cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of light scatter, defocusing, mean luminosity, contrast, and central scotoma on the PVER amplitude-check size function curve

We analyzed the effects of various stimulus parameters, ie, light scatter, defocusing, mean luminosity, contrast, and central scotoma, on the normal pattern reversal visual evoked response (PVER), amplitude-check size function curve in six normal subjects. The steady-state PVER was recorded with five check sizes ranging from 160 to 10 min in 1-octave increments. The PVER amplitude, especially with the smaller check sizes, was markedly decreased by light scatter induced by acrylic sheets. The function curve quickly changed to a low pass filter shape when +2.0 diopters of defocus were added, with the decrease most marked in the small check sizes. When the mean luminosity was decreased, the function curve maintained its normal inverted-U shape up to 5 cd/m2, but the shape flattened with lower luminosity. Amplitude decreases were seen with all check sizes in low luminosity. With contrast changes from 95 to 24%, the function curve maintained its normal shape, but with slightly reduced amplitudes. The amplitude decrease was moderate even with the lowest contrast. With a two-degree central scotoma, the PVER amplitude was reduced more with the smaller than the larger check sizes. The function curve became somewhat flatter, with its peak shifting to the larger check sizes. Results indicated that the shape of the PVER amplitude-check size function curve changes in response to different modes of stimulation.
Validation of the Use of the Hand for Estimating Bone Mineral Density in Other Skeletal Sites by DXA in Healthy and Osteoarthritic Women

Abstract Hand bone mineral density (BMD) by DXA has mainly been used to assess bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Its use in healthy subjects is limited. The following study was conducted to determine if measurements of hand BMD could estimate ones risk of osteoporosis and predict BMD in other skeletal sites. Subjects consisted of 134 Caucasian females (57–88 yr, 46 with self-reported osteoarthritis and the rest healthy). BMD was measured in the hand, forearm, hip, spine, and total body with the Lunar DPX-MD instrument. Subjects were divided into those with osteoarthritis (OA) and those without and were examined separately, as well as together. Hand BMD correlated significantly with all skeletal sites for the whole population and for each group. Pearson r for the whole population ranged from 0.56 in the lumbar spine to 0.82 in the forearm. Subjects with OA had higher correlations for most sites. Subjects' T-scores, derived from the reference population of young normal adult women, for hip, spine, forearm, and whole body correlated highly with hand BMD. To test how accurately hand BMD could predict BMD in other skeletal sites, we generated regression models from three-fourth of our subjects ( n = 102). Based on the resulting regression equations and measured hand BMD, we calculated the predicted values of the BMD in all other skeletal sites for the remaining one-fourth of the subjects ( n = 32). The predictive mean square errors, calculated from the observed and predicted values for each skeletal site, were small and below the cutoff values in F -distribution. In conclusion, hand BMD has a potential to establish one's risk for osteoporosis as well as reasonably accurately predict BMD in other skeletal sites. The hand BMD measurement in general, whether a part of DXA or as a separate instrument, might have a potential to be used for mass screening and in prospective studies to determine risk of fractures.
Authorizing a Disability Agency in Post-Mao China: Deng Pufang's Story as Biomythography

One day in early 1971, officials of Beijing University (Beida) arrived at the 301st Brigade Military Hospital. They entered and approached the bedside of a former Beida graduate student, a young man who had lost the ability to walk two years earlier. The officials told the young man they wished to transfer him elsewhere to convalesce. Still the dutiful student, he consented, and in the afternoon he was packed into a jeep and moved to the Qing He Shelter (Qing He Jiuji Yuan) 45 kilometers northwest of Tiananmen Square. Originally a nursing home for women, Qing He had become a place of last refuge for a variety of people following the Korean War. Wounded veterans without family were brought there and gradually all sorts of what Chinese then often called fei ren (social outcasts, lit., "garbage people") ended up at Qing He. These outcasts included orphans, the mentally impaired, the deaf and mute, the chronically ill, and persons with other forms of bodily difference that were viewed locally as highly delegitimizing. According to published reports, conditions at the shelter were dire at the time when the former Beida student arrived. Most residents slept six or seven to a bed. Medical care was unavailable. Meals were usually nothing more than rice, bread, and small amounts of vegetables.
THE FALLACY OF THE FIVE MILLION WOMEN: A RE-ESTIMATE

Explicit policy to control fertility in the United States to date has focussed on the “unmet need” for contraceptive services in 1966 among an estimated five million poor and near-poor women. This paper reestimates the number of women in need of contraceptive services by disaggregating (on the basis of tabulations from the Current Population Surveys for 1966 and 1967, and the 1965 National Fertility Study) all poor and near-poor women into 54 subgroups differentiated by age, marital status, religion, and color. Data from the 1965 National Fertility Study, and from other studies, are then used to estimate for each subgroup deductions for sterility, pregnancy, waiting time for conception, and negative attitudes toward and current use of contraception. The residual number of women who both want and require contraceptive services, but do not have them, is estimated to be 1.2 million, rather than 4.6 million. The fact that the re-estimate takes into account both existing contraceptive practice and negative attitudes toward family limitation accounts for much of the difference between it and the original figure.
Equilibrium Analysis of CVD of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia

The calculations performed in this study indicate that efficient deposition of tetragonal yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is feasible using metal chloride precursors (Zr-Y-C-O-H-Cl system). As reported in the literature, this work demonstrates that high oxygen content is necessary to efficiently utilize metal chloride precursors for depositing tetragonal YSZ with CVD. Unwanted carbon impurities can be avoided by using a low hydrogen to carbon ratio (inlet H/C > 1), high temperatures (T ≥ 500°C), and low pressures (P ≤ 1 bar).
On spacetimes containing Killing vector fields with non-closed orbits

The authors show that if a maximally extended, globally hyperbolic solution of Einstein's equations admits a non-vanishing Killing vector field which is tangent to a compact Cauchy surface and which has non-closed orbits, then the spacetime isometry group is at least two dimensional.
Women Writers and the Artifacts of Celebrity in the Long Nineteenth Century

In the standard story criticism tells, nineteenth-century women writers aspiring to fame faced a persistent double bind. The literary marketplace rewarded women writers whose public image reflected...
Acidification of internalized class I major histocompatibility complex antigen by T lymphoblasts

It has previously been shown that activated murine T lymphocytes express intracellular vesicles containing the class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen H-2K. Evidence has also been provided that such vesicles may be part of a cellular pathway of spontaneous H-2K antigen internalization and recycling, which is specific to T-lymphoid cells. Dual fluorescence flow cytometry has now been used to establish that H-2K antigen is acidified upon internalization in concanavalin A-stimulated but not lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine splenocytes, thus providing further support that in T lymphoblasts this class I MHC antigen may travel intracellular routes similar to those reported for other cell surface receptors.
Performance Evaluation of Glazed and Unglazed Collectors/regenerators in a Liquid Absorbent Open-Cycle Absorption Cooling System

The performance of two collectors/regenerators, one glazed and the other unglazed, was studied when tested side-by-side under the meteorological conditions of Tempe, Arizona. One half of an 11 m by 11 m roof structure was covered with a series of seven Tedlar panels, each measuring 1.76 cm by 4.88 m, and the other remained unglazed. When the performance of the collector/regenerator (C/R) was expressed in terms of the quantity of water evaporated from it, which in effect was a measure of the cooling capacity of the system, the unglazed C/R performed better than the glazed C/R under the climatic conditions considered here. Nondimensional correlations for heat and mass transfer were developed from the experimental data for subsequent use with a performance model. The glazed C/R was found less sensitive to changes in independent variables and its regeneration efficiency was, on the average, 7.6% lower than the unglazed C/R. The performance of the glazed C/R approaches that of unglazed C/R at a larger height o...
Uptake and dissolution of gaseous ethanol in sulfuric acid.

The solubility of gas-phase ethanol (ethyl alcohol, CH3CH2OH, EtOH) in aqueous sulfuric acid solutions was measured in a Knudsen cell reactor over ranges of temperature (209-237 K) and acid composition (39-76 wt % H2SO4). Ethanol is very soluble under these conditions: effective Henry's law coefficients, H*, range from 4 x 10(exp 4) M/atm in the 227 K, 39 wt % acid to greater than 10(exp 7) M/atm in the 76 wt % acid. In 76 wt % sulfuric acid, ethanol solubility exceeds that which can be precisely determined using the Knudsen cell technique but falls in the range of 10(exp 7)-10(exp 10) M/atm. The equilibrium concentration of ethanol in upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric (UT/LS) sulfate particles is calculated from these measurements and compared to other small oxygenated organic compounds. Even if ethanol is a minor component in the gas phase, it may be a major constituent of the organic fraction in the particle phase. No evidence for the formation of ethyl hydrogen sulfate was found under our experimental conditions. While the protonation of ethanol does augment solubility at higher acidity, the primary reason H* increases with acidity is an increase in the solubility of molecular (i.e., neutral) ethanol.
Computer dissection of peripheral nerve bundle activity.

