cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age variability in the association between heavy episodic drinking and adolescent suicide attempts: findings from a large-scale, school-based screening program.

Abstract Objective Alcohol use is a risk factor for suicidal behavior among adolescents, but it is not clear whether this association is consistent during the adolescent period. This study examined the age-specific associations between heavy episodic drinking (HED) and self-reported suicide attempts in a large and diverse sample of adolescents. Method Screening data from 32,217 students, between the ages of 11 and 19 years, in 225 schools were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses estimating the impact of HED on self-reported suicide attempts in the past year were performed. Results Heavy episodic drinking was significantly associated with self-reported suicide attempts (odds ratio 1.78, p Conclusions Heavy episodic drinking is a clear risk factor for suicidal behavior among younger adolescents, beyond the risk conveyed by depressive symptoms. Further research investigating the bases for increased suicide risk among younger adolescents engaging in HED is warranted. Results provide support to AACAP's practice parameters calling for attention to substance abuse in the assessment of suicide risk and suggest that routine screening for HED by physicians may improve the detection of adolescent suicide risk, particularly among younger adolescents.
Inference to the Best Explanation: A Common and Effective Form of Archaeological Reasoning

Processual and postprocessual archaeologists implicitly employ the same epistemological system to evaluate the worth of different explanations: inference to the best explanation. This is good since inference to the best explanation is the most effective epistemological approach to archaeological reasoning available. Underlying the logic of inference to the best explanation is the assumption that the explanation that accounts for the most evidence is also most likely to be true. This view of explanation often reflects the practice of archaeological reasoning better than either the hypothetico-deductive method or hermeneutics. This article explores the logic of inference to the best explanation and provides clear criteria to determine what makes one explanation better than another. Explanations that are empirically broad, general, modest, conservative, simple, testable, and address many perspectives are better than explanations that are not. This article also introduces a system of understanding explanation that emphasizes the role of contrastive pairings in the construction of specific explanations. This view of explanation allows for a better understanding of when, and when not, to engage in the testing of specific explanations.
Tolerance of Elder Abuse and Attitudes Toward Third-Party Intervention Among African American, Korean American, and White Elderly

SUMMARY Studies have found that professionals and the lay public differ consistently from one another in the ways in which they perceive elder abuse. A potential variable that may explain this observed difference is cultural norms among ethnic groups. Using 18 statements, this study examined similarities and differences among elderly from three ethnic groups in their tolerance for potential elder abuse, perceptions regarding perpetrators and the causes of elder abuse, and attitudes toward third-party intervention and reporting of elder abuse to the authorities. Results suggest that while African American and White elderly are remarkably similar in their responses to most statements, Korean American elderly differed significantly from the other two groups in their tolerance for medical mistreatment, financial exploitation and neglect, perceptions of causes, and attitudes toward reporting elder abuse. These findings have implications for understanding potential barriers to preventive outreach efforts, inves...
Hypersonic Experimental Facility for Magnetoaerodynamic Interactions

A hypersonic, weakly ionized gas experimental facility has been exclusively designed for basic research in magnetoaerodynamic& The weakly ionized air is generated by a combination of direct-current discharge, radio frequency radiation, or a combination of both in a blowdown, open-jet, Mach 5 channel. A collection of plasma diagnostic tools including optical spectroscopy, microwave devices, and Langmuir probes have also been successfully developed. The plasma field is determined to have an electron temperature around 10,000 K and the electron number density up to 2 × 10 1 2 /cm 3 . The magnetic field can be provided by a steady-state solenoid that can generate a maximum magnetic flux density up to 3 T or arrays of permanent magnets. Under this laboratory testing environment, the maximum Stuart number per unit length is around 1.5 per meter. As an example of the utility of the facility, a successful hypersonic magnetoaerodynamics experiment demonstrating the potential of a plasma actuator is described. In this experiment, the effect of an electromagnetic perturbation by a glow discharge near the leading edge is further amplified by viscous-inviscid interaction, creating a significant pressure rise over the plate surface. The induced surface pressure exhibits potential as a virtual flap for flow control.
An application of GafChromic MD-55 film for 67.5 MeV clinical proton beam dosimetry.

