cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment strategies of arterial steal after arteriovenous access

Introduction Ischemic steal syndrome (ISS) associated with arteriovenous (AV) access is rare but can result in severe complications. Multiple techniques have been described to treat ISS with varying degrees of success. This study compares the management and success associated with these techniques. Methods Patients with ISS between June 2003 and June of 2008 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, type of AV access, management technique, and success of intervention were recorded. Success was defined as resolution of ISS symptoms while preserving access function. One hundred consecutive AV access procedures were reviewed for comparison. Data were analyzed using χ 2 test, Fisher's exact test, and Student's t test. The study was approved by our institutional review board. Results A total of 114 patients with ISS had a mean age of 65 years (range, 20-90 years), were predominantly female (66%), diabetic (61%), and with a brachial origin fistula (69%). Risk factors for ISS included coronary artery disease (CAD; P P P = .048). Women were noted to have a brachial origin access more frequently than men (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; P = .009). Forty-four patients with mild steal were observed. Seventy patients underwent 87 procedures. Procedures performed included ligation (n = 27), banding (n = 22), distal revascularization and interval ligation (DRIL; n=21), improvement of proximal inflow (n = 9), revision using distal inflow (RUDI; n=4), and proximalization of arterial inflow (PAI; n=3). Early procedures ( P ≤ .05). In our current practice, 18% of patients had an AV fistula with the proximal radial artery (PRA) as the inflow source, while this type of fistula accounted for only 2% of all ISS patients. Ligation resolved symptoms in all patients, but the AV access was lost. Conclusions Risk factors for development of ISS include CAD, diabetes, female gender, hypertension, and tobacco use. Among various options to treat ISS, banding has a low success rate and high likelihood for reintervention, while DRIL is particularly effective although not uniformly. Less invasive treatment options such as RUDI and PAI may be quite effective in treating ISS. Use of the PRA as the inflow source may decrease the incidence of ISS.
Basal Reading Manuals: What Do Teachers Think of Them and How Do They Use Them?.

This study was undertaken to determine teachers’ perceptions of the helpfulness of basal reading manuals and to systematically examine teachers actual use of these manuals. Thirty‐eight teachers in grades 1‐5 responded to a questionnaire asking them to rate how helpful each part of the basal manual was in presenting a reading lesson. In addition, ten of these teachers were observed for an entire story cycle to determine what parts of the manual he/she used. Data indicated that teachers rated vocabulary instruction as the most helpful followed by comprehension questions. Classroom observations indicated that all ten teachers used the basal in teaching vocabulary and comprehension. Skills instruction was rated third in helpfulness followed by background information and prereading questions. Enrichment activities were rated as least helpful. Classroom observations found 9 out of the 10 teachers used skill instruction, while 5 used background and prereading questions. Only 1 teacher used the enrichment sugges...
Symbolic Dynamics of One-Dimensional Maps: Entropies, Finite Precision, and Noise

In the study of nonlinear physical systems, one encounters apparently random or chaotic behavior, although the systems may be completely deterministic. Applying techniques from symbolic dynamics to maps of the interval, we compute two measures of chaotic behavior commonly employed in dynamical systems theory: the topological and metric entropies. For the quadratic logistic equation, we find that the metric entropy converges very slowly in comparison to maps which are strictly hyperbolic. The effects of finite precision arithmetric and external noise on chaotic behavior are characterized with the symbolic dynamics entropies. Finally, we discuss the relationship of these measures of chaos to algorithmic complexity, and use algorithmic information theory as a framework to discuss the construction of models for chaotic dynamics.
Crystal growth of metal fluorides for CO2 laser operation I. The necessity of the RAP approach

Abstract The 10 μm transparency of halides addresses directly its oxide content. The conversion from oxide to fluoride must have Δ G ≪0. HF(g) is different from the other hydrogen halides because its Δ G of formation is larger than that of H 2 O(g). Decrease in the hydrolysis of RF 3 (R=rare earth) influences the crystal phase stability and the tendency of the crystal to crack. The base-to-acid behavior of +3 rare earths provides quantitative support. HF(g) and RAP (reactive atmosphere process) CF 4 (g) formations of YF 3 from Y 2 O 3 are given in detail. This indifference to HF(g) is reported also in the congruent growth of CaF 2 , SrF 2 , and BaF 2 . The explanation is seen in ZrF 4 , HfF 4 , and ThF 4 . Although RAP does not use HF(g), it permits the congruent growth of good-quality single crystals with very low H 2 O(g) content.
Ground detectors for optical communications from deep space

A variety of avalanche photodiodes were tested with pulse position modulated Q-switched laser pulses incident on the detector, with varying amounts of attenuation.
Cryosurgical treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: Four-year experience

