cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic interpretation of loosely encoded knowledge

Knowledge is critical for a variety of artificial intelligence problems. A key challenge in using knowledge-based systems is how to align one's encoding with the idiosyncrasies in the existing knowledgebase. We call such alignments "loose speak". We found that loose speak occurs frequently in knowledgebase interactions with such regularity that it can be interpreted automatically by a machine. We created a loose-speak interpreter based on a unified approach that is capable of interpreting the different forms of loose speak, and we evaluated it through empirical studies in different domains and on different tasks.
Wireless interconnects for 3D Network-on-Chip with embedded micro thermofluidic cooling channels

This work presents the design of wireless interconnects to provide a dynamic reconfiguring of a Networkon-a-Chip (WNoC) that responds to various demands such as thermal emergencies. The architecture is a novel 3D chip layering, with embedded micro cooling channels. Zigzag antennas are placed on the SiO 2 layers, above and below the cooling channel and individually tuned, using HFSS, for return loss (RL) less than ™10dB at 60 GHz. The cooling layers are modeled as dielectric tubes with e r =1.75. The transmission coefficient between antennas demonstrates the feasibility of low power communication. It is also shown that at frequencies less than 10 GHz, there is no resonance for the antennas ensuring that there is no interference with the clock signals.
Response of Community Organizations to the Civil Unrest in Los Angeles

An analysis of four case studies provides evidence of a unique and short-term increase of resource dependence on community organizations by outside institutions in times of emergency. Outside institutions rely on community organizations as the primary service providers, sometimes temporarily replacing traditional service channels; they also depend on the advantages these organizations offer for the distribution of their own resources. A window of opportunity results for these organizations to advocate on behalf of their clientele, establish their own policies for distribution of resources, and expand and create programs. Policy implications are discussed, as well as the possible changes in these relationships in the long run.
Synthesis and characterization of [phenyl-3H] clonidine hydrochloride at high specific activity

p-Aminoclonidine hydrochloride 1 was converted to m-dibromo-p-iodoclonidine 3 and the latter was used as a precursor to prepare [phenyl-3H] clonidine hydrochloride 4 at high specific activity via a selective catalytic dehalogenation with tritium. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Hungarian Government, the American Magyar Churches, and Immigrant Ties to the Homeland, 1903-1917

Before the political and scholarly rediscovery of ethnicity during the past decade, American observers tended to overlook the lingering homeland influences in the lives of this country's immigrant ethnic groups. Scholars here were the world's experts on the consequences which follow international migration: alienation, acculturation, and assimilation. But like their dean, Oscar Handlin, they stressed not the “roots” but the uprootedness of their subjects. According to this tradition, the migrants, torn suddenly from Old World surroundings, had been able to bring with them only a few flimsy pieces of “cultural baggage,” the equivalent of the fragile-looking wicker hampers and precariously bulging cloth bundles with which the newcomers were photographed at Ellis Island but with which they rarely were seen again.
Review of all studies of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in animal models reported in the emergency medicine literature for the past 10 years

This study involved a review of all the research studies of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in animal models reported in the American emergency medicine literature for the past 10 years (January 1981 through December 1990). The objectives of the present study were to discern any evident trends in this research, determine what aspects of these studies were not standardized, identify procedural problems with the studies, and compare the number of studies reported in the emergency medicine journals with the studies reported in other medical journals. A number of recommendations about the techniques of human CPR have been extrapolated directly from animal research models without testing these recommendations adequately in humans. Perhaps the best example is the American Heart Association’s recommendation that 1 mg of epinephrine is the standard dose to use in human adult CPR based on Redding’s original studies using doses of 1 mg of epinephrine in lo-kg weight dogs.’ This dosage recommendation was accepted without critical reevaluation in humans for a very long time until the recent realization that the dose may have been incorrectly extrapolated from the animal studies. This stimulated a flurry of interest in “high-dose” epinephrine, and a number of studies have been conducted in humans.2-8 Other aspects of CPR about which animal studies have reached differing conclusions include the effectiveness of bicarbonate,9“2 the relative effectiveness of different a agents in resuscitation, ‘“,‘3-19 and whether “early” CPR improves survival. 20*2’ These differences in conclusions or outcomes may reflect differences in the study animal models used rather than true differences in the parameter studied.
Mineralocorticoid Accelerates Transition to Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Via “Nongenomic Effects”

Background— Mechanisms promoting the transition from hypertensive heart disease to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction are poorly understood. When inappropriate for salt status, mineralocorticoid (deoxycorticosterone acetate) excess causes hypertrophy, fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction. Because cardiac mineralocorticoid receptors are protected from mineralocorticoid binding by the absence of 11-β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, salt-mineralocorticoid–induced inflammation is postulated to cause oxidative stress and to mediate cardiac effects. Although previous studies have focused on salt/nephrectomy in accelerating mineralocorticoid-induced cardiac effects, we hypothesized that hypertensive heart disease is associated with oxidative stress and sensitizes the heart to mineralocorticoid, accelerating hypertrophy, fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction. Methods and Results— Cardiac structure and function, oxidative stress, and mineralocorticoid receptor–dependent gene transcription were measured in s...
Flow interruption: A method for investigating sorption nonequilibrium

