cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iterative linear minimum mean-square-error image restoration from partially known blur

We address the problem of space-invariant image restoration when the blurring operator is not known exactly, a situation that arises regularly in practice. To account for this uncertainty, we model the point-spread function as the sum of a known deterministic component and an unknown random one. Such an approach has been studied before, but the problem of estimating the parameters of the restoration filter to our knowledge has not been addressed systematically. We propose an approach based on a Gaussian statistical assumption and derive an iterative, expectation–maximization algorithm that simultaneously restores the image and estimates the required filter parameters. We obtain two versions of the algorithm based on two different models for the statistics of the image. The computations are performed in the discrete Fourier transform domain; thus they are computationally efficient even for large images. We examine the convergence properties of the resulting estimators and evaluate their performance experimentally.
A phase-stepped grating technique for frequency shifting in laser Doppler velocimetry

We demonstrate a novel approach to the moving grating technique for removal of velocity ambiguity in a laser Doppler velocimeter. The method replaces the continuous motion of a moving grating with a grating which can be positioned or switched to three distinct phase positions. Advantages of this approach are its potential for compact implementation and high stability of the velocity offset.
Low temperature heat capacities of palladium-boron solid solutions

Abstract Low temperature heat capacities have been measured for a series of Pd/B solid solutions. A comparison of the electronic specific heat coefficients with those reported for Pd/Ag confirms that the boron atoms donate essentially all of their three valence electrons to the d bands of the metal.
The temporal stability of arsenic concentrations in well water in western Nevada

Abstract Millions of people worldwide are exposed to drinking water containing arsenic, and epidemiologic studies have identified associations between the ingestion of arsenic-contaminated water and increased risks of cancer. In many of these studies, the assessment of arsenic exposure is based on a limited number of drinking water measurements, and the assessment of long-term or past exposure relies on the assumption that arsenic concentrations in sources of drinking water remain stable over time. In this investigation, the temporal stability of arsenic concentration was assessed in 759 wells in western Nevada state in the USA. Arsenic concentrations in these wells ranged from nondetectable to 6200 μg/L (median, 10 μg/L; standard deviation, 335 μg/L). Spearman correlation coefficients between arsenic concentrations measured in the same wells over a period of 1–5, 6–10, and 11–20 years apart were, respectively, 0.84 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.81–0.86), 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81–0.88), and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.88–0.96). These findings suggest that, in this study area, arsenic concentrations in most wells remain stable over time and a limited number of measurements per well can be used to predict arsenic exposures over a period of many years.
A comparison of laparoscopic and traditional open splenectomy in childhood

This study aimed to determine whether laparoscopic splenectomy is more advantageous than open splenectomy in pediatric patients. Data from 61 patients treated between June 1983 and September 1994 were reviewed. Length of hospitalization, hospital costs, operating time, and postoperative complications were evaluated. Forty-seven patients had open splenectomy. Nineteen of these underwent concomitant procedures. Fourteen patients had laparoscopic splenectomy, and four had concomitant cholecystectomy. The data show a trend toward a 1-day reduction in hospital stay associated with laparoscopic splenectomy (P < .02). Operating time was 83% longer for the laparoscopic approach (P < .001), and operating costs were almost $3,000 more (P < .001) than for open splenectomy. The total hospital cost also was greater for laparoscopic procedures (P < .1), primarily reflective of a more than $3,000 difference for splenectomy alone (P < .02). Two of the fourteen laparoscopic patients (14%) had complications. One patient with Evan's syndrome had pneumonia that required antibiotics. Another patient required conversion to an open procedure because of poorly controlled hemorrhage from a short gastric vessel. Twelve of the open splenectomy patients (25%) had complications: atelectasis (3), fever (4), wound infection (2), pneumonia (1), laryngospasm (1), and pancreatitis (1). The authors conclude that laparoscopic splenectomy is a safe but currently more expensive alternative to open splenectomy, primarily because of the use of disposable instruments. Benefits include a shorter hospital stay, no greater risk of postoperative complications, and subjective improvement in the cosmetic result. Disadvantages include increased operating time and cost. Evaluation of larger series will be needed to determine the significance of the difference in complication rates between the two procedures.
A middleware for assured clouds

This paper considers mission assurance for critical cloud applications, a set of applications with growing importance to governments and military organizations. Specifically, we consider applications in which assigned tasks or duties are performed in accordance with an intended purpose or plan in order to accomplish an assured mission. Mission-critical cloud computing may possibly involve hybrid (public, private, heterogeneous) clouds and require the realization of “end-to-end” and “cross-layered” security, dependability, and timeliness. We propose the properties and building blocks of a middleware for assured cloud computing that can support critical missions. In this approach, we assume that mission critical cloud computing must be designed with assurance in mind. In particular, the middleware in such systems must include sophisticated monitoring, assessment of policies, and response to manage the configuration and management of dynamic systems-of-systems with both trusted and partially trusted resources (data, sensors, networks, computers, etc.) and services sourced from multiple organizations.
Glucagon-induced changes in plasma thyroid hormone concentrations in healthy dogs resemble "euthyroid sick syndrome".

