cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Action Research and Prototype Testbeds: Prioritizing Collaborative Making in Architectural Research

As the discipline of architecture becomes ever more concerned with the development of high performance sustainable buildings and systems requiring an increasingly complex set of interrelated and closely integrated technologies, assemblies, and material methods, the questions of what forms of research approach and what project contexts might best facilitate the advancement of related research are critical. Research methods that focus on isolated and specific aspects of building science, systems engineering, or occupant interface undertaken in the highly controlled environment of the laboratory or evaluated with simulation tools have done much to advance our understanding of individual components that might comprise the next generation of high performance buildings. However, given the complexity of integrated architectural research projects that address environment, performance and interaction, requiring multiple cycles of research and development, large interdisciplinary teams, and project cycles discordant with curricular duration, new research formats may be required. Within this context, the practices of ‘action research’ methodologies for interdisciplinary collaboration and the construction of physical prototype testbeds as both a focus for applied research and as living laboratories for evaluation, measurement and testing, offer a compelling pairing of practice and product. The model of action research developed by humanities and educational research teams is extended and modified to develop a format applied to architectural research projects. These strategies offer specific advantage to the architectural researcher, whose work often requires methodologies outside those of traditional scientific or humanities models, and greatly benefits from what Monica Ponce de Leon has referred to as “research through making”. This paper describes the organizational and logistical context of two recent design research projects (North House Prototype and The Stratus Project) in the context of an action research framework as a means to illuminate this discussion.
Self-Imposed Limits of Arbitrage

A multi-billion-dollar, multi-year discrepancy between two identical share classes of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) did not suffer from traditional external limits to arbitrage such as transactions costs and risk measures. One possible explanation is that self-imposed limits to arbitrage (SILTA) such as internal restrictions on position size allowed persistent mispricings. SILTA predicts a novel negative relation between relative volume and relative price. This prediction from SILTA holds not only for HSBC, but also other large mispriced pairs such as 3Com/Palm and Royal Dutch-Shell. Indeed, the implied overall maximum position size of arbitrageurs is roughly constant at one hundred days of trading volume for various mispriced pairs spanning different time periods and countries, suggesting SILTA as a possible explanation for all of them.
Knowledge of and Accordance to Dietary Sodium Restrictions in Heart Failure Patients (LB346)

Lack of knowledge and accordance to the low-sodium diet (< 2,000 mg) in heart failure (HF) patients has been associated with worsening symptoms, a decrease in quality of life, and hospital re-admittance rate. Therefore, we surveyed 88 HF patients (mean age ± SD, 54 ± 14 years) from the outpatient clinic at Rush University Medical Center about practical sodium knowledge using the Parkland Sodium Knowledge test (low knowledge 0-3; high knowledge 4-10) and accordance to a low-sodium diet (< 2,000 mg) using the Nutrition Quest Block Sodium Screener. The majority was non-Hispanic Black (69.3%) and male (56.8%), and median (IQR) for months since HF diagnosis was 14 (3, 28). Median (IQR) knowledge was 7 (3, 10) on a scale of 1 to 10, reflecting high knowledge (71.6% knowledgeable). Many (53.4%) of the patients correctly sorted high- and low-sodium food containers. Only 33% knew the sodium guidelines, and 50% read the sodium component on the food label correctly. Despite high knowledge, 64.8% of HF patients were ...
Specialization without regret - transfer rights, agricultural productivity, and investment in an industrializing economy

In China, where collectives own farmland but farmers may hold use rights to the land, a case can be made for a property rights system with incomplete security of tenure but with strong transfer rights, which permit specialization without regret - so farmers can recoup the value of an investment even if they exit farming. A number of studies have examined the effects of secure tenure on agricultural investment and productivity. Carter and Yao also study the importance of rights to household residual income and land use being transferable. Contemporary China - where industrialization has spread rapidly, if unevenly - is a good place to study the economic effects of transfer rights as well as conventional security of tenure. Village collectives formally own land in China, so there can be no individual land sales, but farmers are sometimes entitled to sell their rights to use the land allocated to them under the household responsibility system. Whether a household has secure tenure depends on whether its landholding will be reduced if the household population declines, whether the landholding will be increased if the household population increases, and how frequent average land adjustments are under the household responsibility system. Analyzing panel data for a sample of farm households, Carter and Yao study the investment regret mitigation effect, which results when greater transfer rights make households more willing to invest because they are less likely to regret such investments when they can recoup the investment value even if they exit farming. Carter and Yao find that transfer rights may be especially important in an industrializing economy. A property rights system with incomplete security of tenure but with strong transfer rights that permit specialization without regret - so farmers can recoup the value of an investment even if they exit farming - may have much to recommend it. This paper - a product of Rural Development, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to study the determinants and impact of property rights systems and land tenure regimes in the process of development. The authors may be contacted at carter@aae.wisc.edu or yyao@ccer.pku.edu.cn.
The Non-Ligand Binding β-Isoform of the Human Glucocorticoid Receptor (hGRβ): Tissue Levels, Mechanism of Action, and Potential Physiologic Role

