cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using the Creation of an XBRL Risk Taxonomy as a Driver to Improve Post-Coronavirus 10-K Risk Disclosures

The coronavirus crisis has seen numerous well-known businesses fail, contradicting what they wrote in their own 2019 financial statements. 10-K risk disclosures now are largely boilerplate lists, failing to provide any information about what really matters to stakeholders: the nature of the risks that the business faces, what are their probabilities, how management is mitigating those risks and, therefore, what is the residual risk of the business. On the other hand, it is only a matter of time before risk disclosures are tagged in detail using XBRL, as the rest of the 10-K has progressively become. The process of creating a XBRL risk taxonomy is an opportunity to introduce a standardized language that will enable companies to disclose voluntarily better information to stakeholders. The process of creating a truly comprehensive XBRL risk taxonomy can fill the gap left by the absence of "generally accepted principles" for risk measurement and disclosure.
High Consumption of Red Meat Is Associated with Excess Mortality Among African-American Women.

Background Red meat is a rich source of nutrients but is typically high in saturated fats. Carcinogenic chemicals can be formed during cooking and processing. Little is known about the relation of red meat consumption to mortality in African Americans (AAs), a group with excess mortality and high consumption of red meat relative to whites. Objective Our objective was to assess the association between red meat consumption and mortality in AA women. Methods The Black Women's Health Study (BWHS) is a prospective cohort study of AA women across the USA who completed health questionnaires at enrollment in 1995 (median age 38 y, median BMI 27.9 kg/m2) and every 2 y thereafter. The analyses included 56,314 women who completed a validated FFQ and were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline in 1995. Exposures were total red meat, processed red meat, and unprocessed red meat consumption. Outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Cox proportional hazards models with control for age, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, medical history, and dietary factors were used to estimate HRs with 95% CIs. Results During 22 y of follow-up through to 2017, we identified 5054 deaths, which included 1354 cardiovascular deaths and 1801 cancer deaths. The HR for all-cause mortality was 1.47 (95% CI: 1.33, 1.62) for the highest quintile of total red meat consumption relative to the lowest. Each 1 serving/d increase in red meat consumption was associated with a 7% (95% CI: 5%, 9%) increased risk of all-cause mortality. Red meat consumption was also associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, but not with cancer mortality. Results were similar for the consumption of processed and unprocessed red meat. Conclusions Red meat consumption is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among AA women.
Imaging Neurotransmitter and Neuromodulator Dynamics In Vivo with Genetically Encoded Indicators.

Summary The actions of neuromodulation are thought to mediate the ability of the mammalian brain to dynamically adjust its functional state in response to changes in the environment. Altered neurotransmitter (NT) and neuromodulator (NM) signaling is central to the pathogenesis or treatment of many human neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, depression, and addiction. To reveal the precise mechanisms by which these neurochemicals regulate healthy and diseased neural circuitry, one needs to measure their spatiotemporal dynamics in the living brain with great precision. Here, we discuss recent development, optimization, and applications of optical approaches to measure the spatial and temporal profiles of NT and NM release in the brain using genetically encoded sensors for in vivo studies.
Hydrologic regimes drive nutrient export behavior in humanimpacted watersheds

Abstract. Agricultural watersheds are significant contributors to downstream nutrient excess issues. The timing and magnitude of nutrient mobilization in these watersheds are driven by a combination of anthropogenic, hydrologic, and biogeochemical factors that operate across a range of spatial and temporal scales. However, how, when, and where these complex factors drive nutrient mobilization has previously been difficult to capture with low-frequency or spatially limited datasets. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed daily nitrate concentration (c) and discharge (Q) data for a four-year period (2016–2019) from five nested, agricultural watersheds in the midwestern United States that contribute nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico. The watersheds span two distinct landforms shaped by differences in glacial history resulting in natural soil properties that necessitated different drainage infrastructure across the study area. To investigate nutrient export patterns under different hydrologic conditions, we partitioned the hydrograph into stormflow and baseflow periods and examined those periods separately through the analysis of their concentration-discharge (c-Q) relationships on annual, seasonal, and event time scales. Stormflow showed consistent chemostatic patterns across all seasons, while baseflow showed seasonally dynamic c-Q patterns. Baseflow exhibited chemodyanmic conditions in the summer and fall and more chemostatic conditions in the winter and spring, suggesting that water source contributions during baseflow were nonstationary. Baseflow chemodynamic behavior was driven by low-flow, low-NO3− conditions during which in-stream and near-stream biological processing likely moderated in-stream NO3− concentrations. Additionally, inputs from deeper groundwater with longer residence times and lower NO3− concentration likely contributed to low-NO3− conditions in-stream, particularly in the larger watersheds. Stormflow c-Q behavior was consistent across watersheds, but baseflow c-Q behavior was linked to intensity of agriculture and density of built drainage infrastructure, with more drainage infrastructure associated with higher loads and more chemostatic export patterns across the watersheds. This suggests that how humans replumb the subsurface in response to geologic conditions has implications for hydrologic connectivity, homogenization of source areas, and subsequently nutrient export during both baseflow and stormflow. Our analysis also showed that anomalous flow periods greatly influenced overall c-Q patterns, suggesting that the analysis of high-resolution records at multiple scales is critical when interpreting seasonal or annual patterns.
Mixing the Message: Do Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affect Dung-Generated Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

