cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Painful venous ulcers: themes and stories about living with the pain and suffering.

Purpose: Describe and explore the meaning of the experience of living with painful venous ulcers. Subjects and Setting: Fourteen people with active painful venous ulcers at the time of initial interview at an outpatient wound center. Method: A descriptive qualitative approach, known as Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology was used for this study. Semistructured interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed using Martin Qualitative Analysis Software. Results: Four of the eight most compelling themes identified by the patients are reviewed in this article. These themes are expecting pain with the ulcer, swelling equals pain, not standing, and starting the pain all over again (painful debridements). Conclusions: The identified pain descriptors and the constitutive pattern “carrying on despite the pain” have important implications for WOC nursing practice, education, and research.
Use of qualitative and quantitative methods to define behavioral fat- reduction strategies and their relationship to dietary fat reduction in the patterns of dietary change study

Abstract Objective The purposes of this study were to identify specific food choice behaviors used to decrease dietary fat intake in a community-dwelling population; assess how people categorize changes to diet; determine whether logical grouping of food intake changes revealed one or more common patterns or strategies used by these participants to decrease fat; and determine which strategies were responsible for the greatest decrease in dietary fat intake in the study population. Design Survey analysis and in-depth interviews were used to quantitatively and qualitatively define dietary change patterns retrospectively in a population who, according to self-report, had decreased their fat intake. Specific food changes made to decrease fat intake, interview statements, and participants' reduction of percentage energy from fat were examined. Setting Interviews were conducted from June 1993 through April 1994. Subjects Included in the study were 145 persons aged 30 to 55 years who reported that they had been decreasing their dietary fat intake for 5 years or more, maintained a healthful diet for at least 5 months, and resided in the United States while changing their diets. Statistical analyses performed Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and linear regression analysis were performed. Results Nine fat-reduction strategies were identified. Decrease fat flavorings, decrease "recreational foods," decrease cooking fat, replace meat, change breakfast, and use fat-modified foods accounted for significant reduction in fat intake. Conclusions People use a variety of dietary changes to reduce their fat intake. These changes can be categorized into strategies according to the way people change their diets. Knowledge of these strategies and their importance in dietary fat reduction can improve and help nutritionists prioritize the messages they convey. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:1245–1250,1253 .
A mortality follow-up study of WW II submariners who received nasopharyngeal radium irradiation treatment.

Background During World War II, large numbers of submarine trainees received nasopharyngeal radium irradiation therapy to treat aerotitis media or middle ear barotrauma. Methods Using a life table and the Cox proportional hazards model, mortality risk of 1, 214 submariners believed to have received treatment for aerotitis media was compared to 3,176 "untreated" submariners. Results "Treated" submariners had a significant increased mortality risk for all causes (odds ratio (OR) = 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1. 14-1.53) and circulatory diseases (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.20-1.90), and a non-significant increased mortality risk of head and neck cancer (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 0.54-3.58). Conclusions While the excess risk was not statistically significant by conventional standards, the finding does suggest that those who received NP radium irradiation therapy may be at increased risk of death due to head and neck cancers. Due to the lack of data the role of risk factors other than radium exposure cannot be assessed.
Myocardial Positron Scintigraphy with Short-Lived 82Rb

Positron-emitting 78-sec 82Rb obtained from a 82Sr (25 day) nuclide generator is used with a multicrystal positron camera for serial non-invasive myocardial scanning. Progress in application of this generator for myocardial scintigraphy from December, 1974 to September, 1975 is reported. Physical characteristics of the generator and scanning system were examined with the aid of phantom models. Myocardial scanning was carried out in an open chest canine myocardial infarct preparation and in normal human subjects. It is concluded that positron scintigraphy with 82Rb permits rapid non-invasive assessment of regional myocardial perfusion at intervals of several minutes.
Exposure of Firefighters to Particulates and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Firefighting continues to be among the most hazardous yet least studied occupations in terms of exposures and their relationship to occupational disease. Exposures are complex, involving mixtures of particles and chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Adverse health effects associated with these agents include elevated incidences of coronary heart disease and several cancers. PAHs have been detected at fire scenes, and in the firehouse rest area and kitchen, routinely adjoining the truck bay, and where firefighters spend a major part of each shift. An academic-community partnership was developed with the Cincinnati Fire Department with the goal of understanding active firefighters’ airborne and dermal PAH exposure. PAHs were measured in air and particulates, and number and mass concentrations, respectively, of submicron (0.02–1 μm) and PM2.5 (2.5 μm diameter and less) particles during overhaul events in two firehouses and a University of Cincinnati administrative facility as a comparis...
Improving Densification of Zirconium Tungstate With Nano Tungsten Trioxide and Sintering Aids

