cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Backward masking in vision

Recognition accuracy for capital letters, A, T, and U was assessed when the exposure of a letter was either accompanied or followed at delays of 0 to 250 ms. by exposure of a ring stimulus that circumscribed the letter. Recognition impairment was found when the ring occurred concurrently with the letter and when delayed after the letter as long as 68 ms.
A NEUROCHEMICAL STUDY OF THIOSEMICARBAZIDE SEIZURES AND THEIR INHIBITION BY AMINO-OXYACETIC ACID.

Abstract Effects of intravenous thiosemicarbazide were studied in dogs by recording cortical electrical activity and by analyzing cerebral tissue frozen in situ. Free amino acids and related substances were measured. Generalized seizures were accompanied by a decrease in γ-aminobutyric acid and increases in alanine, ammonia, lactic acid, and tyrosine. In another group of dogs, intravenous amino-oxyacetic acid induced a decrease in brain aspartic acid and increases in alanine, γ-aminobutyric acid, ammonia, glutamine, lactic acid, lysine, and tyrosine. The changes in aspartate, alanine, glutamine, and lactate may be secondary to the high brain ammonia, which in turn can be attributed at least in part to ammonia appearing in the blood. These chemical changes were usually accompanied by varying degrees of electrographic depression, but occasionally by signs of cerebral excitation and in one instance by a generalized seizure (the excitatory effects being more prominent at higher dose levels). Amino-oxyacetic acid had an inhibitory effect on thiosemicarbazide seizures. The inhibition was overcome by increasing the dose of thiosemicarbazide, although γ-aminobutyric acid in the brain remained above normal. The combined effects of the two drugs on the chemical pattern were essentially the same as the effect of amino-oxyacetic acid alone. Amino-oxyacetic acid raised the convulsive threshold to pentylenetetrazol but showed little antagonism to picrotoxin. The inhibitory effects of amino-oxyacetic acid may be due to the increase in brain of γ-aminobutyric acid. The excitatory effects of hydrazides and of amino-oxyacetic acid, which are carbonyl-trapping agents, may involve the same (unknown) basic mechanism, with a decrease in y-aminobutyric acid potentiating excitation by hydrazides and an increase opposing excitation by amino-oxyacetic acid.
Rotating target wheel system for super-heavy element production at ATLAS

A new scattering chamber housing a large diameter rotating target wheel has been designed and constructed in front of the Fragment Mass Analyzer (FMA) for the production of very heavy nuclei (Z>100) using beams from the Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System (ATLAS). In addition to the target and drive system, the chamber is extensively instrumented in order to monitor target performance and deterioration. Capabilities also exist to install rotating entrance and exit windows for gas cooling of the target within the scattering chamber. The design and initial tests are described.
Probing the Mechanical Coupling of the Cell Membrane to the Nucleus with Vertical Nanopillar Arrays

The structure of the nuclear envelope is crucial to many cell processes, from signal transduction to migration and motility, yet few studies have been carried out about the mechanical properties of the nuclear envelope. Previous studies rely on invasive techniques like micropipette aspiration that require isolation of the nucleus from the cell and neglect the participation of the cytoskeleton and extracellular membrane. In order to fully understand this process, we need a technique that can measure the response of the nucleus in intact cells as they function normally. For this purpose, we fabricated arrays of vertical nanopillars with various diameters, heights, and spacing to observe the extent of both plasma membrane deformation and nuclear deformation in response to non-invasive mechanical perturbation by vertical nanopillars. We found that while the plasma membrane is very flexible and conforms to the shape of the nanopillars, the nuclear membrane is much more rigid and deforms to a lesser degree. All three of those geometric parameters determine the stress relayed to the nucleus by the cell membrane and cytoskeleton. We investigated the contributions of different components of the cytoskeleton and found that while actin pulls the nucleus toward the cell membrane, intermediate filaments resist nuclear deformation. Nanostructures provide a new and exciting platform for studying cell and nuclear mechanics in length scales and contexts that are inaccessible to traditional techniques.
Chronophin mediates an ATP-sensing mechanism for cofilin dephosphorylation and neuronal cofilin-actin rod formation

Actin and its key regulatory component, cofilin, are found together in large rod-shaped assemblies in neurons subjected to energy stress. Such inclusions are also enriched in Alzheimer's disease brain, and appear in transgenic models of neurodegeneration. Neuronal insults, such as energy loss and/or oxidative stress, result in rapid dephosphorylation of the cellular cofilin pool prior to its assembly into rod-shaped inclusions. Although these events implicate a role for phosphatases in cofilin rod formation, a mechanism linking energy stress, phosphocofilin turnover, and subsequent rod assembly has been elusive. We demonstrate the ATP-sensitive interaction of the cofilin phosphatase chronophin (CIN) with the chaperone hsp90 to form a biosensor that mediates cofilin/actin rod formation. Our results suggest a model whereby attenuated interactions between CIN and hsp90 during ATP depletion enhance CIN-dependent cofilin dephosphorylation and consequent rod assembly, thereby providing a mechanism for the formation of pathological actin/cofilin aggregates during neurodegenerative energy flux.
The VLISP verified PreScheme compiler

