cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of left atrial respiratory and cardiac motion for cardiac ablation therapy

Cardiac ablation therapy is often guided by models built from preoperative computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. One of the challenges in guiding a procedure from a preoperative model is properly synching the preoperative models with cardiac and respiratory motion through computational motion models. In this paper, we describe a methodology for evaluating cardiac and respiratory motion in the left atrium and pulmonary veins of a beating canine heart. Cardiac catheters were used to place metal clips within and near the pulmonary veins and left atrial appendage under fluoroscopic and ultrasound guidance and a contrast-enhanced, 64-slice multidetector CT scan was collected with the clips in place. Each clip was segmented from the CT scan at each of the five phases of the cardiac cycle at both end-inspiration and end-expiration. The centroid of each segmented clip was computed and used to evaluate both cardiac and respiratory motion of the left atrium. A total of three canine studies were completed, with 4 clips analyzed in the first study, 5 clips in the second study, and 2 clips in the third study. Mean respiratory displacement was 0.2±1.8 mm in the medial/lateral direction, 4.7±4.4 mm in the anterior/posterior direction (moving anterior on inspiration), and 9.0±5.0 mm superior/inferior (moving inferior with inspiration). At end inspiration, the mean left atrial cardiac motion at the clip locations was 1.5±1.3 mm in the medial/lateral direction, and 2.1±2.0 mm in the anterior/posterior and 1.3±1.2 mm superior/inferior directions. At end expiration, the mean left atrial cardiac motion at the clip locations was 2.0±1.5 mm in the medial/lateral direction, 3.0±1.8 mm in the anterior/posterior direction, and 1.5±1.5 mm in the superior/inferior directions.
The Diagnostic Utility of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) in Patients With Chest Pain, Elevated Cardiac Enzymes, and Non-Obstructed Coronary Arteries

According to the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) consensus document on the universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI), the cornerstone tests required for diagnosis are biomarkers such as troponins and the 12-lead ECG.1 Widespread use of troponin assays over recent years has significantly improved the diagnosis of MI and enabled the identification of patients with small infarcts, many of whom would not have been identified previously. Despite this, the diagnosis of MI can still pose problems in clinical practice. In this issue of Revista Espanola de Cardiologia, Laraudogoitia et al2 explore the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients presenting with features of acute MI by the consensus definition but without significant coronary artery stenosis on coronary angiography.
Can a Single Brain Region Predict a Disorder

We perform prediction of diverse disorders (cocaine use, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease) in unseen subjects from brain functional magnetic resonance imaging. First, we show that for multisubject prediction of simple cognitive states (e.g., motor versus calculation and reading), voxels-as-features methods produce clusters that are similar for different leave-one-subject-out folds; while for group classification (e.g., cocaine addicted versus control subjects), voxels are scattered and less stable. Therefore, we chose to use a single region per experimental condition and a majority vote classifier. Interestingly, our method outperforms state-of-the-art techniques. Our method can integrate multiple experimental conditions and successfully predict disorders in unseen subjects (leave-one-subject-out generalization accuracy: 89.3% and 90.9% for cocaine use, 96.4% for schizophrenia and 81.5% for Alzheimer's disease). Our experimental results not only span diverse disorders, but also different experimental designs (block design and event related tasks), facilities, magnetic fields (1.5T, 3T, 4T) and speed of acquisition (interscan interval from 1600 to 3500 ms). We further argue that our method produces a meaningful low-dimensional representation that retains discriminability.
Embedded capture and access: encouraging recording and reviewing of data in the caregiving domain

The use of ubiquitous computing to aid in the capture of everyday experiences has been a commonly studied application area. Previous systems have enabled the capture of classroom lectures, meetings, or surgical procedures. However, many of these systems saw infrequent access to captured data, mostly because accessing the data required a high-need situation in order to go through the trouble of finding the specific situation. We believe that if access was made more ubiquitous, people would be more inclined to use it. In this article, we present the notion of embedded capture and access, which aims to make both data capture and access ubiquitous, thus encouraging better reflection on captured data. We provide a description of the notion of embedded capture and access and describe how we applied this technique to two domains of caregivers: therapists working with individuals with autism and parents collecting developmental data on their young children. Through the development of fully functional prototypes, we were able to show that technologies using embedded capture and access are a successful means to supporting data recording and review.
Instructional Set and Thematic Apperception Test Validity

The strong controversy over the Thematic Apperception Test's (TAT) validity may be partly due to the divergent results critics and advocates have obtained in their own research. It is noted that conditions of test administration are closely associated with quality of TAT research results. To demonstrate a cause of TAT invalidity, 199 adolescents were given the TAT following one of four instructional sets: neutral, following a personality test, emphasizing that the TAT is a personality test, and in a nonthreatening but structured setting. As expected, stories written after neutral instructions were valid predictors of need for achievement, affiliation, and power criteria; whereas other stories yielded nonsignificant and sometimes negative validities. It was concluded that the instructions are crucial to the quality of TAT results, and suggestions were offered to help ensure validity.
Quasi-Differential Posets and Cover Functions of Distributive Lattices

