cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Involvement in Religious Institutions and God-Mediated Control Beliefs: A Longitudinal Investigation

This study examines the relationships among race, education, formal as well as informal involvement in the church, and God-mediated control. Formal involvement in the church was assessed by the frequency of attendance at worship services, Bible study groups, and prayer groups. Informal involvement was measured with an index of spiritual support provided by fellow church members. Data from a nationwide longitudinal survey of older people suggest that both formal and informal church involvement tend to sustain feelings of God-mediated control over time. The findings further reveal that compared to older whites, older African Americans are more likely to have stronger feelings of God-mediated control at the baseline survey and older blacks are more likely to sustain their sense of God-mediated control over time. In contrast, the data suggest that education is not significantly related to feelings of God-mediated control.
The clinical value of follow-up examinations in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of follow-up investigations of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL), including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, bone marrow (BM) aspiration, peripheral blood (PB) count, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and chest X-rays in patients with an initial mediastinal enlargement. Procedure We reviewed clinical records of all T-ALL patients from 1987 to 2002 and all T-NHL patients from 1977 to 2002, seen at a single institution. Results Of 48 T-ALL patients, 15 suffered from a relapse, 6 (40%) were asymptomatic at the time of relapse. T-ALL (13/30) with mediastinal enlargement at first diagnosis relapsed versus 2/16 of those without mediastinal enlargement. However, at relapse, only one patient had a mediastinal mass, which in addition was symptomatic. Of 39 T-NHL patients, 6 patients relapsed. Forty percent of relapsed T-ALL and 17% of relapsed T-NHL were asymptomatic. The seven asymptomatic relapses were detected by CSF (n = 4), BM (n = 2) or blood count (n = 1) examinations. All T-ALL and T-NHL patients with a mediastinal relapse were symptomatic. Conclusions This study suggests that routine CSF examinations during treatment can detect relapses of T-ALL and T-NHL before onset of symptoms, which might be of clinical value. Relapses are rarely detected by BM or blood examinations and whether this translates in a clinical benefit is unlikely. Routine chest X-rays are not useful. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Zinc-α2-glycoprotein expression in adipose tissue of obese postmenopausal women before and after weight loss and exercise + weight loss.

Abstract Objective Zinc-Alpha 2-Glycoprotein (ZAG) has recently been implicated in the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism due to its negative association with obesity and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between adipose tissue ZAG expression and central obesity, and the effects of six-months of weight loss (WL) or aerobic exercise + weight loss (AEX + WL) on ZAG expression. Design and Methods A six-month, longitudinal study of 33 healthy, overweight or obese postmenopausal women (BMI: 25–46 kg/m2) was conducted. Abdominal and gluteal adipose tissue samples were obtained before and after AEX + WL (n = 17) and WL (n = 16). ZAG expression was determined by RT-PCR. Results Prior to interventions, abdominal ZAG expression was negatively correlated with visceral fat (r = − 0.50, P Conclusions Abdominal ZAG expression may be important in central fat accumulation and fitness but only modestly increase (nonsignificantly) with weight reduction alone or with aerobic training in obese postmenopausal women.
Beowulf and some fictions of the Geatish succession

Having just killed the dragon, and with death ‘ungemete neah’ (2728b; ‘exceedingly near’), Beowulf begins to speak, remarking first on his lack of a son: Nu ic suna minum syllan woldeguðgewaedu, þaer me gifeðe swaaenig yrfeweard aefter wurdelice gelenge. (2729–2732a)The language here seems almost neutral, but at least two of the terms are suggestive. The ‘guðgewaedu’ (‘war-garments’) that he wishes to leave to his son recall most notably the elaborate gifts of weapons and horses – including the saddle that the king used in battle (1037b–1043) – that Hrothgar had given him following the fight with Grendel, implicating him, as John M. Hill and Stephanie Hollis have argued, in the Danish succession. Similarly, in using ‘yrfeweard’ (‘guardian of an inheritance’), he calls attention to the king's role in protecting the tribe's wealth, although the poet may expect the audience to hear more in the compound since ‘weard’ appears often in the final part of the poem in descriptions of the dragon. Thus, even though Beowulf does not mention this failing again, his remark draws together a theme not only signficant in the Geatish section of the poem, but also present from the opening descriptions of Scyld's reign: part of a king's responsibility is to see that the succession is secure in a son.
Hematologic Abnormalities Associated with Influenza A Infection: A Report of 3 Cases

Influenza A is associated with leukopenia, although it is not reported to cause isolated thrombocytopenia, anemia, or pancytopenia. The authors report three pediatric patients with transient cytopenias associated with influenza A infection, all of whom had evidence for influenza A infection by direct immunofluorescence from nasopharyngeal aspirates. In all patients, cytopenias were transient and improved as their viral symptoms resolved. All patients improved spontaneously. This is the first report of transient pancytopenia, anemia, or thrombocytopenia associated with influenza A infection. Given the high frequency of influenza A infections during the winter months, it is important to recognize the associated hematologic findings.
Teacher Negotiations, School District Expenditures, and Taxation Levels.

