cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing weight-based dosing of tacrolimus XR in obese and non-obese renal transplant recipients.

The recommended initial weight-based dose of extended-release (XR) tacrolimus (Envarsus XR) in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) is 0.14 mg/kg/day. However, no data exist regarding dosing recommendations for obese patients specifically. The aim of this study was to evaluate weight-based dosing requirements in a cohort of obese KTR who were initiated on de novo tacrolimus XR post-transplantation. The primary outcome was weight-based dosing requirements (mg/kg/day) on post-operative day (POD) 7 and 14. Of the 254 KTR, 81 (31%) were obese. The median therapeutic dose on POD7 was 0.1 versus 0.12 vs. 0.14 mg/kg/day in the BMI > 30 kg/m2 , BMI 25-30 kg/m2 , and BMI 30 kg/m2 , BMI 25-30 kg/m2 , and BMI < 25 kg/m2 , respectively, (p < .001). Therapeutic dose on POD7 and POD14 based on ideal body was similar in all cohorts (p = .238, p = .923, respectively). This finding was supported by a strong linear relationship between ideal body weight (IBW) and therapeutic dose (r = .929). In both obese and non-obese KTR, IBW had a stronger correlation with the therapeutic dose for tacrolimus XR.
Self and History in Delmore Schwartz's Poetry and Criticism

Readers of Saul Bellow's latest novel will remember Von Humboldt Fleisher, paranoid extraordinary, whose perverse combination of destruc tive and benevolent energies assists the hero, Charlie Citrine, in reaching his own level of excess and ultimate self-knowledge. We all know by now that Delmore Schwartz was Bellow's model for Humboldt. Having known Delmore (no one who knew him can ever think of him as anything but Del more, although as a student of his I never called him anything but Mr. Schwartz to his face), I can confirm that he had most of the magnetism so vividly described by Bellow. What Bellow did not convey so convincingly ?perhaps because he was creating a character, not writing the biography of his old friend?was Delmore's consuming passion for his own vocation as a poet. Alas, Delmore wrote little poetry of consequence when I knew him at Syracuse (he was there from 1962 until shortly before his death in 1966). But he taught poetry and fiction and was one of a distinguished team of resident writers. What I should like to explore briefly here is my sense of this brilliant poet and critic who had a deeply painful awareness of the contradictions of his own personality. I began to read Delmore's work in the summer of 1963. I had been asked by the Syracuse English Department to prepare a complete bibliography of his work for a collection of his essays which he was planning to bring out with Syracuse University Press. As Donald Dike and I note in the Pre face to the Selected Essays, Delmore never accomplished his goal as editor of his own work. He never really started. This was probably owing more to his self-absorption than to any special literary fastidiousness. In any event, as I read his poems, stories, and essays back in 1963, I became fascinated by his work as a profound expression of the man I knew lumbering authori tatively but strangely around the halls of the humanities building and as the lugubrious or wildly entertaining monologist in the classroom or at stu dent parties. I also came to see his work as a sometimes tentative, some times confident, groping toward the perfection of art he so admired in Joyce and Yeats, Stevens and Eliot. These were some of the modern mas ters that were his gods, about whom he talked endlessly and intimately with students, academic colleagues, and fellow writers. They?the masters ?seemed to be constantly on his mind, companions with whom he carried on an incessant, energizing dialogue. 95
Defect Diagnosis Using a Current Ratio Based Quiescent Signal Analysis Model for Commercial Power Grids

Quiescent Signal Analysis (QSA) is a novel electrical-test-based diagnostic technique that uses IDDQ measurements made at multiple chip supply pads as a means of locating shorting defects in the layout. The use of multiple supply pads reduces the adverse effects of leakage current by scaling the total leakage current over multiple measurements. In previous work, a resistance model for QSA was developed and demonstrated on a small circuit. In this paper, the weaknesses of the original QSA model are identified, in the context of a production power grid (PPG) and probe card model, and a new model is described. The new QSA algorithm is developed from the analysis of IDDQ contour plots. A “family” of hyperbola curves is shown to be a good fit to the contour curves. The parameters to the hyperbola equations are derived with the help of inserted calibration transistors. Simulation experiments are used to demonstrate the prediction accuracy of the method on a PPG.
The preparation of soluble DNA methylase from normal and regenerating rat liver.

