cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethical analysis of translational research is more complex than distinguishing T1 from T2.

The target article (Sofaer and Eyal 2010) resonates with a long-simmering theme in the ethics of human subjects research, namely, that too much scrutiny and oversight of research impedes the dramat...
Deconstructing storage arrays

We introduce Shear, a user-level software tool that characterizes RAID storage arrays. Shear employs a set of controlled algorithms combined with statistical techniques to automatically determine the important properties of a RAID system, including the number of disks, chunk size, level of redundancy, and layout scheme. We illustrate the correctness of Shear by running it upon numerous simulated configurations, and then verify its real-world applicability by running Shear on both software-based and hardware-based RAID systems. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of Shear through three case studies. First, we show how Shear can be used in a storage management environment to verify RAID construction and detect failures. Second, we demonstrate how Shear can be used to extract detailed characteristics about the individual disks within an array. Third, we show how an operating system can use Shear to automatically tune its storage subsystems to specific RAID configurations.
Single-Phase Forced Convection in Microchannels with Carbon Nanotubes for Electronics Cooling Applications

A comparative experimental study was conducted to determine whether it would be advantageous to grow carbon nanotubes on the bottom surface of silicon microchannels to facilitate greater heat removal in electronics cooling applications. The performance was evaluated based on the surface temperature increase above the inlet coolant temperature and the pressure drop. The height and deposition pattern of the nanotubes were parameters investigated in this study. Water was passed through the microchannels at two volumetric flow rates of 2.7 × 10−7 m3/s and 4.7 × 10−7 m3/s. Additionally, two heat fluxes were applied to the back side of the microchannel (10 W/cm2 and 30 W/cm2). For the devices tested, the samples with carbon nanotubes not only had a higher pressure drop but also had a higher surface temperature. Based on a continuum investigation, the increase in thermal performance gained by increasing the surface area is overshadowed by the decrease in mass flow rate for a fixed pressure drop.
Experimental validation of two-phase pressure drop multiplier as a diagnostic tool for characterizing PEM fuel cell performance

Abstract Water management is a key area of interest in improving the performance of Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells. Cell flooding and membrane dehydration are two extreme conditions arising from poor water management. Pressure drop has been recognized as a good diagnostic tool to determine the presence of liquid water in the reactant channels. Presence of liquid water in the channels increases the mass transport resistances and therefore reduces the cell performance, which is quantified by the cell voltage at a set current density. Since the two-phase pressure drop multiplier is uniquely related to the water content in the channel, it serves as a good diagnostic tool for directly predicting the cell performance. Experiments are carried out to establish the relationship between the pressure drop multiplier and cell voltage at different operating conditions. Cell temperature was varied from 30 °C to 80 °C and the inlet RH was varied from 0 to 95%. At the lower temperatures, a two-phase multiplier below 1.5 reduces flooding in the flow field. However, at the higher temperatures, a two-phase flow multiplier above 1.2 is preferred as it indicates the membrane remains hydrated for improved performance from the cell. The two-phase pressure drop multiplier has been successfully demonstrated as a diagnostic tool to predict cell flooding and membrane dehydration.
Variation in ICU Risk-Adjusted Mortality: Impact of Methods of Assessment and Potential Confounders

Background Federal and state agencies are considering ICU performance assessment and public reporting; however, an accurate method for measuring performance must be selected. In this study, we determine whether a substantial variation in ICU mortality performance still exists in modern ICUs, and compare the predictive accuracy, reliability, and data burden of existing ICU risk-adjustment models. Methods A retrospective chart review of 11,300 ICU patients from 35 California hospitals from 2001 to 2004 was performed. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for each hospital using the mortality probability model III (MPM0 III), the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II, and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) IV risk-adjustment models. We compared discrimination, calibration, data reliability, and abstraction time for the models. Results Regardless of the model used, there was a large variation in SMRs among the ICUs studied. The discrimination and calibration were adequate for all risk-adjustment models. APACHE IV had the best discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.892) compared to MPM0 III (AUC, 0.809), and SAPS II (AUC, 0.873; p Conclusions We found substantial variation in the ICU risk-adjusted mortality rates that persisted regardless of the risk-adjustment model. With unlimited resources, the APACHE IV model offers the best predictive accuracy. If constrained by cost and manual data collection, the MPM0 III model offers a viable alternative without a substantial loss in accuracy.
Flocculation model and collision potential for reactors with flows characterized by high Peclet numbers.

