cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TH-C-332-09: The Effect of Variable Exposure Distribution On Microcalcification Detectability in Tomosynthesis

Purpose: To investigate the fundamental limitation of tomosynthesis acquisition on the detectability of microcalcifications (MCs) and to investigate the effects of employing unequal dose distribution (variable exposure) across the tomosynthesis projections. Method and Materials:Ray tracing was used through a 5‐cm thick homogeneous slab phantom, which contained 150‐, 280‐, and 400‐micron diameter spheres embedded at the center. In this study we accounted for acquisition geometry and x‐ray quantum noise. Detectability was calculated using a nonprewhitening observer. In the sinogram data, detectability was computed by integrating observer response over all projection views. In the reconstructed image, observer response was computed using a 2D matched template at the in‐focus slice of the sphere. To test variable distribution of exposure, 50% of the exposure was concentrated in the center three projection views, and the rest was divided equally among the remaining projection views. Results: We determined that the detectability of MCs is reduced for larger projection angles because of the increased pathlength through the phantom and larger source‐to‐detector distance. The spheres are projected on the detector as ellipses at larger angles, which blurs the MCs and decreases detectability. Detectability of MCs using the variable exposure method is approximately 10–20% higher than detectability in the equal exposure distribution method. Conclusion: The detectability of MC is reduced in a tomosynthesis acquisition because of the acquisition geometry if all projections are made with the same exposure. A variable exposure method can improve MC detectability in DBT systems. In future work we will examine the effect of breast structure noise on the variable exposure method. Conflict of Interest: Research sponsored by Hologic, Inc. and Dexela Ltd.
Institutional Profile: University of California San Diego Pharmacogenomics Education Program (PharmGenEd™): bridging the gap between science and practice

Clinical application of evidence-based pharmacogenomics information has the potential to help healthcare professionals provide safe and effective medication management to patients. However, there is a gap between the advances of pharmacogenomics discovery and the health professionals’ knowledge regarding pharmacogenomics testing and therapeutic uses. Furthermore, pharmacogenomics education materials for healthcare professionals have not been readily available or accessible. Pharmacogenomics Education Program (PharmGenEd™) is an evidence-based pharmacogenomics education program developed at the University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School of Medicine (CA, USA), with funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Program components include continuing education modules, train-the-trainer materials and shared curriculum modules based on therapeutic topics, and virtual communities with online resources.
Racial Differences in Plasma Leptin Concentrations in Obese Postmenopausal Women

Leptin may play an important role in the regulation of body weight by influencing energy intake and expenditure. Differences in body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), and physical activity between African-American and Caucasian women could be reflective of racial differences in plasma leptin concentrations. Thus, we examined racial differences in leptin levels and the relationships of leptin to body composition and resting metabolism in obese postmenopausal African-American (n = 28) and Caucasian (n = 29) women matched for level of body fat. African-American and Caucasian women were similar in age (64.1 +/- 1.3 vs. 63.2 +/- 1.0 yr), body weight (84.7 +/- 3.3 vs. 80.4 +/- 1.3 kg), adipose tissue mass (39.7 +/- 2.8 vs. 38.0 +/- 1.0 kg), waist to hip ratio (0.81 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.81 +/- 0.01), and maximal aerobic capacity (1.5 +/- 0.05 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.05 L/min). African-American women had greater lean tissue mass than Caucasian women (41.8 +/- 1.1 vs. 39.3 +/- 0.6 kg; P = 0.05). The leptin concentration was 20% lower in African-American than Caucasian women (36.0 +/- 4.8 vs. 45.8 +/- 3.5; P < 0.05), whereas REE values were similar. Leptin correlated strongly with percent body fat in African-American (r = 0.71; P < 0.0001) and Caucasian women (r = 0.61; P < 0.001) and with REE in African-American (r = 0.58; P < 0.001), but not Caucasian, women (r = 0.08). These findings suggest racial differences in plasma leptin levels and in leptin's role in the regulation of REE, which may play a role in the greater incidence of obesity in the African-American compared to the Caucasian population.
Cognitive Control in the Face of Fear: Reduced Cognitive-Emotional Flexibility in Women with a History of Child Abuse

Child abuse can negatively affect neurobiological systems involved in regulating emotions. Adults who were maltreated as children show diminished capacity to flexibly integrate the prefrontal and limbic circuits underlying emotion regulation. Using a facial identification Stroop task with nonemotional and emotional stimuli, we found that women who reported more childhood abuse (N = 44) were no different from women reporting less childhood abuse (N = 45) on nonemotional conflict adaptation, but were significantly less able to adapt to emotional conflict. Women who reported more abuse were especially impaired in adapting to emotional conflict when incongruent stimuli involved a fearful face. These results help characterize the relation between cognitive control and emotion regulation and highlight the far-reaching effects of childhood abuse on cognitive-emotional flexibility.
AVO amplitude calibration without well control

