cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic revision of the pennellid genus Creopelates Shiino, 1958 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) and the proposal of a new genus

The parasitic copepod Creopelates floridus Shiino, 1958 (Siphonostomatoida: Pennellidae) is redescribed based on postmetamorphic adult females in the collection of the Imperial Majesty of Japan deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba (NSMT), Japan. Five new species of pennellid copepods are described based on postmetamorphic adult females from marine actinopterygian fishes newly collected in littoral waters of Japan and the Philippines, in the western North Pacific. The copepods and their hosts are as follows: Creopelates hosinoi n. sp. from Bryaninops yongei (Davis & Cohen) (Perciformes: Gobiidae); C. shirakawai n. sp. from Diancistrus fuscus (Fowler) (Ophidiiformes: Bythitidae); C. lubangenesis n. sp. from Gobiodon rivulatus (Ruppell) (Perciformes: Gobiidae); Nagasawanus akinohama n. gen. et n. sp. from Trimma grammistes (Tomiyama) (Perciformes: Gobiidae); N. snufkini n. gen. et n. sp. from T. tevegae Cohen & Davis. The total number of valid species contained in the genus Creopelates is now five. Nagasawanus n. gen. is distinguishable from other pennellid genera by the following features: antennary processes and cephalic lobes rounded without branched fringes, neck region without processes, maxilla with claw-like terminal segment lacking spinules. Keys to the genera of Pennellidae and to the species of Creopelates and Nagasawanus n. gen. are also provided.
“Silent stroke”: An oxymoron meaning “dementia”

Brain MRI demonstrates the presence, in a large percent of elderly patients, of ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD), usually as white-matter lesions and lacunar strokes. These lesions are considered clinically silent because they fail to produce sensory or motor deficits. Nonetheless, these lesions disrupt prefrontal-subcortical circuits that mediate executive control functions (ECF). The loss of ECF is manifested as behavioral and mood changes and as executive dysfunction leading to loss of autonomy in activities of daily living and may escape detection. Many cases are likely to be diagnosed as “Alzheimer disease” (AD) instead. This is because preclinical levels of AD pathology (ie, sufficient to affect hippocampal and memory function) are very common in the elderly. Mild-cognitive impairment (MCI) has been estimated to affect 40% of persons over the age of 65, in contrast to “dementia,” which affects at most 15%. However, memory impairment alone is insufficient for the diagnosis of dementia. Other cognitive domains must also be affected, and these must be sufficient to explain disability. It is very likely that comorbid “silent” frontal system ICVD converts a significant fraction of MCI cases to “AD.” This explains, first, the high prevalence of frontal system ICVD in clinically diagnosed AD; second, the inverse association between ICVD and Braak stage in clinically diagnosed AD; and third, the recent identification of traditional risks factors for ICVD as being also risk factors for AD.
Complex patterns generated by next nearest neighbors cellular automata

Abstract A greater number of complicated patterns can be produced by cellular automata rules with next nearest neighbors in the updating, than those with only nearest neighbors couplings. Some patterns can be identified as gliders moving on the background, while other rules have more intriguing configurations called “creatures” which move irregularly on the background. Sometimes, even the distinction between creatures and the background disappears, and the patterns look strikingly similar to those generated by probabilistic rules, even though the rules used are strictly deterministic.
Symptoms and attitudes of 100 consecutive patients admitted to an acute hospice/palliative care unit.

One hundred patients admitted to an acute hospice/palliative care unit in a U.S. teaching hospital were evaluated using a standardized data acquisition tool that assessed the presence of physical symptoms and attitudes concerning admission to such a specialty unit. Patients entering the unit between June 1995 and October 1995 completed the tool within 24 hours of admission. Symptoms reported were fatigue in 81 patients, anorexia in 70, dyspnea in 61, xerostomia in 58, cough in 52, pain in 49, confusion in 37, depression in 37, constipation in 35, nausea in 30, insomnia in 23, and vomiting in 22. Of the 59 patients and family/friends that responded to the question "How do you feel about hospice care?", 53 gave a positive response. When asked about the best aspects of the unit, the most common response related to the care the patient and family received (23 responses, 39%). We conclude that patients admitted to an acute inpatient hospice/palliative care unit have multiple symptoms and a high degree of satisfaction with the environment.
Electrochemical titration of carboxylic acid terminated SAMs on evaporated gold: Understanding the ferricyanide electrochemistry at the electrode surface