Abstract A mechanistically-based model is developed to characterize flocculation in the context of flow regimes with high Peclet numbers such as would occur in serpentine flow reactors. These flow conditions are obtained in gravity-driven hydraulic flocculators without mechanical agitation that are an important component of sustainable water treatment systems where energy efficiency and cost are receiving increasing emphasis. The model incorporates a fractal description of flocs, estimates of floc separation distances, estimates of relative velocities of floc particles dependent on the relevant flow regime, and provides an overall prediction of the required reaction time for formation of settleable flocs based on influent turbidity, alum dose, and energy dissipation rate. Viscosity is shown to be significant for the early stage of flocculation and turbulent eddies are shown to be significant for the final stage of flocculation. The collision potential defined as the product of the hydraulic residence time (θ) and the cube root of the energy dissipation rate (ɛ), i.e., ɛ 1 / 3 θ , is shown to be a better predictor of flocculator performance than the conventional product of θ and the velocity gradient (G), i.e., Gθ.
Excess Dietary Vitamin A in the Growing Chick: Effect of Fat Source and Vitamin D

Studies were conducted to determine the nutritional interrelationship between different fat sources, vitamin D3 (vit D) and excess dietary vitamin A (vit A) in the growing chick. Birds tolerated as much as 30 times the recommended level of vit A without compromising performance or skeletal development as measured by bone ash. The response to excess dietary vit A was not influenced by the type of dietary lipid (corn oil, tallow, or poultry oil). No nutritional interaction between vit A (1,500, 15,000, or 45,000 IU/kg) and vit D (100 or 1000 ICU/kg) was detected as measured by growth, bone ash, growth hormone, incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD), or rickets. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity, however, was significantly affected by vit A, vit D, and age of the chicks. The higher vit D level significantly enhanced growth, bone ash, and reduced incidence of rickets, although it had no effect on incidence of TD.
Distinguishing passive contamination from active cocaine consumption: assessing the occupational exposure of narcotics officers to cocaine

Hair analysis has been used in probationary and parole populations to monitor for cocaine use, but only in very limited settings or circumstances. Its wider adoption has been limited by questions regarding the ability to distinguish environmental contamination of hair via casual contact from actual ingestion. To evaluate this capability we sought to identify persons routinely exposed to cocaine, who were not cocaine users. Undercover narcotics officers engaged in cocaine-centered enforcement activities and evidence room clerks who have no history of cocaine use were identified as an appropriate example population. Thirty-six active undercover officers and four evidence technicians were asked to voluntarily submit hair samples for analysis. Additionally two cocaine contaminated (aqueous soaked), three negative control samples, and hair from a self-reported crack smoker were also blindly submitted to the testing laboratory. The hair samples were washed and after washing, enzyme digested. The wash solutions and hair digest were each analyzed for the presence of cocaine. The results indicate that nearly every person had trace amounts of cocaine contamination in the wash fraction, and one person had cocaine present in their hair digest. That person, when retested, was a negative. The laboratory correctly identified and characterized the contaminated, negative, and positive controls. The study concludes that the findings support the capability of hair analysis to distinguish cocaine use from exposure under normal field conditions. The study results indicate that cocaine-abstinent persons who are in chronic, casual environmental contact with cocaine are not likely to test hair positive for cocaine using the analysis protocols followed in this project. The study also indicates that passive microingestion of cocaine needs to be considered when examining persons who are in cocaine intensive environments.
Fundamental Characteristics of the Immunoglobulin VH Repertoire of Chickens in Comparison with Those of Humans, Mice, and Camelids

Examination of 1269 unique naive chicken V H sequences showed that the majority of positions in the framework (FW) regions were maintained as germline, with high mutation rates observed in the CDRs. Many FW mutations could be clearly related to the modulation of CDR structure or the V H –V L interface. CDRs 1 and 2 of the V H exhibited frequent mutation in solvent-exposed positions, but conservation of common structural residues also found in human CDRs at the same positions. In comparison with humans and mice, the chicken CDR3 repertoire was skewed toward longer sequences, was dominated by small amino acids (G/S/A/C/T), and had higher cysteine (chicken, 9.4%; human, 1.6%; and mouse, 0.25%) but lower tyrosine content (chicken, 9.2%; human, 16.8%; and mouse 26.4%). A strong correlation ( R 2 = 0.97) was observed between increasing CDR3 length and higher cysteine content. This suggests that noncanonical disulfides are strongly favored in chickens, potentially increasing CDR stability and complexity in the topology of the combining site. The probable formation of disulfide bonds between CDR3 and CDR1, FW2, or CDR2 was also observed, as described in camelids. All features of the naive repertoire were fully replicated in the target-selected, phage-displayed repertoire. The isolation of a chicken Fab with four noncanonical cysteines in the V H that exhibits 64 nM ( K D ) binding affinity for its target proved these constituents to be part of the humoral response, not artifacts. This study supports the hypothesis that disulfide bond-constrained CDR3s are a structural diversification strategy in the restricted germline v-gene repertoire of chickens.
A spherical basis function neural network for modeling auditory space

