cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overshadowing and the Outcome-Alone Exposure Effect Counteract Each Other

Three conditioned lever-press suppression experiments with rats investigated the interaction between overshadowing and outcome-alone exposure effects. Experiment 1 found in first-order conditioning that combined overshadowing and outcome-preexposure treatments attenuate the response deficit produced by either treatment alone. Experiments 2 and 3 investigated the interaction between overshadowing and outcome pre- and postexposure effects in sensory preconditioning, varying retention intervals to engage recency and primacy effects with respect to treatment order. Contrary to when a solitary cue is conditioned, responding to a cue conditioned in compound appeared positively correlated with the context's associative status. These findings suggested that some of the basic laws of learning applicable to cues conditioned alone do not similarly apply to a component of a compound cue.
Teleradiology: from the confines of place to the freedom of space

For most of the twentieth century teleimaging was a Buck Rogers notion. The idea that care could be directed by the inspection of pictures at a physical remove from a sick individual was regarded as science fiction even only a few years ago. Yet, developments in communication in the past decade have made it possible to manipulate pictures as easily as it has become to manipulate words. Now, as we know it, teleimaging is a reality so commonplace that it is no longer a strategic decision for most radiology practices and not even a tactical consideration for those acquainted with its virtues. Rather it has become an operational necessity for many practices. I say this even as the use of teleimaging is only barely beginning for our colleagues in medicine, pathology and psychiatry. All of these specialties lend themselves very well to the transmission of pictorial information, be it an EKG, a pathological slide or a patient interviewed through teleconferencing. Yet, we in radiology stand apart as leaders of the application of this technology [1].
Performance as criticism: Discoveries and documentation through enactment

Performance achieves many ends and cannot be equated reductively with only one function. However, if interpreters contend that performance may serve as a literary critical method, then performance‐derived insights need annotation. Using group performances of James Dickey's “The String” derived in an advanced college interpretation course, this study answers two central questions: (1) What is learned through the performance of a specific literary work? (2) What features of a concrete text require performance attention and, thus, yield critical knowledge?
A generalized framework for learning and recovery of structured sparse signals

We report on a framework for recovering single- or multi-timestep sparse signals that can learn and exploit a variety of probabilistic forms of structure. Message passing-based inference and empirical Bayesian parameter learning form the backbone of the recovery procedure. We further describe an object-oriented software paradigm for implementing our framework, which consists of assembling modular software components that collectively define a desired statistical signal model. Lastly, numerical results for synthetic and real-world structured sparse signal recovery are provided.
Statewide Survey of Vocational Educators: Attitudes, Training, and Involvement with Handicapped Learners

Current legislation (PL 94-142; PL 98-199; Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, 1984) identifies as a priority the inclusion of handicapped learners in vocational education. Some studies (Benson, 1981; President's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, 1983) indicate that only about 2% of the students enrolled in vocational education programs are considered mildly handicapped, although 10% of the school population has been classified as such. More recent figures indicate, however, that between 30 and 35 percent of secondary special education students are enrolled in vocational education programs, with 70 to 75 percent of this group in mainstreamed vocational education and that this enrollment increased by 135 percent between 1971 and 1982 (Conaway, 1985; Phelps, 1985). A number of barriers have been identified which contribute to the underutilization of vocational education in the transition process (D'Alonzo and Barrett, 1977; Minner and Beane, 1983; Okolo and Sitlington, 1986). One such barrier is that of the attitudes of vocational education teachers toward handicapped students. Three recent studies were located which directly surveyed vocational educators regarding their training and attitudes toward the handicapped (McDaniel, 1982; Moorman, 1980; Claxton, 1986). Moorman and Claxton both found that over 70% of their respondents had positive attitudes toward inclu-
Improved Moment Strength Prediction of Composite Steel Plate Girders in Positive Bending

This paper contains an alternate method for the calculation of the predicted positive bending moment capacity of composite steel girders. The 2000 interim version of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and Resistance Factor Design Bridge Design Specifications has extended the applicability of the provisions for the design of composite plate girders in positive bending to include 485 MPa high performance steel. Observations made during numerical studies performed in conjunction with this extension demonstrated a need for a more comprehensive study encompassing a larger and more diverse set of parameters. This paper provides a summary of the analytical and experimental work that was carried out to develop provisions for predicting the ultimate strength and assuring the ductility of composite girders constructed using 250, 345, or 485 MPa steels. The new provisions outlined in this paper are more accurate and require less calculation. The recommended equations...
Co-administration of gamma-vinyl GABA and cocaine: preclinical assessment of safety.