Abstract Ordered 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) structures formed from self-assembly on evaporated gold electrodes were probed with potassium ferricyanide through electrochemical titration. The ferricyanide response was limited at these highly blocking films at low salt concentrations necessitating addition of 1 M KCl electrolyte. Voltammetry results strongly support the penetration of ferricyanide probe molecules into the SAM films for electron transfer. Recent models for electrochemical titration of SAMs, and interactions in weak polyelectrolytes are evoked for data analysis. The pKa determined using the electrochemical titration model was 5.6 ± 0.2 for 50% MUA/50% 6-mercaptohexanol monolayers and 5.8 ± 0.2 for the 100% MUA films. Utilizing a statistical mechanical model for weak polyelectrolytes at the water–solid interface (1 − pK) and a pK of 5.7, an intermolecular interaction component ( β E ¯ ) of 2 was obtained for the 100% COOH films and β E ¯ of 1 for the 50% COOH films, which suggests a more deprotonated 50% MUA film with less intermolecular interactions compared to pure MUA films.
Autoregulation of inducible prostaglandin G/H synthase in osteoblastic cells by prostaglandins

Prostaglandins (PGs) have been postulated to amplify their own production by stimulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate activity, which in turn stimulates PG production. We examined regulation of messenger RNA levels for the inducible and constitutive prostaglandin G/H synthases, PGHS-2 and PGHS-1, in murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, which express both PGHS-1 and PGHS-2, and in rat osteoblastic Py1a cells, which express only PGHS-2. Prostaglandins E2, F2 alpha, and D2 induced PGHS-2 mRNA in both cell lines under serum-free conditions and stimulated small increases in PGHS-1 mRNA levels in MC3T3-E1 cells. PGE2 (1 microM) increased the transcription rate of PGHS-2 mRNA 9-fold at 2 h in serum-free cells and also induced PGHS-2 protein. In the presence of arachidonic acid or serum, PGs also increased medium PGE2. Both forskolin, a protein kinase A activator, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, have previously been shown to induce PGHS-2 mRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells, but in the present study only PMA induced PGHS-2 expression in Py1a cells. The induction of PGHS-2 mRNA in Py1a cells by PGs was inhibited by chelerythrine, a PKC inhibitor, and blocked by 24 h of pretreatment with PMA. The 2 h serum stimulation of PGHS-2 mRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells was inhibited 40-50% by three structurally unrelated nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), suggesting that endogenous PGs also amplify PG production through induction of PGHS-2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Parameter sensitivity analysis of a network model of systemic circulatory mechanics.

A previous analytical model of the systemic circulatory system (Grodins,Quarterly Review of Biology, 1959,34, 93–116) was extended based on recent experimental studies. Major units considered are: large arteries, large veins, and the peripheral circulation. The latter is subdivided into three parallel functional units: (1) nutritional bed, (2) shunt pathway and (3) storage area. By addition of simplified linear descriptions for the heart and pulmonary circulation, the overall cardiovascular system was considered. Parameter values were mainly derived from right heart bypass (Grodins, Stuart, and Veenstra, American Journal of Physiology, 1960198, 552–560) and isolated hindlimb (Satoet al., 1971) experiments. An algebraic equation relating cardiac output to systemic circulatory parameters was derived which provided a convenient means of studying effects of parameter changes. This equation predicted that compliances and unstressed volumes have a unidirectional effect on cardiac output but arterial resistance has a variable effect which depends on the values of resistances and compliances of the parallel pathways. Circulatory responses to exercise were considered by changing compliance and resistance of the nutritional bed in accordance with experimental values obtained with a frequency response method (Vega, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Southern California, 1973). Possible mechanisms for blood flow restoration as required by the resistance change are discussed. In summary, systemic circulatory mechanics appear to influence cardiac output mainly by redistribution of blood volume between different segments rather than by redistribution of blood flow.
Examination of Sex Differences in a Large Sample of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development.

Despite consistent and substantive research documenting a large male to female ratio in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), only a modest body of research exists examining sex differences in characteristics. This study examined sex differences in developmental functioning and early social communication in children with ASD as compared to children with typical development. Sex differences in adaptive behavior and autism symptoms were also examined in children with ASD. Participants (n = 511) were recruited from the Florida State University FIRST WORDS® Project and University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center. Analyses did not reveal significant effects of sex or a diagnostic group by sex interaction, suggesting a similar phenotype in males and females early in development. Further research is needed to examine sex differences across development.
Medial Frontal Cortex Activity and Loss-Related Responses to Errors

Making an error elicits activity from brain regions that monitor performance, especially the medial frontal cortex (MFC). However, uncertainty exists about whether the posterior or anterior/rostral MFC processes errors and to what degree affective responses to errors are mediated in the MFC, specifically the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). To test the hypothesis that rACC mediates a type of affective response, we conceptualized affect in response to an error as a reaction to loss and amplified this response with a monetary penalty. While subjects performed a cognitive interference task during functional magnetic resonance imaging, hemodynamic activity in the rACC was significantly greater when subjects lost money as a result of an error compared with errors that did not lead to monetary loss. A significant interaction between the incentive conditions and error events demonstrated that the effect was not merely attributable to working harder to win (or not lose) money, although an effect of motivation was noted in the mid-MFC. Activation foci also occurred in similar regions of the posterior MFC for error and interference processing, which were not modulated by the incentive conditions. However, at the level of the individual subject, substantial functional variability occurred along the MFC during error processing, including foci in the rostral/anterior extent of the MFC not appearing in the group analysis. The findings support the hypothesis that the rostral extent of the MFC (rACC) processes loss-related responses to errors, and individual differences may account for some of the reported variation of error-related foci in the MFC.
Gross properties of levels in A38 with excitation near neutron separation energies

