cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Social Class Matter? Social Economic Status and Political Attitudes in China

In 1939 Mao Zedong asked “What classes are there in present day Chinese society?” This question on social economic status lingers in China over 70 years later. In recent years, a number of scholars have examined social stratification in China, and this research has provided much insight in the widening gap between poor and rich. More importantly, these studies have attempted to identify the social conditions and various economic classes such as farmers, migrant workers, urban blue and white collar workers, private business owners and cadres. However, few studies have explored the political attitudes of individuals within these classes such as attitudes towards political tolerance, political competition and the free market. Of course, other factors may influence individual political attitudes such as education and state controlled media. Thus, does social class in contemporary China have a significant influence on individual political attitudes? Using a unique nationally representative survey conducted in 2008, we find that education has the strongest influence on political attitudes. Respondents with a higher level of education tend to hold more liberal political attitudes. However, access to education still remains class based in China. Urban residents have greater access and higher quality schools than rural residents especially for post-compulsory (i.e. high school) education. Thus, the rural and urban distinction (classification) continues to have the strongest influence on political attitudes.
Training Field Supervisors to Be Efficient and Effective Critics of Student Writing

Most externship clinicians encourage field supervisors to provide students guidance and feedback about their written work. Yet most field supervisors are not trained educators, are not exposed to literature and pedagogy in the legal writing field, and have limited time to help students improve their writing. This article first examines roadblocks to meaningful supervision of student writing projects. This article then provides 10 techniques that externship clinicians can provide to their field supervisors to help them become more effective critics of student writing.
View-base Rendering: Visualizing Real Objects from Scanned Range and Color Data

Modeling arbitrary real objects is difficult and rendering textured models typically does not result in realistic images. We describe a new method for displaying scanned real objects, called view-based rendering. The method takes as input a collection of colored range images covering the object and creates a collection of partial object models. These partial models are rendered separately using traditional graphics hardware and blended together using various weights and soft z-buffering. We demonstrate interactive viewing of real, non-trivial objects that would be difficult to model using traditional methods.
Design of multiband reconfigurable antennas

Using the theory of network characteristic modes, a planar inverted-F antenna and a microstrip patch antenna are systematically modified to obtain multiband performance at arbitrary frequencies. Each is loaded at multiple points with reactive loads consisting of multiple lumped resonators computed directly using equations derived from network characteristic mode theory.
Visualization of student activity patterns within intelligent tutoring systems

Novel and simplified methods for determining low-level states of student behavior and predicting affective states enable tutors to better respond to students. The Many Eyes Word Tree graphics is used to understand and analyze sequential patterns of student states, categorizing raw quantitative indicators into a limited number of discrete sates. Used in combination with sensor predictors, we demonstrate that a combination of features, automatic pattern discovery and feature selection algorithms can predict and trace higher-level states (emotion) and inform more effective real-time tutor interventions.
Mann-Whitney U Test

The Mann-Whitney U test, which is also known as the Wilcoxon rank sum test, tests for differences between two groups on a single, ordinal variable with no specific distribution (Mann & Whitney, 1947; Wilcoxon, 1945). In contrast, the independent samples t-test, which is also a test of two groups, requires the single variable to be measured at the interval or ratio level, rather than the ordinal level, and to be normally distributed. We accordingly refer to the Mann-Whitney U test as the nonparametric version of the parametric t-test. Both tests require two independently sampled groups and assess whether two groups differ on a single, continuous variable. The two tests, however, differ on the assumed distribution. A nonparametric test assumes no specific distribution, whereas a parametric test assumes a specific distribution. Thus, the Mann-Whitney U is conceptually similar to the t-test for determining whether two sampled groups are from a single population. When data do not meet the parametric assumptions of the t-test, the Mann-Whitney U tends to be more appropriate. Keywords: t-test; nonparametric; ranks
Comment on “The Federal Statistical System's Response to Emerging Data Needs” by Jack E. Triplett

Jack Triplett's lucid plea for the establishment and nurturing of analytical research groups within federal agencies and for sustained interaction between such groups, external advisory boards, and the academic research community deserves strong support and further elaboration. The purposes of this note are: (a) to describe some current controversies in which the uncertainty associat­ ed with competing claims could be reduced substantially if Triplett'S proposals were implemented; (b) to list some specific items that should be part of academic research agen­ das, as illustrations of the important stimuli provided by Federal statistical questions. Resolution of some or all of these problems would clearly influence congressional mandates for data collection and, correlatively, agency practice. 2. Controversy 1. Title VII Legislation and the Economic Status of Blacks In 1964 Congress enacted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlawing employ­ ment discrimination in response to a growing national consensus that racial dis­ crimination sustained the economic, social, and political disadvantages of black Americans. Although black wages and occupational status had been im­ proving and even approaching the levels of whites during the period 1940-1964, the rate of improvement increased following the enactment of Ti­ tle VII and persisted roughly thru 1975. Since 1975 relative black economic sta­ tus has not advanced, and there is considerable controversy about the potential impact of this law on racial disparity in the 1990's (Heckman and Verkerke, 1990; Epstein, 1990). Much of the debate is fueled by our inability - to date - to deal with measurement issues and quantification of laws and their impact. A major component of the measurement problem is the need for clear specifi­ cation of a theory about formation and stability of shared beliefs (norms) which led to Whites maintaining Blacks in subordinate social positions. Fur­ thermore, as clearly documented by Heckman and Payner (1989), simultane­ ous federal pressure on multiple facets of the southern segregationist system
Efforts to Reduce Truck and Bus Operator Hazards

