cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tribology of Coatings for Use in Oil-Less Swashplate Compressors

Increasing efficiency through the use of tighter tolerances and more extreme conditions is becoming more prevalent in current compressor design. In an effort to enable oil-less operation, greater protection is sought through the application of hard protective coatings. Unlubricated unidirectional experiments were performed with a pin-on-disk tribometer to simulate swashplate compressors. Experiments included 52100 crowned steel pins and coated aluminum A390-T6 disks. WC/C, WC/C + DLC and TiAlN + WC/C were applied while some aluminum disks also contained a CrN underlayer to increase load bearing capacity. In step-loading testing the best performance was attained with one type of the CrN + WC/C multi-layered coatings, exhibiting friction coefficients as low as 0.05 with scuffing loads ten times larger than uncoated experiments. Based on the research presented in this work, hard coatings have the potential to replace oil in future compressors.© 2008 ASME
Tolerability and effects of two formulations of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC; ACTIQ) in patients with radiation-induced oral mucositis

Background Oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC; ACTIQ) incorporates fentanyl into a lozenge allowing drug delivery through the oral mucosa resulting in rapid pain relief. OTFC is effective for breakthrough pain and could be particularly useful in patients with mucositis.
A new atomic orbital method for ion-atom collisions

In a series of recent papers the authors have studied the inner-shell direct ionisation and charge transfer processes that occur when a light ion with nuclear charge Zp, collides with a target atom, nuclear charge ZT. They used a single-centred expansion (SCE) method, expanding the single-electron wavefunctions in a set of target-centred Hilbert states. This method is inaccurate if charge transfer is an important channel for electron flux loss and is thus generally restricted to the asymmetric region, Zp<<ZT, in its range of applicability. They present a new atomic orbital method which allows for charge transfer through prechosen time-dependent amplitudes which equal the 'real' amplitudes only at large times. The target excitation and ionisation amplitudes are found variationally but constrained to produce consistent charge transfer amplitudes. The method has the computational efficiency of an SCE approach. They show in an application to the proton-hydrogen problem that it removes the known difficulties that the SCE method had for this symmetric collision. It is hoped that this inexpensive method will find general application to ion-atom collisions in that region of energy where the atomic orbital method is useful.
Contested Masculinities: The New Jew and the Construction of Black and Palestinian Athletes in Israeli Media

This study examines how Israeli media present the masculinity of two non-Jewish groups, foreign Black players and Israeli Palestinian players. A systematic qualitative content analysis during the y...
A radio-frequency moving-boundary detector

A new type of moving-boundary detector is described in which boundaries are detected at platinum ring electrodes situated on the outside of a moving-boundary tube. These rings are part of a bridge circuit operating at radio frequencies. Impedance changes in the region of the rings are converted by a phase-sensitive detector to a voltage output which, when operating in the differential mode, takes the form of a sharp peak as a boundary passes through the rings. Boundary displacements of less then 20 μm can be detected, and a precision of better than 0.02% is obtained in the measurement of boundary velocities in typical transference measurements. The fact that only three electrical leads are required in the detecting circuit gives this detector a decided advantage for high-pressure work. Equally important is the elimination of electrode polarization problems associated with other types of electrical detectors.
Computed Tomography–guided Drainage of Mediastinal Abscesses: Clinical Experience with 23 Patients

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the technical and clinical success rates of computed tomography (CT)–guided percutaneous drainage of mediastinal abscesses. Materials and Methods An interventional radiology database was used to identify patients who underwent CT-guided percutaneous drainage of mediastinal abscesses. Medical records were reviewed to evaluate abscess etiology, drainage technique, clinical outcome, and complications. Results Over a 10-year period, 23 patients (20 men; average age, 54 y; range, 34–77 y) with 24 mediastinal abscesses underwent 25 CT-guided drainage procedures. Abscess etiologies included esophageal leak after esophagectomy (n = 6), perforated esophageal cancer (n = 4), Nissen fundoplication (n = 3), emetogenic esophageal rupture (n = 3), infectious (n = 2), cardiac surgery (n = 1), iatrogenic (n = 1), gastric strangulation (n = 1), Whipple procedure (n = 1), and thoracotomy for lung cancer (n = 1). Drainages were performed with tandem trocar (n = 14) or Seldinger (n = 11) technique. A total of 25 catheters were used: 8.5 F (n = 9), 10 F (n = 8), 12 F (n = 6), 14 F (n = 1), and 16 F (n = 1). The mean time of catheter drainage was 13.6 days. Technical success was achieved in all 25 attempts (100%). Twenty-two of the 23 patients had complete resolution of the abscess without the need for surgical debridement, for a clinical success rate of 95.6%. One patient underwent technically and clinically successful abscess drainage but required surgical exploration for repair of an anastomotic leak after esophagogastrectomy. There was one complication. One patient had inadvertent placement of a catheter within a pulmonary vein. The catheter was removed after 24 hours without hemodynamic consequences. Conclusions Percutaneous CT-guided drainage of mediastinal abscesses is an uncommon procedure, but the results of this study suggest that it is associated with high technical and clinical success rates.
Electrospinning synthesis of superconducting BSCCO nanowires

