cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exercise as an intervention for sedentary hazardous drinking college students: A pilot study

Abstract Young adults 18–24 years have the highest rates of problems associated with alcohol use among all age groups, and substance use is inversely related to engagement in substance-free activities. This pilot study investigated the promotion of one specific substance-free activity, exercise, on alcohol use in college students. Thirty-one sedentary college students who engaged in hazardous drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores ≥8) were randomized to one of two conditions: (a) one 50-min session of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) focused on increasing exercise, or (b) one 50-min session of MET focused on increasing exercise plus 8 weeks of contingency management (CM) for adhering to specific exercise activities. All participants completed evaluations at baseline and post-treatment (2-months later) assessing exercise participation and alcohol use. Results of the pilot study suggest the interventions were well received by participants, the MET + CM condition showed an increased self-reported frequency of exercise in comparison to the MET alone condition, but other indices of exercise, physical fitness, and alcohol use did not differ between the interventions over time. These results suggest that a larger scale trial could better assess efficacy of this well received combined intervention. Investigation in other clinically relevant populations is also warranted.
Chromatography of trichothecene mycotoxins

Abstract Trichothecene mycotoxins occur in agricultural commodities and can cause problems from feed refusal to death in animals. This paper describes chromatographic methods for selective analysis for trichothecene mycotoxins. These methods include gas chromatography (GC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The trichothecene analysis methods by GC and TLC are shown to have a greater sensitivity than in HPLC for the underivatized mycotoxins.
The public opinion–foreign policy paradox in Germany: integrating domestic and international levels of analysis conditionally

Abstract Does public opinion influence foreign policy? International relations theory is divided on whether foreign policy outputs follow public opinion in advanced democratic countries. Using the case of cold war and post-cold war Germany, I offer an integrated realist theory of the effect of public opinion on foreign policy. I test the theory and the generalizability of the hypothesis of a public opinion–foreign policy nexus using process tracing as well as a time series analysis between the years 1973 and 2002. Using new measures, results here contradict literature on expected public opinion and policy outputs in the cold war period yet are supported after. I find that the predicted effect of public opinion on foreign policy outputs to be confounded by such factors as security threats.
Premature onset of fast axonal transport in bromophenylacetylurea neuropathy: an electrophoretic analysis of proteins exported into motor nerve.

Abstract To test whether abnormal processing of proteins for fast axonal transport is involved in the neuropathy induced by BPAU (p-bromophenylacetylurea) we examined transport onset. [35S]Methionine was injected into the lumbar ventral horn of rats 2 weeks after BPAU, 400 mg/kg (i.p.) or vehicle. At intervals of 30–90 min consecutive 3-mm segments of the L4 and L5 ventral roots were digested for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Fast transported proteins were identified by comparison with samples from mid-thigh sciatic nerve ligated for 16 h after radiolabeling. A prominent 26 kDa band represented the earliest exported protein. It was usually absent at 30 min, but it entered the roots by 45 min. This band was consistently displaced further in BPAU nerve (n = 11) than in controls (n = 11). The mean difference was 5 ± 0.6mm P
Declines of the gopher tortoise on protected lands

We compared two assessments of the status of gopher tortoise populations at 10 protected sites in Florida, taken about a decade apart. We assessed status indirectly, using surveys of burrows along belt transects. Transect placement and timing were identical between surveys. We compared numbers of burrows, relative numbers of burrows of different activity conditions, and size distributions of burrows between surveys. The comparisons indicated that populations had declined at as many as eight of the sites. We found no strong connection between population decline and decline in habitat quality, as reflected in decreased ground cover and/or increased canopy cover between surveys. The response of a population to decline in habitat quality may depend on initial habitat structure, the degree of change in habitat structure, the period of time over which change is measured, the amount of habitat involved, and the level of habitat management.
Regulation by IFN-beta of inducible nitric oxide synthase and interleukin-12/p40 in murine macrophages cultured in the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae antigens.

Chlamydia pneumoniae has been demonstrated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Interferon-β (IFN-β) has favorable effects on the clinical course of MS. We inv...
Effects of piperonyl butoxide on halothane hepatotoxicity and metabolism in the hyperthyroid rat.

