cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of factors related to carbohydrate intolerance III: Fasting HOMA (LB300)

The fasting homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) is a gold standard in assessing insulin resistance. However, the test is costly and time consuming. This study examined whether responses to a carbohydrate intolerance survey (CI) correlate to HOMA, an OGTT, body composition and/or markers of health. 108 women (31.6±13 yrs, 34.7±7% body fat, 25.3±4 kg/m2) donated fasting blood samples, completed a CI inventory, had body composition and health measures determined, and underwent a 75g, 2-hr OGTT. Pearson product correlations were performed to determine which factors correlated with HOMA. Results revealed significant correlations (p<0.05) in HOMA (1.51±1.1) to G120 (r=0.37), glucose AUC (r=0.30), glucose AUMC (r=0.32), Cmax (r=0.24), fasting insulin (r=0.99), G/I ratio (r=-0.49), height (r=-0.27), waist circumference (r=0.26), BMI (r=0.21), BMC (r=-0.21), BMD (r=-0.27), DEXA body fat (r=0.28), and BIA body fat (r=0.23). However, HOMA did not significantly correlate to any question on the CI or symptoms during t...
Capacity to Consent to Medical Treatment

The number of older adults is growing rapidly. Most adults aged 65 and older suffer from at least one chronic disease, and many suffer from several medical conditions. With increasing age come more opportunities to make medical decisions. A variety of disorders that can compromise cognitive functioning and threaten medical decision-making capacity become more likely with increasing age (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). In addition, there are several age-related changes in cognitive skills that can impair decision making. This article considers the assessment of the capacity to consent to medical treatment, with a focus on medical decision making by older adults. A brief history of the doctrine of informed consent is presented as context for appreciating the challenge of performing a clinical assessment of consent capacity that is informed by law. Guidelines for assessment and a clinical model for guiding assessment are presented, followed by a brief discussion of assessment instruments. Keywords: consent; capacity; medical consent; older adult; assessment
Chapter 10 Molecular-level thermodynamic models for the origin and distribution of charge at the metal oxide/water interface

The (de)protonation of oxygen surface sites of metal (oxy)(hydr)oxides in contact with aqueous media is the fundamental reaction leading to the development of pH variable surface charge, which can be described by the law of mass action (LMA). The resulting pH and ionic strength dependent surface charge gives rise to an electric surface potential decaying to neutral values in the bulk aqueous electrolyte solution. Crystalline metal oxides exhibit periodic patterns of anions and cations whose relative proportions are determined by the condition of electroneutrality. In Pauling's bond valence approach the charge of a cation, Z cation , should be equally distributed to its coordinating anions. Sum frequency generation spectroscopy has been used to investigate surface water molecules and its signal intensity was shown to be proportional to the surface density of hydroxyls. The charged interface can be represented as a molecular capacitor and in aqueous solutions water molecules essentially form the charge-free component of the capacitor. Spectroscopic methods in which Beer's law applies are of considerable usefulness to the incorporation of molecular-scale information in thermodynamic models. The increasing use of spectral data in the calibration of thermodynamic models will moreover ensure a molecular-level description of the surface speciation.
Evaluation of the Experimental Climate Prediction Center's fire danger forecasts with remote automated weather station observations

The Scripps Experimental Climate Prediction Center has been routinely making regional forecasts of atmospheric elements and fire danger indices since 27 September 1997. This study evaluates these forecasts using selected remote automated weather station observations over the western USA. Bias and anomaly correlations are computed for daily 2-m maximum, minimum, average temperature, 2-m maximum, minimum and average relative humidity, precipitation and afternoon 10-m wind speed, and four National Fire Danger Rating System indices—ignition component, spread component, burning index and energy release component. Of the atmospheric elements, temperature generally correlates well, but relative humidity, precipitation and wind speed are less correlated. Fire danger indices have much lower correlations, but do show useful spatial structure in some areas such as Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
Modelling of Homogeneous Sinters and Some Generalizations of Plateau’s Problem

We present three generalizations of Plateau’s problem that arise naturally in the description of homogeneous sinters.
Permanent Turbidity-Standards

Permanent turbidity reference standards suitable for measurement of microbial suspensions were prepared by suspending finely divided titanium dioxide in aryl sulfonamide-formaldehyde or methylstyrene resins. Turbidities of these standards, adjusted to a useful range for microbiological and immunological studies, were compared with other reference standards in use today. Tube holders for a Coleman Photonephelometer and a Nepho-Colorimeter were modified to eliminate the water well and to allow use of optically standardized 10-, 16-, or 18-mm test tubes. The standards and the tube holders have been used satisfactorily for more than 12 years.
Digital local-oscillator generation using a delta-sigma technique

