cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping of upper mantle structure from differential (PP — P) travel-time residuals

Abstract P and PP travel-time residuals have been collected from 23 quarters of the regional catalog of earthquakes of the International Seismological Centre (ISC). The difference in travel-time residuals between PP and P are used as an indicator of the P-delay time near the PP reflection point. Global maps of these differential travel-time residuals are used to study lateral heterogeneity in the crust and upper mantle. Two of the regions studied have mean differential travel-time residuals significantly different (at greater than the 95% confidence level) from the global mean of the differential travel-time residuals. In the central Pacific, southeast of Hawaii, differential PP — P travel-time residuals of − 3.8 ± 0.36 s are observed. These observations imply an average P-delay time of − 1.1 ± 0.38 s. Average P-delay times of 0.67 ± 0.20 s are observed beneath the Tibetan Plateau and the western portion of the People's Republic of China. These travel-time variations basically agree in location and sign with the surface wave results of Tanimoto and Anderson.
Independent degrees of freedom of dynamical systems

Numerical evidence is presented demonstrating the possibility of obtaining reduced equations of motion for dynamical systems in terms of a small number of variables. Some implications of these results are discussed.
Quantitative Analysis of Alachlor and Atrazine in Polymeric Microcapsules Determined by Reverse-Phase High Performance Thin Layer Chromatog-Raphy with Densitometry

Abstract A method to analyze polymeric microcapsules of the herbicides alachlor and atrazine by reverse-phase high performance thin layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC) has been developed. The herbicidal concentration is determined by densitometry. The method is rapid and reproducible and offers a practical alternative to determination of alachlor and atrazine by elemental analyses. Impurities, metabolites, and decomposition products which may yield falsely high percentages of herbicidal content as determined by elemental analyses are readily detected by RP-HPTLC and are not sources of error.
Trapping the Prince: Machiavelli and the Politics of Deception

Machiavelli's most famous political work, The Prince, was a masterful act of political deception. I argue that Machiavelli's intention was a republican one: to undo Lorenzo de Medici by giving him advice that would jeopardize his power, hasten his overthrow, and allow for the resurgence of the Florentine republic. This interpretation returns The Prince to its specific historical context. It considers Machiavelli's advice to Lorenzo on where to reside, how to behave, and whom to arm in light of the political reality of sixteenth-century Florence. Evidence external to The Prince, including Machiavelli's other writings and his own political biography, confirms his anti-Medicean sentiments, his republican convictions, and his proclivity for deception. Understanding The Prince as an act of political deception continues a tradition of reading Machiavelli as a radical republican. Moreover, it overcomes the difficulties of previous republican interpretations, and provides new insight into the strategic perspective and Renaissance artistry Machiavelli employed as a theoretician.
Perceptions of Indian, Mexican, Negro, and White Children Concerning the Development of Responsibility.

Sim.zmary.-The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that children's perceptions concerning the development of responsibility are independent of race. The data failed to support this hypothesis, suggesting that children's perceptions of responsibility are dependent upon race.
Time and dose effects of mitomycin C on extracellular matrix fibroblasts and proteins.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective was to determine treatment dose and time-dependent effects of injected mitomycin C on extracellular matrix fibroblasts, collagen, and fibronectin, important mediators in the wound healing response, in a rat cutaneous wound model. Study Design: A prospective, controlled animal study. Methods: Forty rats were injected with three different doses (0.4, 2.3, and 5.0 mg/mL) of mitomycin C at three different wound sites with a fourth wound site receiving saline as a control. The rats were grouped to have their tissue harvested at five different dates ranging from 1 week to 8 weeks. After death, samples from the wound site underwent Western blot analysis for collagen and fibronectin and histological analysis measuring fibroblast apoptosis. Results: Over an 8-week period, collagen and fibronectin significantly decreased and fibroblast apoptosis significantly increased. No correlation was found between the injected dose of mitomycin C and either the extracellular matrix protein concentration or the rate of fibroblast apoptosis. Conclusion: Mitomycin C demonstrated a long-term effect in a wound, inhibiting collagen and fibronectin production and inducing apoptosis. Use of mitomycin C in excess of 0.4 mg/mL did not alter protein concentrations or rate of apoptosis.
Double implanted V-MOS

