cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision-Ade: An Innovative Process for Segmenting U.S. Homeowners by Utility-Bill Botheredness and Budget Constraints

AbstractThere is a substantial body of literature linking energy efficiency to occupant behavior. This paper extends that literature by developing a process for segmenting U.S. homeowners into profiles, on the basis of their (1) level of utility-bill botheredness and (2) household budgetary constraints. This process, using these two lenses to view homeowners, is hereafter called Decision-Ade. It builds on and contributes to theoretical knowledge in the areas of (1) residential energy decisions, (2) marketing science, (3) the psychology of behavior change, and (4) emotional response modeling. The motivation for developing Decision-Ade is to understand whether utility-bill botheredness and budgetary constraints can be used to segment U.S. homeowners into unique groups, which in this paper are referred to as profiles. The empirical analysis confirms that homeowner segmentation is not only made possible through this process, but that it enhances the understanding of how homeowners make decisions regarding upg...
Chemical and structural analyses of subsurface crevices formed during spontaneous deposition of cerium-based conversion coatings

Abstract Subsurface crevices formed during the deposition of cerium-based conversion coatings were analyzed in cross-section to assess the effect of deposition and post-treatment on the structure and chemistry of phases present. An Al–O containing phase, believed to be amorphous Al(OH)3, was formed in crevices during coating deposition. Analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the presence of up to 1.6 at.% chlorine within the Al–O phase, which was likely a product of soluble chlorides that were present in the coating solution. Cerium was not detected within crevices. After post-treatment in an 85 °C aqueous phosphate solution, the chloride concentration was reduced to ≤ 0.30 at.% and electron diffraction of the Al–O phase produced ring patterns, indicating it had crystallized. Some diffraction patterns could be indexed to gibbsite (Al(OH)3), but others are believed to be a combination of hydrated aluminum hydroxides and/or oxides. Aluminum phosphate was not identified. Separately from its effect on cerium-based conversion coatings, phosphate post-treatment improved the corrosion resistance of Al 2024-T3 substrates by acting to crystallize Al(OH)3 present on interior surfaces of crevices and by reducing the chloride concentration in this phase.
Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) is required for activating response to SN1 DNA methylating agents

S(N)1 DNA methylating agents are genotoxic agents that methylate numerous nucleophilic centers within DNA including the O(6) position of guanine (O(6)meG). Methylation of this extracyclic oxygen forces mispairing with thymine during DNA replication. The mismatch repair (MMR) system recognizes these O(6)meG:T mispairs and is required to activate DNA damage response (DDR). Exonuclease I (EXO1) is a key component of MMR by resecting the damaged strand; however, whether EXO1 is required to activate MMR-dependent DDR remains unknown. Here we show that knockdown of the mouse ortholog (mExo1) in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) results in decreased G2/M checkpoint response, limited effects on cell proliferation, and increased cell viability following exposure to the S(N)1 methylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), establishing a phenotype paralleling MMR deficiency. MNNG treatment induced formation of γ-H2AX foci with which EXO1 co-localized in MEFs, but mExo1-depleted MEFs displayed a significant diminishment of γ-H2AX foci formation. mExo1 depletion also reduced MSH2 association with DNA duplexes containing G:T mismatches in vitro, decreased MSH2 association with alkylated chromatin in vivo, and abrogated MNNG-induced MSH2/CHK1 interaction. To determine if nuclease activity is required to activate DDR we stably overexpressed a nuclease defective form of human EXO1 (hEXO1) in mExo1-depleted MEFs. These experiments indicated that expression of wildtype and catalytically null hEXO1 was able to restore normal response to MNNG. This study indicates that EXO1 is required to activate MMR-dependent DDR in response to S(N)1 methylating agents; however, this function of EXO1 is independent of its nucleolytic activity.
Frequency detector for fast frequency lock of digital PLLs

A new frequency detector, which allows for a fast frequency lock of phase-locked loops (PLLs), is presented. It uses the feedback divider that already exists in a PLL to determine the frequency difference. The proposed frequency detector provides frequency difference information at each reference cycle, and thus guarantees fast frequency acquisition.
Space-Time Symmetries and the Spontaneous Breakdown of Dilation Invariance

The assumption that the Poincar\'e generators are the space integrals of local conserved currents is used to derive restrictions on the spectral function of certain vacuum expectation values. Then an argument is given that these restrictions and the vanishing of the trace of the stress-energy tensor (conservation of dilation current) imply that all single-particle states have zero mass, even when the conservation of the current is implemented by a Goldstone boson.
Nucleotide specificity in bacterial mRNA recycling

Messenger RNA recycling is an essential activity, important for replenishing the nucleotide pool and for gene regulation. Degradation of existing mRNAs and synthesis of different ones enable the cell to change its protein expression program. This latter function is especially important for bacteria that divide rapidly and that must respond quickly to environmental changes.
High Temporal Resolution Monitoring of Glutamate and Aspartate in Vivo Using Microdialysis On-Line with Capillary Electrophoresis with Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection

An automated method for high temporal resolution monitoring of the neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate in vivo using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed. Microdialysis probes placed in the striatum of anesthetized rats were coupled on-line with the CE system by an automated flow-gated interface. Analytes were derivatized on-line with o-phthaldialdehyde/β-mercaptoethanol and detected by LIF using the 354 nm line (7 mW) of a He−Cd laser for excitation. With dialysis flow rates of 1.2 μL/min, the detection limit at the dialysis probe was 200 nM for glutamate and aspartate. Glutamate and aspartate could be resolved in less than 5 s with over 200 000 theoretical plates. The sampling time was limited by the separation time while the temporal resolution was limited to ∼12 s because of band broadening that occurs within the probe and its associated tubing. The high temporal resolution allowed the first simultaneous monitoring of glutamate and aspartat...
Ways of thinking

The Remembered Present: A Biological Theory of Consciousness. By Gerald Edelman. Basic Books: New York, 1990. Pp.384. $29.95.
Enhanced desorption ionization using oxidizing electrosprays

A signal enhancement of two orders of magnitude was achieved when reactive desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) was used to investigate copper(II) dibutyl dithiocarbamate, Cu(II)(bu2dtc)2, found in a specialized polymer. Cu(II) was oxidized to Cu(III) during the DESI experiment by oxidants in the spray solvent. Such oxidants could be present or formed during electrospray (e.g., O2) or deliberately added to the spray solvent (this approach is called reactive DESI). When a strong oxidizing agent (e.g., iodine) was added to the spray solvent, the signal increased by two orders of magnitude relative to the pure solvent spray. The correlation between the standard reduction potential of the oxidant and the signal intensity and signal to noise ratio of the product ion for various reagents, was tested and discussed. The observed DESI enhancements in rates of oxidation are not observed in homogeneous solution. The major peaks in the collision induced dissociation (CID) spectrum of the complex ion Cu(III)(bu2dtc)2]+ were identified using isotopic distributions and MS3 data.
Localization of calretinin in the rat ovary and in relation to nerve cell bodies in dorsal root and paravertebral ganglia projecting to the ovary

Retrograde tracing with True Blue was combined with immunocytochemistry to determine the source of any calretinin-immunoreactive (CR-ir) nerves projecting to the rat ovary. In the ovary, a strong signal for calretinin immunoreactivity was localized in interstitial gland cells; however, no intraovarian CR-ir nerves could be demonstrated. When the superior ovarian nerve was isolated, cut, and True Blue applied to the proximal end, the fluorescent dye was retrogradely transported to a population of cells located in T-12, T-13, and L-1 dorsal root and paravertebral ganglia. There was virtually no dual labeling of cells in these ganglia with calretinin (< 0.009% dual labeling in dorsal root and <0.014% in paravertebral ganglia). However, greater than two-thirds of the True Blue-labeled cells were immediately adjacent to CR-ir cells in dorsal root ganglia. This arrangement is suggestive of a paracrine mechanism between CR-ir cells and cells projecting to the ovary. In paravertebral ganglia, 63% of cells projecting to the ovary were surrounded completely or partially by beaded CR-ir nerve fibers. The source of these fibers (sensory or preganglionic sympathetic) is unknown but hypothesized to be preganglionic. Collectively, these observations suggest a participatory role for calretinin in ovarian function, either directly via effects on the interstitial gland or indirectly by influencing neurons projecting to the ovary.
Irradiation stability of Pd2Si

Abstract The irradiation stability of thin film Pd 2 Si under 400 keV Kr + ion irradiation was examined in a conventional implanter and in the Argonne National Laboratory high voltage electron microscope (HVEM). Samples irradiated in the conventional implanter at 100 and 300 K to a dose of 1 × 10 15 Kr + cm −2 remained crystalline and ordered. Samples irradiated in the HVEM at 10 K were observed to undergo a crystal-to-amorphous transformation after a dose of 7.5 × 10 14 Kr + cm −2 (approximately three displacements per atom). The amorphous phase was observed to crystallize in the temperature regime between 220 and 300 K. Our results indicate that the stability and amorphization of crystalline Pd 2 Si is dominated by kinetics rather than by thermodynamics or a complex equilibrium structure.
Chemically-Induced Pressure Pulse to Increase Stimulated Reservoir Volume in Unconventional Reservoirs

