cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 8 Contributions of the amygdalar complex to behavior in macaque monkeys

Publisher Summary Neurobehavioral investigations in monkeys support the idea that the amygdala may play a critical role not only in emotional behavior, by associating environmental stimuli with affective states, but also in cognitive behaviors without obvious affective components, by associating sensory stimuli that arise from different sensory modalities. This chapter summarizes the major anatomical relations of the amygdala to discuss how these connections may support behavior. It examines ways in which the amygdalar complex may contribute to behavior. The amygdalar complex is anatomically related both to cortical processing areas devoted to all the traditional sensory modalities, such as vision, touch, and audition, as well as to cortical and subcortical processing systems known to be related to the quasi-modality of emotion. Thus the amygdale is in a position to process information about both affective and nonaffective sensory events. Results from a few recent behavioral studies, conducted as part of a larger program investigating the neural basis for learning and memory, have been presented in the chapter to illustrate major points.
Paraho Waters—Characteristics and Analysis of Major Constituents

Eight types of water samples were obtained from the Paraho above-ground oil shale retort. These samples include three from different sampling sites on the retort, two from different sites in the oil storage facilities, and three samples from different sites at the evaporation pond. Analyses of the pH, oxidizing capacity as Eh, conductivity, alkalinity, ammonia, total sulfur, and thiosulfate are described. Also, the results of these analyses are presented for water samples prepared and stored by different methods. Special methods were developed for the conductivity analysis. The results for the total sulfur analysis are doubtful; a number of problems are still to be solved for this analysis. The water parameters that appear to be most vulnerable to handling and storage are the pH and conductivity.
A highly stretchable pH sensor array using elastomer-embedded laser carbonized patterns

This paper reports on a facile and low cost method to fabricate highly stretchable potentiometric pH sensor arrays for biomedical and wearable applications. The technique uses laser carbonization of a thermoset polymer followed by transfer and embedment of carbonized nanomaterial onto an elastomeric matrix. The process combines selective laser pyrolization/carbonization with meander interconnect methodology to fabricate stretchable conductive composites with which pH sensors can be realized. The stretchable pH sensors display a sensitivity of −51 mV/pH over the clinically-relevant range of pH 4–10. The sensors remain stable for strains of up to 50 %.
Morphometric and histological parameters in veins of diabetic patients undergoing brachiocephalic fistula placement

Diabetic patients with end-stage renal failure have higher rates of arteriovenous failures when compared with nondiabetics. The aim was to compare differences in indicators of vascular remodeling and endothelial dysfunction in veins of patients with or without diabetes at the time of surgical placement. In this prospective observational trial, vein samples were collected from patients when a brachiocephalic fistula was created. Morphometric measurements and extent of fibrosis were determined using Image J software. Histological analysis, for the presence of myofibroblasts and level of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, was performed by immunohistochemical staining and scored in semi-quantitative manner. Asymmetric dimethylarginine was determined at the time of access placement. Comparison of diabetics and nondiabetics was performed using Wilcoxon rank sum and Fisher's exact tests. Eighteen patients were included; 10 were diabetics. There was a significant difference in the measurement of vein area between groups, with diabetic vein samples having larger luminal area of average 832,001.18 μm(2) (317,582.17-3,695,670.36, P = 0.04). The maximal intimal to medial thickness ratio was higher in diabetic vein samples (0.71 vs. 0.24, P = 0.03) along with statistically significant higher maximal intimal thickness (312.12 vs. 115.14 μm, P = 0.03). There is a significant difference in vascular wall remodeling between diabetics and nondiabetics at the level of the cephalic vein at the time of brachiocephalic placement. The unexpected finding of significantly larger luminal area in diabetic veins could be a major factor positively affecting brachiocephalic outcomes in otherwise impaired remodeling in this patient population.
Mass Analyzers and Ion Detectors

The chapter examines the role of a mass analyzer in biochemical mass spectrometry. It includes common analyzer technology, such as quadrupole and time-of-flight, and the advantages and disadvantages each of these have for a biomolecule analysis. Another common characteristic of mass analyzers is their associated resolving power that can vary greatly from instrument to instrument. Higher resolution allows separation of ions according to individual isotopes or simply produces a very narrow peak allowing greater accuracy. Instruments have variations in their capabilities that depend on their design and intended purpose. This is also true for mass spectrometers; a mass analyzer contributes to the accuracy, range, and sensitivity of an instrument. The chapter illustrates a mass analyzer and its ability to separate ions. The chapter also explores how tandem mass spectrometry works and how structural information is obtained. The detection systems are also described providing a description of how ions are detected.
Warning Methods for Quality Control in Determinations of Serum Calcium

