cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SRI International FASTUS system: MUC-4 test results and analysis

The system that SRI used for the MUC-4 evaluation represents a significant departure from system architectures that have been employed in the past. In MUC-2 and MUC-3, SRI used the TACITUS text processing system [1], which was based on the DIALOGIC parser and grammar, and an abudctive reasoner for horn-clause logic. In MUC-4, SRI designed a new system called FASTUS (a permutation of the initial letters in Finite State Automata-based Text Understanding System) which we feel represents a significant advance in the state of the art of text processing. The system shares certain modules with the earlier TACITUS system, namely modules for text preprocessing and standardization, spelling correction, Hispanic name recognition, and the core lexicon. However, the DIALOGIC system and abductive reasoner, which were the heart and soul of the previous system, were replaced by a system whose architecture is based on cascaded finite-state automata. Using this system we were capable of achieving a significant level of performance on the MUC-4 task with less than one month devoted to domain-specific development. In addition, the system is extremely fast, and is capable of processing texts at the rate of approximately 3,200 words per minute, measured in CPU time on a Sun SPARC-2 processor. (Measured according to elapsed real time, the system about 50% slower, but the observed time depends on the particular hardware configuration involved.)
Acceptability of Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling Among a National Sample of Women in the United States.

Abstract As human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling continues to emerge as a potential cervical cancer screening strategy in the United States, it is necessary to examine women's acceptability of ...
Constraining estimates of terrestrial carbon uptake: new opportunities using long-term satellite observations and data assimilation

The response of terrestrial carbon uptake to increasing atmospheric [CO2 ], that is the CO2 fertilization effect (CFE), remains a key area of uncertainty in carbon cycle science. Here we provide a perspective on how satellite observations could be better used to understand and constrain CFE. We then highlight data assimilation (DA) as an effective way to reconcile different satellite datasets and systematically constrain carbon uptake trends in Earth System Models. As a proof-of-concept, we show that joint DA of multiple independent satellite datasets reduced model ensemble error by better constraining unobservable processes and variables, including those directly impacted by CFE. DA of multiple satellite datasets offers a powerful technique that could improve understanding of CFE and enable more accurate forecasts of terrestrial carbon uptake.
Selection for barriers between honey bees and a devastating parasite

Rivaling pesticides and a dearth of flowers, the parasitic mite Varroa destructor presents a tremendous threat to western honey bees, Apis mellifera. A longstanding, but minor, pest for the Asian honey bee Apis cerana, these obligate bee parasites feast on developing and adult A. mellifera across several continents. Varroa reproduction is limited to a short window when developing bee pupae are concealed in wax cells. Mated females target developing bees just before pupation and then have about one day to initiate reproduction, eventually laying one male and up to several female offspring. Female mites often fail to reproduce at all, instead waiting in cells until their bee host finishes development and then hitching dangerous rides on a succession of adult bees for up to several weeks, before scouting for a new host pupa. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Conlon et al. (2019) have explored mite reproductive success via a clever and thought-provoking association study. In so doing, they have identified a protein whose actions could be integral to the dance between bees and their mite parasites.
An Evaluation of a Clinical Care Pathway for the Management of Men With Nonorganic Erectile Dysfunction.

Abstract Introduction There exists little literature on the outcomes of the medical management of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) with no overt organic etiology. Aim This study was conducted to assess the outcomes of men with nonorganic ED treated medically. Methods All patients had normal hormone profiles and vascular assessment. All were given a trial of a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i). If no improvement was experienced, intracavernosal injection (ICI) therapy was administered. All patients were encouraged to seek a consultation with a mental health professional. Main Outcome Measure Patient demographics, medical comorbidities, hormone and hemodynamics assessments, and change in International Index of Erectile Function scores of patients were recorded. Results 116 men with a mean age or 38 ± 19 (range 16−57) years were studied. 21% had mild ED, 47% had moderate ED, and 32% had severe ED. 21% had seen a psychiatrist. 81% of patients responded to PDE5i with a penetration hardness erection on follow-up (mean duration of 7 ± 3 months postcommencement of PDE5i). However, only 68% of these were capable of a consistently good response. The mean Erectile Function domain score on PDE5i for the entire group improved from 18 ± 11 to 22 ± 6 (P = .01), and for PDE5i responders it was 27 ± 4 (P Clinical Implications Not all men with nonorganic ED respond to PDE5i initially and many of those who respond do so only intermittently; such patients are potentially curable, using erectogenic pharmacotherapy for erectile confidence restoration, most men are capable of being weaned from drug therapy. Strengths & Limitations The strengths of the study are the large number of patients and the use of serial validated instruments to assess erectile function outcomes. As a weakness, despite normal hormone and vascular assessments, the diagnosis of nonorganic ED is still a presumptive one. Conclusion Medical management of nonorganic ED utilizing the process of care model results in cure in a large proportion of such patients. The transient use of ICI in some patients permits successful PDE5i rechallenge. Jenkins LC, Hall M, Deveci S, et al. An Evaluation of a Clinical Care Pathway for the Management of Men With Nonorganic Erectile Dysfunction. J Sex Med 2019;16:1541–1546.
Performance analysis of different transverse and axial micro-fins in a turbulent-flow channel