Cryosurgical therapy was used to treat 393 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Therapeutic success was evaluated in relation to lesion size, grade, and endocervical extension. The overall cure rate with cryosurgical therapy was 84%. Size alone was found to be the major determinant of cryosurgical success. For one-quadrant lesions, there was a 99% cure rate. For two-quadrant lesions, the cure rate was 93%. For three- or four-quadrant lesions, the success rate was only 61%. Lesion size was found to be positively correlated with grade of dysplasia. As the grade of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia progressed, lesion size tended to increase. When this association was controlled for, grade of dysplasia was not a significant determinant of success rate. When endocervical extension occurred, although the upper limits of the lesion were seen, there was a significantly reduced success rate of 64%. Patients with large lesions or endocervical extension are at a much higher risk for failure with cryosurgical treatment. If cryotherapy is chosen for these patients, careful, long-term follow-up is essential to ensure adequate treatment of disease.
Bifurcation with a two-dimensional kernel

Abstract We present a theorem ensuring the existence of local solution branches for one-parameter bifurcation problems in which the linearization at the trivial solution possesses a two-dimensional kernel. In particular, we provide a straightforward “test” that is sufficient for the existence of local solution continua. We demonstrate our abstract theorem with several concrete examples for second-order systems of elliptic partial differential equations with symmetry.
Twice-Yield Method for Assessment of Fatigue Caused by Fast Thermal Transient According to 2007 Section VIII-Division 2 of ASME B&PV Code

Fatigue analysis is performed for a pipe section subjected to a repeated transient cycle of bulk temperature inside the pipe. No pressure is cycled. Finite element transient heat transfer analysis is performed. The times of the stress reversals are determined by elastic stress analysis. The number of design cycles for cyclic service of the pipe is obtained following the fatigue assessment rules for unwelded locations using the elastic-plastic Twice-Yield method of 2007 Section VIII, Division 2, of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Details for the use of these rules are presented.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
We can't get no (life) satisfaction? Comment on Oswald and Wu (2010)

Abstract Oswald and Wu (2010; Science) recently reported life satisfaction ranks for residents of the 50 U.S. states. Their rankings were framed as measures of “well-being,” but were derived from responses to only a single survey item (“In general, how satisfied are you with your life?”). Here we contrast Oswald and Wu's subjective rankings with our (Pesta, McDaniel & Bertsch, 2010) objective measures of state well-being. Strangely, our global index of well-being correlates −.43 with Oswald and Wu's life satisfaction ranks (intelligence, itself, correlates −.33 with these ranks). We argue that Oswald and Wu's rankings are misleading for three reasons. First, their massive sample size created statistically significant effects with little practical value. Second, life satisfaction and well-being are different constructs. Third, Oswald and Wu adjusted their rankings for personal income differences across survey respondents. We see this as analogous to controlling for rainfall when attempting to measure precipitation. Accordingly, after re-adjusting life satisfaction by income, we show that Oswald and Wu's ranks fail to correlate with any objective sub-domain of well-being.
Hyperlipidemia and Primary Prevention of Stroke: Does Risk Factor Identification and Reduction Really Work?

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death. Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for stroke. The United States Preventive Service Task Force defines lipid screening guidelines. Treatment options of hyperlipidemia include lifestyle modifications and medical management. Statins have been shown to decrease lipids and exert a pleiotropic effect on intracranial vasculature and inflammatory modulators, leading to neuroprotection. Lower low-density lipoprotein and higher high-density lipoprotein levels are associated with decreased risk of stroke. Despite screening guidelines and evidence of the efficacy of statins, there are numerous barriers to maintaining adequate control of lipids.
Effects of Transforming Growth Factor-β on Osteoblastic Osteosarcoma Cells*

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta), a polypeptide that controls growth and differentiation in many cell types and has recently been found in abundant amounts in bone, was examined for its effects on cells with the osteoblast phenotype using the clonal osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell line ROS 17/2.8. TGF beta increased alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and the rate of collagen synthesis per cell. Cell proliferation was inhibited, and the morphological appearance of the cells was markedly changed. All effects were observed at concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/ml TGF beta. Increases in AP activity were detectable after 24 h and increased progressively with time. TGF beta increased AP activity under serum-free conditions and during thymidine-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis. The increase in AP activity mediated by TGF beta could be completely inhibited with actinomycin D and cycloheximide. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 at 10(-7) M slightly increased AP activity in ROS 17/2.8 cells, but strongly inhibited AP activity when the cells were pretreated with TGF beta. The data suggest that TGF beta stimulates expression of the osteoblastic phenotype in ROS 17/2.8 cells and that TGF beta may be an important regulator of local bone remodeling.
Effects of Microstructure on Eddy Current Residual Stress Characterization of Shot-Peened Inconel 718

