cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orienting Clients to Telephone Coaching in Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Abstract Considerable attention in the literature has been devoted to individual therapy and group skills training in dialectical behavior therapy. However, there is a relative dearth of information on telephone coaching in DBT. While several authors have addressed important issues in DBT, including studies on efficacy and therapeutic considerations, what is glaringly absent from the literature is a basic overview of how to orient new clients to DBT phone coaching. The goal of the current paper is to highlight the following six important areas and their role in orientation to DBT phone coaching: (a) orientation to the three functions of DBT telephone coaching; (b) orientation to the rationale of the 24-hour rule; (c) orientation to the logistics of contacting their therapist after hours; (d) orientation to observing the therapist’s personal limits; (e) orientation to the purpose of phone holidays; and (f) orientation to the practice of using skills prior to calling. A video is provided to further elucidate how to orient clients to DBT telephone coaching.
SYNTHESIS AND BEHAVIOR OF NUCLEAR PROTEINS DURING THE CELL LIFE CYCLE.

Migration of nucleus-specific proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm during interphase and mitosis was studied. Experiments were carried out on Chinese hamster cell line CHEF-125 and Amoeba proteus. CHEF-125 cells were incubated with a pulse of H/sup 3/-thymidine and metaphases collected with colchicine at intervals during the next 48 hours; so that the first, second, third, and fourth division metaphases could be studied for segregation or labeled DNA. A series of four proliferating cultures were labeled with tritiated uridine. To make a more quantitative study of nuclear protein, a combination of tritium labeling, autoradiography, and micrurgy was performed with the amoeba cultures. Labeled UNA in a mammalian cell type was found to segregate in a precise, semiconservative manner as originally described by Taylor, Woods, and Hughes. Labeled proteins in metaphase chromosomes at the first and second mitoses after labeling segregated approximately equally between sister chromatids. The labeled proteins were completely lost from the chromosomes in three or four cell cycles. Labeled RNA was divided about equally between chromatids at the first metaphase after labeling. Labeled RNA was almost absent from chromosomes in the second metaphase after labeling and completely absent at the third metaphase. All nuclear proteins in anioeba weremore » found to turn over continuously during an experimentally prolonged interphase. No protein (including histone) could be detected that remained a permanent, fixed part of the nucleus. Virtually all labeled proteins in the nucleus of amoeba were released to the cytoplasm during mitosis. These proteins rapidly returned to the nucleus in late telophase and early interphase. (auth)« less
Periodicity and ultimate periodicity of DOL systems

A unified presentation of periodicity and ultimate periodicity of D0L systems is given. Bounds are provided for the period and index of periodic systems, and simplified algorithms are obtained by using elementary morphisms. It was shown previously (Harju and Linna, 1986; Pansiot, 1986) that if (A, h, w) is a D0L system with h(w)=wy, then it is decidable whether the ω-word hω (w) is ultimately periodic, i.e., of the form xuω. In this paper a decision procedure is given to decide if there are an index i and a period p such that hp(hi(w))=hi(w)y and hωp(hi(w)) is ultimately periodic. Given a morphism h:A∗ → A∗, bounds are obtained for the period and index of ultimately periodic systems. It is also shown that the set {wϵA∗|hωp(hi(w)} is ultimately periodic} is a constructable regular language.
Two Problems in the Description of Adjectives.

Certain facts concerning the sensitivity of predicate adjectives to the head noun of a subject noun phrase suggest (1) that selectional restrictions on adjectives involve the syntactic features of the head noun and not those of the whole noun phrase, and (2) that the identification of the feature specifications of the head noun is sometimes obscured by the syntactic configurations in which it occurs.
The influence of stimulus duration on the delay tuning of cortical neurons in the FM bat, Myotis lucifugus

1. Echolocating bats use echo delay as the primary cue to determine target distance. During target-directed flight, the emitted pulses increase in repetition rate and shorten in duration as distance decreases. To determine how these parameters affect the delay tuning of neurons in the auditory cortex of the awake bat, Myotis lucifugus, we examined the responses of 104 delay-sensitive neurons as the pulse repetition rate (PRR) and duration were independently varied. Stimulus duration of 4, 2 and 1 ms and PRR of 5-100/s were used for both the pulse and echo to determine delay sensitivity. These parameter ranges span those used during the search, approach, and the initial terminal phases of echolocation. 2. As the stimulus duration was shortened, the range of PRRs for delay sensitivity was extended to higher rates in 41% of the neurons, narrowed or disappeared in 40%, and remained unchanged in 4%. The remaining 15% were not categorized since it was not possible to determine a trend in which the range of delay-sensitive PRRs changed with stimulus duration. 3. Three types of tracking neurons (i.e., neurons that change their best delay during target-directed flight) were found. For the first type, the best delay (BD) shortened with shorter stimulus duration, for the second type, BD shortened with both shorter stimulus durations and higher PRRs, and for the third type, BD shortened with higher PRRs. 4. These results suggest that the stimulus parameters of sonar emission influence delay tuning and hence processing by cortical neurons in FM bats.
Quasiclassical-trajectory Monte Carlo methods for collisions with two-electron atoms.

