cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HF chemical etching of SiO2 on 4H and 6H SiC

Thickness and etch rate of SiO2 films thermally grown on hexagonal SiC substrates were compared to results obtained from SiO2/Si samples. The data confirm that profilometry and ellipsometry yield the same thickness values for oxides grown on Si and SiC. Within the accuracy of our measurements, oxides grown on different polytypes and faces of SiC etch at the same rate in a HF acid solution. The etch rate using a 50:1 H2O:HF(50%) solution at room temperature is 0.1 nm/s and is uniform throughout the thickness of the SiO2 films. The rate is the same as that obtained for SiO2 grown on Si.
Surface-wave group velocity tomography of East Asia

Abstract Group velocities of both Rayleigh and Love waves are used in a tomographic inversion to obtain group velocity maps of East Asia (60–140°E and 20–60°N). The period range studied is 30–70 s. The Tibetan plateau, a region undergoing intense north-south compression, appears as a prominent low-velocity (about −15% from the average) structure in this area; central Tibet appears as the area with the lowest velocities, and southern Tibet, south of the Zangbo suture zone and the Himalayas, is an area of high velocities. The Tibet low-velocity area extends northward to the southern Tarim basin. The North China-Korean platform, an area traditionally recognized as the oldest platform in China, does not have a consistent crust and upper-mantle velocity signature. The North China plain, a part of the platform where extensional tectonics dominates, is an area of high velocities, probably as a result of thin crust. The other parts of the platform have relatively low velocities. The south China block, the least tectonically active region of China, is generally an area of high velocity. For periods longer than 40 s, a high group velocity gradient clearly exists along longitude 105°E; the velocities are noticeably higher east of this longitude than west of it. This transition corresponds closely to that in the Bouguer gravity map. In general, processes in the crust and upper mantle owing to recent tectonic activities, rather than the age of the basement rocks, seem to have dominant control of crust and upper-mantle velocity structures.
Stabilities and Energetics of Inorganic Benzene Isomers: Prismanes

Ab initio calculations of inorganic prismanes, with the formula (XH-YH)3, where X = B, AI, and Ga and Y = N, P, and As, as well as X or Y = C, Si, and Ge, were carried out. Energetics of these species are compared with those of the planar benzene analog and chair/boat conformers. The prismane and planar structures containing first period elements (B, C, and N) are all stable (i.e. minima on the potential energy surfaces). Chair and boat conformers are potential energy minima only in compounds containing second or third period elements. For those species with a first period element in the 1, 3, 5 positions, the planar benzene-like structure is the global minumum; otherwise, the planar structure is not a minimum. The lowest minimum found is the prismane arrangement for Si6H6 and Ge~6 and the chair structure for ShGe3H6. Other molecules have distorted minima.
Effect of the homokaryotic state of the uvs-2 allele in Neurospora crassa on formaldehyde-induced killing and ad-3 mutation.

Abstract Formaldehyde was tested for its killing and mutagenic activities in the ad-3 forward-mutation test in Neurospora crassa . The test was conducted in 3 two-component heterokaryons (dikaryons) of N. crassa in order to determine the effect of the uvs-2 allele, which causes a defect in nucleotide excision repair, on formaldehyde-induced killing and the induction of ad-3 mutants. These dikaryons were homokaryotic for uvs -2 + (H-12), homokaryotic for usv-2 (H-59), and heterokaryotic for uvs-2 (H-71). Formaldehyde induced killing and ad-3 mutants in H-12, but the presence of uvs-2 in the homokaryotic state (H-59) resulted in a 9-fold increase in killing and a 40-fold increase in the induction of ad-3 mutants. This increased sensitivity to formaldehyde-induced killing and mutation conferred by uvs-2 in the homokaryotic state (H-59 vs. H-12) is similar to that noted by others in Escherichia coli. Salmonella typhimurium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The dikaryon heterokaryotic for uvs-2 (H-71) has the same sensitivity to formaldehyde-induced ad-3 mutation as H-12, indicating that uvs-2 in recessive to uvs -2 + .
Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination Among Adults Aged 65 Years and Older, U.S., 1989–2008