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of GafChromic MD-55 (RC) film for 67.5 MeV clinical proton beam dosimetry at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory, University of California, Davis. Several strips of RC film 6 cm × 6 cm in dimension were irradiated at a depth of 18.2 mm corresponding to the middle of a 24 mm spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP). The films were irradiated to a proton dose in the range of 0.5 Gy to 100 Gy. The beam profiles were also measured at the middle of the 24 mm SOBP. The Bragg peak was measured by using a wedge shaped phantom made of Lucite. The Bragg peak measured with RC film was compared with diode and ionization chamber measurements. After background subtraction, the calibration of the dose response of RC film showed, to a maximum deviation of 10%, a linear increase of optical density (OD) with dose from 0.5 to 100 Gy. The uniformity of OD over a single sheet of film showed a variation of ±6%. The distal-fall off between 90% and 20% measured with GafChromic film for the Bragg peak was 1.3 mm as compared to 1.1 mm for a diode measurement and 1.4 mm for an ionization chamber measurement. The FWHM of the Bragg peak was 7.5 mm when measured with GafChromic film, 5.3 mm when measured with a diode and 8.1 mm as measured by an ionization chamber. The peak/plateau ratio with GafChromic film was 3.3 as compared to 3.7 with a diode and 3.2 with an ionization chamber. In conclusion, GafChromic MD-55 film may be a useful and convenient detector for dose measurement and quality assurance programmes of proton beams.
USING A COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH IN TEACHING SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Scott Sernau teaches social stratification, international inequality and development, and race and ethnic relations. He is the author of Bound: Living in the Globalized World (Kumarian 2000) and Worlds Apart: Social Inequalities in a New Century (Sage 2001). This essay is excerpted from an article by the same title in Teaching Sociology, October 1995, Vol. 23: 364-373.
Trends in the Policing Industry

Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing: The Evidencedoes a terrific job of discussing the limited research on trends in the policing industry, but what it does not include is perhaps as informative. Large gaps in the body of research limit our ability to make definitive inferences about how the policing industry is changing. These gaps result in part from a lack of systematic, standardized, longitudinal data collection and analysis on the nature and outputs of police organizations in the United States. As a result, we know little about basic descriptive features of policing and how these features are changing over time. Lacking the ability to track even the most basic descriptive trends, the police research industry is at even more of a loss in developing careful empirical explanations of these trends. This article discusses some of these trends, summarizes what we know and what we do not know about them, and provides some recommendations for how the police research industry can do a better job of describ...
TU-E-BRB-06: Meet the Expert — Medical Imaging Physics: Career Opportunities and Considerations

Medical imaging is big business — a multibillion dollar business, both for the manufacturers of medical imaging equipment and for health care providors. It plays an important role in diagnosis and in therapy. For these and other reasons medical imaging physics offers a number of highly satisfying career paths — clinical support in small to moderate sized medical centers, consulting clinical support, academic radiology positions, and positions in industry. For the past 30+ years, the career path an individual takes depends primarily on individual interest and capabilities and to a lesser extent on job availability. This session focuses on the responsibilities of the medical imagingphysicist in these different career paths. Presented are examples of different career paths. Discussed are the responsibilities that medical physicists typically have, minimum educational and experience requirements, and desirable skills and credentials. This Meet the Expert Session will be moderated by Gary T. Barnes, Ph.D. Dr. Barnes has worked for more than thirty‐five years in medical imaging. His experience encompasses routine clinical support, radiology resident teaching, mentoring of young medical physicists, research, and prototype medical imaging equipment development. He is a Fellow of the AAPM, ACR and AIMBE, and is currently Professor Emeritus, Department of Radiology, UAB Medical Center, President of RAD Physics, Inc., a medical physics consulting company he founded in 1978, and President of X‐Ray Imaging Innovations, a technology development company he founded in 1998. For the fifteen years prior to his retirement from UAB and becoming Professor Emeritus, he was the Director of the Physics and Engineering Division of the Department of Radiology. The Division included medical physics faculty, medical imaging equipment service engineers, QC technologists and technicians, computer programmers, and other informatics specialists. At the time of his retirement the Division had twenty‐five members. Dr. Barnes is the author or coauthor of 100+ peer reviewed papers and has several issued U.S. patents.
Age-Related-Changes in Oxygen-Saturation Over the First Year of Life - a Longitudinal-Study

Stability of oxygen saturation depends on maturation and function of individual components of the respiratory system. The aim of this study was to record and analyse comprehensive oxygen saturation data in a longitudinal study over the first year of life. Detailed sleep studies were performed on 15 normal infants eight times in the first year of life. The accrued oxygen saturation data were analysed on a computerized oximetry data analysis system. Results show the mean sleep saturation levels trending upwards and stabilizing by 185 days. There was an inverse curvilinear relationship between mean age and median desaturation time and the median number of desaturations at less than or equal to 95, less than or equal to 92 and less than or equal to 90% saturation. The mean cumulative desaturation time less than or equal to 90% in the first 4 months was 11.08 min (range 2.5-36.57 min). This study demonstrates monotonic patterns of increasing saturation and decreasing number and time of desaturations less than or equal to 95% and less than or equal to 90% but a random pattern of desaturations less than or equal to 85% occurs across the first 6 months of life. Cumulative desaturation times over the first 4 months of life were high and could be important to the development of maturity of the respiratory system. After 6 months, all indices of saturation and desaturation point to a stable and mature respiratory system.
Performance of multi-layer 2-D transducer arrays

