cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Course of dark adaptation under various conditions of pre-exposure and testing.

Dark adaptation curves are obtained by presenting a 2° square testfield 6° below the center of the fovea for both eyes tested separately and for both eyes tested alternately. When the pre-exposure luminances for the two eyes differ, the independently recorded dark adaptation curves for the two eyes show differences in correspondence with the difference in radiant energy delivered to the eyes during pre-exposure. However, if both eyes are pre-exposed simultaneously to their respective luminances, and are alternately tested, the dark adaptation curves are not identical with those previously found. They move closer together, or coincide, i.e., the differences in threshold sensitivity become smaller, or disappear. When pre-exposure of the two eyes differs merely in admitting the near ultraviolet (285–400 mμ) to one eye, and screening it from the other, the curves independently recorded for the two eyes have different threshold levels, but in alternate testing no difference is found. It is also shown that an influence of the near ultraviolet upon visual thresholds is readily found when white and blue testlights are employed; it is barely evident when a green testlight is used and is not found with a red testlight.
Toward technological defenses against Load Monitoring techniques

Advanced techniques of Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) can provide power consumers with opportunities to easily and accurately track their own energy usage. However, as with any other powerful technology, there is a darker side to NILM. Since detailed monitoring only requires information about the overall power draw over a period of time, any such source of information could be used for any number of purposes. While some legal protections exist for personal information reported to a utility, and digital defenses make it difficult for unauthorized parties to obtain meter data, such measures are not infallible - and do nothing to prevent abuse by the utility itself, or the surreptitious installation of a monitoring device outside of a residence, place of business, embassy, etc. Therefore, there is a need to develop more effective means of protection from such “non-intrusive” intrusions and remove personally revealing information from the power signal altogether.
Human Heterochromatin Protein 1α Promotes Nucleosome Associations That Drive Chromatin Condensation

HP1Hsα-containing heterochromatin is located near centric regions of chromosomes and regulates DNA-mediated processes such as DNA repair and transcription. The higher-order structure of heterochromatin contributes to this regulation, yet the structure of heterochromatin is not well understood. We took a multidisciplinary approach to determine how HP1Hsα-nucleosome interactions contribute to the structure of heterochromatin. We show that HP1Hsα preferentially binds histone H3K9Me3-containing nucleosomal arrays in favor of non-methylated nucleosomal arrays and that nonspecific DNA interactions and pre-existing chromatin compaction promote binding. The chromo and chromo shadow domains of HP1Hsα play an essential role in HP1Hsα-nucleosome interactions, whereas the hinge region appears to have a less significant role. Electron microscopy of HP1Hsα-associated nucleosomal arrays showed that HP1Hsα caused nucleosome associations within an array, facilitating chromatin condensation. Differential sedimentation of HP1Hsα-associated nucleosomal arrays showed that HP1Hsα promotes interactions between arrays. These strand-to-strand interactions are supported by in vivo studies where tethering the Drosophila homologue HP1a to specific sites promotes interactions with distant chromosomal sites. Our findings demonstrate that HP1Hsα-nucleosome interactions cause chromatin condensation, a process that regulates many chromosome events.
The power of genomics to transform the biotechnology industry

Abstract The opportunity for bioentrepreneurs is to harness the power of genomics for the development and marketing of new therapeutics.
Disorder-induced unbinding of a flux line from an extended defect.

We study the competition, for a single flux line, between pinning by bulk point randomness and an extended defect, such as an ion track, dislocation line, or twin plane. In three dimensions, there is an unbinding transition for a linear (but not a planar) defect. This transition is analyzed using Flory, Migdal-Kadanoff, functional renormalization-group, and numerical methods. The localization length, describing the typical transverse separation between the vortex line and defect, diverges like ${\mathit{l}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{\Vert}T-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Vert}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\nu}}$, with ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$\ensuremath{\approxeq}1.4. We predict the effects of this localization length on the I-V characteristics of the superconductor, and suggest experiments to observe the transition.
Enhanced survival in patients with heart failure and life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias

Previous reports have suggested that patients with heart failure and coexistent ventricular tachyarrhythmias have a 1-year mortality of 40% to 60%. To assess whether an antiarrhythmic management program could reduce mortality, we studied 20 consecutive patients with ventricular fibrillation (12) or ventricular tachycardia (eight) and heart failure. Coronary disease was the most common underlying cardiac disorder (85%). Heart failure was managed with digoxin (16), diuretics (16), and vasodilators (seven). All patients received antiarrhythmic drug therapy guided by both noninvasive and invasive studies. This included single (10) or combination drug therapy (10). Beta blockers were used alone or in combination for arrhythmia control in 11 patients. One-year survival was 89%. We conclude that an effective program can be developed for patients with life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias and heart failure. Combination antiarrhythmic drug therapy is often required. Despite impaired left ventricular function, beta-blocking drugs can be used, and may be important.
Cardioplegia-induced cell swelling: prevention by normothermic infusion