This paper describes a neural network for approximation problems on the sphere. The von Mises basis function is introduced, whose activation depends on polar rather than Cartesian input coordinates. The architecture of the von Mises Basis Function (VMBF) neural network is presented along with the corresponding gradient-descent learning rules. The VMBF neural network is used to solve a particular spherical problem of approximating acoustic parameters used to model perceptual auditory space. This model ultimately serves as a signal processing engine to synthesize a virtual auditory environment under headphone listening conditions. Advantages of the VMBF over standard planar Radial Basis Functions (RBFs) are discussed.
ROLE OF THE INTRACELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF HEPATIC CATALASE IN THE PEROXIDATIVE OXIDATION OF METHANOL

Previous to 1950, when Bonnichsenl isolated crystalline alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and showed that it did not react with methanol,$ it was believed that the ADH system was responsible for the oxidation of all primary aliphatic alcohols, including methanol (FIGURE 1 ) . This observation redirected attention to the peroxidative system as a means of oxidizing methanol. As early as 1936, Keilin and Hartree3 showed that catalase catalyzed the oxidation of alcohols to their aldehydes when hydrogen peroxide was supplied in low concentrations, as might be provided in living cells through the action of flavin and other peroxide-generating enzymes. They presented arguments to support their view that catalase is not present in the tissues to protect against peroxide intoxication, as was widely contended, but rather to carry out coupled (peroxidative) oxidations. Employing techniques that permitted very rapid spectral determinations, Chance4 identified the intermediate complexes and analyzed the kinetics of the components of the reaction (FIGURE 1 ) . Ideas were exchanged for several years as to whether or not the peroxidative system participated in the in vivo oxidation of methanol and other alcohols. A direct means of examining the question was provided when Heim and coworkers5 showed that the intraperitoneal injection of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT) caused a reduction in hepatic and renal catalase activities of 90% or more. Mannering and Parkss found that the AT-induced inhibition of hepatic catalase was accompanied by a 70% reduction of the methanol-oxidizing capacity of rat liver homogenates. The addition of crystalline beef liver catalase to these homogenates restored methanol oxidation to normal. While these in vitro studies pointed to a role of catalase in methanol oxidation, they did little to establish its participation in vivo. Because of the complexity of the system, involving as it does the rate of formation of hydrogen peroxide, which in turn depends upon the concentration of substrates available to the peroxide-generating enzymes as well as the availability of hepatic catalase to the hydrogen peroxide produced by these enzymes, it seemed unlikely that in vitro studies would provide much information as to what was occurring in the intact animal. This presentation is devoted largely to a review of the evidence that shows that the intact rat oxidizes methanol largely through the peroxidative system, but that ethanol oxidation proceeds differently, probably almost entirely via the ADH system. The evidence is based on in vitro studies that employed several approaches: 1 ) 14C-methanol and 1 -Wethano1 oxidation were studied
Venous outflow and inflow resistance in health and venous disease

Abstract Purpose : The purpose of this study was to develop a physiologic method to measure outflow and inflow from the lower extremities and thus to quantify the degree of venous valvular insufficiency and venous obstructive disease. Methods : Calibrated photoplethysmography was used in combination with passive changes in hydrostatic pressure, by leg elevation followed by repositioning of the leg to the original sitting position. With the principle of venous occlusion plethysmography, timed volume changes were then used to calculate the outflow and inflow. The inflow and outflow units were the percentage of optical reflectance (%OR) per minute. The respective resistances were calculated by identifying the hydrostatic pressure distance from the third intercostal space to the probe site that is inducing these site changes. The resistance units were millimeters of Mercury × minutes per %OR. Results : Four groups of subjects were examined: normal individuals, patients with venous valvular insufficiency, deep venous thrombosis, and a combination of both. The most significant differences in outflow values were found between the control group (81.77% OR/min) and the deep venous thrombosis group (28.47% OR/min). In contrast, the most significant differences in inflow values were found between the control group (9.67% OR/min) and the venous valvular insufficiency group (108.61% OR/min). The resistances changed correspondingly. Conclusion : The application of calibrated photoplethysmography in conjunction with induced changes in leg hydrostatic pressure proved to be an effective physiologic method to noninvasively quantify venous hemodynamics in normal control subjects, patients with venous valvular insufficiency, venous obstructive disease, or both. (J Vasc Surg 2000;31:472-6.)
Membrane microdomains and vascular biology: emerging role in atherogenesis.