Abstract Cl37 targets of the order of 100 keV thick to 2 MeV protons were bombarded with monoenergetic protons. Neutron detectors sensitive to neutron energy were used to observe and distinguish between neutrons from the reactions Cl37(p, n)A37 and Cl37(p, n)A37∗, where A37∗ refers to the first excited state of A37. Compared to a Hauser-Feshbach statistical calculation, the yield N0 from the ground-state reaction is anomalous, showing a broad maximum centred about 0.5 MeV above the reaction threshold. A further broad maximum in N0 is seen about 0.5 MeV above the threshold for the excited state reaction, and in this region there is also a broad maximum in the yield N1 from the excited state reaction. The yields N0 and N1 behave somewhat similarly up to about 1 MeV above the respective thresholds.
Agricultural Insurance and Soil Depletion in a Simple Dynamic Model

We study the effects of agricultural insurance on farm production choices, soil depletion and the environment when there are two related risks, one in short-to-medium run production revenues and the other in land value. The analysis considers "pure" and "truncating" insurance programs that stabilize linear combinations of short-run revenue risk and land price risk. Production-revenue-stabilizing insurance is often found to elicit increased farmer output, thus exacerbating environmental externalities and causing further soil depletion. Land-value-stabilizing insurance typically elicits lower output thus mitigating environmental externalities and pushing farmers closer to their complete-insurance output levels.
Septic arthritis in childhood

Fifty-two cases of nontuberculous purulent arthritis seen at the Tobey Hospital during a 16 year period following the introduction of antibiotic therapy were reviewed. The clinical picture was found to be a consistent one with only one or two joints involved. There was usually high fever, leukocytosis, and severe pain, tenderness, and swelling of the involved joints. Early arthrocentesis with attempts to isolate the causative organism is important. Although antibiotic therapy has virtually eliminated the mortality from septic arthritis, significant residual disability occurs, especially when the hip is involved. Methods to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment are discussed.
Rethinking Hayden White's treatment of Croce

The influential theorist of history Hayden White began as a partisan of the earlier Italian thinker Benedetto Croce. After 1963, however, White gradually turned against Croce, finally, in Metahistory, casting Croce's position as the limiting ironic outcome of nineteenth-century historiographical realism. Croce putatively left the historian as a passive observer, cut off from using historical understanding to help shape events. Whereas most students of White say little about White's encounter with Croce, this article argues that both thinkers were seeking to establish a post-realist cultural framework. Although White had plausible reasons to dissent from Croce, he sidestepped the challenge of the Crocean alternative by forcing Croce into a limiting mold as a time-bound, bourgeois ideological spokesman. This was to restrict unnecessarily and unfortunately the terms of post-realist debate.
Determination of Mars atmospheric composition by shock-layer radiometry during a probe experiment.

Mars atmospheric composition determination by shock layer radiometry technique during probe experiment
Alterations of the bone dimension following immediate implant placement into extraction socket: systematic review and meta‐analysis

Aim This systematic review was aimed at analysing bone dimensional alterations within the first year following immediate implant placement. Materials and methods The electronic search was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and EMBASE from January 1980 to October 2013. Quality assessment of selected articles was performed using Cochrane Collaboration's tool or Newcastle-Ottawa scale according to the design of each study. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate bone dimensional reduction. Weighted mean differences in bone dimension between baseline and follow-up measurement were calculated. Subgroup analysis and mete-regression were conducted to evaluate the effects of different variables. Results A total of 1348 articles were identified following the search process. Six studies were included in the present review. The weighted mean buccal horizontal bone dimensional reduction (BHDr) was 1.07 mm and buccal vertical bone dimensional reduction (BVDr) was 0.78 mm. The weighted mean palatal bone dimensional reduction was 0.62 mm horizontally (PHDr) and 0.50 mm vertically (PVDr). The initial thickness of the buccal alveolar plate (TB) of the socket was the only variable significantly correlated with BHDr and BVDr in meta-regression analysis. Conclusions The bone dimensions of immediate implant sites demonstrated approximately 0.5-1.0 mm reduction in vertical and horizontal aspects 4-12 months following surgery. The results should be interpreted with care because of the data heterogeneity. The correlation of the socket buccal wall thickness, and other variables, with dimensional changes of the bony ridge should be investigated further in controlled clinical trials.
Impact of an episodic event on copper and zinc concentrations and speciation in surface waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Electrochemical and chelation/extraction trace metal techniques are used to develop an understanding of changes in copper and zinc concentrations and speciation associated with a hydrographic and atmospheric event which occurred during an 8-day station in the Gulf of Mexico. Changes in copper and zinc concentrations and speciation coincided with physical changes and biological productivity stimulation. In normally oligotrophic water masses it is possible that episodic events, such as inputs from beneath the mixed layer or aeolian transport, may impact the interaction of trace metals and marine biological processes.
On a problem of T. J. Rivlin in approximation theory

