cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computed Tomography of the Musculoskeletal System

A number of recent reports have indicated that computed tomography (CT) should have a role in the evaluation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders [1–12]. We acquired the Pfizer/A.S. & E. Scanner (Model 500) at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in October 1977. In the initial 2 1\2 year period of operation of the unit, we have examined 300 patients with problems related to the bones or soft tissues of the extremities, pelvis, or spine. Although CT has had a much greater impact on evaluation of the chest, pancreas, and retroperitoneum, it does possess a number of features which make it useful for examining the musculoskeletal system. The purpose of this report is to present an overview of the current status of CT of the musculoskeletal system.
There are no Asians in China: the racialization of Chinese international students in the United States

Foreigners who arrive in the United States experience a process of racialization by which they adjust to the new racial realities of their host society. This paper presents a unique longitudinal st...
Defect-Seeded Atomic Layer Deposition of Metal Oxides on the Basal Plane of 2D Layered Materials

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) on mechanically exfoliated 2D layered materials spontaneously produces network patterns of metal oxide nanoparticles in triangular and linear deposits on the basal surface. The network patterns formed under a range of ALD conditions and were independent of the orientation of the substrate in the ALD reactor. The patterns were produced on MoS2 or HOPG when either tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium or bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)manganese were used as precursors, suggesting that the phenomenon is general for 2D materials. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence, prior to deposition, of dislocation networks along the basal plane of mechanically exfoliated 2D flakes, indicating that periodical basal plane defects related to disruptions in the van der Waals stacking of layers, such as perfect line dislocations and triangular extended stacking faults networks, introduce a surface reactivity landscape that leads to the emergence of patterned deposition.
Workshop 6: HIPS High-level Parallel Programming Models and Supportive Environments

The 25th HIPS workshop, a full-day meeting on May 18th at the IEEE IPDPS 2020 conference in New Orleans (now virtual), focuses on high-level programming of multiprocessors, compute clusters, and massively parallel machines. Like previous workshops in the series, which was established in 1996, this event serves as a forum for research in the areas of parallel applications, language design, compilers, runtime systems, and programming tools. It provides a timely forum for scientists and engineers to present the latest ideas and findings in these rapidly changing fields. In our call for papers, we especially encouraged innovative approaches in the areas of emerging programming models for large-scale parallel systems and many-core architectures.
Athletes in Transit: Why the Game is Different in Sports and the Visas Should be Too

At least as early as the ancient Olympic games, athletes have traveled to engage in competition. Participation in the games was so revered that military truces were enacted to secure the safety of spectators and athletes alike. In modern times, we can look to the holding of the first modern Olympics in 1896, followed a few decades later in 1930 with the first World Cup as the forefathers of modern international travel for athletes. And of course, this trend followed with the professionalization of sports and the desires of teams and fans to have the best and most commercially successful athletes. U.S. immigration law should be designed and interpreted to facilitate the entry of skilled athletes. Part I of this article provides a background of the current state of visas for both professional and amateur athletes, and e-gamers. Part I also examines potential issues of concern if the NCAA moves to allow student athletes to earn money from the name, image, and likeness. Part II examines the joint economic gains uniquely captured in sport through the importation of foreign players, and demonstrates that the interests of owners, players, and fans are uniquely aligned through the importation of foreign superstar talent. Part III examines how the Trump Administration tightened eligibility requirements through its interpretation and application of EB-1, P, and O visa guidelines over the past 4 years resulting in much greater rates of denial than at any time since the enactment of the COMPETE Act in 2006. Part III also proposes three immediate solutions: new regulations to allow foreign student athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness in accordance with proposed NCAA rule changes regarding name, image, and likeness (NIL); a clear category for e-gaming athletes as the field is primed for explosive growth over the next ten years; and a looser interpretation of the requirements for certain visas when utilized by athletes.
Effect of Various Viruses on the Responsiveness of Mouse Lymphocytes to Phytohemagglutinin Stimulation

A comparison of viral-induced unresponsiveness of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis of mouse lymphocytes was made by culturing the cells under identical conditions in the presence of HEPES buffer in a humid-air atmosphere. The degree of PHA-induced DNA synthesis was found to vary, depending upon the type of ribonucleic acid or DNA virus treatment. Myxovirus, paramyxoviruses, Mengo virus, leukemic viruses, herpesvirus, and vaccinia virus caused a depression in responsiveness, whereas lactic dehydrogenase virus, adenovirus, and polyoma virus induced an increase in DNA synthesis. Inhibition of DNA synthesis was significant only if the virus was added at 0 h or within the first 12 h after PHA stimulation. Time studies indicated that leukemic and nonleukemic viruses caused similar patterns in the alteration of PHA-induced DNA synthesis.
Quantitative live-imaging of Aquilegia floral meristems reveals distinct patterns of floral organ initiation and cell-level dynamics of floral meristem termination

