cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive control of deburring robots based on human demonstration data

An adaptive controller for deburring robots is presented. The adaptation mechanism that updates the controller parameters is designed based on a set of teaching data taken from human demonstrations. The relationship between what a human monitors in a deburring process and how the human responds to variations in the task process is described as an associative mapping. This associative mapping can be recovered from human teaching data. The consistency of the mapping relation is analyzed by using Lipschitz's condition. The associative mapping is used in this new adaptive controller as the scheme to compute and update control parameters based on burr characteristics. To take into account the surface finish of the workpiece as an explicit control objective, an integral feedback scheme is used. The control system is implemented on a direct drive robot. Experimental results show that the robot can adapt to the deburring process in a manner very similar to a human worker. With the use of an integral feedback action, the smoothness of the surface finish can be greatly improved. >
Law and Literature: Representing Lesbians

What is involved in representing a lesbian in law or in literature? The premise of this Article is that the work of novelists is enough like the work of lawyers that useful insights can be drawn in at least one direction. That is, lawyers can learn how to represent lesbian clients better by studying books with lesbian characters.
Politics of the Periphery: An Introduction to Subnational Authoritarianism and Democratization in Latin America

The article is an introduction to the topic featured in JPLA 2/2010 "Subnational Authoritarianism and Democratization in Latin America." It discusses the papers by Carlos Gervasoni, Agustina Giraudy, Julian Durazo Herrmann, Alfred P. Montero, and Tracy Beck Fenwick that follow in this issue. Why feature the topic “subnational authoritarianism and democratization” in the Journal of Politics in Latin America ? Because despite widespread agreement that subnational jurisdictions in Latin America vary considerably in the democratic character of their politics, political scientists are still largely in the dark about how to conceptualize and measure this situation, and have scant knowledge about mechanisms that sustain and undermine it. This collection of articles makes major headway toward clearing our methodological and theoretical ignorance of these topics.
Pathogenesis of Infective Endocarditis

Publisher Summary Technical advances in laboratory techniques have greatly contributed to the understanding of the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis. The availability of molecular biological and immunological tools has made it possible to test numerous theories of endocarditis pathogenesis that were previously less strongly supported by observational and indirect findings. Some patients develop infective endocarditis without a known predisposing cardiac valve abnormality. It is assumed that the valve endothelium is intact and refractory to infection. Staphylococcal adhesins and endothelial cell receptors for bacterial attachment are identified and partially characterized. Bacterial products may also contribute to the growth of infected vegetations, since coagulase production by S. aureus in vitro affects the coagulation system. Coagulase leads to a stoichiometric, rather than a proteolytic conversion of prothrombin to thrombin. The thrombin region is involved in the interaction and binds tightly and specifically to coagulase.
Ontogenetic changes in dopaminergic pre and postsynaptic elements in rat brain: Effects of quinpirole and sulpiride

The effects of quinpirole and sulpiride on dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and accumulation of dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) after inhibition of DOPA decarboxylase were determined for the striatum and tegmentum of 11- and 17-day-old rat pups. In both 11- and 17-day-olds, sulpiride enhanced striatal DOPAC and DOPA accumulation; whereas, quinpirole decreased DOPAC levels and increased DA levels. In the tegmentum, sulpiride enhanced DOPA accumulation in the 11-day-olds only. 3H-spiroperidol binding sites were also measured in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, tegmentum, medial frontal cortex, and the hippocampo-entorhinal area of 11- and 17-day-old pups. Age-dependent increases in binding site density were found in the striatum and nucleus accumbens.
Outplacement for Underserved Women Workers.

The outplacement program ended with a short written evaluation of the value of the program to participants. Their comments indicated a high level of satisfaction; and all responded “yes” to the question, “Overall, do you think the outplacement program has been beneficial to you?” It appears that one of the main factors contributing to the program's success was having program goals that recognized the needs of hourly women workers. Before the outplacement program, they had no hope of obtaining better jobs than that of telephone operator. It was an exceptional women whose eyes were focused on moving up. The vast majority were resigned to take what they could get, clearly reducing their expectations and encouraging downward rather than upward movement. The true test will be to see what these participants do with their work lives in the future, but responses following the program indicate initially that they are now aiming much higher than the most basic level of employment.
Reversible Energy Transfer between Inductances

Repeatedly-pulsed magnetic fields of the order of 10 GJ with rise times of 10 ms, as they would be used in a theta-pinch fusion reactor, need energy storage and transfer devices of high efficiency. Inductive storage would be favourable but needs a suitable transfer system. The transfer device must be capable of storing about half the total energy during transfer. Two possibilities are suggested, both using kinetic energy as interim storage. One is a homopolar machine, in lieu of a capacitor, and operates with liquid metal as the only movable medium. The other is switchless and works on the principle of a single phase alternator; during transfer the rotor performs half a rotation between two unstable equilibrium positions. The feasibility of the liquid metal transfer system will depend on the results of research into the losses; the other system has worked on a small scale in a fully superconducting device.
Exercise moderates age-related atrophy of the medial temporal lobe

