cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A self-consistent constitutive model for switching in polycrystalline barium titanate

Abstract A self-consistent model for the constitutive behavior of polycrystalline barium titanate is presented. More generally, the model is valid for any ferroelectric material that changes its remanent polarization state primarily due to 180° switching, i.e. switching with no change in the remanent strain state. We will assume that the polycrystal is made up of spherical grains or crystallites. Each crystallite contains many domains and domain wall motion proceeds in a manner that effectively produces 180° switching. The constitutive behavior of the single crystal is derived on the assumption that the work done by applied stresses and electric fields must be balanced by the dissipation due to domain wall motion and by changes in the stored elastic, piezoelectric and dielectric energy of the crystallite. Once the single crystallite behavior is determined, a self-consistent scheme is implemented to ascertain the polycrystalline constitutive behavior. To demonstrate the theory, the model material is subjec...
Activation of lymphokine genes during stimulation of cloned T cells.

To study the regulation of lymphokine production by T lymphocytes, we have characterized the activation of lymphokine genes in T cells by measuring the levels of lymphokine mRNA in cloned murine T lymphocytes after stimulation. Lymphokine mRNA was not detected in cells taken after seven days of maintenance culture. Following stimulation of T helper lymphocytes L2 and AD9.1 with concanavalin A, lymphokine mRNA appeared, reached peak levels and disappeared over a 43-h time period. A single stimulation event resulted in the induction of mRNA for interleukin 2 (IL2), IL3 and interferon gamma. Maximal mRNA levels were generally found at 6 h in the T helper lymphocytes, but could occur as late as 18 h. The lymphokine genes were expressed coordinately; however, in these cloned cells, IL2 mRNA levels appeared to be lower than the other two mRNAs. Lymphokine titers in the supernatant fluids paralleled the appearance of mRNA but IL2 titers began to fall after 12 h probably because of utilization of this lymphokine by the activated cells. In the cytolytic T lymphocyte, L3, qualitatively similar kinetics were found after stimulation by lectin or a clonotypic antibody with peak mRNA levels occurring later (18 h) with the antibody. These studies indicate (a) a single stimulating event activates the lymphokine genes of T cells in a coordinate manner; (b) the appearance of the lymphokines in supernatant fluids represents de novo synthesis of these proteins but the levels of lymphokines measured in supernatant fluids reflects both production and utilization rates, and (c) exposure to IL2 at the time of stimulation is not essential for the production of other lymphokines.
Phytochrome-controlled Leaf Unrolling and Protein Synthesis

In the primary leaf sections of etiolated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings, red light-induced unrolling is accompanied by an increase in incorporation of (14)C-leucine into protein. By differential centrifugation, the unrolling response was found to be closely related to incorporation of the amino acid into the supernatant fraction (105,000g). Cycloheximide and chloramphenicol inhibit both leaf unrolling and synthesis of the supernatant protein, although chloramphenicol exerts its effect more strongly on the fraction which presumably contains the plastids. In a barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) albino mutant completely devoid of ribulose diphosphate carboxylase activity, only incorporation of (14)C-leucine into the supernatant fraction is substantially promoted by red light. This mutant exhibits the photoresponse of leaf unrolling.Both unrolling and increased incorporation of (14)C-leucine induced by red light are prevented by indoleacetic and abscisic acids. Kinetin promotes leucine incorporation into protein and can induce unrolling in complete darkness. Protein synthesis is still promoted by red light when unrolling is almost completely inhibited by an osmoticum. It is suggested that the action of red light on leaf unrolling is dependent on synthesis of a soluble protein in the tissue.
Ruminations on the causation of noma

Noma is a polymicrobial, opportunistic infection which largely disappeared from the developed countries prior to discovery of antibiotics, but is still prevalent in poor sub-Saharan African communities, particularly in infants less than 4 years of age. These infants are severely stunted, reflecting in part a continuation of intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) which is common in such communities. Maternal malnutrition and poor health status adversely compromise the components of immune system which mature early in fetal life, and the resulting abnormalities are long-lasting into adolescence and adulthood. Impaired immune function associated with IUGR is further intensified by chronic postnatal malnutrition and endemic infections characteristic of deprived communities. Thus, an individual whose growth is compromised by a major intra uterine environmental factor (e.g. malnutrition) that alters expression of the fetal genome, has heightened vulnerability to the microorganisms that promote the development of noma. This speculation which requires experimental confirmation, may explain why noma occurs in children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) diseases, in preterm babies (in form of noma neonatorum), in very poor immunocompromised, malnourished children and adolescents, and in some victims of HIV infection/AIDS, diabetes mellitus and other immunosuppressive conditions.
High-speed quantum communications in telecom fibers using overlapping temporal modes

We analyze an efficient quantum-communications architecture over telecom fibers using overlapping time-frequency modes and optimal receivers based on nonlinear processing.
A Framing Primer for Community College Leaders.

