cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pain perception and coping strategies influence early outcomes following knee surgery in athletes.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether pain perceptions and coping strategies are predictive of the following outcomes after knee surgery in athletes: (1) return to similar level of sport, (2) improvement in symptoms, and (3) improvement in kinesiophobia. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods 101 athletes (52 men, 49 women; mean age 32.7 years) at mean 12.1 months follow-up were included. Independent relationships between patient outcomes and pre-operative measures were determined: short form McGill Pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Pain Coping Measure (PCM), and the brief COPE subscales of acceptance, denial, positive reframing, and use of instrumental support. Adjustment was performed for length of follow-up, symptom duration, surgical history, age, activity level, and surgical procedure. Results Rate of return to similar level of sport was 73%; severe pain catastrophizers (PCS >36 points) had increased odds of not returning to similar level of sport (OR 11.3 CI 1.51, 236; p = 0.02) whereas COPE-use of instrumental support was protective (per point increase: 0.72 CI 0.54, 0.94; p = 0.02). Problem-focused coping positively correlated with improvement in IKDC-S scores (beta 0.032 SE 0.010; p = 0.001). Improvement in kinesiophobia after surgery was less likely with higher pre-operative perceived pain frequency (OR 0.23 CI 0.06, 0.71; p = 0.009) and higher COPE-denial scores (OR 0.43 CI 0.21, 0.88; p = 0.02). Conclusions Among athletes undergoing knee surgery, severe pain catastrophizing is negatively associated with return to similar level of sport. Instrumental support and problem-focused coping strategies are associated with improved outcomes. High preoperative pain scores are negatively associated with improvement in kinesiophobia after rehabilitation.
Using Cumulative Load to Explain How Body Mass Index and Daily Walking Relate to Worsening Knee Cartilage Damage Over Two Years: The MOST Study

OBJECTIVE Knee cartilage damage is often linked to mechanical overloading. However, cartilage requires mechanical load to remain healthy, suggesting that underloading may be detrimental. This study was undertaken to examine knee overloading and underloading by defining cumulative load as the joint effects of body mass index (BMI) and daily walking, and examine the relationship between cumulative load and worsening cartilage damage over 2 years. METHODS We used data from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Steps/day, measured by accelerometry, and BMI were calculated at the 60-month visit. Cartilage damage on magnetic resonance imaging was semiquantitatively scored using the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) at the 60-month and 84-month visits; worsening damage was defined as increased WORMS between visits. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using binomial regression, with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS Our study included 964 participants, 62% of whom were female, with a mean ± SD age of 66.9 ± 7.5 years. Participants had a mean ± SD BMI of 29.7 ± 4.8 kg/m2 and walked a mean ± SD of 7,153 ± 2,591 steps/day. Participants who walked a moderate number of steps/day (6,000-7,900) or a high number of steps/day (>7,900) and had a high BMI (>31 kg/m2 ) had a greater risk of worsening medial tibiofemoral (TF) damage (RR 2.83 [95% CI 1.46-5.48] and RR 2.61 [95% CI 1.50-4.54], respectively) compared with those who walked similar steps/day and had a low BMI (18-27 kg/m2 ). Participants with a low number of steps/day (<6,000) and a low BMI had a greater risk of worsening medial TF and lateral patellofemoral (PF) damage (RR 2.03 [95% CI 1.06-3.92] and RR 2.28 [95% CI 1.06-4.85], respectively) compared with those who walked a high number of steps/day and had a low BMI. Effect estimates for other compartments of the knee did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION This study provides preliminary evidence that both overloading and underloading may be detrimental to medial TF cartilage, and underloading may be detrimental to lateral PF cartilage.
Urinary Tract Infection in Febrile Children with Sickle Cell Disease Who Present to the Emergency Room with Fever

Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients are thought to be at higher risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs) compared to the general population secondary to increased sickling, abnormal urinary acidification, and an inability to concentrate the urine. The incidence of UTI in febrile children with SCD in the United States is unknown. Our objectives were to determine the rate of UTI among febrile SCD children and describe the risk factors for UTI in this population. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all febrile SCD patients <4 years of age who presented to a pediatric emergency department from 2012-2017 and who had a sterile sample of urine for analysis. A total of 167 febrile patients with SCD with 464 visits were identified. The majority were African American (95.2%), female (58.7%), and had hemoglobin SS (HbSS) (65.3%). The rate of UTI was 4.1%. All patients with a UTI were African American females with a median age of 19 months (IQR 12-30). On regression analysis, no risk factors were associated with a UTI. We found the rate of UTI in febrile young children with SCD was comparable to non-SCD children. Larger studies are required to identify the presence of risk factors for UTI in this population.
Material considerations for thermoelectric enhancement via modulation doping