Alternative splicing of the transcripts of the human glucocorticoid receptor gene results in two mutually exclusive products, the classic, ligand-binding glucocorticoid receptor (hGRα), and a dominant negative non-ligand-binding isoform, hGRβ. We examined the existence of and quantified both hGRα and hGRβ isoforms in a panel of human tissues, as well as in intact and fractionated HeLa cells, using specific quantitative Western blots and/or immunocytochemistry. We studied the potential interactions of hGRβ with heat shock protein (hsp) 90 and/or hGRα using cross-immunoadsorption/precipitation procedures followed by Western blots. For the first time, we demonstrated the natural existence of the hGRβ protein, which was widely expressed in human tissues. The ratio of immunoreactive hGRα to hGRβ varied from 0.2 to 1.0 among different tissues, and was approximately 0.2 in HeLa cells. In the latter, both isoforms were distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus in the absence of the hormonal ligand, and translocated into the nucleus after addition of dexamethasone. The cytosolic and nuclear hGRα-to-hGRβ ratio remained the same before and after dexamethasone exposure, suggesting that upon activation the two isoforms translocated into the nucleus in equal proportions. hGRα- and hGRβ-specific antibodies cross-adsorbed and precipitated cytosolic and nuclear glucocorticoid hGRα and hGRβ, respectively, as well as hsp90, suggesting that hGRα and hGRβ are in complex with hsp90 and/or each other. The hGRβ protein is widely expressed throughout the human body and present mostly in the cytoplasm of human cells, in complex with hsp90 and other proteins. In the presence of glucocorticoid, hGRβ probably heterodimerizes with ligand-bound hGRα and translocates into the nucleus to act as a dominant negative inhibitor of the classic receptor.
Work incentives planning and assistance: Assisting beneficiaries to obtain employment and reduce dependence on SSA benefits

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for this opportunity. I will focus my comments today on SSA’s employment programs, particularly the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program. The WIPA program is an integral part of SSA strategy to promote employment among SSA beneficiaries, reduce dependence on SSI and SSDI cash benefits, reduce the number of burdensome overpayments and other post entitlement problems experienced by beneficiaries engaged in employment, and decrease trust fund and general fund expenditures by reducing cash payments to beneficiaries. Authorized by Section 121 of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act of 1999, 104 WIPA projects are providing services to SSA beneficiaries in all 50 states and territories. Collectively, the 104 projects employ over 400 Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs), many of whom are themselves individuals with disabilities, and have served over 350,000 individuals since the program’s inception in 2000.
Circuitry underlying antiopioid actions of cholecystokinin within the rostral ventromedial medulla.

It is now well established that the analgesic actions of opioids can be modified by “anti-analgesic” or “antiopioid” peptides, among them cholecystokinin (CCK). Although the focus of much recent wo...
Heart-rate response of elderly women to nonweight-bearing ambulation with a walker

The purpose of this study was to determine the heart-rate reponse to nonweight-bearing ambulation with a walker in a group of active, healthy 60- to 80-year-old women. The subjects walked for three minutes over a smooth-surfaced tile track using a three-point nonweight-bearing gait at a self-paced rate. Heart rate was monitored by biotelemetry at rest, during the last minute of exercise, and for the first five minutes of recovery. The mean velocity of ambulation with a walker selected by this group was 12 ± 5 m/min. Mean heart rate increased 49 ± 14 bpm during the third minute of activity over the mean resting rate of 77 ± 8 bpm. Group heart rates rose to an average of 83 percent of their age-predicted maximum heart rate. All subjects achieved steady-state heart rate during the third minute of walking. This study suggests that an excessive amount of cardiac work may be demanded of the elderly individual during walker use. This stress on the heart is a major source of concern to the physical therapist whose goal is to provide a safe and effective therapeutic program for the geriatric patient.
Chlamydia pneumoniae-Induced Foam Cell Formation Requires MyD88-Dependent and -Independent Signaling and Is Reciprocally Modulated by Liver X Receptor Activation

