cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of FlyTrack µP device to determine the angular and range resolution of modern radars.

Modern radars are more and more often programmable devices that pose greater challenges to researchers testing their real parameters [1]. The authors describe methods of determining the angular and range resolution for radars, using real aircrafts flights. The systems, developed by the authors that support pilots in the maintenance of a set position of aircraft in the airspace, as well as the resolution research results of modern precise radars using these tools, is presented.
CULTIVATING QUALITY: TEN TOOLS MANAGERS CAN USE TO GET LONG-TERM COMMITTED SHAREHOLDERS

Special Note: This Article is part of The Quality Shareholder Initiative at the Center for Law, Economics and Finance (C-LEAF), at The George Washington University Law School, Prof. Lawrence A. Cunningham, Faculty Director. Considerable effort goes into forging tools a corporation can use to shape its shareholder base. Much effort is geared toward promoting long investor time horizons, presumed to be a valuable but rare appetite among many shareholders. Less attention has been focused on promoting greater commitment, though attracting shareholders willing to stake large percentages of their portfolio in a given company’s stock may prove way more valuable than having numerous large index funds on the shareholder list. In three ways, this article adds to the toolkit on shareholder cultivation. First, this article stresses that a shareholder’s relative portfolio concentration in a particular company’s stock is as important as average holding periods. Such an orientation is unusual in corporate life. But today’s world is dominated by index fund investors whose portfolio diversification limits their ability to act as informed shareholders. A focus on relative portfolio concentration is therefore becoming critical. Second, this discussion introduces, and is motivated by, new evidence showing a correlation between a high density of such shareholders and superior corporate performance. In fact, shareholders exhibiting both traits—patience and conviction—have long been cultivated by an elite group of companies whose long-term performance has benefited. The most famous is Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and there are scores of other less famous but equally accomplished. Third, focusing on such quality shareholders, as Buffett long ago dubbed them, this article offers numerous tools a corporation may use to achieve a shareholder base with a high density of quality shareholders. These include communications strategies, such as stressing long-term performance metrics in corporate disclosure, and substantive practices, such as prioritizing the art of capital allocation. Managers and quality shareholders themselves are the target audience.
Review of approved NMO therapies based on mechanism of action, efficacy and long-term effects

Abstract Importance Neuromyelitis optica (NMO - including NMO spectrum disorders [NMOSD]) is a devastating disease. Eighty-three percent of patients with transverse myelitic (TM) attacks and 67% of patients with optic neuritis (ON) attacks have no or a partial recovery. Observations Up until recently, there was no proven agent to treat to prevent relapses. The neuro-immunological community had a dearth of indicated agents for NMOSD. We now have three agents indicated for the treatment of NMO including (eculizumab [Soliris®]), an anti-C5 complement inhibitor, satralizumab (ENSRYNG®), a monoclonal antibody against the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) that blocks B cell antibody production and inebilizumab (Uplinza®), a monoclonal antibody that binds to the B-cell surface antigen CD19 with subsequent B and plasmablast cell lymphocytolysis with decreasing antibody production. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell bone marrow transplantation (AHSCBMT) has also been used. How do we sequence NMO therapies with the understanding of the acuteness and severity of the disease, the individual mechanism of action (MOA) and rapidity of onset of action, onset of efficacy and long-term safety of each agent? Conclusions and Relevance We might suggest the following sequence – 1st line using eculizumab for rapid efficacy and stabilization without effect on the acquired immune system followed by satrilizumab (long term immunomodulation). Reserve inebilizumab (immunosuppressant) for breakthrough disease and salvage the severe with AHSCBMT. In NMO, control the complement, transition to modulation, and reserve suppression – and salvage the severe with AHSCBMT.
Investigating and Mitigating Degree-Related Biases in Graph Convoltuional Networks

Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) show promising results for semi-supervised learning tasks on graphs, thus become favorable comparing with other approaches. Despite the remarkable success of GCNs, it is difficult to train GCNs with insufficient supervision. When labeled data are limited, the performance of GCNs becomes unsatisfying for low-degree nodes. While some prior work analyze successes and failures of GCNs on the entire model level, profiling GCNs on individual node level is still underexplored. In this paper, we analyze GCNs in regard to the node degree distribution. From empirical observation to theoretical proof, we confirm that GCNs are biased towards nodes with larger degrees with higher accuracy on them, even if high-degree nodes are underrepresented in most graphs. We further develop a novel Self-Supervised-Learning Degree-Specific GCN (SL-DSGCN) that mitigate the degree-related biases of GCNs from model and data aspects. Firstly, we propose a degree-specific GCN layer that captures both discrepancies and similarities of nodes with different degrees, which reduces the inner model-aspect biases of GCNs caused by sharing the same parameters with all nodes. Secondly, we design a self-supervised-learning algorithm that creates pseudo labels with uncertainty scores on unlabeled nodes with a Bayesian neural network. Pseudo labels increase the chance of connecting to labeled neighbors for low-degree nodes, thus reducing the biases of GCNs from the data perspective. Uncertainty scores are further exploited to weight pseudo labels dynamically in the stochastic gradient descent for SL-DSGCN. Experiments on three benchmark datasets show SL-DSGCN not only outperforms state-of-the-art self-training/self-supervised-learning GCN methods, but also improves GCN accuracy dramatically for low-degree nodes.
Toddlers' Ability to Leverage Statistical Information to Support Word Learning.

