cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knee Arthrotomy Closure With Barbed Suture in Flexion Versus Extension: A Porcine Study

The purpose of this biomechanical study was to evaluate knee arthrotomy closure with a barbed suture in flexion versus extension. 48 porcine knees were randomized into three groups: full extension, 30° flexion, and 60° flexion. Each knee was then flexed to 90° and then 120°, with failures recorded. Arthrotomy closure in extension had significantly higher failure rates (6/16) upon flexion to 90° compared to arthrotomy closure in either 30° or 60° flexion (0/32) (P = 0.032). Upon ranging from 0° to 120°, arthrotomy failure occurred in 50% (8/16) of arthrotomies in the extension group, 6.25% (1/16) in the 30° flexion group and 18.75% (3/16) in the 60° flexion group (P = 0.022). Knee arthrotomy closure in extension compared to flexion had significantly higher rates of failure.
EPR of Ag° site conversion in gamma-irradiated frozen AgNO3 ices

Abstract Gamma radiolysis of AgNO 3 ice at 77°K forms Ag° in 4 magnetically distinct sites due to different orientations of water dipoles. Site interconversion which occurs by rotation of water dipoles due to removal of the electric field of Ag + is studied by EPR.
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Infection Inhibits Intestinal Serotonin Transporter Function and Expression

Background & Aims Serotonin transporter (SERT) plays a critical role in regulating serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) availability in the gut. Elevated 5-HT levels are associated with diarrheal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and enteric infections. Whether alteration in SERT activity contributes to the pathophysiology of diarrhea induced by the food-borne pathogen enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is not known. The present studies examined the effects of EPEC infection on SERT activity and expression in intestinal epithelial cells and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Methods Caco-2 cells as a model of human intestinal epithelia and EPEC-infected C57BL/6J mouse model of infection were utilized. SERT activity was measured as Na + and Cl − dependent 3 [H] 5-HT uptake. SERT expression was measured by real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence studies. Results Infection of Caco-2 cells with EPEC for 30–120 minutes decreased apical SERT activity ( P max of the transporter; whereas cell surface biotinylation studies revealed no alteration in the cellular or plasma membrane content of SERT in Caco-2 cells. EPEC infection of mice (24 hours) reduced SERT immunostaining with a corresponding decrease in SERT messenger RNA levels, 5-HT uptake, and mucosal 5-HT content in the small intestine. Conclusions Our results demonstrate inhibition of SERT by EPEC and define the mechanisms underlying these effects. These data may aid in the development of a novel pharmacotherapy to modulate the serotonergic system in treatment of infectious diarrheal diseases.
Isolation of an Unknown Component from Hydrolysates of Elastin

PARTRIDGE et al.1 have described two new polyfunctional amino-acids obtained as products of an acid hydrolysis of bovine elastin. Compounds of identical nature were also obtained by us2. These substances, designated desmosine and isodesmosine by Partridge et al., have been shown by these investigators to contain a pyridine nucleus with amino-acid substituents on both carbon and nitrogen atoms of the ring3. The special significance of desmosine and isodesmosine is that they appear to be involved in the cross-linking of polypeptide chains of elastin1.
Spouses’ attachment pairings predict neuroendocrine, behavioral, and psychological responses to marital conflict.

This research investigated how spouses' attachment styles jointly contributed to their stress responses. Newlywed couples discussed relationship conflicts. Salivary cortisol indexed physiological stress; observer-rated behaviors indexed behavioral stress; self-reported distress indexed psychological stress. Multilevel modeling tested predictions that couples including 1 anxious and 1 avoidant partner or 2 anxious partners would show distinctive stress responses. As predicted, couples with anxious wives and avoidant husbands showed physiological reactivity in anticipation of conflict: Both spouses showed sharp increases in cortisol, followed by rapid declines. These couples also showed distinctive behaviors during conflict: Anxious wives had difficulty recognizing avoidant husbands' distress, and avoidant husbands had difficulty approaching anxious wives for support. Contrary to predictions, couples including 2 anxious partners did not show distinctive stress responses. Findings suggest that the fit between partners' attachment styles can improve understanding of relationships by specifying conditions under which partners' attachment characteristics jointly influence individual and relationship outcomes.
Portrait of a Crisis

The Bush expansion (2001-2007) slowed in 2005-2006 and began to decline in 2007. Empirical data show why it declined. The expansion followed the same patterns all capitalist expansions, but more sharply. This pattern showed slowing of business revenue rises and speeding up of cost increases. It was long-run trends in three institutions that turned that recession into Great Recession. They are housing, finance, and the rest of the world. Housing had a strong bubble, then began a decline in 2006 and continued that decline until today (2011). Credit had a very long and very strong bubble, then began a decline in 2007. Credit actually remained rising a little into 2008. Then there was a terrible financial crisis in the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009. Finally, the rest of the world had the same weaknesses and passed into crisis itself as a result of the U. S. crisis.
Experimental Investigation of the Thermal Performance of Graphite Foam for Evaporator Enhancement in Both Pool Boiling and an FC-72 Thermosyphon