Abstract This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x superconducting nanowires. Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x nanowires with a T c = 78.7 K are synthesized using the electrospinning process employing sol–gel precursors. A sol–gel methodology is used to obtain a homogeneous PVP solution containing Bi, Sr, Ca, and Cu acetates. Mats of randomly oriented nanowires and aligned nanowires are also collected. After a heat treatment at 850 °C in ambient atmosphere using heating rates of 100 and 400 °C/h, fully crystallized Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x nanowires are obtained. The morphology, microstructure, and crystal structure of these nanowires are then examined to reveal a rectangular morphology having typical wire thickness in the range of 150–250 nm, and a wire width between 400 and 600 nm. DC magnetization studies are conducted to investigate the critical transition temperature ( T c ) of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x nanowires and to compare their magnetic properties to those of bulk Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x powder. The T c for the commercial powder is observed at 78.6 K, and that of the obtained nanowires at 78.7 K. These results point to the superconducting nature of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x nanowires, and the potential of the electrospinning process for the synthesis of this superconductor material.
Collagenous colitis: a cause of chronic diarrhea diagnosed only by biopsy of normal appearing colonic mucosa

10. Geboes K, Broeckaert L, Vantrappen G. Varices of the colon: "diagnosis by colonoscopy. Gastrointest Endosc 1975;22:43-5. 11. Pickens CA, Tedesco FJ. Colonic varices-unusual cause of rectal bleeding. Am J GastroenteroI1980;73:73-4. 12. Izsak EM, Finley JM. Colonic varices. Three case reports and review of the literature. Am J Gastroenterol 1980;73:131-6. 13. Van der Jagt EJ. Varices of the colon. Diagn Imaging 1983;52:230-5.
Structural mechanisms underlying the function of epithelial sodium channel/acid-sensing ion channel.

Purpose of review The epithelial sodium channel/degenerin family encompasses a group of cation-selective ion channels that are activated or modulated by a variety of extracellular stimuli. This review describes findings that provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that control the function of these channels.
Very low‐pressure pyrolysis. VIII. The decomposition of Di‐t‐amyl peroxide

The very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP) technique has been applied to the pyrolysis of di-t-amyl peroxide (DTAP) over the temperature range 523-633°K. VLPP yields a low-pressure rate constant, kuni The conversion of kuni to k∞ which must be made to calculate the Arrhenius parameters, is accomplished via the RRKM theory. The transition state model used in the RRKM calculations was based on a transition state model which accurately reproduced the VLPP data for di-t-butyl peroxide for which the Arrhenius parameters are well known. For the decomposition of DTAP it was found that log k∞(300°K) = 15.8 - 36.4/θ, where θ = 2.303RT, in kcal/mole, and the units of k∞, are sec−1.
Synthesis of [carboxyl ‐14C] 5 ‐ fluoroorotic acid

[Carboxyl -14C] 5 - fluoroorotic acid was synthesized by the treatment of [carboxyl-14C] orotic acid with trifluoromethyl hypofluorite followed by triethyl amine.
Estimates for Best Placement of Voters in a Triplicated Logic Network

The "digital analog converter with ac amplification" (DACAC) described by the author [1] can be used in the design of a wide purpose function generator.
The Morality of Modernity and the Travails of Tradition: Nationhood and the subaltern in northern Peru

This paper examines the process by which the Peruvian nation-state consolidated control in Chachapoyas, a peripheral section of the national space in the northern sierra. The focus is on a key period of state expansion, circa 1930, when subaltern groups coalesced into a broad political movement that seized power from the local elite. This movement: (1) eliminated racial designations from pubic discourse; (2) subsumed them within a national order of moral classification based on notions of citizenship and nationhood; and (3) embraced the cultural values of modernity and the institutions of the nation-state. Subaltern groups embraced modernity and nationhood as powerful forces of emancipation due to historical peculiarities of post-colonial Peru. Prior to 1930 local elite groups strongly wedded to notions of aristocratic sovereignty and inherent racial difference used the local apparatus of state to reproduce privilege and inequality. Subaltern groups responded by making common cause among racial groups denigrated within the cultural logic of aristocratic sovereignty, by combining all into a single non-racial category (el pueblo, or 'the people') derived from the rhetoric of popular sovereignty, and by appealing to the central state to establish the strong institutional presence necessary to safeguard the constitutional rights and protections of el pueblo.
Safety and Tolerability of Atomoxetine Over 3 to 4 Years in Children and Adolescents With ADHD

