cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in spatial ability and spatial activities

Explanations of sex-related differences in spatial ability emphasizing the role of sex-differentiated experience have not been supported by direct measurement of spatial activities during adolescence, the period when these differences seem to increase. The present research involved development of a scale to measure the spatial experience of adolescents and adults. In Study 1, a list, as complete as possible of adolescent activities was compiled and given to undergraduate judges for ratings of involvement of spatial skills and sex-typing. Judges also indicated whether they had participated in each activity. Activities considered spatial by 75% or more of the judges were used to develop a spatial experience questionnaire. Judgments of the spatial nature of tasks were positively correlated with judged masculinity and with greater male than female participation. In Study 2, participation in spatial activities by undergraduates was correlated with spatial ability as measured by the Differential Aptitude Test. The activity questionnaire should prove useful in studying the development of spatial ability in adolescents and adults.
Random set tracking and entropy based control applied to distributed sensor networks

This paper describes an integrated approach to sensor fusion and resource management applicable to sensor networks. The sensor fusion and tracking algorithm is based on the theory of random sets. Tracking is herein considered to be the estimation of parameters in a state space such that for a given target certain components, e.g., position and velocity, are time varying and other components, e.g., identifying features, are stationary. The fusion algorithm provides at each time step the posterior probability density function, known as the global density, on the state space, and the control algorithm identifies the set of sensors that should be used at the next time step in order to minimize, subject to constraints, an approximation of the expected entropy of the global density. The random set approach to target tracking models association ambiguity by statistically weighing all possible hypotheses and associations. Computational complexity is managed by approximating the posterior Global Density using a Gaussian mixture density and using an approach based on the Kulbach-Leibler metric to limit the number of components in the Gaussian mixture representation. A closed form approximation of the expected entropy of the global density, expressed as a Gaussian mixture density, at the next time step for a given set of proposed measurements is developed. Optimal sensor selection involves a search over subsets of sensors, and the computational complexity of this search is managed by employing the Mobius transformation. Field and simulated data from a sensor network comprised of multiple range radars, and acoustic arrays, that measure angle of arrival, are used to demonstrate the approach to sensor fusion and resource management.
A mere exposure effect for transformed three-dimensional objects: Effects of reflection, size, or color changes on affect and recognition

If the mere exposure effect is based on implicit memory, recognition and affect judgments should be dissociated by experimental variables in the same manner as other explicit and implicit measures. Consistent with results from recognition and picture naming or object decision priming tasks (e.g., Biederman & E. E. Cooper, 1991, 1992; L. A. Cooper, Schacter, Ballesteros, & Moore, 1992), the present research showed that recognition memory but not affective preference was impaired by reflection or size transformations of three-dimensional objects between study and test. Stimulus color transformations had no effect on either measure. These results indicate that representations that support recognition memory code spatial information about an object’s left-right orientation and size, whereas representations that underlie affective preference do not. Insensitivity to surface feature changes that do not alter object form appears to be a general characteristic of implicit memory measures, including the affective preference task.
The Planck Aether Model for a Unified Theory of Elementary Particles

A dense assembly of an equal number of two kinds of Planck masses, one having positive and the other one negative kinetic energy, described by a nonrelativistic nonlinear Heisenberg equation with pointlike interactions, is proposed as a model for a unified theory of elementary particles. The dense assembly of Planck masses leads to a vortex field below the Planck scale having the form of a vortex lattice, which can propagate two types of waves, one having the property of Maxwell's electromagnetic and the other one the property of Einstein's gravitational waves. The waves have a cutoff at a wavelength equal to the vortex lattice constant about ∼103 times larger than the Planck length, reproducing the GUT scale of elementary particle physics. The vortex lattice has a resonance energy leading to two kinds of quasiparticles, both of which have the property of Dirac spinors. Depending on the resonance energy, estimated to be ∼107 times smaller than the Planck energy, the mass of one of these quasiparticles is about equal to the electron mass. The mass of the other particle is much smaller, making it a likely candidate for the much smaller neutrino mass. Larger spinor masses occur as internal excitations, with a maximum of four such excitations corresponding to a maximum of four particle families. Other vortex solutions may describe the quark-lepton symmetries of the standard model. All masses, with the exception of the Planck mass particles, are quasiparticles for which Lorentz invariance holds, with the Galilei invariance at the Planck scale dynamically broken into Lorentz invariance below this scale. The assumed equal number of Planck masses with positive and negative kinetic energy makes the cosmological constant exactly equal to zero.
The Generality of the Retention Interval Model.

