cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risks and Benefits of Home Parenteral Nutrition in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

The gastrointestinal tract is a major target of the human immunodeficiency virus. Many AIDS patients have weight loss and/or diarrhea. Parenteral nutrition can be used to treat malnutrition associated with malabsorption. We reviewed retrospectively the clinical course of 22 patients with AIDS and weight loss greater than 10% who received home parenteral nutrition (HPN) for 56.2 patient-months. Mean weight loss was 21.4%, mean duration of HPN 2.55 months, mean age 37.4 years. Fifteen patients gained weight, six stabilized and two continued to lose weight. Nine patients returned to previous activity. Five died. The rates of catheter-related sepsis, complications, and metabolic disturbances were 0.12, 0.25, and 0.12/100 catheter days, respectively, results identical to those reported in other patient populations where HPN is commonly applied. We found that HPN induced weight gain and clinical improvement in most patients without higher risks of sepsis than in patients with malignancies.
COMMITMENT AS A CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR FOR MANAGING COMPLEX MULTINATIONAL PROJECTS

Commitment from all stakeholders is a critical condition for project success, especially for complex and multinational undertakings that involve intricate networks of resource and power sharing. This paper examines the challenges of building and sustaining commitment in culturally diverse global teams. The results of this field study identify (1) the components of commitment in various stakeholder groups, (2) the drivers and barriers to obtaining and sustaining commitment, and (3) the leadership style most conducive to fostering an organizational environment for high levels of project ownership and commitment to established project objectives. The findings provide an insight into the factors which influence team behavior and performance in complex multinational work environments, and a framework for assessing project leadership and managerial effectiveness. The paper concludes with specific suggestions for enhancing commitment within project organizations, its team members and partners.
The pediatric nephrologist's dilemma: growth after renal transplantation and its interaction with age as a possible immunologic variable.

Two important criteria for successful end-stage renal disease therapy in children are achievement of optimal growth and possession of a wellfunctioning renal transplant. We describe eight children with accelerated post-transplant growth. Accelerated and even catch-up growth was achievable if the transplant occurred at an early age ( 2 ). However, the benefit to growth of transplanting a kidney in young children may be offset by reduced cadaver graft survival in children younger than 6 years. To study whether the less favorable graft survival was attributable to an increased immunologic responsiveness in the younger child, we examined three tests of nonspecific immune responsiveness, each of which, when increased, may indicate a propensity toward rejection: total T cell absolute number, T helper/suppressor ratio, and spontaneous blastogenesis. Each measurement was significantly increased in 20 uremic children 5 years old or younger, compared with 81 children 6 to 23 years of age. These data suggest that improved growth may be attained by transplanting a kidney in the young child with end-stage renal disease, but the young child may be at increased risk for rejection. This hypothesis suggests that for optimal rehabilitation, strategies should take into account the unique needs of the young child.
Energy distribution in the photochemical apparatus of Porphyridium cruentum: Picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy of cells in state 1 and state 2 at 77 K.

Excitation energy distribution in Porphyridium cruentum in state 1 and state 2 was investigated by time resolved 77 K fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The fluorescence rise times of phycoerythrin, phycocyanin and allophycocyanin (in cells in state 1 and state 2) were very similar in contrast to the emission from chlorophyll a (Chl a) associated with the two photosystems. In state 2 photosystem II (PSII) Chl a fluorescence emission rose faster than the PSI Chl a emission and decayed more rapidly, and the converse was observed in state 1. These kinetic data support the concept of increased energy transfer from PSII Chi a to PSI Chl a in state 2 in P. cruentum.
Population of anatomically variable 4D XCAT adult phantoms for imaging research and optimization

Purpose: The authors previously developed the 4D extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom for multimodality imaging research. The XCAT consisted of highly detailed whole-body models for the standard male and female adult, including the cardiac and respiratory motions. In this work, the authors extend the XCAT beyond these reference anatomies by developing a series of anatomically variable 4D XCAT adult phantoms for imaging research, the first library of 4D computational phantoms. Methods: The initial anatomy of each phantom was based on chest–abdomen–pelvis computed tomography data from normal patients obtained from the Duke University database. The major organs and structures for each phantom were segmented from the corresponding data and defined using nonuniform rational B-spline surfaces. To complete the body, the authors manually added on the head, arms, and legs using the original XCAT adult male and female anatomies. The structures were scaled to best match the age and anatomy of the patient. A multichannel large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping algorithm was then used to calculate the transform from the template XCAT phantom (male or female) to the target patient model. The transform was applied to the template XCAT to fill in any unsegmented structures within the target phantom and to implement the 4D cardiac and respiratory models in the new anatomy. Each new phantom was refined by checking for anatomical accuracy via inspection of the models. Results: Using these methods, the authors created a series of computerized phantoms with thousands of anatomical structures and modeling cardiac and respiratory motions. The database consists of 58 (35 male and 23 female) anatomically variable phantoms in total. Like the original XCAT, these phantoms can be combined with existing simulation packages to simulate realistic imaging data. Each new phantom contains parameterized models for the anatomy and the cardiac and respiratory motions and can, therefore, serve as a jumping point from which to create an unlimited number of 3D and 4D variations for imaging research. Conclusions: A population of phantoms that includes a range of anatomical variations representative of the public at large is needed to more closely mimic a clinical study or trial. The series of anatomically variable phantoms developed in this work provide a valuable resource for investigating 3D and 4D imaging devices and the effects of anatomy and motion in imaging. Combined with Monte Carlo simulation programs, the phantoms also provide a valuable tool to investigate patient-specific dose and image quality, and optimization for adults undergoing imaging procedures.
Promoting women’s soccer through social media: how the US federation used Twitter for the 2011 World Cup