The classic model of cell plasma membrane organization is that of a uniform, fluid environment in which protein and lipid constituents diffuse rapidly in an unrestricted fashion. Recent experimental evidence, however, reveals a far more complex membrane organization consisting of microdomains assembled from lipid constituents that have distinct biophysical characteristics. Such microdomains or “lipid rafts” are typically detergent-resistant and highly enriched with cholesterol and sphingolipids compared with the overall membrane lipid bilayer environment.1 These defined regions of lipid domains sequester proteins that mediate signal transduction in a variety of cell types, including endothelial cells and myocytes. Lipid rafts move or “float” as a coherent structural unit within the liquid-disordered lipid bilayer and can also cluster with other rafts to form larger platforms. The basis for differences in fluidity between rafts and the surrounding membrane is the degree of hydrocarbon chain saturation; domains are characterized by sphingolipids containing saturated fatty acids that attract unesterified cholesterol. The planar sterol nucleus of cholesterol further restricts the mobility and rotation of sphingolipid acyl chains, resulting in limited random diffusion and an expanded molecular width as compared with the rest of the membrane. The plasma membrane caveola is a lipid raft subtype that is the subject of intensive investigation. Caveolae typically appear as microscopic, flask-shaped invaginations along the membrane surface and are commonly found in endothelial cells, adipocytes, and smooth muscle cells (Figure). The principal protein component of caveolae is caveolin, a scaffolding protein that binds cholesterol efficiently and interacts with various signaling macromolecules, including G proteins and calcium regulating proteins.2 Caveolin is also a potent inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) as it binds directly to the enzyme, blocking access of the co-factor, calcium/calmodulin.3 Caveolin may also regulate intracellular and surface cholesterol levels.2 Genetically engineered animals that lack caveolin-1 …
Physical abuse of preschoolers: identification and intervention through occupational therapy

Child abuse is a major public health concern in the United States, one that has negative consequences on abused persons' productivity and mental health throughout their lives. Occupational therapists who work with preschool-aged children are in a strategic position to screen for physical abuse and aid in the rehabilitation of children and families engaged in abuse. This article provides a review of the literature and accounts of clinical experience with children and families in a variety of settings. It offers an overview of behavioral risk factors that have been shown to correlate with physical abuse, including how these factors can be observed within the context of an occupational therapy evaluation. Guidelines for interacting with child protective services via reporting suspected cases of child abuse and working collaboratively with such agencies are provided. Strategies for occupational therapy intervention with abused children and their parents are described. These strategies include using activities to facilitate positive parent-child interaction, educating parents regarding child development and management techniques, and facilitating children's psychosocial development. Language: en
Endothelial cell expression of haemoglobin α regulates nitric oxide signalling

Models of unregulated nitric oxide (NO) diffusion do not consistently account for the biochemistry of NO synthase (NOS)-dependent signalling in many cell systems. For example, endothelial NOS controls blood pressure, blood flow and oxygen delivery through its effect on vascular smooth muscle tone, but the regulation of these processes is not adequately explained by simple NO diffusion from endothelium to smooth muscle. Here we report a new model for the regulation of NO signalling by demonstrating that haemoglobin (Hb) α (encoded by the HBA1 and HBA2 genes in humans) is expressed in human and mouse arterial endothelial cells and enriched at the myoendothelial junction, where it regulates the effects of NO on vascular reactivity. Notably, this function is unique to Hb α and is abrogated by its genetic depletion. Mechanistically, endothelial Hb α haem iron in the Fe(3+) state permits NO signalling, and this signalling is shut off when Hb α is reduced to the Fe(2+) state by endothelial cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (CYB5R3, also known as diaphorase 1). Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of CYB5R3 increases NO bioactivity in small arteries. These data reveal a new mechanism by which the regulation of the intracellular Hb α oxidation state controls NOS signalling in non-erythroid cells. This model may be relevant to haem-containing globins in a broad range of NOS-containing somatic cells.
Validity of the PICCOLO Tool in Child Care Settings: Can it Assess Caregiver Interaction Behaviors?

Childcare quality has been investigated widely over the past 30 years, as increasingly more evidence has emerged that shows that children's developmental outcomes are influenced by the quality of care that they receive in group-care settings. The current emphasis on quality-improvement ratings in childcare provides a unique measurement challenge to ensure accountability for the care of our young children, with a noticeable lack of attention to caregiver interactions with children. The purpose of the current study is to investigate an easy-to-use measure that might address this oversight. The Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO) tool has been shown to be reliable and valid for use with parents and was used in the current study to determine whether the PICCOLO, when used to observe caregiver–child interactions in group-care settings, is correlated with other common measures of childcare quality, including the family of Environment Rating Scales (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (T. Harms, R.M. Clifford, & D. Cryer, 2005), the Family Child Care Rating Scale-Revised (T. Harms, D. Cryer, & R.M. Clifford, 2007), or the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (T. Harms, D. Cryer, & R.M. Clifford, 2006).and the Arnett Caregiver Interaction Scales (J. Arnett, 1989). Two hundred seven providers were observed for a mean of 2.87 hr (172 min). Results indicate that the PICCOLO is a valid tool to measure caregiver interaction with children in a childcare situation.
Deposition and characterization of gallium arsenide films for solar cells applications

