cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracranial Tuberculomas: An Unusual Cause of Altered Mental Status in a Pediatric Patient

A 2-year-old boy was brought to the Emergency Department (ED) with a complaint of 3-week history of increasing lethargy, weight loss, intermittent low grade fever, and right-sided tremor. A non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the head, ordered by the patient's pediatrician, was interpreted as abnormal and the patient was referred to the ED for further evaluation. Physical examination was remarkable for somnolence requiring tactile stimulation to arouse the patient. Neurologic examination revealed right-sided choreoathetosis and unsteady gait. A contrast CT scan of the head demonstrated multiple ring-enhancing lesions throughout the brain and mild to moderate third and lateral ventricular enlargement. In view of the positive purified protein derivative test, chest X-ray study, and gastric aspirates positive for tuberculosis, a diagnosis of intracranial tuberculomas was made. The epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management of intracranial tuberculomas are reviewed.
Abundance and rotational temperature of telluric methane as determined from the 2 nu 3 band

The rotational temperature of the 2 nu 3 methane absorptions in the solar/telluric spectrum and the methane abundance in the earth's atmosphere have been measured and are found to be 243.4 plus or minus 5.3 K and 1.137 plus or minus 0.117 cm-atm (STP) in a vertical column, respectively. The data were reduced using the results of laboratory measurements with proper allowance for the fine-structure of the methane absorption manifold and the effects of vibration-rotation interaction (which causes an enhancement of the R-branch of this band).
Colorectal cancer in women: hormone replacement therapy and chemoprevention

Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for 9.4% of new cancer diagnoses among women world-wide. CRC is the third leading cause of incident cancer among women in the United States and has immense impact on morbidity and mortality. We summarize data on CRC pathogenesis and risk in women. We also review the findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) on CRC risk reduction associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use. We then review observational studies since the WHI which evaluated HRT as a chemopreventive agent for CRC among women. The potential mechanisms behind the association between HRT use and CRC are also reviewed. We then discuss the requirements for implementation of chemopreventive agents, and why HRT should not be used for this indication given current knowledge. Further data on the risk-benefit profile of short-term HRT use are needed and will determine whether there is any future role for HRT use in the chemoprevention of CRC.
Evidence that the prostaglandin E2 receptor and the anhydrolevuglandin E2 receptor in the rat uterus are the same receptor.

Abstract Anhydrolevuglandin E 2 (AnLGE 2 ) is closely related to prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and has been found to inhibit the uterotonic activity of PGE 2 The binding of PGE 2 and its inhibition by AnLGE 2 has been determined in rat uterine membrane fractions. AnLGE 2 inhibited the binding of 3 HPGE 2 in a dose related fashion. 3 HAnLGE 2 also binds to rat uterine mambrane fractions and its binding is inhibited by PGE 2 in a dose related fashion. These data support previous physiological observations that AnLGE 2 inhibits the actions of PGE 2 by acting at the PGE 2 receptor. Thus, AnLGE 2 appears to be a specific inhibitor of PGE 2 actiions at its uterine receptors.
Data exchange and software integration: Interdisciplinary design challenges

Hewlett-Packard develops and markets a family of computer-aided engineering products used by high-frequency designers to model the signal path in contemporary communications systems. As design frequencies, clock speeds and packaging densities continue to increase, more designers are finding that system and circuit simulation products need to be complemented by electromagnetic simulation software to develop models for basic circuit functionality or to characterize and compensate undesired parasitic effects. The HP High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HP HFSS) is a frequency-domain, finite element-based simulator, which enables engineers to characterize high-frequency behavior in 2D (transmission lines) and arbitrary 3D structures. Links with mechanical computer aided design (CAD) software have also become more important as the 3D structures to be analyzed by HP HFSS can involve packaging parasitics when the housing in which the electrical circuitry is enclosed becomes an influence on the signal path. Depending upon the complexity of the structure to be analyzed, HP HFSS can require hundreds of Mbytes of RAM and disk during automated adaptive solution convergence processes which determine field and circuit parameter solution results to user-specified accuracies. Although computer resource requirements will always be an important consideration for users of this type of product, another important situation to address for the future involves the exchange of data between the different simulation and modelling tools required to take design from concept through simulation to manufacture. The introduction of physical simulation tools into the traditional circuit simulation arena changes the design process flow and increases the demand for improved integration and interoperability of circuit simulators, numerical EM simulators, and mechanical CAD software. This paper provides an overview of data exchange issues in high-frequency electrical–physical–mechanical design processes.
Creep due to grain boundary diffusion and grain boundary viscous flow

Using the Einstein relation for a grain boundary, the creep controlled by grain boundary diffusion is compared with that controlled by grain boundary viscous flow. It is found that the creep rate controlled by viscous flow has the same order as does that controlled by grain boundary diffusion. This suggests that the creep controlled by grain boundary viscous flow may have the same mechanism as does that controlled by grain boundary diffusion.
Sulfur and carbon isotope geochemistry of coal and derived coal-combustion by-products : An example from an Eastern Kentucky mine and power plant

