cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of propranolol and tertatolol on cardiac output and regional blood flows in the rat

Tertatolol (±)-1-(tert-butylamino)-3(thiochroman-8-yloxy)-2-propanol, hydrochloride is a noncardioselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist that is devoid of partial agonist activity. The effects of this substance on regional blood flows (RBF) in the rat were studied in comparison with those of propranolol. Rats were artificially ventilated with a mixture of 70% nitrous oxide and 30% oxygen. RBFs were assessed using radioactive microspheres of 15 ± 5 μm diameter, injected into the left ventricle. An initial injection of microspheres (57Co) was carried out 5 min before intravenous administration of propranolol (500 μg·kg−1), tertatolol (50 μg·kg−1) or physiological serum. A second microsphere administration (113Tin) was performed 10 min after injection of the test substances. The animals were sacrificed 3 min after the second injection of microspheres. Neither modifications in arterial pH, pO2, pCO2, nor in the arterial blood pressure were observed with either propranolol or tertatolol. In contrast, a decrease in heart rate was observed (−22% with propranolol and −14% with tertatolol). The reduction in cardiac output was 33% with propranolol and 29% with tertatolol. Propranolol reduced blood flow to the majority of structures and organs examined; such a reduction was 39% in the cerebral hemispheres, 31% in the brainstems and of greater than 20% in all the renal zones studied. With tertatolol, no significant modifications of RBF were observed in any of the cortical or medullary renal zones investigated, nor in any of the cerebral areas studied; only in several colonic areas and in the skin of the abdomen and back, were reductions in RBF observed. These results demonstrate a difference in the effects of these two substances on renal and cerebral haemodynamics.
Capacitance measurements of double-sided silicon microstrip detectors

Abstract Direct measurements of the total capacitance with respect to ground of both the n- and p-sides of double- and single-metal silicon microstrip detectors over six frequency decades are described. Individual measurements of contributions to the total capacitance of a single strip are described. These include the detector's backplane capacitance and its coupling and interstrip capacitances. The combination of the constituent capacitances is shown to be consistent with the direct measurement and with a SPICE simulation. Additional n-side contributions due to the second-metal layer are also included in the direct measurement of total capacitance and in simulation. Measurements on detectors from a variety of vendors and with several geometries are compared with those of other workers. A discussion of the isolation and grounding requirements for each class of measurement and a comparison of several meters is included.
A study of radiation damage in tungsten—I☆

Abstract Some direct measurements of the kinetics of vacancy removal in neutron irradiated tungsten are presented. These measurements show that vacancies are mobile in stage IV recovery of this material. A comparison of this experiment with the self diffusion measurements of Andelin, Knight and Kahn and the quenching measurements of Schultz, shows that the activation energy for self diffusion is consistent with a vacancy mechanism.
Dyad content is reduced in cardiac myocytes of mice with impaired calmodulin regulation of RyR2.

In cardiac muscle, calmodulin (CaM) regulates the activity of several membrane proteins involved in Ca2+ homeostasis (CaV1.2; RyR2, SERCA2, PMCA). Three engineered amino acid substitutions in the CaM binding site of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) in mice (Ryr2 ADA/ADA ) strongly affect cardiac function, with impaired CaM inhibition of RyR2, reduced SR Ca2+ sequestration, and early cardiac hypertrophy and death (Yamaguchi et al., J Clin Invest 117:1344–1353, 2007). We have examined the ultrastructure and RyR2 immunolocalization in WT and Ryr2 ADA/ADA hearts at ~10 days after birth. The myocytes show only minor evidence of structural damage: some increase in intermyofibrillar space, with occasional areas of irregular SR disposition and an increase in frequency of smaller myofibrils, despite an increase of about 15 % in average myocyte cross sectional area. Z line streaming, a sign of myofibrillar stress, is limited and fairly rare. Immunolabeling with an anti-RyR2 antibody shows that RyR-positive foci located at the level of the Z lines are less frequent in mutant hearts. A dramatic decrease in the frequency and size of dyads, accompanied by a decrease in occupancy of the gap by RyR2, but without obvious alterations in location and general structure is a notable ultrastructural feature. The data suggest that the uneven distribution of dyads or calcium release sites within the cells resulting from an overall reduction in RyR2 content may contribute to the poor cardiac performance and early death of Ryr2 ADA/ADA mice. An unusual fragmentation of mitochondria, perhaps related to imbalances in free cytoplasmic calcium levels, accompanies these changes.
Optical properties and electronic structure of MgAuSn

The optical conductivity spectrum of single-crystal MgAuSn was measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the energy range 1.5--5.0 eV. The spectrum has a large peak at 2.9 eV and a small shoulder around 4.3 eV. The band structure, density of states, and interband contribution to the optical conductivity were calculated with the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital method in the atomic-sphere approximation. The intraband contribution to the optical conductivity was added using the Drude response fitted to the experimental data. The total theoretical spectrum, including the intraband contribution, agrees well with experimental data.
Explosive shock-compression processing of titanium aluminide/titanium diboride composites