The huge resources of unconventional gas worldwide along with the in creasing oil demand make the contribution of unconventional gas to be critical to the world economy. However, one of th e major challenges that operators face to produce from unconventional resources is commercial stimulation techniq ue that creates sufficient stimulated reservoir volume. Unconventional reserves trapped within very low permeabili ty formations, such as tight gas, or shale formations, exhibit little or no production, and are thus economically undesirable to develop with existing conventional recovery methods. Such reservoirs require a large fracture netw ork with high fracture conductivity to maximize well performance. One commonly employed technique for stimulating low productivity wells is multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, which is costly and typically involves the injection of high viscosity flu ids into the well. Fracturing fluid by itself could form a damaging material for the fracture due to high capillary forces. Thus, additional needs exist for an economical method to enhance production within a tight gas formation. This paper discusses a new stimulation method to increase stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) around wellbore and fracture area, and therefore, improve unconventional gas production. The method entails triggering an exothermic chemical reaction in-situ to generate heat, gas and localized pressure sufficient to create fractures around the wellbore. In controlled experiment, chemical reactants were separately injected into core samples with a minihole and upon mixing inside the core, an exothermic chemical reaction occurred and the resultant heat and gas pressure caused macro-fractures. NMR-porosity imaging showed significant increase in macro pores throughout the core. Additionally Large scale experiments using cement blocks with a simulated wellbore cavity were performed. Once the wellbore was filled with the chemicals and upon introducing a triggering catalyst an in-situ chemical reaction took place which generated heat and gas with sufficient pressure to cause s hear fractures in the surrounding rock. These experiments showed extensive fractured and shattered pieces and also pr ovided preliminary design requirements for a field test. The chemical reactants then incorporated into a fr acturing gel to simulate creating additional fractured from the main induced hydraulic fracture. The resu lts were very encouraging and the generated high temperature and pressure caused the gel to break thus it is conclu ded that this technique effectively contribute to fracture cleanup in addition to creating required SRV. The experiments were very successful in proving the new concept of generating SRV in tight gas well and the developed stimulation tech nique is fairly easy to implement in the field.
Primary care practitioners' understanding of physiatric practice: effects on intention to refer.

Abstract McKenna C, Farber NJ, Eschbach KS, Collier VU. Primary care practitioners' understanding of physiatric practice: effects on intention to refer. Objectives To learn what family practice and internal medicine physicians understand about the scope of practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and to study what effect that understanding and various demographic variables have on their intention to refer to physiatrists. Design Survey-based. Setting National survey. Participants One thousand internal medicine and family practice physicians were contacted, with 460 respondents. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Intention to refer patients to physiatrists using 13 case scenarios (10 appropriate referrals, 4 inappropriate referrals) and self-reported number of referrals per year associated with understanding of 7 skills of physiatrists analyzed by multiple logistic regression analyses. Results Although most respondents were likely to refer to physiatrists, a wide variation existed in the types of patients referred. Physicians with a greater understanding of the scope of physiatric practice were more likely to refer ( P =.003). Female physicians were more likely to refer than male physicians ( P =.003). Conclusions There appears to be an association between an understanding of physiatric practice and primary care practitioners' willingness to refer to PM&R. Primary care physicians should be educated about the benefits of referring patients to physiatrists.
In the eye of the storm: Resilience and vulnerability among African American women in the wake of hurricane Katrina

We reviewed 17 studies of experiences of African Americans following Hurricane Katrina, with an emphasis on women. We conducted a literature search using major computerized databases, and we crossed-checked references in articles identified. All of the studies were published in peer-reviewed journals between 2006 and 2010. African American women were more likely than others to report that the hurricane experience produced mental health disorders and stress, disrupted social relationships, and strengthened faith and appreciation of families. African American women emphasized the need to preserve cultural memories, and they advocated for support and recovery. We offer suggestions for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.
Non-iterative methods and their noise characteristics in 2D SPECT image reconstruction

The authors derive explicit relationships between an ideal sinogram in 2D SPECT and the sinogram after degradation by constant attenuation and by distance-dependent spatial resolution that is described by either a Cauchy or a Gaussian function. Attempts to reduce statistical variance in the reconstructed image lead to the development of infinite classes of closed-form methods for estimation of the ideal sinogram. The authors applied this approach to 2D SPECT in both computer-simulation and real-data studies. Extensive computer-simulation studies demonstrate that the counterparts of a "quasi-optimal" method, which the authors had proved to be the optimal member of its class in 2D SPECT when only attenuation is present, provide the smallest global image variance among the methods in their classes also when Cauchy or Gaussian functions describe the distance-dependent spatial resolution function.
EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTALLY REDUCED PREY ABUNDANCE ON THE BREEDING ECOLOGY OF THE RED-EYED VIREO

Given the demonstrated importance of caterpillars in the breeding-season diet of many neotropical-nearctic migratory forest songbirds, a large-scale manipulative experiment was conducted to examine how variation in caterpillar abundance influenced the breeding ecology of the Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus). The Red-eyed Vireo is a canopy-forager that consumes and feeds its young a large proportion of caterpillars during the breeding season. Caterpillar abundance was experimentally reduced in May of 1997 and 1998 on nine replicate 30-ha study plots (three treated, six untreated) in the Monon- gahela National Forest, West Virginia, through the application of Bacillus thuringiensis according to gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) management protocols. Each annual application significantly reduced the abundance of Lepidoptera larvae on the Bacillus-treated plots relative to the nontreated plots for five and six weeks after spraying, respectively. This time period coincided with the nest initiation, incubation, and nestling stages of the Red- eyed Vireo. However, there was minimal evidence that this reduction in Lepidoptera larvae had a concurrent negative effect on the Red-eyed Vireos' ability to successfully rear nest- lings. There were no differences in clutch size, hatching success, nestling mortality, overall nest success, or annual adult survival between the treated and untreated plots in any year of the study. It did appear, however, that Red-eyed Vireos waited 3-5 d longer to initiate nests in years when caterpillar abundance was low, due to either natural or experimental causes. Because of a relatively short breeding season, this delay could reduce the seasonal productivity of this species by 0.15-0.25 young per female per year. Even though the effects of Bacillus-induced caterpillar reduction on Red-eyed Vireo reproduction were minimal, we urge caution when considering the application of Bacillus over larger spatial scales, repeatedly in the same area, or in locations of endangered species where even a modest reduction in seasonal productivity could be detrimental.
An unusual distribution of 4-substituted glutamic acids in Sophora japonica

