cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of abdominal surgical outcomes between African–American and Caucasian Crohn’s patients

Whether race affects the natural history of Crohn’s disease is a matter of debate. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the differences in surgical outcomes between African–American (AA) and Caucasian (C) Crohn’s patients undergoing surgery at a tertiary care referral center. With Institutional Review Board approval, the medical records of our institution were queried to identify consecutive AA and C patients who underwent surgery for Crohn’s disease from December 1, 2009 to December 15, 2011. A retrospective chart review was performed using electronic medical records. A total of 77 patients were included in this study, including 32 AA (41 %) and 45 C (59 %). No significant differences were seen with respect to age, gender, type of insurance, preoperative exposure to immunosuppressives, body mass index, or smoking history between the two populations (p > 0.05). There was a trend toward lower albumin in AAs (p = 0.09). AA and C patients who underwent their first Crohn’s disease (CD)-related surgery had similar lag periods between diagnosis and surgery. No significant differences were seen in location of disease, indication for operation, and need for open laparotomy over laparoscopy. No significant differences were seen in need for a repeat operation within 90 days of the original surgery or major postoperative complications. There was a trend toward higher rate of minor complications in the AA group (p = 0.07). No significant differences were noted in the current study in several preoperative variables and surgical outcomes between AA and C.
Landmark learning: An illustration of associative search

In a previous paper we defined the associative search problem and presented a system capable of solving it under certain conditions. In this paper we interpret a spatial learning problem as an associative search task and describe the behavior of an adaptive network capable of solving it. This example shows how naturally the associative search problem can arise and permits the search, association, and generalization properties of the adaptive network to bee clearly illustrated.
Correlation of stratigraphic sections by continuous variables

Abstract A technique is presented to obtain greater stratigraphic resolution than methods based on unique events. The information content of the stratigraphic record between unique events in any two sections is used to calculate a cross-correlation coefficient. Stratigraphic correlation is obtained by varying the stretching or shrinking of the records to maximize the cross-correlation coefficient. This procedure yields the relative sedimentation rates of the two sections being compared.
Do Teachers Who Read Personally Use Recommended Literacy Practices in Their Classrooms

Abstract Elementary teachers have been encouraged to serve as models of reading for their students. They have also been advised to implement specific literacy instructional practices in their classrooms. Although such suggestions are common and are considered to be sound advice, the research literature offers limited support for them. In this study, 1874 elementary teachers nationwide were surveyed to determine their level of commitment as readers, as well as to establish their use of recommended literacy instructional practices. Among the results was a significant linear relationship between teachers who read personally and their use of recommended literacy practices in their classrooms. Significant results were also found regarding differences among teachers by grade level, teacher age, and years of teaching experience. Specific recommendations are provided based on results of the survey.
Developing shared home behavior datasets to advance HCI and ubiquitous computing research

Researchers in human-computer interaction and allied fields are increasingly interested in using new sensing capabilities to create context-aware interfaces and devices for the home. Data from sensors worn on the body or installed in an environment can be used by algorithms to infer what activities the home occupant may be engaged in and enable applications to respond accordingly. This one-day CHI'09 workshop would convene a multidisciplinary group of researchers to discuss strategies for creating community resources that might accelerate research on development of home technologies. In particular, the participants will discuss how to collaboratively gather high quality synchronized data streams from real homes, as well as qualitative material about home occupants and their behaviors. The resultant datasets could facilitate work on context modeling and enable researchers in other areas of HCI to explore contextual factors influencing the use of technology in naturalistic settings. The outcome of the workshop will be a community index of existing shared datasets of home behavior and guidelines for those interested in creating and disseminating new datasets.
Sex differences in response to oral amitriptyline in three animal models of depression in C57BL/6J mice

Rationale Knockout and transgenic mice provide a tool for assessing the mechanisms of action of antidepressants. The effectiveness of oral administration of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline (AMI) was assessed in C57BL/6J (B6) mice, a common genetic background on which knockout and transgenic mice are maintained. Objectives We determined whether oral AMI would have antidepressant-like effects in B6 mice and whether these effects varied according to sex, duration of treatment, and the depression model utilized. Methods Male and female B6 mice were administered AMI (200 mgrg/ml) in the drinking water as the sole source of fluid, along with 2% saccharin to increase palatability. Control mice were administered 2% saccharin alone. Mice were assessed for responsiveness to AMI in the tail suspension test (TST), the forced swim test (FST), and the learned helplessness (LH) paradigm. Results In the TST, AMI decreased immobility time regardless of sex or duration of treatment. AMI also decreased immobility time in the FST, but chronic treatment was necessary for full efficacy in both sexes. In the LH paradigm, both subchronic and chronic AMI treatment decreased escape latencies in female mice, but AMI was effective only after chronic treatment in males. The antidepressant-like effects of AMI could not be explained by differences in locomotor activity because activity levels were not altered by antidepressant treatment. Conclusions Overall, oral AMI administration provides a valid model for behavioral assessment of antidepressant-like effects in knockout and transgenic mice maintained on a B6 background, but the effectiveness of oral AMI varies depending on sex, duration of treatment, and the depression model used.
Developmental effects of dioxins and related endocrine disrupting chemicals