The purpose of this article is to be a tool for community college leaders, as well as campus members, to positively and effectively utilize framing on their campuses. The fictional case of Maggie Pascal at Midwestern Community College illustrates the process of framing the change of a new partnership with Wind Energy Corporation to internal stakeholders on campus. This case illustrates the importance of understanding context and frames before the action of framing can be activated. A leader can then decide which type of framing to utilize (i.e., step-by-step, vision, or connective) and which language tools will be most effective in framing. The ways a practitioner operationalizes framing is through symbolism, talking, walking, and writing (Eddy, 2010a). This idea of framing is an important skill leaders can proactively develop to support their campuses through change processes to enhance the likelihood for a successful change outcome. Also, this may benefit other campus members who may have the opportunit...
SPECTRUM MODIFICATION DUE TO THE USE OF FINITE DIFFERENCES

Abstract The modification of the vorticity spectrum associated with the use of finite differences instead of derivatives is considered for an isotropic turbulence field. The results permit a rough estimate of the dependence of the magnitude of vorticity on the grid spacing.
Favorable ratings of providers' communication behaviors among U.S. women with depression: a population-based study applying the behavioral model of health services use.

Abstract Background Little is known about the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and ratings of provider communication behavior among women with depression in the United States. This study uses the Andersen Behavioral Model to examine the relationships among predisposing, enabling, and need factors and ratings of perceived patient–provider communication in women with depression. Methods The sample consisted of women with depression who visited any provider in the previous 12 months in the 2002–2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ( n = 3,179; weighted n = 4,707,255). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the independent contribution of predisposing, enabling, and need factors on providers' communication behavior measures. Findings Black (non-Hispanic) women were more likely to report that providers always listened carefully (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.94), explained so they understood (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.10–2.11), and showed respect for what they had to say (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.01–1.92). Women participating in the paid workforce and those without a usual source of care were at increased risk for less favorable experiences. Conclusions Participation in the paid workforce and lack of a usual source of care were associated with an increased likelihood of less optimal communication experiences. Implications for Practice and/or Policy Ensuring that women with depression have reliable access to a continuous source of care and expanding the availability of nonemergent, after-hours care may be instrumental for improving patient–provider communication in this population.
Time Dependent Dose Enhancement Effects on Integrated Circuit Transient Response Mechanisms

This paper examines the physical mechanisms which affect transient photocurrent generation and dose enhancement in integrated circuit structures and presents data which indicate that both the magnitude and time-dependence of the observed transient response can be a function of the time-dependent photon energy spectrum produced by Flash X-ray simulators. The existence of these previously unrecognized phenomena indicate that IC dose-rate response can differ between low- and high-energy Flash X-ray sources and x-ray or gamma-ray environments produced by nuclear weapons due to these effects in addition to the more widely known dose-enhancement phenomenon. Implications regarding simulation fidelity, radiation hardening and hardness assurance are discussed.
AVPUC: automatic video production with user customization

Nowadays, multiple video cameras are employed for live broadcast and recording of almost all major social events in the TV industry, and all these camera streams have to be aggregated and rendered into one video program for audiences. While this content composition process aims at presenting the most interesting perspective of an event, it leads to the problem of how to fully customize the finally composed video program to different audience interests without requiring too much input from the audience. The goal of this work is to solve this problem by proposing the Automatic Video Production with User Customization (AVPUC) system that separates the video stream interestingness comparison from video program rendering to provide space for maximized customization. The unique feature of the AVPUC systems is that Human-controlled video selection and automatic video evaluation are combined to support video content customization and reduce redundant audience inputs. Preliminary evaluation results confirm that AVPUC's capturing-evaluation-render model for video production improves audiences' satisfaction for customized multi-perspective viewing of social events.
Dimetallacyclobutadiene derivatives: Catalysts or catalyst precursors for the ROMP of norbornene?

Abstract Metallacyclobutadiene complexes with the formula (Me3SiCH2)4M2(μ-CSiMe3)2 (M = Ta or W) induce the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene. The tungsten compound acts as a stand-alone catalyst, polymerizing norbornene with a first-order dependence on both W2 and monomer. In contrast, the tantalum complex requires oxygen as an initiator, and generates an as yet undefined catalyst that shows a zero-order dependence on the monomer concentration.
THE PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND COASTAL AREAS OF THE KUWAIT CONFERENCE REGION: THE PROGRAM OF THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM1

