cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time to improvement of pain and sleep quality in clinical trials of pregabalin for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Objective To determine the time to immediate and sustained clinical improvement in pain and sleep quality with pregabalin in patients with fibromyalgia. Design A post hoc analysis of four 8- to 14-week phase 2–3, placebo-controlled trials of fixed-dose pregabalin (150–600 mg/day) for fibromyalgia, comprising 12 pregabalin and four placebo treatment arms. Patients A total of 2,747 patients with fibromyalgia, aged 18–82 years. Methods Pain and sleep quality scores, recorded daily on 11-point numeric rating scales (NRSs), were analyzed to determine time to immediate improvement with pregabalin, defined as the first of ≥2 consecutive days when the mean NRS score was significantly lower for pregabalin vs placebo in those treatment arms with a significant improvement at endpoint, and time to sustained clinical improvement with pregabalin, defined as a ≥1-point reduction of the baseline NRS score of patient responders who had a ≥30% improvement on the pain NRS, sleep NRS, or Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) from baseline to endpoint, or who reported “much improved” or “very much improved” on the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) at endpoint. Results Significant improvements in pain and sleep quality scores at endpoint vs placebo were seen in 8/12 and 11/12 pregabalin treatment arms, respectively (P < 0.05). In these arms, time to immediate improvements in pain or sleep occurred by day 1 or 2. Time to sustained clinical improvement occurred significantly earlier in pain, sleep, PGIC, and FIQ responders (P < 0.02) with pregabalin vs placebo. Conclusions Both immediate and sustained clinical improvements in pain and sleep quality occurred faster with pregabalin vs placebo.
Improved wireless location accuracy using antenna arrays and interference cancellation

Location finding for CDMA subscribers using an antenna array at the base station is studied. Two methods are considered for radio location that are based on time of arrival (TOA) and angle of arrival (AOA) measurements. For TOA estimates, a maximum likelihood algorithm and a practical structure are proposed when an antenna array is available. For AOA estimates, a least-squares (LS) algorithm is used. The LS module is combined with a multiple access interference (MAI) cancellation technique to improve the AOA estimation accuracy in multiuser multipath scenarios.
Novel tRNA gene organization in the 16S-23S intergenic spacer of the Streptococcus pneumoniae rRNA gene cluster

Isoleucine and alanine tRNAs are encoded tandemly within the 16S-23S intergenic spacer of some eubacterial rRNA gene clusters. Southern hybridization analysis and DNA sequence analysis demonstrated a novel gene organization for an rRNA gene cluster on the Streptococcus pneumoniae chromosome. A sequence specifying an alanine tRNA was found within the intergenic spacer, but no sequence specifying an isoleucine tRNA was found there. Southern hybridization analysis indicated that the location of the isoleucine tRNA gene was near the 5S rRNA gene in two of four rRNA gene clusters. Images
A new practical method to include recombination-generation process in self-consistent Monte Carlo device simulation

A new practical method to incorporate recombination-generation (R-G) processes into self consistent Monte Carlo (MC) device simulation is considered. To calculate the R-G rate, a phenomenological expression like that for the well-known SRH mechanism is used instead of treating carriers in the microscopic interaction level. The most abundant and accurate information in MC simulation, carrier concentrations, can be utilized more directly to enhance the statistical stability and accuracy for the R-G effects. Realistic device examples, the minority carrier injection of a forward-biased n/sup +/-p diode and the body effect from impact ionization of a 800 /spl Aring/ thin-film SOI MOSFET, are used to demonstrate the validity of this approach.
Parsons, Talcott (1902–79)

Talcott Parsons' social theory rivals the ‘classic’ theories of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber in empirical suggestiveness and analytical rigor. His social theory—popularly called action theory, functionalism, and structural-functionalism—evolved through three periods or phases: voluntaristic action, pattern variables, and the AGIL schema. Throughout his career, Parsons endeavored to ground the social sciences against relativism by basing them on analytical distinctions rather than on empirical generalizations or ideal types. In the last two decades of his life, his publications were subjected to increasing criticism, much of it rhetorical and personal. By the late 1980s, a ‘neofunctionalism’ emerged in the United States and Germany to press for a reconsideration of Parsons' publications and for new empirical applications of his theory.
Models for Infrared Atmospheric Radiation

Line and band models for infrared spectral absorption are discussed. Radiative transmittance and integrated absorptance of Lorentz, Doppler, and voigt line profiles were compared for a range of parameters. It was found that, for the intermediate path lengths, the combined Lorentz-Doppler (Voigt) profile is essential in calculating the atmospheric transmittance. Narrow band model relations for absorptance were used to develop exact formulations for total absorption by four wide band models. Several continuous correlations for the absorption of a wide band model were compared with the numerical solutions of the wide band models. By employing the line-by-line and quasi-random band model formulations, computational procedures were developed for evaluating transmittance and upwelling atmospheric radiance. Homogeneous path transmittances were calculated for selected bands of CO, CO2, and N2O and compared with experimental measurements. The upwelling radiance and signal change in the wave number interval of the CO fundamental band were also calculated.
Digital Libraries: Social Issues and Technological Advances

