cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loss of a Harvested Fish Species Disrupts Carbon Flow in a Diverse Tropical River

Harvesting threatens many vertebrate species, yet few whole-system manipulations have been conducted to predict the consequences of vertebrate losses on ecosystem function. Here, we show that a harvested migratory detrital-feeding fish (Prochilodontidae: Prochilodus mariae) modulates carbon flow and ecosystem metabolism. Natural declines in and experimental removal of Prochilodus decreased downstream transport of organic carbon and increased primary production and respiration. Thus, besides its economic value, Prochilodus is a critical ecological component of South American rivers. Lack of functional redundancy for this species highlights the importance of individual species and, contrary to theory, suggests that losing one species from lower trophic levels can affect ecosystem functioning even in species-rich ecosystems.
Improving the Interviewing and Self-Assessment Skills of Medical Students: Is it Time to Readopt Videotaping as an Educational Tool?

Purpose.—To evaluate the effect of a videotaping program on third-year medical students' interviewing and self-assessment skills. Methods.—A self-assessment manual, listing and explaining 21 core elements of the medical interview, was developed. After reading the manual, students videotaped an interview and self-assessed their performances. Each student reviewed the videotape with a faculty member who also rated the performance. This process was repeated 1 week later. Changes in group performance, core element performance, and ability to self-assess after the intervention were evaluated by Cohen d values to measure effect size, McNemar chi-square test for repeated measures, and concordance between faculty and student ratings. Results.—Sixty students participated in the videotaping study. Students inaccurately self-assessed on the first video 14% of the time. The 6 poorest-performed core elements were the least accurately self-assessed. Lack of concordance between the global rating given by faculty and student identified all students with inflated self-assessment. One review session had a large effect on overall performance and interpersonal skills and a moderate effect on history-taking skills. A large effect on performance was seen for 3 core elements, a moderate effect for 12 elements, and a small effect for the remaining 6 elements. Performance of the core elements that needed improvement did improve in 74% of the students (P Conclusions.—Our videotaping program improved students' interviewing and self-assessment skills and identified students with inflated views of their abilities. Medical educators should re-evaluate and readopt this excellent teaching and learning tool.
Quantitative assessment of electron-donor properties of enol silyl ethers: Charge-transfer complex formation, photoelectron spectra and transient electrochemical oxidation

Abstract Enol silyl ethers are excellent electron donors by virtue of their ionization and oxidation potentials which can be as low as IP = 7.5 eV and E p = 1.0 V vs. SCE, respectively. Such donor properties are shown by the ready formation of 1 :1 electron donor-acceptor complexes with quinones, in which the distinctive colors associated with charge-transfer transitions (hν CT ) correlate linearly with IP in accord with Mulliken's prediction.
A Study on the Effects of Sensor Position Error and the Placement of Calibration Emitter for Source Localization

Modern applications use mobile or randomly deployed sensors whose positions are not precise when locating a signal source. An estimator would require statistical knowledge of the sensor position errors to reach the optimum localization performance. Further accuracy improvement necessitates a calibration emitter whose position is known exactly to correct the sensor positions. Under Gaussian error model, this paper shows that when the covariance matrices of the sensor position errors and the measurement noise satisfy certain relation, taking the sensor position errors into account is not necessary and a simpler estimator that pretends the sensor position uncertainties are absent is sufficient to reach the optimum performance. The performance gain from a calibration emitter depends on where it is placed. We derive the optimum calibration position by improving the Fisher information matrix of the source location estimate. The optimum position is of theoretical interest and may not be practical. A suboptimum criterion for realistic calibration emitter placement is then proposed. We shall use TOA, TDOA, and AOA localizations to illustrate the derived results. Simulations support very much the theoretical developments and performance analysis.
In situ identification of twin-related bands near yielding in a magnesium alloy

Digital image correlation and acoustic emission were used simultaneously to investigate the near-yielding behavior of textured samples of a magnesium alloy. Distinct band evolution near yielding was monitored in situ and directly related to profuse localized twin formation, verified by ex situ electron backscatter diffraction. The presented results demonstrate for the first time quantitatively in both space and time the dominant role of twinning in the early stages of plastic deformation of magnesium alloys.
Learning therapeutic lessons from metastasis suppressor proteins

Metastasis suppressor proteins regulate multiple steps in the metastatic cascade, including cancer cell invasion, survival in the vascular and lymphatic circulation, and colonization of distant organ sites. Understanding the biology of metastasis suppressors provides valuable mechanistic insights that may translate to therapeutic opportunities. Several reports have explored novel strategies for restoring metastasis suppressor function, including gene transfer, induction of previously suppressed gene expression and exogenous administration of gene product. Pathways activated downstream of metastasis suppressor loss can also be targeted. Although none of these strategies are yet in routine clinical use, several are being tested preclinically and in clinical trials.
Optimal control of three-dimensional steamflooding processes

