cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trend and area variation in amphetamine prescription usage among children and adolescents in Michigan

The increased use of stimulant medications for children and teenagers is an ongoing issue of professional and public concern. Unlike methylphenidate, the growth of prescriptions and patterns of utilization of amphetamines for pediatric populations have not been well documented. The study objectives were to describe the trends of amphetamine prescription utilization among pediatric age groups in Michigan and to compare area variations. A population-based computerized data set from the state of Michigan was used to extract all outpatient prescriptions for Schedule II amphetamines dispensed from 1990 to 1997. The prescribing rates by age groups and by counties were computed with the projected population size of corresponding years, and mapped and analyzed with spatial statistical methods. Counties that did not conform to the global spatial dependence pattern in the prescription rate were identified using Moran scatter plot. A total of 236,661 outpatient prescriptions for amphetamines were dispensed in Michigan during the time frame, including less than 1% for methamphetamine, 24.5% for amphetamine, and 74.8% for dextroamphetamine. The prescribing rate was highest among children 10-14 years old (380 prescriptions per 10,000 people) in 1997, followed by children 5-9 years old (253 prescriptions per 10,000). Over the 8-year period, the prescribing rates of amphetamines increased significantly, ranging from 380% for children 2-4 years to 817% for teenagers older than 14 years. The rates among counties ranged from 60 to 1648 per 10,000 children 5-14 years old, with the highest prescribing rates in the northwestern regions of Michigan. Although spatial dependence explained 36% of the variance, the area variations that are unaccounted for are still considerable. In conclusion, there were substantial increases and unexplained area variations in amphetamine usage in Michigan during the study period. Both phenomena require awareness and evaluation from researchers, policy makers, clinicians, and the public.
Prehistoric occupation of Late Quaternary landscapes near Kharga Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt

A systematic geoarchaeological survey conducted north of Kharga Oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt recorded all prehistoric sites in eight transects over a total area of 30 km2. The survey focused on the entire range of landscapes along the fringe of the Libyan Plateau, an area previously assumed by researchers to be uninhabitable. Our objective was to determine the distribution and cultural affiliations of prehistoric sites in relation to different geomorphic settings in this hyperarid environment. The results of the survey reveal temporal and spatial patterns in the record of prehistoric occupation. During the Lower Paleolithic, wadis at the foot of the Plateau escarpment attracted people, as did springs on the floor of the Kharga Depression. During Middle Paleolithic pluvials, wadis and springs were occupied by people, but the archaeological record suggests that human occupation shifted towards small depressions, or pans, on the Libyan Plateau, an area considered uninhabitable by previous researchers. Most of the Middle Paleolithic, Terminal Paleolithic, and Neolithic cultural deposits are associated with the pans. Reduced variability in the geomorphic setting of sites during the Terminal Paleolithic/Neolithic compared to the Middle Paleolithic may reflect reduced effective precipitation during the early Holocene. It is likely that monsoonal summer rains of central Africa periodically penetrated at least as far north as Kharga during the Terminal Paleolithic and Neolithic, supplying water to the pans and wadis. Hence, while wadis and many springs became dry during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (∼10,000 yr B.P.), the pans remained seasonal ponds with sufficient vegetation to attract game and people to a region that was otherwise a desert. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Investigations of closely coupled pilot and main injections as a means to reduce combustion noise in a small-bore direct injection Diesel engine

Various pilot–main injection strategies are investigated in a single-cylinder optical Diesel engine. It is observed that as the dwell between a single pilot and the main injection is decreased toward zero, combustion noise passes through a minimum, and a reduction of 3 dB is possible. The injection schedules employed in the engine are analyzed with a hydraulic injection analyzer to provide rate shapes for each of the dwells tested. Two distinct injection events are observed even at the shortest dwell tested, and various rate shaping effects are observed with the main injection event as the dwell is adjusted. High-speed elastic scattering imaging of liquid fuel is performed in the engine to examine initial spray penetration rates. These compare favorably to the measured rates of injection, thus providing evidence that rate shaping of the initial phase of the main injection occurs in the engine and that this rate shaping is consistent with the injection rate data. However, experimental evidence suggests tha...
Management of Hepatitis C Infection after Liver Transplantation

Recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has been associated with progression to cirrhosis in approximately 20% of patients, 5 years postoperatively. Accelerated decompensation has also been noted when compared with cirrhosis in non-transplant patients. Different treatment strategies are available for recurrent HCV infection post-OLT, but efforts are hindered by the modest response rates, poor tolerability and the risk of rejection as well as graft loss. Anti-HCV immunoglobulin therapy to prevent graft infection with HCV has no established role at present but studies are ongoing. Treatment prior to transplantation in patients with decompensated cirrhosis has been evaluated but the results are too preliminary to make firm recommendations. Prophylactic interferon-based antiviral therapy in the early postoperative period to prevent graft infection was shown to have low response rates and high rates of adverse effects. Treatment of established recurrent HCV infection with combination peginterferon (pegylated interferon) and ribavirin is associated with 10-59% sustained virological response and the predictive value of a positive early virological response has been validated in the post-transplant setting. Improvement in inflammatory activity after viral eradication is well established, but fibrosis regression or stabilisation is less predictable and factors such as rejection and biliary complications may still contribute to graft loss. Most studies have initiated therapy at least 6 months postoperatively in order to optimise patient tolerance and enable the addition of ribavirin. The use of adjuvant agents to treat drug-induced neutropenia and anaemia in this population is evolving and becoming a crucial part of therapy. Determination of optimal doses of both pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and guidance on when to stop treatment, as well as improving tolerability are important steps in achieving higher response rates and minimising drug toxicity.
Plant and nutrient controls on microbial functional characteristics in a tropical Oxisol

Extracellular enzymes mediate the decomposition of organic matter and the release of plant-available nutrients. Current theory predicts that enzyme production by soil microbes is regulated by the stoichiometric demands of microbial biomass and the complexity of environmental resources, but most experiments ignore the potential effect of alleviated carbon limitation in the rhizosphere. Our objective was to investigate linkages between enzyme activities, soil nutrient availability and plant roots in a tropical Oxisol. We conducted a greenhouse experiment using soils from the Luquillo Experimental Forest and seedlings of Tabebuia heterophylla. Planted and unplanted pots were fertilized with different combinations of phosphorus and either mineral nitrogen (ammonia chloride) or a nitrogen-rich organic compound (casein). We measured changes in plant and soil nutrients and five extracellular enzyme activities. Phosphatase activity declined by 28% in the P and 40% in the complex nitrogen treatment, while N-acetyl glucosaminidase increased 162% in the complex nitrogen treatment. Beta-glucosidase, beta-xylosidase, cellobiohydrolase and N-acetyl glucosaminidase all increased significantly over time in the simple nitrogen treatment (P < 0.05). Enzymatic responses support microbial resource allocation theory, that is, the concept that soil microbes regulate enzyme production based on scarcity of resources. However, we did not observe any additional effect of roots on extracellular enzyme activities. Enzymatic C:N, C:P and N:P ratios further support the notion that shifts in microbial stoichiometric demand drive responses to nutrients.
The H2O2-Generating Enzyme, Xanthine Oxidase, Decreases Luminal Ca2+ Content of the IP3-Sensitive Ca2+ Store in Vascular Endothelial Cells

Objective: Xanthine oxidase inhibits agonist-stimulated Ca2+ signaling in calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells by an H2O2-dependent mechanism. We investigated the effect of xanthine oxidase on luminal Ca2+ content of the inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ store.Methods: Luminal Ca2+ content was estimated from the net release of Ca2+ activated by 2,5-di-t-butylhydroquinone (BHQ), an inhibitor of microsomal Ca2+ pumps.Results: Initially, xanthine oxidase depleted the IP3-sensitive Ca2+ store of releasable Ca2+, but with more prolonged incubation, the enzyme also depleted non-IP3-sensitive stores. In addition, xanthine oxidase inhibited capacitative Ca2+ influx. Similar results were observed when thapsigargin was substituted for BHQ.Conclusions: Depletion of luminal Ca2+ content within the IP3-sensitive Ca2+ store contributes to xanthine oxidase inhibition of Ca2+ signaling in vascular endothelial cells.
Operational semantics of programming languages

A framework is developed for the operational characterization of the semantics of computational formalisms such as programming languages, digital computers and automata. Operational semantics is contrasted with input-output semantics and it is shown that input-output semantics is inappropriate to the study of certain important implementation-dependent attributes of computational formalisms. Notions of equivalence are developed for a very general class of operational models called information structure models. The structure of proofs of compiler correctness and interpreter equivalence is discussed independently of the form of the states and state transitions of a specific interpreter. These techniques are then applied to defining a correctness criterion for block structure implementations and to correctness proofs of interpreters for block structure languages.
Complete intersection dimensions for complexes

Abstract We extend the notions of complete intersection dimension and lower complete intersection dimension to the category of complexes with finite homology and verify basic properties analogous to those holding for modules. We also discuss the question of the behavior of complete intersection dimension with respect to short exact sequences.
Evidence for the purity of Schardinger dextrinogenase.