In medical ultrasound imaging, 2-D array transducers have become essential to implement dynamic focusing and phase-correction in the elevation dimension as well as real-time volumetric scanning. Unfortunately, 2-D array elements have poor sensitivity because their small size results in a small clamped capacitance and a large electrical impedance near resonance. An N layer structure of PZT connected acoustically in series and electrically in parallel has a reduced impedance, resulting in greater sensitivity. A 3t43 phased-array transducer was fabricated with 3 layer PZT-5H material using thick film hybrid technology. Each element had a thickness of 0.66 mm and an area of 0.37t3.5 mm. The MLC array elements had an impedance of 100 O at series resonance of 2.25 MHz and a minimum round-trip insertion loss of 24.0 dB. This was compared to an 800 O impedance and 34.1 dB insertion loss for elements of a single layer control array. These results were consistent with KLM modeling. B-scan images were made of cysts in a tissue-mimicking phantom and of the left kidney in vivo. The images clearly showed a higher sensitivity for the MLC array compared to the control. The authors believe this is the first example of a 2-D array using MLC technology to significantly improve the transducer sensitivity
Field Experimentation in Weather Modification

Abstract Weather modification provides a fertile field for interaction and collaboration between meteorologists and statisticians. Cloud seeding experiments, including Project Whitetop, provide a background for illustrating some of the statistical issues in meteorological field experimentation and for exposing some of the difficulties that can arise when meteorologists and statisticians look at the same experiments from different points of view. Several specific points relating to statistics and statisticians, raised by meteorologists involved in weather modification, are discussed.
Spacecraft structural system identification by modal test

A structural parameter estimation procedure using the measured natural frequencies and kinetic energy distribution as observers is proposed. The theoretical derivation of the estimation procedure is described and its constraints and limitations are explained. This procedure is applied to a large complex spacecraft structural system to identify the inertia matrix using modal test results. The inertia matrix is chosen after the stiffness matrix has been updated by the static test results.
Cyst formation in metanephric organ culture induced by cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II).

A new experimental model of renal tubular cyst formation has been developed in metanephric organ culture. The addition of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II), 50 μg/ml, to culture medium induces cystic changes during in vitro nephrogenesis. The model has particular utility in the study of basic mechanisms underlying renal tubular cystic changes, as well as the mechanisms by which nephrotoxins may mediate renal tubular injury.
Optical computing at NASA Ames Research Center

Optical computing research at NASA Ames Research Center seeks to utilize the capability of analog optical processing, involving free-space propagation between components, to produce natural implementations of algorithms requiring large degrees of parallel computation. Potential applications being investigated include robotic vision, planetary lander guidance, aircraft engine exhaust analysis, analysis of remote sensing satellite multispectral images, control of space structures, and autonomous aircraft inspection.
Voice-Melody Transcription Under a Speech Recognition Framework

This paper presents a robust voice-melody transcription system using a speech recognition framework. While many previous voice-melody transcription systems have utilized non-statistical approaches, statistical recognition technology can potentially achieve more robust results. A cepstrum-based acoustic model is employed to avoid the hard-decisions that have to be made when using explicit voiced-unvoiced segmentation and pitch extraction, and a key-independent 4-gram language model is employed to capture prior probabilities of different melodic sequences. Evaluations are done from the perspective of both note recognition error rate and query-by-humming end-to-end performance. The results are compared with three other voice-melody transcription systems. Experiments have shown that our system is state-of-the-art: it is much more robust than other systems on data containing noise, and close to the best of all the systems on the clean data set.
Temperature and pressure dependence of the absolute rate constant for the reactions of NH2 radicals with acetylene and ethylene

The absolute rate constants for the reaction between the NH2 free radical and acetylene and ethylene is measured experimentally using a flash photolysis technique. The constant is considered to be a function of temperature and pressure. At each temperature level of the experiment, the observed pseudo-first-order rate constants were assumed to be independent of flash intensity. The results of the experiment indicate that the bimolecular rate constant for the NH2 + C2H2 reaction increases with pressure at 373 K and 459 K but not at lower temperatures. Results near the pressure limit conform to an Arrhenius expression of 1.11 (+ or -) 0.36 x 10 to the -13th over the temperature range from 241 to 459 K. For the reaction NH2 + C2H4, a smaller rate of increase in the bimolecular rate constant was observed over the temperature range 250-465 K. The implications of these results for current theoretical models of NH2 + C2H2 (or H4) reactions in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn are discussed.
Distribution of the Sum of Independent Zero-Truncated Linear Function POISSON Random Variables

In this note, the distribution of the sum of independent zero-truncated linear function POISSON random variables is obtained. This distribution conforms, in special cases, to CACOULLOS (1972) and TATE and GOEN (1958). The distribution of the sum of zero-truncated BOREL-TANNER type variables is obtained as a special case.
Laser Surgery: Alternatives To CO2 Ablation

