cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PS15 PAEDIATRIC GUN SHOT INJURIES IN NEW ZEALAND: A DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF AN AVOIDABLE CAUSE OF SIGNIFICANT CHILDHOOD MORBIDITY

Purpose: New Zealand has a reputation for an outdoors lifestyle that includes hunting and tramping. New Zealanders own over a million guns and these are widely distributed throughout the rural and urban communities. Although its gun laws are not liberal, children still suffer gun shot injuries. The aim of this study was to examine the injuries children receive from firearms in New Zealand, their circumstances and long term morbidity. Methodology: A retrospective review of all children admitted to the four New Zealand paediatric surgical hospitals (at Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch) with gun shot injuries over 10 yr period 1996-2005 was undertaken. Data were compared with published literature from elsewhere. Results: Overall, the incidence of gunshot injuries in New Zealand is low compared with many other developed countries. The majority are caused by air rifles. Most are superficial but some may lead to long term morbidity. Conclusions: Although New Zealand gun laws require air rifle owners to be over 18 yrs of age, children often are victims of air rifle misuse, particularly in urban areas. Mortality is rare, but some children suffer long term morbidity. Our data may enable preventative measures to be better focused. Language: en
Communication Correlates of Perceived Machiavellianism of Supervisors: Communication Orientations and Outcomes

This paper reports the development of the Perceived Supervisor Machiavellian Measure (PSMM) for use in the organizational communication context. Data were drawn from full-time employees who were part-time graduate students in a corporate and organizational communication program. Employees' perceptions of supervisor Machiavellianism were negatively related to employees' perceptions of supervisor credibility (competence, caring, and trustworthiness), employees' attitudes toward the supervisor, employee motivation, and employee job satisfaction. Supervisors' perceived communication behaviors (nonverbal immediacy, responsiveness, and assertiveness) accounted for a significant amount of variance in perceived supervisor Machiavellianism. The results support a general model of supervisor behavior and provide a foundation for future research in organizational communication.
Predictable vs. unpredictable shock: preference behavior and stomach ulceration.

Abstract Rats given a choice for predictable or unpredictable shock chose predictable shock and developed fewer stomach ulcers than rats who could not make this choice, and received only unpredictable shock. A yoked control procedure was utilized in a tilt shuttlecage apparatus with two levels of shock intensity and four treatments of predictability. Predictable shock was preferred by both low and high intensity shock groups, but was slower to develop at the high intensity shock level. Unpredictable shock resulted in a high frequency of animals with stomach ulcers at both shock intensities, whereas significantly fewer animals developed ulcers who received predictable shock at the low intensity shock level. Results were discussed with respect to the safety signal hypothesis and Weiss' Relevant Feedback hypothesis on stomach ulceration in rats.
Ionic effects on discharge of the isolated and in situ nematocysts of the sea anemone, Aiptasia pallida: A possible role of calcium

Abstract 1. Nematocysts were isolated from acontia by extrusion in 1·0 M sodium citrate. The high concentration was necessary to maintain the liberated nematocysts in an undischarged state. 2. 2. Isolated nematocysts were comparatively insensitive to stimuli which normally evoked their discharge in situ. This was true for solutions of low pH and high potassium ion concentration. 3. 3. Both discharge and extrusion of in situ nematocysts could be reversibly abolished by pretreatment of the acontia with magnesium chloride. 4. 4. None of the salt solutions tested caused appreciable discharge of isolated nematocysts at an osmotic strength equal to that of sea water. Increasing dilutions of these solutions, however, caused a progressive increase in discharge. Divalent cations, such as calcium and magnesium caused a marked inhibition of this effect, and may play a role in a nematocyst stabilization.
Deformation kinetics of α-titanium at low temperatures using stress relaxation

Stress relaxation tests were carried out on titanium wire (0.2 at. pct Oeq) as a function of grain size (5 to 42 μm) at 77 to 623 K to study the rate-controlling mechanism. Values for the activation volume were derived from the slope of the stress relaxation curves. The Gibbs free energy of activation ΔG at σ* = 0 and OK was ∼1.4 eV (∼0.2 μo2b2), the maximum forcef*i of the dislocation-obstacle interaction ∼80 x 10-6 dyne (~0.2 μ0b2) and the activation distancex* at which the force first increases rapidly ∼2b. These values are in good agreement with those obtained in the more conventional strain rate cycling tests and support the earlier conclusion that the rate controlling mechanism during the low temperature deformation of titanium is thermally activated overcoming of interstitial solute obstacles on the first order prism planes.
Outcome after radical prostatectomy depends on surgical technique but not approach

The results after radical prostatectomy currently are very good but could be better. There is no question that surgical technique is important in decreasing morbidity and improving outcomes. The same principles apply regardless of surgical approach. Ultimately, there may be little difference in the important outcome measures regardless of the approach used. Exploration of innovative approaches and techniques should be encouraged but measured by their effect on outcome rather than assumed improvements or promotional efforts.
Analysis of encoding efficiency in MR imaging of velocity magnitude and direction.

