cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The representation of concurrent vowels in the cat anesthetized ventral cochlear nucleus: Evidence for a periodicity-tagged spectral representation

Chopper units of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) provide a rare representation of stimulus spectrum and a temporal representation of fundamental frequency (F0). This dual representation may be useful in segregating competing speech sounds, where differences in F0 are a cue. Responses to the vowel portion of concurrently presented pairs of syllables /bV integral/ with different F0's (88, 98, and 112 Hz) were studied in the VCN of anesthetized cats; 11 English vowels were used for V. Vowels were chosen so that one had a formant frequency just above the unit's best frequency (BF) and the other had a formant just below BF. By changing the stimulus sampling rate, formant peaks were shifted relative to the unit's BF, producing a range of stimuli, varying in the relative power of the two vowels within the unit's tuning curve. Results show that units' discharge rates reflect the energy within their tuning curves and the relative synchronization of units' responses to the two F0's favors the dominant vowel. A method of segregating two vowels is provided in which relative synchronization to the F0's is used to apportion discharge rate between the vowels. Best results were obtained in chopper units, although primarylike units showed similar behavior.
Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Aggression, and Substance Use Coping among Young Adults

This study examined how the symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were related to substance use and self-reported aggression in a college sample. There were 358 participants (ages 18–24) who completed surveys to assess PTSD symptoms, substance use as coping, and aggression. Hierarchical regressions tested for the effects of PTSD symptoms (total symptoms as well as cluster symptoms) on self-reported aggression, along with the main and interaction effects of substance use coping on these relationships. The hyperarousal cluster of PTSD was the only group of symptoms significantly related to aggression. There was an interaction between avoidance symptoms and substance use coping on aggression such that under conditions of high substance use coping, aggression increased regardless of avoidance symptoms; however, the relationship between avoidance and aggression was stronger under conditions of low substance use coping, with greater aggression as avoidance symptoms and low substance use copin...
Hostile Continuous Wave And Repetitive Pulsed Laser Environment For Fiber Optics

This paper is directed at the use of high power continuous wave and repetitive pulsed lasers used in conjunction with fiber optical components. Until very recently, high power lasers have not been an environment that one would have to be concerned with. Given that some investigators are presently looking at high power lasers for transmission in optical fibers, the problem of laser damage and subsequent catastrophic failure are issues that must be addressed. Equations are provided for determining the maximum threshold damage due to coating interfaces and thermal shock in optical fiber materials. Laser damage at interfaces due to thermal shock is one of the major elements to be dealt with. As it turns out, the cladding on the fiber optic becomes an important player in the maximum threshold of the fiber. The outcoupling surface is the most sensitive to laser damage because this component of damage is a manifestation of the electric field and the mechanical bonding of the coatings.
Feeling-of-Knowing in Episodic Memory following Moderate-to-Severe Closed-head Injury

The ability to accurately monitor one's memory is a metacognitive process that is important in everyday life. The authors examined episodic memory feeling-of-knowing (FOK) ratings in 21 moderate to severe closed-head injury (CHI) participants (more than 1 year postinjury) and 21 controls. Participants studied 36 critical cue-target word pairs. Following a brief delay, they were asked to recall the target that corresponded to a given cue. Confidence ratings were made for recalled words, and FOK judgments were made for nonrecalled words in terms of the likelihood of recognizing the target word on a subsequent recognition test. CHI participants demonstrated less accurate recall but accurate ability to judge their recall performance (retrospective memory monitoring). They also demonstrated intact FOK judgments when providing binary judgments but demonstrated difficulties making finer discriminations on an ordinal scale (prospective memory monitoring). These findings suggest that memory monitoring is not a unitary construct. It is proposed that CHI participants may display intact memory monitoring when predictions are based on familiarity assessment but not when continued probing for additional episodic information is required.
Research on working women: A report card of 22 journals

The study was part of an official project of the Women in Management Division of the Academy of Management to examine the status of research in gender issues in organizations. It specifically looked at 22 major scholarly and trade journals plus the Proceedings of the Academy of Management for the six-year period of 1983–1988 to determine quantity, patterns, and trends in publication of research on issues of interest to the domain of the division. Results show a downward trend in gender-issue publication at a time when working women are becoming an ever-increasing percentage of the work force. This is particularly true of the so-called prestige journals. Psychology journals accounted for 64% of the total, management 13.4%, personnel 19%, and Proceedings 3.5%. Implications for research and careers are discussed.
The economic impact of green-up constraints in the southeastern United States

