cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Left ventricular torsion by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with diastolic dysfunction and normal ejection fraction.

Background Left ventricular torsion (LVtor) and subsequent untwisting play an important role in diastolic filling. There is, however, limited information about how LVtor and untwisting are related to the severity of diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess LVtor and untwisting in the progressive severity of diastolic dysfunction. Methods We studied 148 subjects (116 with diastolic dysfunction, 32 healthy controls). Apical and basal short-axis rotations were measured by 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. LVtor was defined as the instantaneous net difference of the basal and apical rotation. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to diastolic dysfunction grade and their underlying disease, such as hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and amyloidosis. Results Age, gender, and ejection fraction were similar in the 3 groups and control. Mitral annulus early diastolic velocity was reduced by design in all 3 groups. Peak LVtor was significantly greater in mild diastolic dysfunction (n = 45; 29.7 ± 9.0 degrees) compared with control (n = 32: 15.6 ± 4.0 degrees) and then normalized in moderate (n = 49; 19.3 ± 4.8 degrees) and severe diastolic dysfunction (n = 22; 17.3 ± 9.3 degrees). The twisting and untwisting rates were significantly higher in mild diastolic dysfunction group. Conclusion Systolic torsion and diastolic untwisting are significantly increased in patients with mild diastolic dysfunction. In patients with advanced diastolic dysfunction with increased filling pressure, they are normalized or reduced. Whether increased LVtor is a compensatory mechanism for reduced myocardial relaxation or a consequence of reduced filling in the early stage of diastolic dysfunction requires further investigation. Analysis of LVtor with speckle tracking echocardiography should be further explored to elucidate the role of torsion in patients with diastolic dysfunction.
Quantitative validation of cineangiographic axial oblique biplane left ventricular volume measurement.

Axial oblique left ventriculography allows unique visualization of acquired and congenital cardiac lesions. However, validation of the accuracy of left ventricular (LV) volume with axial oblique projections is limited and clouded by orthogonal violations between biplane projections. Biplane cineradiographic volume measurement of 17 LV casts employing the axial projection 35 degrees right anterior oblique/55 degrees left anterior oblique/30 degrees cranial (35 degrees RAO/55 degrees LAO/30 degrees Cr) was performed and compared to the conventional postero-anterior/lateral (PA/Lat) and 30 degrees right anterior oblique/60 degrees left anterior oblique (30 degrees RAO/60 degrees LAO) views. LV volume was calculated from biplane cineradiograms by area length and Simpson's rule method. True LV volume by water displacement was 33 +/- 28 (mean +/- S.D.), range 15 to 112 ml. LV cast volume calculated by the area length method from cineradiograms was overestimated (p less than 0.002) but no different by Simpson's rule method (pNS). The ideal correlation was best approximated by the 35 degrees RAO/55 degrees LAO/30 degrees Cr biplane view calculated by Simpson's rule, r = 0.99, y = 3.5 + 0.9x, and standard error of estimate (SEE) = 4.3 ml. Biplane LV angiography with the axial projection permitted accurate LV volume measurement, and Simpson's rule provided the best representation of true volume.
The Need to Create: Constructive and Destructive Behavior in Creatively Gifted Children:

The article explores the relationship of “creation” and destruction” in the creative process, however it argues that the destructive element can be transformed into a constructive element—This is achieved where creativity is rewarded and accepted in an atmosphere of tolerance. The writer discusses the negative effects of the repression of creativity and suggests that supported creative expression leads to mental health. She reports the findings of a research study to substantiate her hypotheses and makes suggestions for improved educational practice.
Chelated Iridium(III) Bis-carbene Complexes as Air-Stable Catalysts for Transfer Hydrogenation

The new air-stable and moisture-insensitive Ir catalysts for efficient transfer hydrogenation of ketones contain a chelating bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligand. Most other hydrogen transfer catalysts show activity Rh > Ir, but we find Ir > Rh for these cases. Tuning of the ligand wingtip substituents, R, can greatly increase catalyst activity (R = neopentyl) or selectivity (R = isopropyl). Reactivity studies and isotopic labeling are consistent with a monohydride mechanism for the hydrogen transfer.
Effect of conformational constraints on gated electron-transfer kinetics. 3. Copper(II/I) complexes with cis- and trans-cyclopentanediyl-1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecane.

