cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat Transfer Characteristics of an Uncooled Silicon Nitride Surface in a Naturally-Aspired DI Diesel

Abstract : Instantaneous heat flux and flame position were measured on a silicon nitride diesel engine head. Ionization probes and thin-film platinum temperature detectors were applied directly to the head surface. The ionization probes showed that the flame exited the bowl and propagated asymmetrically from the centerline of the combustion bowl. The temperature measurements revealed that average surface temperatures varied with position by more than 200 C. Spatial variations in the temperature swings were also present with large swings resulting from direct combustion effects on heat transfer at locations near the lip of the piston bowl. Peak instantaneous heat flux values varied from 0.3 to 2.0 MW/m2. Five of the seven probe locations exhibited heat transfer rates that were limited due to the combustion rate. At three different positions, the peak heat flux magnitude and phasing were independent of load. Comparing these locations, the time-averaged heat flux decreased with increased surface temperature. This primary purpose of this study was to measure surface heat flux to an insulated surface in an uncooled DI diesel engine. Numerous studies have been performed comparing conventionally cooled to insulated engines.
For All By All

The 2020 World Bank Education Sector Strategy Learning for All (WBES 2020, hereafter) was presented in its final form to the public in February 2011 (World Bank, 2011a). The enthusiasm of Elizabeth King, chief architect of WBES 2020, perhaps best captures the great expectations associated with the launch of the new strategy
Using the Experience Sampling Method to Study Sexual Risk Behavior among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)

Toward the goal of advancing understanding of rates of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) populations, this article provides preliminary data on the use of the experience sampli...
Training and Competency in Endoscopic Resection

The removal of superficial gastrointestinal neoplasia is an important responsibility of the modern endoscopist. While many lesions may be addressed with traditional polypectomy, complex lesions often require specialized expertise in endoscopic mucosal resection or submucosal dissection. Traditional training in mucosal resection has been structured using an apprenticeship model common in endoscopic and surgical pedagogy. This traditional model of training has numerous shortfalls and is gradually being supplanted by “competency-based education” (CBE) methodologies throughout graduate medical education. CBE curricula offer the advantages of learner-centeredness and outcomes-driven assessments of achievement. However, implementation of CBE in mucosal resection is challenging and has been hampered by a lack of accepted metrics for competency and dearth of validated tools for the objective assessment of trainees.
Contrast Acuity and the King-Devick Test in Huntington's Disease

Saccadic eye movement abnormalities are among the earliest manifestations of Huntington's disease (HD) but are difficult to quantify at the bedside. Similarly, afferent visual pathway involvement in HD is poorly characterised. The objective was to evaluate afferent and efferent visual function in HD. Participants with manifest HD (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 20) performed the King-Devick test, a timed test of rapid number naming. Binocular high and low-contrast (2.5% and 1.25%) acuities were measured using low-contrast Sloan letter charts, and pupillometric recordings were made using a handheld NeurOptics PLR-3000 pupillometer. The NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire with 10-item neuro-ophthalmic supplement were also completed. Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) motor score and other clinical and demographic variables were collected. Comparisons between manifest HD and controls were performed using linear regression adjusted for confounders. Mean King-Devick time scores were 102.9 seconds in patients with manifest HD and 48.2 seconds in controls (p < .01, t-test). In unadjusted analyses, binocular high contrast acuity was seven letters (one Snellen line equivalent) lower in manifest HD than controls (p = .043). This effect was similar for low-contrast acuity, but only low-contrast acuity remained statistically significant after adjusting for covariates. Low-contrast acuity also correlated with UHDRS motor score. There were no differences in pupillary reactivity or self-reported vision-related quality of life. In conclusion, HD is associated with reduced low-contrast acuity and abnormal performance on the King-Devick test of rapid number naming. These tests are easy to administer, providing an objective quantitative measure of visual function which could be incorporated into optimised rating scales.
VOCs determination by adsorbent-Raman system in food and botanicals

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from foods and plants are typically analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or electronic-nose (E-nose) analysis. GC/MS is highly sensitive but lacks portability, while E-nose equipment is portable but has a narrow range of analysis. In this study, a Raman-based VOC detection system was developed along with multivariate analysis for spectral differentiation of VOCs. A 5 μL droplet each of four representative VOCs (linalool, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, methyl salicylate) was pre-concentrated with Hayesep Q adsorbent in a sealed chamber. After a given collection time (20 and 60 min), Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the VOC eluates from each adsorbent. Two collection times were tested, and single VOCs versus VOC mixtures were compared. Finally, Raman spectral data were processed with baseline correction and normalization and analyzed with unsupervised and supervised learning techniques. After 20 minutes of collection, individual and mixed volatiles showed unique spectral features, and the multivariate techniques produced good discrimination among the VOCs. Raman spectroscopy was also used to measure mixtures containing three VOCs at five different concentrations, and when principle component regression was applied, a concentration–estimation curve with a high R2 of 0.953 was generated. This system developed on VOC standards was tested on two types of tea (black and earl grey) to determine the differentiability of tea aromas, and several unique Raman spectra were observed from the tea samples. Therefore, the proposed Raman technique has proven to be effective at fast screening of multiple VOCs given off from foods and plants and is a good candidate for fast and portable applications.
The levels of base pay and incentive pay used by small firms to compensate professional employees with general and specific human capital