We recently demonstrated that glucagon infusion induced a decline in T3 and a rise in rT3 in anesthetized dogs. These changes in T3 and rT3 may be attributed, at least in part, to anesthesia itself, since general anesthesia is known to cause lowering of T3 and an elevation in rT3 during the perioperative period. Therefore, to eliminate the contribution, if any, of anesthesia to these changes in T3 and rT3, we assessed plasma glucose, T3 resin uptake (T3RU), T4, free T4, T3 and rT3 concentrations following intravenous glucagon (0.5 mg) or normal saline (0.5 ml) administration at frequent intervals for 3 h in 6 conscious dogs fasted for 16 h. No significant alterations were noted in T4, free T4, and T3RU levels during either study. However, glucagon infusion alone induced a significant fall in T3 (0.33 ± 0.06 in nmol/l vs −0.03 ± 0.03 nmol/l with normal saline; p < 0.01) and marked elevations in glucose (3.66 ± 0.22 mmol/l vs 0.61 ± 0.11 nmol/l with normal saline, p < 0.001) and rT3 concentrations (0.11 ± 0.02 nmol/l vs 0.005 nmol/l; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the integrated responses of T3 and rT3 as assessed by cumulative changes and areas under the curves were markedly greater during glucagon infusion when compared with saline administration (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Since the elevations in levels of stress hormones known to ensue during anesthesia do not occur during a conscious resting state, we believe that hyperglucagonemia may be a major contributor of thyroid hormone alterations observed in several euthyroid sick states, not associated with stress, and may enhance these changes during euthyroid sick syndrome associated with stressful crises. Finally, these changes may be attributed to altered metabolism of iodothyronines in peripheral tissues as reflected by lowered T3/T4 and increased rT3/T4 ratios.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for the Management of Brain Metastases

A 50-year-old man with a history of lung cancer presents with headaches and right-arm numbness; he is found to have a single brain metastasis. Stereotactic radiosurgery is recommended as part of his care. Stereotactic radiosurgery uses multiple narrowly focused beams of radiation to treat one or a few focal lesions while minimizing effects on the surrounding tissue.
Evaporated Ag coated with double layers of Al2O3 and silicon oxide to produce surface films with low solar absorptivity and high thermal emissivity

Abstract A technique using evaporated Ag coated with double layers of Al 2 O 3 and silicon oxide to produce surface films having low solar absorptivity (α) and high total normal and hemispherical emissivities (ϵ N and ϵ) is described. α of the Ag + Al 2 O 3 + silicon oxide film combination was determined to be less than 0.07 and α/ϵ values of 0.1 could be readily achieved. Surface films of this type were found to be extremely stable during simulated solar uv irradiation.
Long-term follow-up of disability among patients with posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm

We retrospectively analyzed long-term follow-up data for 15 patients after treatment for posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm, particularly in relation to disability as assessed using the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) score. Patients had a mean follow-up of 38 months. At follow-up, 53% of patients, those with an MRS score of 3, were able to lead an independent life, despite minor deficits. Patients with larger aneurysms may be more susceptible to lower cranial nerve palsies.
Breaking the Chains: Coffee, Crisis, and Farmworker Struggle in Nicaragua:

In the early 2000s the coffee crisis emerged as a central object of study for commodity chain scholars. In this paper I revisit the scene of the coffee crisis in Nicaragua to understand violent processes of devaluation and disinvestment that devastated the countryside for more than five years (2000–05). Employing a commodity disarticulations approach, I argue that conventional explanations of the coffee crisis as one of overproduction and devaluation generally failed to unravel the layered spatiality of dispossession that enables coffee chain formations. Digging below the surface text of the crisis narrative, I illustrate how the coffee crisis in the central highlands was exacerbated by an aggressive land grab by a consortium of agroindustrial capitalists called CONSAGRA-AGRESAMI that had dispossessed farmworkers of land rights and accumulated the spoils of the Sandinista-led agrarian reform over the previous decade. When CONSAGRA-AGRESAMI folded in 2000, an unemployed farmworkers movement surged to recla...
Laser spectroscopy of radicals and carbenes

Photoelectron spectroscopy of isomeric C3H2 and C3H3 molecules, produced by flash pyrolysis in a supersonic jet nozzle, is used to test a valence-bond picture for radical bond strengths and carbene singlet-triplet gaps. The good agreement suggests that ionization potential measurements can be used to determine these hard-to-obtain numbers.
Proposition II (Book I) of Newton’s Principia

