cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal predictability of the Atlantic Warm Pool in the NCEP CFS

[1] The July–August–September (JAS) seasonal predictability of the Atlantic Warm Pool (AWP) is examined in the extensive set of seasonal hindcasts of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System (CFS). We conduct both deterministic and probabilistic skill analyses of the NCEP CFS Seasonal Hindcasts (SHs). This study reveals that the SHs have a reasonable climatology of the AWP. The presence of robust decadal variability in sea surface temperature (SST) observations, while absent in the SHs, does seem to indicate its influence on the seasonal errors of the AWP in the NCEP CFS. However, after filtering out the observed SST for variability greater than 8 years, there is no systematic relation of AWP seasonal errors in the NCEP CFS with lead time. The signal to noise ratio of the area of the AWP in the SHs decreases with lead time, largely due to increases in the ensemble spread (noise). It is sobering to note that there is barely any probabilistic skill in the NCEP CFS SHs for the prediction of the anomalous AWP events (occurring either in the upper or lower terciles) at nearly all lead times. However if we examine the SHs from 1981–1996, when the observed SST in the AWP region is in one uniform phase of the prevalent decadal variation, then the SHs display useful skill in the prediction of anomalously large AWP events at all lead times. Furthermore, these truncated SHs also show significant probabilistic skill in the prediction of small (lower tercile) and normal (middle tercile) AWP events up to a lead time of 1 month.
Calculation of Electron Transfer Rate Constants from Emission Spectra in Re(I) Chromophore−Quencher Complexes

The photophysical properties of the chromophore−quencher complexes, fac-[(4,4‘-R2bpy)ReI(CO)3(LA)]n+ (4,4‘-R2bpy = 4,4‘-R2-2,2‘-bipyridine, R = Me or tBu, and LA = the quinone acceptor ligands, benz[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione (BIQD), 2-oxy-1,4-naphthoquinone anion (ONQ-), 1/2 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone dianion (AFA2-), or the pyridinium acceptor, 1-methyl-6-oxyquinoline (OQD)) in 1,2-dichloroethane are described. Following ReI → 4,4‘-R2bpy metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excitation, intramolecular electron transfer leads to the transients, fac-[(4,4‘-R2bpy)ReII(CO)3(LA•-)]n+. They have been characterized by emission spectral fitting and transient absorption measurements and, for LA = OQD, by transient infrared measurements. As shown by analysis of excited-state emission, there is weak-to-moderate electronic coupling between the electron donor and acceptor sites in the transients with HDA varying from 153 cm-1 for the BIQD complex to 3.9 cm-1 for the OQD complex. The transients are redox-separated (R...
Triplet (S = 1) ground state aminyl diradical

Aminyl diradical, which is stable in solution at low temperatures, is prepared. EPR spectra and SQUID magnetometry indicate that the diradical is planar and it possesses triplet ground state, with strong ferromagnetic coupling.
Clinical utility of intraoperative volume computed tomography scanner for endoscopic sinonasal and skull base procedures.

BackgroundIntraoperative surgical navigation has become widely accepted as an important tool for improvement of surgical outcomes and reduction of complication in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Th...
ΔF508 CFTR processing correction and activity in polarized airway and non-airway cell monolayers

We examined the activity of DeltaF508 cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) stably expressed in polarized cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial cells (CFBE41o(-)) human airway cells and Fisher Rat Thyroid (FRT) cells following treatment with low temperature and a panel of small molecule correctors of DeltaF508 CFTR misprocessing. Corr-4a increased DeltaF508 CFTR-dependent Cl(-) conductance in both cell types, whereas treatment with VRT-325 or VRT-640 increased activity only in FRT cells. Total currents stimulated by forskolin and genistein demonstrated similar dose/response effects to Corr-4a treatment in each cell type. When examining the relative contribution of forskolin and genistein to total stimulated current, CFBE41o(-) cells had smaller forskolin-stimulated I(sc) following either low temperature or corr-4a treatment (10-30% of the total I(sc) produced by the combination of both CFTR agonists). In contrast, forskolin consistently contributed greater than 40% of total I(sc) in DeltaF508 CFTR-expressing FRT cells corrected with low temperature, and corr-4a treatment preferentially enhanced forskolin dependent currents only in FRT cells (60% of total I(sc)). DeltaF508 CFTR cDNA transcript levels, DeltaF508 CFTR C band levels, or cAMP signaling did not account for the reduced forskolin response in CFBE41o(-) cells. Treatment with non-specific inhibitors of phosphodiesterases (papaverine) or phosphatases (endothall) did not restore DeltaF508 CFTR activation by forskolin in CFBE41o(-) cells, indicating that the Cl(-) transport defect in airway cells is distal to cAMP or its metabolism. The results identify important differences in DeltaF508 CFTR activation in polarizing epithelial models of CF, and have important implications regarding detection of rescued of DeltaF508 CFTR in vivo.
Prostate CT segmentation method based on nonrigid registration in ultrasound-guided CT-based HDR prostate brachytherapy

