cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studying Substantive Democracy

Within the last decade, the amount and quality of research on the relationship between public opinion and policy making has taken a dramatic step forward. This research contributes to the development of democratic theory and to the (re)organization of political science as a profession. Further development of opinion-policy research, however, will require addressing several critical limitations.What Has Been DoneStatistical analyses and interpretative case studies have reported (both in the United States and Western Europe) a systematic relationship between public opinion and decision making on a range of issues—from national security to social security (for a review see Shapiro and Jacobs 1989 and Shapiro and Young 1989). These results have emerged from several distinct research designs.The first relies on in-depth investigations of public opinion's impact on formulating specific policies. These case studies rely on closely examining public opinion as gauged through polling results and policy decisions. Many of these studies offer cross-national studies; they discuss issues central to international relations, American politics, and comparative politics (Jacobs 1992a, 1992b, and 1993; Risse-Kappen 1991; Deese 1994 for essays by Shapiro and Page, Graham, and Bennett; Jasper 1990; Eichenberg 1989; Russett 1990; Graham 1989; Kusnitz 1984; Burstein 1985; Sobel 1993; Mattes 1993). For instance, Jacobs (1993) uses interviews and archival evidence to investigate the formulation of American and British health care policy.
Flurbiprofen-induced stimulation of periosteal bone formation and inhibition of bone resorption in older rats.

Abstract The skeletal effects of flurbiprofen (Fb), a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, was studied by histomorphometry in 9-month-old retired female breeder, Sprague-Dawley rats. Flurbiprofen was given subcutaneously at 0, 0.2, 0.1, 0.5, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg/d for 21 days. Flurbiprofen had no effect on longitudinal growth, but stimulated radial growth (+200%) over controls. In the tibial shaft, Fb stimulated the mineral apposition rate (+25%), mineral bone formation rate (+100%), and periosteal labeling length (+64%) at the 2.5 and 5.0 mg Fb/kg dose levels, and had no effect on marrow cavity size compared to controls. However, these changes were insufficient to increase cortical bone mass. In the proximal tibial metaphysis, Fb suppressed osteoclasts/mm2 of metaphyseal tissue (-47%), osteoclasts/mm of bone surface (-46%), and the osteoclast/osteoblast ratio (-50%), increased the calcified cartilage core population (+100%), and had no effect on osteoblast numbers at all dose levels. There was an insignificant increase in metaphyseal cancellous bone mass. The current study leads to the conclusion that flurbiprofen-stimulated periosteal bone growth was due to direct stimulation of osteoblast recruitment and activity independent of longitudinal bone growth. Further, it confirms early findings in young rats that flurbiprofen induced depressed bone resorption without lowering bone formation. However, because of insufficient treatment time, the older rat did not accumulate bone as the young rats did.
Photoproduced linkage isomers of pentacarbonyl-(4-cyanopyridine)tungsten(0)

Abstract Reaction of 4-cyanopyridine (4-CNpy) with photogenerated W(CO)5(THF) (THF = tetrahydrofuran) leads to two products both identified to be of the formula W(CO)5(4-CNpy). These forms are attributed to be pyridine- and cyano-linkage isomers of W(CO)5(4-CNpy) and they have been characterized by infrared and UV-visible spectroscopy. The cyano-bound isomer complex is thermally unstable in solution and converts to the pyridine-bound spcies by a first-order kinetic process. A kinetic analysis reveals that this thermal reaction takes place via an intramolecular mechanism.
Effect of age, sex, and speed of rotation on rotary pursuit performance by young children.

A rotary pursuit task was administered to 32 boys and 32 girls, kindergarten through third grade. Age, speed (33 and 45 rpm), and experimental trial were significant but sex differences were not; practice trials significantly magnified the effects of age and speed. Kindergarten children found the task very difficult and the oldest children did not approach adult performance. The data indicate that experimental measurement of specific motor abilities is possible at these age levels.
The relationships among phytoplankton biomass, nutrient loading and hydrodynamics in an inner-shelf estuary

Abstract Complex interactions among biological, physical and chemical parameters within coastal ecosystems often make it difficult to define the impacts of nutrient loading on the abundance and distribution of phytoplank-ton biomass. In an effort to address the consequences of nutrient loading, the objective of this study was to define the relationships between changes in nutrient loading and phytoplankton biomass response. The nutrient source to this estuary is the Suwannee River, Florida, U.S.A., which is enhanced in discharge and nitrates by numerous groundwater springs. A network of 18 sites within the river and adjoining coastal environment was sampled monthly from April 1998 to April 2001. The highest phytoplankton biomass in the estuary was observed during periods of elevated riverine discharge and subsequent elevated nutrient loading into the coastal region. In addition, regional variation in phytoplankton biomass was dependent upon residence time within the estuary. The highest standing crops wer...
Complex knee ligament surgery: editorial comment.