Summary Elaborations and refinements were made for core constructs of the retention interval (RI) model that specified a major difference between anticipation and study-test methods to be short-term memory (STM) processes in differential retention intervals. Subsequent developments reinforce the model and suggest that basic processes per each type of event are, respectively, the same for both methods (except for quantitatively differential retention intervals)—the identity hypothesis. The RI model unveiled another major factor, learning difficulty, that controls performance differences between the two methods. By encompassing new developments, the generality of the RI model was tested in a variety of situations. The model seems to hold firmly for a wide range of paired-associate and verbal discrimination learning paradigms including such cross-variations as the following: mixed vs. unmixed list design, constant vs. random item presentation orders, forward vs. backward associations, part vs. whole list des...
Der relaxierende Faktor aus Endothelzellen: Entdeckung, frühe Untersuchungen und Identifizierung als Stickstoffmonoxid (Nobel-Vortrag)

Wenn die Luftblasen nicht gewesen waren, hatte die endothelabhangige Vasodilatation schon zu einem fruheren Zeitpunkt entdeckt werden konnen. Bei Untersuchungen an perfundierten Zentralarterien des Kaninchenohres konnte durch Zusatz von Acetylcholin, einem bekannten prasynaptischen Inhibitor der adrenergen Neurotransmission, die durch Zugabe von Noradrenalin bewirkte Vasokonstriktion uberraschenderweise nicht gehemmt werden. Spater stellte sich heraus, das durch Luftblasen in der Perfusionslosung das Endothel offenbar mechanisch entfernt worden war, so das keine Freisetzung des relaxierenden Faktors aus Endothelzellen (EDRF) erfolgen konnte.
Clinical Evaluation of Continuous-Wear Hydrophilic Lenses

Twenty patients who had previously not worn contact lenses were fitted with a thin, continuous-wear hydrophilic contact lens in the right eye for 12 weeks. Seventeen patients completed the study and tolerated the lenses well. Some patients developed changes in corneal thickness, corneal curvature, and refraction, and some changes in visual acuity were reversed when the lens was removed. Many developed lens opacities that did not interfere with vision. We encountered no infections or corneal neovascularization in this study.
Computerized Provider Order Entry Adoption: Implications for Clinical Workflow

To identify and describe unintended adverse consequences related to clinical workflow when implementing or using computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems. We analyzed qualitative data from field observations and formal interviews gathered over a three-year period at five hospitals in three organizations. Five multidisciplinary researchers worked together to identify themes related to the impacts of CPOE systems on clinical workflow. CPOE systems can affect clinical work by 1) introducing or exposing human/computer interaction problems, 2) altering the pace, sequencing, and dynamics of clinical activities, 3) providing only partial support for the work activities of all types of clinical personnel, 4) reducing clinical situation awareness, and 5) poorly reflecting organizational policy and procedure. As CPOE systems evolve, those involved must take care to mitigate the many unintended adverse effects these systems have on clinical workflow. Workflow issues resulting from CPOE can be mitigated by iteratively altering both clinical workflow and the CPOE system until a satisfactory fit is achieved.
Use of ferritin-conjugated antibody to identify nephrotoxic sera in renal tissue by electron microscopy.

EXPERIMENTAL acute glomerulonephritis is readily produced in rats by the injection of rabbit antibody into rat kidney1. It has been found by radioautography that labelled nephrotoxic antibody was present in glomeruli2. Investigations with the fluorescent antibody technique afterwards showed the deposition of nephrotoxic globulin in what appeared to be basement membranes3,4; but lack of resolution made precise localization difficult.
Dysprosium nanoparticles synthesized by alkalide reduction

Dy nanoparticles have been produced at subambient temperature by alkalide reduction. In the bulk, Dy is ferromagnetic below 89 K. In contrast, the nanoparticles’ magnetization is blocked below ∼9 and ∼20 K for unheated and samples annealed at 1000 °C for 4 h, respectively. This behavior is consistent with a reduction in Tc due to finite size effects. Magnetization is linearly dependent on field at temperatures higher than ∼6 times TB and shows remanence-free hysteresis at lower temperature. Magnetic entropy curves generated from magnetization data are consistent with that expected for a paramagnet, yielding large values at low temperature due to the high effective moment of Dy.
Exits from Heavily Managed Exchange Rate Regimes

A widely held nostrum is that countries should exit heavily managed exchange rate regimes when the going is good, rather than when the exchange rate is under pressure to depreciate. In practice, have countries followed this advice in practice? And, if so, how good has the going been? We find that in the past 25 years or so, almost all exits to more flexible regimes were followed by a depreciation of the exchange rate, and that exits were about evenly divided between disorderly and orderly cases. A logit econometric model, indicates that the general circumstances of orderly and disorderly exits have been broadly similar: an overvalued real exchange rate, falling reserves, a difficult fiscal position, and high world interest rates. Well-established pegs were less likely to end.
A Twin Study of Genetic Variation in Proportional Radiographic Alveolar Bone Height

