cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental studies of annealing of etched fission tracks in fluorapatite

Annealing of etchable fission-track damage in fluorapatite (Ca4.96Fe0.01Na0.02Sr0.01REE0.01)5.01-(P2.98Si0.02) 3.00O12(F1.00Cl0.02)1.02 and Sr fluorapatite (Ca4.68Na0.04Sr0.02REE0.03)4.97(P2.98Si0.03) 3.01O12F1.03was investigated in laboratory heating experiments at 1, 10, 100, and 1000 h at temperatures ranging from 40 to 360°C. For each of the approximately 105 heating experiments, annealing was characterized by measuring the lengths of confined tracks in mineral sections oriented parallel to the c axis and the acute angles between azimuths of the tracks and the c axis. Annealing is characterized by the monotonic decrease in etched track length with increasing temperature or heating time. Track shortening is anisotropic at all stages of fading: tracks parallel to c are most resistant to shortening, tracks perpendicular to c are at least resistant to shortening, and tracks at intermediate angles have intermediate annealing resistances. The relationship between mean track length and track length parallel or perpendicular to c is approximately linear. The decrease in normalized mean track length (r) with increasing temperature (T) or heating time (t) for the fluorapatite and Sr fluorapatite data presented here, as well as the annealing data of Green et al. (1986) from Durango apatite, is best described by the equation g(r; α, β) = C0 + [C1 ln t + C2][(1T) − C3], where g(r; α, β) is a power transform of r, and α, β, C0,C1, C2, and C3 are parameters. On the Arrhenius diagram, the fading contours (contours of constant r) for this model equation plot as a series of straight lines that intersect at a single point termed the “crossover point.” For the fluorapatite and Sr-fluorapatite data presented here, the crossover points occur within the interval 523°C ≤ T≤957°C, 10−5≤ t ≤ 10−2s. This point is interpreted to represent the limit of stability of tracks in apatite. Activation energies, which are proportional to the slopes of the fading contours, increase from about 20 kcal /mol at the onset of annealing to about 66 kcal /mol at the final stages of fading. This increase indicates that tracks become more resistant to shortening with progressive annealing. The crossover points and activation energies for the fluorapatite and Sr-fluorapatite model equations are not significantly different at the 5% level. We conclude that, to the first order, the annealing resistance of these two samples as characterized by normalized mean length of etched tracks is identical. The model equations developed from these data sets probably provide reasonable first-order predictions of track annealing at geological time scales. In particular, they predict between about 10 and 15% shortening at ambient temperatures over time scales of 1 my to 1 by, which is consistent with the observation that spontaneous tracks in apatite are between 10 and 20% shorter than induced tracks. However, additional testing is required before these models can be used to interpret measured length distributions on a routine basis.
ALTERNATIVE (NONSTIMULANT) MEDICATIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IN CHILDREN

Medication to treat ADHD must be seen as part of a multimodal approach that includes education, counseling, behavioral management, and family work along with the medication. If in addition to ADHD the patient has other psychiatric disorders, they also must be treated. The stimulant medications are still the first choice in treating ADHD. Should there be reasons why they cannot be used, the TCAs become the second line of treatment. Other alternative medications such as buproprion, clonidine, and guanfacine also can be considered. This article provides information and guidelines for the use of the alternative, nonstimulant medications to treat ADHD. These medications can be used separately or in combination to reduce the primary behaviors of ADHD and comorbid conditions. The reader is encouraged to refer to reviews of the pharmaceutical company literature and the Physician's Desk Reference before initiating treatment with any of these medications.
On the behavior of the Dst geomagnetic index in the vicinity of magnetic cloud passages at Earth

The geomagnetic response to magnetic clouds is investigated for the 34 magnetic clouds observed between 1973 and 1982, according to cloud type: southward turning clouds as compared to northward turning clouds (a southward turning cloud is one whose Bz near cloud onset at earth is directed northward, while a northward turning cloud is one whose initial Bz is directed southward). While, on average, the most negative Dst value associated with interplanetary magnetic clouds is the one for northward turning clouds, the difference in the depths of decrease (onset Dst value minus the most negative Dst value during cloud passage) for the two cloud types does not appear to be statistically important; hence, northward turning and southward turning clouds have depths of decrease of comparable size, differing primarily in the time of most negative Dst occurrence. For northward turning clouds, the most negative Dst value usually occurs within 12 hours of cloud onset at earth, while for southward turning clouds it is delayed until after 12 hours from cloud onset.
Time course expression of Foxo transcription factors in skeletal muscle following corticosteroid administration.

Increased expression of forkhead box O (Foxo) transcription factors were reported in cultured myotubes and mouse limb muscle with corticosteroid (CS) treatment. We previously reported that administ...
A before and after study of medical students' and house staff members' knowledge of ACOVE quality of pharmacologic care standards on an acute care for elders unit.

