cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Components of a Difference Between Two Rates

Abstract * Expanded version of a paper read at the annual meeting of the American Statistical Association held in Chicago, December 27–30, 1952. The preparation of this manuscript was sponsored jointly by the Population Research and Training Center, University of Chicago, and Scripps Foundation, Miami University—the latter through funds provided by the Rockefeller Foundation for the study of population distribution. The author is indebted to Philip M. Hauser, Donald J. Bogue, O. Dudley Duncan, Beverly Duncan and J. J. Feldman for a careful reading of the paper and many suggestive comments and criticisms.
Size Reduction Method of Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) Electromagnetic Bandgap (EBG) Structures Using Slow Wave Design

Two novel electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures are presented to reduce the size and length of coplanar waveguides (CPW) with frequency selective characteristics. The proposed EBG CPW structures are made by alternating wave impedances using slow wave (SW) structures which have high effective dielectric constant values. The proposed designs and characteristics for 45.4 and 37.5% reduction are described herein
Effect of environmental temperature and dietary protein on urinary nitrogen excretion of rats.

SummaryAdult male rats were maintained on a low protein diet and exposed to 3 environmental temperatures, 4°C, 23 °C, and 35 °C, for 50 days. Measurements of total urinary nitrogen as well as food intake and changes in body weight were made every third day between the tenth and fiftieth day of exposure. Food intake, total urinary nitrogen, and the various urinary fractions, urea, allantoin, and creatine, were found to be inversely proportional to the exposure temperature. Excretion of uric acid, ammonia and amino acids, and creatinine bore no apparent relation to external temperature. The changes in urea, allantoin, and creatine excretion reported here are proportional to the metabolic stresses imposed by high and low temperatures.
Amino acids and the maintenance of osmotic equilibrium in brain tissue.

Abstract A selective elevation of amino acid levels in the vertebrate central nervous system was produced by adapting male, female, or hermaphrodite toads of the species Bufo boreas to brackish water. The largest quantitative changes observed were in levels of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid and urea. Tissue dehydration accounts for only a very small portion of these changes.
Direct simulation of compressible turbulence in a shear flow

The purpose of this study is to investigate compressibility effects on the turbulence in homogeneous shear flow. Physical experiments have not been and perhaps cannot be performed for homogeneous shear flows at flow speeds which are sufficiently high to introduce compressible effects on the turbulence. However, direct numerical simulation (DNS) of this problem could provide meaningful data, especially since DNS for the incompressible problem ([1], [2]) has been successful in giving realistic flow fields akin to those obtained in physical experiments. The present simulations of the homogeneous shear problem augment and extend our previous results ([3], [4]) for compressible isotropic turbulence. The compressible Navier-Stokes equations are written in a frame of reference moving with the mean flow u. We use a Fourier collocation method for the spatial discretization of the governing equations. A third order, low storage Runge-Kutta scheme is used for advancing the solution in time. Up to 1283 points are used for the simulations. The simulated turbulent fields have Taylor microscale Reynolds numbers Re? up to 35 and turbulent Mach numbers Mt up to 0.6. The results are summarized below. We find that an increase in initial compressibility level, either due to increased turbulent Mach number or increased dilatational fraction of the velocity field decreases the growth of turbulent kinetic energy (and all its components) in the case of homogeneous shear flow. This is reminiscent of the reduction in turbulent velocity intensities observed in experiments on supersonic free shear
A history of the U.S. strategic ‘doctrine'‐ 1945 to 1980

(1980). A history of the U.S. strategic ‘doctrine'‐ 1945 to 1980. Journal of Strategic Studies: Vol. 3, Strategy and The Social Sciences, pp. 37-71.
Ecology and management of mahogany (Swietenia macrophyllaKing) in the Chimanes Forest, Beni, Bolivia: Is there a future for mahogany?Edited by Andrew MacLellan

Mahogany (Swietenia macrophyllaKing) regenerates in areas of erosion on high terraces and in forest killed by flooding and deposition of alluvial sediments in the Chimanes Forest, Bolivia. These hydrological disturbances are patchy, and only one of five stands of mahogany that we inventoried was regenerating. Mahogany survives these disturbances significantly better than the common tree species. The long time between disturbances appears to favour late maturation. Mahogany trees allocate little photosynthates to reproduction until they are very large emergents, at least 80 cm in diameter. The episodic nature of the regeneration sites means that mahogany stands are composed of one or a few cohorts, which are vulnerable to overharvesting, particularly with the current use of a minimum cutting diameter to regulate harvest. The delayed onset of fecundity means that the small trees that escape harvest are not very fecund, resulting in minimal seed input to logged forest. Only 7–9% of the gaps created by logging contain natural regeneration after 20+ yr. A successful management plan for mahogany would entail a monocyclic harvest, with a rotation age of 100+ years, the estimated time that it takes for trees to achieve commercial size in natural forest. Since the number of seed trees that will be left is small, they should be concentrated in sites that are likely to be conducive to natural regeneration, such as near rivers and flood damaged forest. Seed production will be maximized for a given basal area (opportunity cost to loggers) if treesc. 110 cm dbh are selected as seed trees. The mahogany stocks in the Chimanes Forest are nearly exhausted, but the findings of this study could be used to help rebuild the mahogany populations, or to design management plans for the commercial species that have similar ecologies to mahogany.
The effect of Hoe-427 (an ACTH4–9 analog) on free-choice ethanol consumption in male and female rats

