cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-decadal aerosol trends as a likely explanation of the global dimming/brightening transition

[1] Global average trends in solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface show a transition from dimming to brightening that occurred in about 1990. We show that the inter-annual trend in solar radiation between 1980 and 2000 mirrors the trend in primary emissions of SO2 and black carbon, which together contribute about one-third of global average aerosol optical depth. Combined global emissions of these two species peaked in 1988–1989. The two-decadal rate of decline in aerosol loading resulting from these emission changes, 0.13% yr−1, can be compared with the reported increase in solar radiation of 0.10% yr−1 in 1983–2001. Regional patterns of aerosol and radiation changes are also qualitatively consistent. We conclude that changes in the aerosol burden due to changing patterns of anthropogenic emissions are likely contributing to the trends in surface solar radiation.
Modeling the Effects of Interstitial Fluid Flow on a Single Osteocyte and Its Processes

In order to understand the manner in which local changes in mechanical environment are translated into cellular activity underlying tissue level bone adaptation, there is a need to explore fluid flow regimes at small scales such as the osteocyte. Recent developments provide impetus to model periosteocytic flow using computational fluid dynamics. In building this model, the local effects of fluid flow on the osteocyte cell body and its processes were analyzed. For each model, fluid flow was induced via a pressure gradient, and the CFD calculated, based on the Navier-Stokes equations, the shear stress at the cell-fluid interface and radial stress, acting normal to the cell surface. Based on the model, the osteocyte cell body is exposed primarily to effects of hydrodynamic pressure and the cell processes are exposed primarily to shear and radial stress, with highest stress gradients at sites where the process and the cell body intersect and where two cell processes join at the gap junction. Hence, this model simulates subcellular effects of fluid flow and suggests, for the first time to our knowledge, major differences in modes of loading between the domain of the cell body and that of the cell process.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Paternity after cryptorchidism: lack of correlation with age at orchidopexy

Objective To determine whether paternity is decreased among men who were formerly unilaterally or bilaterally cryptorchid and to ascertain whether paternity is related to their age at orchidopexy. Subjects and methods Men who underwent orchidopexy between 1955 and 1969 at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (363) and a group of age-matched control men (336) were surveyed by questionnaire and their medical records reviewed. Results Of the married men, significantly more of the unilateral cryptorchid (75%) and control (76%) groups had fathered children than had the bilateral cryptorchid group (P < 0.005). Furthermore, when the groups were compared during the period of regular intercourse with no contraception until conception of their first child, the bilateral group had relatively fewer conceptions during the first year and more after the first year. When the unilateral and bilateral groups were analysed separately, there was no relationship between either age at orchidopexy and paternity or between the age at orchidopexy and the duration of regular unprotected intercourse before conception. Conclusions Compared with a control group, paternity was compromised after bilateral, but not unilateral, cryptorchidism. Age at orchidopexy was not correlated with paternity.
Within-Row Irrigation Saves Water on Croplands

Abstract Excessive water use and soil erosion from furrow irrigation are two of the most serious management problems on irrigated silt loam soils in southern Idaho, U.S.A. These problems are especially serious on croplands planted to dry beans. In conventional bean production, fields are irrigated before planting to wet the entire soil surface. It is not unusual for farmers to apply as much as 30 cm of water over the entire field during a single preplanting irrigation. Results from this study showed that planting beans in the bottom of pre-irrigated furrows without soaking completely between the furrows reduced preplanting water application by 60%. The continuing within-row treatments reduced irrigation water use by 42% compared to conventional irrigation practices. Total bean yields on the preplanting, within-row treatments were not significantly different from the conventional treatments.
High-current-density monolayer CdSe/ZnS quantum dot light-emitting devices with oxide electrodes.

Films of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are promising for lighting technologies, but controlling how current flows through QD films remains a challenge. A new design for a QD light-emitting device that uses atomic layer deposition to fill the interstices between QDs with insulating oxide is introduced. It funnels current through the QDs themselves, thus increasing the light emission yield.
The fertility transition: Europe and the Third World compared.

