Abstract: We consider construction of a set of smaller 4 × 4 matrices to represent DNA primary sequences which are based on enumeration of all 64 triplets of nucleic acids bases. The leading eigenvalue from ...

Abstract: We report on novel graph theoretical indices which are sensitive to the shapes of molecular graphs. In contrast to the Kier's kappa shape indices which were based on a comparison of a molecular graph with graphs representing the extreme shapes, the linear graph and the “star” graph, the new shape indices are obtained by considering for all atoms the number of paths and the number of walks within a graph and then making the quotients of the number of paths and the number of walks the same length. The new shape indices show much higher discrimination among isomers when compared to the kappa shape indices. We report the new shape indices for smaller alkanes and several cyclic structures and illustrate their use in structure−property correlations. The new indices offer regressions of high quality for diverse physicochemical properties of octanes. They also have lead to a novel classification of physicochemical properties of alkanes.

Abstract: The number of non-hydrogen atoms in a molecule, N, appears as a very good molecular descriptor for the toxicity of aliphatic ethers, despite the fact that it does not differentiate among isomers. T...

Abstract: References Cited: Cohen, Jeffrey H. 1999. Cooperation and Community: Economy and Society in Oaxaca. Austin: University of Texas Press. Cook, Scott and L. Binford. 1990. Obliging Need: Rural Petty Industry in Mexican Capitalism. Austin: University of Texas Press. Littlefield, Alice. 1978. Exploitation and the Expansion of Capitalism: The Case of the Hammock Industry of Yucatan. American Ethnologist 5:495-508. Mintz, Sidney. 1985. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History. New York: Penguin Books. Wolf, Eric R. 1982. Europe and the People Without History. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Abstract: Public discourse in contemporary Western democracies is constructed, studied, and policed according to a general suppression or suspicion of emotional display, which then can become a mode of dissent. These tendencies are evident in the use of visual images in the public media. An icon of emotional public protest—the young woman screaming over the murdered Kent State student on the ground before her—reveals how visual practices and emotional display are important for democratic life. The iconic photograph constitutes citizenship as an emotional construct while it shapes emotions according to norms of public order. This representation of dissent provides resources for advocacy and change, but it also is vulnerable to narratives of fragmentation and control.

Abstract: This research investigates the influence of computerized search engines on consumer decision making in the electronic commerce environment. The results indicate that by providing well-designed decision aids to consumers, it is possible to significantly increase consumer confidence, satisfaction, and decision quality. Consumers who have access to query-based decision aids perceive increased cost savings and lower cognitive decision effort associated with the purchase decision. The future challenge in developing consumer-oriented computerized decision aids does not reside in technological advances, but rather in developing systems that are useful and appealing to the intended consumer. This is necessary to avoid consumer perceptions of non-utility, and ultimately non-use of the computerized decision aids. The challenge for marketing managers is to provide consumers with information systems that change over time such that they fulfill the consumers' short-term needs without sacrificing the consumers' long-term interests.

Abstract: This study examined the sociopolitical environment and issues confronting elementary school principals as they work with young children with disabilities and their families toward the elusive goal ...

Abstract: Several foams of different cell-size, including Scott Industrial polyurethane foam with large cells (20 pores per inch, ppi, or 1.2 mm per pore, black), medium cells (65 ppi, or 0.4 mm per pore, gr...

Abstract: We outline numerical characterization of DNA primary sequence based on calculation of the average distance between pairs of nucleic acid bases. This leads to a representation of DNA by a condensed 4 × 4 symmetrical matrix, the elements of which give the average separation between pair of bases X, Y in DNA (X, Y = A, C, G, T). As an invariant of choice we consider the leading eigenvalue of the derived 4 × 4 matrix. Additional structurally related invariants were obtained by constructing additional “higher order” 4 × 4 matrices derived from the initial 4 × 4 matrix by raising its elements to higher powers. Suitably normalized leading eigenvalue of these matrices offer a novel characterization of DNA primary sequences, referred to as “DNA profiles”. The approach is illustrated on exon 1 of human β-globin gene.

Abstract: In this paper we have reported a mathematical method for the compact characterization of proteomics maps. Selected spots from proteomics maps are transformed into 3-D curves which, in turn, are represented by D/D matrices. The leading eigenvalues of such matrices and their higher powers are used as biodescriptors to characterize proteomics patterns. The set of biodescriptors derived from the normal cells and cells exposed to four peroxisome proliferators show that these compact biodescriptors are able to discriminate the characteristic effects of these toxicants on the cellular proteome.

Abstract: Only limited nursing knowledge exists as theoretical guidance for nurses in providing spiritual care. Using Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality, the purpose of this ethnonursing research study was to discover the embedded spiritual care meanings, expressions, lived experiences, and practices of adults residing in the Midwest and their perceptions of spiritual nursing care. Data were collected through interviews of 6 key and 12 general informants. Five universal spiritual themes were supported by the findings. Culture care modes were used to explicate spiritual knowledge that can be integrated into nursing practice.