Abstract Background . Previous work has shown significant swelling of isolated rabbit myocytes exposed to cold hyperkalemic cardioplegia; however, the effect of warm hyperkalemic cardioplegia on myocyte volume is unknown. This study examined the effect of warm hyperkalemic cardioplegia (St. Thomas' solution) on myocyte volume. Methods . Myocytes were enzymatically isolated and placed on an inverted video microscope. Tyrode's solution (37°C) was infused for 10 minutes to establish baseline cell volumes. Subsequently, either the control Tyrode's or St. Thomas' was infused either at 37°C and 9°C respectively (n = 5 for all groups) for 20 minutes, followed by a 30-minute reperfusion with 37°C Tyrode's. Cell volume was determined from cell images captured every 5 minutes. Results . Myocyte swelling occurred rapidly on exposure to cold St. Thomas' solution to a maximum of 9.8 ± 2.1% ( p p Conclusions . The cell swelling associated with hypothermic cardioplegia is prevented by normothermic infusion.
Kinematic properties of solar coronal mass ejections: Correction for projection effects in spacecraft coronagraph measurements

[1] One of the main sources of uncertainty in quantifying the kinematic properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) using coronagraphs is the fact that coronagraph images are projected into the sky plane, resulting in measurements which can differ significantly from their actual values. By identifying solar surface source regions of CMEs using X-ray and Hα flare and disappearing filament data, and through considerations of CME trajectories in three-dimensional (3-D) geometry, we have devised a methodology to correct for the projection effect. We outline this method here. The methodology was automated and applied to over 10,000 CMEs in the Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop (CDAW) (SOHO Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph) catalog spanning 1996–2005, in which we could associate 1961 CMEs with an appropriate surface event. In the latter subset, deprojected speeds, accelerations, and launch angles were determined to study CME kinematics. Our analysis of this subset of events reconfirms some important trends, notably that previously uncovered solar cycle variation of CME properties are preserved, CMEs with greater width have higher speeds, and slower CMEs tend to accelerate while faster CMEs tend to decelerate. This points out that statistical trends in CME properties, recovered from plane-of-sky measurements, may be preserved even in the face of more sophisticated 3-D measurements from spacecrafts such as STEREO, if CME trajectories are predominantly radial. However, our results also show that the magnitude of corrected measurements can differ significantly from the projected plane-of-sky measurements on a case-by-case basis and that acceleration is more sensitive to the deprojection process than speed. Average corrected speed and acceleration tend to be a factor of 1.7 and 4.4 higher than their projected values, with mean corrected speed and acceleration magnitudes being on the order of 1000 km/s and 50 m/s2, respectively. We conclude that while using the plane-of-sky measurements may be suitable for studies of general trends in a large sample of events, correcting for projection effects is mandatory for those investigations which rely on a numerically precise determination of the properties of individual CMEs.
Anaerobic propane oxidation in marine hydrocarbon seep sediments

Abstract Propane (C3H8) is an abundant hydrocarbon in subsurface reservoirs with significance to atmospheric chemistry and to marine biogeochemistry. The anaerobic oxidation of propane coupled to sulfate reduction may prevent sub-seafloor accumulations of propane from entering the ocean and atmosphere. Anaerobic oxidation of propane has recently been demonstrated in cultures of novel sulfate-reducing bacteria, but has not been directly demonstrated or quantified in nature. In this work we describe a method involving incubation with 13C-propane to quantify rates of anaerobic oxidation of propane in anoxic sediment, and we conclusively demonstrate the oxidation of propane under sulfidic conditions in fresh sediments of a marine hydrocarbon seep. Observed rates of anaerobic oxidation of propane adhere to first-order kinetic behavior, enabling the modification of this method for whole core rate determinations. Whole core rates in nine cores from two hydrocarbon seeps measured 0.04–2100 nmoles C3H8 cm−3 day−1 by this method. The seep persistently supplied with more propane displayed substantially higher rates of anaerobic oxidation of propane, by 1–2 orders of magnitude when averaged over the top 10-cm, suggesting the development of the microbial community is strongly modulated by the availability of propane. This work is the first to estimate rates for anaerobic oxidation of propane in any environment, and demonstrates the potential importance of the process as a filter for preventing propane from entering the ocean and atmosphere.
Plasma Lipoproteins and Regulation of Hepatic Metabolism of Fatty Acids in Altered Thyroid States

