cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Girls' pubertal development is associated with white matter microstructure in late adolescence

Patterns of pubertal maturation have been linked to vulnerability for emotion dysregulation disorders in girls, as well as white matter (WM) development, suggestive of a potential mechanism between pubertal maturation and emotional health. Because pubertal processes begin at varying ages (i.e., status, timing) and proceed at varying rates (i.e., tempo), identifying individual differences in the pubertal course associated with subsequent WM microstructure development may reveal clues about neurobiological mechanisms of girls' emotional well-being. In a prospective cohort study of 107 girls, we examined associations between pubertal status at age 9, pubertal timing and tempo from ages 9-15, and WM microstructure at age 19. Tract-based spatial statistics revealed that girls with more advanced pubertal status at age 9, specific to gonadal-related physical changes, had higher fractional anisotropy, and lower mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity in tracts relevant to cognitive control and emotion regulation (e.g., the superior longitudinal fasciculus, external capsule, and uncinate fasciculus). Additionally, girls with earlier pubertal timing showed lower MD in the left anterior cingulum bundle. Tempo was unrelated to WM measures. These findings implicate specific aspects of pubertal maturation in subsequent neural signatures, suggesting possible neuroendocrine mechanisms relevant to emotional development. Future work incorporating longitudinal neuroimaging in parallel with pubertal measures may contribute to the understanding of individual variation in pubertal course and WM development.
Acute HIV Infection and CD4/CD8 Ratio Normalization After Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation

Background We estimated the effect of initiating virologically suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute HIV infection versus chronic HIV infection (AHI vs. CHI) on CD4/CD8 ratio normalization. Setting A prospective clinical cohort study. Methods We included patients initiating ART with AHI and CHI between 2000 and 2015 and compared time from ART initiation to the first normal CD4/CD8 ratio (defined as CD4/CD8 ≥1) using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Patient time was censored at virologic failure, lost to follow-up, or death. We also characterized CD4, CD8, and CD4/CD8 trajectories over the first 3 years of ART. Results The 1198 patients were 27% female and 60% African American, with a median age of 37 years (interquartile range 28-47) at ART initiation. The 83 AHI patients were more likely male, younger, and of white race, than CHI patients. After 2 years of suppressive ART, 70% of AHI patients achieved a normal CD4/CD8 ratio, compared to 6%-38% of CHI patients, with greater likelihood of normalization at higher baseline CD4 counts. Time to normalization was shortest among AHI patients, followed by CHI patients with higher baseline CD4. The adjusted hazard ratio for time to normalization for AHI patients compared to CHI patients with baseline CD4 >350 was 4.33 (95% CI: 3.16 to 5.93). Higher baseline CD4/CD8 ratio was also associated with time to normalization (adjusted hazard ratio 1.54; 1.46, 1.63, per 0.1 increase in ratio). Conclusions Initiating ART during AHI at higher baseline CD4 cell counts and CD4/CD8 ratios was associated with shorter time to CD4/CD8 ratio normalization.
Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis

1. Spondylolysis is a defect in the pars interarticularis of the vertebra. This defect usually involves the L5 vertebra (95%) [1]. “Spondylo” derives from the Greek word for vertebra, and “lysis” refers to a defect [2] (see Fig. 148.1). 2. Spondylolisthesis is defined as a forward slip of the vertebrae relative to the one below with or without an accompanying pars defect. “Olisthesis” is the Greek word for slippage [2]. The displacement of the vertebra could be secondary to one of the following: a congenital defect, spondylolysis (isthmic spondylolisthesis), degeneration of facet joints and/or intervertebral disk degeneration (degenerative spondylolisthesis), trauma, or pathologic [1]. 3. Only a subset of patients with spondylolysis will have progression to spondylolisthesis if bilateral defects are present [3].
Improving accuracy and efficiency in discrete-continuum karst models

Discrete-continuum or hybrid models couple one-dimensional conduit flow with the surrounding three-dimensional flow in the fractured rock matrix. The applicability of these models to real karst aquifers is somewhat limited not only because they require detailed information about the conduit network, but also these models typically require considerable computational efforts. Moreover, in some models the simulated conduit-matrix exchange fluxes critically depend on a lumped exchange parameter and as such the accuracy of discrete-continuum models can be questionable. This study presents some ideas to improve the accuracy and efficiency of discrete-continuum models. It is shown that a well-index should be used instead of a lumped exchange parameter. It is also illustrated that local grid refinement around the conduits as well as parallel solvers based on domain decomposition can be useful to increase the computational efficiency of discrete-continuum models.
Concurrency control of JavaScript with arrows

