cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The energy factor in China’s foreign policy

This paper argues that China’s foreign policy behavior has been influenced by growing energy dependence. As a major importer, China can pursue energy security through strategies that result in conflict; alternatively, energy vulnerability might lead it toward cooperation with rival oil consuming nations through participation in multilateral organizations and other forums. After outlining the argument for the strategic nature of energy, China’s increasing energy dependence is assessed, as are Beijing’s efforts to shift China’s energy balance. China’s energy diplomacy with the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America are examined, and Beijing’s efforts toward greater energy security through multilateral organizations are discussed. The evidence supports the liberal hypothesis that economic interdependence promotes international cooperation. Energy demands have accelerated China’s rise to global prominence, and appear to moderate conflictual aspects of Chinese foreign policy.
“They Just Know”: The epistemological politics of “evidence-based” non-formal education

Abstract Community education and outreach programs should be evidence-based. This dictum seems at once warranted, welcome, and slightly platitudinous. However, the “evidence-based” movement's more narrow definition of evidence—privileging randomized controlled trials as the “gold standard”—has fomented much debate. Such debate, though insightful, often lacks grounding in actual practice. To address that lack, the purpose of the study presented in this paper was to examine what actually happens, in practice, when people support the implementation of evidence-based programs (EBPs) or engage in related efforts to make non-formal education more “evidence-based.” Focusing on three cases—two adolescent sexual health projects (one in the United States and one in Kenya) and one more general youth development organization—I used qualitative methods to address the questions: (1) How is evidence-based program and evidence-based practice work actually practiced? (2) What perspectives and assumptions about what non-formal education is are manifested through that work? and (3) What conflicts and tensions emerge through that work related to those perspectives and assumptions? Informed by theoretical perspectives on the intersection of science, expertise, and democracy, I conclude that the current dominant approach to making non-formal education more evidence-based by way of EBPs is seriously flawed.
Total synthesis and evaluation of 22-(3-azidobenzoyloxy)methyl epothilone C for photoaffinity labeling of β-tubulin

The total synthesis of 22-(3-azidobenzoyloxy)methyl epothilone C is described as a potential photoaffinity probe to elucidate the β-tubulin binding site. A sequential Suzuki-aldol-Yamaguchi macrolactonization strategy was utilized employing a novel derivatized C1–C6 fragment. The C22-functionalized analog exhibited good activity in microtubule assembly assays, but cytotoxicity was significantly reduced. Molecular modeling simulations indicated that excessive steric bulk in the C22 position is accommodated by the large hydrophobic pocket of the binding site. Photoaffinity labeling studies were inconclusive suggesting non-specific labeling.
An improved technique of eye drop self-administration for patients with limited vision

Abstract Purpose To describe a new, highly accurate, tactile technique to increase accuracy in the self-administration of eye drops. Design Interventional case series. Methods Ten adult patients with loss of fixation (≤20/400) in one eye and ten adult patients with loss of fixation in both eyes instilled one drop of artificial tears in each eye using the technique normally employed at home. The time required to instill each drop, the number of drops squeezed from the bottle, and location of the drops' landing points on the face or eye were recorded. The patients were then instructed in a new technique for instillation, guided through the procedure once, and allowed to practice until comfortable with it. All measurements were then repeated. Results In patients with loss of fixation in one eye, an additional 3.2 ± 4.1 seconds were required to instill a drop using the new technique ( P t test; range, −7–18 seconds). The mean number of drops dispensed decreased by 0.1 ± 0.6 drops ( P = .60, paired t test; range, −2–1 drop). The accuracy of drop placement increased from 80.0% to 82.5% ( P = .32, paired t test). In subjects with loss of fixation in both eyes, using the new technique increased the time needed to instill a drop by 3.8 ± 3.8 seconds ( P t test; range, −3–13 seconds). The average number of drops dispensed decreased by 0.1 ± 0.6 drops ( P = .25, paired t test; range, −2–1 drop). The accuracy of placement increased from 63.0% to 85.0% ( P = .001, paired t test). Conclusion This technique of drop instillation may be beneficial for patients with significant visual impairment in both eyes.
Vascular dementia may be the most common form of dementia in the elderly.