Abstract Ethanol consummatory patterns of individual male and female rats and the effects of Hoe-427 (Ebiratide), an ACTH4–9 analog, thereon, were studied in a test system using 24 hour, two-bottle free choice consumption between 0.2% saccharin and 10% ethanol in 0.2% saccharin. Single, daily i.p. doses (0.03mg/rat) of either ACTH4–10 or its analog resulted in a significant reduction of daily ethanol consumption with no effects on saccharin consumption. After 4 days of treatment, male rats consistently exhibited a rebound increase in ethanol consumption; this effect was not seen in females. The daily ethanol consummatory patterns of the female animals seemed to exhibit a 4–6 day cyclic rhythymicity, suggesting an interaction with estrous cycles. These results support a role for ACTH4–10 in the initiation of ethanol consummatory behavior in rats and suggests the existence of sex differences in this phenomenon.
The Missing Psychological Behaviorism Chapter in A History of the Behavioral Therapies

A History of the Behavioral Therapies (O'Donohue, Henderson, Hayes, Fisher, & Hayes, 2001), as Paul (this issue) points out, contains no description of psychological behaviorism (PB) and the role it played as one of the foundations of behavior therapy. This article indicates (1) some of the contributions made by PB that make the missing chapter and related phenomena a major aberration in science, as well as (2) that this aberration seems due to inter-theory rivalry, and (3) that inter-theory rivalry is a general phenomenon and damaging both to behavior therapy (BT) specifically and behaviorism generally.
CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Induce Cyclooxygenase-2 in Human B Lymphocytes: Implications for Adjuvant Activity and Antibody Production

Synthetic CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN), similar to DNA sequences found in certain microorganisms, have shown promise as adjuvants for humans by enhancing immune responses. Since antibodies are often indicators of successful vaccination, it is important to understand how CpG ODNs affect human B cells and influence antibody production. Treatment of human B cells with synthetic CpG ODN sequences increased both steady-state Cox-2 mRNA levels and protein expression. B cell receptor stimulation in concert with CpG ODN treatment induced Cox-2 expression and production of prostaglandin E(2), well above that seen with CpG ODN alone. Importantly, CpG-induced human B cell IgM and IgG production was attenuated by dual Cox-1/Cox-2 inhibitors and Cox-2-selective inhibitors. Our findings support a key role for CpG ODN-induced human B cell Cox-2 in the production of IgM and IgG antibodies, revealing that drugs that attenuate Cox-2 activity have the potential to reduce optimal antibody response to adjuvants/vaccination.
Extended Normal Life After AAVrh10-mediated Gene Therapy in the Mouse Model of Krabbe Disease

Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) or Krabbe disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme galactocerebrosidase (GALC). This deficiency results in accumulation of certain galactolipids including psychosine which is cytotoxic for myelin-producing cells. Treatment of human patients at this time is limited to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that appears to slow the progression of the disease when performed in presymptomatic patients. In this study, adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype rh10-(AAVrh10) expressing mouse GALC was used in treating twitcher (twi) mice, the mouse model of GLD. The combination of intracerebroventricular, intracerebellar, and intravenous (iv) injection of viral particles in neonate twi mice resulted in high GALC activity in brain and cerebellum and moderate to high GALC activity in spinal cord, sciatic nerve, and some peripheral organs. Successfully treated mice maintained their weight with no or very little twitching, living up to 8 months. The physical activities of the long-lived treated mice were comparable to wild type for most of their lives. Treated mice showed normal abilities to mate, to deliver pups, to nurse and to care for the newborns. This strategy alone or in combination with other therapeutic options may be applicable to treatment of human patients.
How product quality dimensions relate to defining quality

Uses survey results from a national sample of quality managers to examine the relationship between how a firm defines quality and what product quality dimensions it considers important to its competitive strategy. Garvin proposed a well‐known framework for thinking about product quality based on eight dimensions: performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. Alternative definitions of quality have evolved from five different approaches: transcendent, product‐based, user‐based, manufacturing‐based, and value‐based. Of the five approaches to defining quality, the manufacturing firms in our sample subscribed most often to the user‐based definition. Using regression analysis within a factor analytic framework, some empirical support was found for hypothesized linkages between the product quality dimensions and the alternative definitions of quality. Specifically, the user‐based definition was related significantly to aesthetics and perceived quality, the manufacturing‐based definition to conformance, and the product‐based definition to performance and features.
Mechanical and optical properties of hollow glass waveguides

