cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
De-Demonizing the ‘Monstrous’ Drug Addict: A Qualitative Look at Social Reintegration Through Rehabilitation and Employment

Few studies explore how employers perceive the experience of hiring recovering substance abusers. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with employers who hire clients from a residential drug treatment facility for adult males in a capital city in the southeastern United States as well as several administrators that work at this facility. The emergent themes uncovered through these interviews shed light on the opinions of those who refuse to abandon a population of individuals who have been neglected by so many others. The research participant insights shed light on the fact that when overcoming drug addiction and abuse, getting sober is only half the battle. These individuals are then left to fight against the labels and stigmatization cast upon them by society. Information gleaned from these interviews may offer employers who may consider hiring ex-offenders, insights into potential benefits and problems they may encounter in working with this population. The findings of this study emphasize the damning effects of labeling on the social reintegration of those desperate for a second chance at being productive members of society.
Seismic response of light internal equipment in base‐isolated structures

The seismic response of light secondary systems in a building is dependent on the response of the primary structural system to the seismic ground motion with the result that very high accelerations can be induced in such secondary systems. This response can be reduced through the use of aseismic base isolation which is a design strategy whereby the entire building can be decoupled from the damaging horizontal components of seismic ground motion by the use of some form of isolation system. The paper presents a theoretical analysis of the response of light equipment in isolated structures and a parallel experimental programme both of which show that the use of base isolation can not only attenuate the response of the primary structural system but also reduce the response of secondary systems. Thus, the design of equipment and piping in a base-isolated building is very much simpler than that for a conventionally founded structure: inelastic response and equipment-structure interaction need not be considered and multiple support response analysis is rendered unnecessary. Although an isolation system with linear elastic bearings can reduce the acceleration of the structure, it may be accompanied by large relative displacements between the structure and the ground. A system using lead-rubber hysteretic bearings, having a force-displacement relation which is approximately a bilinear loop, can reduce these displacements. A parallel experimental programme was carried out to investigate the response of light equipment in structures isolated using lead-rubber bearings. The experimental results show that these bearings can dissipate energy and limit the displacement and acceleration of the structure but are less effective in reducing the accelerations in the internal equipment. The results of both the analysis and the tests show that base isolation is a very effective method for the seismic protection of light equipment items in buildings.
Baroreflex function in anurans from different environments.

Abstract Anurans from terrestrial environments have an enhanced ability to maintain mean arterial blood pressure (P m ) through lymph mobilization in response to desiccation or hemorrhage compared with semiaquatic or aquatic species. Because short term blood pressure homeostasis is regulated by arterial baroreceptors, we compared baroreflex function in three species of anurans that span a range of environments, dehydration tolerance and an ability to maintain P m with dehydration and hemorrhage. The cardiac limb of the baroreflex loop was studied using pharmacological manipulation of P m with phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside (20–200 μg kg − 1 ), and the resulting changes in heart rate ( f H ) were quantitatively analyzed using a four-parameter sigmoidal logistic function. Resting P m in the aquatic species, Xenopus laevis , was 3.6 ± 0.3 kPa and was significantly less ( P Lithobates catesbeianus (4.1 ± 0.2 kPa), or the terrestrial species, Rhinella marina (4.7 ± 0.2 kPa). The maximal baroreflex gain was not different among the three species and ranged from 12.1 to 14.3 beats min −1 kPa −1 and occurred at P m ranging from 3.0 to 3.8 kPa, which were slightly below the resting P m for each species. Mean arterial blood pressures at rest in the three species were near the saturation point of the baroreflex curve which provides the animals with a greater f H response range to hypotensive, rather than hypertensive, changes in P m . This is consistent with the hypothesis that arterial baroreceptors are key sensory components that allow anurans to maintain P m possibly by mobilization of lymphatic return in response to hypotension.
If You Build It They Will Come: Experiences with Electronic Journal Usage in a Community Hospital Library

South Pointe Hospital is a community hospital that originally had few electronic resources available. This article describes how the library gradually acquired an electronic journals collection that started with just 2 titles and grew to a list of over 6000 titles including open access publications. The journals' online usage statistics were used to justify and increase the library budget, which enabled the library to purchase more titles as journal infrastructure software. Even though the collection had been created, it must be maintained and promoted; this article briefly discusses the need for education and promotion of the resources.
Atmospheric CO2 and climate from 65 to 30 ka B.P.

