cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Attrition and Weight Loss in an Adolescent Weight Control Program

Objective: To evaluate demographic and psychosocial predictors of attrition and weight loss in a behaviorally based adolescent weight control trial. Methods and Procedures: Adolescents (N = 76) aged 13–16 years and 20–80% overweight (M = 60.56%, s.d. = 15.17%) received standard group-based behavioral treatment as part of a randomized trial comparing different activity interventions for overweight adolescents. Anthropometric and psychosocial measures were obtained at baseline and after the 16-week intervention. Results: Higher parent (P < 0.01) and adolescent BMI (P < 0.05) at baseline, as well as ethnic minority status (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with attrition in univariate analyses. Parent BMI remained the only significant predictor of attrition in multivariate analyses. BMI change for completers (N = 62) was highly variable, ranging from –6.09 to +1.62 BMI units. Male gender (P < 0.01) was a significant predictor of reduction in BMI, whereas not being from an ethnic minority group (P < 0.05) and attendance at group sessions (P = 0.05) were associated with ≥5% absolute weight loss in multivariate analyses. Absolute weight loss during the first 4 weeks of the program was strongly associated with weight loss (pr = 0.44, P < 0.001) during the remainder of the intervention. Psychosocial variables were unrelated to attrition or treatment outcome. Discussion: These findings highlight the potential importance of attending to parental BMI in efforts to retain adolescent participants in treatment, as well as the need to develop weight control interventions that are more effective for ethnic minority youth.
Factors contributing to preterm infant engagement during bottle-feeding.

Background: Preterm infants have difficulty maintaining engagement throughout early oral feedings, which can lead to less efficient feeding and prolonged feeding skill development. Objective: To examine contributions of the infant, mother, and feeding context to infant engagement during bottle-feeding. Methods: Bottle-feedings of very-low-birthweight infants (n = 22) by their mothers were observed. Infant and maternal behaviors were coded and synchronized with physiologic measures. At completion of the feeding, the mothers were interviewed, and their working model of feeding coregulation was scored. Feedings were subdivided into feeding episodes (n = 114). Using multilevel linear regression analyses, four dyadic characteristics (working model of the caregiver's role as coregulator, birthweight, postconceptional age, baseline oxygen saturation) and five episode characteristics (readiness at episode onset, episode baseline oxygen saturation, mean oxygen saturation during the episode, maternal feeding behavior, and phase of feeding) were examined as potential predictors of feeding episode engagement. Results: Conditions observed during the feeding observation explained most of the variation in engagement. Engagement was more likely to occur during the early phase of feeding (p <.05), during feeding episodes that began with infant readiness (p <.05), and during feeding episodes with higher mean oxygen saturation during the episode (p <,05). Feeding episodes with less jiggling of the nipple had a significantly greater amount of engagement (p <.05). Conclusions: The ability of the preterm infant to maintain engagement during bottle-feeding cannot be explained by characteristics of the infant or by the prefeeding condition of the infant alone. Rather, engagement is coregulated by the caregiver and the infant throughout the feeding. Strategies to assist infants in maintaining physiologic stability during bottle-feeding and further study of effective and contingent caregiver feeding behaviors are needed.
Uncertain what uncertainty monitoring monitors

Smith et al. present a model that they suggest may clarify aspects of the phylogenetic distribution of metacognition, based on observation of what they call uncertainty monitoring. Although they suggest that their model is supported by data collected using monkeys and dolphins, their interpretation that nonhuman animal behaviors parallel thought processes in humans may be unwarranted. The model presented by Smith et al. is inconsistent with current theories and empirical findings on the comparative aspects of metacognition. We present three oversights of the model and extend our critique to include a brief discussion of animal self-awareness, as well as current neuropsychological perspectives on metacognitive processing in humans.
Eocene to Oligocene benthic foraminiferal isotopic record in the Bay of Biscay

We present here oxygen and carbon isotopic records of Eocene to Oligocene benthic f oraminif era from two Bay of Biscay Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) sites (119 and 401). δ18O of benthic foraminifera increases 1.9‰ from a middle Eocene minimum (Zones P10–P11) to an earliest Oligocene maximum (Zone NP21). Approximately 1.4‰ of the increase in benthic foraminiferal δ18O occurs during the late Eocene to earliest Oligocene (Zones P15/16–NP21). Previous results from other North Atlantic DSDP sites (400A and 398) have significantly lower δ18O values of benthic foraminifera, some by as much as 2‰ (refs 1–3). We believe that these differences result from diagenetic alteration of the sediments in the deeper-buried Sites 400A and 398.
Biscayne aquifer drinking water (USGS45): A new isotopic reference material for δ2H and δ18O measurements of water