Modulation doping has recently emerged as a method for improving the thermoelectric figure of merit using composite materials. By spatially decoupling charge carriers from their dopant impurities, the average carrier mobility can be improved by reducing the influence of ionized impurity scattering. However, as we show in the present work using a simple parabolic band model and effective medium approach, enhancement in such composites is effective only if ionized impurities dominate the scattering of the charge carriers, which is often not the case in many materials. For example, the enhancement is more significant at lower temperatures (T < 300 K for our model material) where acoustic phonon scattering begins to freeze out. Furthermore, for large dielectric constant, which is common for good thermoelectric materials, the ionized impurities are largely screened, and formation of the modulation-doped composite is likely to have little to no benefit, or possibly even degrade the thermoelectric performance of the material. The effective mass of the charge carriers also plays an important role in the relative strength of the scattering mechanism and the possibility for thermoelectric enhancement through modulation doping.
Is It Time for a Hard Conversation about Cueing Systems and Word Reading in Teacher Education

Recent media reports suggest that teachers and teacher educators are using the three-cueing system model to justify an overemphasis on context to help students read unfamiliar words. In this concep...
Invisible Loss: A Delphi Approach to Develop A Term for Individuals Who Experienced Perinatal Loss

The purpose of this Delphi pilot study was to 1) identify potential benefits to people who experienced perinatal loss if a term were established; 2) develop a term for people who experienced a peri...
Potential Influencing Factors Related to Digitalization of Construction-Phase Information Management by Project Owners

AbstractPublic agencies or owners that are responsible for the construction and maintenance of built infrastructure or facilities are working toward the digitalization of the project administration...
The current diagnosis and treatment of patients with aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the third most frequent cardiovascular abnormality after coronary artery disease and hypertension. A bicuspid aortic valve is the most common cause for AS until seventh decade and calcific valve degeneration is responsible thereafter. In symptomatic patients, The risk of death increases from ≤1%/year to 2%/month. An echo valve area ≤1 cm2, peak transaortic velocity ≥4 m/s, mean valve gradient ≥40 mmHg and/or computerized tomography valve calcium score >2000 Agatston units (AU) for males or more than 1200 AU for females indicate severe AS. AS stages and management are discussed. Valve replacement is based on surgical risk, valve durability/hemodynamics, need for anticoagulation and patient preferences. EuroSCORE ≥20%, Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality ≥8% and co-morbidities indicate high surgical risk. Surgery is recommended for low-intermediate risk patients. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an alternative in older patients at low, intermediate, high or prohibitive risk. Transaortic valve implantation/replacement trials are summarized.
Quantifiability: Correctness of Concurrent Programs in Vector Space

Architectural imperatives due to the slowing of Moore’s Law, the broad acceptance of relaxed semantics and the $\mathrm{O}(n!)$ worst case verification complexity of generating sequential histories motivate a new approach to concurrent correctness. Desiderata for a new correctness condition are that it be independent of sequential histories, compositional, flexible as to timing, modular as to semantics and free of inherent locking or waiting. We propose Quantifiability, a novel correctness condition that models a system in vector space to launch a new mathematical analysis of concurrency. The vector space model is suitable for a wide range of concurrent systems and their associated data structures. This paper formally defines quantifiability and demonstrates that quantifiability is compositional and non-blocking. Analysis is facilitated with linear algebra, better supported and of much more efficient time complexity than traditional combinatorial methods.
The Arminian Controversy: History, Theology, and Art

Arminianism is a Biblical interpretive construct and a theological response to Calvinism. Calvinism is the theology advanced by John Calvin, the leading French theologian of the Protestant Reformation. Arminians and Calvinists disagreed on fundamental Christian doctrine, including the doctrine of predestination and the role human free will plays in the process of Christian redemption and salvation. In the Dutch Republic of the seventeenth century and in English theological disputes of the eighteenth century, the Arminian-Calvinist conflict divided societies and Christian fellowships. This essay analyzes these historical Protestant conflicts by analyzing relevant historical, theological, and artistic contexts.
Deep Deterministic Gradient Policy (DDGP) Reinforcement Learning Assisted Degradation-Aware Control of Solid-State Transformer

