cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sociology, Psychoanalysis, and Marginalization: Unconscious Defenses and Disciplinary Interests

American sociology as a field tends to marginalize psychoanalytic perspectives despite scholars Cavalletto and Silver showing that this was not the case during Talcott Parson's intellectual heyday in the 1940s. From the 1970s on, though, constructionists emphasized the conservative rather than liberatory side of the Freudian tradition and symbolic interactionism took the place of psychoanalysis as the legitimized framework for understanding individuals. Marginalization has occurred for at least three reasons: (1) the legacies of positivism created a bias toward empirically observable rather than relatively unmeasurable concepts like the Freudian unconscious; (2) psychoanalysis uses internal data whereas sociologists look externally rather than inward; (3) because psychoanalysis focuses on individuals and sociology on groups, it is argued that the two are incommensurate. Nevertheless, even in the face of marginalization, some scholars have combined psychoanalytic and sociological perspectives in myriad ways conceiving of multi dimensional rather than rationalistic individuals within social and cultural settings; exploring interactional dynamics that are at once psychic-and-social; and, as in the work of Wilfred Bion, studying the psychoanalytic mechanisms of groups themselves. I posit that the ongoing marginalization of psychoanalysis deprives the discipline of an innovative tool of analysis, an especially salient one at times when the emotional and psychological dimensions of social life are glaringly evident.
Compatible number representations

A compatible number system for mixed fixed-point and floating-point arithmetic is described in terms of number formats and opcode sequences (for hardwired or microcoded control). This inexpensive system can be as fast as fixed-point arithmetic on integers, is faster than normalized arithmetic in floating point, gets answers identical to those of normalized arithmetic, and automatically satisfies the Algol-60 mixed-mode rules. The central concept is the avoidance of meaningless "normalization" following arithmetic operations. Adoption of this system could lead to simpler compilers.
A Possible Case of Cannibalism in the Early Woodland Period of Eastern Georgia

Preliminary investigations at White's Mound, Richmond County, Georgia, have revealed a stratified sequence of cultural material that begins with Stallings Island fiber-tempered pottery and is followed by Deptford, which occurs coincident with a more popular cord-marked type and minor amounts of a fabric-impressed type. The cord-marked pottery is assumed to be indicative of the timing and impact of the Northern tradition on this area. The last test square excavated on the site yielded evidence of possible cannibalism in the form of redeposited fragmentary bones, most of them cooked and a few calcined. With the deposit of bones, some of which had been cut, were a boatstone, a bear-claw necklace, and Deptford bold check-stamped and simple-stamped sherds. An alternative explanation is redeposited cremation which does have precedence in the Georgia area and in the Northern tradition.
Longitudinal consistency in self-reported age of first vaginal intercourse among young adults.

We examined consistency in self-reports of age at first vaginal sex among 9,399 male and female respondents who participated in Waves III and IV (separated by approximately seven years) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Respondents were coded as consistent if they reported an age at first vaginal intercourse at Wave IV that was within one year of the age they reported at Wave III. Sociodemographic, behavioral, and cognitive predictors of consistency were examined using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Overall, 85.43% of respondents were able to provide consistent reports. Among both males and females, consistency was associated with age, years since first vaginal intercourse, race/ethnicity, and lifetime number of other-sex partners in final multivariate models. Respondents who were older and had more recently had their first sexual experience were more likely to be consistent. For females only, those who reported a history of nonparental, physically forc...
A retrospective analysis of the patterns of failure in pediatric myxopapillary ependymoma

Objective Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a rare tumor, accounting for 10–20 % of pediatric intramedullary spinal cord tumors. Our objective was to study the patterns of dissemination and failure in pediatric MPE.
SU‐FF‐I‐97: Feasibility of Low Dose X‐Ray Contrast Enhanced Digital Mammography with Gold Nanoparticles

Purpose: To study the feasibility of low dose x‐ray contrast enhanced digital mammography (CEDM) with goldnanoparticles as a contrast agent. Method and Materials:Contrast enhanced digital mammography (CEDM) with iodine based agents is currently being explored. However, novel materials such as goldnanoparticles seem very promising for CEDM because of their high x‐ray absorption in the mammographic energy range. Computer generated volumetric breast compositions of 50% and 75% mean glandular fractions and thickness of 5 and 7.5 cm were analytically ray‐traced at various mono‐energetic conditions and spectrally combined with simulated power‐law noise to create 2D projection images with mammogram‐like texture at 100 micron pixel resolution. The projection images were modified in accordance with the system resolution and noise power spectrum of a clinical full‐field digital mammography system (Senographe 2000D, GE Healthcare, WI) and used to generate imagedata sets. A 6 mm diameter spherical lesion with an inherent glandular fraction of 65% and 100% was used for the 50% and 75% glandular breast conditions respectively. Lesions with contrast agent concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/cc were generated. A 26 kVp, Mo/Mo and 31 kVp, Rh/Rh x‐ray spectra were used to generate full‐dose images (∼2 mGy mean glandular dose) for the 5 and 7.5 cm‐thick breasts respectively. A Laguerre‐Gauss Channelized Hotelling observer (LG‐CHO) was implemented to compute the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). Results: Good contrast visualization was observed at ∼0.13 mGy per image frame with CEDM. Contrast agent concentrations between 0.5–2 mg/cc in the lesion resulted in much higher SNRs compared to full dose mammography.Conclusion: This work suggests favorable properties for goldnanoparticles as an x‐ray contrast agent for CEDM. This could potentially benefit high‐risk patient groups such as women with dense breasts. Other potential applications include progress monitoring in neo‐adjuvant treatment regimens.
Image transport in a polymer Anderson localized optical fiber

