cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indole-3-carbinol and indole-3-acetonitrile influence on hepatic microsomal metabolism

Abstract Mice, rats, and rabbits were injected ip or gavaged for 10 days with indole-3-carbinol (IC) or indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN), two major indoles in cruciferous vegetables. The metabolic response of hepatic microsomes was compared with those of animals receiving the standard inducing agents, phenobarbital (PB), β-naphthoflavone (NF), and Aroclor 1254 (Ar). Rat and mouse liver microsomes exhibited increases in cytochrome P-450 and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) oxidase activity after IC treatment, but rabbit microsmes were not affected. IAN was without effect on cytochrome P-450 or BaP oxidase activity in all three species. In mouse, gavage with IC produced a 61% decrease in zoxazolamine paralysis time, increased the extinction coefficient for binding IC to hepatic microsomes, and decreased the wavelength for maximum absorbance of the CO-reduced minus reduced difference spectrum. Furthermore, gavage with IC produced clear significant increases in several hepatic microsomal enzyme activities, including ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase. All of the alterations observed following IC gavage paralleled those following NF or Ar induction, but were dissimilar from the changes observed after PB administration. These data suggest that dietary IC may act as a moderate inducing agent for hepatic cytochromes P-448 (NF-inducible forms).
Relation between the level of American Indian and Alaska Native diabetes education program services and quality-of-care indicators.

Objectives. We examined the relation between the level of diabetes education program services in the Indian Health Service (IHS) and indicators of the quality of diabetes care to determine if more-comprehensive diabetes services were associated with better quality of diabetes care.Methods. In this cross-sectional study, we used the IHS Integrated Diabetes Education Recognition Program to rank program services into 1 of 3 levels of comprehensiveness, ranging from lowest (developmental) to highest (integrated). We compared quality-of-care indicators among programs of differing levels with the 2001 IHS Diabetes Care and Outcomes Audit. Quality indicators included patients having recommended yearly examinations, education, and laboratory tests and achieving recommended levels of intermediate outcomes of care.Results. Most of the 86 participating programs were classified at or below the developmental level; only 9 programs (11%) were ranked at higher levels. After adjusting for patient characteristics, program...
Class and Labor in Iran: Did the Revolution Matter?

Class and Labor in Iran: Did the Revolution Matter?, Farhad Nomani and Sohrab Behdad, Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2006, 268pp., appendix, bibliography, index During the last two to thr...
War and Sovereignty in Medieval Roman Law

The theory of just war in medieval canon law and theology has attracted to it a large body of scholarship, and is recognized as an important foundation for Western approaches to the study of ethics in war. By contrast, the tradition on war in medieval Roman law has not received much attention, although it developed doctrines that are distinct from those in canon law and theology. The oversight is notable because medieval Roman law on war influenced subsequent tradition, forming with canon law the essential basis for early modern legal thought on war and peace. While the main canonistic contributions to legal theory on war came in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Roman jurists added new opinion in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, which can be related to the political life of Italy and to the growth of the independent cities. By the fourteenth century, Roman lawyers (or civilians) often considered licit war from a secular and pragmatic perspective, and associated a right of war with sovereignty. Here, I would like to trace the development of this theory, from roughly 1250 to 1450, and particularly a view that sovereigns licitly judged the justice of their own causes, as a remedy for a lack of superior authority.
The effect of preadsorbed sulfur on nitric oxide reduction on porous platinum black electrodes

Abstract Sulfur can be deposited on porous platinum black gas diffusion cathodes to influence the course of the electrogenerative reduction of nitric oxide. Polarization (performance) curves and reactor selectivity data are compared for untreated cathodes and those treated with reduced SO2. Pure and dilute nitric oxide cathode feeds were used. With pure nitric oxide, the limiting current corresponding to nitrous oxide production was reduced 65% by preadsorbed sulfur. With dilute nitric oxide the two limiting currents observed were only slightly decreased by sulfur deposition. With both feeds adsorbed sulfur affects product distribution at low cell potentials so that hydroxylamine production is favored. The surface of the platinum black electrodes was characterized by hydrogen adsorption, and sulfur coverages on treated electrodes were determined by cyclic voltammetry in a separate three-electrode cell. The results from electrogenerative reduction are discussed in terms of steric and mechanistic consequences of sulfur coverages.
Do high school sports build character? A quasi-experiment on a national sample

Popular sport culture, conventional social wisdom and promotional ideology by athletic associations suggest that participation in high school varsity sports programs has positive effects on prosoci...
Electron energy-loss study of titania particles

