cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast composition measurement with a cadmium-zinc-telluride based spectral computed tomography system

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of breast tissue composition in terms of water, lipid, and protein with a cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) based computed tomography (CT) system to help better characterize suspicious lesions. Methods: Simulations and experimental studies were performed using a spectral CT system equipped with a CZT-based photon-counting detector with energy resolution. Simulations of the figure-of-merit (FOM), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the dual energy image with respect to the square root of mean glandular dose (MGD), were performed to find the optimal configuration of the experimental acquisition parameters. A calibration phantom 3.175 cm in diameter was constructed from polyoxymethylene plastic with cylindrical holes that were filled with water and oil. Similarly, sized samples of pure adipose and pure lean bovine tissues were used for the three-material decomposition. Tissue composition results computed from the images were compared to the chemical analysis data of the tissue samples. Results: The beam energy was selected to be 100 kVp with a splitting energy of 40 keV. The tissue samples were successfully decomposed into water, lipid, and protein contents. The RMS error of the volumetric percentage for the three-material decomposition, as compared to data from the chemical analysis, was estimated to be approximately 5.7%. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the CZT-based photon-counting detector may be employed in the CT system to quantify the water, lipid, and protein mass densities in tissue with a relatively good agreement.
Preliminary study of the use of the STAR-100 computer for transonic flow calculations

An explicit method for solving the transonic small-disturbance potential equation is presented. This algorithm, which is suitable for the new vector-processor computers such as the CDC STAR-100, is compared to successive line over-relaxation (SLOR) on a simple test problem. The convergence rate of the explicit scheme is slower than that of SLOR, however, the efficiency of the explicit scheme on the STAR-100 computer is sufficient to overcome the slower convergence rate and allow an overall speedup compared to SLOR on the CYBER 175 computer.
Spatial anxiety relates to spatial abilities as a function of working memory in children

Spatial ability is a strong predictor of students' pursuit of higher education in science and mathematics. However, very little is known about the affective factors that influence individual differences in spatial ability, particularly at a young age. We examine the role of spatial anxiety in young children's performance on a mental rotation task. We show that even at a young age, children report experiencing feelings of nervousness at the prospect of engaging in spatial activities. Moreover, we show that these feelings are associated with reduced mental rotation ability among students with high but not low working memory (WM). Interestingly, this WM × spatial anxiety interaction was only found among girls. We discuss these patterns of results in terms of the problem-solving strategies that boys versus girls use in solving mental rotation problems.
Orthotomic systems of rays in inhomogeneous isotropic media.

The behavior of orthotomic systems of rays, rays associated with a system of wavefronts, is analyzed from the point of view of classical geometrical optics. The rays themselves are described in terms of the ray equation derived from Fermat’s principle. A condition for an aggregate of rays to comprise an orthotomic system is found. Some consequences of this condition on the geometric properties of wavefronts are found. The resemblance of some of these to the Maxwell equations is noted.
Serious Game Design: Motivating Students through a Balance of Fun and Learning

Stagnating growth in our educational systems has piqued interests in alternative teaching methods such as the inclusion of "serious games" into curricula. In response to those needs, a series of educational games have been developed in accordance with pre-engineering programs such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW). The focus of development is in creating an engaging, educational environment by balancing fun and learning whilst meeting the standards of commercial-level games. In this paper, we present methods, and the implementation of those methods, for serious game design that accommodates the integration of game mechanics with learning. The focuses on narrative-learning synthesis, supplementing the player's actions with feedback, and the development of a sufficient guidance system without compromising the entertainment or education aspects of a game are presented. Student-based evaluations of the game realism and the utility and usability of the learning tools in promoting students' interests and learning are also presented based on game deployment in both in- and out-of- school settings
Oral contraceptive use has no adverse effect on the prognosis of breast cancer

This study evaluates the possible effect of oral contraceptive (OC) use on the prognosis of established breast cancer. 347 patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma age 50 and under treated from 1971 to 1981 are included in this study. There were 112 OC users (U) and 234 non-users (NU). Separate retrospective analyses were done for a group of 154 patients (59 U and 95 NU) under age 35 (Group A) and for 193 patients (53 U and 140 NU) age 35 to 50 (Group B) in order to pay particular attention to relationship of duration recency and latency of OC usage. Both subsets of U and NU presented similar clinical characteristics regarding menstrual reproductive family history histology receptor status. Users presented with a similar extent of disease as Non-Users. No significant differences were found between U and NU in disease-free interval (Group A p=.41; Group B p=.81) metastatic period (Group A p=.66; Group B p=.41) or survival (Group A p=.54; Group B p=.79) either alone or when adjusted for extent of node involvement. Users of less than 2 years (78 patients) had a similar survival (Group A p=.54; Group B p=.36) as those of longer duration (33 patients). Recent OC users within a year of diagnosis had a similar survival as other users who stopped the pills more than 1 year (Group A p=.86; Group B p=.14). No significant differences were noticed in survival between the patients who began the use 10 years or more before diagnosis from those beginning more recently (Group A p=.82; Group B p=.69). Data suggest no adverse effect of OC on the outcome of breast cancer regardless the duration of use latency or recency period. (authors)
Application of Psychophysical Techniques to Haptic Research