High-conductivity graphite foam is investigated for use as a surface enhancement for improved thermal performance in both pool boiling and an FC-72 thermosyphon. The influences of heat load and fluid level on the overall system thermal performance including surface superheat, effective heat transfer coefficient, and thermal resistance are examined. The thermal resistance of the foam heat sink is found to be extremely low at a minimum of 0.024 K/W, well below that of many other methods. The featured low thermal resistance is the primary benefit of this system. The thermal resistance is found to rise with increasing heat flux, but still remains advantageously low and exhibits excellent potential for high heat flux dissipation with low surface superheat, making it suitable for thermal management of advanced electronics.
Worth a Thousand Bits: Visual Encoding of Tactical Communication Network Data

Tactical communication networks are difficult to understand. Their performance is governed by complex interactions between many parameters and these interactions are not yet well understood. Researchers working in this area lack a consistent lexicon for experiment terminology and often disagree as to which characteristics of a tactical network are necessary to sufficiently describe network performance. MIT Lincoln Laboratory is pursuing a new research effort to investigate how better visualizations of network data -- leveraging new software built upon visual design principles -- can help improve the understanding of and research into these emerging networks. This research has informed the development of NetSight, a prototype visualization framework that allows researchers to display and interact with data pertaining to multiple layers of the protocol stack simultaneously, though a variety of "views." The intent of the prototype is to create a framework to "test" a variety of visualizations and evaluate their effectiveness in the analysis of complex multi-dimensional network datasets. If successful, these visualizations will improve researchers' ability to understand and predict the performance of tactical networks, potentially leading to improvements in the design of future network protocols and architectures.
Penetration of Meloidogyne Incognita in Relation To Growth and Nutrition of Sterile, Excised Cucumber Roots 1 )

The concentration of the culture medium constituents was found to influence the number of nematodes penetrating host roots. Increasing the concentration of sucrose, macronutrient salts, and iron chelate resulted, up to a certain point, in a corresponding increase in penetration. Changes in penetration, however, did not correlate significantly with growth of the host. Penetration was unaffected when root growth was controlled by adding either 1-napthaleneacetic acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid to the culture medium. Penetration was also found to be independent of the number of available root sites and of the number of nematodes in the inoculum. The number of nematodes found in the roots was related linearly to the number added to the cultures.
Associative learning in premature hydranencephalic and normal twins

A hydranencephalic infant lacking cerebral hemispheres and a normal twin were tested for associative learning. After repeated trials in which two stimuli were temporally paired, test trials were given in which the second stimulus was omitted. Cardiac orienting responses to stimulus omission indicated that learning had taken place in both infants.
The Distinctiveness of Christian Ethics

Book reviewed in this article: John E. Colwell, Living the Christian Story: The Distinctiveness of Christian Ethics
Simulation concepts for information system

Abstract Recent improvements in document image systems and their low-cost implementation on networks of microcomputers is leading to the reengineering of many information systems. We describe how document image systems can be applied to information systems. In order to compare the performance of a conventional information system with one implemented with document imaging processing capability we conducted a discrete event simulation. We modeled the conventional information system for processing graduate student admissions. Then we modeled the system assuming the availability of an image document capability. The results of 10 simulation runs for each condition indicated that the document image system resulted in faster processing times for graduate student applications and reduced time to answer faculty and student inquires.
Pilot Program Provides Oral Health Services To Long Term Care Facility Residents Through Service Learning and Community Partnership

Old Dominion University School of Dental Hygiene in Norfolk, Virginia, created an innovative preventive oral health program at Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital, a long term care facility located in coastal Virginia. The program had two main short-term goals: to increase the number of residents who receive preventive and therapeutic oral health services and to enhance future dental hygienists’ learning experience with this diverse vulnerable population through service learning. The anticipated long-term goals are to improve quality of oral health care and overall health of long term care residents, to prevent potential disease, and to reproduce this model at other long term care facilities to improve access to care.
Enhanced Memory for Scenes Presented at Behaviorally Relevant Points in Time

The ability to remember a briefly presented scene depends on a number of factors, such as its saliency, novelty, degree of threat, or behavioral relevance to a task. Here, however, we show that the encoding of a scene into memory may depend not only on what the scene contains but also when it occurs. Participants performed an attentionally demanding target detection task at fixation while also viewing a rapid sequence of full-field photographs of urban and natural scenes. Participants were then tested on whether they recognized a specific scene from the previous sequence. We found that scenes were recognized reliably only when presented concurrently with a target at fixation. This is evidence of a mechanism where traces of a visual scene are automatically encoded into memory at behaviorally relevant points in time regardless of the spatial focus of attention.
Prisoner's Dilemma from a moral point of view

