cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Voltage-controlled cellular viability of preosteoblasts on polarized cpTi with varying surface oxide thickness.

Abstract Cathodic voltage shifts of metallic biomaterials were recently shown to induce cell apoptosis in-vitro. The details of the reduction-based physico-chemical phenomena have not yet been fully elucidated. This study shows how surface oxide thickness of commercially pure titanium affects the voltage viability range, and whether anodic oxidation can extend this range. Cell viability, cytoskeletal organization, and cellular adhesion on bare and anodized Ti, at − 500, − 400 mV(Ag/AgCl) and open circuit potential were assessed. Surfaces were characterized using contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy, and the observed cellular response was related to the changes in electrochemical currents, and impedance of the samples. Results show that anodization at 9 V in phosphate buffer saline generates a compact surface oxide with comparable surface roughness and energy to the starting bare surface. The anodized surface extends the viability range at 24 h from − 400 mV(Ag/AgCl) by about − 100 mV, which corresponds to an increase in impedance of the surface from 58 kΩ cm 2 to 29 MΩ cm 2 at − 400 mV(Ag/AgCl) and results in low average current densities below 0.1 μA cm − 2 . The results demonstrate that the voltage range for cell viability under cathodic polarization is expanded due to anodization of the surface oxide and lowering of cathodic currents.
Neurophysiological profiles of replicate line 2 high-alcohol-drinking (HAD-2) and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD-2) rats.

Rationale A select number of electrophysiological findings have been demonstrated to differentiate rat lines selectively bred for high and low ethanol preference. Objective In the present study, EEGs and event-related potentials (ERPs) of high-alcohol-drinking (HAD) and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD) rats from replicate line 2 (HAD-2 and LAD-2) were assessed to determine if their neurophysiological profiles are similar to selected lines previously evaluated. Methods Rats obtained from Indiana University were implanted with cortical and amygdalar recording electrodes. Baseline EEG and ERPs were assessed in ethanol-naive HAD-2 and LAD-2 rats. Animals subsequently were trained to self-administer ethanol by using a sucrose-substitution procedure. Results Compared with LAD-2 rats, HAD-2 rats displayed greater parietal cortical power in the 6 to 32 Hz frequency range of the EEG. Greater parietal cortical peak frequency in the 2 to 4 Hz range and decreased frontal, parietal, and amygdalar peak frequencies in the 16 to 32 Hz frequency range were also seen. Compared with LAD-2 rats, HAD-2 rats had decreased P2 latency of ERPs recorded in the parietal cortex. HAD-2 rats also had greater frontal, parietal, and amygdalar P2 amplitudes, greater frontal and parietal cortical P1 amplitudes, and greater parietal cortical P3 amplitudes compared with LAD-2 rats. As anticipated, HAD-2 rats consumed significantly greater levels of sucrose, sucrose-ethanol, and ethanol over the course of the sucrose-substitution procedure compared with LAD-2 rats. Conclusions These data suggest that increased cortical power is associated with high ethanol preference in a number of selectively bred rat lines. However, unique electrophysiological characteristics may index alcohol preference in each line.
Characteristics of stepping over an obstacle in community dwelling older adults under dual-task conditions

Previous research suggests that older adults may have difficulty attending to simultaneous tasks. This study was conducted to determine how concurrent performance of a secondary cognitive task influences walking and stepping over an obstacle in community dwelling older adults. Twenty-one men and women with a mean age of 73.4 years (S.D.=5.3) participated in the study. Subjects performed a gait task both alone (single-task condition) and in combination with a cognitive task that involved reciting numbers (dual-task condition). In the gait task, each subject walked at his/her fastest speed along a 10-m walkway and stepped over an obstacle designed to simulate a door threshold. Paired t-tests were used to compare gait parameters (10 m gait speed, gait speed during obstacle approach and negotiation, medial-lateral center of pressure excursion and velocity during obstacle negotiation, foot clearance over the obstacle, step length and foot position relative to the obstacle) and cognitive task performance under single and dual-task conditions. Toe-obstacle distance was greater and obstacle-heel distance was reduced under dual-task conditions. Performance of the remaining gait parameters did not change with the addition of a secondary cognitive task. Cognitive task performance decreased under dual-task conditions. These community dwelling older adults demonstrated minimal or no change in measured gait parameters during simultaneous performance of a cognitive task. The observed decrement in cognitive task performance suggests that subjects may have placed a higher priority on gait performance.
The epidemiology of skin cancer.