We recently showed that a disordered polymer Anderson localized optical fiber (p-ALOF) can be used to transport spatially localized beams of light and the output beams were observed to remain in the same spatial transverse position across the fiber as launched. Here, we show for the first time, that images can be transported through the disordered fiber. The resolution of the imaging disordered optical fiber is higher than 28.5 lines/mm.
Mathematical Problem-Solving and Ontology: An Exercise

In this paper the reader is asked to engage in some simple problem-solving in classical pure number theory and to then describe, on the basis of a series of questions, what it is like to solve the problems. In the recent philosophy of mind this “what is it like” question is one way of signaling a turn to phenomenological description. The description of what it is like to solve the problems in this paper, it is argued, leads to several morals about the epistemology and ontology of classical pure mathematical practice. Instead of simply making philosophical judgments about the subject matter in advance, the exercise asks the reader to briefly engage in a mathematical practice and to then reflect on the practice.
"Anticrossing" Signals in Resonance Fluorescence

The level-crossing technique of atomic spectroscopy utilizes the spatial interference in the scattering of resonance radiation which can occur when two Zeeman levels of an atom are brought into coincidence ("crossed") by the application of an external magnetic field. "Anticrossing" refers to the case where the two levels involved are coupled by a small static interaction. In this paper the general expression for an anticrossing signal is given and its predictions compared with signals observed in the $2 ^{2}P$ term of Li. It is shown that anticrossings produce signals in many experimental situations for which there would be no signal from a normal level crossing.
Further studies on antigenic changes in Trypanosoma lewisi.

SYNOPSIS. An investigation of day-to-day changes in adult form antigens of T. lewisi in the rat shows that adult antigens, 2 of which are present in trace amounts in young forms, suddenly appear in large amounts in 9-day-old trypanosomes. An additional antigen is formed on the 13th day. In addition, 2-day-old trypanosomes contain some antigens not present in 6-day-old forms. The combined results of the present paper and a previous one indicate that there are antigenically 3 distinct stages of T. lewisi in the rat: 1- to 3-day-old, 4- to 8-day-old, and 9- to 14-day-old forms. From 9- to 11-day-old trypanosomes, there is a form containing both young and adult antigens.
Nicotine indirectly inhibits [3H]dopamine uptake at concentrations that do not directly promote [3H]dopamine release in rat striatum.

: The effects of both (–)- and (+)-nicotine isomers were examined on in vitro uptake and release of [3H]dopamine in rat striatum. Both isomers inhibited uptake of [3H]dopamine in chopped tissue at concentrations well below those necessary for promoting release of preloaded [3H]dopamine. (–)-Nicotine was more potent than (+)-nicotine both at inhibiting uptake and at promoting release. Unlike other dopamine uptake inhibitors, however, nicotine inhibited only 50% of the total uptake. In the presence of 1 nM nicotine, the residual [3H]dopamine uptake was less sensitive to inhibition by cocaine than uptake in the absence of nicotine. Nicotine did not compete against the binding of [3H]GBR 12935, a selective dopamine uptake inhibitor. The nicotinic receptor agonists carbachol and 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide also inhibited uptake, whereas the nicotinic antagonists chlorisondamine and mecamylamine blocked nicotine's effect. Thus, the effect of nicotine on dopamine uptake appears to be mediated by a receptor similar to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. These receptors do not seem to be on the terminals that are accumulating dopamine, however, since tetrodotoxin prevented the effect of nicotine on [3H]dopamine uptake and nicotine had no effect on uptake in a synaptosomal preparation.
Getting to the bottom of deep submicron II: a global wiring paradigm

Global interconnect is commonly regarded as a key potential bottleneck to the advancing performance of high-speed integrated circuits. Previous work has suggested that local interconnect effects can be managed through a deep submicron design hierarchy that uses 50,000 to 100,000 gate modules as primitive building blocks. This work aims to examine interconnect at the global level to determine if there are any significant roadblocks which will prevent National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors expectations regarding clock speed from being met. Specifically, the issues of global RC delay, signal time-offlight, inductance, clock and power distribution, and noise are studied. Results indicate that, while global clock frequencies will necessarily be lower than local clock speeds, NTRS expectations should be attainable to the 50-nm technology generation. Achieving these high clock speeds (10 GHz local clock) will be aided by the use of a newly proposed routing hierarchy which limits interconnect effects at each level of a design (local, isochronous, and global).
An optimization approach to the integration of inherently safer design and process scheduling

