cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fetal evaluation of spine dysraphism

Spinal dysraphism or neural tube defects (NTD) encompass a heterogeneous group of congenital spinal anomalies that result from the defective closure of the neural tube early in gestation with anomalous development of the caudal cell mass. Advances in ultrasound and MRI have dramatically improved the diagnosis and therapy of spinal dysraphism and caudal spinal anomalies both prenatally and postnatally. Advances in prenatal US including high frequency linear transducers and three dimensional imaging can provide detailed information concerning spinal anomalies. MR imaging is a complementary tool that can further elucidate spine abnormalities as well as associated central nervous system and non-CNS anomalies. Recent studies have suggested that 3-D CT can help further assess fetal spine anomalies in the third trimester. With the advent of fetal therapy including surgery, accurate prenatal diagnosis of open and closed spinal dysraphism becomes critical in appropriate counselling and perinatal management.
Climatology-Focused Evaluation of CMORPH and TMPA Satellite Rainfall Products over the Nile Basin

AbstractWith many operational satellite rainfall products being available for long periods, it is now possible to examine whether these products can reproduce climatologically known rainfall characteristics over large river basins that suffer from poor surface monitoring resources. Such assessment is a prerequisite for any further hydrologic applications that rely on these products. The current study evaluates two satellite rainfall products, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis research-grade product (TMPA-3B42) and the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) morphing technique (CMORPH), over the domain of the Nile basin in eastern Africa. The large latitudinal extent of the basin, its complex topography, and its diverse land use result in widely contrasting regimes and distributions of annual and seasonal rainfall. The results suggest that the two products are fairly successful in reproducing some of the region-specific rainfall patterns across climatologically di...
Function of gastrointestinal smooth muscle: from signaling to contractile proteins

The action of smooth muscle in the intestinal wall produces tonic contractions that maintain organ dimension against an imposed load such as a bolus of food, as well as forceful contractions that produce muscle shortening to propel the bolus along the gastrointestinal tract. These functions are regulated by intrinsic electrical and mechanical properties of smooth muscle. The complex signaling process that underlies these functions is discussed in this article. We propose a model that describes the facilitation of sustained contraction of smooth muscle cells in the gut.
Intervening on spontaneous physical activity to prevent weight regain in older adults: design of a randomized, clinical trial.

Abstract There is a need to identify evidenced-based obesity treatments that are effective in maintaining lost weight. Weight loss results in reductions in energy expenditure, including spontaneous physical activity (SPA) which is defined as energy expenditure resulting primarily from unstructured mobility-related activities that occur during daily life. To date, there is little research, especially randomized, controlled trials, testing strategies that can be adopted and sustained to prevent declines in SPA that occur with weight loss. Self-monitoring is a successful behavioral strategy to facilitate behavior change, so a provocative question is whether monitoring SPA-related energy expenditure would override these reductions in SPA, and slow weight regain. This study is a randomized trial in older, obese men and women designed to test the hypothesis that adding a self-regulatory intervention (SRI), focused around self-monitoring of SPA, to a weight loss intervention will result in less weight and fat mass regain following weight loss than a comparable intervention that lacks this self-regulatory behavioral strategy. Participants (n = 72) are randomized to a 5-month weight loss intervention with or without the addition of a behavioral component that includes an innovative approach to promoting increased SPA. Both groups then transition to self-selected diet and exercise behavior for a 5-month follow-up. Throughout the 10-month period, the SRI group is provided with an intervention designed to promote a SPA level that is equal to or greater than each individual's baseline SPA level, allowing us to isolate the effects of the SPA self-regulatory intervention component on weight and fat mass regain.
A Solid Potassium Ion Selective Electrode

Abstract A solid membrane potassium selective electrode has been developed. The following parameters of the potassium ion electrode were investigated; Nernstian response to potassium ion activity, response time to step changes in potassium ion activity, the effect of pH on potassium response, and the electrode response to other cations.
Fluctuating hydrodynamics of multicomponent membranes with embedded proteins.

A simulation method for the dynamics of inhomogeneous lipid bilayer membranes is presented. The membrane is treated using stochastic Saffman-Delbruck hydrodynamics, coupled to a phase-field description of lipid composition and discrete membrane proteins. Multiple applications are considered to validate and parameterize the model. The dynamics of membrane composition fluctuations above the critical point and phase separation dynamics below the critical point are studied in some detail, including the effects of adding proteins to the mixture.
Status signalling in harris sparrows: Experimental deceptions achieved

