cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dispersion relations in non-relativistic two-dimensional materials from quasinormal modes in Hǒrava Gravity

We compute dispersion relations of non-hydrodynamic and hydrodynamic modes in a non-relativistic strongly coupled two-dimensional quantum field theory. This is achieved by numerically computing quasinormal modes (QNMs) of a particular analytically known black brane solution to 3+1-dimensional Hǒrava Gravity. Hǒrava Gravity is distinguished from Einstein Gravity by the presence of a scalar field, termed the khronon, defining a preferred time-foliation. Surprisingly, for this black brane solution, the khronon fluctuation numerically decouples from all others, having its own set of purely imaginary eigenfrequencies, for which we provide an analytic expression. All other Hǒrava Gravity QNMs are expressed analytically in terms of QNMs of Einstein Gravity, in units involving the khronon coupling constants and various horizons. Our numerical computation reproduces the analytically known momentum diffusion mode, and extends the analytic expression for the sound modes to a wide range of khronon coupling values. In the eikonal limit (large momentum limit), the analytically known dispersion of QNM frequencies with the momentum is reproduced by our numerics. We provide a parametrization of all QNM frequencies to fourth order in the momentum. We demonstrate perturbative stability in a wide range of coupling constants and momenta.
Engineering an optical microphone for consumer electronics

Between the years 2010–2015, a small start-up in Austin, TX was focused on commercializing an optical MEMS microphone to address high-volume consumer electronics applications. The motivation for the optical approach was to achieve a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than capacitive MEMS microphones. Similar to other commercial MEMS microphone offerings, the product was required to be small size, relatively low-cost, and surface-mountable. This presentation will focus on the challenges faced in engineering an optical microphone to meet these requirements. The particular approach used a diffractive optical element fabricated directly into the backplate of an otherwise conventional microphone die. Vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) resided inside the die's etched cavity. Completed pilot-scale samples proved capable of demonstrating high SNR, but ultimately the company made a pivot to focus engineering and business-development resources on a similar product line—ground-motion sensors and seismometers. The company has been manufacturing and selling seismometers 2015–present.
Experimental Characterization and Modeling of the Self-Sensing Property in Compliant Twisted String Actuators

Twisted string actuators (TSAs) have exhibited great promise in robotic applications by generating high translational force with low input torque. Despite great success, it remains a challenge to reliably estimate the strain of TSAs using compact solutions while maintaining actuator compliance. The inclusion of position sensors not only increases system complexity but also decreases system compliance, a property often crucial in soft robots. We recently constructed a compliant TSA with self-sensing capability by adopting conductive and stretchable super-coiled polymer (SCP) strings; however, only quasi-static measurements of the strain-resistance correlation were obtained. This study proposes a strategy to experimentally characterize and model the transient self-sensing property in compliant TSAs. The correlation between resistance and strain is characterized under different motor twisting sequences and step durations, and exhibited transient decay, hysteresis, and creep. A self-sensing model that consists of a log-based nonlinear term, a rate-dependent Prandtl-Ishlinskii hysteresis term, and a creep term is proposed for the compliant TSAs. Experimental results confirm the high effectiveness of the proposed self-sensing approach, with the average model validation error less than 0.036 cm.
Enhancing Justice

This article focuses on the follow question: Are human enhancement technologies likely to be justice impairing or justice promoting? We argue that human enhancement technologies may not be inherently just or unjust, but when situated within obtaining social contexts they are likely to exacerbate rather than alleviate social injustices.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Secreting Pituitary Carcinoma: Rare, Durable Response to Concurrent Chemotherapy and Reirradiation With a Review of the Literature.

Abstract Pituitary carcinoma (PC) is an uncommon intracranial malignancy with a high rate of metastasis, mortality, and inconsistent response to therapy. Because PC is a rare condition (0.1%-0.2% of pituitary tumors), prospective studies and observable data are scarce. Some PC may have an endocrine secretory function and can arise from existing pituitary adenomas. Treatment often includes a combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and systemic therapies. Because of the poor treatment response rate and rapid progression, treatment is often palliative. Here we describe a unique, complete amelioration of severe Cushing's disease due to an ACTH secreting pituitary carcinoma followed by the development of pituitary hypoadrenalism after re-irradiation with concurrent temozolomide.
Visual Literacy and Art History: Teaching Images and Objects in Digital Environments