Background The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) has been recommended for all people aged ≥65 years in the U.S. since 1983; consistent surveillance for vaccine coverage has been conducted since 1989. Purpose To assess PPSV23 vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥65 years in the U.S. Methods The data were analyzed from the 1989, 1991, 1993–1995, and 1997–2008 National Health Interview Surveys in 2009. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with receiving PPSV23 in 2008. Missed opportunities for vaccination were also assessed. Results Among people aged ≥65 years, PPSV23 coverage increased from 14.1% in 1989 to 60.1% in 2008. On average, vaccination coverage increased by 3.5% annually during 1989–2000 compared with 1.0% during 2001–2008. In 2008, coverage was significantly higher for people aged 75–84 years (68.8%), and ≥85 years (69.0%) compared with those aged 65–74 years (52.5%). Coverage was significantly higher for non-Hispanic whites (64.3%) compared with non-Hispanic blacks (44.6%) and those with Hispanic ethnicity (36.4%). Among people aged ≥65 years who reported never receiving PPSV23, 90.6% reported at least one missed opportunity. Characteristics independently associated with increased likelihood of ever receiving PPSV23 were higher age, female, non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, not employed, higher education level, more physician visits in the past year, hospitalized within past year, having Medicare and other supplemental health insurance, and having a chronic medical condition. Conclusions National PPSV23 coverage among people aged ≥65 years increased substantially until 2000, but the rate of increase was smaller after 2000 and coverage in 2008 remained well below the national Healthy People 2010 target of 90%. Increased efforts to avoid missed opportunities for pneumococcal vaccination are needed, especially among minority populations.
Classical and avoidance conditioning of the nictitating membrane in frogs (Rana pipiens) and toads (Bufo Americanus)

Classical and avoidance conditioning of the nictitating membrane, using a tactile CS and UCS, was studied in two experiments with frogs and one experiment with toads. In Experiment 1, a classical conditioning procedure did not produce acquisition in frogs although presentation of the CS to the nostril area produced greater responding than did a CS delivered to the cephalic region. In Experiment 2, frogs failed to acquire either classical or avoidance conditioning of the same response, and mode of housing the animals (refrigeration or aquarium) was ineffective in altering response rates. Experiment 3 demonstrated rapid and reliable classical and avoidance conditioning of this response in toads, when the same procedures were employed. It was suggested that the findings might reflect marked differences in degree of passivity of frogs and toads.
Sex differences in muscle fatigability and activation patterns of the human quadriceps femoris

The purposes of this study were to determine if the fatigability of the quadriceps femoris varies by biological sex under conditions of normal muscle blood flow and ischemia, and if differences in neuromuscular activation patterns exist. Young men and women (n=11/group; age 20–39 years) performed a sustained knee extension contraction at 25% of maximal force under conditions of occluded (OCC) and normal muscle blood flow (NON-OCC). Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles, and analyzed for fatigue-induced changes in the amplitude and burst rate and duration (transient changes in motor unit recruitment) of the signal. Additionally, force fluctuations during the sustained contraction were quantified. Women had a longer time to task failure during the NON-OCC task [214.9±20.5 vs. 169.1±20.5 (SE) s] (P=0.02), but not during the OCC task (179.6+19.6 vs. 165.2±19.6 s). EMG data demonstrated sex differences in the neuromuscular activation pattern of the RF muscle and the collectively averaged QF muscles. During the NON-OCC and OCC tasks women achieved a higher relative activation of the RF at task failure than men (NON-OCC: 40.68±4.57 vs. 24.49±4.19%; OCC: 36.80±5.45 vs. 24.41±2.12%) (P=0.02 and 0.05, respectively). Also, during both tasks, they demonstrated a greater relative activation at task failure than men when an average of the VL, VM and RF was considered. Additionally, women exhibited a greater coefficient of variation in force fluctuations during the last-third of the fatiguing NON-OCC task (6.21±0.567 vs. 4.56±0.56%) (P=0.001). No sex differences in EMG burst rate or duration were observed, although there was a trend towards greater EMG burst rate of the RF in association with muscle fatigue in the women (P=0.09). Interestingly, the only neuromuscular activation variable that displayed a significant relationship with the time to task failure was the average relative EMG of the QF at task failure, and this relationship was observed under both experimental blood flow conditions (NON-OCC: r=0.47, P=0.03; OCC: r=0.44, P=0.04). These results indicate that sex differences in muscle blood flow and/or muscle metabolism are in part responsible for the female advantage in fatigue-resistance. Additionally, these findings suggest that men synergistically recruit the RF compartment to a lesser extent than women in association with muscle fatigue, and that women achieve an overall greater relative activation of the QF at task failure than men. However, the implications of these sex differences in neuromuscular activation patterns during fatiguing muscular contractions on the ability to withstand muscle fatigue (prolonged time to task failure) does not appear to be causally related.
d-Alanine transport and metabolism by the coelomocytes of the bloodworm, Glycera dibranchiata (Polychaeta)

Abstract 1. 1. A saturable transport system for d -alanine exists in Glycera RBCs which is Na dependent and which appears from competition experiments to be stereoselective for a broad range of d -amino acids. 2. 2. The kinetic constants for d -alanine for this system are: K T = 0.14 ± 0.01 mM and J max = 0.15 ± 0.02 mmol/min 1 cell per water. An apparent linear diffusion component was also present where K D = 0.059 ± 0.004/ min. 3. 3. Incubation of Glycera RBCs with 14 C- d -alanine results in the conversion of some of the d -alanine to at least two other compounds. 4. 4. These data provide evidence that marine invertebrate tissues may possess specific d -amino acid transport systems which accumulate and maintain intracellular pools of free d -amino acids. These d -amino acids are available to the cellular metabolic machinery for utilization.
Future pharmacologic agents and maneuvers in asthma therapy

