cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chaotic advection in creeping flow of viscoelastic fluids between slowly modulated eccentric cylinders

Recent experiments show that very low levels of elasticity can either enhance or diminish the area over which chaotic advection occurs in creeping flows [T. C. Niederkorn and J. M. Ottino, J. Fluid Mech. 256, 243 (1993)]. No mechanistic explanation of this phenomenon is currently available. This has motivated us to consider the problem of two‐dimensional flow between counter‐rotating eccentric cylinders where the angular velocities are subject to slow, continuous modulation. Regular perturbation theory for low levels of elasticity is used to semi‐analytically determine the viscoelastic correction to the Newtonian flow field based on the Oldroyd‐B constitutive model. The geometric theory of Kaper and Wiggins [J. Fluid Mech. 253, 211 (1993)] is then applied to make predictions about how elasticity affects chaotic advection in quasi‐steady flows. It is found that elasticity can act to either increase or decrease the area over which chaotic advection occurs, depending on the boundary motion. This is accomplished through three distinct mechanisms: (1) area changes of the maximum area over which chaotic advection can occur, the potential mixing zone (PMZ); (2) area changes of the region in the PMZ where fluid particles execute non‐chaotic trajectories below a critical modulation frequency; (3) area changes of the region between the extrema of the Newtonian stagnation streamlines which does not belong to the PMZ. The mechanism responsible for these area changes is a modified pressure gradient in the angular direction, which in turn appears to be due to first normal stress differences caused by shearing. Numerical calculations of fluid particle trajectories confirm the predictions of the geometric theory. For the boundary motions considered here, the calculations yield two additional results about the effect of low levels of elasticity on chaotic advection. First, the critical modulation frequency is decreased. Second, the rate of chaotic mixing, as measured by the largest Liapunov exponent, is increased for modulation fre‐ quencies greater than the critical Newtonian value.
Neuropeptide Y, a putative cotransmitter in noradrenergic neurons, induces mast cell degranulation but not prostaglandin D2 release

Recent evidence suggests that neural transmitters, including neuropeptides, may modulate the release of mast cell mediators. Because neuropeptide Y (NPY) has recently been recognized as a putative cotransmitter in noradrenergic neurons, we studied the effect of NPY on purified rat peritoneal mast cells. NPY induced mast cell degranulation, as assessed by a dose-dependent increase in net release of beta-hexosaminidase. The concentration that produced 50% of the maximal effect, approximately 10 mumol/L, evoked a 40% +/- 3% release. As previously reported for other neuropeptides, release was fast with maximal release already achieved at 60 seconds. Release was at 4 degrees C. In contrast to its effects on mast cell degranulation, NPY had no effect on the generation of prostaglandin D2, the major mast cell cyclooxygenase product. By comparison, the calcium ionophore A23187, at doses (4 mumol/L) that evoked comparable release of beta-hexosaminidase, stimulated a net release of 37 +/- 9 ng of PGD2 per 10(6) mast cells. These results raise the possibility that NPY may act as a modulator between the autonomic nervous system and mast cells. The results also imply that with neuropeptide stimulation, the release of preformed and newly formed mast cell mediators are mediated through independent pathways.
Book review: Capital budgeting/project selection by mathematical programming: An annotated bibliography Roy B. Larson

The general problem of how much to spend on which alternative investment opportunity has plagued decision makers for many years. The real-world decision situation is usually confounded by the uncertainty of the information base, the indeterminateness of the organizational goals and constraint regions, and the analytical complexities of examining the pertinent trade-off combinations. The literature on the analytical structure of the capital budgeting/project selection problem has grown enormously since the early 1950's. This “structural” literature has concentrated primarily on two central aspects of the overall problem: 1) a “correct” analytical representation and 2) algorithmic solutions to various formulations. The former approaches have dealt with such problems as the “correct” discount factor (e.g., the Hirschleifer paradox) and a representative preference frontier (e.g., the Friedman-Savage models) for quantifying the decision-maker's risk aversions. The latter area of study is perhaps historically the older of the two and centers around mathematical programming techniques (e.g., the Lorie-Savage problem).
Citrate Binding Stabilizes Human Gamma-Crystallin to Slow Unfolding and Inhibit Aggregation

