cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Satellite observations of snowfall regimes over the Greenland Ice Sheet

Abstract. The mass of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) is decreasing due to surface melt and ice dynamics. Snowfall both adds mass to the GIS and has the capacity to reduce surface melt by increasing surface brightness, reflecting additional solar radiation back to space. This study leverages the synergy between two satellite instruments, CloudSat's Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) and CALIPSO's Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), to identify snowfall cases over the GIS and partition them into two regimes: those associated with exclusively ice-phase cloud processes (IC) and those involving mixed-phase processes indicated by the presence of super-cooled liquid water (CLW). Overall, most CPR observations of snowfall over the GIS come from IC events (70 %), however, during the summer months, close to half of the snow observed is produced in CLW events (45 %). IC snowfall plays a dominant role in building the GIS, producing ~80 % of the total estimated 399 Gt yr−1 accumulation. Beyond the cloud phase that defines the snowfall regimes, the macrophysical cloud characteristics are distinct as well; the mean IC geometric cloud depth (~4 km) is consistently deeper than the CLW geometric cloud depth (~2 km), consistent with previous studies based on surface observations. Two-dimensional histograms of the vertical distribution of CPR reflectivities show that IC events demonstrate consistent growth toward the surface while CLW events do not. Analysis of ERA5 reanalyses shows that IC events are associated with cyclone activity and CLW events occur under large scale anomalous high pressure. Ground-based data is used to estimate the sensitivity of CloudSat's CPR to the two snowfall regimes, finding that the space-based radar is sensitive enough to detect ~95 % of IC snowfall cases and ~75 % of CLW snowfall cases seen at the surface.
Psychosocial Interventions for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Systematic Review with Evidence and Gap Maps.

Objective To inform the scope of future systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and treatment outcome studies, this review aims to describe the extent of the evidence for psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, with particular attention to specific types of interventions, targets of outcome assessment, and risk of bias. Method A comprehensive search of relevant databases (i.e., Medline, PsychInfo, Education Resources Information Center, and ProQuest Dissertation Database) was conducted. Detailed information related to treatment type, outcome assessment, study design, and risk of bias was extracted by trained coders. Evidence and gap maps were created to summarize evidence within types of treatments and targets of outcome assessment. Indicators of risk of bias were assessed for selected combinations of treatments and outcome assessment. Results We identified 185 eligible individual studies and 3817 effect sizes. Behavioral parent training and cognitive training (COG) were the most commonly studied stand-alone interventions. Treatment versus control comparisons for stand-alone interventions (s = 70) were less common than for complex interventions involving combinations of psychosocial interventions (s = 100). Combinations of behavioral and child training (e.g., COG, organizational training) interventions were the most frequently studied. Conclusion There is a considerable variability within this literature regarding combinations of treatments across outcome assessment targets. To address gaps in existing evidence, more primary studies assessing direct comparisons of isolated and combined treatment effects of specific types of psychosocial treatments relative to control and other treatments are needed. Future meta-analyses should take into account the complexity and breadth of available evidence.
Predictors of motives for marijuana use in African American adolescents and emerging adults

African American adolescents use marijuana at higher rates and may be more vulnerable to psychosocial risk factors for marijuana use, including depression, post-traumatic stress, and having substan...
A large-scale exploration of terms of service documents on the web

Terms of service documents are a common feature of organizations' websites. Although there is no blanket requirement for organizations to provide these documents, their provision often serves essential legal purposes. Users of a website are expected to agree with the contents of a terms of service document, but users tend to ignore these documents as they are often lengthy and difficult to comprehend. As a step towards understanding the landscape of these documents at a large scale, we present a first-of-its-kind terms of service corpus containing 247,212 English language terms of service documents obtained from company websites sampled from Free Company Dataset. We examine the URLs and contents of the documents and find that some websites that purport to post terms of service actually do not provide them. We analyze reasons for unavailability and determine the overall availability of terms of service in a given set of website domains. We also identify that some websites provide an agreement that combines terms of service with a privacy policy, which is often an obligatory separate document. Using topic modeling, we analyze the themes in these combined documents by comparing them with themes found in separate terms of service and privacy policies. Results suggest that such single-page agreements miss some of the most prevalent topics available in typical privacy policies and terms of service documents and that many disproportionately cover privacy policy topics as compared to terms of service topics.
Some disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs make small improvements in knee and hip osteoarthritis.

SOURCE CITATION Yang W, Sun C, He SQ, et al. The efficacy and safety of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs for knee and hip osteoarthritis-a systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36:2085-93. 33846938.
Can multi-label classification networks know what they don't know?

