cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulse IV cyclophosphamide in ocular inflammatory disease ☆: Efficacy and short-term safety

Abstract Purpose To assess the efficacy and short-term safety of appropriately monitored pulse IV cyclophosphamide therapy in the treatment of patients with severe or treatment-resistant autoimmune ocular inflammatory disease. Design Retrospective noncomparative interventional case series. Participants Thirty-eight patients with severe or recalcitrant ocular inflammation of diverse etiologies. Methods Charts of patients seen on the Ocular Immunology & Uveitis Service at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary were reviewed. Thirty-eight consecutive patients treated with pulse IV cyclophosphamide between January 1995 and March 2002 were analyzed. Main outcome measures The control of inflammation, steroid-sparing effect, visual acuity, and adverse reactions. Results A positive response to treatment occurred in 68% of patients during the study period, with 55% achieving complete quiescence. A steroid-sparing effect was achieved in all patients previously on systemic steroid, allowing successful discontinuation of the drug in 41%. Visual acuity was maintained in 66% and improved in 21% of involved eyes. The most common side effects observed were fatigue (63%), nausea (32%), and headache (22%). None required a permanent discontinuation of therapy. Conclusions Pulse IV cyclophosphamide is an effective therapeutic modality in patients with severe or treatment-resistant ocular inflammatory disease.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Tissue Regeneration: A Review

In 2001, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, described the isolation of a new population of adult stem cells from liposuctioned adipose tissue. These stem cells, now known as adipose-derived stem cells or ADSCs, have gone on to become one of the most popular adult stem cells populations in the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. As of today, thousands of research and clinical articles have been published using ASCs, describing their possible pluripotency in vitro, their uses in regenerative animal models, and their application to the clinic. This paper outlines the progress made in the ASC field since their initial description in 2001, describing their mesodermal, ectodermal, and endodermal potentials both in vitro and in vivo, their use in mediating inflammation and vascularization during tissue regeneration, and their potential for reprogramming into induced pluripotent cells.
Peer Education in the Residential Context

Research on HIV-prevention education with college students has demonstrated that interventions that provide only information do not bring about risk-reducing changes in behavior. Given the chronic nature of HIV infection, as well as data that show that students do not consistently use condoms and practice safer sex, peer education programs dealing with sexually transmitted diseases need to focus on strategies that have demonstrated success in encouraging behavioral changes. A one-on-one program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook has shown how students' understanding of risk reduction can help bring their behavior into accord with their knowledge.
Further generalization of Faustmann's formula for stochastic interest rates

Markov decision process (MDP) models generalize Faustmann's formula by recognizing that future stand states, prices, and interest rates, are not known exactly. Buongiorno (Forest Science 47(4) 2001) presents a dynamic programming and a linear programming formulation of the MDP model with a fixed interest rate. Both formulations are generalized here to account for a stochastic interest rate. The objective function is the expected present value of returns over an infinite horizon. It gives, like Faustmann's formula, the value of the land and the eventual standing trees. The changes between stand states, prices, and interest rate, are represented by Markov chains. Faustmann's formula is a special case where the change from one state to another has 0 or 1 probability, and the interest rate is constant. The MDP model applies to any stand state, even- or uneven-aged, and the best decisions are tied uniquely to the current system state. An example shows the effects of recognizing variations in interest rate on the land expectation value, and the cost of ignoring them.
The Participation of Men and Women in Educational Research: Another Look

Within recent years the professional status of academic women has been well documented, particularly in terms of graduate school admissions, degrees granted, faculty salaries and promotions, and research productivity (Astin & Bayer, 1972; Tittle, Saario, & Denker, 1975). In addition to such visible and quantifiable activity, in most university communities there are other (married) women who covertly participate in their spouse's career. A survey by LipmanBlumen (1972) showed that a majority of graduate student wives expected to satisfy their achievement needs primarily through the success of their husbands. Papanek (1973) notes that faculty wives, in order to facilitate their husband's success, perform various social duties as well as an assortment of paraprofessional tasks ranging from typing to actual fieldwork. Astin and Bayer (1972) present demographic data which indicate that among married faculty members, men with large families attain higher rank. While allowing that this relationship may result from financial pressures, the authors speculate that these men may also have wives who encourage or assist their career goals. No similar relationship was found for female doctorates. The present study was designed to compare the contributions of men and women to booklength publications in the field of educational psychology. In contrast to other assessments, however, I wanted to look not only at authorship but also at the participation of spouses and others whose involvement has been recognized only informally. A preliminary review of book acknowledgments suggested that participation of both types could be examined by (1) noting the gender of book authors and (2) analyzing the content of their acknowledgments.
Recovery of Absolute Absorption Coefficient Maps of Heterogeneous Media by Photoacoustic Tomography Coupled with Diffusion Optical Reconstruction Algorithm