Abstract A program has been developed for the LINC8 (Digital Equipment Corporation) computer for sorting neuronal activity recorded grossly from nerve bundles into the component activity of the individual nerve fibers. Activity was recorded at two points along the nerve bundle, a technique which provided conduction velocity information for the individual nerve fibers. The most successful spike separations were possible when the shape of spikes recorded at the most distal recording site were employed, along with conduction velocity information.
Review Article: A Review of the Development and Operational Characteristics of the TALSPEAK Process

Abstract The separation of trivalent transplutonium actinides from fission product lanthanide ions represents arguably the most challenging aspect of advanced nuclear fuel partitioning schemes. A considerable amount of effort has been dedicated to the development of effective methods for accomplishing this separation, essential for transmutation of the actinides heavier than Pu. Among the methods currently considered to be ready for technological deployment is the TALSPEAK (Trivalent Actinide ‐ Lanthanide Separation by Phosphorus reagent Extraction from Aqueous Komplexes) Process, developed in the late 1960s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This process is based on the partitioning of lanthanides and actinides between an acidic organophosphorus extractant ((RO)2PO2H) solution and an aqueous phase containing a high concentration of a carboxylic acid buffer and a polyaminopolycarboxylate complexant. The latter reagent is principally responsible for holding back the trivalent actinides, allowing the selecti...
Still Digitally Divided? An Assessment of Historically Black College and University Library Web Sites.

Abstract Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are post-secondary institutions which, at one time, were considered to be particularly affected by the digital divide. Research study results have suggested the need for HBCUs to continuously increase campus technology. Guided by four research questions, this study examines the current state of electronic access at HBCUs by analyzing 20 library Web sites. Study findings discuss the extent to which the sites provide patrons with access to library materials and services. Non-HBCU library Web sites are also analyzed to add an element of comparison and contrast. Findings indicate that HBCUs still face some challenges in technological service provision but their library Web sites show evidence of progress being made to bridge the digital divide.
Rate Constants for Reactions of Alkyl Radicals with Water and Methanol Complexes of Triethylborane

Reactions of secondary alkyl radicals with triethylborane and several of its complexes were studied. The H-atom transfer reactions from Et3B−OH2 and Et3B−OD2 were suppressed by addition of pyridine to the reaction mixture. Rate constants for reactions of secondary alkyl radicals with triethylborane and its complexes with water, deuterium oxide, methanol, and THF at ambient temperature were determined by radical clock methods. Cyclization of the 1-undecyl-5-hexenyl radical and ring opening of the 1-cyclobutyldodecyl radical were evaluated as clock reactions. The cyclobutylcarbinyl radical ring opening had the appropriate velocity for relatively precise determinations of the ratios of rate constants for H-atom transfer trapping and rearrangement, and these ratios combined with an estimated rate constant for the cyclobutylcarbinyl radical ring opening gave absolute values for the rate constants for the H-atom transfer reactions. For example, the triethylborane−water complex reacts with a secondary alkyl radi...
Classical contingencies in rats with hippocampal lesions.

Abstract Hippocampal, cortical and sham lesioned rats were trained to discriminate between two odors, in non-contingent, partially contingent, and perfectly contingent schedules. In the non-contingent situation both odors signaled shock with probability of 0.5. In the partially contingent situation one odor signaled shock with probability of 0.5 and the other “no shock” with probability of 1. In the perfectly contingent situation one odor signaled shock and the other “no shock” with probabilities of 1. In the non-contingent schedule none of the three surgical groups evidenced learning, in the partially and perfectly contingent cases the hippocampally lesioned animals performed so as to indicate greater learning of the aversion than did the cortically lesioned or the sham operated animals. It is suggested that the behavior of animals with hippocampal lesions is more sensitive to contingencies than that of normal animals.
The economic production and pricing model with lot-size-dependent production cost

In this paper, the economic production quantity problem for a single-product single-machine system is extended. It is assumed that annual demand of the product is a function of price set by manufacturer. This extension considers sales revenue, inventory and setup costs as well as a variable cost of production which is a function of the lot size. Several linear and non-linear functions of demand and variable cost are considered in this paper and a global solution methodology is presented for the models developed. Newton's method is used to find local optima and asymptotic convergence of the solution algorithm to a global optimum is proved. Numerical studies followed by a discussion provide additional insights into the problem.
Neutron-Proton Elastic Scattering from 2 to 7 GeV/c

Direct measurements were made of neutron-proton elastic scattering differential cross sections at high energies. A neutron beam with a continuous momentum spectrum between 1.2 and 6.7 GeV/c was scattered off a liquid hydrogen target, and spark chambers were used to determine the neutron scattering angle and, in a proton spectrometer, to measure the momentum and scattering angle of the recoil proton. Differential cross sections are presented over the incident neutron momentum range in intervals of the order of 0.5-GeV/c wide. The cross sections have an exponential peak in the forward direction and then flatten and become isotropic about the 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} c.m. scattering angle. At larger angles, the cross sections again rise towards the expected charge-exchange peak, which was not within the range of this experiment. There is little evidence of any other structure in the cross section. Values are presented for the slope of the diffraction peak, and comparisons are made between these slopes, and the 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} c.m. cross sections, for $\mathrm{pp}$ and $\mathrm{np}$ elastic scattering. The results presented here differ from those previously reported because of an error in a Monte Carlo calculation and in the availability of improved data on the real part of the $\mathrm{np}$ elastic scattering amplitude. At 5 GeV/c, a direct comparison of $\mathrm{pp}$ and $\mathrm{np}$ data allows the $I=0$ differential cross section to be extracted. The $\mathrm{np}$ data have been fitted in powers of ${cos\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$ for $|{cos\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}|l0.8$ for each energy range.
Texture development in polyethylene II. Unidirectional rolling