When well-defined petrophysical relationships between compressional and shear-wave velocities and density exist for layers within a reference window above a target of interest, it is often possible to calibrate target amplitude variation with offset (AVO) in such a way that meaningful inversions for petrophysical parameters at the target level can then be obtained. We have developed an amplitude calibration algorithm that utilizes (1) inverted compressional wave impedance profiles from zero-offset sections, (2) corresponding pre-stack seismic models to predict the “correct” reference AVO response, (3) measurement of amplitude-versus-offset for selected reference events or time windows on the synthetic and real data, and (4) correction of the real gather by application of the resulting offset-dependent scalar. Tests on synthetic and real data show that the method can be effective when the underlying assumptions are valid.
Distribution and regulation of cyclic nucleotide levels in cerebellum, in vivo.

— In mouse cerebellum, in vivo. cyclic GMP levels are 7 pmol/mg protein in the vermis and 40% lower in the hemispheres, whereas cyclic AMP levels are 7 9 pmol/mg protein in both regions. In the vermis. most of the cyclic GMP is contained in the molecular layer; cyclic AMP levels are highest in the granular layer. Amphetamine, harmaline. pentylenetetrazol and physical shaking elevate, and diazepam and reserpine depress levels of cyclic GMP in both vermis and hemispheres. Oxotremorine and atropine, respectively, increase and decrease cyclic GMP levels only in vermis. Regardless of the agent used, most of the change (67 89%) in cyclic GMP levels occurs in the molecular layer of the vermis; the remainder occurs in the granular layer. Of the drugs tested, only pentylenetetrazol affects cyclic AMP levels, and this drug increases cyclic AMP levels in both vermis and hemispheres and causes equal elevations in the molecular and granular layers of the vermis. In incubated slices of mouse cerebellum, none of the drugs produces changes in cyclic nucleotide levels which are similar to those in vivo. These data indicate that many drugs and conditions that alter cyclic GMP levels in cerebellum act via a common, but indirect, process. We suggest that cyclic GMP levels in cerebellum are regulated by the activity of both the climbing fiber and mossy fiber cerebellar afferent systems. Increased activity in these afferent pathways causes elevation of cyclic GMP levels in Purkinje cells and perhaps in other cells; decreased activity leads to depressed cyclic GMP levels.
Risk of coronary artery compression among patients referred for transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation a multicenter experience

Background— The Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) was approved for implantation in obstructed right ventricular outflow tract conduits in 2010 after a multicenter trial demonstrating improvements in conduit obstruction, regurgitation, and right ventricular pressure. A recognized risk and contraindication to TPV implantation is the demonstration of coronary artery (CA) compression during balloon angioplasty or stent placement in the overlying conduit. This study is the first to characterize the risk of CA compression in this population. Methods and Results— From 2007 to 2012, 404 patients underwent 407 catheterizations for potential TPV implantation (median age, 18 years) at 4 centers. Three hundred forty-three patients (85%) underwent valve implantation. Twenty-one patients (5%) had evidence of CA compression with simultaneous right ventricular outflow tract angioplasty and CA angiography. Sixty-eight patients (17%) had abnormal CA anatomy. Fifteen of 21 (71%) patients with CA compression had abnormal CA anatomy. Eight patients with tetralogy of Fallot and 7 patients with transposition of the great arteries demonstrated compression. Of the 34 patients with tetralogy of Fallot and abnormal CA, 7 (21%) demonstrated CA compression. Conclusions— CA compression following TPV implantation can be catastrophic. CA compression was observed in 5% of patients during test balloon angioplasty. No patients in this study developed clinically apparent CA compression after TPV implantation. CA compression was significantly associated with the presence of abnormal CA anatomy, especially in patients with tetralogy of Fallot or transposition of the great arteries. Preimplantation coronary angiography with simultaneous test angioplasty is an important step to evaluate for the presence of CA compression during TPV implantation.
Ethics, Neuroimaging and Disorders of Consciousness: What Is the Question?

Antoine de Saint-Exupery once wrote that “the machine” plunges man deeply into the great problems of nature. While he was reflecting over the technology of flight, in this issue of AJOB Neuroscienc...
New alternative to normal phase HPLC automation using methylene chloride mobile phases: A synchronized dual switching valve loop injection system

Automatisation d'un systeme d'injection d'echantillons en chromatographie HPLC. Analyse d'un herbicide: le sulfometuron-methyl
Morphology off northern Honduras, northwestern Carribean Sea