Gallium arsenide films have been deposited on tungsten-coated graphite substrates by the reaction of gallium, hydrogen chloride, and arsine in a hydrogen flow. It has been found that the presence of hydrogen chloride in the gallium monochloride-arsenic mixture is essential in obtaining large-area gallium arsenide films with sufficiently good microstructure suitable for photovoltaic devices. Schottky-barrier and MOS structures have been prepared from n-GaAs/n+-GaAs films on tungsten/graphite substrates, and their electrical properties investigated. Under AM1 conditions, MOS structures of 9-cm2area have conversion efficiencies of up to 4.4 percent (without antireflection (AR) coating, would be about 6.7 percent with proper coating), and the conversion efficiencies can be increased to 5 percent (without AR coating, would be about 7.5 percent with proper coating) by using a thin gallium arsenide-phosphide film at the surface of gallium arsenide.
Enhancing the impact of quality points in interteaching

Interteaching is a classroom instruction approach based on behavioral principles that offers increased flexibility to instructors. There are several components of interteaching that may contribute to its demonstrated efficacy. In a prior analysis of one of these components, the quality points contingency, no significant difference was reported in student exam scores when quality points were made available. The purpose of the present study was to further evaluate the impact of the quality points component of interteaching, and to enhance the immediacy of feedback provided to students on this contingency via delivery of an answer key upon submission of post-discussion quizzes with the opportunity to review the answer key with their interteaching partner during class. We hypothesized that student quiz scores would be higher when this quality points contingency was in place. An alternating treatments design was employed to compare student performance on post-discussion quizzes during two conditions: quality points vs. no quality points with all other components of interteaching in effect. Eleven undergraduate students enrolled in an introduction to applied behavior analysis course served as participants. Results indicate average quiz performance was higher following class sessions with the quality points contingency. Discussion is focused on the implications of delivering immediate feedback to students during classroom instruction and future directions of interteaching research.
Cardiobacteriales ord. nov.

The order Cardiobacteriales was circumscribed for this volume on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences; the order contains the family Cardiobacteriaceae.
STUDIES WITH A QUANTITATIVE TUBERCULIN REACTION

1. The tuberculin reaction is based on an hypersusceptibility of the skin and is an expression of an altered reaction capacity of the tissues, following an initial infection with the tubercle bacillus. 2. The strength of allergy fluctuates with the activity of the lesion and with the presence of certain qualifying factors. 3. It seems possible by quantitative examination to find a critical threshold which will usually establish a diagnosis in active tuberculous cases, although it must be considered that this evidence is only presumptive for osseo-articular disease until all other possible active foci have been ruled out. 4. In cases of bone or joint disease where the allergy falls below the critical threshold, and in the absence of certain modifying factors, active tuberculosis can, with fair degree of certainty, be eliminated in the diagnosis.
Sustainable Consumption Governance in the Amazon

Tropical deforestation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, estimated to contribute as much as a quarter of global emissions. In the Brazilian Amazon, the two most important drivers of deforestation have become cattle ranching and soybean cultivation, both increasingly export-driven. While this commodity-driven paradigm threatens to accelerate deforestation as producers expand their participation in international markets, it also provides an opportunity for sustainable consumption governance. This article characterizes the problem of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon; describes the sustainable consumption governance regimes that are emerging; and analyzes their likely impact on Amazonian deforestation. It argues that sustainable consumption governance initiatives in the Amazon have the potential to enhance compliance with strict but under-enforced Brazilian forestry laws and reduce deforestation.
Can Interagency Dialogue Serve as the New Separation of Powers

In a recent essay published in the Yale Law Journal, Professor Neal Katyal proposes a series of structural reforms within the executive branch to compensate for what he sees as the collapse of Congress's ability to serve as an effective check on executive power. In this brief response, Professor Christopher Yoo suggests that any assessment of changes in the legislative-executive balance of power should take into account the increasing number of institutional mechanisms through which Congress can exert control over the executive branch. Professor Yoo also points out the extent to which Professor Katyal's argument relies on an expertise-centered conception of the federal bureaucracy that has been questioned by such noted scholars as Marver Bernstein, Richard Stewart, William Niskanen, Lawrence Lessig, and Cass Sunstein. Creating internal divisions within the executive branch would also dampen executive energy and accountability in areas in which such considerations are often critical. Finally, history counsels humility regarding the law's ability to check executive power and suggests that the most meaningful protections against presidential aggrandizement may well be political rather than legal.
On the Logic of Suing One's Customers and the Dilemma of Infringement-Based Business Models

Before mid-2003, the recording industry's legal attack against peer-to-peer (P2P) systems was limited to the purveyors of P2P. End users were left untouched, the conventional wisdom being that it's not good business to sue one's own customers. Seven thousand lawsuits against P2P users later, that conventional wisdom appears wrong. This essay looks at the conflicting evidence and concludes that the most reasonable interpretation of the data is that suing end users has meaningfully dampened file sharing among people who can afford to buy music; that suing these end-users may be a financially self-sustaining activity; and that, if left unchecked, unauthorized P2P file sharing would increasingly substitute for legitimate sales. The de facto price discrimination produced by filing sharing has triggered official price discrimination through a combination of spoofing, lawsuits, differently priced download services, and discounts for university students. But this new balance is precarious and the problem of infringement-based business models remains. The most reasonable way to address that problem while preserving P2P technology is to fully restore knowledge and intent as components of third party liability in copyright. This requires revision of the Sony test, revision already started by the lower courts in Napster and Aimster.
Turn That Racket Down! Physical Anhedonia and Diminished Pleasure From Music