for which there exists an x E C([O, 11) such that the polynomial of best approximation of degree j to x (in the sense of CebySev) is pj (j = 0, 1, . . ., n 1). What is the answer in the particular case II = 2? In the present paper we shall consider the following more general problem: Let {Gk} be a sequence of linear subspaces of a normed linear space E. Characterize those sequences (gk) in E, with g, E Gk (k = 1,2,. . .), for which there exists an x E E such that
Principles of Tunneled Cuffed Catheter Placement

Tunneled cuffed catheters provide reliable and instant long-term intravenous access for a large variety of therapeutic purposes, including chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, and apheresis. The most frequent application is for patients with renal failure as an access device for hemodialysis. In this capacity, the rate of catheter use has remained stable in the United States, despite the promotion of arteriovenous fistulas and arteriovenous grafts. The latter 2 procedures achieve superior longevity and much higher cost-efficiency. Tunneled catheters, however, serve as bridging devices during maturation of newly placed arteriovenous fistulas or as the final option in patients in whom fistulas and grafts have failed. High-quality vascular access is a hallmark of interventional radiology, and its significance for patient care and for our specialty cannot be overestimated. Familiarity with basic concepts of the device and procedural techniques are crucial to achieve successful long-term venous access. The following article demonstrates key concepts of tunneled venous catheter placement by means of dialysis, inasmuch as dialysis catheters represent the most commonly placed tunneled central venous catheters. The principles of placement and techniques utilized, however, are applicable to devices that are used for chemotherapy or parenteral nutrition, such as the Hickman, Broviac, Groshong, or tunneled peripherally inserted central catheters.
Characterization of a Schizosaccharomyces pombeStrain Deleted for a Sequence Homologue of the Human Damaged DNA Binding 1 (DDB1) Gene

Human damaged DNA-binding protein (DDB) is a heterodimer of p48/DDB2 and p127/DDB1 subunits. Mutations in DDB2 are responsible for Xeroderma Pigmentosum group E, but no mutants of mammalian DDB1 have been described. To study DDB1, theSchizosaccharomyces pombe DDB1 sequence homologue (ddb1+) was cloned, and a ddb1deletion strain was constructed. The gene is not essential; however, mutant cells showed a 37% impairment in colony-forming ability, an elongated phenotype, and abnormal nuclei. The ddb1Δstrain was sensitive to UV irradiation, X-rays, methylmethane sulfonate, and thiabendazole, and these sensitivities were compared with those of the well characterized rad13Δ,rhp51Δ, and cds1Δ mutant strains. Ddb1p showed nuclear and nucleolar localization, and the aberrant nuclear structures observed in the ddb1Δ strain suggest a role for Ddb1p in chromosome segregation.
Effects of exercise training on endothelium-dependent peripheral vascular responsiveness

Endurance training results in peripheral vascular adaptations in skeletal muscle which enhance perfusion and vascular flow capacity. These adaptations could result from structural modifications of the vasculature and/or alterations in the control of vascular tone. One potential mechanism through which vascular control may be modified is through adaptive changes in the intrinsic responsiveness of vascular endothelium. Experiments have demonstrated that vascular responsiveness to endothelium-dependent vasodilators are enhanced in exercise-trained animals. The enhanced endothelium-dependent relaxation appears to be mediated through elevations in the formation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide. Training also results in a decreased sensitivity to the vasoconstrictor effects of norepinephrine. This alteration appears to be due to an endothelium-dependent mechanism involving alpha 2-adrenergic receptors. One stimulus that appears to be important in initiating the adaptation of the endothelium to training is the increase in muscle blood flow and shear stress which occurs during exercise. However, other factors associated with exercise may be necessary to induce endothelial adaptations produced by endurance training. Further research is needed to determine the significance of changes in endothelium-dependent vascular responsiveness and whether this is associated with training-induced increases in muscle perfusion and vascular flow capacity.
Cardiopulmonary effects of antimalarial drugs: VI. Adenosine, quinacrine and primaquine☆