Speculative literature on the topic of teacher collective bargaining has suggested that increased teacher compensation gains resulting from bargaining may require school officials to reduce expendi...
The appendicular skeleton of the Early Permian genus Labidosaurus (Reptilia, Captorhinomorpha, Captorhinidae) and the hind limb musculature of captorhinid reptiles

ABSTRACT The appendicular skeleton of the Early Permian captorhinid reptile Labidosaurus hamatus is described and figured. The pectoral girdle is heavily constructed, with a glenoid fossa that limited the humerus to an excursion arc of approximately 50 degrees. The humerus has a small but distinct supinator process and an extremely large entepicondyle. The lengths between proximal and distal articular surfaces of the radius and ulna measured only 50 percent the length of the humerus. The manus is wide, with a massive radiale and a hook-shaped pisiform; both of these bones appear to have acted to increase the mechanical efficiency of elements of the antebrachial musculature. The pelvic girdle is also stoutly built, but the acetabulum does not appear to have limited femoral movement. The femur has a sharp, well-defined adductor ridge. The tibia and fibula are approximately equal in length to elements of the antebrachium. Indications of a system of cruciate ligaments are present in well preserved femora and ...
Diversity of the Vaginal Microbiome Correlates With Preterm Birth

Reproductive tract infection is a major initiator of preterm birth (PTB). The objective of this prospective cohort study of 88 participants was to determine whether PTB correlates with the vaginal microbiome during pregnancy. Total DNA was purified from posterior vaginal fornix swabs during gestation. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene was amplified using polymerase chain reaction primers, followed by chain-termination sequencing. Bacteria were identified by comparing contig consensus sequences with the Ribosomal Database Project. Dichotomous responses were summarized via proportions and continuous variables via means ± standard deviation. Mean Shannon Diversity index differed by Welch t test (P = .00016) between caucasians with PTB and term gestation. Species diversity was greatest among African Americans (P = .0045). Change in microbiome/Lactobacillus content and presence of putative novel/noxious bacteria did not correlate with PTB. We conclude that uncultured vaginal bacteria play an important role in PTB and race/ethnicity and sampling location are important determinants of the vaginal microbiome.
Some thoughts on computers and greatness in teaching

This paper argues that computers are the first form of educational technology that can be honestly described as "revolutionary". It also argues that this is because the real forte of computers is to support person-to-person educational influence, not replace it. This suggests that it is timely to reexamine the goal of "great teaching" in a system dedicated to mass education, but for very different reasons from those implied by early work in computer-assisted instruction. The consequences of such a viewpoint for both teacher education and in-school practice are discussed.
Mo1613 CAP-Assisted Retrograde Single Balloon Enteroscopy Results in High Terminal Ileal Intubation Rate

Retrograde single-balloon enteroscopy (RSBE) is an established modality for diagnosis and treatment of distal small bowel lesions that are beyond the reach of standard ileocolonoscopy. However, it is a challenging and complicated procedure requiring significant time and skill beyond standard endoscopy. A major barrier to retrograde enteroscopy is intubation of the terminal ileum (TI), with failure rates documented as high as 30% [1]. This is due to the lack of stiffness in the relatively small-caliber enteroscope, which often results in looping of the instrument when trying to intubate the TI. Cap-assisted endoscopy has previously proven beneficial for several aspects of endoscopy, including cecal intubation, adenoma detection, and visualization of the ampulla of Vater by peeling away mucosal folds [2–4]. Similarly, we have found that a distal cap aids in many aspects of retrograde balloon enteroscopy, including intubation of the TI, by facilitating opening of the ileocecal valve (ICV). Therefore, we set out to determine the terminal ileal intubation rate during RSBE while utilizing a distal cap, as well as procedural outcome variables.
Self-consistent correlation function approximation in Ising ferromagnets

Abstract Two modifications are proposed to improve the Weiss molecular field approximation of Ising ferromagnets: a pair of central spins was examined to yield self-consistent equations for pair correlation functions; the nearest neighbors of the central spins are also taken into account. Various correlation functions are related to each other, and a molecular field equation, which contains indeterminate parameters, is then derived. When applied to square lattice, the lowest order approximations may be obtained with very little computational work and are already in good agreement with Onsager's exact solutions. Results for the cubic lattice are also given. The indeterminate parameters may be adjusted to fit the correlation functions to the series expansion results, thus higher order approximations can be systematically calculated.
Fast bandwidth allocation policies for persistent data ferrying