The reliability of semiconductor switches is significant in power electronics systems. It is especially critical with solid-state transformer (SST) due to its safety- and mission-critical applications, including in-vehicle charging or power-grid interfaces. The traditional controller commonly requires an accurate mathematical model. However, such a traditional setting changes due to degradation and aging, adding extreme complexity and large uncertainty in a stability study. To address such uncertainty in increasingly complicated SST operations, in this paper, a deep deterministic gradient policy (DDGP) reinforcement learning (RL) assisted degradation-aware control of SST is proposed. The proposed controller will avoid complex mathematical modeling while ensuring optimal power transfer with an extended lifetime. The proposed actor-critic DDGP assisted controller learns and optimizes the phase-shift angle by evaluating the SST behavior under different input and health status. In this paper, an analytical background of DDGP and its application in a reliability integrated controller is provided along with a training environment. The validity of the proposed controller is validated by 5kW cascode GaN FET-based SST prototype.
Pathology of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection and HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatitis B infection can cause a wide range of histopathological changes in the liver with different presentations during the acute and chronic infection phases. These findings can often overlap with other viral and nonviral causes of hepatitis. Therefore, clinical information and serological findings are important in confirming the diagnosis of hepatitis B. Acute hepatitis B is not routinely biopsied as its histological findings are often nonspecific with hepatocyte injury, regeneration, inflammation, and necrosis. However, when acute hepatitis B progresses to chronic hepatitis B, histological examination of the liver biopsies plays a key role in guiding treatment decisions and surveillance for sequelae. Liver biopsy is currently the gold standard for evaluating the degree of fibrosis (stage) and necroinflammatory activity (grade) in chronic hepatitis B. In addition, monitoring for sequelae of chronic hepatitis B is important as chronic infection can lead to the development of cirrhosis and liver malignancies. The hepatitis B virus has been found to be causally linked to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and possibly associated with the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Active surveillance with imaging and liver biopsies can help with early detection of liver cancer to improve outcomes.
Survey of Minnesota dairy veterinarians on the occurrence of and potential risk factors for Jejunal Hemorrhage Syndrome in adult dairy cows

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of Minnesota, USA, has, over the past two years, recognized an increased rate of cases of adult dairy cattle with a disease syndrome described as "jejunal haemorrhage syndrome". Two separate surveys were administered to Minnesota bovine practitioners, one by mail in March 2000, and the second at the annual conference of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association in February 2001. The objectives of these two surveys were: (1) to gather preliminary data describing how frequently this disease syndrome is being diagnosed by dairy veterinarians and (2) to generate some hypotheses as to potential cow or herd management-related risk factors which may warrant future study. For the two surveys, between 50 and 59% of survey respondents reported having diagnosed one or more cases of jejunal haemorrhage syndrome (JHS) in the previous 12-month period. Many of these veterinarians reported its occurrence in multiple client herds, and between 40 and 56% reported the diagnosis of multiple cases in individual herds. The majority of respondents indicated that they believe this is an important disease syndrome that deserves further study. Potential cow and management-related risk factors for JHS that warrant future study include parity, stage of lactation, season, herd size and feeding management system.
Polymorphism of the Introduced Snail Cepaea nemoralis (Gastropoda, Helicidae) from two Distant Parts of Eastern Europe: Accidental Similarity or Regularity?

The shell coloration of Cepaea nemoralis from Western Ukraine (Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Ternopil regions) and from the Moscow region of Russia was analyzed, in total, almost 6 thousand specimens from 32 sites. In the samples from the Moscow region, on average, there were half as many yellow shells and four times as many pink mid-banded shells. There were no other statistically significant differences. As in other areas of Eastern Europe, yellow unbanded and brown shells were often absent or represented by few individuals in both compared areas, and brown banded shells were completely (Western Ukraine) or almost completely (Moscow region) absent, which may be related to the founder effect. Analysis of the literature data showed that in the introduced populations of C. nemoralis from Europe and USA, a distinct predominance of one or two of the 4 light phenotypes (yellow unbanded, yellow mid-banded, pink unbanded, and pink mid-banded) is often observed. The total frequency of these phenotypes in introduced populations is often higher than its average values calculated for different parts of the natural range. A possible relationship between the observed pattern and climatic selection is discussed.
Cumulative Effects of Poverty on Children's Social-Emotional Development: Absolute Poverty and Relative Poverty

This study examines the cumulative effects of poverty on children’s socio-emotional outcomes from ages 5 to 12, using U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data (N = 6941). Two definitions of poverty were used: absolute poverty as defined by the federal poverty threshold, and relative poverty defined as income less than 50 percent of median household income. (1) Does cumulative poverty, measured in absolute and relative terms, have any impact on children’s socio-emotional outcomes? (2) Does this association increase/decrease as children become older? Relative poverty had a stronger adverse effect on children’s social-emotional development than absolute poverty, and the adverse effect of relative poverty was bigger when children were older. Child and maternal characteristics affected children’s socio-emotional development. The income threshold for absolute poverty is lower than that for relative poverty; using a relative poverty threshold might better identify individuals with limited resources that are at risk of having adverse socio-emotional outcomes.
Contextual disruption and exercise: mapping changes to exercise routines and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective This study examines the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on exercise routines and engagement in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Design Individuals (N = 397) who reported meeting recommended guidelines for MVPA prior to COVID-19 completed an online questionnaire during the United States' COVID-19 lockdowns in April/May 2020. Main outcome measures Participants reported their MVPA currently and before COVID-19, and answered questions about five contextual cues (e.g. time of day, interaction partners, type of workout, surrounding events, location of exercise) that characterized their exercise routines currently and before COVID-19. Results Contextual cues were perceived as highly disrupted and less consistent during COVID-19 (vs. before) and these changes were associated with greater declines in MVPA. For each cue, distinct effects predicting MVPA declines also emerged for perceived disruption due to COVID-19 restrictions, perceived importance of cue in getting one to exercise, and cue consistency over time. Conclusion Building on prior research, COVID-19 restrictions affected the context in which people exercised, and changes in these contextual cues were related to declines in MVPA. Re-establishing consistency in certain cues (e.g. time of day) after a disruption may help to forestall declines in MVPA compared to others (e.g. type of workout).
Methods, Concepts and Challenges in Archaeological Site Detection and Modeling