Green-up, or adjacency, requirements are a common constraint in forestry. The American Forest and Paper Association has developed a Sustainable Forestry Initiative that includes a green-up constraint which limits the average clearcut opening to 48 ha for 3 years or until the average height of the regenerated trees is >1.4 m. In addition to constraining the average clearcut size, many forestry companies in the southeastern USA voluntarily limit their maximum clearcut size to between 60 and 90 ha. In this research, a heuristic algorithm was used to develop tactical forest plans that consider both the maximum and average clearcut sizes. Economic effects of the green-up constraints were estimated for situations where intensive management can reduce the length of the green-up time from 3 to 2 years on a 21 600 ha ownership in Georgia (USA). For a 60-ha maximum opening size, this reduction in green-up time from 3 to 2 years resulted in an additional US$ 66 600 in present net worth (PNW) over a 10-year analysis period. This corresponds to a US$ 10 per harvested ha, or a 0.8% increase in PNW. The benefit gained by reducing the length of the green-up period is less with a 90-ha maximum clearcut size, where PNW increases by US$ 45 600, or US$ 6.70 per harvested ha, a 0.5% increase. While the total volume per period was near the volume goal produced by a strategic forest plan, the spatial restrictions and the desire to maximize net present value resulted in lower volume of timber products (sawlogs and chip-and-saw logs) from older forest stands. A sensitivity analysis showed that an increase in price or yield further reduced the economic incentive for the reduction of the length of the green-up constraint. As price or volume decreased below expectations, however, the incentive to use intensive forest management practices to reduce the length of the green-up constraint became more attractive, since the differences between a 2-year and 3-year green-up time requirement may be large enough to pay for more intensive management practices.
Fast Algorithms for Logconcave Functions: Sampling, Rounding, Integration and Optimization

We prove that the hit-and-run random walk is rapidly mixing for an arbitrary logconcave distribution starting from any point in the support. This extends the work of Lovasz and Vempala (2004), where this was shown for an important special case, and settles the main conjecture formulated there. From this result, we derive asymptotically faster algorithms in the general oracle model for sampling, rounding, integration and maximization of logconcave functions, improving or generalizing the main results of Lovasz and Vempala (2003), Applegate and Kannan (1990) and Kalai and Vempala respectively. The algorithms for integration and optimization both use sampling and are surprisingly similar
IR studies of water sorption on ZrO2 polymorphs. I

Abstract The adsorption-desorption cycling studies at elevated temperatures of submonolayer water coverages on the surface of two zirconium oxide polymorphs produce a partial resolution of the vibrational frequencies of chemisorbed and physisorbed species. The relatively narrow high-frequency bands observed, on monoclinic zirconium oxide, at 3760 and 3660 cm−1 are assigned to chemisorbed OH groups, at oxygen lattice sites, bound to single and multiple cations, respectively, at the solid surface. An unanticipated pressure-sensitive, partial transformation of the metastable tetragonal zirconia to the monoclinic phase was encountered with the pressed ZrO2-C disk. The initial spectra of the pressed disk produced the 3760 cm−1 band, which shifted to a lower frequency on subsequent water sorption treatments at elevated temperatures. The corresponding high-frequency hydroxyl bands attributed to the tetragonal phase appear at 3725 and 3662 cm−1. The partially resolved broader bands observed at lower frequencies on extensive desorption of both polymorphs are attributed to water molecules strongly bound to the oxide surface. The extent of H-bonded water molecules held on the surface or in micropores also were judged from the position and intensity of the bending frequency band of molecular water. The resolution of the H2O subbands is improved by uncoupling exchange reactions with D20. The uncoupling also results in a splitting of the two high-frequency bands of the tetragonal zirconia structure. The rapid exchange of isotopic species indicates that the exchange takes place on the solid surfaces. The observed ratio v( O-H ) v( O-D ) of the assigned corresponding stretch frequency bands is in satisfactory agreement with the expected theoretical value.
Nonlinear and multiple snapping responses of cylindrical panels comparing displacement control and riks method

Abstract A finite element method, incorporating the modified Riks technique and Newton-Raphson method, is used to trace a highly nonlinear response such as snap-through, single and multiple snap-back phenomenon of cylindrical shells. A through the thickness parabolic transverse shear strain is considered. The multiple snapping responses of an isotropic panel are investigated, and their results are compared with those not considering the transverse shear deformation. Also comparison differences are noted with respect to a ‘displacement control’ strategy.
Corrupt Business Practices as a Market Entry Strategy

Drawing on the literature around how competition leads to unethical behavior and how new firms compete with incumbents we propose that the competitive disadvantage faced by new entrepreneurial entr...
New apodizing functions for Fourier spectrometry

