cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microinterventions targeting regulatory focus and regulatory fit selectively reduce dysphoric and anxious mood.

Depression and generalized anxiety, separately and as comorbid states, continue to represent a significant public health challenge. Current cognitive-behavioral treatments are clearly beneficial but there remains a need for continued development of complementary interventions. This manuscript presents two proof-of-concept studies, in analog samples, of “microinterventions” derived from regulatory focus and regulatory fit theories and targeting dysphoric and anxious symptoms. In Study 1, participants with varying levels of dysphoric and/or anxious mood were exposed to a brief intervention either to increase or to reduce engagement in personal goal pursuit, under the hypothesis that dysphoria indicates under-engagement of the promotion system whereas anxiety indicates over-engagement of the prevention system. In Study 2, participants with varying levels of dysphoric and/or anxious mood received brief training in counterfactual thinking, under the hypothesis that inducing individuals in a state of promotion failure to generate subtractive counterfactuals for past failures (a non-fit) will lessen their dejection/depression-related symptoms, whereas inducing individuals in a state of prevention failure to generate additive counterfactuals for past failures (a non-fit) will lessen their agitation/anxiety-related symptoms. In both studies, we observed discriminant patterns of reduction in distress consistent with the hypothesized links between dysfunctional states of the two motivational systems and dysphoric versus anxious symptoms.
Aging and solid shape recognition: Vision and haptics

The ability of 114 younger and older adults to recognize naturally-shaped objects was evaluated in three experiments. The participants viewed or haptically explored six randomly-chosen bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) in a study session and were later required to judge whether each of twelve bell peppers was "old" (previously presented during the study session) or "new" (not presented during the study session). When recognition memory was tested immediately after study, the younger adults' (Experiment 1) performance for vision and haptics was identical when the individual study objects were presented once. Vision became superior to haptics, however, when the individual study objects were presented multiple times. When 10- and 20-min delays (Experiment 2) were inserted in between study and test sessions, no significant differences occurred between vision and haptics: recognition performance in both modalities was comparable. When the recognition performance of older adults was evaluated (Experiment 3), a negative effect of age was found for visual shape recognition (younger adults' overall recognition performance was 60% higher). There was no age effect, however, for haptic shape recognition. The results of the present experiments indicate that the visual recognition of natural object shape is different from haptic recognition in multiple ways: visual shape recognition can be superior to that of haptics and is affected by aging, while haptic shape recognition is less accurate and unaffected by aging.
The Impact of Childhood Health on Adult Educational Attainment: Evidence from Modern Mandatory School Vaccination Laws

This paper examines the impact of post-neonatal childhood health on adult educational attainment using evidence from mandatory school vaccination laws in the U.S. After the development of a number of key vaccines, states began to require proof of immunization against certain infectious diseases for children entering school. I exploit the staggered implementation of the laws across states to identify both the short-run impacts on child health and long-term effects on educational attainment. First, I show that the mandatory school vaccination laws were effective in reducing the incidence rates of the targeted diseases. Next, I find sizable and positive effects on educational outcomes as measured by high school completion and years of schooling. The effect on educational attainment is twice as large for non-whites relative to whites.
Adaptive control in the presence of a general nonlinear parametrization

This paper deals with the adaptive control of dynamic systems with nonlinear parametrization. When the states of a nonlinear system arc available and one or more of the system parameters appear nonlinearly, it is shown that a globally stable adaptive controller can be determined. Both regulation and tracking arc shown to be achievable globally. This result expands the scope of adaptive control considerably, which has been restricted, in most cases, to systems with parameters occuring linearly.
Hallucinogens and Related Drugs

Both marijuana and the hallucinogens produce a change in the level of consciousness, and both are capable of inducing hallucinations. However, in the usual doses taken, the predominant effect of cannabis is to alter the “feeling state” with less intensity and without frank hallucinations. The drugs discussed in this chapter produce more intense changes and often yield abnormal sensory inputs of a predominantly visual nature (illusions or hallucinations), even at low doses.
Select Resources for Image-based Humanities Computing

What follows is by no means a complete bibliography of the rapidly-evolving practice of image-based humanities computing. I have assembled here a list of resources and tools broadly applicable to data visualization and graphical analysis in the liberal arts. Highly technical papers and genre-specific projects have only been indexed when their issues or methodologies illuminate image-based work across the humanities. Readers interested in computer vision and scientific visualization should consult the bibliographies in Section 4. Likewise, while digital imaging in library science and museum conservation is of interest to the humanities scholar, bibliographies and literature reviews for these fields are readily available. I have listed the most complete of these in sections 1 and 4 below. Among software and commercial websites, preference has been given to freely available or open-source applications. I have also included references to seminal works on representation, cognition, and visual semiotics in the hope that this resource list will be useful to researchers new to image theory.
FLOCCULATION AND REDISPERSION OF CELLULOSIC FIBER SUSPENSIONS: A REVIEW OF EFFECTS OF HYDRODYNAMIC SHEAR AND POLYELECTROLYTES

