cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growing tiny eyes: How juvenile jumping spiders retain high visual performance in the face of size limitations and developmental constraints.

Abstract Adult jumping spiders are known for their extraordinary eyesight and complex, visually guided behaviors, including elaborate communicatory displays, navigational abilities, and prey-specific predatory strategies. Juvenile spiders also exhibit many of these behaviors, yet their visual systems are many times smaller. How do juveniles retain high visually guided performance despite severe size constraints on their visual systems? We investigated developmental changes in eye morphology and visual function in the jumping spider Phidippus audax using morphology, histology, ophthalmoscopy, and optical measurements. We find that juvenile spiders have proportionally larger lenses in relation to their body size than adults. This should alleviate some of the costs of small body size on visual function. However, photoreceptor number in the anterior lateral eyes (ALE) remains constant from early development onward, consistent with a developmental constraint on photoreceptor differentiation. To accommodate these photoreceptors within the diminutive volume of the spiderling cephalothorax, ALE rhabdoms in early life stages are more tightly packed and significantly smaller in diameter and length, properties that expand across development. Lens focal lengths increase as eyes and retinas grow, resulting in a remarkable maintenance of ALE spatial acuity and field-of-view across life stages. However, this maintenance of acuity comes at a sensitivity cost given the small rhabdomal volumes required by space constraints early in life. Taken together, our results indicate that young jumping spiders have eyes already equipped for high acuity vision, but these young spiders may struggle to perform visually demanding behaviors in low-light environments, a notion that warrants further testing.
Prediction of Recovery From Severe Hemorrhagic Shock Using Logistic Regression

This paper implements logistic regression models (LRMs) and feature selection for creating a predictive model for recovery form hemorrhagic shock (HS) with resuscitation using blood in the multiple experimental rat animal protocols. A total of 61 animals were studied across multiple HS experiments, which encompassed two different HS protocols and two resuscitation protocols using blood stored for short periods using five different techniques. Twenty-seven different systemic hemodynamics, cardiac function, and blood gas parameters were measured in each experiment, of which feature selection deemed only 25% of the them as relevant. The reduced feature set was used to train a final logistic regression model. A final test set accuracy is 84% compared to 74% for a baseline classifier using only MAP and HR measurements. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis and Cohens kappa statistics were also used as measures of performance, with the final reduced model outperforming the model, including all parameters. Our results suggest that LRMs trained with a combination of systemic hemodynamics, cardiac function, and blood gas parameters measured at multiple timepoints during HS can successfully classify HS recovery groups. Our results show the predictive ability of traditional and novel hemodynamic and cardiac function features and their combinations, many of which had not previously been taken into consideration, for monitoring HS. Furthermore, we have devised an effective methodology for feature selection and shown ways in which the performance of such predictive models should be assessed in future studies.
Isolated Buttress Plating of Posterior Wall Acetabular Fractures: Is it Sufficient?

Background: Conventional fixation methods of posterior wall acetabular fractures feature the use of plating and lagscrews. However, fixation of posterior wall fractures with buttress plating alone offers potential advantages by avoidingthe hardware complications related to hardware placement through the wall fragment. The purpose of this study wasto examine if buttress plating alone, without screw fixation through the wall would be a viable method of treating thesefractures. Our hypothesis was that this technique would not result in loss of reduction.Methods: Consecutive series of patients with isolated posterior wall acetabular fractures treated by two independentsurgeons at two Level I Trauma centers without screw fixation across the fracture (Boston Medical Center/HarborviewMedical Center).Results: All 72 fractures treated without a screw through the posterior wall fragment maintained reduction at anaverage of 1.6 years post-operatively. For fractures fixed with buttress plating alone, 92 % were reduced within 2 mmof being anatomic compared to 94 % of fractures that had screws cross the fracture.Conclusion: The described buttress plating technique without screw fixation in the wall is an acceptable form offixation for posterior wall acetabular fractures without the theoretical risk of intra-wall screw fixation.Level of evidence: III
Two to Tango? Implications of Alignment and Misalignment in Leader and Follower Perceptions of LMX

