cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consideration on fracture of solid-state materials

Fracture of solid state materials is considered based on a gauge theoretical approach. The critical condition in which a material is about to fracture is defined. This condition is analogous to the condition of the electric breakdown of a gas. Supporting experimental results are presented.
Advanced telescope for high-energy nuclear astrophysics (ATHENA)

We present a space mission concept for a low energy gamma-ray telescope, ATHENA, which is under investigation as the next major advance in gamma-ray spectroscopy following the current COMPTON Gamma Ray Observatory and the planned INTEGRAL missions. The instrument covers the nuclear line emission energy domain with dramatically improved sensitivity and spectral resolution. The baseline configuration combines a high resolution Compton telescope constructed from Ge planar strip detectors for the 0.3 - 10 MeV energy region with a coded-aperture system for the 10 - 200 keV domain. The Ge Compton telescope provides a broad field of view with exceptional spectral and imaging resolution. The requirements, capabilities and simulations of ATHENA are discussed.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prevalence and Lifetime Risk of Endoscopy-related Complications Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background & Aims Few studies have analyzed the safety of endoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to determine the prevalence of procedure-related complications among these patients, compared with the general population, and estimate the lifetime risk of colonoscopy-related complications. Methods We collected data on complications in 685 patients with IBD and 17,000 patients without IBD (controls) using an automated system to track all emergency department visits to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center within 14 days of an endoscopic procedure, from March 1, 2007, to November 30, 2007. We reviewed charts of all IBD patients to determine health care use (telephone calls or visits to a gastroenterologist or primary care physician and visits to other emergency departments or hospitals) after endoscopy. The lifetime risk of procedure-related complications was estimated using a Markov Monte Carlo model. Results Rates of complications were 1.17% among patients with IBD and 0.96% among controls ( P = .55). The chart review showed that 3.8% of the IBD cohort received medical care within 14 days of the endoscopic procedure. Based on a Markov Monte Carlo simulation model, the lifetime risk of complications after a surveillance colonoscopy protocol was 12.7% among patients with IBD and 2.0% in the general population undergoing screening colonoscopy ( P Conclusions Although the risk of adverse events after each endoscopic procedure was similar for patients with IBD and the general population, IBD patients have an increased lifetime risk of complications after colonoscopies. A higher percentage of patients with IBD also seek medical care after endoscopic procedures than controls.
Possible competing order-induced Fermi arcs in cuprate superconductors

We investigate the scenario of competing order (CO) induced Fermi arcs and pseudogap in cuprate superconductors. For hole-type cuprates, both phenomena as functions of temperature and doping level can be accounted for if the CO vanishes at T^* above the superconducting transition T_c and the CO wave-vector Q is parallel to the antinodal direction. In contrast, the absence of these phenomena and the non-monotonic d-wave gap in electron-type cuprates may be attributed to T^*<T_c and a CO wave-vector Q parallel to the nodal direction.
VARIANTS OF THE EXSTROPHY COMPLEX: A SINGLE INSTITUTION EXPERIENCE

Purpose: Variants of the bladder/cloacal exstrophy complex are rare. Different presentations and subsequent management and outcome are discussed. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of our database of more than 815 patients with the exstrophy complex. Patients with variants of classic epispadias or bladder or cloacal exstrophy were identified. Anatomical presentation, surgical management, type of continence procedures and final outcome were evaluated. Results: Of the 25 patients with variants 13 were treated primarily at our institution and 12 were referred. Time until primary bladder closure ranged from 1 day to 4 years. Followup after continence procedure ranged from 1 month to 39 years. Seven of the 25 patients are awaiting a continence procedure. Six patients are dry without a continence procedure, of whom 4 have superior vesical fistulas. A total of 11 patients underwent bladder neck reconstruction (BNR), of whom 3 are dry, 2 are dry during the day but are wet at night, 1 had a failed procedure and 5 are dry after continent diversion (CD). One additional patient underwent CD initially and is dry. Referred cases of epispadias with bladder prolapse were not recognized at birth and had delayed closure. Impaired bladder growth or failed BNR required CD in 4 patients, and 2 are awaiting a continence procedure. Skin covered and duplicate exstrophy had comparable outcomes to the classic presentations. Duplicated organs were used for reconstructive procedures. Of the 6 patients with cloacal variant 2 are continent of stool and 2 await a Pena procedure. One of these patients has an ileal stoma and 1 has a colostomy. Conclusions: The initial presentation of exstrophy variants can be confusing, often delaying initial treatment. Superior vesical fistulas permit continence without BNR due to an intact urinary sphincter. Variants such as epispadias with bladder prolapse and duplicate or skin covered exstrophy should be closed at birth with standardized techniques to promote bladder growth for later BNR. These cases are faced with the same long-term problems as the classic presentation. Cloacal variants can present with intact anal innervation, allowing a later Pena procedure.
A Wireless Human Motion Monitoring System Based on Joint Angle Sensors and Smart Shoes