This study examines the coverage given to the US women’s national soccer team by its governing body, the US Soccer Federation (USSF), immediately before, during and immediately after the 2011 World Cup. Content analysis of two of the USSF’s Twitter accounts showed that although the differences in both quantity and quality of coverage between men’s and women’s soccer are not as great as those detected in traditional media between men’s and women’s athletics, a gender gap remains. Similar to traditional media, the USSF framed the women’s team as less important than the men’s, even though this study was purposefully conducted at a time when female soccer was supposed to be prominent because of the international schedule.
Estimating Cost Discrepancies in Highway Contracts: Multistep Econometric Approach

This paper investigates the likelihood of occurrence and quantifies the magnitude and rate of discrepancies in highway project final costs with respect to their contract award amounts. Using data from Indiana, we develop a multistep econometric approach that can be used to estimate the effects of factors associated with the contract bidding process, project type, and the project physical environment on cost discrepancies in highway contracts. Estimation findings indicate that for a given project type and project year, contracts of larger size or longer duration are generally more likely to incur cost overruns. In addition, for contracts that incur cost overruns, the cost overrun rate decreases nonlinearly with increasing contract size up to a certain point after which the cost overrun rate increases with increasing contract size. Our approach allows for the possibility that cost overrun amounts are not linearly related to contract award amounts (contract size), and shows that greater analytical flexibility needs to be incorporated into any investigation of contract cost overruns. Agencies interested in improving their financial forecasts can replicate our proposed methodology using local contract data.
Allocation of resources within a general scheme of product development

The focus of this discussion is on the process of product development, generally and with the concept of allocating resources within this developmental process, specifically. At the outset, one must consider certain underlying assumptions which society makes in looking at the development of technology and the allocation of resources. Analysis of these assumptions frequently is not, but definitely should be, part of that developmental process.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stimulus probability and event-related potentials of the brain in 6-month-old human infants: a parametric study.

Abstract The effects of a priori stimulus probability and local-stimulus sequences on the Nc, NSW and Pc components of the event-related brain potentials were studied in six groups of 6-month-old human infants. Predictions from memory, expectancy and attentional accounts of the Nc, NSW and Pc components were examined using an infant-control oddball paradigm in which visual stimuli were presented across groups, at 0.90/0.10, 0.80/0.20, 0.70/0.30., 0.60/0.40, 0.50/0.50 (alternation) and 0.50/0.50 (random) probabilities. The main results indicated that stimulus probabilities and local-stimulus sequences affected Nc amplitude and latency, NSW amplitude but not the Pc component. Concurrent visual fixation performance was also found to be influenced by stimulus probabilities. The results were discussed in terms of the predictions from memory, expectancy and attentional accounts of the infant late components.
High coercivity permanent magnet materials based on iron-rare-earth-carbon alloys

Abstract The class of tetragonal ironrare-earth-boron compounds that produces high performance permanent magnets has been expanded by identifying isostructural carbides that have high magnetocrystalline anisotropy. In a preliminary study, an intrinsic coercivity of 12.5 kOe (1.25 T) has been obtained reproducibly in a bulk Fe-Dy-C alloy. The advantage of these materials over the borides is twofold: it is possible to develop high coercivities without recourse to special processing, such as powder metallurgy or melt spinning, and, unlike the sintered boride magnets, the carbides are not sensitive to coercivity loss by comminution.
Radiopaque miscible systems composed of poly(methyl methacrylate) and transition and nontransition metal salts: Spectroscopic, thermal, and radiographic characterization

The preparation of miscible systems containing poly(methyl methacrylate) and cupric nitrate, manganese chloride, praseodymium chloride, and uranyl nitrate is described. The salt was dissolved in the monomer, which was subsequently polymerized. The heavy metal salts impart radiopacity to these plastics and this renders them useful for X-ray imaging in applications such as medical implants. The polymer–salt systems are characterized on the basis of their infrared spectra, thermal, and radiographic properties, and the formation of complexes between the cations and the carbonyl function of the polymer is discussed. The glass transition temperatures of the salt-containing polymers are higher than those of the salt-free polymers, the elevation being dependent on the nature and concentration of the metal salt. Miscible PMMA–uranyl nitrate systems are transparent, glassy plastics and approximately 11 wt % of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate imparts a radiopacity equivalent to that of aluminum.
Vitamin K in infancy.