Because of the highly negative thermal expansion coefficient, zirconium tungstate (ZT) offers a unique opportunity in engineering applications. However, processing of ZT has not been fully perfected to yield a near thoeretical density. Thus, ZT has relatively a weak strength, which prevented its unique property to be fully utilized in applications. This study investigates the processing methods to improve the packing and subsequent final densities — thus improving the mechanical strength. These methods include (1) use of a wide variety of powders with different size, (2) use of nano-powders and (3) use of sintering aids. Under the same compaction and sintering condition, a variety of powder mixtures were produced, whose initial packing density and final sintered density were measured and compared in order to determine the optimal combination. The elastic modulus of each sample was also tested. By adding nanopowders, the sintered density of zirconium tungstate can be enhanced by 5%. Furthermore, with the sintering aids, the density can be improved by additional 5%. The optimal amount of nanopowders and sintering aids were determined to improve the final density and strength.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Procalcitonin Biomarker Kinetics to Predict Multiorgan Dysfunction Syndrome in Children With Sepsis and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

Background:: Procalcitonin (PCT) kinetics is a good prognosis marker in infectious diseases, but few studies of children sepsis have been performed. Objectives:: The aim of our study was to examine kinetics of procalcitonin, to evaluate its relationship with severity and to analyze its usefulness in the prediction of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Patients and Methods:: Prospective observational study in an 8-bed pediatric intensive care unit of a university hospital. Sixty-two children aged 0-19 years with systemic inflammatory response syndrome or septic states. The degree of severity was evaluated according pediatric logistic organ dysfunction (PELOD) score. Blood tests to determine levels of PCT were taken if the patients had the criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis. The serum to determine levels of PCT in control group has been taken from patients undergoing elective surgery. Results:: Higher values of PCT were identified in patients with PELOD score 12 and more compared to those with PELOD < 12 (P = 0.016). Similarly, higher PCT values were found in patients who developed MODS in contrast to those without MODS (P = 0.011). According to ROC analysis cut-off value of 4.05 ng/mL was found to best discriminate patients with PELOD < 12 and PELOD ≥ 12 with AUC = 0.675 (P = 0.035). Effect of procalcitonin levels on mortality was not demonstrated. Conclusions:: Levels of procalcitonin from day 1 to day 5 are related to the severity and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome in children.
Anisotropic shrinkage in tape-cast alumina : Role of processing parameters and particle shape

Aqueous suspensions of alumina and other powders containing no visible morphological anisotropy were tape cast under different conditions to study the role of processing parameters and powder characteristics in the origin of in-plane sintering shrinkage anisotropy. High anisotropic shrinkage, with the typical shrinkage in the transverse direction exceeding that in the casting direction by more than 10%, was observed for tape-cast alumina cast at high solids loading and high shear rates. Tape casting without any binder also resulted in similar anisotropy. Lower solids loading with increased agglomeration resulted in a drastic reduction of shrinkage anisotropy. Under similar casting conditions, BaTiO3 did not show any shrinkage anisotropy unlike alumina. Cubic zinc ferrite and titania powders also showed some consistent shrinkage anisotropy. A correlation was found between in-plane particle orientation and anisotropic shrinkage proving that powder characteristics, particularly particle shape, control anisotropic shrinkage even in apparently equiaxed powders.
The crime triangle: Alcohol, drug use, and vandalism

This research illustrates the benefits of the police-researcher partnership in preventing park crime in a suburban community. Parks can attract illegitimate users who engage in criminal activities. The park in this research project gained a reputation as a hot spot for alcohol, drug use, and vandalism. The social use of drugs and alcohol prompted the youthful offenders to target victims and engage in criminal behavior. A questionnaire evaluated the effects of problem-oriented policing intervention and prevention strategies. The general findings suggest that the problem-oriented policing paradigm and related crime prevention strategies reduced the level and fear of crime in this community.
Atrial Fibrillation in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Prevalence, Clinical Correlations, and Mortality in a Large High‐Risk Population

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a common sequela of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but evidence on its prevalence, risk factors, and effect on mortality is sparse. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of AF, identify clinical and echocardiographic correlates, and assess its effect on mortality in a large high‐risk HCM population. Methods and ResultsWe identified HCM patients who underwent evaluation at our institution from 1975 to 2012. AF was defined by known history (either chronic or paroxysmal), electrocardiogram, or Holter monitoring at index visit. We examined clinical and echocardiographic variables in association with AF. The effect of AF on overall and cause‐specific mortality was evaluated with multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Of 3673 patients with HCM, 650 (18%) had AF. Patients with AF were older and more symptomatic (P<0.001). AF was less common among patients with obstructive HCM phenotype and was associated with larger left atria, higher E/e’ ratios, and worse cardiop...
The effect of context on discrimination and bias in recognition memory for pictures and words.

