cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of cloud liquid water content distributions from CloudSat

[1] The development of realistic cloud parameterizations requires accurate characterizations of subgrid distributions of thermodynamic variables. To this end, cloud liquid water content (CLWC) distributions are characterized with respect to cloud phase, cloud type, precipitation occurrence, and geolocation using CloudSat radar measurements. The probability density function (PDF) of CLWC is estimated using maximum likelihood estimation. The best-estimated PDF of CLWC is found to follow either a gamma or a lognormal distribution depending on temperature (cloud phase), cloud type, the occurrence of precipitation, and geolocation. The data sampling with respect to cloud phase and precipitation significantly affects the distributional characteristics of CLWC in some regions. In the lower to midtroposphere (altitudes of 1–6 km) in the tropics and subtropics, where nonprecipitating and pure liquid phase clouds are dominant, the PDFs of CLWC are best described by lognormal distributions. In contrast, at altitudes above 6 km and in regions poleward of the midlatitudes, the CLWC more closely resembles a gamma distribution that coincides with a high frequency of occurrence of supercooled liquid clouds containing low CLWC values. When the contributions of supercooled water and precipitation are removed, the CLWC PDFs transition from gamma to lognormal distributions in two areas: (1) the high altitude and middle-to-polar latitude regions where the contribution of supercooled cloud is significant and (2) in the lower troposphere where precipitation is frequently detected. Although the CloudSat radar does not sample all cloud hydrometeors, coherent regional and cloud type dependence of CLWC distributional characteristics are observed that may provide useful constraints for cloud parameterizations in climate models.
Growth hormone-releasing peptide ghrelin inhibits homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction in porcine coronary arteries and human endothelial cells.

Objective Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone–releasing peptide, is implicated to play a protective role in cardiovascular tissues. However, it is not clear whether ghrelin protects vascular tissues from injury secondary to risk factors such as homocysteine (Hcy). This study investigated the effect and potential mechanisms of ghrelin on Hcy-induced endothelial dysfunction. Methods Porcine coronary artery rings were incubated for 24 hours with ghrelin (100 ng/mL), Hcy (50 μM), or ghrelin plus Hcy. Endothelial vasomotor function was evaluated using the myograph tension model. The response to the thromboxane A 2 analog U46619, bradykinin, and sodium nitroprusside was analyzed. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry staining, and superoxide anion production was documented lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence analysis. Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) were treated with different concentrations of Hcy, ghrelin, or antighrelin receptor antibody for 24 hours, and eNOS protein levels were determined by Western blot analysis. Results Maximal contraction with U46619 and endothelium-independent vasorelaxation with sodium nitroprusside were not different among the four groups. However, endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation with bradykinin (10 −6 M) was significantly reduced by 34% with Hcy compared with controls ( P Conclusion Ghrelin has a protective effect in the porcine coronary artery by blocking Hcy-induced endothelial dysfunction, improving eNOS expression, and reducing oxidative stress. Ghrelin also shows a protective effect on HCACEs from the Hcy-induced decrease in eNOS protein levels. The effect of ghrelin is receptor-dependent. Thus, ghrelin administration may have beneficial effects in the treatment of vascular disease in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia.
Broad-scale effects of hypoxia on benthic community structure in Chesapeake Bay, USA

article i nfo Benthic communities provide secondary production for higher trophic levels, and changes in benthic community structure can be a harbinger for associated food web alterations. Benthic communities can be affected by variations in water quality, with low dissolved oxygen reducing benthic abundance and biomass. We quantified the effects of dissolved oxygen and other environmental factors upon changes in density, biomass, and diversity of the macrobenthic community from long-term data (1996-2004) from the Chesapeake Bay Program's benthic monitoring. Benthic density, biomass, and diversity were significantly and negatively correlated with water depth and positively correlated with the dissolved oxygen level. In an assessment of multiple models using Akaike's Information Criteria, oxygen was the single best predictor of summer benthic infaunal density by depth. Biomass was best predicted by depth, salinity, and dissolved oxygen together. Moreover, oxygen was among the important factors determining Shannon (H') diversity. Benthic diversity in Chesapeake Bay over 2001-2004 was historically low compared to that over the years 1996-2000 and was directly correlated with the severity of hypoxia. Hypoxia leads to mass mortality of benthos, which reduces the overall availability of secondary production to higher trophic levels and can affect overall productivity in Chesapeake Bay. Regions with low dissolved oxygen should be managed to minimize deleterious anthropogenic effects on benthos that may affect higher trophic levels.
Relationship between T c and electronegativity differences in compound superconductors

The electronegativity differences, ΔN, between the anions and the cations in suggested resonating elements of some representative high-temperature superconductors with T c ⩾- 10 K are evaluated adopting Pauling's scale. The relationship between ΔN and T c was found to separate all the examined high-T csuperconductors onto two curves: One for the cuprate superconductors having two-dimensional layered structures was a straight line, T c=29.8+4.1ΔN; the other correlation curve representing the remaining compound superconductors including the doped 113 perovskite and the perovskite-related 214 structures was at lower T c values but also suggested that increasing electronegativity differences was related to increasing T c.
The idiosyncratic specificity of the methods of physical experimentation

Both the philosophy of science and the philosophy of social science research methods stress the application of methodic procedures to ensure the objectivity of the findings of scientific research. ...
Visibility on cathode-ray tube screens; signals on a P-7 screen exposed for different intervals.