Purpose: The technological advances in real-time ultrasound image guidance for high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy have placed this treatment modality at the forefront of innovation in cancer radiotherapy. Prostate HDR treatment often involves placing the HDR catheters (needles) into the prostate gland under the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance, then generating a radiation treatment plan based on CT prostate images, and subsequently delivering high dose of radiation through these catheters. The main challenge for this HDR procedure is to accurately segment the prostate volume in the CT images for the radiation treatment planning. In this study, the authors propose a novel approach that integrates the prostate volume from 3D TRUS images into the treatment planning CT images to provide an accurate prostate delineation for prostate HDR treatment. Methods: The authors’ approach requires acquisition of 3D TRUS prostate images in the operating room right after the HDR catheters are inserted, which takes 1–3 min. These TRUS images are used to create prostate contours. The HDR catheters are reconstructed from the intraoperative TRUS and postoperative CT images, and subsequently used as landmarks for the TRUS–CT image fusion. After TRUS–CT fusion, the TRUS-based prostate volume is deformed to the CT images for treatment planning. This method was first validated with a prostate-phantom study. In addition, a pilot study of ten patients undergoing HDR prostate brachytherapy was conducted to test its clinical feasibility. The accuracy of their approach was assessed through the locations of three implanted fiducial (gold) markers, as well as T2-weighted MR prostate images of patients. Results: For the phantom study, the target registration error (TRE) of gold-markers was 0.41 ± 0.11 mm. For the ten patients, the TRE of gold markers was 1.18 ± 0.26 mm; the prostate volume difference between the authors’ approach and the MRI-based volume was 7.28% ± 0.86%, and the prostate volume Dice overlap coefficient was 91.89% ± 1.19%. Conclusions: The authors have developed a novel approach to improve prostate contour utilizing intraoperative TRUS-based prostate volume in the CT-based prostate HDR treatment planning, demonstrated its clinical feasibility, and validated its accuracy with MRIs. The proposed segmentation method would improve prostate delineations, enable accurate dose planning and treatment delivery, and potentially enhance the treatment outcome of prostate HDR brachytherapy.
Modelling hepatitis C virus kinetics during treatment with pegylated interferon α-2b: errors in the estimation of viral kinetic parameters

Neumann et al. [1] developed a widely used model for the analysis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) dynamics after the initiation of interferon therapy that assumes the effectiveness of therapy in blocking virion production, epsilon, is constant. However, with pegylated interferon alpha-2b (PEG-IFN) given weekly, there are significant changes in drug concentration between doses, leading to changes in drug effectiveness and viral rebounds. To investigate the appropriateness of the constant effectiveness (CE) model [1] for studies involving PEG-IFN, we simulated PEG-IFN treatment, using 294 sets of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameters that span observed ranges and fit the simulated data to the CE model. For most combinations of PK/PD parameters, the fits resulted in an infected cell loss rate, delta, that underestimates the true value used in the simulations and yielded over-estimates of the average effectiveness of PEG-IFN. In the setting of PEG-IFN therapy, the use of the CE model of HCV kinetics has to be reevaluated and the validity of its use depends on the amount of HCV RNA rebound observed between doses.
The Definition, Assessment, and Mitigation of State Boredom Within Educational Settings: A Comprehensive Review

Mitigating the situational factors that give rise to state boredom is a consistent challenge facing educators. Despite the growing amount of literature devoted to the construct, the field has yet to arrive at a consensus regarding a clear theoretical or operational definition. Subsequently, inconsistencies exist in the assessment methodologies, research findings lack generalizability, and strategies for mitigation in educational settings remain elusive. In this cross-disciplinary analysis, the extant literature on state boredom is critically reviewed and synthesized, and a two-dimensional definition of state boredom as an unpleasant (subjective), low-arousal (objective) experience is proposed. Findings from the technological advances of the last decade that allow for the objective measurement of physiological states are used to inform recommendations for empirically sound assessment methodologies. Finally, the proposed definition of state boredom and related assessment strategies are discussed with respect to implications for enhancing educational practices.
Preparation and characterization of 2,4-diaminovaleric acid: an intermediate in the anaerobic oxidation of ornithine.

Abstract 2,4-Diaminovaleric acid was purified in gram quantities, three derivatives were crystallized and characterized, and the structure was verified by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
How do users' search tactic selections influence search outputs in exploratory search tasks?