Because of the threat of massive oil spills in the Persian Gulf, the countries of the region developed the Kuwait Action Plan (KAP) under the coordination of the United Nations Environment Program. The first component of the KAP is an environmental assessment, including socioeconomic development activities related to environmental quality. This assessment demonstrated the coincidence of highly vulnerable areas with the areas to which oil is most likely to be transported. The second component aims to develop guidelines for the management of those activities which have an impact on environmental quality or on the protection and use of renewable marine resources on a sustainable basis. The legal component, which provides the legal basis for cooperative efforts to protect and develop the region, consists of protocols which provide for the establishment of a Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre. The Persian Gulf area is discussed in terms of the physical setting, development activities, oil and natural gas activities, and the oil spill risk.
Increased Specificity of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition Matrix Reasoning Test Instructions and Time Limits

Instructions for the Matrix Reasoning Test (MRT) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition were modified by explicitly stating that the subtest was untimed or that a per-item time limit would be imposed. The MRT was administered within one of four conditions: with (a) standard administration instructions, (b) explicit instructions that the test would not be timed, (c) an imposed 20-s time limit, or (d) an imposed 60-s time limit. Relative to standard instructions, an explicit statement that the MRT would not be timed did not alter the number of correct responses. Furthermore, correct responses in the 60-s time-limited group were not significantly different than with standard instructions. The 20-s time limit, however, led to significantly fewer correct responses.
Electronic transitions associated with small crystalline silicon inclusions within an amorphous silicon host

Amorphous silicon films were prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering under a range of hydrogen or deuterium partial pressures approaching the phase transition to full microcrystallinity. Tunneling electron microscopy imaging indicated that these films consisted of 5{endash}50-nm-sized Si crystallites embedded in an amorphous silicon matrix. The sub-band-gap optical spectra of these films were recorded using photocapacitance and transient photocurrent spectroscopy. These spectra appear to consist of a superposition of a sub-band-gap spectrum typical of amorphous silicon together with a unique optical transition, with a very large optical cross section, corresponding to valence-band electrons being optically inserted into empty levels lying within the amorphous silicon mobility gap. We believe these empty levels are associated with defect states at the crystalline-amorphous boundary. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Prolonged Survival of Second Human Kidney Transplants

Rejection of kidney transplants in 264 patients, followed by retransplantation from cadaver donors, resulted in a 1-year survival rate of 51 ± 3 percent (rate ± standard error) as compared to 51 ± 1 percent for first transplants. If the first transplant immunizes the patient or is rejected by immunologically responsive patients, second grafts into the same patients would be expected to be rejected at a higher rate. Only those reject who reject first grafts hyperacutely or between 1 to 3 months were found to have low second graft survival rates. Patients who rejected transplants after 3 months tended to have second transplant survival rates which were higher than their first graft survival rates.
Prevalence of Impaired Growth in Children With Homozygous Sickle Cell Anemia

The prevalence of impaired growth was evaluated in 63 patients with homozygous sickle cell anemia. Twenty-five percent of the children studied were less than the fifth percentile of National Center for Health Statistics growth standards for either height/age, weight/age, or weight/height. Significantly more 11- to 18-year-old children were less than the fifth percentile for weight/height compared with earlier age ranges. No differences due to gender were found. Nutritional intervention may improve growth in selected children.
The cost of treating community-acquired pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is responsible for an average of 4.5 million visits annually to physicians' offices, emergency departments, and outpatient clinics. However, there have been few studies using national data on the costs of treating CAP. Without such data, it is difficult to assess whether new therapies and treatment strategies are needed to improve patient outcomes. We conducted a retrospective analysis based on national incidence data and paid claims data for patients treated for CAP to assess the frequency of services rendered and costs to the health-care system. Records were selected for the study based on a primary diagnosis of CAP according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision. Incidence data were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Medicare was the primary source of data for patients aged > or =65 years. Data from the National Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used to determine the cost of treating patients aged or =65 years and $3.6 billion for treating patients aged or =65 years and $3.1 billion (36.9% of the $8.4 billion) for the 0.5 million patients aged or =65 years and 5.8 days with an average cost of $6042 for younger patients. Room and board represented the largest percentage of the average hospital bill for patients with CAP. Inpatient physician service costs were $305 million and $192 million for the > or =65 and or =65 years and 3.3 million visits for those aged or =65 years.
Pharmacogenetics in medicine: barriers, critical factors and a framework for dialogue.