Abstract A system science approach using optimal control theory of distributed parameter systems has been developed to determine operating strategies that maximize the economic profitability of the steamflooding processes. Necessary conditions of optimization are established by using the discrete form of calculus of variations and Pontryagin's Maximum Principle. The performance of this approach is investigated through two actual three-dimensional steamflooding projects. The optimization results show this method yields significant improvements over the original operating strategies. These improvements cannot be achieved through traditional design methods.
Oxidation-resistant, solution-processed plasmonic Ni nanochain-SiOx (x < 2) selective solar thermal absorbers

Metal oxidation at high temperatures has long been a challenge in cermet solar thermal absorbers, which impedes the development of atmospherically stable, high-temperature, high-performance concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. In this work, we demonstrate solution-processed Ni nanochain-SiOx (x < 2) and Ni nanochain-SiO2 selective solar thermal absorbers that exhibit a strong anti-oxidation behavior up to 600 °C in air. The thermal stability is far superior to previously reported Ni nanoparticle-Al2O3 selective solar thermal absorbers, which readily oxidize at 450 °C. The SiOx (x < 2) and SiO2 matrices are derived from hydrogen silsesquioxane and tetraethyl orthosilicate precursors, respectively, which comprise Si-O cage-like structures and Si-O networks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that the dissociation of Si-O cage-like structures and Si-O networks at high temperatures have enabled the formation of new bonds at the Ni/SiOx interface to passivate the surface of Ni nanoparticles and p...
Multiple Coulomb Excitation of Rotational Levels in Even-Even Nuclei

An experimental study of excitation probabilities of rotational states with spins 2, 4, 6, and 8 in 22 even-even nuclei in the region $150\ensuremath{\le}A\ensuremath{\le}192$ has been carried out by means of multiple Coulomb excitation with oxygen ions of energies up to 44 MeV. In the region of strong nuclear deformation, the results are in good agreement with excitation probabilities calculated on the basis of the rotational model. It has, however, been observed, that the intrinsic quadrupole moment ${Q}_{0}$, derived from the observed excitation probabilities, increases for higher rotational states, especially in the transition region. For ${\mathrm{Sm}}^{152}$, the dependence of the probabilities for excitation of the ${2}^{+}$ and ${4}^{+}$ states on the bombarding energy are compared with calculations based on higher order perturbation theory and on multiple Coulomb-excitation theory. In the nuclei ${\mathrm{Sm}}^{152}$, ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{160}$, ${\mathrm{W}}^{186}$, ${\mathrm{Os}}^{188}$, and ${\mathrm{Os}}^{192}$, nonrotational transitions were observed. The excitation probabilities of the second excited ${2}^{+}$ states are compared with the predictions of the Davydov model.
Influence of morbid obesity on parathyroidectomy outcomes in primary hyperparathyroidism

Background We sought to evaluate the influence of morbid obesity in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT).
Sensing performance of electrically conductive fabrics and dielectric electro active polymers for parachutes

This paper quantifies the sensing capabilities of novel smart materials in an effort to improve the performance, better understand the physics, and enhance the safety of parachutes. Based upon a recent review of actuation technologies for parachute applications, it was surmised that the actuators reviewed could not be used to effectively alter the drag or lift (i.e. geometry, porosity, or air vent openings) of a parachute during flight. However, several materials showed potential for sensing applications within a parachute, specifically electrically conductive fabrics and dielectric electro-active polymers. This paper introduces several new conductive fabrics and provides an evaluation of the sensing performance of these smart materials based upon test results using mechanical testing and digital image correlation for comparison.
The role of saliva in maintaining oral homeostasis

Dental practitioners are becoming more cognizant of the importance of saliva as they treat a greater number of older patients, especially those with medical problems requiring a variety of medications that have xerostomia as a side effect. This article discusses salivary composition and function in a broad perspective, relating them to clinical concerns and current research. Understanding the role of saliva in maintaining health, as well as its relation to oral disease, is vital to the competent dental practitioner.
The perceptual organization of ongoing behavior

Abstract Twenty-one subjects were required to detect deletions of four, eight, or 12 frames from ongoing films. Deletions were within perceptual units of behavior (nonbreakpoints) or at the boundaries (breakpoints). Detection of deletions was more accurate at breakpoints than at nonbreakpoints, and increased in accuracy as a function of length of deletion for breakpoints only. In a second study, 79 subjects viewed triads of slides consisting of three consecutive breakpoints or nonbreakpoints. Order of presentation was also varied. Results indicated that subjects viewing breakpoints were (a) significantly more accurate in action descriptions, (b) rated the sequence as more intelligible, and (c) more accurately judged the correctness of slide ordering. A third study tested recognition for breakpoints and nonbreakpoints following viewing of six short films. Results indicated a small but highly significant and consistent superiority in recognition accuracy for breakpoint items. Signal detection analysis confirmed that these results were due to the increased discriminability of breakpoint items.
Roads are associated with a blunted stress response in a North American pit viper

