cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some new techniques and recent developments in isotope separations at Oak Ridge

Abstract A description is given of the current isotope separations program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory emphasizing new techniques and developments which have demonstrated improvement in isotopic purity, ion output, and process efficiency. Among the topics discussed are the use of tungsten-wire electrodes as a replacement for conventional graphite electrodes; the in-situ use of ClF 3 as a halogenating agent in the isotopic separation of Ru, Pd, and Os; and the production and enhancement of the radioactive isotopes, 41 Ca and 205 Pb, with higher process efficiencies than are normally attained. Developmental activities include the source-slit system modifications for the 255° separators. Brief descriptions are also given of special efforts to achieve higher purity materials such as 124 Te, 122 Sn, and 184 W. The continued use of a 180° sector isotope separator for preparing high isotopically enriched targets for physics research will also be described.
Bandgap and transport properties of Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ by analysis of nearly ideal Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si heterojunction bipolar transistors

Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si N-p-N heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) produced by a chemical vapor deposition technique, limited-reaction processing, were analyzed using electrical measurements to determine properties of strained Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/. The band discontinuities between Si and strained Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ were found by measuring the collector and base currents as a function of temperature. The electron diffusion coefficient in p-type Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ was extracted by measuring the change in collector current with Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ base width. The electron diffusion coefficient perpendicular to the heterointerface in the strained Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ layers studied here is smaller than that in Si doped to the same level. The reverse leakage currents at the base-emitter junction of the HBTs are smaller than the leakage at the collector-base junction, but in Si control transistors the situation is reversed. The high leakage currents at the collector-base junction in the HBTs are believed to result from the preferred accumulation of misfit dislocations at the strained interface closest to the substrate. >
ISSUES CONCERNING PARENTAL HARMONY AND CHILDREN'S PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

This study attempts to clarify the concept of parental harmony and its relationship to the psychosocial adjustment of school-aged children from married and divorced families. Results suggest that parental harmony has some predictive significance for the effect of marital disruption on children.
Relativistic configuration-interaction calculations for the n=2 states of lithiumlike ions.

Term energies are determined for the {ital n}=2 states of lithiumlike ions with nuclear charges in the range 10{le}{ital Z}{le}92. These calculations are based on the relativistic no-pair Hamiltonian, which includes both the Coulomb and the retarded Breit interactions. Single-particle wave functions are expanded in a {ital B}-spline basis constructed from Dirac-Slater orbitals restricted to a finite cavity. The Hamiltonian matrix is evaluated and Davidson`s method is used to determine the lowest few eigenenergies and eigenfunctions for each angular symmetry. Quantum electrodynamic and mass polarization corrections are also calculated. Precise agreement between theory and experiment for the 2{ital s}-2{ital p} transition energies is found throughout the Periodic Table.
Relational control patterns in physician-patient clinical encounters: continuing the conversation

The purpose of this study is to continue the application of the relational communication approach for describing physician-patient control patterns and provide initial exploration into the implication of these control behaviors on patient satisfaction and compliance. Videotaped family medicine clinical visits were analyzed with Rogers and Farace's (1975) Relational Communication Control Coding Scheme. In addition, telephone surveys were conducted with patients 2 to 3 weeks after the clinical visit to assess levels of patient satisfaction and compliance. Transactional results indicated physicians manifested more control submission, whereas patients engaged in greater control dominance. The resulting outcomes of control behaviors showed an increase in patient compliance when physicians exhibited less control assertiveness and patients showed less control submission. An increase in patient satisfaction was found when physicians showed less control dominance.
Racing to Success by Identifying Key Performance Drivers

This article focuses on ways to identify key performance drivers (KPDs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Unfortunately, lists of KPIs published in the past often focus on one industry and assume a generic business strategy. In addition, an overemphasis on financial measures will mean that KPIs will reflect past activities rather than signaling future performance. Managers need to develop meaningful metrics for their own businesses, not use generic KPIs. This is particularly important in small and medium-sized enterprises. How adept are you at this task? Do you know what drives net income for your organization? © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
P300, habituation, and response mode

The P3(00) event-related brain potential (ERP) was elicited with an auditory discrimination paradigm under two response task conditions in which the probability of the target tone was always 0.20. Subjects either counted the occurrence of each target tone or pressed a button to the target in different conditions. No response was made to the standard tone. Consecutive blocks of trials were obtained to assess habituation of P3 amplitude. The count task demonstrated less habituation than the button-press task, with a strong interaction obtained between response mode and trial block for all electrode sites. The findings suggest that habituation of P3 amplitude is sensitive to the amount of attentional resources allocated to the processing of a target stimulus, with more resources required for a count task compared to fewer needed for a button-press response.
Electric connections on aircraft

AN electric system is as good as its electric connections. Poor electric connections on aircraft easily can cancel the tremendous advantages obtained by the use of electric systems. Little attention is given to this unglamorous but vital subject because of the more absorbing and interesting details of the electric system as a whole. Only after an unexpected and disconcerting electric-connection failure in service does the engineer realize its importance. Such failures on domestic appliances are not generally serious but on aircraft may involve many lives, much valuable equipment, and, in fact, the success of our war effort.
Knowing more than one can say: the early regular plural.

