cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diuretics in Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalized patients and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The incidence of AKI is increasing and despite clinical advances there has been little change in the outcomes associated with AKI. A variety of interventions, including loop diuretics, have been tested for the prevention and treatment of AKI; however, none to date have shown convincing benefits in clinical studies, and the management of AKI remains largely supportive. In this article, we review the pharmacology and experimental and clinical evidence for loop diuretics in the management of AKI. In addition, we also review evidence for other agents with diuretic and/or natriuretic properties such as thiazide diuretics, mannitol, fenoldopam, and natriuretic peptides in both the prevention and treatment of AKI. Implications for current clinical practice are outlined to guide clinical decisions in this field.
Effects of low stereo acuity on performance, presence and sickness within a virtual environment.

To examine the effect of stereo vision on performance, presence and oculomotor disturbances within a virtual environment (VE), two groups of 23 participants (good stereo acuity/low stereo acuity) were evaluated. Groups were matched in terms of gender, age and VE design factors (the latter were accounted for to ensure a similar VE experience between groups). Participants were immersed in a VE maze for up to 1 h during which time they interacted with the environment while performing a number of stationary and movement-based tasks. Individuals with low stereo acuity traveled further to complete two tasks in the VE, yet performance time on these tasks was comparable to participants with good stereo acuity. Although participants with impaired stereo vision likely did not fully benefit from a stereoscopic view of the scene, they may have received sufficient depth information from movement-based cues to efficiently accomplish these tasks in a comparable amount of time. Overall performance, based on both the number of tasks completed and the total translational distance moved (based on input device movement) within the VE was not hindered for those with low stereo acuity. In addition, the expected increase in oculomotor disturbances for this group was not evident in this study, and both groups reported comparable amounts of presence from VE exposure. These results suggest that when head tracking is included as part of the VE experience (i.e., motion parallax cues exist), participants with low stereo acuity can be expected to perform comparable to normal sighted individuals, experience a comparable sense of presence, and report no increase in adverse effects when viewing scenes via stereoscopic displays. Thus, motion parallax cues may adequately provide a sense of depth within a VE, and alleviate theorized performance decrements for individuals with low stereo acuity. The results of this study have implications for those designing entertainment simulations or other such applications open to the general public, where people with low stereo acuity may routinely participate.
Speech recognition under conditions of frequency-place compression and expansion

In normal acoustic hearing the mapping of acoustic frequency information onto the appropriate cochlear place is a natural biological function, but in cochlear implants it is controlled by the speech processor. The cochlear tonotopic range of the implant is determined by the length and insertion depth of the electrode array. Conventional cochlear implant electrode arrays are designed for an insertion of 25 mm inside the round window and the active electrodes occupy 16 mm, which would place the electrodes in a cochlear region corresponding to an acoustic frequency range of 500–6000 Hz. However, some implant speech processors map an acoustic frequency range from 150 to 10 000 Hz onto these electrodes. While this mapping preserves the entire range of acoustic frequency information, it also results in a compression of the tonotopic pattern of speech information delivered to the brain. The present study measured the effects of such a compression of frequency-to-place mapping on speech recognition using acoustic...
A canonical form for discrete-time systems defined overZ+*

It is shown that for each memberG of a large class of causal time invariant nonlinear input-output maps, with inputs and outputs defined on the nonnegative integers, there is a functionalA on the input set such that (Gs)(k) has the representationA(F k s) for allk and each inputs, in whichF k is a simple linear map that does not depend onG. More specifically, this holds--with anA that is unique in a certain important sense--for anyG that has approximately finite memory and meets a certain often-satisfied additional condition. Similar results are given for a corresponding continuous-time case in which inputs and outputs are defined on ?+. An example shows that the members of a large family of feedback systems have these "A-map" representations.
Gas separation properties of a new polymer/inorganic composite membrane

Permeability, diffusivity and solubility of gases in polymer/inorganic composite membranes are reported. Membranes were prepared by covering a porous Vycor glass tube with polysilastyrene solution followed by pyrolysis at 382 and 470°C. The experimental data indicate that the gas separation properties of such a membrane are a combination of the transport characteristics of the polymer and the molecular-sieve material. Selectivity factor for H2/SF6 increases to 328 for the membrane pyrolyzed at 470°C whereas for the unpyrolyzed polymer it is merely 10.
Gaussian fluctuations: 't Hooft's method and an approximate method

