cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental demonstration and analysis of random field effects in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers

More than 30 years ago, Malozemoff [Phys. Rev. B 35, 3679 (1987)] hypothesized that exchange interaction at the interface between a ferromagnet (F) and an antiferromagnet (AF) can act as an effective random field, which can profoundly affect the magnetic properties of the system. However, until now this hypothesis has not been directly experimentally tested. We utilize magnetoelectronic measurements to analyze the effective exchange fields at permalloy/CoO interface. Our results cannot be explained in terms of quasiuniform effective exchange fields but are in agreement with the random-field hypothesis of Malozemoff. The presented approach opens a new route for the quantitative analysis of effective exchange fields and anisotropies in magnetic heterostructures for memory, sensing and computing applications.
Barriers and Facilitators of Dental Care in African-American Seniors: A Qualitative Study of Consumers' Perspective.

Objective To identify African-American seniors' perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to their dental care. Materials and methods In this cross-sectional qualitative study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 16 community-based, self-identified African-American seniors from March 2017 to August 2017 in Oregon. We coded data in ATLAS. ti and used thematic analysis to identify emergent themes within the social ecological framework and a cross-case comparative analysis to explore variation by participant characteristics. Results Regardless of dental insurance status, cost and perceived urgency of treatment were the primary drivers of participant's ability and interest in seeking dental care. Participants identified four solutions to improve oral health care in African-American seniors: affordable/free care and vouchers for dental work, better oral health education at a younger age, onsite community dental services, and navigators who can educate patients about insurance and dental providers who see low-income patients. Conclusions Oral health decisions by African-American seniors were primarily driven by cost and perceived urgency irrespective of insurance coverage. Affordable dental care, early intervention, on-site services, and navigation may help to address key barriers and reduce oral health disparities faced by African-Americans.
Synergistic Uptake by Acidic Sulfate Particles of Gaseous Mixtures of Glyoxal and Pinanediol

The uptake of gaseous organic species by atmospheric particles can be affected by the reactive interactions among multiple co-condensing species, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understand. Here, the uptake of unary and binary mixtures of glyoxal and pinanediol by neutral and acidic sulfate particles is investigated. These species are important products from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under atmospheric conditions. The uptake to acidic aerosol particles greatly increased for a binary mixture of glyoxal and pinanediol compared to the unary counterparts. The strength of the synergism depended on the particle acidity and water content (i.e., relative humidity). The greater uptake was up to 2.5× to 8× at 10% relative humidity (RH) for glyoxal and pinanediol, respectively. At 50% RH, it was 2× and 1.2× for the two species. Possible mechanisms of acid-catalyzed cross reactions between the species are proposed to explain the synergistic uptake. The proposed mechanisms are applicable to a broader extent across atmospheric species having carbonyl and hydroxyl functionalities. The results thus suggest that synergistic uptake reactions can be expected to significantly influence the gas-particle partitioning of VOC oxidation products under atmospheric conditions and thus greatly affect their atmospheric transport and lifetime.
A Guide to Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopy and Förster's Resonance Energy Transfer in Neuroscience.

Fluorescence lifetime microscopy (FLIM) and Forster's resonance energy transfer (FRET) are advanced optical tools that neuroscientists can employ to interrogate the structure and function of complex biological systems in vitro and in vivo using light. In neurobiology they are primarily used to study protein-protein interactions, to study conformational changes in protein complexes, and to monitor genetically encoded FRET-based biosensors. These methods are ideally suited to optically monitor changes in neurons that are triggered optogenetically. Utilization of this technique by neuroscientists has been limited, since a broad understanding of FLIM and FRET requires familiarity with the interactions of light and matter on a quantum mechanical level, and because the ultra-fast instrumentation used to measure fluorescent lifetimes and resonance energy transfer are more at home in a physics lab than in a biology lab. In this overview, we aim to help neuroscientists overcome these obstacles and thus feel more comfortable with the FLIM-FRET method. Our goal is to aid researchers in the neuroscience community to achieve a better understanding of the fundamentals of FLIM-FRET and encourage them to fully leverage its powerful ability as a research tool. Published 2020. U.S. Government.
Evaluating the quality of reported outcomes for microsurgical TESE in men with non-obstructive azoospermia: A methodological analysis.