Abstract Cerebrovascular lesions, mainly lacunes and white matter ischemia, are common in elderly patients with dementia. Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common cause of dementia, after Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, lacunar strokes have become an important factor in the clinical expression of AD. Also, population-based studies indicate that vascular risk factors increase the risk of developing AD. It is postulated here that the two main causes of VaD—stroke and ischemic heart disease (IHD)—may be responsible for the majority of cases of dementia in the elderly. Stroke-related VaD : Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is the second leading cause of death worldwide. About 1/3 of stroke survivors [range: 25–41%] 65 years old and above develop VaD within 3 months following the ictus. In the USA alone, 125,000 new cases/year of VaD occur after ischemic stroke (about 1/3 of the 360,000 incident cases of AD). Therefore, more than 1 million elderly people are currently affected by poststroke VaD in the USA. Since current criteria identify "pure" cases of AD and VaD, it is likely that "AD plus CVD" ("mixed" dementia) could be responsible for a large number of cases currently diagnosed as probable AD. Cardiogenic VaD : By 2020, IHD leading to congestive heart failure (CHF) will become the leading cause of disability worldwide. Vascular cognitive impairment occurs in 26% of patients discharged from hospitals after treatment for CHF. Cognitive dysfunction correlates with left ventricular dysfunction and systolic blood pressure below 130 mm Hg. CHF is a leading cause of hospital admissions in Western nations (4.5 million cases in the USA alone) and is a growing problem in developing countries. Furthermore, over 800,000 patients/year undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery worldwide, including 300,000 patients in the USA. Measurable cognitive dysfunction occurs post-CABG in 80–90% of patients at hospital discharge. Long-term (5 years) incidence of cognitive defects is 42%. Finally, an international study found short-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction in 26% of patients (>60 years) after abdominal or orthopedic surgery; most of them may be instances of VaD. In conclusion, VaD may be the most underdiagnosed and undertreated form of dementia in the elderly.
P‐124: Methods of Measuring Thin Film Thickness on Polymer Substrate

In this paper two methods of measuring the thickness of a thin film layer on polymer substrate are presented. The first one is based on a polarizing microscope and analyzing the interference spectrum of white light reflected by the specimen. The second is a microscope with a high numerical aperture lens. The interference fringes caused by the birefringence of the polymer substrate can be eliminated, and by a numerical procedure the film index and thickness can be extracted from the measured reflection spectrum. As an example, we made measurements on a single layer UV glue thin film coated on a polymer substrate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in this case. We used the Fourier Transform method to analyze the spectrum and confirmed the effect of these methods.
Microstructural evolution during liquid phase sintering: Part I. Development of microstructure

During liquid phase sintering, numerous solid-solid particle contacts can be generated by particle motion within the fluid. It is shown that, somewhat surprisingly, Brownian motion can produce such contacts. If such contacts are accompanied by particle adherence, the particles can then subsequently fuse into one (i.e., coalesce) by the liquid state analog of the evaporation-condensation mechanism of sintering. An isolated microstructure will develop if the time for particle coalescence is much less than the time between contacts. A highly skeletal arrangement of particles will form under the converse condition. Using these principles, a “microstructure map” is calculated in which the expected morphology of microstructure (i.e., skeletal or isolated) is related to the solid particle volume fraction, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters affecting particle coalescence, and the frequency of particle contacts by Brownian motion. Some discussion of the thermodynamic and morphological factors affecting the probability of particle adherence after contact is presented.
Association of Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide with the Arabidopsis Blue Light Receptor CRY1

The arabidopsis thaliana HY4 gene encodes CRY1, a 75-kilodalton flavoprotein mediating blue light-dependent regulation of seedling development. CRY1 is demonstrated here to noncovalently bind stoichiometric amounts of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). The redox properties of FAD bound by CRY1 include an unexpected stability of the neutral radical flavosemiquinone (FADH.). The absorption properties of this flavosemiquinone provide a likely explanation for the additional sensitivity exhibited by CRY1-mediated responses in the green region of the visible spectrum. Despite the sequence homology to microbial DNA photolyases, CRY1 was found to have no detectable photolyase activity.
Impact of δ-Endotoxin-Producing Transgenic Cotton on Insect–Plant Interactions with Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Behavior of third-instar Heliothis virescens (F.) was observed on six genetically modified cotton lines (transgenic) expressing the δ-endotoxins produced by altered genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner var. kurstaki (strains HD1 or HD73). On transgenic lines the percentage of time larvae spent feeding was reduced to about 18% and resting increased to about 60% compared with 50 and 33%, respectively, for the nontransgenic control, ‘Coker 312’. Larvae on some of the transgenic lines spun-down (i.e., dropped off the plant on a silken thread) and abandoned plants more frequently than larvae on ‘Coker 312’. Reduced feeding and increased plant abandonment on some transgenic lines may be due, in part, to midgut paralysis and/or repellency of the δ5-endotoxin. Two cage experiments (one greenhouse and one field), were conducted to evaluate H. virescens survival and plant damage on the transgenic lines. Larval survival was <2% for all transgenic lines. Some transgenic lines had no larvae surviving the 10-d confinement. Percentage of damaged flower buds and bolls on all the transgenic lines were less than on ‘Coker 312’. Some transgenic lines had no damaged flower buds or bolls compared with 64 and 74% damaged, respectively, for ‘Coker 312’. Another greenhouse experiment was conducted where transgenic lines and nonexpressing ‘Coker 312’ controls were inoculated with 100 eggs of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Percentage of damaged flower buds and bolls was 2 and 6%, respectively, on a transgenic line expressing the HD73 endotoxin, compared with 54 and 55%, respectively, for the control. These data indicate that transgenic cottons offer excellent potential for suppression of H. virescens and H. zea damage and for reduction of insect control costs in production agriculture.
An extension of the method of polynomials and a new reduction formula for Bonferroni-type inequalities