This article reviews our understanding of effects of thyroid hormone excess and deficiency on hepatic metabolism of FFA, and consequent effects on production, secretion, and metabolism of plasma lipoproteins. In the hyperthyroid state the following alterations are observed. Fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis are stimulated simultaneously with a paradoxical stimulation of fatty acid synthesis, which may be linked by virtue of a blunted response of mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I) to malonyl coenzyme A (CoA). Esterification of fatty acid to triglyceride (TG) is reduced, as is the secretion of the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) (including VLDL TG, cholesterol, and apoprotein); this may be due, in part, to decreased concentrations of glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) in the hepatic cell. In the intact animal or patient, however, serum TG concentration is variable, which may reflect increased adipose tissue lipolysis and elevated concentrations of plasma FFA, which would tend to drive VLDL secretion by the liver. Clearance of the VLDL and its metabolic product, the low density lipoprotein (LDL), is increased, resulting in decreased plasma total and LDL cholesterol. Although high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol may also be reduced, the ratio of LDL/HDL cholesterol is further decreased. The regulatory role of the lipoprotein apoproteins is less clear, but hepatic apolipoprotein (apo) B secretion (required for VLDL) is diminished, while apo-AI secretion (required for HDL) is stimulated, perhaps both reflecting rates of synthesis. Plasma concentrations of apo-AI are variable, dependent on relative rates of secretion and clearance. In the hypothyroid, many of these effects are reversed, which results in hyperlipoproteinemias and greater risk for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Reading on the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised and parental education as predictors of IQ: comparison with the Barona formula

It is frequently necessary in research and clinical evaluations to obtain estimates of premorbid intelligence (IQ) which are separate from measured IQ. There is evidence that word reading may be useful in this aim. In order to determine the potential of the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) reading subtest (READ) as an estimate of premorbid IQ, the present study examined the relationship between READ and IQ in healthy subjects. Consistent with other findings, READ accounted for a significant amount of variance in Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ. Race and parental education, the latter being a variable not previously examined in this literature, accounted for incrementally valid variance in IQ beyond READ. The predictive power of these variables compares favorably with estimates made by the Barona IQ estimation formula, which uses only demographic information.
Fast simulation of large networks of nanotechnological and biochemical oscillators for investigating self-organization phenomena

We address the problem of fast and accurate computational analysis of large networks of coupled oscillators arising in nanotechnological and biochemical systems. Such systems are computationally and analytically challenging because of their very large sizes and the complex nonlinear dynamics they exhibit. We develop and apply a nonlinear oscillator macromodel that generalizes the well-known Kuramoto model for interacting oscillators, and demonstrate that using our macromodel provides important qualitative and quantitive advantages, especially for predicting self-organization phenomena such as spontaneous pattern formation. Our approach extends and applies recently-developed computational methods for macromodel ling electrical oscillators, and features both phase and amplitude components that are extracted automatically (using numerical algorithms) from more complex differential-equation oscillator models available in the literature. We apply our approach to networks of tunneling phase logic (TPL) and Brusselator biochemical oscillators, predicting a variety of spontaneous pattern generation phenomena. Comparing our results with published measurements of spiral, circular and other pattern formation, we show that we can predict these phenomena correctly, and also demonstrate that prior models (like Kuramoto's) cannot do so. Our approach is more than 3 orders of magnitude faster than techniques that are comparable in accuracy.
Diffusion of deception in social media: Social contagion effects and its antecedents

What makes deceptive attacks on social media particularly virulent is the likelihood of a contagion effect, where a perpetrator takes advantage of the connections among people to deceive them. To examine this, the current study experimentally stimulates a phishing type attack, termed as farcing, on Facebook users. Farcing attacks occur in two stages: a first stage where phishers use a phony profile to friend victims, and a second stage, where phishers solicit personal information directly from victims. In the present study, close to one in five respondents fell victim to the first stage attack and one in ten fell victim to the second stage attack. Individuals fell victim to a level 1 attack because they relied primarily on the number of friends or the picture of the requester as a heuristic cue and made snap judgments. Victims also demonstrated a herd mentality, gravitating to a phisher whose page showed more connections. Such profiles caused an upward information cascade, where each victim attracted many more victims through a social contagion effect. Individuals receiving a level 2 information request on Facebook peripherally focused on the source of the request by using the sender's picture in the message as a credibility cue.
CO2 laser fiber soft cochleostomy: Development of a technique using human temporal bones and a guinea pig model

