cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary Care Physicians' Adherence to Guidelines and Their Likelihood to Prescribe the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine for 11- and 12-Year-Old Girls

Abstract Background Inadequate physician adherence to guidelines has received scant attention as a possible cause of suboptimal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates. We assessed the extent to which primary care physicians (PCPs) adhere to clinical guidelines and their reported intentions to prescribe HPV vaccine to females in the targeted age group, and how this is influenced by perceptions of guideline clarity and other factors. Methods We surveyed 301 PCPs to explore their sociodemographic and practice-related characteristics, beliefs, professional norms, and perceived barriers to administer HPV vaccine. Logistic regression predicted the likelihood to prescribe HPV vaccine to 11- and 12-year-old girls on an array of variables hypothesized to influence physicians' recommendations. Results Only 67% of PCPs reported being likely to prescribe HPV vaccine to 11- and 12-year-old patients. PCPs were more likely to prescribe vaccine to 11- and 12-year-old girls if they believed HPV vaccine guidelines were clear (odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% CI, 1.03–3.35), agreed with a mandate requirement (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.01–5.61), felt comfortable discussing HPV vaccination with early adolescent girls (OR, 5.10; 95% CI, 2.75–9.45), and had at least 25% of their patients using public assistance to pay for their clinic visits (OR, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.91–7.34). Practice specialty (family physicians or pediatricians) and region were not significant predictors. Conclusions PCPs exhibit moderate levels of adherence to professional guidelines regarding HPV vaccination. Potential public health benefits will not be realized without stronger efforts to improve the rates at which PCPs administer the vaccine, particularly to 11- and 12-year-olds for whom it is preferentially recommended.
Onset of Depression in Elderly Persons After Hip Fracture: Implications for Prevention and Early Intervention of Late‐Life Depression

OBJECTIVES: To identify predictors of onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) and of depressive symptoms in subjects who suffered a hip fracture. DESIGN: Prospective naturalistic study. SETTING: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—Shadyside, a large urban hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-six elderly patients who received surgical fixation for hip fracture and who were not experiencing a major depressive episode at the time of the fracture; severely cognitively impaired persons were excluded. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were evaluated at the time of hospital discharge using a battery of clinical measures (including apathy measured using the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), delirium, cognitive measures, social support, and disability level). Depression was assessed at the end of the surgical stay, 2 weeks later, and then monthly for 6 months, using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D) to evaluate symptomatology and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders to evaluate diagnosis of MDD. RESULTS: Eighteen of 126 subjects (14.3%) developed MDD after hip fracture. Of these, 11 developed MDD by the end of the hospitalization, and seven developed MDD between 2 and 10 weeks later. Logistic regression showed that baseline apathy score, as measured using the AES, was the only clinical measure associated with the development of MDD (odds ratio=1.09, 95% confidence interval=1.03–1.16, P=.003); 46.2% of those with high AES scores developed MDD, versus 10.9% of those with lower scores. In contrast, cognitive variables, delirium, disability after hip fracture, and other factors related to the fracture (e.g., fracture type) were not associated with MDD. A repeated-measures analysis with Ham-D over time as a dependent variable generally confirmed these findings; depressive symptoms were highest immediately after the fracture, and apathy and delirium scores were associated with higher depressive symptom levels. CONCLUSION: The onset of MDD is common after hip fracture, and the greatest period of risk is immediately after the fracture. Individuals with clinical evidence of apathy are at high risk for developing MDD, and evaluation and close follow-up of such individuals is warranted. However, further research is needed to examine other candidate variables (e.g., clinical measures or biomarkers) to model adequately the risk for MDD after hip fracture and other disabling medical events.
A CMOS RISC CPU with on-chip parallel cache

This CMOS CPU in a 0.55 /spl mu/m, 3-metal process integrates over 1.2 M transistors on a single chip. All circuitry on-chip operates at 140 MHz under typical conditions. All off-chip interfaces are cycled at the same frequency (with the exception of system bus interface, which is cycled at 120 MHz). Chip parameters are given. >
An Information‐Processing Approach for Evaluating In‐Store Retail Operational Design Strategies

We develop a model to evaluate retail store operational design strategies using an information-processing perspective of organizational design. We propose that three model constructs pertaining to in-store shopper task uncertainty—the product mix complexity, the service production complexity, and the product mix changeover—create shopper encounter information requirements (IR). These requirements can be met using specific retail service operational design choices for managing shopper encounters, namely, designing layouts for self-service (SS) and providing employees with task empowerment (TE). The model is then operationalized using a two-stage approach to develop new multi-item, measurement scales. The psychometric properties and predictive validity of the scales and model are then confirmed by using structural equation modeling with survey data from 175 merchandise retail store managers. We find that our model can be generically applied across the retail industry to understand how shopper encounter IR motivate retailer store design choices and can be used to determine whether to design stores for SS or to provide store employees with TE. We then evaluate the efficacy of the studied store design choices on customer delivery satisfaction, and offer some suggestions for future research.
Humean Causation and Kim's Theory of Events