BACKGROUND Publications of microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) techniques and outcomes are heterogeneous, which may limit creation of best surgical practices. OBJECTIVE To study the quality and heterogeneity of published mTESE outcomes via a methodological analysis. MATERIALS/METHODS A systematic methodological analysis of all published literature on the use of mTESE in men with non-obstructive azoospermia from 1999 to the July 2020 was performed. PubMed and MEDLINE searches were performed using the search terms "microdissection TESE OR microsurgical TESE." Publications were evaluated on their reporting of pre-operative factors, intraoperative techniques, surgical and clinical outcomes, and adverse events. RESULTS Fifty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Surgical technique and sperm retrieval rates were the most reported criteria. Reporting on the presence of an embryologist intraoperatively was observed in approximately 30% of articles, while other procedural details including method of sperm quantification, quantity retrieved, and number of cryopreserved vials were observed in fewer than 10% of articles. Clinical outcomes, including pregnancy rates and live birth rates, were reported in fewer than 40% of the articles. Fetal outcomes including fetal and neonatal anomalies were rarely reported. Fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery, small or large for gestational age, and NICU admissions were never reported. CONCLUSION There are inconsistencies in reporting quality of mTESE outcomes, specifically a lack of information on the quantity and quality of sperm retrieved, the role of embryology intraoperatively, and clinical outcomes, such as live birth rate and fetal anomalies. These gaps may guide development of standardized reporting guidelines to better assess and compare clinical outcomes across institutions and maintain focus on couples-centric fertility outcomes in future mTESE studies.
A Feature Oriented Framework and Enhanced Assessments for Imaging Compression

This paper offers a new feature-oriented compression algorithm for flexible reduction of data redundancy commonly found in images and videos streams. Using a combination of image segmentation and face detection techniques as a preprocessing step, we derive a compression framework to adaptively treat ‘feature’ and ‘ground’ while balancing the total compression and quality of ‘feature’ regions. We demonstrate the utility of a feature compliant compression algorithm (FC-SVD), a revised peak signal-to-noise ratio PSNR assessment, and a relative quality ratio to control artificial distortion. The goal of this investigation is to provide new contributions to image and video processing research via multi-scale resolution and the block-based adaptive singular value decomposition.
The Antitrust Legacy of Justice William O. Douglas

This Article will attempt to further define and refine Justice Douglas' antitrust philosophy by examining his written opinions and writings. It will then attempt to measure that philosophy's effect on the Supreme Court during his tenure and its contemporary impact in the context of the rapidly shifting antitrust doctrine of the last thirty years or so.
Outer Circles: An Introduction to Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds

We live in a three-dimensional space; what sort of space is it? Can we build it from simple geometric objects? The answers to such questions have been found in the last 30 years, and Outer Circles describes the basic mathematics needed for those answers as well as making clear the grand design of the subject of hyperbolic manifolds as a whole. The purpose of Outer Circles is to provide an account of the contemporary theory, accessible to those with minimal formal background in topology, hyperbolic geometry, and complex analysis. The text explains what is needed, and provides the expertise to use the primary tools to arrive at a thorough understanding of the big picture. This picture is further filled out by numerous exercises and expositions at the ends of the chapters and is complemented by a profusion of high quality illustrations. There is an extensive bibliography for further study.
Stiffness evolution of granular layers and the origin of repetitive, slow, stick-slip frictional sliding

We demonstrate the frictional behaviors of steady state sliding, stick-slip, and repetitive, slow stick-slip sliding through a carefully-designed suite of laboratory experiments focused on exploring the role of loading system stiffness in controlling the frictional response to shear. We performed tests on sheared layers of baking flour, with three configurations of loading blocks made of steel and cast acrylic to achieve different stiffnesses. Slide-hold-slide and velocity step tests were conducted and analyzed in a rate-and-state friction framework. With compliant loading blocks, the material exhibits unstable stick-slip behavior with slow-slip events of duration up to 20 s. Slow-slip has been difficult to achieve in the lab and has only been observed for a narrow variety of boundary conditions and materials. Our results suggest that this behavior is strongly controlled by the stiffness of the system, the strain history of the sample, and shear fabric evolution. We describe a new suite of automated tools that greatly improve friction analysis and provide insight to the underlying mechanisms of slow stick-slip. We demonstrate that layer stiffness evolves with shear strain and modifies the mechanical behavior of stick-slip sliding. Our work suggests that slow earthquakes in tectonic fault zones may be linked to shear fabric development and associated changes in local stiffness, likely in combination with variations in frictional constitutive properties and effective stress.
Direct Diode Lasers Conquer New Markets

Higher power is being followed by increased brightness as diodes penetrate wider metal-processing applications currently using other lasers and even non-laser technology. Dramatic increases in the power and brightness of high power direct diode lasers (HPDDLs) now enable them to perform a number of metal processing tasks. This article examines new techniques for further increasing HPDDL brightness and reviews the key applications they currently service.
Neurologic Complications after Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: a Comparison between Endovascular and Open Procedure. (P4.157)