Abstract High levels of 4-methyleneglutamine accumulate in the roots and leaves of Sophora japonica , but no detectable amounts of 4-methyleneglutamic acid and only trace quantities of 2-oxo-4-methyleneglutaric acid are seen. 4-Methylglutamic acid, however, is present in leaves and roots at a level 5–25% of that found for 4-methyleneglutamine; 2-oxo-4-methylglutaric acid is the most abundant keto acid detected in 28-day leaf extracts, but no 4-methylglutamine is seen. Transamination by pig heart glutamate: oxalacetate aminotransferase of the 2-oxo-4-methylglutaric acid that occurs in this species yields erythro -4-methylglutamic acid; the 2-oxo acid, therefore, has the (4 R ) configuration. The 4-methylglutamic acid isolated from this plant is also the erythro isomer and is probably of the (2 S , 4 R ) configuration. This is the first report of the presence of 4-substituted glutamic acids in Sophora and the first instance where high levels of 4-methyleneglutamine are present in the absence of detectable levels of 4-methyleneglutamic acid.
Relationship of hypermagnesemia and hyperkalemia to muscle Mg and K in acute and chronic azotemia in the rat

Abstract The following observations were made in rats subjected to five-sixths nephrectomy with resultant chronic azotemia of a 4-mo duration and with superimposition of acute renal failure upon chronic renal failure by total nephrectomy. (1) In the rat hypermagnesemia in chronic renal failure is not accompanied by alterations in muscle Mg content. (2) There was no hyperkalemia in chronic renal failure. Therefore, hypermagnesemia in chronic renal failure is more easily achieved than hyperkalemia in the rat. (3) Hyperkalemia in acute renal failure is accompanied by increased K content in the muscle. (4) Hypermagnesemia in acute renal failure either in the intact control or the chronically azotemic rat is not accompanied by increased Mg content when nephrectomy is performed. These experimental observations demonstrate that in acute renal failure in the rat, K and Mg behave divergently: Increased muscle K concentrations accompany hyperkalemia, whereas increases are not seen in muscle Mg content despite the presence of hypermagnesemia. It is suggested by these observations that if the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias is predicated on disturbance of the intraclelluar to extracellular ratio of K and/or Mg, the latter cation (Mg) may be more important in the arrhythmias accompanying acute renal failure by virtue of the fact that in the present study hyperkalemia was uniformally accompanied by increased muscle (cell) K whereas, despite hypermagnesemia, there were no increases seen in muscle (cell) Mg concentrations. Thus, the ratio for ( Mg i Mg o ) would be more acutely distorted then that for K i K o , because with K, cellular as well as extracellular, concentrations are increased in parallel.
Age, Organization, and Memory: Effects of Presentation Rate and Rehearsal Strategy

The relationship between free recall and organization was investigated using a 2(age) × 2(presentation rate) × 2(rehearsal strategy) analysis-of-variance design. A multitrial free-recall task was used with a 16-item list of unrelated words. Young and old adults practiced these materials overtly using either spontaneous (natural) rehearsal or a strategy increasing active rehearsal. Both increased rehearsal activity and increased study time were expected to improve senior adults' memory functioning. Analyses of rehearsal and recall measures indicated that elderly individuals had a general decrement in verbal memory. The role played by organizational strategies appears important only for young adults. For the elderly, both independent variables led to more enriched rehearsal activity and slightly greater subjective organization. No improvement in recall emerged, and large differences associated with age persisted. These findings suggest that organizational deficits do not account for differences in memory as...
Don't confuse me with the facts: More on the Irish republican army and sectarianism

In an article published in Terrorism and Political Violence 9/1 (Spring 1997), I carefully assessed the words and deeds of the Irish Republican Army. The assessment suggested that the motives of IRA members are political and not sectarian. The article prompted a comment by Steve Bruce in the same issue and my response to Bruce (TPV 9/2 (Summer 1997)). The current article is a response to James Dingley's comments on the initial article and my exchange with Steve Bruce. Dingley disputes the claims of the initial article and argues that, among other things, I have focused too much on a quantitative assessment of who the IRA kills. My response notes several errors and misstatements by Dingley, and shows that he has failed to seriously question my initial assessment.
The Novel GTPase Rit Differentially Regulates Axonal and Dendritic Growth

