cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of the transversal filter with conventional DFT processing in a nonlinear radar receiver

The degrees to which clutter plus noise is canceled by the classical radar receiver using a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and by the adaptive radar receiver based on a transversal filter are compared. Both linear and nonlinear behavior of the receivers are considered. Rectangular triangular, and Hanning windows are applied to the data as part of the DFT processing. >
Family-Peer Relationships: Modes of Linkage.

This volume provides an up-to-date overview of recent research concerning the links between family and peer systems. Considerable work in the past has focused on family issues or peer relationships, but these systems have typically been considered separately. This volume bridges the gap across these two important socialization contexts and provides insights into the processes that account for the links across the systems -- the ways in which the relationships between these systems shift across development. In addition, the variations in the links between family and peers are illustrated by cross-cultural work, studies of abused children, and research on the impact of maternal depression. In short, the volume provides not only a convenient overview of recent progress but lays out an agenda for future research.
Radiation dose levels associated with a PET and PET/CT suite in a nuclear medicine department

2105 Objectives Our department has recently expanded PET and PET/CT modalities to include PET Rb-82 cardiac imaging. With the new imaging modality and increase in patient volume, a study was conducted to assure compliance to ALARA standards. Methods Two studies were conducted over a four week time interval. In the initial study, 19 radiation monitoring devices (optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters) were strategically placed throughout the PET and PET/CT imaging center as well as ancillary areas. In the second study, 9 radiation monitoring devices were placed in the PET and PET/CT imaging suites only. Control monitoring device were utilized. Following each study, radiation devices were collected and sent to Landauer Inc. for analysis. The total number of patient scans performed in the study was documented. Results The number of PET (Rb-82) and PET/CT scans performed during the study interval was 52 and 181, respectively. In the initial study, minimal radiation levels were detected in the PET imaging suite, the PET and PET/CT control areas, surrounding hallways and adjacent offices. Radiation readings of 6 mrem and 127 mrem were detected in the PET/CT imaging suite on parallel walls. The second study confirmed minimal radiation levels in the PET suite and PET/CT control areas as well as high radiation readings of 32 mrem and 124 mrem in the PET/CT imaging suite. Analysis of radiation quality indicated photon energies ranging from less than 40 keV up to 200 keV consistent with CT scatter radiation. Conclusions Radiation levels in a PET and PET/CT suite and associated areas were monitored over a 4-week time period. Significant radiation levels were detected in the restricted PET/CT imaging suite corresponding to CT scatter radiation
SEROTONIN DIFFERENTIALLY MODULATES TWO K + CURRENTS IN THE RETZIUS CELL OF THE LEECH

The effects of 100 mumol l-1 serotonin (5-HT) were investigated on the Na+- and Ca2+-dependent action potential and distinct K+ currents in the Retzius (R) cells of the hirudinid leeches Macrobdella decora and Hirudo medicinalis by conventional current-clamp and two-microelectrode voltage-clamp techniques. 1. In normal Na+-containing Ringer, 5-HT decreased the duration of the action potential prolonged by 5 mmol l-1 tetraethylammonium (TEA+) chloride. 2. In Na+-free saline containing 25 mumol l-1 TEA+ to block IK, 5-HT reduced the amplitude and duration of Ca2+ spikes evoked by intracellular current injection. 3. Under voltage-clamp, 5-HT enhanced the peak amplitude of an early transient 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-sensitive, voltage-dependent outward current, termed IA. A small but significant increase in the time constant of inactivation (tau off) of IA was also measured after exposure to 5-HT. 4. 5-HT suppressed the peak and steady-state amplitudes of a delayed TEA+-sensitive, voltage-dependent outward current, termed IK. These results demonstrate differential simultaneous modulation of distinct K+ currents in the Retzius cell of the leech by the endogenous transmitter serotonin. These cells contain and release 5-HT, and are believed to be multifunction neurons implicated in feeding and swimming. This modulation may change the excitable properties of the cell, leading to a negative feedback autoregulation of its transmitter output.
Nonspecific interferences in the fluorometric determination of plasma cortisol.

The popular Mattingly [ J. Clin. Pathol. 15, 374 (1962)] fluorometric assay for plasma cortisol is shown to give rise to falsely high values when performed with the recommended optical arrangement. By exciting at 470 nm, however, results are obtained that correlate well ( r = 0.972) with those of competitive protein binding. The source of the interference is not identified, but it is related to both the dichloromethane used for extraction and the nature of the individual plasma sample.
The relationship between lethality of attempted suicide and prior suicidal communications in a sample of residential youth

Some type of suicidal communication precedes 80% of attempted and completed suicides in adolescents. This study investigates the relationship between the number of suicidal communications prior to an attempt and the lethality of the attempt in a sample of adolescent youth residing in a residential treatment facility. The sample consisted of 46 youth who had a suicide attempt while in a large group home residential facility over a 9-year period. Results indicated that attempters who made fewer suicidal communications beforehand tended to use more lethal methods in their attempts. Attempters with two or more preceding suicidal communications had significantly lower lethality in their attempts than did those with fewer suicidal communications. Few differences emerged between the groups in regards to demographic or psychosocial variables.
Influence of prostaglandins on electrical and mechanical activities of gastric muscles of Bufo marinus