An improved method is described for the preparation of soluble DNA methylase from animal tissues. With it, for the first time, soluble DNA methylase has been obtained from rat liver nuclei. This method has two advantages over previous methods: it appears to be suited to the preparation of DNA methylase from a wide variety of mammalian tissues, and the total yield of enzyme is increased. The method was used to compare DNA methylase activity in extracts from normal and regenerating rat livers. Nuclear extracts from liver nuclei prepared 24 hr after hepatectomy had a specific enzyme activity that was 2- to 3-fold higher than that of extracts from normal liver, and this higher specific activity was maintained during partial purification. The increase in specific activity began at about 18 hr after hepatectomy and reached a peak at 24 hr. The rise was inhibited by both actinomycin D and p -fluorophenylalanine, suggesting that the increase in enzyme activity may be dependent upon the synthesis of both new RNA and new protein.
Brief, Self-Report Fibromyalgia Screener Evaluated in a Sample of Chronic Pain Patients

Objective To validate a self-report fibromyalgia screener in a chronic pain population. Design Adults with chronic pain were evaluated with a six-item, self-report fibromyalgia screening tool based on revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria, with fibromyalgia diagnosed when patients experienced chronic pain and scored ≥13 on the ACR fibromyalgia symptom severity scale. Patients were independently assigned clinical diagnoses by treating clinicians. Setting University-based, tertiary care pain clinic. Subjects Three hundred thirty-seven mixed chronic pain patients. Results Agreement between the clinical diagnosis and screener diagnosis was good ( P < 0.001), with 76% sensitivity and 82% specificity. Conclusion A self-administered, brief fibromyalgia screening questionnaire can effectively identify chronic pain patients who will likely have clinical fibromyalgia.
Floating-potential dielectrophoresis-controlled fabrication of single-carbon-nanotube transistors and their electrical properties.

We present a floating-potential dielectrophoresis method used for the first time to achieve controlled alignment of an individual semiconducting or metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) between two electrical contacts with high repeatability. This result is significantly different from previous reports, in which bundles of SWCNTs were aligned between electrode arrays by a conventional dielectrophoresis process where the results were only collected from the control electrode regions. In this study, our alignment focus is not only on the regions of the control electrodes but also on those of the floating electrodes. Our results indicate that bundles of carbon nanotubes along with impurities were first moved into the region between two control electrodes while individual nanotubes without impurities were straightened and aligned between two floating electrodes. The measurements for the back-gated nanotube transistors made by this method displayed an on−off ratio and transconductance of 105 and 0.3 μ...
Human, rat, and mouse kidney cells express functional erythropoietin receptors

Cells of human, rat, and mouse kidney express functional erythropoietin receptors. Background Erythropoietin (EPO), secreted by fibroblast-like cells in the renal interstitium, controls erythropoiesis by regulating the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells. We examined whether renal cells that are exposed to EPO express EPO receptors (EPO-R) through which analogous cytokine responses might be elicited. Methods Normal human and rat kidney tissue and defined cell lines of human, rat, and mouse kidney were screened, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, nucleotide sequencing, ligand binding, and Western blotting, for the expression of EPO-R. EPO's effects on DNA synthesis and cell proliferation were also examined. Results EPO-R transcripts were readily detected in cortex, medulla, and papilla of human and rat kidney, in mesangial (human, rat), proximal tubular (human, mouse), and medullary collecting duct cells (human). Nucleotide sequences of EPO-R cDNAs from renal cells were identical to those of erythroid precursor cells. Specific 125 I-EPO binding revealed a single class of high- to intermediate-affinity EPO-Rs in each tested cell line (kD 96 pM to 1.4 nM; B max 0.3 to 7.0 fmol/mg protein). Western blots of murine proximal tubular cell membranes revealed an EPO-R protein of approximately 68 kDa. EPO stimulated DNA synthesis and cell proliferation dose dependently. Conclusion This is the first direct demonstration, to our knowledge, that renal cells possess EPO-Rs through which EPO stimulates mitogenesis. This suggests currently unrecognized cytokine functions for EPO in the kidney, which may prove beneficial in the repair of an injured kidney while being potentially detrimental in renal malignancies.
Application of multi-temporal high-resolution imagery and GPS in a study of the motion of a canyon rim landslide

Abstract Change detection techniques using co-registered high-resolution satellite imagery and archival digital aerial photographs have been used in conjunction with GPS to constrain the magnitude and timing of previously undocumented historical motion of the Salmon Falls landslide in south-central Idaho, USA. The landslide has created natural dams of Salmon Falls Creek, resulting in the development of large lakes and a potential flooding hazard. Rapid motion (cm/year–m/year) of the relatively remote landslide was first reported in 1999, but significant horizontal motion (up to 10.8 m) is demonstrated between 1990 and 1998 by measuring changes in the locations of ground control points in a time-series of images. The total (three-dimensional) motion of the landslide prior to 2002 was calculated using the horizontal (two-dimensional) velocities obtained in the image change detection study and horizontal-to-vertical ratios of motion derived for the landslide in 2003–2004 collected from a network of autonomous GPS stations. The total historical motion that was estimated using this method averages about 12 m, which is in agreement with field observations.
HTS magnets: stability; protection; cryogenics; economics; current stability/protection activities at FBML☆

