cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation Test Results of Candidate Spacecraft Parts for the Applied Physics Laboratory

The radiation responses of candidate spacecraft digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and digital synthesizers are presented. Candidate electronics are evaluated for total ionizing dose and single event effects.
Factor-analytic structures in the English and Japanese versions of the Objective Measure of Ego-Identity Status (OMEIS)

This research describes an exploratory factor analysis for the purposes of factorial validation for both the English and Japanese versions of the Objective Measure of Ego-Identity Status (OMEIS)—Ideological version (Adams, Bennion, & Huh, 1989). The Japanese OMEIS is a direct translation of the English OMEIS (Ohnishi, 1998). The study reports the factor structure of the OMEIS—Ideological version in English and Japanese. A principal factor analysis (PFA) with both oblique and orthogonal solutions was performed. Alpha reliabilities for the factors are presented. The present research compares and contrasts the factor structures of OMEIS—Ideological version, derived from a U.S. sample and a Japanese sample, comprising women from late adulthood to middle age. Cultural differences between the two sample populations are explored.
Influence of asymmetry on bias behavior of spin torque

We report calculations, based on the tight-binding model and the nonequilibrium Keldysh formalism, of the effect of band-filling (BF) asymmetry between the ferromagnetic leads on the bias behavior of the spin torque and the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in magnetic tunnel junctions. The underlying mechanism for the asymmetry-induced change in the bias dependence of TMR and the spin-transfer component, ${T}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}$, is the interplay of charge and spin currents in the ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AF) configurations. The BF asymmetry has a dramatic effect on the low-bias behavior of the fieldlike component, ${T}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$, which can vary from linear to quadratic bias dependence with positive or negative curvature, thus reconciling the apparently contradictory experimental results. A general expression is derived relating ${T}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ with four independent nonequilibrium interlayer exchange couplings (NEIECs), ${J}_{\text{FM}}^{\ensuremath{\sigma}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$, associated with the majority- and minority-spin channels, $\ensuremath{\sigma},{\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{'}}=\ensuremath{\uparrow},\ensuremath{\downarrow}$, of the two leads solely in the FM configuration. The bias behavior of the NEIEC components can be selectively tuned with the BF of the free and pinned FM layers, thus opening a new avenue for controlling experimentally ${T}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$.
Visual diagnosis: an adolescent who has swelling of the foot.

1. Krista R. Braun, MD* 2. Joseph A. Zenel, MD* 1. 2. *Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR. A previously healthy, 16-year-old male presents to the emergency department complaining of swelling over the lateral aspect of the right heel that began 3 months ago and has increased progressively in size. For the past few weeks, the area of swelling has been red and warm to touch. Two weeks ago, the patient began limping due to persistent heel and ankle pain. The swollen area is tender when touched. There is no history of fever, trauma, weight loss, anorexia, malaise, weakness, night sweats, recent infection, or shortness of breath. The patient denies any previous treatment, including pain medications, for his condition. The patient emigrated recently from Mexico. He has not received any medical attention for years. On physical examination, the patient appears healthy and in no distress. Vital signs are: temperature, (98.6°F) (37°C); respiratory rate, 18 breaths/min; pulse, 77 beats/min; and blood pressure, 125/53 mm Hg. On the right foot is a large red mass, approximately 3.5 cm in diameter, that extends along the lateral heel (Figs. 1⇓ and 2⇓ ). The skin is smooth and warm to touch, and the mass directly below the skin is firm and nonmobile. The mass is painful to palpation and to passive movement of the foot. The patient has difficulty bearing weight on his foot, favoring the right foot when he walks. Findings on the rest of the physical examination are normal. There is no lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly. Figure 1. Foot, frontal view. Figure 2. Foot, lateral view. A complete blood count demonstrates a white blood cell count of 9.7 × 103/mcL (9.7 × 109/L), with a differential count of 65% neutrophils, 26% lymphocytes, 7% monocytes, and 2% eosinophils. The hemoglobin level is 14.2 g/dL (142 g/L), and the …
Ensiling characteristics and utilization of switchgrass preserved as silage

Abstract Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) harvested at several maturities was readily ensiled when either directly cut and stored at a dry matter (DM) concentration of about 250 g kg −1 or wilted and stored at a DM concentration of about 350 g kg −1 . Silage pH ranged from 4.6 to 5.1 for all treatments with acetic and lactic acids predominating. Acetic acid concentrations in the direct cut silage was double the concentrations in the wilted silage while lactic acid concentrations were similar. Forage at ensiling was high in cell walls (694 to 743 g kg −1 ) and low in crude protein (53 to 63 g kg −1 ). Silage was stable when either direct cut or wilted and well preserved when air was excluded. Forage artificially-dried (hay) or when ensiled (direct cut or wilted) did not alter DM intake (kg 100 −1 kg body weight) which averaged 1.48 for the late boot stage and 1.41 when fully mature. Apparent digestion coefficients for DM and cell wall constituents of fully headed switchgrass showed no difference when preserved as hay or silage. Digestion coefficients from wilted silage were lower, however, than from direct cut silage for DM, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and cellulose. These results indicate that switchgrass can be preserved through fermentation with best results from immediate ensiling and subsequently utilized as silage in animal production systems.
Energy harvesting of radio frequency and vibration energy to enable wireless sensor monitoring of civil infrastructure