Recent studies have demonstrated that small molecules can bind destabilized or aggregation prone proteins to prevent unfolding and aggregation. Cataract, the leading cause of blindness worldwide, is caused by aggregation of proteins in the eye lens. The most abundant proteins in the eye lens belongs to the βγ-Crystallin superfamily, which accounts for 90% of lens protein composition. These proteins are synthesized in utero and must remain stable and soluble throughout life. Damage, or deleterious post-translational modification can destabilize these proteins and induce aggregation-prone conformations. Sodium citrate has been shown to prevent unfolding and aggregation of alpha-antitrypsin by stabilizing secondary structure. In this study, we demonstrate the effects of citrate binding on both wild-type and disease models of Human γD Crystallin. Equilibrium unfolding-refolding experiments show an increase in the ΔG of unfolding with increasing concentrations of sodium citrate, while kinetic experiments show that sodium citrate slows the rate of unfolding in denaturant. UV resonance Raman spectroscopy has been used to examine Trp residues in the protein and monitor vibrational modes as a function of temperature. Preliminary results indicate a resistance to unfolding in the presence of citrate. The effect does not appear to be due to metal ion chelation, and may reflect direct binding to the crystallins, as with anti-trypsin.
Effects of Age on Cerebrospinal Fluid Oxytocin Levels in Free-Ranging Adult Female and Infant Rhesus Macaques

There is growing interest in examining oxytocin and social functioning in human and non-human primates. Studies of human oxytocin biology are typically restricted to peripheral assessments because opportunities to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are rare. Several studies have examined CSF oxytocin levels in captive adult primates, but none to our knowledge have been conducted under free-ranging conditions and inclusive of infants. The main goal of this study was to establish feasibility of quantifying CSF oxytocin levels in free-ranging adult female and infant rhesus monkeys living on Cayo Santiago, PR. CSF oxytocin levels were examined in relation to individuals' demographic and reproductive characteristics as well as plasma cortisol levels. CSF oxytocin concentrations ranged from 36.02 to 134.41 pg/ml in adult females (ages 7-26 years; N = 31) and 35.94 to 77.3 pg/ml in infants (ages 38-134 days; N = 17). CSF oxytocin levels were positively correlated with adult female age and negatively correlated with infant age. The former correlation was driven by reproductive status. CSF oxytocin levels were unrelated to dominance rank or plasma cortisol levels. In contrast to a previous study of plasma oxytocin concentrations in this population, CSF oxytocin levels did not differ significantly between lactating and non-lactating females. These findings: 1) provide feasibility data for examining CSF oxytocin levels in free-ranging non-human primates and 2) indicate that CSF oxytocin levels may be a biomarker of age-related central nervous system changes across lifespan development. Research is now required to examine CSF oxytocin levels in the context of social functioning in free-ranging rhesus monkeys.
Developing optimal pricing and inventory policies for retailers who face uncertain demand

Abstract Retailers who sell products such as new fashion items or new toys face considerable uncertainty in demand. Despite this uncertainty, they are required to make two important decisions that depend on the level of demand. First, they need to decide on how the product should be priced over the selling season. Second, they need to determine how much to stock and reorder each period. In this paper, we develop a new model for use by retailers that incorporates the following. First it includes “learning” or updating of demand. Second, it determines the optimal pricing policy. Third, it determines the optimal stocking policy. The new model appears to offer advantages for new items where the selling season is limited and the retailer is quite uncertain about the true demand distribution. Several example problems are solved to illustrate the potential advantages and to indicate the types of questions that can be investigated with the model.
Issues and Nonissues in the Gay‐Affirmative Treatment of Patients Who Are Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual

An article by Eubanks-Carter, Burckell, and Coldfried (this issue) provides a variety of gay-affirmative suggestions about what psychotherapists should know about the gay and lesbian experience if they are to be humane and effective mental health helpers. In the present article I offer several critiques and comments on issues and nonissues pertaining to the analysis and conduct of psychological assessment and intervention with homosexual and bisexual individuals. These issues include (a) the unlikelihood of voluntariness in requests for sexual reorientation, given the prejudice against gay, lesbian, and bisexual (CLB) people; (b) the biases inherent in psychological assessment viewed as a constructionist enterprise; (c) the minor importance of biological theories of sexual orientation in prejudice and discrimination; (d) the hidden negative biases against homosexuality in presumably gay-positive changes in earlier versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); and (e) the irrelevance of sexual conversion effectiveness in the politics and ethics of efforts to direct sexual preference from the homosexual to the heterosexual.
Interest-Rate Modeling Conundrums

The mainstream research in interest-rate modeling has been focusing on a collection of risk tools and pricing formulas which are developed based on the simplified market assumptions and hypotheses. Despite the elegance of the structure, it is noticed that a crucial yet natural factor is missing: the relationship between curve-fitting algorithms and no-arbitrage restrictions on a bond portfolio. Also, the discrepancy between risk-free and default-free bonds is often ignored. This study discusses the modeling conundrums and proposes a framework based on the preferred-habitat hypothesis for advanced term-structure construction that overcomes these limitations in current models. This article serves as an introduction for future work.
Association of maternal hematocrit with premature labor