Over the past 30 years, knee ligament reconstruction has evolved as much as any other within the field of orthopaedic surgery. While, primary ACL reconstruction is now a common procedure, with approximately 100,000 performed per year in the United States, this symposium is intended to examine knee ligament surgery beyond primary ACL reconstruction. Complex knee ligament surgery is varied and challenging, ranging from new multifaceted techniques for ACL reconstruction to complicated multiligament surgery involving reconstruction of all four ligaments (and ligament complexes). Stabilization with external fixation and nerve reconstruction may be required to deal with the sequelae of complex knee ligament injuries. This symposium addresses all of these areas. While primary ACL reconstruction may be considered routine for an experienced knee ligament surgeon, double-bundle ACL reconstruction has been proposed by some as the preferred method. The method remains controversial, particularly in view of its increased complexity compared with single-bundle surgery. One of the studies presented in this symposium explores the issue of early failure in double-bundle reconstructions compared with single-bundle reconstructions. Many patients who have failed ACL reconstruction elect to undergo revision surgery. Revision ACL reconstruction can be challenging and requires broader expertise than primary surgery. In some patients undergoing revision ACL reconstruction, medial or lateral side reconstructions may be appropriate. PCL injuries are less common than ACL injuries but can be more challenging to treat. They are often associated with medial and/or lateral side injuries, as well as ACL injuries. Several papers in this symposium address the biomechanics, evaluation, treatment, and sequelae of multiligament knee injuries. In view of the complexity of multiligament reconstruction, meticulous preoperative planning, attention to surgical detail, and careful postoperative management are required to ensure restoration of function, particularly in athletes with high demands. We believe the articles in this symposium will help those of us who care for these patients by furthering our knowledge relating to the pre- and postoperative care, as well as the surgical management. I would like to thank the authors who worked hard to prepare and revise their manuscripts to meet the high editorial standards of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. It is my hope that these papers will encourage continued and ongoing study of the management of complex knee ligament problems and that some of these injuries may be eliminated through the use of improved prevention programs in the future (Fig. ​(Fig.11). Fig. 1 Dr. Robert G. Marx is shown.
Cladribine tablets: a potential new short-course annual treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis

Cladribine, a synthetic deoxyadenosine analog, is an oral immunomodulatory agent that produces targeted, sustained reduction of T and B lymphocytes. This mechanism of action provides the rationale for use in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) in a short-course annual dosing regimen. Based on the results of a pivotal Phase III study, therapy with cladribine tablets has the potential to become a licensed oral disease-modifying medication for relapsing forms of MS. This article will review the key points regarding MS and its pathogenesis, and discuss current unmet treatment needs. In particular the review provides an overview of emerging potential new oral MS therapies with a focus on the mechanism of action, chemistry, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy and safety of cladribine tablets. Assessments and conclusions will include a speculative 5-year outlook.
Construct Validity of Three Depersonalization Measures in Trauma-Exposed College Students

Depersonalization is a type of dissociation characterized by feelings of unreality and detachment from one's sense of self. Despite a history rich in clinical description, the construct of depersonalization has proven difficult to define and measure. Available measures vary substantially in content, and all have relatively limited psychometric support. In this study the content validity, internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant validity of 3 depersonalization measures were compared in a sample of 209 trauma-exposed college students. Measures were the Dissociative Experiences Scale (E. M. Bernstein & F. W. Putnam, 1986), Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS; M. Sierra & G. E. Berrios, 2000), and Multiscale Dissociation Inventory (MDI; J. Briere, 2002). All 3 measures exhibited adequate to high internal consistency for the depersonalization–derealization items. Based on D. Westen and R. Rosenthal's (2003) procedure for quantifying construct validity, the CDS and MDI demonstrated the best fit ...
Detection of synthetic cannabinoids in herbal incense products.

Abstract Objective We investigated the ability of clinical drug of abuse tests to detect synthetic cannabinoids. Results A broad class GC/MS drug screening method detected JWH-018 and JWH-073 in methanolic extracts and teas steeped from herbal incense products in three of four products tested. Conclusions Synthetic cannabinoids are present in herbal incense purchased over the internet.
THE HELIUM-RICH STARS OF EARLY SPECTRAL TYPE

The properties of the known helium-rich stars of early type are reviewed and the elemental abundances are analyzed. Current evolutionary theories of mixing and mass loss may explain the origin of these stars.
Implementation Of Patient Exposure Limits By A State Radiological Health Program

Due to an avid interest to reduce unnecessary patient exposure, the Illinois Department of Public Health developed exposure limits for certain medical and dental radiographic examinations. These limits were determined by evaluating and analyzing actual patient exposure measurements conducted at medical and dental radiographic facilities throughout the state. A tremendous range of exposures existed for the same examination, and it became evident that patients were being needlessly overexposed to radiation. Marked decreases in exposure have resulted since the adoption of these limits as a regulatory method to reduce unnecessary patient exposure.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Enhanced processing fluency leads to biases in source memory.

