cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost vs. benefit [President's Perspectives]

My column in June grappled with concerns about whether IMS and IEEE are still relevant. Since then, other people have been asking the same type of questions. In February, Roger Pollard, a member of TAB, asked the following question in a Linked-In forum: "Why are fewer IEEE members joining Societies?" For most respondents cost versus benefit concisely summarized their concerns.
BIOPSIES OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM

Percutaneous biopsies of musculoskeletal lesions often provide fast diagnosis of disease and have a major impact on the decision of appropriate treatment. 8 The clinical history, physical examination, imaging tests, and laboratory values of a patient with a lesion of the musculoskeletal system may fail to elicit a diagnosis; in these situations a percutaneous biopsy can establish the diagnosis. 14,17,21 A musculoskeletal lesion in a patient with a history of neoplasia or infection does not necessarily imply spread of the disease. A biopsy in these cases is also useful. Biopsies should only be considered after careful review of the clinical problem and imaging tests. A description of the biopsy and possible complications and difficulties with the results should be discussed with the patient. This article describes the indications, performance, complications, and results, as well as the 1-year experience with percutaneous musculoskeletal biopsies at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
Energy-Efficient Control Allocation for Over-Actuated Systems With Electric Vehicle Applications

This paper presents a new control allocation (CA) scheme for improving operational energy-efficiency of over-actuated systems. By explicitly incorporating actuator efficiency functions into the CA formulation, minimum power consumption is achieved while distributing the desired virtual control among the redundant actuators. For some physical systems (e.g. hybrid electric or pure electric vehicles with electric motors) whose actuators have dual actuation modes (e.g. driving or regenerative braking of electric motors) that possess different efficiencies and/or energy consuming or gaining characteristics, a virtual actuator method is devised to augment the systems for the energy-efficient CA scheme. An electric vehicle model with rear/front axle motors or four in-wheel / hub motors constructed in the full-vehicle CarSim® simulation package is used as an application case study to show the effectiveness of the proposed energy-efficient CA method.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Right Sinus of Valsalva and Noncompaction of the Left Ventricle

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery is a well-known cause of sudden death. Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is a cardiomyopathy characterized by prominent trabeculae and deep intertrabecular recesses. Both anomalies are rare. We report the case of a child with both anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva and noncompaction of the left ventricular myocardium found during an evaluation for Kawasaki’s disease.
Radial Patterning of Arabidopsis Shoots by Class III HD-ZIP and KANADI Genes

Abstract Background: Shoots of all land plants have a radial pattern that can be considered to have an adaxial (central)-abaxial (peripheral) polarity. In Arabidopsis , gain-of-function alleles of PHAVOLUTA and PHABULOSA , members of the class III HD-ZIP gene family, result in adaxialization of lateral organs. Conversely, loss-of-function alleles of the KANADI genes cause an adaxialization of lateral organs. Thus, the class III HD-ZIP and KANADI genes comprise a genetic system that patterns abaxial-adaxial polarity in lateral organs produced from the apical meristem. Results: We show that gain-of-function alleles of REVOLUTA , another member of the class III HD-ZIP gene family, are characterized by adaxialized lateral organs and alterations in the radial patterning of vascular bundles in the stem. The gain-of-function phenotype can be obtained by changing only the REVOLUTA mRNA sequence and without changing the protein sequence; this finding indicates that this phenotype is likely mediated through an interference with microRNA binding. Loss of KANADI activity results in similar alterations in vascular patterning as compared to REVOLUTA gain-of-function alleles. Simultaneous loss-of-function of PHABULOSA , PHAVOLUTA , and REVOLUTA abaxializes cotyledons, abolishes the formation of the primary apical meristem, and in severe cases, eliminates bilateral symmetry; these phenotypes implicate these three genes in radial patterning of both embryonic and postembryonic growth. Conclusions: Based on complementary vascular and leaf phenotypes of class III HD-ZIP and KANADI mutants, we propose that a common genetic program dependent upon miRNAs governs adaxial-abaxial patterning of leaves and radial patterning of stems in the angiosperm shoot. This finding implies that a common patterning mechanism is shared between apical and vascular meristems.
A novel method for machine performance degradation assessment based on fixed cycle features test

This paper presents a novel machine performance degradation scheme based on fixed cycle features test (FCFT). Instead of monitoring the machine under constant working load, FCFT introduces a new testing method which obtains data during the transient periods of different working loads. A novel performance assessment method based on those transient data without failure history is proposed. Wavelet packet analysis (WPA) is applied to extract features which capture the dynamic characteristics from the non-stationary vibration data. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reduce the dimension of the feature space. Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is utilized to approximate the density distribution of the lower-dimensional feature space which consists of the major principal components. The performance index of the machine is calculated based on the overlap between the distribution of the baseline feature space and that of the testing feature space. Bayesian information criterion (BIC) is used to determine the number of mixtures for the GMM and a density boosting method is applied to achieve better accuracy of the distribution estimation. A case study for a chiller system performance assessment is used as an example to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Interleukin-1 beta is more potent than interleukin-1 alpha in supressing follicle-stimulating hormone-induced differentiation of ovarian granulosa cells