A distributive lattice L with 0 is finitary if every interval is finite. A function f:N0?N0 is a cover function for L if every element with n lower covers has f(n) upper covers. In this paper, all finitary distributive lattices with non-decreasing cover functions are characterized. A 1975 conjecture of Richard P. Stanley is thereby settled.
Effects of carbon content in iron catalyst coatings on the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on smooth silicon surfaces by thermal chemical vapor deposition

Carbon content in sputter coated iron catalyst was found to be an important parameter for the successful growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on smooth silicon surfaces by means of thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Pre-saturation of iron catalyst nanoparticles with carbon reduced the difference in the induction time for the growth of carbon nanotubes. This allows neighboring carbon nanotubes to support each other from its initial growth phase and thus effectively prevent them from growing into randomly oriented carbon nanotube networks on smooth silicon substrates. Cast iron containing carbon was found to be an effective sputtering target for achieving the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on smooth silicon surfaces. On the contrast, pure iron sputtering target was found to be ineffective. Correlation of in-situ measured sheet resistance of sputter coated iron catalyst with the alignment of carbon nanotubes revealed the optimal control of the amount of carbon containing iron catalyst coatings for the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on smooth silicon surfaces. The optimal catalyst coating was when the in-situ measured sheet resistance vs. sputtering time was near the transitional zone between that with rapidly declining sheet resistance and that with slow declining sheet resistance with respect to sputtering time. Co-sputtering of an iron target partially covered by graphite sheets as well as sequential sputtering of pure iron and graphite were also applied to confirm the effectiveness of carbon content in iron coatings for the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
Molecular Dynamics Study of a Lipid−DNA Complex

Lipid−DNA complexes are of topical interest because of their potential for use as vectors in gene therapy. Herein, molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to probe the nature of lipid−DNA interactions and thereby provide a complement to recent experimental and theoretical studies. Specifically, we have investigated the DNA duplex d(CCAACGTTGG)2, in its canonical B-form, intercalated into a lipid bilayer consisting of a neutralizing binary mixture of cationic (dimyristoyltrimethylammonium propaneDMTAP) and zwitterionic (dimyristoylphosphatidylcholineDMPC) lipids. Surprisingly, both lipids are involved in neutralizing the anionic DNA phosphate groups. The electrostatic interactions between the cationic trimethylammonium (TAP) and zwitterionic phosphocholine (PC) headgroups of the two lipids allow the PC headgroups to orient out of the bilayer plane and thereby also become available to screen the negative charges on the DNA.
Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Is a Target for Mutant SOD1 Toxicity in Mitochondria

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease affecting the motor neurons. The majority of familial forms of ALS are caused by mutations in the Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1). In mutant SOD1 spinal cord motor neurons, mitochondria develop abnormal morphology, bioenergetic defects, and degeneration. However, the mechanisms of mitochondrial toxicity are still unclear. One possibility is that mutant SOD1 establishes aberrant interactions with nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins, which can interfere with their normal trafficking from the cytosol to mitochondria. Lysyl-tRNA synthetase (KARS), an enzyme required for protein translation that was shown to interact with mutant SOD1 in yeast, is a good candidate as a target for interaction with mutant SOD1 at the mitochondrion in mammals because of its dual cytosolic and mitochondrial localization. Here, we show that in mammalian cells mutant SOD1 interacts preferentially with the mitochondrial form of KARS (mitoKARS). KARS-SOD1 interactions occur also in the mitochondria of the nervous system in transgenic mice. In the presence of mutant SOD1, mitoKARS displays a high propensity to misfold and aggregate prior to its import into mitochondria, becoming a target for proteasome degradation. Impaired mitoKARS import correlates with decreased mitochondrial protein synthesis. Ultimately, the abnormal interactions between mutant SOD1 and mitoKARS result in mitochondrial morphological abnormalities and cell toxicity. mitoKARS is the first described member of a group of mitochondrial proteins whose interaction with mutant SOD1 contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS.
Synthesis of well‐defined, functionalized polymer latex particles through semicontinuous emulsion polymerization processes