A new class of apodizing functions suitable for Fourier spectrometry (and similar applications) is introduced. From this class, three specific functions are discussed in detail, and the resulting instrumental line shapes are compared to numerous others proposed for the same purpose.
Southwestern Corn Borer: Comparison of Techniques for Infesting Corn for Plant Resistance Studies

For infesting corn plants in plant resistance studies with Diatraea grandiosella (Dyar), infesting with larvae was as effective as the commonly used method of pinning borer eggs onto corn plants in providing uniformly heavy infestations at both the midwhorl and flowering stages of plant growth. Since processing larvae requires less time and effort than eggs, the use of larvae is a feasible alternative method. Leaf feeding ratings for corn infested in the mid-whorl stage were significantly higher with 30 than with 20 eggs or larvae/plant. Stalk damage ratings for corn plants infested at flowering did not differ significantly with 30 and 40 eggs or larvae/plant. No significant differences were found to exist between 1 and 2 applications of eggs or larvae for either plant stage infested except in 1979 when the number of entry and exit holes for corn infested at flowering was found to be higher with 2 applications.
Collective communication on architectures that support simultaneous communication over multiple links

Traditional collective communication algorithms are designed with the assumption that a node can communicate with only one other node at a time. On new parallel architectures such as the IBM Blue Gene/L, a node can communicate with multiple nodes simultaneously. We have redesigned and reimplemented many of the MPI collective communication algorithms to take advantage of this ability to send simultaneously, including broadcast, reduce(-to-one), scatter, gather, allgather, reduce-scatter, and allreduce. We show that these new algorithms have lower expected costs than the previously known lower bounds based on old models of parallel computation. Results are included comparing their performance to the default implementations in IBM's MPI.
Release of cholecystokinin peptides from a synaptosome-enriched fraction of rat cerebral cortex

Abstract Cholecystokinin (CCK) and its C-terminal fragments have been shown previously to be concentrated in synaptosome-rich subcellular fractions from rat brain. In this report we demonstrate that release of immunoreactive CCK is increased by 200% in solutions containing K + and Ca ++ according to the paradigms usually employed to evaluate neuronal chemicals purported to have a role in synaptic physiology. This strengthens our hypothesis that CCK has a role in synaptic function.
Teaching and evaluating surgical skills.

Objective: To examine how surgical skills are taught and evaluated in obstetrics-gynecology residency programs in the United States. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to the directors of all 266 residency programs in the United States and to second contact names at 51 sites. Directors were asked to evaluate how surgical skills are taught and evaluated and to rate the importance of specific techniques and procedures for residents at given points in resident training. Results: Two hundred twenty-three surveys were returned (70%), representing 203 of 266 programs (76%). Among responding programs, 99% reported teaching surgical skills in operating rooms, 88% in lectures, 68% with bench procedures, and 54% with animal surgery. Twenty-nine percent indicated they had formal surgical skills curricula. A significantly higher percentage of those programs with formal curricula used animal surgery laboratories (81% versus 42%, P < .001) and were more likely to conduct formal skills assessments (88% versus 69%, P = .005) than programs without formal curricula. Overall, 74% of programs evaluated surgical skills. Of those, 56% reported using subjective faculty evaluations, 12% written evaluations (eg, checklists), 4% written and oral assessments, and 1% a test. Regardless of formal curricula, there was much agreement in respondents’ ratings of 60 different skills and procedures as “essential,” “important,” “nice to know,” or “unimportant.” Conclusion: Most programs teach surgical skills in the operating room and through lectures. Only 29% of reporting programs provide formal surgical curricula. Evaluation of surgical skills is usually done by subjective evaluation, a technique with unknown validity and poor reliability.
Neandertal vocal tract reconstructions: A critical appraisal

Abstract Although numerous arguments have been advanced against Lieberman & Crelin's hypothesis that Neandertal man lacked fully developed human speech, few of these have been noted in the recent literature. Fewer still have criticized Lieberman & Crelin specifically on their anatomical approach. This is, however, perhaps the weakest point in the hypothesis. The method of vocal tract reconstruction used by Lieberman & Crelin was not accurate due to the use of casts which are stylized models rather than accurate representations. Their comparisons of human newborns and adult Neandertal can be criticized on many grounds. Furthermore, their attempt to analyze the total functional complex underlying speech fails because of their inability to use parallel resonators in the acoustic analysis. Their method of placement of the larynx may be subject to errors due to deformation of the fossil, drying of the skull, and effects of fossilization. Relations between the tongue and larynx upon which Lieberman & Crelin's conclusions are partly based are totally invalid. Their conceptions of the posture of fossil men are also in error. Although Lieberman & Crelin retreat from the usual formation of hypotheses based on speculation alone, the anatomic reconstructions are a weak link in their hypothesis. Until this weakness can be corrected, their contribution towards solving the question of speech in Neandertals remains limited.
EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY POLICING MODEL USED IN UNITED NATIONS AND AFRICAN UNION PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN DARFUR