Explosive shock-compression processing is used to fabricate Ti3Al and TiAl composites reinforced with TiB2. The reinforcement ceramic phase is either added as TiB2 particulates or as an elemental mixture of Ti + B or both TiB2 + Ti + B. In the case of fine TiB2 particulates added to TiAl and Ti3Al powders, the shock energy is localized at the fine particles, which undergo extensive plastic deformation thereby assisting in bonding the coarse aluminide powders. With the addition of elemental titanium and boron powder mixtures, the passage of the shock wave triggers an exothermic combustion reaction between titanium and boron. The resulting ceramic-based reaction product provides a chemically compatible binder phase, and the heat generated assists in the consolidation process. In these composites the reinforcement phase has a microhardness value significantly greater than that of the intermetallic matrix. Furthermore, no obvious interface reaction is observed between the intermetallic matrix and the ceramic reinforcement.
A meta-analysis of complications of subdural electrode placement.

In this study, the authors conducted a PubMedsearch to identify studies that reported adverse eventsrelated tosubduralelectrode(SDE)implantation and inva-sive electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring. A total of21 studies with 2,542 patientsmet the authors search crite-ria and were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Of note, in the methods section of the study, theauthors stated that studies that included patients who wereundergoing invasive monitoring with depth electrodes hadbeenexcluded.We noted that in one of the studies included in theirreview,
Genomic Medicine: A Decade of Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities

Genomic medicine—an aspirational term 10 years ago—is gaining momentum across the entire clinical continuum from risk assessment in healthy individuals to genome-guided treatment in patients with complex diseases. We review the latest achievements in genome research and their impact on medicine, primarily in the past decade. In most cases, genomic medicine tools remain in the realm of research, but some tools are crossing over into clinical application, where they have the potential to markedly alter the clinical care of patients. In this State of the Art Review, we highlight notable examples including the use of next-generation sequencing in cancer pharmacogenomics, in the diagnosis of rare disorders, and in the tracking of infectious disease outbreaks. We also discuss progress in dissecting the molecular basis of common diseases, the role of the host microbiome, the identification of drug response biomarkers, and the repurposing of drugs. The significant challenges of implementing genomic medicine are examined, along with the innovative solutions being sought. These challenges include the difficulty in establishing clinical validity and utility of tests, how to increase awareness and promote their uptake by clinicians, a changing regulatory and coverage landscape, the need for education, and addressing the ethical aspects of genomics for patients and society. Finally, we consider the future of genomics in medicine and offer a glimpse of the forces shaping genomic medicine, such as fundamental shifts in how we define disease, how medicine is delivered to patients, and how consumers are managing their own health and affecting change.
Wavelet-Based Feature Extraction for Behavior Recognition in Mobile Robots

This paper introduces a dynamic data-driven method for behavior recognition in mobile robots. The core concept of the paper is built upon the principle of symbolic dynamic filtering (SDF) that is used to extract relevant information in complex dynamical systems. The objective here is to identify the robot behavior from time-series data of piezoelectric sensor signals from the pressure sensitive floor in a laboratory environment. A symbolic feature extraction method is presented by partitioning of two-dimensional wavelet images of sensor time-series data. The K-nearest neighbors (k-NN) algorithm is used to identify the patterns extracted by SDF. The proposed method is validated by experimentation on a networked robotics test bed to detect and identify the type and motion profile of mobile robots.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
A Relationship of secondary beginning strokes in handwriting to reading ability.

Linton, Epstein, and Hartford (1961) have used the term, secondary beginning s t ~ o k e , to identify the initial upstroke in handwriting chat is frequently found on words beginning with the small letters a, v, zu, and y. Their study, designed to investigate psychological correlates of secondary beginning strokes, led to the conclusion that "The use of secondary beginning strokes is . . . associated with relative inadequacy and lack of energy in intellectual functioning and other forms of coping with the environment with a tendency to accept things as they are rather than actively trying to control or alter them, and with constriction that applies particularly to emotional interaction." It appeared to the present writers that poor readers often possess these same psychological attributes and that, therefore, it might be expected that poor readers would tend to use more secondary beginning strokes than would good readers. Ss were 50 seventh and eighth grade students with group test IQ scores between 9 0 and 110. Twenty-five Ss were poor readers (reading 6 mo. or more below grade level) and 25 Ss were good readers (reading 6 mo, or more above grade level) according to standardized reading tests corroborated by teacher judgment. Informal English themes and spelling exercises were examined to find 10 words beginning with small letters u, v, w, or y for each S. The number of secondary beginning strokes found in the 10 words was then determined. The poor readers used a significantly greater number of secondary beginning strokes than did good readers (x' = 19.68; 6.635 required for .O1 level with 1 df) , as was expected. It was observed that seventh graders tended to use secondary beginning strokes more frequently than eighth graders. When the numbers for the 39 eighth graders only were compared x2 became 24.741. The data imply that the psychological attributes which make for retention of the use of secondary beginning strokes in handwriting may also make for poor performance in reading. That seventh grade Ss tend to use more secondary beginning strokes is logical because seventh graders are less far removed from formal handwriting instruction, in which the letter form models almost invariably include the secondary beginning strokes. Further study might profitably be devoted to the relationship of grade placement and reading level and interactions of these variables to tendency to use secondary beginning strokes. REFERENCE LINTON, H. B., EPSTEIN, L., & HARTFORD, H. Personality and perceptual correlates of secondary beginning strokes in handwriting. Percept. mot . Skills, 1961, 12, 271-281.
Prospective Study on the Use of Bolus Intrathecal Baclofen for Spastic Hypertonia Due To Acquired Brain Injury

