cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
It takes longer than you think: librarian time spent on systematic review tasks

Introduction: The authors examined the time that medical librarians spent on specific tasks for systematic reviews (SRs): interview process, search strategy development, search strategy translation, documentation, deliverables, search methodology writing, and instruction. We also investigated relationships among the time spent on SR tasks, years of experience, and number of completed SRs to gain a better understanding of the time spent on SR tasks from time, staffing, and project management perspectives. Methods: A confidential survey and study description were sent to medical library directors who were members of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries as well as librarians serving members of the Association of American Medical Colleges or American Osteopathic Association. Results: Of the 185 participants, 143 (77%) had worked on an SR within the last 5 years. The number of SRs conducted by participants during their careers ranged from 1 to 500, with a median of 5. The major component of time spent was on search strategy development and translation. Average aggregated time for standard tasks was 26.9 hours, with a median of 18.5 hours. Task time was unrelated to the number of SRs but was positively correlated with years of SR experience. Conclusion: The time required to conduct the librarian’s discrete tasks in an SR varies substantially, and there are no standard time frames. Librarians with more SR experience spent more time on instruction and interviews; time spent on all other tasks varied widely. Librarians also can expect to spend a significant amount of their time on search strategy development, translation, and writing. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program .
Cholesterol and Hydroxycholesterol in the Brain

The brain has higher concentration of cholesterol compared to other body parts (25% of the body’s free cholesterol) (Dietschy and Turley, 2004). In brain, cholesterol resides in two pools: one major pool associated with the myelin sheaths playing an important role in propagation of the electrical signals along the axons and the other minor pool associated with the plasma membranes of astrocytes and neurons (Dietschy and Turley, 2004).
Streptococcus pyogenes: resistant, tolerant, neither or both?

The role of Streptococcus pyogenes in pharyngitis as well as its importance in the sequelae of that infection is well known and a constant concern. However, in the last several years, the number of life-threatening infections caused by S. pyogenes, such as toxic shock-like syndrome and severe invasive disease, have increased the concern about this organism.1,2,3
Prophylactic muscle flap reconstruction after complex spine surgery for degenerative disease: case series and institutional protocol.

Background: Wound complications can occur in up to 20% of patients following multilevel posterior spinal fusion. Currently, the use of local flaps has been reported in high-risk patients with a history of spinal neoplasm, radiation therapy, exposed hardware, multiple spine surgeries, or wound infections. However, there are no reports of prophylactic muscle flap wound closure in patients undergoing multi-level spinal fusion for degenerative pathology. Given the extensive soft tissue dissection for exposure compounded by patient comorbidities, there is potential to minimize the risk of wound complications with prophylactic trapezius and/or paraspinal flap coverage. We sought to describe the utility and outcomes of prophylactic muscle flaps for wound coverage after instrumented posterior spinal fusion for multi-level degenerative spine disease and spinal deformity. Methods: An institutional review board (IRB)-approved retrospective review of 26 consecutive patients who underwent a multi-level posterior spinal fusion for degenerative pathology with concurrent muscle flap coverage at a single institution (August 2016 to February 2017) was done. Patient demographics, clinical profile, procedures, and outcomes at a minimum 6-month post-operatively have been described. Results: Patients had a mean age of 59.7±13.0 years with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 31.0±8.6 kg/m 2 . Paraspinous muscle flap (61.5%), trapezius (3.8%), and combination flaps (34.6%) were used for coverage of an average wound defect of 325 cm 2 extending over average 10.2 vertebral levels. All wounds healed completely with no complications at an average of 9.1 months follow-up. Only one patient (3.8%) developed a seroma for which interventional radiology (IR)-drainage was sufficient. Conclusions: Prophylactic trapezius and/or paraspinous muscle flap coverage using a team approach can reduce the risk of wound complications after extensive spinal fusion for multi-level degenerative disease or adult spinal deformity (ASD). Preliminary results from our institution suggest that routine use of such a protocol has the potential to improve quality of care and reduce healthcare expenditure associated with this relatively morbid procedure.
Finite element modeling of current perturbation method of nondestructive evaluation application

Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) methods are used widely in the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of natural gas transmission pipelines. In this technique, the pipe wall is magnetized in the axial direction and a circumferential array of Hall sensors is used to detect any leakage flux caused by the presence of defects in the pipe wall. In general, this tool generates an axially oriented magnetic field, which is sensitive to the presence of circumferential cracks. However, these inspection tools are insensitive to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) which are oriented largely in the axial direction. A possible solution to this problem is to utilize the fields associated with the circumferential cmrents generated in the pipe-wall by the movement of the magnetizer relative to the pipe-wall. Since the motion of the tool inside the pipe is along the pipe axis, the motional emf due to the vxB term is negligible between the poles of the magnet. However, at the poles, the radially oriented magnetic fields generate a significant amount of circumferentially directed currents. The intersection of these motion-induced currents with the axial SCC results in a perturbation of the current distribution. The fields associated with the perturbation currents carry information relating to the presence of axial SCC. The finite element nndeling of the interaction between axial stress corrosion cracks and circumferential currents is a significant challenge in terms of both the computation time and memory requirements. The challenges arise due to the nonlineanty of material properties, the size of tight cracks relative to that of the magnetizer, and the time stepping involved in modeling velocity effects. An approach is presented to avoid these problems by xi decomposing the overall task into four simpler subtasks that can be performed sequentially. The simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of detection of both single and symnunetric see and SCC colonies of arbitrary orientation.
Evaluation of the Quality of Precipitation Products: A Case Study Using WRF and IMERG Data over the Central United States

AbstractHydrological applications rely on the availability and quality of precipitation products, especially model- and satellite-based products for use in areas without ground measurements. It is ...
Direct comparison between surface imaging and orthogonal radiographic imaging for SRS localization in phantom

PURPOSE Surface imaging (SI) offers a nonionizing, near real time alternative to radiographic imaging for intrafraction radiosurgery localization. In this work, we systematically compared a commercial SI system vs a commercial room mounted x-ray localization system in phantom. METHODS An anthropomorphic head phantom with fiducial markers was imaged with linear accelerator on-board x-ray imaging, SI, and room mounted x-ray imaging (RM) at ±45° and ±90° couch angles for three different head tilts and six different isocenters (72 total positions). The shifts generated by the three systems were compared as functions of couch angle, head tilt, and isocenter position with the on-board imaging shifts used as ground truth. Two sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were used to evaluate equivalence of the groups. RESULTS The magnitude of the displacement vectors for RM minus on-board imaging and SI minus on-board imaging over all 72 phantom positions were 0.7 ± 0.3 mm for both cases. The RM and SI showed no significant difference based on couch angle or isocenter position. Both systems showed decreasing accuracy with increasing couch angle, but both systems agreed with ground truth to <=1.1 mm at all couch angles. The exaggerated chin-up head orientation showed significantly different shifts for SI and RM based on increased variance in the SI measurements, although both had submillimeter accuracy on average. The standard deviation of the real time SI displacement vector was <0.06 mm over all measurements, during which the on-board imaging panels partially blocked the lateral camera pods for half the time. CONCLUSIONS RM and SI showed similar accuracy over measurements at 72 different phantom positions. SI showed minimal performance loss with camera pods blocked. SI is a feasible option for intra-fraction radiosurgery localization based on these phantom measurements.
D-CCA: A Decomposition-Based Canonical Correlation Analysis for High-Dimensional Datasets

A typical approach to the joint analysis of two high-dimensional datasets is to decompose each data matrix into three parts: a low-rank common matrix that captures the shared information across dat...
Queering Practice: LGBTQ+ Diversity and Inclusion in English Language Teaching

ABSTRACTBefore the social turn in applied linguistics, English language teaching (ELT) was a presumably monosexual world. One where all its participants were presumed to be straight until, and even...
Adaptive Time Segment Analysis for Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential Based Brain–Computer Interfaces

The research in non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) has led to significant improvements in the recent years for potential end users. However, the user experience and the BCI illiteracy problem remains challenging areas to address for obtaining robust and resilient clinical applications. In this study, we address the choice of the time segment for the detection of steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) detection. This problem has been widely addressed for the detection of event-related potentials compared to SSVEP based BCIs. The choice of this parameter is typically fixed and has a direct influence on both the detection accuracy and the information transfer rate. We propose to shift the problem of the time segment to the choice of the threshold for determining if a response has been properly detected. We consider two open-datasets for benchmarking the rationale of the approach. The results support the conclusion that an adaptive time segment for each trial, based on the selection of a threshold, can lead to a substantial higher ITR (86.92 bits/min), compared to the time segment chosen at the user (79.56 bits/min) or group level (73.78 bits/min). Finally, the results suggest that the threshold could be determined automatically in relation to the number of classes. Such an approach can leverage the literacy of SSVEP based BCI.
Utilizing Network Properties to Detect Erroneous Inputs.

Neural networks are vulnerable to a wide range of erroneous inputs such as adversarial, corrupted, out-of-distribution, and misclassified examples. In this work, we train a linear SVM classifier to detect these four types of erroneous data using hidden and softmax feature vectors of pre-trained neural networks. Our results indicate that these faulty data types generally exhibit linearly separable activation properties from correct examples, giving us the ability to reject bad inputs with no extra training or overhead. We experimentally validate our findings across a diverse range of datasets, domains, pre-trained models, and adversarial attacks.
School and Cybervictimization Across High School: Normative Developmental Trajectories and Bidirectional Links with Loneliness.