This paper describes a verified compiler for PreScheme, the implementation language for the VLISP run-time system. The compiler and proof were divided into three parts: A transformational front end that translates source text into a core language, a syntax-directed compiler that translates the core language into a combinator-based tree-manipulation language, and a linearizer that translates combinator code into code for an abstract stored-program machine with linear memory for both data and code. This factorization enabled different proof techniques to be used for the different phases of the compiler, and also allowed the generation of good code Finally, the whole process was made possible by carefully defining the semantics of VLISP PreScheme rather than just adopting Scheme’s. We believe that the architecture of the compiler and its correctness proof can easily be applied to compilers for languages other than PreScheme.
Driver alertness monitoring techniques: a literature review

Recent studies show lack of driver alertness to be a major cause of automobile accidents on roadways across the world. The perceived state of alertness is a complex physiological and psychological phenomenon. This paper reviews factors contributing to and the symptoms of alertness loss and the existing methods used to measure driver alertness. Because of their remarkable pattern recognition capabilities, special attention is given to Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approaches to predict alertness levels.
HARMONIC OSCILLATOR POTENTIAL INSERTIONS IN PARTICLE LINES.

Abstract Brueckner calculations of the binding energy of finite nuclei are usually performed with harmonic oscillator single-particle wave functions. Therefore it is computationally more convenient to keep the oscillator potential in intermediate states and then subtract out its effects by calculating higher-order diagrams involving potential insertions in particle lines. It is found that the lowest-order diagram involving a single potential insertion in a particle line can be approximated by — κ U c.m. , where κ is the wound integral and U c.m . is the average over the c.m. potential energy of the pairs of particles in the nucleus which occupy relative S-states.
Procedures and processes in cognitive behavior therapy with children and adolescents

Development and empirical testing of innovative procedures has a long tradition within cognitive behavioral therapy. However, the discussion of psychotherapeutic processes and their integration with established procedures is a relatively neglected area. This article seeks to remedy this state of affairs and ideally stimulate further dialogue regarding the integration of processes and procedures. This article begins with a brief theoretical introduction and then includes sections on integrating psychotherapy processes with session structure, self-instruction, and rational analysis. Several techniques are described and numerous methods for working with young patients are recommended Development and empirical testing of innovative procedures has a long tradition within cognitive behavioral therapy. However, the discussion of psychotherapeutic processes and their integration with established procedures is a relatively neglected area. This article seeks to remedy this state of affairs and ideally stimulate further dialogue regarding the integration of processes and procedures. This article begins with a brief theoretical introduction and then includes sections on integrating psychotherapy processes with session structure, self-instruction, and rational analysis. Several techniques are described and numerous methods for working with young patients are recommended
Understanding the phases of recovery from serious mental illness: the roles of referent and expert power in a mutual‐help setting

This study explored an approach to studying recovery that is sensitive to the multiphase and contextual nature of the recovery process. The authors focused on the experience of recovery in a mutual-help group, Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA). Prior qualitative research conducted with SA revealed that SA participants experience four phases of recovery: (a) mourning and grief, (b) awareness and recognition, (c) redefinition and transformation, and (d) enhanced well-being and quality of life. Surveying a national sample of SA participants, they explored whether these four phases were predicted by different change mechanisms (i.e., referent and expert power) within SA and whether these mechanisms varied according to participants' role in the organization. Referent and expert power were found to differentially relate to the phases of recovery for members and leaders. They conclude that our understanding of the processes and contexts that facilitate recovery can be enhanced by using recovery models that are setting-specific and reflect the multifaceted nature of the recovery process. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THE PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DURING AND SUBSEQUENT TO A GREAT CONFLAGRATION

D URING the night of June 25, 1914, several thousand people in Salem, a sea-coast city of Massachusetts were made homeless by a fire. The burned area included a large manufacturing community. The entire burned area covered a mile in length from west to east and a varying width from a few hundred feet to more than half a mile. The population previous to the fire was about 40,000. On the day following the fire, the city was placed under martial law. On the morning of this day the Governor of the Commonwealth handed to me the f%4lowing document:
Quantification of latent tissue reservoirs and total body viral load in HIV-1 infection