The Rit GTPase is widely expressed in developing and adult nervous systems, and our previous data with pheochromocytoma cells implicate Rit signaling in NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. In this study, we investigated a role for Rit in neuronal morphogenesis. Expression of a dominant-negative (dn) Rit mutant in hippocampal neurons inhibited axonal growth but potentiated dendritic growth. Conversely, a constitutively active (ca) Rit mutant promoted axonal growth but inhibited dendritic growth. Dendritogenesis is regulated differently in sympathetic neurons versus hippocampal neurons in that sympathetic neurons require NGF and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) to trigger dendritic growth. Despite these differences, dnRit potentiated and caRit blocked BMP7-induced dendritic growth in sympathetic neurons. Biochemical studies indicated that BMP7 treatments that caused dendritic growth also decreased Rit GTP loading. Additional studies demonstrate that caRit increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation and pharmacological inhibition of MEK1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK 1) blocked the axon-promoting and dendrite-inhibiting effects of caRit. These observations suggest that Rit is a convergence point for multiple signaling pathways and it functions to promote axonal growth but inhibit dendritic growth via activation of ERK1/2. Modulation of the activational status of Rit may therefore represent a generalized mechanism across divergent neuronal cell types for regulating axonal versus dendritic growth modes.
Buyers Beware: Lead Poisoning due to Ayurvedic Medicine

A 29-year-old man, who recently emigrated from India, presented with a 2-week history of abdominal pain, as well as nausea, constipation, and fatigue. He underwent removal of a parathyroid adenoma 6 weeks prior to admission and received a locally made Indian traditional medicine (Ayurveda) for pain control; however, this information was not initially available. He was instructed to take approximately 15 g/day. Initial evaluation revealed a normocytic anemia, but other workup including imaging and endoscopy was unrevealing. Given his recent use of Ayurvedic medicines, we tested for lead poisoning and found a blood lead level of 72 mcg/dl. We sent his medicine for analysis and found it had a high lead concentration of 36,000 mcg/g, which is over 25,000 times the maximum daily dose. He improved with cessation of the medicine and treatment with succimer. Lead poisoning can present with a variety of nonspecific signs and symptoms, including abdominal pain and anemia. Ayurvedic medicines, as well as traditional medicines from other cultures, may be a source of lead or other heavy metals. It is essential for physicians to be aware of adverse effects of Ayurvedic medicines as they are easily available and increasing in popularity.
Morphologic Differentiation of Viruses beyond the Family Level

Electron microscopy has been instrumental in the identification of viruses by being able to characterize a virus to the family level. There are a few cases where morphologic or morphogenesis factors can be used to differentiate further, to the genus level. These include viruses in the families Poxviridae, Reoviridae, Retroviridae, Herpesviridae, Filoviridae, and Bunyaviridae.
Coupling of Optical Resonances in a Compositionally Asymmetric Plasmonic Nanoparticle Dimer

Electromagnetic coupling between plasmon resonant nanoparticles follows principles of molecular hybridization, that is, particle plasmons hybridize to form a lower energy bonding plasmon mode and a higher energy antibonding plasmon mode. For coupling between equivalent particles (homodimer), the in-phase mode is optically allowed, whereas the out-of-phase mode is dark due to the cancellation of the equivalent dipole moments. We probe, using polarized scattering spectroscopy, the coupling in a pair of nonequivalent particles (silver/gold nanoparticle heterodimer) that allows us to observe both in-phase and out-of-phase plasmon modes. The hybridization model postulates that the bonding modes should be red shifted with respect to the gold particle plasmon resonance and the antibonding modes blue shifted with respect to the silver particle plasmon resonance. In practice, the antibonding modes are red shifted with respect to the silver plasmon resonance. This anomalous shift is due to the coupling of the silve...
Consumer Response to Stockouts

Consumer responses to stockouts, both in terms of consumer satisfaction with the decision process and in terms of subsequent store choice behavior, are explored. Four laboratory experiments involving stockouts in a consumer choice context are run. The results suggest that consumer response to stockouts is driven in large part by two factors: the effect of a stockout on the difficulty of making a choice from the set and the degree of personal commitment to the out‐of‐stock alternative. The results show that personal commitment to an out‐of‐stock choice option is a function of preference for the option, whether the option is included in the consumer’s consideration set, and the degree to which the stockout announcement is personally directed. As personal commitment to the out‐of‐stock option increases, consumers react substantially and negatively to the stockout—they report lower satisfaction with the decision process and show a higher likelihood of switching stores on subsequent shopping trips. However, un...
Incremental parsing for software maintenance tools

Abstract An incremental parser is useful for parsing small changes to large program files. Traditionally, incremental parsers must retain large amounts of data between parses and need special parsing algorithms. This makes them usually unsuitable as a front end for CASE tools. This article describes an incremental parsing mechanism that uses less space than other methods. It is built from existing techniques and tools and is designed for the level of detail needed by CASE tools. We implemented the parser for our Ada Maintenance tool kit.
Two-photon-induced birefringence in polysilanes