When the context accompanying a to-be-remembered word is changed between study and test, recognition memory is impaired. The deleterious effect of context change on recognition memory can be viewed as support for encoding specificity theory, semantic theory, or the existence of two bases for recognition. A fourth possible interpretation, examined here, is that the effect of context change on recognition memory is due to an accompanying change in response bias, rather than a “true” decrease in sensitivity to old and new items. In two experiments, the effect of context change on discrimination and bias in recognition of simple line drawings and their names was examined. Bias was measured using two measures shown by Snodgrass and Corwin (1988) to be theoretically independent of their associated discrimination measures. Context change produced marked conservatism in response bias in both experiments but demonstrated an effect on discrimination in the second experiment only. The shift from a neutral to a conservative response strategy as a result of context change may also be seen in other experiments, in which the same experimental paradigm was used with a variety of stimulus materials- We suggest that the major effect of context manipulation is to produce a change in-bias.A stimulus, in a.familiar environment appears to be more familiar than a stimulus in a strange environment, regardless of its old/new status. In addition, there appears to be a true decrease in discrimination with context change, but this is more difficult to detect. The finding that pictures, which are less polysemous than words, are as affected by context change as words are supports encoding-Specificity theory over semantic theory.
Mirex – Photomirex Relationships in Lake Ontario

Abstract Water and sediment samples collected from the Lake Ontario system were analyzed for mirex and photomirex. Photomirex to mirex ratios (P/M) increased in the stratified surface layer of the lake from spring to autumn and in water from Oswego harbor. P/M ratios in the mirex source sediments (the Niagara and Oswego rivers) were very low ( 0.10) and surface waters (> 0.30). The ratios in the St. Lawrence sediment and water were greater than 0.30. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that photomirex in Lake Ontario is produced by the photolysis of mirex present in the surface waters. It is then partitioned between the water, sediments and biota.
Some experimental results on the development of Couette flow for non-Newtonian fluids

Abstract This paper reports some experimental results on the time development of a Couette flow following the start-up of shear flow using the technique of two-color flow birefringence. Measurements obtained on collagen solutions are consistent with two theoretical studies which predict that for some viscoelastic liquids, momentum is transferred from the moving Couette cell boundary to the interior of the fluid through a velocity wave propagating and reflecting between the cell boundaries. This non-Newtonian phenomenon, exhibited as an oscillatory response in the measured birefringence and orientation angle, is observed at shear rates above a critical value when the response time of the polymer solution approaches the flow development time in the Couette flow cell.
Marriage and Family Counseling in Industry

Marriage and family counseling in industry for employees and their dependents is relatively new and innovative. Exploratory descriptive materials of marriage and family counseling problems, cases, and services have been obtained from letters, reports, and interviews with counselors in industry and business. The main findings are: 1. Industry is opening its doors to marriage and family counseling at home and abroad, both for humanitarian and financial reasons. 2. A variety of programs and services are being offered and developed. 3. Preliminary reports from industry indicate these services are helping families in trouble and improving productivity of employees.
Tools and protocols for E-commerce

Abstract This article is a brief overview of the main types of tools and services available for creating trading sites on the Internet, with a primary emphasis on Web sites accepting payment for goods by bankcard. After reviewing the principal requirements for such sites — with a particular emphasis on the security requirements — and the protocols in widest use to support them, the available tools are reviewed: these range from simple implementations of the relevant protocols, through packages supporting the bulk of the trading cycle, to outsourced services which relieve the trader from most of the technical concerns.
Temporal progression of angiogenesis and basal lamina deposition after contusive spinal cord injury in the adult rat

After spinal cord injury (SCI), the absence of an adequate blood supply to injured tissues has been hypothesized to contribute to the lack of regeneration. In this study, blood vessel changes were examined in 28 adult female Fischer 344 rats at 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 60 days after a 12.5 g x cm NYU impactor injury at the T9 vertebral level. Laminin, collagen IV, endothelial barrier antigen (SMI71), and rat endothelial cell antigen (RECA-1) immunoreactivities were used to quantify blood vessel per area densities and diameters in ventral gray matter (VGM), ventral white matter (VWM), and dorsal columns (DC) at levels ranging 15 mm rostral and caudal to the epicenter. This study demonstrates an angiogenic response, defined as SMI71/RECA-1-immunopositive endothelial cells that colocalize with a robust deposition of basal lamina and basal lamina streamers, 7 days after injury within epicenter VGM. This angiogenesis diminishes concurrent with cystic cavity formation. GAP43- and neurofilament- (68 kDa and 210 kDa) immunopositive fiber outgrowth was associated with these new blood vessels by day 14. Between 28 and 60 days after injury, increases in SMI71-immunopositive blood vessel densities were observed in the remaining VWM and DC with a corresponding increase in vessel diameters up to 15 mm rostral and caudal to the epicenter. This second angiogenesis within VWM and DC, unlike the acute response observed in VGM, did not correspond to any previously described changes in locomotor behaviors in this model. We propose that therapies targeting angiogenic processes be directed at the interval between 3 and 7 days after SCI.
Challenges and outcomes of working from a rights based perspective.