Local-oscillator (LO) signals in up/down converters for most radar systems are typically generated using synthesizers, bench sources, custom-built frequency sources or direct-digital synthesis (DDS). In a digital-array radar (DAR) concept, a single-bit delta-sigma (/spl Delta/-/spl Sigma/) technique is considered as a viable alternative to encode sine waves digitally for LO signal generation. This technique is applied to synthesize sinusoidal signals at a low frequency. These signals are then injected into a frequency multiplier system for generating LO signals. When independently coded /spl Delta/-/spl Sigma/ sine waves are created offline on a per element basis for a phased array system, the in-band noise shaped response improves as a result of digital beam forming (DBF). In this paper, a single-bit encoding technique for LO signal generation is discussed. Some simulation results are provided as well as a candidate microwave design for a frequency multiplier system.
Enzyme Engineering Reaches the Boiling Point

The boiled enzyme was toppled as a standard enzymology control when researchers in the 1970s started uncovering enzymes that loved the heat (1). Identification of a variety of intrinsically hyperstable enzymes from hyperthermophilic organisms, with optimal growth temperatures of 100°C and above, has piqued academic curiosity (e.g., how do these proteins withstand such “extreme” conditions?) and generated considerable interest for their possible applications in biotechnology (2, 3). The realization that enzymes can function at such high temperatures has spawned thermophily-envy, causing researchers and enzyme users to wonder whether their favorite mesophilic enzymes could be engineered to resist boiling, or at least long-term storage on a warm shelf. Perhaps their enzyme has no good thermophilic counterpart, or they do not relish tackling the sometimes considerable technical challenges of working with thermophiles or the enzymes they produce. Thus the literature is replete with testimonials to the power of mutagenesis for protein stabilization (4). With some notable exceptions (5, 6), the increases in stability have been less than impressive.
Retinoids for the prevention of epithelial cancers: Current status and future potential

Prevention of epithelial cancers is needed, as the treatment of such cancers in the advanced state has failed. Vitamin A and its structural analogs called retinoids will prevent cancers of the lung, breast, bladder, stomach, and cervix in animals exposed to carcinogens. Synthetic retinoids, offer less toxicity than natural retinoids and may be acceptable to human trials. Identification of a suitable group at risk for an epithelial cancer which might be reasonably expected to benefit from retinoids should precede planning of a clinical trial.
Importation of prescription medications: experiences, opinions, and intended behaviors of U.S. community pharmacists.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe community pharmacists' experiences with consumer demand for imported pharmaceuticals and their opinions about economic, policy, and patient care issues surrounding importation of medications and their willingness to procure these products from international sources, if legally permitted. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Four states in the United States (Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, and Florida). Participants Community/outpatient pharmacists. Interventions Telephone-based survey conducted in March 2004. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported opinions of pharmacists on importation of prescription drugs. Results Of 401 respondents, approximately 90% agreed that the Medicare prescription drug benefit would not diminish consumer interest in importation of medications, and a similar proportion agreed that interest was not limited to the elderly. A majority of pharmacists (69%) agreed that their primary concern about importation was the quality (i.e., purity) of the drugs. However, 57% of pharmacists agreed that drugs purchased through Canada would not pose a greater risk of medication-related problems if U.S. pharmacists oversaw the process and were available to provide patient monitoring and education. Pharmacists strongly favored regulatory actions that might decrease counterfeiting. Nearly one third (32%) of pharmacists believed that consumers should be allowed to purchase medications from Canada legally, while 44% of pharmacists believed that pharmacies should be able to procure prescription drugs from Canada legally. Almost 70% of pharmacists said that they would consider ordering medications from Canada, if legally permitted. Approximately one half of the pharmacists surveyed were concerned about job security as a result of the trend toward importation. This concern was significantly higher among pharmacy owners (chi-square [ df =1]=9.82; P Conclusion Pharmacists expressed concern about safety, liability, and the economic ramifications of prescription drug importation. More favorable opinions were expressed for situations in which imported drugs would be channeled through U.S. pharmacies.
Visual and vestibular perceptual thresholds each demonstrate better precision at specific frequencies and also exhibit optimal integration.

Prior studies show that visual motion perception is more precise than vestibular motion perception, but it is unclear whether this is universal or the result of specific experimental conditions. We...
The origin of the β transition and its influence on physical ageing

Abstract Volume dilatometry was used to explore the origin of the β transition ( T β ) and its influence on physical ageing. The results show that volume recovery does occur even at temperatures below T β , a phenomenon indicating the existence of molecular rearrangements and cooperative motions below this point. Lowering the ageing temperatures through T β progressively retards short-term molecular rearrangements and cooperative motions. Nonetheless, the T β quench does not incur any excess free-volume trapping, and its associated change in specific volume follows a linear relationship with respect to temperature. The existence of T β is time-dependent, which leads to the conclusion that the formation of T β has a kinetic origin.
Isolation of domains of the plasma membrane of hepatocytes.

