cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radium and roentgen therapy in the treatment of menopausal uterine bleeding.

T HE control of functional climacteric uterine hemorrhage presents a problem in which there is no uniform consensus of opinion. Undoubtedly, this confusion arises from the abundance of conservative therapeutic procedures available, or the radical surgical cures effective when conservatism fails. It is obvious that since the advent of radiation therapy, the impression has been created that such a method of treatment has displaced the medical and surgical procedures. In view of the multitude of methods proposed for benign uterine bIeedings, it is apparent that each type of tredtment has definite indications and limitations which should not overlap one another. It was considered of interest, therefore, to study a series of menopausal cases in which uterine hemorrhage was the indication for radiation therapy.
A Narrative Inquiry of the Inchoate Ethical Risks of Forensic Accounting Experts Under Amended Rule 26 Communications

A narrative inquiry research design was utilized to investigate the inchoate ethical risks of amended Rule 26 and the potential it has to conflate the agenda of the expert and attorney. Under this revision the full disclosure of draft expert reports will no longer be required in addition to an expansive disclosure of communications between experts and attorneys. The new rule will allow attorney-expert communications to be protected under the work-product doctrine and proscribe discovery of draft reports.
A highly integrated radio transceiver chipset for DECT

A two chip solution for the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) system has been implemented using Si bipolar technologies. A front end device implements up and down converting mixers, a VCO, driver amplifiers etc. Using a high speed 24-GHz NPN bipolar process. The IF device includes a down converting mixer, VCO, IF limiting strip with RSSI, on chip band-pass Gm-C filters and a fully integrated PLL demodulator. This device is implemented using a high speed complementary bipolar process. Both IC's include on-chip voltage regulation and power management.
Evaluation of ANN estimation-based MPPT control for a DFIG wind turbine

This paper proposes an artificial neuronal network (ANN) estimation-based wind speed sensolress MPPT algorithm for wind turbines equipped with doubly-fed induction generators (DFIG). The ANN is designed to produce the optimal control signal for the DFIG power or speed controller. The optimal parameters of the ANN are determined by using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. A 3.6 MW DFIG wind turbine is simulated in PSCAD to evaluate and compare the proposed MPPT method with the traditional tip speed ratio (TSR) and turbine power profile-based MPPT methods in both the speed control and power control modes in variable wind speed conditions.
Modeling of software concerns in Cosmos

Separation of concerns is a well-established principle of software engineering. Nevertheless, the failure to separate concerns effectively has been identified as a continuing cause of the ongoing software crisis. This failure arises in part because most programming and modeling formalisms enforce a dominant decomposition that allows only a few concerns to be separated, whereas software in reality is subject to multiple simultaneous, overlapping, and crosscutting concerns.Several approaches to "advanced separation of concerns" have been proposed, including subject-oriented programming, aspect-oriented programming, and Hyperspaces. These focus mainly on coding but take a multidimensional view of concerns that applies across the software life cycle. To support such approaches, we are developing Cosmos, a general-purpose concern-space modeling schema. Cosmos distinguishes logical and physical concerns. Logical concerns include classifications, classes, instances, properties, and topics, physical include instances, collections, and attributes. Cosmos also identifies four categories of relationship, including categorical, interpretive, mapping, and physical. Cosmos can support software development activities such as rationale capture, impact analysis, compositional development, change propagation, customization, and reuse.
William Talbott’s Which Rights Should be Universal?

In this review essay, I first set out and then subject to criticism the main claims advanced by William Talbott in his excellent recent book, “Which Rights Should be Universal?”. Talbott offers a conception of basic universal human rights as the minimally necessary and sufficient conditions to political legitimacy. I argue that his conception is at once too robustly liberal and democratic and too inattentive to key features of the rule of law to play this role. I suggest that John Rawls’s conception of human rights comes closer to hitting the mark Talbott sets for himself and that Talbott incorrectly rejects Rawls’s view. I conclude that what likely divides Talbott and Rawls is that Rawls, but not Talbott, explicitly frames the inquiry into the minimally necessary and sufficient conditions to political legitimacy in terms of a liberal democratic people attempting to determine, as a matter of its just foreign policy, whether or not to recognize other organized polities as independent and self-determining within the international order.
The solvent‐induced shift in the proton NMR of some quinolizidine substituents

The proton chemical shift values for the methyl groups in the nine monomethylquinolizidines are determined in deuterochloroform and benzene solutions. This solvent change results in the shielding of all the methyl groups except those in 1(a)-and 3(a)-methylquinolizidine which become deshielded. These results are compared with those obtained earlier for equatoral and axial methyl and methylene groups attached to the quinolizidine systems in Nuphar alkaloids and related compounds.
High-temperature adsorption of alkali vapors on solid sorbents

