cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging in the presence of meroanencephaly

Meroanencephaly occurs when there is an incomplete open median calvarial defect. This condition, which is in the spectrum of anencephaly, results in ectopic brain without skin covering and a normal foramen magnum. We present a rare case of a female fetus with meroanencephaly referred to our institution at 24 weeks and imaged with both prenatal ultrasound and MRI, demonstrating an open neural tube defect in the high parietal area and lack of visualization of the supratentorial ventricular system. Postnatal the child survived and went on to require antibiotic therapy and closure of the defect without cerebral spinal fluid diversion but demonstrates severe permanent neurologic deficits.
Logistics doesn't get tougher than this

Several games put resource management and setting up supply chains front and centre. They are a lot more interesting and fun than you might think, says Jacob Aron
Cardiac Arrest After Interscalene Block Before Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Case Report.

Case A 42-year-old previously healthy woman developed profound hypotension, bradycardia, and asystolic cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation after an interscalene block before being placed in the beach-chair position for shoulder arthroscopy. Conclusion Activation of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex, a vagally mediated reflex leading to hypotensive bradycardic episodes, is a rare but devastating complication of shoulder arthroscopy when performed with the combination of interscalene blocks and the beach-chair position. Our case shows that the Bezold-Jarisch reflex may occur in patients before placement in the beach-chair position and may even lead to extreme reactions in healthy patients including asystolic cardiac arrest.
DA$^{\textbf{2}}$-Net : Diverse & Adaptive Attention Convolutional Neural Network

Standard Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) designs rarely focus on the importance of explicitly capturing diverse features to enhance the network's performance. Instead, most existing methods follow an indirect approach of increasing or tuning the networks' depth and width, which in many cases significantly increases the computational cost. Inspired by a biological visual system, we propose a Diverse and Adaptive Attention Convolutional Network (DA$^{2}$-Net), which enables any feed-forward CNNs to explicitly capture diverse features and adaptively select and emphasize the most informative features to efficiently boost the network's performance. DA$^{2}$-Net incurs negligible computational overhead and it is designed to be easily integrated with any CNN architecture. We extensively evaluated DA$^{2}$-Net on benchmark datasets, including CIFAR100, SVHN, and ImageNet, with various CNN architectures. The experimental results show DA$^{2}$-Net provides a significant performance improvement with very minimal computational overhead.
Semi-Supervised Learning with Taxonomic Labels.

We propose techniques to incorporate coarse taxonomic labels to train image classifiers in fine-grained domains. Such labels can often be obtained with a smaller effort for fine-grained domains such as the natural world where categories are organized according to a biological taxonomy. On the Semi-iNat dataset consisting of 810 species across three Kingdoms, incorporating Phylum labels improves the Species level classification accuracy by 6% in a transfer learning setting using ImageNet pre-trained models. Incorporating the hierarchical label structure with a state-of-the-art semi-supervised learning algorithm called FixMatch improves the performance further by 1.3%. The relative gains are larger when detailed labels such as Class or Order are provided, or when models are trained from scratch. However, we find that most methods are not robust to the presence of out-of-domain data from novel classes. We propose a technique to select relevant data from a large collection of unlabeled images guided by the hierarchy which improves the robustness. Overall, our experiments show that semi-supervised learning with coarse taxonomic labels are practical for training classifiers in fine-grained domains.
Antigenic structure of AMP-deaminase: Immunoinhibition by goat and rabbit antibodies and univalent fragments: Quantitative precipitation of chicken and rabbit muscle enzymes by rabbit antibodies: Binding of avian and mammalian enzymes to antibody-sepharose

Abstract The specificity of goat antibodies to rabbit muscle AMP-deaminase was tested by immunoinhibition of enzymatic activity. Over most of the immunotitration curve, inhibition of the rabbit muscle enzyme was greater than that of the enzyme from chicken breast muscle; however, at high ratios of antiserum to enzyme, inhibition of the avian enzyme was virtually complete, while inhibition of the rabbit muscle deaminase was partially reversed. These observations were interpreted in terms of differential binding of activating and inhibiting antibodies. The role of lattice formation in inhibition of enzymatic activity by rabbit antibody was investigated by comparing the effect of intact antibody and univalent fragments, isolated from papain digests. Preparations of fragments Fab and Fab', as well as untreated antibody, completely inhibited the avian enzyme; however, the molar ratios of fragments Fab and Fab' to enzyme required to attain 50% inhibition were 2–8-fold greater than those required for untreated antibodies. In each case, fragment Fab was a more effective inhibitor of the avian deaminase than fragment Fab', thus, lattice formation contributes significantly to, but is not required for, immunoinhibition. Parallel studies of the effect of these untreated rabbit antibodies and soluble fragments on the enzymatic activity of rabbit muscle deaminase showed that enzyme inhibition by divalent antibody as always less than 100%, and in contrast with inhibition of the bird enzyme, fragment Fab' was consistently a more potent inhibitor of rabbit muscle AMP-deaminase than fragment Fab. AMP-deaminases from both rabbit skeletal muscle and chicken breast muscle were quantitatively precipitated by antibodies isolated from rabbits which were immunized with avian muscle deaminase. The degree of cross reaction of rabbit AMP-deaminase with these antibodies, relative to the amount of antibody precipitated at equivalence by the homologous avian enzyme (100%), ranged from 19–49%, depending on the particular antibody preparation. Direct binding studies, using Sepharose-conjugated rabbit antibody to chicken muscle enzyme, showed that the affinity of the rabbit enzyme for antibody was approximately 7-fold less than that of the avian muscle AMP-deaminase.
Describing Decision Problems by Decision Trees

