cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Multi-Faceted Nature of Mindfulness

Brown, Ryan, and Creswell have provided an exceptional overview of theory and research on mindfulness, and we find ourselves in basic agreement with most of their points. Thus, we will devote our a...
Validation of Walk Score ® for Estimating Neighborhood Walkability: An Analysis of Four US Metropolitan Areas

Neighborhood walkability can influence physical activity. We evaluated the validity of Walk Score® for assessing neighborhood walkability based on GIS (objective) indicators of neighborhood walkability with addresses from four US metropolitan areas with several street network buffer distances (i.e., 400-, 800-, and 1,600-meters). Address data come from the YMCA-Harvard After School Food and Fitness Project, an obesity prevention intervention involving children aged 5–11 years and their families participating in YMCA-administered, after-school programs located in four geographically diverse metropolitan areas in the US (n = 733). GIS data were used to measure multiple objective indicators of neighborhood walkability. Walk Scores were also obtained for the participant’s residential addresses. Spearman correlations between Walk Scores and the GIS neighborhood walkability indicators were calculated as well as Spearman correlations accounting for spatial autocorrelation. There were many significant moderate correlations between Walk Scores and the GIS neighborhood walkability indicators such as density of retail destinations and intersection density (p < 0.05). The magnitude varied by the GIS indicator of neighborhood walkability. Correlations generally became stronger with a larger spatial scale, and there were some geographic differences. Walk Score® is free and publicly available for public health researchers and practitioners. Results from our study suggest that Walk Score® is a valid measure of estimating certain aspects of neighborhood walkability, particularly at the 1600-meter buffer. As such, our study confirms and extends the generalizability of previous findings demonstrating that Walk Score is a valid measure of estimating neighborhood walkability in multiple geographic locations and at multiple spatial scales.
Continence Definition After Radical Prostatectomy Using Urinary Quality of Life: Evaluation of Patient Reported Validated Questionnaires

Purpose: After radical prostatectomy continence is commonly defined as no pads except a security pad or 0 to 1 pad. We evaluated the association of pad status and urinary quality of life to determine whether security and 1 pad status differ from pad-free status to better define 0 pads as the post-prostatectomy standard.Materials and Methods: A total of 500 consecutive men underwent robot assisted radical prostatectomy from October 2003 to July 2007. Data were collected prospectively and entered into an electronic database. Postoperatively men completed self-administered validated questionnaires including questions on 1) daily pad use (0, security, 1, or 2 or more), 2) urine leakage (daily, about once weekly, less than once weekly or not at all), 3) urinary control (none, frequent dribbling, occasional dribbling or total control), 4) American Urological Association symptom score and 5) urinary quality of life.Results: Postoperatively men who indicated 0 pad use had a mean ± SE symptom score of 5.8 ± 0.3 an...
Advancing Achievement Goal Theory: Using Goal Structures and Goal Orientations to Predict Students' Motivation, Cognition, and Achievement.

The objective of this study was to investigate how different components of achievement goal theory were related to each other and to students' motivation, cognitive engagement, and achievement in mathematics. Junior high school students (N = 525) completed a self-report survey that assessed their perceived classroom goal structures; personal goal orientations; and a collection of outcomes that included persistence, procrastination, choice, their use of cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, and mathematics grade. Results indicate that mastery structure and mastery orientation were related to adaptive outcomes in all areas. The patterns of relations for performance-approach goal structure, and for performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations were less uniform across outcomes. Implications for achievement goal theory and future research are discussed.
Feeding and boring behavior of the bark beetle Ips paraconfusus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) on the bark of a host and non-host tree species.

Male Ips paraconfusus selected a host, ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ), over a non-host, white fir ( Abies concolor ), only after the beetles had bored through the outer bark and into the phloem. Males, when given a choice between bark discs of these tree species in petri dishes, bored readily through the outer bark of either species. However, the beetles penetrated no more than 1 mm into the phloem of white fir, but they bored extensively in the phloem of ponderosa pine. The beetle’s preference for the pine over fir phloem was apparent with intact samples of phloem with the outer bark removed and with ground phloem. No preferences were apparent for the ground or intact pine or fir outer bark, with the phloem removed. The beetles bored preferentially in fissured as opposed to smooth outer bark of either tree. Beetles did not feed in the outer bark but did feed in the phloem of either species. In field experiments beetles attracted to logs of pine and fir bored through the outer bark of each species in nearly equal numbers. In white fir they re-emerged and departed soon after penetration of the phloem, whereas in ponderosa pine they continued excavation of tunnels in the phloem. In contrast, few beetles penetrated even the outer back of incense cedar ( Calocedrus decurrens ), another non-host species.
A second example of anti-Fy3 in the Duffy blood group system