Abstract The location and provision of information services has dramatically changed over the last ten years. There is no need to leave the home or office to locate and access information now readily available on-line via digital gateways furnished by a wide variety of information providers, (e.g. libraries, electronic publishers, businesses, organizations, individuals). Information access is no longer restricted to what is physically available in the nearest library. It is electronically accessible from a wide variety of globally distributed information repositories—“digital libraries”. In this chapter we will focus on digital libraries, starting with a discussion of the historical visionaries, definitions, driving forces and enabling technologies and some key research issues. We will discuss some of the US and international digital library projects and research initiatives. We will then describe some of the emerging techniques for building large-scale digital libraries, including a discussion of semantic interoperability, the “Grand Challenge” of digital library research. Finally, we offer our conclusions and a discussion of some future directions for digital libraries.
Ultrastructure of a Mycoplasma (Negroni) Isolated from Human Leukemia

Abstract Hummeler, Klaus (The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.), Natale Tomassini, and Leonard Hayflick. Ultrastructure of a mycoplasma (Negroni) isolated from human leukemia. J. Bacteriol. 90:517–523. 1965.—A strain of mycoplasma isolated in tissue cultures from human leukemic bone marrow was cultivated in cell-free media for 23 passages. Concentrates of broth cultures were investigated under the electron microscope in thin sections and negative contrast. The ultrastructure of the mature mycoplasma cells and their elementary bodies is described. It was found that the elementary bodies, particularly in the negative contrast preparations, bear a close resemblance to viruslike particles seen in tissues and plasmas of leukemic patients.
STILL SPECIAL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

To answer the question, one needs to consider whether special collections are any more special today than they have been in the past. The question has particularly intrigued me since I was asked to present a paper in November 1976 as part of the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Library Science Colloquium Series, to wit —“What’s So Special about Special Collections?” My perspective was that of a university administrator with line responsibility for one of the great Latin American collections in the world, the most comprehensive collection of Texas-related materials in existence, very young area collections of . . .
Noise-tolerant dynamic circuit design

Noise in deep submicron technology combined with the move towards dynamic circuit techniques for higher performance have raised concerns about reliability and energy efficiency of VLSI systems in the deep submicron era. To address this problem, a new noise-tolerant dynamic circuit technique is presented. In addition, the average noise threshold energy (ANTE) and the energy normalized ANTE metrics are proposed for quantifying the noise immunity and energy efficiency, respectively, of circuit techniques. Simulation results in 0.35 micron CMOS for NAND gate designs indicate that the proposed technique improves the ANTE and energy normalized ANTE by 2.54X and 2.25X over the conventional domino circuit. The improvement in energy normalized ANTE is 1.22X higher than the existing noise-tolerance techniques. A full adder design based on the proposed technique improves the ANTE and energy normalized ANTE by 3.7X and 1.95X over the conventional dynamic circuit. In comparison, the static circuit improves ANTE by 2.2X but degrades the energy normalized ANTE by 11%. In addition, the proposed technique has a smaller area overhead (69%) as compared to the static circuit whose area overhead is 98%.
Closed form expressions for computing the occupied bandwidth of PCM/PSK/PM signals

A computational technique to determine the occupied bandwidth for a class of PCM/PSK/PM signals is presented. The signals considered use either a squarewave or sinewave subcarrier. Closed-form expressions for the occupied bandwidth as a function of the subcarrier frequency-to-bit-rate ratio with modulation index as a parameter are derived using linear-fitting techniques. It is found that the occupied bandwidth for squarewave subcarrier at low modulation index is about 10 to 15 times larger than the sinewave. >
Tectonic reconstructions in magnetic quiet zones: Insights from the Greater Ontong Java Plateau

A substantial portion of the Pacifi c basin is composed of seafl oor formed during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (CNS). Because this region lacks the magnetic lineations typically required to constrain tectonic reconstructions, we employ additional methods for interpreting CNS Pacifi c history, involving seafl oor fabric, basement paleolatitudes, and age data. We utilize seafl oor fabric, including fracture zones and the rift margins of large igneous provinces, to derive quantitative rotations. The timing of such rotations is constrained using rock ages, bounding magnetic isochrons, and estimates of interactions with surrounding terrains. The method relies on highresolution shipboard bathymetry and rock ages, as much fi ne-scale seafl oor fabric useful for reconstructions is not visible in satellite altimetry data. We show that the Ontong Java, Manihiki, and Hikurangi oceanic plateaus likely originated as one large superplateau, the Ontong Java Nui (OJN). Reconstructions of OJN at 123 Ma reveal large offsets between observed and predicted paleolatitudes. Observed paleolatitudes exhibit a systematic bias, which may be attributed to large-scale rotation of the entire plateau. Such a rotation would imply either that OJN was initially decoupled from the Pacifi c plate and able to rotate independently or that the orientation of the Pacifi c plate at 123 Ma differed from conventional model predictions. However, large uncertainties in absolute plate motion models prior to ca. 80 Ma preempt a conclusive interpretation for OJN formation. Given an ~10 km resolution limit for satellite altimetry, continued investments in seagoing research will be needed to investigate tectonic events in magnetic quiet zones.
Epidemiology of Tomato Spotted Wilt in Pepper and Tomato in Southern Georgia