The efficiency of balanced versus unbalanced techniques for phase-angle-based velocity magnitude and direction imaging is investigated. Methods having balanced flow-encoding gradients (gradients in positive and negative directions with a zero center of gravity) are compared with unbalanced methods. For three-dimensional imaging, a currently used balanced method is the six-point technique having opposed gradients pairs for each orthogonal direction. A currently used unbalanced method is a four-point null technique which has three orthogonal gradients and an additional acquisition having no specific flow encoding to correct the baseline (null) phase. In the gradient-limited case of slow flow and perfusion. the balanced method is predicted to have higher velocity magnitude-to-noise ratio per time (SNRv) by a factor of 1.63, with similar results for velocity direction. In the wraparound-limited case of faster flows and motions, similar results are found when a null acquisition is added to the balanced method. This results in a seven-point balanced method having an SNRv, 1.51 times that of the four-point unbalanced method. If null phases are within the [–π/2, π/2] interval, this additional null acquisition is unnecessary. Other four-point methods are also considered. These results indicate that, in general, balanced methods have advantages over unbalanced methods for velocity imaging. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.
Evolution of subalpine and alpine plant groups in New Zealand

Abstract Although some of the plants of alpine and subalpine habitats in New Zealand are derived from ancestors that have been present since Paleogene, or possibly Cretaceous, times, many entered via Australia following the late Pliocene and subsequent elevation of mountains in Malaysia, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. The New Zealand alpine and subalpine habitats only developed in the past few million years, during which they have been profoundly and repeatedly altered by Pleistocene glaciations and finally by man. As these habitats developed in isolation they were colonised mainly by plants derived from Australia, as a result of long-distance dispersal. Westward dispersal, in the face of the prevailing westerlies, is almost ruled out for Australasian plants. In New Zealand, many of them evolved rapidly to produce numerous species in consequence of the processes of adaptive radiation, interspecific hybridisation and recombination, and in many instances self-pollination. These large clusters of sp...
ADSORPTIVE DISTILLATION: OPTIMUM SOLIDS PROFILES

The new process called Adsorptive Distillation is extended by allowing solids loading per stage to vary. The optimization problem is to uncover the unique solids profile which produces the minimum total solids needed for a prescribed separation. Two types of optimum designs are studied: (i) uniform loadings within sections but unequal sectional loadings, and (ii) unequal solids loadings in every stage of the cascade. In both cases, unique optimum profiles and feed stage locations are uncovered. The optimization problems posed above lead to 15% and 22% reductions, respectively, in total solids relative to the idealized case of uniform loadings throughout the cascade. Furthermore, the profiles uncovered for the second problem show solids loading to be always maximum at the feed stage diminishing to minimum loadings at the ends of the cascade. This smooth variation in stage capacity (diamond profile) leads to a condition of zero reflux.
Telecom mashups: enabling web 2.0 for telecom services

The emerging Web 2.0 marketplace presents an important opportunity for Telecom operators to sell their own capabilities and content as services. Operators have a wealth of content associated with their network as well as core network enablers, e.g. call control, presence and messaging, which could serve as potential new revenue streams in a Web 2.0 world. Moreover, with the looming threat from Internet companies, there is an increasing need for operators to make both core and value-added functions reusable and mashable. In this paper, we highlight the design principles of a Telecom Mashup architecture and describe a prototype application built using this architecture
Challenges and Recommendations to Recruiting Women Who Do Not Adhere to Follow-Up Gynecological Care.

Purpose: Non-adherence to recommended follow-up visits after an abnormal cytological finding is associated with poorer outcomes and higher health care costs. The purpose of this paper is to describe the challenges when examining reasons for non-adherence to cervical cancer screening follow-up and to discuss the recommendations to overcome those challenges. Methods: We conducted a telephone survey with two subgroups of women: 1) those which adhered to recommended follow-up care after an abnormal Pap test, and 2) those which did not adhere. Results: The follow-up accrual among non-adherent women lagged behind that of adherers. We were able to contact and conduct a survey with 51% of the adherers and 26% of the non-adherers. The challenges in studying non-adherent women were related to several distinct factors: 1) the definition of non-adherence, 2) the availability of alternate contact information, 3) the amount and type of financial incentives, and 4) the availability of staffing. We describe strategies employed to increase the accrual of non-adherent women. Discussion: This paper describes four recommendations that may play a role in understanding and reducing non-adherence to follow-up gynecological care.
A Preliminary Investigation of the Cr3Si-Mo Pseudo-Binary Phase Diagram

An investigation was undertaken to study the phase relations in Cr3Si alloyed with Mo varying from 10 to 83.5 wt. % of the material. Specimens were prepared from arc-melted buttons that were subsequently heat treated at 1673 K for 200 h and air quenched to room temperature to structures. Alloys containing more than 20 wt. % MO were primarily two-phase materials of M3Si and M5Si3, where M is (Cr,Mo). Three alloys contained less than 5% of a third phase, which also had the M5Si3 crystal structure. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was performed on several specimens at temperatures up to 2073 K in order to determine a solidus curve for the M3Si phase. Since only one DTA peak was observed in each alloy, the M5Si3 phase must melt above 2073 K, the maximum temperature examined. A preliminary pseudo-binary phase diagram for (Cr,Mo)3Si and a portion of the 1673 K isothermal section of the Cr-Mo-Si ternary phase diagram are presented.
Gatekeeping in Graduate Social Work Education: Should Personality Traits be Considered?