To power distributed wireless sensor networks on bridges, traditional power cables or battery replacement are excessively expensive or infeasible. This project develops two power harvesting technologies. First, a novel parametric frequency-increased generator (PFIG) is developed. The fabricated PFIG harvests the non-periodic and unprecedentedly low frequency (DC to 30 Hz) and low acceleration (0.55-9.8 m/s 2 ) mechanical energy available on bridges with an average power > 2 μW. Prototype power conversion and storage electronics were designed and the harvester system was used to charge a capacitor from arbitrary bridge-like vibrations. Second, an RF scavenger operating at medium and shortwave frequencies has been designed and tested. Power scavenging at MHz frequencies allows for lower antenna directivities, reducing sensitivity to antenna positioning. Furthermore, ambient RF signals at these frequencies have higher power levels away from cities and residential areas compared to the UHF and SHF bands utilized for cellular communication systems. An RF power scavenger operating at 1 MHz along with power management and storage circuitry has been demonstrated. It powers a LED at a distance of 10 km from AM radio stations.
Risks and benefits of lethal male fighting in the colonial, polygynous thrips Hoplothrips karnyi (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

Males of Hoplothrips karnyi (Hood) (Insecta: Thysanoptera), a colonial fungus-feeding thrips, fight each other in defense of communal egg mass sites, where they mate with females that come to oviposit. Fighting males stab each other with their enlarged, armed forelegs and hit each other with their abdomens. Escalated fights occur between large males of similar size. Fights are often lethal; males that died during observations fought more frequently than other males, were stabbed more often and more severely than other males, and were relatively large, but somewhat smaller than their opponents. Large males tend to win fights and guard egg masses, and they secure about 80% of last matings before ovipositions. Guarding males apparently assess female reproductive condition by putting their forelegs partially around females' abdomens; guarding males, but not nonguarding males, mate preferentially with females that have yet to oviposit. Non-guarding males mate with females away from egg masses, sneak matings at egg masses, and occasionally challenge guarding males. Challenges tend to follow matings by non-guarding males at egg masses. Each of four observed or inferred takeovers was followed by the death of the guarding male that lost. Male fighting strategies are discussed in terms of the consistency of lethal fighting with game theory models. Guardin males appear to pursue a classical “hawk” strategy of “escalate until injured or victorious”. This strategy may be advantageous because only large males become guarders, the mating success of guarders greatly exceeds that of non-guarders, and high population viscosity ensures that benefits from killing an opponent accrue directly to gaurders. The occurrence of challenges by large non-guarders implies that fighting ability and resource value asymmetries between males change over time; such changes may result from the energetic costs of guarding, injury to guarding males, or depletion of guarding males' supply of sperm.
Feasibility of blood oxygenation level-dependent MR imaging to monitor hepatic transcatheter arterial embolization in rabbits.

Blood oxygenation level–dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a noninvasive method to assess changes in oxygen delivery to tissues. It was hypothesized that BOLD MR imaging can detect changes in rabbit VX2 liver tumor oxygenation after hepatic artery embolization with polyvinyl alcohol particles. In four discrete VX2 liver tumors, a statistically significant mean reduction in apparent transverse relaxation time was shown, from 55 milliseconds before embolization to 41 milliseconds after embolization ( P
Reduction of mortality and morbidity associated with pelvic exenteration.

Abstract Eighty-seven pelvic exenterations performed on the Gynecology Service at Roswell Park Memorial Institute are reviewed in terms of postoperative mortality and morbidity. Sixty-five of these patients (75%) had one or more significant postoperative complications, and 22 patients (25%) died as a result of these complications. Thirty-four patients (39%) required one or more major reoperations. Complications were associated with dose of previous pelvic radiotherapy, type of exenteration, prolonged operations and excessive blood loss, pelvic lymphadenectomy, hypogastric artery ligation, type of pelvic occlusion, and the diversion of ureters into functional colon. A postexenteration hepatic stress syndrome is described and appears to occur in the majority of patients undergoing this operation. Methods of surgical technique and pre- and postoperative care are discussed which will potentially lead to a reduction in mortality and morbidity.
NKX2.1 specifies cortical interneuron fate by activating Lhx6.