BACKGROUNDThe incidence of skin cancer is increasing at an alarming rate.OBJECTIVETo discuss current epidemiologic data concerning the incidence, morbidity, environmental influences, predisposing, host conditions, precursor lesions, and prevention of melanoma and nonmelanoma (basal and squamous cell
Tungsten Combustion in Explosively Initiated W/Zr Mechanical Alloys

Tungsten is mechanically alloyed with zirconium and subject to explosive initiation in confined chamber tests. Transient pressure measurements and residue analysis suggest that a majority of the tungsten reacts within 10 ms in alloys containing 33, 57, and 75 w/w W (balance Zr). The product of tungsten oxidation is likely amorphous WO3, because no crystalline tungsten oxides are observed in X-ray analysis of the residues. These results suggest that the chemical energy of tungsten can be extracted efficiently from mechanical alloys containing as little as 25% Zr, resulting in very high-density structural energetics that release chemical energy comparable to TNT on a mass basis.
Familial and personality correlates of alcohol-related problems

Family history of alcohol abuse and personality characteristics measured by the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC), two factors that have been associated with the development and expression of alcoholism in clinical populations, were examined in a nonclinical, putatively normal sample. Analyses revealed that although family history positive subjects (FHP) drank as much and as often as family history negative subjects (FHN), the FHP subjects experienced significantly more alcohol-related problems. Consistent with previous findings with clinical samples, both family history of alcohol abuse and the MAC were associated with increased alcohol-related problems in a nonclinical sample. Furthermore, family history of alcohol abuse and the MAC appeared to be measuring relatively independent factors associated with alcohol abuse.
Peripheral nerve transection induces innervation of embryonic neocortical transplants by specific thalamic fibers in adult mice.

Embryonic neocortical tissue survives and differentiates when grafted to injured adult neocortex. While these transplants are readily innervated by the host cholinergic fibers, specific thalamic fibers fail to innervate them. The present study was designed to test whether changing the activity levels of the thalamic ventrobasal projection neurons would promote sprouting of their axons into the embryonic cortical implants placed in the barrel field cortex. To achieve this the main input to the these thalamic neurons was eliminated two synapses away, by blocking the peripheral sensory input to the barrel field cortex. Adult hosts underwent unilateral transection of the infraorbital nerve and two days later the contralateral barrel field cortex was lesioned enough to insert an embryonic neocortical graft. Following a one month post-transplantation period we examined the amount of specific thalamic axon ingrowth into the transplants by injecting the ventrobasal nucleus with horseradish peroxidase. The control cases without prior nerve damage confirmed previous observations that ventrobasal nucleus neurons fail to innervate the implanted neocortex. Transection of the infraorbital nerve prior to transplantation resulted in an unprecedented ingrowth of specific thalamic axons into the transplants. There was no significant difference in the amount of thalamic fiber ingrowth into the transplants when the peripheral nerve was (transection) or was not (cautery) allowed to regenerate. However, transection of the infraorbital nerve permits the nerve to regenerate and at least partially reconnect the sensory periphery, thus leading to the possibility of functional integration of the neocortical transplants into the host trigeminal system. The morphology and distribution of host acetylcholinesterase-positive fibers that grow into the transplants under both experimental and control conditions were distinctly different from those of thalamic axons. These results provide the first demonstration of peripheral sensory nerve induction of regenerative propensity in specific thalamocortical projection neurons. The thalamic fiber ingrowth should lead to enhanced functional innervation of the neocortical implants and better incorporation of the graft into the adult host brain circuitry.
How the Defendant's Emotion Level Affects Mock Jurors' Decisions When Presentation Mode and Evidence Strength Are Varied1

Two experiments (N= 443) were conducted to investigate the effects of a defendant's emotion level during testimony on mock jurors' decisions. In Experiment 1, the defendant's level of emotion (low, moderate, high) and mode of presentation (audio, video) were varied. The defendant displaying a low level, as opposed to a higher level of emotion was perceived as more guilty and less credible. In Experiment 2, using only the video mode, emotion level and evidence strength (strong, weak) were varied. Defendant emotion level tended to affect jurors' decisions only when the evidence against the defendant was weak (i.e., a stronger display of emotion was associated with a lower proportion of guilty verdicts, shorter sentence assignments, and perceptions of a more honest defendant). Path analyses for both experiments indicate that the effects of emotion on perceived guilt level are mediated by perceptions of the defendant (e.g., the defendant's level of honesty). Implications of using defendant emotion level for determining guilt are discussed.
The Adsorption and Co-Adsorption with CO of NO on Cu(110) Studied with EELS and LEED