Abstract Several recent studies have demonstrated the ability of techniques based on immunoadsorption to selectively isolate specialized subregions of membranes, termed domains, which are derived from a larger more complex parent membrane like the plasma membrane. The immunoadsorbent is directed against a specific antigen that resides exclusively or predominantly in the membrane domain to be isolated. Thus, a monospecific antibody to the domain-specific antigen is required. In the present study we developed a method employing a modified immunoblotting strategy which could utilize polyspecific antibodies to isolate membrane vesicles derived from a specific membrane domain of the hepatocyte plasma membrane. We also used specific cell surface labeling of the hepatocyte plasma membrane by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination at 4 °C and preparation of different sized vesicles by sonication to facilitate isolation of the specific domain. For this study, polyspecific antisera were raised in goats against a membrane fraction, denoted N 2u , which is enriched in bile canalicular proteins. This antiserum recognizes, among other antigens, a 110,000 M r polypeptide previously shown to be localized in the bile canaliculus (J. Cook et al. (1983) J. Cell. Biol. 97 , 1823–1833). A monospecific antiserum was raised in rabbits against the rat hepatocyte asialoglycoprotein receptor, a sinusoidal domain-specific set of glycoproteins whose major form has a M r of 43,000. These antisera were each coupled indirectly to different pieces of nitrocellulose by the immunoblotting protocol and were used to isolate membrane vesicles from a crude extract of liver plasma membrane prepared by sonication. The ratio of iodinated asialoglycoprotein receptor to the 110,000 M r polypeptide in vesicles isolated by the affinity nitrocellulose immunoadsorbent method indicate a 10- to 15-fold enrichment of sinusoidal-derived vesicles relative to bile canalicularderived membrane vesicles. These results show that the affinity nitrocellulose immunoadsorbent method can be used to isolate domain-specific vesicles. Further, the affinity immunoadsorbent method described here for the isolation of domains of the plasma membrane is an integrative one allowing isolation of vesicles present in relatively small concentration in crude cell extracts and it requires minimal ultracentrifugation time.
Structural specificity in the formation of glycerol ethers and plasmalogens in myelinating brain.

Abstract 2-Methyl[I-14C]hexadecanol and [2-14C]heptadecan-2-ol were administered intracerebrally to 18-day-old rats and incorporation of radioactivity into the brain lipids was determined after 6 and 24 h. The 2-methyl branched primary alcohol was found to be incorporated into the ethanolamine phosphatides as 1-O-2'-methylhexadecyl glycerol. The rate of formation of the 2'-methyl branched glycerophosphatides was considerably slower than that observed for the formation of the natural straightchain derivatives. 2'-Methyl branched alk-1-enyl glycerophosphatides could not be detected. The long-chain secondary alcohol was not incorporated as such into the glycerophosphatides. Metabolic degradation of either precursor was extensive; radioactivity derived from the secondary alcohol was found mainly in the corresponding methyl ketone after 6 h, and mainly in 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1 acyl moieties after 24 h.
Updating a model of pulp and paper wastewater treatment in a partial-mix aerated stabilization basin system

A relatively simple set of calculations was presented in 1994 to evaluate the effectiveness of each ASB cell as reactor, clarifier, and digester. The steady-state model, which incorporated estimates of solids settling and benthal feedback of BOD 5 and nutrients, has been a reasonable diagnostic tool for municipal and industrial applications. Results have aided in understanding normal system function, the nature of chronic inefficiencies of individual systems, and appropriate modifications to meet changes in discharge requirements. For applications in the pulp and paper industry, several changes have been incorporated recently. Nitrogen limitation is not needed in modeling pulp and paper ASB reactions. Slowly biodegradable material is modeled as a contributor to soluble BOD 5 , and this contribution becomes a significant factor in the latter segments of an ASB. Phosphorus availability is modeled as a stoichiometric control of soluble BOD 5 uptake. Anoxic microorganisms are assumed to be responsible for a portion of the soluble BOD 5 consumption in the first ASB aeration zone. Finally, the long-term nutrient capture in ASBs is modeled as 3% for nitrogen and 28% for phosphorus.
Sorption of 2,4′-dichlorobiphenyl and fluoranthene to a marine sediment amended with different types of black carbon