We describe novel reconstruction methods that allow for quantitative recovery of optical absorption coefficient of heterogeneous media using photoacoustic measurements. Images of optical properties are obtained from both diffusion equation-based-regularized Newton method and photoacoustic data.
JOB ACCESSIBILITY AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT

ABSTRACT Mass transit promoters in Atlanta suggested that inner city underemployment could be reduced by improving the accessibility of workers to jobs. In Atlanta, the distribution of underemployment, measured by income below the poverty line or less than full-time employment, is better explained by skill levels, discrimination, and socioeconomic circumstance than by accessibility to jobs. At every level of accessibility underemployment is worst among female heads of families, mostly black, poorly educated, with several children. Underemployment could better be tackled through job training, placement, and child care programs than through new transit development programs.
Actions of cocaine on rat dopaminergic neurones in vitro

1. Intracellular recordings were made from neurones in vitro in the rat substantia nigra zona compacta and ventral tegmental area; the neurones had the characteristic properties of dopamine-containing cells, and fired action potentials spontaneously. 2. Cocaine (1-10 microM) inhibited spontaneous firing, hyperpolarized the membrane and (in neurones voltage-clamped at -60 mV) caused an outward membrane current; the minimally effective concentration was 1 microM. These effects were blocked by sulpiride (30 nM-1 microM). 3. Dopamine (3-100 microM) also inhibited firing, hyperpolarized and caused an outward current. These effects of dopamine were potentiated about five fold by cocaine (10 microM). 4. It is concluded that cocaine (1-10 microM) inhibits the firing and hyperpolarizes substantia nigra zona compacta neurones in vitro by blocking the uptake of dopamine which the cells continuously release.
A Double Sampling Scheme for Estimating from Binomial Data with Misclassifications

Abstract Two measuring devices are available to classify units into one of two mutually exclusive categories. The first device is an expensive procedure which classifies units correctly; the second device is a cheaper procedure which tends to misclassify units. To estimate p, the proportion of units which belong to one of the categories, a double sampling scheme is presented. At the first stage, a sample of N units is taken and the fallible classifications are obtained; at the second stage a subsample of n units is drawn from the main sample and the true classifications are obtained. The maximum likelihood estimate of p is derived along with its asymptotic variance. Optimum values of n and N which minimize the measurement costs for a fixed variance of estimation and which minimize the precision for fixed cost are derived. This double sampling scheme is compared to the binomial sampling scheme in which only true measurements are obtained.
Topographic accuracy assessment of bare earth lidar-derived unstructured meshes

Abstract This study is focused on the integration of bare earth lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) data into unstructured (triangular) finite element meshes and the implications on simulating storm surge inundation using a shallow water equations model. A methodology is developed to compute root mean square error (RMSE) and the 95th percentile of vertical elevation errors using four different interpolation methods (linear, inverse distance weighted, natural neighbor, and cell averaging) to resample bare earth lidar and lidar-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) onto unstructured meshes at different resolutions. The results are consolidated into a table of optimal interpolation methods that minimize the vertical elevation error of an unstructured mesh for a given mesh node density. The cell area averaging method performed most accurate when DEM grid cells within 0.25 times the ratio of local element size and DEM cell size were averaged. The methodology is applied to simulate inundation extent and maximum water levels in southern Mississippi due to Hurricane Katrina, which illustrates that local changes in topography such as adjusting element size and interpolation method drastically alter simulated storm surge locally and non-locally. The methods and results presented have utility and implications to any modeling application that uses bare earth lidar.
The Fifth Relationship: Dangerous Friendships in the Confucian Context

OF THE "FIVE RELATIONSHIPS" in Confucianism, the five bonds that men in Chinese society were to observe and promote, it was the fifth, friendship, that was unique. The others, those that bound father and son, ruler and minister, husband and wife, older and younger brother, were overtly concerned with the maintenance of China as a guojia, literally a "state-family"-a state modeled on the principles of family organization.1 They denoted hierarchical, obligatory bonds of mutual devotion that together formed the web of Confucian social relationships that was to provide the source of parallel devotions to family and state. Sons, in the traditional formulation, learned to be capable ministers by turning their devotion to their parents into loyalty to the emperor.2 The state in turn was modeled on the family, with the emperor's management of his own family serving as the basis for his running of the state. Friendship was different. It was neither a family bond nor a state bond, and therefore lay outside the web of parallel devotions that bound these together. Moreover, it was voluntary. One was obliged to serve one's family (and preserve it by producing offspring) and obliged to serve a virtuous ruler, but there was no requirement that one make friends.3 Finally, friendship was the one bond that could
Cosmic ray spallation and the special anomaly in achondrites