Regional deterioration of brain structure is a typical feature of aging, but emerging evidence suggests that exercise may mitigate the decline. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the moderating influence of exercise engagement on cross-sectional estimates of age-related brain atrophy at both global and regional levels. Estimates of exercise engagement over the past 10 years and MRI-based measures of global (gray and white) and regional volumes were obtained in a sample of 52 healthy older adults aged 55-79. Volume estimates were obtained in prefrontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, neostriatal, and medial temporal regions. Higher levels of exercise engagement were related to larger superior frontal volumes. Most critically, exercise engagement selectively moderated age-related medial temporal lobe atrophy. Specifically, significant age-related atrophy was observed for older adults who engaged in low levels of exercise, but not for those who engaged in high levels of exercise. This novel finding extends support for the efficacy of exercise to the potential maintenance of medial temporal lobe integrity in older adults.
Initial experience with a new articulating energy device for laparoscopic liver resection

Although significant advances have been made in laparoscopic liver resection (LLR), most techniques still rely on multiple energy devices and staplers, which increase operative costs. The aim of this study was to report the initial results of a new multifunctional energy device for hepatic parenchymal transection. Fourteen patients who underwent LLR using this new device were compared to 20 patients who had LLR using current laparoscopic techniques (CL). Data were collected prospectively. The groups were similar demographics and tumor type and size. Although the type of resection was similar between the groups, the parenchymal transection time was less in the Caiman group (32 ± 5 vs. 63 ± 4 min, respectively, p = 0.0001). The operative time was similar (194 ± 21 vs. 233 ± 16 min, respectively, p = 0.158). There was reduction of the number of advanced instrumentation used in the Caiman group, including the staplers. Estimated blood loss, size of surgical margin, and hospital stay were similar. There was no mortality, and morbidity was 7 % in the Caiman and 20 % in the CL group. This initial study shows that the new device is safe and efficient for LLR. Its main advantage is shortening of hepatic parenchymal transection time. This has implications for increasing efficiency and cost saving in LLR.
Stability and accuracy of two-dimensional kinematic wave overland flow modeling

Abstract A two-dimensional finite element based overland flow model was developed and used to study the accuracy and stability of three numerical schemes and watershed parameter aggregation error. The conventional consistent finite element scheme results in oscillations for certain time step ranges. The lumped and the upwind finite element schemes are tested as alternatives to the consistent scheme. The upwind scheme did not improve on the stability or the accuracy of the solution, while the lumped scheme provided stable and accurate solutions for time steps twice the size of time steps needed for the consistent scheme. A new accuracy based dynamic time step estimate for the two-dimensional overland flow kinematic wave solution is developed for the lumped scheme. The newly developed dynamic time step estimates are functions of the mesh size, and time of concentration of the watershed hydrograph. Due to lack of analytical solutions, the time step was developed by comparing numerical solutions of various levels of discretization to a reference solution using a very fine mesh and a very small time step. The time step criteria were tested on a different set of problems and proved to be adequate for accurate and stable solutions. A sensitivity analysis for the watershed slope, Manning’s roughness coefficient and excess rainfall rate was conducted in order to test the effect of parameter aggregation on the stability and accuracy of the solution. The results of this analysis show that aggregation of the slope data resulted in the highest error. The roughness coefficient had a smaller effect on the solution while the rainfall intensity did not show any significant effect on the flow rate solution for the range of rainfall intensity used. This work pioneers the challenge of providing guidelines for accurate and stable numerical solutions of the two-dimensional kinematic wave equations for overland flow.
Inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly is associated with worse outcomes: a national study of hospitalizations.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a bimodal peak of incidence with ≈15% of the cases manifesting after 65 years. Previous reports on the outcomes of IBD in the elderly have been single-center studies or have predated the use of biologics. The aim of our study was to compare outcomes of IBD-related hospitalizations in a nationwide representative cohort of patients 65 years and older with younger patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for the year 2004. We identified all IBD-related hospitalizations through the presence of the appropriate ICD-9-CM codes for Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or associated complications. We compared the differences in disease presentation as well the frequency of utilization of different interventions. We calculated the adjusted odds of mortality in older compared to the younger IBD patients using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Patients older than 65 years accounted for ≈25% of all IBD-related hospitalizations in 2004. They were less likely to be hospitalized with fistulizing (4.0 versus 8.8%, P < 0.001) or stricturing disease (4.0 versus 5.8%, P = 0.001). Even after adjusting for comorbidity, they had higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 3.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.50–6.11). Older patients with fistulizing disease are more likely to undergo surgery (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.00–2.40). Among IBD patients who underwent surgery, older patients also had a longer postoperative stay (1.73 days, 95% CI 1.04–2.21). Conclusions: Older patients with IBD-related hospitalizations have substantial morbidity and higher mortality than younger patients. Further research is needed to better characterize the natural history and treatment outcomes in this cohort. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008)
The specific activity of tobacco mosaic virus as a function of age of infection.