Hollow waveguides have been well characterized for their optical properties, but many applications require long-term reliability as well as short-term performance. The average strength and the strength distribution of hollow glass waveguides (HGWs) have been evaluated. In addition, the effects of processing on waveguide strength have been assessed. In limited life-test data, waveguides up to one- year old have shown no measurable change in their transmission losses.
Deleterious Effects of Bretylium in Cats with Digitalis-Induced Ventricular Tachycardia

The effect of bretylium on ventricular tachycardia induced by digitalis was studied in Dialurethane-anesthetized cats with continuous monitoring of the electrocardiogram and arterial blood pressure. Ventricular tachycardia was produced by repeated injections of deslanoside (25 µg/kg) at 15 min intervals. Only one of eight animals showed conversion of ventricular tachycardia to sinus rhythm with bretylium administration (2-100 mg/kg i.v.). In each animal, bretylium increased the ventricular rate. The effect of bretylium (30 mg/kg i.v.) on duration of ventricular tachycardia induced by deslanoside (0.75 µg/kg/min) was also studied. Duration was shortened from 65 ± 8.0 min to 7 ± 1.0 min, but the reduction was due to the intervention of either ventricular fibrillation or severe hypotension caused by bretylium. Pretreatment with propranolol (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) prevented these deleterious effects and unmasked an antiarrhythmic effect of bretylium since duration of ventricular tachycardia was significantly shorter (40 ± 6.0 min) than the controls (65 ± 8.0 min). In addition, an antiarrhythmic effect of bretylium was noted when it was administered as a dose of 30 mg/kg ip to animals 24 and 4 hours prior to deslanoside intoxication; 231 µg/kg deslanoside were now required for inducing ventricular tachycardia as compared to 175 µg/kg deslanoside in controls. Thus, bretylium given alone during a digitalis-induced ventricular tachycardia increases both the rate of ventricular tachycardia and the likelihood of ventricular fibrillation. These deterious effects appear to be related to a norepinephrine-releasing action and may be avoided by either pretreatment with propranolol or administration of bretylium several hours prior to digitalis intoxication.
Exchange of halogens between methyltriiodogermane and methylphosphonothioic dichloride

Abstract The equilibrium constants for the exchange of chlorine and iodine between the methylgermanium and the methylphosphorus moiety were measured using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The value of the intersystem equilibrium constant shows that—in agreement with earlier predictions—at equilibrium chlorine is preferentially associated with the methylphosphorus moiety.
Personal mastery is associated with reduced sympathetic arousal in stressed Alzheimer caregivers.

Objectives Spousal caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, possibly via sympathetic response to stressors and subsequent catecholamine surge. Personal mastery (i.e., belief that one can manage life's obstacles) may decrease psychological and physiological response to stressors. This study examines the relationship between mastery and sympathetic arousal in elderly caregivers, as measured by norepinephrine (NE) reactivity to an acute psychological stressor. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Data were collected by a research nurse in each caregiver's home. Participants Sixty-nine elderly spousal Alzheimer caregivers (mean age: 72.8 years) who were not taking β-blocking medication. Intervention After assessment for mastery and objective caregiving stressors, caregivers underwent an experimental speech task designed to induce sympathetic arousal. Measurements Mastery was assessed using Pearlin's Personal Mastery scale and Alzheimer patient functioning was assessed using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, Problem Behaviors Scale, and Activities of Daily Living Scale. Plasma NE assays were conducted using pre- and postspeech blood draws. Results Multiple regression analyses revealed that mastery was significantly and negatively associated with NE reactivity ( B = −9.86, t (61) = −2.03, p=0.046) independent of factors theoretically and empirically linked to NE reactivity. Conclusions Caregivers with higher mastery had less NE reactivity to the stressor task. Mastery may exert a protective influence that mitigates the physiological effects of acute stress, and may be an important target for psychosocial interventions in order to reduce sympathetic arousal and cardiovascular stress among dementia caregivers.
Fas and Fas Ligand Expression in Maternal Blood and in Umbilical Cord Blood in Preeclampsia

The Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) pathway of apoptosis is abnormally activated in diseases associated with impaired immune tolerance or chronic inflammation. Pregnancy-related hypertension is a spectrum of disease that commonly causes significant morbidity in women and in their newborn infants, is associated with generalized inflammation, and may be causally related to impaired maternal-fetal tolerance. Our recent observation of enhanced trophoblast expression of FasL in one form of pregnancy-related hypertension led us to hypothesize that this group of disorders might be associated with abnormal activation of the Fas-FasL pathway. To test this hypothesis, we prospectively quantified soluble and leukocyte-associated Fas receptor and FasL in the maternal and umbilical cord blood (CB) sera of 20 gestations complicated by preeclampsia and of 18 normal control gestations, using ELISA and flow cytometric analyses. We determined higher soluble FasL levels in paired maternal and CB sera of hypertensive gestations compared with control gestations (p < 0.01); in contrast, soluble Fas levels were similar between groups. Surface expression of FasL was lower on maternal (p < 0.01) and CB (p < 0.05) neutrophils from affected gestations, whereas surface Fas expression was lower on maternal (p < 0.02), but not CB, neutrophils and lymphocytes. We conclude that expression of Fas and FasL in sera and on leukocytes is altered in gestations complicated by preeclampsia, and speculate that activation of the Fas-FasL pathway mediates associated pathologic processes in affected women and in their neonates.
Dual and incident circular polarization Raman optical activity backscattering of (—)-trans-pinane