Concurrency control is difficult in JavaScript programs, where event race due to asynchronous computation is a major source of errors. While methods such as promises, cancellation tokens, and reactive programming offer their own advantages in addressing this problem, none offer a complete solution. In this work, we present an integrated solution for concurrency control of JavaScript using a library, arrowjs, which is based on the abstraction of arrows. Arrowjs uses continuation passing style to chain callbacks and it implicitly generates progress objects to manage concurrency. Arrowjs can implement a form of push-based reactive programming, where event streams are arrow loops communicating through shared memory. Arrowjs thus provides interoperability between thread-like callback chains and event streams with a uniform concurrency control mechanism.
Effect of drilling mud bentonite contents on the fluid loss and filter cake formation on a field clay soil formation compared to the API fluid loss method and characterized using Vipulanandan models

Abstract Quantification of fluid losses and filter cake formations during the drilling operations using water-based muds (WBM) are some of the critical issues related to successful operations. In this study, short term (30 min) and long term (420 min) fluid loss tests on the drilling mud with various amounts of bentonite contents were performed using the API fluid loss device with filter paper and compared it to the field clay soil (porous media) at a pressure of 100 psi (0.69 MPa). The permeability of the saturated clay soil was 0.026 mD, representing a porous formation. Bentonite content in the drilling mud was varied from 2% to 8% (by the weight of water). The field soil and bentonite were characterized using the particle size distribution and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Bentonite particle size distribution was finer than the field clay soil. Vipulanandan correlation model predicted the changes in the permeability with time in the clay soil with the filter cake formation very well. With the API fluid loss study, the long-term (420 min) fluid losses were about 2.5–4 times greater than the standard fluid loss study of 30 min (short-term). The filter cake thickness was high with the soil formation compared to the API method. Also, the fluid loss per unit area with the API method was higher than the clay soil formation agreeing with the observed differences in the filter cake thicknesses. The Vipulanandan fluid loss model predictions were compared to the API model and it predicted both short term and long term fluid losses very well based on the root mean square error (RMSE) values. Also, the Vipulanandan fluid loss model predicted the maximum fluid losses under various testing conditions.
Is the incidence of hypertension "higher"?

Citation:Soca R, Holley A. Is the incidence of hypertension “higher”? J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(3):605.
A comparison of the effects of various performance feedback presentations on typing accuracy and speed

The purpose of this study was to examine which combination of performance feedback was most effective to improve typing accuracy and speed. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: (1) no ...
Major Federal Environmental Decisions, 2012

This paper summarizes major developments in environmental cases during the 2011-12 term, including under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Examining the Associations Between Childhood Trauma, Resilience, and Depression: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis.

Topic of review:Childhood trauma has been associated with increased depression; however, resilience has been found to reduce this association.Method of review:Present analyses were based on multiva...
A Case of Progressive Dyspnea: Lymphocytic Interstitial Pneumonia in Collagen Vascular Disease.

We describe an interesting rare case of a 61-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital for exertional dyspnea, non-productive cough, and generalized weakness of six months duration. Her computed tomography was significant for ground-glass opacities combined with bibasilar consolidations and numerous pulmonary cysts. There can be a significant overlap in imaging findings of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lung disease and interstitial lung disease from autoimmune diseases. We review in extensive detail the differential diagnosis for these imaging findings from a pulmonologist's perspective and discuss investigations required for further workup. Our patient underwent transbronchial biopsy and was eventually diagnosed with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia with Sjogren predominant mixed connective tissue disease. We also review in detail the current literature and prognosis for this interesting disease.
An Introduction to Daoist Thought: Action, Language, and Ethics in Zhuangzi

1. On Reading Zhuangzi 2. Zhuangzi's Fundamental Figures of Thought 3. The Drive towards Completion 4. Unraveling the Drive towards Completion 5. Saying the Unsayable 6. Bungled Discourse 7. Impromptu Words 8. Ethics 9. Spiritual Exercise
6 On Relating Event-Related Potential Components to Stages of Information Processing*

Publisher Summary The successful-attempt to relate event-related potential (ERP) components to specific stages of information processing would provide a means of understanding some aspects of the ways in which the brain works, as well as yield data relevant to the theories of cognitive processing that have been based on behavioral observations. The ERP and behavioral sources of data both have inherent limitations, but taken together they might allow for converging operations to test theories common to both areas. This chapter describes recent experimental results obtained in laboratory on two ERP components thatmay reflect two stages of processing—namely, pattern recognition and stimulus categorization. Although RT data were obtained, the manner by which stages were identified was different than in behavioral studies. The first step was to identify a class of variables that affect the amplitude or latency of a particular component, or complex of components, and on the basis of the nature of the variables infer the functional significance of the associated physiological activity.
Probabilistic Cellular Automata