Abstract Evidence that at least 90% of the protein of purified Schardinger dextrinogenase preparation consists of one enzyme component with a molecular weight in the vicinity of 100,000 and an isoelectric point at pH 4.5 is based on measurements of enzymic impurities and turnover number; specific-property and constant-solvent solubility tests; partition chromatography; comparison of rates of inactivation and denaturation; and ultracentrifugal and electrophoretic analysis.
Quenching of I(2P1/2) by Cl2 and Cl Atoms over the Temperature Range 297−663 K†

Time-resolved fluorescence measurements have been used to examine the quenching of I( 2 P 1 / 2 ) by Cl 2 and Cl atoms. Pulsed photolysis of CF 3 I was used to generate I*. Quenching by Cl 2 was examined using 248 nm photolysis as Cl 2 does not absorb significantly at this wavelength. Photolysis at 308 nm, which dissociates both CF 3 I and Cl 2 , was used to investigate quenching by Cl atoms. Quenching kinetics were characterized over the temperature range from 297 to 663 K. The rate constant for quenching by Cl atoms was found to be almost independent of temperature, whereas the rate constant for Cl 2 increased by 3 orders of magnitude in going from 297 to 663 K. Theoretical calculations show that quenching by Cl atoms is mediated by a curve crossing process. The temperature dependence of the Cl 2 quenching rate constant is attributed to the reactive channel I* + Cl 2 → ICI + Cl( 2 P).
Efficient detection of discrepancies in multiple file copies

For data consistency in distributed information systems, it is often necessary to compare remotely located copies of a file. We develop several protocols for the efficient detection of differing pages in a replicated file in different communication and failure models. The first set of protocols assumes a restricted but practical communication model. In this case, the minimum amount of communication necessary to identify any given number of differing pages is determined and a technique to attain this minimum is presented. For the more general communication model and for more refined failure models, we show that more efficient protocols can be derived. Our approach is based on the theory of Galois fields.
Child and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder: A Review of the Past 10 Years

ABSTRACT Objective To provide a review of the epidemiology, phenomenology, natural course, comorbidity, neurobiology, and treatment of child and adolescent bipolar disorder (BP) for the past 10 years. This review is provided to prepare applicants for recertification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Method Literature from Medline and other searches for the past 10 years, earlier relevant articles, and the authors' experience and ongoing National Institute of Mental Health-funded project "Phenomenology and Course of Pediatric Bipolarity" were used. Results Age-specific, developmental (child, adolescent, and adult) DSM-IV criteria manifestations; comorbidity and differential diagnoses; and episode and course features are provided. Included are age-specific examples of childhood grandiosity, hypersexuality, and delusions. Differential diagnoses (e.g., specific language disorders, sexual abuse, conduct disorder [CD], schizophrenia, substance abuse), suicidality, and BP-II are discussed. Conclusions Available data strongly suggest that prepubertal-onset BP is a nonepisodic, chronic, rapid-cycling, mixed manic state that may be comorbid with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and CD or have features of ADHD and/or CD as initial manifestations. Systematic research on pediatric BP is in its infancy and will require ongoing and future studies to provide developmentally relevant diagnostic methods and treatment.
An analysis of the direct effect of chlordiazepoxide on mammalian cardiac tissues and crayfish and squid giant axons: Possible basis of antiarrhythmic activity

Abstract Chlordiazepoxide has been found to be antiarrhythmic in vivo . The purpose of the present investigation is to identify the mechanism(s) of such antiarrhythmic activity. In canine heart, chlordiazepoxide effectively depressed the enhanced repetitive discharges in subendocardial Purkinje fibers surviving acute myocardial infarction. Chlordiazepoxide altered the action potential characteristics of Purkinje fiber by shortening the APD50, APD100 and effective refractory period with little effect on the resting membrane potential. The maximal rate of upstroke (dv/dt) was significantly reduced only at 1 × 10−4M and above in Purkinje fibers and the membrane response curve was consistently shifted to the right by chlordiazepoxide. The ventricular muscle was little affected by chlordiazepoxide except for the shortened APD50 and reduced dv/dt. Chlordiazepoxide exerted nerve blocking potency comparable to lidocaine in the crayfish giant axon. Voltage-clamp experiments in squid axon showed that chlordiazepoxide suppressed both components of membrane current, the transient inward sodium current being diminished far greater than the steady-state potassium current. These results demonstrate a direct action on cardiac and axonal membranes which may be partially responsible for the antiarrhythmic activity of this agent.
Sensing means and sensor shells : a new method of comparative study of piezoelectric, piezoresistive, electrostatic, magnetic, and optical sensors

Abstract The immense computational power of today's processors cannot be fully utilized unless appropriate sensors and actuators are developed to link them with the outside world. A method is presented here to compare different sensors with each other and to evaluate their relative merits. On the basis of physical considerations, sensors are decomposed into two essential building blocks: a sensor shell and a sensing mean. A figure of merit is defined and 11 different types of sensors, having the same sensing shells, are analyzed and compared with each other.
Ferromagnetic resonance of lunar samples

Ferromagnetic electron spin resonance spectra of Apollo 11 lunar samples, using model for polycrystalline spectra simulation
The effect of peptide deletions on the glycosylation of murine immunoglobulin M heavy chains.