Abstract A series of experiments were conducted to examine the potential role of phase I metabolism in halothane-induced liver injury in the hyperthyroid rat. The metabolism of halothane was determined in both hyperthyroid (triidothyronine, 3 mg/kg per day, for 6 days) and euthyroid rats and in animals pre-treated with the cytochrome P -450 inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (75–100 mg/kg, i.p.). It was found that the hyperthyroid state, which is associated with a substantial increase in sensitivity to the hepatotoxic effects of halothane, decreases both oxidative and reductive routes of halothane metabolism in the rat. The production of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), an oxidative metabolite, as well as that of chlorodifluoroethylene CDF) and chlorotrifluoroethane (CTF), 2 reductive metabolites, was significantly reduced in hyperthyroid animals. Consistent with these findings serum and urinary bromide levels resulting from the formation of TFA, CDF or CTF were significantly reduced. The only route of halothane metabolism significantly increased by the hyperthyroid condition was the defluorination of halothane. Piperonyl butoxide administration did not render euthyroid animals sensitive to the halothane-induced hepatotoxicity and had no effect on the defluorination of halothane in euthyroid animals. However, piperonyl butoxide markedly increased the hepatotoxicity of halothane in hyperthyroid rats and, except for a modest increase in debromination reactions, decreased all measured indices of halothane metabolism including the defluorination of halothane. Thus, none of the observed changes in halothane metabolism produced by triidothyronine or piperonyl butoxide treatment could be consistently correlated to the increases in hepatotoxicity linked to these 2 treatments. Based on these studies we suggest that the halothane hepatotoxicity induced in the hyperthyroid rat results from effects produced by either the parent compound or an as yet unidentified metabolite. In addition, these studies further demonstrate that considerable mechanistic differences exist for halothane-induced hepatotoxicity when comparing euthyroid and hyperthyroid animal models.
Extending the dental examination interval: possible financial and organisational consequences

One of the principle aims of the journal Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) is to systematically examine the scientific evidence to support or refute our current methods for providing oral health care. Most of the EBD papers you will read here carefully evaluate the evidence for a clinical topic and then provide the reader with guidance concerning the value of the authors' conclusions. What you will not find is a prediction of the possible financial consequences for a general dentist or their patients if a new EBD protocol is adopted. The purpose of my editorial is to ask one question: what could be the financial and organisational consequences of extending from 6 to 12 months the re-examination interval for healthy (low-risk caries or periodontal disease) individuals?
The Role of Research in International Tobacco Control

The future of the tobacco-produced disease epidemic rests in low- and middle-income countries, where cigarette sales are growing-the result of rising incomes, trade liberalization, liberalization of the treatment of women, and the introduction of Western-style advertising. Research on disease causation, epidemiology, and educational and policy interventions has contributed significantly to reducing smoking rates in developed countries. A similar contribution is needed in less affluent nations, but severe challenges are involved in implementing a robust research program in such countries. In an attempt to understand these challenges and begin to conceptualize an approach to overcoming them, I examine the need for and methods to achieve a program of meaningful research on tobacco and health, as well as health policy, in the developing world.
Dorsal body pigmentation and sexual dimorphism in the marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum)

Marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) have individually variable dorsal pigmentation patterns. But it is unclear whether or not dorsal pigmentation is associated with variables such as body size and sex. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the body size variables and sex are important predictors of the coverage of dorsal body white pigmentation in adult marbled salamanders. We evaluate the degree of sexual dimorphism in several body traits, including the dorsal body white pigmentation, using univariate and multivariate methods, and analyze the sex-related difference in pigmentation asymmetry. The General Linear Model (GLM) predicts a significant main effect of sex and a significant interaction between sex and dorsal body area (DBA), influencing the coverage of dorsal body white pigmentation. The interaction effect is greater in males than in females. We show significant sex-related differences in body size and shape. Eight morphometric traits reveal female-biased sexual size dimorphism, while male...
Dermal γδ T cells — A new player in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

Psoriasis is considered as a T-cell driven chronic inflammatory skin disease. Both T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells have been demonstrated to participate in psoriasis pathogenesis. Recently, a new subset of γδ T cells residing in the dermis has been identified. Dermal γδ T cells are the major source of interleukin (IL)-17 in the skin upon IL-23 stimulation. More importantly, they are also shown to be involved in psoriasis development. In this review, we focus on this newly discovered cell population both in mice and human, particularly discussing its role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The biologic therapeutics targeting dermal γδ T cell and its related molecules in the treatment of psoriasis are also included.
Disaster in Korea : The Chinese Confront MacArthur

Explains how the Chinese Army drove MacArthur and the U.N. forces out of North Korea, and tells why the Chinese decided to intervene.
The use of xad-2 resin for the analysis of coprostanol in water

Abstract The use of Amberlite XAD-2 resin column for extracting 5β-cholestan-3β-ol (coprostanol), a fecal sterol, from water was studied. It was found that the efficiency of the column extraction was comparable to that of the conventional liquid—liquid partitioning process. Maximum recovery from water samples depended upon pH of the sample, flow rate, resin mesh size, and concentration of coprostanol. Our data suggest that the use of Amberlite XAD-2 resin columns for the quantitation of coprostanol may be employed effectively to supplement the enumeration of coliform bacteria as an indicator of fecal pollution of water.
The growth of crystalline vapor deposited carbon-60 thin films