Empirical data for the minimum signal voltage for a pip on a P-7 radar screen have been described as a function of the exposure time of the pip. This has been done for two bias levels for the CRT—a dim scope and a bright scope. From the measurements it is concluded that there is a more marked gain in visibility with increased exposure time for the bright screen than for the dim one, but that on the bright screen visibility probably approaches its maximum at a shorter exposure time. Two turning rates for the sweep were used. And it may be concluded that, for any exposure time or for either brightness of screen (CRT bias) the slower turning rate yields improved signal detection.
A Defense of a Thomistic Concept of the Just Price

Since St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the first scholastics to analyze the idea of a “just price,” economists, economic historians and philosophers interested in the philosophical underpinnings of the market have focused on Aquinas’s writings. One group insists that Aquinas defined the just price as the payment needed to cover sellers’ labor and material costs. A second camp vehemently counters that Aquinas’s just price is simply the going market price. We argue that neither of these views is correct. The Thomistic just price is the price that would be agreed to by a just person as part of an exchange. This “just person price” takes into account the well-being of the individual transactors and the good of the entire community. Such a price reduces neither to the cost-covering price nor to the market exchange price. A Thomistic concept of the just person price deserves to be reconsidered, especially because a Thomistic approach offers some useful ways to deal with issues quite differently from the popular neoclassical approach directed toward arriving at a socially optimal market price.
Investigation of a Nonparametric Procedure for Assessing Goodness-of-Fit in Item Response Theory

Tests of model misfit are often performed to validate the use of a particular model in item response theory. Douglas and Cohen (2001) introduced a general nonparametric approach for detecting misfit under the two-parameter logistic model. However, the statistical properties of their approach, and empirical comparisons to other methods, have not been examined. In the present study, a Monte Carlo simulation study was used to examine the empirical Type I error rates and power of two nonparametric statistics based on the Douglas and Cohen (2001) approach. The procedures are compared to two commonly used goodness-of-fit statistics, S-X 2 (Orlando & Thissen, 2000) and BILOG's G 2 (Mislevy & Bock, 1990), across conditions varied by test length, sample size, and the percentage of misfitting items. Overall, the nonparametrically based statistics controlled the Type I error rate and exhibited the most power across all conditions. Due to its close association with a graphical representation of the item response func...
Impact of cumulative combat stress on learning in an academic environment

This chapter describes the effects of combat-related stress in an academic setting and suggests how adult educators can deal with the potential influx of combat veterans in their classrooms.
Non‐immune hydrops fetalis associated with impaired fetal movement: A case report and review

Non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is due to many different causes. Fetal hypomobility has been alluded to as a possible cause. We present a preterm fetus with NIHF secondary to fetal hypomobility. Fetal movements were undetected after the 20th week of gestation. The infant was born 8 weeks later and was edematous, had pleural effusions, and no spontaneous movements. He died on day four of life. Diffuse massive central nervous system (CNS) destruction found on post-mortem examination was thought to be the origin of the hypomobility. As all other causes of NIHF were eliminated, we propose that the NIHF in this infant was due to the hypomobility. This case then gives support to the assertion that fetal hypomobility is another cause of NIHF. The cause of the CNS catastrophy remains unelucidated. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Family Functioning and Children's Response to Primary Care Treatment for Overweight: A Preliminary Study

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the relation between family functioning and children's response to treatment for overweight in a primary care setting. Methods Sixty predominantly African American (72%) parents of children who are overweight were recruited from a pediatric outpatient clinic to provide information about family functioning. Children's success in treatment was tracked through medical chart review. Results Parents' baseline self-report of family adaptability was associated with child body mass index z-scores (zBMI) at 3-month follow-up, although this association was no longer significant once baseline child zBMI was taken into account. Conclusions Families with greater ability to adopt/implement changes may have children who do better in weight loss treatment. This preliminary study provides a model for integrating family systems ideas into pediatric overweight research and offers heuristic value as well as directions for future research in primary care settings.
Counting alpha particles from the 6Li+n reaction by track-etch methods