Abstract Chain scission induced by two-photon exposure produces a permanent birefringence in polysilane polymer films, which can be used for the formation of birefringent optical elements. Spectroscopy of the effect for poly(di- n -hexylsilane) reveals an unexpected sharp resonance at 580 nm. A comparison of several polysilanes indicates the effect only occurs in polymers with symmetric or near symmetric sidegroups. Models to explain these observations are introduced and discussed.
Gene expression from recombinant viral vectors in the central nervous system after blood-brain barrier disruption

ABSTRACTDIRECT INTRACEREBRAL INJECTION of recombinant adenoviral vectors within the brain parenchyma or the ventricular system results in a limited volume of distribution of virus, as demonstrated by transgene expression. Global delivery to the central nervous system may increase the use of these ve
Human facial skin detection in thermal video to effectively measure electrodermal activity (EDA)

In the past, autonomic nervous system response has often been determined through measuring Electrodermal Activity (EDA), sometimes referred to as Skin Conductance (SC). Recent work has shown that high resolution thermal cameras can passively and remotely obtain an analog to EDA by assessing the activation of facial eccrine skin pores. This paper investigates a method to distinguish facial skin from non-skin portions on the face to generate a skin-only Dynamic Mask (DM), validates the DM results, and demonstrates DM performance by removing false pore counts. Moreover, this paper shows results from these techniques using data from 20+ subjects across two different experiments. In the first experiment, subjects were presented with primary screening questions for which some had jeopardy. In the second experiment, subjects experienced standard emotion-eliciting stimuli. The results from using this technique will be shown in relation to data and human perception (ground truth). This paper introduces an automatic end-to-end skin detection approach based on texture feature vectors. In doing so, the paper contributes not only a new capability of tracking facial skin in thermal imagery, but also enhances our capability to provide non-contact, remote, passive, and real-time methods for determining autonomic nervous system responses for medical and security applications.
American diplomatic realism: A tradition practised and preached by George F. Kennan

George F. Kennan's work remains pertinent to the contemporary debate over American foreign policy in which voices calling for a realistic conduct of American diplomacy have been faint. Kennan's thought contains a framework that can be used to examine critically the drift in American diplomacy from the realist assumptions held by the American Founding Fathers towards the liberal or Wilsonian school of international relations. Wilsonianism has seized the world view of contemporary American diplomats and statesmen, particularly during the Clinton administration. Kennan's analysis provides a salutary word in the debate over the course of post‐Cold War American foreign policy that takes Wilsonian assumptions for granted.
Renewal in the practice of medicine.

Entombed at the bottom of Barents Sea in the dark, torpedo-shattered hulk of the once mighty Russian attack submarine Kursk, 27-year-old Captain-Lieutenant Dimitri Kolesnikov blindly wrote to Olga, his bride, a note of love. Dimitri’s message, magnified by its poignancy and undiminished by his tragic death, demands our attention as to what is fundamentally important in our lives. Indeed his perspective, which we will explore, provides the bedrock upon which balance and renewal must rest. Substantial pressures, intrinsic to the care of patients, are amplified in an era of increasing regulation, heightened expectation and decreasing professional satisfaction. These distortions exist throughout all levels of medical education with painful impact on patient and practitioner alike. In a recent study of stress surveying nearly 200 Canadian women physicians, three major themes were identified: perfectionist attitudes toward professional and personal activities; the reality of multiple roles, especially caring for small children and competing demands . . . that compromised time for personal activities or rest; a work environment not always flexible or hospitable to the needs of women physicians [1]. Similar studies catalogue the factors which impact house staff as well as medical students and contribute to depression, disaffection with patient care, cynicism and burnout [2]. The so-called ‘hidden curriculum’ with its troublesome influence on idealism and empathy is unfortunately quite visible in its formative impact [3]. These elements coupled with our own compulsive traits (useful in attending to detail, potentially crippling in fueling the beliefs
Theory of heavy fermions — The quasiparticle spectrum of the Anderson lattice Hamiltonian

Abstract We present a simple and explicit realization of the Luttinger picture of a periodic Fermi liquid. The result can also be viewed as a renormalized band theory.
Congenital complete atrioventricular block: clinical and electrophysiologic predictors of need for pacemaker insertion