The design of a semicontinuous emulsion polymerization process, primarily based on theoretical calculations, has been carried out with the objective of achieving overall independent control over the latex particle size, the monodispersity in the particle size distribution, the homogeneous copolymer composition, the concentration of functional groups (e.g., carboxyl groups), and the glass-transition temperature with n-butyl methacrylate/n-butyl acrylate/methacrylic acid as a model system. The surfactant coverage on the latex particles is very important for maintaining a constant particle number throughout the feed process, and this results in the formation of monodisperse latex particles. A model has been set up to calculate the surfactant coverage from the monomer feed rate, surfactant feed rate, desired solid content, and particle size. This model also leads to an equation correlating the polymerization rate to the instantaneous conversion of the monomer or comonomer mixture. This equation can be used to determine the maximum polymerization rate, only below or at which monomer-starved conditions can be achieved. The maximum polymerization rate provides guidance for selecting the monomer feed rate in the semicontinuous emulsion polymerization process. The glass-transition temperature of the resulting carboxylated poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl acrylate) copolymer can be adjusted through variations in the compositions of the copolymers with the linear Pochan equation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 30–41, 2003
Screening assays for biomass-degrading enzymes

The enzymes that break down the components of lignocellulosic biomass play an important role in the production of value-added chemical feedstocks and biofuels. In order to accommodate the variety of substrates and industrial process conditions, enzymes with diverse activity profiles are required. These enzymes are encoded by genes obtained either through screening of microorganisms or genetic engineering of cloned genes by techniques such as directed evolution. Both of these strategies require activity assays that facilitate the screening of many recombinants to isolate those with the desired characteristics. In this review, activity assays for enzymes that degrade cellulose and hemicellulose (specifically xylan) are described for analyzing samples at various throughputs.
Family medicine pharmacy residency programs.

Family medicine practices have employed clinical pharmacists for over 20 years.[1][1] The early incorporation of clinical pharmacists in these positions has allowed for the training of pharmacy students, residents, and fellows in family medicine. The interaction between clinical pharmacists and
Higher-order semantic counterconditioning of Filipino women's evaluations of heterosexual behaviors

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if semantic counterconditioning could modify semantic differential ratings regarding premarital sexual behaviors, in Filipino women whose culture exerts great control over such matters. A total of 303 unmarried, predominantly middle class, English speaking, Roman Catholic Filipino women aged 15–21 years volunteered to be subjects. Significant changes in the semantic differential ratings were obtained in four of the five CS (conditioned stimuli) phrases for subjects receiving semantic counterconditioning. Lesser changes in the semantic differential ratings for the same phrases were obtained from subjects in the Pseudo Conditioning and Repetition Control groups.
A New PIN Diode for UHF-VHF Applications

Semiconductor diodes are useful for a variety of control functions in electronic circuits. Improved performance and efficiency as well as savings in cost and weight are often achieved when mechanical or gaseous control devices are replaced by semiconductor devices.
Outcomes after radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether urinary incontinence after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for prostate cancer is improved by the preservation of the puboprostatic ligaments or bladder neck; whether impotency is reduced by the preservation of the neurovascular bundles; and whether positive surgical margins are a risk with more precise bladder neck and apical dissection. Methods RRP was performed sequentially in three groups using tennis racquet reconstruction, bladder neck preservation, or bladder neck and puboprostatic ligament preservation, and continence and surgical margin status were assessed. Also, recovery of potency and surgical margin status were evaluated when both, one, or no neurovascular bundles were preserved. Results A total of 244 patients had a social continence rate of 90%, 100%, and 89% after tennis racquet reconstruction, bladder neck preservation, or bladder neck and puboprostatic ligament preservation, respectively. The mean time to recovery of continence was similar for tennis racquet reconstruction (2.3 months) and bladder neck preservation (2.9 months) but was longer ( P Conclusions Neurovascular bundle and bladder neck preservation decrease morbidity and rarely risk margin positivity. Bladder neck plus puboprostatic ligament preservation delays and does not improve overall continence.
Superconductivity by quantum size effect. I: The mesoscopic ring

Abstract We show that a metallic torus is a superconductor as a result of the energy gaps between electron pairs, which the quantum size effect already provides in the absence of any dynamic pairing interaction. The ring exhibits the Meissner effect, obeys the London equation and is capable of flux quantization in units of h 2e . For a mesoscopic torus with a radius of 400 A made from a metal with a flat Fermi surface and with a normal conduction electron density, the transition temperature is near 100 K, the critical current density is about 109 A cm−2 and the magnetization is a periodic function of the external flux penetrating the ring (with period h 2e ) up to several hundred tesla. At higher fields the strong superconducting flux expulsion gives way to the standard weak Landau diamagnetism. For a metal with a spherical Fermi surface both the Meissner flux expulsion and the critical temperature are drastically reduced.
Anthropocentrism vs. Nonanthropocentrism: Why Should We Care?