Though the image is central to the discipline, art history has not contributed extensively to the definition and practice of visual literacy studies. This chapter identifies an intersection between the two fields by examining the role of digital reproduction in the study of art history, particularly the ways in which reproductions of art objects and architecture in online digital environments provide an egalitarian space for students and teachers to hold discussion beyond the classroom. First, this chapter provides a brief examination of art history’s pedagogical practices as they relate to visual literacy studies. Then, four activities and assignments are presented which highlight the digitized object as a pedagogical tool. Students demonstrate visual and media literacy in assignments that make use of familiar apps like Instagram to perform traditional art historical methods of evaluating images, such as visual analysis and iconography, on the digitally reproduced image. Instructors guide students through web sites that host digitized objects, meeting their students, for example, in a medieval cathedral and discussing the articulation of the digital space. Through these activities, art history instructors capitalize on students’ technological abilities as digital natives while providing them with perspective on image-based technologies of previous eras. Although the focus is on students in a traditional higher education environment, many of the exercises presented can be modified for a younger learner base or the nontraditional higher education student.
Sequential Control Laboratory for Manufacturing Engineering Education

Today's manufacturing engineer needs to understand the basics of sequential controls as well as the details of interfacing controllers with production equipment in an automated manufacturing environment. A laboratory to address these needs has been implemented in the School of Engineeing at North Carolina A&T State University and is the subject of this paper. This laboratory employs a widely-used line of Programmable Logic Controllers to control robust table-top devices arranged to simulate a simple automated manufacturng environment.
Stellenwert von Sevofluran für das ambulante Operieren

Mit Sevofluran steht dem Anasthesisten heute eine gute Alternative zu Propofol oder Desfluran zur Verfugung, welche im Rahmen des ambulanten Operierens bei Einleitung und Aufrechterhaltung der Narkose sogar eine Reihe von Vorteilen aufweist. Aufgrund der fehlenden Atemwegsirritation eignet sich Sevofluran gut zur sanften Narkoseeinleitung. Die geringe Blutloslichkeit und, damit verbunden, das schnelle Abfluten der Substanz am Narkoseende ermoglichen ein rasches Erwachen der Patienten nach dem operativen Eingriff. Gleichzeitig ermoglichen die niedrigen Inzidenzen von postoperativer Ubelkeit und Erbrechen eine fruhzeitige Verlegung. Insgesamt betrachtet eignet sich Sevofluran hervorragend fur eine Vielzahl von operativen und diagnostischen Eingriffen und ermoglicht fur diese exzellente chirurgische Bedingungen.
Enforcing honesty in assured information sharing within a distributed system

The growing number of distributed information systems such as the internet has created a need for security in data sharing. When several autonomous parties attempt to share data, there is not necessarily any guarantee that the participants will share data truthfully. In fact, there is often a large incentive to engage in behavior that can sabotage the effectiveness of such a system. We analyze these situations in light of game theory, a mathematical model which permits us to consider behavior and choices for any autonomous party. This paper uses this theory to create a behavior enforcement method that does not need a central management system. We use a simple punishment method that is inherently available in most scenarios. Our approach is applicable to a variety of assured information sharing applications where the members of a coalition have to work together to solve a problem.
The Emerging Adult with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Challenges and Recommendations for the Adult Gastroenterologist

Incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising. Adult gastroenterologists are seeing increasing numbers of young adults with IBD, a subpopulation with unique needs and challenges that can impair their readiness to thrive in an adult healthcare system. Most adult gastroenterologists might not have the training or resources to address these needs. “Emerging adulthood” is a useful developmental lens through which this group can be studied. With complex disease phenotype and specific concerns of medication side effects and reproductive health, compounded by challenges of geographical and social flux and lack of adequate health insurance, emerging adults with IBD (EAI) are at risk of disrupted care with lack of continuity. Lessons learned from structured healthcare transition process from pediatric to adult services can be applied towards challenges in ongoing care of this population in the adult healthcare system. This paper provides an overview of the challenges in caring for the post transition EAI from the perspective of adult gastroenterologists and offers a checklist of provider and patient skills that enable effective care. This paper discusses the system-based challenges in care provision and search for meaningful patient-oriented outcomes and presents a conceptual model of determinants of continuity of care in this unique population.
Geometric Exploration of the Landmark Selection Problem

Internet coordinate systems appear promising as a method for estimating network distance without direct measurement, allowing scalable configuration of emerging applications such as content delivery networks, peer to peer systems, and overlay networks. However all such systems rely on landmarks, and the choice of landmarks has a dramatic impact on their accuracy. Landmark selection is challenging because of the size of the Internet (leading to an immense space of candidate sets) and because insight into the properties of good landmark sets is lacking. In this paper we explore fast algorithms for landmark selection. Whereas the traditional approach to analyzing similar network-based configurkation problems employs the graph structure of the Internet, we leverage work in coordinate systems to treat the problem geometrically, providing an opening for applying new algorithms. Our results suggest that when employing small numbers of landmarks (5-10), such geometric algorithms provide good landmarks, while for larger numbers of landmarks (20-30) even faster methods based on random selection are equally effective.
Genetic Analysis of Repair of Ultraviolet Damage by Competent and Noncompetent Cells of Bacillus subtilis

