cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crosstalk in automultiscopic 3-D displays: Blessing in disguise?

Most of 3-D displays suffer from interocular crosstalk, i.e., the perception of an unintended view in addition to intended one. The resulting "ghosting" at high-contrast object boundaries is objectionable and interferes with depth perception. In automultiscopic (no glasses, multiview) displays using microlenses or parallax barrier, the effect is compounded since several unintended views may be perceived at once. However, we recently discovered that crosstalk in automultiscopic displays can be also beneficial. Since spatial multiplexing of views in order to prepare a composite image for automultiscopic viewing involves sub-sampling, prior anti-alias filtering is required. To date, anti-alias filter design has ignored the presence of crosstalk in automultiscopic displays. In this paper, we propose a simple multiplexing model that takes crosstalk into account. Using this model we derive a mathematical expression for the spectrum of single view with crosstalk, and we show that it leads to reduced spectral aliasing compared to crosstalk-free case. We then propose a new criterion for the characterization of ideal anti-alias pre-filter. In the experimental part, we describe a simple method to measure optical crosstalk between views using digital camera. We use the measured crosstalk parameters to find the ideal frequency response of anti-alias filter and we design practical digital filters approximating this response. Having applied the designed filters to a number of multiview images prior to multiplexing, we conclude that, due to their increased bandwidth, the filters lead to visibly sharper 3-D images without increasing aliasing artifacts.
A geospatial approach for assessing denitrification sinks within lower-order catchments

Abstract Local decision makers can influence land use practices that alter N loading and processing within the drainage basin of lower-order stream reaches. Because many practices reduce water retention times and alter the timing and pathways of water flow, local decisions regarding land use can potentially exert a major influence on watershed N export. We illustrate a geospatial approach for assessing the role of denitrification sinks in watershed N delivery at the local level using: (a) widely available geospatial data, (b) current findings from peer-reviewed literature, (c) USGS stream gage data, and (d) locally based data on selected stream attributes. With high resolution, high quality GIS data increasingly available to local communities, they are now in a position to guide local management of watershed N by targeting upland source controls and by identifying landscape sinks for protection and/or restoration. We characterize riparian wetlands, lentic water bodies, and stream reaches as N sinks in the landscape and use geospatial particle tracking to estimate flow paths from N sources and evaluate N removal within sinks. We present an example analysis of the Chickasheen drainage basin, RI, USA, comparing N flux from three equivalent hypothetical N source areas situated in different regions of the watershed and illustrating the role of each N sink type in mediating N flux. Because our goal is to generate a tool that is used by and useful to decision makers we are exploring methods to better understand how decision makers understand and respond to the manner in which information is presented.
Control theory applied to natural and environmental resources an exposition

Abstract Four control theory models of natural and environmental resource use, drawn from the existing literature, are developed in a manner to emphasize their technical and decentralized interpretive similarity. Renewable, nonrenewable, and amenity resource use are treated as closely related problems of optimal (biological, earth material, ecological, or environmental) capital allocation over time. Thus nonrenewable resources, and the problem of exhaustion, are just limiting (zero growth) cases of renewable resources, and the problem of species extinction. Just as exhaustion can be optimal, extinction can be optimal. Waste recycling is treated as part of the problem of optimal regeneration of “sclean” environmental capital; wilderness use as a problem of managing the regeneration of ecological capital.
Disordered eating and substance use in high-school students: Results from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

OBJECTIVE:: To examine the association between disordered eating (fasting, diet product use, and vomiting or laxative use) and use of 10 substances (cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, steroids, and hallucinogens) in a nationally representative adolescent sample. METHOD:: Participants were 13,917 U.S. high-school students participating in the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. RESULTS:: Disordered eating was significantly associated with the use of each substance. Using effect size estimates that take base rates into consideration, for female students, associations between substance use and disordered eating were weak for all but three forms of substance use: current smoking, binge drinking, and inhalants. Among male students, strong (marijuana, steroids, and inhalants) or moderate effects (all other substances) were observed. CONCLUSION:: Future research needs to focus on inhalant use and methamphetamine use in males. Increased medical attention should be directed toward adolescents who practice disordered eating behaviors because they are also at elevated risk for using cigarettes, alcohol, inhalants, methamphetamines, and steroids. Language: en
Bond length dependence of cluster expansions of pi-electron energy

There are two long established methods for representing the delocalized portion of the pi-electron energy of conjugated molecules in a simple local fashion. One, introduced by Hess and Schaad, can be used to provide a very accurate estimate of the energy of acyclic polyenes. Another, introduced originally by Herndon, has been successfully applied to the energy of aromatic ring systems. Both methods can be shown to be forms of cluster expansions, in which the energy of a molecule is expressed exactly as a sum of (successively smaller) contributions from successively larger molecular fragments. As such, it should in principle be possible to combine the methods to provide a consistent description of molecules of almost any structure. However past attempts to do so have yielded physically unreasonable results. It is shown that the key missing ingredient in these attempts is a failure to account for bond stretching and compression. When the energy changes associated with bond length changes are accounted for properly, the combined cluster expansion is quite successful in accounting for molecular pi electron energies in a very compact form.
Derived stable matrices