Future therapeutic avenues in the treatment of asthma include the development of drugs to prevent mediator generation or release, to prevent receptor recognition of mediators, and to block end-organ responses to receptor occupancy; maneuvers to prevent or reverse IgE production; and therapies directed at preventing secondary inflammatory leukocyte activation. These new therapies should be used only after currently available drugs, education, immunotherapy, and supportive care are maximally employed, as these latter maneuvers are in the vast majority of patients efficacious, well tolerated, and safe.
Hydrogen peroxide synthesis over metallic catalysts

Abstract The energetics of the elementary reactions involved in the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide over noble metal catalysts have been investigated using the bond order conservation-Morse potential approach (BOC-MP). Enthalpy changes as well as activation energies for forward and reverse reactions were calculated for the different elementary steps which may occur by reaction of H2 and O2 on the noble metal series Pd, Pt, Ag and Au. According to the BOC-MP model, under low surface coverage conditions the reaction proceeds along a water channel in which hydroxyl radicals are the main intermediates. No hydrogen peroxide is produced under these conditions. The model indicates that the formation of hydroxyl radicals should be blocked and adsorbed hydroxyls should be destabilized for the reaction to proceed along the hydrogen peroxide channel in which OOH radicals play a fundamental role. In the metal series investigated the production of H2O2 is more favorable on gold and silver than on the other metals. Experimental conditions such as hydrogen and oxygen loading of the catalyst are simulated and the role of promoters is discussed.
Brain Health: What Everyone Needs to Know

The revolution to live healthier lifestyles has many individuals exercising more and eating healthier foods. Most followers of this revolution can discuss the nuances of healthy eating and exercise. But, when it comes to brain health how much does the average health conscious individual know? Amazingly, the brain plays a major role in the quality of life one experiences, yet most people do not consider maintaining a physically fit brain. There is a plethora of new information being published on lifestyle habits that enhance brain health. While much can be done to facilitate brain health, there are two major risk factors that are not affected by behavioral modification. These risk factors include inherited genetic predisposition and aging, the two most important risk factors for developing neurodegenerative diseases such as dementias, most commonly Alzheimer’s, as well as movement disorders like Parkinson’s. There is now evidence that the aging process includes structural chemical and functional changes; the degree of change, however, may not be clinically manifested in the same way even with similar genetic predispositions.
Action of cyclodialysis utilizing an implant studied by manometry in a human eye.

Intraocular manometric studies were performed on a glaucomatous human eye before and after a cyclodialysis procedure. The intraocular pressure was successfully lowered. The results suggested that both decreased aqueous formation and improved facility of outflow, as estimated by pressure decay curve analysis, were significant factors in the hypotensive effect of the cyclodialysis. These findings are discussed with reference to previous observations on eyes following cyclodialysis.
Personality and criminality: A review of the California Psychological Inventory

Presents review of studies that use the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) with delinquents and criminals. Studies listed fit categories that illustrate the ability of the CPI to measure: (a) personality differences between delinquents and non-delinquents; (b) personality typologies and classifications; and (c) personality variables that predict future criminal or social behavior. In addition, studies are listed that describe the (d) historical development of the CPI and its application to criminality, as well as (3) the CPI's ability to measure and quantify aspects of criminal behavior. Methodological concerns, profile interpretations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Increasing Attention and Retention of Warnings: Effects of Container Hazardousness, Warning Quality, and Severity of Injury

The influence of warning quality, container hazardousness, and severity of the potential injury on attention to and retention of warning information were examined. Warning quality and container hazardousness were manipulated as within subjects variables, severity of injury as a between subjects variable. Two levels of each variable were used, high and low. Participants viewed the 4 possible combinations of warning quality and container hazardousness and then responded to various questions concerning their perceptions and retention of warning information. The results demonstrated the importance of warning quality. Enhanced features such as pictorials, signal words, safety icons, and color increase warning salience and recollection of warning information. The results also indicate that the hazardousness of containers influences whether people read warning labels and subsequent reports of cautious intent. However, its influence is modified by both severity of injury and warning quality.
Development and application of Doppler radar profilers to ground validation of satellite precipitation measurements

Abstract In this paper we review the development and application of Doppler radar profilers to precipitation measurement with emphasis on ground validation of satellite precipitation measurements such as are obtained with the TRMM satellite. The principal objective of this research is to develop the capability to obtain height-resolved drop-size spectra from the profiler-observed Doppler velocity and equivalent reflectivity measurements. Profiler measurements can also be used in conjunction with disdrometers to calibrate ground-based measurements of equivalent reflectivity. Two profilers operating near 1 GHz and 3 GHz respectively, were used in conjunction with scanning radars and disdrometers during 1998 in Texas and Florida. In this paper we present preliminary comparisons of profiler, scanning radar and disdrometer observations obtained in Houston, Texas in April 1998.
Low-pressure-plasma-deposited coatings formed from mechanically alloyed powders

