bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of maternal exposure to cadmium on pregnancy outcome and breast milk
Authors: Nishijo M , Nakagawa H , Honda R , Tanebe K , Saito S , Teranishi H , Tawara K 
Published: July 2002

Objective:The effects of cadmium (Cd) on birth weight have been discussed in the scientific literature. However, investigations on the effects of maternal body burden of Cd on the next generation during pregnancy and lactation have been limited. The relation between maternal exposure to Cd and pregnancy outcome or Cd in breast milk in Japanese mothers was investigated.Methods:Cd concentrations in urine and colostrum milk samples of 57 mothers were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometery. The relations between maternal urinary Cd and infant growth, gestational age at birth, and Cd in breast milk were investigated.Results:The rate of perterm deliveries of mothers with higher urinary Cd (≥2 nmol/mmol creatinine (Cr)) was higher than that of mothers with lower urinary Cd (<2 nmol/mmol Cr). The gestational age was significantly correlated with urinary Cd even after adjustment for maternal age. The height and weight of newborn infants of mothers with higher urinary Cd were significantly lower than those of the newborn infants of mothers with lower urinary Cd, but these decreases were ascribed to early delivery induced by Cd. The Cd in breast milk of mothers with higher urinary Cd was significantly higher than that of mothers with lower urinary Cd. A significant positive correlation was found between maternal urinary Cd and Cd in breast milk.Conclusion:Maternal exposure to Cd seems to increase early delivery, which leads to a lower birth weight. Also, the Cd is transferred in part to the next generation through breast milk after birth.
Hyperemesis gravidarum: current concepts and management
Authors: Kuşcu N K , Koyuncu F 
Published: July 2002

AbstractHyperemesis gravidarum is a common problem for an obstetrician. Though nausea and vomiting are quite common in pregnancy, hyperemesis is found in only 1–20 patients per 1000. In this practical review, a general outline of the syndrome, its relation to the gastrointestinal system and thyroid, mild and rare severe complications, and conventional treatment versus newer options are discussed.
Smoking in correctional facilities: a survey of employees
Authors: Carpenter Matthew J , Hughes John R , Solomon Laura J , Powell Thomas A 
Published: July 2002

OBJECTIVETo assess level of endorsement and expected consequences of worksite smoking restriction policies among correctional employees.DESIGNMailed survey to Vermont state correctional employees.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESSupport for various policy alternatives for both staff and inmate smoking; expected consequences of restrictive smoking policies and smoking behaviour.PARTICIPANTS321 of 640 (50%) state correctional employees responded.RESULTSEmployees were somewhat receptive to smoking restrictions for inmates, but less supportive of staff smoking restrictions. A complete ban on inmate smoking both indoors and outdoors was supported by 56% and 49% of never and ex-smokers, respectively, but only 15% of current smokers (p < 0.01). A similar ban on employee smoking was supported by 38% of never and ex-smokers, but only 3% of current smokers (p < 0.01). Overall, employees were most supportive (52%) of a policy for themselves that banned indoor smoking and restricted it to certain areas outdoors. Current smokers were more likely to expect negative consequences as a result of further restrictions than were never or ex-smokers.CONCLUSIONSAlthough our findings are limited by a low response rate, most employees support an indoor ban, but not a total ban on smoking. Employees generally favoured a policy that was slightly more restrictive than the current policy, but were less supportive of tighter smoking restrictions for themselves. However, a more restrictive smoking policy is likely to result in some degree of resistance among current smoking employees, who may require specific attention to address their opposition.
Cigarette nicotine yields and nicotine intake among Japanese male workers
Authors: Ueda K , Kawachi I , Nakamura M , Nogami H , Shirokawa N , Masui S , Okayama A , Oshima A 
Published: July 2002

