cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do traumatic events influence the clinical expression of compulsive hoarding

Traumatic experiences have been posited as one potential catalyst for the abrupt onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms including compulsive hoarding. To determine whether traumatic life events (TLEs) might influence the expression of compulsive hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), interview responses to the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) were examined in 180 individuals with OCD. Compared to individuals with OCD who did not meet criteria for hoarding, participants classified as hoarders (24% of the sample) were significantly more likely to have reported at least one TLE in their lifetime. Patients who met criteria for hoarding and who had also experienced TLEs had significantly greater hoarding symptom severity than those hoarders not exposed to trauma. This association was found to be robust. That is, the relationship between TLEs and hoarding symptom severity was not better accounted for by age, age of OCD onset, depressive symptoms, general OCD symptomatology, or mood and anxiety comorbidity. Closer examination revealed that the clutter factor of compulsive hoarding (and not difficulty discarding or acquisitioning) was most strongly associated with having experienced a traumatic event.
FADDEEV EQUATIONS FOR REALISTIC THREE-NUCLEON SYSTEMS. I. COMPLETE ANGULAR MOMENTUM REDUCTION AND ANTISYMMETRIZATION OF STATES.

A complete angular momentum reduction of the Faddeev equations is carried out for the case of realistic, nonrelativistic three-nucleon systems with (local and/or nonlocal) interactions having general spin, isospin, and velocity dependence. Antisymmetrization of states with respect to particle exchange is properly accounted for by using properties of the permutation group and the isospin formalism. Expressions for the Faddeev equations, in the form of coupled two-variable integral equations, are obtained in two different coupling schemes; $J\ensuremath{-}j$ [coupling of the (relative orbital plus total spin) angular momentum of a nucleon pair with the total angular momentum of the third nucleon (in the c.m. system) to give the total angular momentum (in the c.m. system)]; and $\mathcal{L}\ensuremath{-}\mathcal{S}$ [coupling of the total orbital angular momentum (relative orbital angular momentum of a nucleon pair plus the orbital angular momentum of the third nucleon) in the c.m. system with the total spin angular momentum (total spin angular momentum of a nucleon pair plus the spin angular momentum of the third nucleon) to give the total angular momentum in the c.m. system].
Alternative Splicing and Subfunctionalization Generates Functional Diversity in Fungal Proteomes

Alternative splicing is commonly used by the Metazoa to generate more than one protein from a gene. However, such diversification of the proteome by alternative splicing is much rarer in fungi. We describe here an ancient fungal alternative splicing event in which these two proteins are generated from a single alternatively spliced ancestral SKI7/HBS1 gene retained in many species in both the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. While the ability to express two proteins from a single SKI7/HBS1 gene is conserved in many fungi, the exact mechanism by which they achieve this varies. The alternative splicing was lost in Saccharomyces cerevisiae following the whole-genome duplication event as these two genes subfunctionalized into the present functionally distinct HBS1 and SKI7 genes. When expressed in yeast, the single gene from Lachancea kluyveri generates two functionally distinct proteins. Expression of one of these proteins complements hbs1, but not ski7 mutations, while the other protein complements ski7, but not hbs1. This is the first known case of subfunctionalization by loss of alternative splicing in yeast. By coincidence, the ancestral alternatively spliced gene was also duplicated in Schizosaccharomyces pombe with subsequent subfunctionalization and loss of splicing. Similar subfunctionalization by loss of alternative splicing in fungi also explains the presence of two PTC7 genes in the budding yeast Tetrapisispora blattae, suggesting that this is a common mechanism to preserve duplicate alternatively spliced genes.
Development and performance of Hobby-Eberly Telescope 11-m segmented mirror

The Hobby Eberly Telescope features a unique eleven-meter spherical primary mirror consisting of a single steel truss populated with 91 ZerodurTM mirror segments. The 1 meter hexagonal segments are fabricated to 0.033 micron RMS spherical surfaces with matched radii to 0.5 mm. Silver coatings are applied to meet reflectance criteria for wavelengths from 0.35 to 2.5 micron. To support the primary spectroscopic uses of the telescope the mirror must provide a 0.52 arc sec FWHM point spread function. Mirror segments are co-aligned to within 0.0625 ar sec and held to 25 microns of piston envelope using a segment positioning system that consists of 273 actuators (3 per mirror), a distributed population of controllers, and custom developed software. A common path polarization shearing interferometer was developed to provide alignment sensing of the entire array from the primary mirror's center of curvature. Performance of the array is being tested with an emphasis on alignment stability. Distributed temperature measurements throughout the truss are correlated to pointing variances of the individual mirror segments over extended periods of time. Results are very encouraging and indicate that this mirror system approach will prove to be a cost-effective solution for large optical collecting apertures.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Differentiation of constrictive pericarditis and restrictive cardiomyopathy using digitized echocardiography