Abstract Gamma-vinyl GABA (GVG, Vigabatrin), an irreversible inhibitor of GABA transaminase (GABA-T) that inhibits cocaine-induced place preference and self administration has been proposed as a treatment for cocaine addiction. It was therefore important to assess if there was an enhanced toxicity from the combination of GVG with cocaine. No mortality was observed with administration of GVG (60 mg/kg IV) alone (n=8) or in combination (n=6) with cocaine (5 mg/kg IV). Cocaine-induced EKG alterations were not affected by GVG pretreatment. Plasma alanine amino transferase activity was reduced by GVG treatment and this was not further modified by cocaine administration. These results suggest that acute co-administration of GVG and cocaine does not result in immediate cardiovascular or hepatic toxicity of sufficient significance, to preclude further clinical trials.
Overview of current sutureless and transcatheter mitral valve replacement technology

Mitral valve (MV) regurgitation is the most prevalent form of heart valve disease. As it comes to surgical repair or replacement of the diseased valves, the procedure has been established as safe and effective; however, its invasiveness still carries considerable risk of significant morbidity and mortality. With aging comes increased MV dysfunction, and thus minimally invasive technology is rapidly evolving to meet the challenges of older patients' preoperative comorbidities and risks associated with surgery. In comparison, in high-risk patients with aortic stenosis, percutaneous transcatheter technologies offer a viable alternative to surgery; however, catheter-based procedures for MV disease are limited only to repair. MV surgeries have limitations and carry the potential for serious complications in high-risk elderly patients. A fast, reliable sutureless or catheter-based means of MV replacement is needed. Although transcatheter devices are still only in preclinical testing or developmental stages, the authors here review various sutureless MV and transcatheter-based concepts and devices for MV replacement.
Occupational Therapy Interventions to Improve the Reading Ability of Older Adults With Low Vision: A Systematic Review

This systematic review of the literature examined available evidence regarding the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for improving the reading performance of older adults with low vision. We reviewed 32 studies and found strong evidence supporting low vision programs that included occupational therapy and moderately strong evidence supporting the use of electronic magnification. Moderate evidence supported the influence of illumination on reading ability. Limited evidence was found to support eccentric viewing training and optical magnification. More evidence of higher quality is needed to validate the effectiveness of optical magnifiers, text eccentric viewing, characteristic preferences, and line guides within optical magnification. Additionally, further research is needed to develop a standard low vision rehabilitation program. The results of this review support the need for occupational therapy to be included in low vision rehabilitation. The implications of the findings for occupational therapy practice, research, and education are discussed.
Internet Alley: high technology in Tysons Corner, 1945–2005

Internet Alley: high technology in Tysons Corner, 1945–2005, by Paul Ceruzzi, Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 2008, 192 pp., illus., £22.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-262-03374-9 Until World War Two, Washin...
The Details of Combustion of Ammonium Perchlorate Propellants: Leading Edge Flame Detachment

The transition from particle flamelet burning to premixed flame burning of ammonium perchlorate (AP)/hydrocarbon (HC) binder propellants is identified with detachment of the oxidizer/fuel (O/F) flamelet from the stoichiometric tip of the diffusion field over the AP particle. The conditions (pressure, particle area, local stoichiometry) for detachment are revealed by singular regions of the burning rate versus pressure curves for selected bimodal propellants.
What do practicing gastroenterologists know about osteoporosis? a population-based survey

Purpose: Osteoporosis is a common complication of several gastrointestinal conditions. The aim was to evaluate the level of knowledge of osteoporosis among gastroenterologists.
Diverse initiation in a conserved left-right pathway?

Preceding stereotypical left-right asymmetric morphogenesis, asymmetric gene expression patterns of nodal and pitx2 are very similar in major groups of vertebrates. I propose that these conserved expression patterns are indicative of ‘left-right phylotypic stages’ of development. It is not known whether these patterns are initiated by conserved or divergent developmental mechanisms.
Kinetics of the hydrogen abstraction *CH3 + alkane --> CH4 + alkyl reaction class: an application of the reaction class transition state theory.

This paper presents an application of the reaction class transition state theory (RC-TST) to predict thermal rate constants for hydrogen abstraction reactions of the type OH + alkane --> HOH + alkyl. We have derived all parameters for the RC-TST method for this reaction class from rate constants of 19 representative reactions, coupling with linear energy relationships (LERs), so that rate constants for any reaction in this class can be predicted from its reaction energy calculated at either the AM1 semiempirical or BH&HLYP/cc-pVDZ level of theory. The RC-TST/LER thermal rate constants for selected reactions are in good agreement with those available in the literature. Detailed analyses of the results show that the RC-TST/LER method is an efficient method for accurately estimating rate constants for a large number of reactions in this class. Analysis of the LERs leads to the discovery of the beta-carbon radical stabilization effect that stabilizes the transition state of any reaction in this class that yields products having one or more beta-carbons, and thus leads to the lower barrier for such a reaction.
Synthesis of tobacco mosaic virus in intact tobacco leaves systemically inoculated by differential temperature treatment