In spite of the recent progress made in understanding the non-linear dynamics of systems with few degrees of freedom, little is known about the time evolution of more complex structures. Systems with many degrees of freedom, which are pervasive in both the natural and artificial worlds, give rise to properties such as self-organization and computation which, in many cases, seem quite immune to external perturbations. Typical examples are found in biological organisms and modern computing structures, where the intractability of their dynamical behavior is partly linked to our limited knowledge about the global properties of solutions of non-linear partial differential equations.
The Evolution of Exchange Rate Regimes Since 1990 Evidence from De Facto Policies

This paper presents a monthly database on de facto exchange rate regimes that covers all IMF members since 1990. Information from IMF country reports and other sources, including exchange rate data, is utilized to determine de facto exchange rate policies. Countries are categorized based on these policies using the IMF nomenclature adopted in 1999. This approach ensures the forward compatibility of the database. The database is then used to examine whether the bipolar view of exchange regimes holds with de facto regimes. It is found that the proportion of countries adopting intermediate regimes has indeed been shrinking in favor of greater flexibility or greater fixity, especially for countries more integrated with international markets. Analyses based on Markov chains of regime transitions, however, provide (mixed) evidence against the bipolar view.
Cellular Prion Protein as a Therapeutic Target in Alzheimer's Disease

Soluble oligomeric species of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide are presumed to be drivers of synaptic impairment, and the resulting cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. In 2009, cellular prion protein (PrPC) was identified in a genome-wide screen as a high-affinity receptor for Aβ oligomers, and since then, many studies have explored the role of PrPC in Alzheimer's disease. Herein, I systematically assess the current level of target validation for PrPC in Alzheimer's disease and the merits of the identified approaches to therapeutically affect the PrPC:Aβ oligomer-interaction. The interaction of Aβ oligomers with PrPC in mice impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation, memory, and learning in a manner that involves Fyn, tau, and glutamate receptors. Furthermore, PrPC acts to catalyze the formation of certain Aβ oligomeric species in the synapse and may mediate the toxic effects of other β-sheet rich oligomers as well. Therapeutic approaches utilizing soluble PrPC ectodomain or monoclonal antibodies targeting PrPC can at least partially prevent the neurotoxic effects of Aβ oligomers in mice.
Ancillary services of VSC interfaced energy sources - voltage harmonics compensation

With the envisaged high integration of distributed generation (DG), the use of their own technology to provide other services to the grid seems a practical option. The use of a PWM voltage source converter (VSC) to attenuate grid voltage harmonics, in the absence of measurement data at the grid side and lack of knowledge about the grid loads in close proximity, is investigated in this paper. The outer harmonic regulator is adaptive, in order to cope with the dynamic nature of the grid and modulation non-linearity. The grid voltage harmonics are extracted using least mean square (LMS) method, and the inner controller is a synchronous reference frame current controller. It has been shown through simulation that the controller is capable of attenuating the voltage harmonics to an acceptable limit. However, a direct current controller is recommended for better performance. (6 pages)
The Ideological Octopus: An Exploration of Television and its Audience

At the beginning of the century, two activities dominated most people's lives: working and sleeping. As the end of the century approaches, we can add a third: watching television. We know remarkably little about watching TV, despite its predominance and the forty years of research it has generated. How, in the most precise and intricate sense, does television influence the way we think about the world? What ideological role does it play in contemporary culture? Does TV control us or do we control it? The Ideological Octopus assesses our progress in responding to these questions, and offers some answers of its own. In the last ten years, with the emergence of semiology and cultural studies in particular, there have been a number of significant theoretical developments in our understanding of television's power. This book is the first to provide an overview of these developments, while also incorporating more traditional approaches. Justin Lewis suggests that television influences us ambiguously and unpredictably, depending upon who we are and how we think. Ambiguity does not blunt television's power, it simply diversifies it into a very modern kind of omnipotence. Employing two major qualitative audience studies, one covering TV news and a second covering The Cosby Show , The Ideological Octopus illustrates its argument with findings that are both unexpected and disturbing.
Elastic-Plastic Dynamic Response and Buckling of Laminated Thin Shells

A 48 degree-of-freedom doubly-curved quadrilateral laminated thin shell element including the effect of anisotropic plasticity is formulated to study the static, dynamic response and buckling of thin shell structures. The effect of geometric nonlinearity is also included. The formulation is based on the Kirchhoff-Love thin shell theory and classical lamination theory. In the plastic range, the Huber-Mises yield criterion combined with the Prandtl-Reuss flow rule are used. The state of stresses and strains of each layer is calculated individually, and then integrated through the whole thickness of the shell to obtain the stress and moment resultants, and the stress-strain relation. The stress and strain components, the stress-strain relation, and the yield function which is used to identify the plastic surface are obtained in principal material directions of each layer and then transformed to those in local coordinate axes of the element. The formulation and solution procedure are evaluated by comparing re...
Contrast gain measurements and the transient/sustained dichotomy