Abstract A flow-interruption method for investigating sorption nonequilibrium is presented. The technique has a greater sensitivity to nonequilibrium than to traditional column experiments and hence provides a greater capacity to investigate nonequilibrium. The technique may provide more reliable determinations of kinetic parameter values. In some situations, the technique may be used to assist in the delineation of mechanism(s) responsible for sorption nonequilibrium. Use of the technique is demonstrated with miscible displacement of the herbicide 2,4-D through saturated soil columns. The sorption nonequilibrium exhibited by 2,4-D is suggested to be a result of intraorganic matter diffusion. Experimentally determined values of the sorption rate constant show an inverse relationship to organic matter content.
Requests for as-needed medications by asthmatic patients: Relationships to prescribed oral corticosteroid regimens and length of hospitalization☆

In a previous study, patient-coping styles, indexed by panic-fear symptomatology, were found to be associated with specific patterns of requesting as-needed (PRN) medications and treatments: Patients who tend to emphasize their symptoms (high panic-fear) requested PRNs frequently, even on days when their pulmonary function levels were essentially normal, while those who tend to minimize their symptoms (low panic-fear) requested PRNs infrequently, even on days when their pulmonary function levels were subnormal. In the present study, we found that patients who requested PRNs frequently spent more days in the hospital than those who requested PRNs only rarely. Intensive medication regimens (i.e., daily corticosteroids or alternate-day corticosteroids supplemented with TAO, cromolyn, or aerosolized steroids) were more often prescribed for patients requesting PRNs frequently than for those requesting PRNs rarely. These differences in patient management were attributable neither to differences in pulmonary function nor directly to differences in panic-fear rating. Thus, patient-coping styles can influence the treatment prescribed, and optimal management requires that individual patient-coping styles be considered in planning a regimen.
Magnetic mini-mover procedure for pectus excavatum III: safety and efficacy in a Food and Drug Administration-sponsored clinical trial.

Abstract Purpose The magnetic mini-mover procedure (3MP) uses magnetic force to gradually remodel pectus excavatum deformity. A magnet is implanted on the sternum and coupled with an external magnetic brace. Under Investigational Device Exemption and Institutional Review Board approval, we performed a pilot study of safety, probable efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of this new treatment of an orphan disease using an implantable pediatric device. Methods Ten otherwise healthy patients, ages 8 to 14 years, with severe pectus excavatum (pectus severity index [PSI] > 3.5) underwent 3MP treatment (mean, 18.8 ± 2.5 months). Safety was assessed by postimplant and postexplant electrocardiograms and monthly chest x-rays. Efficacy was assessed by change in pectus severity index as measured using pretreatment and posttreatment computed tomographic scan. Cost of 3MP was compared with that of standard procedures. Results The 3MP device had no detectable ill effect. Device weld failure or malpositioning required revision in 5 patients. Average wear time was 16 h/d. Pectus severity index improved in patients in the early or mid puberty but not in patients with noncompliant chest walls. Average cost for 3MP was $46,859, compared with $81,206 and $81,022 for Nuss and Ravitch, respectively. Conclusion The 3MP is a safe, cost-effective, outpatient alternative treatment for pectus excavatum that achieves good results for patients in early and midpuberty stages.
Low-density liquid water is the mother of ice: on the relation between mesostructure, thermodynamics and ice crystallization in solutions.

Predicting the temperature and extent of ice freezing in aqueous solutions is crucial for areas as diverse as cryobiology and materials design. It has long been recognized that the thermodynamics of liquid water controls the temperature and kinetics of ice crystallization. Parameterizations of the freezing temperatures in terms of the water activity of the solution have been successfully established, but the fundamental origin of the thermodynamic control of the non-equilibrium crystallization of ice has remained elusive. Here we use large-scale molecular simulations to elucidate the relationship between the structure, thermodynamics, and ice crystallization temperatures for solutions of mW water and a strongly hydrophilic solute that mimics LiCl ions. Fast cooling of solutions with up to 20 mol% ions results in the formation of nanosegregated glasses with domains of low-density amorphous ice and an ion-rich vitrified solution. Slow cooling of the mixtures results in nucleation and growth of ice within the domains of four-coordinated liquid water. The temperature of crystallization TX coincides with the temperature of appearance of nanoscopic domains of four-coordinated liquid water in the mixture, TL. We use the insight provided by the simulations to derive a thermodynamic expression for the crystallization temperature as a function of the water activity, TX(aW), analogous to the dependence of the melting temperature, Tm(aW). The simple expression derived in this work provides a good account of the experimental freezing temperatures of water and the well-known steepest dependence of TX on solute concentration compared to that of Tm.
A combined parasitological molecular approach for noninvasive characterization of parasitic nematode communities in wild hosts