In this paper, a wireless human motion monitoring system based on joint angle sensors and smart shoes is introduced. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is employed in a joint angle sensor to estimate the lower-extremity joint rotation in three dimensions. Four pressure sensors are embedded in a smart shoe to measure the distribution of ground contact forces (GCFs). Zig-bee and Bluetooth modules are combined with the joint angle sensors and smart shoes respectively to make the whole system wireless. It is shown that gait phase and step length can be calculated based on the raw sensor data for gait analysis. To provide visual feedback to the users, with the consent of Apple Inc., an user interface application is developed on an iPad. Experimental results are obtained from both a healthy subject and a stroke patient for comparison. Some discussions are made about the potential use of this system in a clinical environment.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
O bodegón e a mescla: uma sintaxe transatlântica

Este trabalho pretende demonstrar que o genero pictorico dos bodegones, caracteristico do Barroco transatlântico, tem uma de suas origens na pobreza, nos restos da mesa espanhola do seculo XVII, sendo a outra origem a abundância americana, plena de frutas e lendas exoticas de fecundidade. Zurbaran foi o grande pintor de temas americanos, mas uma de suas obras mais famosas foi interpretada como representacao alegorica da epifania da Virgem Maria. Este articulo pretende problematizar essa leitura a partir de um dado revelado por raios X: Zurbaran incluiu no quadro um prato de batata-doce, um tuberculo americano, que depois apagou e reproduziu em um quadro independente. O bodegon, portanto, e um genero mais americano, menos mistico e mais barroco.
Neurobehavioral aspects of movement disorders

Cognitive, behavioral, affective, and psychiatric symptoms occur in almost all movement disorders. Diagnosis and management of movement disorders depends critically on an understanding of these neurobehavioral symptoms. This article reviews the neurobehavioral aspects of two representative movement disorders; Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.
Synthetic influenza viral double-stranded RNA induces an acute-phase response in rabbits

Numerous studies have characterized the physiological effects of synthetic, high-molecular-weight, homopolymeric, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), particularly polyriboinosinic·polyribo- cytidylic acid [Carter and De Clercq (1974): Science 186:1172–1178], but limited information exists regarding the physiological effects of dsRNA of viral composition and size. In this report, we determined sleep and fever responses of rabbits to intracerebroventricular injection of different doses of synthetic viral dsRNA (either 108 base pairs or 661 base pairs) derived from the N-terminal sequence of gene segment 3 of the A/PR/8/34-H1N1 (PR8) influenza virus. Both the108-mer and the 661-mer dsRNAs increased nonrapid eye movement sleep, suppressed rapid eye movement sleep, and induced fever. The 661-mer dsRNA had more potent somnogenic and pyrogenic effects than the 108-mer dsRNA on the basis of weight. Neither single-stranded RNA from the corresponding sequences had significant effects on sleep or brain temperature. These results demonstrate for the first time that low-molecular-weight, viral dsRNA has the stability in vivo that is required to induce the fever and sleep changes found in natural viral infections, and the hypothesis is supported that virus-associated dsRNA may be responsible for initiating the acute-phase response during viral infections. J. Med. Virol. 57:198–203, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Qualitative research and its public

1This is a revised version of a paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April, 1992.
The Laurent series approach to structural modeling

Abstract Caves and Christensen (1980) have provided a procedure for displaying the regular regions of a flexible functional form in the 2-good homothetic and nonhomothetic cases and in the 3-good homothetic case. We extend the procedure to the nonhomothetic 3-good case, and we apply the extended procedure to the translog, generalized Leontief, and minflex Laurent flexible functional forms. In addition, we acquire the regular regions for the minflex Laurent model in the 2-good nonhomothetic case and superimpose the resulting regions on those already found by Caves and Christensen for the translog and generalized Leontief models. We find that the new minflex Laurent model generally has the largest regular regions of the three flexible functional forms. In addition, the regular region of the minflex Laurent model is found to expand as real income increases. As a result, that model is particularly well suited for use with time series data, which typically is characterized by positive long term growth trends in real income. In such applications, all recent data and future forecasts can be expected to lie within the regular region of the minflex Laurent model. Although it is possible for some of the earliest data to fall outside that regular region, the model's regular region nevertheless is sufficiently large to hold even all of those earliest data points in many data sets. The regular region of each of the three models moves when the model's parameters are changed. With the generalized Leontief or translog model, the regular region's shape, location, and size are unpredictable without prior knowledge of the model's parameters. With either of those models, the intersection of the model's regular regions, as the parameters are changed, is contained within a very small neighborhood of the one point at which we require the model to be regular. With the minflex Laurent model, the primary properties of the regular regions are invariant to the values of the parameters, and the intersection of the displayed regular regions is a very large unbounded set. The width of that intersection increases without limit as real income increases.
The Refutation by Analogous Ectoqualia