Objective A novel approach for creating a soft cochleostomy has been described using a handheld CO2 laser hollow waveguide from termed in the following the handheld CO2 laser fiber. The effects on cochlear function have been studied in an animal model and were compared to the effects of the micro drill. Study Design Combined human temporal bone and experimental animal study. Materials and Methods Four human temporal bones were used to describe the technique to create a cochleostomy using the handheld CO2 laser fiber. A cochleostomy was made by thinning the cochlear wall with a motorized drill and by creating an opening with the CO2 laser fiber. Eighteen guinea pigs were used to investigate the effects of the CO2 laser and the drill on cochlear function. An electrode was placed in the round window niche to measure compound action potentials (CAPs). Baseline cochlear function was determined by recording CAP thresholds evoked by acoustic tone pips and was re-assessed during and after a cochleostomy was made. The protocol was repeated using a diamond-burr drill technique. Results The handheld CO2 laser fiber is an ideal tool to create cochleostomies under 1 mm in diameter. In the guinea pig animal model, CAP thresholds showed little change after creating the cochleostomy at 4 W laser power setting and revealed focal threshold elevations averaging 32 dB at higher laser power settings. Conclusions The human temporal bone study introduces a novel surgical approach for soft cochleostomies that uses both the drill and the CO2 laser fiber. Threshold elevations, which were observed after making the cochleostomy with the laser, compared favorably to the diamond burr technique. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:245–256, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distance-invariant error control codes from combinatorial designs

Recently proposed techniques for constructing nonlinear distance-invariant codes from combinatorial designs are generalised. Such codes are of particular interest among nonlinear codes because their decoding error probabilities can be readily calculated.
The microfoundations of economic sanctions

(1997). The microfoundations of economic sanctions. Security Studies: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 32-64.
Composite structures for automobiles

Abstract Glass fiber reinforced plastic composites are under intensive investigation to determine the potential of these materials for application in automotive structures. Unlike aerospace type applications, the composites must be fabricated by rapid, mass production techniques which dictate the types of materials and place some constraints on design flexibility. Structural integration and fiber control are the keys to successful composite usage and both these factors are directly related to processing conditions. Several examples of composite automotive structures are described. In addition, the future potential for composites in these types of applications is discussed in terms of the fabrication developments which appear likely in the next decade.
Cu7 cluster: Pentagonal bipyramid

Electron‐spin resonance evidence is presented supporting a pentagonal bipyramid structure (D5h symmetry) and a 2A‘2 ground state for the 63Cu7 metal cluster, as previously found for Ag7 and alkali–metal septamers.
Presidential Agenda Setting In Crime Control

Research in presidential agenda setting in domestic policy arenas is lacking, and this study seeks to address this inadequacy in the research. Presidential agendas in crime control from 1963-1990 are examined to trace patterns over time and to examine individual presidential behavior. Five hypotheses concerning patterns of agenda setting are tested, none of which are supported to any great extent in the analysis. The analysis demonstrates that domestic agenda setting follows different patterns from those of international agenda setting, at least in this one particular domestic arena.
Clinical and pharmacokinetic study evaluating the effect of food on the disposition of 9-nitrocamptothecin and its 9-aminocamptothecin metabolite in patients with solid tumors

Background: 9-Nitrocamptothecin (9NC) is an orally administered camptothecin analogue that has completed phase III trials for pancreatic cancer. In biological matrices, camptothecin analogues exist in equilibrium between the active-lactone (LAC) and inactive-hydroxy acid (HA) forms. 9NC has been administered on an empty stomach; however, it is unclear if food alters the absorption and disposition of 9NC and its 9-aminocamptothecin (9AC) active-metabolite. Thus, we evaluated the disposition of 9NC and 9AC after administration of 9NC under fasting conditions and after a standard meal. Methods: Patients were randomized to receive 9NC as a single oral dose at 1.5 mg/m2 with 8 ounces (oz) of an acidic beverage under fasting conditions, or after a meal consisting of two eggs, 8 oz of orange juice, buttered toast, 8 oz of milk, and 4 oz of hash brown potatoes. Following a 72 h washout period, 9NC was administered with the alternative condition (i.e., with food or fasting). 9NC was then continued for 5 days of every week. Serial blood samples were obtained prior to and from 0.25 to 24 h after administration of 9NC. The total (sum of LAC + HA) of 9NC and 9AC were measured by an LC-MS/MS assay. Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) for 9NC and 9AC total were calculated. After the pharmacokinetic section of the study, patients received 9NC 1.5 mg/m2 orally under fasting conditions daily for 5 days per week for 8 weeks. Results: Sixteen patients with median (range) age 62 (47–83) years, diagnoses of colorectal (six patients), lung (two patients), and other (eight patients) malignancies, received 83 [median (range) 4 (2–9)] weeks of therapy. Patients with toxicities greater than grade 2: were diarrhea (1), nausea (2), vomiting (2), fatigue (2), anemia (3), neutropenia (3), and febrile neutropenia (2). Three patients (lung, unknown primary, and colon) had stable disease for eight weeks. The mean±SD of 9NC AUCfood and 9NC AUCfast (n=9) were 330±182 and 558±379 ng/ml·h, respectively (P 0.05). The mean ± SD ratio of 9NC AUCfood to AUCfasting in individual patients (n=9) was 0.67±0.22. The mean ± SD ratio of 9AC AUCfood to AUCfasting in individual patients (n=9) was 1.14±0.61. Conclusions: Co-administration of 9NC with food reduces the oral absorption of 9NC; however, there was no difference in the exposure of 9AC. The is high interpatient variability in the effect of food on the absorption of 9NC and the interpatient variability in the effect of food on the disposition of 9AC is even greater when compared to 9NC.
Projection as an etiological factor in "motiveless" delinquency.