The persistent data ferrying problem has a naturally cascaded structure between vehicle and communication dynamics, allowing the bandwidth optimization to be encapsulated within a path planning optimization problem. This work analyzes policies that solve the inner bandwidth allocation problem quickly. Given a path and properties about the communication environment, the bandwidth allocation problem is formulated as a binary integer linear program. We show that it becomes equivalent to a knapsack problem. We theoretically analyze the performance of several bandwidth allocation policies in terms of computation effort and throughput of the solution. The performance characteristics are then validated through simulation, showing that the greedy knapsack solution achieves within 99% of the optimal allocation in less than 2% of the computation time. The quickness of this policy reduces the computational complexity needed to solve the full data ferry problem.
Changes in the location and type of gastric adenocarcinoma

To document our impression of major changes in aspects of gastric adenocarcinoma, we reviewed and compared 62 consecutive cases from 1975 through 1978 and 31 cases from 1938 through 1942. The average age at diagnosis increased from 58 to 68 years, the male to female ratio decreased to approximately 1:1, and carcinomas composed predominantly (50% or more) of signet-ring cells (SRC) increased from 9 to 39% of the total cases. In the recent series, carcinomas with SRC (compared with those without SRC) occurred nine years earlier, were more frequent in women, were located distally, and had an infiltrative growth pattern. Carcinomas originating in the proximal stomach (cardia) were not noted in the old series but formed 27% of the recent cases. These tumors showed a male predominance, contained SRC less often, and were less commonly associated with chronic gastritis. The implications of these observations are discussed.
Evolution of geometrically necessary dislocations in plastically strained precipitation hardened materials

There has recently been a strong interest in modelling size-dependent plasticity in metals based on the concept of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs). However, the precise manner by which geometrically necessary dislocations interact with second-phase particles remains elusive. Nevertheless no detailed materials characterisation has been performed to quantify these relationships. In the present paper, the evolution of GNDs in the presence of different precipitate morphologies is investigated. Room temperature tensile deformation experiments were performed on the aged specimens of an aluminium alloy and the evolving microstructure was compared with the mechanical response. The precipitate morphologies were characterised using transmission electron microscopy and the dislocation structure was analysed using orientation imaging of deformed specimens. It was observed that structural evolution was a function of the precipitate characters. In general, the dislocation cell size and misorientation angle between dislocation cells evolves systematically with deformation at relatively small strain levels.
Computerized tomographic diagnosis of massive hydronephrosis of duplicated system in an adult

Abstract A case of massive hydronephrosis of the upper portion of a duplicated collecting system in a middle-aged inale is presented. Computerized tonnographic examination of the abdomen provided the most precise information and led to a correct preoperative diagnosis, whereas both urography and ultrasound did not.
Multistep Reaction Processes in Epoxide Formation from 1-Chloro-2-methyl-2-propanol on Ag(110) Revealed by TPXPS and TPD Experiments

Synchrotron-based temperature-programmed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TPXPS) in combination with temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) has been used to track C-Cl scission in the reaction of 1-chloro2-methyl-2-propanol (Cl-tert-BuOH) on oxygen-containing Ag(110) surfaces. The results show that the oxygen pre-coverage strongly influences the cleavage of the C-Cl bond. At low coverages, C-Cl scission of chlorot-butoxide intermediates begins at 200 K and isobutylene oxide (IBO) appears with a peak temperature of 235 K; at higher coverages, the onset of C-Cl scission is shifted upward by 50 K and the IBO peak by 80 K. Quantitative models for the surface reaction kinetics were developed from the experimental data. These show that the reaction of adsorbed intermediates does not occur by an SN2 process that releases IBO directly into the gas phase. Instead, C-Cl scission deposits organic intermediates or products on the surface, and the appearance of IBO in the gas-phase lags the appearance of atomic chlorine on the surface. For the lower temperature channel, the rate of IBO evolution in TPD is influenced by the kinetics of both C-Cl scission and molecular IBO desorption. At higher temperatures, surface diffusion processes to open surface sites limit the rate of IBO production. Comparison with results for chlorine diffusion into silver suggests that this is the relevant diffusion process.
Numerical study of spray injection effects on the heat transfer and product yields of FCC riser reactors.

A three-phase reacting flow computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer code was used to study the major effects of spray injection parameters on mixing, heat transfer, vaporization, and reaction product yields in fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) riser reactors. The CFD code was validated using experimental or field data. A number of computations were performed with varied injection parameters, including injection velocity, injection angle, and droplet size. Local optimum operating windows for spray injection parameters were identified, and the sensitivity of local optima to variation in spray parameters was also investigated.
The luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-desensitized rat pituitary: luteinizing hormone responsiveness to LHRH in vitro.