RATIONALE As a result of the scarcity of isotopic reference waters for daily use, a new secondary isotopic reference material for international distribution has been prepared from drinking water collected from the Biscayne aquifer in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. METHODS This isotopic reference water was filtered, homogenized, loaded into glass ampoules, sealed with a torch, autoclaved to eliminate biological activity, and measured by dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. This reference material is available by the case of 144 glass ampoules containing either 4 mL or 5 mL of water in each ampoule. RESULTS The δ2H and δ18O values of this reference material are –10.3 ± 0.4 ‰ and –2.238 ± 0.011 ‰, respectively, relative to VSMOW, on scales normalized such that the δ2H and δ18O values of SLAP reference water are, respectively, –428 and –55.5 ‰. Each uncertainty is an estimated expanded uncertainty (U = 2uc) about the reference value that provides an interval that has about a 95 % probability of encompassing the true value. CONCLUSIONS This isotopic reference material, designated as USGS45, is intended as one of two isotopic reference waters for daily normalization of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic analysis of water with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer or a laser absorption spectrometer. Published in 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Situation Awareness: A Critical But Ill-Defined Phenomenon

Situation awareness has recently gained considerable attention as a performance-related psychological concept. This is especially true in the aviation domain where it is considered an essential prerequisite for the safe operation of the complex dynamic system 'aircraft.' There are concerns, however, that inappropriately designed automatic systems introduced to advanced flight decks may reduce situation awareness and thereby put aviation safety at risk. Situation awareness has thus become a ubiquitous phrase. It's use is most often based on an intuitive understanding; a commonly accepted definition is still missing. To fill this gap, we analyze the cognitive basis of the concept, embedding it in the context of related psychological concepts. On this basis, methodological approaches to the investigation of situation awareness are discussed.
Characterization of a Hybrid Receptor Formed by Dimerization of the Insulin Receptor-Related Receptor (IRR) with the Insulin Receptor (IR): Coexpression of cDNAs Encoding Human IRR and Human IR in NIH-3T3 Cells†

In many tissues, the insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR) is colocalized with the homologous receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Since a ligand for the IRR has not ye...
A domain decomposition method for generating orthogonal polynomials for a Gaussian weight on a finite interval

Abstract A domain decomposition method has been developed for generating orthogonal polynomials for a Gaussian weight on (−1, 1). The method takes advantage of the underlying asymptotic structure of the orthogonal polynomials and, hence, it is effective in the sense that it makes maximal use of the analytic properties of the solution to increase accuracy and efficiency. These polynomials are necessary for constructing Gaussian quadrature formulas that are encountered in large quantum chemistry computational packages and in calculating the Compton scattering kernel and its associated angular moments.
Simple organofluorine compounds giving field-dependent 13C and 19F NMR spectra with complex patterns: higher order effects and cross-correlated relaxation.

Abstract The CF(3) signals in the (13)C{(1)H} spectrum of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol and the (CF(3))(2) CH signals in the corresponding triflate exhibit much greater complexity than might first be expected. The same holds for the (13)C satellites in the (19)F spectra. Complex patterns appear because of higher order effects resulting from the combination of a relatively large four-bond (19)F-(19)F J coupling in the ((13)CF(3))(12)CH((12)CF(3))-containing isotopomer and a typical large one-bond (13)C/(12)C isotope effect on the (19)F chemical shift. This complexity cannot be eliminated at very high magnetic field strengths. The triflate (CF(3))(2)CH-O-SO(2)CF(3) presents still additional complexity because of the presence of two different types of CF(3) groups exhibiting (6)J(FF) in any of the isotopomers and the chemical shift differences in hertz between the various (19)F signals in the two different (13)CF(3)-containing isotopomers. In addition, the presence of a small (5)J(CF) in the ((13)CF(3))((12)CF(3))(12)CH-O-SO(2) (12)CF(3) isotopomer is revealed only through simulations. The hexafluoroisopropyl CF(3) groups in the alcohol and triflate and the SO(2)CF(3) group in the triflate apparently provide the first examples of cross-correlated relaxation in (13)CF(3) groups. An analysis of the spectra in the context of previously reported work highlights the novel aspects of our findings. In particular, for each part of the complex hexafluoroisopropyl CF(3) quartet, peak height and linewidth variations resulting from cross-correlated relaxation are observed. These variations within a group of (13)C signals reflect different spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation rates for the transitions within that group arising from higher order coupling effects.
Investigation Of A Video Frame Averaging Digital Subtraction Fluoroscopic System

A digital subtraction fluoroscopic (DSF) system with two video processors in series has been analyzed and evaluated clinically. In this system the initial processor operates simultaneously in an averaging and differencing mode, resulting in an output that is the difference between the most recent input video frame and an exponentially weighted average of preceeding frames. The content in this processor's memory (the mask image) is continually upgraded by each incoming frame or, alternatively, frozen in time by the operator. The second processor averages the difference image output from the first unit. A continuous, real-time, noise reduced subtraction sequence is viewed on a monitor and stored on an analog disc recorder. A video tape recorder preserves raw data and permits retrospective viewing of an injection sequence using different processor settings.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Law and the Fireside Inductions: Some Reflections of a Clinical Psychologist1, 2,