Abstract The unique features that distinguish a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet from a low-temperature superconducting (LTS) magnet are: (1) operating temperature and (2) temperature span over which the magnet remains superconducting. Thus, for two magnets, one HTS and the other LTS, both satisfying the same set of field specifications, the operating temperature and the operating range of temperature of the HTS magnet are generally an order of magnitude greater than that of the LTS magnet. In this CHATS 2002 Workshop, four issues, i.e., stability, protection, cryogenics, and economic issues will be examined as they are impacted by the two unique features, first as a general introduction to this presentation, between HTS and LTS magnets. This is followed by discussion of economics of large-scale HTS devices, specifically of fusion; electric power devices; high-energy physics; research-purpose NMR; and high- B DC magnets. The paper concludes with a presentation of preliminary results of stability/protection research presently being performed at the FBML.
Formulating an Effective and Efficient Written Asthma Action Plan

Written asthma action plans (WAAPs) are recommended by national and international guidelines to help patients recognize and manage asthma exacerbations. Despite this recommendation, many patients with asthma do not have a WAAP. In addition, WAAPs vary widely in their readability and usability. To promote issuance and patient use, the WAAP should clearly define the decision (action) points, expected response, and expected time of response. The WAAP should also be easily integrated into a physician's busy practice. Herein, we describe the key elements of an effective WAAP, including concise, detailed recommendations regarding asthma exacerbation recognition (patient self-monitoring) and treatment.
Inverse scattering for a layered acoustic medium using the first-order equations of motion

The inverse scattering problem for a layered acoustic medium is considered from the first‐order differential equations of motion, resulting in a vector formulation of the problem, and using a vector form of the Schrodinger inverse scattering methods. The result is a vector Marchenko equation. The differentiability constraints on the acoustic impedance are somewhat relaxed compared to the more standard approach of beginning with the wave equation. The solution for plane waves at normal incidence is given along with a good approximate solution which is easily obtainable and takes into account transmission losses not included in the normal WKBJ‐Born approximation. A new solution for extracting separately the velocity and density of the medium using the reflection response for two different angles of incidence is given, which involves a nonlinear integral equation to relate the apparent traveltimes to depth.
Comment on "Evidence of abundant purifying selection in humans for recently acquired regulatory functions".

Ward and Kellis (Reports, 28 September 2012, p. 1675; published online 5 September 2012) found altered patterns of human polymorphism in biochemically active but non–mammalian-conserved genomic regions relative to control regions and interpreted this as due to lineage-specific purifying selection. We find on closer inspection of their data that the polymorphism trends are primarily attributable to mutational variation and technical artifacts rather than selection.
All-frequency relighting of glossy objects

We present a technique for interactive rendering of glossy objects in complex and dynamic lighting environments that captures interreflections and all-frequency shadows. Our system is based on precomputed radiance transfer and separable BRDF approximation. We factor glossy BRDFs using a separable decomposition and keep only a few low-order approximation terms, each consisting of a purely view-dependent and a purely light-dependent component. In the precomputation step, for every vertex, we sample its visibility and compute a direct illumination transport vector corresponding to each BRDF term. We use modern graphics hardware to accelerate this step and further compress the data using a nonlinear wavelet approximation. The direct illumination pass is followed by one or more interreflection passes, each of which gathers compressed transport vectors from the previous pass to produce global illumination transport vectors. To render at run time, we dynamically sample the lighting to produce a light vector, also represented in a wavelet basis. We compute the inner product of the light vector with the precomputed transport vectors, and the results are further combined with the BRDF view-dependent components to produce vertex colors. We describe acceleration of the rendering algorithm using programmable graphics hardware and discuss the limitations and trade-offs imposed by the hardware.
Pins in amalgam: a study of reinforcement.

Abstract Pins were placed in amalgam specimens altering their number, length, position, angulation, shape, and composition. The ultimate tensile strength of each specimen was determined. Results of these tests show that pins weaken the amalgam.
The effects of interaction on consumers' attitudes in focus groups

This article questions the use of focus groups for assessing consumer attitudes. A repeated-measures research design was used to determine whether the interaction and discussion among focus-group participants changed their attitudes. Experimental results indicate that focus-group participants' overall attitudes, beliefs, intentions to purchase, and preferences shifted from positions previously held. More attitude depolarization occurred in focus groups than in two benchmark methods, the nominal group technique and individual self-administered surveys. The output gained from focus-group interviews may generalize more to settings involving interpersonal rather than intrapersonal consumption or purchase processes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitative analyses of neuroepithelial cell shapes during bending of the mouse neural plate