Small titania particles, prepared by hydrolysis and condensation using in situ steric stabilization, have been studied by high-energy, transmission, electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Electron diffraction patterns and energy-loss spectra as a function of momentum transfer were measured for as-prepared particles (amorphous titania), particles annealed at 600 °C (primarily anatase), and particles annealed at 1000 °C (primarily rutile). The energy-loss spectra at low momentum disagreed with the loss function calculated from optical data (rutile) and disagreed with theory (rutile and anatase). The data was fit by an Elliot-like model for a resonant exciton interacting with a continuum of levels. The translational effective mass of the exciton derived from the fitting was quite large, indicating that it was self-trapped.
Simplified Direct Plating Method for Enhanced Recovery of Escherichia coli in Food

A refined plating medium designed to enumerate E. coli in food within 24 hr was developed. The medium combined tergitol 7 with the fluorogenic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glucuronide. E. coli colonies were detected by fluorescence under long-wave UV light. The new agar allowed superior recovery of heat and freeze-stressed cells and produced E. coli counts from meat and poultry samples at levels generally equivalent to or better than those of the standard 5 tube Most Probable Number method. This method provides a simple and rapid alternative to traditional techniques.
Determination of Subthalamic Nucleus Location by Quantitative Analysis of Despiked Background Neural Activity From Microelectrode Recordings Obtained During Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery

Abstract:Microelectrode recording during deep brain stimulation surgery is a useful adjunct for subthalamic nucleus (STN) localization. We hypothesize that information in the nonspike background activity can help identify STN boundaries. We present results from a novel quantitative analysis that acc
Focused preoperative patient stoma education, prior to ileostomy formation after anterior resection, contributes to a reduction in delayed discharge within the enhanced recovery programme.

Stoma formation is a well-known cause for delayed discharge following colorectal surgery. This has been addressed by the enhanced recovery programme (ERP) preoperatively through stoma counselling sessions. These aim to promote independent stoma management post-operatively, thus expediting hospital discharge. We compared the numbers of patients with prolonged hospital stay secondary to delayed independent stoma management prior to and following the introduction of an enhanced recovery programme with preoperative stoma education. Data collection on patients undergoing anterior resection with the formation of a loop ileostomy was carried out retrospectively prior to ERP (January 2006 to August 2008) and prospectively following the introduction of ERP (September 2008 to October 2010). Comparisons were made in patients with prolonged hospital stay (defined as hospital stay of more than 5 days) secondary to stoma management. Two hundred forty patients underwent elective anterior resection with the formation of a loop ileostomy, 120 prior ERP and 120 post-ERP. Average length of hospital stay was 14 days before ERP introduction, with a range of 7–25 days. The mean length of stay amongst the ERP patients was 8 days (p = 0.17), ranging from 3 to 17 days. Twenty-one patients in the pre-ERP group (17.5%) experienced postponed hospital discharge due to a delay in independent stoma management, compared to one patient experiencing such a delay after the introduction of ERP (0.8%, p < 0.0001). Delayed discharge secondary to independent stoma management can be significantly reduced with preoperative stoma management teaching as part of an enhanced recovery programme.
Residual stresses in thick electrodeposits of a nickel-cobalt alloy

Some electroplated metals contain residual stresses which can cause warpage or premature failure of parts plated or electrofomed with these materials. Noticeably absent from the literature are residual-stress data for finished parts. Typically for plated or electroformed parts, residual stresses are determined independently on thin strips and then piece parts are plated. This research describes a technique which can be used to measure stress on finished parts. The method involves drilling a hole in the part and measuring the resulting change of strain in the vicinity of the hole. Viability of this technique was demonstrated by measuring the stress in a nickel-cobalt deposit plated on an aluminum cylinder. Two separate runs, one 50 deg removed from the other, provided almost identical results; stress was 160 MN/m2 (23,200 psi). Two other runs in a region where plating was somewhat thinner provided slightly lower results probably because all boundary-condition requirements were not met. The computed residual-stress values compared quite favorably with independent rigid-strip measurements of 131 MN/m2 (19,000 psi) obtained for the solution before and after plating of the cylinder.
Generalized Muscular Weakness as a Toxic Reaction to Digitalis.

Summary and Conclusions1. A case history illustrating generalized muscular weakness as a toxic effect of digitalis is presented. 2. Four dogs given daily injections of a cardiac glycoside developed generalized muscular weakness. Four days after discontinuance of the drug, the animals were able to exercise without fatigue. 3. With the present trend towards increased digitalis dosage, it is possible that this syndrome may be encountered by other investigators.
Modelling the responses of wildlife to human disturbance: An evaluation of alternative management scenarios for black-crowned night-herons