To begin to systematically determine what qualities may be most useful for social work students and developing practitioners from a gatekeeping standpoint, this study explored the relationship between personality traits among first-year MSW students and performance in the field and classroom. Results indicated that there is a relationship between some personality traits and performance in the field and classroom. Findings from this study support previous research in allied disciplines indicating that personality traits are relevant to professional training and occupational success. They also lend support to recent literature in social work, which has recognized personal characteristics or attributes as critical to success in practice. Implications regarding gatekeeping, the US Council on Social Work Education's implicit and explicit curricula, and signature pedagogy are discussed.
To Err Is Human: A Reminder to Teachers of Language‐Anxious Students

ABSTRACT: This interview study examined the reactions of anxious and nonanxious foreign language learners to their own errors. Native Spanish-speaking students were videotaped twice: first as they took part in an English-language conversation with the researcher and then as they watched themselves in the taped interview. An analysis of the participants' English interactions and responses to their own oral performances indicated that anxious and nonanxious students differed in their ability to recognize their errors and in their reactions to making errors. Specifically, anxious learners made more errors, corrected themselves and codeswitched more frequently, overestimated the number of errors that they made, and recognized fewer errors in a stimulated recall situation. The implications for choosing error-correction techniques are discussed.
Ibuprofen causes photocleavage through ROS generation and intercalates with DNA: a combined biophysical and molecular docking approach.

Ibuprofen is an important nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug endowed with various pharmacological and biological activities. In the present study, the photochemical properties of ibuprofen were evaluated by assaying the generation of various reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide, singlet oxygen and the hydroxyl radical. ROS generated by ibuprofen in the presence of white light causes DNA strand scission as observed by plasmid nicking assay. Ibuprofen induced ROS generation is also capable of causing DNA degradation in lymphocytes as observed by photocomet assay. ROS generation properties of ibuprofen were further strengthened by the formation of carbonyl groups in BSA and TBARS in linoleic acid as observed by carbonyl assay and lipid peroxidation assay respectively. We have also investigated the mode of interaction of ibuprofen with calf thymus DNA through a series of in vitro experiments. UV-visible spectroscopy established the formation of a complex between ibuprofen and Ct DNA. The steady state fluorescence experiments at different temperatures revealed a binding constant of ∼104 L mol−1, which is indicative of intercalative binding between ibuprofen and the DNA helix. Analysis of the various thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS calculated at different temperatures indicated that the hydrogen bonds played a major role in the interaction. The intercalative binding mode is further confirmed by competitive displacement assays, urea denaturation, iodide quenching, viscosity measurements and CD analysis. In silico molecular docking revealed the binding of ibuprofen within the GC base pairs of DNA, confirming the intercalative binding mode.
AMINO ACID COMPOSITIONS OF PROTEINOIDS.

Abstract Proteinoids prepared by thermal copolymerization of 18 common amino acids have been analyzed. Conditions for quantitative recovery of the total amino acids following hydrolysis have been established. The effects of various amino acid reaction mixtures upon the composition of the polymers obtained have been studied.
A conceptual framework of a hierarchically networked agent-based microgrid architecture

This paper presents a conceptual framework of an electric power microgrid with a distributed control architecture comprising a sensor network of hierarchical agents. The salient sensory features of the different constituent types of intelligent agents are presented. The concept of a minimal microgrid is introduced for the purpose of defining the microgrid architecture. Inroads leveraging the state-of-the-art in sensor networks architecture are made to the communications network of the microgrid architecture. A three tier hierarchically distributed network for microgrid control and service management is presented.
Generating Evidence on Best Practice in Long-term Acute Care Hospitals

Many critically ill patients survive their episode of acute illness but subsequently develop persistent respiratory failure necessitating prolonged mechanical ventilation.1 These patients are often transferred to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs)�facilities that specialize in the care of patients with persistent respiratory failure and other complex conditions.2 Driven by an aging population, increased survival following critical illness, and hospital reimbursement models that incentivize early discharge, use of LTACHs has substantially increased in recent years.3 Currently 412 LTACHs are in operation in the United States. These hospitals admit more than 130 000 patients annually and account for more than $5 billion in Medicare expenditures each year.4
Fostering knowledge sharing through people management practices

This paper focuses on the issue of knowledge sharing, one of the key mechanisms by which knowledge transfer can take place within organizations. The aim of the paper is to identify the people manag...
Targeted disruption of the mouse gene encoding steroidogenic acute regulatory protein provides insights into congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia

An essential component of regulated steroidogenesis is the translocation of cholesterol from the cytoplasm to the inner mitochondrial membrane where the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme carries out the first committed step in steroidogenesis. Recent studies showed that a 30-kDa mitochondrial phosphoprotein, designated steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), is essential for this translocation. To allow us to explore the roles of StAR in a system amenable to experimental manipulation and to develop an animal model for the human disorder lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (lipoid CAH), we used targeted gene disruption to produce StAR knockout mice. These StAR knockout mice were indistinguishable initially from wild-type littermates, except that males and females had female external genitalia. After birth, they failed to grow normally and died from adrenocortical insufficiency. Hormone assays confirmed severe defects in adrenal steroids—with loss of negative feedback regulation at hypothalamic–pituitary levels—whereas hormones constituting the gonadal axis did not differ significantly from levels in wild-type littermates. Histologically, the adrenal cortex of StAR knockout mice contained florid lipid deposits, with lesser deposits in the steroidogenic compartment of the testis and none in the ovary. The sex-specific differences in gonadal involvement support a two-stage model of the pathogenesis of StAR deficiency, with trophic hormone stimulation inducing progressive accumulation of lipids within the steroidogenic cells and ultimately causing their death. These StAR knockout mice provide a useful model system in which to determine the mechanisms of StAR’s essential roles in adrenocortical and gonadal steroidogenesis.
Scoresum - A technique for displaying and evaluating multi-element geochemical information, with examples of its use in regional mineral assessment programs

ABSTRACT Chaffee, M.A., 1983. SCORESUM — a technique for displaying and evaluating multi-element geochemical information, with examples of its use in regional mineral assessment programs. In: G.R. Parslow (Editor), Geochemical Exploration 1982. J. Geochem. Explor., 19: 361–381. A technique called SCORESUM was developed to display a maximum of multi-element geochemical information on a minimum number of maps for mineral assessment purposes. The technique can be done manually for a small analytical data set or can be done with a computer for a large data set. SCORESUM can be used with highly censored data and can also weight samples so as to minimize the chemical differences of diverse lithologies in different parts of a given study area. The full range of reported analyses for each element of interest in a data set is divided into four categories. Anomaly scores — values of 0 (background), 1 (weakly anomalous), 2 (moderately anomalous), and 3 (strongly anomalous) — are substituted for all of the analyses falling into each of the four categories. A group of elements based on known or suspected association in altered or mineralized areas is selected for study and the anomaly scores for these elements are summed for each sample site and then plotted on a map. Some of the results of geochemical studies conducted for mineral assessments in two areas are briefly described. The first area, the Mokelumne Wilderness and vicinity, is a relatively small and geologically simple one. The second, the Walker Lake 1° × 2° quadrangle, is a large area that has extremely complex geology and that contains a number of different mineral deposit environments. These two studies provide examples of how the SCORESUM technique has been used (1) to enhance relatively small but anomalous areas and (2) to delineate and rank areas containing geochemical signatures for specific suites of elements related to certain types of alteration or mineralization.
Open channel flows with submerged obstructions

Free-surface flows past a submerged triangular obstacle at the bottom of a channel are considered. The flow is assumed to be steady, two-dimensional and irrotational; the fluid is treated as inviseid and incompressible and gravity is taken into account. The problem is solved numerically by series truncation. It is shown that there are solutions for which the flow is suberitical upstream and supercritical downstream and other flows for which the flow is supercritical both upstream and downstream. The latter flows have limiting configurations with a stagnation point on the free surface with a 120° angle at it. It is found that solutions exist for triangular obstacles of arbitrary size. Local solutions are constructed to describe the flow near the apex when the height of the triangular obstacle is infinite.
The initiative role of XPC protein in cisplatin DNA damaging treatment‐mediated cell cycle regulation

XPC is an important DNA damage recognition protein involved in DNA nucleotide excision repair. We have studied the role of the XPC protein in cisplatin treatment-mediated cell cycle regulation. Through the comparison of microarray data obtained from human normal fibroblasts and two individual XPC-defective cell lines, 486 genes were identified as XPC-responsive genes in the cisplatin treatment (with a minimal 1.5-fold change) and 297 of these genes were further mapped to biological pathways and gene ontologies. The cell cycle and cell proliferation-related genes were the most affected genes by the XPC defect in the cisplatin treatment. Many other cellular function genes were also affected by the XPC defect in the treatment. Western blot hybridization results revealed that the XPC defect reduced the p53 responses to the cisplatin treatment. The ability to activate caspase-3 was also attenuated in the XPC cells with the treatment. These results suggest that the XPC protein plays a critical role in initiating the cisplatin DNA damaging treatment-mediated signal transduction process, resulting in activation of the p53 pathway and cell cycle arrest that allow DNA repair and apoptosis to take place. These results reveal an important role of the XPC protein in the cancer prevention.
Caribbean maritime security