We measure threshold for a vertical test grating superimposed on a fixed-contrast horizontal background grating of the same spatial and temporal frequency. The rate of change of this threshold with increasing contrast of the background grating is a measure of the contrast gain of the responding mechanism. Large slopes (high contrast gains) occur when spatial frequency is low and temporal frequency is high; small slopes (low contrast gains) occur when both spatial and temporal frequencies are low and when spatial frequency is high. This division of the spatiotemporal frequency domain into low- and high-gain regions is consistent with the transient/sustained dichotomy found in previous psychophysical studies. Furthermore, our results suggest that the mechanism responsible for detecting low spatial frequencies has a gain characteristic similar to that of cat retina Y cells and that the mechanism responsible for detecting high spatial frequencies has a gain characteristic similar to that of cat retina X cells, as found by Shapley and Victor [J. Physiol. (London) 285, 275-298 (1978)].
Progress in long wavelength VCSELs

Advances in long wavelength VCSEL technology have demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating monolithic long wavelength VCSELs. Several new technologies such as InGaAsN quantum wells, low voltage tunnel junctions and novel DBR mirrors have dramatically improved the performance of long wavelength VCSELs. Common to both technologies is the need to have a manufacturable single mode, polarization locked VCSEL design. It will only be a matter of time before the long wavelength VCSEL will displace both FP and DFB lasers for medium reach applications. For the metro/access market, cost and performance will determine which technology choice will prevail.
Browsing Schedules - An Agent-Based Approach to Navigating the Semantic Web

The Semantic Web promises to change the way agents navigate, harvest and utilize information on the internet. By providing a structured, distributed representation for expressing concepts and relationships defined by multiple ontologies, it is now possible for agents to read and reason about published knowledge, without the need for scrapers, information agents, and centralized ontologies. Agents can utilize this knowledge to seek and invoke other agents and web services, thus supporting navigation across the Semantic Web. We demonstrate how agents support enhanced navigation within a conference-schedule domain, and present three agent-based services: the RETSINA Calendar Agent, which reasons about schedules marked up on the Semantic Web; the DMA2ICal Translation Agent which provides translation services between schedules grounded in different ontologies, and a Conference Agent that invokes the Calendar Agent.
Crustal deformation in the New Madrid seismic zone and the role of postseismic processes

Global Navigation Satellite System data across the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) in the central United States over the period from 2000 through 2014 are analyzed and modeled with several deformation mechanisms including the following: (1) creep on subsurface dislocations, (2) postseismic frictional afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation from the 1811–1812 and 1450 earthquakes in the NMSZ, and (3) regional strain. In agreement with previous studies, a dislocation creeping at about 4 mm/yr between 12 and 20 km depth along the downdip extension of the Reelfoot fault reproduces the observations well. We find that a dynamic model of postseismic frictional afterslip from the 1450 and February 1812 Reelfoot fault events can explain this creep. Kinematic and dynamic models involving the Cottonwood Grove fault provide minimal predictive power. This is likely due to the smaller size of the December 1811 event on the Cottonwood Grove fault and a distribution of stations better suited to constrain localized strain across the Reelfoot fault. Regional compressive strain across the NMSZ is found to be less than 3 × 10−9/yr. If much of the present-day surface deformation results from afterslip, it is likely that many of the earthquakes we see today in the NMSZ are aftershocks from the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes. Despite this conclusion, our results are consistent with observations and models of intraplate earthquake clustering. Given this and the recent paleoseismic history of the region, we suggest that seismic hazard is likely to remain significant.
Folate deficiency alone does not produce neural tube defects in mice.

The incidence of neural tube defects was studied in mouse embryos from dams fed an amino acid-based diet containing 45, 91, 136, 181, 227 or 453 nmol folic acid/kg diet (Experiment 1) or 227, 453, 566, 680, 906, 1132, 1698 or 2266 nmol folic acid/kg diet (Experiment 2). Reproductive tracts were examined 12 d postcoitum and gross and microscopic examination of all embryos was performed. A single implantation was found at levels less than or equal to 181 nmol folic acid/kg diet. With one exception, bred mice fed 227 or 453 nmol folic acid/kg diet in Experiment 1 had 100% resorptions. In Experiment 2, 100% of implantations in mice fed 227 nmol folic acid/kg diet and approximately 75% of implantations in mice fed 453 or 566 nmol folic acid/kg diet resorbed. The 906 nmol folic acid/kg diet was sufficient for successful pregnancy. Mice fed 227 nmol folic acid/kg diet in Experiment 2 weighed approximately 80% of mice fed higher levels of folic acid. Inadequate dietary folic acid resulted in fewer and smaller embryos (which developed normally). These results suggest that folate deficiency alone is insufficient to produce neural tube defects in Swiss-Webster mice. Because individual micronutrients (e.g., folate) can be omitted from the amino acid-based diet, the specific role of folic acid in neurulation can now be studied systematically.
Surface construction by fitting unorganized curves