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs may be completed through either an open or endovascular approach. Endovascular repair has become more common, over 70[percnt] of the procedures currently done. Despite acceptance of endovascular repair as the ‘first-line’ treatment for AAA, there is limited data on neurologic complications following these interventions. The incidence of neurologic complications in the immediate 30 days following AAA repair was investigated. Mortality and incidence of neurologic complications in those with prior neurologic comorbidities and in those receiving emergent repair was also studied. DESIGN/METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Data File was analyzed, including all vascular surgeries for AAA repair, 2009-2010. Neurologic complications in the first 30-days postoperative were investigated, including cerebrovascular accident, coma, and peripheral nerve injury as well as total neurologic complications and mortality. RESULTS: AAA repairs (n=6,921), were investigated during 2009-2010, with prevalence of men to women, 4.5:1. Neurologic complications were significantly higher postoperatively in open versus endovascular repair, with significant differences in number of cerebrovascular accidents (x2=16.95; p<0.05) as well as total neurologic complications (x2=27.15; p<0.05). Incidence of neurologic complications in those with preexisting neurologic comorbidities was higher than incidence overall, though significance could not be tested due to small sample size. Mortality was significantly higher in open versus endovascular repairs in overall interventions (34.91[percnt] and 2.28[percnt]; x2=823.59; p<0.05), in those with preexisting neurologic conditions (53.66[percnt] and 3.39[percnt]; x2=196.29; p<0.05), and in those undergoing emergent repair (28.69[percnt] and 20.26[percnt]; x2=6.2918; p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: These findings clearly demonstrate that the endovascular approach is safer than the open repair, with less short-term, 30-day post-operative neurological complications and mortality. Disclosure: Dr. Kovacik Eicher has nothing to disclose. Dr. Aziz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kothari has nothing to disclose.
A Cognitive Model for Examining Teachers' Instructional Practice in Mathematics: A Guide for Facilitating Teacher Reflection

The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop a model to examine teachers' instructional practice in secondary school mathematics in relationship to their underlying cognitions. The instructional practice and cognitions of seven experienced and seven beginning teachers of secondary school mathematics were examined as a basis for the creation of the model. To examine instructional practice a Phase-Dimension Framework for the Examination of Mathematics Teaching was developed. Data were obtained through observations, lesson plans, videotapes and audiotapes of structured interviews during the course of one semester. The value of the model lies in its usefulness as a guide for enabling teachers to reflect on their instructional practice and underlying cognitions in a structured, comprehensive manner.
Machian Cosmological Solution in the Generalized Scalar-Tensor Theory of Gravitation

The Machian cosmological solution satisfying $\phi =O(\rho /\omega)$ is discussed for the homogeneous and isotropic universe with a perfect fluid (with negative pressure) in the generalized scalar-tensor theory of gravitation. We propose $\omega (\phi)=\eta /(\xi -2)$ for the coupling function in the Machian point of view. The parameter $\xi$ varies in time very slowly from $\xi =0$ to $\xi =2$ because of the physical evolution of matter in the universe. When $\xi \to 2$, the coupling function diverges to $-\infty$ and the scalar field $\phi$ converges to $G_{\infty}^{-1}$. The present mass density is precisely predicted if the present time of the universe is given. We obtain $\rho_{0}=1.6\times 10^{-29} this http URL^{-3}$ for $t_{0}=1.5\times 10^{10} yr$. The universe shows the slowly decelerating expansion for the time-varying coupling function.
The Linkage Relations between the Factors for Tunicate Ear and Starchy-Sugary Endosperm in Maize.

Page 217, table 5, headings, for " SuTu , Sutu , suTu , sutu " read " CTu , Ctu , cTu , ctu
Systemic approaches to modifying quinolinic acid striatal lesions in rats

Quinolinic acid (QA) is an endogenous excitotoxin present in mammalian brain that reproduces many of the histologic and neurochemical features of Huntington's disease (HD). In the present study we have examined the ability of a variety of systemically administered compounds to modify striatal QA neurotoxicity. Lesions were assessed by measurements of the intrinsic striatal neurotransmitters substance P, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, and GABA. Histologic examination was performed with Nissl stains. The antioxidants ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, and alpha- tocopherol administered s.c. for 3 d prior to striatal QA lesions had no significant effect. Other drugs were administered i.p. 1/2 hr prior to QA striatal lesions. The following were ineffective in blocking QA excitotoxicity: allopurinol, 50 and 100 mg/kg; ketamine, 75 mg/kg; nimodipine, 2.4, and 10 mg/kg; baclofen, 10 mg/kg; 2-amino-5- phosphonovalerate, 50 mg/kg; and 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoate, 50 mg/kg. Oral taurine administration for 4 weeks resulted in significantly increased levels of brain taurine but had no significant effect in blocking QA neurotoxicity. Systemic administration of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist MK-801 resulted in a dose-responsive protection against QA toxicity, with complete block at a dose of 4 mg/kg. If the pathogenesis of HD involves QA or another excitotoxin acting at the NMDA receptor, it is possible that MK- 801 could retard the degenerative process.
Warming affects hatching time and early season survival of eastern tent caterpillars