Why do some people not enjoy listening to music as much as others? Two studies explored whether people high in physical anhedonia—an aspect of schizotypy that is associated with reduced pleasure from physical stimuli—are less engaged in the musical world than other people. Study 1 examined individual differences in music engagement and experience. People with higher levels of physical anhedonia reported valuing music less, experiencing fewer aesthetic emotions in response to music, liking fewer genres of music, and having less music experience. Study 2 used experience sampling to examine how individual differences in physical anhedonia predicted music engagement, music listening habits, and the aesthetic experiences of music in everyday life. During a typical week, people with higher levels of physical anhedonia spent less time listening to music. Taken together, these results suggest that as physical anhedonia increases, people become increasingly detached from and disinterested in music.
To get the most out of high resolution X-ray tomography: A review of the post-reconstruction analysis

Abstract X-ray microscopy has been well-recognized as one of the most important techniques for research in a wide range of scientific disciplines including materials science, geoscience, and bio-medical science. Advances in X-ray sources, optics, detectors, and imaging methodologies have made significant improvements to non-destructive reconstructions of the three dimensional (3D) structure of specimens over a wide range of length scales with different contrast mechanisms. A strength of 3D imaging is a “seeing is believing” way of reporting and analyzing data to better understand the structure/function characteristics of a sample. In addition to the excellent visualization capability, X-ray computed tomography has a lot more to offer. In this article, we review some of the experimental and analytical methods that enrich and extract scientifically relevant information from tomographic data. Several scientific cases are discussed along with how they enhance the tomographic dataset.
Notices of Abatement vs Defects of Title

Analysis of a decision holding a title company not liable for failing to report a notice of abatement as a defect on title.
Technique for steering spinal cord stimulator electrode.

Background Spinal cord stimulation is an established technology for management of chronic low back and leg pain when other surgical options have failed or are not feasible. Precise placement of the paddle-style electrode relative to the patient's distribution of pain can be difficult because of anatomic variation and the inherent limitations of electrode design. Objective To describe a surgical technique for adjustment of spinal cord stimulator epidural electrode location during placement or revision to optimize stimulation coverage. Methods We devised a method using a malleable disposable suture retrieval snare to precisely position an epidural electrode in either a midline or paramedian position during initial placement or revision. The snare is deployed and used to grasp a suture knot tied at the end of the electrode. The retriever is then used to position the electrode in the epidural space. Once satisfactory stimulation coverage is achieved, the snare is deployed to release the suture knot and the retriever is gently removed. Results We have used this method in 15 patients thus far to achieve optimal stimulation coverage. The total time required for electrode placement and repositioning, including the stimulation trial, has been substantially reduced. The patient-reported discomfort has also been significantly reduced. No adverse consequences of the technique have occurred. Conclusion We believe that this technique is a novel and effective method for accurately steering an epidural electrode for dorsal column stimulation for management of chronic pain.
Abuse-related effects of dual dopamine/serotonin releasers with varying potency to release norepinephrine in male rats and rhesus monkeys.

d-Amphetamine selectively promotes release of both dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) vs. serotonin (5HT), and chronic d-amphetamine treatment decreases cocaine-taking behavior in rats, nonhuman primates, and humans. However, abuse liability limits the clinical utility of amphetamine maintenance for treating cocaine abuse. One strategy to improve safety and efficacy of monoamine releasers as candidate anti-cocaine medications has been to develop dual DA/5HT releasers like 1-napthyl-2-aminopropane (PAL-287), but the pharmacology of this class of compounds has not been extensively examined. In particular, PAL-287 has similar potencies to release DA, 5HT and NE, and the role of manipulating NE release potency on abuse-related or anti-cocaine effects of dual DA/5HT releasers is not known. To address this issue, the present study compared effects of four novel DA/5HT releasers that varied >800-fold in their selectivities to release DA/5HT vs NE: [1-(5-chloro-1H-indol-3-yl)propan-2-amine (PAL-542), 1-(5-fluoro-1H-indol-3-yl)propan-2-amine (PAL-544), 1-(1H-indol-5-yl)propan-2-amine (PAL-571), and (R)-1-(1H-indol-1-yl)propain-2-amine (PAL-569). Abuse-related effects of all four compounds were evaluated in assays of intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) in rats and cocaine discrimination in rats and monkeys, and none of the compounds reliably facilitated ICSS or substituted for cocaine. Anti-cocaine effects of the compound with highest selectivity to release DA/5HT vs. NE (PAL-542) were tested in an assay of cocaine vs. food choice in rhesus monkeys, and PAL-542 failed to reduce cocaine choice. These results suggesst that potency to release NE has minimal influence on abuse liability of dual DA/5HT releasers, and reducing relative potency to release NE vs. DA/5HT does not improve anti-cocaine efficacy.
Alterations of Platelet Aggregation in the Chandler Tube: I. Turbidimetric Studies