This paper reports on partial knowledge in two-year-old children’s learning of the regular English plural. In Experiments 1 and 2, children were presented with one kind and its label and then were either presented with two of that same kind (ApAA) or the initial picture next to a very different thing (ApAB). The children in ApAA rarely produced the plural. The children in ApAB supplied the singular form of A but children in ApAA did not. Experiment 3 compared the performance of English-speaking and Japanese-speaking children in ApAA with common and novel nouns. The Japanese-speaking children (learning a language without a mandatory plural) supplied the singular form of A but the English-speaking children did not. The findings indicate young children learning English know there is a plural to be learned BEFORE they have fully worked out the rules of production or acquired the necessary singular–plural pairs for broad generalization.
A prospective study of smoking and breast cancer risk among African-American women

Active smoking and passive smoking have been associated with increased risk of breast cancer. The purpose of the present study was to prospectively assess associations of smoking with breast cancer and identify subgroups at higher risk among African-American women. Based on 1,377 incident cases identified during 14 years of follow-up in the Black Women’s Health Study, we assessed active and passive smoking in relation to breast cancer incidence by menopausal status, estrogen receptor status, and other factors. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for categories of smoking relative to no active or passive smoking were calculated from Cox proportional hazards models, controlling for breast cancer risk factors. Active smoking was associated with increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer. The IRR was 1.21 (95 % CI 0.90–1.62) for premenopausal breast cancer overall and 1.70 (95 % CI 1.05–2.75) for premenopausal breast cancer associated with beginning smoking before age 18 together with accumulation of ≥20 pack years. The positive association with premenopausal breast cancer was most apparent for estrogen-receptor-positive cancer. Passive smoking was also associated with increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer (IRR = 1.42, 95 % CI 1.09–1.85), based on information on passive smoking at home and work. Neither active nor passive smoking was associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. These results strengthen the evidence that both active and passive smoking increase the incidence of premenopausal breast cancer.
Determination of Epileptic Seizure Onset from EEG Data Using Spectral Analysis and Discrete Finite Automata

This paper is a continuation of the goal to connect power spectra and Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA) in a manner to enhance the detection of spikes and seizures in epileptiform activity from Electroencephalograms (EEG). The goal is to develop robust classification rules for identifying epileptiform activity in the human brain. This paper presents advancement using the author’s proprietary developed spectral analysis to link power spectra of rat EEGs experiencing epilepsy seizures with the authors DFA algorithm and their MATLAB spectral analysis. We present a system that links 1) power spectra of seizures, in sleep, spike and seizure states with 2) Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA). Combining power spectra with DFA to correctly predict and identify epileptiform activity (spikes) and epileptic seizures opens the door to creating classifiers for seizures. It is a common goal for those skilled in the art of epilepsy prediction to create classifiers to make rules and discretize events leading to an epileptic seizure. Herein we present a means to link time and frequency domain components from MATLAB and proprietary software to clinical epileptiform activity.
Chain matrix decompositions, continued fractions and the optimal inhomogeneous ladder networks

Abstract Studies of two-element-kind ladder networks are well known in the classical literature, among them, the most celebrated ones are due to Cauer. Driving point immittance function synthesis by using continued fractions to obtain the series and shunt arm L-C element values is a standard and routine work. The idea of introducing a class of more general networks, the inhomogeneous ladder networks, was first developed by Lee and Brown, and subsequently the synthesis techniques of such a network were established. In this paper, new results are found such as: (1) the Iff. conditions of the existence of an inhomogeneous ladder network by a given chain matrix of the network satisfying: (a) determinant of the chain matrix is 1; (b) the zeros of A(s) and z−1B(s) or A(s) and y−1C(s) alternate with respect to [z(s)y(s), k] with an appropriate leading set of zeros of A(s); (c) the poles of A(s) and z−1B(s) or A(s) and y−1C(s) are the poles of z(s)y(s) of multiplicity of n and n−1, where n the number of sections of ladder networks; (2) the Iff. condition for the inhomogeneous ladder network to be optimal is that it be antimetrical, whereas for the extended class of inhomogeneous ladder networks it is symmetrical, where an optimal inhomogeneous ladder network is defined as the corresponding network with the minimum sum of immittance levels in the series and shunt arms; (3) algorithms of synthesis procedures were developed as the by-products of the Theorems.
Temperature-programmed desorption of CO adsorbed on NiO/MgO

The temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO adsorbed on unreduced and reduced NiO/MgO solid solution catalysts was investigated. For the unreduced NiO/MgO, two peaks were observed: one for CO and another one for CO{sub 2}. The CO{sub 2} peak is a result of the reaction between NiO and adsorbed CO. The CO{sub 2} thus generated is adsorbed on the MgO sites, whereas CO is adsorbed in the Ni generated through the reduction of NiO by CO. For the H{sub 2} reduced NiO/MgO, two temperature ranges for CO TPD were identified: (a) A low temperature range (50-200 C), with two overlapped CO peaks whose temperature are independent of the catalyst composition, and no peak for CO{sub 2}. (The two overlapped CO peaks are attributed to CO molecularly adsorbed on Ni.) (b) A high temperature range (400-700 C), with peaks for both CO and CO{sub 2}, whose temperatures depend on the composition of the catalyst. They are attributed to CO species dissociatively adsorbed on Ni. A fraction of these dissociatively adsorbed species of CO are converted to CO{sub 2} via the reaction 2CO {yields} 2C + 2O {yields} CO{sub 2} + C and the reduction of some of the NiO that remained unreducedmore » in H{sub 2}. The CO{sub 2} generated is adsorbed on MgO sites. The other fraction of CO dissociatively adsorbed desorbs as CO. 13 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.« less
Who Gets Hospitalized in a Continuum of Care

ABSTRACT Objective To compare children and adolescents hospitalized under a continuum of care with those hospitalized under traditional insurance coverage. Method With comprehensive data, logistic regressions were used to predict hospitalization and to identify its determinants. Results As expected, the probability of being hospitalized was much higher under traditional care. In addition, the predictors of hospitalization differed by site. Accuracy of predictions was high. Conclusions Different kinds of children were hospitalized under a continuum of care than under a traditional insurance system. Hospitalizations under both systems were highly predictable.
In situ observation of carbide and silicide precipitation in C+Si alloyed γ-TiAl

Abstract Addition of carbon and silicon to fully lamellar (FL) K5 γ-TiAl (Ti–46Al–2Cr–3Nb–0.2W) causes precipitation of carbide and silicide precipitates at dissolving α 2 laths during high-temperature processing or deformation. Evolution of α 2 →(γ+precipitate) transformations in Ti–46Al–2Cr–3Nb–0.2W–0.2Si–0.1C was observed by carrying out in situ heat treatments in the TEM at temperatures up to 800 °C. α 2 Dissolution was observed to start both inside the lath and at the α 2 /γ interfaces. This dissolution appeared to proceed by the formation of small γ islands and the nucleation of fine precipitates, which eventually coalesced to form bigger-sized particles. H-type carbides were observed to nucleate inside the α 2 lath, which explains why they were seen to form long arrays of well-aligned structures along prior α 2 /γ interfaces in creep-deformed samples. Silicides appear to nucleate at the α 2 /γ interfaces. This direct approach of studying a complex (multi)phase transition offers new insights for the in situ strengthening of intermetallics by light element additions.
Kinetics of pentaerythritol-production reactions

Abstract The kinetics of the reactions involved in the formation of pentaerythritol were investigated. The results show that the aldol condensations leading to pentaerythrose are very rapid and the rate-limiting step is the pentaerythrose—formaldehyde Cannizzaro reaction. The rate equations for both the pentaerythrose—formaldehyde and the direct formaldehyde Cannizzaro reactions are shown to be represented satisfactorily as third order. Activation energies and rate-constant expressions are presented for the Cannizzaro reactions with sodium hydroxide as the base.
Tuning the transition temperature of superconducting Ag/Pb films via the proximity effect

Abstract We report measurements of the transition temperature (TC) of superconducting films composed of various combinations of Ag and Pb layers. For samples with good electrical contact between the layers, the measured TC values show reasonable agreement with the Cooper model of the proximity effect. In poorly coupled samples, the normal layers appear to cause little if any suppression of the TC. We present a simple predictive expression for TC as a function of Ag content.
Subperoxisomal localization of glycolate oxidase.

The subperoxisomal distribution of glycolate oxidase (GO) in leaves and cotyledons of several plants was investigated using post-embedding immunogold labelling. In peroxisomes with amorphous nucleoids, all of the immunolabelling is associated with the matrix of the peroxisome, even in tissue embedded in Lowicryl, a resin that preserves antigenicity best. This same staining pattern was found after cytochemical staining for GO activity with cerium. In peroxisomes with crystalline inclusions, the inclusions are only lightly labelled, compared with the denselylabelled matrix. Cytochemical reactions are noted between the units of the crystal in these peroxisome types. Because cytochemical reactions for catalase are concentrated in the amorphous nucleoid and crystalline peroxisomal inclusions, the general lack of immunogold staining of GO and other peroxisomal proteins indicate that catalase may be the major (or in some cases the exclusive) constituent of these peroxisomal inclusions.
ISIM3D: and ANSI-C three-dimensional multiple indicator conditional simulation program