Alteration of hormones has long been known to affect development. TCDD and related PHAHs modulate the levels of many hormonal systems. Dioxins cause a spectrum of morphological and functional developmental deficits. Fetotoxicity, thymic atrophy, and structural malformations are often noted. Delayed genitourinary tract effects have been observed, and recent studies reported behavioral effects. Highly exposed human offspring have exhibited developmental problems as well. Recently, hormonal and neurological abnormalities have been reported in infants from the general population. The complex alteration of multiple endocrine systems is likely associated with the spectrum of adverse developmental effects caused by dioxin and related compounds.
Impact charging of an isolated cylinder with skewed field and flow

Abstract The charging of a cylinder due to impacting charged particulate is analyzed when the imposed electric field and inviscid fluid flow are in arbitrary directions. In a quasi-static limit and neglecting self-field effects the combined field and flow stream function is a constant along the particle trajectories. Separation streamlines which pass through points where the total force on the particleis zero divide those trajectories which deposit charge onto the cylinder from those which travel past. The cases of co-linear and crossed field and flow are particularly examined.
The Audacity of Hope

As the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois, Barack Obama electrified the country with his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. After having served only 2 years in his first term as a U.S. senator from Illinois, Senator Obama in 2007 announced his candidacy for president of the United States of America. He is the rising star in the Democratic Party and regularly draws huge crowds at his campaign events. He is only the third African American of a major political party to run for the office of the president. Obama is extremely charismatic and appeals to voters across racial lines and party lines. The heart of his campaign is a message of hope that transcends race and attempts to bring a divided country together.
Bayesian deconvolution analysis of pulsatile hormone concentration profiles.

De nombreuses hormones sont secretees dans le systeme circulatoire de facon pulsatile. et sont eliminees exponentiellement. La methode la plus habituelle pour analyser ces systemes est de faire une deconvolution entre une fonction de secretion et une fonction d'elimination. L'estimation precise des parametres du modele depend du nombre et de la position des pulses secretoires. A ce jour, l'analyse par deconvolution suppose connus a-priori et le nombre et la position approximative de ces pulses. Dans cet article nous presentons une approche bayesienne de deconvolution pour un modele joint pour le nombre de pulses avec tous les autres parametres du modele. Notre methode effectue une recherche stochastique des pulses secretoire. Pour cela nous envisageons l'ensemble des parametres comme un processus ponctuel. Les pulses sont determines selon un processus de naissance-et-mort insere dans un algorithme MCMC. Cette idee tire son origine de Stephens (2000a) dans le contexte de l'estimation d'un modele de melange fini de distributions ou le nombre de composants du melange est inconnu. Notre modele presente plusieurs avantages par rapport aux approches frequentistes traditionnelles. Ces avantages sont mis en evidence par quatre ensembles de donnees relatifs aux niveaux de concentration serique de l'hormone LH, obtenus a partir de brebis ovariectomisees.
Microwave assisted exfoliation and reduction of graphite oxide for ultracapacitors

We report a simple yet versatile method to simultaneously achieve the exfoliation and reduction of graphite oxide. By treating graphite oxide powders in a commercial microwave oven, reduced graphite oxide materials could be readily obtained within 1 min. Extensive characterizations showed that the as-prepared materials consisted of crumpled, few-layer thick and electronically conductive graphitic sheets. Using the microwave exfoliated graphite oxide as electrode material in an ultracapacitor cell, specific capacitance values as high as 191 F/g have been demonstrated with KOH electrolyte.
Time evolution of average rotation axis directions and mean rotation angles of pressurized liquid methyl iodide by molecular dynamics simulation

The rotational motion of liquid methyl iodide has been modelled by molecular dynamics simulations under input parameters optimized from literature values to yield the experimental enthalpy of vaporization and permanent dipole moment of the molecule. First, it is shown that results describing the correlation function of the tumbling motion of the molecules agree reasonably well with some corresponding findings from a spectroscopic Raman study. Second, the rotational motion involving the spinning component around the molecule's symmetry axis was simulated, an effect inaccessible by experiment. Third, and most relevant to the author's interests, a group-theoretical formalism was used that generates the time evolution of the average direction of the average rotation axis as well as the mean rotation angle around it. This approach allowed a more realistic understanding of the effects of density and temperature on molecular rotational motion, as well as a better quantification of the influence of short-time ine...
Comparison of two techniques for applying disjunctive kriging: the Gaussian anamorphosis model versus the direct statistical inference of the bivariate distributions