Many recent critical discussions of anthropocentrism have focused on Bryan Nortonʼs ʻconvergence hypothesisʼ: the claim that both anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric ethics will recommend the same environmentally responsible behaviours and policies. I argue that even if we grant the truth of Nortonʼs convergence hypothesis, there are still good reasons to worry about anthropocentric ethics. Ethics legitimately raises questions about how to feel, not just about which actions to take or which policies to adopt. From the point of view of norms for feeling, anthropocentrism has very different practical implications from nonanthropocentrism; it undermines some of the common attitudes – love, respect, awe – that people think it appropriate to take toward the natural world.
Modeling the formation and fate of the near-surface temperature maximum in the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean

[1] A numerical model is used to investigate the time and space extent of the near-surface temperature maximum (NSTM) of the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean over the years 2000–2009. The NSTM is formed from local summertime absorption of solar radiation which, in some circumstances, descends through the fall and early winter to form a warm subsurface layer just below the winter mixed layer. We find that winter survival of this layer is confined largely to the Beaufort Gyre of the Canadian Basin, where Ekman convergence and downwelling push the summer warm layer down below the winter mixing depth. In recent years, summer stratification has increased, downwelling has accelerated, and the NSTM has warmed as the sea ice cover in the Beaufort Gyre has thinned. The result is a strengthening NSTM which contained enough heat by the end of winter 2007/2008 to melt about 20 cm of sea ice. Northwest of Alaska the model also simulates a second, deeper temperature maximum layer that forms from advection of saltier summer Pacific water. However, this layer is difficult to adequately resolve and maintain given the model's resolution.
Ti-Ni Phase Diagram with Applied Stress

The role of stress on the phase evolution of thin-film TiNi has not been investigated and may play an important role in the phase evolution of thin film TiNi. In this paper, a preliminary set of phase diagrams for Ni-Ti at different pressures are presented relating the stability of the stoichiometric TiNi phase to the other well-documented intermetallics TiNi 3 and NiTi 2 . It is found that for sufficient pressure of the order of a GPa, the region where NiTi (β) phase is single phase shifts towards the Ti-rich side of the diagram. The implications on the annealing of TiNi thin film is discussed.
BLACK BODY RADIATION FROM A SELF-CONSISTENT FIELD THEORY OF QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS

An earlier derivation of a property of the nonlinear field equations of a new theory of electrodynamics, which indicates all the physical consequences of the Pauli exclusion principle for a many-particle system (2), is extended to a consideration of predictions that compare with the observed spectral distribution of black-body radiation. It is shown that when a cavity is assumed to contain an arbitrary number of positronium atoms, in their ground states of null energy-momentum (1), the exact solutions for this state imply a dynamical uncoupling of the positronium gas from the interacting charges in the cavity walls in agreement with the experimental observations. It is further shown that when such a system of positronium atoms, treated as in ideal gas, establishes thermodynamic equilibrium, it can be described by an arbitrary number of randomly orienteddistinguishable oscillators at a temperatureT. The application of Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics thereby yields the Planck spectral distribution law for a system in which “ photons ” and source-free radiation play no role.
The Silicon Pixel Sensors in ATLAS

The ATLAS experiment is now in the process of finalizing the development of the design of silicon pixel sensors for use in the pixel detector. The sensors will be operated in a severe LHC radiation enviroment with bias voltages at the end of lifetime up to 600 V while maintaining a good signal-to-noise ratio and charge collection efficiency, small cell size and minimal multiple scattering. The radiation hardness issues and quality assurance procedures are discussed.
THE REPORTED FREQUENCY OF TOOTHBRUSHING AS RELATED TO THE PREVALENCE OF PERIODONTAL DISEASES IN NEW MEXICO

The selection of a sample still appears dreadfully important for a significant clinical study.
Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part II: Dual Relationships Revisited:

The authors, both social work educators, serve on an ethics call line committee that provides insights on how the provisions of the (United States) National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW, 1996) interface with the ethical dilemmas encountered by the social work community. In this paper, the authors highlight aspects of social work practice that they consider ethical, yet not easily accommodated by the provisions of the current Code. They also question the 1996 introduction of the concept of dual relationships into the Code and suggest that the Code adopt the less ambiguous term of boundary violations. Also recognized by the authors is the need for clear boundaries for the protection of clients against temptations that might arise in a fiduciary relationship, and for the legal protection of social workers. But, the authors argue, social work practitioners in certain settings, with particular populations, and in certain roles, inevitably face multiple relationships as an integral aspect ...
Analysis of a communication system with imperfect repair

Abstract This paper is devoted to the modelling and the calculation of dependability measures of a complex communication system with dormant failure modes and imperfect repair. Steady state availability, interval availability and mean time to failure are evaluated with Markov chain technique. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is performed to quantify system specificities. Numerical results are provided.
Acute interstitial nephritis associated with ticlopidine

Ticlopidine, a platelet aggregation inhibitor, has been approved to decrease the risk of thrombotic stroke. We describe a 75-year-old white woman who developed acute renal failure 10 days after initiating ticlopidine therapy. A renal biopsy revealed interstitial infiltrates containing lymphocytes and eosinophils. To our knowledge this is the first report of ticlopidine-induced acute interstitial nephritis.
Development of adjustment functions to assess combined safety effects of multiple treatments on rural two-lane roadways