After preparing the way with comments on evanescent quantities and then Newton’s interpretation of his second law, this study of Proposition II (Book I)— Proposition II Every body that moves in some curved line described in a plane and, by a radius drawn to a point, either unmoving or moving uniformly forward with a rectilinear motion, describes areas around that point proportional to the times, is urged by a centripetal force tending toward that same point. —asks and answers the following questions: When does a version of Proposition II first appear in Newton’s work? What revisions bring that initial version to the final form in the 1726 Principia? What, exactly, does this proposition assert? In particular, what does Newton mean by the motion of a body “urged by a centripetal force”? Does it assert a true mathematical claim? If not, what revision makes it true? Does the demonstration of Proposition II persuade? Is it as convincing, for example, as the most convincing arguments of the Principia? If not, what revisions would make the demonstration more persuasive? What is the importance of Proposition II, to the physics of Book III and the mathematics of Book I?
Agents teaching agents to share meaning

The promise of intelligent agents acting on behalf of users' personalized knowledge sharing needs may be hampered by the insistence that these agents begin with a predefined, common ontology instead of personalized, diverse ontologies. Only until recently have researchers diverged from the last decades common “ontology paradigm” to a paradigm involving agents that can share knowledge using diverse ontologies. This paper describes how we address this agent knowledge sharing problem of how agents deal with diverse ontologies by introducing a methodology and algorithms for multi- agent knowledge sharing and learning. We demonstrate how this approach will enable multi- agent systems to assist groups of people in locating, translating, and sharing knowledge using our Distributed Ontology Gathering Group Integration Environment (DOGGIE) and describe our proof- of- concept experiments. DOGGIE synthesizes agent communication, machine learning, and reasoning for information sharing in the Web domain.
Affinity labeling mu opioid receptors with novel radioligands.

1. A series of novel opiate ligands based upon 6α-naloxamine have been examined in opioid receptor binding assays.
Surgical Procedures in Non-Tuberculous Diseases

Undoubtedly the greatest difficulty which confronts the patient with a surgical condition of the chest today is the ignorance of the profession as a whole as to what surgery can accomplish, and the reluctance of the great mass of physicians to appreciate this. I hope that I may outlive the day when a medical man will come to me and say: “Doctor, I have a patient who I think has carcicoma of the lung, but I have advised against operation because the mortality is too high.” When I ask such a man whether or not his medical mortality of 100 per cent isn't the acme of high mortality, he places the responsibility in the lap of the gods and complacently absolves himself of all responsibility. I have shown you roentgenograms this morning, and described histories of patients with pathological conditions of the lungs, bronchi, mediastinum, esophagus and pleura—that is the various component parts of the chest except the heart, which, for lack of time, I omitted. I have shown you that in certain instances we can make a definite diagnosis early and that in certain other instances it is impossible to make a definite diagnosis early, just as it is impossible to make a definite diagnosis of a breast tumor without a frozen section, or at times to distinguish between a common duct stone or an early carcinoma of the head of the pancreas without an exploratory laparotomy; and I hope you all leave here with the understanding that an exploratory thoracotomy is just as simple as an exploratory laparotomy, and as necessary. As a surgeon I wish to tell you that we have the anaesthetic facilities for wide open thoracotomy, that we have the techniques well developed for attacking pathological conditions found in the various components of the chest and that we know from the point of view of physiology that it is as possible to deprive the body of certain amounts of thoracic viscera as it is of certain amounts of abdominal viscera. Our results in surgery of the chest as in surgery of the abdomen, everything else being equal, vary with the type of disease and in most cases with the promptness with which the patient is brought to surgery. For example, the reports of cures from cancer of the lung after pneumonectomy compare favorably with the reports of cures from cancer of the stomach after gastrectomy. In short, Gentlemen, we should be able to give patients with certain lesions of the chest the same break, the same chance that they would have if their lesions were situated in the abdomen. But this is far from the case. There remains among physicians a tremendous amount of educational work still to be done, before this can be accomplished. You Gentlemen, the physicians in this society, must be the apostles. You who have kept abreast of the development of therapeutics of chest diseases and therefore know what surgery has to offer, must help us surgeons in teaching our fellow physicians who have not kept pace with the growth of medical knowledge in this direction.
On causal commutant lifting theorems

Abstract A causal commutant lifting theorem has been given for time-invariant operators (Foias and Tannenbaum, to appear in J. Funct. Anal.). In this paper we prove certain causal lifting theorems for time-varying operators. Namely, we consider causal lifting without time-invariance or causal m-periodic lifting. Also by using these results we solve some causal H∞-optimization problems arising in non-linear system control.
Particulate Aggregate Formation and Wall Adhesion in Microchannel Flows

A multiple-time step discrete-element approach is presented for efficient computational modeling of the transport, collision and adhesion of small particles in microchannel flows. Adhesive particulates have been identified as a leading cause of failure in many different microfluidic devices, including those currently being developed by different research groups for rapid biological and chemical contaminant sensing, fluid drag reduction, etc. As these microfluidic devices enter into the marketplace and become more extensively used in field conditions, the importance of particle adhesion and clogging will increasingly limit the reliability of such systems. At a larger scale, clogging of vehicle radiators by small adhesive particles is currently a major problem for construction vehicles operating in certain environmental conditions and certain soil types. Cooling system fouling leads to the need for frequent maintenance and machine down time. Dust fouling of equipment is also of concern for potential human occupation on dusty planets, such as Mars. The discrete-element method presented in this paper is developed to enable efficient prediction of aggregate structure and breakup, for prediction of the effect of aggregate formation on the bulk fluid flow, and for prediction of the effects of small-scale flow features (e.g., due to surface roughness or lithographic patterning) on the aggregate formation and particle deposition. We present an overview of the computational structure and modeling assumptions, including models for various forces and torques present during particle-particle collisions. We then utilize the computational method to examine the physical processes involved in aggregate formation and capture of particulate aggregates by walls in microchannel flows.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A Quantitative Determination of the Magnetic Moment of the Neutron in Units of the Proton Moment