Estimating out-of-distribution (OOD) uncertainty is a central challenge for safely deploying machine learning models in the open-world environment. Improved methods for OOD detection in multi-class classification have emerged, while OOD detection methods for multi-label classification remain underexplored and use rudimentary techniques. We propose JointEnergy, a simple and effective method, which estimates the OOD indicator scores by aggregating energy scores from multiple labels. We show that JointEnergy can be mathematically interpreted from a joint likelihood perspective. Our results show consistent improvement over previous methods that are based on the maximum-valued scores, which fail to capture joint information from multiple labels. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on three common multi-label classification benchmarks, including MS-COCO, PASCAL-VOC, and NUS-WIDE. We show that JointEnergy can reduce the FPR95 by up to 10.05% compared to the previous best baseline, establishing state-of-the-art performance.
In Utero Exposure to trans-10, cis-12 Conjugated Linoleic Acid Modifies Postnatal Development of the Mammary Gland and its Hormone Responsiveness

We previously showed that dietary trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (10,12 CLA) stimulates estrogen-independent mammary growth in young ovariectomized mice. Here we investigated the effects of in utero or postnatal exposure to cis-9, trans-11 (9,11 CLA) and 10,12 CLA on postnatal development of the mammary gland and its responsiveness to ovarian steroids. In the first experiment we fed dams different CLA prior to and during gestation, then cross fostered female pups onto control fed dams prior to assessing the histomorphology of their mammary glands. Pregnant dams in the second experiment were similarly exposed to CLA, after which their female pups were ovariectomized then treated with 17β-estradiol (E), progesterone (P) or E + P for 5 days. In a third experiment, mature female mice were fed different CLA for 28 days prior to ovariectomy, then treated with E, P or E + P. Our data indicate that 10,12 CLA modifies the responsiveness of the mammary glands to E or E + P when exposure occurs either in utero, or postnatally. These findings underline the sensitivity of the mammary glands to dietary fatty acids and reinforce the potential for maternal nutrition to impact postnatal development of the mammary glands and their risk for developing cancer.
Gut microbiome, Vitamin D, ACE2 interactions are critical factors in immune-senescence and inflammaging: key for vaccine response and severity of COVID-19 infection

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to spread sporadically in the Unites States and worldwide. The severity and mortality excessively affected the frail elderly with co-existing medical diseases. There is growing evidence that cross-talk between the gut microbiome, Vitamin D and RAS/ACE2 system is essential for a balanced functioning of the elderly immune system and in regulating inflammation. In this review, we hypothesize that the state of gut microbiome, prior to infection determines the outcome associated with COVID-19 sepsis and may also be a critical factor in success to vaccination. Methods Articles from PubMed/Medline searches were reviewed using a combination of terms "SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Inflammaging, Immune-senescence, Gut microbiome, Vitamin D, RAS/ACE2, Vaccination". Conclusion Evidence indicates a complex association between gut microbiota, ACE-2 expression and Vitamin D in COVID-19 severity. Status of gut microbiome is highly predictive of the blood molecular signatures and inflammatory markers and host responses to infection. Vitamin D has immunomodulatory function in innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection. Anti-inflammatory functions of Vit D include regulation of gut microbiome and maintaining microbial diversity. It promotes growth of gut-friendly commensal strains of Bifida and Fermicutus species. In addition, Vitamin D is a negative regulator for expression of renin and interacts with the RAS/ ACE/ACE-2 signaling axis. Collectively, this triad may be the critical, link in determination of outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presented data are empirical and informative. Further research using advanced systems biology techniques and artificial intelligence-assisted integration could assist with correlation of the gut microbiome with sepsis and vaccine responses. Modulating these factors may impact in guiding the success of vaccines and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 infections.
Experience of Older Gay and Bisexual Men Living with HIV/AIDS

Although HIV/AIDS definitely impacts gay and bisexual men of all ages, the impact on people in their later years has not been actively investigated. This exploratory study obtained detailed narratives from 14 adults between the ages of 51-72, all of whom were infected with HIV. Ten of the participants were potentially infected through male to male sexual contact. The subjects reported living with HIV for substantial periods with an average of 13 years of life since diagnosis, estimating a duration of HIV seropositivity from 1-20 years. Most had significant health problems, which may be related to aging, in addition to a number of HIV-related symptoms. They expressed community identification as people living with HIV; some were highly identified as gay men, while other were closeted or in denial regarding their same-sex activity. Half felt to some extent bisexual, and described relationships with wives or other women. Although many participants maintained active social lives, others expressed feelings of loneliness and isolation. This group was minimally active sexually and several of the participants expressed reservations about safer sex, especially condom usage. A strong theme was the sense of having lived a full life, which may help the individual cope with his diagnosis. The findings suggest the need to examine the diversity among older gay and bisexual men living with HIV, how these experiences vary by race and ethnicity, and identification of issues related to prevention and services.
Nucleosynthesis constraints on early galactic evolution

This paper identifies abundance patterns observed in metaldeficient stars which serve to distinguish them from stars of solar composition and reviews the defining characteristics of the nucleosynthesis mechanisms which are believed to be responsible for their formation. We then seek to identify constraints that these combined observational and theoretical considerations impose upon models of the early history and evolution of our galaxy and cosmology.
A review of past research on dendrometers