Abstract The indicator conditional simulation technique provides stochastic simulations of a variable that (i) honor the initial data and (ii) can feature a richer family of spatial structures not limited by Gaussianity. The data are encoded into a series of indicators which then are used to estimate the conditional probability distribution (cpdf) of the variable under study at any unsampled location. Once the cpdf has been estimated, any particular simulated value is obtained by straightforward Monte-Carlo drawing. Each new simulated value is included in the conditioning data set so that the next simulated values at other locations be conditioned to it. This technique has the advantage over other more traditional techniques such as the turning bands method in that it is not multiGaussian related. The user has full control of the bivariate (2-point) statistics imposed on the simulated field instead of controlling a mere covariance model. The source code is provided in C according to the ANSI standard.
Focal Concerns and Police Use of Force: Examining the Factors Associated with Taser Use

The use of force by police officers is a regular source of interest among the public, media, scholars, and criminal justice professionals. Tasers have emerged as an important and increasingly popular technology for police departments. Despite the increasing adoption and use of Tasers and the controversy surrounding their use, relatively little prior research examines the factors associated with Taser use by police officers. Guided by the focal concerns theoretical perspective, the current study uses data from a medium-size police department to analyze the factors that influence Taser use. Logistic regression models provide evidence that Taser use is influenced by suspect resistance as well as the race and gender of the suspect involved. Implications for policy and research are discussed.
PZIM: A Method for Similarity Searching Using Atom Environments and 2D Alignment

The advent of extensive small molecule databases has brought with it the problem of searching these repositories for entities with desired properties. A multitude of similarity-searching algorithms, based on different underlying methods, currently exist for this purpose. However, due to the somewhat nebulous definition of “similar”, all such approaches maintain different strengths and weaknesses. Presented here is PZIM, a new approach fundamentally based on a description of the atom environment that includes multiple adjustable features allowing for searches to be tailored on the basis of the user definition of similarity. In addition to flexible atom environment size, PZIM allows for the use of an atom-substitution matrix to identify similar pharmacophoric recognition elements. Finally, PZIM produces 2-dimensional alignments of all compared molecules that pass a user-defined threshold for similarity. To determine the usefulness of the approach, PZIM was compared to seven other similarity-searching method...
fNIR data classification using wavelet transforms and neural networks for attention monitoring

This study investigates the potential of wavelet transforms and two different neural classifiers on the classification of fNIR data for automated attention monitoring. It showed that fast and accurate classification of targets/non-targets is reachable.
Sentencing Illicit Drug Traffickers: How do the Courts Handle Random Sampling Issues?

Summary While many European justice systems distinguish between possession of and trafficking in illicit drugs, sentencing in drug cases in those countries tends not to depend (at least formally) upon the quantity of drugs seized from a defendant, but rather on the circumstances in which the defendant was found with drugs. Courts in the United States, on the other hand, penalize those convicted of drug crimes through an elaborate system of sentencing rules and guidelines. These sentences depend only upon the amount of drugs (possibly adjusted for circumstances) and the defendant's criminal history. Because of the enormous amount of work needed to determine drug type and quantity in each case, sampling the evidence and estimates of drug quantity have been accepted in most courts in the United States. During the last two years, several major developments in U.S. federal sentencing have taken place. It all started in June 2000 with the Supreme Court case Apprendi v. New Jersey, in which Justice O'Connor, in dissent, termed a "watershed in constitutional law". Prior to Apprendi, a judge would sentence a convicted drug trafficker to imprisonment using the preponderance standard of proof on the quantities of drugs seized. The affect of Apprendi is to make more juries decide the quantity of drugs by the reasonable doubt standard. Although Apprendi had nothing to do with illicit drugs, the implication now is that all federal sentencing protocols are under revision. Since Apprendi was decided, huge numbers of cases involving convicted drug traffickers have relied upon its reasoning on appeal, with the result that a ruling from the Supreme Court on further clarification of this issue is expected. This article discusses the impact so far of Apprendi on statistical issues involved in estimating total drug quantity and considers possible future directions under the changing protocols.
Transferable tight-bonding potential for hydrocarbons

Abstract A transferable tight-binding potential has been constructed for heteroatomic systems containing carbon and hydrogen. The electronic degree of freedom is treated explicitly in this potential using a small set of transferable parameters which has been fitted to small hydrocarbons and radicals. Transferability to other higher hydrocarbons was tested by comparison with ab initio calculations and experimental data. The potential can correctly reproduce changes in the electronic configuration as a function of the local bonding geometry around each carbon atom. This type of potential is well suited for computer simulations of covalently bonded systems in both gas-phase and condensed-phase systems.
Defining the Benefit of Adjuvant Therapy Following Resection for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is rare but is increasing in incidence. While hepatectomy can be curative, the benefit of adjuvant therapy (AT) remains unclear. We utilized the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to isolate predictors of overall survival, describe the national pattern of AT administration, and identify characteristics of patients who experience a survival benefit from AT following resection for ICC. Patients who were diagnosed with ICC between 1998 and 2006 and underwent surgical resection were identified through the NCDB. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses evaluated differences in overall survival between patients who received AT and those who did not. Overall, 638 patients who underwent surgery for ICC were identified. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified positive lymph nodes, unexamined lymph nodes, positive margins, and lack of AT as predictors of decreased overall survival; 28.1 % of patients had positive margins while 20.1 % had positive nodes. These patients, as well as those who were younger and had fewer co-morbid conditions, were most likely to receive AT. After adjusting for other prognostic variables, patients were found to significantly benefit from AT if they had positive lymph nodes [chemotherapy: hazard ratio (HR) 0.54, p = 0.0365; chemoradiation: HR 0.50, p = 0.005] or positive margins (chemotherapy: HR 0.44, p = 0.0016; chemoradiation: HR 0.57, p = 0.0039). Positive lymph nodes and positive margins were associated with poor survival after resection for ICC. After controlling for other prognostic factors, AT was associated with significant survival benefits among patients with positive nodes or positive margins.
Immunoglobulin heavy-chain expression and class switching in a murine leukaemia cell line