A precision determination of the ratio of the magnetic moments of neutron and proton is presented. The method consists in determining the Larmor precession frequencies of neutrons and protons simultaneously in the same extremely homogeneous magnetic field. In this manner the ratio of the two Larmor frequencies gives directly the ratio of the two magnetic moments. The precession frequency of the neutrons is obtained by the occurrence of non-adiabatic transitions of a polarized neutron beam, the precession frequency of the protons by nuclear induction. Measurements are made so that only small differences in frequency have to be measured in terms of a constant but otherwise unknown standard. The value of the ratio of the two moments is found to be $\frac{|{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}|}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{P}}=0.685001\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.00003$. By use of this value in connection with the recent determination of the ratio of the moments of proton and deuteron by Bloch, Levinthal, and Packard, the deviation of the deuteron moment from additivity is found to be 0.02230\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.00009 nuclear magnetons.
Cellular signaling and biological functions of R-spondins

R-spondins (RSPOs) are a family of cysteine-rich secreted proteins containing a single thrombospondin type I repeat (TSR) domain. A vast amount of information regarding cellular signaling and biological functions of RSPOs has emerged over the last several years, especially with respect to their roles in the activation of the WNT signaling pathway. The identification of several classes of RSPO receptors may indicate that this family of proteins can affect several signaling cascades. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of RSPO signaling and its biological functions, and discuss its potential therapeutic implications to human diseases.
Hormonal regulation of axonal sprouting in the hippocampus

Abstract Removal of septal fibers to the rat hippocampal formation is followed by an ingrowth of sympathetic axons into the deafferented regions. We have shown previously that the pattern of sprouting is more restricted in males than in females when the lesions are made in mature animals, but is almost the same if lesions are made during the early postnatal period. In the present study, the relationship of circulating sex hormones to the sprouting response was investigated by comparing the extent of sympathetic axon in-growth following fimbrial lesions in intact or gonadectomized adult male and female rats. The effects of manipulating sex steroids during development was examined by comparing sympathetic axonal sprouting after fimbrial lesions in rats which were castrated (male) or treated with testosterone (females and castrated males) on postnatal day 2. We find that (1) gonadectomy of either adult female or male rats does not affect the sprouting response, but (2) neonatal castration of male rats permits sprouting in a pattern similar to normal females, and neonatal testosterone treatment of females or castrated males results in the more limited sprouting response characteristic of normal males. These results indicate that the sex-related differential response to fimbrial lesions may be determined by developmental differences in endogenous steroid levels.
Histologic and skeletal abnormalities in benzo(a)pyrene-treated rainbow trout alevins.

Histological and skeletal examinations were performed on rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) alevins reared in 0.00, 0.08, 0.21, 0.39, 1.48, 2.40 or 2.99 ng/ml aqueous benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Nuclear pycnosis and karyorrhexis were most common in neuroectodermal and mesodermal derivatives and in liver of BaP-treated alevins. Microphthalmia was observed in 17% of the test fish and was frequently associated with a patent optic fissure. Depressed mitotic rates in the retina and brain (but not liver) were observed in alevins reared in 0.21 to 1.48 ng/ml aqueous BaP. Test alevins had a significantly higher incidence of skeletal malformations in the skull and vertebral column, and abnormalities of vertebral arcualia often corresponded to areas of kyphoscoliotic flexures.
Solid-liquid phase equilibria in water + ethylene glycol

Thermal methods were used to determine with high precision the solid-liquid phase equilibria diagram for water + ethylene glycol. A stable 1−1 solid hydrate forms. Because of supercooling, the hydrate is difficult to obtain; a cooling procedure was devised to initiate its crystallization. The two eutectics are at (224.12 ± 0.05) and (230.22 ± 0.05) K and mole fractions 0.288 and 0.541 of ethylene glycol, respectively. We also obtained a metastable phase diagram with a single metastable eutectic at (209.5 ± 0.5) K and mole fraction 0.335 of ethylene glycol.
High-precision measurements of the 24-beam UV-OMEGA laser