Abstract The specific activity of the common strain of tobacco mosaic virus during its course of synthesis in directly inoculated leaves of tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.), was determined by comparing the amount of virus estimated by infectivity, with that determined by electrophoresis and electron microscopy. During the period from 3 to 30 days after inoculation the specific activity appeared to remain constant.
An improved microwave silicon MESFET

Abstract An improved silicon MESFET with a 1; gate is described which has a maximum frequency of oscillation of 15 GHz. The improvement over previous MESFET's has been achieved by reducing the influence of the resistance of the gate metallization and by decreasing the gate-pad parasitics. Maximum available gain MAG is now 5 dB at 7 GHz and the optimum noise figure F 0 is 5 dB at 6 GHz. Below about 6 GHz the device is conditionally unstable. Unilateral gain U up to 3 GHz is 20 dB. The investigation indicates that not all parasitics have been removed. If the series resistance of the channel in the source-gate spacing could be decreased, f max should approach 35 GHz the estimated value of the intrinsic transistor.
Assessing Business Student Thinking Skills

The development of student thinking skills is a major goal of business education. As with other such goals, student outcomes assessment must be undertaken to measure goal achievement. Thinking is d...
Some Perspectives of the Major Biogeochemical Cycles

It was little more than a decade ago that the first attempts were made to compile comprehensive budgets for the trace constituents of the atmosphere. The realization that material flows through the atmosphere—that atmospheric gases have sources and sinks—was still strange, exciting, and new. The budgets were grossly in error, of course, because the photochemical activity of the troposphere, associated with the hydroxyl radical, was not appreciated. The biogeochemical cycle has become a household name in the world of science in a very short period of time.
Effect of Testicular Hyaluronidase on the Permeability of Human Arterial Tissue

THE action of testicular hyaluronidase on acid mucopolysaccharides isolated from human aortic tissue was established in previous work from this laboratory1. The present investigation was undertaken with the purpose of studying the effect of testicular hyaluronidase on the permeability of arterial tissue membranes.
Young Children's Understanding of Other People's Feelings and Beliefs: Individual Differences and Their Antecedents

Individual differences in young children's understanding of others' feelings and in their ability to explain human action in terms of beliefs, and the earlier correlates of these differences, were studied with 50 children observed at home with mother and sibling at 33 months, then tested at 40 months on affective-labeling, perspective-taking, and false-belief tasks. Individual differences in social understanding were marked; a third of the children offered explanations of actions in terms of false belief, though few predicted actions on the basis of beliefs. These differences were associated with participation in family discourse about feelings and causality 7 months earlier, verbal fluency of mother and child, and cooperative interaction with the sibling. Differences in understanding feelings were also associated with the discourse measures, the quality of mother-sibling interaction, SES, and gender, with girls more successful than boys. The results support the view that discourse about the social world may in part mediate the key conceptual advances reflected in the social cognition tasks; interaction between child and sibling and the relationships between other family members are also implicated in the growth of social understanding.
Renaut bodies in the sciatic nerve of beagle dogs

182 control Beagle dogs from 23 historical studies (14 chronic, 9 subchronic) were reviewed histologically for the presence of Renaut bodies in the sciatic nerve. Renaut bodies were found in 36.1 percent of the subchronic-study dogs and in 46.4 percent of the chronic-study dogs. The Renaut bodies most often resided in the distal sections of the sciatic nerve, specifically in the tibial branch as it traversed the knee joint in situ. There was no sex predilection. Renaut bodies were located predominately in the endoneurium, in the center of the nerve sections. There was no associated axonal degeneration, reactive gliosis, or encapsulation. The Renaut bodies were characterized as large (20 to 500 microns diameter in cross section), well-demarcated elliptical structures with an onion-skin arrangement of loosely textured, filamentous strands intermixed with sparse numbers of dark spindle-shaped nuclei. Occasionally the core displayed a more dense, intensely eosinophilic arrangement of fibers. Histochemical results included: positive acidic alcian blue, Gomori's trichrome, and Verhoeff Van Gieson's; and negative Periodic-acid Schiff, Congo Red, and Luxol fast blue/cresyl violet. Immunohistochemical results included: positive vimentin and collagen (subtypes I, II, and VI); and negative NSE, S-100, GFAP, amyloid A component, desmin, alpha-sarcomeric actin, pancytokeratin, EMA, and von Willebrand factor. Transmission electron microscopy revealed loosely arrayed, circumferentially oriented collagen fibers intermixed with varying amounts of amorphous substance and finely fibrillar material. Most of the cells comprising the Renaut body were identified as fibroblasts. No nerve fibers entered or left the Renaut body, and nearby nerves appeared to be normal structurally. Based on this characterization of Renaut bodies and in conjunction with the past literature, Renaut bodies appear to have little or no pathological significance, but rather are suggestive of a physiological adaptation in response to mechanical stress imposed on nerves.
Terminology of Sexuality Expressions that Exclude Penetration: A Literature Review.