Previous kinetic and electrochemical studies of copper complexes with macrocyclic tetrathiaetherssuch as 1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecane ([14]aneS4)have indicated that electron transfer and the ...
Experimental investigation of a coherent flute instability using a heavy ion beam probe

A coherent, low‐frequency instability found in a cylindrical, hollow cathode arc plasma has been investigated by using a heavy ion beam probe (HIBP). The energy density of the plasma was high enough to render it inaccessible to Langmuir probes, but the HIBP was able to provide measurements throughout the plasma cross section. The data clearly show that azimuthal symmetry does not exist. Radial profiles of steady‐state density and space potential and of simultaneous n, φ amplitude and phase were obtained to allow detailed comparison between theory and experiment. Predictions from a cylindrically symmetric, small‐perturbation theoretical model provide reasonably conclusive identification of the instability as a Kelvin–Helmholtz flute driven by and localized in a region of fluid shear. The most serious discrepancy was with regard to the oscillation frequency, which was consistently predicted to be three to four times lower than that observed experimentally. The reason for the discrepancy is not understood, but it is probably related to inadequacies in the theory caused by assumptions of azimuthal symmetry and of small linear perturbations.
The need to accessorize: molecular roles of HTLV-1 p30 and HTLV-2 p28 accessory proteins in the viral life cycle

Extensive studies of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 over the last three decades have provided detailed knowledge on viral transformation, host-viral interactions and pathogenesis. HTLV-1 is the etiological agent of adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and multiple neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases while HTLV-2 disease association remains elusive, with few infected individuals displaying neurodegenerative diseases similar to HTLV-1. The HTLV group of oncoretroviruses has a genome that encodes structural and enzymatic proteins Gag, Pro and Env, regulatory proteins Tax and Rex, and several accessory proteins from the pX region. Of these proteins, HTLV-1 p30 and HTLV-2 p28 are encoded by the open reading frame (ORF) II of the pX region. Like most other accessory proteins, p30 and p28 are dispensable for in vitro viral replication and transformation but are required for efficient viral replication and persistence in vivo. Both p30 and p28 regulate viral gene expression at the post-transcriptional level whereas p30 can also function at the transcriptional level. Recently, several reports have implicated p30 and p28 in multiple cellular processes, which provide novel insight into HTLV spread and survival and ultimately pathogenesis. In this review we summarize and compare what is known about p30 and p28, highlighting their roles in viral replication and viral pathogenesis.
X-Ray Line Profile Analysis Based upon Correlated Dislocations

X-ray diffraction line profiles have been described in an earlier work published by the authors as a convolution of three functions: particle size broadening, and two types of non-uniform strain broadening. The strain coefficients used in this approach are simply related to the strain coefficients obtained by Krivoglaz et.al, using a theory based upon correlated dislocations. This connection enables us to determine the dislocation density and the ratio of the correlation range to the mean particle size. Results for cold worked fcc and bcc materials as well as highly imperfect sputtered films of Mo are considered. Dislocations are highly correlated in cold worked metals, whereas correlation is much lower in sputtered films deposited at low temperatures. In each case, the dislocation density is high. An analysis of wear debris consisting of cubic Zirconia gave the highest dislocation density and correlation. The close similarity between the early work on cold work filings and wear debris provides insights on wear mechanisms.
The effects of 3,3',4,4'-tetrabromobiphenyl on rats fed diets containing a constant level of copper and varying levels of molybdenum.

Copper (Cu) metabolism is altered in rats fed diets high in molybdenum (Mo) and low in Cu. This 10-week study was carried out to examine the effects of supplemental Mo (7.5–240 μg/g diet) on male Sprague–Dawley rats fed diets adequate in Cu (5 μg/g diet) and to determine the susceptibility of Mo-treated animals to the environmental pollutant 3,3′,4,4′-tetrabromobiphenyl (TBB). After 7 weeks of dietary treatment, half of the rats in each group received a single IP injection of TBB (150 μM/kg bw), while the other half received the corn oil vehicle. Rats sacrificed at 10 weeks showed no effects of Mo on growth, feed efficiency, or selected organ or tissue weights. Dose-dependent effects on plasma Mo (0–5.1 μg/mL), plasma Cu (0.95–0.20 μg/mL), and bone Cu (3.4–10 μg/g) in control through the high dose were found. Cu sequestration in the bone of Mo-treated rats is a new finding. TBB treatment resulted in dramatic weight loss and loss of absolute organ mass. Relative organ weights were increased, except for the thymus. TBB altered the concentrations of certain amino acids. Compared to control rats, this polybrominated biphenyl congener significantly decreased plasma Cu and ceruloplasmin at higher concentrations of dietary Mo and promoted the process of plasma Cu decrease by Mo, suggesting a combined effect.
The occurrence and the significance of limit cycle behavior in controlled biochemical systems.