We tested a model that focuses on leader and member perceptions of exchange in the LMX relationship. Drawing on social exchange theory, we examined whether alignment in leader and member assessment of the exchange relationship (i.e., similar perceptions of the quality of exchange in the relationship) impacts employee affective commitment, innovative performance, and turnover. We also investigated misalignment, specifically, whether leader or member assessment of LMX shapes employee outcomes. We tested our hypothesized model on a sample of 206 employees in 35 groups. We utilized hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and polynomial regression and employed response surface methodology to illustrate the relationships. Results demonstrate that employee outcomes are related to the degree to which leader and subordinate perceptions of LMX are aligned, after controlling for individual-level effects. In misalignment, the leaders’ positive perceptions rather than members’ perceptions of LMX explain employee innovative performance whereas LMX misalignment effects on affective commitment and turnover were not significant. Given the mixed results from previous research, our study suggests that LMX alignment enhances understanding of employee outcomes, relative to examining leader or subordinate LMX perceptions alone. Additionally, in misalignment, the leader’s perspective of the quality of the relationship is more relevant than the member’s perspective in influencing employee innovative performance. We add value by developing theory on the effects of LMX alignment and misalignment on employee outcomes, and we address methodological issues, such as treating LMX as a continuous variable, while testing for the alignment/misalignment effects.
African-American survivors of prostate cancer: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the current literature on the post-treatment survivorship experiences of African-American men with prostate cancer by exploring qualitative studies to gain a deep understanding of their survivorship experiences. We searched five databases for studies published from 2008 to 2018. We identified ten relevant qualitative studies, conducted a meta-synthesis using Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnography approach, and evaluated their quality appraisal using the validated Critical Appraisal Skills Program. This review generated a total of four main themes and nine subthemes. The Four main themes included coping strategy, psychophysical impact, health system influence, and socioeconomic impact. Spirituality, healthy behaviors, supportive care of spouse/family/friends and non-communicating/reticent were subthemes identified in the coping strategy theme; physical well-being and sexuality and masculinity were subthemes in the psychophysical impact theme; healthcare provider interaction and treatment decision-making were subthemes identified in the health system influence theme, and health insurance status was the subtheme in the socioeconomic impact theme. Our findings reveal that the experiences of African-American prostate cancer survivors are complex and multidimensional. This review highlights the need for further studies with African-American prostate cancer survivors, precisely identify their needs and plan a culturally appropriate intervention to meet those needs.
Can People’s Depression Level Affect How They Respond to Related Information?: Information Relevance as a Mediator

In this paper, we investigate how individuals respond to a Weibo post addressing depression, based on their depression level and perceived relevance of the information contained in the post. We propose a research model, in which information relevance mediates the relationship between individuals’ depression status and their intended behavior of information exchange (i.e., reposting, liking, and commenting). Our results demonstrate that: 1) an individual’s depression degree has direct effect on the likelihood of reposting and liking, but not commenting, and 2) information relevance is a full mediator that transmits the effect of depression level on information exchange behavior, except for commenting. According to our findings, we suggest that reposting, liking, and commenting are different metrics of information exchange behavior. Also, we suggest that information relevance is an important factor that can craft individuals’ responses to depression-related social media content. Finally, we provide theoretical and practical implications and discuss directions for future research.
Self-Efficacy in Parents and Children and Its Relationship to Future Delinquent Behavior in Children:

A moderated mediation analysis was performed on 3,600 (1,829 boys and 1,771 girls) adolescents from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Results from a path analysis revealed that ...
Popular Culture Informing Public Administration: Messages and Prospects for Social Equity

In the discipline of public administration, popular culture remains under-examined in scholarship and under-utilized in pedagogy. However, the field would benefit from greater integration of popula...
Why is the U.S. Abdicating the Policing of Multinational Corporations to Europe?: Extraterritoriality, Sovereignty, and the Alien Tort Statute

The United States has policed the multinational effects of multinational corporations more aggressively than any other country, but recent decisions under the Alien Tort Statute indicate that it is now backtracking. Europe, paradoxically, is moving in the other direction. Why do some countries retract extraterritorial jurisdiction while others step forward? The article traces the opposing trends through corporate human rights cases and suggests that the answer may lie in attitudes towards national sovereignty. The developments raise important questions regarding the position of the United States in a globalizing world and its role in upholding international norms.
Course-Designing during the Pandemic and Post-Pandemic by Adopting the Layers-of-Necessity Model

During the pandemic, instructional designers in higher education were busy helping the faculty members transition to remote teaching within a matter of days. However, urgent instructional design (ID) support was not uncommon before the pandemic, especially when supporting adjunct faculty members. After all, design constraints tend to exist in ID projects. This column article discusses an ID model called the layers- of- necessity model. The purpose of this article is to inspire ID practitioners, despite the design constraints, with ideas for supporting faculty in course design activities during pandemic and post-pandemic transition.
Electrical behavior of CNT epoxy composites under in-situ simulated space environments

Abstract The properties of CNT composites are known to suffer changes when exposed to space conditions or simulated space environments. A more in-depth understanding of the magnitude of those changes could help improve the design of systems that contain them, produce more accurate predictions of their performance, or even open the possibility of new applications. In this study, the electrical properties of CNT epoxy composites containing low CNT loadings (less than 1%) were measured in-situ while the specimens were exposed to diverse simulated space conditions. A thermal vacuum chamber was employed to produce the low pressures and temperatures associated with low earth orbit. A solar simulator was used to replicate solar irradiance. A convection oven was used to determine the effects that could only be attributed to temperature variations. The changes in resistivity exhibited by the composite specimens are reported for each scenario along possible mechanisms that could explain the observed behavior. The microstructural and thermogravimetric characterization of the composites for the diverse loadings is also presented. Resistivity reductions of up to 40% were observed by the simultaneous application of high temperatures and low pressures, while the application of simulated sunlight with the concomitant surge in temperature, showed a maximum decrease of 58%. Outgassing and an increase in the number of charge carriers at the higher temperatures promoted by the simulated sunlight treatment, are believed to be responsible for the recorded reductions in resistivity. A qualitative analysis of the resistivity changes noted when the composites are exposed back to atmospheric conditions is included.
Remote Instruction and Interventions: Considerations for Students With Disabilities