In recent years Jaegwon Kim has propounded and elaborated an influential theory of events. He takes an event to be the exemplification of an empirical property (or n-adic attribute) by a concrete object (or several concrete objects) at a time. He also has proposed and endorsed a version of the “Humean” tradition concerning causation: the view that causal relations between concrete events depend upon general "covering laws." But although his explication of the covering-law conception of causation seems quite natural within the framework of his theory, it gives rise to a serious problem: in numerous garden-variety instances of causation, the Humean conditions (as Kim specifies them) are not satisfied. In this paper I shall suggest a way to modify Kim's theory of events in order to reconcile it with his treatment of causality.
Alleviating psychosocial issues for individuals with communication impairments and their families following stroke: a case series of interdisciplinary assessment and intervention.

INTRODUCTION: A high incidence of depression following a stroke has been reported. Many studies exclude those with communication impairments. However, there is an increased risk of psychosocial issues for individuals with communication difficulties. Psychosocial issues have a significant impact on the individual and their families. There is very limited research in this area. METHODS: A retrospective case review of the assessment and intervention with three individuals with significant communication difficulties following stroke was completed. Key interdisciplinary intervention factors were identified. RESULTS: Psychosocial issues were identified in all three cases. The assessment of cognitive difficulties, interdisciplinary intervention targeting communication between family members, facilitation of emotional expression and liaison with appropriate community services were identified as key interventions. These interventions targeted at psychosocial issues resulted in a positive outcome for the individuals and their family. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Psychosocial issues are prevalent in individuals and their families with significant communication impairments following stroke. Clinically, these issues may be overlooked. The complexity of working with individuals with cognitive and communication impairments also contributes to poor identification of psychosocial issues. This case series clearly highlights that intervening at the psychosocial level through interdisciplinary working can facilitate meaningful outcomes for the individual and their family.
Event classification and identification based on characteristic ellipsoid of phasor measurement

In this paper, a method to classify and identify power system events based on the characteristic ellipsoid of phasor measurement is presented. The decision tree technique is used to perform the event classification and identification. Event types, event locations and clearance times are identified by decision trees based on the indices of the characteristic ellipsoid. A sufficiently large number of transient events were simulated on the New England 10-machine 39-bus system based on different system configurations. Transient simulations taking into account different event types, clearance times and various locations are conducted to simulate phasor measurement. Bus voltage magnitudes and recorded reactive and active power flows are used to build the characteristic ellipsoid. The volume, eccentricity, center and projection of the longest axis in the parameter space coordinates of the characteristic ellipsoids are used to classify and identify events. Results demonstrate that the characteristic ellipsoid and the decision tree are capable to detect the event type, location, and clearance time with very high accuracy.
Rat liver mitochondria contain two immunologically distinct dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenases

Abstract We have raised antisera against dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase. One antigen was isolated from purified bovine kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). The other antigen was a commercial preparation of porcine heart dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E 3 ) which did not first involve purification of the α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex(es). Both antibody preparations cross-reacted with the E 3 components of PDC, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase complex. This demonstrates the immunological identity of the E 3 components. These sera totally precipitated E 3 activity from the purified complexes, from purified preparations of E 3 , and from extracts of rat heart and kidney mitochondria. The two sera vary in their reaction with rat liver mitochondrial extracts: the anti PDC-E 3 serum left residual E 3 activity (approximately 50% of the original) that was precipitable by the anti-E 3 antiserum. This indicates that liver contains two immunologically distinct forms of E 3 . Metabolic assays measuring the differential effects of the two sera on the glycine decarboxylation reaction suggest that the form which is immunologically nonreactive with the anti-PDC-E 3 serum could represent the E 3 involved in the glycine cleavage System.
Annealing and relaxation in the high-pressure phase of amorphous SiO2.

In a recent article (Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 2379 (1984)) it was reported that irreversible changes occur in the Brillouin spectra of a-italic-SiO/sub 2/ that has been subjected to pressures above --9 GPa. Based on Raman spectra from the recovered samples it was concluded that the new ''polymorph'' was also amorphous. Here we report on relaxation and annealing effects in this high-pressure form which leave no doubt as to its amorphous nature.
Similar flow in p+p and Au+Au collisions at RHIC?