Abstract Turbulent-flow and heat-transfer characteristics have been numerically studied in a turbulent channel flow with different micro-fin roughnesses on the lower wall. Internally enhanced surfaces such as micro-fins are beneficial to thermal performance in commercial applications such as heat exchangers, refrigerators, chillers, and air conditioners. In contrast, the added mass of the fins to the surface leads to higher costs for bulk commercial products and also increases pressure drop. Studies of flow fields around these fins have appeared in the literature but often do not include conduction analysis in the fin, leaving a key optimization parameter unexplored. The goal of this paper is to fill this gap by finding out the effects of micro-fin design parameters on heat-transfer enhancement and pressure drop by holding the micro-fin volume constant over the numerical space. Design parameters of interest are cross-sectional profile, height, yaw angle, and pitch. A coupled numerical simulation of the turbulent flow at Reynolds number 15,000, with periodic boundaries and solid domains, was set up and validated in ANSYS Fluent and the performance was mapped. Mean-velocity profiles showed the well-known downward shift of the logarithmic portion of the law of the wall. Results showed the transverse rectangular micro-fin with pitch-to-height ratio (p/Ks) of 3.5 (corresponds to a so called d-type roughness) can enhance the performance factor by as much as 40% compared with a smooth surface. In addition, by changing the micro-fin pitch, it was found that the heat-transfer rate decreases and pressure drop increases for the transverse rectangular micro-fins with p/Ks of greater than 5 (corresponds to a k-type roughness), which demonstrated the breakdown of the Reynolds analogy.
An early phase of instructive plasticity before the typical onset of sensory experience

While early experience with moving stimuli is necessary for the development of direction selectivity in visual cortex of carnivores, it is unclear whether experience exerts a permissive or instructive influence. To test if the specific parameters of the experienced stimuli could instructively sculpt the emergent responses, visually naive ferrets were exposed to several hours of experience with unusual spatiotemporal patterns. In the most immature ferrets, cortical neurons developed selectivity to these patterns, indicating an instructive influence. In animals that were 1-10 days more mature, exposure to the same patterns led to a developmentally-typical increase in direction selectivity. We conclude that visual development progresses via an early phase of instructive plasticity, when the specific patterns of neural activity shape the specific parameters of the emerging response properties, followed by a late phase of permissive maturation, when sensory-driven activity merely serves to enhance the response properties already seeded in cortical circuits.
Crisis de Imaginación: la ambivalencia de lo fantástico en Bécquer, Todorov y Blanchot

In philosophy, as in everyday life, we consider imagination most frequently as an enabling power, essential to perception, memory, and understanding. This essay examines theories and a literary example that define literature as a particular kind of failure of imagination. A sustained look at the concept of imagination shows that its history contains unexpected ambiguities and contradictions, such that it often appears to be a more a mystery than a method. In a reading of Gustavo Adolfo Becquer’s well-known, fantastical legend “La cruz del diablo” (The Devil’s Cross), I elaborate the idea of a “wounded imagination,” relating the production of a literary text to the process of healing a wounded psyche. I then examine Tzvetan Todorov’s contention that fantastic literature provides a privileged place to observe the essence of literature, characterizing his ideas as an application of Maurice Blanchot’s profound meditations on literature.
Pretreatment Reward Sensitivity and Frontostriatal Resting-State Functional Connectivity Are Associated With Response to Bupropion After Sertraline Nonresponse.

Abstract Background Standard guidelines recommend selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as first-line antidepressants for adults with major depressive disorder, but success is limited and patients who fail to benefit are often switched to non–selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor agents. This study investigated whether brain- and behavior-based markers of reward processing might be associated with response to bupropion after sertraline nonresponse. Methods In a two-stage, double-blinded clinical trial, 296 participants were randomized to receive 8 weeks of sertraline or placebo in stage 1. Individuals who responded continued on another 8-week course of the same intervention in stage 2, while sertraline and placebo nonresponders crossed over to bupropion and sertraline, respectively. Data from 241 participants were analyzed. The stage 2 sample comprised 87 patients with major depressive disorder who switched medication and 38 healthy control subjects. A total of 116 participants with major depressive disorder treated with sertraline in stage 1 served as an independent replication sample. The probabilistic reward task and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were administered at baseline. Results Greater pretreatment reward sensitivity and higher resting-state functional connectivity between bilateral nucleus accumbens and rostral anterior cingulate cortex were associated with positive response to bupropion but not sertraline. Null findings for sertraline were replicated in the stage 1 sample. Conclusions Pretreatment reward sensitivity and frontostriatal connectivity may identify patients likely to benefit from bupropion following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor failures. Results call for a prospective replication based on these biomarkers to advance clinical care.
Analysis of π − -Mesonic Atoms