This article compares the declines in fertility in Europe and the Third World. Lower levels of fertility were largely due to the adoption of innovative behavior within marriage. So far this transformation of reproduction has been monotonic and rapid. Socioeconomic development is associated with the timing of the onset of the transition and is responsible for differences among groups during the transition, although it is not yet possible to rule out alternative explanations such as ideational or institutional change. The pace and pervasiveness of the declines, however, suggest that a mechanism of diffusion is involved.
Dialogue, Culture, Critique: The Sociology of Culture and the New Sociological Imagination

In this paper, I show how the consideration of the role of the intellectual in democratic society informs an understanding of the critical project of the sociology of culture. This leads to a review of general sociological approaches to the problem of culture as they contribute to a critical project, suggesting the need for a distinctive conceptualization of the object of inquiry, “culture as the arts and sciences, broadly understood.” This approach requires making crucial distinctions, as well as studying key correlations. The distinctions are between: (1) Culture and Ideology, (2) High Culture and Autonomous Culture, and (3) Power and Knowledge. The correlations are between: (1) The Arts and Sciences, and Everyday Life, and (2) The Arts and Sciences, and Politics. At a time when the alternative to globalization is far from certain (this is what I get from the implicit debate between Calhoun and Beck), when the grounds for critique seem to be based on little more than nostalgic utopianism (this is how I understand Touraine’s prognosis of the end of society) or nostalgic pessimism (see Bauman) or hopeful pragmatism (Beck), I believe it is necessary to get closer to the pits of critical reflection and creative action in the cultural sphere. Casanova points to this in his consideration of religion in public life, even globalized religion (Casanova). Sassen (1998) suggests that we must understand globalization and its alternatives in their concrete local manifestations. Here, I would like to investigate secular alternatives, attempting to localize the critique of the global, showing how the traditions and projects of culture as the arts and sciences inform a collective intelligence with democratic deliberative dimensions (Pierre Levy). This is a call to keep alive critique in the postmodern circumstance, as part of an incomplete project of critical reflection and democratic action, a call for a sociology of culture as a key instrument for a renewed sociological imagination. The paper is centered on dialogue, (the relative autonomy of) culture, and critique.
Some unorthodox thoughts on China's unorthodox financial sector

1. Problems in China’s banking system China’s banks are undeniably in serious financial straits. Citigroup (2002) has estimated that the ratio of nonperforming loans (NPLs) at the four biggest state-owned commercial banks (SOCBs) to be about 35% at the beginning of 2002, and that the average capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of these four SOCBs to be 5%. In short, the bank recapitalization in late 1998, which had raised CAR to over 8%, was a wasted effort. The primary reasons for this rapid deterioration in the financial health of the banks are that the composition of the customer base has not changed, so that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain the biggest borrowers, and that there has been intermittent pressure on the banks since 1997 from the government to expand investment credit in order to combat deflation, and to expand social stability loans to reduce firm closures. The result is that the SOCBs are now in need of another round of recapitalization. In this situation of a fragile banking system, China has committed itself to opening up the banking system completely within 5 years of WTO accession (which it joined in December 2001). Foreign banks could conduct transactions in foreign currencies from the beginning of WTO membership, conduct transactions with the local corporate sector in Renminbi after 2 years, and conduct transactions with local households in local currencies after 5 years. Although foreign banks are likely to compete only in the coastal cities, at least in the initial period, the pressure on domestic banks could be high as the big four banks earn almost all of their profits from about the coastal cities. Because there is no explicit depositor insurance in
Synovial cysts and ganglia: The value of magnetic resonance imaging

Synovial and ganglion cysts commonly present in close proximity to joints and skeletal structures in rheumatic disorders. Familiarity with the presentation of these soft tissue masses can facilitate timely diagnosis and effective management, thus avoiding costly and potentially high-risk procedures to patients. Management usually consists of local, nonsurgical approaches. A patient with chronic joint deformities and clinical features primarily consistent with mixed connective tissue disease is described. Multiple localized masses developed at her right elbow and were identified on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as multiloculated cysts that dissected from the elbow joint. The cysts were treated successfully by needle aspiration and intraarticular corticosteroid injection. The clinical associations, diagnosis, treatment, and management of synovial cysts and ganglions are reviewed.
Mental health issues among migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Literature review and case illustrations.

Background and Objectives: It is well established from the European and North American literature that migration has a great impact on the mental health of the migrant population. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are home to more than 13 million non-nationals, yet the mental health status and psychological well-being of this large population has rarely been investigated. The majority of migrants are blue collar or domestic workers coming from the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia. There are isolated reports of psychosis and/or suicide among this 'at risk' population, but no reliable data are available. For this reason, we decided to conduct a systematic search of the literature to review the epidemiology and characteristics of the mental health issues of the migrant workers in the GCC countries. Methods: The literature search was conducted in both English and Arabic. The English search consisted of various words and combinations including migrant worker, domestic worker, mental health, Middl...
RCS: runtime resource and core scaling for power-constrained multi-core processors