L'A. etudie l'argument de la connaissance developpe par F. Jackson contre le physicalisme et rejette la refutation par analogie que lui oppose P. Churchland. Au-dela des difficultes logiques ou techniques inherentes aux differentes formes de l'argumentation, il s'agit de conclure que les proprietes physiques et ectoplasmiques ne resument pas toutes' les proprietes qui ont rapport aux sensations
Intergroup Cooperation in Common Pool Resource Dilemmas

Fundamental problems of environmental sustainability, including climate change and fisheries management, require collective action on a scale that transcends the political and cultural boundaries of the nation-state. Rational, self-interested neoclassical economic theories of human behavior predict tragedy in the absence of third party enforcement of agreements and practical difficulties that prevent privatization. Evolutionary biology offers a theory of cooperation, but more often than not in a context of discrimination against other groups. That is, in-group boundaries are necessarily defined by those excluded as members of out-groups. However, in some settings human’s exhibit behavior that is inconsistent with both rational economic and group driven cooperation of evolutionary biological theory. This paper reports the results of a non-cooperative game-theoretic exercise that models a tragedy of the commons problem in which groups of players may advance their own positions only at the expense of other groups. Students enrolled from multiple universities and assigned to different multi-university identity groups participated in experiments that repeatedly resulted in cooperative outcomes despite intergroup conflicts and expressions of group identity. We offer three possible explanations: (1) students were cooperative because they were in an academic setting; (2) students may have viewed their instructors as the out-group; or (3) the emergence of a small number of influential, ethical leaders is sufficient to ensure cooperation amongst the larger groups. From our data and analysis, we draw out lessons that may help to inform approaches for institutional design and policy negotiations, particularly in climate change management.
The Cognitive Organization of Gender-Stereotypic Categories

The present study examined the hypothesis that if stereotypic categories function as categorical schemas to organize social information in memory, then they should be grouped together in memory, and such organization should be reflected by the clustering of categories in free recall. Gender stereotypic categories of women and their defining attributes, all generated by a large group of subjects in a previous study, were used to test this proposition. Analysis of free recall protocols indicated that stereotypic category attributes were significantly grouped together by category. This result was impressive, in that only minimal cues to stereotypic categories were available; that is, standard memory test instructions were given with no mention of stereotypes in either the instructions or the stimulus list. The results support the notion that stereotypic categories act as organizational schemas for social memory.
Cytoskeletal protein degradation and neurodegeneration evolves differently in males and females following experimental head injury.

Abstract The resulting neuropathological degeneration that occurs following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a consequence of both immediate and secondary neurochemical sequelae. Proteolysis of cytoskeletal proteins, triggered by calcium-mediated events, is believed to be a particularly significant contributor to TBI-induced neuronal death. To date, efforts to associate cytoskeletal degradation and neurodegeneration in TBI have been primarily qualitative or semiquantitative. The objectives of this study were (1) to quantitatively describe, over a posttraumatic time course, the relationship and mechanisms of cytoskeletal degradation (Western blot) and neurodegeneration (silver staining) in male and female mice following a moderately severe weight-drop impact-acceleration head injury; (2) to evaluate gender differences in the response to TBI; and (3) to examine the potential therapeutic window for future pharmacological treatment strategies. In male and female mice, we report a close correlation in the time courses of neurofilament M protein degradation and α-spectrin breakdown products (SBDP 150 and 145) with the peak magnitude of neurodegeneration, as quantified by silver staining. Evidence from the increased patterns of SBDPs suggests that both calpain and caspase-3 are involved. In general, males incurred peak protein degradation and neurodegeneration within 3 days after injury, while in females this did not occur until 14 days. The neuroprotective effects of estrogen are believed to be key factors in the superior outcome of female vs male mice following TBI. In mice, the therapeutic window of opportunity for pharmacological intervention aimed at limiting cytoskeletal degradation might be as much as 24 h following injury. Evidence of a protracted time course of cytoskeletal degradation, especially in females, suggests a potential for an extended treatment-duration following TBI.
The Distinctness of Speakers' /s/—/∫/ Contrast Is Related to Their Auditory Discrimination and Use of an Articulatory Saturation Effect

This study examines individual differences in producing the sibilant contrast in American English and the relation of those differences to 2 speaker characteristics: (a) use of a quantal biomechani...
FACT and the reorganized nucleosome

FACT is an essential component of the machinery used by eukaryotic cells both to establish and to overcome the nucleosomal barrier to DNA accessibility, and it does so without hydrolyzing ATP. FACT is a transcription elongation factor, but this review stresses additional roles in DNA replication and initiation of transcription. The widely-held model that FACT functions by displacing an H2A–H2B dimer from a nucleosome is examined, and an alternative proposal is presented in which dimer loss can occur but is a secondary effect of a primary structural change induced by FACT binding which we have called “nucleosome reorganization.” The structures of two domains of FACT have been determined and they reveal multiple potential interaction sites. Roles for these binding sites in FACT function and regulation are discussed.
Oil sorption behavior of various sorbents studied by sorption capacity measurement and environmental scanning electron microscopy.