Abstract Collective, explosive flow in central heavy ion collisions manifests itself in the mass dependence of p T distributions and femtoscopic length scales, measured in the soft sector ( p T ≲ 1 GeV/c ) . Measured p T distributions from proton-proton collisions differ significantly from those from heavy ion collisions. This has been taken as evidence that p+p collisions generate little collective flow, a conclusion in line with naive expectations. We point out possible hazards of ignoring conservation laws when comparing high- and low-multiplicity final states. We argue that the effects of energy and momentum conservation actually dominate the observed systematics, and that p + p collisions may be much more similar to heavy ion collisions than generally thought.
On computing functions with uncertainty

We study the problem of computing a function f(x1,…, xn) given that the actual values of the variables xi's are known only with some uncertainty. For each variable xi, an interval Ii is known such that the value of xi is guaranteed to fall within this interval. Any such interval can be probed to obtain the actual value of the underlying variable; however, there is a cost associated with each such probe. The goal is to adaptively identify a minimum cost sequence of probes such that regardless of the actual values taken by the unprobed xi's, the value of the function f can be computed to within a specified precision.We design online algorithms for this problem when f is either the selection function or an aggregation function such as sum or average. We consider three natural models of precision and give algorithms for each model. We analyze our algorithms in the framework of competitive analysis and show that our algorithms are asymptotically optimal. Finally, we also study online algorithms for functions that are obtained by composing together selection and aggregation functions.
The origin of domes on Europa: The role of thermally induced compositional diapirism

[1] The surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is peppered by topographic domes, interpreted as sites of intrusion and extrusion. Diapirism is consistent with dome morphology, but thermal buoyancy alone cannot produce sufficient driving pressures to create the observed dome elevations. Instead, diapirs may initiate by thermal convection that induces compositional segregation. Exclusion of impurities from warm upwellings allows sufficient buoyancy for icy plumes to create the observed surface topography, provided the ice shell has a small effective elastic thickness (∼0.2 to 0.5 km) and contains low-eutectic-point impurities at the few percent level. This model suggests that the ice shell may be depleted in impurities over time.
A Numerical Process Control Method for Circular-Tube Hydroforming Prediction

Abstract A numerical control algorithm is described that predicts the axial end-feed and internal pressure loads to give maximum formability of circular tubes during hydroforming. The controller tracks the stresses, strains and mechanical response of the incremental finite element solution to estimate the proper axial feed (end-feed) and internal pressure increments to apply in the next increment as the tube deforms. The algorithm uses the material stress–strain curve and the deformation theory of plasticity with Hill's criterion to relate the current stress and strain increments (from the finite element model) to the next applied load increments. A controlled increment in plastic strain is prescribed for the next solution increment, and the pressure and end-feed increments are calculated to give a constant ratio of incremental axial and hoop strains. Hydroforming simulations using this method were conducted to predict the load histories for controlled expansion of 6061-T4 aluminum tubes within a conical die shape and under free hydroforming conditions. The predicted loading paths were applied in hydroforming experiments to form the conical and free-formed tube shapes. The model predictions and experimental results are compared in this paper for deformed shape, strains and the extent of forming at rupture.
Eye protection in radar fields

Tests on animals indicate that eyes exposed to microwave radiation may develop cataracts. The design of protective goggles, utilizing transparent microwave shielding, is discussed.
A simple, inexpensive method of monitoring brain temperature in conscious rodents

A method was developed to monitor brain temperature in conscious, unrestrained rodents. A commercially available thermocouple microprobe was modified so that it could be screwed firmly into a guide cannula that had been stereotactically implanted in the brain. Because the microprobe remains firmly in place, it is possible to record continuously for several hours from a single animal. Because the microprobe is easily removed, one can also record intermittently from several animals at once. The necessary equipment is relatively inexpensive and the modified microprobe can be sterilized and reused indefinitely. This method has proved especially useful for monitoring brain temperature during and after transient cerebral ischemia, an insult that destroys CNS neurons in a temperature-sensitive fashion.
Effects of phenolic compounds in blueberries and muscadine grapes on HepG2 cell viability and apoptosis

Although blueberries and muscadine grapes have high contents of polyphenols, few studies have been conducted to assess their potential effects on cancer cells. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of different fractions of phenolic compounds in blueberries and muscadine grapes on HepG2 liver cancer cell viability and apoptosis. Three cultivars of blueberries ('Briteblue', 'Tifblue' and 'Powderblue') and four cultivars of muscadine grapes ('Carlos', 'Ison', 'Noble', and 'Supreme') were assessed in this study. Polyphenols were extracted and further separated into phenolic acids, tannins, flavonols, and anthocyanins using a HLB cartridge and LH-20 column. The major compounds of different fractions were characterized. The phenolic acid fractions of muscadine grapes and blueberries showed a 50% inhibition of HepG2 cell population growth at the level of 1-2 mg/mL. The greatest inhibitory effects were observed from the anthocyanin fractions with 50% inhibitions of cancer cell population growth at concentrations of 70-150 and 100-300 μg/mL in blueberries and muscadine grapes, respectively. The flavonol and tannin fractions showed intermediate activities. In addition, DNA fragmentation was measured by using a Cell Death Detection ELISA kit to assess the induction of apoptosis. The anthocyanin fraction resulted in a two- to fourfold increase in DNA fragmentation compared to control in both muscadine grapes and blueberries. These findings of inhibition of cancer cell growth and induction of apoptosis suggest that blueberries and muscadine grapes may contribute to reduction in liver cancer risk.
The social order of the underworld: how prison gangs govern the American penal system, by David Skarbek, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014, 240 pp., US$99 (hardback), US$27.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-0199328505

The United States incarcerates more people than any country in the world both per capita and in terms of total people behind bars – one in every 100 adults, at last count.1 In 40 years, America’s s...
Long-term effects of calcium carbonate and 2.5 mEq/liter calcium dialysate on mineral metabolism.