We have examined quantitative warning methods based on the measurement of controls (reference samples) to signal day-to-day displacements in determinations of serum calcium. A warning procedure that uses the mean of two control values (Method 2) was compared to a procedure that tested the two control values individually (Method 1). A simulated baseline shift was used to approximate the mechanism of day-to-day displacement. The two methods compared were calibrated to signal a warning with equal frequency in the absence of shift; then the method that signaled with highest frequency under baseline shift was judged most effective. Some statistical models were evolved for the distribution of serum calcium control values. Theoretical comparisons based on these models showed Method 2 to be more effective on the average under a broad range of conditions. However, in an empirical comparison based on 253 pairs of control values, Methods 1 and 2 were about equally effective.
A simple model for cell volume and developmental compartments in nutrient limited cyclostat cultures of algae

Abstract Daily light-dark cycles can entrain cell growth and division cycles in populations of algae growing in nutrient limited continuous cultures, or cyclostats. In this study a simple model for the flux of cells between discrete developmental stages is formulated for periodic cyclostat cultures of algae. Cell growth, in terms of volume, was set as being constant within a given developmental compartment, but variable between compartments. Growth within a given compartment or transition between compartments was restricted to specific intervals of the subjective day. The model was calibrated to phosphate limited cyclostat growth of Euglena gracilis , with the intervals for transition between compartments fixed at the times relative to the subjective dawn corresponding to critical transition points in the phased cell cycle of this organism. The model output for mean population volume per cell agreed well with experimental data. Although greatly simplified, the periodic behavior of the model volume frequency distributions for the discrete compartments provide reasonable approximation of experimentally determined distributions.
Synthesis of Results from the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) Process Study

An international team of scientists from the United States, Mexico, and Central America carried out a major field campaign during the summer of 2004 to develop an improved understanding of the North American monsoon system leading to improved precipitation forecasts. Results from this campaign, which is the centerpiece of the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) Process Study, are reported in this issue of the Journal of Climate. In addition to a synthesis of key findings, this brief overview article also raises some important unresolved issues that require further attention. More detailed background information on NAME, including motivating science questions, where NAME 2004 was conducted, when, and the experimental design, was published previously by Higgins et al.
Quasi-Analytical Description Of Sideband Formation In A Free-Electron Laser (FEL)

A simple method of looking at sideband development in a free-electron laser has been developed. It reduces a two-dimensional (z,t) mathematical formulation to a one-dimensional (t) formulation. A graphical interpretation gives us the intensity increment on the leading edge of a square optical pulse in the two-dimensional problem in terms of the average energy loss curve for the electrons in a one-dimensional problem.
Pediatricians' own weight: self-perception, misclassification, and ease of counseling.

PERRIN, ELIANA M., KORI B. FLOWER, AND ALICE S. AMMERMAN. Pediatricians’ own weight: selfperception, misclassification, and ease of counseling. Obes Res. 2005;13:326–332. Objectives: Pediatricians underdiagnose overweight and feel ineffective at counseling. Given the relationship between physicians’ health and health habits and counseling behaviors, we sought to determine the 1) percentage of pediatricians who are overweight; 2) accuracy of pediatricians’ own weight status classification; and 3) relationship between weight self-perception and perceived ease of obesity counseling. Research Methods and Procedures: This study was a cross-sectional, mail survey of North Carolina pediatricians that queried about their weight status and ease of counseling. Accuracy of pediatricians’ self-classification of weight status was compared with BMIs derived from self-reported height and weight. Using logistic regression, controlling for potential confounding variables, we examined the association between weight perception and ease of counseling. Results: The unadjusted response rate was 62%, and the adjusted response rate was 71% (n 355). Nearly one-half (49%) of overweight pediatricians did not identify themselves as such. Men had greater adjusted odds of misclassifying overweight than women [odds ratio (OR), 3.61; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81, 7.21]. Self-classified “thin” pediatricians had nearly six times the odds of reporting more counseling difficulty as a result of their weight than “average” weight pediatricians (OR 5.69; 95% CI 2.30, 14.1), and self-identified “overweight” pediatricians reported nearly four times as great counseling difficulty as “average” weight physicians (OR 3.84; 95% CI 1.11, 13.3), after adjustment for self-reported BMI weight status and other potential confounders. Discussion: The roles that physician weight misclassification and self-perception potentially play in influencing rates of obesity counseling warrant further research.
Chronic Oxytocin Pretreatment Inhibits Adenylyl Cyclase Activity in Cultured Rat Myometrial Cells