Most hosts are concurrently or sequentially infected with multiple parasites; thus, fully understanding interactions between individual parasite species and their hosts depends on accurate characterization of the parasite community. For parasitic nematodes, noninvasive methods for obtaining quantitative, species-specific infection data in wildlife are often unreliable. Consequently, characterization of gastrointestinal nematode communities of wild hosts has largely relied on lethal sampling to isolate and enumerate adult worms directly from the tissues of dead hosts. The necessity of lethal sampling severely restricts the host species that can be studied, the adequacy of sample sizes to assess diversity, the geographic scope of collections and the research questions that can be addressed. Focusing on gastrointestinal nematodes of wild African buffalo, we evaluated whether accurate characterization of nematode communities could be made using a noninvasive technique that combined conventional parasitological approaches with molecular barcoding. To establish the reliability of this new method, we compared estimates of gastrointestinal nematode abundance, prevalence, richness and community composition derived from lethal sampling with estimates derived from our noninvasive approach. Our noninvasive technique accurately estimated total and species-specific worm abundances, as well as worm prevalence and community composition when compared to the lethal sampling method. Importantly, the rate of parasite species discovery was similar for both methods, and only a modest number of barcoded larvae (n = 10) were needed to capture key aspects of parasite community composition. Overall, this new noninvasive strategy offers numerous advantages over lethal sampling methods for studying nematode-host interactions in wildlife and can readily be applied to a range of study systems.
INTRAOPERATIVE MONITORING OF EVOKED POTENTIALS

Sensory EPs were recorded intraoperatively in 173 neurosurgical procedures (71 VEPs, 66 BAEPs, and 31 SSEPs) to evaluate the utility of this technique. EPs could be safely recorded in all cases, but the yield of useful results varied with each sensory modality. BAEPs were recorded reliably in 100% of the cases and intraoperative latency changes accurately predicted postoperative hearing deficits in 10%. Potential hearing deficits were detected in another 15%. BAEP changes were associated with brainstem dysfunction in only one case. VEP changes were difficult to interpret intraoperatively because of contamination by a high degree of variability and both false negative and false positive results. Changes in VEP amplitudes related to surgical manipulation of the optic chiasm were only suggested. SSEP changes were recorded reliably in only 75% of the cases and no correlations between SSEP changes and postoperative sensory function were established. Again, intraoperative amplitude attenuation of the SSEP waveform with surgical manipulation only suggested a potential sensory deficit. Intraoperative EP monitoring is a valuable technique that provides a functional analysis of the sensory nervous system during surgical procedures. Specific sensory stimuli and improved data analysis will increase the utility of this CNS monitor.
Seeing One’s Partner Through Intimacy-Colored Glasses: An Examination of the Processes Underlying the Intimacy Goals-Relationship Satisfaction Link:

This research extends previous work demonstrating that individuals with intimacy goals experience greater relationship satisfaction by examining three distinct processes that may underlie this association (e.g., engaging in intimacy-conducive interactions with their partners, having intimacy-focused partners, perceiving partners as intimacy focused). The study included 100 female college students who completed measures of intimacy goals, patterns of relationship interaction, perceptions of their partner’s intimacy goals, and relationship satisfaction. Their dating partners also completed the intimacy goals measure. Results indicate that individuals with intimacy goals engage in particular patterns of interaction and perceive their partners as having intimacy goals, although there was no association between own and partner’s goals. Moreover, women’s perceptions of their partners’ intimacy goals partially mediated the intimacy goals-relationship satisfaction link.
Secretion of ATP‐utilizing enzymes, nucleoside diphosphate kinase and ATPase, by Mycobacterium bovis BCG: sequestration of ATP from macrophage P2Z receptors?

Mycobacterium bovis BCG secretes two ATP-scavenging enzymes, nucleoside diphosphate kinase (Ndk) and ATPase, during growth in Middlebrook 7H9 medium. In synthetic Sauton medium without any protein supplements, there is less secretion of these two enzymes unless proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), ovalbumin or extracts of macrophages are added to the medium. There is a gradient of activity among various proteins in triggering the induction of secretion of these two enzymes. Other mycobacteria, such as M. smegmatis, primarily secrete Ndk, while M. chelonae does not appear to secrete either of these two enzymes. Purification of the enzymes from the culture filtrate of 7H9-grown M. bovis BCG cells and determination of the N-terminal amino-acid sequence have demonstrated a high level of sequence identity of one of the ATPases with DnaK, a heat shock chaperone, of M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, while that of Ndk shows significant identity with the Ndk of Myxococcus xanthus. As both Ndk and ATPase use ATP as a substrate, the physiological significance of the secretion of these two ATP-utilizing enzymes was explored. External ATP is important in the activation of macrophage surface-associated P2Z receptors, whose activation has been postulated to allow phagosome-lysosome fusion and macrophage cell death. We demonstrate that the presence of the filtrate containing these enzymes prevents ATP-induced macrophage cell death, as measured by the release of an intracellular enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase. In vitro complexation studies with purified Ndk/ATPase and hyperproduced P2Z receptor protein will demonstrate whether these enzymes may be used by mycobacteria to sequester ATP from the macrophage P2Z receptors, thereby preventing phagosome-lysosome fusion or macrophage apoptotic death.
A Boundary Element Method for Three-Dimensional Steady Convective Heat Diffusion