Whereas numerous studies have examined roads as anthropogenic stressors in birds and mammals, comparatively few studies have been undertaken on reptiles. We investigated plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels at baseline and following 30 min of restraint stress in free-ranging copperhead snakes (Agkistrodon contortrix) captured within the forest interior or while in contact with public roads. There was no difference in baseline CORT levels between snakes in the forest and on roads. Copperheads responded to restraint stress by increasing plasma levels of CORT; however snakes on roads exhibited a lower CORT stress response compared to forest snakes. Additionally, among snakes captured on roads there was a negative association between road traffic and baseline CORT, stressed CORT, and the magnitude of the CORT response. Our results suggest that roads are associated with a blunted stress response in copperheads. Reduced stress responses may be indicative of acclimation, the inhibited ability to mount a stress response in the face of prolonged chronic stress, or that road environments select for individuals with lower CORT responsiveness. Either scenario could result in increased road mortality if snakes do not perceive roads as a potential threat.
The specificity of the HIV-1 protease

The protease of HIV-1 is able to recognize many different sequences as substrates. Despite the diversity of these sequences, some of the determinants of HIV-1 protease specificity have been clarified by recent studies. These studies include the examination of known processing-site sequences, the use of polypeptides and native protein as substrates in vitro, and structural analyses of protease with bound polypeptide-based inhibitors. Mutations of the HIV-1 protease also have the potential to alter its specificity.
What Characters Know: Projected Knowledge and Projected Co-Presence

What inferences do readers make about “who knows what” in narrative worlds? We introduce the concepts of projected knowledge and projected co-presence to describe circumstances in which readers infer that characters possess information presented, for example, only in narration. Our experiments examine one type of evidence readers use to project knowledge. In Experiment 1, readers used characters’ utterances as evidence to revise their judgments about characters’ awareness information presented in the narration. Experiment 2 established that this effect is not due to the presence of just any utterance in the story. Experiment 3 demonstrated differential projection of knowledge for characters depending on whether they were speakers or addressees of the critical utterance. Experiment 4 suggested that readers make these inferences with limited reflection. Experiment 5 demonstrated that readers’ judgment times for characters’ knowledge is affected by the properties of the projecting utterance. We conclude that individuals are skilled in evaluating textual evidence to project knowledge and co-presence. © 2001 Academic Press
A New Approach to Aircraft Robust Performance Analysis

A recently developed algorithm for nonlinear system performance analysis has been applied to an F16 aircraft to begin evaluating the suitability of the method for aerospace problems. The algorithm has a potential to be much more efficient than the current methods in performance analysis for aircraft. This paper is the initial step in evaluating this potential.
Analysis of Yield-Density Models for Intercropping Experiments

Yield density models are used to describe the relationship between the yield of one or more crops and densities of planting. In this paper, we propose a correlated error structure for a linear yield-density model for intercopping and competition experiments. Four possible estimators of the parameters of the error structure are evaluated using a Monte Carlo study. The estimators are compared on the basis of gain in efficiency as measured by the generalized variance. An example is provided.
Thermotolerance Generated by Plant/Fungal Symbiosis

All plants studied in natural ecosystems are symbiotic with fungi ([1][1]), which obtain nutrients while either positively, negatively, or neutrally affecting host fitness ([2][2]). Plant adaptation to selective pressures is considered to be regulated by the plant genome ([3][3]). To test whether
Defense mechanisms predict differential lifespan change in Self-control and Self-acceptance ☆

Abstract Individual differences in the direction of personality change over a period of 40 years for two scales of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI: Gough & Bradley, 1996) - Self-control (Sc) and Self-acceptance (Sa) - as previously identified through the use of longitudinal hierarchical linear modeling (Jones, Livson & Peskin, 2003), were studied in a sample of men and women from the Institute of Human Development Intergenerational Studies. It was hypothesized that the use of defense mechanisms, as assessed by the Defense Mechanism Manual (DMM: Cramer, 1991a), would be differentially related to change in Sc and Sa, depending on whether participants were increasing or decreasing in that trait over time. Results indicated that for participants who decreased in Sa, the use of Denial was associated with less decrease. For participants who increased in Sc, the use of Identification was associated with less increase.
Nodular pulmonary amyloidosis: Diagnosis by fine‐needle aspiration cytology and a review of the literature

Solitary nodular pulmonary amyloid tumor is an uncommon benign lesion which is seldom diagnosed prior to surgical extirpation. We present a case of unsuspected nodular pulmonary amyloid tumor diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology. A 52-yr-old-black woman, presented with a 3-cm right middle lobe mass. Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNA) of the mass revealed waxy amorphous material that demonstrated apple green birefringence on Congo Red Stain. Thoracotomy for diagnosis may be avoided by using FNA to diagnose these unusual lesions.
Enhanced osteonectin expression in the chondroid matrix of the unloaded mandibular condyle.