To determine whether chronic oxytocin pretreatment inhibits adenylyl cyclase, we compared adenylyl cyclase activity in membranes prepared from cultured, immortalized rat myometrial cells that were untreated or pretreated for 24 h with oxytocin. Chronic oxytocin pretreatment (1 x 10(-5) M for 24 h) attenuated basal, guanosine triphosphate (1 x 10(-5) M)-, isoproterenol (1 x 10(-4) M)-, forskolin (1 x 10(-5) M)-, MnCl2 (20 mM)- or NaF (1 x 10(-2) M)-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity by 27 +/- 5% to 39 +/- 11% (n = 6, p < 0.05). Oxytocin pretreatment for 2 h (n = 5) did not produce a significant effect. To understand the mechanism by which oxytocin pretreatment decreased activity of the adenylyl cyclase pathway, we compared effects of pretreatment with either oxytocin or phenylephrine on adenylyl cyclase activity and determined the effects of Gi inhibition and protein kinase C (PKC) depletion. Chronic (24 h) phenylephrine pretreatment (1 x 10(-4) M) had effects similar to those of oxytocin pretreatment (1 x 10(-5) M). PKC depletion with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (1 x 10(-6) M, 41 h) prevented attenuation of adenylyl cyclase activity by oxytocin pretreatment (1 x 10(-5) M for 24 h). Inhibition of Gi by pertussis toxin pretreatment (1.25 microg/ml, 41 h) had no significant effect. These findings suggest that chronic oxytocin pretreatment desensitizes the adenylyl cyclase pathway by a cross-regulatory mechanism that involves activation of Gq and PKC.
On the stability of a single-species population model with time lag

The stability of equilibrium positions of a single-species population model suggested by Ayala et al. (1973) is studied in the presence of time lag and constant forcing term p. This model is a generalization of the well known logistic model and depends on an additional parameter θS. It is shown that for θ ≥1 the maximum delay for which stability holds decreases as p increases while for 0< θ ≤ ½ it increases. The maximum delay for ½ < θ < 1 is not monotone and has a unique minimum. The conditions that equilibrium position be stable for all time lags are also obtained.
Vascular effects of halothane and isoflurane: cGMP dependent and independent actions.

Abstract This study investigated the effects of halothane and isoflurane on eGMP-dependent and independent regulation of vascular contraction of the isolated rat aorta and on NO-stimulated soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) isolated from the perfused rat liver. For the studies of the aorta, isometric tension of isolated rings, with and without, endothelium was recorded and cGMP content measured. ACh was used to initiate endothelial-dependent relaxation of norepinephrine (NE)-contracted rings while NO was used to directly stimulate isolated aortic ring sGC which catalyzes the isolated aortic ring formation of cGMP. Both halothane and isoflurane interfered with ACh and NO relaxations and with NO-stimulated increases in cGMP. Halothane was more potent, having significant attenuating effects at 0.34 mM (1 MAC) and 0.72 mM (2 MAC) while isoflurane had effects only at 0.53 mM (2 MAC). For the isolated sGC studies, a soluble liver fraction was prepared from perfused rat livers. In the absence of NO stimulation, neither halothane nor isoflurane modified the activity of the sGC. However, during NO-stimulation halothane produced significant, concentration-dependent, inhibition of sGC activity over a wide range of NO concentrations. Isoflurane also inhibited sGC activity, but to a lesser extent than halothane. The mechanism whereby the anesthetics could interfere with sGC from liver and blood vessels is unknown. It could result from anesthetic interaction at hydrophobic sites that may exist in GC. However, the results of both the aorta and liver sGC enzyme studies support the suggestion that these anesthetics can compete with NO for its binding site on the ferrous heme of sGC, with chemical structural differences accounting for the potency variations. Both anesthetics also had cGMP independent effects, causing concentration dependent relaxations of NE-contracted vessels without endothelium. Isoflurane was about 5 times more effective at 1 MAC than halothane. Therefore, the net effects of these anesthetics involve the sum of two opposite effects on tension of vessels with intact endothelium: 1) interference with NO-stimulated cGMP relaxation and 2) direct stimulation of relaxation (not dependent on changes in cGMP).
The distribution of neurotransmitter-specific cells and fibers in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus: implications for the control of gonadotropin secretion in the rat

The anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPv), which lies in the periventricular zone of the preoptic region, is critical for normal phasic gonadotropin secretion since lesions of this nucleus abolish the progesterone-induced surge of luteinizing hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary, block ovulation, and induce persistent vaginal estrus in female rats. However, very little is known about the neurotransmitter-specific pathways associated with this nucleus. In the present study we evaluated the distribution of biochemically specific cells and fibers within the AVPv and adjacent regions by using an indirect immunohistochemical method with antisera to serotonin (5-HT), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), cholecystokinin-8 (CCK), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P (SP), neurotensin (NT), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), luteotropin-releasing hormone (LRH), somatostatin (SS), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), oxytocin (OXY), vasopressin (VAS), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH1-24), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), leucine-enkephalin (L-ENK), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Our findings indicate that both cells and fibers containing these putative neurotransmitters are differentially distributed in and around the AVPv in accordance with the cytoarchitectonic organization of this part of the preoptic region. The AVPv itself appears to receive strong inputs from SP-, VAS-, CCK-, and SS-containing pathways, whereas the highest densities of L-ENK-, NT-, 5-HT-, NPY-, and DBH-immunoreactive fibers were found in the cell-sparse zone just lateral to the AVPv. The suprachiasmatic preoptic nucleus (PSCh), a small group of cells located ventral to the AVPv just dorsal to the optic chiasm, contained high densities of alpha-MSH- and ACTH-immunoreactive fibers, as well as substantial numbers of fibers containing catecholamines or NPY. In contrast, a dense plexus of VAS-stained fibers was distributed fairly evenly throughout the AVPv and PSCh. Numerous L-ENK-immunoreactive cell bodies, and moderate numbers of CCK-, NT-, and CRF-stained cell bodies were found in the AVPv. The PSCh contained many TH-stained cells (presumably dopaminergic), in addition to a moderate number of CCK-containing cell bodies, while a high density of NT- and CRF-stained cells were found in the cell-sparse zone lateral to the AVPv, in addition to several CCK-, SP-, VIP-, and TH-containing cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Optically-assisted electrically-driven THz generation - a new approach for efficient THz Quantum Cascade Lasers

