cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge discovery using morphologic analysis of complex natural media

Currently, visualization of complex biological and physico-chemical systems offers visual, heuristic insights or quantitative, empirical information via statistical summaries. Development of visualization methods to extract quantitative information and knowledge about the various phenomena in such systems is a pressing research need. We report on such a methodology developed based on thermodynamic principles and image analysis. A common characteristic of such systems, comprised of multiple phases separated by distinct boundaries or interfaces, is their complex spatial structure. The interfacial areas between the phases, a ij , (where i and j can be pairs of phases i and j), provide more accurate metrics for morphology, tortuosity, heterogeneity, and anisotropy of such systems. They may be used to improve the analysis and prediction of several phenomena (e.g., flow, reaction coupled with transport, diffusion, heat, mass, and momentum transfer) and behaviors (e.g., self-organization, growth, division, and malignancy), which are strong, direct functions of surface energetics and hence interfacial areas (a ij ). Algorithms can be developed, using images or graphics as input, for the calculation of phase interfacial areas, and several quantitative metrics based on the interfacial areas, which represent valuable information about the morphology of the systems. Such metrics are not empirical, but phenomenologically rooted; hence, they can be directly incorporated into the partial differential equations (PDE) based models simulating the various phenomena and behaviors in complex systems, providing effective, quantitative bridges between visualization and computation. Recent work on the use of these metrics for the analysis of several phenomena, such as diffusion, dissolution, bacterial transport, wettability, flow, and transport in porous materials, demonstrates significant improvement in their prediction. Using microbial and geological systems, we demonstrate how the proposed methods can serve as an integral part of experimentation, computation and information (knowledge) discovery.
Stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging detects more residual ischemia than stress echocardiography following acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: This investigation sought to compare the abilities of stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and stress echocardiography to detect residual ischemia in patients following acute myocardial infarction (MI). Background: Stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and stress echocardiography are both commonly used to assess patients (patients.) in the immediate post MI period. However, the relative value of these techniques in identifying post MI ischemia remains unclear. Methods: Eighteen patients, underwent both dipyridamole radionuclide perfusion imaging and dobutamine stress echocardiography on the same day or on consecutive days, 3–7 days following uncomplicated acute MI. Pts. who had an acute percutaneous intervention were excluded. Images were reviewed with clinical information available, but blinded to the opposing modality, for perfusion defects, wall motion abnormalities (WMA), and evidence of ischemia (reversible defect(s) on perfusion imaging, worsening WMA on stress echocardiography). Of the 18 patients, 11 subsequently underwent cardiac catheterization. Results: Perfusion imaging identified defects in 16 (89%) patients, of whom 15 (83% of total) were found to be ischemic. Stress echocardiography identified a fixed wall motion abnormality in 17 (94%) and ischemia in 8 (44%, p < 0.05 compared with perfusion imaging ischemia). Among 11 patients who underwent catheterization, there was a trend towards perfusion imaging identifying more ischemia in the territory of an obstructed (≥70%) vessel – 100% (11/11) vs. 64% (7/11) for stress echocardiography (p = 0.09). Conclusion: In the immediate post-infarction period, dipyridamole stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging more often shows evidence of residual ischemia than dobutamine stress echocardiography.
False Positives in Recognition Memory Produced by Cohort Activation.

Abstract Cohort theory in spoken-word recognition assumes that a cohort of word candidates consistent with incoming sensory information is activated implicitly as a spoken sound stimulus unfolds over time. Five experiments examined implications of this internal-generation-of-words mechanism. In Experiments 1 and 2, a “base” word was disqualified (the sensory information was no longer consistent with the word) either early or late in the presentation of a spoken stimulus. On a later recognition-memory test, significantly more false-positive errors occurred to base words following presentations of study items that had late, compared to early, disqualification points. Experiments 3–5 tested whether this phenomenon could be accounted for in terms of overlapping features between non-word stimuli and their base words or in terms of a post-identification processing mechanism. Experiment 3 replicated Experiments 1 and 2, and demonstrated that differences in early and late disqualification points for non-word targets , unlike word targets, were not related to false-positive recognition memory errors. The study inter-item interval in Experiment 4 was reduced to 1 s to minimize the role of post-identification processing activities, and the results for both word and non-word targets were consistent with Experiment 3. A word-association task in Experiment 5 revealed that the late non-word derivations used in this research were on the average more effective stimuli than the early non-word derivations in eliciting their base words. However, even when comparisons were restricted to item sets with early and late non-words that were equally effective in eliciting base words, false-positive recognition memory errors to target words were higher following prior presentations of their late derived non-words than following prior presentations of their early derived non-words.
Plasma sheet variations during substorms

