cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of Carbon and Electron Flow in Clostridium acetobutylicum Fermentations: Utilization of Carbon Monoxide to Inhibit Hydrogen Production and to Enhance Butanol Yields

Extracts prepared from non-solvent-producing cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum contained methyl viologen-linked hydrogenase activity (20 U/mg of protein at 37 degrees C) but did not display carbon monoxide dehydrogenase activity. CO addition readily inhibited the hydrogenase activity of cell extracts or of viable metabolizing cells. Increasing the partial pressure of CO (2 to 10%) in unshaken anaerobic culture tube headspaces significantly inhibited (90% inhibition at 10% CO) both growth and hydrogen production by C. acetobutylicum. Growth was not sensitive to low partial pressures of CO (i.e., up to 15%) in pH-controlled fermentors (pH 4.5) that were continuously gassed and mixed. CO addition dramatically altered the glucose fermentation balance of C. acetobutylicum by diverting carbon and electrons away from H(2), CO(2), acetate, and butyrate production and towards production of ethanol and butanol. The butanol concentration was increased from 65 to 106 mM and the butanol productivity (i.e., the ratio of butanol produced/total acids and solvents produced) was increased by 31% when glucose fermentations maintained at pH 4.5 were continuously gassed with 85% N(2)-15% CO versus N(2) alone. The results are discussed in terms of metabolic regulation of C. acetobutylicum saccharide fermentations to achieve maximal butanol or solvent yield.
Agent interactions in decentralized environments

The decentralized Markov decision process (Dec-POMDP) is a powerful formal model for studying multiagent problems where cooperative, coordinated action is optimal, but each agent acts based on local data alone. Unfortunately, it is known that Dec-POMDPs are fundamentally intractable: they are NEXP-complete in the worst case, and have been empirically observed to be beyond feasible optimal solution. To get around these obstacles, researchers have focused on special classes of the general Dec-POMDP problem, restricting the degree to which agent actions can interact with one another. In some cases, it has been proven that these sorts of structured forms of interaction can in fact reduce worst-case complexity. Where formal proofs have been lacking, empirical observations suggest that this may also be true for other cases, although less is known precisely. This thesis unifies a range of this existing work, extending analysis to establish novel complexity results for some popular restricted-interaction models. We also establish some new results concerning cases for which reduced complexity has been proven, showing correspondences between basic structural features and the potential for dimensionality reduction when employing mathematical programming techniques. As our new complexity results establish that worst-case intractability is more widespread than previously known, we look to new ways of analyzing the potential average-case difficulty of Dec-POMDP instances. As this would be extremely difficult using the tools of traditional complexity theory, we take a more empirical approach. In so doing, we identify new analytical measures that apply to all Dec-POMDPs, whatever their structure. These measures allow us to identify problems that are potentially easier to solve on average, and validate this claim empirically. As we show, the performance of well-known optimal dynamic programming methods correlates with our new measure of difficulty. Finally, we explore the approximate case, showing that our measure works well as a predictor of difficulty there, too, and provides a means of setting algorithm parameters to achieve far more efficient performance.
TREATMENT OF THE CRITICALLY ILL CHILD: HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK

Shock in the child is nearly always caused by blood (or fluid) loss, burns, or infection. The goal of the physician is to recognize which of these are causing shock in his patient, and to treat both the underlying disorder and the shock as quickly as possible. This review will touch only on the clinical management of the patient in hemorrhagic shock. The pathophysiology of hemorrhagic shock is characterized by a decrease in cardiac output resulting in inadequate tissue perfusion, tissue hypoxia, and acidosis; and, it is caused by an inadequate circulating blood volume. The patient often arrives in the emergency room with multiple injuries, being hypotensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and obtunded. First priority is given to establishing an adequate airway, stopping massive hemorrhage (application of manual pressure or tourniquets) , and splinting unstable fractures. Since many resuscitative measures should be undertaken simultaneously, even the most experienced physician should call for assistance as soon as he recognizes the seriousness of a patient9s condition. The nurse should start a chart on the patient, recording at frequent intervals vital signs, pupil size and reaction, and fluids and medications given. As quickly as possible, one or more routes for the rapid infusion of fluid should be established. In the child this is best accomplished by cutdown of the greater saphenous vein at the ankle and insertion of a large bore catheter.1 (Efforts at introducing a needle or catheter percutaneously into a collapsed peripheral vein will usually waste valuable time.)
Revisando las reglas del juego: conversación con Pablo Iglesias Turrion, Jesús Espasadín López e Iñigo Errejón Galván

