Influence of some hypnotist and subject variables on hypnotic susceptibility.

Randomly assigned 48 21-56 yr. Old females to 1 of 4 groups given different information with regard to a hypnotist's warmth and experience. The 6 male graduate student hypnotists had previously been judged on their objective warmth and competent appearance. Following structuring, all ss underwent individual hypnotic induction. As predicted, ss run by the objectively warmer, more competent appearing es obtained significantly higher susceptibility scores. Structured warmth produced significant differences only in ss run by the objectively less warm es. Both structured warmth and experience affected ss' subjective impressions of whether they thought they had been hypnotized. The complex relationship between antecedent variables and the various objective and subjective dependent indicators of hypnotic phenomena are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Input/output optimization and disk architectures: A survey

The file system, and the components of the computer system associated with it (disks, drums, channels, mass storage, tapes and tape drives, controllers, I/O drivers, etc.) comprise a very substantial fraction of most computer systems; substantial in several aspects including amount of operating system code, expense for components, physical size and effect on performance. In this paper we survey the state of the art file and I/O system design and optimization as it applies to large data processing installations. In a companion paper, some research results applicable to both current and future system designs are summarized.Among the topics we discuss is the optimization of current file systems, where some material is provided regarding block size choice, data set placement, disk arm scheduling, rotational scheduling, compaction, fragmentation, I/O multipathing and file data structures. A set of references to the literature, especially to analytic I/O system models, is presented. The general tuning of file and I/O systems is also considered. Current and forthcoming disk architectures are the second topic. The count key data architecture of current disks (e.g. IBM 3350, 3380) and the fixed block architecture of new products (IBM 3310, 3370) are compared. The use of semiconductor drum replacements is considered and some commercially available systems are briefly described.     

Marital status and schizophrenia: A study of incidence and outcome.

Investigated the relationships between marital status and the incidence and prognosis of schizophrenia, based on a considerably more representative sample (N = 213) than previously available. Results provide strong evidence that the rate differentials and differences in outcome so often observed for marital status categories do not derive from inadequate or inappropriate sampling or statistical manipulation. In additional analyses, controlling for differential social class and severity of pathology, however, the relationships with prognosis could no longer be observed. These latter findings suggest that a process of selection by marriage is the more tenable interpretation of the relationships under consideration. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Numerical treatment of mixed boundary value problems in two-dimensional elastostatics

Finite difference treatment of two-dimensional problems in elastostatics is usually based on the differential equations for the displacement vector or the Airy stress function, depending on whether boundary conditions are on displacement or stress. In either case, determination of stresses requires numerical differentiation and therefore use of a rather fine grid. Moreover, neither method is suited to the treatment of mixed boundary conditions. The alternative method developed in this paper uses the first derivatives of the displacement components at the grid points as basic variables and hence does not require numerical differentiation in the evaluation of stresses. Appropriate finite difference equations are established, and their use is discussed in connection with a specific example with known explicit solution.     

Comparison of PCR prescreening to two cultivation procedures with PCR confirmation for detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in U.S. Department of Agriculture fecal check test samples

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiologic agent in Johne's disease in cattle and causes diarrhea, decreased milk production, emaciation, and frequently death. The ability to detect MAP rapidly and accurately is an integral part of herd management. However, detection of this bacterium is complicated due to its slow division time and its ability to enter dormancy. Culture methods are considered the "gold standard," but they have their limitations. Many enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods and conventional PCR methods have been used as diagnostic tools. The present study compares the results of a PCR prescreen to two culture methods of detection paired with confirmatory PCR to determine the most accurate, rapid, and sensitive method using U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) fecal check samples. This study involving two laboratories (Marshfield Clinic Laboratories, using solid culture medium [Herrold's egg yolk agar], and TREK Diagnostic Systems Research and Development, using liquid culture medium [ESP Culture System II]) showed that the PCR prescreening method used in this study lacked specificity and sensitivity as a stand-alone test in fecal samples. However, the combination of liquid enrichment culture using the ESP II system, and PCR confirmation with the hspX primer set, was not only 100% sensitive and specific but also correlated with viable MAP and USDA culture results.     