The capacity of HIV-1 to establish latent infection of CD4+ T cells may allow viral persistence despite immune responses and antiretroviral therapy. Measurements of infectious virus and viral RNA in plasma and of infectious virus, viral DNA and viral messenger RNA species in infected cells all suggest that HIV-1 replication continues throughout the course of infection. Uncertainty remains over what fraction of CD4+ T cells are infected and whether there are latent reservoirs for the virus. We show here that during the asymptomatic phase of infection there is an extremely low total body load of latently infected resting CD4+ T cells with replication-competent integrated provirus (<10(7) cells). The most prevalent form of HIV-1 DNA in resting and activated CD4+ T cells is a full-length, linear, unintegrated form that is not replication competent. The infection progresses even though at any given time in the lymphoid tissues integrated HIV-1 DNA is present in only a minute fraction of the susceptible populations, including resting and activated CD4+ T cells and macrophages.
The response of materials to dynamic loading

Abstract The response of materials to hypervelocity impact spans a wide region of material behavior, ranging from high impact pressures and temperatures, where thermodynamic effects prevail, to low pressures where mechanical properties are important. This paper discusses thermomechanical and physical processes important to hypervelocity impact events, presents a perspective of theoretical foundations and provides an overview of current equation-of-state and constitutive modeling capabilities.
Protease Cleavage Sites in HIV-1 gp120 Recognized by Antigen Processing Enzymes Are Conserved and Located at Receptor Binding Sites

The identification of vaccine immunogens able to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) is a major goal in HIV vaccine research. Although it has been possible to produce recombinant envelope glycoproteins able to adsorb bNAbs from HIV-positive sera, immunization with these proteins has failed to elicit antibody responses effective against clinical isolates of HIV-1. Thus, the epitopes recognized by bNAbs are present on recombinant proteins, but they are not immunogenic. These results led us to consider the possibility that changes in the pattern of antigen processing might alter the immune response to the envelope glycoprotein to better elicit protective immunity. In these studies, we have defined protease cleavage sites on HIV gp120 recognized by three major human proteases (cathepsins L, S, and D) important for antigen processing and presentation. Remarkably, six of the eight sites identified in gp120 were highly conserved and clustered in regions of the molecule associated with receptor binding and/or the binding of neutralizing antibodies. These results suggested that HIV may have evolved to take advantage of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen processing enzymes in order to evade or direct the antiviral immune response.
Tomographic inversion for three-dimensional anisotropy of Earth’s inner core

Abstract Seismological studies generally suggest that the Earth’s inner core is anisotropic and the anisotropic structure changes significantly both laterally and with depth. Previous body-wave studies of the inner core have relied on ray tracing or waveform modeling using one-dimensional (1D) models. Here we present non-linear tomographic inversions of the inner core anisotropy using three-dimensional (3D) ray tracing, spline parameterization, and a large collection of PKP differential travel times. We adapt a pseudo-bending ray tracing (PBR) method in spherical coordinates for seismic rays that traverse the inner core (PKP(DF) phase). The method iteratively perturbs each discontinuity point and continuous segment of the ray through 3D earth structure so that its travel time is minimum. The 3D anisotropic structure of the inner core is approximated to the first order as 3D heterogeneous (but isotropic) structure for a given ray. The data are corrected using a scaled mantle tomographic model. The inner core anisotropy model obtained has the following major features. (1) The model has strong hemispherical and depth variation. The isotropic velocity in the topmost inner core is greater in quasi-eastern hemisphere (QEH) (40–160°E) than in quasi-western hemisphere (QWH) (other longitudes). The anisotropy is weak in QEH to the depth of 600–700 km below the inner core boundary (ICB), while in QWH, the anisotropy increases at much shallower depth (about 100–200 km below the ICB) to about 3–4%, then remains at about 2–4% throughout the rest of the inner core. (2) The anisotropy form changes abruptly (over a depth range of about 150 km) at the radius of about 600 km, slightly less than half of the inner core radius, forming a distinct inner inner core (IIC). The velocity in the IIC has maximums at equatorial and polar directions and minimum at an angle of about 40° from the equatorial plane. The velocity in the outer inner core (OIC), however, changes little for ray directions 0–40° from the equatorial plane. (3) Despite large variation of the anisotropy, the isotropic velocity (Voigt average) throughout the inner core is nearly uniform. The results suggest that the OIC is likely composed of the same type of iron crystals with uniform chemistry, but the IIC may be composed of a different type of crystal alignment, a different iron phase, or a different chemical composition. Our tests on model parameterization, mantle correction, and linear and non-linear inversion suggest the main features of our model are very robust. However, fine scale structures are likely to differ, particularly in the major transition zones, e.g., in the topmost QWH (isotropy to anisotropy), between OIC and IIC (change in the form of anisotropy), and between QEH and QWH in OIC (difference in anisotropy strength). Searches for possible waveform complications from these boundaries need to be aware of the directional dependence and geographical variation to be successful.
THE PERILS OF PARTICIPATION: EFFECTS OF CHOICE OF TRAINING ON TRAINEE MOTIVATION AND LEARNING