Abstract Objective: To determine if the intrathecal delivery of baclofen will decrease spastic hypertonia caused by brain injury. Patients: Eleven patients more than 1 year after their brain injury with disabling lower extremity spastic hypertonia. Setting: University tertiary care outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Design: Patients were a consecutive sample randomized in a double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Interventions: Bolus intrathecal injection of either normal saline or 50 μg baclofen. Main Outcomes Measures: Data for Ashworth rigidity scores, spasm scores, and deep tendon reflex scores were collected for both the upper extremities (UE) and lower extremities (LE). Changes over time were assessed via Friedman's test. Differences between the placebo and active drug at any given time were assessed via Wilcoxon signed-rank. Results: Four hours after injection with the active drug (maximum effect) the average LE Ashworth score decreased from 4.2 ± 0.8 (SD) to 2.2 ± 0.6 ( p = .0033), spasm score from 3.1 ± 1.0 to 1.0 ± 0.7 ( p = .0032), and reflex score from 3.3 ± 0.5 to 1.0 ± 1.3 ( p = .0033). The average UE Ashworth score decreased from 3.3 ± 1.3 to 1.9 ± 0.8 ( p = .0033), spasm score from 1.8 ± 1.3 to 0.6 ± 1.0 ( p = .007), and reflex score from 2.7 ± 0.5 to 1.7 ± 0.6 ( p = .0111). No trend was observed over time with placebo administration. There were significant reductions in the average for LE Ashworth ( p p p p p p ≤ .0272). Conclusion: Intrathecal injection of baclofen is capable of reducing the spastic hypertonia associated with brain injury.
ZnSe/ZnS x Se 1-x heterojunction valence band discontinuity measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to measure the valence band discontinuity at the ZnSe/ZnSxSe1−x interface as a function of alloy composition. Due to the large lattice mismatch, the experimental values have to be corrected in order to account for strain in the ZnSe layers. We find the valence band discontinuity to vary between 0 and 0.76 eV as a function of S content x. This result is in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. It also shows that the conduction band discontinuity is not negligibly small.
Response of the health care delivery system to battered women.

In this article I describe and analyze the response of the health care delivery system to battered women. Conceptual frameworks that explain the perpetration of battering and the obstacles to its identification by health professionals are examined. Clinical protocols aimed at changing staff's response to battered women are described. Recommendations are made for systems-level changes that are needed to alter the response of the health care delivery system to battered women. Language: en
Functional capacity in men and women following cardiac rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to generally increase functional capacity and lower cardiovascular morbidity in patients with ischemic heart disease. The effectiveness of CR in female participants, however, is unclear. We thus examined whether improvement in functional capacity after CR differs between men and women with ischemic heart disease. METHODS: Our study was a retrospective cohort study that included 1104 participants (346 women and 758 men) enrolled in CR from 2002 through 2011. We measured change in metabolic equivalents (METs) after CR to assess improvement in functional capacity in male and female participants. We considered various potential confounders, including baseline METs, CR referral indication, age, race, body mass index, baseline cholesterol, and home zip code average prosperity. RESULTS: Men experienced a greater improvement in METs following CR in all models, including the unadjusted model (2.16 METs in men, 1.65 METs in women; P = .0001), the model adjusting for CR indication only (2.15 METs in men, 1.67 METs in women; P = .0003), and the model adjusting for age, body mass index, and CR indication (2.12 METs in men, 1.66 METs in women; P = .0004). CONCLUSIONS: We show that men obtain greater benefit from current CR programs than do women. This implies that tailoring CR programs to women may yield further improvement in functional capacity for female CR participants.
A Mathematical Model for Computer Image Tracking

A mathematical model using an operator formulation for a moving object in a sequence of images is presented. Time-varying translation and rotation operators are derived to describe the motion. A variational estimation algorithm is developed to track the dynamic parameters of the operators. The occlusion problem is alleviated by using a predictive Kalman filter to keep the tracking on course during severe occlusion. The tracking algorithm (variational estimation in conjunction with Kalman filter) is implemented to track moving objects with occasional occlusion in computer-simulated binary images.
COMBINATIONS FOR SOME TAXA OF ACHNANTHES