Abstract A previously reported procedure which manipulated the systemic virus infection of intact plants using differential temperatures was developed into a model system that may provide synchronous virus replication in whole leaves. Cells of young leaves maintained at 5° (DTI-5° leaves) or 12° (DTI-12° leaves) became infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) from mechanically inoculated lower leaves that were maintained at an optimum temperature for virus multiplication (DTI, differential-temperature inoculated.) The DTI leaves were then moved to a permissive temperature that allowed replication to begin in all infected cells simultaneously. The different, nonpermissive low temperatures inhibited early steps of TMV replication differently. The lag periods between the shift to the permissive temperature and the logarithmic and linear infectivity increases were shorter in DTI-12° leaves than DTI-5° leaves. In DTI-5° leaves, TMV infectivity began increasing logarithmically at 8 hr after the transfer to 25°, and a rapid linear increase began at 24 hr. In DTI-12° leaves, the logarithmic increase of TMV infectivity began between 0 and 6 hr, and the linear increase began 14 hr after transfer to 25°. No infectivity could be detected in DTI-5° leaves at the time of the shift from the low temperature, and only minute amounts could be detected in DTI-12° leaves. Infectivity increased at the same rate in DTI leaves detached before the transfer from the low temperature as in DTI leaves left on the intact plant. TMV synthesis in the DTI leaves was similar to that in other synchronous systems of virus replication and almost identical to those reported for TMV in synchronously infected tobacco protoplasts.
Implications of equilibrium on principal macrostresses measured by neutron diffraction

Abstract The application of the elastic equilibrium condition σ ij,j =0 to stress measurements by neutron diffraction is discussed. In particular, implications of the variation of σ ii with x i are considered. This has relevance to evaluation of sub-surface triaxial stress measurements, especially assumptions about principal stress directions. The relations are also given for cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems. Examples of the use of the condition are presented in the context of neutron stress measurements.
Effect of an Apoptotic Membrane raft on the Conformational and Dynamical Changes of Calreticulin

Calreticulin (CRT) on the cell surface can mediate engulfment of apoptotic cells by interacting directly with LDL receptor-related protein (LRP1) (Cell. 123:321-34, 2005). Phosphatidyl serine (PS) lipids in the inner leaflet of the cell membrane are externalized and become exposed in cholesterol-rich domains during apoptosis and co-localized with cell surface surface CRT (Cell. 123:321-34, 2005). How the apoptotic cell membrane affects the structure and dynamics of CRT, further influencing CRT binding to LRP1 to signal apoptotic-cell clearance remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the interactions of a membrane raft in an apoptotic cell membrane with CRT and its effect on conformational and dynamical changes in CRT via atomically detailed molecular dynamics simulations. An apoptotic membrane raft membrane is modeled as a bilayer containing 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3phosphocholine (POPC) lipids, cholesterol (CHOL) and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylserine (POPS) lipids (the ratio of the number of POPC lipid, POPS lipid and CHOL is: 5:1:4). The results are compared with the membrane raft without POPS lipids. POPS lipids in the membrane raft affected the microscopic and mesoscopic properties of the membrane raft. Apoptotic membrane raft resulted in the more direct interaction of the N-, partial C, and P-domains of CRT with membrane raft and more stabilized CRT conformation compared to that of CRT in a POPC-CHOL membrane raft, which could affect CRT recruitment of LRP1. Results from this study provided molecular insight into the effect of apoptotic membrane raft on CRT conformational and dynamical changes, further affecting CRT binding to LRP1 for signaling.Keywords: membrane raft, POPS lipids, TSP1-CRT complex, apoptotic cell clearance, molecular dynamics simulations
Potato planter performance and effects of non-uniform spacing

A survey of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plant stands in upstate New York over a three-year period showed that the average distance between plants was 4 cm wider than intended. Plant stands averaged 83%. The failure to plant seed pieces was the major reason for missing hills. Seed rot was not generally a problem, although one field in the survey was severely affected. Speed of planting up to 6.7 km/h had no consistent effect on average spacing or uniformity of seed piece distribution. Seed type (whole or cut) and mechanical condition of planter influenced spacing. Experiments conducted over four years indicated that the non-uniform seed piece distribution delivered by commercial picker-arm planters does not adversely affect crop yield or tuber size. Non-uniform seed distribution with extremely high coefficients of variation (greater than 100%), however, affected yield, tuber size and tuber number. Tuber numbers and yields were decreased by reducing the number of seed pieces planted per unit area whether or not the pieces were uniformly spaced.
Palaeoanthropology: Sharpening the mind.