Recent studies demonstrate that sedimentary black carbon (BC) affects the sorption of some hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to a greater extent than sedimentary organic carbon (OC). Among HOC, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to interact extensively with BC. Currently, data on the sorption of various kinds of HOCs to different types of BC are limited. In this study, we amended a marine sediment with BC from several different sources, humic acid, and inert sand. Equilibration studies with 14C fluoranthene and the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 3H 2,4'-dichlorinated biphenyl were performed to determine the magnitude of sorption as a function of contaminant and BC type. The magnitude of sorption to the BC-amended sediments was greater for the PAH than the PCB as compared to the sediment alone, humic acid, and sand. For example, differences between the log partition coefficient (K(P)) for the PAH and PCB ranged from 0.41 to 0.69 log units for humic acid and sand treatments, while differences ranged from 0.88 to 1.57 log units for the BC-amended sediments. As a result, BC-normalized partition coefficients (log K(BC)) for the PAH averaged 6.41, whereas the PCB log K(BC) values averaged 5.33. These results demonstrate that PAH sorption and most likely bioavailability are influenced strongly by the presence of BC of different types, while sorption of a nonplanar PCB was affected to a lesser degree.
Interactions of TMPyP4 and TMPyP2 with Quadruplex DNA. Structural Basis for the Differential Effects on Telomerase Inhibition

The cationic porphyrins TMPyP4 and TMPyP2 possess similar structures but have strikingly different potencies for telomerase inhibition. To rationalize this difference, the interactions of TMPyP4 and TMPyP2 with an antiparallel quadruplex DNA were investigated. A single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide (G4A) containing four human telomere repeats of GGGTTA has been designed to form an intramolecular quadruplex DNA and was confirmed to form such a structure under 100 mM KCl by a DNA ligase assay, DMS footprinting, and CD spectrum analysis. By carrying out UV spectroscopic studies of the thermal melting profiles of G4A−porphyrin complexes, we provide evidence that TMPyP4 and TMPyP2 both stabilize quadruplex DNA to about the same extent. A photocleavage assay was used to determine the precise location for TMPyP4 and TMPyP2 in their interactions with quadruplex DNA. The results show that TMPyP4 binds to the intramolecular quadruplex DNA by stacking externally to the guanine tetrad at the GT step, while TMPyP2 bind...
Music therapy in physical medicine and rehabilitation

The therapeutic effects of music are being recognized increasingly in the field of rehabilitation medicine. More music therapists are being employed in physical medicine and rehabilitation centres, with the goal of using music therapy services to assist in the physical recovery and health maintenance of clients. In spite of the benefits of physical rehabilitation programs, client participation to their full potential is often not observed. Music encourages participation in exercises and activities. Music can ease the discomfort and difficulty associated with exercise and therapy activities, and help ensure consistent participation. One of the goals of the music therapist is to provide a means for the client to express him/herself in a musical activity. Music therapy and rehabilitation medicine are starting to find a common niche in working together with clients who have various neurological, orthopaedic, and paediatric conditions. Therapeutic application of music in rehabilitation contributes to the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. Combined goals could include improving strength, range of motion, balance, communication, and cognition. Continued efforts in clinical practice and research will build on the information already available to further define possible applications of music therapy in rehabilitation, and its outcome and benefits. Occupational therapists can use the therapeutic medium of music, and the services of the music therapy discipline, in assisting clients to maximize their functional independence in their daily occupational roles.
Bacteremia and Infective Endocarditis in Patients on Hemodialysis

The number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has risen dramatically over the last decade. There are 300,000 patients in the United States with ESRD who are receiving hemodialysis (HD), and the incidence is increasing at a rate of 6% to 8% per year. Bacteremia, a prerequisite for infective endocarditis (IE), occurs at a rate of 0.7 to 1.4 episodes per 100 patient-care months. Few other medical conditions, except for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, immunosuppression, and intravenous drug abuse, are associated with higher rates of bacteremia. IE occurs in approximately 2% to 6% of patients receiving HD. The aim of this article is to review the pathogenesis, diagnosis, current therapeutic options, and determinants of prognosis of IE in patients receiving HD.
The day the Internet age began.

Forty years ago today the first message was sent between computers on the ARPANET. Vinton G. Cerf, who was a principal programmer on the project, reflects on how our online world was shaped by its innovative origins.
Negotiation, Sanctions, and Context Dependency in the Legume-Rhizobium Mutualism

AbstractTwo important questions about mutualisms are how the fitness costs and benefits to the mutualist partners are determined and how these mechanisms affect the evolutionary dynamics of the mutualism. We tackle these questions with a model of the legume-rhizobium symbiosis that regards the mutualism outcome as a result of biochemical negotiations between the plant and its nodules. We explore the fitness consequences of this mechanism to the plant and rhizobia and obtain four main results. First, negotiations permit the plant to differentially reward more-cooperative rhizobia—a phenomenon termed “plant sanctions”—but only when more-cooperative rhizobia also provide the plant with good outside options during negotiations with other nodules. Second, negotiations may result in seemingly paradoxical cases where the plant is worse off when it has a “choice” between two strains of rhizobia than when infected by either strain alone. Third, even when sanctions are effective, they are by themselves not sufficie...
Direct determination of selected metals in refractory powder micro samples with exploding thin film excitation

