cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Floating-zone growth and characterization of single crystals of manganese orthosilicate, Mn2SiO4

Abstract Using a floating zone technique and a passive afterheater, crack-free single crystals of manganese orthosilicate, Mn 2 SiO 4 , were grown along the three principle orientations in a reducing gas atmosphere at atmospheric pressure. The grown crystals were typically 5–7 mm in diameter and 20–40 mm in length. Well-developed facets were found on the periphery of some of the crystals grown along the [100] orientation (space group: Pbnm). Laue back reflection was used to determine orientations of grown crystals and of facets formed at outer surfaces. Dislocation densities ranging between 10 5 and 10 6 cm −2 were determined by optical microscopy after polishing and chemical etching. By using X-ray powder diffraction it was determined that a thermodynamically favored decomposition of grown single crystals of manganese silicate during cooling after crystal growth did not occur. Concentrations of impurities and the degree of a desired silica excess present in the grown crystals were determined by using the ICP-AES technique. The presence of intended silica-rich precipitates was confirmed by electron microprobe analysis.
Association between dental occlusal variables and intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders: Horizontal and vertical overlap

Abstract Statement of problem. It has been suggested that dental occlusion may play a role in the development of intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders. Purpose. This study evaluated the relationship between horizontal and vertical overlap and intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders. Material and methods. Vertical and horizontal overlap of the anterior teeth of 82 asymptomatic volunteers and 263 symptomatic patients were examined. Results. Fifty-five (67%) of the asymptomatic volunteers had normal joints and 27 (33%) had disk displacement. Two hundred and twenty-one patients (84%) had disk displacement and 42 (16%) had bilateral symptomatic normal joints. Horizontal overlap equal to or greater than 4 mm was more prevalent in the symptomatic patient group as compared with the asymptomatic volunteer group ( p Conclusion. Horizontal overlap equal to or greater than 4 mm was greater in symptomatic patients with intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders. (J Prosthet Dent 1998;79:658-62.)
A critical examination of the spectral contrast account of compensation for coarticulation

Vocal tract gestures for adjacent phones overlap temporally, rendering the acoustic speech signal highly context dependent. For example, following a segment with an anterior place of articulation, a posterior segment’s place of articulation is pulled frontward, and listeners’ category boundaries shift appropriately. Some theories assume that listeners perceptually attune or compensate for coarticulatory context. An alternative is that shifts result from spectral contrast. Indeed, shifts occur when speech precursors are replaced by pure tones, frequency matched to the formant offset at the assumed locus of contrast (Lotto & Kluender, 1998). However, tone analogues differ from natural formants in several ways, raising the possibility that conditions for contrast may not exist in natural speech. When we matched tones to natural formant intensities and trajectories, boundary shifts diminished. When we presented only the critical spectral region of natural speech tokens, no compensation was observed. These results suggest that conditions for spectral contrast do not exist in typical speech.
Surface Treatments that Demonstrate a Significant Positive Effect on the Shear Bond Strength of Repaired Resin-modified Glass Ionomer

Clinical Relevance The appropriate surface treatment used to repair resin-modified glass ionomer is not well defined. A definitive protocol needs to be established as a guideline for the conservative repair of this material.
Capture of Airborne Particles Using Intensified Vortices

Aeroelastically intensified vortices can be used to increase interphase transport of both heat and mass. In this investigation, plunge and torsional oscillators were used to increase the deposition of airborne particles upon flat plate collectors. Particle capture rates were measured gravimetrically for two different particle sizes and the spatial distributions of collected particles were examined with image analysis. In addition, hot-wire anemometry was used to measure flow periodicities and velocity defects behind both fixed and oscillating bodies. The results show conclusively that the generated vortices increase the rate of deposition for some types of particles; furthermore, the momentum loss resulting from the oscillators is modest and the scheme described here offers a means by which the deposition pattern can be tailored to specific requirements.
Black student demand for higher education at large state universities

This paper uses an econometric model to explain differences in the percentage of blacks enrolled at the leading public university/universities in each state. It is shown that universities with higher black enrollment percentages are in higher academic classifications and are located in areas in which blacks make up a higher percentage of the population, in states in which blacks make up a higher percentage of the current high school graduates, and in states with no historically black colleges. The regression equation is used to generate an expected black enrollment percentage at each public university. Actual black enrollment percentages are then compared with expected enrollment percentages. These comparisons have significant implications for schools that want to increase their black enrollment percentage.
Viable grass seeds in herbivore dung from a semi‐arid grassland