In-depth investigation of any developmental process in plants requires knowledge of both the underpinning molecular networks and how they directly determine patterns of cell division and expansion over time. Floral meristems (FM) produce floral organs, after which they undergo floral meristem termination (FMT), and precise control of organ initiation and FMT is crucial to reproductive success of any flowering plant. Using a live confocal imaging, we characterized developmental dynamics during floral organ primordia initiation and FMT in Aquilegia coerulea (Ranunculaceae). Our results have uncovered distinct patterns of primordium initiation between stamens and staminodes compared to carpels, and provided insight into the process of FMT, which is discernable based on cell division dynamics preceding carpel initiation. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative live imaging of meristem development in a system with numerous whorls of floral organs as well as an apocarpous gynoecium. This study provides crucial information for our understanding of how the spatial-temporal regulation of floral meristem behavior is achieved in both an evolutionary and developmental context.
Novel Atrial Deformation Changes in Duchenne Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Although progressive myocardial fibrosis and worsening ventricular function is well characterized in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), changes in atrial mechanics are unknown. The objectives of this study are to evaluate changes in left atrial (LA) deformation and its association with left ventricular (LV) deformation, systolic function and fibrosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective (2004 to 2019) single …
Neural Presbyacusis in Humans Inferred from Age-Related Differences in Auditory Nerve Function and Structure.

A common complaint of older adults is difficulty understanding speech, particularly in challenging listening conditions. Accumulating evidence suggests that these difficulties may reflect a loss and/or dysfunction of auditory nerve (AN) fibers. We used a novel approach to study age-related changes in AN structure and several measures of AN function, including neural synchrony, in 58 older adults and 42 younger adults. AN activity was measured in response to an auditory click (compound action potential; CAP), presented at stimulus levels ranging from 70 to 110 dB pSPL. Poorer AN function was observed for older than younger adults across CAP measures at higher but not lower stimulus levels. Associations across metrics and stimulus levels were consistent with age-related AN disengagement and AN dyssynchrony. High-resolution T2-weighted structural imaging revealed age-related differences in the density of cranial nerve VIII, with lower density in older adults with poorer neural synchrony. Individual differences in neural synchrony were the strongest predictor of speech recognition, such that poorer synchrony predicted poorer recognition of time-compressed speech and poorer speech recognition in noise for both younger and older adults. These results have broad clinical implications and are consistent with an interpretation that age-related atrophy at the level of the AN contributes to poorer neural synchrony and may explain some of the perceptual difficulties of older adults. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Differences in auditory nerve (AN) pathophysiology may contribute to the large variations in hearing and communication abilities of older adults. However, current diagnostics focus largely on the increase in detection thresholds, which is likely because of the absence of indirect measures of AN function in standard clinical test batteries. Using novel metrics of AN function, combined with estimates of AN structure and auditory function, we identified age-related differences across measures that we interpret to represent age-related reductions in AN engagement and poorer neural synchrony. Structure-function associations are consistent with an explanation of AN deficits that arise from age-related atrophy of the AN. Associations between neural synchrony and speech recognition suggest that individual and age-related deficits in neural synchrony contribute to speech recognition deficits.
Multi-site phosphorylation of yeast Mif2/CENP-C promotes inner kinetochore assembly

Kinetochores control eukaryotic chromosome segregation by connecting chromosomal centromeres to spindle microtubules. Duplication of centromeric DNA necessitates kinetochore disassembly and subsequent reassembly on the nascent sisters. To search for a regulatory mechanism that controls the earliest steps of kinetochore assembly, we studied Mif2/CENP-C, an essential basal component. We found that Polo-like kinase (Cdc5) and Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) phosphorylate the conserved PEST region of Mif2/CENP-C and that this phosphorylation directs inner kinetochore assembly. Mif2 phosphorylation promotes kinetochore assembly in a reconstituted biochemical system, and it strengthens Mif2 localization at centromeres in cells. Disrupting one or more phosphorylation sites in the Mif2-PEST region progressively impairs cellular fitness and sensitizes cells to microtubule poisons. The most severe Mif2-PEST mutations are lethal in cells lacking otherwise non-essential Ctf19 complex factors. These data suggest that multi-site phosphorylation of Mif2/CENP-C is a robust switch that controls inner kinetochore assembly, ensuring accurate chromosome segregation.
Analysis of a Natural Immune Response against Tumor Antigens in a Melanoma Survivor: Lessons Applicable to Clinical Trial Evaluations