The discovery of stone tools dating to 71,000 years ago at a site in South Africa suggests that the humans making them had developed the capacity for complex thought, and passed this knowledge down the generations. See Letter p.590 The modern human lineage appeared in Africa between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago, but the roots of modern human technology are much less clearly defined. Curtis Marean and colleagues describe a previously unrecognized advanced stone tool technology from Pinnacle Point in South Africa, dating back to around 71,000 years ago. Previously observed signs of such activity have been less definitive, seeming to appear and disappear — perhaps because of poor sampling — but the current work indicates that these tools persisted for some 11,000 years. The technology is dominated by heat-treated stone 'bladelets' that are thought to have been components of composite tools. The technology provides strong evidence for advanced projectile weapons such as spearthrowers, or even bows and arrows. The authors speculate that weapons made using such bladelets may have been pivotal to the success of modern humans as they left Africa and encountered Neanderthals.
Tear of an anomalous lumbrical muscle as a source of pain in the hand

Symptoms from adhesions between lumbrical and interosseous muscles at the metacarpophalangeal joint have been described. We report a case in which symptoms were secondary to a tear in an anomalous lumbrical muscle of the ring finger.
Retinoic acid suppresses interleukin-6 production in human endometrial cells

Abstract Objective: To determine whether retinoic acid (RA) can regulate the expression of interleukin (IL)-6 in human endometrial cells in a manner that might be beneficial to women with endometriosis. Design: In vitro study. Setting: Academic medical center. Patient(s): Patients with endometriosis and controls. Intervention(s): Endometrial cell cultures were treated with RA. Main Outcome Measure(s): Interleukin-6 protein secretion, messenger RNA expression, and IL-6-promoter activity. Result(s): Using a human endometrial cell line (EM42), as well as primary stromal and epithelial endometrial cells, we demonstrated that RA suppresses IL-6 protein and messenger RNA expression in a time- and dose-dependent fashion, showing maximal effects at pharmacologically achievable blood serum concentrations (micromoles per liter). Retinoic acid specifically inhibited the activity of IL-6–promoter reporter constructs that were transiently transfected into EM42 cells. Mutational analysis of reporter constructs indicated that RA suppression of IL-6 expression was mediated, at least in part, through the nuclear factor IL-6 binding site located in the IL-6 promoter. Conclusion: Retinoids may play a fundamental role in altering the pathophysiology of endometriosis related to aberrant production of IL-6.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura plasma enhances platelet–leucocyte interaction in vitro

In thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), intravascular platelet aggregation and formation of platelet-rich thrombi impair the microcirculation. TTP plasma has been shown to induce aggregation of normal platelets in vitro. The present study investigates the formation of activated platelet aggregates (aPAg) induced by TTP plasma, with particular attention to their binding to leucocytes (LPAg). Results were compared with the effects of plasmas from normal controls (CTL) and from patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) or thrombosis (THR). Following addition of test plasma to normal whole blood (WB), aPAg and LPAg were assayed by flow cytometry using mAbs against CD41 (platelet marker), CD62p (platelet activation marker) and CD45 (pan-leucocyte marker), Compared to control plasma, TTP plasma was more potent than ITP or THR plasma in increasing aPAg: only TTP plasma significantly promoted leucocyte binding to give increased LPAg. Prior removal of neutrophils (PMN) from WB by beads coated with anti-CD15 mAb largely prevented formation of aPAg and LPAg. However, TTP plasma added to normal platelet-rich plasma significantly increased aPAg, which suggested possible hindrance of aPAg formation by erythrocytes and other leucocytes in PMN-depleted blood. We concluded that TTP plasma was most potent in the induction of aPAg and unique in promoting LPAg formation in WB. Neutrophils, and not other leucocytes, appear to be essential for LPAg formation. Enhanced PMN-platelet interaction in the microcirculation may facilitate platelet adhesion to vessel walls and promote the formation of platelet-rich microthrombi in TTP.
Hydrodynamic and N-body schemes on an unstructured, adaptive mesh with applications to cosmological simulations

The theory and application of numerical methods for unstructured meshes have been improved significantly in recent years. Because the grids can be place arbitrarily in space, unstructured meshes can provide much higher spatial resolution than regular meshes. The built-in nature of mesh adaptivity for unstructured meshes gives one way to simulate highly dynamic, hierarchical problems involving both collisionless dark matter and collisional gas dynamics. In this paper, we describe algorithms to construct unstructured meshes from a set of points with periodic boundary conditions through Delaunay triangulation, and algorithms to solve hydrodynamic and N-body problems on an unstructured mesh . A combination of a local transformation algorithm and the traditional Bowyer-Watson algorithm gives an efficient approach to perform Delaunay triangulation. A novel algorithm to solve N-body equations of motion on an unstructured mesh is described. Poisson's equation is solved using the conjugate gradient method. A gas-kinetic scheme based on the BGK model to solve Euler equations is used to evolve the hydrodynamic equations. We apply these algorithms to solve cosmological settings, which involve both dark and baryonic matter. Various cooling and heating processes for primordial baryonic matter are included in the code. The numerical results show that the N-body and hydrodynamic algorithms based on unstructured meshes with mesh refinement are well-suited for hierarchical structure formation problems.
Enhancing Preparedness and Satisfaction of Caregivers of Patients Discharged from an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Using an Interactive Website