Harris sparrows (Zonotrichia querula) signal their social dominance by variations in the extent of black feathering on their throats and crowns. Earlier deception experiments showed sub-ordinates dyed blacker to be socially persecuted. Two explanations of this behaviour are here distinguished: (1) that cheating on the signalling system is socially controlled and (2) that the persecution resulted from an incongruence between signal and behaviour. The incongruence hypothesis is supported. Subordinates that were both dyed and administered testosterone show dramatic increases in social status; thus the evolutionary stability of the signalling system seems not to depend upon social control of cheating. A new hypothesis to explain the evolutionary stability of subordinance in this system is proposed: dominants and subordinates are adapted, respectively, to defensible and indefensible resource bases, and equal fitness for them is achieved through frequency-dependent selection.
Genetic relatedness among eastern North American blackberry cultivars based on pedigree analysis

Blackberry genetic relationships (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson) have not been thoroughly studied. The University of Arkansas maintains one of the largest blackberry-breeding programs in the world and thus, in-depth knowledge of the cultivars released from the program and others instrumental in their lineages can aid in breeding endeavors. Pedigrees of 32 cultivars were traced to their founding clones. Genetic contribution (GC), maximum potential similarity (MPS), inbreeding coefficient, and coefficients of relationship (CR) were calculated for all genotypes. Nineteen founding clones contributed to the 32 cultivars, ranging from <1% to ∼19%. The top three founding clones for mean GC conferred nearly 50% to the 32 cultivars in this study, suggesting a somewhat narrow genetic base. Calculations for MPS ranged from complete similarity (1.00) to 0.00. Individual inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.00 to 0.25. The coefficient of relationship was used as a method of determining genetic relatedness and ranged from 0.00 to 0.74. University of Arkansas cultivars had the highest MPS and CR in the study. This may be attributed to more generations of hybridization than the other cultivars. The MPS provided some comparable results to those of RFLP and RAPD molecular studies, but CR did not. The rather narrow genetic base of eastern North American blackberry cultivars does not create an imminent, significant concern for loss of diversity. However, more diverse germplasm should be infused for continuation of heterogeneity.
Spatial frequency effects in masking by light.

Abstract Observers detected briefly pulsed sine-wave gratings presented with various asynchronies before, during or after a 700 msec conditioning flash. Although the conditioning flash raised increment thresholds for detection of both low and high spatial frequency gratings, shapes of the masking curves differed. Curves for low spatial frequency gratings exhibited peaks at the conditioning field on and offset, resembling data reported by Crawford (1947). However, when a high spatial frequency grating was detected, no on or offset peaks were found. These results are consistent with a model of the human visual system postulating the existence of separate sustained and transient mechanisms.
Semileptonic Bc decay and heavy quark spin symmetry

Abstract Semileptonic decay of the Bc meson is studied in the heavy quark limit. The six possible form factors for B c → B s ( B 0 ), B s ∗ ( B ∗0 ) semileptonic decay are determined by two invariant functions. Only one of these functions contributes at zero recoil, where it is calculable to lowest order in an operator product expansion in terms of the meson decay constant ƒB and the Bc wave function. A similar result is found for B c → D 0 , D ∗0 and for Bc → ηc, J/ψ semileptonic decay for a restricted kinematic region. Semileptonic Bc decay provides a means for determining the KM mixing angle |ub|.
Preference for shock signals as a function of the temporal accuracy of the signals

Abstract Three groups of rats were exposed to pairs of three different contingencies on two sides of a shuttlebox. One signaled contingency provided 10-min danger and safety cues plus an additional 10-sec cue immediately preceeding shock (P-S), another signaled contingency provided 10-min danger and safety cues but random 10-sec cues with respect to shock (R-S), and an unsignaled contingency provided no safety period, but only a 20-min danger period during which shock could occur (NS). Signaled P-S and R-S contingencies were preferred in a choice test to the unsignaled NS contingency, and P-S was preferred to R-S. Independent tests of the fear-eliciting properties of the cues made in an off-baseline test of suppression of ongoing exploration indicated more freezing (fear) to the 10-sec cue in rats experiencing the P-S contingency. The results were interpreted as indicating a preference for cues providing more precise information about the temporal location of shock even when those cues were fear-eliciting.
Geo-spatial grid-based transformations of precipitation estimates using spatial interpolation methods

Geo-spatial interpolation methods are often necessary in instances where the precipitation estimates available from multisensor source data on a specific spatial grid need to be transformed to another grid with a different spatial grid or orientation. The study involves development and evaluation of spatial interpolation or weighting methods for transforming hourly multisensor precipitation estimates (MPE) available in the form of 4x4km^2 HRAP (hydrologic rainfall analysis project) grid to a Cartesian 2x2km^2 radar (NEXt generation RADar:NEXRAD) grid. Six spatial interpolation weighting methods are developed and evaluated to assess their suitability for transformation of precipitation estimates in space and time. The methods use distances and areal extents of intersection segments of the grids as weights in the interpolation schemes. These methods were applied to transform precipitation estimates from HRAP to NEXRAD grids in the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) region in South Florida, United States. A total of 192 rain gauges are used as ground truth to assess the quality of precipitation estimates obtained from these interpolation methods. The rain gauge data in the SFWMD region were also used for radar data bias correction procedures. To help in the assessment, several error measures are calculated and appropriate weighting functions are developed to select the most accurate method for the transformation. Three local interpolation methods out of six methods were found to be competitive and inverse distance based on four nearest neighbors (grids) was found to be the best for the transformation of data.
Detection of Clonal T-Cell Receptor |[gamma]| Gene Rearrangements in Early Mycosis Fungoides/Sezary Syndrome by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR/DGGE)