Abstract We report the first measurement of dual circular polarization (DCP) Raman optical activity (ROA). DCP ROA was predicted recently to be a new form of ROA in which the incident and scattered light beams are synchronously modulated between right and left circular polarization states. Using a new backscattering apparatus and (—)-trans-pinane, we confirm the theoretical predictions and compare our results to the conventional incident circular polarization (ICP) form of ROA.
Ear Lobe Photoplethysmography

Evidence is provided showing that there is very little change in pulse volume in the ear lobe as a function of the usual types of psychological stimuli. On the one hand, this makes ear lobe plethysmography an excellent source of a signal to trigger a cardiotachometer for investigators interested in pulse rate who do not want to, or cannot, use EKG recording. On the other hand, this makes the ear lobe an inappropriate place from which to record vasomotor reactivity.
The Non-Existent God: Transcendence, Humanity, and Ethics in the Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas

This paper considers three essential gestures in Levinas’s theology, highlighting in each case how Levinas’s thinking allows him to either incorporate or sidestep some of the fiercest modern criticisms of traditional theism. First, we present Levinas’s vision of divine transcendence, outlining his ontological atheism and explaining how this obviates proving the existence of God and avoids the tangles of traditional theodicy. Second, we describe Levinas’s idea of the trace, showing how a non-existent God still leaves its mark in the face of the other person and explaining how this vision of divine immanence accords with the agendas of thinkers such as Feuerbach and Nietzsche, who criticized theology that elevated God while debasing humanity. Third, we present Levinas’s insistence on the philosophical primacy of ethics, showing how he infuses his ethical philosophy with religious themes, elevating moral philosophy to the level of ultimate concern in a way that even atheist social theorists such as Marx or Freud could appreciate. We close by briefly considering limitations of Levinas’s model, discussing problems with its practical applicability and suggesting that its scope might be too narrow: both for its failure to acknowledge potential ethical demands manifest by non-human animals and the natural world and for its inability to recognize solitary or aesthetic experiences as religiously significant. This paper was delivered during the APA Pacific 2007 Mini-Conference on Models of God.
Bronchial gland measurements: a continuing search for a "yardstick".

Abstract Bronchial morphometry has been the object of great interest in the past few years. A recent investigation whowed poor correlation between the Reid Index and gland area determinations by a variety of methods. In the present study, gland/wall ratio (Reid Index) was compared with estimation of total, inner, and outer gland areas by the card-weighing method. Correlation was in general poor but unexpectedly presented a lower Coefficient Index for glands located internal than for those located external to the cartilage. A new proposed index of gland/lumen ratio has the advantage of including information not only about the glands in their entirety, but also the cross-sectional luminal area of bronchi.
Visual function and cognitive aging: Differential role of contrast sensitivity in verbal versus spatial tasks.

Cognitive and sensory function are correlated in older adults. Sensory function may provide an index of neurological integrity (common-cause hypothesis). Declining sensory input may also directly impair cognition (direct-cause hypothesis). Accordingly, sensory function should more strongly predict cognitive performance and should account for more age-related variability in tasks with higher sensory demands. In a cross-sectional adult life span sample, visual contrast sensitivity was a better predictor and accounted for more of the age-related variability in high sensory-demand tasks, compared with low sensory-demand tasks, consistent with the direct-cause hypothesis. The results suggest a direct role for sensory function in cognitive aging when task conditions place heavy demands on sensory processing.
Multiple Literacies and Middle School Students

Multiple literacies, multiple ways to look at the world, impact how students make connections to and understand their world. Referring to students' reading of their world using the term multiple literacies validates that students actually add knowledge to the academic conversation. Referring to the wealth of knowledge students bring as only skills or experiences alone is too 1-dimensional and allows us as educators to ignore easily the richness and complexity of students' contributions to the academic conversation. Multiple literacies express the depth of understanding it takes to read the world. Middle school students, in particular, need to know that they have valuable and unique ways to understand academic and nonacademic text. Through the use of hidden literacies, educators can build students' authentic academic literacies and change the knowledge to transformative literacies to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.
The isotopic composition and concentration of Ag in iron meteorites and the origin of exotic silver

