cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and assessment of substance abuse in older adults: Current strategies and issues☆

Alcohol and substance abuse in older adults until recently has received little empirical attention in the literature. However, in light of the increasing number of older adults in the population, clinicians and researchers alike are recognizing the importance of evaluating specific assessment and treatment strategies for such older substance abusers. Because distinctive biological, cognitive, and psychosocial variables appear to be correlated with substance abuse in older adults, evaluation and intervention methods employed with younger cohorts may be inappropriate or ineffective with individuals 55 and over. Our article, therefore, examines these characteristics as they pertain to the unique problems and service needs of the elderly. Relevant diagnostic and assessment strategies are reviewed. Finally, suggestions for future work in this area are outlined.
Adolescent varicocele: are somatometric parameters a cause?

Purpose: It has been reported that varicocele is found less frequently in obese men. Accordingly, we evaluated varicocele patients and statistically analyzed the correlation between varicocele and somatometric parameters. Materials and Methods: A total of 211 patients underwent surgery for varicoceles. All patients underwent history taking, physical examination, and scrotal ultrasound to determine the presence and severity of varicocele. An age-matched control group consisted of 102 patients who were found not to have varicocele according to physical examinations and scrotal ultrasound. The age, weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) of the two groups were compared. The statistical analyses were performed by use of PASW Statistics ver. 18.0. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used for statistical significance. Results: In the varicocele group, the mean age, height, weight, and BMI were 29.42±14.01 years, 168.53±9.97 cm, 62.14±13.17 kg, and 21.66±3.21 kg/m 2 , respectively. The distribution of varicocele grade was as follows: 103 (48.8%) grade III, 72 (34.1%) grade II, and 36 (17.1%) grade I. In the control group, the mean age, height, weight, and BMI were 30.83±17.31 years, 161.93±19.83 cm, 64.69±17.86 kg, and 24.04±3.64 kg/m 2 , respectively. Analyzing these data specifically in adolescents, they showed significant differences in age, height, and BMI (p=0.000, p=0.000, and p=0.004, respectively) between two groups. There were no significant differences in somatometric parameters between patients with different grades of varicocele. Conclusions: Our results showed that patients with varicoceles were significantly taller and had a lower BMI than did patients without varicoceles, especially among adolescents. Carefully designed future studies may be needed.
Study Abroad Experiences and Intercultural Sensitivity Among Graduate Theological Students: A Preliminary and Exploratory Investigation

The study reported in this paper investigated the impact of study abroad experiences on graduate theological student intercultural sensitivity and the role that pedagogical approaches play in the development of intercultural sensitivity. It is widely held that study abroad contributes to student development of intercultural sensitivity (Jenkins & Skelly, 2004), but to what extent? Does a student who studies abroad have a distinct developmental advantage over one who does not? Are there specific factors, such as pedagogy, that serve to aid or hinder that development? Finding answers to these questions holds promise for determining more accurately how useful study abroad is for certain learning outcomes, as well as for making meaningful improvements to international study programs.
Policies for Handling Residual Newborn Blood Samples for Human Health Research

Newborn screening prevents thousands of premature illnesses and deaths every year and is one of the most successful public health programs in the US. Lately, there has been considerable controversy regarding the retention and use of residual newborn blood samples after their initial use in screening without obtaining parental informed consent. The concerns have focused on the confidentiality, privacy, and autonomy rights of parents to decide whether to permit the secondary use of these samples for research. This ongoing controversy regarding the preservation and use of dried blood samples in research has led to the destruction of several million archived samples and potentially more in the near future if no further actions are taken. Left out of the discussion, however, have been the benefits of making the residual blood …
International standards pertaining to thermography practices, training and certification

American, European and International societies establish standards for individuals and companies within the field of infrared thermography. Historically addressing non-destructive testing (NDT) applications and personnel, standards exist and are being developed within the fields of condition monitoring (CM) and building diagnostics. Incorrect reference to or application of standards and guidelines create widespread market confusion. What type of claim can be made against which standards? Does the standard apply to a company or an individual? To what or whom is the standard intended? Does reference to a standard guarantee compliance or imply quality? How does one become educated or involved in standards? An overview of international standards within the field of thermography (with brief reference to recognizable guidelines and standards such as ASNT SNT-TC-1A and CEN 473), their status and application will be presented.
Evolution of the Search Engine in Developed and Emerging Markets

The search engine has evolved into a dynamic, information and marketing channel in both developed and emerging countries because of its ability to provide relevant and useful information to the searcher. However, due to language, cultural, and government-imposed barriers, major U.S. search engines, compared to their counterparts in multinational manufacturing, encountered considerable difficulty in competing for Asian markets against indigenous firms that provided censored links to websites approved by the government. This has become critical for these high-tech firms that need to expand abroad because their markets are maturing at home. The dispute on Internet censorship between the United States and China has reached the highest diplomatic offices in both countries and this could lead to bilateral negotiations whereby U.S. search engines are permitted to establish unfettered commercial operations in China.
Optimization of agricultural pest management III: results and extensions of a model