Abstract The cardiac effects of adenosine and quinacrine were investigated in anesthetized rats, cats and dogs. The cardiac slowing and atrioventricular block induced by iv injection of adenosine were reduced by the prior administration of quinacrine. However, the depression of myocardial contractility, decrease in coronary vascular resistance, increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and systemic hypotension induced by adenosine were not influenced by quinacrine. It is therefore unlikely that the cardiac effects of quinacrine are largely mediated by antagonizing adenosine. The depression of ventricular function produced by quinacrine is unrelated to any interaction with adenosine. The antiarrhythmic activity of primaquine, pentaquine, isopentaquine and pamaquine was demonstrated in mice. Ventricular fibrillation likely to be induced by chloroform inhalation was prevented by pretreatment with one of the 8-aminoquinolines. Primaquine antagonized some of the cardiac effects of adenosine (bradycardia and atrioventricular block) in the rat heart. Primaquine also depressed myocardial contractility and the β-adrenergic receptors in the canine heart.
Essential requirements for the validity of immunocytochemical staining procedures.

Although immunocytochemical results are rarely quantifiable today, it is well-recognized that the ultimate goal in many routine and research applications is quantitative measurement of tissue antigens. This trend is evident in several recent publications, even in the program of the present meeting. If immunocytochemistry is to be developed into a reliable quantitative method, it will be necessary to define and agree on criteria of reliability that could aid in both designing immunocytochemical experiments and interpreting the results. Criteria of reliability, based on long-established principles of quantitative biological assays, have been suggested a few years ago (Petrusz et al., 1980) and will be briefly summarized here. At the outset, it is important to realize (and accept the practical consequences of) the fact that there are definite limits to the exactness with which any observation can be made, whether quantitative or qualitative. In other words, all observations contain a certain component of error, and the magnitude and nature of this error is not always obvious from a single observation or even from repeated observations. Immunocytochemical staining in any form is a complex procedure, subject to many possible errors, and it is not always easy to obtain satisfactory results. Our goal must be to develop methods by which the errors can be evaluated and their influence on the final results can be determined. The criteria of reliability to be considered below (efficiency, accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity) represent the first steps toward achieving this ultimate goal.
Microalgal process for treatment of high conductivity concentrates from inland desalination

AbstractDesalination concentrate contains high levels of dissolved ions such as alkalinity, sulfate, and synthetic chemicals. Microalgal species that have ability to grow in the presence of these ions can be used to treat concentrates. A natural indigenous microalgal consortium originally grown in the concentrate of an evaporation pond was selected, cultured, and seeded in the growth medium for treatment of concentrates. Fed-batch experiments were performed with five different conductivities of concentrates in five reactors, with duplicates. Supernatants or leachates from anaerobic digested sludges were supplied as nutrients. Energy was supplied by sunlight during regularly scheduled office hours. Artificial light was supplied as energy during the weekend and all holiday hours. Environmental air was supplied as carbon during the office hours, weekend, and holidays. Water quality from treated concentrate in reactor R1 at 20 d of treatment was sufficiently pure to be given to sheep. Overall mass conductivit...
A shoot-through protection scheme for converters built with SiC JFETs

SiC JFET has been an attractive device for the converter construction due to its superior switching performance and high temperature operation capability. But the shoot-through protection remains a challenge because of the limited knowledge and normally-on characteristics of this device. This paper presents a novel shoot-through protection approach. A bi-directional switch which consists of an IGBT and a relay is embedded into the dc-link and then the shoot-through failure can be detected and cleared regardless the device type used in the converter. Therefore it is suitable for the converter built with SiC JFETs. The protection mechanism and the corresponding circuit design are described in details. The proposed protection circuit is first tested in a phase leg setup with MOSFET and then implemented in an ac-ac converter system using SiC JFETs. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed protection approach.
Effect of Mitomycin C on Lateral Root-Tip Chromosomes of Vicia faba

Lateral root-tip chromosomes of Vicia faba were treated with mitomycin C. Chromatid aberrations were observed from 24 through 96 hours after treatment. The effect of mitomycin C was not altered appreciably by changes in p H, temperature, oxygen tension, or lack of adenosine triphosphate. The relationship of mitomycin C to other radiomimetic compounds is discussed.
The all-pairs quickest path problem

In this paper we discuss the quickest path problem and proposed an θ(λn 2 ) space data structure which allows to answer quickest path queries in O(log r) time and whose construction requires θ(min {mn 2 , rn 2 log n+rnm}) time
Sound and vibration perceptual contributions during vehicle transient and steady-state road inputs

This paper discusses two studies which address the perception of both transient and steady state sound and vibration experienced by drivers in vehicles. While past studies with railway and aircraft sound and vibration showed varying degrees of sound and vibration interaction, the results of these two studies showed little evidence of interaction. Additionally, both sound and vibration appeared to contribute about equally to the overall NVH perception. Other researchers have observed that the strongest modality tends to dominate perception, but that effect was not observed in the studies presented here.
A principle of error compensation studied within a task of force production by a redundant set of fingers