The isotopic composition of Ag and the concentration of Ag and Pd have been determined in Canyon Diablo (IA), Grant (IIIB), Hoba, Santa Clara, Tlacotepec and Warburton Range (IVB), Pinon and Deep Springs (anom.). Troilite from Grant and Santa Clara have also been analyzed. All of these meteorites, with the exception of Canyon Diablo, give ^(107)Ag/^(109)Ag in the metal phase that is greater than the terrestrial value with the enrichments of ^(107)Ag ranging from ~2% to 212%. These data show that Ag of anomalous isotopic composition is common to all IVB and anomalous meteorites. The results on Grant suggest that the anomalies may be widespread including more common meteorite groups. There is a general correlation of ^(107)Ag/^(109)Ag with Pd/Ag except for the data from FeS of Santa Clara. It is concluded that the excess ^(107)Ag is the result of decay of ^(107)Pd, a nuclide that is extinct at present with an abundance of ^(107)Pd/^(108)Pd of about 3 × 10^(−5). The troilite in Grant exhibits normal ^(107)Ag/^(109)Ag to within errors, a high Ag concentration and a low ratio of ^(108Pd/^(109)Ag ~0.17. Grant metal has ^(107)Ag/^(109)Ag that is ~2% greater than normal and a high ratio of ^(108)Pd/^(109)Ag ~ 10^3. The data from Grant appear to represent a ^(107)Pd-^(107)Ag isochron and indicate that the cooling rate at elevated temperatures was sufficiently rapid to preserve substantial isotopic differences between metal and troilite. Troilite in Santa Clara was found to contain Ag with a very high ^(107)Ag/^(109)Ag ratio (108% above normal), an Ag concentration only a factor of three above the metal and a high value of ^(108Pd)/^(109)Ag ~1.3 × 10^4. The troilite has a higher ^(107)Ag/^(109)Ag than the metal. These data are not compatible with a simple model of in situ decay and subsequent local Ag redistribution between metal and troilite during cooling. These data suggest that Ag in Santa Clara and possibly other IVB meteorites is made up of almost pure ^(107)Ag produced from ^(107)Pd decay and ^(109)Ag produced by nuclear reactions with only a small amount of “normal” Ag. This indicates an intense energetic particle bombardment history in the early solar system (~10^(20) p/m^2) which occurred after the formation of small planetary bodies. We infer that a T-Tauri activity by the early sun contributed to some late stage “nucleosynthesis” and the heating of a dust cloud. In addition, implications on the early thermal evolution of iron meteorites are presented based on ^(107)Pd decay and models of the cooling history.
Consumer confidence and economic stagnation in Japan

Abstract This paper examines whether self-fulfilling expectations could have been the cause of the economic stagnation experienced by Japan in the 1990s. A real business cycle model with indeterminacy of equilibria and variable capital utilization is used to simulate the economy of Japan. Driven solely by expectation shocks, the model can replicate the economic bubble that occurred in the late 1980s and the prolonged slowdown that occurred in the 1990s. These results suggest that expectations should not be excluded as a possible source of Japan's recent economic difficulties.
A Comparison of Angoff's Design I and Design II for Vertical Equating Using Traditional and IRT Methodology

Practical considerations in conducting an equating study often require a trade-off between testing time and sample size. A counterbalanced design (Angoff's Design II) is often selected because, as each examinee is administered both test forms and therefore the errors are correlated, sample sizes can be dramatically reduced over those required by a spiraling design (Angoff's Design I), where each examinee is administered only one test form. However, the counterbalanced design may be subject to fatigue, practice, or context effects. This article investigated these two data collection designs (for a given sample size) with equipercentile and IRT equating methodology in the vertical equating of two mathematics achievement tests. Both designs and both methodologies were judged to adequately meet an equivalent expected score criterion; Design II was found to exhibit more stability over different samples.
The effect of progesterone on cats administered endotoxin

Abstract Progesterone given to cats with endotoxin or up to one-half hour after the administration of endotoxin stabilizes the blood pressure of these animals and markedly prolongs their survival. Preliminary results of work done with ether extracts of endotoxin and progesterone and with histamine and progesterone suggest that progesterone may directly inhibit endotoxin or the vasoactive compounds released by endotoxin.
On the max-flow min-cut ratio for directed multicommodity flows

We present a pure combinatorial problem whose solution determines max-flow min-cut ratio for directed multicommodity flows. In addition, this combinatorial problem has applications in improving the approximation factor of the greedy algorithm for the maximum edge disjoint path problem. More precisely, our upper bound improves the approximation factor for this problem to O(n3/4).
Successful treatment of post-shunt craniocerebral disproportion by coupling gradual external cranial vault distraction with continuous intracranial pressure monitoring

A subset of hydrocephalic patients in whom shunts are placed at an early age will develop craniocerebral disproportion (CCD), an iatrogenic mismatch between the fixed intracranial volume and the growing brain. The lack of a reliable, reproducible method to diagnose this condition, however, has hampered attempts to treat it appropriately. For those practitioners who acknowledge the need to create more intracranial space in these patients, the lack of agreed-upon therapeutic end points for cranial vault expansion has limited the use of such techniques and has sometimes led to problems of underexpansion. Here, the authors present a definition of CCD based primarily on the temporal correlation of plateau waves on intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and headache exacerbation. The authors describe a technique of exploiting continued ICP monitoring during progressive cranial expansion in which the goal of distraction is the cessation of plateau waves. Previously encountered problems of underexpansion may be mitigated through the simultaneous use of ICP monitors and gradual cranial expansion over time.
Experimental modeling of depositional turbidity currents in a sinuous submarine channel