An examination of the association of maternal hematocrit with the occurrence of premature birth revealed a continuous relationship between these two factors with an increasing rate of prematurity occurring with decreasing maternal hematocrit. The lowest risk of premature birth was found when maternal hematocrit was between 41% and 44%. Statistically increases in prematurity were noted at all hematocrit levels of less than or equal to 38%. A woman with a hematocrit of 37% had twice the risk of having a premature birth as a woman whose hematocrit was between 41% and 44% (p less than 0.01). In a logistic regression analysis with premature birth as the dependent variable and hematocrit as the only predictor variable, it was noted that decreasing the hematocrit by a single point was associated with a 24% increase in the risk of prematurity (odds ratio = 1.24) while a five-point decrease in hematocrit was associated with a tripling in the risk of prematurity (odds ratio = 2.98). In a multivariable logistic regression analysis hematocrit was noted to explain more of the variation in prematurity than any of the other risk factors included in the model. An investigation of this association in specific groups at high risk of having premature births revealed that 46% of the increased risk of prematurity in black women and 49% of the increased risk of prematurity in women receiving welfare was related to hematocrit or some factor associated with hematocrit.
Methamphetamine-induced dopamine-independent alterations in striatal gene expression in the 6-hydroxydopamine hemiparkinsonian rats.

Unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the medial forebrain bundle are used extensively as a model of Parkinson's disease. The present experiments sought to identify genes that were affected in the dopamine (DA)–denervated striatum after 6-hydroxydopamine-induced destruction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway in the rat. We also examined whether a single injection of methamphetamine (METH) (2.5 mg/kg) known to cause changes in gene expression in the normally DA-innervated striatum could still influence striatal gene expression in the absence of DA. Unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the medial forebrain bundle resulted in METH-induced rotational behaviors ipsilateral to the lesioned side and total striatal DA depletion on the lesioned side. This injection also caused decrease in striatal serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels. DA depletion was associated with increases in 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios that were potentiated by the METH injection. Microarray analyses revealed changes (± 1.7-fold, p<0.025) in the expression of 67 genes on the lesioned side in comparison to the intact side of the saline-treated hemiparkinsonian animals. These include follistatin, neuromedin U, and tachykinin 2 which were up-regulated. METH administration caused increases in the expression of c-fos, Egr1, and Nor-1 on the intact side. On the DA-depleted side, METH administration also increased the expression of 61 genes including Pdgf-d and Cox-2. There were METH-induced changes in 16 genes that were common in the DA-innervated and DA-depleted sides. These include c-fos and Nor-1 which show greater changes on the normal DA side. Thus, the present study documents, for the first time, that METH mediated DA-independent changes in the levels of transcripts of several genes in the DA-denervated striatum. Our results also implicate 5-HT as a potential player in these METH-induced alterations in gene expression because the METH injection also caused significant increases in 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios on the DA-depleted side.
Deterministic Routing on the Array with Reconfigurable Optimal Buses

In this paper we present efficient deterministic algorithms for various classes of routing problems on the array with reconfigurable optical buses (AROB).
Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin Induction Therapy in Adult Renal Transplantation

Rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) and horse antithymocyte globulin (horse ATG) are the polyclonal antithymocyte agents available for use in solid organ transplantation in the United States. Horse ATG is indicated for induction immunosuppression and for treatment of acute rejection episodes after kidney transplantation; rATG is indicated for treatment of acute rejection only. However, rATG is commonly used in clinical practice as an induction immunosuppressive agent, instigating many questions regarding appropriate dosing, tolerability, safety, and efficacy. Available evidence supports the use of rATG as an induction agent in adult renal transplant recipients. The use of this product for induction therapy has been studied in conjunction with a full-dose, triple-therapy maintenance regimen (sequential quadruple immunosuppression) consisting of a calcineurin inhibitor, an antimetabolite, and corticosteroids. Rabbit ATG has a proven safety and efficacy profile both as treatment of acute rejection and as induction therapy in patients undergoing kidney transplantation. The most common adverse events associated with rATG are cytokine release syndrome, thrombocytopenia, and lymphopenia. Results of early studies showed an increased rate of cytomegalovirus disease associated with rATG treatment, but recent studies indicate that routine administration of modern antiviral prophylaxis can reduce this risk. Current practice with rATG is evolving to minimize lifelong exposure to calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids.
Environmentally stable conductive polymers from bis(ethynylstyryl) benzene monomers

Several completely conjugated, all-carbon–hydrogen acetylene-terminated monomers, bis(ethynylstyryl)benzenes, were synthesized using the Wittig reaction with ethynyl-benzaldehyde and xylyldiphosphonium salts. These prepolymers were thermally polymerized in the melt phase into thermally stable materials that can be further processed into conductive polymers having high stability to aggressive environments. Conductivity can range from that of an insulator to 10+2 s/cm. The room temperature conductivity is unchanged by extended exposure to boiling water or 500°C in an inert atmosphere. With proper design of the monomers' structures, they will melt sufficiently below the polymerization temperature to provide an adequate time in the liquid state for ease of processing. Once cured into the solid form, the materials are intractable and exhibit high stability to aggressive environments.
The effect of information regarding sex group performance norms on goal-setting in males and females