Abstract Background: The Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) comprehensive set of quality assessment tools for ill older persons is a standard designed to measure overall care delivered to vulnerable elders (ie, those aged ≥65 years) at the level of a health care system or plan. Objective: The goal of this research was to quantify the pretest and posttest results of medical students and house staff participating in a pharmacotherapist-led educational intervention that focused on the ACOVE quality of pharmacologic care standards. Methods: This was a before and after study assessing the knowledge ofACOVE standards following exposure to an educational intervention led by a pharmacotherapist. It was conducted at the 29-bed Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit of Maimonides Medical Center, a 705-bed, independent teaching hospital located in Brooklyn, New York. Participants included all medical students and house staff completing a rotation on the ACE unit from August 2004 through May 2005 who completed both the pre-and posttests. A pharmacotherapist provided a 1-hour active learning session reviewing the evidence supporting the quality indicators and reviewed case-based questions with the medical students and house staff. Educational interventions also occurred daily through pharmacotherapeutic consultations and during work rounds. Medical students and house staff were administered the same 15-question, patient-specific, case-based, multiple-choice pre-and posttest to assess knowledge of the standards before and after receiving the intervention. Results: A total of 54 medical students and house staff (median age, 28.58 years; 40 men, 14 women) completed the study. Significantly higher median scores were achieved on the multiple-choice test after the intervention than before (median scores, 14/15 [93.3%] vs 12/15 [80.0%], respectively; P = 0.001). Conclusion: A pharmacotherapist-led educational intervention improved the scores of medical students and house staff on a test evaluating knowledge of evidence-based recommendations for pharmacotherapy in the elderly.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy with major vascular resection: a comparison of laparoscopic versus open approaches.

Major vascular resection when necessary for margin control during pancreaticoduodenectomy is relatively universal with perioperative and oncological outcomes that are similar to those of patients undergoing a PD without venous involvement. The present study compares total laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (TLPD) versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) with major vascular resection. We reviewed data for all patients undergoing TLPD or OPD with vascular resection at Mayo Clinic Rochester, between the dates of July 2007 and July 2013. A total of 31 patients undergoing TLPD and 58 patients undergoing OPD with major vascular resection were identified. Mean operative blood loss was significantly less in the laparoscopic (842 cc) compared to the open group (1,452 cc) (p < 0.001), as was median hospital stay, 6 (4–118) versus 9 (6–73) days, respectively (p = 0.006). There was no significant difference in the total number of complications (lap 35 %, open 48 %) (p = 0.24) or severe complications (≥III) (lap 6.4 %, open 3.4 %) (p = 0.51) in the two groups. In-hospital mortality or 30-day mortality was not statistically different between the laparoscopic and open groups, 3.2 and 3.4 %, respectively (p = 0.96). Patency of the reconstructed vessels on postoperative imaging was not significantly different between the TLPD (93 %) and OPD groups (91 %) (p = 0.76). In patients with a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, there was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups (p = 0.22). The present study clearly demonstrates that not only is TLPD with major vascular resection feasible and safe but that it can achieve results that are similar in morbidity and mortality as well as oncologic outcome compared to patients undergoing OPD with major vascular resection.
Caveats on the Application of the Fourier Flexible Form: Discussion

The objective of this comment is to assess the innovation presented in the Fourier flexible form (F.f.f.). Gallant's suggestion must be commended for its attempt to take the literature past local approximations. The F.f.f. is motivated by a pressing econometric specification issue, functional form. As noted in Weaver (1982), microeconomic theory fails to resolve a number of critical model specification issues. Within this context, use of the F.f.f. cannot be expected to provide more believable elasticity estimates than those achievable from local approximations. Indeed, F.f.f. estimates will remain highly sensitive to how other specification issues are resolved. Gallant exploits Edmonds and Moscatelli's (EM) extension of the traditional Fourier theorem, but in application several important questions are left begging: (a) What is the nature of truncation error left by a partial Fourier series? (b) How fast does that error go to zero as we expand the number of terms in the series? And, (c) how can we proceed in the noisy, stochastic world we live in? Although Gallant's Markov simulations (done with Chalfant) suggest the approximation error of a truncated F.f.f. may not be large, Gallant offers nothing in the way of answers to these important questions. This is indeed surprising since the literature on applications of Fourier analysis has traditionally focused on just these questions. Given limited space, focus will be placed on the last two issues in order to question the nature of Gallant's method and extension of the use of Fourier series suggested by EM to the Fourier flexible form. Details are given in Weaver (1984). Evaluation of the Truncation Error of Fourier
Anglers' Motivations for Volunteering with Fishing or Conservation Organizations

ABSTRACTEach year many individuals volunteer their time with fishing or conservation organizations. Research has shown the importance of organizational volunteers in the effectiveness of environmental stewardship; however, the literature on motivations for environmental volunteering is limited. This study examined the motivations of licensed recreational anglers for volunteering with fishing or conservation organizations. Data were collected through the 2012 Texas statewide angler study (n = 1,888), which queries licensed recreational anglers. Results showed that 454 individuals are members of fishing or conservation organizations and of those members, 153 individuals responded that they volunteer. Anglers volunteered an average of 10 years and 33 hours annually. Motivations were analyzed using principal components analysis yielding three dimensions: “helping/learning about the environment,” “social,” and “policy.” Study results have implications for those who work with volunteers in targeting recruitment...
Kathleen Mears Memorial Lecture: I can do that--skill building through volunteering.

