cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conflict, Support and Coping as Mediators of the Relation Between Degrading Parenting and Adolescent Adjustment

Relatively few studies have examined psychological maltreatment as a risk factor for adolescent psychopathology. This cross-sectional study evaluated mother-adolescent conflict frequency, maternal support, and avoidant coping as mediators of relations between mother's degrading parenting and adolescent conduct problems and internalizing. Analyses were conducted to determine if relations between model constructs were influenced by reporter, gender, or ethnicity. The sample included 232 adolescents and their mothers. Household interviews were conducted with families who were randomly selected from two urban school districts. The proposed model was estimated using path analysis and generally fit the data well. Results suggested that mothers’ degrading parenting was associated with risk for internalizing and conduct problems, regardless of adolescent gender or ethnicity. Mother-adolescent conflict frequency mediated relations between mothers’ degrading parenting and adolescent adjustment. Maternal support and avoidant coping mediated relations between degrading parenting and internalizing when adolescent report was used.
Co-occurring eating and depressive problems: an 8-year study of adolescent girls.

Objective This paper examines prospectively the co-occurrence of eating and depressive problems in 105 White girls who were seen at three times from young adolescence to young adulthood. Method Girls were from middle to upper-middle class families. Co-occurrence of eating and depressive problems was determined cross-sectionally from questionnaire data using established criteria for identifying subclinical problems. Results The rate of depressive problems declines across middle to late adolescence while the rate of eating problems is fairly constant across all three times of assessment. Analyses suggest that girls with depressive problems (with and without co-occurring eating problems) experience impairments in peer and family relationships; girls with high scores on both problems have poor adjustment across several domains. Discussion The additional psychological strains seen with co-occurrence of eating and depressive problems heighten physical and mental health concomitants of both problems across adolescence. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 30: 37–47, 2001.
Top-down Aluminum Induced Crystallization for N-type solar cell emitters

Top-down Aluminum Induced Crystallization (TAIC) has been used to form the p+ emitters of n-type solar cells. TAIC is a low temperature process with the potential for very good junction passivation and avoidance of parasitic absorption of amorphous silicon experienced by HIT cells. During experimentation, several crystallization possibilities emerged. The structure of these emitters were determined by Raman spectroscopy, SEM, and TEM. Solar cells were fabricated and measured. Theoretical projections and loss analyses were done by modeling these cells using PC1D. The highest efficiency cell achieved was 7.26% out of a theoretical 8.73%. These cells had no ARC/surface passivation, texturing, or a back surface field.
The Heart in Progressive Muscular Dystrophy

A case of progressive muscular dystrophy with cardiac involvement in a young Negro man is reported. The presenting problem was cardiomegaly and congestive heart failure. It was not until compensation was achieved that the underlying myopathy became apparent. Death was unexpected and presumably sudden. An unusual finding at the postmortem examination was the marked thickening of the endocardium. The literature in regard to the clinical and pathologic manifestations of cardiac involvement in this myopathy is reviewed.
Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis and Osteonecrosis

Glucocorticoid administration is the most common cause of secondary osteoporosis and the leading cause of nontraumatic osteonecrosis. In patients receiving long-term therapy, glucocorticoids induce fractures in 30% to 50% and osteonecrosis in 9% to 40%. This article reviews glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and osteonecrosis, addressing the risk factors, pathogenesis, evaluation, treatment, and uncertainties in the clinical management of these disorders.
Healthy People 2020 and Education for Health: What Are the Objectives?

The Education for Health framework is designed as an educational roadmap for Healthy People 2020. It aims to connect the educational phases and suggests overall educational strategies needed to educate health professionals and the public to achieve a healthier America. The framework seeks to develop a seamless approach to prevention and population health education from Pre-K through graduate school. The framework is built on national movements in health literacy, undergraduate public health education and evidence-based thinking. It envisions a coordinated set of learning objectives divided into Pre-K through Grade 12, 2-year and 4-year colleges, and graduate education in the health professions as well as for health education for the community-at-large. The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, a consortium of eight health professions education associations, has developed the framework and connected the framework with new and revised educational objectives of Healthy People 2020. The Task Force envisions a decade-long process to define and implement specific learning outcomes that can be integrated across the educational continuum. Interprofessional prevention education, in which health professionals learn and practice together, is seen by the Task Force as a key method for implementation. Understanding the roles played by a range of clinical health professions is also essential to communication and understanding. Healthy People 2020 and its new and revised educational objectives provide a vehicle for promoting the discussion and experimentation that will be needed to achieve an integrated and seamless approach to education for health for the American public as well as for health professionals.
Deposits formed by subglacial precipitation of CaCO3