Recent studies have shown the possibility of exploiting the eddy current (EC) method for nondestructive characterization of near-surface residual stresses in surface-treated nickel-base superalloy components. The method involves measuring swept frequency EC signals to obtain near-surface electrical conductivity depth profiles, which can be converted into residual stress profiles using the empirical piezoresistivity relationship. However, the relationship between EC responses and residual stress profiles appears to depend on the microstructure. This paper reports on a systematic study of microstructural effects on the EC responses and near-surface conductivity deviation profiles induced by shot peening, using a series of heat-treated Inconel 718 samples with different secondary phase contents and thus a variety of hardness levels. Calibrated EC signals from 100 kHz to 50 MHz were measured from aged and unaged samples, before and after shot peening at various Almen intensities. Strong dependence of the EC responses on the sample hardness and microstructure has been observed. A procedure is introduced to convert the EC signals into shot-peening-induced conductivity deviation profiles where the microstructure dependency is suppressed. The resulting estimates of the conductivity changes are larger than expected, indicating that characterization of shot-peening-induced residual stresses by EC requires further understanding of the material responses beyond the empirical piezoresistivity relationship. Other mechanisms that could contribute to the observed conductivity changes are discussed.
Molecular-Genetic Characterization of CMS-S Restorer-of-Fertility Alleles Identified in Mexican Maize and Teosinte

Restorer-of-fertility (Rf) alleles for S-type cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS-S) are prevalent in Mexican races of maize and teosinte. Forty-five Rf alleles from 26 races of maize and 6 Rf alleles from different accessions of teosinte were found to be homozygous viable, consistent with the hypothesis that they are naturally occurring Rf alleles. Mapping and allelism studies were performed to assess the number of genes represented by these 51 alleles. Forty-two of the Rf alleles mapped to the long arm of chromosome 2 (2L), and 5 of these were further mapped to the whp1-rf3 region. The Rf3 restoring allele, found in some U.S. maize inbred lines, cosegregates with internal processing of CMS-S mitochondrial transcripts. Three of the 5 mapped Rf alleles were associated with a similar RNA processing event. Allelism or tight linkage was confirmed between Rf3 and 2 teosinte alleles (Rf K-69-6 and Rf 9477) and between Rf3 and the Conico Norteno allele Rf C-N (GTO 22). The rf3 region of 2L potentially encodes a complex of linked rf genes. The prevalence of restoring alleles in this chromosomal region, among normal-cytoplasm accessions of Mexican maize and teosinte, supports the conclusion that these alleles have functions in normal mitochondrial gene expression that by chance allow them to restore male fertility in S cytoplasm.
A case of extensive genitourinary tuberculosis: combined augmentation ileo-cystoplasty, ureteric ileal replacement and buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty.

Genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB) is the second most common form of extrapulmonary TB after lymph nodes. Advanced GUTB leading to strictures of ureters and urethra, and bladder contracture frequently need surgical management. These are usually treated by ileal replacement of ureter, substitution urethroplasty using buccal mucosal graft (BMG) and augmentation ileo-cystoplasty, respectively. These procedures have been well demonstrated individually but all these three procedures have never been combined as single procedure in the same patient. We report a case of advanced GUTB with ureteric and urethral strictures, and bladder contracture which was treated by the ileal replacement of ureter, aug¬mentation ileo-cystoplasty combined with BMG substitution urethroplasty in a single sitting.
Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax from blunt cervical trauma in children

Minor blunt cervical injuries in children are relatively common occurrences leading to serious sequelae in only rare circumstances, yet sufficient impact of even a seemingly minor event may lead to a significant posterior tracheal wall laceration, resulting in pneumomediastinum with or without pneumothorax. Three cases demonstrate how the mechanism of injury does not always match either the severity of initial presentation or the consequent necessary level of emergent management. Pneumomediastinum without pneumothorax often can be treated conservatively; however, the onset of massive pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax may necessitate both tracheotomy and tube thoracostomy as initial treatment.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF ASTHMA AND ALLERGY MEDICATIONS DURING PREGNANCY

Asthma is the most common respiratory problem in women of reproductive age and is the most common pulmonary complication of pregnancy. Medical therapy for asthma during pregnancy raises concern that the medications the mother must take will adversely affect the developing embryo. Counseling any woman who must undergo medical treatment during a pregnancy requires determining whether her medication is associated with an increased teratogenic risk, and if so, whether the medication can be safely avoided during pregnancy, used less frequently, or replaced by a safer alternative if treatment cannot be avoided. Adequate pulmonary function during pregnancy is critical, and therefore the majority of pregnant asthma patients must continue to take their medications. Additional drugs are sometimes required during acute episodes. Determining the teratogenic risk associated with a particular asthma medication requires careful interpretation of data from animal and clinical studies and an understanding of the basic principles of teratology. This article reviews these principles of teratology and how information derived from teratology studies can be used to evaluate teratogenic risk in the pregnant asthmatic patient.
Phase behavior of sparingly soluble polyethoxylate monolayers at the air-water surface and its effect on dynamic tension