By mixing and potentially aerating dung, dung beetles may affect the microbes producing the greenhouse gases (GHGs): carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Here, their sum-total global warming effect is described as the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e). Our literature analysis of reported GHG emissions and statistics suggests that most dung beetles do not, however, reduce CO 2 e even if they do affect individual GHGs. Here, we compare the GHG signature of homogenized (“premixed”) and unhomogenized (“unmixed”) dung with and without dung beetles to test whether mixing and burial influence GHGs. Mixing by hand or by dung beetles did not reduce any GHG – in fact, tunneling dung beetles increased N 2 O medians by ≥1.8x compared with dung-only. This suggests that either: 1) dung beetles do not meaningfully mitigate GHGs as a whole; 2) dung beetle burial activity affects GHGs more than mixing alone; or 3) greater dung beetle abundance and activity is required to produce an effect.
Oral potentially malignant disorders: A lot more to explore

Abstract Oral potential malignant disorders (OPMD) are amongst the most controversial and complex topics due to their increased tendency to malignant transformation. Many studies are being performed across the globe to understand its various aspects, including molecular pathology, early diagnosis, and management. It is empirical to share the outcomes of these studies to update and upgrade the scientific fraternity, and accordingly, the special issue on OPMD's intends to share these studies.
Could equalizing neighborhood socioeconomic status and greenness reduce racial disparities in all-cause mortality among men with prostate cancer?

BackgroundNeighborhood contextual factors are associated with racial disparities among men with prostate cancer (CaP), but studies often separately emphasize socioeconomic status or built environme...
Linking DNA replication to the Z ring.

To grow and divide properly, bacteria need to coordinate DNA replication with cell division. A recent study identifies CcrZ as a protein from Streptococcus pneumoniae that links these two processes by interacting with FtsZ, the orchestrator of cell division, and modulating the activity of DnaA, the initiator of DNA replication.
Fighting Financial Crises: Problems and Remedies

This note reviews seven recurrent factors in financial crises (runnable debt, rising leverage, financial innovation, complexity, contagion, cognitive bias, incompetence, and ethical violations) and some 17 responses aimed at preventing or mitigating crises. Excerpt UVA-F-1847 Rev. Nov. 29, 2018 Fighting Financial Crises: Problems and Remedies Financial crises are nests of many problems. By definition, a financial crisis is a (1) disruption in a large part of the financial sector or in the entire financial system; (2) that causes significant damage within the financial system (such as failed banks, suspended trading, and lost liquidity); (3) with adverse spillovers into the real economy (such as falling trade and rising bankruptcies and unemployment); (4) that causes the actual output of the entire economy to fall materially below its potential (the financial crisis of 2008 is an example; see Figure1). Should the crisis fighter start with the disruption, the systemic damage, the spillovers, or the lost potential? And where, in the onset of a crisis, could one reasonably expect a crisis fighter to intervene? Figure 1. US potential and actual GDP. Source: United States Congress, Congressional Budget Office, “The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2013-2023,” February 2013, page 4, . (accessed Jul. 23, 2018). . . .
Video-aware MIMO precoding with packet prioritization and unequal modulation

Video streaming over wireless networks can achieve large quality and capacity gains from transmission techniques that are aware of the video content. This paper proposes modifying conventional multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems to realize these gains by introducing video-aware PHY layer decisions. Specifically, a new PHY layer packet prioritization method is introduced that splits video data among spatial streams based on the packet loss visibility and per-stream SNRs. The objective is to maximize throughput weighted by packet loss visibility, a metric coined perceived throughput. The globally-optimal splitting policy among streams is derived. Furthermore, unequal modulation per stream is proposed and visibility-based packet dropping is optimized to satisfy delay constraints. We derive the gains vs. conventional MIMO precoding and prove that the gain is the throughput averaged over streams divided by the throughput of the worst stream.
Verification of Euclid Programs

The proof rules for the programming language Euclid are closely modelled on the axiomatic definition of Pascal. However, there is intended to be a much closer correspondence between the language as actually implemented and the proof rules. This has been achieved by a combination of language changes, more stringent requirements on the compiler, and modifications of the proof rules. Several novel features of Euclid were introduced specifically in response to problems and limitations of the Pascal definition.
e-Learning Success Model: An Information Systems Perspective.

