cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence that the antinociceptive tail-flick response is produced independently from changes in either tail-skin temperature or core temperature

It has recently been hypothesized that tail-skin temperature may exert a profound influence on the latency of the tail-flick response to radiant heat. Several recent reports in the literature urge investigators to assess tail temperatures concurrently when using the tail-flick test and to adjust the tail-flick latency by a coefficient when a change in tail temperature is detected. Because much of the supporting evidence of this hypothesis was strictly correlational, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether tail-skin temperature is an important factor contributing to the latency of the tail-flick response to radiant heat. The effects of a series of pharmacological and non-pharmacological manipulations on tail-skin temperature and response latencies were assessed using either a low-intensity or high-intensity tail-flick stimulus. In addition, colonic temperature was evaluated. None of the drug treatments yielded a significant correlation between tail temperature and tail-flick latency. Of the seven drugs tested, only mecamylamine produced a consistent change in tail-skin temperature. Although mecamylamine significantly elevated tail temperature by more than 2 degrees C, it failed to alter response latencies. Similarly tail submergence into 5 degrees C water for 10 sec led to profound decreases in tail temperature ranging from -6.5 to -7.6 degrees C while producing only minimal increases in tail-flick latency. Conversely, submerging the tail in 38 degrees C water or placing the animals over a heating pad maintained at 38 degrees C increased tail temperatures at least 2 degrees C without affecting response latencies. Inverse correlations were found between tail-flick latency and colonic temperature after morphine, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinal (delta 9-THC), and nicotine administration; however, these relationships do not appear to be causal. Sodium barbital produced far more hypothermia than any other agent, but did not produce any antinociception. Moreover, placing subjects in heated cages increased tail-skin temperature between 2 and 4 degrees C and blocked the hypothermic effects of morphine and delta 9-THC without reducing the antinociceptive potencies of these agents. These findings indicate that tail-skin and core temperatures have a negligible influence on the tail-flick response. We conclude that monitoring tail-skin or core temperatures when employing the tail-flick test is unnecessary and altering tail-flick latencies to account for changes in tail temperature is unwarranted.
AGGREGATION-ENHANCED RAMAN SCATTERING OF A CYANINE DYE IN HOMOGENEOUS SOLUTION

We have conducted Raman investigations on the cyanine dye 3,3‘-dimethyl-9-phenyl-4,5:4‘,5‘-dinaphthothiacarbocyanine (NTC) for which an enhanced Raman scattering occurs that is concomitant with the formation of aggregates, and for which resonance Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering can be excluded. The formation of aggregated molecules is determined through characteristic changes in absorption and fluorescence spectra. Also, fluorescence lifetime measurements for monomeric and aggregated NTC are reported and independently confirm aggregate formation. Off-resonance Raman measurements for NTC in various physical states confirm that molecular aggregation leads to an enhancement of Raman scattering of vibrational modes of the monomeric species (i.e., intramolecular modes) and an even greater relative enhancement of certain modes of the molecules involved more intimately with formation of the aggregate (i.e., intermolecular modes). Additionally, we make empirical band assignments for NTC from which we ...
The Relation of Nasality and Nasalance to Nasal Port Area Based on a Computational Model

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of perceptual ratings of nasality by experienced listeners, measures of nasalance, and the size of the nasal port opening for three simulated English corner vowels, /i/, /u/, and /a/. Design: Samples were generated using a computational model that allowed for exact control of nasal port size and a direct measure of nasalance. Perceptual ratings were obtained using a paired-stimulus presentation. Participants: Five experienced listeners. Main Outcome Measures: Measures of nasalance and perceptual nasality ratings. Results: Differences in nasalance and perceptual ratings of nasality were noted among the three vowels, with values being greater for the high vowels /i/ and /u/ compared to the low vowel /a/. Listeners detected nasality for the high and low vowels simulated with nasal port areas of 0.01 and 0.15 cm2, respectively. Correlations between ratings of nasality and nasalance were high for all three vowels. Conclusions: Results of the pres...
Tunable magnetic thermal hysteresis in transition metal (Fe, Co, CoNi)/rare earth (Gd) multilayers

Magnetic thermal hysteresis in $\mathrm{Co}∕\mathrm{Gd}$, $\mathrm{Co}\mathrm{Ni}∕\mathrm{Gd}$, and $\mathrm{Fe}∕\mathrm{Gd}$ multilayers is investigated by measurements of the total magnetic moment. A measurement of the magnetization as a function of temperature for the antiferromagnetically coupled multilayers displays a characteristic bow-tie shape indicating magnetic superheating and supercooling. The width of the thermal hysteresis can be tuned by an external magnetic field, with values of $150\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ at fields near $100\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Oe}$ and values of $20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ near $400\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Oe}$. The results are in good agreement with our theoretical calculations.
Radiologically guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pelvic and retroperitoneal masses: a retrospective study of 68 cases.