Given a stable linear time-invariant dynamical system x·= Ax, it is shown that there exists a related stable family of dynamical systems x·=A(k)x. The Lyapunov stability criterion remains valid for all linear operators A(k)=DkA of this family.
Dynamic collaboration: participant-driven agile processes for complex tasks

Groups and decision makers are increasingly running headlong into complexity as interconnections and interdependencies between individuals and organizations continue to grow, decision time horizons shrink and more work is being performed by distributed teams. These factors are driving up overall problem space complexity and limiting the effectiveness of time-tested decision and collaboration processes. Increases in problem space complexity lead to higher equivocality in collaborative processes and associated products. Electronic collaboration support tools and associated process management schemes have proven successful in many challenging contexts. However, current collaboration process management schemes and tools may not be able to effectively handle more complex tasks. We posit that heightened problem space complexity must be addressed with commensurate process and technological support for collaborative efforts. To achieve truly agile collaborative solutions, we propose Dynamic Collaboration -- a process management scheme that utilizes group consensus, and process evolution via iterative process alignment and product refinement phases to meet the challenges posed by complexity and equivocality.
Relationship between 4a and 4b H LA-determined specificities and C3 receptors of leukocyte membrane

Contrary to previous reports, we do not find that antibodies to 4a and 4b human histocompatibility antigens inhibit the binding of erythrocytes coated with C3 to the C3 receptor of human monocytes or B lymphocytes.
High-speed integrated rendering algorithm for interpreting multiple-variable 3-D data

Many data visualization problems require both volumetric data representing sampled scalar or vector functions of 3D spatial dimensions and geometric data representing 3D geometric objects to be displayed together in a single image. In 3D data visualization with multiple variables, it is necessary to use various representations in order to extract the relations between several variables. This paper proposes an integrated rendering algorithm for visualizing 3D volumetric and geometric data such as surfaces, lines, and points, simultaneously with depth information, and another algorithm for speeding up the first. The approach proposed is to extend a volume rendering algorithm based on ray-tracing so that it can handle both 3D volumetric and geometric data. The algorithm processes these data in accordance with their original representation formats to eliminate conversion artifacts such as spurious or missing surfaces, and also gives special treatment to volume segments so as to avoid errors in visibility at the intersections between the volume segments and the geometric data. It uses several techniques to improve the performance of the rendering process. Adaptive termination of ray-tracing, elimination of rays that do not intersect the volume, and adaptive undersampling over a pixel plane improve the performance by three to seven times over the brute-force approach. The cost and versatility of the algorithm are evaluated by using data from the results of 3D computational fluid dynamics.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparison of cost effectiveness of streptokinase and urokinase in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis.

This study examines the comparative efficacy, safety, and cost associated with treatment of deep vein thrombosis with streptokinase or urokinase. Sixty patients were analyzed retrospectively, 30 treated with streptokinase and 30 treated with urokinase. Statistically significant greater fibrinogenolysis was noted when streptokinase was used to treat patients with deep venous thrombosis ( p = 0.01). The mean decrease in fibrinogen from preinfusion value was 83 % in the streptokinase treated group and 61 % in the urokinase treated group. Five of 30 (17 %) of the streptokinase treated patients experienced major complications. No major complications were seen in the urokinase treated group ( p = 0.019). Cost analysis demonstrates that therapy with urokinase was $ 11.40 per patient more than streptokinase. If complications are not included in the cost analysis, then urokinase becomes only $ 650 per patient more expensive than streptokinase therapy. These data support that deep vein thrombosis treatment with urokinase is effective, safer and more cost efficient when compared to streptokinase.
The Interactive Effects of Negative and Positive Affect on the Politics Perceptions–Job Satisfaction Relationship

The politics perceptions literature has historically failed to determine the impact of dispositional factors. To address this gap, the current study examined the moderating effects of negative (NA) and positive affect (PA) on the perceptions of politics–job satisfaction relationship. It was hypothesized that individuals high on both NA and PA would report lower job satisfaction scores when politics were perceived to be high. In Study 1, data gathered from 752 employees of a large university in the southeastern United States confirmed these hypotheses. In Study 2, 311 full-time employees representing a wide array of occupations provided support for the PA × politics perceptions interaction, but not for the NA × politics perceptions interaction. Implications of these results, strengths and limitations, and avenues for future research are provided.
Intrinsic connections and architectonics of posterior parietal cortex in the rhesus monkey