Cellulosic fibers in aqueous suspensions are subject to flocculation effects that involve two contrasting scales of dimension. The net effect of flocculation determines how uniformly fibers can become formed into a sheet during the manufacture of paper. At a macroscopic level, the highly elongated shape of typical wood-derived fibers in agitated sus-pensions can give rise to frequent inter-fiber collisions and the formation of fiber flocs. At a submicroscopic scale, surfaces of suspended materials can become joined by macromolecular bridges. Although such bridges tend to reduce paper’s uniformity, polyelectrolyte flocculants are used in most paper machine systems to achieve relatively high retention efficiencies of fine particles as paper is being formed. By adjusting the papermaking equipment, judiciously selecting points of addition of chemicals, and by managing chemical dosages, papermakers employ a variety of strategies to achieve favorable combinations of retention and uniformity. This review considers scholarly work that has been directed towards a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
Home range and habitat selection of the Indiana bat in an agricultural landscape

Agricultural intensification has led to widespread declines in wildlife biodiversity across many taxa. North American bats provide valuable services for agriculture yet basic ecological understanding of how bats use habitat in intensely agricultural areas is lacking. We examined the movements and resource selection of the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) in a highly agricultural landscape in central Ohio, USA. We recorded nocturnal movements of 36 Indiana bats during the summers of 2009 and 2010; mean (±SD) fixed-kernel home range area was 212.0 ± 132.4 ha. We examined second- and third-order habitat selection and found that bats selected all habitat types more strongly than cropland at all analysis scales. Woodland was selected more strongly than any other habitat with the exception of open water. However, although bats heavily used a wooded stream corridor, movement was not restricted by large expanses of cropland and bats traversed open, non-forested areas >1 km across to reach small, isolated, wooded patches. The limits and to what extent Indiana bats can persist using small, isolated habitat patches are unknown, but our data support continued emphasis on conservation of riparian habitats and wooded patches within agricultural landscapes. © 2014 The Wildlife Society, 2014.
What Analysts Should Know about FAS No. 141R and FAS No. 160

FAS No. 141R, “Business Combinations,” and FAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements,” became effective for fiscal years beginning after 31 December 2008. Many quarterly and annual reports for 2009 incorporated the requirements of these standards. In this article, the author discusses changes resulting from the standards’ implementation.
Genetic algorithm attack on minutiae-based fingerprint authentication and protected template fingerprint systems

This paper describes a new generic attack against minutiae-based fingerprint authentication systems. The goal of the attack is to construct a fingerprint minutiae template that matches a fixed but unknown reference template. The effectiveness of our attacking system is experimentally demonstrated against multiple fingerprint authentication systems. The paper discusses this attack on two leading privacy-enhanced template schemes and shows it can easily recover high matching score templates. A more general and novel aspect of our work is showing that despite high scores of the attack, the resulting templates do not match the original fingerprint and therefore the underlying data is still privacy protected. We conjecture that the ambiguity caused by collisions from projections/hashing during the privacy-enhanced template production provides for a multitude of minima, which trap attacks in a high-score but non-authentic region.
Restoration of Corticosteroid Sensitivity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Inhibition of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin

Rationale: Corticosteroid resistance is a major barrier to the effective treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several molecular mechanisms have been proposed, such as activations of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt pathway and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. However, the mechanism for corticosteroid resistance is still not fully elucidated.Objectives: To investigate the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in corticosteroid sensitivity in COPD.Methods: The corticosteroid sensitivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from patients with COPD, smokers, and nonsmoking control subjects, or of human monocytic U937 cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE), was quantified as the dexamethasone concentration required to achieve 30% inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α–induced CXCL8 production in the presence or absence of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. mTOR activity was determined as the phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase, using Western blotting.Measurements an...
Foreign-Area Expertise in U.S. Geography: An Assessment of Capacity based on Foreign-Area Dissertations, 1977–1991*

Interpretations of a decline in foreign-area specialization have raised concerns about the capacity of geography in the United States to serve the expected increase in demands for foreign-area expertise. An assessment of foreign-area dissertations awarded by U.S. geography programs over a 15-year period (1977–1991) fails to support the concerns raised. No significant declines, if any at all, are found for early career interest and research in foreign areas. Several caveats are warranted, however. Geography has lost three doctoral programs with strong foreign-area dissertation records for the period in question. Also, non-U.S. citizens, many of whom do not remain in the United States after completion of their doctorate work, account for a significant proportion of foreign-area dissertations. Various questions that must be addressed to analyze the capacity question more broadly are identified.
The Influence of Individualism, Collectivism, and Locus of Control on Environmental Beliefs and Behavior:

Abstract This study investigates the influence of value orientations measured at the individual level (individualism, collectivism, and locus of control) and of economic status on environmental beliefs and behavior. Structural equation modeling reveals that the preferred model is one in which the value orientations and economic status influence beliefs about recycling, which in turn influence recycling behavior, but the influence of the value orientations and economic status differs as a function of the type of environmental belief. Individualism and economic status are related to beliefs about the inconvenience of recycling; collectivism and locus of control are related to beliefs about the importance of recycling. Moreover, specific beliefs about the importance of recycling have both a direct influence on recycling behavior and an effect that is mediated by beliefs about the inconvenience of recycling. The authors present the implications of the study for public policy and marketing communication efforts.
Rationales for Support That African American Grandmothers Provide to Their Children Who Are Parenting Adolescents

African American grandmothers are known to be a major source of support for their children who are parenting adolescents, but little is known about why they provide support. The purpose of this study was to describe the kinds of support provided by African American maternal and paternal grandmothers to their parenting adolescents and the reasons for giving support. In all, 10 maternal and 10 paternal grandmothers were recruited from one low-income African American community to participate in this cross-sectional, qualitative, descriptive study. Grandmothers provided support due to love and concern for their adolescent parenting children and their grandchildren. Grandmothers were influenced by their own past experiences and by the adolescent's personality and behavior. School nurses and school health clinic personnel are tactically positioned within the lives of families with parenting adolescents and can help facilitate the provision of support that allows adolescent parents to successfully transition to adulthood and assume adult roles.
Managing dementia in long-term care settings.

The majority of patients in long-term care settings (nursing homes) have a diagnosis of dementia. Dementia is associated with a high prevalence of behavioral and psychiatric disorders. In fact, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia are the major reason patients are placed in long-term care settings [1]. Symptoms such as psychosis, depression, and agitation including aggressiveness, can be overwhelming to patients, families, and staff alike. These difficult symptoms may lead to overmedication with limited benefit and potential side effects. Improved management of patients suffering from dementia can lead to marked improvements for patients, families, and staff, leading to greater optimism and quality of life. In fact, treating this population can be extremely rewarding. This article reviews the management of dementia patients in the longterm care setting, with a focus on correctly diagnosing the reasons for behavioral problems and appropriate treatment strategies
Amorphization and recrystallization of YBa2Cu3O7−x by ion implantation and annealing

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), and resistivity measurements are reported for implanted and annealed YBa2Cu3O7−x films and YBa2Cu3O7−x/PrBa2Cu3O7−x bilayers, demonstrating the complete recovery of superconductivity by low oxygen pressure annealing. The strong anisotropy in recrystallization between the a⊥ and c⊥ orientations and the effects of high supersaturation are discussed, as well as the implications for device applications.
Characterization of contaminant outgassing from the detection module Mylar assembly used in the proton decay experiment

Abstract Excessive amount of methylene chloride, the solvent of the glue used in preparing the parts for the proton decay detection modules, has been identified as the contaminant that jeopardized the detecting capability of the ten newly built detection modules. The poisoned Mylar sheets have been found to produce ten times the amount of outgassed air and chlorine related species than the normal Mylar sheets. Under 50°C, chlorine related species accounted for about 25% of the total outgassed species. The above findings are based on the measurements and diagnosis of a newly developed mass spectrometer molecular beam system with ppb range trace constituent detection capability.
Deactivation-disguised kinetics

Abstract Some complex enzyme deactivations may appear to be first order. Criteria, examples, and counter-examples (the ‘normal’ situation), are presented for deactivation disguise exhibited during the modeling of enzyme deactivations by a series mechanism. Deactivation disguise may be exhibited if the ratio of the deactivation velocity constants in the series mechanism, k 2 / k 1 equals 1 — α 1 . Here α 1 is the ratio of the specific activities of the intermediate state and the initial enzyme state. Even though the disguised ‘kinetics of deactivation’ occur by mere coincidence and for very specialized kinetics, care does need to be exercised in examining enzyme deactivation kinetics that appears to be first order and is in reality more complex. A simple procedure to check if the disguised ‘kinetics of deactivation’ is a mere coincidence or not is presented.
Viscoelastic properties of wet cortical bone—II. Relaxation mechanisms

Abstract The contributions of thermoelastic coupling and fluid motions to viscoelastic response in bone are calculated, using the theories of Zener and Rusch, respectively. Fluid motion and homogeneous thermoelasticity produce mechanical losses which are size dependent. Inhomogeneous thermoelastic coupling results in thermal currents between regions of different stiffness, such as osteons and lamellae, and around voids. Losses of this type display no size effect. Fluid motion, homogeneous thermoelasticity, and inhomogeneous thermoelasticity resulting from stiffness variations, yield losses which are significant enough to be measurable. An expression is derived for the contribution of piezoelectric-like coupling to the mechanical loss. This loss is calculated from published data, and for dry bone it is negligibly small. The role of inhomogeneous deformation and molecular modes in collagen as viscoelastic mechanisms is considered and experimental evidence is discussed.
Developing robust predictive models for head and neck cancer across microarray and RNA-seq data