Abstract The track etch-spark counting technique using thin cellulose nitrate films has been demonstrated to be successful for measuring approximately 2 MeV alpha particles from a 210 Po alpha source and from the 6 Li(n,α) 3 H reaction. Precision of measurement was found to approach that of counting statistics and the linearity of response extended to approximately 2000 spark counts/cm 2 of detector film. The potential application of the technique to a surface activation analysis by the (n,α) reaction was investigated by irradiating 6 LiF thermoluminescence detector crystals in a neutron flux using an evacuated irradiation chamber.
TAXONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR CARBONIFEROUS COALIFIED COMPRESSION EQUISETALEAN STROBILI

Equisetalean strobili normally are encountered as disarticulated organs. This condition has necessitated the creation of 12 form genera to accommodate the various morphological architectures and anatomical configurations. Taxonomically useful characteristics, which are discernable in permineralized specimens, are rarely distinguishable in coalified compressions due to their destruction during diagenesis and coalification. Therefore, genera established on the position of sporangiophore-trace origin, such as Schimperia Remy and Remy, are untenable when dealing with coalified compressions. Although the two largest genera of strobili, Calamostachys Schimper and Palaeostachya Weiss, may be synonymous, it is proposed that these form genera be retained when dealing with coalified compression specimens. Each genus provides a particular architectural concept for specimens which may not be assignable to the species level. Calamostachys and Palaeostachya are highly overspeciated genera. It is suggested that characteristics necessary to delimit new species include bract height, degree of bract fusion, disposition of bracts, bract: sporangiophore ratio, number of sporangia per sporangiophore, and sexual status.
Fumaroles in ice caves on the summit of Mount Rainier—preliminary stable isotope, gas, and geochemical studies

Abstract The edifice of Mount Rainier, an active stratovolcano, has episodically collapsed leading to major debris flows. The largest debris flows are related to argillically altered rock which leave areas of the edifice prone to failure. The argillic alteration results from the neutralization of acidic magmatic gases that condense in a meteoric water hydrothermal system fed by the melting of a thick mantle of glacial ice. Two craters atop a 2000-year-old cone on the summit of the volcano contain the world's largest volcanic ice-cave system. In the spring of 1997 two active fumaroles (T=62°C) in the caves were sampled for stable isotopic, gas, and geochemical studies. Stable isotope data on fumarole condensates show significant excess deuterium with calculated δD and δ18O values (−234 and −33.2‰, respectively) for the vapor that are consistent with an origin as secondary steam from a shallow water table which has been heated by underlying magmatic–hydrothermal steam. Between 1982 and 1997, δD of the fumarole vapor may have decreased by 30‰. The compositions of fumarole gases vary in time and space but typically consist of air components slightly modified by their solubilities in water and additions of CO2 and CH4. The elevated CO2 contents (δ 13 C CO 2 =−11.8±0.7‰), with spikes of over 10,000 ppm, require the episodic addition of magmatic components into the underlying hydrothermal system. Although only traces of H2S were detected in the fumaroles, most notably in a sample which had an air δ13CCO2 signature (−8.8‰), incrustations around a dormant vent containing small amounts of acid sulfate minerals (natroalunite, minamiite, and woodhouseite) indicate higher H2S (or possibly SO2) concentrations in past fumarolic gases. Condensate samples from fumaroles are very dilute, slightly acidic, and enriched in elements observed in the much higher temperature fumaroles at Mount St. Helens (K and Na up to the ppm level; metals such as Al, Pb, Zn Fe and Mn up to the ppb level and volatiles such as Cl, S, and F up to the ppb level). The data indicate that the hydrothermal system in the edifice at Mount Rainier consists of meteoric water reservoirs, which receive gas and steam from an underlying magmatic system. At present the magmatic system is largely flooded by the meteoric water system. However, magmatic components have episodically vented at the surface as witnessed by the mineralogy of incrustations around inactive vents and gas compositions in the active fumaroles. The composition of fumarole gases during magmatic degassing is distinct and, if sustained, could be lethal. The extent to which hydrothermal alteration is currently occurring at depth, and its possible influence on future edifice collapse, may be determined with the aid of on site analyses of fumarole gases and seismic monitoring in the ice caves.
Predicting the influence of pore characteristics on ductility of thin-walled high pressure die casting magnesium