Remote instruction and interventions are designed to reach students outside of the classroom setting. In this Special Series of Intervention in School and Clinic, remote or online instruction acros...
Model-Based Voltage Quality Analysis and Optimization in Post-Fault Reconfigured N-Level NPC Inverter

This article proposes a model-based voltage quality analysis and optimization method for post-fault reconfigured N-level Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) inverter. It is found that the voltage quality of post-fault reconfigured multilevel inverters (MLIs) has significant degradation which could cause issues in critical applications. To analyze and solve the voltage quality problem, existing voltage quality and mathematical analyses of MLIs were reviewed. Significant limitations of existing voltage quality analysis methods and shortages of existing mathematical analysis were found. Thus, a suitable mathematical model of N-level NPC inverter is proposed in this article to accurately describe voltage quality of a reconfigured N-level NPC inverter. The mathematical model is validated by simulation and experimental results and used for voltage quality analysis. In addition, based on the accurate mathematical model and results of voltage quality analysis, an optimization method is proposed to alleviate the voltage quality degradation of post-fault reconfigured N-level NPC inverter. A five-level NPC inverter and a reconfiguration method were used as an example to illustrate the proposed optimization method. Experimental and simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed optimization method.
Effects of Sodium-Glucose Linked Transporter 2 Inhibition With Ertugliflozin on Mitochondrial Function, Energetics, and Metabolic Gene Expression in the Presence and Absence of Diabetes Mellitus in Mice.

Background Inhibitors of the sodium‐glucose linked transporter 2 improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus, but the effects on cardiac energetics and mito...
Secretory diarrhea

Diarrhea, defined as loose stools, occurs when the intestine does not complete absorption of electrolytes and water from luminal contents. This can happen when a nonabsorbable, osmotically active substance is ingested ("osmotic diarrhea") or when electrolyte absorption is impaired ("secretory diarrhea"). Most cases of acute and chronic diarrhea are due to the latter mechanism. Secretory diarrhea can result from bacterial toxins, reduced absorptive surface area caused by disease or resection, luminal secretagogues (such as bile acids or laxatives), circulating secretagogues (such as various hormones, drugs, and poisons), and medical problems that compromise regulation of intestinal function. Evaluation of patients with secretory diarrhea must be tailored to find the likely causes of this problem. Specific and nonspecific treatment can be valuable.
Quality Improvement and Management

The quality of the final product depends on how the process to be used is designed and executed. Statistical quality control is a set of statistical tools used to monitor, control, and improve process performance. These essential tools are: statistical process control, acceptance sampling plans, and design of experiments. The customer or consumer plays a very important role in achieving quality, for it is the customer who defines the quality of the product. In the 1960s and 1970s, American companies continued to dominate in productivity, mainly by increasing their workforce. Quality control helps an organization to create products that, simply put, are of better quality. Continuous quality improvement makes operators, engineers, and supervisors more focused on customer requirements, and consequently, they are less likely to make any “mistakes.” Managing quality improvement requires accountability, daily defect analysis, preventive measures, data‐driven quality, teamwork, training, and optimizing process variables.
Neural Tangent Kernel Eigenvalues Accurately Predict Generalization

Finding a quantitative theory of neural network generalization has long been a central goal of deep learning research. We extend recent results to demonstrate that, by examining the eigensystem of a neural network's "neural tangent kernel", one can predict its generalization performance when learning arbitrary functions. Our theory accurately predicts not only test mean-squared-error but all first- and second-order statistics of the network's learned function. Furthermore, using a measure quantifying the "learnability" of a given target function, we prove a new "no-free-lunch" theorem characterizing a fundamental tradeoff in the inductive bias of wide neural networks: improving a network's generalization for a given target function must worsen its generalization for orthogonal functions. We further demonstrate the utility of our theory by analytically predicting two surprising phenomena - worse-than-chance generalization on hard-to-learn functions and nonmonotonic error curves in the small data regime - which we subsequently observe in experiments. Though our theory is derived for infinite-width architectures, we find it agrees with networks as narrow as width 20, suggesting it is predictive of generalization in practical neural networks. Code replicating our results is available at https://github.com/james-simon/eigenlearning.
Dominance Concepts in Random Outcomes