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the pelvis and retroperitoneum (excluding the pancreas, kidney, and adrenal masses) has not achieved its full potential as a diagnostic modality. We reviewed 68 percutaneous, radiologically guided FNAs from these locations to assess the clinical utility and complication rate of this procedure. Satisfactory material was obtained in 66 cases (97.1%), of which 37 were deemed positive (55%), 3 suspicious (4%), 4 atypical (6%), and 22 negative (32%) for malignancy; two cases (3%) were unsatisfactory. Compared to biopsy (36 patients) and clinical information, the sensitivity and specificity of FNA for malignancy were 90.2% and 100%, respectively, yielding a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 86.6%. The four false-negative cases (5.9%) were due to sampling error. One patient had a minor complication (hematoma) from the procedure. We conclude that FNA is the procedure of choice for detecting most malignancies in these two locations.
Preparation of environmental samples for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by thin-layer chromatography

An evaluation of extraction procedures, liquid-liquid distribution systems, Sep-Pak cartridges, liquid-solid chromatography using silica, alumina and chemically modified silica packings (acid-base treated ethylammonium nitrate and picric acid impregnated), macroreticular resins and gel permeation columns for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CPAHs) in environmental samples by thinlayer chromatography is discussed. For particulate samples solvent extraction using a Soxhlet apparatus or ultrasonication was found to be preferable to sublimation and liquid-liquid distribution between hexane and dimethyl sulfoxide followed by silica gel column chromatography was the preferred method for sample clean-up. Using this procedure enabled six PAHs (anthracene, fluoranthene, benz[a]anthracene, perylene, pyrene, and coronene) to be determined quantitatively in urban air particulate, diesel engine exhaust particulate, laboratory ventilator dust, household dust, river water, and tea samples. The PAs were identified by coincidence of retention between the sample and standards in the same chromatographic system and by adequate agreement with standards for their normalized emission response ratios. The two-point calibration method was used for quantitation. Good agreement for the concentration of PAHs in the air particulate and diesel particulate extracts with published data using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography was found.
Advanced metrology needs for nanoelectronics lithography

Abstract The semiconductor industry has exploited productivity improvements through aggressive feature size reduction for over four decades. While enormous effort has been expended in developing the optical lithography tools to print ever finer features, significant advances have also been required to measure the printed features. In this article we will discuss the current state of the art in the metrology for measuring critical dimensions of printed features for scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and describe work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology advancing these tools as well as exploratory work on two new promising techniques, scatterfield microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. Line width roughness critical dimension and overlay metrology and control are two of the most significant industry needs mentioned in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (2005). To cite this article: S. Knight et al., C. R. Physique 7 (2006).
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: the glass seems to be half full for aggressive, early forms of MS and half empty for advanced MS

Sir, We would like to respond to the above submitted correspondence by Nash et al. on our article ‘Autologous stem cell transplantation fails to stop demyelination and neurodegeneration’. Both Nash et al. and we seem to agree that HSCT might be an effective therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the so-called inflammatory stage of the disease. These patients appear to benefit from the intense immunosuppression and the reprogramming of their immune system (Muraro et al. , 2003; Martin, 2007). The benefit for these patients has been clinically shown and is documented in MRI studies. Thus the most promising MS population for a therapy study with HSCT might be patients in early disease stages with an aggressive disease course who do not …
Differential effects of cocaine and cocaethylene on intracellular Ca24+ and myocardial contraction in cardiac myocytes

Abstract 1. Isolated cardiac myocytes of the ferret were used to investigate the influence of cocaine and cocaethylene on the intracellular Ca2+ transient indicated by the indo-1 405/480 nm ratio signal, and peak cell shortening. 2. Both cocaine and cocaethylene produced significant decreases in peak intracellular Ca2+ and peak cell shortening in a dose-dependent manner. Of interest, (1) the minimally effective dose of cocaethylene was ten fold lower (10(-8)M versus 10(-7)M) than that of cocaine; (2) the log EC50 of cocaethylene was -5.99 +/- 0.13 (1.0 x 10(-6) M), which was about ten fold lower than that of cocaine (-5.02 +/- 0.11, 9.6 x 10(-6) M); and (3) 1 x 10(-4)M cocaethylene decreased the contraction amplitude by 71 +/- 7%, while the same concentration of cocaine decreased the amplitude only by 55 +/- 5%, indicating that cocaethylene is more potent than cocaine. 3. The negative inotropic effects of either cocaine or cocaethylene could be overcome by noradrenaline (approximately 5 microM) or calcium. 4. In contrast to cocaine, cocaethylene shifted the peak [Ca2+]i-peak shortening relationship downward, indicating that cocaethylene decreased myofilament Ca(2+)-responsiveness. 5. These data indicate that both cocaine and cocaethylene act directly on cardiac myocytes to produce a negative inotropic effect that is due to decreased Ca2+ availability. In contrast to cocaine, cocaethylene produces more potent inhibition by an additional action to decrease myofilament Ca(2+)-responsiveness.
Timing of preemptive vascular access placement: do we understand the natural history of advanced CKD?: an observational study