Gitaitis, R. D., Dowler, C. C., and Chalfant, R. B. 1998. Epidemiology of tomato spotted wilt in pepper and tomato in southern Georgia. Plant Dis. 82:752-756. The spatial distributions of symptomatic tomato and pepper plants infected with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were mapped over time in field studies in 1990 to 1992. Disease gradients occurred in some tomato transplant beds and pepper fields but were not observed in tomatoes grown to maturity. In 1990 and 1991, an increasing gradient emanated from the eastern edge of tomato transplant beds and led to adjacent tobacco plots containing TSWV-infected plants. In addition, gradients within each block emanating from the edge adjacent to fallow alleys were observed within the primary disease gradient in 1990. A gradient also occurred both down the row and across cultivars in a commercial pepper field in 1990. The gradient failed to flatten over time, a possible indication of lack of secondary disease spread. Tests for aggregation supported the contention that there was limited secondary spread within pepper fields and tomato plots and that most infections arose from primary transmission. Clipped plants from tomato transplant beds had no higher incidence of TSWV in grow-out tests than did nonclipped plants. Reduced yields were significantly correlated with time of first symptom expression in tomato, with plants that were symptomatic earlier in the season yielding less fruit per plant by weight.
ASSOCIATION OF REDUCED DIPHOSPHOPYRIDINE NUCLEOTIDE CYTOCHROME C REDUCTASE ACTIVITY WITH MENINGOPNEUMONITIS VIRUS

DPNH cytochrome c reductase activity has been found associated with the MP virus isolated from the infected allantoic fluids or yolk sacs of fertile eggs and treated with trypsin, perfringens toxin, and cobra venom. The corresponding normal tissue enzymes can be nearly completely destroyed by such treatment, also the small activity found in crude preparations of influenza virus is destroyed by this treatment. Under certain relatively mild conditions of inactivation, loss in enzymatic activity is parallelled by loss in infectivity.
Religion and Charitable Financial Giving to Religious and Secular Causes: Does Political Ideology Matter?

Previous research on charitable giving has identified a significant relationship between political conservatism and greater financial giving to charitable causes. Yet that research has not adequately explored the important role of religion in that relationship, nor differences in financial giving targets (i.e., religious congregations, noncongregational religious organizations, and nonreligious organizations). Support for competing theories concerning political ideology, religious practice, and charitable financial giving is assessed using data from the Panel Study on American Ethnicity and Religion (PS-ARE). For both religious and nonreligious giving, the effect of political ideology is completely mediated by participation in religious and civic practices. These findings support recent arguments on “practice theory” in cultural sociology and suggest that it is less the effect of ideology than of active participation in religious, political, and community organizations that explains Americans’ financial giving to religious and nonreligious organizations.
A protocol for repetitive somatic embryogenesis from mature peanut epicotyls.

The effects of 11 different auxins and one cytokinin-like compound were tested at four concentrations for their ability to induce primary and repetitive somatic embryos from mature, dry peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) epicotyls of genotype AT120. Treatment with picloram and centrophenoxine at 83.0 and 124.4 μm resulted in the greatest number of embryos per explant and the highest percentage of explants responding. In a follow-up experiment, picloram, centrophenoxine, and dicamba were tested at 83.0 and 124.4 μm on four peanut genotypes (AT120, 59-4144, GK7, and VC1). Picloram and centrophenoxine induced similar numbers of globular-stage and total embryos from each genotype, while dicamba was less effective. Similar results were observed with percentage of responding axes. Genotypes AT120 and VC1 yielded more clusters of repetitive embryos than GK7 and 59-4144. After 5 months, embryos derived from repetitive embryogenic cultures were converted into mature plants.
Are low-income housing tax credit developments locating where there is a shortage of affordable units?