Decision trees are especially useful in describing problems where the scientific trial and error processes used in continuous learning are not practical. This article describes the process of formulating the basis for decision trees: values, choices, uncertainties, and deciders. We then describe its application to the simplest problem where we are only concerned with meeting a target and then consider the more general problem—where utility assessment is required—where there is no well-defined target describing our values. We first present a purely visual approach to decision trees followed by the more precise numerical approach. We close with a discussion of the special case of expected value. Keywords: Deming cycle; Matheson's characteristics; influence diagram; numerical decision tree; outline format; visual decision tree
Doppler Patterns Associated with Emerging Flux Regions

We have observed several emerging flux regions (EFRs) using the Video Spectra-Spectro-Heliograph (VSSHG) at the San Fernando Observatory (SFO). The best studied region, NOAA 7968, was near disk center when it was observed on 5–8 June 1996. This EFR showed no organized upflow between the leader and follower spots over the 4-day period covered by our observations. The main concentrations of magnetic flux in the region (leader and follower) showed a slow separation as flux emerged, but little or no upflow was seen. Two other EFRs were observed for part of a single day each and one region was observed for only one sequence. For all regions observed, no discrete features were seen between the leader and follower polarity sunpots that had upflowing material as the regions grew. In all cases, the downward velocities were smaller in area than the magnetic parts of the regions. At times there were several localized areas of greater-amplitude downflows near sunspots.
Reputation Building and the Film Art World: The Case of Alfred Hitchcock

The change in Alfred Hitchcock's reputation from popular entertainer to distinguished auteur over the last 25 years is usually attributed to the efforts of some admiring European film figures. This article traces the reevaluation of Hitchcock's work beginning in the 1960s, but emphasizes in addition to the role of sponsors, Hitchcock's own part in orchestrating the transformation. Other factors that might speed up, slow down, or undermine altogether the reputational process are examined. The probable effects of Hitchcock's changing reputation on subsequent developments in the suspense thriller genre are also explored.
Component part quality assurance concerns and standards

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide practitioners of management with a comparative analysis of how two global firms ensure quality standards in new product development/new product manufacturability processes and manage design changes in reduced product life cycles in the current economic recession.Design/methodology/approach – The firms selected were: Newell Rubbermaid, a high‐volume manufacturer with a diverse product offering, designing and manufacturing consumer products for large retail customers, and General Electric Healthcare Coils, a low‐volume manufacturer of a niche product for the magnet resonance imaging medical diagnostic systems. This case study presented a review of the quality steps performed when they are faced with a design change to a part, benchmarking their quality processes with the highest industrial standards possible.Findings – The effective managing of engineering change has always been difficult, time consuming, and a regular source of inefficiency and irritation f...
Incidence of support limb laminitis in horses treated with half limb, full limb or transfixation pin casts: A retrospective study of 113 horses (2000–2009)

Summary Reasons for performing study: To determine the incidence of support limb laminitis among horses treated with half limb, full limb or transfixation pin casts and determine potential risk factors. Methods: Medical records of 113 horses treated with half limb, full limb or transfixation pin casts at an equine referral hospital from 2000 to 2009 were reviewed. Associations between potential risk factors and development of support limb laminitis were evaluated by bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the 113 horses that received casts, 14 (12%) developed confirmed support limb laminitis. The bodyweight of the horse and duration of casting in weeks were significantly associated with support limb laminitis. Horses requiring full limb casts or transfixation pin casts were more likely to develop this complication than horses requiring half limb casts. There were no significant associations between developing support limb laminitis and weightbearing capacity on presentation to the hospital, the limb affected (fore- or hind), whether there was a fracture present or breed of horse. Conclusions: Support limb laminitis is a relatively common complication among horses treated with half limb, full limb and transfixation pin casts. Greater durations of casting and higher bodyweights increase the likelihood of developing this complication. Potential relevance: Support limb laminitis may occur secondary to any painful unilateral lameness and is not necessarily more likely to develop in horses with severe orthopaedic conditions such as fractures. However, heavier horses, those requiring casts for longer periods of time and those that require a full limb or transfixation pin cast as opposed to a half limb cast should be considered to have an increased risk for developing support limb laminitis post operatively.
An extraordinary cluster of massive stars near the centre of the Milky Way