Abstract: With the rapid increase in the ability to store and analyze large amounts of data, organizations are gathering extensive data regarding their customers, vendors, and other entities. There has been a concurrent increase in the demand for preserving the privacy of confidential data that may be collected. The rapid growth of e-commerce has also increased calls for maintaining privacy and confidentiality of data. For numerical data, data perturbation methods offer an easy yet effective solution to the dilemma of providing access to legitimate users while protecting the data from snoopers (legitimate users who perform illegitimate analysis). In this study, we define a new security requirement that achieves the objective of providing access to legitimate users without an increase in the ability of a snooper to predict confidential information. We also derive the specifications under which perturbation methods can achieve this objective. Numerical examples are provided to show that the use of the new specification achieves the objective of no additional information to the snooper. Implications of the new specification for e-commerce are discussed.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To report a case of neutropenia caused by colchicine not associated with intentional overdose or with preceding severe gastrointestinal symptoms.CASE SUMMARY:A 68-year-old white man was admitted to the hospital with intractable pain from an acute attack of gout. The patient was treated with standard doses of oral colchicine for several days. He experienced mild loose stools, but no severe diarrhea or nausea during treatment. The patient then developed severe neutropenia, with an absolute neutrophil count of 240 cells/mm3. His white blood cell count returned to normal after discontinuing colchicine and administering filgrastim.DISCUSSION:Although colchicine is commonly associated with neutropenia in cases of intentional or accidental overdose, the patient developed this adverse effect after being treated with doses commonly used for the acute treatment of gout. In addition, this patient had taken low-dose colchicine for many years without experiencing hematologic adverse effects.CONCLUSIONS:Colch...

Abstract: A procoagulant microvasculature is associated with accelerated development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and failure in heart transplant patients. This study was performed to evaluate how changes in natural anticoagulation within cardiac allografts affect outcome. We prospectively studied 141 consecutive cardiac allograft recipients who underwent transplantation between 1988 and 1997. Serial endomyocardial biopsy specimens (6.5 ± 0.1 biopsy specimens/patient) obtained during the first 3 months after transplantation were studied immunohistochemically to evaluate vascular antithrombin, and annual coronary angiograms (3.8 ± 0.2 angiograms/patient) were studied to evaluate CAD. Antithrombin was present in arteries and veins, but not in capillaries, of all donor heart biopsy samples. Allografts that maintained vascular antithrombin had the best prognosis. Allografts with early and persistent loss of vascular antithrombin (n = 21) developed CAD earlier (p <0.001), developed more severe disease (p <0.001), showed more disease progression (p <0.001), and failed more often (p = 0.003) and earlier (p <0.001) than allografts retaining normal vascular antithrombin (n = 45). However, allografts that lost and recovered vascular antithrombin while developing unusual capillary antithrombin binding (n = 75) had less CAD, developed CAD later, had less severe disease and less disease progression (p <0.01), and failed less often (p = 0.01) and later (p = 0.03) than allografts with persistent loss of vascular antithrombin. The persistent lack of a thromboresistant microvasculature increases risk of subsequent CAD and graft failure. However, recovery of vascular antithrombin and development of unusual capillary antithrombin binding improves allograft outcome.

Abstract: We have introduced a new simple structural descriptor for molecules that is based on the count of the valence shells for vertices in molecular graphs. The construction of the new descriptor is illustrated on 2,3-dimethylhexane and is reported for the 18 octane isomers. The relationship of the new descriptor to the path numbers of a graph is discussed. It can be seen that the path counts and the count of valence of neighbor shells are related for paths of length two (and shells of range two). There is no appreciable correlation between the count of the longer paths and the count of the corresponding neighbor valence shells at larger separations. Use of the neighbor valence shells as molecular descriptors is illustrated on the boiling point, the entropy, and the density of octanes. An intriguing situation is observed for regressions involving considered properties of n-octane isomers C8H18 in that the paths of length two, three, and four and the shells of the range two, three, and four give identical multiv...

Abstract: Shiatsu, a specific type of massage, was used as an intervention in this study of 66 individuals complaining of lower back pain. Each individual was measured on state/trait anxiety and pain level before and after four shiatsu treatments. Each subject was then called 2 days following each treatment and asked to quantify the level of pain. Both pain and anxiety decreased significantly over time. Extraneous variables such as gender, age, gender of therapist, length of history with lower back pain, and medications taken for lower back pain did not alter the significant results. These subjects would recommend shiatsu massage for others suffering from lower back pain and indicated the treatments decreased the major inconveniences they experienced with their lower back pain.