Abstract Objective To assess the long-term safety and tolerability of atomoxetine hydrochloride in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treated for ≥3 years. Method Data from 13 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and 3 open-label extension studies were pooled. Outcome measures were patient-reported treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs); discontinuations due to AEs, serious AEs, and changes in body weight, height, vital signs, electrocardiogram, and hepatic function tests. Results In total, 714 patients were treated with atomoxetine for ≥3 years (mean follow-up 4.8 years [SD 1.1 years]), including a subset of 508 treated for ≥4 years (mean follow-up 5.3 years [SD 0.8 years]). Most subjects were younger than 12 years at entry (73.8%), male (78.4%), and white (88.9%). The mean final daily dose of atomoxetine was 1.35 mg/kg (SD 0.37 mg/kg). No new or unexpected AEs were observed compared with acute-phase treatment. Less than 6% of patients exhibited aggressive/hostile behaviors, and less than 1.6% reported suicidal ideation/behavior. No clinically significant effects were seen on growth rate, vital signs, or electrocardiographic parameters, and ≤2% of patients showed potentially clinically significant hepatic changes. Conclusion Atomoxetine was safe and well tolerated for children and adolescents with ≥3 and/or ≥4 years of treatment.
Multiparameter label-free flow cytometry using multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (MCARS) with biological applications

ABSTRACT Flow cytometry is an invaluable analytical tool that provides statistical information about sample populations.By optically probing samples at high-speed, ow cytometers retrieve information about basic morphology andcomposition. The optical elastic scatter is indicative of sample size and granularity while molecular informationrequires the addition of uorescent labels, which have limitations such as spectral overlap, non-specic binding,and cellular toxicity. In this work, we present the rst multiparameter label-free ow cytometer that observesthe elastically forward-scattered light (FSC) and probes the intrinsic Raman vibrations of passing samplesusing multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (MCARS). MCARS, as a broadband technique, probesa large region of the Raman spectrum; thus, leading to rich molecularly-sensitive information. Additionally, wepresent the rst experimental investigations of two biological systems using the multiparameter ow cytometer:Saccharomyces cerevisiae , a yeast often used as a model system for eukaryotic organisms, and Phaeodactylumtricornutum , a diatom under investigation for biofuel production.Keywords: Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, ow cytometry, nonlinear optics, Raman spectroscopy
The Genus Hymenoclea (Compositae: Ambrosieae)

Two species are recognized within the genus,H. monogyra Torr. & Grayex Gray andH. salsola Torr. & Grayex Gray. Of these, the fall-floweringH. monogyra is monomorphic and unambiguous. The springfloweringH. salsola, however, is polymorphic and contains elements that have often been segregated as distinct species. Examination of character intergradation and interpretation of morphological variation against the evolution and distributional backgrounds indicate that the latter complex is best treated within three varietal taxa:H. salsola var.fasciculata, with wings of the fruiting involucres appressed and spirally arranged;H. salsola var.salsola, with wings emergent and spirally arranged; andH. salsola var.pentalepis, with wings strongly emergent and whorled.
Implications of the Foresight Report for Animal-Welfare Education and Research: What Are Veterinary Colleges Teaching Today about Animal Welfare?

This article provides a brief overview of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges' Foresight Project final report, Envisioning the Future of Veterinary Medical Education. Points of concern and recommendations specifically regarding animal-welfare education that surfaced in the final report are discussed. Also included is a summary of how six veterinary colleges are presently addressing animal welfare in their education and research programs.
Identification and functional analysis of the peptidoglycan recognition protein LD gene in the mosquito, Armigeres subalbatus

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins are important recognition proteins in many organisms ranging from echinoderms to humans. In an attempt to characterize all the PGRPs in the mosquito Armigeres subalbatus, two PGRP-LD isoforms, AsPGRP-LDa and AsPGRP-LDb, which are orthologs of the PGRP-LDs in several other insect species, were identified from this mosquito using homologous cloning. To date the functions of this PGRP gene have not yet been described in detail in other organisms with a known PGRP-LD gene. In the current study, we analyzed the sequences of these AsPGRP-LDs, their evolutionary relationships with their orthologs, their transcriptional expression in various developmental stages and different tissue samples, and their transcriptional responses to different bacterial stimuli. We then knocked down the expression of both AsPGRP-LDs by injection of double-stranded RNAs, and assessed the impact of AsPGRP-LD RNAi on mosquito survival after bacterial challenges and on the transcriptional expression of a number of antimicrobial peptides.
Far-Infrared Spectrum, ab Initio Calculations, Conformational Energy Differences, Barriers to Internal Rotation, and r0 Structure of Propanal†

The far-infrared spectrum has been recorded from 50 to 360 cm-1 at a resolution of 0.10 cm-1 for normal propanal CH3CH2CHO and for the three isotopic species CH3CH2CDO, CH3CD2CHO, and CD3CD2CHO. Along with the fundamental asymmetric torsional transition, several hot band transitions of the cis conformer have been observed and assigned for each isotopic species. The geometrical structures of the cis and gauche conformers have been determined by ab initio calculations in order to compare them with previously reported microwave structures and to calculate inertial constants for the two internal rotations. A wide range of basis sets and ab initio theoretical methods up to MP4 have been used in order to determine the cis to gauche conformational energy difference. Using both the observed and calculated data, along with the previously reported gauche dihedral angle and microwave splittings for the gauche ground state for the CH3CH2CHO and CH3CH2CDO molecules, the asymmetric torsional potential function has been...
Bargaining and the Determinants of Teacher Salaries.