Abstract 1. 1. Study was performed to compare the role of prostaglandins in regulating gastric contractile activity in an amphibian model, Bufo marinus , with mammalian models. 2. 2. The prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, indomethacin, had little effect on spontaneous mechanical activity, but increased the force and frequency of contractions stimulated by acetylcholine. 3. 3. PGE 2 reversed the effects of indomethacin and reduced the force and frequency of contractions. These effects were concentration-dependent. 4. 4. Intracellular measurement of membrane potential demonstrated that the effects of PGE 2 could be explained by basic effects on membrane potential and slow wave activity. 5. 5. The data shown that many similarities exist between amphibian and mammalian gastric muscles in terms of the regulatory role played by endogenous PGs. It also appears that the mechanisms of PGE 2 action are similar.
Lipid Rafts Orchestrate Signaling by the Platelet Receptor Glycoprotein VI

The platelet collagen receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI) couples to the immune receptor adaptor Fc receptor γ-chain (FcRγ) and signals using many of the same intracellular signaling molecules as immune receptors. Studies of immune receptor signaling have revealed a critical role for specialized areas of the cell membrane known as lipid rafts, which are enriched in essential signaling molecules. However, the role of lipid rafts in signaling in nonimmune cells such as platelets remains poorly defined. This study shows that GPVI-FcRγ does not constitutively associate with rafts, but is recruited to lipid rafts following receptor stimulation in both GPVI-expressing RBL-2H3 cells and human platelets. FcRγ is required for GPVI association with lipid rafts, as mutant GPVI receptors that do not couple to FcRγ were unable to associate with lipid rafts after receptor clustering. Following GPVI stimulation in platelets, virtually all phosphorylated FcRγ was found in lipid rafts, but inhibition of FcRγ phosphorylation did not block receptor association with lipid rafts. This work demonstrates that lipid rafts orchestrate GPVI receptor signaling in platelets in a manner analogous to immune cell receptors and supports a model of GPVI signaling in which FcRγ phosphorylation is controlled by ligand-dependent association with lipid rafts.
High voltage power Schottky diodes

Calculations of the low frequency rectification efficiency of power Schottky diodes show that silicon Schottky rectifiers have lower losses than silicon p-n junctions for all voltage applications up to approximately 150 volts. These calculations are presented. Large area (.6 cm2) Schottky diodes have been fabricated which exhibit near ideal reverse leakage at 100°C out to approximately 100 volts and which have current capability of 100 A. Fabrication details and performance data are presented.
Normal forms for chemical reaction systems via the affine transformation

Abstract Many chemical reaction systems may be described by a system of ordinary differential equations. In general, a nonlinear change of variables is required to transform a system model to a much simpler equation called the normal form, which retains all important local nonlinear features of the system. For systems with a single nonlinearity, an affine transformation that retains the original steady-state and eigenvalue structure brings the system to a much simpler form, the companion normal form, which in the cases of two- and three-dimensional systems is shown to coincide with the classical F 1 and G 1 bifurcation normal forms that are based on Jordan block structure. The theory is applied to establish the properties of a general allosterically regulated enzymatic reaction sequence and of an isothermal catalytic reaction system.
Hardware/Software Process Migration and RTL Simulation

This paper describes an execution cache that uses process migration between hardware and software contexts by way of run-time reconfiguration (RTR) of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The feasibility of such a system is demonstrated using existing FPGAs by accelerating a cycle-based simulation of a Register Transfer Level (RTL) design description. Through the use of a common instruction set, each simulation process may be run in a software Virtual Machine (VM) or in a hardware Real Machine (RM). The implementation provides data for an empirical model used to examine the behavior of unimplemented parts of the system.
Electron-Beam Lithography Techniques for Micro- and Nano-scale Surface Structure Current Injection Lasers

We demonstrate nanoscale patterning and overlay of two-dimensional gratings and waveguides with accuracy better than 45 nm using electron-beam lithography for surface structure lasers with large areas.
Flowers and Flowering

In the Epilogue of Understanding Flowers and Flowering, Beverley Glover states that the book ‘was conceived with a single clear aim: to link what we know of the molecular and genetic control of how flowers come to look as they do with what we know from evolutionary and ecological perspectives about why they look as they do.’ This is an ambitious undertaking; Glover attempts to bring together diverse fields including flower induction, floral pigmentation, pollination biology, development and developmental genetics.
Diffusion approximations of age-and-position dependent branching processes