Abstract This three-part study investigates the application of optimization techniques, especially dynamic programming, to decision making in agricultural pest management. In Part III, a specific model is developed to find an optimal combination of control techniques including biological control (a parasite, in this case) and chemical control (an insecticide). The insecticide is toxic to the parasite and thus chemical control interferes with biological control. Calculations are also made of the effect on production costs of possible governmental actions (such as insecticide taxation or prohibition) aimed at reducing insecticide use. The last section of this paper discusses the way in which additional factors can be included in the optimization model without overtaxing computer storage requirements.
Cell surface expression of the varicella-zoster virus glycoproteins and Fc receptor

Abstract Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) specifies the synthesis of viral glycoproteins which are important antigens for induction of the host immune response. In this report the technology of laser-activated flow cytometry has been employed to measure the membrane expression of VZV glycoproteins gpl, gpll, gplll, and gpIV. By use of biotinylated monoclonal antibodies as probes, all four glycoproteins were demonstrated on the infected cell surface. The temporal appearance of the viral glycoproteins was defined in a time course experiment and shown to be maximal about 24 hr postinfection. The issue whether VZV induces the cell surface expression of an Fc receptor (FcR) was investigated with biotinylated nonimmune human IgG, followed by streptavidin-phycoerythrin. By this technique a 10-fold increase in fluorescence intensity was seen in the VZV-infected cells as compared to the mock-infected controls. When the experiment was repeated with purified human Fc fragment rather than whole IgG, a similar degree of binding was seen. Both the VZV glycoproteins and the VZV FcR were exquisitely sensitive to trypsin treatment (1 mg/ml); likewise, the cell surface expression of these VZV products was diminished by treatment of the infected cultures with monensin, an inhibitor of glycoprotein transport. In order to prove that VZV infection was not causing the induction of a cellular Fc γR, the VZV-infected and mock-infected cells were stained with monoclonal antibodies directed against each of the three human cellular IgG FcR, but no differences were observed. Therefore, the FcR activity seen in the infected culture was not due to one of the known cellular FcγR.
Algal Rhodopsins: Phototaxis Receptors Found at Last

The discovery of two distinct Chlamydomonas sensory receptors responsible for phototaxis reveals additional diversity among the microbial rhodopsins. Sequence and architecture comparisons among this growing family highlight key components for light-responsive functions.
‘History and Reality Have Become the Same Thing’: City Museums and City Plans in London, 1912–2012

The Museum of London’s recent reinterpretation of a large portion of its permanent exhibition offers occasion for a look at the intertwined fates of urban planning and museology across a century of metropolitan change. This article examines the ongoing efforts of one of the world’s pioneering city museums to memorialize an urban past in a manner never quite free of the hopes and assumptions of the urban present. Considering display techniques, artefact selection, and audience response, I look at London as an exemplar of the complex relation of urban historical narratives and planning visions in a period that has seen a loss of faith, across the developed world, in the perfectability of urban plans.
Design and implementation of face recognition-aided IPTV adaptive group recommendation system based on NLMS algorithm

The prototype of multi-facial recognition technique-aided internet protocol television (IPTV) system named “EyeTV” is introduced in this study. EyeTV applies Xbox's IP camera - KINECT to be the eye of TV for capturing facial features of users, and the multi-facial recognition technique is employed to recognize the user's identity. The users who watch the videos together are taken as a group, and then the system would automatically memorize the watching history for that group. Besides, the proposed normalized least mean square (NLMS)-based group recommendation technique is embedded in EyeTV for making video recommendation to the memorized groups via their watching history. Group recommendation technique helps group members to make decision quickly without too much time in discussion or debate of video selection. The proposed NLMS-based group recommendation method takes the interactions among the group members for providing more reasonable recommended results.
Metachronal wave formation in a model of pulmonary cilia

A three-dimensional simulation of the formation of metachronal waves in rows of pulmonary cilia is presented. The cilia move in a two-layer fluid model. The fluid layer adjacent to the cilia bases is purely viscous while the tips of the cilia move through a viscoelastic fluid. An overlapping fixed-moving grid formulation is employed to capture the effect of the cilia on the surrounding fluid. In contrast with immersed boundary methods, this technique allows a natural enforcement of boundary conditions without the need for smoothing of singular force distributions. The fluid domains are discretized using a finite volume method. The 9+2 internal microtubule structure of an individual cilium is modeled using large-deflection, curved, finite-element beams. The microtubule skeleton is cross-linked to itself and to the cilium membrane through spring elements which model nexin links. The cilium membrane itself is considered to be elastic and subject to fluid stresses computed from the moving grid formulation as well as internal forces transmitted from the microtubule skeleton. A cilium is set into motion by the action of dynein molecules exerting forces between adjacent microtubules. Realistic models of the forces exerted by dynein molecules are extracted from measurements of observed cilia shapes.
Continuous assimilation of Geosat altimetric sea level observations into a numerical synoptic ocean model of the California Current