Laser surgery may be improved by modifications based on similar processes in industrial applications. A major problem in materials processing is minimizing heat diffusion from the site of laser exposure. The same problem exists in tne surgery of tissue with a CO2 laser. A model is described which indicates that radiation at 2.9 μm (HF laser) in short duration pulses, shorter than the thermal relaxation time (1.7 ps) of its 2 um thick absorption depth in water, will minimize thermal diffusion, and also take advantage of the large amount of heat removed by the phase change of water into steam. This model suggests that, for deep cuts, many short pulses are preferable to a single long duration exposure and that more delicate surgery may be possible with such short pulse, shallow absorption depth types of energy delivery. For coagulation (nemostasis control) as well as ablation, two simultaneous wavelengths are required, 2.9 μm for cutting, and another, with less absorption, (such as 1.06 μm from Nu:YAG or 466-J14 nm from Argon lasers) for more penetration and heating of upper layers and blood vessels. Among the secondary benefits of the use of the HF laser at 2.9 μm is ready availability of flexible optical fibers for a delivery system.
Ion chromatography in nutrient depletion studies: Measurement of very low nitrate concentrations

Abstract Determination of the extent to which plants can deplete nitrate from nutrient solutions (Cmin) has been hindered in the past by insufficiently sensitive assay techniques. Now ion chromatography on a Dionex AS4A column can be used to separate and quantitate as little as 5 pmoles nitrate (a sensitivity of 0.02 + 0.005 μM NO3 ‐[0.3 ppb NO3 ‐N]) in nutrient medium containing other anions in more than 105molar excess. To obtain this precision in actual depletion experiments, however, certain important precautions must be observed, including the avoidance of membrane filters with interfering extractables, i.e. all types tested. Under these conditions, other components of the medium do not interfere, nor apparently do root exudates. The sensitivity and absence of interference is compared with that of existing methods for nitrate estimation (nitrate electrode, salicylate, phenoldisulfonate, nitrate reductase/ nitrite diazotization, and ultraviolet absorption, alone, or coupled with high pressure liquid c...
Benefit Assessment of Implementing Weather-Specific Signal Timing Plans by Using CORSIM

The effect of weather on the nation's surface transportation systems touches people every day. Each year 7,000 fatalities and 800,000 injuries involve weather-related adverse road conditions as a factor. These statistics represent about 28% of all highway crashes and 19% of all fatalities. The estimated annual economic cost due to weather-related crashes (deaths, injuries, and property) amounts to nearly $42 billion. Adverse weather has a significant impact on traffic operations and is a challenging issue to traffic engineers. However, there is a perception that traffic engineers can do little to mitigate the effects of weather, which is the result of two main factors: (a) no specific tools are currently available for traffic engineers to assess weather impacts on traffic operations and (b) both traffic and weather data are lacking for traffic analyses. As a result, traffic engineers have little understanding of traffic behaviors due to loss of visibility and traction in bad weather. As more road weather information systems and intelligent transportation systems are deployed and integrated, a large amount of traffic and weather data will become available. Data availability and powerful traffic simulation tools make it possible for engineers to develop and assess weather-specific traffic operations strategies to mitigate congestion in bad weather. The purpose of this study is to use CORSIM (a microscopic traffic simulation model) to illustrate a procedure for assessing benefits of retiming traffic signals in bad weather for both principal arterials and regional networks. Some preliminary findings and gaps identified for further research are also provided.
GC/FT-IR: A Comparison of Single-beam and Optical Subtraction Approaches

Subnanogram detection limits have not been published for any on-line GC/FT-IR system which employs light-pipes. Several approaches aimed at achieving this goal provide (in theory) the means for improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of most current systems by more than an order of magnitude. While lower detection limits are possible, the practical detection limits of a single-beam GC/FT-IR measurement remain limited by the dynamic range of most affordable analog-to-digital converters (ADC's). In GC/FT-IR a very wide dynamic range is required since the amplitude modulation due to analyte absorption is extremely small in com-parison to the strong signal at the centerburst of the interferogram.
Computer-enhanced digital angiography: correlation of clinical assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction and regional wall motion.

We compared computer-enhanced digital angiography (CEDA) following pulmonary injection of 20 ml Renografin-76 (5 ml/sec) to conventional directly injected left ventriculography (LV) in 13 patients undergoing routine diagnostic catheterization. Left ventricular ejection traction (LVEF) was determined by planimetry from end-diastolic and end-systolic images by two independent angiograhers. The correlation coefficient for LVEF (CEDA vs. LV) was r = 0.75 (p < 0.005) for observer 1 and r = 0.85 (p < 0.0005) for observer 2. The interobserver variability for LVEF was very low, resulting in a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.91, p < 0.0005). Three angiographers independently reviewed both the conventional and CEDA images in a random order for assessment of anterior, apical, and inferior regional wall motion, using a 6-point subjective grading system (198 determinations). The interobserver correlation for subjective assessment of regional wall motion by both LV and CEDA was poor (49% for LV and 59% for CEDA, p = NS). These poor correlations were not improved by excluding any region or angiographer from the analysis. The agreement of regional motion assessments between the two techniques was only 40%. To improve reproducibility of wall motion interpretation, an automated analysis program was developed. First the range of normal contraction was defined from pooled literature data. The movement of any segment of the left ventricular wall could then be determined in millimeters and referenced to the normal range. This method eliminated interobserver variability. In the absence of an acceptable standard of segmental wall motion to which this measurement can be compared, the accuracy of this objective format could not be determined. We conclude that CEDA images allow accurate determination of ejection fraction and that the large interobserver variability of subjective regional wall motion analysis can be overcome by employing more objective formats.
Killing tumor cells: The effect of photodynamic therapy using mono-l-aspartyl chlorine and NS-398