We used a gene amplification strategy to analyze T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements in 185 specimens, including mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome (MF/SS), other cutaneous neoplasms, inflammatory dermatoses, reactive lymphoid tissues, and normal skin. Genomic DNA was extracted from lesional tissues and rearrangements of the TCR-gamma chain gene were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific for rearrangements involving V gamma 1-8 or V gamma 9 gene segments. The resulting PCR products were then separated according to their nucleotide sequence as well as size by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Dominant clonal TCR-gamma gene rearrangements were detected in 61 of 68 MF/SS cases by PCR/DGGE. This sensitivity of 90% compared to a sensitivity of only 59% when dominant clonality was sought in 17 of these same cases by Southern blot analysis of TCR-beta gene rearrangements. This difference in sensitivity was greatest in early, minimally infiltrated skin lesions. PCR/DGGE was also more sensitive than Southern blot analysis for detecting peripheral blood involvement in two cases of early MF. Among 12 additional specimens of suspected MF/SS, nine (75%) showed clonal TCR-gamma gene rearrangements by PCR/DGGE including six of eight cases with a previously confirmed diagnosis of MF/SS and three of four cases without prior known MF/SS. Among 105 non-MF/SS specimens, dominant TCR-gamma gene rearrangements were detected in only six cases (6%). Four were diagnosed as chronic dermatitis and two were diagnosed as cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia. We conclude that the large majority of MF/SS cases, including patch phase disease, possess dominant clonal TCR-gamma gene rearrangements. PCR/DGGE is more sensitive than Southern blot analysis for detecting dominant clonality and staging disease in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MF/SS. However, because PCR/DGGE is sensitive enough to detect dominant TCR-gamma gene rearrangements in a subset of patients with chronic dermatitis, it cannot be used as the sole criterion for establishing a diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma. As with other molecular biologic clonality assays, clinicopathologic correlation is essential. Nevertheless, the detection of dominant clonality in some cases of histologically nonspecific dermatitis allows the identification of a previously unrecognized subset of patients, i.e., those with "clonal dermatitis." It will be important to determine the long-term risk of MF/SS among these patients because our study indicated that MF/SS can sometimes present with lesions indistinguishable from clonal dermatitis.
On the evolution of cellular detonation

A detonation shock-evolution equation that predicts both pulsating and cellular detonation has been derived in the limit of near-Chapman-Jouguet detonation, weak curvature, slow temporal variation, and large activation energy with a newly applied technique of the method of successive approximation. The evolution equation describes a wave hierarchy that is consistent with the linear stability theory of the evolution equation. We define the parameter regime for which the equation applies. The transverse wave instability, as indicated from analysis, leads to cellular detonation. Triple-points tracks correspond to shock-shock intersections of the dynamic solution of smooth portions of the front. The dynamics of the cellular solution are consistent with the notion that the power of the detonation front is derived from the normal reaction zone and the triple points are generated as the interaction of the independently propagating fronts and the consequent shock-shock intersections, not as the centers of blast waves. Explicit criteria for prediction of cell widths and cell aspect ratios are given.
Synthesis and gas sensing properties of ZnO single crystal flakes

We report a new two-dimensional structure, ZnO single crystal flakes, synthesized using a simple combustion CVD process. The flakes grew upward from the Si substrate. The as-grown ZnO flakes were less than 200 nm thick and 10–20 µm wide. Unlike most 1-D ZnO structures with [0001] growth direction, ZnO flakes grow along directions. A gas sensor based on a 200 nm thick ZnO flake exhibited fast response–recovery and high sensitivity to ethanol vapor. These as-synthesized single crystal ZnO flakes could have important technological applications.
Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of the Circumboreal Genus Cassiope (Ericaceae) Reveals Trends in Some Morphological and Wood Anatomy Characters and Likely Reticulate Evolution

Abstract The genus Cassiope is comprised of 17 species of dwarf alpine shrubs that exhibit a variety of leaf morphologies, yet have very similar flowers and habits. The genus is circumboreally distributed, with species diversity concentrated in northwestern North America and in eastern Asia. This clade has been previously shown to be strongly supported as sister to the subfamily Ericoideae, but relationships within the genus have never been the subject of any phylogenetic study. The goal of this study was to use three molecular markers from the chloroplast and nuclear genomes to generate a phylogeny of Cassiope. Our initial analyses suggested that three species negatively impacted phylogeny reconstruction by introducing conflict between the nuclear and chloroplast genomes. Reanalysis with those three taxa removed generated a very strongly supported phylogeny, suggesting that these three taxa may be of hybrid origin. Some evolutionary trends in morphology and anatomy are apparent based upon analyses using ...
A Tetralattice™ Gradient Fin: Its Creation and Testing