When I was initially invited to deliver the Kathleen Mears Memorial Lecture at the 2014 ASET conference, my first response was, “Who me?!” This lecture series has a long and illustrious history of ...
The Effects of Intermittent Hydrostatic Pressure on Self-Assembled Articular Cartilage Constructs

To date, static culture for the tissue engineering of articular cartilage has shown to be inadequate in conferring functionality to constructs. Various forms of mechanical stimuli accompany articul...
Examining the Paradoxical Relation between Number of Spikes and Gaze Amplitude in Abducens Neurons

: During head-unrestrained gaze shifts, the number of spikes in the burst of abducens neurons increases with gaze amplitude, even when corrected for the component of the discharge related to the change in eye position. We examine this paradoxical dissociation between the number of spikes and eye amplitude, which occurs because eye amplitude in the head saturates for larger gaze shifts. First, we show that the extra spikes are unlikely to be due to antagonist muscle loading because the abducens neurons are completely silent during large gaze shifts when the muscle acts as an antagonist. Next, we divide the firing rate profile of abducens neurons into terms that represent signals related to eye position, velocity, and acceleration; a d.c. offset term specifying the firing associated with straight-ahead gaze; and a slide term, which compensates for the zero of the oculomotor plant. Then we examine the contribution of each term to the number of spikes recorded. A comparison of the number of spikes with the integral of the fitted function, combining all of the terms, for the duration of the burst reveals that the simulation captures much of the actual data. However, even a model with a slide term cannot reproduce the nonlinear relationship of the number of spikes with amplitude that characterizes large gaze shifts.
Wetland loss and substitution by the Section 404 permit program in southern California, USA

To test the effectiveness of the 404 permit program in preventing a net loss of wetland resources, 75 Section 404 projects permitted in the years 1987–1989 and located in a portion of southern California were evaluated. From this group of projects, 80.47 ha of wetlands were affected by Section 404 permits and the Army Corps of Engineers required 111.62 ha of wetland mitigation. To verify the successful completion of each mitigation project, all 75 project sites were visited and evaluated based on the amount of dead vegetation, growth and coverage, and the number of invasive species. Based on the field verification results, the actual amount of completed mitigation area was 77.33 ha, resulting in a net loss of 3.14 ha of wetland resources in the years 1987–1989. By comparing the types of wetlands lost to the types of wetlands mitigated, it is apparent that, in particular, freshwater wetlands are experiencing a disproportionately greater loss of area and that riparian woodland wetlands are most often used in mitigation efforts. The net result of these accumulated actions is an overall substitution of wetland types throughout the region. Results also indicate that, typically, large-scale mitigation projects are more successful compared to smaller projects and that successful compliance efforts are not evenly distributed throughout the region. We recommend that better monitoring, mitigation in-kind, mitigation banking, and planning on a regional or watershed scale could greatly improve the effectiveness of the Section 404 permitting program.
Two Delacroix Drawings Made from Photographs

Shortly after the Daguerreotype process was made public a prominent member of the French Academy of Sciences, Francois Arago, posed the question, “Is this invention one which will render a valuable...
Large-scale flow in competing-interaction systems

We study the dynamics of large-scale flow in a system with several competing length scales. This system, when driven, is characterized by critically metastable states. When the driving force is lowered, these states melt'' via nucleation of a low density of slowly moving defects, which control and relate the long-time, long-distance behaviors. We demonstrate these properties with a one-dimensional lattice-dynamics model for twinning in elastic materials, including (a) a periodic substrate potential, (b) a nonconvex nearest-neighbor spring potential, and (c) a harmonic next-nearest-neighbor spring potential. This system exhibits a rich spectrum of superlattice ground states. Large-scale driving, obtained by adding a constant force and damping to the equations of motion, shows four distinct regimes: (i) At high forces a metastable inhomogeneously modulated configuration moves rigidly with a velocity given by the ratio of force to damping; (ii) as the force decreases the rigidity is lost via local nucleation of soliton defects (in the double well) and fluctuations of the velocities increase; (iii) for even lower forces the configuration ceases to translate, and the dynamics is controlled by nucleation of (sine-Gordon-like) kink-antikink pairs in the substrate; and finally (iv) at a sufficiently low force a metastable configuration, consisting of a randommore » array of solitons (in the double-well potential), is pinned. We also observe strong hysteretic behavior at the transitions.« less
Application of the Fock Expansion to Doubly Excited States of the Helium Atom