In a recent issue of this journal, C. L. Sheng claims to havesolved andexplained the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) by studying it ‘from a moral point of view’ - i.e., by assuming that each player feels sympathy for the other. Sheng does not fully clarify this claim, but there is textual evidence that his point is this: PD's arise only for agents who feel little or no sympathy for each other; they cannot arise in the presence of a high degree of reciprocal sympathy. A high degree of such sympathysolves the PD in that it prevents PD's from arising, and a low degree of itexplains the PD in that it provides an essential condition for the occurrence of that game. This thesis is false, as some examples show. These examples are important; they prevent us from underestimating the problem posed by the PD.
Retinal degeneration in the nervous mutant mouse. II. Electron microscopic analysis

Nervous mutant mice (nr/nr) show a rapid loss of most of cerebellar Purkinje cells between the ages of 3 and 7 weeks, as well as a progressive photoreceptor cell degeneration that occurs most rapidly between postnatal days (P) 13 and 19, but with a much slower attrition during the subsequent months. We have carried out an electron microscopic analysis of nr/nr and littermate control mice at representative ages to characterize the subcellular cytopathological changes in this form of retinal degeneration, to gain insight into photoreceptor cell degeneration mechanisms by comparing these changes to those in other rodent forms of retinal degeneration, and to compare the photoreceptor changes with those of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Ultrastructural observations were limited to rod photoreceptors, since the number of cones was limited in our micrographs. The retinas of nr/nr mutant mice can be distinguished from those of normal littermates as early as postnatal day (P) 6. At this time, some of the mitochondria in rod inner segments are larger and more rounded than normal. This represents the earliest cytopathological change thus far observed in this mutant. As early as P9 and thereafter, the volume and integrity of rod outer segment membranes are reduced from normal. In the inner segments of some rod photoreceptor cells, there is a reduction in the volume or number of polyribosomes as early as P11, a reduction in rough endoplasmic reticulum as early as P13, and reduced incidence and less organized Golgi membranes as early as P16. Qualitative evaluation and quantitative stereological analysis show that the enlarged mitochondria in rod inner segments never become normal in shape or size. No changes are seen in the inner retinal layers at any age. Despite similarities with inherited retinal dystrophy in the Royal College of Surgeons rat, as noted in the original description of retinal degeneration in nr/nr mice, ultrastructural features clearly distinguish these mutants. Moreover, nr/nr mice can be distinguished from all other murine forms of retinal degeneration by electron microscopy.
17.2: Detectability and Annoyance of Synthetic Blocky and Blurry Video Artifacts

In order to study video artifacts and their effect on perceived quality, it is desirable to create synthetic artifacts that are less complex than compression artifacts, yet have the same appearance. These should be produced by a standard method, be adjustable and combinable, and produce a wide range of quality. This paper describes a method for generating two synthetic artifacts, shows that they have these properties and that their thresholds and annoyance values are closely related to those of MPEG-2 artifacts.
Parallelization of Fuzzy ARTMAP to improve its convergence speed: The network partitioning approach and the data partitioning approach

Abstract One of the properties of FAM, which can be both an asset and a liability, is its capacity to produce new neurons (templates) on demand to represent classification categories. This property allows FAM to automatically adapt to the database without having to arbitrarily specify network structure. We provide two methods for speeding up the FAM algorithm. The first one, referred to as the data partitioning approach, partitions the data into subsets for independent processing. The second one, referred to as the network partitioning approach, uses a pipeline to distribute the work between processes during training. We provide experimental results on a Beowulf cluster of workstations for both approaches that confirm the speedup of the modifications.
Examining the Rising Dragon: A Review of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy's Articles on China in 2008

China's rise as a global power has sparked worldwide attention. How do foreigners, particularly Americans, perceive today's China? The answer is not simply to label these foreign or “outside” voices as biased or even hostile because it fails to recognize that different opinions exist. By drawing evidence from two top journals in America, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy, this article demonstrates that there are different views on China. This article concludes with the implications that stem from this more nuanced understanding.
Detecting multi-channel wireless microphone user emulation attacks in white space with noise