The proposed optically-assisted electrically-driven laser keeps the advantages of optical conversion while overcoming its constraints by recycling the pump photons yielding conversion efficiencies exceeding the Manley-Rowe limit and a path to room temperature THz generation.
Formalized Dissent and Cognitive Complexity in Group Processes and Performance

Research suggests that two methods of introducing dissent, the dialectic inquiry (DI) and devil's advocate (DA) methods, show promise for increasing the cognitive complexity of decision makers. We investigated the joint effects of formalized dissent and group cognitive complexity by manipulating the formalized dissent method (DI or DA) used by 25 interacting groups engaged in a complex, ill-structured planning task. Participants were classified as either high or low cognitive complexity and assigned to stratified groups with members of homogeneous complexity. Results indicated that: (1) DA groups produced higher quality assumptions but took longer to generate plans than did DI groups, (2) high complexity groups generated more recommendations relative to low complexity groups, and (3) DA groups with low complexity members produced lower quality recommendations and participated less equally in decision making than did the other groups. We conclude by discussing the implications of the results for formalized dissent, cognitive complexity, and assessing managerial performance.
Physical impairment aware scheduling in optical burst switched networks

Optical burst switching (OBS) presents itself as a promising technology for bridging the gap between optical wavelength switching and optical packet switching. Increasingly, researchers attempt to incorporate more realistic constraints into the design of OBS networks. Optical signal transmission quality is subject to various types of physical impairment introduced by optical fibers, switching equipment, or other network components. The signal degradation due to physical impairments may be significant enough such that the bit-error rate of received signals is unacceptably high at the destination, rendering the signal not usable. In this paper, based on earlier work, we study the burst scheduling problem in OBS networks, taking into account physical impairment effects. We propose three effective burst scheduling algorithms: (1) a JET based Physical Impairment Constrained Algorithm (JETPIC), (2) an Integrated Physical Impairment Constrained Algorithm (IPIC), and (3) an Enhanced Integrated Physical Impairment Constrained Algorithm (EIPIC). At an OBS node, the proposed algorithms schedule bursts for transmission by searching for available resources as well as verifying signal quality. Our simulation results show that the proposed algorithms are effective in terms of reducing the burst blocking probability. In general, algorithm JETPIC outperforms algorithms IPIC and EIPIC in burst blocking probability and average end-to-end delay performance.
Heavy ion physics with the ATLAS detector

The large hadron collider is planning to accelerate heavy nuclei such as lead at energies of 2.75 TeV/nucleon. At these energies it will be possible to produce QCD matter at densities greater than 30 GeV fm−3. The hard scattering cross sections will increase significantly and they could be used as probes of the hot QCD matter. RHIC experiments indicate that hard scattered partons produced within the quark–gluon plasma radiate gluons and therefore the associated jet properties are expected to be modified. The ATLAS detector with its large acceptance is ideally suited to detect and study jets from nucleus–nucleus collisions. Initial simulation studies show that most of the ATLAS detector will perform well in a high multiplicity environment, including the inner tracker. Jet reconstruction is possible with an energy resolution close to expected for the high luminosity proton–proton runs. We present a short summary of our initial round of simulations of the ATLAS detector in the heavy ion environment.
Florida sugar policy and the economics of Everglades restoration

When environmental issues are on a ballot, often voters decide based on heartfelt convictions but incomplete information. Interest groups use voter ignorance to their advantage. The 1996 elections in Florida featured a set of referenda to determine who would fund restoration efforts in the Florida Everglades. This paper analyses the central proposal, a one–cent–per–pound fee on sugar, to determine its impact. We focus on three areas, the impact of the fee on the price of sugar, the amount of money the fee would raise and the amount of sensitive land that the fee would force out of production.
Electronic Resource Management 2.0: Using Web 2.0 Technologies As Cost-Effective Alternatives To An Electronic Resource Management System