Various psychophysical methods have been used to study human haptic perception, although the selection of a particular method is often based on convention, rather than an analysis of which technique is optimal for the question being addressed. In this review, classical psychophysical techniques used to measure sensory thresholds are described as well as more modern methods such as adaptive procedures and those associated with signal detection theory. Details are provided as to how these techniques should be implemented to measure absolute and difference thresholds and factors that influence subjects' responses are noted. In addition to the methods used to measure sensory thresholds, the techniques available for measuring the perception of suprathreshold stimuli are presented. These scaling methods are reviewed in the context of the various stimulus and response biases that influence how subjects respond to stimuli. The importance of understanding the factors that influence perceptual processing is highlighted throughout the review with reference to experimental studies of haptic perception.
Regional temperature changes in the brain during somatosensory stimulation.

Time-dependent variations in the brain temperature (Tt) are likely to be caused by fluctuations of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxidative consumption (CMRO2 ), both of which are seemingly coupled to alterations in neuronal activity. We combined magnetic resonance, optical imaging, temperature sensing, and electrophysiologic methods in a-chloralose anesthetized rats to obtain multimodal measurements during forepaw stimulation. Localized changes in neuronal activity were colocalized with regional increases in Tt (by B0.2%), CBF (by B95%), and CMRO2 (by B73%). The time-to-peak for Tt (42711 secs) was significantly longer than those for CBF and CMRO2 (572 and 1874 secs, respectively) with a 2-min stimulation. Net heat in the region of interest (ROI) was modeled as being dependent on the sum of heats attributed to changes in CMRO2 (Qm) and CBF (Qf) as well as conductive heat loss from the ROI to neighboring regions (Qc) and to the environment (Qe). Although tissue cooling because of Qf and Qc can occur and are enhanced during activation, the net increase in Tt corresponded to a large rise in Qm, whereas effects of Qe can be ignored. The results show that Tt increases slowly (by B0.11C) during physiologic stimulation in a-chloralose anesthetized rats. Because the potential cooling effect of CBF depends on the temperature of blood entering the brain, Tt is mainly affected by CMRO2 during functional challenges. Implications of these findings for functional studies in awake humans and temperature regulation are discussed. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism (2006) 26, 68–78. doi:10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600164; published online 15 June 2005
The viscous wall-layer effect in injected porous pipe flow

On determine les effets de la souscouche visqueuse sur le champ d'ecoulement avant l'apparition d'une turbulence importante. L'etude a pour but d'elucider le mecanisme responsable de l'instabilite acoustique dans les moteurs de fusee a combustible solide
Interesting beverages of the eastern himalayas

The high altitude and severe weather of the eastern Himalayas and Tibet have been conducive to the development of beverages which are both high in food value and served warm. The beverages, tea,chang, arak andmarwa, account for one-quarter to one-half of the daily caloric intake of the inhabitants and are characteristic of the region in the methods of their preparation. The malting process in the preparation ofchang, arak andmarwa is distinctively Mongolian and appears to have been introduced to Tibet from China. The beverage tea was also introduced from China, but its preparation in this region is distinctively Tibetan.
Predictions for inclusive reactions based on a parton structure of hadrons

Abstract It is proposed that the asymptotic single-particle distributions f ( x )= x (d σ /d x ) in inclusive reactions should reflect the limiting longitudinal momentum distribution, ∼ νW 2 ( x ), of the hypothetical partons constituting a hadron. It is further argued that f ( x ) becomes, proportional to νW 2 ( x ) as x → 1. Predictions are then made for a large class of inclusive reactions based on our knowledge of νW 2 ( x ) from electroproduction data. For some of these (such as pp → π ± X), in which the predictions differ markedly from the Regge ones, present experiments distinctly favor ours.
NF45 and NF90 in Murine Seminiferous Epithelium: Potential Role in SP‐10 Gene Transcription

Identification of transcription factors involved in the progression of spermatogenic cell differentiation is important for understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling spermatogenesis. To this end, we utilized the mouse SP-10 gene encoding a conserved acrosomal protein as an experimental model. Promoter analysis in transgenic mice had previously shown that the -186/-91 region of the SP-10 promoter was critical for spermatid-specific expression. Here, we focus on a purine (Pu) box (-agaaaa) located at -154, which is conserved in the mouse, monkey, and human SP-10 gene promoters. NF45 and NF90, which belong to the family of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), are known as Pu-box-binding proteins. We tested the potential of NF45 and NF90 to activate the SP-10 promoter via the Pu-box element. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of NF45 and NF90 in the nuclei of pachytene spermatocytes, round spermatids, and Sertoli cells. In gel shift assays, recombinant NF45 bound to the mouse SP-10 promoter in an AGAAAA site-specific manner. Cotransfection of NF45 and NF90 up-regulated SP-10 promoter-driven luciferase expression in transiently transfected spermatogenic GC2 cell line; this up-regulation required the -AGAAAA- site. Furthermore, stimulation of the endogenous NF45-NF90 complex in Jurkat cells by phorbol myristate acetate + ionomycin up-regulated the SP-10 promoter activity in plasmid-based assays. In the context of chromatin, however, stimulation of NF45-NF90 alone was not sufficient to activate an SP-10 promoter-driven green fluorescent protein transgene. Based on these results, we propose that NF45 and NF90 have the potential to activate SP-10 gene transcription, and that a chromatin modification event must occur first in order to provide access to these transcription factors.
Structural and functional analyses of a glycoside hydrolase family 5 enzyme with an unexpected β-fucosidase activity.