This chapter briefly reviews methodological and conceptual issues and debates central to advancement of archaeological site detection and modeling. A wide variety of different survey, sampling and site designation methods have long shaped results of archaeological explorations. Methodological challenges and potential means to better address sociocultural considerations within geospatial prediction/detection modeling are mentioned, and less widely recognized methodological impediments including the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) and the need to address detection errors of omission and commission are discussed.
Biosynthesis of galactolipids in plants.

Abstract Spinach chloroplasts very actively incorporated radioactivity from UDP-galactose-14C into lipids. Among the products formed, monogalactosyl and digalactosyl diglycerides together with a third compound, tentatively identified as the trigalactosyl diglyceride, contained 95% of the total lipid radioactivity. Chloroplasts from young leaves showed higher enzymic activity than those obtained from mature leaves. Dissociation of the enzymes from the acceptors was accomplished by acetone powder preparation of the chloroplasts. It was shown that diolein could serve as an efficient acceptor for the monogalactosyl diglyceride synthesis but not for the digalactosyl diglyceride synthesis. Monogalactosyl diglyceride, naturally found in chloroplasts, was shown to be the acceptor for the second galactosylation. Incubation of radioactive digalactosyl diglyceride with the acetone powder of spinach chloroplasts resulted in the formation of trigalactosyl diglyceride when cold UDP-galactose was used as the substrate. Evidence indicated that two enzymes were involved in galactolipid synthesis in spinach chloroplasts. The enzyme responsible for the synthesis of monogalactosyl diglyceride was more tightly bound to the membranes than the enzyme synthesizing digalactosyl diglyceride. Particles from etiolated pea leaves as well as other nonchlorophyllous tissues were shown to contain active enzymes that synthesize the galactolipids. A light-induced increase in the enzyme activity was observed in pea leaves.
The Pathways of Thiamine Biosynthesis SOME FACTORS CONTROLLING SYNTHESIS OF THE PYRIMIDINE MOIETY BY THIAMINE AUXOTROPHS OF NEUROSPORA CRASSA

Certain thiamine-requiring auxotrophs of Neurospora crassa synthesize compounds related to the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine. The accumulation of these compounds was inhibited by thiamine and oxythiamine and stimulated by Zn++, Fe+++, and the purine analogues, 4-aminopyrazolo-pyrimidine and 2,6-diaminopurine. Bioautography revealed the presence in this medium of four compounds capable of serving as precursors of the pyrimidine moiety for the test organism, Enterobacter aerogenes strain PD1, and of several other compounds capable of serving as precursors of the thiazole moiety for an Escherichia coli thiazoleless strain.
Systematic approach for the design of pumpable, cement-based grouts for immobilization of hazardous wastes

Cement-based grouts have been proven to be an economical and environmentally acceptable means of waste disposal. Costs can be reduced if the grout is pumped to the disposal site. This paper presents a systematic approach to guide the development of pumpable grouts. 20 refs., 2 figs.
Biomechanical computed tomography-noninvasive bone strength analysis using clinical computed tomography scans

The combination of finite element modeling, biomechanics, and clinical computed tomography (CT) scanning-biomechanical CT (BCT)-is a powerful research technique for noninvasive assessment of whole-bone strength and is now being used in clinical research studies. Well supported by cadaver studies, the technique is providing substantial new insight into drug treatment effects, can show treatment effects earlier than dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and has shown greater sensitivity than DXA in fracture risk assessment. Because the technique can be used as an ancillary "add-on" analysis to previously acquired CT scans containing either the hip or spine, it should be possible to implement this technology clinically in a highly cost-effective manner. This strategy, if applied to those not previously tested by DXA, has the potential to greatly increase the number of individuals identified as being at high risk for osteoporotic fracture.
Organizational And Personnel Impacts On Local Government Consolidation: Athens‐Clarke County, Georgia

Civic reformers tout consolidation as a means to increase the economy and efficiency of local government functions and services. However, little is known about the actual impact of consolidation du...
A GABA cardiovascular mechanism in the dorsal raphe of the rat

