cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of paleoseismic data from multiple sites to develop an objective earthquake chronology: Application to the Weber segment of the Wasatch fault zone, Utah

We present a method to evaluate and integrate paleoseismic data from multiple sites into a single, objective measure of earthquake timing and recurrence on discrete segments of active faults. We apply this method to the Weber segment (WS) of the Wasatch fault zone using data from four fault-trench studies completed between 1981 and 2009. After systematically reevaluating the stratigraphic and chro- nologic data from each trench site, we constructed time-stratigraphic OxCal models that yield site probability density functions (PDFs) of the times of individual earth- quakes. We next qualitatively correlated the site PDFs into a segment-wide earthquake chronology, which is supported by overlapping site PDFs, large per-event displace- ments, and prominent segment boundaries. For each segment-wide earthquake, we computed the product of the site PDF probabilities in common time bins, which emphasizes the overlap in the site earthquake times, and gives more weight to the narrowest, best-defined PDFs. The product method yields smaller earthquake-timing uncertainties compared to taking the mean of the site PDFs, but is best suited to earth- quakes constrained by broad, overlapping site PDFs. We calculated segment-wide earthquake recurrence intervals and uncertainties using a Monte Carlo model. Five surface-faulting earthquakes occurred on the WS at about 5.9, 4.5, 3.1, 1.1, and 0.6 ka. With the exception of the 1.1-ka event, we used the product method to define the earthquake times. The revised WS chronology yields a mean recurrence interval of 1.3 kyr (0.7-1.9-kyr estimated two-sigma (2σ) range based on interevent recurrence). These data help clarify the paleoearthquake history of the WS, including the important question of the timing and rupture extent of the most recent earthquake, and are essential to the improvement of earthquake-probability assessments for the Wasatch Front region.
Human navigation in networks

World around us interconnected in giant networks and we are daily navigating and finding paths through such networks. For example, we browse the Web [2], search for connections among friends in social networks, follow leads in citation networks[6, 3], of scientific literature, and look up things in cross-referenced dictionaries and encyclopedias. Even though navigating networks is an essential part of our everyday lives, little is known about the mechanisms humans use to navigate networks as well as the properties of networks that allow for efficient navigation.We conduct two large scale studies of human navigation in networks. First, we present a study an instance of Milgram's small-world experiment where the task is to navigate from a given source to a given target node using only the local network information [5]. We perform a computational analysis of a planetary-scale social network of 240 million people and 1.3 billion edges and investigate the importance of geographic cues for navigating the network. Second, we also discuss a large-scale study of human wayfinding, in which, given a network of links between the concepts of Wikipedia, people play a game of finding a short path from a given start to a given target concept by following hyperlinks (Figure 1) [7]. We study more than 30,000 goal-directed human search paths through Wikipedia network and identify strategies people use when navigating information spaces.Even though the domains of social and information networks are very different, we find many commonalities in navigation of the two networks. Humans tend to be good at finding short paths, despite the fact that the networks are very large [8]. Human paths differ from shortest paths in characteristic ways. At the early stages of the search navigating to a high-degree hub node helps, while in the later stage, content features and geography provide the most important clues. We also observe a trade-off between simplicity and efficiency: conceptually simple solutions are more common but tend to be less efficient than more complex ones [9].One potential reason for good human performance could be that humans possess vast amounts of background knowledge about the network, which they leverage to make good guesses about possible paths. So we ask the question: Are human-like high-level reasoning skills really necessary for finding short paths? To answer this question, we design a number of navigation agents without such skills, which use only simple numerical features [8]. We evaluate the agents on the task of navigating both networks. We observe that the agents find shorter paths than humans on average and therefore conclude that, perhaps surprisingly, no sophisticated background knowledge or high-level reasoning is required for navigating a complex network.
Minimizing sample shape and size effects in all purpose magnetometers.

When measurements are made with a magnetometer, it is usually assumed that the sample produces a pure dipolar magnetic field. This is only true if the sample is a sphere. If the sample is not a sphere, the magnetic field produced by it will also contain higher order multipoles. These components of the magnetic field depend not only on the volume and magnetization but also on the sample’s shape and size. Ideally the measured moment of a sample is only proportional to the sample’s magnetization and volume. This paper explains why a sample’s shape and size affects the response of a magnetometer, shows results illustrating this effect, and discusses conditions that will minimize these effects.
SEQUOIA: A fine resolution chopper spectrometer at the SNS

Abstract SEQUOIA is a high resolution direct geometry chopper spectrometer currently under construction at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The spectrometer is designed for incident energies ranging from E i = 20 – 2000 meV with resolution at the elastic position of Δ E / E i ∼ 1 – 5 % . With unprecedented monochromatic peak flux, SEQUOIA will be a unique best in class spectrometer. SEQUOIA takes advantage of several recent innovations in neutron instrumentation to excel in its performance. The performance of SEQUOIA, details of the innovations mentioned above, and the current status of construction will be presented.
Monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase activities in cultured human skin fibroblasts.