Limestone and other calcareous outcrops recently exposed by retreating temperate glaciers in the Rocky Mountains are widely covered with patchy carbonate coatings that formed as a result of chemical precipitation under the moving ice. They form because CaCO 3 dissolved from the bedrock on the stoss sides of bed obstacles is concentrated at the lee sides by the freezing of the meltwater in the regelation-slip process, which is an essential part of the mechanism by which temperate glaciers slide over their beds. Freezing experiments show that ice grown from CaCO 3 solutions at rates similar to those expected in connection with regelation sliding has calcium ion concentrations 50 to 100 times smaller than the solutions; hence the freezing process strongly concentrates solutes in the melt. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of the pertinent phase relations, which were derived numerically on the basis of the most recent solubility data for calcite and an estimate of the freezing point lowering due to the presence of solutes. The subglacial chemical deposits indicate clearly that chemical exchange is active under temperate glaciers and that glaciochemical processes do at times play a dominant role in modifying the glacial bed. Moreover, they are of particular interest because the chemical and physical processes by which they form may affect the behavior of entire glacial masses by impeding basal sliding.
Hofstadter spectrum and Landau levels

Abstract In the Hofstadter problem, when tha magnetic flux through each plaquette ∅=2 πp / q is small, the energy spectrum can be matched to the Landau energy levels. In the large q limit, the energy levels are equally spaced, the corrections can be calculated from the perturbation. The decay of the Hofstadter band width as q →∞ is discussed. As ∅→0, the effect of the lattice disappears completely for the bands away from the center, while for the bands near the center, the effect of the lattice still persists.
Combining the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, ZD1839, with a selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, SC236, causes a cooperative antitumor effect in breast cancer cells derived from HER2/neu mice

Abstract Introduction: Both EGFR and COX-2 play a role in promoting cellular proliferation and angiogenesis in a variety of human cancer cell lines including HER2/neu positive breast cancer. Our goal is to investigate whether a combined treatment with inhibitors of COX-2 and EGFR will have a more potent antitumor effect than either treatment alone. Methods: The NMF 11.2 cell line, which was derived from the mammary tumors of HER2/neu mice, was used in all experiments. Cells were incubated in serum poor MEM with various concentrations of ZD1839 and/or SC236. At 48 hrs the cells were harvested and cell proliferation was evaluated via trypan blue staining and counting with a hemocytometer. Cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by propiduim iodine staining and flow cytometric analysis. In addition, western blotting was preformed to evaluate the protein expression of HER2, COX-2, VEGF, TGF-α, bcl2, bax and PARP. Results: Treatment with ZD1839 or SC236 inhibited cell growth in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, the combination of these drugs inhibited cell growth in a synergistic fashion. Neither ZD1839 (1 μM) or [ZD1839 (1 μM) + SC236 (20 μM)] effected cell cycle. However, SC236 (20 μM) alone arrested the cells in G 2 /M phase. The combined treatment of ZD1839 + SC236 did have a super additive effect on apoptosis (control = 0.86%; ZD1839 = 2.31%; SC236 = 1.45%; ZD1839 + SC236 = 10.6). Western blot analysis confirmed the findings of increased apoptosis by illustrating the expression of the caspase 3 cleavage component PARP. A decrease in protein expression of both VEGF and TGF-α was also noted. No effect was seen on the expression of EGFR or HER2. Conclusions: ZD1839 and SC236 act in a synergistic manner to inhibit cell growth by means of increased apoptosis. Decreased levels of VEGF and TGF-α may also play a part in cell growth inhibition. Thus the combination of ZD1839 and a COX-2 inhibitor may be an effective adjuvant treatment for breast cancer.
Apportionment of Ambient Primary and Secondary Pollutants during a 2001 Summer Study in Pittsburgh Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency UNMIX

Abstract Apportionment of primary and secondary pollutants during the summer 2001 Pittsburgh Air Quality Study (PAQS) is reported. Several sites were included in PAQS, with the main site (the supersite) adjacent to the Carnegie Mellon University campus in Schenley Park. One of the additional sampling sites was located at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, located ∼18 km southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass, gas-phase volatile organic material (VOM), particulate semivolatile and nonvolatile organic material (NVOM), and ammonium sulfate were apportioned at the two sites into their primary and secondary contributions using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency UNMIX 2.3 multivariate receptor modeling and analysis software. A portion of each of these species was identified as originating from gasoline and diesel primary mobile sources. Some of the organic material was formed from local secondary transformation processes, whereas the great majority of the secondary ...
Efficacy of Creative Arts Therapy in Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review identifies existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of creative arts therapies among persons with memory loss and their care providers. A total of 112 articles were analyzed. Data from each article were extracted and synthesized to identify patterns in published results. Findings suggest that creative arts therapy is effective for treatment of behavioral and emotional challenges of the disease, but not for treatment of cognitive decline. However, small sample sizes, short (or nonexistent) follow-up, and the difficulty quantifying findings remain as challenges when interpreting the efficacy of creative arts therapy for persons with memory loss.
The effect of active sitting on trunk motion

