cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dermal island-flap anoplasty for transsphincteric fistula-in-ano: assessment of treatment failures.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the treatment failures of island-flap anoplasty for fistula-in-ano, a procedure designed to treat fistula without sphincter division. METHODS: Data concerning all patients having dermal island-flap anoplasty for the treatment of transsphincteric fistula were reviewed. Variables assessed were age, gender, radial fistula location, cause, Crohn's disease, previous fistula operations, other complicating illnesses, internal sphincter closure, simultaneous use of fibrin adhesive injection, and use of combined dermal and rectal flap for large fistulas. Postoperative data collected included persistence of the distal tract, recurrence of the fistula, and treatment of the recurrence. Recurrence (or persistence) of the fistula was the dependant variable and each risk factor for recurrence was assessed using chi-squared analyses. RESULTS: Seventy-three flaps were performed in 65 individuals. Recurrence developed 17 times in 13 individuals. Recurrence was more likely to occur in males, patients who have had previous treatment of fistulas, patients with large fistulas requiring combined flaps, and patients who had simultaneous fibrin glue injection. Patients with Crohn's disease and individuals having internal sphincter closure had fewer recurrences. Factors reaching statistical significance included closure of the internal sphincter, the use of fibrin glue, and cause of the fistula. CONCLUSION: No specific anatomic or demographic characteristic is sufficiently associated with failure to exclude any patient from the operation. Closure of the internal sphincter should be done as part of the procedure and fibrin glue injection should not be done simultaneously.
Laminar boundary-layer transition on a heated underwater body

A large (3.05 m long × 0.32 m diameter) heated-surface, axisymmetric body, designed for transition research in a 1.22 m diameter water tunnel is described. Boundary-layer transition data are presented as functions of the heating power supplied to the body and the total concentration of free-stream particulate matter in the water. Body surface temperatures range from 0 to 25°C over the ambient water temperature, and the total heat supplied ranges from 0 to 93.3 kW. Transition-arclength Reynolds numbers are found to vary from 4.5 × 106 for the body operating cold to 3.64 × 107 for the maximum heat level considered. The concentration of free-stream particles is shown to affect the transition Reynolds number. These particles range in diameter from 10 to 70 μm and their concentration ranges from less than 5 to 198 particles per cm3. The decrease in transition Reynolds number due to to the higher concentration of particles is of order 30%.
Procainamide infusion test: inability to identify patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome who are potentially at risk of sudden death.

Persistence of preexcitation in sinus rhythm with procainamide infusion has been reported to occur in patients with a short anterograde accessory pathway effective refractory period (AERPAP) and this test has been proposed as a reliable noninvasive method to identify patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome who are at risk of sudden death. However, sudden death correlates best with a shortest preexcited RR interval during atrial fibrillation (SRRPE) of 260 msec or less. We infused 10 to 12 mg/kg procainamide to 56 patients to determine whether persistence or loss of preexcitation in sinus rhythm identified patients with SRRPEs of 260 or less or greater than 260 msec, respectively. Atrial fibrillation was induced in 53 patients. Of these, 32 patients had persistence of preexcitation with procainamide infusion and SRRPE in this group of patients was shorter than that in patients in whom preexcitation was lost (194 +/- 44 vs 235 +/- 55 msec, p less than .05). However, preexcitation persisted after procainamide infusion in only 31 of 46 (67%) patients with SRRPEs of 260 msec or less. Furthermore, 15 of 21 patients who lost preexcitation had SRRPEs of 260 msec or less and two of these patients had a history of ventricular fibrillation. The correlation between AERPAP and SRRPE was studied in a separate group of 79 patients with single accessory pathways. There was a significant (p less than .001) but poor (r = .58) correlation between these two variables. Thus, the procainamide test regarding accessory pathway refractoriness often cannot be extrapolated to SRRPE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
It's About the Relationships

The relationships formed between physical education teachers and their students underlie the meaning and enjoyment teachers find in their work and make a difference in students' lives. Utilizing curricular activities and teaching approaches that provide for one-on-one time with students and developing social-emotional skills may help physical education teachers form quality relationships with their students that will contribute to learning.
Unique sequence organization and erythroid cell-specific nuclear factor-binding of mammalian Θ I globin promoters