A quasiclassical-trajectory Monte Carlo (QTMC-EB) model is proposed to extend the classical-trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method to targets having more than one electron. Quasiclassical stability is achieved via constraining potentials that enforce lower {ital energy} {ital bounds} on the one-electron dynamics. Cross sections for all possible electronic rearrangements (single and double electron transfer, single and double ionization, and transfer ionization) in H{sup +}+H, H{sup +}+He, He{sup 2+}+He, and Li{sup 3+}+He collisions are calculated with this model and with the previously proposed model (QTMC-KW) of Kirschbaum and Wilets [Phys. Rev. A {bold 21}, 834 (1980)]. The results are compared with accurate experimental data. The regime of validity for the two-electron targets is found to be similar to that of the usual CTMC model for one-electron targets. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
The chemical reactivity of tris-(triphenylphosphine)chloroplatinum(II) undecachlorotrititanate, [(C6H5P]3PtCl+Ti3Cl−11

Abstract Treatment of [(C6H5P]3PtCl+Ti3Cl−11, (I) with CH3CN and pyridine, py, affords near quantitative yields of TiCL3(CH3CN)3 and TiCl3(py)3 based on the presence of 2TiCl3 per Ti3Cl−11. Oxidative hydrolysis of (I), (Ti(III) → Ti(IV) + 0.5H2) affords a maximum H2 yield of 82% of that expected, similar to that described for the oxidative hydrolysis at α-TiCl3 in the presence of cis-[(C6H5P]2PtCl2. Hydrogen chloride reacts with (I) to afford [(C6H5)3PtCl+ {Ti3Cl11·HCl}− while CO affords [(C6H5)3P]2PtCOCl+. Both BF3 and BCl3 complex with (I) with the latter displacing the former. Ion exchange reactions between (I) and (C2H5)4NCl and [(CH3)2CHCH2CH2]4NI afford, as they only characterizable products, cis-[(C6H5)3]2PtCl2 and trans-[(C6H5)3P]2PtI2 respectively. Reactions between (I) and (C2H5)4NPF6 yielded no identifiable exchange products.
Modeling T cell antigen discrimination based on feedback control of digital ERK responses.

T-lymphocyte activation displays a remarkable combination of speed, sensitivity, and discrimination in response to peptide–major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligand engagement of clonally distributed antigen receptors (T cell receptors or TCRs). Even a few foreign pMHCs on the surface of an antigen-presenting cell trigger effective signaling within seconds, whereas 1 × 105–1 × 106 self-pMHC ligands that may differ from the foreign stimulus by only a single amino acid fail to elicit this response. No existing model accounts for this nearly absolute distinction between closely related TCR ligands while also preserving the other canonical features of T-cell responses. Here we document the unexpected highly amplified and digital nature of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in T cells. Based on this observation and evidence that competing positive- and negative-feedback loops contribute to TCR ligand discrimination, we constructed a new mathematical model of proximal TCR-dependent signaling. The model made clear that competition between a digital positive feedback based on ERK activity and an analog negative feedback involving SH2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase (SHP-1) was critical for defining a sharp ligand-discrimination threshold while preserving a rapid and sensitive response. Several nontrivial predictions of this model, including the notion that this threshold is highly sensitive to small changes in SHP-1 expression levels during cellular differentiation, were confirmed by experiment. These results combining computation and experiment reveal that ligand discrimination by T cells is controlled by the dynamics of competing feedback loops that regulate a high-gain digital amplifier, which is itself modulated during differentiation by alterations in the intracellular concentrations of key enzymes. The organization of the signaling network that we model here may be a prototypic solution to the problem of achieving ligand selectivity, low noise, and high sensitivity in biological responses.
Pyruvate metabolism in laboratory-acclimated and freshly collected sea anemones, Metridium senile L

Abstract Utilization of pyruvate as a precursor for glycogen, lipid. and protein biosynthesis was investigated in freshly collected and laboratory-acclimated individuals of the sea anemone Metridium senile (L.). Pyruvate uptake rates, oxidation of pyruvate to CO2 and glycolytic flux, measured by in vitro radiotraccr methods, were higher in freshly collected anemones than in laboratory-acclimated anemones. Incorporation of [ 14C]pyruvate carbon into the lipid fraction of anemone tissues was low. Incorporation of pyruvate carbon into anemone protein varied with pyruvate uptake rate, and was therefore higher in field anemones. Pyruvate oxidation to CO2, expressed as a fraction of pyruvate uptake, was lower in laboratory-acclimated anemones than in freshly collected ones, and the difference is reflected in relatively higher amounts of pyruvate incorporated into the glycogen fraction of laboratory-acclimated anemones. These differences in pyruvate metabolism may be the result of lower food availabilitj under laboratory conditions and/or differences between the biochemical compositions of natural prey and Artemia nauplii provided in the laboratory.
Regulation of Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme Activity by Gonadotropin in Rat Corpus Luteum*