A phenomenological analysis of the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-mesonic atom in light nuclei has been made by use of a new approximation technique for the exterior wave function outside of the region of strong interaction. This approximation is a series expansion of the Coulomb wave function in terms of the energy-level-shift ratio $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{1S}}{{E}_{1S}}$. From the new measurements of Jenkins, Kunselman, Simmons, and Yamazaki of the shifts and spreads of the $2P\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1S$ transition energy in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-mesonic atoms, we have calculated the complex ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-nucleus potential and the exact ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-nucleus scattering length. The ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-nucleus scattering lengths are found not to satisfy the hypothesis that they are the sums of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-nucleon scattering lengths. Also the scattering lengths do not exhibit any apparent isotopic-spin dependence. It is also found that level shift depends only on the volume integral of the potential and not on its shape. Using this potential, the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-mesonic wave function inside the nucleus is obtained in analytic form, and it is found that the probability that the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-meon is inside the nucleus has only about half the value given by a first-order perturbation calculation.
Birth of Homo erectus.

Eugene Dubois was the pioneer of human origins research in South-East Asia, specifically on two of the islands, Sumatra and Java, now included in Indonesia. Dubois was a polymath, whose research interests embraced encephalization and hydrology as well as paleoanthropology. His interpretations of the hominin fossil evidence he collected, which he eventually assigned to Pithecanthropus erectus, changed over the years, and he evidently felt defensive about those interpretations, but in his 1894 paper he presents cogent reasons for his decision. The taxon he introduced is still recognized, and while it is no longer seen as "the" link between fossil apes and modern humans, it is currently one of the longest surviving hominin taxa.
Pyriform sinus rupture caused by blunt trauma.

Hypopharyngeal perforation (HP) is a potentially life-threatening condition most associated with iatrogenic injury and foreign body impaction. Additionally, a number of cases of posterior HP have b...
A Case of Pediatric Thrombotic Microangiopathy in a Jehovah’s Witness

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a disease affecting vessel walls leading to aggregation of platelets and wall thickening. Laboratory findings include hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated LDH. TMA is a rare finding in the pediatric population. The main causes are thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), toxin-mediated hemolytic uremic syndrome (D+ HUS), and atypical HUS. Less commonly TMA can occur as result of malignant hypertension (MHTN), lupus/antiphospholipid syndrome, or medications. We present a 15 year-old previously healthy Jehovah’s witness on no medications who presented in hypertensive emergency, found to have …
Comparing the ignition and combustion characteristics of ball-milled Al-based composites with Ti, Zr, and Mg additives

The morphology/microstructure and ignition/combustion properties of ball-milled Al composite powders containing Ti, Zr, and Mg were studied and compared. The particles contained 50 at% Al or Al-8Mg...
Temporal changes in the sponge holobiont during the course of infection with Aplysina Red Band Syndrome

Diseases of marine organisms, including sponges on coral reefs, are being reported with increasing frequency worldwide. Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS) occurs across the Caribbean basin, predominantly affecting Aplysina cauliformis, one of the most common reef sponges in this region. Existing ARBS lesions and their effects on the sponge holobiont have been documented, yet little is known about the biochemical and microbial changes associated with the onset of infection. Due to the transmissible nature of ARBS, infection can be induced and monitored through sponge-to-sponge direct contact. Nine-day contact experiments with healthy-diseased and healthy-healthy sponge pairings were conducted in the Bahamas in January and July to compare individual sponges sampled initially and at one of three successive time points. Temporal changes in bacterial assemblages and photosymbiont abundance (via concentrations of chlorophyll a), and concentrations of total protein, heat shock protein 70, and major secondary metabolites that may correspond with disease onset were characterized. All healthy sponges in contact with diseased sponges developed ARBS by day 9 in January and by day 6 in July, suggesting that observed changes in the holobiont corresponded with the development of ARBS. The concentrations of several major secondary metabolites, as well as heat shock protein 70 and chlorophyll a, changed significantly in samples of visibly healthy tissue from initially healthy sponges that became diseased. In contrast, the composition of the associated bacterial community changed in all attached sponges over time. These results suggest that infection with ARBS elicits rapid responses by the sponge holobiont, providing a model system in which to investigate immune responses in an early metazoan.
Males With Traumatic Lower Limb Loss Differ in Body Fat Distribution Compared to Those Without Limb Loss.