Rapid Prototyping (RP) has allowed prototypes with complex geometries to be possible during the past decade, such as complex geometry heat exchangers and fins. These structures are modeled after the covalent bonding between the carbon atoms of a diamond. The tetrahedron diamond lattice, or Tetralattice™, is a repeating lattice unit that lends itself to RP. Currently, fabrication of a thermal conduction module using two materials in a gradient fashion from one end to the other using intertwined Tetralattice™ pattern is being attempted at Milwaukee School of Engineering. The stainless steel (SS) portion of the gradient fin was fabricated by employing selective laser melting. The testing of this gradient fin for its performance with the base heated at a constant temperature was targeted and compared with the traditional cylindrical SS fin. Convective heat transfer was found to be enhanced due to the large surface area of the Tetralattice™ structure. A thermal imaging study was also conducted on this gradient fin. Infrared thermography captured data that would be nearly impossible to gather using thermocouples. These tests provided detailed heat transfer characteristics of this Tetralattice™ fin. This project tested the limits on fabrication of a complex geometry gradient fin; the authors project tremendous potential for use of such fins in automotive and aerospace applications.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
An Uncommon Friendship: Ethnographic Fiction Around Finance Equity in Texas

Is there a relationship between equity and excellence in the schools of today? Does there exist a gulf between what the wealthy schools and the poor schools can do for their students? And what of the students who attend the poor schools? Do they notice the discrepancies? Do they care? In this ethnographic fiction, the author examines these issues as she weaves the stories of two lives into one. In 1950, Gideon, the son of a Black sharecropper, and Lou, the daughter of a White rancher, meet and develop a friendship that spans their differences and their lifetimes. As they try to make sense of the events of their world, and as they struggle to deal with the injustices before them in their own way, they humanize an impersonal dicotomy. And they are one.
Microcomputer analysis of solid/liquid phase change heat transfer

The development of a microcomputer based finite element program featuring phase change (melting and freezing) simulation and facilities is outlined. A closed form Galerkin finite element method derived from a delta function formulation of the latent heat discontinuity in the heat capacity versus temperature function is used within phase change elements of the solution domain. Storage reduction data structures are implemented and compared on the basis of overall program execution time. Analytical solutions for melting and freezing are used to vertify program accuracy and to explore other simulation parameters such as time step size, mesh density and start-up technique. Several ''life like'' phase change simulations are compared to the results obtained from other numerical models.
Size-Dependent Crystalline to Amorphous Uphill Phase Transformation of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles

The room temperature Ca(C2H3O2)2−K3PO4−H2O equilibrium system was examined for the preparation of hydroxyapatite nanopowder with sizes less than 10 nm. The reaction products were characterized with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen-adsorption surface area, helium pycnometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and Karl Fisher titration methods. TEM revealed that ∼5 nm nanopowders could be successfully prepared with this synthesis approach. However, the vast instability of these powders brought upon by the method of sample separation or the characterization method itself made it impossible to use other conventional methods of characterization to validate TEM data. This study has identified key processing steps that control the order and disorder of these nanomaterials, as well as the conditions that lead to surface area reduction. The most unique phenomenon from this work is the observed crystalline to amorphous phase transformation when washed or unwashed nanopowders are aged for...
Future implications of the log domain paradigm

The implications of the recently proposed circuit design techniques surrounding the evolution of log domain filters, and in general, externally linear (ELIN) filters are explored. The discussion begins with a recapitulation of some classic filter design ideas which allow the development of log domain filters to be included as a natural extension. Then log domain filters of several types (i.e. class A, class AB, and syllabic companding) are discussed with the intention of showing their potential as alternatives to more standard designs in the future. Following this, the "log domain paradigm" is explored in terms of its potential for improving existing designs, including CMOS, in addition to suggesting new approaches.
Dihydropyrimidinone Positive Modulation of δ-Subunit-Containing γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptors, Including an Epilepsy-Linked Mutant Variant

γ-Aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAA receptors) are ligand-gated chloride channels that play a central role in signal transmission within the mammalian central nervous system. Compounds that modulate specific GABAA receptor subtypes containing the δ-subunit are scarce but would be valuable research tools and starting points for potential therapeutic agents. Here we report a class of dihydropyrimidinone (DHPM) heterocycles that preferentially potentiate peak currents of recombinant GABAA receptor subtypes containing the δ-subunit expressed in HEK293T cells. Using the three-component Biginelli reaction, 13 DHPMs with structural features similar to those of the barbiturate phenobarbital were synthesized; one DHPM used (monastrol) is commercially available. An up to ∼3-fold increase in the current from recombinant α1β2δ receptors was observed with the DHPM compound JM-II-43A or monastrol when co-applied with saturating GABA concentrations, similar to the current potentiation observed with the nonselect...
Binding Energies of Ag+ and Cd+ Complexes from Analysis of Radiative Association Kinetics