The purpose of this study was to estimate the genetic variance for alveolar bone height by means of the classic twin method and the study of monozygous twins reared apart. Panoramic radiographs were obtained from 120 pairs of adult twins (mean age = 40.4 years, S.D. = 10.4 years), for comparison of 62 pairs of monozygous twins reared together (MZT), 25 pairs of like-sexed dizygous twins reared together (DZT), and 33 pairs of monozygous twins reared apart (MZA). Mesial and distal bone heights were determined as a proportion of tooth length. A full-mouth bone score was computed for each twin by averaging these proportions from all measurable teeth. Between-pair (B) and within-pair (W) variances were computed for each twin group. The population variances (B + W) of the MZT and DZT twin groups were similar, which validated a basic assumption of the twin model. Intraclass correlations and heritability estimates were also computed for the reared-together and reared-apart twin groups. Boot-strap sampling was used to provide estimates and confidence limits for these values. The intraclass correlations for the twin groups were: MZT = 0.70, DZT = 0.52, and MZA = 0.55. The results of this study suggest that there is significant genetic variance in the population for proportional alveolar bone height.
Phase I aging assessment of nuclear air-treatment system high efficiency particulate air and adsorbers

A phase I aging assessment of high efficiency particulate air filters and activated carbon gas adsorption units was performed by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory as part of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program. Information was compiled concerning design features, failure experience, aging mechanisms, effects, and stressors, and monitoring methods. Over 1100 failures, or 12% of the filter installations, were reported as part of a US Department of energy survey. Investigators from other laboratories have suggested that aging could have contributed to over 80% of these failures. Several instances of impaired performance as the result of the premature aging of carbon were reported. Filter aging mechanisms range from those associated with particle loading to reactions that alter the properties of gaskets. Mechanisms that can lead to impaired adsorber performance include the loss of potentially available active sites as a result of the adsorption of moisture or pollutants. Stressors include heat, moisture, radiation, and airborne particles and contaminants.
Architecture as social design. The social nature of design objects and the implications for the profession

This paper presents an argument in favor of the social nature of design construed in terms of the social aspects of design objects, problem solving and knowledge base. The scope narrows down to the field of architecture. The conceptualization proposed will facilitate the reinterpretation of architectural design, educational practices, customary responsibilities of designers and client expectations. The area of concern is related to several domains of design studies: the philosophy of design, the nature of design activity, the design object, design education and curriculum, the scope of design knowledge and skills and the definition of the design profession regarding responsibilities and competencies. The range of these issues as well as the current interest in the social impact of design make the topic of this article an important one to be developed within the field of design. In this paper we have adopted a theoretical approach. Based on the analysis of the object and process of design we develop an argument for the social nature of architectural design. The paper is organized in three sections. The first of these develops the ontological basis for the ensuing argument. It presents a model of the design object that explicates the social underpinnings of the complex relationships that comprise the architectural artifact. This conceptualization creates a reference basis for the ensuing argument. The second section models the structure of the design process in terms of informed decision-making. The third section discusses the implications of the ontological interpretations for construing the architectural process as social design.
Determinants of Depressive Symptoms Among Japanese Elders Receiving Care from Spouses, Daughters and Daughters-in-Law

This study examined determinants of self-reported depressive symptoms among 96 community-dwelling Japanese elders who received care from their spouses, daughters and daughters-in-law. Respondents were recruited from day treatment programs at respite care facilities in northwestern Japan and administered the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Close to 60% of the respondents were mildly depressed. Moderate to severe depression was more common among elders who received care from their spouses than from those who received care from their daughters or daughters-in-law. Regressed with age, health status, ADL impairment, care-receiving stress, coping styles, and characteristics of the caregiver (kin relationship), depression was found associated with age, poor health, care-receiving stress, and passive coping. Caregiver characteristics were not significant in the regression model, suggesting that the quality of the caring relationship was a more important factor than the type of kin relationship.
Structure and Organization of Local Migrations in Brown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus)

In the northern Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba, Israel), brown surgeonfish (Acanthuridae: Acanthurus nigrofuscus) migrate, in small groups, up to 1.5 km each day from nocturnal shelters to feeding sites in the morning, and from feeding sites back to shelters in the late afternoon. During the summer spawning season, groups of these fish undertake an additional migration of up to 1 km to and from sites of mass-spawning aggregations. The total number of fish migrating to the Laromme feeding site was relatively stable (X = 1018) throughout the study period (1988–1990). By contrast, the number of fish arriving at the Lighthouse spawning site fluctuated drastically (˜50- > 2000), with the largest number of fish recorded around the new moon and the lowest within 1–2 days of a full moon. Durations of the migrations to and from the feeding site were similar, as were the numbers of groups arriving and departing the feeding site. In contrast, the duration of migration and number of groups were much greater during arrivals at the spawning site than during departure, due to an explosive emigration from the site following mass spawning. Arrival and departure routes differed at both feeding and spawning sites, demonstrating that simple route-reversal is not practiced by these fish. Exchanges of position by leading and following fish in groups were rare, suggesting that leadership may play important roles in determining specific routes. Surgeonfish returning from spawning in early evening ceased migrating at a specific time, rather than a specific place, and completed their homeward-bound migrations the next morning.
Myocardial recovery in peripartum cardiomyopathy: Prospective comparison with recent onset cardiomyopathy in men and nonperipartum women

