cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Making Meaning: Inference and Rhetoric in the Interpretation of Cinema

David Bordwell's new book is at once a history of film criticism, an analysis of how critics interpret film, and a proposal for an alternative program for film studies. It is an anatomy of film criticism meant to reset the agenda for film scholarship. As such "Making Meaning" should be a landmark book, a focus for debate from which future film study will evolve. Bordwell systematically maps different strategies for interpreting films and making meaning, illustrating his points with a vast array of examples from Western film criticism. Following an introductory chapter that sets out the terms and scope of the argument, Bordwell goes on to show how critical institutions constrain and contain the very practices they promote, and how the interpretation of texts has become a central preoccupation of the humanities. He gives lucid accounts of the development of film criticism in France, Britain, and the United States since World War II; analyzes this development through two important types of criticism, thematic-explicatory and symptomatic; and shows that both types, usually seen as antithetical, in fact have much in common. These diverse and even warring schools of criticism share conventional, rhetorical, and problem-solving techniques--a point that has broad-ranging implications for the way critics practice their art. The book concludes with a survey of the alternatives to criticism based on interpretation and, finally, with the proposal that a historical poetics of cinema offers the most fruitful framework for film analysis.
Robustness of ordinal measures of competitive strategy variables employed in business research: A PIMS data-based analysis

Abstract PIMS data for a sample of capital goods business and a series of transformations of the data generated through Monte Carlo simulation were used to examine the robustness of ordinal measures of competitive strategy variables in additive and multiplicative regression models. Ten sets of transformations were made under a variety of assumptions about the types of errors executives may make in providing ordinal estimates of their relative competitive positions. While the findings are somewhat encouraging to researchers engaged in strategy research, they also point to a need for additional methodological research in this area.
The Creation and Modification of 3D Models Using Sketches and Curves

This chapter describes a pen-based modeling system for the styling design of 3D objects. Our system is tailored toward the rapid and natural design of styling features such as freeform curves and surfaces. In a typical scenario, the user begins by constructing the base wireframe model of the design object. For this, the user first sketches the initial feature curves on a very rough and simplified 3D template model. This template model acts as a platform that helps anchor users’ initial strokes in 3D space. Once the initial curves comprising the wireframe are constructed, the base 3D template is removed, leaving the user with a set of 3D curves. Next, through direct sketching, the user modifies the initially created curves to give them the precise desired form. After the desired wireframe is obtained, the user constructs interpolating surfaces that cover the wireframe. Finally, using two physically-based deformation tools, the user modifies the newly created surfaces to the desired shapes. Once the basic wireframe and surfaces are created, further details can be added using the same strategy of curve creation, curve modification, surface creation, and finally surface modification.
The structure of subcolloidal zeolite precursor nanoparticles

Abstract Subcolloidal zeolite precursor nanoparticles are studied through a combination of experimental and modeling techniques to determine the structure of the nanoparticles. 29 Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the nanoparticles in solution show that most of the silicon is incorporated into the nanoparticles and that the particles consist of primarily Q 2 and Q 3 species. The continuum analysis of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) data reveals that the nanoparticles have, most likely, an ellipsoidal shape and this conclusion is supported by a simulated annealing algorithm which combines both experimental data sets (NMR and SANS) and produces particles of an ellipsoidal shape.
The Design of "Smart" Water Market Institutions Using Laboratory Experiments*

One of the problems with proposals for substantialinstitutional change in water systems is thatmodification and irreversibility make the processslow, cautious and costly to society. In this paper,we discuss the role that experimental economics canplay in evaluating proposed institutional changes tohelp facilitate a more rapid and smooth adoption ofchanges in the water system. Experimental economicsyields a formal and replicable system for analyzingalternative market structures before they are actuallyimplemented. For example, a water market can bedeveloped and tested in the laboratory under supplyand demand constraints that reflect drought conditionsthat might occur in California, or other arid regionsin the world. We present a prototype of a Californiawater transfer model and the results from a series ofwater market experiments. Results include realizedmarket efficiency and surplus distribution, as well asan analysis of market price volatility. Theimplications of this research extend well beyondCalifornia water markets, not only to water markets inother arid regions, but also to the design of marketsfor other environmental goods, including tradablepollution permits and fishery ITQs.
Using dynamic synapse based neural networks with wavelet preprocessing for speech applications

One major problem in the field of voice recognition is noise robustness. This project involved the design of a system that is both robust in the presence of noise as well as being capable of two major tasks in voice recognition: speaker verification on a closed set of speakers and speech recognition on a closed set of speakers using a set of command phrases. The system uses a wavelet processing technique that allows for either speaker-dependent or word-dependent feature set extraction. Both tasks are accomplished using a dynamic synapse based neural network with noise resistance properties that is trained using a genetic algorithm technique. Using these techniques, the system was able to perform the speaker verification task as well as the speech recognition task without being adversely affected by normal levels of noise, and perform verification despite low variability between speakers or words.
Enhanced third-order nonlinear optical responses from optically pumped electronic excited states