The less mature the patient's ego status, the less developed is his relationship ability and the more easily can he maintain a perception based on his own projection. At the same time, because of their limited ego strengths these are the same patients more apt to be disorganized by lesser stresses. Where projection is a prominent defense pattern, in the psychotic and markedly marcissistic personality disorders, outwardly motiveless crimes may occur where in reality the patient is reacting to his own projection. Such crimes are not based on reactions to a reality based environment but are activated by totally self-centered perceptions in the patient.
Structural analysis of multicomponent reaction models: Part I. Systematic editing of kinetic and thermodynamic values

The consistency of a chemical reaction scheme depends in part on the numerical values given for its kinetic and thermodynamic constants. Part I of the present two-part treatment provides (1) a systematic procedure to reduce the given values to a self-consistent form, and (2) a proper selection of parameters whenever the values are to be improved by a subsequent regression analysis. Various completeness and consistency tests are described, including a search for illegal reaction loops arising from assumptions of irreversibility. The procedure is implemented on a computer and is illustrated with two examples.
The adaptor Grb7 links netrin‐1 signaling to regulation of mRNA translation

We previously reported a novel biological activity of Netrin-1 in translational stimulation of kappa opioid receptor (KOR). We now identify Grb7 as a new RNA-binding protein that serves as the molecular adaptor for transmitting Netrin-1 signals, through focal adhesion kinase (FAK), to the translation machinery. Grb7 binds specifically to the first stem loop of kor mRNA 5′-UTR through a new RNA-binding domain located in its amino terminus. Upon binding to its capped, target mRNA, Grb7 blocks the recruitment of eIF4E, rendering mRNA untranslatable. The RNA-binding and translation-repressive activity is reduced by FAK-mediated hyperphosphorylation on two tyrosine residues of its carboxyl terminus. This study reports an adaptor protein Grb7 that transmits the stimulating signals of Netrin-1 to the translational machinery to rapidly regulate mRNA translation.
Noniterative correction of images and motion sequences

Abstract A method is presented whereby equations for correcting errors or noise in sequence of images can bilinearized and a solution for the optimal control of the bilinear system is obtained. The advantage of this formulation is that it is noniterative. The method can also be used to minimize incompatibility between extracted objects in interpretation of moving scenes, using both past and future information. Use of future information has an advantage over a purely predictive filter in resolving incompatibilities. The formulation is sufficiently general that it can be applied to various stages of image processing, e.g., preprocessing, segmentation, etc., and can also be applied to single frames, or to image pairs to improve correspondences. This noniterative computation should be sufficiently rapid in most applications for real time processing. Two applications will be described involving infrared image sequences and a single frame of laser range data.
Renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the ciliary body responds to proton beam radiotherapy: a case report

We report an unexpected presentation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to the ciliary body and an interesting response to proton beam radiotherapy. We encountered a case of angle-closure glaucoma as the initial presentation of ocular metastasis to the ciliary body in a 65-year-old Caucasian man who had undergone right radical nephrectomy for RCC 15 years earlier. He underwent YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet) laser peripheral iridotomy while further metastatic workup took place. His condition was eventually diagnosed as stage IV metastatic RCC of the clear cell type and involved multiple sites, including the ciliary body, brain, lungs, liver, and pancreas. The progression of RCC metastasis to the ciliary body was studied for 16 months. The ciliary body mass continued to grow despite systemic treatment with temsirolimus and interleukin-2 and intravitreal injections of bevacizumab. The tumor size peaked at 6.11 × 6.06 mm before the start of proton therapy, which reduced the tumor size to 5.07 × 4.39 mm. RCC can produce metastases involving unusual sites many years after resection of the primary tumor. Proton therapy was found to be effective in treating RCC metastasis to the ciliary body in settings in which other treatment modalities failed.
Cleft lip and cleft palate in Iceland.

