cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thought-action fusion in individuals with OCD symptoms.

Abstract Rachman ( Rachman, S. (1993). Obsessions, responsibility, and guilt. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31, 149–154 ) suggested that patients with OCD may interpret thoughts as having special importance, thus experiencing thought–action fusion (TAF). Shafran, Thordarson and Rachman (Shafran, R., Thordarson, D. S. & Rachman, S. (1996). Thought–action fusion in obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 710, 379–391) developed a questionnaire (TAF) and found that obsessives scored higher than non-obsessives on the measure. In the current study, we modified the TAF to include a scale that assessed the “likelihood of events happening to others” as well as ratings of the responsibility and cost for having these thoughts. Replicating previous findings, we found that individuals with OC symptoms gave higher ratings to the likelihood of negative events happening as a result of their negative thoughts. Individuals with OC symptoms also rated the likelihood that they would prevent harm by their positive thoughts higher than did individuals without OC symptoms. These results suggest that the role of thought–action fusion in OCs may extend to exaggerated beliefs about thoughts regarding the reduction of harm.
A prolonged outbreak of polioencephalomyelitis due to infection with a group I porcine enterovirus

A commercial swineherd in Indiana experienced high death loss of nursery pigs with neurologic disorders for a prolonged period. Polioencephalomyelitis was the consistent histopathological lesion in affected animals. A porcine enterovirus (PEV) classified to group I was isolated from spinal cords and brains collected from the affected animals. The isolate (ISUVDL 200103183) was determined to belong to either serogroup 5 or 6 at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA. No other significant viral or bacterial agents were isolated from or detected in the animals. A prospective longitudinal serological monitoring of pigs in the index herd for the PEV isolate revealed that colostrum-derived neutralizing antibodies to the virus rapidly declined, and by the age of 21 days the majority of piglets had no or minimal neutralizing antibody against the virus. Seroconversion to the virus then coincided with increased mortality in the herd. Results of diagnostic and cohort observations supported a diagnosis of PEV infection as the cause of the prolonged outbreak of "polio." Investigation into factors that may be contributing to the prolonged problem is currently in progress.
Applied Attention-Related Strategies for Coaches

The concept of understanding attention and its importance to learning and performance has been established in the literature and on the playing field. The identification and application of key attention-related concepts that are useful to athletes can emphasize the following theoretical concepts: (a) attentional focus, (b) arousal, (c) self-talk, and (d) range of motion restriction. The applications of specific strategies (including how to design your own self-talk) that target the aforementioned concepts to improve performance are explained through examples of activities or scenarios appropriate for coaches. Additionally, this manuscript provides suggestions that will improve performance by enhancing an athlete's attentional skills.
Living Kidney Donor Follow-up: State-of-the-art and Future Directions

Long-term living kidney donor follow-up has not been considered necessary by many living kidney donor programs because a large number of single-center studies show that living kidney donation is associated with minimal mortality and morbidity. However, some transplant professionals and, more importantly, living donors disagree. To evaluate the need for more data on living kidney donor outcomes, a conference was held in September 2010 (Leichtman and colleagues: Am J Transplant 11: 2561-2568, 2011). Participants were health care professionals, living donors, members of the United Network for Organ Sharing, Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and insurance companies. This article will discuss the status of living donor follow-up in the context of the follow-up conference. It will also provide a slightly different viewpoint of provider responsibility for donor follow-up than that presented by the conference report.
Multiple chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries: state-level variations in prevalence, utilization, and cost, 2011.

Objectives Individuals with multiple (>2) chronic conditions (MCC) present many challenges to the health care system, such as effective coordination of care and cost containment. To assist health policy makers and to fill research gaps on MCC, we describe state-level variation of MCC among Medicare beneficiaries, with a focus on those with six or more conditions. Methods Using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrative data for 2011, we characterized a beneficiary as having MCC by counting the number of conditions from a set of fifteen conditions, which were identified using diagnosis codes on the claims. The study population included fee-for-service beneficiaries residing in the 50 U.S. states and Washington, DC. Results Among beneficiaries with six or more chronic conditions, prevalence rates were lowest in Alaska and Wyoming (7%) and highest in Florida and New Jersey (18%); readmission rates were lowest in Utah (19%) and highest in Washington, DC (31%); the number of emergency department visits per beneficiary were lowest in New York and Florida (1.6) and highest in Washington, DC (2.7); and Medicare spending per beneficiary was lowest in Hawaii ($24,086) and highest in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Louisiana (over $37,000). Conclusion These findings expand upon prior research on MCC among Medicare beneficiaries at the national level and demonstrate considerable state-level variation in the prevalence, health care utilization, and Medicare spending for beneficiaries with MCC. State-level data on MCC is important for decision making aimed at improved program planning, financing, and delivery of care for individuals with MCC.
Bacterial induced activation of an Arabidopsis phenylalanine ammonia-lyase promoter in transgenic tobacco plants