THE TERM "hemorrhagic disease of the newborn" was first used in 1894 when Townsend ~ reported 50 infants with bleeding during the first two weeks of life. The hemorrhage usually began on the second o? third day of life and most commonly was from the gastrointestinal tract. The observation that this disorder was self-limiting led Townsend to differentiate acquired hemorrhagic disease from inherite d hemophilia. Vitamin K was not discovered until 1929 when Dam 2 serendipitously observed bleeding in chickens fed a fat-free diet. Soon afterward, Brinkhous et al. 3 documented low prothrombin levels in normal newborn infants. Others demonstrated that these low levels could be elevated by the administration of vitamin K. 4,5 Hemorrhagic dise~e caused by vitamin K deficiency was subsequently differentiated from bleeding secondary to other causes, 6, 7 and the effectiveness of vitamin K administration in the prevention of vitamin K-deficiency bleeding was established? .9 In 1961 the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics 9 reviewed the role of vitamin K in the newborn period. The Committee suggested that HDN be defined as a "hemorrhagic disorder of the first days of life caused by a deficiency of vitamin K and characterized by deficiency of prothrombin and proconvertin and probably of other factors?' It recommended that prophylactic
Direct Binding of Translation Initiation Factor eIF2γ-G Domain to Its GTPase-activating and GDP-GTP Exchange Factors eIF5 and eIF2Bϵ

The GTP-binding eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2 delivers initiator methionyl-tRNA to the 40 S ribosomal subunit. The factor eIF5 stimulates hydrolysis of GTP by eIF2 upon AUG codon recognition, whereas the factor eIF2B promotes guanine nucleotide exchange on eIF2 to recycle the factor for additional rounds of translation initiation. The GTP-binding (G) domain resides in the γ subunit of the heterotrimeric eIF2; however, only eIF2β, and not eIF2γ, has been reported to directly bind to eIF5 or eIF2B. Using proteins expressed in yeast or recombinant systems we show that full-length yeast eIF2γ, as well as its isolated G domain, binds directly to eIF5 and the ϵ subunit of eIF2B, and we map the interaction sites to the catalytically important regions of these factors. Consistently, an internal deletion of residues 50-100 of yeast eIF5 impairs the interaction with recombinant eIF2γ-G domain and abolishes the ability of eIF5 to stimulate eIF2 GTPase activity in translation initiation complexes in vitro. Thus, rather than allosterically regulating eIF2γ-G domain function via eIF2β, our data support a model in which the GTPase-activating factor eIF5 and the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B modulate eIF2 function through direct interactions with the eIF2γ-G domain.
Bacterial growth phase influences methylmercury production by the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132

Abstract The effect of bacterial growth phase is an aspect of mercury (Hg) methylation that previous studies have not investigated in detail. Here we consider the effect of growth phase (mid-log, late-log and late stationary phase) on Hg methylation by the known methylator Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132. We tested the addition of Hg alone (chloride-complex), Hg with Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM) (unequilibrated), and Hg equilibrated with SRNOM on monomethylmercury (MMHg) production by ND132 over a growth curve in pyruvate–fumarate media. This NOM did not affect MMHg production even under very low Hg:SRNOM ratios, where Hg binding is predicted to be dominated by high energy sites. Adding Hg or Hg–NOM to growing cultures 24 h before sampling (late addition) resulted in ~ 2× greater net fraction of Hg methylated than for comparably aged cultures exposed to Hg from the initial culture inoculation (early addition). Mid- and late-log phase cultures produced similar amounts of MMHg, but late stationary phase cultures (both under early and late Hg addition conditions) produced up to ~ 3× more MMHg, indicating the potential importance of growth phase in studies of MMHg production.
The Cognitive Effect Profiles of NMDA Receptor Modulating Drugs are Resolvable If Stimulus Complexity Is Varied in a Number Discernment Task

Number discernment is at the heart of task accuracy for laboratory animals performing Fixed Consecutive Number (FCN) operant tasks. Narrow-limit FCN tasks, in particular, are useful for measuring w...
Fabrication and evaluation of a LPFG-based whitelight interferometric distance sensor