The impact of anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife is increasing becoming a source of concern as the popularity of outdoor recreation rises. There is now more pressure on site managers to simultaneously ensure the continued persistence of wildlife and provide recreational opportunities. Using ‘Simulation of Disturbance Activities’, a model designed to investigate the impact of recreational disturbance on wildlife, we demonstrate how a simulation modelling approach can effectively inform such management decisions. As an example, we explored the implications of various design and management options for a proposed recreational area containing a historic breeding bird colony. By manipulating the proximity, orientation and intensity of recreation, we were able to evaluate the impact of recreational activities on the behaviour of black-crowned night-heron nestlings (Nycticorax nycticorax). Using a classification and regression tree (CART) procedure to analyse simulation output, we explored the dynamics of multiple strategies in concert. Our analysis revealed that there are inherent advantages in implementing multiple strategies as opposed to any single strategy. Nestlings were not disturbed by recreation when bird-watching facility placement (proximity and orientation) and type were considered in combination. In comparison, proximity alone only led to a <10% reduction in disturbance. Thus we demonstrate how simulation models based on customised empirical data can bridge the gap between field studies and active management, enabling users to test novel management scenarios that are otherwise logistically difficult. Furthermore, such models potentially have broad application in understanding human-wildlife interactions (e.g. exploring the implications of roads on wildlife, probability of bird strikes around airports, etc.). They therefore represent a valuable decision-making tool in the ecological design of urban infrastructures.
Optimal treatment strategies for community-acquired pneumonia: non-responders to conventional regimens.

When patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) fail to respond after initiation of empirical therapy, it is necessary for the physician to consider a number of possibilities. The diagnosis should be reviewed, with consideration given to both non-infectious and infectious illnesses. If the diagnosis is correct, the failure may relate to three areas: host-related problems, including overwhelming infection and empyema, pathogen-related problems, including infection caused by an unusual or resistant pathogen, and drug-related problems, including inappropriate dose of drug, poor compliance, malabsorption, and drug interactions. A systematic therapeutic approach including a microbiological evaluation to identify the causative pathogen and its susceptibility will help to ensure that an appropriate antimicrobial agent is used.
Adverse outcomes in a controlled trial of pergolide for cocaine dependence.

Abstract We conducted a double-blind, multiple dose comparison study of pergolide versus placebo for the treatment of cocaine dependence. In the present study, we examined patients who met criteria for cocaine dependence without comorbid alcohol dependence (N = 255). Study completion rates favored placebo (48.9%) over the low dose (33.3%) and high dose (21.5%) pergolide subjects (x2(2) = 14.17, p < 0.001). Treatment effectiveness scores (TES) were significantly higher for the placebo group (31.7) than the low dose (25.2) and high dose (14.2) pergolide groups (F2.252 = 6.21, p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in side effect profiles after first dose of pergolide or placebo, or at study termination. Results of this study suggest that pergolide was not efficacious in the treatment of cocaine dependence due to reduced study participation. Caution regarding the outpatient use of pergolide in similar populations is warranted.
Videofluoroscopic assessment of dysphagia in children with severe spastic cerebral palsy

Very little has been published about the characteristics and sequelae of dysphagia in children with neurological impairment. The swallowing difficulties encountered by children with spastic cerebral palsy are particularly debilitating and potentially lethal. However, aggressive evaluation and management of their feeding is typically deferred until they are medically or nutritionally compromised. Reports of the use of videofluoroscopy to analyze the swallowing patterns and presence or absence of aspiration in such children are rare. This paper describes the histories and analyzes the videofluorographic swallow studies of 22 patients with the primary diagnosis of severe spastic cerebral palsy. The ages of the subjects ranged from 7 months to 19 years. All had severe dysphagia and were slow, inefficient eaters. Fifteen patients (68.2%) demonstrated significant silent aspiration during their swallow study. Analysis of specific features of their swallowing patterns indicated that decreased or poorly coordinated pharyngeal motility was predictive of silent aspiration. Moderately to severely impaired oral-motor coordination was indicative of severity of feeding complications. Our data suggest that early diagnostic workup, including baseline and comparative videofluoroscopic swallow studies, could be helpful in managing the feeding difficulties in these children and preventing chronic aspiration, malnutrition, and unpleasant lengthy mealtimes.
Design Considerations for a 3-D Laser Doppler Velocimeter for Studying Gravity Waves in Shallow Water

A laser velocimeter system using three frequency-modulated light beams and one detector for measurement of the instantaneous velocity vector in reversing flow is considered. An analysis of the scattering and detection processes by means of the Mie and optical mixing theories is outlined. A system proposed for gravity wave studies uses an argon-ion laser and three Bragg cells as a source and a photomultiplier detector of the light backscattered from 0.2-μm-diameter spheres, introduced into the flow in a low concentration, and can measure local velocity vectors of magnitude between 0.1 m/sec and 3.0 m/sec, with turbulent fluctuations of 1% or greater intensity.
Mouse Lysozyme Production by a Monocytoma: Isolation and Comparison with Other Lysozymes

A transplantable mouse tumor, GPC-11, produces large amounts of lysozyme. The tumor is a reticulum cell sarcoma, type A, and is a neoplasm of monocytes. The lysozyme was purified from mouse urine in quantities sufficient for structural analysis. Comparison of mouse lysozyme with lysozymes from; chicken egg white and patients with monocytic leukemia reveals similarities in size and electrophoretic mobility and, with human lysozyme, in functional properties; but considerable differences are found in antigenic characteristics and amino acid composition.
Tensile ductility, slow crack growth, and fracture mode of ternary B2 iron aluminides at room temperature