The effect of degree of strain on texture development in high-density polyethylene has been studied by pole figure analysis for unidirectional rolling. The crystallite orientation distribution in rolling textures has been quantified with an efficient technique which fits three-parameter, two-dimensional Gaussian-type distributions to pole figure intensity data around ideal single crystal orientations. During flat rolling of polyethylene a texture consisting of a strong (100) [001] component and a weak (110) [001] component develops continuously from the lowest true strain of 0.24 (21% reduction) up to the highest true strain of 1.36 (74% reduction). The peak intensity of the Gaussian distributions of both (100) [001] and (110) [001] components increase continuously to the highest strain. The maximum angular breadth of both component distributions, which are roughly perpendicular to the strain direction, remains constant with increasing strain. The minimum angular breadth of both component distributions, which are roughly parallel to the strain direction, decreases continuously owing to gradual alignment of the covalently bonded chain backbone parallel to the strain direction. The development of the (100) [001] component is explained by slip on (100) planes while the weak (110) [001] component is explained by slip on (110) planes. Although the latter component was previously attributed to (110) or (310) relaxation twinning, this seems unlikely because of the lateral constraint during plane strain deformation conditions used in this study.
Dose-dependent modulation of HIF-1α/ sima controls the rate of cell migration and invasion in Drosophila ovary border cells

The role of the hypoxic response during metastasis was analysed in migrating border cells of the Drosophila ovary. Acute exposure to 1% O2 delayed or blocked border cell migration (BCM), whereas prolonged exposure resulted in the first documented accelerated BCM phenotype. Similarly, manipulating the expression levels of sima, the Drosophila hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α ortholog, revealed that Sima can either block or restore BCM in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, over-expression of Vhl (Drosophila von Hippel–Lindau) generated a range of phenotypes, including blocked, delayed and accelerated BCM, whereas over-expression of hph (Drosophila HIF prolyl hydroxylase) only accelerated BCM. Mosaic clone analysis of sima or tango (HIF-1β ortholog) mutants revealed that cells lacking Hif-1 transcriptional activity were preferentially detected in the leading cell position of the cluster, resulting in either a delay or acceleration of BCM. Moreover, in sima mutant cell clones, there was reduced expression of nuclear slow border cells (Slbo) and basolateral DE-cadherin, proteins essential for proper BCM. These results show that Sima levels define the rate of BCM in part through regulation of Slbo and DE-cadherin, and suggest that dynamic regulation of Hif-1 activity is necessary to maintain invasive potential of migrating epithelial cells.
Step-rate thresholds for moderate and vigorous-intensity activity in persons with Down syndrome.

Abstract Objectives Monitoring physical activity intensity in persons with Down syndrome (DS) may be affected by an altered relationship between metabolic equivalent units (METs) and step-rate. This study examined whether the relationship between METs and step-rate is altered in persons with DS and developed step-rate thresholds for activity intensity for these persons. Design Cross-sectional. Methods Eighteen persons with DS (25 ± 7 years; 8 women) and 22 persons without DS (26 ± 5 years; 9 women) completed six over-ground walking trials each lasting 6 min at their preferred speed and at 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 m s−1. METs were measured with portable spirometry and step-rate with hand-tally. Random effects models were used to predict METs from step-rate, squared step-rate, height, presence of DS, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results Step-rate, squared step-rate, height, and presence of DS contributed significantly to the model (SE = 0.20 METs; R2 = 0.63); sex and BMI did not contribute. As height increased, step-rate thresholds for moderate and vigorous-intensity activity decreased. For a given height, participants with DS had lower step-rate at the moderate-intensity threshold than participants without DS. Across participant heights, the moderate-intensity cut-off ranged between 101 and 76 steps min−1 in persons with DS and between 103 and 80 steps min−1 in persons without DS. For persons with DS, step-rate at the vigorous-intensity threshold ranged between 136 and 126 steps min−1. Conclusions Persons with DS showed altered relationship between METs and step-rate and had lower step-rate thresholds for moderate-intensity activity than persons without DS.
A dual AC and DC output flyback converter

This paper presents a new flyback converter topology with dual DC and AC outputs. In traditional flyback converters, usually there are multiple secondary windings that can be utilized to construct few additional output ports. This new topology takes advantage of one of additional secondary windings to generate continuous AC voltage, accompanying with the conventional DC output voltage. In this new topology, the DC output follows the traditional configuration while the AC output is achieved by adding an L-C filter to an additional secondary winding. This new dual-output flyback converter integrates a standalone DC/DC converter with DC/AC inverter which helps save space and switching devices. The main purpose of the proposed dual-output flyback converter is to cope with more general applications especially when both DC and AC power are necessary, such as in rural solar-powered standalone systems.
FULLY CONSISTENT PHASE CONVENTIONS IN ANGULAR MOMENTUM THEORY.