Platelet aggregation in the Chandler tube was studied by continuous measurement of optical density during aggregation. Normal mean values for the duration of aggregation varied from 3.4 to 6.0 min. [rabbit platelet-rich plasma (PRP)] and 3.1 to 5.8 min. (human PRP). Mean thrombus formation time (TFT) varied from 17.1 to 20.9 min. (rabbit PRP) and from 13.5 to 16.4 min. (human PRP). Activation of Hageman factor shortened TFT and duration of aggregation, and minimized optical density changes during aggregation. Factor VIII and erythrocytes increased optical density changes during aggregation. The observations suggest that experimental and clinical states associated with an increased tendency to thrombosis may correlate with characteristic changes in optical density during aggregation in the Chandler system. Altered aggregation characteristics result from changes in plasma proteins, adenosine diphosphate release, catecholamine concentration, and the blood coagulation system.
IV. p-Bromophenylmercapturic Acid and Ethereal Sulfates Synthesis in Dogs Maintained on Diets of Varying Sulfur Content

Summary1. Dogs were fed diets of varying sulfur content and 1.0 gm. doses of bromobenzene were fed on 4 consecutive days on each of the diets. The synthesis of p-brornophenylrnercapturic acid and ethereal sulfates on these diets was estimated. 2. The extent of the synthesis of the mercapturic acid and of the ethereal sulfates is apparently a function of the nutritive state of the animal: when the animal was deprived of dietary sulfur, a decrease in the output of mercapturic acid and an increase in the output of ethereal sulfates was noted. 3. The results offer further support to the previous suggestion that the dietary sulfur is not the immediate source which is used for the detoxication of blromobenzene in dogs.
The History of Microvascular Decompression Surgery

Neurosurgery is a very different surgical specialty from the days when this investigator was a research fellow and resident in the years 1957 through 1967. Technological advances have enabled most of these changes from an almost brutal surgical specialty with many poor results to a field wherein a normally sensitive human being can work happily and effectively. These advances, “the four factors,” include application of the binocular dissection microscope to surgery, clinical neurophysiology, neuroradiology imaging, and neuroanesthesia. These advances were all necessary for the work to be described below. Two other important applications of technology but not used here include advances in stereotactic surgery (i.e., focused irradiation) and endovascular techniques. Utilization of these four factors has enabled us to see and do things hitherto thought impossible or at least highly dangerous.
Regulation of the Production of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes in the Bacterial Plant Pathogen, Erwinia Carotovora Subsp. Carotovora.

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc) produces an array of extracellular enzymes including pectate lyase (Pel), pectin lyase (Pnl), polygalacturonase (Peh), cellulase (Cel) and protease (Prt). Of these enzymes, Pel, Peh and Pnl play a crucial role in the development of the soft-rot disease. Pel, Peh, Cel and Prt are coordinately regulated by activators specified by aepA, and aepB [aep = activator of extracellular protein production] and by a negative regulator, repN [repN = negative regulator of extracellular protein production]. The products of aepA and repN affect transcription of pel-1, one of the target genes. Nucleotide sequence data have not revealed significant homology between aepA and other prokaryotic regulatory genes. Our findings suggest that extracellular enzyme production in E. carotovora is controlled by a novel regulatory system.
Facial Landmark Detection and Tracking for Facial Behavior Analysis

The face is the most dominant and distinct communication tool of human beings. Automatic analysis of facial behavior allows machines to understand and interpret a human's states and needs for natural interactions. This research focuses on developing advanced computer vision techniques to process and analyze facial images for the recognition of various facial behaviors. Specifically, this research consists of two parts: automatic facial landmark detection and tracking, and facial behavior analysis and recognition using the tracked facial landmark points. In the first part, we develop several facial landmark detection and tracking algorithms on facial images with varying conditions, such as varying facial expressions, head poses and facial occlusions. First, to handle facial expression and head pose variations, we introduce a hierarchical probabilistic face shape model and a discriminative deep face shape model to capture the spatial relationships among facial landmark points under different facial expressions and face poses to improve facial landmark detection. Second, to handle facial occlusion, we improve upon the effective cascade regression framework and propose the robust cascade regression framework for facial landmark detection, which iteratively predicts the landmark visibility probabilities and landmark locations. The second part of this research applies our facial landmark detection and tracking algorithms to facial behavior analysis, including facial action recognition and face pose estimation. For facial action recognition, we introduce a novel regression framework for joint facial landmark detection and facial action recognition. For head pose estimation, we are working on a robust algorithm that can perform head pose estimation under facial occlusion.
From Dynamics to Function Negative Reinforcement as an Amplifying Mechanism