Faeces of cattle, pronghorn and rabbit were collected from the Central Plains Experimental Range, Colorado, 6, 18 and 30 months after being excreted. The faecal material was placed in moistened potting soil and seedling emergence observed. Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama grass) and Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand drop seed), emerged in abundance from cattle dung. Emergence of B. gracilis decreased with increasing period of exposure before collection, but emergence of S. cryptandrus increased with exposure. Forbs dominated the seedling populations in pronghorn dung, and few seedling populations of any species emerged from rabbit dung. The results are discussed in relation to the effect of large herbivores on the establishment of species from seed in rangeland.
Income Tax Planning for Farmers

N assignment to discuss income tax planning for farmers at a time when major tax reforms are being considered is a difficult, but, I must add, interesting task. I use the word interesting, but one can rest assured that many tax advisors, management companies, and investors use stronger descriptive terms. Football coaches respond to rule changes with new or revised strategies. I expect tax reform to lengthen the working day of many tax consultants as they devise new "quick openers" and "end sweeps. This paper will discuss some farm tax planning opportunities that have existed during the last several years. Tax provisions used in tax loss farming will be emphasized. The principal features of proposed tax reforms as applied to agriculture will be summarized and some probable effects will be discussed.
Transcriptional Control of Neural Crest Development

Abstract The neural crest is a remarkable embryonic population of cells found only in vertebrates and has the potential to give rise to many different cell types contributing throughout the body. These derivatives range from the mesenchymal bone and cartilage comprising the facial skeleton, to neuronal derivatives of the peripheral sensory and autonomic nervous systems, to melanocytes throughout the body, and to smooth muscle of the great arteries of the heart. For these cells to correctly progress from an unspecified, nonmigratory population to a wide array of dynamic, differentiated cell types—some of which retain stem cell characteristics presumably to replenish these derivatives—requires a complex network of molecular switches to control the gene programs giving these cells their defining structural, enzymatic, migratory, and signaling capacities. This review will bring together current knowledge of neural crest-specific transcription factors governing these progressions throughout the course of devel...
MTR: a modified token ring protocol and its performance

Devising efficient and high performance communication protocols for Computer networks is a challenging issue. This paper presents a new Modified Token Ring protocol (MTR) for token ring LANs. The idea behind proposing this protocol is to improve the performance of the Standard (Traditional) Token Ring protocol (STR). The advantage of the MTR protocol over the STR protocol is its capability of bypassing idle stations in the ring. This is achieved by utilizing two of the reserved bits in the Frame Status (FS) field. The utilized bits are called Transmission Reservation bits (TR-bits). The TR-bits operate as an implicit token while they are circulating around the ring with their associated packet. Our simulation experiments show that the MTR protocol has higher ring throughput and lower packet delay than that of the STR protocol. For high traffic conditions the MTR protocol has shortened the packet delay down to 45% as compared to the STR protocol. Throughput improvement provided by the MTR can reach about 6% as compared to the STR protocol. The MTR protocol is characterized by its fairness, simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Wild cabbages and the effects of cultivation

The wild cabbage,Brassica oleracea L., on the coasts of western Europe, shows enormous increase in size when taken into cultivation. It shows much variation, which is correlated with its self-sterility. It has the potentiality for producing, since its cultivation began, perhaps early in the Neolithic, kale, brussels sprouts and cabbage. But the historical evidence favours the derivation of cabbage and kale from Italy in pre-Roman times. It would be interesting to compare the wildB. oleracea of Italy (B. Robertiana J. Gay) with the species as found on the coasts of western Europe. The middle and eastern Mediterranean contains several species nearly related toB. oleracea. Probably cauliflower and broccoli came fromB, cretica, the most eastern of these; and such cultigens as kohlrabi may have been derived from one of the middle Mediterranean species. The various cultivated forms appear therefore to have had a polyphyletic origin. Enormous increase in size is a feature ofB. oleracea when introduced into cultivation from a chalk soil. The F1 from cabbage x kale is closely similar and is apparently a case of reversion to the ancestral type on crossing two of the derivatives.
Local and Remote Climate Impacts from Expansion of Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Feedstock in the Southeastern United States

AbstractMany efforts have been taken to find energy alternatives to reduce anthropogenic influences on climate. Recent studies have shown that using land for bioenergy plantations may be more cost effective and provide a greater potential for CO2 abatement than using land for carbon sequestration. Native southern U.S. pines (i.e., loblolly) have excellent potential as bioenergy feedstocks. However, the land-cover change due to expansion of biofuels may impact climate through biophysical feedbacks. Here, the authors access the local and remote consequences of greater forest management and biofuel feedstock expansion on climate and hydrology using a global climate model, the NCAR Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4).The authors examine a plausible U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) biofuel feedstock goal by afforesting 50 million acres of C4 grasslands in the southeastern United States with an optimized loblolly plant functional type. Changes in sensible and latent heat fluxes are related to incre...
New methods for the structural and compositional analysis of cell walls for quality determinations