This study examines the impact of collective bargaining on salary setting in public school districts. Using a 1969–82 sample of Oregon school districts, the author focuses particularly on the roles...
Love Entwined: The Curious History of Hairwork in America by Helen Sheumaker

Love Entwined: The Curious History of Hairwork in America Helen Sheumaker, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007. Mention hairwork-the weaving of human hair into commemorative wreaths, jewelry, and other keepsakes-to contemporary Americans, and their response is likely to be one of repulsion. How could Americans of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and even twentieth centuries have embraced such a seemingly unsanitary, bizarre, and macabre practice? Why did human hair hold such tremendous sentimental significance for previous generations of Americans, and when did Americans stop regarding pieces of hairwork as precious, emotionally priceless keepsakes, and begin regarding them as morbid and disturbing relics from a distant age? In Love Entwined, the first full-length study of American hairwork, Helen Sheumaker examines these questions, providing a rich and compelling history of the role that hairwork played in the cultures of consumption and sentiment in the eighteenth and nineteenth-century United States. Love Entwined provides a lively and comprehensive history of the decline and fall of hairwork in American culture. First emerging during the late eighteenth century, hairwork was at the height of its popularity (not uncoincidentally) during the same era in which discourses of sentimentality dominated American culture, the 1830s through the 1880s. Hairwork began its slow slide out of public favor during the 1890s, with the decline of sentimental culture, the rise of mail order catalogs from companies such as Sears, and increasing xenophobic fears about the hair of "alien" Asian immigrants "polluting" hairwork. Hairwork pieces that were painstakingly crafted by family members or friends within the home, or handmade by trusted jewelers, Sheumaker indicates, could legitimately be claimed as personal, sentimental keepsakes. However, mass-produced pieces of hairwork generated by large department stores (which could not even guarantee consumers that the hair which they mailed in would be the hair which they got back) inevitably broke the connection between hairwork and personal sentiment which had been such a powerful part of hairwork's allure. Sheumaker offers insightful close readings of pieces of hairwork itself (which, even in its simplest manifestations, required remarkable diligence and skill to create), advertisements from professional hairworkers, manuals designed to instruct women who wanted to create hairwork for themselves, and the numerous sentimental stories which included hairwork as a central theme in nineteenth-century American literature. …
Epidemiology of hepatitis B in Europe and worldwide.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem and cause of infectious disease mortality worldwide. Approximately 2 billion people one third of the world’s population have serologic evidence of past or present HBV infection, and 350 million people are chronically infected. Each year over 1 million people die from HBV-related chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (1). HCC is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and HBV is responsible for at least 75% of these cancers (2).
“A Theory for Strong Long-Lived Squall Lines” Revisited

Based on the analysis of idealized two- and three-dimensional cloud model simulations, Rotunno et al. (hereafter RKW) and Weisman et al. (hereafter WKR) put forth a theory that squall-line strength and longevity was most sensitive to the strength of the component of low-level (0‐3 km AGL) ambient vertical wind shear perpendicular to squall-line orientation. An ‘‘optimal’’ state was proposed by RKW, based on the relative strength of the circulation associated with the storm-generated cold pool and the circulation associated with the ambient shear, whereby the deepest leading edge lifting and most effective convective retriggering occurred when these circulations were in near balance. Since this work, subsequent studies have brought into question the basic validity of the proposed optimal state, based on concerns as to the appropriate distribution of shear relative to the cold pool for optimal lifting, as well as the relevance of such concepts to fully complex squall lines, especially considering the potential role of deeper-layer shears in promoting system strength and longevity. In the following, the basic interpretations of the RKW theory are reconfirmed and clarified through both the analysis of a simplified two-dimensional vorticity‐streamfunction model that allows for a more direct interpretation of the role of the shear in controlling the circulation around the cold pool, and through an analysis of an extensive set of 3D squall-line simulations, run at higher resolution and covering a larger range of environmental shear conditions than presented by WKR.
Is Modern Genetics Eugenics

The word “eugenics” has many different meanings. It can mean simply having a healthy baby — this is what it means in China and Greece today. This is what it meant to the American farm families who exhibited themselves at fairs, along with their prize cows, at the Eugenics Society booths. At the other extreme, eugenics can mean a government sponsored, coercive program of sterilizing the genetically “unfit.” Many Western nations, including the US (Allen, 1989) Canada (Mclaren, 1990) Brazil (Stepan, 1991), Sweden, France (Adams, 1990), and Germany had eugenic laws in the 1930s that required sterilization of people with mental retardation, mental illness, deafness, epilepsy, alcoholism, or criminal or other socially deviant behavior. Over 60,000 people in the US were eugenically sterilized (Reilly, 1991). The Nazis sterilized perhaps as many as 200,000 persons (Burleigh, 1994).
The Absence of Gallstones on Point-of-Care Ultrasound Rules Out Acute Cholecystitis.