Drawing on human-capital theory, we propose divergent associations of professional employees’ base pay and incentive pay with their levels of human capital in the small business context. Based on s...
Using Arduino Uno Microcontroller to Create Interest in Physics.

Arduino microcontrollers are becoming increasingly popular in the physics/astronomy community. These devices can provide more in-depth labs on mechanics, electricity and magnetism, light and optics, etc., in addition to programming. These devices can be readily utilized to reach more non-physics/astronomy majors and underrepresented STEM students. The hands-on approach facilitates the learning of physics concepts and their applications in everyday life. This paper describes how Arduino Uno microcontrollers were used as an extra credit exercise to create interest in physics and to understand some basic physics concepts. The idea was experimented in an algebra-based undergraduate physics course at a four-year college. In the various phases of this exercise, students moved from replication of known projects to simple yet interesting applications. The activity was kept optional due to resource limitations, namely instructor time, availability of a sufficiently large lab to accommodate all students of a class at the same time or more than one time, and lack of enough support staff. For the same reasons, this was the only extra credit activity offered to students. The results presented in this paper reflect the activity spread over a few semesters. An anonymous survey was conducted at the end of the activity for student feedback. The survey and comments of some students are included at the end.
Learning Patterns in Imaginary Vowels for an Intelligent Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Design.

Technology advancements made it easy to measure non-invasive and high-quality electroencephalograph (EEG) signals from human's brain. Hence, development of robust and high-performance AI algorithms becomes crucial to properly process the EEG signals and recognize the patterns, which lead to an appropriate control signal. Despite the advancements in processing the motor imagery EEG signals, the healthcare applications, such as emotion detection, are still in the early stages of AI design. In this paper, we propose a modular framework for the recognition of vowels as the AI part of a brain computer interface system. We carefully designed the modules to discriminate the English vowels given the raw EEG signals, and meanwhile avoid the typical issued with the data-poor environments like most of the healthcare applications. The proposed framework consists of appropriate signal segmentation, filtering, extraction of spectral features, reducing the dimensions by means of principle component analysis, and finally a multi-class classification by decision-tree-based support vector machine (DT-SVM). The performance of our framework was evaluated by a combination of test-set and resubstitution (also known as apparent) error rates. We provide the algorithms of the proposed framework to make it easy for future researchers and developers who want to follow the same workflow.
Decision support model and visualization for assessing environmental phenomena, ecosystem services, policy consequences, and satellite design using earth observation data

With the increasing availability of Earth Observation (EO) data has come a commensurate rise in EO applications To address the dual needs of processing data for applications and designing missions with applications in mind, we present a multi-disciplinary, integrated modeling framework to advance environmental management, policymaking, and observation platform design This core modeling framework is called Environment-Vulnerability-Decision-Technology (EVDT) EVDT is not the model itself, it is the framework that guides the creation of an integrated model customized to each application with a specific set of stakeholders in mind and designed using Systems Architecture The EVDT framework can be customized to build integrated models specific to a certain application Individual models in the framework include certain core models (Environment, Vulnerability, Decision, Technology) and optional models such as Public Health which are added when needed for a specific application The Environment Model uses earth science methods to estimate the state of environmental phenomena;The Vulnerability Model captures societal impact of environmental changes including ecosystem services;the Decision Model captures human behavior and policy consequences;and the Technology Model provides tools to design earth observation systems or select among earth observation technologies such as satellites, airborne sensors, and in-situ sensors The intent in developing this framework and its applications is to lead to the development of a standard to facilitate the re-use of models and the design of future remote observation systems The presented prototype specifically focuses on two case studies The first case study considers the dynamics of human and environmental behavior related to the mangrove forests in the Guarat-iba area of Rio de Janeiro The second case study considers the relevancy of this framework in approaching coronavirus-related public health decisions in Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, and elsewhere © 2020 The MITRE Corporation All Rights Reserved
Racial and Ethnic Diversity—Why Not Measure It? Diversity in Large Urban Areas in the U.S., 1980-2010