The formal properties of the Fock expansion of helium-atom wave functions provide a frame within which the behavior of doubly excited $^{1}P$ states can be simply expressed. The convergence of the expansion is investigated.
An examination of the Runs Test, Reverse Arrangements Test, and modified Reverse Arrangements Test for assessing surface EMG signal stationarity

The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of the Runs Test, Reverse Arrangements Test, and modified Reverse Arrangements Test for assessing stationarity of surface electromyographic (EMG) signals. Five stationary signals were generated by custom programs written with LabVIEW programming software. These signals consisted of sine waves, sums of sine waves, and sums of sine waves and random noise. The sixth signal was a stationary computer generated surface EMG signal downloaded from the surface EMG for the non-invasive assessment of muscles (SENIAM) project database. There were no changes in the amplitude or frequency contents of the stationary signals over time. Several nonstationary signals were also created, including a nonstationary chirp signal generated with LabVIEW programming software, a nonstationary computer generated surface EMG signal downloaded from the SENIAM project database, and a real surface EMG signal recorded from the biceps brachii during a concentric isokinetic muscle action of the forearm flexors at a velocity of 30 degrees s(-1). Both the stationary and nonstationary signals were tested for stationarity using the Runs Test, Reverse Arrangements Test, and modified Reverse Arrangements Test. The results indicated that each of the three stationarity tests demonstrated at least one form of inaccuracy (i.e. false positive and/or false negative results) in examining the stationarity of the test signals. These findings may reflect the fact that these tests were designed to determine whether or not a signal is random, rather than examine signal stationarity exclusively. Thus, the Runs Test, Reverse Arrangements Test, and modified Reverse Arrangements Test may not be appropriate for assessing stationarity in surface EMG signals.
Structural comparison of yeast snoRNP and spliceosomal protein Snu13p with its homologs

Snu13p is a bifunctional yeast protein involved in both messenger RNA splicing as well as ribosomal RNA maturation. Snu13p initiates assembly of ribonucleoprotein particles by interacting with a conserved RNA motif called kink turn. Unlike its archaeal homolog, L7Ae, Snu13p displays differential specificity for functionally distinct kink turns. Thus, the structures of Snu13p at different functional states, including those alone and bound with RNAs, are required to understand how the protein differentially interacts with kink turns. Although the structure of the human homolog of Snu13p bound with a spliceosomal RNA is known, there has not been a report of a structure of free Snu13p. This has hindered our ability to understand the structural basis for Snu13p's substrate specificity. We report a crystal structure of free Snu13p at 1.9A and a detailed structural comparison with its homologs. We show that free Snu13p has nearly an identical conformation as that of its human homolog bound with RNA. Interestingly, both eukaryotic proteins exhibit notable structural differences in their central beta-sheets as compared to their archaeal homolog, L7Ae. The observed structural differences offer a possible explanation to the observed difference in RNA specificity between Snu13p and L7Ae.
Bronchial Artery Embolization

Hemoptysis represents a significant clinical entity with high morbidity and potential mortality. Most hemorrhages from a bronchial source arise in the setting of chronic inflammatory diseases. Medical management (in terms of resuscitation and bronchoscopic interventions) and surgery have severe limitations in these patient populations. Embolization procedures represent the first-line treatment for hemoptysis arising from a bronchial arterial source. This article discusses anatomical and technical considerations, as well as outcomes and complications, in the setting of bronchial arterial embolization in the treatment of hemoptysis.
Milrinone versus dobutamine in heart failure subjects treated chronically with carvedilol.

Abstract Objective: To compare the efficacy of milrinone and dobutamine in patients chronically treated with carvedilol. Background: Milrinone and dobutamine are used to manage decompensated heart failure, but their efficacy in patients on beta-blocker therapy was unknown. Methods: Twenty patients with decompensated heart failure were prospectively enrolled. Inotropic responses to milrinone (12.5, 25 or 50 μg/kg bolus infusions) or dobutamine (5, 10, 15 or 20 μg/kg/min infusions) were evaluated by right-heart catheterization. Results: Milrinone increased cardiac index (2.0–2.6 l/min/m 2 , P =0.0001) without significantly altering heart rate (70–75 bpm, P =0.19). Milrinone decreased mean pulmonary artery pressure (36–29 mm Hg, P =0.0001), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (24–18 mm Hg, P =0.0001) and mean arterial blood pressure (78–75 mm Hg, P =0.0002). Left ventricular stroke volume index increased in the milrinone group (31–35 ml/beat/m 2 , P =0.0001). Dobutamine produced an increase in cardiac index (2.4–3.3 l/min/m 2 , P =0.0001) only at doses that are not typically used to treat heart failure (15–20 μg/kg/min). At these doses, dobutamine increased heart rate (68–82 bpm, P =0.008), mean systemic pressure (90–117 mm Hg, P =0.0001) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (21–30 mm Hg, P =0.001). Dobutamine did not alter left ventricular stroke volume index or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Conclusions: Dobutamine and milrinone have different hemodynamic effects in patients treated chronically with carvedilol. These differences should be considered when selecting inotropic therapy for decompensated heart failure.
Redesigning the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA)