Precise terminology is paramount in sexuality education. Most sexuality research focuses on the dichotomous concepts of sexual intercourse and virginity, yet there are many expressions of sexuality classified as neither. The purpose of this literature review is to identify and examine the various terms and definitions describing sexuality expressions that exclude penetration (SEEPs). After searching 11 EBSCOhost databases and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 peer-reviewed articles were selected for review. Fourteen included oral sex as a potential SEEP, and six sources included anal sex as a potential SEEP. Implications and recommendations for sexuality educators are addressed.
Reduced adhesion of human blood platelets to polyethylene tubing by microplasma surface modification

A hollow-cathode microplasma modified the lumenal surface of small-diameter polyethylene (PE) tubing. A microwave cavity diagnostic was used to measure the density of the microplasma. Plasma light output was observed with a monochromator at various positions along the PE tube to assess uniformity. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated by measuring the variation in capillary rise at various positions along the tubing. A correlation between the properties of the inner surface of the PE tubing and the emitted light intensity was found. A poly(ethylene oxide) surfactant was immobilized to the lumenal surface of the PE tubing with an argon microplasma discharge. To test hematocompatibility, an in vitro blood-flow loop circulated heparinized human blood through both a plasma-treated and -untreated PE tubes, simultaneously. After blood exposure, the tubes were examined with a scanning electron microscope to assess the density of adhering platelets along the length of the tubes. By modifying the plasma parameters, the uniformity of the microplasma treatment along the tubing can be optimized.
An improved laboratory reattachment method for the rapid assessment of adult barnacle adhesion strength to fouling-release marine coatings

Modifications have been made to the previously described adult barnacle laboratory reattachment method to enhance and improve the overall utility of this technique for rapidly assessing the efficacy of novel fouling-release marine coating technologies. These modifications include the use of an immobilization template to secure barnacles onto the coating surfaces during the underwater reattachment process, the development of a semi-automated push-off device to enable consistent and reproducible force gauge measurements and the implementation of a software tool to measure the diameter of barnacle base plates for adhesion strength calculations. A series of experimental siloxane–polyurethane and control coatings were evaluated with both the original and improved laboratory reattachment methodologies. Significantly higher adhesion strengths were obtained on these coatings using the improved reattachment method. Furthermore, only the improved reattachment method was able to discern significant differences in the performance of the siloxane–polyurethane coatings based on differences in compositional components. In this regard, the siloxane–polyurethane coatings containing the poly-caprolactone end groups attached to the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) backbone exhibited significantly higher reattached barnacle adhesion strengths than the aminopropyl-terminated PDMS containing coatings. It was also shown that the utilization of barnacles with 5–6 mm base plate diameters, rather than 7–8 mm diameters, significantly enhanced the strength or tenacity of adhesion to the surface of the control coatings. The results of the improved laboratory reattachment evaluation of experimental siloxane–polyurethane and control coatings were in good agreement with barnacle adhesion measurements obtained for the same coatings with static ocean immersion testing in the field.
On Constructing Generalized Voting Paradoxes

Interest in " Voting Paradoxes " dates back to the eighteenth century (Borda [1], Condorcet [2]). In its simplest form it consists of using the majority rule to derive a cyclic social strict preference relation thus violating the " Condorcet Criterion" which requires the social preference relation to be such that every non-empty subset of the set of alternatives has a best alternative; a condition which is generally agreed to be a minimal requirement for rational choice (Sen and Pattanaik [4]). McGarvey [3] has shown that if the set of alternatives is finite, by suitably choosing a finite number of individual orderings the majority rule can be made to yield any prespecified connected social weak preference relation. We will, henceforth, refer to this result as the "Generalized Voting Paradox " for the majority rule. In this paper we show that it is possible to construct Generalized Voting Paradoxes for a large class of rules and that it is possible to pick a sequence of rules belonging to this class which " converges " to the Pareto Rule, a remarkably consistent rule.
A statistical approach to quantifying the EIRP Spectral Density for SOTM terminals

This paper proposes a statistical approach to off-axis EIRP masks, in order to accommodate satellite communications on the move (SOTM) terminals. A “statistical mask” provides a reference EIRP Spectral Density (ESD) limitation, which can be exceeded with a specified maximum probability. Statistical masks and their implementation approaches are discussed in detail. Simulations are provided to show that the resulting interference is quantifiable and bounded. The statistical mask provides a sound and practical means in controlling interference. This work provides input to the on-going effort of setting emission standards for SOTM by ITU and military standard bodies.
DIURNAL VARIATION IN ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF THE OVARY OF THE PSEUDOPREGNANT RAT.