Background Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a useful treatment for malignant tumors. PDT involves the administration of a photosensitive drug that is selected by neoplastic tissues and their vasculature. One such photosensitizer is mono-l-aspartyl chlorine e6 (NPe6). Recent evidence suggests that the presence of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor NS-398 may potentiate the effect of photosensitizing agents. This study was designed to determine if the addition of NS-398 to NPe6-induced PDT in single or fractionated dosing would result in greater tumor kill.
Xenon diffusion studies with prompt gamma activation analysis

Developing a better understanding of xenon transport through porous systems is critical to predicting how this gas will enter the atmosphere after a below ground nuclear weapons test. Radioxenon monitoring is a vital part of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) International Monitoring System. This work details the development of prompt gamma activation analysis for measuring the diffusion rates of xenon and argon gases through a porous medium. The University of Texas at Austin maintains a prompt gamma activation analysis facility with a peak neutron flux of ~1.5 × 107 cm−2 s−1 and a beam diameter of 1 cm. Due to the relatively large prompt gamma cross sections of many stable xenon isotopes at thermal and sub-thermal neutron energies, prompt gamma activation analysis is a suitable technique for in situ non-destructive analysis of natural xenon. A test chamber has been designed and constructed to utilize prompt gamma activation analysis to measure xenon and argon diffusion through geological materials (e.g., sand, soil, etc.). Initial experiments have been conducted to determine the detection limits for stable gas measurements. The results from these experiments will be utilized to benchmark parts of a xenon transport model that is being used to determine diffusion coefficients for xenon and argon.
Influence of the digital image display monitor on observer performance

OBJECTIVE To assess the influence of the display monitor on observer performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS Artificial enamel lesions were created in 40 extracted teeth at random using 1/4 and 1/2 round burs. Teeth were mounted in dental stone blocks to simulate a hemidentition. Approximate exposures were recorded at 70 kVp using a Digota (Soredex, Orion Corp, Helsinki, Finland) digital imaging system, calibrated to achieve optimum density. Six dentists rated each image on a five-point scale for the presence or absence of a lesion. Radiographic images were viewed on the following monitors: (1) AlphaScan 711 (Sampo Corp.); (2) Multiscan 17 Se II (Sony Electronics Inc.); (3) DS 2000 (Clinton Electronics Corp.) and (4) Latitude CP Laptop (Dell Computer Corp.). Raters were allowed to magnify and to adjust density and contrast of each image at will. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed and curves were plotted for each image. Data was subjected to repeated measures analysis of variance and ...
Bockhart's impetigo: complication of waterbed use.

A 30-year-old black man with no relevant past medical history presented with a 2-day history of a mildly pruritic eruption that began on his legs and spread to his trunk. He stated that he awoke with the eruption on his legs after he had slept on a waterbed. He had experienced profuse sweating because of the plastic bedcover. He denied any medical problems. Specifically, he had no fever or chills. He also denied taking any medications or applying any topical agents to his skin. On physical examination, the patient appeared to be a healthy black man who had hundreds of 1-mm, white-to-yellow pustules on his back ( Fig. 1) and proximal, posterior extremities ( Fig. 2). His face, scalp, mucous membranes, palms, and soles were spared. The pustules had no surrounding erythema ( Fig. 3). Figure 1. Multiple 1–2-mm pustules on the back Download figure to PowerPoint Figure 2. Multiple 1–2-mm pustules on the proximal, posterior arm Download figure to PowerPoint Figure 3. Close-up of pustules on the back Download figure to PowerPoint A skin biopsy revealed a subcorneal pustule at the follicular orifice with neutrophils and scattered clumps of bacteria consistent with a superficial bacterial folliculitis. The patient was treated with topical clindamycin gel twice a day. He returned 7 days later with a total clearance of his pustules. He had only diffuse, fine scale on the affected areas with no postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Structure and magnetic properties of RCo/sub 9/Si/sub 2/ systems