Abstract Two chimeric gene fusions of the Arabidopsis phenylalanine ammonia-lyase promoter (PAL1) with the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene were introduced into tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ) plants for studying the functional properties of this promoter in response to bacterial infection. The distribution of GUS expression in the transgenic tobacco was highly similar to that of endogenous PAL1 transcripts in Arabidopsis . Infiltration of leaves of transgenic tobacco plants containing the PAL1-GUS gene fusion with Pseudomonas solanacearum strain K60 (compatible) or B1 (incompatible) resulted in a rapid activation of GUS expression. The temporal induction pattern elicited by B1 was characterized by a faster rise rate, and higher peak GUS activity than that by K60. A rapid drop in GUS activity was observed by 12 h in leaves infiltrated with B1 but not in those infiltrated with K60. Spatial pattern analysis revealed that GUS expression in the leaves infiltrated with B1 exhibited a spread pattern, while GUS expression in the leaves infiltrated with K60 remained localized. Infiltration of the transgenic tobacco leaves with heat-killed cells of K60 or B1 generated a massive and long-lived induction profile of GUS expression as compared to that in leaves infiltrated with live cells of K60 or B1. Our results suggest that operation of Arabidopsis PAL1 gene is conserved between Arabidopsis and tobacco. The expression pattern of the PAL1-GUS gene in tobacco may serve as an indicator for expression of the endogenous tobacco PAL gene.
Molecular origins of surface poisoning during CO oxidation over RuO2(110)

Metal oxides are of interest as environmental oxidation catalysts, but practical applications are often limited by poorly understood surface poisoning processes. RuO2 is active for CO oxidation under UHV conditions but is deactivated by some surface poisoning processes at ambient pressures. In this work, we report kinetic models of surface poisoning during CO oxidation over RuO2(1 1 0), based on data obtained from plane-wave, supercell DFT calculations. While a surface carbonate CO32- is stable at low O2 pressures and high CO2 exposures, it is not stable under catalytic conditions. A surface bicarbonate HCO3- is more stable and deactivates the RuO2 surface over a wide range of CO and oxygen pressures in the presence of trace amounts of water.
Optimal Bidding, Scheduling, and Deployment of Battery Systems in California Day-Ahead Energy Market

An optimal supply and demand bidding, scheduling, and deployment design framework is proposed for battery systems. It takes into account various design factors such as the day-ahead and real-time market prices and their statistical dependency, as well as the location, size, efficiency, lifetime, and charge and discharge rates of the batteries. Utilizing second-life/used batteries is also considered. Without loss of generality, our focus is on the California Independent System Operator (ISO) energy market and its two available bidding options, namely self-schedule bidding and economic bidding. While the formulated stochastic optimization problems are originally nonlinear and difficult to solve, we propose a methodology to decompose them into inner and outer subproblems. Accordingly, we find the global optimal solutions within a short amount of computational time. All case studies in this paper are based on real market data.
On the current-driven magnetization dynamics

Electric currents flowing perpendicularly through a spin valve produce a spin transfer torque on magnetization of the free layer. The spin torque displays many unique features that are different from the magnetic field driven torques. This article reviews current understanding on the current-driven magnetization dynamics, with the emphasis on chaotic dynamics.
Octahedral to trigonal prismatic distortion driven by subjacent orbital π antibonding interactions and modulated by ligand redox noninnocence

Ru(ONO)2 and Os(ONO)2 distort from octahedral towards trigonal prismatic geometry in order to relieve π antibonding due to donation from the second-highest ligand orbital to the metal. Increasing oxidation of the ONO ligand suppresses distortion by increasing σ* interactions in the trigonal prism.
Glucocorticoid Therapy in Giant Cell Arteritis: Duration and Adverse Outcomes

Objective To evaluate the course of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and associated adverse events in a population-based cohort of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Methods We identified 125 Olmsted County residents with GCA diagnosed between 1950 and 1991 and obtained followup information on the 120 patients who were diagnosed antemortem and agreed to participate in this study. Clinical variables, GC doses, and GC adverse events on each patient were recorded. The relationship between GC therapy and the development of adverse events was studied by the Cox and Anderson-Gill proportional hazards models. Results All patients were treated with GCs and responded rapidly (median initial dosage 60 mg prednisone/day). The dosage was later reduced according to the treating physicians' judgment. The median duration required to reach 7.5 mg/day was 6.5 months and the median duration required to reach 5 mg/day was 7.5 months. Relapses or recurrences occurred in 57 patients. For the 87 patients followed to discontinuation of GC therapy and permanent remission of GCA (median of 22 months), the total median dose of prednisone was 6.47 gm. Adverse events associated with GCs were recorded in 103 (86%) patients and 2 or more events occurred in 70 patients (58%). Age and higher cumulative dose of GCs were associated with the development of adverse GC side effects. Conclusion GCs are therapeutically effective in GCA and the prednisone dosage was reduced to physiologic levels in three-fourths of the patients within 1 year. However, most patients developed serious adverse side effects related to GCs, indicating that less toxic therapeutic measures are needed.
Origin of depositional cycles in a Permian saline giant: The Salado (McNutt zone) evaporites of New Mexico and Texas