An example of anti-Fy3 has been found in an Fy(a — b—) Negro patient whose serum also contains separable anti-Fya. The serological reactions of the anti-Fy3 component duplicate those of the original serum, except that in this case Fy(a +) or Fy(b +) red blood cells from newborn infants are not agglutinated. Both of the antibodies appear to be an immune response to a single blood transfusion.
No Bowling at all: Television, the Vita Inactiva, and Social Capital

Robert D. Putnam has suggested that putatively decreasing civic engagement may result from the growing role of electronic entertainment, especially television, in American life. In this study, I po...
Psychiatric Disorders among Preschool Children

Abstract Relatively little is known about the psychiatric disorders of preschool children who present to mental health facilities for evaluation and treatment. The present study examines a series of 193 cases comprising all children under age 5 evaluated at a child psychiatric clinic over a 2-year period. The sample included 113 boys and 80 girls with a mean age of 39.8 months. Demographic information and patterns of referral are presented in addition to an assessment of the level of psychosocial stress in the family. These data are related to the presenting problems and final diagnoses. The applicability and appropriateness of DSM-III diagnostic categories to the disorders of preschool children are discussed.
Factors Affecting the Determination of Available Lysine in Whey with 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid

Abstract Lactose in cheese whey interferes with the determination of biologically available lysine in whey proteins when the reagent 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid is employed. Loss of the epsilon-TNP-derivative of lysine is dependent upon the amount of lactose hi the test material. The sample weight chosen for analysis also influences results with this reagent. The larger the sample of either pure protein or carbohydrate containing material, the smaller the amount of available lysine found. By careful selection of experimental conditions and by application of a correction formula for lactose interference, the available lysine in whey protein can be rapidly approximated with the 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid method. Results compare favorably with those obtained by an established method.
Nonlinear Aeroelasticity: The Steady State Theory

We present a rigorous analysis of the steady-state solution of a nonlinear aeroelastic system (as distinct from the flow alone) described by continuum models without resorting to numerical procedures. The wing structure model is that of a uniform beam (zero thickness) with 2 degrees of freedom: plunge and pitch. We consider typical section aerodynamics with inviscid and isentropic flow described by the nonlinear full potential equation of Euler for a nonzero angle of attack. The boundary conditions are the flow tangency condition and the Kutta-Joukowsky conditions. We show that nonzero time-invariant solutions exist at most for a discrete sequence of far-field flow speeds, which are determined by the torsion dynamics only. The reported U shapes of unmanned air vehicles can thus occur only for a discrete number of far-field speeds. They also exhibit a transonic dip, as a function of Mach number, for a nonzero angle of attack. The flow itself is shown to be made up of two parts, one in which shocks may be present but which generates no lift, and the other with no shocks but which is responsible for the lift The first part cannot be linearized.
Focus on diagnosis: common nuclear medicine studies in pediatrics.

1. Jennifer S. Linebarger, MD* 2. Michelle L. Roy, MD† 1. *Fellow, Adolescent Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 2. †Attending physician, Newborn Service, UCSD, San Diego, Calif After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the basic principles of the field of nuclear medicine. 2. Discuss the most common pediatric nuclear medicine studies. 3. Recognize when a nuclear medicine study is appropriate for patients. Nuclear medicine is a useful and expanding field. Unlike the more standard anatomic radiographic studies, nuclear medicine incorporates physiology and biochemistry into image creation. The most common pediatric nuclear medicine studies image bone, kidneys, intestines, biliary tract, and thyroid. It is important for general pediatricians to have a practical understanding of these studies because more than 75% are ordered in the outpatient setting. All of these studies rely on the decay of radiopharmaceuticals (most commonly, technetium-99m). As decay occurs, photons are emitted and captured by a gamma camera, which turns the signal into an image. This process is known as scintigraphy. This article describes the indications, study mechanics, benefits, and alternatives to six common pediatric nuclear medicine scans: bone and renal scintigraphy; Meckel diverticulum imaging; and gastroesophageal, hepatobiliary, and thyroid scintigraphy. Bone scintigraphy (bone scan) is used to identify and monitor bony lesions such as osteomyelitis, minor fractures (eg, stress fractures), bone cancers, and bony metastasis. The radiopharmaceutical, usually technetium-labeled polyphosphate, is injected intravenously and distributes in bones proportional to blood flow. Three sets of images are obtained: flow, early blood pool, and whole body. The entire process takes about 3 hours, but each scan is obtained quickly. Comparison images from the contralateral side always are obtained. Potential lesions are identified based on the degree of radiotracer uptake as compared with normal tissues. Bone scintigraphy is more appealing than standard radiographs in certain circumstances. For diagnosing trauma, bone scintigraphy is 25% to 50% more sensitive than plain films (Figure⇓). Osteomyelitis can be detected within 24 to 72 hours by using a bone …
Defectiveness and dependence in three related strains of tobacco rattle virus.