The theta 1 globin gene is an alpha globin-like gene, and started to diverge from the other members of the alpha globin family 260 million years ago. DNA sequencing and transcriptional analysis indicated that it is functional in erythroid cells of the higher primates, but not in prosimians and rabbit. The theta 1 promoter region of higher primates including man consists of GC-rich sequences characteristic of housekeeping gene promoters, and CCAAT and TATA boxes located further upstream. It is shown here that the housekeeping gene promoter-like region of human theta 1 contains two tandemly arranged, GC-rich motifs (GC-I and GC-II). Of these, GC-II interacts with nuclear factor(s) present in the globin-expressing, erythroleukemia cell line K562, before and after hemin induction. GC-I, however, interacts with nuclear factor(s) only present in hemin-induced K562 cells. These factors are different from previously reported erythroid cell-specific factors, and are not detectable in non-erythroid Hela cells. Furthermore, the sequence of the motif GC-I and its location relative to ATG codon have been conserved among all known mammalian theta 1 globin genes. Finally, and most interestingly, the CCAAT box of theta 1 is contained within a 38 bp internal segment of Alu repeat sequence. Immediately upstream from this CCAAT box-containing Alu repeat segment is a 241 bp Alu repeat pointing in the opposite direction. The conservation of this novel arrangement among the higher primates suggests that an inserted Alu family repeat and its flanking genomic sequence have co-evolved, for at least 30 million years, to provide the canonical CCAAT and TATA promoter elements of the theta 1 globin genes in higher primates.
Regulating the Unregulated?: Domestic Workers' Social Networks

Drawing upon participant-observation and in-depth interviews, this article examines the responses of Mexican undocumented immigrant women to the organization of paid domestic labor as “job work,” where a domestic worker cleans house for many different employers on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Job work exacerbates the privatized nature of both the work itself and the negotiation of the employer-employee relationship, and it also confronts domestic workers with having to secure multiple employers. The women in this study dealt with these challenges by informally collectivizing and sharing information through social networks. What appears to be an extremely atomized labor relation for the domestic workers is in fact mitigated by a work culture transmitted through many social interactions. These network resources are both enabling and constraining.
Altered neuroantigen-specific cytokine secretion in a Th2 environment reduces experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Activation of Th2 cells suppresses clinical experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), demyelination and expression of genes associated with Th1-mediated inflammation. Despite both reduced central nervous system inflammation and IFN-gamma induced MHC class II expression by microglia, the composition of CNS infiltrates in Th2-protected mice were similar to mice with EAE. Analysis of the CNS infiltrating cells by flow cytometry suggests that protection did not correlate with abrogation of CD4+ T cell recruitment, preferential recruitment of donor Th2 cells or an increased frequency of CD25+ CD4+ T cells. By contrast, protection correlated with an increased frequency of neuroantigen-specific Th2 cells infiltrating the CNS. These data suggest that a peripheral Th2 cytokine environment influences both potential antigen presenting cells as well as recruitment and/or retention of neuroAg-specific Th2 CD4+ T cells.
Business relationships: an examination of the effects of buyer‐salesperson relationships on customer retention and willingness to refer and recommend

Examines the effect of the quality of a salesperson’s relationship with a customer on the likelihood of retaining that customer’s business. Assesses the effects of high/low‐quality buyer‐salesperson relationships on obtaining referrals and recommendations from a customer. Results indicate that buyers who rated the quality of their relationship with their salesperson as above average were more likely to remain. In addition, above average buyer‐salesperson relationships were more likely to generate recommendations and referrals from customers. Suggests that a salesperson’s efforts to build relationships are rewarded by greater customer retention and increased business through referrals and recommendations.
Model for the Leading Waves of Tsunamis.

We propose a model for the leading wave of tsunamis to explain why although the coastal manifestation of a tsunami is assumed solitary-wave-like it is most often accompanied by a shoreline which recedes first before advancing up the beach, suggesting a leading-depression N-wave. Far field, we use the Korteweg--de Vries equation, and find that N-waves of geophysical scale do not fission over transoceanic propagation distances. Near shore, we use shallow-water theory to calculate the evolution and runup of emerging non-breaking waves, and observe that they evolve according to Green's law. We discuss the effects of certain ground deformation parameters and provide one application by modeling the Nicaraguan tsunami of 1 September 1992.
Nurturing the Nation: The Family Politics of Modernizing, Colonizing, and Liberating Egypt – By Lisa Pollard

The author succinctly explains that her book is “a case study of what happens to the tropes of colonial discourse once subject populations are exposed to them . . . by answering ‘the Egypt question...
Skin friction on a flat perforated acoustic liner

The report concerns the measurement of friction coefficients of a typical perforated acoustic liner installed in the side of a wind tunnel. The results are compared with measured friction coefficients of a smooth hard wall for the same mean flow velocities in a wind tunnel. At a velocity of 61 m/sec, an increase in the local skin coefficient of only a few percent was observed, but at the highest velocity of 213 m/sec an increase of about 20% was obtained. This velocity is a realistic velocity for turbo-machinery components utilizing such liners, so a loss in performance is to be expected. Some tests were also performed to see if changes in the mean boundary layer induced by imposed noise would result in friction increase, but only at low velocity levels was such an increase in friction noted.
Superconductivity and ferromagnetism