10.2217/PME.09.27 © 2009 Future Medicine Ltd “There are several major barriers to the translation of pharmacogenetic research into clinical practice. These include what we term ‘the evidence conundrum’, which encompasses heterogeneity around the meaning of ‘clinical utility’, uncertainty regarding the course of action following a genetic test result, limited incorporation of pharmacogenetics into clinical practice guidelines and practical aspects of testing...”
Russia's vanishing deterrent

Even in the post‐Cold War world, the stability of nuclear deterrence as between not‐unfriendly US and Russian governments remains significant. Nuclear stability implies mutual confidence that the minimum conditions of rational deterrence models are fulfilled with high confidence. As US and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals are gradually reduced in conformity with the Moscow Treaty to levels far below current deployments, the qualities of forces and the performances of their command and control systems matter as much as do the exact quantities of weapons held by the two sides. Data analysis shows that both the US and Russia can expect to maintain a minimum counter‐city deterrent even at levels below the once proposed START III or agreed Moscow treaty limits, but defense deployments add uncertainty to projections and might compromise second strike retaliation under some conditions of launch readiness or warning.
Ligand diffusion and receptor mediated internalization: Michaelis–Menten kinetics

Abstract Steady-state reactant diffusion followed by uptake at a small active site on a larger macromolecule or cell by Michaelis–Menten kinetics applies to a number of chemical and cellular kinetic sequences. Examples include substrate diffusion to an enzyme active site, substrate–enzyme binding and substrate conversion, and ligand diffusion to the active site on a cell-wall-bound receptor, ligand–chemoreceptor site binding and ligand–receptor complex internalization. In this study, continuum based mathematical expressions are developed for the overall steady-state site reaction rate, as well as the associated reactant concentration profiles. Semianalytical, numerical solutions are presented that cover various values of the site reactivity, site size, reactant diffusivity, reactant bulk concentration and Michaelis–Menten binding constant. For a given binding constant value, the site reaction rate increases with the maximum surface site reactivity, from the chemical- to diffusion-controlled limit. On the other hand, for a fixed surface reactivity, the site reaction rate is found to increase, and the site average reactant concentration decrease, with decreasing binding constant (stronger site binding). The current practice of using the site reaction rate to diffusion-controlled limit ratio, to quantify diffusion resistance is critiqued. The importance of site diffusion resistance to biocellular reaction rates for various possible natural scenarios is examined quantitatively.
Food-web simulation on parallel computers: Inter-processor communication benchmarks

Abstract A major problem in simulating ecological systems on distributed memory multiprocessors is the cost of communicating states of variables among processors that require those states to update other variables. I measured the communication cost between two INMOS Transputers organized in a task-farm topology when simulating artificial food-webs with Lotka-Volterra dynamics. When processor communication effort is minimized by transferring only the variables required by each processor, speed is increased by only 5–9% compared with transferring all variables. The overall speed-up obtained by using two processors compared to one depends on the number of system nodes in the model, but was 1.9 when 96 nodes were simulated. When the step-size of the Euler integration method is adjusted to produce dynamics quantitatively similar to Runge-Kutta, the Euler method is slower despite reduced inter-processor communication overhead produced by fewer calculations of derivatives required for each variable update.
Environmental mechanisms of debonding in photovoltaic backsheets

Abstract The backsheets used in photovoltaic modules are exposed to aggressive field environments that may include combined temperature cycles, moisture, and mechanical loads. The effects of the field environment on backsheet debonding, which can lead to module degradation (corrosion) and loss of function, are still not well understood or quantified. Employing a newly developed quantitative mechanics technique, we report the effect of aging on backsheet debond energy, including the separate effect of temperature, mechanical stress and relative humidity on debond growth rate. The debond energy of the backsheet decreased dramatically from 1000 to 27 J/m 2 within the first 750 h of exposure to hot (85 °C) and humid (85% RH) aging treatments. The debond growth rate increased up to 500-fold with small changes of temperature (10 °C) and relative humidity (20%). To elucidate the mechanisms of environmental debonding, we developed a fracture-kinetics model, where the molecular relaxation processes at the debond front are used to predict debond growth. The model and techniques form the fundamental basis to develop accelerated aging tests and long-term reliability predictions for photovoltaic backsheets.
Historical Stand-Replacing Fire in Upper Montane Forests of the Madrean Sky Islands and Mogollon Plateau, Southwestern USA

The recent occurrence of large fires with a substantial stand-replacing component in the southwestern United States (e.g., Cerro Grande, 2000; Rodeo-Chedeski, 2002; Aspen, 2003; Horseshoe 2, Las Conchas, and Wallow, 2011) has raised questions about the historical role of stand-replacing fire in the region. We reconstructed fire dates and stand-replacing fire patch sizes using four lines of tree-ring evidence at four upper montane forest sites (>2600 m) in the Madrean Sky Islands and Mogollon Plateau of Arizona and New Mexico, USA. The four lines of tree-ring evidence include: (1) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and spruce-fir age structure, (2) conifer death dates, (3) traumatic resin ducts and ring-width changes, and (4) conifer fire scars. Pre-1905 fire regimes in the upper montane forest sites were variable, with drier, south-facing portions of some sites recording frequent, low-severity fire (mean fire interval of all fires ranging from 5 yr to 11 yr among sites), others burning with stand-replacing severity, and others with no evidence of fire for >300 yr. Reconstructed fires at three of the four sites (Pinaleno Mountains, San Francisco Peaks, and Gila Wilderness) had stand-replacing fire patches >200 ha, with maximum patch sizes ranging from 286 ha in mixed conifer-aspen forests to 521 ha in spruce-fir forests. These data suggest that recent stand-replacing fire patches as large as 200 ha to 500 ha burning in upper elevation (>2600 m) mixed conifer-aspen and spruce-fir forests may be within the historical range of variability.
A tropical rain forest feast.