Optical fiber whitelight interferometers for distance measurement have attracted a lot of attention recently because they offer absolute measurement, ultrahigh accuracy, large dynamic range, and robustness. In this paper, the development of an in-fiber whitelight interferometric distance sensor based on the mode coupling effect of a long period fiber grating (LPFG) is presented. Unlike the Fabry-Perot interferometric (FPI) distance sensor that has a minimum requirement on the measurable distance, the LPFG-based distance sensor can measure a distance that is as small as several nanometers. Therefore, it can be applied for near-field surface profiling of micro/nano-sized components. The principle of operation of the LPFG-based distance sensor is first explained and an innovative micro-photolithographic technique to fabricate the sensor probe is described in detail. The performance of the distance sensors using two different types of LPFGs, laser-machined LPFG and mechanically induced LPFG, were evaluated and the experimental results are presented.
Thermospheric dynamics - A system theory approach

A system theory approach to thermospheric modeling is developed, based upon a linearization method which is capable of preserving nonlinear features of a dynamical system. The method is tested using a large, nonlinear, time-varying system, namely the thermospheric general circulation model (TGCM) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. In the linearized version an equivalent system, defined for one of the desired TGCM output variables, is characterized by a set of response functions that is constructed from corresponding quasi-steady state and unit sample response functions. The linearized version of the system runs on a personal computer and produces an approximation of the desired TGCM output field height profile at a given geographic location.
Interaction between ferric ions, phospholipid hydroperoxides, and the lipid phosphate moiety at physiological pH.

Iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation was examined using 1H NMR in a biphasic aqueous-chloroform system. At physiological pH (7.4), mole ratios of phospholipids/Fe3+ as low as 1300∶1 catalyzed the rapid disappearance of endogenous lipid hydroperoxides with a loss of two of the four double bonds in PC containing palmitic (16∶0) and arachidonic (20∶4) acids in the sn-1 and sn-2 positions, respectively. The predominant phospholipid products after 1 h at 20°C were a 9-carbon monounsaturated carbonyl and a phospholipid with an 11-carbon Δ5,8 FA in the sn-2 position. PC with linoleic acid (18∶2) in the sn-2 position lost one double bond and formed a phospholipid with a 9-carbon FA. Cardiolipin (linoleic acid-rich) also lost about 40% of its double bonds. No detectable loss was seen for PC containing oleic acid (18∶1) or neutral lipids with PUFA. At arachidonyl PC/Fe3+ ratios less than 20∶1, significant broadening of the choline methyl proton peak was evident, indicating that Fe3+ may form a complex with the adjacent phosphate group and that the complex involves both the phosphate and the hydroperoxide adjacent to the Δ11 double bond. The results demonstrate that, at physiological pH, Fe3+-catalyzed peroxidation in polyunsaturated phospholipids occurs selectively adjacent to specific double bonds (Δ9 or Δ11). These PC-derived products have been shown to activate components of the inflammatory system. This suggests that the episodic release of ferric ions may play a significant role in generating inflammatory mediators.
Comparing predictive decision rules in postoperative CEA monitoring

To evaluate the usefulness of serial postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assays, seven previously published decision rules for predicting tumor recurrence were compared retrospectively using CEA values from 214 patients followed 36 to 120 months after surgery for colorectal carcinoma. Decision rules employing cutoff values to predict tumor recurrence were found inadequate for the asymptomatic patient. This attenuation of prognostic usefulness appeared attributable to inadequacies of CEA assays for predicting late recurrences. From these analyses, elevated CEA results without other objective evidence might be insufficient to justify second-look surgery. In addition, late recurring tumors tended not to cause elevated CEA levels.
Conflicts in national parks : a case study of helicopters and bighorn sheep time budgets at the Grand Canyon

Wildlife in numerous national parks of the United States experience frequent overflights by aircraft. Such activities may disturb wildlife populations. We analysed time budgets for desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni in the presence and absence of helicopter overflights at Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) to determine the extent to which food intake may be impaired. Bighorn were sensitive to disturbance during winter (43% reduction in foraging efficiency) but not during spring (no significant effect). This seasonal difference may have arisen because the sheep were farther from helicopters during the spring after they had migrated to lower elevations. Further analyses indicated a disturbance distance threshold of 250–450 m. The conservation implications of these results are discussed.
Optimization of in vitro conditions for stigma-like-structure production from half-ovary explants of Crocus sativus L