Abstract B2 iron aluminides containing 45 at% Al and microalloying additions of 0.2 at% B and 0.1 at% Zr were alloyed with 5 at% of the 3 d transition elements Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu. The extruded and annealed alloys were essentially single phase except for isolated stringers which appeared to be borides. Their strength, tensile ductility in air and dry oxygen, and slow crack growth behavior in air were determined at room temperature. Consistent with water vapor-induced embrittlement, the tensile ductility depended on the environment, and the crack growth resistance on the crack velocity. The binary iron aluminide Fe-45 at% Al exhibited ductilities of 8 and 19% in air and dry oxygen, respectively. Ternary alloying increased in most cases the yield strength, and always reduced the ductility. Different alloying additions influenced the slow crack growth behavior in different ways. For example, the crack growth resistance of Fe-45Al-5Cr (at%) did not depend significantly on the crack velocity, whereas that of Fe-45Al-5Mn (at%) decreased strongly as the crack velocity decreased. Alloying additions which are to the left of iron in the periodic system, such as Ti, Cr, and Mn, were associated with intergranular fracture, whereas Co, Ni, and Cu additions, to the right of iron, were associated with substantial amounts of transgranular fracture. For a given alloy, the fraction of intergranular fracture increased with decreasing crack velocity. The experimental results are rationalized in terms of the environmental sensitivity of the grain boundaries, the increase in yield strength upon alloying, and the site occupation of the ternary alloying additions. This does, however, not preclude the influence of additional factors such as differences in the chemical composition and strength of the grain boundaries in the different alloys.
Macro determinants of volatility and volatility spillover in energy markets

Abstract We analyze the time-varying volatility and spillover effects in crude oil, heating oil, and natural gas futures markets by incorporating changes in important macroeconomic variables and major political and weather-related events into the conditional variance equations. We allow asymmetric responses to random disturbances in each market as well as to good and bad economic news related to the overall economy. Results show the presence of asymmetric effects in both random disturbances and macroeconomic variables. A bidirectional volatility spillover effect is found between natural gas and crude oil and between the natural gas and heating oil markets. Crude oil volatility is found to increase following major political, financial, and natural events. Seasonality and day-of-the-week effects are found in the crude oil and heating oil markets.
Syngas fermentation of Clostridium carboxidivoran P7 in a hollow fiber membrane biofilm reactor: Evaluating the mass transfer coefficient and ethanol production performance

Abstract Gasification followed by syngas fermentation is a unique hybrid process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals. Current syngas fermentation faces several challenges with low gas–liquid mass transfer being one of the major bottlenecks. The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of hollow fiber membrane biofilm reactor (HFM-BR) as a reactor configuration for syngas fermentation. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient (KLa) of the HFM-BR was determined at abiotic conditions within a wide range of gas velocity/flowrate passing through the hollow fiber lumen and liquid velocity/flowrate passing through the membrane module shell. The KLa values of the HFM-BR were higher than most reactor configurations such as stir tank reactors and bubble columns. A continuous syngas fermentation of Clostridium carboxidivorans P7 was implemented in the HFM-BR system at different operational conditions, including the syngas flow rate, liquid recirculation between the module and reservoir, and the dilution rate. It was found that the syngas fermentation performance such as syngas utilization efficiency, ethanol concentration and productivity, and ratio of ethanol to acetic acid depended not only on the mass transfer efficiency but also the characteristics of biofilm attached on the membrane module (biofouling or abrading of the biofilm). The HFM-BR results in a highest ethanol concentration of 23.93 g/L with an ethanol to acetic acid ratio of 4.79. Collectively, the research shows the HFM-BR is an efficient reactor system for syngas fermentation with high mass transfer.
Context Matters: The Experience of Physical, Informational, and Cultural Distance in a Rural IT Firm

We synthesize social informatics and regional studies literature to frame an examination of the role of information and communication technologies ICT uptake and use in the social experience of distance in a rural technology firm. Though distance is much talked about and regarded as a critical dimension in distributed work, the distinct ways that distance is experienced within a rural firm influence collaboration between the rural firm and its more urban customers and are little explored. This case-study town sheds light on how ICT use influences the experience of distance and collaboration in a remote location. In the first part of our results, we provide a descriptive account of the unique geographical, technical, and collaboration practice characteristics of the rural technology firm. In the second part of our results, we identify three experiences of distance: physical, cultural, and informational. We then synthesize our findings to reconstruct the role of distance and our understanding of the social experience of ICT uptake and use, in how workers experience distance. These findings have implications for regional studies scholars, and suggest that understanding how specific firms succeed will increase the effectiveness of public policy directed at regional development. They also provide for the further development of the social informatics approach, and contribute to a new perspective on distance to the literature on collaboration.
SiRNA strategy against overexpression of extracellular matrix in diabetic retinopathy