In this paper a theory of superconductivity for metals in which there are localized spins is presented. The spins interact with the conduction electrons via an exchange interaction and with one another via a direct Heisenberg interaction, as well as indirectly via the conduction electrons. The spins are treated as classical vectors in a mean-field approximation. The superconducting pair-breaking mechanism is treated in the approximation of Abrikosov and Gor'kov. Complete interplay of magnetization and pair-breaking processes is taken into account. Phase diagrams are presented. A treatment of alloys of two different magnetic ions is included in a simple approximation. All results are in good qualitative agreement with the experiment.
Assisted Viewpoint Control for Tele-Robotic Search:

Mixed-Initiative robotic systems have been successful with providing assistance for maneuvering a robot's position through a hazardous environment. However, providing assistance to resolve viewing parameters such as camera orientation have met with mixed results. Previous attempts, while effective at increasing the likelihood that key viewpoints are utilized, have met with strong dissatisfaction and struggles for control, overriding the some of the potential benefits of the automation. This study evaluates the effects of offloading the assistance to a separate, co-located video feed. The findings suggest that it is possible to provide assistance to viewpoint control without encroaching on the operator's threshold for desired control.
Supporting Java traits in Eclipse

Traits are a language technology that complements inheritance as a means for code reuse and class structuring. Traits encapsulate collections of methods so that they can be used and reused anywhere in the inheritance hierarchy. An important property of traits is that classes structured with traits have the same semantics as classes structured without them. With environment support, a programmer can move freely between views of the system with or without its component traits. In this paper we describe an environment for programming with traits for Java implemented in Eclipse.
THE DYE-SENSITIZED PHOTOOXIDATION OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES*

Almost all kinds of biological macromolecules,including polysaccharides, nucleic acids and proteins, are oxidized upon illumination in the presence of sensitizing dyes and molecular oxygen. This phenomenon is termed “photodynamic action” by biologists (1). Although the degradation by light of dyed fabrics composed of cotton, silk, wool, etc., was known even in early times, the first formal description of the sensitized photooxidation of biological macromolecules was made by Professor von Tappeiner and his students in Munich in 1903. They reported that proteins (enzymes) such as diastase, invertase, papain and trypsin were inactivated on aerobic illumination in the presence of eosin (2). Since that time, photo-dynamic studies have been made on a large number of different proteins, mainly crystalline enzymes, as well as on polysaccharides and nucleic acids.
Population ecology of the nine-banded armadillo in Florida

Abstract We used 15 years (1992–2006) of capture–mark–recapture (CMR) data obtained from a population of nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) located at the Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee, Florida and multistate CMR models to estimate and model capture probabilities, annual apparent survival, and transition probabilities between reproductive and nonreproductive states (for adult females only). Using an information theoretic approach, we then examined various influences on these parameters. Across all years, capture probability, p, was higher for adults than for yearlings, and higher for males than for females. There was also substantial yearly variation. Conditional on survival, the annual transition probability, ψ, for reproductive adult females to remain reproductive was 0.853 ± 0.044; the estimate for nonreproductive adult females to become reproductive was 0.388 ± 0.060. Annual apparent survival, S, was lowest for juveniles (S = 0.541 ± 0.118) and highest for reproductive adul...
Active macromolecule uptake by lymph node antigen-presenting cells: a novel mechanism in determining sentinel lymph node status.

Background: Although sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is a powerful staging tool for patients with melanoma and breast cancer, controversy remains regarding specific aspects of technique. We examined particle uptake by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to determine if this mechanism is responsible for the differential retention of radioactivity in SLNs relative to nonsentinel lymph nodes (NSLNs). Methods: Mapping was conducted in pigs injected with vital blue dye, fluoroscein isothiocyanate- labeled human serum albumin (FITC-HSA), and one of two99mtechnetium-labeled tracers, i.e., human serum albumin, a small macromolecule, or unfiltered sulfur colloid, a mixture of small and large particles. Macromolecule uptake by APCs was studied in vitro by using FITC-HSA and measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). SLNs and NSLNs were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy or FACS, with counterstaining for leukocyte cell surface markers. Results: Both radiotracers were effective. Cultured APCs rapidly took up FITC-HSA. Microscopy showed FITC-HSA in the subcapsular sinus of SLNs shortly after injection and subsequent distribution to interfollicular areas. FACS revealed increasing amounts of FITC-HSA in SLNs over time. Cells responsible for uptake were APCs, expressing major histocompatibility (locus) class II. Conclusions: This report establishes active macromolecule uptake as a mechanism that determines SLN status. This mechanism has important implications for performing SLN biopsy.
Generalised approach to automatic custom layout of analogue ICs

An automatic custom analogue IC layout methodology is presented which employs primitive cell recognition, critical net analysis, and self-constructive floorplanning and routing techniques. Based on this methodology, a general-purpose analogue circuit module layout generator, SLAM, has been developed. Given the schematic netlist of an arbitrary analogue MOS circuit module, SLAM can quickly generate a high-quality custom layout to some desired aspect ratio. With a simple extension of the hierarchy, this method can also handle more complex analogue subsystems. Special layout constraints are automatically analysed for each analogue circuit and properly incorporated into the layout generation on each level of the circuit hierarchy to achieve both high performance and overall area efficiency. Experimental results on common analogue VLSI building blocks such as operational amplifier, comparator and neural circuit modules are presented.
Error communication in young farm workers: Its relationship to safety climate and safety locus of control