This paper reports the observations made and experience gained from developing and delivering an online quantitative methods course for Business undergraduates. Inspired by issues and challenges experienced in developing the online course, a model is advanced to address the question of how to guide the design, development, and delivery of successful e-learning initiatives based on theories of a user-centered information systems development paradigm. The benefits of using the proposed model for e-learning success assessment is demonstrated through four cycles of action research after two action research cycles of pilot study. Findings from our empirical study confirm the value of an action research methodology for promoting e-learning success. The paper concludes with a discussion on the merits of the proposed model in furthering our understanding of how to define, assess, and promote e-learning success.
The Mental Organization of Primitive Personalities and its Treatment Implications

A description is presented of the mental organization of primitive personalities (American borderlines, British paranoid-schizoid), as well as a generic course of analytic therapy I have sometimes experienced with them. Their mental organization may be qualitatively rather than quantitatively different from that of less disturbed persons. The differences are mostly attributable to a rudimentary psychic differentiation and integration, and compensatory pathological relationships. This configuration is hypothesized to have a unique developmental course, originating from a combination of constitutional factors and adaptation to a pathogenic interpersonal environment. Failure to appreciate the qualitative differences between the minds of the analyst and his less disturbed patients, on the one hand, and the mind of the primitive personality, on the other, may lead the analyst to employ unsuitable modes of analytic intervention with unfortunate consequences.
NIR-VIS heterogeneous face recognition via cross-spectral joint dictionary learning and reconstruction

A lot of real-world data is spread across multiple domains. Handling such data has been a challenging task. Heterogeneous face biometrics has begun to receive attention in recent years. In real-world scenarios, many surveillance cameras capture data in the NIR (near infrared) spectrum. However, most datasets accessible to law enforcement have been collected in the VIS (visible light) domain. Thus, there exists a need to match NIR to VIS face images. In this paper, we approach the problem by developing a method to reconstruct VIS images in the NIR domain and vice-versa. This approach is more applicable to real-world scenarios since it does not involve having to project millions of VIS database images into learned common subspace for subsequent matching. We present a cross-spectral joint l 0 minimization based dictionary learning approach to learn a mapping function between the two domains. One can then use the function to reconstruct facial images between the domains. Our method is open set and can reconstruct any face not present in the training data. We present results on the CASIA NIR-VIS v2.0 database and report state-of-the-art results.
Modeling of injection-locking phenomena in diode-laser arrays

We report the first self-consistent numerical model to our knowledge of the injection-locking process in a gain-guided diode-laser array. This model reproduces two essential features of device behavior seen in recent experiments: (1) the single-lobed far-field output beam that results from injecting a single end-element of the array and (2) the linear dependence of the far-field beam angle on injection frequency. This angular scanning of the far-field beam angle can be understood on the basis of a simple plane-wave picture in which a change in the injection frequency leads to a tilt of the wave front in the diode-laser array in order to maintain the Fabry–Perot resonance condition.
Shock-induced fighting as a function of the intensity and duration of the aversive stimulus

Intensity and duration of an aversive stimulus were found to be determinants of the amount of pain-elicited aggression. The probability of fighting was a linear function of (a) the logarithm of the intensity of the shock and (b) the logarithm of the duration of the shock. An increase in the logarithm of the intensity produced approximately twice as great an increase in fighting as an equivalent increase in the duration of the shock.
Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) Promotes the Invasive Properties of Human Breast Cancer☆

TSP-1 is a matrix-bound adhesive glycoprotein, which plays a role in tumor cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of TSP-1 on breast tumor cell invasion. Tumor cell invasion assays were performed using a modified Boyden chamber apparatus with collagen-coated membranes. Four breast cell lines were studied in serum-free media: the malignant MDA-MB-231, SKBR-3, and MCF-7 cell lines, and the benign MCF-10A cell line. Invasion was measured as the summation of the number of cells in five representative high power fields (400x) traversing the collagen barrier after a 3-hr incubation period. The effect of an anti-TSP-1 antibody (100 microgram/ml) was also evaluated in the malignant cell lines. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Student's unpaired t test. TSP-1 promoted a dose-dependent increase in invasion as compared to buffer controls in all three malignant cell lines. TSP-1 (100 nM) promoted a greater than five-fold increase over controls in tumor cell invasion for MDA-MB-231, SKBR-3, and MCF-7 cell lines (P < 0.005). TSP-1 had no effect on the invasiveness of the benign cell type MCF-10A. Anti-TSP-1 antibody inhibited TSP-1 promoted invasion in the MDA-MB-231, SKBR-3, and MCF-7 cell lines by 45, 48, and 39%, respectively (P = 0.003, 0.044, 0.047). TSP-1 promotes tumor cell invasion of collagen by breast cancer cells. Therapy designed to inhibit TSP-1 may prevent invasion and metastasis in breast cancer.
Entangled Edens: Visions of the Amazon