Numerous studies have attempted to evaluate the safety effectiveness of specific single treatment on roadways by estimating crash modification factors (CMFs). However, there is a need to also assess safety effects of multiple treatments since multiple treatments are usually simultaneously applied to roadways. Due to the lack of sufficient CMFs of multiple treatments, the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) provides combining method for multiple CMFs. However, it is cautioned in the HSM and related sources that combined safety effect of multiple CMFs may be over or under estimated. Moreover, the literature did not evaluate the accuracy of the combining method using CMFs obtained from the same study area. Thus, the main objectives of this research are: (1) to estimate CMFs and crash modification functions (CM Functions) for two single treatments (shoulder rumble strips, widening (1–9 ft) shoulder width) and combination (installing shoulder rumble strips + widening shoulder width) using the observational before–after with empirical Bayes (EB) method and (2) to develop adjustment factors and functions to assess combined safety effects of multiple treatments based on the accuracy of the combined CMFs for multiple treatments estimated by the existing combining method. Data was collected for rural two-lane roadways in Florida and Florida-specific safety performance functions (SPFs) were estimated for different crash types and severities. The CM Functions and adjustment functions were developed using linear and nonlinear regression models. The results of before–after with EB method show that the two single treatments and combination are effective in reducing total and SVROR (single vehicle run-off roadway) crashes. The results indicate that the treatments were more safety effective for the roadway segments with narrower original shoulder width in the before period. It was found that although the CMFs for multiple treatments (i.e., combination of two single treatments) were generally lower than CMFs for single treatments, they were getting similar to the roadway segments with wider shoulder width. The findings indicate that the combined safety effects of multiple treatments using HSM combining method are mostly over-estimated and the accuracy of HSM combining method vary based on crash types and severity levels. Therefore, it is recommended to develop and apply the adjustment factors and functions to predict the safety effects of multiple treatments when the HSM combining method is used.
Changing dynamic behavior of periodic structures by using piezoelectric circuitry with negative resistance

Integrating a piezoelectric circuitry, which consists of a piezoelectric transducer connected with electrical circuitry elements, to a mechanical structure can alter the dynamic behavior of the structural system. From a system dynamics standpoint, these circuitry elements are analogous to the mass, damping, and stiffness elements in the mechanical regime. Using op amp circuits we can synthesize circuitry elements with interesting characteristics such as tunable or negative elements. In this research, we demonstrate that the negative resistance element can reduce the overall system damping, thereby changing the dynamic response of mechanical structures. In particular, it will be shown that not only the response amplitude can be amplified; the response pattern in the mistuned periodic structure can be altered significantly upon the change of local structural properties. Such phenomena are analyzed systematically, and the potential advantage for structural damage detection is highlighted.
Ratio scales of acid sourness

Experiments were conducted to assess the relation between concentration, or pH, and the perceived sourness of 24 acids. The psychophysical functions for sourness conform to the power relation S = kCn which relates sensory intensity, S, to physical concentration, C. Averaged across the 24 acids, the exponent for sourness was 0.85 for both molar and percentage concentrations, and about −1.70 for pH concentration. The intercept, k, which is a measure of relative sourness, differed across acids. The particular measure used to designate the concentration of an acid markedly influenced its magnitude and rank order of sourness.
Stochastic simulation of the partition mechanism under diffusion-limited conditions in chromatography and electrochromatography

Abstract A three-dimensional stochastic simulation has been used to study the kinetics of the partition mechanism in a homogeneous system under diffusion-limited conditions. By nonlinear regression of the simulation data, the rate constants for transport between the fluid and surface phases (kfs and ksf) are determined with ±0.49% average relative standard deviation, and the ratio of the rate constants (kfs/ksf) with ±0.70% average relative standard deviation and ±2.25% average relative error. The results of these simulations are used to elucidate the relationship between the rate constants and the fundamental parameters of the system, including the equilibrium constant (K), the diffusion coefficients (Df and Ds), and the radius of the fluid and surface phases (Rf and Rs). In addition, the influence of slow kinetics on the solute zone profile is characterized under the conditions of laminar and electroosmotic flow. The mean, variance, and asymmetry of the zone profile are shown to vary systematically with the rate constants, the linear velocity, and the distance travelled.
Growth and changes in economic structure: a straightforward statistical approach with an application to the Italian economy.