In the ventral telencephalon, the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) is a major source of cortical interneurons. Expression of the transcription factor NKX2.1 in the MGE is required for the specification of two major subgroups of cortical interneurons - those that express parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST) - but direct targets of NKX2.1 remain to be established. We find that electroporation of Nkx2.1 cDNA into the ventral telencephalon of slice cultures from Nkx2.1 -/- mouse embryos, followed by transplantation into neonatal cortex to permit postnatal analysis of their fate, rescues the loss of PV- and SST-expressing cells. The LIM-homeobox gene Lhx6 is induced by this rescue experiment, and gain- and loss-of-function studies suggest that Lhx6 is necessary and sufficient to rescue these and other interneuron phenotypes in cells transplanted from Nkx2.1 -/- slices. Finally, NKX2.1 protein binds a highly conserved sequence in the Lhx6 promoter, and this sequence appears to mediate the direct activation of Lhx6 by NKX2.1. The slice transfection and transplantation methods employed here are beginning to uncover embryonic mechanisms for specifying neuronal fates that only become definable postnatally.
On the semantics and pragmatics of epistemic vocabulary

This paper motivates and develops a novel semantics for several epistemic expressions, including possibility and necessity modals and indicative conditionals. The semantics I defend constitutes an alternative to standard truth conditional theories, as it assigns sets of probability measures rather than sets of worlds as sentential semantic values. I argue that what my theory lacks in conservatism, it makes up for in strength — namely, the theory accounts for a host of distinctive and suggestive linguistic data collected and explored in this paper. http://dx.doi.org/10.3765/sp.8.5 BibTeX info
Type 1 vanilloid receptor expression by mammalian inner ear ganglion cells.

The type 1 vanilloid receptor (VR1) is a non-specific cation channel activated by capsaicin, lipoxygenase (LOX) products, heat and acid. This study demonstrates VR1 and 5-LOX expression by inner ear ganglion cells. A PCR product (210 bp) was amplified from both oligo(dT)- and random primer-generated cDNAs of rat spiral ganglion cells using VR1 gene-specific primers constructed from the 3' non-homologous region. This PCR product shared 100% sequence homology to a rat VR1 cDNA (GenBank accession no. AF029310) and a rat vanilloid receptor splice variant mRNA (GenBank accession no. AF158248). Frozen sections of PLP-fixed, decalcified Long-Evans rat temporal bones were stained immunohistochemically for VR1. Neurons and satellite cells in both the vestibular and spiral ganglia were VR1-immunopositive. Neurons and supporting cells in adjacent sections of these ganglia were immunopositive for 5-LOX. These findings raise the hypothesis that activation of VR1 by endogenous ligands may contribute to hypersensitivity of the eighth nerve to hair cell inputs in a variety of pathologic conditions, such as tinnitus, Meniere's disease and migraine. In particular, these data suggest that LOX activation during inflammatory processes or during cyclo-oxygenase inhibition (e.g. by aspirin) is a potential intrinsic source of VR1 activation in inner ear ganglia.
Can intuition improve deception detection performance

Two studies examined the role of processing style (intuitive vs. deliberative processing) in a deception detection task. In the first experiment, a thin slicing manipulation was used to demonstrate that intuitive processing can lead to more accurate judgments of deception when compared with traditional deliberative forms of processing. In the second experiment, participants who engaged in a secondary (concurrent) task performed more accurately in a deception detection task than participants who were asked to provide a verbal rationale for each decision and those in a control condition. Overall, the results converge to suggest that intuitive processing can significantly improve deception detection performance.
Racism in healthcare: Its relationship to shared decision-making and health disparities: a response to Bradby.

Bradby’s (2010) critique of our paper ‘Race and Shared Decision-Making: Perspectives of African-Americans with Diabetes’ (Peek at al., 2010) highlights important questions about racism, patient/provider communication and U.S. health disparities. We address her concerns through the following questions: 1) How can we best conceptualize racism in healthcare? 2) Is there evidence for racism in the current U.S. healthcare system?, 3) How can we disentangle racial discrimination from discrimination based on other social factors?, 4) Is there evidence and/or theoretical model(s) that link institutional racism to population-level health disparities?, 5) Is there evidence and/or theoretical model(s) that link the patient/provider relationship and communication disparities to population-level health disparities?, and 6) Are there potentially effective solutions to address institutional racism, particularly unconscious provider bias?
Sweatshops at Sea: Merchant Seamen in the World's First Globalized Industry, from 1812 to the Present

Leon Fink (2011), 202, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, $34.95 Sweatshops at Sea traces the political history of seafaring through the legislative efforts of the two dominating forc...
An assessment of acid wash and bioleaching pre-treating options to remove mercury from coal

Abstract The United States Environmental Protection Agency is expected to begin regulating the release of vapor-phase mercury from coal-fired power plants in the year 2007. Chemical pre-treatment methods were investigated for mercury removal effectiveness from pulverized low-sulfur North Dakota lignite coal. More limited results were obtained for a pulverized high-sulfur Blacksville bituminous coal. A two-step acid wash treatment showed removal rates of 60–90%, compared to one-step treatments with concentrated HCl, which yielded removals of 30–38%. Removal effectiveness is similar for first step solvents of water, pH 5.0 acid, or pH 2.0 acid followed by concentrated HCl as the second step solvent, and is independent of first step incubation time. Neither of two bacterial strains, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and T. thiooxidans , was found effective for mercury removal.
Correction for patient table-induced scattered radiation in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)