Objective To carry out evaluation of Community Policing of United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur(UNAMID) to assess its efficiency in establishing link between Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and GoS and Movement Police. Methods Based on information collected from field observations, key informant interviews, and review of official documents, this note firstly describes components and mechanism. Then the mechanism for effective evaluation will be devised based upon overall goals. Results Community policing in conflicted Darfur Sudan is an effective tools in improving policing standards and involvement of community in controlling crime and violence in IDP camps. Evaluation mechanism based upon mandate and over all goals can be helpful in improving the system. Conclusions There is greater need for improvement of Community Policing in conflicted areas to improve human rights standard by means of effective linkage between Police and IDPS and capacity building of Police. This is an abstract of a presentation at Safety 2012, the 11th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, 1-4 October 2012, Michael Fowler Center, Wellington, New Zealand. Full text does not seem to be available for this abstract.
Simulating neurons with SABER

Hypotheses of neuronal functions that invoke realistic anatomical and biophysical properties must be confirmed by quantitative simulation. Most simulators are unable to emulate biophysical phenomena such as time- and voltage-dependent (active) conductances directly. The authors report how special features of SABER, a new general-purpose simulator, facilitated the modeling of active conductances. >
Building Sustainable Capacities – From an International Tribunal to a Domestic War Crimes Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Court and Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina offer a model for building affordable, and effective domestic judicial and prosecutorial institutions in countries recovering from armed conflict. The establishment of hybrid war crimes tribunals should be guided by the principle of creating sustainable (as opposed to ad hoc) institutions, with a capacity building focus and insistence on strong partnerships between the international community and local stakeholders. Further, while the set-ups of hybrid tribunals must be tailored to reflect domestic constitutional and legal frameworks and local conditions of the countries in which they are established, these projects should also build on the tangible substantive standards and practical experiences of the existing international and internationalised criminal courts. The extensive cooperation between the state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the challenges they have experienced, give both a practical dimension to how the principle of complementarity can operate, and offer valuable lessons for future modes of cooperation between national and international courts. In the context of the closure of the ICTY, it is important to apply these lessons to the development of the Tribunal's legacy vision, in order to ensure that it meets the needs of national judicial institutions which will continue to process war crimes cases for decades after the Tribunal shuts down.
2.5D Particle and MHD simulations of mini-magnetospheres at the Moon

[1] 2.5D Particle simulations of the solar wind interaction with the magnetized regions on the surface of the Moon confirm the earlier 2D MHD result that mini-magnetospheres can form around the magnetic anomalies. A dipole buried 100 km below the surface with a field strength equal to 50 nT at the surface and 10 nT at 100 km above the surface held the solar wind off of the surface and caused a bow shock and a magnetopause to form. However, the boundary separating the bow shock and magnetopause becomes ambiguous as the two structures merge due to the small-scale size of the mini-magnetospheres. Acceleration of solar wind particles occurs at the shock. Inside the magnetopause, the Lunar electrons remained highly magnetized and exhibited fluid-like behavior. The Lunar ions, on the other hand, become demagnetized. Outside of the magnetopause, the solar wind ions and electrons exhibited fluid-like behavior. Small-scale and nonideal MHD effects can be included into fluid simulations by adding Hall and pressure gradient terms in Ohm's Law, creating a magnetoplasma dynamics (MPD) model. The small-scale effects allow for field-aligned currents and electric fields that look qualitatively similar to those in the particle simulations, but they do not appear to change the overall shape of the mini-magnetosphere. The extra components of the electric field indicate the presence of charge separation at the shock surface, due to the momentum difference between ions and electrons, and the near the Lunar surface, due to nonideal MHD behavior inside the mini-magnetosphere. The 2.5D MPD model can replicate the ion demagnetization seen in the 2.5D particle simulations.
Prognostic impact of histological subtype on surgically treated localized renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Despite the clear demonstration that different histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma show distinct pathogenesis and genetic alterations, the impact of histology on prognosis remains controversial. We evaluated our experience with tumor histology in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods: We identified 1,863 patients with localized clear cell, papillary or chromophobe renal cell carcinoma who were treated surgically between 1989 and 2006 at our tertiary care center. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between tumor histology and outcome, defined as metastasis or death from disease, adjusting for age, sex, operation type, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, TNM stage and tumor size.Results: Of 1,863 patients 1,333 (72%) had clear cell histology, and 310 (17%) and 220 (12%) had papillary and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, respectively. Median followup in patients without an event was 3.4 years. On univariat...
Science Majors and Nonscience Majors Entering Medical School: Acceptance Rates and Academic Performance