The adsorption of NO on Cu(110) and its interaction with co-adsorbed CO at a crystal temperature of 80 K have been investigated with EELS. Dissociation of NO occurring at higher temperatures or higher exposures has been studied with both EELS and LEED. For exposures of less than 1.2 Langmuir of 14NO at a crystal temperature of 80 K, vibrational energies are initially observed at 106, 195, and 262 meV with EELS. With increasing NO coverage, the first peak reaches a maximum intensity and then diminishes while the second peak grows. However, both peaks vanish for exposures greater than 1.2 Langmuirs. If the crystal is heated above 113 K both peaks also vanish. The third peak, which represents the CO stretching vibration of less than 5 % of a monolayer of CO, shifts upward in energy with increasing NO coverage but does not shift back when the first two peaks vanish. Hence, the NO or its products do not desorb under these conditions. With higher exposures of NO followed by heating to 500 K a distinct loss peak at 49 meV associated with Oad in the long bridge site is observed. No additional vibrational peak is observed for nitrogen. However, a comparison of LEED patterns produced following NO and O adsorption at 80 K followed by annealing to 500 K indicates that Nad is also present. By using the isotopic energy shifts obtained by adsorbing 15NO, the two low exposure peaks are assigned to the bending and stretching modes of adsorbed NO, respectively. Since the intensity of the bending mode peak is greater initially than the stretching mode, it is concluded that the NO is initially adsorbed in a strongly bent configuration. Co-adsorption with 0.25 monolayer of CO results in a substantial suppression of the bending mode and energy shifts in both the CO and NO stretching vibrations.
Doping dependence of second breakdown in a p-n junction

The delay time before the onset of second breakdown was measured at the collector-base junctions of four types silicon n-p-n planar transistors. The dependence of delay time on input power was found to obey a relationshiop of the form pτn = constant. The value of n increased slightly, and the value of the constant decreased, with decreasing collector doping. For all four types of transistors, n was close to 0.5, and when a curve of the form pτ12 = constant was fitted to the experimental data, the constant could be related to the temperature at which the collector impurity concentration becomes equal to the intrinsic carrier concentration.
Predicting the Effectiveness of Auditory Warning Signals in Industrial Environments

A method is presented whereby the effectiveness of auditory warning devices in a given acoustical background can be predetermined and the most effective signal selected. In developing the methods, eight complex, variable pitch acoustically engineered horn-type signals were used. Four spectrally representative industrial noise backgrounds plus white noise were used to provide test environments. A predictive model involving octave-band analysis, signal-noise ratios and reaction time was developed.
A Dynamically Computed Convective Time Scale for the Kain–Fritsch Convective Parameterization Scheme

AbstractMany convective parameterization schemes define a convective adjustment time scale τ as the time allowed for dissipation of convective available potential energy (CAPE). The Kain–Fritsch scheme defines τ based on an estimate of the advective time period for deep convective clouds within a grid cell, with limits of 1800 and 3600 s, based on practical cloud-lifetime considerations. In simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model using 12-km grid spacing, the value of τ often defaults to the lower limit, resulting in relatively rapid thermodynamics adjustments and high precipitation rates. Herein, a new computation for τ in the Kain–Fritsch scheme is implemented based on the depth of the buoyant layer and the convective velocity scale. This new τ formulation is applied using 12- and 36-km model grid spacing in conjunction with a previous modification that takes into account the radiation effects of parameterized convective clouds. The dynamically computed convective adjustment ti...
A Gauge Invariant Action for the Free Ramond String

Abstract Using the idea of gauge invariance based on the BRST operator, a gauge invariant action is constructed for the free Ramond string.
COMPARISON OF ATOMIC POTENTIALS AND BREMSSTRAHLUNG GAUNT FACTORS IN DENSE ALUMINUM PLASMAS

Abstract We determine and compare high temperature high density atomic potentials for dense aluminum plasmas. We then evaluate bremsstrahlung Gaunt factors from these potentials utilizing various methods. The potentials considered are obtained from density functional theory, from the hypernetted chain/Poisson model and from the Thomas-Fermi model. The bremsstrahlung spectra obtained for these three potentials, with the partial wave expansion method and for incident electrons of about 1 keV, are in qualitative agreement. We indicate in which circumstances and with what precision bremsstrahlung Gaunt factors can also be estimated from much simpler potentials, such as the Debye or ion sphere model, and from much simpler calculations of the spectrum, such as the Born-Elwert approximation or a simple classical mechanics approach. The aluminum plasmas considered have temperatures of 0.5-1 keV and electron densities of 1025, 1024, 1023cm-3.
Meaning and learning: Response to Moerk

Abstract In response to Moerk (1986, Developmental Review, 6, 365–385) the following points are discussed: (a) Semantic and conceptual development must be conceived in terms of systems that undergo developmental change, (b) Objects are viewed as embedded in events and as being conceptualized first within a syntagmatic and later a paradigmatic system, (c) While the nature of the input to the child is important, its effects cannot be considered independently of the state of the child's conceptual and linguistic system. (d) The neurological considerations discussed by Moerk are not relevant to the particular developmental issues discussed in my book.
Headache disability inventory (HDI): short-term test-retest reliability and spouse perceptions

We have reported previously that the 25-item Headache Disability Inventory has good internal consistency reliability, robust long-term (2 month) test-retest stability, and good construct validity. We conducted further investigations to evaluate the short-term (1 week) test-retest reliability and spouse perceptions of patients' self-perceived headache disability. The short-term test-retest reliability of the Headache Disability Inventory was excellent. Additionally, the spouse and patients' perceptions of the patient's headache disability generally were congruent, although we observed instances where the differences were marked.
A multidisciplinary clinical pathway decreases rib fracture-associated infectious morbidity and mortality in high-risk trauma patients.