We present characterization of PbFucA, a family 5 glycoside hydrolase (GH5) from Prevotella bryantii B(1)4. While GH5 members typically are xylanases, PbFucA shows no activity toward xylan polysaccharides. A screen against a panel of p-nitrophenol coupled sugars identifies PbFucA as a β-D-fucosidase. We also present the 2.2 A resolution structure of PbFucA and use structure-based mutational analysis to confirm the role of catalytically essential residues. A comparison of the active sites of PbFucA with those of family 5 and 51 glycosidases reveals that while the essential catalytic framework is identical between these enzymes, the steric contours of the respective active site clefts are distinct and likely account for substrate discrimination. Our results show that members of this cluster of orthologous group (COG) 5520 have β-D-fucosidase activities, despite showing an overall sequence and structural similarity to GH-5 xylanases.
a Supercritical Flume for Measuring Sediment-Laden Streamflow

ABSTRACT: After 25 years of operation on ephemeral streams in the semiarid Southwest, this supercritical flume has provided more than 350 station-years of reliable streamflow data, even under freezethaw conditions experienced at elevations of 1,500 to 2,100 m, in Arizona. The flume has also provided streamflow data during flood periods produced by high intensity summer thunderstorm conditions, where considerable sediment and other debris was moved downstream.
Melody Valve for Mitral Valve Replacement

In certain pediatric patients with irreparable mitral valve disease, mitral valve replacement is necessary. One option for replacement in a child with small annulus is off label use of the Melody valve for mitral replacement. The device modifications and implantation technique are described, and focus on maneuvers to prevent perivalvular leak and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Short term results are acceptable, but long term performance of this valve in this position is still unknown.
Productivity of Pullets Influenced by Genetic Selection for Social Dominance Ability and by Stability of Flock Membership

Abstract INTRODUCTION SOCIAL stress is usually associated with lowered productivity in chickens. Strange hens introduced into organized flocks are initially harassed and their egg production is depressed (Sanctuary, 1932; Guhl and Allee, 1944; Guhl, 1953; and Morgan and Bonzer, 1959). Low peck-order status also leads to a stressful intra-flock environment for the individual hen and is associated with lower productivity (see Guhl, 1953). Tindell and Craig (1959) confirmed the presence of intra-flock associations between social rank and productivity traits for the early part of the laying year, but found later egg production to be essentially uncorrelated with rank. They also compared 6 diverse genetic strains in intermingled and separate flocks. Inter-strain competition resulted in higher performance levels for the more aggressive strains; whereas, due to their lack of competitive ability, the less aggressive strains matured later, fed less often, had a lower rate of lay and poorer livability as compared to…
Isomerization of 1,3,5-cyclooctatrieneiron tricarbonyl to bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4,-dieneiron tricarbonyl

Abstract 1,3,5-Cyclooctatrieneiron tricarbonyl, (VI), has been shown to undergo electrocyclic ring closure to bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4-dieneiron tricarbonyl, (VII), at 102°. The first-order rate constant for this process at 102° was determined to be 7 x 10−5 sec−1 corresponding to ΔF≠=29.3 kcal/mol. Less than 1% of (VI) remains at equilibrium, thus Keq must be greater than 100 for (VI) ⇄ (VII) and ΔF must be less than −3.4 kcal/mol. The iron complexed system is compared to the previously studied free ligand system where 1,3,5-cyclooctatriene, (VIII), is favored over the bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4-diene, (IX), with Keq=0.18 for (VII)⇄(IX) and ΔF=+1.1. kcal/mol. The large shift in the equilibrium in favor of (VII) is explained by considering the relative distortions and consequent ring strain introduced into the ligands (VIII) and (IX) upon bonding to the iron tricarbonyl moiety.
Serum antibody responses of weanling mice and two-year-old children to pneumococcal-type 6A–protein conjugate vaccines of differing saccharide chain lengths

Type 6A pneumococcal polysaccharide (PS) fractions having mean lengths 2, 7, or 14 repeat units were coupled to tetanus toxoid, giving conjugates T-6A-2, T-6A-7 or T-6A-14. In weanling outbred mice, type-6A serum antibody responses were minimal to T-6A-7 but significantly higher to T-6A-2 and T-6A-14. In contrast, two-year-old humans responded increasingly to T-6A-2, T-6A-7, and T-6A-14; type 6B antibody rose, but variably. Upon challenge with 6B PS at age 3 yr, conjugate-primed children made anamnestic responses. T-6A-14, containing the longest saccharide chains (and highest saccharide:protein mass ratio) excelled in priming as well as antibody induction.
Exploiting mixed-mode parallelism for matrix operations on the HERA architecture through reconfiguration