Abstract Human fibroblasts obtained from normal male children and children with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome were found to contain both the A and B forms of monoamine oxidase, with the A form predominating. Both forms of monoamine oxidase showed decreased activities in Lesch-Nyhan, as compared to normal cells; while catechol-O-methyltrans-ferase activities were similar. This study demonstrates the usefulness of fibroblasts cultured from human skin biopsies in analyses of alterations in catecholamine catabolism associated with inherited neurologic diseases.
Self-assembled ferrimagnet--polymer composites for magnetic recording media.

A self-assembled magnetic recording medium was created using colloidal ferrimagnetic building blocks. Monodisperse cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4) were synthesized using solution-based methods and then stabilized in solution using the amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(styrene) (PAA-PS). The acid groups of the acrylate block bound the polymer to the nanoparticle surface via multivalent interactions, while the styrene block afforded the magnetic nanoparticle−polymer complex solubility in organic solvents. Moreover, the diblock copolymer improved the colloidal stability of the ferrimagnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles by reducing the strong interparticle magnetic interactions, which typically caused the ferrimagnetic nanoparticles to irreversibly aggregate. The nanoparticle−polymer complex was spin-coated onto a silicon substrate to afford self-organized thin film arrays, with the interparticle spacing determined by the molecular weight of the diblock copolymer. The thin film composit...
Observations on the behavior of Asterias forbesi feeding on Mercenaria mercenaria

Abstract The behavior of the sea star, Asterias forbesi, feeding on hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria, was observed in large tanks with and without sand as a substrate for burial. The sea star captures clams by excavating them, apparently in a non-random fashion. This behavior is described. The seasonal feeding pattern of A. forbesi on buried clams was bimodal with peaks occurring in the spring and fall. Sea star digging effort (# pits/day/clam excavated during each monthly sample) varied with the average monthly temperature from Sept. 1977 to June, 1977. During March and April 1977, three day averages for number of sea star excavations varied with three day averages for the number of visible clam siphons. More clams were unearthed between the new moon and first quarter than between other phases of the moon. A. forbesi attempted to open clams either solitarily or in aggregation. Both processes depended on the realtive sizes of predator and prey. Large clams (5->7 cm length) were generally attacked in aggr...
The Effects of rAAV2-Mediated NGF Gene Delivery in Adult and Aged Rats

Nerve growth factor (NGF) therapy has been proposed to treat patients with age-related cognitive deficits, including those with Alzheimer's disease. One promising approach to delivering this protein into brain involves viral vectors. However, little is known about the effects of aging on gene transfer in brain generally and in particular its effect on transgenic NGF expression. To examine the transgene expression and biological effects of NGF gene transfer in adult and aged rats, we delivered mouse NGF with C-terminal myc-tag, using a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (rAAV2) vector, into the septum of 6- and 21-month-old Fischer 344/Brown Norway hybrid rats. Other animals received a control vector encoding green fluorescent protein. As expected, this strain of rat demonstrated very few age-related deficits in spatial memory-related behavior in the Morris water task either before gene transfer (6 vs 21 months) or afterward (up to 11 vs 26 months). We found that rAAV2 vectors drove transgene expression in aged rats up to 5 months, although the level of transgene expression was lower than that of adult animals. We also showed that NGF gene transfer into the septum of aged animals induced local trophic effects by increasing the number and soma area of septal cholinergic neurons and improved distal synaptic activity by increasing the level of depolarization-induced acetylcholine (ACh) release from hippocampal synaptic terminals. Interestingly, NGF gene transfer suppressed depolarization-induced ACh release in adult rats. These findings show for the first time, to our knowledge, that septal NGF gene transfer modulates hippocampal nerve terminal function. These results are relevant for the potential clinical application of NGF gene therapy.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF CENTRIFUGED AMOEBA PROTEUS.