Abstract The isotopic compositions of S ( δ 34 S) and C ( δ 13 C) were determined for the coal utilized by a power plant and for the fly ash produced as a by-product of the coal combustion in a 220-MW utility boiler. The coal samples analyzed represent different lithologies within a single mine, the coal supplied to the power plant, the pulverized feed coal, and the coal rejected by the pulverizer. The ash was collected at various stages of the ash-collection system in the plant. There is a notable enrichment in 34 S from the base to the top of the coal seam in the mine, with much of the variation due to an upwards enrichment in the δ 34 S values of the pyrite. Variations in δ 34 S and in the amount of pyritic S in the coal delivered to the plant show that there was a change of source of coal supplied to the plant, between week one and week two of monitoring, supporting a previous study based on metal and sulfide geochemistry for the same plant. The fly ash has a more enriched δ 34 S than the pulverized coal and, in general, the δ 34 S is more enriched in fly ashes collected at cooler points in the ash-collection system. This pattern of δ 34 S suggests an increased isotopic fractionation due to temperature, with the fly ash becoming progressively depleted in 34 S and the flue gas S-containing components becoming progressively enriched in 34 S with increasing temperatures. Substantially less variation is seen in the C isotopes compared to S isotopes. There is little vertical variation in δ 13 C in the coal bed, with δ 13 C becoming slightly heavier towards the top of the coal seam. An 83–93% loss of solid phase C occurs during coal combustion in the transition from coal to ash owing to loss of CO 2 . Despite the significant difference in total C content only a small enrichment of 0.44–0.67‰ in 13 C in the ash relative to the coal is observed, demonstrating that redistribution of C isotopes in the boiler and convective passes prior to the arrival of the fly ash in the ash-collections system is minor.
Corn (Zea mays L.) Yield Prediction Using Multispectral and Multidate Reflectance

Yield predictive models based on multiple sampling dates may explain more yield variability than models based on a single sampling date. This study determined the influence of two approaches (multiple regression of eithersoil and crop multispectral and multidate reflectance or variables developed during principal-component analysis of reflectance data) on corn (Zea mays L.) yield predictions. Research was conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Corn yield data from two 65-ha fields were collected with a yield monitor, and crop and soil radiance [green, red, and near-infrared (NIR) wavebands] was measured three times (April-May, July, and August-September). Relative radiance (reflectance) was determined by dividing the measured radiance by the radiance at invariant target. Stepwise multiple regression based on reflectance or principal components was used to develop predictive equations. Multiple-regression models based on 2 yr of reflectance data were biased and provided poor estimates of yield whereas a model based on variables developed during principal-component analysis of reflectance data measured in the spring and summer of 1999 and 200 was unbiased and explained 45% of the corn yield variability in 2001. Differences between these models were attributed to multicollinearity of the data. Models that included data from two or three sampling dates generally explained more yield variability than models that used only one sampling date. Reflectance measured early in the season provided information about soil water and color while reflectance measured in August and September provided information about plant conditions.
The Strategic Designation of Visiting Judges in the U.S. Courts of Appeals

Judges serving in the United States Courts of Appeals are theorized to pursue goals related to both the content of legal policy and the institutional maintenance of their court in the decision-making process. However, it is unclear how judges respond when these two goals are put into competition. To answer this question, I investigate the decision by circuit chief judges to designate district court judges for assignment in the courts of appeals. The analysis demonstrates that while circuit chiefs are more likely to use visitors when the working conditions of the courts of appeals are suboptimal, their selection from the pool of potential visitors is driven primarily by their ideological congruity with the potential visitor. This result suggests chief judges strategically manipulate the visiting judge process and that institutional goals structure the pursuit of policy preferences in the courts of appeals.
More Similar than Different: The Psychological Environment of Paralympic Sport

As the opportunities for sport participation have increased for individuals with disabilities so has the level of competition. Athletes with disabilities now routinely compete at the national and international level with participation at the Paralympic Games as the crowning opportunity. Unfortunately, in the sport context, the concept of disability is often seen as a cue for different or special needs. However, for top level athletes competing with disabilities, research indicates their needs and experiences are more similar to able bodied elite athletes than different. This paper explores the current understanding of the similarities and uniqueness of the Paralympic athlete.
Population Affinities of 19th Century Cuban Crania: Implications for Identification Criteria in South Florida Cuban Americans