Constrictive pericarditis and restrictive cardiomyopathy are difficult to distinguish at the bedside and occasionally at routine cardiac catheterization. Left ventricular diastolic function was studied by computer analysis of digitized M-mode echocardiograms in four patients with constrictive disease and three with restrictive disease, and the data were compared with those of normal subjects. The respective distinguishing echographic features of constrictive pericarditis and restrictive cardiomyopathy were as follows: the major filling period of the left ventricle was 78 ± 9% of normal versus 128 ± 4% (p
Impacts of climate extremes on gross primary production under global warming

The impacts of historical droughts and heat-waves on ecosystems are often considered indicative of future global warming impacts, under the assumption that water stress sets in above a fixed high temperature threshold. Historical and future (RCP8.5) Earth system model (ESM) climate projections were analyzed in this study to illustrate changes in the temperatures for onset of water stress under global warming. The ESMs examined here predict sharp declines in gross primary production (GPP) at warm temperature extremes in historical climates, similar to the observed correlations between GPP and temperature during historical heat-waves and droughts. However, soil moisture increases at the warm end of the temperature range, and the temperature at which soil moisture declines with temperature shifts to a higher temperature. The temperature for onset of water stress thus increases under global warming and is associated with a shift in the temperature for maximum GPP to warmer temperatures. Despite the shift in this local temperature optimum, the impacts of warm extremes on GPP are approximately invariant when extremes are defined relative to the optimal temperature within each climate period. The GPP sensitivity to these relative temperature extremes therefore remains similar between future and present climates, suggesting that the heat- and drought-induced GPP reductions seen recently can be expected to be similar in the future, and may be underestimates of future impacts given model projections of increased frequency and persistence of heat-waves and droughts. The local temperature optimum can be understood as the temperature at which the combination of water stress and light limitations is minimized, and this concept gives insights into how GPP responds to climate extremes in both historical and future climate periods. Both cold (temperature and light-limited) and warm (water-limited) relative temperature extremes become more persistent in future climate projections, and the time taken to return to locally optimal climates for GPP following climate extremes increases by more than 25% over many land regions.
Adolescent health: a Colorado experience.

Adolescent health is an area of increased programmatic activity and an area in need of further investigation. Research, however, may be fraught with problems that compromise the rigor of investigations. To illustrate this point, the author describes a small collaborative study that is in progress. The history of this study is clarified and the pilot work is summarized. The author stresses the importance of striking a balance between rigor and relevancy in studies related to adolescent health.
WORD BLASTOFF: a physics word game for iOS

Word Blastoff is a single-player word game app in which players are challenged to create 2 to 7 letter words from a pool of randomly-generated letters that enter the screen and gravitate towards a central black hole. With each letter that it zaps, the hole expands in size and ultimately explodes once it is too large for the screen, ending the game.
La forme double dans «Le coq et la perle» de Jean de la Fontaine

This paper examines, using a stylistic approach, one of Jean de La Fontaine's binary-structure fables. The author provides a detailed linguistic and structural analysis of the texts in order to illuminate themes of duality, doubling, transposition, and simultaneous contrast.
Has intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy become obsolete in the era of preoperative endoscopic retrograde and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

Background Preoperative ERCP, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), and intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) are standard procedures in evaluating patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. This study evaluates the changing practice patterns over time of these 3 procedures in a large cohort of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at a single tertiary care center. Study Design Data from all patients undergoing an LC with or without preoperative ERCP, MRCP, or an IOC from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013 were retrospectively reviewed from billing data obtained by CPT code and analyzed by chi-square testing. Results During 10 years, 7,427 patients underwent successful LC. The number of patients undergoing successful IOC (11.9% to 7.6%) or preoperative ERCP (7.2% to 1.5%) decreased significantly during that time interval (p Conclusions Despite a shift from IOC and preoperative ERCP to preoperative MRCP alone or with ERCP, a significant percentage (7.6%) of patients still underwent IOC in 2013. Use of IOC during LC has decreased but is not considered obsolete, rather, it remains a valuable tool for the evaluation of bile duct anatomy, bile duct injury, or suspected choledocholithiasis. Intraoperative cholangiography during uncomplicated LC should be emphasized in teaching programs to insure general surgery resident competency with the procedure.
A Study on the Operation Performance of a Minienvironment System

A minienvironment is a localized environment created by an enclosure to isolate a product or process from the surrounding environment. Minienvironments have been gaining popularity as a means to provide effective containment for critical contamination control. The use of minienvironments can provide several orders of magnitude improvement in particle cleanliness levels, while energy intensity may be shifted from the conventional cleanroom systems to the minienvironments that enclose specific processes. Prior to this study, there was little information available or published to quantify the energy performance of minienvironment systems. This paper will present quantitative results from a recent study of the operation performance of an open-loop minienvironment air system in a ballroom setting, including quantification of operation range, energy performance index, pressure control, electric power density, and airflows. The paper also provides a comparison of the newly measured results from this study with previously measured cleanroom performance. The results can serve as a starting point for identifying areas for energy savings from applying high-performance minienvironments in cleanrooms.
A mutation which alters initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase III on the Ad5 chromosome.