Providing a sufficient voltage/frequency (V/F) scaling range is critical for effective power management. However, it has been fraught with decreasing nominal operating voltage and increasing manufacturing process variability that makes it harder to scale the minimum operating voltage (VMIN). In this paper, we first present a resource and core scaling (RCS) technique that jointly scales (i) the resources of a processor and (ii) the number of operating cores to maximize the performance of power-constrained multi-core processors. More specifically, we uniformly scale the resources that are both associated with each core (e.g., L1 caches and execution units (EUs)) and shared by all the cores (e.g., last-level cache (LLC)) as a means to compensate for lack of a V/F scaling range. Under the maximum power constraint, disabling some resources allows us to increase the number of operating cores, and vice versa. We demonstrate that the best RCS configuration for a given application can improve the geometric-mean performance by 21%. Second, we propose a runtime system that predicts the best RCS configuration for a given application and adapts the processor configuration accordingly at runtime. The runtime system only needs to examine a small fraction of runtime to predict the best RCS configuration with accuracy well over 90%, whereas the runtime overhead of prediction and adaptation is small. Finally, we propose to selectively scale the resources in RCS (dubbed sRCS) depending on application's characteristics and demonstrate that sRCS can offer 6% higher geometric-mean performance than RCS that uniformly scales the resources.
Models of neural novelty detectors, with similarities to cerebral cortex.

Abstract A novelty detector is a functional unit, that indicates whether an incoming stimulus is familiar or novel. Novelty detection is prevalent in the central nervous sytem (CNS), and is involved in various activities. Its basic characteristics are discussed first. Then, models of neural novelty detectors are described, and tested and evaluated in simulations. The simulations have shown that one novelty detector, the bi-compartmental, simulates very closely the behavior of neural novelty detectors. This model is constructed in a way that resembles the observed architecture and function of area 17, and similar regions in the cortex. The first step in novelty detection is data retrieval. The proposed novelty detectors can utilize various compatible modes of data storage and retrieval, and one of those has been utilized in the simulations.
Texture Manipulation and Its Impact on Electrical Propertiesof Zinc Phosphide Thin Films

Both randomly oriented and highly (220) textured thin films of zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) were grown by the close-space sublimation method. The effect of deposition parameters, such as pressure and substrate temperature, on the texture evolution has been established. It was found that the deposition temperature plays a dominant role in determining the preferred orientation whereas the ambient pressure (below 10 Torr) does not greatly affect the film texture. We further found that the microstrain changes from tensile at lower deposition temperatures to compressive at higher deposition temperatures. The preferred orientation also had a strong impact on the electrical resistivity of the films. The results provide guidance on the selection of substrate and deposition parameters to grow Zn3P2 thin films with desirable properties.
Chemical Synthesis of beta-Homonojirimycin, of Its N-Butyl Derivative, and of "Methyl Homoazacellobioside"

beta-Homonojirimycin (2) was prepared by the highly stereoselective double reductive amination of a 2,6-heptodiulose derivative (6 or 13) using ammonium formate and NaBH(3)CN. The process was unsuccessful with primary amines. The synthesis of N-butyl-beta-homonojirimycin (19) was achieved by the N-butanoylation of a derivative of 2 followed by the reduction of the resulting tertiary amide. Compound 19 was found to be completely devoid of anti-HIV activity, in marked contrast with N-butyl-1-deoxynojirimycin. The coupling of the 1-O-p-toluenesulfonyl derivative of 2, compound 20, with methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, followed by a deprotection step, provided pseudodisaccharide 23, the "homoaza" analog of methyl alpha-cellobioside and a potential inhibitor of beta-glucan-processing enzymes.
Cardiac pressure overload initiates a systemic stem cell response

Abstract Background aims Acute cardiac injury results in the activation and recruitment of resident and non-cardiac stem cells. In this study we sought to define the pattern of peripheral stem cells and resident cardiac stem cell (CSC) activation induced acutely by cardiac pressure overload (PO). Methods PO was induced in mice by transaortic constriction (TAC). CSC, endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-1 + cells were profiled in the heart, spleen and bone marrow after TAC by flow cytometry. Results The combination of a systemic and local stem cell response resulted in increases in SSEA-1 + cells and EPC in the heart 7 and 14 days post-TAC, respectively. Locally, modest SSEA-1 + proliferation at 4 days preceded the elevated myocardial stem cell number. We observed no significant proliferation of EPC and CSC in the heart. The systemic stem cell response was characterized by a biphasic loss of splenic SSEA-1 + cells at 2 and 7 days post-TAC and loss of bone marrow and spleen EPC at 4 and 7 days, respectively. Spleen size changed dynamically after TAC. A negligible response of HSC to TAC was observed. Significant EPC and SSEA-1 + proliferation in the bone marrow and spleen occurred only after their local levels were decreased. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that an orchestrated systemic stem cell response (EPC and SSEA-1 + ) takes place in response to TAC. The increase of SSEA-1 + cells and EPC in the heart in response to pressure is likely to be because of a combination of local proliferation and stem cell recruitment.
A Novel Approach to Account for Non-Affine Fiber Kinematics in Structural Continuum Models for Heart Valves Leaflets