Vapors of alkali metal compounds can be removed from coal combustion and gasification flue gases using high-temperature aluminosilicate sorbents. The fundamentals of alkali adsorption on kaolinite, bauxite, and emathlite are compared and analyzed both experimentally and through theoretical modeling. The results show that the process is not a simple physical condensation, but a complex combination of diffusion and reaction. The kinetics of adsorption on these sorbents have similarities: the process is diffusion-influenced, the rate decreases with time, and there is a final saturation limit. There are, however, differences in reaction mechanisms leading to potentially different applications for each sorbent. In adsorbing alkali chloride vapors, kaolinite and emathlite release all the chlorine back to the gas phase while bauxite retains some of the chlorine. Moreover, the products of reaction with emathlite have a melting point significantly lower than those for kaolinite and bauxite. Therefore, emathlite is more suitable for lower-temperature sorption systems downstream of the combustors/gasifiers, while kaolinite and bauxite are suitable as in-situ additives.
Discrimination, social psychology, and hysteresis in labor markets

Abstract This paper develops a model of the long-run effects of labor market discrimination. Once an individual responds to discrimination in a manner that changes basic human capital characteristics, past or current discrimination becomes a factor in determining future labor market outcomes. We utilize a growing empirical literature on the psychological effects of discrimination and unemployment to hypothesize that discrimination negatively affects human capital characteristics. The concept of learned helplessness is employed to show that negative events, such as an episode of discrimination, that are considered beyond the individual's control result in decreased learning ability. Discrimination creates helplessness which diminishes human capital characteristics resulting in decreased future employability.
Vitamin D in solution: conformations of vitamin D3, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and dihydrotachysterol3.

Solution conformations of the A and seco B rings of vitamin D(3), 1(alpha), 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), 1(alpha)-hydroxyvitamin D(3), and dihydrotachysterol(3) have been established by high resolution, 300-megahertz proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The A ring of these steroids is dynamically equilibrated between two chair conformers. For vitamin D(3), 1(alpha)-hydroxyvitamin D(3), and 1(alpha),25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) the relative proportions of the two conformers are 1 : 1, whereas dihydrotachysterol3 exists principally as only one conformer. Thus, the substituent groups on the A ring may be either equatorially or axially oriented, and suggests a refinement of the existing topological model for vitamin D hormonal activity.
High-performance capillary electrophoresis using open tubes and gels

This paper overviews several aspects of high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE), a promising new method of analytical and micropreparative separation of biochemically important samples. The basic migration equations of electrophoresis are first presented and the benefit of high fields for rapid analysis and high performance emphasized. Since power is generated with high voltages, Joule heating results and this heat must be dissipated. The use of capillary columns is shown to be important in efficient heat removal and in minimizing the temperature differences within the column. The various factors influencing band broadening are next described, and it is shown how plate counts close to 106 can be achieved. Various results from our laboratory on open tube and gel columns are then presented to illustrate the potential of this method. Chiral resolution of dansylated amino acids using a chiral metal chelate micelle in open tube HPCE is shown. With the gel columns, the baseline separation of a 2-chain variant from methionine growth hormone (met-hGH) under non-denaturing conditions at fields close to 1000 V/cm is presented. Finally, the micropreparative purification of a 20-mer oligonucleotide using the gel column is described.
Molecular Origins of Selectivity in the Reduction of NOx by NH3

The fundamental principle underlying the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx to N2 is the promotion of reactions of reductant with NOx over competing, and thermodynamically preferred, reactions with a large excess of O2. A similar competition between NOx and O2 exists in the noncatalytic, thermal reduction of NOx with NH3. In this work, density functional theory calculations are used to elucidate the origins of the remarkable selectivity in thermal deNOx. Thermal deNOx is initiated by the conversion of NH3 into the active reductant, NH2 radical. NH2 radical reacts with NO at rates typical of gas-phase radical reactions to produce a relatively strongly bound H2NNO adduct that readily rearranges and decomposes to N2 and H2O. In contrast, NH2 radical reacts exceedingly slowly with O2: the H2N−OO adduct is weakly bound and more readily falls apart than reacts to products. The pronounced discrimination of NH2 against reaction with O2 is unusual behavior for a radical but can be understood through compa...
In that Case

Call for Responses The case outlined below will be the basis for the In That Case section in the next issue of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry (JBI). We invite interested readers to provide responses to the case for possible publication. Responses should be 500–700 words, and should be submitted as soon as possible after publication of this issue. The editors will select the responses to be published in the next issue of the JBI, and reserve the right o edit contributions to avoid repetition. Editorial changes will be cleared with authors before going to press. Responses should be submitted on Editorial Manager.
Sexual differences in the stimulatory effects of bombesin on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons.