Abstract Background Prolonged sitting is a risk factor for low-back pain. The primary purpose of this study is to determine if prolonged active sitting will result in increased trunk motion. Methods Fifteen healthy female participants volunteered to sit for 30 min on each of three surfaces including an air-cushion, a stability ball, and a hard surface. Trunk motion was monitored using a Vicon motion capture system, and foot center of pressure was collected with two AMTI force plates. Results Our findings indicated that the average speed of the trunk center of mass significantly increased with seating surface compliance. There were significant differences in right and left foot centers of pressure in the antero-posterior direction between the ball and air-cushion conditions and the ball and chair conditions. Conclusion Active sitting results in increased trunk motion and could have a positive effect on low-back health.
Failure prediction of the thermal fatigue resistance of a glass

The thermal fatigue behaviour of circular rods of soda-lime-silica glass subjected to a water quench was predicted from data for the rate of slow crack growth as a function of stress intensity factor, the pertinent physical properties, the initial crack depth as well as the heat transfer environment. A numerical integration technique was developed in order to calculate the total extent of slow crack growth for each cycle over the total duration of the transient thermal stress and temperature, as well as the total number of cycles required for catastrophic failure to occur. Good agreement between the predicted and experimental data was found.
Magnification labels for stand magnifiers: always misleading and usually unachievable.

Abstract Background Stand magnifiers (SMs) are traditionally labeled with F/4 or (F/4) + 1 magnification. This study addresses whether SMs are configured so that the assumptions associated with the labeled magnification can be realized. Methods Three catalogs were examined to obtain the type of magnification label used for each of 66 different SMs. Image locations were acquired from published tables compiled by independent investigators when available. Otherwise, they were taken from manufacturer-provided information in the catalogs. The image location was used to determine how many magnifiers could be used in a manner that fulfills the assumptions underlying the labeled magnification. Results For F/4 magnification, the page is assumed to be at the focal point of the SM and the image at infinity. No SMs met this condition. (F/4) + 1 magnification assumes the magnifier is close to the eye and the image is at 25 cm. Only 18% of the SMs have a 25 cm image distance. Conclusion Most SMs do not have image locations that meet the conditions underlying the marked magnification. The current labeling system is inaccurate, misleading, and inefficient for clinicians. Magnification labels on SMs should be replaced with markings that include equivalent power, enlargement ratio, and image location.
Anti-thymocyte gamma-globulin may prevent antibody production after heart transplantation.

Abstract Background Rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (RATG) has been used as induction therapy in heart transplantation. RATG is polyclonal and has been postulated to have anti-humoral properties by preventing the production of circulating antibodies after heart transplant. Thus, we reviewed our patients who received RATG induction therapy and compared them with those who did not receive therapy for post-transplant de novo antibody production. Methods Between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2013, we assessed 196 non-sensitized heart transplant recipients and divided them into those who received 3 to 5 days of RATG induction therapy mostly due to renal insufficiency ( n = 35) versus patients who did not receive therapy ( n = 161). All patients were given tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids. Post-transplant circulating antibodies were routinely monitored at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after heart transplantation; 1-year and 3-year end points were assessed. Results The RATG-treated group had a significantly higher 12-month freedom from de novo antibody production compared with the patients who did not receive RATG induction (89% vs 71%, log-rank P = .043); however there was no significant difference for 12-month freedom from de novo donor-specific antibody production (91% vs 88%, log-rank P = .541). Treated rejection rates in the first-year were comparable in both groups; 3-year actuarial survival, freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy, and freedom from non-fatal major adverse cardiac events were also similar between both groups. Conclusions RATG induction therapy appears to reduce the production of de novo circulating antibodies in non-sensitized patients during the first year after heart transplantation. Although there were no short-term clinical differences between groups, there were imbalances in group characteristics and relatively short follow-up, which are limitations to this study. A randomized, clinical trial with longer follow-up in a larger cohort of patients is warranted.
Ionization of Rydberg atoms by standing-wave light fields.

When electromagnetic radiation induces atomic transitions, the size of the atom is usually much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation, allowing the spatial variation of the radiation field’s phase to be neglected in the description of transition rates. Somewhat unexpectedly, this approximation, known as the electric dipole approximation, is still valid for the ionization of micrometre-sized atoms in highly excited Rydberg states by laser light with a wavelength of about the same size. Here we employ a standing-wave laser field as a spatially resolving probe within the volume of a Rydberg atom to show that the photoionization process only occurs near the nucleus, within a volume that is small with respect to both the atom and the laser wavelength. This evidence resolves the apparent inconsistency of the electric dipole approximation’s validity for photoionization of Rydberg atoms, and it verifies the theory of light–matter interaction in a limiting case. Rydberg atoms can have sizes similar to the wavelength of near-infrared light, yet the electric dipole approximation – in which spatial variations of the light-field phase are ignored – remains valid. Anderson and Raithel explain this by measuring that photoionization of such atoms occurs near the nucleus.
PEPTIDE-MEDIATED GENE DELIVERY : INFLUENCE OF PEPTIDE STRUCTURE ON GENE EXPRESSION