Abstract Over 5500 km of sounding lines were used to construct a detailed bathymetric chart of the sea floor between Honduras and the southern Cayman Trough. The submarine morphology is related clearly to the tectonic setting. Complex transform faulting has ruptured the crust seaward of the Honduras continental margin into a series of deep grabens separated by irregular submarine ridges. Because of the proximity of the Cayman Trough, the western continental margin is a faulted platform characterized by an irregular shelf as narrow as 10 km and a steeply dipping slope; both shelf and slope have been modified substantially by the growth of thick reef masses. Further east, tectonism is reduced as a result of the divergent trends of the Cayman Trough and the Honduras continental margin. Consequently, the eastern margin sector is a depositional platform consisting mostly of a broad, smooth shelf and gentle slopes. Submarine erosion and local slumping have steepened the slope throughout the area.
Effects of extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields on biological magnetite

Adair [Bioelectromagnetics 14:1-4, 1993] writes that "the effects of 60 Hz magnetic fields of 5 microT (50 mG) or less on biological structures holding magnetite (Fe3O4) are shown to be much smaller than those from thermal agitation; hence such interactions cannot be expected to be biologically significant." This conclusion is questioned, because it appears to be based on a model that probably has very limited validity for pertinent biological systems. Furthermore, biologically plausible parameters can be selected to show that even this particular model does not exclude biologically significant effects of 60 Hz magnetic fields below 5 microT. Reported experimental results indicate effects in mammals of 50 Hz fields at the 1 microT level.
Chemical Markers for Aroma of Vitis vinifera Var. Chardonnay Regional Wines

Since objective measures of appellations are needed for wine, California Vitis vinifera Var. Chardonnay wines (n = 48) were surveyed for several aroma compounds including esters, norisoprenoids, and terpenes. For the first time concentrations of volatile fragrances were directly correlated with descriptive analysis scores that statistical analysis of the sensory data showed were associated with regional uniqueness and distinctness. Sensory scores for 10 terms used by industry quality experts to describe wines from four regions were compared to the concentrations of over 30 wine chemical compounds. Frequency of use of individual grape-based aroma terms were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with linalool, 1,1,6-trimethyldihydronaphthalene, 3-methylbutyl acetate, ethyl 2-hydroxypropanoate, and 2-phenylethanol. Linalool concentrations were also correlated with α-terpineol. Also, 4-terpineol, geraniol, nerol, and linalool oxide (furan) were found in Chardonnay wines from all of the regions of California. Ke...
Tourette syndrome : The self under siege

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics--rapid, repetitive, stereotyped movements or vocalizations. Tourette syndrome typically has a prepubertal onset, and boys are more commonly affected than girls. Symptoms usually begin with transient bouts of simple motor tics. By age 10 years, most children are aware of nearly irresistible somatosensory urges that precede the tics. These urges likely reflect a defect in sensorimotor gating because they intrude into the child's conscious awareness and become a source of distraction and distress. A momentary sense of relief typically follows the completion of a tic. Over the course of hours, tics occur in bouts, with a regular intertic interval. Tics increase during periods of emotional excitement and fatigue. Tics can become "complex" in nature and appear to be purposeful. Tics can be willfully suppressed for brief intervals and can be evoked by the mere mention of them. Tics typically diminish during periods of goal-directed behavior, especially those that involve both heightened attention and fine motor or vocal control, as occur in musical and athletic performances. Over the course of months, tics wax and wane. New tics appear, often in response to new sources of somatosensory irritation, such as the appearance of a persistent vocal tic (a cough) following a cold. Over the course of years, tic severity typically peaks between 8 and 12 years of age. By the end of the second decade of life, many individuals are virtually tic free. Less than 20% of cases continue to experience clinically impairing tics as adults. Tics rarely occur in isolation, and other coexisting conditions--such as behavioral disinhibition, hypersensitivity to a broad range of sensory stimuli, problems with visual motor integration, procedural learning difficulties, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, and emotional instability--are often a greater source of impairment than the tics themselves. Emerging behavioral treatments of Tourette syndrome are based in part on an understanding of the moment-to-moment experience of somatosensory urges and motor response. With identification of specific genes of major effect and advances in our understanding of the neural circuitry of sensorimotor gating, habit formation, and procedural memory--together with insights from postmortem brain studies, in vivo brain imaging, and electrophysiologic recordings--we might be on the threshold of a deeper understanding of the phenomenology and natural history of Tourette syndrome.
Mechanical circulatory support: devices, outcomes and complications

Systolic heart failure is a problem of substantial magnitude worldwide. Over the last 25 years great progress has been made in the medical management of heart failure with the recognition of the benefits of beta-adrenergic blockade, modulation of the renin-angiotensin and mineralocorticoid axes and judicious diuretic therapy. In addition, cardiac resynchronization therapy and prophylactic implantation of cardiac defibrillators have been responsible for measurable benefits in terms of functional status and dysrhythmia-related mortality, respectively. Unfortunately, progressive cardiac dysfunction often results in activity limitation, symptoms at rest, hospital admission, end-organ dysfunction and death despite maximal implementation of standard therapies. Heart transplantation has been a dramatic and effective therapy for end-stage heart failure, but it remains limited by a shortage of donor organs, strict criteria defining acceptable recipients and often unsatisfactory long-term success. Mechanical alternatives to support the failing circulation have been sought for the last 50 years. The history of device development has been marked in general by the slow progress achieved by a few dedicated and persevering pioneers. In the past decade, however, evolving technology has dramatically changed the field and broadened the options for the treatment of advanced heart failure. This review will detail the important milestones and the current state of the art, with an emphasis on implantable devices for intermediate to long term support.
Measuring blood delivery to solitary pulmonary nodules using perfusion magnetic resonance imaging

With perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI), perfusion describes the amount of blood passing through a block of tissue in a certain period of time. In pMRI, the tissue having more blood passing through will show higher intensity value as more contrast-labeled blood arrives. Perfusion reflects the delivery of essential nutrients to a block of tissue, and is an important parameter for the tissue status. Considering solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN), perfusion differences between malignant and benign nodules have been studied by different techniques. Much effort has been put into its characterization. In this paper, we proposed and implemented extraction of the SPN time intensity profile to measure blood delivery to solitary pulmonary nodules, describing their perfusion effects. In this method, a SPN time intensity profile is created based on intensity values of the solitary pulmonary nodule in lung pMRI images over time. This method has two steps: nodule tracking and profile clustering. Nodule tracking aligns the solitary pulmonary nodule in pMRI images taken at different time points, dealing with nodule movement resulted from breathing and body movement. Profile clustering implements segmentation of the nodule region and extraction of the time intensity profile of a solitary pulmonary nodule. SPN time intensity profiles reflect patterns of blood delivery to solitary pulmonary nodules, giving us a description of perfusion effect and indirect evidence of tumor angiogenesis. Analysis on SPN time intensity profiles will help the diagnosis of malignant nodules for early lung cancer detection.
Performing traffic analysis on a wireless identifier-free link layer

Recent work has focused on removing explicit network identifiers (such as MAC addresses) from the wireless link layer to protect users' privacy. However, despite comprehensive proposals to conceal all information encoded in the bits of the headers and payloads of network packets, we find that a straightforward attack on a physical layer property yields information that aids in the profiling of users. In this paper, a statistical technique is developed to associate wireless packets with their respective transmitters solely using the signal strengths of overheard packets. Through experiments conducted in a real indoor office building environment, we demonstrate that packets with no explicit identifiers can be grouped together by their respective transmitters with high accuracy. We next show that this technique is sufficiently accurate to allow an adversary to conduct a variety of complex traffic analysis attacks. As an example, we demonstrate that one type of traffic analysis--a website fingerprinting attack--can be successfully implemented after packets have been associated with their transmitters. Finally, we propose and evaluate techniques that can introduce noise into the measurements of such physical layer phenomena to obfuscate the identifiers derived from them.
On the deleterious effects of a priori objectives on evolution and representation

Evolutionary algorithms are often evaluated by measuring and comparing their ability to consistently reach objectives chosen a priori by researchers. Yet recent results from experiments without explicit a priori objectives, such as in Picbreeder and with the novelty search algorithm, raise the question of whether the very act of setting an objective is exacting a subtle price. Nature provides another hint that the reigning objective-based paradigm may be obfuscating evolutionary computation's true potential; after all, many of the greatest discoveries of natural evolution, such as flight and human-level intelligence, were not set as a priori objectives at the beginning of the search. The dangerous question is whether such triumphs only result because they were not objectives. To examine this question, this paper takes the unusual experimental approach of attempting to re-evolve images that were already once evolved on Picbreeder. In effect, images that were originally discovered serendipitously become a priori objectives for a new experiment with the same algorithm. Therefore, the resulting failure to reproduce the very same results cannot be blamed on the evolutionary algorithm, setting the stage for a contemplation of the price we pay for evaluating our algorithms only for their ability to achieve preconceived objectives.
Influence of the Entrance Region on Particle Capture During Transport Through a Crack

A numerical study was performed of particle capture in the entrance region of a crack, with computational domain consisting of the crack channel and inlet and exit reservoirs that are much larger than the channel width. The simulations examined different mechanisms for particle capture within the channel entrance region, including collision on the inlet reservoir wall just outside the crack channel, collision within the crack channel due to cross-stream inertia imparted by the entrance flow, collision induced by Brownian diffusion both on the inlet reservoir wall outside of the channel and within the channel, and gravitational collision within the channel. A detailed study of the variation of the entrance penetration factor with parameters such as the Stokes, Peclet, and Froude numbers was performed, and comparison of the numerical predictions with different theoretical expressions was made when the latter were available. Validity of the assumption of penetration factor independence was also examined for ...
Mayordomia: Ritual, Gender and Cultural Identity in a Zapotec Community

Mayordomia: Ritual, Gender and Cultural Identity in. Zapotec Community. 1991. video by Lynn Stephen. 20 minutes, color. Purchase $100; rental $25 from University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713 (800-252-3206).
Squamous carcinoma of urinary bladder