Abstract Phase-plane methods indicate that limit cycle behavior will not arise in chemical control systems involving negative feedback and two components if the rate law for the uninhibited step is described by first order kinetics, a rectangular hyperbola, or a sigmoidal relationship. However, in multi-component systems limit cycles arise even if the rate laws for the uninhibited steps are first order. A mapping of the range of values of the constants in the differential equations describing the feedback mechanism indicates that there is a finite range of these constants for which limit cycles arise. The relationships between these constants, the level of the variables expected at the physically important singularity, and the amplitude of the oscillations suggest a possible chemical basis for sustained rhythmic “spike” functions in biological systems.
On the Settling Time in Repetitive Control Systems

Abstract Repetitive control seeks to converge to zero tracking error when a feedback control system has a periodic command or a periodic disturbance. It is of interest to examine how long one must wait until convergence is reached. Without the repetitive control loop, any feedback system has a settling time often defined as four times the longest time constant in the characteristic polynomial. When a repetitive control loop is put around such a system, there are p additional roots to the characteristic polynomial, where p is the period in time steps, which can be very large. Again one can define the settling time, which might best be measured in units of periods, representing the number of periods needed to essentially complete the convergence process. This paper studies the convergence rate for several general classes of repetitive controller design methods.
New frontiers in CT angiography: physiologic assessment of coronary artery disease by multidetector CT

Since the introduction of 64-detector row CT1 ,2 scanners in 2005, coronary CT angiography (CCTA) has developed into an accurate non-invasive method for direct visualisation of coronary arteries, coronary stenoses, and atherosclerotic plaque.3 These CT scanners have embodied a combination of favourable technological characteristics—including adequate volume coverage, high temporal resolution and reasonable spatial resolution—permitting the acquisition of images of the heart with reasonable breath holds, thus providing an advantage over prior generation 16-detector row scanners. Since its introduction, CCTA has experienced rapid adoption into daily clinical assessment of patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD), with resultant offerings of societal guidance documents such as the American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria, the American Heart Association Expert Consensus Statements, and Position Statements of the European Society of Cardiology.2 ,4 ,5 Without exception, these guidance documents have focused on the use of CCTA for anatomic assessment of CAD, owing to its previously demonstrated high diagnostic performance. In this regard, more than 100 studies have been published which have compared CCTA to quantitative coronary angiography as a reference gold standard for stenosis severity. Several pooled meta-analyses have documented the high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of CCTA for this end point, with performance measures ranging from 91–99% and 74–96%, respectively.6 Subsequent to these single centre studies—which were unvaryingly susceptible to referral, selection, and ascertain biases—three prospective multicentre studies have been published (table 1). In the first of these studies—the ACCURACY (Assessment by Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography of Individuals Undergoing Invasive Coronary Angiography) trial—230 patients without known CAD underwent CCTA before clinically indicated invasive coronary angiography (ICA).7 This 16-centre US based study identified only 13.9% patients with a per-patient maximal ≥70% stenosis, thus underscoring a general ability for clinicians to identify precisely individuals with …
NORMAL QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER THE COX MAZE PROCEDURE FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION.

ObjectiveAtrial fibrillation (AF) has been shown in numerous studies to significantly decrease patient's quality of life. The Cox-Maze procedure has excellent long-term efficacy in curing AF. Howev...
Evaluation of Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA): a pilot promotora intervention focused on stress and coping among immigrant Latinas.

Recent immigrant Latinas are at increased risk of poor mental health due to stressors associated with adapting to life in the United States. This study evaluated Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma, a promotora intervention to reduce stress and promote health and coping among recent immigrant Latinas. Using a pre- and post-test design, we evaluated mental health outcomes, specifically, in promotoras. Promotoras’ knowledge levels related to role of promotora and stress management increased, depressive symptoms and stress levels decreased, and coping responses and perceived social support increased as well. Results suggest that promotora programs may be an effective way to improve mental health in recent immigrant Latinas.
Demographics of abusive head trauma in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Object The aim of this study was to characterize the prevalence and demographic features of abusive head trauma (AHT) among infants and children < 36 months of age in Pennsylvania. Methods The authors included all cases of substantiated AHT involving children < 36 months of age in Pennsylvania between 1996 and 2002 that had been reported to a statewide registry. Demographic information was derived from child abuse reports and birth certificates; the study cohort was contrasted with all infants born in Pennsylvania during the same period. Results The study identified 327 cases. The incidence was 14.7 cases (95% confidence interval 13.1-16.5) per 100,000 person-years for the first 2 years of life with a higher incidence during the 1st year (26.0 cases per 100,000 person-years) than the 2nd year (3.4 cases per 100,000 person-years). The incidence was similar among metropolitan, non-metropolitan, and rural counties. Significantly more cases occurred during the holiday months (October-December). The median age of victims was 4.1 months. Both victims and perpetrators were more commonly male (58.4% of victims, and 70% of identified perpetrators). Compared with the entire population of Pennsylvania parents, the parents of the study cohort were more likely to be younger, less educated, and unmarried. Both mothers and fathers were more often African-American and fathers more often Hispanic. Finally, mothers more often smoked during pregnancy, sought prenatal care later in the pregnancy, and delivered low birth weight infants. Conclusions This population-based study of abusive head injuries throughout an entire state adds significantly to the growing knowledge about this condition. The results suggests that families of infants with abusive head injuries have significantly different demographic features compared with the general population, although which of these variables is independently significant cannot be ascertained from this study and require further investigation. Language: en
The Intertemporal Cross Price Behavior of Common Stocks: Evidence and Implications