Abstract We prove that Bonferroni-type inequalities on the probability of at least r events occurring out of n are valid if, and only if, they are valid for a triangular array of independent events. Such method for proof was so far available for the case of exactly r events occurring. This new method allows us to reduce the mentioned Bonferroni-type inequalities to the special case of none occurring. This reduction method is exploited to establish a large class of new inequalities
Pre-capacity building in loosely-coupled collaborations: Setting the stage for future initiatives

This article examines the benefits and limitations of ‘loosely-coupled’ research collaborations between university faculty and 12 grassroots community-based organisations (CBOs). The authors assert that community-based research projects that develop the knowledge base within CBOs, and can be described as ‘pre-capacity building’ work, can be an important stepping stone to the subsequent development of more formal and strategic capacity-building partnership ventures. However, such projects must be approached carefully with a clear understanding of the ‘threshold dimensions’ that must be met before proceeding with any collaboration. Written as a cautionary tale, the authors identify some of the problems that arise when the threshold stage is poorly executed, and more generally speak to the dangers of initiating even loosely-coupled collaborations in the absence of an explicit and well-established campus commitment to and support for community engagement and partnerships. Keywords: Community capacity-building, community-university partnerships, community research, collaboration
Conservation of mechanical energy and circulation in the theory of inviscid fluid sheets

In the theory of thin fluid sheets, governing equations are derived with specific reference to an assumed simple kinematic structure of the flow. There is a separate set of governing equations associated with each degree of complexity of the kinematic structure, forming a hierarchy of models (Green and Naghdi [3] and Shields and Webster [8]). If one is interested in the velocity profile across the sheet, the kinematic structure can be used again to interpret the variables in the governing equations as an approximate flow. This paper is concerned with the properties of this approximate flow. Two important consequences of the field equations (Euler's equations) in the classical, three-dimensional theory of ideal fluids are: conservation of mechanical energy, and conservation of circulation (Kelvin's theorem). The research reported herein provides a proof that mechanical energy is exactly conserved for the approximate flow in each level in this hierarchy. Two types of circulation are considered in the approximate flow: “in-sheet” circulation which is computed about circuits lying a fixed fractional distance between the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet, and “cross-sheet” circulation which is computed about circuits lying in a vertical cylindrical surface. It was found that K moments of the in-sheet circulation and K − 1 weighted moments of the cross-sheet circulation are conserved in the Kth level approximate flow.
Evapotranspiration, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency of Corn Hybrids Differing in Maturity

Short-season corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids may reduce irrigation requirements and permit earlier harvest. We measured and compared evapotranspiration (ET) of a short-season (SS, Pioneer 3737) and full-season (FS, Pioneer 3245) hybrid under full irrigation in 1994 at Bushland, TX, and examined differences in growth, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE). Both hybrids were planted the same day in contiguous 4-ha fields (each field with a weighing lysimeter to measure ET directly), were irrigated simultaneously until the SS hybrid reached mid grain fill (R5 dent stage), and were managed for high productivity. Harvest was at the normal field-dried grain water content of 136 g kg -1 for the region. Rainfall was 320 mm; 465 and 577 mm of irrigation was applied to the SS and FS hybrid fields, respectively. Seasonal ET was reduced with the SS hybrid (SS, 673 mm; FS, 802 mm), with the primary reduction after SS anthesis. Peak daily ET rates (some >10 mm d -1 ) were not affected by hybrid type. Grain yields (dry basis) declined from 1322 to 1130 g m -2 , but grain water use efficiency (WUEg = grain yield/ET) was similar across hybrids: SS, 1.68 kg m -3 ; FS, 1.65 kg m -3 . Dry matter (DM) was reduced by >390 g m -2 for the SS hybrid, but DM water use efficiency (WUEd = DM/ET) was identical for the two hybrids, at 3.02 kg m -3 . The SS hybrid reached physiological maturity 12 d earlier than the FS hybrid and was harvested 11 d sooner. Leaf area index was >5.5 m 2 m -2 for the FS hybrid, but barely >4 m 2 m -2 for the SS hybrid. The WUE d , WUE g , and peak daily ET rates were not appreciably different for the two hybrids when fully irrigated, although seasonal ET was less with the SS hybrid. A shorter-maturity hybrid can reduce ET and seasonal irrigation requirement, but it will not reduce the needed irrigation capacity (flow per unit area) by more than 5 to 10%, as that is largely dictated by the near-maximum daily ET rate needed to avoid soil water deficits and a corresponding yield reduction. With prevailing regional pumping and production costs, the reduced production income with a SS hybrid would be more than six to eight times the saving in irrigation water cost, but this could be offset by higher grain marketing prices with an earlier harvest and by the opportunity for grazing income from a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) double-crop.
Peer Support and Breastfeeding Intentions Among Black WIC Participants

The purpose of this study was to identify what factors impact low-income women's infant feeding decisions. A cross-sectional convenience sample of 109 black pregnant women, ages 18 to 45, regularly attending Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) clinics and associated programs in the Inland Empire Region of California were recruited to complete a structured questionnaire about their breastfeeding beliefs and intentions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore participant's intentions to breastfeed. After adjusting for confounding factors, results indicate that women who attended support groups were more than twice as likely to intend to breastfeed compared with women who did not. These results highlight the importance of social influences on the decision to breastfeed, and indicate the need for broadened community-based education for the promotion of breastfeeding.
Expression of target molecules in lung cancer: challenge for a new treatment paradigm.

Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States, accounting for 28% of all cancer fatalities. More than two thirds of patients present with metastatic disease at the time of presentation. Despite improvements in chemotherapy and combined treatment modalities, the survival rate remains below 15%. However, recent advances in our understanding of the biology of lung cancer and carcinogenesis have led to the development of novel therapies directed at tumor-specific targets. These targets are crucial components in important pathways for cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. Strategies that interfere with these pathways include monoclonal antibodies directed at growth factors or their receptors, immunotoxins, ligand toxins, antisense molecules, ribozymes, and small-molecule inhibitors. Novel cell surface antigens are being used in vaccines developed to stimulate T-cell–specific immunity. The tumor cells also have specific survival requirements in their local environment that are necessary for invasion, angiogenesis, and metastases. Many new therapeutic strategies are designed to interfere with these requirements. This article reviews many of these recent developments and new therapeutic possibilities; ideally, in the near future, these developments will be implemented in the treatment of lung cancer patients and in early detection and chemoprevention strategies. Semin Oncol 29 (suppl 9):2-8. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Direct action upon avian target organs by the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate.

At ten days of age, intact male chicks had significantly larger combs than intact female chicks. Castration at four days of age eliminated the sex difference in growth of the comb. Growth of the comb, as a result of the secretion of endogenous androgens by the testes, was inhibited by inunction of the comb with small dosages of cyproterone acetate (Cyp A). Combs of other chicks were divided surgically into posterior and anterior portions of equal weight, thus providing two separate androgenic target organs in the same animal. The local action of Cyp A was investigated by inunction of this compound on the anterior or the posterior portion of the comb, along with simultaneous application of testosterone propionate to both portions. Small dosages of Cyp A antagonized the effect of androgen on the portion of the comb inuncted with Cyp A without affecting growth of the other target organ in the same animal. It was concluded that Cyp A exerted antiandrogenic actions directly upon target organs and was effective topically in doses too small to act systemically. The posterior portion of the comb, in comparison with the anterior, was more responsive both to the androgen and to the antiandrogen.
DNA polymerase eta and chemotherapeutic agents.

The discovery of human DNA polymerase eta (pol η) has a major impact on the fields of DNA replication/repair fields. Since the discovery of human pol η, a number of new DNA polymerases with the ability to bypass various DNA lesions have been discovered. Among these polymerases, pol η is the most extensively studied lesion bypass polymerase with a defined major biological function, that is, to replicate across the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers introduced by UV irradiation. Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer is a major DNA lesion that causes distortion of DNA structure and block the replicative DNA polymerases during DNA replication process. Genetic defects in the pol η gene, Rad30, results in a disease called xeroderma pigmentosum variant. This review focuses on the overall properties of pol η and the mechanism that involved in regulating its activity in cells. In addition, the role of pol η in the action of DNA-targeting anticancer compounds is also discussed. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 14, 2521–2529.
A 44 GHz CMOS RFIC Dual-Function Attenuator with Band-Pass-Filter Response

A dual-function attenuator possessing both attenuation and band-pass filtering functions is proposed. The new dual-function band-pass attenuator architecture is derived by replacing the quarter-wavelength transmission line of a conventional attenuator with a 2nd-order admittance-inverter band-pass filter. Design formulas for the dual-function band-pass attenuator are derived. A 3-b CMOS dual-function band-pass step attenuator designed using a 0.18 $\mu{\rm m}$ BiCMOS technology shows measured insertion loss of 4.4–5.9 dB, RMS amplitude error of 0.8–1.4 dB, RMS phase error of 1.9–6.7 $^{\circ}$ over 36–52 GHz, input P1dB higher than 20 dBm at 44 GHz, and band-pass-filtering response with stop-band rejections greater than 18 dB at 24 and 64 GHz.
Scientific highlights from the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