Higher-order boundary element methods (BEM) are presented for three-dimensional steady convective heat diffusion at high Peclet numbers. An accurate and efficient boundary element formulation is facilitated by the definition of an influence domain due to convective kernels. This approach essentially localizes the surface integrations only within the domain of influence which becomes more narrowly focused as the Peclet number increases. The outcome of this phenomenon is an increased sparsity and improved conditioning of the global matrix. Therefore, iterative solvers for sparse matrices become a very efficient and robust tool for the corresponding boundary element matrices. In this paper, we consider an example problem with an exact solution and investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the higher-order BEM formulations for high Peclet numbers in the range from 1,000 to 100,000. The bi-quartic boundary elements included in this study are shown to provide very efficient and extremely accurate solutions, even on a single engineering workstation.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Infectious mononucleosis in children. Evaluation of Epstein-Barr virus-specific serological data.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific antibody responses were determined in 43 consecutive pediatric patients who had signs and symptoms of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and positive diagnostic tests for mononucleosis (Monospot). Thirty patients gave clear-cut serologic evidence of primary EBV infections; of the remaining 13 patients, seven had no antibodies to EBV in the acute- or convalescent-phase sera and six showed serologic patterns of past EBV infections. Further testing proved that the initial Monospot results were either false-positive or were incorrectly interpreted in all 13 patients with unidentifiable illnesses but in only two of the patients with current EBV infections. The data confirm the occurrence of classical IM in children and show that the disease and the EBV-specific antibody responses can be virtually indistinguishable from adult cases. (JAMA237:781-785, 1977)
Inertia-induced breakup of highly viscous drops subjected to simple shear

We investigate the inertia-driven breakup of viscous drops suspended in a less viscous liquid under simple shear. For Stokes flow, it is known that there is a critical value of the viscosity ratio, beyond which breakup does not occur. We find that for viscosity ratios larger than this, inertia can be used as a mechanism of breakup. Inertia increases the angle of tilt of the drops and effectively leads to emulsification for a wider range of viscosity ratios than in Stokes flow.
An ultrastructural study of the mechanisms of proteinuria in aminonucleoside nephrosis

An ultrastructural study of the mechanisms of proteinuria in aminonucleoside nephrosis. Sprague-Dawley rats injected i.v. with a single dose of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) developed massive proteinuria five days later. Electron microscopic studies of perfusion-fixed glomeruli showed that loss of epithelial foot processes and their replacement by flattened expanses of epithelial cytoplasm began at two days and was extensive by four days after the injection of PAN. At and after five days (correlating with the onset and persistence of massive proteinuria), areas of focal loss of the epithelial covering on the outside of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) were observed in 30% of glomeruli. Intravenously administered ferritin was distributed normally in most sections of the GBM of nephrotic animals, but abnormally deep penetration of particles was observed in GBM segments that lacked an external covering of epithelium. The same changes were found following in situ fixation of superficially placed glomeruli of Munich-Wistar rats with PAN nephrosis. We propose that the massive, early proteinuria in PAN nephrosis may be primarily due to a glomerular epithelial lesion, leading to scattered focal defects in the external covering of the GBM. Increased bulk flow of glomerular filtrate across the GBM in such areas may explain the highly selective proteinuria found in this form of the nephrotic syndrome.
Obesity and compliance

Obese and normal-weight Ss were tested to determine whether obese and normal-weight people differ in motivational strength, self-esteem, and compliance. Results showed no differences between obese and normal-weight Ss on any of the measures. Findings suggest that psychological disturbances associated with obesity are not pronounced in young university populations.
Candidate Brand Equity Valuation: A Comparison of U.S. Presidential Candidates During the 2008 Primary Election Campaign

This study employed a multidimensional brand equity construct (i.e., brand awareness, associations, perceived quality, and loyalty) to compare the brand name strength of four U.S. presidential candidates (i.e., Clinton, Obama, McCain, and Huckabee) with registered voter segments during the weeks preceding the 2008 primary election and nearly a year before the general election. The level of candidate brand equity was significantly related to respondents' future voting intentions, and party bias resulted in significant differences in brand equity valuation, mainly due to differences in perceived quality and candidate loyalty ratings. Results mirrored polling data and election results. Candidates with the highest within-party brand equity won the state primary election (i.e., McCain and Clinton), while the strongest candidate brand with voters opposite their party electorate and with Independent voters won the U.S. presidential election (i.e., Obama). Discussed are suggestions for studies to advance the pres...
THE RUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM: PROBLEMS FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND NEW