Thin films (25-2500 A) of C60 molecules have been deposited on both (001) NaCl and mica substrates at varying temperatures by resistive evaporation. Both electron diffraction and high resolution microscopy have been used to assess the degree of crystallinity, the orientational ordering and the nature of the defects present in these face-centered-cubic films. For NaCl, optimum conditions yielded polycrystalline films with a tendency towards a 〈110〉 orientation, while for mica, extended single crystal films have been fabricated which exhibit a 〈111〉 direction normal to the film surface.
Estimation of levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoles in whole blood by an autoanalytical procedure: observations on the blood-brain barrier.

Abstract— We describe a method for the fluorometric determination of 5-hydroxyindoles in the physiological range of 0.010–1.30 μg/ml of whole blood by means of an autoanalytical procedure. Serotonin is dialysed free from haemolysed blood constituents and a complex between 5-HT and o-phthaldialdehyde is formed in the dialysand to provide a considerable increase over the native fluorescence of 5-HT in strong acid. The method has been evaluated and considered to be accurate for the continuous monitoring of levels of 5-HT in whole blood and for the determination of cerebral arteriovenous differences. The range of values for human patients with cerebrovascular disease was 0.09–0.34 μg/ml of whole blood. In experimental studies on the baboon the range was 0.538–1.28 μg/ml. A mean positive cerebral arteriovenous difference for 5-HT (and possibly other 5-hydroxyindoles) of 0.037 μg/ml was measured in 10 baboons. This finding suggests the possibility of physiological movement of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoles into brain across the blood-brain barrier.
Wideband Circularly Polarized Antenna With L-Shaped Slot

A wideband circularly polarized (CP) L-slot antenna single fed by L-shaped feed line is designed. Wideband CP is obtained by truncating one of the corners of the antenna element. This arrangement introduces orthogonal components with quadrature phase difference to excite circularly polarized wave. A bandwidth of 46.5% (2.18-3.5 GHz) is achieved with an dB and dB. Good agreement between measured and computed results is achieved. Moreover, parametric study results are presented.
A novel algorithm for incompressible flow using only a coarse grid projection

Large scale fluid simulation can be difficult using existing techniques due to the high computational cost of using large grids. We present a novel technique for simulating detailed fluids quickly. Our technique coarsens the Eulerian fluid grid during the pressure solve, allowing for a fast implicit update but still maintaining the resolution obtained with a large grid. This allows our simulations to run at a fraction of the cost of existing techniques while still providing the fine scale structure and details obtained with a full projection. Our algorithm scales well to very large grids and large numbers of processors, allowing for high fidelity simulations that would otherwise be intractable.
Effect of rapidly changing river stage on uranium flux through the hyporheic zone

Measurement of ground water/surface water interaction within the hyporheic zone is increasingly recognized as an important aspect of subsurface contaminant fate and transport. Understanding the interaction between ground water and surface water is critical in developing a complete conceptual model of contaminant transport through the hyporheic zone. At the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, ground water contaminated with uranium discharges to the Columbia River through the hyporheic zone. Ground water flux varies according to changes in hydraulic gradient caused by fluctuating river stage, which changes in response to operation of dams on the Columbia River. Piezometers and continuous water quality monitoring probes were installed in the hyporheic zone to provide long-term, high-frequency measurement of hydraulic gradient and estimated uranium concentrations. Subsequently, the flux of water and uranium was calculated for each half-hour time period over a 15-month study period. In addition, measurement of water levels in the near-shore unconfined aquifer enhanced the understanding of the relationship between river stage, aquifer elevation, and uranium flux. Changing river stage resulted in fluctuating hydraulic gradient within the hyporheic zone. Further, influx of river water caused lower uranium concentrations as a result of dilution. The methods employed in this study provide a better understanding of the interaction between surface and ground water in a situation with a dynamically varying vertical hydraulic gradient and illustrate how the combination of relatively standard methods can be used to derive an accurate estimation of water and contaminant flux through the hyporheic zone.
Distance constrained dimensionality reduction for parametric fault test generator

Measurement of Parametric specifications like delay, power, gain, etc., is difficult, expensive and require specialized test instrumentation, as they are essentially analog in nature. Due to these problems, alternate tests are used to implicitly verify parametric specifications. For most nontrivial circuits, alternate test generation is a time-consuming and complex task. In this paper, we utilize a novel technique for fast exploration of the specification space to determine redundancy in specification tests prior to alternate test generation. If significant redundancies exist, a low dimensional embedding is determined to provide a target for the classification method operating on the alternate test measurements. The proposed method uses the same data that is generated by conventional tests, hence requiring minimal additional effort in data collection and can also be used on high dimensional data with complex nonlinear structure.
Designing DRA Composites for High Creep Strength