In attempts to further describe the diatom flora of the Lake Itasca (Minnesota, U.S.A.) State Park region (Edlund 1994, Czarnecki 1995) and during recent curation of additional strains for the Loras College Freshwater Diatom Culture Collection (Czarnecki 1987), five taxa oiAchnanthes Bory sensu lato have been encountered which we believe should be assigned to Achnanthidium Kiitzing sensu Round et al. (1990). Although recognition of Achnanthidium as an acceptable genus has been severely criticized in some recent comprehensive taxonomie treatments (Krammer & Lange-Bertalot 1991, Lange-Bertalot 1993), we agree with Round el al. (1990) that its proposed status as a valid genus is warranted. The combinations which follow are the result of this viewpoint, which we have expressed elsewhere (Czarnecki 1994a, b, Edlund 1994). Rationale for authorship is included for each taxon.
Cyclopentadienyl ring metathesis with bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)calcium as a route to mixed ring organolanthanide complexes; the crystal structure of (C5Me5)2Nd(C5H5)

Abstract Bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)calcium, (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Ca, can be made by the reaction of Ca[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 with C 5 Me 5 H in toluene. It undergoes cyclopentadienyl ring metathesis with tris(cyclopentadienyl)lanthanide complexes, Cp 3 Ln (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) in toluene to generate the mixed ring complexes (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 LnCp. The X-ray crystal structure of (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 NdCp shows that the complex is a sterically crowded monomer with η 5 -C 5 Me 5 and Cp rings. The average NdC distances for both the C 5 Me 5 and Cp rings are 2.76–2.79 A.
The Inability of Hormone Replacement Therapy or Chronic Running to Maintain Bone Mass in Master Athletes

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated equivocal findings on the effect of chronic running on bone mass in post-menopausal women. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chronic running alone and in conjunction with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. METHODS Forty-three women [15 premenopausal 48.1 +/- .4 yrs (Pre); 13 postmenopausal 57.3 +/- 2.3 yrs (Post); and 15 HRT-treated postmenopausal 56.8 +/- 1.5 yrs (PostE)] served as subjects. All were chronic runners (duration > 5 yrs, > 10 miles per week). BMD was determined by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, VO2 max on a treadmill, body composition by hydrostatic weighing, knee strength by KinCom dynamometer, and training and menstrual history by questionnaire. Analysis of covariance with Tukey post hoc tests was utilized to compare the groups. RESULTS The groups were similar in body weight, VO2 max, years training, and miles run per week. Pre and PostE did not differ in total or spine BMD. However, Pre had greater hip BMD than PostE (.973 +/- .03 vs .876 +/- .03 g/cm2; p < .05). As well, Pre had greater BMD of the hip (.973 +/- .03 vs .805 +/- .03 g/cm2; p < .05), spine (1.047 +/- .04 vs .870 +/- .04 g/cm2; p < .05), and total body (1.115 +/- .02 vs .996 +/- .03 g/cm2; p < .05) than Post. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that (a) chronic running + HRT is insufficient to protect hip BMD and (b) chronic running alone provides no protection for bone mass in postmenopausal women.
What Anit‐realist Intuitionism Could Not Be

One of the two major parts of Dummett’s defense of intuitionism is the rejection of classical in favor of intuitionistic reasoning in mathematics, given that mathematical discourse is anti-realist. While there have been illuminating discussions of what Dummett’s argument for this might be, no consensus seems to have emerged about its overall form. In this paper I give an account of this form, starting by investigating a fundamental, but little discussed question: to what view of the relation between deductive principles and meaning is anti-realism committed? The result of this investigation is a constraint on meaning theoretic assessments of logical laws. Given this constraint, I show that, surprisingly, a consistent anti-realist critique of classical logic could not rely on the rejection of bivalence. Moreover, a consistent anti-realist defense of intuitionism must begin with a radical rejection of the very conception of logical consequence that underlies realist classical logic. It follows from these conclusions that anti-realist intuitionism seems committed to proceeding by proof theoretic means.
Determinants of coronary remodeling in transplant coronary disease: a simultaneous intravascular ultrasound and Doppler flow study.