The present experiments were conducted to determine whether processing fluency affects source memory decisions. In the first three experiments, participants decided whether test items appeared in t...
A flow-system and burner for observing selective excitation of spectra by metastable species in the afterglow of a helium discharge

Abstract A flow-system and burner has been developed for producing helium metastable species in a discharge and observing their reactions with admixed gases in a chamber a chosen distance downstream, thereby providing a selective time delay between the production and destruction of the helium metastables. A method for picking out the metastable species responsible for a particular reaction has been developed and examples of its application are given for the admixed gases Ne, N2 and O2. The Ne spectrum and the first negative systems of N2+ and O2+ are excited by He(23S), whereas the observed O2+ second negative system is excited by a different metastable species, presumably He2+.
Preventing School Failure by Enhancing Reading and Social Skills

A case study of a child who was a part of a larger reading-practice research study is presented. Data analysis from the larger study yielded a strong effect size for children in the experimental group who used decodable text for reading practice. The preand posttest scores of one child included in the treatment were not used in the statistical analysis because his reading pretest scores were too low for inclusion as per the study design. The case-study child who was not included for statistical comparisons demonstrated many characteristics of an at-risk student. During the 4-week treatment many promising behavioral changes associated with resiliency were noted and are discussed in this article.
Encapsulated nerve end-organs in the rabbit, mouse, sheep and man.

There is a system of highly specialized blood vessels around each sensory hair follicle in the rabbit. The system includes two arteriovenous shunts and a cylinder of dilative blood vessels enclosed in a large bulbous capsule of connective tissue. The shunts, dilative blood vessels and capsule surround two cylinders of nerve fibers; together these structures constitute the largest neurovascular end-organ in skin. The end-organ is similar to the glomus-Pacinian corpuscle complex in the hairless digital skin of man. The blood vessel cylinder and arteriovenous shunts in rabbit skin connect with a system of dilative blood vessels that are enclosed in another capsule of connective tissue under a small thick pad of sensory epidermis, beihnd the sensory hair follicle. The pad of epidermis contains expanded nerve fibers (Merkel's discs) that end near a cluster of Merkel (tactile) cells. In some regions of skin, each area of sensory epidermis is associated with the orifice of a sweat gland duct. In hairy skin of the rabbit, mouse and sheep, the areas of sensory epidermis, Merkel cells and Merkel's discs are distributed in parallel chains or in whorls and loops. Similarly, in the hairless skin of man the sensory epidermis, clusters of Merkel's discs and sweat duct orifices are distributed together in rows, whorls and loops that form the finger and palmer prints. In some regions of hairy human skin the same components occur together in small circular whorls called the Haarscheiben or Rosetten.
Optical properties of amorphous Fe1−xBx alloys

Abstract The optical properties of dc sputtered amorphous Fe1−xBx alloys have been studied over a broad composition range by reflectance and transmittance measurements on thin and thick films. Reflectivity measurements indicate metallic-like behavior in the infrared for x ≤ 0.2. The behavior of the reflectance and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant further qualitatively imply three alloy regimes corresponding to semiconducting, weakly metallic, and strongly metallic character. The results suggest that substantial structural changes occur at intermediate concentrations that may account for the reduced metallic character. The results also suggest that void effects may reduce intraband contributions to the dielectric function.
Damage Self-Diagnosis in Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Composites Under Fatigue Loading

An experimental study was conducted to sense interlaminar delamination in carbon-fiber composites utilizing inherent material piezoresistivity. Damage detection was carried out using discrete electrodes mounted on a Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimen. The DCB composite specimens were tested for fatigue interlaminar fracture. The traditional two-point probe and four-point probe technique were employed to measure the through-thickness electrical resistance change. Optical marker method was also used to detect interlaminar crack growth. The results show that the two-point probe measurements did not capture effectively the delamination propagation while the four-point probe measurement showed a promising sensing capability in terms of delamination propagation.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The potential of ferumoxytol nanoparticle magnetic resonance imaging, perfusion, and angiography in central nervous system malignancy: a pilot study.