Summary Most studies have shown that the immune and inflammatory actions of interleukin-1 alpha and beta exhibit the identical biological spectrums of activity with similar dose-response curves. We have previously demonstrated that interleukin-1 beta suppresses follicle-stimulating hormone-induced differentiation of ovarian granulosa cells. In these experiments, we show that although the human recombinant preparations of interleukin-1 alpha and beta exhibit a similar directional inhibition of ovarian granulosa cell differentiation, there is a significant difference in the dose-response relationships between the two forms. Interleukin-1 beta was 31 times and 18 times more potent than interleukin-1 alpha in suppressing follicle-stimulating hormone-induced luteinizing hormone receptor development and progesterone secretion, respectively, from rat granulosa cells. However, there was no difference in the dose-dependent activities of interleukin-1 alpha and beta in stimulating murine thymocyte proliferation. These results suggest that interleukin-1 beta is more effective in influencing ovarian granulosa cell function than interleukin-1 alpha.
Evaluation of assigned-value uncertainty for complex calibrator value assignment processes: a prealbumin example.

Background: Errors of calibrator-assigned values lead to errors in the testing of patient samples. The ability to estimate the uncertainties of calibrator-assigned values and other variables minimizes errors in testing processes. International Organization of Standardization guidelines provide simple equations for the estimation of calibrator uncertainty with simple value-assignment processes, but other methods are needed to estimate uncertainty in complex processes. Methods: We estimated the assigned-value uncertainty with a Monte Carlo computer simulation of a complex value-assignment process, based on a formalized description of the process, with measurement parameters estimated experimentally. This method was applied to study uncertainty of a multilevel calibrator value assignment for a prealbumin immunoassay. Results: The simulation results showed that the component of the uncertainty added by the process of value transfer from the reference material CRM470 to the calibrator is smaller than that of the reference material itself (<0.8% vs 3.7%). Varying the process parameters in the simulation model allowed for optimizing the process, while keeping the added uncertainty small. The patient result uncertainty caused by the calibrator uncertainty was also found to be small. Conclusions: This method of estimating uncertainty is a powerful tool that allows for estimation of calibrator uncertainty for optimization of various value assignment processes, with a reduced number of measurements and reagent costs, while satisfying the requirements to uncertainty. The new method expands and augments existing methods to allow estimation of uncertainty in complex processes.
On departure from local thermal equilibrium in porous media due to a rapidly changing heat source: The Sparrow number

Abstract Local thermal equilibrium is an often-used hypothesis when studying heat transfer in porous media. Examination of non-equilibrium phenomena shows that this hypothesis is usually not valid during rapid heating or cooling. The results from this theoretical study confirm that local thermal equilibrium in a fluidized bed depends on the size of the layer, mean pore size, interstitial heat transfer coefficient, and thermophysical properties. For a porous medium subject to rapid transient heating, the existence of the local thermal equilibrium depends on the magnitude of the Sparrow number and on the rate of change of the heat input.
Immunohistochemical Evidence for the Presence of Vasopressin in the Rat Harderian Gland, Retina and Lacrimal Gland

The presence of vasopressin in the Harderian gland, the retina and the lacrimal gland of the rat, has been examined immunohistochemically. After fixation in Bouin's solution, immunostaining is accomplished with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. In the retina, the immunoreactive vasopressin is almost exclusively restricted to the ganglion cell layer. In the Harderian gland, the immunoreactivity is localized in the epithelial cells of the excretory duct and restricted to the cytoplasm. In the lacrimal gland, the immunoreactivity is localized in the secretory cells of the acini and the intercalated ducts and the immunostaining is restricted to the cytoplasm surrounding the nucleus. The possible functions of vasopressin in these ocular structures are discussed.
MIS students and the systems analysis and design course project: a proposed experiential approach

A challenge faced by many instructors of systems analysis and design courses is the selection or development of projects that provide challenging, yet suitable, learning experiences for students. Employing a use-cases approach in undergraduate management information systems (MIS) courses offers students a host of opportunities to experientially examine real-world problems that require real-world solutions. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systems analysis and design example case, show the progression of case development, and offer a generalised grading rubric that may be used when assessing the achievement of student learning outcomes and determining overall project success. Additionally, theoretical support for employing such a project, as well as benefits to students, is discussed.
Estimating the quantity of egg white and whey protein concentrate in prepared crabstick using ELISA.