With comments from a young person’s perspective Rights, what are they and who has them? Alderson1 describes rights as “equal entitlements for all members of the human family to respect their worth and dignity…” as a reflection of the preamble stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989.2 The Convention reflects the philosophy that children too are equals, having the same inherent value as grown-ups. The value of childhood itself is emphasised by the child’s right to play within Article 31 of the Convention.3 The Articles of the convention have been divided into three sections: This includes being informed and having access to information, to the opportunity to express their views, and to have those views and wishes taken seriously in all matters that affect them (Articles 12, 13, and 17). In a health care setting these rights are especially challenging in relation to consent to treatment. Working from a rights base perspective is important to my personal and professional accountability in my role as a nurse and manager within the NHS. All rights are applicable in health care but it is the application of the participation rights that are perhaps the most challenging because they challenge our power and authority. A rights based approach requires that we examine and understand our power and influence in the roles we have with …
Modelling Associations between Public Understanding, Engagement and Forest Conditions in the Inland Northwest, USA

Opinions about public lands and the actions of private non-industrial forest owners in the western United States play important roles in forested landscape management as both public and private forests face increasing risks from large wildfires, pests and disease. This work presents the responses from two surveys, a random-sample telephone survey of more than 1500 residents and a mail survey targeting owners of parcels with 10 or more acres of forest. These surveys were conducted in three counties (Wallowa, Union, and Baker) in northeast Oregon, USA. We analyze these survey data using structural equation models in order to assess how individual characteristics and understanding of forest management issues affect perceptions about forest conditions and risks associated with declining forest health on public lands. We test whether forest understanding is informed by background, beliefs, and experiences, and whether as an intervening variable it is associated with views about forest conditions on publicly managed forests. Individual background characteristics such as age, gender and county of residence have significant direct or indirect effects on our measurement of understanding. Controlling for background factors, we found that forest owners with higher self-assessed understanding, and more education about forest management, tend to hold more pessimistic views about forest conditions. Based on our results we argue that self-assessed understanding, interest in learning, and willingness to engage in extension activities together have leverage to affect perceptions about the risks posed by declining forest conditions on public lands, influence land owner actions, and affect support for public policies. These results also have broader implications for management of forested landscapes on public and private lands amidst changing demographics in rural communities across the Inland Northwest where migration may significantly alter the composition of forest owner goals, understanding, and support for various management actions.
Liquid-State Theory of Structure, Thermodynamics, and Phase Separation in Suspensions of Rod Polymers and Hard Spheres†

A new formulation of the polymer reference interaction site model (PRISM) theory for suspensions of hard spheres and rigid rods has been developed. The nonlocal loss of orientational entropy when a rod is near an impenetrable particle is accounted for in a thermodynamically self-consistent manner. In the ideal needle limit, quantitative predictions and qualitative scaling behaviors are determined for the depletion potential, rod insertion chemical potential, intermolecular pair correlations, and fluid−fluid spinodal phase-separation boundaries as a function of rod−particle size-asymmetry and mixture variables. The needle-induced depletion potential of mean force between a pair of particles is in good agreement with exact numerical results and experiments on dilute silica−virus suspensions. Needle-induced clustering of colloidal particles is studied, and the PRISM results are in good agreement with the small amount of available simulation data. The behavior of spinodal boundaries in the extreme size-asymme...
CHRONIC STEREOTACTIC IMPLANTATION OF DEPTH ELECTRODES FOR PSYCHOMOTOR EPILEPSY.

1. TheTalairach stereotactic system for exploration of the temporal lobe in psychomotor epilepsy has been found to be extremely accurate for implantation of chronic depth electrodes in eight patients with uncontrolled seizures. Completed serial sections of the resected anterior temporal lobe in three of these cases correlated closely with the roentgen localization of the electrodes. 2. No significant complications such as infection, increase in seizures, or neurologic deficit have arisen except for one instance of continued partial homonymous hemianopsia after positive ventriculography. 3. Clinical observations during spontaneous and induced convulsions, serial scalp electroencephalograms and depth recordings awake and during sleep, together with electrical stimulation at various parameters have been carried out over a period of two to three weeks after electrode implantation. 4. Major unilateral epileptogenic foci have been localized by this technique of prolonged depth electrode investigations in five of six patients with independent temporal spike discharges on scalp electroencephalograms and in one patient with clinical psychomotor epilepsy without scalp electroencephalographic abnormalities after numerous tracing during seizures. 5. The major area of electrical spike abnormality was the pes hippocampus and hippocampal gyrus rather than the amygdaloid nucleus. Stimulation of these areas showed lowest threshold of afterdischarge and propagation of seizure pattern and frequently reproduced the patient's clinical convulsive pattern. 6. Except for one convulsion, all of the patients after definitive anterior temporal lobectomy have been free of seizures during follow-up periods of 2 to 18 months. Anticonvulsant medications have been continued in all cases.
Japanese Barley Imports: Implications of the 1988 Japanese Beef Market Access Agreement