Studies were conducted to optimize the in vitro production of stigma-like-structures (SLS) that yielded the important biochemical constituents responsible for the color, taste, and aroma naturally found in the stigmas of autumn crocus. Immature half-ovary explants were evaluated for the frequency of proliferation of SLS by culture on five basal media supplemented with different combinations of plant growth regulators and vitamins. The optimum proliferation of SLS was observed on B5 basal medium containing α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (5.4 µM), N6-benzyladenine (BA) (44.4 µM), MS organics, casein hydrolysate (0.05%), and l-alanine (11.2 µM) 50–60 d after inoculation. Some explants formed other structures (roots, corms, petals, leaves), the growth and development of which substantially reduced the development of SLS. Removal of brown tissues and other tissues during subculture (3-wk intervals) allowed continuous culture of halfovary explants for 9–10 mo. SLS that had deep red pigment and reached more than 0.5 cm length were removed from the explants and with concomitant reculturing of the ovaries, enabled SLS to be harvested three times. Activated charcoal (1%) added to B5 basal containing NAA (5.4 µM), BA (44.4 µM), and sucrose (3%) was found to be a helpful addendum to prevent browning of explants and accelerate the initiation, growth, and development of SLS. The amounts of crocin, crocetin glucosyl esters, picrocrocin, and safranal in SLS, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, were found similar to those in natural saffron.
Temperature-dependent rearrangements and reactions of acetylene adsorbed on Pt(111) monitored in the range 125-381 K by sum frequency generation

The thermally induced rearrangements and reactions of acetylene on the (111) crystal face of platinum were observed by monitoring the vibrational spectra of surface adsorbates in the CH stretch range with infrared−visible sum frequency generation. It was found that adsorption of acetylene at 125 K led directly to the formation of an adsorbed vinylidene species (η2-μ3-CCH2). Upon annealing, a variety of different species were formed that included ethylidene (MCHCH3), di-σ-bonded ethylene (M−CH2CH2−M), μ-vinylidene (MCCH2), and ethylidyne (M⋮CCH3). The presence of species with C2H4 and C2H3 stoichiometry was strong evidence that a disproportionation reaction must occur. Above 381 K ethylidyne was the only observable species on the surface.
Transport Infrastructure and Global Competitiveness: Balancing Mobility and Livability:

In the United States, public infrastructure has been a necessary, though not sufficient, catalyst to economic growth and expansion, particularly in urban areas. However, infrastructure investments, and particularly highway construction, absent much in the way of proactive planning and farsighted land-use management, have for the most part also been sprawl-inducing. This article argues for carving a new relationship between public infrastructure and cities that balances the goals of economic productivity and community place-making. Often considered to be in conflict, they need not be. Experiences in San Francisco and Seoul show that the replacement of elevated freeways with greenways, boulevards, and public transit can improve neighborhood quality and increase land values. In Hong Kong, the aggressive application of value-capture strategies such as air-rights leasing with enhanced urban design increased economic rates of return.
Enhanced heat conduction in oscillating viscous flows within parallel-plate channels

The hydrodynamics of enhanced longitudinal heat transfer through a sinusoidally oscillating viscous fluid in an array of parallel-plate channels with conducting sidewalls is examined analytically. Results show that for fixed frequency the corresponding effective thermal diffusivity reaches a maximum when the product of the Prandtl number and the square of the Womersley number is approximately equal to α2 Pr = π Under such tuned conditions the axial heat transfer achievable is considerable and can exceed that possible with heat pipes by several orders of magnitude. The heat flux between different temperature reservoirs connecting the parallel-plate-channel configuration is shown, under tuned conditions, to be proportional to the first power of both the axial temperature gradient and the flow oscillation frequency and to the square of the tidal displacements. A large value for the fluid density and specific heat is also found to be beneficial when large heat-transfer rates are desired. The process discussed involves no net convection and hence achieves large heat-transfer rates (in excess of 106 W/cm2) without a corresponding net convective mass transfer. A discussion of the physical origin for this new heat-transfer process is given and suggestions for applications are presented.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Chromosome Abnormalities: Past, Present, and Future

For decades, conventional chromosome analysis using G-banded karyotyping has been the gold standard for detecting cytogenetic abnormalities in fetuses for prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy loss. Although chromosome studies easily identify such chromosome abnormalities as aneuploidy (gain or loss of an entire chromosome), balanced rearrangements, and large unbalanced structural rearrangements, they have limited resolution. Pathogenic copy number changes smaller than approximately 5–10 Mb are not detectable; however, recent advances in chromosomal microarray (CMA)2 analysis now allow the detection of chromosomal deletions and duplications at much higher resolutions (down to only a few kilobases, depending on the microarray), producing a higher diagnostic yield. In fact, a recently published study that compared standard karyotyping with postnatal CMA testing for patients with unexplained developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders, or multiple congenital anomalies demonstrated an increased diagnostic yield of about 12%–15% with CMA analysis, vs. 4% with karyotyping. These findings led to the recommendation by the American College of Medical Genetics that CMA testing replace chromosome analysis as the first-tier test for such patients (1, 2). Given these findings in the postnatal setting, the incremental diagnostic yields of CMA analysis and chromosome analysis are now being evaluated for prenatal genetic testing. Recent publications in the New England Journal of Medicine have described approaches to answering this question, not only with prenatal samples (3) but also with stillbirths (defined as pregnancy loss at or after 20 weeks' gestation) (4). The multicenter study by Wapner et al. successfully analyzed 4182 samples of amniotic fluid and chorionic villi with both chromosome and CMA analysis (3). The women were tested for indications that included advanced maternal age, a positive result in maternal-serum screening, and fetal anomalies detected on ultrasonography. CMA was equally efficacious in identifying all aneuploidies and unbalanced rearrangements that had been identified by karyotyping. …
Ocean‐atmosphere‐land feedbacks in an idealized monsoon