Abstract A limiting feature of the low-pressure-plasma-coating process at the present state of the art is the need for −400 mesh (−37 μm) feed powder for the gun. In this study we demonstrated that mechanically alloyed M Cr Al type (where M is cobalt, nickel or iron) powders suitable for low pressure plasma spraying can be prepared using the attritor process. A two-step attriting process was developed which yields a large fraction of −400 mesh powders. A study of the effects of attritor processing parameters was made on Co 29Cr 6Al 1Y powder that was mechanically alloyed from a blend of cobalt, chromium, Co Al and Co Y powders. Coatings deposited onto IN-738 pin specimens by low pressure plasma spraying were hot corrosion tested; these compare favorably with Co 29Cr 6Al 1Y coatings deposited using atomized powders. A three-step attriting process also was developed which is particularly useful in forming M Cr Al-type powders using elemental aluminum as a starting ingredient.
Arylsulfatase B deficiency in Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome cultured fibroblasts.

Summary Fibroblasts derived from patients with Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis VI) contained about 10% of normal arylsulfatase B activity, other lysosomal enzymes being unaltered. The properties of residual arylsulfatase B in Maroteaux-Lamy fibroblasts were identical to the enzyme derived from control fibroblasts. The decreased mucopolysaccharide turnover in Maroteaux-Lamy fibroblasts was normalized by supplementation with an arylsulfatase B fraction from normal fibroblasts. This data is consistent with the suggestion that the primary biochemical defect in Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome is a deficiency of arylsulfatase B.
Effect of various stress factors on indole alkaloid formation by C. roseus (periwinkle) cells

Catharanthus roseus cells producing indole alkaloids were grown for 21 days in suspension cultures. Three stress factors—fungal elicitors, vanadyl sulfate, and potassium chloride—were added to the production media at various concentrations. Alkaloid production and cell viability were followed and compared to a control experiment without stress factors. A Box-Wilson experimental design was used to determine the effects of these stress factors on cell performance. The stress factors used at low concentrations produced higher levels of indole alkaloids. This is thought to be due to the stimulatory effect of the stress imposed on the cells by the added components. The percent of intracellular alkaloids produced in the presence of stress factors was lower than that of the control experiment. This is probably due to increased excretion of indole alkaloids in the presence of stress factors.
Carbon as a support for catalysts—III glassy carbon as a support for iron

Abstract As described in the Hucke patent, glassy carbons containing not only open pores of molecular size but also pores in the transitional or macropore range can be produced from appropriate formulations. The formulation always consists of a carbon-yielding monomer, an organic to yield larger pores upon its removal once the monomer has been partially polymerized, and a polymerization catalyst. It may contain a dispersing agent, depending upon the size of the larger pores which is desired. In this study, furfuryl alcohol was the monomer. Great flexibility is shown to exist in the total surface areas of the carbons which can be produced, degree of carbon molecular sieving in the super micropores, and pore volume and pore size in the larger pores following polymerization and carbonization steps. Different ways of adding iron into the mix are explored which also can have pronounced effects on the nature of the porosity in the final carbons. Further modification is shown upon addition of potassium or boron into the mix. Carbons produced are expected to have potential as catalyst supports.
Distribution of constitutive heterochromatin in HeLa and HEp-2 cell lines.

Despite the fact that HeLa and HEp-2 cell lines have been established respectively from a female and a male patient, the frequent loss of the Y chromosome makes it difficult to discriminate the two cell types. The technique of centromeric localization of heterochromatin, however, facilitates more definite identification of the two cell types. Giemsa positive centromeric constitutive heterochromatin blocks were induced within the intact metaphase chromosome preparations of Hela and HEp-2 cells. The Hela cell population had a single heterochromatin marker chromosome, whereas the HEp-2 cell line was found to possess two types of heterochromatin markers. The distinctive patterns of distribution of constitutive heterochromatin of these three chromosomes served as the guides in tracing the presumptive cytological pathways for their orgin.
The minimum degree of recursively representable choice functions

Abstract We show that the minimum degree of Turing complexity of a recursively representable choice function is O″, the degree of a complete ∑ 2 set in the Kleene-Mostowski hierarchy. A consequence of this result is that the complexity of such choice functions in this sense is bounded strictly above the degrees of R.E. subsets on N .
Fixed transmission rights for zonal congestion management

Declaring that engineering studies and experience are the criteria to defining zonal boundaries, or to define a zone based on the fact that it is a densely interconnected area and paths connecting these densely interconnected areas are interzonal lines, will render insufficient and fuzzy definitions. The zone definition is given a certain criterion based on the locational marginal price (LMP). This concept is used to define zonal boundaries and to decide whether any zone should be merged with another zone or split into new zones. The paper combines zonal and fixed transmission rights (FTR) schemes to manage congestion. This combined scheme is utilised with LMPs to define zonal boundaries more appropriately. The scheme presented gains the best features of the FTR scheme, which are providing financial certainty, maximising the efficient use of the system and making users pay for the actual use of congested paths.
Optimization of technique factors for a silicon diode array full-field digital mammography system and comparison to screen-film mammography with matched average glandular dose.