Abstract This work introduces an optimization-based approach to the simultaneous consideration of process safety and process scheduling during the design phase. Expected variations in production schedule and associated environmental constraints are included early enough in the design phase. Additionally, safety metrics are used in screening and selecting design alternatives. The Dow Fire and Explosion Index is used as the safety-evaluation metric. An optimization formulation is developed to account for potential design and scheduling options while incorporating safety and environmental objectives. The proposed approach optimizes the process by establishing Pareto curves that demonstrate the tradeoff between the safety metrics and the economic objectives of the process. A case study on NOx removal in a refinery is solved to illustrate the applicability of the devised procedure.
The Association Between Short Interpregnancy Interval and Preterm Birth in Louisiana: A Comparison of Methods

There is growing interest in the application of propensity scores (PS) in epidemiologic studies, especially within the field of reproductive epidemiology. This retrospective cohort study assesses the impact of a short interpregnancy interval (IPI) on preterm birth and compares the results of the conventional logistic regression analysis with analyses utilizing a PS. The study included 96,378 singleton infants from Louisiana birth certificate data (1995–2007). Five regression models designed for methods comparison are presented. Ten percent (10.17 %) of all births were preterm; 26.83 % of births were from a short IPI. The PS-adjusted model produced a more conservative estimate of the exposure variable compared to the conventional logistic regression method (β-coefficient: 0.21 vs. 0.43), as well as a smaller standard error (0.024 vs. 0.028), odds ratio and 95 % confidence intervals [1.15 (1.09, 1.20) vs. 1.23 (1.17, 1.30)]. The inclusion of more covariate and interaction terms in the PS did not change the estimates of the exposure variable. This analysis indicates that PS-adjusted regression may be appropriate for validation of conventional methods in a large dataset with a fairly common outcome. PS’s may be beneficial in producing more precise estimates, especially for models with many confounders and effect modifiers and where conventional adjustment with logistic regression is unsatisfactory. Short intervals between pregnancies are associated with preterm birth in this population, according to either technique. Birth spacing is an issue that women have some control over. Educational interventions, including birth control, should be applied during prenatal visits and following delivery.
Synchrony capture filterbank (SCFB): An auditory periphery inspired method for tracking sinusoids

We propose a novel algorithm for tracking multiple sinusoidal signals that is motivated by neural coding in the mammalian peripheral auditory system. A striking feature of auditory nerve activity is the phenomenon of “synchrony capture,” whereby the most intense frequency components in the stimulus dominate the temporal firing patterns of whole subpopulations of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs). A novel adaptive filterbank structure that emulates key aspects of synchrony capture is presented. The proposed filterbank has two components: a fixed bank of traditional gammatone (or equivalent) filters that are cascaded with a bank of adaptively-tunable bandpass filter triplets. The bandpass filters are tuned by using a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) whose frequency is steered by a frequency discriminator loop (FDL). The resulting filterbank is used to process synthetic signals and speech. It is shown that the VCOs can track the low frequency harmonics in speech that evoke voice pitch at their fundamental (F0). For vowels, the VCOs faithfully track the strongest harmonic present in each formant region.
Verrucomicrobia phyl. nov.

Ver.ru'co.mi.cro'bi.a. N.L. fem. pl. n. Verrucomicobiales type order of the phylum; N.L. neut. pl. n. Verrucomicrobia the Verrucomicrobiales phylum. Verrucomicrobia Keywords: Verrucomicrobia phyl. nov.; Verrucomicrobiales
Nonlinear noise filtering and beamforming using the perceptron and its Volterra approximation

The multilayer perceptron, an artificial neural network, is applied to the problem of interference reduction in single- and multiple-sensor systems. The filter is able to operate approximately as a linear trapped delay line if nonlinear processing cannot further reduce the mean-squared error of the output. Supplanting the activation function of the perceptron by a polynomial leads to the finite-order Volterra filter for which optimum weights can be calculated. Preliminary examples using the perceptron in single-sensor noise filtering show output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvements of up to 2.2 dB compared to the optimum linear filter. Experiments with a nonlinear two-microphone beamformer show a 2.7 dB SNR enhancement for a sinusoidal target and an off-axis white noise jammer. For speech inputs under anechoic conditions, the Volterra beamformer achieved an average intelligibility improvement of 5.7%. >
Alteration of the EphA2/Ephrin-A signaling axis in psoriatic epidermis.