Legislators and judges have relied upon the "fireside inductions" (common sense, anecdotal, introspective, and culturally transmitted beliefs about human behavior) in making and enforcing law as a mode of social control. The behavior sciences conflict at times with the fireside inductions. While the sources of error in "common knowledge" about behavior are considerable, the behavior sciences are plagued with methodological problems which often render their generalized conclusions equally dubious. Legal applications of generalizations from experimental research on humans and animals in laboratory contexts often involve risky parametric and population extrapolations. Statistical analysis of file data suffers from inherent interpretative ambiguities as to causal inference from correlations. Quasi-experiments in the "real-life" setting may often be the methodologically optimal data-source. Language: en
Second-trimester minor ultrasound anomalies: impact on the risk of aneuploidy associated with advanced maternal age

Objective To determine the impact of the presence or absence of minor ultrasound anomalies for the risk of aneuploidy in patients already at high risk because of advanced maternal age. Methods Eleven hundred forty-four women having amniocentesis for advanced maternal age were divided into those with minor ultrasound anomalies ( n = 62) and those without ( n = 1082). Two hundred fifty-nine women younger than 35 years but with minor anomalies on ultrasound were also included. Results Fetal aneuploidy was found in six of 62 (9.7%) women of advanced maternal age with minor ultrasound anomalies, in five of 1082 (0.5%) women older than 35 years with normal ultrasound results, and in five of 259 (1.9%) women younger than 35 years with minor ultrasound anomalies. Conclusion Minor ultrasound anomalies increase considerably the risk of aneuploidy in women older than 35 years, and their absence lowers that risk slightly. Minor ultrasound anomalies in the fetuses of women younger than 35 raises their risk to that of a 39-year-old woman in her second trimester. Ultrasound can be used to modify genetic risks at counseling and may help patients in their decision to have invasive testing.
Divergent Sp1 protein levels may underlie differential expression of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase by fibroblasts: role in susceptibility to orbital Graves disease.

UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH) catalyzes the formation of UDP-glucuronate. Glucuronate represents an integral component of the glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan, which accumulates in orbital Graves disease. Here we report that orbital fibroblasts express higher levels of UGDH than do those from skin. This is a consequence of greater UGDH gene promoter activity and more abundant steady-state UGDH mRNA. Six Sp1 sites located in the proximal 550 bp of the UGDH gene promoter appear to determine basal promoter activity, as does a previously unrecognized 49-bp sequence spanning −1436 nucleotides (nt) and −1388 nt that negatively affects activity. Nuclear Sp1 protein is more abundant in orbital fibroblasts, and its binding to specific sites on DNA is greater than that in dermal fibroblasts. Mutating each of these Sp1 sites in a UGDH gene promoter fragment, extending from −1387 to +71 nt and fused to a luciferase reporter, results in divergent activities when transfected in orbital and dermal fibroblasts. Reducing Sp1 attenuated UGDH gene promoter activity, lowered steady-state UGDH mRNA levels, and reduced UGDH enzyme activity. Targeting Sp1 and UGDH with specific siRNAs also lowered hyaluronan synthase-1 (HAS-1) and HAS-2 levels and reduced hyaluronan accumulation in orbital fibroblasts. These findings suggest that orbital fibroblasts express high levels of UGDH in an anatomic-specific manner, apparently the result of greater constitutive Sp1. These high UGDH levels may underlie susceptibility of the orbit to localized overproduction of hyaluronan in Graves disease.
Clinicians' practice environment is associated with a higher likelihood of recommending cesarean deliveries.

AbstractObjective: Little data exist regarding clinicians’ role in the rising annual incidence rate of cesarean delivery in the US. We aimed to examine if clinicians’ practice environment is associated with recommending cesarean deliveries.Study design: This is a survey study of clinicians who practice obstetrics in the US. This survey included eight clinical vignettes and 27 questions regarding clinicians’ practice environment. Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were used for statistical comparison.Results: Of 27 675 survey links sent, 3646 clinicians received and opened the survey electronically, and 1555 (43%) participated and 1486 (94%) completed the survey. Clinicians were categorized into three groups based on eight common obstetric vignettes as: more likely (n = 215), average likelihood (n = 1099), and less likely (n = 168) to recommend cesarean. Clinician environment factors associated with a higher likelihood of recommending cesarean included Laborists/Hospitalists practice mod...
Neonatal lead exposure in the rat: decreased learning as a function of age and blood lead concentrations.