Abstract By a slight modification of the phase conventions of angular momentum algebra, all phases can be eliminated from the formulas. Consequently, a simple, true graphical representation of the complete Racah algebra can be constructed. This way all topological questions of the recoupling transformations can be solved graphically, enabling one to write directly the algebraic expression of the final result.
A sodium-mediated structural switch that controls the sensitivity of Kir channels to PtdIns(4,5)P 2

Inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels are gated by the membrane phospholipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P(2)). Among them, Kir3 requires additional molecules, such as the betagamma subunits of G proteins or intracellular sodium, for channel gating. Using an interactive computational-experimental approach, we show that sodium sensitivity of Kir channels involves the side chains of an aspartate and a histidine located across from each other in a crucial loop in the cytosolic domain, as well as the backbone carbonyls of two more residues and a water molecule. The location of the coordination site in the vicinity of a conserved arginine shown to affect channel-PtdIns(4,5)P(2) interactions suggests that sodium triggers a structural switch that frees the crucial arginine. Mutations of the aspartate and the histidine that affect sodium sensitivity also enhance the channel's sensitivity to PtdIns(4,5)P(2). Furthermore, on the basis of the molecular characteristics of the coordination site, we identify and confirm experimentally a sodium-sensitive phenotype in Kir5.1.
Nephrotoxicity of intravenously injected cadmium-metallothionein: critical concentration and tolerance.

Abstract The nephrotoxicity of Cd-metallothionein (Cd-MT) was examined after iv administration of various dosages to mice. The lowest dosage of Cd-MT that produced renal injury was 0.2 mg Cd/kg. This dosage of Cd-MT resulted in 10 μg Cd/g in the kidneys 24 hr after administration. A time-course experiment utilizing a higher (0.3 mg Cd/kg) nephrotoxic dose of Cd-MT demonstrated that the renal Cd concentration at 4 and 12 hr was much higher than the critical concentration, but thereafter decreased to about 10 μg Cd/g wet tissue by 24 hr. Thus, Cd in excess of 10 μg/g appears to damage the kidney and then distributes to other tissues and/or is excreted into urine. When a total of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.8 mg of Cd/kg as Cd-MT was administered in divided dosages over 4 days, as much as 30 μg Cd/g was detected in the kidney but no renal injury was observed. Thus, the critical concentration for producing renal injury after acute administration of Cd-MT is estimated to be approximately 10 μg Cd/g wet weight. However, with repeated exposure to Cd-MT, this acute critical concentration can be exceeded without producing renal injury, as tolerance to the nephrotoxic effects of Cd-MT develops.
Robotic salvage retropubic prostatectomy after radiation/brachytherapy: initial results.

OBJECTIVE To report on the initial four patients who had robotic salvage retropubic prostatectomy (SRP) for biochemical recurrence after radiation therapy, and to review the surgical outcome of robotic cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer in two patients who previously had prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Since February 2006, four patients had SRP for biochemical failure after radiation and/or brachytherapy. Transrectal biopsy of the prostate confirmed locally recurrent disease and a metastatic evaluation including bone scan and computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis were negative in all cases. The SRP was done using a six-port transperitoneal approach. An additional two patients had a robotic cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer, in whom radiation was provided previously for prostate cancer. A retrospective analysis of the immediate and short-term surgical outcome was reviewed. RESULTS SRP was completed in all patients with no major complication or conversion to an open approach. The mean operative duration was 125 min, the mean (range) blood loss was 117 (50–250) mL and the mean hospital stay was 2.7 days. Of the four patients undergoing SRP, three had extracapsular extension and the first two had positive margins, while no patients had rectal injuries or significant blood loss. The lymph nodes were negative in all the patients. Three patients were continent within a month while one continued to use two to three pads/day at 3 weeks of follow-up. In the two patients who had cystoprostatectomy there were no major complications or increased surgical difficulty. CONCLUSIONS SRP is technically possible and with limited perioperative morbidity. Further studies are warranted to validate the oncological and functional outcomes of SRP after radiation and/or brachytherapy. Moreover, the robotic approach for radical cystoprostatectomy in patients who have had prostate radiation is feasible, with no increase in perioperative morbidity.
Four viruses, two bacteria, and one receptor: membrane cofactor protein (CD46) as pathogens' magnet.