The current study examines normative developmental trajectories of school and cybervictimization across 3 years of high school and tests whether school and cybervictimization experiences predict increases in loneliness at school or whether loneliness at school increases the risk of victimization. Gender differences are also explored. Data were drawn from a longitudinal sample of 4,339 ethnically diverse U.S. adolescents (Mage = 15.02) who completed surveys in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Whereas school victimization decreased, cybervictimization increased across high school. School-based victimization and loneliness were bidirectionally related across time (controlling for cybervictimization), but cybervictimization and loneliness were not related (controlling for school victimization). The findings provide a nuanced account of the associations between school and cybervictimization with feelings of isolation at school.
Early childhood environmental education: A systematic review of the research literature

Abstract Environmental education focused on the early-childhood years is experiencing dynamic growth in research and practice due to persistent environmental challenges coupled with burgeoning interest in the documented benefits of nature-rich experiences for infants and children. To better understand the landscape of early childhood environmental education (ECEE) pedagogical practices and expected outcomes, we undertook a systematic review of empirical studies of ECEE programs. Focusing on a 25-year span, we surfaced 66 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We found that participants in such programs spanned the early-childhood age range (birth through age eight) with the majority involving three- to six-year-olds in teacher-led, formal (school-like) programs. The primary outcomes documented in our sample studies included environmental literacy development, cognitive development, and social and emotional development. To a lesser extent, the studies addressed physical development and language and literacy development. On balance, our sample of ECEE studies reported strongly positive findings associated with the aforementioned outcomes. The majority emphasized the effectiveness of play-based, nature-rich pedagogical approaches that incorporated movement and social interaction. We include a visualization that synthesizes cross-sample findings with the intention of assisting ECEE practitioners in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs as well as encouraging researchers to further study elements, processes, and theoretical assumptions inherent in them.
Poetic Juxtaposition, a Method for Connecting Data, Theory, and Every Day Texts:

In this article, I explore an experimental form of writing I term poetic juxtaposition. Drawing from Glesne’s poetic transcription and Prendergast’s use of found poetry as literature review, I defi...
Living in dual liminal states: Navigating the loss of my father and my clinical career during a pandemic

Drawing from Van Gennep and Caffee’s conceptualization of liminality, this autoethnographic narrative portrays the author’s rites of passage into academia and through the death of her father. These...
Microwave transmission lines

We have dwelt at considerable length on general theoretical considerations underlying the design and operation of microwave antennas as a whole. We now enter upon a program of studying the components of an antenna, starting with an investigation of microwave transmission lines. Usually about a foot, or perhaps two, of the line immediately preceding the radiating system is at the disposal of the engineer for the insertion of matching devices to compensate for the impedance mismatch of his antenna; this section will be referred to as the feed line.
African continental free trade area: Is there a trade potential for Côte d’Ivoire?

Many studies present the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as one of Africa’s most new trade issues. Previous assessments show that this AfCFTA will catalyze Intra African trade. The cum...
The effects of dialogic reading on the expressive vocabulary of pre-school aged children with moderate to severely impaired expressive language skills:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dialogic reading on the expressive vocabulary skills of children with moderate to severe expressive impairments. Previous research has sh...
Doubled Haploid Production in Watermelon.

Doubled haploid (DH) technology is very advantageous in plant breeding. This technique is beneficial for reducing the time required to obtain pure lines and contributes to the selection efficiency. Using this technique, 100% homozygosity can be achieved in a single generation, while the development of stable lines using the traditional self-pollination method takes from 6 to 8 years. It has long been used in diverse crops including cucurbits. DHs can be obtained via parthenogenesis (pollination mostly with irradiated pollen), gynogenesis (in vitro culture of ovules and ovaries), and androgenesis (in vitro culture of microspores and anthers). All these methods have been used for over 30 years to develop haploid and DH lines in cucurbit crops. Nowadays, many researchers benefit from these techniques routinely. However, there are still many limits for using DH technology in watermelon breeding programmes. The number of developed DH lines is still very low.In this chapter, we present a protocol based on the different studies on haploids and DHs induced in watermelon through irradiated pollen technique, unfertilized ovule/ovary culture and anther/microspore culture. According to the results of all these studies, it is crucial to develop an efficient protocol for haploid embryo induction to enhance the frequency of obtaining haploid embryos in watermelon.
Looking beyond person-specific cues indicative of credibility: Reward rules and executive function predict preschoolers' acceptance of (un)reliable assertions.