Oil sorption capacities of various natural and man-made fibrous sorbents were compared in a simulated seawater bath containing oil. Natural sorbents such as milkweed, kapok, cotton, and wool showed higher sorption capacities than man-made sorbents such as polyester, polypropylene, viscose rayon, nylon 6, nylon 66, and acetate. Sorption capacities of the natural sorbents were over 30 g oil/g fiber. No definite advantages were observed using man-made bicomponent and biconstituent fibers over regular man-made fibers with respect to their sorption capacity. Analyses of sorption mechanisms using an environmental scanning electron microscope revealed that an oil deposit disappeared from the fiber surface after a certain time interval in milkweed, kapok, and cotton. This suggested that the sorption of oil in these fibers occurred through capillary action, probably due to their hollow lumens. Contrarily, adsorption, a surface phenomenon, would be the most prominent mechanism for oil sorption of wool fibers due to large amounts of surface wax, irregular scaly surfaces, and crimp. Effects of both adsorption and absorption were shown in the oil sorption of man-made fibers, depending upon the type and shape of the sorbent. Dumbbell-like oil deposits were seen on the fiber surface in certain oleophilic man-made fibers, because of a partial wetting of oil on the fiber surface. For some hydrophilic man-made fibers such as polyvinylalcohol and copolymer of isobutylene-maleic anhydride, the physical configuration of the fiber was a decisive factor in determining oil sorpton capacity of the sorbents. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inability of interleukin-12 to modulate T-helper 0 effectors to T-helper 1 effectors: a possible distinct subset of T cells.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) strongly favours the development of T-helper 1 (Th1)-type cells through its ability to induce interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production by natural killer cells and T cells. In the present work we analysed the effects of IL-12 on the synthesis and secretion of IFN-γ and IL-4 by human T-cell clones. Several previously described human T-cell clones exhibiting Th1, Th2 or Th0 phenotypes were used for these analyses. We demonstrated, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and intracytoplasmic staining, that, in Th0 clones, IL-12 up-regulated the production of both IFN-γ and IL-4 and was unable to modulate these cells to Th1-type. The up-regulation of cytokine gene expression was transcriptionally regulated and was not due to differences in mRNA stability. In Th1 cells, IL-12 up-regulated only IFN-γ and not IL-4. However, in Th2 cells, both IFN-γ and IL-4 were up-regulated by IL-12. This suggests that Th2 cells may be less stable than Th1 cells. We also observed that human Th2 cells expressed the IL-12β2 receptor, in contrast to murine Th2, which lacks this receptor. The observed differences in the effects of IL-12 on the three T-cell subsets may have important ramifications for IL-12-based therapies.
Obesity and diabetes genetic variants associated with gestational weight gain

Objective We sought to determine whether genetic variants associated with diabetes and obesity predict gestational weight gain. Study Design A total of 960 participants in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition cohorts were genotyped for 27 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with diabetes and obesity. Results Among Caucasian and African American women (n = 960), KCNQ1 risk allele carriage was directly associated with weight gain ( P 3 for inclusion of TCF2 and THADA SNPs in our models. Among African American women (n = 332), we found associations between risk allele carriage and weight gain for the THADA and INSIG2 SNPs. In Bayesian variable selection models, we found an interaction between the TSPAN8 risk allele and pregravid obesity, with lower weight gain among obese risk allele carriers. Conclusion We found evidence that diabetes and obesity risk alleles interact with maternal pregravid body mass index to predict gestational weight gain.
Severe vincristine neuropathy in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A.

BACKGROUND A general predisposition for vincristine-related neuropathy has been observed in persons with a family history of hereditary neuropathies. METHODS In a retrospective case series, we investigated the possible association between the DNA rearrangement found in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 1A (CMT1A) and susceptibility to the neurotoxicity of vincristine. In selected patients and family members, we performed electrodiagnostic studies and analyzed DNA samples for 17p11.2-12 duplication associated with CMT1A. RESULTS We describe three families with autosomal dominant CMT1, among whom a family member with a neoplastic disease suffered rapid onset, severe neuropathy after receiving initial doses of vincristine as a part of a routine chemotherapy protocol. All three families had at least one affected family member with 17p11.2-12 duplication. CONCLUSIONS These cases show that 17p11.2-12 duplication predisposes patients to severe neurotoxicity from vincristine and that this drug should be avoided in patients with CMT1A. It is therefore essential to obtain a detailed family history for all oncology patients to screen for possible hereditary neuropathies. In patients with unexplained or preexisting familial neuropathy, testing for 17p11.2-12 duplication should be carried out prior to initiating vincristine therapy. Patients with other hereditary neuropathies may also be at risk for severe neurotoxic reactions. Cancer 1996;77:1356-62.
Complications of percutaneous abdominal fine-needle biopsy. Review.