Because of initial Adams-Stokes attack in the patient with congenital complete atrioventricular (A-V) block may sometimes prove fatal, there is a need to be able to identify the patient at great risk of having such attacks. Twenty-four children with congenital complete A-V block were followed up for 1 to 19 years to determine the efficacy of current methods of predicting risk for Adams-Stokes syncope and the usefulness of pacemaker therapy in relieving symptoms. The heart rate at rest, configuration of surface electrocardiographic complexes, data obtained during intracardiac electrophysiologic study and response to graded treadmill exercise testing were compared in children with and without syncope. One or more Adams-Stokes episodes were experienced by eight children, one of whom died. Only a persistent heart rate at rest of 50 beats/min or less demonstrated any significant (probability [p] less than 0.01) correlation with the incidence of syncope. Intracardiac electrophysiologic study was of little benefit because of site of block did not correlate with syncope. Although the increase in heart rate during treadmill exercise testing showed no correlation with prevalence of syncope or location of block, exercise-induced ventricular ectopic beats may have predictive value in older children and young adults. Ventricular pacemakers were implanted in 10 children. Each child was asymptomatic over a 1 to 10 year follow-up period. Because extreme bradycardia may contribute to the prevalence of Adams- Stokes attacks in children with congenital complete A-V block, careful evaluation of heart rate at rest may be an effective means of differentiating patients at risk of syncope. Pacemaker therapy is a feasible and effective method of treatment in young children and relieves symptoms
Characterization of covalent binding of N'-nitrosonornicotine in rat liver microsomes.

The metabolism of the carcinogenic nitrosamine, N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), to reactive intermediates which bind covalently was assessed using male Sprague-Dawley rat liver microsomes. The NADPH-dependent covalent binding of (/sup 14/C)NNN was linear with time up to 90 min and protein concentration up to 3.0 mg/ml. The apparent Km and Vmax of the binding were determined from the initial velocities and found to be 0.91 mM and 4.7 pmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Although NNN is not a hepatocarcinogen, this amount of NADPH-dependent covalent binding is 7-fold greater than that reported for dimethylnitrosamine, a potent hepatocarcinogen. Extensive covalent binding of (/sup 14/C)NNN to liver and muscle microsomal protein was also present in the absence of an NADPH-generating system and in the presence of 50% methanol, indicating a non-enzymatically mediated reaction. Addition of the nucleophiles glutathione, cysteine and N-acetylcysteine significantly decreased (p less than 0.01) the non-NADPH-dependent binding, but did not affect NADPH-dependent binding. In vitro addition of the cytochrome P-450 inhibitors metyrapone, piperonyl butoxide and SKF-525A significantly decreased (p less than 0.05) NADPH-dependent binding of (14C)NNN by 27-40%. NADH did not replace NADPH in supporting covalent binding. Replacement of an air atmosphere with nitrogen or CO:O2 (8:2) significantly decreased (p less than 0.05) NADPH-dependentmore » binding of (/sup 14/C)NNN by 40 and 27%, respectively. Aroclor 1254 pre-treatment of the rats did not enhance the NADPH-dependent binding of (/sup 14/C)NNN. These data indicate that cytochrome P-450 is at least in part responsible for the metabolic activation of the carcinogen NNN but also suggest additional mechanisms of activation.« less
Artificial neural networks for screening patients needing emergency cranial computed tomography scans in emergency departments

Rationale and Objectives. We evaluated the potential for a neural network to screen candidates for emergency cranial computed tomography (CT) scans in an emergency department setting. Methods. Data were collected from 1625 patients undergoing emergency cranial CT scanning in two different emergency departments (EDs). Singular value decomposition (SVD) was used to remap input data for network training. Data were randomly divided into six subsets, and one was reserved as a test set to analyze network performance. Five networks were then trained on data from the five remaining sets using fivefold cross-validation. Each trained network was allowed an independent vote on need for CT scanning in each case from the test set. The majority vote was used as the final prediction. A similar analysis was done on data from each individual ED. Results are compared with prior statistical studies of the same data. Results. The network performed well when predicting clinical variable patterns that consistently produced negative CT scans and on patterns that were ambiguous in terms of the CT scan results. It performed poorly, however, on patterns that consistently predicted positive scans. This last finding appears to have resulted from inadequate training material. The two populations from which data were taken were shown to be distinct, but a network trained on the combined data performed as well as the networks from the individual EDs in predicting patients requiring CT scanning. Variables with the greatest contribution to the networks' prediction were consistent with those in prior statistical studies. Conclusion. Although preliminary in nature, neural networks show promise as a screening device for selecting patients for emergent cranial CT scanning.
Cyberbullying among college students: prevalence and demographic differences

Participants were 439 college students who were asked how often they had experienced each of a series of bullying behaviors since they have been in college. Results indicated that 38% of college students knew someone who had been cyberbullied, 21.9% had been cyberbullied, and 8.6% had cyberbullying someone else. It was apparent that some forms of electronic media are more commonly used to cyberbully others than are other forms. All the cyberbullying behaviors and traditional bullying behaviors were significantly positively inter-correlated. There were no significant gender or ethnic group differences in any of the cyberbullying behaviors.
Two zinc finger proteins from Xenopus laevis bind the same region of 5S RNA but with different nuclease protection patterns