Purpose: This study investigated whether the ability to utilize statistical regularities from fluent speech and map potential words to meaning at 18-months predicts vocabulary at 18- and again at 24-months. Method: Eighteen-month-olds (N = 47) were exposed to an artificial language with statistical regularities within the speech stream, then participated in an object-label learning task. Learning was measured using a modified looking-while-listening eye-tracking design. Parents completed vocabulary questionnaires when their child was 18-and 24-months old. Results: Ability to learn the object-label pairing for words after exposure to the artificial language predicted productive vocabulary at 24-months and amount of vocabulary change from 18- to 24 months, independent of nonverbal cognitive ability, socio-economic status (SES) and/or object-label association performance. Conclusion: Eighteen-month-olds’ ability to use statistical information derived from fluent speech to identify words within the stream of speech and then to map the “words” to meaning directly predicts vocabulary size at 24-months and vocabulary change from 18-24 months. The findings support the hypothesis that statistical word segmentation is one of the important aspects of word learning and vocabulary acquisition in toddlers.
Use of oral estradiol plus vaginal progesterone in healthy postmenopausal women.

Abstract Objectives To compare the effect of oral estradiol (E2) plus vaginal progesterone (P4) against placebo on endometrial thickness, endometrial biopsy pathology, cervical cytology and total cancer incidence among healthy postmenopausal women. Study design This study is a sub-analysis of the Early versus Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol (ELITE), a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that previously demonstrated that hormone therapy (HT) was associated with less progression of subclinical atherosclerosis than placebo when therapy was initiated within 6 years after menopause but not when it was initiated 10 or more years after menopause. This sub-analysis included only ELITE participants with an intact uterus, who were randomized to either daily oral micronized 17-beta-E2 1 mg/day with 4% vaginal micronized P4 gel 45 mg/day for 10 days each month or placebo. Main outcome measures Participants were evaluated at baseline and annually during a median follow-up of 4.8 years for endometrial thickness as determined by pelvic transvaginal ultrasound followed by an endometrial biopsy when indicated, and cervical cytology and cancer incidence. Results Over up to 80 months of follow-up, participants randomized to oral E2 plus vaginal P4 had progressive and statistically significant increases in endometrial thickness (p Conclusion Our results suggest that 10 days of vaginal P4 45 mg/day is insufficient to completely oppose the effect of oral E2 1 mg/day on the endometrium. Further studies are needed to test alternative doses or frequencies of administration of vaginal P4 for adequate endometrial protection from E2 therapy among postmenopausal women. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT00114517
On the “Virtue Turn” and the Problem of Categorizing Chinese Thought

A growing number of scholars have come to view Confucians and other Chinese thinkers as virtue ethicists. Other scholars, though, have challenged this classification. This essay discusses some of the problems that surround this debate, points out shortcomings in some of the criticisms that have been made, and offers suggestions about how best to develop a productive discussion about the issue.
Matching and Behavioral Contrast in a Two‐Option Repeated Investment Simulation

Matching and behavioral contrast were explored in an investment simulation with young adults who made repeated investments in two different markets that provided intermittent, non-predictable returns. In the first phase in which the markets provided equivalent returns, participants matched. In a second phase in which one market ceased to provide returns while the other market remained unchanged, participants showed behavioral contrast by decreasing investment in the non-producing market and dramatically increasing investing in the unchanged market. A third phase restored the original return rates and matching was observed. In a fourth phase, one market ceased to provide returns while the other market remained unchanged, and less robust evidence of behavioral contrast was found. These results replicate and extend previous research are one of the few demonstrations of behavioral contrast in adults, are consistent with matching theory and show that options are valued relatively, not absolutely. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fostering Moral Growth through Teaching Literature

(1993). Fostering Moral Growth through Teaching Literature. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 80-82.
AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH TO LATINO ANTI-VIOLENCE ENGAGEMENT

Men’s perspectives on nonviolence is a relatively rare topic of feminist research. This article examines Latinos’ pathways to a commitment to nonviolent masculinities within intimate relationships. Examining literature on nonviolence and drawing on interviews with six Latinos the article uses a feminist ecological approach to identify and examine contributing factors to “emergent masculinities” characterized by a commitment to nonviolence in intimate relationships. It examines experiences of marginalization, exposure to domestic violence, and the influence of a close woman mentor as factors that contribute to a commitment to nonviolence. It also critiques the common equation of the absence of physical violence with nonviolence as it examines how even among self-identified nonviolent men it is possible to identify some forms of violence against intimate partners.
Cooperative effects in the complexation of anions and Lewis bases by a heteronuclear bifunctional Lewis acid.

