cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of attitudes in understanding disparities in adult influenza vaccination.

Background Racial/ethnic disparities in influenza vaccine coverage of adults aged 65 years and older persist even after controlling for access, healthcare utilization, and socioeconomic status. Differences in attitudes toward vaccination may help explain these disparities. The purpose of this study was to describe patient characteristics and attitudes toward influenza vaccination among whites and African Americans aged 65 years and older, and to examine their effect on racial disparities in vaccination coverage. Methods A cross-sectional telephone survey of Medicare beneficiaries in five U.S. sites, sampled on race/ethnicity and ZIP code. Multivariate analysis controlling for demographics, healthcare utilization, and attitudes toward influenza vaccination was conducted in 2005 to assess racial disparities in vaccine coverage during the 2003–2004 season. Results The analysis included 1859 white and 1685 African-American respondents; 79% of whites versus 50% of African Americans reported influenza vaccination in the past year ( p Conclusions A significant gap in vaccination coverage between African Americans and whites persisted even after controlling for specific respondent attitudes. Future research should focus on other factors such as vaccine-seeking behavior.
Bone lipids of Jamaican reef fishes

Abstract 1. 1. Fourteen species from 12 different families of fish from the Jamaican coral reef environment were analyzed for bone lipid content and class. Acanthurus bahianus (Acanthuridae), the ocean surgeon, had 29.7% lipid (as per cent dry wt) in the neurocranium. 2. 2. Eight species had 7.4–17.9% lipid in the neurocranium and include A. chirurgus, Priacanthus arenatus, Equetus acuminatus, Eupomacentrus planifrons, A. coeruleus, Malacanthus plumeri, Haemulon flavolineatum and Pempheris schomburgki . 3. 3. Five species had low bone oil (0.1–2.5% neurocranium lipid), including the chondrocranium of Urolophus jamaicensis , an elasmobranch. 4. 4. Most fish stored more lipid in the neurocranium than in the vertebral centra. 5. 5. Triglyceride is the major lipid class in most of these fishes with oily bones (74.1–93.7% as per cent lipid); cholesterol and phospholipid were two other lipid classes in the bones. 6. 6. The average skeletal lipid (for neurocranium plus vertebral centra, as per cent total body lipid) for 13 species is 22.5% with a low of 5.5% in Sparisoma aurofrenatum and a high of 81.1% in Acanthurus chirurgus . 7. 7. These data provide a basis for choice of a suitable experimental animal to study function of bone lipid. Acanthurus bahianus appears most suitable, because it has the most bone oil, is most common over Jamaican reefs and is easily obtained by trapping.
The Ten Commandments of Interlibrary Loan Borrowing, Interlibrary Loan Lending, and Shipping and General Conduct

The Ten Commandments of interlibrary loan borrowing, the Ten Commandments of interlibrary loan lending, and the Ten Commandments of shipping and general conduct, including basic rules to make interlibrary loan go smoothly. The title says it all.
ATP catabolism and adenosine generation during ischemia in the aging heart

Myocardial injury following ischemia and reperfusion is increased in the aging heart. The mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility of the aging heart to ischemic injury remain unknown. We investigated whether decreased glycogen utilization with a more rapid depletion of ATP occurred during ischemia in the aging heart. Isolated buffer-perfused hearts from adult (6 months old) and aging (24 months old) Fischer 344 rats were subjected to 0, 2, 5, 10, 15 or 25 min of global stop-flow ischemia following a 15 min equilibration period (n = 5-6 for each ischemic time at each age). ATP level were decreased at preischemic baseline in aging hearts. ATP levels remained lower in the aging heart throughout ischemia (P < 0.001) with a similar pattern of decrease in both age groups. The decrease in tissue glycogen and increase in lactate contents was similar during ischemia in both age groups, suggesting that comparable glycogen utilization occurred during ischemia in adult and aging hearts. ATP catabolism leads to ADP, AMP and then adenosine. Tissue levels of adenosine, an important cardioprotective metabolite, were measured during ischemia. Tissue adenosine levels were decreased by 50% in the aging heart at 5 and 10 min, and remained depressed at 15 min and 25 min of ischemia compared to adult controls. Thus, increased ischemic injury in the aging heart is not related to differences in glycogen consumption. Lower tissue ATP levels and decreased adenosine levels were observed during ischemia. The differences in ATP content between adult and aging hearts occurred only during early ischemia and are unlikely to provide a mechanism for the increased damage observed following more prolonged periods of ischemia in the aging heart. The potential contribution of these decreases in tissue adenosine content to the increased injury observed in the aging heart will require further study.
The Lasker–Noether Theorem in the category U(H∗)

Abstract We prove the Lasker–Noether Theorem in the category U ( H ∗ ) of unstable H ∗ ⊙ P ∗ -modules. Along the way, we generalize Lam's J -functor to the context of modules.
Reconstituting the state: : City powers and exposures in Chicago’s infrastructure leases