An index of diversity is developed and used to measure the racial and ethnic diversity for 4 groups—white, African American, Latino, and Asian and Pacific Islander—for 59 large urban areas in the United States for the census years from 1980 to 2010. Examination of the percentages of the populations in the groups shows large declines for whites and large increases for Latinos and Asians. Levels of diversity increase over time, with the entire distribution of the urban areas by diversity moving up consistently. All but 2 of the urban areas saw increases in their levels of diversity from 1980 to 2010. Levels of diversity are shown to be related to the size of the urban area and to the rate of population growth over time. The change in diversity is also related to the rate of population growth. An appendix lists the values for the diversity index for each of the 59 urban areas for each census year from 1980 to 2010.
Anatomical and sexual health considerations among transfeminine individuals who have undergone vaginoplasty: A review:

As acceptance of transgender and gender diverse individuals continues to increase, gender-affirming surgery, a cornerstone in the management of gender dysphoria, is becoming more readily available....
International Students' Likelihood to Seek Counseling while Studying Abroad

International students experience significant stressors while studying in American colleges and universities, yet they use psychological services far less than domestic students (Misra & Castillo, 2004). Factors such as previous experience with counseling, perceived effectiveness of counseling style, and nationality were found to be factors affecting international students’ use of counseling services (Dadfar & Friedlander’s, 1982; Mori, 2000; Hyun, Quinn, Madon, & Lustig, 2007). This action research study adds to the literature by presenting suggestions about the manner in which international students may be most effectively served by their campus counseling centers, using information drawn from a focus group and a survey.
“When You First Get There, You Wear Red”: Youth Perceptions of Point and Level Systems in Group Home Care

Child welfare involved youth are frequently referred to group home care. One common intervention utilized in group home care is behavior management systems. This intervention is operationalized as points, token economies, and level systems. Grounded in social learning and behavioral theories, the objective is to reinforce-pro-social behaviors and to provide mild negative consequences for undesirable behaviors. However, little is known about how child-welfare involved youth perceive these kinds of interventions and whether they believe them to be effective. Focus groups were conducted with 40 young adults known to independent living services and formerly in group home placement. The qualitative findings reveal that while youth felt structure was needed, how it was operationalized in group homes was restrictive, non-normative, and non-individualized. Implications for social work practice and further research using an attachment perspective are discussed.
Establishment of an in vitro assay to measure the invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells through mesothelial cell monolayers.

Ovarian carcinoma is the leading cause of gynecological cancer deaths in the United States. Secondary tumor growths form by tumor cell invasion through the mesothelial lining of the peritoneal cavity and peritoneal organs. To study this interaction, we developed a dye-based in vitro model system in which mesothelial cells were grown as confluent monolayers, permeabilized, and then co-cultured with ovarian carcinoma cells for up to seven days. The mesothelial cells were then stained with trypan blue dye, which enabled the visualization of ovarian carcinoma cell invasion through the monolayers of mesothelial cells. Ovarian carcinoma cell invasion was inhibited for up to 7 days by the addition of GRGDSP peptides, a blocking monoclonal antibody against the β1 integrin subunit, or blocking monoclonal antibodies against matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9. Cell invasion was also inhibited by hyaluronan and GM6001, a chemical inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases. Differential gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, and disintegrins were observed in primary ovarian carcinoma tumors and secondary metastases, compared to normal ovaries. Taken together, these results suggest that complex interactions between integrins, disintegrins, matrix metalloproteinases, and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases may mediate ovarian carcinoma cell invasion, and that the dye-based assay described herein is a suitable model system for its study.
Curtailing Dead-Hand Control: The American Law Institute Declares the Perpetual-Trust Movement Ill Advised

Recent years have seen a movement in the states to pass legislation repealing or modifying the Rule Against Perpetuities in order to allow transferors to create trusts that can last forever or for several centuries. At its 2010 annual meeting, the American Law Institute took the position that the perpetual-trust movement is ill advised. The ALI’s case was stated in the Restatement (Third) of Property: Wills and Other Donative Transfers (Tent. Draft No. 6, Approved 2010). This short essay reports on the case for retaining a rule that curtails dead-hand control.
Rafik Schami's Fantasy and Fairy Tales

In the tales, the author criticizes the phenomena symbolized by what Vladimir Propp terms the "villain." Schami endows villainy with new meanings which correspond to the current issues he is concerned with. In Schami's tales acts of villainy are performed exclusively by males, be they human beings or personified animals, while females and children are always among the victims who are exploited and oppressed. On the other hand, in many tales the courageous heroes who engender resistance and ensure salvation are female characters or children. Thus the narratives stress the necessity of women's emancipation, and call for a rejuvenation of ideals to change a world dominated by oppressive male-oriented ideologies.
Corruption an Enemy of Civil Society: The Case of Post-Communist Europe