[1] Using new and existing ice core CO2 data from 65 ∼ 30 ka a new chronology for CO2 is established and synchronized with Greenland ice core records to study how high latitude climate change and the carbon cycle were linked during the last glacial period. Atmospheric CO2 rose several thousand years before abrupt warming in Greenland associated with Dansgaard-Oeschger events, 8, 12, 14, 17, four large warm events that follow Heinrich events. The CO2 rise terminated at the onset of Greenland warming for each of these events. Atmospheric CO2 is strongly correlated with the Antarctic isotopic temperature proxy with an average time lag of 720 ± 370 yr (mean ± 1σ) during the time interval studied. The new data and chronology should provide a better target for models attempting to explain CO2 variability and abrupt climate change.
What Sexual Harassment Experiences Lead Respondents to Acknowledge Being Sexually Harassed? A Secondary Analysis of a University Survey

Abstract Literature on sexual harassment suggests that the prevalence of harassment experience is considerably higher than that of formal complaints or personal acknowledgement of having been "sexually harassed." Data from a survey of undergraduates, graduate students, and university staff were subjected to secondary analysis to investigate what leads individuals to acknowledge having been sexually harassed. As predicted, experience of sexual seduction, sexual bribery/coercion, or sexual imposition each increased the odds of acknowledgement. Contrary to predictions, the probability of acknowledging harassment was unrelated to gender or the form of harassment experienced. An attribution model for examining factors related to acknowledgement is suggested.
When family matters: an analysis of Thelotremataceae (Lichenized Ascomycota: Ostropales) as bioindicators of ecological continuity in tropical forests

We analysed patterns of habitat and microhabitat preferences of 19 families (comprising 135 genera and 950 species) of crustose, corticolous lichens in Costa Rica (Arthoniaceae, Arthopyreniaceae, Coenogoniaceae, Graphidaceae, Lecanoraceae, Letrouitiaceae, Monoblastiaceae, Pertusariaceae, Physciaceae, Pilocarpaceae, Porinaceae, Pyrenulaceae, Ramalinaceae, Roccellaceae, Strigulaceae, Teloschistaceae, Thelenellaceae, Thelotremataceae, Trypetheliaceae), in order to test whether Thelotremataceae are suitable predictors of undisturbed tropical rain forest and can be used as bioindicators of ecological continuity. The dataset consisted of 12,215 specimen samples and six environmental parameters recorded for each sample (altitude, degree of seasonality, vegetation type, disturbance level, substrate nature, light exposure), which were analysed by a multivariate approach using principal component analysis (PCA). The analysis showed that three of the 19 families, Letrouitiaceae, Porinaceae, and Thelotremataceae, showed significant preferences for undisturbed primary to old growth secondary forest, fully shaded to semi-exposed microhabitats, and the bark of mature tree trunks, parameters assumed to be correlated with ecological continuity of closed rain forest habitats. Thelotremataceae had broader altitudinal range than Letrouitiaceae and Porinaceae and significantly higher genus and species diversity (16 genera, 130 species) compared to Porinaceae (4 genera, 40 species) and Letrouitiaceae (1 genus, 5 species). Our results support the hypothesis that Thelotremataceae perform best as predictors of undisturbed dry and lowland to montane rain forest and are the most suitable lichen bioindicators of ecological continuity in these ecosystems. In contrast, Lecanoraceae, Pertusariaceae, Physciaceae, and Teloschistaceae, were found to be predictors of disturbed and pioneer (micro-)habitats. We also found that, among a variety of parameters tested, the Index of Ecological Continuity (IEC), adapted to the use of Thelotremataceae in tropical forests, performs best in terms of predicting disturbance levels and site history. A semi-taxonomic approach identifying morphotypes rather than genera or species yielded the same results, making this method suitable for a broader spectrum of potential users.
Song learning and vocal tradition in Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows.

Abstract We investigated song sharing and dispersion of song types in the wild in a colour-marked population of the non-migratory Nuttall's white-crowned sparrow,Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli. The songs of fathers, their male progeny (sons), and the neighbours of the sons at recruitment sites were analysed spectrographically and compared qualitatively and quantitatively. To determine whether a son's song more closely matched that of his father or a neighbour at the site settled, we subjected frequency and temporal characteristics of songs within each father–son–neighbour triad to multivariate cluster analysis. The songs of 14 of 16 sons clustered with their neighbours’ rather than their fathers’ songs, confirming that song matching of neighbours is an integral component of territory settlement by juveniles. Principal components analysis of frequency and temporal measurements of song within a dialectal area show that songs group into neighbourhoods and are non-randomly distributed. Multivariate analysis suggests that sons may entrain on frequency and temporal characteristics of a neighbour's song without matching phrases or complex syllables. Implications for models of instructive versus selective learning are discussed. The timing of closure of the sensitive phase, the length of the silent interval between the sensory phase and plastic song stage, and the time to song crystallization remain open questions in song ontogeny.
Abdominal visceral calcification in primary amyloidosis: CT findings

The computed tomographic (CT) findings of extensive visceral calcification involving both the liver and spleen in a patient with primary amyloidosis are presented. Although the CT imaging appearances of amyloidosis are often nonspecific, visceral calcification represents an important diagnostic clue for differentiating this entity from other infiltrative parenchymal diseases.
The effect of temperature on potassium transfer in irradiated yeast.