Abstract The direct determination of metallic elements in powder micro samples is explored. Emphasis is placed on refractory materials prepared as alcoholic suspensions of their powders. Silver thin films are vacuum deposited on polypropylene strips and on polycarbonate membrane filters. Based on a parametric study, explosions conducted at 700 torr in Ar(60%)O 2 (40%) using 4 kV, 180 J discharges are most satisfactory. Particle size studies suggest complete vaporization of particles smaller than ∼10 μm independent of their boiling points. High circuit inductance and capacitance as well as O 2 added to the plasma support gas promote vaporization of larger particles. Particles which pass through a 5 μm mesh sieve can be analyzed with aqueous solution standards. Analytical curves and precision data are presented for Zr, V, Mo and Ni. Interparticle concomitant effects are not significant. Feasibility studies are presented for the direct analysis of airborne particles collected on metallized membrane filters.
Theory of Fuzzy Generalized Morphisms and Relational Inequalities

We present here the theory of generalized morphisms and fuzzy relational inequalities and discuss some of these applications. Results presented in this paper extend the work of Bandler and Kohout (1986) ["On the general theory of relational morphisms", International Journal of General Systems, 13, pp. 47-66] published in this journal previously, to relational systems based on residuated t-norm fuzzy logics.
The role of manually-assigned keywords in query expansion

We report on two types of experiments with respect to manually-assigned keywords to documents in a collection. The first type of experiment examines the usefulness of manually-assigned keywords to automatic feedback. The second type of experiment considers the potential benefits of these keywords to the user as an interactive tool. Several experiments were run and compared. The results of these experiments indicate that there is no gain in average precision when manually-assigned keywords are used for query expansion. Further, manually-assigned keywords did not aid the user as an interactive tool for document understanding.
Heterogeneity in the clastogenic response to X-rays in lymphocytes from ataxia-telangiectasia heterozygotes and controls.

A coded analysis of X-ray-induced chromatid aberrations in lymphocyte cultures from 45 control individuals and 19 ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) heterozygotes was performed. The distribution of chromatid breaks induced in the late G2 portion of the cell cycle by 60 cGy of X-rays appeared bimodal in the study population. In six controls (13 percent) and in 12 of 19 (63 percent) A-T heterozygotes, the yields of X-ray-induced breaks observed were within the higher mode of the distribution. However, lymphocytes from A-T heterozygotes sensitive to the induction of chromatid breaks by 60 cGy did not contain increased numbers of aberrations following exposure to 20 cGy. The radio-resistant inhibition of DNA synthesis that occurs in A-T homozygotes was not observed in heterozygotes. Co-cultivation experiments showed an increased G2 delay in lymphocytes from an A-T heterozygote whose lymphocytes contained increased X-ray-induced chromatid breaks. The results show a significant association of A-T heterozygosity with G2 chromosomal sensitivity (P<0.001; Wilcoxon rank sum test). The measurement of X-ray-induced breaks, however, failed to identify 37 percent of A-T heterozygotes tested. The predicted prevalence of increased sensitivity to X-rays in controls is approximately three- to 30-fold greater than the estimated frequency of A-T heterozygotes in the general population. Therefore, although the increased sensitivity to X-ray-induced chromatid breaks appears to be associated with the A-T-gene, it is not a reliable indicator of A-T heterozygosity. Genetic or environmental factors other than the A-T gene also must be involved in the increased clastogenic response.
Theoretical differences in fractional charge flux quantization between the anion model and the excitonic enhancement model for high Tc superconductivity

Abstract The theoretical origins of fractional charge flux quantization in the anion model and excitonic enhancement model are discussed. Experimental verifications are suggested.
Outcome analysis of preoperative embolization in cranial base surgery.

Objective: Management of cranial base tumors requires an interdisciplinary approach. Supraselective angiography and embolization is an important adjunct to cranial base surgery. Though successful embolization facilitates resection, the morbidity of this procedure remains poorly defined. Therefore, we set out to define the morbidity associated with embolization of skull base meningiomas, thus allowing for informed decision making when considering this adjunct to tumor resection. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on our experience with embolization of 167 cranial base meningiomas. Cranial base meningiomas were defined as tumors originating from the olfactory groove, tuberculum sella, medial sphenoid wing, petro-clival region or foramen magnum. Results: 280 feeding vessels were embolized with an average of 1.7 vessels per lesion. In 91% of patients embolized, good to excellent embolization was achieved without permanent neurological sequelae. In 20 patients no embolization was attempted due to the risk of new neurologic deficits or lack of an appropriate vessel for embolization. Twenty-one patients (12.6%) had transient worsening of their neurologic exam or a medical complication requiring hospitalization. Fifteen patients (9%) experienced permanent neurologic deficits or medical morbidity as a result of embolization. Four of the patients who experienced major complications had a decline in previously compromised cranial nerve function. Conclusions: Embolization of cranial base tumors is an important part of the therapeutic armamentarium for the treatment of cranial base lesions. Recognition of the morbidity of this procedure will allow for the most appropriate use of this powerful adjunct to cranial base surgery.
Multicasting in an ATM expansion-switch fabric