Metal-matrix composites with discontinuous reinforcement are attractive for high-temperature applications because of their creep strength. An additional benefit is the ease of fabrication through a number of processing routes. The magnitude of creep strengthening depends on the chemistry, size, and volume fraction of the reinforcement phase. By using a dislocation-creep-mechanism map, it is possible to predict the level of creep strengthening in discontinuously reinforced aluminum-matrix composites.
Environmental robustness in automatic speech recognition

Initial efforts to make Sphinx, a continuous-speech speaker-independent recognition system, robust to changes in the environment are reported. To deal with differences in noise level and spectral tilt between close-talking and desk-top microphones, two novel methods based on additive corrections in the cepstral domain are proposed. In the first algorithm, the additive correction depends on the instantaneous SNR of the signal. In the second technique, expectation-maximization techniques are used to best match the cepstral vectors of the input utterances to the ensemble of codebook entries representing a standard acoustical ambience. Use of the algorithms dramatically improves recognition accuracy when the system is tested on a microphone other than the one on which it was trained. >
Influence of Chill Packaging and Brine Chilling on Physical and Sensory Characteristics of Broiler Meat

Abstract Broiler carcasses were used to determine the effect of brine chilling on the tenderness of chill-packed broiler light and dark meat. Thighs and breasts from brine-chilled and water-chilled carcasses were either ice packed or chill packed (crust frozen and held at −2 C). Carcass chill water uptake, cook loss, cooked meat shear force, moisture, chloride ion content, and sodium were determined. Samples were subjectively compared between packaging types within chilling treatments by sensory panels. Chill packaging produced a significant toughening effect on light meat samples from water-chilled carcasses. This effect was not observed in light meat samples from brine-chilled carcasses or in dark meat samples from water-chilled carcasses. Sensory panel data supported shear force data. Chill packaging significantly decreased cook loss, regardless of chilling treatment; however, percent moisture content of cooked meat was not affected by chill or packaging treatments. Sodium and chloride ion contents of meat from brine-chilled carcasses were significantly increased.
Using the TBX5 transcription factor to grow and sculpt the heart

TBX5 mutations cause the cardiac and limb defects of the autosomal dominant Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS). We have explored the role of the TBX5 transcription factor during cardiogenesis and have elucidated some of its functions in regulating myocardial cell proliferation and proepicardial cell migration. Our identification of TBX5 mutations has enabled us to offer genetic testing for diagnosis of HOS in patients and also to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis on blastocysts for couples desiring to have a child unaffected by HOS. We hope that our genetic testing approach will serve as a paradigm for mutation screening in other inherited syndromes.
The impact of anthropogenic land-cover change on the Florida Peninsula Sea Breezes and warm season sensible weather

During the twentieth century, the natural landscape of the Florida peninsula was transformed extensively by agriculture, urbanization, and the diversion of surface water features. The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical modeling study in which the possible impacts of this transformation on the warm season climate of the region were investigated. For three separate July‐August periods (1973, 1989, and 1994), a pair of simulations was performed with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. Within each pair, the simulations differed only in the specification of land-cover class. The two different classes were specified using highly detailed datasets that were constructed to represent pre-1900 natural land cover and 1993 land-use patterns, thus capturing the landscape transformation within each pair of simulations. When the pre-1900 natural cover was replaced with the 1993 land-use dataset, the simulated spatial patterns of the surface sensible and latent heat flux were altered significantly, resulting in changes in the structure and strength of climatologically persistent, surface-forced mesoscale circulations—particularly the afternoon seabreeze fronts. This mechanism was associated with marked changes in the spatial distribution of convective rainfall totals over the peninsula. When averaged over the model domain, this redistribution was reflected as an overall decrease in the 2-month precipitation total. In addition, the domain average of the diurnal cycle of 2-m temperature was amplified, with a noted increase in the daytime maximum. These results were consistent among all three simulated periods, and largely unchanged when subjected to a number of model sensitivity factors. Furthermore, the model results are in reasonable agreement with an analysis of observational data that indicates decreasing regional precipitation and increasing daytime maximum temperature during the twentieth century. These results could have important implications for water resource and land-use management issues in south Florida, including efforts to restore and preserve the natural hydroclimate of the Everglades ecosystem. This study also provides more evidence for the need to consider anthropogenic land-cover change when evaluating climate trends.
The alien limb phenomenon and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Abstract Introduction Alien limb phenomenon (ALP) has been rarely reported as a presenting feature of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), though neurologists may not recognize it as a prompt to search for CJD. Objective This report demonstrates the clinical features of patients with ALP and CJD. Methods All patients with the ALP between 1/1/1996 – 7/28/2011 were identified by the Mayo Clinic Medical Record Linkage system and cross-referenced with a diagnosis of CJD in that same time span. This yielded 13 patients, including six women. Results The median age at onset of CJD symptoms was 69 years. Two patients were classified as possible CJD, five as probable CJD, and six as definite CJD based on research diagnostic criteria for CJD. The median time to onset of ALP symptoms was 0.5 weeks. The ALP afflicted the left side in nine patients. The median time to death from CJD symptom onset was 10.5 weeks. In four patients ALP was the initial and sole neurologic sign. In four others it was the initial manifestation coexisting with other deficits. ALP related symptoms initially prompted three other patients to seek medical evaluation. ALP was either initially or eventually accompanied by ipsilateral hemineglect, ideomotor apraxia and/or cortical sensory loss in nine patients. Imaging of the contralateral parietal lobe demonstrated cortical T2 hyperintensity and/or restricted diffusion in all eight patients who had abnormal MRI neuroimaging. Conclusions ALP should trigger suspicion of CJD. The neuroanatomic correlate of ALP in CJD appears to be the contralateral parietal lobe.
Summertime Coupling between Sea Surface Temperature and Wind Stress in the California Current System