Abstract The frequency of cleft lip and cleft palate in Iceland was determined from surgical records, maternity journals and birth records. During the period (1956–1962) under study sixty-four children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate were born amongst 32,979 births in Iceland. This is a ratio of one affected child per 515 births, or 1.94 pro mille. 59.4 per cent of the affected children were males. The most common cleft type among the males was unilateral (left side) cleft lip with cleft palate, and the most common cleft among the females, the isolated cleft palate. Unilateral clefts were much more common than bilateral clefts, and occurred three times more on the left than on the right side. Family histories were obtained for 50 of the propositi and for 42 of a control group. Relatives with cleft defects were reported for 46.0 per cent of the propositi and 7.1 per cent of the controls. Children with cleft lip and cleft palate (Group III) showed the highest degree of familial association. Incidental observations were made on the birth months of the affected children, their degree of prematurity, their birth weights, birth order, the age of their mother, and the presence of other congenital anomalies.
Preliminary Report: Heat Pulse Propagation in Solid 4 He up to 56 bar Between 40 and 500 mK

Heat pulse propagation in the solid 4He has been studied between 40 and 500 mK. Response to heat pulses are detected by a titanium film superconducting transition edge bolometer. Crossover behavior from second sound in normal solid above 500 mK to ballistic propagation below 200 mK is observed. Detailed study is made to search for possible modification of this propagation behavior by the appearance of supersolidity. It is found, that the ballistic phonon propagation velocity remains constant, within 0.3% scatter of data, below 100 mK at all pressures measured between 25 and 56 bar. The temporal evolution of the detected pulse shape has not revealed any anomaly below 200 mK.
Regional variations in HPV vaccination among 9-17 year old adolescent females from the BRFSS, 2008-2010.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among 18–26 y old women varies by geographic region in the US. However, little is known about regional variations in vaccination among girls who are in the...
Synthesis of polymer- and silica-supported manganese phosphine complexes and their reaction with oxygen

A series of polymer- and silica-supported manganese phosphine complexes has been prepared and characterized. These complexes react reversibly with molecular oxygen in the solid state to yield 1:1 Mn:O2 adducts. The reaction may be reversed either by a pressure drop or a temperature rise. All the O2 adducts are highly colored and binding curves as a function of the partial pressure of oxygen have been constructed. The silica-supported complexes can be prepared from ligand-silanes either by reaction with dehydrated silica and then with anhydrous manganese(II) bromide or vice versa.
Two domains of yeast U6 small nuclear RNA required for both steps of nuclear precursor messenger RNA splicing

U6 is one of the five small nuclear RNA's (snRNA's) that are required for splicing of nuclear precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA). The size and sequence of U6 RNA are conserved among organisms as diverse as yeast and man, and so it has been proposed that U6 RNA functions as a catalytic element in splicing. A procedure for in vitro reconstitution of functional yeast U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNP's) with synthetic U6 RNA was applied in an attempt to elucidate the function of yeast U6 RNA. Two domains in U6 RNA were identified, each of which is required for in vitro splicing. Single nucleotide substitutions in these two domains block splicing either at the first or the second step. Invariably, U6 RNA mutants that block the first step of splicing do not enter the spliceosome. On the other hand, those that block the second step of splicing form a spliceosome but block cleavage at the 3' splice site of the intron. In both domains, the positions of base changes that block the second step of splicing correspond exactly to the site of insertion of pre-mRNA-type introns into the U6 gene of two yeast species, providing a possible explanation for the mechanism of how these introns originated and adding further evidence for the proposed catalytic role of U6 RNA.
Design and development of conical X-ray imaging mirrors

The basic principles for the design of conical optics, and the development of an arc-minute quality conical mirror are described. Computer ray tracing data for over 100 conical mirror designs are analyzed in order to study the intrinsic capabilities of conical mirrors; the intrinsic spatial resolution and approximate filling factor are considered. The procedures for the fabrication of a conical mirror for the Broad-Band X-ray Telescope experiment to be flown on the Shuttle are examined. A f/10 conical mirror with 3.8 m focal length and a filling factor of about 60 percent, consisting of 18 nested reflector pairs has been developed. The difference between the intrinsic and measured half-power radii is investigated. Methods for improving the spatial resolution of conical mirrors are being researched. The advantages and disadvantages of conical mirrors are discussed. It is noted that conical mirrors are applicable for studies in which a broad bandpass, moderate spatial resolution, and a small number of mirrors are required.
The Value of Laboratory Workers: A Study of Occupational Aspirations

The present study was undertaken for the purpose of exploring the meaning of certain values related to work and the job in contemporary American culture. There has been much speculation about the importance of the "success ethic" in the world of work. We wanted to determine how important it was in one empirical case and what values were related to it. We particularly wanted to know what happened to the emphasis upon advancement when it appeared to be unobtainable.
Diffusive parallelism: a parallel programming model for large scale distributed computation systems