The achievement of high density implosions of direct-drive laser fusion targets with the 24-beam TJV-OMEGA laser system places very stringent requirements on the irradiation uniformity on target. Non-uniformities in the irradiation pattern must not exceed -1% mis. One of the prerequisites for establishing the level of uniformity attained is the very precise measurement of the laser power balance. This entails that the laser power in each of the 24 beamlines be diagnosed simultaneously with a precision of 1%, over a dynamic range of 1000. The nominal laser pulse shape is a 600-ps FWHM Gaussian, but this can vary between individual beamlines due to beam-to-beam differences in the nonlinear processes of frequency conversion or gain saturation in the laser amplifiers. We have set up a pulse-shape measurement system in which we pick off a small fraction of the energy in each OMEGA beamline, linearly attenuate it, and couple the light into a multi-mode optical fiber for transport to a 24-channel streak camera. The signals are multiplexed in 2 groups of 12 beams each. The streak-camera output is amplified with a dual intensifier system and recorded on a photometric quality, cooled CCD camera. In this paper, we will report on the system performance and progress to date.
Breeding ewes out-of-season using melengestrol acetate, one injection of progesterone, or a controlled internal drug releasing device.

Abstract A series of studies was designed to identify methods of improving out-of-season breeding success in ewes. In Experiment 1, 190 mature ewes were assigned to receive in April, either: (A) a control ration of 0.3 kg corn twice daily for 8 d before ram introduction (control ewes n=49), (B) the control ration containing 0.125 mg of melengestrol acetate (MGA) in 0.3 kg corn (MGA8a ewes n=46), (C) the control ration for 7.5 d followed by 1 feeding of 0.5 mg MGA in 0.3 kg corn (MGA 1 ewes n=48), or (D) the control ration plus a 20 mg im injection of progesterone on D 8 (P ewes n=47). Ewes were exposed to rams for 21 d. A greater percentage of MGA8a and P ewes lambed than did control ewes (P 0.79). In Experiment 2, 70 mature ewes were assigned to receive in June, either: (A) a control ration of 0.3 kg of corn twice daily for 8 d before to ram introduction (control ewes n=25, (B) the control ration containing 0.125 mg of MGA per 0.3 kg corn (MGA8b ewes n=21), or (C) the control ration and simultaneous treatment of ewes with a progesterone-containing controlled internal-drug releasing device (CIDR ewes n=24). Ewes were exposed to rams for 21 d. Both CIDR and MGA8b ewes exhibited estrus earlier than did control ewes (P
Dipole strength and variation of the time-averaged reversing and nonreversing geodynamo based on Thellier analyses of single plagioclase crystals

[1] Single plagioclase crystals separated from lavas can contain minute magnetic inclusions that faithfully record the geomagnetic field, while the silicate host limits natural and experimentally induced alteration. Here we use paleointensity analyses of plagioclase crystals to examine three characteristic geodynamo regimes spanning the last 200 Myr: an interval of moderate reversal frequency during the Paleogene, the nonreversing field of the Cretaceous Normal Polarity Superchron, and a period of very high reversal occurrence during the Late Jurassic. An inverse relationship between reversal rate and intensity is supported. Furthermore, the strength of the time-averaged reversing field is more variable than that of the nonreversing field. These observations are consistent with an active lower mantle, shaping core-mantle boundary heat flux and efficiency of the geodynamo on timescales of tens of millions of years.
Full Field Analysis Of Modal Domain Sensor Signals For Structural Control

The use of a photodetector array to process the full far-field output of a modal domain fiber optic sensor is reported. The array is linked to a laboratory computer, which reduces the data in real time and measures the transfer of power between the two lobes of the far-field output of a dual-moded fiber. The power transfer is generated by imparting a longitudinal strain to the fiber. The ratio of powers in the two lobes can be used to determine the magnitude of strain.
Growth of mouse femurs during continual centrifugation.

THE size and shape of various parts of an organism are believed to be influenced by gravity1. One would expect the relative size and cross-section of supporting structures to increase with either an individual's height or the intensity of the environmental gravity.
Efficient initiation of HIV-1 reverse transcription in vitro. Requirement for RNA sequences downstream of the primer binding site abrogated by nucleocapsid protein-dependent primer-template interactions.

Abstract Synthesis of HIV-1 (−) strong-stop DNA is initiated following annealing of the 3′ 18 nucleotides (nt) of tRNA to the primer binding site (PBS) near the 5′ terminus of viral RNA. Here, we have investigated whether sequences downstream of the PBS play a role in promoting efficient (−) strong-stop DNA synthesis. Our findings demonstrate a template requirement for at least 24 bases downstream of the PBS when tRNA or an 18-nt RNA complementary to the PBS (R18), but not an 18-nt DNA primer, are used. Additional assays using 18-nt DNA-RNA chimeric primers, as well as melting studies and circular dichroism spectra of 18-nt primer:PBS duplexes, suggest that priming efficiency is correlated with duplex conformation and stability. Interestingly, in the presence of nucleocapsid protein (NC), the 24 downstream bases are dispensable for synthesis primed by tRNA but not by R18. We present data supporting the conclusion that NC promotes extended interactions between the anticodon stem and variable loop of tRNA and a sequence upstream of the A-rich loop in the template. Taken together, this study leads to new insights into the initiation of HIV-1 reverse transcription and the functional role of NC-facilitated tRNA-template interactions in this process.
Is objectification always harmful? Reactions to objectifying images and feedback as a function of self-objectification and mortality salience