Satellite observations of wind stress and sea surface temperature (SST) are analyzed to investigate ocean–atmosphere interaction in the California Current System (CCS). As in regions of strong SST fronts elsewhere in the World Ocean, SST in the CCS region is positively correlated with surface wind stress when SST fronts are strong, which occurs during the summertime in the CCS region. This ocean influence on the atmosphere is apparently due to SST modification of stability and mixing in the atmospheric boundary layer and is most clearly manifest in the derivative wind stress fields: wind stress curl and divergence are linearly related to, respectively, the crosswind and downwind components of the local SST gradient. The dynamic range of the Ekman upwelling velocities associated with the summertime SST-induced perturbations of the wind stress curl is larger than that of the upwelling velocities associated with the mean summertime wind stress curl. This suggests significant feedback effects on the ocean, which likely modify the SST distribution that perturbed the wind stress curl field. The atmosphere and ocean off the west coast of North America must therefore be considered a fully coupled system. It is shown that the observed summertime ocean– atmosphere interaction is poorly represented in the NOAA North American Mesoscale Model (formerly called the Eta Model). This is due, at least in part, to the poor resolution and accuracy of the SST boundary condition used in the model. The sparse distribution of meteorological observations available over the CCS for data assimilation may also contribute to the poor model performance.
Management of Recurrent Rectal Cancer

Background. Here we present a concise review on the evaluation and management of locally recurrent rectal cancer, which despite marked reductions in the rate of recurrent rectal cancer remains an important problem. Methods. This educational review discusses the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of recurrent rectal cancer. Results. Despite improvements in both the neoadjuvant and surgical management of rectal cancer, local recurrence is still an important problem, with documented recurrence rates of 4% to 8%. The local management of recurrence requires a team of specialist. Accurate detection and diagnosis followed by chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection may result in 5-year survival rates of up to 35%. Conclusions. We discuss the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of locally recurrent rectal cancer. Locally recurrent rectal cancer can be successfully managed with multimodal therapy leading to successful palliation and often cure.
Unifying Service Marketing and Operations With Service Experience Management

One of the pioneer firms in the leisure cruise industry embarked on a bold idea in 2000 to offer an unregimented experience unlike most cruises. Despite the appeal of the concept from a marketing perspective, the service innovation posed operational challenges, many of which continue to undermine the firm's competitive position. Using a multimethod empirical approach and interdisciplinary views that draw on research from marketing and operations management, the authors analyze this business case to identify challenges that service firms face when services are developed and managed from siloed functional perspectives. Based on their research findings and guided by the literature, the authors derive a service-systems model to aid service planning and management. The authors further highlight a new organizational form and function for services under the domain of service experience management that is positioned as a means to unify service operations and marketing for delivering on service promises. The autho...
Memory Illusions: Recalling, Recognizing, and Recollecting Events that Never Occurred