ABSTRACT. The purpose of a dendrometer is to measure tree diameter. Contact and noncontactdendrometers accomplish this task by collecting different metrics, including girth or distance betweentangent points on a tree stem. Many dendrometers have been developed in the last quarter centuryand many have been retired. This article summarizes instrument developments and applicationresults, contains an interpretation of the results, and provides guidance for dendrometer selection.F OR . S CI . 46(4):570–576.Additional Key Words: Instrumentation, diameter measurement, forest inventory, mensuration. Neil A. Clark is Research Forester, Integrated Life Cycle of Wood: Tree Quality, Processing, and Recycling, USDA Forest Service Southern ResearchStation–0503, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061—Phone: (540)231-4674; Fax: (540)231-8868; E-mail:neclark@vt.edu. Randolph H. Wynne is Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry, College of Natural Resources, Virginia Polyte chnic Institute andState University, 321 Cheatham Hall–0324, Blacksburg, VA 24061—Phone (540)231-7811; E-mail: wynne@vt.edu. Daniel L. Schmoldt is ResearchForest Products Technologist, Integrated Life Cycle of Wood: Tree Quality, Processing, and Recycling, USDA Forest Service Southern ResearchStation–0503, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061—Phone: (608)262-3313; E-mail: dlschmol@ facstaff.wisc.edu.Acknowledgments: The authors thank the reviewers for their time and valuable suggestions for improving the manuscript.Manuscript received May 3, 1999. Accepted April 10, 2000.This article was written by U.S. Government employees and is therefore in the public domain.
Mixed-precision models for calculation of high-order virial coefficients on GPUs

The virial equation of state (VEOS) is a density expansion of the thermodynamic pressure with respect to an ideal-gas reference. Its coefficients can be computed from a molecular model, and become more expensive to calculate at higher order. In this paper, we use GPU to calculate the 8th, 9th and 10th virial coefficients of the Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential model by the Mayer Sampling Monte Carlo (MSMC) method and Wheatley's algorithm. Two mixed-precision models are proposed to overcome a potential precision limitation of current GPUs while maintaining the performance benefit. On the latest Kepler architecture GPU Tesla K40, an average speedup of 20 to 40 is achieved for these calculations.
Fuzzy control of pricing for bandwidth demand in obtainable forwarding service for differentiated services architecture

The tremendous increase in customer bandwidth demands has led to the necessity of better utilization of available bandwidth resources. We present an artificial intelligence based pricing mechanism for control of user demand in the obtainable forwarding (OF) service in DiffServ networks. By deploying a fuzzy logic controller at the DiffServ boundary node, we are able to adjust dynamically the price per unit bandwidth, depending on customer bandwidth demands and bandwidth availability. In the case of elastic traffic, a small change in price leads to a small change in customer demand. As the decision to buy bandwidth or not lies in the hands of the customer (his grade of utility), it is difficult to estimate the parameters for the customer bandwidth utility function. The suggested fuzzy controller implements rules, easily obtainable at the boundary node, using terms such as "small change", "big increase". We present an evaluation of the utilization of dynamically changing bandwidth demand.
Ionizing Radiation Damage and Its Early Development in Chromosomes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the early development of ionizing radiation damage in chromosomes. Ionizing radiations are among the most potent of clastogens, apart from being mutagenic and oncogenic. Gross structural changes—such as translocations, inversions, and deletions—appear to constitute the principal genetic alterations that underlie the malignant transformation of cells, whereas dominantly acting point mutations involving single base changes in oncogenes appear to be of minor importance by comparison. Ionizing radiation is extremely inefficient in producing point mutations involving single base changes in mammalian cells. Ionizing radiations produce a wide spectrum of lesions, many of which are known to be produced in numbers exceeding aberration yields. In addition to permanent heritable changes in surviving germ cells leading to harmful effects in future generations, ionizing radiations can lead to cell reproductive death. This cell-killing process also appears to result largely from the production of certain kinds of gross chromosomal aberrations. There have been successful attempts to sequence stretches of DNA that span break points of spontaneous chromosomal exchange-type aberrations and large intragenic deletions within endogenous genes.
Auditory sensory gating and performance on the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System

Sensory gating is a neurological mechanism that inhibits redundant sensory information. Impaired sensory gating is not uncommon in otherwise healthy individuals, but its relationship with higher level cognitive function is poorly understood. It is plausible that cognitive fragmentation associated with poor sensory gating may affect an individual's higher level executive functioning. Fifty-one participants (Mean age = 22.02; 24 males) were administered an electroencephalogram with a paired-tone paradigm to measure sensory gating as well as a comprehensive executive functioning battery—the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System. Overall, better performance on the D-KEFS was related to more effective sensory gating. Also, tasks that measured cognitive flexibility predicted P50 latency as well as P200 amplitude and sensory gating. Understanding the relationship between sensory gating and cognitive processing has implications for healthy individuals and clinical groups alike.
Estrogen and progesterone decrease let-7f microRNA expression and increase IL-23/IL-23 receptor signaling and IL-17A production in patients with severe asthma.