Abstract Background Cholelithiasis affects an estimated 20 million people in the United States yearly; 20% of symptomatic patients will develop acute cholecystitis (AC). A recent single-center study estimating test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for the detection of AC, as defined by gallstones plus sonographic Murphy’s or pericholecystic fluid or gallbladder wall-thickening, resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 87% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66–97) and 82% (95% CI 74–88), respectively. No prior studies have been conducted to estimate the test characteristics of POCUS for the purpose of excluding acute calculous cholecystitis. Objective To determine whether the finding of gallstones alone on POCUS has high sensitivity, high negative predictive value, and low negative likelihood ratio for the exclusion of AC. Methods We conducted an analysis using data from a prospective cross-sectional single-center study of POCUS test to estimate the test characteristics using a simplified definition of a positive test – the presence of gallstones alone. Clinical follow-up and pathology reports were used as the reference standard. Test characteristics were calculated and compared to the standard definition, gallstones plus one secondary finding. Results The overall prevalence of AC was 14% (23 pathology-confirmed cases of 164 included patients). The sensitivity of the simplified definition was 100% (95% CI 85.7–100), negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 92.2–100), and negative likelihood ratio was Conclusion Simplifying the definition of the test findings on POCUS to gallstones alone has excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value for the exclusion of AC. This finding, if broadly validated prospectively, confirms the practice of excluding acute calculous cholecystitis using POCUS in emergency department patients.
Doppler Compensation & Single Pulse Imaging using Adaptive Pulse Compression

The effects of target Doppler are addressed in relation to adaptive receive processing for radar pulse compression. To correct for Doppler-induced filter mismatch over a single pulse, the Doppler-compensated adaptive pulse compression (DC-APC) algorithm is presented whereby the respective Doppler shifts for large target returns are jointly estimated with the illuminated range profile and subsequently incorporated into the original APC adaptive receive filter formulation. As a result, the Doppler-mismatch-induced range sidelobes can be suppressed thereby regaining a significant portion of the sensitivity improvement that is possible when applying adaptive pulse compression (APC) without the existence of significant Doppler mismatch. In contrast, instead of compensating for Doppler mismatch, the single pulse imaging (SPI) algorithm generalizes the APC formulation for a bank of Doppler-shifted matched filters thereby producing a sidelobe-suppressed range-Doppler image from the return signal of a single radar pulse which is applicable for targets with substantial variation in Doppler. Both techniques are based on the recently proposed APC algorithm and its generalization, the multistatic adaptive pulse compression (MAPC) algorithm, which have been shown to be effective for the suppression of pulse compression range sidelobes thus dramatically increasing the sensitivity of pulse compression radar.
Interventions to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission in health care facilities: What works?

Abstract Nosocomial infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains are important because they have been associated with significantly higher morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs than have infections caused by methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains. Thirty years ago, hospital infection control programs were created to control antibiotic-resistant infections, but MRSA infection rates in United States hospitals have continued increasing, leading many to wonder whether control is possible. Antibiotic restriction and cycling have had limited success controlling MRSA. Improving compliance with hand hygiene guidelines and effective hospital environmental disinfection would help but are unlikely to control the problem alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended contact precautions for patients known or suspected to be colonized or infected with MRSA. Many studies have shown that this approach works when enough active surveillance cultures are done to identify the reservoir for spread, but most health care facilities have not tried this approach.
Electron&#8212;Hole recombination antiblooming for virtual-phase CCD imager

This paper describes a new antiblooming concept employing localized and controlled charge removal from a photosite based on electron-hole recombination via interface traps. The concept can be applied to various types of CCD and CID devices, and is demonstrated on a 490V \times 581H frame transfer virtual-phase CCD imager. Results of antiblooming experiments as well as experiments addressing some of the physical parameters of the electron-hole recombination process are given.
Structure-aware synthesis for predictive woven fabric appearance