In the 2000s, cities across North America began leasing existing infrastructure to global investment consortia. Previous evaluations of infrastructure leases focus on the lack of transparency of th...
Flow light scattering studies of polymer coil conformation in solutions under shear: effect of solvent quality

Abstract The orientation and deformation of polymer chains, in dilute solutions undergoing circular Couette flow, were measured by flow light scattering (FLS) techniques. Analysis of the angular dissymmetry of the scattered light intensity allowed the determination of polymer chain alignment in the flow direction, as well as a direct measurement of chain dimensions. The polymers were dissolved in several different solvents to determine the effect of solvent quality on polymer coil conformation under shear. The polymer solutions all consisted of a nearly monodisperse polystyrene sample of 3×10 6 g/mol molecular weight dissolved in various viscous solvents, including tricresyl phosphate, dioctyl phthalate, and a mixed solvent of low molecular weight polystyrene ( M w =5780 g/mol) and dioctyl phthalate. There was a pronounced dependence of chain conformation on the quality of the solvent, with poorer solvents allowing more orientation of the polymers with the flow direction, as well as larger relative deformations.
Harmony in science: Superconductivity and high energy physics

Thirty-one days after the disclosure of high field superconductivity in Nb 3 Sn, the bubble chamber group at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory began a program to apply this discovery to high energy physics. On that day in 1961 a very special relationship was born which, as subsequent events were to show, proved to be one of the most fruitful associations in modern science. Given the well-known high technology content and innovative approach to problem solving associated with high energy physics, it is hardly surprising that significant developments in applied superconductivity took place in accelerator laboratories. Particle physics requires a bewildering array of technologically sophisticated equipment: from the instant when particles are injected into the accelerator through the acceleration process, beam extraction, separation, and steering to the instant of collision and analysis of the interaction products, superconducting devices play a most important role. We examine each step in this process and not only describe how the latest advances in superconductivity have been applied but also discuss why these developments necessarily took place. It is remarkable that, in spite of considerable fiscal restraint, high energy physics is entering a period of major construction activity. Thus if history repeats itself we are about to witness a flood of innovations each intended to alleviate some problem brought on by increasingly expensive power and rising production costs, not to mention the constant clamor for higher accelerator energies and greater resolution of the detection equipment.
College Students' Attitudes Toward Finding a Mate to Escape Depression: Sex Differences

College student respondents (n = 128) were compared on their consideration of finding a mate or significant other as a strategy for a hypothetical teacher ("Terry") displaying symptoms of dysthymic disorder (DSM-IV criteria). The sex of "Terry" was manipulated by descriptive pronoun (he or she) only. Analysis indicated differences based on sex of Terry and sex of respondent. Respondents favored finding a mate for the hypothetical male more than the female. Men, more than women, supported finding a mate or significant other for the teacher.
Kinetics of benzo[a]pyrene induced mutagenesis in a highly sensitive Salmonella/microsome assay

Abstract The kinetics of benzo[ a ]pyrene induced mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 were studied using a liquid-phase assay and were compared to kinetics of metabolism of benzo[ a ]pyrene in the same system. Mutagenesis was terminated by the addition of pyrene + menadione at selected times. Under conditions of the assay using hepatic microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene pretreated rats, metabolism of benzo[ a ]pyrene was over 50% complete in 5 min, and metabolism of initial metabolites became appreciable after this time. The revertant frequency (revertants/10 8 survivors) and the production of tertiary metabolites increased sharply after 5 min and leveled off at 40 min.
Discordance of individual risk estimates.

The excellent review by Berger et al. ([1][1]) perfectly illustrates a problem with individual risk prediction, which is that different risk scores provide different risk estimates for the same patient. Table 2 of their paper ([1][1]) shows estimated risks ranging from 2% to 39% for a patient asking
Kinetics of reduction of 1,2,6-triaquodipropylenetriaminecobalt(III) cation in aqueous perchloric acid

Abstract The spontaneous reduction of 1,2,6-Co(dpt)(OH2)33+ to Co(II) has been spectrophotometrically and chromatographically investigated in 0·2–1 F HClO4 (μ = 1·0 M, NaClO4) at 60–80°C. The observed first-order rate constants has the form kobs = k1 + (k2′/[H+]); the hydrogen ion dependence is ascribed to reduction of the hydroxodiaquo species. At 80·1°C, k1 = (2·5 ± 0·5) × 10−6 sec−1 and k2′ = (5·51 ± 0·02) × 10−5 M sec−1. The apparent activation parameters for the acid-dependent (k2′) path are Ea = 41·0 ± 0·5 kcal mole−1, and log PZ(M sec−1) = 21·1 ± 0·3. Qualitative observations on the spontaneous reduction of aquotetraethylenepentaaminecobalt(III) cation in 1 F HClO4at 140° and 120°C are also reported.
Conversion of 20α-Hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one to 20α-Hydroxy-5α-pregnan-3-one and 5α-Pregnane-3α, 20α-diol by Rat Medial Basal Hypothalamus °*