We present a novel technique to construct a B-spline surface from unorganized curves in 3D space. Unlike the lofting or skinning methods, where the family of curves to be lofted form isoparametric lines of the resulting surface, our method relaxes this restriction and allows a set of curves to take arbitrary orientation and possibly intersect each other. We employ the concept of a curve on a surface which is used in obtaining the arc element of a curve on the surface in differential geometry. This novel technique is useful in surface construction or creation where surfaces are created based on sketches. The surface creation has applications in aesthetic shape design, reverse engineering, computer graphics, and computer animation. This technique is also useful in surface reconstruction where surfaces are constructed from stripes which are made of a series of points lined up in a sequential manner.
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Cardiovascular Responses to Stress

The parasympathetic nervous system provides mechanisms that could attenuate sympathetically mediated heart rate stress responses and might have even more general antagonistic actions on stress reactivity. Individuals characterized by higher levels of parasympathetic tone might, through such mechanisms, be less reactive when stimuli elicit sympathetically mediated responses. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is considered to be a noninvasive index of cardiac parasympathetic (vagal) tone. The present study investigated whether individual differences in RSA level at rest could predict variations among individuals in the magnitude of cardiovascular responses to psychological stress. None of the measures of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia, derived from spectral analysis of beat-to-beat changes in resting heart rate, predicted the observed variations in cardiovascular task reactivity. However, scores reflecting respiratory sinus arrhythmia as the percentage of total heart rate variability (RSAnorm) were negatively correlated with blood pressure levels, both at rest and during the task. Furthermore, subjects with higher scores for RSAnorm demonstrated a faster adaptation of heart rate responses during stress, which suggests the development of parasympathetic antagonism to ongoing sympathetic arousal. Although a simple relationship between respiratory sinus arrhythmia and reactivity was not observed, these results encourage further investigation of RSA measures as psychophysiological indices of individual differences in parasympathetic (vagal) cardiac tone, or perhaps of general parasympathetic/sympathetic balance, which could modulate the expression of potentially pathogenic stress responses.
The steady-state relationship between sodium and chloride transmembrane electrochemical potential differences in Necturus gallbladder

Intracellular C1, K and Na activities (aCli,aki andaNai) and transmucosal membrane potential (Em) in epithelial cells ofNecturus gallbladder were measured at different external Na concentrations ([Na]o), with liquid ion-exchanger and conventional microelectrodes. Bladders were mounted in a divided chamber at 23°C between identical HCO3-free Ringer solutions containing 5mm K. The pH was 7.2. Tris was substituted for Na. Measurements were made under steady-state conditions as determined by the constancy of the transepithelial potential difference. Both,aCli andaNai increased in a saturable fashion with [Na]o.Em did not change significantly. Average values (±sem) under normal conditions ([Na]o=100mm) foraCli,aNai andEm were 16.8±0.8mm (n=9), 9.7±0.6mm (n=10) and −52.6±0.6 mV (n=26), respectively. In Na-free mediaaCli declined to its equilibrium value.aKi (96±2mm;n=7) did not change when [Na]o was varied between 100 and 10mm but decreased to 80±3mm (n=4) in Na-free media.
A predictive control approach for energy-aware consolidation of virtual machines in cloud computing

The widespread diffusion of Infrastructure-as-a-Service and cloud computing paradigms requires large-scale data centers with thousands of running nodes and high energy demands, thus causing relevant economical and environmental costs. In this perspective, the paper presents an energy-aware consolidation strategy based on predictive control, in which virtual machines are migrated among nodes to reduce the number of active units. To describe a general cloud infrastructure, a discrete-time dynamic model is presented together with constraints. The migration strategies of virtual machines are obtained by solving finite-horizon optimal control problems involving integer variables. To reduce the computational effort, approximate solutions are searched for via Monte Carlo optimization. Besides power savings, the proposed method allows one to reduce violations of the service level agreement and aggressive on/off cycles of nodes. To showcase the effectiveness of the proposed approach, preliminary simulation results are provided.
Endangered Relations: Negotiating Sex and AIDS in Thailand

Endangered Relations: Negotiating Sex and AIDS in Thailand. Chris Lyttleton. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 2000. ix. 246 pp., figures, illustrations, tables, map, bibliography, index.
IQGAP1 and its binding proteins control diverse biological functions