We present the monolayer phase behavior of several slightly water-soluble linear poly(ethylene glycol) alkyl ether surfactants (CiEj = CH3(CH2)i-1−(O(CH2)2)jOH) and the relationship between the adsorbed monolayer phases, their transitions, and the rate of surface tension reduction. Surface pressure isotherms suggest a first-order phase transition between liquid expanded (L1) and liquid condensed (L2) states for the least soluble amphiphiles: C12E0, C14E1, and C16E2, with transition surface pressures near 20 mN/m at room temperature. In addition, C14E1 isotherms show a possible vertical LS state at higher pressure but below its equilibrium spreading pressure of 46 mN/m. Fluorescence microscopy of spread C14E1 monolayers confirms L1−L2 phase coexistence and reveals coexistence between liquid expanded and gaseous (G) states at low surface pressure. The dynamic assembly of these phases from solution, induced by flow in the subphase, is visualized with fluorescence and monitored with surface tension measureme...
Ternary liquid mixture thermal conductivities

Abstract A paucity of multicomponent liquid mixture thermal conductivities has left untested those thermal conductivity predictive models which are amenable to multicomponent mixtures. A transient hot-wire thermal conductivity cell was constructed, calibrated and used to measure ternary liquid mixture thermal conductivities over the entire composition range at 25°C and ambient pressure. These data were used to evaluate existing models which do not contain adjustable parameters. The Li model was found to be inadequate while the power-law model was found to be surprisingly accurate for nonaqueous systems, but it requires an adjustable parameter if water is one of the components. The local-composition model was found to agree well with the experiments without the above restriction. However, the agreement was even better if a new mixing rule is used, but the old rule should be retained for systems containing water. Ternary effects are unimportant and the local-composition model can be used for multi-component systems. Attempts to predict vapor-liquid equilibria from local compositions fitted from thermal conductivity data were unsuccessful.
Support for garbage collection at every instruction in a Java compiler

A high-performance implementation of a Java Virtual Machine1 requires a compiler to translate Java bytecodes into native instructions, as well as an advanced garbage collector (e.g., copying or generational). When the Java heap is exhausted and the garbage collector executes, the compiler must report to the garbage collector all live object references contained in physical registers and stack locations. Typical compilers only allow certain instructions (e.g., call instructions and backward branches) to be GC-safe; if GC happens at some other instruction, the compiler may need to advance execution to the next GC-safe point. Until now, no one has ever attempted to make every compiler-generated instruction GC-safe, due to the perception that recording this information would require too much space. This kind of support could improve the GC performance in multithreaded applications. We show how to use simple compression techniques to reduce the size of the GC map to about 20% of the generated code size, a result that is competitive with the best previously published results. In addition, we extend the work of Agesen, Detlefs, and Moss, regarding the so-called "JSR Problem" (the single exception to Java's type safety property), in a way that eliminates the need for extra runtime overhead in the generated code.
Synthesis of cyclopentadienyl gadolinium and samarium alkoxide complexes

Abstract The mixed ligand complexes [{Gd(OCMe2-i-Pr)2Cp}2], [{Sm(OCMe2-i-Pr)2Cp}2], and [Sm2(OCMe2-i-Pr)3Cp3] were synthesized by reacting [LnCp3] with HOCMe2-i-Pr. X-ray crystallographic studies show that the three complexes each have two bridging alkoxide ligands linking two metal atoms. The coordination geometries at the metals are distorted tetrahedral.
Neuroscience: Genomics reaches the synapse

A genomic survey uses innovative genetics to make neurons susceptible to RNA-mediated gene inactivation. The results implicate many genes in communication at the synapse between neurons and muscle.
Effect of Jet Arrays and Structured Surfaces on Two-Phase Impingement Heat Transfer

When heat fluxes and heat transport exceed 100 W/cm2 , heat transfer efficiencies decrease rapidly. Experimental work will be presented exploring how micro jet arrays and structured surfaces can be used to increase heat transfer efficiency. Using water, ethanol, and HFE-7000 as working fluids, the effect of jet momentum, subcooling temperature and surface wetting are experimentally investigated on 1cm2 smooth and structured surfaces. From results obtained so far, heat transfer efficiency increases with increasing surface tension (decreasing surface wetting) with micro-jet arrays. Further, existing correlations for two-phase jet impingement cannot predict the heat transfer performance with acceptable accuracy as they do not account for surface wetting characteristics.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Carotid Blood-Flow Velocity Changes Detected By Doppler Ultrasound in Determination of Brain Death in Children A Preliminary Report