Abstract The magnetotail plasma sheet thins down and then becomes thick again at 18 R E during a magnetospheric substorm. Thinning often starts coincident with (± 1 min) substorm onset. Thinning does not involve compression of all of the plasma into a thinner more intense sheet but involves mass motion of plasma away from 18 R E , some of it leaking into the magnetosheath. Magnetic field lines from the auroral zone may extend 18 R E into the tail just before a substorm begins and then contract rapidly toward the Earth early in the substorm. Thickening or ‘recovery’ of the plasma sheet is detected by a Vela satellite ~1 or 2 R E from the neutral sheet as the poleward-moving auroras reach magnetic latitude ≈ 74°. Plasma sheet electron fluxes measured at such times with relatively wide-angle detectors appear ~100 times less intense than those measured by rockets and satellites over the expanding auroral oval. There is evidence, however, that the electron flux within a few degrees of the magnetic field direction in the plasma sheet may be comparable in intensity with observed auroral electron fluxes.
Architectural acoustic teaching software

This paper presents a working hypothesis for the development of Architectural Acoustics teaching software. The concepts and rationale underlying the development are discussed first and followed by a presentation of current first-phase 2D work in progress. The paper includes mention of some of the strengths and weaknesses of this first-phase work as well as our initial thoughts and intentions about desirable features for a full 3D implementation.
Abducens conditioning in in vitro turtle brain stem without cerebellum requires NMDA receptors and involves upregulation of GluR4-containing AMPA receptors.

Previous work showed that in vitro abducens eyeblink classical conditioning of turtle brain stem–cerebellum preparations involved NMDA-mediated mechanisms and redistribution of GluR4-containing AMPA receptors in the abducens motor nuclei. Since conditioning can be obtained in brain stem preparations without the cerebellum, we examined whether similar mechanisms were involved during conditioning of the brain stem alone. The results showed that conditioning could not be induced in the presence of the NMDA receptor antagonist dl-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP-5) and that abducens nerve conditioned responses, once initiated in normal saline, were significantly attenuated in the presence of AP-5. The effects of AP-5 did not generally depress physiological responsiveness of preparations because some abducens nerve reflexes were not significantly reduced by the compound. GluR4-containing AMPA receptors in the abducens motor nuclei were significantly upregulated and positively correlated with the levels of conditioning similar to that of preparations having an intact cerebellum. Furthermore, increased GluR4 subunits after brain stem conditioning was confirmed by Western blot analysis. These results suggest that NMDA receptor-mediated mechanisms and GluR4 upregulation may mediate in vitro abducens eyeblink classical conditioning and that these mechanisms reside in the brain stem eyeblink circuitry.
Accelerated Shelf Life Testing of Whey-Protein-Coated Peanuts Analyzed by Static Headspace Gas Chromatography

Four different formulations of whey-protein-based coatings were used to coat peanuts. Four controls were used to investigate the effects of different ingredients in the coating formulation on the peanut shelf life. Untreated peanuts were designated as the reference. The peanut samples were stored in duplicate at 40, 50, and 60 degrees C for storage durations of up to 31 weeks. The analysis of hexanal indicated that the coated samples were oxidized significantly slower than the reference; hence, the predicted shelf life was longer for the coated samples. However, the investigation of the control ingredients revealed that even when only water was applied onto the peanuts the oxidation was delayed.
Canine normal and tumor tissue estimated blood flow during fractionated hyperthermia.

Abstract Time-temperature relationships are of critical importance in hyperthermia effects on tumors. Knowledge of temperature distributions within tumors is necessary to achieve maximal tumor response, and because blood flow is the major determinant of heat dissipation within tissue, knowledge of blood flow parameters is equally important. A mathematical model has been developed which estimates a parameter that may be related to regional tissue blood flow and is readily adaptable to clinical observations. Eight canine mast cell tumors were heated with interstitial radiofrequency (100 mHz) hyperthermia to a temperature range of 44°C, ±0.5°C, for 40 minutes. Estimated blood flow increased over the 40-minute treatment interval from 81 ml/min/100 gm of tissue at 10 minutes post-initiation of treatment to a maximum of 101.2 ml/min/100 gm of tissue at 30 minutes post-initiation of treatment. Over a 9-day period, during which both tumor and normal tissues were treated four times, values increased within the volume of interest. Maximum estimated blood flow within normal tissue increased from 115.7 ml/min/100 gm of tissue after 10 minutes of heating to a maximum of 121.7 ml/min/100 gm of tissue at 40 minutes. In contrast to normal tissue, eight canine mast cell sarcomas showed little change in estimated blood flow during 40 minutes of treatment. However, tumor tissue appears to undergo compensatory changes over the 9-day treatment interval with increases occurring in blood flow over that time period. These data underscore the importance of knowing blood flow characteristics within tumor and normal tissue.
Clinical course of patients following the demonstration of coronary artery spasm by angiography

