cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activity of forebrain neurons during alternating movements in cats

Abstract The firing pattern of single units in the precruciate cortex, globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus and ventral thalamus of cats was studied before alternating limb movements. Seventy-eight percent of the neurons in these regions of the brain changed their activity more than 500 msec before the movement. No consistent early EMG changes occured in the proximal or axial muscles which would correlate with he early neuronal activity changes. The data suggest that the sequence of movements required for this alternation task appears to be ‘set’ well in advance of the activation of the muscles involved in the necessary postural adjustments or the response itself. In addition, the units which showed early activity changes may be involved in the mnemonic processing necessary to discriminate a situational context and make an appropriate response. Over 50% of the movement related units in the globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus and ventral thalamus were related to movement of both the contralateral and ipsilateral paws. By contrast, only 33% of cortical units showed this relationship to the movement. Therefore, this ‘set’ process may be a relatively non-lateralized process. The data support concept that the basal ganglia are involved in the enabling and sequencing of movements rather than in directly causing them to occur.
Pediatric constraint-induced movement therapy in a young child with minimal active arm movement

This study describes a single-subject design (ABA with follow-up evaluation) that demonstrated the possible effective use of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) in producing gains in movement and function for a 24-month-old child with chronic hemiparesis. The noninvolved upper extremity was placed in a removable splint for 21 consecutive days. The child was involved in intensive occupational therapy in the home environment. Daily measurements were completed on the use and quality of motion of the involved upper extremity for eight specific fine and gross motor activities. Change in performance and quality of movement were measured and significant at the p < .05 level with the calculation of the C statistic for the motor activities with gains maintained after completion of the treatment and postsplinting phases. The results of the study contribute to the body of evidence finding CIMT to be effective for increasing movement and function in children with hemiparesis.
Bergman-Type Reproducing Kernels, Contractive Divisors, and Dilations

Abstract Let Ω be a region in the complex plane. In this paper we introduce a class of sesquianalytic reproducing kernels on Ω that we call B-kernels. When Ω is the open unit disk D and certain natural additional hypotheses are added we call such kernels k Bergman-type kernels. In this case the associated reproducing kernel Hilbert space H (k) shares certain properties with the classical Bergman space L2α of the unit disk. For example, the weighted Bergman kernels kβw(z)=(1−wz)−β, 1⩽β⩽2 are Bergman-type kernels. Furthermore, for any Bergman-type kernel k one has H2⊆ H (k)⊆L2a, where the inclusion maps are contractive, and Mζ, the operator of multiplication with the identity function ζ, defines a contraction operator on H (k). Our main results about Bergman-type kernels k are the following two: First, once properly normalized, the reproducing kernel for any nontrivial zero based invariant subspace M of H (k) is a Bergman-type kernel as well. For the weighted Bergman kernels kβ this result even holds for all M ζ-invariant subspace M of index 1, i.e., whenever the dimension of M /ζ M is one. Second, if M is any multiplier invariant subspace of H (k), and if we set C ∗= M ⊖z M , then Mζ∣ M is unitarily equivalent to Mζ acting on a space of C ∗-valued analytic functions with an operator-valued reproducing kernel of the type k w (z)=(I C ∗ −zwV(z) V(w)*) k w (z), where V is a contractive analytic function V : D → L ( E , C ∗), for some auxiliary Hilbert space E . Parts of these theorems hold in more generality. Corollaries include contractive divisor, wandering subspace, and dilation theorems for all Bergman-type reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. When restricted to index one invariant subspaces of H (kβ), 1⩽β⩽2, our approach yields new proofs of the contractive divisor property, the strong contractive divisor property, and the wandering subspace theorems and inner–outer factorization. Our proofs are based on the properties of reproducing kernels, and they do not involve the use of biharmonic Green functions as had some of the earlier proofs.
Hospital–School Collaboration to Serve the Needs of Children With Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescents each year in the United States. Children who survive these injuries often suffer from a range of impairments including intellectual, academic, behavioral, affective, and social problems, but they often become mired in a slow-moving process while waiting for educational resources. This case study explores one school district's attempts to implement a best practices model of service delivery for students with a traumatic brain injury, focusing on the role of a school psychologist in the multidisciplinary team, candidly discussing and problem-solving several key challenges, and improving the service delivery model overall.
Diagnosis of Vertebral Artery Dissection by Basi-parallel Anatomical Scanning (BPAS) MRI

To diagnose VA dissection, MRA or cerebral angiography, which provides information regarding intra-vascular space, has been performed. We report the acquisition of various information about VA dissection using MRI-BPAS, which is a new diagnostic method.
An empirical investigation of the modeling of depression.