Abstract Three experiments that document a powerful false memory effect in recall and recognition are reported. Subjects studied lists of items related to critical nonpresented themes (e.g., sleep, needle) and then completed recognition and/or recall tests, as well as various metamemory tasks (e.g., remember/know, source monitoring). Results showed that the critical nonpresented items were recalled and recognized nearly as often as studied items. False recognition of critical nonpresented items did not decrease over a 24-h retention interval, whereas the recognition rate for studied items did decrease significantly. The false memory effect also increased across successive recall tests. Subjects’ responses on the metamemory tasks indicated that they experienced the critical nonpresented items as being very similar to the presented items that were recalled and/or recognized. Subjects were even willing to indicate which of two persons speaking the study items had spoken the critical nonpresented items that were recalled. Results are discussed in terms of fuzzy trace theory and it is argued that these false memory effects represent memory illusions that may yield important insights into normal human memory processes.
The impact of elevated CO2 on yield loss from a C3 and C4 weed in field-grown soybean

Soybean (Glycine max) was grown at ambient and enhanced carbon dioxide (CO2, + 250 m LL ‐1 above ambient) with and without the presence of a C3 weed (lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L.) and a C4 weed (redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L.), in order to evaluate the impact of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration [CO2] on crop production losses due to weeds. Weeds of a given species were sown at a density of two per metre of row. A significant reduction in soybean seed yield was observed with either weed species relative to the weed-free control at either [CO2]. However, for lambsquarters the reduction in soybean seed yield relative to the weed-free condition increased from 28 to 39% as CO2 increased, with a 65% increase in the average dry weight of lambsquarters at enhanced [CO2]. Conversely, for pigweed, soybean seed yield losses diminished with increasing [CO2] from 45 to 30%, with no change in the average dry weight of pigweed. In a weed-free environment, elevated [CO2] resulted in a significant increase in vegetative dry weight and seed yield at maturity for soybean (33 and 24%, respectively) compared to the ambient CO2 condition. Interestingly, the presence of either weed negated the ability of soybean to respond either vegetatively or reproductively to enhanced [CO2]. Results from this experiment suggest: (i) that rising [CO2] could alter current yield losses associated with competition from weeds; and (ii) that weed control will be crucial in realizing any potential increase in economic yield of agronomic crops such as soybean as atmospheric [CO2] increases.
Interactions of nucleic acids with fluorescent dyes: spectral properties of condensed complexes.

Interaction of cations with nucleic acids (NA) often results in condensation of the product. The driving force of aromatic cation-induced condensation is the cooperative interaction between ligand and single-stranded (ss) NA. This type of reaction is highly specific with regard to the primary and secondary structure of NA, and results in destabilization of the latter. The spectral properties of fluorescent intercalating and non-intercalating ligands [acridine orange, pyronin Y(G), DAPI, Hoechst 33258, and Hoechst 33342]-NA complexes were studied in both the relaxed and condensed form. The changes in absorption, excitation, and fluorescence emission spectra and fluorescence yield that followed the condensation were examined. Although some of these effects can be explained by changes in solvation of the fluorophore and its interaction with NA bases and the solvent, the overall effect of condensation on spectral properties of the complex is unpredictable. In particular, no correlation was found between these...
Building connections between theories of computing and physical systems

The theory and semantics of programming languages are typically formulated using abstract mathematical models that have no obvious connection to any physical theory. While this approach has a number of advantages, it does not generalize to complex nondiscrete systems, and it obscures the underlying mathematical connections between computational and physical theory. Moreover, it can lead to inaccurate models of more complex phenomena such as concurrency. In this paper, we describe the current directions and initial results of our efforts to build connections between programming language theory and semantics and physical theory. The first and most mature of these efforts aims to develop a denotational semantic model that expands upon the mathematical formulation of quantum systems to provide a denotational foundation for concurrent languages. The second effort aims to generalize the notion of type systems to a probability inference system based on Bayesian probability. The third and final effort aims to develop an understanding of the dynamics of concurrent processes, with the goal of reasoning about the real behavior of processes in greater detail. In each of these efforts, we aim to draw connections between computing and other scientific disciplines.
The Influence of Supportive and Nonsupportive Persons in Helping Rural Women in Abusive Partner Relationships Become Free from Abuse

Many rural women in abusive partner relationships have reached to informal and formal support networks for assistance and have been negated, discounted, or treated in a nonsupportive manner. Women trying to end partner abuse rarely have found the help they seek from their communities; and family and friends may question, blame, or misunderstand women's situations. This study examined behaviors of supportive and nonsupportive persons and the effectiveness of support networks in helping rural women in abusive partner relationships become free from abuse. Supportive persons were found to help women access resources and extended informal and formal networks which in turn helped women become free from abuse. Nonsupportive persons hindered women's access to resources and facilitated in keeping women bound in abusive partner relationships. Partner abuse is a complex societal issue that involves a large network of support and services in order to help women become free from abuse, having implications to educators and service providers.
Disk failures in the real world: what does an MTTF of 1,000,000 hours mean to you?