The paper presents a measure of the intertemporal cross correlation between two time series and reports evidence of the presence of intertemporal cross dependence between the returns of NYSE stocks and those of the SP 500, showing that frequently traded stocks behave differently from stocks with thinner markets.
Neutrality, Pluralism, and Education: Civic Education as Learning About the Other

The purpose of this article is to investigate appropriate methods for educating students into citizenship within a pluralistic state and to explain why civic education is itself important. In this discussion, I will offer suggestions as to how students might be best prepared for their future political roles as participants in a democracy, and how we, as theorists, ought to structure institutions and curricula in order to ensure that students are adequately trained for political decision making.
Phosphorylation of Smooth Muscle Myosin Heads Regulates the Head-induced Movement of Tropomyosin *

It has been shown that skeletal and smooth muscle myosin heads binding to actin results in the movement of smooth muscle tropomyosin, as revealed by a change in fluorescence resonance energy transfer between a fluorescence donor on tropomyosin and an acceptor on actin (Graceffa, P. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 11984–11992). In this work, tropomyosin movement was similarly monitored as a function of unphosphorylated and phosphorylated smooth muscle myosin double-headed fragment smHMM. In the absence of nucleotide and at low myosin head/actin ratios, only phosphorylated heads induced a change in energy transfer. In the presence of ADP, the effect of head phosphorylation was even more dramatic, in that at all levels of myosin head/actin, phosphorylation was necessary to affect energy transfer. It is proposed that the regulation of tropomyosin position on actin by phosphorylation of myosin heads plays a key role in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction. In contrast, actin-bound caldesmon was not moved by myosin heads at low head/actin ratios, as uncovered by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and disulfide cross-linking between caldesmon and actin. At higher head concentration caldesmon was dissociated from actin, consistent with the multiple binding model for the binding of caldesmon and myosin heads to actin (Chen, Y., and Chalovich, J. M. (1992) Biophys. J. 63, 1063–1070).
Accuracy of EMS-recorded patient demographic data.

Objective. Emergency medical services (EMS) research is frequently dependent on data recorded by prehospital personnel. Linking EMS information with hospital outcome depends on essential identifyin...
Pepsin versus hydrochloric acid in the experimental production of gastric ulcer.

1. Pepsin in an acid medium is far more effective than is hydrochloric acid alone in the experimental production of ulcer-like gastric lesions in the albino rat.
BRCA1 and HSP90 cooperate in homologous and non-homologous DNA double-strand-break repair and G2/M checkpoint activation

Expression of functional breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) in human breast and ovarian cancers is associated with resistance to platinum-based chemotherapeutics and poly(ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. BRCA1 is a nuclear tumor suppressor that is critical for resolving double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) and interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) by homologous recombination (HR). In vitro, animal and human clinical data have demonstrated that BRCA1-deficient cancers are highly sensitive to ICL-inducing chemotherapeutic agents, are amenable to synthetic lethal approaches that exploit defects in DSB/ICL repair, and may be associated with improved survival. Conversely, high or restored expression of BRCA1 in breast and ovarian cancer is associated with therapeutic resistance and poor prognosis. There has been much interest in identifying agents that interfere with BRCA1-dependent DSB/ICL repair to restore or enhance sensitivity to cancer therapeutics. We demonstrate that the heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin [17-AAG (Tanespimycin)], currently in Phase II/III clinical evaluation for several cancers, induces BRCA1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, resulting in compromised repair of ionizing radiation- and platinum-induced DNA damage. We show that loss of HSP90 function abolishes BRCA1-dependent DSB repair and that BRCA1-deficient cells are hypersensitive to 17-AAG due to impaired Gap 2/Mitosis (G2/M) checkpoint activation and resultant mitotic catastrophe. In summary, we document an upstream HSP90-dependent regulatory point in the Fanconi anemia/BRCA DSB/ICL repair pathway, illuminate the role of BRCA1 in regulating damage-associated checkpoint and repair responses to HSP90 inhibitors, and identify BRCA1 as a clinically relevant target for enhancing sensitivity in refractory and/or resistant malignancies.
Joint network and node selection for pathway-based genomic data analysis