An injection of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the GABA agonist, muscimol, into the dorsal raphe reduced both heart rate and blood pressure in the urethane-anesthetized rat. Picrotoxinin (3.4 nmol) did not affect blood pressure and slightly reduced the heart rate when injected into the dorsal raphe, but it blocked the decrease in both cardiovascular responses produced by GABA. These decreases in heart rate and blood pressure most likely result from stimulation of a GABAA receptor, as the GABAB agonist, baclofen, appeared to elevate heart rate and blood pressure by a mechanism occurring outside the dorsal raphe area. The changes in blood pressure and heart rate induced by muscimol occurred whether or not respiration was supported. Finally, it can be inferred that these GABAergic actions on blood pressure and heart rate probably involve both an inhibition of central sympathetic outflow and an excitation of parasympathetic outflow, as the quaternary muscarinic blocker, atropine methyl nitrate, blocked the decrease in heart rate induced by muscimol, but not the decrease in blood pressure.
Socio-Demographic Factors, Social Support, Quality of Life, and HIV/AIDS in Ghana

The increase in the access to biomedical interventions for people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world has not been adequately matched with the requisite psychosocial treatments to help improve the effectiveness of biomedical interventions. Therefore, in this study the author seeks to determine whether socio-demographic characteristics and social support are associated with quality of life in individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Ghana. A convenience sample of 300 HIV/AIDS support group members was obtained via cross-sectional design survey. The Medical Outcome Studies (MOS) HIV Health Survey, the MOS Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), and demographic questionnaire instruments were used to assess quality of life, social support, and demographic information respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that there was a positive association between overall social support and overall quality of life (r = .51). It also showed that being younger, male, attending support group meetings for over a yea...
Dopamine D1 receptor antagonism in the prelimbic cortex blocks the reinstatement of heroin-seeking in an animal model of relapse

In brain regions that have been implicated in the reinstatement of drug-seeking, the prelimbic cortex has emerged as a critical regulator of relapse behaviours. Here, the effects of prelimbic cortex dopamine (DA) D1 receptor antagonism on drug-seeking produced by heroin-paired cues, or by a single priming dose of heroin are examined. Rats lever-pressed daily for i.v. heroin discretely paired with a conditioned stimulus during 3-h sessions for a period of 2 wk, followed by extinction and reinstatement of drug-seeking by previously heroin-paired cues (tone+light) or heroin-priming injections (0.25 mg/kg) in the absence of heroin reinforcement. Intracranial infusion of the DA D1 receptor antagonist, SCH 23390 (0.02−2.0 μg/side), into the prelimbic cortex potently and dose dependently attenuated heroin-seeking in response to either cue presentations or a priming dose of heroin. These results suggest that DA D1 receptors regulate prefrontal cortex pathways necessary for the reinstatement of heroin-seeking.
Non‐methane hydrocarbons in the Arctic atmosphere at Barrow, Alaska

C2-C8 non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were detected in the arctic atmosphere at Barrow, Alaska, during seven sampling periods in March 1989. The most prominent NMHCs were ethene, acetylene, ethane, propane, and benzene. The concentrations and distribution of these species were similar to those observed at the same location in 1982 and in the Norwegian Arctic in 1983. The distribution of NMHCs in background arctic air during this period was similar to that of aged urban air. These findings provide additional evidence that NMHCs in the arctic atmosphere during spring may originate from industrialized mid-latitude regions and contribute to the arctic haze phenomenon.
First-Grade Predictors of Mathematical Learning Disability: A Latent Class Trajectory Analysis.

Kindergarten to third grade mathematics achievement scores from a prospective study of mathematical development (n = 306) were subjected to latent growth trajectory analyses. The four corresponding classes included children with mathematical learning disability (MLD, 6% of sample), and low (LA, 50%), typically (TA, 39%) and high (HA, 5%) achieving children. The groups were administered a battery of intelligence (IQ), working memory, and mathematical-cognition measures in first grade. The children with MLD had general deficits in working memory and IQ and potentially more specific deficits on measures of number sense. The LA children did not have working memory or IQ deficits but showed moderate deficits on these number sense measures and for addition fact retrieval. The distinguishing features of the HA children were a strong visuospatial working memory, a strong number sense, and frequent use of memory-based processes to solve addition problems. Implications for the early identification of children at risk for poor mathematics achievement are considered.
An image-clustering method based on cross-correlation of color histograms

Color histogram analysis is a powerful tool for characterizing color images, and has been widely used in image indexing and retrieval systems. Image classification using histogram analysis is possible if a robust similarity measure between different color histograms can be found. In this paper, we propose to use a cross-correlation function to measure color histogram similarity. We will show that a cross-correlation function has several advantages over the method of histogram intersection, which has been widely used to calculate the similarity between color histograms. The cross-correlation function is normalized automatically, determines similarity irrespective of image size, is invariant to small color shifts, and is easier to implement using computationally efficient methods. We present an example of unsupervised image clustering by applying a cross-correlation function to color histograms. This method was used to improve the perceived color consistency in a multi-print-engine system. We also show how to optimize the cross-correlation function to compensate for color shifts.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nmr studies on the presence of domain structures in polysaccharides