Abstract During the past few years several developments have taken place that may have a marked effect on the way we analyze fibrous materials. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has become an official method for the analysis of acid detergent fibre and crude protein. New mathematical data treatments such as principal component analysis and partial least squares have made NIRS analysis more robust. Fourier self-deconvolution techniques have been helpful in interpreting NIR spectra of agricultural commodities. Micro-imaging by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) allows us to image compounds in the plant, acquire spectra and determine composition. Combining the techniques of NIRS, mid-IR, and solid state NMR has permitted us to understand better the process of ruminant digestion of forages and to determine when and from which sites within the plant components are removed. Because of the use of NIRS it is now possible to obtain an independent measure by more than one means and get a measure of the accuracy of the empirical procedures we have used for many years. As NIRS is a non-consumptive technique, the same sample can be analyzed twice. Previously, only precision of analysis could be determined. Microspectrophotometry in the UV, visible (VIS), NIR, and mid-IR region will allow us to obtain the spectrum of a compound in a cell wall and image that compound. Further, an assessment of the concentration of components can be made on individual cell walls. These techniques, coupled with improved laboratory methods for the determination of fibre and moisture, and their effect on the measurement of quality and the utilization of forages are discussed.
Relationship between the chemical structure of prostaglandins and their vasoactivities in dogs

Abstract 1. The relationship between the chemical structure and the direct vasoactivity of different prostaglandins administered intra-arterially was studied in the dog hindlimb preparation. 2. All of the prostaglandins studied, except PGF1α and PGF2α, caused a dose related decrease in the femoral arterial perfusion pressure in dogs in which the femoral arterial blood flow was kept constant, indicating the direct vasodilator action of these prostaglandins. 3. Among the prostaglandins studied, PGE1 is the most potent vasodilator. Comparing the chemical structure and vasodilator action of PGE1 with those of different prostaglandins, the following conclusions can be made: 4. The formation of the Δ5 double bond in PGE1 causes no change in its vasodilator activity, whereas the saturation of the Δ13 double bond of PGE1 slightly reduces its activity. 5. The alterations in the orientation and length of the carboxyl and alkyl side chains reduce markedly the vasodilator action of PGE- and PGA-compounds. 6. The presence of a carbonyl group at C9 is the most important requirement for the potent vasodilator action of PGE1. On the other hand, the presence and S-configuration of a hydroxyl group at C15 are essential for the intrinsic action at the receptor sites in the vascular smooth muscle, but may not be responsible for the vasodilator action. 7. The esterification of PGE1 or PGE2 and a triple bond formation and the replacement of C7 with oxygen in prostaglandin appear to reduce or abolish their vasodilator action.
Intratympanic Therapies for Menière’s Disease

There are multiple treatment options to consider when managing patients with Meniere’s disease. When conservative measures fail to control symptoms of Meniere’s disease, escalation of interventions may be required. Targeted drug delivery to the round window with intratympanic injections allows for local application of high concentrations of medications, largely avoiding systemic side effects. Intratympanic steroids (ITS) have been shown to be effective at controlling vertigo symptoms, with less robust control rates than those seen with the use of intratympanic gentamicin. Dosing strategies have been modified over time to limit the potential for intratympanic gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. The introduction of ITS coupled to a polymer designed for sustained round window drug application, may potentially afford improved duration of symptom control. This review evaluates the recent literature over the last year involving intratympanic therapies for Meniere’s disease.
An automated image-based technique for tracking sequential surface wave profiles

Fast-deforming steep surface wave profiles are of particular interests to the design of marine structures and validation of numerical models. In this paper, an improved active contour model, gradient vector flow (GVF) snake, is adapted to automatically track sequential wave profiles taken by a non-intrusive high-speed imager. The robustness and efficiency of the adapted GVF snake is demonstrated through accurately delineating temporal and spatial wave profiles of three examples, including a spiller, a plunger, and a plunging breaker striking a vertical cylinder. Detailed characterizations to these breaking surface wave profiles are given. Overall, the automated adapted GVF snake imaged-based technique is shown to be a power tool for measuring surface wave motions and interfacial flows.
Carcass Quality of Turkeys as Affected by Estradiol-17-Monopalmitate and Vitamin E 1. Effect on Breeder Hen Turkeys

Abstract IT HAS been established that the use of natural and synthetic estrogenic compounds stimulate fat deposition and improve carcass quality in poultry. Numerous investigators have reported improved feed efficiency and reduced marketing age when using these compounds. Turkey carcass quality (Moreng et al., 1963) as well as tenderness, juiciness and flavor are improved by the treatment. One of the most effective and widely used of these compounds, diethylstilbestrol (DES), was banned for use in the finishing of poultry by the Food and Drug Administration because of residue problems. Estradiol-17-monopalmitate (EMP) was shown to be equally as effective as DES without the residue problem (Moreng and Hopwood, 1966). It has been suggested that fat stability is improved by hormone implantation (Hood et al., 1950) however, further stability may still be desirable. Tocopherols obtained from the diet are the only true inhibitors of auto-oxidation that occur normally in rendered fat of rats . . .
Analysis and Modeling of Dendritic Spine Morphogenesis