The leakage and uptake of potassium in normal and x-irradiated yeast have been studied at temperatures from 1 to 36 icient laborato C. Irradiation was carried out at 25 icient laborato in all cases. Both processes are increased in rate by increasing temperature and follow the pattern expected of active metabolic processes. Radiation increases the rate of leakage but decreases the rate of uptake of potassium ion. The relationship of the radiation effect to temperature indicates an increased temperature coefficient for uptake, and a decreased temperature coefficient for leakage of potassium. This results in an apparently greater relative effect of radiation on both processes at the lower temperatures. It is possible that radiation accomplishes, in part, an uncoupling of the metabolic processes involved in active transport in the case of leakage, but makes the uptake process more dependent on energy expending reactions. The need for consideration of the conditions of measurement in assaying radiation effects is pointed up by these experiments. (auth)
Kinematics of globular cluster systems in galaxy mergers

We use numerical simulations to study how the spatial distribution and kinematics of globular cluster systems (GCS) are affected by galaxy mergers. Each progenitor galaxy is given a GCS modeled after the Galactic GCS. We then study how a major merger affects the spatial distribution and kinematics of the GCS. Here we present our methodology. Future work will investigate the effects of varying galaxy parameters, merger orbital parameters, and initial GCS number density profile and kinematics. We hope to be able to extract information about the merger history of a galaxy from observations of its GCS spatial distribution and kinematics.
Treatment outcome studies with children: Principles of proper practice

This article addresses ethical issues in conducting randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with youth. Ethical considerations that occur prior to treatment (matters of research design, the risk–benefit ratio, issues concerning assent/consent, the influence of payment for participation), during treatment (issues of privacy, protocol adherence, premature termination), and following treatment (needs for posttreatment referrals and/or follow-up contacts, archiving of treatment data) are reviewed. Recommendations, based on empirical evidence and clinical experience, are offered for conducting ethical treatment research with youth and future directions for carrying out research on the ethics of conducting RCTs with youth are offered.
Determination of aflatoxins in food by absorption spectrometry.

Abstract A method has been developed for the determination of aflatoxins B 1 and G 1 in laboratory animal food. The procedure involves extraction of the food with acetone and removal of interfering substances from the extract by chromatography on columns of silica gel, followed by thin-layer chromatography on silicic acid. The separated aflatoxins B 1 and G 1 are estimated spectrophotometrically. Recoveries of added aflatoxins range from 40 to 67% at a sensitivity of 0·03 ppm.
TRANSIT DWELL TIME UNDER COMPLEX FARE STRUCTURE

This paper focuses on the effect on passenger dwell time from a complicated fare structure on a bus transit system. Analysis of data collected from three routes of the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) is used as a case study. SEMTA uses a zone fare system. The nine different fare type and payment methods are found not to affect the dwell time significantly. Regression analyses are used to determine independent equations for the boarding and alighting times as a function of the number of passengers at a stop. These equations are compared to those found by past researchers. While the alighting times are similar, the boarding times are much less affected by the number of passengers at a stop. Using Kolmogorov‐Smirnov good‐ness‐of‐fit testing, the aggregate boarding and alighting times are also tested and found not to be significantly different from a lognormal distribution. The research concludes that some type of distance‐based fares could be used without significantly increasing the d...
Immune Response among Patients Exposed to Molds

Macrocyclic trichothecenes, mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys chartarum, have been implicated in adverse reactions in individuals exposed to mold-contaminated environments. Cellular and humoral immune responses and the presence of trichothecenes were evaluated in patients with mold-related health complaints. Patients underwent history, physical examination, skin prick/puncture tests with mold extracts, immunological evaluations and their sera were analyzed for trichothecenes. T-cell proliferation, macrocyclic trichothecenes, and mold specific IgG and IgA levels were not significantly different than controls; however 70% of the patients had positive skin tests to molds. Thus, IgE mediated or other non-immune mechanisms could be the cause of their symptoms.
Primary Culture of Porcine Nonpigmented Ciliary Epithelium

Purpose: Primary culture of nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (NPE) has proved difficult in the past. Here we report development of a method of growing and maintaining primary cultures of NPE from porcine eye. Studies were conducted to confirm that the cultured NPE expressed proteins characteristic of native NPE. Methods: Intact rings of NPE were isolated from adult pig eyes. A mixture of hyaluronidase and collagenase was used to detach the cells from the basement membrane and vitreous. Dispersed cells were seeded at high density and grown in DMEM with 20% fetal bovine serum under 5% CO2 and 95% air. Protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis. Results: NPE cells were grown in primary culture and maintained up to 10th passage. Analysis of the ciliary body showed three Na, K-ATPase isoforms (α 1, α 2, α 3) and three nitric oxide synthase isoforms (eNOS, nNOS, iNOS) enriched in the NPE layer but weaker or absent in the PE layer. Each of these proteins as well as the tight j...
Traffic-flow dynamics: A search for chaos

Abstract Taking off from findings involving Fast Fourier Transforms of urban traffic-flow time series, the observed nonperiodic component of transportation flow rates becomes the focus of this paper. A theory of the microscopic as well as macroscopic traffic behavior involved is put forward, and specific tests searching for chaotic dynamic are discussed. This topic is representative of a class of subjects in socio-spatial analysis that involve nonperiodic dynamics. It identifies possible chaotic patterns on residuals of such dynamics from approximate temporal (mainly daily) cycles.
Assessing demographic and epidemiologic parameters of rural dog populations in India during mass vaccination campaigns.