Abstract Functional complementation among “middle,” “bottom,” and unstable variant components of strains of tobacco rattle virus was followed using genetic markers, in terms of differences in symptomatology and particle lengths, that occur in three strains derived from a single source. Complementation was not rigorously strain specific, and occurred between appropriate components of the same and different strains. Artificial “hybrid” strains thus made had the symptomatology and particle-length heterogeneity characteristic of the strain from which the middle component used originated. The results confirm that the components of tobacco rattle viruses originate separately, are functionally specialized, and are interdependent for functions which they lack.
Korean academic women: Multiple roles, multiple challenges*

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of Korean academic women regarding their faculty careers within Korean universities. Personal interviews were conducted with thirteen female faculty members as well other informants (administrators, male faculty and graduate students) at three large private universities in the Republic of Korea: Yonsei University, Ewha Women's University and Dankook University. The study focuses on 1) the experience of Western-trained academic women in securing faculty positions in Korean universities, 2) the work load and responsibilities of women faculty within the academy, and 3) the impact of their personal lives and social roles on their professional achievement and satisfaction. Comparisons are drawn between the experiences of these Korean academic women and what we have learned about the experiences of academic women in Western institutions.
Developing and using evidence to improve rehabilitation practice.

Abstract Seel RT, Dijkers MP, Johnston MV. Developing and using evidence to improve rehabilitation practice. The Clinical Practice Committee of the American Congress of Rehabilitation sponsored this supplement to address 2 critical, related issues for the rehabilitation field: how to develop clinical rehabilitation research to generate useful, high-quality evidence and how to use evidence to improve rehabilitation practice. The 2 are linked by the methods of evidence-based practice (EBP) used to evaluate research evidence and make recommendations for practice. Supplement authors tackle challenges, such as identifying treatment effects and how study design decisions can impact the internal and external validity of research findings, in 4 articles that describe: a 3-phase process for the development of rehabilitation treatments; small-N study designs; the design, implementation, and statistical analysis of rehabilitation clinical trials; and observational research designs used to compare the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatments. Two articles present contemporary best methods for developing and evaluating rehabilitation prediction models and outcome measures. The supplement also addresses issues of evaluating research evidence and translating evidence into clinical decisions or recommendations. An overview of tools that EBP adherents have developed to help the clinician find, synthesize, and apply evidence is presented, followed by an article that identifies 8 primary steps in the production of a systematic review. The last article outlines 13 recommendations for improving systematic evidence reviews and applying their resulting knowledge to clinical practice. In addition to recommending best methods, the supplement addresses challenges specific to the behavioral complexity of developing rehabilitation research and applying it in a way that improves the health, function, and quality of life of persons served.
Role of intraocular steroids for the treatment of diabetic macular edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a common and treatable cause of moderate vision loss. Since the introduction of focal/grid photocoagulation more than two decades ago, clinicians have been searching for alternative means to prevent further vision loss or improve the vision in eyes with DME, yet laser photocoagulation remains the standard of care. The most widely employed alternative treatment for DME has been the use of intravitreal corticosteroids. Although steroids can reduce the retinal thickening associated with DME, they are associated with adverse side effects such as elevated intraocular pressure and progression of cataract. Recently, a Phase III randomized clinical trial has shown that laser photocoagulation is superior to monotherapy with a preservative-free intravitreal steroid for the treatment of DME for 24 months. Depot steroid preparations, as well as combination therapy of steroid plus laser photocoagulation, are currently being investigated for the treatment of DME.
Likelihood estimation for distributed parameter models of large beam-like structures

A maximum likelihood estimation for distributed parameter models of large flexible structures was formulated. Distributed parameter models involve far fewer unknown parameters than independent modal characteristics or finite element models. The closed form solutions for the partial differential equations with corresponding boundary conditions were derived. The closed-form expressions of sensitivity functions led to highly efficient algorithms for analyzing ground or on-orbit test results. For an illustration of this approach, experimental data of the NASA Mini-Mast truss was used. The estimations of modal properties involve lateral bending modes and torsional modes. The results show that distributed parameter models are promising in the parameter estimation of large flexible structures.
Capping of the surface OKT3 binding molecule prevents the T-cell proliferative response to antigens: Evidence that this molecule conveys the activation signal