Contrast-detail experiments were performed to optimize technique factors for the detection of low-contrast lesions using a silicon diode array full-field digital mammography (FFDM) system under the conditions of a matched average glandular dose (AGD) for different techniques. Optimization was performed for compressed breast thickness from 2 to 8 cm. FFDM results were compared to screen-film mammography (SFM) at each breast thickness. Four contrast-detail (CD) images were acquired on a SFM unit with optimal techniques at 2, 4, 6, and 8 cm breast thicknesses. The AGD for each breast thickness was calculated based on half-value layer (HVL) and entrance exposure measurements on the SFM unit. A computer algorithm was developed and used to determine FFDM beam current (mAs) that matched AGD between FFDM and SFM at each thickness, while varying target, filter, and peak kilovoltage (kVp) across the full range available for the FFDM unit. CD images were then acquired on FFDM for kVp values from 23–35 for a molybdenum–molybdenum (Mo–Mo), 23–40 for a molybdenum–rhodium (Mo–Rh), and 25–49 for a rhodium–rhodium (Rh–Rh) target-filter under the constraint of matching the AGD from screen-film for each breast thickness (2, 4, 6, and 8 cm). CD images were scored independently for SFM and each FFDM technique by six readers. CD scores were analyzed to assess trends as a function of target–filter and kVp and were compared to SFM at each breast thickness. For 2 cm thick breasts, optimal FFDM CD scores occurred at the lowest possible kVp setting for each target–filter, with significant decreases in FFDM CD scores as kVp was increased under the constraint of matched AGD. For 2 cm breasts, optimal FFDM CD scores were not significantly different from SFM CD scores. For 4–8 cm breasts, optimum FFDM CD scores were superior to SFM CD scores. For 4 cm breasts, FFDM CD scores decreased as kVp increased for each target–filter combination. For 6 cm breasts, CD scores decreased slightly as kVp increased for Mo–Mo, but did not change significantly as a function of kVp for either Mo–Rh or Rh–Rh. For 8 cm breasts, Rh/Rh FFDM CD scores were superior to other target–filter combinations and increased significantly as kVp increased. These results indicate that low-contrast lesion detection was optimized for FFDM by using a softer x-ray beam for thin breasts and a harder x-ray beam for thick breasts, when AGD was kept constant for a given breast thickness. Under this constraint, optimum low-contrast lesion detection with FFDM was superior to that for SFM for all but the thinnest breasts.
STATISTICAL MECHANICS OF RANDOM HETEROPOLYMERS

Abstract We review analytical theories of random heteropolymers which investigates the freezing and the microphase separation transitions. Due to the heterogeneity of the random, quenched polymeric sequence the conformation spectrum has very few low-energy states and at low temperatures only these states become thermodynamically relevant. At these temperatures we say that the system undergoes a freezing transition and this transition is easier in the case of stiff chains. For a copolymer with two types of monomers there is a possibility for microphase separation even in the random case. This transition is easier in flexible chains and in sequences that have extended short-range correlations of the monomer types along the sequence. The fluctuation theory is related to the theory of weak crystallization developed by Brazovskii but the results are quite peculiar in this case. The implications of the fluctuation theory are extensively discussed. Although a microphase separation is shown to exist it is more likely that the experimentally observed signs of microphase separation, such as a peak in the intensity of the scattering factor, are due to a local order that appears before the theoretically predicted transition. Finally, we present an analytic method for deriving the effective Hamiltonian of a randomly cross-linked blend of two types of homopolymers with tendency for segregation where the elastic forces of the cross-links prohibit the segregation on the macroscopic level and a microphase separation appears.
Women's health: science and politics

The scientific community, in particular the NIH, as well as the political communities of governments and advocates, have formidable goals to achieve in integrating women's health research firmly within the context of biomedical science, securing rights for women to be included in clinical studies and fostering the development and advancement of women in biomedical sciences. No one group or organization can accomplish such a task alone, nor should they. This effort requires the cooperation and collaboration of many individuals and organizations if we are to meet our ultimate goal--health for all our citizens.
Climatic significance of natric horizons in Permian (Asselian) palaeosols of north‐central Kansas, USA