SUMMARY An intermediate-complexity atmospheric model coupled with a simple land-surface model and a mixedlayer ocean model is used to investigate the processes involved in an idealized monsoon occumng on a single rectangular continent. Idealized divergences of ocean heat transports are specified as an annual average ‘Q-flux’. In this simple coupled configuration, the mechanisms that affect land-ocean contrast and, in turn, the seasonal movement of the continental convergence zones are examined. These include soil-moisture feedbacks; cooling of tropical oceans by ocean transport; ventilation, defined as the import into continental regions of low moist static-energy air from ocean regions where heat storage opposes summer warming; and the ‘interactive RodwellHoskins mechanism’, in which Rossby-wave-induced subsidence to the west of monsoon heating interacts with the convection zone. The fixed ocean transports have a substantial impact on the continental convection. If Q-flux is set to zero, subtropical subsidence and ventilation tend to substantially limit the poleward movement of summer monsoon rainfall. When land hydrology feedbacks are active, the drying of subtropical continents disfavours continental convection even in the tropics. When ocean transports are included, tropical oceans are slightly disfavoured as regions for producing convection which, by contrast, favours continental convection. The monsoon circulation then produces moisture transport from the ocean regions that allows substantial progression of convection into the subtropics over the eastern portion of the continent. The western portion of the continent tends to have a dry region of characteristic shape. This east-west asymmetry is partly due to the interactive Rodwell-Hoskins mechanism. The ventilation is of at least equal importance in producing east-west asymmetry and is the single most important process in limiting the poleward extent of the continental convection zone.
Demographic Correlates of Individualism and Collectivism A Study of Social Values in Sri Lanka

The demographic correlates of idiocentrism and allocentrism (the within-culture measures of individualism and collectivism) were investigated in Sri Lanka. A sample of 438 Sri Lankan respondents, from a wide variety of demographic contexts, provided data for the study. Factor analysis revealed that idiocentrism and allocentrism in Sri Lanka are independent, unipolar factors, rather than opposites on a single, bipolar dimension. Socioeconomic status was a strong negative correlate of allocentrism, and urban residence was a strong positive correlate of idiocentrism; English language fluency, overseas experience, age, occupational status, and educational level were also correlated with the value syndromes. The findings were discussed both within the context of Sri Lankan culture and in terms of their applicability to other cultural settings.
Radiofrequency ablation of bony metastatic disease

Image-guided radiofrequency (RF) ablation is an emerging alternative therapy for treatment of cancer in patients who can not undergo surgical resection. We have performed RF ablation on patients to locally treat and palliate painful osseous metastatic disease for several years. We present an overview of various applications of RF ablation for treating osseous metastatic disease.
Predicting twinning stress in fcc metals: Linking twin-energy pathways to twin nucleation

Deformation twinning is observed in numerous engineering and naturally occurring materials. However, a fundamental law for critical twinning stress has not yet emerged. We resolve this long-standing issue by integrating twin-energy pathways obtained via ab initio density functional theory with heterogeneous, dislocation-based twin nucleation models. Through a hierarchical theory, we establish an analytical expression that quantitatively predicts the critical twinning stress in face-centered cubic metals without any empiricism at any length scale. Our theory predicts a monotonic relation between the unstable twin stacking fault energy and twin nucleation stress revealing the physics of twinning.
On Optimizing a Class of Multi-Dimensional Loops with Reduction for Parallel Execution

This paper addresses the compile-time optimization of a form of nested-loop computation that is motivated by a computational physics application. The computations involve multi-dimensional surface and volume integrals where the integrand is a product of a number of array terms. Besides the issue of optimal distribution of the arrays among the processors, there is also scope for reordering of the operations using the commutativity and associativity properties of addition and multiplication, and the application of the distributive law to significantly reduce the number of operations executed. A formalization of the operation minimization problem and proof of its NP-completeness is provided. A pruning search strategy for determination of an optimal form is developed. An analysis of the communication requirements and a polynomial-time algorithm for determination of optimal distribution of the arrays are also provided.
Transmural strain distribution in the blood vessel wall.