Esta es una respuesta a un debate planteado en los seminarios de verano, organizados por la universidad complutense, en el Escorial, en Julio del 2006. He condensado la respuesta en dos topicos, que me parecen dos ejes sobre los que giro el debate: la cuestion de la exterioridad y la cuestion de la objetividad, sin y con parentesis. La mia es una respuesta que presupone al mismo tiempo que avanza el pensamiento y la opcion descolonial, que fue precisamente el planteamiento que origino el debate. Palabras clave: exterioridad, objetividad y obediencia (epistemico y politica) y objetividad sin parentesis (desobediencia epistemica y politica), pluri-verso y pluri-versidad, pensamiento y opcion descoloniales, geopolitica del conocimiento
Self-recovery system for an intelligent RF front end amplifier

This paper describes a self-recovery algorithm for a neural network-based controller for an intelligent radiofrequency front-end amplifier. The neurocontroller provides autonomous operation, assessment and recovery capabilities. The neurocontroller is designed to reconfigure the input and output matching networks architecture, thereby providing control of the gain performance at an operating frequency within a 10-50 GHz frequency band. The controller system is composed of a sliding scale estimator of the gain dynamics in the input and output networks, and two pairs of multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks: one pair for control of the input network, and one pair for control of the output network. Each pair consists of a MLP neural network for extraction of feature parameters in input reflection coefficient (gamma) space from the estimated gain dynamics, and one for classification of the extracted features to configuration codes for the respective network. The neurocontroller can also facilitate autonomous adaptation of system architecture in response to failures and/or drift in MEMS components. Using the self-recovery system, 30 GHz simulation results demonstrate an average 98% percent recovery of the amount of decreased gain relative to recovery achieved using a manual tuning approach. Optimal recovery is achieved in an average 5 iterations
Hypothesis-Driven Constructive Induction in AQ17-HCI: A Method and Experiments

The proposed method for constructive induction searches for concept descriptions in a representation space that is being iteratively improved. In each iteration, the system learns concept description from training examples projected into a newly constructed representation space, using an Aq algorithm-based inductive learning system (AQ15). The learned description is analyzed to determine desirable problem-oriented modifications of the representation space. These modifications include generating new attributes, removing redundant or insignificant ones, and/or agglomerating attribute values into larger units. New attributes are constructed by assigning names to groups of the best-performing characteristic rules for each decision class, and then are used to define the representation space for the next iteration. This iterative process repeats until the created hypotheses satisfy a stopping criterion. In several experiments on learning discrete functions, the developed AQ17-HCI system consistently outperformed, in terms of the prediction accuracy on new examples, all systems that it was compared to, including the AQ15 rule learning system, GREEDY3 and GROVE decision-list learning systems, and REDWOOD and FRINGE decision-tree learning systems. Although the proposed method was developed for the Aq-based rule learning system, it can potentially be adapted to any other inductive learning system. In this sense, it represents a universal new approach to constructive induction.
ADO and the Visual Database Tools

i’ve been writing and talking about the Visual Database Tools for several years now. Visual Basic version 5.0 really introduced the first of the tools—the User Connection Designer. The User Connection Designer was originally designed to make the process of creating an RDO application easier, and that it did. It reduced 40-some-odd lines of code to about 4. It had the capability to deal with most of the fundamental issues associated with executing SQL Server or Oracle stored procedures. However, the User Connection Designer stopped short of many of the features exposed in the Visual Basic 6.0 Data View window, Data Environment Designer, or the new data wizards. My Hitchhiker’s Guide to Visual Basic and SQL Server 1 discusses these tools in the context of accessing SQL Server from Visual Basic in far more detail than does this chapter. The Visual Basic 6.0 Visual Database Tools are all capable of accessing more than just SQL Server. Because they leverage the latest providers exposed by OLE DB and ADO, they can be used to access Jet (3.5 and 4.0), Oracle, DB2, and many other data sources. While functionality varies dramatically from provider to provider, many support at least the basic functionality of the Visual Database Tools.
Diagnosis of Common Dermopathies in Dialysis Patients: A Review and Update

Cutaneous abnormalities in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis may demonstrate signs of their underlying condition or reveal associated disease entities. While a thorough examination of the scalp, skin, mucosa, and nails is integral to establishing a diagnosis, certain conditions will resolve only with dialysis or improvement of their renal disease and others may not require or respond to treatment. Half and half nails, pruritus, xerosis, and cutaneous hyperpigmentation are common manifestations in ESRD. With hemodialysis, uremic frost is no longer prevalent in ESRD patients and ecchymoses have decreased in incidence. Acquired perforating dermatoses are seen in over one-tenth of hemodialysis patients. Metastatic calcinosis cutis and calciphylaxis are both rarely reported, although the latter is seen almost exclusively in the setting of hemodialysis. Diagnosis of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis has historically been challenging; as such, new diagnostic criteria have been proposed. Blood porphyrin profiles are needed to differentiate between porphyria cutanea tarda and pseudoporphyria. We will review and provide an update on the aforementioned common cutaneous manifestations of ESRD in patients receiving dialysis.
Racial disparities in colorectal cancer survival: to what extent are racial disparities explained by differences in treatment, tumor characteristics, or hospital characteristics?