Abstract Examination of the isotopic composition of xenon from achondrites reveals that the124Xe, 126Xe, 128Xe and130Xe are all linearly correlated indicating only two principal components for these isotopes-trapped and cosmic ray produced xenon. No evidence is found for the reaction 127I(n, γβ)128Xe in the achondrites. We thus place approximate limits on the neutron flux relative to the flux in the Abee chondrite. A correlation in the plot of124Xe/130Xe versus129Xe/130Xe points to a129Xe/126Xe ratio of ≤ 0.84 in xenon from cosmic ray spallation and allows us to set a lower limit on the amount of radiogenic129Xe from the decay of extinct129I in the achondrites. The average value of ≳4.4 × 10−12 cm3/g excess129I for achondrites contrasts with typical values of ∼ 10−10 cm3/g for ordinary chondrites and ∼ 10−9 cm3/g for enstatite chondrites.
Constraints on the extent of the Ross Sea phytoplankton bloom

[1] An intense phytoplankton bloom forms over the continental shelf in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, every spring as the sea ice retreats during the expansion of the Ross Sea polynya. The extent of this bloom rarely covers the full area of the shelf for reasons that are not well understood. One clue may be found in satellite imagery spanning the last 25 years that shows frequently recurring, previously undescribed, large-scale plumes of high-chlorophyll water and jets of low-chlorophyll water demarking the northern boundary of the spring phytoplankton bloom. The plumes, with horizontal length scales of 100–200 km, appear at the same location each year. The spatial consistency of this pattern of jets and plumes suggests regulation by forcing that does not vary from year to year, such as the interaction between bathymetry and prevailing ocean currents. Here we present a modeling study indicating that this pattern in the spring phytoplankton bloom is caused by intrusions of offshore surface waters onto the continental shelf, guided by relatively deep polar shelf bathymetry. Our study suggests that currents from the Ross Sea gyre follow along the shelf break and prevent the phytoplankton bloom from extending farther toward the edge of the shelf, even when the waters there are ice-free, perhaps because the offshore waters have low iron concentrations. These results illustrate how phytoplankton distributions can be constrained by the interaction of deep bathymetry and surface geostrophic currents along the highly productive Antarctic continental shelf.
Simply Captivating: Understanding Consumers' Attitudes Toward the Cinema as an Advertising Medium

Due to high costs, fragmented audiences, and cluttered environments, advertisers are finding it increasingly difficult to reach key target markets. Thus, many are looking to nontraditional media, such as cinema advertising, to maximize the effectiveness of advertising expenditures. Given the captive nature of this type of advertising, the authors explore factors influencing consumers' attitudes toward the cinema as an advertising medium, citing reactance, equity, and expectancy-disconfirmation theory as guiding theoretical frameworks. Using insights derived from 32 in-depth interviews, the authors develop a conceptual model around three main themes that shape attitudes toward the medium of cinema advertising and find that reactance, equity, and expectancy-disconfirmation theory may prove to be promising foundations for understanding attitudes toward cinema advertising.
Acute inpatient palliative medicine in a cancer center: Clinical problems and medical interventions - A prospective study

The clinical characteristics and medical interventions of the 100 consecutive cancer admissions to the acute care inpatient palliative medicine unit at the Cleveland Clinic for 2 months are describ...
Advantages of father custody and contact for the psychological well-being of school-age children

Abstract Previous researchers have suggested that after divorce, children do better in the custody of the same-gender parent. This hypothesis was explored in a study of 187 school-age children (72 in father custody and 115 in mother custody). Two other hypothesis were also tested: children do better (1) if they have more contact with the nonresident parent, and (2) if the circumstances in the resident parent's household are more favorable. The major finding of the study was that across a variety of assessments of psychological well-being (self-esteem, anxiety, depression, problem behaviors), children (especially boys) did significantly better in the custody of their fathers. Moreover, children in father custody had the advantage of maintaining a more positive relationship with the nonresident parent, the mother. These differences in children's well-being were not eliminated by statistically controlling for the custodial parent's psychological state and adequate income or the child's contact with the nonresident parent—other variables that also predicted children's well-being. No same-gender advantage was found for girls in mother custody. For these children, well-being was predicted by close “parentlike” contact with the nonresident father—participating in a variety of activities and spending holidays together.
Variability of groundwater nitrate concentrations over time in arid basin aquifers: sources, mechanisms of transport, and implications for conceptual models

In groundwater of the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas, unexpectedly high levels of nitrate (NO3−) are documented in four basins: Red Light Draw, Eagle Flats, Wild Horse and Michigan Flats, and Lobo and Ryan Flats. NO3− concentrations are changing over time in the majority (82.8 %) of wells and are increasing in most (69.8 %). The temporal change raises questions about the potential sources of NO3− and about flow dynamics in these basins. Presence of NO3− and temporal variability in concentration has implications beyond contamination risk because it indicates relatively rapid recharge (<60 years) to the basin groundwaters which was not expected based on previous estimates from chloride mass balance models and groundwater age-dating techniques. This research combines existing data ranging back to the 1940s with data collected in 2011 to document a multi-decadal trend of overall increasing NO3− concentration in deep basin groundwaters. Chlorofluorocarbon analyses of groundwater collected during 2011 indicate the presence of young (<70 years) water in the basins. The authors infer from these data that there are mechanism(s) by which relatively rapid and widespread recharge occurs on the basin floors; that recharge is spatially and temporally variable and that it results from both anthropogenic (irrigated agriculture) and natural (precipitation) sources. In light of these observations, fundamental conceptual models of flow in these basins should be re-evaluated.
Cysteine-terminated B-domain of Staphylococcus aureus protein A as a scaffold for targeting GABAA receptors