Purpose Research indicates a need for improved caregiver preparation to provide care following a patient's discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. The aim of this project was to test the use of web-based resources to enhance the preparedness and satisfaction of such caregivers. Methods A website was provided to caregivers with resources and e-mail access to a rehabilitation nurse practitioner. Care recipients had the following diagnoses: stroke, amputation, trauma/orthopedic, brain injury or debility. Preparedness for caregiving was assessed before utilization of the website and after discharge. Satisfaction of the resources was assessed after discharge. Measures included the Preparedness for Caregiver Scale and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Seventy caregivers completed the predischarge preparedness tool. Thirty returned both tools postdischarge. Findings Analysis of pre–post test data indicated increased preparedness to provide care after resource use, no increase meeting the caregiver's personal needs, and satisfaction with the resources provided. The caregivers of brain-injured patients reported less preparation as caregivers than those who cared for patients with other diagnoses. Although high interest was reported in using e-mail with the nurse practitioner, the resource was not utilized. Clinical Relevance This preliminary study supports the clinical relevance of Internet resources to improve caregiver preparation. With shortened hospital stays, providing applicable and evidence-based websites and other online services for caregivers can complement other healthcare services. More research focused on preparing caregivers and supporting personal caregiver needs is needed to evaluate the impact on overall rehabilitation outcomes.
Numerical Simulations of Electromigration and Stress Migration Driven Void Propagation in Pb Free Solder Interconnects

Increasing miniaturization has led a significant increase in the current densities seen in flip-chip solder joints. This has made the study of failure in solder joints by void propagation due to electromigration and stress migration more important. In this study, we develop a phase field model for the motion of voids through a flip chip solder interconnect. We derive equations of motion for the void accounting for energetic contributions from the active factors of surface energy, stress and electric potential, taking into account both surface diffusion and transfer of the material through the bulk of the material. We describe the implementation of this model using finite elements, coupled with a commercial finite element solver to solve for the fields driving the void motion.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Could universal health care coverage restrict access? The mixed effects of universal coverage on minorities' receipt of obstetric care in northern Thailand

Abstract Background Unequal access to safe obstetric services is still a problem worldwide. I examine maternal characteristics associated with place of childbirth and the effect of Thailand's 2001 Universal Health Care Coverage (UHCC) Plan on women's access to and use of hospital-based obstetric services. Methods I analysed household data from a sample of 13 534 women included in the UNESCO Highland Peoples Survey 2010, a survey of Thai-Burma border villages. I contextualised and triangulated statistical findings with relation to interviews I conducted with highland women and Thai health officials in 2009. With hierarchical logistic regression, I compared women's use of obstetric-based services by their ethnic group, education, language, and citizenship, overall, and before and after the UHCC plan was introduced. Findings Women's odds of having given birth in a hospital were significantly lower (p Interpretation Despite its commitment to expanding universal health care, Thailand has not eliminated all barriers to providing equal access to obstetric care services. These findings show the mixed effects of national universal health-care coverage plans. Funding The British Embassy-Bangkok, the Canadian International Development Agency, pre-doctoral National Research Service Award Training Grant (T32 HS00023, PI: Smith), and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Training Grant (T32 5T32AG000129-25, PD: Palloni).
The Corrosive Environment in the Fluidized-Bed Heat-Exchanger for CCGT Service

Corrosion and combustion diagnostic data were gathered in Battelle’s 0.6m diameter coal-fired atmospheric fluidized-bed combustor (AFBC). Corrosion probes, constructed from ring specimens of candidate heat-exchanger alloys, were exposed to the fluidized-bed environment during three different combustion experiments (50%, 20% and 0% excess air). An in-situ oxygen probe was used to monitor the oxygen partial pressure at the exposure locations.Two different mechanisms of material degradation were identified, i.e., both corrosion and erosion. An adherent deposit of bed material formed on all areas of the corrosion probes. The corrosion behavior of the alloys beneath the deposit, and the corresponding corrosion product morphologies, appeared to correlate well with predictions based on the oxygen partial pressure measurements from the exposure location. The results suggest the oxygen probe may be a useful diagnostic tool for locating regions with high corrosive potentials. However, the upstream faces of the corrosion probes were subjected to enhanced mechanical damage, and this periodic removal of both the deposit and corrosion products resulted in significantly more metal degradation. Also, this corrosion/erosion process may locally deplete the alloy in chromium, leaving it susceptible to severe sulfidation and/or accelerated oxidation. It was suggested that these locations would be the first to experience heat-exchanger tube failure, and the coupled corrosion/erosion process would be the failure mechanism.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
Female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, do not alter their over-marking in response to female conspecifics that were food deprived.