As undergraduate students, most applicants to medical schools have majored in a natural science area. This study compared rates of acceptance and medical school academic performance of science and nonscience majors applying to 13 classes of The University of Alabama School of Medicine. There was no significant difference in acceptance rates between the two types of majors. Upon matriculation, medical students with nonscience majors performed as well as those with science majors on most standard measures of medical school academic performance.
Four-dimensional motility tracking of biological cells by digital holographic microscopy

We utilize digital holography microscopy to track cellular motility in four dimensions. The three-dimensional trajectories have been measured as a function of time at sub-second and micro level.
Effects of Hebrew and English letters on children's perceptual set.

Abstract After very brief exposures of rows of English letters, recall is most accurate for letters at the left of the rows, and poorest for the letters at the middle of the rows. The resulting bowed response function is identical in form to the classical serial position curve produced with sequential presentation of letters in a series. The effect has been found in the perception of nonlanguage binary characters as well as with letter patterns. Prior investigators have attributed the effect to an internal, postexposure, sequential scan of the patterns from left to right as determined by the directionality intrinsic to reading processes. Indeed, there is an asymmetry of the curve which is reversed for readers of Hebrew. This study examined grade level and the induction of temporary directional set as influences on the directional report of tachistoscopic patterns. Children who read both Hebrew and English were given patterns of Hebrew letters, of English letters, and of binary elements. There were 16 Ss from each of grades 2, 4, and 6. As expected, reports of Hebrew patterns showed right primacy and reports of English patterns showed left primacy. Binary patterns revealed the directional bias of the language of the preceding patterns. Recall accuracy increased with grade level, though directionality did not. The recall data for briefly perceived linear arrays implied a sequential processing in the direction determined by the language, the effect being essentially established by second grade. Directional report was shown to transfer to subsequently presented, directionally neutral patterns.
Microgravity observations of premixed laminar flame dynamics

Microgravity experiments have been performed to investigate the role of buoyancy in the structure and stability of premixed laminar flame fronts. Planar and spontaneously wrinkled (cellular) flames burning in propane-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures and propagating slowly downward through a 6 cm diameter tube against a flow of fresh gas were filmed under normal and low gravity conditions in the NASA Lewis 2.2 Second Drop Tower. Results show that downwardly-propagating flames that are planar in normal gravity become curved toward the unburned mixture in reduced gravity, forming a single cell nearly filling the tube. This behavior is consistent with theoretical predictions that flat flames are possible only when the stabilizing effect of buoyancy in this geometry balances the destabilizing effect of the hydrodynamic instability mechanism. Thus when gravity is reduced, this mechanism is unopposed and produces a curved flame. Behavior of cellular tube flames in microgravity is considerably more complex. Mixtures producing small cells in normal gravity produce flames with larger, irregular cells in low gravity. Often in the microgravity tests, one cell grows at the expense of the others, which move downstream and disappear. The remaining cell propagates through the tube as an oblique curved flame, while smaller cells form and disappear along the front. These observations are interpreted qualitatively in terms of the predicted effects of buoyancy on flame stability and cell sizes. It is concluded that while buoyancy is not the dominant mechanism in the formation of the cells, it contributes significantly to the overall flame stability and structure.
Congenital defect in the musculature of the stomach resulting in spontaneous gastric perforation in the neonatal period; a report of two cases.

Summary Two cases are presented in which spontaneous gastric perforation occurred in newborn infants as a result of congenital defects in the musculature of the stomach. The literature is brought up to date on the subject of spontaneous gastric perforation in general and perforation due to muscle defects in particular. The association of this syndrome with other developmental anomalies is re-emphasized.
On the internal interface perturbation

Abstract The crossmultiplication method of the classical perturbation theory is extended to rederive expressions for the change in the eigenvalue due to a shift in the internal interface of a reactive system. Both transport theory and its diffusion approximation are considered.
Manufacturability of Large SMT Connectors