Abstract Background We initiated a multidisciplinary clinical pathway targeting patients greater than 45 years of age with more than 4 rib fractures. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of this pathway on infectious morbidity and mortality. Methods This was a prospective cohort study. Data evaluated included patient demographics, injury characteristics, pain management details, lengths of stay, morbidity, and mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a significance level of P Results When adjusting for age, injury severity score, and number of rib fractures, the clinical pathway was associated with decreased intensive care unit length of stay by 2.4 days (95% confidence interval [CI] −4.3, −0.52 days, P = .01) hospital length of stay by 3.7 days (95% CI −7.1, −0.42 days, P = .02), pneumonias (odds ratio [OR] 0.12, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.34, P P = .06). Conclusions Implementation of a rib fracture multidisciplinary clinical pathway decreased mechanical ventilator-dependent days, lengths of stay, infectious morbidity, and mortality.
Phase separation and oxygen diffusion in electrochemically oxidized La2CuO4+ delta : A static magnetic susceptibility study.

The compound ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ is known to phase separate for 0.01\ensuremath{\lesssim}\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.06 below a temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{ps}}$\ensuremath{\sim}300 K into the nearly stoichiometric antiferromagnetic compound ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4.01--4.02}$ with N\'eel temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{N}}$\ensuremath{\sim}250 K, and a metallic oxygen-rich phase ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\approxeq}}4.06}$ with superconducting transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$\ensuremath{\approxeq}34 K. We report studies of the superconducting and normal-state static magnetic susceptibility \ensuremath{\chi} of ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ samples with 0\ensuremath{\lesssim}\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\le}0.11 prepared by electrochemical oxidation or reduction of conventionally synthesized ceramic ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$. The upper limit to the miscibility gap at low T is found be \ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.065, in agreement with the previous work. The interstitial oxygen diffusion during the phase-separation process was studied using thermal- and magnetic-field history-dependent \ensuremath{\chi}(T,t) measurements versus temperature T and time t as a probe. Phase separation is found to be suppressed by quenching at \ensuremath{\gtrsim}100 K/s and favored by slow cooling at \ensuremath{\sim}0.5 K/min. A large thermal hysteresis of both the normal and superconducting state \ensuremath{\chi}(T) was observed between data obtained after quenching to 5 K and then warming, and data obtained while or after slowly cooling from 300 K, for samples of ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\approxeq}0.030, 0.044) within the miscibility gap. Quenching reduces ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ by \ensuremath{\approxeq}5 K relative to the value (34 K) obtained after slow cooling. A similar decrease is found for ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4.065}$ which does not phase separate, indicating the importance of oxygen-ordering effects within this single phase. A model for the excess oxygen diffusion is presented, from which the data yield a nearly T-independent activation energy for excess oxygen diffusion of (0.24\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03) eV from 150 to 220 K apart from a possible anomaly near 210 K. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Services Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications: An Empirical Examination

Abstract Integrated marketing communications (IMC) potentially can create synergy and produce a consistent front among communication tools and to help generate customer databases that can lead to effective target marketing. Such outcomes are desirable goals for service organizations who struggle with promoting intangible offerings. This study examines the incidence and nature of IMC in services advertising. Following Nowak and Phelps (1994), we inspected the degree of IMC utilization by service organizations at the tactical, i.e., advertisement, level. Our results indicate that IMC is a reality among services advertisements, yet there is room for further development.
Elements of morphology: Standard terminology for the periorbital region

An international group of clinicians working in the field of dysmorphology has initiated the standardization of terms used to describe human morphology. The goals are to standardize these terms and reach consensus regarding their definitions. In this way, we will increase the utility of descriptions of the human phenotype and facilitate reliable comparisons of findings among patients. Discussions with other workers in dysmorphology and related fields, such as developmental biology and molecular genetics, will become more precise. Here we introduce the anatomy of the periorbital area and define and illustrate the terms that describe the major characteristics of the periorbital area. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transport in a Magnetic Field. I. The Gauge-Independent Formalism

The problem of the dynamics of a system of charged particles in a constant magnetic field is transformed into one from which the constant field gauge has been removed. The Liouville equation assumes a different form in this formalism. A variational principle for generating approximate solutions to complex problems is presented.
A study of αγ peritectic oscillations using containerless liquid directional solidification of γ-TiAl compositions