The long-term survival of some patients with metastatic melanoma may be attributable in part to cellular immune responses to melanoma antigens. However, little is known about the level of CTL reactivity in vivo that is required for immunological control of tumor progression. In the present report, T-cell responses were evaluated with lymphocytes obtained from tumor-involved nodes and peripheral blood of a long-term melanoma survivor. Using an ELISPOT assay, naturally occurring functional T cells, which recognize the peptide ALLAVGATK (gp100(17-25)) plus two other HLA-A3 restricted peptides, were detected in a tumor-involved lymph node. The ALLAVGATK-reactive T cells were also evaluated by MHC-tetramers staining and were found to be CD8+ CD45RO+ L-selectin(-) CD11a+, suggesting that they are antigen experienced and have a memory phenotype. Unstimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes from the same patient demonstrated no detectable T-cell responses; however, a single stimulation with ALLAVGATK peptide in vitro resulted in a dramatic expansion of peptide-reactive CTLs. This patient, with evidence of tumor-reactive CTLs targeted to several tumor antigens in a tumor-involved lymph node and with evidence of a circulating memory T-cell response, has remained disease-free for 6 years, despite prior bulky nodal metastasis. In contrast, three HLA-A3+ patients with rapidly progressive metastatic melanoma had no detectable T-cell response in tumor-involved nodes or peripheral blood lymphocytes, even after peptide stimulation ex vivo. The presented data are consistent with a systemic polyvalent immune response against tumor in this long-term survivor. These data provide an estimate of the level of CTL response that may be associated with protection from tumor recurrence.
Distrust of the Legal Establishment in Perspective: Maryland During the Early National Years

Despising lawyers has been popular for centuries, and knowing when to take it seriously is often difficult. Since the 1640s in England, vicious attacks on lawyers and the common law have occasionally accompanied reform movements. Are these outbursts evidence of a long-term tradition of radical hostility towards the legal establishment? Or do they point to a tradition of political posturing with little real substance?With respect to early America, some very good historians have come to differing conclusions on these questions. Maxwell Bloomfield suggests that, while radical in tone, the attack on lawyers was rooted in essentially middle-class values and was not seriously connected to an ideology of social leveling or egalitarianism. He nevertheless demonstrates elegantly that the anti-lawyer sentiment of the Jacksonian period was part of a longer-term and culturally pervasive pattern. Richard Ellis's work, in partial contrast, documents radical attacks on the legal establishment during the Jeffersonian years, notably in Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Other legal historians have often stressed that fundamentally different conceptions of law, lawyers, judges, juries, and courts shaped the legal politics of Americans in the post-revolutionary years.Developments in Maryland offer an excellent opportunity to explore such issues further.
Noise characteristics and writeability on perpendicular media

Summary form only given. One of the current issues in implementing perpendicular technology is to achieve the high linear density (>1000-1500 kfci) with reasonable BER. To this end, we have examined the noise characteristics and writability of perpendicular media at various linear densities.
Effect of positive end-expiratory pressure on right ventricular performance. Importance of baseline right ventricular function.

Abstract Thirty-six patients with diverse baseline right ventricular function were evaluated during incremental positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) application. Right heart pressures, cardiac output, right ventricular ejection fractions, and ventricular volumes were obtained at each PEEP level. Right ventricular peak systolic pressure-end-systolic volume relations were analyzed as an index of contractile function. Patients with severely depressed baseline right ventricular ejection fractions (30 percent or less) had an increase in end-diastolic (270 ± 74 to 391 ± 76 ml, 0 to 20 cm water (H 2 O) PEEP, p 2 O PEEP, p 2 O PEEP as estimated by the slope of systolic pressure-volume relations (0.12 to 0.04 mm Hg/ml, 0 to 15 and 15 to 20 cm H 2 O PEEP, respectively, p
Grounding Meaning in Perception

Linguistic and philosophical theories of semantics have usually ignored the problem of explaining how the meanings of predicates are initially acquired. In this paper we propose that connectionist models may give a computational account of this process via extracting regularities from perceptual inputs and associating them with one another. We present results from two simple preliminary experiments, one in which a connectionist network associates labels with visual images with no external teacher, and a second in which a network associates simple sentences with with simple sequences of visual images, or “movies“. While these simulations are simply suggestive, they point the way to a more complete model.
Invisible Americans: An Exploration of Indo-American Quality of Life

(1995). Invisible Americans: An Exploration of Indo-American Quality of Life. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 25-52.
Evidence Base Update: 50 Years of Research on Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder among children and adolescents. We examined 111 treatment outcome studies testing 204 treatment conditions for child and adolescent anxiety published between 1967 and mid-2013. Studies were selected for inclusion in this review using the PracticeWise Evidence-Based Services database. Using guidelines identified by this journal (Southam-Gerow & Prinstein, 2014), studies were included if they were conducted with children and/or adolescents (ages 1-19) with anxiety and/or avoidance problems. In addition to reviewing the strength of the evidence, the review also examined indicators of effectiveness, common practices across treatment families, and mediators and moderators of treatment outcome. Six treatments reached well-established status for child and adolescent anxiety, 8 were identified as probably efficacious, 2 were identified as possibly efficacious, 6 treatments were deemed experimental, and 8 treatments of questionable efficacy emerged. Findings from this review suggest substantial support for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as an effective and appropriate first-line treatment for youth with anxiety disorders. Several other treatment approaches emerged as probably efficacious that are not primarily CBT based, suggesting that there are alternative evidence-based treatments that practitioners can turn to for children and adolescents who do not respond well to CBT. The review concludes with a discussion of treatments that improve functioning in addition to reducing symptoms, common practices derived from evidence-based treatments, mediators and moderators of treatment outcomes, recommendations for best practice, and suggestions for future research.
Expression, self-assembly, and antigenicity of the Norwalk virus capsid protein.