Climate change is disrupting species interactions by altering the timing of phenological events such as budburst for plants and hatching for insects. We combined field observations with laboratory manipulations to investigate the consequences of climate warming on the phenology and performance of the eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum). We evaluated the effects of warmer winter and spring regimes on caterpillar hatching patterns and starvation endurance, traits likely to be under selection in populations experiencing phenological asynchrony, using individuals from two different populations (Washington, DC, and Roswell, GA). We also quantified the proximate and extended fitness effects of early food deprivation and recorded spring phenology of local caterpillars and their host plants. In addition, we conducted laboratory assays to determine if caterpillars are using plant chemical cues to fine-tune their hatching times. Warmer winter temperatures induced earlier hatching and caterpillars from GA survived starvation for periods that were 30% longer than caterpillars from DC. Warmer spring regimes reduced the starvation endurance of caterpillars overwintering in the wild but not in the laboratory. Early starvation dramatically reduced hatchling survival; however, surviving caterpillars did not show detrimental effects on pupal mass or development time. In the field, hatching preceded budburst in both 2013 and 2014 and the period of optimal foliage quality was 2 weeks shorter in 2013. Hatching time was unaffected by exposure to plant volatiles. Overall, we found that warmer temperatures can trigger late-season asynchrony by accelerating plant phenology and caterpillars from different populations exhibit differential abilities to cope with environmental unreliability.
Spatial location of first- and second-order visual conditioned stimuli in second-order conditioning of the pigeon’s keypeck

A keylight (S1) always projected on one response key signaled food for hungry pigeons in a first-order classical conditioning procedure. When S1 evoked strong keypecking, it was presented without food on some of the trials that were signaled by other keylights (S2) in a second-order conditioning procedure. On half the second-order trials, the occurrence of S1 was signaled by an S2 projected on the same response key as S1; on the remaining trials, S1 was signaled by another S2 projected on a different key than S1. Acquisition of keypecking to S2 was faster when S2 and S1 occurred on the same response key than when they occurred on different keys. Asymptotic responding to the two S2s was not different, however. A control group showed that keypecking to S2 on the “different” key resulted from the pairing of S2 on that key with S1 on the other key. The enhancement of acquisition to S2 when it occurs in the same location as S1 may reflect the effects of stimulus similarity on conditioning, or, simply, a more optimal temporal relationship between S2 and S1. The fact that directed motor behavior can be established to a stimulus in one location solely through pairing of that stimulus with a well-conditioned stimulus in another location further implicates second-order conditioning as a factor in conditioned reinforcement effects in instrumental training.
Corn plant locating by image processing

The feasibility investigation of using machine vision technology to locate corn plants is an important issue for field production automation in the agricultural industry. This paper presents an approach which was developed to locate the center of a corn plant using image processing techniques. Corn plants were first identified using a main vein detection algorithm by detecting a local feature of corn leaves leaf main veins based on the spectral difference between mains and leaves then the center of the plant could be located using a center locating algorithm by tracing and extending each detected vein line and evaluating the center of the plant from intersection points of those lines. The experimental results show the usefulness of the algorithm for machine vision applications related to corn plant identification. Such a technique can be used for pre. cisc spraying of pesticides or biotech chemicals. 1.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Synthesis and photochemistry of a carotene–porphyrin–fullerene model photosynthetic reaction center

A new photosynthetic reaction center mimic consisting of a porphyrin (P) linked to both a fullerene electron acceptor (C60) and a carotenoid secondary electron donor (C) was synthesized and studied in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran using transient spectroscopic methods. Excitation of the porphyrin is followed by photoinduced electron transfer to the fullerene (τ = 32 ps) to yield C–P·+–C60·−. Electron transfer from the carotene to the porphyrin radical cation (τ = 125 ps) gives a final C·+–P–C60·− state with an overall yield of 0.95. This state decays to give the carotenoid triplet state with a time constant of 57 ns. The molecular triad is highly soluble in organic solvents and readily synthesized. These qualities make the molecule a useful artificial photosynthetic reaction center for a variety of spectroscopic and photochemical investigations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exposure-limited application of Kerr cell cameras

A simple analysis of a Kerr cell camera is given, and the equations are manipulated to find the arrangement of the camera which gives maximum information from a moving source of given radiance. It is shown that the amount of information can be increased by a slight rotation of the polarizers away from the crossed position. Explicit directions for using the results of this paper for special applications are given.
Age Differences in Depressive Symptom Experiences