A two-stage budgeting procedure is employed to analyze the Japanese import demand for barley and the allocation of Japanese barley imports between North America (Canada and the United States) and Australia. It is found that the import demand for barley is price inelastic and that corn is a substitute for barley. Japanese barley imports are also influenced by size of the cattle herd and the number of cattle slaughtered. Price competition plays a significant role in import allocation, and budget shares of the two suppliers are proportional to total import expenditure. Since April 1991, import quotas and the involvement of the Livestock Industry Promotion Corporation (a quasi-government agency) in the Japanese beef trade have been replaced with higher tariffs and direct negotiations between traders. These changes promise easier access to the Japanese beef market and have been predicted to exert adverse impacts on the Japanese cattle industry. Different responses of the Japanese cattle industry under trade liberalization are assumed and are combined with the estimated econometric models to forecast Japanese barley imports in total and by country of origin. The effect of a reduced price for North American barley is also investigated, since reduced total imports under trade liberalization may intensify price competition. Une procedure budgetaire en deux etapes permet d'analyser la demande d'orge a l'importation au Japon et l'allocation des importations japanaises d'orge entre l'Amerique du Nord (le Canada et les Etats-Unis) et l'Australie. Les resultats indiquent que la demande d'orge a l'importation est inelastique par rapport au prix et que le mais est un substitut pour l'orge. Les importations japonaises d'orge sont aussi fonction de la taille du troupeau global au Japon et du nombre d'animaux abattus. La concurrence par les prix joue un role important dans l'allocation des importations entre les deux pays. De plus, les parts du budget allouees aux deux zones fournisseurs sont proportionnelles a la depense total sur les importations. Depuis avril 1991, les quotas a l'importation et l'implication de la corporation para-etatique (Livestock Industry Promotion Corporation) dans le commerce japonais du boeuf ont ete remplaces par des tarifs plus eleves et des negotiations directes entre les commercants du marche international. Ces modifications devraient faciliter l'acces au marche japonais du boeufet tel qu'attendu pourront avoir des effets nefastes sur le secteur bovin japonais. Plusieurs scenarios simulant la reponse de l'industrie bovine japonaise a la liberalisation des echanges sont proposes et sont utilises en conjonction avec un modele econometrique pour effectuer des previsions du niveau total des importations d'orge au Japon ainsi que le pays d'origine de celles-ci. L'impact d'une reduction du prix de l'orge en Amerique du Nord est aussi considere, puisqu'une reduction des importations totales suite a la liberalisation des echanges pourrait intensifier la concurrence par les prix.
The Effects of Self-Questioning on Reading Comprehension: A Literature Review

The ability to monitor one's own reading comprehension is a critical skill for deriving meaning from text. Self-questioning during reading is a strategy that enables students to monitor their reading comprehension and increases their ability to learn independently. The purpose of this article was to review experimental research studies that examined the effects of self-questioning methods on school-age students’ reading comprehension and to determine the extent to which self-questioning is an evidence-based practice. This review resulted in 35 experimental research studies that involved teaching self-questioning to K–12 students with and without disabilities. Findings revealed that a variety of strategies are used to teach self-questioning to students. These self-questioning strategies are effective for improving reading comprehension performance across a range of diverse learners and across various educational settings. We provide limitations of this body of research, directions for future research, and ...
Genome-wide analysis of EGR2/SOX10 binding in myelinating peripheral nerve

Myelin is essential for the rapidity of saltatory nerve conduction, and also provides trophic support for axons to prevent axonal degeneration. Two critical determinants of myelination are SOX10 and EGR2/KROX20. SOX10 is required for specification of Schwann cells from neural crest, and is required at every stage of Schwann cell development. Egr2/Krox20 expression is activated by axonal signals in myelinating Schwann cells, and is required for cell cycle arrest and myelin formation. To elucidate the integrated function of these two transcription factors during peripheral nerve myelination, we performed in vivo ChIP-Seq analysis of myelinating peripheral nerve. Integration of these binding data with loss-of-function array data identified a range of genes regulated by these factors. In addition, although SOX10 itself regulates Egr2/Krox20 expression, leading to coordinate activation of several major myelin genes by the two factors, there is a large subset of genes that are activated independent of EGR2. Finally, the results identify a set of SOX10-dependent genes that are expressed in early Schwann cell development, but become subsequently repressed by EGR2/KROX20.
Mesolimbic Recruitment by Nondrug Rewards in Detoxified Alcoholics: Effort Anticipation, Reward Anticipation, and Reward Delivery