Objective Ferumoxytol, an iron oxide nanoparticle that targets phagocytic cells, can be used in magnetic resonance imaging of malignant brain tumors and can be administered as a bolus, allowing dynamic imaging. Our objectives were to determine the optimum time of delayed contrast enhancement of ferumoxytol, and to compare ferumoxytol and gadolinium contrast agents for magnetic resonance angiography and perfusion. Methods Twelve patients with malignant brain tumors underwent serial magnetic resonance imaging multiple times up to 72 hours after ferumoxytol injection at both 1.5 and 3-T. The enhancement time course was determined for ferumoxytol and compared with a baseline gadolinium scan. Perfusion, time-of-flight and dynamic magnetic resonance angiography and T1-weighted scans were compared for the two agents. Results The lesions were detectable at all field strengths, even with an intraoperative 0.15-T magnet. Maximal ferumoxytol enhancement intensity was at 24 to 28 hours after administration, and the enhancing volume subsequently expanded with time into a non-gadolinium-enhancing, high T2-weighted signal region of tumor-infiltrated brain. Dynamic studies were assessed with both agents, indicating early vascular leak with gadolinium but not with ferumoxytol. Conclusion Our most important finding was that gadolinium leaks out of blood vessels early after injection, whereas ferumoxytol stays intravascular in the "early" phase, thereby increasing the accuracy of tumor perfusion assessment. As a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent, ferumoxytol visualizes brain tumors at all field strengths evaluated, with delayed enhancement peaking at 24 to 28 hours after administration.
Calculations of three-dimensional flows using the isenthalpic Euler equations with implicit flux-vector splitting

A numerical method for solving the isenthalpic form of the Euler equations is developed. The method is based on the concept of flux vector splitting in its implicit form applied to a cell centered finite volume scheme. Approximate factorization is implemented in solving the implicit part of the governing equations. Time marching to a steady state solution requires short computational times due to the relative efficiency of the basic method. Computational times are further reduced by the implementation of multigrid. Results for several basic cases are shown.
Detector response unfolding using artificial neural networks

We present new results on the identification and unfolding of neutron spectra from the pulse height distribution measured with liquid scintillators. The novelty of the method consists of the dual use of linear and nonlinear artificial neural networks (ANNs). The linear networks solve the superposition problem in the general unfolding problem, whereas the nonlinear networks provide greater accuracy in the neutron source identification problem. Two additional new aspects of the present approach are (i) the use of a very accurate Monte Carlo code for the simulations needed in the training phase of the ANNs and (ii) the ability of the network to respond to short-time and therefore very noisy experimental measurements. This approach ensures sufficient accuracy, timeliness, and robustness to make it a candidate of choice for the heretofore unaddressed nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards applications in which both identification and unfolding are needed.
Normative data on the boston diagnostic aphasia examination, parietal lobe battery, and the boston naming Test

Abstract This report describes normative data for the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, the “Parietal Lobe Battery” (Goodglass & Kaplan, 1972), and the Boston Naming Test (Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 1978). These tests were administered to 147 neurologically normal adult males, who were right-handed and native English-speaking. For each age and education group, means, standard deviations, and the range are reported. The lowest score for each group is suggested as a cut-off below which impairment may be suspected. Differences among age and education groups are specified and briefly discussed.
EFFECTS OF RECENT CORN AND ENERGY PRICES ON IRRIGATION INVESTMENT IN THE HUMID CLIMATE OF TENNESSEE

Little is known about the impact of corn and energy prices on the profitability of irrigating corn in Tennessee. We evaluated the probability of a positive net present value (NPV) for center-pivot irrigation in Tennessee corn production. Three corn price series were employed to evaluate the effects of the shift in corn prices on the feasibility of irrigation. The recent rise in corn prices increased the probability of NPV being positive for irrigation investment. Future corn prices will need to remain high for investment in center-pivot irrigation to remain profitable under Tennessee growing conditions.
Nitrogen enrichment differentially affects above- and belowground plant defense.

UNLABELLED: • PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Human nitrogen (N) inputs to terrestrial ecosystems have greatly increased in recent years and may have important consequences for plant growth, reproduction, and defense. Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of nitrogen addition on plants, few have examined both above- and belowground responses within a range of predicted increase and apart from concomitant increases in other nutrients. • METHODS: We conducted a greenhouse experiment to study the consequences of increased nitrogen inputs, such as those from atmospheric N deposition, on plant performance, chemical defenses, and allocation tradeoffs for an invasive species, Linaria dalmatica. This plant produces iridoid glycosides, which are a group of terpenoid compounds. • KEY RESULTS: Soil nitrogen enrichment increased growth, reproduction, and whole-plant iridoid glycosides while decreasing some costs of defense. Interestingly, nitrogen addition had varying effects on defense allocation to above- and belowground tissues. Specifically, there was no change in iridoid glycoside concentrations of shoots, whereas concentrations decreased in flowers by ~35% and increased in roots by >400%. • CONCLUSIONS: Observed increases in plant performance and chemical defenses may have implications for the invasion potential of L. dalmatica. Moreover, our results highlight the importance of evaluating both above- and belowground plant defenses. In particular, findings presented here indicate that research focused on leaf-level defenses may not detect key allelochemical responses, including changes in plant resistance traits that could affect consumers (e.g., herbivores and pathogens) that specialize on different plant tissues as well as plant fitness and invasion success.
Home range and habitat selection of an insular fallow deer (Dama dama L.) population on Little St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA

A better understanding of habitat use and home range size for an exotic fallow deer (Dama dama L.) population in coastal Georgia is needed to understand the relationship between this introduced species and the barrier island ecosystem. These spatial requirements will aid in management decisions to limit negative impacts to the deer or sensitive habitats. We describe annual and seasonal home range and habitat use of seven fallow deer fitted with GPS collars. Home ranges of females averaged 130.3 ± 0.45 ha based on a 95% local convex hull (LoCoH) nonparametric kernel method. Home ranges of adult males were highly variable, ranging from 56.9 to 354.8 ha. We examined site fidelity by analyzing shifts in core areas and percent overlap across seasons. Only one individual exhibited a seasonal range shift; all other deer demonstrated a high level of site fidelity. Based on compositional analysis of habitat use versus availability, fallow deer avoided salt marshes but showed individual variation in selection of other habitats. Maritime shrub was the most commonly preferred habitat type on the barrier island. Fallow deer have adapted to effectively use available habitats on the barrier island and have successfully excluded native white-tailed deer from recolonizing LSSI.
Age at puberty of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, controlled by thermoperiod

One of the major difficulties in selecting for superior traits for the culture of channel catfish is that most fish do not breed until they are three years old. This study was designed to decrease the time necessary to achieve puberty in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Channel catfish, held under a shortened annual temperature cycle of four months of 26 C water followed by two months of 13-14 C temperature spawned at a higher rate (73%) after three temperature cycles than fish held in outdoor ponds on two normal seasonal temperature cycles (10%) or fish raised in tanks supplied with constant 26 °C water (3%). The fish were exposed to constant light in tanks until they were about 22 months old when they were stocked into outdoor spawning ponds with spawning containers. Fish held in constant warm water weighed about 1200 g and were significantly heavier than fish from the other two groups (about 600 g) when stocked into spawning ponds. Spawns from tank raised fish were significantly heavier than spawns from fish held in ponds and the shortened annual temperature cycled fish. These data suggest that the onset of the first reproductive period (puberty) is a developmental event that requires three cycles of warm and cold periods, and that weight and photoperiod have little influence on the onset of puberty.
A 1024-element bulk-micromachined thermopile infrared imaging array

Abstract This paper reports on a bulk-micromachined silicon uncooled thermal imager intended for use in automated semiconductor process control. The device has a responsivity of 15 V/W, a thermal time constant of 1 ms, and a D* of 1.6×107 cm Hz1/2/W. It is organized as a 32×32-element area array with on-chip address generation, multiplexing, and self-test circuitry. The overall chip size is 16 mm×16 mm, with a 12 mm×12 mm imaging area. Each detector consists of 32 n–p polysilicon thermocouples supported on a dielectric window and is micromachined using a novel combined front-undercut and back-etched process. An infrared camera system using the imager is also described.
How employee empowerment influences organization–employee relationship in China

Abstract The current study examines how employees’ perceptions of empowerment impact the quality of the organization–employee relationship. Based on the on-line survey of 223 employees from a variety of companies in China, both dimensions of employee empowerment—feelings of competence and feelings of control—serve as positive predictors for organization–employee relationship. However, employees’ feelings of control wield more weight in the prediction than do feelings of competence.
Tracking the fates of exotic and local VA mycorrhizal fungi: methods and patterns

Abstract Vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi are an abundant component of the soil biota in most terrestrial ecosystems, and represent a distinct trophic group (biotrophic) from most of the rest of the soil microbial biomass (saprotrophic). Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are comprised of a wide diversity of species and are often transplanted between habitats to increase plant growth. We tested the use of polyclonal antibodies on field and pot samples that might allow us both to differentiate VA mycorrhizal fungi from soil saprophytic fungi, and between introduced and native VA mycorrhizal fungi. The immunofluorescent antibody technique is advantageous in that it is easy and relatively inexpensive. In addition, fluorescent antibodies allowed for rapid differentiation of our introduced VA mycorrhizal fungus from indigenous saprophytic extramatrical hyphae. However, the specificity is not high against other VA mycorrhizal hyphae of similar taxonomic status, but is applicable clearly when the exotic VA mycorrhizal fungus is a different genus from the local fungi. This ability to differentiate an introduced fungus by its positively fluorescing external hyphae allows the researcher to undertake survival and developmental studies that are not limited by the constraints of infrequent or patchy sporulation. Using this technique, we determined that exotic VA mycorrhizal fungi can survive for up to 2 years even with competition from the local endophytes, and that the vertical placement of the inoculum can affect the survival of the exotic fungi at our sagebrush steppe research site in south-western Wyoming.
Micro-habitat pH differences from those of the surrounding water

Polyurethane sponges were suspended in the surface waters of a Mecklenburg County, North Carolina pond that was posted and unused, a Cheboygan County, Michigan “acid” bog pond and an “alkaline” gravel-pit pond, and a Montgomery County, Virginia farm pond. The pH of the sponge water was often substantially different from that of the surrounding water (e.g. sponge water pH 6.8, pond water pH 10.5). These differences are attributed to the microbial communities inhabiting the sponges. If this is generally true for microbial growths associated with substrates, the relationship of these species to the quality of the surrounding water should be re-examined.
Aplysia Ganglia Preparation for Electrophysiological and Molecular Analyses of Single Neurons