Dendritic spines receive the majority of excitatory inputs in the central nervous system, and they are key structures in the regulation of neural activity. Spine morphology deficiencies are hallmark of neurodevelopemental and neurodegenerative disorders such as Autism, Fragile X - syndrome and Down's syndrome. A better understanding of spine morphogenesis can provide clues to the development of novel clinical therapies. Dendritic filopodia are the immediate precursors to spines during development. Therefore as a first step in our study, we analyzed filopodial motility in hippocampal neurons. The effect of a variety of experimental cytoskeletal drug treatments could be predicted with a simple 1D mechano-chemical model of filopodial dynamics. We then focused on three central aspects of spine morphogenesis: metamorphosis of filopodia into spines, diversity of spine shapes and their stability. To gain insight into the regulation of spine shape, we developed a 2D mechano-chemical model of spinogenesis where the actin network was modeled as a viscoelastic fluid within moving boundaries. The 2D model was then used to identify parameters and filopodia motility profiles that steer spinogenesis towards stable shapes. (supported by NIH grant P41 GM103313).
PESTICIDES IN COCA‐COLA AND PEPSI: Consumerism, Brand Image, and Public Interest in a Globalizing India

In India, and elsewhere, the effects of globalization, especially increased consumerism, in expanding the circulation of branded goods, has produced a complex mix of responses and readings that are often contradictory. In striving to make sense of the apparently autonomous and often-dizzying pace of economic and cultural change, media and other discourses utilize narratives and strategies that, although located in symbolic–political fields, remain contingent in their specific configurations. Coca-Cola and Pepsi as brands are hybrid embodiments of the larger dissonances constitutive of the present moment in Indian modernity. On the basis of an analysis primarily of media commentary about a recent environmental campaign to highlight the presence of pesticides in Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, this article charts out the recurring discursive motifs that illustrate the political potential and limitations of the evolving sociopolitical fields, encompassing such contested categories as the state, multinational corporations, and the consumer, and their interrelationships in a globalizing India.
Assessing Microbicide Acceptability: A Comprehensive and Integrated Approach

A safe, effective, and acceptable microbicide is needed in order to decisively impact the global AIDS pandemic. As such, microbicide acceptability research is of paramount importance. In order to best utilize limited financial resources and save precious development time, acceptability studies should be fully integrated into preclinical and clinical trial contexts where candidate products are being developed and tested. An integrated approach for examining theoretically valid and relevant variables is needed so that data across studies and products can more effectively advance the field. We propose an approach for measuring factors related to microbicide acceptability in each phase of product development, and dependent on what product-specific knowledge is already established in the field. We discuss the roles that behavioral and social science methodologies should play in all phases of microbicide development, as well as the challenges faced when conducting acceptability research in the context of preclinical and clinical trial settings.
Platelet-activating factor as a potential retrograde messenger in CA1 hippocampal long-term potentiation

LONG-term potentiation (LTP) refers to a persisting enhancement of neurotransmission that follows high-frequency activation of certain synapses1. Although both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms contribute to LTP2,3, it is believed that the enhanced release of neurotransmitter that accompanies this process results from the production of a diffusible messenger in postsynaptic neurons which traverses the synaptic cleft and alters the function of presynaptic terminals4,5. One candidate for such a messenger is arachidonic acid, a metabolite produced by phospholipase A2 which augments synaptic transmission when coupled with presynaptic stimulation5. However, the effects of arachidonic acid require activation of the postsynaptic receptor for N-methyl-D-aspartate6. Previously we found that platelet-activating factor (1 O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), another phospholipase A2-derived messenger7, selectively enhances excitatory postsynaptic currents in hippocampal neurons by a presynaptic mechanism8. We now present evidence that platelet-activating factor, acting at a receptor localized to synaptic regions, participates in LTP in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices and may serve as part of a retrograde signalling cascade..
Resveratrol inhibits mTOR signaling by targeting DEPTOR.