The human T-lymphocyte receptor for antigen appears to have been localized to a cluster of associated surface glycoprotein molecules, among which is the OKT3 binding molecule. We have tested the hypothesis that selective removal of the OKT3 binding molecule eliminates the cellular immune response to antigens by clearing the surface of the molecule that conveys the activation signal. Enriched T cells were obtained from donors immune to purified protein derivative (PPD), streptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD), or keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). T-3 molecules were cleared from the cell surface by capping with OKT3 and F(ab')2 goat anti-mouse IgG. Regeneration of surface molecules was prevented by culturing the T-3 capped cells with OKT3 625 ng/ml. The capacity of capped T cells to proliferate in culture with antibody in response to antigens, alloantigens, and the mitogens, PHA and ionophore A23187, was compared to uncapped cells pretreated with media and to capped cells permitted to regenerate the OKT3 binding molecule. T-3 capped cells cultured in the presence of antibody failed to proliferate to antigens or alloantigens. However, T-3 capped cells cocultured with antibody also did not significantly proliferate to PHA, but did respond to A23187. In contrast, both media-treated T cells and cells which had regenerated the OKT3 binding molecule proliferated to mitogens, antigens, or alloantigens. The requirement for the OKT3 binding molecule was determined by utilizing T-1, T-4, and T-8 capped cells. T-1, T-4, or T-8 capped cells cultured in the presence of OKT1, OKT4, or OKT8 proliferated in response to antigens, alloantigens, and mitogens. These results demonstrate that in the absence of the OKT3 binding molecule, antigens, alloantigens, and PHA failed to induce a significant cellular proliferative response. In the absence of this molecule, PHA cannot bind to its carbohydrate moiety, and therefore cannot activate T cells to proliferate. These data support the concept that the molecule binding OKT3 conveys the transmembrane signal resulting in cellular activation.
Leadership and Pandering: A Theory of Executive Policymaking

We develop an informational theory that analyzes conditions under which a reelection-seeking executive will act in the public interest. The theory considers factors such as executive competence, challenger quality, and the likelihood that voters will learn the consequences of policy decisions before an upcoming election. We ...nd that an executive who has information suggesting that a popular policy is contrary to voters’ interests may or may not pander to voters by choosing it; under certain conditions, the executive can actually increase his probability of reelection by choosing an unpopular policy that is in the public interest. However, we also show that an executive will sometimes face electoral incentives to enact a policy that is both unpopular and contrary to voters’ interests. We illustrate our model with examples involving President Abraham Lincoln, California Governor Earl Warren, and President Gerald Ford. ¤For helpful comments we thank Steve Ansolabehere, David Austen-Smith, Dan Carpenter, Cary Covington, Patricia Conley, Daniel Diermeier, Tim Fedderson, Fred Greenstein, Keith Krehbiel, Dan Kryder, Jim Snyder, Craig Volden, and seminar participants at Berkeley, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, NYU Law School, Princeton, Stanford, and SUNY Stony Brook. yAssistant Professor of Political Science, MIT. zAssistant Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University. xCorresponding author. Assistant Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University, 601 University Place, Evanston IL 60208-1006. Email: k-shotts@nwu.edu. Phone: (847) 491-2628. Fax: (847) 491-8985. “There are some who would be inclined to regard the servile pliancy of the Executive to a prevailing current...as its best recommendation. But such men entertain very crude notions, as well of the purposes for which government was instituted, as of the true means by which the public happiness may be promoted...When occasions present themselves, in which the interests of the people are at variance with their inclinations, it is the duty of the persons whom they have appointed to be the guardians of those interests.” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper 71
Anisotropic propagation of solar protons deduced from simultaneous observations by earth satellites and the Mariner-IV space probe.

High energy measurement of neutron-proton elastic scattering, noting diffraction peak existence, differential cross section and secondary forward peak
Regulation of Segmental Patterning by Retinoic Acid Signaling during Xenopus Somitogenesis

Somites, the segmented building blocks of the vertebrate embryo, arise one by one in a patterning process that passes wavelike along the anteroposterior axis of the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). We have studied this process in Xenopus embryos by analyzing the expression of the bHLH gene, Thylacine1, which is turned on in the PSM as cells mature and segment, in a pattern that marks both segment boundaries and polarity. Here, we show that this segmental gene expression involves a PSM enhancer that is regulated by retinoic acid (RA) signaling at two levels. RA activates Thylacine1 expression in rostral PSM directly. RA also activates Thylacine1 expression in the caudal PSM indirectly by inducing the expression of MKP3, an inhibitor of the FGF signaling pathway. RA signaling is therefore a major contributor to segmental patterning by promoting anterior segmental polarity and by interacting with the FGF signaling pathway to position segmental boundaries.
CHANGE DETECTION ON SAR IMAGES USING DIVISIVE NORMALIZATION-BASED IMAGE REPRESENTATION

In the context of multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images for earth monitoring applications, one critical issue is the detection of changes occurring after a natural or an-thropic disaster. In this paper, we propose a new similarity measure for automatic change detection based on a divisive normalization image representation. The divisive normalization transform (DNT) has been recognized as a successful methodology to model the perceptual sensitivity of biological vision and a useful image representation that significantly reduces statistical dependence of natural images. In this work, we exploit the fact that the histogram of DNT coefficients within wavelet subbands can often be well fitted with a zero-mean Gaussian density function, which is a one-parameter function that allows efficient change detection of SAR images. The proposed change detector is compared to other recent modelbased approaches. Tests on real data show that our detector outperforms previously suggested methods in terms of the rate of false alarm rate and the total error rate.
Reproductive changes during the early stages of chronic renal insufficiency in the male rat.