Cationic peptides possessing a single cysteine, tryptophan, and lysine repeat were synthesized to define the minimal peptide length needed to mediate transient gene expression in mammalian cells. The N-terminal cysteine in each peptide was either alkylated or oxidatively dimerized to produce peptides possessing lysine chains of 3, 6, 8, 13, 16, 18, 26, and 36 residues. Each synthetic peptide was studied for its ability to condense plasmid DNA and compared to polylysine19 and cationic lipids to establish relative in vitro gene transfer efficiency in HepG2 and COS7 cells. Peptides with lysine repeats of 13 or more bound DNA tightly and produced condensates that decreased in mean diameter from 231 to 53 nm as lysine chain length increased. In contrast, peptides possessing 8 or fewer lysine residues were similar to polylysine19, which bound DNA weakly and produced large (0.7-3 microns) DNA condensates. The luciferase expression was elevated 1000-fold after HepG2 cells were transfected with DNA condensates prepared with alkylated Cys-Trp-Lys18 (AlkCWK18) versus polylysine19. The gene transfer efficiencies of AlkCWK18 and cationic lipids were equivalent in HepG2 cells but different by 10-fold in COS 7 cells. A 40-fold reduction in particle size and a 1000-fold amplification in transfection efficiency for AlkCWK18 DNA condensates relative to polylysine19 DNA condensates suggest a contribution from tryptophan that leads to enhanced gene transfer properties for AlkCWK18. Tryptophan-containing cationic peptides result in the formation of small DNA condensates that mediate efficient nonspecific gene transfer in mammalian cells. Due to their low toxicity, these peptides may find utility as carriers for nonspecific gene delivery or may be developed further as low molecular weight DNA condensing agents used in targeted gene delivery systems.
Effect of long term baclofen treatment on recognition memory and novelty detection.

We studied the effect of long term baclofen treatment on recognition memory and novelty detection in rats using a habituation paradigm in an open field setting. Rats pretreated with 3 weeks' daily baclofen injection (0, 2 and 5 mg/kg) were tested in four 10 min sessions (familiarization session and three testing sessions: S1, S2 and S3), with 10-min intersession intervals. During S1, S2 and S3, rats were repeatedly exposed to the same two odor stimuli. During S3, for half of the rats in each treatment group, the spatial locations of the two stimuli were switched (Change) and for the other half the stimuli were replaced in the same locations (No Change). Two habituation scores were measured for each subject: H1 = N1 − N2; H2 = N2 − N3 (Ni the number of contacts made during Si). Baclofen at the highest dose (5 mg/kg) reduced the amount of habituation between S1 and S2 (H1) and increased responses to novel spatial arrangement, measured as the difference between H2 for the No-Change and Change groups. These results suggest a simultaneous impairment of recognition memory and enhancement of spatial novelty detection.
The Use of Alcohol and Condoms During Sexual Assault

Sexual assault remains an important public health issue due to the violence involved as well as the potential for health risks such as sexually transmitted infections. Alcohol has been associated with both violent and risky sexual behavior. This study assessed the frequency of sexual assault perpetration, alcohol use, and condom use during sexual assault in a community sample of young, heterosexual male social drinkers. Participants completed measures of their sexual assault perpetration. More than 50% reported sexual assault perpetration; 60% of these reported repeat perpetration. Almost one half of perpetrators reported alcohol consumption prior to every sexual assault incident. Never having used a condom during penetrative sexually aggressive acts was reported by 41.2% of perpetrators. Alcohol use and condom nonuse were positively correlated for acts of forcible rape. Findings provide information about the infrequent use of condoms during sexual assault incidents and support prior evidence of the association between alcohol and sexual assault.
The Relationship Between Male Gang Involvement and Psychosocial Risks for their Female Juvenile Justice Partners with Non-gang Involvement Histories

This article examines whether adolescent females involved in the juvenile justice system, who were never gang members but have had boyfriends who were gang members, are at higher risk for negative psychological, relationship and sexual risk outcomes compared to their counterparts. Data were collected from a convenience sample of African American adolescent females involved in the juvenile justice system, age 13–17, currently incarcerated in a short-term detention facility in Georgia (N = 137). Multiple logistic regression models controlling for age and SES documented that having a gang-involved boyfriend was associated with a greater risk for emotional and physical abuse, depression, PTSD, drug use, diminished perceived life chances and a variety of sexual risk predictors, such as decreased relationship control, partner infidelity, shorter time to sex with a casual sexual partner and reduced likelihood of HIV testing. These findings suggest that these women should be included in early prevention and intervention initiatives traditionally targeted at youth involved in gangs.
Effect of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on tobacco mosaic virus lesions in tobacco and on the fine structure of adjacent cells☆