The Geosat altimetric sea level observations for the period from January to December 1987 were continuously assimilated into a realistic wind-driven numerical synoptic ocean model of the California Current in order to evaluate the effectiveness of using a realistic synoptic ocean model for interpolating (dynamically) real altimetric sea level observations onto a regular grid. The accuracy of dynamical interpolation was tested by comparing the gridded sea level residuals to ones estimated from in situ observations (by expendable bathythermographs) collected in the California Current region during the same period. The comparison yielded nearly exact agreement at low frequency (i.e., semiannual cycle), but less agreement on month-to-month time scales of variability, possibly due to the unfiltered nature of the in situ estimates.
Troglitazone Reduces the Expression of PPARγ While Stimulating That of PPARα in Mononuclear Cells in Obese Subjects1

We have recently demonstrated that troglitazone exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in the insulin resistant obese in vivo in parallel with its insulin-sensitizing effect. Because these effects are thought to be mediated through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α and γ (PPARα and PPARγ), we have now examined the possibility that troglitazone may modulate the expression of PPARα and PPARγ. Seven obese hyperinsulinemic subjects were administered 400 mg troglitazone daily for 4 weeks. Fasting blood samples were obtained before and during troglitazone therapy at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Fasting insulin concentrations fell at week 1 and persisted at lower levels till 4 weeks. PPARγ expression fell significantly at week 1 and fell further at weeks 2 and 4. In contrast, PPARα expression increased significantly at week 2 and further at week 4. 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, products of linoleic acid peroxidation and agonists of PPARγ, decreased during troglitazone therapy. We conclude that troglitazone, ...
Beyond Data Mining

Last century, it wasn't known if data miners could find structure within software projects. This century, we know better: data mining has been successfully applied to many different artifacts from software projects. So it's time to move on to "What's next?" In the author's view, "discussion mining" is the next great challenge for the predictive modeling community. These discussion miners know that while predictions and decisions are important, so too are the questions and insights generated on the way to those conclusions.
On efficient recognition of transductions and relations

Abstract We give some new or improved algorithms for recognizing transductions, relations and languages defined by pushdown machines, counter machines, etc. For example, we show that transductions defined by κ-tape one-way nondeterministic pushdown acceptors with outputs can be recognized in CFL( n κ ) time, where CFL( n ) is the multitape TM or unit-cost random access machine (RAM) complexity of context-free language recognition. When the pushdown store makes only one-turn or the pushdown store is replaced by a counter, we have RAM algorithms that run in O (n 2κ / log 2κ (2κ−1) n) and O (n κ+1 / log (κ+1) κ n) time respectively. Thus, linear context-free languages and one-counter languages are recognizable in O( n 2 /log 2 n ) time, which is an improvement over previously known algorithms. We also show that relations accepted by κ-tape two-way nondeterministic finite-state acceptors can be recognized in O( n κ ) time on a RAM, which improves another known result. Our methods use translation, dynamic programming with ‘precomputation’ and depth-first search.
The Tichka Massif, Morocco—an example of contemporaneous acidic and basic plutonism

Abstract The Tichka Massif is a shallowly emplaced, domal intrusion that has produced a thermal aurole in surrounding rocks. The interior of the massif consists of a series of leucocratic granitic, tear-shaped pods sorrounded by dioritic rocks that range in composition from gabbro to granodiorite. The orientation of the pods has a strong vertical component. Flow foliation is well-developed in the rocks that surround the pods, whereas foliation is poorly developed in the granite pods. Dikes of andesite emanate from dioritic rocks and crosscut the granite pods. These rock relationships indicate that a highly viscous granitic liquid (pods) coexisted with a less viscous, denser dioritic liquid. Differences in viscosities of the two magmas and low diffusion rates in the granite magma prevented mixing.
Reactions of C2(a 3πu) with CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, and O2 using multiphoton UV excimer laser photolysis