To determine whether the increasing use of percutaneous fine-needle biopsy of abdominal lesions is associated with an increase in serious complications, the author updated a literature search and evaluated a questionnaire (distributed among selected hospitals in the United States in 1986 and 1987) that followed up a questionnaire distributed in 1983. The updated literature review revealed a total of 24 deaths and 20 needle tract seedings. The updated questionnaire revealed five deaths after 16,381 biopsies (0.031%), whereas the previous questionnaire had shown four deaths after 63,108 biopsies (0.006%). Two similar European questionnaires revealed mortality rates of 0.008% and 0.018%, respectively. Of the total of 33 deaths, 21 involved biopsies of liver lesions; six involved pancreatic biopsies. Seventeen of the 21 deaths after liver biopsies were secondary to hemorrhage; five of the six deaths after pancreatic biopsies were due to pancreatitis. Of the 23 instances of needle tract seeding, 10 occurred af...
LOCALIZATION OF OXYTETRACYCLINE IN CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is an important antimicrobial used in aquaculture. However, residues of OTC have been isolated from nontarget aquatic organisms, sediments, and water located near aquaculture facilities. Identifying OTC in plant material is particularly difficult due to interference from pigments and polyphenol substances but is important especially for algae since they are a primary food source for fish in early life stages. In this study, we describe the effect of OTC (0.1, 1, 10, 25, 50, 100 μg · mL(-1) ) on cell growth, and the localization of OTC (0, 1, 25, 100 μg · mL(-1) ) in vacuoles of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii P. A. Dang. (wildtype, ATCC 18798). We also present a method for semiquantifying OTC in living cells using fluorescent microscopy and Adobe Photoshop. We exposed algal cells to OTC and sampled after 2 or 7 d exposure. On day 7, OTC significantly inhibited algal growth at 1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μg · mL(-1) . When viewed with fluorescent microscopy, cells exposed to the 25 and 100 μg · mL(-1) contained yellow fluorescent areas, ≤1 μm in diameter that were easily discernable against the red fluorescence of the intracellular chl. The fluorescent areas corresponded to small spherical vacuoles (i.e., polyphosphate bodies that contain calcium and magnesium complexed with polyphosphate) seen in the cells by LM. Since OTC has a high affinity for divalent cations, we suggest that OTC is localized in these vacuoles.
Mitochondrial participation in ischemic and traumatic neural cell death.

ABSTRACT Mitochondria play critical roles in cerebral energy metabolism and in the regulation of cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. They are also the primary intracellular source of reactive oxygen species, due to the tremendous number of oxidation-reduction reactions and the massive utilization of O2 that occur there. Metabolic trafficking among cells is also highly dependent upon normal, well-controlled mitochondrial activities. Alterations of any of these functions can cause cell death directly or precipitate death indirectly by compromising the ability of cells to withstand stressful stimuli. Abnormal accumulation of Ca2+ by mitochondria in response to exposure of neurons to excitotoxic levels of excitatory neurotransmitters, for example, glutamate, is a primary mediator of mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed cell death. Excitoxicity, along with inflammatory reactions, mechanical stress, and altered trophic signal transduction, all likely contribute to mitochondrial damage observed during the evolution of t...
Noncompliance in hemodialysis patients as measured with the MBHI

Abstract Fifteen patients beginning maintenance hemodialysis due to renal failure were administered the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory, the Family Environment Scale and Beck Depression Inventory at the outset of treatment. They were then followed regarding their compliance with fluid, diet and medication, using weight change and serum potassium and phosphorus levels. Statistically significant differences were found on independence/dependence conflicts and between patients showing at least moderate noncompliance with weight and/or phosphorus limitations. Significantly higher levels of depression were associated with consistently poorer compliance patterns.
Shortening of the nucleon's mean free path in heavy ion collisions

Abstract The mean free path of nucleons in heavy ion collisions is most essential for the development of nuclear collective phenomena. We discuss the effect of the nucleon Fermi motion in nuclei for shortening the mean free path. This Fermi motion together with the prior Pauli effect makes nuclei nontransparent for heavy ions in the medium energy domain.
Physician vs Patient Assessment of Dyspnea During Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

This study assessed agreement between physician and patient self-reported measures of dyspnea severity during acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Both the physician and patient measured the change in dyspnea severity over 1 hour using 2 methods: (1) the difference of two static dyspnea measures (STATIC) and (2) a single transitional measure (TRANS). Likert scales and visual analog scales (VASs) were used. Data on 112 patients were analyzed. The mean difference between physician and patient VAS scores was 1 mm (limits of agreement: -54 to 56 mm) using the STATIC data. For TRANS data, the mean difference was 5 mm (limits of agreement: -75 to 86 mm). For the Likert scales, the weighted kappa was 0.13 and 0.23 for STATIC and TRANS data, respectively. The wide limits of agreement restrict our ability to substitute physician assessment for patient self-assessment of dyspnea in patients with ADHF.
The Alcohol Perception (AP) Project: A Study of the Perceptions of Adolescents toward Alcohol