Three-dimensional localization of cochlear implant electrodes using epipolar stereophotogrammetry

Three-dimensional (3-D) localization of individual cochlear implant electrodes within the inner ear is of importance for modeling the electrical field of the cochlea, designing the electrode array, and programming the associated speech processor. A 3-D reconstruction method of cochlear implant electrodes is proposed to localize individual electrodes from two X-ray views in combination with the spiral computed tomography technique. By adapting epipolar geometry to the configuration of an X-ray imaging system, we estimate individual electrode locations in the least square sense without using a patient attachment required by an existing stereophotogrammetry technique. Furthermore, our method does not require any knowledge of the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the imaging system. The performance of our method is studied in numerical simulation and with patient data and is found to be sufficiently accurate for clinical use. The maximum root mean-square errors measured are 0.0445 and 0.214 mm for numerical simulation and patient data, respectively.     

SME与CRM一切就绪只欠东风

SME市场对那些能够带来些有用东西的新进者们开了大门.在对中小型企业(SME)的调研中我们试图预测他们的期望是什么?以及他们对目前的产品是否满意.我们在门户网站www.crm4sme.com的会员中进行了投票,有近2500位中小企业的经理/职员参与.其中约10%(228人)的人作出了响应.     

A dynamic foam test for evaluation of hand dishwashing compositions

Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society - A dynamic foam test for evaluation of hand-dish-washing compositions has been developed which gives good correlation with semipractical plate...     

Blind deblurring of spiral CT images

To discriminate fine anatomical features in the inner ear, it has been desirable that spiral computed tomography (CT) may perform beyond their current resolution limits with the aid of digital image processing techniques. In this paper, we develop a blind deblurring approach to enhance image resolution retrospectively without complete knowledge of the underlying point spread function (PSF). An oblique CT image can be approximated as the convolution of an isotropic Gaussian PSF and the actual cross section. Practically, the parameter of the PSF is often unavailable. Hence, estimation of the parameter for the underlying PSF is crucially important for blind image deblurring. Based on the iterative deblurring theory, we formulate an edge-to-noise ratio (ENR) to characterize the image quality change due to deblurring. Our blind deblurring algorithm estimates the parameter of the PSF by maximizing the ENR, and deblurs images. In the phantom studies, the blind deblurring algorithm reduces image blurring by about 24%, according to our blurring residual measure. Also, the blind deblurring algorithm works well in patient studies. After fully automatic blind deblurring, the conspicuity of the submillimeter features of the cochlea is substantially improved.     

Monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles as a stationary phase for open tubular gas chromatography

The use of a thin film of monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (MPNs) as a stationary phase for gas chromatography (GC) is reported. Deposition of a MPN film was obtained in a 2-m, 530-microm-i.d. deactivated silica capillary using gravity to force the solution containing the MPN material through the capillary. By SEM analysis, the average film thickness was determined to be 60.7 nm. The retention behavior for the dodecanethiol MPN column was studied using four compound classes (alkanes, alcohols, aromatics, ketones), and retention orders were objectively compared to a commercially available column (AT-1, 100-nm film thickness). Separation of an eight-component mixture was performed using both isothermal and temperature-programming methods with the dodecanethiol MPN phase and compared to an isothermal separation with the AT-1 phase. The AT-1 phase separation had an efficiency, N, of 6200 (k' = 0.33) while the dodecanethiol MPN phase separation had an efficiency, N, of 5700 (k' = 0.21) for the same analyte, octane. The reduced plate height, h, for octane was found to be less than 1 at the optimum linear flow velocity, indicating the MPN column operated near the optimum possible performance level. Robustness of the MPN phase is also discussed with consistent performance observed over several months. Overall, MPNs appear promising as a stationary-phase material for GC and as an experimental platform to study their thermodynamic and mass-transfer properties.