Abstract Submarine channels with intricate meandering patterns and extensive levees are recognized as products of density-driven flows known as turbidity currents. Compared to the fluvial meandering channels, understanding of the flow and morphodynamics of submarine channels is limited. In this paper, we present experimental results on the morphodynamic and stratigraphic evolution of a submarine channel from sedimentation due to the passage of successive flow events. A pre-formed sinuous channel with multiple bends, a trapezoidal cross section, and an initial thalweg slope of 0.43° was emplaced in a large tank. A total of 29 runs, each lasting an hour, were made by releasing heavier fluids containing salt and silica powder at a constant rate in the tank filled with fresh water. The overbank flow was restricted to curvature-induced flow stripping. The following observations were made from the experimental measurements; (i) asymmetric channel cross sections developed due to higher deposition rates on the outer bank of the channel bends, (ii) an apron or sediment wedge with overlain bedforms appeared near the channel entrance that prograded and aggraded with successive runs, (iii) overbank flow due to flow stripping at bend apices resulted in lobe-shaped deposits, (iv) a higher concentration of solute resulted in flow confinement, and (v) the flow velocity during later runs increased due to channel narrowing and steepening of the gradient.
Effects of molting on the visual acuity of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

In crustaceans with compound eyes, the corneal lens of each facet is part of the exoskeleton and thus shed during molting. Here we used an optomotor assay to evaluate the impact of molting on visual acuity (as measured by the minimum resolvable angle, αmin) in the female blue crab, Callinectes sapidus . We found that visual acuity decreases substantially in the days prior to molting and is gradually recovered after molting. Four days prior to molting, αmin was 1.8 deg ( N =5), a value approximating the best possible acuity in this species. In the 24 h before ecdysis occurred, αmin increased to 15.0 deg ( N =12), corresponding to an eightfold drop in visual acuity. Within 6 days after molting, αmin returned to the pre-molting value. Micrographs of C. sapidus eyes showed that a gap between the corneal lens and the crystalline cone first appeared approximately 5 days prior to shedding and increased in width as the process progressed. This separation was likely responsible for the loss of visual acuity observed in behavioral tests. In blue crabs, mating is limited to the period of the female's pubertal molt, and a reduction in acuity during this time may have an effect on the sensory cues used in female mate choice. The results described here may be broadly applicable to all arthropods that molt and have particular importance for crustaceans that molt multiple times in their lifetime or have mating cycles that are paired with molting.
Transition metal atoms in cubic configurations

Matrix Hartree–Fock calculations are reported for 3d transition metals in a configuration chosen to represent, as closely as is possible with integral occupation numbers, an atom in an fcc metal. The cubic symmetry shell (3dt)6 is assumed to be fully occupied, and electrons are successively removed from the (3de)4 shell to represent atoms from Cu to Mn. A single 4s orbital is included, with independent calculations for the two possible choices of relative spin of the 4s orbital and 3de shell. Orbital energies are computed for each of the nonequivalent 4s and 3d orbitals, and the relationship of these quantities with transition metal energy bands is discussed. Intra-atomic orbital energy splittings are found to be comparable in magnitude to energy band splittings. Radial densities of the 4sα and 4sβ orbitals are computed. These densities are found to be compatible with a proposed explanation of recently observed negative magnetization regions within the unit cell of ferromagnetic transition metals.
Architecture and dynamic remodelling of the septin cytoskeleton during the cell cycle

Septins perform diverse functions through the formation of filaments and higher-order structures. However, the exact architecture of septin structures remains unclear. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, septins form an 'hourglass' at the mother-bud neck before cytokinesis, which is converted into a 'double ring' during cytokinesis. Here, using platinum-replica electron microscopy, we find that the early hourglass consists of septin double filaments oriented along the mother-bud axis. In the late hourglass, these double filaments are connected by periodic circumferential single filaments on the membrane-proximal side and are associated with centrally located, circumferential, myosin-II thick filaments on the membrane-distal side. The double ring consists of exclusively circumferential septin filaments. Live-cell imaging studies indicate that the hourglass-to-double ring transition is accompanied by loss of septin subunits from the hourglass and reorganization of the remaining subunits into the double ring. This work provides an unparalleled view of septin structures within cells and defines their remodelling dynamics during the cell cycle.
A vibrational analysis of trichloroiodomethane

Abstract The infrared and Raman spectra of CCl 3 I have been recorded. Band assignments have been made on the basis of the infrared results, and the Raman spectrum has been interpreted in terms of the fundamentals of CCl 3 I, with additional bands being assigned to decomposition products of CCl 3 I. A Urey-Bradley force constant calculation has been made, transferring results from the earlier work of Ngai and Mann.
Phase Structures, Transition Behaviors, and Surface Alignment in Polymers Containing a Rigid Rodlike Backbone with Flexible Side Chains. 2. Phase Transition Kinetics in a Main-Chain/Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyester

A series of polyesters consisting of aromatic main-chain backbones and flexible aliphatic side chains with 4-cyanobiphenyl end groups has been synthesized on the basis of the polycondensation of 2,...
Detecting and correcting user activity switches: algorithms and interfaces

The TaskTracer system allows knowledge workers to define a set of activities that characterize their desktop work. It then associates with each user-defined activity the set of resources that the user accesses when performing that activity. In order to correctly associate resources with activities and provide useful activity-related services to the user, the system needs to know the current activity of the user at all times. It is often convenient for the user to explicitly declare which activity he/she is working on. But frequently the user forgets to do this. TaskTracer applies machine learning methods to detect undeclared activity switches and predict the correct activity of the user. This paper presents TaskPredictor2, a complete redesign of the activity predictor in TaskTracer and its notification user interface. TaskPredictor2 applies a novel online learning algorithm that is able to incorporate a richer set of features than our previous predictors. We prove an error bound for the algorithm and present experimental results that show improved accuracy and a 180-fold speedup on real user data. The user interface supports negotiated interruption and makes it easy for the user to correct both the predicted time of the task switch and the predicted activity.
Adenosine triphosphatase activity of adrenal medulla catecholamine granules.

Summary The catecholamine-containing granules of cow-adrenal medulla were separated from mitochondria by centrifugation through a linear continuous sucrose density gradient in a swinging-bucket rotor. Fractions collected by puncturing the bottom of the centrifuge tube were assayed for catecholamines, total and insoluble protein, succinate-dehydrogenase (succinate: (acceptor) oxidoreductase, EC 1.3.99.1) activity and adenosine triphosphatase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) activity. The presence of an adenosine-triphosphatase activity which closely paralleled the distribution of catecholamine granules and the inhibition of this adenosine triphosphatase by N -methylmaleimide suggests a role for this enzyme in the uptake of catecholamines.
L-arginine infusion has no effect on systemic haemodynamics in normal volunteers, or systemic and pulmonary haemodynamics in patients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.

Abstract 1. The evidence that the infusion of L-arginine, the precursor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF)/nitric oxide (NO), may reduce systemic blood pressure, via the generation of intracellular cyclic guanosine-3,5-monophosphate(cGMP), in normotensive volunteers is controversial. In the first part of the study we investigated the effect of an L-arginine infusion on systemic blood pressure and plasma cGMP in healthy volunteers. 2. Patients with systemic sclerosis have widespread endothelial damage which, by reducing the release of NO, could contribute to the raised pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) often found in this condition. We hypothesised that if there were a failure of NO synthesis this might be overcome by infusing L-arginine into the pulmonary artery, thereby lowering PVR. In the second part of the study we investigated the effect of L-arginine infusion on systemic and pulmonary haemodynamics, and on plasma cGMP levels in patients with pulmonary hypertension and systemic sclerosis. 3. L-arginine (500 mg kg-1) was infused over 30 min into five normotensive volunteers and five patients with systemic sclerosis and pulmonary hypertension. Blood pressure, heart rate and skin temperature were measured non-invasively in the volunteers and systemic and pulmonary haemodynamics recorded via radial artery cannulae and balloon-tipped, flow directed, pulmonary artery catheters in the patients with systemic sclerosis. 4. L-arginine had no significant effect on blood pressure, heart rate or skin temperature in the normotensive volunteers nor on systemic or pulmonary haemodynamics in the systemic sclerotic group. Cyclic-GMP levels did not significantly change in either group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Clinical and electromyographic evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in a hypertensive patient with chronic beta-blocker treatment

We describe a case of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a hypertensive man on long term treatment with a beta-blocker, propanolol. The clinical and instrumental findings, including MRI at the wrist, excluded all other possible causes of CTS. The improvement in symptoms and electromyographic findings on discontinuation of the drug suggested that the CTS may have been related to the beta-blocker therapy.
Waiting for change: symptom resolution after adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome.

Background The debilitating symptoms and physical changes from Cushing's syndrome may resolve after treatment, but the time course to resolution is not well established. Methods Between February 1995 and May 2007, 60 patients underwent adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome. Pre-operative and operative variables were collected from a prospective database. Long-term follow-up was obtained via patient survey. Results Unilateral adrenalectomy was performed in 53% and a bilateral adrenalectomy in 47% of patients. Median time to diagnosis was 24 months (range, 1–384). Three percent had intra-operative complications, and 28% developed post-operative complications. Steroids were required post-operatively for a median of 30 months after unilateral adrenalectomy (range, 0–96). At a median follow-up of 3.7 years (range, 0–13.3), 85% of patients are still alive. The majority of the physical changes resolved after adrenalectomy. The time to symptom resolution varied from a few weeks to up to 4 years. Most of the physical changes resolved by a mean of 7–9 months after surgery. Quality of life improved in 78% of patients, with 68% improving dramatically (P Conclusion Adrenalectomy can provide excellent palliation of the symptoms of cortisol excess and can dramatically improve patient quality of life, but both patients and physicians must know that these changes may take years.
Run-time performance optimization of an FPGA-based deduction engine for SAT solvers