This study reports the preparation and characterization of cysteine-terminated B-domain (Bd-cys) of Staphylococcus aureus protein A, in combination with immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies directed against the ρ1 and α1 subunits of GABA(A) receptors, for localizing reagents of interest to the target receptor. A cysteine residue was inserted at the C terminus of the cysteine-lacking B-domain (Bd) and used for conjugating maleimide-containing compounds. As determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), binding of a Bd-cys-S-fluorescein conjugate to polyclonal guinea pig anti-GABA(A)-ρ1 and rabbit anti-GABA(A)-α1 IgG was similar to that exhibited by full-length protein A. Surface plasmon resonance analysis of the interaction of Bd-cys-S-PEG3400-biotin conjugate (where PEG is polyethylene glycol) with anti-GABA(A)-ρ1 and anti-GABA(A)-α1 yielded K(D) values of 6.4 ± 1.9 and 0.4 ± 0.1 nM, respectively. Fluorescence anisotropy analysis of the binding of Bd-cys-S-fluorescein to the two antibodies yielded EC50 values of 65 and 18 nM, respectively. As determined with biotin-reactive fluorescent reagents, Bd-cys-S-PEG3400-biotin specifically bound to the plasma membrane of Xenopus laevis oocytes that expressed α1β2γ2 or homomeric ρ1 GABA(A) receptors and were pretreated with the corresponding anti-GABA(A) IgG. The IgG-binding specificity and high affinity of Bd-cys conjugates illustrate the potential of these conjugates, in combination with a selected IgG, to localize compounds of interest at specific cell surface proteins.
Automated extraction of pelvic features in portal and simulation images

A new approach, a pyramid template matching as guided by a snake, is developed for the extraction of pelvic features in both portal and simulation images. Initially, the treatment field edge was extracted using a Canny edge detector. A template modeled using a polynomial function for the typical pelvic structures was used as the initial approximation for the anteroposterior (AP) pelvic brim. Several energies were defined to search the actual bony structures as guided by the snake in a larger range. In this study, a double-snake model coupled with a spring was developed to define the external constraint force. The image force was calculated from various processed images using different edge detection algorithms. The criterion used for search termination was to find the locations where the overall energy was at its minimum. The result of the initial search was fit using a polynomial function as the second approximation for the pelvic bony structure. Snake searching technique was repeated in a smaller range around the initial identified features for fine search of pelvic bony structure. This technique has shown to be very promising for extracting pelvic features.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Merging information from different resources for new insights into climate change in the past and future

[1] An understanding of climate history prior to industrialization is crucial to understanding the nature of the 20th century warming and to predicting the climate change in the near future. This study integrates the complementary information preserved in the global database of borehole temperatures [Huang et al., 2000], the 20th century meteorological record [Jones et al., 1999], and an annually resolved multi proxy model [Mann et al., 1999] for a more complete picture of the Northern Hemisphere temperature change over the past five centuries. The integrated reconstruction shows that the 20th century warming is a continuation to a long-term warming started before the onset of industrialization. However, the warming appears to have been accelerated towards the present day. Analysis of the reconstructed temperature and radiative forcing series [Crowley, 2000] offers an independent estimate of the transient climate-forcing response rate of 0.4–0.7 K per Wm � 2 and predicts a temperature increase of 1.0–1.7 K in 50 years. INDEX TERMS: 1600 Global Change; 1620 Global Change: Climate dynamics (3309); 1645 Global Change: Solid Earth; 5418 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Heat flow. Citation: Huang, S. (2004), Merging information from different resources for new insights into climate change in the past and future, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L13205, doi:10.1029/2004GL019781.
Action of externally applied ATP on rat reticulospinal vasomotor neurons.