Many terrestrial mammals will deposit scent marks and over-marks, the latter being the overlapping scent marks of two conspecifics. Studies have shown that male rodents that are exposed to the overlapping scent marks of two female conspecifics later spend more time investigating the mark of the top-scent female than that of the bottom-scent female. This suggests that over-marking is a form of competition and that the top-scent female is more likely than the bottom-scent female to be chosen as a potential mate. Thus, females should over-mark the scents of neighboring females at a rate that will maximize their chances of attracting males. However, meadow voles live in areas that may contain patchy food availability and residents may differ in their nutritional status. Females in a better nutritional state may be more likely than those in poorer nutritional states to indicate their presence in an area, signal possession of a territory, and to attract mates. Thus, we tested the prediction that female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, that were not food deprived would deposit more over-marks than female voles that were food deprived for 6 h. Food-deprived female voles and female voles that had continuous access to food deposited a similar number of scent marks and used a similar proportion of those marks as over-marks when they encountered the scent marks of female conspecifics. These findings suggest that the nutritional status of female voles does not affect their ability to signal their presence in an area marked by a female conspecific.
Experimental and Computational Investigation of Triple-rotating Blades in a Mower Deck

Experimental and computational studies were performed on the 1.27m wide three-spindle lawn mower deck with side discharge arrangement. Laser Doppler Velocimetry was used to measure the air velocity at 12 different sections under the mower deck. The high-speed video camera test provided valuable visual evidence of airflow and grass discharge patterns. The strain gages were attached at several predetermined locations of the mower blades to measure the strain. In computational fluid dynamics work, computer based analytical studies were performed. During this phase of work, two different trials were attempted. First, two-dimensional blade shapes at several arbitrary radial sections were selected for flow computations around the blade model. Finally, a three-dimensional full deck model was developed and compared with the experimental results.
Local Context and Democratization in Mexico

While democratization is often seen as a national-level process, we argue that there is important scope for local effects. Through analysis of Mexican public opinion data collected on the eve of that country's historic 2000 elections, we demonstrate that local context greatly affects evaluations of the legitimacy of the system, and these evaluations, in turn, help to shape the willingness of citizens to engage with the system. Citizens are more willing to participate in politics if they think the process is fair, and direct evidence of the fairness of the system is provided by the local political context. This local connection, then, becomes critical in the process of individuals becoming, in Almond and Verba's classic term, “participatory” citizens (1963).
A graphical method for solving the Euler-savary equation

Abstract This paper presents a graphical method for solving the Euler-Savary equation (ESE) in all four of its forms. It is much simpler than Bobillier's construction for the solutions of the Euler-Savary equation in the fourth case.
Disintegrated Persons and Distributive Principles

In this paper I consider Derek Parfit's attempt to respond to Rawls' charge that utilitarianism ignores the distinction between persons. I proceed by arguing that there is a moderate form of reductionism about persons, one stressing the importance of what Parfit calls psychological connectedness, which can hold in different degrees both within one person and between distinct persons. In terms of this form of reductionism, against which Parfit's arguments are ineffective, it is possible to resuscitate the Rawlsian charge that the utilitarian maximizing approach to matters of distribution ignores something that is of moral relevance, viz., the difference between the degrees of connectedness that hold between different stages of the same person, and between that person and his nearest and dearest, and the lack of connectedness between that person and distant others who may be benefitted at his cost. To Parfit's charge that reductionism sees the differences between persons as being ‘less deep’, I reply that the sense in which they are less deep is not at odds with their retaining their original moral importance, perhaps now better understood.
Elevated ambulatory blood pressure in 20 subjects with Williams syndrome.

Previous studies report conflicting frequencies of hypertension in cohorts of patients with Williams syndrome (WS). We studied blood pressure (BP) in WS using 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. This technique reliably measures day- and nighttime BP in a subject’s natural environment and provides better prognostic information on long-term risks of hypertension than casual BP determinations. Twenty WS subjects evaluated through a multidisciplinary WS clinic and 35 age and gender-matched controls were studied. We found that WS subjects had significantly higher ambulatory BP than controls. After controlling for age, sex, and weight, the diagnosis of WS added approximately 10 mmHg to mean daytime and nighttime BPs. Hypertension, as defined by elevated mean daytime BP, was present in 40% of WS subjects versus 14% of controls (P < 0.05); among the children studied this difference was even more dramatic with 46% of WS children versus 6% of control children classified as hypertensive (P = 0.01). We also demonstrated normal diurnal BP variation but no evidence of a “white coat” effect or increased BP variability. Interestingly, parental reporting of a history of infantile hypercalcemia was strongly associated with the presence of hypertension (P = 0.008). Our data demonstrate that both children and adults with WS have higher mean BP and higher frequency of hypertension than healthy controls. Thus, elevated BP readings in the office setting should not be dismissed but require more thorough assessment. Am. J. Med. Genet. 83:356‐360, 1999.
Operation of a primary frequency standard in the real world