Abstract Mutant dl 309 is a viable Ad5 deletion mutant. Whereas wild-type Ad5-infected HeLa cells contain two VAI RNA species [VAI(A) and VAI(G)] which differ by three nucleotides at their 5′ ends, dl 309-infected HeLa cells contain VAI(G) but no VAI(A) RNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that dl 309 lacks two base pairs which precede the 5′ end of VAI(A) by 22 nucleotides. Since the 5′ ends of VAI RNAs are not processed, the 309 deletion serves to identify a portion of the sequence required for RNA polymerase III initiation. Since dl 309 grows as well as wild-type Ad5 in HeLa cells, the VAI(A) species is not essential for viral growth in these cells.
Should African-Americans with elevated blood pressure be routinely screened for hypertensive heart disease?

The inextricable link between elevated blood pressure (BP) and subsequent cardiovascular disease has long been established [1]. Progressive target-organ damage, typically involving the heart, kidne...
Increase in thromboxane B2 and decrease in prostaglandin E2 and 6-ketoprostaglandin F1α release into rat bronchoalveolar fluid as a consequence of cigarette smoking

Abstract Rats were exposed to cigarette smoke once daily for 4 to 8 weeks. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained from each animal and assayed for immunoreactive PGE2, TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1α.Significant increase in TXB2 and decrease in PGE2 and 6-Keto-PGF1α release into bronchoalveolar fluid as a consequence of cigarette smoking were observed. These changes of arachidonate metabolites in lung alveoli may account in part for bronchoconstriction induced by cigarette smoking.
Mathematical simulation of C4 grass photosynthesis in ambient and elevated CO2

Abstract A mechanistic leaf photosynthesis model was developed for C4 grasses based on a general simplified scheme of C4 plant carbon metabolism. In the model, the PEPcase-dependent C4-cycle was described in terms of CO2 concentration in the mesophyll space using Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and the activity of PEPcase was related to the incident PAR to take account of the influence of light on the activity of C4-cycle processes. The CO2 refixation by Rubisco in the bundle sheath was described using a widely accepted C3 photosynthesis model. The model assumes a steady state balance among CO2 diffusion from surrounding atmosphere into the mesophyll space, CO2 transport into the bundle sheath by the C4-cycle, CO2 refixation by the C3-cycle in the bundle sheath, and CO2 leakage from the bundle sheath. The response to temperature of photosynthesis was incorporated via the temperature dependence of model parameters. The photosynthesis model was coupled with a stomatal conductance model in order to predict leaf photosynthesis rates at different atmospheric conditions. The empirical model of Ball et al. (1987) was adopted and slightly modified to describe responses in stomatal conductance. The coupled model was parameterized for the C4 grass Andropogon gerardii grown in both ambient (350 ppm) and elevated (700 ppm) CO2 atmospheres. The key parameters of the model were estimated by fitting the model to the measured data using non-linear regression. The model was validated by comparison the predicted photosynthetic response to PAR in both CO2-pretreatments with the measured data from an independent gas exchange experiment. The predicted photosynthesis and stomatal conductance matched the measured data quite well for both atmospheric CO2-pretreatments. At 25°C, the estimated maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco Vcm,25, potential electron transport rate Jm,25 and quantum efficiency α were increased by CO2 enrichment. The maximum PEPcase activity Vpm,25 was lower in elevated CO2. The model predicted that the light-saturated leaf photosynthesis will increase by about 10% with the rising of atmospheric CO2 from 350 to 700 ppm at 30°C, and that the optimal temperature of photosynthesis will shift from 37 to 38.5°C. The estimated slope of the stomatal conductance model was increased by atmospheric CO2 enrichment. Stomatal conductance was significantly reduced by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration.
Characterization of risks posed by combustor emissions.

ABSTRACTRisk characterization is the final step of the risk assessment process as practiced in the U.S. EPA. In risk characterization, the major scientific evidence and “bottom-line” results from the other components of the risk assessment process, hazard identification, dose-respdnse assessment, and exposure assessment, are evaluated and integrated into an overall conclusion about the risks posed by a given situation. Risk characterization is also an iterative process; the results of a specific step may require re-evaluation or additional information to finalize the risk assessment process. Risks posed by atmospheric emissions are an example of an involuntary human health risk which typically receives a great deal of public attention. Characterization of the risks posed by atmospheric emissions typically requires the use of mathematical models to evaluate: I) the environmental fate of emitted pollutants, 2) exposures to these pollutants, and 3) human dose-response. Integration df these models results in ...
Amino Acid Incorporation by Cleaving Ova of Arbacia punctulata

Fertilized Arbacia ova were incubated with H3-leucine from 30 minutes to 4 hours and thin sections (1 and 2μ) analyzed autoradiographically. The asters and MA incorporated H3-leucine at approximately the same rate than the whole cell. Puromycin and cycloheximide, depressed mitosis (94%). However, those cells that cleaved contained newly synthesized proteins.
Causes and frequency of unplanned hospital readmission after total hip arthroplasty.