Resveratrol (RSV, trans-3, 4, 5-Trihydroxystilbene), a type of polyphenol originally found in red wines, shows a great promise for the treatment of cancer, aging, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies suggest that suppressing the signaling pathway mediated by mTOR, a well-known energy sensor that integrates various hormonal, nutrient, and environmental signals to regulate cell growth, metabolism and survival, could play an important role in mediating the beneficial effect of RSV. The underlying mechanisms by which RSV inhibits mTOR signaling remain elusive, but our recent studies show that RSV inhibits amino acid-stimulated mTOR signaling in C2C12 fibroblasts via a Sirt1- and AMPK-independent mechanism. RSV treatment has no effect on the expression levels of mTOR, raptor and DEPTOR, but greatly promotes the interaction between mTOR and its inhibitor DEPTOR. Our results reveal a novel mechanism by which RSV inhibits mTOR signaling and its function.
Economics and technology in the evolution of networks

Technology is providing a growing range of choices for future networks. Which ones will be deployed will depend largely on economics. For example, IMS and NGN appear to be motivated primarily by the desire of service providers to gain more control and more revenues, as opposed to a horizontal structure of the industry that would relegate them to simple connectivity providers. Some of the main economic factors that play a role in telecommunications decisions will be surveyed and speculations on how competing interests will be accommodated will be presented.
Synthesis of Superconducting Thin Films of Magnesium Diboride by Electroless Plating

Superconducting thin films of magnesium diboride have been synthesized on copper substrates using a novel electroless plating technique. The microstructure and superconductivity have been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and temperature-dependent magnetometry. XRD measurements confirm that the films are crystalline MgB2 with some impurity phases, including MgB4 and Mg2B2O5. Clear evidence for a superconducting transition in the magnetization measurements was observed. If the film quality can be further improved, electroless plating can be a viable option for producing superconducting MgB2 films inexpensively on a wide variety of substrates.
Side-Channel Leaks in Web Applications: A Reality Today, a Challenge Tomorrow

With software-as-a-service becoming mainstream, more and more applications are delivered to the client through the Web. Unlike a desktop application, a web application is split into browser-side and server-side components. A subset of the application’s internal information flows are inevitably exposed on the network. We show that despite encryption, such a side-channel information leak is a realistic and serious threat to user privacy. Specifically, we found that surprisingly detailed sensitive information is being leaked out from a number of high-profile, top-of-the-line web applications in healthcare, taxation, investment and web search: an eavesdropper can infer the illnesses/medications/surgeries of the user, her family income and investment secrets, despite HTTPS protection; a stranger on the street can glean enterprise employees' web search queries, despite WPA/WPA2 Wi-Fi encryption. More importantly, the root causes of the problem are some fundamental characteristics of web applications: stateful communication, low entropy input for better interaction, and significant traffic distinctions. As a result, the scope of the problem seems industry-wide. We further present a concrete analysis to demonstrate the challenges of mitigating such a threat, which points to the necessity of a disciplined engineering practice for side-channel mitigations in future web application developments.
Measurement of Molecular Stopping Cross Sections of Halogen-Carbon Compounds and Calculation of Atomic Stopping Cross Sections of Halogens

Molecular stopping cross sections ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles of energy 0.3-2.0 MeV have been measured (probable error 0.9-2.1%) in gaseous (or vapor) C${\mathrm{F}}_{4}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{F}}_{6}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{3}$${\mathrm{F}}_{8}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{4}$${\mathrm{F}}_{8}$, C${\mathrm{Cl}}_{4}$, CCl${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$, C${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$, CH${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$F, CBr${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$${\mathrm{F}}_{4}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{3}$Br, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{5}$Br, and ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{5}$I. Atomic stopping cross sections for F, Cl, Br, and I have been calculated (probable error 2.3-4.4%) by application of the Bragg additive rule. It is found that carbon $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\mathrm{C})$ calculated from gaseous fluorocarbons agrees with previous measurements by Chu and Powers of $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\mathrm{C})$ for carbon in solid form but disagrees with $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\mathrm{C})$ calculated from gaseous hydrocarbons by Bourland, Chu, and Powers. Consistent results are found by using either of two alternatives: (i) Use hydrocarbon gas $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\mathrm{C})$ and experimental ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathrm{expt}}$ (${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$) in hydrogen-enriched C-H-Br or C-H-I compounds, and use solid carbon $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\mathrm{C})$ everywhere else; or (ii) use solid carbon $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\mathrm{C})$ in all compounds, but use an ${\overline{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ (H) which disagrees by as much as 21% from $\frac{1}{2}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathrm{expt}}$ (${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$). A plot of ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ vs the atomic number ${Z}_{2}$ of the stopping medium shows that the halogen measurements at ${Z}_{2}=9, 17, 35, \mathrm{and} 53$ agree well with the existing theory and other experimental measurements for neighboring ${Z}_{2}$ values.
American civil security: The U.S. public and homeland security

Decisionmakers tend to view Americans not as partners in dealing with terrorism but as either potential attack victims or panicked masses. It is time to create a comprehensive civil security plan that will better prepare the U.S. population to survive and cope with future attacks.
The relationship between perceived mutuality and bulimic symptoms, depression, and therapeutic change in group