Background —Coronary remodeling plays a significant role in lumen loss in transplant allograft vasculopathy (TxCAD), but the determinants of remodeling are unknown. We assessed the relationship between remodeling and plaque topography, coronary compliance, and blood flow in TxCAD. Methods and Results —One artery in each of 27 transplant patients was investigated with simultaneous intravascular ultrasound and coronary flow measurements (basal and hyperemic by Doppler flow wire). At 4 to 8 different cross sections (mean 5.1±1.2), plaque topography (concentric or eccentric) was determined, and total vessel area, lumen area, and intimal/medial area (IMA) were measured. Mean remodeling ratio (vessel area/IMA) in eccentric lesions (E, n=28) was significantly larger than that in concentric lesions (C, n=70) (E 5.87±0.93 versus C 3.58±0.62; P <0.001), despite similar IMA (E 3.89±0.68 versus C 3.90±0.41; P =NS) and distribution of imaged segments. Remodeling ratio was consistently larger in eccentric lesions in all 3 vessel segments when analyzed separately, and mean remodeling ratio for each artery was larger in vessels with predominantly eccentric lesions. Coronary compliance ([Δ lumen area/diastolic lumen area]/Δ mean arterial pressure×103) was also significantly greater in eccentric lesions versus concentric lesions (proximal 1.00±0.39 versus 0.22±0.04; mid 0.71±0.17 versus 0.21±0.10; distal 0.43±0.13 versus 0.01±0.08; all P <0.01). Coronary flow reserve was also significantly higher in coronary arteries with primarily eccentric lesions (E 2.49±0.64 versus C 1.87±0.28; P <0.01). Conclusions —Vessel remodeling in transplant vasculopathy is significantly greater in eccentric lesions than in concentric lesions, possibly due to greater coronary compliance and resistive vessel function.
CQoS: a framework for enabling QoS in shared caches of CMP platforms

Cache hierarchies have been traditionally designed for usage by a single application, thread or core. As multi-threaded (MT) and multi-core (CMP) platform architectures emerge and their workloads range from single-threaded and multithreaded applications to complex virtual machines (VMs), a shared cache resource will be consumed by these different entities generating heterogeneous memory access streams exhibiting different locality properties and varying memory sensitivity. As a result, conventional cache management approaches that treat all memory accesses equally are bound to result in inefficient space utilization and poor performance even for applications with good locality properties. To address this problem, this paper presents a new cache management framework (CQoS) that (1) recognizes the heterogeneity in memory access streams, (2) introduces the notion of QoS to handle the varying degrees of locality and latency sensitivity and (3) assigns and enforces priorities to streams based on latency sensitivity, locality degree and application performance needs. To achieve this, we propose CQoS options for priority classification, priority assignment and priority enforcement. We briefly describe CQoS priority classification and assignment options -- ranging from user-driven and developer-driven to compiler-detected and flow-based approaches. Our focus in this paper is on CQoS mechanisms for priority enforcement -- these include (1) selective cache allocation, (2) static/dynamic set partitioning and (3) heterogeneous cache regions. We discuss the architectural design and implementation complexity of these CQoS options. To evaluate the performance trade-offs for these options, we have modeled these CQoS options in a cache simulator and evaluated their performance in CMP platforms running network-intensive server workloads. Our simulation results show the effectiveness of our proposed options and make the case for CQoS in future multi-threaded/multi-core platforms since it improves shared cache efficiency and increases overall system performance as a result.
Air-assisted growth of ultra-long carbon nanotube bundles

We report an air-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for the synthesis of super-long carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles. By mixing a small amount of air in the vapor phase catalyst CVD process, the catalyst lifetime can be dramatically increased, and extremely long dense and aligned CNT bundles up to 1.5 cm can be achieved. Electron microscopy characterization shows that the injection of air does not damage the CNT structures. Further, we have estimated that individual ultra-long CNTs can carry moderate current densities ∼10(5) A cm(-2), indicating their possible use in nanoelectronic devices.
Update on new drugs in small cell lung cancer

Introduction: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) will account for 25,000 to 32,000 new lung cancer cases in the USA in 2010. Current treatment approaches include platinum-based chemotherapy and etoposide with or without radiation therapy depending on stage and performance status. Five-year survival is approximately 25% for patients with limited stage disease and 1 – 2% for patients with extensive stage disease and has not improved in almost two decades. Areas covered: This article reviews the results of recent clinical trials that have evaluated targeted agents and novel cytotoxic agents alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with SCLC. Expert opinion: The lack of a targeted approach to the treatment of patients with SCLC has led investigators to evaluate a multitude of agents with overwhelmingly negative results. A more systematic approach to clinical trials in patients is needed to improve outcomes for patients with this disease.
High resolution surface brightness profiles of near-earth asteroids

Abstract We present a new method to search for and estimate mass loss in near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) using high resolution surface photometry. The method was applied to 11 NEAs observed with a charged-coupled device (CCD) at the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope. The method yields limiting mass loss rates M ≤ 0.1kg sec −1 , 1–2 orders of magnitude smaller than the typical rates of weakly active comets. However, these mass loss rate upper limits imply fractional active areas in NEAs that are comparable to cometary fractional active areas. Because of the small sizes of the NEAs, the mass loss rates produced by these fractional active areas are below the detection limit of current techniques; thus there may exist low-level cometary activity amongst the NEAs which goes unnoticed.
Redispersion of platinum crystallites supported on alumina—Role of wetting