To investigate the value of Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid arteries as a diagnostic test for the determination of brain death in children, we enrolled 17 patients in a blinded fashion in the pediatric intensive care unit of Memorial Miller Children's Hospital of Long Beach between the period of December 1990 and October 1992. After institutional review board approval and parental consent, children who sustained severe brain injury underwent Doppler ultrasonography study of their carotid arteries. Seven of 17 patients were diagnosed as having brain death by clinical criteria (complete loss of cerebral and brainstem functions) and electroencephalogram (EEG). Five of seven (71%) patients with the diagnosis of brain death had bilateral reverse flow (characteristic of increased cerebrovascular resistance and absent cerebral circulation) on their Doppler ultrasonography, yielding a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 71.4% (P = 0.01). All surviving patients (five) and the five who did not fulfill the brain-death criteria at the time of Doppler ultrasonography and were later taken off life supportive measures had normal Doppler findings. These data indicate that Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid arteries is a very specific test and can be used as an adjunctive modality for determination of brain death in children.
Neuromuscular effects of G93A-SOD1 expression in zebrafish

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder involving the degeneration and loss of motor neurons. The mechanisms of motor neuron loss in ALS are unknown and there are no effective treatments. Defects in the distal axon and at the neuromuscular junction are early events in the disease course, and zebrafish provide a promising in vivo system to examine cellular mechanisms and treatments for these events in ALS pathogenesis. We demonstrate that transient genetic manipulation of zebrafish to express G93A-SOD1, a mutation associated with familial ALS, results in early defects in motor neuron outgrowth and axonal branching. This is consistent with previous reports on motor neuron axonal defects associated with familial ALS genes following knockdown or mutant protein overexpression. We also demonstrate that upregulation of growth factor signaling is capable of rescuing these early defects, validating the potential of the model for therapeutic discovery. We generated stable transgenic zebrafish lines expressing G93A-SOD1 to further characterize the consequences of G93A-SOD1 expression on neuromuscular pathology and disease progression. Behavioral monitoring reveals evidence of motor dysfunction and decreased activity in transgenic ALS zebrafish. Examination of neuromuscular and neuronal pathology throughout the disease course reveals a loss of neuromuscular junctions and alterations in motor neuron innervations patterns with disease progression. Finally, motor neuron cell loss is evident later in the disease. This sequence of events reflects the stepwise mechanisms of degeneration in ALS, and provides a novel model for mechanistic discovery and therapeutic development for neuromuscular degeneration in ALS.
Strategic Reactions: Corporate Responses to Social Media Consumer Movements

In this paper we take an initial step toward understanding effective actions for corporations in the face of social media protests. We take an inductive, event-based view of five recent social media protests (Bank of America, Go Daddy, Netflix, Chick-fil-A, Abercrombie & Fitch) and the responses of corporations, in an effort to generate theory. We analyze the various events’ patterns of interaction and generate a set of propositions on effective action for corporations in the face of social media protests. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. First we briefly review the literature on the corporate impact of social movements. Next, we present our analysis of five recent consumer social movements. We conclude our inductive study with propositions based on patterns we identify in the cases.
Admission control and loss management for an application-level statistical service

We present an admission control framework and loss management techniques in support of a guaranteed statistical service. The service is characterized by (i) the loss rate of application data units (ADUs) bounded below a specified value, and (ii) ADU losses distributed evenly among flows subscribing to the service and uniformly over the duration of each flow. Specifically, a flow is modeled as a sequence of bursts, each of which is a sequence of packets that carry the bits of an ADU. The first packet of each burst carries information on the ADU (e.g., its bandwidth requirement). This traffic model enables admission control at the burst level as well as at the flow level. Such a two level admission control approach is very effective in bounding end-to-end ADU loss rates of flows while maintaining high channel utilization in the network. The traffic model also enables simple techniques that can be used at a network channel to distribute ADU losses evenly among flows subscribing to the same statistical service, and to protect high priority ADUs (e.g., 1 frames of MPEG applications).
Glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in Gulf Coast Native and Suffolk ewes during late gestation and early lactation