Abstract Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) technique was used to identify and quantify the use of dried egg white (DEW) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) in crabsticks. The use of SDS–PAGE for the quantification of protein additives has had limited success due to the high shear and high temperature processes of surimi crabstick. Monoclonal (anti-heat-denatured ovalbumin) and polyclonal (anti-β-lactoglobulin) antibodies were used. Antibodies showed no significant cross-reactivity with non-target crabstick proteins. An optimised extraction solution of 10% SDS and 2.5% 2-ME yielded high extractability with improved consistency. Quantification of DEW and WPC was achieved using the optimised extraction solution and indirect ELISA. Estimated DEW values were within 7% of actual values, WPC samples were within 17%. Inter-assay coefficients of variance for DEW ranged from 0.9% to 3.1% and those of the WPC were 1.0–8.0%.
Printing with ferroelectric ceramics

Abstract For printing applications, ferroelectric (FE) material can be poled without electrodes by charging the surface at the image areas in one polarity and the background to the opposite polarity. On the surface of FE-ceramics, high electric fields are produced which are able to attract or repel charged toner particles. This property can be used for high speed electrographic printing. With a simplified model it can be shown, that a layer of selfconsistent screening charges are responsible for short range but intensive fields above the surface. Possible electric field measurement techniques, optimisation of material properties and contrast enhancement for FE-printing are also discussed.
Roles of arginase variants, atopy, and ozone in childhood asthma.

Background Arginases (encoded by ARG1 and ARG2 genes) might play an important role in asthma pathogenesis through effects on nitrosative stress. Arginase expression is upregulated in asthma and varies with T H 2 cytokine levels and oxidative stress. Objective We aimed to examine whether variants in these genes are associated with asthma and whether atopy and exposures to smoking and air pollution influence the associations. Methods Among non-Hispanic and Hispanic white participants of the Children's Health Study (n = 2946), we characterized variation in each locus (including promoter region) with 6 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms for ARG1 and 10 for ARG2 . Asthma was defined by parental report of physician-diagnosed asthma at study entry. Results Both ARG1 and ARG2 genetic loci were significantly associated with asthma (global locus level P = .02 and .04, respectively). Compared with the most common haplotype within each locus, 1 ARG1 haplotype was associated with reduced risk (odds ratio [OR] per haplotype copy, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.36-0.84), and 1 ARG2 haplotype was associated with increased risk (OR per haplotype copy, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.04-1.76) of asthma. The effect of the ARG1 haplotype that was significantly associated with asthma varied by the child's history of atopy and ambient ozone ( P interaction = .04 and .02, respectively). Among atopic children living in high-ozone communities, those carrying the ARG1 haplotype had reduced asthma risk (OR per haplotype copy, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.43; P heterogeneity across atopy/ozone categories=.008). Conclusions ARG1 and ARG2 loci are associated with childhood asthma. The association between ARG1 variation and asthma might depend on atopy and ambient ozone levels.
Particle Detection Efficiencies of Aerosol Time of Flight Mass Spectrometers under Ambient Sampling Conditions

Aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometers (ATOFMS) measure the size and chemical composition of single aerosol particles. To date, these instruments have provided qualitative descriptions of aerosols, in part because the fraction of particles actually present in the atmosphere that is detected by these instruments has not been known. In this work, the particle detection efficiencies of three ATOFMS instruments are determined under ambient sampling conditions from the results of colocated sampling with more conventional reference samplers at three locations in southern California. ATOFMS particle detection efficiencies display a power law dependence on particle aerodynamic diameter (D_a) over a calibration range of 0.32 < D_a < 1.8 microns. Detection efficiencies are determined by comparison of ATOFMS data with inertial impactor data and are compared to detection efficiencies determined independently by the use of laser optical particle counters. Detection efficiencies are highest for the largest particles and decline by approximately 2 orders of magnitude for the smallest particles, depending on the ATOFMS design. Calibration functions are developed here and applied to scale ATOFMS data to yield continuous aerosol mass concentrations as a function of particle size over an extended period of time.
Ultra-violet photography of fluorescent spots on chromatograms of biological extracts.

THE use of ultra-violet light to detect and photograph chromatographed compounds absorbing in the region of 254 mµ is well known1. In the course of investigating a number of unknown compounds found on chromatograms of plasma extracts, a simple technique was developed for photographing spots which fluoresce in ultra-violet light at 360 mµ. This consists of interposing a Kodak 2A gelatin filter, which absorbs radiant energy below 405 mµ, between the chromatogram and the contact paper (‘Kodabromide F5’). The filter is enclosed for protection between 1/16 in. glass plates, bound with tape at the edges. The chromatogram is exposed for approximately 30 sec. to ultra-violet light from a 365-mµ source (‘Mineralight’ handlamp, Ultraviolet Products, Inc., San Gabriel, Calif.) at a distance of 1 ft. The photograph is then developed in the usual way.
Quantitative separation and analysis of diastereomers of L-methionine-S,R-sulfoximine via cyclic N-blocked derivatives

Abstract The diastereomers of L -methionine- S , R -sulfoximine, blocked at α-N with phthaloyl, then cyclized with Ac2O to form 3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1-methyl-3-oxo-4-(N-phthalimido)-1,2-thiazine-1-oxide, could be easily separated by fractional crystallization or HPLC, whereas the parent compounds were very difficult to separate.
Dexamethasone levels in treated pregnant women and newborn infants