Entangled Edens: Visions of the Amazon. Candace Slater. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.332 pp., illustrations, maps, notes, references, index.
Ultrasonic Absorption and Dispersion at Phase Transition in Liquid Crystalline Systems: N-Octylamine-Watert

Abstract A lyotropic liquid crystalline system, the amphiphile n-octyl-amine and water, has been studied to investigate the dependence of velocity and absorption of ultrasound on the mechanisms of isotropic-mesomorphic phase transition in the vicinity of the critical point, C c = 0.854 mole fraction of water and T c = 35.8 °C. This work is the first ultrasonic study of a two-component lyotropic system in the region of an isotropic-mesomorphic transition. Measurements of ultrasonic absorption are reported over a frequency range from 10 MHz to 130 MHz and of velocity at 10 MHz. Relaxational processes controlled by a distribution of time constants greater than 10−8 sec (frequencies less then 30 MHz) are probable. Diffusion controlled processes may be inferred. At 10 MHz the absorption in the critical region exhibits a maximum and the velocity undergoes a discontinuity. Such behavior is similar to that previously observed in thermotropic liquid crystals, binary liquids and gas-liquid systems at the critical p...
A systematic approach to the realization and design of actively compensated two OA voltage amplifiers

Several actively compensated voltage amplifiers (ACVAs) employing two operational amplifiers have been reported separately in the recent literature. In this article, the results of a systematic and comprehensive study of both non-inverting and inverting such ACVAs are presented. Using a combination of practical and theoretical considerations, ACVAs are first divided into classess. Each class is further divided into types. Realizability conditions are then derived for each of the different types. These conditions lead directly to a set of useful realizations. the performance of each realization is considered in detail with respect to several practical considerations of interest, such as magnitude and phase errors, effect of the second pole of the operational amplifiers (OAs), tunability, maximum signal handling capability, etc. the results of practical experiments are also given. Experimental results agree closely with the theoretical predictions.
Emotional disturbance/social maladjustment: Why is the incidence increasing?

Numerous arguments have addressed the controversies surrounding the category of emotional disturbance (ED) and the exclusion, or proposed inclusion, of students with social maladjustment (SM). In this article we address the consensually agreed upon characteristics of ED that are in common with SM, in addition to examining characteristics that supposedly also differentiate students who are ED from those who are SM. Given that SM has not been clearly defined and therefore it has proven to be an exceedingly difficult task for practitioners to differentiate children who are ED from SM suggests that they should be considered as a single condition termed ED/SM. Characteristics of ED and SM have substantial overlap, but apparently enough difference is noted to argue that they are distinguishable disorders requiring differential diagnoses and treatment, resulting in one that warrants special education services, and one that does not. We argue that whether these children are classified as ED, SM, or ED/SM, they all should qualify for special education services based primarily on the inescapable fact that they need professional assistance if their condition militates against optimal educational attainment. Furthermore, there exists little, if any, differentiation of effective and enduring treatment on the basis of whether a child is classified as either ED or SM. Finally, an alternative nonenvironmental explanation is offered for the apparent increase in incidence of characteristics associated with ED/SM. The alternative explanation is based on the genetic phenomenon heterosis that provides a plausible argument that secular changes in several cognitive, physical, and psychological characteristics may have the same nonenvironmental etiology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 861–865, 2004.
Photochemistry of anthracene in water

Abstract Photolysis of anthracene (350 nm) in aerated water yields endoperoxide and 9,10-anthraquinone as the major primary photoproducts. Photolysis of anthracene in oxygen-deficient aqueous solutions yields the three isomers of 10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′,10,10′-tetrahydro-9,9′-bianthryl as the primary photoproduct. Involvement of a cation radical mechanism is suggested.
Upper Limit on the Frequency of Pulsars

Neutron stars for which the ratio T/Vertical BarWVertical Bar of kinetic to gravitational potential energy exceeds approx.0.08 are likely to be unstable and to spin down by gravitational-wave--driven oscillations. A class of pulsars with nearly identical frequencies may thus result from the collapse of accreting, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. It is likely that the fast pulsar, PSR 1937+214, rotates more slowly than this, but the question remains open partly because of uncertainty in the equation of state.
Monopoly Capitalism and Women's Work during the Porfiriato:

The industrialization process that was initiated in Mexico during the 1830s and intensified between 1880 and 1900 with the rise of imperialism caused profound changes in the relationship of women and productive work. Women were incorporated into productive areas of the incipient capitalist economy (specifically in the transformation industries of textiles and tobacco and the service sectors), at a rapid rate so that by 1895 women represented approximately 33 percent of the work force in the transformation industries and 41 percent in services, while they only represented 17 percent of the total economically active population (see Table 1). Women's employment increased until the economic crisis of 1907 when large numbers of the industrial work force, especially women, became unemployed. From 1900 to 1910 women's employment in the transformation industries declined in absolute numbers by approximately 11,000, and women were increasingly employed in agriculture, services, or joined the masses of unem*ployed as the nation entered into civil war. As women were relegated to less productive sectors of the economy in terms of commodity production, monopoly capitalism' increased its control over the Mexican economy. Women's
Motives, perceptions and voting intention of voters in the 2000 U.S. presidential election