Age differences in depressive symptom experiences were investigated in a community sample of 368 women between the ages of 51 and 92 who were administered the SCL-90 Depression and Additional Symptoms Scales. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess and compare depressive symptom experiences in a younger (age 51-65) and older (age 66-92) age cohort. Findings show that two somewhat different depressive syndromes underlie symptom reporting patterns, one having higher levels in the older age cohort, the other having higher levels in the younger age cohort. In addition, three more delimited forms of distress -- feelings of enervation, dysphoria, and sleep disturbances -- show higher levels among the older cohort. Implications of these findings for future research on the relation between aging and depression are discussed.
Coping, Stress, and Learning

Handicapped young children, because of their vulnerability, usually have less adaptive behaviors to cope with the stresses of daily living. This article defines and describes coping and stress, the...
Spatiotemporal Assessment of Fetal Bovine Osteoblast Culture Differentiation Indicates a Role for BSP in Promoting Differentiation

Fetal bovine mandible-derived osteoblasts were cultured for the purpose of obtaining a spatiotemporal assessment of bone matrix protein expression during in vitro differentiation. The results obtained from electron microscopic, immunohistological, biochemical, and molecular biological analyses indicated that these primary cultured osteoblasts produce an abundant extracellular matrix which mineralizes during a 14-day culture period. During this process, a restricted, spatiotemporal pattern of bone sialoprotein expression was indicated by immunohistological and molecular evaluations. To test the possibility that bone sialoprotein promoted the continued morphodifferentiation of osteoblastic cells, cultures were grown in the presence of anti-bone sialoprotein antibodies known to interfere with cell-bone sialoprotein attachment. Compared with cultures grown in the presence of normal rabbit serum (1:150), cultures grown in the media containing anti-bone sialoprotein antibody (1:150) failed to mineralize as demonstrated by von Kossa staining and failed to express osteocalcin and osteopontin as shown by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These results contribute to the growing evidence that bone sialoprotein is an important determinant of osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Matrix protein-cell interactions may be examined using this spatiotemporally defined model.
Review of Parameterized Complexity by R. Downey and M. Fellows

One of the most pervasive critiques of Computational Complexity, coming from the applied Computer Science community, is that it is an abstract, largely irrelevant field, that fails to capture the various intuitions concerning the complexity of "real-world" instances they have gathered through experiments. One aspect of these intuitions is that while most problems of practical interest tend to be intractable from a standard complexity-theoretic point of view, in many cases such problems have natural "structural" parameters, and practically relevant instances are often associated with "small" values of these parameters.Parameterized Complexity is an extension of Complexity Theory that attempts to formalize and deal with this intuition. It has already been applied to fields such as Databases, Logic and Constraint Programming, Computational Biology, Nonmonotonic Reasoning, Natural Language Processing, Cognitive Science, and Robotics. Some of its ideas have even been discovered independently by practitioners working in these areas. We do not attempt a further presentation (the interested reader can consult two excellent surveys [DF99, DFS99]), but want to illustrate this point through a revealing example: it has long been known that the register-allocation problem for imperative programming language amounts to a coloring problem on the associated control-flow graph, thus it seems, at a first glance, hard even in an approximate sense. On the other hand Thorup [Th98] has shown that such graphs are characterized by a bounded value (at most 10) of an intrinsic parameter called treewidth, that guarantees the existence of an approximation algorithm with substantially better performance than the one available for general graphs.The present book is an attempt to a first presentation of this emerging area by two of its most active proponents.
Drugs associated with adverse events in children and adolescents.

Objective To describe the suspected medications, types of reactions, and outcomes of adverse events (AEs) most commonly reported to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in children by age group. Methods All case reports submitted to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) between January 1, 2007, and August 27, 2012, for children (1 to < 12 yrs) and adolescents (12 to < 18 yrs) were examined. The most commonly reported suspected drugs were ranked. The corresponding AEs with serious outcome were compared and described between age groups. Results We identified a total of 78,623 reports in the FAERS database (53.8% in children and 46.2% in adolescents). Serious outcomes were noted in 40% of the children and 43% of the adolescents. The proportion of all case reports for central nervous system stimulants (lisdexamfetamine, 69.8%; methylphenidate, 68.0%) and analgesics (ibuprofen, 72.3%; acetaminophen, 68.6%) was higher in children, whereas tumor necrosis factor blockers (infliximab, 78.2%; adalimumab, 77.1%), atypical antipsychotics (aripiprazole 52.7%; risperidone 58.3%; quetiapine 72.1%) and oral contraceptives (levonogrestrel, 99.2%; drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, 97.9%) were more commonly reported in adolescents. For most drugs, the types of reactions reported were similar but had different rank order across age groups, with the most dissimilar profiles being observed for isotretinoin and aripiprazole. Conclusions This study highlights high-risk medications and their AE profiles in children and adolescents. Our findings underscore the need for further confirmation of particular drug and AE pairs and the heterogeneity of AEs by age.
Parent, sibling and peer influences on smoking initiation, regular smoking and nicotine dependence. Results from a genetically informative design