IQGAP proteins have been identified in a wide spectrum of organisms, ranging from yeast to humans. The most extensively studied family member is the ubiquitously expressed scaffold protein IQGAP1, which participates in multiple essential aspects of mammalian biology. IQGAP1 mediates these effects by binding to and regulating the function of numerous interacting proteins. Over ninety proteins have been reported to associate with IQGAP1, either directly or as part of a larger complex. In this review, we summarise those IQGAP1 binding partners that have been identified in the last five years. The molecular mechanisms by which these interactions contribute to the functions of receptors and their signalling cascades, small GTPase function, cytoskeletal dynamics, neuronal regulation and intracellular trafficking are evaluated. The evidence that has accumulated recently validates the role of IQGAP1 as a scaffold protein and expands the repertoire of cellular activities in which it participates.
THE UNVEILING OF THE SACRED IN ELIADE'S MEN AND STONES

In Mircea Eliade’s Men and Stones, two cave explorers, Alexandru and Petrus, seek to imaginatively recreate a distant human dawn after they discover the sacred stones of cave dwellers. The living stones become a metaphor for an eternal dimension of transient humanity and for a sentient universe. The title of this play is taken from the Koran and evokes Alexandru’s crisis of despair in the cave. After he is injured in a fall, Alexandru experiences a revelation that confirms love as a pathway to knowledge and as the surest means of escape from the labyrinth of despair.
P300 delay and attenuation in schizophrenia: reversal by neuroleptic medication.

Abstract Background: P300 amplitude reduction in schizophrenia has been found by many investigators, but P300 latency generally has been reported to be normal; however, conflicting findings are present in the literature, and interpretation has been confounded by medication effects and methodological differences. Methods: This study used a standard auditory oddball paradigm to compare the latency, amplitude, and topographic distribution of P300s in neuroleptic-free schizophrenic patients with those of healthy controls. The patients then were treated for 6 weeks with either remoxipride or haloperidol, and their P300s were reassessed. Results: P300s were attenuated and delayed among neuroleptic-free patients. There was no evidence of peak lateralization or amplitude asymmetry over temporal areas. Subsequent neuroleptic medication normalized P300 latencies and increased P300 amplitudes, but the latter remained below normal limits over all except frontal areas. There were no correlations between P300 latency or amplitude and clinical symptomatology either before or after treatment. Conclusions: The finding of a P300 delay in neuroleptic-free schizophrenics that is normalized by neuroleptic medication has not been reported previously. Neuroleptic effects on P300 amplitude and latency appear to be independent of effects on clinical symptoms, and cannot be attributed to anticholinergic activity.
The Surgical Management of Trigeminal Neuromas

OBJECTIVE: Trigeminal neuromas are rare tumors that may involve any part of the nerve complex, including peripheral divisions of the nerve. These rare lesions are treated primarily surgically. We present our series of 38 patients who were treated surgically since 1981, with special emphasis on surgical approach. METHODS: We have surgically treated 38 patients with 39 trigeminal neuromas since 1981. This series of patients was reviewed with regard to clinical presentation, tumor characteristics, surgical approach, and outcome. RESULTS: Sixteen women and 22 men (mean age, 48 yr) all presented with some abnormality of trigeminal dysfunction. Twenty-eight patients presented with trigeminal hypesthesia, 10 with hypesthesia also had facial pain, 3 presented with only facial pain, and 7 presented with diplopia. Eighteen patients had tumors originating from the ganglion, nine from the posterior fossa nerve root, two from the ophthalmic division, and one from the mandibular division, and nine had tumors involving both posterior and middle fossae (dumbbell type). Eighteen tumors were large (>3 cm), 16 were medium sized (2-3 cm), and 5 were small (<2 cm). Tumor location was the prime determinant of surgical approach. Patients with peripheral and ganglion type lesions were treated via an entirely extradural temporopolar approach. Lesions confined to the posterior fossa were approached via a lateral suboccipital approach. Dumbbell-shaped lesions required a combined petrosal strategy. Total resection of tumor was accomplished in 30 patients. Three patients with subtotal resection displayed malignant histology. Postoperatively, 30 patients remained with some degree of trigeminal hypesthesia, two had facial pain (one persistent and one new), and five were left with total trigeminal anesthesia. Four patients were relieved of diplopia, five were relieved of headache, and two were relieved of ataxia. There were no perioperative deaths. CONCLUSION: Trigeminal neuroma is a surgically treatable disease that may be operated on, in many cases, via an entirely extradural approach. These lesions may be successfully resected with low morbidity and a very low rate of recurrence.
International Equality of Stock Market Returns

Real returns, excess returns, and nominal returns from stock markets in 11 developed countries are compared for the difference in their means and variances by using a new procedure to test their equality and to determine if one stock market dominates another. The sample period from January 1973 to September 1989 is divided into three subperiods. Results show that stock markets in the United States and Germany dominate those in the other countries in early sub-periods, but not in a recent sub-period, to indicate an increasing capital market integration. Integration with Germany has increased more than with the United States, due possibly to the European Monetary System.
Photoactivated hydrosilation curing of a ceramic precursor: Crosslinking and pyrolysis of branched oligo[(methylsilylene) methylene]