The repair of ultraviolet (UV) damage in Bacillus subtilis W23T− has been studied by transformation with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from irradiated cells before and after repair. The extent of repair of genetic markers by donor cells after low or moderate doses of UV was found to be related only to the initial degree of inactivation. After a very high dose, further inactivation occurred, also in proportion to initial damage. In addition, the competent recipient cells were shown to repair approximately 75% of the damage in transforming DNA. The sensitivities of markers irradiated either in vivo or in vitro appeared to be related to map position, the more proximal markers showing a greater resistance to UV inactivation.
Decline of clinical research in academic medical centers

Marked changes in US medical school funding began in the 1960s with progressively increasing revenues from clinical services. The growth of clinical revenues slowed in the mid-1990s, creating a funding crisis for US academic health care centers, who responded by having their faculty increase their clinical duties at the expense of research activities. Surveys document the resultant stresses on the academic clinician researcher. The NIH provides greater funding for basic and translational research than for clinical research, and the new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is inadequately funded to address the scope of needed clinical research. An increasing portion of clinical research is funded by industry, which leaves many important clinical issues unaddressed. There is an inadequate supply of skilled clinical researchers and a lack of external support for clinical research. The impact on the academic environment in university medical centers is especially severe on young faculty, who have a shrinking potential to achieve successful academic careers. National health care research funding policies should encourage the right balance of life-science investigations. Medical universities need to improve and highlight education on clinical research for students, residents, fellows, and young faculty. Medical universities also need to provide appropriate incentives for clinical research. Without training to ensure an adequate supply of skilled clinical researchers and a method to adequately fund clinical research, discoveries from basic and translational research cannot be clinically tested and affect patient care. Thus, many clinical problems will continue to be evaluated and treated with inadequate or even absent evidence-based knowledge.
Treatment of uncomplicated symptomatic urinary tract infections: Resistance patterns and misuse of antibiotics.

Introduction: Uncomplicated but symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem seen in practice. The study was undertaken to assess the most common pathogens responsible for uncomplicated symptomatic UTIs and the antimicrobial resistance pattern in a hospital in Bangalore. The study also explores the issue of antibiotic usage for these patients. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Medicine department of a tertiary hospital in Bangalore. In all, 196 patients presented with symptoms of UTI. Bacterial growth was determined by standard microbiology techniques on freshly voided mid-steam urine samples collected from recruited patients. Patients' demographic data, urine culture results, resistance rates to antimicrobial agents and prescribed empiric antimicrobial therapy were analyzed. Results: The prevalence of UTI was 32.1%; majority (67.9%) of the symptomatic did not have UTI based on culture report. Gram-negative bacteria constituted the largest group with a prevalence of 84.1% (53/63), with Escherichia coli being the most common (70%) uropathogen. Gram-negative isolates showed high level of sensitivity to amikacin (90.6%) and nitrofurantoin (77.4%). Most of the gram-positive organisms were susceptible to nitrofurantoin (70%) and gentamicin (50%). Uropathogens isolated demonstrated high resistance to cotrimoxazole, fluoroquinolones, and beta-lactam antibiotics. It was found out that 30.1% of the patients were wrongly managed of which 14.7% were over treated. Conclusion: UTI can be over diagnosed and over treated on the basis of clinical signs, symptoms and urine microscopy. In the era of emerging anti-microbial resistance, effective counseling and delay in antibiotic initiation or empirical therapy with a short course of nitrofurantoin is highly recommended. Empirical therapy guidelines should be updated periodically to reflect changes in antimicrobial resistance of uropathogens.
Definition and Application of a Comprehensive Framework for Distributed Problem Solving

In the Distributed Artificial Intelligence community, the term “Distributed Problem Solving (DPS)” is widely used. However, different people refer to different types of DPS frameworks. In this paper, we define a comprehensive framework for Distributed Problem Solving. Firstly, we clarify four different types of basic DPS frameworks: DPS1 for task unique-allocation problems, DPS2 for task multi-allocation problems, DPS3 for task decomposition problems, and DPS4 for task division problems. Then, we define the comprehensive framework which can be different combinations of DPS1, DPS2, DPS3, and DPS4.
Immunotherapy of a Carcinogen-Induced Murine Sarcoma With Soluble Tumor-Specific Transplantation Antigens