The paper presented here, part of my PhD dissertation written under Professor Brian Reddaway's guidance, is offered as an example of his approach to applied economics as well as a tribute to his legacy. The scope of this paper is to suggest an operational approach to the analysis of growth, an approach that allows us to grasp immediately the most important changes that might occur in the structure of an economy. This procedure is applied to the Italian economy over the period of its most rapid growth (1960--79) to see whether some of the most important results established in the literature on modern economic growth are confirmed. Copyright The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.
Leadership qualities emerging in an online social support group intervention

Technology-delivered interventions addressing a broad range of problems for which clients present for therapy are proliferating. However, little is known of leadership dynamics that emerge in online group interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the types of leadership qualities that would emerge in an online social support group intervention to improve medication adherence for men with HIV, and to characterize the demographic and psychosocial profiles of leaders. Written posts (n = 616) from 66 men were coded using an adapted version of the Full Range Model of leadership. Results showed that 10% (n = 64) of posts reflected one of five leadership types, the most common of which was mentoring/providing feedback (40% of leadership posts). The next most common leadership style was instances in which encouragement was offered (30% of leadership posts). Leaders appeared to have lived with HIV longer and have higher Internet knowledge scores than non-leaders. Results indicate that online group int...
Some Stopping Powers for Iodine Ions

The atomic stopping cross sections of Au, Ni, Al, and C for I/sup 127/ ions in the energy range of 25 to 115 Mev were determined. (C.E.S.)
A comparison of acetylcholine structure-activity relations on the hearts of bivalve molluscs.

Abstract 1. 1. Acetylcholine (ACh) has a biphasic action in isolated hearts of Mytilus planulatus, M. edulis, Spisula solidissima and Tresus capax; low doses depress and high doses excite. The end point of both responses involves suppression of the beat and its associated electrical activity. 2. 2. The excitor response of Mytilus hearts was selectively blocked by d -tubocurarine; benzoquinonium perferentially antagonized depression. In other species, benzoquinonium blocked the depressor and excitor effects of ACh unequally. 3. 3. Within a series of n-ketoamyltrimethylammonium analogs of ACh, the 4-keto compound was the most effective depressor agent, while the 3-keto ion was optimally ecitatory. A similar structure-activity profile was obtained with the anterior byssus retractor muscle and with the rectum of M. planulatus. 4. 4. A number of other ACh analogs, including some choline esters, and tetrahydrofurane compounds were tested. Nearly all had either predominantly excitor or depressor effects on the isolated hearts. 5. 5. Excitation and inhibition of the Mytilus heart could be produced indirectly by stimulation of the visceral ganglion. In some cases the excitation could only be blocked by d -tubocurarine. 6. 6. In conclusion, there are separate excitatory and depressor “nicotinic” ACh receptors in bivalve hearts distinguishable by their structure-activity profiles. The exctitor receptor, at least in Mytilus, appears to play a physiological role in cardiac regulation.
Basal ganglia systems in ritualistic social displays: reptiles and humans; function and illness.

Abstract Complex, situation-specific territorial maintenance routines are similar across living terrestrial vertebrates (=amniotes). Decades ago, Paul MacLean et al., at the Laboratory of Brain Evolution and Behavior of the National Institute of Mental Health, postulated that these are evolutionarily conserved behaviors whose expression is mediated by the similarly conserved amniote basal ganglia and related brain systems (BG systems). Therefore, they undertook studies in nonhuman primates and in small social lizards (the common green anole, Anolis carolinensis ) to examine this idea. MacLean et al. also postulated that when BG systems misfunction in humans, behavioral abnormalities result, some of them under the rubric of psychiatric illnesses. Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) was singled out as one likely candidate. In the last dozen years, functional brain imaging studies of OCD patients have validated the contention that this is, in fact, a condition involving dysfunctioning BG systems. Inspired by the MacLean group's original investigations, my colleagues and I have now applied related functional imaging techniques in naturalistic experiments using Anolis to better understand BG systems' roles in the mediation of complex behavioral routines in healthy amniotes. Here, I will review this functional imaging work in primates (man, and a little in monkey) and in lizards. I believe the literature not only supports MacLean et al.'s contentions about BG systems and behavior in general, but also validates Paul MacLean's life-long contention that human behavioral medicine can profit from a broad comparative approach.
Awareness Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease: Issues in Assessment and Intervention

Unawareness of deficits is a challenging problem frequently encountered in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Understanding mediating and causative factors of unawareness is important for accurate assessment and effective intervention. However, clinicians should also consider the variability that is often present between and within AD patients and should avoid the use of dichotomous classifications of unawareness. In this article, current knowledge generated by both neurosciences and behavioral sciences provides the basis for identifying issues and offering recommendations pertinent to assessment and intervention of awareness deficits m AD. Remedial and compensatory efforts used with head-injured patients may have potential application to dementia patients with awareness deficits, especially for those in earlier stages. Knowledge in this area is still in an early stage of investigation. As more is known about the nature of awareness deficits, it will be possible to design more effective approaches...
A pituitary factor induces thymic epithelial cell proliferation in vitro