Throughout its 67-year history, the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) has focused exclusively on tuition-free advanced training, including performance experience, for young singers showing the potential for careers in the world's leading opera houses. The Interactive Planning Approach was utilized for long-range strategic planning. Over 100 stakeholders (faculty, students, managers, subscribers, donors, and board members), representing a wide variety of interests, participated in a six-month effort to redesign the organization, using professional facilitation and guidance. Since the plan's adoption in 1997, a large percentage of the designed actions have been implemented, including some of the most ambitious and supposedly difficult to accomplish. As a result, the academy has advanced its enrollment, programs, facilities, and endowment significantly. What follows is a description of an organization's participative planning effort and an examination of the reasons for its success. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A qualitative study of parents' perceptions and use of portion size strategies for preschool children's snacks.

Abstract Objective: Increases in childhood obesity correspond with shifts in children's snacking behaviors and food portion sizes. This study examined parents' conceptualizations of portion size and the strategies they use to portion snacks in the context of preschool-aged children's snacking. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with non-Hispanic white (W), African American (AA), and Hispanic (H) low-income parents (n = 60) of preschool-aged children living in Philadelphia and Boston. The interview examined parents' child snacking definitions, purposes, contexts, and frequency. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Coding matrices compared responses by race/ethnicity, parent education, and household food security status. Results: Parents' commonly referenced portion sizes when describing children's snacks with phrases like “something small.” Snack portion sizes were guided by considerations including healthfulness, location, hunger, and timing. Six strategies for portioning snacks were presented including use of small containers, subdividing large portions, buying prepackaged snacks, use of hand measurement, measuring cups, scales, and letting children determine portion size. Differences in considerations and strategies were seen between race/ethnic groups and by household food security status. Conclusions: Low-income parents of preschool-aged children described a diverse set of considerations and strategies related to portion sizes of snack foods offered to their children. Future studies should examine how these considerations and strategies influence child dietary quality.
Polymerase chain reaction method for determining ratios of human immunodeficiency virus proviral DNA to cellular genomic DNA in brain tissues of HIV-infected patients.

Abstract A PCR method was developed to compare HIV-1 DNA loads in brain tissue samples. The method determines the ratio of the amplified product of an HIV DNA sequence to that of a host cellular DNA sequence using standard DNAs as reference. The standards include DNA from a line of human cells that harbor one HIV-1 provirus per cellular genome, and DNA from non-infected human cells. The standard DNAs were mixed in varying proportions and used to establish conditions of amplification under which the ratios of their PCR-amplified products corresponded with the ratios of the amounts of the DNAs themselves. The method was evaluated using known mixtures of the standard DNAs. Using the conditions thus obtained, ratios of HIV proviral DNA to cellular genomic DNA were obtained for tissue DNA samples taken from several different locations within the brain of two deceased HIV-infected patients. Results showed that HIV DNA was non-uniformly distributed within each brain (10–250 per 103 cellular genomes); the highest ratios were found in the hippocampus for each patient, independent of postmortem neuropathological findings. The criteria for quantitative PCR have general applicability to comparative studies of any proviral DNA loads in different tissue samples.
Multipolypoid intussusceptum: A distinctive appearance of ileoileocolic intussusception at the ileocecal valve

Objective. To determine whether ileoileocolic intussusception can be diagnosed by a distinctive appearance during pneumatic reduction.Materials and methods. We reviewed the clinical, pathologic, and imaging findings of 11 patients with ileoileocolic intussusceptions seen in our hospital between January 1989 and July 1994. The patients ranged in age from 4 months to 4 years and 2 months. We specifically evaluated the appearance of these intussusceptions on air enemas performed in nine of these patients. Another 22 air enemas of all patients with surgically proven ileocolic intussusception seen during the same time period were also reviewed for comparison.Results. In seven of the nine patients with ileoileocolic intussusception who had air enemas, the intussusceptum clearly had two or more separate polypoid components once it was reduced to the cecum. This distinctive appearance was not seen until the intussusceptum was tethered at the ileocecal valve. The intussusceptum was also reduced to the cecum in 19 patients from the control group with ileocolic intussusception. In contrast to the ileoileocolic intussusceptums, these intussusceptums were either smoothly marginated (16 patients) or slightly lobular (three patients).Conclusion. In most patients with ileoileocolic intussusception, the intussusceptum has two or more polypoid components at the level of the ileocecal valve which are easily distinguished from the smoothly marginated or slightly lobular intussusceptum seen with ileocolic intussusception.
Estimating the intergenerational persistence of lifetime earnings with life course matching: Evidence from the PSID