In May 2011, the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) was held in Phoenix, Arizona.* The overriding goal of the SID is to advance and promote the sciences relevant to skin health and disease. With an international group of approximately 1,500 researchers in attendance, this scientific meeting offered an opportunity for clinicians and researchers to exchange knowledge and ideas in the fields of dermatology and cutaneous biology for the purpose of advancing this goal. The scientific program of the 2011 Annual Meeting spanned a wide variety of topics, including cell differentiation and development, immunology, skin disease etiology and treatment development, and cancer. These proceedings, which were based on the full recorded presentations from the meeting, highlight the variety of cutting-edge research performed by this international community of investigators. Unfortunately, space limitations precluded a description of every presentation from the meeting, which included nearly 900 oral and poster presentations; thus, the subsequent discussion highlights the Plenary Sessions, State-of-the-Art Plenary Lectures, and named lectures. Please refer to the full meeting program and abstracts online for further details (http://sidnet.org/Admin/UserFiles/File/FINAL%202011%20Meeting%20Program.pdf).
Proof of the law of diminishing returns

Based on a general mathematical model of a technology, implying certain properties for the production function, weak and strong forms of a physical law of diminishing returns are derived. It is also shown that the classical forms of this law hold if the technology is homogeneous (degree one) and the production possibility sets of the technology are strictly convex, but the latter property violates an essential property of a technology, namely that these sets have bounded efficient subsets.
Some historic and electron microscopic observations on the aged beagle pancreas.

Abstract The beagle pancreas shows no significant or consistent age changes at the histological level. A relatively small number of intrapancreatic vascular lesions occur. These are fibrotic and are of minor severity. The pattern and amount of collagenous and reticular tissue in the beagle pancreas do not change significantly with age. Occasionally, fatty degeneration with connective tissue replacement is observed in small areas of the parenchyma in the older dogs. Only rarely is fibrosis, hyalinization, cell degeneration, or islet atrophy observed. The deposition of amyloid generally does not occur in the beagle pancreas with age, while the intra- and interlobular ducts show no age-related alterations. At the ultrastructural level, a marked increase in the occurrence of lysosomes is observed in the acinar cells of the older beagles. A number of the beta cells in the older beagles contain lipofuscin-like material, while the remainder of the beta cell ultrastructure appears normal.
Psychoeducational intervention for sexuality with the aged, family members of the aged, and people who work with the aged

Sexual attitudes, knowledge, and behavior have been shown to be a life-long pattern of evolving behavior without a clear beginning and ending. Older persons were educated and socialized in an environment that viewed sexuality as a procreative activity appropriate only for married persons in the child bearing years, thus neglecting the interpersonal and individual aspects of sexuality. A sexual psychoeducational intervention was conducted and evaluated with older persons, adult family members of older persons, and staff members of nursing homes. Results indicated significant changes in attitudes toward and knowledge about sexuality and aging and sexual behavior.
Functionally graded β‐TCP/PCL nanocomposite scaffolds: In vitro evaluation with human fetal osteoblast cells for bone tissue engineering

The engineering of biomimetic tissue relies on the ability to develop biodegradable scaffolds with functionally graded physical and chemical properties. In this study, a twin-screw-extrusion/spiral winding (TSESW) process was developed to enable the radial grading of porous scaffolds (discrete and continuous gradations) that were composed of polycaprolactone (PCL), β-tricalciumphosphate (β-TCP) nanoparticles, and salt porogens. Scaffolds with interconnected porosity, exhibiting myriad radial porosity, pore-size distributions, and β-TCP nanoparticle concentration could be obtained. The results of the characterization of their compressive properties and in vitro cell proliferation studies using human fetal osteoblast cells suggest the promising nature of such scaffolds. The significant degree of freedom offered by the TSESW process should be an additional enabler in the quest toward the mimicry of the complex elegance of the native tissues. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010
Cytogenetic findings in a parent of a patient with Fanconi's anemia.

We have studied a patient with clinically established Fanconi type anemia whose peripheral blood leukocyte culture and bone marrow showed a normal male karyotype, with no morphological alterations. The skin fibroblasts in cultures derived from his father, however, revealed a mosaic pattern,47, XY F+/46, XY. The findings of a trisomic cell line in a parent of a patient with Fanconi's anemia has been reported only once before.
English Women's Devotional Writing: Surveying the Scene

The last five years have seen a growing maturity in the scholarship on women's devotional writing from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, marked by an expanding archive and by differentiated ...
Ubiquitin ligases: Taming the APC.

The activity of the anaphase-promoting complex is regulated by the autoubiquitination of Cdc20. How this autoubiquitination is regulated remains an open question. The pharmacological inhibitor TAME now provides insight into this regulation.
Anticonvulsant properties of diacetylmonoxime (DAM).