A major challenge in neurobiology is to understand the molecular underpinnings of neural circuitry that govern a specific behavior. Once the specific molecular mechanisms are identified, new therapeutic strategies can be developed to treat abnormalities in specific behaviors caused by degenerative diseases or aging of the nervous system. The marine snail Aplysia californica is well suited for the investigations of cellular and molecular basis of behavior because neural circuitry underlying a specific behavior could be easily determined and the individual components of the circuitry could be easily manipulated. These advantages of Aplysia have led to several fundamental discoveries of neurobiology of learning and memory. Here we describe a preparation of the Aplysia nervous system for the electrophysiological and molecular analyses of individual neurons. Briefly, ganglion dissected from the nervous system is exposed to protease to remove the ganglion sheath such that neurons are exposed but retain neuronal activity as in the intact animal. This preparation is used to carry out electrophysiological measurements of single or multiple neurons. Importantly, following the recording using a simple methodology, the neurons could be isolated directly from the ganglia for gene expression analysis. These protocols were used to carry out simultaneous electrophysiological recordings from L7 and R15 neurons, study their response to acetylcholine and quantitating expression of CREB1 gene in isolated single L7, L11, R15, and R2 neurons of Aplysia.
Communication of the Decision to Divorce: A Retrospective Qualitative Study

Parents' ability to effectively communicate the decision to divorce can assist children in positively adjusting to this major life change. Using written responses to open-ended questions, this study investigated how 30 adult children of divorced parents recalled and evaluated the nature of their parents' communication of the divorce decision. A thematic analysis of the participants' responses identified salient themes that might assist divorcing parents in communicating the decision to their children. These themes included breaking the news together, avoiding negative talk about the other spouse, taking responsibility for the decision to divorce, leaving out details in the explanation, and inviting questions.
Pancreatitis caused by common bile duct stones in a 3-year-old boy with prior surgery for a choledochal cyst

Pancreatitis in children is uncommon. Compared to adults, pancreatitis in children is usually related to trauma, anatomic anomalies, infections, hereditary, and systemic disease, but not gallstones or alcohol. Most cases do not require endoscopic intervention. We report an unusual case of recurrent pancreatitis in a child related to common bile duct stones requiring endoscopic treatments after surgical treatment for choledochal cyst.
An efficient 2.4GHz radio frequency identification (RFID) in a standard CMOS process

This paper describes the design of an ultra-low-power analog front-end circuitry for a UHF passive RFID transponder. The design includes a voltage multiplier, a voltage regulator, a demodulator, a power-on-reset, a ring oscillator, a matching network and a backscatter modulator. We present a novel charge-pump circuit for improved voltage gain and power efficiency of RFID tags. The charge pump is fully integrable and takes advantage of both passive and active multiplication to reduce the required input power. The minimum required input power is ?20.45dBm to generate a 1.2V supply voltage from a 50Ω antenna at 2.4GHz. The voltage multiplier efficiency is 15.95% for a 1MΩ load. The regulator consumes 602nW of DC power and maintains the range of the reference voltage variation to 0.1% while Vdd is varied from 0.8V to 2V. The PSNR of the regulator is -42dB at 2.45GHz frequency and remains greater than -32dB from 100Hz to 10GHz frequencies. The pulse width demodulator is used to extract the input data. The ring oscillator produces a 395 kHz clock for the digital section. Post-layout simulations show the overall power consumption is 1.8μW. The circuit is designed using the low-threshold 0.13μm Atmel CMOS technology. The operating distance of this RFID is in excess of 9 meters based on the regulated 4W EIRP in the US.
Circumplex Model of marital and family systems: VI. Theoretical update.

This paper updates the theoretical work on the Circumplex Model and provides revised and new hypotheses. Similarities and contrasts to the Beavers Systems Model are made along with comments regarding Beavers and Voeller's critique. FACES II, a newly revised assessment tool, provides both "perceived" and "ideal" family assessment that is useful empirically and clinically.
Creation of a neo-aortoiliac system from lower extremity deep and superficial veins