By means of autoradiographic and ablation-degeneration techniques, the intrinsic cortical connections of the posterior parietal cortex in the rhesus monkey were traced and correlated with a reappraisal of cerebral architectonics. Two major rostral-to-caudal connectional sequences exist. One begins in the dorsal postcentral gyrus (area 2) and proceeds, through architectonic divisions of the superior parietal lobule (areas PE and PEc), to a cortical region on the medial surface of the parietal lobe (area PGm). This area has architectonic features similar to those of the caudal inferior parietal lobule (area PG). The second sequence begins in the ventral post/central gyrus (area 2) and passes through the rostral inferior parietal lobule (areas PG and PFG) to reach the caudal inferior parietal lobule (area PG). Both the superior parietal lobule and the rostral inferior parietal lobule also send projections to various other zones located in the parietal opercular region, the intraparietal sulcus, and the caudalmost portion of the cingulate sulcus. Areas PGm and PG, on the other hand, project to each other, to the cingulate region, to the caudalmost portion of the superior temporal gyrus, and to the upper bank of the superior temporal sulcus. Finally, a reciprocal sequence of connections, directed from caudal to rostral, links together many of the above-mentioned parietal zones. With regard to the laminar pattern of termination, the rostral-to-caudal connections are primarily distributed in the form of cortical "columns" while the caudal-to-rostral connections are found mainly over the first cortical cell layer.
Women's Perceptions of Alcohol-Related Sexual Disinhibition: Personality and Sexually-Related Alcohol Expectancies

ABSTRACT Young adults frequently use alcohol prior to engaging in sexual activity (Grello, Welsh, & Harper, 2006) possibly due to expectancies relating to alcohol use and sexuality. When women engage in alcohol-use behaviors they are likely to be perceived as sexually available and promiscuous (Blume, 1991; Parks & Scheidt, 2000). The current study examined the relationships between young women's feminine gender-role attributes, erotophobia-erotophilia, and endorsement of sexually-related alcohol expectancies. Using surveys and focus groups, we investigated perceptions of the relationship between alcohol use and women's sexuality. Findings demonstrated a negative relationship between feminine gender-role and sexually-related alcohol expectancies. Free-response data indicated that sexual motives contributed to alcohol use. Participants emphasized that alcohol lowered inhibitions and increased the likelihood of engaging in sexual behaviors. Erotophobia-erotophilia influenced the pattern of qualitative respo...
Growth, income distribution, and fiscal policy volatility

Abstract The relationship between income distribution and economic growth has long been an important economic research subject. Despite substantial evidence on the negative impact on long-term growth of inequality in the literature, however, there is not much consensus on the specific channels through which inequality affects growth. The empirical validity of two most prominent political economy channels – redistributive fiscal spending and taxes, and sociopolitical instability – has recently been challenged. We advance a new political economy channel for the negative link between inequality and growth, a fiscal policy volatility channel, and present strong supporting econometric evidence in a large sample of countries over the period of 1960–2000. Our finding also sheds light on another commonly observed negative relation between macroeconomic volatility and growth. We carefully address the robustness of the results in terms of data, estimation methods, outlier problem, and endogeneity problem that often plague the standard OLS (ordinary least squares) regression.
Bio-inspired impact-resistant composites

Through evolutionary processes, biological composites have been optimized to fulfil specific functions. This optimization is exemplified in the mineralized dactyl club of the smashing predator stomatopod (specifically, Odontodactylus scyllarus). This crustacean's club has been designed to withstand the thousands of high-velocity blows that it delivers to its prey. The endocuticle of this multiregional structure is characterized by a helicoidal arrangement of mineralized fiber layers, an architecture which results in impact resistance and energy absorbance. Here, we apply the helicoidal design strategy observed in the stomatopod club to the fabrication of high-performance carbon fiber-epoxy composites. Through experimental and computational methods, a helicoidal architecture is shown to reduce through-thickness damage propagation in a composite panel during an impact event and result in an increase in toughness. These findings have implications in the design of composite parts for aerospace, automotive and armor applications.
Broadening the angular tolerance in two-dimensional grating resonance structures at oblique incidence

Broadening of the angular response of two-dimensional (2D) guided mode resonant spectral filters at oblique incidence is investigated. Coupling into multiple fundamental guided resonant modes having the same propagation constant but propagating in different planes (inherent multiple-plane diffraction by 2D gratings) is shown to significantly broaden the angular tolerance while maintaining narrow linewidth. Resonances have symmetric and broad angular responses when the incident wave is coupled to four resonant modes in a structure with a hexagonal grating pattern. Further broadening is implemented by enhancing the second Bragg diffraction of the 2D grating structure. Resonance with a narrow spectral linewidth (ΔλFWHM~1.6×10−4λ0) and angularly tolerant to an ~6 μm beam diameter is obtained. A second approach utilizing a dual 2D grating configuration with a second grating on the substrate side is shown to increase the lateral confinement, causing the merging of two successive resonant bands. This results in further improvement of the angular/spectral linewidth ratio by ~80%.
Mitchell Baker: The Mozilla Foundation