As shown by the complexation of electron-rich substrates to the heteronuclear bifunctional Lewis acid bis(μ-1,8-naphthalenediyl)(μ-chloride)methyltin-chlorogallium (1), the primary Lewis acidic site of this molecule is the triorganotin chloride moiety whose electron deficiency is enhanced through partial abstraction of its chloride ligand by the neighbouring gallium centre.
AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma: A review of its pathogenesis and treatment

One of the most unusual manifestations of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the cutaneous tumor, Kaposi's sarcoma. This rare and indolent tumor was once thought of as an interesting curiosity in Europe and Africa prior to the recognition of AIDS. Currently, however, this tumor accounts for approximately one quarter of all cases of AIDS recognized in the United States, and while not the proximate cause of death in most cases, Kaposi's sarcoma may cause severe physical and psychological morbidity in many patients. Treatment approaches must incorporate an understanding of the severe immunologic impairment in these individuals as well as their relatively poor tolerance to the myelosuppressive effects of many therapeutic agents. Treatment for Kaposi's sarcoma includes chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and more recently antiretroviral agents and immunomodulators in patients with indolent disease. Prophylactic treatment for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia as well as nutritional and psychological support, and pain control are also important aspects of the care of these patients. This review will focus on the pathogenesis and natural history of Kaposi's sarcoma and review the treatment approaches and limitations of therapy for this tumor.
The Halo Effect and Student Evaluations of Instructors

High correlations between students' ratings (n = 1,861) of the clarity of the instructors' voices, the instructors' interest in whether students learned and the availability of the instructor for extra help suggest that large reliability coefficients based on internal consistency may also reflect the operation of a halo effect.
Language development after cochlear implantation: an epigenetic model.

Growing evidence supports the notion that dynamic gene expression, subject to epigenetic control, organizes multiple influences to enable a child to learn to listen and to talk. Here, we review neurobiological and genetic influences on spoken language development in the context of results of a longitudinal trial of cochlear implantation of young children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in the Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation study. We specifically examine the results of cochlear implantation in participants who were congenitally deaf (N = 116). Prior to intervention, these participants were subject to naturally imposed constraints in sensory (acoustic–phonologic) inputs during critical phases of development when spoken language skills are typically achieved rapidly. Their candidacy for a cochlear implant was prompted by delays (n = 20) or an essential absence of spoken language acquisition (n = 96). Observations thus present an opportunity to evaluate the impact of factors that influence the emergence of spoken language, particularly in the context of hearing restoration in sensitive periods for language acquisition. Outcomes demonstrate considerable variation in spoken language learning, although significant advantages exist for the congenitally deaf children implanted prior to 18 months of age. While age at implantation carries high predictive value in forecasting performance on measures of spoken language, several factors show significant association, particularly those related to parent–child interactions. Importantly, the significance of environmental variables in their predictive value for language development varies with age at implantation. These observations are considered in the context of an epigenetic model in which dynamic genomic expression can modulate aspects of auditory learning, offering insights into factors that can influence a child’s acquisition of spoken language after cochlear implantation. Increased understanding of these interactions could lead to targeted interventions that interact with the epigenome to influence language outcomes with intervention, particularly in periods in which development is subject to time-sensitive experience.
Optical imaging with photonic hyper-crystals: Veselago lens and beyond

We present an optical imaging system based on the recently introduced concept of photonic hyper-crystal, an artificial optical medium combining the properties of hyperbolic materials and photonic crystals. The proposed device functions as a Veselago lens with a nearly constant negative refractive index and substantially reduced image aberrations. The planar nature of this lens offers significant applications in nano-photolithography and hot-spots diagnosis in silicon-based semiconductor devices.
High throughput analysis reveals dissociable gene expression profiles in two independent neural systems involved in the regulation of social behavior

Background: Production of contextually appropriate social behaviors involves integrated activity across many brain regions. Many songbird species produce complex vocalizations called ‘songs’ that serve to attract potential mates, defend territories, and/or maintain flock cohesion. There are a series of discrete interconnect brain regions that are essential for the successful production of song. The probability and intensity of singing behavior is influenced by the reproductive state. The objectives of this study were to examine the broad changes in gene expression in brain regions that control song production with a brain region that governs the reproductive state. Results: We show using microarray cDNA analysis that two discrete brain systems that are both involved in governing singing behavior show markedly different gene expression profiles. We found that cortical and basal ganglia-like brain regions that control the socio-motor production of song in birds exhibit a categorical switch in gene expression that was dependent on their reproductive state. This pattern is in stark contrast to the pattern of expression observed in a hypothalamic brain region that governs the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. Subsequent gene ontology analysis revealed marked variation in the functional categories of active genes dependent on reproductive state and anatomical localization. HVC, one cortical-like structure, displayed significant gene expression changes associated with microtubule and neurofilament cytoskeleton organization, MAP kinase activity, and steroid hormone receptor complex activity. The transitions observed in the preoptic area, a nucleus that governs the motivation to engage in singing, exhibited variation in functional categories that included thyroid hormone receptor activity, epigenetic and angiogenetic processes.
Terminal transferase immunofluorescence, enzyme markers and immunological profile of human leukemia-lymphoma cell lines representing different levels of differentiation