Immature oocytes from Xenopus laevis contain a 42S ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP) containing 5S RNA, tRNA, a 43 kDa protein, and a 48 kDa protein. A particle containing 5S RNA and the 43 kDa protein (p43-5S) liberated from the 42S particle upon brief treatment with urea can be purified by anion exchange chromatography. The purified p43-5S RNA migrates as a distinct species during electrophoresis on native polyacrylamide gels. Radiolabeled 5S RNA can be incorporated into the p43-5S complex by an RNA exchange reaction. The resulting complexes containing labeled 5S RNA have a mobility on polyacrylamide gels identical to that of purified p43-5S RNPs. RNP complexes containing 5S RNA labeled at either the 5' or 3' end were probed with a variety of nucleases in order to identify residues protected by p43. Nuclease protection assays performed with alpha-sarcin indicate that p43 binds primarily helices I, II, IV, and V of 5S RNA. This is the same general binding site observed for TFIIIA on 5S RNA. Direct comparison of the binding sites of p43 and TFIIIA with T1 and cobra venom nucleases reveals striking differences in the protection patterns of these two proteins.
F curves have two tails but the F test is a one-tailed two-tailed test

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to a statistical error which can occur when unidirectional hypotheses are tested with the analysis of variance. Traditional approaches in the teaching of statistics discuss the topic of unidirectional and bidirectional hypotheses in the context of one-tailed vs two-tailed t tests. It is argued that as a consequence of this practice, confusion sometimes arises when unidirectional hypotheses are tested by means of the F test. The result is an inadvertent increase in an additional source of Type II error, a source which occurs from assuming one level of significance while unknowingly testing data against a level more stringent that the one assumed. Because the effect of this error will be greater the smaller the sample size, awareness of this potential error is especially important for experimenters dealing with psychotherapeutic problems and clinical populations.
Evaluation of the effect of peptidyl membrane-interactive molecules on avian coccidia.

This study examined the lytic effect of seven different synthetic peptidyl membrane-interactive molecules (Peptidyl-MIMs) on sporozoites of five different species of Eimeria infecting chickens and merozoites of two different species that infect chickens. All Peptidyl-MIMs (pMIMs) demonstrated antiparasitic effects at concentrations of 1–50 μM during incubation periods varying from 1 to 20 min. In addition, electron microscopy showed that ultrastructural degeneration of the pellicle of sporozoite stages of the parasites occurred within 5–10 min of exposure to 5-μM concentrations of three different pMIMs. Pore-like openings were seen in the pellicle of the sporozoites at the ultrastructural level, which indicated that the pMIMs had the same mechanism of action on the parasites as that reported from studies done on bacteria. A reduction in lesion scores was seen in chickens treated orally with 10-, 50-, or ␣␣␣␣␣75-μM concentrations of two different proteolytic stabilized (methylated) pMIMs after challenge with three different species of avian coccidia in battery-cage trials. Collectively these data indicate that pMIMs may be useful in the control of coccidiosis in poultry.
Number, size, and composition of cell clusters as related to breast FNA adequacy.

The question of what types of parameters should be employed in establishing adequacy guidelines for fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) of palpable breast lesions remains without consensus opinion among cytopathologists. Although some investigators have suggested guidelines, based largely upon cellularity standards, these have been somewhat conflicting, and the overall issue of whether or not cellularity is an appropriate measure of adequacy is controversial. This study examines the number, size, and composition of cell clusters in FNAs of palpable breast masses which had surgical follow-up, in an effort to identify characteristics of diagnostic aspirates which could contribute to adequacy guidelines. Seventy-seven consecutive cases with surgical follow-up were selected from four quality-assurance (QA) categories (true positive, TP; true suspicious, TS; true negative, TN; and false negative, FN). All cases were evaluated in terms of overall cellularity (numbers of cell clusters), proportions of different-sized epithelial clusters (small, medium, and large), and proportions of epithelial to fibrofatty elements. Although the FN category showed the lowest average cellularity, the application of cellularity cutoff values as a condition of adequacy would have resulted in conspicuous numbers of cases from the “true” categories (TN, and to a lesser degree TS and TP) being rendered inadequate. For example, if cases with fewer than six epithelial clusters were excluded by virtue of inadequacy, 69% of the FN cases would have been affected, along with 40% of the TN, 6% of the TS, and 4.5% of the TP. In terms of composition of the aspirate, neither proportions of the differently-sized epithelial clusters nor ratios of epithelial:fibrofatty elements reliably distinguished the “true” from the “false” diagnoses. This study concluded that quantitative parameters alone are insufficient measures for determining specimen adequacy in FNA of palpable breast lesions. Rather, adequacy remains based upon factors such as confidence of needle placement, cell preservation, and correlation with clinical and mammographic findings. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:105–111. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Rule–based reasoning and neural network perception for safe off–road robot mobility

Operational safety and health monitoring are critical matters for autonomous field mobile robots such as planetary rovers operating on challenging terrain. This paper describes relevant rover safety and health issues and presents an approach to maintaining vehicle safety in a mobility and navigation context. The proposed rover safety module is composed of two distinct components: safe attitude (pitch and roll) management and safe traction management. Fuzzy logic approaches to reasoning about safe attitude and traction management are presented, wherein inertial sensing of safety status and vision–based neural network perception of terrain quality are used to infer safe speeds of traversal. Results of initial field tests and laboratory experiments are also described. The approach provides an intrinsic safety cognizance and a capacity for reactive mitigation of robot mobility and navigation risks.