SYNOPSIS. The subcellar components within living inter-phase Amoeba proteus organisms were stratified by centrifugal forces which ranged from 700 g to 10,000 g. The amoebae were fixed in OsO4 immediately afterwards, embedded in Epon resin, and examined with an RCA EMU-3E or an RCA EMU-3F electron microscope. For convenience in presentation, the strata are classified into 8 zones and discussed in order from the centripetal (zone 1) to the centrifugal pole. Zone 1 contains the fat globules most of which range in size from 1 to 5 μ; the centrifuged globules do not coalesce, probably because each globule has a surrounding membrane. Zone 2 has the contractile vacuole, groundplasm, and some irregular vacuoles which are a few microns in size. Zone 3 is the largest in volume and contains mostly groundplasm in which are suspended numerous small vesicles (ca. 0.5 μ or less). Many of these are about 0.3 μ in size and appear to be the alpha granules previously described by light microscopists as minute particles (ca. 0.25 μ), and also studied by us with the phase microscope in living, centrifuged amoebae. In addition, this zone contains electron-dense prolate spheroid bodies which are oriented in the direction of the centrifugal force. Zone 4, which is not sharply separated from zones 3 and 5, contains a variety of vesicles and vacuoles ranging from 0.1 μ to a few microns in diameter, and scattered electron-dense spheroidal bodies, all suspended in groundplasm. Zone 5 contains the nucleus and a well defined stratum of Golgi bodies. Zone 6 is the mitochondrial stratum with quite distinct borders while zone 7 has the food vacuoles and the infective organisms. Zone 8 is made up of membranous vacuoles containing crystals. In amoebae centrifuged at 10,000 g the spaces between the crystal vacuoles have a high concentration of 40-mμ electron-dense particles that frequently appear in small aggregates. Some components, such as the small vesicles and the electron-dense prolate spheroid bodies characteristic of zone 3, do not form a sharply defined stratum even at forces of 10,000 g. A comparative electron microscope study is made between centrifuged A. proteus and Pelomyxa illinoisensis amoebae, the latter being relatively radiosensitive.
Effect of Schistosoma mansoni on the gross lipid composition of its vector Biomphalaria glabrata

Abstract 1. 1. The total lipid level of the digestive gland-gonad complex of Biomphalaria glabrata was reduced by starvation and elevated following infection with Schistosoma mansoni. 2. 2. The lipid classes of B. glabrata were phospholipid, monoglyceride, free fatty acid, triglyceride, sterol ester and wax and a single unidentified lipid. The major lipid present in control, starved and infected tissue was sterol. Triglyceride was a minor component of control tissue. 3. 3. Starvation reduced the relative level of the unidentified lipid but had little effect on triglyceride. 4. 4. Infection also caused a decrease in the unidentified component but the triglyceride level was sharply elevated. 5. 5. The phospholipid fraction of tissue from all groups was composed of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl serine. Infection and starvation had little effect on the composition.
Fuzzy controllers in nuclear material accounting

Abstract Fuzzy controllers are applied to predicting and modeling a time series, with particular emphasis on anomaly detection in nuclear material inventory differences. As compared to neural networks, the fuzzy controllers can operate in real time; their learning process does not require many iterations to converge. For this reason fuzzy controllers are potentially useful in time series forecasting, where we want to detect and identify trends in real time. We describe an object-oriented implementation of the algorithm advanced by Wang and Mendel. Numerical results are presented both for inventory data and time series corresponding to chaotic situations, such as encountered in the context of strange attractors. In the latter case, the effects of noise on the predictive power of the fuzzy controller are explored.
Estimation of Vibration Power Absorption Density in Human Fingers

The absorption of hand-transmitted vibration energy may be an etiological factor in vibration-induced disorders. The vibration power absorption density (VPAD) may be a better measure of energy than the total power absorption of the hand-arm system. The objectives of the present study are to develop a method to estimate the average absorption density in the fingers and to investigate its basic characteristics. Ten healthy male subjects were used in this study. The biodynamic response of the fingers in a power grip subjected to a broad-band random excitation was measured under three grip forces (15, 30, 50 N) and three push forces (35, 45, 50 N). The response was used to estimate the total finger energy absorption. The response, together with the finger volume, was also used to estimate the amount of tissue effectively involved in the absorption. Then, the average VPAD under constant-acceleration, constant-power density, constant-velocity vibration spectra, and 20 tool vibration spectra were calculated. The correlations between the VPAD and the unweighted and weighted accelerations (ISO 5349-1, 2001) were also examined. The VPAD depends on both the characteristics of the vibration spectrum and the biodynamic response of the finger-hand-arm system. The biodynamic response generally plays a more important role in determining the VPAD in the middle frequency range (31.5-400 Hz) than those at the low and high ends. The applied force significantly affected the VPAD. The finger VPAD was highly correlated to the unweighted acceleration. The average VPAD can be determined using the proposed experimental method. It can serve as an alternative tool to quantify the severity of the vibration exposure for studying vibration-induced finger disorders.
Regio- and Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation of an Unsymmetrical Substrate: A Working Model

The evolution of a model for understanding asymmetric allylic alkylations catalyzed by palladium with the use of ligands derived from chiral diamines and 2-diphenylphosphinobenzoic acid provides a basis for attacking the problem of regio- and enantioselective alkylations proceeding through the intermediacy of 1-monosubstituted allyl complexes. The model predicted that in the kinetic ionization of an achiral precursor the major enantiomer of the product resulting from attack at the more substituted terminus would be the mirror image of that obtained under Curtin−Hammett conditions. Experimentally, the ee was rationally varied from 66% of one enantiomer to 83% of the mirror image using the same ligand. Nonpolar solvents and the absence of counterions that coordinate to palladium favor the kinetic product. More polar solvents and counterions that coordinate well to palladium favor Curtin−Hammett conditions. For maximum regio- and enantioselectivity, the chiral racemic 3-substituted-1-alkene is the preferred ...
Accumulation of artemisinin trioxane derivatives within neutral lipids of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites is endoperoxide-dependent

