cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive psychotherapy for smoking cessation: Treatment development, feasibility, and preliminary results

Low positive and high negative affect (NA) predict low rates of smoking abstinence among smokers making a quit attempt. Positive psychotherapy can both increase positive affect (PA) and decrease NA and, therefore, may be a useful adjunct to behavioral smoking counseling. The purpose of the present study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a positive psychotherapy for smoking cessation (PPT-S) intervention that integrates standard smoking cessation counseling with nicotine patch and a package of positive psychology interventions. We delivered PPT-S to 19 smokers who were low in PA at baseline. Rates of session attendance and satisfaction with treatment were high, and most participants reported using and benefiting from the positive psychology interventions. Almost one-third of the participants (31.6%) sustained smoking abstinence for six months after their quit date. Future studies to assess the relative efficacy of PPT-S compared to standard smoking cessation treatment are warranted.
Advancing the Prevention and Control of Hypertension

Hypertension is on a worrisome public health trajectory. This review discusses some key contributing dynamics as well as considerations for progress toward the prevention and control of hypertension and its comorbidities.
Tylor vs. Westermarck: Explaining the Incest Taboo

In the late 19th century arguments explaining incest avoidance were framed separately by Edward Tylor and Edward Westermarck. Tylor offered an environmental theory asserting that people have to marry outside of their own kin and communities or die out from the detrimental effects of isolation. Westermarck turned to Darwin’s theory to explain that harmful inbreeding had been selected against in the human genome. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries explanations of human behaviors have become increasingly encompassed by natural selection theory. The debate concerning the productiveness of evolutionary biology for explaining complex human behaviors is highly contentious and continues unabated. Although human evolutionists repeatedly say that environment is important for understanding human behavior they often do not develop this part of the equation. Behind the prestige of evolutionary biology selection models of human behavior have passed into popular science and the public psyche. Often heard today from a wide range of highly visible media sources is an assortment of topics on human behaviors which are framed by Darwinian assumptions. Contemplations about incest and inbreeding avoidance fall into this category and are presented by Darwinian social science as the best case example demonstrating evolutionary suppositions about human behavior. In the article that follows these issues are framed and examined. The argument is offered that evolutionary approaches are not always the most compelling and that convincing environmental explanations are overlooked.
Combined modality treatment in the management of high-risk prostate cancer.

Purpose: The efficacy of a multimodality protocol using neoadjuvant and concomitant hormonal therapy, brachytherapy, and three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy (RT) in high-risk prostate cancer was evaluated using biochemical outcomes and posttreatment biopsy results. Methods and Materials: Between February 1994 and November 1999, 132 high-risk patients were treated with combined hormonal therapy (9 months), permanent radioactive seed brachytherapy, and external beam RT, with follow-up ranging from 36 to 88 months (median, 50 months). The eligibility criteria were any of the following: Gleason score 8 ‐10, initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level >20 ng/mL, clinical Stage T2c-T3, or positive seminal vesicle biopsy, or two or more of the following: Gleason score 7, PSA level >10 ‐20 ng/mL, or Stage T2b. Twenty percent of patients had a positive seminal vesicle biopsy before therapy. Negative laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissections were performed in 44% of patients. Results: The actuarial overall freedom from PSA failure rate was 86% at 5 years. The freedom from PSA failure rate at 5 years was 97% for those with a Gleason score of <6 (35 of 36), 85% for a Gleason score of 7 (50 of 59), and 76% for a Gleason score of 8 ‐10 (28 of 37;p 0.03). A trend was noted toward worse outcomes in seminal vesicle biopsy-positive patients, with a 5-year freedom from PSA failure rate of 74% vs. 89% for all other patients (p 0.06). Posttreatment prostate biopsies were performed in 47 patients and were negative in 96% at the first biopsy and 100% at the last biopsy. Conclusion: Trimodality therapy with androgen suppression, brachytherapy, and external beam RT for highrisk prostate cancer results in excellent biochemical and pathologically confirmed local control. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. Prostate cancer, Brachytherapy, High risk, Locally advanced, Combined modality.
First contact: Understanding the relationship between hominoid incisor curvature and diet