Abstract This pilot study examined (a) the effectiveness of short-term group relational therapy (RT) in comparison to short-term group cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT), and (b) the relationship between perceived mutuality (PM) in relationships and severity of bulimic and depressive symptoms in women with bulimia nervosa (BN). Fifteen women ages 20–54 diagnosed with BN ( n =11) or binge-eating disorder (BED, n =4) were randomly assigned to a 16-week manualized RT or CBT group. The following measures were administered at baseline, at 8 and 16 weeks, and at 6th- and 12th-month follow-ups: Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Mutual Psychological Development Questionnaire (MPDQ). A series of mixed design analyses of variance (ANOVA) were computed to examine group therapy effectiveness and outcomes related to PM and symptom severity. Both group RT and CBT treatment conditions showed significant improvement in reducing binge eating, vomiting, and depression at end of treatment and across follow-up assessment times. Low levels of PM with father at baseline were associated with high levels of bulimic and depressive symptoms across assessment times, whereas low PM with mother was only associated with high levels of depression. Pilot study findings supported the idea that group work focused primarily on PM and relational factors can be effective in treating women with bulimic and depressive symptoms. Findings also suggest that relationships with fathers play an important role in recovery.
Functional Outcome After Redo Below-Knee Amputation

Nonhealing below-knee amputation (BKA) necessitates redo BKA or conversion to above-knee amputation (AKA). Outcomes after redo BKA remain poorly defined. We hypothesized that in selected patients redo BKA results in favorable functional outcomes. Patients undergoing redo BKA at a single institution during 4 years were reviewed. A concurrent cohort proceeding directly to ipsilateral AKA served as comparative controls. Of 138 BKAs, 23 (17%) failed to heal primarily. Baseline demographics and medical comorbidities were similar between groups. Clinicians selected 14 for redo BKA and 9 for ipsilateral AKA. Eight (57%) of those undergoing redo BKA had a history of minor stump trauma and 13 (93%) had a palpable popliteal pulse, compared with no trauma (P = 0.007) and 4 (44%, P = 0.018) palpable popliteal pulses in the AKA group. Functionally, 86% of redo-BKA patients returned home, all eventually healed, and 86% walked, whereas none in the AKA group walked. In selected patients, redo BKA yields excellent functional outcomes. A history of minor stump trauma and a palpable popliteal pulse favor redo BKA compared with conversion to AKA.
Ethnic differences in body composition and their relation to health and disease in women

Abstract Differences in body composition between black and white women have been well established. Black women have more bone and muscle mass, but less fat, as a percentage of body weight, than white women, after controlling for ethnic differences in age, body weight, and height. In addition, black women have more upper‐body fat than white women. These ethnic differences in body composition appear to be associated with disease risk in women. The greater skeletal and muscle mass in black compared to white women appears to protect them from osteoporosis. The relationship between fat distribution and cardiovascular disease also appears to be influenced by ethnicity. This review has two purposes: (1) To examine previous research investigating ethnic differences in body composition between black and white women; and (2) To demonstrate the relationship between body composition and disease in women as a function of ethnicity.
Flow-based partitioning of network testbed experiments

Understanding the behavior of large-scale systems is challenging, but essential when designing new Internet protocols and applications. It is often infeasible or undesirable to conduct experiments directly on the Internet. Thus, simulation, emulation, and testbed experiments are important techniques for researchers to investigate large-scale systems. In this paper, we propose a platform-independent mechanism to partition a large network experiment into a set of small experiments that are sequentially executed. Each of the small experiments can be conducted on a given number of experimental nodes, e.g., the available machines on a testbed. Results from the small experiments approximate the results that would have been obtained from the original large experiment. We model the original experiment using a flow dependency graph. We partition this graph, after pruning uncongested links, to obtain a set of small experiments. We execute the small experiments iteratively. Starting with the second iteration, we model dependent partitions using information gathered about both the traffic and the network conditions during the previous iteration. Experimental results from several simulation and testbed experiments demonstrate that our techniques approximate performance characteristics, even with closed-loop traffic and congested links. We expose the fundamental tradeoff between the simplicity of the partitioning and experimentation process, and the loss of experimental fidelity.
Salivary secretion elicited by activation of the parabrachial nuclei in the cat.