To examine the reproductive abnormalities during the early stages of chronic renal insufficiency, male rats were studied 1, 2, or 4 weeks after a 2-stage 5/6 nephrectomy or sham surgely. Serum creatinine and urea nitrogen were elevated 3 to 4-fold in nephrectomized rats at all times. Absolute testicular weight was not different between groups but relative testicular weight was higher in nephrectomized animals because of their lower body weight. Absolute prostate and seminal vesicle weights were depressed in nephrectomized rats at 4 weeks. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) was depressed by nephrectomy at all times whereas follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was elevated at 4 weeks. Testosterone and androstenedione in serum and testicular interstitial fluid were depressed by nephrectomy at all times. Pituitary LH and FSH were depressed in nephrectomized rats by 2 weeks. These data indicate that some, but not all, of the reproductive defects that accompany chronic renal insufficiency are already present 1 week after a large reduction in renal mass and that defects in both pituitary and testicular function probably occur.
Clinical Observations in Total Body DXA: Technical Aspects of Positioning and Analysis

Total body (TB) dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can assess regional body composition, which may necessitate greater attention to patient positioning and analysis than required for whole body assessment. This report describes technical challenges experienced in performing TB DXA, explores the frequency with which autoanalysis inaccuracies occur, assesses their effect on regional body composition results, and describes a uniform clinical approach for TB DXA positioning and analysis. Patient positioning followed manufacturer recommendations with additional facility-imposed procedures. On visual inspection, it was apparent that automated analysis often did not meet manufacturer guidelines, thus requiring manual alteration. To explore the frequency with which manual adjustments were needed, and the impact on results, TB scans were obtained in 20 men and 20 women aged 18-93 yr. The head line was altered in 98%, one or both shoulder lines in 93%, and the lateral hip boundary in 40%. Manual and automated TB analyses were highly correlated (r(2)=0.98-1.00). However, regional result correlation was less robust, that is, automated and manual appendicular lean mass differed by more than our least significant change in 33%. In conclusion, manual correction of automated TB DXA scan analysis is often needed. Such alterations do not affect TB measures but may affect regional body composition results.
Thermal transport in a Luttinger liquid.

We study thermal transport in a one-dimensional (1D) interacting electron gas, employing the Luttinger liquid model. Both thermal conductance and thermopower are analyzed for a pure 1D gas and with impurities. The universal ratio of electrical to thermal conductance in a Fermi liquid---the Wiedemann-Franz law---is modified, whereas the thermopower is still linear in temperature. For a single impurity the Lorentz number is given by $L(T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0){\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}3L}_{0}/({2g+g}^{2})$---with ${L}_{0}$ the Fermi liquid value---and the conductance $1/2lgl1$. For $gl1/2$ the Lorentz number diverges as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. Possible relevance to thermal transport in conducting polymer systems is discussed.
3D optical memory devices. System and materials characteristics

Organic photochromic materials have been dispersed in transparent polymer matrices, which upon excitation with two photons allow for storing and accessing information in 3D. The writing and accessing of the information has been performed either bit by bit or in a 2D multibit plane format. Material and system characteristics are studied and are discussed in some detail.
Detection of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Cleavage in Response to Treatment with Topoisomerase I Inhibitors: A Potential Surrogate End Point to Assess Treatment Effectiveness

Cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by caspases is a prominent characteristic of apoptosis or programmed cell death shown to be induced by topoisomerase (Topo) inhibitors. Because Topo I inhibitors have been shown to be effective in the treatment of some patients with colon cancer, we considered the possibility of using PARP cleavage as an early predictor of responsiveness to this class of agents. We show cleavage of PARP in response to treatment with Topo I inhibitors in colon cancer both in vitro and in vivo: (a) in vitro in SW480, HCT116, VACO5, VACO6, VACO8, VACO411, VACO425, and VACO451 human colon cancer cell lines treated with topotecan (TPT) or CPT-11; (b) in vivo in SW480, VACO451, and VRC5 colon cancer xenografts grown in athymic mice treated with TPT or CPT-11; and (c) in vivo in colon cancer samples from patients undergoing a Phase II clinical trial with CPT-11. Our results show a strong correlation between percentage of PARP cleavage and percentage of acridine orange-positive cells in colon cancer cell lines treated with 0.1 microM TPT for 24 and 48 h, confirming that PARP cleavage is a useful marker for programmed cell death in colon cancer cell lines. Results from experiments performed on colon cancer xenografts also show an association between PARP cleavage and response to treatment with TPT or CPT-11. The increase of PARP cleavage in xenografts and in clinical samples corresponding to treatment with Topo I inhibitors suggests that this procedure may have early predictive value to assess effectiveness of treatment. These results provide the basis for determining the validity of using PARP cleavage as an early marker of chemotherapeutic effectiveness in human samples.
Doctors' responses to medical errors.