In this work, we study a special kind of primary user emulation (PUE) attack, named wireless microphone user emulation (WMUE) attack in white space cognitive radio networks. In WMUE attacks, a malicious user emulates wireless microphone (WM) signals in order to block secondary users. Existing work on WMUE attack detection deals with single channel senario. Although multi-channel WM (MCWM) systems are common, detecting WMUE attacks under a multi-channel setting in noisy environments has not been well studied and the existing solution for single channel case cannot be directly applied. In a practical multi-channel WM system, the audio signals on different channels mix with each other and are contaminated by noises, which introduce great challenges on WMUE attack detection. We propose a novel multi-channel WMUE attack detection scheme which is based on the crosscorrelation between the demodulated FM signal and the acoustic signal. The audio interferences, audio noises, and RF noises are all resisted by the cross-correlation. To reduce computation complexity, we propose a 1.5-bit FM demodulator whose outputs are represented by only 0, 1 and -1. Moreover, we set up a MCWM system and developed a hardware based prototype to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. Experimental results show that, the proposed scheme can effectively detect multi-channel WMUE attacks within 0.25 second with detection rate larger than 0.9 and false alarm rate lower than 0.1 under low signal-to-noise ratios.
Socioeconomic causes of the recent rise in death rates for 15-24-yr-olds.

Abstract The total death rate for 15–24-yr-olds in the U.S. rose by a fifth during the 1960s. The rise was due to a doubling of suicide and homicide and increases of a third in fatal motor vehicle and other accidents (Fig. 1). A major cause of the rise in suicide was an increase in potentially overwhelming life problems, including increased divorce among parents, increased alcohol consumption and attendant family problems, increased illegitimate pregnancy and a relative decline in income for young people as compared to their parents (Figs. 2 and 3). Also contributing to the rise in suicide was a trend toward greater social isolation due to increased parental divorce and decreased marriage among young adults. Almost half the increase in homicide was due to an increase in homicides arising from “impulsive rage” during arguments between acquaintances. This trend presumably reflects an increase in underlying tensions as well as reduced impulse control due to increased alcohol consumption per capita. The other major component of the rise in homicide was an increase in homicides committed while attempting another felony, which may be related to the general decline during the sixties in confidence in and respect for societal institutions. The rise in fatal motor vehicle accidents was due in large part to the increase in mileage driven per capita, the increase in alcohol consumption and increased suicidal behavior. The most rapidly rising category of fatal other accidents was solid and liquid poisonings, particularly opiate poisoning. In order to study the stresses on young people in greater depth, we obtained diaries from college students. The most commonly reported sources of tension were all related to academic work (Fig. 4). Much of the tension associated with academic work was due to the students' fear of failure in the increasing competition for the most desirable careers. Higher levels of tension were correlated with minor somatic symptoms, which may well be precursors of more serious somatic illness at older ages. Taken together, these trends imply a deterioration in conditions of life with serious implications for the health of young adults in the U.S.
African American service use for mental health problems

The present study examined racial differences in use of mental health services in the specialty mental health and general medical sectors of care. Data came from household and institutional surveys and permitted estimation of services use both in the general population alone and when supplemented with samples of persons confined in jails, prisons, and mental hospitals. In uncontrolled analysis, African Americans in the community presented a mixed pattern of under-, equal-, and overrepresentation in services. Weighting the sample and controlling for sociodemographic differences and diagnoses yielded results indicating that African Americans in the community were consistently less likely than Whites to have sought help. Adding to the analysis persons who were confined eliminated the disparity in the general medical-sector services and reduced the disparity in specialty mental health sector services. Conclusions as to parity and underutilization of mental health services vary with methodological factors linked to adverse social circumstances of African American life. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Folylpolyglutamates as substrates and inhibitors of folate-dependent enzymes

Abstract The true intracellular substrates for folate-dependent enzymes are folylpolyglutamates. We have used measurements of the Ki values of folylpolyglutamate dead end inhibitors to assess the relative affinities of folate-dependent enzymes for folate derivatives of different polyglutamate chain lengths. Studies of four enzymes from pig liver, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase and thymidylate synthase, have indicated that folylpolyglutamate inhibitors are bound 3–500 fold more tightly than the corresponding monoglutamates. The individual enzymes differ in their selectivity for polyglutamate vs. monoglutamate inhibitors, and in the chain length associated with the greatest affinity of enzyme for inhibitor. We have also examined the effect of polyglutamate chain length on the catalytic parameters associated with folate substrates. Two enzymes, methylenetetra-hydrofolate reductase and serine hydroxymethyltransferase, show decreases in Km values for folypolyglutamate substrates. Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase shows no detectable differences in the catalytic parameters of polyglutamate vs. monoglutamate substrates and no change in the order of substrate addition or product release. Thymidylate synthase shows small effects of Km and Vmax values, but the order of addition of substrates and of release of products is reversed with polyglutamate as compared with monoglutamate substrates. Our studies with thymidylate synthase from L. casei have shown that the bacterial enzyme also exhibits a greatly increased affinity for polyglutamate vs. monoglutamate derivatives of folic acid, and that reversal in the order of substrate addition and product release also occurs with polyglutamate as compared with monoglutamate substrates. We have also studied the polyglutamate specificity of methionine synthase, which is responsible for the conversion of CH3H4PteGlu1 into H4PteGlu1. This reaction is required for the incorporation of plasma folate into the cellular folate pool, because methyltetrahydrofolate is a poor substrate for folylpolyglutamate synthetase. Our studies demonstrate that CH3H4PteGlu1 metabolism is potently inhibited in the presence of CH3H4PteGlu6, and suggest that incorporation of plasma CH3H4PteGlu1 will only occur when methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is inhibited by adenosylmethionine and cellular pools of CH3H4PteGlu6 are at very low levels.
Progesterone in high doses may overcome progesterone's desensitization effect on lordosis by translocation of hypothalamic progestin receptors