Background Women have an increased prevalence of severe asthma compared with men. IL-17A is associated with severe asthma and requires IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) signaling, which is negatively regulated by let-7f microRNA. Objective We sought to Determine the mechanism by which 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) increase IL-17A production. Methods IL-17A production was determined by using flow cytometry in T H 17 cells from women (n = 14) and men (n = 15) with severe asthma. Cytokine levels were measured by using ELISA, and IL-23R and let-7f expression was measured by using quantitative PCR in T H 17-differentiated cells from healthy women (n = 13) and men (n = 14). In sham-operated or ovariectomized female mice, 17β-E2, P4, 17β-E2+P4, or vehicle pellets were administered for 3 weeks before ex vivo T H 17 cell differentiation. Airway neutrophil infiltration and CXCL1 (KC) expression were also determined in ovalbumin (OVA)–challenged wild-type female recipient mice with an adoptive transfer of OVA-specific T H 17 cells from female and male mice. Results In patients with severe asthma and healthy control subjects, IL-17A production was increased in T H 17 cells from women compared with men. IL-23R expression was increased and let-7f expression was decreased in T H 17-differentiated cells from women compared with men. In ovariectomized mice IL-17A and IL-23R expression was increased and Let-7f expression was decreased in T H 17 cells from mice administered 17β-E2+P4 compared with those administered vehicle. Furthermore, transfer of female OVA-specific T H 17 cells increased acute neutrophil infiltration in the lungs of OVA-challenged recipient mice compared with transfer of male OVA-specific T H 17 cells. Conclusions 17β-E2+P4 increased IL-17A production from T H 17 cells, providing a potential mechanism for the increased prevalence of severe asthma in women compared with men.
Anticipated Versus Actual Emotional Reactions to Disclosure of Results of Genetic Tests for Cancer Susceptibility: Findings From p53 and BRCA1 Testing Programs

PURPOSE: We examined the ability of individuals undergoing genetic testing for cancer susceptibility in two structured research protocols to accurately anticipate emotional reactions to disclosure of their test result. We explored whether accuracy of emotional anticipation was associated with postdisclosure psychologic adjustment. METHODS: Data from 65 individuals were analyzed; 24 members of Li-Fraumeni cancer syndrome families were tested for p53 mutations (all 24 were unaffected), and 41 subjects with hereditary breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility were tested for BRCA1 mutations (34 were unaffected and seven were affected). Subjects were from families in which a germline mutation had been previously identified. At the pretest session, subjects rated the extent to which they anticipated feeling each of six emotional states (relief, happiness, sadness, guilt, anger, and worry) after disclosure that they did or did not carry the familial mutation. After receiving their test result, they rated their feeli...
Measuring the Impact of a Continuing Medical Education Program on Patient Blood Pressure

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011;13:517–522. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. An increased focus on hypertension prevention and control, especially in high-risk populations, may have a substantial impact on cardiovascular health outcomes. A continuing medical education (CME) program trained primary care providers in evidence-based guidelines for hypertension prevention and control. This study evaluated its effectiveness in reducing patients’ blood pressure for the sessions occurring from 2003 to 2007. Using the Hypertension Initiative Database, 8183 patients of CME providers (CME patients) were paired with controls and changes in blood pressure, provider visits, prescription months, and the proportion of patients with blood pressure 140/90 mm Hg), the changes in blood pressure were similar in magnitude to those in the entire population. The CME program, by promoting evidence-based practice, improves patients’ blood pressure and could serve as a positive model for future hypertension interventions.
Isotopic record of lead pollution in lake sediments from the northeastern United States

Abstract Although it is common knowledge that Pb concentrations have increased in lake sediments in the northeastern United States over the last 150 years, the processes responsible have been the subject of debate. In this study, differences in lead isotopic compositions and concentrations in sediment from large lakes (Lake Erie, Ontario, and Michigan) and small ones (Deep Lake and Lake Andrus) are used to infer temporal changes in the source(s) of anthropogenic Pb in the Great Lakes region. A natural (background) component of Pb is present in sediment deposited prior to 1860 in Lake Erie and the other lakes as indicated from low Pb concentrations and uniform lead isotopic compositions. Changes in isotopic ratios of lake sediment reflect differing sources of anthropogenic Pb superimposed on the natural component such as regional deforestation from 1860–1890 followed by coal combustion and ore smelting through 1930. Combustion of leaded gasoline was the dominant anthropogenic Pb source to the atmosphere (and by inference to lake sediment) from 1930–1980. Temporal changes in lead isotopic compositions in lake sediment suggest that the source of the Pb used in gasoline additives gradually changed from 1930 to present. The best example is a distinct shift in lead isotopic ratios in lake sediment deposited after 1970 which corresponds to increased Pb production from the Viburnum Trend deposits in Missouri (present in all lakes except Ontario). However, the changes in lead isotopic compositions are much less variable than and do not parallel those calculated on the basis of annual United States mine production and imports. Rather, anthropogenic recycling of Pb as well as natural mixing processes during emission, transport, and deposition of Pb in lake sediment control most of the variation in lead isotope ratios. Differences in lead isotopic ratios in Lake Michigan, Erie, and Deep Lake sediment preserve regional differences in lead isotopic ratios from U.S. and Canadian sources first noted in aerosols by Sturges and Barrie (1987). More localized sources of Pb (such as point discharges) are needed to explain the results from Lake Ontario and Andrus.
Expert and Novice Recognition of Similar Situations

