cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pilot Testing a New Short Screen for the Assessment of Older Women's PTSD Symptomatology

It is difficult for busy health care providers to perform routine screening for older women's posttraumatic stress symptomatology, due, at least partially, to a paucity of instruments specifically tested on such a population. To address this issue, in this preliminarily study we tested an abbreviated screen from the set of 20 items comprising the Distressing Event Questionnaire (DEQ; Kubany, Leisen, Kaplan, & Kelly, 2000) on a convenience sample of 94 ethnically diverse older women (ages 52-105). This new 5-item derivation, named "Brief Posttraumatic Stress Screening Scale (BPSSS)", assesses posttraumatic stress based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - IV (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Its conciseness reduces the likelihood that older women would become fatigued during assessment, making it ideal for use in busy health care settings. Because the BPSSS has only five items, a single factor was hypothesized to account for a large proportion of the variance in its items, in view of the hypothesized cohesiveness of the tool's five items. We also expected that scores on the screen would correlate (to a certain extent) with those on measures of depression and perceived stress of a non-traumatic and non-medical nature. A standardized alpha of .86 demonstrated high internal consistency of the BPSSS and the exploratory factor analysis showed that one factor accounted for 58% of the five items' variance. Moreover, the correlations of BPSSS scores with scores on non-traumatic stress and depression were moderate yet significant (r = .37, p < .01 and r = .50, p < .01, respectively).
Masker interaural phase and the MLD: Effects of conductive hearing loss

Abstract Sensitivity to binaural signals that were interaurally antiphasic with respect to the masking noise was examined as a function of the interaural phase of the masking noise, for listeners with normal hearing, and listeners with conductive hearing losses. Some of the hearing-impaired listeners were tested both before and after middle ear surgery. In agreement with previous findings, the normal-hearing listeners showed the lowest thresholds when the masking noise had no interaural phase shift, with thresholds increasing monotonically as the interaural phase of the center frequency of the masker approached ± 180°. Although many of the masked threshold functions of the hearing-impaired listeners showed significant changes in thresholds as a function of masker interaural phase, most of the functions were abnormal in shape, and few showed peaks for the interaural masker phase of 0°. Although functions often continued to be abnormal after middle ear surgery, a few subjects obtained postsurgery functions that were correlated with the average normal function. The results indicate that although normal-hearing listeners generally have the lowest antiphasic signal threshold for a masker with 0° interaural phase, conductively-impaired listeners often do not show a clear minimum for antiphasic signal threshold at any particular masker interaural phase.
Prolactin alters the expression of integumental glycoconjugates in the red-spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens.

Prolactin (PRL)-mediated changes in the texture and secretory activity of the skin in adult red-spotted newts may involve alterations in the distribution and/or expression of structural and secretory epidermal glycoconjugates. To explore this possibility, skin samples were obtained from groups of conditioned animals that had received injections of either ovine prolactin or amphibian saline over a 14-day period. Glycoconjugates within the epidermis and cutaneous glands were examined by means of lectin hitochemistry using a panel of eight HRP-labelled lectins. PRL increased levels of sialic acid and n-acetylglucosamine in the stratum corneum. In contrast, glycoconjugates containing fucose, galactose, n-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose-(1,3)-n-acetylgalactosamine were decreased by PRL within both glands and epidermis. These results suggest that the intergumental effects associated with prolactin in the red-spotted newt are mediated, at least in part, through the alteration of epidermal and glandular glycoconjugates. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Differential Regulation of Adhesion Molecule Expression by Human Cerebrovascular and Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

The adhesion of circulating leukocytes to vascular endothelium is a prerequisite for their emigration to extravascular tissues. The data presented here demonstrate that intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) are constitutively expressed on endothelial cell lines derived from both human brain (HBEC) and umbilical cord veins (HUVEC). Lipopolysaccharide, tumor necrosis factor-α or interferon-γ treatment of both HBEC and HUVEC cell lines up-regulated the expression of these adhesion molecules in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These same proinflammatory factors also induced the expression of E-selectin on both HBEC and HUVEC cell cultures. Endothelins (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) also had a similar effect on the expression of all three adhesion molecules on HBEC. However, none of the endothelins had any effects on ICAM-1, VCAM-1 or E-selectin expression by HUVEC, despite the concomitant effects of the aforementioned factors on identical cultures. These results in...
A Small Life in Detail

End-of-life care for extremely low-birth-weight newborns is complex. Newborns cannot be informed or make personal choices. Uncertainty in outcomes as well as defining futility can make decisions about withdrawing or withholding care nebulous. Major ethical, legal and professional problems can arise when clinicians are not skilled in extending end-of-life care to include the family, healthcare team and all involved. The competent, caring and compassionate clinician can often facilitate a positive outcome in end-of-life experiences.
On a Sharper Lower Bound for a Percentile of a Student’s t Distribution with an Application