Dexamethasone concentration was measured in plasma and amniotic fluid by radioimmunoassay using arabbit antiserum raised against DX-hemisuccinate-albumin. Recoveries of added tracers averaged 70% after paper chromatography. The within- and between-assay coefficients of variation averaged 10%. The lower limit of detection was 0.2 μg/dl when 0.4 ml of plasma was assayed. Ten healthy pregnant women at term had cesarean sections 8 to 11 hours following administration of 8 mg of DX orally. DX levels in maternal vein, in umbilical vein and artery, and in amniotic fluid averaged 2.2, 2.9, 2.6, and 2.5 μg/dl, respectively. Although cortisol levels were markedly suppressed, the total relative glucocorticoid activity in blood of fetuses treated with DX far exceeded that of the untreated group.
Efficient search and retrieval in biometric databases

Biometric identification has emerged as a reliable means of controlling access to both physical and virtual spaces. Fingerprints, face and voice biometrics are being increasingly used as alternatives to passwords, PINs and visual verification. In spite of the rapid proliferation of large-scale databases, the research has thus far been focused only on accuracy within small databases. In larger applications, response time and retrieval efficiency also become important in addition to accuracy. Unlike structured information such as text or numeric data that can be sorted, biometric data does not have any natural sorting order. Therefore indexing and binning of biometric databases represents a challenging problem. We present results using parallel combination of multiple biometrics to bin the database. Using hand geometry and signature features we show that the search space can be reduced to just 5% of the entire database.
Tensile instability of thin-walled cylinders of finite length

Abstract An analytical solution is presented for the bursting conditions of thin-walled cylinders with finite length diameter ratios, L D . The approach is based on the Ludwik strain-hardening law, the Mises effective stress-strain criterion and the total deformation theory of plastic flow. The ends of the cylinder are held against radial growth, but are permitted to translate laterally. Closed-form solutions are obtained on the assumption that the bulged meridional profile can be represented by successively larger circular sections at increasing pressures. Numerical calculations were carried out for L D varying between 1 and ∞, and for values of the strain-hardening exponent, n, ranging from 0 to 1.0.
Age characteristics of a shelf-break eddy in the western Arctic and implications for shelf-basin exchange

[1] Radioisotope evaluation of a cold-core, anticyclonic eddy surveyed in September 2004 on the Chukchi Sea continental slope was used to determine its age since formation over the shelf environment. Because the eddy can be shown to have been generated near the shelf break, initial conditions for several age-dependent tracers could be relatively well constrained. A combination of 228Ra/226Ra, excess 224Ra, and 228Th/228Ra suggested an age on the order of months. This age is consistent with the presence of elevated concentrations of nutrients, organic carbon, suspended particles, and shelf-derived neritic zooplankton within the eddy compared to ambient offshore water in the Canada Basin but comparable to values measured in the Chukchi shelf and shelf-break environment. Hence this feature, at the edge of the deep basin, was poised to deliver biogeochemically significant shelf material to the central Arctic Ocean.
Randomized trial of three induction antibodies in kidney transplantation: Long-Term results

BACKGROUND In searching for an optimal induction regimen, we conducted two separate randomized trials of 38 living donor and 90 deceased donor adult, primary kidney transplant recipients comparing antithymocyte globulin (Thymoglobulin) (group A, N=43) versus alemtuzumab (group B, N=43) versus daclizumab (group C, N=42), using exactly the same three treatment arms in each trial. METHODS For the purpose of maximizing statistical power, results from the two randomized trials were combined. Groups A and C received standard maintenance dosing with tacrolimus (TAC), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and corticosteroids. Because of intense lymphodepletion expected with alemtuzumab use (and hoped-for achievement of a truer immunoregulatory state), group B received lower TAC and MMF dosing and corticosteroid avoidance. Long-term target TAC trough level and MMF dosing were 5 to 7 ng/mL and 1,000 mg b.i.d. in groups A and C; 4 to 6 ng/mL and 500 mg b.i.d. in group B. RESULTS With median follow-up of 95 months, biopsy-proven cute rejection incidence was similar in the three groups (8/43, 14/43, and 12/42, P=0.34), but biopsy-proven chronic allograft injury incidence was significantly higher in group B (19/43) in comparison with groups A (9/43) and C (7/42) combined (P=0.0008). Mean calculated creatinine clearance was significantly lower in group B versus the average of groups A and C means throughout 60 months posttransplant (62.9±4.2 vs. 83.6±6.9 and 79.8±5.9 at 60 months, P=0.01), and death-censored graft failure was significantly higher in group B (13/43) versus groups A (5/43) and C (5/42) combined (P=0.009). Total infection and new-onset diabetes after transplant rates were not significantly different. Ad hoc analysis suggested that the inferior results in group B were specifically a result of reduced dosing and greater withholding of TAC and MMF occurring in that group. CONCLUSIONS Long-term results clearly indicate inferior clinical outcomes in group B.
Competitive versus Cooperative Exergame Play for African American Adolescents' Executive Function Skills: Short-Term Effects in a Long-Term Training Intervention.