Optical frequency standards offer the potential for a substantial improvement in the uncertainty of primary frequency standards if the SI second is redefined in terms of an optical transition. However, a primary frequency standard operates as part of a system, and the whole system has to be considered when calculating the uncertainty of the standard as seen by the user. The contributions to the total uncertainty from the various components of the system are examined.
Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of Geographic Atrophy Margins

Objective To test in vivo whether spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) provides adequate resolution for reproducible measurement of photoreceptor (PR) layer at the margins of geographic atrophy (GA), and if it delineates the relationship between PR layer and retinal pigment epithelium at the margins of GA. Design Prospective consecutive case series. Participants Patients with GA secondary to nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) identified during routine follow-up at Duke Eye Center between January 3, 2006, and June 3, 2007, and who consented to participate in this study. Methods We used SD-OCT to image eyes. Multiple B-scans from each eye were saved and independently graded by 2 graders and the following locations were marked: (1) site where PR thickness began to decline below its baseline, (2) site where PR layer disappeared, and (3) site of the GA margin. These data were processed to calculate the locations of PR losses relative to GA margins and were categorized as (A) bridging across GA margins, (B) entirely within GA margins, or (C) entirely outside GA margins. Main Outcome Measures Location of PR loss (bridging across GA margins, entirely within GA margins, or entirely outside GA margins) was calculated. Distances from the GA margin were measured for beginning and ending of PR loss. Interobserver agreement was determined for categories of PR loss as well as locations of PR loss relative to the GA margin. Results We analyzed 500 unique scans. The PR loss occurred most frequently bridging across the GA margin (65% scans), second most frequently entirely inside the GA margin (29% scans), and least frequently entirely outside the GA margin (6% scans). Loss of PR started an average of 61 μm (standard deviation [SD] ± 235) outside the GA margin, ended an average of 311±273 μm inside the GA margin, and spanned an average of 372±179 μm. Conclusions Relative to GA margins in nonneovascular AMD with GA, SD-OCT provides adequate resolution for quantifying PR loss. It may also serve as a means of tracking disease progression in future interventional trials. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Isoniazid

The pharmacokinetics of isoniazid in man are described. Pronounced interindividual variation in circulating isoniazid concentration and clearance which occur after dosing with the drug are associated with hereditary differences in the acetylator status. The variations in rate of isoniazid inactivation and elimination in different (rapid and slow) acetylator phenotypes are primarily due to differences in the rate of acetylation of isoniazid by a genetically controlled polymorphic N-acetyltransferase in liver and small intestine. An appreciable 'first-pass' effect is observed following oral isoniazid administration, particularly in the rapid acetylator phenotype. Liver disease can cause a significant prolongation in the clearance of isoniazid; in the acutely ill patient, the prolongation correlates most closely with serum bilirubin elevation, although the degree of prolongation is less important than the intrinsic genetic difference between acetylator phenotypes. The effect of renal impairment on isoniazid excretion is relatively unimportant, even in slow acetylators. Methods for monitoring blood and urine concentrations of isoniazid and for acetylator phenotype determination which are convenient for the patient and clinician are available. Implications of phenotype differences in acetylator status for the optimal management of tuberculosis with isoniazid are considered. Attempts to devise new isoniazid formulations for this purpose are being evaluated.
Pain mediates the association between physical activity and the impact of fibromyalgia on daily function

This study quantified the association between recreational physical activity and daily function in women with fibromyalgia, and determined if this association is mediated by symptoms of pain, depression, or body mass. Twenty-three women diagnosed with fibromyalgia participated in an observational survey study. Recreational physical activity and the impact of fibromyalgia on daily function were assessed using the sport and leisure time physical activity subscales of the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), respectively. Potential mediators of the association between physical activity and daily function were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale for pain intensity (VAS-Pain), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and body mass index (BMI). BPAQ was inversely associated with FIQ (R 2 = 0.20) and VAS-Pain (R 2 = 0.39). VAS-Pain was positively associated with FIQ (R 2 = 0.23). The inverse association between BPAQ and FIQ was no longer significant after controlling for VAS-Pain. BDI was positively associated with FIQ (R 2 = 0.37), whereas BMI was not. BPAQ was not significantly associated with either BDI or BMI. These results indicate that the intensity of musculoskeletal pain, rather than depressive symptoms or body mass, mediates the association between physical activity and daily function among women with fibromyalgia.
Suppression of ovulation by a new subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (104 mg/0.65 mL) contraceptive formulation in Asian women.