Background Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a beneficial and cost-effective procedure for patients with osteoarthritis. Recent initiatives to improve hospital quality of care include assessing unplanned hospital readmission rates. Patients presenting for THA have different indications and medical comorbidities that may impact rates of readmission.
A quantitative approach to hydrogen bonding at a metal surface.

The strength of hydrogen bridge bonds in rows of anthraquinone (AQ) and 9,10-dithioanthracene (DTA) molecules adsorbed at a Cu(111) surface is investigated by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. The temperature-dependent rate of abstraction of molecules from the molecular rows was measured. Evaluation of the results similar to molecular diffusion data indicates an abstraction barrier of 0.13 and 0.16 eV for AQ and DTA, respectively. Given known diffusion barriers, this offers an estimated energy of the O···H−C and S···H−C hydrogen bond of 0.05 and 0.02 eV for AQ and DTA, respectively.
LOCALIZED BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE LATTICE HAMILTONIANS: LATTICE WANNIER FUNCTIONS

A systematic method is presented for constructing effective Hamiltonians for general phonon-related structural transitions. The key feature is the application of group-theoretical methods to identify the subspace in which the effective Hamiltonian acts and construct for it localized basis vectors, which are the analogue of electronic Wannier functions. The results of the symmetry analysis for the perovskite, rocksalt, fluorite, and A15 structures and the forms of effective Hamiltonians for the ferroelectric transition in ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$, the oxygen-octahedron rotation transition in ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$, the Jahn-Teller instability in ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$(Ca,Sr,Ba${)}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ and the antiferroelectric transition in ${\mathrm{PbZrO}}_{3}$ are discussed. For the oxygen-octahedron rotation transition in ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$, this method provides an alternative to the rotational variable approach which is well behaved throughout the Brillouin zone. The parameters appearing in the Wannier basis vectors and in the effective Hamiltonian, given by the corresponding invariant energy expansion, can be obtained for individual materials using first-principles density-functional-theory total energy and linear response techniques, or any technique that can reliably calculate force constants and distortion energies. A practical approach to the determination of these parameters is presented and the application to ferroelectric ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ discussed.
THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF MYELIN AND AXONAL ALTERATIONS IN SCIATIC NERVES OF THIAMINE DEFICIENT AND CHRONICALLY STARVED RATS.

Phase and electron microscopic study of sciatic and peroneal nerves of thiamine deficient and chronically starved rats demonstrated an increase in the incidence of normal variations in myelin sheath contour throughout the internode, focal alterations in the lamellar pattern of myelin adjacent to sites of demyelination, and numerous, complex, redundant loops of axon-Schwann cell membrane which projected into axons of myelinated fibers. The paranodal axoplasm of a few fibers from thiamine deficient rats contained collections of vesicles, mitochondria and dense bodies. The significance of these observations is briefly discussed.
Nonstandard string-SUSY scenario and its phenomenological implications

We investigate the phenomenology of an orbifold string model in which supersymmetry breaking is dominated by the overall {open_quotes}size{close_quotes} modulus field and all matter fields are in the untwisted sector. The possibly close degeneracy of the lightest neutralino and chargino and the possibly small splitting between the gluino and chargino or LSP mass imply that discovery of supersymmetry at future colliders could be more challenging than anticipated. Specialized search strategies and particular detector features could play an important role. For preferred model parameter choices, the phenomenology of dark matter in the universe is significantly modified. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Isolation and characterization of three families of auxin down-regulated cDNA clones

