cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Seeding on the Condensation of Atmospheric Moisture in Nozzles

Abstract : When smoke particles of certain inorganic compounds are added to moist air expanding at near sonic speeds in the wind tunnel, they act as heterogeneous nuclei for the condensation of water. Unlike homogeneous condensation, which commences later in the expansion and is characterized by a hump in the static pressure distribution, heterogeneous condensation is so gradual that while it occurs the static pressure values are indistinguishable from those in a dry air expansion. Nevertheless, when the initial humidity exceeds a certain level determined by the flow conditions and the smoke concentration, heterogeneous condensation becomes sufficiently rapid to affect the local humidity, and homogeneous condensation is partially suppressed. This seeding effect can be used to eliminate normal shocks resulting from homogeneous condensation. Since it requires upwards of 10 to the 8th power particles/cc, the effect is not shown by the foreign nuclei naturally present in the atmosphere. (Author)
Screening for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in college athletes.

Objective. Previous studies have reported that the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in athletes is higher than that of the general population. There is increasing evidence that athletes fail to recognize and report symptoms of EIB. As a result, there has been debate whether athletes should be screened for EIB, particularly in high-risk sports. Methods. We prospectively studied 144 athletes from six different varsity sports at a large National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate athletic program. Baseline demographics and medical history were obtained and the presence of asthma symptoms during exercise was documented. Each athlete subsequently underwent a eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH) test to document the presence of EIB. Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) quantification was performed immediately before EVH testing. EIB was defined as a ≥10% decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second compared with baseline. Results. Only 4 of 144 (2.7%) athletes were EIB-p...
Radiation damage study of polycrystalline CVD and natural type IIA diamonds using Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies

Abstract By employing Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies, and transient photoconductivity, we have studied the damage caused by 5 MeV alpha-particle bombardment on both CVD and type IIa natural diamonds over the fluence range of 1.6×1012 cm−2 to 8×1015 cm−2. The H3 PL peak at 2.46 eV is seen and it dominates the Raman/PL spectra for fluences greater than 1×1014 cm−2. By introducing additional trapping/recombination centers into the diamond films via atomic displacements, dramatic changes in electrical properties are observed. The effects of polycrystallinity on radiation damage in CVD diamond relative to single-crystal, natural diamond are discussed.
Efficient uncertainty quantification techniques in inverse problems for Richards’ equation using coarse-scale simulation models

This paper concerns efficient uncertainty quantification techniques in inverse problems for Richards’ equation which use coarse-scale simulation models. We consider the problem of determining saturated hydraulic conductivity fields conditioned to some integrated response. We use a stochastic parameterization of the saturated hydraulic conductivity and sample using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods (MCMC). The main advantage of the method presented in this paper is the use of multiscale methods within an MCMC method based on Langevin diffusion. Additionally, we discuss techniques to combine multiscale methods with stochastic solution techniques, specifically sparse grid collocation methods. We show that the proposed algorithms dramatically reduce the computational cost associated with traditional Langevin MCMC methods while providing similar sampling performance.
Regulation of endothelial function by coagulation proteases in sepsis

Thrombin and activated protein C (aPC) are two pleiotropic proteases whose opposing functions in hemostasis and endothelial function are dysregulated during sepsis. Exogenous supplementation of aPC, the ligand for endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR), is the only known therapeutic shown to reduce mortality in severe septic patients. Paradoxically, both thrombin and aPC signal the endothelium via the same receptor, protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1), by cleaving its N-terminus to produce an identical tethered ligand, yet result in opposing signaling networks. Once activated, PAR-1 triggers at least three separate signaling pathways (Gi, Gq, G13) and it is the relative contribution of each pathway that determines the endothelial response. Thrombin is a potent proinflammatory, endothelial barrier disruptive agonist, while aPC induces an anti-inflammatory and barrier protective phenotype, thought to be important to its therapeutic mechanism. We hypothesized that when bound to its ligand, aPC, EPCR functionally dimerizes with activated PAR-1, thereby altering its specificity for Gq, an important mediator of proinflammatory pathways in endothelial cells.
AN INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIVE ROBOT — BUGNOID

A communicative robot — BUGNOID — which integrates various sensory data and behavior modules is introduced with some experimental results. To achieve flexible communication with humans, the robot has a multi-modal interface with diverse channels of communication. Moreover, the robot can create an environmental map and recognize its environment taking human behavior into account with the aim of co-existing with humans.
Prevention of Haemophilus influenzae type b disease in humans.

Abstract A purified capsular antigen, polyribophosphate, has been prepared in a nontoxic form and found to induce serum antibodies in adults and children that have bactericidal and opsonic activity. Antibody response is age dependent, and maximum in 3 wk with a single injection. Further studies will provide a basis for an efficacy trial.
The learned function of food-deprivation cues: A role for conditioned modulation

Rats trained in one context to use stimuli arising from food deprivation as discriminative signals for shock were tested in other contexts to assess the basis of conditioned responding (i.e., freezing or behavioral immobility). In Experiment 1, discriminative control by 24-h food-deprivation cues failed to promote transfer responding in a test context that had no association with shock. This indicated that food deprivation cues had little direct excitatory power. However, transfer of behavioral control by 24-h food-deprivation cues was obtained in a context paired with shock only when the rats were 19 h water deprived. This finding agrees with the idea that food-deprivation cues become conditioned modulators of the capacity of external stimuli to activate their association with an unconditioned stimulus. In Experiment 2, rats trained to use 24-h food-deprivation cues as signals for shock exhibited significantly greater transfer performance when the transfer context had undergone partial extinction relative to when the transfer context had undergone only simple excitatory training. This finding with deprivation cues and transfer contexts (1) paralleled earlier results obtained with discrete (auditory and visual) conditioned modulators and transfer targets, and (2) posed difficulties for associative summation and generalization interpretations of transfer performance.
Ontogeny and topography of seizure regulation by the substantia nigra

The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) is a structure involved in the control of seizures, and its effects on seizures are age-dependent. GABAergic transmission in the SNR, mediated by GABA A receptors, influences seizure susceptibility. We have found that in the adult SNR there may be at least two segregated GABA A -sensitive SNR projection networks involved in regulating the SNR effects on seizures, perhaps reflecting the existence of an anticonvulsant and a proconvulsant network. The two networks with opposing effects on seizures originate from two topographically distinct regions. The anterior-medial region of the SNR is associated with anticonvulsant effects, whereas the posterior-dorsal region of the SNR is associated with proconvulsant effects. To explain ontogenic differences in the SNR effects on seizures, we hypothesize that the two functionally segregated networks which influence the expression of seizures may become segregated with maturation. The increased seizure susceptibility of rat pups may be due, in part, to delayed development of this anterior-medial SNR anticonvulsant network.
Exact solutions of a Schrödinger equation based on the Lambert function

An exactly solvable Schrodinger equation of the confluent Natanzon class is derived using the differential properties of the Lambert W function. This potential involves two constant parameters and is defined along the entire real line. Specific spatial forms demonstrating wells and deformed positive barriers are presented.
Small Back-Lighted Thyratrons

Summary form only given. We report studies of mini (6.3 mm diameter electrodes) back-lighted thyratron (BLT) switches, operating with currents up to 10 kA, and hold off voltages in excess of 40 kV for the mini-BLT. The pseudospark is a thyratron with a cathode variant: the cathode emission is provided by an initially hollow cathode mode that transitions to a self-heated super-emissive mode. As a result of this mechanism, the pseudospark does not require externally supplied power for heating the cathode. The BLT is an optically-triggered version of this switch. The switch studies reported here are of (optically triggered) BLTs with helium or hydrogen fill. Hold-off voltage and optical triggering studies of these small switches suggest that they can be optimized for miniaturized high voltage pulse generation. Overvolted operation was also studied for potential applications such as implementation into Marx generators. These studies suggest that the small pseudospark BLT represents progress towards ultra compact high peak power switches for compact repetitive pulsed power applications. Research to develop sealed versions will be reported, and a new plasma source based from the BLT structure will also be discussed.
Multi-level Analysis of Organic Anion Transporters 1, 3, and 6 Reveals Major Differences in Structural Determinants of Antiviral Discrimination

Long-term exposure to antivirals is associated with serious cellular toxicity to the kidney and other tissues. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are believed to mediate the cellular uptake, and hence cytotoxicity, of many antivirals. However, a systematic in vitro and ex vivo analysis of interactions between these compounds with various OAT isoforms has been lacking. To characterize substrate interactions with mOat1, mOat3, and mOat6, a fluorescence-based competition assay in Xenopus oocytes as well as wild-type and knock-out whole embryonic kidney (WEK) organ culture systems was developed using 6-carboxyfluorescein, 5-carboxyfluorescein, and fluorescein. Of nine common antiviral drugs assessed in oocytes, many manifested higher affinity for SLC22a6 (mOat1), originally identified as NKT (e.g. adefovir and cidofovir), two (ddC and ddI) manifested significantly higher affinity for mOat3, while mOat6 had comparatively low but measurable affinity for certain antivirals. A live organ staining approach combined with fluorescent uptake in WEK cultures allowed the visualization of OAT-mediated uptake ex vivo into developing proximal tubule-like structures, as well as quantification of substrate interactions of individual OAT isoforms. In general, antiviral specificity of SLC22a6 (Oat1) (in Oat3-/- WEK culture) and SLC22a8 (Oat3) (in Oat1-/- WEK culture) was consistent with the Xenopus oocyte data. The combined observations suggest SLC22a8 (Oat3) is the major transporter interacting with ddC and ddI. Finally, quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of the nine antivirals' physicochemical descriptors with their OAT affinity indicates that antiviral preferences of mOat1 are explained by high polar surface areas (e.g. phosphate groups), whereas mOat3 prefers hydrogen bond acceptors (e.g. amines, ketones) and low rotatable bond numbers. In contrast, hydrogen bond donors (e.g. amides, alcohols) diminish binding to mOat6. This suggests that, despite sharing close overall sequence homology, Oat1, Oat3, and Oat6 have signficantly different binding pockets. Taken together, the data provide a basis for understanding potential drug interactions in combination antiviral therapy, as well as suggesting structural mdifications for drug design, especially in the context of targeting toward or away from specific tissues.
Implications for Savings of Aging in the Asian ‘Tigers’

Significant aging is projected for many high-saving emerging economies of East and Southeast Asia. By 2025, the share of the elderly in their populations will at least double in most of these countries. The share of the young will fall. Aging populations could adversely affect savings rates in these economies, particularly after 2025. For the world, one may observe that initially, the Asian Tigers become increasingly important for world savings, reflecting their high saving and growth rates and the aging of the industrial countries. After 2025, the aging of the Tigers may reinforce the tendency toward a declining world savings rate.
The Nation in Antiquity: Unification, Civil War, and National Liberation in Ancient Kemet

This article supports the tendency among Egyptologists to classify ancient Kemet as a nation. In so doing, it challenges the modernist and postmodernist assertion that the nation first emerged in the West during the 18th and 19th centuries. It conceptualizes the nation in two ways: as the coincidence of common ethnicity and clearly defined territory—the nation-state; and more simply, as an entity that claims the right to control a state. Kemet’s war of national liberation—the expulsion of the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period—illustrates the former conceptualization of the nation. However, the common ethnic identity that had been nurtured since unification was not a major factor in the civil war during the First Intermediate Period. Consequently, this quest for reunification is an example of the nation as a political movement.
Double Inactivation of NF1 in Tibial Pseudarthrosis

Osseous abnormalities, including long-bone dysplasia with pseudarthrosis (PA), are associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Prospectively acquired tissue from the PA site of two individuals with NF1 was used for immunohistochemical characterization and genotype analysis of the NF1 locus. Typical immunohistochemical features of neurofibroma were not observed. Genotype analysis of PA tissue with use of four genetic markers (D17S1863, GXALU, IN38, and 3NF1-1) spanning the NF1 locus demonstrated loss of heterozygosity. These results are the first to document double inactivation of NF1 in PA tissue and suggest that the neurofibromin-Ras signal transduction pathway is involved in this bone dysplasia in NF1.
Postprandial hypotension in Alzheimer's disease

The degree of postprandial hypotension in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not known. We therefore studied ten AD patients and 23 controls before and after a meal. Seven AD patients but only six controls showed a fall in blood pressure (BP) of 20 mmHg or more. Maximum BP fall in AD patients was observed between 20 and 120 min after food ingestion. This differed from the time course in other groups with primary chronic autonomic failure. Postural hypotension occurred in two controls, but not in AD patients. Abnormalities in cardiac vasomotor regulation, gut peptide liberation or both could be responsible for postprandial hypotension in AD.
L∞ algebra structures from Lie algebra deformations

Abstract In this paper, we will show how to kill the obstructions to Lie algebra deformations via a method which essentially embeds a Lie algebra into a strong homotopy Lie algebra or L ∞ algebra such that the sh-Lie algebra is the same homotopy type as the original Lie algebra.
Efecto de la anticoagulación sistémica en pacientes sometidos a cirugía para un acceso vascular

Se desconoce el beneficio de la heparina como anticoagulante para evitar las complicaciones tromboticas durante la cirugia de acceso vascular. En un estudio prospectivo asignamos aleatoriamente a 115 pacientes consecutivos, derivados a nuestra institucion para que se les implantara un abordaje permanente de hemodialisis, a recibir anticoagulacion sistemica o heparinizacion local durante la cirugia de acceso vascular. Se registraron la demografia de los pacientes, los procesos comorbidos, el tiempo del procedimiento, las complicaciones y la permeabilidad de acuerdo con los estandares recomendados por la Society for Vascular Surgery. De los 115 pacientes , 58 recibieron heparinizacion local y 57 anticoagulacion sistemica con heparina intravenosa. Se colocaron fistulas arteriovenosas nativas en 84 pacientes y se implantaron protesis arteriovenosas en n 31 . Comparado con las fistulas, el tiempo de la cirugia fue mas prolongado para los injertos, pero no se observaron diferencias significativas en el tiempo quirurgico entre los pacientes que recibieron anticoagulacion y en los que se utilizo heparinizacion local (p = 0,31). Las complicaciones hemorragicas perioperatorias fueron mas frecuentes entre pacientes que recibieron heparina sistemica (p = 0,008). La tasa de permeabilidad primaria a los 30 dias fue del 84% para pacientes del grupo heparina y del 86% para los que no la recibieron (p = 0,79). Para ambos grupos, la tasa de permeabilidad funcional a los tres meses fue del 68% (p = 0,99). La edad, sexo, tiempo de la cirugia e incidencia de complicaciones hemorragicas carecieron de impacto en la permeabilidad. En nuestra experiencia, la anticoagulacion sistemica para cirugia de acceso vascular se asocia con una mayor incidencia de complicaciones hemorragicas y no ofrece ventajas desde un punto de vista de la permeabilidad inmediata.
Fabrication of nanoscale device using individual colloidal gold nanoparticles

A simple technique is presented for the fabrication of nanoscale devices. Commercially available bare gold colloidal nanoparticles are first trapped between two prefabricated large gap electrodes to form a metallic bridge by the application of an AC electric field. The nanoparticle bridge is then broken by slowly ramping a DC voltage across the junction until the current drops to zero. This simple, highly reliable and reproducible technique consistently produces metallic electrodes with less than 10 nm gap and can be applied to prefabricated electrodes up to 1 μm separation. The nanogaps created are ideally suited to contacting individual nanostructures. The paper describes an electrical transport study of a thiol coated 3 nm gold nanoparticle that shows a clear Coulomb staircase.
Institutionally Divided Moral Responsibility

I am going to be discussing a mode of moral responsibility that anglophone philosophers have largely neglected. It is a type of responsibility that looks to the future rather than the past. Because this forward-looking moral responsibility is relatively unfamiliar in the lexicon of analytic philosophy, many of my locutions will initially strike many readers as odd. As a matter of everyday speech, however, the notion of forward-looking moral responsibility is perfectly familiar. Today, for instance, I said I would be responsible for watching my nieces while they swam. Neglecting this responsibility would have been a moral fault. When people marry, they undertake responsibilities, of moral import, of fidelity and mutual support. When people have children, they accrue moral responsibilities to feed, rear, and educate them. Not all forward-looking responsibilities are moral. While finishing this essay, I have had to keep an eye on a number of my administrative responsibilities, and, while reading it, you may well be occasionally distracted by some of your own. The notion of a responsibility that we accrue or take on, to look out for some range of concerns over some range of the future, is, then, perfectly familiar. Because this common notion of forward-looking responsibility has not been integrated into recent moral theory, however, my philosophical discussion of it will initially seem strange.
Effect of Oak Leaf Size on Abundance, Dispersion, and Survival of the Leafminer Cameraria sp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Patterns of relative densities of a dominant leafmining species, Cameraria sp. ( agrifoliella Braun group), on eight trees of Quercus emoryi Torrey were documented over five growing seasons. Relative abundances tended to remain constant among trees throughout the five growing seasons, and densities were consistently greater in the shaded regions of trees than in the sunny regions. To test the hypothesis that variation in leaf size affects colonization, dispersion, and survival of Cameraria sp., equal numbers of leafminers were introduced into field enclosures and allowed to colonize branches varying in mean leaf size. Densities of leafminers were lower and dispersion was more aggregated on small-leaved branches than on large-leaved ones. Mortality of larval leafminers was either inversely density-dependent or density-independent at the spatial scale of the branch. However, log linear analysis showed that survival of leafminers was a negative function of clumping of leafminers among and within leaves. Small-leaved branches and trees appear to be less susceptible to leafminer attack because adult females deposit fewer eggs overall, and eggs are more frequently laid singly on leaves of inadequate size for development or are more frequently clumped on leaves with competing conspecifics. It is suggested that variation in leaf size, coupled with variation in other morphological and phenological traits, acts as a ceiling on densities of Cameraria sp. on Emory oak at the study site by altering dispersion such that interference and exploitative competition increase.
Deciphering the Language of Nature: Cryptography, Secrecy, and Alterity in Francis Bacon

The essay argues that Francis Bacon's considerations of parables and cryptography reflect larger interpretative concerns of his natural philosophic project. Bacon describes nature as having a language distinct from those of God and man, and, in so doing, establishes a central problem of his natural philosophy—namely, how can the language of nature be accessed through scientific representation? Ultimately, Bacon's solution relies on a theory of differential and duplicitous signs that conceal within them the hidden voice of nature, which is best recognized in the natural forms of efficient causality. The "alphabet of nature"—those tables of natural occurrences—consequently plays a central role in his program, as it renders nature's language susceptible to a process and decryption that mirrors the model of the bilateral cipher. It is argued that while the writing of Bacon's natural philosophy strives for literality, its investigative process preserves a space for alterity within scientific representation, that is made accessible to those with the interpretative key.
Effects of short-term high carbohydrate, fat-free diet on plasma levels of Apo C-II and Apo C-III and on the Apo C subspecies in human plasma lipoproteins

Dietary alterations have appreciable effects on the metabolism of lipoproteins. High carbohydrate diets increase the levels of VLDL and lower the levels of LDL and HDL in plasma. Not only are blood levels altered but also the lipid and protein composition of the lipoproteins are changed. The characterization of such change is important because it helps explain diet-induced alterations in both the production and catabolism of lipoproteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the ingestion of a high carbohydrate (85% calories) fat-free diet for 7 days on the plasma levels and density distributions of Apo C-2 and Apo C-3. Six normolipemic control subjects and 7 and 5 patients with well characterized types III and IV hyperlipidemia, respectively, were studied. Apo C-2 and Apo C-3 levels of whole plasma as well as of the d 1.006 fractions were measured by radioimmunoassay. Apo C-2 and Apo C-3 levels of the d 1.006 fractions fell. Thus, there were rises in the total plasma levels of Apo Cs as well as a redistribution of the Apo Cs from the d > 1.006 fractions to VLDL. VLDL-Apo Cs and VLDL-TG concentrations rose proportionately in control subjects and in the patients with type III hyperlipoproteinemia, but levels of VLDL-Apo Cs rose by less than did levels of VLDL-TG in patients with type IV hyperlipidemia. In all groups, Apo C-2, and Apo C-3 concentrations rose proportionately in plasma and in the d < 1.006 density fractions, but the proportions of Apo C-30 relative to Apo C-2 and Apo C-30–2 increased in VLDL. In sum, short-term feeding of a high carbohydrate diet resulted in alterations of the metabolism of Apo C-2 and Apo C-3 in normals and in subjects with types III and IV hyperlipidemia. The alterations in type IV subjects differed from those of normals.
Sociocultural Perceptions and Patterns of Cigarette and Alcohol Use among College Students in Vietnam

This empirical study was conducted in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to investigate cross-sectionally the influences of sociocultural contexts on the patterns of addictive substance use cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drugs. A sample of 202 monolingual adults who were enrolled in college courses at the University of Hanoi in Vietnam responded to a self-reported questionnaire in their native language on the frequency, quantity, and occasions of addictive behavior. The project staff were fluent in English and Vietnamese. The questionnaire was critically reviewed for its face validity and cultural appropriateness before being translated into Vietnamese. In addition to patterns of use, this research explored the central role of drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes in peer socialization among college adults. Vietnam, like other Asian cultures, emphasizes initiation and conformity to social traditions and norms. The empirical findings provide invaluable knowledge of the complex roles of cigarette and alcohol in the social processes and relationship-building among college adults in Vietnam. Further knowledge will assist in identifying intervention approaches and health prevention that is more focused and congruent with cultural and social beliefs about this behavior and these substances. Its implications for research into culturally appropriate intervention and prevention are also discussed.
The Juridical Subject of `Interest':

In this essay I recover the juridical applications of `interest' in Roman law, and examine how their initial relationship to financial practices shifted, for a theoretical appreciation of interest-...
Intracellular changes of h+ and ca2+ activities in Aplysia giant neurons as measured with ion selective microelectrodes

Abstract 1. 1. Intracellular pH (pH i ) and Ca 2+ activity (a i Ca ) were measured in giant cells (R 2 ) of Aplysia californica with recessed tip pH electrodes and diaryl-phosphate-PVC Ca electrodes. 2. 2. The intracellular pH with the cells bathed in Tris buffered saline (pH 0 7.65) was 7.25 ± 0.05 (SD) in four different cells. 3. 3. An acid load produced by 5% CO 2 13.25 mM HCO − 3 , reduced pH i to 6.95 ± 0.05 (SD) in approx 15 min. 4. 4. The buffer power of the cell (β) was approx 33 mM HCO − 3 /l.pH unit. 5. 5. Bright white illumination which produces a membrane hyperpolarization was without measureable effect on pH i or(a i Ca ). CO 2 -HCO 3 saline (5% CO 2 , 13.25 mM HCO 3 ) was also without effect on (a i Ca ). 6. 6. Sustained activation of the cell by outward current pulses from another microelectrode produced no measureable change in (a i Ca ). 7. 7. Pressure injection of Ca 2+ from a CaCl 2 -filled microelectrode into the cell cytoplasm raised (a i Ca ) to 1.4 × 10 −3 M. The time course of (a i Ca ) recovery was considerably longer than the membrane hyperpolarization.
Characterization of Pore Structure in Biologically Functional Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) - Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate (PHEMA-PEGDA)

A copolymer composed of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) (PHEMA-PEGDA) is structurally versatile. Its structure can be adjusted using the following porogens: water, sucrose, and benzyl alcohol. Using phase separation technique, a variety of surface architectures and pore morphologies were developed by adjusting porogen volume and type. The water and sucrose porogens were effective in creating porous and cytocompatible PHEMA-PEGDA scaffolds. When coated with collagen, the PHEMA-PEGDA scaffolds accommodated cell migration. The PHEMA-PEGDA scaffolds are easy to produce, non-toxic, and mechanically stable enough to resist fracture during routine handling. The PHEMA-PEGDA structures presented in this study may expedite the current research effort to engineer tissue scaffolds that provide both structural stability and biological activity.
The Effectiveness of Metaphoric Facilitation Styles in Corporate Adventure Training (CAT) Programs

The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of using metaphors to enhance learning in the framing and debriefing of teamwork issues for a corporate adventure training (CAT) program. Through random assignment, four different but intact regional work groups from a European banking institution participated in a CAT program for the purposes of team-building. A fifth randomly selected intact work group from another region in Europe served as a control group. Each group received the same CAT program, but the groups were provided with different forms of facilitative metaphors in their program. All groups were measured for changes in teamwork during an initial development period, as well as during two follow-up periods to determine the maintenance of potential changes. The mixed isomorphic framing/metaphoric debriefing approach proved to be the most effective training methodology for initially developing, as well as maintaining, teamwork in the CAT training program.
Developmental Principles of Antiepileptic Drug Therapy

Antiepileptic drug therapy in children can be challenging because seizure semiology and drug disposition change dramatically over time. Close monitoring of drug clearance is required in early life ...
ISOLATION AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERIC SECRETIONS (EPS) FROM MODERN SOFT MARINE STROMATOLITES (BAHAMAS) AND ITS INHIBITORY EFFECT ON CACO3 PRECIPITATION

Bahamian soft marine stromatolites consist of cyanobacterial biofilms and carbonate sand grains (ooids) embedded in their extracellular polymeric secretions (EPS). EPS were isolated from natural marine stromatolites and the laboratory cultured stromatolite forming cyanobacterium isolate Schizothix sp. Laboratory investigations were conducted to examine biochemical characteristics and the role of EPS in the inhibition of CaCO3 precipitation. EPS consisted of acid polysaccharides and proteins. SDS-PAGE and amino acid analysis suggested that EPS from both soft marine stromatolite and Schizothrix sp. mat contained small proteins (38 kD and 45 kD) enriched in aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Also, immuno blotting suggested that natural EPS contain high molecular weight acid polysaccharide (500 k) which may represent cross-linked products of laboratory cultured Schizothrix sp. acid polysaccharide (300 k). EPS from both soft marine stromatolite and laboratory cultured Schizothrix sp. inhibited CaCO3 precipitation in vitro, as determined using pH drift assays examining pH decrease which occur in response to CaCO3 precipitation. PH drift assays of enzymatically and chemically modified EPS isolated from soft marine stromatolite and laboratory cultured Schizothrix sp. indicated that both uronic acids and protein fractions may be involved in the inhibition of CaCO3 precipitation.
Can midlevel providers perform ultrasonography on superficial abscesses

Study objectives: Bedside ultrasonography has proven to be a useful adjunct in the diagnoses of abscesses. To date, there are no studies evaluating the utility of ultrasonography in diagnosing superficial abscesses by midlevel providers (physician assistants and nurse practitioners). We determine the ability of midlevel providers to identify superficial abscesses using bedside ultrasonography assessment. Methods: This is an institutional review board–approved, prospective, observational study of adult patients (>18 years) presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a suspected superficial abscess according to physical examination findings of localized swelling, redness, warmth, or fluctuance. The study was conducted in an urban university hospital with a census of more than 130,000 per year during a 6-month period. Bedside ultrasonography was performed on the affected area by a midlevel provider working in the Fast Track area or by emergency medicine faculty or residents working in the main ED. All providers were given the same 1-on-1 15- to 30-minute instruction on the required ultrasonographic technique to determine the presence of an abscess by emergency medicine faculty trained in ultrasonographic techniques. A Terason 2000 laptop ultrasonograph was used. After the ultrasonographic examination, the same provider performed blind needle aspiration or incision and drainage as per the current standard of care. The presence of purulent fluid was considered the criterion standard for the presence of an abscess. A data collection tool was completed by the same provider. Information collected included the patient's demographic data, comorbidities, physical examination findings, ultrasonographic results, and the clinical presence of an abscess according to needle aspiration or incision and drainage findings. Radiology faculty reviewed all ultrasonographic images. Results: Forty-one patients were enrolled, 16 women and 21 men. All providers were able to detect a fluid collection on ultrasonography when an abscess was clinically present (n=30, 11 emergency medicine residents and faculty, 19 midlevel providers). An abscess was correctly identified on ultrasonography by emergency medicine residents and faculty in 81% (9/11) of cases and by midlevel providers in 84% (16/19) of cases. The average diameter of the fluid collection detected by ultrasonography was 1.34 cm (SD 0.98, median 1.05). The sensitivity for abscess detection using ultrasonography by midlevel providers was 100% (the same as for emergency medicine faculty and residents), with a positive predictive value of 79.2% (compared with 92.3% for emergency medicine faculty and residents). However, the likelihood ratio for correctly identifying an abscess was 1 for midlevel providers and 2.99 (95% confidence interval 2.37 to 3.77) for emergency medicine faculty and residents. Conclusion: Midlevel providers can correctly identify superficial abscess by ultrasonography; however, their limited experience and training may result in overinterpretation of findings.
Skyrme energy functional and naturalness

Recent studies show that successful relativistic mean-field models of nuclei are consistent with naive dimensional analysis and naturalness, as expected in low-energy effective field theories of quantum chromodynamics. The nonrelativistic Skyrme energy functional is found to have similar characteristics. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Rotation and translation effects on stereoscopic acuity.

This study examined the effects of rotation or translation on the detectability of a dotted target plane embedded in a dotted masking cube. Julesz-type stereograms were generated in real time, using a small laboratory computer. Subjects displayed an excellent ability to compensate for x-y projected density variations produced by changes in the angle of rotation of the target plane so that performance was equal at all rotations. This finding indicates that dot density is being processed in a three- rather than a two-dimensional manner. Translation of a frontoparallel plane from the back of the stereoscopically defined cube to its front produced systematic changes in performance. Performance was best at the central fixation distance and decreased as either crossed or uncrossed disparity increased. Thus, it appears that stereo acuity decreases symmetrically with increases in disparity in either direction.
The Effects of Model Affect on Imitation

The effect of three levels of model affect (positive, neutral, negative) on imitation of a socially neutral modeled behavior was investigated with second grade children and compared with no-model controls. Positive model affect increased imitative performance relative to neutral affect, negative affect and no modeling. Neutral affect subjects did not differ from negative affect subjects in imitative performance. Subjects accurately perceived the affect states as different.
Torsion of Composite Elastic Bars of Arbitrary Cross Section

A method of analysis is presented for determining closed-form solutions for torsion of inhomogeneous prismatic bars of arbitrary cross section, the inhomogeneity stemming from the layering of materials of different elastic properties. It is demonstrated that the solution method is very easy to apply and provides results of high accuracy. As an application, solutions are obtained for the torsion of a bar of circular cross section consisting of two materials separated by a plane interface. The results are compared with those of various limiting cases and excellent agreement is found to exist. Among the limiting cases, an exact solution was derived by Green’s functions for the problem in which the interface between the materials coincides with a diameter of the circular cross section.
Management of Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

More than 400,000 patients undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) each year in the United States. At least 20-30% of these patients have atrial fibrillation (Afib), making this arrhythmia one of the most common postoperative problems. This generally benign problem can increase surgical morbidity and the cost and length of hospital stay. If not treated promptly and effectively, Afib can delay a full and rapid recovery. Afib usually occurs in paroxysms between the second and fifth postoperative day and appears directly related to effects of surgery (pericarditis, changes in autonomic tone, cardioplegia, myocardial damage, fluid shifts, etc.). Although similar to Afib in other settings, beta-adrenergic blockade is more effective in preventing and terminating Afib in the postoperative setting. The unique circumstances that precipitate postoperative Afib may explain the favorable therapeutic and prophylactic actions of beta-adrenergic blockade. Other therapies such as amiodarone, sotalol, and digoxin are surprisingly ineffective for postoperative Afib, while intravenous diltiazem is not well tested in this setting. Despite the lack of proven benefit for some of these therapies, they are still frequently used in current clinical practice. Management of postoperative Afib is initially directed at ventricular rate control, but the ultimate goal is return to sinus rhythm. The approach to therapy depends on several clinical variables, including the time course of the arrhythmia, but hemodynamic stability of the patient is the key issue. Return to sinus rhythm may be difficult to achieve early after surgery, so opting for rate control is the best initial approach. If tolerated, beta-adrenergic blockade and calcium antagonism are the best first options. Class IA and III antiarrhythmic drugs should be reserved for persistent or poorly tolerated and prolonged episodes of Afib. Elective cardioversion, either by direct current or with drugs, should be delayed for as long as possible after surgery. Anticoagulation for post-CABG Afib remains controversial. More prudent use of presently available drugs to treat Afib could reduce morbidity, cost, and duration of hospital stay after CABG. More rapid-acting and reliably effective antiarrhythmic therapies with minimal adverse effects would greatly improve management of post-CABG Afib.
Graphene-based thermal interface materials

Thermal management in electronic circuits is becoming an important integral part of design considerations. Increasing power densities and speed of advanced computer chips motivate the search for more efficient thermal interface materials. Here we report preliminary results of experimental and theoretical investigations of the epoxy composites, which use the liquid-phase exfoliated graphene and few-layer graphene as filler materials. Thermal properties of the obtained graphene-epoxy composites were measured using the “laser flash” technique. It was found that the thermal conductivity enhancement factor exceeded ∼ 1000% at 5% of the volume loading fraction. This enhancement is larger than anything that has been achieved with other filler materials. Our physics-based modeling analysis suggests that graphene can outperform other carbon allotropes and derivatives as the thermal filler material.
Manually provided temporary maxillomandibular fixation in the treatment of selected mandibular fractures

Objective To report the occlusal outcomes of manually provided temporary intraoperative maxillomandibular fixation (MMMF) for the open repair of selected mandibular fractures. Study Design/Subjects and Methods A retrospective chart review of the patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of mandibular fractures with MMMF was performed. Results Twenty-six patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation with MMMF. Postoperative data were available for only 16 patients who kept their follow-up appointments. With the exception of one patient who experienced minimal cross-bite in the right molar region, all of the patients had their original normocclusion. Conclusion Preliminary results of MMMF suggest that satisfactory postoperative occlusal outcomes may be obtained without the use of wire-based maxillomandibular fixation methods in selected mandibular fractures.
Effects of nitrogen-incorporated interface layer on the transient characteristics of hafnium oxide n-metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors

In this letter, we present the effects of the nitrogen-incorporated interface on threshold voltage shift (ΔVth), which was induced by charge trapping and detrapping in hafnium oxide (HfO2) n-metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors. Under the various gate voltage conditions, the nitrogen-incorporated interface showed a smaller ratio of interface charge density to total charge density (Nit∕Ntotal) due to its thinner interface thickness and lower energy band offset. In addition, the degradations of the interface quality and the mobility under the stress condition were less severe for the nitrogen-incorporated interface devices.
Application of immobilized hydrogenase for the detritiation of water

Detritiation of contaminated water is an essential part of nuclear power production. Most promising methods used for this process are based on catalyzed hydrogen isotope exchange reactions. It is proposed herein to replace the platinum catalysts which are currently used in industry with immobilized hydrogenase. Whole bacterial cells of Alcaligenes eutrophus immobilized in calcium alginate or κ-carrageenan gels were found to be efficient catalysts of the reaction of hydrogen–tritium (H–T) exchange in both a batch tank reactor and in a column. The dependence of the reaction rate on the amount of immobilized cells in the system, and on the concentration of the cells in the matrix, indicate that enzymatic H–T exchange is not controlled by diffusion. Immobilized A. eutrophus cells are enzymatically active over a wide range of pH, with a broad maximum from pH 6.0 to 8.0, and are quite resistant to inhibitors of hydrogenases such as O2 and CO. Upon increasing the temperature from 4 to 37°C, the rate of hydrogenase-catalyzed H–T exchange increases by a factor of 5. From the standpoint of catalytic efficiency, 1 g of PtO2 is approximately equivalent to 10 g of cells (wet weight). In contrast of platinum-based catalysts, bacterial hydrogenases (1) are potentially inexpensive; (2) can be readily available in bulk quantities; (3) are maximally active in liquid water.
The Relative Difficulty of Mazes of Different Lengths for the Chick

(1941). The Relative Difficulty of Mazes of Different Lengths for the Chick. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 411-419.
Collision of language in news discourse: a functional–cognitive perspective on transitivity

Adopting a functional–cognitive perspective of Halliday's transitivity model, this article examines the processes of ideological constructions within The New York Times and China Daily in their reports of an air collision between the USA and China in April 2001. The analysis shows that discourses surrounding the collision circulating in the two newspapers construct different understandings of the event which are shaped by the specific political position, interests, and priorities of each government regarding the collision. Through analyzing specific choices of process types and participant roles made by each newspaper and the cognitive effects that these choices have on the reader, this article argues that transitivity analysis shares similar goals and assumptions with cognitively oriented views of language. It thus not only offers insights into referential aspects of meaning, but also has the capacity to account for the cognitive processes and effects invoked in the reader's mind.
Framing Adoption: The Media and Parental Decision Making

How is international adoption framed in the popular press? Do those framings shape adoption decision making? Using a multimethod approach of content analysis of newspaper reportage and in-depth interviews with international adoptive parents, this article examines the past two decades of popular press stories on international adoption and explores links between media frames and adoption decision making. Findings reveal that, although the majority of media frames on international adoption are negative, variations exist depending on the sending country profiled. Reportage on Russia adoption consists of more negative frames, whereas China adoption is more likely to be framed positively. These differences in media framings on Russia and China, the two most popular countries for international adoption into the United States from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, emerged in adoptive parents’ narratives of adoption decision making.
A Prospective Comparison of 3 Diagnostic Methods to Evaluate Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction

ABSTRACTPurpose: Various diagnostic tests are available to evaluate patients with ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO). However, the most accurate diagnostic technique, defined as the one that best predicts a successful outcome after ejaculatory duct resection, is unclear. We prospectively performed transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and 3 other tests in men with EDO and determined their relative value in this diagnosis.Materials and Methods: Patients with suspected EDO on clinical evaluation that included TRUS proceeded to further intraoperative evaluation with duct chromotubation, seminal vesicle aspiration and seminal vesiculography. A comparative analysis of findings from each technique was performed and the success of subsequent transurethral resection procedures was assessed.Results: All 25 patients had evidence of EDO on diagnostic TRUS, a finding that merited further evaluation with other modalities. However, TRUS findings correlated poorly with those of the other diagnostic tests. Obstruction on TRUS wa...