In the ongoing development of continuum models for soft tissues and related biological materials, structural approaches continue to have much appeal, and have the focus of our laboratory’s work (1). Structural constitutive models integrate information on tissue composition and structure, avoiding ambiguities in material characterization. However, critical structural information (such as fiber orientation) must be modeled using assumed statistical distributions, with the distribution parameters estimated from fits to the mechanical test data. Thus, full realization of structural approaches continues to be limited without direct quantitative structural information for direct implementation or to validate model predictions. While we have addressed these issues (2), non-affine fiber kinematics have been known to occur in heart valve leaflet tissues, especially under more extreme deformations (3, 4). However, current structural model theories continue to rely on the assumption of affine fiber kinematics. In present work we present a theoretical framework that accounts for non-affine deformations that still allows for the basic framework of the current structural models to be utilized.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Structural and magnetic properties of Mn-doped anatase TiO2 films synthesized by atomic layer deposition

Mn-doped anatase TiO2 (Mn: 1.2, 2.4 at%) thin films were grown on Si(100) via atomic layer deposition (ALD). The synthesis utilized Ti(OCH(CH3)2)4 and H2O as ALD precursors and Mn(DPM)3 as a dopant source. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that Mn is successfully doped in the TiO2 matrix and reveal information about film composition and elemental chemical states. Microstructure, crystallinity, and density were investigated with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray reflectivity. All ALD-synthesized films exhibited room-temperature ferromagnetism; the microstructure, density, and magnetic field-dependent magnetization of the TiO2 varied with the concentration of Mn. ALD permits precise composition and thickness control, and much higher process throughput compared to alternative techniques.
Hepatic veno-occlusive disease in pediatric stem cell recipients: successful treatment with continuous infusion of prostaglandin E1 and low-dose heparin.

Limited data exist on therapeutic options for established hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) in pediatric patients after stem cell transplantation (SCT). In this report, we present data on the successful treatment of VOD in three children following allogeneic SCT and report the duplex ultrasound criteria for the confirmation of the diagnosis and for the evaluation of the treatment progress. All patients were <2 years at the time of transplantation and had received preparative regimens containing busulfan and cyclophosphamide. There were no known pretransplant risk factors for VOD. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation was performed from a sibling donor for CMML and from unrelated donors for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL). The onset of first clinical symptoms of VOD (as defined by the Seattle and Baltimore criteria) was relatively late in all three patients (days +19, + 20, and +25, respectively). Time from onset of first symptoms until confirmation of diagnosis by serial duplex ultrasound examination was 4–11 days. Duplex ultrasound criteria are as follows: complete change of direction of blood flow in the portal vein, decrease of flow in the hepatic veins, and development of collateral circulation. Treatment was initiated upon confirmation of VOD by continuous infusion of prostaglandin E1 (initial dose 0.075 μg/kg/h) in addition to low-dose heparin (100 units/kg/d). Treatment was continued at the maximum tolerated dose of 0.3–0.5 μg/kg/h of PGE1. After 9, 14, and 25 days of treatment respectively, normal portal vein flow was restored and treatment could be discontinued. All three patients are alive and well without apparent sequelae.
PRODUCTION OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTION IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Summary.-138 preschool children created faces with manipulable facial components co represent expressed emodons. Proportions selecting appropriate components varied with emotions so [he task was perhaps more cognitively demanding than Ekman and Friesen's facial recognition task. This study investigated whether children produce schematic facial expressions consistent with those derived from Ekman and Friesen (1975) who identified combinations of three facial components (upper or eyebrows, middle or eyes, and lower or nose and mouth) used in producing and interpreting facial expressions of six emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust (see Table 1). Method.-Preschool-aged children (N= 138; 3-, 4-, and 5-yr.-olds) were asked to create a face by placing appropriate removable posterboard facial components on a feltboard. Facial components consisted of four different eyebrows, four different eyes, two different noses, and five different mouths (see Table 1 for specific types of stimuli). The interviewer verbally presented a particular emotion to the child, then the child was asked to create a face expressing that emotion, using each component of the face. Results.-Over-all, for most emotions, children did not select an eyebrow, eye, or mouth component consistent with those specified by Ekman and Friesen (1975). The proportion of children selecting appropriate brows was significantly less than those who selected inappropriate brows for anger (z= -2.75, p<.01), disgust (z= -5.51, p< .001), fear (z= -7.49, p<.001), happiness (z= -8.15, p< .001), and sadness (r= -3.17, p < .01). Similarly, the proportion of children selecting appropriate eyes was significantly less than the proportion selecting inappropriate eyes for anger (z= -2.66, p < .01), disgust (2 = -3.01, p < .001), happiness (r = -2.40, p < .01), and sadness (z= -6.26, p< ,001). Children most often chose open eyes for every emotion, perhaps influenced by the stereotypical "smiley face" that most children
Effects of fat and fiber on human colon cancer xenografted to athymic nude mice.