The antimalarial trioxanes, exemplified by the naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin and its semi-synthetic derivatives, contain an endoperoxide pharmacophore that lends tremendous potency against Plasmodium parasites. Despite decades of research, their mechanism of action remains unresolved. A leading model of anti-plasmodial activity hypothesizes that iron-mediated cleavage of the endoperoxide bridge generates cytotoxic drug metabolites capable of damaging cellular macromolecules. To probe the malarial targets of the endoperoxide drugs, we studied the distribution of fluorescent dansyl trioxane derivatives in living, intraerythrocytic-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites using microscopic imaging. The fluorescent trioxanes rapidly accumulated in parasitized erythrocytes, localizing within digestive vacuole-associated neutral lipid bodies of trophozoites and schizonts, and surrounding the developing merozoite membranes. Artemisinin pre-treatment significantly reduced fluorescent labeling of neutral lipid bodies, while iron chelation increased non-specific cytoplasmic localization. To further explore the effects of endoperoxides on cellular lipids, we used an oxidation-sensitive BODIPY lipid probe to show the presence of artemisinin-induced peroxyl radicals in parasite membranes. Lipid extracts from artemisinin-exposed parasites contained increased amounts of free fatty acids and a novel cholesteryl ester. The cellular accumulation patterns and effects on lipids were entirely endoperoxide-dependent, as inactive dioxolane analogs lacking the endoperoxide moiety failed to label neutral lipid bodies or induce oxidative membrane damage. In the parasite digestive vacuole, neutral lipids closely associate with heme and promote hemozoin formation. We propose that the trioxane artemisinin and its derivatives are activated by heme-iron within the neutral lipid environment where they initiate oxidation reactions that damage parasite membranes.
Fatty hormones in cotton fibers 1.—Their isolation and characterisation of the constituent fatty acids

A method for the large-scale isolation of plant hormones from cotton fibers is described. Chemical euamination revealed that these are fatty substances. The constituent fatty acids in the hormones were determined by chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses which showed various fatty acids with 14–22 carbon atoms.
131I utilization by thyroid tissue of the hagfish

Abstract Iodine utilization by the hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii , was studied at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 days after the injection of 131 I. The 131 I was taken up by the thyroid elements dispersed in the gill region and incorporated into protein bound form. Enzymic hydrolysis followed by chromatography of this 131 I protein revealed the presence of [ 131 I]monoiodotyrosine (22–47%), diidotyrosine (13–35%), and very small amounts of thyroxine (0.7–2.2%). [ 131 I]thyroxine was not detectable in plasma of the hagfish until the fourth day after the 131 I injection.
Regulating Bankruptcy Abuse: An Empirical Study of Consumer Exemptions Cases

This article presents the results of an empirical study of bankruptcy court doctrine in consumer exemptions proceedings over a 20-year period. The study shows a pattern in which bankruptcy courts signal a systematic tendency to limit access to exemptions based on judicial pronouncements about debtor sophistication. The data show a correlation of as much as 78.9 percent between debtors' denial of access to exemptions and judicial pronouncement of debtors' sophistication. This systemic rule conditioning access to exemptions based on debtors' sophistication emerged endogenously, without the prompting of hierarchical, exogenous forces such as congressional or appellate court directives.
After Kohlberg: Virtue ethics and the recovery of the moral self

Abstract A resurgence of interest in virtue ethics has engendered new insight into the fundamental link between selfhood and morality. In contradistinction to the currently ascendant justice‐reasoning research paradigm, it appears that a virtue ethics approach to moral psychology provides a theoretical framework which is amenable to the empirical investigation of the nature and formation of the moral self. Six primary features of virtue ethics are delineated with a unifying emphasis throughout on the inextricable link between virtue and moral selfhood. Questions and issues concerning the possibility of a psychology of virtue ethics are directly addressed throughout.
Special characteristics of cellular immune function in normal individuals of the HLA-DR3 type.

Abstract Studies with a number of tests of in vitro cellular immune function have shown differences between DR3-positive normal individuals and those of other DR types. Increased Ig synthesis and decreased Con A-induced suppression were the most striking changes observed in this preliminary investigation. Further studies especially with additional suppressor cell assays appear waranted. The possibilities that such changes play a significant role in the development of diseases associated with the DR3 phenotype is discussed.
Didactic CME and practice change: don't throw that baby out quite yet.