Abstract C 2 (a 3 π u ) disappearance rate constants of 1.44, 0.96, 0.0296, 0.0130 and −6 (x10 −10 cm 3 s −1 ) are reported for reactions with C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 2 , O 2 , C 2 H 6 , and CH 4 , respectively at 298 K. C 2 (a 3 π u ) fragments are generated by multiphoton ArF excimer laser photodissociation at C 2 H 2 , and monitored by dye laser induced fluorescence. Arguments are presented which favor chemical reactions over the C 2 (a 3 π u ) → (X 1 σ + g ) quenching channel. C 2 + C 2 H 2 represents the one possible exception to the reactive channel.
Cardiovascular and neuroendocrine adjustment to public speaking and mental arithmetic stressors

In this study, we evaluated cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and psychological adjustment to repeated presentations of a public speaking and a mental arithmetic task. Brief versions of mental arithmetic tasks have been used widely in previous reactivity studies, and growing attention to more socially salient tasks has led to the increased use of public speaking tasks. However, psychophysiological adjustment during extended and repeated exposure to these tasks has not been delineated. In the present study, 52 healthy men worked on three 8-min presentations of public speaking and of mental arithmetic in a repeated measure design. Both tasks produced substantial cardiovascular, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol responses; public speaking produced greater changes. Repeated presentations of public speaking produced a stable pattern of cardiac activation, whereas repetitions of the mental arithmetic initially produced large cardiac responses that changed to a more vascular tonus across task periods. Both tasks increased negative moods. However, correlations between the endocrine, cardiovascular, and negative moods were significant only during the public speaking stressor. The public speaking task is a socially relevant experimental protocol for studying reactivity in the laboratory setting and elicits relatively high, stable, and homogeneous responses.
Defining Our Terms

The world of cloud computing is moving quickly, but to make the best possible progress, we need to define our terms, highlight successes as well as instructive failures in standardization, and create open channels for communication. The Standards Now column seeks to draw attention to the study and implementation of new techniques from the viewpoint of enabling further developments, as well as news about formal standards progress and publications or calls for input on software projects, standards for commercial products, or notable standards body publications.
Some Relations between the Band Spectra of Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury and their Atomic Spectra

Some Relations between the Band Spectra of Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury and their Atomic Spectra
Thrombotic microangiopathy as a complication of long-term therapy with gemcitabine

Three patients with pancreatic carcinoma treated with gemcitabine for 1 year developed clinical and laboratory findings compatible with an indolent form of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Renal biopsy specimens in two of these patients showed the characteristic features of thrombotic microangiopathy, and a skin biopsy specimen from the third patient, who presented with livedo reticularis, showed intravascular fibrin deposition. Thrombotic microangiopathy may represent a toxic effect of long-term gemcitabine therapy.
Effect of Gramma Radiation on Trogoderma glabrum and Attagenus piceus

A study to determine the gross effects of gamma radiation on Trogoderma glabrum (Herbst) and the black carpet beetle, Attagenus piceus (Olivier), was conducted. All metamorphic stages of the insects were treated with 13.2 ± 10%, 17.5, 25, 45, and 100 kilorads or with 13.2 kilorads ± 10% repeated 5 times at hourly intervals for a total of 66 kilorads ± 10%. Each week mortality, developmental progress, and reproduction by treated individuals were checked. Eggs and larvae of both species were controlled effectively by all dosages. However, no dosage used was enough to produce complete mortality immediately of any of the stages of either species. Reproduction in both species was limited in the F1 generation to the insects where the P1 generation received the lowest dosage. Indications are that males of both species when treated directly were less subject to genetic damage than the females. Genetic damage, as evidenced by reduced reproduction, was transmitted to the F1 generation of T. globrum .
Enhancement of optical transmission through planar nanoapertures in a metal film

The optical transmission mechanism through a ridge nano-aperture in a metal film is discussed based on the waveguide theory and FDTD computations. The transmission enhancement through ridge apertures is associated with the TE10 waveguide propagation mode. In terms of near and far field radiator, the ridge aperture can be represented as a combination of an oscillating electric dipole and two magnetic dipoles. The effects of localized surface plasmon (LSP) excited on the edges of ridge nano-apertures made in silver are discussed. The transmission enhancement and field concentration functions of ridge apertures are confirmed by contact lithography experiments.
Measuring fertility demand.