Abstract Background Whether myocardial recovery occurs more frequently in peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) than in recent onset cardiomyopathies in men and nonperipartum women has not been prospectively evaluated. This was examined through an analysis of outcomes in the Intervention in Myocarditis and Acute Cardiomyopathy 2 (IMAC2) registry. Methods and Results IMAC2 enrolled 373 subjects with recent onset nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed at entry and 6 months, and subjects followed for up to 4 years. Myocardial recovery was compared between men (group 1), nonperipartum women (group 2) and subjects with PPCM (group 3). The cohort included 230 subjects in group 1, 104 in group 2, and 39 in group 3. The mean LVEF at baseline in groups 1, 2, and 3 was 0.23 ± 0.08, 0.24 ± 0.08, and 0.27 ± 0.07 ( P = .04), and at 6 months was 0.39 ± 0.12, 0.42 ± 0.11, and 0.45 ± 0.14 ( P = .007). Subjects in group 3 had a much greater likelihood of achieving an LVEF >0.50 at 6 months than groups 1 or 2 (19 %, 34%, and 48% respectively, P = .002). Conclusions Prospective evaluation confirms myocardial recovery is greatest in women with PPCM, poorest in men, and intermediate in nonperipartum women. On contemporary therapy, nearly half of women with PPCM normalize cardiac function by 6 months.
Plagioclase replacement textures in partially eclogitised gabbros from the Sanddal mafic‐ultramafic complex, Greenland Caledonides

The Sanddal mafic-ultramafic complex (SMUK) is a cluster of variably eclogitised mafic and ultramafic bodies that comprise the westernmost known eclogite facies locality in the North-East Greenland eclogite province (NEGEP). Although there are no true eclogites in the SMUK, we interpret three distinct textural types of plagioclase replacement to record sequential stages in adjustment of SMUK olivine gabbro-norites to eclogite facies conditions. The earliest stage, in which plagioclase was replaced by omphacite/spinel symplectite before nucleation of garnet (Type 1A & 1B) has not previously been described. Documentation of this texture provides clear evidence that, at least in some cases, garnet nucleation is delayed relative to nucleation of omphacite and is a rate-limiting step for eclogitisation. Type 1C domains were produced by scattered nucleation of garnet in the same sample. In Type 2 domains, plagioclase was replaced by a layered corona with an outer layer of garnet, an inner layer of omphacite and an interior of inclusion-rich plagioclase. In Type 3 domains, the omphacite layer was overgrown by the garnet rim, and omphacite is preserved only as inclusions in garnet. In more coarse grained leucogabbros, recrystallization was more complete, plagioclase replacement textures were less localised, and could not be divided into distinct stages. Plagioclase replacement in SMUK samples was not isochemical, and required diffusion of at least Mg and Fe from replacement of mafic phases in the surroundings. Strong compositional gradients in garnet reflect disequilibrium and were controlled by the different diffusion rates of Mg/Fe and Ca, different local chemical environments, and progress of the plagioclase breakdown reaction. The presence of small amounts of hydrous minerals (amphibole, phlogopite and clinozoisite) in local equilibrium in plagioclase domains of most SMUK samples indicates that a small amount of H2O was present during high pressure metamorphism.
Local Spin-Gauge Symmetry of the Bose-Einstein Condensates in Atomic Gases.

The Bose-Einstein condensates of alkali atomic gases are spinor fields with local {open_quote}{open_quote}spin-gauge{close_quote}{close_quote} symmetry. This symmetry is manifested by a superfluid velocity {ital u}{sub {ital s}} (or gauge field) generated by the Berry phase of the spin field. In {open_quote}{open_quote}static{close_quote}{close_quote} traps, {ital u}{sub {ital s}} splits the degeneracy of the harmonic energy levels, breaks the inversion symmetry of the vortex nucleation frequency {bold {Omega}}{sub {ital c}1}, and can lead to {ital vortex} {ital ground} {ital states}. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Multiple cell cycles occur in rat hepatocytes cultured in the presence of nicotinamide and epidermal growth factor

Multiple rounds of cell division were induced in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes in serum-free medium containing 10 mmol/L nicotinamide and 10 ng epidermal growth factor/ml. Cells per culture almost doubled between day 1 and day 5. The proliferating cells were predominantly mononucleate. The time course of DNA synthesis in cultured hepatocytes showed that peaks of the incorporation of 3H-thymidine were observed at 60 hr and 82 hr after plating. Labeling indices of the cells indicated that almost half the cells were labeled with 3H-thymidine in the periods 48 to 72 hr and 72 to 96 hr after plating. In addition, about 20% of the hepatocytes in culture initiated a second round of the cell cycle between 48 and 96 hr in culture, as demonstrated by the use of continuous treatments with 3H-thymidine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. Furthermore, by day 4 of culture, about 40% and 15% of metaphases resulted from a second and third round of cell division, respectively. The cultured hepatocytes on day 5 stained with albumin immunocytochemically, and the activity of tyrosine aminotransferase was induced by dexamethasone and glucagon on day 3. In addition, electron micrographs revealed that dividing cells not only had many characteristics of liver mitochondria and bile canaliculus-like structures, but many also contained a few large peroxisomes with internal crystalline nucleoids.
The Role of Involvement in Country-of-Origin Effects on Product Evaluation