Abstract The glycosylation and processing of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides at individual glycosylation sites on the μ-chain of murine immunoglobulin M were investigated using variant cell lines that synthesize and secrete IgM heavy chains with known peptide deletions. Normal murine IgM has five N-linked oligosaccharides in the constant region of each heavy or μ-chain. Each μ-chain has four complex-type oligosaccharides as well as a single high mannose-type oligosaccharide near the carboxyl terminus of the molecule. The peptide deletion of the Cμ1 constant region domain in the heavy chains synthesized by one variant cell line did not prevent subsequent glycosylation at more distal glycosylation sites. In fact, the presence of this deletion resulted in more complete glycosylation at the C-terminal glycosylation site. Evaluation of glycopeptides containing individual glycosylation sites by Concanavalin A-Sepharose indicated that this deletion had no significant effect on the processing of structures from high mannose-type to complex-type oligosaccharide chains. In contrast, a deletion of the C-terminal peptide region of the heavy chain of IgM synthesized by a second variant cell line resulted in intracellular processing to more highly branched oligosaccharide structures at several of the glycosylation sites not involved in the deletion.
Composite Templates for Cloth Modeling and Sketching

Cloth modeling and recognition is an important and challenging problem in both vision and graphics tasks, such as dressed human recognition and tracking, human sketch and portrait. In this paper, we present a context sensitive grammar in an And-Or graph representation which will produce a large set of composite graphical templates to account for the wide variabilities of cloth configurations, such as T-shirts, jackets, etc. In a supervised learning phase, we ask an artist to draw sketches on a set of dressed people, and we decompose the sketches into categories of cloth and body components: collars, shoulders, cuff, hands, pants, shoes etc. Each component has a number of distinct subtemplates (sub-graphs). These sub-templates serve as leafnodes in a big And-Or graph where an And-node represents a decomposition of the graph into sub-configurations with Markov relations for context and constraints (soft or hard), and an Or-node is a switch for choosing one out of a set of alternative And-nodes (sub-configurations) - similar to a node in stochastic context free grammar (SCFG). This representation integrates the SCFG for structural variability and the Markov (graphical) model for context. An algorithm which integrates the bottom-up proposals and the topdown information is proposed to infer the composite cloth template from the image.
Self-Antigen Prevents CD8 T Cell Effector Differentiation by CD134 and CD137 Dual Costimulation

We compared how CD4 vs CD8 cells attain the capacity to express the effector cytokine IFN-γ under both immunogenic and tolerogenic conditions. Although the Ifng gene locus was epigenetically repressed in naive Ag-inexperienced CD4 cells, it had already undergone partial remodeling toward a transcriptionally competent configuration in naive CD8 cells. After TCR stimulation, CD8 cells fully remodeled the Ifng locus and gained the capacity to express high levels of IFN-γ more rapidly than CD4 cells. Enforced dual costimulation through OX40 and 4-1BB redirected CD8 cells encountering soluble exogenous peptide to expand and differentiate into IFN-γ and TNF-α double-producing effectors rather than becoming tolerant. Despite this and the stronger tendency of CD8 compared with CD4 cells to differentiate into IFN-γ-expressing effectors, when parenchymal self-Ag was the source of tolerizing Ag, enforced dual costimulation selectively boosted expansion but did not push effector differentiation in CD8 cells while both expansion and effector differentiation were dramatically boosted in CD4 cells. Notably, enforced dual costimulation was able to push effector differentiation in CD8 cells encountering cognate parenchymal self-Ag when CD4 cells were simultaneously engaged. Thus, the ability of enforced OX40 plus 4-1BB dual costimulation to redirect CD8 cells to undergo effector differentiation was unexpectedly influenced by the source of tolerizing Ag and help was selectively required to facilitate CD8 cell effector differentiation when the tolerizing Ag derived from self.
Identification of a Novel WxSLVK Motif in the N Terminus of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vif That Is Critical for APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F Neutralization

The function of lentiviral Vif proteins is to neutralize the host antiviral cytidine deaminases APOBEC3G (A3G) and APOBEC3F (A3F). Vif bridges a cullin 5-based E3 ubiquitin ligase with A3G and A3F and mediates their degradation by proteasomes. Recent studies have found that Vif uses different domains to bind to A3G and A3F. A (14)DRMR(17) domain binds to A3F, (40)YRHHY(44) binds to A3G, and (69)YxxL(72) binds to both A3G and A3F. Here, we report another functional domain of Vif. Previously, we demonstrated that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif failed to mediate A3G proteasomal degradation when all 16 lysines were mutated to arginines. Here, we show that K26, and to a lesser extent K22, is critical for A3G neutralization. K22 and K26 are part of a conserved (21)WxSLVK(26) (x represents N, K, or H) motif that is found in most primate lentiviruses and that shows species-specific variation. Both K22 and K26 in this motif regulated Vif specificity only for A3G, whereas the SLV residues regulated Vif specificity for both A3F and A3G. Interestingly, SLV and K26 in HIV-1 Vif did not directly mediate Vif interaction with either A3G or A3F. Previously, other groups have reported an important role for W21 in A3F and A3G neutralization. Thus, (21)WxSLVK(26) is a novel functional domain that regulates Vif activity toward both A3F and A3G and is a potential drug target to inhibit Vif activity and block HIV-1 replication.
Landscape characteristics affecting streams in urbanizing regions of the Delaware River Basin (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, U.S.)