Pressures from government legislation (OSHA), organized labor, government regulatory bodies, and litigation are forcing designers to consider more carefully the driver's exposure to hazards. Noise, vibration, heat, carbon monoxide, and fatigue are the performance stressors discussed. Safety considerations, such as visibility, workspace comfort, entry-exit, and crash worthiness, are also presented from the perspective of what standards, practices, or information are available or required for truck and bus cab interior design.
Ecotypic differentiation in the kelp Laminaria saccharina : Phase-specific adaptation in a complex life cycle

Comparison of cultured sporophytes and gametophytes in common-garden experiments confirmed the existence of ecotypic differences in light-related traits among populations ofLaminaria saccharina (L.) Lamour. Cultured sporophytes from the turbid habitat in Long Island Sound, New York, USA, grew faster under both limiting and saturating daily irradiances than sporophytes from shallow and deep habitats along the Atlantic coast of Maine. Rapid growth of turbid plants was attributable to several factors, including high photosynthetic capacity and efficiency [due to differences in photosynthetic unit (PSU) number and size], low respiration rates, and high surface area:weight ratios. In contrast to sporophytes, microscopic gametophytes from the three kelp populations grew at similar rates under limiting and saturating daily irradiances. Biomass-specific photosynthesis vs irradiance (PI) parameters were similar for gametophytes from the shallow, deep, and turbid sites, despite population differences in chlorophyll-specific PI parameters and PSU characteristics. However, turbid gametophytes produced microscopic sporophytes more rapidly than gametophytes from the shallow and deep sites, apparently due to a lower blue-light requirement for gametogenesis. Ecotypic differences in sporophytes and gametophytes ofL. saccharina from shallow, deep, and turbid habitats can be understood as phase-specific adaptations.
Problems in doctor-patient communication: The case of younger women with breast cancer

Communication between physicians and patients is considered to be a core component in the provision and receipt of appropriate medical care. However, previous research indicates that doctor-patient relationships can be problematic, with negative consequences for patients including higher levels of anxiety, distrust of medical providers, dissatisfaction with healthcare and lower quality of life. This research utilizes data collected from a series of focus groups involving 19 women with breast cancer aged 50 and under to examine the nature of problems that may arise in communication between physicians and younger patients concerning the detection, diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening disease. Conducted according to the general principals of grounded theory generation, this analysis identified four central themes: (1) women's realization of medical uncertainty, (2) their rejection of physician paternalism, (3) women's desire for information, and (4) their preference for a greater role in decision...
Configurational statistics of poly(ethylene terephthalate) chains

The length of the span of the terephthaloyl residue in poly(ethylene terephthalate) guarantees independence of the conformations of successive repeating units of the chain. Interactions within units of the chain are amenable to interpretation by comparisons with related polymers; cis and trans conformations of the terephthaloyl residue are given equal weighting. The mean-square dimension ratio (〈r2〉0/M)∞ estimated on this basis is in substantial accord with the value deduced from experiments.
The New Biological Determinism in Socio-Cultural Context

(1990). The New Biological Determinism in Socio-Cultural Context. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 464-469.
Peakon and solitonic solutions for KdV-like equations

In this work, we study three forms of KdV-like equations. We show that the developed KdV-like equations possess the solitary wave solution of the standard KdV equation. We propose generalization of one KdV-like equation. We derive a variety of solitonic solutions that include peakons, solitons and periodic solutions for each form and for the generalization as well. We show that peakons solutions exist for these forms of KdV-like equations provided that we select specific value of the parameter δ involved in each model.
Comparison of selected analytical techniques for protein sizing, quantitation and molecular weight determination

Protein analysis techniques are developing fast due to the growing number of proteins obtained by recombinant DNA techniques. In the present paper we compare selected techniques, which are used for protein sizing, quantitation and molecular weight determination: sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), lab-on-a-chip or microfluidics technology (LoaC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and mass spectrometry (MS). We compare advantages and limitations of each technique in respect to different application areas, analysis time, protein sizing and quantitation performance.
Retinal Pigment Epithelial Tears