Long-term effects of calcium carbonate and 2.5 mEq/liter calcium dialysate on mineral metabolism. Many investigators have shown that calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) is an effective phosphate binder which also prevents the potential disabling effects of aluminum (Al) accumulation. However, hypercalcemia may develop in a substantial numbers of patients. Thus, to control serum phosphate (PO 4 ) and prevent hypercalcemia, we performed studies in 21 patients on maintenance hemodialysis in which, in addition to the oral administration of CaCO 3 , the concentration of calcium (Ca) in the dialysate was reduced from 3.25 to 2.5 mEq/liter. The studies were divided in three periods: I. control, on Al-binders (one month); II. no Al-binders (one month); III. CaCO 3 (seven months). Blood was obtained three times/week before dialysis for the first five months of the study and once a week for the remaining four months. During the control period, the mean serum calcium was 8.86 ± 0.08 mg/dl. The value decreased to 8.65 ± 0.07 mg/dl when phosphate binders containing aluminum were discontinued, and increased to 9.19 ± 0.07 mg/dl (P 3 administration, serum A1 decreased from 64.2 ± 8.5 to 37.1 ± 3.6 and 25.1 ± 3.0 µg/liter (P 3 (10.5 g/day). This corrected the hyperphosphatemia without the development of hypercalcemia or worsening of the secondary hyperparathyroidism. Al levels returned toward normal. Thus, by utilizing this maneuver aluminum binders may be unnecessary in the majority of patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
Prolonged radionuclide transit in “nutcracker esophagus”

Symptomatic patients with abnormal esophageal manometry characterized by esophageal peristaltic waves of increased amplitude (“the nutcracker esophagus,” NE) have been recognized with increasing frequency. Whether or not this represents a true functional abnormality is unresolved at this time. We have utilized radionuclide transit (RT), a true esophageal function test, to evaluate patients with NE. Eighteen consecutive symptomatic patients with the NE and ten clinically and manometrically normal subjects constituted this study group. RT in normals were 6.8±0.2 sec ( $$\bar X$$ ±Se) and 27.6±3.8 in patients with NE. RT was abnormal in 17/18 patients with NE. Chaotic bolus transit was seen in 11/18 patients with NE but not in normals. The defect was localized to the distal esophagus since transit through the proximal esophagus was not significantly different between the two groups. This defect in RT may be related to spontaneous simultaneous contractions seen in 50% of these patients. Further work will be necessary to determine if NE is a true functional abnormality or a marker for other motility abnormalities such as diffuse esophageal spasm.
From ‘Expresión en Corto’ to Guanajuato International Film Festival: The rise of regional support for Mexican cinema in national and international contexts

ABSTRACT1997 marked an especially bleak year for the film industry in Mexico, with only nine feature films produced. Just a decade and a half later, the industry shows signs of rejuvenation on both the domestic and international fronts; the Mexican Cinematographic Institute reports 112 films produced or co-produced with Mexico in 2012. While not ignoring the complexities of the greater story of the Mexican film-making, this article focuses on an area of industry development that often goes unnoticed and is difficult to quantifiably analyse, behind the scenes at film festivals. Originally founded in 1998 as ‘Festival Internacional de Cine “Expresion en Corto”’ (EEC), in 2011 the festival took the name Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF). Over the past decade, EEC/GIFF has established an Industry area, along with programmes that mentor new generations of film-makers in national and transnational contexts. Arguably, such commitment is an essential factor undergirding the long-term viability and vit...
Speaker localization and cancellation for improving social attention

Autistic individuals suffer from sensory impairment and can become frustrated in conversational settings involving multiple people [3]. For this reason, many choose to avoid certain social settings filled with different sounds. Such behavior only adds to their lack of necessary social skills and inhibits them from joining others in regular conversation. In this paper, we describe a fully-interactive system that allows autistic persons to choose which person's speech they would like to focus on, thereby giving them a sense of control.
Unusual frequency dispersion effects of the nonlinear optical response in highly conjugated (polypyridyl)metal-(porphinato)zinc(II) chromophores.