BACKGROUND: Racial/ethnic differences in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival have been documented throughout the literature. However, the reasons for these disparities are difficult to decipher. The objective of this analysis was to determine the extent to which racial/ethnic disparities in survival are explained by differences in sociodemographics, tumor characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and hospital characteristics. METHODS: A cohort of 37,769 Medicare beneficiaries who were diagnosed with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I, II, and III CRC from 1992 to 2002 and resided in 16 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) regions of the United States was identified in the SEER-Medicare linked database. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Black patients had worse CRC-specific survival than white patients, but the difference was reduced after adjustment (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.14-1.35). Asian patients had better survival than white patients after adjusting for covariates (aHR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70-0.92) for stages I, II, and III CRC. Relative to Asians, blacks and whites had worse survival after adjustment (blacks: aHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.33-1.82; whites: aHR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.44). Comorbidities and socioeconomic Status were associated with a reduction in the mortality difference between blacks and whites and blacks and Asians. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidities and SES appeared to be more important factors contributing to poorer survival among black patients relative to white and Asian patients. However, racial/ethnic differences in CRC survival were not fully explained by differences in several factors. Future research should further examine the role of quality of care and the benefits of treatment and post-treatment surveillance in survival disparities. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
The sinusoidal crack

The effects of mixed mode and partial crack closure due to curvature are studied by a simple sinusoidal crack model. For a slightly curved crack under applied shear, a small mode I stress intensity factor is obtained. Combined loads are also considered.
The expansion of a holomorphic function in a series of Lame´ products

Abstract We show that functions of two complex variables which are symmetric and holomorphic on suitable domains can be expanded in locally uniform convergent series of products of Lame polynomials. The result is based on a more general expansion theorem for holomorphic functions defined on a two-dimensional complex manifold which has been given in an earlier paper of the author.
NEW CITIES, LOCAL OFFICIALS, AND MUNICIPAL INCORPORATION LAWS: A SUPPLY‐SIDE MODEL OF CITY FORMATION

This article develops a framework for analyzing when and why municipal incorporation laws impede or facilitate boundary changes that benefit special interests. This goal is achieved by shifting the...
Two-dimensional discrete scan statistics☆

Abstract This article investigates the accuracy of approximations for distributions of two-dimensional discrete scan statistics. A product-type approximation, a Bonferroni-type inequality, two Poisson approximations and a compound Poisson approximation are studied. A simulation study is presented to evaluate the accuracy of these approximations. Based on the numerical results it is evident that the standard Poisson approximation can be significantly improved.
Renormalization and convergence in law for the derivative of intersection local time in R2

Abstract In this paper we will examine the derivative of intersection local time of Brownian motion and symmetric stable processes in R 2 . These processes do not exist when defined in the canonical way. The purpose of this paper is to exhibit the correct rate for renormalization of these processes.
Generation of carbon monoxide during the microsomal metabolism of methylenedioxyphenyl compounds.

Abstract Optical difference spectra of several methylenedioxybenzenes in NADPH-reduced rat liver microsomes exhibited a peak at 451.5 nm when conditions became anerobic or when dithionite was added. Subsequent addition of hemoglobin showed formation of a peak at 419 nm, suggesting the presence of carbon monoxide. Metabolic production of carbon monoxide was confirmed by gas Chromatographic assay, and regression analysis of data with nine compounds showed a high correlation with the Hammett constants of the aromatic substituents. The enzymes catalyzing carbon monoxide production were localized in rat hepatic microsomal fractions and required NADPH. Microsomal fractions from phenobarbital-treated, but not from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated, rats showed increased production of carbon monoxide and from cobaltous chloride-treated rats showed decreased carbon monoxide formation. The reaction was inhibited by 2-diethylaminoethyl 2,2-diphenylvalerate HCl (SKF 525-A) and substituted imidazoles. The studies show that the carbon monoxide production was mediated by a cytochrome P-450-dependent enzyme system; this is discussed in relation to the inhibitory action of methylenedioxybenzenes toward oxidative drug metabolism.
Atmospheric water-soluble organic carbon measurements at Summit, Greenland