The transmural distributions of stress and strain at the in vivo state have important implications for the physiology and pathology of the vessel wall. The uniform transmural strain hypothesis was ...
Treadmill exercise test and ambulatory measures in panic attacks

Abstract Treadmill exercise test performance and ambulatory heart rate and activity patterns of 40 patients with panic attacks were compared with 20 age-matched controls (control group 1) and 20 nonexercising controls (control group 2). All patients underwent a symptom-limited exercise stress test. Panic attack patients and control group 1 wore an ambulatory heart rate/activity monitor for up to 3 days. Panic patients had a significantly higher heart rate at 4 and 6 METS than either control group. The max METS were 11.2 ± 2.3, 13.5 ± 2.3 and 11.2 ± 1.8 for the panic attack patients and control groups 1 and 2, respectively. One panic patient had ischemia on the treadmill at 12 METS. Panic patients had a significantly higher standing heart rate than controls. Furthermore, 11 of 39 panic patients had tachycardia on standing compared with 3 of 40 controls. Panic attack patients had higher wake and sleep heart rates than control group 1, but the differences were not significant. These results are consistent with autonomic dysfunction in panic patients but may also be due to differences in physical conditioning. The treadmill can be useful for reassuring patients and for identifying the rare patient with ischemia on exercise.
Disorderly Dakar: the cultural politics of household waste in Senegal's capital city

During the era of President Abdoulaye Wade, a household waste crisis periodically held the streets of Dakar in its noxious grip. This paper analyses the crisis in light of waste management's role as a fundamental urban public service, key employment sector, and visceral symbol of the city's management. It examines how the institutional landscape of waste management took centre stage in a power struggle within the state that centred on reconfiguring the labour of ordering the city. At the same time, it reveals how the waste-workers' union emerged as one of the most visible and savvy labour movements in contemporary Senegal. Through the creative disorder unleashed by intentional acts of dirtying, workers and residents alike forged new claims to the city. Conclusions are drawn for the wider implications of the disorderly city for the urban question in Dakar and the landscape of citizenship in Senegal's contemporary period.
What some concepts might not be.

Abstract A discussion of the difficulties of prototype theories for describing compositional meaning motivates three experiments that inquire how well-defined concepts fare under paradigms that are commonly interpreted to support the prototype view. The stimulus materials include exemplars of prototype categories (sport, vehicle, fruit, vegetable) previously studied by others, and also exemplars of supposedly well-defined categories (odd number, even number, female, and plane geometry figure). Experiment I, using these materials, replicated the exemplar rating experiment of Rosch (1973). It showed that both the well-defined and prototypic categories yield graded responses, the supposed hall-mark of a family resemblance structure. Experiment II, using the same sorts of stimulus materials, replicated a verification-time paradigm, also from Rosch (1973). Again, the finding was that both well-defined and prototypic categories yielded results previously interpreted to support a family-resemblance description of those categories, with faster verification times for prototypical exemplars of each category. In Experiment III, new subjects were asked outright whether membership in the category of fruit, odd number, etc., is a matter of degree, or is not, and then these subjects were rerun in the Experiment I paradigm. Though subjects judged odd number, etc., to be well-defined, they provided graded responses to all categories once again. These findings highlight interpretive difficulties for the experimental literature on this topic. Part I of the discussion first outlines a dual theory of concepts and their identification procedures that seems to organize these outcomes. But Part II of the discussion argues that feature theories are too impoverished to describe mental categories, in general.
Military service in the Vietnam era and educational attainment

Using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Young Men for 1966–81, this study examined the effect of military service on the highest grade of schooling completed. Fixed-effects estimators were used to generate estimates of the effect of military service on the schooling trajectories of veterans and nonveterans that are independent of unmeasured household-specific and person-specific factors that may bias the relationship. The results indicate that veterans educational profiles differ from those of nonveterans. The veteran-nonveteran difference in schooling is substantial at the time veterans are discharged from the military (on average, a deficit of about one year) but diminishes thereafter (on average, to about a half year). The results also indicate that the effect of veteran status varies according to draft status, schooling prior to military service, and age at entry into the military but not race.
Shift-keyed signal identification using time-frequency processing

The use of the cone kernel time-frequency representation (CK-TFR) for shift-keyed signal identification is introduced. In electronic warfare surveillance systems, the identification of phase shifts in a signal is an important topic due to the prevalent use of phase-shift keyed signalling schemes. Examples of TFR patterns for shift-keyed signals are presented. It is observed that, in addition to providing baud rate information about the signal, the CK-TFR clearly distinguishes between phase shifts of 180, +90, and -90 degrees . A 'spectral peak splitting' effect is observed in the CK-TFR coincident with phase shifts in a signal. The mathematical foundation for the spectral peak splitting is explored. >
Seasonal effects of variable recruitment of a dominant piscivore on pelagic food web structure