Abstract In this paper, a two-dimensional microstructure-based finite element modeling method is adopted to investigate the effects of porosity in thin-walled high pressure die casting Mg materials on their ductility. For this purpose, the cross-sections of AM50 and AM60 casting samples are first examined using optical microscope to obtain the overall information on the pore characteristics. The experimentally quantified pore characteristics are then used to generate a series of synthetic microstructures with different pore sizes, pore volume fractions and pore size distributions. Pores are explicitly represented in the synthetic microstructures and meshed out for the subsequent finite element analysis. In the finite element analysis, an intrinsic critical strain value is used for the Mg matrix material, beyond which work-hardening is no longer permissible. With no artificial failure criterion prescribed, ductility levels are predicted for the various microstructures in the form of strain localization. Mesh size effect study is also conducted, from which a mesh size dependent critical strain curve is determined. A concept of scalability of pore size effects is then presented and examined with the use of the mesh size dependent critical strain curve. The results in this study show that, for the regions with lower pore size and lower volume fraction, the ductility generally decreases as the pore size and pore volume fraction increase whereas, for the regions with larger pore size and larger pore volume fraction, other factors such as the mean distance between the pores begin to have some substantial influence on the ductility. The results also indicate that the pore size effects may be scalable for the models with good-representative pore shape and distribution with the use of the mesh size dependent critical strain curve.
Parallel Synthesis of Alkyl Tetrazole Derivatives Using Solid Support Chemistry.

The synthesis of several ω-chloroalkyl tetrazoles and their subsequent attachment to a solid support is described. Using an in situ Finkelstein reaction, a variety of nucleophiles were alkylated and then cleaved from the resin to give pure alkyl tetrazole derivatives. A sample library of 5 × 6 demonstrates the general utility of this sequence.
Attributional Styles of Aggressive Boys and Their Mothers

To determine if mothers of aggressive boys have the same propensity as their sons to infer hostile intentions in ambiguous interpersonal situations, 50 mothers of aggressive and nonaggressive boys were each asked to interpret hypothetical situations involving themselves with their child, their partner, and a peer as well as hypothetical situations involving their child in interaction with classmates and teachers. Their sons also were each requested to interpret hypothetical situations involving themselves with their mother, a teacher, and a classmate. The results indicated that mothers of aggressive boys do share the propensity to infer hostility in ambiguous situations and may, in effect, model a hostile attributional bias. Mothers of aggressive boys failed to differentiate ambiguous from hostile situations and were as likely to infer hostile intentions in ambiguous as in hostile situations. The results also suggest a generalized tendency on the part of mothers of aggressive boys to infer negative motives and/or dispositions when accounting for the noxious behavior of their sons. Further, for the aggressive boys, the hostile attributional bias was evident with both peers and teachers. The presence of a hostile attribution was predictive of an aggressive response for the aggressive boys. Even in the face of clearly hostile, provocative behavior, nonaggressive boys were less likely to offer aggressive solutions than aggressive boys.
Molecular-state treatment of collisions between protons and He + ions

Cross sections have been calculated for electron transfer into all states of H in collisions of protons and /sup 4/He/sup +/ ions at center-of-mass energies from 1.6 to 14 keV. Excitation of the 2s, 2p/sub 0/, and 2p/sub 1/ states of He/sup +/ has also been considered. The coupled-molecular-state calculations incorporate matrix elements and potential curves determined previously for up to ten molecular states 1ssigma, 2ssigma, ..., 3ddelta and up to 22 states 1ssigma, 2ssigma, ..., 4fphi 5gsigma, 5g..pi.. in treatments with and without plane-wave translational factors, respectively. The departure from rectilinear trajectories has been estimated to affect the electron-transfer cross sections by less than 7% at energies above 1.6 keV. The present results show very good agreement with the magnitude and structure of a recent experimental cross-section curve.
The debate over weight- versus price-based taxation of snuff in the United States’ state legislatures

Discount snuff, known for its cheap price, high nicotine content, and popularity among youth, has increased substantially in market share in the United States. As a likely result, the leading manufacturer of premium snuff has supported legislation changing the basis for taxing snuff from price to weight. To determine which public health issues arose in legislative debates, we transcribed 17 of 52 bills from US state legislatures and coded for arguments broadly categorized into public health, fair taxation, tax revenue, tax efficiency, and anti-competitiveness. State legislators expressed frustration that equitable taxation, revenue generation, and prevention of youth tobacco use were frequently conflated in the debates. Public health advocates expressed concerns over youths' incentives to purchase low-weight snuff, but seldom discussed youths' growing preference for discount snuff. The evolving market of moist snuff is a critical consideration for US state legislators as well as policy makers from other countries who may evaluate taxation methods for alternate tobacco products.
A stochastic wire-length distribution for gigascale integration (GSI). I. Derivation and validation

Based on Rent's Rule, a well-established empirical relationship, a rigorous derivation of a complete wire-length distribution for on-chip random logic networks is performed. This distribution is compared to actual wire-length distributions for modern microprocessors, and a methodology to calculate the wire-length distribution for future gigascale integration (GSI) products is proposed.
Feasibility of in vivo imaging of fluorescent proteins using lifetime contrast