List of Tables - List of Maps - Acknowledgements - Introduction - Caribbean Coast Guard and Naval Capabilities - Cold War Maritime Issues - Caribbean Boat People - Caribbean Maritime Drug Trafficking - Caribbean Straits - Local Maritime Security Issues - Conclusions and Comparisons - Index
Pasteboard Ethnography: Qualitative Fieldwork Projects in Card-Game Settings

I describe a method of teaching fieldwork in cultural anthropology classes by having students do an ethnosemantic exercise on a card game of their choice. Through this experience, students learn how to do simple forms of fieldwork, the emic perspective, and componential analysis. ETHNOGRAPHY, FIELDWORK, EMIC APPROACH
Effect of Fat Source on Relative Activity of Pregastric Esterase and on Gleceride Composition of Intestinal Contents

Abstract Sham-fed nonfat milk was incubated with filled milks containing 8% of various fats and oils. When related to evaporated milk (7.9% fat, relative activity 100), activities for butteroil, colostrum fat, coconut fat, choice white pork grease, refined lard, tallow, soybean oil, and corn oil were 87.3, 87.2, 70.8, 28.5, 14.1, 14.2, 22.9 and 18.1. In a second study, residual glycerides in various sections of the gastrointestinal tract of seven-day old calves were examined after milk replacers containing lard or milk fat were fed. Significantly greater proportions of triglycerides were in contents of the abomasum, descending and ascending duodenum, and first 2m of jejunum of calves fed lard-filled milks than of calves fed milk fat-filled milks. Abomasal diglyceride and monoglyceride fractions were lower (P
Modeling fluvial erosion and deposition on continental shelves during sea level cycles

[1] A numerical model has been developed to predict the evolution and degree of incision and deposition by fluvial channels on the continental shelf during sea level cycles. Rainfall-runoff, mass wasting processes, and fluvial sediment entrainment and transport are simulated using the detachment-limited model of Howard [1994] on a grid that represents the morphology of the continental shelf and corresponding coastal plain. The model is coupled with a deltaic module for sediment deposition in the ocean and a fluctuating sea level that mimics climatic changes on a ∼104 year timescale. The model indicates that the detailed structure of sea level oscillations has a strong influence upon sediment redistribution and channel development on the shelf. In particular, high-frequency sea level oscillations increase fluvial incision in the terminal reaches of the rivers due to rapid downcutting during the low stands of the oscillation. It is shown that the increment of incision at the river mouth is directly proportional to the oscillation amplitude. Furthermore, simulations indicate that an increase in river sediment load driven by climatic change favors channel avulsion with the formation of new fluvial incisions on the shelf. Results also show the strong influence of shelf morphology on establishing channel networks during sea level low stands.
Modulational instability in bulk periodic structures: numerical results

Summary form only given. Recently, modulational instability (MI) in periodic structures has attracted considerable attention. We study MI in a bulk nonlinear medium with a Bragg grating along the direction of propagation. In these structures, MI is caused by mutual interplay among dispersion, diffraction and nonlinear effects and results in spatial and temporal effects simultaneously. Light propagation in bulk periodic structures is modeled by a set of nonlinear coupled-mode equations written in the paraxial approximation.
Carbon nanotube transistor operation at 2.6 Ghz

We present the first demonstration of single-walled carbon nanotube transistor operation at microwave frequencies. To measure the sourcedrain ac current and voltage at microwave frequencies, we construct a resonant LC impedance-matching circuit at 2.6 GHz. Both semiconducting and metallic nanotubes are measured. Varying the back-gate voltage for a semiconducting nanotube at dc varies the 2.6-GHz source-drain impedance. In contrast, varying the back-gate voltage on a metallic nanotube at dc has no effect on the microwave source-drain impedance. We find the ac source-drain impedance to be different than the dc source-drain resistance, which may be due to the distributed nature of the capacitive and inductive impedance of the contacts to the nanotube. The dynamical (ac) electrical properties of carbon nanotubes are technologically relevant for both active and passive devices made from carbon nanotubes. At dc, it is known that electrons can move without scattering over many micrometers inside a carbon nanotube. 1 We recently analyzed, from a theoretical point of view, the microwave passive 2,3 and active 4,5 electrical properties of nanotubes in some detail. The successful operation of a multiwalled carbon nanotube rf single-electron transistor was recently reported. 6 In this paper, we present the first measurements of the electrical properties of single-walled nanotubes at gigahertz frequencies. 7 In so doing, we demonstrate, for the first time,
Fractal Analysis of Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease Frontal Horn Brain Magnetic Resonance Image

The Higuchi fractal method on a random series was applied to the study of the brightness fluctuation of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD) brain magnetic resonance (MR) frontal horn images. The brightness fluctuation along either a horizontal or vertical direction across an image formed a random series suitable for the Higuchi method. The average fractal dimension was found to decrease for the CJD frontal horn images (1.95) when compared to normal frontal horn images (1.97). The t-test gave a probability of about 7% that the CJD fractal dimension values would be a subset of a normal frontal horn dataset. Another MRI dataset taken later was also analyzed. The fractal dimension had increased to be about 1.99. Since the theoretical maximum fractal dimension for a line object is 2, a one-tailed t- test was used. The probability that the near expiration fractal dimension values coming from sampling from a normal dataset is about 15%. Extension to Parkinson MR images is discussed. The Higuchi fractal method could be used as a supplemental tool for extracting additional information and progress monitoring.
Influence of hypothalamus and ovary on pituitary function in transgenic mice expressing the bovine growth hormone gene and in growth hormone-deficient Ames dwarf mice