With the advent of higher signaling frequencies on today’s motherboard, evolution suggests that the electronic industry is near a phase transition of going from through hole mount to surface mount connectors. Current computer infrastructure supports assembly of motherboards using through hole mount connectors from a historical standpoint. This legacy has led placement equipment manufacturers to develop fabrication machines that do not consider long, thin devices such as a PCI or DIMM connector. The reassessment of the world’s method of motherboard manufacturing presents a challenge. Hence the question arises, what is the realistic lifetime of a through hole mount connector and what are the assembly and reliability issues associated with a proposed replacement such as a surface mount connector. This paper addresses the basic reliability concerns of a long, thin, surface mount PCI connector both with, and without retention features.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation under therapeutic international normalized ratio: A safe and efficacious periprocedural anticoagulation strategy

Background The best periprocedural anticoagulation strategy at the time of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is not known. Most centers stop administering warfarin (Coumadin) and use bridging with heparin or enoxaparin. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PVI under therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR). Methods Between January 2005 and December 2008, PVI was performed in 3,052 patients with therapeutic INR (≥1.8) at the time of ablation. All patients were evaluated for ischemic strokes and bleeding complications. Results Mean INR was 2.53 ± 0.62. Only 3 (0.098%) patients had ischemic strokes. One patient had a hemorrhagic stroke on the third day postablation but recovered completely by 1-week follow-up. Bleeding complications occurred in 34 (1.11%) patients; most were minor (0.79%). Major hemorrhagic complications occurred in 10 (0.33%) patients (tamponade in 5, hematomas requiring intervention in 2, transfusion necessary in 3). Conclusion In a large patient population, continuation of Coumadin at a therapeutic INR at the time of PVI without use of heparin or enoxaparin for bridging is a safe and efficacious periprocedural anticoagulation strategy. It is an acceptable and potentially better alternative to strategies that use bridging with heparin or enoxaparin.
Magnitude‐mode multiple‐derivative spectra for resolution enhancement without loss in signal‐to‐noise ratio in Fourier transform spectroscopy

An nth-derivative Fourier transform complex spectrum, dnF(ω)/dωn, may be generated by multiplying at time-domain signal by (−it)n before Fourier transformation. The resolving power of the magnitude-mode nth-derivative spectrum, |dnF(ω)/dωn|, increases monotonically with increasing derivative order, but with concomitant decrease in signal-to-noise ratio. However, application of time-domain exponential windowing can restore the signal-to-noise ratio. The combined derivatization–windowing process yields a magnitude-mode nth-derivative Fourier transform spectrum with significantly enhanced resolution near the peak base without loss in signal-to-noise ratio. A theoretical analysis of the trade-off between resolving power and signal-to-noise ratio for magnitude-mode nth-derivative Fourier transform spectra as a function of time-domain signal truncation, time-domain windowing (exponential) and derivative order is presented. The method is demonstrated experimentally for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra.
A model for the role of the proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway in polymeric dye tolerance in oregano

Abstract Polymeric dyes are aromatic hydrocarbon compounds that are similar to aromatic soil pollutants and inhibit plant growth. Polymeric dye-tolerant plants may be useful in phytoremediation because they could provide a rhizosphere suitable for colonization by microbes that are efficient degraders of aromatic compounds. Plants that produce high levels of phenolic compounds may be more tolerant of aromatic contaminants because of their inherent mechanisms for degrading or sequestering endogenous aromatic compounds. A clonal line of oregano (Origanum vulgare) O-1 that is highly tolerant of the polymeric dye R-478 has been isolated. Over a time course of exposure to 0.1% Poly R-478, O-1 plants showed a progressive decrease in total phenolic compounds, whereas peroxidase activity and free proline levels increased. The inverse relationship between phenolics and peroxidase activity suggests a role for peroxidase-mediated lignification in polymeric dye tolerance. The increased level of free proline in response to polymeric dye exposure suggests that phenolic synthesis requires proline synthesis and/or oxidation. These results support our working model that aromatic pollutant-tolerance may be regulated through the proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway, a primary metabolic pathway.
Characterization of cadmium uptake, translocation and storage in near-isogenic lines of durum wheat that differ in grain cadmium concentration

Summary • Here we examined several physiological properties of two near-isogenic lines of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum) that differ in grain cadmium accumulation, to identify the function of a gene locus that confers differential grain Cd concentrations. • Time- and concentration-dependent uptake and translocation studies using 109Cd were conducted on nutrient solution-grown seedlings. Root extracts were analysed by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry, gel filtration and capillary electrophoresis to determine the interaction between Cd and phytochelatins (PCs) in storage of Cd in roots. • The two isolines did not differ in time- or concentration-dependent root Cd uptake, but the low grain-Cd-accumulating isoline showed decreased movement of Cd from roots to shoots. All buffer-soluble Cd extracted from roots of both isolines was in the form of a low-molecular-weight PC-containing complex. • The data suggest that PC synthesis is not a limiting factor in the differential storage of Cd in roots, and that movement of Cd through the root and into the transpiration stream may be the cause of differential Cd partitioning in the two isolines.
Prostate cancer: Patient-reported functional outcomes with radiation therapy.