We sought to determine whether parenting, sibling and peer influences are associated with offspring ever smoking, regular smoking and nicotine dependence (ND) after controlling for familial factors. We used a twin-family design and data from structured diagnostic surveys of 1919 biological offspring (ages 12-32 years), 1107 twin fathers, and 1023 mothers. Offspring were classified into one of four familial risk groups based on twin fathers' and their co-twins' history of DSM-III-R nicotine dependence. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was used to model familial risk, paternal and maternal parenting behavior and substance use, sibling substance use, and friend and school peer smoking, alcohol and drug use. Ever smoking was associated with increasing offspring age, white race, high maternal pressure to succeed in school, sibling drug use, and friend smoking, alcohol and drug use. Offspring regular smoking was associated with these same factors with additional contribution from maternal ND. Offspring ND was associated with increasing offspring age, male gender, biological parents divorce, high genetic risk from father and mother ND, maternal problem drinking, maternal rule inconsistency and sibling drug use, and friend smoking, alcohol and drug use. Friend smoking had the largest magnitude of association with offspring smoking. This effect remains after accounting for familial liability and numerous parent and sibling level effects. Smoking interventions may have greatest impact by targeting smoking prevention among peer groups in adolescent and young adult populations.
The sorption of vapors by monolayers. VII. The effect of anesthetic vapors on some monolayers of biological interest

Abstract The effect of nitrous oxide, ethylene, and vapors of chloroform, divinyl ether, and diethyl ether on monolayers of stearic, pentadecanoic, and oleic acids as well as on cholesterol, ergosterol, lecithin, and cephalin has been investigated. The gases cause slight increases in surface pressure up to 2 dynes/centimeter. The vapors are adsorbed strongly at saturation and behave qualitatively like hexanes on stearic acid monolayers.
Functional MRI for radiotherapy of gliomas.

In this paper, we review the applications of functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for target delineation and critical organ avoidance for brain radiotherapy. In this article we distinguish f...
Economical wide-band voltage-controlled voltage source

An economical non-inverting voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS) which employs only two operational amplifiers and two resistors is given. The proposed amplifier has a larger bandwidth than that obtained using the uncompensated the Reddy (1976) and the Geiger (1977) VCVS structures. Stability analysis based on the two pole model of the operational amplifier is given.
Clonal Analysis of the Proliferation Potential of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Function of Potency

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow are a heterogeneous ensemble of progenitors and lineage-committed cells, with a broad range of regenerative properties. Ex vivo expansion to produce sufficient quantities of MSCs is essential for most therapeutic applications. The present study resolves the relationship between proliferation potential of MSCs and their potency. Clonal analysis generated single-cell derived colonies of MSCs that were classified according to their trilineage potential to exhibit adipo- (A), chondro- (C), and osteogenesis (O) as a measure of potency. Multipotent OAC clones were highly proliferative with colony-forming efficiencies that ranged from 35% to 90%; whereas, O clones formed colonies with an efficiency of 5% or less (P < 0.01). Similar trends were evident during ex vivo expansion: for example, the median specific growth rate was 0.8 day(-1) (20 h doubling time) for cultures inoculated with OAC clones and was 5-fold less for inocula of O clones (P < 0.01). OA and OC clones had similar proliferation potentials. More than 75% of cells in subconfluent cultures inoculated with O clones stained positive for senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity vs. less than 10% for OAC clones (P < 0.001). Apoptotic cells were in the minority for all potency groups. Preliminary data generated during clonal analysis suggest that osteogenic potential of MSCs to produce mineralized matrix is a function of potency, as well. These results are discussed in the context of the preparation of efficacious MSC therapies by ex vivo expansion.
Control of water coolant in the maxillectomy patient.

Water-cooled operative procedures can be performed under a rubber dam for the maxillectomy patient. However, the use of the rubber dam is limited when crown preparations are being done. Water spray often enters the exposed maxillary and nasal cavities despite high-speed evacuation during tooth preparation. Use of a polypropylene vacuum-formed base (Mouthguard Material, Buffalo Dental Mfg. Co., Inc., Syosset, N.Y.) can prevent this problem. This material is available in most maxillofacial clinics for making fluoride carriers. The partially edentulous maxillectomy patient shown in
Mechanisms underlying H2O2-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal slices