Abstract Suckling rats were treated with lead both through the milk of lead-treated dams and direct injection ip. Lead was administered daily to three age groups: group 1 from Days 1–10; group 2 from Days 11–20; group 3 from Days 1–20; and learning was measured by use of the T-maze in all groups at 8–10 wk of age. Organ weights, body weights, and blood lead concentrations were determined in suckling, weanling, and 10-wk-old rats. Learning ability was decreased in 8- to 10-week-old male and female rats which had been nursed 20 days by dams treated with 17.5 or 25 mg Pb/kg daily after parturition. Administration of lead to the dam 1–10 days similarly decreased learning, but administration 11–20 days did not. None of the doses used produced overt signs of lead toxicity, altered growth rate, or altered organ-to-body-weight ratios in either the pups or the dams. Blood lead concentrations were increased in the pup at 11 days but not at 21 days or 10 wk (45.8 ± 2.0; 20.4 ± 2.0, and 23.4 ± 2.4 μg/100 ml, respectively; mean ± SE). These results show that the brain of the 1- to 10-day-old suckling rat pup is particularly sensitive to lead exposure with residual effects produced on learning present in the 8- to 10-wk-old adult after blood lead concentrations have returned to control values.
Integrated optics dissipative soliton mode-locked laser on glass

Mode-lock lasers have been studied a lot in the past years for producing pulses as short as possible. These devices have mostly been realized in bulk optics and they are consequently cumbersome and sensitive to vibrations. There are only a few studies on integrated optics mode-lock lasers, though this technology is very promising because of its stability, compactness and the possibility to integrate several functions on a single chip. In this paper, we present an ion-exchange passively mode-locked laser in dissipative soliton operation. One of the key characteristics of this structure is its mechanical stability. Indeed, no bulk optics is needed because the saturable absorber is hybridized on the top of the waveguide in order to interact with the evanescent part of the guided mode. Indeed, the device that has been obtained is composed of an ion-exchanged single mode waveguide realized in a Neodymium doped phosphate glass. The laser feedback is produced by a Fabry-Perot cavity realized with two multilayers dielectric mirrors stuck on the waveguides facets. We implemented a bis(4- dimethylaminodithiobenzil)nickel (BDN) dye included in a cellulose acetate thick film, which presents a saturable absorber behaviour around 1.06 μm. With this structure, pulses with repetition rates of 3.3 GHz and a single mode output have been measured. Moreover, the use of an autocorrelation set-up allowed us measuring picosecond pulse durations.
Measurement and seasonal variations of black bear adipose lipoprotein lipase activity

Abstract The black bear (Ursus americanus) provides a unique model for the study of adipose physiology because it exhibits seasonal periods of rapid weight gain and weight loss without marked changes in its metabolic rate. To better understand fat cycling in this model, we obtained plasma and gluteal adipose tissue from five captive adult bears at approximately 20-day intervals from October 1 1992 through March 31 1993. The study included a predenning and denning period for each animal. Sampling during the predenning period followed a 12-h fast. Bears were anorectic while denning. Adipose LPL activities and plasma insulin concentrations were determined for each time point. Predenning LPL activities (4.83 ± 0.64 μmol/h/g) were significantly greater than those seen during the denning period (1.82 ± 0.65, p
Statistical oxidant air quality prediction model for land use and transportation planning

Abstract A statistical model has been developed for the prediction of changes in oxidant air quality as a function of location resulting from the creation of an indirect source or the implementation of a land use or transportation plan. The model is implemented, as an illustrative example, for the regional air basin comprised of San Diego County, in the United States, and Tijuana, in Mexico. Los Angeles and San Diego geocoded reactive hydrocarbon emission inventories from mobile and stationary sources for 1969 and 1970 have been used with wind data and observed oxidant air quality in order to calibrate a statistical relationship between emissions and air quality. This relationship, applied to the San Diego-Tijuana region, has then been used with a 1975 base case geocoded emissions inventory to generate a base case 1975 oxidant index as a function of position. An altered 1975 geocoded emissions function incorporating the predicted emissions effects of changed land use can then be employed to generate a new 1975 oxidant function. The difference between the new and old oxidant functions represents the effect, area by area, of the change in land use on air quality. To demonstrate the possibilities of this type of model, three examples of air quality impact assessments have been carried out: first, the impact of a proposed regional shopping center, second, the effects of a proposed large scale development, third, an analysis of an “Existing Trends” 1995 alternative regional transportation and land use plan for the San Diego-Tijuana region. The resulting predicted changes in oxidant air quality, measured by the number of additional hours per year that the U.S. Federal oxidant standard is to be exceeded, are displayed as a function of position over the air basin. Given the emissions resulting from changed land use, the calculation of air quality change requires only a modest amount of computer time, and thus this type of model can inexpensively and rapidly be used to evaluate the approximate air pollution effects of planning alternatives.
Experimental model of laparoscopic gastric ischemic preconditioning prior to transhiatal esophagectomy