Abstract The clinical course of 25 patients was determined during an average of 2.7 years following the angiographic demonstration of coronary artery spasm (CAS). Seventeen patients received medical treatment after the demonstration of coronary spasm and six patients had cardiac surgery. Twenty-three patients were living and two patients had died at the time of follow-up. Twenty-one of the 23 surviving patients has either no chest pain or markedly reduced symptoms. However, the demonstration of CAS by angiography was associated with a high incidence of subsequent cardiac complications, which included myocardial infarct (four patients), cardiac arrest (four patients), and death (two patients). We concluded from this study that after the demonstration of CAS by angiography: (1) the clinical course was variable, with most patients (21 of 25 patients, 84%) having improvement of symptoms at the time of follow-up; (2) major cardiac complications were frequent (11 of 25 patients, 44%) and; (3) although clinical and coronary angiographic features were of limited use in predicting major cardiac complications, most of the patients who had an uncomplicated course (11 of 14 patients, 79%) had either
Factors Influencing the Identification of English Sounds in Lipreading

The influence of the known vowel-consonant stems of monosyllabic words on the identification by lipreading of the initial consonants of the words was studied. Each of seven consonants was united wi...
Denitrification potential of nontidal riparian wetland soils in the Virginia Coastal Plain

In the Atlantic Coastal Plain, riparian wetlands are thought to play an important role in the removal of NO−3 from groundwater. The denitrification potential of the Bibb (coarse-loamy, siliceous, acid, thermic Typic Fluvaquents) series, located in the Nomini Creek Watershed, Virginia, was evaluated in the laboratory using soil columns under saturated flow conditions. Soil columns were infiltrated with synthetic groundwater containing 3.2 ± 0.1 mmol NO−3-N (44 ± 2.0 mg NO−3-N l−1). Soil samples were collected from two surface horizons and one subsurface horizon in May (soil temperature 16.4°C), September (19.9°C), and November (13.5°C) of 1993 at 12 sites along the stream. Denitrification rates (N2O-N evolution in the presence of acetylene) were significantly higher for soils incubated at 19.9°C than at 16.4 or 13.5°C. The highest mean denitrification rates were measured in the ponded surface horizon (0.40 ± 0.17 μmol N2O-N (g DW)−1 d−1 at 16.4°C, 0.65 ± 0.27 at 19.9°C, 0.40 ± 0.25 at 13.5°C) in comparison to the terrestrial surface (0.17 ± 0.11, 0.28 ± 0.13, 0.16 ± 0.11) and subsurface (0.04 ± 0.02, 0.11 ± 0.06, 0.04 ± 0.01) horizons. Rates of denitrification were significantly correlated with organic carbon for the ponded surface horizon across all three temperatures. For the terrestrial surface and subsurface horizons, organic carbon was related to denitrification rates for only those soils incubated at 13.5°C. Relations between NO−3 loss and denitrification rates were present for the terrestrial surface horizon across all temperatures, and at 13.5 and 16.4°C for the ponded surface and subsurface horizons. Spatial variability accounted for less than 10% of the variation in denitrification rates, while soil horizon amounted to about 50%. Within the soil columns, the relative NO−3 concentration decreased rapidly with increasing temperature in the surface horizons but much less so in the subsurface horizon. For the surface horizons, incubated at the higher temperatures, NO−3 concentration in the effluent was very low, suggesting that denitrification may have been limited by NO−3 availability. The denitrification potential for the surface horizons was very high, related in part to the high levels of organic carbon present in those horizons.
X-ray computed microtomography of internal damage in fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites

Abstract The recent appearance of several commercial systems makes X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) more accessible for laboratory testing. The current study was undertaken to assess the capabilities and limitations of micro-CT for the characterization of damage and internal flaws, including delamination and microcracking, in fiber-reinforced polymer–matrix composite materials. Samples with a variety of damage types and geometries, and of various dimensions, were investigated to assess the effect of the system resolution on the ability to determine the internal geometry of flaws. Particular attention is paid to the detection of microcracking, a subject of critical interest in the study of fiber-reinforced polymer–matrix composite laminates. The results demonstrate that X-ray microtomography can facilitate characterization of the internal geometry of flaws, including delamination, matrix cracking, and microcracking, in fiber-reinforced polymer laminates.
Effect of focal irradiation on plasma kallikrein activity in tumor bearing rats.

Abstract The activated plasma kallikrein from tumor bearing rats before and after focal irradiation of the hind limbs was measured by the hydrolysis of 0.015M N-( p -toluene sulfonyl)-l arginine methyl ester (TAME). Blood was collected from abdominal aorta of rats anesthetized with diethyl ether into plastic tubes containing 1 volume of 3.8% sodium citrate for each 9 volumes. Plasma was isolated by centrifugation (2000 g) at 4°C. Small pieces of minced tumor tissue were inserted in a trochar and inoculated in the hind limbs of the rats. Morris hepatomas 7777 and 3924A were transplanted subcutaneously over the hind legs while Walker 256 tumor was transplanted intramuscularly in the hind limbs. Plasma kallikrein (μm TAME utilized/ml/hr) was decreased in three different groups of tumor bearing rats: Walker tumor from 207 ± 34 to 114 ± 30 Hepatoma 7777 from 219 ± 13 to 106 ± 3 and Hepatoma 3924A from 227 ± 7 to 133 ± 5. Two hours after focal irradiation (1000R) plasma kallikrein decreased further in Walker tumor and hepatoma 7777 to 55 ± 5 and 96 ± 3.6 respectively. The plasma of tumor bearing rats becomes deficient in kallikrein at about the time metastases may be identified. The acute fall in plasma kallikrein is consistent with the overall stress mechanism.
Female cases of falling-out: a psychological evaluation of a small sample.