We propose a multidimensional conceptualization of fertility demand and evaluate potential measures of each dimension, using data from a telephone survey of Wisconsin residents age 18-34. Most of the measures met tests for interval-level measurement; all produced high estimates of test-retest reliability. We found support for only two dimensions of demand, intensity and certainty; potential measures of centrality had relatively low associations with any of the latent dimensions. Demand certainty improved prediction of fertility expectations beyond a trichotomous (yes, no, don’t know) measure, but demand intensity did not. We found mixed evidence for the conceptualization of fertility demand as a single continuum on which desire to avoid pregnancy is the opposite of desire to have a child.
FimL Regulates cAMP Synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a ubiquitous bacteria found in diverse ecological niches, is an important cause of acute infections in immunocompromised individuals and chronic infections in patients with Cystic Fibrosis. One signaling molecule required for the coordinate regulation of virulence factors associated with acute infections is 3′, 5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, (cAMP), which binds to and activates a catabolite repressor homolog, Vfr. Vfr controls the transcription of many virulence factors, including those associated with Type IV pili (TFP), the Type III secretion system (T3SS), the Type II secretion system, flagellar-mediated motility, and quorum sensing systems. We previously identified FimL, a protein with histidine phosphotransfer-like domains, as a regulator of Vfr-dependent processes, including TFP-dependent motility and T3SS function. In this study, we carried out genetic and physiologic studies to further define the mechanism of action of FimL. Through a genetic screen designed to identify suppressors of FimL, we found a putative cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (CpdA), suggesting that FimL regulates cAMP levels. Inactivation of CpdA increases cAMP levels and restores TFP-dependent motility and T3SS function to fimL mutants, consistent with in vivo phosphodiesterase activity. By constructing combinations of double and triple mutants in the two adenylate cyclase genes (cyaA and cyaB), fimL, and cpdA, we show that ΔfimL mutants resemble ΔcyaB mutants in TM defects, decreased T3SS transcription, and decreased cAMP levels. Similar to some of the virulence factors that they regulate, we demonstrate that CyaB and FimL are polarly localized. These results reveal new complexities in the regulation of diverse virulence pathways associated with acute P. aeruginosa infections.
Use of databases in thermal analysis. Part 5

Abstract A mathematical expression was previously derived for the concurrent determination of two rate constants, k 1 and k 2 , for two consecutive irreversible first-order reactions. This expression required the measurement of slopes in order to ascertain the required reaction rates. In this paper, a relational database manager (DB) was employed to estimate values of the two rate constants using this expression. For this purpose, a computer algorithm was developed using the Paradox 3 DB which possesses a powerful script language ( pal ). Database analyses were carried out using both theoretical and experimental data. The pal script employed is described and the resulting k 1 and k 2 values are compared with the assumed and reported values.
STUDIES OF ER FLUIDS FEATURING RODLIKE PARTICLES

Chaining of micron-sized polarizable particles in ER fluids is generally accepted to be responsible for the liquid-to-solid transitions on the application of an external electric field. It has been hypothesized that the strength of the particle-particle interactions solely determines the rheological properties of ER fluids. In our work, the particle’s structure has been used to control interactions; for example, we have developed systems featuring rodlike particles. With such particles it should be possible to enhance the dielectric interaction of the particles as well as their mechanical interaction. The main goal of our effort has been to distinguish between these two mechanisms through measurements of the dielectric properties in conjunction with the rheological responses. Based on the experimental evidence thus far gathered, we can state that most, but not all, of the rheological effects are explainable in terms of the dielectric changes in the fluid.
E-business standards in the international hospitality and tourism industry

As the international hospitality and tourism industry moves towards higher utilisation on e-business, a major problem arises with the lack of standards. This paper aims at developing e-business standards for the international hospitality and tourism industry. Specifically, an electronic value chain analysis was first developed. Second, a set of standards was derived from the model. Third, the top 20 dominant companies were examined to find the current implementation pattern of these derived standards. The results from this research help the international hospitality and tourism business to set up e-business standards and accelerate e-business adoption to improve global competitiveness.
Reason and Experience in Mahayana Buddhism

BUDDHISM as a religion is divided into Hinayana Buddhism, the Buddhism of the narrow path, and Mahayana Buddhism, the Buddhism of the wide path. Hinayana has remained close to the teachings of the Sakyamuni Buddha, and has devoted itself largely to the salvation of the individual and the avoidance of metaphysics. The cloistered monk or arhat is the ideal Hinayanist. Mahayana looks for universal salvation, and has not taken seriously the advice to avoid metaphysics. It is a layman's religion filled with warmth and originality by minds unfettered by scholastic devotion to a body of sacred writings. The Bodhisattva, a being that has qualified itself as a Buddha but has postponed its full nirvana in order to help others save themselves, is the ideal Mahayanist. Neither Hinayana nor Mahayana follows the original doctrine of Gautama. Chatterjee and Datta looking at Hinayana and Mahayana from the detached point of view of Vedantic absolutism write, "The first without the second would remain sublime but relatively useless; the second without the first would cease to be."' I doubt that any Hinayanist or Mahayanist would agree! Mahayana Buddhism can be divided philosophically by the two methods which the Buddhists have used to grasp ultimate reality: Reason and Experience. "Experience" here denotes sensations that are immediate and non-sharable. Both reason (nydya-meaning "rule" or "principle") and direct experience (dhydna-from the root dhi meaning "to perceive") were in the legacy of the Buddha. These two ways may be described as knowing by the use of rules and knowing by pure sensation. The Buddhists separate sensation and awareness. Pure sensation is a subjective state without the judgment that an object is being sensed. Pure sensation grasps the ultimately real, a real which is unutterable and uncognizable by discursive thought. As Stcherbatksy says, "The Buddhist maintains that by pure sensation 'we really perceive the blue, but we do not know that it is blue' (nilan vijanati, na tu "nilam iti" vijanati). As soon as we tell that it is blue, we have already compared it with the non-blue, and this the senses alone cannot achieve. A consistent sensationalism must be speechless."2 In the Vajrasamadhi Sutra these two ways are described as "Entrance by Reason" and "Entrance by Conduct." Takakusu calls them "Negative Rationalism" and "Introspective Intuition." In this paper we shall examine the Yogacara and the Madhyamika schools in Nyaya Buddhism and the Zen school in Dhyana Buddhism. Asvaghosa (first century A.D.) and Nagarjuna (second century A.D.), the outstanding contributors to Yogacara and Madhyamika respectively, are commonly regarded as the founders of the Mahayana. Their schools are the two great speculative systems of Indian Buddhism. Zen is China's contribution to Buddhism.
Psychiatric distress in systemic lupus erythematosus outpatients.