Abstract Norwalk virus capsid protein was produced by expression of the second and third open reading frames of the Norwalk virus genome, using a cell-free translation system and baculovirus recombinants. Analysis of the expressed products showed that the second open reading frame encodes a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 58,000 (58K protein) and that this protein self-assembles to form empty viruslike particles similar to native capsids in size and appearance. The antigenicity of these particles was demonstrated by immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of paired serum samples from volunteers who developed illness following Norwalk virus challenge. These particles also induced high levels of Norwalk virus-specific serum antibody in laboratory animals following parenteral inoculation. A minor 34K protein was also found in infected insect cells. Amino acid sequence analysis of the N terminus of the 34K protein indicated that the 34K protein was a cleavage product of the 58K protein. The availability of large amounts of recombinant Norwalk virus particles will allow the development of rapid, sensitive, and reliable tests for the diagnosis of Norwalk virus infection as well as the implementation of structural studies.
Water column nutrients and sedimentary denitrification in the Gulf of Maine.

Abstract Sedimentary denitrification acts to remove nitrogen from both the sediments and water column in continental shelf ecosystems, so that in enclosed shelf areas where water residence times are long (about a year in the Gulf of Maine), significant rates of sedimentary denitrification might lower inorganic nitrogen concentrations. We examined this using a basin-wide suite of hydrographic and nutrient data collected in mid-summer. Total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) concentrations (nitrate + nitrite + ammonium) were highest in the aged North Atlantic continental slope waters found at depth in the Jordan Basin on the eastern side of the Gulf. Phosphate and silicate concentrations were moderately high in these waters. On the western side of the Gulf, Wilkinson Basin receives much less of the nutrient-rich slope waters. In these deep waters, TIN concentrations were lower and phosphate and silicate concentrations higher than in the Jordan Basin. In the intermediate and deep waters, TIN/PO4 ratios averaged 19 on the eastern side but only 15–16 on the western side of the Gulf. Partially isolated regions within the Gulf had even lower TIN/PO4 ratios. The differences in this ratio suggested the occurrence of either a non-stoichiometric reduction in nitrogen or an enrichment in phosphate between the eastern and western sides of the Gulf. The relationship between phosphate and silicate was identical in open waters on both sides of the Gulf, indicating that the difference in the TIN/PO4 ratio was due to a loss of nitrogen. A parameter, delta-N, quantified the non-stoichiometric nitrogen loss and was defined as, ΔN = α[PO4] − [TIN], where [PO4] and [TIN] were the measured concentrations in an individual water sample and α was the average TIN/PO4 ratio in the Jordan Basin. Within and below the Maine Intermediate Waters (50–120 m), the distribution of ΔN showed the removal of 2–4 μgat N l−1 in most of the waters west and south-west of the Jordan Basin. ΔN was greater in waters close to the sediments suggesting that sediments were the site of nitrogen removal. The overall rate of denitrification was estimated to be 31.2–46.8 × 109 gat N y−1 based on the average ΔN, the water volume within the Gulf and the water residence time. When normalized to sediment area, this rate was 0.80–1.21 pgat N cm−2 s−1. The classical inorganic nitrogen budget of the Gulf of Maine, based on inflow rates and nutrient concentrations of the source waters, was reassessed and found to be unbalanced by 43.1 × 109 gat N y−1 with TIN inputs (138.6 × 109 gat N y−1) exceeding advective TIN losses (−95.5 × 109 gat N y−1). Organic matter burial and net organic nitrogen export at the rate of 1.5 % of the primary productivity could account for 23 % of the imbalance (−10.0 × 109 gat N y−1). Denitrification, at the aerial rate of 0.85 pgat N cm−2 s−1 accounted for the remainder (−33.1 × 109 gat N y−1).
Isolating large nested deletions in bacterial and P1 artificial chromosomes by in vivo P1 packaging of products of Cre-catalysed recombination between the endogenous and a transposed loxP site