Chlamydia pneumoniae is detected by macrophages and other APCs via TLRs and can exacerbate developing atherosclerotic lesions, but how that occurs is not known. Liver X receptors (LXRs) centrally control reverse cholesterol transport, but also negatively modulate TLR-mediated inflammatory pathways. We isolated peritoneal macrophages from wild-type, TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR2/4, MyD88, TRIF, MyD88/TRIF, and IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) KO mice, treated them with live or UV-killed C. pneumoniae in the presence or absence of oxidized LDL, then measured foam cell formation. In some experiments, the synthetic LXR agonist GW3965 was added to macrophages infected with C. pneumoniae in the presence of oxidized LDL. Both live and UV-killed C. pneumoniae induced IRF3 activation and promoted foam cell formation in wild-type macrophages, whereas the genetic absence of TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, TRIF, or IRF3, but not TLR3, significantly reduced foam cell formation. C. pneumoniae-induced foam cell formation was significantly reduced by the LXR agonist GW3965, which in turn inhibited C. pneumoniae-induced IRF3 activation, suggesting a bidirectional cross-talk. We conclude that C. pneumoniae facilitates foam cell formation via activation of both MyD88-dependent and MyD88-independent (i.e., TRIF-dependent and IRF3-dependent) pathways downstream of TLR2 and TLR4 signaling and that TLR3 is not involved in this process. This mechanism could at least partly explain why infection with C. pneumoniae accelerates the development of atherosclerotic plaque and lends support to the proposal that LXR agonists might prove clinically useful in suppressing atherogenesis.
On Winograd's Algorithm for Inner Products

This correspondence demonstrates an improvement on Winogard's algorithm for inner products as applied to the multiplication of two matrices.
Fast communication: Best antenna selection for coded SIMO-OFDM

Multiple receive antennas with optimal combining have been known to improve error performance over fading multipath channels by providing spatial diversity. This benefit is obtained at the cost of greatly increased system complexity due to the need for multiple RF chains and signal combiners. Best antenna selection is a technique that can provide multiple antenna gains with only a single RF chain and no combiners. Best antenna selection is complicated by frequency selectivity in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as the signal at any one antenna may not be the best at all subcarriers. In this paper, we propose a novel technique for best antenna selection in coded OFDM. To simplify the receiver, we assume a block fading model for the underlying frequency selective channel. The best antenna will then determined based on coding theorems known for block fading channels. Our simulations show significant improvement in coded OFDM performance over existing techniques.
SU-E-T-511: A Dosimetric Comparison Between Superposition Algorithm and Monte Carlo Simulation for SBRT

Purpose: To verify the superposition dose calculation algorithm for SBRT plans using the Monte Carlo simulation and investigate the related issues. Methods: The SBRT plans with 6 MV were originally created on CMS Xio treatment planning system with superposition algorithm. The same patient CT, beam geometry and MUs were used in the Monte Carlo simulation (MC) on MCSIM. MCSIM is an EGS4‐based MC dose calculation system for photon and electron beams. The MC plans were compared with the Xio plans to verify Xio superposition algorithm for SBRT. The electron disequilibrium was particularly investigated by comparing the DVHs for a 2‐mm thick peel of the GTV. The 18‐MV plans and one‐and two‐beam plans were also created for the dosimetric comparison. Results: Five SBRT lung plans created on CMS Xio and delivered on Varian 21 EX linac were included in this study. The tumor GTV ranged from 1.4 cc to 11 cc and the dose ranged from 1950 cGy to 5400 cGy. The comparisons were made in terms of DVHs, mean doses, minimal doses, and maximal doses for GTV. The results showed the mean dose values of the real patient plans agreed with MC to within 3%. However, the differences between Xio and MC were increased to up to 10% for 1‐beam and 2‐beam plans, and the differences were more pronounced for the 18‐MV plans than the 6‐MV plans. Conclusions: The Xio superposition algorithm may not adequately account for electron disequilibrium for one or two beam plans; however, it can perform accurate dose calculation for SBRT with large number of beams. Compared to 18‐MV beams, 6‐MV is preferable as the dose calculation for the 6‐MV plans was more accurate based on the Monte Carlo simulation.
Infectious Purgatives and Loss of Breath in Timon of Athens

Shakespeare and Middleton's Timon of Athens (1605–08) 1 has been studied as a contaminated and contaminating medium (Elam) immersed in the grasp of figurative disease and infectious rhetoric, in wh...
Improving the reliability of pattern electroretinogram recording

Abstract The pattern electroretinogram (PERG) is a small electrical response of the retina to a reversing checkerboard pattern, usually less than 6 μV in amplitude. Unfortunately, the PERG can be obscured by artifacts such as blinks, eye movements, poor fixation, and amplifier saturation. Amplitude criterion artifact rejection systems found on commercial signal averagers eliminate large amplitude artifacts but are insensitive to small amplitude artifacts associated with amplifier saturation. Such saturation often occurs for several recording sweeps after large amplitude signals such as eye blinks are rejected. The presence of post-saturation artifacts complicates clinical PERG analysis. In this paper we describe procedures to remove these small amplitude artifacts from the PERG. These include computer selection of inputs for averaging and use of tracings with small input numbers to approximate PERG amplitudes. These procedures greatly reduce the variability of PERG amplitudes in the normal population, making PERG amplitude a more reliable clinical measure.
Psychometrics of a Brief Acculturation Scale for Hispanics in a Probability Sample of Urban Hispanic Adolescents and Young Adults