This study presents an empirical test of the effects of trainee choice of training on subsequent motivation and learning. 207 trainees were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) no choice of training; (b) choice of training–but choice not received; (c) choice of training–with choice received. A pilot study was used to create a unique training context whereby trainees could be differentiated on the three conditions of choice, while all ultimately received the identical training module. Results indicated that, after controlling for cognitive ability, those trainees having a choice of training did have greater motivation to learn, provided they were ultimately given the training of their choice. On the other hand, trainees allowed to choose but whose choice was not the training module subsequently delivered were less motivated and learned less than those not asked to participate in the choice of training at all. These findings suggest that, in an organizational training context, there may be some “perils of participation.” Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Statistical mechanics of noncovalent bonds in polyamino acids. II. Combinatorial formulation for short chains, including hydrophobic bonding in random coil†

A combinatorial formulation of the partition function is developed for short polypeptide chains, where summations can be evaluated. From the complete combinatorial expression it is possible to assess the validity of any approximations which are made in evaluating the partition function. It is shown that it is an excellent approximation to consider the hydrogen-bonded portion of a short (20 residues) chain as consisting of a single helical sequence of any size, with all sizes of helical sequences being about equally probable at the transition temperature. Another approximation, involving a linear dependence of the energy and entropy on the number of hydrogen bonds, helps to clarify the nature of the intermediate states in the denaturation process. Expressions are developed which incorporate the effect of hydrophobic bonds on the stability of the α-helix, and the binding of water to the random coil. It is concluded that hydrophobic bonds in helical sequences can greatly stabilize the helix, but that similar bonds in the random coil can largely offset this stabilization.
Understanding Reputational Crisis: Definition, Properties, and Consequences

To better understand the nature of reputational crisis, this study examined two crisis events using the corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) crisis categorization frameworks. This scenario-based experimental study validates the usefulness of the CA–CSR crisis categorization by demonstrating that not only do people actually discern differences between these two types of crises, but their awareness of a crisis type also influences their interpretation of the crisis, as well as their perceptions of and attitudes toward the target firm. In particular, this study shows that a CSR crisis, versus a CA crisis, is interpreted more seriously and, consequently, causes heavier damage to the evaluation of the firm. In addition, the halo effect of a favorable prior reputation was found in the CA crisis condition, but not in the CSR condition. Based on these findings, this study suggests that the recognition of CA and CSR crises provides a boundary condition, which determines divergent effect...
Treatment of Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is an uncommon autoimmune disorder characterized clinically by progressive, ultimately incapacitating ataxia and pathologically by destruction of cerebellar Purkinje cells, with variable loss of other cell populations. The disorder is most commonly associated with gynecological and breast carcinomas, small cell carcinoma of the lung, and Hodgkin’s disease and in most cases comes on prior to identification of the underlying neoplasm. The hallmark of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is the presence of an immune response reactive with intracellular proteins of Purkinje or other neurons or, less commonly, against neuronal surface antigens. Evidence-based treatment strategies for paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration do not exist; and approaches to therapy are thus speculative. Diagnosis and treatment of the underlying neoplasm is critical, and characterization of the antibody response involved may assist in tumor diagnosis. Most investigators have initiated treatment with corticosteroids, plasma exchange, or intravenous immunoglobulin G. Cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, rituximab, or possibly mycophenolate mofetil may warrant consideration in patients who fail to stabilize or improve on less aggressive therapies. Plasma exchange has been of questionable benefit when used alone but should be considered at initiation of treatment to achieve rapid lowering of circulating paraneoplastic autoantibodies. Because the course of illness is one of relentless neuronal destruction, time is of the essence in initiating treatment. Likelihood of clinical improvement in patients with longstanding symptoms and extensive neuronal loss is poor.
Fiber yield and quality of fiber nettle (Urtica dioica L.) cultivated in Italy.

Abstract To evaluate the production potential of fiber nettle crops in Tuscany (Italy), a German clone of fiber nettle was cultivated during 2006–2007. Although a longer experimentation is essential, the two first years of trials showed that the German clone used also seems to give good results in term of growth and fiber yield in an environment like central Italy, with higher temperatures and generally lower rainfall. Indeed the stalk mean dry matter obtained was about 15.4 Mg ha −1 with a mean fiber content of about 11% of stalk dry matter, and the resulting fiber yield was 1696 kg ha −1 , comparable to or higher than those reported in the literature. The differences in chemical, physical and mechanical characteristics of fibers extracted from different portions of stalks seemed to indicate an intrinsic heterogeneity of the fibers along the stem. Fiber mean diameter values ranged from 47 to 19 μm and fiber length from 43 to 58 mm moving from stalk bottom to top. Tensile strength of the bottom part of the stalk was much lower than that of the other parts, with mean values of about 24 and 60 cN tex −1 , respectively. More constant mean values along the stalk were found for the elongation parameter (2.3–2.6%). Lignin content decreased moving toward the stalk top from about 4.4% to 3.5%. These physical–mechanical characteristics confirmed the potential of the fibers of nettle cultivated in Tuscany to be used for textile purposes. Indeed they were similar to hemp fibers in diameter, lignin content and elongation, and similar to flax or cotton in tensile strength.
The nature and significance of osteopontin