Abstract By a ( G, F, h ) age-and-position dependent branching process we mean a process in which individuals reproduce according to an age dependent branching process with age distribution function G ( t ) and offspring distribution generating function F , the individuals (located in R N ) can not move and the distance of a new individual from its parent is governed by a probability density function h ( r ). For each positive integer n , let Z n ( t , dx ) be the number of individuals in d x at time t of the ( G, F n , h n ) age-and-position dependent branching process. It is shown that under appropriate conditions on G , F n and h n , the finite dimensional distribution of Z n (nt, dx) n converges, as n → ∞, to the corresponding law of a diffusion continuous state branching process X ( t , dx ) determined by a ψ-semigroup { ψ t : t ⩾ 0}. The ψ-semigroup {ψ t } is the solution of a non-linear evolution equation. A semigroup convergence theorem due to Kurtz [10], which gives conditions for convergence in distribution of a sequence of non-Markovian processes to a Markov process, provides the main tools.
Policy Incentives, Barriers and Recommendations for Biogas Production

Biogas is a mixture of predominantly carbon dioxide and methane that is formed from the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. It is also a high-quality fuel that can be used in most natural gas applications such as home heating or electricity generation or scrubbed and sold into the gas grid. In the United States the production of biogas from animal manure alone represents an enormous potential energy resource, on the order of 0.9 quadrillion BTU (quad) annually, or nearly 1% of total US energy consumption. Biogas from the wastewater treatment sector in the US could provide another 1.5 billion kWh (or 5 trillion BTU). Despite the promise of this resource as a renewable, low-carbon source of energy, as of 2007 only 125 functioning biogas operations using manure exist in the US. These facilities produced 290 GWh (0.001 quad) of energy in 2007, which accounts for 0.001% of annual energy consumption in the United States and one thousandth of the nation’s biogas potential. In addition, only 15% of the wastewater treatment flow in the US produces biogas that is used as a source of energy; the rest of the wastewater flows either do not produce biogas at all, or produce biogas that is wastefully flared instead of captured for heat or power. In contrast, Sweden currently produces 0.3% of their annual energy usage from biogas, primarily from the wastewater treatment sector. This report analyzes the policy incentives and barriers that exist for the production and utilization of biogas as well as the policy and institutional factors that have contributed to Sweden’s relative biogas success. Based on this analysis, the authors make recommendations for policy measures that would increase biogas production in the United States. These recommendations include R&D to promote technological advancement with digesters, state and national environmental objectives, state and national renewable energy quotas, financial support for biogas operations, state biogas education and support programs, and infrastructure improvements that facilitate biogas use. Such policy incentives would promote both biogas production and use, and thereby help increase the market penetration of a domestically-produced, renewable, low-carbon fuel.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Thiocarbonyl anions: Preparation and reactions of CpW(CO)2CS− and HB(pz)3W(CO)2CS−

Abstract The anionic thiocarbonyl complexes CpW(CO) 2 CS − and HB(pz) 3 W(CO) 2 CS − may be prepared by reaction of trans -IW(CO) 4 CS − with NaC 5 H 5 or potassium hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate, The nucleophilic CpW(CO) 2 CS − reacts with ClSnPh 3 , ClPbPh 3 , HgI 2 and BrSePh to give cis -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)SnPh 3 , cis -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)PbPh 3 , cis - and trans -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)HgI, and cis - and trans -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)SePh, respectively. Both CpW(CO) 2 CS − and HB(pz) 3 W(CO) 2 CS − react with I 2 to yield the iodo complexes, trans -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)I and trans -HB(pz) 3 W(CO) 2 (CS)I. Refluxing trans -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)I with PMe 2 Ph, PPh 3 , P(OPh) 3 , P(NMe 2 ) 3 , or CNME in toluene results in substitution of CO and yields the complexes CpW(CO)(CS)(L)I in which the CS group is trans to the iodide. At lower temperatures trans -CpW(CO) 2 (CS)I reacts with PMe 2 Ph to give the ionic product [ trans -CpW(CO)(CS)(PMe 2 Ph) 2 ]I. Proposed structures for all of the complexes are based upon their IR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectra.
Ground Nesting in the Paper Wasp Polistes aurifer (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Polistes paper wasp species vary in their nest site selection, with some nesting in relatively exposed areas and others in protected cavities. Locating the nest sites of cavity dwelling species in natural habitat can prove difficult, and most behavioral studies on these species are therefore conducted using human-built structures. Since Hungerford and Williams (1912) and Rau (1929) noted the location of several P. fuscatus (Fabricius) nests in rodent burrows, there have been no published accounts of ground nesting Polistes species. I report the occurrence of a large, dense cluster of P. aurifer (Saussure) nests located within cracks in the dried soil of the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California, USA.
Leveraging motion capture and 3D scanning for high-fidelity facial performance acquisition

This paper introduces a new approach for acquiring high-fidelity 3D facial performances with realistic dynamic wrinkles and fine-scale facial details. Our approach leverages state-of-the-art motion capture technology and advanced 3D scanning technology for facial performance acquisition. We start the process by recording 3D facial performances of an actor using a marker-based motion capture system and perform facial analysis on the captured data, thereby determining a minimal set of face scans required for accurate facial reconstruction. We introduce a two-step registration process to efficiently build dense consistent surface correspondences across all the face scans. We reconstruct high-fidelity 3D facial performances by combining motion capture data with the minimal set of face scans in the blendshape interpolation framework. We have evaluated the performance of our system on both real and synthetic data. Our results show that the system can capture facial performances that match both the spatial resolution of static face scans and the acquisition speed of motion capture systems.
Thermographic validation of physical complaints in 'psychogenic pain' patients.

