cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Captain America's Empire: Reflections on Identity, Popular Culture, and Post‐9/11 Geopolitics

This article introduces comic books as a medium through which national identity and geopolitical scripts are narrated. This extension of the popular geopolitics literature uses the example of post-11 September 2001 (“9/11”) Captain America comic books to integrate various strands of theory from political geography and the study of nationalism to break new ground in the study of popular culture, identity, and geopolitics. The article begins with an introduction to the character of Captain America and a discussion of the role he plays in the rescaling of American identity and the institutionalization of the nation's symbolic space. The article continues by showing how visual representations of American landscapes in Captain America were critical to constructing geopolitical “realities.” A reading of post-9/11 issues of the Captain America comic book reveals a nuanced and ultimately ambiguous geopolitical script that interrogates America's post-9/11 territorialization.
Interactions between autonomic nerves and endocrine cells of the gastroenteropancreatic system

Autonomic nerves and endocrine cells of both the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreatic islets participate in the control of several processes related to the digestion and metabolism of nutrients. While it was once thought that they acted separately to regulate these processes, it is now appreciated that numerous interactions exist between the functions of autonomic nerves and GEP endocrine cells. Recent studies show that autonomic signals play a role in the secretory activity of various GEP cells, thus providing a mechanism by which the central nervous system can integrate digestive and metabolic functions. It also has been shown that nerves and endocrine cells frequently share certain common peptides and/or amines. Therefore, in functional terms, it is often difficult to determine whether a specific peptide or amine should be considered a neurotransmitter or a hormone. Within the next few years, one can reasonably expect that new techniques and methods of investigation will clarify the roles of putative chemical messengers such as the peptides found within autonomic nerves and the amines found within endocrine cells. It also seems likely that future studies will demonstrate that the specific chemical messenger and the mechanism by which it reaches its target cells are far more important factors in the understanding of gastrointestinal and endocrine pancreatic function, than whether or not these signals are neural or endocrine in origin.
Detection of inconsistent regions in video streams

Humans have a general understanding about their environment. We possess a sense of distinction between what is consistent and inconsistent about the environment based on our prior experience. Any aspect of the scene that does not fit into this definition of normalcy tends to be classified as an inconsistent event, also referred to as novel event. An example of this is a casual observer standing over a bridge on a freeway, tracking vehicle traffic, where the vehicles traveling at or around the same speed limit are generally ignored and a vehicle traveling at a much higher (or lower) speed is subject to one's immediate attention. In this paper, we present a computational learning based framework for novelty detection on video sequences. The framework extracts low-level features from scenes, based on the focus of attention theory and combines unsupervised learning with habituation theory for learning these features. The paper presents results from our experiments on natural video streams for identifying novelty in velocity of moving objects and static changes in the scene.
LISTENERS' REACTIONS TO MILD MISARTICULATION OF /I/'

Adult listeners heard a 98-word recording of a speaker producing either normal speech, speech containing a single instance of a w/l substitution, or speech containing 10 instances of a w/l substitution. They rated the speaker on 13 bipolar scales, representing three dimensions of judgment. Findings suggest that even a single misarticulation of /l/ was sufficient to generate a negative impression on the dimension of evaluation. Speech with only a single misarticulation was rated as no different from normal speech on dimensions of activity and potency.
The Measurement of Left Ventricular Function and the Detection of Wall Motion Abnormalities with High Temporal Resolution Ecg-Gated Scintigraphic Angiocardiography

An ECG-gated, scintigraphic imaging procedure is described in which a complete, average cardiac cycle is visualized with high temporal resolution. The ability of this method to detect wall motion abnormalities and quantitate left ventricular function is illustrated in a patient with severe coronary artery disease. These results are compared to (contrast) angiographic findings in the same patient.
Controlling immunopathology at the expense of critical immune functions--a tipping of the balance by neuroendocrine-immune interactions.

On a hot, humid night in a small village on the outskirts of San Salvador, a colony of reduviid bugs quietly emerges from numerous cracks in the mud walls of a simple family dwelling. One-by-one, additional bugs drop from the home's palm-thatched roof and scurry along its dirt floor, each in quest of its next meal. Carried within the gut of some of these reduviid bugs is the parasitic protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). Inside this home lies a sleeping child, unaware of the impending danger that lurks nearby. Throughout the night, the T. cruzi-carrying reduviid bugs will inflict seemingly harmless bites near the child's mouth and on other sites upon his face-bites, which based on their location, have given such bugs the moniker "the kissing bug". Unbeknownst to this child, he will become infected with T. cruzi and will likely face not only an acute infection with this parasite, but also a chronic, life-long battle with Chagas' disease-a disease which will lead to his slow demise and eventual death.
Physical properties of cytoplasmic protein-water extracts from roots of hardy and nonhardy Medicago sativa ecotypes.