Significant diurnal variation was observed in ovarian ascorbic acid (OAA) content in rats rendered pseudopregnant by injections of PMS and HCG. Exposing the rats to varying periods of light throughout the day did not change the diurnal pattern. Since the level of OAA is an important variable in the assay of LH by the OAA depletion method of Parlow (1, 2), the time of day that assays are performed appears to be critical. (Endocrinology 74: 493,1964) P (1, 2) described a convenient and sensitive method for assaying luteinizing hormone (LH) by measuring the depletion of ovarian ascorbic acid (OAA) in immature pseudopregnant rats following an intravenous injection of LH. Sakiz and Guillemin (3) have pointed out some of the variables encountered with this method, such as the strain of rats used, priming of assay animals, and methods of expressing the results of the assay. We have made an additional observation on the variation in OAA content in pseudopregnant rats during a 24-hr period. This variation appears to be an important variable in the procedure described by Parlow. Materials and Methods The Holtzman strain of the Sprague-Dawley rat was used throughout the study. Twenty-fiveday-old female rats were injected with 100 IU of pregnant mare's serum (PMS) and 56-64 hr later with 50 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Seven days following the HCG injection the animals were used for study. In 2 of 3 experiments, the ascorbic acid content of both ovaries was determined in 10 rats every 3 hr starting at 8:00 AM and continuing for 27 hr, while in a third the experiment was continued for only 21 hr. The 3 experiments were performed at approximately 2-month intervals. Experiments 1 through 3 were conducted on Received August 1, 1963. 1 Work performed during tenure as a Postdoctoral Fellow supported by the Population Council, Rockefeller Institute, New York. Present address: The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. January 24, 1963, March 4, 1963, and May 10, 1963, respectively. The rats were housed in an air-conditioned room for at least 10 days prior to use and allowed constant access to food throughout the study. In routine studies the rats were exposed to 14 hr of light and 10 hr of darkness per day. In order to determine the acute effects of light on OAA content, an experiment was performed with some rats exposed to constant light for 24 hr and others to only 10 hr of light during the same interval. The animals were sacrificed by dislocation of the cervical vertebrae, the ovaries were removed, and the ascorbic acid content was determined by a modification of the method of Mindlin and Butler (4). Only those ovaries weighing 80 mg or more were used for the study.
Thermal degradation of urethanes based on 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol (MDI/BDO)

Abstract Differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) and gel permeation chromatography (g.p.c.) were used to study the thermal degradation of 4,4′-diphenylmethane/1,4-butanediol based monodisperse urethane model compounds. It was found that the urethane bond was unstable above 170°C in the crystalline state as well as in the molten liquid state. Significant degradation occurred above 200°C. The annealing time was found to be as important as the annealing temperature. The degradation species present were identified by g.p.c. using an absolute molecular weight-retention volume calibration curve. Polymerization as well as depolymerization occurred during the degradation process, so that the molecular weight distribution tended to broaden. The degradation mechanism was found to be thermal dissociation of the urethanes into free isocyanates and alcohols as confirmed by infra-red spectroscopy and gas liquid chromatography. The degradation rate fits well with first order kinetics with respect to the urethane. The triblocks and oligomeric multiblocks of MDI/BDO/poly(propylene oxide) polyol/polyurethanes were also found to be unstable at elevated temperature.
DNA Bending is an Important Component of Site-specific Recognition by the TATA Binding Protein

We have used gel electrophoretic methods to analyze the extent, location and direction of the DNA bend induced by the TATA binding protein (TBP) upon binding to a consensus TATA box sequence. Our observations were consistent with the proposed models for the X-ray crystal structure of the TBP-TATA box complex. We have also measured the magnitude and direction of the bend induced by TBP upon binding a number of variant TATA box sequences for which we have measured TBP binding affinity. We found that the extent to which the DNA was bent in the complex differed among the various sequences and was correlated with the stability of the complex; that is, the greater the stability of the complex, the more the DNA appeared to be bent by TBP. This study provides the first evidence that the structure of the TBP-DNA complex may vary with different DNA sequences. In addition, we propose, based on our findings, that the energetics of bending contribute significantly to the overall binding affinity of TBP for different sequences.
Towards an Understanding of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Latency-Reactivation Cycle

Infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can cause clinical symptoms in the peripheral and central nervous system. Recurrent ocular shedding can lead to corneal scarring and vision loss making HSV-1 a leading cause of corneal blindness due to an infectious agent. The primary site of HSV-1 latency is sensory neurons within trigeminal ganglia. Periodically, reactivation from latency occurs resulting in virus transmission and recurrent disease. During latency, the latency-associated transcript (LAT) is abundantly expressed. LAT expression is important for the latency-reactivation cycle in animal models, in part, because it inhibits apoptosis, viral gene expression, and productive infection. A novel transcript within LAT coding sequences (AL3) and small nonprotein coding RNAs are also expressed in trigeminal ganglia of latently infected mice. In this review, an update of viral factors that are expressed during latency and their potential roles in regulating the latency-reactivation cycle is discussed.
Treating Selective Mutism Using Modular CBT for Child Anxiety: A Case Study