This article presents data in support of the reliability and validity of afour-item measure of acculturationfor Hispanics. The study has three strengths. First, this brief measure is evaluated with a probability sample of Hispanic adolescents and young adults (ages 15-24 years) living in urban, low-income households. Second, the sample contains both second-and third-generation Puerto Rican and Mexican American adolescents and young adults. Third, the acculturation measure was administeredas part ofaface-to-face interview. The four-item acculturation scale correlated highly with generation, length of time in the United States, subjective evaluation of acculturation, country of birth, and language chosen for the interview. The psychometric properties of this brief scale are comparable to those obtained for other published scales. Results support the use of this four-item measure of acculturation as a simple, inexpensive measure that involves minimal respondent burden.
Histone Methylation Regulator PTIP Is Required for PPARγ and C/EBPα Expression and Adipogenesis

PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha cooperate to control preadipocyte differentiation (adipogenesis). However, the factors that regulate PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha expression during adipogenesis remain largely unclear. Here, we show PTIP, a protein that associates with histone H3K4 methyltransferases, regulates PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha expression in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and during preadipocyte differentiation. PTIP deletion in MEFs leads to marked decreases of PPARgamma expression and PPARgamma-stimulated C/EBPalpha expression. Further, PTIP is essential for induction of PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha expression during preadipocyte differentiation. Deletion of PTIP impairs the enrichment of H3K4 trimethylation and RNA polymerase II on PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha promoters. Accordingly, PTIP(-/-) MEFs and preadipocytes all show striking defects in adipogenesis. Rescue of the adipogenesis defect in PTIP(-/-) MEFs requires coexpression of PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha. Finally, deletion of PTIP in brown adipose tissue significantly reduces tissue weight. Thus, by regulating PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha expression, PTIP plays a critical role in adipogenesis.
The Rat Adrenal Medulla. I. The Normal Adrenal

The morphology and physiology of the adrenal medulla are described, emphasizing the rat medulla as an experimental model. Current concepts are reviewed relating to the development of medullary cell...
Elastic modulus measurements via laser-ultrasonic and knoop indentation techniques in thermally sprayed coatings

Nondestructive techniques for evaluating and characterizing coatings were extensively demanded by the thermal spray community; nonetheless, few results have been produced in practice due to difficulties in analyzing the complex structure of thermal spray coatings. Of particular interest is knowledge of the elastic modulus values and Poisson’s ratios, which are very important when seeking to understand and/or model the mechanical behavior or to develop life prediction models of thermal spray coatings used in various applications (e.g., wear, fatigue, and high temperatures). In the current study, two techniques, laser-ultrasonics and Knoop indentation, were used to determine the elastic modulus of thermal spray coatings. Laser-ultrasonics is a noncontact and nondestructive evaluation method that uses lasers to generate and detect ultrasound. Ultrasonic velocities in a material are directly related to its elastic modulus value. The Knoop indentation technique, which has been widely used as a method for determining elastic modulus values, was used to compare and validate the measurements of the laser-ultrasonic technique. The determination of elastic modulus values via the Knoop indentation technique is based on the measurement of elastic recovery of the dimensions of the Knoop indentation impression. The approach used in the current study was to focus on evaluating the elastic modulus of very uniform, dense, and near-isotropic titania and WC-Co thermal spray coatings using these two techniques. Four different coatings were evaluated: two titania coatings produced by air plasma spray (APS) and high-velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) and two types of WC-Co coatings, conventional and multimodal (nanostructured and microsized particles), deposited by HVOF.
Developing the story: designing an interactive storytelling application

This paper describes the design of a tabletop storytelling application for children, called TellTable. The goal of the system was to stimulate creativity and collaboration by allowing children to develop their own story characters and scenery through photography and drawing, and record stories through direct manipulation and narration. Here we present the initial interface design and its iteration following the results of a preliminary trial. We also describe key findings from TellTable's deployment in a primary school that relate to its design, before concluding with a discussion of design implications from the process.
Kinetics of coal liquefaction: effect of catalyst, H2 concentration and coal type

Abstract A process for dry coal hydrogenation—liquefaction has been developed that permits short residence times (seconds) and achieves notably high space rate utilization factors. The purpose of the work reported here is to identify more precisely the process variables that determine space rate utilization factors, and to express them in a kinetic scheme, in the hope of establishing more effective control of these variables in the process. A kinetic analysis of work done in a 3 mm i . d . × 1 m long reactor is presented. Some data from a 4.5 mm i . d . × 34 m long reactor is also included. A correlation of hydroaromatic, catalyst and hydrogen concentration is considered. Parameters considered important for an optimum space rate utilization factor are both chemical and physical in nature. Of special importance are heat transfer, catalyst concentration and hydrogen concentration. A large space rate utilization factor is important from the standpoint of reduced reactor volume.
Preliminary drop-tower experiments on liquid-interface geometry in partially filled containers at zero gravity