Desensitization of the anterior pituitary has been observed after continuous infusion of LHRH or repetitive administration of LHRH at concentrations or frequencies exceeding physiological limits. We have studied the LH responsiveness of the LHRH-desensitized male rat anterior pituitary in a continuously perifused dispersed cell culture system. Infusion of 10 nM LHRH initially stimulated a 4- to 5-fold increase in LH secretion which became maximal at 6–9 min and which declined gradually to a preinfusion baseline over 6 h. Since the cells did not maintain peak levels of LH secretion in the presence of continuous exposure to LHRH, they were considered to be desensitized. These desensitized cells were studied to determine their LH responsiveness to LHRH. Cells desensitized by a 6-h LHRH infusion responded to four hourly LHRH boluses of 200 pm by releasing four statistically equal LH pulses. The response of desensitized cells to 200 pm LHRH was similar to that of 10 pm LHRH of nondesensitized cells. Furthermor...
Operant control of surface body temperature

Eighteen male volunteer college students, 18 to 28 years old, participated in an experiment to determine if humans could be trained to change the surface temperature of their right hand and, if so, to determine the specificity of the response. Training occurred over two successive 1-h daily sessions, and feedback consisted of a digital display. The results showed that subjects could learn to increase/decrease surface temperature under conditions of contingent feedback/ reinforcement. Further, the response was somewhat specific and no general autonomic changes were observed to accompany the acquired temperature change.
Intracranial metastases: behavioral patterns related to primary site and results of treatment by whole brain irradiation.

Abstract Three hundred and fifty cases of tumors that metastasized to the brain and treated by radiotherapy were reviewed. The majority of patients had either lung (46 % I or breast (42 % ) primaries. Eighty percent of the patients had other sites of metastatic involvement. Seventy-five percent of the patients improved after cranial irradiation. The median survival was less than 6 months, regardless of the primary disease or the dose employed. No subgroup could be identified that might benefit from a more aggressive treatment regimen. Radiation treatment in the range of 2,000 rad in one week or 3,000 rad in two weeks is recommended for palliation of metastatic cancer to the brain.
Illness Centrality and Well-Being Among Male and Female Early Adolescents with Diabetes

Objective We examined the implications of illness centrality for psychological and physical health among male and female early adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Methods We interviewed 132 adolescents before or after a routine clinic appointment. We measured the extent to which they defined themselves in terms of their illness, their views of the illness, psychological well-being, self-care behavior, and metabolic control. Results Females scored higher on illness centrality than males. Illness centrality was related to poor psychological well-being when the illness was perceived in negative terms, but only for females. For males, illness centrality was unrelated to psychological well-being. Illness centrality was related to poor metabolic control. Conclusions The extent to which adolescent females define themselves in terms of their illness is most problematic when the illness is perceived in highly negative terms. Future research should examine how illness centrality and views of illness change over the course of adolescence.
Security challenges and opportunities in adaptive and reconfigurable hardware

We present a novel approach to building hardware support for providing strong security guarantees for computations running in the cloud (shared hardware in massive data centers), while maintaining the high performance and low cost that make cloud computing attractive in the first place. We propose augmenting regular cloud servers with a Trusted Computation Base (TCB) that can securely perform high-performance computations. Our TCB achieves cost savings by spreading functionality across two paired chips. We show that making a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) a part of the TCB benefits security and performance, and we explore a new method for defending the computation inside the TCB against side-channel attacks.
Quitovac Oasis: A Sense of Home Place and the Development of Water Resources

Agricultural development at Quitovac, a Sonoran Desert oasis that is an ancestral home of the Tohono O’odham people, was first interpreted in the literature as a typical example of an indigenous community succumbing to the economic pressures of industrial society. However, a humanistic analysis of the cultural and historical context and the results of ethnographic fieldwork leads to a radically different interpretation of recent community actions. Community-initiated institutional and economic changes can be understood as creative and resilient adaptations, and perhaps a resolution, to a complex social and religious challenge to the community's identity. Notwithstanding the economic failure of part of the development efforts, the overall effects are interpreted as strengthening the residents’ sense of their home place and ensuring the continuation of religious rites associated with this sacred place.
Impulse response measurement using Golay codes

This paper describes a digital processing technique for measuring the impulse response of a system. The method utilizes "complementary" codes as described by Golay in 1961 and has been employed by designers of radar, communications and other equipment. This paper discusses the implementation of the technique in a device that measures the impulse response of audio bandwidth systems. The paper begins by describing the general problem of impulse response measurement using digital methods. This leads to a "unit pulse" response sequence that completely characterizes a bandlimited, linear and time-invariant system. Next, Schroeder's (1979) method of probing the system with pseudo-random noise and correlating the result to obtain an estimate of this response is discussed. Our method is a variation on this scheme wherein the system is probed twice using sequences chosen from among the Golay codes. These codes have the remarkable property that their autocorrelation functions have complementary side-lobes. Finally, the response of a speaker/microphone pair is measured using the proposed method.
Managing perplexing patients: the case of Helen.