Abstract Human thymic epithelial cells (TEC) were grown in culture and confirmed to be keratin positive (98–100%) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) responsive. Bovine pituitary extracts (BPE) stimulated the proliferation of TEC. The proliferation of TEC was confirmed by cell counts and radioautography. The BPE was active as measured by tritiated thymidine incorporation in the absence of serum and in the absence of EGF. Individual anterior pituitary hormones (growth hormone, prolactin, ACTH, FSH, LH, TSH) and posterior pituitary hormones (vasopressin and oxytocin) were inactive alone to stimulate TEC proliferation. The effect of EGF but not BPE was blocked by an antibody to EGF suggesting that the active component of BPE is not EGF. Purification of the factor is in progress. The observations suggest that this pituitary-derived factor(s) may regulate thymic function in vivo .
Locality-preserving randomized oblivious routing on torus networks

We introduce Randomized Local Balance (RLB), a routing algorithm that strikes a balance between locality and load balance in torus networks, and analyze RLB's performance for benign and adversarial traffic permutations. Our results show that RLB outperforms deterministic algorithms (25% more bandwidth than Dimension Order Routing) and minimal oblivious algorithms (50% more bandwidth than 2 phase ROMM [9]) on worst-case traffic. At the same time, RLB offers higher throughput on local traffic than a fully randomized algorithm (4.6 times more bandwidth than VAL (Valiant's algorithm) [15] in the best case). RLBth (RLB threshold) improves the locality of RLB to match the throughput of minimal algorithms on very local traffic in exchange for a 4% reduction in worst-case throughput compared to RLB. Both RLB and RLBth give better throughput than all other algorithms we tested on randomly selected traffic permutations. While RLB algorithms have somewhat lower guaranteed bandwidth than VAL they have much lower latency at low offered loads (up to 3.65 times less for RLBth).
Lack of Allelic Exclusion in B Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

We determined the immunoglobulin (Ig) VH subgroup expressed by the leukemia cells of 108 patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Surprisingly, we found that six samples (5%) each expressed Ig of more than one VH subgroup. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that these samples each had rearrangements involving both Ig heavy chain alleles. Nucleic acid sequence analyses of the Ig cDNA revealed each to express two functional Ig VH genes: VH3-33 and VH4-39; VH3-7 and VH4-39; VH3-23 and VH4-61; VH2-70 and VH3-30.3; or VH3-30 and VH4-b (DP67). One sample expressed three Ig VH genes: VH2-70, VH3-7, and VH4-59. Despite having more than one Ig heavy chain transcript, each sample was found to express only one functional Ig light chain. From the primary sequence, we deduced that the Ig of some of these CLL samples should react with Lc1, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) reactive with a supratypic cross-reactive idiotype present on Ig encoded by a subgroup of Ig VH4 genes (namely, VH4-39, VH4-b [DP-67], VH4-59, or VH4-61), and B6, an mAb that reacts with Ig encoded by certain Ig VH3 genes (namely, VH3-23, VH3-30, or VH3-30.3), and/or modified staphylococcal protein A (SpA), a 45-kilodalton bacterial “superantigen” that reacts with most Ig of the VH3 subgroup. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that such samples did in fact react with Lc1 and B6 and/or SpA, but not with control mAbs of irrelevant specificity. This study demonstrates that a subset of CLL patients have leukemic B cells that express more than one functional Ig heavy chain.
Applying engineering feedback analysis tools to climate dynamics

The application of feedback analysis tools from engineering control theory to problems in climate dynamics is discussed through two examples. First, the feedback coupling between the thermohaline circulation and wind-driven circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean is analyzed with a relatively simple model, in order to better understand the coupled system dynamics. The simulation behavior is compared with analysis using root locus (in the linear regime) and describing functions (to predict limit cycle amplitude). The second example does not directly involve feedback, but rather uses simulation-based identification of low-order dynamics to understand parameter sensitivity in a model of El Nino/Southern Oscillation dynamics. The eigenvalue and eigenvector sensitivity can be used both to better understand physics and to tune more complex models. Finally, additional applications are discussed where control tools may be relevant to understand existing feedbacks in the climate system, or even to introduce new ones.
Mechanisms of Body-Temperature Regulation in Honeybees, Apis Mellifera: II. Regulation of Thoracic Temperature at High Air Temperatures