Despite a wealth of information about cell behaviors contributing to neurulation in chick embryos, similar behaviors in mouse embryos have yet to be well characterized. This study examines cell behaviors occurring during bending of the mouse neural plate, in particular, qualitative and quantitative changes in neuroepithelial cell shape. Our current results demonstrate that in mouse embryos (1) the median hinge point (MHP), a localized region of neural plate that becomes anchored to the underlying prechordal plate mesoderm or notochord/ notochordal plate and forms a midline longitudinal furrow around which folding of the remaining neural plate (i.e., the part of the neural plate not involved in MHP formation) occurs, develops during stages of neural fold elevation; (2) the MHP is enriched with wedge-shaped neuroepithelial cells but has significantly fewer spindle-shaped, inverted wedge-shaped, and globular neuroepithelial cells than do the adjacent paired lateral areas of the neuroepithelium (L); and (3) each L is enriched with spindle-shaped, inverted wedge-shaped, and globular neuroepithelial cells but has significantly fewer wedge-shaped neuroepithelial cells than does the MHP. Thus wedging of neuroepithelial cells occurs during bending of the mouse neural plate and is localized to the MHP during neural fold elevation. Similarly, previous studies in the chick have shown that neuroepithelial cells become wedge shaped during bending of the neural plate and that such cell wedging is localized to the MHP during neural fold elevation. Such studies also have shed light on the roles of MHP formation and localized wedging of neuroepithelial cells within the MHP in the chick; however, such roles have yet to be elucidated in the mouse. It is probable that the MHP in mouse embryos, like that in chick embryos, provides a locus for bending of the neural plate and that wedging of neuroepithelial cells within the MHP provides the force necessary to generate the longitudinal midline furrow around which subsequent folding of the neural plate (i.e., neural fold elevation) occurs. Further studies are necessary to define these roles more precisely. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis of systematic errors in lateral shearing interferometry for EUV optical testing

Lateral shearing interferometry (LSI) provides a simple means for characterizing the aberrations in optical systems at EUV wavelengths. In LSI, the test wavefront is incident on a low-frequency grating which causes the resulting diffracted orders to interfere on the CCD. Due to its simple experimental setup and high photon efficiency, LSI is an attractive alternative to point diffraction interferometry and other methods that require spatially filtering the wavefront through small pinholes which notoriously suffer from low contrast fringes and improper alignment. In order to demonstrate that LSI can be accurate and robust enough to meet industry standards, analytic models are presented to study the effects of unwanted grating and detector tilt on the system aberrations, and a method for identifying and correcting for these errors in alignment is proposed. The models are subsequently verified by numerical simulation. Finally, an analysis is performed of how errors in the identification and correction of grating and detector misalignment propagate to errors in fringe analysis.
Lightness of gray in the presence of white.

It has been found that first lightness judgments with large contiguous whice and gray rectangles, relative to white being called 100, are equal to ten times the square root of the percentage reflectance relative to whice for middle grays (lightness from 20 to 60) (Warren & Poulton, 1960; Warren & Warren, 1965). These judgments are independent of the reflectance of the background surrounding the stimulus fields. However, when a small gray patch (1% in. X 2 in.) is viewed against a large white background, its lightness is considerably less than the square root rule would predict (Warren & Poulton, 1962). The present ex
Cardiorenal effects of atrial natriuretic factor administration in congestive heart failure: Natriuresis and diuresis without hemodynamic alterations

The effects of low bolus dose (70 +/- 6 micrograms [mean +/- SEM]) atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) administration was assessed in 16 patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Measurements were made for at least 60 minutes before and after the dose of ANF. There was a significant increase in urine flow rate (0.81 +/- 0.06 to 1.81 +/- 0.23 ml/min, p less than 0.01), sodium excretion rate (56 +/- 14 to 80 +/- 23 microEq/min, p less than 0.01), fractional excretion of sodium (1.23 +/- 0.49 to 1.63 +/- 0.60 percent, p less than 0.01) and potassium excretion rate (35 +/- 7 to 42 +/- 6 microEq/min, p less than 0.02). However, no significant alterations in renal plasma flow or glomerular filtration rate were observed. Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between the change in urine flow rate or sodium excretion rate and the change in renal plasma flow or glomerular filtration rate, respectively. In addition, there was no significant effect on cardiac index, mean aortic or left ventricular filling pressures, or systemic vascular resistance. There also was no discernible relationship between the response to ANF and the baseline concentrations of plasma ANF, aldosterone, or plasma renin activity. Thus, in patients with congestive heart failure, low dose ANF boluses may produce an increase in urine flow rate and sodium excretion rate that is independent of renal plasma flow or glomerular filtration rate. This suggests a meaningful direct renal tubular effect of exogenous ANF in this setting.
Diffusion and excess vacancy production in Cu–Ni laminates

Abstract The excess vacancy concentration in a periodic laminate structure is examined by modifying Darken's equations for a finite sized binary diffusion couple. These equations are solved numerically for the excess or supersaturated vacancy concentration in a Cu–Ni laminate structure. A measure of potential pore condensation is also examined and compared with experimental results.
Double Layers in Expanding Plasmas and Their Relevance to the Auroral Plasma Processes