To determine whether some patients complaining of chronic unexplained pain had received inappropriate psychiatric diagnoses, we used thermography to evaluate 224 consecutive patients. Abnormal results were found in 43 patients (19%), leading to diagnoses of reflex sympathetic dystrophy, nerve root irritation, and thoracic outlet syndrome. Three case histories illustrated by thermograms demonstrate the value of thermography in detecting otherwise overlooked organic disorders, particularly sympathetic dysfunction, that may easily be misdiagnosed as psychogenic pain.
Analysis of facilitated transport with fixed site carrier membranes

Abstract A theory is presented which describes the facilitated transport of neutral molecules, such as O 2 , across fixed site carrier membranes. A main feature of this theory is a derivation of the effective diffusion coefficient for the solute-carrier complex. The results are analogous to facilitated transport in liquid membranes. The model reduces to a form analogous to dual-mode transport in the reaction equilibrium (diffusion-limited) regime. Comparison with experimental results confirms the consistency of this approach.
A Novel Advanced Gauge Reader System Based on M-Bus Technology

Applications in the signal processing technology corresponding to various gauges have been widely popularized exploration. However, there is rarely proposed corresponding to how to employ gauge reader with lower cost but longer distance. M-Bus (Meter-Bus) is an inexpensive solution for widespread networking and remote meter reading for the consumption data collection. This work based on the M-Bus technology presented a novel signal processing technology of Advanced Gauge Reader System (AGRS). In particular, this paper also implemented the proposed device for real applications. The proposed AGRS is a cost-effective, stable and reliable remote water meter reading system. Numerous simulations and tests have been made to demonstrate the efficiency of this work. The empirical findings may provide some valuable references for the related applications. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v12i2.3794
A comparison of conservative interventions and their effectiveness for coccydynia: a systematic review

AbstractStudy design:Systematic literature review.Objective:To investigate the various conservative interventions for coccydynia and determine their effectiveness.Background:Coccydynia is the term used to describe pain in the coccygeal region. Pain in this region is typically caused by local trauma. Sitting is typically the most painful position for patients having coccydynia. Various methods of treating coccydynia are found in the literature but to our knowledge no systematic review has been performed that compared the effectiveness of these interventions.Methods:Searches were performed for research studies using electronic databases (Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Medline, PEDro, Scopus, and Sports Discus) from January 2002 through July 2012. The quality of the papers was assessed using the GRADE approach.Results:Seven papers were located that satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria (2 RCTs, 5 observational studies). The level of evidence ranged from moderate to very low quality and recommendations fo...
On bias in magnitude scaling and some conjectures of Stevens.

Bias in magnitude scaling can be viewed as involving deviations of judgments from proportionality. A model of bias is shown to provide a theoretical basis for Stevens’s conjecture about geometrically averaging magnitude estimation and magnitude production exponents in order to obtain an estimate of the psychophysical exponent. An overlooked result is that one can also obtain an estimate of the magnitude of the bias. Examples from several well-known studies are presented. The bias is also shown to vary in response to experimental manipulation of the stimulus range. Aspects of predicting exponents across experiments are clarified, and a new prediction is examined. The model of bias fills some theoretical gaps in magnitude scaling and clarifies underlying assumptions and predictions.
Human Rights and the Politics of Victimhood

In the lexicon of rights, the concept of human rights can play a wide variety of roles. Human rights can be defined as substantive natural rights that transcend politics and culture or as the rights that underlie political and cultural differences. They can be defined narrowly as rights that could be asserted against enemies in war or, more broadly, as the aspirational goals to which governments are held accountable by their citizens and the world. Despite their lack of recognition in covenant and positive law through much of the twentieth century, human rights are increasingly asserted on the basis of such recognition. To some, human rights are simply the sine qua non (procedural? biological?) for asserting other rights, whatever these may be. In this paper I do not choose among these uses of the concept of human rights by propounding a single definition; neither do I defend or criticize human rights in general.
Development of matched virtual and physical breast phantoms based on patient data