We show that fluorescence lifetime is a powerful contrast mechanism that can enhance the whole-body imaging of fluorescent proteins (FPs), in the presence of background tissue autofluorescence (AF). The nonexponential AF decay is characterized from time-domain (TD) measurements on multiple nude mice and separated from the FP fluorescence using a linear fit to a priori basis functions. We illustrate this approach using an orthotopic mouse tumor model of breast adenocarcinoma. We also report that four commonly used FPs show distinct lifetimes, indicating their suitability for in vivo lifetime multiplexing. These results suggest the potential for exploiting fluorescence lifetime for imaging FPs for a variety of whole-body small-animal imaging applications.
Net Inverse Bremsstrahlung Acceleration in Plasma Waves

It is shown that the acceleration by the net inverse bremsstrahlung of laser light is a classical phenomenon in which high-energy electrons, whose momentum and energy are modulated by the laser light, strictly obey the momentum and energy conservation laws and the time-reversal invariance of the transition probability. Net inverse bremsstrahlung acceleration of high-energy electrons traveling in strong laser light and plasma waves is investigated using the relativistic quantum kinetics based on the Dirac equation. The quantum kinetics treats the classical phenomenon exhibited by high-energy electrons through the correspondence principle. The dc force in the laser light direction by the net inverse bremsstrahlung is independent of the spread of the electron beam energy, and increases with the electron beam energy. The dc force also increases with the laser intensity if the potential amplitude of the laser wave is smaller than the electron rest energy.
Suicide by Mass Murder: Masculinity, Aggrieved Entitlement, and Rampage School Shootings

AbstractSchool shootings have become more common in the United States in recent years. Yet, as media portrayals of these ‘rampages’ shock the public, the characterisation of this violence obscures an important point: many of these crimes culminate in suicide, and they are almost universally committed by males. We examine three recent American cases, which involve suicide, to elucidate how the culture of hegemonic masculinity in the US creates a sense of aggrieved entitlement conducive to violence. This sense of entitlement simultaneously frames suicide as an appropriate, instrumental behaviour for these males to underscore their violent enactment of masculinity.
A new passive sampler for regulated workplace ketones.

A new solid sorbent passive air sampler for ketones has a silicone membrane atop a diffusion cylindrical path length of 1.1 cm and diameter 1.3 cm above a pellet of Tenax TA coated with 10% (w/w) O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Vapors of known concentrations approximating their workplace permissible exposure limits of Occupational Safety and Health Administration-regulated ketones at a relative humidity (RH) of 3±1% were generated by a syringe pump connected to a dynamic air dilution system connected to an exposure chamber that allowed measurement of face velocities, temperatures, exposing vapor concentrations, and RHs. The O-oxime derivative was desorbed with hexane, and an aliquot injected for gas chromatographic analysis on a nonpolar capillary column by mass spectrometric or electron capture detection. The experimental passive sampler sampling rates in milliliters per minute at 25°C were 4.07±0.49, cyclohexanone; 6.30±0.59, diethyl ketone; 6.31±0.31, ethyl n-butyl ketone; 3...
Explanations for the Origins of Sexual Compulsivity Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Sexual compulsivity (SC) is a condition characterized by sexual fantasies and behaviors that interfere with personal, interpersonal, or vocational pursuits. This article describes the ways in which gay and bisexual men with symptoms of SC understand and explain the origins of their condition. The data for this article were drawn from Project SPIN, a mixed-methods study of SC among 183 gay and bisexual men in New York City. The article provides an evaluation of how urban gay and bisexual men experience SC and describes how they think about it in their own words. These men articulated both intrinsic and extrinsic sources for the development of SC. Some participants endorsed a belief in a predisposition toward sexually compulsive behavior, whereas others identified factors such as emotional neglect, sexual abuse, or the availability and accessibility of sexual partners. These understandings may influence the ways in which SC can be treated, while also highlighting issues that may be critical in the identification and/or measurement of SC. Insights into the origins of SC may yield new therapeutic models that reduce not only the distress of contending with this condition but its negative health effects and impact on quality of life.
Modern sands of South America: composition, provenance and global significance

Standard petrographic methods were used to study 604 modern sands from South America, of which 351 came from rivers and 253 from beaches. In spite of the wide geomorphic contrasts, these sands belong to only three great families: (1) an immature Andean family of lithic arenites rich in volcanic and metamorphic grains that covers about 30% of South America; (2) a cratonic association rich in quartz that covers about 62% of the continent; and (3) a transitional, molasse association, which occurs between these two and covers only about 8% of the continent. The grand arithmetic average Q:F: Rf ratio for the entire continent is 60:11:29 and the area-weighted, carbonate-free average Qa:Fa:Rfa is 68:10:22, a superior continental estimate, and the first ever for an entire continent.
Planar Four-Bar Motion Generation with Prescribed Static Torque and Rigid-Body Reaction Force#