We have examined alterations in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) immunofluorescence (IF) in MOLT-4 cells during changes in growth conditions. Subsequently, we used cells from 48 human hematopoietic cell lines of different cell lineages and maturation stages to compare the IF and biochemical assays for expression of TdT. In addition, we have attempted to correlate the expression of TdT, adenosine deaminase (ADA), thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and immunological markers with maturation stages in these different cell lines. The results indicate that TdT positive cells remain TdT positive when assayed by either the biochemical or IF tests during growth or early plateau phase, but that cells under poor growth conditions, such as in old cultures, may give a negative TdT IF reaction. Otherwise, biochemical and IF assays for TdT gave comparable results in the 48 cell lines tested, testifying to the reliability of the IF test. Based on the comparisons of the various cell lines studied, it appears that both ADA and TdT decrease progressively as maturation of T cells from Blast I to Blast IV to mature T cells increases. TP was deficient in all T-cell lines compared to normal peripheral blood T cells, which in turn had lower activity compared to normal peripheral blood B cells. Pre-B cells, although indistinguishable from each other by immunological markers and all having low TP and ADA activity, showed heterogeneity, with TdT activity high in some and low in others. All non-T, non-B lines had high TdT activity, but low ADA and TP activity. B- and myelocytic cell lines had low ADA and TdT activity, and showed an increase in TP activity as the maturation of cells increased. These results indicate that the TdT IF test is a reliable procedure for detecting TdT positive cells, and that TdT, ADA and TP could be useful markers for studying the differentiation of human hematopoietic cells.
An international survey of tardive dyskinesia

Abstract 1. 1. As part of an international study of chronic schizophrenia, data on tardive dyskinesia were collected by clinical judgment and a standard rating scale, on over 700 patients. 2. 2. The frequently-reported positive correlation between age and prevalence rate was confirmed in this sample. 3. 3. While not statistically significant, high prevalence rates were associated with higher dosage levels and length of hospitalization. 4. 4. Positive relationships were also found to exist among prevalence rates and schizophrenic subtypes—particularly among those with high degrees of negative symptomatology.
Gender Differences in the Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Social Values of Children

Development descriptive research has often been summarized as indicating that girls more often value cooperative resource distributions and less often value competitive resource distributions than boys. However, there is considerable inconsistency in these findings that may be the result of measurement difficulties. The first study examined the gender differences using a measure designed to assess cooperative, competitive, and individualistic social values among 3- to 12-year-old children more adequately. The results indicated that (1), the girls less often prefered relative resource distributions (i.e., more often preferred individualistic resource distributions) compared to the boys, but (2) when children preferred relative resource distributions, girls most frequently preferred cooperative resource distributions (i.e., equality), while boys most frequently preferred competitive resource distributions (superiority). The second study examined whether gender differences in these social values exist prior to the age of 6 and simply were not fully demonstrated among the young children in the first study because of the cognitive demands of the task. The results revealed gender differences similar to those observed among the older children in the first study, when young children completed a modified form of the task that reduced the cognitive demands of the task. The compatibility with other findings and the implications for gender difference research on other behaviors are discussed.
U.S. Army Generals and the Rhetoric of Modesty: A Commentary

“Hard Jobs and Good Ambition: US. Army Generals and the Rhetoric of Modesty” provides social psychological insight into an exceptional experience-the army elite in an institutional context. It is an intriguing study. Most sociologists not familiar with military sociology are immediately reminded of Mills’s The Power Elite. I still own my tattered paperback version with its marked-up pages-required reading in my undergraduate course, the Sociology of Power. Scribbled in the margin on the top of page 5 is “merger of role and person,” where Mills wrote:
Transient shear flow behavior of polymeric fluids according to the Leonov model

The viscoelastic behavior of polymeric systems based upon the Leonov model has been examined for (i) stress growth and relaxation with intermittent shear flow, (ii) stress relaxation after a step in the shear strain and (iii) elastic recovery after shear flow. A large number of modes have been conveniently incorporated through the determination of the model parameters from conventional rheological data by using an effective least-square procedure. With a sufficient number of modes, the predictions are in very good agreement with corresponding experiments in literature, including the recent data for cases (i) and (ii) obtained by optical methods.
Does multimedia learning theory extend to middle-school students?