Aberrant sensitivity of incentive neurocircuitry to nondrug rewards has been suggested as ei- ther a risk factor for or consequence of drug addiction. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we tested whether alcohol-dependent patients (ADP: n ¼ 29) showed altered recruitment of ventral striatal (VS) incentive neurocircuitry compared to controls (n ¼ 23) by: (1) cues to respond for mone- tary rewards, (2) post-response anticipation of rewards, or (3) delivery of rewards. Using an instru- mental task with two-stage presentation of reward-predictive information, subjects saw cues signaling opportunities to win $0, $1, or $10 for responding to a target. Following this response, subjects were notified whether their success would be indicated by a lexical notification (''Hit?'') or by delivery of a monetary reward (''Win?''). After a variable interval, subjects then viewed the trial outcome. We found no significant group differences in voxelwise activation by task contrasts, or in signal change extracted from VS. Both ADP and controls showed significant VS and other limbic recruitment by pre-response reward anticipation. In addition, controls also showed VS recruitment by post-response reward-antici- pation, and ADP had appreciable subthreshold VS activation. Both groups also showed similar meso- limbic responses to reward deliveries. Across all subjects, a questionnaire measure of ''hot'' impulsivity correlated with VS recruitment by post-response anticipation of low rewards and with VS recruitment by delivery of low rewards. These findings indicate that incentive-motivational processing of nondrug rewards is substantially maintained in recovering alcoholics, and that reward-elicited VS recruitment correlates more with individual differences in trait impulsivity irrespective of addiction. Hum Brain Mapp 00:000-000, 2011. V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. y
Solution NMR Studies of the Aβ(1−40) and Aβ(1−42) Peptides Establish that the Met35 Oxidation State Affects the Mechanism of Amyloid Formation

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the aggregation and fibrillation of the 40-residue Aβ(1−40) and 42-residue Aβ(1−42) peptides into amyloid plaques. The structural changes associated with the conversion of monomeric Aβ peptide building blocks into multimeric fibrillar β-strand aggregates remain unknown. Recently, we established that oxidation of the methionine-35 side chain to the sulfoxide (Met35red → Met35ox) significantly impedes the rate of aggregation and fibrillation of the Aβ peptide. To explore this effect at greater resolution, we carefully compared the 1H, 15N, and 13C NMR chemical shifts of four Aβ peptides that had the Met35 reduced or oxidized (Aβ(1−40)Met35red, Aβ(1−40)Met35ox, Aβ(1−42)Met35red, and Aβ(1−42)Met35ox). With the use of a special disaggregation protocol, the highly aggregation prone Aβ peptides could be studied at higher, millimolar concentrations (as required by NMR) in aqueous solution at neutral pH, remaining largely monomeric at 5 °C as determined b...
The Paradox of Tethering: Key to Unleashing Creative Excellence in the Research-Education Space*

Creative excellence in interdisciplinary research, education, and communication demands stamina and openmindedness. Stamina requires renewal, yet few opportunities for self-renewal are built into most systems. And as experts, our openmindedness is often stifled by our own sense of finishedness. This paper sketches out a strategy for sustained renewal and creative excellence: Each person assembling a gallery of hand-picked intellectual heroes to serve as their life-long teachers. It argues that tethering ourselves to intellectual heroes does not limit our creative potential but instead achieves exactly the opposite effect – enabling us to see and reach our own greatest potentialities. By strengthening the habit of strategic tethering, we situate an active, partially guided search for self-renewal and a heightened receptivity to new ideas at the very core of achieving excellence in the research-education space.
Ultrasonic velocity measurement for the determination of density in polyethylene

An ultrasonic immersion method is presented for the rapid and accurate measurement of longitudinal sound velocity (v) in polyethylene (PE). The method is based solely on the measurement of time delays and can be automated. The samples are the same press-molded plaques that are prepared for the standard-density (ρ) determination using a density-gradient column, Our measurements on a representative group of various types of PE with densities in the range 0.92 to 0.96 g/cm3 show without ambiguity that v is proportional to ρ. The degree of correlation is such that we come to suggest that the acoustic method be used for the characterization of density. We show that the accuracy is good and compares with that of the density-gradient column and we then conclude on the practical advantages of the ultrasonic method.
RESEARCH ARTICLE: Gaining Ground: Green Infrastructure Attitudes and Perceptions from Stakeholders in Syracuse, New York