Abstract We tested whether 3- and 4-year-olds (N = 88) can deduce individuals’ credibility exclusively from situational cues such as game rules that reward competitive or cooperative behavior—and whether children’s inferences are predicted by their executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) skills. When presented with the game rules, children endorsed a partner’s claims more often if the rules incentivized cooperation between participants and partners (e.g., by giving them prizes when trusting each other) versus when the rules incentivized deception (e.g., by giving prizes to partners who tricked the children). Notably, children’s appropriate responses to partners’ claims increased as their EF skills improved regardless of whether the rules supported trust or skepticism. ToM was not related to children’s rule-based selectivity. Preschoolers’ ability to make inferences based on cooperative versus competitive reward rules to determine whether the children’s partner can be trusted is key to learning from individuals whose reputation or past behavior is completely unknown. In addition, findings of associations between EF and vigilance about others’ claims contribute to the epistemological debate of whether people start in life as credulous learners.
Reducing environmental plastic pollution by designing polymer materials for managed end-of-life

Plastics are a ubiquitous class of synthetic polymer materials used in virtually all commercial and industrial sectors. The majority of global plastics consists of polymers with carbon–carbon backbones, whose environmental persistence and low cost have resulted in a massive reservoir of plastic waste that resides in landfills and the environment. Although plastic debris contaminating the ocean has been documented for decades, details about plastic debris composition, distribution, impact and ultimate fate in the environment remain elusive. In this Review, we present an overview of environmental plastic contamination and discuss the origin (feedstock) and degradation behaviour of plastics to help inform material design principles addressing end-of-life management. We argue that designing materials to be ‘marine biodegradable’ or universally biodegradable is not, in itself, a solution to plastic pollution. Instead, material and product design principles must include a feasible plan for recovery and treatment based upon existing (or, possibly, simultaneously developed) systems. Plastic debris continues to contaminate the environment, negatively impacting wildlife and ecosystems. This Review argues that polymer selection and product design must incorporate strategies for end-of-life management and strive to eliminate, or at least minimize, environmental persistence of plastic materials.
The Rhetoric of Second Chance: The Invention of Ethos For An Ex-Offender

6 Introduction 7 Chapter I Development and Evolution of Ethos: The Position of Common Knowledge in the Construction of Ethos 19 Chapter II Evolution of Ethos 28 Ancient Theories of Ethos 33 Contemporary Theories of Ethos 39 Chapter III Methodology: Writing Workshop with the Ex-offenders 45 Chapter IV 56 Analytical Survey of Literacy and the Emergence of Community Literacy 61 The Politics of Literacy 72 Conclusion 76 Works Cited 85 Appendices Appendix A: Syllabus 88 Appendix B: Hamed’s Piece 91 Appendix C: Dina’s Piece 94
Wireless Communications: Summary of Wireless Standards

This chapter summarizes the technical details associated with the two most prevalent wireless systems in operation today: cellular phones and wireless LANs. It also summarizes the specifications for three short range wireless network standards that have emerged to support a broad range of applications. More details on wireless standards can be found in. Cellular Phone Standards First-Generation Analog Systems In this section we summarize cellular phone standards. We begin with the standards for first-generation (1G) analog cellular phones, whose main characteristics are summarized in Table D.1. Systems based on these standards were widely deployed in the 1980s. While many of these systems have been replaced by digital cellular systems, there are many places throughout the world where these analog systems are still in use. The best known standard is the Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), developed by Bell Labs in the 1970s and first used commercially in the United States in 1983. After its U.S. deployment, many other countries adopted AMPS as well. This system has a narrowband version, narrowband AMPS (N-AMPS), with voice channels that are one third the bandwidth of regular AMPS. Japan deployed the first commercial cellular phone system in 1979 with the NTT (MCS-L1) standard based on AMPS, but at a higher frequency and with voice channels of slightly lower bandwidth. Europe also developed a similar standard to AMPS called the Total Access Communication System (TACS), which operates at a higher frequency and with smaller bandwidth channels than AMPS.
Katheterinterventionelle Therapie angeborener Herzfehler

Interventional catheterization for congenital heart disease has rapidly developed over the last 2 decades. The role of interventions has evolved from replacing surgery altogether in some cases to complementing surgery in others. The most commonly used approaches to common cardiac lesions such as persistent arterial duct, atrial and ventricular septal defects, valvar stenosis, coarctation of the aorta and pulmonary artery stenosis are discussed.
The Chandra View of M101: What Can We Learn About the Milky Way?