The effects of unsaturated fat and fiber (cellulose) on the growth of human colon cancer explanted to athymic nude mice was evaluated. Eighty-seven male nude mice bearing xenografts of human HT29 or WiDr colon cancer were divided into three groups of equal weight and tumor volume. Each group was fed one of three diets: normal fat/no fiber (N/N), high fat/no fiber (H/N) or high fat/high fiber (H/H). To equalize caloric intake, animals in the H/N group received 4 g of food per day and the other animals were fed 5 g of food per day. At sacrifice tumor volume and weight was recorded, and tumors were analyzed for protein and DNA content and ornithine decarboxylase activity. Tumor volume, weight, and protein were greater in the H/N group compared to the N/N group for both colon cancer cell lines. Tumor DNA content was greater in the HT29 H/N group compared to the N/N group (P<0.05) and tumor ornithine decarboxylase activity in the WiDr H/N group was greater than the N/N animals (P<0.002). The tumor growth-promoting effects of the high unsaturated fat diet were attenuated by the addition of fiber. Animal weight was higher in the H/N group compared to the N/N and H/H groups. This study suggested that a high-fat diet stimulated and fiber decreased the growth of human colon cancer explanted to athymic nude mice. The growth-promoting effects of a high-fat diet in colorectal cancer may be due in part to a circulating trophic factor since these tumors were remote from the large intestine.
Music, Transtextuality, and the World Wide Web

This article sketches the significance of aurality in hypermedia, notes that the field of English studies is constructing the World Wide Web as a verbal and visual medium, and proposes a transtextual framework to aid technical communicators in designing musical hypermedia. Because the study of music on the World Wide Web is nascent, this article includes references to art and film music, whose theories and practices are substantially developed.
A high gain patch fed horn antenna for millimeter wave imaging receiver

In this paper, antennas that combine transitions from microstrip line / coplanar waveguide (CPW) to horn antenna in a single unit are presented. Conventional single layer microstrip patch antennas inherently suffer narrow operation bandwidth; to widen the frequency bandwidth, stacked patch antennas are used and high gain is achieved from the horn antenna. Here, microstrip line / CPW directly feeds the bottom patch while the top patch couples parasitically to the bottom patch. For -10 dB return loss, 25% bandwidth is achieved for both microstrip line to horn antenna (MSLTHA) at center frequency f 0 =17.5 GHz and for CPW to horn antenna (CPWTHA) at f 0 =97 GHz. The designs were optimized using 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) software HFSS by Ansoft Corporation. The optimal design of MSLTHA has been fabricated and characterized. The return loss and far field radiation pattern are measured and has been found in very good agreement with the simulation results.
Measurements of metabolites during cAMP oscillations of Dictyostelium discoideum

During aggregation the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum synthesizes and releases pulses of cAMP about every five minutes. Current models proposed to explain this phenomenon postulate that oscillating levels of some key intracellular metabolite control the oscillatory synthesis of cAMP. We have assayed the levels of likely candidates for this metabolite during a cAMP oscillation, but have found them to remain constant. Compounds measured include ATP, GTP, glucose-1-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, isocitrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and other aminated metabolites. On the basis of this negative data, as well as results described elsewhere (Geller and Brenner, '78), we question whether the proposed models are correct, and discuss several alternatives.
The presurgical status of the alveolar cleft and success of secondary bone grafting.

Abstract Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate presurgical status of the alveolar cleft site and success of secondary alveolar bone grafting. Design: Thirty patient records were retrospectively reviewed. Patients selected for inclusion had isolated cleft of at least the primary palate. Patients with additional anomalies were not selected. The study population consisted of 15 female sites and 16 male cleft sites. There were two bilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients and 28 unilateral CLP patients. The age at the time of thesecondary alveolar bone grafting ranged from 7 years to 14 years, 4 months. Setting: The study was conducted at the Cleft Palate Clinic at the University of Minnesota, School of Dentistry. Method: Presurgical radiographs taken at least 1 month prior to the secondary bone grafting and postsurgical radiographs taken at least 6 months after bone surgery were measured. Measurements included size of the cleft defect and bone support for distal and mesial teeth ad...
‘Family’ in organizational research: a review and comparison of definitions and measures