In this paper, we review the microscopic description for nonlinear optical processes originating from populated electronic excited states and examine an enhancement mechanism for third order optical processes. For a general case, we consider the third order (formula available in paper) excited state susceptibilities for linear chains that have been previously well-studied for their ground state nonlinear optical properties. We see that for a given frequency, enhancement can occur in the excited state (formula available in paper) and the origin and mechanism of the enhancement can be directly understood in terms of new virtual excitation processes. In section III, we summarize a recently completed experimental study of enhanced excited state third harmonic generation in conjugated structures.
New Species of Pseudabbreviata (Nematoda: Physalopteridae) and Other Helminths in Two Species of Hypsilurus (Sauria: Agamidae) from Papua New Guinea

Pseudabbreviata novaeguineaensis n. sp. from the stomach of Hypsilurus modestus (Agamidae) from Papua New Guinea is described and illustrated. The new species was also found in the stomach of Hypsilurus papuensis from Papua New Guinea. Pseudabbreviata novaeguineaensis n. sp. represents the sixth species assigned to the genus and the first from the Australo-Papuan Region. The new species differs from other species assigned to Pseudabbreviata by the vulva position in the female and pedunculate papillae arrangement in the male tail morphology. In addition to the new species, H. modestus harbored Meteterakis crombiei, Strongyluris gonyocephali, and larvae of Abbreviata sp. (in cysts).
A model of channel allocation in multichannel local networks

Abstract We consider a queueing model with preferentially ordered parallel servers that models a demand assignment channel allocation scheme used in multichannel local networks. We devise a method for reducing the number of system states to construct a tractable model from which we derive, for each n , the probability distribution that k of the first n ordered servers are busy. From these distributions, utilizations of individual servers are derived. Then assuming Poisson arrivals and exponential service time distributions, we develop analytic expressions for server utilizations. For the finite population model, where analytic expressions cannot be derived, we develop an efficient polynomial algorithm to compute server utilizations. Simple expressions for calculating upper bounds on finite population model server utilizations are also derived.
POS and EDI in retailing: an examination of underlying benefits and barriers

During the past 20 years, US retailing has gone through a period of unprecedented change as consumer demands and competition have intensified. This change is being further stimulated by the development of e‐commerce. Study of successful retailers indicates that a retailer’s ability to successfully carve out and defend a competitive position in the marketplace depends, to a great extent, on its ability to make investments in and utilize information. The study described in this paper examined the use of technology in retailing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying factors explaining why retailers adopt POS and EDI. The results indicate that retailers are adopting these technologies to achieve direct, indirect, and strategic benefits. These benefits take the form of improved inventory management, reductions in costs, and increased flexibility of response to customer demands.
Prospective study of safety of lower extremity phlebography with nonionic contrast medium.

Background Lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) following high osmolar ionic contrast phlebography has been reported to vary between 9% to 31%. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of minor and major adverse reactions and postphlebographic DVT when using nonionic contrast (iopamidol). Patients and methods One hundred fifty-seven patients with clinically suspected DVT were studied prospectively. One hundred eleven patients had prephlebography duplex ultrasound, and 102 patients were examined in the vascular laboratory for delayed side effects 1 week after phlebography. The presence of phlebography-induced DVT was assessed using color duplex ultrasound. The mean amount of contrast used was 102 mL. Results Minor adverse reactions, including nausea, local pain, and dizziness, occurred in 11 (7%) of 157 patients; however, no major complications or postphlebographic DVT was found in the 102 patients who underwent postphlebography duplex ultrasound. Phlebography and pre- and postphlebography duplex ultrasound showed no acute DVT in 70 patients. The maximum hypothetical true rate of major complications (ie, postphlebography DVT) that would result in no detectable events in a population of 102 patients with follow-up (for a probability of P Conclusions Lower extremity phlebography using nonionic contrast material is safe, with no incidence of postphlebography DVT in our series. Its utilization should be encouraged if duplex ultrasound is not available.
An implicit contract approach to employee stock ownership plans

Abstract This paper analyzes employee stock ownership plans in an implicit contract model under asymmetric information. Our model assumes that worker compensation schemes involve wage and stock payments, or wage-share contracts, and treats shares of stock as an enforceable claim on the firm's realized profits. In this setting, we show conditions under which wage-share contracts lead to first-best outcomes. We also demonstrate that optimal wage-share contracts achieve production-efficient levels of employment in all states of nature, even when a first-best solution is not attainable. A special case of our model implies that employee stock offerings are inversely correlated with profits.
Psychological Needs and Moral Judgment