Abstract The purpose of this study is to translate principles of multimedia learning from college-age readers to middle grade students, when reading science texts with a supporting diagram. In this experimental study, sixth-grade students ( n = 180) were randomly assigned to display conditions before reading. Each student read two explanatory sciences passages, a life-science and a physical science text. Passages were accompanied by either no illustrations (control), illustrations of the cycle with labels for each part (parts), illustrations of the cycle with labels for each major process (steps), or illustrations showing the labels for each part and each major process (parts and steps). Additionally, there were two text conditions in which half of the students read standard text (control) and half read texts with cues which indicated to students when to access the diagrams (cued). Through ANOVA analysis, in the life-science text students showed modest improvement (partial η 2 = .18) from the addition of diagrams, with the p arts diagram and the steps diagram outperforming the control. In the physical science text, students did not receive benefit from the diagrams. Findings did not replicate results from college-age readers to younger readers, nor between the two texts with younger readers. These results raise concern for the application of multimedia design theory to classroom practice.
Naegleria fowleri amoebae express a membrane-associated calcium-independent phospholipase A2

Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba, is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Previous reports have demonstrated that N. fowleri expresses one or more forms of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and that a secreted form of this enzyme is involved in pathogenesis. However, the molecular nature of these phospholipases remains largely unknown. This study was initiated to determine whether N. fowleri expresses analogs of the well-characterized PLA(2)s that are expressed by mammalian macrophages. Amoeba cell homogenates contain a PLA(2) activity that hydrolyzes the substrate that is preferred by the 85 kDa calcium-dependent cytosolic PLA(2), cPLA(2). However, unlike the cPLA(2) enzyme in macrophages, this activity is largely calcium-independent, is constitutively associated with membranes and shows only a modest preference for phospholipids that contain arachidonate. The amoeba PLA(2) activity is sensitive to inhibitors that block the activities of cPLA(2)-alpha and the 80 kDa calcium-independent PLA(2), iPLA(2), that are expressed by mammalian cells. One of these compounds, methylarachidonyl fluorophosphonate, partially inhibits the constitutive release of [(3)H]arachidonic acid from pre-labeled amoebae. Together, these data suggest that N. fowleri expresses a constitutively active calcium-independent PLA(2) that may play a role in the basal phospholipid metabolism of these cells.
Effect analysis and causation in linear structural equation models

This paper considers total and direct effects in linear structural equation models. Adopting a causal perspective that is implicit in much of the literature on the subject, the paper concludes that in many instances the effects do not admit the interpretations imparted in the literature. Drawing a distinction between concomitants and factors, the paper concludes that a concomitant has neither total nor direct effects on other variables. When a variable is a factor and one or more intervening variables are concomitants, the notion of a direct effect is not causally meaningful. Even when the notion of a direct effect is meaningful, the usual estimate of this quantity may be inappropriate. The total effect is usually interpreted as an equilibrium multiplier. In the case where there are simultaneity relations among the dependent variables in tghe model, the results in the literature for the total effects of dependent variables on other dependent variables are not equilibrium multipliers, and thus, the usual interpretation is incorrect. To remedy some of these deficiencies, a new effect, the total effect of a factorX on an outcomeY, holding a set of variablesF constant, is defined. When defined, the total and direct effects are a special case of this new effect, and the total effect of a dependent variable on a dependent variable is an equilibrium multiplier.
Polyamines Modulate the Binding of [3H]MK-801 to the Solubilized N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor

Spermine and spermidine enhance the binding of [3H](+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a, d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine ([3H]MK-801) to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in membranes prepared from rat brain. These polyamines also enhance binding of [3H]MK-801 to NMDA receptors that have been solubilized with deoxycholate. Other polyamines selectively antagonize this effect, a finding indicating that the polyamine recognition site retains pharmacological and structural specificity after solubilization. In the presence of spermidine, an increase in the affinity of the solubilized NMDA receptor for [3H]MK-801 is observed. However, the rates of both association and dissociation of [3H]MK-801 binding to solubilized NMDA receptors are accelerated when assays are carried out in the presence of spermidine. When kinetic data are transformed, pseudo-first-order association and first-order dissociation plots are nonlinear in the presence of spermidine, an observation indicating a complex binding mechanism. Effects of spermidine on solubilized NMDA receptors are similar to effects previously described in studies of membrane-bound receptors. The data indicate that polyamines interact with a specific recognition site that remains associated with other components of the NMDA receptor complex after detergent solubilization.
A Method for Measuring the Attrition of Communicative Competence: A Pilot Study with Spanish L3 Subjects.