CD46 (also known as membrane cofactor protein or MCP) is a regulator of complement activation that is expressed in most or all human nucleated cell types. CD46 was initially identified as binding and inactivating C3b and C4b complement products, a process protecting human cells from lysis by autologous complement (18). It also serves as a receptor for several human pathogens: an enveloped RNA virus (measles virus [MV]), an enveloped DNA virus (human herpesvirus 6), a nonenveloped DNA virus (adenovirus of different serotypes), and two types of bacteria (Streptococcus pyogenes and pathogenic Neisseria) (13, 27). Moreover, bovine CD46 was recently shown to serve as a receptor for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), an enveloped RNA virus. That six different pathogens selected the same molecule as a port of cell entry is of interest not only for microbiologists and immunologists, who wonder what makes CD46 such a seductive molecule, but also for gene therapists, who are seeking opportunities for targeting disease sites.
Reliability of psychological test scores for offenders entering a state prison system

This study assessed the test-retest reliability of psychological test scores obtained from felony offenders during the first few weeks of incarceration in a state prison. The tests administered were the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Suicide Probability Scale, the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, the Monroe Dyscontrol Scale, and the Brief Veteran's Alcohol Screening Test. Forty-four male offenders were tested on entry into a Washington state corrections system, and again from 1 to 3 weeks later. Results showed positive, significant correlations for all subscale scores of all tests with the exception of the Negative Self Evaluation score from the Suicide Probability Scale. These results suggest that the test scores of incoming state prisoners are stable, at least during the first month of incarceration. Concerns about the unreliability of test scores obtained during initial intake procedures into a prison system do not appear to be well founded.
Increased eustachian tube dysfunction in infants with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To investigate the prevalence of eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) in infants with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Study Design: Retrospective medical record review of infants (3–24 months old) diagnosed with OSA and ETD. Methods: There were 94 infants diagnosed with OSA by polysomnography and ETD as determined by performance of myringotomy and ventilation tube placement (MT). The main outcome measures were demographic data, apnea-hypopnea index, dates and number of MTs, interventions for treatment of OSA, and medical comorbidities. Results: Of 295 infants diagnosed with OSA, 94 (31.9%) had concomitant ETD. A total of 135 MT procedures were performed, with 30 (31.9%) patients undergoing two or more procedures. The average age of first MT was 16.3 months for those undergoing MT only once, and 11.1 months for those undergoing at least two MT procedures. There was no difference in average age of first MT when analyzed by OSA severity (15.6 months, 14.2 months, and 14.6 months for mild, moderate, and severe OSA, respectively). The first MT procedure was performed before or concurrent with the first treatment for OSA in 75 (80%) patients. Of the 137 interventions for treatment of OSA, 10 (45.5%) nonsurgical and 75 (65.2%) surgical interventions did not require further MT procedures afterward. Conclusions: The ETD prevalence of 32% in infants with OSA is increased compared to the general pediatric prevalence of 4% to 7%. Patients presenting for evaluation of OSA should also be evaluated for ETD. Surgical interventions for treatment of OSA led to decreased need for further MT procedures.
Quantifying advanced tape medium noise

An investigation of the tape medium noise mechanism analyzed the magnetization fluctuation produced by an incremental dc erase process in a variety of modern metal-particle tape media. It examined the wavelength characteristics of the noise and compared the integrated noise during the reverse dc erase process with in situ remanent hysteresis curves. The integrated noise power followed the square of the first field derivative of the remanent hysteresis curve, (dM/dH)/sup 2/, showing that spatial fluctuation of the recording field inside the medium is a major source of the tape medium noise. It excluded spatial fluctuation of the medium coercivity as a possible noise source by comparing results from recording heads with two very different gap lengths. A quantitative analysis of the medium noise spectra at different erase currents indicated that interfacial roughness at the magnetic coating backside in some dual-layer media is a major source of medium noise. The conclusion: The main mechanism of the medium noise in advanced tape media is the head medium spacing fluctuation due to surface roughness.
Service discovery in DEAPspace

The DEAPspace group at IBM Research, Zurich Lab is developing a system in which services can be shared between proximate devices. The target environment is single-hop short-range wireless systems, and the solution must offer prompt responsiveness for transient devices. In this article, the service discovery algorithm is presented. Through this new algorithm, a computing device can detect the presence of neighboring devices, share configuration and service information with those devices, and also notice when devices become unavailable. Targeted for wireless ad hoc single-hop networks, this solution improves the responsiveness of devices to changes in their environments. The effectiveness of this algorithm is demonstrated through comparison with others that achieve similar goals, considering the responsiveness to changes in the local environment, power consumption, and bandwidth requirement of devices.
Plenary speaker: “The pig in the poke? - Strategies to avoid unpleasant surprises with IP on your SoC”