Objectives The primary objective was to examine body fat composition in males with traumatic lower limb loss and a comparison group without limb loss. A secondary objective was to determine if there are differences in body fat composition by traumatic limb loss level. Research methods and procedures Cross-sectional analyses of baseline in-person intake data was completed at a large military medical center. Data were collected from 2011 to 2020, and analysis was conducted in 2020. Participants (n = 89) included males who sustained traumatic lower limb loss (n = 50) and an age-matched comparison group without limb loss (n = 39). Mean age of participants was 36.0 ± 13.2 years. Main outcomes measured included age, height, body mass index, weight, body fat mass and percent, android fat mass and percent, gynoid fat mass and percent, and android/gynoid percent fat ratio. Differences between groups were assessed using t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. Differences between limb loss levels were assessed using one-way ANOVA or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results Body fat percent (P = .001), gynoid fat percent (P = .010), android fat mass (P = .01), and percent (P = .02) were higher in the group with limb loss. There were no differences in body fat composition between limb loss levels (P > .05). Conclusion Males with traumatic lower limb loss had a higher body fat percent compared to those without limb loss. Given higher body fat composition in individuals with limb loss and the relationship between body fat composition and cardiovascular disease risk, including body composition analysis with clinical screening could identify changes and allow for early intervention.
Gas-rich dwarf galaxies as a new probe of dark matter interactions with ordinary matter

We use observations of gas-rich dwarf galaxies to derive constraints on dark matter scattering with ordinary matter. We require that heating/cooling due to dark matter (DM) interacting with gas in the Leo T dwarf galaxy not exceed the ultralow radiative cooling rate of the gas. This enables us to set (i) stronger bounds than all the previous literature on ultralight hidden photon DM for nearly all of the mass range ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}23}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{m}_{\mathrm{DM}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$, (ii) limits on sub-GeV millicharged DM which add to the constraints on the recent EDGES 21 cm absorption anomaly, and (iii) constraints on DM-baryon interactions directly at low relative velocities ${v}_{\mathrm{rel}}\ensuremath{\sim}17\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}/\mathrm{s}$. Our study opens a new direction in using observations of gas-rich dwarf galaxies from previous, current, and upcoming optical and 21 cm surveys to probe physics beyond the standard model.
Trunk movement compensation identified by inertial measurement units is associated with deficits in physical performance, muscle strength and functional capacity in people with hip osteoarthritis.

Abstract Background Trunk movement compensation characterized as ipsilateral trunk lean and posterior rotation with respect to pelvis during stance phase of walking is common in people with hip osteoarthritis and a biomarker of deficits in physical function in older adults. However, the relationship between trunk movement compensation on deficits in physical performance, muscle strength and functional capacity is unknown. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used. Two inertial measurement units were used to assess trunk movement compensation during the six-minute-walk-test. Knee extension, knee flexion and hip abduction strength were measured using hand-held dynamometer. Multivariate regression models, controlling for self-reported hip pain, were used to regress trunk movement compensation onto six-minute-walk-test and muscle strength measures. Pairwise t-tests were used to evaluate the difference trunk movement compensation has on functional capacity by comparing the first and last minute of the six-minute-walk-test. Findings Thirty-five participants (63.3 ± 7.4 years, 57% male, 28.6 ± 4.5 kg/m2) were enrolled. Greater trunk movement compensation was related to poorer six-minute-walk-test (p = 0.03; r = −0.46). Greater hip abduction weakness was related to increased trunk movement compensation in both the sagittal (p = 0.05; r = −0.44) and frontal (p = 0.04; r = −0.38) planes. Participants demonstrated greater frontal plane trunk movement compensation during the last minute compared to the first minute of the six-minute-walk-test (p Interpretation Trunk movement compensation, identified by inertial measure units, is a clinically relevant measure and has a moderate-to-strong relationship on deficits in physical performance, muscle strength and functional capacity. Inertial measurement units can be used as a practical means of measuring movement quality in the clinical setting.
Laminar-turbulent Transition in a Laminar Separation Bubble in the Presence of Free-stream Turbulence

Abstract Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are employed to investigate the hydrodynamic instability mechanisms and transition to turbulence in laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) on a flat plate. A set of numerical simulat2013-0264ions has been carried out to investigate the transition process, and in particular to shed light on the development of the large coherent structures, which arise during transition. Particular focus is directed towards understanding and identifying the relevant physical mechanisms governing the interaction of separation and transition in laminar separation bubbles in the presence of free-stream turbulence (FST). For the natural flow. i.e. zero FST, the transition mechanism involves a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and a growth of three-dimensional very low-frequency disturbances of the shear layer. With the inclusion of FST, transition is accelerated. For the separation bubbles investigated, the transition process is the result of two different mechanisms: i) Strong amplification of high-frequency (order of the shedding frequency), essentially two-dimensional or weakly oblique fluctuating disturbances and ii) low-frequency, three- dimensional Klebanoff perturbations caused by FST. Depending on the intensity of the FST, one of these mechanisms would dominate the transition process, or both mechanisms are blended together and contribute simultaneously.
Earnings news and small traders : An intraday analysis