The challenges faced in provision of high quality and effective care to geriatric psychiatric inpatients are substantial for all members of the interdisciplinary team. Common care dilemmas, including the interplay of social, medical, and psychiatric factors in treating complex patients, are perhaps best understood by examining such a case. The hypothetical case of “Helen” illustrates the multi-dimensional and often perplexing care needs of patients admitted multiple times for inpatient care. Linked nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions, and interdisciplinary care plans emphasize the changing care needs of such patients.
Evaluation of Three Gears for Sampling Spawning Populations of Rainbow Trout in a Large Alaskan River

Abstract Alternatives to electrofishing are needed for sampling sexually mature rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss during the spawning season in large Alaskan rivers. We compared hook and line, beach seining, and actively fished gill nets as sampling tools. Beach seining and active gill netting yielded similar catch rates, length frequencies, and sex ratios of sexually mature fish. Hook-and-line sampling was less effective, with a lower catch rate and selectivity for immature fish and sexually mature females. We conclude that both beach seining and active gill netting can serve as alternatives to electrofishing for sampling sexually mature rainbow trout stocks during the spawning season in large rivers with stable spring flows and spawning areas with few snags.
Infinite paths in planar graphs III, 1-way infinite paths

An infinite graph is 2-indivisible if the deletion of any finite set of vertices from the graph results in exactly one infinite component. Let G be a 4-connected, 2-indivisible, infinite, plane graph. It is known that G contains a spanning 1-way infinite path. In this paper, we prove a stronger result by showing that, for any vertex x and any edge e on a facial cycle of G, there is a spanning 1-way infinite path in G from x and through e. Results will be used in two forthcoming papers to establish a conjecture of Nash-Williams. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory
Predicting Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration by Stochastic Discrimination

The importance of optimizing the ability to penetrate blood-brain barrier of potential drug candidates is now widely recognized. Accurate computational prediction of such a properly will significantly enhance the speed of the blood-brain barrier penetration analysis and reduce the cost of drug discovery. In this paper, we present some results of our predictive model built on the stochastic discrimination, a pattern classification method that has been shown to be a useful in the literature.
Severe congenital mitral stenosis in infants.

BACKGROUNDDespite current medical and surgical therapy, infants with symptomatic congenital mitral stenosis (CMS) continue to have high rates of morbidity and mortality. Catheter balloon dilation has been successful in relieving symptoms in a few older children with CMS but has not been evaluated in infants.METHODS AND RESULTSWe reviewed the records of 85 infants with CMS to assess severity of CMS, associated cardiac lesions, echocardiographic morphological appearance of the mitral valve, treatment, and outcome. There were five valve morphologies identified: "typical" hypoplastic mitral valve with symmetric papillary muscles (SYMM, 52%), supravalvar mitral ring (SVMR, 20%), double-orifice mitral valve (DOMV, 11%), hypoplastic mitral valve with asymmetric papillary muscles (ASYMM, 8%), and parachute mitral valve (PARA, 8%). Of the 85 infants, 31 (36%) were severely symptomatic, requiring intervention within the first 2 years. Balloon dilation was performed in 18 infants (age, 8.7 +/- 5.7 months; weight, 5....
Gas venting and late Quaternary sedimentation in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf

Abstract High resolution 3.5 kHz echo sounding profiles and piston cores were used to reconstruct the microtopography and late Quaternary depositional history of the Persian Gulf. Perversive throughout the seafloor of the Gulf is an extensive network of pockmarks formed by seepages of thermogenic gas. These gas seeps and bottom water exiting the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz are the most significant processes controlling present-day sedimentation in the region. Erosion by these seeps has been so intense in the Baiban Shelf in the Strait of Hormuz as to create a “hoodoo” like terrain on the outer shelf. The surfical geology of the Gulf documents a short lived transgression 29,400 to 22,800 years ago during the Wisconsin regression which began 125,000 years ago, the Wisconsin regressive maxima when sea level dropped to −120/−130 m about 21,000/20,000 years ago and the climate was dry and eolian and paralic sedimentation characterized the Gulf, the Holocene transgression 18,000 to 12,000 years ago when the climate was more humid than during the climax of the Wisconsin regression, a dry phase 12,000 to 9000 years ago when the Persian Gulf was a site of eolian and carbonate deposition, and the present sediment cycle during the last 9000 years under a more humid regime. It was during the present cycle that southeast trending marl lobes were deposited off Iran, Arabia acquired its hyper-arid climate about 3000 years ago and the Gulf attained its present configuration about 1000 years ago as a result of the construction of the Tigris Euphrates Delta at its head and tectonism and aggradation along its Arabian and Iranian flanks.
An ion channel hypothesis to explain divergent cardiovascular safety of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: the answer to a hotly debated puzzle?