A vast majority of psychological science focuses on snapshots of individuals. Clinical outcome studies may integrate multiple snapshots, typically with yearly intervals. However, there is much to l...
Model for ultrafast extrinsic photoconductivity in Er-doped GaAs

A model is constructed for extrinsic photoconductivity in GaAs heavily doped with Er and driven around 1550 nm. The model is based on internal photoionization of ErAs nanoparticles in the diameter range 2.0 to 2.5 nm, which occurs via a resonant, bound-to-continuum electron transition between the Γ-point in the atomic-like ErAs and the Γ-valley in the GaAs. The model is consistent with all experimental evidence to date, including sub-band absorption, photo-Hall measurements, 1550-nm pump-probe photocarrier lifetime, and THz power generation.
Associations between LEP and LEPR and risk for breast cancer

B97 Leptin and its receptor are over-expressed in breast tumors, and polymorphisms in the genes encoding leptin ( LEP ) and its receptor ( LEPR ) have been associated with survival following a breast cancer diagnosis. However, we are aware of only two small studies ( LEP and LEPR and risk or incident breast cancer, and these studies provide some evidence of association. Accordingly, our objective was to describe associations between incident breast cancer and sequence variations in these genes, as well as gene-environment interactions between these genes and adiposity and physical activity levels in a moderately large case-control study of Asian women. >The Shanghai Breast Cancer Study (SBCS) is a population-based case control study of incident breast cancer. Cases (n=1,455) were identified through the Shanghai Cancer Registry, and controls (n=1,556) were recruited from the local community. Participation rate for cases was 91%, and for controls it was 90%. Interviewers obtained detailed information on demographic and breast cancer risk factors, and measured participant’s height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences. Exercise participation in the last 10 yrs was assessed by self-report. Genotyping was completed for 1,079 cases and 1,082 controls using the Affymetrix MegAllele Targeted Genotyping System. Haplotype tagging SNPs were identified from the Chinese samples (CHB) included in the HapMap Project by searching each gene and its flanking regions (±5 kb) using Tagger (pair-wise; r 2 ≥ 0.9; MAF ≥ 0.05). Nonsynonymous and promoter region SNPs (MAF ≥ 0.05) were also included. Ten and 35 markers were evaluated for LEP and LEPR , respectively. Gene main effects were investigated using single-marker methods that tested associations overall, by allele, and for trend. Also, gene-environment interactions were evaluated by fitting each marker (0, 1, 2), the environmental factor, and their cross-product interaction term in logistic models. >Participants were on average 47 yrs of age; had BMIs of 23.4 kg/m 2 ; 22% reported regular exercise participation; and 34% were postmenopausal. Single marker analyses revealed no association between any of the LEP markers and breast cancer risk (all p ≥ 0.17). In contrast, 6 of 35 LEPR markers were significantly associated with breast cancer risk (11 of 105 [10.5%] statistical tests). In terms of the environmental factors alone, exercise participation (0,1) was inversely associated (OR=0.64 [0.51-0.80]), and BMI on a continuous scale was positively associated with risk (OR=1.029 [1.00-1.05]). We found no evidence of interaction between LEP and either of the environmental exposures, but two LEPR markers were observed to interact with BMI (both p Our results suggest an initial association between LEPR and breast cancer in Asian women, and a possible interaction between LEPR and BMI. We are currently conducting multimarker (haplotype) analyses of these data, and are working to replicate the significant findings noted here in an independent sample from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study (N~1,800).
Determination of Mars crater geometric data: Insights from high-resolution digital elevation models

We review the methods and data sets used to determine morphometric parameters related to the depth (e.g., rim height and cavity depth) and diameter of Martian craters over the past ~45 yr, and discuss the limitations of shadow length measurements, photoclinometry, Earth-based radar, and laser altimetry. We demonstrate that substantial errors are introduced into crater depth and diameter measurements that are inherent in the use of 128th-degree gridded Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography. We also show that even the use of the raw MOLA Precision Engineering Data Record (PEDR) data can introduce errors in the measurement of craters a few kilometers in diameter. These errors are related to the longitudinal spacing of the MOLA profiles, the along-track spacing of the individual laser shots, and the MOLA spot size. Stereophotogrammetry provides an intrinsically more accurate method for measuring depth and diameter of craters on Mars when applied to high-resolution image pairs. Here, we use 20 stereo Context Camera (CTX) image pairs to create digital elevation models (DEMs) for 25 craters in the diameter range 1.5–25.6 km and cover the latitude range of 25° S to 42° N. These DEMs have a spatial scale of ~24 m per pixel. Six additional craters, 1.5–3.1 km in diameter, were studied using publically available DEMs produced from High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) image pairs. Depth/diameter and rim height were determined for each crater, as well as the azimuthal variation of crater rim height in 1-degree increments. These data indicate that morphologically fresh Martian craters at these diameters are significantly deeper for a given size than previously reported using Viking and MOLA data, most likely due to the improvement in spatial resolution provided by the CTX and HiRISE data.