Tumor-specific transplantation antigens (TSTA), extracted from the 3-methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma MCA-F and partially purified by flat-bed isoelectric focusing, were used to treat syngeneic inbred C3H/HeJ mice bearing supralethal neoplastic challenges. Three weekly injections of 25 micrograms TSTA increased the survival times of hosts inoculated 1 day earlier with ten times the lethal dose of MCA-F cells. In another protocol TSTA injections decreased the incidence and outgrowth of a local metastasis in mice given sc supralethal inoculations and completely resected of established 1-cm tumors. In addition, weekly injections of 25 micrograms MCA-F TSTA decreased the tumor recurrence rate and increased the survival times of hosts with recurrent neoplastic disease by virtue of residual tumor cells following resection of 2-cm masses. The therapeutic effect of TSTA was immunologically specific: Animals cured of local MCA-F recurrences promptly died from primary challenge with the non-cross-reacting sarcoma MCA-D. The results suggest that active specific immunotherapy may represent a useful adjunct to treatment of hosts bearing modest tumor burdens.
The Serum Cholesterol-Cancer Relationship: An Analysis of Time Trends in the Framingham Study

Time trends in serum cholesterol were analyzed in the Framingham Study data to determine whether low serum cholesterol, which appears to be associated with increased cancer risk, can truly be called a precursor to the development of the disease. Serum cholesterol measured at base line was found to be associated with the risk of both fatal cancer and all cancers occurring in the subsequent 18 years in men (P less than 0.05). This inverse association seems particularly strong for colon cancer in men. Analysis of time trends in the Framingham data did not yield consistent results for all ages. Men 50--59 years old had a statistically significant lower serum cholesterol measured 16--18 years before cancer diagnosis. For men 60--65 years old, a statistically significant trend toward lower serum cholesterol was apparent as measurement was made closer to the time fo cancer diagnosis. Although the Framingham data are not conclusive, they do suggest that in some cancer cases where the serum cholesterol level was lower than that expected at as much as 16--18 years before cancer diagnosis, the depressed level was likely to be a precursor to the tumor growth. However, consistent with the metabolic consequences of tumor growth, the data show that in some cancer cases, serum cholesterol had decreased at measurements made close to the time of cancer diagnosis.
Estimation of photosynthetic rate from measurements of natural fluorescence: analysis of the effects of light and temperature

Abstract We examine the effects of light and temperature on the relationship between photosynthesis and natural fluorescence in oceanic and coastal waters. While a moderately-sized database suggests a strong correlation, there is evidence that light and temperature alter the ratio of the quantum yields of photosynthesis and natural fluorescence. Specifically, we find a reduction of this ratio as light intensity increases and temperature decreases. In this paper, we review the effects of these factors and present empirical equations to account for their behavior. Although these equations significantly improve our ability to predict photosynthetic rate from natural fluorescence, the biophysical and biochemical mechanisms undelying these effects are not understood sufficiently.
Nucleation in solids: The induction and steady state effects

Abstract The processes of nucleation, growth and coarsening combine to dictate the final particle density produced by a phase transformation (ref. 1). The entire process, known as “umlosung,” is illustrated in Fig. 1, which depicts the number of particles vs. time, for a hypothetical phase transformation. The regions are: 1. The induction period, τ, required to establish steady-state nucleation conditions. 2. Steady state nucleation, where the number of particles increases linearly with time. 3. Decreasing nucletion rate, due to a reduction in supersaturation by growing particles. 4. Capillarity-induced coarsening (or Ostwald ripening), where the larger particles grow, but only by cannibalizing the smaller, less stable particles. The number of particles now decreases with time. In any particular situation, any of these four stages may be dominant--the microstructure may be dominated on one extreme by a long induction period (as in some glasses (ref. 2)), or by coarsening (as for some carbides in steels (ref. 3)). This manuscript will be concerned only with stages I and II, transient and steady-state nucleation. The reader is referred elsewhere for discussion of growth (refs. 4–6) and coarsening (refs. 7–9) phenomena.
Fusarium solani on soybean roots : Nomenclature of the causal agent of sudden death syndrome and identity and relevance of F. solani form B

Two morphological forms of Fusarium solani pathogenic on soybean, forms A and B, were further characterized and distinguished from other fungi. Questions regarding their identity were addressed. Soybean plants grown in the field and in a growth chamber were inoculated with Fusarium solani form A and F. solani f. sp. phaseoli. F. solani form A incited leaf symptoms typical of sudden death syndrome; F. solani f. sp. phaseoli did not. It was concluded that the two fungi are different and distinguishable on the basis of host specialization and the types of symptoms they incite on soybean. F. solani form A, the causal agent of sudden death syndrome, was designated F. solani (Mart.) Sacc. f. sp. glycines form. nov. Cultural and morphological characteristics of F. solani form B, the cause of seedling disease and root rot of soybean, and Plectosphaerella cucumerina were compared to determine the validity of a report indicating that they were conspecific. Results demonstrated that F. solani form B and P. cucumerina are distinctly different and not conspecific. The relevance of identifying and recognizing the two F. solani forms as separate and distinct members of the F. solani pathogen complex on soybean is discussed.
SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS IN CROSS‐CULTURAL ETHICS RESEARCH