Developing an SoC and meeting the profitable market window just requires the intense use of pre-verified functional blocks, either “homegrown” or coming from external IP providers. The fast growing 3rd party IP market place is the direct consequence of this. While we can see significant changes in the kind of IP and its distribution models over time, the main concerns of an SoC designer remains the same: Will the IP work as anticipated, and how much time can I really save by using such a “Lego building brick” rather than developing the functionality from scratch? The talk will briefly compare the IP market and its maturity with the EDA market and address the change of requirements to IP over time. The trend towards next gen IP demands will be addressed. From this background the author will share important learnings to help users avoid the most common pitfalls when designing-in the IP into their next complex SoC.
Motoneuron Responses to Visual Stimuli in Oncopeltus Fasciatus Dallas

1. Tonic discharges of homologous units in the left and right metathoracic leg nerves in response to increases and decreases in light intensity were observed. 2. Periodic variations in the frequencies of these units was shown to be related to leg movement and at a frequency appropriate for walking. 3. The intensity and duration of discharge of these units was related to the change in light intensity and the frequency of stimulation. 4. The unit of one side normally fired at a higher frequency than that of the other. 5. This was separate from the asymmetry produced by placing the animal in a rotating drum with a single 55° stripe. In this case, clockwise movement of the stripe produced a higher frequency discharge on the left side, while a counterclockwise movement reversed the frequency ratio. 6. Units in the connectives appeared to trigger this discharge.
On achieving zero aliasing for modeled faults

Methods for test-data compression ensuring zero aliasing in logic circuits are described. Aliasing occurs when due to loss of information during compression of the output response, a faulty circuit appears to be fault free. Zero aliasing is guaranteed for a given set of target faults, detected by the test set applied to the circuit. The inability of probabilistic analysis of aliasing to predict coverage of target faults is thus alleviated. Experimental results are presented to support the practicality of the methods proposed in ensuring zero aliasing. >
Brain Games for Cognitive Improvement

For each issue of Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, the editor selects three to five health care sites containing high quality health care information on a given subject. The topic for ea...
Conceptual Framework: Functioning and Disability

The experience of work and employment is universal; hence, any form of disability that may affect work can become a crucial issue. In this chapter, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model of the World Health Organization (WHO) will be discussed and how the ICF model can help us to understand and examine the broader context of work disability, vocational rehabilitation, and disability evaluation.
Insight into detection of deterministic and Gaussian signals in correlated plus impulsive noise environments

The authors present a different view of the discrete-time detection problem in impulsive noise. The approach used is to examine the geometry from a subspace viewpoint of two detectors: the clairvoyant matched filter and the clairvoyant power detector. They are clairvoyant in that the locations of the impulses in the received data sample are assumed known. In the presence of impulses, both detectors use this knowledge for properly weighting these samples to reduce the effects of the impulses. Unfortunately, since it is never reasonable to assume that the impulse locations are known, these are unrealizable detectors. However, these clairvoyant detectors provide insight into the problem of detection in an impulsive environment when the nominal component is correlated and suggest detectors which are realizable. The results can be used as a theoretical justification of preprocessing the data to eliminate impulsive samples prior to detection. >
The robust global stabilization of a stirred tank reactor

In this paper, a program of analysis is carried out for control of a nonlinear stirred tank reactor. By examining the uniqueness and stability properties of the reactor, the zero dynamics are analyzed. Subsequently, a model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) which explicitly takes into account the nonlinearities of the system is designed; the MRAC successfully compensates for parametric uncertainty. It is shown that even when almost all reactor parameters are unknown, global convergence over the entire phase space is achieved.
48. Medial temporal lobe memory system dysfunction in relatives of patients with schizophrenia

Growing evidence indicates that nonpsychotic relatives of patients with schizophrenia have subtle brain abnormalities in limbic, paralimbic and cortical regions. Verbal memory deficits in adult relatives have also been demonstrated. In this study we present more comprehensive morphometric analyses of the limbic and paralimbic cortices, to test the hypothesis that brain volume reductions, in a distributed memory encoding system, are associated with verbal memory deficits, and that they are more severe in nonpsychotic relatives with two schizophrenic family members (“multiplex”) as compared to one member with the illness (“simplex”). Subjects were 45 nonpsychotic first degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia and 48 matched normal controls. Sixty contiguous 3 millimeter coronal, T1-weighted 3D magnetic resonance images of the entire brain were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla magnet. Cortical and subcortical gray and white matter were segmented using a semi-automated intensity contour mapping algorithm. After segmenting the hippocampus and amygdala as a continuous volume, we parcellated the hippocampus from the amygdala. We used a new method to parcellate the fornix and mamillary bodies, along with the hippocampus, and the parahippocampal gyrus. Findings showed that the relatives had significant volumetric reductions in the left hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyri bilaterally, and that these were more severe in the relatives from “multiplex” families. Verbal memory deficits were significantly associated with hippocampal and parahippocampal volumes in the direction of smaller volumes, worse memory performance. These new data on cognitive and brain endophenotypes provide clues to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Simulation results of a typical GSM picocellular system