Skepticism exists regarding the role of continuing medical education (CME) in improving physician performance. The harshest criticism has been reserved for didactic CME. Reviews of the scientific literature on the effectiveness of CME conclude that formal or didactic modes of education have little or no impact on clinical practice. This has led some to argue that didactic CME is a highly questionable use of organizational and financial resources, and a cause of lost opportunities for physicians to engage in meaningful learning. The authors’ current program of research has forced them to reconsider the received wisdom regarding the relationship between didactic modes of education and learning, and the role frank dissemination can play in bringing about practice change. The authors argued that the practice of assessing and valuing educational methods based only on their capacity to directly influence practice reflects an impoverished understanding of how change in clinical practice actually occurs. Drawing on case studies research, examples were given of the functions didactic CME served in the interest of improved practice. Reasons were then explored as to why the contribution of didactic CME is often missed or dismissed. The goal was not to advocate for a return to the status quo ante where lecture-based education is the dominant modality, but rather to acknowledge both the limits and potential of this longstanding approach to delivering continuing education.
Is past prologue, or just passed and lacking presence?

This essay revisits the context and arguments presented by the author in IJIR in 1989, entitled “Issues in the development of a theory of interpersonal competence in the intercultural context.” Several propositions are posited and elaborated. First, culture is a product of interpersonal interaction, not intercultural interaction. Second, people are far more similar in their communication than they are different across cultures. Third, interpersonal communication competence is therefore the foundational framework from which to understand intercultural competence. Fourth, culture is therefore more of a moderator variable than an ontological or epistemological lens. Fifth, culture therefore needs to be conceptualised and operationalised in ways that parallel the micro- and macro-level ways in which interpersonal competence is manifest and translated. Sixth, extant intercultural competence research has paid too little attention to the lessons learned in interpersonal competence research. In response to these concerns, a set of axioms of interpersonal communicative competence is specified.
Pulsed laser deposition of electronic ceramics

Abstract Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a unique physical vapor deposition technique which has gained considerable attention recently in the deposition of high quality, high temperature superconductors. In this technique, a short pulsed laser (
Co-leader termination in an outpatient alcohol treatment group

The termination of a co-leader from a long-term therapy group for alcoholic outpatients is described over a seven-week period from the initial termination announcement to the first week following the co-leader's departure. The authors highlight salient themes and defensive maneuvers that appear as the group struggles with the difficult task of termination. Attempting initially to flee from the impending loss, the group defends with pseudomature responses and veiled hostility. These are followed by themes of abandonment and loss. The group leaders' initial collusion with the group's denial of loss is described, along with leader tactics to facilitate the group's termination work. Finally, the meaning of a group farewell gift is discussed in terms of both its implicit communications and as a form of resistance.
Dopaminergic factors in human prolactin regulation: effects of neuroleptics and dopamine.

Abstract (1) We have recently suggested that the plasma prolactin (PRL) response to the administration of a neuroleptic drug may serve as a measure of dopaminergic blockade in man. (2) In four normal men the PRL concentration remained elevated above baseline for at least seven hr following a single i.m. administration of haloperidol 1 mg; this is consistent with reported data on the plasma half-life of haloperidol. (3) With six normal men as their own controls, dose-PRL response curves of haloperidol, prochlorperazine and thiothixene were shown to be essentially parallel, suggesting a common antidopaminergic mechanism of action when releasing PRL. (4) In two studies, dopamine hydrochloride was infused at a constant rate of 0.3 mg/min; the DA infusion was started either immediately after a neuroleptic had been given i.v. or 30 min later. In the first study DA totally antagonized the neuroleptic induced PRL response; in the second study DA suppressed the neuroleptic-induced high PRL concentration to baseline level within one hr. (5) These findings provide further support for the hypothesis that the PRL response to a neuroleptic is a valid test of dopaminergic blockade in man.
Systematic error on the part of human links in communication systems

To the human being considered as a potential link in a communication system are attributed constant errors, or biases, over and above random imperfection of performance. The psychological research literature has been searched for an inventory of recurrent bias tendencies. This review enumerates twenty-one of these, in two major groups: those found in the duplicatory transmission task and those characteristic of the reductive coding assignment.
Current-driven textural transition in a 3 He-A slab near T c . Numerical extension beyond threshold

The current-induced textural transion in a slab of 3He-A for temperatures near the critical temperature is studied numerically in the nonlinear regime above the threshold. The thick-slab, dipole-locked case and the thin-slab, dipoleunlocked case give second-order and first-order transitions, respectively. The nonplanar textures which should occur beyond the transition are illustrated in a number of ways, and pertinent data are obtained for verifying these transitions by sound attenuation and superfluid density measurements.
Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel patterns across the menstrual cycle in dysmenorrhea.