EphA2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that triggers keratinocyte differentiation upon activation and subsequent downregulation by ephrin-A1 ligand. The objective of this study was to determine whether the EphA2/ephrin-A1 signaling axis was altered in psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition in which keratinocyte differentiation is abnormal. Microarray analysis of skin biopsies from psoriasis patients revealed increased mRNA transcripts for several members of this RTK family in plaques, including the EphA1, EphA2, and EphA4 subtypes prominently expressed by keratinocytes. Of these, EphA2 showed the greatest upregulation, a finding that was confirmed by quantitative reverse-transcriptase–PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and ELISA. In contrast, psoriatic lesions exhibited reduced ephrin-A ligand immunoreactivity. Exposure of primary keratinocytes induced to differentiate in high calcium or a three-dimensional (3D) raft culture of human epidermis to a combination of growth factors and cytokines elevated in psoriasis increased EphA2 mRNA and protein expression while inducing S100A7 and disrupting differentiation. Pharmacological delivery of a soluble ephrin-A1 peptidomimetic ligand led to a reduction in EphA2 expression and ameliorated proliferation and differentiation in raft cultures exposed to EGF and IL-1α. These findings suggest that ephrin-A1-mediated downregulation of EphA2 supports keratinocyte differentiation in the context of cytokine perturbation.
Facing a Crisis

FOREIGN language teaching in the United States has never been in greater danger than at present. Not enough that educational theorists along with school administrators do their utmost to minimize the value and to curb the teaching of languages, an additional force within the language camp threatens to divide the structure against itself. The European war, fought with intense bitterness, engenders serious repercussions in many language departments of our colleges and universities, begets animosities, and endangers the unity of a common front against the adversaries of language teaching. Of course, there are good reasons why the foreign language teachers in the United States take sides in the European conflict and become emotionally involved in the outcome of that struggle. A language teacher must be attached to the country whose language he teaches; he must understand its people, their culture, and their vicissitudes. If he is unsympathetic toward these people, how can he teach their language and interpret their civilization? There are arguments to the effect that one can be attached to the people and yet be averse to their government. This view is all but realistic. In a period of crisis such as a war, the fate of a people is identical with the fate of their government, quite comparable to the relation between a captain and his crew. If this degree of attachment is expected of the American-born teacher, how much closer is the relation between the foreign-born teacher and his native land. He is thousands of miles away from the scene of conflict; he hears tantalizing and dramatized reports of slaughter and atrocities; and with a little aid by his imagination along with a fervent desire to do something for his native land, he cannot help but become emotionally upset, aroused, and even ready to take active steps against the language spoken by the opponents of his native country. Now if his colleague who hails from the enemy country and teaches its language is equally perturbed about his own native land and imbued with the same ardent desire to champion its cause, the result is likely to be a condition not much unlike a state of war on a small scale.
Teacher Work Group Effectiveness.

Recent research links the development of a collaborative community of educators to enhanced teaching and learning effectiveness. This study contributes to this research by testing a work group effectiveness model with a sample of teachers from middle school teams. The study assesses the interrelationships among the model’s antecedent variables (organizational context, design features, and interpersonal processes), intermediate variables (effort, knowledge/skills applied, and appropriateness of strategies), and final outcome variables (teaching and learning effectiveness). A survey developed to capture the concepts in the model was completed by 174 teacher members of interdisciplinary instructional teams in a large urban district’s middle schools. Findings indicate that two fundamental variables, knowledge/skills applied to the work and appropriateness of strategies, are core mediators in the model. Two healthy interpersonal processes variables were also found to have direct effects on perceptions that tea...
Product costing continuum for managerial decisions

Develops a continuum of product costing systems (PCSs) and demonstrates its application to making managerial decisions. Explains the relevance of this structure to managerial issues including inventory control, pricing, special decisions and product design. Synthesizes various PCSs into a coherent structure and introduces new PCSs such as direct costing and super direct costing (which are different from the classic variable costing and super variable costing) systems. Explains how the continuous nature of issues facing management needs a matching continuum of an endless number of PCSs.
Achieving fairness in private contract negotiation

Suppose Alice and Bob are two entities (e.g. agents, organizations, etc.) that wish to negotiate a contract. A contract consists of several clauses, and each party has certain constraints on the acceptability and desirability (i.e., a private “utility” function) of each clause. If Bob were to reveal his constraints to Alice in order to find an agreement, then she would learn an unacceptable amount of information about his business operations or strategy. To alleviate this problem we propose the use of Secure Function Evaluation (SFE) to find an agreement between the two parties. There are two parts to this: i) determining whether an agreement is possible (if not then no other information should be revealed), and ii) in case an agreement is possible, coming up with a contract that is valid (acceptable to both parties), fair (when many valid and good outcomes are possible one of them is selected randomly with a uniform distribution, without either party being able to control the outcome), and efficient (no clause is replaceable by another that is better for both parties). It is the fairness constraint in (ii) that is the centerpiece of this paper as it requires novel techniques that produce a solution that is more efficient than general SFE techniques. We give protocols for all of the above in the semi-honest model, and we do not assume the Random Oracle Model.
A class of polynomially solvable range constraints for interval analysis without widenings