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the morbidity, mortality, and intermediate term follow-up of patients undergoing replacement of their aortoiliac-femoral systems with lower extremity deep and superficial veins. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The most commonly used treatment for aortic prosthetic infection is ectopic bypass and removal of the prosthesis. The overall mortality rate with this approach is approximately 20%, with an amputation rate of 10% to 14%. Other limitations include thrombosis of the ectopic bypass leading to limb loss, reinfection of the ectopic bypass, and aortic stump blowout. Dissatisfaction with this approach has led the authors to develop the following. METHODS: A neo-aortoiliac system (NAIS) was fashioned from lower extremity deep veins (DV), greater saphenous veins (GSV), or both in patients with infected aortobifemoral prosthesis (n = 17) and other complex aortic problems (n = 3). Removal of infected prosthetic material, harvest of vein, and creation of NAIS was performed as a single-staged procedure. RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality and amputation rates were 10% each. The mean (+/- standard deviation [SD]) operative time was 6.5 +/- 1.8 hours and the blood transfusion requirement was 4 +/- 3 units. Four patients experienced postoperative gastrointestinal complications with peritonitis and sepsis; NAIS vein graft resisted infection and remained intact. The mean follow-up time was 22.5 +/- 16 months. NAISs constructed from GSVs were prone to the development of focal stenoses requiring intervention or diffuse neointimal hyperplasia leading to occlusion. In contrast, all NAISs from larger caliber DVs have remained widely patent. The failure rate of GSV NAISs was 64%, compared to 0% for DV NAISs (p = 0.006). Despite the high failure rate in patients with GSV NAISs, none has required amputation. In patients who had DVs harvested for NAIS reconstruction, limb edema and other signs of venous hypertension have been minimal. CONCLUSION: NAIS reconstruction from lower extremity veins is a successful option in patients with extensive aortic prosthetic infection and other complex aortic problems.
Mechanism of gliotoxin action and factors mediating gliotoxin sensitivity

Summary: Resistance to the low M r fungal epipolythiodiketopiperazine toxin, gliotoxin, varied threefold between the phytopathogens Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani. Uptake of radiolabelled gliotoxin was rapid and concentration dependent. Uptake by P. ultimum was largely complete within 1 min while the rate of uptake peaked within 10 min for R. solani (anastomosis groups 2-2 and 4). Uptake of gliotoxin by P. ultimum was twice that shown by the more resistant R. solani. A deep rough mutant of Salmonella typhimurium, deficient in outer-membrane polysaccharide synthesis, was hypersensitive to gliotoxin, indicating that diffusion barriers play a role in relative sensitivity to gliotoxin. Fungal glutathione levels (reduced and oxidized) did not differ appreciably before or after gliotoxin exposure, indicating that this cytoplasm-based detoxification mechanism was not important in the relative fungal sensitivity to gliotoxin. Binding of the radiolabelled thiol reagents N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and iodoacetic acid to fungal thiol groups was inhibited by gliotoxin. Conversely, the thiol reagents NEM and p-chloromercuribenzoic acid inhibited the uptake of radiolabelled gliotoxin. Uptake of radiolabelled amino acids and glucose was reduced by up to 85% by gliotoxin (8 μg ml−1). It is suggested that the primary mechanism of action of gliotoxin involves selective binding to cytoplasmic membrane thiol groups.
Specific NIST projects in support of the NIJ Concealed Weapon Detection and Imaging Program

The Electricity Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is developing revised performance standards for hand-held (HH) and walk-through (WT) metal weapon detectors, test procedures and systems for these detectors, and a detection/imaging system for finding concealed weapons. The revised standards will replace the existing National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standards for HH and WT devices and will include detection performance specifications as well as system specifications (environmental conditions, mechanical strength and safety, response reproducibility and repeatability, quality assurance, test reporting, etc.). These system requirements were obtained from the Law Enforcement and corrections Technology Advisory Council, an advisory council for the NIJ. Reproducible and repeatable test procedures and appropriate measurement systems will be developed for evaluating HH and WT detection performance. A guide to the technology and application of non- eddy-current-based detection/imaging methods (such as acoustic, passive millimeter-wave and microwave, active millimeter-wave and terahertz-wave, x-ray, etc.) Will be developed. The Electricity Division is also researching the development of a high- frequency/high-speed (300 GH to 1 THz) pulse-illuminated, stand- off, video-rate, concealed weapons/contraband imaging system.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A pilot test of the Latin active hip hop intervention to increase physical activity among low-income Mexican-American adolescents.

Abstract Purpose. The primary purpose of the current study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a hip hop dance intervention, Latin Active, among low-income Mexican-American adolescents. Mexican-descent adolescents tend to have disproportionate rates of low physical activity, overweight status, and obesity. Design. A 5-week intervention design with pretest and post-test self-report measures. Setting. Charter middle school (grades 6–9) health/science classes in a low-income neighborhood were the setting for the Latin Active intervention. Participants. Overall, 81 participants were recruited; 73 (n = 41, female; n = 32, male) provided active parental consent to complete pretest/post-test surveys. Intervention. The Latin Active program included 10 interactive 50-minute lessons that were delivered twice a week during science/health classes. The curriculum was created on the basis of Social Cognitive Theory, Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy, and feedback from key stakeholders. The lessons focused on increasing...
Fabrication of 6.5 m f/1.25 mirrors for the MMT and Magellan Telescopes