Widespread and increasing urbanization has resulted in the need to assess, monitor, and understand its effects on stream water quality. Identifying relations between stream ecological con- dition and urban intensity indicators such as imper- vious surface provides important, but insufficient information to effectively address planning and management needs in such areas. In this study we investigate those specific landscape metrics which are functionally linked to indicators of stream ecological condition, and in particular, identify those character- istics that exacerbate or mitigate changes in ecolog- ical condition over and above impervious surface. The approach used addresses challenges associated with redundancy of landscape metrics, and links landscape pattern and composition to an indicator of stream ecological condition across a broad area of the eastern United States. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected during 2000-2001 from forty-two sites in the Delaware River Basin, and landscape data of high spatial and thematic resolution were obtained from photointerpretation of 1999 imagery. An ordi- nation-derived 'biotic score' was positively corre- lated with assemblage tolerance, and with urban- related chemical characteristics such as chloride concentration and an index of potential pesticide toxicity. Impervious surface explained 56% of the variation in biotic score, but the variation explained increased to as high as 83% with the incorporation of a second land use, cover, or configuration metric at catchment or riparian scales. These include land use class-specific cover metrics such as percent of urban land with tree cover, forest fragmentation metrics such as aggregation index, riparian metrics such as percent tree cover, and metrics related to urban aggregation. Study results indicate that these metrics will be important to monitor in urbanizing areas in addition to impervious surface.
Renal impairment in elderly patients with hypertension and diabetes.

We investigated the prevalence of renal impairment in individuals with known hypertension or diabetes aged 50–75 years in two South London General Practices. We initially interrogated the practice and hospital biochemistry databases for each individual's most recent serum creatinine. Individuals with no result recorded in the previous year were then invited for screening: 189/365 (51.8%) attended. Data were collected on 821 of a total potential population of 997. Taking a serum creatinine of 120 mmol/l as the upper limit of normal, the overall prevalence of renal disease in this population was 8.4%: 6.1% in the hypertensives, 12.6% in the diabetics and 16.9% in those with both. Significant proteinuria (⩾2+) was present in 3.9% of the total population: 2.2% of hypertensives, 8.3% of diabetics and 3.9% of those with both. At screening, 44.5% of individuals had inadequately controlled blood pressure. Renal impairment is common in this population at high risk of renal disease. Screening for renal disease in this population is simple, safe and gives a high yield of positive results.
A quiet culture war in research libraries – and what it means for librarians, researchers and publishers

There is a growing rift between those who believe the library’s most fundamental purpose is to support and advance the goals of its host institution and those who believe the library’s most important role is as an agent of progress and reform in the larger world of scholarly communication. Although these two areas of endeavor are not mutually exclusive, they are in competition for scarce resources and the choices made between them have serious implications at both the micro level (for the patrons and institutions served by each library) and the macro level (for members of the larger academic community). The tension between these two worldviews is creating friction within librarianship itself: as tightening budgets increasingly force us to choose between worthy programs and projects, there is growing conflict between those whose choices reflect one worldview and those who hold to the other. How this conflict plays out over the next few years may have significant implications for the scholars who depend on libraries for access to research content and for the publishers and other vendors for whom libraries are a core customer base.
Coarsening Behavior and Coercivity in L10-Ordered Intermetallic Fe-Pd Ferromagnets with Equiaxed Grain Morphology

Thermo mechanical processing of equiatomic FePd has been used to establish a nearly equiaxed microstructure that consists of mono-variant L10 ordered grains. The technically important hard magnetic properties, e.g. coercivity, of the uniaxial ferromagnetic L10-FePd with equiaxed microstructure depend on the grain size. Thus, here, the evolution of grain size during the later stages of annealing has been studied using SEM and computer assisted image analysis with the goal to determine the activation parameters for the relevant coarsening processes. Using a classical grain growth analysis the activation parameter for coarsening of the 5% largest grains in the populations of L10-ordered grains in FePd has been determined as approximately 30kcal/mol.
Wanted: a theory of post-trauma information delivery.