In examining post-communist countries, it becomes apparent that civil society is durable in certain countries and fragile in others. One then asks: What factors contribute to this condition? Many of the theorists in the post-communist literature argue that socioeconomic factors and the communist legacy have weakened post-communist civil society. The article explores the following question: Has corruption replaced the legacy of communism as a factor undermining trust in others and government? The theory proposed in this article implies a break from previous studies on the weakness of post-communist civil society, arguing that corruption has been a major factor in undermining civil society in the region. The article presents a rigorous examination of the association between corruption and post-communist civil society by focusing on the impact of political corruption on trust and, hence, post-communist civil society.
Demographic characteristics do not decrease the utility of depressive symptoms assessments: Examining the practical impact of item bias in four heterogeneous samples of older adults

Objective Previous studies have identified differential item function (DIF) in depressive symptoms measures, but the impact of DIF has been rarely reported. Given the critical importance of depressive symptoms assessment among older adults, we examined whether DIF due to demographic characteristics resulted in salient score changes in commonly used measures. Methods Four longitudinal studies of cognitive aging provided a sample size of 3754 older adults and included individuals both with and without a clinical diagnosis of major depression. Each study administered at least one of the following measures: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (20-item ordinal response or 10-item dichotomous response versions), the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Hybrid logistic regression-item response theory methods were used to examine the presence and impact of DIF due to age, sex, race/ethnicity, and years of education on the depressive symptoms items. Results Although statistically significant DIF due to demographic factors was present on several items, its cumulative impact on depressive symptoms scores was practically negligible. Conclusions The findings support substantive meaningfulness of previously reported demographic differences in depressive symptoms among older adults, showing that these individual differences were unlikely to have resulted from item bias attributable to demographic characteristics we examined. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A spatial model to examine rainfall extremes in Colorado’s Front Range

Summary Between 9th and 16th September 2013, northeast Colorado received some of its most extreme rainfall on record. The event affected 6 major rivers and their tributaries and 14 counties, breaking observed records for accumulations from sub-daily through to annual total. NOAA’s rainfall atlases indicated that this event had an anticipated return period of 1000 years. We use the rainfall that led to the 2013 Colorado floods as a case study in order to explore how a large event can affect the generalized extreme value (GEV) parameter estimates often used by designers and planners. We employ daily rainfall observations, with at least 30 years of data, from stations across Colorado’s Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to develop a spatial statistical model for annual maximum daily rainfall. We produce estimates of relatively rare events such as the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) level and of extremely rare events such as the return period associated with Boulder’s 2013 observation. To explore sensitivity, we compare estimates including and excluding data from 2013, and both using only individual station data and our model which borrows strength across multiple stations. We compute the uncertainty associated with all of our estimates, and find large uncertainties associated with extremely rare events. Our statistical model is a spatial hierarchical model and we employ a two-stage approach for inference which can be implemented by practitioners. Additionally, the spatial model allows us to interpolate spatially and estimate the GEV parameters at unobserved locations. A further development of the model makes use of an alternatively defined space in terms of elevation and a climate variable, rather than geographical space defined by longitude and latitude, which seems to better account for orographic effects. In addition to producing AEP level and return period estimates to the annual maximum data, we investigate sensitivity to the choice of block length. We find point estimates indicate the tail to be much heavier when a longer block length is used, but the uncertainty associated with this parameter is such that one cannot say the difference is significant. To describe the spatial extent of severe storms, we also investigate the amount of data dependence between station locations. We find evidence in the record for storms with large spatial extent, although an extremal dependence parameter estimate indicates that this dependence is relatively weak.
raf regulates the postnatal repression of the mouse alpha-fetoprotein gene at the posttranscriptional level.

Abstract The mouse alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene is transcribed at a high rate in liver during the second half of gestation. Its steady-state mRNA levels decrease 10(4)-fold shortly after birth, at least in part as the consequence of a dramatic decrease in its transcription rate. The final basal level of AFP mRNA in adult liver is influenced by a trans-acting locus on chromosome 15 termed raf. Two strategies were used to demonstrate that the raf gene acts posttranscriptionally to affect the processing and/or stability of AFP transcripts. Transgenic mouse studies demonstrated that raf gene action is independent of both positive and negative transcription control elements of the AFP gene. Nuclear run-on analysis was used to confirm that transcriptions of both AFP transgenes and another endogenous raf-responsive gene, H19, are invariant with respect to the raf genotype. Thus, the postnatal repression of the AFP gene is mediated by both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms.
Structural feature selection for connectivity network-based MCI diagnosis