Mitchell Baker describes how Firefox, which has its roots in the browser wars of the mid-1990s, emerged from the ashes of Netscape. The first Web extra at http://youtu.be/FQPjRwahrGw is an audio recording of Charles Severance's Computing Conversations column, in which he discusses his interview with Mitchell Baker about the Mozilla Foundation, the Firefox and Netscape browsers, and open source software. The second Web extra at http://youtu.be/M-CYRO0PwQs is a video interview with Mitchell Baker about the Mozilla Foundation, the building of the Firefox and Netscape browsers, and open source software.
In vitro fertilization versus conversion to intrauterine insemination in the setting of three or fewer follicles: how should patients proceed when follicular response falls short of expectation?

Objective To determine whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles with suboptimal response should be converted to intrauterine insemination (IUI) or proceed to oocyte retrieval (OR). Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) All patients initiating IVF from January 2004 through December 2011. Intervention(s) OR versus conversion to IUI. Main Outcome Measure(s) A total of 1,098 patients were identified whose IVF cycles were characterized by recruitment of three or fewer follicles, excluding patients with bilateral tubal disease or severe male factor. Cycles with three follicles were defined as those with three follicles ≥14 mm with no fourth follicle ≥10 mm. Cycles with two or fewer follicles were similarly defined. Outcomes were compared for patients proceeding with OR (n = 624) versus converting to IUI (n = 474). Age-adjusted relative risks for pregnancy were calculated, stratifying for number of follicles. Result(s) The likelihood of retrieving at least one mature oocyte (82.9% vs. 94.8% vs. 96.2%), having at least one zygote (61.9% vs. 76.8% vs. 84.2%), and undergoing transfer (57.1% vs. 73.0% vs. 83.3%) increased significantly with increasing follicle number. Patients with three or fewer follicles were 2.6 times more likely to achieve a live birth with IVF versus IUI (9.3% vs. 3.4%). This benefit was only apparent when at least two follicles were present. No benefit was gained by performing OR in the setting of one follicle. Conclusion(s) IVF compared with IUI presents superior pregnancy rates in the setting of two or more follicles. Assisted reproduction programs may benefit their patients by pursuing IVF in this scenario.
Temporal analyses of coral snakebite severity published in the American Association of Poison Control Centers' Annual Reports from 1983 through 2007.

Introduction. The only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved coral snake antivenom was officially discontinued in 2007, causing ever-diminishing supplies. This study describes the severity of U.S. coral snakebites during the last 25 years to determine trends in annual rates of these bites' medical outcomes. Methods. This study retrospectively analyzed all human coral snakebites voluntarily reported by the public and/or health care professionals to poison centers that were subsequently published in the Annual Reports of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) from 1983 through 2007. Annual rates of medical outcomes from coral snakebites were calculated by dividing the annual number of people bitten by coral snakes who developed fatal, major, moderate, minor, or no effect outcomes by the total annual number of people bitten by coral snakes. Negative binomial regression was used to examine trends in annual rates. Results. From 1983 through 2007, the incidence rate of coral snakebites ...
Stability of charge-density waves under continuous variation of band filling in LaTe 2-x Sb x (0<=x<=1)

We report the presence of charge-density waves (CDW's) in the planar square lattices of the layered compounds ${\mathrm{LaTe}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Sb}}_{\mathit{x}}$ for 0\ensuremath{\leqslant}x\ensuremath{\leqslant}1, which we have studied through electron microprobe analysis, powder- and single-crystal x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. We have identified superlattice reflections with wave vectors spanning large parallel sheets of Fermi surfaces derived from extended-H\"uckel tight-binding band calculations performed on two-dimensional Te square sheets. As Sb substitutes for Te in ${\mathrm{LaTe}}_{2}$, the band filling of the square sheets is continuously decreased, with essentially no deviation from the ${\mathrm{LaTe}}_{2}$ substructure. Through the series, the CDW wave vector follows the changes in the Fermi surface. The CDW's are observed at room temperature and we see no evidence of significant disorder effects with Sb doping. This work establishes ${\mathrm{LaTe}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Sb}}_{\mathit{x}}$ as a family of materials in which the CDW is dependent on Fermi-surface energetics, in contrast to other CDW materials in which lattice strain forces the structural distortion to remain commensurate. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Apologia in team sport