Abstract Previous research has suggested that open communication about errors at work plays an important role in promoting occupational safety. The current study focused on error communication by young farm workers in the light of increasing concerns about young workers’ safety and the need to investigate its determinants. Specifically, we examined the effects of safety locus of control and safety climate on young workers’ communications about their errors in farm work. A cross-sectional telephone survey was administered to a randomly selected sample of adolescents, aged 13–18 years, who resided and worked on family farms in Colorado, United States. Responses from 244 young farm workers were analyzed. Our results indicated that young farm workers who reported having a high internal safety locus of control and perceived a positive safety climate were more likely to openly communicate their mistakes at work to their parents who owned the farms. Further, safety climate significantly buffered against the nega...
Optimizing gold and platinum pinhole collimators for imaging of small volumes at ultra-high resolution

Monte Carlo simulation is used to study the spatial resolution and sensitivity of pinhole collimators for 140.5 keV Tc-99m gamma rays. Collimators made out of gold, platinum, and tungsten, with pinhole diameters of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm are studied. Each collimator has a 60 degree acceptance angle. Gold has the same density as pure tungsten (s.g.=19.3) but a higher atomic number (79 for gold vs. 74 for tungsten). Platinum (Z=78, s.g.=21.4) is also more attenuating than tungsten. The potential improvement in resolution from using gold or platinum rather than tungsten is negligible for clinical human imaging, but is potentially useful for small animal imaging for biomedical research. Gold and platinum collimators may be produced at reasonable expense if a small insert is used, given that the loss of resolution due to gamma-ray penetration is only a concern at the pinhole edge. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that very high resolution is possible. For a gold or tungsten pinhole of 0.25 mm diameter, the model indicates a FWHM of 0.55 mm in the object plane. For pinholes of 0.1 mm diameter, the model predicts a FWHM of 0.28 mm for platinum, 0.30 mm for gold, and 0.34 mm for tungsten. These simulations were performed for pure tungsten; tungsten alloys would be slightly less attenuating. Sensitivity also diminishes as pinhole size is reduced, and the smallest pinholes would be most useful for very short distances, e.g., 1 or 2 cm. The sensitivity at such distances would be similar to that of larger pinholes for human imaging, working at larger distances.
DISTRIBUTION RECORDS FOR HELMINTHS OF THE RED FOX VULPES VULPES FROM NEW MEXICO

Abstract One cestode, Mesocestoides variabilis (2/8, 25%), and two nematodes, Ancylostoma caninum (1/8, 12.5%) and Spirocerca lupi (1/8, 12.5%), are recorded from three of eight (37.5%) red foxes Vulpes vulpes for the first time from New Mexico. All helminths have been found previously in red foxes.
Calcium channel blockers: pharmacology and place in therapy of pediatric hypertension

The calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are a diverse group of antihypertensive medications with variable pharmacokinetics and clinical effects. Although CCBs have been widely applied to the treatment of hypertensive children, data regarding the pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of these agents in children are extremely limited. In this review we briefly summarize the mechanism of action of CCBs and then summarize pertinent pharmacokinetic information on each of the CCBs commonly used in children, including amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, isradipine, intravenous nicardipine, nifedipine and verapamil. Clinically important drug interactions and adverse effects are discussed, as well as the potential role of CCBs in renal protection. Available pediatric efficacy and safety data are summarized, and recommendations made regarding the rational use of CCBs in the management of pediatric hypertension.
New Relation Between Mesons and Baryons

A new SU/sub 12/ classification scheme for mesons and baryons is used in conjunction with a simple quark model and results in a striking correlation between the masses of the diquark subsystems in baryons and the masses of several known mesons. The new classification provides a simple scheme which involves a basic 36 multiplet for the pseudoscalar and vector mesons and a 112 multiplet for the baryons and antibaryons. The 36 multiplet of SU/sub 12/ does not treat the eta' as a singlet as in the conventional SU/sub 6/ scheme. The new scheme also has the advantages of providing a simple algebraic form of Zweig's rule for the decay of strange-quark-antiquark pairs. Absolute values of the magnetic moments of baryons are accurately reproduced and are found to be consistent with a model in which the effective quark masses are 338 MeV (nonstrange) and 465 MeV (strange). (AIP)
A CROC stronger than ROC