In this communication, we first compare zα and tν,α, the upper 100α% points of a standard normal and a Student’s tν distributions respectively. We begin with a proof of a well-known result, namely, for every fixed \(0 zα. Next, Theorem 3.1 provides a new and explicit expression bν( > 1) such that for every fixed \(0 bνzα. This is clearly a significant improvement over the result that is customarily quoted in nearly every textbook and elsewhere. A proof of Theorem 3.1 is surprisingly simple and pretty. We also extend Theorem 3.1 in the case of a non-central Student’s t distribution (Section 3.3). In the context of Stein’s (Ann Math Stat 16:243–258, 1945; Econometrica 17:77–78, 1949) 100(1 − α)% fixed-width confidence intervals for the mean of a normal distribution having an unknown variance, we have examined the oversampling rate on an average for a variety of choices of m, the pilot sample size. We ran simulations to investigate this issue. We have found that the oversampling rates are approximated well by \(t_{\nu ,\alpha /2}^{2}z_{\alpha /2}^{-2}\) for small and moderate values of m( ≤ 50) all across Table 2 where ν = m − 1. However, when m is chosen large (≥ 100), we find from Table 3 that the oversampling rates are not approximated by \(t_{\nu ,\alpha /2}^{2}z_{\alpha /2}^{-2}\) very well anymore in some cases, and in those cases the oversampling rates either exceed the new lower bound of \(t_{\nu ,\alpha /2}^{2}z_{\alpha /2}^{-2},\) namely \(b_{\nu }^{2},\) or comes incredibly close to \(b_{\nu }^{2}\) where ν = m − 1. That is, the new lower bound for a percentile of a Student’s t distribution may play an important role in order to come up with diagnostics in our understanding of simulated output under Stein’s fixed-width confidence interval method.
Women's Work Values in Unified Germany Regional Differences as Remnants of the Past

This article examines East-West differences in work values among German women, using data from the 1991 German Social Survey (ALLBUS). Our analyses indicate a clear regional gap in work values: East German women are more likely than West German women to consider employment to be very important and to highly value its socioeconomic and social rewards. We contend that this gap exists because of the effect of preunification differences in state ideology and policy on the life experiences of German women in the two regions. We discuss the implications of the findings for the claim that East Germany was more successful than West Germany in fostering positive attitudes toward market work among women.
Acute electrophysiologic effects of bethanidine sulfate in patients with ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.

Abstract Ten patients with a history of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation underwent electrophysiologic study with programmed stimulation before and 90 minutes after oral administration of bethanidine sulfate, 20 mg/kg. Mean plasma bethanidine concentration was 2.62 ± 2.2 (± SD) μg/ml at the start of repeat testing. This dose of bethanidine produced no effect on sinus node function, atrioventricular conduction, or atrial or ventricular refractoriness. Ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, inducible in all patients during the control study, could still be initiated by ventricular stimulation in 9 of 10 patients after bethanidine. Bethanidine suppressed the ability to initiate an arrhythmia in one patient with ventricular fibrillation during control stimulation. Orthostatic hypotension was seen in all patients despite pretreatment with the tricyclic antidepressant, protriptyline, 15 mg every 8 hours. The results suggest that bethanidine has few electrophysiologic effects and is of limited efficacy during electrophysiologic testing in patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.
Changing land management: A case study of charcoal production among a group of pastoral women in northern Tanzania

Abstract Challenging economic and environmental conditions, coupled with increasing population, have led to changes in the priorities and activities of rural Africans. In Tanzania's savanna woodlands a growing dependency on non-farm extractive activities such as firewood supply and charcoal production is placing increasing pressure on local resources. Although the actual impact that fuelwood consumption has on tree cover is neither well documented nor completely understood, deforestation due to extractive practices for commercial charcoal sales has the potential to have a particularly profound impact on semi-arid savanna systems in Tanzania where forest and bush regeneration are especially slow. This study investigates land use conflicts and recent changes that have led to major shifts in resource management and use associated with the extraction of fuelwood for charcoal production in the Maasai village of Engikareti in northern Tanzania where charcoal serves as a cash crop for a growing number of women. In 2005, more than 200 women (four to six percent of the village population) removed an estimated 4000 trees to provide subsistence income for their families. Population growth, drought, social and economic marginalization, and a lack of other marketable resources are factors leading to rapidly increasing rates of extraction. While demand for fuelwood for charcoal production is unlikely to deplete forest cover on a large scale over the short term, imbalances between the patterns of demand and availability foreshadow potential localized scarcities and the degradation of savanna vegetation.
Gene therapy for rhesus monkeys heterozygous for LDL receptor deficiency by balloon catheter hepatic delivery of helper-dependent adenoviral vector

Gene therapy for rhesus monkeys heterozygous for LDL receptor deficiency by balloon catheter hepatic delivery of helper-dependent adenoviral vector
Family Therapy with Elderly Suicidal Patients: Communication and Crisis Aspects