Summrry.-This study examined the relationship between motivational orientation, as characterized by Maslow (1970), and moral judgment, as conceptualized by Kohlberg (1973). The results indicated, as predicted, that esteemoriented persons had significantly higher moral maturity scores than did safetyoriented individuals of a group of 110 male undergraduates, aged 18 to 25 yr. The present study was designed to test partially the correspondence between two sets of developmental variables, motivational orientation and moral judgment, which are of major theoretical interests to researchers and of practical significance to educators. To summarize briefly, a number of recent studies concerned with human motivation have shown that two distinct personality syndromes affect a wide range of behavior in social situacions. Using Maslow's ( 1970) hierarchical conception of motivation, Aronoff ( 1967 ) in two naturalistic studies found that the motivational level of a group membership affected different aspects of existing social structures. Safety-oriented persons typically worked in groups with authoritarian leadership and hierarchically arranged social structures whereas persons with strong esteem needs tended to have democratically shared leadership and egalitarian social structures. In a later study, Aronoff (1970) found that when esteem-oriented persons entered a hierarchical social structure in large numbers, it tended to change toward being more egalitarian. Moreover, Aronoff ( 1967) found that safety-oriented persons usually came from broken homes or disrupted family situations in which they had suffered significantly greater experiences of loss of siblings before the age of 13 than esteem-oriented persons. As Maslow (1970) predicted, this familial and environmental situation in which physical and psychological traumata occurred was strongly related to the development of highly anxious, dependent, insecure, and uncertain personalities who seem to need a high degree of structure and predictability in order to function effectively. In contrast, however, esteemoriented persons tended to come from intact and stable families characterized by high degrees of parental involvement with their children. This family environment was related to the dwelopment of competent, achieving, and masterful persons who valued independence and autonomous functioning. Thus Aronoff's mly work demonstrated that there is a correspondence between a person's motivational orientation and the degree of environmental structuring he prefers.
Classifying radiographic progression status in early rheumatoid arthritis patients using propensity scores to adjust for baseline differences

Various methods are used to measure radiographic joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but determining proportions of responsive patients is difficult. A key problem in observational studies when assessing damage outcomes is incorporating time to treatment initialization and adjusting for observed baseline differences. We examined five different definitions to select an appropriate index to classify radiographic damage in RA patients as progressive or nonprogressive. In addition, we compared different times from symptom onset to treatment and their effects on patient radiographic categorization. Propensity scores to adjust for baseline differences, including time since symptom onset, were used to match those treated early with those treated later using the stratification, radius, nearest neighbor and kernel methods. The mean effect of treatment on the treated was computed for each matching method. Observational data were analyzed for 185 early RA patients from the Western Consortium study followed six to sixty months (mean thirty-one months). For the selected index, 75 patients were categorized as nonprogressors; they had significantly lower disease activity, more clinical improvement and were treated earlier than the progressors. Of those treated within three months of symptom onset, 57% were classified as radiographically progressive versus 35% of those treated later (P = 0.0058). However, after propensity score adjustment for baseline differences, we noticed nonsignificant (P > 0.05) nonprogression in patients given earlier treatment. We conclude that propensity score analysis reduced but did not remove all bias.
Improvement in reinforcing bond strength in reinforced concrete with self-repairing chemical adhesives

Self-healing concretes have embedded adhesives which are released from hollow fibers inside the concrete when and where cracking of the matrix and the fibers occurs. It was found that the adhesive improves the strength of the cracked portions of the concrete and increases its ability to deflect under load. Structural materials subjected to dynamic events such as earthquakes and impacts can have improved response by the noise of adhesive type which can impart improved damping, lateral stiffness, or deflection. Testing also assessed the improvement of the bond strength in structures. In laboratory tests the internal adhesive repair system improved the bond between the reinforcing steel and the concrete to prevent pullout failure or debonding at the interface.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
2004 DIVISION 35 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: GENDER AND LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Literature on gender, higher education administration, and leadership is reviewed using the framework of five principles derived from feminist psychology (Worell & Johnson, 1997): (a) sociocultural...
Comparing Knowledge Bases and Reasoning Structures in Discussions of Mathematics and Pedagogy