Abstract The complex bis(acetylacetonato)platinum(II) was activated by UV light in liquid mixtures of oligo[(methylsilylene)methylene](OMSM) leading to rapid solidification and the formation of polycarbosilane with a crosslinked structure. A hydrosilation catalyst is produced by irradiation of this complex which promotes chain extension at OMSM silicon hydride sites with the additive tetravinylsilane. Dihydridosilicon end groups on the oligomer are necessary for rapid photocuring. The crosslinked polymers were pyrolyzed under inert conditions giving 70% yields of β-silicon carbide ceramic char with an overall carbon to silicon ratio of 1.79 to 1. Films of OMSM resin were spin-coated onto silicon wafers, cured, and pyrolyzed. Images on the film surfaces were retained in shape and dimension after pyrolysis.
Visualization of Three-Dimensional Chaos

Most chaotic mixing experiments have been restricted to two-dimensional, time-periodic flows, and this has shaped advances in theory as well. A prototypical, bounded, three-dimensional flow with a moderate Reynolds number is presented; this system lends itself to detailed experimental observation and allows for high-precision computational inspection. The flow structure, captured by means of cuts with a laser sheet (experimental Poincare section), was visualized with the use of continuously injected fluorescent dye streams and revealed detailed chaotic structures with high-period islands.
Changes in rapidly transported proteins associated with development of abnormal projections in the diencephalon.

The development of the hamster visual system is accompanied by striking changes in the pattern of proteins that are synthesized in retinal ganglion cells and rapidly transported to their nerve terminals. To determine whether any of these protein changes are regulated by interactions between the developing nerve endings and the cells with which they form synapses, we induced retinofugal axons to form abnormal projections in the lateral posterior (LP) nucleus of the thalamus and dense patches of hyperinnervation in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) by removing their principal target, the superior colliculus (SC), the day after birth. Under these experimental conditions, two rapidly transported proteins, including the neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, showed significant changes in their time course of expression. NCAM, identified here using a monospecific antibody, is normally synthesized and transported at high levels at early stages of development and then declines during the second and third postnatal weeks. However, this decline was delayed when optic fibers were re-routed. A second rapidly transported protein, Mt = 67 kDa, pI = 4.7, normally shows a rise in its synthesis and transport during terminal arbor formation and a subsequent decline, but it also remained elevated for a prolonged period when the SC was absent. These findings cannot be accounted for by a simple delay in the retinal ganglion cells' program of axonal growth, since other rapidly transported proteins, including the growth-associated protein GAP-43, showed a normal developmental timecourse when the SC was removed. Target interactions therefore appear to influence the retinal ganglion cells' expression of different proteins in a specific fashion.
A decade of DARE : Efficacy, politics and drug education

A micro I macro conceptual framework is used to explore the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in terms of long-term effectiveness, as a political force and the links between these two ...
Bosonic Realizations ofUq(C(1)n)

Abstract We construct explicitly the quantum symplectic affine algebraUq( sp 2n) using bosonic fields. The Fock space decomposes into irreducible modules of level −1/2, quantizing the Feingold–Frenkel construction forq = 1.
SEO underpricing in China's stock market: a stochastic frontier approach

This article studies a sample of 225 Chinese A-share Seasoned Equity Offerings (SEOs) from 1999 to 2007. We compare a novel underpricing measure with a Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA) as in Koop and Li (2001) to the conventional measure based on the difference between primary market price and secondary market price. We find that SEO underpricing exists in China's stock market, but there is a vast discrepancy between the magnitudes under the two different measures. Also, our empirical results show that the main determinants of the underpricing are associated with high asymmetric information among underwriters, issuers and investors, which is unsurprisingly pronounced in emerging markets such as that of China.
EEG alpha phenotypes: linkage analyses and relation to alcohol dependence in an American Indian community study.