Abstract A small sample of American Black females who suffer from “falling-out” (seizure-like episodes with no evidence of organicity) were intensively interviewed and tested with a battery of psychological instruments. Results indicated that subjects were of good intelligence and did not have personality profiles of hysterics. Commonalities included depression which appeared characterological rather than reactive; emotional constriction: denial and repression as primary defense mechanisms; lack of creative and imaginal resources; sexual problems and pronounced hostility toward males; and a tendency toward withdrawal and isolation in daily life. “Falling-out” appeared to be a desperate mode of dealing with anxiety in a group with limited coping mechanisms and almost no external support systems.
Parametric studies on self-repairing approaches for resin infused composites subjected to low velocity impact

Low velocity impact response of glass reinforced polymer composites, which have the potential to self-repair both micro- and macro-damage, has been investigated. This class of material falls under the category of passive smart polymer composites. The self-repairing mechanism is achieved through the incorporation of hollow fibers in addition to the normal solid reinforcing fibers. The hollow fibers store the damage-repairing solution or chemicals that are released into the matrix or damaged zone upon fiber failure. Plain-weave S-2 glass fabric reinforcement, vinyl ester 411-C50 and EPON-862 epoxy resin systems were considered for this study. Different tubing materials were investigated for potential use as storage materials for the repairing chemicals instead of the actual hollow repair fibers and included borosilicate glass micro-capillary pipets, flint glass pasteur pipets, copper tubing and aluminum tubing. composite panels were fabricated by using a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process. The present investigation addressed fabrication of self-repairing composite panels and some of the parameters that influence the response of self-repairing composites to impact loading. Specific issues addressed by this study include: the processing quality; the selection of storage material for the repairing solution; release and transportation of the repairing solution; the effect of the number, type and spatial distribution of the repairing tubes, specimen thickness, matrix material and impact energy level.
Entropy-driven formation of a half-quantum vortex lattice

Half-quantum vortices (HQVs) can exist in a superconductor or superfluid with an exact or approximate $\text{U}(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\text{U}(1)$ symmetry, for instance, in spinor condensates, $^{3}\text{H}\text{e-A}$, ${\text{Sr}}_{2}{\text{RuO}}_{4}$, and possibly cuprate superconductors with stripe order. In this paper, we show that a lattice of HQVs can be stabilized at finite temperature even when it does not have lower energy than the lattice of full vortices at $T=0$ since there is a gain in configurational entropy when a full vortex fractionalizes into a pair of HQVs. Specifically, the lattice of HQVs has an optical branch of phonon modes absent in the lattice of full vortices. Moreover, the HQV lattice at $Tg0$ can have a different structure than the HQV lattice at $T=0$.
Investigations of the Catalytic Mechanism of Thioredoxin Glutathione Reductase from Schistosoma mansoni

Thioredoxin glutathione reductase from Schistosoma mansoni (SmTGR) catalyzes the reduction of both thioredoxin and glutathione disulfides (GSSG), thus playing a crucial role in maintaining redox homeostasis in the parasite. In line with this role, previous studies have demonstrated that SmTGR is a promising drug target for schistosomiasis. To aid in the development of efficacious drugs that target SmTGR, it is essential to understand the catalytic mechanism of SmTGR. SmTGR is a dimeric flavoprotein in the glutathione reductase family and has a head-to-tail arrangement of its monomers; each subunit has the components of both a thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) domain and a glutaredoxin (Grx) domain. However, the active site of the TrxR domain is composed of residues from both subunits: FAD and a redox-active Cys-154/Cys-159 pair from one subunit and a redox-active Cys-596'/Sec-597' pair from the other; the active site of the Grx domain contains a redox-active Cys-28/Cys-31 pair. Via its Cys-28/Cys-31 dithiol and/or its Cys-596'/Sec-597' thiol-selenolate, SmTGR can catalyze the reduction of a variety of substrates by NADPH. It is presumed that SmTGR catalyzes deglutathionylation reactions via the Cys-28/Cys-31 dithiol. Our anaerobic titration data suggest that reducing equivalents from NADPH can indeed reach the Cys-28/Cys-31 disulfide in the Grx domain to facilitate reductions effected by this cysteine pair. To clarify the specific chemical roles of each redox-active residue with respect to its various reactivities, we generated variants of SmTGR. Cys-28 variants had no Grx deglutathionylation activity, whereas Cys-31 variants retained partial Grx deglutathionylation activity, indicating that the Cys-28 thiolate is the nucleophile initiating deglutathionylation. Lags in the steady-state kinetics, found when wild-type SmTGR was incubated at high concentrations of GSSG, were not present in Grx variants, indicating that this cysteine pair is in some way responsible for the lags. A Sec-597 variant was still able to reduce a variety of substrates, albeit slowly, showing that selenocysteine is important but is not the sole determinant for the broad substrate tolerance of the enzyme. Our data show that Cys-520 and Cys-574 are not likely to be involved in the catalytic mechanism.
Relationships among Key deer, insect herbivores, and plant quality