In motion generation, the objective is to calculate the mechanism parameters required to achieve or approximate a set of prescribed rigid-body poses. This work introduces a new design constraint that considers driving link static torque for a given rigid-body load. By incorporating this new constraint into conventional planar four-bar motion generation models (Sandor and Erdman, 1984; Suh and Radcliffe 1978), planar four-bar mechanisms are synthesized to achieve not only prescribed rigid-body poses, but also to satisfy prescribed driver static torque for a given rigid-body load. The included example demonstrates the synthesis of a four-bar braking mechanism.
Ontogeny and allometry of African ape manual rays

Abstract Comparative morphology of the African ape hand is receiving renewed interest in the wake of recent discoveries of fossil hominid hands and the increasing number of biomolecular studies that question the traditional chimpanzee/gorilla clade. This paper compares ontogenetic sequences of Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, Gorilla gorilla beringei and Pongo pygmaeus in order to assess whether or not previously established interspecific differences between adult chimpanzee and gorilla metacarpals and phalanges are due to a differential extension/truncation of a common growth allometry. Furthermore, inter-ray comparisons are made within the African apes to evaluate the functional role of individual rays. Results indicate that most dimensions of metacarpals and phalanges are ontogenetically scaled between Pan and Gorilla and also among pongids. Metacarpal and phalangeal lengths, however, depart from the general pattern of ontogenetic scaling. In interspecific comparisons of metacarpal and phalangeal lengths regressed on public lengths, the slopes are not significantly different between chimpanzees and gorillas, but there are significant transpositions in the growth trajectories such that Gorilla has shorter rays than Pan at common sizes. Inter-ray comparisons between genera reveal that gorillas have less variation between rays in almost all dimensions compared to chimpanzees. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that most differences in metacarpal, phalangeal, and inter-ray morphology between chimpanzees and gorillas that are not attributed to ontogenetic scaling may be related to the following: (1) kinematically distinct types of knuckle-walking, (2) a greater proportion of body weight borne on the hands of gorillas than chimpanzees at common sizes, or (3) a higher frequency of arboreal behavior of chimpanzees than gorillas at common sizes.
Survey of medical student electives in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Problems and solutions.

Abstract There is already a body of knowledge in the literature reflecting on the need, the organization and evaluation of a strong medical student physical medicine and rehabilitation experience. However, there is still a need to develop and implement these concepts in many academic programs. This paper will review the strategies for improving medical student education in physical medicine and rehabilitation with emphasis on faculty development, administrative organizations and departmental resources.
English as an Engineering Tool: Samuel Chandler Earle and the Tufts Experiment

Evaluation of Samuel Chandler Earle's 1911 presentation to the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education demonstrates Earle's role as a key player in the shift of a technical writing course which combined both the goals of an engineering curriculum with the ultimate, real-world needs of the graduated engineer. Earle's Tufts Experiment, discussed in his paper, English in the Engineering School at Tufts College [1], would not only provide the impetus for a decade of discussion among engineering and English educators, but would provide, in part, the impetus for the Committee on English, a committee Earle would chair, charged with studying engineering English offerings in the United States.
Of values and functionality: the sequestering nonpositive reviews in an online feedback system

The positive bias commonly found in online feedback systems suggests the presence of a marginalized group of users that sequester their non-positive reviews, excluding these users from participation in social discourse. To understand the barriers to participation, this paper analyzes unsolicited online forum discussions of a virtual community to identify features of an online feedback system that may act as barriers to contribution. By examining conflicts between user perceptions of values and functionality of the system, this study reveals that character limitations to reviews and restricted labeling conventions discourage users from contributing non-positive feedback.
Plasticity of Graphite

THE creep behaviour of graphite in the temperature range 1,300–2,000° C. has been examined for the first time. The experiments were carried out by applying loads to cantilevers heated in vacuo by the passage of an electric current and to spring specimens heated in a high-temperature high-vacuum furnace. The specimens were made in the laboratory by extruding a wide range of raw materials (pitch coke, petroleum coke, lamp black, cellulose and natural graphite). Springs of rectangular section were also machined from commercially manufactured materials (reactor graphite and commercial electrode graphite). The apparatus and techniques used in these experiments were similar to those used in dynamic experiments previously described1.
On the use of shape grammars as expert systems for geometry-based engineering design

Production systems have traditionally been used in engineering to aid the designer in generating designs in domains not significantly influenced by geometry. However, in geometric-based domains such as mechanical engineering, their popularity has been limited. This work proposes the use of shape grammars as the framework for engineering expert systems. Shape grammars are shown to have all the generation and analysis capabilities of traditional production systems, while being able to represent knowledge about both the functionality and the form of a product. Additionally, the parametric nature of shape grammars, their ability to deal with physical form rather than abstract elements, and their ability to recognize emergent shapes give them significant advantages over traditional production systems for geometry-based engineering design.
The ISI visual design editor generator