Abstract An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests (2nd edn) by T.C. Whitmore Oxford Science Publications, 1998. £45 hbk, £19.50 pbk (224 pages) ISBN 0 19 850148 X/0 19 850147 1 Tropical Rain Forest: A Wider Perspective edited by F.B. Goldsmith Chapman and Hall (Conservation Biology Series) 1998. £69.00 hbk (xix+416 pages) ISBN 0 412 81510 9 Vanishing Treasures of the Philippine Rain Forest by L.R. Heaney and J.C. Rigalado Jr University of Chicago Press, 1998. £19.25/$24.00 pbk (96 pages) ISBN 0 91486819 5
Differentiating sensory and affective-sensory pain descriptions in patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging for persistent low back pain

Abstract The study design is a cross-sectional survey with psychometric analysis. The objective is to determine the validity of a modified version of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). The SF-MPQ has been widely used to differentiate between reports of sensory and affective pain. The validity of this instrument to reflect independence between these constructs remains unclear. The SF-MPQ, the Roland–Morris Questionnaire (RM) and a measure of current pain intensity were completed by 373 patients undergoing lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Four hypothesized factor structures for the SF-MPQ (three 2-factor and one 1-factor solution) were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. A modified 2-factor solution (MSF-MPQ) containing 3 items labeled sensory and 5 items labeled affective-sensory had the best degree of fit. Correlations between factors were substantially lower for the modified 2-factor solution (0.48) than for previously described 2-factor solutions (0.88 and 0.92) indicating a higher degree of independence between these factors. Correlations with measures of pain intensity and the RM were significant, but slightly lower, for the subscales of the modified 2-factor solution (0.26–0.40) than for the subscales of the previously described 2-factor solutions (0.34–0.45). The MSF-MPQ can be used as a brief tool to differentiate the language used to describe pain in patients who are undergoing lumbar MRI. The evidence indicates that this clinical tool can be used to categorize how these patients describe their pain and potentially may be very valuable in determining the optimal course of treatment.
Improving the management of family psychosocial problems at low-income children's well-child care visits: the WE CARE Project.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to evaluate the feasibility and impact of an intervention on the management of family psychosocial topics at well-child care visits at a medical home for low-income children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized, controlled trial of a 10-item self-report psychosocial screening instrument was conducted at an urban hospital-based pediatric clinic. Pediatric residents and parents were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. During a 12-week period, parents of children aged 2 months to 10 years presenting for a well-child care visit were enrolled. The intervention components included provider training, administration of the family psychosocial screening tool to parents before the visit, and provider access to a resource book that contained community resources. Parent outcomes were obtained from postvisit and 1-month interviews, and from medical chart review. Provider outcomes were obtained from a self-administered questionnaire collected after the study. RESULTS: Two hundred parents and 45 residents were enrolled. Compared with the control group, parents in the intervention group discussed a significantly greater number of family psychosocial topics (2.9 vs 1.8) with their resident provider and had fewer unmet desires for discussion (0.46 vs 1.41). More parents in the intervention group received at least 1 referral (51.0% vs 11.6%), most often for employment (21.9%), graduate equivalent degree programs (15.3%), and smoking-cessation classes (14.6%). After controlling for child age, Medicaid status, race, educational status, and food stamps, intervention parents at 1 month had greater odds of having contacted a community resource. The majority of residents in the intervention group reported that the survey instrument did not slow the visit; 54% reported that it added <2 minutes to the visit. CONCLUSIONS: Brief family psychosocial screening is feasible in pediatric practice. Screening and provider training may lead to greater discussion of topics and contact of community family support resources by parents. Language: en
Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans:

This article compares the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in three Hispanic populations in the US: Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puert...
The value of abdominal angiography in Turner's syndrome: A case report

In patients with Turner's syndrome, there is a relatively high incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding due to telangiectasias of the intestine. Despite the importance of preoperative diagnosis of the lesion in planning surgical treatment, the related angiographic findings have never been reported. We have studied one patient in whom the diagnosis was established by preoperative angiography.
Genetics and genetic counseling: recommendations for Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