Market reforms have resulted in dramatic changes in the Russian business climate. Since 1991, when nearly all small shops were owned by the state, nearly 70,000, or one‐half of these shops, have been transferred into public hands. Similarly, about 3,500 medium and large firms have been privatised with the goal being to privatise one‐third of this size firms by the end of 1995. In addition to this massive transfer of ownership, foreign investment has surged with currently over 18,000 operating joint ventures having an investment value of over $10 billion (Kvint, 1994).
Extensin:repetitive motifs, functional sites, post-translational codes, and phylogeny

Homologous hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) of the plant extracellular matrix include extensins, repetitive proline-rich proteins (RPRPs), some nodulins, gum arabic glycoprotein (GAGP), arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), and chimeric proteins such as potato lectin which contain an extensin module fused to a lectin. The key to the role of HRGPs in cell wall self-assembly and cell extension lies in their chemistry, which is dependent on extensive post-translational modifications (PTMs): hydroxylation, glycosylation, and cross-linking. Repetitive peptide motifs characterize HRGPs. One or more repetitive peptide motifs and their variants, singly or in combination, may constitute functional sites involved in various aspects of cell wall assembly, as follows: (i) X-Hypn including Ser-Hyp4 (arabinosylation site, molecular rigidity, and reptation). (ii) Pro-Hyp-Val-Tyr-Lys and variants (putative intermolecular cross-links, adhesion, cohesion, and possible beta-turns). (iii) Tyr-X-Tyr-Lys (intramolecular isodityrosine [IDT] cross-links increase molecular rigidity and hydrophobicity). (iv) (Glyco)peptide palindromes (centrosymmetric domains: putative self-assembly nucleation sites). (v) Ionic interaction sites (protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate cross-links). (vi) Hyp and Ser glycosylation sites (enhance conformational stability and molecular recognition). (vii) Extensin modules in chimeric proteins (e.g. solanaceous lectins). Rules for the post-translational modifications are emerging: (i) Hydroxylation of proline residues may depend on multiple, sequence-specific prolyl hydroxylases rather than on a single (polyproline-II) conformation-dependent enzyme. Furthermore, Lys-Pro, Tyr-Pro, and Phe-Pro are not hydroxylated, while Pro-Val is always. (ii) Contiguity of Hyp residues probably determines the extent of Hyp glycosylation, blocks of tetrahydroxyproline (Hyp4) being the most highly arabinosylated, while single non-contiguous Hyp residues are rarely arabinosylated, although they are likely attachment sites for the larger arabinogalactan substituents of gum arabic glycoprotein and arabinogalactan-proteins. (iii) While intramolecular cross-links involve IDT, unidentified intermolecular cross-links most likely involve the Val-Tyr-Lys motif (perhaps also Val-Lys-Pro-Tyr-His-Pro), probably as an adduct between Tyr and Lys catalyzed in vitro by a pI 4.6 extensin cross-linking peroxidase. Thus, we can classify HRGPs functionally as either cross-linking or non-cross-linking, i.e. CL- or NCL-extensins. Their protistan origin obscures the phylogenetic affinities of a single extensin-HRGP family due to their sequence divergence. We propose a phylogenetic series ranging from the minimally glycosylated basic RPRPs to the highly glycosylated acidic AGPs. Furthermore, based on similarities between dicots and gymnosperm extensins, and their marked difference from graminaceous monocot extensins, graminaceous monocot and dicot lines may have diverged as early as the progymnosperms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Personal Psychotherapy During Residency Training: A Survey of Psychiatric Residents

The authors investigate current psychiatric residents’ experiences with and opinions about personal psychotherapy. The authors analyzed survey data from randomly selected students in psychiatric residency training programs during the 2005–2006 academic year. Approximately one-third of respondents were in psychotherapy. Being in a training program affiliated with a psychoanalytic institute and being further along in training were associated with a greater likelihood of being in therapy. Residents identified financial cost and training demands as the top barriers to pursuing psychotherapy. Psychodynamic psychotherapy was by far the most common type; few residents received cognitive behavior therapy. A significant minority of psychiatric residents pursue personal psychotherapy, primarily psychodynamic. This number appears to be much smaller than in the past.
The endowment game when n = 2

This paper considers a well defined problem in the implementation literature: A planner wants to re-allocate goods among two agents but she does not know each agent’s initial endowment of goods. We completely characterize social choice functions that can be implemented by feasible mechanisms in Nash equilibria in this n = 2 case.
Microscopic Model of Charge Density Waves in 2H-TaSe2

The ultimate goal of the theoretician in studying a particular phenomenon is to produce a quantitative microscopic theory from which one can calculate anything. That goal has been pretty well achieved in superconductivity. We are still struggling with the theory of charge density waves. The way that one progresses in solid state physics is to compute the properties of a theoretical model, compare the predictions with experiment, and modify the model when it fails. I want to discuss one iteration of this process today.
Atomic force microscopy of thin Ag films. Relationship between morphology and optical properties