Indicator cokriging is an alternative to disjunctive kriging for estimation of spatial distributions. One way to determine which of these techniques is more accurate for estimation of spatial distributions is to apply each to a particular type of data. A procedure is developed for evaluation of disjunctive kriging and indicator cokriging for such an application. Application of this procedure to earthquake ground motion data found disjunctive kriging to be at least as accurate as indicator cokriging for estimation of spatial distributions of peak horizontal acceleration. Indicator cokriging was superior for all other types of earthquake ground motion data.
Evidence that the eosinophil is a cellular target for the inhibitory action of salmeterol on eosinophil recruitment in vivo

Systemic administration of agents which elevate cyclic AMP (e.g., phosphodiesterase inhibitors, prostanoids, beta-adrenoceptor agonists) effectively modulates eosinophil recruitment in vivo. The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether the eosinophil itself is a cellular target for the inhibitory action of these drugs in vivo. We chose to use the long-acting beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist salmeterol to test this hypothesis. Eosinophils were pretreated with salmeterol (10(-6) M) before washing and testing in two salmeterol-sensitive systems, namely eosinophil aggregation and 111In-eosinophil accumulation in guinea-pig skin. Pretreatment with salmeterol inhibited by 65% and 43% eosinophil aggregation induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF) and human recombinant C5a, respectively. Similarly, 111In-eosinophil accumulation induced by PAF and zymosan-activated plasma, a source of guinea-pig des-Arg-C5a, was inhibited by 55% and 45%, respectively. In contrast, the level of circulating 111In-eosinophils at 1 h was enhanced by 35% in animals which received salmeterol-pretreated 111In-eosinophils. Our results suggest that the eosinophil itself is one of the cellular targets of the inhibitory action of systemically administered salmeterol on eosinophil recruitment in vivo.
Which bug should I fix: helping new developers onboard a new project

A typical entry point for new developers in an open source project is to contribute a bug fix. However, finding an appropriate bug and an appropriate fix for that bug requires a good understanding of the project, which is nontrivial. Here, we extend Tesseract - an interactive project exploration environment - to allow new developers to search over bug descriptions in a project to quickly identify and explore bugs of interest and their related resources. More specifically, we extended Tesseract with search capabilities that enable synonyms and similar-bugs search over bug descriptions in a bug repository. The goal is to enable users to identify bugs of interest, resources related to that bug, (e.g., related files, contributing developers, communication records), and visually explore the appropriate socio-technical dependencies for the selected bug in an interactive manner. Here we present our search extension to Tesseract.
A Retrovirus Uses a Cationic Amino Acid Transporter as a Cell Surface Receptor

New studies have indicated that the cell membrane receptor for the ecotropic murine leukemia virus is the classic membrane amino acid transporter y+, the principal transporter of cationic L-acids in mammalian cells. This finding has been hailed as a landmark in cell physiology which may reveal new mechanisms of viral pathogenesis. These studies represent the first amino acid transporter to be cloned, as well as the first example of a virus subverting a transmembrane protein as a receptor.
Characteristics of Cluster Formation in a Population of Globally Coupled Electrochemical Oscillators: An Experiment-Based Phase Model Approach

We show that cluster formation in interacting oscillators can be characterized using phase models that are developed from direct experiments with a single oscillator. One- and two-cluster states are analyzed in the phase model; the description is verified in independent experiments in sets of chemical oscillators. The experiment-based model properly describes the occurrence of one- and two-clusters; in addition, it is shown that the most stable two-cluster state exists with a balanced configuration.
Weak-coupling model of spin fluctuations in the superconducting state of the layered cuprates.

Previous work on the modeling of normal-state spin fluctuations in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ is extended to the superconducting state. In this paper the effect of superconductivity on the spin fluctuations is approximately treated by using the BCS result for the irreducible susceptibility that enters the random-phase-approximation expression for the dynamic spin susceptibility. The resulting susceptibility is then used to calculate Cu(2) and O(2,3) Knight shifts and nuclear relaxation rates. Calculations are done using both s- and d-wave gap symmetries. A comparison of the results with the experimental NMR data on ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ is presented.
Synthesis of thiol functionalized organo-ceramic adsorbent by sol-gel technology