The spread of networks and powerful workstations has created an attractive source of parallel computing power. We are exploring a new parallel programming model, called diffusive parallelism, designed specifically for use with large scale, distributed computation systems. The model provides a simple, yet powerful, abstraction to the programmer, while making it possible to build a secure, robust, distributed computation system in the presence of long delays, failure, and untrusted user programs. In contrast, most existing distributed computation systems have attempted to extend programming models appropriate to a single node. Diffusive parallelism provides the programmer with a task heap and a weakly consistent, logically centralized, shared data store, or blackboard. We are implementing diffusive parallelism in a system called Wax.
Modeling and analysis of SSN in silicon and glass interposers for 3D systems

In this paper, an efficient hybrid modeling approach for power delivery network (PDN) with through-silicon vias (TSVs) for 3D systems is proposed. The proposed approach extends multi-layer finite difference method (M-FDM) to include TSVs by extracting their parasitic behavior using an integral equation based solver. Using the proposed modeling technique the power/signal integrity of PDN with TSVs/through-glass vias (TGVs) in lossy silicon interposer and low loss glass interposer is investigated and compared. The comparison indicates the benefits of using silicon interposer for high speed signaling.
Linking Community Protective Factors To Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

This study explores how community factors moderate men's individual risk for physical and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. The sample of 604 male first-semester undergraduate students supports a connection between county-level protective and risk factors, an individual risk factor, and IPV perpetration. For each unit increase in the proportion of women in powerful positions within a county, there was a 71% decrease in the risk that control-seeking respondents would perpetrate physical IPV, controlling for other factors including population density and violent crime. This article presents a multilevel analysis using hierarchical generalized linear modeling and discusses practice and research implications.
Neurovascular control following small muscle-mass exercise in humans

Sustained postexercise vasodilation, which may be mediated at both a neural and vascular level, is seen in previously active skeletal muscle vascular beds following both large and small muscle-mass exercise. Blunted sympathetic vascular transduction and a downward resetting of the arterial baroreflex contribute to this vasodilation after cycling (large muscle-mass exercise), but it is unknown if these responses also contribute to sustained vasodilation following small muscle-mass exercise. This study aimed to determine if baroreflex sensitivity is altered, the baroreflex is reset, or if sympathetic vascular transduction is blunted following small muscle-mass exercise. Eleven healthy, college-aged subjects (five males, six females) completed one-leg dynamic knee-extension exercise for 1 h at 60% of peak power output. While cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity was increased ~23% postexercise relative to preexercise (P 0.69), and there was no evidence of changes in vascular transduction following exercise (P = 0.73). In conclusion, and in contrast to large muscle-mass exercise, it appears that small muscle-mass exercise produces a sustained postexercise vasodilation that is largely independent of central changes in the baroreflex.
Duration of Melatonin Regulates Seasonal Changes in Song Control Nuclei of the House Sparrow, Passer domesticus: Independence from Gonads and Circadian Entrainment

Avian behavior and physiology are temporally regulated by a complex circadian clock on both a daily and an annual basis. The circadian secretion of the hormone melatonin is a critical component of the regulation of circadian/daily processes in passerine birds, but there is little evidence that the gland regulates annual changes in primary reproductive function. Here it is shown that locomotor rhythms of house sparrows, Passer domesticus, which are made arrhythmic by either pinealectomy or maintenance in constant light, can be synchronized by daily administration of melatonin of different durations to simulate the melatonin profiles indicative of long and short photoperiods. Pinealectomized male sparrows maintained in constant darkness were entrained by both melatonin regimens. In both cases, testes were regressed and the song control nuclei were small. Intact male house sparrows maintained in constant light were also entrained to both melatonin regimens. However, sparrows that received a long duration mel...
Sociocultural Subjectivities Progress, Prospects, Problems

Strongly constitutive sociocultural perspectives in psychology have become more developed and influential in recent decades, particularly during the past 15 years. These approaches include construc...
Using simulation to realize TQM within a technical support department

The following report summarizes the findings of a pilot study performed for a Midwest communications software company. The pilot study was performed to show that simulation is a useful tool in realizing Total Quality Management (TQM) within the company's Technical Support Department. Simulation was used to determine the amount of resources required (i.e., telephone lines and technical support specialists) to maintain an acceptable level of service. It is believed that this level of service has a direct bearing on customer satisfaction, one of the major objectives of TQM. Simulation is one way to assess an acceptable level of service and thus assist in the realization of TQM.
Examining the Davidson’s Model via an exercise variable in individuals with intellectual disabilities

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the psychological affect of walking exercise as measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) resting frontal asymmetry in persons with ID.Methods: Resting EEG frontal asymmetry (F4-F3) was collected from twelve participants to represent affective responsiveness pre and post a 20-minute treadmill walking exercise at moderate intensity.Results: The association between frontal asymmetry and reported RPE is evident. In addition, the decreased frontal asymmetry from pre-exercise to post-exercise indicates their decreased affect to walking exercise.Conclusions: Resting EEG frontal asymmetry was reflective of affective repsonsivity to exercise in persons with ID. Our finding is not consistent with previous research in the typical population who showed increased frontal brain asymmetry after exercise. The decreased experience of affect pronounced after 20-minute brisk treadmill walking in persons with ID may explain their low motivation to exercise adherence. The...
Using Popular Culture Print to Increase Emergent Literacy Skills in One High-Poverty Urban School District.