This study investigates the relationships between users' search tactic selections and search outputs while conducting exploratory searches in digital libraries. Frequencies of different types of search tactics applied in an exploratory search task were counted. Based on correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis, we identified types of search tactics that are associated with aspectual recall. Preliminary results indicate that browsing and evaluating item tactics affect aspectual recall in exploratory search tasks.
Scanning Probe Microscopy of Serpin Polymers

Serpins belong to a superfamily of structurally homologous proteins with metastable native structures. Their metastability is crucial in performing their function as regulators of serine and cysteine protease cascades. However, mutated variants of serpins found in patients with serpinopathies are often prone to polymerization. The most widespread serpinopathy is related to the Z variant of antitrypsin, which forms toxic polymers in the liver leading to liver degeneration. The understanding of polymerization mechanism holds the key to disease prevention, diagnostics and cures. Several models of serpin polymerization have been proposed. Still, the structure of in vivo formed polymers is unknown, and the relevance of in vitro created oligomers to disease related structures is far from established. Here we employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) to compare topography of in vitro and in vivo formed antitrypsin polymers and oligomers. We established morphometric features of Z monomers and in vitro formed dimers with different types of linkage. Moreover, we found a remarkable heterogeneity of unit types and their arrangement in polymer strands isolated from the Z variant mutant mouse liver. Even within the same strand there were examples of a linear arrangement of monomer units and of compact arrangement of dimers. The in vitro formed wild type oligomer preparations contained structures resembling the native Z variant structures from the liver. Still, the partition of types of polymers was strikingly distinct, with compact monomer arrangement and polymerized dimers frequenting the in vitro samples. In addition to AFM, we used scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study the orientation of units in polymers based on the proteins surface charge. Summarizing, SPM imaging provided the unique data on a high heterogeneity of polymers and pointed at certain types of monomer linkages that might help explain the mechanism of serpin polymerization.
Differential effects of phosphorylation of regions of troponin I in modifying cooperative activation of cardiac thin filaments

Ischemia and heart failure are associated with protein kinase C (PKC) dependent phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). We investigated the effect of phosphorylation of cTnI PKC sites S43, S45 and T144 under normal (pH 7.0) and acidic (pH 6.5) conditions on tension in skinned fiber bundles from a mouse heart. To mimic the PKC phosphorylation, we exchanged troponin (cTn) in these fiber bundles with cTn complex containing either cTnI-(S43E/S45E) or cTnI-(T144E). We determined how pseudo-phosphorylation and acidic pH affect activation of thin filaments by strongly bound crossbridges by use of n-ethyl maleimide (NEM-S1) to mimic rigor. We hypothesized that PKC phosphorylation of cTnI amplifies the effect of ischemic/hypoxic conditions to depress myofilament force and Ca(2+)-responsiveness by reducing the ability of rigor crossbridge to activate force. Pseudo-phosphorylation of cTnI at S43/S45 exacerbated the effect of acidic pH to induce a rightward shift in the Ca(2+)-tension relation. Under acidic conditions, fibers regulated by cTnI-(S43E/S45E) demonstrated a significant reduction in the ability of NEM-S1 to recruit cycling crossbridges, when compared to controls regulated by cTnI. Similar effects of pseudo-phosphorylation of cTnI-(T144) occurred, but to a lesser extent that those of pseudo-phosphorylation of S43/S45. We conclude that under acidic conditions PKC phosphorylation of cTnI residues at S43/S45 and at T144 is likely to have differential, but significant effects in depressing the ability of both Ca(2+) and rigor crossbridges to activate force generation. Although these effects of PKC dependent phosphorylation may be maladaptive in heart failure, they may also spare ATP consumption and be cardio-protective in ischemia.
An observational urodynamic evaluation of men with lower urinary tract symptoms treated with doxazosin

Abstract Objectives To assess the urodynamic changes in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of bladder outlet obstruction treated with doxazosin and to correlate these changes with voiding symptoms. Methods Fifty patients with LUTS were treated with doxazosin at a dose of 4 mg/day for 3 months. All men were initially evaluated by International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) questionnaires, measurement of urinary flow rate and complex urodynamic study. Those patients completing the 3-month study underwent repeat testing. Results Forty-four (88%) men underwent initial and follow-up urodynamic evaluation. The mean I-PSS improved from 20.6 to 10.6 (P Conclusions The majority of patients had objective evidence of persistent bladder outlet obstruction after treatment with doxazosin for 3 months despite significant subjective benefit. The results of complex urodynamic evaluation did not predict treatment response in men with LUTS suggestive of bladder outlet obstruction. Urodynamic study does not appear to be helpful in the evaluation of patients with uncomplicated LUTS prior to treatment with doxazosin.
The Role of Residual Source/Drain Implant Damage Traps on SiC MESFET Drain I-V Characteristics

Experimental characterization of 4H-SiC power MESFETs with n + implanted source/drain ohmic contact regions, with and without a p-buffer layer, fabricated on semi-insulating (SI) substrates exhibited hysteresis (looping) in the drain I-V characteristics of both types of devices at 300K and 480K due to traps. However, thermal deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), thermal admittance spectroscopy (TAS), and thermal conductance spectroscopy could detect the traps only in the devices without buffer. Device simulation, using the two-dimensional device simulator Medici™, also showed hysteresis in both types of devices at 300K and 480K. Simulations suggest that, in addition to the SI substrate traps and surface traps, which are known to be a major cause of hysteresis in MESFET drain I-V characteristics, acceptor traps due to residual source/drain implant damage can also be a major contributor to the hysteresis. Further simulations suggest that much of the hysteresis at low gate voltages and all the hysteresis at high temperatures such as 480K are due to acceptor-type source/drain residual implant damage traps with energy levels distributed in the 4H-SiC band gap.
Exceptional preservation of photosynthetic organisms in silicified carbonates and silicified peats