The syntheses and electrooptic properties of a new family of nonlinear optical chromophores are reported. These species feature an ethyne-elaborated, highly polarizable porphyrinic component and metal polypyridyl complexes that serve as integral donor and acceptor elements. Examples of this structural motif include ruthenium(II) [5-(4‘-ethynyl-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridinyl))-10,20-bis(2‘,6‘-bis(3,3-dimethyl-1-butyloxy)phenyl)porphinato]zinc(II)-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridine)2+ bis-hexafluorophosphate (Ru-PZn); osmium(II) [5-(4‘-ethynyl-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridinyl))-10,20-bis(2‘,6‘-bis(3,3-dimethyl-1-butyloxy)phenyl)porphinato]zinc(II)-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridine)2+ bis-hexafluorophosphate (Os-PZn); ruthenium(II) [5-(4‘-ethynyl-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridinyl))-15-(4‘-nitrophenyl)ethynyl-10,20-bis(2‘,6‘-bis(3,3-dimethyl-1-butyloxy)phen-yl)porphinato]zinc(II)-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridine)2+ bis-hexafluorophosphate (Ru-PZn-A); osmium(II) [5-(4‘-ethynyl-(2,2‘;6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridinyl))-15-(4‘-nitrophenyl)ethynyl-10,20-bis(2‘,6‘-bi...
Surface versus incorporated residue effects on water-stable aggregates☆

Abstract Reduced tillage methods for field crop production result in less disruption of soil structure and often increased amounts of crop residue maintained on the soil surface. The combination of these two factors produces increased surface soil aggregation. This study was conducted in the field and within pots to determine whether surface residue by itself improves soil aggregation within a short period of time. The soil was a silt loam loess deposit in the Pacific Northwest, USA, where summers are hot and dry, and most precipitation (420 mm) is received during the mild winters. Two pot studies were conducted over winter, one under a shelter with controlled irrigations (183 mm), and the other outdoors receiving natural precipitation (77 mm). In both pot studies 640 g m−2 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residue was either placed on the surface of the soil or thoroughly mixed into the soil. The field study was conducted on plots where, for the past 7 years, wheat crop residues were either incorporated through chisel/disk tillage or removed before tillage and replaced on the surface after tillage. The field study included plots where wheat was grown with no tillage. In the pots, there was no significant effect due to residue treatment on aggregate mean weight diameter, measured monthly for 4 winter months. This was true despite dissolved organic carbon being leached from the surface residue. In the 7-year-old field plots, replacing residues on the surface resulted in slightly greater mean weight diameter of aggregates at 5–10 cm depth compared to the mixed residue treatment. The no-till plots had significantly greater mean weight diameter at 0–5 cm depth than either tilled treatment. Our conclusion is that surface residue by itself failed to increase aggregation of tilled surface soil within the first rainy season after tillage.
The pine reproductive process in temperate and tropical regions

Our knowledge of the pine reproductive process is confined to the developmental stages and time relations in a particular species. Lacking in the literature is a comparative analysis from a broader perspective such as pines from temperate versus tropical regions. Also, important information that may have beneficial implications for pine breeding and management purposes may be missed by going with a single generalized reproductive cycle model which is usually derived from well-studied northern temperate species. Detailed developmental analysis of the reproductive process is necessary, particularly for tropical pines where information is limited. Most pines undergo a reproductive cycle that spans three calendar years with two dormant periods. In temperate pines, many of the stages that are initiated by fall generally come to a halt during the winter and development resumes in spring of the following year. In tropical pines, reproductive development appears to be generally a continuous process characterized by a gradual rate of development with indistinct first dormant period. The distinct first dormant period in north temperate pines serves to synchronize pollen release and seed-cone receptivity which results in higher pollination success and seed production. Tropical pines exhibit asynchrony in pollen release and thus has extended pollination period. Relatively less pollen are available which results in lower pollination success and seed set. Interestingly, since asynchrony may enhance cross-pollination, tropical pines might benefit from this through the capture of genetic diversity. The length of the second dormant period is generally the same in temperate and tropical pines which indicates strong genetic control.
Application of the potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser during extraocular muscle surgery: Technique and histopathology

We determined laser parameters and delivery system requirements for successful use of the potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser for strabismus surgery and its histopathologic effect on extraocular muscle, tendon, sclera, and cornea of human and rabbit eyes. Enucleated cadaver eyes and exenterated rabbit orbital contents were used. Using a 200-μm fiberoptic tip delivery system, varying laser energies were used to perform muscle insertion site and corneal damage, tenotomies, and myotomies. Pulse durations of 0.5 second and energies above 0.8 watt were needed for tenotomy or myotomy. No damage to the surrounding tissues or sclera was observed with laser tenotomy or myotomy performed 0.5 mm from the insertion site. Energy above 0.8 watt applied directly caused full thickness disruption. In comparison to scissor myotomy, the laser provided charring of the superficial tissues. This study shows that the KTP laser can be safely and accurately used for extraocular muscle tenotomy or myotomy. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distribution of a random variable defined through a constitutive equation