Four million individuals under the age of 21 admit to consuming alcohol in any given month. This is a significant statistic considering alcohol is responsible for most health problems related to drugs among adolescents. Research has shown that the high influence of alcohol advertising may encourage adolescents to emulate the behaviors seen in alcohol commercials. Further, those who begin drinking before age 13 are seven times more likely to consume 4+ drinks at least 6 times a month. The authors sought to show causality between the positive social perception of alcohol and the ability to influence drinking behavior. Survey findings of the study suggest that adolescents are more likely to be influenced by those who drink than those who do not. Therefore, measures to change this perception (in order to avert addiction and disease) must be put in place at an early age, much as they are (at both the academic and professional level) for combating tobacco.
ASF/SF2-like maize pre-mRNA splicing factors affect splice site utilization and their transcripts are alternatively spliced

Three ASF/SF2-like alternative splicing genes from maize were identified, cloned, and analyzed. Each of these genes (zmSRp30, zmSRp31, and zmSRp32) contains two RNA binding domains, a signature sequence SWQDLKD, and a characteristic serine/ariginine-rich domain. There is a strong structural similarity to the human ASF/SF2 splicing factor and to the Arabidopsis atSRp34/p30 proteins. Similar to ASF/SF2-like genes in other organisms, the maize pre-mRNA messages are alternatively spliced. They are differentially expressed in maize tissues with relatively uniform levels of zmSRp30 and zmSRp31 messages being observed throughout the plant, while zmSRp32 messages preferentially accumulated in the meristematic regions. Overexpression of zmSRp32 in maize cells leads to the enhanced selection of weak 5' intron splice sites during the processing of pre-mRNA molecules. Overexpression of the zmSRp31 or zmSRp32 gene affects regulation of wheat dwarf virus rep gene pre-mRNA splicing, presumably by interacting with the weak 5' splice site, CCGU. Our results suggest that the described genes are functional homologues of the human ASF/SF2 alternative splicing factor and they indicate a diversity of the ASF/SF2-like alternative splicing factors in monocot plant cells.
Crystal defects and the dissolution kinetics of rutile

The dissolution rate of rutile in hydrofluoric acid was measured to examine the importance of line and point defects on the reaction rate. Well-annealed rutile was shocked with an explosive charge to induce a high density of dislocations (4 × 1011cm−2), paramagnetic point defects (≈2 × 1019 cm−3), and lattice strain as measured by X-ray line broadening (≈ 2 × 10−3). Subsamples of the shocked material were then thermally annealed in order to prepare samples with a wide variation in dislocation density and point defect concentration. The unshocked starting material had a dislocation density of about 106 cm−2, no detectable lattice strain (<10−5), and no detectable point defects as measured by electron spin resonance (< ≈1 × 1016cm−3). In spite of this large variation in dislocations and point defect concentrations, we observed only a factor of two variation in the reaction rate for shocked and annealed material. Existing theories suggest that etch pits nucleate and grow at the outcrop of a dislocation on the crystal surface. Assuming that the measured dislocation densities can be used to estimate the density of surface outcrops, and that each outcrop dissolves to form an etch pit, the relation between dissolution rates and dislocations can be interpreted in terms of a mean rate of etch pit growth. The mean rate of etch pit growth in shocked samples is less than 9 × 10−27cm3s−1. In experiments with single rutile crystals, however, observable etch pits grow at rates on the order of 1 × 10−19cm3s−. This discrepancy suggests either that: (i) the observed etch pits grow much more rapidly than the mean rate; or (ii) bulk dislocation density is not a useful measure of potential sites for etch pit growth on rutile crystal surfaces.
Elliptically contoured random fields in space and time

Elliptically contoured random fields are natural extensions of the Gaussian random field, and may or may not have second-order moments. A second-order elliptically contoured random field is determined by its mean and covariance functions, just like the Gaussian one. This paper proposes a class of covariance functions for second-order elliptically contoured random fields by using the nonnegative mixture method, which possess the following properties: nonseparable, nonstationary but with the stationary case as a special case, and allowing for both positive and negative correlation. Some long-range dependent models are also derived.
UV-Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy of benzene adsorbed inside zeolite pores

UV-Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the host−guest interactions of benzene molecules adsorbed within siliceous MFI. With use of 244 nm ultraviolet laser light as the excitation source, several new peaks appear in the spectra. These peaks are not expected from normal Raman scattering of liquid benzene and not seen in the FT-Raman spectra of benzene in silicalite, but appear in the UV-Raman spectra because of the Raman resonance effect. Further investigations diminish the possibility that the new peaks are due to laser-induced chemical reactions. The fluorescence spectra show the fluorescence bands of benzene with vibration progressions, which suggests that the adsorbed benzene molecules are not clustered. Considering that the dimensions of benzene molecules closely match the channel sizes of MFI, it is proposed that the symmetry of D6h-benzene in the excited state degrades to lower symmetry upon adsorption due to compression of benzene molecules inside MFI pores. In support of this result, UV-Ram...
Vibration and large deflection of cantilevered elastica compressed by angled cable

A thin cantilevered beam is compressed by a cable attached to the tip of the beam and terminating near the base. Large-deflection equilibrium configurations and small vibrations about equilibrium are investigated. This system has a direct application to solar-sail structures, where the structural booms could be designed to bend to supply tension loading in the sail membrane. The equilibrium and vibration properties are examined in three ways: numerical integration of the governing elastica equations using a shooting method, finite element analysis using ABAQUS, and experiments with a polycarbonate strip bent by a cable that is tightened with a turnbuckle. Equilibrium shapes and vibration mode shapes and frequencies are obtained for two different cable attachment points offset slightly from the beam's base in the axial and transverse directions. Frequencies obtained from a three-dimensional finite element analysis are also presented.
Feeding oleamide to lactating Jersey cows 1. Effects on lactation performance and milk fatty acid composition.