Abstract Why do estimates of the intergenerational persistence in earnings vary so much for the United States? Recent research suggests that lifecycle bias may be a major factor [Grawe, N., Lifecycle bias in estimates of intergenerational earnings persistence. Labour Economics 2006, 13:551–570; Haider, S., and Solon, G., Life-cycle variation in the association between current and lifetime earnings. American Economic Review 2006, 96(4):1308–1320.]. In this paper we estimate the intergenerational correlation in lifetime earnings by using sons' and fathers' earnings at similar ages in order to account for lifecycle bias. Our estimate based on earnings measured at 35–44 for both fathers and sons is similar to that for the age range 45–54.
Sediment focusing in Mirror Lake, New Hampshire1

Analyses of multiple sediment cores from Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, dated by 14C and pollen, show that between 14,000 and 11,000 B.P. silts and sands were deposited over 85% of the basin. After 11,000 B.P. organic-rich sediments were focused into the deeper parts of the basin, and no sediment accumulated in water <5 m deep. . Late-glacial particulate inorganic inputs were 33 times greater than modern losses from forested watersheds at Hubbard Brook. After trees became established, inorganic inputs fell sharply to modern levels. Late-glacial organic inputs were a half the average during the last 11,000 years. At four of the sites studied, accumulation rates reached a maximum between 7000 and 4000 B.P. The precise date varies from site to site, suggesting that it would be misleading to link peak accumulation in a single core to events in the watershed. After 4000 B.P. organic sediment accumulation rates declined at all four sites. Parallel declines in accumulation rates of both pollen and inorganic sediments suggest that this decline is due to the process of sediment focusing rather than to a change in decomposition rates or in organic inputs related to autochthonous or allochthonous primary production.
High-affinity juvenile hormone binding to fat body cytosolic proteins of the bollworm, Heliothis zea: Characterization and interaction with allelochemicals and xenobiotics

Abstract High-affinity saturable binding of juvenile hormone (JH) I was demonstrated in crude fat body cytosol preparations from fifth instar larvae of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie). Separation of binding proteins from JH metabolizing enzymes was achieved by ammonium sulfate fractionation of cytosolic proteins. Binding kinetics for the 70–100% ammonium sulfate fraction indicated a Kd of 4.56 nM and a Bmax of 1.19 pmol/mg protein. Competition experiments showed similar displacement of [3H]JH I from its binding site(s) by JH I and JH III and somewhat less displacement by the synthetic analog, methoprene. The cotton allelochemical myrcene was nearly as competitive as JH I, while its stereoisomer ocimene did not compete at all. The cotton allelochemical gossypol did not compete. The man-made xenobiotic TCDD was a weak competitor. The data establish procedures for JH binding assays in the bollworm and indicate that the same binding protein(s) interacts with insect juvenile hormones, a plant allelochemical, and man-made xenobiotics.
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry studies of bone mineral status in newborn infants.

We studied bone mineral status using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) on 150 singleton newborn infants with birth weights 1002–3990 g and gestational ages (GA) 27–42 weeks. Eighty-five infants were preterm (<38 weeks), and 79 infants were low birth weight (≤2500 g). In addition, we aimed to determine the predictive value of anthropometric measurements, race, and gender on variability in bone mineral status. Data were acquired using a whole body DXA scanner with a pediatric platform. Scan analyses were performed with software version V5.64P. Results showed a highly significant (p < 0.001 for all comparisons) correlation among the continuous independent variables, gestational age, birth weight, study weight, study bare weight, and study length, and between independent and each of the dependent variables, total body bone mineral content (TB BMC), TB area, and TB bone mineral density (TB BMD). The best single determinant of bone mineral status is body weight, accounting for 95% of TB BMC and TB area and for 86% of TB BMD variation. Body length was the only additional significant predictor of TB area. Inclusion of postnatal age (during the first week after birth), race, gender, or season, either individually or in combination, failed to improve bone mineral status explanation. By term (GA 38–42 weeks, birth weight 2700–3990 g), the mean TB BMC was 68.2 g, TB area 307.6 cm2, and TB BMD 0.221 g/cm2. We conclude that DXA can be performed even in small preterm infants during the newborn period. Our results can be used as a basis for further studies in physiologic and pathologic situations that might affect bone mineralization in infants. (J Bone Miner Res 1996;11:997-1002)
A novel cognitive intervention for compulsive checking: Targeting maladaptive beliefs about memory