Recent advances in multi-million-gate platform field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have made it possible to design and implement complex parallel systems on a programmable chip that also incorporate hardware floating-point units (FPUs). These options take advantage of resource reconfiguration. In contrast to the majority of the FPGA community that still employs reconfigurable logic to develop algorithm-specific circuitry, our FPGA-based mixed-mode reconfigurable computing machine can implement simultaneously a variety of parallel execution modes and is also user programmable. Our heterogeneous reconfigurable architecture (HERA) machine can implement the single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD), multiple-instruction, multiple-data (MIMD) and multiple-SIMD (M-SIMD) execution modes. Each processing element (PE) is centred on a single-precision IEEE 754 FPU with tightly-coupled local memory, and supports dynamic switching between SIMD and MIMD at runtime. Mixed-mode parallelism has the potential to best match the characteristics of all subtasks in applications, thus resulting in sustained high performance. HERA's performance is evaluated by two common computation-intensive testbenches: matrix-matrix multiplication (MMM) and LU factorisation of sparse doubly-bordered-block-diagonal (DBBD) matrices. Experimental results with electrical power network matrices show that the mixed-mode scheduling for LU factorisation can result in speedups of about 19% and 15.5% compared to the SIMD and MIMD implementations, respectively.
Sag equation for coatings on rotating substrates

We develop the sag length equation for coatings on rotating substrates, neglecting Coriolis force effects. The equation is integrated analytically for both Newtonian and some cases of non-Newtonian flow. For rotating substrates, the sag in one direction is compensated for by sag in the opposite direction, and unlike the nonrotating case, the sag is not proportional to time.
Gang and moniker identification by graffiti matching

Identifying criminal gangs and monikers is one of the most important tasks for graffiti analysis in low enforcement. In current practice, this is typically performed manually by the law enforcement officers, which is not only time-consuming but also results in limited identification performance. In this paper, we present a system that is able to automatically identify the gang or the moniker for a given graffiti image. The key idea of our system is as follows: given a graffiti query, first find a candidate list of the most similar images from a large graffiti database based on visual and content similarity, and then return the most frequent gang/moniker names associated with the candidate list as the tag for the query graffiti. Our experiments with a large database of graffiti images collected by the Orange County Sheriff's Department in California show that our system is (i) effective in determining the gang/moniker of graffiti, and (ii) scalable to large image databases of graffiti.
A sequential learning analysis of decisions in organizations to escalate investments despite continuing costs or losses.

Reinforcement process may underlie decisions frequently found in organizations to escalate investments of time, money and other resources in strategies (e.g., product development, capital investment, plant expansion) that do not result in immediate reinforces. Whereas cognitive biases have been proffered in previous explanations, the present analysis suggested that this persistence is a form of resistance to extinction arising from experiences with past investments that were variably reinforced. This explanation was examined in two experiments by varying the pattern of returns and losses subjects experienced for investment decisions prior to experiencing a series losses. Consistent with the proposed explanation, two conditions resulted in higher levels of recommitment during continuous losses: (a) training using a variable schedule of partial reinforcement, and (b) no training on the task. Results indicate that behavior analysis can be used to understand and control situations in organizations that are prone to escalation, such as investments in the research and development of new product lines and extensions of further loans to customers.
Role of the adenosine(2A) receptor-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid pathway in the development of salt-sensitive hypertension

Activation of rat adenosine(2A) receptors (A(2A) R) dilates preglomerular microvessels, an effect mediated by epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). High salt (HS) intake increases epoxygenase activity and adenosine levels. A greater vasodilator response to a stable adenosine analog, 2-chloroadenosine (2-CA), was seen in kidneys obtained from HS-fed rats which was mediated by increased EET release. Because this pathway is antipressor, we examined the role of the A(2A) R-EET pathway in a genetic model of salt-sensitive hypertension, the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats. Dahl salt resistant (SR) rats fed a HS diet demonstrated a greater renal vasodilator response to 2-CA. In contrast, Dahl SS rats did not exhibit a difference in the vasodilator response to 2-CA whether fed normal salt (NS) or HS diet. In Dahl SR but not Dahl SS rats, HS intake significantly increased purine flux, augmented the protein expression of A(2A) R and cytochrome P450 2C23 and 2C11 epoxygenases, and elevated the renal efflux of EETs. Thus the Dahl SR rat is able to respond to HS intake by recruiting EET formation, whereas the Dahl SS rat appears to have exhausted its ability to increase EET synthesis above the levels observed on NS intake. In vivo inhibition of the A(2A) R-EET pathway in Dahl SR rats fed a HS diet results in reduced renal EETs levels, diminished natriuretic capacity and hypertension, thus supporting a role for the A(2A) R-EET pathway in the adaptive natriuretic response to modulate blood pressure during salt loading. An inability of Dahl SS rats to upregulate the A(2A) R-EET pathway in response to salt loading may contribute to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Expressibility and the Liar's Revenge

There is a standard objection against purported explanations of how a language L can express the notion of being a true sentence of L. According to this objection, such explanations avoid one parad...
Electrophoretic analysis of flour proteins. II.—gluten