Abstract A new high performance adsorbent (SOL-AD) is synthesized by the sol–gel processing technique for the purpose of treatment of cadmium and mercury ions contaminated aqueous streams. In order to synthesize this adsorbent, the functional precursor (3-merceptopropyltrimethoxysilane) and the cross-linking agent (tetraethoxysilane) are hydrolyzed and co-condensed in an acidic water and ethanol mixture followed by gelation in a basic solution. This organo–ceramic adsorbent has high uptake capacities for cadmium and mercury ions. Especially, SOL-AD-IV synthesized at the optimal conditions has uptake capacities of 222 and 1284 mg/g of cadmium and mercury ions, respectively. These uptake capacities are considerably higher than those of covalently functionalized ceramic adsorbents and other functionalized polymeric resins. In addition, the beneficial properties of ceramic adsorbents, such as strong mechanical, thermal, and chemical stabilities are maintained. This paper discusses the effects of sol–gel processing parameters on the properties of SOL-AD adsorbents and the adsorption/desorption of cadmium and mercury ions on the SOL-AD-IV adsorbent.
Ultrashort Pulse Laser Ablation for Depth Profiling of Bacterial Biofilms.

Sample ablation by pulsed lasers is one option for removing material from a sample surface for in situ depth profiling during imaging mass spectrometry, but ablation is often limited by laser-induced damage of the remaining material. A preliminary evaluation was performed of sub-100-fs, 800 nm pulsed laser ablation for depth profiling of bacterial biofilms grown on glass by the drip flow method. Electron and optical microscopy were combined with laser desorption vacuum ultraviolet postionization mass spectrometry to analyze biofilms before and after ablation. Ultrashort laser pulses can ablate 10–100 μm thick sections of bacterial biofilms, leaving behind a layer of lysed cells. However, mass spectra from intact and ablated biofilms doped with antibiotic are almost identical, indicating little chemical degradation by ablation. These results are consistent with prior observations from laser surgery and support the use of ultrashort pulse laser ablation for minimally disruptive depth profiling of bacterial biofilms and intact biological samples.
Nature of hole states in cuprate superconductors

Abstract This study addresses the nature of the hole states in the high oxidation state cuprates. From the thermochemistry of oxidation in the cuprate superconductors, specifically inLa 2− x A x CuO 4− x /2+δ ( A =Ba, Sr, Ca, Pb) and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+δ , a model is proposed that assigns a major fraction of the holes in these “Cu 3+ ” materials to states which chemically are “peroxidelike,” involving holes paired on adjacent oxygens. Based on this hypothesis previously reported structural observations on NaCuO 2 , KCuO 2 ,La 2− x Sr x CuO 4−x/2+δ , and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+δ are modeled. Electrical properties (including superconductivity) of the high oxidation state cuprates are closely related to these structural trends.
Spatial characteristics of the difference between MISR and MODIS aerosol optical depth retrievals over mainland Southeast Asia

The difference between aerosol optical depths (AODs) retrieved from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is examined over mainland Southeast Asia from a spatial perspective. Though ideally the difference between these measurement methods should be small and randomly distributed over space, our analysis suggests that this difference has a strong negative relationship with MODIS AODs and tend to be spatially clustered. We quantify the spatial dependence in MISR/MODIS AOD differences and explore the extent to which the spatial patterns in these differences can be explained by variables that reflect the influence of physical environment and human activities. While these variables show a strong relationship with MISR/MODIS AOD differences, the results also suggest that further research is needed to fully understand the spatial dependence in these differences.
Exploration of reasons for feeding choices in Hispanic mothers.

PURPOSE To explore factors that contribute to feeding choices Hispanic women make for their newborn infants in the immediate postpartum period, with a focus on the phenomenon of "los dos," breastfeeding with formula supplementation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A descriptive qualitative design that utilized a semistructured interview guide with open-ended questions was used. Qualitative data preparation and analysis methods were used to identify themes surrounding feeding choices. The sample included 19 women within 48 hours of giving birth who self-identified as Spanish speakers. RESULTS Reasons included 1) previous experience; 2) "no llora con hambre" (no crying for hunger); 3) "para salud" (for health); and 4) to prevent suffering that might occur when the mother and infant were separated while the mother worked "no quiero que sufra mientras trabajo." CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Discussion of infant feeding choices should occur prior to birth since many mothers decide on feeding method while still pregnant. At the first prenatal visit identification of preference should occur to include not just breast or formula, but also asking about "los dos." Educational interventions that directly address the "los dos" feeding practice should be culturally appropriate, evaluated and disseminated for use in the prenatal period. Influential family members should be included in prenatal visits and educational sessions to help assure that the woman is not receiving mixed messages at home. Assessment of the workplace environment should also occur during the prenatal period with an exploration of how pumping and storing of breast milk might be possible once women return to work after the baby's birth.
Unexpected Diastereoselective Acetylation of 1,8‐Dimethoxyanthracene Adducts with Maleic Anhydride and Dimethyl Maleate