Abstract Evidence for the peritectic reaction (L + α → γ) in the TiAl system is presented using directional solidification. Evidence is based upon a banded structure parallel to the directionally freezing interface in Ti-52at.%Al. The solidification was carried out in a containerless automated system capable of controlling the freezing diameter to within ± 0.08 mm on 2.54 cm diameter specimens. The apparatus and conditions of growth are also discussed. The peritectic solidus composition is at least 50 at.% Al, the peritectic liquidus is at least 54 at.% Al and the peritectic composition is greater than 52 at.% Al.
Analysis of relaxations for the multi-item capacitated lot-sizing problem

The multi-item capacitated lot-sizing problem consists of determining the magnitude and the timing of some operations of durable results for several items in a finite number of processing periods so as to satisfy a known demand in each period. We show that the problem is strongly NP-hard. To explain why one of the most popular among exact and approximate solution methods uses a Lagrangian relaxation of the capacity constraints, we compare this approach with every alternate relaxation of the classical formulation of the problem, to show that it is the most precise in a rigorous sense. The linear relaxation of a shortest path formulation of the same problem has the same value, and one of its Lagrangian relaxations is even more accurate. It is comforting to note that well-known relaxation algorithms based on the traditional formulation can be directly used to solve the shortest path formulation efficiently, and can be further enhanced by new algorithms for the uncapacitated lot-sizing problem. An extensive computational comparison between linear programming, column generation and subgradient optimization exhibits this efficiency, with a surprisingly good performance of column generation. We pinpoint the importance of the data characteristics for an empirical classification of problem difficulty and show that most real-world problems are easier to solve than their randomly generated counterparts because of the presence of initial inventories and their large number of items.
The clinical concept of chronic pain

In this article, the authors present a rationale for considering pain to be a major health problem in the United States, based on epidemiologic data. They then define the nature of pain disorders in terms of their acute and chronic forms. By extending the definition of pain into a psychogenic/organic dichotomy, the authors introduce the concept of personality variables and psychodynamic considerations that have been attributed to patients with chronic pain. Finally, the overlap and evidence for depression as a coexisting variable with chronic pain is considered. Throughout the article, the authors are arguing implicitly for a multimodal approach to therapy.
Optimal allocation of a divisible good to strategic buyers

We address the problem of allocating a divisible resource to buyers who value the quantity they receive, but strategize to maximize their net payoff (value minus payment). An allocation mechanism is used to allocate the resource based on bids declared by the buyers. The bids are equal to the payments, and the buyers are assumed to be in Nash equilibrium. For two buyers such an allocation mechanism is found that guarantees that the aggregate value is always greater than 7/8 of the maximum possible, and it is shown that no other mechanism achieves a larger ratio. For a general finite number of buyers an allocation mechanism is given and an expression is given for its worst case efficiency. For three buyers the expression evaluates to 0.8737, for four buyers to 0.8735 and numerical computations suggest that the numerical value does not decrease when the number of buyers is increased beyond four. A potential application of this work is the allocation of communication bandwidth on a single link.
What makes finite-state models more (or less) testable?

This paper studies how details of a particular model can effect the efficacy of a search for detects. We find that if the test method is fixed, we can identity classes of software that are more or less testable. Using a combination of model mutators and machine learning, we find that we can isolate topological features that significantly change the effectiveness of a defect detection tool. More specifically, we show that for one defect detection tool (a stochastic search engine) applied to a certain representation (finite state machines), we can increase the average odds of finding a defect from 69% to 91%. The method used to change those odds is quite general and should apply to other defect detection tools being applied to other representations.
The effect of women’s decision-making power on maternal health services uptake: evidence from Pakistan

A large body of research has explored the links between women's decision making and their uptake of maternal health services, but the evidence so far is inconclusive. This study uses the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey to examine the influence of household decision making on women's uptake of maternal health services. We find that women's decision-making power has a significant positive correlation with maternal health services uptake and that influential males' decision-making power has the opposite effect, after controlling for socio-economic indicators and supply-side conditions. Our findings suggest that empowering women and increasing their ability to make decisions may increase their uptake of maternal health services. They also suggest that policies directed toward improving women's utilization of maternal health services in Pakistan must target men as well as women.
On the Relationship Between fMRI and Theories of Cognition: The Arrow Points in Both Directions

In this article, we ask about the contribution of fMRI data to our understanding of theories of cognition and about the contribution of theories of cognition to our understanding of fMRI data. Expe...
The New German Lesbarkeit in Action: Narrative and Context in Martina Hefter's Zurück auf Los

Concerns about creativity and marketability have plagued the German literary scene since the 1990s, resulting in the literary trend of “neue Lesbarkeit”—a call for good stories in palatable packaging to appeal to the reading masses. This examination of Martina Hefter's second novel, Zuruck auf Los, calls into question the assumption that young German authors striving for readability compromise literary sophistication in the process. Further, it demonstrates that recognizable literary conventions can be used to present sophisticated explorations of the semantic crisis facing German authors deluged by imports from the United States and Great Britain.
Neuropsychological function following mild exposure to pentaborane