Abstract Mass vaccination of dogs is a mainstay for efforts to control rabies and other viral pathogens. The success of such programs is a function of the ability to vaccinate sufficient proportions of animals to develop herd immunity. However, fully assessing success in reaching target vaccination-levels and in understanding the outcome of mass vaccination efforts is hindered if insufficient information is available on the demographics of dog populations and the prevalence of the targeted pathogens. While such information can sometimes be gained from questionnaire surveys, greater precision requires direct assessment of the dog populations. Here we show how such information can be gained from surveys of dogs conducted in association with mass-vaccination programs. We conducted surveys of dogs in six villages in rural Maharashtra, India, between February and July 2011 as part of an effort to reduce the risk of human rabies and virus transmission from dogs to wildlife. Mass vaccination efforts were conducted in each village, and paired with blood sample collection and photographic mark-recapture approaches to gain epidemiologic and demographic data. This data in turn facilitated estimates of dog abundance, population density and structure, vaccination coverage, and seroprevalence of antibodies against canine adenovirus (CAV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and canine distemper virus (CDV). The median dog population size for the six villages was 134 (range 90–188), the median dog population density was 719 dogs per km2 (range 526–969), and the median human:dog ratio for these six villages was 34 (range 30–47). The median household:dog ratio for the six villages was 6 (range 5–8). Following vaccination efforts, the median vaccination coverage achieved was 34% (range 24–42%). The dog populations consisted mostly of adult dogs (67–86%) and the median sex ratio for the study area was male biased (1.55 males per female; range 0.9–2.5). The seroprevalence of antibodies against CAV, CPV and CDV was 68, 88 and 73%, respectively. Mass vaccination campaigns provide an opportunity to obtain vital epidemiological and demographic data, and develop a clearer understanding of the threats and impacts of diseases and disease control measures.
Statistical theories of success.

Abstract The Pareto and the log-normal distributions are commonly used to describe the statistical distribution of success. A detailed comparison of these distributions is made with Lotka's extensive observations on success as measured by rate of publication. These distributions are found to adequately describe the observed distribution only for low and moderate success. Contrariwise, the flat factor analysis of performance recently developed by the author in these Proceedings (59, 1078 (1968)) is shown to give an excellent agreement over the whole range of success. Lotka's data allows a determination of the number of environmental factors. The Pareto distribution does give an excellent agreement with the tail of the success distribution where success is defined as income. An interpretation of this distribution is here presented based upon the expected behavior of entrepreneurs.
Evolving into complexity

The design of living systems is controlled by their evolutionary adaptation to their environment. At almost any scale at which they are observed, these systems can generally be classified as "complex". In this paper, the appropriateness of biomimetic designs for engineered systems is explored. A number of related concepts are defined and discussed, and different measures of complexity are identified. Finally, the use of evolutionary system design and complex adaptive behavior in engineered systems is considered.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Non-stern-volmer quenching of S1 pDFB fluorescence by O2 and the charge transfer complex

The vapor phase kinetics of S1 → S0 p-difluorobenzene (pDFB) fluorescence quenching by O2 has been characterized over an O2 pressure range spanning more than 4 orders of magnitude, ranging from the single-collision regime at less than one Torr to about 37000 Torr. pDFB was pumped to an S1 level with evib = 3310 cm-1. Non Stern−Volmer kinetics is observed. The standard Stern−Volmer model, for which the ratio of fluorescence intensity without and with added oxygen against O2 pressure is linear with an intercept of unity, fits the data only for pressures 3000 Torr, the quenching again becomes linear but with a much lower slope and higher intercept. The quenching rate constants for the low- and high-pressure regimes are 1.3 × 1011 L mol-1 s-1 = 7.7 × 106 Torr-1 s-1 and 0.13 × 1011 L mol-1 s-1 = 0.78 × 106 Torr-1 s-1, respectively. Less detailed studies showed that quenching from S1 levels with evib = 3705 and 2887 cm-1 has kinetics similar to that of the 3310 cm-1 level. A proposed ...
Patterns of sedentary behavior among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE Reducing certain sedentary behaviors (e.g., watching television, using a computer) can be an effective weight loss strategy for youth. Knowledge about whether behaviors cluster together could inform interventions. STUDY DESIGN Estimates of time spent in 6 sedentary behaviors (watching television, talking on the telephone, using a computer, listening to music, doing homework, reading) were cluster analyzed for a sample of 878 adolescents (52% girls, mean age = 12.7 years, 58% Caucasian). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The clusters were based on the sedentary behaviors listed above and compared on environmental variables (e.g., household rules), psychosocial variables (e.g., self-efficacy, enjoyment), and health behaviors (e.g., physical activity, diet). RESULTS Four clusters emerged: low sedentary, medium sedentary, selective high sedentary, and high sedentary. Analyses revealed significant cluster differences for gender (p < .002), age (p < .002), body mass index (p < .001), physical activity (p < .01), and fiber intake (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS Results suggest a limited number of distinct sedentary behavior patterns. Further study is needed to determine how interventions may use cluster membership to target segments of the adolescent population.
10-Demethylation of testosterone by human prostate, in vitro.