Medical error has become a topic of much concern in recent years. Doctors’ responses to their own or others’ medical errors are important because openness or secrecy has an impact on efforts to reduce iatrogenic injury, on malpractice litigation, and on patient and doctor satisfaction with care. This article reviews doctor’s responses to error within the context of contemporary medical care and considers themes that emerge from this review. © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
High-Energy Diffraction Microscopy Characterization of Spall Damage

The emerging characterization technique of high-energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) was used to investigate ductile dynamic damage evolution in a Cu polycrystal. Experimental efforts were undertaken with the goal of elucidating correlations between microstructural features with preferred damage nucleation sites and the progression of damage at the localization stage. HEDM was used to microstructurally map the initial volume of a 1.2 mm-diameter Cu sample. HEDM in the near-field mode collects diffraction information from high-energy synchrotron radiation to non-destructively probe microstructure and orientation in three dimensions in volumes approaching the bulk scale. The Cu sample was subsequently planar shock-loaded in a plate-on-plate geometry and soft-recovered, using an assembly specially developed for sub-size samples. The ex situ shocked sample was then re-characterized by HEDM, providing data on the location of incipient spall voids with respect to the local microstructural neighborhood. In addition, diffraction quality and misorientation gradient data provide qualitative measures of the spatial distribution of stored work and indicate regions of plastic localization. This provides the potential for unprecedented insight as to the relative preference of spall nucleation sites and correlations between microstructure, damage, and plastic flow.
The Hitman Study Violent Video Game Exposure Effects on Aggressive Behavior, Hostile Feelings, and Depression

This article explores commonly discussed theories of violent video game effects: the social learning, mood management, and catharsis hypotheses. An experimental study was carried out to examine violent video game effects. In this study, 103 young adults were given a frustration task and then randomized to play no game, a nonviolent game, a violent game with good versus evil theme (i.e., playing as a good character taking on evil), or a violent game in which they played as a ''bad guy.'' Results indicated that randomized video game play had no effect on aggressive behavior; real-life violent video game-playing history, however, was predictive of decreased hostile feelings and decreased depression following the frustration task. Results do not support a link between violent video games and aggressive behavior, but do suggest that violent games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management.
Signaling intertrial shocks attenuates their negative effect on conditioned suppression

Three groups of rats were given Pavlovian fear conditioning in which footshocks occurred at a rate of.4 per 2 min in the presence of a light. For two of those groups, the light/shock contingency was degraded by the delivery of shocks at a rate of.2 per minute in the absence ofthe light. For one group, those additional shocks were signaled by a sequence of auditory stimuli; for the other group, they were unsignaled. A subsequent test of the light’s ability to suppress ongoing leverpressing found that shocks delivered in the absence of the light interfered with conditioning of the light. But that interference was reduced markedly when those shocks were signaled. The results are consistent with a view in which Pavlovian contingencies aremediated by background conditioning adversely affecting learning about signals of the reinforcer.
A method for performing fully quantum mechanical simulations of gated silicon quantum wire structures

As transistors get smaller, fully quantum mechanical treatments are required to properly simulate them. Most quantum approaches treat the transport as ballistic, ignoring the scattering that is known to occur in such devices. Here, we review the method we have developed for performing fully quantum mechanical simulations of nanowire transistor devices which incorporates scattering through a real-space self-energy, starting with the assumption that the interactions are weak. The method we have developed is applied to investigate the ballistic to diffusive crossover in a silicon nanowire transistor device.
UNIVERSAL IMAGE NOISE REMOVAL FILTER BASED ON TYPE-2 FUZZY LOGIC SYSTEM AND QPSO

Removing Mixed Gaussian and Impulse Noise (MGIN) is considered to be one of the most essential topics in the domain of image restoration, and it is much more challenging than to remove pure Gaussian or impulse noise separately. Therefore, relatively fewer works have been published in this area. This paper proposes a new integrated approach for MGIN removal that is based on a Non-Singleton Interval Type-2 (NS-IT2) Fuzzy Logic System (FLS), and explains how to design such a NS-IT2 FLS using a Quantum-behaved Particle Swarm Optimization (QPSO) algorithm. Then the paper goes on to introduce two supplementary components, a Block-Matching 3-Dimensional Discrete Cosine Transformation (BM3D DCT) filter and a contrast scaling filter, which augment the overall performance of the NS-IT2 FLS. Finally, the paper shows that this proposed approach indeed provides both quantitatively and visually much better results compared to other often-used non-fuzzy techniques as well as its Type-1 (T1) and singleton IT2 (S-IT2) counterparts.
Efficiency of Foliar Versus Granular Fertilization: A Field Study of Creeping Bentgrass Performance

ABSTRACT Limited information comparing foliar versus granular fertilization of turfgrasses is available. The objective of this research was to evaluate liquid and/or granular N fertilization on turfgrass quality, clipping yield, and root biomass of ‘L-93’ creeping bentgrass. Treatments consisted of two annual nitrogen (N) inputs, 127 and 190 kg ha−1, using 100% granular urea fertilizer, 50% granular urea + 50% liquid urea fertilizer, or 100% liquid urea fertilizer. These results suggest a rate of at least 190 kg N ha−1 yr−1 is needed to maintain acceptable bentgrass quality in the transition zone of the U.S. Combining both liquid and granular methods appear superior compared to relying on one method exclusively.
Stabilization, injection and control of quantum cascade lasers, and their application to chemical sensing in the infrared.