Deer can have severe effects on plant communities, which in turn can affect insect communities. We studied the effects of Key deer herbivory on the incidence of insect herbivores that occur within deer habitats in the lower Florida Keys, within the National Key Deer Refuge (NKDR). We analyzed plant chemistry (tannins, nitrogen) and surveyed for the occurrence of insects (above the browse tier) among plant species that were either deer-preferred or less-preferred. Results indicated higher levels of foliar tannins on islands with fewer Key deer and larger amounts of foliar nitrogen on islands with a high density of Key deer. Consequently, leaf miners were significantly more abundant on islands with high deer density, irrespective of deer-preference of plant species. On islands with a high deer density, incidence of leaves damaged by chewing insects was lower on preferred plant species but greater on less-preferred species than on islands with fewer deer. No apparent patterns were evident in the distribution of leaf gallers among plant species or islands with different deer density. Our results imply that plant nutrition levels—either preexisting or indirectly affected by deer deposition—are more important than plant defenses in determining the distribution of insect herbivores in the NKDR. Although high densities of the endangered Key deer have negative effects on some plant species in the NKDR, it seems Key deer might have an indirect positive influence on insect incidence primarily above the browse tier. Further research is warranted to enable fuller understanding of the interactions between Key deer and the insect community.
CHANGING PATTERNS AMONG HOMELESS AND RUNAWAY YOUTH

In recent years, the population of runaway and homeless youth has changed. In a study of 536 homeless and runaway youth who were clients of service agencies in New Jersey, homeless youth predominated. Only one-third of the sample were able to return home after service and this particular focus of service is seen as feasible only for a minority of such youth.
Laparoscopic Retropubic Auto-Augmentation of the Bladder

The small capacity or contracted bladder is a difficult management problem. The goal of bladder augmentation is to create a storage structure with an adequate capacity and low pressure. Bladder auto-augmentation creates a large bladder diverticulum by partially excising the detrusor muscle. We report our initial experience with an extraperitoneal approach to laparoscopic auto-augmentation in a patient with a small contracted bladder. This is a technically feasible operation but longer clinical followup is necessary to determine its durability in the management of the small contracted bladder.
Risk factors for the development of accommodative esotropia following treatment for infantile esotropia.

Abstract Purpose: One aim of the study was to determine whether accommodative esotropia after surgical alignment in infantile esotropia occurs because a pre-existing accommodative component is unmasked at the time of surgery or whether it occurs as a sequela of infantile esotropia. A second aim of the present study was to examine risk factors for accommodative esotropia after surgery for infantile esotropia. Methods: A total of 80 consecutive patients who were enrolled in a prospective study of infantile esotropia had been followed for more than 4 years and had achieved orthoposition were included. Twelve potential risk factors were examined: age at onset, initial esodeviation, initial refractive error, age at alignment, delay in alignment, presurgical glasses, amblyopia, additional surgical procedures, unstable alignment, increase in hypermetropia, peripheral fusion, and stereopsis. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios were computed for each factor and were corrected to relative risks. Results: Overall, 48 of 80 children (60%) developed accommodative esotropia at a mean age of 33 months. Increasing hypermetropia, delay in alignment, and poor stereopsis posed significant risks for accommodative esotropia. The remaining 9 factors were not associated with increased risk for accommodative esotropia. Conclusions: Accommodative esotropia is unlikely to be a pre-existing condition in most cases because the mean age of onset was 23 months postoperative and the prevalence of preoperative hypermetropia greater than +3.00 D was low. Both delay in alignment and stereopsis risk factors may reflect compromised binocular sensory status that allows accommodative esotropia to occur at low to moderate levels of hypermetropia. Identification of children treated for infantile esotropia who are at risk for accommodative esotropia may allow for prevention or early treatment. (J AAPOS 2002;6:174-81)
Cramer-Rao bounds of direction-of-arrival and distance estimation of a near-field incident source for an acoustic vector sensor: Gaussian source and polynomial-phase source