This paper discusses the impact of a social desirability (SD) bias in cross‐cultural ethics research. An SD bias may mask a relationship between key variables, provide a false correlation between them, moderate their relationship, or influence the response rate to the survey instrument. When survey researchers present hypothetical ethical dilemmas to respondents and ask them what they would do, the respondents' answers will not only be influenced by their actual values and desires, but also by what those individuals perceive to be desirable within their society. We argue that key value differences between countries, as noted by Hofstede, will exert an independent influence on responses to self‐report questionnaires. Four propositions are set forth detailing how this SD bias may differentially affect responses to ethics surveys across cultures. A longitudinal research design is proposed to help disentangle the impact of culture values, personal values, and an SD bias. Several measures to prevent and to control the bias in cross‐cultural ethics research are discussed The use of pretests, pilot tests, and SD scales imbedded within research instruments is recommended.
The Mitral Apparatus Functional Anatomy of Mitral Regurgitation

This review deals with the functional anatomy of the six components of the mitral apparatus, namely, the left atrial wall, annulus, leaflets, chordae tendineae, papillary muscles, and left ventricular wall. Each component is considered individually, in the context of the apparatus as a whole, in relation to the mode of closure of the normal mitral valve, and in the light of many acquired and congenital disorders that disturb the harmony of the finely coordinated mitral mechanism and render it incompetent. The left atrium is related to mitral valve competence in terms of contraction and relaxation and in terms of dilatation of its posterior wall. The annulus not only serves as a fulcrum for the leaflets but exhibits sphincteric contraction in systole that decreases the size of the orifice. The two leaflets differ in shape but are nearly identical in area, and together are about two and one half times the area of the orifice that they are required to close. Leaflet abnormalities causing acquired or congenit...
Infants attend to second-order relational properties of faces.

Two experiments investigated whether 7-month-old infants attend to the spatial distance measurements relating internal features of the human face. A visual preference paradigm was used, in which two versions of the same female face (one either lengthened or shortened, and one nonmodified) were presented simultaneously. In Experiment 1, infants looked longer at the nonmodified faces, which were determined to match the average distance relationships found in a sample of faces drawn from the same population. Longer looking times for modified faces were found in Experiment 2, in which the nonmodified faces were unusually long and the modified faces conformed to average distance measurements. It is proposed that infants’ attention to the spatial relations of internal face features is an optimal tool for lifelong face recognition.
Diabetes mellitus in a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

Summary An adult, free‐living female red‐tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) with clinical signs of generalized weakness, polyuria, and polydipsia, was killed and necropsied. An ante mortem serum sample taken from the bird contained 54.3 mmole/1 glucose, and large amounts of glucose were found in the urine. At necropsy, the pancreas was small, pale pink with multiple, round, approximately 0.5 mm white foci. Light and electron microscopic examination of the pancreas revealed markedly vacuolated islet cells. Histochemical examination of the tissue showed that the vacuolated cells were beta‐cells. This is the first report of spontaneously occurring diabetes mellitus in a raptor.
Full-wave solutions for the scattered radiation fields from rough surfaces with arbitrary slope and frequency

Full-wave solutions are derived for the scattered radiation fields from rough surfaces with arbitrary slope and electromagnetic parameters. These solutions bridge the wide gap that exists between the perturbational solutions for rough surfaces with small slopes and the quasi-optics solutions. Thus it is shown, for example, that for good conducting boundaries the backscattered fields, which are dependent on the polarization of the incident and scattered fields at low frequencies, become independent of polarization at optical frequencies. These solutions are consistent with reciprocity, energy conservation, and duality relations in electromagnetic theory. Since the full-wave solutions account for upward and downward scattering, shadowing and multiple scatter are considered. Applications to periodic structures and random rough surfaces are also presented.
The pathogenicity and defectiveness of PRCII: A new type of avian sarcoma virus

The avian sarcoma virus PRCII (Poultry Research Centre No. 2) transforms fibroblastsin vitro and causes fibromyxosarcomasin vivo. These growths develop after a longer period of latency than Rous sarcomas. PRCII is defective in replication and depends upon an associated helper virus, PRCII AV, for the production of infectious progeny. PRCII AV contains both subgroup A and B envelope determinants. Nonproducer cells transformed in single infection with PRCII do not release viral particles detectable by[3H]uridine incorporation or by reverse transcriptase assay. However, transforming virus can be rescued following super-infection with helper viruses of the chicken leukosis group. Immune precipitation analyses show that PRCII-transformed nonproducer cells do not synthesize the three replicative gene products, Pr76gag, Pr180gag-pol, and gPr95env, but contain a virus-specific protein of 105,000 molecular weight. This PRCII-p105 is precipitable with anti-gag serum, but not with anti-pol serum, anti-env serum, or a broadly reactive anti-src serum. No evidence was found for the expression of p60src in PRCII-transformed cells. PRCII thus represents a new class of avian sarcoma virus distinct from Rous sarcoma virus and its relatives. In the accompanying paper[Neilet al., Virology107, 000 (1980)] we present evidence that PRCII-p105 contains novel sequences not encoded by other transforming oncoviruses.
Risk factors for dental fluorosis in pediatric dental patients.