This article discusses the role of the family in the origins of a suicidal state, and its role in resolving the suicidal crisis, especially when family therapy is available. Death wishes, homicidal ideation, and suicide pact-and-suicide-murder ideation, are present far more frequently than is commonly realized. They all contain a constructive potential in the presence of a competent and experienced therapist. Success in therapy includes a knowledge of how to deal with the communication of suicidal impulses by the suicidal person, the family's communication of feeling burdened and fed up, and the venting of rage. Treatment is based upon the understanding that suicide is a process that is frequently handed down from one generation to the next, and includes several generations at one time. These considerations are illustrated by case examples, mostly from the experiences of the writer, demonstrating how destructive interactions can be transformed into life affirming ones.
Statistical approach to metabonomic analysis of rat urine following surgical trauma

Acute trauma is often associated with the progressive deterioration of multiple organ systems in humans and is the leading cause of death in trauma care units. Previous studies have suggested that multiple organ failure is likely related to uncontrolled systemic inflammation. However the causal mechanisms remain unknown. Current methods of assessing trauma patient status and predicting outcome are based on a variety of anatomical and/or physiological scoring models. While being useful, these are labor intensive and do not allow for real-time analysis of patient status. In this study, we have developed a metabonomic based approach using a rodent model of acute trauma in order to determine whether statistically significant differences exist between the quantitative and qualitative profile of urinary metabolites of control rats and rats that have experienced surgical trauma. This approach incorporates statistical, analytical, and computational tools in order to identify metabolites that are unique to trauma and maybe used to predict trauma outcome. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the trauma and the control urinary metabonomes. Partial least square (PLS) and Principle component analysis (PCA) combined with Logistic regression (LR) were used to categorize subjects into either control or trauma with greater than 80% accuracy. We have also shown that using Bayesian methods that we could classify subjects being traumatic or control with a given credible interval. These results suggest that metabonomics may prove useful for quantifying and identifying biomarkers of trauma status as well as trauma outcome in humans. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Direct and Indirect Gene Regulation by a Life-Extending FOXO Protein in C. elegans: Roles for GATA Factors and Lipid Gene Regulators

Summary In long-lived C. elegans insulin/IGF-1 pathway mutants, the life-extending FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 is present throughout the animal, but we find that its activity in a single tissue can delay the aging of other tissues and extend the animal's life span. To better understand the topography of DAF-16 action among the tissues, we analyzed a collection of DAF-16 - regulated genes. DAF-16 regulated most of these genes in a cell-autonomous fashion, often using tissue-specific GATA factors to direct their expression to specific tissues. DAF-16 could also act cell nonautonomously to influence gene expression. DAF-16 affected gene expression in other cells, at least in part, via the lipid-gene regulator MDT-15. DAF-16, and probably MDT-15, could act cell nonautonomously in the endoderm to ameliorate the paralysis caused by expressing Alzheimer's Aβ protein in muscles. These findings suggest that MDT-15-dependent intercellular signals, possibly lipid signals, can help to coordinate tissue physiology, enhance proteostasis, and extend life in response to DAF-16/FOXO activity.
Neural substrates of psychostimulant-induced arousal.

Extensive research has provided substantial insight into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the reinforcing, locomotor-activating and stereotypy-inducing actions of psychostimulants. The diverse behavioral effects of these drugs are superimposed on potent arousal-enhancing actions. Psychostimulant-induced arousal is a prominent contributing factor to the widespread use and abuse of these drugs. Moreover, enhanced arousal may be a critical component of the reinforcing and other behavioral actions of these drugs. Although long overlooked, recent work begins to identify the neural mechanisms involved in psychostimulant-induced arousal. For example, microdialysis studies demonstrate a close relationship between amphetamine-induced waking/arousal and amphetamine-induced increases in norepinephrine and dopamine efflux. Additionally, it is now clear that both norepinephrine and dopamine exert robust wake-promoting actions. The wake-promoting effects of norepinephrine involve synergistic actions of α1- and β-receptors, whereas dopamine-induced waking involves both D1 and D2 receptors. Finally, additional studies have identified subcortical regions involved in the wake-promoting actions of both norepinephrine and amphetamine. These regions include, but may not be limited to, the medial septal area, the medial preoptic area, and the lateral hypothalamus. Combined, these and other observations indicate a prominent involvement of both norepinephrine and dopamine in stimulant-induced arousal via actions within a network of subcortical regions. Although it is clear that both norepinephrine and dopamine contribute to psychostimulant-induced arousal, the degree to which each transmitter system is necessary for the expression of stimulant-induced arousal remains to be fully elucidated.
Balanced cognitive load significantly improves the effectiveness of algorithm animation as a problem-solving tool

The question of whether animations depicting running algorithms are beneficial in helping users has received mixed results. This paper provides evidence that the effectiveness of animations as an aid in performing a task is affected by several factors that have no influence on text-only aids. We make our case by comparing two separate studies designed to measure whether the addition of animations to textual descriptions of a running computation promotes understanding of distributed algorithms. The text-based conditions in both experiments resulted in statistically similar results, while the animation-added conditions resulted in different outcomes. The best visualization condition outperforms all other conditions by a significant margin. The factors that were different between the two experiments fall under the concept of cognitive economy. Therefore, the degree of cognitive economy is important both for empirical studies that involve animation and for practical applications in which people rely on dynamic visualization to solve an algorithmic problem.
Hermitian geometries in projective space

Abstract Using a Hermitian form on a vector space over GF ( l ), we produce a geometry on the associated projective space and prove that this geometry is characterized by its plane sections.
Drinking, smoking and other factors in the epidemiology of unintentional non-motor vehicle injuries.