Abstract The recently discovered active photochemistry in the surface layers of polar snow may complicate the interpretation of organic compounds found in ice cores. In order to better understand the transformation and cycling of organic species in Arctic surface snow, measurements of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in the gas (WSOCG) and particle (WSOCP) phases were made during the 2006 summer season at Summit, Greenland. These samples represent the first direct, simultaneous measurements of both WSOCG and WSOCP at Summit. From early June to early July, WSOCG and WSOCP concentrations at 150 cm above the snow averaged 667 and 194 ng C m−3, respectively. This value for WSOCG is very similar in magnitude to the sum of acetic and formic acid gas concentrations measured during previous summers at Summit, suggesting that these two monocarboxylic acids constitute a significant fraction of the mass of measured WSOCG. Firn air measurements of WSOCG revealed concentrations within the snowpack nearly an order of magnitude greater than those in the air just above the snow. During one period, four out of five consecutive nights showed concurrent decreases in WSOCG and increases in WSOCP, likely resulting from temperature-dependent gas-to-particle partitioning, as these episodes occurred during the coldest part of the early morning.
Numerical Model for Bridgman-Stockbarger Crystal Growth with a Magnetic Field

This paper presents a model for the unsteady species transport for the growth of doped semiconductor crystals during the vertical Bridgman‐Stockbarger process with a steady axial magnetic field. This dilute species transport depends on the convective and diffusive species transport of the dopant. This convective species transport is driven by buoyant convection in the melt, which produces compositional nonuniformities in both the melt and the crystal. This transient model predicts the distribution of species in the entire crystal grown in a steady axial magnetic field. The present study presents results of concentration in the crystal and in the melt at several different stages during crystal growth. I. Introduction D URING crystal growth without a magnetic field or with a weak magnetic field, turbulent or oscillatory melt motions can produce undesirable spatial oscillations of the concentration, or microsegregation, in the crystal. 1 Turbulent or oscillatory melt motions lead to fluctuations in the heat transfer across the growth interface from the melt to the crystal. Because the local rate of crystallization depends on the balance between the local heat fluxes in the melt and the crystal, fluctuations in the heat flux from the melt create fluctuations in the local growth rate, which create microsegregation. A moderate magnetic field can be used to create a body force that provides an electromagnetic (EM) damping of the melt motion can to eliminate oscillations in the melt motion and thus in the concentration of the crystal. Unfortunately, the elimination of mixing and a moderate or strong EM damping of the residual melt motion can lead to a large variation of the crystal’s composition in the direction perpendicular to the growth direction (radial macrosegregation). On the other hand, if the magnetic field strength is so strong that the melt motion is reduced sufficiently so that it has no effect on the composition in the crystal, then this diffusion-controlled species transport can produce a radially and axially uniform composition in the crystal grown. 2 To achieve diffusion-controlled species trans�
CT evaluation of urinary lithiasis

Unenhanced CT has been demonstrated to be the most accurate and efficient diagnostic imaging means to evaluate urinary lithiasis, with capability of directing management, and has become well accepted by radiologists, urologists, and emergency department physicians such that it is now the standard of practice. It is the duty of the radiologist to be aware of proper technique and the details of interpretation. The radiologist also has a duty to be aware of the limitations of unenhanced CT for detection and evaluation of various nonstone disorders, particularly with poor patient selection, and to extend the examination if appropriate. Controversies and future developments include cost containment with care for the selection of patients. Further attempts to reduce radiation exposure should be made. Optimal CT technique is not needed in general merely to detect urinary lithiasis. A consensus should be developed regarding use of CT in pregnant patients. Further improvements in the digital scout view would be useful for following patients.
Color graphics at Florida State University

Color graphics work has been on going at Florida State since mid-1977. This paper outlines work accomplished by the author in this area since the early report given by E.P. Miles at the 1978 ACM Southeast Conference (1).
Sensor-fingerprint based identification of images corrected for lens distortion

Computational photography is quickly making its way from research labs to the market. Recently, camera manufacturers started using in-camera lens-distortion correction of the captured image to give users more powerful range of zoom in compact and affordable cameras. Since the distortion correction (barrel/pincushion) depends on the zoom, it desynchronizes the pixel-to-pixel correspondence between images taken at two different focal lengths. This poses a serious problem for digital forensic methods that utilize the concept of sensor fingerprint (photo-response non-uniformity), such as "image ballistic" techniques that can match an image to a specific camera. Such techniques may completely fail. This paper presents an extension of sensor-based camera identification to images corrected for lens distortion. To reestablish synchronization between an image and the fingerprint, we adopt a barrel distortion model and search for its parameter to maximize the detection statistic, which is the peak to correlation energy ratio. The proposed method is tested on hundreds of images from three compact cameras to prove the viability of the approach and demonstrate its efficiency.
Interactive adaptive system for semantic object extraction from image sequences