Abstract This study separates trading volume into buyer- and seller-initiated activities and examines the directional volume reaction in small and large trades to different types of earnings news. ‘Good’ (‘bad’) news triggers brief, but intense, buying (selling) in the large trades. However, a persistent period of unusually high buying activity is observed in the small trades irrespective of the news. This anomalous proclivity of small traders to buy is robust across firm size, trading volume, and different earnings expectation models. Several explanations are discussed, although the behavior does not seem fully explained by existing theories.
Disparities and Chronic Health Care Needs for Elderly American Indians Living on or near a Reservation

The American Indian tribal nations and communities have long experienced health status worse than that of other Americans. Although major gains in reducing health disparities were made during the last half of the twentieth century, most gains stopped by the mid-1980s. Consequently, health disparities continue to exist with marked variation across Indian Health Service (IHS) areas and within tribes. This is especially concerning for low-income, elderly members of the American Indian community. Addressing chronic diseases in elderly American Indian communities will help us reach the Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Heath goals of improving the quality of life and increasing the life expectancy of American Indians.1 In an effort to reduce these existing health disparities, it is important to understand the major illnesses affecting the American Indian community and address mechanisms to address the illnesses within the American Indian community. This is a review of the literature about the major illnesses found among elderly American Indians living on or near a reservation. Four sources, including CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo, were used to review the literature regarding elderly American Indians living on or near a reservation for the three leading causes of death (heart disease, cancer, and diabetes) and suggested recommendations for health intervention programs in these disease areas.
Technology support in nursing education: clickers in the classroom.

Abstract Research has shown that the present generation of students has a preference for digital literacy, experiential learning, interactivity, and immediacy; therefore, greater use of technology is being brought into university courses to aid in student involvement. Student Response Systems, called clickers, were incorporated as a teaching methodology to enhance student interaction and learning in a didactic pediatric nursing course. This course was taught over Interactive Television (ITV) with students at a distant site as well as face to face, creating the challenge of whole-class engagement. Clickers were used to actively engage students at both sites simultaneously and give immediate feedback to students regarding understanding of lecture material. Clickers also allowed small-group problem solving of questions. Exam grades and level of participation in case studies were monitored and exam scores and final scores were compared to those of a previous class. Student t-tests demonstrated that one of thr...
Simultaneous formation of machine and human cells in group technology: a multiple objective approach

Since the advent of group technology (GT) as a primary manufacturing tool for reducing setup times and improving production efficiencies, its central theme has been the grouping of similar parts into part families and machines into machine cells. Although the formation of machine-part manufacturing cells is the essence of GT, its full benefits cannot be gained without forming ‘human’ cells in such a way that machine operators with similar expertise and skills are brought together to produce similar part families. Nevertheless, much of the existing GT literature overlooks the behavioural issues associated with a group of workers in the machine cell. This paper addresses such issues by simultaneously forming both machine and compatible human cells. In so doing, we develop a multiple objective model that enables us to analyse the tradeoff between economic and behavioural benefits.
SPERMATIC CORD SARCOMA: OUTCOME, PATTERNS OF FAILURE AND MANAGEMENT

Purpose: We evaluate the outcome, clarify the patterns of failure and suggest treatment strategies for sarcoma in the spermatic cord.Materials and Methods: Between 1956 and 1998, 32 patients with spermatic cord sarcoma were treated at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. A retrospective review of disease outcome, patterns of relapse and patient survival was performed.Results: Histological subtypes of sarcoma were malignant fibrous histiocytoma in 12 patients, leiomyosarcoma in 6, liposarcoma in 8 and other subtypes in 6. All except 2 patients underwent radical orchiectomy with or without additional resection to achieve negative margins. Margins were microscopically negative in 29 cases and positive in 3. There were 3 patients who received adjuvant radiation to the surgical site. With a median followup of 9 years the 10 and 15-year actuarial local control, distant metastasis-free and overall survival rates were 72% and 61%, 85% and 85%, and 63% and 52%, respectively. The major pattern of failure was local recurre...
Novel role of NF-κB-p65 in antioxidant homeostasis in human kidney-2 cells.