Abstract This paper illustrates how to obtain the distribution of a random variable such as the time to failure, which is itself a function of other random variables whose distributions are known or assumed.
Integration of polymer electrolytes in dye sensitized solar cells by initiated chemical vapor deposition

Abstract The mesoporous titanium dioxide electrode of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) has been successfully filled with polymer electrolyte to replace the conventional liquid electrolyte. Polymer electrolyte was directly synthesized and deposited using the initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process, and an iodide–triiodide redox couple in different redox solvents was then incorporated into the polymer. We have investigated different candidate polymer electrolytes, including poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). The open circuit voltage of cells fabricated with iCVD PHEMA was found to be higher when compared with a liquid electrolyte that is attributed to a lower rate of electron recombination.
A method to quantify aggressiveness in Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica)

Testing procedures which rely on paired fights are unsuitable for measuring individual aggressiveness because the outcome of initial encounters influences subsequent dominance status. In an effort to circumvent this problem, we developed a test system which quantifies aggressiveness in individual Japanese quail by measuring locomotor and pecking activity of test birds presented with the visual stimulus of a conspecific. Using this procedure, we demonstrate that aggression is specific to sexually mature males; however, the intensity of the behavior varies widely among individuals. Scores for each bird are constant with time, reproducible, independent of the gender or behavior of the stimulus bird and accurately predict the outcome of a subsequent paired fight. In addition, we show that fighting per se produces increases and decreases in aggressiveness of dominant and subordinate birds, respectively, and re-orders the rank of a group of birds. This test procedure, therefore, confirms earlier studies which indicate that dominance hierarchies are influenced by initial encounters. Finally, repeat testing is reliable and gives an absolute, not relative, measure of aggressiveness. We conclude that this behavioral test can be applied to future studies addressing the social, developmental and endocrine basis of aggressiveness and dominance in quail and other vertebrates.
Numerical Simulation of Vortex Pyrolysis Reactors for Condensable Tar Production from Biomass

A numerical study is performed in order to evaluate the performance and optimal operating conditions of vortex pyrolysis reactors used for condensable tar production from biomass. A detailed mathematical model of porous biomass particle pyrolysis is coupled with a compressible Reynolds stress transport model for the turbulent reactor swirling flow. An initial evaluation of particle dimensionality effects is made through comparisons of single- (1D) and multi-dimensional particle simulations and reveals that the 1D particle model results in conservative estimates for total pyrolysis conversion times and tar collection. The observed deviations are due predominantly to geometry effects while directional effects from thermal conductivity and permeability variations are relatively small. Rapid ablative particle heating rates are attributed to a mechanical fragmentation of the biomass particles that is modeled using a critical porosity for matrix breakup. Optimal thermal conditions for tar production are observed for 900 K. Effects of biomass identity, particle size distribution, and reactor geometry and scale are discussed.
Outcomes of Adoption and What They Tell Us About Designing Adoption Services

(2002). Outcomes of Adoption and What They Tell Us About Designing Adoption Services. Adoption Quarterly: Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 45-60.
1-Way stack automaton with jumps

Deterministic 1-way stack automata (SA) are generalized to include jumps, and it is established that for any SA there exists an equivalent semi-real-time Jump SA. Applying a well-known information theoretic argument to the Jump SA, we prove that certain languages cannot be SA languages. Parallel to Cole's treatment (J. Assoc. Comput. Mach. (1971), 306-328) of pushdown automata, we show that SA's can be reduced to real-time n-dimensional cellular automata.
Measurement of the total motion between two body segments—I. Analytical development

Abstract All joints of human and animal bodies permit six degrees of freedom to varying extents. Thus to accurately measure the motion permitted by any anatomical joint, all six degrees of freedom must be taken into account. The objective of Part I of this paper is to present the analytical basis for a measurement system which incorporates an instrumented spatial linkage capable of doing this. The system permits both the study of the overall relative motion between two adjacent body segments (e.g. bones) as well as the detailed study of the relative motion between the two complementary articular surfaces of the intervening joint. The mathematical development is carried out in matrix algebra to facilitate data reduction using the digital computer.
Cloning and sequencing of the Bacillus megaterium spoIIA operon.