An n-channel self-aligned doubly ion implanted lateral V-MOS structure (D-V-MOS) for high performance LSI IC application is described. The new structure is an improved D-MOS structure. The effective channel of the D-V-MOS is formed by the vertical difference in a n-type and a p-type impurity profile on a p-substrate through a V-grooving technique. Thus, the threshold voltage and channel length of the D-V-MOS can be directly and more accurately controlled through ion implantation. In addition, super short channel lengths on the same order of magnitude as the base width of a bipolar transistor -- 0.1 um can be realized, resulting in a further improvement in frequency response. A depletion mode lateral V-MOS is used as load device for E/D operation. The fabrication process for the self-aligned self-isolated n-channel E/D D-V-MOS device is simple -- only 5 masking steps are required. The short channel effect associated with the D-V-MOS is discussed. It is found that for channel length less than 0.6um, the substrate sensitivity due to the source-to-substrate biase is significantly reduced even with a 1000 A gate.
Recombinant Vaccinia Virus Expressing Interleukin-2 Invokes Anti-tumor Cellular Immunity in an Orthotopic Murine Model of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Induction of T cell immunity following vaccination with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing interleukin-2 (rvv-IL-2) was studied in an orthotopic murine model (SCCVII/SF) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Mice bearing SCCVII/SF cells in the oral cavity were vaccinated subcutaneously with irradiated, rvv-IL-2-infected tumor cells combined with intratumoral injection of rvv-IL-2, resulting in recruitment of larger numbers of CD3+ CD8+ and CD3+ CD4+ T cells in the spleen (Sp) and tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN) compared to control vaccine rvv-lacZ. Tumor-specific CD8+ T and CD4+ helper T cell activities in the Sp and TDLN were significantly increased in rvv-IL-2-treated mice. Sp and TDLN cells from rvv-IL-2-treated mice secreted significantly higher levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma compared to rvv-lacZ-treated mice, while the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 were comparable. Numbers of IFN-gamma-secreting cells were also higher in rvv-IL-2-treated mice. Vaccine efficiency was completely abolished by depletion of CD8+/CD4+ T cells from rvv-IL-2-vaccinated mice. We conclude that anti-tumor activities of rvv-IL-2 are due to the induction of tumor-specific CD8+ CTL and CD4+ Th1-type helper T cells, and rvv-IL-2 may be used for treatment of HNSCC patients, since SCC VII/SF closely resembles HNSCC.
Primary Care Physician Office Visits for Depression by Older Americans

Background: Older patients mostly receive depression care from primary care physicians, but it is not known whether depression treatment is primarily received from family/general practice physicians or internal medicine physicians and whether the type of depression treatment offered varies between these types of primary care physicians. Objective: To assess what proportion of visits for depression are to family/general practice physicians or to internal medicine physicians and whether the type of depression treatment offered varies by primary care physician specialty. Design: Data from the 2000 and 2001 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, a nationally representative survey of visits to office-based practices using clustered sampling, were used. Participants: Office-based physician practices in the United States. Results: There were an estimated 9.8 million visits made to office-based providers by older patients for depression in 2001 to 2002, of which 64% were to primary care physicians. Visits to primary care providers were evenly split between Internists and family/general practice physicians. There was no significant difference in the rate of antidepressant prescribing between visits to Internists versus family/general practice (55.9% vs 48.0%;P=.42). Mental health counseling or psychotherapy was offered more often during visits to family/general practice physicians than to Internists (39.4% vs 14.0%;P=.07). Conclusions: Visits for depression by elderly patients continue to take place in primary care settings to both family/general practice physicians and Internists. Interventions aimed at improving depression care in primary care should focus on both types of primary care physicians and emphasize improving rates of diagnosis and referral for counseling or psychotherapy as a viable treatment option.
Flame spectra of solid propellants during unstable combustion.

The spectral and temporal details of the flames of a series of ammonium perchlorate-polyurethane propellants during both unstable and stable combustion were observed experimentally. A 400-scan per second optical spectrometer operating in the middle infrared region was used. During unstable combustion at low ratios of chamber free volume to nozzle throat area, three different frequencies were observed simultaneously. These were attributable to at least two mechanisms. During stable combustion periodic fluctuations in flame temperature and composition were also observed. Some aspects of theory of bulk mode instability were confirmed, but the assumptions of constant flame temperature and constant composition were found to be inaccurate.
Shock to a conspecific as an aversive stimulus

This experiment confirms and extends an earlier finding that a hungry rhesus monkey (O) will avoid securing food if this subjects another monkey (SA) to electric shock. In the present series this “sacrificial” behavior was manifested in 6 of 10 animals independently of the relative position of the two animals in a dominance hierarchy. It was also found that while prior shock of the O resulted in inhibition of responding following the introduction of shock to the SA, this variable was not correlated with the final manifestation of a sacrificial pattern.
Hydromagnetic turbulence. I. A deductive theory

In this paper a deductive theory of turbulence recently described by the writer (Chandrasekhar 1955 a ) is extended to hydromagnetics. By considering stationary turbulence and making statistical hypotheses of the same general character as in the hydrodynamical theory, a pair of differential equations are derived for the scalars defining the isotropic tensors describing the correlation in the velocities and the intensities of the magnetic field at two different points and at two different times.
Purification and properties of clostridium welchii phospholipase C.