Increased synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) contributes to the development of vascular BM thickening, a prominent abnormality in diabetic retinopathy. RNA interference (RNAi) approach was used in this study to examine the effect of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) for their ability to inhibit ECM-specific gene overexpression under high glucose condition in rat microvascular endothelial cells (RMECs). Four fibronectin (FN)-siRNAs, three collagen IV (Coll IV)-siRNAs, and four laminin (LM)-siRNAs, a total of 11 siRNAs were screened. RMECs were transfected with 10, 30, or 100 nm of each siRNAs in the presence of 8 microm lipofectin and subjected to analysis 72 hr after transfection. In long-term studies siRNA-transfected cells were examined after 12 days. Two FN siRNAs, two Coll IV siRNAs, and two LM siRNAs significantly reduced the respective target expressions. Findings from this study indicate that high glucose-induced abnormal expression of BM components may contribute to increased vascular permeability. SiRNA may be a useful tool in preventing excess vascular permeability, a characteristic feature of early diabetic retinopathy.
Etiological contributions to heavy drinking from late adolescence to young adulthood.

The authors examined genetic and environmental contributions to stability and change in heavy drinking from late adolescence to young adulthood in a sample of 1,152 twin pairs. In men, heavy drinking was similarly heritable at ages 17 (h 2 = .57) and 20 (h 2 = .39), and its stability owed primarily to common genetic factors. In women, heavy drinking was less heritable than in men at ages 17 (h 2 = .18) and 20 (h 2 = .30) and its stability was primarily due to enduring shared environmental influences. P3 amplitude, an event-related brain potential marker of alcoholism risk, was less predictive of heavy drinking in women than in men, providing further support for the proposition that biological factors have less impact on heavy drinking in young adult women than in young adult men.
The determination of the addition variation and geometrical isomerism of a polybutadiene as a function of molecular weight by preparative gel permeation chromatography and infrared analysis

The addition variation, 1,2 and 1,4 units, and the geometrical isomerism, 1,4-cis and 1,4-trans units, of a fractionated polybutadiene were determined as a function of molecular weight using preparative gel permeation chromatography followed by infrared analysis of the fractions. Both the addition variation and geometrical isomerism remained essentially constant across the molecular weight distribution.
An approximate algorithm for elastic-plastic two-dimensional rolling/sliding contact

Abstract In this paper, we introduce an approximate algorithm for two-dimensional elastic-plastic rolling/sliding line contact which admits arbitrary forms of kinematic hardening models for nonproportional cyclic plasticity. The new hydrid scheme combines attractive features of the McDowell and Moyar [1,2] and Sehitoglu and Jiang [3,4] approaches, enabling prediction of subsurface cyclic plasticity and residual stresses for loading conditions ranging from small to large cyclic plastic-strain ranges. The approach is compared with finite element calculations of residual stresses and subsurface cyclic plasticity for both high and low strength alloys. A comparison is presented with the previous McDowell-Moyar algorithm in terms of the prediction of subsurface residual stresses within the half space over a wide range of loading conditions.
Metrologies for the phase characterization of attosecond extreme ultraviolet optics

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optics play a key role in attosecond science since only with higher photon energies is it possible to achieve the wide spectral bandwidth required for ultrashort pulses. Multilayer EUV mirrors have been proposed and are being developed to temporally shape (compress) attosecond pulses. To fully characterize a multilayer optic for pulse applications requires not only knowledge of the reflectivity, as a function of photon energy, but also the reflected phase of the mirror. We develop the metrologies to determine the reflected phase of an EUV multilayer mirror using the photoelectric effect. The proposed method allows one to determine the optic's impulse response and hence its pulse characteristics.
Screening for Osteoporosis

of the Clinical Problem Theprevalenceofosteoporosis inpersonsolder than50years in the United States is estimated to be 16% of women (about 8.6 million individuals) and 4% of men (about 1.6 million individuals).1 In the United States, more than 1.5 million fractures per year are related toosteoporosis, includinganestimated300 000hipand700 000 vertebral fractures.2 Many patients who develop fractures experience a decrease in functional status, with up to one-third of patients enteringnursing facilitieswithin 1 year after ahip fracture; the mortality rate after hip fracture may exceed 20% in the first year.3 Low bone density is the primary risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, and treatmentof patientswith lowbonedensity canprevent fractures.3
Stress analysis of the human temporomandibular joint