Five cDNA clones (ADR6, ADR11-1, ADR11-2, ADR12-1 and ADR12-2), representing three families of auxin down-regulated (ADR) genes were isolated and characterized. These were isolated by screening a λZap cDNA library with the partial cDNA clones p6, p11 and p12, isolated earlier (Baulcombe and Key, J Biol Chem 255: 8907–8913, 1980). Hybrid-select translation of ADR6, ADR11-2 and ADR12-2 clones produced polypeptides of 33 kDa 22.5 kDa and a 6 and 7 kDa respectively, when analyzed by SDS-PAGE. ADR6 and ADR12-2 gave one and two spots, respectively, on an IEF-SDS 2D gel. ADR11-2 probably encodes a basic protein as it was only resolved on non-equilibrium pH gradient gel electrophoresis (NEPHGE). Genomic Southern blot analysis of ADR6, ADR11 and ADR12 suggests that each represents a small multigene family. The RNA levels corresponding to ADR6, ADR11 and ADR12 decrease in response to applied auxin by 100-, 15- and 10-fold, respectively (Baulcombe and Key, 1980). Runoff transcription, done in the presence and absence of auxin, showed that the rate of transcription of the genes corresponding to ADR6, ADR11-2 and ADR12-2 was reduced in the presence of auxin, but the decrease was small relative to the decrease in the cytoplasmic levels of these mRNAs, in response to auxin. A comparative analysis of the influence of auxin on in vitro transcription and steady state RNA levels corresponding to these ADR cDNAs suggests that the decrease in rate of transcription due to auxin is not enough to account for the auxin-induced decrease in the steady state levels. Northern analysis showed developmental and organ/tissue-specific response of these ADR genes. Furthermore, the expression of the genes corresponding to ADR6 and ADR12-1 appears to be upregulated by light, whereas the gene corresponding to ADR11 appears to be down-regulated by light.
Optical properties of Zn1−xMgxO nanorods using catalysis-driven molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract We report on the optical properties of (Zn,Mg)O nanorods grown by catalyst-driven molecular beam epitaxy. The process is site-specific, as single crystal (Zn,Mg)O nanorod growth is realized via nucleation on Ag films or islands that are deposited on a SiO 2 -terminated Si substrate surface. Growth occurs within a flux of Zn, Mg, and O 2 /O 3 mixture at substrate temperatures of 400–500 °C. With the addition of Mg, the nanorod morphology becomes more uniform relative to the pure ZnO nanomaterials synthesized under similar conditions. The (Zn,Mg)O nanorods are cylindrical, exhibiting diameters of 15–40 nm and lengths in excess of 1 μm. The (Zn,Mg)O nanorods exhibit a strong photoluminescence response, showing a slight shift to shorter wavelengths due to Mg incorporation.
Viral Respiratory Diseases

An overview of the more commonly encountered viral diseases of the dog and cat is presented. The reader is acquainted with the principles of antiviral therapy and the drugs that have been studied for use in animal viral respiratory diseases. An update on vaccination principles and guidelines is provided.
Building the WorldWide Telescope

This paper is talks about the critical role that Jim Gray played in the creation of the WorldWide Telescope software. Contrary to what you might think it wasn't his database brilliance that made it happen, it was his generosity in sharing credit, inspiring, nurturing and connecting people, in this case that made it possible for the pieces to come into place and make it happen. Without Jim Gray's work with Alex Szalay on Sky Server and their ongoing support and encouragement, the software that is named in their honor would not exist today.
Cardiac Allograft Tolerance Induction via Anti-LFA-1 Monotherapy Is Dependent on an Indirect CD8 T-Cell

s S51 and recipient age were both significantly lower in CAS group compared with PMS group. 2) Kaplan-Meier analysis showed rejection-free survival was significantly longer in PMS group compared with CAS group. However, interestingly, overall patients survival rate is not significantly between two groups. 3) Multivariate analysis showed that initial immunosuppressant regimen did not result in significant difference in survival. Conclusion: Although newer regimen consisting of PMS near completely replaced older regimen with CAS, there were no differences in long term survival between two groups.
Improvement in hemostasis following phlebotomy in cyanotic patients with heart disease

This study of 12 markedly polycythemic patients with coexisting coagulation abnormalities demonstrates that multiple phlebotomies can be employed to improve the patient's hemostatic defects and to lower the risk of excessive bleeding during the early postoperative period.
Laminectomy versus percutaneous electrode placement for spinal cord stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation using laminectomy-style electrodes versus that using percutaneously implanted electrodes. METHODS: Forty-one patients underwent an initial trial period of spinal cord stimulation with temporary electrodes at Duke Medical Center between December 1992 and January 1998. A permanent system was implanted if trial stimulation reduced the patient's pain by more than 50%. Median long-term follow-up after permanent electrode placement was 34 months (range, 6-66 mo). Severity of pain was determined postoperatively by a disinterested third party using a visual analog scale and a modified outcome scale. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (66%) of the 41 patients participating in the trial had permanent electrodes placed. Visual analog scores decreased an average of 4.6 among patients in whom electrodes were placed via laminectomy in the thoracic region (two-tailed t test, P < 0.0001). Patients who underwent percutaneous placement of thoracic electrodes had an average decrease of 3.1 in their visual analog scores (two-tailed t test, P < 0.001). Electrodes placed through laminectomy furnished significantly greater long-term pain relief than did those placed percutaneously, as measured by a four-tier outcome grading scale (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Spinal cord stimulation is an effective treatment for chronic pain in the lower back and lower extremities that is refractory to conservative therapy. Electrodes placed via laminectomy in the thoracic region appear to be associated with significantly better long-term effectiveness than are electrodes placed percutaneously.
Neutral planetary boundary layer above a nonhomogeneous surface

Abstract Theoretical analyses of the atmospheric boundary layer are generally based on the assumptions of stationarity and horizontal homogeneity, which permit one to neglect the inertial terms in equations of motion. The importance of these terms is examined for the case where slight inhomogeneities may cause small but monotonic changes of surface shear in the direction of flow. Considering several models of the neutral barotropic Ekman layer, it is shown that horizontal gradient in the friction velocity of as small as one cm/sec per ten kilometers could make the wind hodograph deviate significantly from that for the homogeneous case. Significant deviations from the logarithmic profile in the surface layer, on the other hand, would occur for horizontal gradients of at least an order of magnitude greater. Thus, the practical criteria for assuming homogeneity may be far more strict and difficult to satisfy for the outer layer than these are for the surface layer.
The Mediated Sociologist

Sociologist Karen Sternheimer considers the opportunities and challenges of presenting sociological concepts in the news media, particularly when our ideas are edited or interpreted by others.
Perceptions of risk factors for breast cancer and attitudes toward mammography among women who are current, ex- and non-smokers.