Friedel–Crafts acetylation of adducts between 1,8-dimethoxyanthracene and maleic anhydride or dimethyl maleate proceeds with a strong preference toward the syn diastereomer. This stereoselectivity is especially prominent for the anhydride counterpart. Dependence of the observed selectivity on the adduct structure is rationalized by the analysis of computed HOMO energies of the reactants and relative energies of the intermediate σ-complexes. The possible undesired intermolecular condensation of the anhydride did not take place because of steric hindrance. Structures of the reaction products were unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). The reported stereoselectivity of acetylation provides facile access to compounds with the functionalized benzene ring in a syn arrangement with respect to the pendant carboxyl substituents.
Consistency and inconsistency in Canadian party identifications: Towards an institutional approach

Abstract Studies of the Canadian electorate have revealed a far more fluid pattern to party identification than might be expected from using the Michigan approach. Voters not only change identifications relatively frequently they also may possess different identifications for each level of government—federal and provincial. This paper explores these patterns by examining in greater detail the relationship between federal and provincial party identifications. We find that the two sets of identifications are interrelated in a manner which suggests an underlying system to party identification formation that in turn raises the question of the importance of institutional factors to mass behaviour.
Enterprise system implementation in national and local Korean police agencies: a case study

Enterprise systems promise to bring various benefits to organizations. However, the dynamics of user adoption are not well understood, which makes fully realizing these expected benefits is challenging. A major difficulty arises from the fact that enterprise systems impose structures on adopting organizations based on best practices in the field, but users-in-context also influence the structure that is actually realized. In this study, structuration theory was adopted in order to examine the dynamics of human interactions with technological artifacts during technology use. From exploratory interview data regarding the use of On-Nara, the Korean government enterprise system, at the national and local police agencies, certain individual characteristics, institutional rules, and available technologies were found to affect the ways in which users enact On-Nara. Some users creatively modified certain functionalities of modules. Also, recursive use of On-Nara brought subtle changes to user practices by creating new processes of collective discussion, and by lessening the rigidity of hierarchy. Further, the system's original goals and the users' perception of the goals did not always match. Indeed, use of the system evolved with its own "spirit." The study's findings will benefit both public and business organizations by providing insights regarding how users make sense of, and decide to actually use, features and functionalities of enterprise systems.
Electrochemical Behavior of Graphite Electrodes Modified by Spin-Coating with Sol−Gel-Entrapped Ionomers

Tetraethoxysilane sol−gel doped with poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDMDAAC) and poly(vinylsulfonic acid, sodium salt) (PVSA) has been prepared to provide a simple method to produce electrodes coated with new ion-exchange glasses. Electrochemical sensors prepared by spin-coating spectroscopic grade graphite rods with these sol−gel ionomers have been developed. Sol−gel-modified electrodes were evaluated with Ru(bipy)32+ and Fe(CN)64- as analytes using square wave voltammetry. The results indicate a porous coating where diffusion of the analyte through the sol−gel film to the electrode surface occurred. Analyte preconcentration within the polymer-modified sol−gel network resulted in an improvement in detection limits of 1−2 orders of magnitude compared to bare electrodes. The sol−gel−PDMDAAC-modified electrodes give a linear calibration curve for Fe(CN)64- from 1 × 10-6 to 1 × 10-4 M and a detection limit of 7 × 10-7 M. The response could be reproduced at different electrodes with an 18% relative s...
Effects of prenatal and neonatal androgen on estrous cyclicity and attractiveness of female hamsters.

Abstract The influence of prenatal (2 mg testosterone propionate (TP) on days 12–15 of gestation) and neonatal (200 μg TP, 24–36 hr after birth) androgenization on the behavioral estrous cyclicity, genital morphology and attractiveness of female hamster was investigated. Ninety-seven percent of control animals exhibited normal 4-day estrous cyclicity, whereas only 64% of the prenatally and 33% of the neonatally androgenized females had 4-day cycles. Prenatal TP treated females had significantly longer ano-genital distances than neonatal TP treated females. Both groups of androgenized females had longer ano-genital distances than their respective control groups. Sexually experienced male hamsters spent significantly more time investigating anesthetized oil-treated control females than either prenatally or neonatally androgenized females. There was no significant difference in the attractivity of the two TP treated groups when compared to each other. Similar results were obtained when the males were also administered olfactory preference tests. These results suggest that the development of sexual attractiveness in the female hamster can be influenced by the presence of androgen during the prenatal and neonatal period.
Variability of El Niño/Southern Oscillation activity at millennial timescales during the Holocene epoch