In the PROG 95-09 trial, higher-dose radiation therapy improved the 10-year biochemical recurrence rate among patients with localized prostate cancer without worsening patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes. This study provides valuable information on health-related quality of life associated with high-dose radiation therapy for prostate cancer, which may assist physicians when counseling patients on their available treatment options.
Medicare reform and the American devolution.

AbstractThe Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA’03) did more than introduce a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries; it also laid the groundwork for several far-reaching changes in the Medicare program. These changes must be considered in the context of the “American devolution”—a much larger shift in American health and social policy that is changing how Americans manage their health and wealth as more tasks and responsibilities devolve to individuals in managing their personal affairs and their lives in the workplace. The devolution presents a special challenge to those who have diminished capacities for self-direction, including many stroke survivors who are especially dependent on the Medicare program for their rehabilitation and management of their diminished health status. This article calls for a massive investment in information technology and brokerage that will enable all Americans to effectively navigate the brave new world that the changes in the Medicare program portend.
Treatment of glomus jugulare tumors with gamma knife radiosurgery.

Objective: Surgical resection, preoperative embolization, radiation therapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery have been used to treat glomus jugulare tumors (GJT). However, the optimal treatment of these tumors remains unclear. The authors report their data on treatment of GJTs with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS). Design: Retrospective review and pooled analysis. Methods: Fifteen patients (nine female, six male) were treated with GKS at a single tertiary care institution for GJTs over a 14-year period. Criteria for selection included GKS followed by at least one posttreatment radiographic image, and volumetric analysis was performed. A required 15% change in tumor volume was considered real. Pooled analysis was performed to compare outcomes with other series. Results: The mean total radiologic follow-up was 43.2 months. The mean dose-to-the tumor margin was 14.6 Gy. The mean tumor size at treatment was 7.3 cc and 6.3 cc at last follow-up. After treatment, seven tumors decreased (46.7%), five remained unchanged (33.3%), and three (20%) grew on imaging. Treatment failures received a mean marginal dose of 13.2 Gy compared with 15.1 Gy for treatment successes (P =.08). Overall tumor control rate after GKS in the existing literature with inclusion of the present study is 90.5%. Conclusions: GKS is an effective treatment option for patients with GJTs, including those with prior surgical resection. Marginal radiation doses greater than 13 Gy may be optimal for tumor control. Longer follow-up will better define the benefits and risks of stereotactic radiosurgery in treating patients with GJT. Laryngoscope, 2010.
Knowledge, Policy-Oriented Learning, and Policy Change An Advocacy Coalition Framework

There has been a great deal of research in recent years concerning the use of substantive policy analysis in public policymaking. This article seeks to integrate those findings—e.g., the “enlightenment function” of policy research—into a more general model of policymaking over periods of a decade or more. The conceptual framework focuses on the belief systems of advocacy coalitions within policy subsystems as the critical vehicle for understanding the role of policy analysis in policy-oriented learning and the effect, in turn, of such learning on changes in governmental programs.
Observation of correlations between vector-meson and baryon-resonance decays

Author(s): Goldhaber, Gerson; Brown, John L.; Butterworth, Ian; Goldhaber, Sulamith; Hirata, Allan A.; Kadyk, John A.; Shen, Benjamin C.; Trilling, George H.
An Evaluation of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease and Serum C-Reactive Protein as Prognostic Markers in Intestinal Failure Patients on Parenteral Nutrition

Background: Intestinal failure (IF) patients require parenteral nutrition (PN) to avoid malnutrition and death. However, they face complications of recurrent sepsis and liver failure. By the time liver failure is discovered, it is often too late for intervention and prognosis on the waiting list is grim. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) has traditionally been used to predict mortality in patients with liver failure but has never been analyzed in IF patients who are at risk for liver complications. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute inflammatory marker that has been shown to reflect disease progression in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a disease that in many ways resembles PN-associated liver disease. MELD and CRP are promising clinical markers of disease progression in IF patients on PN. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective, case-control study to compare levels of MELD and CRP within the entire population of 133 adult patients referred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for IF from 1...
Potential applications for antiviral therapy and prophylaxis in bovine medicine