Understanding risk perceptions for breast cancer among women smokers is important because smokers tend to underutilize breast cancer screening. Perceptions of the relative importance of a variety of factors which may increase breast cancer risk and the benefits/barriers of mammography, were examined among women who were current (n = 185), ex- (n = 632) and never (n = 623) smokers. Participants were a subset of women taking part in a project to increase mammography utilization among women aged 50 and over. Current smokers, but not ex-smokers, were significantly less likely than never smokers to agree that health risk behaviors most frequently seen in smokers (e.g., smoking cigarettes, high-fat diet, low intake of fruits and vegetables, physical inactivity, drinking alcohol) may increase risk for breast cancer. Current smokers, but not ex-smokers, perceived more barriers and fewer benefits of mammography, than never smokers.
Altering Sexual Development in Arabidopsis

The reproductive system determines the way in which gametes develop and interact to form a new organism. Therefore, it exerts the primary level of control of genotypic frequencies in plant populations, and plays a fundamental role in plant breeding. A basic understanding of plant reproductive development will completely transform current breeding strategies used for seed production. Apomixis is an asexual form of reproduction in which embryogenesis occurs in a cell lineage lacking both meiosis and fertilization, and that culminates in the formation of viable progeny genetically identical to the mother plant. The transfer of apomixis into sexual crops will allow the production of self-perpetuating improved hybrids, and the fixation of any desired heterozygous genotype. The initiation of apomictic development invariably takes place at early stages of ovule ontogeny, before the establishment of the megagametophytic phase. The developmental versatility associated with megagametophyte formation suggests that the genetic and molecular regulation of apomixis is intimately related to the regulation of sexuality. Differences between the initiation of sexual and apomictic development may be determined by regulatory genes that act during megasporogenesis, and that control events leading to the formation of unreduced female gametophytes. To test this hypothesis, we are isolating and characterizing genes that act during megasporogenesis inArabidopsis thaliana and investigating their potential role in the induction of apomixis. We are using a recently established transposon-based enhancer detection and gene trap insertional mutagenesis system that allows the identification of genes based on their expression patterns. An initial screen of transposants has yielded over 20 lines conferring restricted GUS expression during early ovule development. We have obtained the sequence of genomic fragments flanking the transposon insertion. Several have homology to genes playing important roles in plant and animal development. They include cell cycle regulators, enzymes involved in callose hydrolysis, leucine-rich repeat protein kinase receptors, and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of unknown function. Independently, a genetic screen allows the identification of female sterile mutants defective in megasporogenesis. Results from these experiments will improve our basic understanding of reproductive development in plants, and will set the basis for a sustained effort in plant germ line biotechnology, a first step toward a flexible transfer of apomixis into a large variety of sexual crops.
Passive and active remote sensing of atmospheric precipitation.

Both passive and active remote sensing of atmospheric precipitation are studied with the vector radiative transfer equations by making use of the Mie scattering phase functions and incorporating the raindrop-size distributions. For passive remote sensing, the Gaussian quadrature method is employed to solve for the brightness temperatures. For active remote sensing, an iterative approach carrying out to the second order in albedo is used to calculate for the bistatic coefficients, the backscattering cross sections/unit volume, and the interchannel cross talks. The calculated results are plotted as a function of rainfall rates and compared to various available experimental data. The theoretical model is easily applied to the remote sensing of aerosol particles, smoke, fog, and haze at infrared and visible frequencies.
Thermally Induced Structural Changes in F-(H2O)11 and Cl-(H2O)11 Clusters: Molecular Dynamics Computer Simulations

We performed constant energy molecular dynamics computer simulations on F-(H2O)11 and Cl-(H2O)11 clusters and examined the dependence of ion solvation on temperature. At low temperatures the ion resides on the surface for both F- and Cl-, but as the clusters are warmed, the F- becomes more and more solvated while Cl- remains on the surface. Comparing the behavior of F-(H2O)11 and Cl-(H2O)11 to that of pure (H2O)12, we observe that when heating the clusters from their minimum energy configurations, the behavior of the heterogeneous clusters during melting is mostly determined by water−water interactions.
NUTRITION OF THE HOST AND NATURAL RESISTANCE TO INFECTION : III. THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR THE MAXIMAL EFFECT OF DIET