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to evaluate possible differences in glucose metabolism and insulin responsiveness in Gulf Coast Native (GCN) and Suffolk (SFK) ewes. In Experiment 1, 30 GCN and 41 SFK ewes in late gestation were used to identify hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Blood samples were obtained via jugular venipuncture and analyzed for plasma insulin, glucose, thyroxine, albumin, and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations. In Experiment 2, at 2-week postpartum, 19 GCN and 19 SFK ewes were administered frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests (FSIGT) consisting of a pulse dose of glucose (500 mg kg −1 BW) followed by an infusion of insulin (0.03 IU kg −1 BW). Blood samples were collected via jugular catheter at timed intervals over a 3 h period after glucose infusion. Samples from the FSIGT were analyzed for insulin and glucose concentrations, and the minimal model computer program was then used to assess glucose effectiveness ( S G ), an estimate of insulin-independent glucose disappearance; insulin sensitivity ( S I ), an estimate of insulin-dependent glucose disappearance; and acute insulin response (AIR glucose ), insulin secretion relative to glucose administration. Concentrations of albumin, thyroxine, and PUN were measured in samples collected prior to glucose infusion. In Experiment 1, insulin concentrations were greater ( P P P P S G and S I did not differ between breeds, while AIR glucose tended to be greater in GCN ewes. There were no differences in plasma albumin, thyroxine, or PUN concentrations. These data indicate slight differences in insulin sensitivity between GCN and SFK ewes during late gestation. However, there were no apparent differences in glucose metabolism between these breeds during the early lactation period.
On the next generation of high-speed voiceband modems

The ITU-T Recommendation V.90 for voiceband modems allows for a maximum downstream (from the central office to the user) transmission rate of 53.3 kbps and maximum upstream (from the user to the central office) transmission rate of 33.6 kbps when the remote modem at the Internet service provider (ISP) has a direct digital connection to the central office (CO) and the client modem is connected to the telephone network through an analog subscriber loop. In order to increase the upstream data rate beyond 33.6 kbps, it is necessary to considerably reduce the quantization noise due to the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in the line-card at the central office. In this paper, we propose a method to achieve this by using a single linear pre-equalizer arrangement in the transmitting modem along with spectral shaping of the input to compensate for the channel response before the ADC. We solve for the coefficients of the optimum pre-equalizer subject to the average transmitted voiceband power constraint imposed by the FCC. We demonstrate that it is possible to achieve data rates above 50 kbps upstream at a bit-error-rate (BER) less than 10/sup -6/ over typical telephone channels assuming that we have a fairly accurate estimate of the ADC slicing levels and sampling times.
Periodontal bacterial profiles in pregnant women: Response to treatment and associations with birth outcomes in the obstetrics and periodontal therapy (OPT) study

Background: A recent clinical trial (Obstetrics and Periodontal Therapy [OPT] Study) demonstrated that periodontal therapy during pregnancy improved periodontal outcomes but failed to impact preterm birth. The present study evaluated seven target bacteria, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans), Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis), Prevotella intermedia, Campylobacter rectus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum, in subgingival dental plaque of pregnant women in the OPT Study and their association with birth outcomes.Methods: Pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive periodontal treatment before 21 weeks’ gestation or after delivery. Subgingival plaque was sampled at baseline (13 to 16 weeks; 6 days of gestation) and at 29 to 32 weeks. We analyzed subgingival plaque samples from women who experienced fetal loss, delivered a live preterm infant (preterm women), or delivered a full-term infant (full-t...
Auxin/gibberellin interactions in pea leaf morphogenesis

Pea (Pisum sativum) has been an important model plant for several generations of plant physiologists, geneticists and developmental biologists. There exists an extensive body of knowledge on the genetics of many developmental processes including gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis and GA and auxin interactions during stem elongation. Auxin is a morphogen and is transported from cell to cell via vesicle-mediated secretion from sites of synthesis. This creates auxin concentration gradients, which can regulate genes controlling morphogenesis. Among the genes regulated are those of GA biosynthesis and this subsequently sets up secondary, parallel gradients of GA concentration. Both these hormones have been proposed to play roles during leaf development in other plant species. The question posed is whether auxin/GA interactions control leaf morphogenesis in pea. It was addressed by (1) looking at effects of auxin and GA inhibitors on leaf development, (2) attempting to rescue leaf form mutants by hormone application and (3) looking for genes expressed during leaf development that might be regulated by auxin and GA. Auxin and GA inhibitors produce common abnormalities during pea leaf development of wildtype (WT) cultured plantlets, which include: inhibition of leaf initiation, reductions in the number of pinna pairs produced and conversion of terminal tendrils into leaflets. Both GA and auxin rescued the tendrilled acacia (uni-tac) mutant by (1) increasing the number of pinna pairs produced and (2) converting terminal leaflets into tendrils. The Uni gene was transcriptionally up-regulated by auxin in shoot tips of cultured WT plantlets. Stable mRNA levels of three genes (PsPIN1, LE and IAA 4/5) known to be auxin-regulated also increased. These results suggest that both auxin and GA are involved in leaf initiation, promote leaf tip growth, and function in gradients and at multiple levels during pea leaf morphogenesis. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 150, 45–59.
Double-resonance effects in strong-field autoionization