Stress analysis of the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ) consisting of mandibular disc, condyle and fossa-eminence complex during normal sagittal jaw closure was performed using non-linear finite element analysis (FEA). The geometry of the TMJ was obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tissue proportion was measured from a cadaver TMJ. Contact surfaces were defined to represent the interaction between the mandibular disc and the condyle, and between the mandibular disc and the fossa-eminence complex so that finite sliding was allowed between contact bodies. Stresses in the TMJ components (disc, condyle and fossa-eminence complex), and forces in capsular ligaments were obtained. The results demonstrated that, with the given condylar displacement, the stress in the condyle was dominantly compressive and in the fossa-eminence complex was dominantly tensile. The cancellous bone was shielded by the shell shaped cortical bone from the external loading. The results illustrate the stress distributions in the TMJ during a normal jaw closure.
Speaker-independent detection of child-directed speech

Identifying the distinct register that adults use when speaking to children is an important task for child development research. We present a fully automatic, speaker-independent system that detects child-directed speech. The two-stage system uses diarization-style voice activation techniques to extract speech segments followed by a supervised ν-SVM classifier trained on 1582 prosodic and log Mel energy features. The system significantly improves the state of the art, detecting child-directed speech with F1 of .66 (exact boundary) and .83 (within 1 second). A feature analysis confirms the importance of F0 features (especially 3rd quartile and range) as well as new features like the variance, kurtosis, and min of log Mel energy within a frequency band.
Role of behavioral and pharmacological variables in the loss of tolerance to amphetamine hypophagia

Tolerance to amphetamine-induced hypophagia is lost when drug injections are withdrawn for 4 weeks while milk tests are continued (Wolgin and Hughes 1996). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the loss of tolerance is a function of drug withdrawal per se. Rats made tolerant to amphetamine (2 mg/kg, IP) were assigned to one of three groups. During the next 4 weeks (phase), one group continued to receive amphetamine injections prior to daily milk tests (Before group), one group received drug injections after the milk tests (After group), and one group received injections of saline prior to the milk tests (Saline group). Dose-response tests revealed that the Before group retained tolerance, whereas the After and Saline groups lost tolerance. When retested with chronic injections of amphetamine prior to milk, the After and Saline groups reacquired tolerance more rapidly, and to a greater extent, than non-tolerant controls. These results demonstrate that the loss of tolerance is not due to drug withdrawal per se, but may be due to the unlearning of behavioral strategies previously acquired under the drug.
Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans soils treated with low Lead Mississippi River alluvium.

Before Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of New Orleans, 25 heavily Pb contaminated properties were treated with 15 cm of low Pb Mississippi River alluvium from the Bonnet Carre Spillway (BCS). Four phases of soil collection on the properties included pretreatment (phase 1) median surface soil Pb was 1051 mg/kg (range 5-19 627); after BCS cover (phase 2) the median soil Pb decreased to 6.3 mg/ kg (range 3-18); just before Katrina, a soil collection was partially completed (phase 3); and finally, a post-Katrina collection (phase 4) on all 25 properties. Twenty-three properties were flooded. The objective was to compare Pb changes of phases 2 and 3 pre-Katrina with the post-Katrina (phase 4) soil collection. The post-Katrina soil Pb (phase 4) (median of 16.3, range 5.5-1,155) increased significantly (P-value = 3.7 x 10(-10)) from the clean soil, phase 2 results. Matched soil samples collected in phase 3 before flooding and phase 4 after flooding showed that on initially vacant lots the amounts of Pb were not significantly different (P-value = 0.97); but, on properties with homes, the changes were significant (P-value = 0.03). After catastrophic flooding, the clean soil remained relatively undisturbed; the soil Pb changes were small with increases of median Pb of 12 and 6 mg/kg for vacant lots and properties with homes, respectively. Processes accounting for Pb increases include Pb-based paint abatement on one property, home construction on the vacant lots, and resuspension and deposition of Pb dust. As part of the post-Katrina recovery, the combined benefits of Pb-safe paint abatement or renovation and clean soil cover should outweigh the estimated annual cost of Pb poisoning of children returning to New Orleans.
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE STYLE, INTELLIGENCE, AND SEX ON READING ACHIEVEMENT

Summary.-The Hidden Figures Test, the Conceptual Style Test, the Nelson Reading Test and Reid's Mental Ability Test (intelligence) were administered to 206 boys and 212 girls in Grade G of five urban primary schools in Jamaica. Reading achievement had significant positive correlations with field independence, analytic conceptual style, intelligence and sex; girls had higher achievement. When intelligence was partialled out, che relation between reading achievement and cognitive style became nonsignificant. This supports the view of some researchers that cognitive style (particularly field independence) and intelligence are one and the same. The effects of field dependence, concepmal style preference, intelligence, and sex on reading achievement in a Caribbean culture were examined. Field dependence is a dimension of cognitive style which refers to the way one experiences the parts of sucrounding field (Witkin, et al., 1954). In a field-dependent (or global) mode of perceiving, the over-all organization of the field dominates perception; in a field-independent (or articulated) mode of perceiving, the parts of the field are experienced as separate from the surrounding field. Conceptual style preference is a dimension of cognitive style which refers to the type of conceptual relationships among objects typically formed by a child. Kagan, Moss, and Siege1 (1963) identified three cognitive styles based on subjects' grouping of common pictorial stimuli. The descriptive-analytic style is based on the similarity of a part of each stimulus (e.g., the ears). The inferential-categorical style is typified by some inferred quality or language convention, each stimulus being an independent example of the conceptual label (e.g., "women", "animals"). The relational-contextual style is typified by the association of a whole stimulus with another whole stimulus on the basis of functional relationships which may obtain between them (e.g., the woman wears the dress). Kagan's group concept of style can be used in a bicategorical system, analytic style versus nonanalytic. Several studies have shown a relation between field independence and reading achievement (Satterly, 1976) and between reading achievement and analytic conceptual style (Robinson & Gray, 1974). In Caribbean studies, Reid ( 1964) reported a definite relation between intelligence and scholastic achievement. Females usually do better than males on verbal tests (Guilford, 1967).
Fluorimetric determination of danthron in pharmaceutical tablets and in urine