Little is known about the targets and expectations of practicing nephrologists with regard to timing of preemptive AV access surgery and how these relate to actual observed practice patterns in clinical care. We administered a 8-question survey to assess nephrologists’ expectations for preemptive vascular access placement to 53 practicing nephrologists in California. We performed a retrospective chart review of 116 patients who underwent preemptive vascular access placement at a large academic medical center and examined progression to ESRD. According to our survey of nephrologists, most aimed to have preemptive vascular access created about 6 months prior to start of ESRD or when the chances of ESRD within the next year is two-thirds or greater. The estimated GFR level at which they believe match these conditions is approximately 18 ml/min/1.73 m2. Among the 116 patients with CKD who underwent preemptive vascular access creation, the mean estimated GFR at the time of access creation was 16.1 (6.8) ml/min/1.73 m2. Only 57 out of the 116 patients (49.1%) patients initiated maintenance HD within 1 year after surgery. In our study, most nephrologists aim for preemptive vascular access surgery approximately 6 months prior to the start of HD. However in fact, only approximately 50% of patients who underwent preemptive vascular access surgery started HD within 1 year. Better tools are needed to predict the natural history of advanced CKD.
Clinical academic research careers in nursing: towards global nursing:

AbstractClinical academic research careers for nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) described in the Finch Report (2007) signals an important milestone in nursing research, education and practice. Unique aspects of this UK initiative is that it not only provides various awards for nurse research career pathways, but it also provides resources to establish infrastructure and positions for nurses to conduct research, teach, and practice in the clinical setting. Such an initiative merits serious consideration for its globalization.
Unexplained Elevations in Alanine Aminotransferase in Individuals with the Metabolic Syndrome: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III)

ABSTRACT Background Unexplained elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level have been suggested to signify the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult NHANES III participants. In this study, we examined the relationship between unexplained elevations in ALT level and the metabolic syndrome and the relationship between unexplained elevations in ALT level and microalbuminuria. Methods We examined the prevalence and predictors of unexplained elevations in ALT level in 4376 adult NHANES III participants with the metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, and the presence of unexplained elevations in ALT level was defined based on the previously published criteria. Prevalence of microalbuminuria was compared between 710 individuals with unexplained elevations in ALT level and 1780 control subjects. Results Prevalence of unexplained elevations in ALT level in individuals with the metabolic syndrome was 7% and was significantly higher than in those without the metabolic syndrome (3.5%; OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.782.41). Younger age, male gender, higher triglycerides or serum iron levels, low levels of certain antioxidants, and insulin resistance (or diabetes) were independently associated with unexplained elevations in ALT level in the metabolic syndrome. Prevalence of microalbuminuria was not different between individuals with unexplained elevations in ALT level and their control subjects (4.8% respectively; P =0.2). Conclusions Individuals with the metabolic syndrome have a significantly higher prevalence of unexplained elevations in ALT level. Because unexplained elevations in ALT level may signify the presence of NAFLD, our data support the notion that NAFLD is part of the spectrum of the metabolic syndrome. However, no relationship was demonstrated between unexplained elevations in ALT level and microalbuminuria.
Efficient entanglement-assisted transformation for bipartite pure states

We show that entanglement-assisted transformations of bipartite entangled states can be more efficient than catalysis [Jonathan and Plenio, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3566 (1999)], i.e., given two incomparable bipartite states not only can the transformation be enabled by performing collective operations with an auxiliary entangled state, but the entanglement of the auxiliary state itself can be enhanced. We refer to this phenomenon as supercatalysis. We provide results on the properties of supercatalysis and its relationship with catalysis. In particular, we obtain a useful necessary and sufficient condition for catalysis, and provide several sufficient conditions for supercatalysis and study the extent to which entanglement of the auxiliary state can be enhanced via supercatalysis.
A Student and Early Career Professional Perspective of Human Factors Career Options

The goal of this panel is to facilitate a discussion among current students and recent graduates about their decision-making process in choosing one of the three main sectors in human factors as a career: academia, government, and industry. Panelists will present their relevant academic and applied experiences and describe how theses experiences shaped their career path. Major themes of the panel will include a student perspective on the increasing interest in industry as opposed to academia among individuals pursuing a career in human factors and how this may affect future education and training of human factors professionals.
Synthesis and Conformational Analysis of the Multidrug Resistance-Reversing Agent Hapalosin and Its Non-N-methyl Analog.