The relative numbers of newborn stars of different masses in a galaxy (the initial mass function) determines whether the galaxy's interstellar gas goes mainly into long-lived low-mass stars, as in the disks of normal spiral galaxies, or into short-lived massive stars, as has been proposed for "starburst" galaxies. The centre of the Milky Way is not a fully-fledged starburst region, but its star formation rate per unit volume of space is nevertheless roughly a thousand times that of the disk. It is, however, very difficult to study the initial mass function near the centre, because the dust in the gas clouds obscures the starlight, and the relatively rare young stars are mixed with much more numerous older stars. Here we report high-resolution infrared observations of a compact cluster of stars in the central region of our Galaxy. We find approximately 100 young, massive main-sequence stars, several of which seem to be among the most massive in the Galaxy. This cluster may be a weak analogue of the large star clusters in starburst galaxies, which opens the possibility of studying the starburst phenomenon through a local example.
Streptomycin-Suppressible Lethal Mutations in Escherichia coli

Forty-one mutants have been isolated which require streptomycin for growth on complete medium. These streptomycin-suppressible lethal mutations are located randomly around the Escherichia coli genetic map; during growth in liquid culture, they exhibit a variety of responses to the removal of streptomycin as judged by turbidity, cell morphology, and macromolecular synthesis. In particular, some mutants are primarily affected in protein or ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis (or both), one in deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, and two in lipid synthesis. Ten mutants affected in protein synthesis were examined for the activities of all twenty aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases, and three were found to have altered glutamyl-transfer RNA synthetase activities. The advantages of this method for isolating a wide variety of conditional lethal mutants are discussed.
The Influence of Race/Ethnicity and Education on Family Ratings of the Quality of Dying in the ICU.

Abstract Context Racial and ethnic differences in end-of-life care may be attributable to both patient preferences and health-care disparities. Identifying factors that differentiate preferences from disparities may enhance end-of-life care for critically ill patients and their families. Objectives To understand the association of minority race/ethnicity and education with family ratings of the quality of dying and death, taking into consideration possible markers of patient and family preferences for end-of-life care as mediators of this association. Methods Data were obtained from 15 intensive care units participating in a cluster-randomized trial of a palliative care intervention. Family members of decedents completed self-report surveys evaluating quality of dying. We used regression analyses to identify associations between race/ethnicity, education, and quality of dying ratings. We then used path analyses to investigate whether advance directives and life-sustaining treatment acted as mediators between patient characteristics and ratings of quality of dying. Results Family members returned 1290 surveys for 2850 decedents. Patient and family minority race/ethnicity were both associated with lower ratings of quality of dying. Presence of a living will and dying in the setting of full support mediated the relationship between patient race and family ratings; patient race exerted an indirect, rather than direct, effect on quality of dying. Family minority race had a direct effect on lower ratings of quality of dying. Neither patient nor family education was associated with quality of dying. Conclusion Minority race/ethnicity was associated with lower family ratings of quality of dying. This association was mediated by factors that may be markers of patient and family preferences (living will, death in the setting of full support); family member minority race/ethnicity was directly associated with lower ratings of quality of dying. Our findings generate hypothesized pathways that require future evaluation.
Instantaneous bandwidth and formant bandwidth

The concept of instantaneous bandwidth introduced by Cohen and Lee (1990) is used to explain 'formant bandwidth' as used in speech analysis. An explicit expression for the formant bandwidth in terms of the parameters of the components of the speech signal is given. The result is verified using real and simulated speech signals and a simple plausibility argument is given. It is argued that instantaneous bandwidth has greater applicability since it does not have to be defined only within a pitch period. >
Confidence relations and ordinal information

Abstract We define confidence relations on Boolean lattices, which can be interpreted as ordinal representations of uncertainty or information. The set of the confidence relations on a given Boolean lattice can be ordered by set inclusion and thus is shown to form a complete meet-semilattice. We investigate and identify the maximal elements of this structure. Moreover, we prove that it is in particular an algebraic semilattice (or domain), and that its finite elements are precisely the finitely generated confidence relations. We also investigate the relationship with information systems. We define duality and self-duality for confidence relations and show that similar conclusions can be reached if we restrict ourselves to confidence relations which are in particular self-dual. Finally, we discuss the possible incompleteness of confidence relations, and the relation between the abstract mathematical structures studied here, and other existing uncertainty models.
Suppressed Andreev reflection at the normal-metal/heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn 5 interface