Abstract Both diacetylmonoxime and hydroxylamine protect mice against the lethal effects of pentylenetetrazol (Metrazol); neither compound protects against the lethal effects of thiosemicarbazide. Hydroxylamine elevates the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rats, while diacetylmonoxime does not. Neither compound elevates brain GABA levels in mice at anticonvulsant doses. The causal relationship between brain GABA levels and seizures is questioned.
Metal Cation Binding to Phenol: DFT Comparison of the Competing Sites

The two metal ion binding regions of phenol were characterized and compared by density functional theory (DFT). The monocations of sodium, magnesium, aluminum, and the first-row transition series were considered, using mainly the B3LYP and MPW1PW91 functionals. Calculations on the model ligands water and benzene were carried out at the same level of theory. The MPW1PW91 functional is more favorable than the B3LYP functional toward binding to the aromatic ring, while no strong difference is seen for oxygen binding. Comparison with experimental data and higher level computational results for water and benzene indicate that MPW1PW91 is better than B3LYP in predicting the differential between ring and oxygen binding energies, and seems to do an excellent job of making this comparison. Except for Na+, for which the ring and oxygen neighborhoods have similar binding energies, the ring site of phenol was favored for all the metal ions. The differential was quite small (2−3 kcal mol-1) for Mg+, for which the O si...
A unified benchmarking and model-based framework for building QoS-aware streaming media services

A number of technology and workload trends motivate us to consider the appropriate resource allocation mechanisms and policies for streaming media services in shared cluster environments. We present MediaGuard --- a model-based infrastructure for building streaming media services --- that can efficiently determine the fraction of server resources required to support a particular client request over its expected lifetime. The proposed solution is based on a unified cost function that uses a single value to reflect overall resource requirements such as the CPU, disk, memory, and bandwidth necessary to support a particular media stream based on its bit rate and whether it is likely to be served from memory or disk. We design a novel, time-segment-based memory model of a media server to efficiently determine in linear time whether a request will incur memory or disk access when given the history of previous accesses and the behavior of the server's main memory file buffer cache. Using the MediaGuard framework, we design two media services: (1) an efficient and accurate admission control service for streaming media servers that accounts for the impact of the server's main memory file buffer cache, and (2) a shared streaming media hosting service that can efficiently allocate the predefined shares of server resources to the hosted media services, while providing performance isolation and QoS guarantees among the hosted services. Our evaluation shows that, relative to a pessimistic admission control policy that assumes that all content must be served from disk, MediaGuard (as well as services that are built using it) deliver a factor of two improvement in server throughput.
Self-Esteem, Depressive Symptoms, and Adolescents' Sexual Onset:

We examine whether self-esteem and depressive symptoms influence sexual onset when important controls such as age, dating, race, and income are examined. Analyses are based on the first two waves of the restricted-use sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We examine adolescents who reported at wave 1 that they had not had sexual intercourse. Using logistic regression models run separately for males and for females, we find that depressive symptoms, when entered simultaneously, exert a greater effect than self-esteem on sexual onset. Depressive symptoms have less effect on sexual onset for African-American girls than for white girls. Higher self-esteem is associated with greater likelihood of sexual debut at older ages for boys. Our findings suggest that although many positive benefits of self-esteem have been suggested, the conceptual and empirical link between depressive symptoms and adolescent sexual onset may be more crucial.
Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony in Hypertensive Patients Without Congestive Heart Failure

Background Normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function is present in as many as 50% of patients with congestive heart failure. The majority of such patients have systemic hypertension. Recent studies have demonstrated LV dyssynchrony among patients with heart failure and normal systolic function. However, it is unclear whether such abnormalities exist in hypertensive patients who have not developed clinical evidence of heart failure. Methods Hospitalized patients with established hypertension undergoing echocardiography who met the following criteria were eligible for the study: LV ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 50%, wall ≥11 mm, absence of valvular or known ischemic disease, and normal QRS duration. Complete 2-Dimensional and Doppler echocardiography studies with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were performed in all patients. Dyssynchrony was measured using time from QRS to peak systolic velocity on TDI (T-P) in 3 apical views. Normal values for dyssynchrony were established in a group of normotensive patients with normal echocardiography studies. Results The study included 42 patients (19 women, 23 men with a, mean age of 59.6 y (range 32–96 y). Left ventricular dyssynchrony was common, occurring in 20 of 42 patients (47.6%). Dyssynchrony assessed with the maximum T-P (T-Pmax) was significantly related to LV mass (r = 0.32, p = 0.036), left atrial volume (r = 0.59, p < 0.0001), and LV sphericity index (0.32, p = 0.037). Dyssynchrony was not related to age or LV filling pressure calculated from the Doppler study. Conclusions Left ventricular dyssynchrony is common among hypertensive patients with normal LV systolic function and no evidence of congestive heart failure. The severity of LV dyssynchrony is related to the magnitude of LV hypertrophy, left atrial size, and LV remodeling. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Single-kernel characteristics of hard winter wheats in relation to milling and baking quality.