Gastrointestinal (GI) functional indicators and symptoms across the menstrual cycle were examined in three groups of women: dysmenorrheic (n = 15), non-pill-taking nondysmenorrheic (n = 10), and nondysmenorrheic taking birth control pills (BCPs) (n = 9). Group assignment was based on the reported presence or absence of moderate to severe menstrual cramps in a GI Health Diary which subjects kept for two menstrual cycles. Stool consistencies and frequencies and GI symptoms were also recorded in this diary. Menstrual cycle phase significantly, p = .03, influenced stool consistencies for the sample as a whole with the loosest stools at menses. Reports of stomach pain were higher, p less than .001, at menses than at other cycle phases in all groups, and nausea, p less than .001, and decreased food intake, p less than .01, were more frequently reported by dysmenorrheic women at menses. More dysmenorrheic women had a history of menses-related GI symptoms. Both cycle phase and group differences were significant, p less than .05, for menstrual distress, with negative affect, pain, behavior changes, and autonomic reactions reported more frequently at menses by dysmenorrheic women.
Prescribing Patterns of Primary Care Physicians and Otolaryngologists in the Management of Laryngeal Disorders

ObjectiveTo examine how primary care physicians (PCPs) and otolaryngologists use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antibiotics, antihistamines, oral and inhaled steroids, and histamine 2 antagonists in the treatment of laryngeal disorders.Study Design and SettingRetrospective analysis of data from a large, national administrative US claims database.Subjects and MethodsPatients with laryngeal disorders based on ICD-9-CM codes from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2008, seen as an outpatient by a PCP, otolaryngologist, or both and continuously enrolled for 12 months were included. Pharmacy claims, age, gender, geographic location, comorbid conditions, provider type, and laryngeal diagnosis were collected. Random-effects logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsOf approximately 55 million individuals, 135,973 had a laryngeal diagnosis, 12 months post–index date follow-up, and an outpatient encounter with a PCP, otolaryngologist, or both. Acute laryngitis was one of ...
Hearing Results With the Dornhoffer Ossicular Replacement Prostheses

The "ideal" prosthesis for ossicular reconstruction should, from a surgical standpoint, require easy manipulation, reduce surgeries to partial or total variants, and be constructed of stable, biocompatible material. From an acoustic standpoint, a prosthesis should weigh 10 to 40 mg, provide proper tension between the tympanic membrane (TM) and stapes, form less than a 30-degree angle with the TM, and accommodate the malleus. Work was conducted with Smith & Nephew Richards, Inc. (Memphis, TN), to develop a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) and a total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) that combined the majority of these features. This retrospective study used a computerized otologic database to identify patients implanted with a Dornhoffer HAPEX PORP or TORP from June 1995 to March 1997. The surgical procedures utilizing these prostheses were primary cholesteatoma and revision surgery of previously performed modified or radical mastoidectomies complicated by poor hearing or chronically draining cavities. Preoperative and postoperative air and bone conduction four-frequency (500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz) pure-tone averages (PTAs) were used to calculate the PTA air-bone gaps (ABGs). Results in 52 cases (follow-up, 1 year) showed a statistically significant improvement in hearing (P < 0.05) for each group. Excellent hearing results (< or = 10 dB PTA-ABG) were seen in 69% of PORP cases and in 35% of TORP cases, and good results (11 to 20 dB PTA-ABG) were seen in 31% and 50% of PORP and TORP cases, respectively. Designing an ossicular replacement prosthesis with both surgical and acoustic factors in mind has led to encouraging short-term hearing results.
Eugenol: Some Pharmacologic Observations

Eugenol introduced directly into the circulatory system of the dog caused a strong but transient reduction in arterial blood pressure and myocardial contractile force, without appreciably changing heart rate or electric activity. Intra-arterial injection of the drug resulted in increased blood flow to the region.
Harmonic conformal flows on manifolds of constant curvature

We compute the energy of conformal flows on Riemannian manifolds and we prove that conformal flows on manifolds of constant curvature are critical if and only if they are isometric.
A Lasting Impression: A Pedagogical Perspective on Youth Fitness Testing

This article addresses ways in which fitness tests can be used positively in physical education. We take the position throughout the article that fitness tests should be used as formative evaluation to further educational goals. We begin by discussing the different ways in which adults and children use fitness tests. The next section, the heart of the article, provides guidelines for incorporating fitness testing into the physical education curriculum and maintains that: (a) fitness testing should be implemented as an integral part of fitness instruction; (b) fitness testing results should be used to assess fitness instruction and student learning; and (c) the expectation should be that all children have the potential to meet basic health-related fitness standards. The final section focuses on the related issues of students' perceptions of fitness tests and ways to assist teachers in productively implementing fitness tests.
The effect of beaver ponds on the nonpoint source water quality of a stream in Southwestern Wyoming