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments serve renter households with incomes between 30% and 60% of Area Median Family Income. Ideally, the program places units into neighborhoods where there is a shortage of units serving this cohort. LIHTC units are allocated to developers by state agencies through their Qualified Allocation Plans which should direct units to areas of need. Using a national database, this research examines where LIHTC developments were placed in service to determine whether these developments enter tracts experiencing shortages. The LIHTC program is not directing units to those census tracts where there is a latent demand for units in this rent range. Rather, it is placing units into tracts that have surpluses. Equally, the program is not placing units in tracts with little or no affordable housing. This suggests that the program is not breaking down the income separation that exists in the nation's housing markets.
The effect of strong heat addition on the convergence of implicit schemes

The effect of substantial amounts of heat addition on the convergence characteristics of implicit algorithms for flow in a converging-diverging nozzle is investigated. Heat addition has an adverse effect on convergence because it decreases the Mach number at the inlet, introduces a strong energy source term, and produces steep temperature gradients. The nozzle convergence rate has analogous detrimental effects and is also studied. Comparisons of both variations show that when equivalent procedures are used, Beam and Warming's algorithm converges for somewhat wider ranges of parameters than does MacCormack's. The combination of local time steps which provide uniform values of CFL throughout the grid, boundary conditions based on the method of characteristics, and Euler implicit differencing in time provides convergence that is nearly independent of heat addition and is in close agreement with the predictions of stability theory. The incorporation of real gas effects was tested and shown to have a minor effect.
Rate of Conditioned Reinforcement Affects Observing Rate But Not Resistance to Change

The effects of rate of conditioned reinforcement on the resistance to change of operant behavior have not been examined. In addition, the effects of rate of conditioned reinforcement on the rate of observing have not been adequately examined. In two experiments, a multiple schedule of observing-response procedures was used to examine the effects of rate of conditioned reinforcement on observing rates and resistance to change. In a rich component, observing responses produced a higher frequency of stimuli correlated with alternating periods of random-interval schedule primary reinforcement or extinction. In a lean component, observing responses produced similar schedule-correlated stimuli but at a lower frequency. The rate of primary reinforcement in both components was the same. In Experiment 1, a 4:1 ratio of stimulus production was arranged by the rich and lean components. In Experiment 2, the ratio of stimulus production rates was increased to 6:1. In both experiments, observing rates were higher in the rich component than in the lean component. Disruptions in observing produced by presession feeding, extinction of observing responses, and response-independent food deliveries during intercomponent intervals usually were similar in the rich and lean components. When differences in resistance to change did occur, observing tended to be more resistant to change in the lean component. If resistance to change is accepted as a more appropriate measure of response strength than absolute response rates, then the present results provide no evidence that higher rates of stimuli generally considered to function as conditioned reinforcers engender greater response strength.
Satellite data help predict terrestrial carbon sinks

Accurate estimates of how much CO2 ecosystems can absorb will be fundamental to successful systems of international carbon accounting. NASA's Terra satellite platform, with the moderate resolution imaging spectro-radiometer (MODIS) instrument on board, provides a new era of observations for carbon cycle assessments. Direct input of satellite vegetation index “greenness” data from the MODIS sensor into ecosystem simulation models can be used to estimate spatial variability in monthly net primary production (NPP), biomass accumulation, and litter fall inputs to soil carbon pools. Global NPP of vegetation can be predicted using the relationship between leaf reflectance properties and the fraction of absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) [Knyazikhin et al., 1999].
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway activation in human vestibular schwannoma.

Hypothesis:The neurofibromatosis 2 gene, which encodes the tumor suppressor protein merlin, is frequently mutated in vestibular schwannomas (VS). Merlin can inhibit phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3 kinase) by binding to PI3 kinase enhancer long isoform. Therefore, we hypothesized that the PI3 kina
Becoming an ex: The process of role exit

The experience of becoming an ex is common to most people in modern society. Unlike individuals in earlier cultures who usually spent their entire lives in one marriage, one career, one religion, one geographic locality, people living in today's world tend to move in and out of many roles in the course of a lifetime. During the past decade there has been persistent interest in these "passages" or "turning points," but very little research has dealt with what it means to leave behind a major role or incorporate it into a new identity. Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh's pathbreaking inquiry into the phenomenon of becoming an ex reveals the profundity of this basic aspect of establishing an identity in contemporary life. Ebaugh is herself an ex, having left the life of a Catholic nun to become a wife, mother, and professor of sociology. Drawing on interviews with 185 people, Ebaugh explores a wide range of role changes, including ex-convicts, ex-alcoholics, divorced people, mothers without custody of their children, ex-doctors, ex-cops, retirees, ex-nuns, and-perhaps most dramatically-transsexuals. As this diverse sample reveals, Ebaugh focuses on voluntary exits from significant roles. What emerges are common stages of the role exit process-from disillusionment with a particular identity, to searching for alternative roles, to turning points that trigger a final decision to exit, and finally to the creation of an identify as an ex. "Becoming an Ex" is a challenging and influential study that will be of great interest to sociologists, mental health counselors, members of self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Parents Without Partners, those in corporate settings where turnover has widespread implications for the organization, and for anyone struggling through a role exit who is trying to establish a new sense of self.
The Assessment of the Intrasubject Variability in Digoxin Absorption in Man from Two Oral Dosage Forms