Plexiglass containers with rounded trapezoidal cross sections were designed and built to test the validity of Concus and Finn's existence theorem (1974, 1983) for a bounded free liquid surface at zero gravity. Experiments were carried out at the NASA Lewis two-second drop tower. Dyed ethanol-water solutions and three immiscible liquid pairs, with one liquid dyed, were tested. High-speed movies were used to record the liquid motion. Liquid rose to the top of the smaller end of the containers when the contact angle was small enough, in agreement with the theory. Liquid interface motion demonstrated a strong dependence on physical properties, including surface roughness and contamination.
The chemistry and biology of flooded soils in relation to the nitrogen economy in rice fields

Response of lowland rice to sources and methods of nitrogen fertilizer application were summarized for more than 100 experiments. In about 2/3 of the experiments, the yield increase per kg of fertilizer N was judged to be relatively poor with ‘best split’ applications of urea. Based on frequency distribution, sulfur coated urea and urea briquets or urea supergranules deep placed more often produced satisfactory yield increases than ‘best split’ urea, but even with these sources/methods the yield increases were judged to be relatiyely poor in about 1/2 of the experiments. There is an enormous potential to increase rice production with no further increases in inputs of fertilizer N if we could learn to match the best method/source of fertilizer with the soil-crop management complex.
Stochastic programs over trees with random arc capacities

In this paper, we study a special class of stochastic programs where the recourse problem consists of trees with random arc capacities, which we call tree recourse. We develop an efficient procedure to obtain the expected recourse function exactly for single-stage problems. This procedure is used in a backward recursion to find the exact expected recourse function for multistage trees. We show that for large trees n-stage networks can be solved more easily than can a single-stage network with n-levels. We also show that the expected recourse functions for single-stage and n-stage formulations of the same network can be quite similar. Finally, we illustrate the potential of using the tree recourse problems in a more general stochastic network problem. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Photon excited field emission from a semiconductor surface

Abstract Field emission from silicon emitters at cryogenic temperatures and low applied fields is found to be greatly enhanced by illumination of low intensity light. Such enhancement persists even when the photon energy is smaller than the band gap energy. At room temperature, the enhancement is too small to be detected.
Time-resolved spectroscopy of initiation and ignition of flash-heated nanoparticle energetic materials

Nanotechnology has brought a great deal of excitement to research in energetic materials (EMs). Nanoparticle EMs have high densities of stored energy and the potential for multifunctionality. Here we discuss research on fundamental mechanisms of initation and ignition of EM with Al or B fuel nanoparticles and TeflonAF or nitrocellulose (NC) oxidizer. Polybutadiene (PB) was also used as an inert. The thin-film samples were confined between two windows and were activated by flash-heating the metal nanoparticles with picosecond laser pulses. Reactions of isolated nanoparticles with their surroundings were studied by measuring ablation thresholds. A shock-induced polymer dissociation model was needed to explain the growth of the reaction volume surrounding a flash-heated fuel particle. Thicker oxide passivation layers confined the nanoparticle allowing the pressure to build up to higher values during flash-heating. Initiation, as the onset of chemical reactivity, was probed using time-resolved Raman or infrar...
The Influence of Environmental Factors on Cultural Characters of Fusarium Species

Single spore cultures of eight of the nine species of Fusarium (new species concept) were grown on potato-dextrose agar under different environmental conditions. Their comparative development under...
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: OUT OF THE LAB AND INTO BUSINESS

Computers are now capable of simulating some of the aspects of human intelligence. The object of an expert system, for example, is to capture all the knowledge accumulated by a human who has achieved mastery in a particular domain, and to apply that knowledge to given situations in much the same ways as the human expert does. Artificial intelligence is destined to evolve in many directions, some of which are only dimly perceived today.
Observation of behavior, inference of function, and the study of learning

Before the present century, the primary means of studying animals was observation of the form and effects of their behavior combined with presumption of their intent. In the present century, ethologists continued to emphasize observation of form and replaced presumption of intent with the study of proximate function and evolution. In contrast, most learning psychologists minimized both observation of form and presumption of intent by defining behavior in terms of simple environmental effects and establishing intent by deprivation operations. We discuss advantages of the use of observation in the study of learning, examine arguments that it is unnecessary, irrelevant, and unscientific, and consider some practical considerations in using observation. We conclude that observation of the form of behavior and concern with its ecological function should be an important part of the arsenal of techniques used to study learning.
How to calculate normal curvatures of sampled geological surfaces