Neuropsychological tests and self-report personality inventories were administered to 14 workers and rescue squad personnel approximately 2 months following mild exposure to pentaborane, a highly toxic volatile liquid boron hydride. Performance decrements were evident on 5 of 11 neuropsychological tests, including Block Design and measures of sustained attention and recent memory. Neuropsychological deficits were not related to emotional changes reported on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist nor to the presence of CT scan abnormality. These results indicate mild residual brain dysfunction following pentaborane intoxication, including possible dysfunction in subcortical regions mediating memory processes and in cortical areas mediating visuo-spatial abilities.
Commentary: The Hazards of Survival Comparisons

A standard way to present time-to-event analyses—such as comparisons of two survival distributions—is to use a hazardratio(HR).Thisisaweightedaverage(overtime)ofthe corresponding hazard functions. The term “hazard function” stems from reliability theory, where it is also called failure rate. Actuaries use the term “force of mortality” for the same concept. The annual premium that you pay for life insurance is a bet that you’re going to die in the next year. Appropriate odds on the bet (padded somewhat so the insurance company can make money) are based on the proportion of peoplelikeyouwhoarealiveatyourageandwhowilldieinthe next year. That’s your hazard of dying, and it depends on your age. Next year it will be different. Picture a curve (or function) showing the hazard of dying within the next small interval of time, for each time from birth to age 100. The same kind of curve applies for the occurrence of an event (recurrence, death, or whatever) in a clinical trial for patients in a particular treatment group. An estimate of the population hazard over the next year, say,isthenumberofeventsinthatyeardividedbythenumber of patients at risk for the event at the beginning of the year. Time 0 is the time of randomization, for example. Comparing two treatment groups means comparing the two curves. One such comparison is the ratio of the two curves, the hazard ratio function (HRF). But that’s still a curve, and it may take on a different value for each time point. The HRF may be bigger than 1.0 sometimes (at times when the denominator treatment is looking better) and at other times it may be smaller than 1.0 (when the numerator treatment is lookingbetter).Ifso,whichtreatmentisbetteroverall?And by how much?
Elastin metabolism during perinatal lung development in the copper-deficient rat.

Metal-cheletting drugs were employed to investigate the role of copper (Cu) in elastin metabolism during the period of alveolarization in rat lung. Six groups of pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed one of six semipurified diets, i.e., sufficient or deficient in copper, or the same basal diet containing 0.2% or 0.4% D-penicil-lamine (DPA), or the same basal diet containing 0.2% or 0.4% triethylenetetramine (TETA). The dams were fed throughout gestation, parturition, and lactation. The pups were then killed postnatally at day 10 and day 21 for the various analyses. At day 21, liver copper in the Cu-deficient pups was 3-5% control levels. In drug-treated groups, liver copper was 16-30% control levels. In the 21-day-old Cu-deficient rats, the concentration of lung elastin was only 75% of its concentration in control. Lung lysyl oxidase activity was lower in Cu-deficient rats, and data for the relative distribution of lung elastin cross-linking amino acids indicated impaired cross-linking in the pups from bo...
Effect of High-Protein and All-Vegetable Diets on the Incidence and Severity of Pododermatitis in Broiler Chickens

Abstract The incidence and severity of pododermatitis in broiler chickens is of great concern to the broiler industry, both from product quality and animal welfare standpoints. A total of 1,600 birds were raised in floor pens in a design involving a 2 × 2 × 2 arrangement of protein level [high or low], protein source [all vegetable (VEG) or vegetable plus animal (VEG + ANI)], and sex (male and female) on a 4-stage feeding program (50 birds per pen; 4 pens of males and 4 pens of females per treatment). In addition to live performance, the feet were scored on all birds on 29, 43, and 54 d of age, and the severity of lesions was recorded as none, mild, or severe. A subsample of birds was processed at the end of the experiment to evaluate carcass yields. Pooled litter samples were collected on 29, 43, and 54 d of age for total and NH3-N analysis. Protein level had a significant (P 0.05). Footpad lesions were significantly affected by protein level, protein source, and sex. At 29 d of age, all lesions were mild in severity and varied significantly in incidence by protein source (31% for VEG vs. 41% for VEG + ANI). At 54 d of age, both protein level and protein source significantly increased the incidence and severity of footpad lesions. Incidence of pododermatitis was higher for males (61%) than females (55%). Litter total N was significantly affected by protein level and protein source. The litter NH3-N content, although not significant, except for 29 d of age, showed an increasing trend for each feeding period. The incidence and severity of pododermatitis was significantly affected by protein level, protein source, sex, and age. Hence, nutritional factors play a significant role in the etiology of pododermatitis in broilers.
Fate of 14C-Atrazine in a Silt Loam Soil