An investigation of the electrophoretic composition of the gluten proteins in acidic and basic buffers was undertaken. Three main components predominated, although at different distributions, when gluten was analysed in acidic and basic buffers. In addition, there were small amounts of other components—probably some ‘salt-soluble’ proteins trapped in the gluten. Acidic and basic extracts of the residues from the extraction of flour with o-IM-sodium chloride yielded components similar to those appearing in gluten. Basic and acidic extracts of flour yielded components similar to those appearing in gluten, and in addition, the ‘salt-soluble’ proteins and polysaccharides. Adjustment to acid pH of alkaline extracts of flour and the above-mentioned extraction residues did not give electrophoretic patterns identical with those of acidic extracts. Electrophoretic enantiography was best in the acid buffers. Sodium chloride-hydrochloric acid buffers approached phosphate and aluminium lactate buffers in excellence. Dispersions of gluten in cupric ammonium sulphite were also analysed electrophoretically. Electrophoretic analyses of gluten from flour defatted with butanol and butanol-ether differed little from those of gluten from intact flour. There was, however, a difference in the electrophoretic analysis of gluten obtained from flour exhaustively extracted with a series of lipid solvents.
Aphasia in dementia of the Alzheimer type

Speech and language assessment in 30 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type and in 70 normal controls revealed that all Alzheimer patients were aphasic. Throughout most of the course, the language disorder resembled transcortical sensory aphasia, and increasing language impairment correlated with increasing severity of dementia. Aphasia was present regardless of age of onset or family history of dementia. Aphasia is an important diagnostic criterion of dementia of the Alzheimer type.
Dense bands and polarity of thin filament at myotendinous junction in guppy muscle

Guppy muscle shows unique electron dense bands in the terminal segment of the myofibril at the muscle—tendon junction. On occasion electron dense bands were also observed at the myomyous junction. The unusual bands are approximately 70 nm wide with an electron density similar to that of Z-lines. Thin filaments seem to be continuous throughout these dense bands with no interdigitation of filaments before the membrane. Calcium-activated neutral protease removes the dense bands. The filaments of the terminal segment are decorated by heavy meromyosin and therefore are actin. The polarity of actin filaments, determined by the arrowhead pattern formed when the filaments are decorated with HMM, appears to be directed away from the sarcolemma. No evidence of polarity reversal was observed at the dense bands. Although function and significance is unknown, we assume the electron dense bands of the myofibril terminal segment of guppy muscle are not Z-lines, but rather, are structures unique to guppy muscle.
Diagnostic Imaging to Exclude Acute Coronary Syndrome

On virtually every shift, Emergency Department providers care for patients with chest pain. With each encounter, the provider has the difficult task of determining if the patient’s pain is of cardiac or non-cardiac origin. This is a high-stakes decision, as patients discharged with an incorrect diagnosis of non-cardiac chest pain are at high risk for morbidity and mortality, while the provider is at high risk for a medical malpractice claim (Pope et al., N Engl J Med 342(16):1163–1170, 2000; Amsterdam et al., Circulation 122(17):1756–1776, 2010). Diagnostic imaging studies, such as coronary computed tomography angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, stress echocardiography, and nuclear imaging, play an important role in the risk stratification of patients presenting with chest pain or other symptoms concerning for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This article will evaluate and summarize the recent evidence relevant to diagnostic imaging modalities used to exclude ACS.
Microcomputer based control system for the TAMU K-500 cyclotron

A parallel processor control system is being implemented for the K-500 superconducting cyclotron at TAMU. It consists of 10 cost effective personal computers communicating via a local area network. The cyclotron hardware is interfaced to the control system through IEEE-696 (STD bus) I/O cards and a memory mapped, tristate parallel data bus. Most of the software is being written in FORTH. Specific programs for each processor are compiled using tabular information extracted from a database describing the controls and accelerator hardware interfaces. This approach provides considerable flexibility in adapting the software to changing hardware configurations while eliminating the usual computational bottlenecks associated with an on-line data base.
The Logic of Causal Explanation An Axiomatization

Three-valued (strong-Kleene) modal logic provides the foundation for a new approach to formalizing causal explanation as a relation between partial situations. The approach makes fine-grained distinctions between aspects of events, even between aspects that are equivalent in classical logic. The framework can accommodate a variety of ontologies concerning the relata of causal explanation. I argue, however, for a tripartite ontology of objects corresponding to sentential nominals: facts, tropes (or facta or states of affairs), and situations (or events). I axiomatize the relations and use canonical models to demonstrate completeness.
Continuum percolation for randomly oriented soft-core prisms.