When a dense plasma consisting of a cold and a sufficiently warm electron population expands, a rarefaction shock forms. In the expansion of the polar wind in the magnetosphere, it has been previously shown that when a sufficiently warm electron population also exists, in addition to the usual cold ionospheric one, a discontinuity forms in the electrostatic potential distribution along the magnetic field lines. Despite the lack of spatial resolution and the assumption of quasi-neutrality in the polar wind models, such discontinuities have been called double layers (DLs). Recently similar discontinuities have been invoked to partly explain the auroral acceleration of electrons and ions in the upward current region. By means of one-dimensional Vlasov simulations of expanding plasmas, for the first time we make here the connection between (i) the rarefaction shocks, (ii) the discontinuities in the potential distributions, and (iii) DLs. We show that when plasmas expand from opposite directions into a deep density cavity with a potential drop across it and when the plasma on the high-potential side contains two electron populations, the temporal evolution of the potential and the plasma. distribution generates evolving multiple double layers with an extended density cavity between them. One of the DLs is the rarefaction-shock (RFS) and it forms by the reflections of the cold electrons coming from the high-potential side; it supports a part of the potential drop approximately determined by the hot electron temperature.
Knowledge based systems in nondestructive evaluation (a)

This paper discusses the application of knowledge based systems technology to problems in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). The Saft Image Interpretation Assistant (SIIA) is used as an illustrative example [1]. SIIA is a prototype knowledge based system designed to assist in making the operation of the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) Ultrasonic Inspection System more reliable and efficient [2].
Transient power supply current monitoring—a new test method for CMOS VLSI circuits

We present a new method for testing digital CMOS integrated circuits. The new method is based on the following premise: monitor the switching behavior of a circuit as opposed to the output logic state. We use the transient power supply current as a window of observability into the circuit switching behavior. A method for isolating normal switching transients from those which result from defects is introduced. The feasibility of this new testing approach is investigated by conducting several experiments involving the design of integrated circuits with built-in defects, fabrication, and physical testing. The results of these experiments show this new test method to be a promising one for detecting defects that can escape stuck-at testing andI DDQ testing.
Functional Consequences of HIV-Associated Neuropsychological Impairment

This review focuses on the “real world” implications of infection with HIV/AIDS from a neuropsychological perspective. Relevant literature is reviewed which examines the relationships between HIV-associated neuropsychological impairment and employment, driving, medication adherence, mood, fatigue, and interpersonal functioning. Specifically, the relative contributions of medical, cognitive, psychosocial, and psychiatric issues on whether someone with HIV/AIDS will be able to return to work, adhere to a complicated medication regimen, or safely drive a vehicle will be discussed. Methodological issues that arise in the context of measuring medication adherence or driving capacity are also explored. Finally, the impact of HIV/AIDS on mood state, fatigue, and interpersonal relationships are addressed, with particular emphasis on how these variables interact with cognition and independent functioning. The purpose of this review is to integrate neuropsychological findings with their real world correlates of functional behavior in the HIV/AIDS population.
Interacción entre estudiantes y aprendizaje en grupos pequeños

ResumenSi bien en los ultimos anos ha aumentado considerablemente el numero de investigaciones acerca del aprendizaje en grupos pequenos en regimen de cooperacion, pocos estudios se han centrado en los procesos de interaccion que tienen lugar dentro de los grupos. Este trabajo se centra en el papel de la experiencia de los estudiantes en interaccion en grupos pequenos durante el aprendizaje. Se examina la investigacion que hace referencia a los tres aspectos del aprendizaje en grupos pequenos: 1) la relacion entre interaccion y resultado, 2) proceso cognitivo y mecanismos socioemocionales que unen la interaccion y los resultados y 3) caracteristicas del individuo, del grupo y de la estructura de recompensa que predicen la interaccion en grupos pequenos. Se discuten aspectos metodologicos y sustantivos para evaluar e integrar los resultados de investigaciones previas, y como directrices para futuras investigaciones. La conclusion es que el rol de un individuo en la interaccion en el grupo ejerce una import...
Predicting numerical data entry errors by classifying EEG signals with linear discriminant analysis

Daily numerical data entry is subject to human errors, and errors in numerical data can cause serious losses in health care, safety and finance. Difficulty in detecting errors by human operators in numerical data entry necessitates an early error detection/prediction mechanism to proactively prevent severe accidents. To explore the possibility of using multi-channel electroencephalography EEG collected before movements/reactions to detect/predict human errors, linear discriminant analysis LDA classifier was utilised to predict numerical typing errors before their occurrence in numerical typing. Single trial EEG data were collected from seven participants during numerical hear-and-type tasks and three temporal features were extracted from six EEG sites in a 150-ms time window. The sensitivity of LDA classifier was revealed by adjusting the critical ratio of two Mahalanobis distances as a classification criterion. On average, the LDA classifier was able to detect 74.34% of numerical typing errors in advance with only 34.46% false alarms, resulting in a sensitivity of 1.05. A cost analysis also showed that using the LDA classifier would be beneficial as long as the penalty is at least 15 times the cost of inspection when the error rate is 5%. LDA demonstrated its realistic potential in detecting/predicting relatively few errors in numerical data without heavy pre-processing. This is one step towards predicting and preventing human errors in perceptual-motor tasks before their occurrence.
Odor aversion learning by the rat fetus