While teaching, teachers need to access both their knowledge of mathematics and knowledge of pedagogy. Practice-based materials afford teachers opportunities to reason about both mathematics and pedagogy within the context of teaching. Accepted systems exist for explaining and reasoning in the domain of mathematics; logic, procedures, and representations all serve as instances of mathematics that bear common meaning in the domain. In contrast, there is not an accepted well-structured system for reasoning within the domain of pedagogy; rather, it is an inherently interpretive act. This paper explores differences in knowledge bases and reasoning by examining discourse about mathematics and pedagogy in a practice-based teacher education course. Mathematics conversations featured greater depth of conversation, more challenges, and more echoes of previous claims. Pedagogical conversations were denser and featured more qualified statements and more evidence from personal values or opinions. Implications for the design of teacher education and professional development experiences are presented.
Detecting modulated lasers in the battlefield and determining their direction

ABSTRACT Many dierent lasers are deployed in the battleeld for range nding, target designation, communications, dazzle,location of targets, munitions guidance, and destruction. Laser warning devices on military systems detect andidentify lasers striking them in order to assess their t hreat level and plan avoidance or retaliation. Types oflasers and their characteristics are discussed: power, frequency, coherence, bandwidth, direction, pulse lengthand modulation. We describethree approachesforlaserwarningdevicesfrom which specic casesmaybe tailored:simultaneous estimation of direction and wavelength with a grating, wavefront direction only estimation for lowlight levels with lenses, absolute simultaneous wavel ength only estimation with a Fizeau interferometer. Weinvestigate the feasibility and compare the suitability of these approaches for dierent applications.Keywords: pulsed lasers, light direction nding, laser warning devices, laser characteristics, types of lasers,gratings, wavefront measurem ent, Fizeau interferometer
Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells Inhibit T-Cell-Mediated Intestinal Inflammation through Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling and Regulation of Microflora

Summary Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) is crucial for the maintenance and function of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which are important in gut immunity. Because Ahr promotes T helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation in vitro, it is reasonable to expect that Ahr would enhance Th17 cells in vivo. Instead, we show that Ahr deficiency caused increased intestinal Th17 cells, raising the possibility that group 3 ILCs could negatively regulate Th17 cells. Reduced innate interleukin-22 (IL-22) in Ahr -deficient mice allowed expansion of commensal segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), known to promote Th17 cells. Compared to Rorc +/+ Ahr −/− mice, Rorc gfp/+ Ahr −/− mice had further reduced group 3 ILCs and were prone to spontaneous colitis with increased SFB and Th17 cells. Innate expression of Ahr played a protective role in T-cell-mediated experimental colitis by suppressing pathogenic Th17 cells. Our data reveal an intricate balance between ILCs and Th17 cells regulated by Ahr and commensal flora.
Binaural beat technology in humans: a pilot study to assess psychologic and physiologic effects.

Introduction: Binaural beat technology (BBT) products are sold internationally as personal development and health improvement tools. Producers suggest benefit from regular listening to binaural beats including reduced stress and anxiety, and increased focus, concentration, motivation, confidence, and depth in meditation. Binaural beats are auditory brainstem responses that originate in the superior olivary nucleus as a result of different frequency auditory stimuli provided to each ear. Listeners to binaural beat “hear” a beat at a frequency equal to the difference between the frequencies of the applied tones. Objectives: The objectives of this pilot study were to gather preliminary data on psychologic and physiologic effects of 60 days daily use of BBT for hypothesis generation and to assess compliance, feasibility, and safety for future studies. Design: Uncontrolled pilot study. Subjects: Eight healthy adults participated in the study. Intervention: Participants listened to a CD with delta (0–4 Hz) bina...
The dynamics of stochastic attrition viewed as an absorption time on a terminating Markov chain.

Abstract Localized Ca 2+ elevations known as Ca 2+ puffs and sparks are cellular signals that arise from the cooperative activity of clusters of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors and ryanodine receptors clustered at Ca 2+ release sites on the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum or sarcoplasmic reticulum. When Markov chain models of these intracellular Ca 2+ -regulated Ca 2+ channels are coupled via a mathematical representation of Ca 2+ microdomain, simulated Ca 2+ release sites may exhibit the phenomenon of “stochastic Ca 2+ excitability” where the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP 3 Rs) or ryanodine receptors (RyRs) open and close in a concerted fashion. Interestingly, under some conditions simulated puffs and sparks can be observed even when the single-channel model used does not include slow Ca 2+ inactivation or, indeed, any long-lived closed/refractory state [V. Nguyen, R. Mathias, G. Smith, Stochastic automata network descriptor for Markov chain models of instantaneously-coupled intracellular Ca 2+ channels, Bull. Math. Biol. 67 (2005) 393–432]. In this case, termination of the localized Ca 2+ elevation occurs when all of the intracellular channels at a release site simultaneously close through a process referred to as stochastic attrition [M. Stern, Theory of excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle, Biophys. J. 63 (1992) 497–517]. In this paper, we investigate the statistical properties of stochastic attrition viewed as an absorption time on a terminating Markov chain that represents a Ca 2+ release site composed of N two-state channels that are activated by Ca 2+ . Assuming that the local [Ca 2+ ] experienced by a channel depends only on the number of open channels at the Ca 2+ release site (i.e., instantaneous mean-field coupling [ibid.], we derive the probability distribution function for the time until stochastic attrition occurs and present an analytical formula for the expectation of this random variable. We explore how the contribution of stochastic attrition to the termination of Ca 2+ puffs and sparks depends on the number of channels at a release site, the source amplitude of the channels (i.e., the strength of the coupling), the background [Ca 2+ ], channel kinetics, and the cooperactivity of Ca 2+ binding. Because we explicitly model the Ca 2+ regulation of the intracellular channels, our results differ markedly from (and in fact generalize) preliminary analyses that assume the intracellular Ca 2+ channels are uncoupled and consequently independent.
Effects of early common features on form perception