The locus of gonadotropin-induced acute stimulation of pregnenolone production by cholesterol side-chain cleavage (CSCC) enzyme containing cytochrome P450 (cyt P450scc) was examined in rat corpus luteum. Mitochondria were isolated from pseudopregnant rat ovaries after treatment with different doses of human CG (hCG) (25–200 IU) for 30 min; Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectra of high spin cholesterol complex of cyt P450scc (type I high spin EPR signal) and the cyt P450scc activity were determined. hCG treatment increased the formation of type I EPR spectra compared to that obtained with saline-treated controls, and pretreatment with cycloheximide (30 mg/kg BW) before hCG abolished this increase. The magnitude of type I EPR signal diminished with increasing pH over the range of 6.2–7.3. The type I EPR signal increased with doses of hCG and correlated well with the pregnenolone production. Aminoglutethimide treatment (competitive inhibitor of CSCC) before hCG injection led to an increased accumulat...
An H-bridge driver using gate bias for DC motor control

DC motors are important rotation components for consumer electronics and industry controls, especially, DC motors also play an important role in the development of robot technologies. A design of DC motor driver, based on the H bridge using complementary MOSFET type, is proposed in this paper. Differing from the conventional DC motor driver requiring dead time generation, the proposed driver does not has a dead time generator by using gate bias. Therefore, this proposed H-bridge driver without dead time generation can not only reduce its hardware complexity, but also increase the driving efficiency.
Engineering computer architectures for cognitive robotics - the CR/SARAMA model

The concepts of Artifact-as-Organism and Creator-in-a-Box, and their autonomy, adaptation and evolution are proposed as purely engineering motivations for the incorporation of the cognitive attributes of consciousness and self-awareness into robots, automata, machines and artifacts. These ideas are then used to create computational models of cognitive robots and machine consciousness that can be executed using modern parallel, distributed, many core, and massively multi-core, computer architectures.
Optimum click rate for neurodevelopmental evaluation using auditory brainstem response in premature infants.

Objective To determine the optimal click rate (CR) for neurodevelopmental assessment using auditory brainstem evoked response (ABR) in preterm infants. Study Design A prospective study was performed in 17 preterm infants at 34 weeks' postmenstrual age. Three separate ABRs were performed a few minutes apart on each subject using three different click rates (CRs): 19.9/s, 29.9/s, and 69.9/s. An ABR response with waves I, III, and V identifiable and measurable was defined as a pass response. The CR associated with the highest frequency of pass responses was considered optimal, or if two CRs were tied for the highest frequency, then the faster of the two CR was deemed best. Results The frequency of pass responses for 29.9/s and 19.9/s CR was 100% and was significantly higher compared with 82% frequency with 69.9/s CR. There was no difference in latencies, interpeak latencies, and amplitudes of waves between 19.9/s and 29.9/s CR; however, standard deviations of interpeak latencies were larger with 19.9/s compared with 29.9/s CR. Conclusion Our data suggest that 29.9/s is the optimal CR for neurodevelopmental assessment using ABR. Because of smallest variance in interpeak latencies, the sample size requirement will be lowest using 29.9/s CR with secondary reduction in cost and time.
Local radio in Switzerland: The limits of localism

Switzerland introduced local radio on an experimental basis in 1983. When the experimental period ended in 1988, much had been learned about the ways in which radio might and might not reflect local cultures and about the problems of regulating the commercial aspects of a medium that until 1 983 had been exclusively noncommercial. This descriptive study traces the origins and evolution of local radio in Switzerland, analyzes the experiment's consequences, and examines what the Swiss experience means in the larger context of local broadcasting in Europe.
A review of exchange rate policies and their effect upon nations and firms

Discusses the way countries can operate their exchange rate policies. Covers areas such as fixed exchange rates, floating rates and pegged rates, citing the advantages and disadvantages of each. Considers the example of the Euro‐zone countries and the problems they face. Looks at countries which use official dollar‐linked systems. Outlines the three primary types of risk exposure, transaction, economic and translation and presents some examples of how companies have mitigated risk. Briefly looks at rate forecasting. Concludes that a global market could lead to fewer currencies.
Relics, protestants, things

ABSTRACTReformation Protestants’ detestation of Catholic sacra, holy objects, and sacred sites is well documented. To probe the later history of this contempt, this essay observes two nineteenth-century Protestants in Palestine. Both, as might be anticipated, exhibit disgust at those physical phenomena revered by other Christianities. But surprisingly, both also obsessively collect alternative things that are associated with the Holy Land. Contemporary theory—namely Bill Brown's Thing Theory—is brought to bear on the preoccupation with things represented by this substitution of safe objects for abhorrent ones. However, instead of providing an explanatory frame for this behavior, Thing Theory seems to reproduce it. The essay concludes by suggesting that a primal Protestant anxiety about powerful things continues to haunt contemporary Western scholarship.
Activation analysis and applications to environmental research