Rat fetuses were exposed to an odor stimulus on day 20 of gestation via amniotic injection and then injected with LiCl. In a CER paradigm, 10 day old pups were trained to approach an anesthetized dam in a runway for suckling reinforcement. When running speeds had stabilized the odor stimulus experienced in-utero was introduced into the test chamber. This odor took on aversive properties as a function of its pairing with LiCl, as evidenced by a decrease in running speed on CER trials and increases in the number of trials that were terminated because pups failed to traverse the runway. These data indicate that the fetal rat is capable of odor aversion learning.
Preventing Atrial Flutter by Preventing Inflammation

therapeutics. 6 The authors have elegantly and clearly proven that the intense inflammatory response is indeed proarrhythmic. Moreover, they showed that the consistent findings of inducible sustained AFL were well correlated with an intense inflammatory response and elevated CRP levels in the control animals. These experiments are very persuasive. Indeed, the primary purpose of understanding the etiology of these arrhythmias should be to develop efficacious and safe treatments that can readily address the root cause underlying the disease. In their study, sterile pericarditis was created in 23 dogs, 11 of whom were pretreated with oral prednisone (40 mg twice daily). The drug was continued in the treatment group until the fourth postoperative day. The primary positive finding of the study was the inability to induce sustained AFL in the dogs treated with prednisone. Consistent with previous studies from the same group, sustained AFL was induced in all of the control dogs. In interpreting these data, two points bear emphasizing: first, neither AF nor AFL occurred spontaneously using the sterile pericarditis model (electrical stimulation was required). Second, sustained AFL was defined as AFL lasting > 10 minutes—importantly, at least one of
Communicating Consumer Complaints: Message Content and its Perceived Effectiveness

Consumers sometimes experience discontent when they interact with companies and may complain to communicate their dissatisfaction. To date, most researchers have focused on what organizations do to remedy consumer dissatisfaction without examining the content of the complaint messages. This is regrettable considering the degree to which organizations comply with complaints may be a function of what consumers say. Using Garner's (2009) typology of organizational influence and dissent as a theoretical guide, we created a measure of consumer complaining to determine what people say when they complain to companies and what messages they perceive to be effective in gaining compliance.
Designing the PDA of the future

In this article, Aaron Marcus and Associates (AM+A) describes a project with Samsung Electronics to design user-interface concepts for the future of wireless devices. AM+A conducted extensive research, including contextual observation, then designed a suite of product ideas that Samsung could incorporate into specific products over the next few years. Samsung also acquired knowledge about the user-interface development process. AM+A sought to design usable as well as useful mobile devices that could overcome extreme input and output challenges and become true personal companions.
Hyperinsulin Response to Oral Leucine in Obesity and Acromegaly

ABSTRACT Oral doses of l-leucine (0.2 g/kg) stimulated insulin release in obese and in acromegalic patients, but was ineffective in normal subjects, even when comparable total amounts of leucine were administered. Despite their exaggerated insulin responses, there was no change in plasma glucose levels in the obese and in the acromegalic patients. After leucine, elevated serum levels of insulin correlated with the presence of generalized hyperinsulinism as evidenced by basal hyperinsulinism and an exaggerated insulin response to an oral glucose load. These findings indicate that oral doses of leucine readily stimulate insulin release in conditions associated with islet cell hyperplasia, and may thus serve as an indicator of beta cell hyperresponsiveness.
Identifying dimensions of music therapy activities appropriate for children at different stages of group development

Recent research literature suggests the use of music and music/movement activities for developing group cohesiveness and communication (Anshel & Kipper, 1988; Gunsberg, 1988; Henderson, 1983; Hibben & Scheer, 1982). Research indicates that student performances (Schmuck & Schmuck, 1979) and factors of individual identity, such as self-image, assertiveness and trust, are enhanced by a group’s level of cohesiveness (Kellerman, 1981). Group cohesion is necessary for the sharing of feelings, taking risks, and forming and achieving shared goals (James & Freed, 1989). How can a therapist, using music activities that encourage dynamic action and interaction, help a group move to a more cohesive state, one distinguished by greater cooperation and trust? This paper suggests that all group activities can be defined by certain parameters and that these definitions, the so-called dimensions of the activities, can be manipulated by the therapist to effect participation and interaction. The therapist can, by using certain levels of activity dimensions at certain stages in a group’s development, influence the achievement of group cohesion and individual goals. In this paper two theoretical constructs are used: (a) to articulate developmental group stages (Garland, Jones, & Kolodny , 1976), and (b) to clarify the dimensions of group activities (Vinter, 1974). The activity dimensions are each described on three levels: low, medium, high. The proposed relationship of the activity dimensions to group stages is outlined in a three dimensional matrix (Table 1). In the final section of the paper under each developmental group stage a discussion of clinical issues and examples of music activities clarify the rationale for proposing certain levels of activity dimensions.
Teaching Word Recognition to Disadvantaged Boys