Based on previous studies, we formulated a principle of error compensation as a major principle of synergy organization during motor tasks performed by a redundant set of effectors. Within the present study, we tested the principle by an investigation of the performance of individual fingers during isometric force production when another task was performed simultaneously. Subjects were asked to press at about 30% of the maximal contraction force with three fingers (index, middle, and ring) acting in parallel. Then, they were required to perform a series of taps at 2 Hz with one of the fingers. In all the tasks, nontapping fingers changed their force production without a time delay with the changes in the force by the tapping finger. During tapping with the index and with the middle finger, both nontapping fingers showed changes in their force negatively correlated with changes in force of the tapping finger. During tapping with the ring finger, two types of behavior could be seen in different subjects with the force of the middle finger going out of phase (group 1) or in phase (group 2) with the force of the ring finger. In both cases, the force of the index finger was out of phase with the force of the ring finger. These changes, on average, induced a compensation for the expected drop in finger force during tapping, ranging in different conditions from 94% to 102%. The ratio of forces produced by the nontapping fingers did not change during the tapping in all the cases except group 2 during ring-finger tapping, when the index finger started to generate significantly higher force as compared to the middle finger. We interpret the data as results of the action of a feed-forward central mechanism leading to parallel changes in forces produced by fingers united into a structural unit.
A de-cresting technique for polar transmitters using Envelope-Tracking (ET) and SiGe power amplifiers for mobile-WiMAX

A decresting algorithm for mobile WiMAX has been developed using time domain clipping and filtering processes for a polar transmitter (TX) using Envelope-Tracking (ET) and a monolithic SiGe power amplifier (PA). RF/Analog/Digital system and circuits co-design simulations have been performed for mobile WiMAX with 64 QAM OFDM modulation format. It is found that higher power-to-average ratio (PAR) decresting can improve the adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) and the overall TX system efficiency, but at the cost of its EVM degradation. Our system simulations show that careful design of signal decresting can improve the overall polar TX system efficiency from 28.1% to 30.3% while the TX output can still meet the stringent WiMAX TX mask and EVM specs.
Regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell calcification by extracellular pyrophosphate homeostasis: synergistic modulation by cyclic AMP and hyperphosphatemia

Vascular calcification is a multifaceted process involving gain of calcification inducers and loss of calcification inhibitors. One such inhibitor is inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), and regulated ge...
Radiative and Electrical Properties of a Center-Post Cathode Magnetron Glow Discharge Device:

Current-voltage characteristics and spatially resolved atomic emission data are used to describe the basic operation of a magnetron glow discharge plasma device. The low-pressure glow discharge lamp uses a center-post cathode and a concentric ring-shaped anode. A coaxial magnetic field of a few hundred Gauss is used to achieve magnetron operation where plasma electrons are trapped in closed paths which are concentric with the electrode structure. This results in dramatic changes in the radiative and electrical properties of the device. With constant current, lamp operating voltage may be reduced by more than a factor of two when the magnetic field is present. The effects of filler gas pressure and magnetic field strength on the current-voltage characteristics are presented. The presence of the magnetic field results in a radial contraction of the plasma. This contraction increases with increasing field strength and with decreasing pressure. Ion lines from the Ar filler gas are more affected by the field than are neutral-atom lines from the cathode material.
Estimating Wisc‐III scores for special education students using the Dumont‐Faro short form

The Dumont-Faro short form was used to estimate Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-III (WISC-III) Full Scale IQ scores for 45 special education students in a rural setting. Using the validation criteria proposed by Resnick and Entin (1971), results demonstrated that IQ scores generated by the Dumont-Faro short form were positively correlated (r= .96) with the WISC-III Full Scale scores. A significant mean difference in scores and an IQ misclassification rate of 44%, however, challenge the utility of the Dumont-Faro short form for estimating WISC-III Full Scale IQ. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pathfinder associative networks: studies in knowledge organization

This volume is a presentation of the theory and application of Pathfinder networks. These networks are derived from proximity data, and they have various applications in cognitive modelling, user-computer interface design, and knowledge engineering.
Epidemiology of Streptococcus uberis intramammary infections in a dairy herd.