Female and male undergraduates were randomly assigned to either a sex-appropriate or a sex-inappropriate achievement condition. Subjects in the sex-appropriate condition received information that their sex performed better on the experimental task; subjects in the sex-inappropriate condition received information that the opposite sex performed better. It was hypothesized that the positive information regarding the performance of same-sexed others would result in higher goals in a private, noncompetitive setting. The results supported the hypothesis.
Chemical pressure and charge-density waves in rare-earth tritellurides

We report the results of transmission electron microscopy on the layered rare-earth tritellurides R${\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ (R=La,Sm,Gd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er,Tm). Through electron diffraction we have identified superlattice reflections indicating the presence of incommensurate distortions, consistent with sinusoidal atomic displacements in the square Te sheets. The superlattice wave vector corresponds to the maximal Fermi-surface nesting wave vector determined from extended H\"uckel tight-binding band calculations. The charge-density wave (CDW) is stable under the volume decrease obtained by substituting the heavier rare earths, and the distortion wave vector scales with the lattice parameters across the rare-earth series. Our results indicate that the rare-earth tritellurides host small-amplitude Fermi-surface-driven distortions. We find no evidence for substantial deviation from sinusoidal atomic displacements, in contrast to the large commensurate distortions and ordered vacancy structures found in other rare-earth polychalcogenide phases. Our observations establish the rare-earth polychalcogenides as a family of CDW hosts in which a variety of structural distortions occur with variation of chalcogen type and stoichiometry, despite a very simple but universal chalcogen sheet band structure.
Depression of learned thermoregulatory behavior by central injection of opioids in cats

Third cerebral ventricular administration of morphine (20 μg), pentozocine (1 mg) or the synthetic opioid peptides d-Ala2-Met-enkephalinamide (25 μg) and d-Ala2-d-Leu5 -enkephalin (10 μg) decreased heat-reinforcement activity and either reduced or did not increase heat-escape activity of cats trained to control thermal stimuli through behavior. If the behavioral changes had been coupled to the primary effects of these opioids on thermoregulation, one would have expected an inverse relationship between changes in heat-reinforcement and heat-excape activity. Motor incapacitation appeared not to have contributed to the reduction in responding except briefly after pentazocine injection. The opioids may have distracted the animals or otherwise reduced their reaction to thermal stimuli until body temperature increased to a potentially dangerous level.
Superconductivity of C60 Langmuir−Blodgett Films Doped with Potassium: Low-Field Signal and Electron Spin Resonance Study†

Langmuir−Blodgett films of C60 were doped with potassium, and the doping was followed in situ by both microwave low-field signal (LFS) and electron spin resonance. The superconducting critical temperature was Tc (onset) = 12.9 K for a nominal 14-layer film at optimum doping. The four-probe conductivity of an underdoped film as a function of temperature showed semiconducting behavior.
Randomized Weighted Caching with Two Page Weights

We consider a special case of the weighted caching problem where the weight of every page is either 1 or some fixed number M > 1 . We present a randomized algorithm which achieves a competitive ratio which is O( log k) where k is the number of pages which can fit in the cache.
Comparative Distribution and Habitat Use by Antelope and Mule Deer

Aerial surveys were used to determine habitat use and distribution of sympatric pronghorn antelope ( Antilocapra americana ) and mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) populations in eastern Montana from 1982 to 1987. Antelope seasonally occupied only 1–10%, and deer only 9–20%, of the study area. Grassland habitats were used most frequently by antelope; badlands, bunchgrass prairies, and hardwood draws were used most frequently by deer. Some overlap in habitat use was evident but there was little spatial overlap. Maximum overlap in both habitat use and distribution occurred during autumn when antelope moved into deer habitat. There appeared to be little opportunity for interspecific competition during this study based on the high degree of spatial segregation.
Characteristics of the Spectroscopic Binaries in the Halo of the Galaxy