Cyclooxygenase inhibitors represented extremely promising novel anti-inflammatory drugs until one of them, rofecoxib (Vioxx), was found to be associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity; however, another such drug, celecoxib (Celebrex), suffers far less from this side effect for unknown reasons and is still widely used. In this issue, Brueggemann et al. (page p. 1053) suggest a hypothesis. Celecoxib, but not rofecoxib, is shown to act as an “opener” of voltage-gated KCNQ5 K+ channels and a blocker of “L-type” Ca2+ channels, causing a reduction in the excitability and contractility of vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMCs). Furthermore, VSMC tone is shown to be selectively reduced by celecoxib, resulting in dilation of blood vessels and reduction in systemic blood pressure, suggesting that the reduced work load on the heart may counteract any other deleterious effects of this class of drugs. Here, these findings are discussed in light of the role of KCNQ K+ channels in control of excitability in general, the “lipid imbalance theory” of cyclooxygenase-2 risks, and the potential for novel therapeutic modalities for cardiovascular disease focused on ion channels in vascular smooth muscle.
Nanoscale FinFETs with gate-source/drain underlap

Using two-dimensional numerical device simulations, we show that optimally designed nanoscale FinFETs with undoped bodies require gate-source/drain (G-S/D) underlap that can be effectively achieved via large, doable straggle in the S-D fin-extension doping profile without causing S-D punch-through. The effective underlap significantly relaxes the fin-thickness requirement for control of short-channel effects (SCEs) via a bias-dependent effective channel length (L/sub eff/), which is long in weak inversion and approaches the gate length in strong inversion. Dependence of L/sub eff/ on the S/D doping profile defines a design tradeoff regarding SCEs and S/D series resistance that can be optimized, depending on the fin width, via engineering of the doping profile in the S/D fin-extensions. The noted optimization is exemplified via a well-tempered FinFET design with an 18-nm gate length, showing further that designs with effective underlap yield minimal parasitic capacitance and reduce leakage components such as gate-induced drain leakage current.
Speckle reduction and structure enhancement by multichannel median boosted anisotropic diffusion

We propose a new approach to reduce speckle noise and enhance structures in speckle-corrupted images. It utilizes a median-anisotropic diffusion compound scheme. The median-filter-based reaction term acts as a guided energy source to boost the structures in the image being processed. In addition, it regularizes the diffusion equation to ensure the existence and uniqueness of a solution. We also introduce a decimation and back reconstruction scheme to further enhance the processing result. Before the iteration of the diffusion process, the image is decimated and a subpixel shifted image set is formed. This allows a multichannel parallel diffusion iteration, and more importantly, the speckle noise is broken into impulsive or salt-pepper noise, which is easy to remove by median filtering. The advantage of the proposed technique is clear when it is compared to other diffusion algorithms and the well-known adaptive weighted median filtering (AWMF) scheme in both simulation and real medical ultrasound images.
Planar surfaces in positive characteristic

A planar surface is a surface in three-space in which every tangent line has triple or higher contact with the surface at the point of tangency. We study properties of planar surfaces in positive characteristics, use that to bound the number of points of a planar surface over a finite field and give an application to Waring’s problem for polynomials.
Differential Expression of Cadherin-2 and Cadherin-4 in the Developing and Adult Zebrafish Visual System

Cadherins are homophilic cell adhesion molecules that control development of a variety of tissues and maintenance of adult structures. Although cadherins have been implicated in the development of the brain, including the visual system, in several vertebrate species, little is known of their role in zebrafish. In this study, we examined distribution of cadherin-2 (Cdh2, N-cadherin) in the visual system of developing and adult zebrafish using both immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization methods, and we compared Cdh2 distribution to that of the previously reported and closely related cadherin-4 (Cdh4, R-cadherin). As in other vertebrates, in zebrafish embryos Cdh2 was widely expressed in the early nervous system, but its expression became more restricted as development proceeded. Cdh4 was not detectable until later in development, at about the time when the first ganglion cells are generated. Cdh2 and Cdh4 were expressed in distinct regions of developing visual structures, including the lens. We hypothesize that the differential expression of these two cadherins in developing zebrafish visual structures reflects functionally different roles in the development of the vertebrate visual system.
Dopant Incorporation of Boron Implanted Silicon During Rapid Thermal Annealing

Surface layer damage of boron implanted (100) silicon crystals were characterized by x-ray rocking curves using computer fitting procedures. The implantation was carried out at ion energy of 130 KeV with the dose of 1*1016 atoms/cm2. The in-depth strain distribution of the surface layer after rapid thermal annealing was discussed based on x-ray rocking curve observation. It is clearly revealed that the strain profile reverses completely from the positive (tensile) strain in the as-implanted condition to the negative (compressive) strain after annealing. This change is ascribed to the incorporation of boron atoms from interstitial sites to substitutional positions. The results were also compared with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations.
Converted‐wave survey design