Retinal pigment epithelial tears have been recognized recently as a complication of retinal pigment epithelial detachments. They are characterized by sudden separation of detached from attached pigment epithelium at the margin of the detachment. Retraction of the overlying pigment epithelium occurs and exposes Bruch's membrane and choroid. Most pigment epithelial tears appear to arise spontaneously, but they also may occur following krypton red laser photocoagulation. The visual prognosis is poor in eyes in which the tear involves the subfoveolar pigment epithelium.
Postmodernizing (Macro)sociology

A selective appropriation of postmodernist theories is undertaken with special reference to their applicability to macrosociology and to other branches of sociological inquiry that employ conceptions of social and cultural totality. The appropriation is premised on the thesis that theories of culture, such as postmodernism, can contribute to sociology by their analyses of cultural form, providing sociology with general descriptions of what social processes must mediate and with guidance on how to grasp its own cultural form(s). Three notions of cultural totality, “bricolage” (Claude Levi-Strauss), “discursive formation” (Michel Foucault), and “deconstruction” (Jacques Derrida), are considered. All have in common a description of cultural form that stresses nonsystematic order. They are contrasted to Talcott Parsons’modernist and systematizing macrotheoretic reflection on culture and society. A deconstruction of Parsons yields the alternative of a less-than-systematic, postmodernized (macro)- sociology.
Mesenchymal stem cells in cancer: friends or foes.

Commentary to:The Growth Inhibitory Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Tumor Cells in vitro and in vivoYan-rong Lu, Yan-rong Lu, Xiu-jie Wang, Ling-ling Wei, You-nan Chen, Cong Cong, Sheng-fu Li, Dan Long, Wei-dong Tan, Ying-qiu Mao, Jie Zhang, You-ping Li, Jing-qiu Cheng
Opportunities for i.v. to oral switch in the management of infections: the role of quinolones.

Quinolones are an important group of drugs for the oral treatment of severe infections. We have shown that in patients with bacteremia the serum levels of fleroxacin are high enough to treat Gram-negative infections with one single oral dose per day. Thus for severe, quinolone-sensitive infections, such as bacteremic pyelonephritis, the switch from i.v. to oral may be done even on the first day of infection if the patient is not in shock and able to take oral medication. Staphylococcal infections have been successfully treated in animal models and non-randomized human studies with the combination of quinolone and rifampin. We have studied the influence of rifampin on the pharmacokinetics of fleroxacin in normal volunteers and no dose adjustment appears necessary. A single daily oral dose of fleroxacin (400 mg) and rifampin (600 mg) appears to be a promising therapeutic approach for staphylococcal infections and is the basis for an ongoing prospective randomized clinical trial comparing early switch to oral bitherapy with standard i.v. therapy. In conclusion, fleroxacin as a single drug or in combination with rifampin is a promising approach for switch from i.v. to oral therapy of severe Gram-negative and possibly staphylococcal infections.
Sub-100 mK Cooling Using Normal-Metal\backslash Insulator\backslash Superconductor Tunnel Junctions

Normal-metal $$\backslash $$ insulator $$\backslash $$ superconductor (NIS) junctions can be used as solid-state refrigerators since the hottest electrons preferentially tunnel from the normal metal into the superconductor. In this paper, we present NIS junctions optimized to cool electrons from a bath temperature of 100 mK. We measure a temperature reduction of the electrons in the refrigerator junctions from 100 to 26 mK which agrees with device models. Independent measurements of the electron temperature using thermometer junctions measure a temperature decrease from 100 to 48 mK. Theories explaining the difference in measured temperatures are discussed.
Electron Beam Resist And Photoresist Behavior Of Polychrome Positive Resist

A commercially available positive photoresist, Polychrome 129 SF, has been evaluated as both a positive electron beam resist and photoresist. The photoresist sensitivity, measured uniquely for a given developer based upon image dimensional control, is determined to be less than that of AZ 1350, under as nearly equivalent conditions as possible. The E-beam resist sensitivity is lower than that of PMMA reference, but the resist possesses good resolution. Near vertical edge wall profiles are obtained for 1-micrometer lines, but no undercutting is ever achieved regardless of electron charge density magnitude. The resist is capable of submicron line and space E-beam resolution, and 0.50-0.75 micrometer wide isolated line patterns can be routinely achieved.
A Technique of Radio French Instruction

Author's Summary.— Since the public is most interested in learning to understand and speak modern foreign languages, the radio course which stresses training in these skills and allows the student to do for himself grammar, translation, and other such activities will be the most useful. Material concerning the geography, history, and cultural background of the countries speaking the language is the most stimulating as a medium for teaching that language. The success in presenting a language by radio is in direct proportion to the amount of attention given to careful organization at every point along the line. The greater the direct contact with the public, the more effective the course.
Dislocation enhancement and inhibition induced by films on crack surfaces