Abstract Phospholipase C (phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.3) from Clostridium welchii has been purified 32-fold over a commercial preparation. The purification involves (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionation, adsorption and elution from calcium phosphate gel, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and gel filtration through Sephadex G-100. From the appearance of acrylamide gel electrophoresis, the resulting enzyme is thought to be approx. 60–70% pure. A new method of assay is described, which permits rapid and quantitative analysis of enzyme activity. Some kinetic data is also presented.
Bias-independent constructions from biased bisection and adjacency judgements

This paper discusses the possibility of using a biased bisection and its inverse operations intrinsically, to "correct for bias" and thereby to produce "corrected bisections" and related constructions, like concatenations or "sums" of sensory intervals. General results concerning the scope and limits of "corrected constructability" are derived, showing among other things that corrected sums can be constructed but corrected bisections cannot. Related issues include: (1) what can be determined by constructive means, e.g., that a given element correctly bisects an interval is shown to be determinable by these means, although it cannot be constructed by them; (2) a multidimensional generalization is considered, in which elements are represented by points in n-dimensional space and, paradoxically, it seems that corrected bisections can be produced in those spaces; (3) unsystematic comparisons to famous construction problems of geometry are made. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997 Academic Press
Naturally occurring arsenic in groundwaters of the midwestern United States

High concentrations of naturally occurring arsenic are present in alluvial groundwater systems in the midwestern United States. These occurrences tend to be sporadic because the arsenic is mobilized only under a narrow range of redox conditions. The reducing conditions must be sufficient to reduce and dissolve iron and manganese but not to produce sulfide. Typically, the affected aquifers are relatively high in clay content and of relatively low yield. For that reason, many of these arsenic occurrences are in aquifers supplying single families. The mechanism by which the arsenic is mobilized begins with the deposition of iron oxides during streamflow while the alluvium is being deposited. The oxides have a strong affinity for dissolved arsenic and adsorb it from the streamwater. As the alluvium is buried, it eventually becomes subject to slow groundwater movement. As conditions become more reducing, ferric oxides are reduced to soluble ferrous oxides, resulting in mobilization of the adsorbed arsenic.
An in vitro study of lipid preference in whaleworm (Anisakis simplex, Nematoda, Ascaridoidea, Anisakidae) third-stage larvae.

The behavioural response of nematodes to chemical stimuli has been extensively investigated in some free-living and plant parasitic species. However, in animal parasitic species, little is yet known, particularly in regards to marine forms such as the whaleworm (Anisakis simplex). Previous studies showed that A. simplex L3-larvae tend to prefer fish tissue with high lipid content. The intention of this study was to investigate the behaviour of A. simplex L3 in response to different concentrations of fish lipid in further detail. This was done by an in vitro study based on larvae from cod (Gadus morhua). Ten larvae were placed in each of the culture containers containing agar that was separated into three segments of equal size. Three categories of agar were used containing 0, 2 and 7 % cod liver oil. A total of 900 larvae were included. The study consisted of three parts: The purpose of experiment I was to establish whether different lipid concentrations influenced the migration pattern at all. Experiment II was intended to examine whether A. simplex L3-larvae were able to actively search for lipids. Experiment III was set up to analyse the short-distance dispersion of the L3-larvae. Experiment I indicated that the L3-larvae move randomly but do not stop randomly since the tendency to move out of the start area was inversely correlated with lipid concentration. Experiment II indicates that the larvae are almost unable to select areas of high lipid concentrations when more than a few centimetres away. Experiment III showed that the L3-larvae prefer high-fat content and can seek it out over short distances.
Relationship between cynicism and job satisfaction: exploration of mechanisms.

Personality traits related to evaluation of other people and the world are important to study in relation to job satisfaction, which itself is an evaluation of various facets of a job, including th...
Management of the Lower Lid in Male Blepharoplasty

Rejuvenation of the lower eyelid blepharoplasty in men requires consideration of different esthetic norms than those considered in women. Although both require a thorough understanding of anatomy, and the process of aging in each includes descent of the globe, pseudoherniation of the orbital fat, and skeletonization of the inferior bony rim, the goals for male blepharoplasty differ. The authors review the primary surgical approaches in lower lid blepharoplasty (transconjunctival skin-muscle flap) and the currently described techniques used to address displaced orbital fat, with special consideration of the male patient.
Professional Boundaries: The Perspective of the Third Year Medical Student in Negotiating Three Boundary Challenges