Connectivity networks have been recently used for classification of neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In typical connectivity network-based classification, features are often extracted from (multiple) connectivity networks and concatenated into a long vector for subsequent feature selection and classification. However, some useful network topological information may be lost in this type of approach. In this paper, we propose a new structural feature selection method which embeds the topological information of connectivity networks through graph kernel and then uses recursive feature elimination with graph kernel (RFE-GK) to select the most discriminative features. Furthermore, multiple kernel learning (MKL) is also adopted to combine multiple graph kernels for joint structural feature selectionfrom multiple connectivity networks. The experimental results show the efficacy of our proposed method with comparison to the state-of-the-art method in MCI classification, based on the connectivity networks.
SODA: Science-Driven Orchestration of Data Analytics

As scientific simulation applications evolve on the path towards exascale, a new model of scientific inquiry is required where concurrently with the running simulation, online analytics operate on the data it produces. By avoiding offline data storage except when absoluately necessary, it enables speeding up the scientific discovery process by providing rapid insights into the simulated science phenomena and affording more frequent, detailed data analytics than is possible with the traditional purely offline approach of using disk for intermediate data storage. However, a challenge for online analytics is to respond to behavior dynamics caused by changing simulation outputs and by unforeseen events on the underlying hardware/software platforms. This paper presents SODA, a set of run-time abstractions for online orchestration of data analytics, realized by embedding analytics tasks into workstations that monitor component behavior and enable responses to run-time changes in their resource demands and in the platform's resource availability. For high end simulations running on a leadership class machine, experimental evaluations show SODA can invoke efficient orchestration operations responding to a diverse set of run-time dynamics at different granularities to meet end-user and analysis specific requirements.
Antifibrinolytic Therapy To Prevent Early Rebleeding After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

In the current era of early surgery, there has been little interest in the use of antifibrinolytic therapy to prevent rebleeding after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Older studies demonstrated that antifibrinolytics can reduce rebleeding, but long-term therapy results in increased cerebral ischemia from vasospasm, leading to no appreciable effect on mortality. While early surgery would seem to obviate the need for long-term antifibrinolytic use, a subgroup of patients may benefit from early therapy. The rate of pre-operative rebleeding may be as high as 9–17%, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Short-term use of antifibrinolytic agents (less than 3 days) in the presence of calcium channel blocking therapy has shown promising results. A randomized clinical trial of early antifibrinolytic therapy conducted in 2002 showed a significant decrease in rebleeding and a non-significant decrease in overall mortality. In this review, we examine the clinical pharmacology, dosing, monitoring, complications, and side effects of antifibrinolytic treatment. We conclude that early short-term antifibrinolytic therapy might be a reasonable strategy to prevent acute rebleeding and improve long-term outcome in aSAH patients. Additional randomized clinical trials are necessary to determine whether this management strategy is effective.
Assessing and managing pain in AIDS care: the patient perspective.

Although the prevalence and complexity of pain management in HIV/AIDS has been described in the literature, little is known about the management of pain from the patient perspective. This study used a set of standardized instruments, a medication chart audit, and a semistructured interview to elicit patients' self-reports of pain and patients' perceptions of nursing and self-care pain management strategies and examined potential physiological and psychosocial correlates of pain. The sample of 249 AIDS patients from three types of care settings (hospital, home care, skilled nursing facility) reported a modest overall current pain intensity (M=.14, range=0−1). They reported experiencing pain in all body parts as measured by a body outline and characterized their pain with an average of 8.96 words from a list of 67 words. A lower pain rating was correlated with higher ratings on quality of life and perceived psychological support. An audit of the medication record revealed that the study sample received the following medications: narcotic analgesics (49%), nonnarcotic analgesics (47%), and antidepressants (22%). In a semistructured interview, medications were rated as effective by 80% of patients experiencing pain who stated that their health care providers included pain medications as part of the patient's pain management plan. Patients reported few nonpharmacologic self-care or health care provider interventions to manage their pain, and the effectiveness ratings of the interventions demonstrated wide variability. The study findings suggest that because pain was related to quality of life ratings and the pain management strategies reported by patients were not completely effective, further work is needed to examine pain management strategies that incorporate both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions with particular attention to self-care interventions. In addition, the data suggest that nursing assessments should include questions aimed at eliciting potentially harmful (e.g., street drugs, self-prescribed medications) strategies that patients may be using to manage their pain.
Noninvasive risk stratification for sudden death: signal-averaged electrocardiography, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, heart rate variability, baroreflex sensitivity, and QRS duration.