Abstract Curvature has been used both to describe geological surfaces and to predict the distribution of deformation in folded or domed strata. Several methods have been proposed in the geoscience literature to approximate the curvature of surfaces; however we advocate a technique for the exact calculation of normal curvature for single-valued gridded surfaces. This technique, based on the First and Second Fundamental Forms of differential geometry, allows for the analytical calculation of the magnitudes and directions of principal curvatures, as well as Gaussian and mean curvature. This approach is an improvement over previous methods to calculate surface curvatures because it avoids common mathematical approximations, which introduce significant errors when calculated over sloped horizons. Moreover, the technique is easily implemented numerically as it calculates curvatures directly from gridded surface data (e.g. seismic or GPS data) without prior surface triangulation. In geological curvature analyses, problems arise because of the sampled nature of geological horizons, which introduces a dependence of calculated curvatures on the sample grid. This dependence makes curvature analysis without prior data manipulation problematic. To ensure a meaningful curvature analysis, surface data should be filtered to extract only those surface wavelengths that scale with the feature under investigation. A curvature analysis of the top-Pennsylvanian horizon at Goose Egg dome, Wyoming shows that sampled surfaces can be smoothed using a moving average low-pass filter to extract curvature information associated with the true morphology of the structure.
Developing a patient-centered outcome measure for complementary and alternative medicine therapies II: Refining content validity through cognitive interviews

Available measures of patient-reported outcomes for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) inadequately capture the range of patient-reported treatment effects. The Self-Assessment of Change questionnaire was developed to measure multi-dimensional shifts in well-being for CAM users. With content derived from patient narratives, items were subsequently focused through interviews on a new cohort of participants. Here we present the development of the final version in which the content and format is refined through cognitive interviews. We conducted cognitive interviews across five iterations of questionnaire refinement with a culturally diverse sample of 28 CAM users. In each iteration, participant critiques were used to revise the questionnaire, which was then re-tested in subsequent rounds of cognitive interviews. Following all five iterations, transcripts of cognitive interviews were systematically coded and analyzed to examine participants' understanding of the format and content of the final questionnaire. Based on this data, we established summary descriptions and selected exemplar quotations for each word pair on the final questionnaire. The final version of the Self-Assessment of Change questionnaire (SAC) includes 16 word pairs, nine of which remained unchanged from the original draft. Participants consistently said that these stable word pairs represented opposite ends of the same domain of experience and the meanings of these terms were stable across the participant pool. Five pairs underwent revision and two word pairs were added. Four word pairs were eliminated for redundancy or because participants did not agree on the meaning of the terms. Cognitive interviews indicate that participants understood the format of the questionnaire and considered each word pair to represent opposite poles of a shared domain of experience. We have placed lay language and direct experience at the center of questionnaire revision and refinement. In so doing, we provide an innovative model for the development of truly patient-centered outcome measures. Although this instrument was designed and tested in a CAM-specific population, it may be useful in assessing multi-dimensional shifts in well-being across a broader patient population.
Neutron scattering studies of crystal dynamics and order-disorder phase transitions in alkali cyanides

Abstract The structure, phase transitions and crystal dynamics of KCN and NaCN have been studied by a series of neutron diffraction and inelastic scattering measurements. High resolution powder diffraction results on the three phases of both salts show that the ordered low temperature phase has an “antiferroelectric” orthorhombic structure, based on a primitive orthorhombic unit cell with essentially the same dimensions as the body-centered orthorhombic cell of the intermediate phase. The characteristic superlattice diffraction peak vanishes as the phase transition temperature is approached from below in the manner expected for a continuous order-disorder phase transition. In accord with other workers, we find no evidence of second-order behavior below the orthorhombic-cubic phase transition. Neutron inelastic scattering results are presented for the cubic phase of KCN, including a careful study of the behavior of a soft shear mode down to the cubicorthorhombic phase transition.
Interactions of slow H, H2, and H3 with thin carbon foils

Interaction processes resulting from the transit of incident 2–30 keV H+, H+2 and H+3 through 1.2 to 2.5 μg cm−2 carbon foils are investigated by examining the charge state and angular scatter distributions of atomic and molecular species that exit the foils. A comparison of the scatter distributions of exiting H+2 and H0 from incident H+2 and H+3 show that the atomic components of transmitted molecules scatter independently from foil atoms. For a given foil thickness, the measured fractions of H+2 from incident H+2 and H+3 are inversely proportional to the square of the angular scatter half-width.
Southern Paternal Generationalism and the Rhetoric of the Drive-By Truckers

This essay examines Southern paternal generational themes in the lyrics of the alt-country band the Drive-By Truckers (DBT) to get a better sense for how the songs’ agents work to construct a progressive White Southern character that at once embraces the stories and advice of the past, but often does so in ways that move the stories outside of Southern stereotypes. Ultimately, the analysis reveals that select DBT songs inscribe a paternal generationalism that plays out as a larger story of the “Progressive South” and unfolds through three thematic components. First, the lyrics reflect a sense of the American Dream as both a goal and sham; despite one's industriousness, dejection is the likely result. Second, the songs demonstrate a balance on the part of the protagonists between recalling and treasuring one's past and “casuistically stretching” the past in order to make it fit a new progressive rebel. Finally, the lyrics demonstrate a reliance on hegemonically masculine characteristics that complicate pat...
Genetic specificity of nodulation