As a way to approach decision making under risk or uncertainty, four dominance concepts — utility dominance, stochastic dominance, mean-variance dominance, and probability dominance — are reviewed. The characteristic features, the relative merits and shortcomings of these approaches are discussed. Main results and relationships among them are stated. The nondominated set of Ω (a set of random variables) is defined according to different dominance criteria, and interrelationships among them are discussed.
Fusobacterium nucleatum Alters Atherosclerosis Risk Factors and Enhances Inflammatory Markers with an Atheroprotective Immune Response in ApoEnull Mice

The American Heart Association supports an association between periodontal disease (PD) and atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) but does not as of yet support a causal relationship. Recently, we have shown that major periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola are causally associated with acceleration of aortic atherosclerosis in ApoEnull hyperlipidemic mice. The aim of this study was to determine if oral infection with another significant periodontal pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum can accelerate aortic inflammation and atherosclerosis in the aortic artery of ApoEnull mice. ApoEnull mice (n = 23) were orally infected with F. nucleatum ATCC 49256 and euthanized at 12 and 24 weeks. Periodontal disease assessments including F. nucleatum oral colonization, gingival inflammation, immune response, intrabony defects, and alveolar bone resorption were evaluated. Systemic organs were evaluated for infection, aortic sections were examined for atherosclerosis, and inflammatory markers were measured. Chronic oral infection established F. nucleatum colonization in the oral cavity, induced significant humoral IgG (P=0.0001) and IgM (P=0.001) antibody response (12 and 24 weeks), and resulted in significant (P=0.0001) alveolar bone resorption and intrabony defects. F. nucleatum genomic DNA was detected in systemic organs (heart, aorta, liver, kidney, lung) indicating bacteremia. Aortic atherosclerotic plaque area was measured and showed a local inflammatory infiltrate revealed the presence of F4/80+ macrophages and CD3+ T cells. Vascular inflammation was detected by enhanced systemic cytokines (CD30L, IL-4, IL-12), oxidized LDL and serum amyloid A, as well as altered serum lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycerides, chylomicrons, VLDL, LDL, HDL), in infected mice and altered aortic gene expression in infected mice. Despite evidence for systemic infection in several organs and modulation of known atherosclerosis risk factors, aortic atherosclerotic lesions were significantly reduced after F. nucleatum infection suggesting a potential protective function for this member of the oral microbiota.
Functional SDF1 alpha/CXCR4 signaling in the developing spinal cord

Stromal cell-derived factor (SDF1) and its cognate receptor CXCR4 have been shown to play a central role in the development of the cerebellum, hippocampus, and neocortex. However, little is known about the functions of SDF1/CXCR4 in early spinal cord progenitor cell differentiation. Here, we show that a functional SDF1alpha/CXCR4 signaling pathway is present in developing spinal cord cells (a spliced variant of SDF1). RT-PCR analysis of SDF1alpha and CXCR4 showed that they were present in E10.5 neural tube and their expression increased as neuroepithelial cells differentiated into more committed spinal cord progenitors. Stimulation of the more differentiated progenitors (E14.5) with SDF1alpha resulted in rapid activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. This SDF1alpha-induced ERK activity was dose dependent and could be inhibited by pre-treatment of the cells with either pertussis toxin, an inactivator of G-protein-coupled receptors, or PD98059, a MEK1 inhibitor. Concomitant with ERK activation, SDF1alpha also activated the downstream transcription factor Ets, a substrate for ERK phosphorylation. Further, downstream activation of genes associated with cell survival, differentiation and migration was assessed using a G-protein-coupled receptor pathway-focused microarray. We found that 23 genes, including PDK1, Egr-1, Grm5, and E-selectin, were up-regulated by SDF1alpha. Furthermore, SDF1alpha induced chemotaxis in both neural and glial progenitors in in vitro migration assays. Pre-treatment of the cells with either pertussis toxin or PD98059 completely inhibited SDF1alpha-induced chemotaxis. Thus, our data suggest that SDF1alpha may function through a CXCR4/ERK/Ets-linked signalling pathway in spinal cord neural development to modulate migration of progenitor cells.
Dissecting a highly immunogenic antigen presentation process triggered by a natural pathogenic antigen: listeriolysin O (APP3P.104)

Listeriolysin O (LLO) is the major immunogen and virulence factor secreted by L. monocytogenes. Peptides processed from the LLO are presented at low nanomolar concentration to CD4 T cells. The mechanism for the efficiency of this antigen presentation process remains unknown and may provide novel insight into antigen processing and presentation. We tested LLO mutants with impaired molecular properties, such as membrane binding, cytolytic activity, and catabolism. All LLO variants triggered T cell responses at low nanomolar concentrations. Because LLO presentation was independent of any known activity intrinsic to LLO, we investigated cellular mechanisms that may increase its antigenicity. All LLO mutants were taken up into cells at high amounts in large undefined vesicles. Based on this, we hypothesized that bulk protein uptake of LLO could cause a novel cellular stress mechanism that would explain its immunogenicity. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is a cellular response that deals with large amounts of unfolded protein. We investigated if the entry of LLO into APC triggered the ERS. Treatment with nanomolar concentrations of LLO caused an increase in Chop and Gadd34 expression, as well as other canonical markers of the ERS. However, it did not induce Xbp1 splicing or the ER-chaperone response. In conclusion, LLO may be activating the Perk pathway leading to an ERS in APC. The biological and antigen presentation outcomes of this response remain under investigation.
Optimizing TRIEs for ordered pattern matching is /spl Pi//sub 2//sup P/-complete