Exergames are videogames that require gross motor activity, thereby combining gaming with physical activity. This study examined the role of competitive versus cooperative exergame play on short-term changes in executive function skills, following a 10-week exergame training intervention. Fifty-four low-income overweight and obese African American adolescents were randomly assigned to a competitive exergame condition, a cooperative exergame condition, or a no-play control group. Youths in the competitive exergame condition improved in executive function skills more than did those in the cooperative exergame condition and the no-play control group. Weight loss during the intervention was also significantly positively correlated with improved executive function skills. The findings link competitive exergame play to beneficial cognitive outcomes for at-risk ethnic minority adolescents.
706-5 Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide Improves Recovery from Reversible Myocardial Ischemia

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been found to have inotropic properties and a short half-life. CGRP has been demonstrated to reduce ischemic injury in tissue flaps as well as to increase coronary artery flow, while other available inotropes have been shown to impair recovery from myocardial ischemia. Yet, a therapeutic role for CGRP in myocardial ischemia has not been defined. Therefore, CGRP was compared to placebo in nine chronically instrumented conscious dogs who underwent two 15 minute left anterior descending coronary artery occlusions separated by at least 24 hours of reperfusion. Left ventricular transmural pressure and myocardial segment length were measured at control and during reperfusion. Either CGRP (0.07 μg/kg/min) or saline placebo was randomly chosen and continuously infused from 45 to 105 minutes of reperfusion. The alternative infusion was given during the second study. Regional function was assessed using preload recruitable work area (PRWA), a load-insensitive measure of regional myocardial performance. PRWA was calculated as the area beneath the linear stroke work vs. end-diastolic length relationship. Data are mean PRWA (% of control) ± SEM for the 9 dogs. 90 Min 3 Hours 8 Hours 24 Hours Placebo 89 ± 7 82 ± 8 94 ± 10 79 ± 7 CGRP * 155 ± 22 * 115 ± 9 * 118 ± 12 * 108 ± 15 * p l 0.05 vs. placebo Despite a short half-life of less than 30 minutes, CGRP caused a significantly more rapid return of cardiac function from ischemia than placebo throughout the entire 24 hours of reperfusion. These results suggest that CGRP may improve recovery from reversible myocardial ischemia and may have unique properties as an intravenous inotrope in an intensive care unit setting because it does not appear to impair recovery from acute myocardial ischemia.
SU-GG-T-83: Investigation of Critical Ocular Structure Doses Using a 3D Plaque Simulator Model

Purpose: Ophthalmic plaque brachytherapy is a widely used treatment for ocular melanoma with the goal of eradicating the tumor while retaining as much useful vision as possible. However, treatment complications following RT can occur. Increasing the precision of dosimetry could reduce the likelihood of radiation complications for sensitive ocular structures, such as the fovea centralis, optic nerve and lens. The purpose of this study is to investigate the accuracy of the 3D plaque simulator software (Astrahan et al, IJROBP, 61:1227–42, 2005) using dose distribution measured in pigs that were implanted with eye plaques to study and evaluate radiation‐induced complications in sensitive ocular structures.Method and Material: High sensitivity Harshaw TLD‐100H (1/8” × 1/8” × 0.035 cm) measurements were performed for the left‐eye of six pigs implanted with 14 mm gold‐backed plaques with I125 seeds. A strip containing five sets of paired TLDs was prepared and approximately placed at similar anatomical locations for each eye. Point A was placed nearest to the eye plaque, Point E the furthest, with the strip running along the equator of the eye. The TLD sets in each strip were placed approximately 10 mm apart. The Plaque Simulator software was configured to calculate the dose around the eye for the same points. Results: For the points in low dose gradients (E, D and C), the agreement between TLD and calculated dose are generally within 10% given a 2 mm uncertainty of the TLD placement. However, for the points that are close to the plaque (A and B), large discrepancies were observed due to the rapid dose falloff and the uncertainty of TLD placement. Conclusion: The 3D eye plaque simulator software is a useful tool to monitor and predict doses for critical ocular structures in eye plaque treatments.
Democratic Realities and Democratic Dogma