From 1987 to 1991, almost 36 000 quarter samples of mammary secretion representing 1790 lactations of 510 dairy cows from a research herd were collected for bacteriological examination. The percentage of cows infected with Streptococcus uberis ranged from 12 to 16 % of cows/year. S. uberis was isolated from 14.2 % of lactations over the 5-year period. The prevalence of S. uberis intramammary infection (IMI) was significantly higher in cows with ≥4 lactations than in cows with 3 or fewer lactations. Regardless of lactation number, the prevalence of S. uberis was highest before parturition, during early lactation and near drying off. The prevalence of S. uberis infected quarters ranged from 1.3 to 2.3 % of quarters/year; the prevalence rate for the 5-year period was 2 % of quarters. The quarter prevalence of S. uberis was lowest in cows with ≤3 lactations, increased significantly with lactation number and was highest in cows with ≥6 lactations. The percentage of quarters infected with S. uberis varied significantly by year. The majority (95 %) of S. uberis IMI were subclinical. The ratio of subclinical IMI to clinical IMI was lowest during early lactation, and increased with days in milk, and with lactation age except for cows in their 5th and 6th lactations. Results of this epidemiological investigation suggest that opportunities exist where suitable control measures could be applied to reduce the impact of S. uberis infections in the dairy herd.
Voluntarism and the Origins of Utilitarianism

In the paper I offer a brief sketch of one of the sources of utilitarianism.Our biological ancestry is a matter of fact that is not altered by the way we describe ourselves. With philosophical theories it is otherwise. Utilitarianism can be described in ways that make it look as if it is as old as moral philosophy – as J. S. Mill thought it was. For my historical purposes, it is more useful to have an account that brings out what is specific about Benthamism and its descendants. Let us try to make do with the following. First, utilitarianism asserts that the fundamental requirement of morality is that we are to maximize good, for everyone and not just for the agent. This basic principle presupposes that it makes sense to think of aggregating goods to make a total, and of comparing amounts of good thus aggregated. Second, the good to be brought about is located in feelings of pleasure, and the evil to be avoided in feelings of pain. These feelings have inherent value or disvalue regardless of how they are caused to exist and regardless of their own consequences. Third, all moral principles can be derived from the requirement that good be maximized. The principles involved in evaluating agents as well as in giving moral direction to action are nothing but applications of the basic principle.
A unified Green's function analysis of complicated DFB lasers

An efficient full-wave analysis technique for one-dimensional optical domains, known as the recursive Green's function method (RGFM), is presented for evaluation of distributed feedback (DFB) laser cavities with arbitrary material profiles. The method first constructs the Green's function of an inhomogeneous domain and subsequently uses Green's theorem to determine the laser optical field, lasing wavelength, and threshold gain. The technique is applied to investigate the performance of three DFB laser structures: a chirped-grating configuration, a modulated stripe width design, and a reduced duty cycle complex-coupled device. These structures are evaluated in terms of their single-mode lasing behavior and the uniformity of the optical field within the cavity.
Characterization of skin lesion texture in diffuse reflectance spectroscopic images

This paper examines various texture features extracted from skin lesion images obtained by using diffuse reflectance spectroscopic imaging. Different image texture features have been applied to such images to separate precancerous from benign cases. These features are extracted based on the co-occurrence matrix, wavelet decomposition , fractal signature, and granulometric approaches. The results so far indicate that fractal and wavelet-based features are effective in distinguishing precancerous from benign cases.
Pharmacokinetics of rofecoxib in children

Rofecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor approved for pain control and the treatment of arthritis in adults. There are no published pharmacokinetic data in children. We investigated the disposition of rofecoxib in children with sickle cell hemoglobinopathy admitted for pain episodes. Subjects (5 males, 3 females) aged 3 to 14 years (mean 8.9 years) with normal liver and kidney function received a single oral dose of rofecoxib (1 mg/kg, maximum 50 mg) as a suspension. The mean dose was 35.6 mg (range 15–50 mg). Blood samples were collected for up to 72 hours following drug administration and plasma assayed for rofecoxib using HPLC. Peak concentrations of rofecoxib averaged 582±129 ng/mL with a median tmax of 4.0 hours. Two subjects were discharged at 12 hours and subsequent blood samples were not obtained preventing characterization of elimination. In the remaining 6 subjects, oral clearance (Cl/F) averaged 1.32±0.35 mL/min/kg with an elimination half-life of 14.8±4.5 hours. The results are consistent with studies in adults reporting clearance to be ~120 mL/min with a half-life of 17 hours and suggest that rofecoxib disposition is similar in children and adults. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P73–P73; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.276
Current and emerging medications for overweight or obesity in people with comorbidities

Recently, the recognition of obesity as a complex disease that requires chronic management has become more widespread. There has also been a movement away from a focus on body mass index alone, and toward the management of obesity-related comorbidities as well as excess weight. This article examines the current and emerging pharmacological options for weight management in people with overweight or obesity who have, or are at a high risk of, weight-related comorbidities. In the USA, the current options for pharmacological weight management are phentermine (indicated for short-term use only), orlistat, combined phentermine/topiramate extended release, lorcaserin, naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide 3.0 mg. Currently, orlistat, naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide 3.0 mg are approved in Europe. All of the above-mentioned medications have shown weight-loss efficacy versus placebo. Those approved for long-term weight management have also been associated with improvements in weight-related comorbidities, such as hypertension, prediabetes, diabetes or dyslipidaemia, or related biomarkers. As with all drugs, the safety and tolerability profiles of medications for weight management should be considered alongside their efficacy to ensure correct use. Additional medications for weight management that are in clinical development include bupropion/zonisamide and beloranib. The field of obesity treatment is advancing with a number of medications being recently approved, and with other pharmacological options emerging.
Analog IP Testing: Diagnosis and Optimization