Abstract The conversion of testosterone to 19-nortestosterone by human benign hypertrophic prostate slices in vitro is described. The small yield is attributed to further metabolism of this product to saturated 19-norandrostanes and estrogens.
Some sufficient conditions for establishing (M, S)-optimality

Abstract Two sufficient conditions are given for an incomplete block design to be ( M,S - optimal. For binary designs the conditions are (i) that the elements in each row, excluding the diagonal element, of the association matrix differ by at most one, and (ii) that the off-diagonal elements of the block characteristic matrix differ by at most one. It is also shown how the conditions can be utilized for nonbinary designs and that for blocks of size two the sufficient condition in terms of the association matrix can be attained.
Thiol–isocyanate “click” reactions: rapid development of functional polymeric surfaces

Functional, micropatterned and multicomponent polymer brush surfaces can be rapidly fabricated via base-catalyzed thiol–isocyanate “click” reactions.
Prostate cancer: Clinical implications of therapeutic sequence in mCRPC.

In the field of advanced prostate cancer, a number of therapeutic agents are now available. The sequence of administration of medications with distinct mechanisms of action, toxicities and efficacies, will have a critical role in disease outcomes. The identification of biomarkers predicting response will help to determine the appropriate therapeutic sequence.
In vivo function of posterior cruciate ligament before and after posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose The object of this study was to investigate the in vivo function of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in patients before and after a PCL-retaining total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
A departmental approach for improving lecture skills of medical teachers

Summary The programme described here concentrated on improving the lecture skills of medical teaching staff in a single department. The training format for this programme included videotaping faculty lectures, providing written feedback, and formal training sessions. As a result of participating in this programme members of teaching staff felt that their lecture skills had improved and wanted additional training in other areas of education. The significance of the programme rests not only with its impact on the staff of this specific department but in its being a pilot of an approach to teacher development utilizing an exclusively self-instructional format.
Inhibition of Protein Synthesis by Didemnins: Cell Potency and SAR

Synthetic and naturally occurring didemnins are potent and specific inhibitors of protein synthesis in vitro. Structure-activity analysis indicates a requirement for the intact macrocycle; however, the smaller ring size represented by the didemnin analogue, tamandarin A, is equipotent to didemnin B. Replacement of the N,O-dimethyltyrosine by a N-methylphenyl-alanine or N-methylleucine residue is also well-tolerated. The rank order for inhibition of protein synthesis in vitro appears to be retained in MCF-7 cells, albeit at much higher potency. This increase in potency is explained for the first time by data indicating that MCF-7 cells can accumulate didemnin B up to 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to the growth medium.
Numerical analysis of microwave heat generation in disc-shaped Luneberg lenses

An analysis of the temperature field resulting from microwave absorption in an ideal surface-focus disc-shaped Luneberg lens of foamed glass has been performed. Temperature and spatial dependence of both thermal and electrical properties have been taken into account, and two types of convection boundary conditions have been utilised to describe the actual lens behaviour. Calculations indicate that the maximum lens temperature occurs at about 0.1R in from the focal point, and that about 10 kW can be handled by the 0.305 m-diameter 0.635 cm-thick lens without exceeding the thermal capability of the material. Less than 1% of incident power is absorbed by the lens.
Additional Insects That Feed upon Tansy Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea, an Introduced Weedy Plant, in Western United States

This list adds 12 endemic or cosmopolitan phytophagous insects and mites that have been found feeding on Senecio jacobaea L. in California. This brings to 37 the total number of species known to attack this weedy European plant along the Pacific Coast. Two of the insects discussed are very little known, and rearing them from S. jacobaea constitutes their first host plant records. These are the noctuid Autoplusia olivacea Skinner and the tephritid Trypeta angustigena Foote. The latter was reared also from larvae mining the leaves of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. Of the remaining 20, all are oligophagous or polyphagous and, unlike the monophagous arctiid Tyria jacobaea (L.), do not exert sufficient pressure upon tansy ragwort to affect its abundance and distribution. Plant species which larvae of the arctiid Platyprepia guttata (Boisduval) attacked in nature and accepted or rejected in laboratory feeding tests are listed.
Theoretical model for a nonequilibrium helium arc plasma

Abstract A semiempirical model for a nonequilibrium helium arc plasma is used to interpret systematic deviations in existing spectroscopic data and to aid in computing nonequilibrium plasma transport properties. Two groups of bound electronic states are assumed to exist which follow Boltzmann distributions at Te (upper states) and TR ≠ Te (lower states). Under certain conditions, TR can be interpreted as a radiation temperature characterizing the optically thick part of the spectrum and can be calculated using a restricted Rosseland approximation. The nonequilibrium plasma is characterized by electron densities as much as several orders of magnitude greater than the local thermodynamic equilibrium value. The model reproduces the experimental data in detail once the electron temperature profile is given.
Home Literacy Environment and Head Start Children's Language Development: The Role of Approaches to Learning.