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) inhibits the population spike (PS) evoked by Schaffer collateral stimulation in hippocampal slices. Proposed mechanisms underlying this effect include generation of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) and inhibition of presynaptic Ca(2+) entry. We have examined these possible mechanisms in rat hippocampal slices. Inhibition of the evoked PS by H(2)O(2) was sharply concentration-dependent: 1.2 mM H(2)O(2) had no effect, whereas 1.5 and 2.0 mM H(2)O(2) reversibly depressed PS amplitude by roughly 80%. The iron chelator, deferoxamine (1 mM), and the endogenous.OH scavenger, ascorbate (400 microM), prevented PS inhibition, confirming.OH involvement. Isoascorbate (400 microM), which unlike ascorbate is not taken up by brain cells, also prevented PS inhibition, indicating an extracellular site of.OH generation or action. We then investigated whether H(2)O(2)-induced PS depression could be overcome by prolonged stimulation, which enhances Ca(2+) entry. During 5-s, 10-Hz trains under control conditions, PS amplitude increased to over 200% during the first three-four pulses, then stabilized. In the presence of H(2)O(2), PS amplitude was initially depressed, but began to recover after 2.5 s of stimulation, finally reaching 80% of the control maximum. In companion experiments, we assessed the effect of H(2)O(2) on presynaptic Ca(2+) entry by monitoring extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) during train stimulation in the presence of postsynaptic receptor blockers. Evoked [Ca(2+)](o) shifts were apparently unaltered by H(2)O(2), suggesting a lack of effect on Ca(2+) entry. Taken together, these findings suggest new ways in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) might act as signaling agents, specifically as modulators of synaptic transmission.
A Comparative Study of Various Octyldecylsilane (C18) Solid-Phase Extraction Materials in HPLC Analysis of Selected Drugs and Their Metabolites in Water and Serum Samples

Abstract Commercially available C18-solid-phase extraction(SPE) materials, representing packed bed, disc and membrane-types were evaluated for their applicability as effective tools in the sample preparation step of HPLC assays of selective drugs and their metabolites from aqueous and serum samples. Chlorzoxazone (I) and its metabolite 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (II), phenylbutazone (III) and its metabolite oxyphenylbutazone (IV), and imipramine (V) and its metabolite desipramine (VI) were extracted using each SPE device. In aqueous samples, the highest recoveries of I were achieved with packed bed or C18 disc, whereas the best recoveries of II were achieved with the packed bed-C18. The highest recoveries of III and IV were achieved with packed bed-C18, disc and membrane C18, and the best recoveries of V and VI were achieved with SPEC disc -C18. In serum samples, the highest recoveries of I and II were achieved with packed bed or Empore disc -C18, the best recoveries of III and IV were achieved with packed be...
Child care credentials: What and why

As the child care field clarifies its identity, credentialing is emerging as a significant issue addressed by many segments of the field. Certification, registration, accreditation, and licensing are defined. Specific credentialing efforts underway are described. Finally, the following issues are discussed: the agency credential vs. the individual credential, the dilemma of the individual credential, the design of a credential, and functional considerations. The arguments conclude that individual credentials may substantially enhance the state of the child care field.
Socialist scenarios, power, and state formation in Sandinista Nicaragua

Drawing on the concept of “scenario,” I examine the ideological construction of an agricultural cooperative in a “model” village in revolutionary Nicaragua (1979–90). I argue that the state's modernist project of development placed the burden of cooperative members' transformation into model revolutionaries on individual will rather than on national and global political–economic relations. This resulted in Tulenos' inability to live up to Sandinista expectations and authorized the production of Sandinista and academic discourses that cast these producers as failed revolutionaries. These discourses helped constitute and naturalize the vanguardist relationship established by the state's modernist project between the state and the cooperative sector.
The normal spatial QRS-T angle of the orthogonal vectorcardiogram.

Abstract The spatial QRS-T angle was determined in a group of 50 normal subjects. A corrected orthogonal vectorcardiographic lead system was used. A new method for the determination of spatial angles from planar vectorcardiograms was designed. Its accuracy approached that for Ashman's SÂQRS. The normal spatial QRS-T angle was found to be 56° ± 18.8°. Errors of spatial analysis in some commonly used methods were discussed.
Report: The Second International Workshop on Software Engineering for CSE

Held during the 2009 International Conference on Software Engineering, this workshop provided a venue for software engineering researchers to interact with CSE researchers and practitioners and further strengthen the evolving dialogue between them. This report offers a brief overview of the workshop's position papers and summarizes the breakout group discussions.
On the Argument for Divine Timelessness from the Incompleteness of Temporal Life