Increased understanding of the transcriptomic patterns underlying head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can facilitate earlier diagnosis and better treatment outcomes. Integrating knowledge from multiple studies is necessary to identify fundamental, consistent gene expression signatures that distinguish HNSCC patient samples from disease-free samples, and particularly for detecting HNSCC at an early pathological stage. This study utilizes feature integration and heterogeneous ensemble modeling techniques to develop robust models for predicting HNSCC disease status in both microarray and RNA-seq datasets. Several alternative models demonstrated good performance, with MCC and AUC values exceeding 0.8. These models were also applied to discriminate between early pathological stage HNSCC and normal RNA-seq samples, showing encouraging results. The predictive modeling workflow was integrated into a software tool with a graphical user interface. This tool enables HNSCC researchers to harness frequently observed transcriptomic features and ensembles of previously developed models when investigating new HNSCC gene expression datasets.
Effect of sulphonate incorporation on in vitro leucocyte adhesion to polyurethanes

A series of poly(tetramethylene oxide)-based polyurethane block copolymers was synthesized with varying levels of sulphonate ion incorporated in the hard segment block. Static in vitro adhesion of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) on the underivatized and propyl sulphonate-grafted polyurethanes was investigated. The effect of plasma proteins on PMN adhesion to the polymers was also examined. The number of adherent cells on the sulphonated polyurethane surfaces was significantly higher than on the underivatized polyurethane under all conditions. The adherent PMNs on sulphonated polyurethanes showed increased cell spreading compared to the underivatized base polyurethane. Increasing the level of sulphonate incorporation from 5 to 17 mol% had no effect on the extent of cell adhesion. The presence of preadsorbed proteins generally led to a decrease in the number of adherent PMNs on the surfaces. However, the presence of plasma proteins in the suspension medium had no effect on the degree of leucocyte adhesion to the sulphonated polyurethanes.
New-generation IR instrument components ready for NGST

At Penn State, two new instrument component technologies, namely silicon gratings and gaussian-shaped pupil masks, have been developed and are ready for producing high quality components for all three NGST IR instruments. Fabrication of silicon grisms with sizes up to 2 inches in dimension has become a routine process at Penn State thanks to newly developed techniques in chemical etching, lithography, and post-processing. The newly etched silicon grisms have a typical rms surface roughness of ~ 9 nm with the lowest of 0.9 nm, significantly lower than our previous ones (~ 20-30 nm) and have ~ 0.035 wave wavefront distortion at 0.6328 μm, indicating diffraction-limited performance in the entire infrared wavelengths (1.2 -10 μm) where silicon has excellent transmission. These processes have also significantly eliminated visible defects due to grating mask break during chemical etching. For the best grisms, we have less than 1 defect per cm 2 . The measured total integrated scatter is less than 1% at 0.6238 mm, indicating similar or lower scatter in the IR when grisms are operated in transmission. Silicon grisms and silicon immersion gratings will both boost spectral resolving power by more than 3 times for NGST near-IR MOS and mid-IR camera and spectrograph without pushing current instrument design. The higher dispersed spectra can be selected either by a filter or a low resolution grism cross-disperser. Our current grating techniques allow us to make gratings with a groove period from a few microns to more than 100 microns. For the first order grism, the theoretical grating efficiency is beyond 80% with a single layer of AR coating. The immersion gratings will have similar grating efficiency. Based on our previous measurements of a silicon echelle grism, this kind of grism can provide ~ 60% efficiency when they are operated in high orders. We have also developed Gaussian-shaped pupil masks for high contrast imaging with the NGST IR cameras. Depending on its final mirror configuration, this kind of mask can offer 10 -6 contrast imaging as close as 5 lambda/D to a bright point source. The advantage of using this mask instead of a conventional graded Lyot coronagraph is that it is much easier to implement by simply inserting it at a pupil location to reach deep null. Therefore, the observing efficiency can be significantly improved. A prototype of this kind of mask has been tested at the Mt. Wilson 100inch telescope with adaptive optics and demonstrates 10 -3 -10 -4 contrast at ~ 5 λ/D at the initial observations. The contrast level is comparable to an IR coronagraph in the same IR instrument, but is about one order of magnitude worse than the scattered light levels caused by the mirror surface. We have also studied other mask coronagraph designs for high contrast imaging. The hybrid and band-limited designs show great promise for further improving image contrast. The NGST IR cameras with new coronagraph designs will allow high contrast imaging for extra-solar planets and substellar companions around nearby stars.
Deflation for inversion with multiple right-hand sides in QCD