Medial basal hypothalamic tissue from proestrous rats was incubated with 3H-20αhydroxypregn- 4-en-3-one. After reverse isotopic dilution and purification to constant specific activity, the radioactive compounds present in the extract were identified as 20ct-hydroxy-5α-pregnan- 3-one (21.2%), 5α-pregnane-3α,20α-diol (3.1%),and 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (69.0%). Thus, a 5α-reductase for 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one as substrate and a 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase for the 5α derivative of this compound appear to be present in the rat hypothalamus. No appreciable conversion to progesterone was detected. (Endocrinology 94: 994, 1974)
Differential activation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine-containing neurons of the midbrain raphe of the rat in response to randomly presented inescapable sound

Estimates of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) turnover in response to 30 min of inescapable, randomly presented, loud sound (sound stress) were obtained for regions of rat brain containing 5-HT perikarya by means of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) accumulation after administration of an inhibitor of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (100 mg/kg i.p., m-hydroxybenzylhydrazine, NSD 1015). Sound stress increased 5-HTP accumulation in the median raphe nucleus (MRN) twofold over that from sham-stressed controls, but did not change 5-HTP accumulation significantly in dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) or hindbrain. These findings indicate that the 5-HT perikarya of the MRN but not those of the DRN or hindbrain are activated by sound stress, and thus, provide further evidence for a functional distinction between the 5-HT neurons of these two midbrain nuclei.
Staphylococcal pyomyositis in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract purpose: We describe the manifestations of spontaneous staphylococcal pyomyositis in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). patients and methods: We present the courses of five previously unreported patients infected by HIV who presented to our medical centers with spontaneous staphylococcal pyomyositis. Additionally, we review all previously reported cases of this entity in HIV-infected patients and discuss its possible pathogenesis and importance in the context of HIV infection. results: All patients presented with gradually developing fever and localized pain and swelling without accompanying leukocytosis. Often only scant evidence of local inflammation was found. None of our patients used intravenous drugs, had a history of trauma, had HIV- or zidovudine-related myositis, or had other conditions known to be associated with serious staphylococcal infections. Two patients studied had normal serum levels of all IgG subclasses. Elevated serum IgE, eosinophilic inflammatory infiltrates, or marked peripheral eosinophilia was observed in two patients. conclusions: Staphylococcal pyomyositis in HIV-infected patients presents in an indolent fashion, which may delay appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Since staphylococcal pyomyositis is infrequently reported in the United States, the development of 14 such cases (five in this series and nine previously reported) among the first 140,000 cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in this country implies that this patient population is predisposed to this infectious complication. The pathogenesis of this entity is uncertain, but it is notable that HIV-infected patients are commonly colonized by Staphylococcus aureus and that neutrophils from HIV-infected patients frequently manifest phagocytic, chemotactic, and oxidative defects, diminished expression of Fc,RIII (CD16) and CR1, and impaired bactericidal activity against S. aureus .
Navigation in Familiar Environments by the Weakly Electric Elephantnose Fish, Gnathonemus petersii L. (Mormyriformes, Teleostei)

Gnathonemus petersii use electrolocation to navigate in unfamiliar environments. The goal of these experiments was to determine whether fish could learn the location of a fixed aperture after interference with selected sensory input. By manipulating environmental cues (aperture height and water depth) and comparing the fish's performance, the contributions of the electrosensory system, vision, and hydrostatic pressure were examined. The fish's task was to find a circular aperture in a wall dividing a 200-litre aquarium into two equal compartments. In experiment 1, the position of the aperture was raised by 10.1 cm after the fish had become familiar with its original location. In experiment 2, the water level was raised by 10 cm (leaving the aperture unchanged). When the aperture was raised, intact fish found the new aperture with no difficulty, whereas blind, electrically 'silent', and sham-operated fish were slow finding the new position. When the water level was raised, all fish increased the height at which they contacted the wall, increased their electric-organ discharge (EOD) rate, and located the aperture. This increase, in response to the rapid change in water depth, suggests that all fish used hydrostatic pressure cues to maintain depth orientation, and that those fish that learned the aperture height had used hydrostatic cues to locate its position. The data suggest that G. petersii develop an internal representation based on an electrosensory central expectation and hydrostatic cues. The fish develop a sensory 'image' of their immediate environment and associate a specific image with a specific depth. As the environment becomes more familiar, the fish apparently attend less to electrosensory information and navigate according to the internal representation, relying primarily on hydrostatic pressure cues.
Response technique as a factor in determining children’s preference for complexity

Studies of preferences for levels of complexity have commonly used either verbal reports or duration of fixation time as the dependent variable. Results of this study indicate, however, that the preference function obtained from children’s responses to random shapes depends upon what response measure is taken. Thus, the assumption that verbal reports and duration of fixation yield the same preference function in studies with young children has not been supported.
Motion of electrons in semiconductors under inhomogeneous strain with application to laterally confined quantum wells.