Osteopontin is an acidic glycoprotein of about 41,500 daltons that has been isolated from rat, human and bovine bone. It is rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine and contains about 30 monosaccharides, including 10 sialic acids. Several types of data suggest that the carbohydrate is present as 1 N-glycoside and 5-6 O-glycosides while the phosphate is present as 12 phosphoserines and 1 phosphothreonine. The cDNA sequence indicated the presence of a Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser- (GRGDS) amino acid sequence identical to a cell binding sequence in fibronectin, and suggested that osteopontin might function as a cell attachment factor. This conclusion is supported by a number of studies showing that the protein promotes attachment and spreading of fibroblasts and osteoblasts to substratum, and that this attachment is inhibited by RGD-containing peptides. Despite this evidence that it contains an RGD recognition sequence and probably interacts with the family of receptors known as integrins, it appears that osteopontin does not possess a collagen-binding domain. Osteopontin is synthesized by preosteoblasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes, is secreted into osteoid and is incorporated into bone. The expression at an early developmental stage is an indication that osteopontin is an important component in the formation of bone. The level of synthesis of osteopontin by osteoblasts in culture is increased by treating these cells with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and TGF-beta. The effect of these agents is at the transcriptional level. In addition to bone cells, osteopontin is synthesized by extraosseous cells in the inner ear, brain, kidney, and deciduum and placenta. It is also synthesized by odontoblasts, certain bone marrow cells and hypertrophic chondrocytes. Studies with several fibroblast and epithelial-derived cell lines in culture indicate that secretion of osteopontin can be dramatically increased when these cells are treated with phorbol esters, growth factors and hormones. However, osteopontin does not appear to be expressed by mesenchymal cells, fibroblasts, epidermal cells or by most epithelial cells in vivo.
A Comparative Review of Comparative Politics Texts

Haynes, Jeffrey. Comparative Politics in a Globalizing World . Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2005. $28.95. Newton, Kenneth and Jan W. Van Deth. Foundations of Comparative Politics . Cambridge, UK: C...
Review of factors essential for blastocyst implantation for their modulating effects on the maternal immune system

Pituitary and ovarian hormones prepare the endometrium for successful blastocyst implantation and support its process directly or indirectly through the action of growth factors, cytokines and other molecules. Many of the blastocyst implantation essential factors (BIEFs) are modulators of the maternal immune system. Since little is known as to the action of these molecules on the uterine lymphocytes, its clarification is imperative to the understanding of the process of blastocyst implantation.
Ionic mechanisms in spontaneous vasomotion of the rat basilar artery in vivo

1. The goal of this study was to examine ionic mechanisms that modulate spontaneous rhythmic changes in vascular calibre or 'vasomotion' in the basilar artery in vivo. 2. Diameter of the basilar artery was measured through a craniotomy in anaesthetized rats under control conditions and during topical application of antagonists or alteration in the ionic composition of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). 3. Both Ca2(+)-free CSF and the Ca2+ channel blocker, nimodipine, produced moderate dilatation of the basilar artery and abolished vasomotion. Increasing the concentration of Ca2+ in CSF from 1.7 to 5.0 mM did not affect the frequency of vasomotion, although the amplitude was increased slightly. 4. Both K(+)-free CSF and ouabain produced mild to moderate vasoconstriction and abolished vasomotion. In contrast, increasing the concentration of K+ in CSF produced vasodilatation of the basilar artery and decreased or abolished vasomotion depending on the degree of vasodilatation. 5. Tetrodotoxin had no effect on vasomotion. 6. These results suggest that vasomotion of the basilar artery in vivo is dependent on extracellular Ca2+ and K+, and on the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, and not dependent on Na+ channel.
Fountain effect pump phenomena for liquid helium transfer: thermodynamic system studies

Abstract Special constraints are imposed on liquid helium transfer in space relying on the fountain effect (thermomechanical effect) for the movement of liquid He II below the lambda point. The present Paper considers thermodynamic pump system options and compares performance figures with requirements of different system selections.
Image analysis of neuronal pathfinding on microfabricated substrates