The reproducibility of drug absorption within a given subject as well as the evaluation of bioavailability of two digoxin dosage forms were studied. The data showed (a) a higher initial plasma digoxin concentration after the soft elastic gelatin (SEG) capsule; (b) a more irregular absorption after the tablet; (c) on the average, the coefficients of variation of individual plasma concentrations were lower after the capsule; and (d) for the capsule, the intrasubject variations of the peak plasma concen- trations, time of peak, area under plasma concentrations-versus-time curve (AUC), and amount digoxin excreted in urine (A0) were on the average 60 per cent of the variations in the tablet parameters. The ratios of AUC and A0 for capsule/tablet were essentially unity, indicating that the amount digoxin absorbed from the 0.4-mg digoxin SEG capsule is identical to that from a 0.5-mg standard reference tablet.
On frequency-dependent damping coefficients in lumped-parameter models of human beings

Abstract A three-degree-of-freedom model of the human body, which included both vertebral and visceral paths between the seat and head, was formulated and programmed for solution using the IBM Continuous System Modeling Program. The parameters representing spring stiffnesses and damping coefficients were varied until the body-to-seat or head-to-seat acceleration ratios converged to existing experimental data at corresponding input frequencies. The model exhibited linear behavior for input frequencies up to approx. 6 Hz and a possible transition region for input frequencies between 6 and 10 Hz. For input frequencies between 10 and 30 Hz, visceral damping was found to vary parabolically with input frequency.
Improving the outcome of severely head injured children in the UK

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes significant morbidity and mortality in children. After the primary injury, subsequent physiological insults worsen morbidity and mortality and are particularly common in the pre-hospital setting. Management of severe TBI in hospital is largely focused on the prevention of secondary brain injury, the management of raised intracranial pressure and preservation of cerebral perfusion. Large potential improvements in outcomes for severely brain injured children are possible if the child's entire NHS journey is appreciated. The first hour of this journey is spent outside of hospital where neuroprotection is not provided. Taking clinical expertise to the child, to start neuroprotection shortly after their injury and transfer them directly to definitive care, offers potential to significantly improve outcomes. This could be achieved across the nation by doctor led pre-hospital critical care teams.
Indestructibility and measurable cardinals with few and many measures

If κ < λ are such that κ is indestructibly supercompact and λ is measurable, then we show that both A = {δ < κ | δ is a measurable cardinal which is not a limit of measurable cardinals and δ carries the maximal number of normal measures} and B = {δ < κ | δ is a measurable cardinal which is not a limit of measurable cardinals and δ carries fewer than the maximal number of normal measures} are unbounded in κ. The two aforementioned phenomena, however, need not occur in a universe with an indestructibly supercompact cardinal and sufficiently few large cardinals. In particular, we show how to construct a model with an indestructibly supercompact cardinal κ in which if δ < κ is a measurable cardinal which is not a limit of measurable cardinals, then δ must carry fewer than the maximal number of normal measures. We also, however, show how to construct a model with an indestructibly supercompact cardinal κ in which if δ < κ is a measurable cardinal which is not a limit of measurable cardinals, then δ must carry the maximal number of normal measures. If we weaken the requirements on indestructibility, then this last result can be improved to obtain a model with an indestructibly supercompact cardinal κ in which every measurable cardinal δ < κ carries the maximal number of normal measures.
Strategic alignment of participant motivations in e-government collaborations: The Internet Payment Platform pilot

Abstract Large-scale information technology implementations are risky projects, and the challenges and risks multiply when multiple organizations are involved, as is often the case in e-government initiatives. Some of the risk can be addressed by carefully aligning the partners' motivations, which are affected by each organization's internal and external operational and information technology strategies. In this paper, we propose a strategic alignment framework and use it to examine the motivations of a set of collaborating government agencies and businesses in the pilot implementation of the Internet Payment Platform, an interorganizational, third-party hosted, e-procurement system. As we predict, the partners in this study had varied technical, political, economic, and operational motivations for participating in the project. Even so, the participating agencies reported positive outcomes from the project, and look forward to further collaboration on the next iteration of this e-procurement system.
A generalization of the beta distribution with applications

Abstract This paper introduces a five-parameter beta distribution (GB) which nests the generalized beta and gamma distributions and includes more than thirty distributions as limiting or special cases. The generalized beta leads to an exponential generalized beta (EGB) distribution which includes generalized forms of the logistics, exponential, Gompertz and Gumbell distributions, and the normal as special cases. The EGB family of distributiosn provides the basis for partially adaptive estimation of econometric models with possibly skewed and leptokurtic error distributions. Applications of the models to investigating the distribution of income, stock returns and in regression analysis are considered.
Quantitative studies of continuum gamma-ray correlations in 170Hf.

