed by radiography, telephone interview of the owner, and direct observation during training. Results— Postoperative radiographs indicated excellent filling of the osteochondral defect and graft-articular surface congruency. No complications were encountered after surgery. At 10 months after surgery, the horse successfully re-entered reining training, and continued to be sound and performing athletically 2 years after surgery. Conclusion— Osteochondral autografting deserves consideration and further evaluation as a primary treatment option for SCL of the proximal MTR of the talus in horses. Clinical Relevance— Based on the outcome of this case, osteochondral autografting appears to be a safe, valuable and realistic option for treating SCL of the proximal MTR of the talus in equine athletes.
Reproduction and the central project of evolutionary theory

In much of the discourse of evolutionary theory, reproduction is treated as an autonomous function of the individual organism — even in discussions of sexually reproducing organisms. In this paper, I examine some of the functions and consequences of such manifestly peculiar language. In particular, I suggest that it provides crucial support for the central project of evolutionary theory — namely that of locating causal efficacy in intrinsic properties of the individual organism. Furthermore, I argue that the language of individual reproduction is maintained by certain methodological conventions that both obscure many of the problems it generates and serve to actively impede attempts to redress those difficulties that can be identified. Finally, I suggest that inclusion of the complexities introduced by sexual reproduction — in both language and methodology — may radically undermine the individualist focus of evolutionary theory.
Incorporating historical controls in testing for a trend in multinomial proportions

Abstract For an experiment with multiple treatment groups and a historical control group, statistical tests for an increasing trend in proportion (across the treatment groups) are considered. There is a basic need for a meaningful interpretation of this ‘increasing trend’ in the multinomial case, and this is effectively done in terms of the underlying trait distributions for the different groups. In this context, for ‘trend alternatives’, asymptotically most powerful rank order tests for grouped data are considered, and these are then adapted by incorporation of historical controls with a Dirichlet distribution. The related asymptotic efficacy results are also presented in a unified manner.