Association reactions of Cd+ with benzene and of Ag+ with acetone and several unsaturated hydrocarbons were observed in the Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) spectrometer. The reactions were presumed to occur by radiative association (RA) involving infrared photon emission, and the kinetics were analyzed to derive bond strengths for the ion−neutral complexes. To supply the structures, infrared frequencies, and infrared intensities required for this analysis, ab initio calculations at the Hartree−Fock (HF) and second-order Moeller−Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) levels were carried out for the reactants and the association complexes, and the results are reported. The RA kinetics analysis yielded values for the binding energies of 1.41 ± 0.2 eV for Cd+(benzene), 1.68 ± 0.2 eV for Ag+(benzene), 1.66 ± 0.2 eV for Ag+(acetone), 1.70 ± 0.2 eV for Ag+(isoprene), and 1.71 ± 0.2 eV for Ag+(2-pentene). The MP2-derived modeling gave higher (and more reliable) binding energies than the HF-derived m...
Carbon black dispersions as thermal pastes that surpass solder in providing high thermal contact conductance

Abstract Carbon black dispersions based on polyethylene glycol (PEG) or di(ethylene glycol) butyl ether, along with dissolved ethyl cellulose, provide thermal pastes that are superior to solder as thermal interface materials. The thermal contact conductance of the interface between copper disks reaches 3×10 5 W/m 2 °C, compared to 2×10 5 W/m 2 °C for a tin–lead–antimony solder. The pastes based on PEG are superior to those based on butyl ether in their thermal stability above 100 °C. Carbon black is superior to materials that are more conductive thermally (graphite, diamond and nickel particles, and carbon filaments) in providing thermal pastes of high performance. The performance of thermal pastes and solder as thermal interface materials is mainly governed by their conformability and spreadability rather than their thermal conductivity.
Evaluation of Hearing-Impaired Listeners Using a Nonsense-Syllable Test I. Test Reliability

The reliability of a closed-set Nonsense-Syllable Test was determined on a group of 38 listeners with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Eight randomizations of the 91-item test (four tri...
GROUP DECISION MAKING IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING USING MULTIPLE OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS

Water resources planning involves groups or institutions having differing objectives, responsibilities, and interests, and it requires collaboration for conflict resolution. In this paper, the characteristics and modeling requirements of conflict resolution in water resources planning are discussed. A method based on compound models is proposed for regional water resources planning involving multiple decision makers. This method combines modeling techniques such as multiobjective analysis and multicriteria and multiparticipant decision methods, and supports plan generation and evaluation, individual and group preference elicitation, and negotiation taking aim at a consensus plan. The method demonstrates that computer models can be effective and useful for group decisions in water resources planning by facilitating information sharing, participative model development, and learning processes.
Outcomes of preterm premature rupture of membranes in twin pregnancies

Objective. To describe outcomes in twin pregnancies with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).Methods. Dichorionic twin pregnancies complicated by PPROM at <34 weeks of gestation for the period 2003 to 2006 were identified. Outcomes were obtained through chart review. The relationship between gestational age at premature rupture of membranes (PROM), latency from PROM to delivery, and infection were examined.Results. In 49 twin pregnancies, the median gestational age at PROM was 31 weeks with a median latency between PROM and delivery of 0 days (interquartile range 0–6). Latency intervals of ≥2 and ≥7 days were achieved by 40.8% and 22.4%, respectively. PPROM at <30 weeks was associated with significantly higher rates of latency of ≥ 2 days (70.6% vs. 25.0%) and ≥7 days (47.1% vs. 9.4%). There was a significant relationship between latency and clinical and histologic signs of infection.Conclusions. After 30 weeks, most twin pregnancies with PPROM delivered within 2 days. Infection appears to be a...
An approximate folk theorem with imperfect private information

Abstract This paper studies repeated games in which players are imperfectly informed about the uncertain consequences of their opponents stage game actions. We show that if the game is informationally connected, the set of sequential equilibrium payoffs includes the enforceable mutually punishable set, if the intertemporal criterion is (i) the lim inf time average, or (ii) the limit of e-equilibria with discount factor δ, and e → 0 as δ → 1. We also explore the link between these two criterion functions.
HIV sexual risk behavior by men who use the internet to seek sex with men: results of the men's INTernet sex study-II (MINTS-II)