Abstract In anesthetized rats, iontophoretic application of ATP excited the spinal cord-projection neurons in the rostral ventrolateral reticular nucleus of the medulla oblongata. The neuronal response to ATP was mimicked and then blocked by α,β-methylene-ATP, a metabolically stable ATP analogue, and the response was abolished by suramin. Microinjections of ATP (3–100 pmol) into the rostral ventrolateral medulla produced a powerful pressor response. The results suggest that ATP may function as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator involved in medullary regulation of cardiovascular functions.
Chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis in a patient with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and fatal Wegener granulomatosis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To describe a case of chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis in a patient with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and Wegener granulomatosis. METHODS: Observational case report. A retrospective study. RESULTS: An 80-year-old man presented with chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis, peripheral corneal thinning, and Wegener granulomatosis, which were diagnosed by his referring physician based on clinical (recurrent epistaxis, sinus congestion) and histopathologic features of nasal mucosa (granulomatous inflammation, vasculitis). A conjunctival biopsy performed by us disclosed features of active Wegener granulomatosis and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, which indicate lack of control of both diseases with methotrexate treatment. The patient died of pulmonary complications from Wegener granulomatosis 1 week after our evaluation. CONCLUSION: Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and Wegener granulomatosis are both potentially fatal autoimmune diseases. Ocular involvement in Wegener granulomatosis indicates poor control of the underlying systemic condition and is a marker for active vasculitis, which indicates the need for treatment with cyclophosphamide.
Analysis of nutritional disease in prehistory: The search for scurvy in antiquity and today.

Abstract In this paper, we discuss the issues surrounding the study of scurvy, or vitamin C deficiency, in paleopathology, and highlight the work of Donald Ortner in advancing this area of research. This micronutrient deficiency impacts collagen formation and results in damage to a variety of bodily tissues. While clinical manifestations are observed routinely, the lack of specific signatures on bone makes paleopathological diagnosis difficult. Rapid growth in infants, children, and subadults provides abundant remodeled tissue and an increase in vascularization that makes identification possible in younger segments of the population. However, diagnosis of scurvy in adults remains problematic, given that diagnostic lesions are strikingly similar to those associated with rickets, osteomalacia, and other conditions. We argue that this confounding factor underscores the need for a broader anthropological approach to scurvy research that expands beyond differential diagnosis to include more accurate reconstruction of diets and available resources, greater consideration of the possibility – even likelihood – of multiple nutrient deficiencies simultaneously affecting an individual, and the patterning of these deficiencies along lines of status, sex, and age.
On the structure of certain p-solvable linear groups

There are four sections in the paper. In the first section notation, past results and some preparations on p-solvable linear groups are presented. In the second section the inductive proof of the Theorem is begun and we reduce down to the case where G has a p-Sylow subgroup P of order p and a normal p-complement N, where N modulo the center is a nonabelian simple group. In Section 3, detailed information about some Sylow normalizers of N is obtained. In the last section the strong interplay between various Sylow normalizers of N and the subgroup %YN(P) is used in completing the proof. A recent result of Smith and Tyrer ([12]) helps dispose of some difficult cases that arise in Sections 3 and 4. The proof also apparently requires some deep classification theorems on finite simple groups in contrast to the earlier papers. Although we have not addressed ourselves to the problem of describing the structure of G when G is solvable, the following result can be extracted from the proof of the Theorem.
Topology optimization of multi-component flows using a multi-relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method

Abstract We present a topology optimization method to systematically design the layout and shape of flow channels in micro-mixers for miscible fluids under steady-state conditions. The multi component flow is predicted by a multi-relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method (MRT-LBM) which allows independent control of Reynolds and Schmidt numbers. The MRT-LBM is verified against results of a passive scalar finite element advection–diffusion model. The geometry of the flow channels is described by a material distribution approach by varying the porosity of a fictitious material. While this material model penalizes fluid velocity it does not prevent diffusion through porous material. We show that for Peclet numbers greater than 1 the diffusion of fluids through porous material does not significantly affect mixing predictions. The material distribution is optimized by a gradient-based optimization scheme using adjoint sensitivities to compute the derivatives of the objective and constraints. For a two-dimensional model problem, we compare optimization results for various formulations of the design problem. The numerical results illustrate the suitability of the proposed method to optimize micro-mixers and show interesting interdependencies between the porosity model and the formulation of the objective function.
Psychological distress and in vitro fertilization outcome

Objective To examine whether psychological distress predicts IVF treatment outcome as well as whether IVF treatment outcome predicts subsequent psychological distress. Design Prospective cohort study over an 18-month period. Setting Five community and academic fertility practices. Patient(s) Two hundred two women who initiated their first IVF cycle. Intervention(s) Women completed interviews and questionnaires at baseline and at 4, 10, and 18 months' follow-up. Main Outcome Measure(s) IVF cycle outcome and psychological distress. Result(s) In a binary logistic model including covariates (woman's age, ethnicity, income, education, parity, duration of infertility, and time interval), pretreatment depression and anxiety were not significant predictors of the outcome of the first IVF cycle. In linear regression models including covariates (woman's age, income, education, parity, duration of infertility, assessment point, time since last treatment cycle, and pre-IVF depression or anxiety), experiencing failed IVF was associated with higher post-IVF depression and anxiety. Conclusion(s) IVF failure predicts subsequent psychological distress, but pre-IVF psychological distress does not predict IVF failure. Instead of focusing efforts on psychological interventions specifically aimed at improving the chance of pregnancy, these findings suggest that attention be paid to helping patients prepare for and cope with treatment and treatment failure.
Comparison of Non-Brain-Damaged Schizophrenic and Brain-Damaged Non-Schizophrenic Males on the Wist