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays a role in inflammation. However, we recently reported an association between NF-κB and antioxidant enzymes in renal proximal tubules of exercise-trained rats, sugges...
Fluorescence of Ruby Laser Rods

Fluorescence studies of the R-line emission of ruby laser rods over the temperature range of 77 to 300 K have disclosed several new features. In particular, for most of the ruby rods, the fluorescent decay time, τ, was not strictly exponential. Effects of this kind have been observed in the fluorescent decay of the 4F3/2 level of Nd3+ in YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) and in Nd-doped glasses. In both cases, the nonexponential decay was interpreted as evidence for inhomogeneous line broadening effects, among which are strains, ion clustering, and other defects that modify the crystal field at the ion site. Our observations of nonexponential fluorescent decay in ruby are indicative of inhomogeneous line broadening effects in lightly doped (0/05%) ruby. In fact, inhomogeneous line broadening was observed in ruby at liquid helium temperatures, in the spectroscopic studies of A. L. Schawlow.
What constitutes an efficient reference frame for vision

Vision requires a reference frame. To what extent does this reference frame depend on the structure of the visual input, rather than just on retinal landmarks? This question is particularly relevant to the perception of dynamic scenes, when keeping track of external motion relative to the retina is difficult. We tested human subjects' ability to discriminate the motion and temporal coherence of changing elements that were embedded in global patterns and whose perceptual organization was manipulated in a way that caused only minor changes to the retinal image. Coherence discriminations were always better when local elements were perceived to be organized as a global moving form than when they were perceived to be unorganized, individually moving entities. Our results indicate that perceived form influences the neural representation of its component features, and from this, we propose a new method for studying perceptual organization.
Some results concerning Lp(μ)-spaces

Abstract It is proved that L p ( μ ) does not have an unconditional basis if the cardinality of L p ( μ ) is sufficiently large and μ is a finite measure. It is also shown that L p ( μ ) has a weaker kind of basis for arbitrary μ and 1 p L p equivalent to the usual l p -basis is given. This lemma is used in solving the problem of when l p ( Γ ) imbeds in L r ( μ ) for uncountable sets Γ and finite measures μ. It may also be used to give a nonprobabilistic proof of the fact (due to Schwartz-Kwapien) that there exist non- q -absolutely summing operators from L ∞ to L q for 2 q L p equivalent to the usual l p -basis admit subsequences with a complemented linear span. Other applications of the techniques introduced are also given.
Preliminary electrical and Raman characterization of DNA-CTMA films fabricated by drawndown bar

A small, computer-controller drawdown bar device for coating glass-slide size substrates with thin films was designed and constructed. A variety of thin films of DNA-CTMA were fabricated. The results of electrical characterization and micro-Raman spectroscopy studies are reported.
The Association Between Partner Enhancement and Self‐Enhancement and Relationship Quality Outcomes

The purpose of this research was to understand in greater detail, using 2 samples (Study 1 N = 4,881 heterosexual couples; Study 2 N = 335 heterosexual couples who completed the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire), how partner or self-enhancement patterns differentially influence relationship outcomes. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted comparing 4 outcome measures for different couple types in which individuals rated the partner higher, the same, or lower than they rated themselves on affability. Couples in which both individuals perceived themselves as more affable than the partner experienced poorer results on the relationship outcome measures, whereas couples in which both individuals perceived the partner's personality as more affable than their own experienced more positive relationship outcomes. Additional analyses with structural equation models demonstrated the consistent influence of enhancement measures on relationship outcomes for cross-sectional and longitudinal samples.
Intensified plasma-assisted processing: science and engineering

Abstract Intensified plasma-assisted processing (IPAP) is a surface modification technique developed in our laboratory that has been mainly utilized for low-temperature, low-pressure nitrogen diffusion treatments. Plasma intensification and energetic flux bombardment of the work piece is accomplished by using a triode glow discharge. Our studies show that IPAP can achieve enhanced plasma nitriding kinetics at relatively low temperatures (typically
Business students' ethical perceptions of retail situations: A microcultural comparison

Due in part to a growing realization of the importance of the role that retailing plays in the marketing channel, and to the increasing numbers of college graduates being employed by retailers, growing attention is being placed on business students' ethical perceptions of retailing practices. This study continues this focus by examining the ethical perceptions of collegiate business students attending two different universities which likely represent two different microcultures — conservative evangelical Protestant and secular. The results suggest that ethical perceptions may vary between the students attending two universities which likely represent differing microcultures. The students attending the conservative evangelical Protestant university appear to possess ethical perceptions which are significantly “more ethical” than those of students attending the public university. Evidence was observed, therefore, which suggests that ethical perceptions may vary across students from differing microcultures.
Fuel Storage in Com bustion-Chamber Ceramics and Hydrocarbon Emissions: A Connection

Abstract The amount of fuel stored and the ensuing increase in HC emissions from a plasma-sprayed zirconia ceramic coating and a densified alpha-alumina coating have been determined in a combustion bomb (static reactor) for four fuels (methane, ethane, propane and n-butane) at a fuel-lean equivalence ratio of 0.9, at initial pressures between 200 and 500 kPa, and for several positions of the ceramic in the reactor. The experiments were performed by removing samples of the combusted gas mixture from the reactor, with or without the ceramic in place during combustion, and analyzing the samples by gas chromatography. The principal exhaust effluent is unburnt fuel, related to the amount of pore volume and the pressure at the time the flame overrides the boundary of the ceramic, because the combustible mixture convects into the porous recesses on a time scale of the combustion process ( μ 24 msec) in the reactor. When the ceramic was located near the spark, the amount of stored fuel was 3 times lower than when...
Learner preferences for varying screen densities using realistic stimulus materials with single and multiple designs