1.Honeybees could remain in continuous free flight at extremely high air temperatures (up to at least 46 °C). 2. The metabolic rate in free flight, 80–85 ml O 2 g body weight −1 h −1 , was independent of air temperature ( T A ) over a span of at least 22 °C. 3. The bees9 ability to fly at high T A was due to their ability to maintain thoracic temperature ( T Th ) near T A despite prodigious rates of heat production. Mechanisms of preventing T Th from overheating at high T A were investigated. 4. Bees in flight at high T A regurgitated fluid from their honeycrop and large droplets sometimes spread over the anterior portion of the thorax. 5. Bees without the first two sets of legs, or without a ‘tongue’, maintained as low T H and T Th as intact bees. 6. The abdomen serves only a minor function as a heat exchanger. In tethered bees, heating of the thorax to 45–50 °C resulted in significant, yet relatively little, temperature increase of the abdomen above that of dead or non heat-stressed animals. Similarly, in free flight abdominal temperatures ( T Ab ) were close to T A at all T A . 7. Thoracic heating to near lethal temperatures did not result in droplet extrusion from the mouth nor in significant physiologically facilitated heat transfer to the head. Furthermore, it resulted in no, or in relatively small, changes in pulsation of the aorta and the heart. 8. However, the bees prevented the head from overheating, and the head served as a heat sink for excess heat from the thorax. Keeping T H T A resulted in keeping T Th near T A . 9. It is concluded that during flight at high T A regulation of T H by evaporative cooling is the primary mechanism of reducing T Th .
Genetics and Social Inquiry

Social science and genetic science still have fairly little engagement with one another, but the continued swift development of genetic science has certainly gained social scientists' attention. First, some social scientists are incorporating techniques from quantitative and molecular genetics into their work. Genetic data is increasingly recognized as providing valuable leverage even for research animated by strict interest in social environmental causes. Second, social scientists have been interested in understanding aspects of genetic science as a social phenomenon. This literature identifies possible noxious effects of uncritical public accep- tance of genetic science, although how consistent these speculations are with public opinion and other available data is less clear. Because public understanding of genetics can influence behavior and social policies in ways that affect the ultimate causal potency of genes themselves, ad- equately theorizing genes as causes requires integration of these two lines of inquiry.
Effects of Polarizability on the Hydration of the Chloride Ion

Polarizable and nonpolarizable potential models for both water and chloride are used to address the issue of surface vs interior solvation of the chloride ion in Cl(H2O)n- clusters, for n up to 255. We find that, even for the largest clusters, simulations with polarizable water models show that the chloride ion is preferentially solvated near the surface of the cluster. This behavior is not observed with a nonpolarizable model. The many-body effects are not directly responsible for this solvation behavior; polarizability appears to be important primarily for its role in facilitating a larger average dipole moment on the water model. Polarizability on the chloride ion is not found to have a substantial effect on the structure of the clusters.
Some comments and data on the partial cue controversy and other matters relevant to investigations of subliminal phenomena.

Summary.-In response to a recent article by Guthrie and Wiener (1966) data and logical considerations are presented which support the following conclusions. (1) For a number of recent studies of subliminal phenomena, the most parsimonious explanation for positive results is one implicating the subliminal registration of content and, contrary to the claim oE Guthrie and Wiener, not one relating to structural cues in awareness. (2) Also contrary to their claim, Guthrie and Wiener's data provide little support for the view that even in the early investigation of Eagle (1959), Ss were responding to parrial cues. (3) Guthrie and Wiener's failure to obtain a content effect in their own experiment was most likely the result of the level at which their stimuli were exposed and/or their not taking into account subject variables that are relevant to the question of whether a subliminal effect can be demonstrated. In a recent paper, Guthrie and Wiener posit the view that "the part-cue response characterist~c model remains a tenable explanation for percepn~al behavior ascribed to subl~m~nal perception" (1966, p. 619). They use for their point of departure an experiment by Eagle ( 1959). Eagle found that a supraliminally presented picture of a ne~~tral figure (B stimulus) was described as having significantly more negative characteristics when it was preceded by a much more rapidly exposed "masked" figure with aggressive content (the experimental A stimulus) than by a similarly presented picture wich benign content (the control A stimulus). Guthrie and Wiener reject Eagle's claim of a subliminal effect, maintaining that a more valid explanation for these results relates to different supraliminal structural cues that the two A stimoli produced. They built their case for this "partial cue" hypothesis by performing three experiments. (1) First, they demonstrated that when Ss are asked to respond to supraliminally presented corved and angular lines by judging their impressions along various "trait dimensions" (e.g., "very cruel," "somewhat cruel," "sightly cruel,"' "very kind," "somewhat kind," "slightly kind"), the angular lines were assigned significantly more negative characteristics. From this they concluded that angular lines of above threshold stimuli can lead to the same trait judgments that Eagle ascribed to subliminal aggressive content. (2) Next, they presented Eagle's A stimuli in an ascending threshold procedure and asked Ss to judge the first lines or objects that they saw in terms of various suuctural characteristics. Here they found that Eagle's A stimulus with aggressive content was judged as having significantly
A Swan Song for the Swan-Song Phenomenon: Multi-Level Evidence against Robust End-of-Life Effects for Classical Composers

Simonton (1989) examined late-life creativity, analyzing 1,919 works by 172 classical composers, and found that their late compositions were less melodically original (and sometimes shorter in dura...