Carbonaceous cherts in Proterozoic carbonate sequences provide an exceptionally clear record of early microbial life, but one that is significantly biased with respect to the range of environments inhabited by contemporary organisms. Many of the best preserved Proterozoic microfossil assemblages come from microbial mats and organicrich muds that accumulated in protected coastal areas where a combination of high productivity, limited water circulation, and, often, hypersalinity limited post mortem degradation. The close distributional relationship between early diagenetic silica and organic matter can be explained in terms of a model developed by Leo and Barghoorn for the silicification of wood. Three factors appear to control the distribution of early diagenetic chert in Proterozoic sequences: sediment permeability, availability of silica in ground water solution, and locally high concentrations of organic matter in near-surface sediments. Of these, organic content appears to impose the major environmental bias. In terms of their excellent preservation, geochemistry of formation, and limited environmental coverage, Phanerozoic silicified peats bear comparison with their Proterozoic counterparts. Swamp dwellers may be the plants most likely to be preserved exceptionally well, but they may also be the plants least likely to give rise to new populations that will become ecologically widespread and evolutionarily important in subsequent periods. Allochthonous elements in permineralized peats may be unusually important to palaeobotany because they combine the exceptional preservation conferred by peat permineralization with ecological representation of floodplain and upland evolutionary cradles rather than swampland museums.
Mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine at the tk locus in L5178Y strains differing in repair capabilities and karyotype.

Abstract The cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 2-amino- N 6 -hydroxyadenine (AHA) were measured in strains of L5178Y differing in repair capabilities and karyotype. Strain LY-R83 is monosomic for chromosome 11 and is therefore hemizygous for the k gene, while strains LY-R16 and LY-S1 are TK +/- heterozygotes. Both strain LY-R83 and LY-R16 are sensitive to UV light and are presumed to be deficient in the excision of pyrimidine dimers as shown for the parental strain, LY-R (Hagen et al., 1988; Szumiel et al., 1988). Strain LY-S1 is sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of ionizing radiation and is presumed to be defective in the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, as shown for the parental strain, LY-S (Evans et al., 1987a; Wlodek and Hittelman, 1987). The sensitivities of the three strains to the cytotoxic effects of AHA were similar. After a 4-hour treatment with AHA at 37°C, the D 37 for all three strains was approximately 35 ng/ml. The AHA-induced mutant frequency was similar for the hemizygous TK + strain LY-R83 and the heterozygous TK +/- strain LY-R16, but was slightly higher for strain LY-S1 than for either LY-R strain at an AHA concentration of 100 ng/ml. The proportion of AHA-induced LY-S1 TK -/- mutants forming colonies with diameters less than 0.3 mm was much lower than following treatment with X radiation (24% vs. 61% for AHA and X radiation, respectively). These results indicate that the vast majority of AHA-induced TK -/- mutants harbor single gene mutations. AHA did not result in cyanide-insensitive oxygen uptake, and treatment with this compound did not induce a significant number of DNA single-strand breaks, DNA alkali labile6lesions, or DDA degradation in either strain. However, two hours after AHA removal, DNA single-strand breaks and/ or alkali-labile lesions, possibly due to the occurrence of DNA repair, were apparent in the DNA of both strain LY-R16 and strain LY-S1.
Improving access to MODIS biophysical science products for NACP investigators

MOSIS 4 NACP is a NASA-funded project supporting the North American Carbon Program (NACP). The purpose of this Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth-Sun System Science (ACCESS) project is to provide researchers with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) biophysical data products that are custom tailored for use in NACP model studies. Standard MODIS biophysical products provide used to improve our understanding on the climate and ecosystem changes. However, direct uses of the MODIS biophysical parameters are constrained by retrieval quality and cloud contamination. Another challenge that NACP users face is acquiring MODIS data in formats and at spatial-temporal resolutions consistent with other data sets they use. We have been working closely with key NACP users to tailor the MODIS products to fit their needs. First, we provide new temporally smoothed and spatially continuous MODIS biophysical data sets. Second, we are distributing MODIS data at suitable spatial- temporal resolutions and in formats consistent with other data integration into model studies.
Diagnosable Systems for Intermittent Faults

Diagnosable systems composed of interconnected units which are capable of testing each other have been studied primarily from the point of view of permanent faults. Along such lines, designs have been proposed, and necessary and sufficient conditions for the diagnosis of such faults have been established. In this paper, we study the intermittent fault diagnosis capabilities of such systems. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived and bounds are established for some well-known systems. It is seen that in contrast to permanent fault diagnosable systems, there exists only a single type of intermittent fault diagnosable system. A procedure is given to determine the intermittent fault diagnosability of any given system.
Benefits of Intensive Auditory Rehabilitation Training