Physical phantoms are essential for the development, optimization, and clinical evaluation of x-ray systems. These phantoms are used for various tests such as quality assurance testing, system characterization, reconstruction evaluation, and dosimetry. They should ideally be capable of serving as ground truth for purposes such as virtual clinical trials. Currently, there is no anthropomorphic 3D physical phantom commercially available. We present our development of a new suite of physical breast phantoms based on real patient data. The phantoms were generated from the NURBS-based extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) breast phantoms, which were segmented from patient dedicated breast computed tomography data. High-resolution multi-material 3D printing technology was used to fabricate the physical models. Glandular tissue and skin were presented by the most radiographically dense photopolymer available to the printer, mimicking a 75% glandular tissue. Adipose tissue was presented by the least radiographically dense photopolymer, mimicking a 35% glandular tissue. The glandular equivalency was measured by comparing x-ray images of samples of the photopolymers available to the printer with those of breast tissue-equivalent materials. The mammographic projections and tomosynthesis reconstructed images of fabricated models showed great improvement over available phantoms, presenting a more realistic breast background.
Plasma lodothyronines in the embryonic and immediate post-hatch chick

Plasma concentrations of 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3) and 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine (reverse T3, rT3) were measured in chick embryos from days 9.5 of incubation to immediately post-hatching (day 21.5). Thyroxine (T4) levels were measured on day 21.5 of incubation. Plasma concentrations of rT3 showed a steady increase from day 9.5 (0.05 ng/0.1 ml) to 19.5 (1.46 ng/0.1 ml) (P 0.05). In contrast, values for T3 decreased from days 9.5 through 11.5 (1.95 to 0.54 ng/ml) (P < 0.001), followed by a gradual rise to day 15.5 (1.03 ng/ml) (P < 0.05, after which they rose sharply to a value of 4.99 ng/ml by day 21.5 (P < 0.005). The value for T4 on day 21.5 (1 day post-hatch) was 10.78 ng/ml, which is a marked decreased (P < 0.05) from the 19.5-day value of 24.30 ng/ml found previously in our laboratory. The relationships of T3 and rT3 concentrations found in the chick embryo may be similar to those found in fetal sheep and humans.
Semi-continuous network flow problems

We consider semi-continuous network flow problems, that is, a class of network flow problems where some of the variables are restricted to be semi-continuous. We introduce the semi-continuous inflow set with variable upper bounds as a relaxation of general semi-continuous network flow problems. Two particular cases of this set are considered, for which we present complete descriptions of the convex hull in terms of linear inequalities and extended formulations. We consider a class of semi-continuous transportation problems where inflow systems arise as substructures, for which we investigate complexity questions. Finally, we study the computational efficacy of the developed polyhedral results in solving randomly generated instances of semi-continuous transportation problems.
Sibling communication satisfaction as a function of interpersonal solidarity, individualized trust, and self‐disclosure

The purpose of this study was to examine sibling communication satisfaction, with a specific focus on interpersonal solidarity, individualized trust, and self‐disclosure. Respondents (N = 360) were asked to report on a relationship with either an older sister, younger sister, older brother, or younger brother. Results indicate that interpersonal solidarity is the largest predictor of sibling communication satisfaction, followed by individualized trust, and self‐disclosure.
Real-time Embedded Convex Optimization

Abstract Abstract This talk concerns the use of convex optimization, embedded as part of a larger system that executes automatically with newly arriving data or changing conditions, in areas such as automatic control, signal processing, real-time estimation, real-time resource allocation and decision making, and fast automated trading. Such systems are already in use in applications such as model predictive control or supply chain optimization, with sample times measured in minutes (or longer); our focus is on systems with much faster dynamics, with execution times measured in milliseconds or microseconds for small and medium size problems. We describe a preliminary implementation of an automatic code generation system, which scans a description of the problem family and performs much of the analysis and optimization of the algorithm, such as choosing variable orderings used with sparse factorizations, at code generation time; compiling the generated source code yields an extremely efficient custom solver for the problem family.
Transport and structural characterization of solution-processable doped ZnO nanowires

The use of ZnO nanowires has become a widespread topic of interest in optoelectronics. In order to correctly assess the quality, functionality, and possible applications of such nanostructures it is important to accurately understand their electrical and optical properties. Aluminum- and gallium-doped crystalline ZnO nanowires were synthesized using a low-temperature solution-based process, achieving dopant densities of the order of 10 20 cm -3 . A non-contact optical technique, photothermal deflection spectroscopy, is used to characterize ensembles of ZnO nanowires. By modeling the free charge carrier absorption as a Drude metal, we are able to calculate the free carrier density and mobility. Determining the location of the dopant atoms in the ZnO lattice is important to determine the doping mechanisms of the ZnO nanowires. Solid-state NMR is used to distinguish between coordination environments of the dopant atoms.
Polyphenolic composition of raisins.