Abstract Formation of 14C-atruzine degradation products and their distribution in the top 90 cm of a silt loam soil was determined during 16 months in the field. After 16 months. 68% of the applied 14C was still present in the soil. By 12 months after treatment (MAT). 14C leached to 70–80 cm. Atrazine accounted for 24% of the applied 14C remaining 16 MAT, and was the predominant 14C-compound below 10 cm through 16 MAT. Hydroxyatrazine (HA) was the major degradation product in the top 10 cm of soil comprising 13% of 14C present I MAT and increasing to 24% by 12 MAT. Predominant degradation products at depths greater than 10 cm were HA and deethylatrazine (DEA). Deisopropylatrazine (DIA) accounted for less than 6% of the radioactivity recovered at any soil depth. Deethyldeisopropylatrazine (DEDIA) was detected in soil extracts 2 MAT indicating further degradation of DIA and DEA. The proportion of DEA and DIA increased while the proportion of HA decreased at increasing soil depths indicating that DEA and DIA...
The challenge of structural control on the nanoscale: bottom-up self-assembly of nucleic acids in 3D

Control of the structure of matter has been a major challenge to humankind throughout its entire history. The finer the features that we are able to engineer, the greater is the level of control that we have. Here, we summarise progress made in the bottom-up control of structure that is based on the self assembly of nucleic acids. Nucleic acids are unique among molecular systems in that their intermolecular interactions can be programmed, from the perspectives of both affinity and of structure. Structural DNA nanotechnology has been based on directing the cohesion of branched DNA motifs by the same cohesive interactions used by genetic engineers. As a result, multiply-connected objects, periodic and aperiodic arrays and nanomechanical devices have been produced by these systems. Current experiments are directed at using nucleic acid systems to scaffold the spatial assembly of other species.
Help-Seeking Tendencies in Asian Americans With Suicidal Ideation and Attempts

Among rising concerns surrounding heightened suicide in certain subgroups of Asian Americans, it is important to understand the help-seeking rates and pathways among Asian Americans experiencing suicidality. This study examined perceived need for care, help-seeking behavior, and chosen sources of care among Asian Americans compared with Latinos in the National Latino and Asian American Study who reported a history of lifetime suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, or mental disorders without history of suicide. Consistent with existing literature in Caucasians, suicide attempts in Asian Americans and Latinos were related to greater help seeking and perceived need beyond that of mental disorders only. However, Asian Americans with suicide attempts still reported lower perceived need and help-seeking behaviors compared with Latinos. In contrast to both the existing literature and Latinos in this study, Asian Americans with suicidal ideation were no more likely to perceive a need for help or seek help than Asian Americans with a mental disorder without history of suicide and were less likely to seek and perceive a need for help than Latinos with suicidal ideation. These findings point to the idea that Asian Americans who have serious suicidal ideation or attempts may underestimate the importance of their condition and do not receive the level of attention and support needed. Findings also show that Asian Americans with suicidal ideation and attempts prefer seeking help from nonprofessional rather than professional sources of help, other than medical professionals. Clinical implications for outreach, assessment, and management of suicide are discussed.
C4d Deposition without Rejection Correlates with Reduced Early Scarring in ABO-Incompatible Renal Allografts

C4d deposition in peritubular capillaries is a specific marker for the presence of antidonor antibodies in renal transplant recipients and is usually associated with antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in conventional allografts. In ABO-incompatible grafts, however, peritubular capillary C4d is often present on protocol biopsies lacking histologic features of AMR; the significance of C4d in this setting remains unclear. For addressing this, data from 33 patients who received ABO-incompatible renal allografts (after desensitization) were retrospectively reviewed. Protocol biopsies were performed at 1 and/or 3 and 6 mo after transplantation in each recipient and at 12 mo in 28 recipients. Twenty-one patients (group A) had strong, diffuse peritubular capillary C4d staining without histologic evidence of AMR or cellular rejection on their initial protocol biopsies. The remaining 12 patients (group B) had negative or weak, focal peritubular capillary C4d staining. Three grafts (two in group B) were lost but not as a result of AMR. Excluding these three patients, serum creatinine levels were similar in the two groups at 6 and 12 mo after transplantation and at last follow-up; however, recipients in group A developed significantly fewer overall chronic changes, as scored by the sum of Banff chronic indices, than group B during the first year after transplantation. These results suggest that diffuse peritubular capillary C4d deposition without rejection is associated with a lower risk for scarring in ABO-incompatible renal allografts; the generalizability of these results to conventional allografts remains unknown.
The Pulfrich Effect: Filtering Portions of Both Eyes