Presented here are the results of an experiment to assess whether the use of teaching approaches consistent with the auditory or visual perceptual strengths of boys considered economically disadvantaged would facilitate their ability to learn and retain a list of unknown words. The sample of 105 subjects included one group of 20 boys demonstrating visual strengths and auditory weaknesses and another group of 20 boys with the opposite perceptual pattern. Subjects were taught to recognize 15 words by a visual or sight-word approach, and another set of 15 words by an auditory or phonic teaching method. Results failed to support the predicted interaction between perceptual aptitudes and teaching methods. Findings revealed, however, a trend toward more efficient learning under the visual teaching method. Results are related to other recent studies suggesting that disadvantaged children may learn more efficiently from a visual presentation of verbal material than from an auditory teaching method.
9 The Case for Behavioral Decision Research in Organizational Behavior

We argue that the field of organizational behavior (OB) is well positioned to adopt some of the strengths of behavioral decision research (BDR). Doing so would enable the field to gain in influence, scholarly stature, paradigm strength, and practical relevance. In the course of making this argument, we review recent advances in BDR and highlight its relevance for OB. In particular, our discussion focuses on how BDR can inform topics of longstanding interest to OB researchers.
Training PhD researchers to translate science to clinical medicine: closing the gap from the other side.

It is widely anticipated that the sequencing of the human genome, the characterization of the human proteomic map and the underlying advance in technological know-how will give rise to an unprecedented leap in biomedical science over the next half century. It may be that the bottleneck in the equation is the availability of staff trained to understand the scientific data generated and transform it successfully into something with medical value. Such people must have detailed knowledge both of medicine and the practice of scientific investigation. Here, we present three commentaries that endeavor to explain how such hybrid researchers can be recruited, trained and retained.
Agreement among graders on Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT) topographic change analysis (TCA) glaucoma progression interpretation

Purpose To evaluate agreement among experts of Heidelberg retina tomography9s (HRT) topographic change analysis (TCA) printout interpretations of glaucoma progression and explore methods for improving agreement. Methods 109 eyes of glaucoma, glaucoma suspect and healthy subjects with ≥5 visits and 2 good quality HRT scans acquired at each visit were enrolled. TCA printouts were graded as progression or non-progression. Each grader was presented with 2 sets of tests: a randomly selected single test from each visit and both tests from each visit. Furthermore, the TCA printouts were classified with grader9s individual criteria and with predefined criteria (reproducible changes within the optic nerve head, disregarding changes along blood vessels or at steep rim locations and signs of image distortion). Agreement among graders was modelled using common latent factor measurement error structural equation models for ordinal data. Results Assessment of two scans per visit without using the predefined criteria reduced overall agreement, as indicated by a reduction in the slope, reflecting the correlation with the common factor, for all graders with no effect on reducing the range of the intercepts between the graders. Using the predefined criteria improved grader agreement, as indicated by the narrower range of intercepts among the graders compared with assessment using individual grader9s criteria. Conclusions A simple set of predefined common criteria improves agreement between graders in assessing TCA progression. The inclusion of additional scans from each visit does not improve the agreement. We, therefore, recommend setting standardised criteria for TCA progression evaluation.
Diffractive filter design for SLMs in optical processing and pattern recognition systems

In contrast to imaging and interconnect applications, which require fixed diffractive optical elements, applications such as optical image processing and target recognition require diffractive elements that can be altered dynamically in real-time and, therefore, require the use of spatial light modulators (SLMs). Present SLM technology, however, has limited spatial resolution and space-bandwidth which affects system performance. We present techniques for designing diffractive filters for display on SLMs in coherent and incoherent image processing systems. Laboratory results are presented for a coherent matched filter design for display on a binary phase SLM.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Temperature directly affects the rate of irradiation-induced mass loss from phosphatidylcholine multilayers.