Abstract A simple, rapid determination is reported for danthron (1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone) in pharmaceutical tablets. In a flow-injection system, danthron is reduced by sodium dithionite in 1 1 methanol/borate buffer to give a fluorescent complex. Linearity ranges from 30 μg ml−1 to below 0.1 μg ml−1. In urine samples, danthron is separated from other fluorescing species by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography before its reduction by dithionite in a post-column reactor. Urine preparation requires no extraction. Spiked urine samples were studied in the working range of 0.02–2.0 μg ml−1 danthron.
Dynamic storage of glutamate in rat brain synaptic vesicles

Abstract Storage of [3H]glutamate accumulated by highly purified synaptic vesicles from brain was characterized. [3H]Glutamate was lost with single exponential kinetics with a time constant of minutes after synaptic vesicles were diluted into medium that allowed uptake to continue but that contained unlabeled glutamate in place of [3H]glutamate. This [3H]glutamate efflux occurred at similar rates in media containing 50 and 500 μM glutamate, which suggests that it did not depend on the rate of glutamate transport and was independent of the external and internal glutamate concentrations. All efflux was blocked at 0°C. These results imply that glutamate stored in synaptic vesicles turns over with a half-time of minutes, even during active uptake under physiological conditions.
An Investigation of the Item Parameter Recovery Characteristics of a Gibbs Sampling Procedure

The item parameter recovery characteristics of a Gibb's sampling method (Albert, 1992) for IRT item parameter estimation were investigated using a simulation study. The item parameters were estimated, under a normal ogive item response function model, using Gibbs sampling and BILOG (Mislevy & Bock, 1989). The item parameter estimates were then equated to the metric of the underlying item parameters for tests with 10, 20, 30, and 50 items, and samples of 30, 60, 120, and 500 examinees. Summary statistics of the equating coefficients showed that Gibbs sampling and BILOG both produced trait scale metrics with units of measurement that were too small, but yielding a proper midpoint of the metric. When expressed in a common metric, the biases of the BILOG estimates of the item discriminations were uniformly smaller and less variable than those from Gibbs sampling. The biases of the item difficulty estimates yielded by the two estimation procedures were small and similar to each other. In addition, the item par...
Neutrino Propagation and Oscillations in a Strong Magnetic Field

We review the results on neutrino propagation in neutral and charged media under strong magnetic fields . It is shown that the neutrino energy density gets a magnetic contribution in both charged and neutral media, which is linear in the magnetic field, of first order in GF, and independent of the charge density. This new term enters as a correction to the neutrino kinetic energy and produces an anisotropic contribution to the neutrino index of refraction. As a consequence, in a neutral medium a highly anisotropic resonant level-crossing condition takes place for the oscillation between electron-neutrinos and the other neutrino species. Possible cosmological applications are presented.
Effects of soman on neuritic outgrowth and substrate utilization by explants of the rat superior cervical ganglion

The influence of the organophosphate, soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate), on neuritic growth and substrate utilization by mammalian autonomic neural tissue was studied using explants of the rat superior cervical ganglion as a model. Soman produced a dose-dependent decrease in neuritic outgrowth from explants of this tissue maintained in a serum-free medium. Acetylcholinesterase in the explant as well as in culture media also decreased. In contrast, the effects of soman on explant metabolism were modest. Total protein and DNA content of the tissue was not affected. Only marginal changes in substrate utilization were detected; glucose use was unaltered, lactate production increased 20% with the highest soman tested. Soman increased the content of phosphocreatine in ganglion explants. This increase occurred in the absence of changes in the oxidation-reduction state of NAD calculated from pyruvate/lactate ratios. The results indicated that soman inhibited neuritic outgrowth from explants of the rat superior cervical ganglion in the absence of major effects on substrate utilization by this tissue.
Bone-anchored sling for male stress urinary incontinence: assessment of complications.