The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the effects of central administration of bombesin on the activity of tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (DA) neurons in male and female rats, and (2) determine if sexual differences in the responsiveness of these neurons to bombesin were due to the presence of prolactin or gonadal steroids. The activity of tuberoinfundibular DA neurons was estimated by measuring the concentrations of the dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in terminals of these neurons in the median eminence. The effects of bombesin on the secretion of prolactin and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha MSH), and the activities of nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, and periventricular-hypophysial DA neurons were also determined in gonadally intact male and female rats. Central administration of bombesin (10 ng/rat; i.c.v.) decreased prolactin secretion in gonadally intact male and female rats, but only in males was this associated with an increase in the activity of tuberoinfundibular DA neurons. In contrast, bombesin increased the activity of periventricular-hypophysial DA neurons terminating in the intermediate lobe of both male and female rats, and this was associated with a decrease in alpha MSH secretion in both sexes. Bombesin had no effect on the activities of nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, or periventricular-hypophysial DA neurons terminating in the neural lobe in either sex. The loss of endogenous gonadal hormones following ovariectomy rendered tuberoinfundibular DA neurons responsive to the stimulatory effects of bombesin, whereas immunoneutralization of endogenous prolactin following administration of prolactin antiserum had no effect on the inability of bombesin to alter the activity of these neurons in female rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cytokine and Progesterone Receptor Interplay in the Regulation of MUC1 Gene Expression

Mucin 1 (MUC1), a transmembrane mucin expressed at the apical surface of uterine epithelia, is a barrier to microbial infection and enzymatic attack. MUC1 loss at implantation sites appears to be required to permit embryo attachment and implantation in most species. MUC1 expression is regulated by progesterone (P) and proinflammatory cytokines, including TNFα and interferon γ (IFNγ). TNFα and IFNγ are highly expressed in uterine tissues under conditions where MUC1 expression is also high and activate MUC1 expression via their downstream transcription factors, nuclear factor (NF) κB and signal transducers and activators of transcription. P receptor (PR) regulates MUC1 gene expression in a PR isoform-specific fashion. Here we demonstrate that interactions among PR isoforms and cytokine-activated transcription factors cooperatively regulate MUC1 expression in a human uterine epithelial cell line, HES. Low doses of IFNγ and TNFα synergistically stimulate MUC1 promoter activity, enhance PRB stimulation of MUC1 promoter activity and cooperate with PRA to stimulate MUC1 promoter activity. Cooperative stimulation of MUC1 promoter activity requires the DNA-binding domain of the PR isoforms. MUC1 mRNA and protein expression is increased by cytokine and P treatment in HES cells stably expressing PRB. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate efficient recruitment of NFκB, p300, SRC3 (steroid receptor coactivator 3), and PR to the MUC1 promoter. Collectively, our studies indicate a dynamic interplay among cytokine-activated transcription factors, PR isoforms and transcriptional coregulators in modulating MUC1 expression. This interplay may have important consequences in both normal and pathological contexts, e.g. implantation failure and recurrent miscarriages.
The in vivo quantification of myocardial performance in rabbits: a model for evaluation of cardiac gene therapy.

Abstract Evaluating cardiac gene therapy in the intact animal requires an index of cardiac function capable of detecting regional differences in contractility in a load-independent fashion. Potentially load-insensitive measures of ventricular performance were therefore evaluated in 10 open- and closed-chested, anesthetized rabbits. LV transmural pressure and myocardial segment length were measured using micromanometry and sonomicrometry during steady-state and transient inferior vena caval occlusion, over a range of inotropic and loading conditions. For each intervention, segmental stroke work was calculated as the area within the left ventricular transmural pressure-length loops at a given end-diastolic segment length during inferior vena caval occlusion; regression analysis was applied to obtain the linear Frank–Starling relationship. In both open- and closed-chested states, these relationships were highly linear (r=0.97±0.1) and reproducible. The slope of the linear relationship between segmental stroke work and end-diastolic segment length increased significantly with calcium and epinephrine infusions (P 0.4). The x-intercept was not significantly altered by changes in intropy or afterload (P>0.4). These data validate the linear Frank–Starling relationship and the slope, MW, as a load-insensitive index of contractility in the intact rabbit. This study presents a novel approach to the quantification of regional cardiac function in smaller animals.
Outcomes following attempted en bloc resection of cervical chordomas in the C-1 and C-2 region versus the subaxial region: a multiinstitutional experience

Object Chordomas involving the mobile spine are ideally managed via en bloc resection with reconstruction to optimize local control and possibly offer cure. In the cervical spine, local anatomy poses unique challenges, limiting the feasibility of aggressive resection. The authors present a multi-institutional series of 16 cases of cervical chordomas removed en bloc. Particular attention was paid to clinical outcome, complications, and recurrence. In addition, outcomes were assessed according to position of tumor at the C1–2 level versus the subaxial (SA) spine (C3–7). Methods The authors reviewed cases involving patients who underwent en bloc resection of cervical chordoma at 4 large spine centers. Patients were included if the lesion epicenter involved the C-1 to C-7 vertebral bodies. Demographic data and details of surgery, follow-up course, exposure to adjuvant therapy, and complications were obtained. Outcome was correlated with presence of tumor in C1–2 versus subaxial spine via a Student t-test. Res...
Determination of Moving Tank and Missile ImpactForces on a Bridge Structure