As fields mature, they gradually map out their conceptual terrain, and different parts of the problem space are described and examined. As the field of traumatic stress has developed, attention has gradually turned toward the possibility of intervening soon after traumatic stress exposure to prevent development of problems. Researchers have started by evaluating the impact of the primary early intervention in current practice, stress debriefing. In that case, empirical investigation has indicated that stress debriefing does not prevent development of PTSD and depression symptoms. Moreover, a few findings have suggested that the intervention may potentially worsen distress and symptoms. As empirical research in early intervention continues to develop, there will be increasing scrutiny of all components of helping efforts. This paper continues this healthy development trajectory by drawing attention to one key element of early intervention (and treatment of chronic PTSD) that has been previously accepted with relatively little scrutiny: psychoeducation. Wesselly and colleagues rightly question the assumption that providing psychoeducation is self-evidently “a good thing.” Education is provided as both a stand-alone intervention and a component routinely offered in almost all early intervention packages. Trauma-related research to date generally suggests not so much that education is harmful, but that it does not have preventive impact. The authors review what is largely indirect evidence about psychoeducation, based on studies in which psychoeducation is embedded as a component of more complex interventions. A number of well-conducted studies have now shown that psychoeducation delivered in the context of psychological debriefing does not result in better outcomes, but debriefing of course represents only one way of delivering trauma-related education. Other package interventions that include education--stress inoculation training (SIT) and bibliotherapy-have produced better results. The authors speculate that while stress inoculation training has been found effective when applied to well-defined, predictable events (e.g., upcoming surgery), it may not be as effective in the context of the randomness and Commentary on “Psychoeducation” Ruzek
A unified framework for statistical timing analysis with coupling and multiple input switching

As technology scales to smaller dimensions, increasing process variations, coupling induced delay variations and multiple input switching effects make timing verification extremely challenging. In this paper, we establish a theoretical framework for statistical timing analysis with coupling and multiple input switching. We prove the convergence of our proposed iterative approach and discuss implementation issues under the assumption of a Gaussian distribution for the parameters of variation. A statistical timer based on our proposed approach is developed and experimental results are presented for the IS-CAS benchmarks. We juxtapose our timer with a single pass, non iterative statistical timer that does not consider the mutual dependence of coupling with timing and another statistical timer that handles coupling deterministically. Monte Carlo simulations reveal a distinct gain (up to 24%) in accuracy by our approach in comparison to the others mentioned.
Metabolic Factors, Adipose Tissue, and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Levels in Type 2 Diabetes: Findings From the Look AHEAD Study

Objective— Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) production by adipose tissue is increased in obesity, and its circulating levels are high in type 2 diabetes. PAI-1 increases cardiovascular risk by favoring clot stability, interfering with vascular remodeling, or both. We investigated in obese diabetic persons whether an intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss (ILI) would decrease PAI-1 levels independently of weight loss and whether PAI-1 reduction would be associated with changes in fibrinogen, an acute phase reactant, or fibrin fragment d-dimer (d-dimer), a marker of ambient coagulation balance. Methods and Results— We examined 1-year changes in PAI-1, d-dimer, and fibrinogen levels; adiposity; fitness; glucose; and lipid control with ILI in 1817 participants from Look AHEAD, a randomized trial investigating the effects of ILI, compared with usual care, on cardiovascular events in overweight or obese diabetic persons. Median PAI-1 levels decreased 29% with ILI and 2.5% with usual care ( P <0.0001). Improvements in fitness, glucose control, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with decreased PAI-1, independently of weight loss ( P =0.03 for fitness, P <0.0001 for others). Fibrinogen and d-dimer remained unchanged. Conclusion— Reductions in PAI-1 levels with ILI in obese diabetic individuals may reflect an improvement in adipose tissue health that could affect cardiovascular risk without changing fibrinogen or d-dimer levels. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: . Unique identifier: [NCT00017953][1]. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT00017953&atom=%2Fatvbaha%2F31%2F7%2F1689.atom
Patients with anatomically "simple" renal masses are more likely to be placed on active surveillance than those with anatomically "complex" lesions.

Objective To determine if radiographically less complex renal lesions are deemed clinically less “worrisome” and therefore are more likely to be considered for active surveillance (AS).
PDE5 inhibition alleviates functional muscle ischemia in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Objective: To determine whether phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibition can alleviate exercise-induced skeletal muscle ischemia in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: In 10 boys with DMD and 10 healthy age-matched male controls, we assessed exercise-induced attenuation of reflex sympathetic vasoconstriction, i.e., functional sympatholysis, a protective mechanism that matches oxygen delivery to metabolic demand. Reflex vasoconstriction was induced by simulated orthostatic stress, measured as the decrease in forearm muscle oxygenation with near-infrared spectroscopy, and performed when the forearm muscles were rested or lightly exercised with rhythmic handgrip exercise. Then, the patients underwent an open-label, dose-escalation, crossover trial with single oral doses of tadalafil or sildenafil. Results: The major new findings are 2-fold: first, sympatholysis is impaired in boys with DMD—producing functional muscle ischemia—despite contemporary background therapy with corticosteroids alone or in combination with cardioprotective medication. Second, PDE5 inhibition with standard clinical doses of either tadalafil or sildenafil alleviates this ischemia in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, PDE5 inhibition also normalizes the exercise-induced increase in skeletal muscle blood flow (measured by Doppler ultrasound), which is markedly blunted in boys with DMD. Conclusions: These data provide in-human proof of concept for PDE5 inhibition as a putative new therapeutic strategy for DMD. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that in patients with DMD, PDE5 inhibition restores functional sympatholysis.
Improvement of home appliances design based on energy-saving concept: Case studies on hair dryer and coffee maker