Woven fabrics have a wide range of appearance determined by their small-scale 3D structure. Accurately modeling this structural detail can produce highly realistic renderings of fabrics and is critical for predictive rendering of fabric appearance. But building these yarn-level volumetric models is challenging. Procedural techniques are manually intensive, and fail to capture the naturally arising irregularities which contribute significantly to the overall appearance of cloth. Techniques that acquire the detailed 3D structure of real fabric samples are constrained only to model the scanned samples and cannot represent different fabric designs.This paper presents a new approach to creating volumetric models of woven cloth, which starts with user-specified fabric designs and produces models that correctly capture the yarn-level structural details of cloth. We create a small database of volumetric exemplars by scanning fabric samples with simple weave structures. To build an output model, our method synthesizes a new volume by copying data from the exemplars at each yarn crossing to match a weave pattern that specifies the desired output structure. Our results demonstrate that our approach generalizes well to complex designs and can produce highly realistic results at both large and small scales.
Sensitivity of the Simulated Climate to a Diagnostic Formulation for Cloud Liquid Water

The accurate treatment of clouds and their radiative properties is widely regarded to be among the most important problems facing global climate modeling. A number of the more serious systematic simulation biases in the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM2) appear to be related to deficiencies in the treatment of cloud optical properties. In this paper, a simple diagnostic parameterization for cloud liquid water is presented. The sensitivity of the simulated climate to this alternative formulation, both in terms of mean climate metrics and measures of the climate system response, is illustrated. Resulting simulations show significant reductions in CCM2 systematic biases, particularly with respect to surface temperature, precipitation, and extratropical geopotential height-field anomalies. Many aspects of the simulated response to ENSO forcing are also substantially improved.
Hitting the Target (or Not): Comparing Characteristics of Fatal, Injurious, and Noninjurious Police Shootings:

Despite the well-documented inaccuracy of police officers who use deadly force, research has generally given scant attention to factors that affect shooting accuracy. This article uses bivariate and multivariate analyses—logistic regression and chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID)—to examine characteristics among noninjurious, injurious, and fatal police shootings in Philadelphia from 1987 to 1992 (N = 271). A number of factors emerge as predictors of shooting accuracy including distance, suspect actions, and officer approach and preparedness. Alternatively, a number of seemingly important factors appear unrelated to shooting accuracy including lighting conditions, use of cover, and gun type. The article concludes with a discussion of findings and their implications for police policy and training.
The Global Spread of the Internet: The Role of International Diffusion Pressures in Technology Adoption.

What factors have promoted and retarded the spread of the internet globally? Much as other technologies, the internet has diffused unevenly across countries. The main proposition is that its spread is neither purely economic nor entirely domestic. International diffusion pressures exert a powerful influence. The adoption of new technology depends on domestic policy, and this in turn depends on the choices that political leaders make about rules governing new technologies. I examine the impact of international diffusion pressures on political leaders, testing the role of five types of such pressures. The distribution of capabilities globally may shape the spread of the internet, as dominant power(s) may directly or indirectly coerce others into adopting. Patterns of adoption may also be shaped by competitive pressures from the world market. Technological change especially may depend on network externalities, involving the number of adopters already in existence. Learning from other countries or from participating in international organizations may stimulate adoption. Finally, countries may simply copy the policies and hence the adoption patterns of other countries with whom they share sociological similarities. Data from about 190 countries since 1990 shows that diffusion pressures matter, even when controlling for domestic factors. Economic competition and sociological emulation play consistently important roles inaffecting the spread of the internet.
Cholinoceptive neurons in the retina of the chick: an immunohistochemical study of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Monoclonal antibodies directed against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were used to identify and characterize cholinoceptive neurons in the chick retina. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), mAb 210 and mAb 270, stained many neurons in both the inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL). A class of large labeled cells in the inner INL were positioned at the INL/IPL (inner plexiform layer) border and resembled displaced ganglion cells (DGCs). Their identity was confirmed with injections of rhodamine-labeled microspheres into the ventral tectum and nucleus of the basal optic root (nBOR). Four days after the injection, large nAChR-positive neurons in the inner INL were labeled with beads. The distribution of these cells matched that reported for DGCs in the chicken and pigeon (Reiner et al., 1979; Fite et al., 1981). Many smaller cells in the INL also exhibited nAChR immunoreactivity. These cells were not retrogradely labeled after bead injections into retinal recipient areas. Their processes entered the IPL where they arborized in a band comprised of the inner leaflet of lamina 1 and all of lamina 2. In some instances, a process continued inward to lamina 4. These neurons were tentatively identified as amacrine cells because of their position and branching pattern.Approximately 12–18% of the cells in the GCL exhibited nAChR immunoreactivity. Many of these cells could be classified as ganglion cells as their axons were also labeled following exposure to nAChR antibodies. Their distribution mirrored that of all ganglion cells with a higher density of cells in the central retina than in the periphery (Ehrlich, 1981). A “double label” technique was used to compare the distribution of nAChR-positive neurons with that of the choline acetyltransferase-positive (ChAT), cholinergic neurons in the chick retina. The two antigens were visualized with two different fluorophores: FITC and RITC. We were unable to find any cells in either the INL or GCL that exhibited both ChAT- and nAChR-like immunoreactivity. The nAChR-positive cells and the ChAT-positive cells both arborized in two bands within the IPL. The patterns were in perfect register in the inner IPL (lamina 4). But, in the outer IPL, the nAChR-positive dendrites were observed in the inner leaflet of lamina 1 and in all of lamina 2 while the ChAT-positive dendrites did not extend into the innermost portion of lamina 2.
Free Radicals, Mitochondria, and Oxidized Lipids: The Emerging Role in Signal Transduction in Vascular Cells