We analyze 't Hooft's method for evaluating Gaussian fluctuations around semiclassical field configurations and also propose a new approximate method. The analysis of 't Hooft's method starts from a soluble quantum-mechanical tunneling problem involving a double-well potential. In addition, we analyze in an appendix a one-dimensional example first proposed by Patrascioiu. The example has infrared structure similar to that encountered in calculating Gaussian fluctuations around an instanton in non-Abelian gauge theory. We find in general that 't Hooft's method, which expresses a functional determinant in terms of products of discrete eigenvalues, is valid, provided the correct eigenvalues are used, and certain zero-mode normalization factors are handled with care. In the calculation of fluctuations around a gauge-theory instanton, we confirm Patrascioiu's result that the individual partial-wave determinants are infrared divergent. We show that these divergences cancel and yield 't Hooft's finite answer for the full determinant if 't Hooft's regulators with spatially varying masses are used. However, it is pointed out that the variable-mass regulators always suppress all dependence on the infrared cutoff, so they are in fact acting as regulators in both ultraviolet and infrared regions. A convincing demonstration of infrared finiteness for the full determinant calculated with fixed-mass regulatorsmore » is still lacking. The approximate method we propose should be useful in handling cases where the semiclassical field configuration is more general than a single instanton. The method combines Weinberg's quasiparticle technique in potential scattering with a convenient way of extracting ultraviolet divergences.« less
The MEGA Data Acquisition System

An engineering run with a partial detector is scheduled for Fall of 1987. The run will test the response of Phillips TDCs and nonsparse latches, the performance of SEs and SIs, and the data path from Fastbus through the ACP system to the MicroVAX II. Debugging of the GPM and FBBC is currently in progress. Software development for the GPM, ACP nodes, and MicroVAX II host is in progress and will be ready for use by the Fall run. Production data taking will start in late 1988.
Numerical simulation and experimental study of solidification of squeeze cast aluminum composites in the presence of cooled fibers

In order to improve the material properties of fiber-reinforced aluminum composites, experimental research has been carried out to create finer matrix microstructures and novel interfaces between aluminum matrix (A2014) and carbon fibers using a modified pressure infiltration technique. In this novel process the ends of the fibers extending outside the mold are cooled by using a variety of heat sinks. Solidification microstructures show that the dendrite arm spacing in between and around the fibers are much finer than in the region where there are no fibers. This suggests the possibility of refining the matrix microstructures by cooling the fibers extending out of the mold. A numerical simulation is also performed to study the solidification process of aluminum matrix by finite volume method. The cooling curves obtained by the simulation are compared with the experimentally measured cooling curves in order to validate the numerical model. It is found that the simulation result closely matches the experimentally obtained data.
Specific simple sugars promote chemotaxis and chemokinesis of corneal endothelial cells

Bovine corneal endothelial cells showed a strong migratory response to specific simple sugars (D-glucose and sucrose, but not L-glucose, sorbitol, lactose, or D-galactose) at concentrations above 10 mM. Checkerboard analysis of the migratory responses in modified Boyden chambers indicated both chemotactic and chemokinetic effects. Serum starvation of the cultures increased the chemotaxis towards D-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose, but not towards sucrose. Migration to sucrose and glucose was inhibited by chelation of extracellular calcium or by inhibition of Na+,K+ ATPase with ouabain. To date, this migratory response has been found only in corneal endothelial cells. Neither human melanoma cells, human breast carcinoma cells, bovine aortic endothelial cells, nor bovine microvascular endothelial cells migrated towards simple sugars, although all cell types migrated toward fibronectin in chemotaxis assays. After 16–19 passages in culture, bovine corneal endothelial cells retained their ability to migrate towards fibronectin, but lost their ability to migrate towards sugars. This loss of migratory response was accompanied by a sevenfold decrease in Na+,K+ ATPase activity. Although loss of Na+,K+ ATPase activity accompanied the loss of migratory response, pretreatment of cell cultures with 25 mM glucose did not stimulate, but rather lowered Na+,K+ ATPase activity in low or high passage cultures. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A core function for p120-catenin in cadherin turnover

p120-catenin stabilizes epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) in SW48 cells, but the mechanism has not been established. Here, we show that p120 acts at the cell surface to control cadherin turnover, thereby regulating cadherin levels. p120 knockdown by siRNA expression resulted in dose-dependent elimination of epithelial, placental, neuronal, and vascular endothelial cadherins, and complete loss of cell–cell adhesion. ARVCF and δ-catenin were functionally redundant, suggesting that proper cadherin-dependent adhesion requires the presence of at least one p120 family member. The data reveal a core function of p120 in cadherin complexes, and strongly predict a dose-dependent loss of E-cadherin in tumors that partially or completely down-regulate p120.
Three Surface Resonances on the (100) Face of W and Mo: An Angle-Resolved Synchrotron Photoemission Study

We have studied the surface resonances on MO(100) and W(100) with angle-resolved, h..omega..-dependent photoemission using synchrotron radiation. For normal emission, two resonances are seen. They are located 0.3 and 3.3 (0.4 and 4.2) eV below E/sub F/ for Mo (W). The high-lying resonance remains symmetric and narrow for all photon energies used. Its intensity peaks at h..omega.. = 15 and 30 (14 and 29) eV for Mo (W). For theta > or = 2/sup 0/, a second high-lying resonance appears a few tenths of an eV below the first one. Many-body phenomena are not required to explain the data.
Extending research on the interspersal procedure to perceptions of continuous reading assignments : Applied and theoretical implications of a failure to replicate