The 2000 United States presidential election generated many speculations and predictions for its outcome. However, no one could have predicted the actual results and the events that followed the election. Nevertheless, it is critical to investigate and understand voter behavior in such a complex situation. This study analyzes voter motives, perceptions, and intention as reported 2 weeks before the election. With the use of principal-components analysis and regression analysis, several components to explain voter intention in this election were found. The primary components were candidate and political party social imagery, the secondary component was political issues, and the tertiary components, candidate personality/morality and party traits/morality, significantly contributed to voter intention, though to a lesser degree. The final section of this article draws conclusions that may be useful to candidates and political party leadership. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Beam-Breakup Calculations For The Los Alamos Free-Electron Laser (FEL) Linac

Beam-breakup calculations for the Los Alamos free-electron laser (PEL) linacR. K. CooperLos Alamos National Laboratory AT-6, MS H829, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545IntroductionIn addition to the usual circularly symmetric TMQ^Q mode used to accelerate particles in an rf linacr there is a large number of modes with cos $ or sin dependence, for example the TM^XX modes. These latter modes possess a uniform magnetic (dipole) field near the axis of symmetry and therefore can deflect the beam away from the axis. Any por­ tion of an accelerated beam that is off-axis will drive these modes, so that subsequent portions of the beam will be deflected. This deflected beam will then resonantly drive the same modes in downstream cavities, so that still later portions of the beam will be more severely deflected, and so on. In this paper I report the results of numerical simulations of this so-called cumulative beam-breakup instability. The simulation assumes that only the TMno mode acts to deflect the beam, and further assumes that this mode does not couple from one accelerating cavity to the next.*The difference equationsFigure 1 shows the calculation model. The cavity resonators are periodically spaced with period L, the beam pulses are separated by a time T and are assumed to consist of point charges with charge Npe. The angular frequency of the beam breakup mode is u> and this mode is further characterized by a quality factor Q and a transverse coupling impedance factor Z±T2/Q. For a complete definition of this factor and a derivation of the following equations see Ref. 1. The individual bunches of the beam are numbered, starting from 0, by M. The cavities are numbered, starting from 0, by N. The displacement from the axis of the Mth bunch at the Nth cavity is denoted by £$, while the angle of inclination of the trajectory of this bunch upon exiting this cavity is denoted by e|J. The relativistic energy parameter Y upon entry to cavity N is YN- Then the equationsIN/Figure 1. The model used in the calculation.*There are two planes of polarization for the TM^Q mode; that is, one mode has sin dependence, whereas the other has cos dependence. In the side-coupled structure used in the Los Alamos FEL linac, one of these modes couples from cell to cell, whereas the other does not. The effect of the coupling is to reduce the disruptiveness of the beam- breakup interaction; therefore, the calculations are done for the worst case: no coupling from cell to cell.156
Ordering the Disorderly Slum “Standardizing” Quality of Life in Marseille Tenements and Bidonvilles

During the post–World War II boom, France implemented a comprehensive urbanism program intended to modernize and rationalize the nation by putting the city, the home, and the citizen in order. Loca...
MEASURING INTANGIBLE BENEFITS ‐SOME NEEDED RESEARCH1

. Society has long sought to maximize the welfare of its members by allocating its limited resources so as to provide maximum satisfaction. As long as all of the values that society gains or loses are measured in the market place in terms of price, the process of maximizing through economic models is relatively straightforward. In fact, however, the total value that society receives from the use of its resources is not completely measured through the private market transactions. There are some values created which are external to the market system. The resulting underinvestment in natural resources by the private sector necessitates the entry of the public sector. The presence of intangible benefits and intangible costs has long been recognized, but completely satisfactory methods for including these in the quantitative analysis of benefit-cost have not been developed. Some progress has been made in including recreational values in project analysis via the expenditures method, the Gross National Product method, consumer surplus method, cost method, market value method, and monopoly and discriminating monopoly methods, but little has been done in the area of aesthetic values. Techniques for including such values in project evaluation need to be further researched. Tradeoff models developed by market researchers, the advertising industry, social psychologists and sociologists may have some applicability. Methodology for including proposed multiple objective functions in project analysis is also a critical need.
Applications of diffractive optics to uncooled infrared imagers