Mitochondria have long been known to play a critical role in maintaining the bioenergetic status of cells under physiological conditions. It was also recognized early in mitochondrial research that the reduction of oxygen to generate the free radical superoxide occurs at various sites in the respiratory chain and was postulated that this could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction in a variety of disease states. Over recent years, this view has broadened substantially with the discovery that reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and lipid species can also modulate physiological cell function through a process known as redox cell signaling. These redox active second messengers are formed through regulated enzymatic pathways, including those in the mitochondrion, and result in the posttranslational modification of mitochondrial proteins and DNA. In some cases, the signaling pathways lead to cytotoxicity. Under physiological conditions, the same mediators at low concentrations activate the cytoprotective signaling pathways that increase cellular antioxidants. Thus, it is critical to understand the mechanisms by which these pathways are distinguished to develop strategies that will lead to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In this review, we describe recent evidence that supports the hypothesis that mitochondria have an important role in cell signaling, and so contribute to both the adaptation to oxidative stress and the development of vascular diseases.
Learning a Tree of Metrics with Disjoint Visual Features

We introduce an approach to learn discriminative visual representations while exploiting external semantic knowledge about object category relationships. Given a hierarchical taxonomy that captures semantic similarity between the objects, we learn a corresponding tree of metrics (ToM). In this tree, we have one metric for each non-leaf node of the object hierarchy, and each metric is responsible for discriminating among its immediate subcategory children. Specifically, a Mahalanobis metric learned for a given node must satisfy the appropriate (dis)similarity constraints generated only among its subtree members' training instances. To further exploit the semantics, we introduce a novel regularizer coupling the metrics that prefers a sparse disjoint set of features to be selected for each metric relative to its ancestor (supercategory) nodes' metrics. Intuitively, this reflects that visual cues most useful to distinguish the generic classes (e.g., feline vs. canine) should be different than those cues most useful to distinguish their component fine-grained classes (e.g., Persian cat vs. Siamese cat). We validate our approach with multiple image datasets using the WordNet taxonomy, show its advantages over alternative metric learning approaches, and analyze the meaning of attribute features selected by our algorithm.
Effects of High-Fat Diet and Ethanol on Cognition and Behavior in Mice

3The college lifestyle is associated with both a high-fat diet and alcohol consumption. While the isolated effects of diet and alcohol consumption on cognition and behavior are well studied, there is little known about the effect of both together. In this study, we created a mouse model of the college lifestyle in order to better understand the potential combined effects of a high-fat diet and alcohol consumption on cognition and behavior. Adult C57BL/6J female mice were exposed to either regular food or high-fat food and daily injections of either saline or ethanol. The Porsolt forced swim test (FST), open field, and novel object recognition test measured depression-like behavior, anxiety-like behavior and locomotion, and memory, respectively. In the Porsolt forced swim test, ethanol-exposed mice trended towards spending more time immobile indicating increased depressive-like behavior. Ethanol exposure also decreased distance moved by the mice in the center of the open field arena, suggesting increased anxiety-like behavior. The highfat diet had no effect in the FST, but, it did increase distance moved in the open field. There were no effects of diet or ethanol exposure on memory in the novel object recognition test. In conclusion, it appears that ethanol can increase the risk for depression-like behavior and anxiety-like behavior in female mice, but contrary to our original hypothesis, there were no effects or interactions of high-fat diet on depressive behavior or cognition in the current study. The findings regarding ethanol’s effects correspond to the current high rates of student depression and anxiety seen on college campuses.
A constitutively activated erythropoietin receptor stimulates proliferation and contributes to transformation of multipotent, committed nonerythroid and erythroid progenitor cells

If the env gene of spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) is replaced by a cDNA encoding a constitutively active form of the erythropoietin receptor, EPO-R(R129C), the resultant recombinant virus, SFFVcEPO-R, induces transient thrombocytosis and erythrocytosis in infected mice. Clonogenic progenitor cell assays of cells from the bone marrow and spleens of these infected mice suggest that EPO-R(R129C) can stimulate proliferation of committed megakaryocytic and erythroid progenitors as well as nonerythroid multipotent progenitors. From the spleens of SFFVcEPO-R-infected mice, eight multiphenotypic immortal cell lines were isolated and characterized. These included primitive erythroid, lymphoid, and monocytic cells. Some expressed proteins characteristic of more than one lineage. All cell lines resulting from SFFVcEPO-R infection contained a mutant form of the p53 gene. However, in contrast to infection by SFFV, activation of PU.1 gene expression, by retroviral integration, was not observed. One cell line had integrated a provirus upstream of the fli-1 gene, in a location typically seen in erythroleukemic cells generated by Friend murine leukemia virus infection. This event led to increased expression of fli-1 in this cell line. Thus, infection by SFFVcEPO-R can induce proliferation and lead to transformation of nonerythroid as well as very immature erythroid progenitor cells. The sites of proviral integration in clonal cell lines are distinct from those in SFFV-derived lines.
Development of a measure of "acculturation" for ethnic Fijians: methodologic and conceptual considerations for application to eating disorders research.