Motivation: The performance of classifiers is often assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic ROC [or (AC) accumulation curve or enrichment curve] curves and the corresponding areas under the curves (AUCs). However, in many fundamental problems ranging from information retrieval to drug discovery, only the very top of the ranked list of predictions is of any interest and ROCs and AUCs are not very useful. New metrics, visualizations and optimization tools are needed to address this ‘early retrieval’ problem. Results: To address the early retrieval problem, we develop the general concentrated ROC (CROC) framework. In this framework, any relevant portion of the ROC (or AC) curve is magnified smoothly by an appropriate continuous transformation of the coordinates with a corresponding magnification factor. Appropriate families of magnification functions confined to the unit square are derived and their properties are analyzed together with the resulting CROC curves. The area under the CROC curve (AUC[CROC]) can be used to assess early retrieval. The general framework is demonstrated on a drug discovery problem and used to discriminate more accurately the early retrieval performance of five different predictors. From this framework, we propose a novel metric and visualization—the CROC(exp), an exponential transform of the ROC curve—as an alternative to other methods. The CROC(exp) provides a principled, flexible and effective way for measuring and visualizing early retrieval performance with excellent statistical power. Corresponding methods for optimizing early retrieval are also described in the Appendix. Availability: Datasets are publicly available. Python code and command-line utilities implementing CROC curves and metrics are available at http://pypi.python.org/pypi/CROC/ Contact: pfbaldi@ics.uci.edu
Overview of the diabetic foot

HE INCIDENCE and prevalence of diabetes mellitus continues to increase in the United States to epidemic levels, with 800,000 new cases diagnosed annually. I Equally alarming is the in­ creasing prevalence of diabetes-related compli­ cations. For example, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among persons with diabetes has almost tripled in the past decade, and diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. 2 Foot ulceration is one of the most common and formidable complications of diabetes, affect­ ing almost 20% of all diabetic patients during their lifetime. 3 Despite advances in management, foot problems continue to be the most common cause of hospitalization in diabetic patients, with an annual health care cost of over $1 billion. 4 Diabetes re­ mains the single strongest risk factor for limb loss, contributing to half of all lower-extremity ampu­ tations in the United States, and the relative risk for leg amputation is 40 times greater among diabetic patients. Moreover, up to 50% of diabetic ampu­ tees will undergo a second leg amputation within 5 years of the first one. s
The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children's Executive Function

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this research was to study whether a fast-paced television show immediately influences preschool-aged children9s executive function (eg, self-regulation, working memory). METHODS: Sixty 4-year-olds were randomly assigned to watch a fast-paced television cartoon or an educational cartoon or draw for 9 minutes. They were then given 4 tasks tapping executive function, including the classic delay-of-gratification and Tower of Hanoi tasks. Parents completed surveys regarding television viewing and child9s attention. RESULTS: Children who watched the fast-paced television cartoon performed significantly worse on the executive function tasks than children in the other 2 groups when controlling for child attention, age, and television exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Just 9 minutes of viewing a fast-paced television cartoon had immediate negative effects on 4-year-olds9 executive function. Parents should be aware that fast-paced television shows could at least temporarily impair young children9s executive function.
Compact elliptic-function low-pass filters using microstrip stepped-impedance hairpin resonators

A compact elliptic-function low-pass filter using microstrip stepped-impendance hairpin resonators and their equivalent-circuit models are developed. The prototype filters are synthesized from the equivalent-circuit model using available element-value tables. To optimize the performance of the filters, electromagnetic simulation is used to tune the dimensions of the prototype filters. The filter using multiple cascaded hairpin resonators provides a very sharp cutoff frequency response with low insertion loss. Furthermore, to increase the rejection-band bandwidth, additional attenuation poles are added in the filter. The filters are evaluated by experiment and simulation with good agreement. This simple equivalent-circuit model provides a useful method to design and understand this type of filters and other relative circuits.
A Comparative and Experimental Evaluation of Performance of Stocked Diploid and Triploid Brook Trout

Abstract Despite numerous negative impacts, nonnative trout are still being stocked to provide economically and socially valuable sport fisheries in western mountain lakes. We evaluated relative performance and potential differences in feeding strategy and competitive ability of triploid versus diploid brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in alpine lakes, as well as behavioral and performance differences of diploid and triploid brook trout in two controlled experimental settings: behavioral experiments in the laboratory and performance evaluations in ponds. Across lakes, catch per unit effort (CPUE) and relative weight (Wr ) were not significantly different between ploidy levels. Mean sizes were also similar between ploidy levels except in two of the larger lakes where diploids attained slightly larger sizes (approximately 20 mm longer). We observed no significant differences between diploids and triploids in diet, diet preference, or trophic structure. Similarly, growth and condition did not differ between ...
Simple components for a reconfigurable modular robotic system

A set of modular components is presented for use in reconfigurable robots. The proposed architecture for large systems built with these components is a number of active mobile devices operating within a larger, passive structural grid. The mobile devices and grid are constructed from the same class of heterogeneous modular components. The components themselves are designed for low-cost simple fabrication methods. Results from some experimental demonstrations are presented.
Relationship of left ventricular mass to defibrillation threshold for the implantable defibrillator: A combined clinical and animal study