Converted-wave reflection seismology, such as PS, provides information about the subsurface different from that privoded by conventional longitudinal-wave (PP) reflection seismology. Added independent information, in principle, can be used to ascertain subsurface characteristics otherwise unobtainable. Interestingly, the business objectives that motivate PS surveys are often derived from problems with data from previous PP surveys. The data prove inadequate at providing needed information because of local conditions that are problematic for the PP method. The PS method is pursued if it is anticipated that it can overcome those conditions.
A Program for “Naturalizing” Metaphysics, with Application to the Ontology of Events

I wish to advance a certain program for doing metaphysics, a program in which cognitive science would play an important role.1 This proposed ingredient is absent from most contemporary metaphysics. There are one or two local parts of metaphysics where a role for cognitive science is commonly accepted, but I ad vocate a wider range of application. I begin by laying out the general program and its rationale, with selected illustrations. Then I explore in some detail a sin gle application: the ontology of events. I do not push hard for any particular on tological conclusion, about either events or any other topic. The focus is meth odology, not a particular output of the methodology. Here is a recently published characterization of the metaphysical enterprise, one that probably captures orthodox practice pretty well and to which I take no exception.
Medieval Allegory: Roots of Advertising Strategy for the Mass Market:

The author examines the medieval literary tradition of allegory and relates it to contemporary advertising. Allegory is characterized by the use of metaphor, personification, and moral conflict. Th...
The history and future of accelerator radiological protection.

The development of accelerator radiological protection from the mid-1930s, just after the invention of the cyclotron, to the present day is described. Three major themes-physics, personalities and politics - are developed. In the sections describing physics the development of shielding design though measurement, radiation transport calculations, the impact of accelerators on the environment and dosimetry in accelerator radiation fields are described. The discussion is limited to high-energy, high-intensity electron and proton accelerators. The impact of notable personalities on the development of both the basic science and on the accelerator health physics profession itself is described. The important role played by scholars and teachers is discussed. In the final section, which discusses the future of accelerator radiological protection, some emphasis is given to the social and political aspects that must be faced in the years ahead.
Pressure Modulation Algorithm to Separate Cerebral Hemodynamic Signals from Extracerebral Artifacts

We applied a novel pressure modulation algorithm to isolate cerebral blood flow signals from extracerebral artifacts during optical monitoring of scalp hyperemia in a healthy adult. This was achieved without a priori anatomical information.
Self-esteem: A mediator between peer relationships and behaviors of adolescents in foster care

Abstract Youth in foster care have been shown to be at risk for a range of negative behaviors. Developmental research has highlighted the important role that peer relationships can play in an adolescent's development. For youth in foster care, peer relationships can also play an important role in both youths' internal perception of themselves and their enacted behaviors. This study utilized National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing, a national secondary dataset to analyze the connection between peer relationships for youths in long-term foster care and their report of internalizing, externalizing, and delinquent behaviors (n = 188). Additionally, the self-esteem of adolescents was explored as a potential mediator between peer relationships and these behaviors. Preliminary analyses indicated that peer relationships had a significant association with all three of the identified behaviors: internalizing, externalizing, and delinquent behaviors of youths in foster care. Self-esteem was found to be a significant mediator between peer relationships and adolescents' report of their internalizing, externalizing, and delinquent behaviors. Clinical implications for therapeutic services that focuses on the adolescent's self-image and potential policy implications are discussed.
Determination of monohydroxycarbazepine in serum by HPLC

Objective:To set up an HPLC method for the determination of the monohydroxyearbazepine (MHD) in blood serum. Methods:The MHD was analyzed in a reverse phase HPLC system (C_(18) column,200 mm×4.6 mm,10μm);the mobile phase was methanol-water (40:60) with a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min~(-1) and UV detection wavelength of 230 nm.Serum samples containing the drug were extracted with ether.Results:The average recovery rate of the MHD in low,medium and high concentrations (0.74,5.90, 23.60 mg·L~(-1)) were 100.2%,94.9% and 90.1% respectively.The inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations were less than 5% (n=5).The calibration curve had a good linearity while the concentration of MHD was within the range of 0.47-59.00 mg·L~(-1). The regression equation was C=0.03293A+0.01032,r=0.9998.Conclusions:The method is sensitive,accurate,handy and speedy, and may be used in the monitoring of the serum concentration of MHD and pharmacokinetic studies of the drug.
Lasers in pediatric otolaryngology.

Extensive clinical experience and anecdotal evidence indicate that application of laser technology has improved the management of many congenital and acquired diseases of the head and neck in pediatric patients. The general principles of laser surgery, with respect to laser-tissue interaction, must be adhered to at all times to achieve the best surgical effect. Improperly used, the laser can damage normal tissue in the infant’s or child's larynx, with devastating consequences.
The Ionescu-Shiley valve: a solution for the small aortic root.