A cell line that switches from mu to gamma 2b synthesis during growth in culture uses the same VH region for both heavy chains but retains two copies of the Cmu gene. This suggests that the mu to gamma 2b class switch can occur, at least in part, by an RNA processing mechanism. Regulatory variants of this cell line lose constitutive mu-chain synthesis but simultaneously acquire lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-inducible synthesis of that chain. This co-variation is allele-specific and is correlated to a large deletion of DNA in the JH--Cmu intron.
Improved cartilage repair via in vitro pre-maturation of MSC-seeded hyaluronic acid hydrogels

Functional repair of focal cartilage defects requires filling the space with neotissue that has compressive properties comparable to native tissue and integration with adjacent host cartilage. While poor integration is a common complication with current clinical treatments, reports of tissue engineering advances in the development of functional compressive properties rarely include analyses of their potential for integration. Our objective was thus to assess both the maturation and integration of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-laden hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels in an in vitro cartilage defect model. Furthermore, we considered the effects of an initial period of pre-maturation as well as various material formulations to maximize both construct compressive properties and integration strength. MSCs were encapsulated in 1%, 3% and 5% methacrylated HA (MeHA) or 2% agarose (Ag) and gelled directly (in situ) within an in vitro cartilage defect or were formed and then pre-cultured for 4 weeks before implantation. Results showed that the integration strength of pre-cultured repair constructs was equal to (1% MeHA) or greater than (2% Ag) the integration of in situ repaired cartilage. Moreover, MSC chondrogenesis and maturation was restricted by the in situ repair environment with constructs maturing to a much lesser extent than pre-matured constructs. These results indicate that construct pre-maturation may be an essential element of functional cartilage repair.
A 7-year-old child with chronic droopy eyes, weakness in head-neck control, and an abnormal gait.

Our patient is a 7-year-old girl, who presented at the age of 3 years with features of droopy eyes, weakness in head-neck control, inability to hop and jump, and an abnormal gait. She was initially evaluated in an outside hospital (OSH) occupational safety and health and treatment with pyridostigmine with suspicion of myasthenia gravis. She was then referred to our center for further evaluation. At the time of her hospitalization, she was reported to have improvement in her ptosis and stamina with pyridostigmine, without much benefit in her gross motor activities, inability to run and jump, and difficulty in getting up from lying and sitting position. There was no history pain, fever, swallowing, or breathing difficulty. She was born full-term with an uneventful pregnancy, labor, and childbirth and had a previously normal development. There was no history suggestive of hypotonia or weakness in the neonatal period or thereafter. Medical history was not remarkable, and there was no evidence of neurologic, genetic, or rheumatologic disorders in the family. On examination, she was of average weight and built, with an unremarkable general, cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal examination. Neurologic evaluation showed ptosis in neutral gaze, which disappeared with sustained upward gaze, no ophthalmoplegia, symmetric smile, and normal tongue movement without fasciculation. Axial and appendicular tone was low without any wasting or polyminimyoclonus. Motor strength test was notable for proximal muscle weakness more in the lower extremity compared with the upper, with power in range of 4-5 for most muscle groups. There was areflexia, intact sensation, and gait was of trendelenberg pattern with intact toe
Complex 5' genomic structure of the human prolactin receptor: multiple alternative exons 1 and promoter utilization.