A general approach for isolating large nested deletions in P1 artificial chromosomes (PACs) and bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) by retrofitting with a loxP site-containing Tn10 mini-transposon is described. Cre-mediated recombination between the loxP site existing in these clones and one introduced by transposition leads to deletions and inversions of the DNA between these sites. Large deletions are selectively recovered by transducing the retrofitted PAC or BAC clones with P1 phage. The requirement that both loxP sites in the cointegrate be packaged into a P1 head ensures that only large deletions are rescued. PCR analyses identified these deletions as products of legitimate recombination between loxP sites mediated by Cre protein. BACs produce deletions much more efficiently than PACs although the former cannot be induced to greater than unit copy in cells. Mammalian cell-responsive antibiotic resistance markers are introduced as part of the transposon into genomic clone deletions for subsequent functional analysis. Most importantly, the loxP site retrofitting and P1 transduction can be performed in the same bacterial host containing these clones directly isolated from PAC or BAC libraries. These procedures should facilitate physical and functional mapping of genes and regulatory elements in these large plasmids.
The prevalence of alcohol consumption and heavy drinking among people with HIV in the United States: results from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study.

Objective: To establish population-based estimates of the prevalence of any alcohol consumption and heavy drinking among individuals who tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to identify the factors associated with alcohol consumption and heavy drinking in this population. Method: Data from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS), a national probability survey of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the U.S. in early 1996 (N = 2,864: 2,017 men, 847 women), were used to estimate the prevalence of any alcohol consumption and heavy drinking. Logistic regression was used to identify independent influences of sociodemographic, health status, and substance use variables on alcohol consumption and heavy drinking. Results: Approximately 53% of persons in care for HIV reported drinking alcohol in the preceding month and 8% were classified as heavy drinkers. Of those who drank, 15% were heavy drinkers. The odds of heavy drinking were significantly higher among users of coca...
Heterocoagulotion. I. Interactions of monodispersed chromium hydroxide with polyvinyl chloride latex

Abstract The stability of binary mixtures of chemically dissimilar, monodispersed spherical particles has been investigated using the light scattering technique recently introduced by Lips and Willis (29). Time dependent scattering intensity curves were interpreted in terms of the Smoluchowski theory of coagulation. The system to be reported consisted of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) latex and hydrous chromium (III) oxide in aqueous solutions of simple urhydrolyzable electrolytes. This chosen pair of colloids consisted of spherical particles of narrow size distribution and afforded the opportunity to vary the surface potential of one component (chromium hydroxide) while maintaining an almost constant potential on the other (PVC). The variables investigated were the zeta potential, the relative number concentration, and the size of the primary particles. Most experiments were conducted at a constant ionic strength below the critical coagulation concentration, thus preventing rapid electrolytic destabilization. In this paper the experimentally determined stability ratio will be compared with theoretical calculations based upon recent theories of heterocoagulation. It will be seen that there exists excellent qualitative agreement between experiment and theory for mixtures of these two colloids. Good quantitative correlation is difficult and a few explanations of the discrepancies will be offered.
Operating modes of the brushless DC motor with a 120 degrees inverter

An analysis of the brushless DC motor with a 120 degrees inverter is presented. It is shown that the brushless DC motor-120 degrees inverter system has several distinct operating modes. The status of the motor phase current in which the inverter transistors are not conducting (gated off) is used to classify the modes of operation. These modes are identified and their relationship to the speed and the advance in the firing angle is established. >
Developmental regulation of the direct interaction between the intracellular loop of connexin 45.6 and the C terminus of major intrinsic protein (aquaporin-0).

Abstract The eye lens is dependent upon a network of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication to facilitate its homeostasis and development. Three gap junction-forming proteins are expressed in the lens of which two are in lens fibers, namely connexin (Cx) 45.6 and 56. Major intrinsic protein (MIP), also known as aquaporin-0 (AQP0), is the most abundant membrane protein in lens fibers. However, its role in the lens is not clear. Our previous studies show that MIP(AQP0) associates with gap junction plaques formed by Cx45.6 and Cx56 during the early stages of embryonic chick lens development but not in late embryonic and adult lenses. We report here that MIP(AQP0) directly interacts with Cx45.6 but not with Cx56. We further identified the intracellular loop of Cx45.6 as the interacting domain for the MIP(AQP0) C terminus. Surface plasmon resonance experiments indicated that the C-terminal domain of MIP(AQP0) interacts with two binding sites within the intracellular loop region of Cx45.6 with a KD(app) of 7.5 and 10.3 μm, respectively. The KD(app) for the full-length loop region is 7.7 μm. The cleavage at the intracellular loop of Cx45.6 was observed during lens development, and the C terminus of MIP(AQP0) did not interact with the loop-cleaved form of Cx45.6. Thus, the dissociation between these two proteins that occurs in the mature fibers of late lens development is likely caused by this cleavage. Finally this interaction had no impact on Cx45.6-mediated intercellular communication, suggesting that the Cx45.6-MIP(AQP0) interaction plays a novel unidentified role in lens fibers.
Constraints: Knowledge representation in design