In this paper, we study the problem of solving integer range constraints that arise in many static program analysis problems. In particular, we present the first polynomial time algorithm for a general class of integer range constraints. In contrast with abstract interpretation techniques based on widenings and narrowings, our algorithm computes, in polynomial time, the optimal solution of the arising fixpoint equations. Our result implies that "precise" range analysis can be performed in polynomial time without widening and narrowing operations.
Assessment of bioavailability limitations during slurry biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in aged soils

In an effort to determine whether bioavailability limitations are responsible for the slow or incomplete hydrocarbon biodegradation in aged soils, both the rate of desorption (rdes) and biodegradation (rbio) was measured for n-alkanes and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at different times during the slurry biotreatment of six different soils. While all n-alkanes were biodegraded to various degrees depending on their respective carbon number and the soil organic matter content, none of them were desorbed to a significant extent indicating that these saturated hydrocarbons do not need to be transferred from the soil particles into the aqueous phase in order to be metabolized by microorganisms. Most 2 and 3 ring PAHs biodegraded as fast as they were desorbed (rbio=rdes), i.e., desorption rates controlled biodegradation rates. By contrast, the biodegradation kinetics of 4, 5, and 6 ring PAHs was limited by microbial factors during the initial phase (rbio > 0) but was more likely caused by microbial factors such as the absence of specific PAH degraders or cometabolicmore » substrates. Consequently, PAHs that are found to be microbially recalcitrant in aged soils may not be so because of limited bioavailability and thus could pose a greater risk to the environment than previously thought.« less
Induction of plant gene expression by light

Light effects on the activity of several genes have recently been exploited in studies of plant gene expression. We discuss here some examples involving nuclear genes of higher plants, with emphasis on responses mediated by the phytochrome system. Recent work has revealed considerable diversity in the responses of different genes, indicating that several different regulatory programs are probably involved. A start has been made in studies of nuclear events associated with the changes in expression. Transcriptional regulation almost certainly occurs, although many details remain to be studied and effects on mRNA processing and turnover have not been ruled out. Recent in vitro mutagenesis and gene transfer experiments with the gene for the small subunit of RuBP carboxylase indicate that sequences involved in regulating the level of expression in the light are located 5′ to the gene within about 1 kb of the start of transcription.
Epidemiology of alcohol and other drug use among American college students.

Objective: This article provides information on the extent of alcohol use and other drug use among American college students. Methods: Five different sources of data are examined for estimating recent levels of alcohol (and other drug) use among college students: Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS), the Core Institute (CORE), Monitoring the Future (MTF), National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) and National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Results: Alcohol use rates are very high among college students. Approximately two of five American college students were heavy drinkers, defined as having had five or more drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks. Alcohol use is higher among male than female students. White students are highest in heavy drinking, black students are lowest and Hispanic students are intermediate. Use of alcohol--but not cigarettes, marijuana and cocaine--is higher among college students than among noncollege age-mates. Longitudinal data show that, w...
On the constitutive relation of materials with microstructure using a potential-based cohesive model for interface interaction

Abstract Macroscopic constitutive relationship is estimated by considering the microscopic particle/matrix interfacial debonding. For the interfacial debonding, the PPR potential-based cohesive model is utilized. The extended Mori–Tanaka model is employed for micromechanics, while a finite element-based cohesive zone model is used for the computational model. Both models (theoretical and computational) agree well each other in representing the macroscopic constitutive relationship on the basis of the PPR model. The microscopic interfacial cohesive parameters of the PPR model are estimated from macroscopic composite material behavior. In addition, different microscopic debonding processes are observed with respect to different macroscopic constitutive relationships (e.g. hardening, softening, and snap-back).
A high-speed and high-precision Winner-Select-Output (WSO) ASIC

The design and performance characteristics of a 16-channel Winner-Select-Output (WSO) ASIC are presented. The WSO ASIC does a fast comparison of 16 analog input voltages, outputs the maximum signal, the "second" maximum (partner) signal, and their addresses. The WSO ASIC chip is a key component of an analog electronics system being developed for a depth of interaction (DOI) PET detector module. The basic cell of the WSO ASIC is a "winner take all" (WTA) circuit. The precision of the WSO ASIC is enhanced by using a cascade structure WTA cell. The chip requires a single +5 V supply and consumes 35 mW of power. The WSO ASIC is sensitive to voltage differences as small as 10 mV. The propagation delay of the chip is less than 30 nsec for voltage differences of >50 mW (typical for proposed application).
Implementations of smart pixels for optoelectronic processors and interconnection systems. I. Optoelectronic gate technology