The variability of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the Holocene epoch, in particular on millennial timescales, is poorly understood. Palaeoclimate studies have documented ENSO variability for selected intervals in the Holocene, but most records are either too short or insufficiently resolved to investigate variability on millennial scales1,2,3. Here we present a record of sedimentation in Laguna Pallcacocha, southern Ecuador, which is strongly influenced by ENSO variability, and covers the past 12,000 years continuously. We find that changes on a timescale of 2–8 years, which we attribute to warm ENSO events, become more frequent over the Holocene until about 1,200 years ago, and then decline towards the present. Periods of relatively high and low ENSO activity, alternating at a timescale of about 2,000 years, are superimposed on this long-term trend. We attribute the long-term trend to orbitally induced changes in insolation, and suggest internal ENSO dynamics as a possible cause of the millennial variability. However, the millennial oscillation will need to be confirmed in other ENSO proxy records.
Polyphenols as novel treatment options for dermatological diseases: A systematic review of clinical trials

AbstractBackground: Polyphenol phytochemicals demonstrate biological properties in vitro and in vivo that have led to the development of novel treatments for certain dermatological conditions. Objective: We sought to provide clinicians with an overview of clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of polyphenol-based therapies and highlight novel treatments and the evidence available supporting their use. Methods: PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched to 4 July 2014. Two independent reviewers reviewed published abstracts for inclusion. References were also manually searched for relevant studies. Data were extracted independently from eligible studies and discrepancies were adjudicated by consensus. Results: Our search yielded 356 unique abstracts, of which 17 studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Polyphenols were used in topical and oral forms. High-quality evidence suggests that green tea polyphenols may be effective in treating anogenital warts. Limited available evidence in...
Distributed parallel data storage systems: a scalable approach to high speed image servers

We have designed, built, and analyzed a distributed parallel storage system that will supply image streams fast enough to permit multi-user, “real-time”, video-like applications in a wide-area ATM network-based Internet environment. We have based the implementation on user-level code in order to secure portability; we have characterized the performance bottlenecks arising from operating system and hardware issues, and based on this have optimized our design to make the best use of the available performance. Although at this time we have only operated with a few classes of data, the approach appears to be capable of providing a scalable, high-performance, and economical mechanism to provide a data storage system for several classes of data (including mixed multimedia streams), and for applications (clients) that operate in a high-speed network environment.
Revised Robertson's test theory of special relativity: Space-time structure and dynamics

The experimental testing of the Lorentz transformations is based on a family of sets of coordinate transformations that do not comply in general with the principle of equivalence of the inertial frames. The Lorentz and Galilean sets of transformations are the only member sets of the family that satisfy this principle. In the neighborhood of regular points of space-time, all members in the family are assumed to comply with local homogeneity of space-time and isotropy of space in at least one free-falling elevator, to be denoted as Robertson'sab initio rest frame [H. P. Robertson,Rev. Mod. Phys.21, 378 (1949)].
Precipitation at grain boundaries in the commercial alloy Al 7075

Abstract Grain boundary precipitation in a commercial alloy 7075 Al has been studied using transmission electron microscopy. The crystallography of the precipitates and the matrix is characterized in terms of the misorientation between the grains and the orientation of the grain boundary. The only particles observed at both low and high angle boundaries were precipitates of the equilibrium η phase. Precipitation tends to occur by the establishment of a crystallographic orientation relationship with respect to one grain. A single variant is normally found at a boundary at which copious precipitation occurs; this is frequently the case at low angle boundaries. The grain boundary orientation plays the decisive role on the nucleation of the precipitates. Whenever the boundary plane is close to the habit plane of particular variant, copious nucleation of that variant occurs. The grain boundary orientation also plays an important role in precipitate growth through its influence on the mobility of the nucleus-matrix interface, which strongly depends on the orientation of the interface.
Vascular abnormalities associated with long-term cigarette smoking identified by arterial waveform analysis.

Purpose Consistent changes in the arterial pulse contour are found with aging and disease states that impair the compliance characteristics of blood vessels that buffer pulsatile phenomena in the arterial tree. We assessed whether vascular adaptation in structure or tone of blood vessels associated with long-term cigarette smoking would influence steady state or pulsatile hemodynamics at a preclinical stage. Patients and methods We analyzed intraarterial brachial artery waveforms in 35 healthy long-term cigarette smokers and 32 nonsmoking control subjects matched for age and gender. The diastolic pressure decay was segmented into two components: an exponential decay that reflects the compliance characteristics of the large arteries and an oscillatory diastolic waveform generated principally by pulsewave reflections from small arteries and arterioles. Results Resting heart rate was higher in smokers than nonsmokers, mean ± SD (66 ± 9 versus 60 ± 10; P P P Conclusions Quantitative changes in the arterial waveform were found in long-term smokers compared with nonsmoking control subjects. The altered arterial waveshape marks the presence of abnormal structure or tone in the peripheral vasculature that affects pulsatile arterial function. This measure of vascular injury is detectable at a preclinical stage and may relate to the subsequent risk of morbid events in chronic smokers and aid in clinical risk stratification.
Acute upper airway obstruction