A case-control study was conducted to assess the role of drinking, cigarette smoking, racial status and employment status in the epidemiology of unintentional non-motor vehicle injuries (UNVIs). Cases consisted of 213 randomly selected injury patients admitted to one of four community hospitals in northern Illinois between 1975 and 1983. Cases were frequency matched by age and sex to 656 community controls. Drinkers and smokers were found to be at significantly increased risk of UNVIs (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 2.23–4.48; and OR = 3.04, 95% CI = 2.20–4.18, respectively). Non-whites and employed subjects, 15–19 years of age, were also at increased risk of UNVIs. The unadjusted odds ratio for non-whites versus whites was 3.68 (95% CI = 2.25–5.99) and that for employed versus unemployed persons, 15–19 years old, ranged from 7.50 to 56.14 (95% CI = 0.81–68.72 and 7.39–428.38, respectively) depending on sex.
Kinematic comparison of Hybrid II test dummy to wheelchair user

Hybrid test dummies provide a safe alternative to human subjects when investigating mechanisms of wheelchair tips and falls. The data that researchers acquire from these test dummies are more useful if the test dummy represents the population being studied. The goal of this study was to measure the validity of a 50th percentile Hybrid II test dummy (HTD) as an accurate representation of a wheelchair user. A test pilot with T8 paraplegia due to traumatic spinal cord injury served as a basis for validation. Simple modifications were made to the HTD to approximate the trunk stability characteristics of a person with a spinal cord injury. An HTD, a modified HTD, and a human test pilot were seated in an electric-powered wheelchair and several braking tests performed. The standard HTD underestimated the kinematics when compared to the test pilot. The modified HTD had less trunk stability than the standard HTD during all braking methods. The modified HTD and wheelchair test pilot had similar trunk stability characteristics during kill switch and joystick full-reverse braking conditions. The modified HTD is a satisfactory representation of a wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury; however, the modified test dummy underestimates the trunk dynamics during the less extreme joystick release braking. Work should continue on the development of a low-speed, low-impact test dummy that emulates the wheelchair user population.
Transient Crack Propagation in Asymmetric Cruciform Paths

The problem of two cracks emanating from the same origin and propagating asymmetrically at different velocities in an elastic and isotropic solid is treated in this paper. An unbounded and otherwise undisturbed medium and a constant anti-plane loading at infinity were assumed. Techniques of self-similar elastodynamics were utilized in conjunction with analytic-function theory. Since a closed-form solution of such a problem is impossible we relied in the last steps of the procedure upon numerical analysis.
Prebiotic synthesis of diaminopyrimidine and thiocytosine

The reaction of guanidine hydrochloride with cyanoacetaldehyde gives high yields (40-85%) of 2,4-diaminopyrimidine under the concentrated conditions of a drying lagoon model of prebiotic synthesis, in contrast to the low yields previously obtained under more dilute conditions. The prebiotic source of cyanoacetaldehyde, cyanoacetylene, is produced from electric discharges under reducing conditions. The effect of pH and concentration of guanidine hydrochloride on the rate of synthesis and yield of diaminopyrimidine were investigated, as well as the hydrolysis of diaminopyrimidine to cytosine, isocytosine, and uracil. Thiourea also reacts with cyanoacetaldehyde to give 2-thiocytosine, but the pyrimidine yields are much lower than with guanidine hydrochloride or urea. Thiocytosine hydrolyzes to thiouracil and cytosine and then to uracil. This synthesis would have been a significant prebiotic source of 2-thiopyrimidines and 5-substituted derivatives of thiouracil, many of which occur in tRNA. The applicability of these results to the drying lagoon model of prebiotic synthesis was tested by dry-down experiments where dilute solutions of cyanoacetaldehyde, guanidine hydrochloride, and 0.5 M NaCl were evaporated over varying periods of time. The yields of diaminopyrimidine varied from 1 to 7%. These results show that drying lagoons and beaches may have been major sites of prebiotic syntheses.
Dissociative recombination and mutual neutralization of heavier molecular ions: C10H8+, WF5+, and CnFm+