Learner preferences for varying screen density levels were examined using multiple screen designs (high external validity) and single screen designs (high internal validity). When viewing multiple screens for each design in Study 1, subjects indicated the highest preference for medium-density screens while tending to select higher-density over lower density screens in individual comparisons. When viewing only the first screen of each density level in Study 2, subjects again expressed preferences for higher-density over lower-density designs. Suggestions are provided concerning the use of realistic and nonrealistic content for the stimulus materials as well as implications of using externally and internally valid screen designs for future research on computer-based instruction screen design.
Where have all the tales of fieldwork gone

†All contributions to Bookmarks are published subject to editorial approval. Contributions should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length, and conform to Ethnos’ style guidelines.
Enhancement of mesenchymal stem cell angiogenic capacity and stemness by a biomimetic hydrogel scaffold.

In this study, we examined the capacity of a biomimetic pullulan-collagen hydrogel to create a functional biomaterial-based stem cell niche for the delivery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into wounds. Murine bone marrow-derived MSCs were seeded into hydrogels and compared to MSCs grown in standard culture conditions. Hydrogels induced MSC secretion of angiogenic cytokines and expression of transcription factors associated with maintenance of pluripotency and self-renewal (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4) when compared to MSCs grown in standard conditions. An excisonal wound healing model was used to compare the ability of MSC-hydrogel constructs versus MSC injection alone to accelerate wound healing. Injection of MSCs did not significantly improve time to wound closure. In contrast, wounds treated with MSC-seeded hydrogels showed significantly accelerated healing and a return of skin appendages. Bioluminescence imaging and FACS analysis of luciferase+/GFP+ MSCs indicated that stem cells delivered within the hydrogel remained viable longer and demonstrated enhanced engraftment efficiency than those delivered via injection. Engrafted MSCs were found to differentiate into fibroblasts, pericytes and endothelial cells but did not contribute to the epidermis. Wounds treated with MSC-seeded hydrogels demonstrated significantly enhanced angiogenesis, which was associated with increased levels of VEGF and other angiogenic cytokines within the wounds. Our data suggest that biomimetic hydrogels provide a functional niche capable of augmenting MSC regenerative potential and enhancing wound healing.
A New Procedure for Detection of Crossing DIF.

The purpose of this paper is to present a hypothesis testing and estimation procedure, Crossing SIBTEST, for detecting crossing DIF. Crossing DIF exists when the difference in the probabilities of a correct answer for the two examinee groups changes signs as ability level is varied. In item response theory terms, crossing DIF is indicated by two crossing item characteristic curves. Our new procedure, denoted as Crossing SIBTEST, first estimates the matching subtest score at which crossing occurs using least squares regression analysis. A Crossing SIBTEST statistic then is used to test the hypothesis of crossing DIF. The performance of Crossing SIBTEST is evaluated in this study.
Acute changes in pacing threshold and R- or P-wave amplitude during permanent pacemaker implantation

Abstract This study examines the changes in pacing threshold and R- or P-wave amplitude during the first 30 minutes after implantation of tined and screw-in leads. The leads examined were those of 1 manufacturer (Medtronic) and consisted of 3 ventricular pacing leads (model numbers 6957 unipolar screwin [11 patients], 6961 unipolar tined [12 patients] and 6962 bipolar tined [7 patients]) and 1 atrial lead (model number 6957J unipolar screw-in [10 patients]). After optimal lead position was obtained fluoroscopically in the right ventricular apex or right atrium, the pacing threshold and R- or P-wave amplitudes were measured at 5-minute intervals for 30 minutes. The acute ventricular pacing threshold with the screw-in lead was significantly higher than with the tined lead (0.84 ± 0.17 vs 0.58 ± 0.15 volts; p
Cyclohexanethiol Adsorption and Reaction on the Ni(111) Surface

The surface reactions of cyclohexanethiol (CHT) have been characterized on the Ni(111) surface as part of a larger study of C−S bond activation in thiols. The C−S bond is broken by direct interaction with the nickel surface, and hydrogen is primarily involved in subsequent hydrogenation of desulfurized hydrocarbon intermediates. CHT adsorbs at 120 K primarily as cyclohexylthiolate. With heating, C−S bond scission is observed at 240 K evidenced by both sulfur XPS and cyclohexane desorption. Addition of coadsorbed hydrogen does not modify the temperature or extent of desulfurization. A comparison of desulfurization in CHT and benzenethiol indicates that the energetics for C−S bond activation correlate with bond strength, suggesting a radical mechanism. Only a small fraction of the cyclohexane desorbs at 240 K. Most of the gas-phase desulfurized products desorb in a second process starting at 300 K. Cyclohexane is the first product in this second process. Stepwise dehydrogenation of C6 surface intermediate(s...
β-endorphin is a kidney trophic hormone