In order to probe the order parameter symmetry of the heavy-fermion superconductor (HFS) CeCoIn5, we employ point-contact spectroscopy, where dynamic conductance spectra are taken from a nano-scale junction between a normal-metal (N) Au tip and a single crystal of CeCoIn5. The point-contact junction (PCJ) is formed on a single crystal surface with two crystallographic orientations, (001) and (110). Our conductance spectra, reproducibly obtained over wide ranges of temperature, constitute the cleanest data sets ever reported for HFSs. The point contacts are shown to be in the Sharvin limit, ensuring spectroscopic nature of the measured data. A signature for the emerging heavy-fermion liquid is evidenced by the development of the asymmetry in the background conductance, starting at T* (~ 45 K) and increasing with decreasing temperature down to Tc (2.3 K). Below Tc, an enhancement of the sub-gap conductance arising from Andreev reflection is observed, with the magnitude of ~ 13.3% and ~ 11.8% for the (001) and the (110) PCJ, respectively. These values are an order of magnitude smaller than those observed in conventional superconductors, but consistent with those in other HFSs. Our zero-bias conductance data for the (001) PCJ are best fit with the extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model using the d-wave order parameter. The fit to the full conductance curve of the (001) PCJ at 400 mK indicates the strong coupling nature (2Δ/kBTc = 4.64). However, our observed suppression of both the Andreev reflection signal and the energy gap indicates the failure of existing models. We provide possible directions for theoretical formulations of the electronic transport across an N/HFS interface in general, and the Au/CeCoIn5 interface in particular. Several qualitative features observed in the (110) PCJ provide the first clear spectroscopic evidence for the dx2-y2 symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in CeCoIn5.
Species‐dependent variability of ADAMTS13‐mediated proteolysis of human recombinant von Willebrand factor

Summary. Background: von Willebrand factor (VWF) is composed of a series of multimers, the sizes of which are regulated by the plasma metalloprotease ADAMTS13. Objective: Proteolysis of human recombinant VWF (rVWF) by ADAMTS13 present in the plasma of different species typically used as preclinical animal models was investigated to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rVWF. Methods: Degradation of rVWF was studied in vitro under moderate denaturing conditions and was monitored by multimer analysis, residual collagen binding, and immunoblot analysis. In vivo cleavage was determined by administration of rVWF to cynomolgus monkeys, rabbits and VWF-deficient mice and subsequent analysis of plasma samples by immunoblot. Plasma ADAMTS13 levels were determined with a synthetic human VWF peptide (FRETS-VWF73). Results: From the animals tested, only rabbit plasma was as efficient as human plasma in proteolysing rVWF in vitro. Mouse plasma virtually failed to cleave rVWF. Administration of human rVWF resulted in ADAMTS13-specific cleavage products in rabbits and, to a lesser extent, in cynomolgus monkeys at various doses of rVWF. Virtually no cleavage occurred in mice. ADAMTS13 activity levels in rabbit and monkey plasma were similar to those in human plasma and were not significantly altered upon infusion of rVWF up to very high doses, indicating that rVWF did not lead to an exhaustion of endogenous ADAMTS13 in both species. Conclusions: The differences in susceptibility to cleavage of rVWF by different species need to be considered when interpreting the physiology of human rVWF from results of tests in animal models.
A Look at Person-Centered and Family-Centered Care Among Older Adults: Results from a National Survey

BACKGROUND Person-centered and family-centered care represents the pinnacle of health care quality, but delivering it is challenging, as is assessing whether it has occurred. Prior studies portray older adults as passive in health decisions and burdened by care—but emphasize age-based differences or focus on vulnerable subgroups.
Unilateral amblyopia: An optical coherence tomography study.

Purpose To determine whether retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), macular thickness (MT), and foveal volume (FV) in patients with unilateral amblyopia differ between the amblyopic and the sound eye. Methods A Humphrey-Zeiss Stratus (OCT3) with software 4.0.3.1 was used to evaluate 40 patients (17 male, 23 female; mean age, 15.2 years; range, 5–56 years) with unilateral amblyopia. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 20 strabismic and 20 anisometropic. Maps of macular thickness and RNFL thickness (3.46) created by the use of optical coherence tomography were applied to calculate FV and MT and RNFLT. Results Mean best-corrected visual acuity was +0.3 LogMAR (range, +0.2 to +1.0) in the amblyopic eye. Mean RNFL thickness was not significantly different between eyes in either group. In strabismic amblyopia, mean MT and FV were 5% lower in the sound eye than in the amblyopic eye (MT, 267 μm vs 253 μm, p = 0.005; FV, 2.57 mm 3 vs 2.43 mm 3 , p = 0.001). In anisometropic amblyopia, there was no significant difference between eyes in either MT or FV. Conclusions In patients with strabismic amblyopia, the MT and FV were slightly but significantly lower in the sound eye than in the amblyopic eye. The clinical importance of this difference is not known. No such difference was observed in patients with anisometropic amblyopia.
Modification of selection limits for egg number