To investigate the effects of viewing various films on affect, 200 volunteer subjects were assigned to 10 groups following a modified Solomon four-group design. Five groups received pretesting and five groups received no pretesting before being exposed to one of five treatments and follow-up testing 2 or 3 wk. later with the State Form of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List and the Depression Check List. The treatments required viewing films of an actor who conveyed depression, positive affect, and neutral affect, and a no-film control. Subjects viewing a film were administered 13 semantic differential adjective pairs to obtain the observers' perception of the character in the film and the California Psychological Inventory. Depression increased following the depressed and neutral film conditions, and decreased from posttest to follow-up test, while the positive and no-film control conditions produced no change from pretest to posttest levels of depression. Similar results were found for the measure ...
Physicians and their use of information: a survey comparison between the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Previous research has compared physicians' use of electronic resources [1–,3], use of MEDLINE search features [4], preferred source type for clinical information [4–,6], perceived barriers to accessing information for patient care in specific countries [1, 7, 8], attitudes toward evidence-based medicine (EBM) [9, 10], and understanding of EBM terms [9, 10]. These published research papers were included in a review by Davies [11] of the evidence on the information-seeking behavior of doctors, during which comparison across different countries was identified as an area needing further research. The study reported here compares these aspects, focusing on EBM resources across three countries: Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Social reactions to depictions of casual and steady acquaintance rape: The impact of AIDS exposure and stereotypic beliefs about women

While much of the early research on the social perception of sexual assault focused on instances of stranger rape, recent work has indicated that acquaintance rape occurs much more frequently. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine a gender role socialization analysis of acquaintance rape. The subjects in the present investigation, predominately Caucasian-American females (i.e., over 90% were nonminority), were first preclassified as either traditional or nontraditional in their gender role views about women. We then examined their perception of rape victims and rape perpetrators as a function of whether the rape occurred between casual dating partners vs. long-term steady daters, and also as a function of whether the assailant exposed the rape victim to the disease AIDS (vs. no exposure to AIDS). The results indicated that individuals who varied in their stereotypic views about women differed in their reactions, with more traditional subjects being more likely to negatively evaluate the rape victim and less likely to evaluate the rapist in an unfavorable manner. In addition, it was found that when rape victims were exposed to AIDS, the social perceptions of others were strongly influenced, with casual-dating rape acquaintances being more likely to bear the onus of a negative reaction from others.
Physical Activity and Health: Does Physical Education Matter?.

Physical education has been an institution in American schools since the late 19th century, and today almost all American children are exposed to physical education classes. It has often been claimed that physical education provides important benefits to public health. The purpose of this paper is to determine if physical education increases students' physical activity levels, in the short and longer terms, and thereby provides important health benefits. We reviewed the literature to determine the amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during physical education classes, as well as to determine if physical education classes increase students' overall daily physical activity, and if physical education classes provide short-term and long-term health benefits. Our conclusion is that the literature addressing the public health effects of physical education is limited. Given the significance of this issue to the future of school-based physical education, studying the short- and long-term health and fi...
Novel structurally altered P2X1 receptor is preferentially activated by adenosine diphosphate in platelets and megakaryocytic cells

Experimental and clinical data suggest the presence of multiple types of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptors, one coupled to ligand-gated cation channels (P(2X)) and others coupled to G-protein-coupled (P(2Y)) receptors. This report identifies cDNA for a structurally altered P(2X1)-like receptor in megakaryocytic cell lines (Dami and CMK 11-5) and platelets that, when transfected into nonresponsive 1321 cells, confers a specific sensitivity to ADP with the pharmacologic rank order of ADP > > ATP > > > alpha,beta-methylene-ATP as measured by Ca(++) influx. This receptor (P(2X1del)) contains a deletion of 17 amino acids (PALLREAENFTLFIKNS) that includes an NFT consensus sequence for N-linked glycosylation. Glycosylated forms of the P(2X1del) and P(2X1wt) receptors were indistinguishable electrophoretically by Western blot or by immunoprecipitation using available antihuman and antirat antibodies. These results indicate that the expression of the P(2X1del) receptor results in an influx of Ca(++) induced by ADP. Expression of P(2X1del) receptor homomeric subunits is sufficient to express a receptor preferentially activated by ADP and suggests that this altered form, alone or in combination with P(2X1wt) receptors, is a component of an ADP-activated ion channel.
Fallopian tube cancer. The Roswell Park experience.

Sixty-four patients with primary fallopian tube cancer treated at Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1964 to 1987 underwent retrospective clinicopathologic review. in 40 patients fallopian tube cancer was the only primary, but in 24 patients primary fallopian tube cancer was part of a multifocal upper genital tract malignancy. of the 40 patients with unifocal fallopian disease, the median survival was 28 months. Only 15% of patients were alive and disease free with follow-up ranging from 22 to 141 months (median, 90.5 months). Survival was not associated with stage of disease, tumor histology, grade, or depth of invasion in this series. Fourteen patients who received cisplatin-based chemotherapy were evaluable for response. Three patients (21%) responded; two complete and one partial. Twelve patients without clinical evidence of disease underwent second-look procedures, ten laparotomy and two laparoscopy. Four of ten second-look laparotomies were negative. Secondary debulking was done in three of four patients with gross disease, one of which had a negative third-look laparotomy. Negative laparotomy, second-look or third-look, was associated with improved survival (P = 0.016). One of the two laparoscopies was negative, but the patient recurred. in the remaining 24 patients cancer of the fallopian tube was part of a multifocal upper genital tract malignancy. in 12 patients tubal disease was invasive, and in 12, it was in situ. Separate primaries occurred in the ovaries (n = 20); uterus (n = 7); and cervix (n = 2). This represents 1.3% of ovarian malignancies treated at Roswell Park Memorial Institute during the study period. Fallopian tube cancer seems as virulent as ovarian cancer with few long-term survivors. It is frequently associated with other sites of upper genital tract malignancy. Second-look laparotomy is an important predictor of survival. Second-look laparoscopy may be useful if positive.
Bilirubin: A Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), which is a major end-organ complication in diabetes, continues to be the most common cause of end-stage renal disease and accounts for >40% of patients on renal replacement therapy (1). Currently available factors that are routinely used in clinical practice to predict and monitor the progression of DN include degree of proteinuria and both glycemic and blood pressure control. In this issue of Diabetes , Riphagen et al. (2) performed a post hoc analysis of two large clinical trials—Reduction of Endpoints in NIDDM With the Angiotensin II Antagonist Losartan (RENAAL) and Irbesartan Diabetic Nephropathy Trial (IDNT)—and demonstrated that serum bilirubin levels are inversely correlated with progression of DN. These findings are clinically important because they identify a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target for DN, a disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Bilirubin is generated when heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the degradation of heme (derived from heme proteins). This results in formation of biliverdin, which is rapidly converted into bilirubin by biliverdin reductase (Fig. 1) (3). Further processing of bilirubin occurs in hepatocytes, where unconjugated (lipid-soluble) bilirubin is conjugated by uridine diphosphate–glucuronosyl transferase (UDP-GT) to a water-soluble form for excretion. Total bilirubin is the sum of conjugated (direct) and unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin and generally ranges from 0.3 to 1.2 mg/dL in healthy individuals. In conditions such as erythroblastosis fetalis, hemolysis results in markedly elevated bilirubin, which causes kernicterus and neurological damage in neonates. Furthermore, genetic deficiency of UDP-GT in Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I results in severely elevated total bilirubin and is incompatible with life. Given the outcomes of these conditions, it is not surprising that bilirubin was long considered to be merely a toxic byproduct of heme degradation. However, unconjugated bilirubin levels are positively correlated with plasma antioxidant capacity (4), and moderate elevations in serum total bilirubin …
INDUCTION OF XYLEM ELEMENTS IN ISOLATED COLEUS PITH

A B S T R A C T Small pith explants from the fifth internode of Coleus blumei were placed on a defined medium supplemented with different concentrations of indoleacetic acid (IAA). With all levels of IAA tissue growth was slight; however, when the medium contained more than 10-7 M IAA, xylem elements developed after 11-14 days. Omission of sucrose from the medium prevented this differentiation of xylem elements. Isolated xylem cells or small nodules were most common, but long strands were also seen. The merits of the Coleus system for study of plant-cell differentiation are discussed. EVIDENCE from a variety of plant systems points to auxin as an essential factor for the differentiation of xylem within non-vascular tissue. New xylem cells develop around wounds in decapitated Coleus plants and stem explants within 7 days after IAA is applied to the apical cut surface. The extent of this regeneration varies with the concentration of IAA used (Jacobs, 1952; Thompson and Jacobs, 1965). Fosket and Roberts (1964) found similar xylem formation in thin slices of Coleus internodes placed on sucrose agar containing low levels of IAA. Over a period of 32-42 days, IAA continuously applied by micropipette to cultured tobacco-pith cylinders induces cell division and xylem differentiation around the site of application (Clutter, 1961). Auxin and sugar supplied to the tops of tissue cultures induce nodules or rings of xylem after 30-60 days (Wetmore and Rier, 1963). This report describes IAA-induced differentiation of xylem elements in a simple experimental system combining several features of the earlier work with fresh explants and tissue cultures.
Parallel-processing experiences on the denelcor HEP computer

Recent experiments conducted on a Denelcor HEP (Heterogeneous Element Processor) computer are discussed in this paper. Algorithm research was done on four types of problems of interest to the Los Alamos National Laboratory: 1.1) Monte Carlo, using GAMTAB, in which the interaction of photons with matter is analyzed. 2.2) hydrodynamics. 3.3) reactor safety, in which the operation of a nuclear reactor is simulated. 4.4) particle-in-cell, in which electrostatic interaction of plasma beams is studied. Means of maximizing programming efficiency are analyzed, and ways of speeding up processing are determined.
Dynamics of Macro- and Micronutrients in Cuphea

Temporal dynamics of nutrient densities, their interrelationships, and remobilization from leaves to seeds of cuphea were quantified in growth chamber and field studies. Temporal nutrient densities in leaf samples exhibited large levels of variation, whether remobilized and largely accumulated in the seed [copper, (Cu), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S) and zinc (Zn)], remobilized and accumulated in the seed coat [boron (B), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and sodium (Na)] or almost excluded from the seed [barium (Ba), selenium (Se) and strontium (Sr)]. The temporal seed-to-leaf nutrient density “[S]/[L]” ratios and the proportion of variance unique to each nutrient separated the nutrients into a group (Cu, Fe, S, and Zn) with large [S]/[L] ratios and large unique variances, and another group (B, Ca, Mg, Mn and Sr) with small [S]/[L] ratios and small unique variances; the first group was selectively stored in the developing embryo. Nutrients with large densities in leaves at harvest may constitute a resource potentially available for subsequent crops.
Optimum Nitrogen Fertilization of Cool-Season Grasses in the Northeast USA

Many studies have looked at the economically optimum N application rate (cost of N vs. increased yield) for cool-season forage grasses, but few of these studies have also addressed the effect of N fertilization on livestock or environmental health. The objective of this study was to determine the N application rate to cool-season grass species that optimizes economic return without elevating herbage or soil NO 3 -N levels. Four N rates were applied in split applications to established stands of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), smooth bromegrass (Bromas inermis Leyss.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) near State College, PA, on a Murrill silt loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludults) soil. Harvest treatments of three and four times per year were imposed on each Grass x N treatment. Economically optimum N rates (EONR) were 284, 368, and 299 kg N ha - 1 or 26, 32, and 29 kg N Mg - 1 of forage harvested for orchardgrass, tall fescue, and timothy, respectively. Smooth bromegrass did not reach an economic plateau at the highest (402 kg ha - 1 ) N rate. At EONR, NO 3 -N concentration exceeded 1000 mg kg in forage from early season harvests when four harvests per year were taken but not when three harvests per year were taken. Soil NO 3 -N concentration generally was not elevated above background levels when EONR was applied to orchardgrass or tall fescue. Our results, in conjunction with results from New York, indicate that the EONR for the cool-season grasses and harvest systems evaluated is 5 to 10 kg N Mg - 1 of dry forage greater than current recommendations in New York and Pennsylvania. However, continued research is needed in a wider range of climates and soil types using various N sources.
Optogenetic control of live skeletal muscles: Non-invasive, wireless, and precise activation of muscle tissues

Optogenetics is an emerging new technology for controlling live cell function with light. Skeletal muscles are genetically coded to express light-sensitive proteins so that the cell's behavior may be altered by illuminating a targeted portion of the cell. Optogenetic control provides a non-invasive, wireless, and fast control method with high spatiotemporal resolution. This paper presents the technology, experimental test, and potential applications of optogenetic control of skeletal muscles. The authors' research team has recently succeeded in controlling the contraction of skeletal muscle tissues with light by using the light-sensitive protein Channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2). Precursors of skeletal cells, myoblasts, are transfected with ChR2, creating ion channels on the cell membrane that conduct cations when exposed to blue light. Experiments show that targeted skeletal muscles are activated rapidly and precisely with high spatiotemporal resolution. Dynamics of optogenetically controlled skeletal muscles are characterized based on system identification. Two potential applications are addressed. One is muscle-on-a-chip drug screening for evaluating potential hazards of a drug on muscular function, and the other is multi-DOF robotic devices powered by bio-artificial muscles controlled with targeted light illumination.
An empirical evaluation of two theoretically-based hypotheses on the directional association between self-worth and hope.

Abstract Fostering self-worth and hope are important goals of positive youth development (PYD) efforts, yet intervention design is complicated by contrasting theoretical hypotheses regarding the directional association between these constructs. Therefore, within a longitudinal design we tested: (1) that self-worth predicts changes in hope (self theory; Harter, 1999 ), and (2) that hope predicts changes in self-worth (hope theory; Snyder, 2002 ) over time. Youth ( N = 321; M age = 10.33 years) in a physical activity-based PYD program completed surveys 37–45 days prior to and on the second day and third-to-last day of the program. A latent variable panel model that included autoregressive and cross-lagged paths indicated that self-worth was a significant predictor of change in hope, but hope did not predict change in self-worth. Therefore, the directional association between self-worth and hope is better explained by self-theory and PYD programs should aim to enhance perceptions of self-worth to build perceptions of hope.
Abortion and women's reproductive health

Nothing in the field of health care generates more controversy worldwide than does the issue of abortion. And, unfortunately, there is nothing to suggest that these controversies will decrease in the coming years. For those who believe that life begins at the time of fertilization or at the time of implantation, there is no middle ground: abortion for them equates with murder of the ‘unborn child’. Similarly for those who believe that women must have the ultimate right to decide about their bodies, there is no middle ground either: for them women must be able to decide whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term. Thus, there is every indication that the issue of abortion is one that will continue to be unresolvable at any time in the future. Where abortion is legal, there will be continued advocacy and pressure to make it illegal and vice versa. But the question is not really whether or not abortion should be legal or illegal, but whether or not it should be safe or unsafe [l]. In all societies, no matter the legal, moral or cultural status of abortion, there will be some women who desperately seek to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. And in almost all societies, it is the poor and the young who disproportionately suffer the consequences of illegal abortion. Wealthier and better educated women usually will find the means to terminate a pregnancy more safely than will the poor. Kenneth Ryan, a distinguished Catholic American academician and Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard University, recently quoted a statement from a paper he wrote in 1967 [2] as follows:
Breast imaging technology Application of magnetic resonance imaging to early detection of breast cancer

Since its first introduction approximately 10 years ago, there has been extensive progress in the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Contrast-enhanced MRI has been shown to have value in the diagnostic work-up of women who present with mammogram or clinical abnormalities. In addition, it has been demonstrated that MRI can detect mammogram occult multifocal cancer in patients who present with unifocal disease. Advances in risk stratification and limitations in mammography have stimulated interest in the use of MRI to screen high-risk women for cancer. Several studies of MRI high-risk screening are ongoing. Preliminary results are encouraging.
Energy-bandwidth tradeoff with spatial reuse in wireless multi-hop networks

In this paper, we investigate the energy-bandwidth tradeoff of wireless multi-hop networks with spatial reuse. For the end-to-end bandwidth utilization, we consider the number of information bits transmitted (end-to-end) per coded symbol transmitted by any node in the network that is forwarding the data. The total energy consumption per information bit by the network includes the energy transmitted and the receiver processing energy. Spatial reuse is considered to enhance the bandwidth efficiency by allowing simultaneous transmission. Bounds on the energy-bandwidth tradeoff are derived from convex optimization problem. With receiver processing energy, it is shown that spatial reuse degrades the energy efficiency but improves the bandwidth utilization. We demonstrate that this degraded total energy consumption can be improved by varying the minimum separation of simultaneous transmitters.
A Semantic Space Approach to Representations of Self and Other in Pathological Grief: A Case Study

A semantic space model of mental representations of self and other was applied in a case study of pathological grief Traits and characteristics elicited on a questionnaire were used to elicit judgments of similarity of representations of self and important others to one another before therapy began, in the middle of therapy, and at the conclusion of therapy The similarity judgments were analyzed using multidimensional scaling The products of these analyses yielded findings that converged with those derived from coding the therapy transcripts and showed relations between emotions and representations of self
Renal Lesions of Nondomestic Felids

To comprehensively evaluate the occurrence of renal lesions in a variety of nondomestic felids, necropsy cases from 1978 to 2008 were reviewed from a municipal zoo and a large cat sanctuary for those in which the kidneys were examined histologically. Seventy exotic felids were identified (25 tigers, 18 lions, 6 cougars, 5 leopards, 3 snow leopards, 3 clouded leopards, 3 Canadian lynx, 2 ocelots, 2 bobcats, 2 cheetahs, 1 jaguar), and their histologic renal lesions were evaluated and compared. The most common lesion was tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN); 36 of 70 (51%) cats were affected to some degree. Lymphocytic interstitial nephritis was the most common lesion in the tigers (9 of 25, 36%) and was rarely seen in other species. Although the renal pelvis was not available for all cats, 28 of 47 (60%) had some degree of lymphocytic pyelitis. There was no significant association between the presence of pyelitis and that of TIN. Only 1 cat had pyelonephritis. Renal papillary necrosis was present in 13 of 70 (19%) cats and was significantly associated with historical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment (odds ratio, 7.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.9 to 26.8). Only 1 cat (lion) had amyloid accumulation, and it was restricted to the corticomedullary junction. Primary glomerular lesions were absent in all cats. Intraepithelial pigment was identified in many of the cats but was not correlated with severity of TIN. Despite several previous reports describing primary glomerular disease or renal amyloidosis in exotic felids, these lesions were rare to absent in this population.
Urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids by normal young men during starvation.

SummaryThe urinary excretion of total, neutral 17-ketosteroids was determined in 10 young men who, over a 6-months period, lost 24% of their original body weight. The reduction in ketosteroid excretion was 30% of the control values.Twelve young men performed hard physical work during 4 days when they received no food. By the fourth day the urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids was only 31% of the control value. The ketosteroid excretion was not influenced by the hard work since the subjects were trained to it before the start of the fast.
On the beam profile and beam quality of gain-guided index-antiguided fibers with finite cladding boundary

The beam quality factor M2 for the fundamental LP01 mode of a step-index fiber with a finite cladding diameter is calculated in the presence of gain, in a closed form, as a function of the complex generalized V number. It is shown that the conventional infinite cladding diameter approximation cannot be used for index-antiguided gain-guided fibers, and the rigorous analysis presented in this paper is required for accurate prediction of the beam quality factor, as reported in recent experimental measurements.
Agent-Mediated E-Commerce Agents, Components, Services, Workflow, UML, Java, XML and Games

Effective large-scale E-commerce will require significantly many more applications, and more flexible systems to address the ever growing needs of customers and business. Reusable component and framework techniques must be augmented with a variety of flexible systems based on autonomous agent components and dynamically composed services. We are building an experimental multi-player e-commerce game, in which agents represent buyers, sellers, brokers and services of various kinds. This is a controlled vehicle for experimenting with alternative individual and group economic strategies, and different agent and component technologies. Software agents are a specialized kind of distributed component, offering greater flexibility than traditional components. We are integrating several technologies, including components, agents, workflow, software busses, UML, XML, Java, aspects and HP E-Speak.
Internalized Heterosexism A Historical and Theoretical Overview

Counseling psychologists can expect to encounter lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals in their lives, as students, colleagues, friends, clients, and/or family members. Most of the LGB individuals encountered by counseling psychologists have experienced the negative consequences of internalized heterosexism/internalized homophobia (IH). Yet many counseling psychologists are not adequately prepared to deal with the negative effects of IH on LGB persons' lives. This Major Contribution provides readers with a critical base of information about the construct of IH, including the historical context from which it emerged; controversies related to IH; theoretical approaches used to conceptualize IH; unique issues for women, men, and bisexuals; and the empirical research on measurement and psychosocial correlates of IH. In addition, it provides suggestions for future research and implications for counseling LGB individuals and for the training of counseling psychologists.
Combat Information Transport System reliability and availability performance

This paper describes the network modeling techniques that were developed to assess the reliability and availability performance of the Combat Information Transport System (CITS). CITS is the backbone network that provides high-capacity transport of data, voice, and video for all active duty and reserve Air Force bases. The model includes the network topology, the configuration and interconnection of network hardware, reliability and maintainability design predictions for all network hardware, and the expected network operational maintenance and sparing policies. The model provides an estimate of the mean time between critical failure (MTBCF), mean time between corrective maintenance action (MTBCMA), and availability performance of the CITS network. In addition, this paper describes how this modeling effort impacted the network design process and provides a summary of lessons learned. Finally, this paper addresses simulation-based modeling efforts that are being developed, and how these can be used to enhance reliability and availability performance for highly-fault tolerant networks such as CITS.
Editorial Focus: the brain renin-angiotensin system and hypertension. Focus on: hypertension in mice with transgenic activation of the brain renin-angiotensin system is vasopressin dependent.

The brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been extensively studied due to its role in central cardiovascular regulation and body fluid homeostasis. Much of the early work on this system was stimulated by the pioneering work of Brody, Johnson, and colleagues ([1][1]) who focused on possible
Laser versus intense pulsed light : Competing technologies in dermatology

Lasers have been competing with non-laser intense pulsed light (IPL) sources in the cosmetic arena over the past 10 years. Initially IPLs were somewhat cumbersome and accepted by a minority of "serious" practitioners. Recently, however, the popularity of full-face visible light skin rejuvenation, enhanced engineering of IPLs, and favorable cost versus many lasers, have lead to a proliferation of IPL devices. No longer a stepchild in the rejuvenation market, IPLs may overtake lasers as the devices of choice among most physicians. We review the pros and cons of lasers and IPLs within the context of design, cost, and other practical concerns for a typical office-based practice.
Planar Structures from Line Correspondences in a Manhattan World

Traditional structure from motion is hard in indoor environments with only a few detectable point features. These environments, however, have other useful characteristics: they often contain severable visible lines, and their layout typically conforms to a Manhattan world geometry. We introduce a new algorithm to cluster visible lines in a Manhattan world, seen from two different viewpoints, into coplanar bundles. This algorithm is based on the notion of “characteristic line”, which is an invariant of a set of parallel coplanar lines. Finding coplanar sets of lines becomes a problem of clustering characteristic lines, which can be accomplished using a modified mean shift procedure. The algorithm is computationally light and produces good results in real world situations.
Murine De Novo Methyltransferase Dnmt3a Demonstrates Strand Asymmetry and Site Preference in the Methylation of DNA In Vitro

CpG methylation is involved in a wide range of biological processes in vertebrates as well as in plants and fungi. To date, three enzymes, Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b, are known to have DNA methyltransferase activity in mouse and human. It has been proposed that de novo methylation observed in early embryos is predominantly carried out by the Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b methyltransferases, while Dntm1 is believed to be responsible for maintaining the established methylation patterns upon replication. Analysis of the sites methylated in vivo using the bisulfite genomic sequencing method confirms the previous finding that some regions of the plasmid are much more methylated by Dnmt3a than other regions on the same plasmid. However, the preferred targets of the enzyme cannot be determined due to the presence of other methylases, DNA binding proteins, and chromatin structure. To discern the DNA targets of Dnmt3a without these compounding factors, sites methylated by Dnmt3a in vitro were analyzed. These analyses revealed that the two cDNA strands have distinctly different methylation patterns. Dnmt3a prefers CpG sites on a strand in which it is flanked by pyrimidines over CpG sites flanked by purines in vitro. These findings indicate that, unlike Dnmt1, Dnmt3a most likely methylates one strand of DNA without concurrent methylation of the CpG site on the complementary strand. These findings also indicate that Dnmt3a may methylate some CpG sites more frequently than others, depending on the sequence context. Methylation of each DNA strand independently and with possible sequence preference is a novel feature among the known DNA methyltransferases.
Teaching Procedures in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Ethical Considerations and Limitations

The longstanding tradition of hands-on procedural training is an integral part of clinical education in all fields of medicine. Allowing inexperienced physicians-in-training to perform clinical procedures has been justified based on the needs of future patients, potentially at some cost or burden to the patient involved in the training. This practice may appear, at times, to conflict with the physician9s obligation to act in the best interests of the patient at hand. However, an ethical analysis centered on an example of an extremely low-birthweight newborn requiring intubation and other procedures lends support to this practice, provided several qualifications are met. The qualifications include adequate preparation, appropriate supervision, minimization of risks, honesty with families, the avoidance of exploitation, and justice in patient selection. Also, the obligation to the patient at hand is such that, in certain situations, the needs of that patient should outweigh any educational considerations. The analysis and arguments put forth should have relevance to clinical training in all branches of medicine and surgery.
Specific features of eddy turbulence in the turbopause region

Abstract. The turbopause region is characterized by transition from the mean molecular mass (constant with altitude) to the mean mass (dependent on altitude). The former is provided by eddy turbulence, and the latter is induced by molecular diffusion. Competition between these processes provides the transition from the homosphere to the heterosphere. The turbopause altitude can be defined by equalizing the eddy and molecular diffusion coefficients and can be located in the upper mesosphere or the lower thermosphere. The height distributions of chemical inert gases very clearly demonstrate the transition from turbulent mixing to the diffusive separation of these gases. Using the height distributions of the chemical inert constituents He, Ar, and N2 given by the MSIS-E-90 model and the continuity equations, the height distribution of the eddy diffusion coefficient in the turbopause region can be inferred. The eddy diffusion coefficient always strongly reduces in the turbopause region. According to our results, eddy turbulence above its peak always cools the atmosphere. However, the cooling rates calculated with the eddy heat transport coefficient equaled to the eddy diffusion coefficient were found to be much larger than the cooling rates corresponding to the neutral temperatures given by the MSIS-E-90 model. The same results were obtained for the eddy diffusion coefficients inferred from different experimental data. The main cause of this large cooling is the very steep negative gradient of the eddy heat transport coefficient, which is equal to the eddy diffusion coefficient if uniform turbulence takes place in the turbopause region. Analysis of wind shear shows that localized turbulence can develop in the turbopause region. In this case, eddy heat transport is not so effective and the strong discrepancy between cooling induced by eddy turbulence and cooling corresponding to the temperature given by the MSIS-E-90 model can be removed.
Genetic Analysis of the Hypothalamic Corticotropin-Releasing Factor System

The goal of this study was to use BxD recombinant inbred mice to search for genes that control the hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) system. The specific phenotype that was measured was abundance of transcripts that encode CRF, CRF receptor (Crf-R1), CRF binding protein, and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in total hypothalamic RNA. The strain distribution patterns for the transcript abundances for each target were continuously distributed, consistent with these being quantitative traits. Marker regression and interval mapping revealed associations with quantitative trait loci (QTL) for CRF transcript abundance on chromosome 1 (at 89.2 cM), chromosome 12 (between 54–58 cM), and chromosome 13 (between 26–30 cM); for Crf-R1 transcript abundance on chromosome 7 (at 1.5 cM), chromosome 12 (at 37 cM), and chromosome X (at 30 cM); for CRF binding protein transcript abundance on chromosome 7 (at 48.5 cM), chromosome 8 (at 65 cM), and chromosome 12 (at 19 cM); and for AVP transcript abundance on chrom...
Temporal control of cell-specific transgene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans

Cell-specific promoters allow only spatial control of transgene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans. We describe a method, using cell-specific rescue of heat-shock factor-1 (hsf-1) mutants, that allows spatial and temporal regulation of transgene expression. We demonstrate the utility of this method for timed reporter gene expression and for temporal studies of gene function.
Robust Manifold Nonnegative Matrix Factorization

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) has been one of the most widely used clustering techniques for exploratory data analysis. However, since each data point enters the objective function with squared residue error, a few outliers with large errors easily dominate the objective function. In this article, we propose a Robust Manifold Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (RMNMF) method using e2,1-norm and integrating NMF and spectral clustering under the same clustering framework. We also point out the solution uniqueness issue for the existing NMF methods and propose an additional orthonormal constraint to address this problem. With the new constraint, the conventional auxiliary function approach no longer works. We tackle this difficult optimization problem via a novel Augmented Lagrangian Method (ALM)--based algorithm and convert the original constrained optimization problem on one variable into a multivariate constrained problem. The new objective function then can be decomposed into several subproblems that each has a closed-form solution. More importantly, we reveal the connection of our method with robust K-means and spectral clustering, and we demonstrate its theoretical significance. Extensive experiments have been conducted on nine benchmark datasets, and all empirical results show the effectiveness of our method.
Implications of PET based molecular imaging on the current and future practice of medicine

Abstract The last quarter century has witnessed the introduction of a variety of powerful techniques that have allowed visualization of organ structure and function with exquisite detail. This in turn has brought about a true revolution in the day-to-day practice of medicine. Structural imaging with x-ray computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging has added tremendously to many areas of medicine, including preoperative evaluation of patients. Many surgical procedures have been replaced by minimally invasive techniques, which have become a reality only because of the availability of modern imaging modalities. However, despite such accomplishments, structural imaging is quite insensitive for detecting early disease in which there often are no gross structural alterations in organ anatomy. Therefore, these modalities should be complemented by methodologies that can detect abnormalities at the molecular and cellular levels. The introduction of [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in 1976 as a molecular imaging technique clearly has shown the power of this approach for treating a multitude of serious disorders. The impact of FDG-PET has been particularly impressive in patients with cancer diagnosis, for whom it has become important in staging, monitoring response to treatment, and detecting recurrence. In this review, we emphasize the role of FDG-PET in the assessment of central nervous system maladies, malignant neoplastic processes, infectious and inflammatory diseases, and cardiovascular disorders. New radiotracers are being developed and promise to expand further the list of indications for PET. These include novel tracers for cancer diagnosis and treatment capable of detecting hypoxia and angiogenesis. Prospects for developing new tracers for imaging other organ diseases also appear very promising.
Migration of Radionuclides in Geologic Media: Fundamental Research Needs

An assessment of the fundamental research needs in understanding and predicting the migration of radionuclides in the subsurface is provided. Emphasis is on the following three technical areas: (1) aqueous speciation of radionuclides, (2) the interaction of radionuclides with substrates, and (3) intermediate-scale interaction studies. This research relates to important issues associated with environmental restoration and remediation of DOE sites contaminated with mixed radionuclide-organic wastes.
Seasonal Applications of a Pyraclostrobin and Boscalid Mixture Do Not Impact Same-year Peach Fruit Quality Attributes

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS.Prunus persica, scab, Pristine, greening effect, fungicide, firmness SUMMARY. Quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides can improve the yield and quality of cereal crops in the absence of disease pressure through the so called ‘‘greening effect,’’ but little is known about the potential beneficial effects on deciduous tree fruit crops. In a multiyear and multicultivar study carried out in South Carolina (2005 and 2006) and California (2006), we examined the potential influence of the QoI fungicide pyraclostrobin on antioxidant activity and commercially important peach (Prunus persica) fruit quality attributes, including fruit size, coloration, firmness, soluble solids concentration, and yield. Experimental orchards were sprayed according to commercial guidelines to manage insect pests and diseases. A pyraclostrobin + boscalid mixture was applied up to five times per season starting 1 week after the physiological stage of ‘‘shuck off’’ until 1 to 2 weeks before harvest. Fruit size was measured weekly between ‘‘shuck off’’ and harvest, whereas the other fruit quality attributes were determined at harvest. Results indicate no consistent impact of the pyraclostrobin + boscalid mixture on same-year fruit size development or other fruit quality attributes in orchards with no or very little disease pressure. To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth evaluation of the potential effects of a QoI fungicide on commercially important tree fruit quality attributes.