Component failure in large-scale IT installations is becoming an ever larger problem as the number of components in a single cluster approaches a million. In this paper, we present and analyze field-gathered disk replacement data from a number of large production systems, including high-performance computing sites and internet services sites. About 100,000 disks are covered by this data, some for an entire lifetime of five years. The data include drives with SCSI and FC, as well as SATA interfaces. The mean time to failure (MTTF) of those drives, as specified in their datasheets, ranges from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 hours, suggesting a nominal annual failure rate of at most 0.88%. We find that in the field, annual disk replacement rates typically exceed 1%, with 2-4% common and up to 13% observed on some systems. This suggests that field replacement is a fairly different process than one might predict based on datasheet MTTF. We also find evidence, based on records of disk replacements in the field, that failure rate is not constant with age, and that, rather than a significant infant mortality effect, we see a significant early onset of wearout degradation. That is, replacement rates in our data grew constantly with age, an effect often assumed not to set in until after a nominal lifetime of 5 years. Interestingly, we observe little difference in replacement rates between SCSI, FC and SATA drives, potentially an indication that disk-independent factors, such as operating conditions, affect replacement rates more than component specific factors. On the other hand, we see only one instance of a customer rejecting an entire population of disks as a bad batch, in this case because of media error rates, and this instance involved SATA disks. Time between replacement, a proxy for time between failure, is not well modeled by an exponential distribution and exhibits significant levels of correlation, including autocorrelation and long-range dependence.
Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in children with ulcerative colitis.

SUMMARY : This study is a retrospective review of all pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) between 1982 and 1992 at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The purpose of the review was to determine the effectiveness of IPAA in treating children with ulcerative colitis. Demographic, preoperative, and surgical data were abstracted from archival research of medical records. Quality-of-life information was obtained from patient or parent interviews. Ninety-one children were identified during the study period with a median age of 14.2 years. The principal indication for colectomy was intractable symptoms despite vigorous medical therapy. J-pouches (n = 51) and S-pouches (n = 38) were most commonly constructed. Median follow-up was 1.9 years after ileostomy closure. Thirty early complications (occurring within 30 days of pouch construction) were documented in 21 patients, and 57 late complications (occurring after 30 days) were documented in 34 patients. Small bowel obstruction was the most common early postoperative complication and accounted for 13 of 30 early complications; reoperation was required in four of nine patients. Pouchitis was the most frequent late complication (15 episodes in 12 patients), followed by perineal infection (14 episodes in eight patients), and anastomotic stricture (10 episodes in nine patients). Pouch type, age at colectomy, and disease interval from colectomy to pouch construction were analyzed with relation to the frequency of pouchitis, anastomotic stricture, sepsis, and incontinence. An S-pouch had been used in eight of nine patients with an anastomotic stricture (p = 0.004). The disease interval and age at initial surgery had no bearing on the presence of late complications. The pouches of four female patients were excised as a result of pelvic infection and were subsequently converted to continent ileostomies. Quality-of-life information was obtained for 78 patients. Daytime continence was complete in 67 (86%) children and nocturnal continence was complete in 56 (72%) patients. Seventy-three (94%) patients were very satisfied with their quality of life after IPAA. We conclude that IPAA is an effective surgical procedure for children with ulcerative colitis and results in a relatively normal pattern of defecation with a good long-term functional outcome. Early postoperative complications are common, but only a few patients require further hospitalization or surgery. The most common late complication is pouchitis, which responds to medical treatment. Continence is preserved in the majority of the children, and overall satisfaction with the operation is high.
Comments on "A composite energy function-based learning control approach for nonlinear systems with time-varying parametric uncertainties"

For original paper see ibid., vol.47, p.1940-5 (2002). In that paper, a composite energy function learning control approach was proposed to asymptotically eliminate the mismatch between the desired and actual periodic trajectory of a system. Upon review of this result, there appear to be several philosophical and technical issues that invalidate the result including the use of a resetting condition and the lack of boundedness of the learning estimate. The intent of this comment is to highlight these technical errors, especially since the boundedness of the learning estimate has historically been a problematic issue.
A multi-band, closely spaced yagi antenna with helical-shaped directors

A closely spaced Yagi antenna with two and three helical-shaped directors has been presented. When two helical-shaped directors were positioned over the folded driver, two resonant frequencies occurred with the maximum realized gain of 6.54dB and 6.13dB. The front-to-back ratios were 15.2dB and 23.7dB. A similar result was obtained for three helical-shaped directors except that three resonant frequencies were found with the maximum realized gain of 6.14dB, 6.13dB, and 5.97dB in the order of lower to upper resonant frequency. The front-to-back ratios are 16.4dB, 20.4dB, and 19.8dB, again from lower to upper resonant frequency. The radiation patterns at each frequency are similar to that of two-element conventional Yagi.
Two-qubit separability probabilities and Beta functions