The present investigation is addressed to the issue of differential diagnosis of schizophrenia and brain damage in the area of thought disorder. The Whitaker Index of Schizophrenic Thinking (WIST), Form A, was used to ascertain the extent and type of thought disorder of the two groups of Ss (male VA patients). Results showed that the WIST Summary score did not differentiate the two groups of Ss. Subtest scores and error types, however, discriminated the two groups. Results were discussed in light of Mednick's theory of psychological deficit and in terms of contributions to variance stemming from the test's psychometric properties (i.e., stimulus complexity).
Elementos del mercado para comprender la dinámica de la industria mexicana de los medios de comunicación

This paper describes the Mexican media industry from the perspective of economics and media management. The study outlines some of the macro-and microeconomic factors that serve to understand the offers being made by communications entrepreneurs and the media consumption by the audiences. It is a study that applies the economic theory of the media to empirically describe the current state of the industry
Legislative and Legal Restrictions on Labeling Information Regarding the Use of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin

Abstract With the issuance of the "Interim Guidance on the Voluntary Labeling of Milk and Milk Products from Cows That Have Not Been Treated with Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin" by the FDA in February 1994, the Monsanto Company, Inc. (St.Louis, MO) commenced the commercial sale of Posilac ® . Because of farmer and consumer concerns, marketing organizations, state administrative agencies, and state legislatures responded with various voluntary and mandatory regulations and rules for labeling milk and milk products with information regarding the use of recombinant bST. A regulatory labeling framework that varies from state to state has caused problems for some marketing organizations. Individuals and organizations may now turn to the judicial arena as an avenue to challenge unfavorable developments.
Relationship between spectroscopic data and thermodynamic functions; application to uranium, plutonium, and thorium oxide vapor species

Abstract The relationship between thermodynamic functions derived from experimentally measured pressures and those calculated from spectroscopic data was examined quantitatively for the cases of UO, UO 2 , UO 3 , PuO, PuO 2 , ThO, and ThO 2 . Limitations have been determined for consistent values of p ( UO 2 ) over UO 2 ( s ), ΔH ° sub ( UO 2 ( UO 2 , 0 K ), p ( UO ) over UO 2 ( s ) + U ( Q ), ΔH ° (0 K ) for 1 2UO 2 (s) + 1 2U(Q) → UO(g) , ΔG° f (UO, g), ΔH° f (UO, g, 0 K), D°(UO, g, 0 K), ΔG° f (UO 3 , g), ΔH° f (UO 3 , g, 0 K), the heat of atomization of UO 3 , ΔG° f (PuO 2 , g), ΔH° f (PuO 2 , g, 298.15 K), ΔG° f (PuO, g), ΔH° f (PuO, g, 298.15 K), ΔG° f (ThO, g), ΔH° f (ThO, g, 218.15 K), ΔG° f (ThO, g), ΔH° f (ThO 2 , g, 298.15 K), ΔH° sub (ThO 2 , 298.15 K), and the sublimation pressure of ThO 2 .
Tracking aerosol plumes: lidar, modeling, and in situ measurement

The authors report on recent progress of on-going research at Arizona State University for tracking aerosol plumes using remote sensing and modeling approaches. ASU participated in a large field experiment, Joint Urban 2003, focused on urban and suburban flows and dispersion phenomena which took place in Oklahoma City during summer 2003. A variety of instruments were deployed, including two Doppler-lidars. ASU deployed one lidar and the Army Research deployed the other. Close communication and collaboration has produced datasets which will be available for dual Doppler analysis. The lidars were situated in a way to provide insight into dynamical flow structures caused by the urban core. Complementary scanning by the two lidars during the July 4 firework display in Oklahoma City demonstrated that smoke plumes could be tracked through the atmosphere above the urban area. Horizontal advection and dispersion of the smoke plumes were tracked on two horizontal planes by the ASU lidar and in two vertical planes with a similar lidar operated by the Army Research Laboratory. A number of plume dispersion modeling systems are being used at ASU for the modeling of plumes in catastrophic release scenarios. Progress using feature tracking techniques and data fusion approaches is presented for utilizing single and dual radial velocity fields from coherent Doppler lidar to improve dispersion modeling. The possibility of producing sensor/computational tools for civil and military defense applications appears worth further investigation. An experiment attempting to characterize bioaerosol plumes (using both lidar and in situ biological measurements) associated with the application of biosolids on agricultural fields is in progress at the time of writing.
Optical spectra, energy levels and crystal-field analysis of Sm3+ in Na3[Sm(oxydiacetate)3] · 2NaClO4 · 6H2O