Two types of metre-scale depositional cycles have been recognized within the McNutt Potash Zone of the Permian Salado evaporites. The cycles record progressive drawdown and concentration of brine in a shallow, marginal marine basin. "Type I" cycles, made of basal carbonate-siliciclastic mudstone, then anhydrite-polyhalite pseudomorphous after primary gypsum, overlain by halite and capped by muddy halite, are interpreted as marine sea water dominated.They formed by massive spillover of sea water through a connection with the Permian Ocean at high relative sea-level stands (lagoonal mudstone and anhydrite-polyhalite after subaqueous gypsum), followed by relative lowering of sea level and gradual basin restriction (shallow saline-lake and salt-pan halite) and ending with a desiccated basin, isolated from the Permian Ocean (salt-pan halite and saline mudflat muddy halite cycle cap). "Type II" cycles occur between the Type I cycles and contain halite overlain transitionally by muddy halite. They record a temporal evolution of environments from a shallow saline lake to an ephemeral salt-pan-saline mudflat complex and are interpreted as continental-dominated sequences sourced by meteoric inflow from surrounding land areas that mixed with variable amounts of sea water, either residual or introduced into the Salado basin by seepage. The vertical stacking of Type I cycles is best explained by periodic invasions of sea water into the Salado basin coincident with eustatic sea-level rises. The continental-dominated Type II cycles formed during intervening periods of eustatic sea-level fall and low stands. The maximum time interval between major marine incursions is an average of 10 5 yr.
Papillary thyroid adenocarcinoma with occipital lobe metastasis 48 years after original diagnosis: Case report

To the Editor,Papillary thyroid carcinoma generally follows an indolent course, and distant metastases are rare [1–3]. Distant metastases to the brain are extremely rare, and typically occur second...
A Longitudinal Analysis of the Relationship Between Fertility Timing and Schooling

This article quantifies the contribution of pre-treatment dynamic selection to the relationship between fertility timing and postsecondary attainment, after controlling for a rich set of predetermined characteristics. Eventual mothers and nonmothers are matched using their predicted birth hazard rate, which shares the desirable properties of a propensity score but in a multivalued treatment setting. I find that eventual mothers and matched nonmothers enter college at the same rate, but their educational paths diverge well before the former become pregnant. This pre-pregnancy divergence creates substantial differences in ultimate educational attainment that cannot possibly be due to the childbirth itself. Controls for predetermined characteristics and fixed effects do not address this form of dynamic selection bias. A dynamic model of the simultaneous childbirth-education sequencing decision is necessary to address it.
COLLEGE‐TO‐WORK MIGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY GRADUATES AND HOLDERS OF DOCTORATES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

This study estimates a series of random parameter logit models of the college-to-work migration decisions of technology graduates and holders of doctorates within the United States. We employ detailed information on the migration-relevant characteristics of individuals, as well as on their actual origins and destinations at the metropolitan scale. In addition to its obvious implications for “brain drain” policies in U.S. metropolitan areas, the study demonstrates the richness of the random parameters technique for behavioral-geographic analysis. We find that science and technology graduates migrate to better educated places, other things equal; that PhD graduates pay greater attention to amenity characteristics than other degree holders; and that foreign students from some immigrant groups migrate to places where those groups are concentrated.
Analysis of light Λ hyperfragments on the separable potential model (II)

Abstract The hyperfragments Λ H 3 and Λ H 4 are analysed on the separable potential model. The interaction strength parameters in the singlet and triplet states of Λ −N interaction ( λ Λ N s and λ Λ N t ) are obtained from the binding energy data of Λ H 3 and Λ H 4 , respectively. It is found that λ Λ N t is less than λ λ N max only on the assumption of a Λ+d+N structure for the λH 4 system. The total cross sections for Λ −N scattering calculated from these parameters λ Λ N s and λ Λ N t are in reasonable agreement with the available experimental data.
Middleware Support for RDMA-based Data Transfer in Cloud Computing

Providing high-speed data transfer is vital to various data-intensive applications in cloud computing systems. We design a middleware layer of high-speed communication based on Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) that serves as the common substrate to accelerate various data transfer applications in cloud computing, such as FTP, HTTP, file copy, sync and remote file I/O. This middleware offers higher end-to-end bandwidth than the traditional TCP-based alternatives, while it hides the heterogeneity of the underlying high-speed architecture. In this paper, we describe the design of this middleware, including resource abstraction, and task synchronization and scheduling. We provide a reference implementation of the file-transfer protocol over this RDMA based middleware. Our experimental results show that it outperforms several TCP-based FTP tools, such as GridFTP, while maintaining very low CPU consumption on a variety of platforms. Furthermore, these results confirm that our middleware achieves near line-speed performance in both LAN and MAN, and scales consistently from 10Gbps Ethernet to 40Gbps Ethernet and InfiniBand environments.
The Problem with Sex According to Buddhism