Abstract The constraint manager is a computer program developed to study the idea of designing as exploring constraints. This article combines a status report on our current research with speculation about future directions. We describe the basic structure and operation of the program, applications in several domains, and the development of constraint-based design environments, or specialized ‘Labs’. To support more comprehensive designing, two extensions to the constraint manager are proposed: one a mechanism for designing and reasoning with diagrams; another a means of integrating the constraint manager with a visual reference facility.
Substantia nigra stimulation evoked antidromic responses in rat neostriatum

Electrical stimulation of the substantia nigra of rats elicits a burst of small amplitude waves with a latency of 4–6 ms that may last for 10–15 ms throughout much of the neostriatum. Frontal cortex stimulation also elicits a burst response, which can occlude the substantia nigra response. The substantia nigra evoked burst response was still present after chronic neocortical ablation or thalamic transection or both treatments combined. The response corresponds to the first sharp negative wave of the substantia nigra evoked neostriatal field potential. Single substantia nigra evoked action potentials were recorded in neostriatum with a mean latency of 9.8 ms, ranging from 4–22 ms. These action potentials were considered to be antidromic because 1) they were occluded during appropriate collision intervals by orthodromic action potentials elicited by frontal cortex stimulation. Subthreshold frontal cortex conditioning stimulation did not alter the threshold for activation from substantia nigra. The refractory period for the axon was at least as long as that for the soma and ranged between 0.8–2.0 ms. The antidromic responses failed to follow low frequency stimulation (< 40 Hz for 3000 ms). This failure occurred in the axon between substantia nigra and globus pallidus. The burst response and first sharp negative wave of the field potential probably represent the antidromic activation of the ubiquitous and densely packed medium spiny neostriatal projection neurons. These responses 1) occur at the same latency, 2) respond in the same manner to twin pulse and repetitive stimulation and 3) are occluded by frontal cortex stimulation in the same manner as antidromic action potentials.
Toward empirical applications of lie-group technical progress functions

Abstract While many empirical studies compute a ‘rate of technical progress’, to be distinguished from scale effects, in the analysis of output (or cost) growth over a period of time, there have been few attempts to model the rate of technical progress. What few attempts there have been are based on simple-minded types of technical progress, namely the factor augmenting types, which present severe problems for distinguishing scale- and technical progress-effects. Sato's (1980, 1981) application of Lie-group theory to economics has opened the empirical analysis of technical progress to new types of technical progress with a foundation in theory. The purposes of this paper are to provide a brief, but sufficient, survey of Lie-group theory, and then identify some new types of technical progress which are feasible for incorporation into standard models of production (or cost) and technical progress.
A Decision-Theoretic Model of Disease Surveillance and Control and a Prototype Implementation for the Disease Influenza

This paper first describes a decision-theoretic model of disease surveillance and control. It then describes a prototype system for influenza monitoring based on the model. The decision-theoretic model connects disparate work epidemiological modelling and disease control under a uniform mathematical formulation. We expect that this model will stimulate new avenues of research in both fields.
CEO entrenchment and corporate liquidity management

Abstract CEO entrenchment distorts firms’ liquidity policy because entrenched CEOs and shareholders have conflicting preferences for liquidity. We investigate the association between firms’ liquidity level/mix and entrenchment within a system model accounting for endogeneity. Several results are obtained. Entrenched CEOs (i) hold more liquidity because it helps reduce their firm’s risks, provides them with job and wealth security, and gives them discretion in pursuing personal objectives; (ii) prefer cash over lines of credit (LCs) because the latter are accompanied by bank monitoring; and (iii) use more LCs, despite their associated monitoring, because they provide extra liquidity. Sample disaggregation shows that increased liquidity due to CEO entrenchment can be attributed to smaller and more opaque firms – large and transparent firms maintain their liquidity levels but increase their shares of cash. These findings imply that firms should align the interests of entrenched CEOs with those of shareholders to reduce the undesirable effects of entrenchment on liquidity management.
Comparison of the monovalent cation complexes of monensin, nigericin, and dianemycin

Abstract Complexes of monovalent metal cations with the antibiotics monensins, nigericin, and dianemycin have been shown by X-ray crystallography to be functionally very similar. Differences in cation specificities can be attributed to differences in size and flexibility of the antibiotic ligands. Strong similarities between the three antibiotics suggest a common biosynthetic mechanism.
Developing a curriculum for anaesthesia training in low- and middle-income countries