A method to determine the moving tank and missile impact forces on a bridge is developed. The presentmethod is an online adaptive recursive inverse algorithm, which is composed of the Kalman filter and therecursive least square estimator (RLSE), to estimate the force inputs on the bridge structure. The state equationsof the bridge structure were constructed by using the model superposition and orthogonal technique. Byadopting this inverse method, the moving tank and missile impact force inputs acting on the bridge structuresystem can be estimated from the measured dynamic responses. Besides, this work presents an efficientweighting factor applied in the RLSE, which is capable of providing a reasonable estimation results. The resultsobtained from the simulations show that the method is effective in determining the moving tank and missileimpact forces, so that the acceptable results can be obtained.Defence Science Journal, 2008, 58(6), pp.752-761, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.58.1703
Effect of acalculous cholecystitis on gallbladder neuromuscular transmission and contractility.

Abstract Background. Impaired smooth muscle contractility is important in the pathophysiology of acalculous cholecystitis. Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) is a model of acalculous cholecystitis, producing acute inflammatory changes and decrease in gallbladder smooth muscle contractility. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is coexistent dysfunction of neural efferent motor pathways of the gallbladder after CBDL. Materials and methods. Gallbladder muscle contractility was studied in vitro in normal, CBDL, and sham-operated guinea pigs. Electric field stimulation (EFS; 2–16 Hz) was used to activate intrinsic nerves and exogenous acetylcholine (ACh) was used to directly stimulate the muscle. H&E-stained slides of muscle strips were scored for inflammatory changes. Results. After CBDL, there was a progressive increase in the inflammation score and decrease in gallbladder muscle contractility to ACh. There was also a progressive decline in EFS-induced contractility when expressed as absolute force or normalized to the maximal muscle contractile response to ACh. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l -NNA (10 μM) increased EFS-induced contractions by 50 ± 25% (P = 0.05) in CBDL animals but had no effect in sham surgical controls. Conclusions. CBDL with its acute gallbladder inflammation affects gallbladder contractility by two mechanisms: (1) decreased smooth muscle contractility, and (2) decreased neurally mediated contractions. The neurally mediated alterations result from dysfunction of cholinergic excitatory nerves and upregulation of nitric-oxide-mediated inhibition of smooth muscle contractility.
Striatal L-dopa metabolism studied in vivo in rats with nigrostriatal lesions.

We have used cerebral dialysis to monitor striatal metabolism of exogenously administered L-dopa (L-dihydroxyphenylalanine) in rats with unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra. The concentration of extracellular dopamine (DA) increased in both striata following L-dopa administration but the increase was markedly attenuated in the lesioned striatum. The formation of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), the major DA metabolites, was also reduced in the lesioned striata following L-dopa administration; however, the reduction was not as great as was that of DA formation. A significant metabolism of exogenous L-dopa to 3-O-methyldopa occurred in both striata. L-dopa administration transiently increased extracellular levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5 HIAA) in both the lesioned and intract striata.
A Two-Stage Procedure for Selecting the Largest Mean Based on Conditional Probability Analysis

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTThis paper follows the spirit of the conditional approach due to Kiefer in which procedures for selecting the best population or subset containing the best population are evaluated by conditional measures of loss. We construct a two-stage procedure to select the best population or subset containing the best population which satisfies a double probability requirement; the (conditional) probabilities of correct selection for μ in the preference and indifference zones are each separately bounded below by given preassigned constants. Many users of ranking and selection point out that there is no strong probability inequality or lower bound on the PCS that can be made when the parameters are in the indifference zone and they regard this as a criticism of ranking and selection in general. The aim in this paper is to offset any such criticism by providing lower bounds for the probability of a correct selection in both the indifference and the preference zones.
EPR Spectroscopic Studies on the Structural and Dynamic Properties of Human KCNE1 Membrane Protein in Lipid Bilayers

The KCNE1 membrane protein regulates KCNQ1, which forms the voltage-gated potassium channel in the human heart. Mutations in these genes are responsible for the human genetic disease, long QT syndrome. However, the structure of KCNE1 in a lipid bilayer and biophysical basis for KCNE1's modulation of KCNQ1 are not completely understood. Recent research from Sanders group using solution NMR indicates the transmembrane domain of KCNE1 is a curved alpha-helix and is flanked by intra- and extracellular domains comprised of alpha-helices joined by flexible linkers (Kang et al., Biochemistry 2008 47:7999-8006). Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has emerged as a well-established method to study the structural properties of membrane proteins. Our objective is to use advanced EPR spectroscopic techniques including CW and pulsed EPR spectroscopy to obtain structural parameters of the KCNE1 protein in a bilayer. To date, we have successfully over-expressed KCNE1 in E. coli and reconstituted the protein into POPG/POPC lipid bilayers. Electrophysiological experiments confirm KCNE1 can co-assemble with the channel protein, KCNQ1 and are fully functional. Electrophysiological experiments further confirm that KCNE1 is inserted correctly into the lipid-bilayers. Additionally we have also demonstrated potential use of DEER (Double Electron-Electron Resonance) and CW-EPR power saturation experiments for distance and depth measurements of KCNE1 in lipid bilayers, respectively.
Reduced bone mineral in patients with eating disorders.