The clinical course of 56 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder and poorly differentiated transitional cell carcinoma with squamous metaplasia were compared. Survival was evaluated to compare treatments and biologic potentials of these neoplasms. Squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder behaves as poorly differentiated transitional cell carcinoma with squamous metaplasia, and survival is significantly poorer than in poorly differentiated transitional cell carcinoma. While survivals are limited, only radical, surgical extirpation can be associated with significant patient salvage.
Teaching and evaluation of physical examination skills on the surgical clerkship

It is presumed that graduating medical students possess adequate physical examination skills, although they are rarely evaluated during the clinical years. In this study we assessed the physical examination skills of third‐year medical students at the beginning and end of a surgical clerkship and investigated the effect of clerkship experiences and formal feedback on maturation of these skills. Sixty‐seven third‐year students completed a course on physical examination during their second year of medical school and achieved a 90% performance level on a physical examination performed on a patient instructor. This group subsequently performed a focused physical examination (chest, abdomen, groin [hernia], and external genitalia) during Week 1 and Week 6 of a 6‐week third‐year surgical clerkship. The physical examination was observed and evaluated using a 38‐item checklist; feedback was provided immediately after the first examination. Pretest performance was significantly poorer than that achieved in the sec...
Patterns of Lichen Diversity in Yellowstone National Park

We here report 359 species in 103 genera from Yellowstone National Park. We found 71.3% of the total number of species in Picea engelmannii forests and 57.4% of the total number in Pseudotsuga menziesii stands. This compares to 42.3% of the species in Pinus contorta and 37.0% of the species in Pinus contorta/Pinus albicaulis stands. The presence of old Pseudotsuga menziesii and mature Picea engelmannii indicates that the forests have not burned for at least 300 yr, contributing to higher lichen diversity. The drier lodgepole pine and whitebark pine forests burn more frequently than every 300 yr and have fewer microhabitats for lichen growth. Species with thalli large enough to identify are beginning to recolonize substrates burned in the 1988 fires. Bryoria fremontii and Letharia vulpina exhibit levels of mercury and sulfur higher than those in other specimens in the region.
Degranulation of human neutrophils after exposure to bacterial phospholipase C.

Because an endogenous phospholipase C (PLC) participates in neutrophil activation and because many bacterial pathogens produce PLCs, these studies examined the effect of PLC fromBacillus cereus on the release of the granule enzyme lysozyme from human neutrophils.Bacillus cereus PLC caused dose-dependent lysozyme release, and combined stimulation of neutrophils with PLC and fluoride led to increased secretion. Stimulation of neutrophil degranulation is a potential contributing factor for tissue damage in infections caused by PLC-producing organisms.
Dynamical theory of thermal neutron scattering. I. Diffraction from magnetic crystals

A general two-beam dynamical theory of the elastic scattering of a thermal neutron from arbitrary magnetic structures is presented. Using a density-matrix formalism, general expressions are developed to compute the scattering cross section as well as the final state of polarization of the emerging neutron. Emphasis is placed on those features of scattering which arise due to the spin of the neutron. Detailed calculations have been carried out for spiral structures, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spin arrangements, and the results are compared with those of kinematical theory. As an illustration, the calculation for the flipping ratio $R$ for the Mn${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$ (210) peak in the symmetrical Laue configuration indicates that according to dynamical theory $R$ can take arbitrary values when the thickness of the crystal or wavelength of the incident neutron is varied.
Non-carious interproximal grooves in Arikara Indian dentitions.

The dentitions of adult Arikara Indians from the Larson site (39WW2) were examined to determine the frequency and etiology of noncarious interproximal grooves. The observations included groove morphology, loci and association with dental pathology. Approximately 30% of the individuals exhibit one or more pronounced grooves. The use of dental probes in conjunction with dietary grit is the likely factor responsible for interproximal grooves in this population sample.
Flame-vortex interaction driven combustion dynamics in a backward-facing step combustor

Abstract The combustion dynamics of propane–hydrogen mixtures are investigated in an atmospheric pressure, lean, premixed backward-facing step combustor. We systematically vary the equivalence ratio, inlet temperature and fuel composition to determine the stability map of the combustor. Simultaneous pressure, velocity, heat release rate and equivalence ratio measurements and high-speed video from the experiments are used to identify and characterize several distinct operating modes. When fuel is injected far upstream from the step, the equivalence ratio entering the flame is temporally and spatially uniform, and the combustion dynamics are governed only by flame–vortex interactions. Four distinct dynamic regimes are observed depending on the operating parameters. At high but lean equivalence ratios, the flame is unstable and oscillates strongly as it is wrapped around the large unsteady wake vortex. At intermediate equivalence ratios, weakly oscillating quasi-stable flames are observed. Near the lean blowout limit, long stable flames extending from the corner of the step are formed. At atmospheric inlet temperature, the unstable mode resonates at the 1/4 wavemode of the combustor. As the inlet temperature is increased, the 5/4 wavemode of the combustor is excited at high but lean equivalence ratios, forming the high-frequency unstable flames. Higher hydrogen concentration in the fuel and higher inlet temperatures reduce the equivalence ratios at which the transitions between regimes are observed. We plot combustion dynamics maps or the response curves, that is the overall sound pressure level as a function of the equivalence ratio, for different operating conditions. We demonstrate that numerical results of strained premixed flames can be used to collapse the response curves describing the transitions among the dynamic modes onto a function of the heat release rate parameter alone, rather than a function dependent on the equivalence ratio, inlet temperature and fuel composition separately. We formulate a theory for predicting the critical values of the heat release parameter at which quasi-stable to unstable and unstable to high-frequency unstable modes take place.
Electroosmotic sampling. Application to determination of ectopeptidase activity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures.