Abstract Acute upper airway obstruction continues to challenge medical practitioners who care for children. Whilst usually straightforward, management can be complicated by incorrect diagnosis, unexpected deterioration, difficulty in assessing the need for intubation, difficulty in providing optimal intubation skills and confusion over the value of various therapies. The highest priority is preventing death or hypoxic injury in those few children who progress to profound obstruction. In this overview, the term laryngotracheitis is used as a synonym for croup and laryngotracheobronchitis, epiglottitis is used as a synonym for supraglottitis, and bacterial tracheitis is used as a synonym for pseudomembranous croup. The term ‘intubation’ is used as an abbreviation for mechanical relief of airway obstruction.
A multi-group analysis of structural invariance: an illustration using the technology acceptance model

Selecting the appropriate mix of functional and/or interface characteristics to achieve user acceptance has proven to be a more challenging and difficult decision than expected. While numerous studies have shown that the technology acceptance model (TAM) is useful for predicting acceptance, estimates of its structural weights are not consistent across studies. Using initial exposure data from 742 users of office suite applications (i.e., spreadsheet, database, word processing, and graphics), our research illustrated the use of multi-group analysis of structural invariance (MASI) to test differences in structural weights across population subgroups for latent variables in TAM. We argue that, for large sample studies containing latent variables, MASI may be a more appropriate test of differences for structural weights/regression coefficients than analysis of covariance. The managerial implications of the results in setting functionality and interface goals and allocating resources to continued development efforts are discussed.
Re-covering Mies van der Rohe's Weissenhof: The Ultimate Surface

Abstract Conveying an image of anonymous modernity to the public, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe focused on the exterior surface of his own apartment block for the 1927Weissenhof housing exhibition in Stuttgart. Privileging external imagery over internal innovation, Mies' main facade advertised standardization and rationalization versus flexibility and creativity within the apartment units. Rather than display a new type of housing, Mies relied on a traditional Berlin apartment template, recycling it beneath a new thin skin. In relation to his previous glass skyscraper projects, Mies exhibited what Theo van Doesburg termed “the ultimate surface.”
Everybody else is doing it: Exploring social transmission of lying behavior

Lying is a common occurrence in social interactions, but what predicts whether an individual will tell a lie? While previous studies have focused on personality factors, here we asked whether lying tendencies might be transmitted through social networks. Using an international sample of 1,687 socially connected pairs, we investigated whether lying tendencies were related in socially connected individuals, and tested two moderators of observed relationships. Participants recruited through a massive open online course reported how likely they would be to engage in specific lies; a friend or relative responded to the same scenarios independently. We classified lies according to their beneficiary (antisocial vs. prosocial lies), and their directness (lies of commission vs. omission), resulting in four unique lying categories. Regression analyses showed that antisocial commission, antisocial omission, and prosocial commission lying tendencies were all uniquely related in connected pairs, even when the analyses were limited to pairs that were not biologically related. For antisocial lies of commission, these relationships were strongest, and were moderated by amount of time spent together. Randomly paired individuals from the same countries were also related in their antisocial commission lying tendencies, signifying country-level norms. Our results indicate that a person's lying tendencies can be predicted by the lying tendencies of his or her friends and family members.
Invited Migration from Argentina, Hispanidad, and Spain's Tightened Borders: Ariadna Pujol's Documentary, Aguaviva (2006)

AbstractThis paper examines how Ariadna Pujol's prize-winning documentary, Aguaviva (2006), creatively addresses the complexities of contemporary invited migration from Argentina into rural Spain in the context of tightened migration policies. The film thus places Latin American immigration into a context different from the US focus on undocumented movement from south of the US–Mexico border that is based on considering Latin American migrants as racially different from the majority US nation. Aguaviva documents a repopulation project that invited carefully preselected migrant families from Argentina to the small Spanish town of Aguaviva based on the notion of a shared ethnic affinity between Spaniards and Latin Americans as symbolized in the notion of Hispanidad. Through its use of traditional documentary formats, the film explores the ensuing conflicts between the townspeople and the newcomers, especially their diverging ideas about national identities, assimilation, and spatial imageries, in order to q...
Basal Cell Induced Differentiation of Noncancerous Prostate Epithelial Cells (RWPE-1) by Glycitein

Increased consumption of soy and soy isoflavones is associated with a reduced risk for prostate cancer (PCa). PCa progression is characterized, in part, by a loss of luminal/basal epithelial differentiation; however, the effects of soy isoflavones on cellular differentiation in the prostate are unknown. The present study examined the effects of the soy isoflavone glycitein on cellular differentiation in prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1, WPE1-NB14, and RWPE-2). Glycitein significantly inhibited RWPE-1 cellular proliferation at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 50 μ M. Expression of the luminal epithelial cell marker cytokeratin 18 was not affected by glycitein treatment in the WPE1-NB14 and RWPE-2 cell lines. However, expression of cytokeratin 18 and prostate specific antigen (PSA) was decreased in the RWPE-1 cell line in response to glycitein treatment, whereas the expression of the basal epithelial cell markers p63 and cytokeratin 5 remained unchanged. These data suggest that glycitein may induce basal...
Total worker health and work-life stress