This research is part of an ULTRA NSF-US Forest service research grant addressing urban ecosystem metabolism in Syracuse, New York. This project explores local stakeholders' perceptions of green infrastructure (GI) and ecosystems services from both positive and detracting perspectives. Focus groups were used to elicit responses for a thematic analysis. Respondents displayed confusion about what ecosystems services are, as well as what GI is. Implementation barriers include costs (who pays), what the benefits are, unanticipated impacts, and scale of implementation.Environmental Practice 14:6–16 (2012)
Options in the treatment of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease: a brief review

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which dopaminergic neurons are lost from the substantia nigra, causing basal ganglia dysfunction [1]. Resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability are the cardinal symptoms [2]. Levodopa is the most efficacious medication for PD [3]. Early in the course of PD, levodopa controls the primary motor symptoms and provides relief for nearly all patients. Initially, the effects of a single dose of levodopa last more than 4 hours. Over time, however, the drug eventually ceases to provide these relatively long and predictable symptom-free periods [4–6]. In addition, patients develop periods of involuntary choreic (twisting or turning) movements known as levodopainduced dyskinesias. Motor fluctuations and dyskinesias can become more disabling than the original PD symptoms. In moderate to advanced disease, patients may be afflicted by tremor, loss of mobility, dystonias, choreiform dyskinesias, episodes of ‘‘freezing,’’ and other motor symptoms [7]. Managing motor fluctuations and dyskinesias represents one of the major challenges of the long-term treatment of PD [7]. Recent research has led to many treatment innovations and strategies that provide patients with more
Target Strength of encaged Atlantic redfish (Sebastes spp.)

Redfish (Sebastes spp.) were caught at sea with feather hooks, kept alive in sea cages for >12 hours at 30 m depth, then transferred to cages at 10 m depth for another 12 h. Most fish survived this procedure in excellent condition. A total of 16 fish of length 24.5-30 cm were placed one at a time in an acoustically inert monofilament cage where target strength (TS) was measured for two hours using a 38 kHz split-beam echo-sounder. An underwater video camera enabled continuous monitoring of fish and cage. The best fit length based regression obtained from these data was TS=19 log [length (cm)]−66.6, in the standard format: TS=20 log [length (cm)]−68.1 (r 2 =0.18). TS varied by less than 4 dB over a range of tilt angles from −50° to 70° off dorsal aspect.
Genetic Control of White Flower Color in Scarlet Rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus Walter)

Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus Walter) is a diploid, perennial, erect, and woody shrub. The species is a desirable inclusion in home landscapes because it is a native plant with attractive flowers and unusual foliage. The objective of these experiments was to determine the number of loci, number of alleles, and gene action controlling flower color (red vs. white) in scarlet rosemallow. Three white-flowered and 1 red-flowered parental lines were used to create S1 and F1 populations, which were self-pollinated or backcrossed to generate S2, F2, and BC1 populations. Evaluation of these generations showed that flower color in these populations was controlled by a single diallelic locus with red flower color completely dominant to white. I propose that this locus be named ‘‘white flower’’ with alleles W and w.
Rapid coal devolatilization as an equilibrium flash distillation

A model for the rapid devolatilization of individual coal particles is developed by analogy with a single-stage equilibrium flash distillation. In the theory, thermal depolymerization of the coal generates aromatic fragments that are widely distributed in size. Conditions for phase equilibrium determine the partitioning of these fragments into intermediates in the condensed phase, which ultimately form char and light gas, and into tar vapor, which escapes in a stream of light gases. Comparison with data shows that the model accurately correlates the yields of noncondensible gas and tar from bituminous coals over wide ranges of temperature and pressure. The predicted molecular weight distributions of tar are also in agreement with measured distributions, and the model yields a mechanistic basis for their observed insensitivity to temperature. The tendency to form lighter tar at higher pressures is also explained.
Accelerator of Stacked Convolutional Independent Subspace Analysis for Deep Learning-Based Action Recognition

Action recognition has been a research challenge in multimedia computing and machine vision. Recent advances in deep learning combined with stacked convolutional Independent Subspace Analysis (ISA) has achieved a better performance superior to all previously published results on several public available data sets. Unfortunately, one major issue in large-scale deployment of this new deep learning-based approach is the unacceptable latency of training with high-dimension data. In this paper, we propose a new hardware accelerator that can reduce the training time substantially for deep learning-based action recognition. Specifically, our proposed approach focuses on accelerating the convolutional stacked ISA algorithm, the core components of the deep learning-based action recognition algorithms. We design parallel pipelines, data parallelisms and look-up table to speed up the algorithm. With an embedded heterogeneous platform consisting of a general purpose processor and a FPGA, we are able to achieve up to 10X speedup for stacked ISA training compared to a software-only implementation.
Causes of interruption of radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in Taiwan.