A variety of nmr transient techniques demonstrate the absence of domain structures in powders of α- and β-cyclodextrins, dextran B512F, and their “deuterated” analogs where deuterium replaces exchangeable protons. Cyclodextrins and dextran are inferred to be homogeneously ordered and disordered one-phase systems, respectively. We show how erroneous results concerning the presence and sizes of rigid and mobile domains can be reached from the interpretations of two-component free induction decays and spin–lattice relaxation behavior of polysaccharides. In our approach, we have measured 1H free induction decays and lineshapes, and 1H spin–lattice and dipolar relaxation times, in addition to using Goldman–Shen experiments and 13C cross-polarization magic-angel sample spinning. Self-consistent nmr results are suggested as essential means to corroborate conclusions concerning domain structures in biopolymers.
1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is potentially a powerful tool for the investigation of the chemicals of the brain in vivo in health and disease. Levels of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) in the motor cortex and brainstem of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been reported to be reduced by up to 68%, and in one report the level of glutamate in the brainstem was increased by 58%. We studied levels of metabolites in the cerebral cortex and brainstem of 20 ALS patients and 14 age-matched controls with a 1.5 Tesla Picker magnet using MRS. We used the same spectra for determining both the area of the metabolite peaks expressed as a ratio of the area of the creatine (Cr) peak, and the absolute concentrations using the Provencher LC model. These produced different results. With the LC model, the NAA content of the motor cortex of ALS patients was reduced by 7.7% (P=0.015), and that of the brainstem was reduced by 21.5% (P=0.035), compared with controls. The degree of reduction of NAA was related to the severity of upper motor neuron abnormalities. No effect of treatment with anti-glutamate agents on NAA concentration could be detected. Concentrations of other metabolites were not affected in ALS. It appears that MRS is a technique that is still in development, and that further refinement is required before it can be used to understand disease mechanisms and investigate treatment in ALS.
Design Techniques For Dual Wavelength Polarizing Beamsplitters

SUMMARYSeveral techniques have been presented for the design of a dual wavelengthpolarizer for use at 65 °. The design was modified to accommodate additional spectral requirements. The resulting design was then refined to better meet thespecifications. Although refractive indices for real materials were used for thedesign, the resulting filter may not be practical using these materials. 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis effort was sponsored by the Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Air ForceSystems Command, United States Air Force, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 87117.The figures were drawn using a program provided by Thin Film Designer Software. 7. REFERENCES 1. M. Banning, "Practical methods of making and using multilayer filters," J. Opt. Soc. Am 37, 792 -797 (1947). 2. S.M. MacNeille, "Beam Splitter," U.S. Pat. Spec. 24 03 731 (1946). 3. L. Songer, "The design and fabrication of a thin film polarizer," Opt. Spectra 12 (10), 45 -50 (1978). 4. See H.A. Macleod, Thin -Film Optical Filters (Macmillan, New York, 1986) pp.
Are Rape Crisis Centers Feminist Organizations

Although rape crisis centers began as feminist organizations, research exploring centers' current feminist identity is limited. Data from interviews with 63 staff, volunteers, interns, and directors affiliated with six rape crisis centers and programs located in four East Coast states are used to examine how they view feminism and whether they believe their rape crisis centers maintain a feminist ideology. Although most directors identified their organization as a feminist one, they also indicated that the feminist identity of rape crisis centers has changed over time as organizations increasingly collaborated with mainstream organizations and became less politically active. Because of the possible negative connotation of the word “feminism,” some directors and advocates spoke of their reluctance to advertise as a feminist organization for fear of alienating victims, potential volunteers, and/or funders.
1026. Manipulation of S Phase Progression Can Counteract Cell Cycle Arrest of Corrected Cells during the Oligonucleotide-Directed Gene Repair Reaction

Top of pageAbstract We have previously shown that activation of the homologous recombinational repair pathway leads to a block of cell division in corrected cells, possibly through the activity of checkpoint proteins Chk1 and Chk2. Our results show that corrected cells contain only a few active replication templates two weeks after electroporation, yet do not display an apoptotic or senescent phenotype. This observation is unique for the corrected cells, as non-corrected cells, which still contain substantial levels of transfected oligonucleotides, do not show a significant induction of Chk1/Chk2 and are able to divide at normal rates, resulting the apparent decrease of gene repair frequency as a function of time. We show that the addition of thymidine, which impedes cellular replication through the inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase, is able to maintain high levels of repair over several days and counteracts the reduction of gene repair levels. In addition, we reveal that by six weeks after electroporation, corrected cells resume active replication with a cell cycle profile that is comparable to that of the non-corrected population. These results indicate that the initial stalling of corrected cells is transient and cells eventually resume a normal phenotypic growth pattern, allowing for passaging and expansion in vitro.
Overwintering ofChymomyza amoena larvae in apples in Michigan and preliminary studies on the mechanism of cold hardiness