Objectives To evaluate the complications associated with the male bone-anchored sling (BAS) to determine the appropriate preoperative counseling for men considering surgery. The BAS is a surgical option for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 119 men who had undergone 140 BAS procedures for SUI from May 2000 to May 2009 at our institution. All complications were recorded during the follow-up visits. Pad test and questionnaire results were recorded, as available. Results BAS was performed in 140 cases for 119 men with SUI. Mean patient age was 65.8 years (range 23-89). Main etiologies for SUI included previous treatment of prostate cancer (82.4%), neurologic dysfunction (12.6%), and previous transurethral resection of the prostate (3.6%). Recurrent SUI, de novo urge incontinence, and wound infection were the most frequent complications encountered (25.2%, 17.6%, and 16%, respectively). The 3 most common reasons for reoperation included bulking agent injection for recurrent SUI (5.9%), sling revision for bone screw dislodgement (5.9%), and sling revision for recurrent SUI (5.0%). Overall complication and reoperation rate for the index cases was 58.8% and 26.9%, respectively. Conclusions The incidence of complications after male BAS placement might be greater than previously reported. Patient counseling before surgery regarding the potential complications is important. Men treated for prostate cancer should be informed of the risk of recurrent SUI. In appropriately selected patients, we believe the BAS is a reasonable surgical option; however, the risk of postoperative complication is not equivocal.
Extracardiac Manifestations of Infective Endocarditis and Their Historical Descriptions

In his landmark "Gulstonian Lectures on Malignant Endocarditis," published in 1885, William Osler commented, "Few diseases present greater difficulties in the way of diagnosis than malignant endocarditis, difficulties which in many cases are practically insurmountable." At that time, the fields of microbiology and blood cultures were in their infancy, and the diagnosis was made premortem in just half the patients with the condition. After Osler's report, extracardiac physical findings became essential clues to earlier diagnosis. Today, infective endocarditis is most commonly suggested from the history and often clinched by an echocardiogram and blood cultures. Although prized physical manifestations are much less frequent now, they still do occur and may be an invaluable clue that leads to earlier, more effective treatment. The investigators review these extracardiac findings along with their historical descriptions: splinter hemorrhages, emboli, Osler's nodes, Janeway and Bowman lesions of the eye, Roth spots, petechiae, and clubbing.
A Procedure for Combining Menstrual Cycle Data

ABSTRACT A procedure is presented which overcomes most of the conceptual and statistical problems associated with the combining of data from heterogeneous menstrual cycles for graphical or statistical analyses. This procedure is based upon an initial normalization of the raw data to eliminate extraneous between-cycle variability, followed by the assignment of the data to a set of discrete cycle phases using a weighted-average technique. The efficacy of this procedureis compared to that of seven other published categorization methods by examining the proportion of variance accounted for and the P values from analyses of variance computed for 17β-estradiol and olfactory sensitivity measures. A major advantage of the proposed procedure is that it allows for the grouping of data from entire cycles (including menses) on the same figurewithout exhibiting points from heterogeneous sectors of individual cycles and without changing the sample size as distance from the midcycle LH surge increases. Thus, this proced...
An overview of radiation effects on electronics in the space telecommunications environment

Abstract Trapped protons and electrons in the Earth’s radiation belts and cosmic rays present significant challenges for electronics that must operate reliably in the natural space environment. Single event effects (SEE) can lead to sudden device or system failure, and total dose effects can reduce the lifetime of a space-based telecommunications system. One of the greatest sources of uncertainty in developing radiation requirements for a space system is accounting for the small but finite probability that the system will be exposed to a massive solar particle event. Once specifications are decided, standard laboratory tests are available to predict the total dose response of MOS and bipolar components in space, but SEE testing of components can be more challenging. Prospects are discussed for device modeling, and for the use of commercial electronics in space. In addition, technology trends are discussed for the radiation response of microelectronics in space.
Toward establishing an empirical basis for the diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder

ABSTRACT Objective (1) To determine the frequency of occurrence of oppositional defiant behaviors in the general population with a view to establishing empirical frequency cutoffs for the evaluation of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). (2) To examine the effects of changes in the definition of ODD between DSM-II/-R and DSM-IV. Method The Great Smoky Mountains Study is a general population study of 9-, 11-, and 13-year-olds. SUbjectsand their parents were interviewed with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment at baseline and again 1 year later. Results Ninetieth percentile frequency cutoffs for ODD symptoms are given. Although rates of ODD were little different between DSM-II/-R and DSM-/V, fewer than half of those who met criteria by one or the other definition met criteria according to both. DSM-/V defined a more disturbed group of children than did DSM-II/-R. Requiring only two or three ODD symptoms plus impairment identified children with substantial evidence of disturbance who did not otherwise meet criteria for any diagnosis. Conclusions The DSM-/V criteria represent an improvement over DSM-II/-R. However, a reduction in the number of ODD symptoms required for diagnosis is indicated. Symptom frequency criteria for ODD symptoms are suggested for clinical use.