Selective mutism is a rare, debilitating condition usually seen in children. Unfortunately, there is little research examining effective treatments for this disorder, and designing an evidence-based treatment plan can be difficult. This case study presents the evidence-based treatment of an 8-year-old Caucasian boy with selective mutism using an established treatment for anxiety--Modular Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders (Chorpita, 2007). The treatment consisted of 21 sessions and included modules on psychoeducation, exposure, cognitive restructuring, social skills, and maintenance and relapse prevention. The client's symptoms were greatly improved by the end of treatment based on fear hierarchy ratings, self-report and parent-report questionnaires, and child and parent clinical interviews. In addition, at discharge the client no longer met criteria for selective mutism. Improvements were maintained when the client was reassessed at 1-month and 6-month follow-up appointments.
Initial sensitivity and tolerance to ethanol in mice: correlations among open field activity, hypothermia, and loss of righting reflex.

The sensitivity of male Swiss albino mice to the effects of ethanol was successively tested using measures of open field activity (OFA), hypothermia (HT), and duration of loss of righting reflex (LORR). Doses used were 1, 3, and 4.5 g/kg (ip) ethanol. Tests were conducted 1 week apart and were counterbalanced for order. HT was positively correlated with baseline temperature. This could represent a “normalizing” effect of ethanol, or an undetermined common mechanism. HT and degree of subsequent tolerance to HT were highly positively correlated. Baseline OFA was positively correlated with ethanol-induced LORR. LORR also correlated positively with HT, but neither baseline nor ethanol-stimulated OFA were significantly associated with HT.
Child well-being in kinship foster care: Similar to, or different from, non-related foster care?

Abstract This study examined whether the well-being of children in kinship foster care can be explained with factors that predict child well-being in non-related foster care. This was accomplished through a secondary analysis of selected data collected through case-specific interviews with caseworkers. In this study, few of the variables identified in previous literature on non-related foster care were significant predictors of well-being of children placed in kinship foster care. This study found that higher levels of child well-being were associated with the child's birth mother being unmarried and not having housing problems. Lower levels of child well-being were associated with kinship caregivers having identified problems that affect their ability to care for the child. Caseworker ratings of child well-being were not significantly associated with the child's individual case history, or with the level of input children have into the decision-making process. Implications for future research are discussed.
Reaction of acyl carbazates with proteolytic enzymes.

Abstract Acyl carbazates (1) with appropriate substituents are analogs of acyl amino acids in which the α-methine group has been replaced by a nitrogen atom. The synthesis of three new carbazates Ac-Ala-Bzc-ONp, Ac-Ala-Mec-ONp and Z-Ala-Ala-Pro-Mec-ONp (Bzc= NHN(CH 2 C 6 H 5 )CO, Mec= NHN(CH 3 )CO) was accomplished. The reaction of chymotrypsin, subtilisin BPN′, and elastase (procine and human leukocyte) with the carbazates resulted either in a spectrophotometric burst of p -nitrophenol or no reaction depending on the specificity of the enzyme. Carbazyl chymotrypsin A α crystals were isomorphous with the native protein. Acyl carbazates should find utility as inhibitors and active site titrants for serine proteases.
Interactive effects of exogenous combined nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and nitrogen fixation by azolla

Effects of N source and media-N and P levels were examined on growth, N uptake, and N2 fixation ofAzolla pinnata withAnabaena azollae association (azolla) at two inoculum-P concentrations. Each expeiment was conducted for 7 days in a growth chamber using azolla at a predetermined inoculum-P concentration and the growth media containing a combination of four levels of P (0, 15, 75, and 200 μM) and three levels (0, 1, and 5 mM) of either15N-enriched NH4+ as ammonium sulfate or15N-enriched NO3− as potassium nitrate. Nitrogen uptake and N2 fixation were measured by15N isotopic dilution method. Tissue P and N, N uptake, and N2-fixation increased with increasing P concentration in the media regardless of the inoculum-P level of azolla. Increasing P concentration in the media increased growth of azolla at low inoculum P, but the effect on high inoculum-P azolla was either small or absen. High inoculum-P concentration resulted in increased growth, tissue-N and P concentrations, N uptake, and N2 fixation by azolla. Ammonium in the growth media caused larger increase in tissue-N and greater repression of N2 fixation than equimolar concentration of NO3−. In the presence of NH4+ or NO3−, in the growth media, N uptake by azolla exceeded the corresponding decrease in N2 fixation, resulting in an overall increase in tissue-N concentration. Phosphorus in the media tended to negate the inhibitory effect of NH4+ or NO3− on N2 fixation. A multiple regression model showed that the effect of tissue-N on N2 fixation was negative while that of tissue-P was positive. Therefore, a relative change in tissue-N and P appeared to regulate N2 fixation. Tissue-N and P had similar effects on relative growth rate of azolla also. Inoculum-P level of azolla was important in determining the response to media-P.
Wear of nonanatomic (monoplane) acrylic resin denture teeth.