This article introduces, illustrates, and discusses a method for measuring the attrition of communicative competence using data from spontaneous, freestyle, multiperson conversations. The illustration is based on speech production data of Spanish L3 subjects' from Ghana. The method involves the creation of a multiple-factor (composite) index using defined temporal variables, frequency counts of selected verbal behaviors, and grammatical information; it can be used to measure either the rate of attrition or its reverse, which, for lack of a better term, is called the “accumulation of competence.”
The gravitational instability of an infinite homogeneous medium when a coriolis acceleration is acting

Abstract It is shown that Jeans's criterion for the gravitational instability of an infinite homogeneous medium remains unaffected even if the system is partaking in rotation and Coriolis forces are acting.
Assessment of incarcerated juvenile delinquents: Agreement across raters and approaches to psychopathology

The purpose of the current study was to examine the agreement across three informants (youth, teacher, caretaker) when rating behaviors of incarcerated juvenile delinquents. Furthermore, the agreement between a dimensional approach (Child Behavior Checklist) and a categorical approach (DSM-III-R) of assessing behavior was examined. Fifty-two delinquent youth were assessed with a structured interview. In addition, the youth, teacher, and caretaker completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The results indicated significant correlations across the teacher and caretaker for externalizing types of problems. The youth report form of the CBCL did not correspond to either adult informant. However, the ratings by the teacher and caretaker were related to externalizing types of problems, primarily hyperactivity/inattention, derived from the structured interview with the delinquent. The results suggest that, in the psychological assessment of incarcerated juvenile delinquents, agreement across informants is dependent on multiple factors, including type of behavior assessed and the approach utilized in assessment.
Determination of ocean wave heights from synthetic aperture radar imagery

A calculation is presented for the cross-correlation of the radar images obtained by processing the same signal data over different portions of the chirp spectrum bandwidth as a function of the center frequency spacings for these portions. This is shown to be proportional to the square of the product of the characteristic function for ocean wave heights and the pupil function describing the chirp spectrum bandwidth used in the processing. Measurements of this function for ocean wave imagery over the coast of Alaska, the North Atlantic, and Monterey Bay, California, and correlation with the significant wave heights reported from ground truth data indicate that the synthetic aperture radar instrument can be used for providing wave height information in addition to the ocean wave imagery.
Emission spectroscopy during excimer laser ablation of graphite

Emission spectrum of the laser‐induced plasma plume is obtained during KrF excimer laser ablation of graphite in argon and hydrogen gas mixture for deposition of diamond‐like films. Bands of C2 and CN molecules dominate the spectrum while weak CI, CII, and Hα lines are also observed. From the emission intensities, molecular vibrational temperature is calculated to be (12–15)×103 K, and concentrations are estimated to be N(C2)=5×1014 cm−3 and N(CN)=2×1014 cm−3.
Isogeometric variational multiscale modeling of wall-bounded turbulent flows with weakly enforced boundary conditions on unstretched meshes

Abstract In this work, we combine (i) NURBS-based isogeometric analysis, (ii) residual-driven turbulence modeling and iii) weak imposition of no-slip and no-penetration Dirichlet boundary conditions on unstretched meshes to compute wall-bounded turbulent flows. While the first two ingredients were shown to be successful for turbulence computations at medium-to-high Reynolds number [I. Akkerman, Y. Bazilevs, V. M. Calo, T. J. R. Hughes, S. Hulshoff, The role of continuity in residual-based variational multiscale modeling of turbulence, Comput. Mech. 41 (2008) 371–378; Y. Bazilevs, V.M. Calo, J.A. Cottrell, T.J.R. Hughes, A. Reali, G. Scovazzi, Variational multiscale residual-based turbulence modeling for large eddy simulation of incompressible flows, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg., 197 (2007) 173–201], it is the weak imposition of no-slip boundary conditions on coarse uniform meshes that maintains the good performance of the proposed methodology at higher Reynolds number [Y. Bazilevs, T.J.R. Hughes. Weak imposition of Dirichlet boundary conditions in fluid mechanics, Comput. Fluids 36 (2007) 12–26; Y. Bazilevs, C. Michler, V.M. Calo, T.J.R. Hughes, Weak Dirichlet boundary conditions for wall-bounded turbulent flows. Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 196 (2007) 4853–4862]. These three ingredients form a basis of a possible practical strategy for computing engineering flows, somewhere between RANS and LES in complexity. We demonstrate this by solving two challenging incompressible turbulent benchmark problems: channel flow at friction-velocity Reynolds number 2003 and flow in a planar asymmetric diffuser. We observe good agreement between our calculations of mean flow quantities and both reference computations and experimental data. This lends some credence to the proposed approach, which we believe may become a viable engineering tool.
Cytokine receptor gene plays antioncogene

Comment on Airoldi et al, page [3846][1] Mice genetically deficient for the IL12RB2 gene develop systemic lymphocyte activation, spontaneous autoimmunity, and malignancy, particularly plasmacytoma and lung carcinoma. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine formed by 2 chains, IL-12
Functional Analysis of Myocardial Performance in Murine Hearts Overexpressing the Humanβ2-Adrenergic Receptor