The cellular mechanism by which progesterone desensitizes the central nervous sytem to further facilitation of lordosis by progesterone was studied. In the first experiment guinea pigs were injected with doses of estradiol benzoate and progesterone that result in refractoriness to further stimulation of lordosis by moderate doses of progesterone. Confirming previous reports, a large dose of progesterone was effective in overcoming this desensitization, resulting in lordosis responses. A lower dose of progesterone was ineffective in this regard. In subsequent experiments, cytosol and nuclear progestin receptors were measured in the hypothalamus-preoptic area and cerebral cortex with an in vitro exchange assay using [3H]R 5020 as the ligand. A high, effective dose of progesterone resulted in 46–48% higher levels of nuclear progestin receptors assayed in the hypothalamus-preoptic area than did a lower, ineffective dose. These results are consistent with the idea that progesterone injection in estradiol-primed rodents causes a subsequent desensitization to itself by decreasing the concentration of cytoplasmic progestin receptors in hypothalamus-preoptic area. A subsequent progesterone injection then results in a lower level of nuclear progestin receptors. Large doses of progesterone may overcome this desensitization by causing accumulation of levels of nuclear progestin receptors sufficient to facilitate lordosis.
Finding the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry magnetopause : A statistical perspective

[1] The determination of the location and global structure of the magnetopause is not a well-defined problem, either in satellite data or in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models. Assessing the accuracy of MHD models by comparing single-point crossings of the magnetopause cannot provide a complete picture of the accuracy of the model. We evaluate the accuracy of magnetopause location in the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) MHD model by examining LFM behavior on a statistical, rather than single event basis. Empirical magnetopause models seek to fit a functional form to large data sets of magnetopause crossings parameterized by controlling factors such as solar wind ram pressure and interplanetary magnetic field orientation. By comparing the LFM magnetopause with the empirical magnetopause models in their region of greatest accuracy, we determine the overall accuracy of the LFM magnetopause position in the dayside equatorial plane. We find the LFM magnetopause to be earthward of the empirical models by, on average, 0.5 to 1.0 RE at noon and 1.0 to 2.0 RE at dusk. This observed discrepancy is shown to be, at least in part, due to the insufficient ring current in the LFM.
Aberration analyses for liquid zooming lenses without moving parts

Liquid lenses with an adjustable focal length are of particular interest for their potential applications in compact imaging or zooming systems. We have analyzed the aberrations for liquid zooming lenses and compared them with those of traditional lenses. Based on the 3rd order aberration theory, possible structures for the liquid zooming lens without moving mechanism were determined. We showed that a two-group liquid lens system is the simplest one that contains no moving mechanical parts and has enough parameters to correct all chromatic aberrations for any focal length and most monochromatic aberrations for certain focal lengths.
Interactions of halogenated pesticides and microorganisms: a review.

(1972). Interactions of Halogenated Pesticides and Microorganisms: A Review. CRC Critical Reviews in Microbiology: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1-33.
Northern Ireland as a Case Study of Decentralization in Unitary States

Decentralization is widely advocated as a means of alleviating the perceived central stultification of modern nation-states, especially those lacking federal constitutional structures. The experience of a separate administrative and decision-making structure in Northern Ireland is examined in an effort to gain an insight into the advantages and weaknesses of decentralization in practice.
A prospective comparison of two measures of psychopathy in the prediction of institutional misconduct

This study examined the predictive validity of two widely used measures of psychopathic traits, the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996). Records of institutional infractions were obtained for a young adult sample of prison inmates (N = 46), who were followed for approximately two years following administration of these two scales. The PPI total and two factor scores predicted the total number of infractions committed (r ranging from .28 to .36). PPI Factor I showed some evidence of stronger associations with non-aggressive infractions (r = .36), whereas PPI Factor II was the strongest correlate of aggressive misconduct (r = .24). The total and facet scores of the PCL-R were not significantly predictive of any form of institutional misconduct, with effect sizes ranging from negligible to small (median r = .14, r ranging from −.01 to .21). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A marijuana screening inventory (experimental version): description and preliminary psychometric properties.