We have studied the two-dimensional energy correlation of the continuum \ensuremath{\gamma} rays in $^{170}\mathrm{Hf}$ produced in a heavy-ion fusion reaction. The \ensuremath{\gamma} rays were measured with an array of Compton-suppressed Ge detectors and the Spin Spectrometer. A quantitative analysis has been carried out on the properties of the peaks and dips in the correlation spectra. The results indicate the existence of at least two widths in the \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray energy distribution: a narrow width of about 20 keV, most likely originating from decay along different discrete bands near the yrast line, and a wide width of about 200 keV from mixed states at higher excitation energy. Theoretical calculations including the effect of level mixing and fluctuations in rotational frequency and moment of inertia give results in general agreement with the experiment.
Physical performance and a test of gaze stabilization in older adults.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a standardized gaze stabilization test (GST) as an indicator of vestibular function in community-dwelling older adults and to examine the relationship between gaze stabilization and physical performance. DESIGN Descriptive, cross-sectional. SETTING Tertiary medical center. SUBJECTS Eighty-six healthy older adults (22 men) of mean (standard deviation [SD]) age 76.8 (5.8) years were recruited from the Pittsburgh community. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Performance on the GST, measures of physical performance (standing balance, chair rises, and gait speed individually and combined into the Short Physical Performance Battery) and self-reported balance. RESULTS Whereas more than 90% of participants completed testing in the pitch and yaw planes, only 85% (73 of 86) had interpretable scores due to prolonged perception time independent of vestibulo-ocular reflex. The mean (SD) head movement velocity in the pitch plane was 94.5 (26.7) degrees per second, whereas the mean (SD) head movement velocity in the yaw plane was 95.5 (29.3) degrees per second. There was a strong association between age and GST performance in the pitch and yaw planes (r = 0.68; p < 0.001). Poor GST performance in the yaw plane was associated with balance capacity with eyes closed. Additionally, there was a trend toward an association between self-reported balance and GST performance in both pitch (p = 0.08) and yaw planes (p = 0.10). CONCLUSION Although most older adults completed GST testing, estimates were not interpretable in almost 15% due to prolonged perception time. Gaze stabilization test in the yaw plane was worse than previously reported in healthy older adults and was associated with poor ability to balance with eyes closed. Self-reported balance tended to be associated with an objective assessment of vestibulo-ocular reflex in this population of older adults.
Flares in the X-ray source EXO 2030 + 375

Six X-ray flares were observed in the source EXO 2030 + 375 with an average time interval of about 4 hr between the flares. It is shown here that the flares can be due to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities near the magnetospheric boundary of the neutron star when it reaches the equilibrium period.
LIFE-HISTORY VARIATION IN THE SAGEBRUSH LIZARD: PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY OR LOCAL ADAPTATION?

We performed a laboratory common-environment study to determine the genetic and environmental sources of variation in growth rates of the sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus). Hatchling lizards were reared from gravid females collected from three study populations along an elevational gradient in southern Utah, USA. Hatchlings were fed ad libidum and were maintained on a 14:10 light:dark cycle, with temperatures at 338C and 218C during photophase and scotophase, respectively. Each hatchling was randomly assigned to either a water-supplementation treatment or a control group receiving no supplemental water. Once every five days, the water-supplemented lizards were admin- istered orally a quantity of water equal to 5% of their body mass. Growth was quantified as the total change in body size (length and mass) for 30 d after hatching. Resting metabolic rates of a subset of lizards were measured at hatching and at the end of the study. After adjusting growth for food intake, change in length did not differ between water-supple- mented and control lizards, and did not differ among the three populations. Metabolic rates were similar across the study for all treatment groups. Water-supplemented lizards did gain wet mass more rapidly than control lizards; however, the difference in growth between groups was attributed to hydration state, because growth in dry mass did not differ between groups. The effects of water supplementation on growth that were observed by other in- vestigators were likely manifested through changes in thermoregulatory behavior or in- creased activity.
Centrifuge Modeling Studies of Site Response in Soft Clay over Wide Strain Range

AbstractCentrifuge models of soft-clay deposits were shaken with suites of earthquake ground motions to study site response over a wide strain range. The models were constructed in an innovative hinged-plate container to effectively reproduce one-dimensional ground-response boundary conditions. Dense sensor arrays facilitate back-calculation of modulus-reduction and damping values that show modest misfits from empirical models. Low-amplitude base motions produced nearly elastic response in which ground motions were amplified through the soil column, and the fundamental site period was approximately 1.0 s. High-intensity base motions produced shear strains higher than 10%, mobilizing shear failure in clay at stresses larger than the undrained monotonic shear strength. The authors attribute these high mobilized stresses to rate effects, which should be considered in strength-parameter selection for nonlinear analysis. This nonlinear response deamplified short-period spectral accelerations and lengthened the...
Struma lymphomatosa: primary thyroid failure with compensatory thyroid enlargement.