Abstract Lesions induced in Samsun NN tobacco and in Datura stramonium by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) normally enlarge rapidly for a few days after appearance and then gradually approach a static stage of no further enlargement. Treatment of inoculated leaves with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), at concentrations slightly below toxic levels, sustained the rapid phase of lesion growth indefinitely, leading to greater than 15-fold increases in lesion area and parallel increases in virus content. Stimulation resulted from treatments made between 1 hr and 9 days after inoculation, maximum effects resulting from applications made between 1 and 4 days. The local resistance to TMV that normally develops in tissue immediately surrounding TMV lesions developed to a much lesser degree in 2,4-D-treated leaves than in untreated controls. Electron microscopy of leaves given postinoculation 2,4-D treatments revealed that the characteristic crystals commonly found in spherosomes of this normally resistant zone were lacking. Also, TMV particles, which normally are lacking in this zone, were found in various arrays. Preinoculation treatments inhibited lesion development slightly, and treatment of uninoculated leaves induced structural changes that resembled, 6 days after treatment, those characteristic of cells in the resistant zone ringing a lesion in an untreated leaf.
Dual sorption mechanisms in glassy polystyrene

The solubility of CO2, CH4, A, and N2 in oriented and unoriented polystyrene films at 25°C, has been investigated by the direct sorption method. It has been found that Henry's law does not apply to sorption of CO2 and CH4. The results can be quantitatively described by the postulation of two concurrent mechanisms for sorption: ordinary dissolution and microvoid-filling. The dissolution constants are correlated with the gas force constants, ϵk. The abnormally high solubility of CH4 is probably due to the high polarizability of this gas. The hole-affinity constants are also correlated with ϵk. The deviation of CH4 is consistent with the behavior of the dissolution constant. The correlation of hole-filling constants with surface areas occupied by the individual gas molecules has been successful. Stress-induced orientation of polystyrene does not change the nature of the sorption processes; however, it decreases the level of solubility. Orientation decreases the hole-filling constants and the Henry's law solubility constants whereas it slightly increases the hole-affinity constants.
Computer simulation of the radiation field in a cobalt-60 irradiated volume

Abstract A computer model for calculating the characteristics of a radiation field in a cobalt-60 irradiated volume is presented. γ-Ray transmission by the source material and attenuation in the support structure is taken into account as are attenuation and scattering in the irradiated material. On the basis of the computer model, a FORTRAN program was written for an IBM-PC/XT and Macintosh personal computers, and used to calculate the radiation field for some common cobalt-60 arrangements used in the Cornell γ-cell. The calculated exposure rate values were compared with ionization chamber measurements for an annular geometry of Co 60 pencil sources. The agreement was to within 3%.
GaAs nanoneedle photodetector monolithically grown on a (111) Si substrate by MOCVD

P-n junction GaAs nanoneedle photodetectors are monolithically grown on a (111) Si substrate by MOCVD with CMOS compatibility. A linear response of the photocurrent to the irradiance can be obtained under room temperature operation.
A synopsis of the genus Triacanthagyna (Odonata: Aeshnidae)

Abstract This synopsis of adult Triacanthagyna includes the revalidation of two species thought to be synonyms (T. nympha and T. obscuripennis), the description of a new species (T. williamsoni; type locality: Peru, Tingo Maria), keys to both sexes, illustrations of diagnostic characters, and distribution maps of all species. A phylogenetic assessment of the nine species is included, using outgroup comparison and parsimony algorithm. The cladistic analysis shows Triacanthagyna to be partitioned into two monophyletic groups: (1) two species lacking humeral, interpleural and metapleural dark stripes on pterothorax and with male cerci narrowing gradually at tip (T. septima and T. obscuripennis), and (2) six species with male cerci bearing subbasal teeth (T. satyrus, T. caribbea, T. ditzleri, T. williamsoni, T. nympha and T. trifida).
The Bipolar Spectrum: Myth or Reality?