Objective: Marijuana use prevalence, culturally confusing messages about marijuana risks, assessment dilemmas, and current screening inadequacies justify developing a marijuana specific screening inventory for assessment purposes. This article describes the Marijuana Screening Inventory (MSI‐X) and its preliminary psychometric reliability, factor analyses, and factor structure. Method: The MSI‐X was administered to a community sample of 420 Army reservists participating in substance abuse educational classes. Participants responded anonymously to the 39‐item MSI‐X. SPSS analyses were performed with 408 returned MSI‐Xs from a sample of 49% males and 40% females. Results: Analyses revealed 61% smoked marijuana during their lifetime. Reliability of the MSI‐X was. 89. Exploratory factor analyses of 31 scored items by principal components and varimax rotation supported a nine‐factor structure, explaining 65.8% of the variance, with all items loading ≥ .30. Within the sample, 7.84% scored ≥ 7 suggesting “at ris...
GHS: a performance system of grid computing

Conventional performance evaluation mechanisms focus on dedicated distributed systems. Grid computing infrastructure, on another hand, is a shared collaborative environment constructed on autonomic virtual organizations. The non-dedicated characteristic of grid computing prevents the leverage of conventional task scheduling systems. In this study, we present the design and development of the grid harvest service (GHS) performance evaluation and task scheduling system for solving large-scale applications in a shared network environment. GHS combines stochastic models and artificial intelligence learning mechanisms with task scheduling algorithms. It considers both computing and network contention and supports scheduling for single task, parallel processing, and meta-tasks. Experimental results show that GHS provides a satisfactory solution for performance prediction and task scheduling and has a real potential.
A Rotary Model for Spur Gear Dynamics

Modele de calcul de la dynamique des engrenages cylindriques a denture droite tenant compte de la geometrie reelle (forme circulaire)
RE-INVESTIGATION OF SECRETORY CAVITY DEVELOPMENT IN LYSIMACHIA (PRIMULACEAE).

Summary Nineteenth century studies described Lysimachia cavities as schizogenous, but Guttenberg (1928) reported them as only being schizogenous initially. Inner epithelial cell walls then swelled and dissolved in mucilage secreted into the cavity. Later, as a gradually solidifying resin accumulated, epithelial cells reportedly formed a new and cellulosic cell wall. My re-examination of cavity development in Lysimachia nummularia L., using a resin embedding method, revealed only typical schizogenous development, thus refuting Guttenberg's interpretation and supporting earlier workers.
Purification and partial characterization of broccoli (Brassica oleracea Var. Italica) peroxidases.

Three peroxidase (POD) isoenzymes were purified from a soluble extract of broccoli stems. The acidic and neutral PODs were purified to homogeneity by using ion exchange and hydrophobic chromatography. The basic POD was purified by cation exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The neutral and basic PODs had molecular masses of43 kDa, and the acidic POD had a molecular mass of 48 kDa by SDS-PAGE. pI was approximately 4, 5, and 8 for acidic, neutral, and basic PODs, respectively. Optimum activity using guaiacol as the H donor was obtained at pH6 for both neutral and basic PODs and at pH 4 for acidic POD. All three of the purified isoenzymes are glycosylated. Reaction rates with various substrates including guaiacol, guaiacol/MBTH, DMAB/MBTH, and ferulic acid/MBTH were different among the isoenzymes. Km and amino acid composition were also determined.
Carotid baroreflex responsiveness is impaired in normotensive African American men.

There are important differences in autonomic function and cardiovascular responsiveness between African Americans (AA) and Caucasian Americans (CA). This study tested the hypothesis that carotid ba...
Hiatus distributions and mass extinctions at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary

Much disagreement over the interpretation of data bearing on various Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) extinction scenarios results from a failure to view these data within their appropriate stratigraphic context. Combined biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic analyses of K/T boundary sequences have revealed systematic differences in patterns of sediment accumulation within continental-shelf and deep-sea depositional settings. Although virtually all deep-sea boundary sequences are marked by intervals of nondeposition or hiatus formation during the latest Cretaceous and earliest Tertiary, many continental shelf-slope sequences appear to be temporally complete over this same interval. This differential pattern of sediment accumulation can be related to the latest Maastrichtian-earliest Danian sea-level rise, during which deep-sea sediment- accumulation rates would be expected to drop as the locus of sediment deposition migrated across the continental shelf. Our data suggest that the abrupt shifts in carbon-isotope abundances, single-peak Ir anomalies, and apparently instantaneous mass extinctions of marine plankton—which are routinely reported from deep-sea K/T boundary sequences and used to support a causal relation between Late Cretaceous bolide impacts and K/T mass extinctions—may be artifacts of a temporally incomplete (or extremely condensed) deep-sea stratigraphic record.
Experimental study of reverse logistics e-commerce