Background Evidence for a high degree of heritability of EEG alpha phenotypes has been demonstrated in twin and family studies in a number of populations. However, information on linkage of this phenotype to specific chromosome locations is still limited. This study's aims were to map loci linked to EEG alpha phenotypes and to determine if there was overlap with loci previously mapped for alcohol dependence in an American Indian community at high risk for substance dependence.
Methanation on supported nickel catalysts using temperature programmed heating

Abstract The techniques of temperature programmed desorption and temperature programmed reaction were used to study methanation of carbon monoxide on three high-weight loading, supported nickel catalysts. A flow system at atmospheric pressure and a mass spectrometer detector was used to continuously monitor the products leaving the surface. The desorption spectra of adsorbed CO and of CO2 were dependent on the catalyst properties. On all three catalysts CO and CO2 desorbed from the surface during heating following CO adsorption. Products were observed leaving the surface up to temperatures in excess of 500 °C. The reaction of coadsorbed CO and H2 as well as the reaction of adsorbed CO with flowing H2 were studied on each of the catalysts. Both CH4 and H2O were observed leaving the catalyst surface at the same temperature indicating that CO bond breaking was rate determining. The results show that temperature programmed desorption is a very useful technique for studying reaction mechanisms as well as characterizing catalysts.
Multilayer Piezoelectric Stack Actuator Characterization

Future NASA missions are increasingly seeking to use actuators for precision positioning to accuracies of the order of fractions of a nanometer. For this purpose, multilayer piezoelectric stacks are being considered as actuators for driving these precision mechanisms. In this study, sets of commercial PZT stacks were tested in various AC and DC conditions at both nominal and extreme temperatures and voltages. AC signal testing included impedance, capacitance and dielectric loss factor of each actuator as a function of the small-signal driving sinusoidal frequency, and the ambient temperature. DC signal testing includes leakage current and displacement as a function of the applied DC voltage. The applied DC voltage was increased to over eight times the manufacturers' specifications to investigate the correlation between leakage current and breakdown voltage. Resonance characterization as a function of temperature was done over a temperature range of -180C to +200C which generally exceeded the manufacturers' specifications. In order to study the lifetime performance of these stacks, five actuators from one manufacturer were driven by a 60volt, 2 kHz sine-wave for ten billion cycles. The tests were performed using a Lab-View controlled automated data acquisition system that monitored the waveform of the stack electrical current and voltage. The measurements included the displacement, impedance, capacitance and leakage current and the analysis of the experimental results will be presented.
CHANGES IN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL DURING THE ESTROUS CYCLE OF THE RAT II. PARTIAL AND COMPLETE HYPOPHYSECTOMY AND PITUITARY REPLACEMENT THERAPY1

It has been shown in a previous paper (1) that the difference in electrical potential between the symphysis pubis and the vaginal canal varies according to the time in the estrous cycle of the rat. When these readings are plotted, a definite type of curve is obtained. In late estrus there is a great rise in the potential, followed by a drop as the animal goes into postestrus. With the exception of a pre-estrous rise of short duration, taking place 48 hours before cornification, the difference in potential remains small throughout the rest of the cycle. After ovariectomy and during pseudopregnancy, the type of curve is entirely different. Instead of being cyclic in nature, the daily readings vary in relation to each other so that the curve is patternless. The normal type of electrical potential curve may be reproduced in ovariectomized animals by injection of theelin (1, 2). When aqueous theelin is given, the animal comes into estrus on the third day, stays for a short time, and then goes into postestrus. ...
Creating and Assessing Student Spirituality Initiatives in Higher Education

Questions relating to spirituality and college student development were explored during the pre-conference workshop at the 2006 Institute on College Student Values in Tallahassee, Florida, February 2-4.
Interpretation of tracer surface diffusion experiments on UO2 — roles of gas and solid transport processes

The spreading of a tracer from an enriched needle source which contacts the surface of a depleted pellet sink is analyzed rigorously. It is shown that volume diffusion in both the needle and the pellet need to be considered because only by this process is sufficient radioactivity accumulated for measurement after the anneal. Parasitic gas phase processes are of two types: evaporative loss of solid if a flowing gas is used, or molecular diffusion from enriched portions of the surface to depleted zones if the couple is in a closed vessel with a stagnant gas. A complete numerical solution including surface diffusion, solid diffusion, evaporative loss and contact resistance is applied to the UO2 tracer study of Marlowe and Kazanoff at 1915°C. Based upon UO2 evaporation experiments, the analysis shows that the evaporative loss effect is not important in these experiments. The UO2 surface diffusion coefficient deduced from analysis of these data is 0.2 ± 0.1 cm2/s at 1915°C, which is 104 times larger than that predicted by extrapolation of values obtained by mass transfer techniques.
An X‐ray diffraction method for directly observing the surface composition of fertiliser granules

An X-ray powder diffraction method has been developed which enables the surface composition of fertiliser granules to be studied in situ. Coating dusts can be detected directly, and variations in composition between surface and bulk studied.
On the mutual influence of individuals in a society

On the basis of previously proposed mathematical models of social behavior, the present note investigates the possibility of the control of behavior remaining permanently in the hands of one class, if this class possesses sufficient means for influencing mass behavior. The conclusion is reached that, with the assumptions made, if the behavior imposed by the controlling class leads to sufficiently strong dissatisfaction, the control will pass to another class, no matter how strong the controlling power of the first.