Interest in the impact of family on work has grown in recent years; family is emerging as a significant source of understanding work attitudes and behaviors. However, no consensus and little discussion exists regarding how organizational researchers should define and measure ‘family’. In this article, I reviewed the definitions of family in other literatures and those implied by measures of family used in organizational research on work attitudes and behaviors. Analysis revealed five substantive themes in the measurement of family by organizational researchers: perceptions about the importance of the family role to the individual, attitudes toward family, numbers and types of dependents, the role played in the family, and the support available from family members. I then discussed the need for a comprehensive measure of dependents, and developed a new measure, Responsibility for Dependents (RFD). I examined the five types of measures empirically, and discussed empirical and conceptual differences between measures of family. Finally, I addressed issues regarding the measurement of family for organizational research, including the need for more inclusive and diverse measures and the need for further research. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TROPHIC HORMONES OF THE PLACENTA: FAILURE TO DEMONSTRATE THYROTROPHIN OR ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIN PRODUCTION IN THE HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED PREGNANT RAT

It has been known since the work of such investigators as Allan and Wiles (1932) using the cat and Pencharz and Long (1933) using the rat that pregnancy can continue in gravid animals after hypophysectomy. This observation has been confirmed in many different species such as guinea pigs, mice, dogs, rabbits, and monkeys. It is now well-established, of course, that pregnancy is able to continue because the placenta takes over in part the functions of the pituitary gland and ovary. In the lower mammals investigated, the placental hormone chiefly responsible for maintaining pregnancy seems to be a luteotrophin, since ovariectomy in animals such as the rat results in abortion or resorption of the foetuses in hypophysectomized pregnant animals although pregnancy continues undisturbed if the ovaries are left intact. In certain species including the primates, the placenta is able also to take over the function of the ovaries,
How We Came to Torture

The ghastly pictures from Abu Ghraib have forced America to confront the reality of some of its tactics in the war on terror. The almost pornographic images have prompted quick condemnations of torture and the formation of a host of commissions to examine how the abuse came to pass. While many of the reports are yet to come, those already completed by Army investigators, independent commissions and reporters make clear that the abuse was not simply the product of "bad apples." Rather, it was at least in part the result of arrogance and callousness at the highest levels of government.
Estimating MOSFET Leakage from Low-cost, Low-resolution Fast Parametric Test

A method of estimating the subthershold component of MOSFET off-state current (I offs ) using low-cost, low-resolution fast parallel parametric test is introduced. This method measures the subthreshold slope and uses it to estimate I offs . Measurements of individual transistors show a very good agreement between measured I offs and I offs estimated using our approach. For a simple pad-efficient transistor array test-structure, where unselected devices can add additional noise to the subthreshold measurements, the sum of extracted I offs for all transistors in an array is strongly correlated to the measured array I offs , even though it does not match the measured array I offs . The strong correlation is used to derive calibration factors which are then used to estimate individual transistor I offs from array test structures. This allows statistical characterization of transistor leakage during volume production with minimal test time overhead. The applications of statistical off-state leakage characterization to diagnose IDDQ yield problems during production are also described.
Genetic evolution of hierarchical behavior structures

The development of coherent and dynamic behaviors for mobile robots is an exceedingly complex endeavor ruled by task objectives, environmental dynamics and the interactions within the behavior structure. This paper discusses the use of genetic programming techniques and the unified behavior framework to develop effective control hierarchies using interchangeable behaviors and arbitration components. Given the number of possible variations provided by the framework, evolutionary programming is used to evolve the overall behavior design. Competitive evolution of the behavior population incrementally develops feasible solutions for the domain through competitive ranking. By developing and implementing many simple behaviors independently and then evolving a complex behavior structure suited to the domain, this approach allows for the reuse of elemental behaviors and eases the complexity of development for a given domain. Additionally, this approach has the ability to locate a behavior structure which a developer may not have previously considered, and whose ability exceeds expectations. The evolution of the behavior structure is demonstrated using agents in the Robocode environment, with the evolved structures performing up to 122 percent better than one crafted by an expert.
Urokinase Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides as a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Malignant Glioma:In Vitroandin VivoStudies of Uptake, Effects and Toxicity

Antisense therapy might offer an improved treatment for patients with malignant glioma. We studied the uptake and effects of urokinase antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on rat and human glioma cells in vitro and the uptake and toxicity of these nucleotides in rat carcinomatosis and brain tumor models. Cultured glioma cells readily incorporated fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated oligonucleotides, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Effects on urokinase expression as assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy varied according to cell line. Northern blot analysis showed decreases in urokinase expression with oligodeoxynucleotide treatment. Uptake into tumor cells was also demonstrated in vivo, with no detectable toxicity at concentrations exceeding expected therapeutic levels. These data are encouraging for the further study of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides as a new therapeutic modality for malignant glioma.
TQM in a virtual organisation: issues and strategies