Methods of improving scalability in online auctions include limiting the number of bidding opportunities, providing price information to users, and recommending auctions that may be of interest to the users. We constructed an experimental prototype auction system in the context of reverse logistics for electronics products. Experiments were designed to test the effects of the number of trading opportunities and the amount of previous price and bid information presented to users. The participants' profits improved with the number of trading opportunities but showed mixed effects for increasing price and bid information. Some measures of market robustness and bid/price dynamics were affected by the information in unexpected ways. The induction of decision trees for an auction recommender is discussed along with the use of attribute selection to reduce the size of the tree.
A New Deformable Model for Boundary Tracking in Cardiac MRI and Its Application to the Detection of Intra-Ventricular Dyssynchrony

We present a new deformable model technique following a snake-like approach and using a complex Fourier shape descriptors parameterization to efficiently formulate the forces that constrain contour deformation. The method was successfully applied to track the left ventricles (LV) endocardial and epicardial boundaries in sequences of shortaxis magnetic resonance images depicting complete cardiac cycles. The extracted shapes show the methods robustness to weak contrast, noisy edge maps and to papillary muscle anatomy. Our second contribution is a statistical pattern recognition approach for the detection of asynchronous activation of the LV walls. We applied our deformable model method to provide spatio-temporal characterizations of complete cardiac cycles and then designed a linear classifier using the popular combination of Principal Component Analysis and Linear Discriminant Analysis. From a database comprising 33 patients, our approach provided a correct classification performance of 90.9% showing its potential in providing improved dyssynchrony characterization as an adjunct to current criteria for selecting patients for therapy, which provided a classification accuracy of just 62.5% on the same database.
Localization of Calcium-binding Proteins in Physiologically and Morphologically Characterized Interneurons of Monkey Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

In the primate neocortex, little is known about the possible associations between functional subclasses of GABA neurons, their morphological properties and calcium-binding protein (CaBP) content. We used whole-cell current clamp recordings, combined with intracellular labeling and fluorescence immunohistochemistry, to determine these relationships for interneurons in layers 2--3 of monkey prefrontal cortex (PFC). Eighty-one interneurons were included in the analysis. Thirty-eight of these cells showed immunoreactivity for one of the three CaBPs tested. Co-localization of more thanoneCaBPwasnotobservedinanyoftheinterneuronsexamined. Interneurons with different CaBPs formed distinct populations with specific physiological membrane properties and morphological features. Parvalbumin (PV)-positive cells had the physiological properties characteristic of fast-spiking interneurons (FS) and the morphology of basket or chandelier neurons. Most calretinin (CR)containingcellshadthephysiologicalpropertiesascribedtonon-fastspiking cells (non-FS) and a vertically oriented axonal morphology, similar to that of double bouquet cells. Calbindin (CB)-positive interneurons also had non-FS properties and included cells with double bouquet morphology or with a characteristic dense web of axonal collaterals in layer 1. Classification of the interneurons based on cluster analysis of multiple electrophysiological properties suggested the existence of at least two distinct groups of interneurons. The first group contained mainly PV-positive FS cells and the second group consisted predominantly of CR- and CB-positive non-FS interneurons. These findings may help to illuminate the functional roles of different groups of interneurons in primate PFC circuitry.
Interlimb Coordination During Slow Walking in the Cockroach: I. Effects of Substrate Alterations

In this study, interlimb coordination in the cockroach during slow walking (2–7 steps/s) is described for a variety of substrate conditions. During normal free-walking, the animal utilizes an alternating tripod gait (both ipsilateral and contralateral phase close to 0.50). The protraction/retraction ratio varies linearly with walking speed. When tethered on a supported ball, the ipsilateral phase ranges from 0.32 to 0.46 at walking speeds of 2-7 steps/s, and contralateral phase is constant at 0.53. Protraction/retraction ratios are normal in this case. Blind free-walking animals use a gait which is indistinguishable from normal, but the protraction/retraction ratio is constant over speeds of 2-7 steps/s. When walking down an inclined plane (45°), the gait resembles ball-walking, with an average ipsilateral phase of 0.43 and contralateral phase of 0.53. These alterations of gait under different substrate conditions can be related to the animal9s responses to loading, gravity, and steering control system.
Spatial map of salts and saccharides on dog tongue

Front and rear regions of dog tongue were tested for spatial heterogeneity with respect to monovalent chloride salts (NaCl, KCl, and NH4Cl) and sweet tastants (sucrose, D-glucose, and L-glucose) by placing them in Ussing chambers where the open-circuit potential, Voc, and short-circuit current, Isc, were measured. The responses of Voc and Isc to 0.5 M NaCl were greater in the front of the tongue than in the rear, whereas the responses of Voc and Isc to 0.5 M sucrose were greater in the rear of the tongue than in the front. These results are similar to those of published neurophysiological measurements from the chorda tympani nerve and thalamus. These data suggest that the spatial heterogeneities seen in higher taste centers are present in the isolated lingual epithelium where primary taste transduction events occur.
Reflections on the Historiography of American Eugenics: Trends, Fractures, Tensions