Abstract: This essay offers a primer for readers unfamiliar with Buddhist sexual ethics. Sex is a problem for Buddhism because it epitomizes the human predicament and the difficulty of its resolution. The essay begins with religious views of the human predicament and its resolution, and how these views shape religious ethical systems. Next follows a brief section on the Buddha and his teachings about human existence and ethical living, focusing particularly on the ultimate goal of liberation from the unsatisfactoriness of a life driven by desire. Given Buddhism's historic emphasis on a renunciatory ideal modeled by a monastic community, a substantial portion of the essay examines the disciplinary rules and sexual behaviors of Buddhist monks and nuns. Sexual ethics for lay Buddhists and non-conventional sexual categories round out the essay.
Web Analytics: A Picture of the Academic Library Web Site User

This article describes the usefulness of Web analytics for understanding the users of an academic library Web site. Using a case study, the analysis describes how Web analytics can answer questions about Web site user behavior, including when visitors come, the duration of the visit, how they get there, the technology they use, and the most popular content using an open-source Web log analysis tool. The author offers suggestions for future research into user motivations to complement the findings possible using Web analytics.
Gas chromatographic determination of helium in neutron-irradiated beryllium oxide

Abstract A method has been developed for the determination of helium produced during neutron irradiation of beryllium oxide ( 9 Be + n → 8 Be + 2n; 8 Be → 2 4 He). The sample is dissolved by refluxing in a sulphuric acid-phosphoric acid mixture in an argon atmosphere. After the sample has completely dissolved, the released helium is transferred to a gas sampling bulb by means of a Toepler pump. An activated charcoal trap cooled by liquid nitrogen is used to separate helium from argon. The helium is determined by gas chromatography using a 20-ft Linde 5A molecular sieve column.
Characterization of [125I]SCH 23982 binding in human brain: comparison with [3H]SCH 23390.

Abstract We studied binding of [ 125 I]SCH 23982 in two regions of human brain, the caudate and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Binding characteristics of [ 125 I]SCH 23982 and of the non-iodinated tritiated analogue, [ 3 H]SCH 23390, were compared. In caudate, binding of [ 125 I]SCH 23982 was consistent with binding to D 1 dopamine receptors while in frontal cortex, [ 125 I]SCH 23982 bound mostly to serotonergic 5HT 2 receptors. In contrast to [ 3 H]SCH 23390, no evidence of binding of [ 125 I]SCH 23982 to D 1 receptors could be found in human frontal cortex. This indicates that iodination of SCH 23390 induces a decrease in its relative D 1 verus 5HT 2 selectivity that prohibits the use of [ 125 I]SCH 23982 to label D 1 receptors in human cortex.
Simultaneous measurement of viscoelasticity and electrical conductivity of an electrorheological fluid

Simultaneous measurements of viscoelasticity and electrical conductivity are performed to study the dynamic characteristics of structures formed in a highly concentrated electrorheological suspension under a dc electric field of 1.8 kV/mm. Small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements reveal that there is no direct correlation between the elastic modulus and the electrical conductivity of the suspension. A significant increase in conductivity is observed following large amplitude oscillatory shear and, in this case, the linear elastic modulus is also substantially enhanced. These observations are interpreted according to the concept of contact disorder arising from the anisotropic shape of the particulate phase.
Healthy Aging Persons and Their Brains: Promoting Resilience Through Creative Engagement

Creative engagement, as an expression of and a support for resilience, may have a neuroprotective effect among older adults, contributing to retention of cognitive capacity. Recent research on creative activities shows that they strengthen social networks and give persons a sense of control; both outcomes have been associated with brain health. The authors cite evidence suggesting that positive social interactions can nurture resilience and creative engagement among older persons, including those living with dementia. The motivational, attentional, affective, and social components of creative activities combine to offer older persons meaningful opportunities to express and strengthen their resilience, regardless of their cognitive status, despite the biopsychosocial challenges of aging. The article addresses implications for future research, clinical practice, and public policy, and suggests how gaps in current research on resilience and creativity might be addressed.
Circulatory Effects of Practolol