Osteonectin provided a spatial and temporal marker for proliferating and differentiating chondrocytes, and during the chondroid matrix formation. The goal of this investigation was to examine early cellular and molecular regulation of mandibular growth. Unloading was induced by anterior functional mastication. The proliferative activity measured by tritiated thymidine incorporation increased 8.3-fold at 24 hours compared with the corresponding control group. Mandibular unloading for 24 hours increased osteonectin mRNA expression 60% in the condyle over the corresponding control group. Microscopic inspection of the condyle demonstrated osteonectin immunostaining of pro-liferating, early hypertrophic chondrocytes, and the chondroid matrix across the sagittal section in an anterior-posterior direction. An increasing gradient intensity from a medial-superior to posterior direction was produced with treatment in direct contrast to the control group. The posterior chondroid matrix immunostaining increased 11.7-fold (P = 0.038) after 24 hours treatment over a corresponding control group. Unloading of the mouse mandible caused an increased cellular proliferation, a coincident increase of osteonectin mRNA, and a subsequent increased secretion of the osteonectin protein in the chondroid matrix formation.
Right focal point boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations and variational equations

where X, < ... G-X,,. Such problems are called right focal point boundary value problems. In the last few years, a number of papers have appeared dealing with such boundary value problems. Most notable, in the case when (1) is linear, are papers by Elias [ 11, Muldowney [7,8], and Peterson 19, IO], and for nonlinear considerations, the papers by Henderson [3,4], Jackson [5], and Peterson [ 11, 121. In those papers, several analogues of known results for conjugate-type boundary value problems are considered. For Eq. (l), we will have need of the hypotheses:
Disseminating HIV/AIDS Information to African Americans

Prior research indicates that HIV/AIDS communication must be viewed as a key component of the implementation of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention program. In view of the radical increase in HIV/AIDS in the African American community, tailoring health messages on prevention strategies to African Americans becomes particularly important. This paper focuses on health communication to African Americans as an integral part of contemporary HIV/AIDS interventions.
Real time production improvement through bottleneck control

Variability is a key characteristic for evaluating the performance of a process. Small variability for a bottleneck machine can generate high production variability. Short-term production analysis and bottleneck identification are imperative for enabling optimal response to dynamic changes within the system. In comparison to the rich and abundant literature available on long-term analysis, only a small section of the literature addresses the dynamic bottleneck control policies, which may be used to maximise sustainable benefits. In this paper, a real time bottleneck control method is introduced to efficiently utilise the finite manufacturing resources and to mitigate the short-term production constraints by using two practical approaches: initial buffer adjustment and maintenance task prioritisation. The objective for real time bottleneck control is to obtain a continuous production improvement towards a balanced-line status to increase the throughput efficiently. The benefits of this method are presented...
Poly[3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene (EDOT) -co- 1,3,5-tri[2-(3,4-ethylene dioxythienyl)]-benzene (EPh)] copolymers (PEDOT-co-EPh): optical, electrochemical and mechanical properties.

PEDOT-co-EPh copolymers with systematic variations in composition were prepared by electrochemical polymerization from mixed monomer solutions in acetonitrile. The EPh monomer is a trifunctional crosslinking agent with three EDOTs around a central benzene ring. With increasing EPh content, the color of the copolymers changed from blue to yellow to red due to decreased absorption in the near infrared (IR) spectrum and increased absorption in the visible spectrum. The surface morphology changed from rough and nanofibrillar to more smooth with rounded bumps. The electrical transport properties dramatically decreased with increasing EPh content, resulting in coatings that either substantially lowered the impedance of the electrode (at the lowest EPh content), leave the impedance nearly unchanged (near 1% EPh), or significantly increase the impedance (at 1% and above). The mechanical properties of the films were substantially improved with EPh content, with the 0.5% EPh films showing an estimated 5× improvement in modulus measured by AFM nanoindentation. The PEDOT-co-EPh copolymer films were all shown to be non-cytotoxic toward and promote the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. Given these results, we expect that the films of most interest for neural interface applications will be those with improved mechanical properties that maintain the improved charge transport performance (with 1% EPh and below).
Adhesion of Cancer Cells to Endothelial Monolayers: A Study of Initial Attachment Versus Firm Adhesion