Background: The negotiation and maintenance of professional boundaries is a central developmental challenge for medical students in clinical training. The purpose of this study is to assess problem solving strategies, decisions made, level of confidence, and language used by beginning third year medical students when faced with professional boundary challenges. Description: Forty-two students in the first quarter of their third year at Harvard Medical School viewed three brief audiovisual “trigger” tapes, each depicting a medical student faced with a boundary challenge (the offer of a gift, a personal question from a patient, an errand request by a supervisor). Evaluation: There was a high degree of agreement and confidence among students about how to negotiate a monetary gift (reject) and how to respond to a patient's “too personal” question (not answer and/or redirect). However, the students were less confident and more divided on the issue of whether or not to run a personal errand for the team at the ...
INFLUENCE OF OZONE ON CARBON PARTITIONING IN TOMATO: POTENTIAL ROLE OF CARBON FLOW IN REGULATION OF THE MYCORRHIZAL SYMBIOSIS UNDER CONDITIONS OF STRESS

SUMMARY Tomato seedlings inoculated with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus fasciculatus, were exposed for 3 h to 15 parts 10−8 (294 μg m−3) ozone twice weekly or to 30 parts 10−8 (589 μg m−3) ozone once per week, for 9 weeks. Mycorrhizal infection was reduced by 46 and 63 % in the 15 and 30 parts 10−8 ozone treatments, respectively. The total dry weight of mycorrhizal plants was significantly reduced in the 30 parts 10−8 ozone treatment but dry weights of non-mycorrhizal plants were not affected by any ozone treatment. In a second experiment, 3–week-old seedlings of tomato inoculated with G. fasciculatus were twice exposed to 30 parts 1O−8 ozone or filtered air for 3 h with a 7-day interval. Soluble amino acids in root exudates and root extracts were significantly reduced in mycorrhizal plants exposed to ozone. The amino acid content of non-mycorrhizal exudates was not reduced by ozone but was significantly increased in root extracts. Levels of reducing sugars also declined in root exudates and in root extracts of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants exposed to ozone. A greater amount of photoassimilated 14CO2 was retained in leaves and less translocated to roots 4 h after fumigation with ozone. Labelled leaves exhibited no leaf injury until 8 h after exposure to ozone and showed only 10 to 20% chlorosis after 24 h.
Electrodiagnostic testing before surgery for spinal stenosis.

S. S. is an otherwise healthy 64-year-old man with a 6-month history of gradually worsening leg pain with ambulation. He initially presented to his primary care physician 3 months ago with bilateral posterior thigh and calf pain with ambulation, and no pain with sitting. His physician suspected spinal stenosis and appropriately sent him to formal physical therapy to correct his underlying biomechanical abnormalities, including tight hip flexors. Over the past 3 months, he has been actively engaged in his home exercise program, which includes stretching and strengthening of the low back and lower limbs. He also was given a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit, and a variety of medications (acetaminophen, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, tramadol, and gabapentin), all with no significant relief. Due to the failure of conservative therapy, the patient underwent lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which showed central stenosis at L4/L5, with a 7-mm canal diameter, and no significant spondylolisthesis. The radiology report also noted nonspecific “degenerative disk disease” with “mild bulging” at all levels, but no other areas of canal or foraminal compromise. He then underwent 2 bilateral L5/S1 transforaminal epidural steroid injections, each resulted in only 2 days of relief. On presentation to you, he has pain predominately in the buttocks, posterior thighs, and lateral calves bilaterally, which he rates a 8 of 10 with walking. He is only able to walk 50 feet before developing severe pain. He has intact dorsalis pedis pulses bilaterally, and no history of diabetes. Results of a physical examination reveal intact strength in all myotomes in the bilateral lower limbs, although he does have a slightly wide-based gait with ambulation. He has symmetric, 1þ reflexes in the bilateral lower limbs, and downgoing toes on Babinski test. Due to the failure of treatment thus far and his continued severe pain, he previously was evaluated by a neurosurgeon who recommended surgical decompression for spinal stenosis. He presents to you specifically to ask if he should undergo any additional diagnostic workup before a surgical decompression. Ivan Cheng, MD, will argue that no further testing is indicated before surgical decompression for spinal stenosis. Suehun Ho will argue that all patients with suspected spinal stenosis should undergo routine electrodiagnostic evaluation before any surgical intervention.
Imaging of structured and disordered hemicyanine monolayers by atomic force microscopy

Abstract Monolayers of surface-active hemicyanine dyes have been extensively studied owing in part to their potential importance for fabrication into non-linear optical materials. In an effort to increase the dipole moment to a value larger than that present in the typical hemicyanine, a neew compound was characterized, having the structure: (CH 3 ) 2 NC 6 H 4 CHCHCHCHC 6 H 4 N + C 22 H 45 B − which contains a more extended π-bonded system compared with some more commonly studied hemicyanines. It is known that hemicyanines may be present in various aggregated states as well as species having varying degrees of order when in monolayer form. For the new compound, monolayers could be produced having both ordered and disordered structures. On a pure water subphase, the new hemicyanine in a highly compressed monolayer had a narrow, blue-shifted absorption band with a maximum at 435 nm. Such a spectrum is characteristic of H-aggregate species. When the subphase contained cadmium chloride (1 × 10 −3 M) the optical absorption band was similar to that seen in chloroform solution for disaggregated species, with a broad absorption band at 485 nm, shifting only slightly as the monolayer was progressively compressed. Atomic force microscopy visualizing the two different films indicated that monolayers transferred from pure water subphase appeared inhomogeneous, discontinuous and indicative of island structures possibly in the original spread monolayer, or formed during transfer. Monolayers formed on Cd 2+ -containing subphases were uniform except for some small surface defects.
A Cryogenic Eddy Current Microprobe