For part II see ibid., vol. 11, no. 10, pp. 1670-1680 (Oct. 1993). Several of the common approaches to smart pixel technology, including smart pixels based on optoelectronic integrated circuits and self-electrooptic effect devices (SEEDs), are studied. An optoelectronic NOR gate pixel consisting of an output laser diode, two input photodetectors, and a transistor circuit is analyzed for the purpose of investigating overall two-dimensional (2-D) interconnection and processing system performance. The major pixel performance issues are examined. The results show that the optoelectronic logic gate has the advantages of low noise (typically approximately -35 dBm), high bandwidth (>1 GHz), and low temperature sensitivity, while its power dissipation is about 5 mW, resulting in a moderate pixel packing density of 200/cm/sup 2/ for a total chip power dissipation of 1 W/cm/sup 2/. >
Discrete-time decentralized estimators for interconnected systems

The authors propose a method for designing discrete-time decentralized state estimators for interconnected large-scale systems. The interface variables, which can be considered as a stochastic input to the subsystems, are measured with a least-squares estimator. This stochastic input is replaced by the estimate and a noise term. Local Kalman filters are then designed using local measurements to estimate local states. A two-area power system example is shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. >
A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Tourette’s Disorder

OBJECTIVE: Clinical observations have suggested therapeutic effects for omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in Tourette’s disorder (TD), but no randomized, controlled trials have been reported. In a placebo-controlled trial, we examined the efficacy of O3FA in children and adolescents with TD. METHODS: Thirty-three children and adolescents (ages 6–18) with TD were randomly assigned, double-blind, to O3FA or placebo for 20 weeks. O3FA consisted of combined eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Placebo was olive oil. Groups were compared by using (1) intent-to-treat design, with the last-observation-carried-forward controlling for baseline measures and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder via (a) logistic regression, comparing percentage of responders on the primary Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS)-Tic and secondary (YGTSS-Global and YGTSS-Impairment) outcome measures and (b) analysis of covariance; and (2) longitudinal mixed-effects models. RESULTS: At end point, subjects treated with O3FA did not have significantly higher response rates or lower mean scores on the YGTSS-Tic (53% vs 38%; 15.6 ± 1.6 vs 17.1 ± 1.6, P > .1). However, significantly more subjects on O3FA were considered responders on the YGTSS-Global measure (53% vs 31%, P = .05) and YGTSS-Impairment measure (59% vs 25%, P < .05), and mean YGTSS-Global scores were significantly lower in the O3FA-treated group than in the placebo group (31.7 ± 2.9 vs 40.9 ± 3.0, P = .04). Obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were not significantly affected by O3FA. Longitudinal analysis did not yield group differences on any of the measures. CONCLUSIONS: O3FA did not reduce tic scores, but it may be beneficial in reduction of tic-related impairment for some children and adolescents with TD. Limitations include the small sample and the possible therapeutic effects of olive oil. * Abbreviations: ADHD — : attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder CDRS-R — : Children’s Depression Rating Scale – Revised CGI-I — : Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale CY-BOCS — : Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale DHA — : docosahexaenoic acid EPA — : eicosapentaenoic acid MASC — : Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children OCD — : obsessive-compulsive disorder O3FA — : omega-3 fatty acid NYU — : New York University TD — : Tourette's Disorder YGTSS — : Yale Global Tic Severity Scale
Utility of Vertebral Fracture Recognition in Osteoporosis

Vertebral fractures are important because they predict future fractures are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and because effective therapies exist to prevent them. However, only about 1/3 of vertebral fractures found on imaging are clinically recognized. Therefore, imaging is required for their detection. Yet spine imaging is usually not obtained in the course of management of patients with osteoporosis. Furthermore, even when radiographic images obtained for various clinical indications do include the spine views, vertebral fractures are often not recognized or not reported. In response to this unmet need, Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA, spine image obtained on densitometers) was developed but is still underutilized, at least in part due to problems with reimbursement. Greater awareness of vertebral fractures and their importance among radiologists and clinicians should lead to higher rate of vertebral fracture detection on multiple imaging modalities including spine radiographs and VFA, and also on radiographs, CT and MRI scan of the chest and abdomen obtained for other indications. With appropriate educational efforts and changes in reimbursement policies, it may be possible to improve the rate of detection of vertebral fractures and thus make a diagnosis of osteoporosis (which presence of vertebral fractures signifies) in many patients whose disease is otherwise unrecognized and untreated.
Battered Women and the Clergy: An Evaluation

Reports on a study of 146 marital violence victims in Milwaukee who were predominatly white and middle class. The overall evaluation of the helping efforts of clergy with those persons was more positive than negative, tending to be more successful with middle class than with working class women. Ministers were rated as more successful than priests in their interventions by women whereas husband reactions were initially just the opposite. Recommends that clergy raise the consciousness of their congregation about wife-beating and providing programs and funds for sheltering victims of family violence.
TRENDS IN BLEEDING RELATED COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION UNDERGOING CORONARY INTERVENTION FOR ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain a challenging group of patients. With the use of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified all patients hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of
Light-Emitting Diode–Generated Red Light Inhibits Keloid Fibroblast Proliferation