Accurately interpreting fossil primate dietary behaviour is necessary to fully understand a species' ecology and connection to its environment. Traditional methods developed to infer diet from hominoid teeth successfully group taxa into broad dietary categories (i.e., folivore, frugivore) but often fail to represent the range of dietary variability characteristic of living apes. This oversimplification is not only a consequence of poor resolution, but may also reflect the use of similar fallback resources by closely related taxa with dissimilar diets. This study demonstrates that additional dietary specificity can be achieved using a morphometric approach to hominoid incisor curvature. High-resolution polynomial curve fitting (HR-PCF) was used to quantify the incisor curvatures of closely related hominoid taxa that have dissimilar diets but similar morphological adaptations to specific keystone resources (e.g., Gorilla gorilla beringei vs. G. g. gorilla). Given the key role of incisors in food processing, it is reasonable to assume that these teeth will be at least partially influenced by the unique selective pressures imposed by the mechanical loading specific to individual diets. Results from this study identify a strong correlation between hominoid dietary proportions and incisor linear dimensions and curvature, indicating that more pronounced incisor curvature is positively correlated with higher levels of frugivory. Hard-object frugivores have the greatest mesiodistal and cervico-incisal curvature and dedicated folivores have the least curved incisors. Mixed folivore/frugivores are morphological intermediates between dedicated folivores and hard- and soft-object frugivores. Mesiodistal curvature varied only in the degree of curvature; however, cervico-incisal curvature was shown to differ qualitatively between more frugivorous and more folivorous taxa. In addition to identifying a greater range of dietary variability among hominoids, this study also demonstrates that HR-PCF is capable of identifying morphological distinctions between closely related taxa with overlapping diets that rely on similar fallback foods (e.g., Pan paniscus vs. P. troglodytes).
Enzymatic alkylation of menaquinone-o to menaquinones by microsomes from chick liver

Abstract 1. The alkylation of menaquinone-o to menaquinone-4 occurs in chick liver. Studies have been carried out to localize the enzyme in a cell particulate and demonstrate its activity in vitro . Injection of [6,7- 3 H 2 ]menaquinone-o into vitamin K-deficient chicks resulted in the biosynthesis of menaquinone-4 within 15 min. After 3 h, the distribution among mitochondria, microsomes, and cytosol were 24, 76 and 0%, respectively. Liver cell fractions were incubated in phosphate buffer with [6,7- 3 H 2 ]menaquinone-o or [6,7- 3 H 2 ]menaquinol-o with or without geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate for 1 h. Menaquinones formed were identified by thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography. With geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, the incorporation into cell particulates were 0.14, 0.68, and 0.09% for mitochondria, microsomes, and cytosol. The addition of farnesyl pyrophosphate, geranyl pyrophosphate, and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to microsomes increased the overall synthesis of menaquinones from 0.03 to 0.55, 0.24 and 0.10 nmoles, respectively. It appears that the homologue synthesized is controlled by isoprenyl pyrophosphate available for condensation.
Geometry and dynamics of activity-dependent homeostatic regulation in neurons

To maintain activity in a functional range, neurons constantly adjust membrane excitability to changing intra- and extracellular conditions. Such activity-dependent homeostatic regulation (ADHR) is critical for normal processing of the nervous system and avoiding pathological conditions. Here, we posed a homeostatic regulation problem for the classical Morris-Lecar (ML) model. The problem was motivated by the phenomenon of the functional recovery of stomatogastric neurons in crustaceans in the absence of neuromodulation. In our study, the regulation of the ionic conductances in the ML model depended on the calcium current or the intracellular calcium concentration. We found an asymptotic solution to the problem under the assumption of slow regulation. The solution provides a full account of the regulation in the case of correlated or anticorrelated changes of the maximal conductances of the calcium and potassium currents. In particular, the solution shows how the target and parameters of the regulation determine which perturbations of the conductances can be compensated by the ADHR. In some cases, the sets of compensated initial perturbations are not convex. On the basis of our analysis we formulated specific questions for subsequent experimental and theoretical studies of ADHR.
Stability of behavior problems in very young children

This study examined the stability of behavior problems in 44 low SES children ages 2–5 years using the preschool and standard versions of Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist. While scores for the present sample did not differ significantly from Achenbach's standardization sample at age 2, scores at ages 4 and 5 were somewhat elevated; this was true for the Total score, as well as for the two broad-band scores (Internalizing and Externalizing). At all ages, the Internalizing and Externalizing scores correlated highly with one another (r= .58 to .74). Stability coefficients across one to three year intervals revealed significant continuity for the Total and Externalizing scores (r= .42 to .73). Internalizing scores were stable only between ages 4 and 5 (r= .53). In addition, early Externalizing scores also predicted subsequent Internalizing scores, suggesting that early Externalizing symptomatology has diverse implications. Maternal depression and negative life events, assessed at ages 4 and 5, correlated strongly with child behavior scores at both these ages. However, neither factor accounted for the stability in childrens' symptomatology. Overall, the levels of stability found here were comparable to those reported for older children. The results are discussed in terms of developmental psychopathology, with particular attention to the finding that (a) developmentally maladaptive behavior can be identified at very young ages, even in 2-year-olds, and (b) that such behavior problems are far more persistent than hitherto believed. Such findings underscore the importance of early identification and intervention.
The effect of temperature on adaptive enzyme formation in a Mycobacterium.