Columnar structured horizons have been recognized in ancient coastal palaeosols of several Lower Permian (Asselian) stratigraphic units of north-central Kansas. These strongly developed columnar, polygonal-shaped peds are characteristic of sodium-influenced (natric) argillic horizons, and are commonly indicative of semi-arid to arid environments. Evaporite features above and below these palaeosols support the conclusion for a dry palaeoclimate. The columnar peds are typically 3–15 cm in diameter and exhibit domed tops. Fine clay fills the cracks between the columnar peds, and is generally of a darker colour than the peds. Each natric horizon has a low value and chroma colour, apparently the result of carbonate accumulation. The natric horizons in these Permian palaeosols appear to have been partially influenced by sodium-rich groundwaters. Root traces and root moulds are found between peds in all natric horizons, indicating plant succession after columnar ped formation. These sodium-influenced palaeosol profiles occur as part of a spectrum of palaeosol types that indicate cyclical climate change associated with glacioeustatic sea-level fluctuations.
Ethical Considerations When Working With Older Adults in Psychology

The growing number of older adults in America will result in an increasing demand for psychotherapists familiar with their psychological needs. To treat this population in an ethical manner, practitioners need to be aware of the unique characteristics of the aging process, especially in regards to age-related vulnerabilities, such as cognitive decline. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that those currently in practice do not have sufficient knowledge of the aging process and age specific issues of older adults. To address these deficits the American Psychological Association published a report outlining six general concepts: attitudes, general knowledge about adult development, clinical issues, assessment, intervention, and education. These concepts are described. Furthermore, this article extends the current thinking on ethical issues regarding older adults by addressing their vulnerabilities. In addition, ethical issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, and elder abuse are addressed as t...
Robust control of base-isolated structures under earthquake excitation

We propose the use of robust control in conjunction with base isolation in order to assure arbitrarily small motion of a seismically excited structure. The proposed method requires control force application only at the base (first) floor. The efficacy of the scheme is illustrated by extensive simulations for a prototype six-story building.
Abnormality of gait as a predictor of non-Alzheimer's dementia

Background Neurologic abnormalities affecting gait occur early in several types of non-Alzheimer's dementias, but their value in predicting the development of dementia is uncertain. Methods We analyzed the relation between neurologic gait status at base line and the development of dementia in a prospective study involving 422 subjects older than 75 years of age who lived in the community and did not have dementia at base line. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios with adjustment for potential confounding demographic, medical, and cognitive variables. Results At enrollment, 85 subjects had neurologic gait abnormalities of the following types: unsteady gait (in 31 subjects), frontal gait (in 12 subjects), hemiparetic gait (in 11 subjects), neuropathic gait (in 11 subjects), ataxic gait (in 10 subjects), parkinsonian gait (in 8 subjects), and spastic gait (in 2 subjects). During follow-up (median duration, 6.6 years), there were 125 newly diagnosed cases of dementi...
Biomechanical evaluation of posterior lumbar dynamic stabilization: an in vitro comparison between Universal Clamp and Wallis systems.

Treatment of chronic low back pain due to degenerative lumbar spine conditions often involves fusion of the symptomatic level. A known risk of this procedure is accelerated adjacent level degeneration. Motion preservation devices have been designed to provide stabilization to the symptomatic motion segment while preserving some physiologic motion. The aim of this study was to compare the changes in relative range of motion caused as a result of application of two non-fusion, dynamic stabilization devices: the Universal Clamp (UC) and the Wallis device. Nine fresh, frozen human lumbar spines (L1–Sacrum) were tested in flexion–extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation with a custom spine simulator. Specimens were tested in four conditions: (1) intact, (2) the Universal Clamp implanted at L3–4 (UC), (3) the UC with a transverse rod added (UCTR), and (4) the Wallis device implanted at L3–4. Total range of motion at 7.5 N-m was determined for each device and compared to intact condition. The UC device (with or without a transverse rod) restricted motion in all planes more than the Wallis. The greatest restriction was observed in flexion. The neutral position of the L3–4 motion segment shifted toward extension with the UC and UCTR. Motion at the adjacent levels remained similar to that observed in the intact spine for all three constructs. These results suggest that the UC device may be an appropriate dynamic stabilization device for degenerative lumbar disorders.
Local order in protein solutions

Nonlinearity of the dielectric increment of protein solutions as a function of concentration can be explained by the existence of local order. This local order can be expressed in Saupe order parameters. Using a simple mean field theory, it is shown how these order parameters can be obtained. Two cases from the literature are used to illustrate the method.
One year in the life of a woman with premenstrual syndrome: a case study.