Not long ago, a distinguished political scientist called attention to “the law of the pendulum” in politics. No sooner, he argued, does a broad political tendency establish itself than tendencies of opposite direction set in and gather force until the original tendency is reversed. As applied to relatively short periods of time and to movements which reflect temporary trends, a plausible case can be made out for the law of the pendulum. It seems doubtful, however, whether it can be proved with like plausibility for tendencies which are truly secular. Take as an example the steady trend toward enlarging the size of the independent political unit, or state. Since the feudal age, the tendency has run in the same direction, sometimes more slowly and sometimes more rapidly, but with seldom a check, and never a retreat, from the feudal state to the national state, from the national state to the colonial empire, and in recent years from the colonial empire toward some larger goal of world organization. Barring accidental destruction of modern machine civilization, a recurrence to a world of petty states seems unthinkable.Whether or not the law of the pendulum applies in the world of political events, there can be no doubt of its sway over political thought. No sooner does a doctrine embody itself in an institution than it exposes its nakedness in a pillory and challenges competing dogmas to do their worst. In consequence, the history of political ideas has been a story of oscillations, of attack and repulse and counter-attack.
The Use of Music as Purposeful Activity

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of the use of music on exercise repetitions. The subjects were 25 women ranging in age from 65-99 and possessing common characteristics of upper extremity osteoarthritis. Subjects were randomly assigned to two different orders, a music-first group or a non-music-first group. After two preliminary warm up exercises, each subject was asked to do selected repetitive exercises as many times as possible. The difference between each subject's two sessions was the presence or absence of fast paced jazz music. The observed number of completed repetitions was the dependent variable. No order effects were found. Differences in favor of exercising with music approached significance p= .056) according to a one tailed Wilcoxon Matched Pairs test. This suggests that future studies may support the use of music to increase an arthritic patient's motivation to exercise. Suggestions of possible changes for this study to decrease the chances for a Type II error and for futur...
Chronic disease modeling and simulation software

Computers allow describing the progress of a disease using computerized models. These models allow aggregating expert and clinical information to allow researchers and decision makers to forecast disease progression. To make this forecast reliable, good models and therefore good modeling tools are required. This paper will describe a new computer tool designed for chronic disease modeling. The modeling capabilities of this tool were used to model the Michigan model for diabetes. The modeling approach and its advantages such as simplicity, availability, and transparency are discussed.
Housing Programs for Homeless Individuals With Mental Illness: Effects on Housing and Mental Health Outcomes

Objective:This systematic review analyzed the best available research in the United States on permanent supportive housing programs for homeless individuals with mental illness and the effect of these programs on housing status and mental health. It updates older and broader reviews that included weaker studies or those that did not analyze permanent housing as an input and housing and mental health as primary outcomes.Methods:The literature search (1980–2013) yielded 14 studies (randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies).Results:The studies found that a majority of participants placed in experimental housing programs with case management support remained in housing for at least one year or experienced more days housed than homeless relative to a comparison group. Although this finding is in line with previous literature reviews on permanent supportive housing, this analysis found limitations in each of the 14 reviewed studies, such as attrition, selection and response bias, imprecise de...
Noninstructional Staff Perceptions of the College Climate.

This chapter presents findings from a study of noninstructional community college staff, focusing on staff perception of organizational climate, the impact of gender on staff interactions with faculty and students, and perceptions of workplace satisfaction.
Representation and black womanhood: the legacy of Sarah Baartman

Representation and black womanhood: the legacy of Sarah Baartman, by Natasha Gordon-Chipembere, New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, 207 pp., $85.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-230-11779-2 Sarah Baartman's...
Metabolic Responses of Separated Leucocytes to Phytohaemagglutinin: Effects of Anaerobiasis, Actinomycin D and Puromycin

Metabolic changes needed for response to PHA were sought. Normal lymphocytes (N-L), which respond strongly to PHA showed in 1.5–2.5 hour cultures sharp increases in RNA and protein synthesis, in glycolysis and O2 consumption. Leukaemic lymphocytes (CLL-L), which respond poorly to PHA, had higher initial rates of synthesis of RNA and protein, but lesser glycolytic activity than N-L. Moderate increase in glycolysis occurred with PHA. Polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN), which do not transform with PHA, showed increased RNA synthesis and glycolysis in brief cultures, but protein synthesis decreased. N-L and PMN showed a moderate increase in glycolysis in N2, while CLL-L responded very strongly. Actinomycin D blocked RNA synthesis and puromycin blocked protein synthesis, but neither prevented initial stimulation of glycolysis by PHA. Glycolysis decreased, however, and blast-cell formation was prevented in longer cultures with either antibiotic. Protein and RNA synthesis apparently are required to maintain the increased levels of glycolysis needed for cell transformation. It is suggested that PHA acts at allosteric sites on protein repressors or inducers of operator genes to activate a series of reactions which simulate those in immunological responses.
Monomeric OH Stretching Frequencies in Monohalogenated Monocarboxylic Acids

In a recent publication from these laboratories we discussed spectra-structure correlations for pure monohalogenated monocarboxylic acids and noted that the bonded OH stretching vibration appeared to undergo a frequency shift in certain of the compounds studied. The extreme broadness of these absorption bands prevents accurate peak frequency measurements. We have now measured the frequencies of the monomeric OH stretching frequencies of these compounds in carbon tetrachloride solution, along with those of a few unsubstituted acids for comparison, and report the results here.
Forecasting Age-Specific Brain Cancer Mortality Rates Using Functional Data Analysis Models