A thin layer of γ -Al 2 O 3 upon which Pt is deposited by evaporation is used to study the redispersion of Pt crystallites supported on alumina. The specimens are subjected to heating in 1 atm O 2 , H 2 , wet H 2 , or wet N 2 at several temperatures and for various lengths of time. The change in size, shape, and position of the Pt crystallites is followed by examining the same region of the same specimen after each step by transmission electron microscopy. Pt crystallites do not redisperse or sinter when heated in O 2 at 750°C and 1 atm. Several cycles of alternating heating of the specimen in O 2 and H 2 at 750°C and 1 atm are needed before Pt crystallites start to redisperse during the oxidation step. Thereafter, redispersion or sintering can be produced periodically by changing the chemical atmosphere from an oxidizing to a reducing one. Heating in wet N 2 has the same effect on redispersion as heating in O 2 . Redispersion is caused either by the fracture of the crystallites or by the spreading of platinum oxide over the surface of the substrate. Spreading occurs either because no wetting angle can exist between the oxidized crystallite and substrate, or most probably because a “two-dimensional fluid” of platinum oxide can coexist with the crystallites. Heating in H 2 produces sintering probably because platinum oxide is reduced to Pt which does not wet the substrate. A thermodynamic explanation of the origin of the two-dimensional fluid is provided.
The nature of economic perceptions in mass publics

Voters who believe that the nation's economy has been worsening are more inclined to vote against the incumbent president than are those who believe it has not been getting worse. This relationship could be present because voters condition their support for the incumbents upon their perceptions of the economy, or, alternatively, because they condition their perceptions of the economy upon their underlying, partisan-based support of the incumbents. If the latter, economic perceptions in mass publics would be more a function of partisan rationalization than of the actual performance of the economy. However, the analyses reported here, based upon a pooled sample of respondents interviewed by the American National Election Studies between 1968 and 2008, provide strong evidence of the former scenario, not the latter. Perceptions of economic trends clearly and accurately track actual changes in GDP and unemployment. Bias due to partisanship is minor.
Pressures on the Press Reflections on Reporting Tragedy

The reporting of disasters or other traumatic, unusual events involving loss of life presents its own particular problems. This article focuses on press reporting of the tragedy which took place at Dunblane Primary School, Scotland, in 1996. Issues raised are considered primarily from the perspective of editors and journalists. Professional pressures on journalists working amidst disaster situations are immense. Consideration is given to the operation of the emergency press facilities; ethical concerns in respect of doorstepping the bereaved; editorial guidance and finally the personal costs of reporting tragedy. The article is based on interviews carried out in 1997 with English and Scottish journalists and editors. Other sources consulted include those involved in journalism training and PressWise, which acts with and on behalf of those who feel they have been treated badly by the media. All unattributed quotations are drawn from these interviews. Unless otherwise indicated journalists quoted are employ...
Acute and chronic changes in swallowing and quality of life following intraarterial chemoradiation for organ preservation in patients with advanced head and neck cancer

Background Health-related quality of life (QOL) provides a measure of the patient's perception of his life after treatment. This study was undertaken to assess changes in QOL and swallowing in patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CR) for head and neck cancer. The assessment tools consisted of the Head and Neck Radiotherapy Questionnaire (HNRQ) and a swallowing questionnaire (SQ). Methods The HNRQ and SQ were administered to a group of CR patients prior to treatment (n = 58), after the last week of treatment (n = 37), and 6 months after treatment (n = 27). Weight change was monitored in treatment subjects. Results The results indicate that QOL and swallowing function decrease acutely during CR (p < .05) but improvement begins shortly after the treatment-related decline. At 6 months after CR, mean QOL exceeds pretreatment level. The oropharynx patients have the poorest outcome when compared with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal patients. A stronger correlation exists between swallowing and QOL at 6 months post-CR than during treatment (R = .52 versus R = .30). Conclusions Quality of life and swallowing are compromised in advanced head and neck cancer patients prior to treatment. There was a further decrease in QOL and swallow function during CR. Organ-preservation programs in head and neck cancer result in improved QOL and swallowing 6 months after treatment. The degree of improvement is site-specific. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck20: 31–37, 1998.
Synaptic plasticity can produce and enhance direction selectivity.