Two recent demonstrations of diffractive optics for uncooled staring 8 - 12 micrometers infrared imagers are reviewed and critically examined. Although each demonstration by itself yielded impressive results, when viewed from a broader system standpoint and considering current state-of-the-art in uncooled detector arrays, it is concluded that there is not a compelling reason to use diffractive elements in current systems. Alternatives are suggested.
How the Addition of Hormones Improves Outcome: Hormone Therapy and Radiotherapy

Abstract The rationale for the use of neoadjuvant hormone therapy in combination with radiation therapy is that it reduces tumour volume and therefore the amount of radiation therapy that is needed to treat the tumour. To maximise tumour regression, for the first month of NHT at least it is likely that an antiandrogen would also be needed as part of the treatment regimen. It has been found that 3–4 months of hormonal therapy reduces prostate volume by 25–54%. Intermediate-risk patients treated with NHT and concomitant hormonal therapy have been found to have a 94% freedom from biochemical failure after 4 years, suggesting that this group is the ideal patient population to receive short-term hormonal therapy in combination with brachytherapy. For high-risk patients, the conclusions drawn from recent clinical studies suggest that it is necessary to take multimodal approach using a combination of agents. Long-term studies are necessary with radiation therapy to truly determine which patients are failing and how best to manage them.
Tunable Optofluidic Couplers for Dynamic Card-to-Backplane Optical Interconnect

Polymer waveguides with tunable optofluidic couplers are fabricated by the vacuum assisted microfluidic technique for dynamic card-to-backplane optical interconnect applications. The backplane optofluidic coupler consists of polymer waveguides with 45° integrated waveguide mirrors and perpendicular microfluidic channel structures for translational movement of index matching liquid and air bubbles. Controlled positioning of the air bubble or index matching liquid in contact with the integrated mirror can effectively turn on or off each optofluidic coupler for surface normal coupling in card-to-backplane optical interconnection. Experimental results demonstrated about 23 dB on/off surface normal interconnect signal change for both 1/3 and half size waveguide mirrors of the optofluidic couplers. 10 Gbps card-to-backplane optical interconnect eye diagrams have been demonstrated showing the effectiveness of the interconnect structure.
Disentangling self-descriptions and self-evaluations under conditions of high self-focused attention: effects of mirror exposure

To investigate the differential effects of mirror exposure on self-descriptions and self-evaluations, we asked 52 undergraduate college students to record three positive and three negative characteristics about themselves. Half of them sat in front of a mirror for 5 min prior to this task. Participants' responses were classified into either positive or negative statements concerning their bodily appearance, competence, and socially relevant or non-socially relevant personality characteristics. Individuals with prior mirror exposure showed a greater balance between positive and negative self-statements, more positive and negative self-statements concerning bodily appearance, and less self-critical statements concerning non-socially relevant personality characteristics than participants without previous mirror exposure. These findings suggest that mirror exposure has a moderating effect on self-evaluation, and leads to more statements about public aspects, and to less self-critical statements about private aspects of the self.
Application of the heterochrony framework to the study of behavior and cognition

Heterochrony, or the evolution of ontogeny, has been well studied in embryology and skeletal development, providing insight into morphological and genetic mechanisms of evolution.1-5 However, heterochronic studies of behavior and cognition lag behind in comparison. In a recent study we investigated the ontogeny of social behavior and cognition in humans' closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). These two species are estimated to have had a chimpanzeelike common ancestor between 0.86 and 1.8 mya.6,7 Bonobos have been argued to exhibit morphological indications of paedomorphism relative to chimpanzees, especially in the cranium, and to exhibit paedomorphic behavior as adults.6-11 We found that bonobos exhibit developmental delays relative to chimpanzees in several aspects of their social behavior and cognition. Here, we describe how placing these results in the framework of heterochrony contributes to understanding behavioral and cognitive differences between adults of these two species and to our knowledge of hominid evolution in general.
Quantifying local factors in medium-frequency trends of tree ring records: Case study in Canadian boreal forests