Objectives: Concerns have been raised recently about whether a substantial amount of dental fluorosis is resulting from the increased use of fluoride from various sources. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in a sample of pediatric patients seeking dental treatment in a university pediatric dental clinic and to evaluate sources of fluoride as risk factors for dental fluorosis. Methods: A convenience sample of 157 children aged 8 to 17 years were examined for dental fluorosis using the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF). Fluoride history questionnaires assessing previous exposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life were completed by the children’s parents. Fluoride exposures were compared among 54 cases and 54 matched controls using a case-control retrospective design. Results: Fluorosis was found in 72 percent of the children, but was generally quite mild. The risk of fluorosis was significantly greater for children who had greater exposure to fluoridated water and who used larger amounts of fluoridatedtoothpaste up to age eight. Conclusions: This study provided evidence that increased use of fluoride toothpaste may be a risk factor for dental fluorosis. The results suggest prudent use of dentifrice by young children to minimize the risk of fluorosis. [J Public Health Dent 1995;55(3): 154-91
Perceptual learning of motion leads to faster-flicker perception

Critical flicker fusion thresholds (CFFT) describe when quick amplitude modulations of a light source become undetectable as the frequency of the modulation increases. The threshold at which CFF occurs has been shown to remain constant under repeated testing. Additionally, CFF thresholds are correlated with various measures of intelligence, and have been regarded by clinicians as a general measure of cortical processing capacity. For these reasons, CFF is used as a cognitive indicator in drug studies, as a measure of fatigue, and has been suggested as a diagnostic measure for various brain diseases. Here we report that CFFT increases dramatically in subjects who are trained with a motion-direction learning procedure. Control tasks demonstrate that CFFT changes are tightly coupled with improvements in discriminating the direction of motion stimuli, and are likely related to plasticity in low-level visual areas that are specialized to process motion signals. This plasticity is long-lasting and is retained for at least one year after training. Combined, these results show that CFFT relates to a specialized sensory process and bring into question that CFFT is a measure of high-level, or general, processes.
Masculine Identity and HIV/AIDS Risk Behavior among African-American Men

There is a need for research that contributes to our understanding of how culturally shared gender ideals and expectations about men's behaviors influence HIV/AIDS risk. In the U.S., there has been a particular focus on masculinity among heterosexual, African-American men (see Wright 1993). African-American men, between 2001 and 2004, accounted for the greatest percentage of new cases of HIV/AIDS among males (44%), as well as 66% of all cases of heterosexual contact, with heterosexual contact being the second most common route of HIV transmission among this group after male to male sexual contact (CDC 2006).
Safety characteristics of lithium-alloy/metal sulfide batteries

Abstract Lithium alloy/iron sulfide batteries have been under development at Argonne National Laboratory and at industrial laboratories worldwide for more than 20 years. Considerable data have been accumulated concerning th safety aspects of this battery system. Current technology employs a two-phase Li alloy negative electrode, a low melting LiCl-rich LiCl LiBr KBr molten salt electrolyte and either an FeS or an upper-plateau (UP) FeS2 positive electrode assembled into an ‘electrolyte-starved’ bipolar cell configuration. Although extensive safety tests on the Li alloy/FeSx battery systems have not been conducted, those that have indicated that these batteries are inherently quite safe. Hundreds of prismatic laboratory and engineering sized cells have been built and tested at Argonne National Laboratory and several industrial firms without safety incidents. These factors lead to the conclusion that it will be unlikely that any elaborate safety features will have to be engineered into Li alloy/FeSx batteries to meet the safety requirements for electric-vehicle applications. More extensive safety tests will be conducted as part of the ongoing development program to validate this conclusion.
The optimal degree of parental care asymmetry among communal breeders

Abstract Intraspecific brood parasitism and cooperative breeding can be considered extremes on a continuum of parental care investment by a secondary female that visits the nest of a primary female. However, we lack a theoretical framework that predicts exactly where a secondary female will fall along this continuum. In this paper I present a model that predicts the fraction of a nesting period during which a secondary female is expected to stay and provide parental care. To develop this model, I use the basic outline of a patch model describing optimal residence time. Nests are treated as patches and the currency is offspring rather than energy. Females are expected to allocate parental care investment in such a way that the rate of fitness gain is maximized over the course of a breeding season. I begin with a one-patch type model that predicts the duration of parental care investment by primary females in their solitary nests. I use a similar approach to predict the duration of parental care by secondary females that visit the nests of primary females. One general result is that residence time increases as the rate of nest encounter decreases. Residence time decreases as reproductive skew increases, as relatedness decreases, and as fitness payoffs become less delayed. Finally, I develop a two-patch type model, where secondary females have the option of creating their own nests and must allocate parental investment between a host nest and their own. I derive a general expression for the optimal residence time of secondary females at a host nest, reflecting the degree of asymmetry in parental care between a pair of communally breeding females.
Two inexpensive automatic sample changers for use with an MCA