The polyphenolics of raisins were extracted, separated by HPLC, and characterized by their UV−vis spectra, and their concentrations measured. Color measurements and browning indices were also determined. Samples (n = 20) included sun-dried, dipped, and golden raisins. Comparisons were also made with fresh and frozen Thompson Seedless grapes. Golden raisins (which are treated with SO2) had the highest amount of hydroxycinnamic acids and the highest lightness values. In comparison with fresh grapes, percent losses of the two major hydroxycinnamics (caftaric and coutaric acids) in sun-dried, dipped, and golden raisins were on the order of 90%. Flavonols were not influenced by processing as much as hydroxycinnamics, while procyanidins and flavan-3-ols were completely degraded in all raisin samples. Formation of hydroxymethylfurfural and loss of amino acids in sun-dried and dipped raisins are ascribed to Maillard browning reactions. Keywords: Polyphenolics; flavonoids; procyanidins; hydroxycinnamics; raisins; ...
New modalities and paradigms for sedation: “new sedation agents”

Most endoscopic procedures in the USA are performed with some form of conscious sedation. The typical practice of midazolam and fentanyl is being supplanted by newer agents, including propofol, fospropofol, ketamine, and dexmedetomidine. These agents offer various advantages; propofol has significantly faster onset and offset, fospropofol avoids the problems associated with the lipid emulsion of propofol, and ketamine and dexmedetomidine avoid the respiratory depression associated with other sedatives. Understanding the properties of these agents may improve patient outcomes during endoscopy.
Perceptions About the WTO Trade Institutions

This article, based on a lecture given at the inauguration ceremony for the new Advisory Centre on WTO Law, describes the broader world trading landscape into which this new Centre emerges. Taking into account the possible implications of the events on September 11, this article provides a brief analysis of the current trade policy climate, asserting the necessity of institutions for the successful functioning of markets. After a short institutional history of the GATT/WTO, the author describes the importance of institutional rules, treaty text, and practice for the success of the WTO and presents the current debate over what the scope of this institution has been, is now, and could be in the future – the debate over which important issues should be taken under the WTO umbrella, and, further, which issues are appropriate to send to the Dispute Settlement System. Finally, this article illustrates the challenges facing this dispute settlement system, proposals for reform, and the vital role that the new Advisory Centre may be able to play in resolving some of these challenges.
Effect of acidic pH on the ability of Clostridium sporogenes MD1 to take up and retain intracellular potassium

At pH values >5.5, Clostridium sporogenes MD1 accumulated potassium even though it had little protonmotive force, but an ATPase inhibitor (N, N′- dicyclohexylcarbodiimide) prevented this uptake. The results suggested that potassium transport was ATP-driven, and a protonophore (3, 3′, 4′, 5 – tetrachlorosalicylanilide) did not eliminate uptake. However, potassium uptake could also be driven by an artificial pH gradient, and in this case the protonophore acted as an inhibitor. These latter results indicated that the cells also had a protonmotive force-driven transporter. When the pH <5.1, the cells could not retain potassium, rapid efflux was observed, and intracellular volume collapsed.
Changes in adrenal and pituitary concentrations of I131 and P32 following thyroidectomy.

Summary1. Seventy days after thyroidectomy the ability of various organs of young and adult male albino rats to concentrate radioiodine I131 and radiophosphorus P32 was determined and compared to control animals. 2. The pituitary and adrenals of the young rats showed a markedly increased 3-hour concentration of I131 and a decreased 3-hour concentration of P32, significantly different from the control animals. 3. Mature animals exhibited an increased 3-hour concentration of I131 in the pituitary, with no significant differences in the 3-hour concentration of P32 from levels seen in the control animals. 4. The deleterious effects of thyroidectomy in the young animals with a high rate of tissue phosphate utilization was evidenced by the sharply decreased P32 concentration in the organs of those animals. Explanation for the markedly increased I131 concentrations in pituitary and adrenal of young and adult thyroidectomized animals is not readily apparent.
Probes as Path Seekers: A New Paradigm

In a recent field experiment, a fleet of Global Positioning System—equipped vehicles shared real-time data about network travel times over a wireless network and had their path choices automatically updated accordingly. This paper describes the behavior of these 200 vehicles during the 3-month experiment and illustrates the kind of information that can be derived from the data archive that the vehicles created. Much can be learned about real-time traffic-responsive path choice, travel times, compliance, and more. Planners, designers, and system operators can learn much about the way a system behaves and can sharpen their ability to create systems that work effectively and efficiently under all ranges of use. True path seeking by probe-equipped vehicles will arise when such vehicles become a common part of the vehicle fleet.
Optical gain control of a GaAs MMIC distributed amplifier

This paper reports on experimental results of an optical gain control of a GaAs microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) distributed amplifier. The amplifier gain was varied by 15 dB and was controlled by a LED (250 μW) over the frequency range of 5-8 GHz. The key to this investigation is the development of a simple inexpensive optical control mechanism that is compatible with MMIC fabrication methods.
Drug Use and Street Crime in Miami: An (Almost) Twenty-Year Retrospective

Researchers at the University of Delaware have been conducting field studies of drug use and crime in Miami, Florida, since 1977. This paper reviews this research and its contributions to understanding drugs-crime relationships. Early studies tested mechanisms for accessing street populations of heroin users and assessing the nature and extent of their drug use and criminality. Subsequent studies targeted a variety of crime-involved heroin and cocaine users, including women as well as men, serious delinquents, adolescent and adult crack users, and cocaine users in treatment as well as on the street. Major findings include the low risk of arrest for income-generating crimes committed by heroin users, and the prevalence of HIV-risk behaviors among both serious delinquents and women crack users. Analyses consistently show the critical importance of sample characteristics in research on drug use, including age, cohort, and street-versus-treatment status.
Designing for Optimal Energy Absorption, 1: Lumped Parameter Systems