Researchers have shown that students' perceptions of mathematics assignments could be improved by interspersing additional briefer, easier problems (e.g., Logan and Skinner, 1998). The current study was designed to extend this research to reading tasks. Seventh-grade students read out loud both a control passage and a similar experimental passage that contained additional interspersed brief (i.e., 16 words), easy (i.e., first-grade reading level) paragraphs. Students then selected the passage that would require the least effort to read and the least time to read. Students also indicated the passage they liked most (preference) and the passage that they would like to read again (choice). Significantly more students selected the control passage as requiring less time to read, but no differences were found for preference, choice, or effort selections. The results failed to confirm earlier research on the interspersal procedure, thus our findings have applied and theoretical implications regarding causal variables that may account for the effectiveness of the interspersal procedure. Specifically, the current study suggests that the interspersal procedure may improve assignment perception only when the procedure increases discrete task-completion rates. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Role of CT and MRI in Staging of the Mediastinum

Lung Cancer Study Group (LCSG) Protocol 883, the comparative study of the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) for staging of tumor, nodal, and selected metastatic sights in patients with surgically staged lung cancer was activated in August 1988 but was not completed because of termination of LCSG funding. A literature review was therefore undertaken to determine the results of other studies that were performed to evaluate the relative efficacy of MRI and CT in the staging of patients with lung cancer. These studies determined that CT and MRI are approximately equal in the staging of N2 disease with a sensitivity of 70 to 90%, a specificity of 60 to 90%, and an accuracy of 66 to 90% depending on the criteria used for determining positive nodes and the compulsiveness of surgical staging. Magnetic resonance imaging is probably better in the assessment of superior sulcus tumors, tumors involving the aorta-pulmonary window, hilar nodes, in assessing chest wall or diaphragmatic invasion, and in evaluating patients whose CT findings are equivocal. Computed tomography and MRI reveal adrenal abnormalities in 10 to 20% of patients but only one third of these have metastases. Mediastinoscopy has a sensitivity of 85 to 90%, a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy of about 95% and is therefore the gold standard for N2 staging. If the CT examination reveals no N2 disease, one can proceed directly to thoracotomy with approximately a 15% chance of finding N2 disease. It was concluded that because CT is much cheaper, it should therefore be used for the noninvasive staging of patients with lung cancer unless the above-noted special circumstances are present that have been shown to favor MRI. Because of the limited accuracy of CT and MRI, however, positive findings must be confirmed by biopsy specimens and pathologic study.
New insights into radiation-induced oxide-trap charge through thermally-stimulated-current measurement and analysis (MOS capacitors)

An analytical model with no free parameters has been developed which accurately describes thermally-stimulated-current (TSC) measurements spanning more than a factor of 50 in average heating rate. The model incorporates Schottky electric-field-induced barrier lowering and a temperature-dependent 'attempt-to-escape frequency' equal to approximately 10/sup 14/ Hz at 300 degrees C. Applying this model to TSC measurements provides significantly improved estimates of the energy distribution of trapped holes in irradiated SiO/sub 2/. All devices examined, including soft and (wet and dry) hard oxides from five process technologies, show similar energy distributions, with a minor peak at approximately 1.2 eV and a broad major peak centered approximately 1.7-2.0 eV above the SiO/sub 2/ valance band. It is found that the trapped-electron density in irradiated SiO/sub 2/ is proportional to the trapped-hole density over a wide range of irradiation conditions. >
Community oriented primary care: Origins, evolution, applications

Community oriented primary care is a commonly used term applied to a variety of situations and programs. Its use frequently extends beyond an understanding of its specific elements or an appreciation of its history and development. This article discusses the origins and evolution of the ideas, theory and practice of community oriented primary care. In South Africa in the 1940s a team headed by Sidney Kark embarked on work in the Pholela region of Natal that became the forerunner of ideas that were later formalized and systematized under the rubric of community oriented primary care. Widespread implementation took place in South Africa but was prematurely curtailed following the accession to power of the National Party. By the early 1960s many in the team had moved to Jerusalem where the theoretical basis of the concept was strengthened and came to describe a form of practice in which aspects of primary medical care and community health are integrated and systematically applied to a defined community. Experience with community oriented primary care in the United States and elsewhere is growing. This experience is reviewed and an assessment and critique offered.
Isolation of neuronal chromatin from brain tissue

DNA-protein interactions in mature brain are increasingly recognized as key regulators for behavioral plasticity and neuronal dysfunction in chronic neuropsychiatric disease. However, chromatin assays typically lack single cell resolution, and therefore little is known about chromatin regulation of differentiated neuronal nuclei that reside in brain parenchyma intermingled with various types of non-neuronal cells. Here, we describe a protocol to selectively tag neuronal nuclei from adult brain – either by (anti-NeuN) immunolabeling or transgene-derived histone H2B-GFP fusion protein – for subsequent fluorescence-activated sorting and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). To illustrate an example, we compared histone H3 lysine 4 and 9 methylation marks at select gene promoters in neuronal, non-neuronal and unsorted chromatin from mouse forebrain and human cerebral cortex, and provide evidence for neuron-specific histone methylation signatures. With the modifications detailed in this protocol, the method can be used to collect nuclei from specific subtypes of neurons from any brain region for subsequent ChIP with native/un-fixed or crosslinked chromatin preparations. Starting with the harvest of brain tissue, ChIP-ready neuronal nuclei can be obtained within one day.
Fetal and placental weights in experimentally delayed implantation pregnancy.

Fetal and placental weights from rats in which implantation was delayed by ovariectomy and progesterone-estrone treatment were heavier than those from untreated rats at comparable days of gestation. When these hormones were given to ovariectomized pregnant rats with a normal preimplantation interval, the fetuses weighed the same as those from 2- or 10-day delayed rats. When blastocysts from either normal or delayed rats were transplanted to the empty horn of a unilaterally pregnant recipient, the body weights of the fetuses were not significantly different from those of normal rats. Only rats which were spayed and given exogenous hormones had fetuses and placentae heavier than normal controls. It is concluded that the heavier fetal and placental weights of delayed rats are not due to prolongation of the preimplantation period but are associated with ovariectomy and exogenous hormone treatment. (Endocrinology 86: 131, 1970)
Effective Treatment With Albuterol in DOK7 Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome in Children.

Abstract Background Congenital myasthenic syndromes consist of rare disorders resulting from mutations in genes encoding for presynaptic, synaptic, and postsynaptic proteins that are involved in the signal transmission of the neuromuscular junction. They are characterized by fatigable weakness of the skeletal muscles with symptom onset from birth to early childhood. DOK7 (downstream of tyrosine kinase 7) congenital myasthenic syndrome was previously treated successfully with ephedrine and salbutamol; however, both are unavailable in the United States. Methods Case report of a child with muscle weakness. Results This report describes a boy who presented only with progressive limb-girdle muscle weakness since age 2 years. The muscle biopsy with extensive studies revealed no obvious etiologies. His muscle weakness rapidly worsened, requiring a wheelchair for daily activities. Expanded neuromuscular gene panel promptly led to the diagnosis of DOK7 congenital myasthenic syndrome, and his muscle strength dramatically and persistently improved in four weeks with albuterol treatment, allowing him to walk independently. In a brief literature review, 15 patients (five treated between ages 5 and 17 years) from the Mayo Clinic with DOK7 mutations were also successfully treated with albuterol. Conclusion DOK7 congenital myasthenic syndrome often presents with limb-girdle muscle weakness, which can become progressive without proper treatment. If muscle biopsy reveals no obvious etiology, an expanded neuromuscular gene panel may lead to a specific diagnosis of congenital myasthenic syndrome such as those due to DOK7 mutation. Albuterol is often used to treat bronchial asthma; however, it can also dramatically and persistently improve the muscle strength of DOK7 congenital myasthenic syndrome.
Symmetry properties of graphs of interest in chemistry. III. Homotetrahedryl rearrangement

The symmetry properties of a graph representing rearrangement of homotetrahedryl cation C5H5+ initially introduced by Balaban are considered. The approach is based on the search for canonical labeling of vertices, following the similar earlier work on the Patersen graph and Desargues-Levi graph. The order of the group is 120 and the list of all 120 permutations is given. By homomorphic reduction of 30 distinct labels to only 10 the permutations are reduced and correspond to those found for the Petersen graph, known to belong to the full symmetric group S5. This also established the symmetry group for rearrangement of C5H+5 as S5.
The Effect of Embedded Longitudinal Vortex Arrays on Turbulent Boundary Layer Heat Transfer

Heat transfer and fluid mechanics data were obtained for a turbulent boundary layer with arrays of embedded streamwise vortices containing both counterrotating and corotating vortex pairs. The data show that these arrays can cause both large local variations in the heat transfer rate and significant net heat transfer augmentation over large areas. Close proximity of other vortices strongly affects the development of the vortex arrays by modifying the trajectory that they follow. The vortices in turn produce strong distortion of the normal two-dimensional boundary layer structure, which is due to their secondary flow. When one vortex convects another toward the wall, a strong boundary layer distortion occurs. The heat transfer is elevated where the secondary flow is directed toward the wall and reduced where the secondary flow is directed away from the wall. When adjacent vortices lift their neighbor away from the wall, minimal modification of the heat transfer results. 36 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.
Fault zone architecture and permeability structure

Fault zone architecture and related permeability structures form primary controls on fluid flow in upper-crustal, brittle fault zones. We develop qualitative and quantitative schemes for evaluating fault-related permeability structures by using results of field investigations, laboratory permeability measurements, and numerical models offlow within andnearfaultzones.Thequalitativeschemecomparesthepercentageofthetotalfaultzone width composed of fault core materials (e.g., anastomosing slip surfaces, clay-rich gouge, cataclasite,andfaultbreccias)tothepercentageofsubsidiarydamagezonestructures(e.g., kinematically related fracture sets, small faults, and veins). A more quantitative scheme is developed to define a set of indices that characterize fault zone architecture and spatial variability.Thefaultcoreanddamagezonearedistinctstructuralandhydrogeologicunits that reflect the material properties and deformation conditions within a fault zone. Whether a fault zone will act as a conduit, barrier, or combined conduit-barrier system is controlled by the relative percentage of fault core and damage zone structures and the inherent variability in grain scale and fracture permeability. This paper outlines a frameworkforunderstanding,comparing,andcorrelatingthefluidflowpropertiesoffaultzones in various geologic settings.
Antibodies to T Cells in Sarcoidosis

Antibodies to a proportion of T lymphocytes were detected in the sera of 9 of 15 patients with sarcoidosis. Patients were studied within one year of tissue diagnosis, none were taking steroids, and all had hilar adenopathy with pulmonary infiltrates (Stage II). Antibodies were identified by three assays using a panel of T cells purified (greater than or equal to 90%) from the peripheral blood of healthy donors by the nylon column technique. Nine of fifteen sarcoid inhibited the capacity of normal T cells to adhere to sheep red blood cells (E rosettes) with an average reduction of 33% (range 21-46%) from control values. Antibodies to T cells were also identified using the indirect immunofluorescent method; 7 of 15 sera contained antibodies (IgM and IgG) to a portion of T cells (mean 36%, range 24-52%). Four of these sera were also cytotoxic to a fraction (18-31%) of T cells when incubated (15 degrees, 90 min) in the presence of rabbit complement. The antibodies to T cells identified in the sera of sarcoid patients may account for some of the immunological abnormalities found in this disease.
Triple Entitlement and Homicidal Anger An Exploration of the Intersectional Identities of American Mass Murderers

In the Unites States, middle-class Caucasian heterosexual males in their teenage years and in middle age commit mass murder, the killing of at least three victims during a single episode at one or more closely related locations, in numbers disproportionately high relative to their share of the population. Utilizing an intersectional theoretical approach, this article investigates the convergences of (1) white entitlement, (2) middle-class instability and downward mobility in the postindustrial economy, and (3) heterosexual masculinity and its relationship to violence. Such analysis concludes that, among many mass killers, the triple privileges of white heterosexual masculinity which make subsequent life course losses more unexpected and thus more painfully shameful ultimately buckle under the failures of downward mobility and result in a final cumulative act of violence to stave off subordinated masculinity.
Guided and magnetic self-assembly of tunable magnetoceptive gels

Self-assembly of components into complex functional patterns at microscale is common in nature, and used increasingly in numerous disciplines such as optoelectronics, microfabrication, sensors, tissue engineering and computation. Here, we describe the use of stable radicals to guide the self-assembly of magnetically tunable gels, which we call ‘magnetoceptive’ materials at the scale of hundreds of microns to a millimeter, each can be programmed by shape and composition, into heterogeneous complex structures. Using paramagnetism of free radicals as a driving mechanism, complex heterogeneous structures are built in the magnetic field generated by permanent magnets. The overall magnetic signature of final structure is erased via an antioxidant vitamin E, subsequent to guided selfassembly. We demonstrate unique capabilities of radicals and antioxidants in fabrication of soft systems with heterogeneity in material properties, such as porosity, elastic modulus and mass density; then in bottom-up tissue engineering and finally, levitational and selective assembly of microcomponents.
The concept of culture: a core issue in health disparities.

Contemporary discourse contains numerous examples of use of the concept of culture by social and behavioral scientists. Simple reification, where the speaker makes culture into a thing capable of action exemplifies one usage in public discourse. Some quantitative social scientists attempt to characterize people’s cultural identities by means of a single categorical variable, which often “lumps” people into categories such as “Hispanic” or “Black” that in fact have numerous culturally bounded subcategories. Approaches that emphasize cultural process are preferable to those who attempt to categorize; more complex measures of acculturation help investigators to make convincing analyses of circumstances in which health disparities occur. Examples in which investigators make appropriate use of cultural characterizations demonstrate their utility in investigating health disparities in Haitian American women, injecting and noninjecting drug users, Hispanic youth, and adult Hispanics at risk of HIV infection. Focus on culture in the study of health disparities can identify entanglements between structural factors such as poverty and lack of education and cultural factors such as beliefs about health. Qualitative methods coupled with quantitative methods have great potential to improve investigators’ grasp of cultural nuance while capturing the distribution of qualitatively derived behaviors.
A method for evaluating the effects of biological factors on fish target strength

Hazen, E. L., and Horne, J. K. 2003. A method for evaluating the eﬀects of biologicalfactors on ﬁsh target strength. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 60:555–562.Understanding the relationship between ﬁsh biology and target strength potentially im-proves the accuracy of acoustic assessments. The eﬀects of individual biological factors(e.g., length, tilt, and depth) on backscatter amplitude have been examined, but the relativecontribution of each factor has not been quantiﬁed. Dimensionless ratios, whichfacilitate comparison of disparate quantities, were used to evaluate the eﬀects of individualbiological factors on echo intensities. Ratios from 25 adult walleye pollock (Theragrachalcogramma) were calculated using a Kirchhoﬀ-ray-mode, backscatter model parameter-ized for each ﬁsh. This comparative approach can be used to identify the inﬂuence ofbiological factors on backscatter intensity and is potentially a tool for improving accuracywhen converting acoustic size to ﬁsh length.
Binary decompositions for planar N-body problems and symmetric periodic solutions

A binary decomposition for a system of N masses is a way of treating the system as \({{\big({{N}\atop{ 2}}\big)}}\) binaries with the total action exactly the same as that of the original system. By considering binary decompositions, we are able to provide effective lower-bound estimates for the action of collision paths in several spaces of symmetric loops. As applications, we use our estimates to prove the existence of some new classes of symmetric periodic solutions for the N-body problem.
Depressed mothers who are "good interaction" partners versus those who are withdrawn or intrusive

Abstract The interactions of 3-month-old infants and their depressed mothers were classified as intrusive, withdrawn or good interactions. Analyses of retrospective data suggested that all depressed groups scored higher on depression (CES-D) and anxiety (STAI) scales and had similarly elevated cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine during pregnancy. The depressed mothers and their newborns also had greater relative right frontal EEG activation. Despite these group similarities, the infants of the “good interaction” mothers did not show high amounts of indeterminate sleep and they received better scores on the Brazelton scale. The more organized behaviors of these newborns may have contributed to the better interaction ratings of the “good interaction” depressed mothers.
Service/ Community Learning and Foreign Language Teaching Methods: An Application

Although an increasingly common component of higher education courses, service learning is still considered by countless educators to be a radical pedagogy. For many, the failure to become involved is not due to a lack of interest or motivation, but rather to an incomplete understanding of what service learning is and entails. This article, therefore, seeks to define and describe service learning, review the pros and cons of engaging in service learning, and present a model of a basic service-learning project undertaken by a mainstream educator.
The butterfly barrier

We describe and algorithm for barrier synchronization that requires only read and write to shared store. The algorithm is faster than the traditionallocked counter approach for two processors and has an attractive log2N time scaling for largerN. The algorithm is free of hot spots and critical regions and requires a shared memory bandwidth which grows linearly withN, the number of participating processors. We verify the technique using both a real shared memory multiprocessor, for numbers of processors up to 30, and a shared memory multiprocessor simulator, for number of processors up to 256.
What's Special about Humeanism

The most common way of classifying theories of reasons for acting begins by distinguishing those that are Humean from those that are not. Humean theories of practical rationality are not Hume's theory he seems not to have anything that could be called a theory of practical rationality.' But they are descendants of his theory and they carry on the spirit of the Humean critique of those who treat the faculty of reason as a source of reasons for acting. The hallmark of what are now called Humean theories of practical rationality is the assertion that "reason is... the slave of the passions"2 that reasons are based, ultimately, on subjective, contingent, conative states of the agent. Anti-Humean theories deny this, and, apart from this negative thesis and its implications, there is little else that they have in common. Humeanism, it is fair to say, is the theory to beat; perhaps it is even accurate to think of it as the default position (Nozick, 1993, p. 133). Some form of Humeanism seems to underlie the theories of rationality that predominate in the social and behavioral sciences as well as those employed by decision- and game-theorists.3 And, as Robert Nozick points out, most anti-Humean theories incorporate Humean reasons as a part of the story about practical rationality. Usually, antiHumeans admit that Humean considerations are typically reasons, even if there are held to be extra-Humean sources of reasons or constraints on Humean reasons. Even those critics who reject Humean reasons altogether must offer a theory with significant extensional overlap with the Humean theory so plausible are many of the implications of that theory.4 It is probably safe, then, to say that the burden of proof is on the anti-Humean to move us away from the Humean position. At least, it seems that most anti-Humeans have argued as if this were trueaccepting the burden as appropriate. Is this situation warranted? Apart from its popularity in the social and behavioral sciences which, after all, we might suspect is not based on a serious appraisal of its philosophical adequacy is there anything about the Humean position
Comparison of GaMnN epilayers prepared by ion implantation and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The ferromagnetic semiconductor GaMnN has been produced by two methods – ion implantation and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). P-type, n-type, and intrinsic GaN layers grown by MOCVD were ion-implanted with 3 × 1016/cm2 Mn+ at 200 keV and subsequently annealed under various conditions. Considerable lattice damage is observed by analyzing the peak asymmetry in X-ray diffraction; annealing only partially recovers this damage. Second phases (MnxNy, GaxMny and Mn4–xGaxN1–y) have been detected upon subsequent annealing. Epitaxial GaMnN layers have been fabricated by MOCVD using Cp2Mn as the manganese precursor. These films were specular and exhibited an increasing dark reddish-brown tinge with increasing Mn-concentration and thickness, consistent with GaMnN grown by other methods. X-ray diffraction revealed symmetric peaks with almost identical lattice parameters to undoped GaN, and no macroscopic second phase formation. Magnetic hysteresis is observed in the ion implanted as well as in MOCVD-grown films at room temperature. Stronger magnetization was present in the implanted p-type films and unannealed MOCVD-grown films, providing evidence that Fermi level control is important for the magnetic properties of these materials. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Heart Rate–Corrected QT Interval Is an Independent Predictor of All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: The Diabetes Heart Study

OBJECTIVE Heart rate–corrected QT (QTc) interval is associated with mortality in the general population, but this association is less clear in individuals with type 2 diabetes. We assessed the association of QTc interval with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in the Diabetes Heart Study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 1,020 participants with type 2 diabetes (83% European Americans; 55% women; mean age 61.4 years) who were free of atrial fibrillation, major ventricular conduction defects, and antiarrhythmic therapy at baseline. QT duration was automatically calculated from a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Following American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation recommendations, a linear scale was used to correct the QT for heart rate. Using Cox regression, risk was estimated per 1-SD increase in QTc interval as well as prolonged QTc interval (>450 ms) vs. normal QTc interval for mortality. RESULTS At baseline, the mean (SD) QTc duration was 414.9 ms (18.1 ms), and 3.0% of participants had prolonged QTc. After a median follow-up time of 8.5 years (maximum follow-up time 13.9 years), 204 participants were deceased. In adjusted multivariate models, a 1-SD increase in QTc interval was associated with an 18% higher risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.18 [95% CI 1.03–1.36]) and 29% increased risk for CVD mortality (1.29 [1.05–1.59]). Similar results were obtained when QTc interval was used as a categorical variable (prolonged vs. normal) (all-cause mortality 1.73 [0.95–3.15]; CVD mortality 2.86 [1.35–6.08]). CONCLUSIONS Heart rate QTc interval is an independent predictor of all-cause and CVD mortality in this population with type 2 diabetes, suggesting that additional prognostic information may be available from this simple ECG measure.
Performance of high-voltage outdoor insulators embedded with metal oxide varistors

The flashover performance of dynamic solid insulators in a polluted environment is presented. A dynamic insulator consists of a metal oxide varistor enclosed by an insulating housing. This insulator assembly is designed to achieve improved performance under both transient and steady state conditions. The mechanism of surface breakdown of these insulators under high voltage stress is analyzed. A general arc propagation model is utilized for evaluating the critical flashover voltage of a simple configuration. The effects of surface contamination and its nonuniformity on the critical flashover voltage are also studied. It is shown that an improvement of 15-40% may be achieved in flashover performance as a result of embedding the insulators with metal oxide varistors. >
On the Experience of Feeling Powerful Perceived Power Moderates the Effect of Stereotype Threat on Women’s Math Performance

This research examined whether feeling powerful can eliminate the deleterious effect of stereotype threat (i.e., concerns about confirming a negative self-relevant stereotype) on women’s math performance. In Experiments 1 and 2, priming women with high power buffered them from reduced math performance in response to stereotype threat instructions, whereas women in the low and control power conditions showed poorer math performance in response to threat. Experiment 3 found that working memory capacity is one mechanism through which power moderates the effect of threat on women’s math performance. In the low and control power conditions, women showed reduced working memory capacity in response to stereotype threat, accounting for threat’s effect on performance. In contrast, women in the high power condition did not show reductions in working memory capacity or math performance in response to threat. This work demonstrates that perceived power moderates stereotype threat–based performance effects and explain...
Some biochemical aspects of neurotubule and neurofilament proteins.

In the few years since the isolation of the subunit protein of microtubules (1, 2, 23, 26) work on its chemistry, localization and metabolism has proceeded at a feverish pace. In their initial studies Taylor and his co-workers noted exceptionally high levels of colchicine-binding activity in brain homogenates and in axoplasm. Weisenberg, Borisy and Taylor (31) developed a simple procedure for the purification of the microtubule subunits (tubulin) from brain enabling investigators to use large quantities of highly purified protein for biochemical studies. Studies on metabolism and distribution of tubulin in brain were aided by the observation that vinblastine quantitatively and selectively precipitated tubulin from 100,000 g supernatants of brain homogenates (17, 18, 32).
What is inherited in the predisposition toward alcoholism? A proposed model.

Background: The etiological factors associated with the predisposition to develop alcohol dependence remain largely unknown. In recent years, neurophysiological anomalies have been identified in young and adult offspring of alcoholic probands. These neuroelectric features have been replicated in several laboratories across many different countries and are observed in male and female alcoholics and some of their relatives and offspring. Moreover, these electrophysiological abnormalities are heritable and predictive of future alcohol abuse or dependence. Methods: A model is presented which hypothesizes that the genetic predisposition to develop alcoholism involves an initial state of central nervous system (CNS) disinhibition/hyperexcitability. We propose that the event-related brain potential (ERP) anomalies reflect CNS disinhibition. This homeostatic imbalance results in excess levels of CNS excitability which are temporarily alleviated by the ingestion of alcohol. It is hypothesized that this hyperexcitability is heritable, and is critically involved in the predisposition toward alcoholism and the development of dependence. A brief review of the relevant literature is presented. Results: Neurophysiological, neurochemical, and genetic evidence support the proposed model. In addition, strikingly similar observations between animal research and the human condition are identified. Finally, it is asserted that the proposed model is primarily biological in nature, and therefore does not account for the entire clinical variance. Conclusion: A putative CNS homeostatic imbalance is noted as a critical state of hyperexcitability. This hyperexcitability represents a parsimonious model of what is inherited in the predisposition to develop alcoholism. It is our hope that this model will have heuristic value, resulting in the elucidation of etiological factors involved in alcohol dependence.
Grid Resource Scheduling with Gossiping Protocols

Grid resource providers can use gossiping to disseminate their available resource state to remote regions of the grid to attract application load. Pairwise gossiping protocols exchange information about limited subsets of other resources between pairs of potentially remote participants. In epidemic gossiping protocols, the provider disseminates information to multiple neighbors, who in turn forward it to their neighbors, and so on. One important metric for these protocols is their coverage, which characterizes how many and which resources receive the information. Coverage characteristics of epidemic protocols are non-uniform, concentrated within the vicinity of a disseminating node; they can exhibit bi-modal behavior where information either reaches distant nodes or dies out quickly. Pairwise gossiping protocols, on the other hand, provide a more uniform coverage, but it can take longer for the dissemination to reach desired uniformity. In this paper, we study performance characteristics of three gossiping protocols: (1) epidemic gossiping, (2) pairwise gossiping, and (3) adaptive information dissemination (which is based on a form of epidemic gossiping). We report experimental results based on our simulation framework that compare the three protocols in terms of packet overhead and query satisfaction rates. We show that pairwise gossiping protocols work best when resource distribution on the grid is uniform, but that they can be configured to perform well in support of grid scheduling.
Glucocorticoids: Potent Inhibitors and Stimulators of Growth Hormone Secretion

Excessive glucocorticoid concentrations are well recognized inhibitors of linear growth, due in part to their suppression of GH secretion. The mechanism of this inhibition has been unclear, especially since glucocorticoids enhance the in vitro GH response of pituitary cells to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH). We investigated the possibility that hypothalamic somatostatin might be mediating these dichotomous observations by using passive immunization techniques. The GH response to GHRH was significantly blunted in rats pretreated with the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, compared to that in normal animals. In marked contrast, the immunoneutralization of somatostatin resulted in a significantly enhanced GH response to GHRH in dexamethasone-treated animals. These results suggest that the previously described inhibitory action of glucocorticoids on GH secretion in vitro are mediated via altered hypothalamic somatostatin tone. (Endocrinology 126: 3200–3203,1990)
Inelastic photoproduction of φ-meson and gluon content in the proton

The inelastic photoproduction of the φ-meson is calculated for different gluon distributions. The result shows that the cross-section is quite sensitive to the small-x behaviour of the gluon distribution functions. The inelastic cross-section for φ production at relatively low photon energies can be the same order of magnitude as that for J/φ production at much higher energies.
Fluorescence Detection of Free Radicals by Nitroxide Scavenging

The fluorescence quantum yield of 4-(1-napthoyloxy)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (I) in acetonitrile and hexane is 55 and 30-fold lower, respectively, than those of diamagnetic analogs. Experiments described herein demonstrate that this property makes possible the fluorescence detection of radical scavenging reactions in which the paramagnetic nitroxide-substituted naphthalene is converted to a diamagnetic N-alkoxy derivative. 2-Cyanopropyl free radicals were generated by the thermal decomposition of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in cyclohexane or in acetonitrile containing I. The fluorescence intensity of the sample increased proportionally to the decrease in its ESR signal intensity, indicating the conversion of the paramagnetic nitroxide to the diamagnetic product. The linear relationship between the increase in fluorescence intensity and decrease in ESR signal intensity shows that the changes in the fluorescence intensity can serve as a sensitive means for optically detecting radicals.