Female transgenic mice expressing the bovine (b) growth hormone (GH) gene exhibit reduced fertility, and GH-deficient dwarf mice are sterile. However, in these animals, the influence of the hypothalamus and ovary on pituitary functions is poorly understood. To address this issue, female Ames dwarf mice received twice-daily injections of either vehicle or bGH (25 micrograms/injection per mouse) for 12 days. Vehicle-injected normal female siblings served as controls. On Day 7, these mice and adult female transgenic mice expressing the bGH gene with mouse metallothionein-I promoter, as well as their normal littermates, were ovariectomized. Two experiments were conducted with each group of mice: on Day 8 after ovariectomy of transgenic mice and their normal siblings, and on Day 4 after ovariectomy of dwarf mice and their normal siblings. In experiment I, mice were primed with 0.5 micrograms estradiol benzoate (EB) in oil and 24 h later received injections of 5 micrograms EB/100 g BW. The next day, these mice received injections of either saline or GnRH (1 ng/g BW), and 15 min later blood was obtained via heart puncture under anesthesia. In experiment II, ovariectomized mice either received injections of oil or were primed with 0.5 micrograms EB and 24 h later treated with 10 micrograms EB/100 g BW in oil. On the next day, blood was obtained as in experiment I. In transgenic mice and in their normal littermates, plasma bGH, FSH, LH, and prolactin levels were measured. In dwarf mice and in their normal siblings, plasma LH and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I levels were determined. Bovine GH was secreted in transgenic mice, but this hormone was not detectable in normal siblings. Expression of the GH gene resulted in attenuated (p < 0.001) FSH response to GnRH treatment, while LH response was similar to that in controls. The ovariectomy-induced increases in plasma FSH (p < 0.001) and LH (p < 0.05) levels were decreased in transgenic mice. The absolute circulating FSH levels were also decreased (p < 0.001) in estrogen-treated transgenic mice, while plasma LH level were similar in normal mice and in mice bearing the bGH gene. The ovariectomized transgenic mice were hyperprolactinemic. In ovariectomized dwarf mice, IGF-I was not detectable, and GH treatment induced its secretion. In these mice, plasma LH concentrations were reduced (p < 0.05), and GH treatment increased (p < 0.01) LH secretion. In oil-injected ovariectomized dwarf mice, the plasma LH response to GnRH treatment was reduced (p < 0.001), and GH administration normalized this response. The negative feedback effect of estrogen on LH secretion was decreased (p < 0.025) in dwarf mice. These indicate that the alterations in gonadotropin secretion are dependent on the duration of exposure of neuroendocrine system to bGH and that bGH alters the effects of GnRH and estrogen on gonadotropin secretion in these two widely divergent experimental mouse models.
Transition from Contraction to Extension in the Northeastern Basin and Range: New Evidence from the Copper Mountains, Nevada

Abstract New mapping, structural analysis, and 40Ar/39Ar dating reveal an unusually well‐constrained history of Late Eocene extension in the Copper Mountains of the northern Basin and Range province. In this area, the northeast‐trending Copper Creek normal fault juxtaposes a distinctive sequence of metacarbonate and granitoid rocks against a footwall of Upper Precambrian to Lower Cambrian quartzite and phyllite. Correlation of the hanging wall with footwall rocks to the northwest provides an approximate piercing point that requires 8–12 km displacement in an ESE direction. This displaced fault slice is itself bounded above by another normal fault (the Meadow Fork Fault), which brings down a hanging wall of dacitic to rhyolitic tuff that grades conformably upward into conglomerate. These relationships record the formation of a fault‐bounded basin between 41.3 and 37.4 Ma. The results are consistent with a regional pattern in which volcanism and extension swept southward from British Columbia to southern Ne...
The role of biomarkers in risk assessment

(1996). The role of biomarkers in risk assessment. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 251-256.
Distribution of methanol and catalysts between biodiesel and glycerin phases

When transesterifying alcohols with fats and oils to produce biodiesel, the phase behavior and respective distribution of catalyst and alcohol between liquid phases can significantly impact both reaction rates and product workup. To better understand this phase behavior, the distribution of methanol and catalysts, potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid, between the biodiesel and alcohol phases was experimentally investigated and modeled. Experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium data were modeled by using the Wilson activity coefficient model and two temperature-independent model parameters are used to obtain good agreement between calculated and experimental data. The distribution coefficients of methanol between biodiesel and glycerin phases were accurately predicted by the VLE activity coefficients and Wilson model. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005
Heart rate variability and its changes over 5 years in older adults