Transcription of the prolactin receptor (PRLR) is under the control of multiple promoters. Following the recent demonstration of the human non-coding exon 1, hE1N (hE1N1) and the generic exon 1 hE13, we have identified their promoters and characterized four other novel human exons 1 (hE1N2–5) that are alternatively spliced to a common non-coding exon 2 in human tissues and breast cancer cells. Genomic regions containing these exons, and 5′-flanking and intronic sequences, were determined and their order was established in chromosome 5p14-13. Promoters utilized in the transcription of previously characterized PRLR exons 1 species hE13 (hPII) and hE1N1 (hPN1) were found to employ distinct mechanisms for controlling hPRLR transcription. hPIII requires C/EBPβ and Sp1/Sp3 for basal transcriptional activity, while hPN1 activity is conferred by domains containing an Ets element and an NR half-site. The complex promoter control system that governs transcription of the hPRLR in multiple tissues is of relevance for...
ECT in the treatment of the catatonic syndrome

Objective: To determine the efficacy of ECT in the treatment of the catatonic syndrome and to identify predictors of good response. Method: 28 cases of catatonia in 22 patients admitted to a psychiatry or medical psychiatry inpatient unit between January 1989 and June 1992 were retrospectively evaluated. Cases were included if they met criteria for catatonia as described by Kahlbaum, i.e., 4 or more signs including immobility, mutism, withdrawal, staring, rigidity, posturing/gimacing, negativism, waxy flexibility, echo phenomena, stereotypy, and verbigeration. Primary diagnoses were: Major Depressive Disorder (8), Bipolar Affective Disorder (5), schizophrenia (5), schizoaffective disorder (2) and organic mental disorder (2). Mean age was 54.5 years; sex ratio was 15 females to 7 males. Patients received a mean of 12.0 treatments with mean seizure duration 50.9 s (by EEG) per treatment. Results: By Kahlbaum criteria, resolution of the catatonic syndrome occured in 26 out of 28 cases (93%). The mean number of signs present per patient prior to ECT was 5.6 verses 0.93 following ECT (p = 0.00001). Overall, ECT brought about resolution of 83.5% of all symptoms with 98% resolution of primary symptoms and 74% resolution of secondary symptoms. Conclusions: ECT is an effective treatment of the catatonic syndrome. ECT is effective in the resolution of both cardinal (primary) and secondary signs of catatonia. In this study, there is not a statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of the resolution of catatonic symptoms in persons with affective disorder verses schizophrenia.
Inverse moment bounds for sample autocovariance matrices based on detrended time series and their applications

Abstract In this paper, we assume that observations are generated by a linear regression model with short- or long-memory dependent errors. We establish inverse moment bounds for k n -dimensional sample autocovariance matrices based on the least squares residuals (also known as the detrended time series), where k n ≪ n , k n → ∞ and n is the sample size. These results are then used to derive the mean-square error bounds for the finite predictor coefficients of the underlying error process. Based on the detrended time series, we further estimate the inverse of the n-dimensional autocovariance matrix, R n − 1 , of the error process using the banded Cholesky factorization. By making use of the aforementioned inverse moment bounds, we obtain the convergence of moments of the difference between the proposed estimator and R n − 1 under spectral norm.
Ignition and surface temperatures of double base propellants at low pressures. II - Comparison of optical and thermocouple techniques

The two most popular temperature measurement techniques for solid-propellant research, infrared and thermocouple, are compared on the basis of experiments involving the simultaneous use of both techniques. It is found that the fine-wire thermocouple measurements are more reliable than the optical measurements, and that temperature measurements at the burning surface are subject to error with both techniques, on account of the gaseous products of the solid decomposition. An analytical solution for the preignition warmup under external radiation is also included, in addition to a numerical technique for computing the infrared emission from a finite depth of propellant under steady burning.
Interruptions create prospective memory tasks

When the theory of prospective memory is brought to bear on the ubiquitous experience of failing to resume interrupted tasks, the cognitive reasons for these failures may be understood and addressed. We examine three features of interruptions that may account for these failures: (1) Interruptions often abruptly divert attention, which may prevent adequate encoding of an intention to resume and forming an implementation plan, (2) New task demands after an interruption's end reduce opportunity to interpret resumption cues, (3) The transition after an interruption to new ongoing task demands is not distinctive because it is defined conceptually, rather than by a single perceptual cue. Hypotheses based on these three features receive support from two experiments that respectively manipulate encoding and retrieval conditions. The data support our contention that interrupted tasks are a special case of prospective memory, and allow us to suggest practical ways of reducing vulnerability to resumption failure. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biological Tissue Diagnostics using Needle Biopsy and Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Needle biopsy is a routine medical procedure for examining tissue or biofluids for the presence of disease using standard methods of pathology. In this work, spray ionization directly from tissue in the biopsy needle is shown to provide highly specific molecular information through mass spectrometry analysis. The data are available within a minute after the tissue biopsy, a time scale that allows immediate medical decisions to be made. This method has been performed for tissues in a variety of organs including brain, liver, kidney, adrenal gland, stomach, and spinal cord. Amino acids, hormones, fatty acids, anesthetics, and phospholipids are detected from the tissues and identified using exact mass measurement and tandem mass spectrometry. Lipid profiles are rich in information and, as in imaging MS methods, they have the potential to serve to distinguish diseased from healthy tissue. Needle biopsies allow a crude form of depth profiling that is demonstrated with the analysis of tissue samples taken by a ...
Experimental Study on Post-Earthquake Fire Resistance of Ductile Concrete-Filled Double-Skin Tube Columns