Abstract For most cancer patients, the ultimate cause of death is not the primary tumor itself, but metastasis, or the spread of cancer from the primary tumor throughout the body. The formation of tumor foci at sites distant from the primary tumor is a multistep process which includes dissemination of the cancer cells through the blood stream and hence, interactions with the endothelium lining the blood vessels walls. At least two theories have been proposed for explaining the interaction between cancer cells and endothelium. According to one theory, the tumor cells roll along the endothelium and the rolling velocity decreases until the cells become firmly attached to the vessel wall. In another theory, the circulating cancer cells must first lodge inside small vessels before they attach to the endothelium. In the latter case, the cells would only metastasize in the smaller vessels where lodging can occur. To gain further insight into the process of metastasis, the adhesion of human breast cancer cells to...
PTSD in Heart Transplant Recipients and Their Primary Family Caregivers

Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with transplantation (PTSD-T) is a complication for some heart transplant recipients. By using a structured, standardized interview and DSM-III-R criteria, the authors examined whether recipients (n = 158) and their family caregivers (n = 142) showed similar PTSD-T rates and clinical characteristics during the first year posttransplant. Among the recipients, 10.5% met full criteria for the disorder and an additional 5% were probable cases. Among the caregivers, 7.7% met full criteria and an additional 11.0% were probable cases. Severity and duration of disorder were similar across the groups. Being female, having a history of psychiatric illness, and having lower friend support were increased risks for PTSD-T.
The illness beliefs, perceptions, and practices of Filipino Americans with hypertension.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the illness beliefs, perceptions, and practices of Filipino Americans (FAs) with hypertension (HTN) to reveal their explanatory models (EMs) of the illness. Data sources: Audiotapes and transcripts of focus group interviews and observational notes were subjected to content analysis. Medical records and related empirical studies provided supporting data. Conclusions: In general, the EMs of FAs with HTN correspond to the biomedical model in relation to causes, consequences, and treatment of HTN. However, in spite of this biomedical knowledge, FAs with HTN have difficulty maintaining the required lifestyle changes and adhering to the medication regimen to control their illness. Implications for practice: It is important for NPs to assess the EMs of FAs with HTN, including their use of traditional folk remedies and practitioners of folk medicine. The challenge is to provide cardiovascular health promotion and education in a culturally sensitive, congruent, and tailored manner to FAs with HTN to help them control their illness.
PICC is a four letter word: the development of a vascular access team

Abstract A pilot program was developed in 1997 to study the safety and feasibility of establishing a specially trained team of nurses to place peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) at the bedside. The project was pursued in part at the request of the interventional radiologists because of their concern about increasing requests for these line placements. The popularity of PICCs increased after the establishment of a dedicated team to the point that orders doubled within the first year. In 2001, the team submitted a proposal to the hospital administration to formalize the PICC team service. An office cum outpatient procedure room was set up in an unused radiology room. Supplies are charged to the patient and credited to the PICC team cost center. Inpatient PICC orders are generated electronically and printed out in the PICC team office. An electronic database is used to record patient data for tracking and outcomes monitoring. With these developments, the PICC team has become a “department within a department.” The presenters discussed the elements necessary to establish a successful venous access team. Several published studies corroborate that the most cost effective means of providing PICC line service is to use a team of nurses to place them at the bedside and refer only the toughest cases to IR. A vascular access team cannot flourish if it is merely procedure-driven, but it must be committed to promoting improved patient outcomes through education, advocacy, and research.
People Will Know We Are in Love: Evidence of Differences Between Vocal Samples Directed Toward Lovers and Friends

Research has documented the tendency for individuals to change their voices as a function of different emotional and motivational states, but little attention has been devoted to examining voice modulation in romantic relationships. The present research was conducted to determine (1) the way in which individuals alter their voices when speaking to romantic partners versus friends and (2) if independent raters perceive these differences. Independent raters (N = 80) listened to vocal clips obtained from telephone calls directed toward close same-sex friends and romantic partners. For several clips, raters were able to identify conversational partner (romantic versus friend) with greater than chance accuracy, and this accuracy was positively correlated with vocal pitch and perceived romantic interest. In addition, raters who listened to content-filtered clips judged callers less favorably when talking to their romantic partners than their friends. Results are interpreted in light of the “longing” but vulnerable condition of intense romantic love, and integrated into affection exchange theory and communication accommodation theory.
Influence of solar radiation on the productivity and nutritive value of herbage of cool‐season species of an understorey sward in a mature conifer woodland