World market energy consumption is projected to increase by 57% from 2004 to 2030. Worldwide efforts to meet these challenges include developing alternative energy sources, exploring renewable energy resources, and reducing energy consumption. In this paper, the authors presented a new design method for energy-saving product by means of two simple case studies, hair dryer and coffeemaker. The results show that the new design method is useful and applicable. However, there were some simplifications in the case studies, and further research need to be done by considering improving all the parts of the product.
Wealth Effects of Diversification and Financial Deal Structuring: Evidence from REIT Property Portfolio Acquisitions

This study examines the strategic characteristics and shareholder wealth effects of a popular vehicle for Real Estate Investment Trust growth in the 1990s: the acquisition of a portfolio of properties from a single seller. We examine a sample of 209 REIT portfolio acquisitions during 1995-2001. We observe a wide variety of financing strategies and find an array of different categories of sellers. Contrary to results reported in real estate transactions of this sort in the past, we find that announcement-period shareholder returns are significantly positive in the aggregate. We present evidence that excess returns to acquirers result from (1) wealth benefits received when companies reconfirm their geographical focus in the acquisition, (2) positive information conveyed by the use of project-specific private debt and (3) a positive signal sent to the market when transactions are financed by stock privately placed with financial institutions.
Biblical Allusions in Modern and Postmodern Hebrew Literature

Hebrew authors of the 1960s and 1970s used the biblical context to hint at their protagonists' religious yearnings, to invest their texts with additional levels of meaning, and to amplify the significance of their plots. In the Hebrew “postmodernist” fiction of the late 1980s and the 1990s, however, biblical allusions are less commonly found, and their functions have fundamentally changed. To examine these different functions, let us first juxtapose two novels, Avram Heffner's Allelim [ Alleles ], a typical example of the “postmodernist” trend, and Amos Oz's Menuha Nekhona [ A Perfect Peace ], a representative novel of the Israeli “modernist” school.
Examining the intersection between suicidal behaviors and intimate partner violence among a sample of males receiving services from the Veterans Health Administration

Veterans comprise 10% of the population, and suicide among Veterans has garnered national media and policy attention. Existing research suggests that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for suicidal behaviors among some high-risk populations. This report offers a new perspective: the intersection between Veterans' suicidal thoughts and IPV, both victimization and perpetration. The data were obtained from a northeast telephone survey of Veterans (n = 296) using Veterans Health Administration services and yielded a 27% participation rate. Findings suggest male Veterans who are IPV involved have increased odds of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Language: en
The ARIES Simulation Component (ASC)

The ARIES Simulation Component (ASC) is a tool for the validation of behaviors described by an evolving specification which may be incomplete, inconsistent, and/or ambiguous. ASC does this by the formalization of an analyst's focus, the introduction of approximations to abstract away parts of the specification unrelated to the current focus, and the automated execution of a specification of various levels of abstraction with respect to this focus. This paper describes how ASC is able to bound a large and potentially incomplete behavior space of a specification under development in a well disciplined manner such that validation techniques (in this case simulation) which are most effective on small behavior spaces are tractable. This work is a step along a path toward the scaling of dynamic analysis techniques to real-world sized problems. >
WiFEL: THE wisconsin free electron laser

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Synchrotron Radiation Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing a seeded VUV/soft x-ray free electron laser (FEL) serving multiple simultaneous users. The design uses an L-band CW superconducting 2.2 GeV linac to deliver 200 pC bunches to several FELs that cover the 5–900 eV photon range at repetition rates from kHz to MHz. The FEL output will be fully coherent longitudinally and transversely, with tunable pulse energy and variable polarization. To avoid the need for fresh electron bunches, bunch seeding at higher photon energies will be performed with high harmonic generation (HHG) laser pulses. This facility is expected to enable new science through ultrahigh resolution in the time and frequency domains, as well as coherent imaging and nanofabrication.
Black Coaches and Their Perspectives on the Black Coaches and Administrators: A Qualitative Analysis.