Piscivorous fish play an important role in regulating lake food web structure. However, most ultimately piscivorous fish pass through a period of planktivory before becoming piscivorous. In 1993 and 1994, two large cohorts of young-of-the-year largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were recorded in Paul Lake, Michigan. The 1993 and 1994 cohorts were the largest recorded in data extending back to 1984 and occurred during a period in which adult and juvenile bass biomass was low. In 1993, consumption of large-bodied zooplankton by the young-of-theyear cohort eliminated large-bodied cladocerans by the middle of August. As large cladocerans declined, small cladocerans, especially Bosminu Zongirostris, increased. By early Septcmbcr the biomass of B. Zongirostris was similar to that of the entire cladoceran community in previous years. Coincident with the shifts in the cladoceran community were increases in epilimnetic Chl a concentrations <35 pm. However, total cpilimnetic Chl a did not increase. In contrast, the 1994 cohort had no discernible effect on pelagic food web structure because production of large-bodied zooplankton rapidly exceeded predation. Our results show the potential for large cohorts of piscivorous fish to affect food web structure, at a seasonal scale, through intense planktivory.
User-Centered Design of a Controller-Free Game for Hand Rehabilitation.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a hand therapy game using the Microsoft (Redmond, WA) Kinect® sensor with a customized videogame. Materials and Methods: Using the Microsoft Kinect sensor as an input device, a customized game for hand rehabilitation was developed that required players to perform various gestures to accomplish a virtual cooking task. Over the course of two iterative sessions, 11 participants with different levels of wrist, hand, and finger injuries interacted with the game in a single session, and user perspectives and feedback were obtained via a questionnaire and semistructured interviews. Results: Participants reported high levels of enjoyment, specifically related to the challenging nature of the game and the visuals. Participant feedback from the first iterative round of testing was incorporated to produce a second prototype for the second round of testing. Additionally, participants expressed the desire to have the game adapt and be customized to ...
Treatment of advanced intra-abdominal or thoracic malignancies using high-dose intra-arterial chemotherapy with concomitant hemofiltration

High-dose intra-arterial chemotherapy with concomitant hemofiltration (HICCH) has potential usefulness in the pre-operative or perioperative setting of treating patients with advanced intra-abdominal or intra-thoracic malignancies. Using high-dose intra-arterial chemotherapy together with concomitant hemofiltration, the effluent blood from a tumor-bearing region can be rapidly cleared of the peak chemotherapeutic drug level. This allows then the delivery of higher drug doses to a regionally confined malignancy. The use of this type of system was originally defined by Dedrick et al [1] for the treatment of patients with primary brain tumors. Aigner et al and Muchmore et al have investigated similar systems for patients with advanced intra-abdominal malignancies [2, 3]. In a group of 25 patients with advanced intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic malignancies, some have successfully undergone 40 treatments with high-dose regional chemotherapy plus concomitant hemofiltration at the Tulane Medical Center Hospital.
Binary filter estimation for large windows

Optimal filters are characterized by parameters based on image and filter structure and these parameters need to be estimated from realizations. For fully optimal mean-absolute-error binary filters, conditional expectations need to be estimated. Owing to lack of estimation precision, the resulting estimated filter is likely to be suboptimal. The estimation dilemma can be mitigated by using a constrained filter requiring less parameters. This paper examines the relationship between estimation precision and constraint. It focuses on binary filters, relevant Chebyshev bounds, and the relationships between the kernels of optimal, constrained, and estimated filters. It describes constraint via iterative design and secondarily constrained filters, as well as using suboptimal filters as prior filters for the estimation of optimal filters using new data.
Equations for potential annual direct incident radiation and heat load

Estimation of potential annual direct incident radia- tion has traditionally required numerical integration with simu- lation models. As an alternative, we present convenient equa- tions for use in spreadsheet, GIS, and database applications. Input variables are latitude, slope, and aspect. The equations apply to 0-60∞ north latitude, slopes from 0-90∞, and all aspects. By transforming aspect, the equations can also be applied as an index of heat load, symmetrical about a northeast to southwest axis.
Associations of fat and muscle masses with bone mineral in elderly men and women

Associations of fat and muscle masses with bone mineral status were studied in 301 men and women aged > or = 65 y. Bone mineral and soft tissue composition were estimated by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Univariate correlations suggested that muscle is associated more closely than fat with bone mineral content (BMC) as well as with bone mineral density (BMD) in men. In women, however, correlations of BMC with muscle were only slightly greater than those with fat and correlations with BMD were consistently greater with fat than with muscle. This suggests that correlations of BMC with muscle are influenced by bone and body size, especially in women. A multiple-regression model was developed that adjusts BMC for bone area, knee height, age, and the independent effects of fat and muscle. In men, muscle remained more closely associated with adjusted BMC than with fat. In women, fat mass was associated significantly with BMC but muscle mass was not. The exception was for women taking estrogen, in whom neither fat nor muscle was associated significantly with adjusted BMC. This study suggests that body fatness may be more important than muscle in maintaining bone mineral in elderly women not taking estrogen.