M101 is a nearby face-on spiral galaxy which can be used to study the hot ISM in the MilkyWay. We have used a deep Chandra image of M101 to characterize the X-ray emission. The X-ray emission follows the optical light/star formation. The spectrum does not change significantly with radius or with surface brightness. A hard thermal component can be identified with similar emission in the Milky Way; a softer thermal component is likely a combination of several different types of sources.
Monopolization, Mergers, and Markets: A Century Past and the Future

Significant anniversaries are often occasions for wholesale generalization, congratulation, or lamentation. My theme is the narrower one of, to borrow a phrase, the law in search of itself. The statutes on which it rests are so general that antitrust law shares a great deal with the common law and is no more to be judged in gross than the law of contracts. Were I nevertheless to generalize grossly, I would point to the large and perhaps increasing number of sensible decisions giving coherence to antitrust policy. Of course, not all decisions fall within that happy category. I have been asked to discuss the future viability of legal doctrines concerning monopolies, mergers, and markets, and to comment on which of them either promote the public interest or impair it by obstructing the benefits sometimes flowing from a firm's integration or expansion. In this Article, I cannot summarize the several volumes of the Areeda-Turner treatise' or its supplement2 that touch on these subjects but must limit my discussion to a few salient monopolization-merger-market doctrines. Although doctrines take their meaning mainly from their applications, I distinguish sensible doctrines from their aberrant applications and consider their viability by examining both unsatisfactory current approaches ripe for change and developing tendencies toward reform.
Coherence of Low-frequency Sound Signals Propagating through a Fluctuating Ocean: Analysis and Theoretical Interpretation of 2004 NPAL Experimental Data

Abstract : To theoretically study low-frequency, long-range sound propagation in a fluctuating ocean, including studies of 3D effects. To compare obtained theoretical results with experimental data.
Research Methods and Types of Evidence for Research in Educational Technology

Recent concern about lack of scientific rigor in educational research has led to a reexamination of educational research methods. Methodology requires particular attention when researchers study learning in complex learning environments such as classrooms or computer-driven environments that simulate complex processes. This article reaffirms the importance of experimental research for answering some research questions. It argues that nonexperimental methods, such as design experiments and methods applied to the study of large-scale educational programs, such as randomized field trials, are useful for answering other kinds of research questions about learning in complex settings. This article discusses the validity of evidence gathered using these nonexperimental methods. Finally, it suggests that the study of the dynamics of learning can help integrate data from experiments that reveal details about learning and data from nonexperimental research that reveal how learning occurs in complex settings.
Simulating low streamflows with hillslope storage models

[1] In this study a deterministic approach is applied to estimate low-streamflow series and statistics at a watershed scale. The kinematic wave hillslope storage (kw) and the hillslope storage Boussinesq (hsB) models are applied in conjunction with a simple conceptual framework to a small steep headwater catchment that is part of the Maimai watersheds in New Zealand. The models are compared on the basis of their ability to reproduce base flow series and low-streamflow statistics. Variations in the number of hillslope partitions and the impact of homogeneous and variable model parameters across hillslopes are explored. Our results confirm findings from previous studies that have indicated that for steep hillslopes like those at Maimai the kw and hsB models produce similar results. More partitioning and variable parameters across the watershed can better capture hydrogeologic heterogeneity, resulting in improved model performance.
Positron emission tomography in dementia: A clinical review

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a technique which enables direct measurement of cerebral metabolism to be made. The procedure has exciting possibilities for the investigation of brain metabolism but there are limitations and problem which need to be overcome. A review is presented of the current state of knowledge of PET in relation to dementia, the techniques used, the practicalities of performing a scan and the limitations involved.
Sensor validation in non-destructive evaluation using clustering

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for condition monitoring in remote solid structures have evolved vastly in the last few years. Algorithms for estimation of sensor integrity and for noise correction form a crucial aspect of NDE. This paper presents a sensor validation approach that verifies sensor integrity, identifies and corrects noise effects and selects the best possible array of sensors for multi-sensor fusion. The proposed methodology uses a novel change detection algorithm for noise correction and a clustering algorithm to isolate useful signal information from the sensor data. It was used for sensor selection in a NDE field study, where multiple sensors were used to examine a solid structure. The methodology achieved 97% accuracy in the experiments, indicating its efficacy.
CAMAC Scanning DVM System

A CAMAC interface and control module has been developed at NAL for the Hewlett-Packard 3485A scanning DVM. This system is used to scan a number (? 50) of analog channels, digitize them and store the signed digitized value, channel number, scale factor and overflow indicator into a solid state buffer memory. An optional multiplexer unit may be added to the basic scanning system to expand the number of analog channels, which may be scanned, to four hundred.
New Dimensions in Infrastructure Evaluation: The Case of Non-Technical Issues in Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems

This paper examines the importance of non-technical criteria in infrastructure evaluation through a case study of the implementation of a major highway investment program in advanced communication and control technologies, known as intelligent vehicle-highway systems (IVHS). The case study focuses on the role of institutional issues as well as environmental issues, in the implementation of IVHS in the U.S. surface transportation system. The case emphasizes, first, the significance of institutional and environmental issues, and second, mechanisms for evaluating these issues in the context of a major infrastructure investment program.
Effect of Alanine on D-Galactosamine-Induced Acute Liver Failure in Rats