Abstract This study was designed to assess the hemodynamic effects of practolol, a beta adrenergic blocking agent that has been shown to be relatively cardioselective and to have more negative chronotropic than negative inotropic effects. Twenty-one patients with heart disease were studied at rest, during exercise and after isoproterenol. Practolol was administered at levels of 200, 400 and 600 μg/kg. The drug had no effect on resting intracardiac pressures, including left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and it did not affect pulmonary or systemic vascular resistance, stroke work or arteriovenous oxygen difference. Doses of 400 and 600 μg/kg decreased resting heart rate and modified the tachycardia of exercise and isoproterenol. Cardiac index at rest was reduced 13 percent by higher doses. The first derivative of left ventricular pressure development (dp/dt) fell slightly, but only during exercise. In 2 patients, the competitive interaction between isoproterenol and practolol was shown by stepwise administration of increments of each drug. These data demonstrate that practolol, in appropriate doses, can be used in patients with heart disease to produce competitive beta blockade without concomitant deterioration of ventricular function.
Gaucher Disease Glucocerebrosidase and α-Synuclein Form a Bidirectional Pathogenic Loop in Synucleinopathies

Parkinson's disease (PD), an adult neurodegenerative disorder, has been clinically linked to the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease (GD), but the mechanistic connection is not known. Here, we show that functional loss of GD-linked glucocerebrosidase (GCase) in primary cultures or human iPS neurons compromises lysosomal protein degradation, causes accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn), and results in neurotoxicity through aggregation-dependent mechanisms. Glucosylceramide (GlcCer), the GCase substrate, directly influenced amyloid formation of purified α-syn by stabilizing soluble oligomeric intermediates. We further demonstrate that α-syn inhibits the lysosomal activity of normal GCase in neurons and idiopathic PD brain, suggesting that GCase depletion contributes to the pathogenesis of sporadic synucleinopathies. These findings suggest that the bidirectional effect of α-syn and GCase forms a positive feedback loop that may lead to a self-propagating disease. Therefore, improved targeting of GCase to lysosomes may represent a specific therapeutic approach for PD and other synucleinopathies.
Real-time use-aware adaptive MIMO RF receiver systems for energy efficiency under BER constraints

Modern MIMO RF transceiver systems are designed to operate reliably under diverse channel conditions leading to incorporation of significant performance margins in RF transceiver systems. In general, across dynamically varying channel conditions, the fidelity of the RF front end devices can be traded-off against power consumption without compromising system-level BER limits. In this work such a real-time performance vs. power consumption modulation of RF front-end devices in MIMO systems is demonstrated. Through a multi-dimensional optimization technique, power-optimal configuration of the front-end for varying channel conditions are created. Additionally multiple low-power operating modes for the MIMO system are proposed depending on the performance metric (data rate or energy-per-bit) that need to be optimized for different applications.
Pulmonary nodules secondary to total parenteral alimentation.

A seven-year-old male, who had a retroperitoneal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and was on total parenteral alimentation (TPN) developed multiple pulmonary nodules, indistinguishable from metastases. These proved to be multiple lipid emboli on open biopsy.
A note on the stability of Chen’s Lindahl mechanism

There are no general theoretical results on the stability of the Lindahl mechanism introduced by Chen (Econ Theory 19:773–790, 2002). We show that despite not fitting the requirements of the Milgrom and Roberts 1990 stability result for supermodular games, if the Chen mechanism induces a supermodular game, then the best reply map is a contraction. This gives us an easy to identify sufficient condition for dynamic stability of equilibrium.
Magnetic-field-induced transitions in InAs/Ga1−xAlxSb heterostructures

Abstract We have studied the two-dimensional properties of high-mobility electron-hole systems in InAs quantum wells bounded by Ga 1− x Al x Sb. By changing the alloy composition x , we are able to vary the system from quasi-semimetallic (with unequal electron and hole carrier concentrations) to semiconducting (with only electrons). Furthermore, we have observed a magnetic-field-induced semimetal-to-semi-conductor transition which manifests itself in the magnetotransport properties of samples with both carriers. This transition can be understood by considering the continuity of the Fermi energy across the InAs/Ga 1− x Al x Sb interface and the interdependence of the electron and hole densities.
Direct Administration of Insulin-Like Growth Factor to Fetal Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

A potential treatment for the amelioration of fetal growth failure is insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). To address concerns of safety and efficacy, IGF-I (80 μg/kg; GroPep Pty.) was administered ip to healthy rhesus monkey fetuses via ultrasound guidance every other day between gestational days (GD) 110–120 and 130–140 (third trimester; term = approximately GD 165 ± 10; n = 6). Pregnancies were monitored sonographically, and fetal/maternal blood samples were collected for complete blood counts, immunophenotyping, and biochemical analyses. Blood samples, external measures of the fetus and newborn, and tissue and organ weights were collected at fetal necropsy (GD 150; n = 2) or at term delivery of neonates (GD 160; n = 4). The results of these investigations have shown no evidence of hypoglycemia in the fetus or dam during the course of treatment. Circulating concentrations of fetal, but not maternal, IGF-I increased with treatment (∼80 to ∼1015 ng/ml), and there was no evidence of a change in serum IGF...
Results of penetrating keratoplasty performed with a femtosecond laser zigzag incision initial report.