Situation assessment is crucial for making schema-driven decisions in naturalistic settings. Recognizing that some situations are similar to a specific category of scenarios underscores the classification aspect. To test hypotheses regarding expert and novice differences in recognizing similar scenarios, 28 senior naval officers and 52 junior naval officers classified tactical situations, each of which appeared on a note card, labeled every created cluster to convey a category description, and signified their criteria for sorting scenarios. Principal-components and discriminant analyses, and associated statistics, established that when categorizing situations, experts and novices used surface features and deep structures as criteria for recognizing similarity; experts are significantly more context-dependent than are novices; experts and novices do not differ significantly in the number of schemata and scenarios per schema formed or in the access avenues ascribed for these schemata; experts do not process...
Effects of the anti-inflammatory drug salsalate on bone turnover in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have an increased risk of fractures [1]. This increased risk, despite normal bone mineral density (BMD) [2, 3], has led to investigation of deficits in diabetic skeletal properties. Skeletal dynamics are reduced in T2D [4, 5], possibly as a result of inflammation [6]. Inflammation plays an important role in T2D, as obesity activates the transcription-factor-nuclear-factorjB (NF-jB), which increases the risk for T2D [7]. Inflammation also compromises skeletal remodeling by reducing bone formation and increasing bone resorption [8], possibly via activation of receptoractivator of nuclear-factor-j-B ligand (RANKL) [9]. RANKL and NF-jB may act as hormones, exerting effects at sites distant from where they are produced. We analyzed stored samples from the TINSAL-T2D trial [10], where it was found that salsalate, a prodrug of salicylate which reduces NF-jB activity [11, 12], decreased HbA1c levels [10]. We hypothesized that reducing inflammation in T2D would rebalance the bone remodeling process.
Modeling the Management of Electronic Health Records in Healthcare Information Systems

Healthcare information systems include the information technologies and processes that support the healthcare providers in performing their services. Currently more and more healthcare organizations are converting their paper data to electronic format and keep them in computers' storage. This practice is partly due to government laws or regulations; it is also partly due to a need to effectively compete with other healthcare organizations. Two main types of electronic data records for a healthcare organization are electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic health record (EHR) for patients. There are two characteristics of a patient's data records. The first is their longevity and the second is the strict requirement of their integrity. Properly managing these data records is a challenging task. This paper presents an approach in modeling the management of EMR's and EHR's by using the Unified Modeling Language (UML). It demonstrates the usefulness by mapping some important healthcare functions to the elements of the UML model.
Relationship Between BMI and Food Purchases in Low-Income, Urban African American Adult Carry-Out Customers

Carry-outs are an important source of calorically dense foods in low-income urban neighborhoods. However, little is known about how customer body mass index (BMI) relates to purchasing behavior. A random sample of 184 adult carry-out customers was surveyed on frequency of visits, demographic information, and purchases made over the prior week at 8 carry-outs. This information was used to determine healthy food purchasing scores. BMI was negatively associated with purchasing a healthy side dish (β = −0.052, P = .025) and positively associated with purchasing a healthy drink (β = 0.051, P = .022), adjusting for age, sex, education, and employment. Based on these findings, efforts could be made to improve the food environment by increasing promotion of these healthier options.
Radiative decay of heavy Higgs bosons.

The decays of heavy Higgs bosons (m/sub H/> or approx. =200 GeV) are dominated by W/sup +/W/sup -/ and Z/sup 0/Z/sup 0/ final states. We examine the related radiative decay H..-->..W/sup +/W/sup -/..gamma.. for hard photons, which has a fairly large relative branching ratio (20--40%) as the Higgs-boson mass increases. This process further enlarges the width-to-mass ratio of the heavy Higgs boson, signaling a breakdown in perturbation theory as the Higgs-boson mass nears 1 TeV.
Preliminary Investigation on the Corrosion Behavior of Amorphous (Ti 90 Ru 10 ) 87 Si 13 in Saline Solutions