Current models of teaching auditory rehabilitation to the adult with hearing loss often are limited to classroom instruction and eclectic clinical experiences. Two programs at the University of Texas at Dallas, the Summer Intensive Auditory Rehabilitation Conference (SIARC) and the camp for Communication Habilitation via Audition for Teens (Camp CHAT), are designed to immerse both audiology and speech-language pathology students into the rehabilitative process of adults and teens with hearing loss. SIARC is designed for couples and includes a blend of service delivery, student training, and community awareness that occurs over a 5-day period in the clinic and the community. Camp CHAT is designed for teens with hearing loss and their parents who engage in fun activities to learn communication techniques while trying new technology at a weekend retreat center. Participant feedback suggests that these programs have several far-reaching benefits. Communication is facilitated through the use of technology and ...
Simulation of complex construction processes

Eight successively refined simulation models for the earthmoving operations involved in the construction of a dam provide the foundation for illustrating the ease and effectiveness of modeling complex construction processes by using STROBOSCOPE, a modern simulation system based on a programming language that follows the activity-scanning paradigm. This approach and the use of characterized resources in a stochastic environment make the typical engineering calculations for heavy equipment performance relatively easy to implement and significantly more realistic and accurate.
Correlation between Dynamic Leach Test Results and Geochemical Observations

A test method based on partial leachant exchange at constant intervals until leachate concentrations become stabilized has been used to obtain a data-base in evaluating long-term leaching patterns. Applied to basalt and granite specimens and compared with ground-water analyses, correlations which can be used in long-term leachability extrapolations have been established. They are based on the following principles: (1) control of solubilities of major components by combined aluminosilicate species; (2) continued increase in levels of soluble species, e.g., Na/sup +/ of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, along with Ca/sup 2 +/ and K/sup +/, followed by slowing down, probably due to the presence of selectivity leachable phases; (4) initial retardation of Mg and Fe leaching followed by regrowth as sorption sites become saturated.
Ontology Reconciliation for Service-Oriented Computing

Service-oriented computing (SOC) is viewed as the computing paradigm of the near future, allowing for the dynamic interaction of services provided by distributed business partners. Being a declarative knowledge representation model, ontologies serve as a foundation for SOC. Due to the heterogeneous nature of independently designed ontologies, it is problematic for partners to understand the concepts adopted in ontologies from other sources. In order for partners to achieve seamless collaboration of services, they need to reconcile their ontologies with each other. During the alignment process and the following service interactions, compatibility is an important measurement that has been neglected in most research work. We extend a vector system to encode ontology compatibility. In addition, we present a new model - probabilistic center ontology - for better recording and maintenance of ontology alignment results. Our precise and efficient approach is verified by both theoretic proofs and experimental results.
Asymmetric dihydroxylation of enynes

Abstract Catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylations of 1,3-enynes were studied using 9-O-(9′-phenanthryl) dihydroquinidine (PHN-DHQD) 1 and 1,4-bis-(9-O-dihydroquinidine) phthalazine (DHQD2-PHAL) 2. Terminal olefins showed moderate (38-79% ee) and trans-disubstituted olefins high enantioselectivities (73 – 97% ee).
Improving Patient Safety and Quality: A Focus on Falls

Today’s health care environment demands an increased focus on improving the safety and quality of care provided to patients. Although home care is a separate and distinct industry, home care provid...
Features, Syntax, and Categories in the Latin Perfect

The analysis centers on the notion of category in synthetic and analytic verbal forms and on the status of the feature that determines the forms of the Latin perfect. In this part of the Latin verbal system, active forms are synthetic (“verbs”) but passive forms are analytic (i.e., participle and finite auxiliary). I show that the two perfects occur in essentially the same structure and are distinguished by a difference in movement to T; moreover, the difference in forms can be derived without reference to category labels like “Verb” or “Adjective” on the Root. In addition, the difference in perfects is determined by a feature with clear syntactic consequences, which must be associated arbitrarily with certain Roots, the deponent verbs. I discuss the implications of these points in the context of Distributed Morphology, the theory in which the analysis is framed.
Surgical clearance for the patient with chronic liver disease.

Abstract Patients with chronic liver disease face greater risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality, with the greatest risk among patients with cirrhosis. Both the Child-Pugh score and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease have been evaluated as predictors of postoperative mortality. Other comorbidities, age, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification are also important predictors of these outcomes. In patients with liver disease, elective surgeries should be delayed to allow complete evaluation of the severity of liver disease, including the role of transplantation in the event of hepatic decompensation postoperatively.
RELATIONSHIP OF PANCREATIC DUCT DILATION TO AGE AND CLINICAL FINDINGS IN CATS