Abstract Oleamide was previously reported to resist ruminal biohydrogenation and elevate milk oleic acid concentration when fed to lactating Holstein cows. To determine if Jersey cows responded similarly to oleamide, four lactating Jersey cows (mean 417 kg of body weight and 64 days in milk) were fed four diets in a 4 × 4 Latin square with 2-wk periods. Diets were total mixed ration containing 47% corn silage and 53% concentrate (dry matter basis) and were supplemented with no added fat (control), or with 3.5% added fat from either higholeic canola oil, a commercial source of oleamide, or oleamide synthesized from oleic acid and urea. The canola oil supplement had no effect on milk yield or composition. Compared to canola oil, the oleamide supplements reduced milk yield, dry matter intake, and milk fat and protein contents. Milk oleic acid concentration increased from 17.4% of total fatty acids for the control diet to 22.1% for the canola oil diet. Both oleamides further increased milk oleic acid to 30.0 and 27.1% of total fatty acids for the commercial and synthesized oleamides, respectively. Milk palmitic acid was reduced and stearic acid was increased by all fat supplements but more so by the oleamides than by the canola oil. Consistent with previous reports that fatty acyl amides resist ruminal biohydrogenation, feeding oleamide to Jersey cows in this study increased milk oleic acid concentration but had negative effects on feed intake and milk yield.
Power losses in electrical networks depending on weather conditions

Specific power losses to corona and to leakage currents over overhead insulators are presented for 110 – 750-kV transmission lines with different phase design and pole types for different weather conditions. Consumption of electric energy for ice melting on conductors of various cross sections is evaluated. Meteorological data of 1372 weather stations in Russia are processed for a period of 10 years. The territory of the country is divided into 7 regions with approximately homogeneous weather conditions. Specific power losses to corona and leakage currents over overhead insulators are presented for every region.
A Lotus 1-2-3 model for airline level of operations planning

Abstract In this paper a Lotus 1-2-3 model that forecasts operating statistics for an airline is presented. The Level of Operations Model is useful in long range planning because a schedule is not required to produce the forecasts. The paper lists the key formulas and required data. Successful applications of the model such as fleet planning, and pilot pay studies are discussed.
A Quasi-Three-Dimensional Climate Model

Abstract A quasi-three-dimensional global climate model designed to trace the transient evolution of climate is described. The model, which has an interactive ocean, differs from earlier models in including a 5-layer atmospheric structure and in utilizing a 5-day time step. It is essentially a coarse-grid general circulation model with simplified dynamics. The basic nonlinear system of equations used includes a prognostic equation for surface temperature and diagnostic equations for all the other variables, including sea-level pressure and wind velocity. Several 20-year runs were made with the model, primarily to test its stability, its simulation of the real climate, and its sensitivity to variations in the solar constant. The model is quite stable and shows no obvious tendency to drift with time toward either a very cold or a very warm climate. It simulates most of the major features of the atmospheric circulation and the hydrologic cycle. It fails, however, to give strong Northern Hemisphere subtropica...
Pseudomartingale estimating equations for modulated renewal process models

Summary. We adapt martingale estimating equations based on gap time information to a gen eral intensity model for a single realization of a modulated renewal process. The consistency and asymptotic normality of the estimators is proved under ergodicity conditions. Previous work has considered either parametric likelihood analysis or semiparametric multiplicative models using partial likelihood. The framework is generally applicable to semiparametric and paramet ric models, including additive and multiplicative specifications, and periodic models. It facilitates a semiparametric extension of a popular parametric earthquake model. Simulations and empir ical analyses of Taiwanese earthquake sequences illustrate the methodology's practical utility.
The dynamics of quantifiable homeostasis. V: Homeostasis of higher order