Acculturation has been examined as a risk factor for eating disorders, but interpretation of findings has been limited by inconsistent operationalization of this construct across studies. The study aim was to develop and evaluate a population-specific measure of acculturation for ethnic Fijian adolescent schoolgirls, to use in future analyses related to eating disorders. Our findings suggest that acculturation is a multidimensional construct characterized by distinct, though related, dimensions of orientation to ethnic Fijian and/or western/global culture with respect to a range of behaviors and attitudes. In contrast to theoretical models positing uni-dimensional, orthogonal, or oblique relations between cultural identities in individuals undergoing acculturation, our study findings support a heterogeneous pattern among correlations of dimensions across contrasting cultural identities. We suggest multidimensional measures of acculturation are optimal — and socio-demographic proxies inadequate — for characterization of this complex process for health research.
Promyelocytic sarcoma presenting with spinal cord compression and treated successfully with surgical debulking and the PETHEMA regimen for acute promyelocytic leukemia

A 52-year old woman presented with signs and symptoms of thoracic spinal cord compression caused by a spinal canal mass extending from the seventh to the ninth thoracic vertebra. Initial treatment consisted of high dose steroids and decompression laminectomy with subtotal resection of the abnormal mass. Sheets of immature myeloid cells which expressed the t(15;17)(q22;q21) of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were present, consistent with promyelocytic sarcoma. Bone marrow examination showed no evidence of acute leukemia. She was then placed on the PETHEMA (Programa para el Tratamiento de Hematopatias Malignas, a Spanish cooperative chemotherapy group) regimen for APL for 15 months. There has been no evidence of local recurrence or of systemic APL at the 4.5-year mark, the longest follow-up of isolated promyelocytic sarcoma in the medical literature.
Nervus intermedius meningioma

Objective To report a case of meningioma arising from the nervus intermedius. Methods This paper comprises a case report, literature review, and discussion regarding the presentation of a nervus intermedius meningioma, comparing and contrasting this to other relevant neoplasms of the internal auditory canal and cerebellopontine angle. Results Tumours of the cerebellopontine angle include vestibular schwannomas, facial schwannomas and, more rarely, nervus intermedius schwannomas. The nervus intermedius is a division of the facial nerve at the cerebellopontine angle, with parasympathetic and afferent somatic components. Our patient presented with progressive hearing loss. An ipsilateral internal auditory canal mass at the fundus, as indicated by magnetic resonance imaging and electroneuronography, was suggestive of vestibular schwannoma. Intra-operative dissection revealed a nervus intermedius tumour. Histological evaluation indicated a meningioma rather than a schwannoma. Conclusion This is the first reported case of meningioma involving the nervus intermedius. The implications this pathology may have on surgical approach, facial nerve outcomes, and the need for improved pre-operative imaging and intra-operative monitoring are discussed. A review of the current literature on nervus intermedius tumour is provided.
Vertical Pricing and Parallel Imports

We generalize an earlier model of international vertical pricing to explain key features of parallel imports, or unauthorized trade in legitimate goods. When a manufacturer (or trademark owner) sells its product through an independent agent in one country, the agent may find it profitable to engage in parallel trade, selling the product to another country without the authorization of the manufacturer. Although parallel imports can be deterred when the manufacturer's wholesale price is sufficiently high, there is a trade-off between improving vertical pricing efficiency and reducing parallel imports. In equilibrium, parallel imports can come from a country with higher retail prices, which is consistent with some factual data. While countries have varying interests in such a policy, restricting parallel imports tends to increase global welfare when trade cost is high, but may reduce welfare when trade cost is low. This finding suggests that open parallel trading regimes may be most appropriate within regional trade agreements.
ANTIANAEROBIC ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AGAINST BETA-LACTAMASE-POSITIVE AND -NEGATIVE STRAINS OF THE BACTEROIDES FRAGILIS GROUP

Abstract Two phenotypically matched groups of Bacteroides fragilis isolates, differing only in beta-lactamase production, were tested for their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents. Beta-lactamase-negative strains were more susceptible to most antimicrobials than beta-lactamase-positive strains, with the exception of the cephamycins. Beta-lactamase-negative Bacteroides distasonis and Bacteroides ovatus were more resistant to beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations than were other species.