In nondestructive eddy current testing (ET), wire coils are excited to induce electric currents in conducting test specimens. The distribution of these eddy currents is altered by the presence of flaws in the material or by changes in material properties. The distribution changes are then sensed by one or more detector coils.
Quantum fluctuations of pseudoparticles in the non-linear σ model

Abstract We present an investigation of quantum fluctuations about pseudoparticle solutions in the two-dimensional σ model. First, for the one-pseudoparticle case, we solve the small oscillation problem and compute the first quantum correction to the classical result. In the two-pseudoparticle case, we transform the small oscillation problem into an ordinary Schrodinger equation with an interaction depending on the distance between the pseudoparticles. We are then able to solve the limiting cases of zero and infinite separations.
Multilevel hypergraph partitioning: applications in VLSI domain

In this paper, we present a new hypergraph-partitioning algorithm that is based on the multilevel paradigm. In the multilevel paradigm, a sequence of successively coarser hypergraphs is constructed. A bisection of the smallest hypergraph is computed and it is used to obtain a bisection of the original hypergraph by successively projecting and refining the bisection to the next level finer hypergraph. We have developed new hypergraph coarsening strategies within the multilevel framework. We evaluate their performance both in terms of the size of the hyperedge cut on the bisection, as well as on the run time for a number of very large scale integration circuits. Our experiments show that our multilevel hypergraph-partitioning algorithm produces high-quality partitioning in a relatively small amount of time. The quality of the partitionings produced by our scheme are on the average 6%-23% better than those produced by other state-of-the-art schemes. Furthermore, our partitioning algorithm is significantly faster, often requiring 4-10 times less time than that required by the other schemes. Our multilevel hypergraph-partitioning algorithm scales very well for large hypergraphs. Hypergraphs with over 100 000 vertices can be bisected in a few minutes on today's workstations. Also, on the large hypergraphs, our scheme outperforms other schemes (in hyperedge cut) quite consistently with larger margins (9%-30%).
Surface characterization of supported Pt, Rh, and alloy particles by CO chemisorption

Abstract Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of CO is used to determine surface areas, binding states, and changes upon oxidation for 10–1000 A particles of Pt, Rh, and Pt-Rh alloy on amorphous SiO2. A low area sample configuration is used to obtain rapid and uniform heating and cooling in an ultra-high vacuum system. It is shown that both metals exhibit a higher CO binding state for small particles, but, as particle size increases, this state disappears and is replaced by a more weakly bound state. These states are suggested to be associated with (111) and higher surface free energy planes on these surfaces, heating Rh above 700 K in O2 at 10−6 Torr produces an oxide on which the CO saturation coverage is at least a factor of 10 lower than on the reduced surface. For Pt, oxidation produces only a small decrease in CO coverage, although the binding energy of CO increases on the oxygen treated surface. The difference in desorption temperatures for CO on Pt and Rh is consistent with previous experiments which show that an oxidation-reduction cycle produces a surface layer which is enriched in Rh and that the oxidized alloy contains no Pt atoms.
Persistent trigeminal artery terminating in the posterior inferior cerebellar artery: case report.

Objective Persistent trigeminal arteries are rare and represent a remnant of the fetal carotid-basilar circulation. They typically extend from the internal carotid artery to the basilar artery. An unusual case of a patient with a trigeminal artery originating from the internal carotid artery and terminating as the dominant hemispheric branch of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery is presented. Clinical presentation A 66-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with pulsatile tinnitus, increasing left eye pain, proptosis, conjunctival injection, diplopia, and decreased visual acuity. Conventional contrast-enhanced computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated findings consistent with a left carotid-cavernous fistula. The patient underwent an emergency diagnostic cerebral angiogram. Besides an indirect carotid-cavernous fistula on the left side, a right-sided persistent trigeminal artery terminating as the dominant hemispheric trunk of the posteroinferior cerebellar artery was incidentally noted. The vermian branch of the right posteroinferior cerebellar artery arose from the ipsilateral vertebral artery, whereas duplicate superior cerebellar arteries supplied the left posteroinferior cerebellar artery region. Intervention The patient was treated for the indirect carotid-cavernous fistula with detachable platinum coils and N-butyl cyanoacrylate, resulting in the resolution of her symptoms. Conclusion We report a case of a persistent trigeminal artery supplying only the cerebellar hemisphere. The clinical significance of this anomaly relates to its role in endovascular therapeutic and surgical complications and the paradoxical lesions in the cerebellum that occur as a result of carotid disease. We also discuss the Saltzman classification of persistent trigeminal arteries and their variants.
Placental growth factor in the first trimester: relationship with maternal factors and placental Doppler studies