We propose a new scheme for multicasting in a binary tree that combines packet self-replication and routing in a space- division ATM switch. We revisit Law and Leon-Garcia's approach for packet self-replication and routing. Then we propose a new packet self-replication and routing scheme using only 2b address bits for a b-level binary tree. This method, when applied to a unique 3-dimensional ATM switch architecture, constitutes an optimum combination of packet self-replication and routing for multicasting in a continuously expanding self- routing space-division switch.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A programmable interface to neuromolecular computing networks

Abstract A programmable interface is provided to a simulated network of reaction-diffusion neurons. The interface allows special ‘learn’ and ‘decide’ syntactic constructs to be intermixed with conventional programming constructs. This hybrid combination allows the power of programmability to be combined with the power of adaptability to provide innovative solutions to complex problems. The network uses reaction-diffusion neurons instead of adaline neurons. A mesh topology is used instead of a feedforward topology. The performance of the mesh reaction- diffusion network compares favorably with that of conventional feedforward adaline networks. Enhancements to incorporate short- and long-term memory are described.
Observation of Intralaminar Cracking in the Edge Crack Torsion Specimen

The edge crack torsion (ECT) test is evaluated to determine its suitability for measuring fracture toughness associated with mode III delamination growth onset. A series of ECT specimens with preimplanted inserts with different lengths is tested and examined using nondestructive and destructive techniques. Ultrasonic inspection of all tested specimens reveals that delamination growth occurs at one interface ply beneath the intended midplane interface. Sectioning and optical microscopy suggest that the observed delamination growth results from coalescence of angled intralaminar matrix cracks that form and extend across the midplane plies. The relative orientation of these cracks is approximately 45 deg with respect to the midplane, suggesting their formation is caused by resolved principal tensile stresses arising due to the global mode-III shear loading. Examination of ECT specimens tested to loads below the level corresponding to delamination growth onset reveals that initiation of intralaminar cracking approximately coincides with the onset of nonlinearity in the specimen's force-displacement response. The existence of intralaminar cracking prior to delamination growth onset and the resulting delamination extension at an unintended interface render the ECT test, in its current form, unsuitable for characterization of mode III delamination growth onset. The broader implications of the mechanisms observed in this study are also discussed with respect to the current understanding of shear-driven delamination in tape-laminate composites.
Selective Extraction of Tungsten from Searles Lake Brines

Abstract Tungsten was successfully extracted from the brines of Searles Lake, Calif., in a demonstration unit based on 9 years of laboratory research conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines. Pilot-scale operation was initiated in July 1979 at the Westend facility of the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. at Trona, Calif. The extractive method, based on a novel ion exchange resin, resulted from research supporting one of the Bureau's goals: helping to insure an adequate supply of minerals to meet national economic and strategic needs. The objectives met during pilot testing included proving operational viability during seasonal changes in brine properties, concentrating the tungsten to enable concluding tungsten recovery research, supplying escalation data necessary for commercialization, and confirming earlier small-scale laboratory work. The demonstration unit typically removed 92 percent of the tungsten from alkaline brine using QRF (8-hydroxyquino-line-resorcinol-formaldehyde) resin be...
Instrumental variables estimation in errors-in-variables models when instruments are correlated with errors☆

Abstract Consistency of an instrumental variable (IV) estimator is based on the orthogonality assumption of the IV's and the regression equation errors. If this assumption is in doubt, there is not much hope left for the IV estimator. The assumption can be tested, but such a test usually requires another set of IV's for which the assumption holds. In this paper it is shown that in an errors-in-variables model tighter bounds can be found in the presence of IV's even if they are correlated with the regression equation errors, and that these bounds can be made tighter still if one has prior information restricting the extent of this correlation. Moreover, the result is used to establish a sufficient condition for the OLS estimator to be inconsistent when orthogonality is suspect so that the Wu-Hausman test is not applicable. This condition is useful even when the above type of prior information is not directly available.
Morbidity and cost implications of inadequate hemodialysis