L arge clinical trials 2,3 have shown that prophylactic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) implantation reduces mortality in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. However, even in this “high-risk” population, only a minority of patients with ICDs ever receive lifesaving therapy. Although broad application of a strategy of relying on left ventricular dysfunction to select patients for prophylactic ICD implantation is marginally cost effective, implementation of this therapy in all patients meeting eligibility criteria presents a significant economic burden, particularly outside the United States and western Europe. Furthermore, current selection criteria for ICD implantation fail to address the large number of patients with less severe left ventricular dysfunction or normal ventricular function who go on to experience sudden cardiac death—in fact, only a minority of sudden deaths occur in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction at baseline. These considerations highlight the importance of developing new tools for risk stratification for
Trauma, Healing, and the Narrative Employment of Loss:

Although constructivism has generated much theoretical discussion in the mental health disciplines, its implications for clinic conceptualization, assessment, and treatment have been less systemati...
Core-valence correlation in relativistic effective potentials

Abstract A core polarization procedure is implemented within the relativistic effective potential approximation to ensure a more reasonable treatment of relativity. For potassium, a non-empirical polarization potential gives 2 S, 2 P and 2 D ionization potentials with maximum errors of the same magnitude as in earlier semi-empirical work.
Normal and color defective perception of Fechner-Benham colors: implications for color vision theory.

Abstract The perception of Fechner-Benham color was quantitatively assessed in ten trichromats and four dichromats. Mean values and interpersonal variability (SEM) of subjective color hue, brightness, and saturation were calculated from paired matchings with Munsell standard color chips. Both deuteranopes and protanopes were found to confuse subjective color in a manner analogous to that of ordinary spectral color. These results, together with “subjective luminosity” data, indirectly support the claims that Fechner-Benham dichromia is the result of impaired synaptic interactions proximal to the retinal color receptors, and that Benham's top may be used to distinguish deuteranopes and protanopes from normals.
Oscillatory thermal dynamics in high-Q PDMS-coated silica toroidal microresonators

We study the oscillatory thermal dynamics of a high-Q PDMS-coated silica microtoroid both experimentally and theoretically. We demonstrate that the competing thermo-optic effects in silica and PDMS lead to thermally-induced self-modulation in the transmission spectra. A dynamical model is built using thermal dynamics and coupled-mode theory to analyze the oscillation behaviors. Effects of input power, taper-cavity air gap and wavelength scanning speed on the oscillation behaviors are investigated with a detailed comparison between theory and experiments.
Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Mental Stress–Induced Myocardial Ischemia in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of mental stress–induced myocardial ischemia. Background Mental stress–induced myocardial ischemia is prevalent and a risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease, but past studies mainly studied patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. Methods Eligible patients with clinically stable coronary heart disease, regardless of exercise stress testing status, underwent a battery of 3 mental stress tests followed by a treadmill test. Stress-induced ischemia, assessed by echocardiography and electrocardiography, was defined as: 1) development or worsening of regional wall motion abnormality; 2) left ventricular ejection fraction reduction ≥8%; and/or 3) horizontal or downsloping ST-segment depression ≥1 mm in 2 or more leads lasting for ≥3 consecutive beats during at least 1 mental test or during the exercise test. Results Mental stress–induced ischemia occurred in 43.45%, whereas exercise-induced ischemia occurred in 33.79% (p = 0.002) of the study population (N = 310). Women (odds ratio [OR]: 1.88), patients who were not married (OR: 1.99), and patients who lived alone (OR: 2.24) were more likely to have mental stress–induced ischemia (all p Conclusions Mental stress–induced ischemia is more common than exercise-induced ischemia in patients with clinically stable coronary heart disease. Women, unmarried men, and individuals living alone are at higher risk for mental stress–induced ischemia. (Responses of Myocardial Ischemia to Escitalopram Treatment [REMIT]; NCT00574847 )
Kinetic evaluation of [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine by dynamic PET: measurement of vesicular monoamine transporter.