Abstract The spoIIA operon of Bacillus megaterium has been cloned and the nucleotide sequence determined. The spoIIA sequence contains three open reading frames coding for putative proteins of 116 aa, 147 aa, and 253 aa; the first and the third genes are preceded by a ribosomal binding site. The genes are in the same order as those of B subtilis and B licheniformis . The deduced amino acid sequences of these three open reading frames show 78–92% homology with SpoIIAA, SpoIIAB and SpoIIAC of B subtilis and B licheniformis . Northern hybridization revealed that B megaterium also has two spoIIA transcripts, 1.77 kb and 2.92 kb, attaining maximum expression at t 1 and t 3 , respectively. In addition, homology to a possible penicillin binding protein gene upstream and the first part of a spoVA operon downstream has been identified on the 3.34-kb fragment. The spoIIA and the downstream spoVA promoter regions are highly conserved among these three species. Sequence analysis of the spoVA promoter revealed a region upstream to the −35 that is highly conserved across Bacillus species.
The Effect of Altering the Position of Options in a Multiple-Choice Examination.

Many testing programs rely on equating procedures to achieve comparability of scores on alternate test forms. One commonly accepted rule for developing equated examinations using the common-items nonequivalent groups (CINEG) design is that items common to the two examinations being equated should be identical. In test construction practice, this rule has been extended to include even the order in which options appear in the two examinations. The present study examined the performance of a common set of items on an examination in which the order of options for one test form was experimentally manipulated. The study sought to determine whether reordering multiple choice item options results in any significant effect on item difficulty. It was found that reordering options can have significant but unpredictable effects on item performance. A linkage is made to previous research and cautions are suggested regarding the effects of reordering options.
Proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 during rat pregnancy: a role for matrix metalloproteinases.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is degraded by a cation-dependent protease(s) present in the serum of late gestation rats. Proteolysis of IGFBP-3 results in an increase in IGF-I clearance and possibly in IGF bioavailability. Based on our previous findings that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade IGFBP-3 in fibroblast conditioned media, we hypothesized that MMPs might be involved in the degradation of IGFBP-3 by rat pregnancy serum. In the present study, we demonstrate that tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1), a specific inhibitor of all MMPs, inhibited significantly the degradation of 125I-rhIGFBP-3 by both rat pregnancy serum and rat placental extracts. Purified human MMPs (principally MMP-1 and MMP-3) degraded IGFBP-3 in solution; MMP-3 produced a pattern of IGFBP-3 degradation products identical in size to the fragments produced by pregnancy serum. Furthermore, the combined addition of antihuman MMP-1 IgG and anti-human MMP-3 IgG to rat pregnancy serum blocked al...
A Retrospective Clinical and Radiographic Study on Healing of Periradicular Lesions in Patients Taking Oral Bisphosphonates

Abstract Introduction Bisphosphonates have been related to impaired bone remodeling. The impact of oral bisphosphonates on periradicular healing has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the healing of periradicular lesions in patients taking oral bisphosphonates after root canal therapy. Methods Thirty-four teeth with preoperative periradicular radiolucencies were identified in patients undergoing oral bisphosphonate therapy. These cases were examined clinically and radiographically to determine treatment outcome. Thirty-eight control teeth were selected from a pool of patients not taking bisphosphonates. Nonsurgical root canal treatment and retreatment was performed by endodontic residents and undergraduate dental students at Baylor College of Dentistry using nonstandardized protocols. Results In the bisphosphonate group, 73.5% of the lesions healed, whereas the control cases had a healing rate of 81.6%. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion The results of this preliminary short-term study suggest that patients taking long-term oral bisphosphonates can expect a satisfactory outcome with evidence of periradicular healing after conventional root canal treatment. Thus, root canal treatment may be considered a safe and realistic alternative to extraction in patients on bisphosphonate therapy.
Gonadal status and pubertal age influence the responsiveness of the benzodiazepine/GABA receptor complex to environmental challenge in male rats.

Pubertal age and gonadal status in male rats influenced the functional response of the benzodiazepine (BZD)/GABA receptor chloride channel complex to an environmental challenge, i.e., encountering a stranger in a familiar versus an unfamiliar environment. Chloride (Cl−) enhancement of [3H]flunitrazepam ([3H]Flu) binding was facilitated by exposure to an unfamiliar environment relative to that measured in response to a familiar environment in gonadally intact adult rats but not in prepubertal rats (28 days). Enhancement of [3H]Flu by Cl− at 28 days was not differentially affected by the two environments and did not differ from that measured in non-handled control rats at this age. While a differential effect of the two environments on Cl− enhancement of [3H]Flu binding was also present in adult rats castrated as juveniles (at 19 days), the relationship of environmental challenge to Cl− facilitation was the reverse of that measured in intact adult rats. In addition, GABA-mediated36Cl− uptake was facilitated in intact adult rats tested in either the familiar or unfamiliar environment relative to non-handled intact adult rats. This change in GABA-gated chloride channel function in response to environmental challenge, however, was not present in adult rats castrated as juveniles nor in 28-day-old rats. Therefore, both pubertal age and gonadal status influenced the responsiveness of the BZD/GABA receptor complex to environmental challenge. These findings suggest that pubertal development and adult hormonal status are important determinants of the functional responsiveness of the BZD/GABA receptor complex to environmental challenge.
Predicting Happiness: How Normative Feeling Rules Influence (and Even Reverse) Durability Bias