AbstractExperimental studies were conducted to examine the behavior of concrete-filled double-skin tube (CFDST) columns exposed to fire after being subjected to simulated seismic loads. The experiments were conducted in two separate phases, consisting of (1) the quasi-static cyclic tests, followed by (2) fire tests. Three nominally identical column specimens were constructed for these studies. One of the specimens was directly tested under fire to quantify its resistance in an undamaged condition. The other two specimens were first subjected to quasi-static cyclic lateral loads, imposing varying degrees of lateral drift to simulate two different seismic events with moderate and high damage levels before being exposed to fire. Both of the specimens were pushed to the maximum drift of 6–6.5% with different residual drifts of 1.4 and 3.9% for moderate and high damage levels, respectively. The undamaged and damaged columns were then subjected to the same fire tests in accordance with a standard temperature-ti...
Naphthalenes, isoquinolines, and a benzazocine from zirconocene-copper-mediated coupling of benzocyclobutadiene with nitriles and alkynes.

Commercially available 1-bromobenzocyclobutene is a potentially useful synthon particularly with the application of organometallic methodology. Here we show that it is readily converted into Cp2Zr(benzocyclobutadiene), which couples with alkynes or nitriles giving five-membered zirconacycles. Treatment of these alkyne- or nitrile-derived zirconacycles with CuCl yields substituted naphthalenes, isoquinolines, or in the presence of MeO2C−CC−CO2Me, a 2-benzazocine containing an eight-membered ring.
The frequency, complications and aetiology of ADHD in new onset paediatric epilepsy

Recent studies suggest that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common comorbid condition in childhood epilepsy, but little is known regarding the nature, frequency and timing of associated neurobehavioural/cognitive complications or the underlying aetiology of ADHD in epilepsy. This investigation examined: (i) the prevalence of ADHD and its subtypes; (ii) the association of ADHD with abnormalities in academic, neuropsychological, behavioural and psychiatric status and (iii) the aetiology of ADHD in paediatric epilepsy. Seventy-five children (age 8-18) with new/recent onset idiopathic epilepsy and 62 healthy controls underwent structured interview (K-SADS) to identify the presence and type of DSM-IV defined ADHD, neuropsychological assessment, quantitative MR volumetrics, characterization of parent observed executive function, review of academic/educational progress and assessment of risk factors during gestation and delivery. The results indicate that ADHD is significantly more prevalent in new onset epilepsy than healthy controls (31% versus 6%), characterized predominantly by the inattentive variant, with onset antedating the diagnosis of epilepsy in the majority of children. ADHD in childhood epilepsy is associated with significantly increased rates of school based remedial services for academic underachievement, neuropsychological consequences with prominent differences in executive function, and parent-reported dysexecutive behaviours. ADHD in paediatric epilepsy is neither associated with demographic or clinical epilepsy characteristics nor potential risk factors during gestation and birth. Quantitative MRI demonstrates that ADHD in epilepsy is associated with significantly increased gray matter in distributed regions of the frontal lobe and significantly smaller brainstem volume. Overall, ADHD is a prevalent comorbidity of new onset idiopathic epilepsy associated with a diversity of salient educational, cognitive, behavioural and social complications that antedate epilepsy onset in a significant proportion of cases, and appear related to neurodevelopmental abnormalities in brain structure.
Computer simulation of a 10 keV Si displacement cascade in SiC

Abstract The threshold energy for atomic displacement and the evolution of high-energy displacement cascades in β -SiC have been examined using molecular dynamics simulations. A modified form of the Tersoff potential was used in combination with a repulsive potential obtained from density functional theory to describe the interactions between the atoms. The evolution of lattice damage in a 10 keV Si cascade was studied for about 10 ps. The system size varied from 8000 atoms for the displacement energy calculations to 192,000 atoms for the cascade simulations. The results indicate that the minimum displacement energy is about 36 eV for Si and 28 eV for C. The cascade lifetime was found to be of the order of 0.1 ps, and the surviving C vacancies and interstitials outnumbered the corresponding Si defects by a factor of about 3. These results are discussed in light of previous theoretical and experimental studies of radiation damage in SiC.
Action Spectrum for Retinal Injury from Near-Ultraviolet Radiation in the Aphakic Monkey

We found that the action spectrum for retinal damage (determined by the fundus photographic appearance of a minimal lesion immediately after exposure) extends into the near-ultraviolet by exposing three aphakic eyes from rhesus monkeys to 405-, 380-, 350-, and 325-nm wavelengths produced by a 2,500-W xenon lamp equipped with quartz optics and 10-nm interference filters. Exposure times were 100 and 1,000 seconds and the spot diameter on the retina was 500 μm. The retina was six times more sensitive to 350- and 325-nm wavelengths than to blue light (441 nm). Both ophthalmoscopic and histologic data showed that near-ultraviolet lesions differed in important respects from blue-light lesions. Near-ultraviolet produced irreparable damage to rod and cone photoreceptors.
Clinical and laboratory observations in cases of triiodothyronine toxicosis confirmed by radioimmunoassay.