Dissociative recombination (DR) rate coefficients for the naphthalene cation, C10H8+, and WF5+, and mutual neutralization (MN) rate coefficients for these species and five CnFm+ ions, were determined at 300 K using variable electron and neutral density attachment mass spectrometry (VENDAMS). DR proceeds at 9 ± 3 × 10−7 cm3 s−1 for C10H8+ and at 6.1 ± 1.4 × 10−7 cm3 s−1 for WF5+. Consistent with previous results, MN for the polyatomic cations with the halide anions Cl−, Br−, and I− exhibits an approximate μ−1/2 reduced mass dependence of the reactant partners, demonstrating that ion collision velocities influence the rate coefficients. This work is an extension of VENDAMS to systems, where low reactant concentrations are necessary to avoid significant reaction of product ions with the neutral precursor, i.e., conditions not suitable for traditional flowing afterglow measurements, as well as to ions of masses > ∼ 100 Da, which are not amenable to the study of DR in magnetic storage rings. Our results expand...
High-temperature corrosion of Fe3Al in chlorine-containing environments

Abstract The corrosion of Fe 3 Al in Cl 2 –Ar gas mixtures has been investigated at the temperature range of 600–800°C using thermogravimetric analysis, SEM, XRD, and EDS. Weight gain was observed during the corrosion of Fe 3 Al at 600°C in 0.25% Cl 2 –Ar, which is due to the formation of Fe 2 O 3 , while continuous weight loss of the specimen in 5% Cl 2 –Ar at 800°C was observed because of the formation of volatile metal chlorides, FeCl 2 , FeCl 3 , and AlCl 3 . Meanwhile, three distinct stages of weight change during the corrosion of Fe 3 Al at 700°C in 1% Cl 2 –Ar were observed, (1) weight gain, (2) linear weight loss, and (3) gradual decrease of weight loss. Initial weight gain is due to the formation of Fe 2 O 3 , and the weight loss in the subsequent two stages is in consequence of the formation of volatile metal chlorides, FeCl 2 , FeCl 3 and AlCl 3 .
A delta-sigma modulation system for time delay and analog function storage

The advent of fast iterative analog computers poses the requirement for storing analog functions for integral multiples of the computer repetition period which is typically of the order of 1 to 10 milliseconds. In addition to function storage for one computer run, it would be desirable to store analog functions for indefinite time intervals to permit table lookup. Typical accuracy requirements might be 0.1 to 0.5 per cent of half-scale at ten times the computer repetition frequency (10 cps to 1000 cps) with somewhat lower accuracy at higher frequencies.
Spatial learning and navigation using a virtual verbal display

We report on three experiments that investigate the efficacy of a new type of interface called a virtual verbal display (VVD) for nonvisual learning and navigation of virtual environments (VEs). Although verbal information has been studied for route-guidance, little is known about the use of context-sensitive, speech-based displays (e.g., the VVD) for supporting free exploration and wayfinding behavior. During training, participants used the VVD (Experiments I and II) or a visual display (Experiment III) to search the VEs and find four hidden target locations. At test, all participants performed a route-finding task in the corresponding real environment, navigating with vision (Experiments I and III) or from verbal descriptions (Experiment II). Training performance between virtual display modes was comparable, but wayfinding in the real environment was worse after VVD learning than visual learning, regardless of the testing modality. Our results support the efficacy of the VVD for searching computer-based environments but indicate a difference in the cognitive maps built up between verbal and visual learning, perhaps due to lack of physical movement in the VVD.
An ultraviolet microbeam study of the roles of nucleus and cytoplasm in division delay, killing, and photoreactivation of Amoeba proteus

These experiments were directed primarily to the question of the relative roles of nucleus and cytoplasm in whole-cell ultraviolet irradiation effects. Starved G2 cells of Amoeba proteus were flattened to a thickness of 20 μ and irradiated with microbeams of polychromatic ultraviolet radiation (UV). The technique permits irradiation either of all the nucleus or of all the cytoplasm with little overlap. Whole-cell irradiations were also performed, both with the microbeam and with the germicidal lamp, and photoreactivation was investigated. We find that interactions between the effects of UV damage on nucleus and cytoplasm are small and possibly insignificant. This does not mean that one organelle does not possess recovery potential for the other, but merely that such factors, if they exist, are not UV-sensitive. In flattened cells, for a standard division delay (doubling of time to complete the second division after irradiation), nuclear irradiation requires 6 times as large a dose (ergs/mm2) as cytoplasmic irradiation; for killing (lysis within 3 weeks), nuclear irradiation requires about the same dose as cytoplasmic irradiation. From this behavior and the lack of interactions noted above, we conclude that killing of a flattened A. proteus with UV results about equally from damage to the nucleus and to the cytoplasm, whereas division delay results almost entirely from cytoplasmic damage. When one irradiates a free (unflattened) ameba with UV below 300 mμ, the effects appear to be due almost solely to cytoplasmic damage, owing to shielding of the nucleus by overlying cytoplasm. A. proteus shows a small but significant photoreactivation of both division delay and killing after nuclear irradiation, but a much larger photoreactivation of both effects after cytoplasmic irradiation (photoreactivable sectors of 0.45 for killing and 0.6 for division delay). This appears to be the first clear-cut demonstration of cytoplasmic photoreactivation in a whole cell. In general, these experiments confirm the suggestion by others (see introduction) that the ameba cytoplasm plays an important role in radiation response. The present experiments have eliminated the possibility that this unusual response is due only to shielding of the nucleus by the cytoplasm. They have also shown that the principal site of damage in the cytoplasm is apparently nucleic acid, since this damage is highly photoreactivable.
Phototherapy of Barrett's esophagus