Silvopastoral systems in the Appalachian region of the USA could increase the carrying capacity of livestock and contribute to a reliable supply of high-quality herbage. In 2000, 2001 and 2002, the influence of solar radiation [0·20, 0·50 or 0·80 of maximum solar radiation (MSR); treatments 20-, 50- and 80-MSR respectively] on the productivity and nutritive value of a mixture of sown grasses and legumes established under a mature stand of conifers was investigated. Yields of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were greater for the 80-MSR treatment except in 2000 when DM yield did not differ. As a proportion of the sward, introduced species (Dactylis glomerata L., Trifolium repens L., and Lolium perenne L.) increased over time for the MSR-80 treatment, corresponding with a decrease in the proportion of bare area and of non-introduced species. CP concentration of herbage was 207 g kg⁻¹ DM or greater across treatments and years with higher concentrations on the 20- and 50-MSR treatments. Herbage from the 80-MSR treatment had a greater concentration of TNC than that of the 20- and 50-MSR treatments. Estimated concentration of TDN was similar for all treatments in 2000 and greater for the 80-MSR treatment than the other two treatments in 2001 and 2002. High CP concentrations in herbage, as a result of appropriate thinning of trees in an Appalachian silvopastoral systems, could be utilized as a protein supplement to herbage with low CP and higher fibre concentrations.
Social Judgment, Feedback, and Interpersonal Learning in Negotiation

Abstract We examined the impact of feedback on the accuracy of people′s judgments of their opponents′ interests and on the quality of negotiated outcomes. Pairs of subjects engaged in four bargaining tasks. Following each task, some subjects received a complete diagnosis of their opponent′s interests in the preceding task (full feedback); others learned only about their opponents final outcomes (outcome feedback); some did not receive any information about their opponent (control). We predicted that subjects who received a complete diagnosis would make more accurate judgments about their opponent′s interests and reach more integrative agreements in subsequent negotiation situations. Results supported the hypothesis. However, outcome-only feedback did not improve judgment accuracy and performance. We interpret the results as supporting a judgment-action-outcome model of feedback.
An Evaluation of Indexes for Periodontal Health

Investigators have developed various indexes to evaluate periodontal disease. The indexes are themselves evaluated in this study, and the best clinical indicator of gingival health is found to be dental plaque.
Word associations to compound stimuli under two presentational methods

Two presentational methods were used to gather word associations to four-word stimuli consisting of three context words preceding a test word. According to other one-word stimulus norms, all four words of the compound elicit the same primary response, the desired response (DR). Method 1 (auditory, E-paced, and presenting each four-word stimulus as a temporal sequence) was significantly superior to Method 2 (visual, S-paced, and exposing the four stimulus words simultaneously) in increasing DR elicitation and decreasing number of difference responses.
Treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the prostate to bone with parathormone and radioactive phosphorous

Eight patients with metastases to bone from carcinoma of the prostate were treated with a combination of parathyroid hormone and /sup 32/P. Seven of 8 patients reported substantial pain relief ranging from 1 to 8 months in duration. Several chemical parameters were altered during the priming period with parathyroid hormone but no objective response to the combination therapy was observed.
Investment penetration in manufacturing and extraction and external public debt in Third World states

Abstract This research examines the contention that foreign investment is positively related to external public debt accumulation by Third World states. Three hypotheses are examined: (1) that flows of foreign investment are negatively related to increased debt over the short-run; (2) that stocks of foreign investments are positively related over the long-run and (3) that the effects of foreign investment should differ according to their sectoral location, with higher investments in manufacturing producing greater borrowing, and investments in extraction being unrelated to debt accumulation. The results show that stocks of investments in manufacturing are strongly related to borrowing only among American states, with the effects being immediate, and not long-term. Only African states were affected by flows, with these effects being long-term and positive. Extraction investments were not related to debt accumulation. These findings indicate that the mechanism by which foreign investments affect debt accumulation varies from region to region. The repatriation of profits and local borrowing by foreigners appears to have the greatest impact among American states, while attempts to maintain foreign-induced growth is the key effect in Africa.
Fundamental Study On Automatic Fabric Inspection By Computer Image Processing

In this paper, a virtual system for automatic detection of fabric defects is introduced and the performance of the system is investigated experimentally from a software-oriented point of view . Major discussions on this software system are focused on how the observed noisy data can be made clear without degradation of resolution power of the image and on how several kinds of fabric defects can be detected from the noisy background. Following results are obtained experimentally: (1) Resolution power of the input data below the nominal fineness of a fabric sample(cotton) still provides approximately sufficient information of defects. (2) As a preprocessing of the fabric image data, projection procedure has efficient and appropriate properties in order to reduce background noise. (3) Combining the projection procedure with thresholding procedure in this system 'almost all kinds of defects can be detected automatically with a little misjudgement.
Advanced software pipelining and the program dependence graph