The idea of a “bipolar spectrum” is controversial due to 1) lack of widely accepted definitions, 2) concern that spectrum definitions might subsume cases with non-bipolar disorders, 3) worry that “diagnostic creep” may lead practitioners to overdiagnose bipolar disorder in marginal cases, and 4) worry that more diagnosis of bipolar spectrum may increase aggressive pharmacotherapy. These concerns are weighed against theoretical and empiric evidence converging in support of the bipolar spectrum as having prognostic and prescriptive validity. Practitioners can use inexpensive and practical strategies to incorporate the spectrum concept into their work while minimizing risks of overdiagnosis or unnecessary medication exposure.
The fine morphology of the human skin in dermographism

Abstract Ultrastructural changes in the skin of the upper arm were studied with the electron microscope in a male patient, aged 50, with dermographism. Wheals were produced by stroking with 400 Gm. of pressure. Skin samples were obtained with a high-speed dermal punch without anesthesia after 35 seconds, 3, 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes, and after 3 weeks. Controls were taken from undisturbed skin areas of the patient and from a healthy individual. Edema of the corium, increase of specific cell types, and disruption of cells were not observed. Morphological changes occurred in the epidermis, mast cells, and some sensory nerve endings. The keratinocytes of the epidermis either developed large vacuoles or took up fluid in the peripheral cytoplasm and villous processes. Basal epidermal cells extended pseudopodia into the corium through gaps in the basement membrane. Mast cells showed abnormal structure. Their granules were not released from the cells but underwent transformation during the wheal development. The free subepidermal nerve endings possessed membrane-bounded inclusions in the cytoplasm of their Schwann cells. Some mesaxons of these endings were split apart by accumulation of granular material. The findings provide evidence that the epidermis is a very active tissue layer of the skin and that the morphologic observations are compatible with the current hypothesis that release of histamine by mast cells may play a role in wheal formation.
Epiphyseal-based designs for tibial plateau components—II. Stress analysis in the sagittal plane

A two-dimensional, finite element study was undertaken to establish the stresses in the proximal tibia before and after total knee arthroplasty. Equivalent-thickness models in a sagittal plane were created for the natural, proximal tibia and for the proximal tibia with two different types of tibial plateau components. All components simulated bony ingrowth fixation, i.e. no cement layer existed between component and bone. In addition, the interface between component and bone was assumed to be intimately connected, representing complete bony ingrowth and a rigid state of fixation. Two load cases were considered: a joint reaction force acting in conjunction with a patellar ligament force, simulating the knee at 40 degrees of flexion; and a joint reaction force directed along the long axis of the tibia. For the natural tibia model, the pattern of principal stresses for loadcase 1 more closely corresponds to the epiphyseal plate geometry and trabecular morphology than do the principal stress patterns for loadcase 2. Judging from the distribution of principal stresses, loadcase 1 represents a more severe test of implant design than does loadcase 2. The model of the component with a peg predicted that the trabecular bone near the tip of the peg will experience higher than normal stresses, while the bone stresses near the posterior aspect adjacent to the metal tray will be reduced. A component without pegs that incorporates a posterior chamfer and an anterior lip lead to stress distributions closer to those existing in the natural tibia. The interface geometry for this design is based upon the contour of the epiphyseal plate.
Optimization of preventive maintenance for a multi-state degraded system by monitoring component performance

This study aims to construct an optimal preventive maintenance model for a multi-state degraded system under the condition that individual components or sub-systems can be monitored in real time. Given the requirement of minimum system availability, the total maintenance cost is minimized by determining the maintenance activities of components in degraded states. The general non-homogeneous continuous-time Markov model (NHCTMM) and its analogous Markov reward model (NHCTMRM) are used to quantify the intensity of state transitions during the degradation process, allowing the determination of various performance indicators. The bound approximation approach is applied to solve the established NHCTMMs and NHCTMRMs, thus obtaining instantaneous system state probabilities to overcome their inherent computational difficulties. Furthermore, this study utilizes a genetic algorithm to optimize the proposed model. A simulation illustrates the feasibility and practicability of the proposed approach.
On converging shock waves of spherical and polyhedral form

The behaviour of converging spherical shock waves is considered using Whitham's theory of geometrical shock dynamics. An analysis of converging shocks whose initial shape takes the form of regular polyhedra is presented. The analysis of this problem is motivated by the earlier work on converging cylindrical shocks discussed in Schwendeman & Whitham (1987). In that paper, exact solutions were reported for converging polygonal shocks in which the initial shape re-forms repeatedly as the shock contracts. For the polyhedral case, the analysis is performed both analytically and numerically for an equivalent problem involving shock propagation in a converging channel with triangular cross-section. It is found that a repeating sequence of shock surfaces composed of nearly planar pieces develops, although the initial planar surface does not re-form, and that the increase in strength of the shock at each iterate in the sequence follows the same behaviour as for a converging spherical shock independent of the convergence angle of the channel. In this sense, the shocks are stable and the result is analogous to that found in the two-dimensional case. A numerical study of converging spherical shocks subject to smooth initial perturbations in strength shows a strong tendency to form surfaces composed of nearly planar pieces suggesting that the stability result is fairly general.
The ex-files: Trajectories, turning points, and adjustment in the development of post-dissolutional relationships