The near-field array manifold of the acoustic vector sensor was recently derived by Wu et al [see `the acoustic vector sensor`s near-field array manifold` in IEEE Trans. Signal Process. ]. The CramerRao bounds (CRBs) of direction-of-arrival and distance estimation with a single pure tone were also derived therein. This study aims to investigate the estimation accuracy of the acoustic vector sensor in the near-field, through the CRBs analysis, by modelling the incident source as: (i) a Gaussian distributed random sequence, and (ii) a polynomial-phase signal. All the four different compositions of the acoustic vector sensor in the near-field are considered, and their closed-form CRBs are derived.
Mill, nietzsche, and the identity of postmodern liberalism

Contemporary liberal political theory is now faced with the task of reconciling its attachment to traditional liberal political commitments with visions of the self and the community that increasingly emphasize creativity and contingency. If the principles that guide liberal common life are simply historically specific cultural creations, how can defenders of those principles respond to the challenges of very different cultures, and on what grounds might they resist overthrow by energetic and creative individuals within? Recently, Rorty (1989) has offered a blueprint for such a safeguard by insisting that creative energy, represented most dramatically by the work and the figure of Nietzsche, be privatized, leaving the public realm responsible for alleviating suffering, thus pursuing the political goals articulated by John Stuart Mill. The creative association of Mill and Nietzsche thus comes to define postmodern liberal theory. This solution is more provocative than resolutive, however. For Mill and Nietz...
Prospective Study of Bacteremia and Complications With EUS FNA of Rectal and Perirectal Lesions

Background & Aims: Recent studies showed that endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a low-risk procedure for causing bacteremia and infectious complications when sampling solid lesions of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. As a result, antibiotics are not recommended for prophylaxis against endocarditis. Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the risk of bacteremia and other infectious complications in patients undergoing EUS FNA of lower GI tract lesions. Methods: Patients referred for EUS FNA of lower GI tract lesions were considered for enrollment. Patients were excluded if there was an indication for preprocedure antibiotic administration based on American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines, had taken antibiotics within the prior 7 days, or if they had a cystic lesion. Blood cultures were obtained immediately before the procedure, after flexible sigmoidoscopy/radial EUS, and 15 minutes after EUS FNA. Results: One hundred patients underwent a total of 471 FNAs (mean, 4.7 FNAs/patient; range, 1–10 FNAs/patient). Blood cultures were positive in 6 patients. Cultures from 4 patients (4.0%, 95% confidence interval, 1.6%–9.8%) grew coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (n = 2), Peptostreptococcus stomatis (n = 1), or Moraxella (n = 1), which were considered contaminants. Two patients (2.0%, 95% confidence interval, 0.6%–7%) developed bacteremia: Bacteroides fragilis (n = 1) and Gemella morbillorum (n = 1). No signs or symptoms of infection developed in any patient. Conclusions: EUS FNA of solid lesions in the lower GI tract should be considered a low-risk procedure for infectious complications that does not warrant prophylactic administration of antibiotics for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis.
Voltage-controlled delay of microwaves and amplification in a semiconductor-filled strip-line circuit

A strip-line device is described which is capable of delaying, and under certain circumstances amplifying, microwaves.
Formation of supernumerary muscle spindles at the expense of Golgi tendon organs in ER81-deficient mice.

ER81, a member of the ETS family of transcription factors, is essential for the formation of connections between sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord. Mice lacking Er81 genes exhibit reduced monosynaptic sensory-motoneuron connectivity in response to muscle nerve stimulation. Proximal muscle nerve stimulation elicits fewer monosynaptic potentials than stimulation of distal nerves in hindlimbs, a deficit that is paralleled by a paucity of muscle spindles in proximal muscles (Arber et al., 2000). We examined whether a presence of spindles innervated by afferents in distal muscles correlated with the increased preservation of monosynaptic sensory-motor potentials in distal muscle nerves. Not only were spindles and Ia afferents present, but also they were supernumerary in distal muscles such as the soleus, medial gastrocnemius, and extensor hallucis longus. Concomitantly, a deficiency of Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) and Ib afferents was observed in distal muscles, as if supernumerary spindles formed at the expense of tendon organs in the absence of Er81. Thus, ER81 may be involved in mechanisms that regulate acquisition of the Ia and Ib phenotypes by subsets of proprioceptive muscle afferents. Segmental differences in muscle spindle and GTO dependence on ER81 suggest that more than one ETS transcription factor may participate in the regulation of limb proprioceptive system assembly in the mouse.
THE URBAN FOREST LANDSCAPE OF ATHENS, GREECE: ASPECTS OF STRUCTURE, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Summary The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the composition of the Athens urban forest and how it was being managed. Seven neighbourhoods in the Athens metropolitan area were sampled to study the structure of the urban forest. Species composition, diameter class, land-use, and tree condition were recorded. Although species diversity in older neighborhoods was higher, over 50% of the area sampled was composed of five species. More than 50% of the trees were under 7.6 cm with nearly 20% over 15.5 cm. Recent plantings of small diameter trees in areas with limited growing space differ from the larger diameter species surviving from earlier planting eras. City history is an important factor influencing the urban forest structure. While aspects of the city culture and tradition have been important in creating the contemporary urban forest landscape, rapid development and intense land uses in many areas now govern its future status. The fragmentation of local government into many units, and...
Who's in the Ethics Driver's Seat? Factors Influencing Ethics in the MBA Curriculum

The amount of attention given to ethics in the curricula of MBA programs varies widely. In this study we utilize both neoinstitutional theory and an internal view of power and politics to investiga...
Successful Women and Women's Colleges: Is There an Intervening Variable in the Reported Relationship?.