We study continuum percolation of three-dimensional randomly oriented soft-core polyhedra (prisms). The prisms are biaxial or triaxial and range in aspect ratio over six orders of magnitude. Results for prisms are compared with studies for ellipsoids, rods, ellipses, and polygons and differences are explained using the concept of the average excluded volume, $〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉.$ For large-shape anisotropies we find close agreement between prisms and most of the above-mentioned shapes for the critical total average excluded volume, ${n}_{c}〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉,$ where ${n}_{c}$ is the critical number density of objects at the percolation threshold. In the extreme oblate and prolate limits simulations yield ${n}_{c}〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉\ensuremath{\approx}2.3$ and ${n}_{c}〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉\ensuremath{\approx}1.3,$ respectively. Cubes exhibit the lowest-shape anisotropy of prisms minimizing the importance of randomness in orientation. As a result, the maximum prism value, ${n}_{c}〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉\ensuremath{\approx}2.79,$ is reached for cubes, a value close to ${n}_{c}〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉=2.8$ for the most equant shape, a sphere. Similarly, cubes yield a maximum critical object volume fraction of ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c}=0.22.$ ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c}$ decreases for more prolate and oblate prisms and reaches a linear relationship with respect to aspect ratio for aspect ratios greater than about 50. Curves of ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c}$ as a function of aspect ratio for prisms and ellipsoids are offset at low-shape anisotropies but converge in the extreme oblate and prolate limits. The offset appears to be a function of the ratio of the normalized average excluded volume for ellipsoids over that for prisms, $R=〈\overline{{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}}{〉}_{e}/〈\overline{{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}}{〉}_{p}.$ This ratio is at its minimum of $R=0.758$ for spheres and cubes, where ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c(\mathrm{sphere})}=0.2896$ may be related to ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c(\mathrm{cube})}=0.22$ by ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c(\mathrm{cube})}=1\ensuremath{-}[1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c(\mathrm{sphere})}{]}^{R}=0.23$. With respect to biaxial prisms, triaxial prisms show increased normalized average excluded volumes, $〈\overline{{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}}〉,$ due to increased shape anisotropies, resulting in reduced values of ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{c}.$ We confirm that ${B}_{c}{=n}_{c}〈{v}_{\mathrm{ex}}〉{=2C}_{c}$ applies to prisms, where ${B}_{c}$ and ${C}_{c}$ are the average number of bonds per object and average number of connections per object, respectively.
Pediatric burn injuries

Pediatric burns comprise a major mechanism of injury, affecting millions of children worldwide, with causes including scald injury, fire injury, and child abuse. Burn injuries tend to be classified based on the total body surface area involved and the depth of injury. Large burn injuries have multisystemic manifestations, including injuries to all major organ systems, requiring close supportive and therapeutic measures. Management of burn injuries requires intensive medical therapy for multi-organ dysfunction/failure, and aggressive surgical therapy to prevent sepsis and secondary complications. In addition, pain management throughout this period is vital. Specialized burn centers, which care for these patients with multidisciplinary teams, may be the best places to treat children with major thermal injuries. This review highlights the major components of burn care, stressing the pathophysiologic consequences of burn injury, circulatory and respiratory care, surgical management, and pain management of these often critically ill patients.
Data transformation maximizing homoscedasticity and within-group normality

Two assumptions underlying the analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique are that the data be sampled from a normally distributed population and that the population within-group variances be equal. Applying ANOVA to data sets that display a clear violation of these assump­ tions may result in a substantial deviation of the actual Type I and Type II error rates from their nominal levels. This deviation may result in an overly liberal or overly conservative test (Bradley, 1978; Glass, Peckham, & Sanders, 1972; Levine & Dunlap, 1982, 1983). Data transformation may be used in order to better meet the assumptions of ANOVA. Furthermore, an appropri­ ate transformation may result in a substantial increase in the power of ANOVA (Levine & Dunlap, 1982, 1983). Theoretically, it is often beneficial to transform data to meet the assumptions of ANOVA. In practice, however, as Games (1983) pointed out, it is often difficult to pick an appropriate transformation. Some guidelines have been offered by Bartlett (1947), Mueller (1948), and Tabach­ nick and Fidell (1983); nevertheless, finding a workable transformation is often tedious. Dunlap and Rasmussen (1982) and Rasmussen and Dun­ lap (1983) have presented FORTRANprograms that select a transformation from the Box and Cox (1964) family of power transformations to meet assumptions of regression statistics. Dunlap and Duffy (1974) presented a FOR­ TRAN program that chooses a power transformation that minimizes within-group skew. The present program serves as a substitute for the Dun­ lap and Duffy (1974) program, which picks a transfor­ mation that minimizes only skew; the present program minimizes nonnormality and heterogeneity of variance. Use of the Dunlap and Duffy program may result in ex­ treme heterogeneity of variance or extreme kurtosis values, both of which may affect the Type I and Type IT error rates. The transformation described here serves to minimize nonnormality and heterogeneity of variance. Program Execution. The program interrogates the user with respect to the parameters of the study, such as the number of subjects, the number of groups, and so forth. It then prints out, group by group, a histogram ofthe un­ transformed data. The program then applies a series of power transformations to the data and calculates normal­ ity and homoscedasticity statistics for each transforma
The Lotus Knowledge Discovery System: tools and experiences

The Lotus Knowledge Discovery System™ from IBM uses several leading-edge technologies to systematically create associations between corporate expertise and information resources, personalize and organize knowledge for individuals and communities, and provide a place for teams to work, make decisions, and act. It also creates a searchable index, computes document values, and provides a search-and-browse user interface. This paper describes the technology behind the knowledge management components of the product and describes the experience of the United States Joint Forces Command, one of the product's earliest adopters. The Joint Forces Command combined a new knowledge management methodology with the software tools, and the Lotus team gained valuable deployment experience in the process.
Breaking news on social intelligence.