Abstract Two inexpensive automatic sample changers for use with automatic-cycling multichannel analyzers are described. Both small dry samples and small liquid samples can be used.
Stress-wave nondestructive evaluation of green veneer: southern yellow pine and Douglas fir

The potential of using stress wave nondestructive evaluation techniques to sort green southern yellow pine and DOuglas fir veneer into stress grades was evaluated. Stress wave nondestructive evaluation was used to separate green veneer into several grades for use in manufacturing engineered wood composites, most notably laminated veneer lumber. The effect of moisture content and preservative treatment on stress wave determined properties of green (wet) southern yellow pine and Douglas fir veneer was investigated during the preliminary stages of the project. A digital oscilloscope and a commercial stress wave timer were used to measure the transit time it took for an induced stress wave to travel the longitudinal length of each veneer. Stress wave transit times were measured in each piece in the wet condition, during drying, and at a dry equilibrated moisture content of approximately 10 percent. Strong correlative relationships exist between stress wave velocity measured in untreated and preservative treated green (wet) and dry veneer.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Normal expression levels of cathepsins, protease inhibitors, and Sp1 in conjunctival tissues from patients with keratoconus.

Purpose. In keratoconus corneas, it has been shown that levels of degradative enzymes and transcription factor Sp1 are elevated and those of inhibitors are reduced, especially in the epithelial layer. This study is to determine whether the biochemical abnormalities identified in corneas also exist in conjunctival tissues. Methods. Conjunctival tissues were collected from normal subjects and from patients with keratoconus, senile cataract, and other corneal diseases. Immunohistochemical staining for cathepsins B and G, a1-proteinase inhibitor, a2-macro-globulin and Sp1 was performed. Results. The epithelium of all conjunctival specimens showed immunoreactivity toward the antibodies. The staining for cathepsins B and G, and the inhibitors was mostly cytoplasmic, while that for Sp1 was nuclear. The staining intensity in keratoconus specimens was all within normal range. Conclusions. These results suggest that the abnormalities in cathepsins B and G, protease inhibitors and Sp1 identified in keratoconus corne...
Integrating time and space in technological substitution models

Abstract This article presents a model that simultaneously considers both time and space dimensions of innovation adoption for forecasting technological substitution. An empirical illustration is presented, and model limitations and further extensions are discussed.
Changes in nucleic acid and protein content during development of the rat submandibular gland

Abstract The DNA, RNA and protein content of the submandibular gland during early development has been investigated and correlated with histological changes seen during that time. The sequential appearance of DNA and RNA concentration peaks at days 17 and 19 respectively has been demonstrated. Three separate periods of protein accumulation were shown to be associated with the changing cellular populations in the gland during development.
Nonstereospecific, nontriplet cyclopropanations with dibromomethylene

Abstract The Seyferth reagent PhHgCBr 3 generates singlet :CBr 2 that adds nonstereospecifically to styrene and fumaronitrile via a carbene complex.
Statistical Theory of Properties of Solid Solutions

Properties of binary solid solutions are considered from the point of view of the fluctuation of local composition in the crystalline lattice. These variations influence the properties of the alloys by varying the corresponding local concentration of electrons. A simple general statistical method is given for calculating properties of random and ordered solid solutions. The theory is applied to saturation magnetization, temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity, thermoelectric power, and to other properties in various alloys. A satisfactory agreement with experiment is obtained.
Solidarity and Rights: Two to Tango: A Response to Joseph A. McCartin

Excerpt] Thanks to Joseph McCartin for advancing this debate with an insightful critique of the workers’rights-as-human-rights framework and for his generous treatment of the series of Human Rights Watch reports in which I had a hand. McCartin so fairly presents the human rights case, even while disagreeing with it, that it’s hard to respond without simply borrowing from his framing of my own views. But I’ll try.
Two different modes of costimulation predispose human T lymphocytes to differential responses in the presence of HDL or oxidized LDL.