Abstract Amorphous alloys also known as metallic glasses appear to have unique corrosion resistant properties. The corrosion characteristics of a (Ti 90 Ru 10 ) 87 Si 13 alloy have been measured in 0.5 M NaCl and in artificial seawater (ASW) by linear polarization resistance, ac impedance and small amplitude cyclic voltammetry (SACV). Results show a low corrosion rate of the alloy in these media, with the rate of corrosion in seawater slightly faster than the rate of corrosion in sodium chloride.
Intramonthly Indices of the Pacific/North American Teleconnection Pattern and Temperature Regimes over the United States

Previous work has examined relationships between the planetary scale Pacific North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern and regional scale mean temperature over portions of the United States, but analyses have been restricted to monthly values of these two variables. It is not clear if this is the most appropriate scale for relating PNA patterns to temperature. In this study, PNA indices are related to various aspects of temperature over a range of time scales spanning one month. To carry this out, standardized PNA indices are calculated for 6 time intervals ranging from 5 to 30 days over a period of 27 winter seasons. Standardized regional scale temperature anomalies are assessed over various regions of the United States and used to compute mean, maximum, and minimum temperature anomalies over the same 6 time intervals. Correlation matrices are then constructed to provide relationship characteristics between the PNA indices and temperature measures within the intramonthly time scale.
Enzymatic determination of triglyceride, free cholesterol, and total cholesterol in tissue lipid extracts

Triglyceride, free cholesterol, and total cholesterol were quantified in lipid extracts of liver and thoracic aorta from nonhuman primates using commercially available enzymatic reagents. Lipids were solubilized in water by the addition of Triton X-100. Results of the enzymatic assays compared favorably with chemical assays of lipids separated by thin-layer chromatography. In addition to saving time, the present method has the advantage of measuring each lipid class from a single sample preparation. Furthermore, the procedure has been adapted for use with microtiter plates that conserve both sample and reagent.
Simulation-Based Spending Rules for Investment Funds: Revision and Comparison to Other Methods

The authors focus on the problem of determining the most appropriate cash withdrawal plan from an investment portfolio and investigate different methodologies. They note that economic theory suggests that an optimal spending rule needs to maximize some multi-period utility function, but argue that this is merely a formal restatement of the problem and not an operational solution. They suggest that an important consideration should be the volatility or variability of the cash withdrawal stream over time. They fault market-based spending rules arguing that spending then reflects the volatility of the investment portfolio. Noting that the use of Monte Carlo techniques to determine spending plans is growing, they show that there exist certain flaws in the way simulation is used to address this cash withdrawal problem. They ultimately argue that the plans generated by a simulation approach are essentially equivalent to other approaches, require the same type of evaluation, and offer little not already available to planners facing this situation.
High frequency photonic analog-to-digital conversion using nonuniform sampling

We discuss recently developed techniques for photonic analog-to-digital conversion based on nonuniform sampling. We have experimentally validated this approach, demonstrating high resolution, alias-free signal reconstruction at carrier frequencies up to 20 GHz.
Density functional study of a ferromagnetic ferroelectricLaMnO3∕BaTiO3superlattice

Using the $\mathrm{GGA}+U$ density functional, we have calculated the lattice constants, atomic positions, magnetization, and ferroelectric polarization of a ${(\mathrm{La}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3})}_{4.5}{(\mathrm{Ba}\mathrm{Ti}\mathrm{O})}_{4.5}$ superlattice containing five LaO and $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ planes and four $\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ and BaO planes. Although $\mathrm{La}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is antiferromagnetic, it is ferromagnetic in the superlattice. An approximation to the ferroelectric polarization, obtained from a comparison of superlattice and bulk crystal atomic displacements and unit cell volumes, is found to agree reasonably well with that obtained from a Berry phase calculation. The electric polarization is polarized along the longer in-plane lattice vector, while the Mn spins, when the spin-orbit interaction and spin noncollinearity are included, have different magnitudes, but all point in essentially the same direction as the electric polarization.
Foscolo, Dante and the Papacy

(1990). Foscolo, Dante and the Papacy. History of European Ideas: Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 211-220.
Transnational higher education: offshore campuses in the Middle East

This paper maps the landscape of transnational higher education in the Middle East, focusing in particular on the recent expansion of satellite, branch, and offshore educational institutions and programs that foreign institutions have set up in the region. Of the estimated 100 branch campuses currently operating worldwide, over one-third are in the Arab region and the majority have opened within the last decade; two dozen additional transnational programs and universities exist in the region as well. Very little research has been conducted on these new institutions, however, raising many questions for scholars in education. This paper traces reasons for the rapid growth of the transnational higher education model in the Arab states and discusses the explanatory power for this phenomenon of the two major prevailing theories in comparative and international education. We argue that neither neoinstitutional theories about global norm diffusion nor culturalist theories about the local politics of educational ...
The Status of Freud's Legacy on Emotional Processing : Contemporary Revisions