This department, sponsored by the American Organization of Nurse Executives, presents information to assist nurse leaders in shaping the future of healthcare through creative and innovative leadership. The strategic priorities of American Organization of Nurse Executives anchor the editorial content. They reflect contemporary healthcare and nursing practice issues that challenge nurse executives as they strive to meet the needs of patients. In this article, the author discusses newly released research in the field of social intelligence and the applicability and impact of the findings on nursing leadership.
Does adolescent perception of difficulty in getting cigarettes deter experimentation

Abstract Background . Considerable controversy surrounds tobacco control emphasis on youth-access-to-tobacco laws, as there is limited evidence that such enforcement reduces youth smoking. In California, access-law enforcement increased substantially in 1996 compared to earlier in the decade. Methods . Two longitudinal cohorts of adolescent never smokers from the large, population-based California Tobacco Surveys of 1993 and 1996 were followed-up 3 years later (1993–1996 [ n = 1,764] and 1996–1999 [ n = 2,119]). We examined transition to any smoking by follow-up with adolescent perception that cigarettes are easy or hard to get, during periods with less and more access law enforcement. Results . Transition to any smoking by follow-up among 12- to 15-year-old never smokers was identical in the 1993–1996 cohort, regardless of whether they perceived cigarettes as hard or easy to get (about 38%), but was lower in the 1996–1999 cohort for those who perceived that cigarettes were hard (25.9%) vs. easy (36.1%) to get. This differential effect was confirmed in multivariate analyses that adjusted for demographics, cohort, and other known predictors of adolescent smoking. Conclusions . Increased enforcement of access laws may help protect young adolescents from experimenting with cigarettes by strengthening societal anti-tobacco norms. Such enforcement appears warranted as part of a comprehensive tobacco control program.
Theoretical Study on Bis(imino)pyridyl−Fe(II) Olefin Poly- and Oligomerization Catalysts. Dominance of Different Spin States in Propagation and β-Hydride Transfer Pathways

Mechanisms of chain propagation and β-hydride transfer (BHT) chain termination stages of poly- and oligomerization of ethylene by catalysts of general formula [2,6-(CR1N((2-R2)(4-R4)(6-R3)C6H2)2C5H3N]FeCl2 were studied theoretically. Density functional (B3LYP) and integrated molecular orbitals + molecular mechanics (IMOMM) methods were applied respectively to a model (“low steric bulk”, LSB) system, [2,6-(CHNH)2C5H3N]FeCH3+, and one of the catalytic (“high steric bulk”, HSB) systems studied experimentally, [2,6-(CMeN(2,6-iPr2C6H3))2C5H3N]FeCH3+. We find that two axial ligands are required in order for the dz2 orbital (with the trichelating ligand defining the equatorial xy plane) to be destabilized and for the singlet to be the ground state and that this is realized in BHT chain termination related species. In contrast, in the chain propagation region of potential energy surface (PES) only one axial ligand is present, where, consequently, the dz2 orbital is singly occupied and the singlet becomes a low ly...
CHANGES IN PULMONARY SYSTOLIC PRESSURES AFTER CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY RATHER THAN FUNCTIONAL CLASS, LEFT VENTRICULAR FUNCTION OR DIMENSIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FEWER HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR HEART FAILURE EXACERBATION

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced systolic dysfunction and cardiac dyssynchrony. Elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) is a poor predictor factor in heart failure related with poor clinical outcome. An association between
Activation of the adenohypophysis by intravenous injections of epinephrine in the atropinized rabbit.

introduction Markee, Sawyer and Hollinshead (1948) stimulated the release of luteinizing hormone (or total gonadotrophin) from the rabbit hypophysis by the intrahypophyseal injection of small amounts of epinephrine (Adrenalin). After receiving 4 injections of 0.05 ml. epinephrine 1 mg./ml.), 5 out of 10 rabbits ovulated. However, intravenous and intracarotid injections of much higher dosages, up to the MLD, led to completely negative results (op. cit., and Marshall and Verney, 1936). These findings suggested that a discrete adrenergic mechanism, localized in the region of the hypophysis, might control pituitary activation. The presence of such an adrenergic mechanism in the reflex by which coitus stimulates LH release in the rabbit was affirmed by blocking copulation-induced ovulation with the adrenergic blocking agent Dibenamine (Sawyer, Markee and Hollinshead, 1947). Subsequent work revealed that the pituitary activation reflex also contains an atropine-blocked component which apparently precedes the Di...
Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 up-regulation and phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells predate mononuclear infiltration in transplant arteriopathy