Abstract Past research on country-of-origin (COO) effects has largely focused on the general effects of the phenomena, with little attention to differences in individual factors and decision content. This study seeks to understand under what conditions COO is effective. In particular, this study investigates how situational and enduring involvement impact on the processing of product information containing COO cues. Results from this study suggest that situational involvement moderates the effect of COO cue on product evaluation. More importantly, situational involvement as a moderator is qualified when individuals are high in enduring involvement. Findings from this study support the notion that pre-existing level of enduring involvement tends to magnify the effect of situational involvement.
Approaching Religious Guidelines for Chimera Policymaking

. Recent developments in the use of cow egg cells to clone human somatic cells, and the grafting by researchers at several universities of human neurons into mice, bring the notion of the chimera, a mixture of several living organisms, from myth into reality. In his article “Cross-Species Chimeras: Exploring a Possible Christian Perspective,” Neville Cobbe considers the religious arguments overlying the creation of human-nonhuman chimeras. In my commentary I focus on the distinction between germline- and tissue transplant-related chimeric techniques implicit in Cobbe's essay and argue that the former poses more serious moral difficulties than the latter if the chimeric product is brought to term. The substantive view of the imago Dei, or image of God, serves as a scaffold by which to judge the permissibility of chimera creation using stem cell and other tissue implants. While useful for judging the rights of such artificially generated beings, I argue that specific criteria such as proportion of tissue uptake, mental capacity, and adherence with the organism's telos are more appropriately considered within a composite image of the living being reflecting its unique integrality. Human co-creativity with the Divine will inevitably prompt attempts to generate medically useful chimeras. Religious dialogue, combined with the categories of religious moral argument appearing in Cobbe's essay, will help to establish the outline of feasible policy guidelines addressing the complexities inherent in the creation of chimeras.
σ-Donor, π-donor, and anion competition in π-complexation of alkali metal cations

Removal of or replacement of one of two phenylethyl sidearms on azalariats leads to clear evidence for cation–π interactions with the remaining sidearm.
A smooth compactification of the space of transfer functions with fixed McMillan degree

It is a classical result of Clark that the space of all proper or strictly properp ×m transfer functions of a fixed McMillan degreed has, in a natural way, the structure of a noncompact, smooth manifold. There is a natural embedding of this space into the set of allp × (m+p) autoregressive systems of degree at mostd. Extending the topology in a natural way we will show that this enlarged topological space is compact. Finally we describe a homogenization process which produces a smooth compactification.
Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria in activated sludge

Abstract Homogenized activated sludge samples from a laboratory activated sludge unit and a domestic activated sludge sewage treatment plant were plated out on two non-selective agars to compare laboratory and field populations. Following viable cell counts, 129 colonies were picked from high-dilution countable plates. Subcultures were subjected to a wide variety of macro- and micromanipulations to determine the approximate number of cultures representing each genus, and in a few cases, species of heterotropic bacteria and yeasts present. The bacteria included species in the genera Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Brevibacterium, Caulobacter, Comomonas, Cytophaga, Flavobacterium, Hyphomicrobium, Microbacterium, Pseudomonas and Sphaerotilus. One yeast, Debaromyces species, also occurred in the domestic sludge in significant numbers. The absence of Zoogloea is discussed.
Gas exchange and canopy structure of 9-year-old loblolly pine, pitch pine and pitch x loblolly hybrids

Seasonal gas exchange and canopy structure were compared among 9-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.), and pitch x loblolly hybrids (Pinus rigida x taeda) growing in an F2 plantation located in Critz, Va., USA. Leaf net photosynthesis, conductance, internal CO2 concentration (ci), water use efficiency (WUE; photosynthesis/conductance), dark respiration and the ratio of net photosynthesis/respiration did not vary among or within the three taxa. Significant differences in volume production, crown length, total crown leaf surface area and the silhouette area of shade shoots among the taxa were observed. The loblolly-South Carolina source had greater volume and crown surface area than the pitch pine, and the hybrid taxa were intermediate between the two. Although the silhouette area ratio of shade foliage varied among taxa, it was not related to volume. A strong relationship between total leaf surface area and volume was observed. Leaf conductance, ci, WUE and leaf water potential were the physiological parameters significantly and positively correlated with volume. This study suggests that the amount of needle surface in the canopy is more important in early stand volume growth than the leaf carbon exchange rate and the degree of needle self-shading in the lower canopy.
Statistical quality control : strategies and tools for continual improvement