This thesis presents the analysis of high-resolution, low-signal-to-noise spectroscopic observaitons of a kinematically selected group of about 1300 F-, G-, and K-type dwarfs with proper motions larger than 0.26" per year. The sample includes a significant fraction of stars from the halo of our Galaxy, and the main goal is to characterize the population of spectroscopic binaries in the halo and compare these characteristics with those of the binaries in the disk, to investigate possible differences in the processes of binary star formation. The frequency of spectroscopic binaries with periods less than about 2000 days among the extreme Population II stars is found to be at least 20%, and agrees with the value for Population I. Discrepancies with previous studies which indicated a much lower frequency in the halo are investigated. The distribution of mass ratios (q=M2/M1) is determined here for the first time for the metal-poor binaries, and displays significant differences with the distribution for disk stars. While the latter seems to be essentially flat, the distribution for the halo is found to increase steadily towards q=1, suggesting that Population II systems tend to form with nearly equal-mass components. The difference, however, is shown to be due to a significant contribution from remnants of stellar evolution (white dwarfs), which distort the secondary mass distribution in a sample as old as the halo. The excess over the disk distribution is in good agreement with theory, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and evidence is presented that these binaries with probable white dwarf secondaries tend to have longer orbital periods, as expected from mass transfer or mass loss known to occur during the giant and supergiant phase. After accounting for this effect, the mass distribution for the secondary components in the halo is found to be consistent with that in the Galactic disk. The orbital period distribution and the eccentricity distribution are also similar. Thus, four of the fundamental properties of spectroscopic binaries--the distributions of companion masses, periods, eccentricities, and also the frequency--are comparable in the two populations, which argues that the mechanism that forms binaries is the same, independent of initial conditions in the interstellar medium (chemical composition, turbulence, kinematics). This important conclusion may be relevant for the development of theories of binary star formation. There is clear evidence of orbital evolution among the binaries in this sample, shown by tidal circularization of all orbits with periods shorter than a certain value. The transition period in the halo as marked by the longest circular orbit is seen to be at least as long as 19 days which is longer than that of any other sample of coeval binaries. As predicted by recent theories, this is consistent with the halo being much older, and suggests that tidal circulation is effective not only during the pre-main-sequence phase, but also during the hydrogen-burning stage of stellar evolution.
Reflection: an educational strategy to develop emotionally-competent nurse leaders.

Aim This paper explores educational strategies for nurses that focus on reflectivity and promote the development of self-awareness, relationship and communication skills and ability to lead with presence and compassion in the midst of change. Background Today nurses move rapidly from carefully-controlled educational experiences to a fast- paced clinical world of increasing patient complexity amid calls for improved quality of care. Making the transition to clinical competence and leadership in practice requires a strong sense of self and emotional intelligence. Evaluation Pedagogies that integrate theoretical and data-based textbook learning with experiential learning and reflection are a foundation for the development of emotionally- and intellectually-competent leaders and requires new ways of assessing learner outcomes. Key issues Reflection is a key instructional strategy for preparing transformational nurse leaders for interdisciplinary settings where they lead patient care management. The remarkable global spread of reflection in nursing education, practice and research follows an emphasis on developing self-awareness as a leadership strategy for improving individual and organizational performance. Conclusions Empirical, experiential and anecdotal evidence suggests that reflection has the potential to prepare emotionally-capable nurse leaders. Implications for Nursing Management As educators create more reflective and nurturing learning environments, they will promote the development of emotionally-competent nurse leaders who will, in turn, inspire individual and organizational growth and positive change in society.
Evidence for linkage of the apolipoprotein A-II locus to plasma apolipoprotein A-II and free fatty acid levels in mice and humans

Abstract Although it has been hypothesized that the synteny between mouse and human genes provides an approach to the localization of genes that determine quantitative traits in humans, this has yet to be demonstrated. We tested this approach with two quantitative traits, plasma apolipoprotein A-II (apoAII) and free fatty acid (FFA) levels. ApoAII is the second most abundant protein of high density lipoprotein particles, but its function remains largely unknown. We now show that, in a backcross between strains Mus spretus and C57BL/6J, apoAII levels correlate with plasma FFA concentrations on both chow (P < 0.0001) and high-fat (P < 0.0003) diets and that apoAII levels are linked to the apoAII gene (P < 0.0002). To test whether variations of the apoAII gene influence plasma lipid metabolism in humans, we studied 306 individuals in 25 families enriched for coronary artery disease. The segregation of the apoAII gene was followed by using an informative simple sequence repeat in the second intron of the gene and two nearby genetic markers. Robust sib-pair linkage analysis was performed on members of these families using the SAGE linkage programs. The results suggest linkage between the human apoAII gene and a gene controlling plasma apoAII levels (P = 0.03). Plasma apoAII levels were also significantly correlated with plasma FFA levels (P = 0.007). Moreover, the apoAII gene exhibited linkage with a gene controlling FFA levels (P = 0.003). Evidence for nonrandom segregation was seen with markers as far as 6-12 centimorgans from the apoAII structural locus. These data provide evidence, in two species, that the apoAII gene is linked to a gene that controls plasma apoAII levels and that apoAII influences, by an unknown mechanism, plasma FFA levels. The results illustrate the utility of animal studies for analysis of complex traits.
Two-Phonon Spectrum of Diamond

A careful calculation of the one-phonon dispersion in diamond reveals a shallow maximum in the [100] direction for the ${{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{2}}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\mathrm{L}\mathrm{O})$ branch. The two-phonon (overtone) density of states shows a sharp peak near twice the Raman frequency. This supports the interpretation of an observed peak in two-phonon Raman scattering as a simple overtone without the need to invoke a two-phonon bound state.
Identifying Baseline and Ceiling Thresholds within the Qualistar Early Learning Quality Rating and Improvement System.