From the perspective of terror management theory, awareness of death induces a need for validation of important values. Thus, for women who place a high value on their appearance (e.g., high self-objectifiers), mortality salience should increase positive reactions to objectifying experiences relative to women who do not highly value appearance. Two studies supported this hypothesis. Self-objectification moderated favorable reactions to objectifying stimuli (Study 1) and state self-esteem in response to an objectifying comment (Study 2) when women were primed with death. Together, the studies illustrate the complexity of reactions to objectification and, by highlighting conditions in which objectification serves a psychological function, help to explain the pervasiveness of the phenomena.
WBI: a confederation of agents that personalize the Web

Agents o er the possibility of personalizing otherwise impersonal computational systems. The World-Wide Web is an information collection that presents the same appearance to every user regardless of that user's past activity. Web Browser Intelligence (WBI, pronounced \WEB-ee") is an implemented system that provides a loosely confederated group of agents on a user's workstation capable of observing user actions, proactively o ering assistance, modifying resulting web documents, and performing new functions. For example, WBI will annotate hyperlinks with network speed information, record pages viewed for later access, and provide shortcut links for common paths. WBI is an architecture in which small programs, or agents, connect to the information stream by registering their trigger conditions and then performing operations on the stream. This structure provides rich opportunities for personalizing the web experience by joining together personal and global information, as well as enabling collaboration among web users.
Changes in Thyroid I131 Release Rate during Growth in Holstein, Brown Swiss, and Jersey Calves at Constant Environmental Temperatures of 50 and 80° F,

Summary Studies on the effect of age and temperature on thyroid I 131 release rate on growing calves were conducted under the controlled environmental conditions of the Missouri Climatic Laboratory. At both temperatures and for all calves, thyroid I 131 activity increased with age, whereas thyroid I 131 activity per unit weight decreased with age. Although all calves showed the same trends, breed differences in the latter relationship were highly significant, Jerseys having the highest ratios, followed by Brown Swiss and Holsteins. The thyroid I 131 release rate of Jersey calves was approximately twice as great as the rate for Holstein and Brown Swiss, throughout this growth study; however, only the breed-age interaction was significant. Thyroid activity per unit weight was higher at 80° F. than at 50° F., with highly significant breed differences occurring, and varied significantly as a function of the interaction between temperature and age. Thyroid I 131 activity per unit surface area showed no effect of temperature alone, but did increase slightly with increments in both age and temperature. Breed differences were significant in the ratio of thyroid I 131 activity to surface area. The exponents ( b values) of the parabolic equation expressing the relationship of thyroid I 131 activity to body weight proved to be significantly higher at 80 than at 50° F. There were significant breed differences in percentage increase in thyroid I 131 activity per 1% increase in body weight, the Jerseys' rate being higher than those of the Brown Swiss or Holsteins.
Potential role of the MNC as an agent of technology transfer for economic development

There is evidence that the multinational corporation (MNC) and a developing nation may have a set of mutually beneficial goals. This article investigates the goals of the multinational corporation and the goals of a developing nation. It then illustrates the mutual benefits in terms of resource identification, and technology selection and development. A planning mechanism is suggested. Finally, some guide lines are offered that should enhance the probability of cooperation.
The function of programmed cell death 1 and its ligands in regulating autoimmunity and infection

The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) surface receptor binds to two ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2. Studies have shown that PD-1-PD-L interactions control the induction and maintenance of peripheral T cell tolerance and indicate a previously unknown function for PD-L1 on nonhematopoietic cells in protecting tissues from autoimmune attack. PD-1 and its ligands have also been exploited by a variety of microorganisms to attenuate antimicrobial immunity and facilitate chronic infection. Here we examine the functions of PD-1 and its ligands in regulating antimicrobial and self-reactive T cell responses and discuss the therapeutic potential of manipulating this pathway.
Geologic Nitrogen as a Source of Soil Acidity

The origin of highly acidic (pH<4.5) barren soils in the Klamath Mountains of northern California was examined. Soil parent material was mica schist that contained an average of 2,700 mg N kg−1, which corresponds to 7.1 Mg N ha−1 contained in a 10-cm thickness of bedrock. In situ soil solutions were dominated by H+, labile-monomeric Al3+ and NO3 −, indicating that the barren area soils were nitrogen saturated—more mineral nitrogen available than required by biota. Leaching of excess NO3 − has resulted in removal of nutrient cations and soil acidification. Nitrogen release rates from organic matter free soil ranged from 0.0163 to 0.0321 mg N kg−1 d−1. Nitrogen release rate from fresh ground rock was 0.0465 mg N kg−1 d−1. This study demonstrates that geologic nitrogen may represent a large and reactive nitrogen pool that can contribute significantly to soil acidification.
Retroperitoneal and Rectus Sheath Hematomas