RCo/sub 9/Si/sub 2/ alloys (R=Sm, Gd, Tb, and Er) were synthesized and examined by X-ray diffraction and high-field (90 kOe) magnetometry in the temperature range 4.2 to 700 K. X-ray powder diffraction analyses indicated that the major phase crystallizes in the tetragonal BaCd/sub 11/-type structure. The presence of a small amount of extraneous phase was also detected. The magnetic ordering temperatures were observed to vary between 415 and 483 K in order Er, Tb, Gd, and Sm. This behavior is found to follow the de Gennes function and can therefore be ascribed to the strength of the rare-earth-cobalt exchange interaction. The average Co moment in RCo/sub 9/Si/sub 2/ was determined to be nearly 0.9 mu mB at 4.2 K. All compounds studied showed an increase in magnetization with field, beyond technical saturation in fields up to 90 kOe. The M versus T on SmCo/sub 9/Si/sub 2/ indicates a spin reorientation transition at about 60 K. This can be attributed to the effect of the competing anisotropies of the Sm and Co sublattices. >
The art and science of surgical margins for the dermatopathologist.

Abstract:Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM) are the major forms of skin cancer. Surgical excision is one of the most frequently utilized treatment modalities for these tumors. Methods: literature review. Results: recommendations for lateral
Byssinosis: causes and practical control.

Excerpt After it was predicted that the respirable portion of cotton dust triggered tightness in the chest, cough, and shortness of breath in exposed textile workers, the prediction was confirmed a...
A quantitative analysis of qualitative arguments in a bank merger

Abstract This study analyzes a merger between two Scandinavian universal banks to determine the arguments for the merger at the time of the merger announcement. The merger was a response to changes in legislative and competitive environment, as well as a quest for broader functional competency and improved competitive position by integrating a smaller, more successful bank into a state-owned bank. Overall, the cognitive maps used in the analysis reveal that the most important causes of the merger were complementing branch networks and competencies, particularly in corporate banking. The most important predicted effects were improvements in the profitability and market position.
Effect of acetylation by aspirin on the thermodynamic stability of lens crystallins

To assess the effect of aspirin on cataractogenesis, we compared the stability of individual, native protein fractions alpha L, beta H, beta L, beta s, beta B2, gamma-II, gamma-III and gamma-IV with that of their acetylated counterparts. The conformational stabilities of native fractions beta B2 and beta s, which were not reported earlier, were determined first from their thermal and a thermal denaturation behaviour. Since alpha L, beta H and beta L fractions are oligomeric, no thermodynamic analysis of these fractions was attempted. The thermal stability of beta s and beta B2 is rather low; their melting temperature (T1/2) range is 58-60 degrees C compared with 67-75 degrees C for the gamma-crystallins. Furthermore, except for alpha L, which remains stable even at 100 degrees C, and beta B2, all crystallins aggregate at temperatures slightly above T1/2. The Gibbs free energy of unfolding, delta GH2OD, calculated from guanidine HCl (GdnHCl) denaturation, is surprising low (3-9 kcal mol-1) for all crystallin fractions. The low values of delta GH2OD indicate that the structural destabilization of these proteins, which may lead to cataract formation, could result from a slight disturbance of a particular kind (sugar, UV light, oxidation, and other factors). The overall effect of acetylation on the individual crystallin fractions is mixed. The thermal stability of beta B2 increased, tended to decrease in the case of gamma-crystallins, but remained virtually unchanged for other proteins. Delta GH2OD values of the native crystallin fractions do not differ significantly from those of their acetylated counterparts.
Integrin- and Cadherin-Mediated Induction of the Matrix Metalloprotease Matrilysin in Cocultures of Malignant Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells and Dermal Fibroblasts

Abstract Matrilysin is a matrix metalloprotease (MMP) overexpressed in a number of cancers including skin, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, and prostate and colon adenocarcinomas. Matrilysin has been shown to play a role in the degradation of the basement membrane that separates epithelium from stroma allowing tumor cells to intravasate into the bloodstream and metastasize. Here, we show that an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (SCC-25) expresses low levels of promatrilysin when cultured alone. However, when SCC-25 cells are cocultured with human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF), there is a 40-fold induction of promatrilysin expression. We tested whether this induction of promatrilysin expression was due to the release of paracrine factors, cell–cell interactions, or cell–matrix interactions. Our results indicate induced promatrilysin expression is the result of both cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. We demonstrate that β1 integrins as well as cadherins, specifically N-cadherin and E-cadherin, are involved in the induction of promatrilysin expression. Our results are of general interest in relation to the regulation of MMP expression through cell surface receptor regulation. Further investigation may lead to the identification of novel targets for suppression of invasion and metastasis in oral tumors.
Is it premenstrual syndrome? Keys to focused diagnosis, therapies for multiple symptoms.