We have used digital imaging microscopy to evaluate possible guidance mechanisms of mouse neuroblastoma cells cultured on microfabricated glass substrates. Substrates were bound with either small charged amine or uncharged alkane molecules using silane-coupling chemistry or covered with proteins (laminin, collagen, fibronectin, albumin) by adsorption. Photolithographic procedures were used to pattern substrates with amine - alkane, amine - protein and alkane - protein combinations. Interference reflection microscopy (IRM) was used to visualize sites of cellular attachment on substrates (focal and close contacts), and image processing techniques were used to quantify the results in three different ways: total cellular area in contact with a substrate, area corresponding to focal and close contacts, and the percentage of focal and close contacts on each substrate. Cells attached to and extended neurites on each of the substrates were tested. IRM images of growth cones displayed similar gray levels on amine, alkane, fibronectin, and albumin substrates, whereas images on laminin and collagen were brighter. Brightness on laminin substrates was correlated with less area of focal contact and greater area with no contact. When cells were provided with choices on patterned substrates, they displayed the following preference of attachment: laminin, fibronectin, collagen>amine>alkane>albumin. This hierarchy reflected greater total surface area on preferred substrates. There was, however, no correlation between the hierarchy and the area corresponding to focal and close contacts or the percentage of contacts on different substrates. Our results support several recent observations which demonstrated that guidance was not correlated with differential adhesivity. These results are more in line with the theory that guidance is controlled by a signal transduction mechanism that couples locomotion with activation of membrane receptors.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Winning the arguments on Capitol Hill

Harold Varmus enjoys a guide to the inner workings of the US Congress by legislator Henry Waxman.
Higher Education as Moral Community: Institutional Influences on Religious Participation During College

Borrowing from the literature on religion and deviance, the concept of moral communities is applied to religious and secular postsecondary education to explain institutional influences on student religious participation. Results from nationally representative panel data indicate that students attending Catholic and mainline Protestant affiliated institutions decline in religious participation at a faster rate than students attending evangelical institutions or students attending nonreligious public colleges and universities. This finding is consistent with Catholic and mainline Protestant institutions less successfully providing a shared moral order that legitimates religious language, motive, and behavior when compared to conservative Protestant colleges. At the same time, the religious and ethnic pluralism that activates minority religious identity at nonreligious public institutions is also less likely to be present on Catholic and mainline Protestant college campuses. Additional results indicate that evangelical students' religious participation declines while attending Catholic colleges and universities, while Catholic students increase their participation while attending evangelical institutions. The religious composition of students may act to alter friendship networks, and thus participation rates, on these campuses, although further research is necessary to validate the proposed institutional mechanisms.
Plain roentgenography for low-back pain. Finding needles in a haystack.

Back pain is a pervasively common problem, one often considered part of the orthopedic surgeon's domain. However, this patient complaint is common in the offices of internists1and rheumatologists2as well and rarely requires surgery. Some authors assert that plain roentgenography is part of the "minimal evaluation" for all patients with low-back pain. For a variety of reasons, however, there is a growing consensus that lumbar spine roentgenography should be limited to See also p 47. carefully selected patients3-5and a small number of views.4,6,7The value of plain films is restricted by a low yield of findings that alter therapy,8a poor association between roentgenographic findings and patient symptoms,8,9failure to reveal important lesions that clearly cause pain (eg, herniated disks), substantial gonadal irradiation,10frequent disagreements in interpretation,11and large aggregate costs. Perhaps because of conflicting expert recommendations in the past,
Measuring Traffic Congestion

A traffic congestion index was developed using data for California highways from 1976 through 1994. The technique yields a congestion measure that has several advantages. The index developed here can be applied to counties, urbanized areas, highway segments, or other portions of geographic areas or highway networks. The index allows cross-sectional and time-series comparisons that have only rarely been possible. What is most important is that the congestion index developed here is based on data that are readily available. The index is compared to others, based on Highway Performance Monitoring System data, and similarities and differences are illustrated. Important issues for future research and data collection efforts that can contribute to more refined congestion measurement are also discussed.
Sensemaking throughout adoption and the innovation‐decision process

Purpose – Current technology adoption research focuses on relationships between attitudes, intentions, behavior, and their various antecedents, but little is known about how these relationships develop and the processes by which adoption actually takes place. The purpose of this paper is to use Karl Weick's description of sensemaking from his book Sensemaking in Organizations, as a starting point for a sensemaking‐based perspective on adoption.Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes sensemaking, explains why it is an appropriate perspective for studying IT adoption, and discusses it briefly in terms of existing adoption‐related models and perspectives. The paper then discusses seven properties of sensemaking and their roles in the adoption process. A comparison of the sensemaking perspective of adoption to Rogers' innovation‐decision process model is presented. Finally, questions to guide future development of the sensemaking perspective on adoption are highlighted.Findings – Seven properties of...
Flavonoid Intake and Eye Health