Abstract Objective: Expression of embryonic myosin heavy chain isoforms and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 by neointimal vascular smooth muscle cells are independent indicators of atherosclerotic plaque development in both human beings and experimental animal models. We examined the chronologic change in smooth muscle cell myosin heavy chain isoforms, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression, and mononuclear cell infiltration in a carotid arterial transplant model to ascertain whether similar phenotypic changes would occur in transplant arteriopathy. Methods: Transplanted rabbit carotid arteries were examined at 7, 14, 21, and 35 days (n = 5, 7, 6, and 5, respectively). Lesion progression and the prevalence of smooth muscle cell myosin heavy chain isoforms, T-lymphocytes, macrophages, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression were evaluated immunohistochemically by computerized image analysis. Results: In this carotid arterial transplant model, the intima/media area ratio increased significantly by 35 days ( P = .01) as cell density decreased ( P = .01), suggesting extracellular matrix elaboration. Intimal smooth muscle cells expressing embryonic phenotypes were seen as early as 7 days, a phenotypic change that predated mononuclear cell infiltration of the graft by at least 7 days. By 35 days, up to 70% of intimal smooth muscle cells expressed the embryonic phenotype, coinciding with the transition from inflammatory to chronic lesions. Although, in early lesions, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 was identified on luminal endothelium overlying mononuclear infiltrates, in advanced lesions vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 was identified primarily on intimal vascular smooth muscle cells. Conclusions: Overall, these vascular smooth muscle cell changes mark important early events in transplant arteriopathy that may not be ameliorated by immunosuppressive regimens in routine use.
British War Time Control of Aluminum

Introduction: characteristics of the industry, 18. — The time-schedule of control, 20. — Organization and administration of control, 22. — Maximum prices: virgin aluminum, 26; aluminum alloy, 27; secondary aluminum, 28; aluminum scrap, 28. — Aluminum and other non-ferrous metal prices, 29. — Maintenance and expansion of supply, 32. — Collection and utilization of scrap, 38. — Appeal to housewives, 39. — Control over demand, 41. — Summary and conclusions, 46.
Solution and solid-state hydrogen bond patterns ofo-methoxy- ando-ethoxybenzoic acids

The hydrogen bond patterns ofo-alkoxybenzoic acids have been shown previously to involve intramolecular hydrogen bonds. In this paper we show thato-methoxybenzoic acid (I) and o-ethoxybenzoic acid (II) both exist as monomers with intramolecular hydrogen bonds in solution but that, in the solid-state,I crystallizes as hydrogen-bonded dimers whileII crystallizes with an intramolecular hydrogen bond. The correlation between solution and solid-state hydrogen bond patterns is made using solution and solid-state IR and NMR methods and by correlating the solid-state patterns with known X-ray crystal structures. The crystal structure ofI is reported here. Crystal data: monoclinicP21/n;a=7.002(2),b=14.945(9),c=7.719(4) A,β=115.44(3)°,Z=4,V=729.4 A3, andR=0.046 (1660 reflections).
Interpretation of marine and freshwater paleoenvironments in Permo–Carboniferous deposits

article i nfo The freshwater criteria of Gray (Gray, J., 1988. Evolution of the freshwater ecosystem: the fossil record. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 62, 1-214.) are discussed relative to North American Permo- Carboniferous deposits. The faunas of the Permo-Carboniferous basins of North America are compared with those from Europe; they are very similar. Organisms, which live or lived in the aquatic environment, can only characterize this environment; terrestrial animals and plants are extraneous to the aquatic environment. The best way of interpreting the environment is to compare with contemporaneous aquatic faunas. Myxinids, acritarchs, polychaetes, and some ostracodes are marine forms; spirorbiform microconchids ('Spirorbis') and some foraminifers are brackish water indicators. Based on faunal comparison the Permo-Carboniferous deposits of North America and Europe are interpreted as either marine or marine influenced.
Electrical properties of carbon black in an SBR-wax matrix

The resistivity and dielectric constant for carbon black (5–12 vol-%) in a nonconducting matrix have been measured over the range 20–90°C and dc to 2–105 Hz. Styrene–butadiene rubber dissolved in tetracosane (22 parts SBR to about 70 parts wax) constituted the matrix. Wide variations in resistivity and dielectric constant with temperature and/or frequency were observed. A theory is presented to explain the experimental observations. It correctly predicts the qualitative features of the experimental results but its predictions are not quantitatively accurate.
Building the value of evaluation: Engaging with reflective practitioners

Evaluation use has been a focal point of the evaluation field for many years, and recent practice and theory have focused on the potentially transformative effects of the evaluation process itself. All of these efforts, however, start with practitioners who are frequently fearful or suspicious about the process mandated or imposed on them, concerned about the time it will take away from their direct service, and dubious of the value that the evaluation will impart. Although the efforts of individual evaluators attempting to partner with practitioners one program at a time to improve the evaluation process and convince practitioners of its value are important, we also need systemic approaches to cultivate the value of evaluation among practitioners. This chapter proposes a three-pronged approach to develop and engage reflective practitioners to build the value of evaluation. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association
High-frequency oscillations of phrenic activity in eupnea and gasping of in situ rat: influence of temperature.

We hypothesized that the in situ perfused preparation of the juvenile rat exhibits patterns of ventilatory activity comparable to eupnea and gasping in vivo. To evaluate this hypothesis, we examine...