This study sought to identify the magnitude of HIV risk in a diverse sample of Men who use the Internet to seek Sex with Men (MISM), and test if specific subpopulations are at sufficiently increased risk to warrant tailored interventions. A sample of 2,716 American MISM, stratified by race/ethnicity, completed an Internet survey of online and offline sex seeking behavior during the last 3 months. Across most demographics, a minority of MISM reported unprotected anal intercourse with male partners (UAIMP). Across all demographics, risk of UAIMP substantially increased with partners met online. Other predictors of increased online partner risk include being 30–39 years old, having children, not living in the Northeast, and low income. HIV-positive men and African Americans reported increased online and offline partner risk. To address higher risk of UAIMP, online HIV interventions should prioritize the needs of MISM, especially HIV-positive men, with content focused on online-mediated liaisons.
Unsteadiness reported by older hospitalized patients predicts functional decline.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a simple question about steadiness at admission predicts in-hospital functional decline and whether unsteadiness at admission predicts failure of in-hospital functional recovery of patients who have declined immediately before hospitalization. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: One university hospital and one community teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand five hundred fifty-seven hospitalized medical patients aged 70 and older. MEASUREMENTS: On admission, patients reported their steadiness with walking and whether they could perform independently each of five basic activities of daily living (ADLs) at admission and 2 weeks before admission (baseline). For the primary analysis, the outcome was decline in ADL function between admission and discharge. For the secondary analysis, the outcome was in-hospital recovery to baseline ADL function in patients who experienced ADL decline in the 2 weeks before admission. RESULTS: In the primary cohort (n = 1,557), 25% of patients were very unsteady at admission; 22% of very unsteady patients declined during hospitalization, compared with 17%, 18%, and 10% for slightly unsteady, slightly steady, and very steady patients, respectively (P for trend = .001). After adjusting for age; medical comorbidities; Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation II score; and admission ADL, unsteadiness remained significantly associated with ADL decline (odds for decline for very unsteady compared with very steady = 2.6, 95% confidence interval = 1.5–4.5). In the secondary analysis, predicting ADL recovery in patients who declined before hospitalization (n = 563), 46% of patients were very unsteady at admission. In this cohort, 44% of very unsteady patients failed to recover, compared with 35%, 36%, and 33% for each successively higher level of steadiness, respectively (P for trend = 0.06). After multivariate adjustment, greater unsteadiness independently predicted failure of recovery (P for trend = 0.02). CONCLUSION: A simple question about steadiness identified patients at increased risk for in-hospital ADL decline and, in patients who lost ADL function immediately before admission, failure to recover.
Thermal loading considerations for synchrotron radiation mirrors

Grazing incidence mirrors used to focus synchrotron radiation beams through small distant apertures have severe optical require-ments. The surface distortion due to heat loading of the first mirror in a bending magnet beam line is of particular concern when a large fraction of the incident beam is absorbed. In this paper we discuss mirror design considerations involved in minimizing the thermal/ mechanical loading on vertically deflecting first surface mirrors required for SPEAR synchrotron radiation beam lines. Topics include selection of mirror material and cooling method, the choice of SiC for the substrate, optimization of the thickness, and the design of the mirror holder and cooling mechanism. Results obtained using two-dimensional, finite-element thermal/mechanical distortion analysis are presented for the case of a 6° grazing incidence SiC mirror absorbing up to 260 W at Beam Line VIII on the SPEAR ring. Test descriptions and results are given for the material used to thermally couple this SiC mirror to a water-cooled block. The interface material is limited to applications for which the equivalent normal heat load is less than 20 W/cm 2 .
The Impact of Sports Sponsorship on Consumers' Brand Attitudes and Recall: The Case of NASCAR Fans

A television clip of a NASCAR race, complete with commercials, was used to assess the impact of brand sponsorship on consumer attitude and recall. Attitudes towards the brands that appeared as logo...
Nonsurgical management of chronic pelvic pain

The following article will give you the opportunity to assess your understanding and knowledge of the material and earn continuing medical education (CME) credit. Review articles will be published in many issues of the Journal of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. They will be designated as course reading and offer physicians a chance to earn up to 1 CME credit hour per article.
The cytotoxic principles of Hyptis capitata and the structures of the new triterpenes hyptatic acid-A and -B☆

Abstract Bioassay-directed fractionation of a methanolic extract of Hyptis capitata has led to the isolation and characterization of five triterpene acids which include the new hyptatic acids -A and -B in addition to the known 2α-hydroxyursolic acid, tormentic acid and maslinic acid. Spectral data in conjunction with X-ray analysis of the methanol solvate of hyptatic acid-A established the structures of these compounds. Hyptatic acid-A and 2α-hydroxyursolic acid demonstrated significant in vitro cytotoxicity in human colon HCT-8 tumour cells.
The temperature response of CO2 assimilation, photochemical activities and Rubisco activation in Camelina sativa, a potential bioenergy crop with limited capacity for acclimation to heat stress