BACKGROUNDRed light is part of the visible light spectrum that does not generate DNA adducts associated with skin cancer and photoaging and may represent a safer therapeutic modality for treatment of keloid scars and other fibrotic skin diseases. Our laboratory previously demonstrated that light-emi
Determination of manganese in urine by GFAAS

Objective:To establish a method to determine manganese(Mn) in urine by GFAAS.Methods:Urine samples were directly poured into graphite tubes after addition of matrix-modifier,and then the samples were determined by GFAAS.Results:The detection limit of the method was 0.9 μg/L,with Mn concentration ranging from 0 to 20 μg/L.The method showed good linearity,RSD was 5.17%~7.38% and the addition standard recovery 85.6%~104.2%.Conclusion:The method could be operated simply and rapidly and it has high accuracy and low limitation.
Several Philosophy Thought Problems in Engineering Graphics Education

The engineering graphics science and its basic problems were analyzed deeply.Basis that,we knew that the main mission of engineering graphics education are the graphics expresses,graphics comprehension and the development of the space thinking ability.Meanwhile the basic contradiction in engineering graphics education,the main contradiction in teaching were analyzed carefully and the settlement method was put forward.At last,some dialectical thinking methods used frequently in graphics education were discussed.
Biosynthesis of oxidized lipid mediators via lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of extracellular cardiolipin induces endothelial toxicity

We (66) have previously described an NSAID-insensitive intramitochondrial biosynthetic pathway involving oxidation of the polyunsaturated mitochondrial phospholipid, cardiolipin (CL), followed by h...
Unsupervised feature selection by heuristic search with provable bounds on suboptimality

Identifying a small number of features that can represent the data is a known problem that comes up in areas such as machine learning, knowledge representation, data mining, and numerical linear algebra. Computing an optimal solution is believed to be NP-hard, and there is extensive work on approximation algorithms. Classic approaches exploit the algebraic structure of the underlying matrix, while more recent approaches use randomization. An entirely different approach that uses the A* heuristic search algorithm to find an optimal solution was recently proposed. Not surprisingly it is limited to effectively selecting only a small number of features. We propose a similar approach related to the Weighted A* algorithm. This gives algorithms that are not guaranteed to find an optimal solution but run much faster than the A* approach, enabling effective selection of many features from large datasets. We demonstrate experimentally that these new algorithms are more accurate than the current state-of-the-art while still being practical. Furthermore, they come with an adjustable guarantee on how different their error may be from the smallest possible (optimal) error. Their accuracy can always be increased at the expense of a longer running time.
The Complete Genome Sequence of Plodia Interpunctella Granulovirus: Evidence for Horizontal Gene Transfer and Discovery of an Unusual Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis Gene.

The Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a common pest of stored goods with a worldwide distribution. The complete genome sequence for a larval pathogen of this moth, the baculovirus Plodia interpunctella granulovirus (PiGV), was determined by next-generation sequencing. The PiGV genome was found to be 112, 536 bp in length with a 44.2% G+C nucleotide distribution. A total of 123 open reading frames (ORFs) and seven homologous regions (hrs) were identified and annotated. Phylogenetic inference using concatenated alignments of 36 baculovirus core genes placed PiGV in the “b” clade of viruses from genus Betabaculovirus with a branch length suggesting that PiGV represents a distinct betabaculovirus species. In addition to the baculovirus core genes and orthologues of other genes found in other betabaculovirus genomes, the PiGV genome sequence contained orthologues of the bidensovirus NS3 gene, as well as ORFs that occur in alphabaculoviruses but not betabaculoviruses. While PiGV contained an orthologue of inhibitor of apoptosis-5 (iap-5), an orthologue of inhibitor of apoptosis-3 (iap-3) was not present. Instead, the PiGV sequence contained an ORF (PiGV ORF81) encoding an IAP homologue with sequence similarity to insect cellular IAPs, but not to viral IAPs. Phylogenetic analysis of baculovirus and insect IAP amino acid sequences suggested that the baculovirus IAP-3 genes and the PiGV ORF81 IAP homologue represent different lineages arising from more than one acquisition event. The presence of genes from other sources in the PiGV genome highlights the extent to which baculovirus gene content is shaped by horizontal gene transfer.
Motivation in the Client-Counselor Relationship

The importance of client motivation for counseling and psychotherapy is just beginning to be explored. Yet it seems clear that motivation is an essential element, not only at the beginning of therapy but throughout. The present chapter reviews literature that explores a particular quality of motivation – autonomy – and argues that autonomous motivation for counseling is associated with better outcomes and is valued by therapists from widely divergent theoretical orientations. The chapter then explores a recently-proposed model of the relationship in psychotherapy (Wampold BE, Budge SL, Couns Psychol 40:601–623, 2012). The chapter concludes by proposing a revised model of the therapeutic relationship that specifically incorporates the concepts of autonomy support and autonomous motivation.
The critical role of methanol pressure in controlling its transfer dehydrogenation and the corresponding effect on propylene-to-ethylene ratio during methanol-to-hydrocarbons catalysis on H-ZSM-5