Cervical esophagogastric anastomotic disruption following transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) is a significant problem. Gastric tip ischemia is a primary cause of anastomotic failure. We examined gastric tip blood flow when laparoscopic “ischemic preconditioning” was attempted by selectively ligating the short gastric (SG) vessels or both the left and short gastric (LG/SG) vessels prior to THE. Seventeen (25 kg) mongrel dogs underwent laparoscopy followed 3 weeks later by THE. Three groups were studied: control group = laparoscopy only, no preconditioning (n = 6); SG group = laparoscopic ligation of SG vessels only (n = 5); and LG/SG group = laparoscopic ligation of LG and SG vessels (n = 6). Tissue blood flow was assessed using the fluorescent microsphere method. The initial microsphere injections occurred prior to pneumoperitoneum and upon completion of the laparoscopy. At the second operation, transhiatal esophagectomy was performed and microsphere blood flow assessment occurred after induction of anesthesia, after mobilization of the stomach, and after completion of the cervical esophagogastric anastomosis. The animals were euthanized and regional gastric tissue was analyzed for microsphere estimates of blood flow. Differences in blood flow were evaluated using Student’s t test. The mean baseline gastric blood flow was 0.58 ml/min/g. After THE, the proximal gastric blood flow fell to 16% of baseline in control and 22% in SG, but was reduced to only 60% of baseline in LG/SG. This relative preservation of blood flow among the LG/SG group approached significance compared with the laparoscopy-only (control) group (P = 0.07). Ligation of SG vessels alone provided no preservation of proximal gastric blood flow following THE. Preoperative “ischemic preconditioning” through ligation of both the short and left gastric vessels may achieve preservation of blood flow to the gastric tip. Preconditioning during laparoscopic staging of esophageal carcinoma may be considered to reduce anastomotic complications following esophagectomy.
Activation Barrier Scaling for the Spontaneous Evaporation of Confined Water

We use Glauber dynamics Monte Carlo simulations and umbrella sampling techniques of a lattice gas model for confined water to validate the continuum estimates for the scaling of the activation barrier for evaporation with intersurface separation and barrier dependence on surface composition. Although thermal fluctuations significantly reduce the absolute values of activation barriers, ΔG*, we find a scaling exponent (ν = 1.9 ± 0.1) that agrees within statistical limits with the saddle-point approximation, ΔG* ∝ D2. Devising a method to measure a microscopic analogue of the contact angle θ from simulations, we find good agreement with the continuum prediction, ΔG* ∝ 1/cos θ. Combining the known result for the magnitude of the activation barrier and the evaporation rate of molecular water in a specified molecular confinement (Leung, K.; Luzar, A.; Bratko, D. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2003, 90, 065502-1) with the present scaling results allows us to predict the kinetic viability of the expulsion of water over a range...
Comparison of the hepatic mixed function oxidase system of young, adult, and old non- human primates (Macaca nemestrina)

Abstract The influence of age on the mixed function oxidase system from a non-human primate was studied. Microsomes were isolated from the livers of female Macaca nemestrina ranging from 2 to 21 years of age. No significant age-related change was observed in either the cytochrome P-450 content or the NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity. In addition, the ability of the microsomes to metabolize benzo[ a ]pyrene did not change significantly with age. These observations contradict studies with liver tissue from laboratory rodents in which an age-related decline in the mixed function oxidase system is generally observed. The lipid composition of the liver microsomes was studied also. Both the cholesterol and total phospholipid content of the liver microsomes increased significantly with age; however, the ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid remained constant. The percentage of individual phospholipids in the microsomes changed only slightly with age. These results provide new information on the effect of age on the mixed function oxidase system and indicate that one must be cautious in extrapolating from studies with liver tissue from laboratory rodents to primates.
Distal Radioulnar Joint Arthroplasty with a Scheker Prosthesis

We report a case of distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) arthroplasty with a Scheker prosthesis. Arthropathy of the DRUJ can occur as the result of a variety of mechanisms, including inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis. Resection of the distal ulna is often performed to relieve pain at the DRUJ. However, this can also disrupt the stability of the entire forearm, leading to convergence instability of the stump of the ulna against the radius. Several DRUJ prostheses have been developed to replace the mechanical function of the ulnar head in patients with pain related to distal ulnar resection and post-traumatic arthritis. However, most of them are designed to be used in patients with intact soft tissue and stabilizing ligaments at the DRUJ. These devices, therefore, are not appropriate for use in patients who have undergone resection of the DRUJ. The Scheker prosthesis was designed for patients who are symptomatic after ablation of the DRUJ from trauma or prior surgical resection. It uses a two plate and ball design, which has a unique appearance on post-operative radiographs.
Self-selection factors in the participation of mental health professionals in competency for execution evaluations.