Research Findings: This study examined whether approaches to learning moderate the association between home literacy environment and English receptive vocabulary development. The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (2003 cohort) was used for analysis. Latent growth curve modeling was utilized to test a quadratic model of English receptive vocabulary development. Results showed that children's approaches to learning significantly moderated the influence of home literacy environment on English receptive vocabulary development. Post hoc probing of the simple slopes demonstrated that children with more positive approaches to learning and lower levels of home literacy environment had a higher English receptive vocabulary trajectory. The implications of the study results for early literacy interventions are discussed. Practice or Policy: Findings from this study may have implications for early educators who aim to improve Head Start children's language competencies by targeting home literacy environm...
Cowhage can induce itch in the atopic dog

Itch is a cardinal symptom of atopic dermatitis in humans and dogs. Until now, experimental induction of itch in dogs has proven difficult. The objectives of this study were to determine whether protease-rich spicules, protein extracts and the protease mucunain of the tropical legume cowhage provoked itch and inflammation when rubbed onto canine skin. Native spicules variably induced itch manifestations in about half of the dogs, while challenges with protease-deactivated spicules remained negative. The epicutaneous application of cowhage extract and mucunain after microneedle roller usage also induced pruritus and inflammation. Importantly, there was an interindividual inconsistency in pruritus and inflammation induction and also marked differences in pruritus intensity after challenge. In conclusion, cowhage spicules, protein-rich extracts and mucunain can all induce pruritus and inflammation in dogs as in other species, but the inconsistency of provocation is currently a limitation of this challenge type for future studies of pruritus in dogs.
Completeness relation for energy-dependent separable potentials

We point out that the eigenfunctions of energy‐dependent separable potentials, which are commonly used in the relativistic three‐body problem, form a complete set of states. The completeness property is important, since it is necessary in order to satisfy the optical theorem, and consequently to conserve probability. We show that there exists a large family of energy‐dependent separable potentials whose eigenfunctions form a complete set. Although the eigenfunctions of these potentials are not mutually orthogonal, it is shown that in general they are linearly independent.
A possible long-range communications link between ground and low-orbiting satellites

Abstract In this work we discuss a system for long-range communications between ground and a low-orbiting satellite. The ionosphere is likened to a spherical Luneberg lens which in a small region has a refractive index given by n2(ρ)ρ2 = n02ρλ(1 + ρ2λ)−2, (where ρ is the distance from the centre and λ is a parameter.) Under certain restrictive conditions, it is shown that a ray properly injected in the ionosphere can travel long distances without entering the upper atmosphere. A method for possible injection of the rays is also discussed.
Construction of a single-user model to simplify, understand, and complement The U.Va. Bay Game ™

A collaborative team of U.Va. professors and students from eight different schools as well as private consultants built a large-scale agent-based model as a multi-player game (The U.Va. Bay Game™) to simulate the sources of pollution and the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In a test run in 2009, 144 players (mostly students) participated as farmers, policy makers, watermen, etc. over four days in ten rounds of play. As players made decisions in each round, the underlying model calculated the health of the Bay as well as socio-economic results. One of the key lessons from this test was the importance of well-educated players who understand their place in the entire simulation as well as the nature of nonlinear tradeoffs. This paper will describe the NetLogo application that models a simplified version of the entire U.Va. Bay Game™ called the UVA Mini Bay Game (UVAMBG). Instead of requiring hundreds of decision makers to see the results from each round, a single individual can make a logically-grouped subset of the decisions through a web interface and visualize the results immediately. UVAMBG will help prepare players of the real game by giving them the opportunity to understand better the underlying simulation dynamics prior to multi-user game-play. This single-user game is also a stand-alone tool to raise awareness of the issues surrounding a complex socio/environmental/technical system.
Fibre-matrix adhesion and its relationship to composite mechanical properties