Recognizing forms may involve a contingency in which later processing is modified, depending on the results of early analyses. This hypothesis can be distinguished from feature models, in which features (including early global features) accumulate over time. In four experiments, shape primes were presented briefly, followed immediately and in the same location by a similarly or differently shaped target, and then a mask. Accuracy was measured with a two-alternative forced-choice discrimination. The primes facilitated discriminations between a similarly shaped target and differently shaped foil, as would be expected. More important is that the primes also facilitated discriminations between similarly shaped targets and similarly shaped foils, even though the primes contained only features common to the alternatives and thus provided no discrimination-relevant information. The facilitation effect was constant over variations in the size of the target set, the type of mask, and the type of baseline condition. This result is consistent with the idea of early-to-late contingencies in processing but was not predicted by feature models.
Southwest Oncology Group 0408: Phase II trial of neoadjuvant capecitabine/oxaliplatin/bevacizumab for resectable colorectal metastases in the liver.

5 years, 58% are alive, but only 25%-30% have no detectable cancer.2,3 Recent studies on patients who undergo immediate resection without chemotherapy for the liver metastases report a positive margin resection rate of 11%-19%.4-6 This is clearly a great concern for patients undergoing hepatic resection because it negates the benefit of the surgical procedure and means that many of these patients might have needlessly been subjected to surgery. There are no standard recommendations for preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy, with treatment ranging from hepatic resection followed by observation, systemic chemotherapy, or combined regional hepatic arterial infusion and systemic chemotherapy. Adjuvant hepatic arterial chemotherapy with fluorodeoxyuridine plus systemic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with or without leucovorin might be associated with improved control of disease in the liver, but no advantage in overall or disease-free survival has been found in any study, and toxicity is significant.4 The majority of literature regarding the association of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy with hepatic resection is retrospective, and therapy is considered without defined criteria, largely at the discretion of the treating physician. Treatment choice for adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy has been based on data showing a survival advantage for treatment of inhomogeneous groups of patients with stage IV colon cancer who are not candidates for complete resection of disease. The rationale for this multicenter phase II study sponsored by the Southwest Oncology Group will be to prospectively assess the impact of neoadjuvant plus adjuvant chemotherapy on patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases. The primary study objective (Table 1) is to determine the proportion of patients who will undergo margin-negative liver resection (R0 resection) of hepatic colorectal metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Secondary endpoints will include assessment of tumor downstaging, overall survival, and disease-free survival; results will be compared with the extant literature.
Thermal regime of the Luanshya Mine, Republic of Zambia

Abstract Temperature surveys have been conducted in 24 drillholes within and surrounding the Luanshya Mine on the Zambian Copperbelt. Detailed temperature logs in drillholes within the mine reveal several thermal effects including: steady state conductive heat transfer; transient cooling caused by mine ventilation; and hydrologic disturbances on several scales. Virgin rock temperatures of about 50°C are to be expected as mining development progresses to the 1100 m level in the Roan Extension region of the mine. A composite plot of temperatures versus depth on a north-south section through the Roan—Muliashi Basin reveals a systematic depression of isotherms and hence decreasing geothermal gradients from 23 to 18°C km −1 towards the deepest part of the syncline. Thermal conductivity measurements on 156 representative samples from the major lithologic units comprising and surrounding the Roan—Muliashi Basin indicate that the Mine Series formations are about 16% more conductive than the surrounding Basement Complex rocks. Theoretical thermal models for the mine, examined using finite difference numerical techniques, indicate that the observed conductivity contrast alone is not sufficient to explain the temperature patterns. Models employing water flowing in the known aquifers are able to fit the temperature data more closely and are therefore preferred in explaining the thermal regime of the Luanshya Mine.
An Approach for Balancing Health and Ecological Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites

Human health and ecological risks must be balanced at hazardous waste sites in order to ensure that remedial actions prevent unacceptable risks of either type. Actions that are designed to protect humans may fail to protect nonhuman populations and ecosystems or may damage ecosystems. However, there is no common scale of health and ecological risk that would allow comparisons to be performed. This paper presents an approach to addressing this problem based on classifying all risks (i.e., health and ecological risks due contaminants and remediation) as insignificant (de minimis), highly significant (de manifestis), or intermediate. For health risks the classification is based on standard criteria. However, in the absence of national guidance concerning the acceptability of ecological risks, new ecological criteria are proposed based on an analysis of regulatory precedents. Matrices and flow charts are presented to guide the use of these risk categories in remedial decision making. The assessment of mercury contamination of the East Fork Poplar Creek is presented as an example of the implementation of the approach.
Two photon spectroscopy of pyrazine and triazine

Abstract Two photon absorption spectra, detected by fluorescence, phosphorescence, and photoacoustic methods are presented for pyrazine and triazine. Vibronic assignments are made in both systems based on polarization and contour analysis. For pyrazine, origin intensity is observed which suggests the 1 B 3u state does not possess inversion symmetry. Linear, quadratic, and pseudo-Jahn Teller couplings are discussed for triazine.
Wettability literature survey - Part 4: Effects of wettability on capillary pressure

The capillary-pressure/saturation relationship depends on the interaction of wettability, pore structure, initial saturation, and saturation history. No simple relationship exists that relates the capillary pressures determined at two different wettabilities. Therefore, the most accurate measurements are made with cores that have native reservoir wettability. The article describes pore geometry and the pore medium and concludes that because of wettability, pore structure, initial saturation, and inhibition behavior interactions, there is a large range of contact angles where neither oil nor water will imbibe freely into a uniformly wetted reservoir core. In contrast it is sometimes possible for both fluids to imbibe freely into a core with fractional or mixed wettability.
Postoperative pain management

Postoperative pain remains a significant problem for patients undergoing ambulatory and in-house surgery and is frequently undermanaged. Ineffective pain control can result in negative outcomes such as prolonged rehabilitation, delayed wound healing, cardiovascular complications, and development of chronic pain. Consequently, physicians involved in postoperative pain management should develop individualized strategies based on patient characteristics and surgical procedures. Ideally, a specific plan for postoperative pain management is developed prior to surgery and includes the patient and physician and caregivers from several medical disciplines. A multimodal approach utilizes agents from different drug classes and various techniques and allows targeting different receptors and pain pathways. In addition, such an approach avoids side effects frequently associated with monotherapy. Over the last decade, regional anesthesia techniques and especially peripheral nerve blocks have emerged as an important component of such a multimodal approach. The ability of peripheral nerve blocks to provide effective and tailored pain control in combination with a favorable side-effect profile has resulted in outcome improvements, especially after major orthopedic surgery. This chapter will review the different tools available to the pain management physician and his team and illustrate their individual strengths and indications.
Analytical GMD formulas for mutual inductance calculation of multilevel interconnects

A set of new analytical formulas is proposed for determining the geometric mean distance (GMD)for use in the Greenhouse method to calculate the inductances of three-dimensional inductors composed of on-chip interconnects. The expressions are derived using a graphical method based on the integral form of the GMD equation. The mutual inductances of coupled interconnects are computed for given layout geometries using the proposed formulas, even when the conductors are partially overlapped in different metal layers. The inductances computed using the formulas agreed well with those generated by an accurate commercial field solver, differing by less than 1% across a variety of the conductor geometries.
Filter analysis by Grammian method

A method for filter input-output data analysis is presented whereby its transfer function is computed under normally operating conditions. The method offers the advantages of simplicity of computation and accurate estimation in the present of noise.
Guanfacine for Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Boys

ABSTRACT The use of guanfacine hydrochloride (Tenex), a long-acting alpha2 agonist with a more favorable side effect profile relative to clonidine, was examined in boys with ADHD. In this prospective, open-label, non-blinded trial, guanfacine was prescribed to fifteen boys, aged 7 to 17 years old (mean 13.3 years) for 5-10 weeks (mean 8 weeks). Thirteen of the boys were on guanfacine monotherapy, while two were on a single adjunctive agent (with the dose of the latter unchanged during the trial). Rating scales were completed before the start of the guanfacine trial and at 4 to 8 weeks after the dose was stabilized. In general, the guanfacine appeared to be effective in reducing the target symptoms, with minimal side effects. The dose of guanfacine ranged from 0.5 mg to 3 mg daily (with a mode of 0.5 mg bid, and a mean of 1.27 mg daily). In the 13 subjects who completed the trial, the mean decrease in the Conners Parent-Teacher Scale (Short Form) was 11.1 points (t = 7.18, p < 0.0001), while the mean decre...
Goal attainment after treatment in patients with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse.