Abstract Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are a relatively new type of semiconductor laser operating in the mid- to long-wave infrared. These monopolar multilayered quantum well structures can be fabricated to operate anywhere between 3.5 and 20 μm, which includes the molecular fingerprint region of the infrared. This makes them an ideal choice for infrared chemical sensing, a topic of great interest at present. Frequency stabilization and injection locking increase the utility of QCLs. We present results of locking QCLs to optical cavities, achieving relative linewidths down to 5.6 Hz. We report injection locking of one distributed feedback grating QCL with light from a similar QCL, demonstrating capture ranges of up to ±500 MHz, and suppression of amplitude modulation by up to 49 dB. We also present various cavity-enhanced chemical sensors employing the frequency stabilization techniques developed, including the resonant sideband technique known as NICE-OHMS. Sensitivities of 9.7×10−11 cm−1 Hz−1/2 have been achieved in pure nitrous oxide.
A new method for block partial fraction expansion of matrix fraction descriptions

The block-observability form is used to develop a method for finding the block partial fraction expansion of an irreducible right or left matrix fraction description with distinct and/or repeated solvents of the denominator matrix polynomials. The new formulas ar very simple and only require that the block Vandermonde matrix be formed from the right or left solvents. All the matrix residues of the expansion are found simultaneously by a simple matrix manipulation and the formulas are suitable for digital computer application. >
Nanometer Scale Mechanical Behavior of Grain Boundaries

A nonlinear field projection method has been developed to study nanometer scale mechanical properties of grain boundaries in nanocrystalline FCC metals. The nonlinear field projection is based on the principle of virtual work, for virtual variations of atomic positions in equilibrium through nonlocal interatomic interactions such as EAM potential interaction, to get field-projected subatomic-resolution traction distributions on various grain boundaries. The analyses show that the field projected traction produces periodic concentrated compression sites on the grain boundary, which act as crack trapping or dislocation nucleation sites. The field projection was also used to assess the nanometer scale failure processes of Cu 5 6 grain
Role of Neutrophils in Invasive Aspergillosis

Invasive aspergillosis is a disease of immune-compromised hosts. Most commonly, disease follows inhalation of airborne conidia (spores), which germinate in the lung and then grow as hyphae ([9][1]). The increasing incidence of this disease over the past several decades has enhanced interest in
The toll-like receptor pathway: A novel mechanism of infection-induced carcinogenesis of prostate epithelial cells

BACKGROUND Inflammation and infection have been linked to the pathogenesis of many cancers including prostate cancer. Components of bacteria and viruses have been identified within pathological specimens of men with prostate cancer. METHODS We characterized the in vitro response of benign prostate epithelial cells to components of infectious agents as they relate to toll-like receptors. RESULTS Primary and immortalized prostate epithelial cells (RWPE) exhibited increased proliferation in response to exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and CpG DNA. These molecules are well-characterized surrogates for gram negative bacteria (e.g., E. coli) and DNA viruses (e.g., HPV and HSV), which are common in the genitourinary system. Our experiments show that RWPE cells express both TLR 4 (LPS-specific) and TLR 9 (CpG-specific). Targeted knock down of individual TLR expression using siRNA abrogated the proliferative response of RWPE cells to LPS and CpG, respectively. In addition, compared to non-stimulated cells, LPS and CpG up-regulate active NF-kB expression. Increased NF-kB activation was confirmed using RWPE cells that were stably transfected with a NF-kB reporter construct. Interestingly, NF-kB activation was both concentration- and time-dependent when stimulated with LPS. RWPE cells were less susceptible to TNF-alpha induced apoptosis as measured by TUNEL staining when stimulated with CpG or LPS. High concentrations of LPS also prevented cell death as measured by LDH release. CONCLUSIONS Our study has identified a unique mechanism that describes how components of pathogens common in the urinary system may contribute to the malignant transformation of benign prostate epithelia. Prostate 68: 223–229, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Ames Laboratory Facility for the Emission Spectroscopic Study of Alpha-Emitting Radionuclei: The Design and Operating History

A commercially available inductively coupled plasma (ICP) radio-frequency power generator was adapted to operate within a stainless steel glove box and was used for optical emission spectroscopic studies of hazardous alpha-emitting materials. This ICP apparatus has been successfully used to determine plutonium in complex chemical mixtures and to analyze plutonium isotopically in solution. The finely divided particulates generated by the ICP emission source were removed by filtration of the exhausted gas stream via a train of three high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. The light from the glove-box-enclosed ICP was passed through a window set into a common wall to a separately ventilated spectrometer laboratory. Testing of the apparatus with nonhazardous materials revealed design flaws that were easily corrected prior to studying the emission spectroscopy of plutonium. An unnoticed error in construction that caused a serious problem after the glove box had become contaminated was less easily remedied.
Multivariate prediction of emerging psychosis in adolescents at high risk for schizophrenia.