Partial table of contents: QUALITY PROBLEMS AND PROBLEM--SOLVING STRATEGIES. Introduction and Outline of the Book. Problem--Solving Strategies. Group--Based Problem Solving. MANAGEMENT BASED ON FACTS: THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS. Measurements and Their Importance for Quality. Sample Surveys. Statistical Inference Under Simple Random Sampling. Acceptance Sampling Plans. PROCESS STABILIZATION: MAKING PROCESSES PREDICTABLE. Statistical Process Control: Control Charts. Process Capability and Pre--Control. IMPROVEMENT THROUGH DESIGNED EXPERIMENTS. Principles of Effective Experimental Design. OTHER USEFUL STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES. Regression Analysis: A Useful Tools for Modeling Relationships. Index.
NORMALIZATION OF BETHE-SALPETER WAVE FUNCTIONS AND BOOTSTRAP EQUATIONS

The normalization condition for Bethe-Salpeter wave functions is derived directly from the integral equation for the Green's function. The result agrees with, but is more general than the usual one which requires the existance of a conserved current. An application is given to the derivation of bootstrap equations.
Chloroplast thylakoid structure in evergreen leaves employing strong thermal energy dissipation.

In nature, photosynthetic organisms cope with highly variable light environments – intensities varying over orders of magnitudes as well as rapid fluctuations over seconds-to-minutes – by alternating between (a) highly effective absorption and photochemical conversion of light levels limiting to photosynthesis and (b) powerful photoprotective thermal dissipation of potentially damaging light levels exceeding those that can be utilized in photosynthesis. Adjustments of the photosynthetic apparatus to changes in light environment involve biophysical, biochemical, and structural adjustments. We used electron micrographs to assess overall thylakoid grana structure in evergreen species that exhibit much stronger maximal levels of thermal energy dissipation than the more commonly studied annual species. Our findings indicate an association between partial or complete unstacking of thylakoid grana structure and strong reversible thermal energy dissipation that, in contrast to what has been reported for annual species with much lower maximal levels of energy dissipation, is similar to what is seen under photoinhibitory conditions. For a tropical evergreen with tall grana stacks, a loosening, or vertical unstacking, of grana was seen in sun-grown plants exhibiting pronounced pH-dependent, rapidly reversible thermal energy dissipation as well as for sudden low-to-high-light transfer of shade-grown plants that responded with photoinhibition, characterized by strong dark-sustained, pH-independent thermal energy dissipation and photosystem II (PSII) inactivation. On the other hand, full-sun exposed subalpine confers with rather short grana stacks transitioned from autumn to winter via conversion of most thylakoids from granal to stromal lamellae concomitant with photoinhibitory photosynthetic inactivation and sustained thermal energy dissipation. We propose that these two types of changes (partial or complete unstacking of grana) in thylakoid arrangement are both associated with the strong non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence (a measure of photoprotective thermal energy dissipation) unique to evergreen species rather than with PSII inactivation per se.
Seasonal changes in thorium scavenging and particle aggregation in the western Arctic Ocean

Abstract Seasonal changes in Th scavenging and particle aggregation were determined along two shelf-basin transects in the western Arctic Ocean during the spring (May–June) and summer (July–August) of 2002 and 2004. Measurements of dissolved and particulate 234 Th and 228 Th activities were used to quantify Th residence times and reversible rates of Th sorption and particle aggregation. Prior to the spring bloom in 2002, 234 Th and 228 Th residence times were equal and Th scavenging was concordant, indicating predominately steady-state conditions. In contrast, scavenging of 234 Th and 228 Th in the summer of 2002 and the spring and summer of 2004 was discordant, indicating a departure in scavenging rates from steady-state conditions during periods of seasonally high biological activity and particle export. Rates of particle aggregation and disaggregation were calculated using a one-dimensional reversible exchange model and 234 Th and 228 Th activities in small (1–53 μm) and large (>53 μm) particles. Maximum rates were determined coincident with the chlorophyll maximum (25–100 m) and increased by an order of magnitude between periods of low and high productivity. These Th measurements provide evidence that seasonally enhanced rates of particle aggregation might increase the magnitude of the particulate organic carbon (POC) flux in this Arctic regime.
Noradrenergic inputs to the paraventricular hypothalamus contribute to hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and central Fos activation in rats after acute systemic endotoxin exposure

Noradrenergic (NA) neurons within the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) and caudal ventrolateral medulla (VLM) innervate the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to initiate and modulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to interoceptive stress. Systemic endotoxin (i.e. bacterial lipopolysaccharide, LPS) activates NA neurons within the NST and VLM that project to the PVN and other brain regions that receive interoceptive signals. The present study examined whether NA neurons with axonal inputs to the PVN are necessary for LPS to activate Fos expression within the PVN and other interoceptive-related brain regions, and to increase plasma corticosterone. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received bilateral stereotaxic microinjections of DSAP (saporin toxin conjugated to an antibody against dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, DbH) into the PVN to destroy NA inputs. Control rats were microinjected with vehicle into the PVN or received no PVN injections. Two weeks later, DSAP and control rats were injected i.p. with LPS (200 microg/kg BW) or saline vehicle, and perfused with fixative 2.5-3 h later. Brain tissue sections were processed to reveal nuclear Fos protein and cytoplasmic DbH immunolabeling. DSAP lesions depleted NA terminals in the PVN and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, reduced the number of NA cell bodies in the NST and VLM, attenuated PVN Fos activation after LPS, and attenuated LPS-induced increases in plasma corticosterone. These findings support the view that NA projections from hindbrain to hypothalamus are necessary for a full HPA axis response to systemic immune challenge.
Velour fabrics applied to medicine.