Identification criteria, specifically discriminant function formulae derived from traditional craniometrics, currently used in South Florida for Cuban Americans and other “Hispanic” groups, are unsuitable to provide adequate biological profiles due to complex biological histories as well as widely diverse geographic origins. Florida's total population is approximately 16 million (15,982,378) individuals. Of the total population 2,682,715, or 16.8%, are self-identified as “Hispanic”. South Florida (herein defined as Miami-Dade, Broward and Collier Counties) is home to 60% of the total Hispanic population of Florida with 1,291,737 (48.15%) residing in Miami-Dade County. The Hispanic population of Miami-Dade County makes up 57.0% of the total population of 2,253,362. Each recognized sub-group of Hispanics (Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban) includes its own geographic point-of-origin and population history. Cuban-Americans (arriving in the late 1950's and early 1960's) make up the largest sub-population of Florida's Hispanics in any county and in Miami-Dade number 650,601 or 51% of the total Latin population. Additionally, as in other agricultural states, Florida has a very large population of undocumented workers who primarily arrive from Texas and points south of the Straits of Florida. Thus the application of the available traditional craniometric and non-metric methods are not appropriate for South Florida's Latin population. To begin to address this issue in relation to South Florida's Cuban population, we present an analysis of cranio-facial shape variation in a 19th Century Cuban sample, 17th Century Spanish sample, a Precontact Cuban sample, and Terry Blacks using geometric morphometric methods. Significant biological shape differences and patterns of variation are observed among the groups. These results provide us with a context in which to begin to understand the biological variation of Cuban Americans, which will enable the development of identification criteria specific for this U.S. hybrid Hispanic community.
Twin Towers: The Ones Left Behind; Research Reviews: Chimeric DZ Twins, DZ Twin Mothers; Revisited: The New York Child Development Center Twin Study; New and Unusual Twins

Twin victims and survivors of the 2001 World Trade Tower attack are remembered. Central themes from the twin loss literature are also highlighted. Next, new research studies on dizygotic (DZ) twins and mothers of DZ twins are reviewed. Specifically, a rare monochorionic-diamniotic DZ twin pair with chimerism is described, and findings concerning genetic variants of GDF9 in mothers (that are associated with DZ twinning tendencies in families) are summarized. This is followed by another look at the controversial 1960s Child Development Center Twin Study that tracked the development of separated twins. Information on several new and unusual twins is also presented.
Reflections on the Indian Enforcement of the GE/Renusagar Award

ON 7 OCTOBER 1993 the Indian Supreme Court issued the third, and most comprehensive, of its trilogy of judgments in Renusagar Power Co. Ltd. v. General Electric Co. , dismissing the appeal, affirming the decree of the Bombay High Court, and directing enforcement of the US dollar international award of an ICC tribunal in terms of the award.1 The arbitral tribunal in this case was headed by Sir Peter Thomas, QC, MP (now Lord Thomas of Gwydir), and included Professor Boris Bittker of Yale Law School, who joined in the award, and Dr R.K. Dixit, former Director, Legal Treaties Division, Ministry of External Affairs, dissenting. The award was rendered in Paris in September 1986. The Supreme Court judgment and the publication of the award and judgment warrant serious reflection on India's evolving judicial views on enforcement of international awards, especially in view of the fact that this wide-ranging judgment has been deemed by the Indian Bar as passing upon a matter of first impression for the Supreme Court. Indian Supreme Court judgments had previously been issued on various aspects of arbitral awards rendered outside of India in two noteworthy cases: ONGC v. The Western Company of North America 2 and National Thermal Power Corp. v. The Singer Corp. 3 Those decisions elicited vigorous criticism in Jan Paulsson's article, ‘The New York Convention's Misadventures in India’.4 But their scope was far different from that in Renusagar. ONGC and NTPC , unlike Renusagar , turned on the issue of whether the arbitral awards in uiose cases constituted ‘Convention’ awards or, for reasons not relevant here, were properly deemed to be domestic arbitration awards. The major issues5 dealt with in this case by the Supreme Court are: 1. In general, the extent to which Indian court review of fact-finding and interpretations …
Constraint and material properties of the subregions of the scapholunate interosseous ligament

Abstract The material and constraint properties of the dorsal, proximal, and palmar regions of the scapholunate ligament were studied using isolated bone-ligament-bone preparations from 24 adult intact cadaver wrists. Determinations of constraint to differential rotation and translation as well as failure strength were made using a servohydraulic testing machine incorporating an additional rotatory actuator. The dorsal region of the scapholunate ligament offered the greatest constraint to differential translation, while both the dorsal and palmar regions demonstrated statistically significant combined constraints to differential rotation between the scaphoid and lunate. The greatest yield strength was found in the dorsal region (260.3 N ± 118.1 N), followed by the palmar region (117.9 N ± 21.3 N) and the proximal region (62.7 N ± 32.2 N). (J Hand Surg 1999;24A:0953–0962. Copyright © 1999 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
Regulatory restrictions on selective contracting: an empirical analysis of “any-willing-provider” regulations