Abstract Growth rings of a tree are simultaneously affected by various environmental constraints, including regional factors such as climate fluctuations and also local, gap-scale dynamics such as competition and stochastic mortality of neighbor trees. Although these local effects are often discarded by dendroclimatologists as random variation, the dendroecological trends may provide valuable information on past forest dynamics. Since dendroecological trends arising from local stand dynamics often have medium-term frequencies with persistence of several years to a few decades, it is usually difficult to separate local, gap-scale forcings from regional, medium-frequency forcings such as El Nino Southern Oscillation or North Atlantic Oscillation. Moreover, conventional dendroecological practices have failed to analyze the continuously changing medium frequency trends. In this study, a continuous index of medium-frequency dendrochronological trends was developed, by generalizing previous analytical methods that evaluate relative changes using moving averages. This method was then tested against a tree ring dataset from a site with a known history of release and suppression due to a hurricane disturbance. To quantify the effects of local gap dynamics against the regional, often climatic effects, increments cores of black spruce (Picea mariana) were sampled from boreal forests in Saskatchewan, Canada, using a stratified sampling design. Assuming that regional forcings affect trees in the given stand homogeneously, the relative effect of stochastic heterogeneity within stand was quantified. The results closely agreed with conventional dendrochronological observations. In closed-canopy stands, stochastic local effects explained 12.9–35.4% of the variation in tree ring widths, because interactions between neighbor trees were likely to be intense. In open-canopy stands, on the other hand, the proportion of explained variance was 1.4–10.2%, reflecting the less-intense local tree interactions in low-density stands. These advancements in statistical analysis and study design will help ecologists and paleo-climatologists to objectively evaluate the effects of climate fluctuations, relative to the effects of local, ecological interactions. Moreover, forest managers can apply concepts of filtering medium-frequency trends to assess release and suppression caused by forest management practices, such as selective cutting and forest thinning.
A Haemophilus influenzae Gene That Encodes a Membrane Bound 3-Deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic Acid (Kdo) Kinase: POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF KDO PHOSPHORYLATION IN BACTERIAL VIRULENCE *

The lipopolysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae contains a single 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) residue derivatized with either a phosphate or an ethanolamine pyrophosphate moiety at the 4-OH position. In previous studies, we identified a kinase unique to H. influenzae extracts that phosphorylates Kdo-lipid IV(A), a key precursor of lipopolysaccharide in this organism. We have now identified the gene encoding the Kdo kinase by using an expression cloning approach. A cosmid library containing random DNA fragments from H. influenzae strain Rd was constructed in Escherichia coli. Extracts of 472 colonies containing individual hybrid cosmids were assayed for Kdo kinase activity. A single hybrid cosmid directing expression of the kinase was found. The kinase gene was identified by activity assays, sub-cloning, and DNA sequencing. When the putative kinase gene was expressed in E. coli behind a T7 promoter, massive overproduction of kinase activity was achieved ( approximately 8000-fold higher than in H. influenzae membranes). The catalytic properties and the product generated by the overexpressed kinase, assayed with Kdo-lipid IV(A) as the substrate, were the same as observed with H. influenzae membranes. Unexpectedly, the kinase gene was identical to a previously characterized open reading frame (orfZ), which had been shown to be important for establishing bacteremia in an infant rat model (Hood, D. W., Deadman, M. E., Allen, T., Masoud, H., Martin, A., Brisson, J. R., Fleischmann, R., Venter, J. C., Richards, J. C., and Moxon, E. R. (1996) Mol. Microbiol. 22, 951-965). However, based solely on the genome sequence of H. influenzae Rd, no biochemical function had been assigned to the product of orfZ, which we now designate kdkA ("Kdo kinase A"). Although Kdo phosphorylation may be critical for bacterial virulence of H. influenzae, it does not appear to be required for growth.
Resonantly photopumped Ni-like Er x-ray laser.

This paper presents a laboratory x-ray laser that lases on several 4d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4p transitions ranging from 54 to 89 A\r{} in nickel-like erbium (Z=68) and that is resonantly photopumped by the 2${p}_{1/2}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1${s}_{1/2}$ emission line, Lyman-\ensuremath{\alpha}, in hydrogenlike aluminum. The Al-Er scheme has a tremendous advantage in that it enhances the gain of laser lines that would be expected to lase from collisional excitations and recombination processes; therefore it should be much easier to observe the photopumping process, as it will increase an already finite exponential gain. The resonant photopumping process is also shown to create gain on one additional laser line that has not previously appeared in the Ni-like spectra. Calculations of the gain of these laser transitions in steady-state equilibrium plasmas are presented.
Aluminum bioavailability from the approved food additive leavening agent acidic sodium aluminum phosphate, incorporated into a baked good, is lower than from water

There are estimates of oral aluminum (Al) bioavailability from drinking water, but little information on Al bioavailability from foods. Foods contribute approximately 95% and drinking water 1-2% of the typical human's daily Al intake. The objectives were to estimate oral Al bioavailability from a representative food containing the food additive acidic sodium aluminum phosphate (acidic SALP), a leavening agent in baked goods. Rats were acclimated to a special diet that resulted in no stomach contents 14 h after its withdrawal. They were trained to rapidly consume a biscuit containing 1.5% acidic SALP. Oral Al bioavailability was then determined from a biscuit containing 1% or 2% acidic SALP, synthesized to contain (26)Al. The rats received concurrent (27)Al infusion. Blood was repeatedly withdrawn and serum analyzed for (26)Al by accelerator mass spectrometry. Total Al was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Oral (26)Al bioavailability was determined from the area under the (26)Al, compared to (27)Al, serum concentrationxtime curves. Oral Al bioavailability (F) from biscuit containing 1% or 2% acidic (26)Al-SALP averaged approximately 0.11% and 0.13%; significantly less than from water, which was previously shown to be approximately 0.3%. The time to maximum serum (26)Al concentration was 4.2 and 6h after consumption of biscuit containing 1% or 2% (26)Al-acidic SALP, respectively, compared to 1-2h following (26)Al in water. These results of oral Al bioavailability from acidic (26)Al-SALP in a biscuit (F approximately 0.1%) and results from (26)Al in water (F approximately 0.3%) x the contributions of food and drinking water to the typical human's daily Al intake ( approximately 5-10mg from food and 0.1mg from water, respectively) suggest food provides approximately 25-fold more Al to systemic circulation, and potential Al body burden, than does drinking water.
Vocal fold immobility: a longitudinal analysis of etiology over 20 years.