Abstract Bone mineral measurements of the forearm and spine were made in 63 patients under treatment in the Eating Disorders Program of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, 26 with anorexia nervosa (AN), 11 with bulimia nervosa (BU) and 26 with features of both AN and BU (AN/BU). Comparison was made with a group of 211 normal women of similar age. Spinal bone mineral content (BMC) of L2–4 was 45.1 ±5.7 g in the normals, 38.0 ± 7.5 in the AN's, 40.3 ± 6.6 g in the AN/BU's and 44.4 ± 6.9 g in the BU's. The AN and AN/BU averages were both significantly different from normal (p
P[N(iBu)CH2CH2]3N: A versatile non-ionic base for the synthesis of higher coordinate silicates

Abstract A room temperature reaction of tetramethyl-orthosilicate with catechol or substituted catechol derivatives, or hydroxy carboxylic acids in the presence of the proazaphosphatrane P(iBuNCH2CH2)3N, readily affords the first examples of phosphonium salt stabilized higher coordinate silicates of the type [HP(iBuNCH2CH2)3N]2[Si(L)3] in high yields. A single crystal X-ray structural investigation of [HP(iBuNCH2CH2)3N]2[Si(O2C6H4)3] revealed a hexacoordinate silicate framework with two independent phosphatranium cations, possessing strong transannular Nax→P bonds.
Low field magnetic resonance images of polarized noble gases obtained with a dc superconducting quantum interference device

Using a low transition temperature superconducting quantum interference device as a detector, we have obtained magnetic resonance images of laser-polarized 3He gas and solid 129Xe at 4.2 K in magnetic fields as low as 0.54 mT (3He) and 1 mT (129Xe), corresponding to Larmor frequencies of 17.6 and 11.8 kHz, respectively. The experimental resolution of the images is ∼500 μm for 3He in the gas phase and ∼950 μm for 129Xe in the solid state.
Hit and False-Alarm Rates of Selected ABR Indices in Differentiating Cochlear Disorders From Acoustic Tumors

We performed a retrospective study of 26 patients with acoustic tumors and 26 patients with otologically diagnosed cochlear pathology to determine the sensitivity (hit rate), specificity (false-ala...
Bidirectional associations between parenting practices and conduct problems in boys from childhood to adolescence: the moderating effect of age and African-American ethnicity

This study examined the bidirectional relationship between parent and teacher reported conduct problems in youth and parenting practices using a longitudinal sample of boys assessed from 6 to 16 years of age. Analyses tested whether these bidirectional associations changed across development and whether the nature of these associations varied across African-American and Caucasian families. Overall, the results supported a bidirectional relationship between conduct problems and all parenting practices examined from childhood to adolescence. The influence of conduct problems on changes in parenting behaviors was as strong as the influence of parenting behaviors on changes in conduct problems across development. Changes in the bidirectional relationship across development were found in some, but not all, models. While corporal punishment was more strongly related to changes in teacher-reported conduct problems for African-American boys compared to Caucasian boys, more similarities than differences were found between the ethnic groups in terms of the bidirectional associations examined.
Effects of collector doping on dc and rf performance of AiInAs/GaInAs/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors

Summary form only given. AlInAs/GaInAs/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs) with three different InP collector dopings of 1.4*10/sup 16/, 2.4*10/sup 16/, and 3*10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ and a collector thickness of 0.75 mu m have been made for microwave power applications. The DC and RF performance of the devices was found to be strongly dependent on the collector doping. This strong sensitivity to the collector doping is due to the conduction band discontinuity between GaInAs and InP at the base-collector junction. DC and RF characterization was performed on 2- mu m*20- mu m single-emitter geometry devices which are used in the construction of the microwave power cells. The DHBTs achieved base-collector breakdown voltages in excess of 20 V and common-emitter breakdown voltages of more than 14 V (both measured at 100 mu A of current). The f/sub T/ and f/sub max/ of the devices were in the range of 65 to 75 GHz. DC current gains were in the range of 50 to 70. The devices with the collector doping of 3*10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ could be operated up to 10/sup 5/ A/cm/sup 2/ collector current density without gain compression. >
Catastrophic consequence of a pacing lead in the wrong chamber.