Hapalosin was initially synthesized by macrolactonization, and a second synthesis was achieved by cycloamidation. In both syntheses, three of the five stereocenters in hapalosin were established by two Brown allylboration reactions. The synthesis of the non-N-Me analog of hapalosin involved chelation-controlled reduction of a γ-amino-β-keto ester and cycloamidation. In CDCl3 at 25 °C, synthetic hapalosin exists as a 2.3:1 mixture of conformers, while its non-N-Me analog exists only as a single conformer. 1H,1H-NOESY and computation reveal that the configuration of the amide bond is responsible for the conformations of the two compounds. The major conformer of hapalosin is found to be an s-cis amide, the minor conformer an s-trans amide, and the non-N-Me analog an s-trans amide. Applying distance constraints to protons that exhibit NOESY correlations, computation shows that the major conformer of hapalosin and the non-N-Me analog have very different conformations. By contrast, the minor conformer of hapalo...
An Exergy-Based Figure-of-Merit for Electronic Packages

Chip power consumption and heat dissipation have become important design issues because of increased energy costs and thermal management limitations. As a global compute utility evolves, seamless connectivity from the chip to the data center will become increasingly important. The optimization of such an infrastructure will require performance metrics that can adequately capture the thermodynamic and compute behavior at multiple physical length scales. In this paper, an exergy-based figure-of-merit (FoM), defined as the ratio of computing performance (in MIPS) to the thermodynamic performance (in exergy loss), is proposed for the evaluation of computational performance. The paper presents the framework to apply this metric at the chip level. Formulations for the exergy loss in simple air-cooled heat sink packages are developed, and application of the proposed approach is illustrated through two examples. The first comparatively assesses the loss in performance resulting from different cooling solutions, while the second examines the impact of non-uniformity in junction power in terms of the FoM. Modeling results on a 16 mm×24 mm chip indicate that uniform power and temperature profiles lead to minimal package irreversibility (and therefore the best thermodynamic performance). As the nonuniformity of power is increased, the performance rapidly degrades, particularly at higher power levels. Additionally, the competing needs of minimization of junction temperature and minimization of cooling power were highlighted using the exergy-based approach. It was shown that for a given power dissipation and a specific cooling architecture (such as an air-cooled heat sink solution), an optimal thermal resistance value exists beyond which the costs of increased cooling may outweigh any potential benefits in performance. Thus, the proposed FoM provides insight into thermofluidic inefficiencies that would be difficult to gain from a traditional first-law analysis. At a minimum, the framework presented in this paper enables quantitative evaluation of package performance for different nonuniform power inputs and different choices of cooling parameters. At best, since the FoM is scalable, the proposed metric has the potential to enable a chip-to-data-center strategy for optimal resource allocation.
An analysis of laminar combined forced and free convection heat transfer in a horizontal tube

Abstract An analysis of combined forced and free convection heat transfer of a quasi-incompressible fluid flowing laminarly in a horizontal tube is presented. The physical properties are assumed to be independent of temperature and the heat flux imposed at the tube wall is considered to be uniform along the tube and around the circumference. The flow and heat transfer are specialized for fully developed conditions and the resulting partial differential equations are solved by a perturbation method. Approximate analytical solutions as well as average Nusselt numbers are presented graphically for a range of Prandtl and Grashof numbers of physical interest. The predicted velocity, temperature and average Nusselt numbers are compared with available experimental data.
Phenotypic enhancement of longevity by environmental urea in Drosophila melanogaster

The phenotypic enhancement of longevity through a variety of environmental treatments, including dietary manipulations, has been observed in various species of animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying such effects has provided insights into the physiological processes contributing to the determination of lifespan. Here, we report the enhancement of longevity in adult Drosophila melanogaster maintained on food supplemented with urea, a metabolic waste product occurring naturally in Drosophila cultures, especially at high larval densities. The impact of urea on longevity is shown to be through a decrease in the age-independent parameter (A) of the Gompertz equation, rather than the age-dependent parameter (alpha), which reflects the "rate of aging." We also present evidence suggesting that the urea-induced increase in longevity is mediated exclusively through a reduction in some aspect(s) of reproduction in adult flies maintained on urea-supplemented food.
Low-Fluence Red Light Increases the Transport and Biosynthesis of Auxin

In plants, light is an important environmental signal that induces photomorphogenesis and interacts with endogenous signals, including hormones. We found that light increased polar auxin transport in dark-grown Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) hypocotyls. In tomato, this increase was induced by low-fluence red or blue light followed by 1 d of darkness. It was reduced in phyA, phyB1, and phyB2 tomato mutants and was reversed by far-red light applied immediately after the red or blue light exposure, suggesting that phytochrome is involved in this response. We further found that the free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) level in hypocotyl regions below the hook was increased by red light, while the level of conjugated IAA was unchanged. Analysis of IAA synthesized from [13C]indole or [13C]tryptophan (Trp) revealed that both Trp-dependent and Trp-independent IAA biosynthesis were increased by low-fluence red light in the top section (meristem, cotyledons, and hook), and the Trp-independent pathway appears to become the primary route for IAA biosynthesis after red light exposure. IAA biosynthesis in tissues below the top section was not affected by red light, suggesting that the increase of free IAA in this region was due to increased transport of IAA from above. Our study provides a comprehensive view of light effects on the transport and biosynthesis of IAA, showing that red light increases both IAA biosynthesis in the top section and polar auxin transport in hypocotyls, leading to unchanged free IAA levels in the top section and increased free IAA levels in the lower hypocotyl regions.
40V MESFETs fabricated on 32nm SOI CMOS