Objectives:To determine the current etiology of vocal fold immobility, identify changing trends over the last 20 years, and compare results to historical reports.Study Design:The present study is a retrospective analysis of all patients seen within a tertiary care institution between 1996 and 2005 w
Comparison of Adsorbed Films of a Polyvinylpyrrolidone Copolymer with Spread Monolayers

The adsorption of a polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinyl acetate graft copolymer from solution was studied by surface pressure measurement. Adsorption from the dilute solutions was slow, limited, in part, by diffusion of polymer molecules to the surface. When adsorbed monolayers were compressed on a surface balance, the resulting surface pressure values paralleled those of a spread monolayer, strongly suggesting that the structures of adsorbed and spread monolayers are the same.
The role of cystic duct resistance in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones

Abstract Several recent clinical and laboratory observations suggest that impaired gallbladder emptying is important in the pathogenesis of cholesterol cholelithiasis. However, the exact mechanism by which gallbladder stasis occurs in the majority of patients who form gallstones has not been clear. We tested the hypothesis that impaired gallbladder emptying antedates cholelithiasis and results from increased resistance to bile flow. Using the prairie dog gallstone model, resistance to flow through the cystic duct (CD) and sphincter of Oddi (SO) was measured in control and cholesterol-fed animals. Prairie dogs were fed either a control (trace cholesterol) or a 0.4% cholesterol-enriched diet known to induce gallstones in 6 weeks. Resistance across the CD and SO was measured at 4 weeks (pregallstone) and 16 weeks (gallstone). Resistance was measured by infusing lactated Ringer's solution through the CD and SO at four separate flow rates while gallbladder and distal common bile duct pressures were recorded. Resistance to flow through the cystic duct increased prior to gallstone formation and continued to increase during the 16 weeks of cholesterol feeding. In comparison, sphincter of Oddi resistance remained normal despite chronic exposure to lithogenic bile and formation of stones within the gallbladder. The increased cystic duct resistance observed prior to gallstone formation provides a mechanism for diminished gallbladder emptying and suggests an etiological role for increased cystic duct resistance in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones.
Discriminative learning of relaxed hierarchy for large-scale visual recognition

In the real visual world, the number of categories a classifier needs to discriminate is on the order of hundreds or thousands. For example, the SUN dataset [24] contains 899 scene categories and ImageNet [6] has 15,589 synsets. Designing a multiclass classifier that is both accurate and fast at test time is an extremely important problem in both machine learning and computer vision communities. To achieve a good trade-off between accuracy and speed, we adopt the relaxed hierarchy structure from [15], where a set of binary classifiers are organized in a tree or DAG (directed acyclic graph) structure. At each node, classes are colored into positive and negative groups which are separated by a binary classifier while a subset of confusing classes is ignored. We color the classes and learn the induced binary classifier simultaneously using a unified and principled max-margin optimization. We provide an analysis on generalization error to justify our design. Our method has been tested on both Caltech-256 (object recognition) [9] and the SUN dataset (scene classification) [24], and shows significant improvement over existing methods.
Image congruence effects on product evaluations: The role of self-monitoring and public/private consumption

Past research has demonstrated that congruence between brand image and self-image is positively related to consumers' product evaluations. Results from this study support the hypothesis that increased self-monitoring is associated with a greater effect of image congruence on consumers' evaluations of publicly consumed brands, but not privately consumed brands. Results also suggest that consumers' evaluations of publicly consumed brands are more affected by the congruence between brand image and ideal self-image than actual self-image, whereas actual and ideal congruence have equal effects on consumers' evaluations of privately consumed brands. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An invariant derivation of flame stretch

The flame stretch factor is derived using an invariant formulation in a consistent manner. The derived generalized expression has two terms and completely describes the flame area evolution with its movement. One term represents the stretch due to the nonuniform tangential velocity field and the other represents the effect of the curvature of the propagating flame. The effect of curvature for stationary flames is implicitly included in the former term through variations of the tangential velocity. The flame sheet assumption, and thereby the stretch factor, are uniquely defined. Another expression is derived under the assumption that the tangential velocity of the flame equals the tangential component of the fluid velocity.