Objective The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess differences in goal attainment of self-described goals after treatment of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) for women who chose surgery compared to women who chose pessary; and (2) compare patient global improvement between groups. Study Design Women who had symptomatic stage ≥II prolapse presenting for care of POP to the urogynecology clinic at the University of New Mexico were recruited. Patients listed up to 3 goals they had for their treatment. In addition, they completed the short forms of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), the POP/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire, and the Body Image Scale. Goals listed by patients were then categorized into 10 categories. Each of the listed goals was categorized based on a consensus of 5 providers. At 3 months' follow-up patients listed if they had met their self-described goals on a scale of 0-10 and also answered the Patient Global Improvement Index (PGI-I). Results There were no significant differences between the 2 groups' baseline characteristics. Surgery patients ranked their goal attainment higher than pessary patients for all the 3 goals listed. Similarly, PGI-I scores were also higher in the surgical (2.4 ± 1.1) than the pessary (1.93 ± 0.8) treatment groups ( P P Conclusion Patients who chose surgery had better global improvement and met their goals better compared to patients who chose pessary.
Circulating fibrocytes: collagen-secreting cells of the peripheral blood.

Since the original description of circulating fibrocytes in 1994, our knowledge of this unique cell population has grown steadily. While initially described in the context of wound repair, fibrocytes have since been found to participate in granuloma formation, antigen presentation, and various fibrosing disorders. Fibrocytes produce matrix proteins such as vimentin, collagens I and III, and they participate in the remodeling response by secreting matrix metalloproteinases. Fibrocytes also are a rich source of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines that provide important intercellular signals within the context of the local tissue environment. Moreover, fibrocytes express the immunological markers typical of an antigen-presenting cell, and they are fully functional for the presentation of antigen to naive T cells. Fibrocytes can further differentiate, and they may represent a systemic source of the contractile myofibroblast that appears in many fibrotic lesions. Clinically, there is evidence that patients with hypertrophic scars such as keloids, and those affected by scleroderma and other fibrosing disorders have fibrocytes in their lesions. Recently, a new disease entity called nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD) has been described, and the fibrocyte may play an important etiopathogenic role in disease development. Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy occurs in patients with renal insufficiency and leads to thickening and hardening of the skin, especially of the extremities. Ongoing research is focusing on the molecular signals that influence fibrocyte migration, proliferation, and function in the context of normal physiology and pathology.
Synthetic orocutaneous stimulation entrains preterm infants with feeding difficulties to suck

Synthetic orocutaneous stimulation entrains preterm infants with feeding difficulties to suck
The TODAY Study: An NIH Perspective on Its Implications for Research

Once referred to as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabetes (T2D) has emerged in youth as a consequence of the worldwide increase in obesity. The development of T2D among young individuals has significant public health consequences as these youth are likely to manifest the complications of diabetes, including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease, at a time that should be the most active and productive of their lives. In response to the emergence of T2D among youth in the mid-1990s, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health sought to foster research to understand and address this public health threat. Since most of our knowledge about the epidemiology of T2D in the pediatric population was based on small clinic-based reports, NIDDK partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study to provide population-based statistics for diabetes in U.S. youth (1). SEARCH data from 2002–2003 indicated that approximately 3,700 youth were being diagnosed annually with T2D (2). T2D is rarely seen in children younger than 10 years. In non-Hispanic white youth 10–19 years of age, T2D represents 15% of the new cases of diabetes. However, T2D predominates in 10- to 19-year-old minority youth, representing 86% of the new cases among American Indians, 70% among Asian/Pacific Islanders, 58% in blacks, and 46% in Hispanics. SEARCH is continuing to ascertain diabetes incidence and is poised to provide critical information on trends in the incidence for both type 1 diabetes and T2D among U.S. youth. SEARCH has also described in great detail the characteristics of U.S. youth with T2D. Perhaps of greatest concern is that 27% of the youth with T2D enrolled in …
A formal mapping-based approach for distributed schedule coordination on projects

Construction projects involve a large number of participants with overlapping scope of work. Coordination of their activities is usually an iterative manual task undertaken by a general contractor that is often unaware of the detailed constraints of other participants. Project schedules play a key role in this coordination and form the backbone of almost all current approaches to process coordination. However, no single schedule represents the perspective of all participants involved in a project. Rather, each participant keeps in some manner a schedule for its own activities, resulting in multiple schedules that need to be coordinated. The current literature does not support simultaneous reasoning across multiple distributed, overlapping schedules. This paper introduces constructs to formalize the integration of participants' overlapping schedules that represent the same project tasks, but use a different set breakdown structures and level of detail. Implementation of these constructs allows linking of the master schedule to the other participants' schedules thereby representing the perspectives of all project participants. This integrated perspective facilitates initial schedule coordination and allows rapid identification of schedule conflicts in response to any schedule changes.
Adhesion of metals to a clean iron surface studied with LEED and Auger emission spectroscopy.