Locations and assignments of 144 crystal-field energy levels are reported for Sm3+ in the trigonal Na3[Sm(oxydiacetate)3] · 2NaClO4 · 6H2O system. These energy levels span the 0–36 000 cm-1 energy region, and they were located and assigned from optical emission spectra and from axial and orthoaxial (σ- and π-polarized) absorption measurements on single crystals. The principal SL parentages of the assigned levels span at least 20 Russell-Saunders terms within the 4f 5 electronic configuration of Sm3+, and these assigned levels represent nearly half the total number of crystal-field energy levels predicted to occur within the 0–36 000 cm-1 region. The assigned levels are analysed in terms of a 26-parameter electronic hamiltonian in which six of the parameters are defined to represent the 4f-electron/crystal-field interactions for Sm3+ located at sites with trigonal dihedral (D 3) symmetry. Of the 26 parameters, 22 (including the six crystal-field parameters) are used in fitting calculated energy levels to t...
Asymptotic analysis of large population stochastic games

We study stochastic games with a large number of players, where players are coupled via their payoff functions. A standard solution concept for such games is Markov perfect equilibrium (MPE). It is well known that the computation of MPE suffers from the "curse of dimensionality." To deal with this complexity, several researchers have introduced a notion of mean field equilibrium that we call oblivious equilibrium (OE). In OE, each player reacts to only the average behavior of other players. In this paper, we develop a unified framework to study OE in large population stochastic games. In particular, we prove that under a set of simple assumptions on the model, an OE always exists. Furthermore, as a simple consequence of this existence theorem, we prove that OE approximates MPE well: we show that from the viewpoint of a single agent, a near optimal decision making policy is one that reacts only to the average behavior of its environment. We also study two different classes for games, competition and coordination games. For these classes of games, we isolate key assumptions on the model primitives under which OE exists and approximates MPE asymptotically.
Short-term memory, working memory, and verbal abilities: How do they relate?

Abstract Subjects performance on short-term memory (STM) spans, STM probe-recall tasks, and complex working memory (WM) spans was used to assess the relationship between STM and WM, and to test whether these measures independently relate to verbal abilities. Factor analysis indicated that scores on the STM spans and probe-recall tasks loaded on a factor that was distinct from the WM spans, and regression and part correlations showed that these different factors accounted for separate variance in the Verbal Scholastic Aptitude Test (VSAT). These results provided evidence that STM and WM are different cognitive constructs, both of which are important to verbal abilities. It was also shown that within STM measures, rehearsal can obscure the relationship between STM capacity and abilities. For example, in the probe-recall tasks, only performance on final list items correlated with VSAT, and it was argued that these items were the most recently represented in STM, but had the least opportunity to be rehearsed. It was also suggested that digits are easier to rehearse than words, and we found that a STM word span correlated with VSAT, but a STM digit span did not. Furthermore, in considering each serial position in the probe-recall tasks, fewer items correlated with verbal abilities when digits were used as stimuli than when words were used. These results converge on the notion that rehearsal drives down the correlation between STM capacity and abilities. Overall, it was concluded that STM and WM tasks do reflect diffferent cognitive constructs,both of which seem to be important in abilities. In addition, when predicting verbal abilities from a STM tasks, the best measure is one in which rehearsal is not strongly influencing performance.
The future of equipment development and semiconductor production

The semiconductor industry has experienced exceptional double-digit growth over the past 25 years, fueled by strong demand in end-use markets such as computing, communications, consumer appliances, and industrial applications. Its future, however, depends on the ability of semiconductor manufacturers and equipment suppliers alike to lower cost while pushing the technological limits of lithography, materials science, and further the development of new manufacturing techniques like dual damascene. This paper will describe in detail those technology challenges that semiconductor manufacturers and equipment suppliers must overcome to extend Moore's law into the next century, as well as highlight areas where equipment productivity has added, and can continue to add, tremendous value to the growth of the industry. Finally, a new paradigm called Process Module Systems will be put forth to address the increasingly complex manufacturing requirements as well as economic challenges that the industry, as a whole, faces.
Linearity Limitations of AlGaN/GaN HFET's

Due to high mobility (1000-1500 cm/V2), high sheet charge density (~1013 cm-2), and high electron saturation velocity (~2.0times105 cm/s), AlGaN/GaN HFET's were shown to have great potential for linear operation in high dynamic range module. However, significant linearity degradation was found in practical devices compared to that predicted from theoretic derivation. In this work it is demonstrated that nonlinear source resistance that varies in magnitude with the channel conduction current limits these device's RF performance by suppressing the channel IMAX value and introducing nonlinearity under large signal operation. The nonlinear source resistance can be affected by changing the length of the gate-source access region. RF performance is improved by minimizing the nonlinearity in the source resistance.
Perinatal outcomes after second trimester detection of amniotic fluid viral genome in asymptomatic patients.