Abstract The principles of activation analysis as a method of trace element determination are discussed and applications of neutron activation analysis to environmental problems reviewed. Thermal and fast neutron activation analysis using nuclear reactors, accelerators and 252Cf sources are considered and recent developments in y‐ray spectrometry such as Ge(Li) detectors, anticoincidence shielded Ge(Li) detectors and multidimensional NaI(Tl) spectrometers are outlined. The advantages and disadvantages and sources of error in neutron activation analysis for trace element determination are discussed with emphasis on problems associated with the analysis of environmental materials. Applications of neutron activation analysis to air pollution studies, marine and fresh‐water trace element measurements and to the problem of mercury pollution are reviewed.
Ion-pairing ability, chemical stability, and selectivity behavior of halogenated dodecacarborane cation exchangers in neutral carrier-based ion-selective electrodes.

Recently, it has been discovered that carba-closo-dodecaborates can be used as cation exchangers in neutral carrier-based ion-selective chemical sensors. Because of their inherent chemical stability and versatile functionalization chemistries, they offer many advantages that may potentially be exploited for ion analyses that require nontraditional sample conditions, including strongly acidic media. In this work, trimethylammonium salts of undecachlorinated (UCC), undecabrominated (UBC), hexabrominated (HBC), and undecaiodinated (UIC) carborane anions were prepared and evaluated for their potential use in solvent polymeric membrane-based sensors. Computational methods including Natural population analysis and electrostatic mapping were used to predict the ion-exchanging ability of each lipophilic anion. In addition, the sandwich membrane technique was used to evaluate the ion-pairing ability of each carborane anion in situ (i.e., within bis(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate (DOS)- and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (o-NPO...
In Vitro Activity of Thienamycin

The in vitro activity of thienamycin was tested against 135 aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The compound was highly active against resistant gram-negative bacilli and penicillin-resistant Straphylococcus aureus . The antianaerobic spectrum of the drug seemed to be comparable to that of metronidazole.
High-Resolution Random Mesh Algorithms for Creating a Probabilistic 3D Surface Atlas of the Human Brain

Abstract Striking variations exist, across individuals, in the internal and external geometry of the brain. Such normal variations in the size, orientation, topology, and geometric complexity of cortical and subcortical structures have complicated the problem of quantifying deviations from normal anatomy and of developing standardized neuroanatomical atlases. This paper describes the design, implementation, and results of a technique for creating a three-dimensional (3D) probabilistic surface atlas of the human brain. We have developed, implemented, and tested a new 3D statistical method for assessing structural variations in a database of anatomic images. The algorithm enables the internal surface anatomy of new subjects to be analyzed at an extremely local level. The goal was to quantify subtle and distributed patterns of deviation from normal anatomy by automatically generating detailed probability maps of the anatomy of new subjects. Connected systems of parametric meshes were used to model the internal course of the following structures in both hemispheres: the parieto-occipital sulcus, the anterior and posterior rami of the calcarine sulcus, the cingulate and marginal sulci, and the supracallosal sulcus. These sulci penetrate sufficiently deeply into the brain to introduce an obvious topological decomposition of its volume architecture. A family of surface maps was constructed, encoding statistical properties of local anatomical variation within individual sulci. A probability space of random transformations, based on the theory of Gaussian random fields, was developed to reflect the observed variability in stereotaxic space of the connected system of anatomic surfaces. A complete system of probability density functions was computed, yielding confidence limits on surface variation. The ultimate goal of brain mapping is to provide a framework for integrating functional and anatomical data across many subjects and modalities. This task requires precise quantitative knowledge of the variations in geometry and location of intracerebral structures and critical functional interfaces. The surface mapping and probabilistic techniques presented here provide a basis for the generation of anatomical templates and expert diagnostic systems which retain quantitative information on intersubject variations in brain architecture.
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT AND POLICE DEMOCRATIZATION: A Reply to John E. Angell

This article responds to John Angell's (1971) proposal to abolish police middle management. With use of the data from a seven-city study of team policing (Sherman et al., 1973) and Tannenbaum's (1968) framework of control in organizations, the past obstructions and potential uses of middle management to police change are discussed. Rather than abolish or neutralize mid-management, I propose to expand their support functions as a positive aid to change.
Orientational behavior of thin films of poly(3-methylthiophene) on platinum: A FTIR and NEXAFS study

Abstract Near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) have been used to study the orientational behavior of thin films of poly(3-methylthiophene) electrochemically polymerized on a platinum surface. Clear orientational effects, with the thiophene rings predominantly oriented parallel to the platinum surface, were observed when the thickness of the polymer films were within a few hundred A. It was found that more highly ordered films were produced at lower polymerization potential (1.4V vs SCE) than at higher potential (1.8V vs SCE).
Chemical Education at the Crossroads of America