Background Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is now curable with early diagnosis and radiotherapy treatment. In the past several decades, few studies have investigated why some patients fail to complete the recommended full course of radiotherapy. Methods A total of 3273 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were treated at the Radiation Oncology Department of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in a span of 18 years from 1979 to 1996. Among these patients, 276 did not complete the full course of treatment of radiation therapy. The medical records of these patients were reviewed to determine the factors contributing to treatment interruption. Results Of the 276 patients whose treatment was interrupted, 120 (43.5%) were unable to endure the acute side effects of radiation therapy and were afraid of the possible complications resulting from the treatment; 57 (20.7%) had doubts about the diagnosis or had the subjective perception that the treatment offered would be ineffective in view of the severity of their disease; 50 (18.1%) resorted to folk prescriptions; 17 (6.2%) were faced with socioeconomic problems; 15 (5.4%) sought treatment at another hospital owing to transport considerations; 10 (3.6%) stopped radiation therapy and switched to chemotherapy for palliative management; seven (2.5%) resorted to praying, god worshipping and taking incense powder and magic elixirs because their families were against any established therapy. Conclusions The acute side effects and complications caused by radiation therapy were the major factors influencing patients' decisions to discontinue treatment. This finding suggests that more attention should be paid to providing care with regard to the acute side effects of radiotherapy and to reinforcing pretreatment education.
On-line and off-line test of airborne digital systems: a reliability study

This paper deals with studying the effects of both on-line and off-line test during flight critical missions where safety is a major issue. The on-line test, in this context, is a test performed on a digital airborne system during some specified windows in time while it is still performing its intended task. An off-line test is a test that is performed on the digital system once it is taken, off-line because of a suspected failure. Both the on-line and the off-line tests are performed during flight. The difference between the two is that the off-line test can be made more effective than an on-line test due to the longer amount of time available for testing. Moreover, the off-line test may be designed to have diagnosis and repair capabilities built-in. Upon successful repair, the faulty processor may be reconfigured back into the system. This capability will undoubtedly increase the mission reliability.
Aggregation of Oxidation-Mimicking Mutants of Gamma-D Crystallin Supports a Domain Swapping Model

Crystallization, amyloidogenesis, and native-state polymerization of proteins have been studied extensively, but far less is known about protein aggregation from folding intermediates. Cataract is a protein misfolding disorder resulting from formation of light-scattering aggregates of proteins from the crystallin family, which account for 90% of all protein in the human eye lens. A major model of cataract development is the aggregation of γ-crystallins induced by accumulation of oxidative damage. Oxidative damage can convert hydrophobic core residues to hydrophilic ones, such as tryptophan to kynurenine. Conversely, a number of hydrophilic core substitutions in the γD-crystallin gene cause hereditary early-onset cataract. We investigated the aggregation of hydrophilic core mutants of γD-crystallin mimicking effects of oxidative damage. We present evidence that such mutations lead to structured, non-covalent, non-amyloid aggregation of the protein, which proceeds under physiological conditions in vitro with little or no loss of secondary structure. The aggregates are reversible by changes in pH, but not in temperature. Moreover, a wild-type/mutant mixture can yield dramatic enhancement in light scattering without aggregation of the wild-type protein itself. We conclude that such aggregation proceeds from a folding intermediate or slightly altered conformation accessible under physiological conditions. Domain swapping mechanisms can account for this aggregation behavior.
Observation of direct correlation between induced absorption and second harmonic generation in germanium-doped glass optical fibres

A direct correlation is reported between second harmonic generation (SHG) and the appearance of an induced absorption band in germanium-doped silica optical fibres. The correlation is drawn from two experiments comparing the SHG efficiency and the magnitude of the induced absorption.
Synthesis of marked graph computation models for prescribed resources and performance

This paper presents a method for synthesizing marked graph models of decision-free concurrent computations. The approach is modular in the sense that subsystems represented by arcs (and nodes) are added one by one without the need of redesigning the entire system. The following properties of marked graph models can be prescribed in the synthesis: liveness (absence of deadlocks), safeness (absence of overflows), the number of reachability classes, the maximum resource (temporary storage) requirement, computation rate (performance), as well as the numbers of arcs and states.
Automated test case generation for programs specified by relational algebra queries

Black-box software testing requires test cases to be generated from specifications alone. However, it is impossible to automate the process completely for arbitrary specifications. Specifications are thus restricted to being written entirely in terms of relational algebra expressions. An automated test case generation method is developed for such specifications. >
Examining Relationships and Effects in Gifted Education Research An Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling

The aim of this Methodological Brief to structural equation modeling (SEM) is to help readers become more aware of its uses and how to understand research using it. SEM provides many benefits over traditional multiple regression, including the ability to model multiple outcomes simultaneously and to account for measurement error. This Brief provides a general overview of the purposes of SEM and reviews how SEM can estimate models with both observed variables as well as their underlying constructs and how the adequacy of models is assessed in SEM. Finally, this Brief introduces path diagrams and latent variable models with an illustration of how to understand diagrams and standardized estimates.