The shortage of healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is well documented and is manifested by a profound lack of anaesthesia providers, especially throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The need to develop and support training programs for physician and non-physician anesthetists in LMICs is therefore paramount to providing safe and cost effective anaesthesia care. Development of these training programs is multifaceted and must take into account the specific needs of the recipient country in order to be successful. Curriculum development should be directed towards sustainable change, ultimately reducing the need for outside support. To ensure viability as the new program develops, graduates need to be assimilated into the program as leaders. Emphasis needs to be placed on lessons learnt, professional conduct, and improving outcomes. Anaesthesia educational programs must emphasize quality, safety and professionalism in the providers and the care they deliver. Region-specific teaching methods should be developed using problem-based learning techniques and presenting data in a way that educates rather than castigates. There are good examples of programs that have been implemented to support education in LMICs. However, there are only a few that have successfully adopted a holistic approach to the entire curriculum. More often than not, programs have focused on specific areas of expertise of visiting teachers, rather than the needs of the recipient program. Because of the limited data available, it remains difficult to define any one clear path to achieving these goals. A combination of coordination and collaboration will increase the efficacy of implementing new or upgrading existing programs and will allow clearly defined paths to be defined in the future.
Assessing the efficacy of the fundamentals of research and career development course overseas.

Background As the Fundamentals of Research and Career Development Course (FRCDC) is conducted internationally, questions have arisen regarding the cultural appropriateness of the United States (US) course. We therefore assessed the US-based teaching methodology during the FRCDC in Abuja, Nigeria. We hypothesized that the US-based instructional methods would be effective. Methods Twenty questions were distributed to attendees of the FRCDC prior to commencement. The same 20 questions were administered at the conclusion of the course after random reordering. Differences between the pre- and post-test results were assessed for normalcy and compared using the paired t-test Results There were 89 attendees, of whom 60 completed the pre-test and 77 completed the post-test. The pre-test group answered 12.3 ± 2.6 questions correctly, which improved to 15.0 ± 2.6 in the post-test group (P Conclusions Our results suggest that the FRCDC in Nigeria as given by US faculty has short-term efficacy. Attendees were able to improve their scores despite the cultural differences between them and the lecturers. Our next goal will be to demonstrate long-term efficacy at future courses in the region using similar questionnaire strategies.
Prediction of Turbulent Flow and Heat Transfer in Rotating Square and Rectangular Smooth Channels

A two-equation turbulence model with additional terms for Coriolis and rotational buoyancy has been used for prediction of heat transfer from the leading and trailing sides of rotating square and rectangular channels with radially outward flow. Test cases with different Reynolds and rotation numbers are considered. The coolant air used is pressurized and operating conditions are selected to closely match real turbine operating parameters. Results show that previous experimental data can be extrapolated to predict the heat transfer characteristics of coolant passages of actual turbine blades. The internal secondary flow vortex structures for some of the aspect ratio channels are found to be different from the expected vortex structures based on earlier lower rotation speed, lower temperature, and lower pressure operating conditions.Copyright © 1996 by ASME
Resistivity of sub-50 nm copper lines epitaxially grown on Si(100) substrate

Abstract We report the creation of 50 nm thick epitaxial Cu lines with line widths ranging from 20 nm to 120 nm on Si(100) substrate using a combination of electron beam lithography, oblique angle deposition, and lift-off techniques. The increase of measured resistivity as a function of decreasing line width is dominated by surface scattering that is completely diffuse. The measured resistivity of the 20 nm wide lines is ~ 4 μΩ-cm.
Effect of ureteral access sheath on stone-free rates in patients undergoing ureteroscopic management of renal calculi.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the effect of ureteral access sheaths (UASs) on stone-free rates (SFRs) during ureteroscopic treatment of renal calculi. Several advantages of UASs during flexible ureteroscopy have been documented. However, no study has evaluated their impact on SFRs. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all ureteroscopic cases for the management of renal stones performed at our Stone Center. Data were stratified according to the use or lack of use of the UAS. The groups were stratified by stone location within the kidney. Stone-free status was determined at 2 months postoperatively by either intravenous urography with tomograms or noncontrast renal computed tomography in patients with contrast allergies. Results A total of 256 ureteroscopic procedures for the removal of renal calculi were performed between 1997 and 2003 (173 with UAS and 83 without). The groups were similar in age, sex, and stone burden. Stents were placed in nearly 80% of patients. The lower renal pole represented the most common presenting location. Stone displacement with a ureteroscopic basket for efficient fragmentation was necessary in 34%. The overall SFR in the UAS group and non-UAS group was 79% and 67%, respectively ( P = 0.042). The SFRs were improved for calculi in all portions of the kidney. Conclusions In addition to facilitating ureteroscopic access, reducing costs, and lowering intrarenal pressures, the results of the current study suggest that UASs improve SFRs during the management of renal calculi. It is now our current practice to use the UAS routinely during ureteroscopic treatment of renal and upper ureteral calculi.
Roles of marine ice, rheology, and fracture in the flow and stability of the Brunt/Stancomb-Wills Ice Shelf