FPGAs are a promising technology for accelerating SAT solvers. Besides their high density, fine granularity, and massive parallelism, FPGAs provide the opportunity for run-time customization of the hardware based on the given SAT instance. In this article, a parallel deduction engine is proposed for backtrack search algorithms. The performance of the deduction engine is critical to the overall performance of the algorithm because, for any moderate SAT instance, millions of implications are derived. We propose a novel approach in which p, the amount of parallelization of the engine, is fine-tuned during problem solving in order to optimize performance. Not only the hardware is initially customized based on the input instance, but it is also dynamically modified in terms of p based on the knowledge gained during solving the SAT instance. Compared with conventional deduction engines that correspond to p = 1, we demonstrate speedups in the range of 2.87 to 5.44 for several SAT instances.
Deuterated Methoxyflurane Anesthesia and Renal Function in Fischer 344 Rats

Inorganic fluoride (F-) production and renal function were assessed in six groups of Fischer 344 rats administered either methoxyflurane (MOF) or deuterated methoxyflurane (d4-MOF). One untreated and one phenobarbital (PB)-treated group were exposed for two hours to either air, 0.5 per cent (V/v) MOF, or 0.5 per cent (v/v) d4-MOF. Serum and urinary F- and serum urea nitrogen and creatinine were measured. Urine volume and urinary F- excretion were only slightly greater among MOF than among d4-MOF exposed animals. Pretreatment with PB, however, greatly enhanced F- production in MOF-exposed animals leading to marked renal impairment but only slightly enhanced F- production in d4-MOF animals leading to mild renal impairment. Thus, only in PB-pretreated animals could a biologically significant difference in nephrotoxicity be demonstrated for MOF and d4-MOF.
A stereospecific synthesis of chiral 1,3-disubstituted bromoallenes

Abstract Optically active 1, 3-disubstituted propargyl alcohols undergo SNi′ rearrangements with thionyl bromide in the presence of propylene oxide to yield bromoallenes without loss of optical purity.
The elimination of irrelevant information in a multidimensional stimulus classification task

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of providing stimulus control on classification performance. In the first study, subjects were given control of various stimulus dimensions during a series of seven sessions. There was no difference in classification accuracy between the group having stimulus control and the group having no stimulus control. A significant positive correlation was obtained between the amount of information eliminated and classification accuracy. This finding suggested that subjects were able to filter some stimulus information overtly while increasing classification accuracy. The second study was designed to determine if the elimination of information produced a more “efficient” stimulus display. Subjects viewed either a “filtered” display created by subjects in Experiment 1, or the original “nonfiltered” display. Results showed that subjects viewing the “filtered” displays were significantly more accurate in classifying stimuli during the first session. Further, the...
Dynamic-Position-Sense Impairment’s Independence of Perceived Knee Function in Women With ACL Reconstruction

Context: There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding whether women with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) demonstrate impaired proprioception. This study examined dynamic-position-sense accuracy and central-nervous-system (CNS) processing time between those with and without long-term ACLR. Objective: To compare proprioception of knee movement in women with ACLR and healthy controls. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Human neuromuscular performance laboratory. Participants: 11 women (age 22.64 ± 2.4 y) with ACLR (1.6–5.8 y postsurgery) and 20 women without (age 24.05 ± 1.4 y). Interventions: The authors evaluated subjects using 3 methods to assess position sense. During knee flexion at pseudorandomly selected speeds (40°, 60°, 80°, 90°, and 100°/s), subjects indicated with their index finger when their knee reached a predetermined target angle (50°). Accuracy was calculated as an error score. CNS processing time was computed using the time to detect movement and the minimum tim...
Cuckoos, cowbirds and the persistence of brood parasitism

Abstract Brood parasites provide a particularly good opportunity for the study of host–parasite evolution because they directly affect the reproductive success of their hosts. Two parasitic species, the common cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ) and the brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater ), differ widely in their relationships with their hosts, yet share the attribute of having been particularly well studied by biologists. Recent work on the cuckoo and the cowbird has resulted in new answers to the question begged by all brood parasites: why do host species raise parasitic young?
Application of X-ray spectroscopy to the study of electrochemically formed surface oxide films

Many analytical techniques can provide information regarding the chemical state, structure, and properties of materials. This paper focuses on two; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and their application to the study of electrochemically formed oxide films. A brief review of the phenomena underlying these techniques is provided, along with a description of the commonly used means for implementing them. Their capabilities and limitations are discussed, with an emphasis on the study of passive film composition and oxidation state. A summary of the behavior of Cr in oxide films on AI-Cr alloys is presented as an example. The coordinated use of both XPS and XAS is shown to be useful in achieving full understanding of materials systems such as electrochemically formed oxide films.