An attempt was made to modify a near-limit of selection response in the egg production of a closed poultry flock which had been under selection for 31 years; to this end the laying hens were subjected to weekly periods of 24-hour feed deprivation, and selected for egg number under these conditions. In two replicate populations genetic gains of about 20 eggs were made under shock treatment to 40 weeks of age, over 5 and 6 generations of selection. These gains were also manifest under normal management. Selection, under 24-hour starvation per week, also improved the ability of the selected populations to lay under weekly starvation periods of 33 and 48 hours respectively. Differences between selected and unselected lines increased with the more severe stress treatments. Also it was found that the difference in average egg production between 33-hour and 48-hour treatments was larger in unselected lines than in the selected ones, indicating the existence of genotype-environment interactions. Correlated responses of reduced egg-weight and body-weight, and somewhat earlier maturity of selected lines correspond with what might be expected under normally effective selection for egg number. These adaptations however varied considerably between replicate lines.
Correlation of Postoperative Midfoot Position With Outcome Following Reconstruction of the Stage II Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity

Background:No studies investigating the effect of the midfoot (talonavicular joint) position on clinical outcomes following flatfoot reconstruction have been performed. The purpose of our study was to determine whether a postoperative abducted or adducted forefoot alignment, as determined from anteroposterior (AP) radiographs, was associated with a difference in outcomes using the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS).Methods:Midfoot abduction was defined on postoperative AP radiographs, evaluated at a mean of 1.9 years in 55 patients from the authors’ institution who underwent flatfoot reconstruction for a stage II adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD), as a lateral incongruency angle greater than 5 degrees, a talonavicular uncoverage angle greater than 8 degrees, and a talo–first metatarsal angle greater than 8 degrees based on previously reported measurements. Patients with 2 or more measurements in the abduction category were classified as the abduction group (n = 30); those with 1 or fewer measureme...
Decreased expression of Fas (CD95/APO1) associated with goblet cell metaplasia in Barrett's esophagus.

Fas ligand (FasL) has been shown to induce apoptosis in cells expressing its receptor Fas. We have recently shown that Fas ligand is overexpressed in all cases of Barrett's metaplasia (BM) with dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinomas, and in a few cases of BM negative with dysplasia. The aim of this work was to determine the status of Fas expression in BM with and without dysplasia or carcinoma. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from esophageal biopsies and esophagectomy specimens with BM, with and without dysplasia and carcinoma, were immunostained for Fas and FasL using the immunoperoxidase technique. The percentage of positive cells in each case was evaluated and compared with the degree of dysplasia. When Fas expression was assessed in glands with goblet cell metaplasia, Fas immunoreactivity was either undetected or present in less than 10% of the cells in 85% of the cases, and only 1 (4%) of the 28 cases examined showed Fas immunoreactivity in more than 25% of the cells. When we compared Fas expression in goblet cell-containing glands with glands of gastric cardia phenotype, we found that in the 26 cases of BM with or without dysplasia Fas was completely undetectable in goblet cell-containing glands in 15 (58%) of the cases but was undetectable in only 3 (12%) of the glands with gastric cardia phenotype (P = .002). Fas is usually undetectable or is expressed at a low level in BM with or without dysplasia or carcinoma. Fas expression in goblet cell-containing glands is less frequent than in glands with gastric cardia phenotype in the same specimens. BM with dysplasia or carcinoma overexpress FasL, so decreased Fas expression may protect BM with dysplasia and carcinoma from self-destruction while allowing them to evade immune surveillance.
The mode of action of antifungal agents: effect of pyrrolnitrin on mitochondrial electron transport.

Pyrrolnitrin preferentially inhibited the oxidation of NADH-linked substrates in monkey kidney cells, and in rat liver mitochondria (RLMw) and the oxidation of NADH by submitochondrial particles (SMP) of beef heart. The antibiotic inhibited the reduction of 2, 6-dichlorophenolindophenol and cytochrome c by NADH and by succinate, but it did not affect the flavins of NADH dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase. Pyrrolnitrin probably blocked electron transfer between the dehydrogenases and the cytochrome components of the respiratory chain. The effect on the phosphorylation of ADP (RLMw) and energy transduction (SMP) as indicated by the fluorescence of 8-anilino-naphthalene-1-sulfonic acid were secondary. Reduced pyrrolnitrin had similar effects on respiration, but it was a less potent inhibitor.
Moisture-Induced Delamination Video of an Oxidized Thermal Barrier Coating

PVD TBC coatings were thermally cycled to near-failure at 1150 C. Normal failure occurred after 200-300 1-hr cycles with only moderate weight gains (0.5 mg/cm2). Delamination and buckling was often delayed until well after cooldown (desktop spallation), but could be instantly induced by the application of water drops, as shown in an accompanying video-recording. Moisture therefore plays a primary role in delayed desktop TBC failure. Hydrogen embrittlement is proposed as the underlying mechanism.
Sub-Shot-Noise-Limited Optical Heterodyne Detection Using an Amplitude-Squeezed Local Oscillator

We experimentally demonstrate a novel sub-shot-noise-limited heterodyne detection scheme to measure a weak optical signal field by employing amplitude-squeezed light as the local oscillator (LO) field. The amplitude-squeezed LO field at 428.8 nm is generated from a high efficiency single-pass second-harmonic generation in a ${\mathrm{KNbO}}_{3}$ crystal pumped by femtosecond (130 fs) pulses at 857.6 nm, and the signal field is combined with the generated squeezed LO field through the crystal. An enhancement of 0.7 dB (1.4 dB inferred) in signal-to-noise ratio beyond the shot-noise limit is directly observed.
Effects of speech accents on interpersonal evaluations: implications for counseling practice and research.