We consider the complexity of constructing a data structure, called TRIEs, with the minimum operational cost for the ordered pattern matching problem, a problem abstracting the essence of executing Prolog problems; a TRIE with minimal cost corresponds to a program with the minimum worst case operational cost. Based on the recent non-approximability results developed by Arora et al. (1992) and Condon et al. (1993), we show that to approximate the optimum cost of this problem to within some constant ratio is /spl Pi//sub 2//sup P/-hard. The result implies that the problem of Prolog program optimization is probably as hard.
Unsupervised Discrimination of Person Names in Web Contexts

Ambiguous person names are a problem in many forms of written text, including that which is found on the Web. In this paper we explore the use of unsupervised clustering techniques to discriminate among entities named in Web pages. We examine three main issues via an extensive experimental study. First, the effect of using a held---out set of training data for feature selection versus using the data in which the ambiguous names occur. Second, the impact of using different measures of association for identifying lexical features. Third, the success of different cluster stopping measures that automatically determine the number of clusters in the data.
An Outreach Intervention Increases Bone Densitometry Testing in Older Women

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of a patient recall intervention that relies on an outreach coordinator with a bachelor's degree to prompt women by mail and telephone about their eligibility for bone densitometry (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)) screening and allow them to schedule an examination without a medical provider visit ahead of time. DESIGN: Observational. SETTING: Academic general internal medicine practice. INTERVENTION: Mail- and telephone-based patient recall for DXA. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred sixty-four women aged 65 to 79 at average risk for osteoporosis without a history of DXA. MEASUREMENTS: Rates of DXA completion and the change in proportion of screened women during a 7-month intervention period, case finding for clinically significant bone loss, frequency of appropriate clinical follow-up, DXA no-show rates compared with usual care, and clinician satisfaction. RESULTS: Through patient recall, rates of DXA screening rose significantly (P<.001), and the proportion of the eligible clinic population screened increased 13%. Thirty percent of patients had clinically significant bone loss, with almost all of these receiving follow-up. DXA no-show rates were comparable with usual care, and provider acceptance was high. CONCLUSION: A patient recall intervention substantially increased DXA screening, allowing pharmacological therapy to be started much earlier in some women with significant bone loss. It imposed minimal burden on providers and enhanced patient convenience. This type of program may have utility for additional preventive services.
Measurement of lung volumes.

SUMMARY Measurements of lung volume play an integral role in the laboratory evaluation of patients with known or suspected lung disease. Several techniques are available to measure absolute lung volumes (containing residual volume). It should be noted that these techniques measure different theoretical volumes and may produce different results in patients with lung disease. Lung volume measurements are typically elevated in obstructive diseases and reduced in restrictive diseases, making them useful tests in diagnosing and distinguishing these two general classes of disease.
The Design and Implementation of TIDeFlow: A Dataflow-Inspired Execution Model for Parallel Loops and Task Pipelining

This paper provides an extended description of the design and implementation of the Time Iterated Dependency Flow (TIDeFlow) execution model. TIDeFlow is a dataflow-inspired model that simplifies the scheduling of shared resources on many-core processors. To accomplish this, programs are specified as directed graphs and the dataflow model is extended through the introduction of intrinsic constructs for parallel loops and the arbitrary pipelining of operations. The main contributions of this paper are: (1) a formal description of the TIDeFlow execution model and its programming model, (2) a description of the TIDeFlow implementation and its strengths over previous execution models, such as the ability to natively express parallel loops and task pipelining, (3) an analysis of experimental results showing the advantages of TIDeFlow with respect to expressing parallel programs on many-core architectures and (4) a presentation of the implementation of a low overhead runtime system for TIDeFlow.
Associations of Reducing Sedentary Time With Vascular Function and Insulin Sensitivity in Older Sedentary Adults.