A general treatment for finding the energy levels of electrons and holes in a system with slowly varying inhomogeneous strain is given in the envelope-function approximation. An eight-band model is derived, then block diagonalized to 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2 and 6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6 for the conduction and valence bands, respectively. To first order, i.e., in the so-called effective-mass approximation, the gradient of the strain tensor does not appear in the Hamiltonian; in the second-order approximation, both the strain variation of the effective masses and the gradients of the strain tensor appear. The second-order effect can be significant within the range of applicability of the theory when the strain is not sufficiently small and its variation is not sufficiently slow. The general theory is first applied to the case of homogeneous strain (for the conduction band), which gives the strain dependence of the band structure, with comparison to previous work. The theory is then applied to laterally strain-confined quantum wells, with the first-order approximation. In the strain-confined system, the valence band is treated by four simultaneous envelope-function equations. Under certain conditions, they can be reduced to a pair of independent equations. Numerical results for the energy levels in a specific quantum wire are given. In the strain-confined system, the conditions under which the second-order effect could be significant are discussed.
Microbial Regulation of Glucose Metabolism and Cell-Cycle Progression in Mammalian Colonocytes

A prodigious number of microbes inhabit the human body, especially in the lumen of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, yet our knowledge of how they regulate metabolic pathways within our cells is rather limited. To investigate the role of microbiota in host energy metabolism, we analyzed ATP levels and AMPK phosphorylation in tissues isolated from germfree and conventionally-raised C57BL/6 mice. These experiments demonstrated that microbiota are required for energy homeostasis in the proximal colon to a greater extent than other segments of the GI tract that also harbor high densities of bacteria. This tissue-specific effect is consistent with colonocytes utilizing bacterially-produced butyrate as their primary energy source, whereas most other cell types utilize glucose. However, it was surprising that glucose did not compensate for butyrate deficiency. We measured a 3.5-fold increase in glucose uptake in germfree colonocytes. However, 13C-glucose metabolic-flux experiments and biochemical assays demonstrated that they shifted their glucose metabolism away from mitochondrial oxidation/CO2 production and toward increased glycolysis/lactate production, which does not yield enough ATPs to compensate. The mechanism responsible for this metabolic shift is diminished pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) levels and activity. Consistent with perturbed PDH function, the addition of butyrate, but not glucose, to germfree colonocytes ex vivo stimulated oxidative metabolism. As a result of this energetic defect, germfree colonocytes exhibited a partial block in the G1-to-S-phase transition that was rescued by a butyrate-fortified diet. These data reveal a mechanism by which microbiota regulate glucose utilization to influence energy homeostasis and cell-cycle progression of mammalian host cells.
Wave Propagation in Quadratic-Finite-Element Approximations to Hyperbolic Equations

Eigenmodes for the quadratic-finite-element method (QFEM) are expressed as a linear combination of two conventional semi-discrete Fourier modes. Each of these Fourier modes moves at a different phase speed, but both modes have the same group velocity. This representation of the QFEM eigenmodes clarifies the significance of the negative phase speeds that naturally arise as part of the conventional analysis.
Religion and media: A critical review of recent developments

This article considers recent changes in the definition of religion and of media as the basis for framing the study of their relation to one another and recent research in the intersection they have come to form over the last two decades or so. The history, materiality, and reception of each have colored scholarly work, and made ethnography, practice, material culture, and embodiment key aspects of scholarship. A new paradigm for some scholars for studying mediation is aesthetics—no longer understood as the “philosophy of the beautiful,” but as the study of perception in the mediated practices that make up lived religion.
Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck theory of medium energy heavy ion reactions: Role of mean field dynamics and two body collisions

The role of nonequilibrium and quantal effects in fast nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied via the Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck theory which includes the nuclear mean field dynamics, two-body collisions, and Pauli blocking. The intranuclear cascade model, where the dynamics is governed by independent NN collisions, and the Vlasov equation, where the nuclear mean field determines the collision dynamics, are also studied as reference cases. The Vlasov equation (no collision term) yields single particle distribution functions which--after the reaction--are only slightly modified in momentum space; even in central collisions, transparency is predicted. This is in agreement with the predictions of the quantal time-dependent Hartree-Fock method. In contrast, large momentum transfer is obtained when the Uehling-Uhlenbeck collision term is incorporated; then the final momentum distribution is nearly spherically symmetric in the center of mass and a well-equilibrated nuclear system is formed: the nuclei stop each other; the translational kinetic energy is transformed into randomized microscopic motion. The Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck theory is supplemented with a phase space coalescence model of fragment formation. Calculated proton spectra compare well with recent data for Ar(42, 92, and 137 MeV/nucleon) + Ca. Also the total yields of medium mass fragments are well reproduced in the present approach. The mean field dynamicsmore » without two-body collisions, on the other hand, exhibits forward peaked proton distributions, in contrast to the data. The cascade approach underpredicts the yields of low energy protons by more than an order of magnitude.« less
A high-density, high-velocity equilibrium freestream shock-tunnel concept.