In this paper, simulation results of a typical GSM distributed base station transceiver (BTS) picocellular system under two cell configurations; three overlapping pico-cell base stations and four overlapping pico-cell base stations in which two are co-channel, are presented. The results presented are the call blocking rate, the handover blocking rate and the offered traffic which are used to evaluate the performance, per cell configuration, under two settings of the base station sub-system (BSS) database parameters; non-optimised and optimised. The results show that by taking into account the relative positions of the picocell BTSs and their respective service areas, the BSS database parameters can be optimised prior to the deployment of a picocellular system.
Determinants of Blood Pressure Response to Quinapril in Black and White Hypertensive Patients The Quinapril Titration Interval Management Evaluation Trial

Race has been considered an important factor in determining blood pressure response to treatment and selection of antihypertensive drug therapy. Data collected during a clinical trial that evaluated rapidity of medication up-titration with blood pressure response to monotherapy with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor quinapril were used to characterize response in 533 black and 2046 white participants. Our objectives were to examine the influence of race and other factors on blood pressure response and to assess the degree to which nonrace factors account for apparent racial differences in response. Average systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses (baseline minus follow-up) to treatment were assessed with treatment groups combined. Crude systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses averaged 4.7 and 2.4 mm Hg less, respectively, in black compared with white participants; however, the response distributions largely overlapped. In multivariate linear regression models adjusted for study design variables and measured participant characteristics, the racial difference in systolic response was reduced by 51% to 2.3 mm Hg, and diastolic response by 21% to 1.9 mm Hg. In these models, participant characteristics, including age, gender, body size, and pretreatment blood pressure severity, significantly predicted either attenuated or enhanced blood pressure response to treatment. Our findings demonstrate that a large source of variability of blood pressure response to treatment is within, not between, racial groups, and that factors that vary at the level of the individual contribute to apparent racial differences in response to treatment.
Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in African American Individuals

Objective. To examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a group of African American individuals. Design. A nonrandom sample of 253 (age 43.7 ± 11.6 years; 37% male) African American individuals was recruited by advertisements. Data were obtained by validated questionnaires, anthropometric, blood pressure, and blood sample measurements. Results. Regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between depressive symptoms and CVD risk factors controlling for socioeconomic status indicators. These analyses demonstrated that those with higher levels of depressive symptoms had larger waist-to-hip ratios, higher percent body fat, higher triglycerides, and were more likely to be smokers. Conclusions. It has been well documented that higher levels of depressive symptoms are associated with higher CVD risk. However, this evidence is derived primarily from samples of predominantly Caucasian individuals. The present investigation demonstrates that depressive symptoms are related to CVD risk factors in African American individuals.
History of Status Epilepticus

Although seizures have been described since ancient times, it is surprising how scant are the descriptions of what today is clearly identified as status epilepticus (SE). Perhaps the earliest reference to the condition of epilepsy and prolonged, ongoing seizure activity—SE—may be found in the Sakikku Cuneiform Tablet (Fig. 1), which notes If the possessing demon possesses him many times during the middle watch of the night, and at the time of his possession his hands and feet are cold, he is much darkened, keeps opening and shutting his mouth, is brown and yellow as to the eye. It may go on for some time, but he will die. (XXV–XXVI Tablet Obverse 718–612 bc)
Historical Trends in Great Power War, 1495‐1975

The hypothesis that war between the Great Powers is diminishing in frequency but increasing in seriousness is tested for the last five centuries of the modern Great Power system. We define this system, establish its origins in 1495, identify its membership, operationalize and identify its wars, measure these wars along several key dimensions, and analyze the historical trends along each dimension. It is found that the frequency of Great Power war has been diminishing rapidly from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century, with a slight upturn in the twentieth century. The Great Power wars that do occur, however, have become more serious along every dimension except duration, which has remained unchanged. They have been increasing in extent (number of belligerent Powers), severity (battle-deaths), intensity (battle-deaths per capita), concentration (battle-deaths per nation-year of war), and, to a certain degree, magnitude (nation-years). These trends are explained in terms of technological innovation, increasing interdependence of the modern Great Power security system, increasing rationalization and centralization of military power under the state, popularization of war through the nation in arms, emergence of a peacetime military establishment directed by professionals, and total mobilization of society for the enhancement of the military power of the state.
Creativity as a Function of Orientation and Group Participation

3 types of group orientation were studied in both nominal and real group situations. Brainstorming procedures were followed to elicit responses from the 81 male undergraduate Ss. The results of a 3...