Dilation of the pancreatic duct has been described as an ultrasonographic feature of pancreatitis in cats. The purpose of this study was to determine normal pancreatic duct width in healthy older cats and assess the significance of pancreatic duct dilation observed in a clinical population. In a prospective study, pancreatic ultrasound was performed in 15 healthy cats (mean age 13 +/- 3 years). Mean pancreatic width of left lobe, body, and right lobe was 0.65 +/- 0.16 cm (0.46-1.03 cm), 0.64 +/- 0.14 cm (0.46-0.9 cm), and 0.43 +/- 0.09 cm (0.3-0.57 cm), respectively. Mean pancreatic duct width was 0.13 +/- 0.04 cm (0.06-0.24 cm), which was significantly larger than previously reported for younger cats (0.08 +/- 0.025 cm) (P < 0.001). One hundred and four of 1445 clinical patients (7.2%) were diagnosed with a dilated pancreatic duct and were reviewed in a retrospective study. Incidence of pancreatic duct dilation was significantly higher in older than in younger cats (2.7% in cats < 1-5 years vs. 18.1% in cats 15 years or older; P < 0.001). Mean pancreatic duct width was 0.23 +/- 0.07 cm (0.14-0.52 cm), and there was a significant correlation between age and pancreatic duct width (P = 0.01). There was also a significant relationship between the mean ratio of pancreatic duct width and pancreatic thickness (n = 98) (0.29 +/- 0.09; 0.09-0.58; P = 0.041). There was no significant difference in age between cats with and without pancreatic disease. There was no association between pancreatic disease and pancreatic duct width or pancreatic duct width/pancreatic thickness ratio. Pancreatic duct width and pancreatic duct width/pancreatic thickness ratio in cats are significantly associated with age.
Magnetism and magnetic anisotropy in FM NiFe, AFM NiMn and their interface

First-principles local density full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) calculations have been performed to investigate the magnetism and magnetic anisotropy in ferromagnetic NiFe, antiferromagnetic NiMn and their interface. We found that the magnetic moments of the Fe atom in NiFe and that of the Mn atom in NiMn are enhanced at their surface compared to their bulk states. The magneto-crystalline anisotropy (MCA) is also drastically influenced by the environment. Bulk NiFe and NiMn show slightly perpendicular and in-plane easy magnetic axes, respectively. However, the effects of the surface change their MCA direction and strength. For the interface between NiFe and NiMn, where the magneto-crystalline anisotropy is dominated by the NiMn layer, the interface effects may be important for discussing the exchange bias.
COMPLEXITIES OF SMOKING EDUCATION

Cigarette smoking is a many-headed Hydra, which grows new smokers' heads as fast as they are lopped off. Efforts to change smokers' behavior usually reach a point of diminishing returns, as evidenced by experiences in smoking withdrawal clinics and in public anti-smoking education campaigns. Obviously, many smokers are refactory to anti-smoking education, a situation which has generated a great deal of pharmacological, neurochemical, psychological, and sociological research. The National Clearinghouse for Smoking and Health in the U.S.A. has used a "gradualist" or permissive approach in anti-smoking messages, aimed at less hazardous smoking "if you must smoke," rather than at complete cessation, and found this approach to be useful. U.S.A. school-children are exposed to anti-smoking education in lower grades than formerly, when it was offered in high school. Thus a population of as yet non-smoking children is being educated. Perhaps the adult non-smokers should be enlisted in an effort to create a social climate wherein smoking is not an acceptable behavior-an approach reflecting the concept of smoking as a social disease. Health education addressed to the receptive non-smoker would circumvent the refractory smoker. A theme with appeal to non-smokers is the protest against environmental pollution by smokers. It is possible that if a movement by non-smokers against smoking would gather momentum, it could turn the present accepting social climate into one rejecting smoking, thus striking at the regeneration of the Hydra: the incessant recruitment of smokers among ex-smokers and non-smokers. With recruitment below replacement level, the Hydra would in time wither away.
Labor Unions and Good Governance: A Cross-National, Comparative Analysis:

Using network-based measures of unions' centrality among civic associations, this article builds and tests a theoretical framework that highlights labor unions' central role in enhancing governance. I first construct three measures to capture the connectedness and power of representative voluntary civic associations, membership density, degree centrality (comemberships), and power centrality, based on the affiliation network matrices for 54 countries, using the latest World Values Survey. I then test the key argument that unions' power centrality has significant positive effects on governance, controlling for general socioeconomic and international factors. The findings from standard statistical analyses, as well as from comparative case studies of affiliation networks, support my claims that union-centered or union-linked civic mobilization achieves a balance of class power not only in civil society, but also within state institutions, strengthening reformist parties and policy makers. This article also ...
Synthesis and Properties of Lanthanide-Exchanged Preyssler's Heteropolyanions

Na{sup +} in the Preyssler heteropolytungstate anion [NaP{sub 5}W{sub 30}O{sub 110}]{sup 14{minus}} can be exchanged for a trivalent lanthanide ion. The potential significance of this new class of lanthanide heteropolyanions relates to their applications in catalysis science. This view follows from the fact that Keggin heteropolyanions and their free acids are used as heterogeneous solid catalysts and homogeneous solution catalysts. The authors describe synthetic conditions that lead to the incorporation of Ce{sup 3+} and Pr{sup 3+} within the Preyssler anion, and the coprecipitation of Ce{sup 3+} and the Preyssler anion. Initial studies indicate that the latter, coprecipitated, material deserves study for bifunctional catalytic activity.
Stability of Rater Leniency: Three Studies