where p is the radius of curvature and (R,6), (Ri,0i) are coordinates originating at the load point and inversion point, respectively, with corresponding normal edge distances (1 — (3)p and (1//3 — l)p. When the point load is near a boundary discontinuity, an approximate solution can be obtained by using Eq. (4) in conjunction with a curve of finite curvature approaching the original boundary shape.
Deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films using hydrocarbon plasmas

Summary form only given, as follows. The structure-property relationships of two differently processed hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films (a-C:H) and their application as protective overcoats for thin film magnetic media have been studied. The films were deposited by a reactive sputtering system and the plasma source ion implantation (PSII) techniques. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RES) and forward recoil energy spectrometry (FRES) results showed all film compositions to be in the following carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atomic percent ranges 40<[C]<50, 40<[H]<50 and 2<[O]. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results validated the amorphous nature of the films. Laser Raman spectroscopy and parallel detection electron energy-loss spectroscopy (PEELS) demonstrated that the films were a mixture of sp/sup 2/ and sp/sup 3/ bonded carbon. Scanning Auger microscopy (SAM) revealed an indication of carbide formation in the biased film. Optical, hardness, and adhesion qualities of the films compared well with those reported in literature. Pin-on-disk and thin film head-on-disk tests were performed to study the tribological characteristics of the films. For the sputtered films a correlation was found between Raman spectroscopy results and carbon durability. A methodology for classification of a-C:H films by their composition, structure as well as their optical and mechanical properties will be presented.
The inverse trochoid problem

If a circle in the plane is to roll along a track so that a given point on the circle traces out another circle, what must the shape of the track be? In this paper we give a full answer to this question. This question arises in the design of internal combustion engines and other machines. It is a sort of inverse problem to the classical problem of the trajectories of points on circles rolling inside other circles; the problem whose solution is hypocycloids and hypotrochoids. We derive a system of nonlinear differential equations for the coordinates of the track regarded as a parametric curve. We express the solution of this differential equation in terms of an elliptic integral. We establish the uniqueness of this solution for a given choice of the relevant parameters, the radius of the circle to be traced out and the location on the rolling circle of the tracing point. We show that if we allow the rolling circle to intersect the track, there is at least one track for any circle. We find all possible tracks, and we derive formulas to determine, for a given radius of the circle to be traced out, how many different tracks produce circles of that radius; there is always a finite number, and the number increases roughly linearly with the radius. We characterize those tracks that are mathematical solutions but are not practical physical solutions; tracks that the rolling circle intersects in such a way that it would get stuck.
CW operation of a cleaved-coupled-cavity array of phase-locked GaAlAs lasers

Tunable single-longitudinal-mode operation has been obtained at power levels up to 50 mW from a continuously operating cleaved-coupled-cavity array of phase-locked diode lasers. In addition, conversion of a multilobed to a single-lobed radiation pattern was observed as a function of current supplied to the control segment of the coupled cavity.
Terrain modeling for real-time simulation

There are many applications, such as pilot training, mission rehearsal, and hardware-in-the- loop simulation, which require the generation of realistic images of terrain and man-made objects in real-time. One approach to meeting this requirement is to drape photo-texture over a planar polygon model of the terrain. The real time system then computes, for each pixel of the output image, the address in a texture map based on the intersection of the line-of-sight vector with the terrain model. High quality image generation requires that the terrain be modeled with a fine mesh of polygons while hardware costs limit the number of polygons which may be displayed for each scene. The trade-off between these conflicting requirements must be made in real-time because it depends on the changing position and orientation of the pilot's eye point or simulated sensor. The traditional approach is to develop a data base consisting of multiple levels of detail (LOD), and then selecting for display LODs as a function of range. This approach could lead to both anomalies in the displayed scene and inefficient use of resources. An approach has been developed in which the terrain is modeled with a set of nested polygons and organized as a tree with each node corresponding to a polygon. This tree is pruned to select the optimum set of nodes for each eye-point position. As the point of view moves, the visibility of some nodes drops below the limit of perception and may be deleted while new points must be added in regions near the eye point. An analytical model has been developed to determine the number of polygons required for display. This model leads to quantitative performance measures of the triangulation algorithm which is useful for optimizing system performance with a limited display capability.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
In-Service Performance of Integral Bridges and Jointless Decks:

New York has been building integral bridges as well as jointless decks since the late 1970s. They performed well from the beginning, but a recent study evaluated their performance to identify details possibly needing improvement in future construction. Ratings obtained during a field survey of numerous integral bridges and jointless bridge abutments were analyzed, as well as condition ratings assigned by bridge inspectors during their biennial inspections. Results indicate that these bridges have been functioning as designed, but can be improved. Details needing improvement were identified and design changes implemented for future construction. The study and its results are summarized here.
Direct detection of vibrational excitation in the CO2 product of the oxidation of CO on a platinum surface

Abstract Infrared chemliuminescence techniques are applied to the study of vibrationally excited surface reaction products. The method is demonstrated by the detection of infrared emission from highly excited CO2 product molecules in the reaction of CO with O on a platinum surface.
An Efficient 2-Phase Strategy to Achieve High Branch Coverage