Viral disease is one of the major causes of financial loss and animal suffering in today's cattle industry. Increases in global commerce and average herd size, urbanization, vertical integration within the industry and alterations in global climate patterns have allowed the spread of pathogenic viruses, or the introduction of new viral species, into regions previously free of such pathogens, creating the potential for widespread morbidity and mortality in naive cattle populations. Despite this, no antiviral products are currently commercially licensed for use in bovine medicine, although significant progress has been made in the development of antivirals for use against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) and bovine herpesvirus (BHV). BVDV is extensively studied as a model virus for human antiviral studies. Consequently, many compounds with efficacy have been identified and a few have been successfully used to prevent infection in vivo although commercial development is still lacking. FMDV is also the subject of extensive antiviral testing due to the importance of outbreak containment for maintenance of export markets. Thirdly, BHV presents an attractive target for antiviral development due to its worldwide presence. Antiviral studies for other bovine viral pathogens are largely limited to preliminary studies. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of antiviral compounds against several key bovine pathogens and the potential for commercial antiviral applications in the prevention and control of several selected bovine diseases.
Diamagnetic particle focusing using ferromicrofluidics with a single magnet

Focusing particles into a tight stream is critical to many applications such as microfluidic flow cytometry and particle sorting. Current magnetic field-induced particle focusing techniques rely on the use of a pair of repulsive magnets, which makes the device integration and operation difficult. We develop herein a new approach to focusing nonmagnetic particles in ferrofluid flow through a T-microchannel using a single permanent magnet. Particles are deflected across the suspending ferrofluid by negative magnetophoresis and confined by a water flow to the center plane of the microchannel, leading to a focused particle stream flowing near the bottom channel wall. Such three-dimensional diamagnetic particle focusing is demonstrated in a sufficiently diluted ferrofluid through both the top and side views of the microchannel. As the suspended particles can be visualized in bright field, this magnetic focusing method is expected to find applications to label-free (i.e., no magnetic or fluorescent labeling) cellular focusing in lab-on-a-chip devices.
A Perceptually-Driven Account of Onset-Sensitive Stress

This paper explores onset-sensitive stress from a typological, phonetic and phonological perspective. A phonetic study of three onset-sensitive stress systems suggests a close match between onset weight distinctions and a phonetic measure of perceptual energy, such that phonological weight criteria are the phonetically most effective ones. Perceptual considerations also offer an explanation for other typological observations, including the relative rarity of onset-sensitive stress, the greater weight of low sonority onsets, and the subordination of onset-sensitive weight distinctions to rime-based ones in languages with both types of weight distinctions. Onset-based weight criteria are effectively modelled using a skeletal slot model of the syllable referenced by a family of prominence constraints requiring that heavy syllables be stressed and that light syllables be unstressed.
Estimation of parameters in double uptake systems.

Abstract A method is presented for estimating the kinetic parameters describing the cellular uptake of a single molecular species mediated by two independent transport processes. Two cases are considered: first, uptake by two carrier-mediated transport systems, and second, uptake by a single carrier-mediated system and diffusion. Unweighted and weighted least-squares estimations are described; the unweighted estimation is noniterative and provides excellent first approximations for the iterative weighted estimation procedure.
Differentiating Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents: Evidence From Event-Related Brain Potentials

The current study, which was a reanalysis of previous data, focused on the error-related negativity (ERN)-an event-related potential (ERP) associated with error monitoring-and the feedback negativity (FN)-an ERP associated with reward processing. Two objectives motivated this study: first, to illustrate the relationship between the ERN and anxious symptoms, and the relationship between the FN and depressive symptoms; second, to explore whether the ERN and the FN relate uniquely to anxiety and depression, respectively, in children. EEG was collected from twenty-five 11- to 13-year-old participants (12 female; 23 Caucasian, 1 Asian, 1 of Caucasian and Hispanic ethnicity) during tasks designed to elicit an ERN and an FN. Participants and a parent completed questionnaires assessing the participant's anxious and depressive symptomatology. Increasing anxiety was related to a larger ERN, and increasing depression was related to a smaller FN. Further analysis demonstrated that these relationships remained significant when controlling for the contribution of other variables; that is, the ERN continued to predict anxiety when controlling for the FN and depression, and the FN continued to predict depression when controlling for the ERN and anxiety. Thus, in late childhood and early adolescence, the ERN and the FN appear to relate uniquely to anxious and depressive symptoms, respectively. Although this research is still in early stages, the ERN and the FN have the potential to inform trajectories of risk for anxiety and depression, and could be utilized in clinical settings as cost- and labor-efficient neural biomarkers.
Mythology and Folklore in South-East Asia

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Peter Wade. Translators: Peter Wade. Year: 1999. Pages: xviii + 315 Publisher: Oxford University Press.