Research has identified rating leniency as one of the most troublesome of rating errors. Little is known about the extent to which the error is a stable rater tendency, although Guilford hypothesiz...
Design considerations for p-i-n thyristor structures

An analysis of a high-voltage gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor structure with a double-layered n base (p-i-n structure) is presented. From integration of Poisson's equation, an expression for the forward-blocking voltage at the onset of avalanche breakdown is obtained. Simple design criteria are developed to calculate the optimal thickness and doping density of the n base of a conventional pnpn structure designed for a specific voltage-blocking capability. The same principle is applied to design for the doping densities and thicknesses of the high-resistivity region and the buffer layer of the p-i-n GTO structure. The forward-blocking voltage, as well as the on-state voltage (at a current density of 300 A cm/sup -2/) is predicted for a wide range of base layer thicknesses and doping densities to illustrate the available tradeoff options. Lowest on-state power dissipation for high blocking voltages (>6000 V) is predicted for a doping level of 5*10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/ in the high-resistivity layer. >
From Doctoral Student To Faculty Member: Ph.D. Project Alumnis Evaluation Of Their Preparedness

In response to the important issues regarding diversity in business schools and corporate America, the KPMG Foundation established the PhD Project. The PhD Project helps business professionals and recent college graduates earn doctoral degrees in business disciplines and join business school faculty. While the PhD Project has helped increase the number of minority faculty members in business schools, it may be helpful to gather insights from the recent PhD alumni who have received support from the PhD Project. Our study examines attitudes about preparedness of PhD Project alums for their first faculty position after completing their PhD program. Results show that PhD Project alumni and majority PhD alumni (alumni not associated with the PhD Project) felt they were prepared for their first faculty position, but they were not significantly different in their evaluation in most respects. However, to our surprise, majority PhD alumni felt they were better prepared for research than PhD Project alumni. This difference was significant and further analyses showed that younger faculty and those in the ethnic majority were better prepared for research. Both groups considered themselves well prepared for research and teaching. Neither group was as optimistic about being prepared for service responsibilities and the academic climate or politics of an academic career. Our findings show that the PhD Project is necessary to help ensure that minority faculty members are adequately prepared for research and their academic careers.
An Incremental Hough Transform for Detecting Ellipses in Image Data Streams

In this paper, we present a purely incremental, scalable algorithm for the detection of elliptical shapes in images. Our method uses an incremental version of the Random Hough Transform (RHT) to compute the curve parameters from sampled image points and uses a density-based robust stream clustering algorithm to discover the potential parameters from the Hough space. Finally we apply density and similarity tests to eliminate weak and redundant candidates. Being totally incremental, and not requiring the typically huge memory costs of Hough accumulator arrays or image pixels, our method reduces the number of computations performed and the memory used. The proposed method is tested on both synthetic and real images, including solar images captured by various instruments onboard NASA and ESA satellites.
An Experiment toward Establishing Communication from Audience to Lecturer

Many techniques, audio and video, are available for projecting a lecturer's performance to a large audience, but techniques for feedback from audience to lecturer are almost totally lacking. The return communication link, if available, would be an important factor in the performances of lecturer and audience, hence in the educational process. An experiment using 30 students for a semester is described. Each student had a pair of push-buttons at his seat, and could answer either "red" or "black." Answers were then "frozen" and totals displayed. After discussion the instructor inserted the correct answer. The circuit then "graded" each student's answer and recorded the score in a count-register, which accumulated each student's score throughout the semester. The electrical problems were easily ironed out; the psychological effects were more complicated and interesting. Frequent scoring at unexpected times produced too much tension and interfered with rapport. Scoring during a few minutes at one end of the period and use of the machine at other times for information only without registration of scores seemed to be satisfactory. Typical student reaction, "Does this mean we have to know our lesson every day?"
Dialectical Behavior Therapy as a Tool for Reducing Addictive Behaviors and Attitudes: An Adolescent Group Review

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has been proven to be successful for reducing symptoms related to Borderline Personality Disorder [1,2] . However, because of the gap that exists between mental health and substance abuse treatment approaches, little research has been done to show the effects of DBT approaches on addictive thinking and behaviors. In addition, only recently have researchers begun applying DBT interventions with a teenage population [3]. Using selfreport methods, the authors examine the use of a modified DBT approach with 13 participants from ages 14-26, exploring the effects of a DBT group modality on symptoms commonly found in individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). Preliminary findings resulted in an overall mean score of 3.24 for 14 items corresponding to SUD symptomology, suggesting that DBT interventions helped to reduce: a) Self-destructive behaviors and a propensity for relapse b) Identity disturbances and low self esteem c) Relationship conflict and social skills difficulties and d) Dichotomous thinking and emotion dysregulation. Future studies are needed using larger sample sizes, informant reports, and a sample of individuals with a primary diagnosis of SUDs, to gain confidence in these findings.
Contractile reserve: are we beginning to understand it?