Given a conservative dynamical system we determine where, and in what quantity, dissipative mechanisms should be placed in order to best absorb an initial disturbance. We work in the context of linear vibrating systems described by constant mass, M, stiffness, K, and damping, D, matrices. We suppose that M and K are fixed and proceed to minimize, with respect to D, two measures of energy absorption: (i) the least exponent for which the energy exhibits exponential decay and (ii) the maximum over initial disturbances of unit energy of the infinite time integral of the energy. We construct a general setting and provide explicit solutions in the special case of normal mode systems.
Periodic phenomena in the interaction of two neurons

The periodic and resonant properties of a closed neuron circuit are exhibited and applications to some visual and electrophysiological phenomena are discussed.
Human Flourishing: A Natural Home for Spirituality

Existing flourishing models emphasize emotional, psychological, and social dimensions; what is missing is spirituality as a valid facet of the construct flourishing. This study empirically explored a revised and expanded model of flourishing in examining positive psychological and social functioning, positivity, and spirituality as components of what it means to flourish in life. Participants were 56 men and 111 women between the ages of 18 and 85. Results indicated significant positive correlations among spirituality, positivity, and positive psychological and social functioning, supporting spirituality's close association with extant dimensions of flourishing. Principal components analysis was employed to identify positive personal self, positive social self, and spiritual self as facets of flourishing. Furthermore, results support spirituality's unique ability to predict salient outcomes. These findings establish the utility of spirituality and demonstrate it as an important dimension within the propos...
Effects of sodium fluoride on uptake of T-2 mycotoxin in cultured cells.

Trusal, L. R. and Martin, L. J. Effects of sodium fluoride on uptake of T-2 mycotoxin in cultured cells. Toxicon25, 705 – 711, 1987.—We examined the effect of sodium fluoride on uptake of tritium-labeled T-2 toxin (molecules of toxin/cell) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and African green monkey kidney (VERO) cells. Correlations were made to temperature (22 and 37°C) and toxin concentration (0.001 and 0.01 μg/ml) over time (0 – 180 min). As expected, toxin uptake increased in both cell types with increasing time and temperature. VERO cells exhibited significant (P<0.05) increases in the rate (i.e. slope) of toxin uptake under all parameters, while the rate of toxin uptake in both cell types was generally greater at 37°C compared to 22°C. The rate of equilibrium was affected by both temperature and sodium fluoride. At 37°C toxin uptake plateaued by 30 min in the presence of sodium fluoride. At 22°C the rate of toxin uptake was slower, with or without sodium fluoride present. Statistical analysis of individual time points along the curve demonstrated that sodium fluoride significantly increased cell-associated toxin at most time points. Analysis of the slopes of uptake curves from 0 to 20 min indicated significant (P<0.05) differences in the rates of T-2 uptake in both cell types and toxin doses in the presence of sodium fluoride. The increase in toxin uptake in the presence of sodium fluoride was not due to altered cell membane permeability caused by sodium fluoride. This study demonstrates that sodium fluoride significantly increases cell-associated T-2 toxin and the rate of toxin uptake in two cultured cell lines.
The Influences of Friends' and Parental Smoking on Adolescent Smoking Behavior: The Effects of Time and Prior Smoking1

This research examines the relative importance of parental and friends' influences on adolescents' smoking behavior and changes in the effects of social influences during adolescence. Data were collected at 4 times from 7th to 9th grades. Random-effects ordinal regression models were employed to predict the repeated classification of adolescent smoking status using time effects, prior smoking status, friends' smoking, and parental smoking. In general, the effects of friends' smoking are stronger than those of parental smoking, and these differences increase over time. In addition, friends' smoking has greater effects on nonsmokers than smokers. Separate models for males and females disclose some gender differences. In particular, the effects of friends' smoking are stronger for females than for males, and the increasing trend of friends' influences is more noticeable for females than for males. Models for 4 ethnic groups also suggest differential susceptibility to social influences in different cultures.
Threshold Kinematic Constraints and Correlations of Helicity Amplitudes

The threshold kinematic constraints and correlations (relations for all helicity amplitudes in terms of one "reduced" helicity-independent amplitude and a given helicity-dependent coefficient) of helicity amplitudes are derived from the threshold behavior of partial-wave amplitudes for any mass and spin combination. Total spin helicity amplitudes are found to be the natural helicity combination for threshold behavior. The pseudothreshold kinematic properties are found to be similar to those at the direct threshold if the total spin helicity amplitudes are modified by appropriate sign changes in their defining linear combinations. The threshold correlations are related to kinematic-singularity-free helicity amplitudes.
Electromagnetic radiation by quark-gluon plasma in a magnetic field

The electromagnetic radiation by quark-gluon plasma in a strong magnetic field is calculated. The contributing processes are synchrotron radiation and one-photon annihilation. It is shown that in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) synchrotron radiation dominates over the annihilation. Moreover, it constitutes a significant part of all photons produced by the plasma at low transverse momenta; its magnitude depends on the plasma temperature and the magnetic field strength. Electromagnetic radiation in a magnetic field is probably the missing piece that resolves a discrepancy between the theoretical models and the experimental data. It is argued that electromagnetic radiation increases with the magnetic field strength and plasma temperature.
Seeking help from the internet during adolescence.