A genetic system is proposed for establishing desirable strains of Rhizobium japonicum in soybean fields against the competition of aggressive but less productive indigenous strains. This system requires soybean cultivars which substantially exclude the indigenous strains while selectively admitting specific introduced strains.
Cytological changes in palisade cells of developing sunflower leaves

Changes in the relative volume of palisade cells (Vv) allocated to various organelle compartments during postemergent leaf development was measured using stereological techniques. The surface to volume ratios (Sv) of the chloroplast and mitochondrial membranes were also measured at each stage. Three leaf stages were sampled, each was defined based on lamina length (10, 45, and 150 mm). The last stage represented a fully expanded leaf. Chloroplast and nuclear compartment Vv values changed significantly in the early stages when cells were actively dividing. Mitochondrial and vacuolar compartment Vv values showed significant changes in the latter stages during cell expansion. The oil vesicle and microbody compartments showed no significant change in Vv value during the developmental process. The surface to volume ratios of the chloroplast membranes increased significantly throughout all stages of the leaf development while mitochondrial cristae Sv values did not change. Organelle replication rates appeared to be independent of changes in cell volume with each organelle exhibiting a specific replication activity pattern. The results of this study suggest two possible mechanisms for the control of cell structural development involving both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
Dirofilaria immitis: cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in experimentally-infected dogs.

Abstract Four dogs were experimentally infected with 30 Dirofilaria immitis infective larvae, four dogs received two such infections and four dogs served as uninfected controls. A partially-purified D. immitis antigen was used in an indirect hemagglutination assay to determine anti-D. immitis antibody titers. Anti-D. immitis antibody was first detected in infected dogs 4 weeks after infection. Titers were highest 2 weeks after the appearance of microfilariae and diminished to low levels thereafter in the single infection group. Antibody levels in the double infection group decreased similarly but were demonstrable throughout the study. Antibody titers were significantly higher in the infected dogs, but there were no differences in titers between single and double infection groups. The responses of peripheral lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin P and pokeweed mitogen were significantly depressed in infected dogs. Peripheral blood lymphocyte transformation could not be induced with D. immitis antigens. Differences between groups in T-cell function were not demonstrated by total hemagglutinating antibody or 2-mercaptoethanol labile hemagglutinating antibody following immunization with sheep erythrocytes.
A numerical prediction of spin-lattice relaxation enhancement of water protons by paramagnetic metal ions and free radicals. A contribution to the basic principles of relaxometry in MRI

The Solomon-Bloembergen and several simplified equations from literature are critically evaluated with the purpose of selecting an equation for rapid numerical predictions of spin-lattice relaxation data of water protons induced by paramagnetic transition metal and lanthanide ions and organic free radicals. The following equation is proposed for practical applications: $$\frac{1}{{T_1 }} \approx F\frac{{\pi ^2 \gamma _{\rm I} ^2 \gamma _S ^2 \hbar ^2 N}}{k} \frac{{m\eta }}{T} S(S + 1) \approx F 1.06^7 \frac{{m\eta }}{T} S(S + 1),$$ , whereT1 is the spin-lattice relaxation time, 1/T1 is the spin-lattice relaxation rate, γ1 is the gyromagnetic ratio of the proton of water, γS is the gyromagnetic ratio of the electron,k is the Boltzman constant,h is the Plank constant, ℏ =h/2π,N is the number of paramagnetic species per cubic centimeter, i.e. the Avogadro number/1000,m is the concentration of the paramagnetic species in mM, η is the viscosity in centipoise at appropriate temperature,T is the appropriate absolute temperature,S is the spin quantum number, andF is a methodical factor which can range between 1–2.7, depending on the magnetic properties of the instrumentation, i.e. ∼1.07 MHz (0.025 T)–90 MHz (2.1 T), and the relaxation enhancing agent. It is proposed to useF=1 for rapid numerical predictions. This equation is based on models involving translational motions and is suitable for rapid estimatesin vitro of spin-lattice relaxation times and rates of protons in water, and water protons in plasma and other biological fluids in the presence of paramagnetic metal ions, their low molecular weight complexes, and free radicals, as exemplified by nitroxyl (aminoxyl) radicals. Although this equation will be used for measurementsin vitro, the results could also be applied to project the effectiveness of new contrast agentsin vivo. It is believed that this equation will be useful in research involving the development of new contrast agents for MRI.
DETERMINANTS OF PATENT RIGHTS : A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY

Abstract This paper presents an index of patent rights for 110 countries for the period 1960–1990. The index is used to examine what factors or characteristics of economies determine how strongly patent rights will be protected. The evidence does indicate that more developed economies tend to provide stronger protection. But the underlying factors which influence patent protection levels are the country's level of research and development (R&D) activity, market environment, and international integration, which are correlated with its level of development. The results qualify, however, that R&D activity influences patent protection levels after a nation's research sector reaches a critical size. An implication of this is that to raise patent protection levels in weakly protecting countries, it is important to foster a significant research base in those countries and thereby create incentives for protecting patent rights.
Electron microscope studies of frozen-substituted marine eggs. III. Structure of the mitotic apparatus of the first meiotic division