This article evaluates, in light of current empirical data, several of the assumptions contributed to our field by Freud about how emotions operate. The idea that expression of emotions dissipates these emotions is evaluated. The idea that bottling up emotion results is ill health is reviewed. The idea that pain of trauma and loss needs to be confronted is examined. Additionally, the assumption that traumatic events invariably result in distress is discussed. It is argued that empirical findings reject the Freudian model of emotion as energy that must be discharged. Empirical findings also support the view that revisiting painful emotion can be helpful when the result is to find a new perspective on painful events. Thus, empirical literature rejects Freudian rationale for confronting prior trauma and loss, while offering new perspectives for how to handle distress resulting from trauma and loss.
Long-term outcome after atrioventricular valve surgery following modified Fontan operation

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the early and late results of atrioventricular valve surgery after Fontan operation.BackgroundAtrioventricular valve regurgitation is a known perioperative risk factor for Fontan operation. There are limited data on the outcomes of late atrioventricular valve surgery following Fontan operation.MethodsPatients who underwent atrioventricular valve surgery following Fontan procedure were identified from the Mayo Clinic Fontan database. Medical records were reviewed for pre-operative, operative, and post-operative clinical and haemodynamic data. All patients not known to be deceased were sent health status questionnaires.ResultsA total of 61 patients (28 females) underwent atrioventricular valve surgery following Fontan procedure. The median age at atrioventricular valve surgery was 14 years. The median duration between Fontan and atrioventricular valve surgery was 4.7 years. Median follow-up was 9 years. There were a total of 32 (52%) deaths with 8 (13%) within 30 days of surgery. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 67%, 57%, and 45%, respectively. On follow-up, 44 of 61 (72%) had arrhythmias, 21 of 29 (72%) were symptomatic, and 12 of 61 (20%) developed protein-losing enteropathy. On multivariate analysis, reduced ventricular function and development of protein-losing enteropathy were associated with decreased survival.ConclusionAtrioventricular valve surgery after Fontan procedure is associated with substantial late morbidity and mortality. Atrioventricular valve surgery in this cohort of patients portends poor long-term outcome and is associated with a high incidence of protein-losing enteropathy. Reduced ventricular function and development of protein-losing enteropathy were associated with decreased survival.
Baxter's inequality and convergence of finite predictors of multivariate stochastic processes

We show that smoothness properties of a spectral density matrix and its optimal factor are closely related when the density satisfies theboundedness condition. This is crucial in proving multivariate generalizations of Baxter's inequality and obtaining rates of convergence of finite predictors. We rely on a technique of Lowdenslager and Rosenblum relating the optimal factor to the spectral density via Toeplitz operators.
Argyria: The intradermal “photograph,” a manifestation of passive photosensitivity

X-ray microprobe and electron microscopic study was made of the remarkable blue-black pigmentation that sunlight elicits in patients with argyria. The patient under study had developed argyria following injection of silver nitrate as a sclerosant into his varicose veins 41 years ago. Similarities are demonstrated between the darkening of the skin and the darkening of a photographic film following light exposure. In both instances, colorless silver salts and compounds present in an inert matrix (collagen versus gelatin) are reduced by incident light to black metallic silver. This passive photosensitivity reaction leads to silver tattooing of the light-exposed skin and to photographic imaging in the film.
Retinoic acid, dibutyryl-cAMP, and differentiation affect the expression of retinoic acid receptors in F9 cells.

Abstract Expression of the retinoic acid receptors alpha and beta (RAR-alpha and RAR-beta) was examined in F9 cells, an embryonal carcinoma cell model established for the study of retinoid metabolism and function. Addition of retinoic acid to F9 cell medium caused a dose-dependent increase in RAR-beta mRNA within 3 hr that reached 5- to 30-fold greater than the constitutively expressed mRNA by 24 hr. The elevation in mRNA resulted from increased transcription, as demonstrated by nuclear run-on transcription, did not require protein synthesis, and required the constant presence of retinoic acid. N6,O2'-Dibutyryl-cAMP attenuated the retinoic acid-induced increase in RAR-beta mRNA by a post-transcriptional mechanism. In contrast, RAR-alpha mRNA in F9 stem cells was affected less (1.2- to 1.4-fold increase) by retinoic acid and decreased 3-fold transiently when fresh serum was added to the medium. Differentiation of F9 cells resulted in increased steady-state levels of RAR-beta mRNA in primitive (4-fold), parietal (3-fold), and visceral (8-fold) endoderm but decreased steady-state levels of RAR-alpha mRNA in primitive (2-fold), parietal (3-fold), and visceral (1.4-fold) endoderm. These data demonstrate that RAR-beta is a primary target gene for retinoic acid in a characterized model of retinoid function, indicate that constitutive expression of both RAR-beta and RAR-alpha is dependent upon the differentiation state, and suggest hormonal modulation of RAR-beta by cAMP and modulation of RAR-alpha by serum factors. These results distinguish the effects of serum, cAMP, and retinoic acid on the expression of RAR from the effects mediated by differentiation.
Dielectric parameters of alkali halides.