Currant Creek, a second order stream in southwestern Wyoming, has three large complexes of beaver ponds midway along its 32 km length. To determine whether these ponds improve the quality of water flowing through them, during spring and summer of 1984 and 1985 water samples were taken upstream from, within, and downstream from the pond complexes. During periods of high flow (i.e. spring runoff), concentrations of suspended solids (SS), total phosphorus (TP), sodium hydroxide-extractable phosphorus (NaOH-P, an index of biologically available P) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) were reduced in water flowing through the beaver ponds. During low flow, beaver ponds had less effect on these parameters. Concentrations of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) were reduced during both high and low flows, while concentrations of ortho-phosphate (ortho-P) did not appear to be affected by beaver ponds. Ammonia nitrogen almost always was at the limit of detection. Regression of NaOH-P versus [SS plus ortho-P] suggested that the primary source of NaOH-P was SS. In general, SS explained a large portion of the variation in TP, TKN, and NaOH-P, and often ortho-P was significantly correlated to TP. The increase in the concentration of most parameters below the area with dam complexes appears to reflect input from bank and channel erosion, and export of SS, TP, TKN and NO3-N from beaver dam complexes was calculated to be less than that from stream sections above or below the dams. Thus the location of dams should be considered before using them to try and improve water quality. The apparent importance of bank and channel erosion as the primary source of nutrients to Currant Creek contrasts with many watersheds in agricultural areas.
Tensor analyzing powers in He-4 (d, d) He-4 elastic scattering between 17 and 45 MeV

Angular distribution measurements were made of the differential cross section $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ and the tensor analyzing powers ${A}_{\mathrm{yy}}$ and ${A}_{\mathrm{xx}}$ in $d\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ elastic scattering between deuteron beam energies of 17 and 45 MeV. The analyzing powers are large over this energy range and suitable for use as a secondary polarization standard. The use of rapid spin flip on the polarized ion source appreciably reduced experimental errors.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{4}\mathrm{He}(d,d)^{4}\mathrm{He}$ elastic scattering, ${E}_{d}=17\ensuremath{-}45$ MeV; measured $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$, tensor analyzing powers ${A}_{\mathrm{yy}}$ and ${A}_{\mathrm{xx}}$.
Structural Reliability Applications of Nonstationary Spectral Characteristics

This paper presents new closed-form analytical approximations to the first-passage problem in structural reliability by using the exact closed-form solutions for the spectral characteristics of nonstationary random processes. The first-passage problem applied to a structural system possibly with random parameters and subjected to stochastic loading consists of computing the probability of a response quantity exceeding a deterministic threshold in a given exposure time. This paper also investigates, on the basis of benchmark problems, the absolute and relative accuracy of analytical approximations of the time-variant failure probability, such as Poisson, classical Vanmarcke, and modified Vanmarcke approximations, in the case of nonstationary random vibration. The classical and modified Vanmarcke approximations are expressed as time integrals of the closed forms of the corresponding hazard functions. These closed forms refer to linear elastic systems subjected to stationary and nonstationary base excitation...
Solar UV variability - Effects on stratospheric ozone, trace constituents and thermal structure

The effect of long-term (11-year solar cycle) solar UV variability on stratospheric chemical and thermal structure has been studied using a time-dependent one-dimensional model. Previous studies have suggested substantial variations in local and total ozone, and in stratospheric thermal structure from solar minimum to solar maximum. It is shown here that significant variations also occur in some of the trace constituents. Members of the HO x family and N2O exhibit the largest variations, and these changes, if detected, may provide additional means of verifying the presence of solar UV variability and its effects. Some of the species show large phase differences with the assumed solar flux variation. The role of chemical and transport time constants on the time variations of the trace species is examined. Comparisons with reported ozone and temperature data show reasonable agreement for the period 1960 to 1972.
Comparative Politics of Non-Western Countries*

There is wide recognition that in the non-Western world profound social and cultural changes are taking place as traditional societies have been exposed to the ideas and the ways of the West. There is also general agreement that new political patterns and relationships are evolving in these countries. However, with respect to most non-Western countries, it remains difficult to foresee whether the consequences of social change are to be stable, viable political practices or endemic instabilities in government. In many cases, it is still an open question whether the future will bring them a liberal democratic form of politics or some type of authoritarian rule such as communism.This state of affairs can be a challenge to the comparative method of political analysis. This is particularly so because most of the non-Western political systems have many features in common. They are generally the product of a traditional past in which the administration of government was the preserve of a select few. Many show the influence of a previous colonial rule, some even that of the same country. More important, they are often quite self-conscious about the problem of moving from a definite past to an idealized future.
Pactive sensors for security applications

In this paper, we describe a novel sensor that combines features from both passive and active millimeterwave systems: a pactive sensor. The usefulness of a pactive sensor lies in its ability to combine measurements to reduce ambiguity; to switch between modalities in order to resolve and enhance image details; to preserve size, weight, and power (SWaP); and finally to reduce cost.
Vitreoscilla hemoglobin enhances the first step in 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradation in vitro and at low aeration in vivo