This article reviews literature from the fields of psycholinguistics, communications, and social psychology that has examined the effects of speech accents (i.e., regional, national, and international variations in same-language use) on interpersonal attitudes, casual attributions, and subsequent behaviors. The authors link selected findings from this literature to the field of counseling to show that these findings can inform service delivery, particularly counseling conducted with ethnic minority and immigrant populations in the United States. Implications for practice and ideas for future research in this area are also discussed.
On multiple space subdivisions by zonotopes

It is shown that everyd-dimensional zonotopeC whose vertices satisfy a certain rationality condition has the following property: There exist a positive integerk and a sequenceC 1,C 2,... of translates ofC such that every point ofd-space that is not a boundary point of someC i is in exactlyk of the setsC 1,C 2,...
Synchrotron White Beam X-Ray Topography and High Resolution X-RayDiffraction Studies of Defects in SiC Substrates, Epilayers and Device Structures

A general review will be presented of recent Synchrotron White Beam X-ray Topography (SWBXT) studies of defects in SiC single crystals and epitaxial layers carried out at Stony Brook and at the Stony Brook Synchrotron Topography Station at the National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory. Results will be presented from studies of (a) 4H and 6H-SiC substrates growth by Physical Vapor Transport, (b) homoepitaxial layers grown on such substrates, (c) hetereoepitaxial layers grown on 4H substrates, and (d) SiC device structures. SWBXT results will be correlated with those from AFM, Nomarski Optical Microscopy, High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD), SEM and TEM studies carried out on the same crystals. From (a), substrate defects observed include closed-core and hollow-core screw dislocations (micropipes) in 6H and 4H, deformation-induced basal plane dislocations in 6H and 4H; and small angle boundaries in 4H. The close correlation between simulated and observed back-reflection, grazing-incidence reflection and transmission SWBXT images of screw dislocation will be discussed. From (b) results from studies of the correlation between substrate and epilayer defects in 6H/6H homoepitaxial layers will be presented. From (c) polytype mapping in 3C/4H-SiC heterostructures will be described. The relationship between substrate and epilayer defects will again be explored as will the lattice mismatch between epilayer and substrate as indicated by a combination of SWBXT and HRXRD.
Short-time perturbation theory and nonrelativistic duality

We give a simple proof of the nonrelativistic duality relation roughly-equal for appropriate energy averages of the cross sections for e/sup +/e/sup -/..-->..(qq-bar bound states) and e/sup +/e/sup -/..-->..(free qq-bar pair), and calculate the corrections to the relation by relating W/sup 2/sigma to the Fourier transform of the Feynman propagation function and developing a short-time perturbation series for that function. We illustrate our results in detail for simple power-law potentials and potentials which involve combinations of powers.
Administration of L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate increases glutathione levels in rat brain.

Abstract Sterile l -2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate, given as a neutral 100 mmol solution at a dose of 8 mmol/kg subcutaneously, caused an increase in total glutathione concentration in the brain of treated rats. This finding could be important in understanding the role of glutathione in the central nervous system.
Potassium and Phosphate Uptake in Corn Roots: Further Evidence for an Electrogenic H+/K+ Exchanger and an OH−/Pi Antiporter

Evidence is presented that K+ uptake in corn root segments is coupled to an electrogenic H+/K+ -exchanging plasmalemma ATPase while phosphate uptake is coupled to an OH−/Pi antiporter. The plasmalemma ATPase inhibitor, diethylstilbestrol, or the stimulator, fusicoccin, altered K+ uptake directly and phosphate uptake indirectly. On the other hand, mersalyl, an OH−/Pi antiporter inhibitor, inhibited phosphate uptake instantly but only slightly affected K+ uptake. Collapse of the proton gradient across the membrane by (p-trifluoromethoxy) carbonyl cyanide phenylhydrazone resulted in immediate inhibition of K+ uptake but only later inhibited phosphate uptake. Changing the pH of the absorption solution had opposite effects on K+ and phosphate uptake. In addition, a 4-hour washing of corn root tissue induced a 5-fold increase in the rate of K+ uptake with little or no lag, but only a 2- to 3-fold increase in phosphate uptake with a 30- to 45-minute lag. Collectively these differences strongly support the coupling of an electrogenic H+/K+ -exchanging ATPase to an OH−/Pi antiporter in corn root tissue.
A quantitative assessment of chemically‐mediated rheotaxis in the asteroid Coscinasterias tenuispina