The retroperitoneum is rich in vascular structures and can harbor large hematomas, traumatic or spontaneous. The management of retroperitoneal hematomas depends on the mechanism of injury and whether they are pulsatile/expanding. Rectus sheath hematomas are uncommon abdominal wall hematomas secondary to trauma to the epigastric arteries of the rectus muscle. The common risk factors include anticoagulation, strenuous exercise, coughing, coagulation disorders, and invasive procedures on/through the abdominal wall. The management is largely supportive, with the reversal of anticoagulation and transfusions; angioembolization may be necessary.
On the relation between automated essay scoring and modern views of the writing construct

Abstract This paper examines the construct measured by automated essay scoring (AES) systems. AES systems measure features of the text structure, linguistic structure, and conventional print form of essays; as such, the systems primarily measure text production skills. In the current state-of-the-art, AES provide little direct evidence about such matters as strength of argumentation or rhetorical effectiveness. However, since there is a relationship between ease of text production and ability to mobilize cognitive resources to address rhetorical and conceptual problems, AES systems have strong correlations with overall performance and can effectively distinguish students in a position to apply a broader writing construct from those for whom text production constitutes a significant barrier to achievement. The papers begins by defining writing as a construct and then turns to the e-rater scoring engine as an example of AES state-of-the-art construct measurement. Common criticisms of AES are defined and explicated—fundamental objections to the construct measured, methods used to measure the construct, and technical inadequacies—and a direction for future research is identified through a socio-cognitive approach to AES.
Universal dynamical systems

This paper is concerned with the problem of finding a universal dynamical system for all dynamical systems on separable metric spaces. Special care is given to exhibit a universal dynamical system which was used to motivate the definition of a dynamical system. We establish that this class of dynamical systems is topologically as narrow as a system describable by a first-order partial differential equation. We find that a classical solution space of this partial differential equation will serve as the phase space of a universal system for dynamical systems on locally compact separable metric spaces. In fact, the functions in this solution space areC ∞ and vanish at infinity. For the remaining dynamical systems on separable metric spaces we find a universal system similar to the shift system exhibited by Bebutov. The marked difference is that there is no restriction on the set of rest points. Further comments concerning the history of this problem follow some basic definitions given in the introduction.
Immunoglobulin Allotypes in Southwest Asia: Populations at the Crossroads

Southwest Asia has a long history of contact with Central Asian and with Sub-Saharan African populations. Is the genetic structure of these populations reflective of these historical facts? To study this, data was generated on the immunoglobulin heavy chain (GM) and light chain (KM) allotypes from seven Arab and three non-Arab populations in SW Asia to examine the relationship of these populations to SE European, NW Indian, Sub-Saharan African, and Central Asian populations. Like mtDNA and Y chromosome markers, the GM haplotypes are largely continent specific making them an excellent tool for the detection of gene flow whereas the KM markers are less informative. Six of the nine GM haplotypes detected in SW Asians are Indo-European, Sub-Saharan African, or East Asian specific. The allotype results indicate variable but significantly higher Sub-Saharan African gene flow in Arab populations (average 26.9%; 15.0–61.6%) vs. the non-Arab populations (average 7.3%; 9.0–13.4%), but higher levels of Central Asian gene flow in the non-Arab populations (average 28.8%; 10.5–48.8%) vs. the Arab populations (average 9.0%; 0.0–26.4%). Principal components analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis based on the immunoglobulin allotypes are consistent with the historical population contacts of this part of the world and reflect the power of the GM haplotypes in dissecting population relationships. However, the KM*1 frequencies were only correlated with the degree of African gene flow (Pearson r = 0.69, P = 0.026) in SW Asian populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inventing the Modern Artist: Art and Culture in Gilded Age America

The story of artists in American society during the critical transition from Victorian to modern values, examining how culture shaped the artists and how artists shaped their culture. It focuses on painters such as James McNeill Whistler, William Merritt Chase and Cecilia Beaux.
Nursing Home Stakeholder Views of Resident Involvement in Medical Care Decisions

Demand by nursing home residents for involvement in their medical care, or, patient-centered care, is expected to increase as baby boomers begin seeking long-term care for their chronic illnesses. To explore the needs in meeting this proposed demand, we used a qualitative descriptive method with content analysis to obtain the joint perspective of key stakeholders on the current state of person-centered medical care in the nursing home. We interviewed 31 nursing home stakeholders: 5 residents, 7 family members, 8 advanced practice registered nurses, 5 physicians, and 6 administrators. Our findings revealed constraints placed by the long-term care system limited medical involvement opportunities and created conflicting goals for patient-centered medical care. Resident participation in medical care was perceived as low, but important. The creation of supportive educational programs for all stakeholders to facilitate a common goal for nursing home admission and to provide assistance through the long-term care system was encouraged.
Transacting ontologies: Kockelman’s sieves and a Bayesian anthropology

To understand Paul Kockelman’s article, “The anthropology of an equation,” it is more important to grasp its form, the set of relations built into it, than it is to learn his specific vocabulary. As he says here and elsewhere in his writings, if you don’t like the words he’s using—because they seem overly analytical, too Peircean, “not ethnographic”—then use your own, or use those of someone else, “your people’s” even.
Five micron limb-darkening and the structure of the Jovian atmosphere