The present study explored the extent to which competency evaluators' attitudes toward the death penalty and their attribution of criminal responsibility predicted their willingness to participate in competency for execution evaluations. Subjects were 222 licensed forensic psychiatrists and psychologists who voluntarily responded to a mailed questionnaire. A classification procedure utilizing a combination of attitude and attribution characteristics resulted in a significant association between actual and predicted classifications. Significant mean differences were found between willing and unwilling examiners on several variables: attitude toward capital punishment, degree of willingness to participate, and the extent to which examiners viewed participation as a violation of their professional ethics. This study suggests that self-selection factors may be operating in mental health examiners, particularly in participating in these types of evaluations. This might, in turn, suggest bias in the outcome of these evaluations.
The Rectification of Alternating Currents with Steel-Enclosed Mercury Arc Power Rectifiers and their Auxiliary Devices

Recently many publications have been issued on mercury arc rectifier installations in this country and in Europe, as well as on the theory of their voltage and current performances. Nevertheless, it seemed that it might be of interest to give a condensed paper dealing with the most important theoretical treatments, as well as a description of a steel enclosed rectifier of modern design. The fundamental theory of these rectifiers is discussed, touching only slightly upon the physical phenomena, but treating particularly of the theory involved in the practical applications. The effects of various factors on the rectifier characteristics and operation are dealt with, and the methods used for calculating the relations of voltages, currents, transformer ratings, etc., are given and tabulated. Moreover, there are mentioned the latest developments of the rectifier proper, as well as the auxiliary devices. Included in this is the design of the transformers from a mechanical point of view, making them rigid enough to stand the mechanical stresses forced upon the windings under abnormal operating conditions; and from an electrical point of view, giving the characteristics of connections such as zig-zag windings, special polyphase windings, and the introduction of reactance absorption coils in the neutral connections of the transformer. Special attention is also paid to the anodes and their cooling equipment, and to the seals; several ingenious points being brought out in their construction.
Emotional neglect and family structure: impact on student functioning.

Abstract Objective: The goal of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between retrospective reports of child neglect, family of origin functioning, and current psychological distress. It was hypothesized that experience of childhood emotional neglect would be associated with lower levels of cohesion and adaptability in participants’ family of origin and greater levels of current psychological distress. Gender effects were explored. Method: Retrospective reports of emotional neglect in childhood were quantified by use of a parental bonding measure, specifically by assessing level of perceived parental care. Participants were assigned to one of three groups based on level of care scores: neglect by a primary male caregiver, neglect by a primary female caregiver, and no neglect. These groups were compared on three variables: current psychological functioning, retrospective report of family of origin adaptability, and retrospective report of family of origin cohesiveness. Amount of time left in the care of others was used as a covariate based on attachment theory literature. Results: Data were analyzed for 69 female and 22 male undergraduate students. Participants who reported a childhood experience of emotional neglect by a primary female caregiver described greater current psychological distress than those reporting no neglect or neglect by a primary male caregiver. Participants who experienced emotional neglect by a primary female caregiver, as compared to those reporting emotional neglect by a primary male caregiver and those reporting no neglect, described lower cohesion and adaptability in their family of origin. There were no differences between male and female participants in terms of impact of emotional neglect. Conclusions: This study suggests potential caregiver gender effects, regardless of respondent gender. Perceived neglect by female, but not male caregivers, led to psychological distress in adulthood and was associated with lower cohesion and adaptability in one’s family of origin. Future research should attempt to account for the participants’ expectations regarding male and female caregiver roles.
Changes in the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community in Two Years of Colonization of New Experimental Ponds

The objective of this study was to determine if the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in a set of experimental ponds changed significantly during the second year of their existence. This is an important factor in pesticide registration testing using this type of facility. One year has been established as sufficient time to develop a complete community but this has never been tested. Comparison of the community at the end of year 1 to the community at the end of year 2 showed no significant differences for community summary measures (total density, taxa richness, diversity, Bray-Curtis similarity index); however, some individual taxa densities were significantly lower at the end of year 2. Physicochemical parameters measured indicated that the ponds were oligotrophic. Submerged macrophytes colonized and became established in most of the ponds during year 2. With the exception of a few noninsect taxa, the experimental pond communities appeared similar to mature communities in shallow lentic environments. Additionally, the seasonal changes observed in the pond communities followed expected patterns.
An Efficient Approach for Solving Reliable Facility Location Models

We consider reliable facility location models in which facilities are subject to unexpected failures, and customers may be reassigned to facilities other than their regular facilities. The objective is to minimize the total expected costs in normal and failure scenarios. We allow facilities to have different failure rates and do not limit the number of facilities that might be assigned to a customer. Lower bounds for reliable uncapacitated fixed-charge location problem RUFLP are derived and used to introduce a class of efficient algorithms for solving the RUFLP problem.
The renormalization group equation for the Wilson loop

Abstract We formulate the renormalization group equation for Wilson loops in such a way as to make the analogy with spin systems more tranparent. We thus obtain a quantity ζ ( g 2 ) analogous to the anomalous dimension γ ( g 2 ) for spin systems. The value of ζ ( g 2 ) at the non-trivial fixed point in 4 + ϵ dimensions gives the exponent η defined by Peskin.
Artificial intelligence in flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract Recently, extensive efforts have been focused on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to problems associated with the design and control of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). This paper surveys the key functional areas associated with FMS and discusses the application of AI techniques to their operation. The advantages of adopting knowledge-based approaches to the design and operational control of FMS are also discussed.
Society for Pediatric Research presidential address 1996: Star Wars empiricism--will the empire (SPR) strike back?