In addition to levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), oxidized (ox) low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the inflammatory process and certain genetic factors, T cells are crucial for expansion of atherosclerotic plaque. The interrelationships among these influences are still being defined. Here, we examined how HDL and oxLDL affect T cell function. T cells require two activation signals to achieve functional activity. The first signal is specific and is delivered by appropriately presented antigen. The second (costimulatory) signal can be received through any of several T cell surface proteins, the most widely studied of which are CD28 and LFA-1. We have identified ICAM-1, resident on T cells, as a costimulatory protein. Here, we describe differential effects when T cells were costimulated through either LFA-1 or ICAM-1 in the presence of HDL or oxLDL. In general, T cells costimulated through either LFA-1 or ICAM-1 in the presence of oxLDL were predisposed to a decrease in proliferation and increased apoptosis, although ICAM-1-costimulated cells were protected from apoptosis induced by lower levels of oxLDL. T cell subsets also were examined. In the presence of HDL, CD8(+) T cells increased proliferation when costimulated through LFA-1. HDL exerted no effect on proliferation of CD4(+) T cells whereas proliferation decreased in the presence of oxLDL. Naive T cells proliferated better in response to costimulation through LFA-1 in the presence of HDL but proliferation of effector/memory cells was not altered in the presence of HDL. When T cells were costimulated through LFA-1, in the presence of either HDL or oxLDL synthesis of Th-1 but not Th-2 cytokines was increased. T cells costimulated through ICAM-1 increased Th-1 but not Th-2 cytokines but this was not altered in the presence of HDL or oxLDL. Thus, the nature of costimulation seems to influence T cell responses in the presence of the lipoproteins.
The relationship of adenosine and inosine transport in Escherichia coli.

Abstract Adenosine and inosine are rapidly taken up by suspensions of Escherichia coli by transport processes that can be differentiated from the slower subsequent formation of phosphorylated intermediates. The uptake mechanisms are saturable, are inhibited by heavy metal ions and energy poisons, and show a high temperature coefficient near 0°. Inosine efflux is also markedly temperature dependent and is inhibited by heavy metal ions. Efflux of inosine is increased by the influx of other nucleosides. Other nucleosides lower the rates of adenosine and inosine entry but free bases show little inhibition. Caffeine retards the rates of inosine influx and efflux but does not effect the adenosine uptake mechanism. Transport can also be measured by the rate of deamination of adenosine by intact cells. Comparison of the similarities and differences for isotope uptake, release, and cellular deamination leads to the conclusion that adenosine and inosine are transported across the cell membrane by processes that are separate, but overlapping, and which have a facultative requirement for metabolic energy.
MPI performance evaluation and characterization using a compact application benchmark code

In this paper the parallel benchmark code PSTSWM is used to evaluate the performance of the vendor-supplied implementations of the MPI message-passing standard on the Intel Paragon, IBM SP2, and Cray Research T3D. This study is meant to complement the performance evaluation of individual MPI commands by providing information on the practical significance of MPI performance on the execution of a communication-intensive application code. In particular three performance questions are addressed: how important is the communication protocol in determining performance when using MPI, how does MPI performance compare with that of the native communication library, and how efficient are the collective communication routines.
The HIPAA privacy rule and protected health information: implications in research involving DICOM image databases.

der Much of the medical imaging community now uses th Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) format, developed by the American College Radiology and the National Electrical Manufacturers A sociation as a standard system for viewing, archiving, retrieving, and transferring images ( 1). Benefits stem from the fact that a single standard provides physicians pra ing within a variety of fields, for different institutions and working with various technologies the ability to readily share images ( 2,3). As the DICOM image forma was integrated into clinical practice, it was subsequent integrated into clinical research and teaching databases The DICOM format is a multipart document that c tains two layers: the header, typically hidden from vie and the viewable image. Most problematic from the standpoint of patient confidentiality is the identifying i formation saved in the DICOM header ( 4). Such information may include patient name, date and time of the exam, participating physicians (ordering, reading), and on. Image dimensions, pixel spacing, slice thickness, s time, and other scanning protocols are also saved in t header. Each variable is stored under a standardized d group and element number. An example would be 0010,0030, where the group number, in this case 0010 the assigned location for much of the patient’s person information, and the element number, 0030, contains t patient’s date of birth. Other examples are the group-e
Resource variation and the structure of British bird communities

Abstract Data on the foraging microhabitats of British birds are reanalyzed with the aim of understanding how fluctuations in resource abundance affect niche relationships and community structure. At Marley Wood, overlap in the foraging sites of resident bird species increased during the late spring and summer and decreased during the fall and winter. Among bird species coexisting in the pine forests at Thetford Chase, spatial overlap and spatial niche widths were positively correlated with food abundance over a 4-year period. These results suggest that in variable environments similarity in spatial niches is an inverse function of the intensity of competition for food. As food supplies drop, consumer species must apparently occupy increasingly different foraging areas in order to coexist. In less variable environments, however, resource stability may allow finer partitioning of the available foraging space and greater spatial overlap within a given foraging area. The results of this paper also suggest a reinterpretation of MacArthur's study of resource partitioning among warbler species in the boreal forests of New England. Rather than providing an instance of niche segregation in order to avoid intense competition, MacArthur's warblers may actually represent another example of increased spatial similarity when food resources are abundant and competition is reduced.