Abstract Transgenic mice overexpressing the human β 2 -adrenergic receptor gene were compared with wild mice type in terms of cardiac function, using a modified work-performing isolated murine heart preparation and on-line computer analysis. A preload-dependent experiment was performed, in which venous return was gradually increased in 5 mmHg increments from 5 mmHg to 25 mmHg. At each preload, aortic flow, left atrial pressure and aortic pressure were measured in all hearts, and from these parameters stroke volume, contractility, and cardiac index (cardiac output divided by body weight in g) were calculated and compared between groups. At increasing preload levels, the heart rates ranged from 322 beats/min (±29) to 369 beats/min (±39) in control mice and from 469 beats/min (±36) to 540 beats/min (±39) in transgenic mice. Cardiac index increased from 138 μ l/min/g (±13) and 48 μ l/min/g (±5) for transgenic and control mice, respectively at 5 mmHg preload to 262 μ l/min/g (±51) and 167 μ l/min/g (±15), respectively at 20 mmHg preload. The contractility in the transgenic mice were significantly increased at lower preload levels compared to control mice (1420 mmHg/s ±204 v 1187 mmHg/s ±127). An increase in myocardial adrenergic receptor density (100–200 fold) leads to significantly higher indices of cardiac function in transgenic mice compared to control mice. The increased heart rate leading to a positive inotropic effect in the hearts of transgenic mice is, at least in part, due to the overexpression of adrenergic receptors. These findings suggest a possible alternative method of establishing a positive chronotropic and inotropic state without the use of pharmacological agents.
STIM1 Induces Ca2+ and Membrane Potential Oscillations Independent of SOCE in Rat Ventricular Myocytes

Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), a Ca2+ sensitive protein located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), is central to the activation of store operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). Recent studies have shown that STIM1 expression is up regulated in adult rat and mouse cardiac hypertrophy models. Nevertheless, the role of STIM1 in excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in adult ventricular myocytes not known nor is it clear how STIM1 may be linked to changes in cellular Ca2+ movement in heart.We now report on how STIM1 may influence Ca2+ signaling in adult ventricular myocytes. Experiments were carried out in primarily cultured adult rat myocytes in which STIM1 was overexpressed using an adenovirus vector with an mCherry tag. Immunofluorescence and mCherry imaging of fixed and living cells revealed the localization of STIM1 at the Z-disk. However, no redistribution of STIM1 location was observed in living cells when the SR Ca2+ ([Ca2+]SR) was fully depleted using thapsigargin, 2 μM and caffeine, 100 μM. This suggests that STIM1 does not contribute to a classical SOCE pathway. Further investigations using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) were carried out to examine the rate of STIM1 redistribution when [Ca2+]SR was elevated or low. Here it was determined that the movement of STIM1-mCherry as identical under both conditions. Despite the apparent passivity of STIM1 in cardiac myocyte function, we did identify that the STIM1 overexpressing cells develop a high rate of thapsigargin-sensitive spontaneous propagating Ca2+ waves and/or Ca2+ oscillations both of which were accompanied by membrane potential fluctuations. These cells did, nevertheless, retain an unchanged diastolic membrane potential. These data suggest that STIM1 overexpression can underlie the development of [Ca2+]SR overload and the associated cellular Ca2+ waves and membrane potential oscillations.
α-methyltyrosine blocks methylamphetamine-induced degeneration in the rat somatosensory cortex

Abstract Neurochemical and histological studies suggest that methylamphetamine (MA) administered continously or in high doses is toxic to dopaminergic and serotonergic nerve terminals. Degeneration of the dopaminergic or serotonergic cell bodies themselves has not been reported, however. In the present study, administration of a single 100 mg/kg dose of MA was toxic to a subpopulation of neurons in the somatosensory cortex, an area of the brain which does not contain catecholaminergic or serotonergic cell bodies. This dose of MA also produced a long-lasting depletion of serotonin (5-HT) but not norepinephine in the somatosensory cortex. Dompamine levels in the somatosensory cortices of control animals were virtually undetectable and therefore were not studied further. Administation of α-methyltyrosine (α-MT), a catecholamine synthesis inhibitor, prior to the injection of MA blocked both the depletion of 5-HT and the degeneration of cortical perikarya produced by MA alone. Since the MA-induced depletion of 5-HT and the MA-induced degeneration of cortical perikarya are correlated, we suggest that the serotonergic system may be involved in the toxic effects of MA on the cortical neurons.
Neutron sensors and their role in nuclear nonproliferation

Perhaps the most familiar application of neutron detection technology to nonproliferation resides in materials accounting, where the quantification of plutonium has a rich history. With a changing dynamic in nuclear security, the application of sensor technology to further other nonproliferation objectives has received considerable attention. This fact, amplified by a dwindling supply of 3He, has stimulated considerable interest in neutron detection technology development for applications ranging from interdicting smuggled nuclear material to the verification of stockpile reductions. This manuscript briefly overviews the application of neutron sensors to nonproliferation and examines three specific examples that highlight the constraints applied to field-deployed technology.
Regulation of vasopressin secretion by ETA and ETB receptors in compartmentalized rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial explants.