A Virtual Organisation (VO) is a collection of several independent companies connected together by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to provide products and services to the customer. With the availability and ubiquitousness of ICT the concept of VO is a reality. Achieving customer satisfaction in a VO environment is complex. Total Quality Management (TQM) is recognised as a philosophy focusing on customer satisfaction through continuous improvement and employee involvement. The traditional TQM implementation model is based on the notion that all the major organisational function is performed within the confinement of a single company. This paradigm is not valid for a VO and implementing TQM in a VO is apparently much more complex. This research efforts investigates the complex issues for TQM implementation in a VO.
A Lambert targeting procedure for rocket systems that lack velocity control

A modified Lambert targeting procedure is described which is applicable to multiple stage rocket systems that lack a velocity control capability. Velocity control is typically mechanized as a thrust cut-off or payload separation system, which can be activated when guidance velocity-to-go requirements have been satisfied. The Lambert targeting procedure discussed in this paper is based upon accepted and proven Lambert targeting techniques, but is modified to compensate for the lack of velocity control. The modified procedure uses an outerloop iterative process to constrain the magnitude of the Lambert required velocity-to-go to that of the nominal delta-velocity capability of the rocket motor while allowing a variable time-of-transfer. The resulting algorithm effectively eliminates target miss due to performance uncertainty in the boost stages, and reduces the target miss to that due to off-nominal performance of the Lambert targeted final stage. The details of the modified Lambert procedure are described, and simulation results for several traje~t~ories are presented. The computation requirements of this algorithm on the Sandia Airborne Computer are also discussed.
Yellow Stripe1. Expanded Roles for the Maize Iron-Phytosiderophore Transporter

Graminaceous monocots, including most of the world9s staple grains (i.e. rice, corn, and wheat) use a chelation strategy (Strategy II) for primary acquisition of iron from the soil. Strategy II plants secrete phytosiderophores (PS), compounds of the mugineic acid family that form stable Fe(III) chelates in soil. Uptake of iron-PS chelates, which occurs through specific transporters at the root surface, thus represents the primary route of iron entry into Strategy II plants. The gene Yellow stripe1 ( Ys1 ) encodes the Fe(III)-PS transporter of maize ( Zea mays ). Here the physiological functions performed by maize YS1 were further defined by examining the pattern of Ys1 mRNA and protein accumulation and by defining YS1 transport specificity in detail. YS1 is able to translocate iron that is bound either by PS or by the related compound, nicotianamine; thus, the role of YS1 may be to transport either of these complexes. Ys1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels responds rapidly to changes in iron availability but is not strongly affected by limitation of copper or zinc. Our data provide no support for the idea that YS1 is a transporter of zinc-PS, based on YS1 biochemical activity and Ys1 mRNA expression patterns in response to zinc deficiency. YS1 is capable of transporting copper-PS, but expression data suggest that the copper-PS uptake has limited significance in primary uptake of copper.
Practice Guidelines for the Management of Bacterial Meningitis

Allan R. Tunkel, Barry J. Hartman, Sheldon L. Kaplan, Bruce A. Kaufman, Karen L. Roos, W. Michael Scheld, and Richard J. Whitley Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, New York; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville; and University of Alabama at Birmingham
Multilevel coding in free-space optical MIMO transmission with Q-ary PPM over the atmospheric turbulence channel

We propose an efficient coded modulation scheme for multiple input/multiple output free-space optical systems with Q-ary pulse-position modulation. It is based on multilevel coding and low-density parity-check codes as component codes. The proposed scheme provides excellent coding gain in the regime of strong atmospheric turbulence.
Intervertebral disc space inflammation in children.

Discitis in children commonly presents with fever, back pain, irritability, and an inability to walk. An elevated ESR and characteristic changes on plain X-rays or bone scan are sufficient for diagnosis, but MRI is more sensitive and more specific, and it shows pathologic changes earlier. Intravenous antibiotics are administered when cultures of the disc space are positive, but in more than half of the cases, no organism can be grown. Symptoms are alleviated with bedrest or external orthoses, but neither the duration nor the kind of symptomatic treatment influences outcome.
Thoughts on Prevention of Thyroid Disease in the United States