Most calculations in lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) involve the solution of a series of linear systems of equations with exceedingly large matrices and a large number of right hand sides. Iterative methods for these problems can be sped up significantly if we deflate approximations of appropriate invariant spaces from the initial guesses. Recently we have developed eigCG, a modification of the Conjugate Gradient (CG) method, which while solving a linear system can reuse a window of the CG vectors to compute eigenvectors almost as accurately as the Lanczos method. The number of approximate eigenvectors can increase as more systems are solved. In this paper we review some of the characteristics of eigCG and show how it helps remove the critical slowdown in QCD calculations. Moreover, we study scaling with lattice volume and an extension of the technique to nonsymmetric problems.
Computing factors for uniform simultaneous confidence bands and prediction bands and linear regression

Bowden and Graybill (1966) tabulated factors for simultaneous uniform-width 90% and 95% confidence bands for the true regression line over a specified interval for the independent variables.Trout and Swallow (1979) recognized that these same factors could also be used to construct simultaneous prediction intervals of uniform length.This note derives a computationally convenient integral expression for the confidence level of such bands.New results for simultaneous one-sided limits are also derived.
Some properties of the Kendall distribution in bivariate Archimedean copula models under censoring

Abstract Suppose that ( T 1 , T 2 ) can be modelled by an Archimedean copula model and it is subject to dependent or independent right censoring. In this paper, we present some distributional results for the random variable V = S ( T 1 , T 2 ) under different censoring patterns (singly or doubly censored). The results are expected to be useful in setting up both the model fitting and checking procedures for Archimedean copula models for censored bivariate data. As an application of the theoretical results we obtained, a simple moment estimator of the dependence parameter in Archimedean copula models is proposed. Simulation studies have shown that the proposed estimator parameter works well and the estimator is used in analyzing a medical data set.
Impact of tab location relative to the nozzle exit on jet distortion

Cursory observations during the course of the present study revealed that the flowfield distorsion produced by the tab changes drastically if the location of a tab is slightly varied relative to the nozzle exit.
How to waste 2/3 of the throughput of a switch: a tight characterization of load balancing algorithms that do not split

Load balancing has recently acquired increased interest among researchers in the switching community. The premise is to replace the single switch, running at a speed proportional to the number n of input and output ports (and to the line rate), by a load balanced switch consisting of k switches, each running at 1/k the speed. Indeed, with such an architecture, and for some classes of traffic patterns, simply spreading the traffic among the k switches achieves 100% throughput (thus the term load balancing). However, reordering among packets of the same flow may occur, which becomes a major concern. One way of avoiding this problem is to use a load balancing algorithm that does not split, i.e. that routes all packets of a given flow through exactly one of the k switches, without re-routing existing Hows. We shall call such a load balancing algorithm a non-splitting algorithm. While non-splitting algorithms definitely preserve the order of packets, it is intuitively well understood that these algorithms waste throughput. The focus of this paper is to exactly characterize this waste. We prove an asymptotic tight upper bound of 1/3 on the throughput of any non-splitting algorithm when n >> k.
Dynamic Response of Rocket Swirl Injectors, Part II: Nonlinear Dynamic Response

of a classic swirl (simplex) injector. The abrupt convergence resonance model (ACRM) describes the magnitude of injector mass flow response assuming a radial step contraction, while the conical convergence resonance model (CCRM) treats the contraction from the vortex chamber to the nozzle using an arbitrary number of small radial steps. In this second part of the study, numerical calculations are performed to assess nonlinear dynamic response and to compare results with ACRM and CCRM predictions. The vehicle for these computations is a boundary element method (BEM) that preserves surface shapes with high accuracy.
Initial Assessment and Fluid Resuscitation of Burn Patients

For the physician or surgeon practicing outside the confines of a burn center, initial assessment and fluid resuscitation will encompass most of his or her exposure to patients with severe burns. The importance of this phase of care should not be underestimated. This article provides a review of how to perform initial resuscitation of patients with significant burns and/or inhalation injury, while arranging for transfer to a regional burn center.
The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage

From the Publisher: Cliff Stoll was an astronomer turned systems manager at Lawrence Berkeley Lab when a 75-cent accounting error alerted him to the presence of an unauthorized user on his system. The hacker's code name was "Hunter"a mystery invader hiding inside a twisting electronic labyrinth, breaking into U.S. computer systems and stealing sensitive military and security information. Stoll began a one-man hunt of his own, spying on the spyand plunged into an incredible international probe that finally gained the attention of top U.S. counterintelligence agents. The Cookoo's Egg is his wild and suspenseful true storya year of deception, broken codes, satellites, missile bases, and the ultimate sting operationand how one ingenious American trapped a spy ring paid in cash and cocaine, and reporting to the KGB.
Does Reduced Vascular Stiffening Fully Explain Preserved Cardiovagal Baroreflex Function in Older, Physically Active Men?