Summary Gross complement of the soluble cytoplasmic proteins was extracted from the root tissue of a cold hardy and nonhardy alfalfa ecotype sampled from the field in mid-October, mid-November, and mid-January. Measurements were made to determine the partial specific volume of the protein and water of the extracts. Protein suspensions extracted from the tissue sampled in January were also compared for specific heat capacities, temperature of spontaneous nucleation, and expansion on freezing. Adsorption isotherms of the lyophilized protein powders from these extracts were also determined. Partial specific volumes of the protein complements from both ecotypes were similar and increased from the October to January sampling (i.e., as the plants were exposed to colder temperatures). Essentially no differences were found in the apparent specific heat capacities and ice-nucleating abilities of the protein suspensions extracted from the two ecotypes. Further no differences were found in the amount of water adsorbed per unit weight of dry protein powder as indicated by the adsorption isotherms. These comparisons indicate that the hydration properties of the gross complement of the root cytoplasmic proteins from these two alfalfa ecotypes were similar.
Q Fever: Current Concepts

Persons with Q fever usually present with severe retrobulbar headache, a fever to 104 degrees F or higher with shaking chills, general malaise, myalgia, chest pain, and sometimes pneumonia and hepatitis. Cattle, sheep, goats, and ticks are the primary reservoirs of the etiologic agent, Coxiella burnetii. Humans are usually infected by inhaling infectious aerosols. Because C. burnetii can survive for long periods in the environment, it poses a continuing health hazard once it is disseminated. Q fever usually occurs sporadically, but large outbreaks are frequently observed throughout the world, particularly among abattoir workers and personnel working in research centers. Q fever endocarditis follows a chronic course and is frequently fatal. Tests for antibodies to C. burnetii are required for confirmation of the diagnosis. Tetracyclines remain the mainstay of treatment for acute Q fever, and tetracyclines in combination with other antibiotics have been advocated for patients with Q fever endocarditis. Vaccines for Q fever have been proven effective in clinical trials.
Investigation of the proposed interdomain ribose zipper in hairpin ribozyme cleavage using 2'-modified nucleosides.

The hairpin ribozyme achieves catalytic cleavage through interaction of essential nucleotides located in two distinct helical domains that include internal loops. Initial docking of the two domains is ion dependent and appears to be followed by a structural rearrangement that allows the ribozyme to achieve a catalytically active state that can undergo cleavage. The proposed structural rearrangement may also be ion dependent and is now of increased importance due to recent evidence that docking is not rate limiting and that metal ions are unlikely to be involved in the chemical cleavage step. An initial structural model of the docked hairpin ribozyme included a proposal for a ribose zipper motif that involves two pairs of hydroxyl groups at A10 and G11 in domain A pairing with C25 and A24 in domain B, respectively. We have used a chemical functional group substitution technique to study whether this proposed ribose zipper is likely to be present in the active, conformationally rearranged ribozyme that is f...
Lagrangian dual ascent by generalized linear programming

In this paper, generalized linear programming (GLP) is treated as a generator of feasible directions for the associated Lagrangian dual problem. In particular, we examine the ascent property of d"G"L"P which is defined to be the difference of two successive dual iterates generated by GLP. It is shown that d"G"L"P always ascends the dual function, L, at the points where L is differentiable. At nondifferentiable points, the choice of column entering the master problem is not unique and an arbitrary choice can produce a nonascent direction. However by appropriate choice of entering column(s), d"G"L"P will be an ascent direction. Computational results on random problems indicate that adding line searches along d"G"L"P directions can improve the performance of GLP.
Significance of elevated transplant renal artery velocities in the postoperative renal transplant patient.

Introduction Non-invasive imaging studies can provide visualization of allograft perfusion in the postoperative evaluation of newly transplanted renal allografts. Aim The purpose of our study was to evaluate the significance of elevated renal artery velocities in the immediate postoperative period. Methods Peak systolic velocities (PSVs) were obtained in the transplanted renal artery of 128 patients immediately after transplantation. Repeat allograft Doppler ultrasonography was performed on patients with elevated values. Results Of the 128 patients, 57 (44.5%) had severely elevated Doppler velocities >400 cm/s on the initial studies. Three patients within this category had persistently elevated values of >400 cm/s, warranting angiographic visualization of the renal vessels. Stent placement within the transplanted renal artery was required in two of these patients. There was normalization of the PSV in the remaining patients. Conclusions Routine allograft Doppler ultrasonography in the immediate postoperative period allows for visualization of allograft perfusion. Elevated renal artery velocities in the immediate postoperative period do not necessarily represent stenosis requiring intervention. Failure of the PSV to normalize may require further intervention, and angiography continues to be the gold standard.
Modeling the influence of water levels on recreational use at lakes Mead and Powell