Abstract: In this paper, we consider the robustness properties of some estimators in the context of a few natural problems in risk theory. They are the calculation of excess of loss premiums, stop-loss premiums in both individual and collective risk models, and the probability of ruin. For that purpose, we introduce the influence function (and its empirical equivalent, the sensitivity function) and we apply it to the non-parametric plug-in estimators of those quantities. We find that they all have unbounded influence function. In order to obtain estimators with bounded influence function, we consider parametric estimators. We note that the shape of the influence function for any function of the parameters is fixed by the method used for estimating them. We propose the use of minimum distance methods in order to obtain robust estimators. We compare one of them, the minimum Cramer–von Mises estimator, with the maximum likelihood estimator and the non-parametric plug-in estimator with various illustrations.

Abstract: This research explored the amount of time that 1,031 full-time workers in Iowa spent on work-related learning, their attitudes about the amount of time spent, and the organizational and cultural aspects that enhanced or deterred their learning. Results showed that there is a disconnect between the emphasis on continuous learning in the human resource development literature and individual and organizational practices that advance learning as a core value.

Abstract: The chapter investigates the interaction effects between the search strategy of software agents and the consumer’s product class knowledge in the context of consumers seeking to purchase cars on the Internet. The research design used was a 2 x 4, between groups, completely randomized, two-factor, factorial design. The independent variables which were manipulated were product class knowledge (HIGH KNOWLEDGE, LOW KNOWLEDGE) and agent search strategy (elimination by aspects (EBA STRATEGY), weighted average method (WAD STRATEGY), profile building (PROFILE STRATEGY), simple hypertext (HYPERTEXT STRATEGY)). The dependent variables which were measured were satisfaction with the decision process (SATISFACTION), confidence in the decision (CONFIDENCE), trust in the agent’s recommendations (TRUST), propensity to purchase (PURCHASE), perceived cost savings (SAVINGS), and cognitive decision effort (EFFORT). Significant differences were found in the affective reactions of the subjects toward the agent/application depending on the level of product class knowledge possessed by the subjects. Subjects with high product class knowledge had more positive affective reactions towards agents/applications which used the WAD and EBA strategies as compared to the PROFILE strategy. Subjects with low product class knowledge had more positive affective reactions to agents/applications which used the PROFILE strategy as compared to the EBA and WAD strategies. When the

Abstract: Experimental cross sections in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range for the excitation of helium following electron and ${\mathrm{H}}^{+},$ ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+},$ and ${\mathrm{H}}_{3}^{+}$ ion impact are presented for $\mathrm{He}\mathrm{}I$ $(1snp)$ ${}^{1}{P}^{o}$ states with $n=2\char21{}5.$ These measurements extend over large velocity ranges 3.8\char21{}8.5 a.u. for electrons, 1.4\char21{}7.5 a.u. for protons, and 1.4\char21{}4.0 a.u. for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{H}}_{3}^{+}$ ions, respectively, and represent the most complete data set obtained so far in the EUV. Furthermore, the methods of convergent close coupling and R matrix with pseudostates have been used here to predict excitation cross sections for the $\mathrm{He}\mathrm{}I$ $(1snp)$ ${}^{1}{P}^{o}$ states following electron impact and the atomic-orbital close-coupling expansion for proton impact. In particular, our theoretical results are presented and compared with our EUV experimental cross sections for equal projectile velocities together with previous experimental results, including cross sections derived from scaling procedures. The electron cross sections are found to deviate from the proton data at intermediate and lower energies $(vl3.8\mathrm{a}.\mathrm{u}.).$

Abstract: The Iowa Early Childhood Papert Partnership (IECPP), a partnership among two public school systems, a private university school of education, a Head Start agency, a state area educational support agency, and renown technology theorist Seymour Papert, explored ways that LOGO computer programming can be used in developmentally appropriate ways with young children. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), defined developmentally appropriate practice as (a) age appropriateness, (b) individual appropriateness, and (c) sociocultural appropriateness. Each of these factors are considered, with particular attention being devoted to the developmental theories of Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Howard Gardner, and Lev Vygotsky. It is found that although Piaget is the theorist most commonly cited with reference to young children's work with computers, LOGO programming by young children is also (perhaps even more strongly) supported by the theories of Erikson, Gardner, and Vygotsky. Implications for practice are discussed in detail, drawing on the experience of those who have introduced the Reggio Emilia approach in their early childhood programs. Implications for curriculum design, pedagogy, family involvement, research, and development are all discussed.

Abstract: We review the serious problem associated with instabilities of the coefficients of regression equations, referred to as the MRA (multivariate regression analysis) “nightmare of the first kind”. This is manifested when in a stepwise regression a descriptor is included or excluded from a regression. The consequence is an unpredictable change of the coefficients of the descriptors that remain in the regression equation. We follow with consideration of an even more serious problem, referred to as the MRA “nightmare of the second kind”, arising when optimal descriptors are selected from a large pool of descriptors. This process typically causes at different steps of the stepwise regression a replacement of several previously used descriptors by new ones. We describe a procedure that resolves these difficulties. The approach is illustrated on boiling points of nonanes which are considered (1) by using an ordered connectivity basis; (2) by using an ordering resulting from application of greedy algorithm; and (3)...