This study has focused on using the text associated with popular culture print to teach early literacy skills to pre-kindergarten students. This study examined whether explicitly using popular cult...
Immunodiagnosis of viral hepatitides A to E and non-A to -E.

Primary viral infection of liver cells is caused by several distinct hepatotropic viruses transmitted by oral and parenteral routes. While the clinical, epidemiological, pathological, and immunological aspects of viral hepatitides have many common attributes and subtle differences (39), the etiologies of liver disorders cannot be established on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms or abnormal liver function tests (e.g., elevated alanine aminotransferase [ALT]). Following the discovery of Australia antigen (8), which was subsequently termed hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the identification and characterization of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV) occurred successively between 1972 and 1992 (46, 60, 61, 63). The virological and immunological properties of these five well-established agents of viral hepatitis are summarized in Table 1. The rapid evolution of the field of viral hepatitis is reviewed periodically at the Triennial International Symposia on Viral Hepatitis, which originated at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1972 (83). The proceedings of the last symposium, which was held in Tokyo in 1993, provide recent and exhaustive information about the hepatitis viruses (56). More than 25,000 papers and 40 books and monographs published during the past 2 decades reflect the pace of advances in the field of viral hepatitis, and yet the progress continues, with recently published reports of non-A, -B, -C, -D, and -E viruses, i.e., hepatitis F virus (HFV), hepatitis G virus (HGV), and three novel hepatitis agents termed GB-A, GB-B, and GB-C viruses (21, 65, 69). HGV and the GB agents may be closely related to one another. GB agents are representatives of two new genera of the family Flaviviridae and are distantly related to HCV (54). The recognition of a variety of immunological and virological markers in patients’ sera enables the establishment of sensitive and specific diagnostic assays for discriminating between various forms of viral hepatitides. While infections with HAV, HEV, and HFV resolve in less than 3 months, HBV, HCV, HDV, and HGV tend to establish persistent infections, which are defined by the presence of serological markers for periods exceeding 6 months. The direct detection of viral genomes by hybridization with cloned DNA or RNA probes has been superseded by the recent advent of PCR for amplification of specific viral gene sequences. However, enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for viral antigens and antibodies formed during the natural history of the host response to hepatotropic viral infection serve as the most practical approach to establishing an immunodiagnosis of viral hepatitis. The purpose of this brief review is to present succinctly a composite picture of hepatitis virology and serology relevant to the laboratory diagnosis of viral hepatitis and liver diseases.
Effects of growth hormone administration on dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, androstenedione, testosterone and Cortisol metabolism during nutritional repletion

This study evaluated whether pharmacological doses of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) influences androgen or cortisol metabolism during nutritional repletion following prolonged illness. Stable hospitalized adults (three males, seven female) receiving constant calorie and protein intake were studied. An initial control week was followed by a treatment period during which hGH (10 mg/day s.c.) was administered daily. Prior to hGH treatment, serum and 24-h urinary concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DS) were below the normal range; serum androstenedione and testosterone concentrations were within the lower limit of normal. In contrast, serum cortisol (F) and 24-h urinary F excretion were normal. During hGH treatment, nitrogen balance became positive and plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations rose five to seven-fold. However, serum DS, androstenedione, testosterone and F, and urinary F excretion did not change, while 24-h urinary DS excretion fell significantly. Growth hormone administration markedly stimulated protein anabolism but did not increase the low concentrations of circulating androgens or alter the disassociation between adrenal androgen and F release in stable hospitalized males and females. Thus, hGH does not appear to function as a cortical adrenal androgen stimulating hormone (CASH) or regulate adrenal cortisol or gonadal androgen release in this clinical setting.
Post-Traumatic Epilepsy 15 Years later

SUMMARY The post-traumatic epileptic, in general, has a less favorable outlook for life than a normal person or a head injured individual, but in particular cases, the seizures may cease after a few years with little chance of recurrence. RESUME La perspective de vie d'un epileptique post-traumatique est, en general, moins favorable que celle d'une personne normale ou d'une personne ayantsubi un traumatisme crânien. Cependant, dans la moitie des cas particuliers, les crises peuvent cesser apres quelques annees.
Hepatocellular carcinoma screening rates vary by etiology of cirrhosis and involvement of gastrointestinal sub-specialists.

Background Regular screening of cirrhotic patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been suboptimal, but there is little data regarding specific risk factors for reduced screening.