The benefits of "domain specific" languages and development environments are widely recognized. Constructing an environment for a new domain, however, remains a costly activity, requiring expertise in several areas of software development as well as in the targeted domain. The ISI design editor generator and design environment comprises novel infrastructure that simplifies this task, producing visual domain-specific design environments. This paper presents the runtime architecture of these environments, a visual "specify-by-example" capability that deals with a major portion of editor generation, and an implementation that uses a COTS product (Microsoft PowerPoint) as both graphic middleware and end-user GUI.
Simulating the evaporation of pinned water microdroplets with implementation of a surface concentration distribution

Numerical and experimental investigations of water microdroplet evaporation on polymer substrates are reported. The study is focused on validating numerical models with experimental data. The experimentally measured evaporation rates are compared to the predictions of a commonly reported model based on a solution of the Laplace equation, providing the local evaporation flux along the droplets liquid-vapor interface. The model consistently overpredicts the evaporation rate, which is presumable due to the models constant saturated vapor concentration along the droplets liquid-vapor interface. In result, a modified version of the model is implemented to account for variations in temperature along the droplets liquid-vapor interface. A vapor concentration distribution is then imposed using this temperature distribution, increasing the accuracy in predicted evaporation rate by ~ 7.7% and ~ 9.9% for heated polymer substrates at T s = 50°C and 65°C, respectively.
Growth-controlled surface roughness in Al-doped ZnO as transparent conducting oxide

The surface morphology of Al2O3-doped ZnO (AZO, 2?wt%) thin films varies from a uniform layer to nanorod structure by simply controlling oxygen pressure during growth. All AZO films were deposited on sapphire(0001) substrates using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. In the low oxygen pressure regime (vacuum ~50?mTorr), AZO films grow as a smooth and uniform layer. In the high oxygen pressure regime (100?250?mTorr) AZO thin films with nanorods have formed. Detailed cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies reveal that, besides the obvious variation in the film morphology, the in-plane d spacing of AZO film increases and the out-of-plane d spacing decreases, as oxygen pressure increases. A bilayer AZO film with a nanorod structure on top of a uniform layer was demonstrated by controlling the oxygen pressure for the two layers. Electrical resistivity and optical transmittance measurements were carried out to correlate with the microstructures obtained under different oxygen pressures. The bilayer AZO films could find applications as a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) with a unique light trapping function in thin film solar cells.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Its Clinical Impact in Oncology

More than 60% of cancer cases occur among individuals aged 65 and older, but older patients, particularly those with significant comorbidities, are undertreated and underrepresented in clinical trials. Whereas older cancer patients are increasingly receiving cancer treatment, determining treatment options can be difficult. Assessment tools and approaches have been adapted or developed to assist cancer specialists in the clinical management of older persons. This article reviews the literature along three lines: the ability of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to identify unrecognized problems, the ability of a CGA to predict outcomes, and the results of implementing a multidisciplinary oncogeriatric intervention.
Plant population and weeds influence stalk insects, soil moisture, and yield in rainfed sunflowers

Insect infestation, soil moisture, and yield were examined in populations of ≈ 33 140 plants/ha (low) and ≈ 40 340 plants/ha (high) of an oilseed sunflower, Helianthus annuus L, cv.‘Triumph 660CL’with two levels of weediness. Less weedy plots resulted from the application of herbicide combination of S-metolachlor and sulfentrazone, whereas more weedy plots resulted from application of sulfentrazone alone. Among the 12 weed species recorded, neither plant numbers nor biomass differed between crop plant densities. Larvae of the stalk-boring insects Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Mordellistena sp. (Coleoptera: Mordellidae) were less abundant in high density sunflowers, ostensibly due to reduced plant size. However, the same effect was not observed for Dectes texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) or Pelochrista womanana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), two other stalk-boring insects. Soil moisture was highest in low density and lowest in the high density sunflowers that were less weedy. Stalk circumference, head diameter, and seed weight were reduced for sunflower plants with short interplant distances (mean = 20 cm apart) compared to plants with long interplant distances (mean = 46 cm apart). These three variables were greater in less weedy plots compared with more weedy plots and positively correlated with interplant distance. Yields on a per-hectare basis paralleled those on a per-plant basis but were not different among treatments. The agronomic implications of planting density are discussed in the context of weed and insect management.
Topiramate for Use in Adult Migraine Prophylaxis