Abstract Defibrillation results when a critical mass of myocardium is depolarized. The relationship between echocardiographic determinations of left ventricular mass, volume, and cavity radius to wall thickness ratio and defibrillation threshold for the implantable defibrillator was examined. Ten patients with two large patch defibrillating lead systems were studied. Defibrillation threshold was determined intraoperatively as the lowest energy terminating ventricular fibrillation. Left ventricular mass, volume, and radius/posterior wall thickness ratio were calculated from two-dimensional echocardiograms. A significant correlation was found between left ventricular mass and defibrillation threshold (r = 0.78, p p
Magnesium isotopic constraints on the origin of CB b chondrites

Abstract The magnesium isotopic composition of Calcium-, Aluminium-rich Inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules from the CBb chondrites HH237 and QUE94411 was measured using MC-ICPMS coupled with a laser ablation system. CAIs from CBb chondrites exhibit limited mass-dependent fractionation (δ25Mg′ (DSM3) Chondrules have δ25Mg′ (DSM3) varying from − 0.80 to 0.95‰. A rough negative correlation is observed between the δ25Mg′ of chondrules and their 24Mg/27Al ratio. This correlation is attributed to evaporation rather than mixing. Contrary to CAIs, chondrules from CBb chondrites have a magnesium isotopic composition similar to that of CV3 chondrules. This last result is surprising as CBb chondrules are significantly different from CV3 chondrules in mineralogy and chemistry. If chondrules from CBb chondrites formed in an impact-related vapour plume as proposed by Krot et al. [A.N. Krot, Y. Amelin, P. Cassen and A. Meibom, Young chondrules in CB chondrites formed by a giant impact in the early Solar System, Nature 436 (2005) 989–992], our data show that physical conditions in the vapour plume were similar to those of the solar accretion disk at the time and location of the formation of CV chondrules. We note that the oxygen isotopic composition of CAIs is incompatible with their remelting in the putative impact vapour plume. Alternatively, it is possible that CBb chondrules formed in a protoplanetary disk as the differences between these and “normal” CV3 chondrules can also be explained in term of spatial and temporal variations of the protoplanetary disk. We show that their young Pb–Pb age is not an argument in favour of an impact origin as protoplanetary disks can last as long as 10 Myr around protostars. If CBb chondrites formed in the solar accretion disk, we speculate they might be the last formed chondrite group. Such a hypothesis might shed light on the unique properties of CBb chondrites.
Auditory Recall of Conceptually, Phonetically, and Linguistically Similar Words By Normal and Learning-Disabled Children:

The effect of auditory free recall on four lists of monosyllabic word ensembles was studied in learning-disabled and nondisabled children. Familiar word lists for sequential and nonsequential recall performance included phonetic, conceptual, linguistic, and control ensembles. Recall scores of the learning-disabled children were significantly lower on all familiar word lists for both sequential and nonsequential recall compared with normal-reading children, while recall was better for both groups with conceptually and linguistically similar words compared with initial phonetic consonant cues and control words. These findings support the assumption that a deficiency in ability to retain auditory verbal stimuli is related to specific learning disabilities in reading.
Taxol suppresses dynamics of individual microtubules in living human tumor cells

Microtubules are intrinsically dynamic polymers, and their dynamics play a crucial role in mitotic spindle assembly, the mitotic checkpoint, and chromosome movement. We hypothesized that, inliving ...
Room temperature copolymerization to improve the thermal and dielectric properties of polyxylylene thin films by chemical vapor deposition

Polyxylylene thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have long been utilized for uniform, pinhole-free conformal coatings. Homopolymer films are highly crystalline and have a glass transition temperature around room temperature. We show room temperature copolymerization with previously untested comonomers during the CVD process. Samples were studied with wavelength dispersive analysis, FTIR, scanning variable angle ellipsometry, and x-ray diffraction. Copolymerizing chloro-p-xylylene with perfluoro-octyl methacrylate results in dielectric constants at optical frequencies as low as 2.19, compared to 2.68 for the homopolymer. Copolymerizing p-xylylene with 4-vinylbiphenyl resulted in films whose onset of weight loss in TGA measurements was 450 °C, compared to 270 °C for the homopolymer.
Process of producing magnesium by thermal vacuum reduction using silicocalcium as reductant

A new process of producing magnesium by thermal vacuum reduction using dolomite and magnesite as materials and silicocalcium as reductant was studied in this study. The reduction process of MgO by silicocalcium was analyzed by phases analysis of reduction slag through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the factors influencing the reduction ratio of MgO were investigated. The experimental results show that when using silicocalcium as reductant, the reduction ratio of MgO can be over 93 %. In the reduction process, calcium in silicocalcium takes part in the reduction reaction of MgO firstly below 1,000 °C and it makes CaSi2 decompose. It also releases elemental silicon which has more reactive activity and improves the reduction reaction of MgO. That is the main cause that the reduction ratio of MgO using silicocalcium as reductant is 8 %–10 % higher than that by Pidgeon process using ferrosilicon as reductant under the same conditions.
Fundamental aspect and behavior of saturated fluorocarbons in glow discharge in absence of potential source of hydrogen