We present a new 2-phase symbolic execution driven strategy that achieves high branch coverage in software quickly. Phase 1 follows a greedy approach that quickly covers as many branches as possible by exploring each branch through its corresponding shortest path prefix. Phase 2 covers the remaining branches that are left uncovered if the shortest path to the branch was infeasible. In Phase 1, a basic conflict-driven learning is used to skip all the paths that may have any of the earlier encountered conflicting conditions, while in Phase 2, a more intelligent conflict-driven learning is used to skip regions that do not have a feasible path to any unexplored branch. This results in considerable reduction in unnecessary SMT solver calls. Experimental results show that significant speedup can be achieved, effectively reducing the time to detect a bug and providing higher branch coverage for a fixed time-out period than previous techniques.
Intra-accumbens δ1-opioid agonist, pCl-DPDPE, differentially affects patterns of locomotor activity

Abstract The effects of bilateral microinjections of a new potent and highly selective δ-opioid receptor agonist pCl-DPDPE (0.00,0.1,1.0, or 2.5 μg/side) were tested in rats for 60 min in activity monitors. The durations of horizontal movement time, rearing time, and stereotypy time were measured during six consecutive 10-min time blocks. The pCl-DPDPE resulted in short-lived biphasic effects of attenuation followed by potentiation for the three measures. These data in part replicate the behavioral effects of other δ-opioid receptor agonists.
Dupuit-Ghyben-Herzberg Analysis of Strip-Island Lenses

Dupuit-Ghyben-Herzberg analysis follows from combination of the continuity equation and Darcy's Law with the Ghyben-Herzberg Principle and the Dupuit assumptions of horizontal flow. The analysis is used to derive the position of the water table and salt-water interface in island lenses in terms of island geometry, distribution of hydraulic conductivity (K), and distribution of recharge (R). For small islands and cases for which the salt-water head is zero, application of Dupuit-Ghyben-Herzberg analysis gives good results because the low R/K ratios of natural lenses assure that height/width ratios of natural lenses are extremely low, 1:30 to 1:100. In earlier publications, the Dupuit-Ghyben-Herzberg differential equation has been integrated with the boundary condition that the water table and interface meet at sea level at the shoreline (that is, no outflow face). The dimensions of an outflow face, however, are known from results of potential-theory analysis. Integration of the Dupuit- Ghyben-Herzberg equation with a boundary condition consistent with the potential-theory outflow face (a) places the interface indistinguishably close to its position given by potential theory and (b) allows calculation of Ghyben-Herzberg ratios (interface depth to water-table elevation), which in this case, depart from their usual value of 40 because equipotentials are curved close to the outflow face. For natural-sized lenses, however, such analysis is necessary only within a narrow strip within 1% to 5% of the island width of the shoreline. Outside this strip, the regular analysis that ignores the presence of the outflow face positions the interface indistinguishably close to that of the potential-theory solution. Analytical solutions are developed for a number of infinite-strip islands. It is shown by analysis of the homogeneous, rectangular-island case that an island can be considered an infinite strip (to 0.1% accuracy) if its length/width ratio is larger than 4.4. Asymmetric lenses occur if the island is composed of strips of different K or different R, with the greater asymmetry occurring with differences in K. A high-K basement compresses the "root" of the lens and thereby decreases the water table in the island. A lens perched on impermeable basement has a higher water table than would otherwise occur in the island, but the volume of the lens is less.
Haemolymph Acid-Base, Electrolyte and Gas Status during Sustained Voluntary Activity in the Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita Compressus)

After 3h(50 m) of voluntary walking, the haemolymph pH of the land hermit crab Coenobita compressus (H. Milne Edwards) decreased by 0.4units. This was accompanied by increases in CO 2 tension (P co co2 ). bicarbonate (HCO 3 − + CO 3 2- ) and lactate concentrations. The hypercapnic acidosis was partially compensated by metabolic bicarbonate accumulation and an H + deficit developed. Unloaded crabs accumulated less of a proton load than crabs transporting mollusc shells. During activity, oxygenation of the haemocyanin (HCy) accounted for the release of 0.3 mmol CO 2 l −1 , via the Haldane effect, which was seven times more than in settled crabs. Control acid-base balance was re-established within 1 h of recovery. At this time, acidic equivalents were excreted at a mean flux rate of 5 mequiv kg −1 h −1 into a source of external water. [Na + ] and the ratio of [Na+]:[Cl − ] increased during exercise. Coenobita haemolymph had a high O 2 -carrying capacity (C max HCyO HCyO2 = l.55 mmol 1 −1 ). HCy oxygen-binding characteristics were typical of other decapods (φ= −0.44), yet no lactate sensitivity was apparent. Settled in vivo values of O 2 tension (P o o2 ) and content (C o o2 ) were located around the half-saturation tension (P 50 ) of the dissociation curve. During exercise, P O O2 increased and an unopposed Bohr shift decreased the O 2 -binding affinity, thereby reducing postbranchial saturation. Quantitatively, however, compensations in cardiac output (V · b) were more instrumental in increasing the O 2 delivery to respiring tissues. During recovery, haemolymph P O O2 remained high and the venous reserve doubled.
Nonoperative treatment of acute hamate hook fractures.