"Any-willing-provider" (AWP) laws compel managed care plans to accept any provider willing to accept the plan's terms and conditions, potentially undermining managed care's ability to constrain spending. However. AWP laws potentially respond to inefficient risk-selection by providers of managed care. With risk selection, observed reductions in expenditures in the managed care sector may be offset by increases in the fee-for-service (FFS) sector, with no net decrease. This paper uses panel data on state expenditures to compare per capita spending levels in states with and without AWP laws. The results indicate that expenditures are higher when AWP laws are enacted.
Ground-state eigenvectors for many configuration wavefunctions

Abstract An n-th order steep descent technique for determining the lowest eigenvector of the matrix equation, [H − ES]c = 0, is investigated. The convergence is suited to the molecular wavefunction configuration interaction problem, in particular where bases are used which may be nearly overcomplete in certain regions of the vector space. The algorithm is also suited to computer solutions for large matrices, since it can be broken down to apply to blocks of convenient dimensions which may be treated iteratively and separately.
Characterization of a thermal-infrared field radiometer

A four-band, prototype, thermal-IR radiometer with a built- in radiance reference has been fabricated by CIMEL Electronique, Paris, France, for use as a field instrument. This paper briefly describes the instrument and discusses laboratory characterization measurements and results, including spectral response, linearity of better than 0.8 percent, field of view of 9.5 degrees, noise-equivalent temperature difference of 0.06-0.2 degrees C for temperatures of 0 to 75 degrees C, signal-to-noise ratio greater than 1100 for the broad band and greater than 400 for the other bands for temperatures between 10 and 80 degrees C, nonrepeatability of less than 0.35 percent after four field campaigns, and absolute calibration.
Model-based QoE prediction to enable better user experience for video teleconferencing

The ultimate goal of network resource allocation for video teleconferencing is to optimize the Quality of Experience (QoE) of the video. We consider the IPPP video coding structure with macroblock intra refresh, which is widely used for video teleconferencing. Generally, the loss of a current frame causes error propagation to subsequent frames due to the video coding structure. Therefore, to optimize the QoE, a communication network needs to be able to accurately predict the consequence of each of its resource allocation decisions. We propose a QoE prediction scheme by considering QoE models that use the per-frame PSNR time series as the input, thus reducing the QoE prediction problem to a per-frame PSNR prediction problem. The QoE prediction scheme is jointly implemented by the video sender (orMCU) and the communication network. Simulation results show that the proposed per-frame PSNR prediction method is fairly accurate, with an average error well below 1dB.
Moving beyond findings: concepts and model-building in schizophrenia

The relatively obscure etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia cannot be completely ascribed to a paucity of ``®ndings''. In fact, the several hundred thousand publications on schizophrenia in the past century have ``reported'' thousands of distinct ®ndings. While a majority of such ®ndings have subsequently not been corroborated, many other ®ndings have been replicated and are currently considered to be ``established''. Several contributors to this issue of the Journal participated in a two-day workshop to clarify constructs that attempt to explain the nature of schizophrenic illness. The complete list of participants included Drs. Francine Benes, William T. Carpenter, Jr., Lynn DeLisi, Peter Falkai, Robert Freedman, Patricia Goldman-Rakic, Anthony Grace, John F. Greden, John M. Kane, Matcheri Keshavan, Peter Liddle, Robin Murray, John Olney, Rajiv Tandon, John Waddington and Daniel Weinberger. Since models are designed to explain a body of facts, the set of established ®ndings in schizophrenia that such models should explain needs to be explicitly stated. In conjunction with Drs. Matcheri Keshavan and Richard J. Wyatt (and expanded from Wyatt et al., 1988), a list of 72 ®ndings was developed and all participants were asked to rate the reproducibility of each ®nding and whether it was intrinsic or primary to schizophrenia on a 0±4 scale (Table 1). The average of these ratings is presented in Table 1. As data about various aspects of schizophrenia have burgeoned, models or constructs around which such data can be organized become increasingly important. Models are best conceptualized as working hypotheses that have both an explanatory and a predictive function; i.e., they must explain a certain body of ``established'' facts and also generate a set of testable predictions. In the absence of ``unifying'' hypothesized constructs, the ®eld might become innundated with large mounds of undigested data that collectively do not make sense (this is probably already the case!). We currently cannot see the forest for the trees. Unfortunately, since a vast majority of scienti®c papers in schizophrenia (>90%) do not specify the particular construct or model that they are based upon or are attempting to clarify, it is unclear how the new information they provide ®ts into the existing body of information about schizophrenia. There are currently several dierent types of models or constructs in schizophrenia that attempt to explain dierent aspects of the disease: etiological, pathophysiologic, pathologic, neurochemical, neuropsychologic, treatment response, etc. While a signi®cant number of models currently utilized in schizophrenia are modular, some attempt to explain several dierent facets of the illness. Having unifying constructs, however, is not an unmixed blessing. One can ``force'' data arti®cially to ®t the construct. Dierent models might endeavor to explain dierent pieces of data and ignore other relevant data, leaving one with the task of integrating multiple constructs (instead of attempting to integrate Journal of Psychiatric Research 33 (1999) 467±471
Vietnam and American Culture