This study examined the relationship between career success and the baccalaureate degree origin of women. Analyses of data collected on the educational backgrounds of 126 successful women confirmed previous findings that graduates of women's colleges were more likely to attain career success than graduates of coeducational institutions. Results also identify graduate education as a possible intervening variable in the relationship.
Six-Year Predictors of Problems in a National Sample of Children and Youth: II. Signs of Disturbance

ABSTRACT Objective To identify 1986 and 1989 variables that significantly predicted signs of disturbance assessed in 1992. Method 1986 parent reports and 1989 parent, teacher, and self-reports of syndromes, competencies, family variables, and stressful experiences were tested as predictors of 1992 reports of academic problems, school behavior problems, receipt of mental health services, suicidal behavior, police contacts, substance abuse, and the sum of these six signs. Results The predictors accounted for large percentages of variance in most signs and predicted fairly accurately which members of case-control samples would manifest specific signs. Overall predictive accuracy was similar for both sexes, but many predictors differed for boys versus girls. The six signs were weakly associated with each other but were strongly associated with particular syndromes. Conclusions Signs of disturbance were predictable over a 6-year period despite the diversity of a national sample. Previous manifestations of certain signs were modest predictors of the same signs. The Delinquent Behavior and Attention Problems syndromes, plus stressful experiences, predicted the most signs. Sex differences in predictors argue against generalizing findings and inferences from one sex to the other.
Accepting and rejecting advice as competent peers: caller dilemmas on a warm line:

This article examines caller responses to advice on three peer-run social support telephone lines for community mental health clients in the northeastern United States. Straightforward rejection of advice involves reports on past or current activities, known only to the caller, as a way of demonstrating one's competence in thinking up similar options. Straightforward acceptance of advice involves a report on activities the caller might do to adopt the advisable option. The most common responses, minimal acknowledgements, can potentially signify rejection, mere recipiency, and/or acceptance of the advice. Contrary to previous studies, minimal acknowledgements can display hesitant acceptance when subsequently accompanied by descriptions of additional details about a present or future action tied to the advisable option. These methods for accepting and rejecting advice help callers balance their needs for assistance, friendship and autonomy.
PPARγ ligand attenuates PDGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation: Role of MAP kinase

PPARγ ligand attenuates PDGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation: Role of MAP kinase. Background Mesangial proliferation is a key feature in the pathogenesis of a number of renal diseases and can be experimentally induced by the mitogen platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling plays a key role in mesangial cell proliferation. In the present study we examined whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activators/ligands, thiazolidinediones such as ciglitazone, troglitazone, and rosiglitazone, can inhibit cell proliferation by modulating individual steps in the MAPK pathway. Methods Mouse mesangial cells were made quiescent and proliferation was measured following the application of PDGF. Using ciglitazone as the model compound, the mechanism of the antiproliferative effect of PPARγ activators on MAPK and specific cell cycle regulatory proteins were examined by Western blot analysis and transfection studies. Results Ciglitazone inhibited PDGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (1 to 20 μmol/L). The inhibitory effect was blocked by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor element (PPRE) decoy oligonucleotide, indicating that the observed effect of ciglitazone was via PPARγ activation. Ciglitazone (1 to 20 μmol/L) did not affect extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation but inhibited the activation of serum response element (SRE) by 85 ± 6% ( P P P P P P Conclusion These data indicate that PPARγ activation may inhibit mesangial growth directly by affecting MAPK and cell cycle regulatory proteins. Furthermore, a MAP kinase inhibitor can potentiate the antiproliferative effect.
Devising a screening test for toxic fire gases

The basic fire triangle of oxygen, fuel, and heat becomes much more complicated when it is used as an experimental model. A discussion of major test variables introduces a comparison of the tube furnace, torch, heated cup (crucible), and radiant heater as fire models for laboratory tests.
Pigment cell development after exchange of neural folds between the california newt and the mexican axolotl