In the realm of preventive medicine, there are three distinct types of prevention that can be defined. Primary prevention is the prevention of new disease in previously healthy individuals, usually achieved by decreasing risk factors for disease. Secondary prevention is the prevention of progression of mild or latent disease to more severe disease, and typically involves screening for occult disease. Tertiary prevention is the term used by some to describe medical care intended to improve already established disease. The role of primary prevention of thyroid disease in the United States is uncertain, because iodine deficiency is not clearly known to be a problem. In the case of secondary prevention of thyroid disease, this would necessarily involve screening of individuals for subclinical hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism with thyrotropin (TSH) testing. Using data from a large prevalence study and from the 2000 U.S. Census, it can be calculated that approximately 15 million adults have unrecognized thyroid disease, mostly subclinical hypothyroidism. If detected, secondary prevention might also entail treatment with antithyroid drugs/radioiodine or thyroxine to prevent sequelae or progression to a more advanced degree of thyrotoxicosis or thyroid failure, respectively. Over the next 20 years, it can be calculated that approximately 5 million people, mostly with subclinical hypothyroidism, will progress to overt disease. Tertiary prevention of thyroid disease would involve avoiding iatrogenic disease, such as thyroid hormone overdose. From epidemiologic data it can be calculated that approximately 600,00 elderly individuals have iatrogenic hyperthyroidism from thyroid hormone overdose, putting them at risk for atrial fibrillation and osteoporosis. Together, these data suggest that the notion of preventive medicine in the United States should be expanded to include thyroid disease as a target for secondary and tertiary intervention.
Accountability and Close-Call Counterfactuals: The Loser Who Nearly Won and the Winner Who Nearly Lost

This article links recent work on assimilative and contrastive counterfactual thinking with research on the impact of accountability on judgment and choice. Relative to participants who felt accountable solely for bottom-line performance outcomes, participants who were accountable for their decision-making process (a) had more pronounced differential reactions to clearly winning versus (winning but) nearly losing and to clearly losing versus (losing but) nearly winning; (b) were less satisfied with the quality of their decisions when they nearly lost and more satisfied with the quality of their decisions when they nearly won; and (c) invested less money into investments that nearly failed and more money into investments that nearly succeeded. This pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that process accountability amplified assimilative counterfactual thinking, whereas outcome accountability attenuated it. The evidence underscores the power of contextual features of the decision-making environment to sh...
Food insecurity during pregnancy leads to stress, disordered eating, and greater postpartum weight among overweight women.

Objective To investigate the influence of food insecurity on women's stress, disordered eating, dietary fat intake, and weight during the postpartum period. Methods The association between marginal food security and food insecurity—measured during pregnancy and postpartum—and stress, disordered eating, dietary fat intake, and weight at 3 and 12 months postpartum was estimated using multivariate linear regression, controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health behaviors. Effect modification between level of food insecurity and prepregnancy weight status was assessed, hypothesizing a stronger association would be found among women who started pregnancy with overweight or obesity. Results Food insecurity status during pregnancy was strongly associated with higher levels of stress, disordered eating, and dietary fat intake at 3 and 12 months postpartum; during the postpartum period, food insecurity was associated with these measures at 12 months postpartum. A significant interaction was found between level of food insecurity and prepregnancy weight status; food insecurity was associated with greater weight and BMI at 12 months only among women with overweight or obesity. Conclusions In order to return to one's prepregnancy weight, women with overweight and obesity who face household food insecurity may need multipronged assistance that not only addresses having enough high-quality food, but also include stress reduction and eating behavior interventions.
The world population situation.

Population experts appear to be reaching a consensus that there has been a perceptible decline over the last decade in the growth of the worlds population. The decline is accounted for by the "new demographic transition" in the less developed countries (LDCs). The decline in fertility rates began in the 1950s in some LDCs and became more widespread during the 1970s. The process has not yet begun in many of the LDCs. During the 1960s it was observed that the declines in birth rates (to levels of 30 of less per 1000) were occurring mostly in small countries. Many of these countries were islands with levels of social and economic development above the developing country average. The key question is whether the recent downward trend in fertility in LDCs will continue stabilize at the current level or rise again. A primary concern about the future is that the poorer and less developed countries will end up with an increasing share of the worlds population with the share of the developed countries declining from 34% to 22% over the 1950-2000 period. Considerable differential exists in demographic growth patterns among various regions. The 12 largest LDCs (China India Indonesia Brazil Bangladesh Pakistan Nigeria Mexico Vietnam Philippines Thailand Turkey) contain 55% of the current world population and the fertility decline of these nations is expected to have the maximum impact. 7 of these countries have had fertility declines of 14-35%. The force of the "population momentum" must also be considered. Most developing country populations have a young age distribution with considerable potential for population growth even after the fertility level reaches a replacement level and the net reproduction rate equals 1.
Controlling Anger and Happiness at Work: An Examination of Gender Differences

This article examines gender differences in the emotion management of men and women in the workplace. The belief in American culture that women are more emotional than men has limited women’s opportunities in many types of work. Because emotional expression is often tightly controlled in the workplace, examining emotion management performed at work presents an opportunity to evaluate gender differences in response to similar working conditions. Previous research suggests that men and women do not differ in their experiences of emotion and the expression of emotion is linked to status positions. An analysis of survey data collected from workers in a diverse group of occupations illustrates that women express anger less and happiness more than men in the workplace. Job and status characteristics explain the association between gender and anger management at work but were unrelated to the management of happiness expressions in the workplace.