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the prevalence and demographic and psychological correlates of Internet use as a help-seeking resource for emotional problems in a community sample of adolescents. Method: A self-report survey was completed by 9th-through 12th-grade students ( n = 519) enrolled in health courses in six New York State high schools in the fall/winter of 1999. The relationship between Internet help-seeking behavior and demographic characteristics, hopelessness, functional impairment, and use of various treatment services was examined. Results: Nearly one fifth (18.2%) of the adolescents sought help on the Internet for emotional problems in the previous year. The proportions of males and females seeking help on the Internet did not significantly differ (15.6% and 20.8%, respectively). Internet help-seekers were significantly more likely than non–help-seekers to score above the clinical threshold on the Columbia Impairment Scale (34% versus 20.6%; χ 2 1 = 7.4, p 2 1 = 3.8, p Conclusions: For the Internet to realize its potential as an effective resource for teenagers struggling with emotional problems, further development is needed.
Low-grade Papanicolaou smears and the Bethesda system: a prospective cytohistopathologic analysis

Objective: To examine the clinical usefulness of the Bethesda classification system of low-grade cervicovaginal cytology as it relates to predicting underlying histology and aiding in triage to colposcopy. Methods: We evaluated 1454 women with abnormal cytologic screening results: 782 with atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (atypia), 355 with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) determined by the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) alone, and 317 with low-grade SIL determined by the presence of cytologic evidence of mild dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN] I) devoid of HPV cytopathologic features. All women underwent colposcopy, directed-punch biopsy or loop electrosurgical excision, and/or endocervical curettage (ECC), as indicated. Results: Women from the low-grade SIL-CIN I referral cytology group were significantly more likely to harbor all grades of biopsy-proven dysplasia than were those from the atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance and lowgrade SIL-HPV groups, which showed no statistical differences. Conclusions: Contrary to the Bethesda system, which combines CIN I and HPV changes because of cytomorphologic similarities, this study suggests that patients with HPV cytologic smears are similar to patients with atypical smears and are less likely to harbor any biopsy-proven CIN lesions than are patients with CIN I cervicovaginal smears. If excluded from colposcopic triage, approximately 5% of patients with atypical cytologic smears from a well-screened population similar to ours will harbor high-grade lesions that may progress during any waiting period. Triage of low-grade cervicovaginal smears based on histopathologic correlation is encouraged.
Ambulatory-based residency education: improving the congruence of teaching, learning, and patient care.

Abstract ▪ Residency education in internal medicine should be based in the ambulatory setting. The challenge in ambulatory education lies not only in the unique opportunities afforded by the settin...
CMAP and FCMAP Comparisons Using Monte-Carlo Simulations

Biological systems are complex, consisting of many elements of different nature. As a whole, they are robust, and a general system description can be done in a semi-quantitative way when it comes to phenotype behaviors. We used these properties earlier [1,2] to develop two new systems biology methods, causal mapping (CMAP) and Fuzzy CMAP (FCMAP). In this research, a general Monte-Carlo simulation was carried out to compare the behaviors of CMAP and FCMAP in cortical spread cell oscillations. The oscillation period and magnitude from both approaches are compared. The presented development lies on the way to a more general justification of the applicability of FCMAP in real biological system modeling.
Abstinence rates among college cigarette smokers enrolled in a randomized clinical trial evaluating Quit and Win contests: The impact of concurrent hookah use.

Objective To examine baseline characteristics and biochemically verified 1-, 4-, and 6-month tobacco quit rates among college students enrolled in a Quit and Win cessation trial, comparing those who concurrently smoke both hookah and cigarettes with those who deny hookah use.
Cowboys and Schoolteachers: Gender in Romance Novels, Secular and Christian

This article uses content analysis of 120 novels to consider romance novels as evidence for a particular culture of gender and the family, and as a means of comparing cultural representations of secular and Christian masculinity, femininity, and families. It finds that, although on the surface the texts are most obviously differentiated by religion, gender differences within the religious categories are greater than overall differences between those categories themselves. The most interesting and significant difference between secular and Christian romances emerges in the male hero. Specifically, this analysis finds that secular men are depicted as overwhelmingly strong, economically and physically, but that this strength is frequently overcome by the emotional strength of the heroine, who tames them. Christian heroes, on the other hand, are less overpowering figures at the beginning of the texts but are more dominant within the relationship, subject instead to the will of God.