ABSTRACT To investigate relationships of wheat single kernel (SK) characteristics with end-use properties, we used 12 hard winter wheat cultivars harvested at six regions in Kansas in 1993. Significant positive correlations occurred among wheat hardness parameters including near-infrared reflectance hardness score, SK hardness index (SK-HI), and SK peak force (SK-PF) obtained by the Single Kernel Characterization System (SKCS). The SKCS characteristics also were significantly correlated to conventional wheat quality parameters such as test weight, kernel density, and kernel sizing. Flour yields were significantly correlated with SK-PF, SK-HI, and SK weight (SK-WT), suggesting the usefulness of SKCS in evaluating milling quality. The negative correlation of milling score with the standard deviation of SK-HI and SK-PF indicated that uniformity of SK hardness is desirable for good milling performance. However, bread loaf volumes had significant negative correlations with SK diameter and SK-WT, mainly due to ...
The behavioral management of chronic pain: Long-term follow-up with comparison groups

To assess the long-term efficacy of an operant inpatient treatment program for severely disabled chronic pain patients, 26 treated patients were compared with 20 rejected for treatment by a clinic team and 12 who refused treatment. At follow-up ranging from 1 to 8 years, 77% of treated participants were leading normal lives without medication for pain compared to one patient in the other two groups. At time of evaluation, unsuccessfully treated patients used more medications and were higher on MMPI measures of paranoia and lower on ego-strength than successfully treated patients. Spouses of unsuccessfully treated patients had higher MMPI scores on hypochondriasis and hysteria than spouses of successfully treated patients.
Breaking Walls, Building Bridges: Expanding the Presence and Relevance of Rural Sociology*

Rural areas continue to face a series of challenges; many are likely to have profound impacts on the vitality of these places over the long term. Of central concern is whether the rural sociological enterprise, a potentially vital source of information and guidance on such diverse issues, will be able to effectively respond to such challenges. The author argues that in order to strengthen its relevance and viability in coming years, the rural sociological profession must embrace three important shifts. First, it must modify the manner in which it engages in the production of new knowledge by pursuing a more balanced portfolio of investments in disciplinary and transdisciplinary research. Second, it must take a bold step to build bridges to new entities whose missions, goals, and values closely align with those of the Rural Sociological Society. And third, it must take a more proactive role in generating quality, scientifically sound information that is aligned with the needs of federal and state policy communities, particularly information that can better articulate how policies are likely to impact rural people and places.
Analyses of Centrifugal Compressor Performance Impacts on Volute and Scroll

Volute is used to collect and transport swirling gas produced by impeller or diffuser. Design of the volute not only impacts compressor efficiency but also influences the operating ranges of the compressor. In this study, Navier-Stokes equations combined with an algebra turbulence model were used to simulate flows inside a single stage compressor. Detailed flow simulations for a large cut back tongue volute are presented and discussed. A rounded tongue volute was tested in a single stage test rig. The compressor stage performance tests were conducted in the test lab and static pressure taps were used to measure static pressures at volute internal walls at locations of θ = 240° and 360°. Thermal couples and other static pressure probes were instrumented at inlet and outlet of the compressor for performance tests. The numerical results were compared with experiments and good agreements are found. Studies showed that a large cut back rounded tongue volute provided good operating range without dramatically dropping compressor peak efficiency.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Active Unfolding of Collagen is not Required for Collagenolysis to Occur in Solution

A number of disorders such as tumor metastasis, arthritis, and atherosclerotic heart disease are related to excessive collagen degradation. Therefore methods that further our understanding of collagenolysis are of particular interest. However, as the collagenase active site is too small to accommodate the triple-helical structure of collagen and the scissile bond within collagen is not accessible to the collagenase catalytic site, the precise molecular mechanism of collagenolysis is unclear. Prior experiments have been interpreted to mean that collagenases actively unfold collagen, in a process that requires intact full length collagenase - which is typically a multi-domain protein, containing both a catalytic and hemopexin-like domain - leading to exposure of the scissile bond. Here we demonstrate that collagen types I and III can be degraded by the catalytic domain alone of either MMP1 or MMP8 at temperatures far below the melting temperature of collagen. These data argue that active unwinding of collagen is not required for collagenolysis to occur in solution. Molecular simulations further suggest that normal thermal fluctuations in the structure of the triple-helical structure of collagen lead to the protein sampling states where the scissile bond is relatively exposed and hence accessible to collagenase active site. Taken together, these data suggest that collagen degradation is the result of the interaction of preformed locally unfolded states of collagen and collagenases, rather than a mechanism that involves active collagenase-mediated unfolding.
Noninvasive diagnosis of early caries with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT)

There is no diagnostic technology presently available utilizing non-ionizing radiation that can image the state of demineralization of dental enamel in vivo for the detection, characterization and monitoring of early, incipient caries lesions. In this study, a Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (PS-OCT) system was evaluated for its potential for the non-invasive diagnosis of early carious lesions. We demonstrated clear discrimination in PS-OCT imags between regions of normal and demineralized enamel in bovine enamel blocks containing well-characterized artificial lesions. Moreover, high-resolution, cross- sectional images were acquired that clearly discriminate between the normal and carious regions of extracted human teeth. Regions that appeared to be demineralized in the PS- OCT imags were verified using histological thin sections examined under polarized light. The PS-OCT system discriminates between normal and carious regions by measuring the state of polarization of the back-scattered 1310 nm light, which is affected by the state of demineralization of the enamel. The demineralized regions of enamel have a large scattering coefficient, thus depolarizing the incident light. This initial study shows that PS-OCT has great potential for the detection, characterization, and monitoring of incipient caries lesions.
A Property of completely monotonic functions