Objective Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a potent angiogenic factor that impacts on early placental vascular development. It was our aim to clarify relationships between PlGF and first-trimester maternal/placental factors that are related to placental development. Methods Prospectively enrolled patients at 11–14 weeks' gestation had serum PlGF measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results were related to maternal age, parity, race, body mass index, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), smoking/caffeine use and parameters of placental blood flow resistance. Results In 110 consecutive patients PlGF levels ranged between 1.0 and 176.1 pg/mL, showing a linear relationship with gestational age (GA) (PlGF = (1.4251 × GA) −74.951, r2 = 0.0765, F = 8.941, P = 0.03). PlGF did not relate to maternal demographics but negatively correlated with MAP (Spearman rho = −0.191, P < 0.05). Bilateral uterine artery notching was associated with lower PlGF (40.7 (range, 1.01–131.6) vs. 51.1 (range, 6.4–176.1) pg/mL; Mann–Whitney P = 0.034.). A trend to lower levels was also observed when umbilical artery end-diastolic flow was absent (37.1 (range, 6.8–95) vs. 49.3 (range, 1.01–176.1) pg/mL; P = 0.05). Conclusion PlGF in the first trimester is related to maternal cardiovascular factors and placental Doppler findings that are associated with subsequent placental dysfunction. The utility of this parameter as a first-trimester screening tool on a population basis requires further investigation. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Causes of lineage decline in the Aplodontidae: Testing for the influence of physical and biological change

Abstract This study documents diversity decline in a once-speciose rodent clade, the family Aplodontidae, and evaluates the potential influence of three commonly suggested controls on diversity: climate change, floral change, and competitive interactions. Aplodontids first appeared in the late Eocene, diversified during the early Oligocene, declined precipitously at the end of the Oligocene such that standing diversity was only about 5 species during the early Miocene, peaked again in the early middle Miocene, then declined through the late Miocene, and are entirely absent from the Pliocene and early Pleistocene fossil record. This long term pattern culminated in the survival of a single extant species, Aplodontia rufa , the mountain beaver. The species' richness and body size distribution through time were compared with the timing of climatic changes as inferred from global oxygen isotope curves, with the rise of grasslands as inferred from phytolith and other stable isotope studies, and with fluctuating diversity of potential competitors as inferred from published stratigraphic and geographic distributions. The timing of global climate change is decoupled from the diversity fluctuations and seems not to have been a proximate cause. Rise of grasslands and the increasing dominance of C 4 vegetation correlates with diversity decline in the late Oligocene and late Miocene, but data are sparse, and more work will be required to determine the mechanism driving this relationship. Examination of potential mammalian competitors (sciurids and castorids) finds no evidence for competitive replacement of aplodontids. It is difficult to ascribe the fluctuations in aplodontid diversity to a single cause. The explanation likely involves vegetation changes associated with the spread of grasslands, but there is some variation in diversity that cannot be explained by the vegetation, at least using the proxies employed here. Climate and competition are less consistent with the available data. The reasons for the decline of aplodontids in the late Oligocene and the late Miocene apparently involved the interaction of multiple physical and biological causes, coupled with the chance events that underlie any evolutionary process.
Differential versus Unit Weighting of Violations, Framing, and the Role of Probability in Image Theory's Compatibility Test

In the first of two experiments, subjects screened options designed to distinguish between differential and unit weighting of violations in image theory's compatibility test. In addition, information was presented about the probability that each option would prove to be satisfactory if it were the final choice, framed either as satisfactory or as dissatisfactory. It was found that differential weighting best accounted for the obtained screening data. Probability information also influenced screening, but framing had no effect. The second experiment sought the locus of the influence of the probability information and found that it was treated as an attribute of the options rather than being used to adjust the rejection threshold, a result that is congruent with previous findings.
Performance of CAL/APT drained and undrained pavements under HVS loading

The Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) test results of the first experiment of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Accelerated Pavement Testing Program, known as CAL/APT, are presented. The Goal 1 experiment was designed to validate the existing Caltrans pavement thickness design method for drained (containing an asphalt treated permeable base layer) and undrained (containing aggregate base only) flexible pavements. The pavement performance results include fatigue crack development, surface profile, and vertical deflections. The observed performance of the two types of structures is compared. The effects of construction compaction of the asphalt concrete, bonding between asphalt concrete lifts, the relative performance of the drained and undrained structures under the controlled HVS environment, and comparison of the observed performance and performance expected by the thickness design procedure are presented and discussed.
On estimating biometric capacity: An example based on LDV biometrics