The temperature optimum of photosynthesis coincides with the average daytime temperature in a spe- cies' native environment. Moderate heat stress occurs when temperatures exceed the optimum, inhibiting photosyn- thesis and decreasing productivity. In the present study, the temperature response of photosynthesis and the potential for heat acclimation was evaluated for Camelina sativa ,a bioenergy crop. The temperature optimum of net CO2 assimilation rate (A) under atmospheric conditions was 30-32 C and was only slightly higher under non-photo- respiratory conditions. The activation state of Rubisco was closely correlated with A at supra-optimal temperatures, exhibiting a parallel decrease with increasing leaf tem- perature. At both control and elevated temperatures, the modeled response of A to intercellular CO2 concentration was consistent with Rubisco limiting A at ambient CO2. Rubisco activation and photochemical activities were affected by moderate heat stress at lower temperatures in camelina than in the warm-adapted species cotton and tobacco. Growth under conditions that imposed a daily interval of moderate heat stress caused a 63 % reduction in camelina seed yield. Levels of cpn60 protein were elevated under the higher growth temperature, but acclimation of photosynthesis was minimal. Inactivation of Rubisco in camelina at temperatures above 35 C was consistent with the temperature response of Rubisco activase activity and indicated that Rubisco activase was a prime target of inhibition by moderate heat stress in camelina. That pho- tosynthesis exhibited no acclimation to moderate heat stress will likely impact the development of camelina and other cool season Brassicaceae as sources of bioenergy in a warmer world.
Effect of Growth Hormone and Glucose on 14C Incorporation by the Perfused Dog Pancreas

SummaryThe isolated, recirculated, perfused dog pancreas has been used to study the effect of elevated glucose concentrations and GH on the incorporation of 14C labeled amino acids into the insulin containing fraction. The greatest incorporation occurred at the low glucose level. High glucose levels alone and 1 or 3 units of GH at low or high glucose levels caused a reduction of 14C amino acid incorporation into the IRI containing fraction below that seen with low glucose levels alone. Pretreatment of the pancreas donors with GH restored the 14C incorporation to that seen with low glucose alone. The results are discussed.
Updating beliefs about variables given new information on how those variables relate

Bayesian techniques specify how to update beliefs about a variable given information on that variable or related variables. In many cases, statistical analyses also provide information about the relationship between variables, but the Borel Paradox prohibits many natural ways of updating beliefs conditioned on information about a relationship. This paper presents a method by which beliefs can be updated without violating the Borel Paradox under certain circumstances. We apply our approach to relationships specified by a statistical model (i.e., regression), and relationships described by statistical simulation.
Base rates versus sample accuracy: competition for control in human matching to sample.

People often place undue weight on specific sources of information (case cues) and insufficient weight on more global sources (base rates) even when the latter are highly predictive, a phenomenon termed base-rate neglect. This phenomenon was first demonstrated with paper-and-pencil tasks, and also occurs in a matching-to-sample procedure in which subjects directly experience case sample (cue) accuracy and base rates, and in which discrete, nonverbal choices are made. In two nonverbal experiments, subjects were exposed to hundreds of trials in which they chose between two response options that were both probabilistically reinforced. In Experiment 1, following one of two possible samples (the unpredictive sample), either response was reinforced with a .5 probability. The other sample (predictive) provided reinforcement for matching on 80% of the trials in one condition but in only 20% of the trials in another condition. Subjects' choices following the unpredictive sample were determined primarily by the contingencies in effect for the predictive sample: If matching was reinforced following the predictive sample, subjects tended to match the unpredictive sample as well; if countermatching the predictive sample was generally reinforced, subjects tended to countermatch the unpredictive sample. These results demonstrate only weak control by base rates. In Experiment 2, base rates and sample accuracy were simultaneously varied in opposite directions to keep one set of conditional probabilities constant. Subjects' choices were determined primarily by the overall accuracy of the sample, again demonstrating only weak control by base rates. The same pattern of choice occurred whether this pattern increased or decreased rate of reinforcement. Together, the results of the two experiments provide a clear empirical demonstration of base-rate neglect.
Late coronary artery stenosis regression within the gianturco-roubin intracoronary stent