The lateral pontine tegmentum contains the parabrachial nuclei (NPB) which have been identified as a relay nucleus for cardiovascular, respiratory and gustatory systems, but their role in the regulation of these systems is not well understood. We examined the effects of electrical and chemical stimulation of the NPB on blood pressure, phrenic and hypoglossal nerve activity and salivary secretion. These variables were measured in eight anesthetized (α-chloralose/urethane, 30/150 mg/kg, n = 5) or decerebrate (n = 3) cats before, during, and after trains of electrical stimulation (1 ms pulse duration, 10 Hz 5 min train duration, currents as low as 10 μA) delivered unilaterally to NPB. Stimulation of the NPB elicited copious salivary secretion (1100 ± 270 mg, mean ± S.D.; P < 0.001). Secretion was blocked completely by prior administration of atropine. The effects of the stimulus train on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems were variable and inconsistent even though short-latency responses of phrenic and hypoglossal nerve activities to single pulses were consistent. The short-latency response of phrenic nerve activity was biphasic, a decrease followed by an increase in activity; the response of hypoglossal nerve activity was monophasic, a transient increase in activity. Effects of electrical stimulation were replicated by the injection of an excitatory amino acid agonist (kainic acid) into the dorsolateral pons. Injection of 50 nl of 10 mM kainic acid into the NPB evoked salivary secretion, indicating that this response was elicited by stimulation of cell bodies in the region. In addition, chemical excitation increased breathing frequency, peak phrenic nerve activity, and blood pressure. Electrical and chemical stimulation sites were confirmed by histologic analysis and were located in the Kolliker-Fuse subnucleus of the NPB. These results suggest that the NPB can influence salivary secretion through a cholinergic pathway, with or without changes in blood pressure or breathing pattern.
Levamisole-mediated restoration of cellular immunity in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with immunodeficiency diseases.

Abstract We evaluated the potential of Levamisole (LMS) to modulate immune response in vitro in six patients with congenital and acquired immunologic disorders. Leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) was determined in response to recall antigens, LMS, and combined stimulation (antigen plus LMS) before and after LMS therapy. During therapy enhancement of LMI to recall antigens was consistently observed in all patients. In two patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, a specific defect was corrected. In all cases only combined stimulation produced LMI. These findings suggest that LMS may stimulate the production of mediators of cellular immunity and that activation of a population of lymphocytes is probably involved.
Potential of Cognitive Computing and Cognitive Systems

Cognitive computing and cognitive technologies are game changers for future engineering systems, as well as for engineering practice and training. They are major drivers for knowledge automation work, and the creation of cognitive products with higher levels of intelligence than current smart products. This paper gives a brief review of cognitive computing and some of the cognitive engineering systems activities. The potential of cognitive technologies is outlined, along with a brief description of future cognitive environments, incorporating cognitive assistants specialized proactive intelligent software agents designed to follow and interact with humans and other cognitive assistants across the environments. The cognitive assistants engage, individually or collectively, with humans through a combination of adaptive multimodal interfaces, and advanced visualization and navigation techniques. The realization of future cognitive environments requires the development of a cognitive innovation ecosystem for the engineering workforce. The continuously expanding major components of the ecosystem include integrated knowledge discovery and exploitation facilities (incorporating predictive and prescriptive big data analytics); novel cognitive modeling and visual simulation facilities; cognitivemultimodal interfaces; and cognitivemobile and wearable devices. The ecosystem will provide timely, engaging, personalized / collaborative, learning and effective decision making. It will stimulate creativity and innovation, and prepare the participants to work in future cognitive enterprises and develop new cognitive products of increasing complexity.
Leukocyte reduction during orthotopic liver transplantation and postoperative outcome: a pilot study

Abstract Study objective To investigate the effect of intraoperative leukocyte reduction of administered blood products on the incidence of acute cellular rejection and postoperative patient outcome. Design Prospective, nonrandomized, historical control study. Setting Academic tertiary medical center. Patients The study group (Group 1) consisted of 30 consecutive adult patients with end-stage liver disease scheduled to undergo orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) between 1998 and 2000. The historical control group (Group 2) consisted of 30 adult patients with end-stage liver disease matched to study group patients as closely as possible for age, gender, and etiology of liver disease who underwent OLT between 1995 and 1999. Interventions Group 1 patients had all intraoperative allogeneic and cell salvaged blood products leukocyte reduced before administration. Group 2 patients underwent OLT without leukocyte filtration of any administered blood products. Measurements Demographic data were collected for both patient groups and included age, gender, etiology of liver disease, and both intraoperative and postoperative immunosuppression. Demographic allograft donor data for both patient groups were collected and included age, gender, use of vasopressors during procurement, and cold and warm donor organ ischemic times. Outcome variables measured included incidence of acute cellular rejection, length of intensive care unit (ICU) and length of hospital stay, incidence of both graft loss and retransplantation, and mortality. Main results The incidence of acute cellular rejection was 40% in Group 1 and 66.7% in Group 2 ( p = 0.037). Length of ICU stay was 3.0 (2.0, 5.0) days in Group 1 and 4.0 (3.0, 6.0) days in Group 2 ( p = 0.16). Length of hospital stay was 14.0 (11.0, 18.0) days in Group 1 and 18.0 (14.0, 27.0) days in Group 2 ( p = 0.035). One allograft was lost in Group 2 because of primary nonfunction requiring retransplantation ( p = 0.31), and three postoperative deaths occurred in Group 1 as a result of multisystem organ failure ( p = 0.08). Conclusions Coincident with leukocyte reduction of all administered blood products during OLT, an improved outcome was observed in Group 1 patients as demonstrated by both a decreased incidence of acute cellular rejection and length of hospital stay.
A CONTRACTION RULE FOR COMPOSITE PARTICLES