Abstract Atomic force microscopy is used to quantify the surface morphology of thin Ag films. The three-dimensional nature of atomic force micrographs allows for previously unavailable direct measurement of mean particle height, radius, aspect ratio, and the distribution in these parameters. These measurements allow for comparison of surface morphology, optical properties and thin metal film optical theory.
Immunoproteins in the endometrium: Clinical correlates of the presence of complement fractions C3 and C4

Abstract The presence of complement fractions C3 and C4 in endometrial tissue was studied in a consecutive series of patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy, to determine their specific association with endometriosis. The incidence of complement in eutopic endometrium of patients grouped according to four diagnoses was: endometriosis, 66% positive (23 of 35); active pelvic inflammatory disease, 85% positive (11 of 13); combined endometriosis with pelvic inflammatory disease, 25% positive (one of four); laparoscopically normal pelvis, 67% positive (10 of 15). These differences were not statistically significant. Complement was equally likely to be found in proliferative, secretory, menstrual, or inflammatory endometrium. Endometrial complement was found less frequently in patients with severe endometriosis as compared with those with the mild form. Among patients with endometriosis and infertility, complement was much more likely to be found in patients with primary infertility than in those with secondary infertility (p
Development and testing of a low-cost condensation detection system

A condensation sensing and control system was designed to detect condensation using a commercially available leaf wetness sensor (LWS). The leaf wetness sensor was a variable resistance grid-type that responded to moisture on the surface. A circuit was developed to compare the LWS voltage output to a user specified reference voltage, and operate a relay for possible switching of a humidity control device (for example a fan and/or heater). The condensation detection system operation was validated in an environmental chamber in the laboratory using a heat exchanger and water bath. Condensate was immediately detected when the plate was cooled below the dew point temperature of the chamber. When the water temperature increased above the dew point temperature, there was a delay as the moisture evaporated from the plate. Soil and other foreign material were added to the leaf wetness sensor with little effect on system performance. The soil acted to further delay the sensor from drying and predicted slightly longer condensation and recovery periods. The condensation detection system was tested in a transplant growing greenhouse and a grain bin, with operation verified by simultaneously measuring the relative humidity and dry bulb temperature. There were frequent periods of condensation in the greenhouse and the system accurately predicted them. Condensation did not occur in the grain bin, as was verified using the relative humidity and dry bulb temperature. The condensation detection system can provide a low-cost, rugged method for determining periods of condensation without the need for routine maintenance and calibration.
The Protective Effects of Parental Monitoring and Internet Restriction on Adolescents’ Risk of Online Harassment

With many adolescents using the internet to communicate with their peers, online harassment is on the rise among youth. The purpose of this study was to understand how parental monitoring and strategies parents use to regulate children’s internet use (i.e., internet restriction) can help reduce online harassment among adolescents. Online survey data were collected from a nationally representative sample of parents and their 12–17 year old adolescents (n = 629; 49 % female). Structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect effects of parental monitoring and internet restriction on being a victim of online harassment. Potential mediators included adolescents’ frequency of use of social networking websites, time spent on computers outside of school, and internet access in the adolescent’s bedroom. Age and gender differences were also explored. Adolescents’ reports of parental monitoring and efforts to regulate specific forms of internet use were associated with reduced rates of online harassment. Specifically, the effect of parental monitoring was largely direct and 26 times greater than parental internet restriction. The latter was associated with lower rates of harassment only indirectly by limiting internet access in the adolescent’s bedroom. These effects operated similarly for younger and older adolescents and for males and females. Adolescents’ perceptions of parental monitoring and awareness can be protective against online harassment. Specific restriction strategies such as regulating internet time and content can also help reduce the risk of online harassment.
Behavior of Phospholipids in Soybean Oil on Silicic Acid

The unexpected recovery of soybean oil phospholipids in the non-polar eluents from a silicic acid column led to this investigation. Crude soybean oil dissolved in ethyl ether was mixed with silicic acid, filtered and the amount of phosphorus determined in the filtrate. Increasing time of contact with silicic acid, and pretreatment by heat or sonication decreased the amount of phosphorus in the filtrate. These findings indicate that phospholipids in crude soybean oil occur in a form that gives them a nonpolar character that can be changed. However, a certain portion of the phospholipids are not changed by the treatments described. These results are compared to phosphorus loss by degumming of soybean oil.
From vice cop to sociology prof.: A long journey to a familiar place

Dans cet article, l'A fait part de son parcours d'enseignant de sociologie. L'A retrace ici une carriere peu commune, de son engagement au service de l'armee americaine, puis de son cheminement au FBI jusqu' a sa volonte de reprendre des etudes superieures qui la meneront a la sociologie
Parameter estimation and model verification of first order quasistatic error model for three-axis machining centers