Society for Pediatric Research Presidential Address 1996: Star Wars Empiricism-Will The Empire (SPR) Strike Back? 1
Spouses of women with the fibromyalgia syndrome as proxy raters of health status

Objectives: To determine the agreement and bias of proxy responses to the Quality of Well-Being Scale [QWB]by husbands or partners of women with the fibromyalgia syndrome.Methods: Proxies and patient couples [N = 43] were interviewed to determine the agreement and bias of their proxy responses to the QWB and to identify proxy and patient characteristics that affect the bias and agreement between their responses.Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients and t-tests indicated that there was moderate agreement between the patient and proxy responses overall with poor agreement on the symptoms subscale and good agreement on the social activity, mobility, and physical functioning subscales. Systematic bias was not observed for the measure overall, nor for any of the subscales. Proxies who overestimated the patient's health status did not differ from those who underestimated on demographic or health status variables. A scatter plot of the difference between patient and proxy scores for the overall QWB plotte...
On the Achievable Throughput in Two-Scale Wireless Networks

We propose a new model of wireless networks which we refer to as "two-scale networks". At a local scale, characterized by nodes being within a distance r, channel strengths are drawn independently and identically from a distance-independent distribution. At a global scale, characterized by nodes being further apart from each other than a distance r, channel connections are governed by a Rayleigh distribution, with the power satisfying a distance-based decay law. Thus, at a local scale, channel strengths are determined primarily by random effects such as obstacles and scatterers whereas at the global scale channel strengths depend on distance. For such networks, we propose a hybrid communications scheme, combining elements of P. Gupta et al. (2000) (for distance-dependent networks) and R. Gowaikar et al. (2006) (for random networks). For a particular class of two-scale networks with N nodes, we show that an aggregate throughput of the form N[1divide(t-1)] /log2N is achievable, where t > 2 is a parameter that depends on the distribution of the connection at the local scale and is independent of the decay law that operates at a global scale. For t < 3, this offers a significant improvement over the O(radicN) results of P. Gupta et al. (2000)
Effect of Instructional Conditions on Rate of Binocular Rivalry

When conflicting contours are projected to corresponding areas of the retinae through a stereoscopic device, S reports viewing not a stable figure but an irregular alternation that cannot be given a unitary interpretation. For example, if the conflicting contours are a vertical bar projected to the left eye and a horizontal bar projected to the right, rhen the phenomenal outcome is the periodic establishment of one bar as dominant and the total or partial suppression of the other. The experienced alternation in contour domrnance defines the phenomenon of bitaoczdm ("retinal") rivaky, and the total number of reversals or alternations per unit of time has been taken as an operational measure of the rate of binocz~lar rivahy. Historically, the phenomenon of binocular rivalry was linked with sensory threshold fluctuations and figure reversal and was accounted for merely as "fluctuations in the attention" (Helmholtz, 1925). However, Guilford ( 1927) demonstrated thac these three phenomena had nothing to do with attention but were a physiological function occurring only with liminal stimuli; a number of physiological conditions, both peripheral and central, were involved, among which were local retinal adaptation, eye movements, and local-central fatigue and inhibition. McDougall ( 1903) held thac the latter, local-central fatigue and inhibition, accounted for the phenomenon of "retinal" rivalry; but that the phenomenon is affected by so many other than physiological factors that no purely physiological explanation could be satisfactory. Recently, Linksz ( 1952, p. 549) has deplored the usage of the term "retinal rivalry" for the phenomenon and instead employs the term "cortical rivalry of retinal processes." The rivalry of the contours, he argues, is the phenomenal counterpart of opposing neurological gradients which cannot occupy the same cortical (or retinal) locus. Because of the limited neurological and physiological data in this area, the present writers have employed the more neutral and less objectional term, binocular rivalry, to describe the phenomenon. Although a number of studies have been conducted to determine rhe effects of rnv~ronmental variables, such as illumination level, figure-ground relationships, sc~mulus content, etc., on the rate of binocular rivalry, relatively few have been concerned with the inscri~ctions. Specifically, what is the effect of insuucrions on the reversal process? In his early work, Helmholtz (1925, p. 541) observed that he could voluntarily control the persistence of one visual field over the other, but he dismissed this ubiquitous finding as "simply a phenomenon of
The effect of infant colic on maternal self-perceptions and mother–infant attachment.