In this paper we discuss the clinical genetics of three neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), the current application of genetic testing for these diseases, and the role of genetic counseling in familial dementia. We review the literature addressing the clinical application of these genetic findings, including susceptibility testing and predictive testing. In addition, we share our own experience working with families with familial neurodegenerative disease, the genetic counseling process, and the major issues that need attention in the genetic counseling setting.
Teaching Psychology in Large Classes: Research and Personal Experience

The idea of instructing large classes frequently evokes negative emotional responses. Data and personal experience demonstrate, however, that instruction in large classes can be acceptable and may ...
Hemangiopericytomas of genitournary system

Abstract Two cases of hemangiopericytoma involving the genitourinary tract are reported and the literature reviewed. The clinical data suggest that these tumors are slow growing malignant tumors, and long-range follow-up is extremely important. They are seen on occasion roentgenographically as calcified soft tissue masses and angiographically can be very vascular. Treatment has usually been surgical, although partial success with irradiation and chemotherapy has been reported. A combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy may be most efficacious.
Effects of dietary cadmium on mallard ducklings

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings were fed cadmium in the diet at 0, 5, 10, or 20 ppm from 1 day of age until 12 weeks of age. At 4-week intervals six males and six females from each dietary group were randomly selected, bled by jugular venipuncture, and necropsied. Significant decreases in packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and a significant increase in serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were found at 8 weeks of age in ducklings fed 20 ppm cadmium. Mild to severe kidney lesions were evident in ducklings fed 20 ppm cadmium for 12 weeks. No other blood chemistry measurement, hematological parameter, or tissue histopathological measurement indicated a reaction to cadmium ingestion. Body weight, liver weight, and the ratio of the femur weight to length were not affected by dietary cadmium. Femur cadmium concentration in all ducklings 12 weeks of age declined from the values detected at 4 and 8 weeks of age. Liver cadmium concentrations were significantly higher in relation to the increased dietary levels and in relation to the length of time the ducklings were fed the cadmium diets. At 12 weeks of age the cadmium concentration in liver tissue was twice that in the diet.
Comparison of two laryngeal tissue fiber constitutive models

Biological tissues are complex time-dependent materials, and the best choice of the appropriate time-dependent constitutive description is not evident. This report reviews two constitutive models (a modified Kelvin model and a two-network Ogden–Boyce model) in the characterization of the passive stress–strain properties of laryngeal tissue under tensile deformation. The two models are compared, as are the automated methods for parameterization of tissue stress–strain data (a brute force vs. a common optimization method). Sensitivity (error curves) of parameters from both models and the optimized parameter set are calculated and contrast by optimizing to the same tissue stress–strain data. Both models adequately characterized empirical stress–strain datasets and could be used to recreate a good likeness of the data. Nevertheless, parameters in both models were sensitive to measurement errors or uncertainties in stress–strain, which would greatly hinder the confidence in those parameters. The modified Kelvin model emerges as a potential better choice for phonation models which use a tissue model as one component, or for general comparisons of the mechanical properties of one type of tissue to another (e.g., axial stress nonlinearity). In contrast, the Ogden–Boyce model would be more appropriate to provide a basic understanding of the tissue’s mechanical response with better insights into the tissue’s physical characteristics in terms of standard engineering metrics such as shear modulus and viscosity.
MECHANICS OF LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC FUNCTION IN PHYSIOLOGIC HYPERTROPHY OF THE ATHLETE'S HEART

Due to a number of factors, there is tremendous diversity in the pattern of cardiac mechanics encountered in athletes. Nevertheless, there are several trends that can be identified and several conclusions are possible. Hypertrophy of a mild-to-moderate degree and out of proportion to body size is a common finding. Some athletes experience ventricular dilation with appropriate hypertrophy and preservation of the ventricular mass-to-volume ratio, whereas others manifest concentric hypertrophy with an increased mass-to-volume ratio. The functional changes that are encountered appear to be secondary to the structural alterations, and there is no evidence of altered myocardial systolic or diastolic properties. Some athletes with hypertrophy have reduced wall stress when they are evaluated at rest, and the velocity of shortening is augmented due to the reduced afterload. Due to adaptation to a high output state, some athletes appear preload reduced when evaluated at rest. Although velocity of shortening is not affected by preload status, fractional shortening is inversely related to preload. The magnitude of systolic shortening is therefore the net result of altered preload and afterload and cannot be understood without assessing both of these parameters. When the various determinants of systolic shortening are included, contractility appears to be normal. There have been several reports of depressed contractility immediately following extreme exertion, but the significance of this remains to be determined.
Why the wrinkling transition in partially polymerized membranes is not universal? Fractal-multifractal hierarchy