Abstract Six patients with acute and two patients with subacute nondisplaced fractures of the hamate hook were treated with immobilization. The patients with acute fractures were treated within 7 days of the injury, and those with subacute fractures were treated after 7 days. Seven of the eight patients showed documented healing of their fractures. At follow-up (average 8 months) all seven were free of symptoms. One patients with a subacute fracture did not comply with treatment and had a painful nonunion. Our results show that hamate hook fractures that are diagnosed early may heal with nonoperative management. Fractures that fail to heal with immobilization or those with chronic nonunion should be treated with excision of the hook fragment.
Faculty Women's Association: An Instrument for Change

The faculty women at Arizona State University (ASU) who participate in the Faculty Women's Association (FWA) are a viable and respected group, an instrument for change in faculty affairs and governance. This was not always the case. Five major problem areas were identified by the organization during the last decade. The five problem areas were how to (1) persuade administrators to make salary information available; (2) determine whether inequities in salary were present; (3) provide the finances necessary to address inequities, if inequities were found; (4) assist women faculty to participate in faculty affairs and governance; and (5) assist women faculty with retention and promotion. This paper describes these problems, the strategies used to address them, and the consequences of the applied strategies.
P‐65: High Speed‐Addressing Method for Single‐Scan of AC PDP

In this paper, we propose a new structure of the priming discharge panel and the driving schemes in order to achieve high speed address driving. We inserted the priming electrode between two sustain electrode and applied the conventional driving waveform to the scan and sustain electrode, and the extra driving waveform to the priming electrode. Therefore, we realized the stable address with 1μsec data and scan pulse. This address with 1μsec scan pulse means that the single-scan is possible in XGA or HD-PDP and then the circuit-cost can decrease.
Selecting simulation software

It is noted that the selection of appropriate simulation software from the vast number of packages available is a difficult task. The author first presents a classification of simulation modeling tools. Then, a collection of features of simulation software is discussed. Next, guidance is provided for selecting a simulation modeling tool. Lastly, a technique to reduce the vast number of simulation modeling tools to a manageable few is described. The selection of simulation software depends on the problems to be solved as much as on the characteristics of the various modeling tools. >
Long-term follow-up shows excellent transmural atrial lead performance in patients with complex congenital heart disease.

Background— Many patients with congenital heart disease require permanent pacing for rhythm management but cannot undergo transvenous lead placement. In others, epicardial scarring prohibits adequate sensing and pacing thresholds using epicardial leads. This study describes long-term lead performance using a transmural atrial (epicardial to endocardial) pacing approach in patients with congenital heart disease. Methods and Results— For transmural atrial (TMA) lead access, a bipolar, steroid-eluting transvenous lead was placed from the epicardium via purse-string incision or atriotomy and affixed to atrial endocardium. Records were reviewed for patient data and acute and long-term lead performance for TMA leads placed 1998 to 2004. Forty-two of 48 TMA leads remain active at last follow-up. Two leads fractured, 4 were functional at >5-year follow-up but no longer active. Freedom from lead failure 98% (95% confidence interval, 86%–100%) at mean follow-up 7.8 years. TMA leads gave excellent sensing and pacing characteristics at implant and chronically. Median acute and chronic sensing thresholds were 3 and 2.8 mV, respectively; median acute and chronic pacing thresholds at 0.5 ms were 0.9 and 0.7 V, respectively. TMA leads performed similarly in Fontan patients. Overdrive pacing for intra-atrial re-entrant tachycardia was successful in 7 of 8 patients. One patient with high baseline risk died of stroke 7 years after implant. No lead-associated thrombi were observed. Conclusions— TMA pacing leads had excellent longevity, initial, and chronic functional properties and provide an alternative to epicardial leads in patients with congenital heart disease. Patients who cannot receive transvenous leads, have epicardial scarring or have intra-atrial re-entrant tachycardia could benefit most from routine use of this technique.
KILLING EMBRYOS FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH

: The main objection to human embryonic stem cell research is that it involves killing human embryos, which are essentially beings of the same sort that you and I are. This objection presupposes that we once existed as early embryos and that we had the same moral status then that we have now. This essay challenges both those presuppositions, but focuses primarily on the first. I argue first that these presuppositions are incompatible with widely accepted beliefs about both assisted conception and monozygotic twinning. I then argue that we never existed as embryos. If this last claim is right, killing an embryo does not kill someone like you or me but merely prevents one of us from existing.
Progressive diaphyseal dysplasia (Engelmann disease): scintigraphic-radiographic-clinical correlations

Four patients (2 males, 2 females; ages 15-47 yrs.) with variable clinical, radiographic, and scintigraphic manifestations of progressive diaphyseal dysplasia (PDD) or Engelmann disease were studied with 99mTc methylene diphosphonate bone imaging and radiographic skeletal surveys. Comparison of the results of the two imaging procedures showed that some affected bones were scintigraphically normal but radiographically abnormal and vice versa. These findings suggest that the lesions of PDD may mature, causing a significant decrease in disease activity, and that abnormally increased radiopharmaceutical accumulation during bone scintigraphy appears to be a sensitive indicator of disease activity.
Initial experience with 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate foam and fibered coils for management of adolescent varicocele.