A new smart interactive video object generation (SIVOG) system targeting at general semantic video object segmentation at pixel-wise accuracy is proposed. SIVOG identifies and extracts the semantic video object from image sequence with user interaction. The system consists of several basic components: semantic level user interaction, smart-processing kernel, object tracking, boundary update and error correction. It allows user to enter the semantic information with the least amount of mouse clicking and movement. Then, the user-input semantic information will be analyzed and interpreted in terms of low-lever features. Finally, the user can correct erroneous regions in the segmentation process. The proposed system is evaluated for several typical MPEG-4 test sequences.
Dynamical symmetries of the vacuum field Jaynes-Cummings model

We examine the dynamics of the Jaynes–Cummings model when it is restricted to the following initial conditions: atom in an arbitrary (pure or mixed) state and field in the vacuum state. It is shown that the model exhibits two dynamical symmetries that are characterized by the Lie algebras SU(2) × SU(2) and SU(3). A pair of interacting spins in a magnetic field also possesses the former symmetry, whereas the latter symmetry naturally describes a three-level atom driven by two laser fields; thus close correspondences with these systems are established. A pseudospin treatment of the model is devised and used to carry out a systematic investigation of its dynamics. On the basis of this treatment we (a) obtain the constants of motion of the problem, (b) establish bounds on the atomic and field inversions for arbitrary model conditions, (c) expose a striking symmetry between field and atomic (i.e., dipole) squeezing, and (d) discuss the occurrence of nonclassical correlations between the atom and the cavity field.
Carboxydismutase activity in plants with and without β-carboxylation photosynthesis

A comparison was made of the activity of carboxydismutase (ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase) between higher plant species which possess the β-carboxylation (C4-dicarboxylic acid) pathway for photosynthesis and species which lack this pathway. Contrary to earlier findings no marked difference in the level of this enzyme was found between the two groups of species. Chloroplast-containing vascular-bundle-sheath cells which seem to be present only in plants with β-carboxylation apparently contain relatively high carboxydismutase activity.
Systematics of flux pinning versus oxygen deficiency δ in aligned Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ materials

Abstract Magnetization studies were made on a series of oxygen-deficient Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ materials, to determine the role of oxygen deficiency δ ≤ 0.20 on intragrain superconductive properties. As oxygen was removed, the critical current density Jc decreased steadily, even where Tc was nearly constant. Flux creep studies were analyzed to obtain the effective vortex pinning energy Ueff(J), which depends on the instantaneous current density J. The results were well described by the vortex glass/collective pinning relation Ueff(J) = (Uo/μ[(Jc0/J)μ - 1], with μ ≈ 0.9 for all oxygen compositions. Experimental values for the pinning energy scale Uo are compared with predictions from collective pinning theory
Influence of Yttrium Doping on Grain Misorientation in Aluminum Oxide

Oversized dopant ions such as yttrium and lanthanum segregate to grain boundaries and reduce the tensile creep rate of α-Al 2 O 3 by 2-3 orders of magnitude. One explanation for this behavior is that the oversized segregants give rise to a site-blocking effect for grain boundary diffusion. It has also been speculated that the dopant ions modify the grain boundary structure in alumina and reduce the creep rate by promoting the formation of special (e.g., coincidence site lattice (CSL)) grain boundaries. In order to test the latter hypothesis, we have used electron backscattered Kikuchi diffraction to characterize the misorientation and special grain boundary distribution for undoped and 1000-ppm-yttrium-doped alumina. The results show that the grain boundary structure in alumina (as characterized by the frequency of selected CSLs and misorientation distribution) was not significantly changed by the addition of yttrium, indicating that creep retardation results mainly from site-blocking.
Density-dependent regulation in populations of potato-colonizing aphids

Scarcity of long-term (over 30 years) data series represents a major challenge for an accurate estimation of the role of density-dependent processes in population regulation. We analyzed population densities of the wingless parthenogenic morphs of buckthorn aphid (BA), Aphis nasturtii Kaltenbach, potato aphid (PA), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), and green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae (Sulzer) from 1949 to 2003 for signs of density-dependent regulation. We found strong evidence of density-dependent regulation, with detection of density dependence being fairly consistent among the different statistical techniques. Direct density dependence was detected for the populations of all three species. There was also evidence of delayed density dependence for PA. The periodicity of population fluctuations for BA and GPA was 6.1 years and 3.9 years, respectively. The periodicity for PA was not explicit, being highly variable throughout the time series. Effects of density-independent weather factors were relatively minor compared to density-dependent regulation. The BA populations experienced a significant reduction in both density and annual oscillations starting in 1995, while GPA populations experienced a similar reduction in 1991. No such change was apparent for PA. The most likely explanation for the observed phenomenon is a change in the composition of the lady beetle community following the establishment of two alien coccinellid species, and/or changes in insecticide use by commercial growers in the area of the study.
Endodontics in veterinary medicine