Relational scholars often focus on relational life cycles, including the ways in which relationships come apart. The idea that relationships end at a particular stage, however, suggests that former partners no longer communicate. The current study extends the relationship life cycle literature by examining nonmarital post-dissolutional romantic relationships (PDRs). Participants (N = 174) completed written questionnaires gathering PDR turning point descriptions and graphs using a modified Retrospective Interview Technique. Turning point graphs revealed four different trajectory types: Linear Process, Relational Decline, Upward Relational Progression, and Turbulent Relational Progression, which were characterized by 10 categories of turning points. Those with linear trajectories reported the least amount of difficulty adjusting, and those with upward relational progress trajectories reported the highest quality PDRs.
Metal-terminated graphene nanoribbons

We have investigated structure, electronic, and magnetic properties of metal-terminated zigzag graphene nanoribbons (M-ZGNRs) by first-principles calculations. Two families of metal terminations are studied: (1) $3d$-transition metals (TMs) Fe, Co, and Ni and (2) noble metals (NMs) Cu, Ag, and Au. All systems have spin-polarized edge states with antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering between two edges, except Co-ZGNRs and Ni-ZGNRs which exhibit negligibly small energy differences between AFM and ferromagnetic states with the given ribbon width. In the AFM state the TM terminations transform semiconducting ZGNRs into metallic ones while the band gap remains in ZGNR with NM terminations. Ferromagnetic states of M-ZGNRs with TM terminations show a high degree of spin polarization at the Fermi energy. We predict a large magnetoresistance in Fe-ZGNR junctions with a low, uniform magnetic switching field.
CARBOXYLATED POLYTHIOPHENES: POLYMER BIOSENSORS IN LIQUID AND SOLID STATES*

ABSTRACT The fluorescence of carboxylated and water-soluble poly(3-thiophene acetic acid) (PTAA) and poly[2,5-(3-carboxymethyl urethanyl ethyl) thiophene] (H-PURET) are quenched by low concentrations of methyl viologen in aqueous solutions. The Stern-Volmer constants (Ksv) for these aqueous solutions of polythiophenes are in the order of 3.5×106. However, in contrast, ionically adsorbed monolayers of these polythiophenes on solid supports show fluorescence quenching that is more than two orders of magnitude smaller. The effects of pH and the concentration of the methyl viologen on fluorescence quenching are reported.
Trace determination of lanthanum, cerium, and praseodymium based on adsorptive stripping voltammetry

Abstract A sensitive stripping procedure is described for quantifying lanthanum, cerium and praseodymium ions, based on the controlled adsorptive accumulation of the lanthanide/ o - cresolphthalexon complex onto the static mercury drop electrode. The effect of various operational parameters on the stripping response is discussed. A 20-min accumulation period coupled with differential pulse measurement of the current resulting from the adsorbed complex permits quantitation down to the 1 × 10 −10 M level. For concentrations ranging from 2.5 × 10 −8 M to 2.5 × 10 −9 M, a 0.5- to 4-min accumulation period is sufficient. The relative standard deviation ar the 7 × 10 −8 M level ranges from 1 to 6%.
AMOUNT AND DURATION OF IMMUNITY INDUCED BY INTRADERMAL INOCULATION OF CULTURED VACCINE VIRUS

Continued cultivation of vaccine virus in a medium consisting of minced chick embryo tissue and Tyrode's solution has resulted in a virus qualitatively changed to such an extent that considerable amounts of it can be injected intradermally into human beings without danger or inconvenience. Individuals who are vaccinated intradermally with the cultured virus should be revaccinated dermally six months to a year later with a potent calf lymph virus in order to obtain a satisfactory immunity to smallpox without being subjected to the dangers and inconvenience associated with primary vaccinations with calf lymph virus.
Selecting an inotrope for the cardiac surgery patient

Abstract Although a wide variety of positive inotropic agents have been administered to cardiac surgery patients, few of them have been carefully studied in controlled clinical trials, in surgical patient populations. The limited data available suggest that one of the more widely used agents, calcium, may lack efficacy and possibly inhibit the actions of catecholamines. Dopamine, dobutamine, and dopexamine are highly effective agents, but more prone to produce tachycardia than epinephrine. Amrinone is an effective agent by itself, but is especially useful in combination with a β-adrenergic agonist for patients with severe left-ventricular dysfunction.
Long-term database support for EXPRESS data

The data modeling language STEP/EXPRESS enjoys a spreading popularity beyond engineering. Its structural object orientation, for instance, is appropriate for scientific and statistical database (SSDB) modeling as well. As our database prototype illustrates, EXPRESS can also be used for data definition. Following the STEP approach, data manipulation is done via SDAI (Standard Data Access Interface). Besides increasing awareness of evolving STEP technology, this paper elaborates on a common issue of both engineering databases and SSDBs: the long-term retention of vast amounts of data. The storage of massive data over decades imposes serious problems on any DBMS. Application-oriented database archiving helps solve them. We indicate how to exploit and enhance SDAI to make it an archive interface. >
A Flexible Model for Multi-Objective Optimization