Team sport apologia are rooted in the ethic of the sport world. Sport figures defend their characters when their conduct appears to the fans to be inconsistent with that ethic. Sport personalities not only attempt to “repair” their public image, but they also reassure fans that they are committed to their teams and the ethic of their sport. They express sorrow for offending others, assert a desire to play the game, and ignore situational detail that could undermine their apologies.
Cystic meningiomas in children : a diagnostic challenge

Two cases of cystic meningioma in children are presented. The MR imaging features of each case presented difficulties in differential diagnosis because of the cystic nature of the neoplasms and their location. Cystic areas in meningiomas are encountered more frequently in children than in adults. Meningioma must be included in the differential diagnosis of cystic intracranial tumors in children.
Intrinsic neuromodulation: altering neuronal circuits from within

There are two sources of neuromodulation for neuronal circuits: extrinsic inputs and intrinsic components of the circuits themselves. Extrinsic neuromodulation is known to be pervasive in nervous systems, but intrinsic neuromodulation is less recognized, despite the fact that it has now been demonstrated in sensory and neuromuscular circuits and in central pattern generators. By its nature, intrinsic neuromodulation produces local changes in neuronal computation, whereas extrinsic neuromodulation can cause global changes, often affecting many circuits simultaneously. Studies in a number of systems are defining the different properties of these two forms of neuromodulation.
Managing the remaining breast

Bilateral breast cancer is discussed as to 1) the criteria for determining whether a cancer in the other breast is primary or metastatic; 2) the incidence of simultaneous and subsequent primary cancers in the second breast and the factors that could account for the reported frequency variance by different authors; 3) the influence that a second primary cancer in the contralateral breast makes on the survival of the patient; 4) the psychologic and physical importance of the remaining breast to the patient; and 5) the management of the other breast using preoperative x-rays and random biopsies as added modalities for detection and reserving prophylactic mastectomy of the remaining breast for those patients at high risk for developing cancer in it with a definition of these risk factors. Forty-two simultaneous primary cancers were found in the other breast in a series of 500 (8.4%) patients undergoing primary therapy for cancer in their first breast of which 19 (45.2%) were invasive, and 23 (54.8%) were non-invasive. Two (0.4%) were detected clinically, 16 (3.2%) by x-rays, and 24 (7.5%) by random biopsies in 321 patients. In a series of 846 patients with potentially curable breast cancer, the absolute ten-year survival rate was 63%. They were operated on before the routine use of preoperative x-rays and random biopsies. Eleven (1.3%) had either clinical or x-ray detected simultaneous cancers in the other breast. Of the remaining 835, 48 had prophylactic mastectomies in which 8 (16.6%) unsuspected cancers were found. In the remaining 787, 70 (8.9%) developed subsequent cancers making a total subsequent rate of 78 of 835 (9.3%).
Effects of fusion neutrons on thermocouples

Abstract Thermocouples are being utilized in present-generation fusion experiments, both materials and confinement, and will see increased application as these experiments become more complex. Little is known about the response of thermocouples to radiation exposure of any kind. Nothing is known about 14-MeV neutron effects. We have conducted a room-temperature irradiation at RTNS-II to survey seven common thermocouple alloys for fusion-neutron-induced changes in thermoelectric output. Effects are observable in all materials. In some materials the observed effect is modified or removed by annealing. Other materials exhibit effects which are stable to or enhanced by elevated temperature exposure.
Splat-quench solidification: estimating the maximum spreading of a droplet impacting a solid surface

This study investigates the mechanisms that contribute to determining the maximum spreading of a liquid droplet impacting a solid surface in connection with splat-quench solidification. This paper defines two domains, the viscous dissipation domain and the surface tension domain, which are characterized by the Weber and the Reynolds numbers, and that are discriminated by the principal mechanism responsible for arresting the splat spreading. This paper illustrates the importance of correctly determining the equilibrium contact angle (a surface tension characteristic that quantifies the wetting of the substrate) for predicting the maximum spreading of the splat. Conditions under which solidification of the splat would or would not be expected to contribute to terminating the spreading of the splat are considered. However, our a priori assumption is that the effect of solidification on the spreading of a droplet, superheated at impact, is secondary compared to the effects of viscous dissipation and surface tension.
High-pressure, high-temperature synthesis of superhard boron suboxide

A multianvil device was used to investigate the formation of BxO phases produced in the 2 to 10 GPa pressure range with temperatures between 1000 and 1800 °C. Amorphous and crystalline B and BP were oxidized using B2O3 and CrO3. Using powder X-ray diffraction and parallel electron energy-loss spectroscopy (PEELS), we were unable to detect graphitic or diamond-structured B2O, reported in previous studies. The refractory boride B6O, which has the α-rhombohedral boron structure, is the dominant suboxide in the P and T range of our investigation. PEELS with a transmission electron microscope was used to characterize the boron oxides.
Institutional and programmatic suggestions for satisfying public policy responsibilities in a retail competitive electric industry

The emergence of retail competition in the US electric power industry places at risk various environmental and social programmes such as demand side management, low income programmes and renewable energy. This paper presents institutional and programmatic suggestions for satisfying these kinds of public policy responsibilities in a disintegrated industry. Suggestions include customer owned electricity franchises, electricity facility siting marketplaces, electric industry foresight councils, model systems programmes, integrated social services programmes, collaborative electric services programmes, ISO standards and portfolio standards. These recommendations would be funded by a national transmission charge, a state level distribution charge and franchise level sales taxes, to be paid by transmission organizations, distribution organizations and electricity consumers, respectively.
Buick Lucerne drivers' experiences with rear parking sensors.