An animal's dental problems are a tremendous problem for the average dental practitioner. Diagnosis and treatment can be very difficult as a result of the number of animal specimens that may have dental disease. This study presents concepts in veterinary endodontics for members of the canine population, their anatomy, their dental development, and methods of obtaining anesthesia. A discussion of techniques in nonsurgical and surgical endodontics is included. It was concluded that conventional endodontic practices can be used with modifications in instrument length, filling materials, and surgical access, corresponding to the varied oral anatomy within the animal kingdom.
Understanding College Student Attitudes toward LGBT Individuals

While past research has certainly investigated a variety of correlates of attitudes toward LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) individuals, the current study is one of the first that examines attitudes toward each of these groups separately. This is especially important because efforts to understand prejudices are likely to be most successful if they are based in research that explores how correlates of attitudes are both similar and different across specified targets of prejudice. In the current study, I investigated attitudes toward LGBT individuals using a college sample from the southern United States (n = 775) and a diverse set of predictors to better understand the correlates of these attitudes. Results indicated that sexual orientation, measures of LGBT affiliations, and beliefs about sexuality were nearly universal predictors of attitudes toward each of these groups. In addition, being female was positively related to attitudes toward gay men and transgender individuals but negatively relat...
The flowability of fine powders in reduced gravity conditions

The extrapolation of Qian’s semi-theoretical relationship for the transition between cohesive and non-cohesive powder fluidization behavior into regions of low gravity is studied and a validation experiment employing fluidization is discussed. The fluidization experiment utilized fine glass and alumina powders in a fluidized bed and was flown onboard NASA’s reduced gravity aircraft. The transition region between cohesive and non-cohesive behavior is determined for the glass and alumina powders at gravity levels of 1.8, 1.0, 0.38, and 0.16 g. The results are compared to Qian’s model and show fair agreement. The fluidization experiment limitations are discussed and a rotating drum experiment that will reduce the experiment uncertainty, provide quantifiable results, and is suitable for flight onboard NASA’s reduced gravity aircraft is proposed. The rotating drum technique determines the characteristic frequency of the powder’s center of area to detect avalanching. The concept is validated by comparing the characteristic frequency obtained from analyzing a cohesive powder to the characteristic frequency obtained from analyzing a flowable powder.
Listening styles and empathy

Linkages between four listening styles (people‐, action‐, content‐, and time‐oriented) and three constructs of empathy (empathetic responsiveness, perspective taking, and sympathetic responsiveness) were examined. Data from an extensive survey reveal that individuals scoring high on the people listening style reported a tendency to be sympathetic but not empathetic with regard to another in an aversive situation. Conversely, individuals scoring high on either the action or time listening styles exhibited a tendency to feel little concern or pity for others in need. And, those scoring high on the content listening style exhibited the ability to interact with emotionally upset others without experiencing a congruent affective response. Taken together, these findings provide a strong foundation for further research into the links between individual differences in listening styles and empathy.
Warming trends: A flatter Earth

The regular beat of the seasons and between day and night are far more noticeable than recent increases in surface temperature. Researchers now show that these rhythms are changing in a way that parallels the pattern of long-term surface warming.
Combat Level and Social Support in the Development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam Veterans

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of social support and exposure to combat on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans. A second purpose was to examine the influence of premorbid psychological adjustment on PTSD. Questionnaires were mailed to a population of Vietnam veterans, yielding a sample of 52 veterans who were blocked into four groups in a 2 (social support) by 2 (combat level) design. Home interviews were conducted, and comparisons among the groups were made regarding presence of PTSD symptoms, depression, and other psychological disturbance. Results found that veterans who received high social support reported fewer symptoms, and veterans with high combat trauma reported more symptoms. Generally, a significant interaction between social support and combat level was not found. Premorbid functioning was not found to differ among the four groups, suggesting little relationship to PTSD symptoms.
Modelling public land-use decisions as a cooperative game