(+)-alpha-[11C]Dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ) binds to the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) located in presynaptic vesicles. The purpose of this work was to evaluate various model configurations for analysis of [11C]DTBZ with the aim of providing the optimal measure of monoamine vesicular transporter density obtainable from a single dynamic PET study. PET studies on seven young normal volunteer subjects, ages 20-35, were performed following i.v. injection of 666 +/- 37 MBq (18 +/- 1 mCi) of (+)-alpha-[11C]DTBZ. Dynamic acquisition consisted of a 15-frame sequence over 1 h. Analysis methods included both creation of pixel-by-pixel functional images of transport (K1) and binding (DVtot) and nonlinear least-squares analysis of volume-of-interest data. Pixel-by-pixel calculations were performed for both two-compartment weighted integral calculations and slope-intercept estimations from Logan plots. Nonlinear least-squares analysis was performed applying model configurations with both two-compartments, estimating K1 and DVtot and three compartments, estimating K1-k4. For the more complex configuration, we examined the stability of various binding-related parameters including k3 (konBmax'), k3/k4 (Bmax'/Kd), DVsp[(K1/k2)(k3/k4)], and DVtot [K1/k2(1 + k3/k4)]. The three-compartment model provided significantly improved goodness-of-fit compared to the two-compartment model, yet did not increase the uncertainty in the estimate of the DVtot. Without constraining parameters in the three-compartment model fits, DVtot was found to provide a more stable estimate of binding density than either k3, k3/k4, or DVsp. The two-compartment least-squares analysis yielded approximately 10% underestimations of the total distribution. However, this bias was found to be very consistent from region to region as well as across subjects as indicated by the correlation between two- and three-compartment DVtot estimates of 0.997. We conclude that (+)-alpha-[11C]DTBZ and PET can provide excellent measures of VMAT2 density in the human brain.
Convention in petticoats: The Seneca Falls declaration of woman's rights

The 1848 Woman's Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, was the rhetorical event that precipitated the beginning of the woman's rights movement. This essay discusses the First Woman's Rights Convention in light of the rhetorical tensions it produced.
Stratification and control of large systems with applications to chess and checkers

Abstract Chess and checkers may be viewed as multistage decision processes of deterministic type. They are thus amenable to the theory of dynamic programming. A direct functional equation approach runs into the expected difficulties of dimensionality. Use of a decomposition technique called “stratification” enables us to overcome these difficulties in the case of checkers and to treat King-Pawn endings in chess.
Inverted Core/Shell Nanocrystals Continuously Tunable between Type-I and Type-II Localization Regimes

We study inverted core/shell nanocrystals (NCs) in which a core of a wide gap semiconductor (ZnSe) is overcoated with a shell of a semiconductor of a narrower gap (CdSe). By monitoring radiative recombination lifetimes for a series of these NCs with a fixed core radius and progressively increasing shell thickness, we observe a continuous transition from Type-I (both electron and hole wave functions are distributed over the entire NC) to Type-II (electron and hole are spatially separated between the shell and the core) and back to Type-I (both electron and hole primarily reside in the shell) localization regimes. These observations are in good agreement with the calculated dependence of the electron−hole overlap integral on shell thickness.
Elastic-Plastic Analysis of Fatigue Crack Closure in Modes I and II

In this paper, an efficient elastic-plastic finite element procedure to analyze crack-closure and, its effects on fatigue crack growth under general spectrum loading, is presented. A hybrid-displacement finite element procedure is used to properly treat the stress and strain singularities near the crack-tip; and crack-growth under cyclic loading is simulated by the translation of certain 'core' elements, near the crack-tip, in which proper stress and strain singularities were embedded. Both pure mode I and mode II types of cyclic loading are considered. In the mode I case, four types of cyclic loading, viz., constant amplitude block loading, high-to-low block loading, low-to-high block, and a single overload in an otherwise constant amplitude block loading are considered; whereas in mode II, only a constant amplitude block loading is considered. Detailed results are presented for the crack-closure and opening-stresses, crack-surface deformation profiles, etc., in each case. Certain observations, based on the present numerical results, concerning various factors that cause crack growth acceleration or retardation under general spectrum loading, are presented and discussed.
Factors affecting use of the Doppler-determined time from flow onset to maximal pulmonary artery velocity for measurement of pulmonary artery pressure in children.

Abstract Measurement of the time from onset to maximal or peak velocity (TPV) of pulmonary artery (PA) flow has been proposed as a noninvasive means of determining PA pressure. The effects of age, heart rate, increased PA pressure and flow, pulmonary valve obstruction and altered PA vascular resistance on this measurement were evaluated. In 84 children, aged 1 day to 18 years, TPV was measured using continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography. The children were separated into 3 groups. Group I (n = 33) consisted of children with no cardiovascular abnormalities. Group II (n = 33) consisted of children with a variety of cardiovascular diseases producing varying PA pressures and flows. Group III (n = 18) consisted of children who had valvular pulmonic stenosis with PA to right ventricular gradients greater than 40 mm Hg. Doppler studies of group II and III patients were performed in conjunction with measurement of PA pressures and flows at the time of cardiac catheterization. In group I TPV showed a significant negative linear correlation with heart rate (r = −0.86, p 0.1) and ranged from 0.81 to 1.31 (mean 1.005). In group II TPV/TPVN was inversely related to the natural log of the PA pressures (systolic, r = −0.91; mean, r = −0.87; diastolic, r = −0.82; all p
Effect of platelet-activating factor and its antagonists on colonic dysmotility and tissue levels of colonic neuropeptides