Abstract The Colorado River is one of the most highly developed watersheds in the United States and has relatively unique long-term datasets for both recreational visitation and water levels from Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the 2 largest reservoirs in the United States. Previous efforts to model the relationship of recreation and reservoir water levels have primarily relied on survey-based estimates of visitor response to past actual or future hypothetical water levels. We provide the first major reservoir-recreation study based entirely on long-term observed data that also include observed economic impacts. Models of volume and visitation had significant estimated parameters for lake volume explanatory variables, with an R2 of 0.97 for the Lake Powell model and 0.71 for Lake Mead. These models predicted that 100,000 additional acre-feet of water over a year are associated with 5280 additional recreational visits to Lake Powell and 13,490 visits to Lake Mead. A second model of Lake Powell volume and local ...
Treatment outcome research cross-referencing a six-month to ten-year follow-up study on sex offenders

Assessing the long-term behavioral effects of sex offender treatment was undertaken by interviewing a total of 70 sex offenders. A structured interview process was used, along with pre- and post-testing for 5 time periods. Participants were asked to indicate their ability and confidence on 10 variables regarding risks of offending at 6 months, 1, 2, 3, and 4 years post-treatment. Trends indicate overall improvement and increased ability to maintain a new life-style free from offending behavior. These self-report data corresponded with results on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, the BEM sex Role Inventory and the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory. Four years after treatment, participants reported total confidence for not reoffending. They stated that they felt they had control over their sexual misconduct even though their sexual urges still remained a problem. Most felt less need to use their maintenance plan, although they used it when needed.
The Allegorical Impulse

Allegory is a cognitive action in which people apply a metaphoric mode of understanding to situations and discourse that typically does not contain metaphorical language per se. My claim is that allegoresis is not a specialized mode of interpretation, but a fundamental human impulse to draw diverse connections between concrete and more abstract experience. I describe several empirical findings from psycholinguistics, anthropology, and literature that demonstrate people's facility to be allegorical, including individuals' consistent ability to see allegory in various texts and real-life situations. I conclude by arguing that allegory is cognitive, not as an abstract, purely mental stance or strategy, but because it relies on embodied simulations for its expression and understanding, much as do many other aspect of cognitive behavior.
CHARGED PARTICLE ENERGY LOSS IN LAYERED MEDIA

In contrast to isotropic three-dimensional metals, charged particle (electron or positron) losses in layered conducting materials depend strongly on temperature. It is demonstrated that this effect arises from specific features of the plasmon band in such systems. This prediction can be checked experimentally.
Variation in APOL1 gene may contribute to high rates of kidney disease in African Americans.

1. Genovese G, Friedman DJ, Ross MD, Lecordier L, Uzureau P, Freedman BI, Bowden DW, Langefeld CD, Oleksyk TK, Uscinski Knob AL, Bernhardy AJ, Hicks PJ, Nelson GW, Vanhollebeke B, Winkler CA, Kopp JB, Pays E, Pollak MR. Association of trypanolytic ApoL1 variants with kidney disease in African Americans. Science. 2010;329:841–845. ### Study Hypothesis African Americans have much higher rates of kidney failure than those of European ancestry. Previous genetic studies found variation at or near the MYH9 gene to be associated with increased risk of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and hypertension-attributed end-stage kidney disease (H-ESKD), but the causal mutations in MYH9 were not identified. The authors hypothesized that the kidney disease risk alleles might be located in a genomic region larger than previously thought, due to a strong signal of natural selection in the region containing the MYH9 and APOL1 genes.1 ### How Was the Hypothesis Tested? Sequence data from the 1000 Genomes Project was used to identify polymorphisms with large frequency differences between Africans and Europeans. These variants, together with some additional single-nucleotide polymorphisms of biological relevance, were genotyped using Sequenom technology. Initial association analyses were done comparing 205 African Americans with biopsy-proven …
Numerical simulation of ultra-relativistic, heavy-ion collisions

The collision of two ultra-relativistic, heavy-ions is simulated by solving the time dependent relativistic hydrodynamics equations on an Eulerian grid. A high resolution second order upwind scheme based on the Harten Lax Van Leer (HLLE) method is used in the calculations. We have extended this method for simulating ultra-relativistic, heavy-ion collisions. This strategy is shown to be faster and/or more accurate than other published methods for the simulation of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions.
Unipolar arc model

Abstract Unipolar arcing occurs when a plasma of sufficiently high electron temperature interacts with a surface. Without any external voltage applied, many electrical micro-arcs burn between the surface and the plasma driven by local variations of the sheath potential with the wall acting as both the cathode and anode. Unipolar arcing represents the most damaging and non-uniform plasma-surface interaction process since the energy available in the plasma concentrates towards the cathode spots. This causes cratering of the surface. The modified unipolar arc model takes into account the increase of plasma density due to ionization of neutrals released from the cathode spot. The local increase of the plasma pressure above the cathode spot leads to an electric field configuration which drives the arc current and also facilitates the electron return current flow to the surface. The return current area surrounding the arc is by orders of magnitude smaller than previously estimated. The sheath potential in this area approaches zero and the electron return current is given by the electron saturation current. The model also explains the retrograde arc motion observed in Tokamaks.
Gold Nanoparticle–Mediated Detection of Circulating Cancer Cells