The discrimination of the direction of movement of sensory images is critical to the control of many animal behaviors. We propose a parsimonious model of motion processing that generates direction selective responses using short-term synaptic depression and can reproduce salient features of direction selectivity found in a population of neurons in the midbrain of the weakly electric fish Eigenmannia virescens. The model achieves direction selectivity with an elementary Reichardt motion detector: information from spatially separated receptive fields converges onto a neuron via dynamically different pathways. In the model, these differences arise from convergence of information through distinct synapses that either exhibit or do not exhibit short-term synaptic depression—short-term depression produces phase-advances relative to nondepressing synapses. Short-term depression is modeled using two state-variables, a fast process with a time constant on the order of tens to hundreds of milliseconds, and a slow process with a time constant on the order of seconds to tens of seconds. These processes correspond to naturally occurring time constants observed at synapses that exhibit short-term depression. Inclusion of the fast process is sufficient for the generation of temporal disparities that are necessary for direction selectivity in the elementary Reichardt circuit. The addition of the slow process can enhance direction selectivity over time for stimuli that are sustained for periods of seconds or more. Transient (i.e., short-duration) stimuli do not evoke the slow process and therefore do not elicit enhanced direction selectivity. The addition of a sustained global, synchronous oscillation in the gamma frequency range can, however, drive the slow process and enhance direction selectivity to transient stimuli. This enhancement effect does not, however, occur for all combinations of model parameters. The ratio of depressing and nondepressing synapses determines the effects of the addition of the global synchronous oscillation on direction selectivity. These ingredients, short-term depression, spatial convergence, and gamma-band oscillations, are ubiquitous in sensory systems and may be used in Reichardt-style circuits for the generation and enhancement of a variety of biologically relevant spatiotemporal computations.
Neurologic and psychiatric manifestations of HIV disease.

Neuropsychiatric problems have assumed an increasingly prominent role in HIV-infected individuals. Disease occurs at all levels of the central and peripheral nervous systems by a variety of mechanisms. The AIDS dementia complex is the prototypical example of “direct” effects of HIV on the neuraxis, while infections such as toxoplasmosis and cryptococcal meningitis are complications of HIV-induced immunosuppression. Neurologic manifestations vary in frequency depending upon the overall stage of HIV disease; diagnostic difficulties may be encountered because of HIV’s effect on cerebrospinal fluid parameters. The uncertainties of management of neurosyphilis in this setting provide an example of these problems. As is the case with other organ systems, the main goal of neurodiagnostic efforts is to find the increasing number of treatable components of neuropsychiatric dysfunction.
Likelihood of Droplet Impacts on Teat Ends during Induced Milking Vacuum Fluctuations

Abstract Probability of impact of milk droplets against teat ends as a result of abrupt loss of milking vacuum was assessed with impact-sensing transducers in the milking unit. Impacts were more likely in non-vented than vented claws, during milk flow greater than .25 kg/min than during reduced flow at the end of milking, and if liners were opening or open at the time of vacuum loss. During reduced milk flow, probability of impact was correlated with vacuum fluctuation in the claw and was less with low milk lines than with high milk lines.
Triply-diagnosed patients in the HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence, Health Outcomes and Cost Study: patterns of home care use.

Abstract Although AIDS is a chronic illness, little is known about the patterns and correlates of long-term care use among triply diagnosed HIV patients. We examined nursing and home care use among 1,045 participants in the HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence, Health Outcomes and Cost Study, a multi-site study of HIV-positive patients with at least one mental health and one substance disorder. Patient interviews and medical record review data were used to examine the average monthly cost of nursing home, formal home and informal home care. Multinomial logit and two-part regression models were used to identify correlates of the use of formal and informal home care and the number of informal home care hours used. During the three months prior to baseline, 2, 7 and 23% of participants used nursing home, formal home and informal home care, respectively. Patients who were better-educated, had higher incomes, had Medicaid insurance (with or without Medicare coverage) and whose transmission mode was homosexual sex had ...
Nitrogen and calcium nutrition of Petunia × hybrida ‘Coral Sea’

Abstract The effects of N and Ca nutrition on plant growth and shoot elemental content of Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm. - Andr. ‘Coral Sea’ were evaluated. Nitrogen and Ca were applied separately or in combination in three experiments: (1) N at 0, 100, 200 or 400 mg l−1; (2) Ca at 0, 75, 150 or 300 mg l−1; (3) N at 0 or 100 mg l−1 and Ca at 0 or 150 mg l−1 combined factorially. Shoot and root dry weights, branch length and flower number were highest when plants received 100 mg l−1 N. Plants treated with 150 mg l−1 Ca had the highest shoot and root dry weights. Branch length was maximal at 300 mg l−1 Ca. Nitrogen and Ca interacted to increase shoot dry weights, branch number and length, leaf area and flower number. Increasing N concentrations increased N and decreased P, Mn and Zn shoot contents. Calcium content of shoots increased while N, P and Mg decreased in response to increasing applications of Ca to petunia plants. Minimal N and Ca tissue concentrations for optimal P. × hybrida growth were 3.3 and 0.67%, respectively.
Course-Integrated Library Instruction for Agricultural Students

ABSTRACT As the scope and complexity of information technology increases, and the needs of its users continue to grow, a greater emphasis will need to be placed on university libraries and colleges partnering to develop timely and relevant library instruction. It is recommended that freshmen take an introductory library course to gain the skills necessary to competently use library resources and services. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, students with majors in the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources take such a library course as part of their required curriculum.
Image registration in ophthalmic spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Fundus images generated from high-speed ophthalmic spectral-domain optical coherence tomography solved the registration problem for both normal density (512×128) and high density OCT images (2048×32). Feature based algorithm was used for high density image registration.
Chemistry of Methyl Formate with TiC(100): Comparison of Experiment with Density Functional Calculations