Abstract Increasingly, states are implementing quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) as a means of improving the availability of high-quality child care and children's school readiness skills. A fundamental design decision under QRIS is where to set the thresholds on the quality measures used in the program assessment component of the QRIS. This study applied generalized additive modeling (GAM) on data from Colorado's QRIS in order to identify thresholds on several components of Colorado's QRIS, including the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R), classroom ratios, and staff credentials. We found evidence of baseline thresholds that needed to be surpassed before significant relationships between quality and outcomes could be observed. In addition, there were ceiling thresholds, such that beyond certain cut-points, gains in quality were associated with little to no improvements in outcomes. Based on this work, it appears that GAM can be used to empirically identify thresholds, but more research is needed to understand the applicability of the GAM-derived thresholds in other early care contexts and settings.
Fear of Psychological Treatment and Its Relation to Mental Health Service Avoidance

Les auteurs etudient les relations entre la peur du traitement d'une maladie mentale et l'histoire de son propre traitement et/ou le statut du traitement actuel. L'echantillon comprend 32 sujets admis plusieurs fois dans des unites de soins psychologiques et 501 sujets non hospitalises. Les resultats montrent en particulier le lien entre les craintes d'un traitement et les decisions de recherche d'un tel traitement
Development of a kinetic basis for bioavailability of sorbed naphthalene in soil slurries.

Abstract The degradation of naphthalene in soil–slurry systems was studied using four different organisms and two soils. Organisms with zero-order, first-order, and Michaelis–Menten rates were selected. The soils had substantially different sorption distribution coefficients. Sorption and desorption was evaluated in abiotic soil–slurry systems. The desorption process was described by a model that accounts for equilibrium, rate-limited and non-desorbing sites. Biodegradation parameters were measured in soil-extract solutions. Bioavailability assays, inoculated soil slurries, were conducted and both liquid- and sorbed-phase naphthalene concentrations were measured over time. For the less sorptive soil, the results could be explained by sequential desorption and degradation processes. For the other soil, enhanced degradation was clearly observed for the organisms with first-order and Michaelis–Menten rates. Several explanations are explored for these observations including direct sorbed-phase degradation and the development of elevated substrate concentrations at the organism/sorbent interface. No enhancement was found for the organism with zero-order kinetics.
Selective depression of 2,4-dinitrophenol depolarized canine Purkinje fibers by lidocaine

Concentrations of lidocaine which minimally decrease conduction and excitability of normal canine Purkinje fibers markedly decrease these parameters in fibers depolarized by metabolic depression (DNP superfusion). The decrease in $$\dot V_{{\text{max}}}$$ and the slowing of the post-stimulation recovery of $$\dot V_{{\text{max}}}$$ by lidocaine are also more marked during DNP superfusion than during superfusion with a DNP-free salt solution. Since these effects could be reversed by a lidocaine-free DNP superfusion, it is concluded that lidocaine selectively depresses the electrical activity of tissue depolarized by the metabolic inhibitor DNP. This selective depressive action of lidocaine is similar to that observed in cardiac tissues depolarized by other means.
Benefits and harms of colonoscopy surveillance following colonoscopic polypectomy: report from the National Polyp Study

Benefits and harms of colonoscopy surveillance following colonoscopic polypectomy: report from the National Polyp Study
A Conserved-Pressure Air-Blast Circuit Breaker For High-Voltage Service

This paper describes the design and construction of a 138-kv, 1,500,000-kva air-blast circuit breaker. The construction is made possible by the use of a new interrupting device which utilizes the axial blast nozzle together with a ``conserved pressure'' chamber. The chamber receives the exhaust from the interrupting nozzle and contains the movable contact of the breaker in its open position. By means of a spring-loaded relief valve the pressure and dielectric strength of the air in the chamber are maintained at a high level. The pressure in the chamber is at the same time less than 50 per cent of the pressure above the nozzle restriction so that the air flow through the interrupting nozzle is unimpaired, being the same as through the same nozzle discharging to atmospheric pressure. As a consequence, the conserved pressure breaker is found to have the same ability to interrupt current as a conventional axial nozzle but to be capable of interrupting circuits of much higher voltage. The 138-kv three-phase breaker consists of two interrupting units in series per pole with a disconnecting device included as part of the breaker. Operation of the breaker is entirely pneumatic, opening and closing being performed by energizing the electrically operated valve.
Acoustic-Velocity Signatures Associated With Rock-Deformation Processes