Mothers of infants who developed colic were compared with mothers of non-colic infants on their perceptions of parenting self-efficacy, and separation anxiety as well as their attachment relationship with their infants. Colic was identified prospectively through telephone contacts with mothers. Questionnaires on self-efficacy and separation anxiety were completed when infants were 5 months of age. At 18 months of age mothers and infants (colic and non-colic) participated in a laboratory situation to measure attachment. Results revealed that mothers of colic infants reported feeling less competent as mothers. In addition, while mothers of colicky infants tended to have more separation anxiety than mothers of non-colic infants, they felt that these separations did not have a negative effect on their child. Finally, no differences were revealed for attachment classifications between colic and non-colic infants at 18 months.
Analytical Model for Multi-site Efficiency with Parallel to Serial Test Times, Yield and Clustering

In this paper an analytical extension to the ITRS multi-site efficiency model is proposed to obtain the distribution of multi-site efficiency. Multi-site testing is becoming one of the most popular ways for test time reduction, increasing the test throughput and reducing the overall test cost. In the model, the efficiency of multi-site testing is computed from process parameters (e.g. yield, yield clustering at wafer sort), test program parameters parallel and serial test times, and multi-site count. Multi-site trade-offs and benefits to average test time are evaluated by Monte-Carlo simulations.
Mental imagery: against the nihilistic hypothesis

This work was supported in part by grants NMA 201-01-C-0032 and 5R01 MH60734-03 to S.M.K. and by a McDonnell-Pew Program in Cognitive Neuroscience Award to G.G.
Brown Midrib Sorghum Silage for Midlactation Dairy Cows

Abstract Brown midrib sorghum silage was compared with alfalfa, corn, and normal sorghum silages for its effect on performance, ruminal metabolism, and digestive kinetics of Holstein dairy cows in midlactation. Twelve cows averaging 90 ± 5 DIM were assigned to one of four diets in replicated 4 × 4 Latin squares with 4-wk periods. Additionally, 3 ruminally fistulated cows (95 ± 20 DIM) were assigned to the same diets in a 3 × 4 Youden square for measurement of ruminal characteristics. Diets were fed as isonitrogenous TMR that contained 65% silage DM basis). The DMI was greater for the corn and brown midrib sorghum (4% of BW/d) than for the alfalfa and normal sorghum diets (3.4% of BW/d). The brow midrib sorghum supported FCM production that was similar to that of cows on corn and alfalfa diets (25.8 kg/d), but cows fed normal sorghum produced less milk and fewer milk components. Source of silage had no effect on eating time, but rumination was least for the alfalfa diet. Ruminal pH and ammonia concentrations were similar for all diets. Total VFA concentrations were greatest for the corn and brown midrib sorghum diets. The brown midrib sorghum had greater in situ extent of ruminal NDF digestion than did the normal sorghum, which agreed with in vitro data. The brown midrib sorghum used in this experiment supported FCM production similar to the corn and alfalfa silages commonly fed to dairy cows in midlactation.
Linear matrix inequality tests for synchrony of diffusively coupled nonlinear systems

In a recent publication we presented a condition that guarantees spatial uniformity for the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of a reaction-diffusion PDE with Neumann boundary conditions. This condition makes use of the Jacobian matrix of the reaction terms and the second Neumann eigenvalue of the Laplacian operator on the given spatial domain. In the present paper we derive an analogous result for the synchronization of a network of identical ODE models coupled by diffusion terms.
A security framework for e-Health service authentication and e-Health data transmission

e-Health services are gaining popularity due to largely reduced cost and wider range of advanced services. Securing e-Health data transmission is challenging due to both (a) the criticality of personal medical information on effective medical treatment and privacy protection and (b) the significant computational needs of encryption algorithms. In this paper, a cost-effective security framework that suits for e-Health authentication and data transmission is presented. The framework consists of efficient protocol architecture for e-Health service; two risk adaptive authentication techniques and different encryption algorithms to handle data with different levels of importance, thus achieving required security requirements of e-Health applications and reduction in the computational complexity and delay in e-Health communication.
Prospective Analysis of Health and Mortality Risk in Veteran and Non-Veteran Participants in the Women's Health Initiative.

Abstract Background The health of postmenopausal women veterans is a neglected area of study. A stronger empirical evidence base is needed, and would inform the provision of health care for the nearly 1 million U.S. women veterans currently 50 years of age or older. To this end, the present work compares salient health outcomes and risk of all-cause mortality among veteran and non-veteran participants of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Methods This study features prospective analysis of long-term health outcomes and mortality risk (average follow-up, 8 years) among the 3,706 women veterans and 141,009 non-veterans who participated in the WHI Observational Study or Clinical Trials. Outcome measurements included confirmed incident cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, hip fractures, and all-cause mortality. Results We identified 17,968 cases of CVD, 19,152 cases of cancer, 18,718 cases of diabetes, 2,817 cases of hip fracture, and 13,747 deaths. In Cox regression models adjusted for age, sociodemographic variables, and health risk factors, veteran status was associated with significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03–1.23), but not with risk of CVD (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.90–1.11), cancer (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.95–1.14), hip fracture (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.94–1.43), or diabetes (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.89–1.1). Conclusions Women veterans' postmenopausal health, particularly risk for all-cause mortality, warrants further consideration. In particular, efforts to identify and address modifiable risk factors associated with all-cause mortality are needed.