The Biennial Conferences on Chemical Education have developed into the largest gathering of chemical educators in the world because they reflect the wide interests of people who teach chemistry in schools, colleges, and universities as well as all those with an interest in chemical education�at the American Chemical Society, in industry, and in government. What makes a BCCE exciting is the opportunity to gather in an informal setting to socialize and to share ideas, expertise, and experience with colleagues who are committed to excellence in chemical education. You may sit down at lunch with someone you just heard give a presentation of interest or chat with the author or publisher of the textbook or lab manual you are using.
Sex and becoming eminent as a political/organizational leader

Using 317 randomly selected eminent personalities, this study seeks to determine if female political and/or organizational eminents differ systematically from other female eminents, to ascertain how similar the socialization data and patterns are for eminent political males and females, and to determine how these patterns compare with those of male and female eminents in other areas of endeavor. The data indicate that to have the possibility of becoming a political/organizational leader, females seem to need to become more similar to males psychosocially. However, the socialization structures and agents needed to promote such comparable psychosocial developments are different from what have existed in the past. The female political/organizational eminents studied did come from a different type of family structure and background. In this sense, they differ in their socialization from what we know about the “average woman,” the other eminent females, and the male eminents. But the psychosocial product of such socialization is more like the male political/organizational eminent in terms of career and public role expectations. One implication of these findings is that the United States is likely to see more politically and organizationally eminent women in the future. The trend toward two-career households (because of economic conditions, as well as the women's movement) is likely to socialize more girls toward such positions.
The method of delivery of nutrition and physical activity information may play a role in eliciting behavior changes in adolescents

Abstract Objectives Motivating adolescents to adopt proper nutrition and physical activity behaviors is important in this nation's fight to prevent obesity and chronic diseases. This study was conducted to determine which health education delivery method would elicit a greater behavior change. Method The intervention was conducted in three schools (control, computer-based, and traditional education). Results Students who received the computer-based intervention showed increased knowledge ( p p = 0.001), self-efficacy ( p p p Conclusion The computer-based group showed more positive behavior changes. However, future programs may be enhanced by including group discussion and individual feedback.
Surgical Management of Juvenile Amputation Overgrowth with a Synthetic Cap

Seventeen amputations (in 14 children) with established overgrowth were treated by capping of the residual limb with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) felt pad. Average age at the time of the procedure was 7 years 10 months. Mean follow-up was 4 years 9 months. Statistical comparisons were made to historical controls, treated by resection revision or biologic capping, from a prior overgrowth study from the authors' institution. Revision surgery was necessary in 86% of resection revisions, 29% of biologic caps, and 29% of PTFE caps. Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated survival times of 3 years 3 months for resection revision, 6 years 1 month for biologic caps, and 7 years 2 months for PTFE caps. PTFE and biologic caps were both statistically better than resection revision with regard to need for subsequent operation and survivorship, but were not statistically different from each other. Complications associated with PTFE capping and biologic capping were distinct.
Estimating the capital component of mental health care costs in the public sector

This study describes methods for determining the cost of buildings and grounds in public sector facilities. Two methods for estimating the cost of capital (one using local office rents; the other based on estimates of the replacement cost of hospital buildings) are applied to six types of health care service at nine VA medical centers. Results indicate that capital costs for psychiatric inpatient care were about one-third those for surgical services and one-half those for medical services. Overall, capital costs and 6% to average inpatient costs and 4% to outpatient costs.
Physiological reactivity to alcohol cues and the awareness of an alcohol effect in a double-blind placebo design.

Summary Skin conductance level (SCL) was recorded during the presentation of a beer drink in 16 alcoholic patients. The instructions to subjects stated that the ‘beer’ that was to be consumed‘may or may not contain alcohol. ‘Following consumption of either real beer or placebo (non-alcoholic malt beverage) the subjects were asked if they thought they had just consumed an alcoholic drink. SCL increases to the presentation of beer stimuli prior to consumption were highest among alcoholics who perceived the drink as ‘real beer’ following consumption. Perception of the drink as‘real bee' was not related to receiving real beer. The data suggest that autonomic reactivity to alcohol-related cues can facilitate and/or interact with the expectations surrounding alcohol consumption in alcohol dependent individuals.
In Vivo 16-Slice, Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography for the Assessment of Experimental Atherosclerosis Comparison With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Histopathology

Background— Noninvasive imaging can detect early atherosclerotic disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), because of its excellent spatial resolution, is already established as a tool for plaque characterization. Sixteen-slice, multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) was recently introduced into the field of cardiac imaging, with promising results for noninvasive angiography. We compared the capabilities of MDCT and MRI for the assessment of noncalcified, atherosclerotic plaques. Methods and Results— Six atherosclerotic rabbits underwent in vivo imaging by MDCT and 1.5-T MRI. MDCT parameters were 120 kV, 120 mA/s, collimation 12×0.75, and spatial resolution 0.6×0.6 mm. MRI parameters were as follows: for proton density, repetition time/echo time (TR/TE) 2300/5.6; for T2, TR/TE 2300/62; and for T1, TR/TE 800/5.6; slice thickness was 3 mm and spatial resolution, 0.3×0.3 mm. Blinded analysis of 3-mm axial reconstructions from MDCT and the carefully matched MRI images (182 sections) showed excellent ag...
Multiply constrained partitioned nonlinear equation solvers