Une fonction non negative f(t), t>0 est dite completement monotone si ses derivees satisfont (−1) n f (n) (t)≥0 pour tout t et n=1, 2, ... Pour une telle fonction f(t+δ)/f(t) est strictement croissante par rapport a t pour tout δ>0, ou f(t)=c exp(−dt) pour certaines constantes c et d, et tout t. On donne une application de ce resultat
Optimizing candidate check costs for bitmap indices

In this paper, we propose a new strategy for optimizing the placement of bin boundaries to minimize the cost of query evaluation using bitmap indices with binning. For attributes with a large number of distinct values, often the most efficient index scheme is a bitmap index with binning. However, this type of index may not be able to fully resolve some user queries. To fully resolve these queries, one has to access parts of the original data to check whether certain candidate records actually satisfy the specified conditions. We call this procedure the candidate check, which usually dominates the total query processing time. Given a set of user queries, we seek to minimize the total time required to an-swer the queries by optimally placing the bin boundaries. We show that our dynamic programming based algorithm can efficiently determine the bin boundaries. We verify our analysis with some real user queries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For queries that require significant amount of time to perform candidate check, using our optimal bin boundaries reduces the candidate check time by a factor of 2 and the total query processing time by 40%.
Robust nonlinear model predictive controller design based on multi-scenario formulation

We propose a robust nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) algorithm based on multi-scenario nonlinear programming (NLP). We show that this multi-scenario formulation is Input-to-State practical stable (ISpS). Moreover, the proposed algorithm yields less steady-state offset than the minmax strategy.
Rapid Antigen Tests for Diagnosis of Pandemic (Swine) Influenza A/H1N1

We found that the sensitivities of 3 rapid influenza antigen tests for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus were low to moderate: BD Directigen EZ Flu A+B test (Becton Dickinson), 46.7%; BinaxNOW Influenza AB and QuickVue Influenza A+B Test (Quidel), 53.3%. A patient with influenza-like illness who has a negative rapid antigen test result should undergo further testing using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Sum of squares methods for minimizing polynomial forms over spheres and hypersurfaces

This paper studies the problem of minimizing a homogeneous polynomial (form) f(x) over the unit sphere \(\mathbb{S}^{n - 1} = \left\{ {x \in \mathbb{R}^n :\left\| x \right\|_2 = 1} \right\}\). The problem is NP-hard when f(x) has degree 3 or higher. Denote by fmin (resp. fmax) the minimum (resp. maximum) value of f(x) on \(\mathbb{S}^{n - 1}\). First, when f(x) is an even form of degree 2d, we study the standard sum of squares (SOS) relaxation for finding a lower bound of the minimum fmin: $$\max \gamma s.t. f\left( x \right) - \gamma \cdot \left\| x \right\|_2^{2d} is SOS.$$ Let fsos be the above optimal value. Then we show that for all n ⩾ 2d, $$1 \leqslant \frac{{f_{\max } - f_{sos} }} {{f_{\max } - f_{\min } }} \leqslant C(d)\sqrt {\left( {_{2d}^n } \right)} .$$ Here, the constant C(d) is independent of n. Second, when f(x) is a multi-form and \(\mathbb{S}^{n - 1}\) becomes a multi-unit sphere, we generalize the above SOS relaxation and prove a similar bound. Third, when f(x) is sparse, we prove an improved bound depending on its sparsity pattern; when f(x) is odd, we formulate the problem equivalently as minimizing a certain even form, and prove a similar bound. Last, for minimizing f(x) over a hypersurface H(g) = {x ∈ ℝn: g(x) = 1} defined by a positive definite form g(x), we generalize the above SOS relaxation and prove a similar bound.
Tuning to interaural time differences across frequency.

Interaural time differences (ITDs) are an important cue for azimuthal sound localization. Sensitivity to this cue depends on temporal synchrony to the waveform (i.e., phase locking) that begins in the hair cells and is relayed to the neural comparators. The synchrony function is low-pass. Therefore, it is expected that neural tuning to ITDs will become narrower with frequency according to a 1/frequency function. To test this, we measured ITD tuning across frequency in neurons from the superior olivary complex, the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, the inferior colliculus, the auditory thalamus, and the auditory cortex. For some neurons in each nucleus, the ITD tuning width did become systematically narrower by the expected 1/frequency relationship. However, in other neurons the ITD tuning width was nearly constant across frequency. Constant ITD tuning width was infrequently observed in neurons of the superior olivary complex but was common in neurons in structures above the superior olivary complex. The nearly constant ITD tuning was caused both by sharper ITD tuning at low frequencies and broader tuning at higher frequencies within the low-frequency band. Neurons with nearly constant tuning to ITDs may be the mechanism underlying the perception of ITDs in humans in which just-noticeable differences to changes in ITD decrease by less than the 1/frequency prediction.