The observation has been confirmed that the property of a "natural" diet of whole wheat and whole dried milk to promote a higher survival rate among a stock of outbred, genetically heterogeneous W-Swiss mice subjected to S. typhimurium infection, over that promoted by a "synthetic" diet, is dependent upon a relationship between avirulent and virulent members of the pathogen population. This relationship has now been analyzed in terms of number (interacting doses) and time (interval between interacting doses). On any given diet survivorship has been demonstrated to be a function of the host's experience of the avirulent pathogen; increasing experience, either in dose or time, resulted in increasing survivorship. For a given set of interacting avirulent-virulent doses the rate at which survivorship rose was greater when the "natural" diet was fed than when the "synthetic" diet was fed. This difference in survivorship-increase rates gave rise to differences in survivorship between the two diets. These dietary differences ranged from minimal to maximal with increasing time, and then, as still more time elapsed, back to minimal again. In consequence an optimum time interval was found at which the dietary effect was maximal. This time interval was chosen for assay purposes. The assay method thus arrived at was tested repeatedly for reproducibility, and statistical analysis showed it to be reliable and capable of demonstrating a mean dietary difference in survivorship of 55 per cent. The nature of the relationship established between avirulent and virulent S. typhimurium in mice has been discussed.
Tapered Titanium Porous Plasma-Sprayed Femoral Component in Patients Aged 40 Years and Younger

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients aged 40 years and younger requires decades of increased activity demands. Between 1987 and 2000, 249 primary THAs in patients 40 years of age or younger were performed with the Mallory-Head component. The average age at THA was 34.7 years (range, 20-40 years). Follow-up averaged 91 months with 125 hips having minimum 5-year follow-up and 51 THAs having a minimum of 10 years. Four stems failed the 98.2% overall survivorship. Two stems were revised for loosening for a 99.2% (95% confidence interval, 96.4%-99.8%) survivorship with aseptic loosening as the end-point at 18 years. In young patients, this tapered titanium, proximally porous plasma-sprayed femoral component provides outstanding long-term fixation and function with significant pain relief into the second decade. Overall stem survivorship is 98.2% at up to 18 years.
Double‐edged poetry: From sexual longings to a Filipina American politics of writing in Virginia Cerenio's trespassing innocence

(2001). Double‐edged poetry: From sexual longings to a Filipina American politics of writing in Virginia Cerenio's trespassing innocence. Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 47-77.
The Effect of Glucocorticoids on Mitogen-Stimulated B-Lymphocytes: Thymidine Incorporation and Antibody Secretion

The effects of glucocorticoids on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated lymphocytes undergoing proliferation and differentiation were studied using cells from a corticosensitive species, the mouse, and a relatively corticoresistant species, the guinea pig. A B-cell-specific mitogen, LPS, caused a 5-fold increase in [3H]thymidine ([3H]TdR) incorporation in murine splenic lymphocytes compared to that in nonmitogen-stimulated cells. Increasing concentrations of various glucocorticoids decreased [3H]TdR incorporation. The order of biological effectiveness of the glucocorticoids was triamcinolone acetonide > dexamethasone > cortisol = corticosterone > estradiol. Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) caused decreases in [3H]TdR incorporation ranging from 24% at 10-13 M to 75% at 10-5 M. Neither cortexolone nor progesterone alone affected [3H]TdR incorporation in LPS-stimulated murine cells, but these antiglucocorticoids at a 1000-fold excess blocked the inhibitory effect of TA on [3H]TdR incorporation. Nonmitogen-stimulat...
Explaining Agricultural and Agrarian Policies in Developing Countries

Political outcomes - such as agricultural taxation, subsidization, and the provision of public goods - result from political bargaining among interest groups. Such bargaining is likely to be efficiency-enhancing and growth-enhancing when equally powerful interest groups - aware of the economywide budget constraint and know the economic implications of different policy options - participate, and when impartial institutions are available to enforce decisions. The greater the deviation from these conditions, the greater the potential for efficiency-reducing outcomes, the costs of which will generally fall disproportionately on politically underrepresented or powerless groups. Material conditions of agriculture production - such as spatial dispersion, seasonal work cycles, covariance of risk, and the associated market imperfections - exacerbate the difficulties faced by small producers to engage in collective action. So, despite being generally the economically most efficient form of production, family farmers' ability to counteract the political influence of rural elites and urban dwellers is extremely limited. Lack of independent institutions and clearly defined property rights - and the presence of organizational residues - not only reduce peasants' bargaining power but may also make it more profitable for powerful groups to prefer rent seeking to productive activities. How can these undesirable outcomes be avoided, and how can sustainable policy changes be initiated? Experience indicates that fiscal crises of the state, often triggered or aggravated by an external shock, can cause lasting changes of policies and institutions. By forcing the state to devolve some of its power in exchange for financial assistance to meet its immediate needs, such a crisis can give rise to the emergence of independent legal, political, and economic institutions that are maintained even once the crisis has subsided, External actors that provide resources in terms of crisis and at the same time enhance the scope for politically least vocal parts of civil society to participate in political discourse can have a significant impact on changing policy. The paper discusses in detail the implications for research as well as for policy advice.
A helmet mounted GPS antenna