Fourteen Landing Zones: Approaches to Vietnam War Literature. Philip K. Jason, editor From Hanoi to Hollywood: The Vietnam War in American Film. Linda Ditmar and Gene Michaud, editors America Rediscovered: Critical Essays on Literature and Film of the Vietnam War. Ed. Owen W. Gilrnan, Jr. and Lorrie Smith
Ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts coordinated with unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: synthesis, structure, and catalytic activity.

A series of ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts coordinated with unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands has been prepared and fully characterized. These complexes are readily accessible in one or two steps from commercially available [(PCy_3)_2Cl_2Ru=CHPh]. All of the complexes reported herein promote the ring-closing of diethyldiallyl and diethylallylmethallyl malonate, the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 1,5-cyclooctadiene. and the cross metathesis of allyl benzene with cis-1,4-diac-etoxy-2-butene, in some cases surpassing in efficiency the existing second-generation catalysts. Especially in the cross metathesis of allyl benzene with cis-1,4-diacetoxy-2-butene, all new catalysts demonstrate similar or higher activity than the second-generation ruthenium catalysts and, most importantly, afford improved E/Z ratios of the desired cross-product at conversion above 60%. The influence of the unsymmetrical NHC ligands on the initiation rate and the activation parameters for the irreversible reaction of these ruthenium complexes with butyl vinyl ether were also studied. Finally, the synthesis of the related chlorodicarbonyl(carbene) rhodium(l) complexes allowed for the study of the electronic properties of the new unsymmetrical NHC ligands that are discussed in detail.
Structural evidence for monodentate binding of guanine to the dirhodium(II,II) core in a manner akin to that of cisplatin

The reaction of Rh2(OAc)4(bpy) (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) with 9-ethylguanine (9-EtGH) proceeds with substitution of two acetate ligands to produce [Rh2(OAc)2(bpy)(9-EtGH)(H2O)2(CH3SO4)][CH3SO4]·(H2O) (1), which has been structurally characterized. In compound 1, the equatorial sites of one rhodium center are occupied by a chelating bpy molecule and 9-EtGH is equatorially coordinated via N(7) to the other rhodium center. The interaction of the 9-EtGH base with the dirhodium core is further stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the purine O(6) and the equatorial water molecule. The eight non-equivalent bpy proton resonances, as well as that of the purine H(8) (which shifts upfield upon coordination as compared to free 9-EtGH, due to bpy ring current effects), were assigned by means of 2D NMR spectroscopy. The pH titration curve of the H(8) proton reveals pH-independent behavior and a pKa value of 8.0 for N1–H deprotonation; both observations corroborate N(7) binding of the purine base to the dirhodium unit in solution. These findings indicate that, in the presence of a chelating agent that blocks one rhodium center, 9-EtGH binds to a single rhodium center in a monodentate fashion via N(7), instead of in a bridging fashion through the N(7) and O(6) sites as previously noted.
Unbiased equation error identification and approximations: a frequency-domain solution and its performance analysis

We consider a frequency-domain solution to the least-squares equation error identification problem using the power spectrum and the cross-spectrum of the IO (input-output) data to estimate the IO parametric transfer function. The proposed approach is shown to yield a unimodal performance surface, consistent identification in colored noise and sufficient-order case, and stable fitted models under undermodeling for arbitrary stationary inputs so long as they are persistently exciting of sufficiently high order. Asymptotic performance analysis is carried out for both sufficient-order and reduced-order cases. Computer simulation results are presented to illustrate the proposed approach.
Creative Scholarship in Interior Design Education

ISSUE: An issue of increasing importance to interior design faculty is the evaluation of creative scholarship for retention, promotion, and tenure. APPLICATION: Administrators in higher education institutions could better support design educators if evaluation criteria, methods, and measures were better defined. GOAL: The goal was to develop evaluation materials for creative scholarship. DESCRIPTION: The authors reviewed and refined the results of a workshop in which over 30 Midwest Regional DEC members developed or identified (1) a definition of creative scholarship, (2) evaluation criteria, (3) creative scholarship outcomes, (4) evaluation methods, and (5) measures of creative scholarship. CONCLUSION: Use of these materials by educators and administrators will help establish the importance of creative scholarship to the interior design profession.
Development and Evaluation of Aggregate Destination Choice Models for Trip Distribution in Florida