In the modern era of evidence-based scientific medicine, there is little recognition of centuries of shaman observational evidence. Yet it is extremely difficult to conduct long duration controlled studies of large populations. The controversy surrounding the issue of flavonoid bioactivity and alleged benefits for eye health is also plagued by natural product industry marketing efforts that rely on small, often poorly designed studies. Ample laboratory evidence exists from in vitro and in vivo studies that provide plausible mechanistic evidence for flavonoid interactions relevant to visual function. Lacking are large randomized double-blind placebo-controlled studies in older subjects who have early signs of vision impairment. These studies could link flavonoid intake and bioavailability to efficacy in prevention of age related vision disorders that develop over decades. Support for clinical trials remains to be found before a full "recommendation" can be made regarding the value of diets high in flavonoids for eye health.
Quantum lattice gas representation for vector solitons

Quantum lattice gas algorithms are developed for the coupled-nonlinear Schrodinger (coupled-NLS) equations, equations that describe the propagation of pulses in birefringent fibers. When the cross-phase modulation factor is unity, the coupled-NLS reduce to the Manakov equations. The quantum lattice gas algorithm yields vector solitons for the fully integrable Manakov system that are in excellent agreement with exact results. Simulations are also presented for the interaction between a turbulent 2-soliton mode and a simple NLS 2-soliton mode. The quantum algorithm requires 4 qubits for each spatial node, with quantum entanglement required only between pairs of qubits through a unitary collision operator. The coupling between the qubits is achieved through a local phase change in the absolute value of the paired qubit wave functions. On symmetrizing the unitary streaming operators, the resulting quantum algorithm, which is unconditionally stable, is accurate to O(e2).
Redeform: Participatory 3D Printing in Public Spaces

Redeform presents an alternative vision of 3D printing that complicates common divisions between human/machine, abstract/concrete, and high/low tech. It invites people to perform the functions of a 3D printer in order to collaboratively construct digital models from everyday materials in everyday spaces. At TEI, Redeform will serve as a site for discussion about values in digital fabrication design.
Invariant fixed point in stratified continuum percolation

Stratified continuum percolation is a percolation model based upon self-similarity that can describe correlated transport and connectivity problems. It is demonstrated that this construction of correlated percolation retains some of the properties of random percolation. Most importantly, the critical threshold remains well defined, independent of changing correlations. These results introduce a new approach to understanding correlated flow systems.
Making sense of deviance: identifying dissociating cases within the case series approach.

The case series approach in cognitive neuropsychology provides a means to test theories that make quantitative predictions about associations between different components of the cognitive system [Schwartz, M. F., & Dell, G. S. (2010). Case series investigations in cognitive neuropsychology. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 27, 477–494]. However, even when the predicted association is borne out the study may include outliers—observations that deviate significantly from the rest of the data. These outliers may reveal individual cases whose cognitive impairments dissociate from other cases included in the study. These dissociating cases can pose a significant challenge to the theory being tested. Using a recent case series that investigated the underlying causes of letter perseveration in spelling [Fischer-Baum, S., & Rapp, B. (2012). Underlying cause(s) of letter perseveration errors. Neuropsychologia, 50, 305–318], I discuss statistical and theoretical issues that arise when using outlier detection techniques to...
In Situ Microstructural Control of Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/NiAl2O4 Composites from Layered Double Hydroxides

The transformation of Ni/Al layered double hydroxides to Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/NiAl2O4 composites was studied via X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The Ni/Al layered double hydroxide powders, with Ni2+:Al3+ cation ratios varying from 0.5 to 3.3, were first synthesized by a coprecipitation route. The powders were then reduced in a tube furnace under hydrogen to yield Ni/Al2O3 or under a CO/CO2 mixture to yield Ni/NiAl2O4. The reduced powders were uniaxially hot-pressed to form sintered pellets. In the case of the Ni/NiAl2O4 hot-pressed composites, the platelike morphology of the precursor was preserved in the final sintered microstructure. In contrast, due to the nucleation and growth mechanism that takes place in α-Al2O3, the Ni/Al2O3 hot-pressed composites exhibited no microstructural memory.
Chortí (Mayan) Ceremonial Organization1

A recent typology of the Mayas (Tax 1964) classified the Chorti of eastern Guatemala as intermediate between the Yucatec, where shamans have both individual and communal functions, and the peoples of the Guatemalan highlands, where shamans perform for individuals and communal ceremonies are performed by permanent organizations (cofradias). Reinterpreting published reports in the light of new fieldwork, the author suggests (1) that some aspects of Chorti society cast doubt on the aptness of a distinction between individual and communal functions and (2) that of the Chorti towns, all but one, Quezaltepeque, appear to fit the Yucatec pattern very closely, suggesting that Quezaltepeque has been affected by its exposure to western pilgrims passing through it en route to Esquipulas each year.
A decision-making framework for adaptive pain management