BACKGROUND We previously reported increased moderate-intensity (3-6 metabolic equivalents (METs)) physical activity (PA) reverses aging-associated vascular endothelial dysfunction, a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk. Whether reductions in sedentary time alone contribute to this improvement is unknown. METHODS Data from 96 adults (aged ≥50 years) enrolled in a randomized control trial evaluating a 12-week intervention to increase PA in sedentary individuals were analyzed. Amount and intensity of activity were measured pre- and post-intervention by step count and accelerometry. Subjects were divided into 3 categories based on change in sedentary activity (<1. 5 METs): (i) ≥5% reduction in sedentary time, (ii) 0-4.99% reduction, and (iii) increase sedentary time. Vascular endothelial function was measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD%) pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS Sedentary time decreased overall (P = 0.001), with a 101-minute decrease in category 1 (N = 27, P < 0.001), a 42-minute decrease in category 2 (N = 29, P = 0.003), and a 44-minute increase in category 3 (N = 40, P = 0.02). While FMD% increased in the entire study population (P = 0.008) over 12 weeks, no differences were observed between the categories (P = 0.73). In category 1, FMD% improvement was associated achievement of ≥20 minutes/day of moderate intensity PA in bouts ≥ 10 minutes in length. CONCLUSIONS Reductions of up to 100 minutes of sedentary time per day over 12 weeks was not significantly associated with improved vascular endothelial function in older adults. FMD% was significantly higher among those with lower sedentary behavior and concomitant moderate-intensity PA of ≥20 minutes/day in bouts.
The Choice of Weapons: A Study of Methods of Suicide by Sex, Race, and Region

The relationship of sex, race and region to methods of suicide are used to test the validity of two theories which attempt to explain the choice of methods among suicide victims. The two theories, lethality of intent and differential socialization with firearms, are briefly discussed. Data are collected from official death certificates in five cities during a three year period, 1969 through 1971. The findings provide little support for the lethality of intent theory. Although the differential socialization theory receives partial support, one can argue for a broader sociocultural perspective on methods of suicide which includes location in the social structure as well as regional socialization.
Minority Representation and Political Efficacy in Public Meetings

Objective The objective of this article is to address a chief criticism of public meetings in democratic society, a lack of minority representation. Further, it explores the issue of political efficacy and the extent to which it may differ between minority and nonminority citizens. Methods These issues are analyzed through logistic and multiple regression models applied to the results of a random-sample telephone survey administered across the United States (N = 601). Results Results indicate that members of one minority group, African Americans, are more likely to attend public meetings than whites. Further, no statistically significant differences between whites and Hispanics or other-race individuals were found. African Americans also reported higher levels of political efficacy than whites, while no statistically significant difference was found between whites and Hispanics or other-race individuals for this measure. Conclusion Thus, public meetings are not necessarily fraught with a lack of minority representation, nor do minorities necessarily suffer from lower levels of political efficacy than whites. Findings indicate a potential for minority representation in public meetings. Thus, rather than dismissing public meetings as legally required rituals, there is reason to improve the methods used to mobilize attendance and facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government.
The multifaceted care of status epilepticus

After seizures have been controlled, long-term care of status epilepticus may be needed and collectively involves every major organ. First, as a result of rapid escalation of antiepileptic drugs, there are initial concerns with hypotension, acid-base abnormalities, and cardiac arrhythmias. Second, refractory status epilepticus and the continuous need for intravenous administration of anesthetic drugs will lead to a multitude of systemic complications that require long-term complex care. Most anticipated problems are infectious complications with a high risk of pneumonia and sepsis, but thromboembolism due to immobilization and catheter placement are also common. If a good outcome is possible or anticipated in a patient with refractory status epilepticus, physicians should plan for a surveillance and treatment protocol to adequately support these patients.
Effect of Mobile Phase pH on the Function of Other Optimization Parameters in an HPLC–ECD Assay of Biogenic Amines and Their Metabolites

We evaluated the effect of pH on other optimization factors for quantification of biogenic amines and metabolites by ion-pair reverse phase HPLC–ECD. Sequential changes were made in mobile phase pH, concentration of ion pairing agent and organic modifier to assess the primary function and secondary interaction of these parameters. The data show that pH adjustments within the range commonly reported alter the effects of other optimization factors on the retention of acid metabolites, but not neutral metabolites or the biogenic amines. The biogenic amine assay often requires fine adjustments to optimize retention of the target compounds. An understanding of the multiple effects of changes in mobile phase pH will facilitate optimization of this complex assay.
24-h Monitoring of plasma norepinephrine, MHPG, cortisol, growth hormone and prolactin in depression

Abstract Depression is associated with alterations in hormone and catecholamine circadian rhythms. Analysis of these alterations has the potential to distinguish between three neurobiological models of depression, the catecholamine model, the phase advance model and the dysregulation model. Although a number of studies of 24-h rhythms have been reported, inconsistencies among the findings have complicated efforts to model the chronobiology of depression. The present study takes advantage of frequent plasma sampling over the 24-h period and a multioscillator cosinor model to fit the 24-h rhythms. Method: Plasma levels of norepinephrine, cortisol, prolacatin and growth hormone were sampled at 30-min intervals, and MHPG at 60-min intervals, over a 24-h period in 22 patients with major depressive disorder and 20 healthy control volunteers. Results: The depressed patients had phase advanced circadian rhythms for cortisol, norepinephrine and MHPG, phase advanced hemicircadian rhythms for cortisol and prolactin, and a phase advanced ultradian rhythm for prolactin compared to healthy control subjects. In addition, the rhythm-corrected 24-h mean value (mesor) of norepinephrine was lower in the depressed patients compared to the healthy controls. There also was a poorer goodness-of-fit for norepinephrine to the circadian oscillator in the depressed patients relative to the healthy controls. Conclusions: These findings provide partial support for the dysregulation model of depression and are consistent with those studies that have found phase advances in cortisol, norepinephrine and MHPG rhythms in depression.
Molecular weights and molecular dimensions of linear and branched polyethylenes