This is a 54-year-old man with a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease, and end-stage renal disease who presented with dizziness, dysarthria, and ataxia. Neuroimaging confirmed a right cerebellar infarct. He …
Target Acquisition Criteria for Human Observers

A primary target acquisition threat to ground vehicle systems is the human observer whose psycho-visual capabilities are a critical element in the simulation of these phenomena. This paper discusses the Army's performance assessment methodology for determining signature countermeasures tradeoffs and the human factors elements essential for this type of analysis.Current Army acquisition models use a very simplistic model of the human visual perception system. The minimum resolvable contrast (MRC) models, for example, consider the target as an equivalent rectangle in a uniform background scene. The criteria for detection, recognition and identification are defined in terms of the number of line pairs across a critical target dimension. Although this simple model is convenient for many battlefield effectiveness simulations; the level of detail is insufficient for most CM applications.Several examples will illustrate the limitations of current target acquisition methodology for visual signature assessment and...
Naturally occurring mutations in human mitochondrial pre-tRNASer(UCN) can affect the transfer ribonuclease Z cleavage site, processing kinetics, and substrate secondary structure.

tRNAs are transcribed as precursors with a 5′ end leader and a 3′ end trailer. The 5′ end leader is processed by RNase P, and in most organisms in all three kingdoms, transfer ribonuclease (tRNase) Z can endonucleolytically remove the 3′ end trailer. Long (L) and short (S) forms of the tRNase Z gene are present in the human genome. tRNase ZL processes a nuclear-encoded pre-tRNA ∼1600-fold more efficiently than tRNase ZS and is predicted to have a strong mitochondrial transport signal. tRNase ZL could, thus, process both nuclear- and mitochondrially encoded pre-tRNAs. More than 150 pathogenesis-associated mutations have been found in the mitochondrial genome, most of them in the 22 mitochondrially encoded tRNAs. All the mutations investigated in human mitochondrial tRNASer(UCN) affect processing efficiency, and some affect the cleavage site and secondary structure. These changes could affect tRNase Z processing of mutant pre-tRNAs, perhaps contributing to mitochondrial disease.
Clinical efficacy and electrophysiologic effects of cibenzoline therapy in patients with ventricular arrhythmias.

Cibenzoline, a new antiarrhythmic agent, was tested in 26 patients who had symptomatic ventricular tachycardia (24 patients) or premature ventricular complexes (2 patients) unresponsive to conventional drugs. Cibenzoline was given orally every 8 hours to maximal doses of 65 mg in 2 patients, 81.25 mg in 22 patients and 97.5 mg in 2 patients. Cibenzoline abolished spontaneous episodes of ventricular tachycardia in 8 of 16 patients with ventricular tachycardia during a 72 hour control electrocardiographic recording, and 7 of 22 patients had greater than 83% decrease in premature ventricular complexes compared with control. The PR interval increased 14% (p Electrophysiologic studies were performed on 10 patients in the control period and during maximal cibenzoline dosage. Cibenzoline did not affect electrophysiologic properties of the atrium or atrioventricular (AV) node. It prolonged the ventricular effective (223 ± 16 to 241 ± 22 ms, p Thus, cibenzoliue suppressed ventricular tachycardia and premature veutricular complexes in some patients unresponsive to conventional drugs and was well tolerated. Cibenzoline significantly prolonged ventricular effective and functional refractory periods and had minimal negative hemodynamic effects.
Photonic crystal coupled-cavity waveguides with asymmetric-defect structure for narrow spectral widths at 1.55 microns

A new type of photonic crystal (PC) based coupled-cavity waveguide (CCW), called an asymmetrical-defect coupled-cavity waveguide (AD-CCW), is presented. AD-CCWs produce single mode output with significantly narrower linewidths than conventional symmetrical-defect CCWs. We describe two different AD-CCW designs in two PC material systems: an alternating defect AD-CCW based on a silicon PC, and an incrementing defect AD-CCW based on an InGaAsP PC. The structures are simulated using three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations. A comparison of AD-CCWs and conventional CCWs is presented based on the simulation results.
A weak law for normed weighted sums of random elements in Rademacher type p Banach spaces

Abstract For weighted sums Σ j = 1 n a j V j of independent random elements { V n , n ≥ 1} in real separable, Rademacher type p (1 ≤ p ≤ 2) Banach spaces, a general weak law of large numbers of the form ( Σ j = 1 n a j V j − v n ) b n → p 0 is established, where { v n , n ≥ 1} and b n → ∞ are suitable sequences. It is assumed that { V n , n ≥ 1} is stochastically dominated by a random element V , and the hypotheses involve both the behavior of the tail of the distribution of | V | and the growth behaviors of the constants { a n , n ≥ 1} and { b n , n ≥ 1}. No assumption is made concerning the existence of expected values or absolute moments of the { V n , n >- 1}.
Maize Response to Time of Nitrogen Application as Affected by Level of Nitrogen Deficiency