By partitioning solution space into a number of subspaces, a new multiply constrained partitioned Newton Raphson nonlinear equation solver is developed. Specifically, for a given iteration, each of the various separate partitions are individually and simultaneously controlled. Due to the generality of the scheme, a hierarchy of partition levels can be employed. For finite element type applications, this includes the possibility of degree of freedom, nodal, elemental, geometric substructural, material and kinematically nonlinear group controls. Note, such partitioning can be continuously updated depending on solution conditioning. In this context, convergence is ascertained at the individual partition level. To verify the numerical properties of the scheme, several formal theorems are derived. These enable the evaluation of solution conditioning. In addition to purely formal considerations, the results of several numerical experiments are presented. These involve problems exhibiting large deformation kinematic, as well as, pre and postbuckling behavior.
The green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate blocks nuclear factor-kappa B activation by inhibiting I kappa B kinase activity in the intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-6.

The IκB kinase complex (IKK) mediates activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). We previously showed that green tea polyphenols inhibited endotoxin-mediated tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) production by blocking NF-κB activation. In this study, we evaluated whether green tea polyphenols inhibit NF-κB by blocking IKK activity. We assessed IKK activity by detecting changes in phosphorylation of an IκBα-glutathioneS-transferase (GST) fusion protein. IEC-6 cells pretreated with an extract of green tea polyphenols (GrTPs; 0–0.4 mg/ml) had diminished TNFα-induced IKK and NF-κB activity. Of the various GrTPs, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) was the most potent inhibitor. We next examined whether EGCG inhibited activated IKK. In cytosolic extracts of TNFα-stimulated cells, EGCG inhibited phosphorylation of IκBα-GST (IC50 > 18 μM) consistent with inhibition of IKK activity. Using other polyphenols, we showed that the gallate group was essential for inhibition, and antioxidants were ineffective in blocking activated IKK. Importantly, EGCG decreased IKK activity in cytosolic extracts of NIK transiently transfected cells. This latter finding showed that our findings were not related to nonspecific kinase activity. In conclusion, EGCG is an effective inhibitor of IKK activity. This may explain, at least in part, some of the reported anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of green tea.
The Effect of Traumatic Lumbar Puncture on Hospitalization Rate for Febrile Infants 28 to 60 Days of Age

Objectives The authors measured the effect of a traumatic or unsuccessful lumbar puncture (LP) on the management of febrile infants. Methods This was a 10-year retrospective cross-sectional study of low-risk infants by the “Boston” criteria 28 to 60 days of age presenting to the emergency department for evaluation of fever. “Normal LP” infants had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) WBC < 10 × 106 cells/L. “Traumatic” or “unsuccessful LP” infants had CSF red blood cell count ≥ 10 × 109 cells/L or no CSF cell counts obtained, respectively. A serious bacterial infection (SBI) was defined as growth of a bacterial pathogen from culture. The hospitalization and SBI rates were compared between infants with normal versus traumatic or unsuccessful LPs. Results Of the 929 study infants, 756 (81.4%) had normal LPs, and 173 (18.6%) had traumatic or unsuccessful LPs. Infants with traumatic or unsuccessful LPs had a higher hospitalization rate (72.3% traumatic or unsuccessful LP vs. 18.1% normal LP; difference = 54.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 46.4% to 60.8%), but a similar SBI rate (2.9% vs. 4.1%; difference = 1.2%; 95% CI = –2.7% to 3.6%). No infant had proven bacterial meningitis (0% risk, 95% CI = 0 to 0.3%). Conclusions Low-risk infants aged 28 to 60 days with traumatic or unsuccessful LPs are more frequently hospitalized, although SBI rates were similar to those of infants with normal LPs.
New instrumentation in percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the procedure of choice for removing large, complex, and/or multiple renal calculi. Since its first description in 1976, PCNL techniques and equipment have evolved to maximize procedural efficacy, safety, and reproducibility. We reviewed current literature from January 2004 to November 2009 using Medline search regarding PCNL instrumentation and technology. Additional equipment discovered during the review process without published Medline evidence was summarized from manufacturer brochures and data. Included in this review are summaries of intracorporeal lithotriptors and accessory equipment, stone manipulation devices, PCNL tract sealants, and a digital rigid nephroscope. The evolution of these devices from their predecessors has increased the instrumentation options for the treating urologist and may represent more effective technology for the percutaneous treatment of large renal stones.
Detection of murine infarcts using myocardial elastography at both high temporal and spatial resolution