Two major areas of enquiry exist in the field of fibre-matrix adhesion in composite materials. One is the fundamental role that fibre-matrix adhesion plays on composite mechanical properties. The other is what is the “best” method used to measure fibre-matrix adhesion in composite materials. Results of an attempt to provide an experimental foundation for both areas are reported here. A well-characterized experimental system consisting of an epoxy matrix and carbon fibres was selected in which only the fibre surface chemistry was altered to produce three different degrees of adhesion. Embedded single-fibre fragmentation tests were conducted to quantify the level of fibre-matrix adhesion. Observation of the events occurring at the fibre breaks led to the documentation of three distinct failure modes coincident with the three levels of adhesion. The lowest level produced a frictional debonding, the intermediate level produced interfacial crack growth and the highest level produced radial matrix fracture. High fibre volume fraction composites made from the same material were tested for on- and off-axis, as well as fracture, properties. Results indicate that composite results can be explained if both differences in adhesion and failure mode are considered. It will be further demonstrated that fibre-matrix adhesion is an “optimum” condition which has to be selected for the stress state that the interface will experience. The embedded single-fibre fragmentation test is both a valuable measurement tool for quantifying fibre-matrix adhesion as well as the one method which provides fundamental information about the failure mode necessary for understanding the role of adhesion on composite mechanical properties.
Fascial Sling Correction of Kinked Efferent Limb in Patients With Continent Diversion and Catheterization Difficulty

AbstractPurpose: We determined the efficacy of using a rectus fascial sling to revise an angulated efferent limb in patients with continent urinary diversion and difficulty with intermittent catheterization.Materials and Methods: Two spinal cord injured women who underwent modified Indiana pouch urinary diversion required revision of each efferent limb because of difficulty with catheterization. A strip section of anterior rectus sheath was harvested and used to fix the efferent limb in position, assuring freedom from angulation and facilitating catheterization.Results: Both patients remained continent for more than 2 years postoperatively and neither had further difficulties with catheterization or required additional surgery.Conclusions: Use of the rectus fascial sling in continent urinary diversion enables fixation of the efferent limb to facilitate catheterization and enchance continence.
A mathematical study of the metabolic conversion of digitoxin to digoxin in man

Abstract This article describes a mathematical study of the average rate of metabolism of digitoxin to digoxin in patients, and an improved mathematical description of digitoxin kinetics. This description closely fits observed data of pharmacological effect and urinary excretion of both digitoxin and digoxin in patients receiving USP digitoxin. It permits quantification of the effect of reduced renal function on overall digitoxin-digoxin kinetics, and should yield improved precision and safety for digitoxin therapy. Metabolism of digitoxin to digoxin appears to be a relatively minor pathway of digitoxin losses.
Depression of glutamatergic and gabaergic synaptic responses in striatal spiny neurons by stimulation of presynaptic GABAB receptors

The influence of γ-aminobutyric acidB (GABAB) receptor stimulation on the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic potentials and membrane properties of identified striatal spiny neurons was examined in a corticostriatal slice preparation. Stimulation of the subcortical white matter evoked a monosynaptic, excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) and a polysynaptic, inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) in spiny neurons. The EPSP had two components: a large amplitude response which could be blocked by the kainate/quisqualate receptor antagonist, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX, 10μM), and a small amplitue, long-duration depolarization which could be blocked by the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, d-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV, 100 μM). The IPSP was observed as a membrane depolarization when recorded from neurons at resting membrane potential. However, when neurons were injected with the Na+-channel blocker, QX-314, allowing cells to be depolarized above their spike thresholds, a prominent hyperpolarizing IPSP was readily observed which could be blocked by the GABAA antagonist, bicuculline (10-50 μM). This bicuculline-sensitive IPSP was responsible for the inhibition of EPSP amplitude and probability of spike discharge revealed using paired stimulation of the subcortical white matter. The amplitude of both the EPSP and the IPSP were depressed by the GABAB receptor agonist, p-chlorophenyl-GABA (baclofen, 0.5-100 μM) in a concentration-dependent manner. Baclofen also blocked paired stimulus inhibition of spike discharge. These effects of baclofen persisted in slices in which the cortex was removed and were reversed by the GABAB receptor antagonist, 3-amino-3-hydroxy-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-propanesulphonic acid (saclofen, 100-500 μM). In contrast to its profound influence on synaptic input, baclofen did not alter resting membrane potential, input resistance, membrane current-voltage relationship, or spike threshold of the cells recorded, and therefore did not appear to exert direct postsynaptic effects on the striatal spiny neurons. Taken together, these data indicate that the depressant effects of baclofen on EPSPs are mediated through GABAB receptors located on the terminals of glutamatergic afferents within the striatum. Moreover, the results suggest that the actions of baclofen on IPSPs and paired stimulus inhibition are produced by activation of GABAB receptors within the striatum at a site presynaptic to spiny neurons, either on the terminals of GABAergic afferents or on an interposed non-spiny GABAergic cell. Thus, GABAB hetero- and auto-receptors have the capacity to provide a negative feedback mechanism through which the major excitatory and inhibitory inputs to striatal spiny neurons are regulated. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Energy attacks and defense techniques for wireless systems