A promising argument for divine timelessness is that temporal life is possessed only moment by moment, which is incompatible with the existence of a perfect being. Since the argument is based on the experience of time’s passage, it cannot be circumvented by appeal to a tenseless theory of time. Neither can the argument be subverted by appeals to a temporal deity’s possession of a specious present of infinite duration. Nonetheless, because the argument concerns one’s experience of time’s passage rather than the objective reality of temporal becoming itself, it is considerably weakened by the fact that an omniscient being possessing perfect memory and foreknowledge, need not find such experience to be an imperfection.
Ice nucleation processes in upper tropospheric wave‐clouds observed during SUCCESS

We have compared in situ measurements near the leading-edges of wave-clouds observed during the SUCCESS experiment with numerical simulations. Observations of high supersaturations with respect to ice (>50%) near the leading edge of a very cold wave cloud (T <−60°C) are approximately consistent with recent theoretical and laboratory studies suggesting that large supersaturations are required to homogeneously freeze sulfate aerosols. Also, the peak ice crystal number densities observed in this cloud (about 4 cm−3) are consistent with the number densities calculated in our model. In the warmer wave-cloud (T ≃−37°C) relatively large ice number densities were observed (20–40 cm−3). Our model calculations suggest that these large number densities are probably caused by activation of sulfate aerosols into liquid droplets followed by subsequent homogeneous freezing. If moderate numbers of effective heterogeneous freezing nuclei (0.5–1 cm−3) had been present in either of these clouds, then the number densities of ice crystals and the peak relative humidities should have been lower than the observed values.
An inverse problem in boundary-layer flows: Numerical determination of pressure gradient for a given wall shear

The problem of determining a pressure gradient distribution that will produce a specified shear force on a body surface in boundary-layer flows is considered. This leads to an “overdetermined” boundary value problem for a partial differential equation containing an unknown coefficient. A numerical procedure for determining the coefficient is given along with several worked out examples including both similar and nonsimilar flows. The method essentially treats the unknown coefficient as an eigenvalue which is computed using Newton's method. This in turn employes a very accurate and efficient finite difference scheme for computing standard boundary-layer flows. Richardson extrapolation is applicable but only modest improvement was obtained in the present examples (for reasons that are explained).
Semiclassical analysis of a detuned ring laser with a saturable absorber: New results for the steady states

This paper presents new results for the steady states of a detuned ring laser with a saturable absorber. We employ a semiclassical model which assumes homogeneously broadened two-level atoms. We proceed by solving the Maxwell-Bloch equations for the longitudinal dependence of the steady states of this system, and then simplify our solution by use of the uniform-field approximation. We present uniform-field results for squared electric field versus operating frequency, and for each of these versus cavity tuning and laser excitation. Various cavity linewidths and both resonant and nonresonant amplifier and absorber line-center frequencies are considered. The most notable finding is that cavity detuning breaks the degeneracies found in the steady-state solutions of the fully tuned case. This leads to the prediction that an actual system will bifurcate from the zero-intensity solution to a steady-state solution as laser excitation increases from zero, rather than to the small-amplitude pulsations found for the model with exactly resonant tuning of the cavity and the media line centers. Other phenomena suggested by the steady-state results include tuning-dependent hysteresis and bistability, and instability in both intensity and frequency due to the appearance of one or more new steady-state solutions as tuning is varied. These effects of detuning are being tested by a linearized stability analysis whose results will be reported separately.
Incidents of Gray Market Activity Among U.S. Exporters: Occurrences, Characteristics, and Consequences

Each year, the value of gray market products sold throughout the world runs into the billions of dollars. Past research has stated that exporters of manufactured goods can hardly afford to ignore the possibility of this phenomenon due to the often severe effects on their sales volume, margins, and relationships with distributors and end-users. Through a survey of export managers of manufacturing firms, coupled with a series of qualitative interviews, this study investigates how organizational specific, control specific, and market specific factors drive gray market activity, and in turn explores the effects of unauthorized distribution on export performance. Several factors are shown to evaluate the potential of unauthorized distribution in their export markets, namely the centralization of decision making, the degree to which the product is standardized, channel integration, and channel control. International experience, market volatility, and the number of markets served were found to have no effect on gray market activity, this contrary to traditional thinking. Furthermore, the effects of gray market activity on strategic versus economic performance is shown to be significantly different. Each of these issues is discussed in detail, along with the implications for export managers.
Fourier filter augmented with trainer histograms

This paper describes a computationally efficient method for boosting the performance of correlation filters. The correlation filter is augmented with an array of histograms and the associated affinity numbers, obtained from the training image set utilized in construction of the filter. In the operational phase, histograms of sensor images are examined only at the image neighborhoods where the correlation filter provides initial indications of a target occurrence. The presence of a target is affirmed at image locations that pass both the peak cross correlation and histogram tests. Results of numerous experiments demonstrate that reinforcement of the spatial correlation filter with the trainer histograms leads to more robust Fourier filters for target detection and classification.