Abstract Background: A new progestin-only, nondaily depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) SC injectablecontraceptive suspension (104 mg/0.65 mL) has been developed. Clinical trials (including dose-ranging, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic, and contraceptive efficacy studies) indicating the effectiveness of this new formulation were conducted primarily in white women. However, results of an early study by the World Health Organization suggested that in Thai women, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) may be metabolized in Objectives: This study was designed to determine the duration of ovulation suppression and investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of MPA after a single SC injection of DMPA 104 mg/0.65 mL in Asian women. It also assessed the effect of ethnicity and injection site on the duration of ovulation suppression. Methods: This was a single-center, single-dose, open-label outpatient trial conducted in Singapore in Asianwomen aged 18 to 40 years. After 1 control cycle, women with confirmed ovulation were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive an SC injection of DMPA 104 mg/0.65 mL in either the anterior thigh or the abdomen. Serum concentrations of MPA, progesterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone were measured during the 91-day dosing interval and for an additional 15 days thereafter. Results: Twenty-four Asian women (mean [SD] age, 33.8 [43] years; range, 22.7–40.1 years; mean [SD] body mass index, 22.4 [3.0] kg/m 2 ) belonging to 5 ethnic groups (Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Malaysian, and Thai) were included in the study Ovulation suppression was maintained throughout the 91-day dosing interval, regardless of ethnicity or injection site. Ovulation was suppressed for at least 112 days after injection in 23 (95.8%) women, as evidenced by maintenance of serum progesterone concentrations Conclusions: In this study, SC DMPA 104 mg/0.65 mL provided effective suppression of ovulation for atleast 91 days in Asian women. Ethnicity and injection site had no effect on MPA profiles.
Virtual anatomy: an anatomist's playground

Virtual anatomy presents significant advantages over the reality of a cadaver as it can provide different views and perspectives, portability, longevity, standardization, diversity and most importantly the opportunity to learn the anatomy of the living human body instead of the corpse. Virtual anatomy is the life-like appearance of visible anatomy, a good example of which is the evolution of the Visible Human. Racial and statistical diversity is already developing as the population of photographic "Visible Humans" is now at least 10. Virtual anatomy should include additional diversity and therefore, consideration should be given to the preparation of more visible anatomy that will better support the virtual integration of all areas of physiology, kinematics, pathology and pathophysiology, development and evolution. Integration of anatomists with mathematicians, computer scientists, information scientists, physiologists, pathologists and clinicians (and LIST other basic scientist) is needed in order to facilitate this development. As this unfolds it is proposed, or challenged, that anatomists should maintain their position of responsibility for building anatomy as the foundation for all medical and healthcare education. In order to maintain that position they must understand and participate in this development and enjoy the rewards of teaching more visually empowering, functional, and clinical anatomy. The trip is a long one and is only about to begin but the train is leaving. Are you on board?
POLARIZED NEUTRON SPECTROMETER DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENTS AT BROOKHAVEN

Recent work at Brookhaven has focussed on the development of polarized neutron spectrometers and reflects the resurgence of interest in polarization analysis. Both Heusler crystals and FeGe multilayers used in conjunction with pyrolytic graphite crystals have been tested as polarizing monochromators on a triple-axis instrument. The goal is to first obtain polarized beams of adequate intensity and then to evaluate various instrumental innovations which affect control of spectrometer resolution by utilizing the properties of polarized beams. Progress in these regards is reported. A recent study of the magnetic excitations in amorphous ferromagnets employing the instrumentation for polarization analysis developed thus far is also discussed.
Shedding light on the structure of internet video quality problems in the wild

The key role that video quality plays in impacting user engagement, and consequently providers' revenues, has motivated recent efforts in improving the quality of Internet video. This includes work on adaptive bitrate selection, multi-CDN optimization, and global control plane architectures. Before we embark on deploying these designs, we need to first understand the nature of video of quality problems to see if this complexity is necessary, and if simpler approaches can yield comparable benefits. To this end, this paper is a first attempt to shed some light on the structure of video quality problems. Using measurements from 300 million video sessions over a two-week period, we identify recurrent problems using a hierarchical clustering approach over the space of client/session attributes (e.g., CDN, AS, connectivity). Our key findings are that: (1) a small number (2%) of critical clusters account for 83% of join failure problems (44--84% for other metrics); (2) many problem events (50%) persist for at least 2 hours; (3) a majority of these problems (e.g., 60% of join failures, 30--60% for other metrics) are related to content provider, CDN, or client ISP issues. Building on these insights, we evaluate the potential improvement by focusing on addressing these recurrent problems and find that fixing just 1% of these clusters can reduce the number of problematic sessions by 55% for join failures (15%--40% for other metrics).