This paper addresses the energy attacks towards wireless systems, where energy is the most critical constraint to lifetime and reliability. We for the first time propose a hardware-based energy attack, namely energy hardware Trojans (HTs), which can be well hidden in the wireless systems and trigger ultra-high energy increases at runtime. Then, we develop a non-destructive HT detection approach to identify the energy attack by remotely sampling the power profiles of the system and characterizing the gate-level temperatures. Our evaluation results on ISCAS benchmarks indicate the effectiveness of the proposed energy attacks and defense techniques.
Diffusion Imaging for Tumor Grading of Supratentorial Brain Tumors in the First Year of Life

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Supratentorial tumors in the first year of life are typically large and heterogeneous at presentation, making differentiation of these CNS neoplasms on pre-operative imaging difficult. We hypothesize that the ADC value can reliably differentiate high- versus low-grade supratentorial tumors in this patient population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A blinded review of ADC maps was performed on 19 patients with histologically proved supratentorial brain tumors diagnosed within the first year of life. Minimum ADC values obtained by region of interest from 2 neuroradiologists were averaged and compared with World Health Organization tumor grade. ADC values for the entire tumor were also obtained by use of a semi-automated histogram method and compared with World Health Organization tumor grade. Data were analyzed by use of Spearman ρ and Student t test, with a value of P RESULTS: For the manual ADC values, a significant negative correlation was found between the mean minimum ADC and tumor grade ( P = .0016). A significant difference was found between the mean minimum ADC of the low-grade (1.14 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s ± 0.30) and high-grade tumors (0.64 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s ± 0.28) ( P = .0018). Likewise, the semi-automated method demonstrated a significant negative correlation between the lowest 5th ( P = .0002) and 10th ( P = .0009) percentile individual tumor ADC values and tumor grade, a significant difference between the mean 5th and 10th percentile ADC values of the low-grade and high-grade groups ( P = .0028), and a significant positive correlation with values obtained by manual region-of-interest placement ( P CONCLUSIONS: ADC maps can differentiate high- versus low-grade neoplasms for supratentorial tumors presenting in the first year of life, given the significant negative correlation between ADC values and tumor grade.
Human brain‐structure resolved T2 relaxation times of proton metabolites at 3 tesla

The transverse relaxation times, T(2), of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), total choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr) obtained at 3T in several human brain regions of eight healthy volunteers are reported. They were obtained simultaneously in 320 voxels with three-dimensional (3D) proton MR spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) at 1 cm(3) spatial resolution. A two-point protocol, optimized for the least error per given time by adjusting both the echo delay (TE(i)) and number of averages, N(i), at each point, was used. Eight healthy subjects (four males and four females, age = 26 +/- 2 years) underwent the hour-long procedure of four 15-min, 3D acquisitions (TE(1) = 35 ms, N(1) = 1; and TE(2) = 285 ms, N(2) = 3). The results reveal that across all subjects the NAA and Cr T(2)s in gray matter (GM) structures (226 +/- 17 and 137 +/- 12 ms, respectively) were 13-17% shorter than the corresponding T(2)s in white matter (WM; 264 +/- 10 and 155 +/- 7 ms, respectively). The T(2)s of Cho did not differ between GM and WM (207 +/- 17 and 202 +/- 8, respectively). For the purpose of metabolic quantification, these values justify to within +/-10% the previous use of one T(2) per metabolite for 1) the entire brain and 2) all subjects. These T(2) values (which to our knowledge were obtained for the first time at this field, spatial resolution, coverage, and precision) are essential for reliable absolute metabolic quantification.
Thermodynamic Properties of a Series of P-N-ALkoxy-P’-Cyanobiphenyls

The temperatures and heats of the solid and mesophase transitions for the C5 to C9 p-n-alkoxy-p’-cyanobiphenyls, synthesized at this laboratory, have been determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The data were collected and analyzed using on line data acquisition/reduction programs written for the IBM System/7-360/ 195. The solid to mesophase transition entropy was found to increase by the same amount per carbon number as the n-alkanes. However, the absolute magnitude of the transition is larger by almost two carbon numbers than that expected from the corresponding paraffin. This four entropy unit (cal/mole/°K) offset is probably due to an increase in molecular dipole interactions caused by the alkoxy-biphenyl linkage, which is supported by the thermal properties of p-n-alkyl-p’-cyanobiphenyls.
New-Onset Thrombocytopenia and Anemia in a Patient With a Complex Medical History

Questions:1. What are this patient’s most striking clinical and laboratoryfindings?2. How do you explain this patient’s most striking clinical andlaboratory findings?3. What condition(s) is (are) suggested by this patient’s moststriking clinical and laboratory findings?4. What is (are) the etiology (etiologies) of this patient’scondition(s)?5. How is(are) this patient’s condition(s) typically treated?Possible Answers:1. Hepatosplenomegaly; normocytic anemia and severethrombocytopenia; elevated PT, PPT, and D-dimers; hypofib-rinogenemia. In addition, the smear of the patient’s bone mar-row (BM) aspirate demonstrated a prominent population ofmedium-sized lymphoid cells with irregular nuclei, moderatelycondensed chromatin, and small nucleoli (