Purpose: In image-guided radiotherapy, an artifact typically seen in axial slices of x-ray cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) reconstructions is a dark region or ''black hole'' situated below the scan isocenter. The authors trace the cause of the artifact to scattered radiation produced by radiotherapy patient tabletops and show it is linked to the use of the offset-detector acquisition mode to enlarge the imaging field-of-view. The authors present a hybrid scatter kernel superposition (SKS) algorithm to correct for scatter from both the object-of-interest and the tabletop. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations and phantom experiments were first performed to identify the source of the black hole artifact. For correction, a SKS algorithm was developed that uses separate kernels to estimate scatter from the patient tabletop and the object-of-interest. Each projection is divided into two regions, one defined by the shadow cast by the tabletop on the imager and one defined by the unshadowed region. The region not shadowed by the tabletop is processed using the recently developed fast adaptive scatter kernel superposition (fASKS) method which employs asymmetric kernels that best model scatter transport through bodylike objects. The shadowed region is convolved with a combination of slab-derived symmetric SKS kernels and asymmetric fASKS kernels.more » The composition of the hybrid kernels is projection-angle-dependent. To test the algorithm, pelvis phantom and in vivo data were acquired using a CBCT test stand, a Varian Acuity simulator, and a Varian On-Board Imager, all of which have similar geometries and components. Artifact intensities and Hounsfield unit (HU) accuracies in the reconstructions were assessed before and after the correction. Results: The hybrid kernel algorithm provided effective correction and produced substantially better scatter estimates than the symmetric SKS or asymmetric fASKS methods alone. HU nonuniformities in the reconstructed pelvis phantom were reduced from 220 to 50 HU (i.e., 22%-5%). In the in vivo scans, the black hole artifact was reduced by up to 147 HU, a 73% improvement, and anatomical details in the prostate and rectum areas were made considerably more visible. Conclusions: Radiotherapy tabletops, which are generally flatter and larger than those used for diagnostic CT, can produce significant scatter-related artifacts. The proposed hybrid SKS algorithm accurately estimates scatter from both the object-of-interest and the patient tabletop, and resulting image uniformities and HU accuracies are greatly improved.« less
Expression of modified human cytochrome P450 3A4 in Escherichia coli and purification and reconstitution of the enzyme

A full-length human cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A4 cDNA clone and four derivatives in which the N-terminus was modified were inserted into a pCW vector and used to transform Escherichia coli DH5 alpha cells. Little expression was seen with the native sequence; the highest level of expression (range of 40-110 membrane-bound nmol P450 liter-1) was achieved with a construct (NF14) in which residues 3-12 were deleted. In all of the constructs P450 was found primarily in the membranes. The modified P450 3A4 (construct NF14) showed typical P450 hemoprotein spectra. The protein was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity in a five-step procedure [nominally 23 nmol P450 (mg protein)-1]. For most purposes it was found to be more practical to purify the modified P450 3A4 to approximately 70% homogeneity [nominally 15 nmol P450 (mg protein)-1] in a simple two-step process. The modified P450 3A4 (NF14) or P450 3A4 purified from human liver could be mixed with rabbit liver NADPH-P450 reductase to achieve catalytic activities nearly as high as those found in human liver microsomes (on a nmol P450 basis), but the optimal reconstitution conditions included not only a mixture of phosphatidylserine, L-alpha-dilauroyl- and L-alpha-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines, cholate, and cytochrome b5 suggested by others but also glutathione during the preincubation. Several other thiols were found not to substitute in this role. Good catalytic activity was seen for nifedipine oxidation, testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation, and the 8,9-epoxidation and 3 alpha-hydroxylation of aflatoxin B1, reactions previously ascribed to the enzyme. These procedures provide a relatively convenient and reliable means of producing, purifying, and reconstituting a catalytically active and useful derivative of P450 3A4, a human P450 enzyme that has many roles in the oxidation of drugs and other xenobiotic chemicals.
Peripheral human T lymphocyte maintenance of immune functional capacity and phenotypic characteristics following in vivo cocaine exposure.