Designed to assist with the management of e-resources, electronic resource management (ERM) systems are time- and fund-consuming to purchase and maintain. Questions of system compatibility, data population, and workflow design/redesign can be difficult to answer; sometimes those answers are not what we'd prefer to hear. The two primary functions of ERM systems are to collocate information about electronic resources and to facilitate communication between the employees of a library that handle e-resources, but can these functions be performed efficiently through other methods? This article explores cheap (or free) alternatives to purchasing an ERM system, taking a close look at how Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs, and Google Docs and Spreadsheets can assist with the management of e-resources. Readers may be surprised to learn just how much can be accomplished using home-grown methods of e-resource management.
Explicating Opinion Leadership: Nonpolitical Dispositions, Information Consumption, and Civic Participation

What are the sources of opinion leadership? Do opinion leaders seek informational media, and if so, how do they consume it? Are opinion leaders active in civic life, or is it that those who are active think of themselves as opinion leaders? Is opinion leadership a cause or a consequence of political efficacy? To answer these questions, we use data from two large national surveys: a cross-sectional study conducted in 1998 and a panel study conducted in 1999 and 2000. Our cross-sectional analysis shows that opinion leadership is largely explained by nonpolitical dispositions such as self-assuredness, innovativeness, and sophistication. These opinion leaders, spurred by an interest in politics, tend to seek out informational content on television, newspapers, and the Internet, likely as a way to maintain their environmental surveillance and structural influence. All of this helps explain why opinion leadership is linked to civic participation, both directly and indirectly. Further analysis of panel data indi...
On the Run: A Coach's Perspective

As part of JOSPT's October 2014 special issue on running, 32-time Coach of the Year honoree Mick Byrne provides his perspective on running. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(10):729–730. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.0115
Skin Substitutes and Dermatology: A Review

Death from large burn wounds has pushed the development of life-saving techniques to cover and heal these wounds as rapidly as possible, resulting in a variety of tissue engineered skin substitutes available on the market. There remains a paucity of good quality RCTs evaluating the efficacy of skin substitutes, and even fewer studies comparing products to each other. While some products have been used successfully for dermatologic applications and published in the literature, a vast majority of data that we do have on skin substitutes relates to chronic wound management and care of burn patients. Though not specific to our specialty, the use of skin substitutes for these indications can be extrapolated to dermatology. Understanding the composition, advantages/disadvantages, and risk/benefit of each product, as well as the indications for each product’s use, facilitates the selection of the appropriate substitute. This review will hopefully provide the information that makes the use of these products feasible for the appropriate defect.
Mesoporous chromium nitride as a high performance non-carbon support for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Mesoporous chromium nitride (CrN) was prepared by a solid–solid phase separation method and was further evaluated as a support for Pt in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Pt/CrN exhibits higher electrocatalytic activity and stability than Pt/C toward the ORR, which may be attributed to the excellent electronic conductivity, and chemical and electrochemical stability of CrN. The fact that CrN is at least as good as carbon black as a support for the Pt based ORR is remarkable, since few affordable alternatives to carbon black exist.
E/Z-Isomerization Dynamics in Molybdenum and Tungsten η1-Ketone Complexes

A series of tungsten(II) and molybdenum(II) iodide complexes of the type {Tp}M(CO)(RC⋮CR‘)I ({Tp} = Tp, Tp‘; M = Mo, W; R, R‘ = Ph, Me) (5a−g) have been synthesized by utilizing hydridotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate (Tp) and hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate (Tp‘) ligands and 1-phenyl-1-propyne, 2-butyne, and diphenylacetylene alkynes. Reacting the iodide complexes 5a−g with either LiCuMe2 or Me2Mg formed the corresponding methyl complexes {Tp}M(CO)(RC⋮CR‘)Me (7a−g), which serve as Lewis acid precursors in these systems. Protonation of the methyl complexes with HBAr‘4·2OEt2 (BAr‘4 = tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate), loss of methane, and addition of a ketone (acetone, 2-butanone, 3-methyl-2-butanone, acetophenone, or pinacolone) gave the η1-ketone complexes. The ketone complexes exhibit different conformational preferences about the M−O bond. The E/Z-isomerization barriers of the ketone complexes were calculated using coalescence temperatures from low-temperature 1H NMR spectra. Differences ...
TU‐A‐213CD‐10: Accelerated Barrier Optimization Compressed Sensing (ABOCS) Reconstruction for Cone‐Beam CT

Purpose: Compressed sensing (CS) enables accurate CTimage reconstruction from low‐dose measurements, due to the sparsifiable feature of most CTimages using total variation (TV). The CS‐based reconstruction is formulated as either a constrained problem to minimize the TV objective within a small and fixed data fidelity error, or an unconstrained problem to minimize the data fidelity error with TV regularization. However, the conventional solutions to the above two formulations are either computationally inefficient or involved with inconsistent regularization parameter tuning. In this work, we propose an optimization algorithm for cone‐beam CT(CBCT) CS reconstruction which overcomes the above two drawbacks. Methods: The data fidelity tolerance of CS reconstruction is well estimated using the measured data, as most of the projection errors are from Poissonnoise. We therefore adopt the TV optimization framework with data fidelity as constraints. To accelerate the convergence, we first convert such a constrained optimization using a logarithmic barrier method into a similar form to the conventional TV‐regularization reconstruction but with an automatically adjusted penalty weight. The problem is then solved efficiently by gradient projection. The proposed algorithm is referred to as Accelerated Log‐barrier Optimization for CS (ABOCS). Results: As demonstrated on Shepp‐Logan phantom, ABOCS achieves consistent reconstruction performances using the same parameters on scans with different datasets, while the TV‐regularization method needs a large‐scale tuning on the penalty weight. ABOCS also requires less computation time than ASD‐POCS in Matlab by >10 times. ABOCS is further accelerated on GPU to reconstruct a head patient volume of 512×512×200 voxels in <10 minutes using 25% projections, and the image quality is comparable to that of the full‐view FDK reconstruction.Conclusions: We propose ABOCS for CBCTreconstruction. As compared to other published CS‐based algorithms, our method has attractive features of fast convergence and consistent parameter settings for different datasets. NIH under the grant number 1R21EB012700‐01A1
Socialist Drive The First Auto Works and the Contradictions of Connectivity in the Early People's Republic of China

In 1956, the First Auto Works, the People's Republic of China's first automobile manufacturing plant, began production in the city of Changchun. The vehicles that rolled off its assembly line, most notably the ‘Liberation’ truck, became part of a growing transportation assemblage through which the socialist economy moved. The automobile drove many of the processes that were to define Chinese Communist rule, including the transformation of the built environment, the pursuit of industrial modernity, the coordination of the planned economy, and the division of city and countryside. Originally intended for the integration of industrial and agricultural sectors, motorised mobility was to become a means of state extraction in rural communes during the tragedy that was the Great Leap Forward.
Purification and electron microscopy of sowthistle yellow vein virus.

Abstract Sowthistle yellow vein virus, grown in Sonchus oleraceus L., was purified by grinding leaf material in a solution of glycine, magnesium chloride, and potassium cyanide, pH 8.1. The suspension was centrifuged 5 min at 8000 g after adjusting the pH to 8.0. Celite was added to the supernatant and the mixture was filtered through a Celite pad. The virus was then pelleted by centrifugation at high speed and after resuspending the pellets in a solution of glycine and magnesium chloride, pH 7.0, centrifuged on a density gradient. Virus was almost completely separated from contaminating plant material by density gradient electrophoresis as the final step in purification. Purified preparations contained bacilliform particles when treated with glutaraldehyde prior to negative staining with potassium phosphotungstate and uranyl acetate. When glutaraldehyde was omitted, the particles were bullet-shaped. These observations indicated that the bacilliform particle is the native form of the complete virus, whereas the bullet-shaped particle must be considered a ruptured particle. The inner component, which is apparently hollow, ends abruptly at one end; the striations at the opposite end are radially oriented. These observations suggest that the inner component has the shape of a hollow bullet. The surface projections seem to be helically arranged in two modes at the outside of the membrane. In one mode the helices make an angle of 30 ° to the long axis of the particle; in the other mode the angle is apparently 60 °. The form of the inner component may control the envelopment by a membrane.
The herbicide metolachlor induces liver cytochrome P450s 2B1/2 and 3A1/2, but not thyroxine-uridine dinucleotide phosphate glucuronosyltransferase and associated thyroid gland activity.

Metolachlor (2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl) acetamide) is widely used internationally as a corn and cotton herbicide. The metolachlor effects noted in rats during testing for U.S. pesticide registration include increased liver weight and hepatocarcinogenicity associated with eosinophilic foci. These properties, plus nongenotoxicity, are also characteristic of the prototypical rat liver tumor promoter, phenobarbital. Phenobarbital induces hepatic cytochrome P450s CYP2B1/2 and CYP3A1/2 and thyroxine (T(4))-UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (T(4)-UGT), which enhances thyroxine clearance and thus indirectly increases thyroid gland activity. Because other chloroacetanilide herbicides are known to similarly affect rat thyroid gland, this study tested the hypothesis that metolachlor would have these additional phenobarbital-like effects on liver, especially that of T(4)-UGT induction with consequential stimulation of thyroid gland. Effects of metolachlor, fed to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 14 days at the carcinogenic dose of 3000 ppm, were compared to those of equimolar phenobarbital. Liver microsomal CYP2B1/2 and CYP3A1/2 were probed by immunoblotting and T(4)-UGT was measured enzymatically. Serum T(4), triiodothyronine (T(3)), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid follicular epithelial cell morphology and proliferation were used to assess thyroid gland activity. Metolachlor induced CYP2B1/2 and CYP3A1/2 proteins, but unlike phenobarbital, did not affect T(4)-UGT activity. In agreement, serum T(4), T(3), or TSH were unaffected by metolachlor. Also, no significant effects of metolachlor on thyroid gland morphology or follicular epithelial cell height or proliferation were observed. These data demonstrate that metolachlor is an inducer of hepatic CYP2B1/2 activity. But unlike the prototypical CYP2B1/2 inducer phenobarbital, metolachlor does not cause an increase in T(4)-glucuronidation and thyroid gland activation.
Statistical estimation of the parameters of Daganzo's gap acceptance model