The petroleum industry is increasingly involved in producing oil and gas from problem reservoirs, which typically are those reservoirs susceptible to large deformations and compaction during recovery operations. These problem formations have high porosities, high pore pressures, are poorly consolidated, or are highly fractured. In many cases, production operations can lead to drastic, irreversible damage to these reservoirs. Rock formations can undergo deformation by a wide variety of mechanisms, including dilatancy (precursory to tensile or shear failure), pore collapse, and normal consolidation. In particular, pore collapse and normal consolidation can lead to significant production problems, such as loss of permeability, surface subsidence, and collapse of boreholes. For example, the Ekofisk Field in the North Sea has undergone significant subsidence (more than 14 ft) as a result of the extraction of oil and gas. The Groningen gas reservoir in The Netherlands is another example of subsidence induced by hydrocarbon extraction, and the Lagunillas field along Lake Maricaibo in Venezuela has experienced both compaction and subsidence. Dramatic changes in mechanical rock damage are accompanied by significant changes in acoustic velocities. This suggests that such techniques as four-dimensional (4D)-seismic surveys [i.e., repeated three-dimensional (3D) surveys] or crosswell tomography can be used for detectionmore » and time-lapse monitoring of rock-deformation processes in oil and gas reservoirs. In this paper, the authors review the various processes that cause rock damage and investigate the acoustic detection of the deformational processes.« less
Investigation of nano-aperture arrays for use as SERS substrates

This manuscript is a summary of our progress toward the development of nanoaperture arrays as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active surfaces. Nanopatterned substrates have been fabricated using electron beam lithography. The substrates were metallized by thermal vapor deposition of silver. The resulting silver films exhibited interesting optical transmission and preliminary results with respect to SERS are encouraging.
What Happened to Posteroventral Pallidotomy for Parkinson’s Disease and Dystonia?

Fifteen years after its resurrection, pallidotomy for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dystonia has once again been supplanted, this time by deep brain stimulation (DBS). Did this occur because pallidotomy was not effective or safe, or because DBS was found to be more effective and safer? This review focuses on the evidence—and its quality—supporting the effectiveness and safety of pallidotomy for PD and dystonia, and the comparative effectiveness and safety of DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus pars interna (GPi). Discussed first are the determinants of “level 1” recommendations, including the confounding effects on interpretation of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that fail to control for patient bias (i.e., placebo effects). Although several RCTs have been performed comparing unilateral pallidotomy to medical therapy, GPi DBS, or STN DBS for PD, none controlled for patient bias. Comparison of these trials to estimate the placebo effect, and examination of retrospective case series, suggests that the true effectiveness of unilateral pallidotomy is 20% to 30% reduction of ’off total motor UPDRS scores, which is similar to the effects of unilateral GPi DBS or STN DBS, but less than bilateral STN DBS. At experienced centers, safety of unilateral pallidotomy appears equivalent to unilateral DBS, but bilateral DBS is likely safer than bilateral pallidotomy. Whereas there have been no RCTs of pallidotomy for dystonia, two double-blind, sham-controlled RCTs of bilateral GPi DBS were performed. Nevertheless, limited uncontrolled series suggest that bilateral pallidotomy is similar to GPi DBS in effectiveness and safety for dystonia. Thus, pallidotomy was not rejected because of lack of effectiveness or safety, and it remains a viable alternative in situations where DBS is not available or not feasible.
Xe-135 production from Cf-252

The presence of 135Xe is often used as an indicator that fission has occurred, and is used to help enforce the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. There are no known commercial suppliers, though it can be acquired. Readily available standards of this isotope are very useful. 135Xe can be produced through fission, or by neutron capture on 134Xe. At the INL, scientists have previously transported fission products from an electroplated 252Cf thin source for the measurement of nuclear data of short-lived fission products using a technique called He-Jet collection. A similar system has been applied to the collection of gaseous 135Xe, and 133Xe, in order to produce standards of these isotopes.
Plasma melatonin in the trout: day-night change demonstrated by radioimmunoassay.

Abstract A melatonin radioimmunoassay technique, using a 125 I-labelled melatonin analog as the radiolabel, has been validated for rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ). It was demonstrated that a dilution series of extracted trout plasma melatonin and a melatonin/PBS gel standard were parallel along a logit-transformed curve. Melatonin extracted from trout plasma was shown to comigrate with [ 3 H]melatonin. The RIA procedure did not differentiate between endogenous trout melatonin and [ 3 H]melatonin added to the same sample. Melatonin levels in plasma from trout anesthetized with MS-222 were not different from those found in plasma from trout killed by decapitation without anesthesia. Melatonin levels were high during the night (152.6 ± 15.8 pg of melatonin/ml of plasma) and low during the day (81.2 ± 19.3 pg of melatonin/ml of plasma).
The convex hull of degree sequences of signed graphs