Abstract A monotonic increase (2–18) in the effluent propylene-to-ethylene molar ratio as inlet methanol pressure is varied from 52.5 to 0.6 kPa during methanol-to-hydrocarbons catalysis (∼30%C conversion) on H-ZSM-5 at 673 K reveals methanol pressure as the salient process parameter that allows control over the relative rates of propagation of the olefins- and aromatics-based methylation/cracking events. The enhanced propagation of the olefins-based cycle over its aromatics-based counterpart and consequently, decoupling of the two catalytic cycles at low influent methanol pressures is observed to persist irrespective of the reaction temperature (623–773 K). Reactions involving formaldehyde co-feeds (3–20 Pa or 0.5–5%C) with low-pressure (0.6 kPa) methanol at 623 K result in a monotonically decreasing trend in propylene-to-ethylene molar ratio from 24.7 in the absence of formaldehyde to 0.8 in the presence of 20 Pa formaldehyde implicating suppressed formaldehyde production from methanol transfer dehydrogenation events at low methanol pressures as the mechanistic basis for the observed effect of enhanced olefin cycle propagation. Co-reacting formaldehyde (11 Pa or 3%C) with propylene (0.1 kPa) on H-ZSM-5 at 623 K results in a 5.5-fold increase in aromatics selectivity suggesting Prins condensation reactions between formaldehyde and olefins are likely involved in aromatics production during methanol-to-hydrocarbons catalysis over H-ZSM-5.
Sociopolitical Underpinnings of Positivism and Qualitative Cultural Psychological Methodology

The conventional explanation for positivism’s hegemony over social science research is that positivism is the only, or certainly the best, scientific methodology. Accordingly, qualitative cultural psychological methodology deserves to be marginalized because it is not a scienific approach. However, we have seen that positivism is unscientific in many respects and that qualitative cultural psychological methodology is a more objective approach for investigating cultural psychology. Therefore the explanation for positivism’s dominance at the expense of our methodology cannot lie in the scientific merits of the two approaches. It lies instead in social and political implications of the two methodologies (Vygotsky, 1997, pp. 233–234).
Changing to Concept-Based Curricula: The Process for Nurse Educators.

Background The complexity of health care today requires nursing graduates to use effective thinking skills. Many nursing programs are revising curricula to include concept-based learning that encourages problem-solving, effective thinking, and the ability to transfer knowledge to a variety of situations-requiring nurse educators to modify their teaching styles and methods to promote student-centered learning. Changing from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning requires a major shift in thinking and application. Objective The focus of this qualitative study was to understand the process of changing to concept-based curricula for nurse educators who previously taught in traditional curriculum designs. Methods The sample included eight educators from two institutions in one Western state using a grounded theory design. Results The themes that emerged from participants' experiences consisted of the overarching concept, support for change, and central concept, finding meaning in the change. Finding meaning is supported by three main themes: preparing for the change, teaching in a concept-based curriculum, and understanding the teaching-learning process. Conclusion Changing to a concept-based curriculum required a major shift in thinking and application. Through support, educators discovered meaning to make the change by constructing authentic learning opportunities that mirrored practice, refining the change process, and reinforcing benefits of teaching.
Life cycle assessment of thin-wall ductile cast iron for automotive lightweighting applications

Abstract Use phase fuel consumption is responsible for the majority of an automobile's life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Lightweighting is an important strategy to reduce use phase fuel consumption and potentially reduce vehicle life cycle impacts. A popular lightweighting technique is material substitution, in which conventional materials (e.g., iron, steel) are replaced with lighter ones (e.g., aluminum, magnesium). Material substitution, however, often results in higher material production impacts. A life cycle approach is useful in evaluating these material tradeoffs and assessing the overall energy and emissions benefits of lightweighting technologies. Thin-wall ductile cast iron (TWDCI) is a lightweighting fabrication technology that can provide comparable weight reduction to aluminum while having better mechanical properties. This study develops a parametric life cycle model to assess the life cycle performance of TWDCI compared to conventional cast iron and cast aluminum in terms of energy (MJ) and GHGs (as carbon dioxide equivalents - kg CO2e). This model was applied to three lightweighting cases: a differential casing, an engine block, and replacement of all cast iron parts. Fuel reduction values (FRVs) are used to calculate change in fuel consumption due to lightweighting. A sensitivity analysis on these lightweighting cases is employed to determine the mass reduction required to achieve net life cycle benefits and to show the effect of alloy composition on life cycle energy and emissions. Lightweighting by 2% results in equal life cycle energy and GHGs for TWDCI and conventional cast iron while 37% lightweighting is required for TWDCI to equal cast aluminum impacts. The implications of powertrain resizing afforded by lightweighting are also explored.