Abstract Computer simulations were used to study the propagation of cracks coated with thin solid films in a 2D triangular Lennard-Jones solid. The key parameter investigated was the mismatch in the interatomic distances of the film and the substrate (the eleastic moduli were kept the same). The major result is that “Large Film Atoms,” i.e. interatomic distance in the film larger than in the substrate, promote dislocation generation at the film-substrate interface while “Small Film Atoms” inhibit dislocation formation and promote brittle fracture in an otherwise ductile material. The critical applied load to cause fracture decreased significantly with increasing film thickness. These results are in qualitative agreement with some currently available experimental data. A model was developed which explains the simulation results in terms of the residual stresses resulting from the “atomic size” mismatch of film and substrate. The fact that cracks propagated brittly in the substrate after the film was ruptured is explained in terms of a model for dynamic embrittlement.
Use of piezoelectric actuators as elements of intelligent structures

This work presents the analytic and experimental development of piezoelectric actuators as elements of intelligent structures, i.e., structures with highly distributed actuators, sensors, and processing networks. Static and dynamic analytic models are derived for segmented piezoelectric actuators that are either bonded to an elastic substructure or embedded in a laminated composite. These models lead to the ability to predict, a priori, the response of the structural member to a command voltage applied to the piezoelectric and give guidance as to the optimal location for actuator placement. A scaling analysis is performed to demonstrate that the effectiveness of piezoelectric actuators is independent of the size of the structure and to evaluate various piezoelectric materials based on their effectiveness in transmitting strain to the substructure. Three test specimens of cantilevered beams were constructed: an aluminum beam with surface-bonded actuators, a glass/epoxy beam with embedded actuators, and a graphite/epoxy beam with embedded actuators. The actuators were used to excite steady-state resonant vibrations in the cantilevered beams. The response of the specimens compared well with those predicted by the analytic models. Static tensile tests performed on glass/epoxy laminates indicated that the embedded actuator reduced the ultimate strength of the laminate by 20%, while not significantly affecting the global elastic modulus of the specimen.
Impact of beta-blocker therapy on thoracic aorta 3D wall shear stress in patients with bicuspid aortic valve.

Background Beta-blockers are the recommended medical treatment for slowing ascending aorta (AAo) dilation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Wall shear stress (WSS) has been shown to promote endothelial cell dysfunction [1] and AAo WSS may play a role in aortic aneurysm growth. Time-resolved 3D phase contrast (4D flow) MRI allows for the quantification of 3D WSS regionally in the thoracic aorta. The aim of this study was to assess changes in thoracic aorta WSS associated with b-blocker therapy in BAV patients.
Evidence of an absorption phase after short intravenous suramin infusions.

Suramin was given as an intravenous infusion to 16 cancer patients in a phase I trial. Individual pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from a test dose given 1 week prior to the administration of a full-dose (350–700 mg/m2) regimen of 1-h loading and maintenance infusions. A distribution phase of 3.8 h was found. Plasma suramin concentrations were noted to increase following cessation of the intravenous test infusion in eight subjects. A model is proposed in which high-capacity, low-affinity binding of suramin to a shallow compartment adjacent to the intravascular space occurs rapidly during infusion, followed by absorption back into the measured blood pool with binding to plasma albumin. Despite the observable presence of this postinfusion peak shortly after the cessation of the brief suramin infusion, the pharmacokinetics of suramin were best characterized by a traditional two-compartment model. The dose-adjusted area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) increased with dose, supporting a hypothesis of sustained absorption of suramin to vascular endothelium but also raising the possibility of dose-dependent clearance.
Radionuclide imaging of myocardial perfusion and viability in assessment of acute myocardial infarction

Technical advances in radionuclide imaging have important implications for the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Single-photon emission computerized tomography with thallium 201 (TI-201) offers greater accuracy than planar imaging in detecting, localizing and sizing myocardial perfusion defects. Use of single-photon emission computerized tomography with TI-201 should allow for a more accurate assessment of prognosis after myocardial infarction. A new radiopharmaceutical, technetium 99-m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile, provides a number of advantages over TI-201, including higher quality images, lack of redistribution, and the ability to assess first-pass ventricular function. Applications of TI-201 and technetium 99-m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile include assessment of arterial patency and myocardial salvage immediately after thrombolytic therapy, detection of resting ischemia after thrombolytic therapy, targeting of subsets of patients for further intervention, and predischarge assessment to predict the future course of patients after an acute myocardial infarction.
Evaluation of potential impacts of perchlorate in the Colorado River on the Salton Sea, California

Ammonium perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel, entered Lake Mead through drainage and shallow groundwater in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, and is now found in the lower Colorado River from Lake Mead to the international boundary with Mexico. Perchlorate is a threat to human health through reduction of thyroid hormone production. Perchlorate has been found in water throughout the lower Colorado system and in crops in the California’s Imperial Valley, as well as in several other states, but it has not previously been included in investigations of the Salton Sea. Because perchlorate behaves conservatively in the Colorado River, it was postulated that it could be accumulating at high levels along with other salts in the Salton Sea. Results show that perchlorate is not accumulating in the Sea, although it is present in tributaries to the Sea at levels similar to those found in the Colorado River. Bacterial reduction of perchlorate is the most likely explanation for the observed results.
State dependence in M / G /1 server-vacation models