Abstract 1. 1. The autorespiration of this mycobacterium after heating at 51 ° for 15–45 min. is increased above that of the normal by the production, presumably by hydrolysis, of oxidizable compounds. If these are removed by washing, the autorespiration returns to the control level. 2. 2. Heated bacteria oxidize added substrates at the same rate as the normal and show the same stimulation with dinitrophenol. Apparently heat has not affected certain oxidative enzymes nor uncoupled oxidation from phosphorylation. 3. 3. Heat causes a subsequent prolonged delay in the induction of the enzyme for the oxidation of benzoic acid. This delay is not increased by heating from 15 to 45 min., nor by the presence of benzoic acid during the heating period, nor by its presence during the first 60–90 min. of the subsequent induction period. The rate of enzyme formation once it starts is, however, affected by the heating time. Recovery from heat damage requires oxygen. 4. 4. Water and 10 % trichloroacetic acid extracts of heated cells give a higher orcinol test than the control, and the difference is independent of the heating time between 15 and 45 min. 5. 5. Antibiotics in concentrations which have no effect on enzyme induction in normal cells greatly prolong induction in heated ones.
Global cosmic strings, Nambu-Goldstone bosons and their constraints on unification

Abstract We show how the existence of a Nambu-Goldstone boson of the type recently argued for by Sikivie powerfully constrains possible models for grand unification. In particular, we show that the only models consistent with Sikivie's arguments are those in which at least part of the electric charge operator lies outside the group containing color. This rules out most known grand unification schemes including many of those inspired by superstring theory. We discuss the implications of this fact and construct a toy omion model.
Infrared properties of AsχTe1−χ glasses

Abstract Infrared reflection and transmission measurements in AsχTe1−χ glasses (45≲×≲55) show well-defined Gaussian vibrational absorption peaks. Comparisons with spectra observed in crystalline and glassy As2S3 and As2Se3 indicate that the local order in AsχTe1−χ glasses is not like that found in crystalline As2Te3, but rather it consists primarily of AsTe3 pyramids which are probably linked together in a fashion similar to that found in As2S3 and As2Se3.
The Normative Male Alexithymia Scale: Measurement of a Gender-Linked Syndrome

This series of studies assessed the psychometric properties of the Normative Male Alexithymia Scale (NMAS), a brief scale designed to assess normative male alexithymia. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using separate samples (n = 248 and 467, respectively) indicated that the NMAS consist
Anomalies, Levinson's theorem, and fermion determinants.

d-dimensional Dirac operators are studied using nonrelativistic scattering theory in one higher dimension, and Abelian axial anomalies are examined using a generalization of Levinson's theorem. The formalism is useful in the analysis of instanton-induced symmetry breaking, in particular when the computations must be performed on an open space. This is demonstrated by clarifying the relations between instantons, fermion zero modes, and symmetry breaking.
An optimized scaled neural branch predictor

Conditional branch prediction remains one of the most important enabling technologies for high-performance microprocessors. A small improvement in accuracy can result in a large improvement in performance as well as a significant reduction in energy wasted on wrong-path instructions. Neural-based branch predictors have been among the most accurate in the literature. The recently proposed scaled neural analog predictor, or SNAP, builds on piecewise-linear branch prediction and relies on a mixed analog/digital implementation to mitigate latency as well as power requirements over previous neural predictors. We present an optimized version of the SNAP predictor, hybridized with two simple two-level adaptive predictors. The resulting optimized predictor, OH-SNAP, delivers very high accuracy compared with other state-of-the-art predictors.
LIFETIME REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS, SELECTION, AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SELECTION IN THE WHITE-TAILED SKIMMER PLATHEMIS LYDIA (ODONATA: LIBELLULIDAE).

We present estimates of lifetime reproductive success in Plathemis lydia, a territorial dragonfly. We partition the opportunity for selection into multiplicative episodes using the tech- niques of Arnold and Wade (1984a, 1984b) and measure selection on several morphological and behavioral characters. For both sexes, variance in survivorship was the largest contribution to variance in lifetime reproductive success. Covariance effects are also strong for both sexes, sug- gesting considerable non-independence of episodes. Opportunity for selection calculated on a daily basis did not approximate analogous values determined from lifetime reproductive success. Phenotypic characters for which we investigated selection included body mass, hind wing length, first date of reproduction, and (for males) an index of territorial aggressiveness. We failed to find any significant direct targets of selection in either males or females. However, the combined effects of direct and indirect selection on early reproduction were significant for males, acting primarily through increased survivorship and increased time per day spent at the pond. Similarly, females present earlier in the season had shorter interclutch intervals. Partitioning of selection acting on male hind wing length and on aggressiveness reveals relationships between selective episodes, possibly indicative of phenotypic trade-offs between natural and sexual selection through male- male competition for females. Division of selection into episodes is a useful technique for identifying the source of selection. However, ordering effects can bias results, except when episodes occur in strictly chronological sequence. We present a method for circumventing this difficulty.
List-Decoding for the Arbitrarily Varying Channel Under State Constraints

List-decoding for arbitrarily varying channels (AVCs) under state constraints is investigated. It is shown that rates within ϵ of the randomized coding capacity of AVCs with input-dependent state can be achieved under maximal error with list-decoding using lists of size O(1/ϵ). Under the average error criterion, an achievable rate and converse bound are given for lists of size L . These bounds are based on two different notions of symmetrizability and do not coincide in general. An example is given which shows that for list size L , the capacity may be positive but strictly smaller than the randomized coding capacity, in contrast to the situation without constraints.
Sperm biology and control of reproduction in sturgeon: (I) testicular development, sperm maturation and seminal plasma characteristics

Sturgeon (Chondrostei, Acipenseriformes) are threatened or endangered species due to overfishing and environmental degradation causing disruption of natural reproduction. Commercial sturgeon aquaculture and conservation program requires broodfish management as well as biogeographical and biological knowledge. Therefore, control of sturgeon reproduction in captivity can become as a valid tool in the field of sustainable development. The main objectives of the present review were to summarize, describe and synthesize available data about neuroendocrine control of testicular development, spermiation induction, seminal plasma characteristics and factors affecting sperm quality. In sturgeon, puberty usually occurs late in life and adult males do not spawn on an annual basis. Gonadal differentiation and spermatogonia proliferation occurs at 1–2 and 2–3 year-old, respectively. In spermatogenesis, environmental stimuli affect hypothalamus to release GnRH, which induce FSH release from pituitary stimulating testicular androgenesis, which is involved in spermatogonial proliferation and spermatogenesis. At spawning season, GnRH stimulates LH production from pituitary, regulating 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one production in testis, which control sperm maturation. In captivity, hormonal treatment is essential to induce spermiation. Chemical and biochemical compounds of the seminal plasma are important to protect viability, motility and fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa. Several kinds of acrosomal enzymes have been identified in sturgeon seminal plasma; higher concentrations reported in the frozen/thawed than fresh sperm suggesting their origination from spermatozoa. Moreover, there are numerous factors that influence on sperm quality including temperature, methods for spermiation induction, stripping frequency and stress.
The impact of market state information on inventory performance

This research studies the impact of market state information on the long run average cost of a single item inventory system facing dynamic, random demand. The probability distribution of the demand in any time period is determined by the current market state in that period which is modelled as a Markov chain. The inventory manager must infer the market state from the demand observations and a market state signal that is not necessarily accurate. The proposed model accommodates a range of different levels of accuracy for this market state information. The computational results indicate that the value of the market information increases at an increasing rate as the accuracy increases suggesting a strong, persistent value from increasing the information accuracy. The computational results also characterise the effects of lead time, the difference between the market state distributions, autocorrelation, and service level on the value of the market state information.
The Nucleophilic Substitution of Various Substituted Fluoroarenetricarbonylchromium Complexes with Methoxide

Abstract The tricarbonylchromium complexes of a variety of di- and trisubstituted fluoro- and difluoroarenes have been reacted in refluxing methoxide/methanol to yield SNAr-type substitution products. The reaction mixtures were analyzed by glpc and nmr. Methoxide substitution of each fluoride in the complexes occurred rapidly. These are the first examples of the substitution of two fluorides in a tricarbonylchromium complex by a nucleophile. Fluoride was displaced from arenes containing alkyl, methoxy, amino, and alkylamino substituents.
Adhesion of Dry Seasoning Particles onto Tortilla Chip

In a wind tunnel experiment, the amount of seasoning retained by a fried tortilla chip when exposed to air at different flow rates (0.516 to 1.115 m/s) and angles of inclination (0° to 60°) was measured. The inferred adhesion force of seasoning particle and chip surface using boundary layer theory increased with seasoning particle size (32 to 300 μm), oil content of tortilla chip (24% to 32%), viscosity (55.9 to 72.2 cP), and surface tension (27.5 to 34.1 mN/m) of oil and was in the range of 1.6 x 10 - 9 to 3.3 x 10 - 7 N. The calculated values of adhesion force accounting for van der Waals, electrostatic, and capillary forces showed the same qualitative trend as the experimental data.
Selective amplification of neural spike responses

Abstract An instrument has been described that may be employed to selectively amplify isolated random digital neural events. The wave form of the spike and background are preserved, but the relative amplitude changed.
Sparse Overcomplete Representations for Efficient Identification of Power Line Outages

Fast and accurate unveiling of power-line outages is of paramount importance not only for preventing faults that may lead to blackouts, but also for routine monitoring and control tasks of the smart grid, including state estimation and optimal power flow. Existing approaches are either challenged by the combinatorial complexity issues involved and are thus limited to identifying single and double line-outages or they invoke less pragmatic assumptions such as conditionally independent phasor angle measurements available across the grid. Using only a subset of voltage phasor angle data, the present paper develops a near real-time algorithm for identifying multiple line outages at the affordable complexity of solving a sparse signal reconstruction problem via either greedy steps or coordinate descent iterations. Recognizing that the number of line outages is a small fraction of the total number of lines, the novel approach relies on reformulating the DC linear power flow model as a sparse overcomplete expansion and leveraging contemporary advances in compressive sampling and variable selection. This sparse representation can also be extended to incorporate available information on the internal system and more general line-parameter faults. Analysis and simulated tests on 118-, 300-, and 2383-bus systems confirm the effectiveness of identifying sparse power line outages.
Cirrus Clouds. Part I: A Cirrus Cloud Model

Abstract A two-dimensional (x, z), time-dependent, numerical cloud model is developed for the purpose of investigating the role of various physical processes involved in the maintenance of cirriform clouds. In addition to accounting for dynamic and thermodynamic processes including phase changes of water, effects due to microphysical composition and radiative processes are also explicitly incorporated into the model. Diagnostic parameterizations for the local radiative properties of cloudy volumes and the gravity induced relative fall speed of the contained ice water are presented. Results of a simulation of a thin cirrostratus cloud are given. Features of the simulated cloud structure are quite realistic. Quantitative agreement is found between the simulated ice water contents and vertical motions and comparable observations. It is shown that radiative effect may be very significant in the maintenance of cirrus. The effects of the gravity-induced relative fall speed of ice crystals are found to be of cri...
To Overtest Or Not To Overtest - More Questions Than Answers

Summary form only given. Overtesting occurs when a defect that would not be detected under functional operation conditions of a chip is detected due to non-functional conditions created during test application. More generally, overtesting refers to a failure of a chip that occurs during test application when the chip would operate correctly in functional mode. Thus, overtesting results in yield loss that is arguably unnecessary. Overtesting was reported under two-pattern scan-based tests applied for detecting transition faults. However, a wider range of test and defect types may be involved in overtesting. This talk reviews the existing methodologies for addressing overtesting. These methodologies can be broadly classified as based on redundant faults, or based on operation conditions. Methodologies based on redundant faults attempt to prevent faults, which do not affect the functional operation of the circuit, from being detected. Methodologies based on operation conditions attempt to ensure that non-functional operation, which is made possible by scan (or other design-for-testability logic), is avoided. Functional operation conditions in these methodologies are defined to occur when the circuit is in its reachable state space. For a synchronizable circuit, this includes every state that the circuit can visit after synchronization. This talk discusses the fundamental differences between these methodologies, their advantages and limitations. The differences between the methodologies can be seen from the following: 1) A detectable fault may have a test that detects it using a non-reachable state. 2) A redundant fault may become detectable under scan using a reachable state. The talk also raises questions related to overtesting, including the following: 1) Should overtesting (always) be avoided? 2) Should avoidance of overtesting focus only on transition (delay) faults and scan based tests? 3) Even if testing under functional operation conditions can achieve complete fault coverage, is the test set comprehensive enough? 4) Is there a preferred class of methodologies for avoiding overtesting?
Vascular Preservation During Arthroscopic Osteoplasty of the Femoral Head-Neck Junction: A Cadaveric Investigation

Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate the risk of vascular injury with arthroscopic osteoplasty of the femoral head-neck junction in a cadaveric model. Methods: Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric pelvi were used for arthroscopic osteoplasty of a predetermined 150° arc of resection along the anterior femoral head-neck junction. Postoperatively, injection studies of the deep femoral arteries were performed on all specimens to identify local extravasation of neoprene latex before polymerization as a reproducible indicator of vascular injury. Control specimens included 1 specimen without an osteoplasty and 1 specimen after an "aggressive" open osteoplasty with intention to violate the superior retinacular vessels. Results: The first control specimen showed complete filling of the superior retinacula branches, whereas the second control specimen had evidence of intracapsular latex extravasation. In 7 of 8 experimental specimens, there was near-to-complete filling of the superior and inferior retinacula branches with no signs of latex extravasation. In 1 specimen, no superior retinacular branches were identified; however, no extravasation of the latex material was noted. No injury to the main extracapsular branches of the medial or lateral femoral circumflex vessels was noted. We noted on average 3 superior retinacular vessels penetrating the posterior-superior head-neck junction. Conclusions: There was no evidence of vascular injury to the main blood supply of the femoral head in any of the 8 experimental specimens as noted by latex extravasation. These findings show that arthroscopic osteoplasty can be performed without disrupting the vascular supply to the femoral head. Clinical Relevance: This article has important information on the relation of vascular structures and the resection limit with arthroscopic osteoplasty of the femoral head-neck junction.
The treatment of giant hairy pigmented n˦vi of the face

Summary After a review of the incidence of malignant change in n˦vi, serial excision of giant n˦vi of the face employing an advancement-rotation flap from the neck and skin grafts for the remaining facial areas is advocated. The results obtained by this technique are demonstrated in two cases.
Meaningful experiences in medicine

What makes the practice of medicine meaningful to physicians ? In June 1986, we participated in a discussion with a group of clinicians and teachers in medical schools. We spent several hours defining concepts, such as the term «meaningful.» We decided to elicit this richness by telling stories of actual interactions with patients. Our stories dealt with the human context of medicine, with the life experiences, of taking care of the ill and being ill, that we and our patients undergo. The clinicians in these stories did not separate their roles as doctors, providing diagnoses and treatments, from their personal roles with patients. In this article, we relate three «stories» with our comments. To retain the voices of the participants, these stories have been edited minimally
Raman microprobe assessment of low-pressure chemical vapor deposition-grown 4HSiC epilayers

Abstract Raman microprobe measurements have been made on several 4HSiC epilayers grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The peak intensity of the TO phonon at 795.7 cm −1 normalized by that of the TO phonon at 775.0 cm −1 was found to vary with the growth conditions as well as localized microstructural disorder. The relative intensity of the LO peak at 961.6 cm −1 was also affected by localized microstructural disorder. The dependence of the relative intensities of these two Raman scattering peaks on the morphology as well as the growth conditions provides important insight into the application of Raman scattering measurements to evaluating the quality of 4HSiC epilayers.
Light induced changes in the protein fluorescence of rhodopsin

Abstract In The present note we describe the light induced changes in the protein fluorescence of the frog retina and of rod-outer segments prepared from cattle retinas. In each case the emission is presumably from the tryptophan residues within the visual pigment protein as discussed by Ebrey (1972) , since it is observed in the 350–360 nm region using excitation at 290 nm. It was our intent to use the fluorescence of opsin then as a probe of molecular events subsequent to the absorption of light.
Operative experience of U.S. general surgery residents in thyroid and parathyroid disease

Background. We wanted to determine whether the experience of general surgery residents is adequate and effective. Methods. The Resident Statistic Summaries (Report C) of the Residency Review Committee (Surgery) for 8 academic years from 1986 through 1994 were analyzed. The main outcome measurements were total number of residents and programs, average number of operations performed, maximum number of operations performed, standard deviation, and the most common number of operations performed. Results. For thyroidectomy the average per resident ranged from 10.3 to 12.6. The maximum ranged from 52 to 102. The standard deviations ranged from 6.96 to 8. The most common number of thyroidectomies performed ranged from 7 to 10 per graduating resident. For parathyroidectomy the average ranged from 4.1 to 5.1, the standard deviations were 3.44 to 4, the maximum ranged from 25 to 60, and the most common number performed was 2. Conclusions. U.S. graduates have highly variable experience in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Most residents have inadequate experience in parathyroid surgery and marginal experience in thyroid surgery.
Arc-Free Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma Jets: A Review

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jets/plumes are playing an increasingly important role in various plasma processing applications. This is because of their practical capability to provide plasmas that are not spatially bound or confined by electrodes. This capability is very desirable in many situations such as in biomedical applications. Various types of ‘cold’ plasma jets have, therefore, been developed to better suit specific uses. In this paper a review of the different cold plasma jets developed to date is presented. The jets are classified according to their power sources, which cover a wide frequency spectrum from DC to microwaves. Each jet is characterized by providing its operational parameters such as its electrodes system, plasma temperature, jet/plume geometrical size (length, radius), power consumption, and gas mixtures used. Applications of each jet are also briefly covered.
A Study of Time Variations of UV Continuum and Emission Lines in 3C390.3

Based on the IUE SWP spectra obtained between 1978 and 1994, the variations of the UV continuum and the Ly-alpha and C IV emission lines of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C390.3 are studied. The UV continuum between 1220 and 1990 A has varied considerably. In 1991 August, the flux at 1360 A reached a maximum level ~27 times as high as its minimum level. At 1850 A, the continuum varies by a factor of ~12. Significant variations are frequently observed in periods as short as one month. The total flux of Ly-alpha and C IV emission varies by a factor of ~5. Their profiles are fitted with one narrow component, unresolved at the instrumental resolution of FWHM ~2000 km/s, and three broad components (FWHM ~6000 km/s). The narrow component varies by a factor of ~2.5. The broad components on the blue and red wings of the Ly-alpha and C IV emission profile, which correspond to the double humps in the H-alpha and H-beta emission feature, display a close correlation to the varying continuum, with a time lag of ~45 days. The blue Ly-alpha component has been stronger than the red component except for several epochs in 1980 and 1991. The C IV/Ly-alpha flux ratio is ~0.4 for the narrow component. For the broad components, this ratio varies considerably around an average value of unity. In 1991 March, the blue Ly-alpha component was stronger than the red, while for C IV the red component was stronger. Such differential variations do not match the accretion disk characteristics. The findings suggest that the narrow- and broad-line region in 3C 390.3 may be associated with a radio jet.
Long-term clinical outcomes in women with breast pain in the absence of additional clinical findings: mammography remains indicated