Myocardial elastography is a novel method for noninvasively assessing regional myocardial function, with the advantages of high spatial/temporal resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio and angle-independence. In this paper, in vivo experiments were performed in anesthetized normal and infarcted mice using a high-resolution ultrasound system. Radio-frequency signals were acquired at a high frame rate (up to 8000 Hz) and used to estimate the incremental axial displacements and strains of myocardium. The incremental results were further used to calculate the cumulative displacements and strains. Two-dimensional displacement and strain images (elastograms), M-mode displacement and strain images as well as displacement and strain profiles as a function of time clearly indicated the contraction and relaxation, thickening and thinning of myocardium and demonstrated the lower motion and deformation of infarcted myocardium. The cumulative displacement and strain were less noisy than incremental images, and the cumulative strain images show the highest contrast between non-infarcted and infarcted myocardia. Finally, preliminary statistical results from nine non-infarcted mice and seven infarcted mice indicated that cumulative strain can be used to differentiate infarcted myocardium from non-infarcted myocardium. In conclusion, myocardial elastography can provide strain information at both high temporal and spatial resolution, and is capable of accurately characterizing normal myocardial function as well as detecting and localizing early myocardial infarction in vivo.
The State of State Budget Research

This essay examines the research on state budgeting that has appeared in Public Budgeting & Finance since its founding, with a view to summarizing the key themes and outlining what we have yet to learn. It also offers some suggestions for future research strategies, how to pick topics and cases, and theorize about the findings. The goal is not to utilize theories from other fields which may or may not be relevant to budgeting, but to theorize about what we know and get to a deeper level of understanding.
Assessing Teaming Skills Acquisition on Undergraduate Project Teams

Much of what students learn about teaming is procedural or practical knowledge, acquired through direct experience on teams that promote good team processes and self reflection. Assessment of teaming competence should follow a simple, three-step model where 1) goals are stated, 2) the “essential ingredients” thought to promote those goals are identified and assessed, and 3) the impact of the teaming experience on students is measured. By examining the links between teaming ingredients and their impact on students, a feedback loop is established that should help faculty learn more about the “art” of teaching teaming skills and thereby help faculty engage in continuous improvement of their instructional efforts. Various assessment methods and strategies are illustrated. The issue of promoting multidisciplinary teaming competence is discussed, and the desirability of a progressive sequence of student teaming experiences advocated.
Direct Measurement of Opening Mode Stress Intensity Factors Using Flexoelectric Strain Gradient Sensors

This paper presents a new method for direct measurement of Mode-I stress intensify factor of cracks using Ba0.64Sr0.36TiO3 flexoelectric strain gradient sensors. Firstly, strain gradient field around the opening mode crack tip was analyzed, followed by the derivation of induced flexoelectric polarization in the strain gradient sensors attached in the vicinity of a crack tip. It was found that the constant stress term makes no contribution to the strain gradient, thus the flexoelectric output directly reflects the singular effect. This unique property eliminates the special requirement for sensor placement coordinates and improves the accuracy of the stress intensify factor predication. A specimen with Mode-I crack was then prepared with two strain gradient sensors (4.7 mm × 0.9 mm × 0.3 mm) attached close to the crack tip to verify the analytical model for measurements of stress intensity factor. The experimental results matched well with the empirical estimation confirming that flexoelectric strain gradient sensing can be a convenient and accurate avenue for measuring the stress intensify factor.
Nitric Oxide: Surface Reactions and Removal from Auto Exhaust

Abstract In the last 10 years an extensive research and development effort has been made to implement the catalytic removal of noxious constituents from automotive exhaust. This effort is finally coming to fruition as this paper is going into print. Vehicles sold in the United States in 1975 will be, in a significant proportion, equipped with catalytic devices. The incorporation of a miniature chemical conversion plant into millions of moving objects operating under widely varying conditions, while being required to assure reliable performance for extended usage periods, has called for the combined skills of scientists, engineers, and designers in several industries. Even so, at present only the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons has reached the implementation stage. The catalytic removal of nitrogen oxides has turned out to be a still more difficult task. This review will summarize very briefly the present state-of-art of the catalytic devices for the treatment of NO, emissions, but ...
Enhancement technology improves palatability of normal and callipyge lambs.