Since struma lymphomatosa was first described by Hashimoto (1) in 1912, there has been increasing opinion that this disease is not a true thyroiditis (2–9). The purpose of this paper is to present clinical, physiologic, biochemical, pathologic and therapeutic observations to substantiate the belief that struma lymphomatosa is idiopathic primary failure of the thyroid cells themselves with compensatory hyperplasia and secondary lymphocytic infiltration and fibrosis.
SOLUBILIZATION OF ORGANIC DYES IN MICROEMULSIONS

ABSTRACT The solubilization of two dyes was determined in microcmulsion stabilized by an ionic surfactant/pentanol combination The results demonstrate that dye solubilization depends on the structure of the dye. In one case the microcmulsion structure per se induced enhanced solubilization, while in another case the presence of a surfactant had a detrimental effect.
Axon-glia interactions: Building a smart nerve fiber

Myelinated nerve fibers are designed in an optimal manner which requires tuning of conduction time with millisecond precision. This involves the highly coordinated differentiation of axons and myelin-forming glial cells; the nature of the signals involved in this axon-glial cell dance are beginning to be elucidated.
Changes in Cotton Fiber Properties Caused by Three Sodium Hydroxide Concentrations at Three Temperatures

Three cotton samples were treated with three sodium hydroxide concentrations at three treatment temperatures. The Digital Fibrograph, Stelometer, and Arealometer were used to measure the effects of treatment temperature and sodium hydroxide concentrations on length, mechanical properties, and fineness parameters. Temperatures and con centrations producing completely mercerized fibers showed the greatest change in fiber properties. Most of the fiber properties showed a greater effect of treatment at the lower temperatures for a given sodium hydroxide concentration.
ELECTRIC POLARIZABILITY OF THE DEUTERON

The polarizability of the deuteron is calculated for several assumed deuteron wave functions, and the values obtained are compared with previous results. The best value is 0.63 x 10/sup -39/ cm/sup 3/. The method used gives an approximate wave function of the deuteron in the nuclear electric field. The approximations of the method are examined and are found to be best for low-energy deuterons incident on relatively light nuclei. (auth)
Fever, Temperature, and the Immune Response

Fever's ability to manipulate the character and extent of physiological temperature gradients correlates with the unusual influence different physiological temperatures have upon model immune responses in vitro. This relationship may help to explain the remarkable evolutionary conservation of the febrile response to infection. A very restricted range of the upper physiological temperatures supports the activation of resting lymphocytes for proliferation and effector formation in the two major limbs of the immune system, cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity. In contrast, once effectors are formed they can function in a fashion which is nearly independent of physiological temperature. This suggests that physiological temperature change acts to regulate the emergence of new immune responses but does not restrict the activity of existing effector mechanisms once they have been formed. The differential sensitivity of these processes to different physiological temperatures suggests that fever's biological purpose with respect to the immune system is the elimination of lower peripheral tissue temperatures rather than the elevation of core temperatures. However, further studies may reveal that some functions are amplified by the core temperature transitions while other functions are selectively regulated by peripheral tissue temperature transitions. The critical cell for the temperature dependence of immune responses seems to be the Th since its ability to produce cytokines is highly temperature dependent. In contrast, macrophages produce cytokines equally well at all temperatures except those of the febrile core, a feature which may serve to downregulate the production of endogenous pyrogens.
Effect of dislocations on the lattice thermal conductivity of superconducting niobium

Abstract Thermal conductivity measurements on single crystal Nb samples in the superconducting state have demonstrated a resonant scattering of thermal phonons at roughly 5 × 10 10 Hz. The assumption of a mechanical resonance associated with the dislocation structure accounts for the present data and is consistent with other data found in the literature. The thermalization of phonons at an abraded sample surface, and the attendant failure of the relation l −1 = ∑ j l j −1 for phonon mean free paths, was also observed.
The similarity structure of distributed neural responses reveals the multiple representations of letters.