Consumers’ purchase decisions are often influenced by a simple assessment of how long they expect an anticipated purchase (e.g., buying a sports car or a new outfit) will make them happy. Unfortunately, affective forecasts are prone to durability bias (i.e., the overes-timation of the duration of felt emotions in response to a future event). Here, this article suggests that normative beliefs, or “feeling rules,” often underlie emotion forecasts. This account suggests that affective forecasts can be influenced by external normative communications and that conditions exist where affect duration may be underestimated rather than overestimated—thus demonstrating a reversal of durability bias. Such reversals occur when existing norms advocate attenuated emotional responses (e.g., one should not be overly impacted by minor setbacks or small imperfections). This article discusses how marketers can influence consumers’ happiness forecasts by modifying salient norms for consumer groups or product categories.
Finite amplitude side-band stability of a viscous film

The nonlinear stability of a viscous film flowing steadily down an inclined plane is investigated by the method of multiple scales. It is shown that the super-critically stable, finite amplitude, long, monochromatic wave obtained by Lin (1969, 1970, 1971) is stable to side-band disturbances under modal interaction if the bandwidth is less in magnitude than to the ratio of the amplitude to the film thickness. Near the upper branch of the linear neutral-stability curve where the amplification rate ci is O(e2), the nonlinear evolution of initially infinitesimal waves of a finite bandwidth is shown to obey the Landau-Stuart equation, Near the lower branch of the neutral curve, the nonlinear evolution is stronger. An equation is derived for describing this strong nonlinear development of relatively long waves. In practice, disturbance of this type clusters in the form of a hump which cannot be constructed only by the first few harmonics.
X-ray studies of two synthetic DNA copolymers

An X-ray diffraction study of the synthetic DNA copolymers dAT† and dA BU ¯ has demonstrated that the lithium salts exist in a B form with helix dimensions identical with those of lithium DNA. The intensity distribution of the dAT pattern is very similar to that of DNA, whereas the dA BU ¯ pattern shows a number of intensity changes resulting from the substitution of bromine for the methyl group of thymine. The sodium salt of dAT has on occasion given fibers with a crystalline A form pattern like that of natural DNA. However, some new fiber forms, including one quite unlike any observed with natural DNAs, have been found in fibers of the sodium and ammonium salts of dAT.
Lossy compression of ultraspectral images: integrating preprocessing and compression stages

In this paper we focus on lossy compression of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder images that include around 40 MB of data distributed over more than two thousand bands. We present a novel architecture that integrates both preprocessing and compression stages providing efficient lossy compression. As part of preprocessing the spectral bands are normalized and reordered such that the bands of the transformed cube are spatially segmented and scanned to generate a unidimensional signal. This signal is then modeled as an autoregressive process and subjected to linear prediction (LP) for which a valid filter order is obtained by analyzing the prediction gain of the filter. The outcomes of this procedure are LP coefficients and an error signal that, when encoded, results in a compressed version of the original image. Performance of this novel architecture is mathematically justified by means of rate-distortion analysis and compared against other well-known compression techniques.
Professionals' views of comparative advertising and the scholarly research literature: A review and synthesis

Comparative advertisements that contrast identifiable, competing products or services may be among advertising's most important tactical weapons. Despite nearly a century of use in the USA, growing use by advertisers in many other countries, and decades of scholarly research, some researchers continue to argue that the status of empirical knowledge regarding comparative advertising's effectiveness remains equivocal. This study addresses this equivocality with a review of the research literature and comparisons with the findings of a recent survey of US advertising creative executives. The findings reveal substantial agreement among the beliefs of academic researchers and advertising professionals in regard to when and how comparative advertising will likely be effective. In addition to offering confirming evidence that academic researchers and advertising professionals do sometimes arrive at the same destination in regard to their shared understandings of advertising effects, the findings also point the w...
Long-Term Prognostic Value of Resting Heart Rate in Subjects With Prehypertension*

Background Increased resting heart rate increases cardiovascular risk in individuals with hypertension. The extent to which such risk extends to people with prehypertension is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether elevated resting heart rate contributes to increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in people with prehypertension. Methods The cohort for the current study consisted of 3275 persons from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, 45 to 64 years old in 1986 to 1989, with a mean follow-up of 10.1 years. The primary outcomes were CHD and all-cause mortality. Results Individuals with prehypertension and elevated resting heart rate had 50% higher all-cause mortality than people with prehypertension and lower resting heart rate (hazard ratio [HR] 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–2.15), which was essentially unchanged after controlling for age, ethnicity, gender, diabetes, smoking status, LDL-cholesterol, exercise, and use of antilipemic agents (P Conclusions Resting heart rate is an easily accessible tool that may be helpful for stratifying CHD and mortality risk in people with prehypertension.