PREVIEWPremenstrual syndrome (PMS) is sometimes facetiously blamed when a woman behaves erratically, when in fact, the cyclic symptoms of true PMS do cause significant difficulties in everyday life and relationships. In this article, Drs Frye and Silverman outline the criteria for diagnosing PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder and describe medications, nutritional supplements, and behavior modifications that have proved effective for relief of PMS symptoms.
Mothers’ and fathers’ lateral biases for holding their newborn infants: A study of images from the World Wide Web

Photographic and direct-observation studies show that most adults hold infants on the left side. This basic directional effect is well established, but other details are still uncorroborated, uncertain, or inconsistent across studies. These include the overall strength of the bias, the role of the sex, parental status, and experience of the holder, and the sex and age of the infant. Given their importance for understanding the bias, we sought further information from a large sample of photographs of mothers and fathers, some of them first-time parents, others not, holding their infants in the first minutes, hours, or days after birth. The results confirmed the basic directional effect and provided information on the other variables. They also raise questions for further research, especially as it pertains to the use of photographs vs direct observation.
Sequential Monte Carlo-based fidelity selection in dynamic-data-driven adaptive multi-scale simulations (DDDAMS)

In DDDAMS paradigm, the fidelity of a complex simulation model adapts to available computational resources by incorporating dynamic data into the executing model, which then steers the measurement process for selective data update. Real-time inferencing for a large-scale system may involve hundreds of sensors for various quantity of interests, which makes it a challenging task considering limited resources. In this work, a Sequential Monte Carlo method (sequential Bayesian inference technique) is proposed and embedded into the simulation to enable its ideal fidelity selection given massive datasets. As dynamic information becomes available, the proposed method makes efficient inferences to determine the sources of abnormality in the system. A wparallelization frame is also discussed to further reduce the number of data accesses while maintaining the accuracy of parameter estimates. A prototype DDDAMS involving the proposed algorithm has been successfully implemented for preventive maintenance and part routing scheduling in a semiconductor supply chain.
Proinflammatory-activated trigeminal satellite cells promote neuronal sensitization: relevance for migraine pathology.

Background: Migraine is a complex, chronic, painful, neurovascular disorder characterized by episodic activation of the trigeminal system. Increased levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are found at different levels during migraine attacks. Interestingly, CGRP is also released within the trigeminal ganglia suggesting possible local effects on satellite cells, a specialized type of glia that ensheaths trigeminal neurons. CGRP was shown to enhance satellite-cell production of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), while trigeminal neurons express an activity-dependent production of nitric oxide (NO). Thus, in the present study we tested the hypothesis that IL-1β and NO induce trigeminal satellite cell activation, and that once activated these cells can influence neuronal responses. Results: Primary cultures of rat trigeminal satellite cells isolated from neuronal cultures were characterized in vitro. Cyclooxygenase (COX) expression and activity were taken as a marker of glial pro-inflammatory activation. Most of the experiments were carried out to characterize satellite cell responses to the two different pro-inflammatory stimuli. Subsequently, medium harvested from activated satellite cells was used to test possible modulatory effects of glial factors on trigeminal neuronal activity. IL-1β and the NO donor diethylenetriamine/nitric oxide (DETA/ NO) elevated PGE2 release by satellite cells. The stimulatory effect of IL-1β was mediated mainly by upregulation of the inducible form of COX enzyme (COX2), while NO increased the constitutive COX activity. Regardless of the activator used, it is relevant that short exposures of trigeminal satellite cells to both activators induced modifications within the cells which led to significant PGE2 production after removal of the pro-inflammatory stimuli. This effect allowed us to harvest medium from activated satellite cells (so-called 'conditioned medium') that did not contain any stimulus, and thus test the effects of glial factors on neuronal activation. Conditioned medium from satellite cells activated by either IL-1β or NO augmented the evoked release of CGRP by trigeminal neurons. Conclusion: These findings indicate that satellite cells contribute to migraine-related neurochemical events and are induced to do so by autocrine/paracrine stimuli (such as IL-1β and NO). The responsiveness of IL-1β to CGRP creates the potential for a positive feedback loop and, thus, a plurality of targets for therapeutic intervention in migraine.
Neural Signatures of Economic Preferences for Risk and Ambiguity

People often prefer the known over the unknown, sometimes sacrificing potential rewards for the sake of surety. Overcoming impulsive preferences for certainty in order to exploit uncertain but potentially lucrative options may require specialized neural mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that individuals' preferences for risk (uncertainty with known probabilities) and ambiguity (uncertainty with unknown probabilities) predict brain activation associated with decision making. Activation within the lateral prefrontal cortex was predicted by ambiguity preference and was also negatively correlated with an independent clinical measure of behavioral impulsiveness, suggesting that this region implements contextual analysis and inhibits impulsive responses. In contrast, activation of the posterior parietal cortex was predicted by risk preference. Together, this novel double dissociation indicates that decision making under ambiguity does not represent a special, more complex case of risky decision making; instead, these two forms of uncertainty are supported by distinct mechanisms.
Evolution of the Madro-Tertiary geoflora