Movement patterns of Coscinasterias tenuispina were analyzed in a recirculating flow tank in order to evaluate responsiveness to different odors and determine whether chemically‐mediated rheotaxis is utilized as a navigational mechanism. Asteroids were presented with odors of injured conspecifics, krill tissue, and live prey (gastropod, mussels, ophiuroid). C. tenuispina appears to have an alarm response as evidenced by increased speed and movement down‐current, away from the source of injured conspecific odor. The strongest, positive response was observed in response to krill tissue odor. C. tenuispina moved consistently upcurrent during replicate tests with krill tissue. Movement in response to krill tissue odor was also highly non‐linear. In all but one case, C. tenuispina did not respond significantly to odors of live prey. C. tenuispina utilizes chemically‐mediated rheotaxis to some extent in response to injured conspecific and krill tissue odors.
Low surface roughness and threading dislocation density Ge growth on Si (0 0 1)

Abstract Although several recent studies have successfully reduced the threading dislocation density (TDD) in Ge films grown on Si, high surface roughness is still problematic for useful nanoscale lithography and device fabrication. In this work, we achieved both low TDD and surface roughness by repeating a deposition–annealing cycle consisting of the following steps: low temperature deposition, high temperature and high rate deposition, high temperature hydrogen annealing. The root-mean-square roughness of the 3-cycle sample is in the range of 0.4–0.6 nm for 10×10 μm 2 scan field atomic force microscopy (AFM) images. The TDD measured by plan-view TEM is 0.8–1×10 7 cm −2 with a 1.44 μm thickness sample. Furthermore, a 4-cycle sample reveals further improvement in surface planarity and pit density in the AFM images with a thickness of 2.38 μm Ge. The high temperature and high rate Ge deposition combined with high-temperature hydrogen annealing efficiently reduces not only the TDD, but also the surface roughness.
Teaching Buddhism in the Postmodern University: Understanding, Critique, Evaluation

A contemporary liberal education in the humanities and social sciences should introduce students to the serious exploration of various kinds of worlds that human beings articulate and within which they live. Teachers in Buddhist studies can make a significant contribution by offering courses that focus attention on distinctively Buddhist worlds that are directly relevant to postmodern interests and concerns. These courses should also be designed to empower students with the kind of interpretive skills that are needed in a postmodern environment to generate viable modes of sympathetic understanding, convincing forms of critical analysis, and the capacity to formulate and defend responsible personal and social judgments. This article is a revised version of the keynote lecture given at a McGill University conference on “Teaching Buddhism: The State of the Art,” October 8–10, 1999.
Accuracy of preoperative imaging of hepatic tumors with helical computed tomography.

Background: The accuracy of preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans in the era of modern imaging techniques with helical, high-resolution CT has not been adequately assessed. We reviewed the data from our departmental prospective database with the hypothesis that intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) still detects more hepatic tumors than are evident on preoperative helical CT scans. Methods: All patients who underwent surgical resection and/or radiofrequency ablation of primary or metastatic hepatic tumors between January 2001 and July 2002 were included in the review. All patients had preoperative helical CT imaging followed by hepatic IOUS. The number of malignant lesions and evidence of local disease identified by the preoperative CT scan versus IOUS and surgical exploration were compared. Results: In this time period, 250 patients underwent surgical resection and/or radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumors. In 67 (27%) of these patients, IOUS identified more hepatic tumors than were seen on preoperative helical CT scan. In eight patients (3%), CT underestimated local extension of the disease into the diaphragm. The incidence of inaccurate preoperative prediction of the extent of disease increased significantly with a greater number of hepatic tumors. Conclusions: IOUS identified additional hepatic tumors in 27% of patients who underwent hepatic resection after state-of-the-art preoperative CT imaging. This study provides evidence that IOUS remains an essential part of the complete assessment of hepatic malignancies in patients who receive surgical treatment.
Perceived quality and methodology in graduate department ratings: Sociology, political science, and economics

Graduate department ratings help to shape the power and privilege of a graduate department at its home university, as well as with respect to other departments in its discipline. Ideally, such ratings would reflect the perceived quality of a department. Yet frequent critiques suggest that the ratings fall far short of this ideal. The authors analyzed subjective ratings in three related disciplines-sociology, political science, and economics-and from two rating sources: the National Research Council and U.S. News and World Report. They hypothesized three major components to the ratings: (1) perceived departmental quality, (2) systematic error owing to the method of data collection, and (3) random measurement error. Using structural equation modeling, they found that 20 percent to 30 percent of the variation in ratings derives from systematic error, most of the rest comes from perceived quality, and the smallest component is random measurement error. The authors also found that variables, such as citations per capita, departmental size, public/private status, and geographic location, influence ratings through their impact on perceived quality and/or the systematic errors that enter the ratings.
Automated extraction of music snippets