Marine ice, sometimes as part of an ice melange, significantly affects ice shelf flow and ice fracture. The highly heterogeneous structure of the Brunt/Stancomb-Wills Ice Shelf (BSW) system in the east Weddell Sea offers a rare setting for uncovering the difference in rheology between meteoric and marine ice. Here, we use data assimilation to infer the rheology of the Brunt/Stancomb-Wills Ice Shelf by an inverse control method that combines interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements with numerical modeling. We then apply the inferred rheology to support the hypothesis attributing the observed 1970s ice shelf flow acceleration to a change in the stiffness of the ice melange area connecting Brunt proper with Stancomb-Wills and to examine the consequences of frontal rift propagation. We conclude that while the Brunt/Stancomb-Wills system is currently not susceptible to extreme fragmentation similar to that of the Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002, our inverse and forward modeling results emphasize its vulnerability to destabilization by relatively rapid changes in the ice melange properties, resulting from the interaction of its marine ice component with ocean water, or by the further propagation of a frontal rift. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.
Fragmented Selves, Fragments of the New Story: Panikkar and Dalit Christology

AbstractThe question regarding the interconnection between the writings of those considered to have focused on a ‘Brahmanical’ way of doing Indian-Christian theology and those who have taken seriously the reality of the marginalization of the vast majority of Indian-Christians who come from the Dalit background and contributed to the emergence of Dalit theology is an important one. In his voluminous writings, has Panikkar overlooked or ignored the pathos of Dalits and failed to acknowledge the contribution of Dalit experience to the theological enterprise? This article is an attempt to read both Panikkar and Dalit theologians and ask as to whether at least some recognition of convergence is at all possible.
Global electromagnetic induction in the Moon and planets

Experiments and analyses concerning electromagnetic induction in the moon and other extraterrestrial bodies are summarized. The theory of classical electromagnetic induction in a sphere is first considered, and this treatment is extended to the case of the moon, where poloidal eddy-current response has been found experimentally to dominate other induction modes. Analysis of lunar poloidal induction yields lunar internal electrical conductivity and temperature profiles. Two poloidal-induction analytical techniques are discussed: a transient-response method applied to time-series magnetometer data, and a harmonic-analysis method applied to data numerically Fourier-transformed to the frequency domain, with emphasis on the former technique. Attention is given to complicating effects of the solar wind interaction with both induced poloidal fields and remanent steady fields. The static magnetization field induction mode is described, from which are calculated bulk magnetic permeability profiles. Magnetic field measurements obtained from the moon and from fly-bys of Venus and Mars are studied to determine the feasibility of extending theoretical and experimental induction techniques to other bodies in the solar system.
Antecedents of deviant responses: Predicting from a general theory of deviant behavior

A statement of a general theory of deviant behavior asserts that four factors or processes intervene between the development of self-rejecting attitudes and adoption of deviant patterns. An earlier report demonstrated a relationship between antecedent negative self-attitudes and subsequent increases in seven variables that reflected these four factors. The present paper tests hypotheses that these seven variables are in turn related to the subsequent adoption of each of 22 deviant responses. Subjects were seventh-grade students (N=4694) who responded to questionnaires at T1 and T2 (a year later). The seven independent variables were measured by scale scores based on subject responses at T1. Adoption of deviant responses was defined in terms of subject's selfreports of performing each of 22 deviant acts between T1 and T2 after having denied performance of the deviant act during a specified period prior to T1. The results were interpreted as supporting the hypotheses, although relatively few exceptions were noted. These findings together with those of the earlier analysis were thus congruent with the theoretical position that the relationship between antecedent self-rejection and subsequent deviant responses is mediated by the subjective association of membership group experiences with feelings of self-rejection, the genesis of contranormative attitudes, the inability to satisfy the self-esteem motive through normative response patterns, and awareness of deviant alternatives to these normative patterns that in the past have failed to permit development of self-accepting attitudes.
Effects of social isolation on brain catecholamines and forced swimming in rats: Prevention by antidepressant treatment

Summary-Post-weaning rats were housed alone or in groups for a period of 4 or 8 weeks. A portion of the animals received tricyclic antidepressant treatment, desipramine 20 mg/kg/day, during this period. Animals were then tested behaviorally by forced swimming. Isolation was associated with significantly longer durations of immobility during forced swimming. This was blocked by desipramine treatment. Desipramine treatment did not have a significant effect on the swimming durations of group-housed rats. Hindbrain and midbrain levels of catecholamines were subsequently measured and turnover rates estimated by administration of cx-methyl-p-tyrosine or saline. Isolated rats had increased levels and decreased turnover of catecholamines. The increase in norepinephrine but not dopamine levels was blocked by desipramine, while antidepressant effects on turnover could not be tested with this method. Reduced social stimulation thus appears to be associated with reduced catecholamine release which may result in the accumulation of these transmitters in the central nervous system. Treatment with desipramine appeared essentially to compensate for reduced social stimulation, blocking isolation-induced noradrenergic neurochemical changes, while having few significant effects on control animals. This study may be helpful in furthering our understanding of how the interaction pf organisms with their environment influence catecholamine systems and how antidepressants may act to restore function.