Abstract Background Accurate prediction of psychosis development in high-risk populations is an important but thus far elusive goal. Of the many diverse etiologic and risk factors identified thus far, few have been combined into prospective multivariate risk ascertainment models. We tested the predictive power of familial, neurobiological, socioenvironmental, cognitive and clinical risk factors through an integrative biopsychosocial model for emerging psychosis in young relatives at familial risk for schizophrenia. Methods 96 young first- and second- degree relatives of schizophrenia probands were followed for an average of 2.38 (SD = 0.98) years to examine their trajectory towards psychosis. Iterative structural equation modelling utilizing multiple etiologic and risk factors was employed to estimate their joint contribution to prediction of psychosis development. Results The rate of conversion to psychosis over the study period was 12.5%. In the final model, clinical measures of schizotypy were directly predictive of conversion, with early (familial, biological, socioenvironmental) and cognitive risk factors indirectly predictive of psychosis through increased baseline clinical symptomatology. Our model provided an excellent fit to the observed data, with sensitivity of 0.17, specificity of 0.99, positive predictive value of 0.67 and negative predictive value of 0.89. Conclusions Integrative modeling of multivariate data from familial, neurobiological, socioenvironmental, cognitive and clinical domains represents a powerful approach to prediction of psychosis development. The high specificity and low sensitivity found using a combination of such variables suggests that their utility may be in confirmatory testing among already selected high-risk individuals, rather than for initial screening. These findings also highlight the importance of data from a broad array of etiologic and risk factors, even within a familial high-risk population. With further refinement and validation, such methods could form key components of early detection, intervention and prevention programs.
Existence of Alternate Steady States in a Phosphorous Cycling Model

We analyze the positive solutions to the steady-state reaction diffusion equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions of the form: −Δ𝑢=𝜆[𝐾−𝑢
Distribution of GABAergic neurons and terminals in the auditory system of the barn owl

Antisera to GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase) and GABA were used to determine the distribution of GABAergic cells and terminals in the brainstem and midbrain auditory nuclei of the barn owl. The owl processes time and intensity components of the auditory signal in separate pathways, and each pathway has a distinctive pattern of GAD- and GABA-like immunoreactivity. In the time pathway, all the cells of the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis and nucleus laminaris receive perisomatic GABAergic terminals, and small numbers of GABAergic neurons surround both nuclei. The ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (anterior division) contains both immunoreactive terminals and some GABAergic neurons. In the intensity pathway, dense immunoreactive terminals are distributed throughout the cochlear nucleus angularis, which also contains a small number of GABAergic neurons. The superior olive contains two GABAergic cell types and immunoreactive terminals distributed throughout the neuropil. All the neurons of the nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (ventral part) appear to be GABAergic, and this nucleus also contains a moderate number of immunoreactive terminals. Immunoreactive terminals are distributed throughout the neuropil of the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (posterior division), whereas multipolar and small fusiform GABAergic neurons predominate in the dorsal regions of the nucleus. The time and intensity pathways combine in the inferior colliculus. The central nucleus of the inferior colliculus contains a large number of fusiform and stellate GABAergic neurons and a dense plexus of immunoreactive terminals, whereas the external nucleus contains slightly fewer immunoreactive cells and terminals. The superficial nucleus contains dense, fine immunoreactive terminals and a small number of GABAergic neurons.
Human flexor tendon participation in the vitro repair process

This work demonstrates that human flexor tendon segments have the same capabilities to survive culturing and to mobilize an intrinsic healing response as previously described animal models. Segments of human flexor profundus tendons from the flexor tendon sheath were cultured in vitro and analyzed at 1, 2, and 4 weeks by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The epitenon area thickened during the first week of culture. Fibroblasts migrated over the cut surface of the collagen bundles until they encapsulated the cut end by the second week when new collagen fibrils were seen in the extracellular spaces. By the fourth week, cells in multiple layers covered the cut end of the tendon, both collagen fibrils and new mature collagen bundles were seen. End encapsulation was accomplished by fibroblasts migrating from the outer surface and the interstices of the tendon. The encapsulating cells were active in phagocytosis and collagen synthesis during the entire incubation period.