Abstract The initial enzyme in 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) catabolism from Burkholderia sp. strain DNT is DNT dioxygenase, which catalyzes oxygen addition to 2,4-DNT to form 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (MNC). The gene for this enzyme, dntA , was placed into Escherichia coli both in the presence and absence of the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene, vgb , producing strains PF6 and PFJS39, respectively. PF6 outgrew PFJS39 in LB medium and at restricted aeration in minimal medium containing 110 μM (20 ppm) 2,4-DNT. When grown in minimal medium containing 110 μM 2,4-DNT with normal aeration, the two strains converted 2,4-DNT to MNC at almost the same rate, while with restricted aeration the rate for PF6 was twice that of PFJS39. The V max and K M for 2,4-DNT for the conversion was determined using whole cells and whole cell lysates of both strains. For cells grown under both normal and restricted aeration in minimal/110 μM 2,4-DNT medium there was a three- to four-fold increase in V max for PF6 compared to PFJS39 but also about a 50% increase in the apparent K M . These results support the idea that Vitreoscilla hemoglobin can enhance bioremediation pathways of aromatic compounds that require oxygen addition at one or more steps.
Design of parallel resonant convertor with LCC-type commutation

Using a set of characteristic curves derived from the stateplane diagram, a novel approach to the design of the LCCtype capacitive coupled parallel resonant convertor (LCC-type PRQ, operating in the continuous conduction mode, is presented. The steady-state response of the convertor can also be obtained from the characteristic curves, from which the convenor's component stress can be easily assessed.
Stakeholder leadership: organizational change and power

Purpose – To research how the chief executive officers (CEO) and vice presidents (VPs) and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) developed into a highly collaborative enterprise in managing change on a daily basis.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, was used in gathering data. Archival records – meeting minutes, memos, internal and external diagnostic surveys, local and regional newspapers – enabled collecting data over an extended period, in addition to direct observation (April 2003‐May 2004) and interviews: retrospective and concurrent. Content analysis – a qualitative method employed through grounded theory (analytic induction) – generated the themes from the archival and interview data.Findings – Quantitative data suggest for the years May 2000‐December 2003 a change in behavior toward more participation occurred at SRHS, on an organizational level and in the relations between the CEO and VPs; also during this period the hospital...
The influence of acute resistance exercise on cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 activity and protein levels in human skeletal muscle.

This study evaluated the activity and content of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 in response to acute resistance exercise (RE) in human skeletal muscle. Previous work suggests that COX-1, but not COX...
Radius-luminosity and mass-luminosity relationships for active galactic nuclei

Broad-line region (BLR) sizes derived from spectral variability and BLR line widths are used to directly derive the mass (M) of the central objects of ten active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in a uniform manner. It is shown that the luminosity-weighted C IV 1549-emitting BLR radius (R) correlates with the bolometric luminosity L(Bol) and is consistent with R about sq rt L(Bol). The measurements also permit a verification of the Dibai mass-luminosity (M-L) relationship (previously derived indirectly). It is found that L(Bol) is proportional to M exp (1.1 + or - 0.3). It is found that the efficiency factor epsilon, defined as the ratio of L(Bol) to the Eddington luminosity increases from 0.03 in the low-luminosity Seyferts up to 0.06 in the most luminous objects in the sample.
Kadre: domain-specific architectural recovery for scientific software systems

Scientists today conduct new research via software-based experimentation and validation in a host of disciplines. Scientific software represents a significant investment due to its complexity and longevity yet there is little reuse of scientific software beyond small libraries which increases development and maintenance costs. To alleviate this disconnect, we have developed KADRE, a domain-specific architecture recovery approach and toolset to aid automatic and accurate identification of workflow components in existing scientific software. KADRE improves upon state of the art general cluster techniques, helping to promote component-based reuse within the domain.
Toward large-scale situation awareness applications on camera networks

Ubiquitous deployment of cameras and recent advances in video analytics enable a new class of applications, situation awareness using camera networks. The application class includes surveillance, traffic monitoring, and assisted living that autonomously generate actionable knowledge from a large number of camera streams. Despite technological advances, developing a large-scale situation awareness application still remains a challenge due to the programming complexity, highly dynamic workloads, and latency-sensitive quality of service. To solve the problem, my research topic concerns developing a programming model and a runtime system to support large-scale situation awareness applications on camera networks. The programming model requires a minimal set of domain-specific handlers from the domain experts, allowing them to focus on the algorithmic aspect of situation awareness applications rather than the details of distributed programming. The runtime system provides automatic resource management using smart cameras and the cloud for handling dynamic workloads and ensuring latency-sensitive quality of services.