Abstract A contraction rule for an arbitrary composite particle is derived, based on results due to Nishijima, and Klein and Zemach. The relation between this contraction rule and the analogous problem in potential scattering is demonstrated by an explicit reduction to the nonrelativistic limit. Applications of these rules are briefly discussed.
Does Institutional Design Make a Difference? / O Desenho Institucional faz Diferença?

Abstract: The goal of essay is to identify two key features of U.S. constitutional design integral to the success of U.S. federal and presidential separation of powers, but which are not widely known and are therefore not widely copied when newly emerging democracies around the world choose to write a constitution. First, the focus is on the fact that American federalism is characterized by a much larger number of state entities than exist in most federal regimes and on the fact that state boundary lines are drawn pretty arbitrarily and cross-cut regional and ethnic cleavages. In Part II, the focus is on five features of the U.S. system of presidential separation of powers which make out presidents much weaker than the presidents of other countries with presidential systems. Keywords: Institutional Design; Federalism; Separation of Powers; Presidentialism. Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo e identificar as duas principais caracteristicas do desenho constitucional dos Estados Unidos que sao essenciais para o sucesso da sua separacao dos poderes nos planos federativo e presidencialista , mas que nao sao amplamente conhecidas e, portanto, nao sao copiadas por democracias emergentes ao redor do mundo no momento em que formulam suas constituicoes. Primeiro, o foco do artigo se concentra no fato de que o federalismo americano se caracteriza por um numero de entidades estatais muito maior do que se nota na maior parte dos demais regimes federativos, assim como no fato de que as linhas divisoras dos estados sao desenhadas, de certa forma, de maneira arbitraria, ignorando diferencas regionais e etnicas. Na parte II, o foco se mantem nas cinco caracteristicas do sistema de separacao de poderes dos Estados Unidos que tornam o presidente muito mais fragil do que os presidentes de outros paises com sistemas presidencialistas.
A glove-typed input device using hetero-core fiber sensors for 3D-CG modeling

In this paper, we describe development of a glove-typed input device using hetero-core fiber optic sensors. A hetero-core fiber sensor is suited to the glove-typed input device because its advantage of optical fiber such as flexibility, light weight, and thin size structure. In addition, the hetero-core fiber has been found to have highly sensitive and reproducible perfomance with bending detection. The developed glove-typed input device was successfully operated for its application to the 3D-CG modeling.
On Achieving an Asymptotically Error-Free Fixed-Point of Iterative Decoding for Perfect A Priori Information

In this paper we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for constituent codes in (multiple) concatenated and graph-based coding schemes to achieve an asymptotically error-free iterative decoding fixed-point if the maximum possible a priori information is available. At least one constituent code in an iterative decoding scheme must satisfy these conditions in order to ensure an asymptotically vanishing bit error probability at the convergence point of the decoder. Our results are proved for arbitrary binary-input symmetric memoryless channels (BISMCs) and thus can be universally applied to many transmission scenarios. Specifically, using a factor graph framework, it is shown that non-inner codes in a serial concatenation or check nodes in generalized LDPC codes achieve perfect extrinsic information if and only if the minimum Hamming distance between codewords is two or greater. For inner codes in a serial concatenation, constituent codes in a parallel concatenation, or variable nodes in doubly-generalized LDPC codes the corresponding encoder condition for acquiring perfect extrinsic information is an infinite codeword weight for a weight-one input sequence. For this case we provide a general proof which holds for all linear encoders and BISMCs. We also show that these results can improve the performance of concatenated coding schemes.
Teachers' Schedules and Actual Time Spent in Activities in Preschool Special Education Classes:

Preparing a schedule for classroom activities is an important component of most successful educational programs. However, such preparation is only as effective as its implementation in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to compare teachers' schedules of classroom activities and direct observations of children's actual participation in those activities. Schedules of classroom activities and direct observation of actual activities, using the Ecobehavioral System for the Complex Assessment of Preschool Environments (Carta, Greenwood, & Atwater, 1986) were collected in 24 early childhood special education classrooms. Although preschoolers with developmental delays generally engaged in activities that their teachers had scheduled, significant differences were found between the amount of time that teachers allotted for these activities and the amount of observed time that children engaged in the activities. More time was scheduled for play and self-care than was actually observed. However, children we...