As shown in [D. Hoffman, H. Jordon, Signed graph factors and degree sequences, J. Graph Theory 52 (2006) 27-36], the degree sequences of signed graphs can be characterized by a system of linear inequalities. The set of all n-tuples satisfying this system of linear inequalities is a polytope P"n. In this paper, we show that P"n is the convex hull of the set of degree sequences of signed graphs of order n. We also determine many properties of P"n, including a characterization of its vertices. The convex hull of imbalance sequences of digraphs is also investigated using the characterization given in [D. Mubayi, T.G. Will, D.B. West, Realizing degree imbalances of directed graphs, Discrete Math. 239 (2001) 147-153].
Glycemia Management and Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes: An Evolving Perspective

Objective: To review recent glycemia trials focused on reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in patients with type 2 diabetes and to describe how the results of these studies have altered our ...
Peanuts and Colonialism: Consequences of the commercialization of peanuts in West Africa, 1830–70

The commercialization of peanuts on the Upper Guinea Coast began along the Gambia River in the early 1830s, expanded to southern Guinea and northern Sierra Leone in the late 1830s, and Senegal and Portuguese Guinea in the early 1840s. African cultivators and traders responded to the new marketing opportunities with remarkable swiftness, and everywhere peanut cultivation spread it occasioned far-reaching economic and social changes for the societies concerned. A rapidly growing demand for peanuts in France, together with favourable changes in French tariffs, greatly benefited French and Senegalese traders in competition with British and Sierra Leonean rivals. The consequence was that the former attained a dominant commercial position on the Upper Guinea Coast by the 1860s, an advantage that would be exploited in the achievement of French political hegemony over much of the area in the colonial partition which followed.
Reducing Truancy in Students with Mild Handicaps

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of an intervention that combined contingency contracting with group counseling on rates of unexcused absences from school, academic grade point average, and rates of grade retention for students with mild handicaps. The subjects were 26 students with high rates of truancy from a comprehensive middle school in an urban school system. Data on rates of truancy and academic performance were collected at three 10-week intervals: pretreatment, posttreatment, and 10 weeks after treatment procedures were concluded. Rates of truancy for students in the experimental condition were significantly reduced at the conclusion of the 10-week treatment period. Unfortunately, gains in attendance for the experimental group did not maintain at posttreatment levels when assessed at follow-up. However, experimental group students' rates of truancy at follow-up did not approach the levels demonstrated by students assigned to the control condition. Measures of academ...
Discrete-time infinite-dimensional adaptive control and rejection of persistent disturbances: To D or not to D?

In many cases an adaptive control must be implemented in discrete-time rather than continuous-time, aerospace applications. In the case of infinite-dimensional systems, the adaptive control theoretic problem becomes substantially different; we will emphasize those anomalies here. Given a linear discrete-time infinite dimensional plant on a Hilbert space and disturbances of known waveform but unknown amplitude and phase, we show that there exists a stabilizing discerete-time direct model reference adaptive control law with certain disturbance rejection and robustness properties. Our central result is a discrete-time version of Barbalat-Lyapunov result for infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. This is used to determine conditions under which a linear infinite-dimensional system can be directly adaptively regulated. Our results are illustrated on a system described by a compact self-adjoint operator; such a description fits many discrete-time applications.
Quantum confinement and charge control in deep mesa etched quantum wire devices

Novel aspects of charge confinement in quantum wires are investigated with a self-consistent Schrodinger-Poisson model in the high-temperature regime. A decreasing eigenenergy separation with gate bias is revealed which differs from the behavior observed in 2-D devices. In addition, charge control is examined and an analytical approximation relating charge density to gate bias is obtained. >
Connexin 43 hemichannels and intracellular signaling in bone cells.

Cell function and survival are controlled by intracellular signals, and modulated by surrounding cells and the extracellular environment. Connexin channels participate in these processes by mediating cell-to-cell communication. In bone cells, gap junction channels were detected in the early 1970s, and are present among bone resorbing osteoclasts, bone forming osteoblasts, and osteocytes - mature osteoblasts embedded in the mineralized matrix. These channels are composed mainly by Cx43, although the expression of other connexins (45, 46 and 37) has also been reported. It is now believed that undocked Cx43 hemichannels (connexons) formed in unopposed cell membranes facing the extracellular environment participate in the interaction of bone cells with the extracellular environment, and in their communication with neighboring cells. Thus, we and others demonstrated the presence of active hemichannels in osteoblastic and osteocytic cells. These hemichannels open in response to pharmacological and mechanical stimulation. In particular, preservation of the viability of osteoblasts and osteocytes by the anti-osteoporotic drugs bisphosphonates depends on Cx43 expression in vitro and in vivo, and is mediated by undocked hemichannels. Cx43 hemichannels are also required for the release of prostaglandins and ATP by osteocytes, and for cell survival induced by mechanical stimulation in vitro. Moreover, they are required for the anti-apoptotic effect of parathyroid hormone in osteoblastic cells. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the presence and function of undocked connexons, and the role of hemichannel regulation for the maintenance of bone cell viability and, potentially, bone health.