This paper is the second in a series of three papers addressing the problem of modeling and compensation of quasistatic machine-tool errors. In the first paper of this set, a general nth order model for the geometric errors of a machine was developed. The use of such a model as the basis of an on-line compensation scheme for a machine-tool requires that its parameters be known and changes in their magnitudes (due to mechanical and thermal changes) tracked during its operation. This paper presents a parameter estimation approach which requires observation of components of the volumetric error of the machine at certain points in the machine's work space. What is the minimal number of observations required? and What are the best locations for these observation points in a machine's work space? are questions answered in this paper. The estimation procedure is discussed for a first order model; however, it generalizes to any order error model. Experimental evidence of the effectiveness of the first order model error model in adequately representing the quasistatic errors of a machine-tool is presented. The effectiveness of the parameter estimation approach is also demonstrated. Finally, the use of the model and parameter estimation procedure as the basis of a compensation scheme that is practicable in a production environment is discussed.
Analysis of surface groups on carbon blacks

Abstract Surface oxygen groups on carbon blacks were analyzed by several new techniques and some methods used previously were re-examined. Phenolic hydroxyl groups were converted to their acetate ester derivatives using radioactively labeled acetic anhydride in pyridine at 90°C. The drop in count rate on hydrolysis indicated a phenolic hydroxyl content ranging from 0.31 to 1.25 m-equiv./g for a series of blacks with a volatile content ranging from 5 to 13 per cent. Only about half of the activity could be removed by hydrolysis. Phenolic hydroxyl groups were also converted to their silyl ether derivatives by treatment with hexamethyldisilazane in pyridine. For all blacks, the extent of silicon incorporation indicated a lower phenolic hydroxyl content than that obtained by acetylation. The total acid content, as determined by direct nonaqueous thermometric titration, ranged from 0.30 to 1.44 m-equiv./g. The thermometric method provided several experimental advantages over methods used previously for determining total acid content. In contrast to previous reports, attempts to study neutral groups by nonaqueous polarography were essentially unsuccessful.
Usefulness of exercise testing shortly after acute myocardial infarction for predicting 10-year mortality

Abstract Previous studies on the prognostic value of exercise test variables after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are limited methodologically and have yielded inconsistent results. This study determined whether 6 exercise test variables (systolic blood pressure, ST-segment depression or elevation, exercise capacity, arrhythmias, and angina pectoris) after controlling for age and sex, enhance 6 clinical variables (digoxin, previous AMI, history of systemic hypertension and angina, Killip class, and stress) as predictors of cardiovascular death and act as independent predictors as well. The present study followed 258 patients for 10.6 years, each of whom had AMI between 1977 and 1980 and an exercise test before hospital discharge. By 1988, 71 of the 258 patients had died, 56 of cardiovascular causes. This study is unique because exposure and outcome variables are clearly defined and follow-up was complete and longer than in previous studies. Multivariate survival analysis using an exponential model was tested to evaluate the conditional effects of the exercise test and clinical variables and to control for confounders. The model combined the exercise test and clinical variables. Results are reported with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). For important clinical risk predictors, the HRs with CIs are: digoxin use, HR 4.0 (CI 1.8, 8.5); history of prior AMI, HR 2.4 (CI 1.2, 4.7); history of systemic hypertension, HR 2.5 (CI 1.3, 4.5); angina, HR 2.4 (CI 1.3, 4.5); and stress, HR 4.2 (CI 2.2, 7.9). Three exercise test variables—hypotensive blood pressure response, HR 5.1 (CI 1.9,13.6); ST-segment depression, HR 1.8 (CI 0.98, 3.6); and ST-segment elevation, HR 2.4 (CI 0.98, 5.9)—were strong independent predictors of cardiovascular death after controlling for age, sex, and clinical variables. This is the only exercise test study with a complete 10.6-year followup in the U.S., a clearly defined outcome, and showing that 3 exercise test variables—hypotensive blood pressure response, and ST-segment depression and elevation—are strong independent predictors of cardiovascular death after controlling for clinical variables. These results support the use of exercise testing after AMI for predicting long-term prognosis.
Magnetizing current harmonics, interharmonics and subharmonics: An analytical study

This paper is a theoretical study of the magnetizing current components. Three conditions were investigated: 1. Sinusoidal voltage supply. 2. Sinusoidal voltage with dc bias. 3. Sinusoidal voltage with sinusoidal bias. The magnetizing curve is approximated with the equation. The analysis leads to closed expressions that enable the quantitative evaluation of effects dependent on the core geometry and physical constants of the active materials. H = asinh(bB)
Refining Video Game Use Questionnaires for Research and Clinical Application: Detection of Problematic Response Sets