Photoacoustic flowmetry has been used to detect pigmented particles in body fluids, most notably circulating melanoma cells in blood samples of metastatic melanoma patients. Exploiting the plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles and the ability to specifically target cancer cell surface proteins, photoacoustic flowmetry may be used to detect non-pigmented CTCs. We targeted the EpCAM receptors to attach 50nm gold nanoparticles to a breast cancer cell line, T47D. After determining the absorption peak and thus the most sensitive laser wavelength, we performed serial dilution trials to show detection of small numbers of breast cancer cells in suspension. While some cell clumping may have altered some of our results for cell counting, it is feasible to use gold nanoparticles to detect and capture CTCs in a photoacoustic flowmeter. This ability may allow an earlier clinical diagnosis and management of metastatic disease for a range of solid tumor types. Capture of CTCs may also allow cell specific molecular analysis and a new paradigm for personalized cancer therapy.
MESUREMENT OF SOLIDS CONCENTRATION PROFILE AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF AN IMMERSED TUBE IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL GAS-FLUIDIZED BED

ABSTRACT To adequately describe the heat transfer process at the surface of an immersed tube in a gas-fluidized bed, it is imperative to know the solids concentration at the tube surface. The knowledge of particle dynamics will also enable to establish the likely metal erosion and thus the heat exchanger life. However, determination of such parameters is not straightforward and here we describe the development of an image carrying fiber optic probe with a potential to generate such information. Using such a borescope in conjunction with a CCTV camera, TV monitor and video-cassette recorder, solids concentration profiles have been measured around the periphery of horizontal tubes (outside diameters 11 and 28 mm) immersed in an air-fluidized bed of 1.4 mm average diameter glass beads. In both the cases, it is found that the bulk bed voidage is considerably smaller than the voidage at the tube surface. The latter also varies with the location around the tube periphery. The smallest values are found for the d...
A Comparison of Betaxolol and Nadolol on Renal Function in Essential Hypertension

Betaxolol, a β 1 -selective adrenergic antagonist, and nadolol, a nonselective β-adrenergic antagonist are both potent long-acting anti hypertensive drugs. The effects of betaxolol on renal function have not been reported. The effects of nadolol on renal function are controversial. The current randomized double-blind study was designed to compare the effects of betaxolol and nadolol on glomerular filtration rate, assessed by creatinine and inulin clearances, and renal hemodynamics, assessed by p-aminohippurate clearance. Following a 4-week placebo run-in period, 15 patients with essential hypertension were randomized to a mean dose of 22 mg betaxolol for 12 weeks, and 12 patients with essential hypertension were randomized to a mean dose of 103 mg nadolol for 12 weeks. Results indicate that neither drug produced a clinically relevant effect on renal function. These findings are consistent with previously reported observations with other β-adrenergic blocking drugs. We conclude that neither of the β-adrenergic antagonists, betaxolol or nadolol, convey a specific renal pharmacologic advantage; both are equally efficacious and safe in the treatment of mild-to-moderate essential hypertension.
Residual reactivity for surface grafting of acrylic acid on argon glow-discharged poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films

The wettability of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films in water was significantly improved upon exposure to argon glow discharge. Depending upon the lengths of glow-discharge exposure, the water contact angle (CA) of the untreated film (73.1° ± 0.1°) was reduced to between 33.7° and 41.0° on the argon glow-discharged films. Wettability decay was observed during the initial few days. Depending upon the treatment time, the water CA stabilized 4–7 days after the treatment and the extent of the wettability decay ranged from 4.3° to 7.6°. The residual reactivity of the glow-discharged surfaces was captured by exposing the glow-discharged PET to acrylic acid in the liquid and vapor phases. Optimal water CAs of 54.0° and 41.9° were achieved in the liquid-phase and the vapor-phase exposures, respectively. Wettability decay of these acrylic acid-grafted PET surfaces was very small (0°–1.9°) for the liquid-phase reactions and negligible (0.3°–0.6°) for the vapor-phase reactions. The near absence of wettability decay or the greater stability of the grafted surfaces suggested the almost complete dissipation of the residual reactivity through reactions with acrylic acid. Surface morphology of the untreated as well as the acrylic acid-grafted PET surfaces were examined and detailed by scanning electron microscopy.
The use of remote sensing in global biosystem studies

Abstract Remote sensing techniques, if properly employed, offer definite advantages to studies of the Earth's environment and resources on a global scale. A remote sensing strategy is presented for selective sampling of the properties and changes in the atmosphere, the oceans and on land in support of global biosystems research as proposed by NASA, including mineral cycling, ocean and terrestrial productivity, perturbation effects and biospheric responses. It is shown that remote sensors on satellites and aircraft should be used to update existing data bases and to monitor areas of high productivity or rapid change, rather than attempting to produce a costly inventory of all biosphere resources and processes.
Rapid identification of smith-lemlip-opitz syndrome homozygotes and heterozygotes (carriers) by measurement of deficient 7-dehydrocholesterol-Δ7-reductase activity in fibroblasts

Abstract To extend the enzyme deficiency in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) to extrahepatic tissues, 7-dehydrocholesterol-Δ 7 -reductase activity was measured in fibroblasts from 10 controls, five SLOS homozygotes, and five obligate heterozygotes. In cells grown almost to confluence in cholesterol-containing medium (4 mg/dL), the conversion of [1,2- 3 H]7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol (7-dehydrocholesterol-Δ 7 -reductase activity) was 3.8 times higher in control than in homozygote cells and 2.2 times higher than in heterozygote cells. After 24 hours' exposure of the fibroblasts to cholesterol-deficient medium supplemented with lovastatin, 7-dehydrocholesterol-Δ 7 -reductase activity increased twofold in controls, but did not change significantly in either heterozygous or homozygous cells. In contrast, the activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase and lathosterol 5-dehydrogenase, two key enzymes that precede 7-dehydrocholesterol-Δ 7 -reductase in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor—mediated binding were equal in control, homozygote, and heterozygote fibroblasts. Further, HMG-CoA reductase activity and LDL receptor—mediated binding increased after exposure to the cells to cholesterol-deficient medium. Fibroblast cholesterol concentrations were approximately equal, although homozygote cells contained 30 times more 7-dehydrocholesterol. Thus, markedly reduced 7-dehydrocholesterol-Δ 7 -reductase activity that cannot be upregulated after exposure of the cells to cholesterol-deficient medium is diagnostic for the biochemical defect in SLOS. Significantly reduced enzyme activity between the levels in controls and homozygotes without accumulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol in fibroblasts identified heterozygotes.
Effects of motivational variables and contextual stimuli on schedule-induced behavior

Abstract Hooded rats were trained in two experiments on either DRL 10- or 30-sec schedules of reinforcement to assess the effects of deprivation level, deprivation state, and available environmental stimuli on schedule-induced behavior. The reinforcer was an 8% sucrose solution, and the adjunctive inducing stimuli provided were air tubes and wood blocks. The effects of water deprivation level were studied in Experiment 1 by comparing water-deprived and nondeprived conditions in an ABA reversal procedure. Deprivation state, hunger or thirst, was assessed similarly in Experiment 2. In both studies, air licking developed spontaneously as an excessive, schedule-induced adjunctive activity only under thirst states, and diminished with decreased deprivation levels. Wood gnawing did not develop as an excessive or schedule-induced behavior but occurred more frequently under hunger states. The findings suggest that when state-appropriate environmental stimuli are provided during intermittent reinforcement schedules, relevant, redirected behaviors rather than irrelevant displacement activities emerge.
The meninges: new therapeutic targets for multiple sclerosis

The central nervous system (CNS) largely comprises nonregenerating cells, including neurons and myelin-producing oligodendrocytes, which are particularly vulnerable to immune cell-mediated damage. To protect the CNS, mechanisms exist that normally restrict the transit of peripheral immune cells into the brain and spinal cord, conferring an "immune-specialized" status. Thus, there has been a long-standing debate as to how these restrictions are overcome in several inflammatory diseases of the CNS, including multiple sclerosis (MS). In this review, we highlight the role of the meninges, tissues that surround and protect the CNS and enclose the cerebral spinal fluid, in promoting chronic inflammation that leads to neuronal damage. Although the meninges have traditionally been considered structures that provide physical protection for the brain and spinal cord, new data have established these tissues as sites of active immunity. It has been hypothesized that the meninges are important players in normal immunosurveillance of the CNS but also serve as initial sites of anti-myelin immune responses. The resulting robust meningeal inflammation elicits loss of localized blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and facilitates a large-scale influx of immune cells into the CNS parenchyma. We propose that targeting the cells and molecules mediating these inflammatory responses within the meninges offers promising therapies for MS that are free from the constraints imposed by the BBB. Importantly, such therapies may avoid the systemic immunosuppression often associated with the existing treatments.
Transcriptional regulation of the PTTH receptor in prothoracic glands of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The present study investigated transcriptional regulation of the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) receptor (Torso) gene in prothoracic glands (PGs) of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The results showed that PTTH treatment in vitro time-dependently affected Torso mRNA levels, with an inhibitory effect being detected after 1- and 2-h periods of incubation. When methoprene, a juvenile hormone analogue (JHA), was applied to newly ecdysed last instar larvae, a decline in Torso mRNA levels during the early last larval instar was delayed compared to those treated with acetone. Injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone appeared to have a stimulatory effect on Torso mRNA levels. Torso mRNA levels were also shown to be nutrition-sensitive. From these results, it was suggested that Torso mRNA levels of the PGs appear to be hormonally regulated and nutrition-sensitive, and the endogenous precisely coordinated regulation of Torso mRNA levels may play a role in regulating ecdysteroidogenesis by PGs during development.
Auditory response of saccular neurons of the catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

1. Single unit recordings were made from neurons in the saccular branch of the eighth nerve in the catfish,Ictalurus punctatus. Spontaneous activity varied from zero to 184 spikes/s among the units recorded. Non-spontaneous units and three types of spontaneous activity were observed including regular, irregular and bursting. Non-spontaneous units were most frequently encountered. 2. Iso-intensity curves were used to examine the frequency response areas of the neurons. The best frequencies of different units were continuously distributed from below 160 Hz to over 1,250 Hz, with the most abundant units exhibiting best frequencies below 250 Hz. 3. Units having different best frequencies were, to a limited extent, tonotopically distributed within the saccular nerve, with low frequency units located more dorsally in the nerve than the high frequency units. 4. Phase locking was quantitatively assessed using a coefficient of synchronization (R). For each unit, the degree of phase locking varied with frequency and intensity of the stimulus. At any one intensity, the highest degree of phase locking was generally observed at the unit's best frequency. Increases in stimulus intensity resulted in enhanced phase locking ability up to a maximum value. The maximum R value was lower for units having best frequencies above 630 Hz, suggesting that these units were less capable of phase locking than lower frequency units.
Thermophysical measurements on low carbon 304 stainless steel above 1400 K by a transient (subsecond) technique

Simultaneous measurements, by a subsecond duration transient technique, to determine the specific heat capacity, c p , the electrical resistivity, ρ, and the hemispherical total emittance in the temperature range 1400–1700 K, and the melting point and the radiance temperature at the melting point, of AISI type 304L stainless steel are described. The results are expressed by the relations: $$c_p = 1127{\text{ }} - {\text{ }}7.265{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 1} {\text{ }}T{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}2.884{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 4} {\text{ }}T^2$$ $$\rho = 75.59{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}4.695{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 2} {\text{ }}T{\text{ }} - {\text{ }}9.592{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 6} {\text{ }}T^2$$ where c p is in J · kg−1 · K−1, ρ is in ΜΩ · cm, and T is in K. The value of the hemispherical total emittance is 0.37 in the range 1700–1900 K. The melting point and the radiance temperature (at 653 nm) at the melting point are 1707 and 1590 K, respectively, yielding a value of 0.385 for the normal spectral emittance at the melting point. Estimated inaccuracies of the measured properties are: 3% for the specific heat capacity, 2% for electrical resistivity, 5% for hemispherical total emittance, and 8 K for melting point and radiance temperature at the melting point.
UV Spectroscopic Characterization of Dimethyl- and Ethyl-Substituted Carbonyl Oxides

Dimethyl- and ethyl-substituted Criegee intermediates, (CH3)2COO and CH3CH2CHOO, are photolytically generated from diiodo precursors, detected by VUV photoionization at 118 nm, and spectroscopically characterized via UV-induced depletion of the m/z = 74 signals under jet-cooled conditions. In each case, UV excitation resonant with the B–X transition results in significant ground-state depletion, reflecting the large absorption cross section and rapid dynamics in the excited B state. The broad UV absorption spectra of both (CH3)2COO and CH3CH2CHOO peak at ∼320 nm with absorption cross sections approaching ∼4 × 10–17 cm2 molec–1. The UV absorption spectra for (CH3)2COO and CH3CH2CHOO are similar to that reported previously for syn-CH3CHOO, suggesting analogous intramolecular interactions between the α-H and terminal O of the COO groups. Hydroxyl radical products generated concurrently with the Criegee intermediates are detected by 1 + 1′ resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization. The OH signals, scaled relative to those for the Criegee intermediates, are compared with prior studies of OH yield from alkene ozonolysis. The stationary points along the reaction coordinates from the alkyl-substituted Criegee intermediates to vinyl hydroperoxides and OH products are also computed to provide insight on the OH yields.
Ionizing Radiation Response Effects On Optical Fibers In Radiation Therapy Dosimetry Applications

Radiation effects on optical fibers result in two different bffects: accumulated radiation damage resulting in a substantial loss of transmission and transient radiation response in which light is generated in the fiber material itself during exposure .too radiation. In various medical applications, optical fibers are often exposed to radiation during certain clinical procedures which makes their radiation response an effect of concern to the medical community. Thus, this effect needs to be studied and quantified in that kind of environment. This study involves radiation-resistant fibers and the quantification of their light emission response as a function of dose rate and irradiation field size for photon and electron beams at the various energises used in radiation therapy.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Surviving Childhood Leukemia: Career, Family, and Future Expectations

The authors examine the impact of childhood leukemia on the career development of 11 young adult survivors, using consensual qualitative research. They discuss the results and implications of childhood leukemia on the survivor's career, family, and future expectations, and provide recommendations for addressing the critical coping and management challenges encountered by survivors, their families, and the helping professionals who treat them.
Non-Debye enhancements in the Mie scattering of light from a single water droplet.

The glare spots usually seen on a single water droplet which has been illuminated by a plane wave are produced by geometrical rays which correspond to the different terms of the Debye series expansion of the Mie scattered field. Recently other glare spot enhancements have been predicted which correspond to scattering resonances coupling to the orbiting rays associated with high-order geometrical rainbows. We observed the non-Debye enhancement of the eleventh-order rainbow glare spot at an observation angle of 90° on a 3.5-mm water droplet illuminated by polarized He–Ne laser light.
Macrotraining: A “How-To” Primer for Using Serial Role-playing to Train Complex Clinical Interviewing Tasks Such as Suicide Assessment

Macrotraining is an educational technique for using serial role-playing and microtraining to teach complex interviewing tasks such as the assessment of suicide, domestic violence, and incest. This article provides a practical introduction to macrotraining and subsequently models its utilization for the training of residents in the use of the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (the CASE Approach), an interview strategy for uncovering suicidal ideation and intent.
Socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors for mortality: do risk factors observed after spinal cord injury parallel those from the general USA population?

Objective:To evaluate the association of demographic, behavioral and socioeconomic factors with all-cause mortality while controlling for health status among a cohort of participants with severe disability related to spinal cord injury (SCI).Study design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:Data were analyzed at a major medical university in the Southeast United States of America.Methods:Participants included 1361 adults with traumatic SCI of at least 1-year duration who were recruited through a large specialty hospital in the Southeast United States of America. Three Cox proportional hazard models were generated relating the predictors to all-cause mortality.Results:Age, disability, smoking and income were significant in the final model. Both current (hazard ratio (HR)=2.03, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.46-2.82) and former smokers (HR=1.58, CI=1.16-2.16) were at elevated hazard of mortality, as were those with incomes below $10 000 (HR=2.29, CI=1.53-3.44) and between $10 000 and $35 000 (HR=1.47, CI=1.03-2.10).Conclusions:Even after controlling for health and severity of disability, the coefficients for smoking and income were significant, exceeding that reported previously within the general population. The importance of these factors may be magnified after severe disability, even though life expectancy is already greatly diminished in this population.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 13 March 2012; doi:10.1038/sc.2012.24. Language: en
Optimizing components selection for configurable product using quality function deployment

A new method for optimizing components selection for configurable product is proposed based on quality function deployment (QFD) to minimize the difference between the customer's expectation and the selected product. The model is converted into an equivalent linear integer-programming model to facilitate the solving approach. An illustrative example from applying this method is presented to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the model. The computation result shows that the mapping relations among the customer requirements, technical attributes and component attributes are developed by matrices of house of quality (HoQ), and the optimal solution corresponds with the customer's requirements reasonably.
Solitary splenic metastasis from ovarian carcinosarcoma: a case report

Introduction Metastatic tumors to the spleen are rare but are usually found in conjunction with metastasis to other organs. The most common sources of splenic metastasis are breast, lung and colorectal cancers as well as melanoma and ovarian carcinoma. A solitary carcinosarcoma metastasis to the spleen of any origin is very rare. To the best of our knowledge, there are fewer than 30 reported cases of ovarian primary tumors with solitary metastasis to the spleen, and only three solitary primary carcinosarcomas to the spleen have been reported, of which one is female. We present what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a solitary metastatic carcinosarcoma to the spleen arising from a primary ovarian carcinsarcoma.
Integrating purchase patterns and traversal patterns to predict HTTP requests in e-commerce sites

The success of an e-commerce (electronic commerce) site is measured in terms of the number of users visiting the site. A survey of essential qualities for a successful EC site suggests that reduced user perceived latency is the second most important quality after good site navigation quality. The most successful approach towards reducing user perceived latency has been the extraction of path traversal patterns from past users access history to predict future user traversal behavior and to prefetch the required resources. However this approach is suited for only non-EC sites where there is no purchase behavior. In this paper we describe a new approach to predict user behavior in EC sites. The core of our approach involves extracting knowledge from integrated data of purchase and path traversal patterns of past users to predict the purchase and traversal behavior of future users. Simulations were conducted using synthetic data, which showed that the proposed model produces more accurate modeling of the user behavior.
Regional assessment on influence of landscape configuration and connectivity on range size of white-tailed deer.