It is known that when a pattern recognition system is not subject to memory constraints on pattern representations and sensory information is not compressed, the recognition rate is bounded by the mutual information between the memory and sensory representations. In this paper, we investigate the recognition rates of Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) signals obtained from 285 individuals. We consider four cases corresponding to four different assumptions as to the structure of the data source and noisy measurements, and present the results of the mutual information bounds. In particular, we show the bounds of the recognition rates for each feature of the LDV signal.
Reduced apelin levels in lone atrial fibrillation

Aims Apelin is an endogenous peptide hormone that appears to have a physiological role in counter-regulation of the angiotensin and vasopressin systems. This peptide has been reported to be down-regulated in subjects with acute heart failure, but has not been studied in other cardiovascular conditions. We studied apelin levels in 73 subjects with lone atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results Study subjects had electrocardiographic evidence of paroxysmal or chronic AF and a structurally normal heart on echocardiography. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, significant valvular disease, hyperthyroidism, or antecedent hypertension. Controls were recruited from a healthy outpatient population. Plasma apelin levels were determined using a commercially available immunoassay. Seventy-three subjects with lone AF and 73 healthy controls were enrolled and studied. Mean levels of apelin were significantly lower in subjects with lone AF when compared with controls (307 vs. 648 pg/mL, P <0.00005). Conclusion Reduced apelin levels were observed in this homogenous population of lone AF subjects and may represent an underlying diathesis predisposing to this common arrhythmia.
Narrative, vocal staging and masculinity in the ‘Outlaw’ country music of Waylon Jennings

Emerging in the early 1970s, the work of Outlaw country artists might be heard as exploring a crisis of masculinity resulting from developments in the women's liberation movement. Building on recent research in recorded sound studies, this essay explores how the vocal staging practices deployed in Outlaw country recordings offer a unique musical exploration of the duality of the outlaw's masculinity. Using case studies drawn from Waylon Jennings' Outlaw-era recordings, this article examines how Jennings, working with co-producers ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement, Chips Moman and Willie Nelson, among others, deployed vocal staging practices in conjunction with other musical practices to construct narratives that reveal the ‘outlaw’ character's psychological turmoil and reflect the complicated state of working-class American masculinity in the age of women's liberation.
Acoustooptically addressed Fourier transform matched filtering

Matched filters have been made using the standard VanderLugt technique and are addressed using an acoustooptic beam deflector to manipulate the Fourier transform of the coherent input scene with good correlation signals resulting. It may be possible to use this method to address large arrays of matched filters at high scan rates; thus providing a large optical memory which is necessary for absolute object recognition and discrimination.
Expanding Supports to Improve the Lives of Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Research suggests that families with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience increased stress and challenges compared with families of typically developing children. We highlight the need for family-centered approaches to reduce family stress, and we elaborate on some of the most central universal needs for families with a child with ASD, such as access to quality information and services, parent skills training, coordinated services, and transitional supports. We then present promising models and strategies from the best practice literature to better address family needs, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, parent–educator partnership models, Parent to Parent (PTP), the Medical Home model, and the Family Navigator model. We conclude by providing practice recommendations and highlighting the critical need for further research.
Surface melt magnitude retrieval over Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica using coupled MODIS near-IR and thermal satellite measurements

Abstract. Surface melt has been increasing over recent years, especially over the Antarctic Peninsula, contributing to disintegration of shelves such as Larsen. Unfortunately, we are not realistically able to quantify surface snowmelt from ground-based methods because there is sparse coverage of automatic weather stations. Satellite based assessments of melt from passive microwave systems are limited in that they only provide an indication of melt occurrence and have coarse spatial resolution. An algorithm was developed to retrieve surface melt magnitude using coupled near-IR/thermal surface measurements from MODIS were calibrated by estimates of liquid water fraction (LWF) in the upper 1 cm of the firn derived from a one-dimensional physical snowmelt model (SNTHERM89). For the modeling phase of this study, SNTHERM89 was forced by hourly meteorological data from automatic weather station data at reference sites spanning a range of melt conditions across the Ross Ice Shelf during a relatively intense melt season (2002). Effective melt magnitude or LWF were derived for satellite composite periods covering the Antarctic summer months at a 4 km resolution over the entire Ross Ice Shelf, ranging from 0–0.5% LWF in early December to areas along the coast with as much as 1% LWF during the time of peak surface melt. Spatial and temporal variations in the magnitude of surface melt are related to both katabatic wind strength and advection during onshore flow.
Reproducible Epidemiologic Research

The replication of important findings by multiple independent investigators is fundamental to the accumulation of scientific evidence. Researchers in the biologic and physical sciences expect results to be replicated by independent data, analytical methods, laboratories, and instruments. Epidemiologic studies are commonly used to quantify small health effects of important, but subtle, risk factors, and replication is of critical importance where results can inform substantial policy decisions. However, because of the time, expense, and opportunism of many current epidemiologic studies, it is often impossible to fully replicate their findings. An attainable minimum standard is "reproducibility," which calls for data sets and software to be made available for verifying published findings and conducting alternative analyses. The authors outline a standard for reproducibility and evaluate the reproducibility of current epidemiologic research. They also propose methods for reproducible research and implement them by use of a case study in air pollution and health.
International education is a broken field: Can ubuntu education bring solutions?