Abstract In a recent article in Transportation Research , Daganzo (1981) described a model of gap acceptance that permits the mean of the gap acceptance function to vary among drivers and permits the duration of the shortest acceptable gap for each driver to vary among gaps. The model contains several constant parameters whose values must be estimated statistically from observations of drivers' behavior. The results of numerical experiments reported by Daganzo (1981) suggested that the values of the parameters cannot be estimated by the method of maximum likelihood, which is the most obvious estimation technique, and Daganzo proposed using a sequential estimation method instead. The sequential method appeared to yield reasonable numerical results. In this paper, it is shown that subject to certain reasonable assumptions concerning the true parameter values and the probability distribution of gap durations, the maximum likelihood method does, in fact, yield consistent estimates of the parameters of Daganzo's model, whereas the sequential method does not. Hence, maximum likelihood is the better estimation method for this model.
Sexual functioning post-myocardial infarction: effects of beta-blockers, psychological status and safety information

Impaired sexual functioning limits the quality of life of 34–75% of post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. This study examined the effects of three factors: (a) beta-blocker intake, (b) psychological distress, and (c) information about safety of sexual activity, on post-MI decreased sexual functioning. Sixty-three male post-MI, post-cardiac rehabilitation patients and their spouses participated in the study. Analyses of partial variance were conducted to test for the effect of each factor on sexual functioning. Controlling for age, results revealed that patients' psychological distress explained uniquely 24% of the variance on decreased post-MI sexual activity (p<0.002). Beta-blocker intake and message received with regard to sexual activity safety were not significant predictors of observed changes. Interdisciplinary assessments and interventions are recommended.
Visual Programming in a Visual Shell—A Unified Approach

Abstract Pursuit is a desktop interface designed to enable non-programmers to construct programs that automate routine repetitive tasks in a way that is consistent with the direct manipulation paradigm. Pursuit combines a Programming by Demonstration (PBD) interface with an editable, visual program representation language. The representation language differs from existing visual languages because it explicitly represents data objects and implicitly represents operations by changes to the data objects. In addition, the language provides concise ways to handle and represent error conditions and dialog boxes.
The Social Structure of New-Ground Settlements in the Mississippi Delta

neighborhood groups throughout the county. The church remains as the chief integrating force in the majority of these neighborhoods. Neighborliness and mutual cooperation within small units is still a prized virtue. Moreover it is becoming increasingly evident that democracy in its present crucial test needs to magnify rather than minimize the importance of the small locality group. If democracy has to do with the people, then the kernel of it has to do with those small and many times informal groupings which lie closest to daily activities. The degree to which these fundamental social relations have been changed by increased facilities of communication can easily be overestimated. The small locality group has in many instances already disappeared but lamentably in many instances nothing has been put in its place to supplant the social values which it cannot now fulfill. The question of the continuance of these small groups in their present form is not of such primary importance as is the problem of seeing to it that the values which inhere in this type of intimate grouping, and the people which make up these groups, and which constitute the backbone of the Southland, are not lost in a centralizing process which takes no account of the localities which it swallows up.
Elevating children's awareness of television advertising: The effects of a critical viewing program

This study addresses the question of what is the most effective strategy for increasing children's awareness of the persuasive intent and production techniques of television advertising. Instructional units used a lecture approach, an audio visual discussion approach, and a role‐playing approach. The subjects were urban children in grades K‐2. Each approach was successful in raising awareness and cynicism for different aspects of commercials, but the role‐playing method of instruction was generally superior, especially with the younger children.
Thermal and Thermomechanical Analysis of Custom Engineered Ag-Nanoparticle Thermal Interface Materials

Thermal interface material (TIM) is a major hurdle in heat flow for typical chip/heat sink assemblies. In many electronic devices, hot spots occur in areas of high activity during the device operation. These hot spots can lead to high thermal gradients, which in turn result in performance and reliability hindrances. The elevated, non-uniform power density confronted with conventional TIMs that contain a uniform layer of high thermal conductivity material for the entire chip can be extremely insufficient in many applications. In this paper, a custom engineered, Ag-nanoparticle (Ag-NP) TIM that targets directly to the high power density region is introduced for achieving better thermal-mechanical-electrical performance at a low cost. These nanoparticles can be inkjet printed on hot spots and sintered at a relative low temperature (∼120°C) to create a continuous metallic layer that is in good contact with both the chip and heat sink, whereas the conventional particle-laden TIM covers the lower power density area. A computational model is developed to examine the overall thermal performance and reliability of the hybrid Ag-NP/conventional TIM as a function of the bondline thickness, applied pressure, deposition pattern, and surface roughness. The results show great improvements compared with a high-performance indium solder.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
A unique late mechanical complication of jejunoileal bypass