We hypothesize that peptide-containing solutions pulled through tissue should reveal the presence and activity of peptidases in the tissue. Using the natural ζ-potential in the organotypic hippocampal slice culture (OHSC), physiological fluids can be pulled through the tissue with an electric field. The hydrolysis of the peptides present in the fluid drawn through the tissue can be determined using capillary HPLC with electrochemical detection of the biuret complexes of the peptides following a postcolumn reaction. We have characterized this new sampling method by measuring the flow rate, examining the use of internal standards, and examining cell death caused by sampling. The sampling flow rate ranges from 60 to 150 nL/min with a 150 μm (ID) sampling capillary with an electric field (at the tip of the capillary) from 30 to 60 V/cm. Cell death can be negligible with controlled sampling conditions. Using this sampling approach, we have electroosmotically pulled Leu-enkephalin through OHSCs to identify ecto...
Karate instruction as a type of craze: An application of smelser's determinants

Smelser's theory of collective behavior was applied to a case study of fifty karate students to get an indication of whether or not the recent rise in popularity of karate instruction should be considered a craze that is likely to decline in the future. For comparative purposes a small sample of health spa members were also questioned, since spa participation can provide some of the same physical conditioning benefits at a comparable cost. Compared with spa members, karatekas showed greater evidence of a wish‐fulfillment generalized belief that would lead to learning karate as a means of self‐defense. Karatekas showed a greater fear of criminal victimization and a stronger belief in the effectiveness of karate. All six determinants, including social control, were found, leading to the conclusion that karate instruction is likely to follow a crazelike pattern and decline in popularity, but not completely disappear.
The Challenge of Automobile Design for the 1970s

Although we have long been concerned with functional considerations in automobile design, there is an ever-increasing, sometimes conflicting, series of demands upon the automobile designer today. Some of the problems outside aesthetics which face the designer in the 1970s are outlined and the ways in which GM styling plans to adopt advanced technology to make the designer's job more efficient. The final section deals with the designer's role in society. The designer is a true artist who reflects, and even anticipates, the conditions of the society which surrounds him.
On the relationship between emotion and cognition

The current view of brain organization supports the notion that there is a considerable degree of functional specialization and that many regions can be conceptualized as either 'affective' or 'cognitive'. Popular examples are the amygdala in the domain of emotion and the lateral prefrontal cortex in the case of cognition. This prevalent view is problematic for a number of reasons. Here, I will argue that complex cognitive-emotional behaviours have their basis in dynamic coalitions of networks of brain areas, none of which should be conceptualized as specifically affective or cognitive. Central to cognitive-emotional interactions are brain areas with a high degree of connectivity, called hubs, which are critical for regulating the flow and integration of information between regions.
A model for designing intelligent tutoring systems

A model for the design of an intelligent tutoring system is presented using artificial intelligence techniques and cognitive processing theories. The model of cognitive processing known as the Knowledge Acquisition and Recall Theory is derived from Anderson's Adaptive Control of Thought Theory. The model is used as a basis for a methodology for the design of an intelligent tutoring system that teaches problem-solving strategies for blood grouping discrepancies. The system developed was tested to determine the effectiveness of the methodology developed and to provide support for the concepts in the model of cognition developed. The preliminary results provide some evidence that an intelligent tutoring system designed using the methodology developed may aid in the knowledge acquisition process. (knowledge acquisition, artificial intelligence, computer-assisted instruction, cognition, intelligent tutoring system).
Proper and improper aminoketyl radicals in electron-based peptide dissociations