Ubuntu is an African philosophy of human kindness; applying it in the Global South would fundamentally alter the design of the education sector. This essay argues, however, that the field of international educational development is not, in fact, structured to support an education influenced by ubuntu ideals. Specifically, the educational development milieu includes donors, implementers and academicians who do not sufficiently question the power dynamics which underpin education development. This creates a field where the power imbalances between donors and host governments are not interrogated, where development workers place too much faith in their own knowledge rather than that of local education experts, and where development practitioners rarely appreciate the privilege of working in countries which are not their own. An ubuntu education would alter the educational development field in myriad critical ways, a few of which are suggested in this essay. Educational development programmes in universities and intake programmes for implementers and donors should teach officers humility, appreciating existing local talent and expertise. Donor programmes should incentivise reflective practice which formally embeds appreciation for local culture and expertise, thereby supporting structures which help educational development experts to review their metacognitive processes. The field should also dramatically increase the numbers of local, minority and female educational development practitioners and provide more avenues for advancement for those groups. These are activities which are critical to supporting the education development field, but require a fundamental change of attitude by practitioners to ensure the right kind of relationships between the West and the Global South.
Normale und Subnormale

Das Lot auf eine Tangente durch den Beruhrungspunkt heist eine „Normale der Kurve“. Die Steigung der Tangente ist 2ax 1, somit jene des Lotes —1:2ax 1, und die Gleichung der Normalen lautet: $$y - {y_1} = - \frac{1}{{2a{x_1}}}(x - {x_1})$$
Changes in Depression Subtypes Among Men in STAR*D: A Latent Transition Analysis:

The burden of depression in men is high. Current diagnostic criteria may not fully capture men's experience with depression. Descriptions of the heterogeneity in depression among men are lacking. The purpose of the study was to characterize latent subtypes of major depression and changes in these subtypes among men receiving citalopram in Level 1 of the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial. Latent transition analysis was applied to data from 387 men who completed baseline and Week 12 study visits in Level 1 of STAR*D. Items from the self-report version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology were used as indicators of latent depression subtypes. Four statuses were identified at baseline and Week 12. Baseline statuses were Mild (10% of men), Moderate (53%), Severe with Psychomotor Slowing (20%), and Severe with Psychomotor Agitation (17%). At Week 12, the statuses were Symptom Resolution (41%), Mild (36%), Moderate (18%), and Severe with Psychomotor Slowing (5%). Men in the Mild status were most likely to transition to Symptom Resolution (probability = 69%). Men in the Severe with Agitation status were least likely to transition to Symptom Resolution (probability = 0%). This work highlights the need to not focus solely on summary rating scores but to also consider patterns of symptoms when treating depression.
Influence of Compression upon the Shear Properties of Bonded Rubber Blocks

Abstract Rubber has a stress-strain response to compression-shear loadings that is the same as its stress-strain response to simple shear loadings. However, its load-deflection response to the compression-shear loading is not the same as its simple shear response. In determining the stress-strain relationship of the compression-shear loading from the load-deflection responses, three factors must be considered. First, the compression of the sample gives a lower rubber thickness. After calculating the strain, the lower thickness will give a higher strain than the original thickness at an equal deflection. Second, the compression gives a larger surface area due to bulging of the rubber. The higher area would result in a lower stress than the original area at an equal load. Third, the force that is necessary to compress the rubber block is stored in the rubber. When the rubber is sheared, the shear vector of the compressive force aides in deflecting the rubber. Therefore, the shear force vector would be added...
Neural Fuzzy Controller of Air Conditioning System-Simulation and Optimization

A digital simulation was conducted for a constant temperature air conditioning system with three different controllers,i.e.,the neural fuzzy controller,the conventional fuzzy controller and PID(Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller.The proportional factors of these controllers were optimized using the simplex method and dynamic response profiles were obtained.The neural fuzzy controller was then trained for optimization with the samples from the optimized PID controller.Its control performance and stability was found to be improved significantly and even superior to the optimized PID controller and optimized conventional fuzzy controller.The system temperature was controlled with desired performance.The robustness of the trained neural fuzzy controller is comparable to the optimized PID controller.This demonstrates that the neural fuzzy controller can be trained for optimization to achieve better control performance and self-adaptability since it has the inherent intelligence of both fuzzy control and neural network.