Chymomyza amoena, a member of the family Drosophilidae, is now breeding in fallen apples in the state of Michigan.C. amoena larvae can overwinter in fallen apples, completing development and emerging as adults in the summer. Cold resistance during the overwintering phase may not depend upon the accumulation of glycerol or other sugar alcohols.
Comments on Lynn Eden’s Whole World on Fire: Organizations, Knowledge, & Nuclear Weapons Devastation:

In a book well deserving of the Merton Award, Lynn Eden (2004) lays out her overarching thesis imaginatively, clearly, and with impressive scholar ship. She asks: why has the US government seriously underestimated for more than a half-century the damage that nuclear weapons would cause? Why did it develop detailed knowledge about blast damage, but fail to develop it about the even more devastating effects of mass fire damage? This asymmetrical government approach persisted despite the history of shocking fire damage during World War II in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Hamburg, and Dresden. Professor Eden searched for an answer in count less relevant reports and interviews carefully documented in her prodigious footnotes. Eden concludes that shortly after World War II those in the USA analyzing and predicting nuclear weapons damage concluded that fire damage involved too many variables to allow prediction. The relevant agencies remained committed to this conclusion for reasons Eden takes pains to explain. Yet I find also persuasive a reason that she does not emphasize. In a subordinated section of her book, she asks if most of the military and the Pentagon civilians responsible for predicting nuclear bomb damage ig nored fire because they found the effects too horrible to contemplate. Or to put it differently, did the US government's announced policy of precision bombing of military and industrial targets and its emphasis upon blast damage make nuclear war more acceptable to those who would wage war and to the public? Eden does acknowledge, 'After World War II, U.S. war planners did not want to think of nuclear weapons as incendiary weapons and therefore did not attend to the problem of developing a methodology to predict fire damage from them' (p. 46). On the other hand, I can imagine that many of the military and civilians analyzing the effect of nuclear weapons may have been mainly concerned about moral repugnance on the part of the citizenry. If in formed about fire damage, it might have effectively opposed the build up of nuclear weapons during the Cold War out of fear of reprisals.
Writing grammar textbooks: Theory and practice

Abstract Writers of grammar textbooks need to base their work on a combination of theory and practical knowledge of the language-teaching classroom, meeting the needs of both teachers and students. In preparing a grammar textbook for publication, a writer will have to consider at least the following: the meanings possible for the phrase the teaching of grammar, a definition for pedagogical grammar, and the usefulness of direct and/or indirect teaching of grammar. The grammar textbook writer will also make decisions about the influence of proficiency levels on materials selection and use, and the selection and ordering of the materials in the textbook. In addition to issues that are unique to writing grammar textbooks, the textbook writer will need to consider issues in materials design more generally. Important among these broader design issues are the perceived conflict between fluency and accuracy, process and product, and least-to-most communicative activities.
Discrete-Roughness-Element-Enhanced Swept-Wing Natural Laminar Flow at High Reynolds Numbers

Nonlinear parabolized stability equations and secondary-instability analyses are used to provide a computational assessment of the potential use of the discrete-roughness-element technology for extending swept-wing natural laminar flow at chord Reynolds numbers relevant to transport aircraft. Computations performed for the boundary layer on a natural-laminar-flow airfoil with a leading-edge sweep angle of 34.6 deg, freestream Mach number of 0.75, and chord Reynolds numbers of 17×106, 24×106, and 30×106 suggest that discrete roughness elements could delay laminar–turbulent transition by about 20% when transition is caused by stationary crossflow disturbances. Computations show that the introduction of small-wavelength stationary crossflow disturbances (i.e., discrete roughness element) also suppresses the growth of most amplified traveling crossflow disturbances.
A prospective study of stress among women undergoing in vitro fertilization or gamete intrafallopian transfer

Abstract Objective: To evaluate whether baseline or procedural stress during in vitro fertilization (IVF) or gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) affects pregnancy or live birth delivery rates. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Seven clinics in Southern California between 1993 and 1998. Patient(s): One hundred and fifty-one women completed two questionnaires. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): The number of oocytes aspirated and fertilized, the number of embryos transferred, the achievement of a pregnancy, live birth delivery, and infant outcomes. Result(s): Positive-affect negative-affect score at baseline negatively influenced the number of oocytes retrieved and embryos transferred. A higher expectation of pregnancy was associated with greater numbers of oocytes fertilized and embryos transferred. At baseline, the risk of no live birth was 93% lower for women who had the highest positive-affect score compared to those with the lowest score. Furthermore, the score on the Infertility Reaction Scale was related to negative outcomes in live birth delivery, infant birth weight, and multiple births. During the time of the procedure, the PANAS and Bipolar Profile of Moods States results were related to the number of oocytes fertilized and embryos transferred; stress did not affect pregnancy or delivery. Conclusion(s): Baseline (acute and chronic) stress affected biologic end points (i.e., number of oocytes retrieved and fertilized), as well as pregnancy, live birth delivery, birth weight, and multiple gestations, whereas (procedural) stress only influenced biologic end points.
A Perspective on the Evolution of Processing Seismic Primaries and Multiples for a Complex Multidimensional Earth

In exploration seismology seismic events are typically catalogued as primary or multiple, depending on the number of times they have experienced an upward reflection in the subsurface. One upward reflection is a primary and more than one is a multiply reflected event or multiple. Primaries are typically treated as signal and multiples as coherent noise requiring removal before useful information can be extracted from primaries. In this talk we will provide a view of the past, present and future of processing primaries and multiples. Fifteen years ago primaries were more advanced in terms of concept and efficacy in relationship to the removal of multiples. Now that situation is reversed. Back then, primaries were from a multi-D earth with a known multi-D velocity, and multiples were from a 1D earth with a known 1D velocity. Due to new concepts and algorithms derived from the inverse scattering series multiples can be removed today from a heterogeneous, anisotropic anelastic earth with no subsurface information, whatsoever. Primaries remain today in concept basically where they were 15 years ago. A view of the future would bring the same inverse series to be applied to imaging and inverting primaries, providing an accurate spatial location of reflectors without a known or ever determined accurate velocity model. This would directly address our currently most intractable outstanding E&P obstacle to effectiveness, imaging and inverting beneath complex media, e.g., salt, basalt and karsted sediments. Synthetic and field data examples of this evolution will be presented, and open issues and plans discussed.
Cache restoration for highly partitioned virtualized systems

The economics of server consolidation have led to the support of virtualization features in almost all server-class systems, with the related feature set being a subject of significant competition. While most systems allow for partitioning at the relatively coarse grain of a single core, some systems also support multiprogrammed virtualization, whereby a system can be more finely partitioned through time-sharing, down to a percentage of a core being allotted to a virtual machine. When multiple virtual machines share a single core however, performance can suffer due to the displacement of microarchitectural state. We introduce cache restoration, a hardware-based prefetching mechanism initiated by the underlying virtualization software when a virtual machine is being scheduled on a core, prefetching its working set and warming its initial environment. Through cycle-accurate simulation of a POWER7 system, we show that when applied to its private per-core L3 last-level cache, the warm cache translates into 20% on average performance improvement for a mixture of workloads on a highly partitioned core, compared to a virtualized server without cache restoration.
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE OBSERVATINS ON ZOOSPORANGIAL ABSCISSION IN PHYCOPELTIS EPIPHYTON (CHLOROPHYA)1

Zoosporangial abscissin in asexually reproductive Phycopeltis epiphyon, Millardet, epiphytic on leaces of Osmanhus fragrans Loureiro and Sabal minor (Jacquin) Person, examined with scanning electron micrsscopy is described and compared with the process in related Cephaleuros virescens Kunze. The laeral wall of he zoosporangium-pedicel septum begins to rupure early in he abscission process and is followed by continued learing of the lateral wall and partial spliing of the septum. The zoosporangium remains attached in a hinge-like fashion to the pedicel by a portion of the lateral wall and septum. A centrally located protuberance emerges from wihin the septa of both the zoosporangium and pedicel, and together with a slight bulging of the septa, is involved in the final separation of the zoosporangium. Although there are differences in surface morphlogy of identical in P. the zoosporangia and the location of the exit pores, the process of abscission is identical in P. epiphyton and C. virescens.
Spectroscopic and structural characterization of tetrabutylammonium trihalides: n-Bu4NI3, n-Bu4NI2Br, n-Bu4NIBr2, and n-Bu4NAuI2; Precursors to organic conducting salts

Abstract The tetrabutylammonium trihalides are used as precursors in the electrocrystallization of the organic superconductors β-(BEDT-TTF)2X where X = I3−, IBr2− and AuI2−and also in the synthesis of metallic but non-superconducting β-(BEDT-TTF)2I2Br. The infrared, Raman and photoelectron spectra and the X-ray crystal structures of n-Bu4N.Y, where X = I3−, I2Br−, IBr2− and AuI2− have been investigated to furnish information as to which geometrical, vibrational and electronic factors contribute to the electrical conduction properties of the aforementioned synmetals. Structural and vibrational data indicate that the I3−, IBr2−2 and AuI2− anions are essentially linear and symmetrical whereas the I2Br− salt contains linear but non-symmetrical I-I-Br− anions. The photoelectron, infrared and Raman spectra of this salt do not coincide with those of a mixture ( 50 50 ). In addition, the photoelectron spectra for I3d 5 2 reveal the presence of two charge states for the I atoms in the I2Br− anion. Structural data for n-Bu4NI2Br, which was found to be isostructural to the previously determined n-Bu4NI3, show that the I2Br− anions are disordered and form infinite chains in channels in the cation lattice. The structures of n-Bu4NIBr2 and n-Bu4NAuI2 contain isolated anions.