Motivation: By capturing various biochemical interactions, biological pathways provide insight into underlying biological processes. Given high-dimensional microarray or RNA-sequencing data, a critical challenge is how to integrate them with rich information from pathway databases to jointly select relevant pathways and genes for phenotype prediction or disease prognosis. Addressing this challenge can help us deepen biological understanding of phenotypes and diseases from a systems perspective. Results: In this paper, we propose a novel sparse Bayesian model for joint network and node selection. This model integrates information from networks (e.g., pathways) and nodes (e.g., genes) by a hybrid of conditional and generative components. For the conditional component, we propose a sparse prior based on graph Laplacian matrices, each of which encodes detailed correlation structures between network nodes. For the generative component, we use a spike and slab prior over network nodes. The integration of these two components, coupled with efficient variational inference, enables the selection of networks as well as correlated network nodes in the selected networks. Simulation results demonstrate improved predictive performance and selection accuracy of our method over alternative methods. Based on three expression datasets for cancer study and the KEGG pathway database, we selected relevant genes and pathways, many of which are supported by biological literature. In addition to pathway analysis, our method is expected to have a wide range of applications in selecting relevant groups of correlated high-dimensional biomarkers. Availability: The code can be downloaded at www.cs.purdue.
Endocrine changes in maturing primary queens of Zootermopsis angusticollis

Termite queens are highly specialized for reproduction, but little is known about the endocrine mechanisms regulating this ability. We studied changes in the endocrinology and ovarian maturation in primary reproductive females of the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis following their release from inhibitory stimuli produced by mature queens. Winged alates were removed from their natal nest, manually dewinged, then paired in an isolated nest with a reproductive male. Development was tracked by monitoring ovarian development, in vitro rates of juvenile hormone (JH) production by corpora allata, and hemolymph titers of JH and ecdysteroids. The production rate and titer of JH were positively correlated with each other but negatively correlated with ecdysteroid titer. Four days after disinhibition, JH release and titer decreased while ecdysteroid titer increased. The new levels persisted until day 30, after which JH increased and ecdysteroids decreased. Fully mature queens had the highest rates of JH production, the lowest ecdysteroid titers, and the greatest number of functional ovarioles. The results support the hypothesis that JH plays a dual role in termite queens depending on their stage of development; an elevated JH titer in immature alates may maintain reproductive inhibition, but an elevated JH titer in mature queens may stimulate ovarian activity. The decline in JH production and the elevation in ecdysteroid titer correspond to a period of physiological reorganization and activation. The specific function of ecdysteroids is unknown but they may help to modulate the activity of the corpora allata.
A TDIE-based asynchronous electromagnetic-circuit simulator

A time-domain integral-equation based hybrid electromagnetic (EM)-circuit (CKT) simulator that allows the signals (fields/voltages/currents) in each EM or CKT subsystem to be sampled and tracked using a local, subsystem-specific, time-step size is proposed. The proposed asynchronous time-stepping/coupling approach generalizes the standard synchronous time-stepping/coupling approach, where all the signals in the entire system are tracked using one system-global time-step size. The nonlinear analysis of a bipolar junction transistor driven chip-to-package interconnect demonstrates that the asynchronous simulator exhibits improved accuracy, efficiency, and convergence
A Review of “Personal Transformation: An Executive's Story of Struggle and Spiritual Awakening”

AFTER THE FALL. Henry Cullihall. (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Novalis, 2005). 135 pp. Paperback, $19.95, ISBN 2-89507-672-3 These two autobiographical works share a common theme in addressing how peop...
Effects of sensory behavioral tasks on pain threshold and cortical excitability.

Background/Objective Transcutaneous electrical stimulation has been proven to modulate nervous system activity, leading to changes in pain perception, via the peripheral sensory system, in a bottom up approach. We tested whether different sensory behavioral tasks induce significant effects in pain processing and whether these changes correlate with cortical plasticity. Methodology/Principal Findings This randomized parallel designed experiment included forty healthy right-handed males. Three different somatosensory tasks, including learning tasks with and without visual feedback and simple somatosensory input, were tested on pressure pain threshold and motor cortex excitability using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Sensory tasks induced hand-specific pain modulation effects. They increased pain thresholds of the left hand (which was the target to the sensory tasks) and decreased them in the right hand. TMS showed that somatosensory input decreased cortical excitability, as indexed by reduced MEP amplitudes and increased SICI. Although somatosensory tasks similarly altered pain thresholds and cortical excitability, there was no significant correlation between these variables and only the visual feedback task showed significant somatosensory learning. Conclusions/Significance Lack of correlation between cortical excitability and pain thresholds and lack of differential effects across tasks, but significant changes in pain thresholds suggest that analgesic effects of somatosensory tasks are not primarily associated with motor cortical neural mechanisms, thus, suggesting that subcortical neural circuits and/or spinal cord are involved with the observed effects. Identifying the neural mechanisms of somatosensory stimulation on pain may open novel possibilities for combining different targeted therapies for pain control.
New azasteroidal antifungal antibiotics from Geotrichum flavo-brunneum. II. Isolation and characterization.