American hemodialysis patients have short lifespans, frequent hospitalizations, and aggregate Medicare inpatient expenditures of $4 billion/year. Dose of dialysis, as quantified by the parameter, Kt/V, corresponds strongly with survival and is estimated to be inadequate (Kt/V <1.2) in one fourth of patients. However, little is known about the morbidity and cost implications of inadequate dialysis. We sought to determine the independent relationship between dose of dialysis and (1) number of hospitalizations, (2) hospital days, and (3) Medicare inpatient reimbursements. We randomly selected 674 patients from all 22 hemodialysis units in northeast Ohio and examined hospitalizations, hospital days, and Medicare inpatient reimbursements for a 6-month interval following a 90-day quantification of dialysis dose. Every 0.1 decrease in Kt/V was independently associated with more hospitalizations (rate ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 1.15), increased hospital days (rate ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.22), and higher Medicare inpatient expenditures ($940; 95% CI, $450 to $1,440) after adjustment for patient age, sex, race, cause of renal failure, number of years on dialysis, and number of comorbid conditions. We estimate that increasing dialysis doses to a Kt/V of 1.2 for all patients nationally may decrease Medicare inpatient expenditures by $150 million annually. In conclusion, inadequate dialysis dose is independently associated with increased hospitalizations, hospital days, and Medicare inpatient expenditures. Improving dialysis adequacy may both improve patient morbidity and lessen health care costs.
Prosody in contact in French: A case study from a heritage variety in the USA:

This article focuses on the prosody of heritage speakers of a minority variety of French, spoken in Frenchville, Pennsylvania, since the 1830s. Specifically, this case study focuses on three distinct supra-segmental phenomena: (i) penultimate prominence, (ii) focus via prominence in situ, and (iii) the prosody of left dislocation. Although all three phenomena appear to be convergent with the speakers’ dominant language, American English, I argue that penultimate prominence cannot be unambiguously attributed to English influence but may instead be an inheritance from the 19th-century source dialect for Frenchville. Prominence at the higher discourse levels, for the expression of information structure, can much more clearly be interpreted as contact induced. As is demonstrated here, these bilinguals use pitch accents and tonal contours for a variety of pragmatic and discursive functions in ways that are very similar to English but impossible in any attested variety of French. Despite the influence of the structure of the dominant language on the heritage language, these data cannot be easily interpreted as evidence of attrition since the usual syntactic means for the expression of information structure in French are still very much intact in this variety. This implies that contact-influenced prosodic innovations among heritage speakers may serve as additional communication resources for the expression of discourse-pragmatic distinctions rather than as mere replacement strategies.
Use of dominant negative mutants of the hepadnaviral core protein as antiviral agents

Abstract Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of acute and chronic liver diseases. We have recently described HBV and woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) dominant negative (DN) core mutants that were capable of inhibiting wild-type viral replication by 95%. These mutants may represent a potent class of antiviral agents that act as "intracellular immunogens." To facilitate their potential use in animal model systems, we now have studied the duck HBV (DHBV) and placed the DN mutant constructs in recombinant retroviral and adenoviral expression vectors. Transient expression of the DHBV molecular equivalent of the WHV and HBV DN constructs inhibited wild-type DHBV replication by 98%. Recombinant retroviral and adenoviral vectors containing the HBV and DHBV DN complementary DNAs (cDNAs) were used to transiently and stably transduce hepatoma-derived cell lines constitutively expressing replicating wild-type virus. These investigations show that the DN core mutants were powerful inhibitors of HBV and DHBV replication when delivered intracellularly and appear as promising antiviral agents for gene therapy of persistent viral infection of the liver. (Hepatology 1996 Nov;24(5):1010-7)
Examining Submarine Ground-Water Discharge Into Simpson Bay, Alaska With Electrical Resistivity And Radon

Estimates of submarine ground-water discharge (SGD) have remained one of the most elusive components of a coastal water and constituent budget. Nonetheless, environmental impacts of SGD are often widespread, and have been tied to coastal eutrophication, algal blooms, and near-shore bacterial transport.
Thermal and mechanical properties of ceramic blanket particle bed materials: Numerical derivation

Abstract In this paper, recent work on the modeling for predicting the effective thermal and mechanical properties of the ceramic breeder blanket particle bed materials is presented. The model is based on the micromechanics displacement method in conjunction with an iterative process of the successive releasing of fixing vectors. It serves as an useful tool to study the blanket thermomechanical state under prototypical conditions. The stress and strain relationship of the sphere-pac bed under an applied external constraint was studied. In addition, the model was applied to the analysis of stress exerted on the container wall due to bed thermal expansion, while calculations were made to estimate the bed effective modulus and mean thermal expansion coefficient. Further development of this computer simulation model is recommended.
Context-based adaptive robot behavior learning model (CARB-LM)

An important, long-term objective of intelligent robotics is to develop robots that can learn about and adapt to new environments. We focus on developing a learning model that can build up new knowledge through direct experience with and feedback from an environment. We designed and constructed Context-based Adaptive Robot Behavior-Learning Model (CARB-LM) which is conceptually inspired by Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning and by neuromodulation in neural networks. CARB-LM has two types of learning processes: (1) context-based learning and (2) reward-based learning. The former uses past accumulated positive experiences as analogies to current conditions, allowing the robot to infer likely rewarding behaviors, and the latter exploits current reward information so the robot can refine its behaviors based on current experience. The reward is acquired by checking the effect of the robot's behavior in the environment. As a first test of this model, we tasked a simulated TurtleBot robot with moving smoothly around a previously unexplored environment. We simulated this environment using ROS and Gazebo and performed experiments to evaluate the model. The robot showed substantial learning and greatly outperformed both a hand-coded controller and a randomly wandering robot.
Federal and Local Interests in the Nation's Capital: Congress and District of Columbia Appropriations