Discrete choice modeling techniques have been used to model simultaneously the effects of land use and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics on travel behavior. To evaluate the performance of destination choice models with aggregate alternatives at the level of the travel analysis zone in allocating trips between zone pairs, this study developed three sets of home-based work models by using data collected from Broward, Palm Beach, and Volusia Counties in Florida. An objective for this study was to identify the benefit of destination choice models to urban areas of different sizes and characteristics. The spatial distribution patterns from the models were compared with those obtained from gravity models. The results from this study show that all urban areas benefited from destination choice models regardless of the urban size.
Control of a biped robot in the double-support phase

The development and implementation of an advanced control system for a seven-link, 12-degree-of-freedom, biped robot in the double-support phase are addressed. A constrained dynamic model of the biped robot is formulated and a reduced order model for the double-support phase is derived. In this model the dependent variables are related to the independent variables through the kinematic Jacobian. Control strategies based on feedforward compensation and linear state feedback are derived for tracking specified joint trajectories. The approach is demonstrated using results of a sway motion obtained from a prototype biped robot that has been constructed. >
Determination of Ion Intensities from Spark Source Mass Spectrometry Photoplates

A method is described which allows quantitative lines of a spark source mass spectrum on a photographic plate to be represented by three parameters only. These three parameters are the maximum absorption of the line, background, and the area produced by an integrator when the line is scanned on a microdensitometer. From these three data, plus the measured response characteristics of the photographic plate, a mathematical technique is described which yields the total number of ions which produced the line. A digital computer program is used in carrying out the mathematical method. The only assumption made is that the intensity of the beam which produced the line followed a normal (Gaussian) distribution about the point of maximum darkening.
Approaches and impact of non-academic research capacity strengthening training models in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Research is essential to identify and prioritize health needs and to develop appropriate strategies to improve health outcomes. In the last decade, non-academic research capacity strengthening trainings in sub-Saharan Africa, coupled with developing research infrastructure and the provision of individual mentorship support, has been used to build health worker skills. The objectives of this review are to describe different training approaches to research capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa outside academic programs, assess methods used to evaluate research capacity strengthening activities, and learn about the challenges facing research capacity strengthening and the strategies/innovations required to overcome them. The PubMed database was searched using nine search terms and articles were included if 1) they explicitly described research capacity strengthening training activities, including information on program duration, target audience, immediate program outputs and outcomes; 2) all or part of the training program took place in sub-Saharan African countries; 3) the training activities were not a formal academic program; 4) papers were published between 2000 and 2013; and 5) both abstract and full paper were available in English. The search resulted in 495 articles, of which 450 were retained; 14 papers met all inclusion criteria and were included and analysed. In total, 4136 people were trained, of which 2939 were from Africa. Of the 14 included papers, six fell in the category of short-term evaluation period and eight in the long-term evaluation period. Conduct of evaluations and use of evaluation frameworks varied between short and long term models and some trainings were not evaluated. Evaluation methods included tests, surveys, interviews, and systems approach matrix. Research capacity strengthening activities in sub-Saharan Africa outside of academic settings provide important contributions to developing in-country capacity to participate in and lead research. Institutional support, increased funds, and dedicated time for research activities are critical factors that lead to the development of successful programs. Further, knowledge sharing through scientific articles with sufficient detail is needed to enable replication of successful models in other settings.
Multi-Level Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation Among at-Risk Adolescent Females: The Role of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses to Stress

Adopting a multi-level approach, this study examined risk factors for adolescent suicidal ideation, with specific attention to (a) hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses and (b) the interplay between HPA-axis and other risk factors from multiple domains (i.e., psychological, interpersonal and biological). Participants were 138 adolescent females (M age = 14.13 years, SD = 1.40) at risk for suicidal behaviors. At baseline, lifetime suicidal ideation and a number of risk factors were assessed (i.e., depressive symptoms, impulsiveness, pubertal status and peer stress). Participants were exposed to a psychosocial stress task and HPA-axis responses were assessed by measuring cortisol levels pre- and post-stressor. At 3 months post-baseline, suicidal ideation again was assessed. Using group-based trajectory modeling, three groups of cortisol stress-response patterns were identified (i.e., hyporesponsive, normative, and hyperresponsive). As compared to females in the normative and hyporesponsive group, females in the hyperresponsive group were more likely to report a lifetime history of suicidal ideation at baseline, above and beyond the effects of the other predictors. Moreover, as compared to females in the normative group, females in the hyperresponsive group were at increased risk for reporting suicidal ideation 3 months later, after controlling for prior ideation. No interactions between cortisol group and the other risk factors were significant, with the exception of a non-significant trend between impulsiveness and cortisol group on lifetime suicidal ideation. Findings highlight the importance of HPA-axis responses to acute stressors as a risk factor for suicidal ideation among adolescents.
ORGANIZATION OF THE FOREPAW REPRESENTATION IN FERRET SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX

Little is known about the function and structure of ferret somatosensory cortex. We used anatomical methods and multi-unit recordings to characterize the cytoarchitecture, functional responses and topography of the forepaw representation in ferret somatosensory cortex. The representation of the cutaneous ferret forepaw encompasses approximately the caudal half of the posterior sigmoid gyrus. The posterior sigmoid gyrus and coronal sulcus contain unique cytoarchitectonic fields that conform in large part to earlier descriptions of somatosensory regions in the cat. The cytoarchitectonic regions form mediolateral bands that comprise areas 4, 3a, 3b, 1, and 2 (from rostral to caudal). We studied most extensively areas 3a and 3b for functional responses to somatic stimuli; our data indicate that ferret somatosensory cortex contains at least two representations of the forepaw in these two areas. Our data also suggest that within ferret somatosensory cortex, the morphological and submodality features gradually, ...
Leadership lessons from military education for postgraduate medical curricular improvement.

Summary Background: Quality medical education includes both teaching and learning of data-driven knowledge, and appropriate technical skills and tacit behaviours, such as effective communication and professional leadership. But these implicit behaviours are not readily adaptable to traditional medical curriculum models. This manuscript explores a medical leadership curriculum informed by military education. Context: Our paediatric anaesthesia residents expressed a strong desire for more leadership opportunity within the training programme. Upon exploration, current health care models for leadership training were limited to short didactic presentations or lengthy certificate programmes. We could not find an appropriate model for our 1-year fellowship. Innovation: In collaboration with the US Naval Academy, we modified the ‘Leadership Education and Development Program’ curriculum to introduce daily and graduated leadership opportunities: starting with low-risk decision-making tasks and progressing to independent professional decision making and leadership. Each resident who opted into the programme had a 3-month role as team leader and spent 9 months as a team member. At the end of the first year of this curriculum both quantitative assessment and qualitative reflection from residents and faculty members noted significantly improved clinical and administrative decision making. The second-year residents’ performance showed further improvement. Implications: Medical education has long emphasised subject-matter knowledge as a prime focus. However, in competency-based medical education, new curriculum models are needed. Many helpful models can be found in other professional fields. Collaborations between professional educators benefit the students, who are learning these new skills, the medical educators, who work jointly with other professionals, and the original curriculum designer, who has an opportunity to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of his or her model.
Role of the Executioner Caspases during Lens Development

The notion that the cell death machinery is utilized during lens organelle degradation is supported by the observation that well characterized apoptotic substrates are cleaved during this process. Here, we test directly the role of executioner caspases (caspase-3, -6, and -7) in fiber cell differentiation. The distribution of mRNA, protein, and enzymatic activity for each caspase was determined in the mouse lens. Transcripts for all three executioner caspases were identified in lens fiber cells by real time RT-PCR, although only caspase-6 and -7 proteins were detected subsequently by Western blot analysis. Endogenous proteolytic activity was noted for caspase-3 but not caspase-6 or -7. We tested the role of executioner caspases in organelle degradation by examining lenses from mice deficient in each caspase. Knock-out lenses appeared grossly normal with the exception of caspase-3(-/-) lenses, which exhibited marked cataracts at the anterior lens pole. The distribution of lens organelles was mapped by confocal microscopy. There was no significant difference in the size of the lens organelle-free zone (OFZ)1 between wild-type and knock-out lenses. In response to treatment with staurosporine, caspase-3 and -6 (but not caspase-7) enzymatic activities were induced. We generated double knock-out animals to examine the phenotype of lenses deficient in both caspase-3 and -6. Histological examination of such lenses indicated the presence of a properly formed OFZ. Thus, no single executioner caspase (nor a combination of caspase-3 and -6) is required for organelle loss, although caspase-3 activity may be required for other aspects of lens transparency.
Stretchable, Wireless Sensors and Functional Substrates for Epidermal Characterization of Sweat

This paper introduces materials and architectures for ultrathin, stretchable wireless sensors that mount on functional elastomeric substrates for epidermal analysis of biofluids. Measurement of the volume and chemical properties of sweat via dielectric detection and colorimetry demonstrates some capabilities. Here, inductively coupled sensors consisting of LC resonators with capacitive electrodes show systematic responses to sweat collected in microporous substrates. Interrogation occurs through external coils placed in physical proximity to the devices. The substrates allow spontaneous sweat collection through capillary forces, without the need for complex microfluidic handling systems. Furthermore, colorimetric measurement modes are possible in the same system by introducing indicator compounds into the depths of the substrates, for sensing specific components (OH(-) , H(+) , Cu(+) , and Fe(2+) ) in the sweat. The complete devices offer Young's moduli that are similar to skin, thus allowing highly effective and reliable skin integration without external fixtures. Experimental results demonstrate volumetric measurement of sweat with an accuracy of 0.06 μL/mm(2) with good stability and low drift. Colorimetric responses to pH and concentrations of various ions provide capabilities relevant to analysis of sweat. Similar materials and device designs can be used in monitoring other body fluids.
A Cross-Correlation Method for Merging Electron Crystallographic Image Data