The effect of high-dose alanine on survival and liver function in rats with acute liver failure caused by a lethal dose of D-galactosamine (D-gal) was studied. Greater than 90% of control animals died within 5 days after D-gal injection, but alanine significantly decreased mortality, even when treatment was started at 12 hours after D-gal injection. Alanyl-glutamine had a slight effect, but glucose produced no improvement. There was marked elevation of the plasma aspartate transaminase (AST) level, prolongation of the prothrombin time, and a decrease of the arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR) and hepatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content within 12 hours after D-gal injection. The AKBR decreased in parallel with the decrease of the hepatic ATP content. These parameters were significantly improved in alanine-treated rats at 48 hours after the induction of liver damage, which was just before control rats began to die. The hepatic ATP content was significantly greater in alanine-treated rats than in the other rats (including normal controls), but glucose pretreatment had no effect. It was also found that the liver labeling index of partially hepatectomized rats was significantly elevated by alanine administration at 3 hours before measurement. In conclusion, alanine is effective for the treatment of experimental acute liver failure, probably caused by promotion of ATP synthesis. Ala may be a good candidate for clinical application because of its preventive effect on hepatocyte necrosis and its promotive effect on liver regeneration.
APPARENT CUTIS LAXA, MICROCEPHALY, CHD, POLYCYSTIC KIDNEYS, HYPOGENITALISM - A “NEW” SYNDROME

APPARENT CUTIS LAXA, MICROCEPHALY, CHD, POLYCYSTIC KIDNEYS, HYPOGENITALISM - A “NEW” SYNDROME
Some observations concerning the supermultiplet of negative-parity excited states in the α particle☆

Abstract Seven theoretical equations for the supermultiplet of negative-parity excited states of 4 He can be expressed in terms of four parameters. Using four empirically determined energy splitting the following quantities can be predicted: the 0- and 1-, T = 0 states lie near 22 and 28 MeV excitation energy respectively; the ratio of gamma-decay widths of the 1-, T = 1 states at 30 and 26 MeV is approximately 0.4. These predictions are compared with experimental evidence.
Dielectric functions and growth dynamics of CuIn 1−x ,Ga x Se 2 absorber layers via in situ real time spectroscopic ellipsometry

In situ, real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) has been used to study the growth dynamics of the chalcopyrite thin film absorber layer; copper indium gallium diselenide, CuIn 1−x ,Ga x Se 2 . Time dependent bulk layer (d b ) and surface roughness layer (ds) thicknesses were extracted in the early stages of film growth using growth temperature optical dielectric functions determined in the same analysis. We find that an accurate determination of the dielectric function can be obtained during the initial stages of film growth where the surface roughness is relatively low. Non-destructive optical feedback via RTSE on the growth dynamics and electronic properties of the absorber layer could play an important role in improving device efficiencies on both the laboratory and industrial scales.
Observed formation and burial of a recent human occupation site in Kenya

A recent human campsite, occupied in 1973 by members of the Dassanetch tribe of northern Kenya, was observed from its creation through its subsequent burial in flood events 4 months later. The site was excavated as an archeological occurrence in the summer of 1974. Analyses of field and laboratory data yield a detailed picture of sedimentary structures, bone transport and burial, and site preservation in a well-documented depositional situation. Trampling by site occupants was apparently instrumental in burying much small bone prior to the flood events which acted on the site. About 30 cm of sediments accumulated on the site during four or five flood events. Individual sedimentary beds can be related to specific observed flood events in the drainage system. The ultimate preservation of the site as part of the region's archeological record would depend upon the interaction of sediment deflation and the varying local water table. Specific conditions which tend to preserve human sites in water-poor environments may consistently select seasonally biased vestiges of human settlement and economy.
Postmenopausal Estrogen Replacement and Risk for Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Background Postmenopausal estrogen replacement is widely used in the United States but poses important health risks. Purpose To assess the risk for venous thromboembolism with postmenopausal estrogen replacement by using literature review and meta-analysis. Data sources All relevant English-language studies identified in searches of the MEDLINE (1966 to December 2000), HealthSTAR (1975 to December 2000), and Cochrane Library databases, and references lists of key articles. Study selection All published studies of postmenopausal estrogen replacement reporting venous thromboembolism as an outcome or adverse event. Data extraction 12 studies of estrogen were identified (3 randomized, controlled trials; 8 case-control studies; and 1 cohort study). Data were extracted on participants, interventions, event rates, and confounders. Two reviewers independently rated study quality on the basis of established criteria. Data synthesis A Bayesian meta-analysis was conducted. When data from all studies were pooled, current estrogen use was associated with an increased risk for venous thromboembolism (relative risk, 2.14 [95% credible interval, 1.64 to 2.81]). Estimates did not significantly change when studies were pooled according to study design, quality score, or whether participants had preexisting coronary artery disease. The absolute rate increase was 1.5 venous thromboembolic events per 10 000 women in 1 year. Six case-control studies that reported risk according to duration of use found that risk was highest in the first year of use (relative risk, 3.49 [credible interval, 2.33 to 5.59]). Conclusion Postmenopausal estrogen replacement is associated with an increased risk for venous thromboembolism, and this risk may be highest in the first year of use.
Paleotidal-Range Indicators in Carboniferous Barrier Sequences of Eastern Kentucky: ABSTRACT