Purpose: to characterise the association between age, ageing and heart rate variability (HRV) in older individuals, 585 adults age >65 years with two 24-h Holter recordings in the Cardiovascular Health Study were studied. Methods: heart rate (HR), ventricular premature contractions (VPCs), atrial premature contractions (APCs), frequency-domain, ratio-based and non-linear HRV and heart rate turbulence (HRT) were examined cross-sectionally by 5-year age groups and prospectively over 5 years. Analyses adjusted for gender, lower versus elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk and for the change in CV risk. Results: HR declined, and VPCs and APCs increased per 5-year increase in age. Frequency-domain HRV decreased more at 65–69, less at 70–74 and minimally at ≥75 years, independent of CVD risk or change in CVD risk. Ratio and non-linear HRV continued to decline to ≥75 years old. Ratio HRV and HRT slope were more strongly related to CVD risk than frequency-domain HRV. Conclusions: cardiac autonomic function, assessed by frequency-domain HRV, declines most at 65–70 and levels off at age >75. The decline is independent of CVD risk or change in CVD risk. Ratio-based and non-linear HRV and HRT slope continued to change with increasing age and were more closely related to CVD risk than frequency-domain HRV.
Durability of Soil–Cements against Fatigue Fracture

Cementitious stabilization is a common method of ground improvement when weak foundation soils are encountered in practice, and marginal or nonstandard materials such as recycled aggregates are used in civil engineering construction. Long-term durability of stabilized materials becomes an issue, especially when it involves one or more recycled materials with unknown and often questionable properties. The study presented herein investigates the fatigue durability, endurance limit, and damage accumulation process in recycled crushed concrete aggregate stabilized with cement-fly ash mixtures. Results show that the 2 million cycles fatigue endurance limit for the stabilized recycled aggregate was nearly 53% of the static modulus of rupture, indicating that the fatigue strength of this material is quite similar to or better than other traditional cementitious composites. It was also found that the accumulated permanent deformation and the expended fatigue life can be related by a nonlinear power law, and the fatigue damage in this material approximately follows Miner's rule for cumulative damage. Finally, the importance of developing innovative testing methods for durability assessment are highlighted, which include coupled mechanical and environmental loadings to simulate the most damaging field conditions, and accelerated aging and life prediction processes using the Arrhenius time-temperature superposition methods.
Effect of thermal cycling on commercial thermoelectric modules

The large temperature gradients experienced by thermoelectric modules induce significant thermal stresses which eventually lead to device failure. The impact of thermal cycling on a commercial thermoelectric module is investigated through characterization of the electrical properties. In this work, we measure the evolution of the thermoelectric and electrical properties with thermal cycling. One side of the thermoelectric module is cycled between 30oC and 160°C every 3 minutes while the other side is held at ∼20°C. The thermoelectric figure of merit, Z TE T, and electrical resistivity are measured after every 1000 cycles. The measured Z TE T value is compared using both a modified Harman method and an electrical measurement technique analyzed with an electrical circuit model. In addition, the change in output power and resistivity with cycling are reported. This study provides insight into characterization methods for thermoelectric modules and quantifies reliability characteristics of thermoelectric modules.
The Enlightened Image of Nature in the Dutch East Indies: Consequences of Postmodernist Doctrine for Broad Structures and Intimate Life

Eighteenth-century natural-history illustration in the Dutch East Indies reveals verisimilitude as a goal shared between colonial artists and their counterparts in Europe. Natural-history images more generally exhibit common styles in the world settled and dominated by Europeans. Apparently dramatic differences in the local settings of the artists produced only trivial variations in representing nature pictorially, in just the way that astronomy and physics in the European colonies and spheres of influence departed hardly at all from European practice. The overwhelming strength of disciplinary norms, in science and in art, is the standard explanation for this circumstance. An alternative explanation from social history is proposed. It centers on the hypothesis of a homology between households in colonial settings and in Europe. The alternative explanation implies that both the observatory and the artist9s workshop were insensitive to superstructural variation in costume and architecture, as well as variation in climate and cuisine. The hypothesis behind the alternative explanation, designated by the term complementarity , derives directly from the postmodernist dictum that ideas are extrusions of social interactions. Nevertheless, just as the strength of disciplinary norms is unresolved in postmodernist doctrine, so complementarity directly challenges the postmodernist predilection for affirming the distinctiveness of colonial cultures.
Response to 'Imprecise diagnosis of migraine with aura in the Women's Health Study. Does it matter?'.

In our study ‘Migraine, headache, and the risk of depression: Prospective cohort study’ (1), we examined the associations between migraine, including aura status, as well as nonmigraine headache and incident depression. We observed an approximately similar increase in the risk of depression for women with nonmigraine headache (relative risk 1.44, 95% CI 1.32– 1.53), migraine with aura (relative risk 1.53, 95% CI 1.35–1.74), migraine without aura (relative risk 1.40, 95% CI 1.25–1.56) and past history of migraine (relative risk 1.56, 95% CI 1.37–1.77) compared to those with no history of headache. To the best of our knowledge, there is only one other population-based study that has evaluated the association between migraine aura status and depression. This study assessed the lifetime prevalence of major depression in 536 participants with migraine, 162 participants with severe headache
Rolling of human bone-metastatic prostate tumor cells on human bone marrow endothelium under shear flow is mediated by E-selectin.