When partially polymerized membranes wrinkle they exhibit a passage from a conventional buckling (due to an instability caused by chiral symmetry breaking) at low polymerization to a local roughening (due to a frustration in the local packing of the chiral molecules composing the membrane) as a function of the polymerization of the lipids aliphatic tails. This transition was found to be non-universal and here we used neutron scattering to elucidate that this behavior is due to the onset of stretching in the membrane accompanied by a bilayer thickness variation. Close to the percolation limit this deformation is plastic similar to mutated lysozymes. We draw an analogy between this transition and echinocytes in red blood cells.
Ozone production rates as a function of NOx abundances and HOx production rates in the Nashville urban plume

[1] Tropospheric O3 concentrations are functions of the chain lengths of NOx (NOx ≡ NO + NO2) and HOx (HOx ≡ OH + HO2 + RO2) radical catalytic cycles. For a fixed HOx source at low NOx concentrations, kinetic models indicate the rate of O3 production increases linearly with increases in NOx concentrations (NOx limited). At higher NOx concentrations, kinetic models predict ozone production rates decrease with increasing NOx (NOx saturated). We present observations of NO, NO2, O3, OH, HO2, H2CO, actinic flux, and temperature obtained during the 1999 Southern Oxidant Study from June 15 to July 15, 1999, at Cornelia Fort Airpark, Nashville, Tennessee. The observations are used to evaluate the instantaneous ozone production rate (PO3) as a function of NO abundances and the primary HOx production rate (PHOx). These observations provide quantitative evidence for the response of PO3 to NOx. For high PHOx (0.5 < PHOx < 0.7 ppt/s), O3 production at this site increases linearly with NO to ∼500 ppt. PO3 levels out in the range 500–1000 ppt NO and decreases for NO above 1000 ppt. An analysis along chemical coordinates indicates that models of chemistry controlling peroxy radical abundances, and consequently PO3, have a large error in the rate or product yield of the RO2 + HO2 reaction for the classes of RO2 that predominate in Nashville. Photochemical models and our measurements can be forced into agreement if the product of the branching ratio and rate constant for organic peroxide formation, via RO2 + HO2 → ROOH + O2, is reduced by a factor of 3–12. Alternatively, these peroxides could be rapidly photolyzed under atmospheric conditions making them at best a temporary HOx reservoir. This result implies that O3 production in or near urban areas with similar hydrocarbon reactivity and HOx production rates may be NOx saturated more often than current models suggest.
Immunomodulatory effects of dehydroepiandrosterone in proestrus female mice after trauma-hemorrhage.

Studies indicate that administration of the adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) after trauma-hemorrhage in male mice improved cellular immune functions and reduced mortality rates from su...
A rapid-injection NMR study of the effect of lithium alkoxides on the butyllithium-initiated polymerization and propagation of styrene

In studies carried out in THF at 280°C, lithium n-butoxide was found to speed up the initiation and to an even greater extent the rate of propagation in the alkyllithium-initiated polymerization of styrene. Bulky alkoxides were found to slow down the rate of polymerization by slowing both initiation and propagation although initiation was decreased to a greater extent than propagation. Five equivalents of lithium tert-butoxide stopped the initiation completely under these reaction conditions when n-butyllithium was used as an initiator. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1157-1168, 1999
Multiscale influences of gophers on alfalfa yield and quality

Abstract Pocket gophers ( Thomomys bottae ) in alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) stands have been associated with yield loss, but such damage has not been reconciled with their potential improvements of soil attributes that enhance plant growth. At spatial scales appropriate for identifying mechanism and effects of management, alfalfa yield was related to gopher burrows among 40 alfalfa stands in the Sacramento Valley, California. Forage yield among fields did not relate to gopher densities of less than 1 per 100 m of transect, but it declined as gopher density increased beyond this threshold. Gopher density increased logistically through time, while yield declined linearly. Within fields, yield and gopher density correlated positively across seven stands, and negatively across five, depending on whether the gopher density gradient happened to match the yield gradient. Gopher densities shifted spatially across the stands through time, however, and yield improved where gopher densities had been greatest the year before. Yield was usually greater on versus off gopher burrows, but paired-sample t -tests detected no significant differences between mean yields. Within the spatial extent of individual burrows, yield increased with soil moisture at the 60 to 80 cm depth, and yield and soil moisture both decreased with distance from soil mounds. Plant nitrogen content, which relates to forage quality, generally was not affected by gopher burrows, but it was related to yield. Results and interpretation of gopher influences on alfalfa depend on observation scale. Data must be collected at scales representing both individual animals and populations to understand and effectively respond to this pest. Negative associations between gophers and yield may occur, but the gopher's overall impacts will have to be weighted with respect to soil and wildlife benefits they provided to the agroecosystem.
Methotrexat‐Therapie bei rheumatologischen Erkrankungen – ein Update