Purpose To determine the initial outcomes of utilizing a femtosecond laser to perform penetrating keratoplasty incisions in a zigzag pattern. Design Retrospective consecutive surgical series. Participants Patients undergoing full-thickness corneal transplant surgery in a referral academic practice. Methods The IntraLase femtosecond laser performed matching donor and host zigzag incisions in a consistent pattern in 13 eyes of 13 patients. Main Outcome Measures Topographically determined astigmatism, imaging of incisions by anterior segment optical coherence tomography, and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA). Results Postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 9 months. Mean astigmatism was ≤3.0 diopters (D) at all intervals beginning at 1 month postoperatively. Maximum astigmatism was 4.25 D from month 3 onward. Nine eyes (69%) had ≤3 D and 6 eyes (46%) had ≤2 D by month 3. In the 8 eyes with full vision potential, 7 (87.5%) had BSCVA≥20/30 by month 3; the eighth eye had improved to 20/25 by month 6. Optical coherence tomography images showed excellent anterior and posterior wound alignment, including one eye where the running suture loosened and was fully removed before month 3. Conclusions The femtosecond laser–generated zigzag incision is biomechanically stable, resulting in excellent wound apposition, wound integrity with minimal suture tension, and recovery of good levels of BSCVA with moderate astigmatism within months of surgery.
Determining exchange splitting in a magnetic semiconductor by spin-filter tunneling.

A large exchange splitting of the conduction band in ultrathin films of the ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO was determined quantitatively, by using EuO as a tunnel barrier and fitting the current-voltage characteristics and temperature dependence to tunneling theory. This exchange splitting leads to different tunnel barrier heights for spin-up and spin-down electrons, and is large enough to produce a near fully spin-polarized current. Moreover, the magnetic properties of these ultrathin films (<6 nm) show a reduction in Curie temperature with decreasing thickness, in agreement with theoretical calculation [R. Schiller et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3847 (2001)].
Highly luminescent quantum-dot monoliths.

Large (mm−cm) free-standing CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum-dot networks (gels, xerogels, and aerogels) with high luminosity have been synthesized by oxidative removal of surface thiolate ligands from preformed core/shell particles. In contrast to analogous poorly emissive networks prepared from “naked” CdSe nanoparticles, the extent of quantum confinement in the 3-D connected solid is a function of the precursor particle size and shows little dependence on the network density.
Interleukin-1β enhanced action of kinins on extracellular matrix of spontaneous hypertensive rat cardiac fibroblasts

Interaction between an enhanced action of kinins and cytokines is accepted as important to the cardioprotective effect of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors. Kinins mediate their effects through B1 and B2 subtype receptors that may be modulated by cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β. We examined expression of kinin receptors and the effects of bradykinin (B2 agonist) and des-Arg10-kallidin (B1 agonist) on extracellular matrix components of adult rat cardiac fibroblasts with or without prior exposure to IL-1β. We compared responses of cells cultured from spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) hearts. mRNA levels of kinin receptors, procollagens, promatrix metalloproteinases (proMMP-2 and proMMP-9), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) were all assessed by a semiquantitative RT-PCR. In the absence of IL-1β, SHR cells expressed more B2 receptor, procollagen α1(I), procollagen α1(III), and proMMP-9 mRNA than WKY cells. IL-1β exposure enhanced B...
Differences in the inhibition of translation by cisplatin, transplatin, and certain related compounds

Abstract The non-therapeutic cisplatin congeners transplatin and chloroethylenetriamine platinum (dien) inhibited translation to a similar extent as cisplatin did. The ic 50 values were: cisplatin 23 μM, transplatin 54 μM, and dien 117 μM. Unlike certain heavy metal inhibitors of translation, the effect of neither cisplatin nor the congeners was reversed by 3′:5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). This suggests that the effect of these platinum compounds does not occur by the heavy metal mechanism. Polyribosomes and ribosomal subunits formed in transplatin-inhibited reactions differed from those in reactions inhibited by cisplatin. Specifically, large polyribosomes and complete 80S ribosomal subunits accumulated in the presence of transplatin. This indicates that while cisplatin slowed initiation of peptide synthesis, the trans -isomer slowed elongation. Substantive differences were not found between cisplatin and the monofunctional compound dien. This congener increased the non-peptidyl disintegrations per minute in the acid precipitates of assays containing [ 35 S]methionine. The high background indicated that an interaction between the label and a precipitable component of the system was induced by dien. However, consumption of methionine by this interaction did not appear to be the cause of the inhibition. Although there may be differences in the mechanisms of the effects, the finding that the non-therapeutic congeners inhibit translation at similar concentrations as cisplatin suggests that this inhibition is not responsible for the anticancer effect. On the other hand, the possibility that decreased translation could play an important role in the toxicity of these compounds in certain quiescent cells cannot be ruled out.
METEOR: metadata and instance extraction from object referral lists on the web

The Web has established itself as the largest public data repository ever available. Even though the vast majority of information on the Web is formatted to be easily readable by the human eye, "meaningful information" is still largely inaccessible for the computer applications. In this paper we present the METEOR system which utilizes various presentation and linkage regularities from referral lists of various sorts to automatically separate and extract metadata and instance information. Experimental results for the university domain with 12 computer science department Web sites, comprising 361 individual faculty and course home pages indicate that the performance of the metadata and instance extraction averages 85%, 88% F-measure respectively. METEOR achieves this performance without any domain specific engineering requirement.
Spin-dependent forces and electromagnetic structure of the nucleon.

The spin-dependent forces, which can arise from either nonperturbative instanton effects or perturbative color magnetic interactions, cause the difference between u-quark and d-quark spatial distributions inside the nucleon. Considering this SU(6) symmetry-breaking effect, the elastic electromagnetic nucleon form factors and static magnetic moments of octet baryons can be well reproduced in the center-of-mass (c.m.) bag model. The same spin force effects on the deep inelastic polarized structure functions are also discussed.
Scalable Multilevel Vectorless Power Grid Voltage Integrity Verification

With the current aggressive integrated circuit technology scaling, vectorless power grid voltage integrity verification becomes key to designing reliable power delivery networks. To address the challenges of existing vectorless power grid verification methods that suffer from excessively long optimization time and poor scalability to large power grid designs, in this paper, we present a scalable multilevel vectorless power grid verification method which can efficiently tackle very large scale power grid verifications. By taking advantage of a series of coarsest to coarser grid verifications, the finest power grid verification can be accomplished in a more efficient way. To gain good efficiency, global and local “critical regions” for power grid verification are introduced, while power grid structure and electrical properties are exploited to facilitate identifying the worst case voltage drops across the entire chip. The proposed multilevel power grid verification algorithm allows more flexible tradeoffs between verification cost and solution quality, while providing the desired conservative upper/lower bounds for worst case voltage drops. Extensive experimental results show that our approach can efficiently handle very large power grid designs without sacrificing the final power grid verification accuracy. For example, finding the worst voltage drop for a flip-chip power grid design with one million nodes takes less than two hours.
Neighbors' perceptions of mushroom farms at the rural/urban interface.

Changes at the rural/urban interface are presenting new challenges for many mushroom farms, who increasingly find themselves the subject of public complaints from nonfarming neighbors. Identifying the type and extent of neighbors concerns is important for farmers and local officials to respond appropriately. This study examined neighbors' perceptions of mushroom farms in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the nation's most productive mushroom producing area. Telephone interviews with 601 neighbors found about 23 percent of neighbors reported having a concern. Odors were the most common concern, held by 14 percent of respondents (and being 36 percent of all concerns). Neighbors were less likely to have concerns if they were aware of the mushroom farm before moving to the area, and more likely to have a concern if the farm changed operation after they moved. (Ed. Note: Data provided in this analysis of neighbors' attitudes are valuable to operators of composting facilities.)
Study of an Impurity Mode Through Specific Heat Measurements Between .05 and 2.5°K

A low frequency impurity mode in KCl:Li first observed through phonon resonance scattering in thermal conductivity measurements, has since been explained through tunneling states associated with a quasi-rotational motion of the small Li+ ion between its 8 equilibrium positions located in the crystallographic directions. A recent review of the extensive work which led to this model is given in ref. 1. We have investigated these tunneling states through specific heat measurements in a demagnetization cryostat.(2)
Associations of Religiousness with 12-Month Prevalence of Drug Use and Drug-Related Sex

The purpose of the present study was to examine the hypothesis that religious affiliation, attendance at religious services, and religious importance would be negatively associated with substance use and sexual behavior related to substance use. An additional hypothesis was tested to determine if age-related differences in the magnitude of these associations was present. Data from the National Survey of Family Growth were utilized to examine these hypotheses in 12,571 women and men. Results showed expected associations between religiousness and substance use and sexual behavior. No age differences in the magnitude of these associations were identified. Religiousness may offer protection from health risks, and faith-based public health efforts would do well to continue to develop education for both young and middle age individuals that incorporate key aspects of their faith and religious beliefs.
16:1 Pressure Ratio Gas Turbine Recuperator

This paper will discuss the specific development of the plate-fin type of recuperator utilized on the Ford Motor Company’s 16:1 pressure ratio, gas turbine engine.Copyright © 1969 by ASME
Reactions of trifluoroacetic acid with poly(vinyl alcohol) and its model compounds. Effect of neighboring hydroxyl groups on the reaction

Abstract : Reactions of trifluoroacetic acid with poly(vinyl alcohol) and various model alcohols were investigated by observing the fluorine and the proton magnetic resonance spectra of the reaction mixtures. At equilibrium the degree of conversion to ester under given conditions decreased in the order isopropanol, pentane-2,4-diol, heptane-2,4,6-triol and poly(vinyl alcohol). Therefore the equilibrium constant for esterification of a hydroxyl group is depressed by the presence of neighboring hydroxyl groups. It was observed that the steric structures of the models and polymers also affect the equilibrium position of the reaction and this is mainly ascribable to the fact that meso (isotactic) molecules react more slowly with the acid than do racemic (syndiotactic) molecules. In acid-catalyzed acetylation of the model alcohols with acetic acid no similar dependence on the steric configuration was found. Therefore trifluoroacetylation seems to be specific in this respect. (Author)
The 1996 elections to the Lithuanian seimas and their aftermath

(1998). The 1996 elections to the Lithuanian seimas and their aftermath. Journal of Baltic Studies: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 135-148.
A self-organizing video neuro-tracker

We investigate a radial basis function neural network for the control of a video camera for tracking a target moving at high speed. The adjusting of the weights and parameters of the network minimizes the performance measureP that is the sum of the squared errors between the target position on the screen and the center of the screen over an entire trajectory of the target. Every adjustment of a single weight requires the evaluation of the performance measure over the fixed target trajectory. A very general target trajectory is required for generalized training of the network to appropriately control any camera and target situation. The results show considerable promise for this and similar cases where a trainable controller is desired.
Knowledge representation and control in computer vision systems

The authors analyze the roles of knowledge and control in working computer vision systems, describe model-based vision approaches whereby models serve to expedite scene interpretation by providing expectations for what is likely to be seen, and examine context-free approaches wherein image features are matched against a priori specified-object descriptions. They compare knowledge representation schemes of formal logic, semantic nets, production systems, and frames with respect to procedural and descriptive capability. They discuss control strategies, highlighting issues of parallel vs. sequential control, local vs. global control, distributed vs. centralized control, and top-down vs. bottom-up approaches. The authors develop these concepts within the framework of well-known systems such as Acronym, Hearsay, and VISIONS, providing a review of the major issues in computer vision. >
Estimation of corrosion on carbon steel TRU waste drums using the poisson distribution

The number of container failures due to corrosion is estimated as a function of time for 55-gallon painted carbon steel drums under earthen cover. The calculations are performed using an empirical statistical model that assumes that the corrosion depths are given by a Poisson probability distribution parameterized by an average corrosion rate. Uncertainties in the average corrosion rate for both pitting and general corrosion are addressed, as is uncertainty in the drum wall thickness. Times for specific fractions of the population of drums to breach can be estimated in a manner that incorporates uncertainties in the corrosion process. To improve corrosion predictions, it is recommended that more data on the corrosion of carbon steel drums under earthen cover be collected in the future.
OPN02-4: Efficient Fault Detection and Localization for All-Optical Networks

We investigate the fault diagnosis problem for all- optical networks with probabilistic link and node failures in this paper. Our major contribution is the development of diagnosis algorithms that minimize the operating effort to identify failures. We achieve this by employing the fault diagnosis approach based on proactive probing with perfect feedback: knowledge of the network state is progressively refined through a sequence of optical probe signals, each of which is determined upon the results of previous probe signals (i.e. probe syndromes). To detect and localize failures in all-optical networks with probabilistic node and link failures, we introduce a network transformation that maps both link and node failures in an undirected graph into arc failures in a directed graph and apply our previously developed run-length probing scheme [1] to the directed graph. Our analytical and numerical investigation verifies our previously established guideline for efficient fault diagnosis algorithms: each probe should provide approximately 1-bit of state information, and thus the total number of probes required is approximately equal to the entropy of the network state. Hence the complexity of optical network fault management functionality is fundamentally related to the information entropy of the network state.
Institutionalist Methodology and Social Economics

In 1978, Lewis Hill, in an instructive article in the Review of Social Economy, persuasively demonstrated that “the goals and objectives of social economies are completely compatible with the philosophy and methodology of institutionalism”. Consequently, he concludes, “both schools of economic thought could be strengthened by a synthesis which would merge the goals and objectives of social economics with the pragmatic philosophy and methodology of institutional economics”. Hill arrived at this conclusion by first summarising the goals and objectives of social economics and by distilling the work of Thorstein B. Veblen, John R. Commons, Wesley Clair Mitchell and Clarence E. Ayres, thereby setting forth the philosophy and methodology of institutional economics. Noting that the “four founding fathers of institutionalism constitute an extremely diverse group of scholars”, he observed that “the only feature which ties them together…was their common acceptance of pragmatism as the philosophical basis of their economic thought”. He then identified seven aspects of the effects of pragmatism on the philosophical foundation of institutionalism. He also described five characteristics that set social economists apart.