Barrett's esophagus is a common premalignant disease. The aim of this study is to determine if low dose photodynamic therapy is capable of ablating Barrett's epithelium allowing regrowth of normal squamous mucosa. Methods: Patients with specialized Barrett's esophagus of at least 3 cm length were given 1.5-1.75 mg/kg of hematoporphyrin derivative intravenously. After 48 hours, esophagoscopy and videotaping of the Barrett's was performed. A 1.0-1.5 cm cylindrical diffusing fiber delivered light of 630 nm in a dose of 150-200 J/cm using a tunable dye laser at a power of 400 mW/cm. Following entry, patients were placed on omeprazole 20 mg/day for six months. Results: Twelve patients (8 men) mean age of 62 +/- 4 have had repeat endoscopy performed at 25 +/- 2 weeks following entry. The Barrett's segment length decreased from 8+/- 1 to 5+/- 1 cm after PDT (p < 0.01) with a corresponding change in the appearance and location of the squamocolumnar junction. Six (50%) of the patients had a 4 cm or more decrease in the length of their Barrett's esophagus with normal squamous mucosa on biopsy. Adverse events included transient odynophagia, minor sunburn, and transient chest pain. Conclusions: Photodynamic therapy of Barrett's esophagus can cause a regression in length of the Barrett's segment with replacement by normal squamous epithelium.
Closed form expression for thermal resistance of a FET structure

Radar systems frequently place high RF output power demands on power amplifiers. High power amplification leads to increased heat dissipation in the devices which, in turn, leads to increased operating temperature. Knowing the operating tempterature of these devices is of great interest because it significantly affects both their reliability and performance. In fact, the accurate determination (within a few percent) of the junction temperature in FETs and MMICs is critical for reliability assessment. This paper presents an original closed-form expression for determination of the thermal resistance of an FET device. It is based on the thermal resistance of a cylinder between two ground planes and it covers a wide range of practical gate lengths, and substrate thicknesses. The approach provides an assessment of the junction temperature of the device which will be a benefit to MMIC designers, packaging engineers and system designers.
An ESD protection circuit for mixed-signal ICs

A new ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection circuit was designed and implemented in commercial BiCMOS. One such ESD unit is adequate for each I/O pin to survive ESD stressing of all modes. This novel ESD circuit features adjustable low-trigger-voltage, symmetric active discharge channels in all directions, fast response, and high ESD performance/area ratio. It passed 14 kV HBM and 15 kV airgap IEC ESD zapping. This compact ESD structure minimizes parasitic effects, which is desired for mixed-signal and RF ICs.
Transformation relationships for two commonly utilized Euler angle representations

Finding the transformation between different rotation representations in the development of high-level software systems that must be transported to different robots utilizing different rotation representation schemes is addressed. Euler angle representations, which are widely used in commercial robots and research laboratory robots, are considered. Typically, there are three different Euler angle representation systems, and each system describes a particular orientation of a rigid body in a reference coordinate frame by specifying three angles. Mathematical derivations of the transformation relationships underlying the parameters from two most commonly utilized representation schemes are presented. These relationships are derived in two different ways. One is based on the solution of the inverse transform for Euler angles and the other is based on the Napier's rules associated with spherical trigonometry. >
PPIRank - an advanced method for ranking protein-protein interations in TAP/MS data

Background: Tandem affinity purification coupled with mass-spectrometry (TAP/MS) analysis is a popular method for the identification of novel endogenous protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in large-scale. Computational analysis of TAP/MS data is a critical step, particularly for high-throughput datasets, yet it remains challenging due to the noisy nature of TAP/MS data. Results: We investigated several major TAP/MS data analysis methods for identifying PPIs, and developed an advanced method, which incorporates an improved statistical method to filter out false positives from the negative controls. Our method is named PPIRank that stands for PPI ranking in TAP/MS data. We compared PPIRank with several other existing methods in analyzing two pathway-specific TAP/MS PPI datasets from Drosophila. Conclusion: Experimental results show that PPIRank is more capable than other approaches in terms of identifying known interactions collected in the BioGRID PPI database. Specifically, PPIRank is able to capture more true interactions and simultaneously less false positives in both Insulin and Hippo pathways of Drosophila Melanogaster.
The Effects of Litter on Littering Behavior in a Forest Environment