We describe the fabrication of the 6.5 m f/1.25 primary mirrors for the Multiple Mirror Telescope Conversion and the first Magellan telescope. Figuring was performed with a 1.2 m stressed lap-which bends under active control to match the local curvature of the optical surface-and small passive tools. The figure was measured with IR and visible interferometers, using refractive null correctors to compensate 810 microns of aspheric departure. We present the final measurements as surface maps, synthetic interferograms and synthetic images.
The effects of syngeneic soluble tumor membrane extract on concomitant spleen cell immunity and spontaneous metastases

Abstract The effects of a soluble tumor KCl extract, containing membrane antigen on spontaneous metastases and spleen cell immunity were studied in a syngeneic C57BL/6J murine sarcoma model. The extract was shown to be antigenically distinct from normal tissue by tumor immunization rejection experiments. Tumor soluble extract (SE) was administered daily during the growth of a murine sarcoma. The afferent and efferent arc of immunity were monitored by proliferative index (PI) and in vitro cytotoxicity of spleen cells, as well as the incidence of metastases. PI was significantly activated in the group receiving sarcoma SE as compared to the two control groups receiving muscle SE or saline P
Impairment of memory with administration of KCl to the hippocampus.

Deposit of crystalline KCl into the hippocampus of rats was used to evaluate the role of that structure in storage and recall of memory. The animals were trained and tested in passive avoidance and single alternation tasks under various conditions of sham, unilateral, and bilateral hippocampal KCl treatment. Unilateral treatment impaired learning, but not recall of the avoidance task, while both learning and recall were impaired with alternation. Animals performed best on the alternation task when they were allowed to use the hippocampus which had been functional (i.e., no KCl treatment) during training, suggesting that memory can be lateralized by this method. There was no clear evidence for lateralization of the avoidance task.
Toward a definition of dyslexia: A summary of views

And a second point to be emphasized is that such underachievement, when encountered in written language, is often the result of an innate biologic predisposition in language learning of the individual. If the first point is not appreciated, any discussion of definition will be merely academic and have no impact on the practical world of delivery of educa tional services. If such appreciation is achieved, however, the second point, regarding the innate biologic predisposition to this disability, assumes its proper importance in determining the specific remedial methods that should be employed and in deciding to whom such services should be offered.
Effects of group songwriting on depression and quality of life in acute psychiatric inpatients: A randomized three group effectiveness study

The purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effects of group psychoeducational songwriting on quality of life, depression, and treatment perceptions in acute psychiatric inpatients during a randomized three group design. Participants were randomly assigned by cluster to one of three conditions: Group songwriting (n = 33), psychoeducation (n = 32), or recreational music therapy (n = 40). Quality of life and depression were measured via established psychometric instruments and treatment perceptions were measured via Likert-type scales at immediate posttest. Results indicated no significant between-group differences in quality of life or depression measures. However, participants in the songwriting condition tended to have the highest mean quality of life and lowest mean depression scores. Participants in the psychoeducation condition tended to have the lowest mean quality of life and highest mean depression scores. Although not significant, participants in both music therapy conditions tended t...
Depression in Treated Narcotic Addicts, Ex-Addicts, Nonaddicts, and Suicide Attempters: Validation of a Very Brief Depression Scale

Samples of heroin-addicted veterans in treatment at a VA drug clinic, ex-addict and nonaddict Vietnam veterans followed-up after return to the United States, and male suicide attempters who were no...
Toward a comprehensive areal model of earthquake-induced landslides.

This paper provides a review of regional-scale modeling of earthquake-induced landslide hazard with respect to the needs for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. Based on this review, it sets out important research themes and suggests computing with words (CW), a methodology that includes fuzzy logic systems, as a fruitful modeling methodology for addressing many of these research themes. A range of research, reviewed here, has been conducted applying CW to various aspects of earthquake-induced landslide hazard zonation, but none facilitate comprehensive modeling of all types of earthquake-induced landslides. A new comprehensive areal model of earthquake-induced landslides (CAMEL) is introduced here that was developed using fuzzy logic systems. CAMEL provides an integrated framework for modeling all types of earthquake-induced landslides using geographic information systems. CAMEL is designed to facilitate quantitative and qualitative representation of terrain conditions and knowledge about these conditions on the likely areal concentration of each landslide type. CAMEL is highly modifiable and adaptable; new knowledge can be easily added, while existing knowledge can be changed to better match local knowledge and conditions. As such, CAMEL should not be viewed as a complete alternative to other earthquake-induced landslide models. CAMEL provides an open framework for incorporating other models, such as Newmark's displacement method, together with previously incompatible empirical and local knowledge.
Central collisions with a projectile of 1.8 GeV/nucleon 40Ar

Abstract Single particle inclusive spectra and the associated multiplicity were obtained with a magnetic spectrometer and an azimuthal array of 30 Cerenkov counters from collisions of 1.8 GeV/nucleon 40 Ar on Be and Cu targets. No change is seen in the shape of the spectra obtained by the spectrometer for various multiplicity requirements.