Architectures such as horizontal microengines, multiple reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architectures, very long instruction word (VLIW), and long instruction word (LIW) machines benefit from the utilization of low-level parallelism. The authors propose a novel technique, advanced software pipelining, which solves known problems of other pipelining techniques. Implementation on the program dependence graph (PDG) benefits from the data dependence information and the control structure of the program in a single representation. Software pipelines are constructed on the PDG without imposing a fixed schedule; instead the proposed method groups concurrent operations in anticipation of the needs of the final schedule. >
Inhibitory Effect of 5-Hydroxytryptamine on Rat Stomach Fundus: Mediated Indirectly by Activation of Noradrenaline Release

Biphasic cumulative concentration-response curves to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and α-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (α-Me-5-HT) using rat stomach fundus in the presence of 50 μm pargyline suggested two sites of interaction (high and low affinity). The order of agonist potencies of 5-HT agonists for the high-affinity (contractile) response confirmed reports of a strong correlation of the 5-HT2B (contractile) receptor on fundus with reported rat brain (radioligand binding) pKd values at the 5-HT2C receptor (r = 0·94, b = 0·93 P 5-HT. Preincubation with mianserin or S-(—)propranolol, pretreatment with reserpine and removal of the mucosa layer resulted in amplification of the contractile effects and disappearance or reversal of the inhibitory effects of 5-HT. Activation of a second receptor site inducing catecholamine release may explain this effect of 5-HT on rat stomach fundus.
Improving sightreading accuracy: A meta-analysis:

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine whether experimentally tested sightreading interventions positively influenced sightreading ability. A meta-analysis was conducted with 92 quasi-experimental research studies on sightreading (124 individual analyses) to determine the overall effect size of treatment and to examine how the effect size was influenced by treatment type, sightreading mode (sightreading/sightsinging), age and experience of sight reader, type of sightreading test, and other study design elements. The analysis revealed a small overall effect size for treatment (d = −0.18, 95% CI [−0.24, −0.11]). Of the moderator variables, only treatment-type was significant, with treatments categorized as “Aural Training,” “Controlled Reading,” “Creative Activities,” and “Singing/Solfege” significantly and positively affecting sightreading. There was a moderately strong within-group effect size (d = −0.48, 95% CI [−0.56, −0.40]), indicating that sightreading generally improved pre- to posttest ...
Radiobiological Hormesis, Methodological Value Judgments, and Metascience

Scientists are divided on the status of hypothesis H that low doses of ionizing radiation (under 20 rads) cause hormetic (or non-harmful) effects.Military and industrial scientists tend to accept H...
Visceral Adipose Tissue Cutoffs Associated With Metabolic Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in Women

OBJECTIVE —This study determined whether there is a critical level of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) associated with elevated coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in a cohort of women >45 years of age. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —Measurements of body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), body fat distribution (computed tomography), fasting and 2-h postprandial (75-g) glucose concentrations, and fasting lipoprotein lipid and insulin concentrations were performed in 233 perimenopausal (9%) and postmenopausal women (age 59 ± 6 years, 79% Caucasian, 16% on hormone replacement therapy). RESULTS —Women in the lowest VAT quintile (≤105 cm2) had higher concentrations of HDL and HDL2 cholesterol, lower LDL/HDL cholesterol ratios and triglyceride concentrations, and lower fasting glucose and insulin concentrations than women in the remaining four quintiles ( P values <0.05–0.001). Women in the second lowest VAT quintile (106–139 cm2) had higher HDL and HDL2 cholesterol and lower LDL/HDL ratios than women with a VAT ≥163 cm2 ( P < 0.05). Logistic regression analyses showed that women with a VAT of 106–162 cm2 are 2.5 times more likely to have a low HDL cholesterol ( P < 0.05), while women with a VAT ≥163 cm2 are 5.5 times more likely to have a low HDL cholesterol ( P < 0.01) and ∼4.0 times more likely to have a high LDL/HDL ratio ( P < 0.05) compared with women with a VAT ≤105 cm2. Women with a VAT ≥163 cm2 are at a higher risk of having impaired glucose tolerance ( P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS —A VAT ≥106 cm2 is associated with an elevated risk, and a VAT ≥163 cm2 with an even greater risk, for these metabolic CHD risk factors compared with women with a VAT ≤105 cm2. These values may prove useful for defining “visceral obesity” and for identifying women most likely to benefit from preventative interventions.
Thermal sub-modeling of high density interconnect substrates