This paper examines a generalization of the exhaustive and one-at-a-time-discipline M/G/1 server vacation models. This alternative model is viewed as a state-dependent (nonvacation) M/G/1 queue in which the original service times are extended to include a (possibly zero length) state-dependent vacation after each service. Such a vacation policy permits greater flexibility in modeling real problems, and does, in fact, subsume most prior M/G/1 approaches. This device reveals a fundamental decomposition somewhat like that previously established for the classical vacation disciplines. In addition, necessary and sufficient conditions for system ergodicity are established for the state-dependent vacation policy, and some comments are offered on computations.
Management of Glaucoma in Aphakic Children

Blindness from pediatric cataracts has been largely curtailed in the last few decades with the aid of routine pediatric screening, early diagnosis, prevention of congenital rubella, improved surgical techniques, and visual rehabilitation through contact lenses, and now, lens implantation. Unfortunately aphakic patients are prone to glaucoma, and management of this disease in children is complicated by the difficulty in monitoring young patients for glaucomatous change. Because of longevity, children are also at greater risk for a gradual long-term pressure rise in spite of medical or surgical intervention. Advances in glaucoma medications and surgery in the past few decades have offered new treatment, but as in all disease states, a continued search for prevention may be most effective.
Structure of multiple activity algorithms

In conjunction with an earlier paper, this step toward machine design based on the structure of nested-declaration pure-procedure multiple-activity algorithms describes: the declaration, flow-of-control, and some data-addressing mechanisms of such algorithms; the dynamic Saguaro-Garden data-access-providing structure of their Records of Execution ; and implementation in a segmented environment.
An Identification Algorithm for Directing the Measurement Point of Scanning Laser Vibrometers

Abstract The directing of a laser beam is often accomplished using mirrors which rotate either horizontally or vertically. To direct the laser beam at a specific space point automatically, the rotating angles of the two scanning mirrors and the corresponding voltages to be applied to the control circuitry must be obtained precisely. This depends on an accurate determination of the spatial relationship between the object to be scanned and the laser scanning system. In this paper, by choosing the coordinate systems properly, an identification technique for the spatial relationship is developed which does not require any angle measurement or any pre-calibration for the instrument used. An algorithm to determine voltages to be applied to both x and y scanner controllers for directing the laser beam is presented. This algorithm has proven to be numerically and experimentally straightforward and easy to implement.
Limitations of Quorum-based Rendezvous and key establishment schemes against sophisticated jamming attacks

Recently Quorum-based frequency hopping schemes have been studied to increase rendezvous probabilities and to provide fast key establishment techniques in RF communication under jamming attacks. However, these schemes are still vulnerable to sophisticated jamming attacks in which a jammer has the capability of listening and jamming multiple frequencies. In this paper, we present a sophisticated jamming attack and evaluate its effectiveness on Frequency Quorum-based Rendezvous (FQR) schemes [4]. The sophisticated jammer can find the sender's quorum set within the second frame (i.e., 2fc time slots) in the FQR system when it has the capability of listening on k frequencies from the minimal (N, k) difference sets. The jammer can completely jam the sender after 2fc time slots using an average of ⌊k+1/2⌋ and a maximum of k frequencies. To remedy this jamming problem, we revisit the role-based rendezvous scheme and extend it to the Role-based Frequency Rendezvous (RFR) scheme. Our simulation results demonstrate that the rendezvous probability of the FQR system under the sophisticated jamming attack dramatically decreased as the number of available channel N increases (e.g., ≤ 35% for N ≥ 30 in k2 time slots). On the other hand, the rendezvous probability of our RFR scheme is almost steady for all available frequencies N (e.g., ≥ 90% for N ≥ 20). Therefore, the RFR scheme can be an effective, efficient and robust rendezvous and key establishment scheme against sophisticated jamming attacks.
The Ahistorical Approach to Afroamerican Studies: A Critique*