A combined radiative, dynamical, and chemical model of the Jovian atmosphere is presented which reproduces the observed IR limb-darkening curves for several regions on the disk of Jupiter. Two approaches are used to perform the inversion required for determination of the source function, and a power-series-expansion model is examined, along with a convective-equilibrium model, cloud and intermediate-zone models, and a thin-shell model. The statistical methods used in the analysis are outlined, and model fits to the observations are discussed. The chemistry of phase transitions in the hot spots of Jupiter's equatorial belt is briefly investigated.
Mechanism of the forbidden [3s,5s]-sigmatropic shift: orbital symmetry influences stepwise mechanisms involving diradical intermediates.

The mechanisms of [3s,5s]-sigmatropic shifts of octa-1,3,7-triene and 7-methylenenona-1,3,8-triene have been elaborated using B3LYP and BPW91 density functional theory and CASPT2 methods. These orbital symmetry forbidden rearrangements are stepwise, involving diradical intermediates. A comparison with several [3,3]-sigmatropic shifts of substituted hexadienes and of [5,5]-sigmatropic shifts that are allowed, but nevertheless follow stepwise paths, shows that the activation barrier for the disallowed [3,5] shift is significantly larger than that for the stepwise reactions that are orbital symmetry allowed. Cyclic diradicals that have an aromatic circuit of electrons including the two radical centers and conjugated π or σ bonds are stabilized as compared to cyclic diradicals with an antiaromatic circuit of electrons. This applies to the transition states leading to and from the diradicals and influences the activation energies of stepwise sigmatropic shifts. The magnitudes of these effects are small but will have a significant influence on the rates of competing processes. This series of calculations has been used to assess the relative capabilities of the two functionals. We find that BPW91 underestimates the endothermicity of diradical formation and the barrier to diradical formation whereas B3LYP overestimates these quantities.
A comparison of plasma cholesterol, triglycerides. and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol in speed skaters, weightlifters and non-athletes

Venous plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured after a 12–16 h overnight fast in three groups of men with different physical training histories. The groups consisted of 11 untrained men (aged 19–25 years), 11 well-trained weightlifters (20–32 years), who had not trained aerobically for at least 6 months, and 11 candidates for an Olympic speed skating team (17–27 years), whose training was both endurance (aerobic) and anaerobic. Mean maximal oxygen uptakes for the groups were 47.7, 45.7, and 62.3 ml·kg−1·min−1 respectively. Groups were similar with respect to diet, smoking and alcohol consumption, but the nonathletes were fatter, the weightlifters older and the speed skaters lighter, than the others. There were no significant differences in total cholesterol or triglycerides between the groups. Mean HDL-C was similar in the non-athletes and weightlifters [about 47±7 (SD) mg·dl−1], but was significantly higher (53.7±10.2 mg·dl−1, p<0.05) in the speed skaters. It was not correlated significantly with maximal oxygen uptake or relative fat in any group or when all data were combined. The total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio was significantly higher in the weightlifters. The HDL-C values are compared with previously reported values for non-athletes and athletes, and it is concluded that extensive weight-training, in contrast to endurance training, does not increase venous plasma HDL-C. Further work is required to elucidate the biochemical basis of these observations.
Development of a custom 16S rRNA gene library for the identification and molecular subtyping of Salmonella enterica

The use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing within the regulatory workflow may help to reduce the time and labor involved in the identification and differentiation of Salmonella enterica isolates. However, a comprehensive, standardized reference library is needed in order to use this method with regulatory samples. The goal of this project was to acquire 16S rRNA partial and full gene sequences for a variety of S. enterica isolates and to use these sequences to build a custom 16S rRNA reference library. A total of 535 S. enterica isolates representing over 100 serotypes and 5 subspecies were selected for 16S rRNA partial gene sequencing (~500 bp) and 66 isolates representing 32 serotypes and 2 subspecies were selected for 16S rRNA full gene sequencing (~1500 bp). PCR, sequencing, and automated sequence assembly and editing were carried out using the MicroSEQ ID Microbial Identification System (Applied Biosystems). High quality sequences were obtained for 94.4% and 95.5% of the isolates sequenced over the partial and full genes, respectively. These sequences did not show sufficient divergence to reliably differentiate serotypes; however, they could be differentiated using 16S rRNA sequence typing based on intragenomic heterogeneity. A total of 83 unique 16S sequence types were obtained for use in the partial gene library and 58 unique 16S sequence types were obtained for entry into the full gene library. Preliminary sequencing results with one isolate analyzed in replicate were promising, with consistent matches to a specific 16S type in the custom library. The result of this study is a custom S. enterica 16S rRNA type library for potential use in the identification of isolates at the species, subspecies, and molecular subtype level. Further work will include validating the method for parameters such as exclusivity, sensitivity, and reproducibility.