Over the course of 1 year (13 menstrual cycles), data were collected on a daily basis using Likert-scale ratings of symptom presence and severity, as well as narrative journal entries. The participant was a 37-year-old healthy woman (mean cycle length = 26.7 days, SD +/- 1.8) with prospectively screened well-defined premenstrual syndrome (PMS), not on hormones or other drugs, and without a psychiatric history. Using the autocorrelation function (ACF), there was evidence for a statistically significant predictive cycle-to-cycle symptom pattern (ACF r = .49, p < .05; Bartlett Band range of significance = +/- .13). Cycle-phase-dependent coexistence of symptoms was noted, along with particular narrative themes, most dramatically exemplified by the theme of death. For this subject, the findings provided evidence for predictive symptom patterns and an effect of symptom presence on her interpretation of her environment and herself.
Parental Conflict and Self-Esteem: The Rest of the Story

Previous research has supported the hypothesis that high levels of marital conflict are related to lower self-esteem in children. In this study, 122 young adults completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire and the Student Interparental Conflict Scale, as well as the Parental Nurturance Scale and the Parental Authority Questionnaire. One parent of each young adult completed the Parent Interparental Conflict Scale, the O'Leary-Porter Overt Hostility Scale, and a modified Parental Authority Questionnaire. Perceived interparental conflict and parental style discrepancies in nurturance and in authoritarianism were significantly and negatively related to self-esteem, but the best predictors of self-esteem were the parental styles themselves. Warm, nurturant parents were more likely to have high self-esteem children and demonstrated less conflict in marital partnerships. Correlations between marital conflict and self-esteem may reflect parental characteristics.
Central and peripheral receptors in guinea-pigs exposed to simulated high altitude

Guinea-pigs, chronically exposed to simulated high altitude of 6000 m, showed alterations in some, but not all, neurotransmitter-receptor systems. Thus, peripheral (cardiac) beta-adrenergic receptors were decreased in numbers (Bmax) with an increased affinity although no alterations in endogenous cardiac norepinephrine content were found. In contrast, H1-histamine receptors in the guinea-pig ventricle and brain showed no changes in Bmax or affinity. Dopamine receptors of the caudate nucleus showed no differences between control and altitude-exposed guinea-pigs, although previous reports demonstrated a significant increase (19%) in the content of endogenous dopamine of the caudate. Thus, chronic exposure to simulated high altitude altered beta-adrenergic receptors so that they were more sensitive to small ligand concentrations and less sensitive to large ligand concentrations.
Thromboxane A2 mediated bronchoconstriction in the anesthetized guinea pig

Arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation has been shown to be selectively antagonized by the thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor SQ 80,338 or by the thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist SQ 24,775. Experiments were done to see what effect these two compounds would have on the bronchoconstrictor response to various agents in the anesthetized guinea pig. Increases in pulmonary resistance and decreases in dynamic compliance were taken as an index of bronchoconstriction. Both SQ 80,338 (0.3-10.0 mg/kg) and SQ 24,775 (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) administered i.v. caused dose-related inhibitions of arachidonate-induced bronchoconstriction. SQ 80,338 (3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) also inhibited bradykinin-induced bronchoconstriction in the presence of beta-adrenergic blockade. These same doses of SQ 80,338 and SQ 24,775 did not alter either histamine- or antigen-induced bronchoconstriction. SQ 80,338 (10.0 micrograms/ml) prevented arachidonate-induced release of TXA2 from the isolated perfused guinea pig lung while SQ 24,775 (1.0 microgram/ml) antagonized the contraction of the isolated rat aorta induced by 9,11,AZO-PGH2. These results suggest that both arachidonate and bradykinin-induced bronchoconstriction are mediated through the generation of TXA2, while histamine- and antigen-induced bronchoconstriction are not.
Survivability analysis of mobile cyber physical systems with voting-based intrusion detection

In this paper we address the survivability issue of a mobile cyber physical system (MCPS) comprising sensor-carried human actors, vehicles, or robots assembled together for executing a specific mission in battlefield or emergency response situations. We develop a mathematical model to assess the survivability property of a MCPS subject to energy exhaustion and security failure. Our model-based analysis reveals the optimal design setting for invoking intrusion detection to best balance energy conservation vs. intrusion tolerance for achieving high survivability. We test the effectiveness of our approach with a dynamic voting-based intrusion detection technique leveraging sensing and ranging capabilities of mobile nodes in the MCPS and demonstrate its validity with numerical data.
Constructing zero-deficiency parallel prefix adder of minimum depth

Parallel prefix adder is a general technique for speeding up binary addition. In unit delay model, we denote the size and depth of an n-bit prefix adder C(n) as s/sub C(n)/ and d/sub C(n)/ respectively. Snir proved that s/sub C(n)/ +d/sub C(n)/ > 2n - 2 holds for arbitrary prefix adders. Hence, a prefix adder is said to be of zero-deficiency if s/sub C(n)/ + d/sub C(n)/ = 2n - 2, In this paper, we first propose a new architecture of zero-deficiency prefix adder dubbed Z(d), which provably has the minimal depth among all kinds of zero-deficiency prefix adders. We then design a 64-bit prefix adder Z64, which is derived from Z(d)|/sub d=8/, and compare it against several classical prefix adders of the same bit width in terms of area and delay using logical effort method. The result shows that the proposed Z(d) adder is also promising in practical VLSI design.
THE CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE OF KINGSHIP IN THE NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