Background —We measured cardiovagal baroreflex gain and its vascular mechanical and neural components during dynamic baroreflex engagement in 10 young untrained men, 6 older untrained men, and 12 older, physically active men. Methods and Results —Our newly developed assessment of beat-to-beat carotid diameters during baroreflex engagement estimates the mechanical transduction of pressure into barosensory stretch (Δdiameter/Δpressure), the neural transduction of stretch into vagal outflow (ΔR-R interval/Δdiameter), and conventional integrated cardiovagal baroreflex gain (ΔR-R interval/Δpressure). Integrated gain was lower in older untrained men than in young untrained men (6.8±1.2 versus 15.7±1.8 ms/mm Hg) due to both lower mechanical (9.1±1.0 versus 17.1±2.4 mm Hg/μm) and lower neural (0.57±0.10 versus 0.90±0.10 ms/μm) transduction. Integrated gain in older active men (13.3±2.7 ms/mm Hg) was comparable to that in young untrained men. This was achieved through mechanical transduction (12.1±1.4 mm Hg/μm) that was modestly higher than that in older untrained men and neural transduction (1.00±0.20 ms/μm) comparable to that in young untrained men. Across groups, both mechanical and neural components were related to integrated gain; however, the neural component carried greater predictive weight (β=0.789 versus 0.588). Conclusions —Both vascular and neural deficits contribute to age-related declines in cardiovagal baroreflex gain; however, long-term physical activity attenuates this decline by maintaining neural vagal control.
Russian in Latvia: An Outlook for Bilingualism in a Post-Soviet Transitional Society.

Abstract What makes people, in shifting power positions of a post-independence period, plan on disusing an already known L2 or learn a new L2? What are the reasons for such shifts and what outcomes can, therefore, be predicted for the future of societal bilingualism surviving alongside ongoing efforts at monolingual unification in a newly independent nationstate? In my paper, I examine Russian in Latvia, and also societal bilingualism in the country in terms of L1/L2 users, language-minority education, competitiveness and language policy, couched in a discussion of various theoretical perspectives on language and nationalism. The Baltic republic, which re-established its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has retained a legacy of not only a substantial proportion of the Russian-speaking population who are now learning Latvian as their L2, but also even a slightly greater number of Russian-speaking non-Russians (i.e. Latvians and other ethnic minorities) who had an obligation to acquire and use Ru...
Lying and falsity

(1971). Lying and falsity. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 152-157.
Highly selective terahertz optical frequency comb generator.

Using a 10.5-GHz resonant electro-optic modulator placed inside a resonant optical cavity, we generated an optical frequency comb with a span wider than 3 THz. The optical resonator consists of three mirrors, with the output coupler being a thin Fabry–Perot cavity with a free spectral range of 2 THz and a finesse of 400. Tuning this filter cavity onto resonance with a particular high-order sideband permits efficient output coupling of the desired sideband power from the comb generator, while keeping all other sidebands inside for continued comb generation. This spectrally pure output light was then heterodyne detected by another laser with a frequency offset of the order of 1 THz.
The impact of high altitude aircraft on the ozone layer in the stratosphere

The paper discusses the potential effects on the ozone layer of gases released by the engines of proposed high altitude supersonic aircraft. The major problem arises from the emissions of nitrogen oxides which have the potential to destroy significant quantities of ozone in the stratosphere. The magnitude of the perturbation is highly dependent on the cruise altitude of the aircraft. Furthermore, the depletion of ozone is substantially reduced when heterogeneous conversion of nitrogen oxides into nitric acid on sulfate aerosol particles is taken into account in the calculation. The sensitivity of the aerosol load on stratospheric ozone is investigated. First, the model indicates that the aerosol load induced by the SO2 released by aircraft is increased by about 10–20% above the background aerosols at mid-high latitude of the Northern Hemisphere at 15 km for the NASA emission scenario A (the NASA emission scenarios are explained in Tables I to III). This increase in aerosol has small effects on stratospheric ozone. Second, when the aerosol load is increased following a volcanic eruption similar to the eruption of El Chichon (Mexico, April 1982), the ozone column in spring increases by as much as 9% in response to the injection of NO x from the aircraft with the NASA emission scenario A. Finally, the modeled suggests that significant ozone depletion could result from the formation of additional polar stratospheric clouds produced by the injection of H2O and HNO3 by the aircraft engines.
Ecdysone metabolism and distribution during the pupal-adult development of Manduca sexta