Fine tuning current best nitrogen management practices, such as delayed N application to maize (Zea mays L.), is needed to improve fertilizer recommendations. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between relative maize N deficiency and time of N application. Levels of N deficiency were established by applying different rates of N fertilizer. Additional N was applied to each level of N deficiency at eight growth stages ranging from early vegetative growth to late reproductive growth. Chlorophyll meter readings were taken before each N application as a measure of maize N deficiency, A N sufficiency index (SI) was calculated based on the relationship between N-deficient and non-N-deficient maize. Delaying N application to the six-leaf stage resulted in nearly a 12% decrease from maximum grain yield when the Sl was below 0.90, indicating N deficiency can be severe enough to prevent full recovery when N is side dressed. The greater the N deficiency, the earlier N had to be applied to obtain maximum grain production. Grain yield was increased from N application as late as R3 stage for extremely N-deficient maize, but maximum yield was not obtained. Grain yield was depressed when N was applied at R3 for slightly N-deficient maize. The potential benefit of late season N application depends on the degree of N deficiency. A predictive function was developed in order to determine if N fertilizer application would be warranted given the SI and time of N application.
Rate/level functions of auditory-nerve fibers in young and quiet-aged gerbils

Abstract Steady-state rate/level functions of single auditory-nerve fibers to characteristic frequency (CF) tone bursts were measured in quiet-aged (35–37 months) and young control (4–7 months) gerbils. Rate/level functions of aged gerbils are different from those of young controls in that the thresholds are shifted to higher sound levels, but otherwise the shapes of the aged and young rate/level functions are similar. Specifically, there is little difference in the slope of the dynamic range portion of the rate/level functions when comparing aged gerbils to young controls. This is in contrast to whole-nerve input/output (I/O) functions of aged gerbils, which exhibit slopes that are less steep than those of the young controls (Hellstrom and Schmiedt, 1990b). Thus, it is likely that the deterioration of the CAP I/O function in aged animals is not due to a deterioration of rate/level functions in single units, but rather to other factors such as spiral ganglion cell degeneration or a loss of synchrony.
Constructing an apprenticeship with discourse strategies: Professor-graduate student interactions

This longitudinal study examines the construction of the apprenticeship relationshiP between professor (expert) and graduate student (novice) during office-hour interactions. The findings demonstrate that apprenticeship is constituted by the strategic use of affect-indexing linguistic markers in discourse. By indexing stances of cooperativeness, interdependence, and shared Discourse membership, professor and student create a positive affect bond which provides a linguistic means of negotiating miscommunication arising from the student's incomplete socialization to the target Discourse. The socialization process is shown to proceed through a series of interim Discourses where quantifiable shifts in the participants' discourse strategies reveal the student's increasing mastery of the target Discourse. Constraints imposed by the institutional setting are also shown to structure the discourse strategies which characterize the interim Discourses. The results of this study strongly suggest that affect plays a measurable role in the process of language socialization, and is essential for defining “trusf”-based apprenticeship relationships. (Affect, language socialization, discourse analysis, apprenticeship)
A theory of seed plant invasiveness: The first sketch

Abstract Although biological invasions are clearly one of the most important impacts humans have had on the Earth's ecosystems, we still do not have reliable tools which can help us to predict which species are potential invaders. At present, several limited generalizations are available for seed plants: (1) invasiveness of woody species in disturbed landscapes is significantly associated with small seed mass, short juvenile period, and short mean interval between large seed crops; (2) vertebrate dispersal is responsible for the success of many woody invaders in disturbed as well as ‘undisturbed’ habitats; (3) primary (native) latitudinal range of herbaceous Gramineae, Compositae, and Fabaceae seems to be the best predictor of their invasiveness, at least for species introduced from Eurasia to North America; (4) low nuclear DNA content (genome size) seems to be a result of selection for short minimum generation time and, therefore, may be associated with plant invasiveness in disturbed landscapes; (5) analysis of exotic Gramineae and Compositae introduced from Europe to California supports Darwin's suggestion that alien species belonging to exotic genera are more likely to be invasive than alien species from genera represented in the native flora. Fortunately, these seemingly disparate stories can be brought together and provide a foundation for building a general theory of seed plant invasiveness.
Uncertainty Analysis on the Design of Thermal Conductivity Measurement by a Guarded Cut-Bar Technique

A technique adapted from the guarded-comparative-longitudinal heat flow method was selected for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of a nuclear fuel compact over a temperature range characteristic of its usage. This technique fulfills the requirement for non-destructive measurement of the composite compact. Although numerous measurement systems have been created based on the guarded-comparative method, comprehensive systematic (bias) and measurement (precision) uncertainty associated with this technique have not been fully analyzed. In addition to the geometric effect in the bias error, which has been analyzed previously, this paper studies the working condition which is another potential error source. Using finite element analysis, this study showed the effect of these two types of error sources in the thermal conductivity measurement process and the limitations in the design selection of various parameters by considering their effect on the precision error. The results and conclusions provide valuable reference for designing and operating an experimental measurement system using this technique.
Basaltic magma from the crust is not a free option