Abstract Intravenous injection of the opioid peptide β-endorphin stimulated an increase in the activity of renal ornithine decarboxylase in rats. The induction of this enzyme is a marker of the growth response of trophic hormone target tissues. Morphine administration promoted an even greater increase in the enzyme activity, which was blocked by the simultaneous administration of the specific opiate antagonist, naloxone. Although hypophysectomy lowered the basal level of ornithine decarboxylase in the kidney, the trophic response to either opioid administration remained intact. This effect of β-endorphin on the kidney may represent a functional role for the circulating endogenous opioid.
Transmural Channels as a Source of Blood Flow to Ischemic Myocardium? Insights From the Reptilian Heart

Kohmoto et al1 have demonstrated, using several different techniques, that alligator hearts receive a significant amount of blood perfusion from the “inside out.” That is, in addition to blood flow through the coronary arteries, blood flows directly into the myocardial tissue from the ventricular cavity. Such a circulation is possible because the inner two thirds of the alligator left ventricle is composed of tissue with a “spongelike” appearance. This tissue contains numerous trabecular spaces or “sinusoids” that have direct connections with the ventricular cavity. Similar architectural features have also been reported in fish hearts.2 The advantage of such a myocardial structure is that a significant degree of myocardial viability might be maintained even if the coronary arteries were completely occluded by atherosclerosis. Why should the readership of Circulation have any interest in the coronary anatomy of alligators or fish? Although to the best of our knowledge these creatures do not require bypass surgery or angioplasty because of advanced coronary artery disease, humans do. Not all patients, however, are suitable candidates for these revascularization procedures, so in the quest for alternative therapies,3 efforts have been made to surgically mimic the reptilian circulation and exploit the concept that other conduits in addition to coronary arteries might be created to provide blood flow to the heart. Specifically, several groups have suggested that by making numerous channels through the myocardium (transmyocardial revascularization [TMR]), it might be possible to “de-evolve” mammalian hearts, restore a reptilian pattern of perfusion, and hence bypass diseased coronary vessels.4 5 In the initial test of this hypothesis, short-term experiments were performed in animal hearts that purported to demonstrate immediate protection against coronary artery occlusion, presumably through increased perfusion, even though blood flow was not directly measured.4 5 On the basis of these positive studies, the …
Ion transport by heart mitochondria. XIV. The mannitol-impermeable compartment of the mitochondrion and its relation to ion uptake.

Abstract 1. The permeability of isolated heart mitochondria to mannitol and several other solutes has been examined using a dual isotope procedure. Mannitol enters a portion of the water volume of a centrifuged pellet of mitochondria strictly as a function of its concentration in the suspending medium. Sucrose, KCl, and a number of other solutes penetrate the mitochondrion to the same extent as does mannitol, but high molecular weight solutes such as dextran penetrate a considerably smaller volume. Certain permeant solutes such as glycerol and acetate penetrate to a greater extent than does mannitol. 2. The absolute and relative sizes of the mannitol-permeable and mannitol-impermeable volumes can be varied extensively as a function of the suspending medium. Hypotonic swelling and osmotic swelling which results from either energy-linked ion uptake or gramicidin-induced passive ion uptake cause large increases in the mannitol-impermeable space of the mitochondrion. 3. The size of the mannitol-permeable space does not increase as a function of time in either isotonic or hypotonic media. These results are compatible with earlier suggestions that mitochondria contain two aqueous compartments, one permeable to solutes such as mannitol and sucrose and one which excludes these solutes. In addition, the osmotic barrier to mannitol penetration appears to be the site of both active and passive salt uptake.
Effect of tumor cell inoculation on circulating lymphocytes.

SummaryWhen normal mice were inoculated either intravenously or subcutaneously with cells from tumors (C3H or MC) originating in isogenic hosts or with isologous kidney cells, a profound depression of peripheral blood lymphocytes occurred approximately 2 days later. A similar reduction occurred in mice injected with tumor cells when they had had prior exposure to kidney cells or to cells from a different tumor, i.e., MC tumor cells prior to C3H tumor cell inoculation. No lymphocytopenia was observed, however, if tumor cells were introduced into animals possessing concomitant or sinecomitant tumor immunity, or when kidney cells were injected into mice which had previously been inoculated with syngenic kidney cells. Recipients of ALS prior to and during the presence of immunizing tumors displayed no lymphocytopenia when injected with tumor cell suspensions subsequent to a return of peripheral lymphocytes to normal levels after cessation of ALS.The technical assistance of Francine Jencka and Christine Rudock...