We investigated whether platelet-activating factor (PAF) alters colonic tissue levels of substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), two neuropeptides that regulate colonic motility. Left colons were harvested from NZ White Rabbits and underwent vascular perfusion via the inferior mesenteric artery. Strain gauge transducers were sewn onto the serosal surface of the colon to evaluate colonic motility. Colons were perfused with either buffered saline alone or with 5.0 x 10(-5) M PAF. PAF administration increased tissue VIP and substance P levels and decreased the force of colonic contractions. Pretreatment with WEB-2170 or alprazolam decreased concentrations of both tissue neuropeptides, and decreased the force of colonic contractions and minute motility index. These results suggest that both VIP and substance P are stimulated by PAF and may participate in colonic dysmotility during inflammatory states.
The Perception of Power

This study examines the impact of some basic exchange-theory variables, the value and scarcity of outcomes, on perceptions of Self and Other power in a conflict setting. Each respondent took the role of an employee in conflict with an employer, and assessed the magnitude of Self and Other (employer) power. Four variables are manipulated: Self's outcome scarcity, the value of the outcome to Self, Other's outcome scarcity, and the value of the outcome to Other. The results are consistent with predictions drawn from the Blau, and Emerson (a, b) treatments of dependence relations. The results suggest that the stakes contending parties have in a conflict encounter bear on power perceptions, and an elaboration of a recently formulated theory of power perception is undertaken on the basis of the data. The careers of both Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson attest to the fact that success in politics is based on the constant calculation of one's own power and the power of adversaries. The slightest miscalculation of power can doom momentary giants to the fate of Polyphemus. While power perception is clearly a central feature of political life, it is also important in everyday life: all of us evaluate our power vis-'a-vis others such as landlords, bosses, and spouses. Nevertheless. the perception of power remains a relatively understudied area in sociology and social psychology. Macro and micro research has stressed objective power and neglected to identify the criteria persons use to make subjective estimates of power capabilities. The analysis of power perception is important for at least two reasons. First, in any interaction involving the use of power, actors seldom have perfect information about their own and the others' power. Power capabilities are typically ambiguous; hence conflicting parties must use situational cues to form subjective power estimates. By managing impressions of power, persons may feign power capabilities and extract concessions from an adversary greater than would be predicted from objective power capabilities. Research on power perception may help us understand such impression management by suggesting how the cognitive aspect of power can be manipulated in social interaction. Second, research on power perception can assess the cognitive relevance and phenomenological validity of objective power concepts by determining whether variables thought to govern objective power form the basis for subjective estimates of power. Such reasons for studying power perceptions do not imply that studies of objective power are unimportant, but only that greater attention to the subjective aspect of power seems warranted.
Overexpression of the oncofetal Fn variant containing the EDA splice-in segment in the dermal-epidermal junction of psoriatic uninvolved skin.

The extracellular matrix protein, Fn, has critical functions in cell attachment, migration, differentiation, and proliferation. We have previously shown that fibronectin (Fn) is abnormally expressed and potentiates entry into the cell cycle of basal keratinocytes in uninvolved psoriatic skin, in combination with T cell lymphokines. It is not known what type of Fn is present in psoriatic skin, however, and how this Fn may regulate signaling. Embryonic forms of cellular Fn containing extra domains, designated EDA and EDB, are generated by alternative splicing and are seen in proliferating, developing tissue and in wound healing. Because the EDA segment enhances the integrin binding sequence Arg, Gly, Asp (RGD), which, when present, has been shown to be critical in integrin–extracellular matrix signaling, we were particularly interested in determining whether or not EDA-containing Fn (EDA + Fn) represented the aberrantly expressed Fn in psoriasis. Increased EDA + Fn protein was demonstrated by immunostaining at the dermal–epidermal junction in clinically uninvolved skin from six of six patients with psoriasis, but not in skin from control subjects. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction an increased ratio of EDA + Fn versus EDA − Fn mRNA was present in epidermal samples from psoriatic but not control individuals. Interestingly, the EDA + Fn in the psoriatic epidermis had the IIICS region spliced out (EDA + , FDB − , IIICS − , III9 + ), which was shared with normal epidermis (EDA − , EDB − , IIICS − , III9 + ). These results suggest a selective predominance of the EDA + Fn isoform at the dermal–epidermal junction of psoriatic skin. The consistent aberrant localization of EDA + Fn at the dermal–epidermal junction in uninvolved skin of psoriatics may confer the hyperresponsiveness of psoriatic uninvolved basal keratinocytes for rapid cellular proliferation in response to T cell signals.