A crylic resin teeth are widely used in complete and removable partial dentures, and over the years the functional and esthetic characteristics of denture teeth have been improved. They do, however, undergo wear/abrasion in use; and although there is a standard specification for acrylic resin teeth,’ the problem of wear and abrasion is not addressed. The factors involved in wear include the pressure between the abrading surfaces, the relative speed of movement between the surfaces, the characteristics of the surfaces, and the composition of the materials in contact. Tooth wear in vivo is related to the chewing pattern of the patient, the masticatory forces exerted, the daily period of use, the dietary habits, and various other factors.2-4 Wear and abrasion studies have been made typically on denture teeth with reciprocating wear devices.4 Investigators tend to relate wear resistance to surface hardness, and a wide variety of hardness tests are used to assess surface characteristics.5s 6 In this study, the use of a commercially available abrasion test device to evaluate the wear characteristics of three brands of monoplane teeth is reported.
Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Mechanisms and Pain Sensitivity in Women With Menstrually Related Mood Disorders

Abstract Somatic symptoms experienced by women with a menstrually related mood disorder (MRMD) during their premenstrual luteal phase contribute to functional impairment. Yet, investigations on pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to heightened pain sensitivity in MRMD are sparse. During the luteal phase, 61 women with an MRMD and 61 non-MRMD controls were evaluated for β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) responsivity using the isoproterenol sensitivity test. A subset (43 MRMD and 50 non-MRMD) then entered a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover protocol to examine the effect of β-AR blockade with intravenous propranolol on sensitivity to experimental (cold pressor and ischemic) and clinical (McGill Pain Questionnaire score) pain. Women with an MRMD exhibited greater β1- and β2-AR responsivity, ischemic pain intensity, and affective clinical pain ratings than controls. Propranolol increased cold pressor pain tolerance in both groups, but it decreased cold pain intensity and ischemic pain unpleasantness ratings only in non-MRMD women. In contrast, propranolol decreased affective ratings of clinical pain in women with MRMD. Exploratory analyses indicated that only in MRMD women did greater β-AR responsivity predict greater sensitivity to cold pressor and ischemic pain. This study provides the first evidence for a role of β-AR mechanisms in the hyperalgesia and clinical pain experienced by women with MRMDs. Perspective This article describes the effects of β-adrenergic receptor stimulation and blockade on experimental and clinical pain sensitivity in women with an MRMD. The results of this study may have implications for the management of the substantial somatic premenstrual symptomatology experienced by women with an MRMD.
Switching layer engineering for memristive devices

We used reactive sputtering as a tool to deposit transition metal oxide materials with tunable chemical composition and electrical properties. We further developed heterogeneous bilayer memristive devices with designed switching properties. Finally, we developed a low voltage memristive based on chemically produced, 1 nm thick silicon oxide.
Human Uniqueness in the Age of Ape Language Research

This paper summarizes the debate on human uniqueness launched by Charles Darwin’s publication of The Origin of Species in 1859. In the progress of this debate, Noam Chomsky’s introduction of the Language-Acquisition Device (LAD) in the mid-1960s marked a turn to the machine model of mind that seeks human uniqueness in uniquely human components of neural circuitry. A subsequent divergence from the machine model can be traced in the short history of ape language research (ALR). In the past fifty years, the focus of ALR has shifted from the search for behavioral evidence of syntax in the minds of individual apes to participant-observation of coregulated interactions between humans and nonhuman apes. Rejecting the computational machine model of mind, the laboratory methodologies of ALR scientists Tetsuro Matsuzawa and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh represent a worldview coherent with Darwin’s continuity hypothesis.
STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF THE COPPER(II) ACETATE COMPLEXES Cu(o2CCH3)2(pyridine)3 AND Cu6(μ-O2CCH3)4(μ4-O2CCH3)2(μ-OCMe3)6