The properties are explored of a cybernetic process with lag L and force of restoration equal to the size of displacement one lag unit earlier, raised to any arbitrary positive power (w greater than 1), multiplied by the restoration constant b, the sign being opposite to that of the displacement at that time. No closed-form solution is available, but a converging Taylor series expansion is presented that gives a solution of arbitrary precision. Unlike the linear system previously discussed, the amplitude of the displacement (A) is germane, and it is shown that the criterion that the effect of a perturbation be damped out is whether or not LbAw-1 exceeds a constant, kw, that depends only on w. The counterpart of this pattern of higher-order homeostasis is closer to the biological behavior of many forms of homeostasis than the scaled invariance characteristic of the linear process. kw is shown to be bounded between pi/2 and 2, and increases monotonically with w. Exactly computed values and large-sample approximations are given for the critical values below which no overshoot at all occurs. It is shown that where it does not, the minimum expected cost decreases with increasing w and reaches a minimum at infinite w. However, this evolutionary gain is vitiated where large displacements are involved, and may need to be redressed by a change in the restoration constant. Thus, the dynamic balance becomes much more subtle than with lower-order processes. Several brief clinical illustrations of these ideas are presented.
Corrosion resistance and lifetime of polyimide-b-polyurea novel copolymer coatings

Abstract A novel class of polyurea-b-polyimide (PUI) block copolymer coating containing environmentally friendly aromatic polyurea has been successfully synthesized for corrosion protection of aluminum alloy 2024-T3 (Al 2024-T3). The PUI copolymer is able to self-assemble into a supramacromolecule by means of intra and inter-hydrogen bonds (H-bonds). The formation of H-bonds and effect of the later on the crystallinity of the copolymer was studied by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). It was shown that increasing polyurea mole fraction up to 50 mol%, enhanced occurrence of H-bonding induced self-assembly, and resulted in remarkable enhancement in the degree of crystallinity, and corrosion resistance. Corrosion resistance and diffusivity of the copolymer coatings were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The coating lifetime determined by using time-based corrosion resistance, was shown to be about 8 years for the optimized PUI copolymer coating. PUI coating synthesized by using 50 mol% of polyurea has a high contact angle (110°) and remarkably low surface energy of about 25.5 mJ/m2.
The octahedron recurrence and gln crystals

Abstract We study the hive model of g l n tensor products, following Knutson, Tao, and Woodward. We define a coboundary category where the tensor product is given by hives and where the associator and commutor are defined using a modified octahedron recurrence. We then prove that this category is equivalent to the category of crystals for the Lie algebra g l n . The proof of this equivalence uses a new connection between the octahedron recurrence and the Jeu de Taquin and Schutzenberger involution procedures on Young tableaux.
Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and the Risk of Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis

Maternal hypertension is common during pregnancy, and multiple studies have reported on an association between maternal hypertension and congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring; however, there is variability in the quality of these studies. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on the associations between untreated and treated maternal hypertension and the risk of CHDs, evaluating CHDs overall as well as specific CHD subtypes. A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles published before August 2013 identified 16 studies evaluating the associations between untreated and treated maternal hypertension and CHDs. Summary relative risk (RR) estimates were calculated using fixed-effects models and random-effects models. Significant associations were observed between maternal hypertension and overall CHDs, for both treated [RR 2.0; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.5, 2.7] and untreated (RR 1.4; 95 % CI 1.2, 1.7) hypertension, as well as for overall hypertension regardless of treatment status (RR 1.8; 95 % CI 1.5, 2.2). The magnitude of effect was similar for the majority of CHD subtypes evaluated. The effects were also similar among women with hypertension who used one of multiple specific hypertension medications. There was no evidence of publication bias, and our results were robust to several factors considered in sensitivity analyses (e.g., source of exposure data, adjustment for potential confounders, and study design). Maternal hypertension was associated with CHDs. By understanding the specific mechanisms involved, appropriate strategies may be developed to reduce this risk, in order to prevent CHDs.
Use of the Language Development Survey (LDS) in a National Probability Sample of Children 18 to 35 Months Old.

Data are reported from a national probability sample used to norm the Language Development Survey (LDS; L. Rescorla, 1989) and the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1 1/2–5 (CBCL/1 1/2–5; T. M. Ach...
Utility of magnetic resonance angiography and carotid ultrasound in the evaluation of carotid stenosis.

We assessed the utility of noninvasive methods for clinical decision-making in carotid stenosis. We compared the results from magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), carotid ultrasound (CUS), and conventional carotid angiography (CCA) for 39 arteries. Noninvasive studies were graded by a 5-point diameter scale. Conventional angiograms were evaluated for percent stenosis using the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial criteria and diameter of residual lumen by caliper. Agreement was 64% between MRA and CCA, 72% between CUS and CCA, and 77% between MRA and CUS. For vessels measuring greater than 60% stenosis by CCA, sensitivity was 100% for both MRA and CUS. Specificities were 65% (MRA) and 71% (CUS), reflecting the tendency for MRA and CUS to overestimate stenosis. MRA and CUS correlated with residual lumen, even in some cases where they disagreed with the percent stenosis. We conclude that patients with normal arteries or mild stenosis as determined by MRA and CUS may be excluded from further evaluation, whereas patients with highergrade lesions should be evaluated with CCA prior to consideration for surgery. Close correlation between the results of MRA and CUS, as well as their apparent correlation with residual lumen, suggests that MRA and CUS may more accurately reflect carotid flow than does calculated percent stenosis.