This article describes 40V N-channel MESFETs fabricated at a commercial 32nm SOI CMOS foundry without changing any of the process flow or including additional mask steps. The 32nm technology node is the most advanced technology node to date for MESFET fabrication and builds upon previous work completed at other process nodes. High voltage MESFETs were measured with current drives of 110mA/mm. The devices are suitable for RF development and have peak cut-off frequency, fT, of 30.5GHz and maximum oscillation frequency, fmax, of 34.5GHz.
Composition and origin of the unusual Oktibbeha County iron meteorite

Oktibbeha County, the most Ni-rich iron meteorite, has been analyzed for Ni, Co, Cu, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, Ir, and Au. Cu and Sb are higher than in any other iron, but other trace elements are within the ranges typically found in iron meteorites. Extrapolation of trace element trends in group IAB indicates that Oktibbeha County is a member of this group. This sheds light on the origin of groups IAB and IIICD, which are thought to be derived from impact melts on parent bodies of chondritic composition. Lafayette (iron), another sample reported in the literature to have a similarly high Ni content, is probably a pseudometeorite.
Molecular Factors Affecting the Miscibility Behavior of Cycloolefin Copolymers

The mutual miscibility diagram is determined for binary blends of two ethylene/norbornene random copolymers, and their monomer sequence distribution is investigated by 13C NMR spectroscopy. The miscibility changes abruptly at a norbornene content of 50% where NMR measurements indicate a change in microstructure. When both copolymers have a norbornene content higher than 50%, all blends are miscible within the composition ranges available. A simplified version of the lattice cluster theory (LCT) is applied to this system. The computations indicate that the chain stiffness (arising from the rigidity and steric interactions of the norbornene units) exerts significant influence on the miscibility of these blends. Experimental miscibility diagrams agree reasonably with the LCT predictions.
Antichains in the set of subsets of a multiset

A set F of distinct subsets x of a finite multiset M (that is, a set with several different kinds of elements) is a c-antichain if for no c + 1 elements x"0, x"1, ..., x"c of F does x"0 @? x"1 @? ... @? x"c hold. The weight of F, wF, is the total number of elements of M in the various elements x of F. For given integers f and c, we find min wF, where the minimum is taken over all f-element c-antichains F. Daykin [9, 10] has solved this problem for ordinary sets and Clements [3] has solved it for multisets, but only for c = 1.
An electromagnet-operated descent weight mechanism designed for a hovering AUV

The National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology (NIUST) operates a hovering AUV, Mola Mola. This vehicle is a SeaBED class AUV initially designed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with hardware and software refinements performed in-house at the NIUST AUV Lab. The primary function of Mola Mola is to perform photo surveys at an altitude of 3 meters from the seafloor. Dives performed at depths less than 400 meters have been made with little positional drift using the vehicle's vertical thruster for descent propulsion. Deeper dives in the vicinity of 600 meters have suffered much greater navigational error due to descent time and positional drift due to currents. A descent weight mechanism was designed for the vehicle to reduce the time and energy expended during the the dive and transit to the survey area. An electromagnet was used to retain the weight so that it would be released in the case of a power failure. The system was field tested in April of 2012 during engineering trials in the Gulf of Mexico.
Analysis of seedbeds and maturity groups for dryland soybean on clayey soil

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production systems on clayey soils are difficult to manage. With improvements in no-till planting equipment and herbicide technologies in the early 1990s, no-till production has become a viable alternative to the traditional tilled seedbed. Therefore, the relative economic performance of tilled and no-till seedbeds with respect to profitability, sensitivity to input price changes, and risk is assessed for maturity group (MG) IV, V, and VI soybean. Field experiments using split plots (main plots were MG and subplots were seedbeds) and a randomized complete block design with four replications were conducted from 1992 to 1994 at Rohwer, AR and from 1990 to 1997 at Keiser, AR on Sharkey and Sharkey silty clay, respectively. The importance of weather conditions is highlighted in the varied seedbed preparation effect on grain yields, with no clear advantage to either method. On average, yields were higher for MG IV at Rohwer and MG VI at Keiser. The breakeven price and yield analysis suggested that MG selection had a larger economic impact than seedbed preparation, regardless of location. This analysis also showed the extent of production cost differences and associated risk of loss by location. Risk analysis revealed that optimal production strategies changed when input costs were added to yield information and further confirmed that MG selection affects profitability more than seedbed preparation. Production practices that better exploit the yield potential of various MG cultivars (as related to weather conditions) therefore deserve further research attention.
The association between playfulness and coping in adolescents.