A belief exists that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have more psychiatric symptoms than patients with most other medical illnesses and that they often are as psychiatrically disturbed as psychiatric patient groups. These beliefs did not prove to be true for SLE outpatients. Twenty-two outpatients with SLE, 81 general medical outpatients, and 40 psychiatric outpatients were screened with psychometrically validated self-report instruments designed to assess psychiatric symptoms and stress. The SLE outpatients’ psychiatric symptoms and stresses were much more similar to those reported by general medical outpatients, rather than by psychiatric outpatients, except in afew areas, and SLE patients were significantly less distressed than psychiatric patients in all areas except those relating directly to their SLE.
Using farmers' actions to measure crop loss due to air pollution

The effects of ozone on the profitability of Illinois cash grain farms is investigated by utilizing a profit function framework. This approach uses individual farms as the observational unit so the data are generated under field conditions. Hence, experimental plot data are not used although results from past biological experiments are utilized to frame initial hypotheses and for evaluation of the estimated model. This study demonstrates the benefits of combining economic data and biological science results to estimate the economic reactions of producers in terms of input and output (production) response to an ambient environmental characteristic. A time series of cross sectional data on cash grain farms in Illinois is used to estimate two profit functions. Ozone data are measured on a growing season basis by county. The estimated model shows ozone has a negative effect on profits. Increases in ozone levels tend to depress output levels and lessen the demand for variable inputs. Additionally, a production...
Analysis of fluid pressure propagation in heterogeneous rocks: Implications for hydrologically‐induced earthquakes

Mathematical models are developed to study the propagation of excess pore pressure in heterogeneous and fractured rocks. For a homogeneous rock, the time needed for a pore pressure front to migrate downward is directly proportional to the square of the depth, and inversely proportional to the permeability of the rock. Variational studies show that pore pressure propagation is highly influenced by the permeability heterogeneity of the crust. The results argue for the importance of accounting for geologic complexity when using mathematical models to estimate the extent of downward transmission of increases in hydraulic heads. The models presented in the paper are used to estimate a range of possible hypocentral depths of periodic seismicity observed near Mt. Ogden on the Alaska-British Columbia border. The time lag between these earthquakes and hydrologic loading is on the order of days or weeks, indicating a quick response of seismicity to the increased surface water input from rainfall or glacial discharge, if such a causal relationship exists. Our models estimate that the hypocentral depths of these earthquakes could be on the order of several kilometers, if a high degree of vertical interconnectivity of fractures exists.
Regional Housing Price Cycles: A Spatio-temporal Analysis Using US State-level Data