The behavior of linear polyethylene in various solvents has been investigated by the light scattering, osmotic pressure and viscosity methods. It is shown that polyethylene associates in α-chloronaphthalene solution. The degree of association increases with molecular weight, but, at low molecular weights, it essentially vanishes. A comparison of molecular weights obtained from light scattering and osmotic pressure studies of solutions of polyethylene fractions in tetralin and-p-xylene yields no evidence of association over a broad range of molecular weights. The unperturbed molecular dimensions are shown to be considerably greater than those of polystyrene at the same degree of polymerization. In terms of Flory's theory of chain stiffness, linear polyethylene becomes competitive in stiffness with some cellulose derivatives of comparable temperatures. At a sufficiently high degree of polymerization, the Fox-Flory equation is obeyed.
Magnetic domain observations of nucleation processes in natural pyrrhotite and titanomagnetite

Magnetic domain patterns have been observed on particles of natural pyrrhotite and titanomagnetite undergoing hysteresis. These observations indicate that hysteresis properties are governed by two distinct mechanisms: (1) wall-pinning and (2) nucleation of reverse domains. Particles which are dominated by wall-pinning spontaneously nucleate reverse domains in saturation remanence (Jrs). The coercivity of such grains is determined by the presence of potential wells encountered by the wall in its traverse across the grain. However, many pseudosingle-domain particles (PSD) between 5 and 30 μm in diameter do not nucleate reverse domains in Jrs, but remain as saturated single-domains. These particles require a reverse field Hn to nucleate domain walls. When Hn is sufficiently large, the nucleating field controls magnetization reversal by driving the wall across the particle in a single Barkhausen jump, and the muscopic coercivity is nucleation-dominated. The proportion P (w=0) of particles of a given size d which fail to nucleate walls in Jrs is found to be given by A exp(−Bd12), where A and B are experimentally determined constants. The nucleation field Hn in pyrrhotite is observed to increase with decreasing grain size, exceeding 500 Oe in 5 μm particles. The difficulty with which reverse domains are nucleated subsequent to saturation may thus provide a mechanism for achieving the high values of Jrs/Js and coercive force observed in fine, pseudosingle-domain particles.
Gonadal status and body mass index jointly determine growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone/GH-releasing peptide synergy in healthy men.

Context: Sex steroid hormones potentiate whereas increased body mass index (BMI) represses GH secretion. Whether sex steroids modify the negative effect of BMI on secretagogue-induced GH secretion in men is not known. The issue is important in designing GH-stimulation regimens that are relatively insensitive to both gonadal status and adiposity. Objective: Our objective was to compare the relationships between BMI and peptide-stimulated GH secretion in men with normal and reduced testosterone and estradiol availability. Setting: The study was performed at an academic medical center. Subjects: Healthy young men were included in the study. Interventions: Randomized separate-day iv infusion of saline and/or maximally effective doses of L-arginine/GHRH, L-arginine/GH-releasing peptide (GHRP)-2, and GHRH/GHRP-2 in eugonadal (n = 12) and experimentally hypogonadal (n = 10) men was performed. Outcomes: Regression of paired secretagogue-induced GH responses on BMI was determined. Results: In eugonadal men, peak G...
Staying alive with SU(5)

Abstract The reliability of the simplest SU(5) predictions for proton lifetime and sin2θ is discussed. A split (10 + 10 ) fermion representation improves agreement with experiment.
Dynamics of a morse oscillator coupled to a bath of harmonic oscillators

Abstract A generalized master equation is derived for a Morse oscillator coupled to a bath of harmonic oscillators. Manipulation involving the Morse oscillator is facilitated by the use of an SU(2) algebra, and calculations related to the harmonic oscillators by using the ladder operators. The temporal evolution equations for the density matrix elements are also presented and their differences from the corresponding harmonic oscillator case pointed out.
Saving the nerve from glaucoma: memantine to caspaces.