Incidence and mortality rates are considered as a guideline for planning public health strategies and allocating resources. We apply functional data analysis techniques to model age-specific brain cancer mortality trend and forecast entire age-specific functions using exponential smoothing state-space models. The age-specific mortality curves are decomposed using principal component analysis and fit functional time series model with basis functions. Nonparametric smoothing methods are used to mitigate the existing randomness in the observed data. We use functional time series model on age-specific brain cancer mortality rates and forecast mortality curves with prediction intervals using exponential smoothing state-space model. We also present a disparity of brain cancer mortality rates among the age groups together with the rate of change of mortality rates. The data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program of the United States. The brain cancer mortality rates, classified under International Classification Disease code ICD-O-3, were extracted from SEERStat software.
The Influence of State Taxation and Regulation On Selected Bank Activities

The effects of state tax and regulatory policies on the location of real, financial, and portfolio choice activity of banks are investigated. The results show that banks have increased their efforts to avoid tax and regulatory policies since the 1980 Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act. Delaware and South Dakota have been very effective in designing policies to attract banking, but they appear to have benefited from first-mover advantages. Overall, the effects of taxes and regulations remain small, probably because the regulatory and technological environments have only recently become conducive to interstate tax-avoidance behavior.
METABOLIC STUDIES IN ARGININEMIA

A Mexican-American female, G.M., was seen at 4 years of age with spasticity, hypertonicity, loss of ability to walk, decreased weight and length, severe microcephaly, marked EEG abnormalities without seizures, and normal blood ammonia. Blood arginine levels ranged from 390 to 1074 μmol/1 (normal 61 to 173). Increased arginine and argininosuccinic acid were present in the urine. Arginase activity in red blood cells was 24 nmol/hr/mg hemoglobin with a mean of 1784 and a range of 825 to 2446 in 10 control samples. Decreased activity consistent with a heterozygote state was present in the mother and in 5 of 6 siblings. Arginase activity in a percutaneous liver biopsy was 1580 nmol/hr/mg protein with a range of 89,000 to 158,000 in 4 controls. Arginase was <100 nmol/hr/mg protein in skin clippings with a range of 18,000 to 103,000 in 7 controls. Arginase activity was measured as ornithine production in extracts of cultured skin fibroblasts and found to be 22.5 nmol /hr/mg protein in the propositus with a control range of 14.9 to 43.8. We are evaluating whether control fibroblast arginase activity is lower when serum of the propositus is substituted for fetal calf serum in the growth medium. The low level of fibroblast arginase was also measurable as production of [14C] urea from [14C-guanido] arginine. Therapy was attempted by oral administration of up to 500 mg/kg/d of L-lysine and subsequently by infusion of 8 ml/kg packed red blood cells (post-transfusion red cell arginase, 695 nmol/hr/mg hemoglobin), but neither attempt had convincing effects on serum arginine or clinical parameters.
Direct observation of rhodamine dimer structures in water

Abstract Self-association of rhodamine B, rhodamine 6G, and their mixture in aqueous solution has been studied by two-dimensional proton-proton nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy in the laboratory (NOESY) and rotating frames (ROESY). The strength of the observed cross-peaks between protons that are distant in the rhodamine monomer demonstrates intermolecular proximity between homodimers of rhodamine B and rhodamine 6G, and between heterodimers of rhodamine B and rhodamine 6G. It is shown that stacking of the xanthene rings occurs in all homo- and heterodimer interactions.
Sex Differences, Sex Experience, Sex Guilt, and Explicitly Sexual Films

Two pornographic films portraying face-to-face intercourse and oral-genital sex between the same couple were viewed by 194 single male and 183 single female undergraduates. The males were more aroused than the females by the film of oral-genital sex. Females, high sex-guilt subjects, and less sexually experienced subjects rated the films as more pornographic, disgusting, and offensive. High guilt subjects saw the oral-genital sex as abnormal. Males reported more affective arousal indicative of general activation and approach tendencies, while women reported larger increases in negative affects after viewing the films.
PATHOLOGY OF THE DERMATITIS CAUSED BY MEGALOPYGE OPERCULARIS, A TEXAN CATERPILLAR.