This study investigated the relationship between playfulness and coping skills in adolescent males both typically developing (TD) and with severe emotional disturbance (SED). Thirty male adolescents (16 TD, 14 with SED) ranging in ages from 14 to 17 years comprised two groups. Each participant was scored on the Test of Playfulness (ToP) (Bundy, 1998) and on the Coping Inventory (Zeitlin, 1985). A significant positive correlation (r = .785; p < .01) was discovered to exist between the adolescents' level of playfulness and their coping skills. Point biserial correlations, between group (TD and SED) and the ToP scores (r = .889; p < .0001) and between group and ABIs (Coping Inventory) (r = .873; p < .0001), revealed that these adolescents came from two distinct groups. As expected, TD adolescents were rated as more playful than those with SED and scored higher in effective coping skills. This study has implications for occupational therapy intervention with adolescents. High correlations between playfulness and coping support the idea of using play and playfulness to improve coping skills particularly the ability to adapt and to approach problems and goals in a flexible manner.
Unidraw: a framework for building domain-specific

Unidraw is a framework for creating object-oriented graphical editors in domains such as technical and artistic drawing, music composition, and CAD. The Unidraw architecture simplifies the construction of these editors by providing programming abstractions that are common across domains. Unidraw defines four basic abstractions: components encapsulate the appearance and behavior of objects, tools support direct manipulation of components, commands define operations on components, and external representations define the mapping between components and a file or database. Unidraw also supports multiple views, graphical connectivity, and dataflow between components. This paper presents Unidraw and three prototype domain-specific editors we have developed with it: a schematic capture system, a user interface builder, and a drawing editor. Experience indicates a substantial reduction in implementation time and effort compared with existing tools.
Quasirotational nuclear energies without perturbation theory

Abstract An extension of Harris's result for transformation to a rotating frame is used to obtain the approximate nuclear quasirotational energy including pure rotation, centrifugal stretching, Coriolis antipairing and their mutual coupling. Perturbation theory is not used, so very soft nuclei are included.
Converging finite-strength shocks

Abstract The converging shock problem was first solved by Guderley and later by Landau and Stanyukovich for infinitely strong shocks in an ideal gas with spherical and cylindrical symmetry. This problem is solved herein for finite-strength shocks and a non-ideal-gas equation of state with an adiabatic bulk modulus of the type B s = − v ∂ p ∂ v | s = ( p +B ) f ( v ) , where B is a constant with the dimensions of pressure, and f(v) is an arbitrary function of the specific volume. Self-similar profiles of the particle velocity and thermodynamic variables are studied explicitly for two cases with constant specific heat at constant volume; the Tait-Kirkwood-Murnaghan equation, f(v) = constant, and the Walsh equation, f(v) = v/A, where A = constant. The first case reduces to the ideal gas when B = 0. In both cases the flow behind the shock front exhibits an unbalanced buoyant force instability at a critical Mach number which depends upon equation-of-state parameters.
Principle of superposition-free memory

Abstract The requirement that memory be superposition-free imposes a restrictive condition on the structure of neural models. A simple model which satisfies this condition consists of two levels of neurons, with primary level neurons firing in response to external input and secondary (reference) neurons modifying activated primaries in such a way that they can later fire these primaries. Reference neurons are either activated by other reference neurons (time-ordered memories) or by primaries (content-ordered memories). The model allows for general powers of memory manipulation (e.g. formation of associative memories) through rememorization and has a number of implications which correspond to features of the brain.
Turf Wars in Radiology: The Quality of Interpretations of Imaging Studies by Nonradiologist Physicians— A Patient Safety Issue?

Previous publications have demonstrated that in side-by-side testing, radiologists clearly outperform nonradiologist physicians at interpreting plain radiographs. Other articles, mostly in the nonradiologic literature, have shown that in actual practice settings, nonradiologist physicians make frequent errors in image interpretation. On the other hand, several other studies have concluded that such errors are infrequent and generally do not affect patient outcomes. However, most of the latter studies have had methodologic flaws. Radiologists need to be aware of the evidence that exists in the medical literature on errors made by nonradiologists in image interpretation and to bring it to the attention of hospital authorities or medical policy-making groups that are charged with improving patient safety.
Gender Differences in the Response of Plasma Leptin Concentrations to Weight Loss in Obese Older Individuals