1. The Madro-Tertiary Geoflora comprises semiarid live oak-conifer woodland, chaparral, arid subtropic scrub, plains (desert) grassland, and subdesert to desert vegetation. 2. The taxonomic and adaptive relations of its plants suggest that it was derived chiefly from subtropical to warm temperate groups that evolved in response to the expansion of a new adaptive zone—dry climate. 3. The geoflora seems to have had an origin in southwestern North America because (a) types that appear to be ancestral to Madro-Tertiary lineages are represented in the Cretaceous and Paleocene floras of that region, (b) they are not known from the temperate Arcto-Tertiary Geoflora to northward, and (c) they are not recorded in the humid phases of the Neotropical-Tertiary Geoflora. 4. Geologic and paleoclimatic data suggest that southwestern North America was generally a lowland region, characterized by tropic savanna climate during the Cretaceous and Early Tertiary. 5. During this interval, ancestral Madro-Tertiary phylads probably were evolving chiefly in sites away from the moist lowland floodplains, in drier areas provided by local edaphic and climatic conditions. 6. With a strong linear component to selection imposed by a gradual trend toward increased aridity, these scattered, isolated phylads of subtropic to warm temperate affinities may have been undergoing megaevolution during the Cretaceous and Paleocene, giving rise to numerous, highly specialized taxonomic and adaptive types. 7. When first recorded in moderate numbers in the Eocene and early Oligocene, they are closely similar to modern species. 8. As dry climates continued to expand in area and to increase in severity, the Madro-Tertiary Geoflora migrated widely over southwestern North America. The stage during which it attained dominance in each province was governed chiefly by geographic position and time. 9. In response to the evolution of new dry climates in the later Cenozoic, each of the generalized Madro-Tertiary communities was differentiated into a number of modern associations that are adapted now to more localized dry environments.
Analysis of machine foundation vibrations: State of the art

Abstract The paper reviews the state-of-the-art of analysing the dynamic response of foundations subjected to machine-type loadings. Following a brief outline of the historical developments in the field, the concepts associated with the definition, physical interpretation and use of the dynamic impedance functions of foundations are elucidated and the available analytical/numerical methods for their evaluation are discussed. Groups of crucial dimensionless problem parameters related to the soil profile and the foundation geometry are identified and their effects on the response are studied. Results are presented in the form of simple formulae and dimensionless graphs for both the static and dynamic parts of impedances, pertaining to surface and embedded foundations having circular, strip, rectangular or arbitrary plan shape and supported by three types of idealized soil profiles: the halfspace, the stratum-over-bedrock and the layer-over-halfspace. Consideration is given to the effects of inhomogeneity, anisotropy and non-linearity of soil. The various results are synthesized in a case study referring to the response of two rigid massive foundations, and practical recommendations are made on how to inexpensively predict the response of foundations supported by actual soil deposits.
Indigenous Ecological Knowledge as Situated Practices: Understanding Fishers’ Knowledge in the Western Solomon Islands

In this article, we draw on research among fisherfolk of Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands, to examine certain episte- mological assumptions of the "indigenous knowledge" concept. We describe how approaches to knowledge in Roviana differ from prevailing models of knowledge that distinguish between cognitive aspects and other modalities of knowing. For many Roviana fishers, ecological knowledge is not analytically separated from the changing contexts of everyday activities such as navigating and fishing. Inspired by Roviana epistemologies, we argue that a practice-oriented approach provides a more sympathetic and informative the- oretical framework for understanding knowledge and its role in contemporary marine-resource conservation efforts. The theoretical and methodological implications of the perspective are illustrated with examples from an ongoing marine conservation project in the western Solomon Islands that integrates indigenous knowledge, remote-sensing techniques, and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies. (Keywords: Indigenous ecological knowledge, practice theory, Oceania, field methods, western Solomon Islands)
From Blackface to Beulah: Subtle Subversion in Early Black Sitcoms

In 1965 the actor/comedian Bill Cosby made television history as the first African American to star in a dramatic series produced by a major network. No doubt inspired by the successes of the Civil Rights Movement, NBC’s decision to air I Spy had broken with a decade old tradition to severely curtail and/or altogether omit black actors from television. This exclusionary practice had been precipitated by the economic pressures applied by both blacks and whites as they boycotted the sponsors of what they deemed to be objectionable depictions of black life. While black leaders and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) pleaded for more ‘positive’ depictions of African Americans, Southern white supremacists rejected anything but the most stereotypical and retrogressive interpretation of blacks. Television’s early black actresses operated within this context and were challenged with the seemingly impossible task of imparting negatively stereotyped roles – the only ones available...
Malaria-Infected Mice Are Completely Cured by One 6 mg/kg Oral Dose of a New Monomeric Trioxane Sulfide Combined with Mefloquine

Sixteen new anilide derivatives of the natural trioxane artemisinin were prepared and evaluated for antimalarial efficacy in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Of these 16 new anilides administered orally as one 6 mg/kg dose combined with 18 mg/kg mefloquine hydrochloride, only sulfide 3-arteSanilide 12d was completely curative: on day 30 after infection, all mice in this group had no detectable parasitemia, gained as much weight as the uninfected control mice, and behaved normally.