An efficient method of merging images from electron crystallographic data has been developed that is several orders of magnitude faster than the method of phase shift origin search. The results of this new cross-correlation method are compared with the phase residual in terms of speed, consistency with the phase residual method, and the ease of incorporating symmetry constraints along with the image-to-image merging. The program is further accelerated by a more efficient sorting procedure.
Effects of rangeland management on the site occupancy dynamics of prairie‐chickens in a protected prairie preserve

We investigated the site occupancy dynamics of greater prairie-chickens at Konza Prairie Biological Station, a protected site in northeastern Kansas that is managed for ecological research. We surveyed the site during mid-Mar to mid-May, 1981-2008, and recorded detections of birds in a grid of 6.3 ha survey plots (n ¼ 187 plots). We used multiseason occupancy models to estimate the probabilities of occupancy (c) and detection (p), and tested whether land cover in woody vegetation, and land use with prescribed fire or grazing management influenced the dynamic processes of site colonization and local extinction. Probability of detection per site was consistently <1 and varied among years (p ¼ 0.12-0.82). Site occupancy of prairie-chickens declined 40% over the study period from a high of c ¼ 0.19 � 0.02 SE in 1981 to a low of 0.11 � 0.03 in 2008, despite protection from disturbance at leks and losses to harvest. We found that different sets of environmental factors impacted the probabilities of colonization and local extinction. Probability of colonization for an unoccupied site was negatively associated with the proportion of site occupied by woodland cover (b ¼� 1.25), and was lower for grazed sites (b ¼� 0.62). In contrast, probability of local extinction was affected by a weak interaction between grazing and average frequency of prescribed fire (b ¼� 1.01), but model-averaged slope coefficients were not statistically different than 0. To conserve prairie-chickens, we recommend prairies be managed with combinations of prescribed fire and grazing that maintain a heterogeneous mosaic of prairie habitats, while preventing woody encroachment. To assess biotic responses to land management practices, field sampling should be based on occupancy models or similar techniques that account for imperfect detection. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
A changing of the guard: executive and director turnover following corporate financial restatements

Using event history analysis, we found that CEOs and CFOs of firms filing a material financial restatement were more than twice as likely to exit their firms as their counterparts in a matched samp...
Surface Morphology of Si1−x−y GexCy Epitaxial Films Deposited by Low Temperature UHV-CVD

Si 1−x−y Ge x C y epitaxial films offer wider control of strain and bandgap. In such films the morphology is an important indication of the crystalline quality of the material. We report on the morphology of Si 1−x−y Ge x C y epitaxial thin films deposited by Ultra High Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition at a temperature of 550° C and deposition pressures ranging from 1 to 10 mTorr. The precursors used were Si 2 H 6 , GeH 4 and CH 3 SiH 3 . Germanium mole fractions ranging from 0% to 40% were studied with carbon concentrations varying from 2×10 19 to 2×10 21 atoms/cm 3 . AFM analysis of the surface indicates that the roughness is a function of both the carbon concentration and the film thickness. For high germanium concentrations with thickness beyond the critical thickness (of Si 1−x Ge x ), carbon is found to decrease the surface roughness of the film. Thus the surface morphology confirms the strain compensation provided by carbon which is also observed using XRD. For films below the critical thickness, as the carbon concentration is increased, three dimensional islanding is observed by RHEED and AFM, degrading the epitaxial quality of the material.
Aging and atherosclerosis in human and nonhuman primates.

Atherosclerosis is a major age-related process and public health problem and its clinical manifestations (coronary heart disease [CHD] and cerebrovascular disease) continue to be responsible for approximately 50% of all deaths occurring annually. In addition, CHD is responsible for over 70 to 80% of deaths among men and women over 65 years old. As our population ages (35 million people over the age of 65 in the U.S. by the year 2030) and because of the increased morbidity and mortality associated with atherosclerosis, an understanding of the role of aging in the development of atherosclerosis is needed. Multiple risk factors such as smoking, gender, hypertension, and lipids contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. However, these risk factors in combination explain only about half of the individual variability in incidence of CHD, and it has been hypothesized that age-related conditions may play a role. To propectively evaluate the effects of age per se on atherosclerosis progression in humans would require observation over many years. Thus, animal models that are representative of both aging processes and atherosclerosis would be extremely valuable. As such, nonhuman primates have been used extensively in atherosclerosis research. However, studies that will specifically evaluate the role of aging per se in contributing to development of atherosclerosis in nonhuman primates have only recently been initiated. In this review, the contribution of nonhuman primates to atherosclerosis research will be discussed, as will the development of atherosclerosis in both human and nonhuman primates. In addition, a role for age-related conditions in atherosclerosis development in both human and nonhuman primates will be outlined.