Plasma leptin concentration is directly related to the degree of obesity and is higher in women than in men of the same body mass index (BMI). We hypothesized that fasting plasma leptin concentrations and the response of leptin to weight loss would differ in older men and women of a similar fat mass. Plasma leptin concentrations (radioimmunoassay) and fat mass (DXA) were measured in 47 older, obese (BMI = 30 +/- 4 kg/m2) women and 23 older, obese (BMI = 31 +/- 3 kg/m2) men after a 2 to 4 week period of weight and dietary stabilization, and then in 22 of the women and 18 of the men after a 6-month weight loss intervention (250-350 kcal/d deficit). Leptin correlated with fat mass in men and women (r = 0.75 and r = 0.77, respectively; p values < 0.0001), but women had 3-fold higher leptin levels for a given fat mass than men (p = 0.01). In response to the 6-month hypocaloric diet, men and women lost a similar percentage of fat mass (-13% and -16%, respectively), but the relative decline in circulating leptin was greater in women than men (-45% and -21%, respectively; p < 0.0001). In addition, when leptin was normalized for fat mass using the ratio method, the decrease in leptin per kilogram of fat mass was greater in women than men (-0.37 +/- 0.34 vs. -0.04 +/- 0.06 ng/mL/kg; p < 0.01). After weight loss, the change in leptin concentrations correlated positively with the change in fat mass in men (r = 0.60; p < 0.01), but not in women (r = 0.31; p = 0.17). Furthermore, the loss in fat mass correlated negatively with baseline leptin levels in women (r = -0.47; p < 0.05), but not in men (r = 0.03, p = NS). These results indicate that the decline in leptin concentration with weight loss correlates with the loss in fat mass in men; but, in women, other factors affect the decrease in leptin concentration. This suggests that the role of leptin in the regulation of obesity is gender-specific and may account for gender differences in response to hypocaloric treatment and maintenance of lost weight.
Poverty and childhood chronic illness

Objective: To present national estimates of the prevalence and impact of chronic conditions for children from poor and nonpoor families by using data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey. Methods: Proxy responses to a checklist of child health conditions administered for 17 110 children younger than 18 years were used. Conditions were classified as chronic if they were first noticed more than 3 months before the interview or if they were the type that would ordinarily be of extended duration, such as arthritis. Results: While nonpoor families were more likely than poor families to report chronic conditions for their children, children from poor families exhibited a higher risk of experiencing severe chronic conditions. Children with chronic conditions from poor families also experienced substantial barriers to care; they were 118% more likely to be uninsured than were children from nonpoor families and 42% more likely to lack a usual source of care. Children with chronic conditions from poor families were found to use fewer ambulatory care services but more inpatient hospital care than their nonpoor counterparts. Conclusion: Children from poor families experience chronic health problems that are inadequately addressed by our existing health care system. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1994;148:1143-1149)
A proportional counter for thermally- stimulated exoelectrons

Abstract The design and operational parameters are given for a methane-flow proportional counter suitable for the detection of thermally stimulated exoelectrons. It was found that the resulting pulse-height distributions differ amongst the four count-rate “glow” peaks in β-irradiated LiF(TLD-100). Higher temperature glow peaks tend to produce larger pulses. Possible explanations are examined.
Ab initio determination of chemical shielding in a model dipeptide

Abstract Ab initio chemical shift calculation have been carried out on planar model forms of the simple dipeptide glycylglycine with both balanced 6-311G(d, p) and mixed (locally dense) 6-311G(d, p)/3-21G bases. Both the structure and the calculated shifts show internal hydrogen bonding to occur in the zwitterionic form, while no such effects are seen when calculations are performed on the crystal structure hydrochloride whose carboxyl group is non-planar. The locally dense basis set approach on the amide group nuclei provides results that agree well with those using the balanced and larger basis set, and provides a considerable saving of CPU time.
New CS1 pedagogies and curriculum, the same success factors?

New CS1 curricula and pedagogies have resulted in many positive outcomes over the last several years including lower fail rates and increased long-term retention. Given these positive outcomes, the question becomes how much do the traditional factors of prior experience and confidence still play a role in students' performance in and attitudes about these courses' Furthermore, given that increasingly recommended collaborative pedagogies (e.g. pair programming) force students to interact with their peers for a large percentage of their work in the class, how much does the confidence of their peers affect their own attitudes and performance? This paper presents a study investigating these questions. We find that prior experience and confidence still predict success, but only for some students. We also find that student confidence levels have little to no impact on the attitudes and performance of their peers.
Run-time Prediction of the Optimal Performance Point in DVS-based Dynamic Thermal Management