Pain management is a critical international health issue. The Eugene McDermott Center for Pain Management at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center conducted a two-stage interdisciplinary pain management program that considers a wide variety of treatments. Prior to treatment (beginning of Stage 1), an evaluation records the patient’s pain characteristics, medical history and related health parameters. A treatment regime is then determined. At the midpoint of the program (beginning of Stage 2), an evaluation is conducted to determine if an adjustment in the treatment should be made. A final evaluation is conducted at the end of the program to assess final outcomes. We structure this decision-making process using dynamic programming (DP) to generate adaptive treatment strategies for this two-stage program. An approximate DP solution method is employed in which state transition models are constructed empirically based on data from the pain management program, and the future value function is approximated using state space discretization based on a Latin hypercube design and artificial neural networks. The optimization seeks for treatment plans that minimize treatment dosage and pain levels simultaneously.
Learning landmark triples by experimentation

Abstract This article describes a method for learning a set of landmarks suitable for place navigation. The approach is novel in that it exploits the ability of a robot to learn through active perception in the task environment, similar to the learning by experimentation technique developed for LEX (Mitchell et al., 1990). The proposed strategy uses heuristics to select and rank candidate triples, then generates test cases to confirm that the best triple is sufficient. The method supports the use of multiple sensors with different computational and energy costs, where a utility function captures the tradeoff between navigational performance ranking and cost. Over 100 data points were collected on a mobile robot using a laser barcode reader and computer vision to identify landmarks. The results indicated that active perception and experimentation identified triples with better navigational properties. Furthermore, the learning process is proactive: it was shown to prevent the robot from learning a triple which was not visible over the entire navigational space and/or was not sufficient in practice.
Hypothesis testing in the learning of positive and negative linear functions

Abstract Subjects in two experiments had to learn to predict a numerical criterion, Y , on the basis of a numerical cue, X . Experiment 1 varied the algebraic sign of r XY and cue-criterion compatibility (similarity) in an attempt to discover why subjects have difficulty learning to use cues that are negatively correlated with a criterion. Compatibility was found to be the major determinant of learning. Experiment 2 showed that learning of negative linear functions was hindered by the presence of intermediate values of X , which were associated with intermediate values of Y . Removal of these intermediate values made the negative linear function much easier to learn. The results of both experiments were interpreted in terms of the subjects' ability to test hypotheses about functional relationships.
Fusing cubanes to 1,5-hexadiene

Density functional theory calculations are used to predict structures and reactivity (barriers for sigmatropic shifts and retrocycloadditions) of 1,5-hexadienes fused to cubanes.
Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of blanket tungsten films on silicon substrates for integrated circuit applications

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) of tungsten films using WF6/H2 chemistry has been studied. A statistical design of experiments approach and a surface response methodology were used to determine the most important process parameters and to obtain the best quality film possible in the parameter range studied. It was found that the deposition rate depends strongly on WF6 flow rate, temperature, and the interaction between hydrogen flow rate and temperature. The resistivity was found to have a strong dependence on WF6 and H2 flow rates and temperature. An activation energy of 0.4 eV was calculated for the reaction rate limited growth regime. Empirical equations for predicting the deposition rate and resistivity were obtained. The resistivity decreases with both increasing film thickness and grain size. The films grown in the studied process parameter range indicate that (110) is the preferred orientation for films deposited with low WF6/H2 flow rate ratios at all deposition temperatures (350–450°C), whereas, the (222) orientation dominates at high WF6/H2 flow ratios and high deposition temperatures. Also, the grain size is larger for (222) oriented films than for (110) oriented films. The results of this study suggest that high-quality, thin film tungsten can be deposited using APCVD.
Color image segmentation utilizing a customized Gabor filter

This paper presents a work on accurate image segmentation utilizing local image characteristics. Image features are measured by employing an appropriate Gabor filter with adaptively chosen size, orientation, frequency and phase for each pixel. An image property called phase divergence is used for the selection of the appropriate filter size. Characteristic features related to the change in brightness, color, texture and position are extracted for each pixel at the selected size of the filter. In order to cluster the pixels into different regions, the joint distribution of these pixel features is modeled by a mixture of Gaussians utilizing two variants of the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. The two different versions of EM used in this work for unsupervised clustering are: (1) penalized EM, and (2) penalized stochastic EM. Given the desired number of Gaussian mixture components, both the EM algorithms estimate the parameters of the mixture of Gaussians model that represents the joint distribution of pixel features. We determine the value of the number of models that best suits the natural number of clusters present in the image based on Schwarz criterion, which maximizes the posterior probability of the number of groups given the samples of observation. This segmentation algorithm has been tested on the images of the Berkeley segmentation benchmark and the performance have demonstrated the effectiveness, accuracy and superiority of the proposed method.