An a-italicb-italic i-italicn-italici-italict-italici-italico-italic calculation is presented for the refractive indices and Szigeti charge of 12 alkali halide solids. The polarizabilities of the anions and cations are calculated separately, and the refractive indices are obtained from the Clausius-Mosotti relation. The Szigeti charge is obtained by a calculation of the deformation dipole parameters. Both the polarizabilities and deformation dipole parameters are calculated with use of the local-density approximation. The parameters are found for each ion where the crystalline environment is simulated by a cage of pseudopotentials. The results agree well with experimental data.
All-terrain vehicle, trampoline and scooter injuries and their prevention in children

Purpose Childhood injuries are the leading cause of death in children and result in significant healthcare utilization. Injuries specifically related to all terrain vehicles, trampolines and scooter usage can be devastating and are often preventable. Our understanding of how and why these injuries occur can aid in preventing morbidity and mortality. Recent findings The popularity of all-terrain vehicles, nonmotorized scooters and trampolines has soared over recent years. This increased usage has led to a tremendous rise in injuries in children utilizing these recreational activities. Many of the injuries occur in younger children who may not possess the motor and cognitive skills necessary to safely engage in these activities. These activities lead to a number of head and extremity injuries, most of which can be attenuated by the use of protective gear such as helmets and protective padding. Summary Understanding the nature of these injuries can lead to advocacy and hopefully legislation to prevent further injuries from occurring.
A new helical computed tomographic technique for appendiceal imaging: Preliminary experience with the focused appendix computed tomographic examination

Our objective was to describe a new, helical computed tomographic (CT) technique for evaluating appendicitis, the focused appendix CT (FACT), and report preliminary experience with its use.
Intraneural OX7-saporin for neuroma-in-continuity in a rat model

We employed 54 rats to devise a model of neuroma-in-continuity and explore the effect of the immunotoxin OX7-saporin on the neuroma. The left common peroneal, tibial or sciatic nerves were crushed by one 10-s application of a micro-artery forceps. At 3 and 6 weeks, the nerve was cut distal to the site of nerve crush, and retrograde fluorescent labeling was done. Pressure microinjection of 2 μl of natural saline or 2 μl of the immunotoxin conjugate OX7-saporin was done at the nerve stump 2 days later. Sacrifice was done after 3 weeks. In all control and saline-injection nerve specimens, gross observation and histology showed a neuroma-in-continuity. In 19 of the 24 OX7-saporin nerve specimens, gross observation showed a narrowed area at the site of nerve crush. Histology showed inhibition of neuroma-in-continuity formation. Fluorescent microscopy showed ablation of the labeled neurons in the dorsal root ganglia corresponding to the OX7-saporin subgroups.
Nonrandom chromosomal changes in untreated retinoblastomas

Abstract The karotypic patterns of 15 retinoblastomas were examined. Five tumors were found to have two distinct stem lines and, therefore, the chromosomal patterns of 20 tumor cell lines are reported. Three nonrandom chromosomal changes, namely, a loss of a chromosome #13, the presence of an i(6p), or a trisomy of 1q were observed. The potential importance of these chromosomal changes in tumor development is discussed, particularly the loss of a chromosome #13 or the gain of an i(6p). At least one of the three chromosomal changes was found in 75% of the tumor lines analyzed.
Comparison of Optimal Linear Regulators Applied to Minimization of Steering Losses of a Containership in a Seaway Using Frequency Domain Representations

Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) techniques are applied to the design of a steering controller for minimization of propulsion losses due to steering of a high-speed containership in a seaway. Alternate performance criteria are used deriving from the evaluation of the nonlinear force derivatives of the surge equation related to steering. The sensitivities of the various resulting LQG controllers to the seaway environment are compared using frequency domain representations of the seaway disturbances which are shown to be far from white Gaussian noise. The implications for optimal linear regulator design in this environment are discussed on the basis of the results presented.
Sensitivity of evapotranspiration in a wheat field, a forest, and a grassland to changes in climate and direct effects of carbon dioxide

Micrometeorological and physiological measurements were used to develop Penman-Monteith models of evapotranspiration for a wheat field in eastern Nebraska, a forest in Tennessee, and a grassland in east-central Kansas. The model fit the measurements well over the periods of observation. Model sensitivities to changes in climatic and physiological parameters were then analyzed. The range of changes considered was established from recent general circulation model output and from review of recent plant physiological research. Finally, climate change scenarios produced by general circulation models for the locations and seasons matching the observed data were applied to the micrometeorological models. Simulation studies show that when all climatic and plant factors are considered, evapotranspiration estimates can differ greatly from those that consider only temperature. Depending on ecosystem and on climate and plant input used, evapotranspiration can differ from the control (no climate or plant change) by about -20 to +40%.