Objective: Rear parking sensors may have the potential to reduce property damage caused by some low-speed backing crashes, but their effectiveness depends on drivers’ acceptance and proper use. This study examined owners’ experiences with Buick Lucerne models with a rear parking sensor system.Methods: Mail surveys were conducted in May 2013 with 426 owners of model year 2010–11 Buick Lucerne sedans equipped with the optional Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist feature.Results: Respondents were primarily older drivers, with 95% older than 60 and 70% older than 70. Nearly all owners reported that they always leave the system on, do not find it distracting, and would want it on their next vehicle. Slightly more than half (56%) said they had heard an alert and noticed something behind their vehicle they did not expect, which most commonly was a person or animal. Owners who said their behavior had changed while using the system mostly reported positive changes (e.g., increased alertness or confidence). In addition ...
Comorbidity of dsm-iii-r personality disorders in schizophrenic and unipolar mood disorders: a comparative study

We investigated the overall prevalence and the differential comorbidity of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-III-R personality disorders in 166 remitted or recovered patients with schizophrenic (n = 102) or unipolar mood disorder (n = 64). Over 60% of both patient groups met the DSM-III-R criteria of at least one DSM-III-R personality disorder as assessed by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-II-R), receiving on average 3.1 personality diagnoses. Neither DSM-III-R categories of personality disorders, nor scores on its three clusters A, B and C, nor total score on SCID-II-R differed significantly across the two groups. In conclusion, DSM-III-R personality disorders, although highly prevalent in schizophrenic and unipolar mood disorders, lack any specificity with respect to these categories of mental disorders.
Antidepressant action: to the nucleus and beyond.

After decades of effort, the field of depression research is far from understanding how antidepressant drugs mediate their clinical effects. The time lag of 2–6 weeks of therapy that is necessary to obtain antidepressant efficacy indicates a requirement for long-term regulation of molecules activated by drug treatment. The focus of antidepressant research has thus expanded from examining acute monoamine-mediated mechanisms to include long-term transcriptional regulators such as cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and trophic factors such as brain-derived nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor. In addition, the recent discovery of antidepressant-induced neurogenesis provides another avenue by which antidepressants might exert their effects. Current efforts are aimed at understanding how CREB and trophic factor signaling pathways are coupled to neurogenic effects and how alterations in behavioral, molecular and cellular endpoints are related to the alleviation of the symptoms of depression.
Mallory-Weiss tear: predisposing factors and predictors of a complicated course.

Abstract OBJECTIVES: Little has been published regarding predictors of a complicated course after Mallory-Weiss tear (MWT). The aims of this study were to identify risk factors for a Mallory-Weiss tear and factors predictive of a complicated course. METHODS: At our university hospital, we searched a computerized endoscopy database. At our Veterans Affairs hospital we manually searched printed endoscopy reports. Proposed risk factors for MWT were: history of alcohol use, recent alcohol binge, nonbloody initial emesis, anticoagulation, other coagulopathy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory use, and hiatal hernia. Proposed predictors of a complicated course were: age, hematemesis, melena, hematochezia, visible vessel, adherent clot, active bleeding, multiple tears, other pathology at endoscopy, admission Hct, hypotension or orthostatic changes, and coagulopathy. A complicated course was defined on the basis of >6 U of blood transfused, rebleeding, angiography, surgery, or death. Predictors of a complicated course were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher exact test. RESULTS: A total of 73 cases were reviewed. The most common risk factor was alcohol use, which was found in 44% of cases. In all, 23% of patients had no risk factors. Of the patients, 17 (23%) had a complicated course. Patients with a complicated course had a lower admission Hct ( p = 0.009) and active bleeding at initial endoscopy ( p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The predictive value of active bleeding supports early endoscopy for stratification and intervention.
A relationship between alluvial backswamps and avulsion cycles: an example from the Willwood Formation of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming

Abstract Stratigraphically limited intervals from the Lower Eocene Willwood Formation contain laterally extensive carbonaceous shales and ribbon sandstone networks associated with channel avulsion. We present data from one such interval that documents the avulsion sequence. Vertical sections measured along the outcrop of this interval are similar and comprise a basal carbonaceous shale overlain by fine-grained deposits on which weakly developed, hydromorphic paleosols formed. The paleosols enclose and are locally incised by ribbon sandstones, some of which cut down to and partly through the carbonaceous shale. The ribbons have width/thickness ratios between 3 and 13. Some ribbons cluster at a particular stratigraphic level, which, together with paleocurrent trends, suggests that they formed channel networks. Sections are capped by yellow-brown paleosols showing moderate pedogenic development. We suggest that the carbonaceous shales developed in low-lying topogeneous swamps in distal portions of the floodplain far from the trunk channel. Such a location set limits on the sediment that they received. The mudrocks with weakly developed paleosols and associated ribbon sandstones are interpreted as crevasse-splay complexes resulting from avulsion of the trunk river. The ribbon sandstones represent ancient feeder channels of the avulsion complex. The rapid influx of avulsion deposits appears to have been crucial to preserving the organic material, and this study reveals an important and as yet uncharacterized link between trunk channel processes and the accumulation of organic-rich deposits in distal alluvial swamps. Similar deposits are found in other stratigraphic units in the Rocky Mountain region, and the development of these and other organic-rich deposits should be reassessed in terms of channel avulsion.
Spring-based actuators

A new concept of a spring actuator based on the ferromagnetic shape memory alloy (FSMA) is presented. The coil spring made by a FSMA is activated by the attractive magnetic force produced by electromagnets, which is usually not uniform. When the magnetic field is applied, each turn of the spring comes into contact with the neighboring turns one by one, stacking from the turn closer to the yoke of the electromagnet. As a result, entire shrinkage of the spring accompanied by large liner stroke is achieved. This actuator is energy-efficient, since almost all magnet flux originated from electromagnet discharges into the ferromagnetic spring. The performance of the spring actuator, i.e. the output force and stroke, depends on many factors, such as the diameter and the pitch of the spring or the dimension of the cross section of the spring wire, and so on. We processed successfully a spring actuator driven by a hybrid magnet based on the above principle by using polycrystalline FePd alloy. Since the stiffness of the FePd coil spring become softer due to the martensite phase transformation, the movement of the actuator is accelerated during actuation.
Oligopoly Pricing in the World Wheat Market: Comment

Alaouze, Watson, and Sturgess (AWS) have recently revived the argument that the world wheat market is oligopolistic. McCalla described the market as a United States-Canadian duopoly, and the innovation of AWS is to convert the club into a triopoly by adding Australia. We are generally skeptical about the ability of oligopoly models to explain the behavior of world wheat prices, and oligopoly appears especially inappropriate in view of events since 1971. We offer two comments con-
LEFT AND RIGHT ATRIAL TRANSPORT FUNCTION AFTER THE MAZE PROCEDURE FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION : AN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC DOPPLER FOLLOW-UP STUDY

Objectives: We evaluated atrial transport function after the Maze procedure in long-term follow-up and compared left and right atrial function in Maze patients with that of healthy age-matched controls using echo Doppler techniques. Background: The Maze procedure is designed to eliminate atrial fibrillation, restore normal sinus rhythm, and preserve atrial contraction. Initial data indicate that atrial transport function is restored in most patients undergoing the Maze procedure. The long-term echo Doppler evaluation of patients after the Maze procedure has not been well described. Methods: We performed pulsed-wave Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiographic studies on 31 patients (24 men, mean age 53.8 years) who underwent the Maze procedure and who had a follow-up study greater than 3 months (mean 16.5 months) after the procedure. Measurements included peak left ventricular and right ventricular inflow A-wave velocity, maximum and minimum left atrial and right atrial areas, and fractional area change of the left and right atria. Results were compared with those obtained from 15 age-matched control subjects (11 men, mean age 53.8 years). Results: Twenty-two patients (71%) had left atrial function shown by the presence of left ventricular inflow A-wave, and 25 patients (81%) had right atrial function shown by the presence of right ventricular inflow A-wave on Doppler echocardiography. The left ventricular inflow A-wave velocity was significantly lower than that of age-matched controls (37.5±15.5 versus 61.0±13.9 cm/sec; p p =Not significant). Although left and right atrial areas decreased significantly after the procedure, there was no significant change in the fractional area change which was smaller in Maze patients than control individuals. Conclusions: (1) In long-term follow-up of 16.5 months after the Maze procedure, left atrial systolic function was preserved in 71% of our patients and right atrial systolic function was preserved in 81%; (2) the left ventricular inflow peak A-wave velocity after Maze is considerably less than that in age-matched controls; and (3) left and right atrial sizes decreased after the procedure with no change in the fractional area change. These findings suggest that the Maze procedure is effective in restoring atrial function in the majority of patients; however, restored function is less than in control individuals.
Cloning, Purification, and Characterization of the Shigella boydii dGTP Triphosphohydrolase *