Purpose To report the results of treatment of adolescent patients with varicocele with use of 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate foam (STS) in combination with pushable fibered coils. Materials and Methods From September 2004 to September 2006, 16 adolescent patients (age 12–19 y) with symptomatic varicocele, testicular atrophy, or surgical recurrence underwent embolization with STS foam and coils. The left internal spermatic vein (ISV) was coaxially catheterized from the right femoral vein. Three percent STS foam was placed distally in the ISV during compression so minimal foam entered the pampiniform plexus. A second nest of coils was placed in the ISV at a position over the sacroiliac (SI) joint that occluded most of the parallel collateral vessels. Coils were not placed above the SI joint in most instances. Additional foam was injected in the ISV at the upper level of the SI joint. The upper ISV was left unoccluded. Our standard follow-up consisting of ultrasound and/or physical examination after varicocele occlusion was performed 2–12 months after the procedure. Results All occlusions were technically successful, and 15 of 16 patients (94%) exhibited proven disappearance of the varicocele. All patients were asymptomatic except one who had pain despite disappearance of the varicocele. One patient with a bleeding disorder had 48 hours of scrotal discomfort as a result of pampiniform phlebitis caused by the deliberate passage of foam into the pampiniform plexus. Conclusions The use of 3% STS foam in combination with pushable fibered coils is a safe and effective sclerosing procedure for adolescent subjects with varicocele.
Ge MOS Capacitors with Thermally Evaporated HfO2 as Gate Dielectric

We have investigated the characteristics of thermally evaporated hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) films on germanium substrates. Surface roughness of the HiO 2 film was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of crystalline GeO 2 was evident from X-ray diffraction results on as-deposited films. Capacitance--voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements of the as-deposited metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors demonstrated a hysteresis of 2.3 V and leakage current density of 10 A/cm 2 at 1 V, respectively. Annealing of these films at two different temperatures of 500 and 550°C in N 2 ambience reduced the hysteresis to 0.9 V and the leakage current density by five orders of magnitude. Observed increment of equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) after annealing indicates growth of an interfacial layer. The composition of film evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for annealed devices further confirms the increase of interfacial layer. Interface state density, estimated using the conductance method after 550°C annealing, was 5.1 X 10 1 2 cm - 2 eV - 1 .
On the group velocity of symmetric and upwind numerical schemes

SUMMARY Dissipative numerical approximations to the linear advection equation are considered with respect to their behaviour in the limit of weak dissipation. The context is wave propagation under typical far-field conditions where grids are highly stretched and waves are underresolved. Three classes of schemes are analysed: explicit two-level (i) symmetric and (ii) upwind schemes of optimal accuracy are considered as well as (iii) (symmetric) Runge-Kutta schemes. In the far-field the dissipation of all schemes diminishes. Group speeds of high-frequency modes assume the incorrect sign and may admit 'backward' wave propagation if waves are not damped. A fundamental difference arises between the symmetric and upwind cases owing to the different rates at which the dissipation diminishes. In the upwind case, while the amount of damping per time step diminishes, the accumulative damping remains exponential in time. In the symmetric case the accumulative damping tends to unity, yielding in practice non-dissipative schemes. In this light, parasitic modes constitute much less of a problem in the upwind case than in the symmetric case. Numerical tests confirm these findings.
Kanamycin alters cytoplasmic and nuclear phosphoinositide signaling in the organ of Corti in vivo

Aminoglycoside antibiotics strongly bind to phosphoinositides and affect their membrane distribution and metabolism. Kanamycin treatment also disrupts Rac/Rho signaling pathways to the actin cytoskeleton in the mouse inner ear in vivo. Here, we investigate the influence of kanamycin on phosphoinositide signaling in sensory cells (hair cells) of the mouse cochlea. Immunoreactivity to phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) decreased in the organ of Corti, especially in outer hair cells, after 3-7 days of drug treatment, whereas imunoreactivity to phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) increased. Immunoreactivity to PIP2 was present at the apical poles of outer hair cells, but appeared in their nuclei only after drug treatment. Furthermore, nuclear PIP2 formed a complex with histone H3 and attenuated its acetylation in outer hair cells. In agreement with reduced PIP3 signaling, phosphorylated Akt decreased in both the cytoplasm and nuclei of outer hair cells after kanamycin treatment. This study suggests that kanamycin disturbs the balance between PIP2 and PIP3, modifies gene transcription via histone acetylation and diminishes the PI3K/Akt survival pathway. These actions may contribute to the death of outer hair cells, which is a consequence of chronic kanamycin treatment.