Three recent discoveries regarding the pathophysiol-ogy of human glaucoma are that retinal ganglion cells die by apoptosis, that nitric oxide synthase levels are altered, and that glutamate is elevated in the vitreous. These findings provide encouraging new avenues for the development of neuroprotective strategies to alleviate ganglion cell loss and blindness that accompanies this disease. In this article, we discuss some of these data, as well as potential therapies that may arise from these findings.
A simplified classification of meteorites and its symbolism

An attempt is made in this paper to effect a simplification of the classification of meteorites and a revision of the symbols that pertain to it. Meteorites (symbol = Mi) are classified, first, into 3 divisions: aerolites (Ae), siderolites (So), and siderites (Si); second, into 7 classes: achondrites (A), chondrites (C), sideraerolites (S), lithosiderites (L), hexahedrites (H), octahedrites (O), and ataxites (D); and third, into 29 separately distinguishable subclasses, of which the symbol, in each case, indicates primarily the class to which the meteorite belongs. Table 1 is a list of 16 “Qualifying Symbols or Qualifiers”—single, lower-case letters—used in connection with the symbols of the divisions, the classes, and the subclasses—in the last-named case, to form the symbols of variants or secondary subclasses. Table 2, entitled “Subclasses of Meteorites and their Symbols,” gives the names of the subclasses and both their new and their old symbols. Several matters relating to this system of classification are discussed; the classificational sequence of meteorites, in terms of the 7 classes of meteorites, is reviewed in the light of it; and, finally, 3 recommendations are made concerning the system and its application to future studies of meteorites and meteoritic falls—in particular, statistical studies of the latter.
Angular correlation study of the Be9(α, n)C12∗ (γ4.43)C12 reaction

Abstract The angular correlation between the neutrons to the 4.43 MeV state and the γ-rays from this level to the ground state in C12 for the reaction Be9(α, nγ)C12 has been studied at a bombarding energy of 3.35 MeV. The correlations were measured both in the reaction plane and the azimuthal plane at four different neutron detector angles, viz. θn = −10°, −20°, −75° and −135°. The correlation for a certain θn was first measured in the reaction plane and the correlations in the azimuthal plane were then measured around and parallel to the symmetry axis found in the reaction plane. The symmetry axis for the different θn was found to be θsym = −5°, −15°, −50° and −85°, respectively.
Lattice parameters of fcc binary alloys using a new semiempirical method

A new method is presented for the calculation of heats of formation, lattice parameters and cohesive energies of binary alloys. The method is applied to some fcc alloys and compared with experimental data, as well as other semiempirical results.
Lanthanide-transition metal carbonyl complexes: condensation of solvent-separated ion-pair compounds into extended structures.

New solvent-separated ion-pair compounds and extended structures containing ytterbium(II)−transition metal isocarbonyl linkages were synthesized. [Yb(THF)6][M(CO)5]2 (1, M = Mn; 2, M = Re) were prepared via transmetalation reactions between Yb metal and Hg[M(CO)5]2 in THF. Reflux of 1 in Et2O afforded {Yb(THF)2(Et2O)2[(μ-CO)2Mn(CO)3]2}∞ (3) which is a sheet-layer structure. In ether solution, 3 is converted to {Yb(THF)4[(μ-CO)2Mn(CO)3]2}∞ (4) which has a linear structure. In both 3 and 4, ytterbium is 8-coordinated (distorted square antiprism geometry), four coordination sites occupied by molecules of solvent and four more by oxygen atoms of isocarbonyl linkages. The [Mn(CO)5]- anion has trigonal bipyramidal geometry and is linked to ytterbium through two equatorial carbonyls. The formation of two minor products, (THF)2Mn3(CO)10 (5) and [(THF)5Yb(μ-CO)Mn3(CO)13][Mn3(CO)14] (6), was observed during condensation of 1 into 3 and 4.
Management of Aortobronchial Fistula With an Aortic Stent-Graft

Aortobronchial fistula presenting as massive hemoptysis is a rapidly fatal process that is extremely difficult to manage. We report a case in which endovascular occlusion of a fistula between a thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm and lung was successfully managed by placement of an aortic endovascular stent-graft. Stent-grafting is a promising technique in managing complications of thoracic aneurysms and grafts.
Single-source manuals

Because corporations today face fierce international competition, they must produce and maintain high-quality documentation-but at minimal cost. Optimizing a writer's time and effort will no doubt become a key study area as we try to do more with less, without sacrificing quality. One way to increase a technical writer's productivity is to design documentation so that it covers a broader product area. This approach gets more use (or reuse) of the text. The paper describes the productivity and cost benefits of creating single-source manuals, that is, two or more manuals output from the same set of source files created and updated by one writer. It also describes how to create single-source manuals based on an actual case. >
Ratoon Stunting Disease

Ratoon stunting disease (RSD) is one of the most economically damaging disease if not the most damaging to sugarcane worldwide with yield losses ranging from near zero to 30% or more depending on variety and growing conditions. Historially, the standard control practice has been heat-therapy of seedcane in conjunction with disease-free narseries in order to produce RSD-free seedcane for planting commercial fields. Even with the best management systems RSD-free seedcane is difficult to maintain because the pathogen is easily spread by knives and machines used in cutting the sugarcane stalks for harvests and planting. Routine disease diagnosis, screening programs for resistant cultivars and research on RSD was hampered until the development of reliable assays. Several serological assays are presently used to routinely diagnose and monitor the disease in seedcane nurseries. The selection of resistant sugarcane clones is now possible and should become another mechanism in controlling RSD.