Objective: Symptomatic fetal viral infection can affect placental and fetal development and may lead to non-immune hydrops or fetal death. All infections are not detectable by clinical history or ultrasound and a background positivity rate exists in asymptomatic patients. We investigated if intraamniotic presence of viral genome at the time of genetic amniocentesis in asypmtomatic patients affects perinatal outcome. Study design: Six-hundred and eighty-six pregnancies referred for second trimester genetic amniocentesis with a normal ultrasound and fetal karyotype had amniotic fluid multiplex polymerase chain reaction for adeno-, cytomegalo-, Ebstein-Barr-, entero- and parvovirus. Forty asymptomatic patients that were positive for viral genome were matched 2:1 with negative controls. Perinatal outcomes were compared between these groups. Results: Pregnancy complications and perinatal outcomes were similar in the two groups. Conclusion: Asymptomatic fetal viral infection at the time of second trimester amniocentesis does not increase the risk for adverse perinatal outcome.
Mastodon butchery by North American Paleo-Indians

It has often been argued that North American Paleo-Indians hunted both mammoths and mastodons1–3. However, while numerous archaeological sites involving mammoths (genus Mammuthus) are recognized3,4, very few sites demonstrate direct human association with mastodons5–8. I report here a taphonomic analysis of several late Pleistocene mastodon (Mammut americanum) skeletons excavated in southern Michigan which provides compelling evidence of mastodon butchery. Butchery practices involved the production and use of tools fashioned from bones of the animal being butchered. Evidence for butchery and bone tool use includes: patterns of bone distribution and disarticulation recorded from a primary depositional context, disarticulation marks and cutmarks on bones, green bone fracturing, use wear and impact features on bone fragments, and burned bone. Moreover, determinations of the season of death of butchered mastodons9 suggest that butchery was associated with hunting and killing, not simply scavenging of natural deaths. These findings provide new evidence of a well developed ‘bone technology’10–13 used by Paleo-Indians in eastern North America. They also add to our perception of Paleo-Indian subsistence activities and their possible role in the late Pleistocene extinction of mastodons.
Severe pulmonary hypertension associated with macronodular (postnecrotic) cirrhosis and autoimmune phenomena

The clinical and pathologic findings are reported in seven consecutive patients with progressive and fatal pulmonary hypertension which was not explained by predisposing cardiac or pulmonary diseases. Pulmonary arterial lesions consisted of atherosclerosis of the elastic pulmonary arteries, and medial hypertrophy and concentric laminar fibrosis of the muscular pulmonary arteries in seven patients, plexiform lesions in six patients and necrotizing vasculitis in one patient. Pulmonary emboli were not identified. Five patients had manifestations of autoimmune disease, including laboratory abnormalities (positive antinuclear antibody, positive latex agglutination for rheumatoid factor, hypergammaglobulinemia or antimitochondrial antibody) in four, necrotizing vasculitis in one, Raynaud's phenomenon in two and clinical evidence of multisystem collagen vascular disease in two. Five patients had liver disease which developed prior to or concomitant with the onset of pulmonary hypertension. At autopsy, one patient had prominent periportal fibrosis and four had macronodular (postnecrotic) cirrhosis (active in three and inactive in one). Four of these five patients with liver disease and pulmonary hypertension had evidence of autoimmune phenomena. The findings in the seven patients suggest an association between autoimmune disease, plexogenic pulmonary hypertension and liver disease of the chronic active hepatitis-postnecrotic cirrhosis type.
Laminar counterflow steady diffusion flames under high pressure (P ⩽ 3 MPa) conditions

Abstract An experimental system was designed to stabilize steady counterflow methane diffusion flames at elevated pressures, up to 3 MPa. In contrast with the much more common coflow configuration, the counterflow one is advantageous for the following reasons: the suppression of buoyancy instabilities that typically plague coflow flames at high pressures; the one-dimensionality of the flame, that enables computational modeling with very large chemical kinetic mechanisms; and the high level of control that it provides on soot loading. Above 0.8 MPa, the replacement of nitrogen with helium as inert was found to be critical to stabilize well behaved flames with respect to steadiness, laminarity, adiabaticity, one-dimensionality and flame thickness. Scaling and experimental considerations allowed for the identification of acceptable operating conditions in terms of pressure and strain rate and yielded a synthetic representation of a domain of diffusion flames of good quality. Such a graph can inform the design of a high-pressure counterflow system with respect to the selection of burner geometry, diagnostic techniques and experimental conditions, allowing for the experimentalist to sidestep costly and time consuming trial and error. Measurements by thin-filament pyrometry and numerical simulations confirmed the proposed scaling.
Adaptive multiresolution analysis based on synchronization

We propose an adaptive multiscale approach to data analysis based on synchronization. The approach is nonlinear, data driven in the sense that it does not rely on a priori chosen basis, and automatically determines the data scale. Numerical results for one- and two-dimensional cases illustrate that the method works effectively for the usual modulated signals such as chirps, etc., as well as for more complicated data with multiple scales. The method extends straightforwardly to functions defined on weighted graphs and grids in high dimensions. Connections with some other recent approaches to multiscale analysis are briefly discussed.