Abstract Two types of aminoketyl radicals and cation-radicals are distinguished by each's structure and reactivity. As proper aminoketyl radicals we denote the presumed intermediates of N Cα bond dissociations induced by electron attachment to protonated peptides. These radicals have pyramidized aminoketyl groups, CαC (OH)NH , high spin density on the central carbon atom, and undergo facile N Cα bond dissociations. The critical energies for N Cα bond cleavages in proper aminoketyl radicals are summarized here and typically do not exceed 60 kJ mol−1 in peptide cation-radicals. In contrast, a different type of intermediates, which we call improper aminoketyl radicals, is formed by collisional dissociation of peptide cation-radicals, such as decarboxylation of zn fragments. Improper aminoketyl radicals have near planar CαC(OH)NH groups, and the spin density is delocalized over several atoms adjacent to the aminoketyl moiety. Improper aminoketyl radicals show higher transition energies for N Cα bond cleavage and undergo H-atom transfers resulting in side-chain losses.
THE GENETIC ABLATION OF CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 PREVENTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS

Objective. To determine the effects of cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and COX-2 gene deletion on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Methods. Mice that were susceptible to CIA but lacked either the COX-1 or the COX-2 gene were immunized with type II collagen (CII), and the incidence and severity of arthritis were compared with findings in wild-type animals, by clinical and histologic examination. The immune response was assessed by measuring total CII IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 antibody production in sera from immunized mice. The passive transfer of arthritis, accomplished using anti-CII monoclonal antibodies, was tested in wild-type and COX-deficient (-/-) mice. Splenocytes cultured from CII-immunized wild-type and COX-/- mice were challenged with bovine α1 (II), and cytokine production was assessed. Results. COX-2 gene deletion reduced the incidence and severity of CIA compared with findings in wild-type and COX.1-/- mice. Histologic examination of joints after the onset of clinical arthritis revealed cartilage erosions, proliferation of the synovial lining, and inflammatory cell infiltration in wild-type and COX-1-/- mice, but not in COX-2-/- mice. COX-2-/- mice exhibited reduced anti-CII IgG antibody levels, indicating a decreased immune response. However, cytokine production by spleen cells from immunized mice indicated no cytokine deficiencies in COX-2-/- mice compared with wild-type or COX-1-/-mice. More important, arthritis could not be passively transferred to naive COX-2-/- mice, indicating a requirement for COX-2 in the pathogenesis of arthritis, independent of the immune response. Conclusion. COX-2-/- mice exhibit at least 2 defects resulting in down-modulation of the development of CIA: a reduced immune response to CII demonstrated by a markedly reduced antibody titer, and an inflammatory defect reflected by the inability to passively transfer arthritis to COX-2-/- mice.
THE CYTOCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF NITRO BLUE TETRAZOLIUM AS AN INDEX OF POLLEN VIABILITY

A B S T R A C T A new technique for estimating pollen viability utilizing Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (Nitro-BT) is given. Pollen of 16 taxa was studied and scored for stainability. A comparison was made between Nitro-BT-stained pollen samples and aniline-blue-lactophenol-stained samples, because the validity of the latter stain has been questioned in recent years. It is demonstrated that Nitro-BT can discriminate between pollens which have a capacity for oxidative metabolism, representing potential viability, and those which do not. Suggestions for pollen stainability studies are given. POLLEN stainability data, as indicated by Lawrence (1951), may be a valuable tool for the taxonomist in attempting to distinguish putative hybrids from nonhybrids. This is based on the fact that pollen of many hybrids is shrunken and flaccid and, therefore, nonstainable and nonviable. In contrast, viable pollen grains possess intact nuclear and cytoplaslmic material and stain readily with 12KI, aceto-carmine, and aniline (cotton) blue in lactophenol. The validity of pollen stainability tests has been questioned in recent years. King (1961) emphasized that the most widely used techniques for staining pollen grains give results which have not been associated with viability. Long (1959) indicated that the aniline-blue-lactophenol technique can be considered only as a rough indicator of relative fertility. Little difficulty is encountered in determining
State Crises and Nationalities Conflict in Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia

State disintegration and nationalities conflict has emerged as perhaps the central concern of intellectuals and policymakers throughout the contemporary world. This article undertakes, within a theoretical and conceptual framework, a comparative analysis of the causation of state crises and nationalities conflict in two particularly stark, but apparently disparate, cases: Sri Lanka and the former Yugoslavia. The author emphatically denies that the eruption of protracted civil war in these countries is due to preexisting ethnic animosities between peoples. Instead, he takes a dynamic view of the concept of the nation and explains the formation (and transformation) of nationalist constituencies and sentiments in Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia in terms of a process of dialectical interaction between the modern state and diverse civil societies. The state crises in Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia, he argues, can be best understood through a critical focus on how centralist, unitarist strategic elites at the helm of state ...
Highly active zinc finger nucleases by extended modular assembly

Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) are important tools for genome engineering. Despite intense interest by many academic groups, the lack of robust noncommercial methods has hindered their widespread use. The modular assembly (MA) of ZFNs from publicly available one-finger archives provides a rapid method to create proteins that can recognize a very broad spectrum of DNA sequences. However, three- and four-finger arrays often fail to produce active nucleases. Efforts to improve the specificity of the one-finger archives have not increased the success rate above 25%, suggesting that the MA method might be inherently inefficient due to its insensitivity to context-dependent effects. Here we present the first systematic study on the effect of array length on ZFN activity. ZFNs composed of six-finger MA arrays produced mutations at 15 of 21 (71%) targeted loci in human and mouse cells. A novel drop-out linker scheme was used to rapidly assess three- to six-finger combinations, demonstrating that shorter arrays could improve activity in some cases. Analysis of 268 array variants revealed that half of MA ZFNs of any array composition that exceed an ab initio B-score cutoff of 15 were active. These results suggest that, when used appropriately, MA ZFNs are able to target more DNA sequences with higher success rates than other current methods.
Surface reconstruction using shadow profilometry

Digital image analysis has rich potential in application to post-disaster forensic investigations. The underlying concept is to reconstruct the exterior surfaces of object fragments that failed under load or were torn apart because of explosive forces. The surface reconstruction technique must be sufficiently accurate to capture detailed characteristics of small samples for identification and classification of the object under examination. This paper presents an inexpensive technique for constructing a digital image of a three dimensional surface of very small objects which preserves the minor details via two dimensional slices produced using shadow profilometry.
The Relationship between Patient Satisfaction with Service Quality and Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - Is Self-Rated Health a Potential Confounder?

Background/Aims Previously we reported that higher patient satisfaction (PS) with service quality is associated with favorable survival outcomes in a variety of cancers. However, we cautioned the readers that patients with greater satisfaction might be the ones with better self-rated health (SRH), a well-established prognosticator of cancer survival. In other words, SRH could potentially confound the PS and survival relationship. We investigated this hypothesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods 778 NSCLC patients (327 males and 451 females; mean age 58.8 years) treated at 4 Cancer Treatment Centers of America hospitals between July 2011 and March 2013. PS was measured on a 7-point scale ranging from “completely dissatisfied” to “completely satisfied”. SRH was measured on a 7-point scale ranging from “very poor” to “excellent”. Both were dichotomized into 2 categories: top box response (7) versus all others (1–6). Patient survival was the primary end point. Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between PS and survival controlling for covariates. Results 74, 70, 232 and 391 patients had stage I, II, III and IV disease respectively. 631 (81.1%) patients were “completely satisfied”. 184 (23.7%) patients had “excellent” SRH. There was a weak but significant correlation between overall PS and SRH (Kendall’s tau b = 0.19; p<0.001). On univariate analysis, “completely satisfied” patients had a significantly lower risk of mortality (HR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.99; p = 0.04). Similarly, patients with “excellent” SRH had a significantly lower risk of mortality (HR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.81; p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis controlling for stage at diagnosis, treatment history and gender, SRH was found to be a significant predictor of survival (HR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50 to 0.89; p = 0.007) while PS was not (HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.64 to 1.2; p = 0.32). Among the individual PS items, the only significant independent predictor of survival was “teams communicating with each other concerning your medical condition and treatment” (HR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.94; p = 0.03). Conclusion SRH appears to confound the PS-survival relationship in NSCLC. SRH should be used as a control/stratification variable in analyses involving PS as a predictor of clinical cancer outcomes.
Effect of chemical fixatives on accurate preservation of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis structure in cells prepared by freeze-substitution.

Five chemical fixatives were evaluated for their ability to accurately preserve bacterial ultrastructure during freeze-substitution of select Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis strains. Radioisotopes were specifically incorporated into the peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide, and nucleic acids of E. coli SFK11 and W7 and into the peptidoglycan and RNA of B. subtilis 168 and W23. The ease of extraction of radiolabels, as assessed by liquid scintillation counting during all stages of processing for freeze-substitution, was used as an indicator of cell structural integrity and retention of cellular chemical composition. Subsequent visual examination by electron microscopy was used to confirm ultrastructural conformation. The fixatives used were: 2% (wt/vol) osmium tetroxide and 2% (wt/vol) uranyl acetate; 2% (vol/vol) glutaraldehyde and 2% (wt/vol) uranyl acetate; 2% (vol/vol) acrolein and 2% (wt/vol) uranyl acetate; 2% (wt/vol) gallic acid; and 2% (wt/vol) uranyl acetate. All fixatives were prepared in a substitution solvent of anhydrous acetone. Extraction of cellular constituents depended on the chemical fixative used. A combination of 2% osmium tetroxide-2% uranyl acetate or 2% gallic acid alone resulted in optimum fixation as ascertained by least extraction of radiolabels. In both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, high levels of radiolabel were detected in the processing fluids in which 2% acrolein-2% uranyl acetate, 2% glutaraldehyde-2% uranyl acetate, or 2% uranyl acetate alone were used as fixatives. Ultrastructural variations were observed in cells freeze-substituted in the presence of different chemical fixatives. We recommend the use of osmium tetroxide and uranyl acetate in acetone for routine freeze-substitution of eubacteria, while gallic acid is recommended for use when microanalytical processing necessitates the omission of osmium. Images