The process with which to involve the public in national forest management planning and decision-making is analysed. Owing in part to various statutes that mandate the early and frequent involvement of the public in national forest system land management decisions, stakeholder conflict and often litigation surround these decisions. Many approaches have been used in an attempt to resolve these conflicts. These approaches can be generally grouped into two categories. The first category, conflict management, brings conflict under control and recognizes the importance of positive conflict in relationships. It has been examined through both non-cooperative voting mechanisms and decision analysis. The second is conflict resolution, which attempts to terminate the conflict by facilitating a consensus decision. Conflict resolution has been modelled using tools such as cooperative game theory, voting models, and a variant on decision analysis. An application of two types of cooperative solution is applied to the management of USDA Forest Service lands in Wyoming. This paper will model conflict resolution as a cooperative game that considers the Forest Service position imposed by public land laws and regulations.
Alterations of locus coeruleus noradrenergic activity in relation to pituitary secretion after hemorrhage in cats

Noradrenergic (NA) activity in the cat ventral locus coeruleus (vLC), measured either by voltammetry or by push-pull perfusion, increased in response to hemorrhage. This stimulus also elicited plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and vasopressin responses. Increased vLC NA activity following the initial hemorrhage (InHem) persisted even after plasma hormone levels returned toward prestimulus values. Upon stimulus repetition, the peak increase in vLC NA activity was similar to that observed during InHem while the hormone responses were of greater magnitude (i.e. potentiated). Hence, it is suggested that the LC may exert a modulatory role in the hemodynamic control of hypothalamic-pituitary axis function.
Geometric histogram: a distribution of geometric configurations of color subsets

Spatial distribution of color is very important for refining color histograms use din indexing and retrieving color images. Existing histogram refinement techniques are based on the spatial distribution of a single color or color pair. In this paper, the concept of spatial distribution of a subset of colors, which is defined as the occurrence of different geometric configurations of the color set, is used to provide new clues for refining traditional color histogram. The concept is a unification of some existing techniques such as color density maps, color correlogram and color tuples. Experimental results demonstrate that triangular geometric histogram, on e of the simplest special cases of geometric histograms, which is defined as the occurrence of a list of isosceles right triangles of different side lengths of color triples, is more desirable than existing techniques for content-based image retrieval, especially when the database in question consists of on-line color images which are extremely heterogenous in terms of the content of images, camera types, lighting conditions and so on.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Restructuring the university library: a North American perspective

As a result of rapid environmental changes, organisations of all types are rethinking their organisational structures in an attempt to provide greater effectiveness and efficiency. A few years ago business process re‐engineering (BPR) was considered the most promising way to restructure an organisation, but has become less popular as shortcomings associated with the process have become evident. Today, greater emphasis is being placed upon modifying the actual organisational structure. Most restructured organisations have moved away from rigid hierarchies to flatter, more flexible structures. Many of the same forces (including increased automation, changing information needs and expectations of users, reduced budgets and the need for staff to have more autonomy over their own work) that have precipitated the reshaping of other organisations have also affected academic libraries. This paper describes some of the factors leading to changes in the organisational structures of academic libraries and provides an overview of trends, excluding convergence, discernible in North America. The paper includes suggestions for steps to be taken to facilitate successful reorganisations, and comments on possible future developments that might radically alter the organisational structures of academic libraries.
Early interpersonal neurobiological assessment of attachment and autistic spectrum disorders.

There is now a strong if not urgent call in both the attachment and autism literatures for updated, research informed, clinically relevant interventions that can more effectively assess the mother infant dyad during early periods of brain plasticity. In this contribution I describe my work in regulation theory, an overarching interpersonal neurobiological model of the development, psychopathogenesis, and treatment of the early forming subjective self system. The theory models the psychoneurobiological mechanisms by which early rapid, spontaneous and thereby implicit emotionally-laden attachment communications indelibly impact the experience-dependent maturation of the right brain, the “emotional brain.” Reciprocal right-lateralized visual-facial, auditory-prosodic, and tactile-gestural nonverbal communications lie at the psychobiological core of the emotional attachment bond between the infant and primary caregiver. These affective communications can in turn be interactively regulated by the primary caregiver, thereby expanding the infant’s developing right brain regulatory systems. Regulated and dysregulated bodily-based communications can be assessed in order to determine the ongoing status of both the infant’s emotional and social development as well as the quality and efficiency of the infant-mother attachment relationship. I then apply the model to the assessment of early stages of autism. Developmental neurobiological research documents significant alterations of the early developing right brain in autistic infants and toddlers, as well profound attachment failures and intersubjective deficits in autistic infant-mother dyads. Throughout I offer implication of the theory for clinical assessment models. This work suggests that recent knowledge of the social and emotional functions of the early developing right brain may not only bridge the attachment and autism worlds, but facilitate more effective attachment and autism models of early intervention.
GATA-6 is required for maturation of the lung in late gestation.