Eggs of the clam Spisula solidissima were studied by freeze-substitution techniques at the time of the first meiotic division. The mitotic apparatus is organized into regions containing microtubules, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and mitochondria which surround densely stained amorphous regions. The amorphous regions, which appear to be channels running through the mitotic apparatus, are radially arranged in the asters and are parallel to the spindle axis. Microtubule-associated particles, each about 250 A in diameter, are arranged in crystalline arrays around the microtubules of the mitotic apparatus. After a period of time in hypertonic sea water the mitotic apparatus disappears and the microtubule-associated particles remain aggregated in hexagonally packed crystals. Histochemical tests suggest that the particles are composed of polysaccharide material. Other particles and inclusions show orientation relative to the mitotic apparatus axis or show non-uniform localization in the egg. The possible meaning of such localization and orientation in the physiology of the egg is discussed.
The Cerro los Calvos and La Banderia chondrites

— The Cerro los Calvos meteorite is a single stone of 68.5 g found in the Nuevo Mercurio strewn field of Zacatecas, Mexico (24°20′N, 102°8′W). It is an unusual H4 chondrite. Its olivine (Fa12.5) and orthopyroxene (Fs 11.7, Wo 0.8) are reduced relative to typical H chondrites. The La Banderia meteorite of 54.3 g from the same vicinity is an LL5 chondrite of shock classification e.
Analysis of stage-sequential change in rehabilitation research

The analysis of change is a critical topic for rehabilitation outcomes research, because the goal of rehabilitation is to improve patients' function. This article will sketch the issues and problems in statistical methods for analysis of change. Recovery after serious illness or injury often has been described in terms of transitions between a series of stages, but these theories of recovery have rarely been subjected to adequate statistical examination. This article presents two methods for the analysis of change, suitable for ordinal measures of function and for testing either simple cumulative or complex multipath stage-models of recovery. Progress in medical rehabilitation will be enhanced by explicitly specifying models of recovery, measuring recovery at multiple time points, and using the resulting data to test these models empirically.
Syringe-assisted liposuction: a cosmetic surgeon's office technique.

. Liposuction surgery is the fastest growing cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States. Our goal is to present a clinical review of our last 50 patients. We will present a technique of liposuction void of suction machine that is easily managed as an office surgical technique. The technique is modified from that of Dr. Fournier. We will outline the technique, including patient preoperative evaluation, monitoring, fluid management, postprocedure complications, photographic results, and, most importantly, patient selection. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1988; 14:982–989.
Influence of one-week hindlimb suspension and intermittent high load exercise on rat muscles

Abstract Hindlimb suspension (HS) is a ground-based simulation model for spaceflight commonly used to study the effects of unloading on skeletal muscle. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a daily short-duration, high-load exercise training program in ameliorating the atrophic response and associated adaptations in the mechanical properties of the soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles to HS. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (mean body weight, ∼250 g) were assigned randomly to one of three groups: control (CON, n = 7), HS, (n = 7), and HS plus exercise (HS-EX, n = 8). The exercise consisted of rats climbing up a 1-m grid inclined at ∼85° for eight repetitions with a load equal to 75% body weight attached to their tails repeated four times daily during their active period. Following 7 days, soleus wet weights in the HS and HS-EX rats were 42 and 23% lower than those in the CON rats. The SOL muscle weight to body weight ratio in the HS group was 32% smaller than that in the CON group, whereas it was similar to that of CON in the HS-EX. Maximum tetanic tensions in the HS and HS-EX groups were 44 and 27% less than that in CON, with that in HS-EX being significantly greater than that in HS. SOL contraction time was reduced by 12 and 20% from CON in the HS and HS-EX groups, while the half-relaxation time of the HS group was similar to that of CON and was 24% less than that of CON in the HS-EX group. There were no differences among the three groups in SOL fatigability, absolute maximal shortening velocity, wet to dry weight ratio, tetanic tension to muscle weight ratio, or muscle protein concentration. The MG wet weights were ∼28% less than that of CON in both suspended groups. Relative to body weight, the MGs were 17 and 11% smaller than that of CON in the HS and HS-EX groups. Tetanic tension was 23 and 16% less than that of CON in the HS and HS-EX groups. Consequently, the tetanic tension per muscle weight in the MG was elevated from CON in the HS-EX, but not the HS, group. Contraction time, half-relaxation time, maximal shortening velocity, fatigability, and protein concentration were similar among the three groups, whereas the wet to dry weight ratio of the MG in the HS-EX group was lower than that of CON. These data show that very brief, high-load exercise training can markedly attenuate the detrimental effects of unloading on the SOL, while having a lesser effect on the MG. These studies suggest that high-load exercise can be an effective and efficient means of reducing atrophy during HS.