The effects of cocaine exposure upon the host's immune response is equivocal since a variety of studies have generated conflicting conclusions, often as the result of differences between in vitro and/or animal models and the actual conditions experienced in humans who are acutely abusing this drug. To further address this issue, we have studied a group of patients who were positive for cocaine or cocaine metabolites and we evaluated a variety of functional parameters of T-lymphocytes and other peripheral lymphoid cell populations, as well as immunophenotypic characteristics of these cells. When compared to normal controls and patients who were negative for cocaine, we found that the cocaine-positive patients had T-cell functional assays which were essentially normal, with the exception of a slight depression in PHA stimulation. Likewise, the immunophenotype of the peripheral blood lymphocytic populations showed normal percentages and numbers of their T cell subsets (CD4, CD8), NK cells, and B cells. Multicolor flow cytometry analysis revealed no difference in T cell subpopulations positive for the "memory" marker, CD62L. No correlation could be established between levels of cocaine or cocaine metabolites and any phenotypic, demographic, or functional parameter. In summary, these results demonstrate that individuals acutely exposed to cocaine do not show markedly altered T cell function or fluctuations in phenotypically identified cell populations. These studies imply that acute cocaine exposure does not predispose individuals to grossly apparent immunosuppression. However, the possibility that subtle, transient, or more specific changes in the immune system may be incurred by use of cocaine, particularly with chronic exposure, remains to be determined.
The Definition of the Situation: an Analysis of the Ethnomethodological and Dramaturgical View*

The dramaturgical and the ethnomethodological positions on the definition of the situation is discussed, after a brief history of the concept. The ethnomethodologists claim to take their cues from ...
Localized tachyons in C 3 /Z N

We study the condensation of localized closed string tachyons in 3/N nonsupersymmetric noncompact orbifold singularities via renormalization group flows that preserve supersymmetry in the worldsheet conformal field theory and their interrelations with the toric geometry of these orbifolds. We show that for worldsheet supersymmetric tachyons, the endpoint of tachyon condensation generically includes ``geometric'' terminal singularities (orbifolds that do not have any marginal or relevant Kahler blowup modes) as well as singularities in codimension two. Some of the various possible distinct geometric resolutions are related by flip transitions. For type-II theories, we show that the residual singularities that arise under tachyon condensation in various classes of type-II theories also admit a type-II GSO projection. We further show that type-II orbifolds entirely devoid of marginal or relevant blowup modes (Kahler or otherwise) cannot exist, which thus implies that the endpoints of tachyon condensation in type-II theories are always smooth spaces.
An expert system approach to graduate school admission decisions and academic performance prediction

An operational two-stage expert system is built with rule induction. The first stage examines the admission decision process for applicants to an MBA program, while the second stage focuses on the prognosis for degree completion for those actually admitted. It is this performance prediction capability that is submitted as the major contribution of the system. While given the opportunity to make use of personal demographic variables that would be suggestive of discriminatory academic policies, the system's pattern recognition algorithm established an optimal rule structure based solely upon academic and professional backgrounds. This induced rule structure was found to be consistent with all cases in the training subset; the rules were then validated on an independent hold out sample.
A phantom study on the positioning accuracy of the Novalis Body system.

A phantom study was conducted to investigate inherent positioning accuracy of an image-guided patient positioning system—the Novalis Body system for three-dimensional (3-D) conformal radiotherapy. This positioning system consists of two infrared (IR) cameras and one video camera and two kV x-ray imaging devices. The initial patient setup was guided by the IR camera system and the target localization was accomplished using the kV x-ray imaging system. In this study, the IR marker shift and phantom rotation were simulated and their effects on the positioning accuracy were examined by a Rando phantom. The effects of CT slice thickness and treatment sites on the positioning accuracy were tested. In addition, the internal target shift was simulated and its effect on the positioning accuracy was examined by a water tank. With the application of the Novalis Body system, the positioning error of the planned isocenter was significantly reduced. The experimental results with the simulated IR marker shifts indicated that the positioning errors of the planned isocenter were 0.6±0.3, 0.5±0.2, and 0.7±0.2 mm along the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes, respectively. The experimental results with the simulated phantom rotations indicated that the positioning errors of the planned isocenter were 0.6±0.3, 0.7±0.2, and 0.5±0.2 mm along the three axes, respectively. The experimental results with the simulated target shifts indicated that the positioning errors of the planned isocenter were 0.6±0.3, 0.7±0.2, and 0.5±0.2 mm along the three axes, respectively. On average, the positioning accuracy of 1 mm for the planned isocenter was achieved using the Novalis Body system.
Direct differentiation method for shape design sensitivity analysis using boundary integral formulation

Abstract A direct differentiation method is proposed for shape design sensitivity analysis of elastic structures using the Boundary Integral Equation (BIE) formulation. A new BIE is derived, where unknowns are the design derivatives of the structural responses on the boundary, by applying the material derivative concept to the boundary integral identity. To remove the singularity problem arising in the new BIE, a regular BIE technique is employed by locating the collocation point outside the boundary. The accuracy of the results of the direct differentiation method is studied through the elliptic hole problem under tensile stress at infinity. A critical comparison is made for the sensitivity results of the direct differentiation and adjoint variable methods as well as for those of the finite difference method against the exact design sensitivity. Excellent accuracy is observed for the results of the direct differentiation method.
A preliminary study of motor problems in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Although many children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are described as “clumsy,” there is relatively little research on problems in motor development in this population. We used a survey method to assess retrospectively developmental histories of 25 children with ADHD and 27 control children (ages 8–15 years). Children with ADHD reportedly had more difficulty than control children with both learning and performing a variety of motor skills, e.g., tying shoes, printing letters, playing sports. In contrast, parents reported few problems in their children's language development. Severity of motor problems was related to performance on specific IQ indices and reading and spelling tests. Given previous research on adverse consequences of clumsiness in children with attention deficits, results of this preliminary study indicate that further research on motor development can shed light on the developmental psychopathology of ADHD.
Constraints on melt production rate beneath the mid-ocean ridges based on passive flow models

We present a model for computing the total melt production rate from the decompression partial melting region beneath a mid-ocean ridge, and the maximum oceanic crustal thickness created at the ridge axis assuming an ideal melt migration mechanism. The calculations are based on a self-consistent numerical model for the thermal structure and steady-state mantle flow field at a mid-ocean ridge. The model includes the effect of decreasing the melt production rate within the partial melting region by melt extraction as the residual mantle matrix becomes increasingly difficult to melt. Thus the melt fraction depends not only on temperature and pressure determined by the location beneath the ridge axis (the Eulerian description) but also on the accumulated melt extraction since the upwelling mantle matrix enters the partial melting region determined by the location along the flow-line path (the Langrangian description). This effect has been neglected by previous models. The model can predict the size of the melting region and the locations of the boundaries between mantle, residual mantle, and the partial melting region for a given spreading rate, also the distribution of the melt depletion and the mean melting depth. Given the observed average thickness of oceanic crust (∼6 km), which is relatively independent of spreading rate, the model results also provide a constraint on the overall efficiency of melt migration to the ridge axis; the efficiency must decrease from 100% at 10 mm/yr to about 60% at fast spreading rates (>50 mm/yr). Although this reduction may be partially due to the increasing size of the melting region with increasing spreading rate, it still requires less efficient melt migration near the ridge axis at fast spreading rate. We found that the calculated crustal thickness is very sensitive to the mantle temperature. For a normal mantle temperature of 1350°C, the model can generate the observed 6 km oceanic crust over the global range of spreading rates, while the anomalous thicker crusts of the Iceland hotspot and the Reykjanes Ridge are related to higher mantle temperatures associated with the hotspot. Finally, by comparing our model results with previous ones we found that neglecting variations of the melting relations of the residual mantle matrix with melt removal will overestimate the crustal thickness by at least a factor of 1.7.
Contributions to the mathematical theory of human relations viii: Size distribution of cities

An attempt is made to connect the distribution function of the sizes of the cities with the distribution functions of some other characteristics of the individuals in the society. Several theoretical possibilities are discussed and different relations are derived. A possible connection with some observed relations is discussed.
Coregionalized Single‐ and Multiresolution Spatially Varying Growth Curve Modeling with Application to Weed Growth

Modeling of longitudinal data from agricultural experiments using growth curves helps understand conditions conducive or unconducive to crop growth. Recent advances in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) now allow geocoding of agricultural data that help understand spatial patterns. A particularly common problem is capturing spatial variation in growth patterns over the entire experimental domain. Statistical modeling in these settings can be challenging because agricultural designs are often spatially replicated, with arrays of subplots, and interest lies in capturing spatial variation at possibly different resolutions. In this article, we develop a framework for modeling spatially varying growth curves as Gaussian processes that capture associations at single and multiple resolutions. We provide Bayesian hierarchical models for this setting, where flexible parameterization enables spatial estimation and prediction of growth curves. We illustrate using data from weed growth experiments conducted in Waseca, Minnesota, that recorded growth of the weed Setaria spp. in a spatially replicated design.
Metabolism of eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid in rat testes evidence for Δ8-desaturase activity