Abstract [Cu(O2CCH3)2]2, 1, reacts with pyridine to form violet-blue Cu(O2CCH3)2(pyridine)3, 2, in > 90% yield. 2 crystallizes from pyridine with a distorted square-pyramidal geometry around copper with the monodentate acetate ligands located diagonally in the basal positions. 1 reacts with Bi(OCMe3)3 in THF to form blue Cu6(μ-O2CCH3)4(μ4-O2CCH3)2(μ-OCMe3)6, 3. 3 crystallizes from THF/hexanes with a hexagon of copper atoms linked by six doubly-bridging tert-butoxide ligands, four doubly-bridging bidentate acetates, and two quadruply-bridging bidentate acetate ligands.
Human dendritic cells induce tumor-specific apoptosis by soluble factors.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen producing cells (APCs) for initiation of immune responses including anti-tumor immune responses. In previous reports, it has been shown that DCs efficiently take up and process apoptotic or necrotic bodies of tumor cells. It has also been shown that DCs pulsed with tumor cell apoptotic bodies, lysates or peptides generate potent anti-tumor immune responses. Direct interactions between DCs and viable tumor cells, however, have not been clearly elucidated. We report that monocyte-derived, CD1a+ immature DCs (iDCs) significantly inhibit the growth of breast tumor cells in coculture and transwell experiments in the presence of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), LPS or both. The growth inhibition effects correlated with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of breast tumor cells. The effects were associated with morphological changes of tumor cells from a round shape to a flat, spindle shape. In contrast, no inhibition of proliferation or morphological changes was observed on normal PBMC, K562 or breast fibroblasts. Interestingly, iDCs undergoing maturation induced by sCD40L+LPS induced a much stronger growth inhibitory effect than iDCs alone or mature DCs treated with sCD40L+LPS. Fractionation of supernatants showed the anti-tumor effects were mediated by a TNF-alpha-dependent and -independent mechanism. Soluble FasL and TRAIL were not involved. Our findings suggest that maturing DCs have the intrinsic ability to induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis of breast tumor cells through soluble factors, but not normal cells, in addition to their Ag presentation function.
Prostaglandin E1 treatment of NZB/NZW mice

NZB/NZW F1 hybrid mice were treated with pharmacologic doses of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) (200 microng subcutaneously either once or twice daily) from 6 through 52 weeks of age. PGE1-treated mice were protected against development anemia, clinical nephritis, and death. At 52 weeks 18 of 19 treated mice were alive, wherase only 2 of 19 untretreated control mice were alive. None of the 10 mice treated with PGE1 twice daily exhibited significant (greater than 2+) proteinuria at 1 year of age. PGE1 treatment did not prevent development of antibodies to nuclear antigens. The data also suggest that survival of NZB/NZW mice is prolonged when treatment with PGE1 is begun at 24 weeks, an age at which mice already show evidence of nephritis. Thus all 6 mice treated with PGE1 (200 microng sc twice daily) from 24 weeks were alive at 52 weeks, whereas only 2 of 6 untreated control mice were alive. The mechanisms whereby PGE1 treatment influences the course of disease in NZB/NZW mice are not known.
A dual-polarized patch antenna for weather radar applications

An antenna suitable for use in emerging multifunctional phased array weather radar applications is presented. The S-band (3–3.6 GHz), differentially probe-fed, stacked patch antenna features high port-to-port isolation (> 40 dB) and correspondingly good cross-polarization characteristics in addition to high efficiency and good port-to-port matching. The intended application places strict limits on errors introduced in polarime-tric weather radar measurements by antenna array polarization errors that are not corrected by calibration. The fundamental challenge is described, and it is demonstrated herein that this particular antenna element exhibits fairly good polarimetric performance over a wide scan range without excessive calibration requirements. Results from both a single element characterization and a 9×9 planar array of these elements are presented.
Evolution of Formulation Practices

The role of pharmaceutical research and development groups in industry as well as the education of pharmaceutical scientists at our universities, has changed dramatically since the late 1940s-early '50s. Prior to this period, formulation practice was considered more of an art than a science, although small pockets of good science were practiced at some industrial and academic sites
Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status differences in overweight and health-related behaviors among American students: national trends 1986-2003.

Abstract Purpose This article reports long-term trends by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) in the percent of American students who are overweight and who engage in three health-related behaviors hypothesized to be associated with overweight. Methods Data are from the Monitoring the Future annual surveys, using nationally representative samples of eighth, 10th, and 12th grade students. Participants include 62,156 eighth and 64,899 10th graders who completed the 1993–2003 surveys and 35,107 12th graders who completed the questionnaire form containing the measures pertaining to this study in the 1986–2003 surveys. Trends are presented separately by gender and grade level for different racial/ethnic and SES subgroups, in: (a) percent overweight (body mass index ≥ 85th percentile), (b) percent who always or almost always eat breakfast, (c) percent who regularly exercise vigorously, and (d) average hours of weekday television viewing. Results The prevalence of overweight and of engaging in less healthy behaviors is considerably greater among youth from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds, of lower socioeconomic status, and in higher grades. Trends in overweight and these behaviors are found to vary substantially by gender, racial/ethnic group, socioeconomic status, and grade level. Conclusions The study findings show well-established and persistent differences in the percent of racial/ethnic minority and low SES youth who are overweight and whose dietary and exercise habits are less healthy. Documentation of these problems may lead to research and policy agendas that will contribute both to our understanding and to the reduction of these important health disparities.