Abstract Background and objectives Compulsive checking is one of the most common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Recently it has been proposed that those who check compulsively may believe their memory is poor, rather than having an actual memory impairment. The current study sought to develop and assess a brief cognitive intervention focused on improving maladaptive beliefs about memory, as they pertain to both checking symptoms and memory performance. Methods Participants ( N = 24) with a diagnosis of OCD and clinical levels of checking symptomatology were randomly assigned either to receive two weekly 1-hour therapy sessions or to self-monitor during a similar waitlist period. Time spent checking, checking symptoms, maladaptive beliefs about memory, and visuospatial memory were assessed both pre- and post-treatment/waitlist. Results Results showed that compared to the waitlist condition, individuals in the treatment condition displayed significant decreases in their maladaptive beliefs about memory and checking symptoms from pre- to post-intervention. They also exhibited increased recall performance on a measure of visuospatial memory. Changes in beliefs about memory were predictors of reduced post-intervention checking, but were not predictive of increased post-intervention memory scores. Limitations The lack of long term follow-up data and use of a waitlist control leave questions about the stability and specificity of the intervention. Conclusions Findings provide preliminary evidence that strategies targeting beliefs about memory may be worthy of inclusion in cognitive-behavioural approaches to treating compulsive checking.
Respiratory Responses of Mice Exposed to Thermal Decomposition Products from Polymers Heated at and Above Workplace Processing Temperatures

Mice were exposed to thermal decomposition products (TDP) released from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene-polyethylene copolymer (CP), polypropylene homopolymer (HP), or plasticized polyvinylchloride (PVC). These resins were heated in a temperature programmable furnace, at and above workplace processing temperatures. LC50 and RD50 values were obtained on the basis of resin mass loaded in the furnace. LT50 values were determined at the respective LC50 masses. RD50 values were also obtained on the basis of particulate concentrations measured during heating of each resin. The results of this study indicated that PVC and HP were more toxic and faster-acting than wood, while ABS and CP were much more toxic and much faster-acting than wood. At processing temperatures between 200–300°C, RD50 values (based on particulate concentrations) were 21.1, 3.51, 2.60, and 11.51 mg/m3 for ABS, CP, HP, and PVC. Exposure limits of 0.63, 0.11, 0.08, and 0.35 mg/m3 were recommended for TDP of ABS, CP, HP, an...
The influence of the U.S. tobacco industry on the health, economy, and environment of developing countries

ALTHOUGH tobacco was first used in Central and South America in religious ceremonies, it was the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World and the subsequent exportation of tobacco to Europe...
Foreign Competition, Market Power, and Wage Inequality

This paper investigates the link between the trend in the returns to education and foreign competition in concentrated industries. We argue that the impact of foreign competition on the relative wages of less skilled workers depends on the market structure of the industry penetrated. The empirical evidence indicates that employment changes in a small group of trade-impacted concentrated industries can explain not only part of the aggregate rise in wage inequality in the United States, but also some of the differences in the trends in wage inequality across metropolitan areas.
Numerical fracture simulation of bend specimens using a CTOD criterion

Stable crack growth in 50-mm-thick side-grooved three-point bend specimens of HY-130 steel is modeled numerically. A two-dimensional elastoplastic FEM formulation incorporating a CTOD fracture criterion is developed analytically, and the theoretical predictions are compared with experimental data in graphs. Good general agreement is obtained, except for the crack extension, which was typically overpredicted. The value of the J integral at crack initiation is found to be 83 kJ/sq m.
A group-centric model for collaboration with expedient insiders in multilevel systems

An authorization model for group-centric organizational collaboration has been recently proposed wherein multiple organizations may collaborate via groups [3]. Each group is independent of all others and adheres to the formal semantics of Group-Centric Secure Information Sharing models (g-SIS) [2], [4]. Motivated by [3], in this paper, we develop a model for group-centric collaboration in which an organization forms groups to collaborate with outside consultants on specific projects. A core principle is that such outsiders cannot fit in the existing organizational access control structure as they are not “true insiders” but rather “expedient insiders.” In our proposed model, each group duplicates the organizational access control structure in an identical but separate copy—initially without any assignment of users or objects. The group is then populated and maintained by bringing selected true insiders, expedient insiders, and objects together to enable collaboration. The formal model consists of administrative and operational parts covering the complete life-cycle. While the general concepts are applicable regardless of the specific models used for the organizational access control structure, to be concrete we consider the specific case of multilevel systems that enforce lattice-based access control [7].
Evaluation of selective attention under similarity transformations