Previous research has suggested that there are stimuli in the environment that can influence the amount of litter discarded in that environment. This experiment investigated the effects of litter a...
Observation of Long-Range Orientational Ordering in Metal Films Evaporated at Oblique Incidence onto Glass

We studied long-range orientational ordering in polycrystalline Au films (10 nm - 30 nm) that are evaporated at oblique incidence onto a glass substrate at room temperature. By measuring the averaged optical second-harmonic response from the films over a 6-mm diameter region, we observed a transition from the expected in-plane mirror symmetry at 10 nm to a surprising three-fold in-plane rotational symmetry at 30 nm. X-ray pole figure analysis performed on these films showed the strong fiber texture typical of fcc films, but with a restricted, three-fold symmetric, distribution of crystallite orientations about the fiber axis.
Differential uptake of MRI contrast agents indicates charge-selective blood-brain interface in the crayfish

This study provides a new perspective on the long-standing problem of the nature of the decapod crustacean blood-brain interface. Previous studies of crustacean blood-brain interface permeability have relied on invasive histological, immunohistochemical and electrophysiological techniques, indicating a leaky non-selective blood-brain barrier. The present investigation involves the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a method for non-invasive longitudinal tracking of tracers in real-time. Differential uptake rates of two molecularly distinct MRI contrast agents, namely manganese (Mn(II)) and Magnevist® (Gd-DTPA), were observed and quantified in the crayfish, Cherax destructor. Contrast agents were injected into the pericardium and uptake was observed with longitudinal MRI for approximately 14.5 h. Mn(II) was taken up quickly into neural tissue (within 6.5 min), whereas Gd-DTPA was not taken up into neural tissue and was instead restricted to the intracerebral vasculature or excreted into nearby sinuses. Our results provide evidence for a charge-selective intracerebral blood-brain interface in the crustacean nervous system, a structural characteristic once considered too complex for a lower-order arthropod.
New ghost-free infrared-soft gauges.

We discuss a new class of infrared-soft, Gribov copy-free gauges in which ghosts decouple. The gauges are natural for gauge theory, allowing a geometric interpretation of the Faddeev-Popov determinant in terms of the gauge-fixing flow on the space of gauge transformations. When a Nicolai-Langevin map is available, the new gauges are seen to be equivalent to Zwanziger's stochastic gauge fixing.
Accurate Temperature Estimation for Efficient Thermal Management

In this work we present a method for accurate estimation of temperature at various locations on a chip considering the inaccuracies in thermal sensor readings due to limitations mainly due to thermal sensor placement and sensor noise. This technique enables accurate estimation of temperature at different locations on the chip with only a limited number of sensors in an efficient way. We utilize Kalman filter (KF) for temperature estimation and for elimination of sensing inaccuracies as well. The computational complexity is reduced by using steady state Kalman filter during normal operation of the chip and reducing the order of the thermal model by a projection based model order reduction method. Our experimental results show that this technique typically reduces the standard deviation and maximum value of temperature estimation errors by about an order of magnitude.
On the network complexity of selection

The sequential complexity of determining the kth largest out of a given set of n keys is known to be linear. Thus, given a p-processor parallel machine, it is asked whether or not an O(n/p) selection algorithm can be devised for that machine. An Omega ((n/p) log log p+log p) lower bound is obtained for selection on any network that satisfies a particular low expansion property. The class of networks satisfying this property includes all of the common network families, such as the tree, multidimensional mesh, hypercube, butterfly, and shuffle-exchange. When n/p is sufficiently large (e.g. greater than log/sup 2/p on the butterfly, hypercube, and shuffle-exchange), this result is matched by the upper bound given previously by the author (Proc. 1st Ann. ACM Symp. on Parallel Algorithms and Architecture p.64-73, 1989). >
Two gallium-arsenide second-order sigma-delta modulators for 8 MHz bandwidths

Two second-order sigma-delta modulators for use in analog-to-digital conversion are presented. The circuit uses 1.2 /spl mu/m gallium-arsenide MESFETs. The first modulator contains integrators which are based on the square law of FETs. The output of the modulators are analyzed with ideal and with real filtering. >
Objective Mind and the Objectivity of Our Minds

A Plea for Help The point of this paper is to simply frame and illuminate a novel hypothesis in the theory of mental content, a hypothesis which many will find outrageous. In presenting the hypothesis, I shall not mince words; I shall write as if it is true, so that the exposition goes more smoothly. My original hope was that after the outrageous hypothesis had been set out, orthodoxy would be vindicated, for it then would be clear just why the hypothesis must be rejected. Well, it may be clear why the hypothesis should be rejected, but I must confess that it is not clear to me. So this is a plea for help: Here follows a hypothesis, help me to see just why it couldn't be so!
Stress Distribution on the Boundary of a Circular Hole in a Large Plate during Passage of a Stress Pulse of Short Duration