Objective:Review relationships between work–life stress and health behaviors to advance understanding of pathways between occupational and individual risk factors and health and safety outcomes.Methods:A background on the Total Worker Health concept is provided, and a review of research on the relat
Using neutron angular anisotropy information to dynamically determine the ratio of the (α,n) rate to spontaneous fission rate for coincidence counting applications

Abstract Typically, when neutron coincidence or multiplicity counting is performed, there are three unknowns: the sample mass, the leakage self-multiplication, and the ratio of the ( α , n ) rate of the source to the spontaneous fission rate. For a given counting time, the strength of the source or the detector efficiency must be sufficiently high for the singles, doubles, and triples count rates to represent statistically meaningful quantities. Often, the strength of the source and the allotted counting time are such that only the singles and doubles count rates are statistically meaningful. In this latter case, the ratio of ( α , n ) to the spontaneous fission must be estimated through some other means. With a simulated ( α , n ) rate, the two equations related to the singles and doubles count rates can be used to determine the sample mass. In order to determine the ratio of ( α , n ) to spontaneous fission rate of the source, the isotopic composition of the sample as well as the light element impurities inside the source must be known. Ideally, there would be a way to dynamically determine the ( α , n ) rate of the source from count rate information. In this paper, it is shown that the ( α , n ) rate of the source can be determined by using information about the ratio of the number of coincident neutrons at 180° to the number at 90°. By using this information, the three aforementioned unknowns can be dynamically determined through the sole use of singles and doubles count rates.
Validating a new methodology for optical probe design and image registration in fNIRS studies

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an imaging technique that relies on the principle of shining near-infrared light through tissue to detect changes in hemodynamic activation. An important methodological issue encountered is the creation of optimized probe geometry for fNIRS recordings. Here, across three experiments, we describe and validate a processing pipeline designed to create an optimized, yet scalable probe geometry based on selected regions of interest (ROIs) from the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) literature. In experiment 1, we created a probe geometry optimized to record changes in activation from target ROIs important for visual working memory. Positions of the sources and detectors of the probe geometry on an adult head were digitized using a motion sensor and projected onto a generic adult atlas and a segmented head obtained from the subject's MRI scan. In experiment 2, the same probe geometry was scaled down to fit a child's head and later digitized and projected onto the generic adult atlas and a segmented volume obtained from the child's MRI scan. Using visualization tools and by quantifying the amount of intersection between target ROIs and channels, we show that out of 21 ROIs, 17 and 19 ROIs intersected with fNIRS channels from the adult and child probe geometries, respectively. Further, both the adult atlas and adult subject-specific MRI approaches yielded similar results and can be used interchangeably. However, results suggest that segmented heads obtained from MRI scans be used for registering children's data. Finally, in experiment 3, we further validated our processing pipeline by creating a different probe geometry designed to record from target ROIs involved in language and motor processing.
Equal Credit Opportunity Legislation and Indicators of Credit Worthiness: An Economic Study of Women Applicants for Credit in California

Although much equal credit opportunity legislation has been passed in recent years, little has been done to ascertain whether the new laws have actually altered lending practices or whether the practices were sex-biased initially. This research makes use of a sample of 241 women from five counties in California to show what factors affect the probability of credit extension to women in that state, and whether these variables are different from those that were associated with lending practices before the law's passage. The results indicate that prior to the passage of the law, several market indices, including home ownership and spousal support, were associated with an applicant's ability to obtain credit. After passage of the law these indices were no longer significant predictors of loan approval. Within the limits of the data and the design used here, the empirical evidence supported the hypothesis that California credit institutions changed their lending criteria after the passage of equal credit opportunity legislation.
Natural variation in human gene expression assessed in lymphoblastoid cells

The sequencing of the human genome has resulted in greater attention to genetic variation among individuals, and variation at the DNA sequence level is now being extensively studied. At the same time, it has become possible to study variation at the level of gene expression by various methods. At present, it is largely unknown how widespread this variation in transcript levels is over the entire genome and to what extent individual differences in expression level are genetically determined. In the present study, we used lymphoblastoid cells to examine variation in gene expression and identified genes whose transcript levels differed greatly among unrelated individuals. We also found evidence for familial aggregation of expression phenotype by comparing variation among unrelated individuals, among siblings within families and between monozygotic twins. These observations suggest that there is a genetic contribution to polymorphic variation in the level of gene expression.