The nucleotide sequence of the Shigella boydii dgt gene, which encodes the enzyme deoxyguanosine triphosphate triphosphohydrolase (dGTPase, EC 3.1.5.1), has been determined. The 1515-nucleotide Shigella dgt open reading frame has been subcloned into a T7 RNA polymerase-based expression vector. The resulting expressed protein has been purified to homogeneity using a novel single-day chromatographic regime. The protocol includes ion exchange, affinity, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified 505-amino acid (59.4 kDa) protein exists in solution as a heat-stable homotetramer, and enzymatic assays reveal that the expressed enzyme is fully active. Substrate specificity can be explained by the array of potential hydrogen bond donors/acceptors displayed on the base moiety of the (deoxy)nucleoside triphosphate. Shigella dGTPase can be inhibited by the addition of stoichiometric amounts of reducing agents. The loss of activity is both time- and concentration-dependent and is accompanied by a decrease in the thermal stability of the enzyme. Shigella dGTPase in the fully reduced form is destabilized by 1.8 kcal/mol compared with the oxidized form. Hence, disulfide bonds play a pivotal role in the maintenance of dGTPase stability and enzymatic functionality. Initial Shigella dGTPase protein crystals have been formed.
SUMmOning Daxx-Mediated Repression

An intimate relationship exists between the transcriptional coregulator Daxx, SUMO, and PML nuclear bodies. In this issue, Chang et al. (2011) provide structural insights into how phosphorylation of Daxx increases its affinity toward SUMOs and functional insights into how enhanced SUMO binding affects Daxx-PML interactions, PML nuclear body localization, and Daxx-mediated repression of genes encoding for antiapoptotic factors.
Global Credit Markets, Political Violence, and Politically Sustainable Risk Premia

How do international financial conditions affect civil unrest? Existing studies examine the domestic economic roots of political violence but say little about the role of external financial conditions. We explore the interactions between international lending, government policy, and domestic unrest. In particular, we note that because of sovereign risk and defensive lending dynamics, credit ratings and interest rate premia are endogenous to expectations about civil violence. We test these claims using instrumental variables techniques and daily data on sovereign bond yield spreads, credit ratings, and episodes of civil violence in 59 developing countries from 1990 through 2004. After correcting for endogeneity, we find that exogenous increases in the price of foreign capital are robustly associated with increased odds of civil conflict. Primary commodity dependence, low economic growth, and poverty can also increase the odds of civil conflict by reducing access to foreign capital.
Characterization of Interstitial Oxygen Striations in Silicon Single Crystals by the Micro-FT-IR Method

We will demonstrate that our micro-FT-IR mapping system is highly effective for investigating the behavior of interstitial oxygen (Oi) in Czochralski-grown silicon single crystals. The micro-FT-IR system experiences high space resolution, and Oi striations of as-grown silicon single crystals or of oxygen micro-precipitation after a thermal treatment are quantitatively measured. Oi micro-distribution profiles of as-grown crystals exhibit regular or irregular intervals and height, depending upon their crystal growth conditions. Oxygen micro-precipitations along growth striations are dependent upon their initial Oi micro-distribution profiles, and anomalous oxygen micro-precipitation is not observed.
Effects of components of displacement-step stimuli upon latency for saccadic eye movement.

The standard displacement-step stimulus often used to produce lateral saccadic eye movements is considered in terms of the effects of its components: termination of stimulation at an initial fixation point, and onset of stimulation at a new, laterally displaced fixation point. If the termination and onset are simultaneous, saccade latency is about 200 msec. If there is a gap of 200 msec or more between these events, latency decreases to about 150 msec. If the termination follows the onset by 100 msec or more, latency increases to about 250 msec.
Nyström Method Solution of Volume Integral Equations for Electromagnetic Scattering by 3D Penetrable Objects

The volume integral equations (VIEs) for electromagnetic (EM) scattering by three-dimensional (3D) penetrable objects are solved by Nystrom method. The VIEs are essential and cannot be replaced by surface integral equations (SIEs) for inhomogeneous problems, but they are usually solved by the method of moments (MoM). The Nystrom method as an alternative for the MoM has shown much promise and has been widely used to solve the SIEs, but it is less frequently applied to the VIEs, especially for 3D EM problems. In this work, we implement the Nystrom method for 3D VIEs by developing an efficient local correction scheme for singular and near singular integrals over tetrahedral elements. The scheme first interpolates the unknown functions within the tetrahedral elements and then derives analytical solutions for the resultant singular or near singular integrals after singularity subtraction. The scheme is simpler and more efficient in implementation compared with those based on the redesign of quadrature rules for the singular or near singular integrands. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and its convergence feature is also studied.