Even when relatively infrequent, deviant response sets, such as defensive and careless responding, can have remarkably robust effects on individual and group data and thereby distort clinical evaluations and research outcomes. Given such potential adverse impacts and the widespread use of self-report measures when appraising addictions and addictive behavior, the detection of deviant response sets is an important clinical and research objective. Using a video game questionnaire as an exemplar, we examined the capacity of individuals to manipulate questionnaire scores and the effectiveness of various items to detect defensive, careless, and random responding. Individuals who obtained elevated questionnaire results when instructed to respond honesty often reduced their scores to unremarkable levels under “fake good” instructions. Most types of items for detecting defensive responding were ineffective with a possible exception, although items for detecting random and careless responding seemed promising. Potential guides for item development and use are provided.
Surviving the First Time Through: A New Instructor's Views on Designing and Teaching Economic Geography and how Mentoring Early-Career Faculty Can Help

This article presents the reflections of a new instructor of economic geography in the USA. The author offers practical advice for designing and delivering a course for the first time. Suggestions are given in support of the view that sharing knowledge of effective teaching practices is an important component of mentoring early-career faculty. By producing and publishing practical examples of teaching materials, experienced faculty may assist novice instructors in balancing time spent on teaching and research. The author encourages economic geographers to contribute to the health of the sub-discipline by supporting new faculty in this manner.
Maximizing a new quantity in sequential reserve selection

SUMMARY The fundamental goal of conservation planning is biodiversity persistence, yet most reserve selection methods prioritize sites using occurrence data. Numerous empirical studies support the notion that defining and measuring objectives in terms of species richness (where the value of a site is equal to the number of species it contains, or contributes to an existing reserve network) can be inadequate for maintaining biodiversity in the longterm. An existing site-assessment framework that implicitly maximized the persistence probability of multiple species was integrated with a dynamic optimizationmodel.Theproblemofsequentialreserve selection as a Markov decision process was combined with stochastic dynamic programming to find the optimal solution. The approach represents a compromise between representation-based approaches (maximizing occurrences) and more complex tools, like spatially-explicit population models. The method, the inherent problems and interesting conclusions are illustrated with a land acquisition case study on the central Platte River.
Generation and measurement of interleukin-1, interleukin-2, and mitogen levels in small volumes of whole blood

Whole blood assays that allow simultaneous performance of IL-1 and IL-2 production as well as lymphocyte mitogen responsiveness are described. The advantages to these techniques are: (1) small volume of sample required (1 ml of whole blood or less), (2) time required to perform the assays (10 min), and (3) use of whole blood rather than isolated cells in the evaluation of immune competency which is more reflective of the in vivo condition. The techniques described lend themselves to application in the clinical setting.
Anatomy of a strategic information system in non-profit community health care

ABSTRACT The design and development of an information system supporting a loosely organized group of 6 health care and related organizations is discussed. Each organization is functionally independent but cooperates with 5 other organizations to implement a common system. The reasons for the cooperation can be traced in large part to the non-profit service nature of the organizations themselves, and to the resource-constrained environment in which they operate. This article discusses the conceptual architecture of the information system with brief descriptions of the rationality of various features incorporated in the system design. The basic purpose of the information system is to provide information needed by managers and professionals, as opposed to data processing systems that perform arithmetic for accounting activities.
SU-E-T-585: Commissioning of Electron Monte Carlo in Eclipse Treatment Planning System for TrueBeam

Purpose: To commission electron Monte Carlo (eMC) algorithm in Eclipse Treatment Planning System (TPS) for TrueBeam Linacs, including the evaluation of dose calculation accuracy for small fields and oblique beams and comparison with the existing eMC model for Clinacs. Methods: Electron beam percent-depth-dose (PDDs) and profiles with and without applicators, as well as output factors, were measured from two Varian TrueBeam machines. Measured data were compared against the Varian TrueBeam Representative Beam Data (VTBRBD). The selected data set was transferred into Eclipse for beam configuration. Dose calculation accuracy from eMC was evaluated for open fields, small cut-out fields, and oblique beams at different incident angles. The TrueBeam data was compared to the existing Clinac data and eMC model to evaluate the differences among Linac types. Results: Our measured data indicated that electron beam PDDs from our TrueBeam machines are well matched to those from our Varian Clinac machines, but in-air profiles, cone factors and open-filed output factors are significantly different. The data from our two TrueBeam machines were well represented by the VTBRBD. Variations of TrueBeam PDDs and profiles were within the 2% /2mm criteria for all energies, and the output factors for fields with and without applicators all agreemore » within 2%. Obliquity factor for two clinically relevant applicator sizes (10×10 and 15×15 cm{sup 2}) and three oblique angles (15, 30, and 45 degree) were measured for nominal R100, R90, and R80 of each electron beam energy. Comparisons of calculations using eMC of obliquity factors and cut-out factors versus measurements will be presented. Conclusion: eMC algorithm in Eclipse TPS can be configured using the VTBRBD. Significant differences between TrueBeam and Clinacs were found in in-air profiles and open field output factors. The accuracy of the eMC algorithm was evaluated for a wide range of cut-out factors and oblique incidence.« less