When compared with their modern counterparts, the internal morphologies and external geometries of flood-tidal-delta and tidal-channel deposits in Carboniferous rocks of eastern Kentucky suggest mean tidal ranges of 1 to 2 m. Tidal-inlet, tidal-channel, and tidal-delta deposits of modern barriers each display characteristic vertical sequences; their relative proportions within barrier lithosomes vary consistently with tidal range. Increasing tidal range is accompanied by: (1) thicker inlet sequences; (2) changes in back-barrier deposits from thin, extensive flood-tidal-delta sheets intercalated with lagoonal muds to tidal-creek channel fills intercalated with marsh sediments; and (3) the increasing predominance of ebb-tidal deltas. Stratigraphic recognition of these environments provides an estimation of paleotidal range. Moreover, if basin geometry is known, tidal-wave-propagation theory allows evaluation of relative paleotidal range on a basin-wide scale, enabling prediction of sand-body-geometry pattern along depositional strike. Several Carboniferous exposures in eastern Kentucky are composed of well-sorted fine to medium-grained orthoquartzites arranged in linear, lenticular bodies up to 14 m thick, 1 to 2 km wide, and 40 km long. They intertongue basinward with red and green shales and carbonate rocks containing marine faunas, and landward with dark shales and siltstones bearing brackish faunas. Two thin (< 4 km) lithosomes display obvious flood-tidal-delta characteristics. These erosionally based sheets compose gently landward-dipping to subhorizontal accretion surfaces that bound cosets 1 to 2 m thick of decimeter-scale cross strata with bimodal/bipolar orientations. Washed-out ripples, ladder-backs, rill marks, and bubble sand textures attest to intertidal exposure; extensive root casts typify suprati al areas. Biogenic structures are similar to those on modern flood-tidal deltas. These lithologic and stratigraphic characteristics resemble those of back-barrier components transitional between microtidal and mesotidal environments. End_of_Article - Last_Page 415------------
Adaptive Whitening Filters for Small Target Detection

This paper studies the performance of the two dimensional least mean square adaptive filter as a prewhitening filter for detection systems. In two dimensional infrared sensor data, the clutter is correlated and much wider in spatial extent than the signal of interest. The two dimensional adaptive filter can be trained to adapt and predict the clutter, thereby enabling the error channel output to contain the signal of interest in white noise. Performance of the adaptive prewhitener, in terms of local signal to clutter ratio's(LSCR) and the gain obtained is described. The gain in LSCR due to this augmenting filter, is shown to depend on the statistics of the background clutter, in particular on the local mean. It is shown that, as the amount of color in the background clutter increases, the performance of the conventional matched filter performance degrades much more than the performance of a detector based on the augmenting prewhitener.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interaction of CO with surface PdZn alloys

Abstract The adsorption and bonding configuration of CO on clean and Zn-covered Pd(1 1 1) surfaces was studied using low energy electron diffraction (LEED), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). LEED and TPD results indicate that annealing at 550 K is sufficient to induce reaction between adsorbed Zn atoms and the Pd(1 1 1) surface resulting in the formation of an ordered surface PdZn alloy. Carbon monoxide was found to bond more weakly to the Zn/Pd(1 1 1) alloy surfaces compared to clean Pd(1 1 1). Zn addition was also found to alter the preferred adsorption sites for CO from threefold hollow to atop sites. Similar behavior was observed for supported Pd–Zn/Al 2 O 3 catalysts. The results of this study show that both ensemble and electronic effects play a role in how Zn alters the interactions of CO with the surface.
Monobenzyl Ether of Hydroquinone and 4-Tertiary Butyl Phenol Activate Markedly Different Physiological Responses in Melanocytes: Relevance to Skin Depigmentation

Monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBEH) is a Food and Drug Administration approved drug used for depigmentation therapy of advanced vitiligo. Here, the working mechanism of MBEH is explored in comparison to 4-tertiary butyl phenol (4-TBP), a known causative agent for occupational vitiligo mediating apoptotic melanocytic death. Cytotoxic experiments reveal that similar to 4-TBP, MBEH induces specific melanocyte death. To compare death pathways initiated by 4-TBP and MBEH, classical apoptotic hallmarks were evaluated in treated melanocytes. MBEH induced cell death without activating the caspase cascade or DNA fragmentation, showing that the death pathway is non-apoptotic. Release of High Mobility Group Box-1 protein by MBEH-treated melanocytes and ultrastructural features further confirmed a necrotic death pathway mediated by MBEH. A negative correlation between MBEH-induced cell death and cellular melanin content supports a cytoprotective role for melanin. Moreover, MBEH exposure upregulated the levels of melanogenic enzymes in cultured melanocytes and skin explants, whereas 4-TBP reduced the expression of the same. In summary, exposure to MBEH or 4-TBP has profoundly different consequences for melanocyte physiology and activates different death pathways. As the mode of cell death defines the nature of the immune response that follows, these findings help to explain the relative efficacy of these agents in mediating depigmentation.
Resistance to reflexivity

L'A. examine les critiques adressees par H.-H. Kogler a l'encontre de la notion de Weltanschauung (vision du monde) developpee par K. Mannheim et du concept d'habitus au cœur de la sociologie de la connaissance de P. Bourdieu. Il montre que pour Kogler, au contraire de ce que pretend Bourdieu, la capacite reflexive de l'agent social qui lui permet d'apprehender sa situation sociale n'est pas intrinsequement differente de celle du chercheur. L'A. souligne que pour Kogler on peut mettre en evidence certaines formes de resistance a la reflexivite au sein meme du travail de recherche du sociologue cognitif. Il examine et compare les theories de l'interpretation elaborees respectivement par Kogler et par Bourdieu
Risk factors favoring the development of glaucomatous visual field loss in ocular hypertension

Multivariate studies have identified elevated IOP, optic disc abnormality, increasing age, and a family history of glaucoma as risk factors for the development of glaucomatous visual field loss. Further studies are required to validate these findings and to identify additional risk factors. Eventually it may be possible to develop an equation capable of predicting accurately the risk of glaucoma developing in a given individual with ocular hypertension. If a reliable estimate of risk were available, rational decisions concerning the institution of therapy could be made.
Smoking cessation strategies for the 21st century.

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States, claiming over 400 000 lives a year because it directly increases the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and a variety of cancers.1 Approximately 25% of adults in the United States continue to smoke, despite information about the unequivocally negative health consequences of smoking.2 Part of the reason for continued cigarette smoking is the addictive nature of nicotine, a substance found in all types of tobacco products. In the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking ,3 nicotine was declared an addictive drug similar to heroin or cocaine. It is important to emphasize that nicotine itself is probably not responsible for most of the negative health consequences of smoking. Instead, persons who stop using nicotine-containing tobacco products experience an unpleasant withdrawal syndrome that may include such …
Activation of brainstem catecholaminergic neurons during voluntary diving in rats.

Abstract Underwater submergence produces a complex autonomic response that includes apnea, a parasympathetically-mediated bradycardia, and a sympathetically-mediated increase in total peripheral resistance (TPR). The present study was designed to identify brainstem catecholaminergic neurons that may be involved in producing the increased TPR during underwater submergence. Twelve male Sprague–Dawley rats were trained to voluntarily dive 5 m through an underwater maze. On the day of the experiment the rats were randomly separated into a Diving group that repetitively dived underwater, a Swimming group that repetitively swam on the surface of the water, and a Control group that remained in their cages. After the experiment the brainstems of the rats were immunohistologically processed for Fos as an indicator of neuronal activation, and for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) as an indentifier of catecholaminergic neurons. Neurons labeled with both Fos and TH identified activated catecholaminergic neurons. In Diving rats there was increased Fos+TH labeling in A1, C1, A2, A5, and sub-coeruleus, as well as globosa neurons in the lateral A7 region compared with Control rats, and in A1, C1 and A5 compared with Swimming rats. In Swimming rats Fos+TH labeling was significantly increased in caudal A1, A5, sub-coeruleus and globosa neurons compared with Control rats. These data suggest that selective groups of catecholaminergic neurons within the brainstem are activated by voluntary underwater submergence, and some probably contribute to the sympathetically-mediated increase in vascular tone during diving.
On the applicability of linear elastic fracture mechanics to environmental stress cracking of low-density polyethylene

The primary aim of this work was to re-examine the range of applicability of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) to environmental stress cracking of low-density polyethylene. By use of a number of specimen types and a range of specimen dimensions and loads it is shown that theK I-c relationship is unique only at lowK Is. The material studied showed a region of constant crack velocity which was not caused by plasticity effects or the failure of LEFM. However, crack arrest, which occurred at highK Is or loads, was shown to be caused by ductile yielding causing the crack to blunt.