The glow discharge of a series of saturated fluorocarbons, CnF2n+2 (n = 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8), was studied with glass substrates which do not contain any hydrogen. It was found that the deposition rate was a function of the F/C ratio of the starting fluorocarbons. That is, fluorocarbons with higher F/C ratio, such as CF4 and C2F6, hardly polymerized, while fluorocarbons with lower F/C ratio, such as C8F18, polymerized as well as C2F4. After plasma exposure, the surface of glass substrate was characterized by measurements of water contact angle, water droplet rolling-off angle, and ESCA. Although all saturated fluorocarbon plasmas could alter the surface more hydrophobic than before, the deposited materials from fluorocarbons with higher F/C were not stable. Also, in plasmas with high F/C fluorocarbons, i.e., CF4 and C2F6, sputtering of the electrode material was observed. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sex versus Age Differences in Adolescents' Responses to the Hand Test

The Hand Test has been used to study sex differences between boys and girls in Grade 2. Stoner ( 2 ) found significant sex differences ( p < .05) on 11 out of 24 variables measured by the test. However, no research has been published utilizing the Hand Test in investigating sex differences during adolescence. The present study addressed this issue. In addition, since even a difference of a year or two could prove critical during this transition period, the study also assessed differences between age groups separated by one year? Subjem were 65 girls and 39 boys who were every third name on the rolls of a middle school which includes Grades 6, 7, and 8, located in a suburban middle-class comrnuniry in Northeastern Ohio. The Hand Test was administered individually in a small private room and according to standard ins:ructions in the manual ( 3 ) . Mann-Whitney Us indicated a significant difference ( p < .05) on only one category between the sexes. Boys gave significantly more Exhibition responses. MannWhitney Us comparing the two age groups (12versus 13-yr.-olds), however, showed five significant differences ( p < .05). The 12-yr.-olds had significantly higher median scores on Active and Environment. This suggests a more environmental orientation and a tendency for this age group to become more involved with impersonal activities. The 13-yr.-olds showed significantly higher medians on Directive, Withdrawal, and Failure. The Withdrawal score is probably an artifact of the Failure score. This is consistent with the findings of Ames, et al. ( I ) , which indicated that the 13-yr.-olds were more withdrawn, introverted, and gave more refusals on the Rorschach than the other age groups, especially the 12-yr.-olds who gave very few refusals. The higher Directive median of the 13-yr.-olds reflects an attitude of dominance and a greater readiness to enforce one's will on others, perhaps because the 13-yr.-olds were among the oldest students in this middle school and so occupied a superior position there. While Stoner ( 2 ) found many significant sex differences among her second grade scudencs, age differences were much more prevalent among the present adolescents. Perhaps the rapid developmend changes which occur during adolescence are mote likely to be manifest in age differences, temporarily dampening sex differences. The present study suggests that the Hand Test is sensitive to differences in both age and sex. The situation appears complex and requires longitudinal testing at many ages before definitive sratements can be made.
St. Anthony's Bread: The Modernized Religious Culture of German Catholics in the Early Twentieth Century

In 1890 Louise Bouffier of Toulon tried unsuccessfully to open a doorlock with the help of a locksmith. When he proposed to use force, Bouffier promised Saint Anthony that she would hand out bread to the poor if she could avoid damaging her door. Of course, the lock obliged, and so to express her gratitude Bouffier established a statue of the saint with a collection box in her place of business. Soon petitioners were visiting the statue, and letters started to arrive as well as money to feed the poor; by 1894 a single month could bring around 2,000 letters. The practice then caught on elsewhere, with the result, as the German folklorist Beda Kieinschmidt noted in 1931, that "today there is almost no Catholic church that does not have a statue or picture of Anthony. People ask him for all kinds of favors. If their requests are heard, the thank offering is a donation for 'Anthony bread,' which means everywhere, for the help of the poor."1 Saint Anthony's Bread, Kieinschmidt argues, had a "truly popular origin and popular format."^ Anthony himself joined a handful of saints who inspired the faith of German Catholics during the early twentieth century and so came to dominate the cult scene, together with the ever-popular Mary, Jesus, and Joseph. The concept of combining invocation of Anthony's assistance with a symbolic thank-offering of nurture to the poor illustrates how these modern Catholics had maintained their traditional devotion to saintly helpers. This was the "religious folk life" in which, the folklorist Rudolf KriB argues, "the focal point... was pilgrimage customs."3 Participants clearly agreed with the Bavarian Women's Realm newspaper when they defined "religion as the source of all true luck."4 Yet, as Caroline Ford has recently pointed out, "far from being atavistic survivals, beliefs in the supernatural mediated the far-reaching social and economic changes associated with the process of industrialization and national integration."5 Saints' cults had to keep up with the times as Catholics adapted their religious customs to suit the demanding new social existence that even rural dwellers faced. These twentieth-century Germans inherited rituals perfected in a Baroque flowering of popular cult life but mixed with the mid-nineteenth century re? formed practices that Jonathan Sperber has identified as a hierarchically-led Catholic "revival."6 However, Sperber analyzed the modernizing process at an early stage; its completion came only in the volatile and creative cultural atmosphere ofthe 1920s and 1930s. This ongoing transformation of traditional pious expressions was all too obvious to contemporary folklorists, but they condemned the changes and ignored them in all but an occasional biting attack, unless some novelty piqued their interest. By contrast, the few recent historical studies of this local Catholic culture have failed to recognize how actively their subjects were modifying the traditional cult life; this blind spot explains why Ford calls
Cognitive reserve moderates the impact of subcortical gray matter atrophy on neuropsychological status in multiple sclerosis.

Background:Cognitive decline is characterized in multiple sclerosis (MS), but the rate and severity vary. The reserve hypothesis proposes that baseline neurological differences impact cognitive out...
PERSONAL CONSTRUCT INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY AND THE CREDULOUS APPROACH

Kelly's (1955) theory of personal constructs suggests the therapist is most effective if his orientation to clients is credulous. The credulous approach requires the therapist to seek an understanding of the person's experience, in its complexity and uniqueness. instead of simply evaluating the person along preestablished dimensions of good vs bad. The credulous approach is assumed to lead to the development of myriad dimensional views of people by supporting spontaneous, unguarded exploration. Such understanding is assumed to facilitate the client's transcendence of conflicrs and impoverished perspectives. Chambers (1983) developed a measure of such myriad dimensional construction. The measure, called integrative complexity, correlated with the Cattell 16 PF measures of openmindedness, trust, and spontaneity vs closedmindedness, mistrust, and rigidity. These findings suggest the more credulous person is also more integratively complex. In another study, Chambers (1985) found the integratively complex person is better at resolving inconsistent information about another person. In the present study this line of reasoning is extended by determining whether subjecu asked to behave in a credulous vs incredulous manner tend to be more inregratively complex. Forty-four undergraduates participating for academic credit completed coordinate grids (Chambers, 1983), that is, each ranked a set of people to one another in terms of their general similarity. This produces a square matrix of ranks. Integrative complexiry is determined by subtracting this matrix from its transpose and summing the absolute values of the differences. The lower the sum, the greater the integrative complexity. To inspire a credulous orientation, 22 subjects were asked to complete a grid containing 10 people they understood well. An incredulous orientation was developed by asking the second 22 subjects to complete a grid made of 10 people they mistrusted. Results suggest the credulous orientation led to grids of greater integrative complexity. The mean for the credulous group was 180.36 (SD 24.75, n 22). The mean for the incredulous group was 194.7 (SD 29.08, n 22). Means were significantly different (t4= = 1.72, p < .05). The results were modest but suggest people may be more integratively complex about people they understand than those they mistrust. This is consistent with Kelly's views on the credulous approach. More work is needed and might lead to a betrer understanding of the complexities of therapeutic processes.
High Dynamic Range Photogrammetry for Light and Geometry Measurement

When people perceive the world, their eyes simultaneously acquire light and geometry to constitute an image that is interpreted in the brain as vision. The real-time synchronous measurement of light (in photometry) and geometry is desired in many scientific and industrial applications related to visual perception. Conventionally, meters and tools have been used for measuring light and geometry. Digital cameras can also measure light or geometry, such as recently validated high dynamic range (HDR) photography for luminance mapping a static scenario, and metric-camera-aided photogrammetry for measuring geometry. Unfortunately, existing technologies cannot measure light and geometry simultaneously. The separated measurements increase the labor, slow the data collection, and cause difficulties in follow-up data alignment. To break through these limitations, HDR photogrammetry was recently developed for synchronous acquisition of luminance of targets across a scene and their three dimensional coordinates XYZ in the field. The HDR photogrammetry deploys a single consumer grade digital camera fitted with a standard, wide-angle, or fisheye lens, mounted on a portable measurement platform. The HDR photogrammetry was validated in a laboratory experiment. The average errors of 1.8% – 6.2% for luminance mapping seven grey checkers and 12.9 – 24.3 mm for measuring their XYZ coordinates are deemed acceptable in practice. The HDR photogrammetry would supplement light and geometry measurement and stimulate many applications. This paper introduces several indoor and outdoor applications of the HDR photogrammetry, using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i fitted with a 10 mm Sigma EX DC HSM fisheye lens as the main test rig, for measuring light and geometry simultaneously.