A novel group of antibiotics, comprising microbiologically-active structurallyrelated factors A25822A, B, D, H, L, M and N, produced by culturing Geotrichum flavo-brunneum NRRL 3862 under submerged aerobic fermentation conditions was isolated by extraction. The individual factors were separated and purified by chromatography and crystallization. The major factor, A25822B, a 15-aza-24-methylene-D-homocholestadiene is a white crystalline compound, C28H45NO. The antibiotics are highly active against fungi and marginally active against bacteria.
Identification, situational constraint, and social cognition : studies in the attribution of moral responsibility

In three experiments we studied lay observers' attributions of responsibility for an antisocial act (homicide). We systematically varied both the degree to which the action was coerced by external circumstances and the degree to which the actor endorsed and accepted ownership of the act, a psychological state that philosophers have termed "identification." Our findings with respect to identification were highly consistent. The more an actor was identified with an action, the more likely observers were to assign responsibility to the actor, even when the action was performed under constraints so powerful that no other behavioral option was available. Our findings indicate that social cognition involving assignment of responsibility for an action is a more complex process than previous research has indicated. It would appear that laypersons' judgments of moral responsibility may, in some circumstances, accord with philosophical views in which freedom and determinism are regarded to be compatible.
Identification and characterization of a novel isoform of the vesicular γ-aminobutyric acid transporter with glucose-regulated expression in rat islets

Pancreatic islets are unique outside the nervous system in that they contain high levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), synthesized by the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). Since the role that GABA plays in the islet and the mechanisms whereby the two major GAD isoforms (GAD65 and GAD67) function as diabetes-associated autoantigens are unknown, continued characterization of the islet GAD-GABA system is important. We previously demonstrated that the GABA and glycine transporter vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter (VIAAT also known as VGAT) is present in rat islets. Here we identify a novel 52 kDa variant of VIAAT in rat islets: VIAAT-52 (V52). V52 is an amino-terminally truncated form of VIAAT (V57) that likely results from utilization of a downstream start site of translation. V57 and V52 display different patterns of post-translational modification and cellular expression. Our results have indicated that islet content of V52, but not V57, is responsive to changes in glucose concentration and other extracellular conditions. VIAAT is expressed in the islet alpha cells, but there have been conflicting findings regarding the presence of VIAAT in the beta cells. Here we have also provided additional evidence for the presence of VIAAT in islet beta cells and show that the beta cell line INS-1 expresses V57. V52 may be better adapted than V57 to the unique rat alpha cell GAD-GABA system, which lacks GAD65 and in which VIAAT traffics to secretory granules rather than just to synaptic microvesicles.
Automatic recognition of eye blinking in spontaneously occurring behavior

Previous research in automatic facial expression recognition has been limited to recognition of gross expression categories (e.g., joy or anger) in posed facial behavior under well-controlled conditions (e.g., frontal pose and minimal out-of-plane head motion). We developed a system that detects discrete and important facial actions, (e.g., eye blinking), in spontaneously occurring facial behavior with non-frontal pose, moderate out-of-plane head motion, and occlusion. The system recovers 3D motion parameters, stabilizes facial regions, extracts motion and appearance information, and recognizes discrete facial actions in spontaneous facial behavior. We tested the system in video data from a 2-person interview. Subjects were ethnically diverse, action units occurred during speech, and out-of-plane motion and occlusion from head motion and glasses were common. The video data were originally collected to answer substantive questions in psychology, and represent a substantial challenge to automated AU recognition. In the analysis of 335 single and multiple blinks and non-blinks, the system achieved 98% accuracy.
A three-stage colonization model for the peopling of the Americas.

Background: We evaluate the process by which the Americas were originally colonized and propose a three-stage model that integrates current genetic, archaeological, geological, and paleoecological data. Specifically, we analyze mitochondrial and nuclear genetic data by using complementary coalescent models of demographic history and incorporating nongenetic data to enhance the anthropological relevance of the analysis. Methodology/Findings: Bayesian skyline plots, which provide dynamic representations of population size changes over time, indicate that Amerinds went through two stages of growth <40,000 and <15,000 years ago separated by a long period of population stability. Isolation-with-migration coalescent analyses, which utilize data from sister populations to estimate a divergence date and founder population sizes, suggest an Amerind population expansion starting <15,000 years ago. Conclusions/Significance: These results support a model for the peopling of the New World in which Amerind ancestors diverged from the Asian gene pool prior to 40,000 years ago and experienced a gradual population expansion as they moved into Beringia. After a long period of little change in population size in greater Beringia, Amerinds rapidly expanded into the Americas <15,000 years ago either through an interior ice-free corridor or along the coast. This rapid colonization of the New World was achieved by a founder group with an effective population size of <1,000–5,400 individuals. Our model presents a detailed scenario for the timing and scale of the initial migration to the Americas, substantially refines the estimate of New World founders, and provides a unified theory for testing with future datasets and analytic methods.
Radiation and hormonal therapy for locally advanced and clinically localized prostate cancer

Patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (TNM clinical stage T3, T4) who were treated using external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and 3 years of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) were compared with patients treated with EBRT alone and were shown to have a survival benefit. Studies that address the same question for patients with clinically localized disease (stage T1, T2) have been completed and are awaiting follow-up study. A rate of decrease in the serum hemoglobin level of > or =1 g/dL during the first month of neoadjuvant ADT predicted for a significantly worse disease-free survival outcome, as defined by the prostate-specific antigen, for patients with intermediate- and high-risk clinically localized disease who were undergoing EBRT and ADT. Validation of this predictive factor by others is needed.
On crossing the Cauchy horizon of a Reissner–Nordström black-hole

The behaviour, on the Cauchy horizon, of a flux of gravitational and/or electromagnetic radiation crossing the event horizon of a Reissner-Nordstrom black-hole is investigated as a problem in the theory of one-dimensional potential-scattering. It is shown that the flux of radiation received by an observer crossing the Cauchy horizon, along a radial time-like geodesic, diverges for all physically reasonable perturbations crossing the event horizon, even including those with compact support.
Endovascular stent-graft repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms: The nursing implications for care

Endovascular repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms is a minimally invasive procedure performed with the patient under epidural or spinal anesthesia as an alternative to the conventional left thoracotomy repair. A Dacron graft, similar to the one used in the conventional repair, is placed in the thoracic aorta with fluoroscopic guidance via the femoral or iliac artery. Once the graft is in place, the aneurysm is excluded from the general circulation, thereby preventing rupture. Endovascular repair is currently being offered at selected sites to patients who otherwise would not be candidates for surgical repair due to severe comorbidities such as cardiac, pulmonary, or renal disease. As both the technique and the devices become perfected, endovascular stent-graft repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms will most likely be offered as a method of treatment in both high- and low-risk patients who are anatomic candidates for the procedure. This article describes the conventional repair and the endovascular repair of descending thoracic aneurysms. It discusses the implications for nursing care in the preoperative and postoperative settings and defines guidelines for the long-term follow-up of patients who undergo endovascular repair. (J Vasc Nurs 2002;20:86-93)
Composite performance and availability analysis of wireless communication networks

With the increasing popularity of wireless communication systems, customers are expecting the same level of service, availability, and performance from the wireless communication networks as the traditional wire-line networks. The traditional pure performance model that ignores failure and recovery but considers resource contention generally overestimates the system's ability to perform a certain job. On the other hand, pure availability analysis tends to be too conservative since performance considerations are not taken into account. To obtain realistic composite performance and availability measures, one should consider performance changes that are associated with failure recovery behavior. A review is first given over the advances in composite performance and availability analysis. Thereafter, three techniques for composite performance and availability analysis are discussed in detail through a queueing system in a wireless communication network. Numerical results show that an approximate model based on a framework originally proposed by Bobbie and Trivedi (1990) provides remarkably accurate predictions on system performance.
Out-of-Core Bundle Adjustment for Large-Scale 3D Reconstruction

Large-scale 3D reconstruction has recently received much attention from the computer vision community. Bundle adjustment is a key component of 3D reconstruction problems. However, traditional bundle adjustment algorithms require a considerable amount of memory and computational resources. In this paper, we present an extremely efficient, inherently out-of-core bundle adjustment algorithm. We decouple the original problem into several submaps that have their own local coordinate systems and can be optimized in parallel. A key contribution to our algorithm is making as much progress towards optimizing the global non-linear cost function as possible using the fragments of the reconstruction that are currently in core memory. This allows us to converge with very few global sweeps (often only two) through the entire reconstruction. We present experimental results on large-scale 3D reconstruction datasets, both synthetic and real.
A combined hardware, software and usage model of network reliability and availability

A description is given of a model for assessing and comparing the reliability and availability of local area networks. The model parameters include the reliabilities of the hardware and software components, the network topology, and the demands placed on the network by user activities. Management of the network resources can also be considered in the model by the way it affects the network topology, user interactions, and the importance assigned to various subgroups being able to communicate. >
Throughput maximization for ARQ-like systems in fading channels with coding and queuing delay constraints