Due to the increasing trend toward greater processor power density and computationally intensive applications, Dynamic Thermal Management (DTM) has become an essential technique in modern processors. Among many DTM techniques, Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS) is widely used because of its chief virtue -- a cubic reduction in power at the relatively minor cost of a linear performance penalty. Because this reduction comes at a cost in execution speed, a key point of DVS-based DTM research is how accurately the processor predicts the optimal performance point where it can meet the thermal constraints while also minimizing the performance penalty. In this paper, we propose a new DVS-based DTM technique that makes the prediction of the optimal performance point more accurate. To achieve this, run-time prediction techniques are used and different power compositions due to process variations are considered from a VLSI perspective. The prediction process is performed by referring to one of the Look-Up Tables (LUTs) prepared during design time and also the average clock enable ratio that is dynamically calculated at run time. The simulation results show that we can achieve maximum processor performance while keeping the processor temperature from exceeding the threshold temperature.
Single-well S-wave imaging using multicomponent dipole acoustic-log data

Single-well S-wave imaging has several attractive features because of its directional sensitivity and usefulness for fracture characterization. To provide a method for single-well acoustic imaging, we analyzed the effects of wave radiation, reflection, and borehole acoustic response on S-wave reflection measurements from a multicomponent dipole acoustic tool. A study of S-wave radiation from a dipole source and the wave’s reflection from a formation boundary shows that the S-waves generated by a dipole source in a borehole have a wide radiation pattern that allows imaging of reflectors at various dip angles crossing the borehole. More importantly, the azimuthal variation of the S-waves, in connection with the multicomponent nature of a cross-dipole tool, can determine the strike of the reflector. We used our theoretical foundation for borehole S-wave imaging to formulate an inversion procedure for field data processing. Application to field data validates the theoretical results and demonstrates the advan...
Enzymatic Methylation of Arsenic Compounds: V. Arsenite Methyltransferase Activity in Tissues of Mice

With the development of a rapid assay for arsenite methyltransferase (Zakharyan et al., 1995), the specific activity of this critical enzyme for arsenite biotransformation was determined by incubating liver, testis, kidney, or lung cytosol of male B6C3F1 mice with sodium arsenite and S-[methyl-3H]adenosyl-L-methionine and measuring the formation of [methyl-3H]monomethylarsonate. The mean arsenite methyltransferase specific activities (U/mg +/- SEM) measured in these organs were liver, 0.40 +/- 0.06; testis, 1.45 +/- 0.08; kidney, 0.70 +/- 0.06; and lung, 0.22 +/- 0.01. Heretofore, the enzymatic methylation of arsenite has been regarded primarily as a hepatic function. The arsenite methyltransferase specific activity of the testis was 3.6 times greater than that of the liver (p < 0.01) and the specific activity of the kidney was 1.8 times greater than that of the liver (p < 0.05). Additionally, when mice were given arsenate in drinking water for 32 or 91 days at concentrations of 25 or 2500 micrograms As/L, the arsenite methyltransferase activities of liver, testis, kidney, and lung cytosol were not significantly increased in animals receiving either dose of arsenic for either 32 or 91 days compared to controls. No evidence for the induction of arsenite methyltransferase was found under these experimental conditions.
Lifestyle and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Is Physical Activity an Equal Opportunity Benefactor?

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. It is estimated that 36.6% of women older than age 20 have some form of cardiovascular disease. In 2004, an estimated 459 100 women died from cardiovascular disease, more than 10 times the number of women who died from breast cancer that same year. Regular physical activity of moderate intensity, such as brisk walking, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in women. The benefits of more vigorous exercise are not clear, but the apparent lack of a dose-response relationship between exercise intensity and cardiovascular benefit may be the result of the design of many epidemiologic and interventional studies. Studies examining the benefits of greater cardiorespiratory fitness for women are limited, but the data suggest that they are similar to that of men. Women may require greater caloric expenditure than men for weight reduction, but this issue may be confounded by other variables such as caloric intake and spo...
Accessing strategic knowledge: Individual differences in procedural and strategy transfer☆

Abstract College students' ability to spontaneously access prior knowledge in the form of a general procedure and a specific strategy was demonstrated using a training for transfer paradigm ( Phye, 1989 Phye, 1990 ). Students received practice on verbal analogy problems during training and were given a delayed transfer task requiring memory-based transfer. Motivational variables of confidence in pretraining knowledge and awareness of training performance were used to predict successful transfer of strategic knowledge. Individual differences in awareness best predicted subjects' ability to spontaneously access prior knowledge. Results are discussed within the context of transfer-appropriate processing ( Bransford, 1990 ) and transfer-appropriate procedures ( Roediger, 1990 ) models of learning and memory. The argument is made that both memory and transfer processes are used as “tools” by competent problem solvers.
Robust integral control for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

For a class of systems with uncertain nonlinearities, the authors design robust integral controllers which achieve the tracking of constant reference signals. No parameterizations of the uncertain functions are needed, and robustness with respect to exogenous disturbances is guaranteed. High gain is needed only for disturbance rejection; in the absence of disturbances, convergence of the tracking error to zero is achieved without high gain. These integral controllers are generally of lower order than adaptive controllers would be were parameterizations of the uncertainties available.