AS THE history of anthropology goes, the need to take the factor of time into account has only recently been questioned, nor do more than a minority of anthropologists today reject the historical portion of their scientific heritage. In part, this questioning was a reaction to the excesses of those whose desire to reconstruct the past took them beyond the bounds of acceptable method. This was evidenced in a refusal to continue the ordering of research in accordance with naive propositions of social or cultural evolutionism, or with equally naive assumptions of the extreme diffusionists of the Graebnerian or Elliot-Smith or later varieties. It can only be regarded as unfortunate that the swing of the pendulum carried some anthropologists to the other extreme, so that for the naivetes of pseudo-history were substituted the naivetes of antihistory. The reaction to methodological excess, however, was not the only reason for the swing. Another reason was a response to a broader current in our intellectual history. Rejection of the factor of time in the search for scientific generalizations regarding human social life came into anthropology as a part of what might be termed the scientism of recent decades. The dramatic contributions of the exact and natural sciences, and the gains that had been derived from the use of methods instrumental in achieving these results, seemed to indicate the most effective kind of model for other disciplines. The acceptance of this model by social scientists was accompanied by an uncritical use of quantitative methods, plus a tendency to argue social theory by reference to analogies derived from the usages and findings of the exact and natural sciences.
Shock tube measurements of branched alkane ignition delay times

Abstract Ignition delay times for three branched alkanes: 2,4-dimethylpentane, 2,5-dimethylhexane and iso-octane, were measured behind reflected shock waves. The ignition delay time measurements cover the temperature range of 1313–1554 K, with pressures near 1.5 and 3 atm, equivalence ratios of 0.5 and 1 in 4% oxygen/argon. Regression analyses of the data over the limited range of conditions studied yield the following correlations for ignition delay time as a function of temperature (K), pressure (atm), and equivalence ratio: 2,4-DMP: τ ign [s] = 8.4 × 10 −11 P −0.61 Φ 1.03 exp(46.6[kcal/mol]/RT) 2,5-DMH: τ ign [s] = 2.1 × 10 −10 P −0.60 Φ 0.99 exp(43.4[kcal/mol]/RT) Iso-octane: τ ign [s] = 1.1 × 10 −10 P −0.47 Φ 0.86 exp(45.7[kcal/mol]/RT) Comparing the current ignition delay time data of branched alkanes with published values for their normal alkane isomers, it was confirmed that increasing the degree of carbon chain branching lowers the reactivity of the fuel and increases the ignition delay time. In addition, longer ignition delay times were observed for 2,4-dimethylpentane than 2,5-dimethylhexane, confirming the influence on reactivity by changing the straight carbon chain by one carbon for symmetric branched hydrocarbon fuels. The low reactivity and long ignition delay times for branched alkanes were attributed to the high concentrations of propene and iso-butene formed when branched alkanes decompose, as propene and iso-butene reduce the radical pool by consuming OH, O and H to form less-reactive species like allyl radical and allene. The ignition delay times of the fuels studied were also seen to increase monotonically with octane number under the current test conditions.
Ophthalmic abnormalities in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Abstract Objective To determine the frequency of ophthalmic abnormalities in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome) and T-cell lymphoma involving the skin and to describe the clinical course of the disease with selected examples. Design Retrospective, clinic-based, cross-sectional study. Participants A computerized diagnostic retrieval system was used to identify all patients with T-cell lymphoma involving the skin who were examined at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) between January 1, 1976 and December 31, 1990. The medical records of affected patients were reviewed. Main outcome measures Identification of ophthalmic abnormalities. Results During the 15-year interval from 1976 through 1990, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in 2155 patients. Of these, 42 (1.95%; 26 male and 16 female) had at least one ophthalmic abnormality attributable to the disease. The diagnoses in these 42 patients were mycosis fungoides in 19, clinical variants of T-cell lymphoma of the skin (most commonly peripheral T-cell lymphoma) in 11, and Sezary syndrome in 12. Cicatricial eyelid ectropion was the most common finding, affecting 17 (40.4%) of the 42 patients. Thirty-seven patients had findings that, although probably not a direct consequence of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, have been cataloged in previous studies. Conclusion Although ophthalmic abnormalities in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma are relatively uncommon, the manifestations of the disease are diverse and frequently difficult to treat.
First (?) Occurrence of Common Terms in Probability and Statistics—A Second List, with Corrections

Abstract An annotated list is presented containing presumed first occurrences in print of terms commonly used in probability and statistics. The list supplements and provides some corrections to a longer list published in volume 49 of The American Statistician.
Feeding biology of sunfishes: patterns of variation in the feeding mechanism

Fishes are generally believed to differ in their ability to alter (modulate) their feeding behaviour in response to different prey. We investigated modulation quantitatively in four species of sunfishes (Centrarchidae) by evaluating the variation in I 1 electromyographic variables measured from recordings of electrical activity in head muscles during feeding on three prey types. The experimental design used allowed us to partition variation between species, among individuals within species, among prey types, and among feedings. Duration of activity of the sternohyoideus muscle was the only variable significantly different among the four species. All variables showed significant differences among individuals within species. The overall range of activity of each muscle activity variable was about the same for all four sunfishes. However, three species showed a significant ability to modulate most muscle variables while a fourth did not change its feeding response with respect to prey type. The results indicate that: (1) intraspecific variation is an important source of variability in functional attributes that should be accounted for in comparisons between species; (2) the ability of some species to modulate appears to be independent of the potential variability in muscle activity possessed by each species; (3) closely related species can differ considerably in their ability to alter muscle electrical activity patterns during feeding; and (4) a quantitative assessment of variation in electromyographic patterns is a powerful approach for asking questions about differences in feeding behaviour.
Frequency of occurrence of a WAIS dementia pattern in schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder

Abstract Fuld (1983) identified a WAIS subtest profile that is moderately sensitive to the dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease, but occurs infrequently in other conditions. A sample of 30 chronic psychiatric patients (16 bipolar affective disorders; 14 schizophrenics) was examined for incidence of the pattern. Results indicated 97% specificity since the pattern occurred in only one of the subjects. This compares favorably with reported figures for multi-infarct dementia (5.1%), craniocerebral trauma (5%), and normal elderly (< 3%).
Relation between adhesion and friction forces across thin films

Abstract We report the results of measurements relating the normal forces ( e.g. adhesion forces) between two atomically smooth mica surfaces separated by molecularly thin liquid films to their lateral forces ( e.g. friction or shear forces). The normal forces across simple liquids generally exhibit spatial oscillations, alternating between maxima and minima with a periodicity equal to the mean molecular diameter and a peak-to-peak amplitude that decays roughly exponentially with distance. Such oscillations are indicative of out-of-plane molecular ordering into discrete molecular layers within the film. The critical shear force needed to initiate lateral motion (the static friction force) was found to be smaller the farther out the potential minimum in which the motion was initiated. Such yield points for shear motion are indicative of epitaxially induced in-plane molecular ordering within the film. We have investigated whether the lateral friction forces are related to the normal oscillatory force-law between two mica surfaces across tetradecane. The results indicate that such a relation does exist, which was further explored by studying the effects of water and the “twist angle” between the two surfaces lattices on these interactions.
Intracellular cadmium mobilization sequelae.

Abstract The consequences of the mobilization of aged intracellular cadmium form its in vivo deposits in mice by chelating agents were examined. The chelating agents used were BAL, sodium N- benzyl- d -glucamine dithiocarbamate (NaB), Diisopropyl meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinate(Di-PDMS) and sodium N-(4- methoxybenzyl)- d -glucamine dithiocarbamate(4-Me0), all previously shown capable of causing statistically significant decreases in either renal or hepatic cadmium burdens in rodents. They were given at a level of 400 μmol/kg (i.p.) daily for 10 days to mice previously loaded with a total of 10 mg CdCl2·2.5 H2O/kg. Under these conditions a significant decrease in the renal cadmium level occurred following treatment with BAL, NaB, and 4-MeO; hepatic cadmium levels decreased significantly following treatment with NaB and 4-MeO. Pathological examination of the kidneys, liver, and testes in these animals showed that chelate mobilization of the cadmium produced no noticeable changes in the histopathology of these organs in comparison with that observed for the animals which had been given only cadmium and had undergone no chelate treatment. The results suggest that the mobilization of such aged cadmium from in vivo deposits need not result in any deleterious changes in the kidneys, liver or testes.
Blood pressure, insulin, and glycemia in nondiabetic subjects

Abstract The relation of blood pressure to fasting (basal) insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A 1 ) was examined in 248 nondiabetic subjects (137 women and 111 men). None of the subjects was taking antihypertensive medication. There were statistically significant associations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure with insulin levels (r = 0.24, p 1 levels (r = 0.28, p
Sector zoning in calcite cement crystals: Implications for trace element distributions in carbonates

Abstract Compositional sector zoning in calcite cement crystals from a sedimentary limestone is represented by differences of Mg content of over 1300 ppm, or 95%, and of Sr and Mn contents of up to 400 ppm, or roughly 50% and 80% respectively, between crystallographically nonequivalent, time-synchronous growth sectors. {10 1 1} sectors are enriched with both Mg and Mn relative to {10 1 4} sectors, and other sectors show both greater and lesser enrichment. This systematic zoning pattern requires effective distribution coefficients for these trace elements to have been different for growth on different faces. Differential growth rate effects for nonequivalent faces are shown to be unimportant relative to differential growth face element preferences. Surface crystal structure and differing coordination environments are regarded as the principal factors influencing sector-related elemental partitioning differences in calcite and dolomite.
Comparative EEG frequencies in rhesus, stumptail, and cynomolgus monkeys

Abstract The awake EEG frequency patterns were compared in three species of Macaca monkeys: Rhesus ( mulatta ), Stumptail ( speciosa ), and Cynomolgus ( irus ). Relatively slower frequencies were present in the Rhesus than in Stumptail and Cynomolgus. The variability of frequency distribution between species was least in the Stumptail and greatest in the Cynomolgus.
Evaluation of one-, two-, and three-dimensional finite element and experimental models of internal fixation plates