Kuethe T. H. and Pede V. O. Regional housing price cycles: a spatio-temporal analysis using US state-level data, Regional Studies. A study is presented of the effects of macroeconomic shocks on housing prices in the Western United States using quarterly state-level data from 1988:1 to 2007:4. The study contributes to the existing literature by explicitly incorporating locational spillovers through a spatial econometric adaptation of vector autoregression (SpVAR). The results suggest these spillovers may Granger cause housing price movements in a large number of cases. SpVAR provides additional insights through impulse response functions that demonstrate the effects of macroeconomic events in different neighbouring locations. In addition, it is demonstrated that including spatial information leads to significantly lower mean-square forecast errors. Kuethe T. H. et Pede V. O. La variation cyclique regionale du prix du logement: une analyse geographico-temporelle des donnees sur les etats aux E-U, Regional S...
Discrimination of Composite Graphite Samples Using Remote Filament-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Remote filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy (R-FIBS) using ultrashort laser pulses was used to measure the carbon/clay ratios between three graphite composites of different hardness at a standoff distance of ∼6 m. Measurements using R-FIBS and femtosecond laser-induced breakdown (fs-LIBS) reveal similar selectivity and ability to excite emission. Comparison of the two stand-off techniques with optical microscopy and electron microprobe point detection confirmed the qualitative analysis capability of both femtosecond remote probing techniques. The R-FIBS technique produced more accurate results compared to fs-LIBS due to the intensity clamping nature of the filament ablation source. Measurement of the plasma temperatures for the metallic emission lines (∼8500 K) and the C2 Swan lines (∼4500 K) suggest that the plasmas from different microdomains (clay and graphite) are not in equilibrium.
High resolution aerosol jet printing of D-band printed transmission lines on flexible LCP substrate

In this paper, aerosol jet printing technology is assessed for D-band RF applications for the first time. It describes the fabrication process, the technology assessment and the characterization of coplanar waveguides (CPW) lines and CPW to microstrip transitions on liquid crystal polymer (LCP) in the D band using silver nanoparticle aerosol jet printing process. Feature sizes with a resolution of 10 μm, which is the finest resolution among all of the digital printing technologies, were realized successfully. The conductivity of the sintered silver structures was half to that of bulk silver after sintering at temperatures up to 200 °C. Printed transmission lines demonstrated losses of 0.35 dB/mm at 110 GHz and 0.51 dB/mm at 170 GHz that are less than that of the insertion loss of the inkjet printing lines by an order of magnitude.
Resistance to root fracture of dowel channels with various thicknesses of buccal dentin walls

The significance of the amount of remaining buccal dentin plate of the dowel channel in resisting root fracture under horizontally directed load was investigated. Forty cast gold dowels and cores were made for four groups of dowel channels that had, respectively, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, and 1 mm with a 60-degree bevel (collar) of the remaining buccal dentin at the entrance of the canal. An Instron tester in compressive mode was used to produce the horizontal force. Although significant differences in the failure loads for the four groups were not found, dowel channels with 1 mm of remaining buccal dentin walls were apparently more prone to fracture under horizontal impact than those that had 2 or 3 mm of buccal dentin walls. Contrary to popular belief, the addition of a metal collar did not enhance the resistance to root fracture.
Inherent Abnormalities in Energy Metabolism in Alzheimer Disease: Interaction with Cerebrovascular Compromise

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a form of the dementia syndrome. AD appears to have a variety of fundamental etiologies that lead to the neuropathological manifestations which define the disease. Patients who are at high risk to develop AD typically show impairments of cerebral metabolic rate in vivo even before they show any evidence of the clinical disease on neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging examinations. Therefore, impairment in energy metabolism in AD can not be attributed to loss of brain substance or to electrophysiological abnormalities. Among the characteristic abnormalities in the AD brain are deficiencies in several enzyme complexes which participate in the mitochondrial oxidation of substrates to yield energy. There include the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC), the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), and Complex IV of the electron transport chain (COX). The deficiency of KGDHC may be due to a mixture of causes including damage by free radicals and perhaps to genetic variation in the DLST gene encoding the core protein of this complex. Inherent impairment of glucose oxidation by the AD brain may reasonably be expected to interact synergistically with an impaired supply of oxygen and glucose to the AD brain, in causing brain damage. These considerations lead to the hypothesis that cerebrovascular compromise and inherent abnormalities in the brain's ability to oxidize substrates can interact to favor the development of AD, in individuals who are genetically predisposed to develop neuritic plaques.
In Vivo Analysis of Heterogeneous Brain Deformation Computations for Model-Updated Image Guidance.

Abstract Neurosurgical image-guidance has historically relied on the registration of the patient and preoperative imaging series with surgical instruments in the operating room (OR) coordinate space. Recent studies measuring intraoperative tissue motion have suggested that deformation-induced misregistration from surgical loading is a serious concern with such systems. In an effort to improve registration fidelity during surgery, we are pursuing an approach which uses a predictive computational model in conjunction with data available in the OR to update the high resolution preoperative image series. In previous work. we have developed an in vivo experimental system in the porcine brain which has been used to investigate a homogeneous finite element rendering of consolidation theory as a tissue deformation model. In this paper, our computational approach has been extended to include heterogeneous tissue property distributions determined from an image-to-grid segmentation scheme. Results produced under two...
Testing the Effects of Collectively Expected Durations of Migration: The Naturalization of Mexicans and Cubans