The consequences of jejunoileal bypass include not just metabolic derangements, though the frequency and severity of these problems have led to the procedure being abandoned in the treatment of morbid obesity, but a variety of mechanical complications as well. In this report, a new mechanical complication is presented: Intussusception of the defunctionalized ileum into the sigmoid colon, an intussusception caused by malignant lymphoma of the ileum. Because the patient had pain but no evidence of obstruction, the ileal tumor was fortuitously discovered during flexible sigmoidoscopy.
Educating the pediatrician of the 21st century: defining and implementing a competency-based system.

Purpose. The final product of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Outcomes Project is to improve health care through ensuring the competence of physicians during their training and beyond. Its success depends on a paradigm shift to a competency-based model of medical education. This article presents an overview of the model and describes the first stages of this multistep transition in a university setting. Our hope is to raise awareness of the impact on the pediatric community at large and provide a foundation on which other educators can continue to build. Methods. The ACGME established 6 domains of competence as the first step in the paradigm shift. To begin work on the second step of establishing benchmarks for evaluation of competence and thresholds at which they should be achieved, the educational leadership from the primary care departments formed a work group with the support of a Health Resources and Services Administration grant. Results. Review of the literature led us to embark on a stepwise process for initiating a competency-based system of medical education. We established the benchmarks by a process of individual effort followed by group consensus. These benchmarks, in the aggregate, permit an evaluator to determine whether a given competency has been achieved. The next phases of step 2 required setting thresholds for the demonstration of competence and finally establishing consensus regarding the threshold for competence at each level of training for each specific benchmark. To accomplish the latter, we surveyed the program directors of the 202 accredited pediatric training programs that are members of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors. Eighty-one members (40%) completed our survey. Although some controversy existed for thresholds during the postgraduate-year-1 level, majority consensus was reached for nearly all benchmarks at the upper levels of training. Impact of the shift to competencies for medical students and practicing physicians is also reviewed. Conclusion. Having defined the benchmarks and thresholds for the 6 ACGME domains of competence, we are well positioned to move to step 3: developing the necessary tools to evaluate competence. The move to competency-based education impacts the entire pediatric community. Lessons learned from our experience may be generalized and thus be of value to the community at large.
Corrosion Kinetics of Silicon Nitride in Dry Air Containing Sodium Nitrate Vapors

The gaseous alkali corrosion kinetics of Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] were systematically investigated from 950 to 1100 C in dry air containing 0.98 vol% sodium nitrate vapors. The linear reaction rates observed at all temperatures indicate that the alkali corrosion of Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] is interface-controlled with an activation energy of 199 kJ/mol. The overall reaction involves a complex absorption-dissolution-oxidation process and the rate-controlling step appears to be the interfacial oxidation of Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] to SiO[sub 2]. A comparison of the reaction kinetics and mechanism between the oxidation of Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] in pure oxygen and in the alkali-containing atmosphere is present.
Differentiation of 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl and 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl Glycerophospholipids by Multiple-Stage Linear Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometry with Electrospray Ionization

We described linear ion-trap mass spectrometric approaches applying MS3 and MS4 toward to the structural characterization of 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl-, 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-, and diacyl-glycerophospholipids (GPL) as the [M-H]− ions desorbed by ESI in negative-ion mode. Further dissociation of the [lM-H-R2CO2H — polar head group]− ions from the [M-H]− ions of GPL that have undergone the consecutive losses of the fatty acid substituent at sn-2 and the polar head group readily gives the structural information of the radyl group at sn-1, resulting in structural differentiation among the 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl-, 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl, and diacyl-glycerolphospholipid molecules. The distinction between a 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl- and a 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-GPL is based on the findings that the MS3 (or MS4) spectrum of the [M-H-R2CO2H-polar head group]− ion from the former compound is dominated by the alkenoxide anion that represents the radyl moiety at sn-1, while the spectrum from the latter compound is dominated by the ion at m/z 135 arising from further loss of the 1-O-alkyl group as an alcohol. Another important notion is that the optimal collision energy required for acquiring the former spectrum is significantly lower than that required for obtaining the latter spectrum. Using the approaches, we are able to reveal the structures of several isobaric isomers in GPL mixtures of biological origin. Because the [M-H]− ions are readily formed by various GPL classes (except glycerophosphocholine) in the negative-ion mode, these mass spectrometric approaches should have broad application in the structural identification of GPLs.