High-performance integrated circuits require high-leadcount and low-inductance first-level packaging solutions. Suitable packaging options often involve the use of high-density interconnect (HDI, or "microvia") substrate technology. Typical HDI substrates begin with a polymer-glass fiber core laminate, upon which high-density microvia structures are built. The finished substrate can contain hundreds of plated thru-holes (PTHs), microvias, and a dense network of interconnect traces that span four or more layers. The specific arrangement, connection, and layout of these features will affect the effective thermal conductivity of the substrate. This paper extends a previously developed two-dimensional sub-modeling approach to three-dimensional via structures to allow simple geometric representation of the substrate while accurately determining the out-of-plane conductivity. The technique is applied to two flip-chip plastic ball grid array (FC-PBGA) packages with HDI substrates. The sub-model and package-level modeling results are validated using experimental measurements of die, substrate, and PWB temperature for both convection and conduction cooling environments.
Implications of stress-drop models of earthquakes for the inversion of stress drop from seismic observations

We discuss the inversion of stress drops from seismic observations on the basis of crack or stress-drop models of earthquake mechanism. Since a formal inverse problem cannot be posed at present we discuss implications of solutions to direct problems. We first discuss the static approximations used to obtain stress drop from seismic moment and source dimensions. We show that the geometrical effects are quite significant if only one source dimension has been retrieved from seismic observations. The effect of variable stress drop is discussed and we show that the inverted stress drop is not a simple average of the actual stress drops on the fault. We discuss the energy release during faulting and show that the apparent stress has a complicated relation to the stress drop on the fault. We also show that the static stress drops obtained by seismologists are a lower bound to the actual dynamic stress drops on the fault. This may in part explain disagreements with laboratory results. Finally, we discuss the inversion of source dimensions from the far-field radiation. We analyse two extreme, simple dynamical source models, a circular fault and a rectangular fault and show that geometry has a much more pronounced effect on radiation than is usually acknowledged.
Design considerations and modeling results for ILC damping ring wigglers based on the CESR-C superconducting wiggler

The international linear collider (ILC) damping rings will require construction of wiggler magnets of high field quality on a large scale. We consider various designs derived from the wigglers presently in operation at the Cornell electron storage ring (CESR). Design optimization has been performed based on detailed tracking calculations of dynamic aperture and tune footprint in a full model of the damping ring. Results on finite-element modelling, transfer functions, and implications for the final engineering design will be discussed.
Cytoprotection by pre-emptive conditional phosphorylation of translation initiation factor 2

Transient phosphorylation of the α-subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) represses translation and activates select gene expression under diverse stressful conditions. Defects in the eIF2α phosphorylation-dependent integrated stress response impair resistance to accumulation of malfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress), to oxidative stress and to nutrient deprivations. To study the hypothesized protective role of eIF2α phosphorylation in isolation of parallel stress signaling pathways, we fused the kinase domain of pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), an ER stress-inducible eIF2α kinase that is normally activated by dimerization, to a protein module that binds a small dimerizer molecule. The activity of this artificial eIF2α kinase, Fv2E-PERK, is subordinate to the dimerizer and is uncoupled from upstream stress signaling. Fv2E-PERK activation enhanced the expression of numerous stress-induced genes and protected cells from the lethal effects of oxidants, peroxynitrite donors and ER stress. Our findings indicate that eIF2α phosphorylation can initiate signaling in a cytoprotective gene expression pathway independently of other parallel stress-induced signals and that activation of this pathway can single-handedly promote a stress-resistant preconditioned state.
A method for integrating the boundary-layer equations through a region of reverse flow

Development of a procedure for numerically integrating the boundary-layer equations through a region of reverse flow which takes downstream influence into account. This method is applied to the problem of uniform flow past a parallel flat plate of finite length whose surface has a constant velocity directed opposite to that of the main stream. Although singularities occur at both the point of detachment (x sub s) and reattachment (x sub r) of the psi = 0 streamline, this integration technique provides a solution which ceases to apply only in the close proximity of these singular points. From this solution it is evident that, throughout a large portion of the separated region, the flow is strongly affected by conditions near x sub r, thereby demonstrating the importance of allowing information to be transmitted upstream in a region of backflow. Near x sub s, however, it is found that, in spite of the presence of reverse flow, the solution has a self-similar form in this particular example.
Experimental detection of Brillouin precursors through tap water at microwave frequencies

Proposed is a simple technique to analyse Brillouin precursor waveforms propagating through a dispersive medium at microwave frequencies. The technique has been successfully used in modelling these precursors through 10 cm deep normal tap water using the experimental S -parameter data collected with a vector network analyser from 100 MHz to 2.5 GHz. The proposed technique is general enough to be applied on pulses of any type and shape and at any carrier frequency, within the constraints given by the bandwidth covered during the measurement stage. The pulse under consideration can be reconstructed using the software algorithms applied on the measured data, thereby simplifying the hardware needed to conduct the experiments.
CO2 transduction in avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors is critically dependent on transmembrane Na+/H+ exchange.

Avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) are vagal respiratory afferents that are inhibited by high lung Pco 2 and excited by low lung Pco 2. Previous work suggests that increased CO2 inhibits IPC...