Decision problems often involve a multitude of objectives (or decision criteria) which are incommensurable and possibly conflicting with one another. At times, a decision-maker may not be able to express an explicit preference ordering for the various objectives. In fact, he may find it difficult to state the objectives, or to distinguish between objectives and constraints. For example, in designing a new car model, the resistance to impact may be viewed as an objective to be maximized, or as a constraint fixed by law.
A review of corn masa processing residues: Generation, properties, and potential utilization

The production of corn masa-based products in the US has been increasing over the last several years, and as a result, so has the quantity of waste materials being generated from this industry. Although currently landfilled, these byproduct streams may have potential for value-added processing and utilization, which are options that simultaneously hold the promise of increased economic benefit for masa processors as well as decreased potential pollution for the environment. Fundamental to any byproduct development effort is knowledge of the characteristics of the residue stream, because physical and chemical properties are vital for the proper design of subsequent processing operations and applications. Data for masa byproduct materials are currently not readily available, however. Thus, the objective of this study was to fully investigate, review, and summarize the existing literature in order to develop a comprehensive knowledge base for these residue streams. The most substantial findings from this study were that masa residues currently are not being utilized as coproducts, but instead are being landfilled; they have a high fiber content, and thus much untapped potential exists for its extraction and value-added utilization vis-a-vis human and industrial applications, including phytosterol and ethanol production. It was also determined that masa byproducts, due to the high fiber content, may also be suitable for use as livestock feed additives, especially for ruminant animals that can digest these materials. Furthermore, due to substantial calcium content, masa byproducts could also potentially be used as a calcium resource. Under current processing practices, though, these residues have very high moisture contents. Before they can be effectively and economically utilized, they must be dehydrated in order to reduce transportation costs, decrease microbial activity, and increase shelf life.
Effect of Adrenergic Nerve Stimulation on the Rabbit Oviduct: Correlation with Norepinephrine Content and Turnover Rate

Experiments were conducted in rabbits to correlate the effects of adrenergic nerve stimulation on the motility of the oviductal isthmus with certain parameters of norepinephrine (NE) metabolism and with the hormonal environment of the muscle. The animals were studied under the following conditions: 12 days postovariectomy (po) (Group 1) 12 days po followed by 8 daily injections of .25 mcg/kg estradiol-17beta (Group 2) and 12 days po followed by 8 daily injections of .25 mcg/kg estradiol-17beta plus 2.5 mg/kg/day progesterone during the last 4 days. Following treatment 1 oviductal isthmus was removed for NE determinations while the remaining isthmus was arranged for simultaneous measurement of the longitudinal and circular muscle activity during stimulation of adrenergic nerves. Stimulation with 5-50 Hz produced both circular and longitudinal muscle contractions in Groups 2 and 3 but not in Group 1. Phentolamine and tetrodotoxin but not propanolol or atropine inhibited muscle response. NE content was markedly lower in Group 1 compared with Groups 2 and 3 though the concentration was similar for all 3 groups. There was also a marked reduction in the turnover rates of NE in Group 1 compared with Groups 2 and 3. The turnover of NE was considerably higher in atria than in oviducts and was not altered by castration or hormone treatment. The results suggest that estrogen is required for adequate release of transmitter during adrenergic stimulation and electrical communication between layers of muscle. It is likely that in vivo tonic nervous activity is low in castrates compared with the hormonally-treated animals.
Calcium influx through channels other than voltage-dependent calcium channels is critical to the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-induced increase in excitability in guinea pig cardiac neurons.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) effects on intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) and excitability have been studied in adult guinea pig intracardiac neurons. PACAP increased excitability, but did not elicit Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores. Exposure to a Ca 2+ -deficient solution did not deplete [Ca 2 +] i stores but did eliminate the PACAP-induced increase in excitability. We postulate that Ca 2+ influx is required for the PACAP-induced increase in excitability.
Track-based disk logging

Disk logging is a fundamental building block for fault tolerance system design because it captures a persistent snapshot of critical system state for subsequent recovery in the occurrence of failures. Logging typically is required to be synchronous to ensure absolute recoverability. Therefore speeding up synchronous disk write is critical to those fault tolerance systems that are based on disk logging. This paper describes a novel track-based disk logging technique that is able to reduce the latency of synchronous disk writes to the minimum without compromising data integrity guarantee. As an application of track-based disk logging, we present the design and implementation of a low-write-latency disk subsystem called Trail. Through a fully operational Trail prototype, we demonstrate that Trail achieves the best known disk. logging performance record, which is close to data transfer delay plus command processing overhead. A 4 KByte disk write takes less than 1.5 msec. Based on the TPC-C benchmark, the transaction throughput of a Trail-based transaction processing system is on an average 62.9% higher-than one based on a standard disk subsystem, and the database logging-related disk I/O overhead is reduced by 42%.