Variation in the size of home range of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has broad implications for managing populations, agricultural damage, and disease spread and transmission. Size of home range of deer also varies seasonally because plant phenology dictates the vegetation types that are used as foraging or resting sites. Knowledge of the landscape configuration and connectivity that con- tributes to variation in size of home range of deer for the region is needed to fully understand differences and similarities of deer ecology throughout the Midwest. We developed a research team from four Midwestern states to investigate how size of home range of deer in agro-forested landscapes is
ESDExtractor: A new technology-independent CAD tool for arbitrary ESD protection device extraction

The challenges for developing an on-chip electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit layout extractor originate from unconventional layout patterns of ESD protection devices, parasitic ESD device extraction, and device count reduction. This paper reports a new technology independent layout extractor called the ESDExtractor, which is capable of extracting arbitrary ESD protection devices and answers the demands for full-chip ESD protection design verification. The general methodology to extract both intentional and parasitic ESD protection devices, the specific algorithms, and implementation methods to enhance ESDExtractor's efficiency are presented. Finally, the capability of the new computer-aided design tool is demonstrated using application examples.
Cost-Effectiveness of Sibutramine in the LOSE Weight Study: Evaluating the Role of Pharmacologic Weight-Loss Therapy Within a Weight Management Program

OBJECTIVE: No previous studies conducted in the United States have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of drug therapy when used in conjunction with a weight management program (WMP) for treatment of obesity. The objective was to compare the cost-effectiveness of sibutramine plus a structured WMP versus only a structured WMP in both overweight and obese individuals. The core WMP was a physician-supervised, multidisciplinary program for which each enrollee paid $100 out of pocket. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed based upon the results of a previously published randomized controlled trial conducted within a managed care organization. The target population for this study was obese or overweight persons. The perspective of the study was that of a managed care organization. The intervention consisted of subjects receiving a WMP with or without sibutramine. The primary outcomes of this study were (a) absolute change in body weight and percentage change in body weight over 12 months, (b) change in obesity-related and total medical costs from 12 months prior to enrollment through 12 months after enrollment, and (c) cost-effectiveness in terms of cost per pound of weight loss. All costs were adjusted to 2004 dollars using the respective components of the consumer price index for each medical service or medication. RESULTS: A total of 501 evaluable subjects were enrolled in the study, with 281 receiving sibutramine plus a structured WMP and 220 receiving only the structured WMP. The mean ± SD weight loss was significantly greater in the sibutramine (13.7 ± 15.5 pounds, 4.8%) group than in the nondrug group (5 ± 13.2 pounds, 2.2%) (P < 0.001). The change in obesity-related total cost was a median increase of $408 for the sibutramine group compared with $31 for the nondrug group (P < 0.001). The change in total health care cost was a median $1,279 increase in the sibutramine group compared with $271 for the nondrug group (P < 0.001). Adding sibutramine to the WMP increased the total cost by $44 per additional pound of weight loss (95% confidence interval, 42-46). Sensitivity analyses found that the results were sensitive to the price of sibutramine, whereas varying the cost of clinic visits did not substantially change the results. CONCLUSION: Patients enrolled in a WMP receiving sibutramine had greater weight loss and decrease in body mass index at greater cost than did patients enrolled in the same program who did not receive sibutramine. There were no observed savings in total health care resource utilization or cost in the sibutramine group compared with the nondrug group.
Exchange Rate Regimes and Fiscal Discipline: The Role of Capital Controls

How do exchange rate regimes in‡uence …scal discipline? This important question has typically been addressed using models assuming perfect capital mobility, even though capital controls are pervasive in emerging and developing countries. This paper analyzes the eects of capital controls on …scal performance by focusing on dual exchange rate regimes. In a model in which …scal policy is endogenously determined by a non-benevolent …scal authority, capital controls induce impatient politicians to have looser …scal poli- cies than under …xed and ‡exible regimes operating under perfect capital mobility. While capital controls enable politicians to enjoy the same temporarily low in‡a- tion as …xed regimes (since the commercial exchange rate is assumed to be …xed) lax …scal policies also result in a temporary consumption boom which is regarded as desirable by impatient politicians. The consumption boom occurs because, as households attempt to get rid of unwanted real money balances, the real domestic interest rate falls. The paper also shows that this mechanism is stronger the more shortsighted politicians are. Empirical analysis con…rms that capital controls lead to larger primary de…cits than …xed and ‡exible regimes under uni…ed rates, even after controlling for regime endogeneity. The evidence also shows that such …scal dierences are more intense during presidential pre-electoral years.