Abstract The metabolism of [ 14 C]eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid was investigated in rat testes in vivo and in vitro. Intratesticular injection of [1- 14 C]eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid resulted in the appearance of radioactivity (4–30% of 14 C in total fatty acids) in 20-carbon trienoic fatty acids and a small amount (2–3.5%) in arachidonic acid. Analysis of the 20-carbon trienoic acid fraction by ozonolysis indicated that 15 to 34% of the 14 C in this fraction was in an 8-carbon fragment originating from eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid. The rest (66 to 84%) was in a 5-carbon fragment, presumably originating from eicosa-5,11,14-trienoic acid. Incubation of testicular tissue minces or microsomes with [1- 14 C]eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid yielded labeled eicosa-8,11,14- and eicosa-5,11,14-trienoic acids in proportions similar to those obtained in vivo. Added unlabeled acetate had no effect on the formation of [ 14 C]eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid in vitro. Therefore, it is unlikely that the labeled eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid arose from elongation of octadeca-6,9,12-trienoic acid with labeled acetate derived from bio-oxidation of the labeled substrate. These results are compatible with a limited desaturation of eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid to eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid and provide evidence for Δ 8 desaturate activity in rat testis.
Clinical predictors of fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 1085–1094 Summary Background Patients with chronic liver disease and components of metabolic syndrome may be at higher risk for fibrosis. Aim To assess the impact of clinicodemographic factors on hepatic fibrosis in CLD. Methods Of 1028 chronic liver disease patients, 964 were included in the analysis. Extensive clinico-demographic and histological data were available. Significant baseline fibrosis (METAVIR stage ≥2) and fibrosis progression (increase of ≥1 stage in subsequent biopsy) were compared between groups using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Compared with HCV and HBV, NAFLD patients were more obese (higher BMI and waist circumference), diabetic, hypertensive and hyperlipidaemic. Significant fibrosis occurred in 55%, 43% and 20% of HCV, HBV and NAFLD, respectively. Factors independently associated with fibrosis in NAFLD included DM, elevated AST and ALT. For viral hepatitis, independent predictors of fibrosis were low platelet count (HBV and HCV), age (HBV) and elevated AST and ALT (HCV). A second biopsy was available for 96 patients with follow-up of about 4 years. Factors independently associated with progression of fibrosis were HCV infection, higher ALT and lower platelet count. Conclusions Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for fibrosis only in NAFLD. Elevated aminotransferases and/or low platelet counts are independently associated with significant baseline fibrosis or progression of fibrosis, in patients with chronic liver disease.
3D sound for human-computer interaction: regions with different limitations in elevation localization

Spatialized ("3D") audio may be useful as an alternative sensory channel to provide blind individuals with relevant spatial information in the physical world or while interacting with computers. However, an important limitation of this approach is the lower spatial resolution achievable through sound localization. While this limitation is widely acknowledged, few empirical evaluations of the sound localization achievable through audio spatialization techniques have been performed, particularly with respect to elevation localization. We performed such an empirical study and found quantitative confirmation that the localization accuracy deteriorates as the virtual sound position is set farther above or below the ear (height) level. This information may be valuable to HCI designers planning to use 3D sound.
Total urogenital mobilization—An easier way to repair cloacas☆

The surgical treatment of persistent cloaca is a serious challenge. The operation is technically difficult and the final results for urinary and fecal function are far from excellent. The repair of a cloaca includes, among other maneuvers, the separation of the vagina from the urinary tract. This step is a serious technical challenge and is very time consuming. Devascularization of these structures is the main source of complications such as urethro-vaginal fistula, vaginal stricture, and acquired vaginal atresia. To avoid these complications and to facilitate the cloacal repair, a new technical variation using total urogenital mobilization was performed in 11 patients. In this procedure, after the rectum is separated from the vagina, both the urethra and the vagina are mobilized together as a single unit. The surgical time spent during the reconstruction was reduced by approximately 70%. All patients recovered well from the operations and have been followed up for 1 to 14 months. The blood supply of the vagina and urethra in all cases remained excellent. No patient developed urethrovaginal fistula, vaginal stricture, or acquired vaginal atresia. The cosmetic appearance in these patients is superior to the one achieved with previous techniques. Although this maneuver may not render better urinary or fecal control, the urethra is more accessible for catheterization. These preliminary results suggest that the total urogenital mobilization maneuver provides a definite technical advance in the repair of cloaca malformations.
Robust control of cart-pendulum dynamics against uncertain multiple time delays

We consider a fixed control law on a well- known underactuated dynamics, the cart-and-pendulum system. The contributory aspect of this research which is different from the traditional treatment is that, the feedback line is affected by multiple independent time delays. It is known that time-delayed LTI systems may exhibit multiple stable operating zones (pockets) in the space of delays. But finding these pockets analytically and demonstrating them experimentally are complex and challenging problems. The main aim of this effort is to accomplish a successful trajectory tracking on a practical, underactuated mechanical system under the presence of multiple time delays. First, we model the system as precisely as we can and over this model we use a powerful methodology for handling the delays. This method is called cluster treatment of cluster treatment of characteristic roots (CTCR) which reveals the stability pockets in the delay space. Then, we experimentally verify the analytical findings of CTCR. As a novel contribution to the controls area, this study shows that underactuated systems with multiple delays may exhibit better performance (such as faster disturbance rejection capability) for larger delay values when they are properly selected. This is a counter-intuitive outcome of the study, and it enables us to utilize 'delay scheduling' procedure. In delay scheduling, we declare the set of larger delays (than those that are present) for which the control routine performs better. This procedure offers to the control system designer a powerful tool.
An effective decoupling method for matrix optimization and its application to the ICA problem