1. The dermatitis caused by contact with the larva of Megalopyge opercularis is produced by a poison introduced by the hollow, specialized setae of its cuticular tubercles. It is not produced by the ornamental hairs, or by the tissue juices of the animal. 2. The poison appears to be of the nature of a venom, combined with protein vehicles, and may be itself a protein. 3. It is rendered inert by boiling, or by heating to 55°C. for a considerable period of time. 4. It is apparently stored in sacs at the base of the setae, but whether secreted there, or by hypodermal glands, remains to be determined. 5. It diminishes in virulence after the larva has spun its cocoon, and is no longer active after the caterpillar is dead. 6. The poisonous spines cause localized necrosis of the human epidermis, followed by the formation of small vesicles. The cellular reaction to the poison is chiefly lymphocytic.
Iridium anomaly associated with the Australasian tektite-producing impact: Masses of the impactor and of the Australasian tektites

Abstract Recently published studies of Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) cores from near southeast Asia revealed microtektite contents much higher than those in previously studied cores, suggesting that Ir contents might be enhanced in the tektite-bearing horizons. We determined a positive Ir anomaly in ODP core 758B from the Ninetyeast Ridge, eastern Indian Ocean; the peak Ir concentration of 190 pg/ g was ~2× the continuum level. The net Ir fluence is 1.8 ± 0.5 ng cm−2 over the depth interval from 10.87 to 11.32 m; a small additional peak also associated with microtektites contributes another 0.5 ng Ir cm−2. Concentrations of Ir in core 769A show more scatter, but a small Ir enhancement is associated with the peak microtektite abundance; our best estimate of the poorly constrained fluence is 1.3 ± 0.7 ng cm−2. Data on deep-sea cores show that the microtektite fluence falls exponentially away from southeast Asia, the fluence dropping a factor of 2 in ~400 km. In southeast Asia the trend merges with a roughly estimated mass fluence of ~ 1.1 g cm−2 inferred from evidence of a melt sheet in northeast Thailand. Integration of the inferred distribution yields a total mass of Australasian tektites of 3.2 · 1016 g, much higher than previous estimates. Assuming a similar fallout distribution for the impactor and a chondritic composition allows us to calculate its mass to be 1.5 · 1015 g, about 3 orders of magnitude smaller than the minimum mass of the impactor responsible for the extinctions at the end of the Cretaceous.
Behavioral Studies of Telencephalic Function in Reptiles

Within the past two decades there has been a growing appreciation of the role of behavior in the ecology and evolution of populations. Behavior, we now recognize, plays a pivotal role in those organism-environment interactions—such as food gathering, niche differentiation, and social organization—which together help to define each population and provide the raw material of selection (Mayr, 1969, 1970, 1974; Moynihan, 1973). Indeed, the behavioral complexes of the various taxa are as distinctive as their morphology. What, then, are the neural substrates of these behaviors which delineate taxa and act, through selection, to shape the course of evolution?
Effects of alcohol, uncertainty and novelty upon response selection.

Following consumption of an alcohol or placebo beverage, one group of twelve subjects made familiar and a second group of twelve made novel responses to tachistoscopically presented letters from stimulus groups comprised of two, four or eight letters. It was found that blood alcohol concentrations approximating 80 mg-% have little effect on letter identification times when stimulus-response associations are highly familiar. When associations are novel, identifications times are increased by alcohol and the magnitude of the increase is logarithmic (log2) with the number of equally likely stimulus-response pairs. When obtained, alcohol effects retard selection of the identification response rather than influencing stimulus recognition per se.
Simultaneous orbital adenoid cystic carcinoma and intracranial meningioma

A 42-year-old man was found to have an intracranial mass and an apparently contiguous intraorbital tumor. Radiographic features suggested extension of a single tumor. A biopsy showed the intracranial tumor to be a meningioma; however, excision of the orbital tumor showed adenoid cystic carcinoma. This report documents the simultaneous occurrence of an intracranial meningioma and intraorbital adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Crime, Police, and Truth-in-Sentencing: The Impact of State Sentencing Policy on Local Communities

Abstract This paper considers two related questions: the impact of spatial variation in crime prevention policies on the migration of criminal activity into nearby locations and the tendency for higher-level government anti-crime policies to be offset by a scaling back of local crime deterrent efforts. A key source of identification is to draw upon variation in the timing of adoption of state-wide Truth-in-Sentencing (TIS) legislation during the 1990s. To estimate the effect of the policy, I compare activity in adjacent counties on opposite sides of state boundaries in the 59 urban areas that cross state lines. There are three key results. First, adoption of TIS lowers the level of criminal activity in the adopting state. Second, adoption of the stiffer sentencing policy prompts migration of criminal activity into adjacent counties in the neighboring state, especially in the most populated urban areas. Finally, after the imposition of TIS by the state government, local governments reduce the level of police protection. This suggests that some of the deterrent effect of higher-level government anti-crime policy is offset by a scaling back on anti-crime efforts at the local level.
4.5-J Brillouin phase-conjugate mirror producing excellent near- and far-field fidelity

We describe a dual-cell Brillouin oscillator–amplifier phase-conjugate mirror that has operated with 4.5-J, ~45-ns FWHM pulses at 1.05 μm. We obtained an energy reflectivity of 75% and excellent near- and far-field conjugation fidelity even with input beams having a spatially nonuniform intensity profile. The intensity variations were accommodated by the use of orthogonal pairs of cylindrical lenses to mix different transverse portions of the input beam within the Brillouin amplifier. This mixing ensures that all portions of the input-beam cross section experience the same Brillouin amplification.