A solution to the problem of the stress distribution on the boundary of a circular hole in a large plate during passage of a stress pulse of short duration is presented. The solution was experimentally obtained by using a low-modulus urethane rubber model in a combined photoelasticity, moire, and grid analysis. The stress pulse of short duration was generated by detonating a small charge of lead azide on an edge of the plate. The hole was placed at a location in the plate where both dilatational and distortional waves would be felt. It was also located in such a way that a symmetric point was available in the free field for making free-field stress determinations. The short-duration pulse at the free-field symmetric point had a length of approximately 25 hole diameters; the portion associated with the pulse front (rise from zero to peak) was approximately 5 hole diameters.The results of the study indicate that the stress of greatest magnitude is a compressive stress which develops on the hole boundary as ...
The application of rhetorical theory in managerial research: A literature review

Recent management research imports rhetorical scholarship into the study of organizations. Although this cross-disciplinarity is heuristically promising, it presents significant challenges. This article interrogates management's use of rhetoric, contrasting it with communication studies. Five themes from management research identify how rhetoric is used as an organizational hermeneutic: The article demonstrates that management research conceptualizes rhetoric as a theory and as an action; as the substance that maintains and/or challenges organizational order; as being constitutive of individual and organizational identity; as a managerial strategy for persuading followers; and as a framework for narrative and rational organizational discourses. The authors argue that organizational researchers who study rhetoric characterize persuasive strategies as managers' most important actions.
Biosensor incorporating cell barrier architectures for detecting Staphylococcus aureus alpha toxin

Alpha toxin is a common virulent factor of Staphylococcus aureus and is believed to play crucial roles in pathogenicity induced by S. aureus. Alpha toxin is also known to induce permeability to endothelial cell monolayers in vitro due to the formation of interendothelial gaps. The present study is directed towards measuring alpha toxin using a whole-cell-based biosensor. The biosensor, consisting of a confluent monolayer of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on a potassium ion-selective electrode, takes advantage of cell permeability dysfunction to detect the presence of small quantities of alpha toxin. When a confluent monolayer of cells was formed on the membrane surface, the response of the electrode toward the marker ion, potassium, was inhibited. Upon exposing this sensor to varying concentrations of alpha toxin for 20 min, an increase in sensor response to potassium was observed. The response thus obtained was indirectly related to the concentration of alpha toxin. The detection limit of this sensor for alpha toxin was found to be 0.1 ng/ml. Cell monolayers were stained with silver nitrate to quantify the formation of intercellular gaps as well as to study the effect of this toxin on HUVECs morphology. A strong positive correlation was observed between the response obtained from the biosensor and the area of the intercellular gaps. Silver staining also revealed the tendency of cells to round up upon being exposed to alpha toxin.
Socioeconomic Correlates and Environmental Impacts of Urban Development in a Central Indiana Landscape

Potential driving forces and environmental impacts of urban and suburban development of rural lands were investigated in a 44-county study region located in the central portion of the state of Indiana. Land-cover dynamics were quantified through classification and change detection analysis of Landsat satellite imagery acquired in the early 1990s and in 1999–2000. Satellite-based measurements of land-cover change were found to be significantly related to socioeconomic processes, including population change, financial investment in the built environment, and the extent of preexisting developed land cover. The results indicate that efficiency in per capita use of developed land decreased over the temporal scope of the study. Changes in per capita developed land cover were found to be significantly related to the total amount of growth that occurred, suggesting that areas that experienced more growth were less efficient consumers of rural land. The results also show that changing spatial structures of land-co...
SIV infection of rhesus macaques results in dysfunctional T- and B-cell responses to neo and recall Leishmania major vaccination

HIV infection is characterized by immune system dysregulation, including depletion of CD4+ T cells, immune activation, and abnormal B- and T-cell responses. However, the immunologic mechanisms underlying lymphocytic dysfunctionality and whether it is restricted to immune responses against neo antigens, recall antigens, or both is unclear. Here, we immunized SIV-infected and uninfected rhesus macaques to induce immune responses against neo and recall antigens using a Leishmania major polyprotein (MML) vaccine given with poly-ICLC adjuvant. We found that vaccinated SIVuninfected animals induced high frequencies of polyfunctional MML-specific CD4+ T cells. However, in SIV-infected animals, CD4+ T-cell functionality decreased after both neo (P = .0025) and recall (P = .0080) MML vaccination. Furthermore, after SIV infection, the frequency of MML-specific antibody-secreting classic memory B cells was decreased compared with vaccinated, SIV-uninfected animals. Specifically, antibody-secreting classic memory B cells that produced IgA in response to either neo (P = .0221) or recall (P = .0356) MML vaccinations were decreased. Furthermore, we found that T-follicular helper cells, which are essential for priming B cells, are preferentially infected with SIV. These data indicate that SIV infection results in dysfunctional T-cell responses to neo and recall vaccinations, and direct SIV infection of T-follicular helper cells, both of which probably contribute to deficient B-cell responses and, presumably, susceptibility to certain opportunistic infections.