The institution of kingship is such an important component of ancient societies as to be considered nearly universal by many scholars. In spite of this, discussions of kingship, especially in the ancient Near East, are surprisingly rare in the scholarly literature. Furthermore, the nature of the data pertaining to the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which includes a vast textual corpus and rich archaeological remains, means that this data set is often difficult for non-specialists to access. The goal of this paper is to reexamine and synthesize some well-known arguments, combine them with a number of new ideas about how kingship was constructed and performed in the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and present the resulting analysis to a wider, anthropologically oriented audience. To do so, 1 step back from the philological minutiae that so often hinder the cross-cultural or interregional integration of Near Eastern data to examine three easily comparable structural components of kingship: ideology, legitimacy, and implementation.
Category induction from distributional cues in an artificial language.

The ability to identify the grammatical category of a word (e.g., noun, verb, adjective) is a fundamental aspect of competence in a natural language. Children show evidence of categorization by as early as 18 months, and in some cases younger. However, the mechanisms that underlie this ability are not well understood. The lexical co-occurrence patterns of words in sentences could provide information about word categories—for example, words that followthe in English often belong to the same category. As a step in understanding the role distributional mechanisms might play in language learning, the present study investigated the ability of adults to categorize words on the basis of distributional information. Forty participants listened for approximately 6 min to sentences in an artificial language and were told that they would later be tested on their memory for what they had heard. Participants were next tested on an additional set of sentences and asked to report which sentences they recognized from the first 6 min. The results suggested that learners performed a distributional analysis on the initial set of sentences and recognized sentences on the basis of their memory of sequences ofcategories of words. Thus, mechanisms that would be useful in natural language learning were shown to be active in adults in an artificial language learning task.
Interior and Exterior Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Plasma Potential Measurements on a Laboratory Hall Thruster (Postprint)

Abstract : In this paper, we describe the results of a study of laser induced fluorescence velocimetry of ionic xenon in the plume and interior acceleration channel of a laboratory Hall type thruster operating at powers ranging from 250 to 725 W. Optical access to the interior of the Hall thruster is provided by a 1 mm axial slot in the insulator outer wall. Axial ion velocity profiles for four discharge voltages (100 V, 160 V, 200 V, 250 V) are measured as are radial velocity profiles in the near field plume. Internal neutral xenon axial velocity profiles are also measured at these conditions. For comparison, the plume plasma potential profile is measured with an emissive probe. These probe based potential measurements extend from 50 mm outside the plume to the near anode region for all but the highest discharge voltage condition. For each condition, the axial electric field is calculated from the plasma potential. In addition, an estimate of the local electron temperature is calculated from the Bohm criterion at the location of each plasma potential measurement.
Pharmacological effects of endothelin in rat carotid body. Activation of second messenger pathways and potentiation of chemoreceptor activity.

Endothelins (ETs) are a unique family of 21 amino acid vasoconstrictor peptides which are present in the endothelial cells of most vascular beds. However, ETs are also present in numerous other cell types including airway epithelial cells and neurons in the peripheral and central nervous system (see Simonson & Dunn, 1990; Rubanyi & Polokoff, 1994 for review). In addition, using immunocytochemical techniques, we recently demonstrated the presence of ET in chemosensory type I cells of the rat carotid body (He et al., 1996). In various other tissues, the actions of ET have been shown to involve specific and receptors, each of which have different affinities for the three known ET isoforms, ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3. ET receptors are G-protein coupled, and tissue specific responses are mediated by phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase as well as adenylate cyclase (AC). The potent vasoconstrictor effects of ET are mediated by receptors coupled to PLC, but in some vascular beds receptors initiate vasodilation and systemic hypotension via the release of nitric oxide (Eddahibi et al., 1993; Rubanyi & Polokoff, 1994).
Localized Temperature Stability in Low‐Temperature Cofired Ceramics

Low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) is a multilayer 3D packaging, interconnection, and integration technology. For LTCC modules targeting radio and microwave frequency (RF and MW) applications, a low or near 0 ppm/°C temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) ensures temperature stability of embedded resonator and filter functions. The base dielectrics of most commercial LTCC systems have a τf in the range −50 to −80 ppm/°C. This study explored a method to achieve a zero τf on stripline (SL) resonators by locally cofiring, in a multilayer LTCC structure, compensating dielectrics (CD) with an opposite τf to that of the host dielectric. The formulation, synthesis, dielectric properties, and microstructure of SrTiO3 (STO)-based low-fire τf CD are presented. Chemical interactions and physical compatibility between the compensating and the host LTCC dielectrics are investigated for cofireability. The dependence of τf compensation on the wt% of STO, the printed thickness, and the location of the CD in multilayer LTCC are discussed. The most effective τf compensation is achieved by integrating CD next to the resonator lines, and can be explained by the concentration of electromagnetic energy via total internal reflection of electromagnetic waves inside the CD layer.