This study tests a hypothesis that Mexican foreign-born immigrants who came to the United States for economic reasons naturalize less often than Cubans who immigrate for political reasons. It uses information from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Latino Sample, a national sample of 7,453 respondents from the 1989 Latino National Political Survey (LNPS) and the 1990 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Ordinal logistic regression is used to examine the hypothesis. The results indicate that while more Mexicans plan to apply or have applied for naturalization, proportionately more Cubans than Mexicans have naturalized. Cuban political immigrants who came to the United States during the first half of the 1960s naturalize more often than their Mexican counterparts. However, the effect of ethnic identity on naturalization is mediated by a number of other predictors of naturalization such as gender, race, urban residence, socioeconomic status and acculturation.
Saccadic Eye Movements and Eye-Head Coordination in Children:

The eye and head movements of nine children, ages 6 through 10, were measured in order to establish quantitative characteristics of eye movements and eye-head coordination patterns of children with normal vision and reading levels. The relationship between saccade amplitude and duration was linear, but the slope of this relationship indicated that saccades in children may have higher velocities than they do in adults. One of three temporal patterns of head and saccadic eye movement occurred during shifts of gaze to visual targets, depending on the temporal and spatial predictability of the target. It is suggested that quantitative measurements such as these could be used to examine developmental characteristics of eye and eye-head movement control.
Mothers, Daughters, Dolls: On Disgust in Elena Ferrante’s La figlia oscura

This article suggests disgust as a framework for approaching the novels of contemporary Italian writer Elena Ferrante. More specifically, it proposes disgust as the operative trope of Ferrante’s figurations of daughterhood, motherhood, and the (pregnant) female body. Ferrante’s novel, La figlia oscura (2006) narrates the experiences of motherhood and femininity through its middle-aged protagonist’s obsession with a young mother, her daughter, and the daughter’s pregnant doll. Images of rotting fruit, insects, oozing wounds, dark gaping mouths, vomit, wombs, worms, snot, sweat, and slime permeate and enliven the text in key narrative moments which always revolve around the doll. Thus, the doll provides us with a case study for examining the workings of disgust in the novel. Read against the backdrop of Ferrante’s own theoretical apparatus, la frantumaglia, and in the context of Western thought on disgust, La figlia oscura can be said to employ the disgusting to problematize motherhood and daughterhood as n...
Nicotine Withdrawal-Induced Negative Affect Is a Function of Nicotine Dependence and Not Liability to Depression or Anxiety

Introduction: Individuals who quit smoking frequently experience symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. It is not clear whether these symptoms index liability to negative affect generally or whether such symptoms are a function of nicotine withdrawal and are thus indexed by nicotine dependence (ND).
The cost of sovereign lending in the Middle East after September 11

One of the casualties in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11 has been global confidence in the Middle East. Sovereign risk – the credit risk assessment to the obligations of central governments – is believed to have increased. Using data from JP Morgan, Moody's, S&P, and the World Bank, we explain and quantify the variability of sovereign risk in five MENA countries between 1998 and 2002. Three immediate implications emerge from our results. Our findings help policymakers in MENA countries (1) better understand how financial markets are pricing their risk, (2) identify the specific risk bins which influence their credit spreads, and (3) suggest mitigation techniques on how their sovereign risk can be reduced.
Evaluating Dynamics and Bottlenecks of Memory Collaboration in Cluster Systems

With the fast development of highly-integrated distributed systems (cluster systems), designers face interesting memory hierarchy design choices while attempting to avoid the notorious disk swapping. Swapping to the free remote memory through Memory Collaboration has demonstrated its cost-effectiveness compared to over provisioning the cluster for peak load requirements. Recent memory collaboration studies propose several ways on accessing the under-utilized remote memory in static system configurations, without detailed exploration of the dynamic memory collaboration. Dynamic collaboration is an important aspect given the run-time memory usage fluctuations in clustered systems. Further, as the interest in memory collaboration grows, it is crucial to understand the existing performance bottlenecks, overheads, and potential optimization. In this paper we address these two issues. First, we propose an Autonomous Collaborative Memory System (ACMS) that manages memory resources dynamically at run time to optimize performance. We implement a prototype realizing the proposed ACMS, experiment with a wide range of real-world applications, and show up to 3x performance speedup compared to a non-collaborative memory system without perceivable performance impact on nodes that provide memory. Second, we analyze, in depth, the end-to-end memory collaboration overhead and pinpoint the corresponding bottlenecks.
A Shock to Study

Learning about the experience of living in a state-funded, public residential high school for academically talented children was the purpose of an ethnographic inquiry. Studying and homework dominated the students' lives throughout the year. Eager academically gifted high school students were “shocked” to meet the homework demands of a rigorous academic program. The general story of doing homework is told, as well as four characteristic patterns of adjustment presented as cases of studying in action. Theoretical issues related to talent development are discussed.