In this paper we present an innovative methodology to estimate and improve the quality of analog and mixed-signal circuit testing. We first detect and reduce the redundancy in the electrical test measurements (e-tests), then we identify the e-test acceptability regions by considering performance specifications as well as process parameter distributions. Finally, we provide an effective metric for the accurate assessment of the parametric test coverage of embedded analog IP. Experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed methodology and its broad applicability to analog, mixed-signal and RF applications for different process technologies.
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT SCHIZOPHRENIA

Until only very recently, the occurrence of schizophrenia in childhood and early adolescence had been largely neglected. Improved diagnostic formulations have resulted in clarification of the boundaries between childhood schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, and pervasive developmental disorder. The study of schizophrenia in childhood or adolescence provides a unique opportunity to examine illness characteristics in the absence of the confounds of substance abuse illness, chronicity, and medication effects. Additionally, current etiopathologic models of schizophrenia can be tested in this patient subgroup.
QoS management in multimedia networking for telemedicine applications

Networked multimedia information systems will play a critical role for the emerging telemedicine applications. Innovations in hardware and software technologies are feeding this revolution. In this paper, the notion of quality of service (QoS) for communication of telemedicine multimedia data is presented. Key multimedia data synchronization requirements are elaborated upon and several synchronization protocols are discussed. We also elaborate the issues of managing pre-orchestrated as well as live videoconference multimedia data for telemedicine applications.
Tmod3 regulates polarized epithelial cell morphology.

Although the role of the actin cytoskeleton in morphogenesis of polarized epithelial sheets is generally accepted as centrally important, the regulation of actin dynamics in this process remains unclear. Here, we show that the pointed-end capping protein Tmod3 contributes to epithelial cell shape within confluent monolayers of polarized epithelial cells. Tmod3 localizes to lateral cell membranes in polarized epithelia of several cell types. Reduction of Tmod3 levels by shRNA leads to a loss of F-actin and tropomyosins from lateral cell membranes, and a decrease in epithelial cell height, without effects on localisation of tight junction or adherens junction proteins, or any apparent changes in cell-cell adhesion. Instead, distribution of αII-spectrin on lateral membranes is disrupted upon reduction of Tmod3 levels, suggesting that loss of Tmod3 function leads to destabilization and disassembly of tropomyosin-coated actin filaments followed by disorganization of the spectrin-based membrane skeleton on lateral membranes. These data demonstrate for the first time a role for pointed-end capping in morphology regulation of polarized epithelial cells through stabilization of F-actin on lateral membranes. We propose that Tmod3-capped tropomyosin-actin filaments provide crucial links in the spectrin membrane skeleton of polarized epithelial cells, enabling the membrane skeleton to maintain cell shape.
Microcolony survival assay for cells of mouse intestinal mucosa exposed to radiation.

SummaryA microcolony technique for assaying the survival of small proportions of the clonogenic cells of the mucosa of the small intestine of mice is described. The radiosensitivity of intestinal crypt cells measured by the technique is the same as that measured by a macrocolony method. However, the microcolony technique has the special advantage of being useful for assaying cell survival after whole-body radiation.
The Goals of Multicultural Education: A Critical Re-evaluation

INTRODUCTION Pluralism and multiculturalism come from the same source — liberal political and educational theory — but they lead in different directions and represent distinct social visions. Pluralism seeks a society in which people from different cultural formations and orientations are allowed, if they wish to do so, to express their way of life within a separate cultural sphere, and are treated as equal individuals in a common public sphere. Pluralism wants equality of opportunity in the public sphere and freedom of association in the cultural sphere. Unlike the assimilation position, pluralism does not seek to destroy past memories and to obliterate cultural diversity. It does, however, allow for the dissolution of that identity should an insufficient number of individuals choose to pursue it. For the pluralist, society has no special obligation to maintain or support cultural structures. It must simply maintain the individual conditions which make choice possible. It must assure, for example, that children are not brainwashed or indoctrinated and that they develop an awareness of various alternative forms of life and the skill required to assess them. Thus unlike the assimilation position, pluralism is not hostile to cultural expression, but there is, as one commentator puts it, a certain quality of benign neglect. In contrast, multiculturalism values cultural difference and authenticity, and seeks to maintain it in ways that are not solely dependent on the momentary interests of individuals. Indeed, one concern of multiculturalist theory is that access to dominant, hegemonic, and unchallenged cultural forms may work to the disadvantage of local cultural affiliation. Multiculturalism thus differs from pluralism in a number of ways.