Trunk neural folds from both black and white axolotls, Ambystoma mexicanum, were transplanted unilaterally in place of folds of Taricha torosa neurulae. Melanophores from either kind of axolotl completely suppress the differentiation of T. torosa melanophores for several stages and largely suppress it for much longer. During larval stages host pigmentation gradually develops, but axolotl pigmentation always dominates. After metamorphosis the typical Ambystoma spotted pattern appears. During all stages donor melanophores are almost equally distributed on both flanks, with only slightly more on the grafted side. Guanophores predominate on the grafted side, while xanthophores predominate on the opposite side. With the exception of the distribution of axolotl melanophores, these results confirm results of others with the black axolotl and offer additional evidence that the chromatophores of both black and white axolotls are equivalent. New suggestions are made to explain the unequal distribution of xanthophores and guanophores in view of the nearly equal distribution of axolotl melanophores. Trunk neural folds of T. torosa were transplanted bilaterally in place of white axolotl neural folds. The typical T. torosa larval pigment pattern is expressed in the grafted area, but host melanophores suppress donor melanophores beyond the confines of the graft. Eventually all axolotls immunologically rejected their neural crest grafts. Only 13% of the T. torosa rejected their grafts. These results confirm that T. torosa has a much greater tolerance to grafted foreign tissue than do axolotls. The immunological behavior of these animals is discussed in the context of results of similar experiments in anurans.
More on drug/dragged and snuck/sneaked Evidence from the American Midwest

L'A. analyse les specificites culturelles et linguistiques de l'usage comme preterit simple de drug/dragged et snuck/sneaked en anglais americain. Le corpus analyse provient d'un nombre important de locuteurs residant dans 12 etats americains. L'etude tient compte des caracteristqiues demographiques des locuteurs (age, sexe, niveau socioeconomique, race)
Electrostatic discharge/electrical overstress susceptibility in MEMS: a new failure mode

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overstress (EOS) damage of Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has been identified as a new failure mode. This failure mode has not been previously recognized or addressed primarily due to the mechanical nature and functionality of these systems, as well as the physical failure signature that resembles stiction. Because many MEMS devices function by electrostatic actuation, the possibility of these devices not only being susceptible to ESD or EOS damage but also having a high probability of suffering catastrophic failure doe to ESD or EOS is very real. Results from previous experiments have shown stationary comb fingers adhered to the ground plane on MEMS devices tested in shock, vibration, and benign environments [1,2]. Using Sandia polysilicon microengines, we have conducted tests to establish and explain the EDS/EOS failure mechanism of MEMS devices. These devices were electronically and optically inspected prior to and after ESD and EOS testing. This paper will address the issues surrounding MEMS susceptibility to ESD and EOS damage as well as describe the experimental method and results found from EDS and EOS testing. The tests were conducting using conventional IC failure analysis and reliability assessment characterization tools. In this paper we will also present a thermal model to accurately depict the heat exchange between an electrostatic comb finger and the ground plane during an ESD event.
UV-induced chromatid aberrations in cultured Chinese hamster cells after one, two, or three rounds of DNA replication

Abstract Synchronized G 1 or G 2 Chinese hamster cells were irradiated with UV light or X-rays and analyzed for chromosomal aberrations after one, two, or three replications. The cells were treated with Colcemid to induce polyploidy so that 2N, 4N, and 8N cells were scored. UV irradiation of G 1 cells induces mainly chromatid aberrations, whereas X-rays induce chromosome aberrations. After both types of radiation chromatid aberrations appear in the polyploid cells. These results can be interpreted as indicating that UV and X-rays induce lesions at the subchromatid level that cannot be expressed until one or two replications have occurred. Since UV can induce long-lived lesions, the UV data do not allow us to choose between mononemic and polynemic models of the chromosome. X-rays, however, are ionizing radiations that might not produce long-lived lesions. The X-ray data, therefore, are more easily interpretable in terms of lesions being induced in the subunits of a polynemic chromosome.
What Questions Are We Trying to Answer With Our Psychotherapy Research

The Luborsky et al. (2002) meta-analytic article is discussed in terms of (1) its lack of treatment-patient (independent variable) specificity concerns and (2) its failure to address an essential goal of psychotherapy research: “What treatment, by whom, is most effective for this individual with that specific problem, under which set of circumstances” (Paul, 1967, p .111). This article presents one single-case study and reviews seven other studies to illustrate how treatment-patient specificity foci can lead to different treatment outcome conclusions than the ones offered by Luborsky and his colleagues. I propose and discuss an alternative research approach that takes treatment-patient specificity variables into account.
Laser heating of free electrons in wide-gap optical materials at 1064 nm

Free-electron absorption of 1064-nm photons is measured photoacoustically in NaCl and ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$. The electrons are generated with a 266-nm pump pulse by two- or three-photon transitions. For a given pump pulse energy, the photoacoustic signal and the rise in lattice temperature are observed as a function of the energy of the 1064-nm pulse and found to be in agreement with the theory of free-carrier heating. Temperatures approaching the melting point are produced in these materials under prebreakdown conditions. No evidence of electron-impact ionization and ensuing avalanche formation is found up to the intrinsic damage threshold.