The objective of this research was to determine if BPI Processing Technology (BPT) im- proved palatability of normal (NN) and callipyge (CN) lamb meat and to determine the mechanism by which palatability was improved. Ten ewe and 10 wether lambs of each phenotype were slaughtered, and car- cass traits were assessed by a trained evaluator. The LM was removed at 2 d postmortem. Alternating sides served as controls (CON) or were treated with BPT. Muscles designated BPT were injected to a target 120% by weight with a patented solution containing water, ammonium hydroxide, carbon monoxide, and salt. Muscle pH, cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS), sarcomere length, cooked moisture retention, and desmin degradation were measured. A trained sen- sory panel and a take-home consumer panel evaluated LM chops. Callipyge had a heavier BW and HCW, less adjusted fat thickness, reduced yield grades, and great- er conformation scores than NN (P < 0.05). For LM, NN had shorter sarcomeres, smaller WBS values, great- er juiciness ratings, more off-flavors, reduced consumer ratings for raw characteristics (like of portion size, like of color, like of leanness, overall like of appearance) and greater consumer ratings for eating characteristics (like of juiciness, like of flavor) than CN (P < 0.05). For LM, BPT had greater cooked moisture retention, smaller WBS values, greater juiciness ratings, less off- flavors, and greater consumer ratings for raw charac- teristics (like of portion size, like of color, overall like of appearance) and eating characteristics (like of juiciness, like of flavor) than CON (P < 0.05). Significant pheno- type × treatment interactions occurred for LM muscle pH, desmin degradation, tenderness, consumer like of texture/tenderness, and consumer overall like of eating quality (P < 0.05). For LM, BPT increased muscle pH more for NN than CN (P < 0.01) and increased desmin degradation for NN but decreased desmin degradation for CN (P < 0.01). The BPT enhancement improved LM tenderness ratings for CN more than NN (P < 0.05). For consumer like of texture/tenderness, BPT improved ratings for CN more than NN (P < 0.01). For consumer overall like of eating quality, BPT improved ratings for CN more than NN (P < 0.05). In summary, BPT had little to no effect on sarcomere length and desmin degradation, but improved palatability of NN and CN lamb by increasing cooked moisture retention, improving consumer acceptability of CN to near-nor- mal levels.
Semi-blind channel identification and equalization in OFDM: an expectation-maximization approach

The paper proposes an expectation-maximization approach to channel identification and equalization in OFDM. The algorithm exploits the natural constraints imposed by the channel (sparsity, maximum delay spread, and a priori statistical information) and those imposed by the transmitter (pilots, cyclic prefix, and the finite alphabet constraint). These constraints are used to reduce the number of pilots needed for channel and data recovery and also to perform this task within one packet.
Propagating Uncertainty in Bayesian Networks by Probabilistic Logic Sampling

Bayesian belief networks and influence diagrams are attractive approaches for representing uncertain expert knowledge in coherent probabilistic form. But current algorithms for propagating updates are either restricted to singly connected networks (Chow trees), as the scheme of Pearl and Kim, or they are liable to exponential complexity when dealing with multiply connected networks. Probabilistic logic sampling is a new scheme employing stochastic simulation which can make probabilistic inferences in large, multiply connected networks, with an arbitrary degree of precision controlled by the sample size. A prototype implementation, named Pulse, is illustrated, which provides efficient methods to estimate conditional probabilities, perform systematic sensitivity analysis, and compute evidence weights to explain inferences.
Genetic engineering and accelerated plant improvement: Opportunities and challenges

Conventional plant breeding practiced over the centuries produced crop cultivars that sustain humankind today. Largely because of exploitation of hybrid vigor, grain yields of maize, pearl millet and sorghum registered a phenomenal increase in the period from about 1965-1990 (Khush and Baenziger, 1996; Jauhar and Hanna, 1998). Improved, high yielding varieties of wheat and rice developed in the 1960s and 1970s launched the green revolution in Asia and averted mass starvation. With the advent of newer tools of cytogenetics and chromosome engineering, the techniques of plant improvement became more sophisticated and facilitated the introduction of alien genes into crop plants, especially wheat. The development of novel biotechnological tools of direct gene transfer, in the last decade and a half, has added new dimensions to plant improvement programs. The development of pest-resistant Bt crops (corn, soybean and cotton), introduction of virus coat protein-mediated resistance to viral diseases, and enhancing nutritional level of crop plants are some of the accomplishments of transgenic technology. The development of golden rice, genetically endowed to produce both vitamin A and iron (Ye et al., 2000), two of the most important nutritional ingredients, may become one of the most important success stories of all time. However, like any new technology, acceptance of genetic engineering is facing resistance from certain sections of the public. Floating around are several misconceptions about genetically engineered food plants, which poses a challenge for scientists. Most fears are largely unfounded and to alleviate these the public will need to be educated or at least well informed. Some of the public concerns may be genuine because no technology is completely risk-free and, therefore, we must weigh potential benefits against any possible adverse effects of the new technology for crop improvement. This article highlights the great potential of the transgenic technology as an adjunct to plant breeding and discusses the challenges that lie ahead. Hopefully, the enormous potential of genetic engineering will be harnessed to the best advantage of the human race.
Discovery of the Remarkable Larvae of Hoplandriini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

Abstract A distinctive and highly modified but previously unassociated type of aleocharine staphylinid larva was shown by rearing to belong to Hoplandria klimaszewskii Genier, 1989, providing the first knowledge of any larva of the tribe Hoplandriini. Larvae of this species are described, with notes on their feeding and locomotory behavior. Their unique features are extremely large down-turned antennal sensory appendage; very elongate legs with two and one spatulate setae on each pro- and mesofemur, respectively; abdomen very elongate, with tergum and sternum of segment IX fused into a single sclerotized tube uniformly covered with short setae; meso- and metanota and abdominal terga and sterna without anterior cariniform lines; hypertrichous setal patterns (compared with other Aleocharinae) present on all but the head; extremely short urogomphi; and lack of pygopodial gripping structures. The field-collected last instar constructed an apparently silken cocoon covered with soil particles within which it pu...