Warp-knitted velour fabrics of Dacron, nylon, polypropylene, and Rayon have been backed with Silastic to form a laminate. Prior to heat curing, the composite can be molded into many shapes and has been successfully used to line the luminal side of blood pumps and vascular grafts. Prosthetic heart valves are being covered with velour in an attempt to promote a more compatible surface. Velour suture rings are being evaluated as a more efficient anchor for prosthetic heart valves. Silastic tubes with velour bonded to the outer wall have been used to inhibit infection and sinus tract formation where percutaneous lead wires and conduits are necessary. As a flat sheet, the Silastic-velour laminate has been used experimentally as an artificial skin, but the most noteworthy experimental results have been obtained in rats using a double layer of nylon velour, separated by an impermeable layer of poly(vinyl fluoride). Future application will include attempts to anchor artificial limbs via a velour interface and made functional by tendinous attachment.
Smad7 inhibits autocrine expression of TGF-β2 in intestinal epithelial cells in baboon necrotizing enterocolitis

Preterm infants may be at risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) due to deficiency of transforming growth factor-β 2 (TGF-β2) in the developing intestine. We hypothesized that low epithelial TGF-β...
A preferred conformation in the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Molecular architecture of gastrointestinal hormones

Abstract The ORD spectrum of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in water indicates a preferred conformation with low helix content. Addition of organic solvents, especially of trifluoroethanol, results, even at low solvent concentration, in spectra with pronounced helical character. The readiness of shorter chains, with C-terminal sequences of VIP, to take up helical conformation under the effect of organic solvents parallels their biological activity. This suggests that an “active architecture” may be required for the interaction between hormone and receptor.
The Effectiveness of Individual Versus Group Behavioral Strategies to Increase Participant Adherence

Abstract Adherence to dietary goals is a major concern for a nationwide clinical trial to reduce dietary fat in an effort to decrease the incidence of breast and colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease in 50-79 year old post-menopausal women. A peer group task/cooperative reward structure was compared to a conventional group/individual reward structure in tracking food intake data and reducing fat consumption. Participants from the Dietary Intervention group of one clinical center (n=63) were divided into three groups: control, individual reward, and peer reward. Each participant set an individual goal for intake of fat and the number of records to be completed by their next meeting. Incentives for achievement of goals consisted of prizes awarded. The control group received no incentives for achievement of goals other than those traditionally applied in the group, e.g, praise, assistance from the group nutritionists, etc. Participants in the individual group received rewards based on achievement of individual goals. The peer group was divided into smaller teams (4-5 members). The teams were organized into high achievers (meeting goals), middle achievers (moderate levels of adherence to goals) and low achievers (not meeting goals). Rewards were earned when all individuals on the team achieved their goals. Change scores were subjected to ANOVA. The peer group had a significant (p
Outcome after renal transplantation in children: results of follow-up by nephrologists in a primary referral center.

Abstract: Pediatric patients who receive a kidney transplant require extended follow-up to monitor graft function and for management of complications. Because of convenience, most patients are sent back to the nephrologists who referred them for transplantation (the primary nephrologist) for long-term care. As a consequence, many pediatric nephrologists who provide this extended care are not associated with a transplant center. It is not known if this arrangement yields satisfactory outcomes for children and adolescents who receive a kidney transplant. The objective was to determine if clinical outcomes are satisfactory in pediatric renal transplant recipients who were followed up by their primary nephrologists after the procedure. A chart review was carried out on all renal transplant recipients seen in the renal clinic at Schneider Children's Hospital (SCH) from 1982 to 2001. Patients were eligible if they were followed up by the primary referring nephrologists at SCH for a minimum of 6 months after transplantation. Relevant demographic and clinical outcome data were compiled. Twenty-eight patients who received a total of 33 renal allografts [living related donors (LRD) 15 and cadaveric donors (CD) 18] were seen during the study period. The transplantations in 19 children (68%) were carried out at Montefiore Hospital (Bronx, NY, USA), while the rest were performed at other centers. There were three (11%) deaths, two LRD patients and one CD patient. The group of 25 surviving patients consisted of 17 males and eight females, age range 4–28 yr (mean 17.2 yr). The mean duration of renal allograft survival was 6.3 ± 5.3 yr and the mean duration of follow-up was 6.1 ± 5.3 yr. The most recent serum creatinine ranged from 0.5 to 3.8 mg/dL with a mean of 1.3 ± 0.8 mg/dL. There were several complications including acute rejection, renal artery stenosis, and hydronephrosis in the allograft. The team of primary referring nephrologists successfully treated all of these except the child with hydronephrosis. The primary nephrologist who refers pediatric patients to a tertiary care transplant center can accomplish long-term follow-up of renal transplant recipients after discharge from the transplant center. The clinical outcomes are acceptable and compare favorably with the results described in the literature that have been achieved in patients followed up at transplant centers. Problems rarely developed that required referral back to the transplant center for management. This approach to care is recommended because it is more likely to foster compliance by both patients and parents.
The Essence of Essentializing: A Critical Discourse on “Critical Discourse in the Study of Islam”