Prostate tumor cells preferentially adhere to bone marrow endothelial cells (BMECs) compared with endothelial linings from other tissue microvessels, implicating the importance of BMEC adhesion in the predilection of prostate tumor metastasis to bone. E (endothelial)-selectin, which functions as an initiator of leukocyte adhesion to target tissue endothelium, is constitutively expressed on BMECs, suggesting that prostate tumor cells could use this adhesive mechanism to initiate their migration into bone. In this report, we demonstrate for the first time that human bone-metastatic prostate tumor cells roll on human BMECs under physiological flow conditions. We show that these dynamic adhesive interactions are dependent on the expression of BMEC E-selectin and sialylated glycoconjugates on bone-metastatic prostate tumor cells. We also establish the importance of both glycoprotein(s) and glycosphingolipid structures displaying sialyl Lewis X epitopes as potential E-selectin ligands on bone-metastatic prostate tumor cells. Coexpression of sialylated glycoproteins and glycolipids on bone-metastatic prostate tumor cells triggers robust E-selectin binding activity, which is identical to that observed on human hematopoietic progenitor cells. By Western blot analysis, we identify candidate E-selectin glycoprotein ligand(s); distinct sialyl Lewis X (or HECA-452 antigen)-bearing membrane proteins were resolved at M r 130,000 and M r 220,000 as well as others ranging from M r 100,000 to M r 220,000. Immunohistochemical analysis of HECA-452 antigen expression on normal prostate tissue and on low- and high-grade prostate adenocarcinoma shows that HECA-452 antigen expression is directly associated with prostate tumor progression and may indicate acquisition of E-selectin ligand expression. These findings provide novel insight into potential adhesive mechanisms promoting hematogenous dissemination of prostate tumor cells into bone.
Two-dimensional carrier flow in a transistor structure under nonisothermal conditions

A two-dimensional mathematical model is developed to predict the internal behavior of power transistors operating under steady-state conditions. This model includes the internal self-heating effects in power transistors and is applicable to predict the transistor behavior under high-current and high-voltage operating conditions. The complete set of partial differential equations governing the bipolar semiconductor device behavior under nonisothermal conditions is solved by numerical techniques without assuming internal junctions and other conventional approximations. Input parameters for this model are the dimension of the device, doping profile, mobility expressions, generation-recombination model, and the boundary conditions for external contacts. Computer results of the analysis of a typical power transistor design are presented for specified operating conditions. The current density, electrostatic potential, carrier charge density, and temperature distribution plots within the transistor structure illustrate the combined effect of the electrothermal interaction, base conductivity modulation, current crowding, base pushout, space charge layer widening, and current spreading phenomena in power transistors.
The Use of Admittance Diagrams in Oscillator Analysis

Much useful general information concerning the behavior of oscillators may be obtained by means of a graphical analysis based upon curves of electronic and circuit admittance. A curve of electronic susceptance versus electronic conductance and a curve of circuit susceptance versus circuit conductance are plotted in the same diagram. At points of intersection of the two curves the electronic and circuit admittances are equal in magnitude and phase. These points therefore indicate possible equilibrium values of frequency and amplitude. This method of analysis explains observed oscillator phenomena, such as amplitude and frequency hysteresis, dominance of one mode of oscillation over other modes, pulsing, and electronic tuning. The function of this paper is to present a summary of information previously found only scattered throughout the literature on oscillators.
Otitis Media in Preweaned Holstein Dairy Calves in Michigan Due to Mycoplasma Bovis

Mycoplasma bovis was isolated from the tympanic bullae of dairy calves with an exudative otitis media. The history, clinical signs, gross and histologic lesions, and bacteriologic findings are described for 5 preweaned Holstein calves with otitis media from a 600-cow dairy in Michigan. Clinical findings consisted of unilateral or bilateral ear droop, epiphora, head tilt, and recumbency in severely affected calves. Postmortem examination revealed unilateral or bilateral fibrinosuppurative to caseous exudate in the tympanic bullae. Histologically, a marked fibrinosuppurative to caseous exudate filled the tympanic air spaces. The partially ulcerated tympanic mucosa was markedly thickened with mononuclear cell infiltration and proliferation of fibrous connective tissue. Bone remodeling and periosteal hyperostosis were present in some osseous septa. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated from the tympanic bullae of all 5 calves and from the lungs of 2 calves and the frontal sinus of 1 calf. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated at > 100,000 colony forming units/ml from the bulk milk tank of the farm of origin. The isolation of M. bovis from the bulk milk tank, indicating subclinical mycoplasmal mastitis coupled with the feeding of waste milk from mastitic cows to calves is suggestive of a possible source of the infection resulting in otitis media in preweaned dairy calves.