The purpose of this study was to analyze Black male collegiate coaches' understandings and perspectives about building a coaching career in NCAA Division I athletics and the function of the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA) as a mechanism to help facilitate more coaching opportunities. The participants were seven Black male assistant coaches from a flagship doctorate-granting university in the Midwest region of the United States. The research method was descriptiveâ€“qualitative. The primary data sources were face-to-face semistructured taped interviews and e-mail follow-ups. The data were analyzed using a descriptive coding strategy, which exposed the dominant theme of networking mechanism. The major findings in this study indicate that because they lack social capital resources, minority candidates are at a disadvantage compared to their White counterparts for attaining jobs and career advancement in NCAA Division I athletics. Implications from the findings of this study are that networking is critical to career advancement in athletics and that Black coaches should better understand the function of the BCA and how the association might support their career and advancement.
Legitimation Crises in Premodern Worlds

Scholars employing world-system theory have tended to examine how world-systemsdevelop and expand, while few have addressed the fragmentation or collapse of world-systems. This paper explores the conditions of world-system collapse using Habermas's concept of legitimation crisis as a starting point. The paper posits that legitimation crises are a recurring problem in world-systems and have led to collapse in a number of cases. Prehistoric North American and Pacific world-systems are used as examples.
The Permissible Scope of Limitations on the Freedom of Religion and Belief in the United States

This article is part of a symposium comparing the protections for freedom of religion and belief in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The article reviews the protections of freedom of religion in the United States and the bases for limiting religious freedom. It summarizes federal protection under the Free Exercise and Free Speech clauses and then sets forth the broader protections for religiously grounded conduct provided by federal and state religious-freedom statutes (RFRA, RLUIPA, etc.) and state constitutional provisions. It also compares limitations on religious freedom in American law with related but often different concepts in European law, and it discusses features in American history, constitutional structure, and political culture that have led to distinctive treatment of constitutional religious freedom rights in America. The article, like the others in this symposium conducted by the European-American Law and Religion Scholars' Consortium, concludes with analysis of a series of hypothetical cases meant to provide common material for comparisons across nations.
Physiological comparisons of two soybean cultivars differing in canopy photosynthesis. I. Variation in vertical 14CO2 labelling and dry weight partitioning

Differences in canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP) among soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes have been shown to be correlated to seed yields. Since the physiological basis for such differences in CAP is unknown, two cultivars known to differ in CAP, ‘Tracy’ and ‘Davis’, were studied during the 1978–1980 growing seasons. The CAP and dry weights of component plant parts were determined. In 1978 and 1979, 14CO2 uptake by vertical leaf strata was determined and specific leaf weight (SLW) and leaf area index (LAI) were determined for corresponding strata in 1979 and 1980. Measurements were taken on several dates during reproductive growth. With the exception of CAP, all measurements (14C uptake, dry weights) were made in layers within the canopy. CAP on some dates were significantly higher in Tracy than in Davis and integrated CAP values from a certain growth period, labeled as R5 to R7, averaged 16 percent higher in Tracy for the three years studied. No differences in the relative recovery of 14C from different layers of leaves in the canopy were found. This indicates that variations in canopy structure or leaf orientation did not play a major role in the CAP differences between cultivars. The differences seem related to variations in leaf dry weights. Overall, Tracy exhibited 13.5, 19.2, and 13.2 percent greater leaf dry weights than Davis during 1978, 1979, and 1980, respectively. These differences in leaf dry weight seem largely due to a differences in the SLW. Data from these experiments indicate that differences in soybean CAP values were associated with differences in SLW.
Development Period of the Boll Weevil at Different Temperatures During the Growing Season in West Tennessee

The development of boll weevils from egg to adult emergence was studied in relation to temperature at Jackson, TN, during 1974. The development period varied with average temperature. Average temperatures ranged 20.67°–27.12°C. Development periods ranged 16–28 days. Variability increased as average temperatures decreased. Development periods can be estimated using a linear regression equation.
Living Without Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval North India

Introduction: Probing the fragile foundations of interpretive models Economic historiography: the evolving milieu Part I: The post-classical age: c.750-1000 The Gurjura-Pratiharas The Amirs of Sind The Turk and Hindu Shahis of Kabul and Gandhara Kashmir: Overview of the era: 750-10000 Part II: The Rajput period: c.1000-1200: The Yaminids of Ghazni and the Punjab The kingdoms of east and central India Western India Malwa North India: Tomares and Chauhans Minor coinages: Overview of the era: 1000-1200 Part III: The early Delhi sultanate: c.1200-1250: The Mu'izzid empire in India Derivative currencies in Afghanistan Establishment of the Delhi sultanate The precious metals famine in the Rajput kingdoms South India and the coinange frontier: Overview of the era: 1200-1250 Part IV: A reprise, and a look forward: Appendices
Bleeding syndrome in thrombin-injected rats deficient in fibrinogen and antihemophilic factor.

SummaryOne and 2 hours after intraperitoneal injection of 2500 units of thrombin into rats, bleeding from severed mesenteric blood vessels was not arrested and platelet plugs rarely formed. Other manifestations of hemorrhagic tendency were present. Capillary resistance was not diminished. Fibrinogen concentration was low; whole clot fibrinolysis was occasionally observed; prothrombin, factor V, factor VII and platelets were somewhat reduced; PTC concentration was normal; and AHF concentration approached zero. It is suggested that the defect in hemostasis is predominantly the result of AHF deficiency.