We monitored the mass thickness of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine multilayers at several temperatures during electron irradiation. The rate of irradiation-induced mass loss was reduced substantially when this specimen was cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature from room temperature. Additional cooling to liquid helium temperature caused an additional reduction of mass-loss rate. The characteristic doses D(1/e), which are the slopes of the logarithm of the differential mass thickness against dose, were approximately 7 × 103 e/nm2 at 290 K, 8 × 104 e/nm2 at 130 K, and 1.4 × 105 e/nm2 at <10 K. The fractions of the original mass thickness that remained after arbitrarily high doses were about 69% at 290 K, 72% at 130 K, and 77% at <10 K.
What Can the Organization of the Brain's Default Mode Network Tell us About Self-Knowledge?

Understanding ourselves has been a fundamental topic for psychologists and philosophers alike. In this paper we review the evidence linking specific brain structures to self-reflection. The brain regions most associated with self-reflection are the posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal (mPFC) cortices, together known as the cortical midline structures (CMSs). We review evidence arguing that self-reflection is special in memory, while noting that these brain regions are often engaged when we think about others in our social worlds. Based on the CMSs’ patterns of connectivity and activity, we speculate about three possible interpretations of their role in supporting self-reflection that are somewhat overlapping, and not intended to be mutually exclusive. First, self may be a powerful, but ordinary case for a cognitive system specialized for thinking about people. Second, mPFC may serve as a processing “hub,” binding together information from all sensory modalities with internally generated information. Third, mPFC may serve as a cortical director of thought, helping to guide moment-by-moment conscious processing. Suggestions are made for future research avenues aimed at testing such possibilities.
Estimating Ground-Water Recharge from Streamflow Hydrographs for a Small Mountain Watershed in a Temperate Humid Climate, New Hampshire, USA

Hydrographs of stream discharge were analyzed to determine ground-water recharge for two small basins draining into Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. Two methods of hydrograph analysis developed for determining ground-water recharge were evaluated, the instantaneous recharge method and the constant recharge method. For the instantaneous recharge method, recharge is assumed to be instantaneous and uniform over the basin. For the constant recharge method, recharge is assumed to be constant and uniform over the basin for a period of weeks to months. Both methods require that a ground-water recession slope be determined. The recession slope is used directly in the calculation for the instantaneous recharge method, and it is used as a base of reference for fitting a type curve in the constant recharge method. Results of the study indicated that the estimates of ground-water recharge for both methods agree to within about 10 percent. Two approaches to the instantaneous recharge method, manual and automated, were also evaluated, and the results were statistically similar. The baseflow component of streamflow commonly is assumed to be equivalent to ground-water recharge; therefore, two methods developed for determining the baseflow component of streamflow, graphical partitioning and digital filtering, were evaluated also. Baseflow values determined by graphical partitioning of hydrographs were about 25 percent less than the ground-water recharge values. Baseflow values determined by two different approaches to the mathematical digital filtering method were generally less than baseflow determined by graphical partitioning. However, one of the approaches to digital filtering agreed reasonably well with graphical partitioning if an appropriate filter constant was used. The other approach to digital filtering resulted in baseflow values that were much less than the other baseflow values and was therefore deemed inappropriate for use on these small mountain watersheds.
Reactions to Employee Performance Monitoring: Framework, Review, and Research Directions

A conceptual framework is described for examining employee reactions to performance monitoring. The framework incorporates attitudinal and motivational effects of performance monitoring on monitored employees and discusses effects of performance monitoring on performance feedback and performance appraisal. The framework is used to organize a review of research literature relevant to employee reactions to electronic and nonelectronic performance monitoring. The article includes specific propositions for additional research and general directions for future research in performance monitoring.
Novel Therapies Targeting Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which the endometrial glands and stroma grow outside the uterus. The disease affects women’s quality of life and is a common cause of infertility. In this review, we describe promising new developments in the field based on in vitro assays and rodent models, each of which has the potential to be beneficial in the treatment of this disease. We will specifically describe the role of anti-inflammatory drugs, selective estrogen, or progesterone modulators, statins, antiangiogenic agents, and the potential for targeting stem cells as likely methods to hone in and eliminate endometriosis. The most promising of these potential therapies are currently slated for further testing in both rodent and nonhuman primate trials.
Specific regulation of immediate early genes by patterned neuronal activity

Electrical activity shapes development of the nervous system, presumably in part by regulating gene expression. A set of regulatory genes, immediate early genes (IEGs), which are responsive to a number of extrinsic cellular stimuli have been proposed to play a role in coupling such activity to gene expression. Using a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, we show that in dissociated mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons the expression of two IEGs, c-fos and nur/77, is differentially sensitive to patterns of electrical stimulation. Differences in c-fos activation did not correlate with the peak intracellular calcium [Ca++]i produced by the different stimulation patterns or with residual [Ca++]i following stimulation. However, the net increase in [Ca++]i (calcium time integral) was greater for the pulsed stimulus that activated c-fos (6 impulses/min), compared to the ineffective stimulus (12 impulses/2 min). This system of genes seems suited to mediating the coupling between electrical activity and other functional genes. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.