Objective: To review studies comparing topiramate with placebo or other migraine prophylaxis agents in order to outline the role of topiramate in the pharmacologic prevention of adult migraine and to provide clinicians with evidence for rationale of its use. Data Sources: Primary studies and review articles were identified via a MEDLINE search (1960-November 2008). Search terms included topiramate, antiepileptic, anticonvulsant, migraine prophylaxis, and migraine prevention. Additional references were obtained from bibliographies of those resources. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All relevant information extracted from randomized, controlled studies and systematic reviews evaluating the efficacy safety, and pharmacology of topiramate in the prevention of adult migraine were included. Data Synthesis: Topiramate is approved for the prevention of adult migraine. It has historically been used in the treatment of seizure disorders but received approval for migraine prophylaxis in 2004. The exact mechanism of its antimigraine effect remains unknown, but modulation of sodium channels, y-aminobutyric acid, and glutamate activity seem to be involved, given the proposed shared pathophysiology between seizure and migraine. Two pivotal trials comparing topiramate with placebo led to approval for migraine prophylaxis in the US and a third similar trial that compared topiramate with propranolol secured licensure in Europe. Additional studies evaluated optimal dosing up to 200 mg daily and duration of therapy through 14 months. These trials demonstrated the ability of topiramate 50 mg twice daily, administered for up to 14 months, to safely reduce migraine frequency duration, and severity. Limited information from comparative studies suggests a similar effect of topiramate and other agents, including divalproex sodium, propranolol, and timolol. The most common adverse effect observed among all trials was mild-to-moderate paresthesias that were transient in nature. Other adverse effects commonly reported include gastrointestinal upset and cognitive impairment. Adverse effects were more likely to occur during titration periods. Topiramate's safety profile appears to be as good as or better than that of other prophylactic agents. Conclusions: Topiramate is an appropriate first-line drug to consider for prevention of adult migraine. The efficacy and safety of topiramate in migraine prophylaxis has been well established in clinical trials and is comparable with other approved agents for this indication. When choosing among these agents, prescribers should consider the adverse effect profile, route of administration, cost, and comorbidities.
Sensitivity of flexibility monitoring of offshore jacket platforms

Flexibility monitoring is a vibration-based method for simplifying the detection of major underwater damage on offshore jacket platforms. Ambient vibrations are detected at each of the underwater framing levels relative to abovewater vibration in the fundamental sway and torsional modes. Derived are flexibility parameters which relate to the shear flexibilities of each framing bay and of the foundation. Great promise has been shown by laboratory and field testing. This paper presents a comprehensive sensitivity assessment for severance of diagonal members over a wide range of structural redundancy for generic platform configurations.
Of rice, grain, and zeal: lessons from Drs. Kempner and Esselstyn.

Two physicians who successfully motivated their patients to make lifestyle changes were true believers.
Predicting Progress in Directed Mapping Projects

Several recent mapping efforts have used so-called "directed" approaches to construct their maps. However, most, but not all, published methods for modeling the progress in physical mapping projects have been focused on random approaches, such as bottom-up fingerprinting and STS-content mapping. In addition, those few efforts that did model directed approaches used methods that required assuming that all insert lengths were the same. This assumption is unnecessary. Using properties of stationary processes, one can derive simple asymptotic formulas that apply equally to constant and variable clone lengths. Also, in the case of constant clone lengths, these results are equivalent to, and extend, those published results for directed mapping derived by other methods. Simulations show that these methods provide estimates well within the limits of uncertainty inherent in any mapping project.
Gender Differences in the Perception of Courtship Abuse

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in the perception of courtship abuse. Scenes of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of both female and male victims were depicted in written vignettes. Two-hundred-forty male and 240 female college undergraduates rated the vignettes in terms of nine dimensions, including typicality of the dating situations and the severity of abuse depicted. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between men's and women's ratings of the severity of abusive behaviors depicted in the female victim vignettes, regardless of the type of abuse. Women, however, rated the sexual abuse of a women against a man in the vignette as significantly more abusive than did the male raters. The study also investigated the impact of prior involvement with abuse and found no correlation with current perceptions of courtship abuse. Avenues for future research and implications for intervention are discussed.
Effects of the abused inhalant toluene on the mesolimbic dopamine system.

Toluene is a representative member of a class of inhaled solvents that are voluntarily used by adolescents and adults for their euphorigenic effects. Research into the mechanisms of action of inhaled solvents has lagged behind that of other drugs of abuse despite mounting evidence that these compounds exert profound neurobehavioral and neurotoxicological effects. Results from studies carried out by the authors and others suggest that the neural effects of inhalants arise from their interaction with a discrete set of ion channels that regulate brain activity. Of particular interest is how these interactions allow toluene and other solvents to engage portions of an addiction neurocircuitry that includes midbrain and cortical structures. In this review, we focus on the current state of knowledge regarding toluene’s action on midbrain dopamine neurons, a key brain region involved in the initial assessment of natural and drug-induced rewards. Findings from recent studies in the authors’ laboratory show that brief exposures of adolescent rats to toluene vapor induce profound changes in markers of glutamatergic plasticity in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons. These changes are restricted to VTA DA neurons that project to limbic structures and are prevented by transient activation of the medial prefrontal cortex prior to toluene exposure. Together, these data provide the first evidence linking the voluntary inhalation of solvents to changes in reward-sensitive dopamine neurons.