The metabolism and distribution of endogenous ecdysone and injected [3H]ecdysone were studied during the pupal-adult development of Manduca sexta. Well-characterized antisera were used to detect and quantify endogenous metabolites by radioimmunoassay (RIA) following their separation by ion-suppressed reverse phase, and normal phase, high performance liquid chromatography. Identical chromatographic procedures were employed to determine the metabolic fate of the [3H]ecdysone in the haemolymph pool. These studies revealed the sequential appearance in the haemolymph and gut of progressively oxidized metabolites of ecdysone—hydroxylation at C-20 was followed by hydroxylation at C-26. The data are suggestive of both the induction of the steroid hydroxylases (oxidases) by substrate or other effector substances and the possible coordination of developmental events by ecdysteroids other than 20-hydroxyecdysone. In the haemolymph, two highly-polar conjugates of ecdysone were observed together with conjugates of the other free ecdysteroids, especially those hydroxylated at C-26. In contrast, relatively little 20-hydroxycdysone conjugate was detected in the insect. As adult development proceeded, both endogenous and radiolabelled ecdysteroids were increasingly localized in the gut, so that just prior to eclosion most ecdysteroids were present in the meconium of the high gut (rectal pouch). The peak titres and the kinetics of appearance of ecdysone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and 20,26-dihydroxyecdysone were similar for both haemolymph and gut (and for males and females), but considerably higher levels of C-26 oxidized (acid) metabolites of ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone were localized in the gut. Although levels of highly-polar ecdysteroid conjugates found in the haemolymph and gut were similar, considerable amounts of three less polar ecdysone conjugates, of 3-α-epimers of ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone, and of a substance tentatively identified as 2-deoxyecdysone were found only in the gut. Whether ionized, conjugated, or free, the gut ecdysteroids did not appear to equilibrate with the haemolymph compartment. Differences were observed in the metabolism kinetics of exogenously administered radiolabelled ecdysone when compared to the endogenous ecdysteroids; and some RIA positive gut metabolites did not become significantly radiolabelled. This suggests that injection of ecdysone may not simulate the endogenous secretion of ecdysone or its subsequent metabolism and distribution completely accurately.
Mapping of collision frequencies for stearic acid spin labels by saturation-recovery electron paramagnetic resonance.

Short pulse saturation-recovery electron paramagnetic resonance methods have been used to measure interactions of 14N:15N stearic acid spin label pairs in multilamellar liposomal dispersions composed of dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine (DEPC). Pairs consisting of various combinations of [14N]-16-, [14N]-12- or [14N]-5-doxylstearate, and [15N]-16-, [15N]-12-, or [15N]-5-doxylstearate were studied. SR experiments were performed at 27 degrees and 37 degrees C, and recovery signals were analyzed for initial conditions and multiexponential time constants by computer fitting using a damped least-squares approach. The time constants contain combinations of the electron spin lattice relaxation time, Tle, for each member of the spin-label pair, and the Heisenberg exchange rate constant, Kx. Spin-lattice relaxation times for each of the 14N and 15N stearic acid spin labels were determined, and it is noted that Tle for a given 15N-SASL was always slightly greater than that of the corresponding 14N-SASL. From Kx the bimolecular collision frequency was calculated, providing a detailed picture of molecular interactions. For both lipid systems the bimolecular collision rates were ordered as 12:5 less than 16:5 less than 5:5 less than 16:12 less than 12:12 less than 16:16. For all spin-label pairs studied, interaction frequencies were greater in DMPC than in DEPC. For the 16:16, 12:12, and 16:12 pairs, Kx was approximately 30% greater in DMPC than in DEPC, a significantly greater difference than is observed by conventional EPR methods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Living a ruined life: De Quincey beyond the worst

Suspiria de Profundis explores the territory beyond trauma: De Quincey claims to have fully absorbed the intolerable in the form the death of his sister Elizabeth. By this logic, Suspiria accounts for what happens when the mind does understand what no one should be able to understand. Mirroring rather than anticipating trauma theory, De Quincey describes a realm in which full understanding cannot lead to metabolization and moving on, and working through is undesirable and impossible. Instead, Suspiria attacks supposedly inevitable categories of nature which are overshadowed by the reality of Elizabeth's death, including male/female difference and the animal/human distinction. De Quincey's death writing thereby produces an unnatural and often explicitly queer alternative to working through loss.
The cell biology of thrombospondin-1

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a matricellular protein that regulates cellular phenotype during tissue genesis and repair. It acts as a molecular facilitator by bringing together cytokines, growth factors, matrix components, membrane receptors and extracellular proteases. TSP-1 binds to a wide variety of integrin and non-integrin cell surface receptors. The binding sites for these receptors on TSP-1 are dispersed throughout the molecule, with most domains binding multiple receptors. In some cases, TSP-1 binds to multiple receptors concurrently, and recent data indicate that there is cross-talk between the receptor systems. Thus, TSP-1 may function to direct the clustering of receptors to specialized domains for adhesion and signal transduction.
Treatment of Dyssomnias and Parasomnias in Childhood