Valve replacement in patients with a small aortic anulus can cause difficult technical problems or leave the patient with a significant residual transvalvular gradient. Between August, 1977, and June, 1983, 35 patients with a small aortic root (21 mm or less) underwent aortic valve replacement with Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft valves. They ranged in age from 29 to 76 years (mean 52.8 years) and in weight from 64 to 91 kg (mean 76.3 ± 3.6 kg). Preoperatively, 26 patients were in New York Heart Association Functional Class III-IV. The valve sizes used were 17 mm in three cases, 19 mm in 16 cases, and 21 mm in 16 cases. There were four hospital deaths (11.4%) resulting from sepsis or low cardiac output There were no late deaths. Cumulative duration of follow-up was 819.4 patient-months. Twenty-four. (78%) of the 31 surviving patients are asymptomatic Up to the time of review, there have been no episodes of thromboembolism, infective endocarditis, perivalvular leak, valve thrombosis, or primary tissue valve failure. Fifteen patients were hemodynamically evaluated 2 to 47 months (mean 14.3 months) after operation. The average resting transvalvular gradients for 19 and 21 mm valves were 15.1 and 10.8 mm Hg, respectively. Our experience suggests that the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft valve is a valid alternative in the surgical treatment of patients with a small aortic root.
Enhancing the Skill-Building Phase of Introductory Organic Chemistry Lab through a Reflective Peer Review Structure

Introductory organic laboratory courses frequently begin with a set of activities built around developing basic experimental skills and techniques, often with guided-inquiry components. A sequence of skill-based activities is described to promote reflection, analysis of, and interpersonal communication around science. A multistage process was used in a basic liquid/liquid extraction experiment wherein students designed procedures constructed from prior student collected data, peer-reviewed and revised the proposed work, and finally performed the procedure provided by one of their peers. Analysis of the advice given by students to their peers in the formal reviews was done, both in terms of accuracy and the degree to which advice influenced the revision of an experimental procedure. The satisfying observation was made that initial procedures were relatively strong, and that the structured review process led to further improvements, even with incorrect advice resulting in positive, productive edits to the s...
The Adoption of Sustainable Management Practices by Mexican Coffee Producers

In order to maintain optimal growing conditions on coffee plots, producers in Mexico are encouraged to renovate their stock of coffee trees, use fertilizer, implement soil conservation measures and manage shade levels. The adoption of these sustainable management practices (SMPs) by smallholder coffee growers has become an important rural development objective, especially as a way to overcome low yields, poverty and land degradation. However, adoption rates for SMPs remain below expected levels, a situation that potentially threatens the long- term viability of the coffee sector in Mexico. To better understand the choices made by producers, a multivariate probit technique was used which modelled the adoption of possibly interrelated SMPs using data from a survey of 119 coffee producers. The analysis reveals that adoption of SMPs is related to the size of coffee holdings, the socio-economic characteristics of producers and the role of social capital, the latter being a key factor in the overall adoption process. Surprisingly, government subsidies to coffee growers were not tied to higher adoption rates, suggesting the need for policy reforms in order to better facilitate the uptake of new practices. The results indicate that efforts aimed at strengthening local institutions and organizing coffee growers into producer associations could increase the adoption of SMPs in smallholder coffee systems.
Vaccinia Virus Metalloproteinase

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of Vaccinia Virus (VV) metalloproteinase. The gene product of the GIL Open Reading Frame (ORF) is predicted to be 591 amino acid residues in length, with a predicted molecular mass of 68 kDa and a theoretical pi of 6.49. The results of mutational analysis of the putative active site of GIL, however, are consistent with the requirements of the catalytic centers of metalloenzymes. The nucleotide sequence immediately upstream of the GIL ORF is typical of a VV late gene promoter and its activity can be observed in a tightly regulated environment that allows only late transcription. The VV core protein proteinases have proven to be extremely selective with respect to its conditions for cleavage. The accumulated data suggest that beyond the presence of the tripeptide cleavage motif, there are contextual requirements that smust be satisfied if cleavage of the substrate is to take place. Specifically, the substrates of the VV proteinase must be in the proper temporal and conformational configuration for undergoing cleavage. The coordinate linkage of virion maturation and proteolytic processing can be observed by isolating from infected cells discrete populations of VV particles at intermediate stages of maturity.
AFSATCOM-Compatible 75 b/s Voice System

An interactive, real-time Voice System can provide on-line, intelligible, synthetic speech over a 75 bits-per-second (b/s) teletype Air Force Satellite Communications (AFSATCOM) channel. This flexible, cost-effective system operates in both clear and secure AFSATCOM operational modes. The demonstration hardware and software are described along with background information on the AFSArCOM system. The conclusion is that adding voice response to existing hard-copy teletype output over a limited capacity channel is feasible without modifying AFSATCOM hardware or software. In addition, such a Voice System appears attractive for other applications where channel capacity restricts operation to low data rates only.