The concept of contractile reserve is an old idea garnered from observations made by many investigators over the years. Various techniques have been used to study left ventricular (LV) performance in either the true failing heart or the heart with impaired systolic function, including post-systolic
‘Transformation to Paradise’: Wartime Travel to Southern Africa, Race and the Discourse of Opportunity, 1939–50

More than 6 million Britons travelled to southern Africa during the Second World War as evacuees, to convalesce, for military training and en route to the battle fronts of Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East. Wartime travel provided more Britons than ever before with first-hand experience of white privilege and the lifestyle it provided in the settler colonial societies of southern Africa, convincing many to relocate there permanently. Wartime memoirs and letters reveal the ways in which the war both led to the strengthening of existing personal relationships between the UK and the settler colonies of southern Africa and the formation of new ones, including marriages. They also suggest that, for many, the heightened experience of the war and the exhilaration of living through extraordinary times made the return to normal life in Britain difficult. Southern Africa, with its combination of the familiar and the exotic, was an appealing alternative. Though the vast majority returned to the UK after the war, this collective first-hand experience influenced broader perceptions of South Africa and Southern Rhodesia as places of abundance, hospitality, and opportunity. This case study draws attention to the way the wartime travel provided more Britons than ever before with direct experience of imperial sites and suggests that this contributed to the continuing significance of empire, and especially the Dominions in post-war Britain.
Improved Calibration of Voltammetric Sensors for Studying Pharmacological Effects on Dopamine Transporter Kinetics in Vivo.

The distribution and density of neurons within the brain poses many challenges when making quantitative measurements of neurotransmission in the extracellular space. A volume neurotransmitter is released into the synapse during chemical communication and must diffuse through the extracellular space to an implanted sensor for real-time in situ detection. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry is an excellent technique for measuring biologically relevant concentration changes in vivo; however, the sensitivity is limited by mass-transport-limited adsorption. Due to the resistance to mass transfer in the brain, the response time of voltammetric sensors is increased, which decreases the sensitivity and the temporal fidelity of the measurement. Here, experimental results reveal how the tortuosity of the extracellular space affects the response of the electrode. Additionally, a model of mass-transport-limited adsorption is utilized to account for both the strength of adsorption and the magnitude of the diffusion coefficie...
Polarimetric assist to HSI atmospheric compensation and material identification

In this effort, we investigated how polarimetric HyperSpectral Imaging (pHSI) data might benefit specified Material Identification of diffuse materials in the VNIR. The experiment compared paint reflectivities extracted from polarimetric hyperspectral data acquired in the field to a database of truth reflectivities measured in the lab. Both the polarimetric hyperspectral data and the reflectivities were acquired using an Ocean Optics spectrometer which was polarized using a fast filter wheel loaded with high extinction polarizers. During the experiment, we discovered that the polarized spectra from the polarimetric hyper spectral data could be used to estimate the relative spectral character of the field source (the exo-atmospheric sun plus the atmosphere). This benefit, which strongly parallels the QUAC atmospheric correction method, relies on the natural spectral flatness of the polarized spectrum that originates in the spectral flatness of the index of refraction in the reflective regime. Using this estimate of the field source, excellent estimates of the paint reflectivities (matching 10 paint reflectivities to ≤ 0.5% RSS) were obtained. The impact of atmospheric upwell on performance was then investigated using these ground based polarimetric hyper spectral data in conjunction with modeled atmospheric path effects. The path effects were modeled using the high fidelity Polarimetry Phenomenology Simulation (PPS) plate model developed by AFRL, which includes polarized Modtran. We conclude with a discussion of actual and potential applications of this method, and how best to convert an existing VNIR HSI sensor into a pHSI sensor for an airborne Proof Of Concept experiment.
Oncogene expression and microvessel count in recurrent and nonrecurrent stage Ib squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate p53, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 oncogene expression and compare it with microvessel count (MVC) in determining the clinical outcome of stage Ib squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix. STUDY DESIGN Immunostaining with p53, EGFR, C-erbB-2 and factor VIII antibodies was performed on tumor sections from 22 patients (11 with cancer recurrence, 11 free of cancer after four years). The levels of oncogene expression were semiquantitatively graded (0-4). Microvessels were counted (per 200 x field) in areas of highest neovascularization. RESULTS Eight of 11 patients (72.7%) with recurrence expressed EGFR as compared with 5 of 11 patients (45.5%) free of disease. This difference is not significant (P = .39). An equal number of patients with and without recurrence expressed c-erbB-2. Five of 11 patients (45.5%) with recurrence expressed p53, as compared with 6 of 11 (54.5%) free of disease (P = 1.00). Eight of 11 patients (72.7%) with recurrence had an MVC above 24 as compared with 2 of 11 patients (18.2%) free of disease; this difference was statistically significant (P = .03). CONCLUSION The expression of EGFR, p53 and c-erbB-2 appears to have little prognostic value in stage Ib SCC of the uterine cervix. The prognostic value of MVC is in keeping with previous findings.