The purpose of the study was to determine the long-term clinical outcomes of women with breast pain in the absence of additional symptoms or signs (isolated breast pain), and the utility of mammography in their work-up. IRB approved, HIPAA compliant study retrospectively reviewed 1,386 patients referred for breast imaging with ICD-9 code for breast pain between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2007. Of these, 617 consecutive women (mean age, 49 years) with isolated breast pain, mammogram, and follow-up (mean, 51 months) constituted the study group. Clinical data, mammographic and sonographic BI-RADS assessments, and geographic relationship between the site of cancer and pain were evaluated. The frequency of malignancies and of specific benign outcomes, both at and subsequent to the time of presentation, was determined. Breast cancer and specific benign outcomes were diagnosed in the painful breast of 11/617 (1.8 %) and 63/617 (10.2 %) women, respectively. Majority of the cancers (9/11, 81.8 %) were diagnosed subsequent (5–52 months) to initial imaging evaluation, whereas the majority of benign outcomes (52/63, 82.5 %) were diagnosed at initial presentation. Diagnostic mammography at initial presentation had a negative predictive value of 99.8 % (95 % CI 99.1 %, 100 %), specificity of 98.5 % (95 % CI 97.2 %, 99.3 %), and sensitivity of 66.7 % (95 % CI 11.6 %, 94.5 %). Three cancers were subsequently diagnosed in the contralateral (non-painful) breast. Eleven of 14 (78.6 %) cancers were in the symptomatic breast, of which 9 (81.8 %) geographically corresponded to the same area of focal pain. Thus, infrequently, breast cancer may clinically present as or be preceded by isolated breast pain and diagnostic mammography is useful for assessment.
Planning Threatened: A Preliminary Report of Planners and Political Conflict

The prospect of political conflict frequently threatens planners. Interviews with a sample of 60 Chicago planners indicates the incidence of job threatening political conflicts may be as high as one in two. In contrast, one in three admitted purposefully avoiding the danger of political disputes altogether. In describing efforts to prevent or cope with political conflict, planners reveal ambivalence about the expectations of their professional role and the uncertainties of political practice. For instance, winners usually claim victory based on professional prowess. Losers blame defeat on the power of their opponents. Despite the popularity of political avoidance and individual professionalism among planners, most agree they would like to know politically experienced colleagues to whom they could turn for advice when under attack. Planners may be willing to trade off some of the alleged virtue of professional autonomy for a bit of personal and practical solidarity.
A New Kalman-Filter-Based Framework for Fast and Accurate Visual Tracking of Rigid Objects

The best of Kalman-filter-based frameworks reported in the literature for rigid object tracking work well only if the object motions are smooth (which allows for tight uncertainty bounds to be used for where to look for the object features to be tracked). In this contribution, we present a new Kalman-filter-based framework that carries out fast and accurate rigid object tracking even when the object motions are large and jerky. The new framework has several novel features, the most significant of which is as follows: the traditional backtracking consists of undoing one-at-a-time the model-to-scene matchings as the pose-acceptance criterion is violated. In our new framework, once a violation of the pose-acceptance criterion is detected, we seek the best largest subset of the candidate scene features that fulfill the criterion, and then continue the search until all the model features have been paired up with their scene correspondents (while, of course, allowing for nil-mapping for some of the model features). With the new backtracking framework, our Kalman filter is able to update on a real-time basis the pose of a typical industrial 3-D object moving at the rate of approximately 5 cm/s (typical for automobile assembly lines) using off-the-shelf PC hardware. Pose updating occurs at the rate of 7 frames per second and is immune to large jerks introduced manually as the object is in motion. The objects are tracked with an average translational accuracy of 4.8 mm and the average rotational accuracy of 0.27deg.
An alternative approach of acousto-ultrasonic technique for monitoring material anisotropy of fiber-reinforced composites

An alternative acousto-ultrasonic (AU) technique has been developed for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of fiber-reinforced composites. The technique measures the time of flight (TOF) of AU waves, instead of the stress wave factor, by two low-frequency (0.5 MHz) transducers and relates TOF to material properties and fiber orientation. As the transducer separation increases, the measured time-domain AU signals clearly separate into two groups, since the excitation is under the first critical frequency, which correspond to the first two fundamental modes of the Lamb waves. One is an antisymmetric mode with slower propagation velocity and is highly dispersive, while the other is a symmetric mode with faster propagation velocity, which is very close to that of the longitudinal bulk wave, and is nearly nondispersive. The phase velocity in the composites can be accurately determined from the slopes of the TOF curves, and depends strongly on the azimuthal angle, frequency, and plate thickness. If the wave propagates away from the fiber direction, a slower but more attenuated wave is observed. Phase-velocity curves in azimuthal angles were obtained for E-glass/polyester, S-2-glass/epoxy, and Kevlar 49 composites. The theoretical solutions, for the longitudinal bulk wave and Lamb wave, are obtained by solving an eigenproblem once the material mechanical properties are defined. Good agreement is obtained between the measurements and the theoretical calculations. >
Benign, 3D encapsulation of sensitive mammalian cells in porous silica gels formed by Lys–Sil nanoparticle assembly