We study laser-induced autoionization in a standard strong-field near-resonance model, with an extra (third) discrete state exicted by a second laser. We show that this third state plays a significant role in creating a narrow zero in the photoelectron spectrum. Two zeros are found in the spectrum, and confluence and trapping effects are studied.
Commentary on "Conceptions of Modern Psychiatry": From Attachment to Intersubjectivity

I am honored and humbled by the invitation to comment on the wisdom of a true giant in the history of psychiatry, Harry Stack Sullivan. Resonating with the prescience of his thought as any contemporary reader would, I am astonished by its pertinence to current concerns. Four domains of resonance strike me: the role of neurobiology in psychiatry, the social origins of mind in attachment relationships, the contribution of self-hate to suicide and, perhaps most important for clinicians, the intersubjective process of diagnostic understanding and treatment. As an expression of admiration for the timelessness of Sullivan's essay and appreciation for all we have learned from him, my comments merely explicate how some of his thoughts are playing out in contemporary theory and research. Language: en
The cause of luminal narrowing in internal mammary arteries implanted into canine myocardium

Abstract Attention is called to the cause of intimal thickening observed in the internal mammary arteries implanted in the myocardiums of 6 dogs. Eaach of the 12 implanted arteries showed varying degrees of fibrous intimal thickening, and several contained numerous channels. The multiple luminal channels strongly suggest that the intimal thickening was the result of organization of thrombi. The intimal thickening was less in the one animal in which the left coronary artery had been constricted before internal mammary artery implantation.
Multisensory Processing Impacts on Destination Image and Willingness to Visit

Large sums of money have been spent to build positive images of products and services. Thus, it is not surprising that much attention has been devoted to studying image, especially within the travel and tourism context. Image is defined as the impressions that a person or persons hold about a state in which they do not reside (Hunt, 1971). Image is also considered to be a set of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a person holds regarding an object. Gunn (1972), who was one of the first researchers to develop a conceptual framework of destination image, theorized that destination image consists of two major components—organic and induced. Organic images are based primarily upon information assimilated from non-touristic, non-commercial sources, such as the general media (news reports, magazines, books, movies); education (school courses); and the opinions of family and friends. Induced images are formed through more commercial information sources such as travel brochures, travel agents and travel guidebooks. Hence, people can have images without actually visiting a destination, and their images can be impacted through multi sensory processing such as seeing a travel brochure, smelling the surrounding environment, listening to music, tasting a local dish, and touching handicrafts. Unclear is to what extent each type (i.e., seeing, smelling, listening, tasting, touching) of multi sensory processing influences image? The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of multisensory processing on individuals’ image of South Korea as a tourism destination while comparing study participants’ responses to the dependent variable of empathy, image of South Korea and willingness to visit. This study employed a 2 x 2 between subject experimental design in which 1,027 participants were randomly assigned to one of the group (i.e., control, video, blog, drama) that theoretically influenced by their image of the travel destination. The structure equation model results showed that the proposed causal model for the multisensory processing, fit the data satisfactorily (χ2 = 187.50, df = 45, NNFI = .986, CFI = .990, RMSEA = .055). Thus, multisensory processing of both narrative and video had significant effect on empathy, images, and willingness to visit.
Ada programming language for numerical computation

The goal of scientific computation is reliability, accuracy, and efficiency. From the programming point of view, to provide reliable computation is to prevent overflow, underflow, and other exceptional conditions so that a program can be executed safely, completely, and efficiently. From the precision aspect, accurate computation eliminates or reduces possible computational errors that include: inherent error, error is present at the outset in original data, truncation error, error replacing finite terms for a function of infinite terms, and rounding error, an error due to finite binary internal representation of a computer system. Efficient computation is to develop an effective computational algorithm for the given problem using proper programming language features for computation. This paper addresses the use of the Ada programming to accomplish the goal of scientific computation. >
Global Production Networks and International Inequality: Making a Case for a Meso-Level Turn in Macro-Comparative Sociology