Selective attention systems have generally been developed as models of human attention, and they have been evaluated on that basis. Now, however, they are being used as front ends to object recognition systems, and in particular to appearance-based recognition systems. As such, they need to be evaluated by other criteria. We argue that to serve as effective front ends for object recognition, selective attention systems should (1) select fixation points in scale as well as position, and (2) be insensitive to 2D similarity transformations of the image (i.e., in-plane translations, rotations, reflections, and scales). This paper evaluates the Neuromorphic Vision Toolkit (NVT), a well-known selective attention system, and finds that it satisfies neither criterion. Further investigation, however, suggests that the sensitivity of NVT to similarity transformation is an artifact of its implementation. We develop a new system, called selective attention as a front end (SAFE), that is based on the same principles as NVT, but selects both the scale and position of fixation points and is largely invariant to 2D similarity transformations.
Relativistic corrections for methylene

Abstract The mass-velocity, Darwin, and magnetic corrections to the 3 P- 5 S and s 2 p 2 -sp 3 splitting of carbon and the 3 B 1 - 1 A 1 splitting in CH 2 have been evaluated by first-order perturbation theory. We obtained corrections of 92 cm −1 for 3 P- 5 S, 100 cm −1 for the s 2 p 2 -sp 3 configuration average and 15 cm −1 for 3 B 1 - 1 A 1 .
Biodegradable Polyurethane Ureas with Variable Polyester or Polycarbonate Soft Segments: Effects of Crystallinity, Molecular Weight, and Composition on Mechanical Properties

Biodegradable polyurethane urea (PUU) elastomers are ideal candidates for fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds with mechanical properties akin to strong and resilient soft tissues. PUU with a crystalline poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) macrodiol soft segment (SS) showed good elasticity and resilience at small strains (<50%) but showed poor resilience under large strains because of stress-induced crystallization of the PCL segments, with a permanent set of 677 ± 30% after tensile failure. To obtain softer and more resilient PUUs, we used noncrystalline poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) or poly(δ-valerolactone-co-e-caprolactone) (PVLCL) macrodiols of different molecular weights as SSs that were reacted with 1,4-diisocyanatobutane and chain extended with 1,4-diaminobutane. Mechanical properties of the PUUs were characterized by tensile testing with static or cyclic loading and dynamic mechanical analysis. All of the PUUs synthesized showed large elongations at break (800-1400%) and high tensile strength (30-60 MPa). PUUs with noncrystalline SSs all showed improved elasticity and resilience relative to the crystalline PCL-based PUU, especially for the PUUs with high molecular weight SSs (PTMC 5400 M(n) and PVLCL 6000 M(n)), of which the permanent deformation after tensile failure was only 12 ± 7 and 39 ± 4%, respectively. The SS molecular weight also influenced the tensile modulus in an inverse fashion. Accelerated degradation studies in PBS containing 100 U/mL lipase showed significantly greater mass loss for the two polyester-based PUUs versus the polycarbonate-based PUU and for PVLCL versus PCL polyester PUUs. Basic cytocompatibility was demonstrated with primary vascular smooth muscle cell culture. The synthesized families of PUUs showed variable elastomeric behavior that could be explained in terms of the underlying molecular design and crystalline behavior. Depending on the application target of interest, these materials may provide options or guidance for soft tissue scaffold development.
The role of syntactic structure in guiding prosody perception with ordinary listeners and everyday speech

The relationship between syntactic and prosodic phrase structures is investigated in the production and perception of spontaneous speech. Three hypotheses are tested: (1) syntax influences prosody production; (2) listeners' perception of prosodic boundaries is sensitive to acoustic duration; and (3) syntax directly influences boundary perception, (partly) independent of the acoustic evidence for boundaries. Data are from the Buckeye corpus of conversational speech, and the real-time prosodic transcription of those data by 97 untrained listeners. Inter-transcriber agreement codes boundary strength at word junctures, and Boundary scores are shown to be correlated with both the syntactic context and vowel duration of a word. Vowel duration is also correlated with syntactic context, but the effect of syntactic context on boundary perception is not fully explained by vowel duration. Regression analyses show that syntactic clause boundaries and vowel duration are the first and second strongest predictors of bou...
Role of glandular kallikreins as growth factor processing enzymes: Structural and evolutionary considerations

Hormones and growth factors are generally released from larger precursors by limited proteolysis. The causative agents remain poorly defined with respect to location and properties. One subset of proteases, the glandular kallikreins, have been implicated in a few cases, in part because of their specific association with mature forms of some hormones. However, limited distribution and low copy number in some species cast doubt on this hypothesis, and they may well play other physiological functions that remain to be elucidated.
Holomorphic Functions and Vector Bundles on Coverings of Projective Varieties

Let $X$ be a projective manifold, $\rho:\tilde X \to X$ its universal covering and $\rho^*: Vect (X) \to Vect(\tilde X)$ the pullback map for the isomorphism classes of vector bundles. This article establishes a connection between the properties of the pullback map $\rho^*$ and the properties of the function theory on $\tilde X$. We prove the following pivotal result: if a universal cover of a projective variety has no nonconstant holomorphic functions then the pullback map $\rho^*$ is almost an imbedding.