Abstract Benign encapsulation of living cells within stable, permselective materials holds exciting prospects for implantable autonomous therapeutics, but is challenged by the demand by such applications for materials bearing an optimal combination of microstructure, stability, and functionality. Here, we look to harness so-called Lys–Sil sols composed of stable and size-tunable silica nanoparticles in aqueous solutions of the basic amino acid l -Lysine for encapsulation of living mammalian cells. We highlight the benign and tunable solution conditions (i.e., particle size, pH, low concentration of oligomeric silicate species) of Lys–Sil sols, and demonstrate the remarkably robust particle stability in solutions ranging in complexity from purified water to cell growth media. Mammalian cells are encapsulated by dispersion in growth media containing Lys–Sil nanoparticles, the assembly of which is triggered by titration with di-lysine. We study the encapsulation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), chosen as a sensitive representative mammalian cell line. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) of the encapsulated cells and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the growth media in contact with them are employed for complementary assessment of cell viability. Results suggest that the physiologically relevant conditions of the Lys–Sil sol promote the sustained viability of the encapsulated mammalian cells, and further underscore the potentially broader applicability of these sols for other benign materials syntheses.
CSF-1 Receptor Signaling in Myeloid Cells

The CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) is activated by the homodimeric growth factors colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and interleukin-34 (IL-34). It plays important roles in development and in innate immunity by regulating the development of most tissue macrophages and osteoclasts, of Langerhans cells of the skin, of Paneth cells of the small intestine, and of brain microglia. It also regulates the differentiation of neural progenitor cells and controls functions of oocytes and trophoblastic cells in the female reproductive tract. Owing to this broad tissue expression pattern, it plays a central role in neoplastic, inflammatory, and neurological diseases. In this review we summarize the evolution, structure, and regulation of expression of the CSF-1R gene. We discuss the structures of CSF-1, IL-34, and the CSF-1R and the mechanism of ligand binding to and activation of the receptor. We further describe the pathways regulating macrophage survival, proliferation, differentiation, and chemotaxis downstream from the CSF-1R.
Green synthesis of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)–cellulose nanofibril (CNF) hybrid aerogels and their use as superabsorbents

Cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)–cellulose nanofibril (CNF) hybrid organic aerogels were prepared using an environmentally friendly freeze-drying process. The resulting PVA/CNF aerogel was rendered both superhydrophobic and superoleophilic after being treated with methyltrichlorosilane via a simple thermal chemical vapor deposition process. Successful silanization on the surface of the porous aerogel was confirmed by various techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and contact angle measurements. The silane-treated, cross-linked PVA/CNF aerogels not only exhibited excellent absorption performance for various types of oils (e.g., crude oil) or organic solvents (with a typical weight gain ranging from 44 to 96 times of their own dry weight), but also showed a remarkable scavenging capability for several types of heavy metal ions tested (e.g., Pb2+, Hg2+), making them versatile absorbents for various potential applications including water purification. Furthermore, these PVA/CNF aerogels demonstrated excellent elasticity and mechanical durability after silane-treatment as evidenced by the cyclic compression tests.
Facing Risk: Levinas, Ethnography, and Ethics

This article examines methodological and ethical issues of ethnographic research through the lens of Emmanuel Levinas's philosophy. Levinas is relevant to a critical analysis of ethnographic methods because his philosophy turns on the problematic relationship between self and other, among other important problems that define and guide contemporary anthropological research, including questions of responsibility, justice, and solidarity. This article utilizes Levinas's philosophy to outline a phenomenology of the “doing” of fieldwork, emphasizing the contingency of face-to-face encounters over controlled research design. This account provides a basis for going beyond the polarized opposition between objective and subjective ethnographic approaches. Levinas allows for an ethically informed ethnography premised upon an acknowledgement of risk and uncertainity over researcher control or reflexivity. Providing a handful of concrete examples, the article argues that critical self-reflection about the fundamental face-to-face dimension of fieldwork is central to ethnography's ethical possibilities.
Equivalent circuit model for a waveguide probe exciting a dielectric resonator antenna

A simple equivalent circuit model for arbitrarily loaded waveguide probes is constructed and employed to analyze the problem of a probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna (DRA). Expressions for the circuit parameters in terms of the probe length and position in the waveguide are obtained and can thus be easily optimized in the circuit simulator environment. The circuit parameters are determined by equating the reflection coefficient obtained through the method of moments (MoM) solution to that obtained using circuit analysis. The circuit model naturally allows the extension to the array problem, where the DRA array can be modeled using the multiport Z-matrix.