Canadian political scientist Donald C. Rowat posits the thesis that there is a “conflict of interest” in all federal capital cities between the national government and the local residents. Federal and local interests in the nation's capital have been so intertwined that it is difficult to define or separate them. Congress has used the appropriations process to intervene in local policy matters even when the federal interest is not involved.
Philosophy : What is to be done?-Bleak prospects

Culturally, America is well overdue for a Second Enlightenment, but since the dominant majority of its citizens are regrettably both symbol-minded and star-craving mad, and since the mass media are generally inaccessible to us, the chance that contemporary philosophers could contribute to such a thing, much less help instigate it, is near vanishingly small. As educators, in contrast, we can perhaps make ourselves useful by beginning to clear the extensive muck out of at least some of our students’ minds. In any event, the discipline of philosophy as such is in serious need of renewal, but that, should it unexpectedly happen, will be matter of luck rather than a result of deliberate action.
Current Treatment Options for Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are aggressive soft tissue sarcomas characterized by high risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis. The only known curative therapy is complete resection. Adjuvant radiation is recommended for larger lesions or those with more aggressive histology. Given the dismal prognosis in tumors that cannot be cured by surgery alone and the lack of systemic therapy with proven benefit, targeted therapies based on knowledge of activation of the Ras pathway and downstream effectors have been trialed in MPNST, thus far without proven benefit. However, novel or combination therapies based on recent preclinical advances are highly desirable and are the subject of ongoing clinical trials.
Paraexstrophy Skin Flaps for the Primary Closure of Exstrophy in Boys: Outmoded or Updated?

Purpose: We evaluated the current application of Duckett paraexstrophy skin flaps for bladder exstrophy reconstruction.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of cases of classic exstrophy treated at our institution between September 1993 and March 2007. A total of 21 patients were identified in whom modified Duckett paraexstrophy skin flaps were used in bladder closure at our institution. Another 12 patients were referred during the same time after closure with complications with flap use.Results: Of the 21 patients who underwent closure at our institution with our modified version of the Duckett flaps 1 (4%) had a complication, that is urethral stricture. This responded to internal urethrotomy and daily intermittent catheterization for 4 months, and the stricture stabilized. Four of the 12 referred patients responded to multiple urethral dilations, 3 underwent open repair with a buccal graft, 2 received a full-thickness skin graft and 3 underwent internal urethrotomy with daily intermittent cathe...
Dimerizing or Cyclizing C−C Bond Formation via C−H Bond Activation by Prior Zirconation

Benzylic hydrocarbons of the types Ar−CH3 and Ar2CH2 undergo zirconation at their benzylic C−H bonds by Bun2Zr(OEt)2 at room temperature in Lewis basic solvents and catalyzed by lithium ethoxide. Upon heating, such benzylic organozirconium derivatives can undergo C−C bond formation, either intermolecularly or intramolecularly, with the elimination of zirconium(IV) hydrides of the type H2Zr(OEt)2. Such oxidative dimerizations or cyclizations are exemplified by the conversion of toluene into trans-stilbene or the formation of 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene from 2,2 ‘-dimethylbibenzyl.
Interactions between frenkel excitons. I. Formalism and preliminary results

Abstract For the tightest-bound Frenkel excitons a many-particle hamiltonian is adopted which includes terms representing interactions between the excitons. The parameters of the model are the excitation energy of an isolated localized excitation, the excitation-transfer matrix elements, and the interaction energies. Several special cases, involving particular relations between the latter two sets of parameters, are treated qualitatively. Equations are translated into the language of spin- 1 2 lattices, so that use may be made of the results of that theory. Favorable conditions for observation of polyexcitons and of phase transition to a liquid of excitons are discussed. A standard formalism for the determination of absorption and emission spectra and of their moments is adapted to the present problem. Possible generalizations of the model are briefly discussed.
Appraising Account Executive Performance Appraisals: Current Practices and Managerial Implications

Abstract The management literature provides guidelines for effective performance appraisals. Building on these guidelines, this study analyzes the characteristics of appraisal forms used by a relatively small sample of advertising agencies in assessing their account executives (AEs). The findings indicate that many agencies focus more on the AE's contributions to internal operations than to maintaining productive relationships with clients. The results suggest implications for improving the effectiveness and fairness of AE performance appraisals.