Similar to image and video thumbnail, music snippet is defined as the most representative or highlight excerpt of a music clip, and can be used efficiently for fast browsing large number of music files. Music snippet is usually a part of the repeated melody, main theme or chorus. In this paper, we present an approach to extracting music snippet automatically. In our approach, the most salient segment of the music is firstly detected based on its occurrence frequency and energy information. Meanwhile, the boundaries of musical phrases are also detected based on the estimated phrase length and phrase boundary confidence of each frame. These boundaries are used to ensure that an extracted snippet does not break musical phrases. Finally, the musical phrases including the most salient segment are extracted as music snippet. User study indicates that the proposed algorithm works very well on our music database.
What you said about where you shook your head: a hands-free implementation of a location-based notification system

The MIT Smart Helmet is an ongoing project at the MIT Media Lab that incorporates context-aware technology into a bicycle helmet for the purpose of enhancing rider safety. The following paper is an evaluation of a proposed feature being considered for integration: a location-based notification system that can be operated without the use of the hands.
Empirical constraints on computational theories of metaphor: Comments on Indurkhya

Empirical analyses have provided some important constraints for computational theories of metaphor. Three such constraints relate to (1) the similar processing time for literal and metaphorical language, (2) the time-limited processing of many metaphors, and (3) the dissociation of metaphor comprehension and appreciation. Indurkhya's (1986, 1987) model is discussed with respect to these issues.
Global Index Grammars and Descriptive Power

We review the properties of Global Index Grammars (GIGs), a grammar formalism that uses a stack of indices associated with productions and has restricted context-sensitive power. We show how the control of the derivation is performed and how this impacts in the descriptive power of this formalism both in the string languages and the structural descriptions that GIGs can generate.
On the distinction between two tests as measures of the same construct and as interchangeable.

Comments on the debate between E. R. Harcum (see record 1989-31713-001) and W. Branch (see record 1990-13759-001) regarding the assumption that 2 tests measure the same construct because they correlate moderately highly with each other. Although 2 highly correlated measures do assess the same underlying construct, they may not be interchangeable due to their respective psychometric properties.
Career Interests, Self-Efficacy, and Personality as Antecedents of Career Exploration

Career interests and self-efficacy (using J. L. Holland's realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional types for both) and the big five personality dimensions (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) were used to predict college students' career exploration behaviors approximately 18 months later. Among 113 college students, none of the predictors was associated with subsequent environmental exploration. However, after controlling for gender and year in school, five of six interest types, one self-efficacy type, and two personality dimensions were associated with subsequent self-exploration. Whereas realistic, artistic, and conventional interests; artistic self-efficacy; and openness were positively associated with self-exploration, investigative and enterprising interests and extraversion were negatively associated with such exploration. Implications for theory, research, and intervention are presented.
Homosexuality and Totalitarianism

Since the dissolution of Communism left the Right with no unifying enemy, some conservatives may be turning to the gay world as the new "evil empire." This article explores the ideology that underpins the recent upsurge of gay-baiting. Its central thesis is that in identifying the homosexual as the demonic "other" the cultural Right is offering us another form of ersatz Christianity masquerading as tradition but actually infected with the virus of modernity. The paper classifies homophobia as an essentially secular phenomenon, reminiscent of other ideologies which have arisen as a substitute for religion.
Effects of inhaled fluticasone on upper airway during sleep and wakefulness in asthma: a pilot study.

Study Objective:Obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent among people with asthma, but underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Inhaled corticosteroids may contribute. We tested the effects of orally inha...
Massively parallel networks for edge localization and contour integration: adaptable relaxation approach

The paper describes a new adaptive neural network for edge-based pattern extraction problems. In the model, each neuron represents an edge with continuous state variables describing its location and orientation. The post-synaptic distribution is dependent on the state variables. Each neuron adjusts its state to increase its membrane potential, which results in highly adaptive dynamics of the synaptic weight distribution. The network allocates multiple neurons with different orientation modes for each edge. The strategy allows accurate modeling of multi-modal distributions at key-points such as corners and junctions. As a result, the network delineates edges at sub-pixel accuracy while preserving key-points. It is also capable of processing a sequence of images and following moving objects. The network is extended for contour integration and key-point detection tasks. The paper presents experiments conducted on both synthetic and non-synthetic data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique.
Social Organization, Reproduction and Rearing Strategies of Callimico goeldii: New Clues from the Wild

The callitrichines are a specialized radiation of primates that are characterized in part by variable social systems and cooperative infant care. Callimico goeldii, unlike the other callitrichines, have single rather than twin offspring, reducing the need for allocare and permitting synchronous breeding within groups. Low mortality rates among offspring and unstable social groups are suggested to be possible factors that have led to single births among C. goeldii. Single offspring may benefit from greater maternal investment and more frequent food sharing than twin offspring, factors that may help to explain why C. goeldii reaches sexual maturity more rapidly than other callitrichines. In addition, increased breeding opportunities for young C. goeldii females may have selected for rapid maturation rates among this species. Postpartum ovulation and aseasonal resource availability appear to permit females to have biannual birth seasons, further increasing the potential reproductive output.