Supposing that it is the business of section officers to stir the pot from time to time, I have elected to introduce myself (as President-Elect of the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology section) by way of this small polemic on a matter of general interest, the origin of mafic magma. My hope is to identify a piece of folly so that it will go away. Knowing, however, the Gresham-Murphy law of information that bad ideas outrun the good, my expectations are somewhat lower than my hopes. In a recent abstract about the perturbed geochemistry of mafic crustal rocks, the usual options were invoked: enriched mantle source, crustal contamination of basaltic magma, and, in addition, “ … by partial melting of basaltic crust in the lower crust or uppermost mantle.” This last hypothesis appears with some frequency in the literature. Accordingly, I refrain from pointing the finger at the amiably misguided perpetrators by citing references to any of them.
Task difficulty and domain knowledge effects on information search behaviors

This study explores the effect of task difficulty on search behavior changes for users with high and low domain knowledge. A user experiment (n=40) was conducted using 5 search tasks. Participants rated their knowledge of MeSH terms (n=409) and were divided into two domain knowledge levels. Three of the tasks were designed to be difficult tasks with very few relevant documents returned by our search system and two tasks were easy, with many relevant documents returned. Our results showed that in Difficult tasks, users spent significantly longer dwell time on search result pages and visited significantly more content pages than in Easy tasks. In addition, there was an interaction effect of task difficulty and domain knowledge on dwell time of content pages and the percentage of dwell time on content pages to the task completion time. Our results demonstrate that the dwell time on search result pages is a better indicator of task difficulty than the dwell time on content pages if users' domain knowledge level is unknown. Our results have implications for personalization of information retrieval.
College classroom interaction as a function of teacher- and student-centered instruction☆

Abstract Regional campus college students participated in traditionally or nontraditionally taught sections of undergraduate introductory educational psychology. The nontraditional sections were student centered, involving personal goal setting and monitoring conferences, and informal group discussion tests. The traditional sections were teacher centered, involving a lecture format, formal tests and assignments, and comparative grades. An event sampling behavioral assessment procedure was used to record student and teacher behaviors according to the following verbal interaction response categories: positive, negative, questions, answers, presents, solicits, shares, generates, impedes. The course sections were analyzed and found to be comparable with regard to teachers' positive responses and information presented, as well as content acquisition and final grades. However, students in the nontraditional course section asked significantly more questions, shared more information, and generated more ideas than students in the more traditional teacher-centered course. Replication analyses supported the initial findings regarding learning and attitudinal differences favoring student centered course sections over teacher centered sections.
A new insight on the cause of magnetic storms

A long outstanding problem in magnetospheric physics is the cause of magnetic storms. Traditionally, the ring current buildup is attributed to the accumulated effects of energetic magnetospheric particles injected by frequent occurrence of magnetospheric substorms. Recent studies, however, suggest enhanced magnetospheric convection as the sole cause. We employ for the first time the relatively new remote-sensing technique based on global monitoring of energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions to address this controversy. The ENA observations were combined with the ground-based magnetic indices for substorm activity and ring-current development as well as with the global monitor of magnetospheric convection in the ionosphere by the network of SuperDARN radars. The ring current is shown to intensify during enhanced convection without substorm occurrence and during a substorm with a reduction in convection. Therefore, both substorms and enhanced convection contribute to the buildup of the storm-time ring current.
Diabetes guidelines: a summary and comparison of the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association, Veterans Health Administration, and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Abstract Objective This paper summarizes and compares 3 major organizations' guidelines for the management of diabetes mellitus. Background Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects >16 million Americans. A decrease in adverse events has been demonstrated when hyperglycemia and comorbid conditions such as hypertension and dyslipidemia are controlled in patients with diabetes. Although each patient with diabetes is unique and medical care should be tailored to his or her individual needs, clinical evidence and expert opinion have established a baseline level of care for all patients with diabetes. Guidelines have been created to guide practitioners in selecting appropriate care, but their length and complexity may serve as barriers to their use. Methods The diabetes management guidelines of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Veterans Health Administration (VA), and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) are summarized and compared in both text and tabular form. Conclusion Although the guidelines published by the ADA, VA, and AACE vary slightly, all of them can be used to ensure that patients with diabetes receive appropriate care.
Update on Sturge–Weber Syndrome: Diagnosis, Treatment, Quantitative Measures, and Controversies

Sturge–Weber syndrome (SWS) is defined by the association of a facial capillary malformation (port-wine stain), with a vascular malformation of the eye, and/or vascular malformation of the brain (leptomeningeal angioma). Variants exist where only one of these three structures is involved with the vascular malformation. SWS occurs sporadically and is congenital. Port-wine stains occur in 3 per 1000 live births. No good population-based data exist for how many people have Sturge–Weber syndrome, however, estimates range between one in 20–50,000 live births. This review summarizes literature regarding the main features and pathophysiology of Sturge–Weber syndrome, however the cause of this syndrome remains obscure. Recent advances in neuroimaging have provided important insights into the progression of neurologic injury that occurs as a result of impaired blood flow. Important limitations exist, however, as currently the early diagnosis and exclusion of Sturge–Weber syndrome is impaired by the poor sensitivit...