Summary This study investigated apparent depth and pattern using four conditions of hemiretinal filtering with 19 male and five female college-student Ss. The results for both the depth and pattern of pendulum movement challenge the adequacy of the long-standing latency hypothesis. Apparent depth occurred without simultaneous stimulation disparity and smooth figure-8 patterns resulted only when the stimulation disparity was induced for both cortical hemispheres. The findings suggest independence of depth and pattern processing in the central nervous system and underscore the importance of viewing perception as an active constructive process.
Category dominance, instance dominance, and categorization time

New School for Social Research"Category dominance" refers to the frequency with which a superordinateis given to a particular instance; "instance dominance" refers to the frequencywith which an instance is given to a particular category. Two experimentsindependently varied category dominance and instance dominance in an effortto determine the extent to which each variable predicted the speed with which5s could decide whether a word was a member of a verbal category. The resultsshowed that reaction times were sensitive to the order of presentation of theword and category: When the category preceded the word, instance dominancewas more effective (w
Assessing uncertainty in soil organic carbon modeling across a highly heterogeneous landscape

Abstract To understand if soil carbon acts as a sink or source in the global carbon cycle it is not only important to make reliable estimates, but also determine upper and lower prediction bounds through uncertainty analysis that represent best and worst case conditions. In this study, the Bayesian geostatistics was applied to assess the uncertainty associated with the predictive models of SOC (top soils) in a large region — Florida, USA. Results showed that the Bayesian estimates of model parameters were comparable to the conventional geostatistical methods especially the restricted maximum likelihood (REML). The Bayesian prediction uncertainty assessment was encouragingly accurate based on the validation of 50 and 95% prediction intervals with the validation dataset. Generally, the width of prediction intervals increased with the posterior mean SOC predictions — large prediction intervals were found in the Everglades Agricultural Area (Histosols) and the wetland areas in the Suwannee River Basin. The Bayesian constant mean model (high model inadequacy) had marked prediction uncertainty which was reduced by accounting for the effects of environmental covariates in the Bayesian linear trend model (low model inadequacy), indicating that model inadequacy had a negative impact on prediction uncertainty. Analyses of factors impacting SOC prediction uncertainty suggest that effects that explained more of the SOC variance contributed more uncertainty to the SOC prediction. These findings are critical to quantify SOC stocks in the southeastern USA where a heterogeneous mosaic of high and low carbon in soils occurs ranging from 0.45 to 34.15 kg m− 2. Although this study considers only the topsoil, the results are valuable for global carbon cycling research. The uncertainty of SOC predictions not only enables identification of “hot” and “cold” spots in a landscape to mitigate and adapt to global climate change, but also informs scenario assessment to imagine possible carbon- rich, -neutral, and -poor futures.
Elementary school children’s attentional biases in physical and numerical space

Numbers are conceptualized spatially along a horizontal mental line. This view is supported by mounting evidence from healthy adults and patients with unilateral spatial neglect. Little is known about children's representation of numbers with respect to space. This study investigated elementary school children's directional biases in physical and numerical space to better understand the relation between space and number. We also examined the nature of spatial organization in numerical space. In two separate tasks, children (n = 57) were asked to bisect a physical line and verbally estimate the midpoint of number pairs. In general, results indicated leftward biases in both tasks, but the degree of deviation did not correlate between the tasks. In the number bisection task, leftward bias (underestimating the midpoint) increased as a function of numerical magnitude and interval between number pairs. In contrast, a rightward deviation was found for smaller number pairs. These findings suggest that different u...
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

Revised and Expanded Edition. In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, "Why People Believe Weird Things" debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, "Why "Smart" People Believe in Weird Things," Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science. Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. "Why People Believe Strange Things" is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.
“Waves” vs. “particles” in the atmosphere's phase space: A pathway to long-range forecasting?

Thirty years ago, E. N. Lorenz provided some approximate limits to atmospheric predictability. The details—in space and time—of atmospheric flow fields are lost after about 10 days. Certain gross flow features recur, however, after times of the order of 10–50 days, giving hope for their prediction. Over the last two decades, numerous attempts have been made to predict these recurrent features. The attempts have involved, on the one hand, systematic improvements in numerical weather prediction by increasing the spatial resolution and physical faithfulness in the detailed models used for this prediction. On the other hand, theoretical attempts motivated by the same goal have involved the study of the large-scale atmospheric motions9 phase space and the inhomogeneities therein. These “coarse-graining” studies have addressed observed as well as simulated atmospheric data sets. Two distinct approaches have been used in these studies: the episodic or intermittent and the oscillatory or periodic. The intermittency approach describes multiple-flow (or weather) regimes, their persistence and recurrence, and the Markov chain of transitions among them. The periodicity approach studies intraseasonal oscillations, with periods of 15–70 days, and their predictability. We review these two approaches, “particles” vs. “waves,” in the quantum physics analogy alluded to in the title of this article, discuss their complementarity, and outline unsolved problems.