By the 1950s, eugenics had lost its scientific status; it now belonged to the context rather than to the content of science. Interest in the subject was also at low ebb. But that situation would soon change dramatically. Indeed, in an essay-review published in 1993, Philip Pauly commented that a "eugenics industry" had come to rival the "Darwin industry" in importance, although the former seemed less integrated than the latter. Since then, the pace of publication on eugenics, including American eugenics, has only accelerated, while the field has become even more fractured, moving in multiple and even contradictory directions. This essay explores the trajectory of work on the history of American eugenics since interest in the subject revived in the 1960s, noting trends and also fractures. The latter are seen to result partly from the fact that professional historians no longer own the subject, which has attracted the interest of scholars in several other disciplines as well as scientists, political activists, and journalists, and also from the fact that the history of eugenics has almost always been policy-oriented. Historians' desire to be policy-relevant and at the same time attentive to context, complexity, and contingency has generated tensions at several levels: within individuals, among historians, and between professional historians and others who also engage with the history of eugenics. That these tensions are resolved differently by different authors and even by the same authors at different times helps explain why the fragmentation that Pauly noted is not likely to be overcome anytime soon.
POPULATION GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION IN SEA URCHINS (GENUS HELIOCIDARIS)

Within the sea urchin genus Heliocidaris, changes in early embryonic and larval de- velopment have resulted in dramatic differences in the length of time larvae spend in the plankton before settling. The larvae of one species, H. tuberculata, spend several weeks feeding in the plankton before settling and metamorphosing into juveniles. The other species, H. erythrogramma, has modified this extended planktonic larval stage and develops into a juvenile within 3-4 days after fertilization. We used restriction site polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA to examine the pop- ulation genetic consequences of these developmental changes. Ten restriction enzymes were used to assay the mitochondrial genome of 29 individuals from 2 localities for H. tuberculata and 62 individuals from 5 localities for H. erythrogramma. Within H. tuberculata, 11 mitochondrial genotypes were identified. A GST analysis showed high levels of genetic exchange between popu- lations separated by 1,000 kilometers of open ocean. In contrast, in H. erythrogramma, 13 mi- tochondrial genotypes differing by up to 2.33% were geographically partitioned over spatial scales ranging from 800 to 3,400 kilometers. Between distant localities, there was complete mitochondrial lineage sorting and large sequence divergence between resulting clades. Over much smaller spatial scales (< 1,000 km), genetic differentiation was due to the differential sorting of very similar genotypes. This pattern of mitochondrial variation suggests that these population differences have arisen recently and may reflect the historical interplay between the restricted dispersal capabilities of H. erythrogramma and the climatic and geological changes associated with Pleistocene Ice Ages.
Exploring Sex and Gender Differences in Sleep Health: A Society for Women's Health Research Report

Previous attempts have been made to address sleep disorders in women; however, significant knowledge gaps in research and a lack of awareness among the research community continue to exist. There is a great need for scientists and clinicians to consider sex and gender differences in their sleep research to account for the unique biology of women. To understand the role of sex differences in sleep and the state of women's sleep health research, the Society for Women's Health Research convened an interdisciplinary expert panel of well-established sleep researchers and clinicians for a roundtable meeting. Focused discussions on basic and clinical research along with a focus on specific challenges facing women with sleep-related problems and effective therapies led to the identification of knowledge gaps and the development of research-related recommendations. Additionally, sex differences in sleep disorders were noted and discussed in the context of underlying hormonal differences. Differences in sleep behavior and sleep disorders may not only be driven by biological factors but also by gender differences in the way women and men report symptoms. Progress has been made in identifying sex and gender differences in many areas of sleep, but major research gaps in the areas of epidemiology, sleep regulation, sleep quality, diagnosis, and treatment need to be addressed. Identifying the underlying nature of sex and gender differences in sleep research has potential to accelerate improved care for both men and women facilitating better diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately prevention of sleep disorders and related comorbid conditions.
Workspace and Singularity Characteristics of 3-DOF Planar Parallel Robots

A study of workspace and singularity characteristics is presented for two common types of 3-DOF planar parallel robot manipulators. The robots considered feature a kinematic structure with 3 in-parallel actuated, R-R-R and R-P-R serial chain geometries. In this study, computer simulations aided with graphic visualization were used to characterize the complete pose workspace (for ranges of both position and orientation) and the singularity inherent to the systems. Parametric studies have also been performed to ascertain the way in which both characteristics vary with respect to various geometric parameters such as pivot location, link length, and platform size for end-effector. Results are shown by way of a unique composite ratio of the available workspace to the density of singularity within that workspace.Copyright © 2009 by ASME