Abstract Many scholars have called for more critical discourse in the study of Islam, particularly in response to post-9/11 scholarly and popular depictions of a normative, spiritual Islam in contrast to the aberrant, violent Islam. In objecting to these new representations of what Islam ought to be, these scholars promote what they believe the study of Islam ought to be. This disagreement about how to study and write about Islam is a reflection of a much more fundamental debate about the nature of the study of religion.
Effectiveness of higher doses of botulinum toxin to induce healing in patients with chronic anal fissures

Abstract Background. Botulinum toxin induces healing in patients with idiopathic anal fissures. Methods. One hundred-fifty patients with posterior anal fissures were treated with botulinum toxin injected in the internal anal sphincter on each side of the anterior midline. Subjects were randomized into 2 treatment groups based on the number of units of botulinum toxin injected. Patients in group I were treated with 20 units of botulinum toxin and, if the fissure persisted, were retreated with 30 units. Patients in group II were treated with 30 units and retreated with 50 units, if the fissure persisted. Results. The 2 groups were comparable in age, gender distribution, duration of symptoms, resting pressure, and maximum voluntary pressure at anorectal manometry. One month after the injection, examinations revealed complete healing in 55 patients (73%) from group I and 65 patients (87%) from group II ( P =.04). Five patients from group II reported a mild incontinence of flatus that lasted 2 weeks after the treatment and disappeared spontaneously. The values of the resting anal pressure ( P =.3) and the maximum voluntary pressure ( P =.2) did not differ between the 2 groups. At 2 months' evaluation, a healing scar was found in 67 patients (89%) from group I and 72 patients (96%) from group II. A relapse of the fissure was observed in 6 patients (8%) from group I who had a healing scar at 1 month, and 2 other patients never healed. A persistent fissure was present in 3 patients from group II who had no other symptoms. Conclusions. Botulinum toxin injected into the internal anal sphincter is effective in managing anal fissures and avoiding permanent complications. All patients were treated with the active drug and healed after 1 or 2 successive treatments. The results also confirm that higher doses account for a higher success rate, with little increase in complications or side effects, which is probably related to the diffusion of the toxin to the external sphincter. (Surgery 2002;131:179-84.)
In suspect terrane? Provenance of the late Archean Phantom Lake metamorphic suite, Sierra Madre, Wyoming

The 2.68 Ga Phantom Lake metamorphic suite of the Sierra Madre is a volcanogenic, volcaniclastic, and siliciclastic sequence that may have been deposited on or near the margin of the Wyoming Provin...
A problem in representing the core magnetic field of the Earth using spherical harmonics

Although there are computational advantages to the representation of the earth's magnetic field by spherical harmonic coefficients of the magnetic potential, up to the thirteenth degree and order, the following disadvantages emerge: (1) the use of spherical harmonics of up to a certain degree does not remove wavelengths greater than a certain value from the surface fields, and (2) the total field magnitudes represented by spherical harmonics up to a certain degree have minimum wavelengths equal to the circumference of the earth divided by twice the maximum degree of the harmonic used. The implications of the ways in which surface fields are separated into core and crustal components are discussed, and it is concluded that since field signals are generated in the core, the representation of the core field by spherical harmonics of potential does not adequately represent all core field components.
Mass spectrometric immunoassay for parathyroid hormone-related protein.

This paper describes a novel two-site peptide immunoassay using the isotope 14C as the label and accelerator mass spectrometry as the detection system. A mouse monoclonal antibody (1A5) against the amino terminal region of human parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) was labeled with 14C by growing the hybridoma cells in a miniPERM bioreactor in the presence of [U-14C]l-leucine and [U-14C]d-glucose. The antibody was purified from the culture media using protein G affinity chromatography. The purified 14C-labeled antibody (14C-1A5) fractions showed excellent correlation between the levels of radioactivity and binding activity for PTHrP. Using 14C-1A5 as the detection antibody in a two-site immunoassay format for PTHrP1-141, a 16-kDa polypeptide, an analytic sensitivity of 10 pmol/L was achieved with a linear measurement range up to 1.3 nmol/L. Only ∼17 pCi/well (or 1.6 nCi/96-well microtiter plate) 14C-1A5 was used, which is far below the limit (50 nCi/g) for disposal as nonradioactive waste. This stu...