GPS receivers have evolved into a necessary component of the modern military because they allow precise positioning of both equipment and troops. In this paper, we present an analysis of a helmet mounted GPS antenna. This includes a performance analysis of a standalone antenna as well as the antenna mounted on a helmet.
A guide to coding the universë by Beller, Jensen, Welch

Guide visant a faciliter la lecture du livre «Codage de l'Univers» en anglais de Beller, Jensen et Welch
A framework for building reality-based interfaces for wireless-grid applications

The pervasive adoption of wireless technologies is creating a growing demand for seamless interaction with wireless services. By sharing resources across devices such as PDA's, sensors and cameras, Wireless Grids provide the opportunity to allow users seamless access to services via a new generation of user interfaces. These interfaces draw upon users existing skills of interaction with objects in the real physical world thus, we refer to them as reality-based interfaces. Although these interfaces offer the promise of ease of use, they are currently more difficult to build than traditional ones. The aim of this research is to simplify the task of developing reality-based interfaces and adapting them to a changing landscape of resources. This goal will be accomplished by providing developers with a high level user interface description language (UIDL) and a user interface management system (UIMS) which describes and enables to develop these interfaces given the uncertainty of the input-output devices they will employ.
“Wolves Have A Constitution:” Continuities in Indigenous Self-Government

This article is about constitutionalism as an Indigenous tradition. The political idea of constitutionalism is the idea that the process of governing is itself governed by a set of foundational laws or rules. There is ample evidence that Indigenous nations in North America—and in Australia and New Zealand as well—were in this sense constitutionalists. Customary law, cultural norms, and shared protocols provided well understood guidelines for key aspects of governance by shaping both personal and collective action, the behavior of leaders, decision-making, dispute resolution, and relationships with the human, material, and spirit worlds. Today, many of these nations have governing systems imposed by outsiders. As they move to change these systems, they also are reclaiming their own constitutional traditions.
The Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 Checkpoint Clamp Regulates Interaction of TopBP1 with ATR

TopBP1 serves as an activator of the ATR-ATRIP complex in response to the presence of incompletely replicated or damaged DNA. This process involves binding of ATR to the ATR-activating domain of TopBP1, which is located between BRCT domains VI and VII. TopBP1 displays increased binding to ATR-ATRIP in Xenopus egg extracts containing checkpoint-inducing DNA templates. We show that an N-terminal region of TopBP1 containing BRCT repeats I-II is essential for this checkpoint-stimulated binding of TopBP1 to ATR-ATRIP. The BRCT I-II region of TopBP1 also binds specifically to the Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 (9-1-1) complex in Xenopus egg extracts. This binding occurs via the C-terminal domain of Rad9 and depends upon phosphorylation of its Ser-373 residue. Egg extracts containing either a mutant of TopBP1 lacking the BRCT I-II repeats or a mutant of Rad9 with an alanine substitution at Ser-373 are defective in checkpoint regulation. Furthermore, an isolated C-terminal fragment from Rad9 is an effective inhibitor of checkpoint signaling in egg extracts. These findings suggest that interaction of the 9-1-1 complex with the BRCT I-II region of TopBP1 is necessary for binding of ATR-ATRIP to the ATR-activating domain of TopBP1 and the ensuing activation of ATR.
Cognitive sensor networks

A smart sensor network that integrates latest advances in cognitive science and artificial intelligence with low- power wireless sensors is presented for emerging applications in energy, agriculture, environment, healthcare, medicine, transportation, and defense and space.
Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus spp. from horses: a retrospective study (2000-2010).

The goal of this retrospective study was to have a comprehensive picture of the β-hemolytic streptococci of horses including tissue/organ distributions and susceptibility patterns against specific antimicrobials between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. A total of 2,497 β-hemolytic streptococci were isolated from 2,391 cases, of which Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was the most frequent isolate (72.0%). Other species isolated were Streptococcus dysgalactia subsp. equisimilis (21.3%), Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (5.8%), and unidentified β-hemolytic streptococci (0.9%). As expected, S. equi was mostly isolated from lymph node abscesses and the respiratory tract in foals and adult horses. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus and S. equisimilis were mostly isolated from placenta, fetal tissues, and genital tract of horses; S. zooepidemicus and S. equisimilis were also recovered in significant numbers from a number of other organs including lung, liver, brain, kidney, and joints, indicating...
An Optimized Space-Vector Modulation Method for 3ϕ-3ϕ Matrix Converter

An innovative optimized space vector modulation method (OSVM) for 3ϕ-3ϕ matrix converter is proposed in this paper. This modulation method maximizes the modulability of reference vectors. It is a direct modulation method. The solution of OSVM immediately tells the modulability of reference vectors. An efficient algorithm for OSVM is provided and tested through simulations. Comparison with the conventional SVM methods is performed. Simulation results show the validity and the performance of OSVM.