Abstract Most cognitive theories of reading and spelling posit modality-specific representations of letter shapes, spoken letter names, and motor plans as well as abstract, amodal letter representations that serve to unify the various modality-specific formats. However, fundamental questions remain regarding the very existence of abstract letter representations, the neuro-topography of the different types of letter representations, and the degree of cortical selectivity for orthographic information. We directly test quantitative models of the similarity/dissimilarity structure of distributed neural representations of letters using Multivariate Pattern Analysis–Representational Similarity Analysis (MVPA–RSA) searchlight methods to analyze the BOLD response recorded from single letter viewing. These analyses reveal a left hemisphere ventral temporal region selectively tuned to abstract letter representations as well as substrates tuned to modality-specific (visual, phonological and motoric) representations of letters. The approaches applied in this research address various shortcomings of previous studies that have investigated these questions and, therefore, the findings we report serve to advance our understanding of the nature and format of the representations that occur within the various sub-regions of the large-scale networks used in reading and spelling.
Weakly coupled tunneling systems in mixed crystals

The low-temperature behavior of imperfect crystals like KCl with a few ppm of substitutional defects like ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ or ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ is dominated by the dynamics of these defects. At low concentrations the defects are usually described as isolated systems. We find that in typical experimental situations even at concentrations of only one ppm the defects are not independent of each other. Instead they form pairs. For weak coupling, bulk quantities like the dielectric constant are hardly affected, but the total moments (electric and elastic) of the pairs of tunneling systems depend on the relative angles between the tunneling systems. Since these angles take several discrete values, there is a set of Rabi frequencies, relaxation rates, and phase coherence times, affecting echo experiments.
Monomethylarsonic acid reductase and monomethylarsonous acid in hamster tissue.

The formation of monomethylarsonous acid (MMAIII) by tissue homogenates of brain, bladder, spleen, liver, lung, heart, skin, kidney, or testis of male Golden Syrian hamsters was assessed using [14C]monomethylarsonic acid (MMAV) as the substrate for MMAV reductase. The mean ± SEM of MMAV reductase specific activities (nanomoles of MMAIII per milligram of protein per hour) were as follows: brain, 91.4 ± 3.0; bladder, 61.8 ± 3.7; spleen, 30.2 ± 5.4; liver, 29.8 ± 1.4; lung, 21.5 ± 0.8; heart, 19.4 ± 1.5; skin, 14.7 ± 1.6; kidney, 10.6 ± 0.4; and testis, 9.8 ± 0.6. The concentrations of MMAIII in male Golden Syrian hamster livers were determined 15 h after administration of a single intraperitoneal dose of 145 μCi of [73As]arsenate (2 mg of As/kg of body weight). Trivalent arsenic species (arsenite, MMAIII, and dimethylarsinous acid, DMAIII) were extracted from liver homogenates using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and 20 mM diethylammonium salt of diethyldithiocarbamic acid (DDDC). Pentavalent arsenicals (arse...
Chemical Composition of Fine Particles in the Tennessee Valley Region

ABSTRACT Fine particles in the atmosphere have elicited new national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) because of their potential role in health effects and visibility-reducing haze. Since April 1997, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has measured fine particles (PM2.5) in the Tennessee Valley region using prototype Federal Reference Method (FRM) samplers, and results indicate that the new NAAQS annual standard will be difficult to meet in this region. The composition of many of these fine particle samples has been determined using analytical methods for elements, soluble ions, and organic and elemental carbon. The results indicate that about one-third of the measured mass is SO4 -2, one-third is organic aerosol, and the remainder is other materials. The fraction of SO4 -2 is highest at rural sites and during summer conditions, with greater proportions of organic aerosol in urban areas throughout the year. Additional measurements of fine particle mass and composition have been made to obtain the short-...
DETERMINATION OF MULTIPOLE MIXTURE PARAMETERS FROM INTERNAL PAIR DATA

Previous data from internal pair measurements are used to investigate the problem of determining the mixture ratio when two multipoles ML' and EL contribute coherently to the measured (differential) pair formation coefficient. (C.E.S.)
Crop Water Requirements of Mature Southern Highbush Blueberries

Measures of crop water use for mature blueberry plantings could offer improved irrigation management by growers, reducing irrigation diversions. The objective of this research was to provide crop coefficients for mature southern highbush blueberry plants. Measures of crop water requirements were made using a water balance enabled by suction lysimeters. Eight established, mature plants were instrumented for water balance. Irrigation was managed to ensure well-watered conditions. Monthly crop coefficients ranged from 0.59 to 1.10 with an annual mean of 0.84.
Preserving proximity relations and minimizing edge-crossings in high dimensional graph visualizations

We propose a novel approach to drawing graphs that simultaneously optimizes two criteria (i) preserving proximity relations as measured by some embedding objective, and (ii) minimizing edge-crossings, to create a clear representation of the underlying graph structure. Frequently, the nodes of the graph represent objects that have their own intrinsic properties with associated distances or similarity measures. In particular, we investigate graphing of spoligoforests to visualize the genetic relatedness between strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex using multiple genetic markers. It is often desirable, that drawings of such graphs map nodes from high-dimensional feature space to low-dimensional vectors that preserve these pairwise distances. This desired quality is frequently expressed as a function of the embedding and then optimized, eg. Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), the goal is to minimize the difference between the actual distances and Euclidean distances between all nodes in the embedding.