Matrix optimization of cost functions is a common problem. Construction of methods that enable each row or column to be individually optimized, i.e., decoupled, are desirable for a number of reasons. With proper decoupling, the convergence characteristics such as local stability can be improved. Decoupling can enable density matching in applications such as independent component analysis (ICA). Lastly, efficient Newton algorithms become tractable after decoupling. The most common method for decoupling rows is to reduce the optimization space to orthogonal matrices. Such restrictions can degrade performance. We present a decoupling procedure that uses standard vector optimization procedures while still admitting nonorthogonal solutions. We utilize the decoupling procedure to develop a new decoupled ICA algorithm that uses Newton optimization enabling superior performance when the sample size is limited.
Graded relevance ranking for synonym discovery

Interest in domain-specific search is steadfastly increasing, yielding a growing need for domain-specific synonym discovery. Existing synonym discovery methods perform poorly when faced with the realistic task of identifying a target term's synonyms from among many candidates. We approach domain-specific synonym discovery as a graded relevance ranking problem in which a target term's synonym candidates are ranked by their quality. In this scenario a human editor uses each ranked list of synonym candidates to build a domain-specific thesaurus. We evaluate our method for graded relevance ranking of synonym candidates and find that it outperforms existing methods.
The Role of Aging in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been gathering interest in recent years and as such this review will focus on the potential contributions that age plays on its onset and prevalence. Environmental stress over time caused by the inhalation of foreign substances results in subsequent damage and repair of lung tissue. This damage prematurely causes a decrease in stem cell differentiation potential. In conjunction with declining proliferation, the correlation between age and general attenuation of the immune system allows for the introduction of viral components such as the Epstein–Barr virus which has been associated with lung injury, a causation which has not yet been investigated. But, regardless of environmental factors, cellular alterations due to, or in correlation with, age could result in the onset or prolonging of IPF. General genetic mutation and epigenetic methylations accumulate over a person’s lifespan while miRNA expression changes from birth to adulthood. This collection of alterations over time may cause dysregulation of expressed genetic material which can result in many age-related diseases including pulmonary fibrosis. Such alterations would be prevented by autophagy or cell-mediated apoptosis, but due to age-related dysregulations, these systems function at a diminished capacity. On the cellular level, the end result is an accumulation of dysfunctional organelles with damaged molecules, such as reactive oxygen species, and general genetic and epigenetic alterations resulting in excess generation of fibrous tissue and overall damage to the pulmonary system.
Characteristics of submicron MOS varactors

An experimental study of the capacitive parameters of submicron accumulation-mode MOS varactors is reported. Varactors are studied as a function of channel length and width. As the device channels are scaled to smaller and smaller dimensions to achieve higher frequency circuits, the capacitance tuning range decreases because of a relative increase of fixed capacitance. At the same time, the Q-factor of the varactor increases, thus requiring the circuit designer to choose the best gate length to optimize both parameters.
Trilepton Higgs boson signal at hadron colliders

Most Higgs boson searches pursued at hadron colliders require Yukawa interactions either in the production or the decay of a Higgs boson. We propose a trilepton Higgs boson search based only upon the gauge interactions of the Higgs boson. This strategy can be utilized successfully for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson as well as nonstandard Higgs bosons which break electroweak symmetry but have little to do with fermion mass generation. The trileptons come from Wh production followed by Wh{r_arrow}WWW{sup ({asterisk})}{r_arrow}3l decays. A SM Higgs trilepton signal would be difficult to detect at the Fermilab Tevatron collider: with 100fb{sup {minus}1} of data, only a 3{sigma} signal above background can be achieved after cuts if 140GeV{lt}m{sub h{sub sm}{sup 0}}{lt}175GeV. Some discrimination of signal over background can be gained by analyzing the opposite sign dilepton p{sub T} distributions. At the CERN LHC with 30(100)fb{sup {minus}1} a clear discovery above the 5{sigma} level is possible for a Higgs boson mass in the range 140{endash}185(125{endash}200)GeV. Prospects for a trilepton Higgs boson discovery are greatly improved for models with nonstandard Higgs boson sectors where a Higgs boson couples preferentially to vector bosons rather than to fermions. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Moisture content and particle size of dehydrated egg yolk affect lipid and cholesterol extraction using supercritical carbon dioxide

Egg yolk was spray-dried under conditions to produce a small particle size powder and a large particle size powder. Particle size was determined using a Nikon Optiophot microscope. Spray-dried egg yolk was also adjusted to various moisture levels as follows: control (2 to 4% moisture), 7% moisture, and 12% moisture. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCE) of each of these moisture treatments at 45 C/306 atm using 30 g CO2/g of sample was completed. For the particle size study, 45 g CO2/g of sample at 45 C/306 atm was utilized. Particle size exhibited a significant effect on cholesterol and lipids extracted using SCE. As moisture content of dried egg yolk increased to 7%, there was a significant increase in lipids extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide. Moisture content had no significant effect on cholesterol extraction. After extracting SCE higher moisture spray-dried egg yolk, sponge cake volume was significantly reduced compared to that of the control. The reduced sponge cake volume may be due to protein denaturation.