Abstract A combined experimental and finite element model study was carried out for an internal fixation plate configuration. The experimental model was an aluminum tube (bending stiffness equal to the human femur) plated using a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) plate. The model was subjected to a four-point flexural test and strains were measured with strain gauges mounted at the midplane of the tube and plate. One-, two-, and three-dimensional finite element models were generated of the experimental model and various loads were applied including the actual flexural test values. Experimental and finite element model strain results were compared allowing evaluation of the three types of finite element models commonly used for orthopedic stress analyses. Results of this study indicated that three-dimensional models should be utilized for analysis of screw stresses or contact stresses, but one-dimensional models are equivalent to two-dimensional models in less complex areas. Screw stress analysis indicated that the outermost screws are most likely to fail between the tube (bone) and plate. Shear stress levels at the screw-tube (bone) interface were also determined. Reduction of tube (bone) stress levels on the plated side of the tube suggest that plated bone in this area could become weakened during remodeling subsequent to initial fracture healing. Results of this study indicate the validity of a combined experimental and finite element approach for biomechanical analyses of internal fixation devices.
The functional age of hearing loss in a mouse model of presbycusis. II. Neuroanatomical correlates.

Abstract This report relates patterns of age-related outer hair cell (OHC) loss to auditory behavioral deficits in C57BL/6J mice. Hair cell counts were made from serial sections of the cochlear partition in three subject groups representing young (2–3 months), middle (8–9 months), and old ages (12–13 months). The cochlear location of OHC counts was determined from three-dimensional computerized reconstructions of the serial sections. Comparisons of the topographic distribution of surviving OHCs across the subject groups confirmed an orderly base-to-apex progression of cochlear degeneration that is well known in this mouse strain. All mice appeared to follow the same progression of OHC loss, although subjects showed considerable variation in the rate at which they advanced through a uniform sequence of structural changes. Behavioral implications of the magnitude and location of OHC loss were investigated by correlating the histological status of individual mice with sound detection thresholds from the same subjects [Hear. Res. 183 (2003) 44–56]. The analysis revealed regionalized patterns of OHC loss that were correlated with frequency-dependent changes in hearing thresholds, and validates the use of ‘functional age’ as an indicator of age-related cochlear degeneration and dysfunction. In the absence of physiologically defined cochlear frequency maps for C57BL/6J mice, these structure–function correlation techniques offer an alternative approach for linking anatomical results to hearing abilities.
Preoperative assessment of patients with acoustic neuromas

Acoustic neuromas often are located in the cerebellopontine angle. Their growth rate is estimated at 0.25 to 0.33 cm/yr. They become symptomatic with tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss, and unsteadiness, and the mean latency from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is about 4 years. In the past, they tended to be detected when they were large enough to cause symptoms related to cerebellum or brain stem compression. Subtotal or complete resection of the lesion was usually mandatory to decompress the cerebellum and brain stem. With almost complete hearing loss occurring at this stage of tumor growth, hearing preservation was seldom a consideration. Magnetic resonance imaging now detects lesions as small as 1 mm, and many asymptomatic acoustic neuromas are identified incidentally. Patients may have no or few symptoms. Consequently, physicians need to have a comprehensive understanding of the histological and clinical behavior of acoustic neuromas and available screening tests to be able to choose among nonsurgical, radiosurgical, or surgical management options.
Changes in dorsal cochlear nucleus blood flow during noise exposure.

Abstract Changes in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) blood flow during noise exposure were assessed using both intravital microscopy (IVM) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Mature Syrian golden hamsters were anesthetized, tracheotomized and implanted with a carotid artery catheter for monitoring blood pressure and infusion of fluorescent dye. An occipital craniectomy was performed and the cerebellum partly aspirated for access to the DCN. Fluorescent dye was infused to enhance observations of the DCN surface using a customized IVM. Red blood cell velocity, vessel diameter and blood pressure were continuously monitored. Subjects were presented with 110 dB SPL broad-band noise for 15 min. A second group was presented with the same protocol for laser Doppler assessment of blood-flow changes. Control groups included animals not exposed to noise using both IVM and laser Doppler measures. Additional control measurements were obtained for noise-exposed and control groups with laser Doppler measures obtained from the obex, a brainstem structure with no known auditory function. Arterioles of the DCN showed a low-frequency oscillatory pattern of red blood cell velocity in control animals and in baseline conditions of the noise-exposure group. Presentation of noise abolished these velocity oscillations. Additionally, significant decreases in both red blood cell velocity and vessel diameter were measured during stimulation. These microvascular measures recovered slightly during the post-stimulus period. Laser Doppler measures of the overall blood flow in the nucleus were consistent with IVM findings. Measurements from DCN and obex in groups not exposed to noise, and animals exposed to noise and measured from the obex, showed stable oscillatory flow. These data show exposure to noise eliminates oscillatory patterns of blood flow and induces decreases in vascular perfusion. Furthermore, these changes appear specific to the auditory structure studied. ©Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.