Discussion of the results of adhesion experiments conducted with various metals contacting a clean iron surface. The metals included gold, silver, nickel, platinum, lead, tantalum, aluminum, and cobalt. Some of the metals were examined with oxygen present on their surface as well as in the clean state. The results indicate that, with the various metals contacting iron, the cohesively weaker will adhere and transfer to the cohesively stronger. The chemical activity of the metal also influenced the adhesive forces measured. With oxygen present on the metal surface, the adhesive forces measured could be correlated with the binding energy of the metal to oxygen.
Maturity interaction and black layer occurrence in opaque-2 and normal hybrids in maize (Zea mays L.)

Six opaque-2 lines and their normal counterparts were crossed in diallel crosses. The crosses were grown in 1970 in a split plot randomized complete block design. Harvests were made at 7-day intervals starting at 28 days after pollination and countinuing through 63 days.
Processing of novel and familiar faces in infants at average and high risk for autism.

Abstract The study investigated whether infant siblings of children with autism (sibs-ASD) process familiar and novel faces differently from typical infants and whether sensitivity to face familiarity is associated with infants’ social and communicative behaviors. Visual event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 35 infants, age 9 months ± 15 days (20 typical infants, 15 sibs-ASD) using an oddball paradigm presenting photographs of infants’ mothers (70% of trials) and an unfamiliar female (30% of trials). Eye tracking responses to a different unfamiliar face were recorded to determine whether differences in gaze patterns might account for any ERP differences found. There were no group differences in the distribution, number or duration of fixations. Both infant groups differentiated between mothers and strangers, as reflected in amplitude modulations of posterior N290/P400 and frontal/central Nc responses. Group differences were present in the latency of the P400 response, where a delayed response to the stranger face was observed only in typical infants. Across both groups, shorter Nc latency to mother's face was associated with parental reports of stronger interpersonal skills. Individual differences in the speed of processing for novel vs. familiar faces may be an informative early marker of risk for atypical social development.
On the Use of the German Relative Pronoun After Prepositions

Author's Summary— An examination of nine hundred pages of modern German prose containing selections by seventy-eight representative authors shows that the relative pronoun referring to an inanimate object and standing after a preposition is used more than ten times as frequently as the wo-compound which might be substituted for it. The statement of the rule as found in our grammars, should be altered to conform to this fact.)
Activin A augments GnRH-mediated transcriptional activation of the mouse GnRH receptor gene.

The response of pituitary gonadotropes to GnRH correlates directly with the concentration of GnRH receptors (GnRHRs) on the cell surface, which is mediated in part at the level of GnRHR gene expression. We have previously localized GnRH responsiveness in the mouse GnRHR (mGnRHR) gene promoter to two elements: activating protein-1 and sequence underlying responsiveness to GnRH-1. This study was designed to investigate potential synergy between GnRH and activin A in transcriptional activation of the mGnRHR gene. In functional transfection studies using αT3-1 cells, GnRH agonist stimulation of the mGnRHR gene promoter (−765/+62) resulted in a 10.9-fold increase in activity, which was further increased 2-fold (to 21.3-fold) following activin pretreatment. Activin pretreatment alone had no effect. Deletion of region −387/−308 or mutation of a putative SMAD-binding element at −331/−324 (5′-GTCTAG[T]C-3′) abrogated the augmented response to GnRH in the presence of activin but not the response to GnRH alone. Over...
Oscillation of a liquid-vapor interface: experimental observations

Abstract The effects of liquid subcooling, velocity, and vapor superheat on the wavy nature of film boiling from a sphere in Freon-113 were studied. Experiments for both pool and flow film boiling were performed for a heater surface superheat of around 100 to 300°C, liquid velocity from 0- to 2.10 m/s, and Freon-113 subcooling from 0 to 25°C. Photographs taken in the film boiling regime show that the nature of the liquid-vapor interface is a function of the above-mentioned parameters. For low liquid subcooling ripples were present on the liquid-vapor interface. At greater subcooling these ripples disappear. For very large vapor superheat and liquid velocity ripples are always present on the liquid-vapor interface.