Dyssomnias are sleep disorders associated with complaints of insomnia or hypersomnia. The daytime sleepiness of narcolepsy is treated by a combination of planned daytime naps, regular exercise medications such as modafinil, or salts of methylphenidate, or amphetamine. Cataplexy that accompanies narcolepsy is treated with anticholinergic agents, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or sodium oxybate. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism have sleep initiation and maintenance difficulties on a multifactorial basis, with favorable response to melatonin in some patients. Childhood onset restless legs syndrome is often familial, associated with systemic iron deficiency, and responsive to iron supplementation and gabapentin. Parasomnias are episodic phenomena events which occur at the sleep -- wake transition or by intrusion on to sleep. Arousal parasomnias such as confusional arousals and sleep walking can sometimes be confused with seizures. A scheme for differentiating arousal parasomnias from nocturnal seizures is provided. Since arousal parasomnias are often triggered by sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or acid reflux, treatment measures directed specifically at these disorders often helps in resolution. Clonazepam provided in a low dose at bedtime can also alleviate sleep walking and confusional arousals. Obstructive sleep apnea affects about 2 percent of children. Adeno-tonsillar hypertrophy, cranio-facial anomalies, and obesity are common predisposing factors. Mild obstructive sleep apnea can be treated using a combination of nasal corticosteroids and a leukotriene antagonist. Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea are treated with adeno-tonsillectomy, positive airway pressure breathing devices, or weight reduction as indicated. This paper provides an overview of the topic, with an emphasis on management steps. Where possible, the level of evidence for treatment recommendations is indicated.
Relationship between depression and risk of malnutrition among community-dwelling young-old and old-old elderly people

Objectives: This study explores the association between nutritional status and depression among healthy community-dwelling young-old (aged 65–74) and old-old elderly (aged 75 and older). Method: A cross-sectional design was implemented. A total of 274 community-dwelling older individuals (142 young-old; 132 old-old) were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF) and Life-Space Assessment. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine if depression was independently associated with risk of malnutrition, stratified by age (young-old vs. old-old). Results: In the logistic regression model for young-old, being at risk of malnutrition (MNA-SF (≦11) was strongly associated with depression (GDS (≧5;) (likelihood ratio ν = 6.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.91–20.49). In contrast, in the old-old group, the model was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Depression and nutritional status were strongly correlated in young-old but not in old-old...
Regulation of neuropeptide Y mRNA and peptide concentrations by copper in rat olfactory bulb

Neuropeptide Y is highly abundant in both the peripheral and central nervous systems and is known to have diverse functions including regulation of feeding behavior, blood pressure, circadian rhythms, reproductive behavior and the response to stress. Northern analysis showed that copper deficiency increased brain NPY mRNA abundance particularly in the olfactory bulb (OB). These increases were not accompanied by alterations in food intake or blood pressure. After 4 weeks of a copper-restricted diet, OB copper concentrations decreased to 44% of control and NPY mRNA increased 1.5-fold. Addition of a copper chelator to the restricted diet, resulted in a two-fold increase in OB NPY mRNA over copper adequate controls. These results were confirmed in primary cultures of OB neurons suggesting that the regulation of NPY mRNA is at the level of the bulb rather than by a hormonal or other copper-regulated factor external to the OB. Immunoreactive NPY (IR-NPY) levels were not, however, increased following the 4 weeks of copper deficiency. Addition of the chelator resulted in a 1.4-fold increase in IR-NPY that, while statistically significant, was not proportional to the two-fold increase in NPY mRNA in the same study. This may suggest that copper deficiency inhibits the translational mechanisms responsible for the synthesis of NPY or that NPY is exported from the bulb in copper deficiency.
Conformations and aggregate structures of sorbed natural organic matter on muscovite and hematite

Abstract In-solution atomic-force microscopy was used to characterize molecular dimensions and aggregate structures of natural organic matter (NOM) sorbed to the basal-plane surfaces of muscovite and hematite as a function of pH (3–11), ionic strength (0.001–0.3 M), NOM concentration (20–100 mgC L−1), and cation electrolyte identity (Ca, Na, Li added as Cl-salts). Electrolyte identity and concentration exerted important effects on image stability, particle size, and sorption density. On mica, the presence of either Ca2+ or Li+ led to more stable images than Na+. For example, at pH 3, we were unable to obtain stable images of NOM on mica in NaCl. However, at pH 3 in CaCl2 and LiCl solutions, we observed adsorbed spheres with diameters appropriate for single molecules. A higher apparent adsorption density was observed in CaCl2 than in LiCl, consistent with previous reports that Ca enhances NOM adsorption. In LiCl, the spheres often were aggregated into small groups whereas in CaCl2, they were mostly isolated. At intermediate pH and relatively low NOM concentrations on mica, larger spherical aggregates were observed, but at higher NOM concentrations, we observed ring structures with nanoporosity that could be important for partitioning of organic pollutants. At high pH on mica, we observed an highly ordered array which most probably indicates reordering of the mica surface structure as Si released by dissolution interacts with NOM. This indicates that NOM may play an important role in phyllosilicate diagenesis. On hematite at pH 4 and in the presence of high dissolved iron concentration, large spherical NOM aggregates were observed, consistent with observations by Myneni et al. (1999) using in solution X-ray imaging. Overall our results demonstrate that NOM sorbs in complex structures and aggregates. Therefore, current models of NOM sorption are likely overly simplistic and require further direct verification.