Abstract Forty patients with triiodothyronine (T3) toxicosis have been identified. All were clinically hyperthyroid with raised levels of both total and free T3 but normal serum concentrations of total and free thyroxine and normal thyroxine-binding globulin capacities. Twenty-nine presented as Graves' disease, eight as autonomous adenoma, and three as toxic multinodular goitre. The availability of the radioimmunoassay for T3 should permit more frequent recognition of this disorder.
Overview of sea-ice physical properties and their variability

An understanding of the physical properties of sea ice and their variability is critical both to interpret observations of the optical properties and to develop models of radiative transfer. Sea ice has an intricate structure consisting of platelets of fresh ice with inclusions of brine and air. The total volume and the distribution of these inclusions strongly affect the optical properties. The physical properties of the ice are highly dependent on the growth conditions and the seasonal evolution of the ice. Consequently, the state and structure of the ice exhibit large spatial and temporal variability. For example, the crystal texture can be granular or columnar, while crystal sizes can vary from millimeters to a few centimeters. Observed brine volumes can vary from 0% in the surface layer of multi-year ice to as much as 50% in the skeletal layer at the bottom of a growing ice sheet. Densities show a similar variability ranging from 0.60 to 0.92 g/cm3. Because of this variability there is a need to use the large body of ice property observations to develop ice properties models, either of an empirical or physical nature.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Historical perspectives of bariatric surgery: the jejunoileal bypass and vertical banded gastroplasty

While neither the jejunoileal bypass nor vertical banded gastroplasty are still performed, many patients still possess this anatomy. They periodically have imaging procedures that need to be performed and interpreted appropriately. It is also important to know what has failed in the past to proceed more intelligently in the future.
Utilization of Hatchery By-Product Meal by the Laying Hen

Abstract A recent report by Wisman (1964) showed that processed hatchery refuse could be used in rations for growing chickens. Because of the high calcium content (20%), the maximum level of the by-product was determined to be about 5% which represented only about 1.25% protein addition. The investigation has been extended here to determine the nutritive value of hatchery by-product meal (see Wisman, 1964, for composition) in laying hen rations where up to three times as much of the by-product could be employed based on calcium content. EXPERIMENTAL Levels of 5, 10 and 15% hatchery by-product meal were added to a basal diet described as Diet 1 in Table 1. Complete descriptions of all diets are given including one that contained 15% poultry by-products meal and one that contained 3% condensed fish solubles. Each of the six treatment diets was randomly assigned to four groups of five DeKalb pullets maintained in…
Optimal control on adjoint orbits and symmetric spaces

In this paper we analyze and generalize, from the point of view of the maximum principle, a class of nonlinear optimal control problems originally introduced in Brockett (1994). The optimal control problems that we consider here lie on the adjoint orbits of compact Lie groups or on Grassmann manifolds. An important role is played by the type of metric used-the so called normal metric. We consider some special cases of the general problem and their meaning from the point of view of Riemannian geometry and Hamiltonian mechanics.
On-wafer band-stop and band-pass microwave filters based on ferromagnetic resonance

This paper describes a new, on-wafer microwave devices based on high magnetization, metallic ferromagnets such as Fe and Permalloy. These devices are small and could be integrated with high frequency electronics. Reduction of device dimensions in these monolithic microwave integrated circuits is important from the cost and reliability point of view. We present here results for microwave band stop and band pass filters based on a microstrip geometry. These structures, prepared by sputtering on GaAs substrates, are compatible in size and growth process with on-chip high-frequency electronics. We observed power attenuation up to /spl sim/ 100 dB/cm and an insertion loss on-the order of /spl sim/ 2-3 dB for both Permalloy and Fe based structures.
Dentin sialophosphoprotein in biomineralization

Two of the proteins found in significant quantity in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of dentin are dentin phosphoprotein (DPP) and dentin sialoprotein (DSP). DPP, the most abundant of the noncollagenous proteins (NCPs) in dentin is an unusually polyanionic protein, containing a large number of aspartic acids (Asp) and phosphoserines (Pse) in the repeating sequences of (Asp–Pse)n. and (Asp–Pse–Pse)n. The many negatively charged regions of DPP are thought to promote mineralization by binding calcium and presenting it to collagen fibers at the mineralization front during the formation of dentin. This purported role of DPP is supported by a sizeable pool of in vitro mineralization data showing that DPP is an important initiator and modulator for the formation and growth of hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals. Quite differently, DSP is a glycoprotein, with little or no phosphate. DPP and DSP are the cleavage products of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP). Human and mouse genetic studies have demonstrated that mutations...
State reduction using reversible rules

We reduce the state explosion problem in automatic verification of finite-state systems by automatically collapsing subgraphs of the state graph into abstract states. The key idea of the method is to identify state generation rules that can be inverted. It can be used for verification of deadlock-freedom, error and invariant checking and stuttering-invariant CTL model checking.