In this article, I extend recent macro-comparative empirical research on the developmental implications of global production networks. I draw from theories of commodity/value chains, global production networks and economic sociology to identify three contending theoretical perspectives for exactly how the developmental returns to network participants should be distributed—cooperation, exploitation and differential gains—and derive testable hypotheses for each. Adding to recent empirical advances for measuring the average network position of firms at the country level, I evaluate these hypotheses by way of dynamic panel regression models of hourly wage rates in the garment and transportation equipment industries. The results suggest that macro-sociological theories linking underdevelopment to the structure of the worldeconomy, as well as theories of the distribution of the gains from network participation, miss important variation at the industry level. Cooperation provides a poor account of the distribution of the gains from network participation. Instead, both industries appear to distribute the gains from network participation differentially across network participants. However, the extent of this inequality increases, and the garment industry transitions to exploitation, when global production networks become entrenched organizational logics. Variation in the distribution of the returns to network participation is explicable only by accounting for production-network governance as it varies across industries and over time. I conclude by highlighting the analytical utility to macro-comparative sociology of a turn toward the meso-level of global industries.
General Practitioners and Breast Imaging Modalities: Their Knowledge and Associated Determinants

Background: General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first-line doctors visiting patients with breast problems. Therefore, their knowledge about breast diseases is of significant importance for proper screening and referral of patients and warrants scrutiny. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of GPs regarding different breast imaging modalities. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we asked participants in an annual GP conference to complete a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire elicited information about the GP’s characteristics such as age, gender and work experience and eight multiple choice questions about how to use different imaging modalities and manage patients with breast disorders were also proposed. Results: In total, 270 GPs completed the questionnaire (155 females and 115 males). The results showed a significant association between frequency of GPs choosing the correct imaging modality in a 50-year-old asymptomatic patient and participants' age (≤40) and duration of work experience (≤5) (P = 0.002 and P = 0.016, respectively). Also, a significant association was revealed between gender of GPs (female) and correct answers regarding management of nipple discharge (P = 0.024). There were no significant associations between the other variables and answers to the other questions. Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the importance of implementing continuous medical education for GPs in approach to breast diseases.
Persistence of Shocks in the US Natural Gas Market: A Sector-Level Analysis

This paper tests the integration property of US natural gas consumption at the sector level and finds a heterogenous behavior. Residential, commercial, and power consumption are stationary. However, even after allowing for endogenous structural breaks, tests fail to reject unit-root in the industrial consumption of natural gas. The results highlight the value of conducting sector-level analysis of unit-root behavior in energy consumption.
Algorithms for constraint-based temporal reasoning with preferences

Recent planning and scheduling applications have successfully used the Temporal Constraint Satisfaction Problem (TCSP) to model events and temporal constraints between them. Given a TCSP, the task is to find a schedule or a set of schedules that satisfy all constraints in the problem. A key limitation of TCSPs and related formulations is that they only represent hard constraints---constraints that are either satisfied or not. Many real-world situations are better modeled with soft constraints---constraints that are satisfied to a particular degree. Soft constraints allow knowledge engineers to express that some situations are preferable to others. This dissertation augments TCSPs with soft constraints and presents algorithms that find optimal solutions. We represent soft constraints by augmenting hard constraints with a preference function that maps every valid solution to a local preference value that describes how well the constraint is satisfied. We then aggregate the local preference values to attain the value of the entire solution. We studied two aggregation functions, the sum and minimum functions. We developed a set of algorithms that optimize with respect to both aggregation functions when preferences are added to each of two common TCSP subproblems: the Simple Temporal Problem (STP) and the Disjunctive Temporal Problem (DTP). We analyzed each algorithm experimentally on random problems and showed that the algorithms for DTPs with preferences integrate practically into a planning and scheduling application called Autominder. Before integration, we modified the algorithms to handle dynamic DTPs with preferences, equipping them to solve a series of related DTPs with preferences faster than solving them individually. In many real-world problems, finding the optimal solution is not necessary---it is more important to find near-optimal solutions quickly. Consequently, our focus was on maximizing anytime performance. We achieved this goal, showing empirically that our algorithms quickly found high-quality solutions even for large problems. For all algorithms, we showed that the cost of adding preferences was minimal, achieving our overall goal of making the use of TCSPs with preferences practical in all situations where hard-constraint TCSPs apply.
Strength of sulfur-linked elastomers

Abstract Fracture energies have been determined for tearing through a sheet of a polysulfide elastomer, and for peeling apart two sheets bonded together with sulfur interlinks. Measurements were made over wide ranges of rate of crack propagation and test temperature. By shifting curves at various temperatures along the rate axis, using shift factors aT calculated from the “universal” form of the WLF equation, master curves were obtained for tear and peel energy vs. rate of tear or peel at the glass transition temperature Tg about −55°C. These master curves of strength vs. effective rate of crack propagation at Tg were closely similar to those obtained previously for several hydrocarbon elastomers: BR, SBR and EPR; interlinked with C-C bonds. Thus, under comparable test conditions the strength of the present polysulfide elastomer with sulfur crosslinks is similar to that for hydrocarbon elastomers with C-C crosslinks. The question then arises: Why are sulfur-vulcanized elastomers stronger in common experie...