GATA-6, a member of the GATA family of zinc finger proteins, is the only family member known to be expressed in the epithelial cells of the developing airway epithelium. To determine the role of GA...
Impact of depressive symptoms on adult asthma outcomes

Background Psychological disorders, including depression, are common in adults with asthma. Although depression is treatable, its impact on longitudinal asthma outcomes is not clear. Objective To elucidate the impact of depressive symptoms on patient-centered outcomes and emergency health care use in adults with asthma. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 743 adults with asthma who were recruited after hospitalization for asthma. Depressive symptoms were defined as having a score of 16 or more on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. We examined the impact of depressive symptoms on patient-centered outcomes (validated severity-of-asthma score, Marks Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, and 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical component summary score) and on future emergency health care use for asthma ascertained from computerized databases. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15%-21%) among adults with asthma. Depressive symptoms were associated with greater severity-of-asthma scores after controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and cigarette smoking (mean score increment, 2.6 points; 95% CI, 1.8-3.4 points). Furthermore, depressive symptoms were associated with poorer asthma-specific quality of life (mean score increment, 19.9 points; 95% CI, 17.7-22.1 points) and poorer physical health status (mean score decrement, 3.7 points; 95% CI, 1.5-5.8 points). Depressive symptoms were associated with a greater longitudinal risk of hospitalization for asthma (hazard ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.98-1.84). After controlling for differences in preventive care for asthma, the relationship was stronger (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05-2.0). Conclusion Depressive symptoms are common in adults with asthma and are associated with poorer health outcomes, including greater asthma severity and risk of hospitalization for asthma.
Compartmentalization of NaCl in frozen solutions of antifreeze glycoproteins.

Abstract The freezing behavior of NaCl solutions containing antifreeze glycoproteins from an Antarctic fish has been investigated to determine whether the glycoproteins prevent concentration of NaCl during freezing. Frozen NaCl solutions containing glycoproteins exhibit greater resistance to releasing their brine during centrifugation than NaCl solutions containing other cryoprotectants. With the aid of calorimetry this is shown to be caused not by an incorporation of the NaCl into the ice but by compartmentalization of the brine pockets. The compartmentalization is attributed to an unusual spicular structure that is imposed on the ice by glycoproteins.
Commentary: Introduction to the Special Issue on Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine

Commentary: Introduction to the Special Issue on Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine Carolyn E. Ievers-Landis a & Brett R. Kuhn b c a Division of Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics & Psychology, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA b Department of Psychology, Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation, Omaha, NE, USA c Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Management of arterial hypertension in patients with acute stroke.

Management of arterial hypertension in the hyperacute period immediately after stroke ictus remains controversial. Extremes of blood pressure (BP) are associated with poor outcomes in all stroke subtypes. Severely hypertensive patients likely benefit from modest BP reductions, but aggressive BP reduction may worsen outcome. Although little evidence is currently available to definitively establish guideline recommendations for optimal BP goals at stroke presentation, recently published research is shedding some light on how to approach management of BP after stroke. Antihypertensive treatment should probably be deferred in ischemic stroke patients except in cases of severe hypertension or when thrombolytic therapy is warranted and the patient’s BP is above acceptable levels. Hypertensive hemorrhagic stroke patients may benefit from modest BP reductions. Relative hypotension causing regional hypoperfusion is an increasingly understood concept immediately following ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, emphasizing the need for careful titration of appropriate medications to minimize fluctuations in BP for treated patients. Ongoing trials will improve our current knowledge regarding BP management after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Present and Future Alkylation Processes in Refineries

Isobutane has been alkylated with light (C3−C5) olefins for many years to produce high-quality, clean-burning gasolines. Processes that will significantly reduce operating costs and also produce higher-quality gasolines are proposed. These recommendations are based on recent improved understanding of process fundamentals, including the complicated chemical steps and the physical steps between and near the two or more phases in the reactor. Processes using sulfuric acid can be modified to reduce acid consumption significantly. Several solid catalysts have recently been proposed. All exhibit rapid catalyst deactivation for reasons explained in this article.
Structure of oxygen, boron and nickel ion implanted silica glasses

Abstract The structure of silica glass damaged by 1 MeV O + -, 1 MeV B + - and 4 MeV Ni 2+ -ion implantations has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, infrared reflection and ultraviolet absorption measurements. It is found that Si atoms form SiO 4 tetrahedra in the damaged regions, as in the unimplanted glass. It is deduced that the average Si-O-Si bond angle decreases with ion implantations. The middle range ordering becomes reduced in the damaged regions. The structure of glasses damaged by the implantations of these ions resemble each other.