Titanium carbide is an important tribological material used as an antiwear coating on mechanical components. The TiC(100) surface has demonstrated interesting low-temperature chemistry with a variety of adsorbates, including methyl formate, the simplest ester and a model for this chemical functionality found in many aerospace lubricants. In an effort to identify and characterize surface adsorption and reaction products, we have undertaken a comparison of theoretical results employing density functional methods with experimental results using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) obtained on clean, single-crystal TiC surfaces. The DFT results presented in this work have enabled the identification of an elusive surface reaction product with a characteristic vibration of 1120 cm-1 as a formyl (CHO) species bridging between a surface carbon and a titanium site. This result and others have demonstrated the importance of the lattice carbidic carbon atom in the adsorption of the breakdown pr...
Deaths due to accidents in Taiwan: A possible indicator of development

Abstract In the period 1960–1977 accidents have gone from the 7th to 3rd leading cause of death in Taiwan. This change is measured by the change in the number of accident related deaths, crude death rates per 100,000, and percent of deaths due to accidents. Three hypotheses are evaluated to explain the role of accidents in the epidemiological profile of Taiwan: the notion of the epidemiological transition. Chinese character traits, and culture in disequilibrium. Hypothesis evaluation includes specifying the person variables of age, sex, and occupation as well as when and where accidents occur. Increased deaths due to accidents are related to a changed environment and risk taking. Implications of the role of accidents in Taiwan's epidemiological profile include possible use of the epidemiological transition to measure development, and the heed for an intervention strategy. Intervention strategies include environmental modification and supplying emergency medical care. The need of some intervention is indicated by labor shortages and potential years of life lost.
A conveniently constructed dynamic calibration system.

Calibration of field equipment is a necessary part of industrial hygiene. Instruments such as combustible gas indicators and indicator tubes need to be checked to assure that proper results can be obtained from their readings. A laboratory may want to check the ability of charcoal or silica gel to collect solvent vapors. Static systems may be used to check these values, however, static systems have their troublesome limitations.(1) A convenient dynamic calibration system is described below.
High-Pressure Binary Mass Diffusion Coefficients for Combustion Applications

A scaling for binary mass diffusion coefficients is developed using a corresponding states expression based on kinetic theory. The scaling is used to form nondimensional diffusion coefficients. Available data for high-pressure binary mass diffusion coefficients related to combustion applications are processed in conjunction with the scaling, leading to recommended scaled coefficient fits as a function of the reduced density. Data uncertainties and possible interpretation difficulties are examined. A means for comprehensive diffusion coefficient modeling over a broad (3 orders of magnitude) pressure range is suggested.
The Relationship between Median and Constant Quality House Prices: Implications for Setting FHA Loan Limits

This paper examines the relationship between the asset price of housing and median sales price. We demonstrate: (1) median house prices (as reported by the National Association of Realtors) overstate the increase in constant-quality house prices by about 2% per year over the 1976–1985 period; and (2) regional differences in median house prices and their rates of increase, respectively, are systematically related to regional differences in real incomes and their rates of increase. We use these results to evaluate the recent proposal to raise the FHA maximum loan limit ceiling from the current ceiling of $124,750 to 95% of the area median house price.
Synthesis, structure, and coordination chemistry of OPTA and SPTA with group 12 metals (PTA = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane)

Abstract Eight group 12 metal complexes of PTA derivatives, [ZnCl2(O PTA)(H2O)] (1), [ZnCl2(μ-O PTA)]n (2), [CdCl2(O PTA)(H2O)] (3), [Cd(O PTA)(H2O)Br2] (4), [CdI2(κ1-O PTA)(μ-O PTA)] (5), [HgCl2(μ-O PTA)]n (6), [ZnCl2(S PTAH)(S PTAZnCl3)] (7), and [CdCl2(S PTA)(CH3OH)]n (8), have been synthesized, and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, ESI-MS, 1H and 31P{1H} NMR, and single-crystal X-ray analysis. Their structures and coordination modes are investigated both in the solid state and in aqueous solution. Their solid-state structures, found to be either dinuclear or polymeric, were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All the metal complexes, however, do not remain intact in aqueous solution as revealed by their 1H and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopic data, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
Number development in young children

This paper presents new data on children's acquisition of counting skills. Three aspects of counting were studied: the formation of the cardinality rule that the last number named during counting denotes the number of objects in an array, the mastery of the counting procedure or the coordination of ordered number names and objects counted, and the growth of the knowledge that x + 1 is greater than x. A model was outlined which posits the hierarchic integration of six number skills to account for the growth of the knowledge that x + 1 is greater than x and the development of number conservation. The six skills are: the cardinality rule, the counting procedure, acquisition of more x's, judgments of relative numerosity, pattern recognition of small numbers, and one-to-one correspondences.