This article summarizes the recent literature on low-dose methotrexate in the rheumatologic illnesses. It reviews the efficacy of these agents, the use of combination therapy, and the importance of early treatment with this disease modifying antirheumatic drug. The anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects as well as the toxicity of the drug in rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases are further defined.
A Time Frame for Construction of the Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge

A key element in achieving Ocean Drilling Program Leg 183 science (1) determine the chronology of the Kerguelen Platobjectives is determining the age of volcanism at different locations eau–Broken Ridge magmatism; across the Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge. This paper reports (2) constrain the time scale of melting processes, and crystallization ages derived from Ar–Ar incremental heating post-melting magmatic evolution; experiments, for whole rocks and feldspars separated from basement (3) evaluate the effects of LIP formation on the enunits recovered at Sites 1136, 1137, 1138, 1139, 1140, 1141 vironment; and 1142. The subaerial environment of eruption at most sites and (4) identify and interpret relationships between LIP the generally evolved, high K content of these lava flows contributed development and tectonism. to precise and reproducible age determinations. Volcanic activity at Radiometric ages contribute directly to objectives (1) southern Kerguelen Plateau Site 1136 occurred at 118–119 Ma; and (2) by determining the timing and duration of magat Elan Bank Site 1137, 107–108 Ma; at central Kerguelen matic activity, which allow production rates to be esPlateau Site 1138, 100–101 Ma; at Skiff Bank Site 1139, timated (see Coffin et al., 2002). The most significant 68–69 Ma; at northern Kerguelen Plateau Site 1140, 34–35 Ma; question is, how much magma was erupted over what and at Broken Ridge Sites 1141 and 1142, 94–95 Ma. The period? The answer can be quantified only with precise new ages allow calculation of melt production rates through the radiometric ages distributed widely across the province. >120 Myr history of the Kerguelen plume, adjustments to plate Ages are important in assessing objective (3) by providing reconstructions for the eastern Indian Ocean region in the hotspot a temporal framework for linking magmatic events with reference frame, and assessment of proposed links between large abrupt or gradual environmental changes recorded in igneous province (LIP) magmatism and environmental crises. proximal or distal sediments, such as chemical anomalies (e.g. Sinton & Duncan, 1997) or biological crises (e.g. Erba, 1994). Post-emplacement tectonic events [objective (4)] may have produced synchronous volcanic activity
Osteogenesis of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Current treatment options for skeletal repair, including immobilization, rigid fixation, alloplastic materials and bone grafts, have significant limitations. Bone tissue engineering offers a promising method for the repair of bone deficieny caused by fractures, bone loss and tumors. The use of adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) has received attention because of the self-renewal ability, high proliferative capacity and potential of osteogenic differentiation in vitro and in vivo studies of bone regeneration. Although cell therapies using ASCs are widely promising in various clinical fields, no large human clinical trials exist for bone tissue engineering. The aim of this review is to introduce how they are harvested, examine the characterization of ASCs, to review the mechanisms of osteogenic differentiation, to analyze the effect of mechanical and chemical stimuli on ASC osteodifferentiation, to summarize the current knowledge about usage of ASC in vivo studies and clinical trials, and finally to conclude with a general summary of the field and comments on its future direction.
Christology and Complementarity

A good deal has already been written on the possible relevance of Niels Bohr's principle of ‘complementarity’ to various theological issues. Bohr, himself, suggested that the concept might be useful in discussions concerning the relation of intra-mundane causality and divine providence, or that of human freedom and divine sovereignty. These suggestions have been taken up and developed by C. A. Coulson and D. M. Mackay, but they have also seriously been criticized, notably by I. G. Barbour. The principal difficulty encountered in regarding God and the world as ‘complementary’, in Bohr's sense of the term, is that Creator and creature are generally thought to be two distinct ‘entities’, in Christian ‘theism’, rather than two ‘modes’ of a single entity as ‘wave’ and ‘particle’ are two ‘complementary’ modes of an atomic object in physics.
Modeling nanoporosity development in polymer films for low-k applications

The bubble growth dynamics of a polymer supersaturated with CO2 have been modeled for micron-size films after nucleation. The model equations are based on the shell model of Arefmanesh, Advani, and Michaelides in which a nucleated bubble is surrounded by a finite concentric shell of polymer supersaturated with gas. Bubbles grow by mass transfer of dissolved gas from this shell. The model is extended to allow for diffusion of dissolved gas out of the shell in addition to diffusion into the bubble. A parametric analysis is performed to examine the effects of film thickness, temperature, diffusivity at the Tg and Henry's law constant. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:640–651, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers