cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review of the stratigraphic distribution and diagenetic history of abelsonite

Abstract Abelsonite is a crystalline nickel (II) porphyrin, derived from one of the chlorophylls, found only in the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation, an Eocene lacustrine deposit in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Since its original observation in 1969, numerous samples of abelsonite have been collected and their stratigraphic position within the formation plotted. It was observed that abelsonite occurs in six distinct narrow stratigraphic zones, which can be described with respect to the distribution of organic matter. The zones of abelsonite occurrence were designated M9, M7, M2, L6, L0, and K1 based on Green River Formation stratigraphic nomenclature. Abelsonite displays a secondary mode of occurrence, occurring in vugs, fractures, and along bedding lamina, strongly implying migration or movement. The origin of abelsonite can probably be attributed to the unique geochemical conditions of Lake Uinta, chlorophyll diagenesis, and the transport of an aqueous solution of a relatively insoluble precursor into sediments of favorable lithologic characteristics.
Disease risk prediction with rare and common variants

A number of studies have been conducted to investigate the predictive value of common genetic variants for complex diseases. To date, these studies have generally shown that common variants have no appreciable added predictive value over classical risk factors. New sequencing technology has enhanced the ability to identify rare variants that may have larger functional effects than common variants. One would expect rare variants to improve the discrimination power for disease risk by permitting more detailed quantification of genetic risk. Using the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 simulated data sets for unrelated individuals, we evaluate the predictive value of rare variants by comparing prediction models built using the support vector machine algorithm with or without rare variants. Empirical results suggest that rare variants have appreciable effects on disease risk prediction.
Support for Information Technology in Schools: the roles of student teachers

Abstract This article describes the roles of student teachers and how these roles affect the various kinds of support that student teachers provide for the use of information technology in the classroom. A continuum of roles, from teacher to student, is presented along with a variety of supportive activities in which student teachers engage. The data are based on an ethnographic case study of three classrooms at a public elementary school in the Midwestern United States of America.
Some normative data on reading distance.

Data concerning rending distance have been summarized by Cornog and Rose ( 1963). This note provides addicional normative data, collected during an experiment concerning the legibility of printing on optical character recognition (OCR) forms. Ss were 37 male and 41 female high school graduates. All were checked for 20/20 vision; 69% wore glasses. Ss were familiarized with the stimulus materials by being asked to read them aloud. They could hold the 10point typewritten material anywhere desired. While S was reading a sample set of single characters, E measured the discance from his eyes at which S was holding the stimulus materials. This measurement was repeated d ~ u i n g the reading of short "business" words and abbreviations (less than five characters). Care was taken to ensure that S did not move his hands closer to or further from his face during the measurement. The reading distances at which S freely held the s t imul~~s material were analyzed. Information concerning the trial numbers for Ss was tabulated, and a check made to see whether S held the stimulus sheet closer to or farther away from himself on later trials. N o such trends were found, i.e., whether it was his first, second or third trial, S held the familiarizing stimolus sheet at the same distance over the three trials. Consequently, the data were pooled. Characteristics of the normal reading discance at which S held the stimi~lus Inaterial were: maximum distance 28.0 in., 95 centile, 21.6 in., median 15.8 in., 5th centile 10.0 in., minimum 7.5 in., M 16.2 in., and SD 3.4 in. There was an interesting but slight correlation of 0.175 ( p = .01, 200 data points) between S's sex and voluntary reading distance. Girls tended to hold the paper slightly closer than boys; for all practical purposes, this effect was insignificant. A final interesting observation concerned the 69% who wore glasses. Wearing glasses was not associated with holding the sdrn~ll~is sheet closer to the eyes ( r = 0.035 between wearing glasses and reading distance).
Investigation of the nonlinear behaviour of damping controlled fluidelastic instability in a normal triangular tube array

The fluidelastic behaviour of two normal triangular tube arrays subject to cross flow have been tested. A novel feature of the test facility is an electromagnetic device which has been used to control the system damping and to provide additional excitation. A linearized model of the fluid force is identified for both arrays and it is shown that nonlinear effects are more significant in the denser array. An empirical nonlinear model is proposed for this array and the associated parameters are quantified directly from free response data using the force state mapping technique. Although, the predicted critical velocity is accurately predicted, the limit cycle amplitude is systematically over estimated. Nonetheless, the resulting model shows good qualitative agreement with experimentally determined system behaviour.
Optimal Contact Force Distribution for Multi-Limbed Robots

One of the inherent problems of multi-limbed mobile robotic systems is the problem of multi-contact force distribution; the contact forces and moments at the feet required to support it and those required by its tasks are indeterminate. A new strategy for choosing an optimal solution for the contact force distribution of multi-limbed robots with three feet in contact with the environment in three-dimensional space is presented. The incremental strategy of opening up the friction cones is aided by using the “force space graph” which indicates where the solution is positioned in the solution space to give insight into the quality of the chosen solution and to provide robustness against disturbances. The “margin against slip with contact point priority” approach is also presented which finds an optimal solution with different priorities given to each foot contact point. Examples are presented to illustrate certain aspects of the method and ideas for other optimization criteria are discussed.
Surface Chemistry of Five-Membered Aromatic Ring Molecules Containing Two Different Heteroatoms on Si(111)-7 × 7

The surface chemistry of three representative aromatic molecules containing two different heteroatoms isoxazole, oxazole, and thiazole on Si(111)-7 × 7 was studied. These molecules exhibit different competition and selectivity for multiple reaction channels with this surface, determined by a combination of molecular electronic and structural factors. Isoxazole is chemically attached to Si(111)-7 × 7 through both dative-bond addition and [4 + 2]-like cycloaddition. Oxazole chemisorbs on Si(111)-7 × 7 through both dative-bond addition and [2 + 2]-like cycloaddition. The kinetically favored [2 + 2]-like cycloadduct at low temperature is thermally converted into the thermodynamically preferred [4 + 2]-like cycloadduct at a temperature higher than 300 K. Thiazole is chemically bound to this surface only through formation of a Si···N dative bond at low temperature. This dative-bonded molecule is thermally converted into a [4 + 2]-like cycloadduct. The reaction channels of the three five-membered aromatic molecu...
Real-time classification of dynamic hand gestures from marker-based position data

In this paper we describe plans for a dynamic hand gesture recognition system based on motion capture cameras with unlabeled markers. The intended classifier is an extension of previous work on static hand gesture recognition in the same environment. The static gestures are to form the basis of a vocabulary that will allow precise descriptions of various expressive hand gestures when combined with inferred motion and temporal data. Hidden Markov Models and dynamic time warping are expected to be useful tools in achieving this goal.
Seeing is Believing: New York Academy of Medicine’s Vesalius 500th Year Celebrations

This year marks the 500 year anniversary of Andreas Vesalius’ birth (ne Andries van Wesel, 1514–1564), and celebrations in his honor are taking place across the globe. Vesalius’ groundbreaking De humani corporis fabrica (The Fabric of the Human Body) appeared first in 1543. Departing from more stylized and metaphorical observations of the body and, most importantly, challenging the work of Galen, Fabrica profoundly changed medical and anatomical knowledge. Unlike the second-century Greek physician Claudius Galenus, who based many of his anatomical observations on dissections of dogs, pigs, and monkeys, Vesalius had the benefit of opening human bodies and, with the help of artists, rendering them as he saw them. In the process, he ushered in a new emphasis on artistic realism that has persisted through the ages. And yet, this relationship between art and anatomy is not without problems; what counts as art? Who has the right to speak for the body? What, in fact, is realism—or truth—when it comes to anatomical representation? These were the queries of the recent Festival of Medical History and the Arts at the New York Academy of Medicine, Vesalius 500: Art, Anatomy, and the Body (Oct 18, 2014). Engaging a group of scholars, physicians, artists, and performers, this one-day conference explored the legacy of Vesalius’ work and it is continued influence on medicine—and even upon embodied identity. Guest-curated by artist and anatomist Riva Lehrer and hosted/co-curated by Lisa O’Sullivan (Director, Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health, NYAM) and Paul Theerman (Associate Director), the one-day conference included sessions on everything from wearable anatomy art to medical 3-D printing demonstrations. Heidi Latsky presented the ‘‘GIMP’’ dance project, Alice Dreger discussed the invention of medical photography, and others focused their attention on the Fabrica itself—from the metaphors of the Frontispiece to the issues of translation, duplications, and even plagiarism.
Eukaryotic-Prokaryotic Chimeras for Structure-Function Studies of the Intracellular Domain of Cys-Loop Receptors

Receptors belonging to the Cys-loop gene superfamily of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels (e.g. acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, and glycine receptors) mediate fast synaptic transmission. These receptors are targeted by a number of clinically used drugs (e.g. antiepileptics, antipsychotics, anesthetics). Cys-loop receptors contain three domains: extracellular (ECD), transmembrane (TMD), intracellular (ICD). The ECD and TMD have been studied in great detail and their 3-D structures have been determined. The recent identification of bacterial Cys-loop receptor homologues has propelled the structural knowledge to atomic resolution. However, all prokaryotic members lack the ICD. The ICD of metazoan Cys-loop receptors is the most diverse domain with respect to both length and amino-acid composition. The ICD therefore represents an attractive target for developing subtype-selective drugs with the promise of fewer side effects than drugs that target the highly-conserved ECD and TMD. We have engineered functional chimeras with ICDs from different eukaryotic receptors in the two-domain prokaryotic homologue GLIC (one chimera set published, Goyal, Salahudeen, Jansen, JBC 2011). Based on structure predictions others have hypothesized that the ICD is mainly unstructured, but contains an α-helical segment pre-TM4. We hypothesize based on computational results that cationic and anionic receptors have different ICD secondary structures, i.e., only cationic receptors contain an α-helical portion pre-TM4. For each eukaryotic ICD we generated 12 chimeras that differ by the linkers both N- and C-terminal to the inserted ICD. Interestingly, the number of functional chimeras in each set varies drastically between different ICDs. We are testing the functional consequences of inserting various ICDs using electrophysiological studies, and investigating the structure of the ICDs tethered to the TMD and at the lipid bilayer with spectroscopic and biochemical methods.
Performance-controlled server consolidation for virtualized data centers with multi-tier applications

Abstract Modern data centers must provide performance assurance for complex system software such as multi-tier web applications. In addition, the power consumption of data centers needs to be minimized to reduce operating costs and avoid system overheating. Various power-efficient performance management strategies have been proposed based on dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS). Virtualization technologies have also made it possible to consolidate multiple virtual machines (VMs) onto a smaller number of active physical servers for even greater power savings, but at the cost of a higher overhead. This paper proposes a performance-controlled power optimization solution for virtualized server clusters with multi-tier applications. While most existing work relies on either DVFS or server consolidation in a separate manner, our solution utilizes both strategies for maximized power savings by integrating feedback control with optimization strategies. At the application level, a novel multi-input–multi-output controller is designed to achieve the desired performance for applications spanning multiple VMs, on a short time scale, by reallocating the CPU resources and conducting DVFS. At the cluster level, a power optimizer is proposed to incrementally consolidate VMs onto the most power-efficient servers on a longer time scale. Empirical results on a hardware testbed demonstrate that our solution outperforms pMapper, a state-of-the-art server consolidation algorithm, by having greater power savings and smaller consolidation overheads while achieving the required application performance. Extensive simulation results, based on a trace file of 5415 real servers, demonstrate the efficacy of our solution in large-scale data centers.
“With True Esteem and Friendship”: The Correspondence of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Louis Spohr

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Louis Spohr, two of the most influential musical figures of Restoration musical culture in the German lands, exchanged detailed letters about some of the most important issues of their day. Most of this correspondence has remained unpublished. Thirty-nine letters exchanged by these two composers are presented in English translation and the original German. The letters contain pithy discussions of individual works of both composers—Mendelssohn's St. Paul and Elijah, the symphony-cantata Lobgesang, his “Scottish” and “Italian” Symphonies, and the Melusine Overture; as well as Spohr's oratorio Des Heilands letzte Stunden, his “Historical” Symphony, and the Tochter der Luft Overture, among others. The letters also collectively offer insight into general aspects of mid-nineteenth-century musical life, such as recommending and hiring singers and instrumentalists, arranging for the performance of new music and concert programming generally, the politics of libretto creation for ni...
Reducing the Effects of Performance Expectations on Behavioral Ratings.

Abstract In this study, we develop and test two strategies for reducing the effects of performance expectations on behavioral ratings. A 3 × 3 experimental design ( N = 169), manipulating preobservation performance cues (positive, negative, or none) and the type of intervention (halo error training, structured recall memory, or none), was conducted. The results of this study indicate that both interventions reduced the effects of performance expectations on behavioral ratings. However, analyses of rating accuracy and measures from both recognition memory and recall memory tests suggest that the structured recall memory intervention has distinct advantages. These analyses indicate that the structured recall intervention can reduce raters' reliance on heuristics and increase the correspondence between raters' memory and their subsequent ratings.
Mandated benefits and entry-level employees and employment

Entry-level employees, particularly those with little education and skill, are often not provided fringe benefits that are included in the compensation packages of their more skilled and experienced counterparts. Under the rubric of improving the well-being of entry-level employees, Congress is considering proposals requiring employers provide speccific benefits to employees. Unfortunately, by substituting political directives for market decision making, mandated benefits impose economic inefficiencies, and most of the resulting costs are borne by the entry-level employees purportedly most helped by mandated benefits.
Tracking and monitoring institutional controls at Brownfields and other contaminated sites

Institutional controls are often implemented to prevent or control exposures to residual contamination at brownfields and other contaminated sites. They are designed to ensure that the postremediation use of the affected property is compatible with the level of cleanup. To ensure the integrity of institutional controls and the protections they provide to human and ecological receptors, environmental professionals, utilities, government agencies, lenders, developers, and other stakeholders need a readily available system of tracking and monitoring institutional controls. This article presents the minimum data elements for an effective institutional controls tracking system that can be used by public and/or private entities responsible for maintaining and enforcing institutional controls. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evidence-Based Medicine for Nutrition Support: An Overview of the Process

On a daily basis, clinicians make decisions regarding therapies to result in the best outcome for their patients. These decisions should be based on the evidence in the literature, indicating a therapy will cause the best outcome. To facilitate this, many professional societies and scientific journals have published technical and scientific reviews, as well as evidence-based standards of care focused on many issues of nutrition support practice. This paper provides an overview of how these reviews and standards of care are derived to promote both the understanding of what they can and cannot do to enhance clinical practice.
Coactor's behavior and imitative aggression

After being exposed to either an aggressive or a nonaggressive filmed model, four- and five-year-old boys were tested for imitation while either alone or with a confederate who had also seen the film. The confederate's behavior was either inactive, the same as that in the film, the same as that in the film the child had not seen, novel but of the same category (aggressive or nonaggressive) as that in the film seen, or novel but in the category of the film not seen. These conditions conformed to the dimensions of a 2 × 6 factoral design. According to prediction, the imitation of subjects exposed to the aggressive model was greatest when the confederate's behavior was similar to the model's. No difference in imitation was produced by the confederate's actions if the boy had watched the nonaggressive model. The results were interpreted within the context of social comparison theory.
Chronic treatment of newborn rats with naltrexone alters astrocyte production of nerve growth factor.

Newborn rats were treated with the opiate antagonist naltrexone daily for 1–2 wk in order to examine the effects of endogenous opioid peptides on astrocytes during CNS development. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and cyclic AMP were measured in astrocytes cultured from cerebellum, striatum, and hippocampus of 1 d, 1 wk, and 2 wk postnatal rats. Cerebellar and striatal, but not hippocampal, astrocytes prepared from naltrexone-treated animals produced higher levels of NGF than those from controls. The turnover rate of cyclic AMP, measured following treatment of the cells with forskolin in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX, was increased in naltrexone-derived cerebellar and striatal astrocytes. Opiate receptors could not be detected on the cultured astrocytes, either by direct binding of3H-etorphine or by modulation of cyclic AMP content. These results suggest that endogenous opioid peptides may function indirectly to alter trophic factor synthesis in astrocytes.
Neurophysiological alterations during strategy-based verbal learning in traumatic brain injury.

Background. Verbal learning and strategic processing deficits are common sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such deficits remain poorly ...
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary: a case report with endocrinologic observations.

Objective: To present a case of a Sertoli-Leydig cell ovarian tumor and discuss the endocrinologic findings. Methods: We describe the clinical manifestations in a female patient with an ovarian tumor and summarize the results of hormonal studies. Results: A 33-year-old woman with abrupt cessation of menses, progressive hirsutism, and weight gain because of a unilateral ovarian mass identified sonographically and an increased serum testosterone level underwent laparotomy, which disclosed a left ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor. Hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy were performed. Tissue extraction studies revealed 17-hydroxyprogesterone as the predominant steroid in tumor tissue in conjunction with substantially increased testosterone, free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone levels and left ovarian vein effluent. Conclusion: A unilateral ovarian mass associated with substantially increased serum testosterone should suggest the presence of a functioning ovarian...
Building Acceptance of Differences between Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Students: The Effects of Cooperative and Individualistic Instruction

Summary In order to test whether nonhandicapped students reject or dislike lower-achieving handicapped peers with whom they collaborate 48 students (36 nonhandicapped and 12 handicapped) were assigned to cooperative or individualistic conditions 55 minutes a day for 15 instructional days. The results indicate that cooperative learning experiences promoted higher achievement and greater interpersonal attraction between handicapped and nonhandicapped students, as well as more cross-handicap interaction focused on supporting and regulating efforts to learn and to ensure involvement of all students in the learning tasks.
CVD‐Beschichtung mit einem funktionalisierten Poly‐p‐xylylen – ein universell anwendbares Verfahren zur Ausrüstung von Medizinimplantaten mit Wirkstoffen

Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde ein allgemein verwendbares Verfahren zur Polymerbeschichtung und gleichzeitigen Funktionalisierung von Implantatoberflachen aus Edelstahl-, Platin- und Nickel-Titan-Oberflachen durchgefuhrt. Die Beschichtungen erfolgten durch CVD-Polymerisation eines funktionalisierten [2.2]-Paracyclophans. Die gebildeten funktionalisierten Polyamino-p-xylylen-co-poly-p-xylylen-Tragerschichten wurden zur Immobilisierung des Thrombininhibitors r-Hirudin genutzt. Derartige bioaktive Oberflachen konnen zur Darstellung von Gefasstutzen (Stents) mit verringerter Restenoseneignung beitragen. CVD-polymerization of a functionalized poly(p-xylylene) – a generally applicable method for the immobilization of drugs on medical implants We report a generally applicable polymer coating that allows one-step coating and functionalization of implant materials as stainless steel, platinium or Nitinol alloys. Coating is achieved by CVD-polymerisation of a functionalized [2.2]-paracyclophane. Poly(amino-p-xylylene)-co-poly(p-xylylene) interfaces include free functional groups that were used for immobilization of the thrombin inhibitor r-hirudin. These bio-active surfaces might contribute to the development of stents with reduced restenosis.
Automated video-based facial expression analysis of neuropsychiatric disorders

Deficits in emotional expression are prominent in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Available clinical facial expression evaluations provide subjective and qualitative measurements, which are based on static 2D images that do not capture the temporal dynamics and subtleties of expression changes. Therefore, there is a need for automated, objective and quantitative measurements of facial expressions captured using videos. This paper presents a computational framework that creates probabilistic expression profiles for video data and can potentially help to automatically quantify emotional expression differences between patients with neuropsychiatric disorders and healthy controls. Our method automatically detects and tracks facial landmarks in videos, and then extracts geometric features to characterize facial expression changes. To analyze temporal facial expression changes, we employ probabilistic classifiers that analyze facial expressions in individual frames, and then propagate the probabilities throughout the video to capture the temporal characteristics of facial expressions. The applications of our method to healthy controls and case studies of patients with schizophrenia and Asperger's syndrome demonstrate the capability of the video-based expression analysis method in capturing subtleties of facial expression. Such results can pave the way for a video-based method for quantitative analysis of facial expressions in clinical research of disorders that cause affective deficits.
Do Stimulants Reduce the Risk for Cigarette Smoking in Youth with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A Prospective, Long-Term, Open-Label Study of Extended-Release Methylphenidate

Objective Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-known risk factor for cigarette smoking, prospective studies aimed at reducing smoking risk in this population are critically needed. Study design This was a 2-year, prospective, open-label clinical trial of extended-release methylphenidate for smoking prevention in adolescents with ADHD (n = 154). Smoking outcomes were assessed with the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire. Comparisons were made using data from a historical, naturalistic sample of ADHD (n = 103) and non-ADHD comparators (n = 188) of similar age and sex assessed with the same assessment battery as that used in subjects participating in the clinical trial. Results The smoking rate at endpoint (mean, 10 months of methylphenidate treatment) was low in the clinical trial subjects and not significantly different from that in the non-ADHD comparators or the ADHD comparators receiving stimulants naturalistically (7.1% vs 8.0% vs 10.9%; P > .20). In contrast, the smoking rate was significantly lower in the clinical trial subjects than in the naturalistic sample of ADHD comparators who were not receiving stimulant treatment (7.1% vs 19.6%; P = .009 [not significant], adjusting for comorbid conduct disorder and alcohol and drug abuse). Conclusion Although considered preliminary until replicated in future randomized clinical trials, the findings from this single-site, open-label study suggest that stimulant treatment may contribute to a decreased risk for smoking in adolescents with ADHD. If confirmed, this finding would have significant clinical and public health impacts.
Severe stenosis involving a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve in the tenth decade of life.

Abstract Acongenitally bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is present in at least 1% of persons. 1 The most common complication of a BAV is stenosis, and this congenital malformation represents the most common cause of isolated aortic stenosis in the patient group aged 16 to 65. 2 In patients over the age of 65, aortic stenosis superimposed on a BAV occurs with a frequency of approximately 10%. We recently encountered a 92-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis due to a congenitally BAV. To our knowledge, this is the oldest reported patient with severe stenosis involving a congenitally BAV.
Differential Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 Protein and mRNA in Epithelial Ovarian Tumors

Abstract Objective. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) can degrade gelatin and type IV collagen and is known to play an important role in tumor cell invasion across the basement membrane. The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is able to prevent activation of pro-MMP-9 and forms a 1:1 complex with the active form of MMP-9. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in benign, borderline, and invasive epithelial ovarian tumors. Materials and methods. A total of 90 patients with epithelial ovarian tumor were treated at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and were used as the study population. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were performed to detect protein and mRNA expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1. Results. In the 90 epithelial ovarian tumors tested, MMP-9 expression in tumor cells was found to be significantly enhanced in serous and mucinous ovarian carcinomas compared with benign and borderline tumors. We also observed the immunostaining of MMP-9 in stromal cells of benign, borderline, and invasive epithelial ovarian tumors. Moreover, the expression levels of TIMP-1 in tumor cells were significantly higher in borderline and invasive ovarian tumors than in benign tumors. Conclusion. Using an in situ hybridization technique, we disclosed a direct correlation between the presence of mRNA and protein expression for both MMP-9 and TIMP-1. The present data suggest that high levels of MMP-9 protein in invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma are strongly associated with tumor cell invasion. Enhanced expression of TIMP-1 protein in borderline and invasive tumors indicates that endogenous TIMP-1 protein may play a paradoxical role in ovarian tumor progression.
Micropump technology and applications

This paper describes reversed engineered biological peristaltics through the insightful evolution of MEMS technology. While the emphasis on pump applications is in the miniaturization of spacecraft bus and payload, terrestrial applications are evident. For spacecraft propulsion, the use of the peristaltic pump as a low leakage valve, a pressure regulator and a flow meter are discussed. Spacecraft stabilization is addressed through a fluidic reaction wheel while thermal management of spacecraft, flight instruments and lander is addressed through heat pumps and Joule-Thompson compressors.
Self- and expert-reported emotion inhibition: On the utility of both data sources.

Abstract Psychodynamic theorists often believe clinical judges to be the best source of personality data. Contemporary personality theorists, on the other hand, treat individuals' responses to items on personality tests as the most appropriate source of personality data. In personality domains such as emotion inhibition, or defensiveness, a combination of these two data sources may provide valuable, albeit different, information. To demonstrate this postulate, participants completed a self-report measure of emotion inhibition, underwent a stressful interpersonal task during which blood pressure reactivity was recorded, and then were rated for observed emotion inhibition. As expected, observational and self-reports of emotion inhibition appeared to assess differing tendencies, but both additively predicted cardiovascular reactivity. Self- and expert-reports of personality characteristics may often complement each other, and when these measures are informed by empirical/psychometric considerations they can both contribute to the understanding of areas such as psychophysiological reactivity.
The role of mammillary bodies in spatial memory.

Abstract The role of the mammillary bodies in spatial function was investigated by testing the ability of rats to perform a single-alternation habit. Mammillary-damaged and control animals were tested under conditions which provided for a brief delay or for no delay between successive trials. Experiment 1 tested animals on acquisition of the habit; the results indicate that mammilary lesion impairs learning of the spatial alternation habit and that intertrial delay adds significantly to the dysfunction. The results of experiment 2 suggest that retention of the habit is not impaired when the lesion is inflicted after the initial learning. Both experiments suggest that the mammillary bodies are essential in the storage and/or retrieval of recent maze choices and support the position that they play a role in spatial memory. The evidence also suggests that mammillary body deterioration is responsible for the spatial confusion which characterizes humans suffering from Korsakoff's psychosis.
Gonadotropin Secretory Dynamics During Puberty in Normal Girls and Boys

To determine the most useful index of pubertal gonadotropin secretion we measured spontaneous LH and FSH levels every 20 min for 24 h and the LH and FSH responses to LHRH in a total of 37 girls and 30 boys representing each of the 5 stages of puberty. Mean 24-h LH and FSH levels rose significantly with increasing pubertal stage in both girls and boys. LH peak amplitude increased significantly with increasing pubertal stage for both sexes, whereas FSH peak amplitude did not. LH and FSH peaks were present throughout the 24-h period in all children, but the frequency did not change significantly with increasing pubertal stage. Mean gonadotropin levels, peak amplitudes, and peak frequencies tended to be higher at night from pubertal stages 1-4 of puberty. There were no significant sex differences in mean LH, LH peak amplitude, or LH peak frequency. The LHRH-stimulated peak LH to peak FSH ratio was greater in boys than girls during pubertal stages 1-3 and was less useful in distinguishing pubertal from prepubertal boys. For girls, the most accurate index of pubertal gonadotropin secretion was a LHRH-stimulated peak LH to peak FSH ratio greater than 0.66, which detected 96% of the pubertal girls with no false positives. For boys, the most accurate index was a maximum spontaneous nighttime LH level of 12 IU/L or more, which detected 90% of the pubertal boys with no false positives. We conclude that there are important sex differences in the gonadotropin responses to LHRH during puberty, and that criteria for the onset of pubertal gonadotropin secretion should be sex specific.
Effects of an oxygen-enriched environment on the survival of turkey embryos between twenty-five and twenty-eight days of age

The hypothesis was tested that increased partial pressure of oxygen during the plateau (25 to 26 d of incubation for turkeys) and paranatal (27 to 28 d of incubation) stages of incubation may increase survival rates of turkeys from selected genetic lines. Partial pressure of oxygen inside the incubator cabinet was increased to 171 + 3 mm Hg of the barometric pressure during the plateau stage in oxygen consumption and compared to ambient oxygen (152 + 3 mm Hg). Turkey embryos from genetic lines selected for egg production (E) or growth (F) were compared to their respective randombred controls. These genetic lines have previously been shown to differ in egg weight, eggshell conductance, length of incubation period, embryonic gluconeogenesis, and survival rates during late incubation. Blood, liver, heart, and pipping muscle samples were obtained prior to pipping, at internal pipping and external pipping, and at hatching. The blood was analyzed for glucose concentration and the remaining tissues were assayed for glycogen concentrations. Survival rates were determined on approximately 2,200 eggs in each of three independent trials of the experiment. Interactions of oxygen treatment and genetic line were observed for embryonic survival, heart growth, and hepatic glycogen content. The data suggest that the response to increased oxygen tension in selected genetic lines has been diminished. It was concluded that embryos have been altered metabolically by genetic selection and the concomitant increase in mortality of selected lines during the plateau and paranatal stages is not simply the result of shell quality and hypoxia.
Deus ex Machina

No matter your individual position on the matter, faith is a powerful element of the human experience. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that computing intersects with the story of belief in many ways. Here, we explore computing as a medium for faith, as a ritual space, and as a technology that itself raises certain metaphysical issues. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/pX08oIUQG0s is an audio podcast of author Grady Booch reading his On Computing column, in which he explores computing as a medium for faith, as a ritual space, and as a technology that itself raises certain metaphysical issues.
Zur Bestimmung der Austauschstromdichte am Redoxsystem [Co(NH3)6]Cl2/[Co(NH3)6]Cl3

Zusammenfassung Die Austauschstromdichte i0 des Redoxsystems [Co(NH3)6]2+/[Co(NH3)6]3+ wurden aus Polarisationswiderstandsmessungen beim Gleichgewichtspotential ermittelt; die Konzentrationsabhangigkeit der Austauschstromdichte ergab die Durchtrittsfaktoren. Bei hoheren Konzentrationen des Co(III)-Komplexes kommt es zu Abweichungen von der Linearitat zwischen log i0 und log c dieses Komplexes. Das wird durch Bedeckung der Elektrode durch das Hydrolyseprodukt des Co(III)-Komplexes verursacht, dafur sprechen die Abhangigkeit dieser Erscheinung von der NH4Cl-Konzentration und der Temperatur. Die anodische Bildung des Co(III)-Komplexes begunstigt die Bedeckung der Elektrode durch Hydrolyseprodukte, das bewirkt einen anormalen niedrigen anodischen Grenzstrom. Die Abhangigkeit der Austauschstromdichte von der Ammoniakkonzentration entspricht der Abhangigkeit der [Co(NH3)6]2+-Konzentration von Ammoniakgehalt und spricht dafur, dass als Redoxpartner allein die Hexamminkomplexe wirksam sind. Steigender NH4Cl- und KCl-Gehalt senkt die Austauschstromdichte, das wird mit der Ionenpaarbildung [Co(NH3)6]3+-Cl− und Cl−-Adsorption an der Elektrode in Verbindung gebracht. Die ermittelte heterogene Geschwindigkeitskonstante entspricht dem Literaturwert fur die homogene Konstante unter Zugrundelegung einer von Marcus abgeleiteten Beziehung.
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization as primary treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Western populations has historically been associated with poor survival. METHODS: In this study, we conducted a 7-year retrospective analysis of patients with HCC undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) at our institution and examined demographics, outcomes, and complications. RESULTS: During the period of study, 39 patients (25 male [64%], mean age 58 [range 17 to 86]) underwent a total of 78 chemoembolization treatments. During the same time period, an additional 31 patients received supportive care only. The majority of patients had late stage disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III, IVa, or IVb) with no statistical difference noted between the two groups (P = 0.2). However, patients receiving supportive care only had significantly worse hepatic dysfunction by Child's classification (P = 0.005). Twenty-nine patients (74%) had documented cirrhosis, with hepatitis C being the most common cause in 11 of 29 (38%). In patients undergoing TACE, overall actuarial survival was 35%, 20%, and 11% at 1, 2, and 3 years with a median survival of 9.2 months, significantly improved over the group receiving supportive care only (P < 0.0001). Median survival for the group receiving supportive care was less than 3 months. Neither age nor stage had a significant impact on survival. The most common complications of TACE included transient nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever. CONCLUSIONS: TACE is a safe and effective therapeutic option for selected patients with HCC not amenable to surgical intervention.
Sintering of Bimodally Distributed Alumina Powders

The densification of alumina powders prepared to have a bi-modal particle-size distribution with a coarse-to-fine particle-size ratio of ≊ 10 can be predicted to a first approximation if the densification of the fine and coarse powders is known. Deviations from model prediction were attributed to compositional heterogeneity. Microstructural observations of bimodal powders show that only the fine powder undergoes grain growth. Thus, the grain-size distribution becomes more uniform than the initial particle-size distribution.
Accuracy and precision of compartmental model parameters obtained from directly estimated dynamic SPECT time-activity curves

Quantitative kinetic analysis of dynamic cardiac single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data has the potential to provide better contrast between healthy and diseased tissue, compared to static images. However, imaging a rapidly changing radiopharmaceutical distribution with the use of a moving gantry yields inconsistent projection data that can generate artifacts in a time sequence of conventional reconstructed images. The artifacts can lead to biases in kinetic parameters estimated from the image sequence. This source of bias can be eliminated by estimating B-spline models for time-activity curves directly from the projections. In this study, we perform Monte Carlo simulations to determine how the polynomial order and initial time sampling of the splines affect the accuracy and precision of compartmental model parameters obtained from directly estimated time-activity curves. The Mathematical Cardiac Torso (MCAT) phantom is used to simulate a realistic 15 min dynamic /sup 99m/Tc-teboroxime patient study in which 10 million total events are detected. For a large volume of normal myocardium (250 cc), the relative bias of the uptake and washout parameter sample means does not exceed 0.3% when using cubic or quadratic splines that provide rapid initial sampling. The coefficient of variation is about 1%. For small (8.4 cc) myocardial defects that exhibit reduced uptake and accelerated washout, the relative bias and coefficient of variation increase to maximum values of about 16% and 50%, respectively. These levels of accuracy and precision provide good contrast between the compartmental model time-activity curves for the defects and normal myocardium. There is also good contrast for compartmental model time-activity curves obtained from noisy data containing 5 million events.
Nonnarcotic Analgesic Use and the Risk of Hypertension in US Women

“Nonnarcotic Analgesic Use and the Risk of Hypertension in US Women”1 presents epidemiological observations that are intriguing and have potentially important public health and clinical implications. The high prevalence and incidence of hypertension in this comparatively healthy (nurses) cohort of middle-aged and older women 44 to 69 years of age was substantial. The prevalence of hypertension at baseline was 32%. The incidence of hypertension among the women who were normotensive in 1990 and followed an average of ≈7.4 years (381 078 person yr/51,630 persons) was an impressive 20.5% (51 630/10 579) or ≈2.8% annually. The relatively high incidence of hypertension occurred despite the fact that 50% of these women had a reported body mass index of ≤24 kg/m2, whereas ≈60% of Americans in this age range have a body mass index >25 kg/m2. The high rate of analgesic use was also noteworthy. Eighty-five percent of women provided information on their use of 1 of 3 analgesics, including aspirin, acetaminophen, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Seventy percent of the sample reported using at least 1 of these 3 analgesics 1 or more days monthly. Self-reported use on a monthly basis was of similar magnitude for aspirin (44%), acetaminophen (43%), and NSAIDs (37%). A striking and novel observation in this report is the positive and consistent association between the frequency of use for all 3 classes of analgesics and the relative risk of hypertension after controlling for multiple confounders in the multivariate model. The Table represents one clinician’s attempt to put the risks in simple quantitative terms for the individual, as well as for the population of women in this age range. The multivariate relative risks, taken from Table 2 of the authors’ original paper,1 and the calculated absolute risks (per 1000) to the individual associated …
NEW ONSET VESICOVAGINAL FISTULA AFTER TRANSURETHRAL COLLAGEN INJECTION IN WOMEN WHO UNDERWENT CYSTECTOMY AND ORTHOTOPIC NEOBLADDER CREATION: PRESENTATION AND DEFINITIVE TREATMENT

Purpose: We present our experience with collagen injection for treating urinary incontinence after cystectomy and orthotopic bladder substitution in women. We discuss the efficacy of collagen injection, specific complications and subsequent definitive therapy.Materials and Methods: We performed cystectomy and orthotopic bladder substitution in 2 women for muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. In each case new onset stress urinary incontinence developed after surgery that was refractory to conservative therapy. Intrinsic sphincter deficiency was diagnosed in each patient by video urodynamic studies. Initial treatment involved transurethral collagen injections but subsequent intervention was required due to resultant complications and primary therapy inefficacy.Results: Collagen (3.5 cc per session) was injected in 1 case at 2 treatment sessions and in the other at 3. Incontinence symptoms did not significantly improve in either patient and a new onset vesicovaginal fistula developed 2...
Ego identity and relational and social aggression mediated by elaborative and deep processing

Abstract: In this investigation, late adolescentsâ€™ (N = 629) ego identity status (e.g., identity achievement, identity diffusion, identity moratorium, and identity foreclosure), cognitive processing style, and self-reported use of relational aggression and social aggression were measured in order to assess potential relationships among these constructs. Four separate models were used to test these hypotheses, and the results showed support for some but not all the four hypotheses. In this sample, it appears that individuals with high levels of cognitive sophistication who lack social maturity by which to resolve relationship problems were more likely to use social aggression than those with lower levels of cognitive processing skills or with higher levels of emotional maturity.
Dispersion Number Studies in ChemicalMechanical Planarization

This study explores aspects of the fluid dynamics of CMP processes. The residence time distribution of slurry under the wafer is experimentally determined and used to calculate the Dispersion Number (Δ) of the fluid in the wafer-pad region based on a dispersion model for non-ideal reactors. Furthermore, lubrication theory is used to explain flow behaviors at various operating conditions. Results indicate that at low wafer pressure and high relative pad-wafer velocity, the slurry exhibits nearly ideal plug flow behavior. As pressure increases and velocity decreases, flow begins to deviate from ideality and the slurry becomes increasingly more mixed beneath the wafer. These phenomena are confirmed to be the result of variable slurry film thicknesses between the pad and the wafer, as measured by changes in the coefficient of friction (COF) in the pad-wafer interface.