Abstract The late angiographic outcome of the Gianturco-Roubin intracoronary stent has not been well defined. To investigate serial changes within the stent, we studied 23 patients (15 men and 8 women, median age 63) who had late angiographic follow-up (>1 year) after undergoing Gianturco-Roubin stenting for angioplasty-associated acute or threatened native coronary artery closure. Coronary angiography before and after stenting, at 6-month follow-up, and at late return was analyzed with quantitative coronary angiography. The median time from stent deployment to late angiographic follow-up was 27 months. As expected, stenting significantly increased the median minimal lumen diameter (MLD) acutely from 1.0 to 2.46 mm. Median percent diameter stenosis decreased from 66% to 18%. Although at 6 months there was a significant loss of the acute gain (median MLD decreased from 2.46 to 1.9 mm), with a corresponding increase in percent stenosis from 18% to 31%, late angiography demonstrated lesion regression, median MLD increasing from 1.9 to 2.15 mm (p = 0.004), and percent stenosis decreasing from 31% to 21% (p = 0.0026). No patient had a significant decline in minimal lesion diameter, and 5 patients had a >50% increase in MID at late follow-up. Linear regression analysis of 6-month MLD and late lumen gain suggested that lesions with the greatest regression were those with the lowest lumen diameters at 6-month angiography. Late angiographic analysis demonstrated significant lesion regression within the Gianturco-Roubin stent, which was sometimes dramatic. In suggesting that coronary arteriography at 6 months may underestimate the late angiographic benefit of intracoronary stenting, these data have important clinical implications, and imply that patients with a stable clinical course and angiographic stent restenosis may often be followed rather than routinely redilated.
Comparing benchmark task and insight evaluation methods on timeseries graph visualizations

A study to compare two different empirical research methods for evaluating visualization tools is described: the traditional benchmark-task method and the insight method. The methods were compared using different criteria such as: the conclusions about the visualization tools provided by each method, the time participants spent during the study, the time and effort required to analyze the resulting empirical data, and the effect of individual differences between participants on the results. The studies used three graph visualization alternatives to associate bioinformatics microarray timeseries data to pathway graph vertices, based on popular approaches used in existing bioinformatics software.
Iron uptake and metabolism in the rhizobia/legume symbioses

Iron-containing proteins figure prominently in the nitrogen-fixing symbioses between bacteria of the genera Azorhizovium, Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium and their respective plant hosts. Although iron is abundant in the soil, the acquisition of iron is problematic due to its low solubility at biological pH under aerobic conditions. The study of iron acquisition as it pertains to these economically important symbioses is directed at answering three questions: 1) how do rhizobial cells acquire iron as free-living microorganisms where they must compete for this nutrient with other soil inhabitants 2) how do the plant hosts acquire enough iron for the symbiosis and 3) how do rhizobia acquire iron as symbionts? Production and/or utilization of ferric-specific ligands (siderophores) has now been documented in the laboratory for a number of rhizobial species, but there is limited information on whether production and/or untilization occurs either in the soil or in planta. Studies with rhizobial mutants which can no longer produce and/or utilize siderophores should address whether siderophores contribute to functional symbioses. In addition, the ability to produce and/or utilize siderophores may affect the outcome of both interstrain and interspecific competition in the rhizosphere and in bulk soil. Some progress has been made at documenting the effects of iron deficiency on nodule development. Studies are also underway to determine whether, in addition to its central structural role, iron may also play a regulatory role in the symbioses. This review is an attempt to give an overview of the field, and hopefully will stimulate further research on the iron nutrition of these symbioses which account for such a significant proportion of the world's biologically fixed nitrogen.
The role of micromixing in the scale‐up of geometrically similar batch reactors

Etude de l'effet de l'extrapolation sur le micromelangeage (ou vice versa) dans des reacteurs monophasiques en discontinu. Analyse de l'effet des alterations sur la conception des chicanes et des agitateurs
Feasibility of treatment of lower limb edema with calf muscle pump stimulation in chronic heart failure.

Background: Persons with chronic heart failure may exhibit a decrease in functional ability related to lower extremity edema in spite of optimal diuretic therapy and salt restrictions.Aim: The aim of this pilot prospective clinical study was to test the feasibility of using exogenous calf muscle pump stimulation to decrease lower leg edema and thus improve functional status and quality of life.Methods: Six subjects entered into this study and agreed to use the intervention 30min/day for one month. DXA was used to assess lower extremity composition.Results: Device use averaged approximately 1h/day and resulted in a reduction in the lean mass of the legs of 0.5kg (range = 0.08–1.0L; p = 0.03). Linear regression analysis of reduction of lower limb edema against daily usage suggests that increased utilization of calf muscle pump stimulation was associated with increased water losses, although this trend was not significant (R2 = 0.4, p = 0.18).Conclusion: This pilot indicates that exogenous calf muscle pump s...
Parametric effects of reinforcement frequency, amount of reinforcement, and required response force on sheltered workshop behavior

Three experiments involving parametric manipulation of reinforcement contingencies were performed with retardates in an automated Sheltered Workshop token economy. Experiment I showed that with amount of reinforcement held constant, work rates were positively related to reinforcement rates on fixed-interval schedules and inversely related to reinforcement rates on fixed-ratio schedules. Experiment II demonstrated an interaction between frequency of ratio reinforcement and torque required to complete a work unit: work rates were positively related to reinforcement rates when required response force was high and negatively related to reinforcement rates when required response force was low. Experiment III revealed that, with reinforcement frequency held constant, there was in inverse relationship between amount of reinforcement and work rate.