Due to recent important work of \ifmmode \dot{Z}\else \.{Z}\fi{}yczkowski and Sommers [J. Phys. A 36, 10115 (2003); 36, 10083 (2003)], exact formulas are available (in terms of both the Hilbert-Schmidt and the Bures metrics) for the $({n}^{2}\ensuremath{-}1)$-dimensional and $[n(n\ensuremath{-}1)∕2\ensuremath{-}1]$-dimensional volumes of the complex and real $n\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}n$ density matrices. However, no comparable formulas are available for the volumes (and, hence, probabilities) of various separable subsets of them. We seek to clarify this situation for the Hilbert-Schmidt metric for the simplest possible case of $n=4$, that is, two-qubit systems. Making use of the density matrix $(\ensuremath{\rho})$ parametrization of Bloore [J. Phys. A 9, 2059 (1976)], we are able to reduce each of the real and complex volume problems to the calculation of a one-dimensional integral, the single relevant variable being a certain ratio of diagonal entries, $\ensuremath{\nu}={\ensuremath{\rho}}_{11}{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{44}∕{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{22}{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{33}$. The associated integrand in each case is the product of a known Jacobian (highly oscillatory near $\ensuremath{\nu}=1$) and a certain unknown univariate function, which our extensive numerical (quasi Monte Carlo) computations indicate is very closely proportional to an (incomplete) Beta function ${B}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}(a,b)$, with $a=1∕2$, $b=\sqrt{3}$ in the real case, and $a=2\sqrt{6}∕5,b=3∕\sqrt{2}$ in the complex case. Assuming the full applicability of these specific incomplete Beta functions, we undertake separable-volume calculations.
Blue Skies Bluer

The largest U.S. environmental health risk is cardiopulmonary mortality from ambient PM2.5. The concentration–response (C–R) for ambient PM2.5 in the U.S. is generally assumed to be linear: from any initial baseline, a given concentration reduction would yield the same improvement in health risk. Recent evidence points to the perplexing possibility that the PM2.5 C–R for cardiopulmonary mortality and some other major endpoints might be supralinear: a given concentration reduction would yield greater improvements in health risk as the initial baseline becomes cleaner. We explore the implications of supralinearity for air policy, emphasizing U.S. conditions. If C–R is supralinear, an economically efficient PM2.5 target may be substantially more stringent than under current standards. Also, if a goal of air policy is to achieve the greatest health improvement per unit of PM2.5 reduction, the optimal policy might call for greater emission reductions in already-clean locales—making “blue skies bluer”—which may...
Constraining the evolutionary history of Newton's constant with gravitational wave observations

Space-borne gravitational wave detectors, such as the proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, are expected to observe black hole coalescences to high redshift and with large signal-to-noise ratios, rendering their gravitational waves ideal probes of fundamental physics. The promotion of Newton's constant to a time function introduces modifications to the binary's binding energy and the gravitational wave luminosity, leading to corrections in the chirping frequency. Such corrections propagate into the response function and, given a gravitational wave observation, they allow for constraints on the first time derivative of Newton's constant at the time of merger. We find that space-borne detectors could indeed place interesting constraints on this quantity as a function of sky position and redshift, providing a constraint map over the entire range of redshifts where binary black hole mergers are expected to occur. A gravitational wave observation of an inspiral event with redshifted masses of ${10}^{4}--{10}^{5}$ solar masses for three years should be able to measure $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{G}/G$ at the time of merger to better than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{yr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
A Woman's Place: Defiance and Obedience—Newspaper Stories about Women during the Trial of John Brown

Abstract John Brown was not the only individual making headlines in the late fall of 1859. Several women, notably the abolitionist Lydia Maria Child, captured the attention of newspaper editors. Another woman, Christine Foulke, earned a Boston editor's praise as the “Heroine of Harper' s Ferry.” Undertaking great personal risk, a third woman, Rebecca Spring, traveled from New Jersey to Charlestown to visit Brown twice. Two others, Mary Day Brown and Mahala Doyle, had more tragic connections to Brown. As this research uncovers stories about these women, it determines, too, whether a discourse called “the cult f true womanhood” emerges in the news coverage. Such a discourse, prevalent in the nineteenth century, stresses the four “cardinal” virtues of piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity and emphasizes a woman's proper place in the home (or private sphere) while celebrating her position as homemaker and mother. Further, the article reveals editorial reaction when these women either violated or supp...