The endothelins (ET) have been implicated in vasopressin (AVP) release in vivo and in vitro. The effects of ET in this system are complex, and the net AVP secretory response likely depends on a uni...
Prognostic value of noninvasive testing one year after orthotopic cardiac transplantation

Abstract Objectives. We sought to evaluate the prognostic value of routine noninvasive testing—stress thallium-201 imaging, rest two-dimensional echocardiography and rest equilibrium radionuclide angiography—1 year after cardiac transplantation. Background. Coronary artery vasculopathy is the most important cause of late death after orthotopic cardiac transplantation. Several clinicl variables have been identified as risk factors for development of coronary vasculopathy. Traditional noninvasive diagnostic testing has been shown to be relatively insensitive for identifying patients with angiographic vasculopathy. Methods. Results of prospectively acquired noninvasive testing in 47 consecutive transplant recipients alive 1 year after transplantation were related to subsequent survival. Other clinical variables previously shown to be associated with the development of coronary artery vasculopathy were also in3luded in the analysis. Results. The 5-year survival rate after cardiac transplantation was 81%. By univariate analysis, echocardiography (chi-square 9.21) and stress thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging (chi-square 16.76) were predictive for survival, whereas rest equilibrium radionuclide angiography was not. Clinical contributors to survival were donor age (chi-square 4.56), number of human leukocyte antigen mismatches (chi-square 3.06) and cold ischemic time (chi-square 3.23). By multivariate analysis, stress myocardial imaging remained the only significant predictor of survival (risk ratio 0.27; 95% confidence interval 0.06 to 0.89). Conclusions. Normal thallium-201 stress myocardial perfusion imaging 1 year after cardiac transplantation is an important predictor of 5-year survival.
Breaking through the crisis in marine conservation and management: insights from the philosophies of Ed Ricketts.

Over the last decade, 2 major U.S. commissions on ocean policy and a wide range of independent sources have argued that ocean ecosystems are in a period of crisis and that current policies are inadequate to prevent further ecological damage. These sources have advocated ecosystem-based management as an approach to address conservation issues in the oceans, but managers remain uncertain as to how to implement ecosystem-based approaches in the real world. We argue that the philosophies of Edward F. Ricketts, a mid- 20th-century marine ecologist, offer a framework and clear guidance for taking an ecosystem approach to marine conservation. Ricketts' philosophies, which were grounded in basic observations of natural history, espoused building a holistic picture of the natural world, including the influence of humans, through repeated observation. This approach, when applied to conservation, grounds management in what is observable in nature, encourages early action in the face of uncertainty, and supports an adaptive approach to management as new information becomes available. Ricketts' philosophy of "breaking through," which focuses on getting beyond crisis and conflict through honest debate of different parties' needs (rather than forcing compromise of differing positions), emphasizes the social dimension of natural resource management. New observational technologies, long-term ecological data sets, and especially advances in the social sciences made available since Ricketts' time greatly enhance the utility of Ricketts' philosophy of marine conservation.
Impact of flumazenil on recovery after outpatient endoscopy: a placebo-controlled trial

Background: Flumazenil is an imidazobenzodiazepine that blocks the central effects of benzodiazepines by competitive interaction at the receptor level. In this study we assessed the impact of flumazenil use on postsedation observation time in outpatients undergoing endoscopy. Methods: Sixty outpatients received midazolam for conscious sedation and were randomized after endoscopy to receive intravenous flumazenil (0.1 mg/mL) or placebo until awake or a total of 10 mL was given. All patients were assessed using various psychomotor and cognitive tests at baseline and at 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after flumazenil or placebo was administered. Results: The two groups were similar in age, gender, midazolam dose (mg/kg), vital signs, and baseline parameters. The average dose of flumazenil given was 0.41 mg. Sedation scores returned to presedation levels earlier in the flumazenil group, with significant differences compared to placebo at 5 minutes (84.6% vs. 24.2%), 15 minutes (88.5% vs. 57.6%) and 30 minutes (96.2% vs. 66.7%). Other parameters tested were not significantly different for patients receiving placebo compared to those given flumazenil. Sedation scores returned to baseline earlier than other psychomotor and cognitive tests in both groups. Flumazenil reduced the mean observation time from 23.5 minutes to 8.3 minutes (p < 0.0005), a difference of 15.2 minutes (64.7%) based on sedation score. Conclusions: Flumazenil significantly reduces postsedation observation time. Actual cost savings will vary depending on staff and facility capacity, patient volume, flumazenil cost, and unit cost of observation time. (Gastrointest Endosc 1999;49:573-9.)