Practical delay-limited communication systems often employ retransmission algorithms such as ARQ to ensure reliable communications in fading channels. Maximizing the communications throughput in such systems can cause excessive queueing delays due to the random number of retransmission attempts required for each codeword. In this paper we consider the problem of delay-limited throughput maximization with a constraint on the expected waiting-time, which incorporates both queueing and coding delays. We explore the trade-off between queueing and coding delays and propose a novel queue management technique for fading channels.
Kin Affiliation Across the Ovulatory Cycle Females Avoid Fathers When Fertile

A commonplace observation in humans is that close genetic relatives tend to avoid one another as sexual partners. Despite the growing psychological research on how antierotic attitudes develop toward relatives, few studies have focused on actual behavior. One prediction, stemming from parental investment theory, is that women should be more vigilant of reproductioncompromising behaviors, such as inbreeding, during times of peak fertility than during times of low fertility. Indeed, females of other species avoid interactions with male kin when fertile—but the corollary behavior in humans has yet to be explored. Here we fill this gap. Using duration and frequency of cell-phone calls, an objective behavioral measure that reflects motivations to interact socially, we show that women selectively avoid interactions with their fathers during peak fertility. Avoidance specifically targeted fathers, which rules out alternative explanations. These data suggest that psychological mechanisms underlying mating psychology regulate sexual avoidance behaviors, and in women they fluctuate according to fertility status.
Online identification of multi-attribute high-volume traffic aggregates through sampling

We propose and implement a set of efficient on-line algorithms for a router to sample the passing packets and identify multi-attribute high-volume traffic aggregates. Besides the obvious applications in traffic engineering and measurement, we describe its application in defending against certain classes of DoS attacks. Our contributions include three novel algorithms. The reservoir sampling algorithm employs a biased sampling strategy that favors packets from high-volume aggregates. Based on the samples, two efficient algorithms are proposed to identify single-attribute aggregates and multi-attribute aggregates, respectively. We implement the algorithms on a Linux router and demonstrate that the router can effectively filter out malicious packets unstateful DoS attacks.
Object-Based Warping: An Illusory Distortion of Space Within Objects

Visual objects are high-level primitives that are fundamental to numerous perceptual functions, such as guidance of attention. We report that objects warp visual perception of space in such a way that spatial distances within objects appear to be larger than spatial distances in ground regions. When two dots were placed inside a rectangular object, they appeared farther apart from one another than two dots with identical spacing outside of the object. To investigate whether this effect was object based, we measured the distortion while manipulating the structure surrounding the dots. Object displays were constructed with a single object, multiple objects, a partially occluded object, and an illusory object. Nonobject displays were constructed to be comparable to object displays in low-level visual attributes. In all cases, the object displays resulted in a more powerful distortion of spatial perception than comparable non-object-based displays. These results suggest that perception of space within objects is warped.
Using cognitive ethnography to study instruction

Advances in digital media support a form of inquiry called cognitive ethnography. Cognitive ethnography employs traditional ethnographic methods to build knowledge of a community of practice and then applies this knowledge to the micro-level analysis of specific episodes of activity. The principal aim of cognitive ethnography is to reveal how cognitive activities are accomplished in real-world settings. Cognitive ethnography is a particularly apt method for studying instruction in both formal and informal settings. This paper discusses the practicalities of doing cognitive ethnographic research, including such issues as deciding what to record, selecting data for analysis, re-representing data, and analyzing data. Illustrative examples are provided from a recent cognitive ethnographic study of time-telling instruction.
Transmission ellipsometry on transparent unbacked or embedded thin films with application to soap films in air

The ratio ρt = Tp/Ts of the complex amplitude transmission coefficients for the p and s polarizations of a transparent unbacked or embedded thin film is examined as a function of the film thickness-to-wavelength ratio d/λ and the angle of incidence ϕ for a given film refractive index N. The maximum value of the differential transmission phase shift (or retardance), Δt = argρt, is determined, for given N and ϕ, by a simple geometrical construction that involves the iso–ϕ circle locus of ρt in the complex plane. The upper bound on this maximum equals arctan{[N − (1/N)]/2} and is attained in the limit of grazing incidence. An analytical noniterative method is developed for determining N and d of the film from ρt measured by transmission ellipsometry (TELL) at ϕ = 45°. An explicit expression for Δt of an ultrathin film, d/λ ≪ 1, is derived in product form that shows the dependence of Δt on N, ϕ, and d/λ separately. The angular dependence is given by an obliquity factor, fo(ϕ) = 21/2 sinϕ tanϕ, which is verified experimentally by TELL measurements on a stable planar soap film in air at λ = 633 nm. The singularity of fo at ϕ = 90° is resolved; Δt is shown to have a maximum just short of grazing incidence and drops to 0 at ϕ = 90°. Because N and d/λ are inseparable for an ultrathin film, N is determined by a Brewster angle measurement and d/λ is subsequently obtained from Δt. Finally, the ellipsometric function in reflection ρr is related to that in transmission ρt.