Objectives: To analyse brand nicotine yield including “ultra low” brands (that is, cigarettes yielding ≤ 0.1 mg of nicotine by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) methods) in relation to nicotine intake (urinary nicotine, cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine) among 246 Japanese male smokers.Design: Cross sectional study.Setting: Two companies in Osaka, Japan.Subjects: 130 Japanese male workers selected randomly during their annual regular health check up and 116 Japanese male volunteers taking part in a smoking cessation programme.Main outcome measurements: Subjects answered a questionnaire about smoking habits. Following the interview, each participant was asked to smoke his own cigarette and, after extinguishing it, to blow expired air into an apparatus for measuring carbon monoxide concentration. Urine was also collected for the assays of nicotine metabolites.Results: We found wide variation in urinary nicotine metabolite concentrations at any given nicotine yield. Based on one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the urinary nicotine metabolite concentrations of ultra low yield cigarette smokers were significantly lower compared to smokers of high (p = 0.002) and medium yield cigarettes (p = 0.017). On the other hand, the estimated nicotine intake per ultra low yield cigarette smoked (0.59 mg) was much higher than the 0.1 mg indicated by machine.Conclusions: In this study of Japanese male smokers, actual levels of nicotine intake bore little relation to advertised nicotine yield levels. Our study reinforces the need to warn consumers of inappropriate advertisements of nicotine yields, especially low yield brands.
X-RAY SCATTERING STUDIES OF CHARGE STRIPES IN La2-xSrxNiO4 (x=0.20-0.33)
Authors: HATTON P. D. , GHAZI M. E. , WILKINS S. B. , SPENCER P. D. , MANNIX D. , D'ALMEIDA T. , PRABHAKARAN P. , BOOTHROYD A. 
Published: July 2002

The La 2-x Sr x NiO 4 system is isostructural with the high T C superconducting cuprate La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 and is a prototypical system for the understanding of strongly correlated electron-phonon coupling, and the resultant effects on material properties. X-ray scattering studies have been performed on La5/3Sr1/3NiO4 that demonstrate the two-dimensional nature of these charge stripes. Such studies, demonstrate the very high correlation length of the stripes (~ 2000 Å) at low temperatures. We have undertaken a series of experiments measuring the wavevector and charge stripe correlation length on a variety of crystals with the compositions La 2-x Sr x NiO 4 (x=0.20, 0.25, 0.275, 0.30 and 0.33) using ~10 keV X-rays. The results demonstrate that for x=0.275, and above, the charge stripes are highly correlated in a well-ordered crystalline lattice. Measurements of the incommensurability, ε, as a function of temperature for the series revealed that it is commensurate and temperature independent for the x=0.33 sample. For other compositions it is incommensurate and also temperature dependent. However for the x=0.20 and 0.25 crystals a much reduced correlation length was observed suggestive of a charge stripe glass. However, such experiments are sensitive to such charge ordering only in the near (top few micron) surface region. High energy X-rays however can probe the charge stripe ordering within the bulk of the single crystal by utilising the dramatic increase in penetration depth. We have used 130 keV X-rays and demonstrate that in La5/3Sr1/3NiO4 the charge stripes are far less correlated in the bulk than in the near surface region. This reduced correlation length (~300 Å), consistent with neutron scattering measurements, is indicative of a charge stripe glass, reminiscent of that observed below x=0.25, in the near surface region.
A MODEL OF STUDENT MIGRATION
Authors: SCHEURLE J. , SEYDEL R. 
Published: July 2002

Recently, along with diminishing numbers of students, it has been observed that some graduate programs still have lots of students, whereas other fields of study suffer from a great loss of students. Apparently, students do not distribute evenly over the fields that a university offers. The relations among the number of students in different fields of concentration are not constant. In particular, the harder subjects appear to suffer more from a diminishing number of students than the fields with a reputation of being somewhat "softer." The reasons for such trends must be expected to be related to the size of the market, and to psychological effects. Our study has been motivated by attempts to model economic mechanisms that are related to advertising [Feichtinger, 1992]. We have constructed a mathematical model that is able to explain trends such as reported above.
BINARY ENCODING OF DISCERNIBILITY PATTERNS TO FIND MINIMAL COVERINGS
Authors: FÉLIX R. , USHIO T. 
Published: July 2002

Rough set based methods have been applied successfully in many real world applications such as data mining, knowledge discovery, machine learning, and control. The rough set theory is used to deal with imperfect data and to eliminate dispensable, superfluous and redundant information as to obtain a simplified set of decision rules. Thus, several approaches and methods have been proposed to find minimal coverings, from which the decision rules can be induced. In many of these approaches, an improvement in the utilization of computational resources is encouraged. In this paper, a binary encoding for attribute sets and a discernibility matrix is proposed. Such a binary representation of sets and sets operations in the implementation of algorithms provides a machine-oriented approach to the utilization of computational memory and allow parallel processing among groups of attributes. The discernibility matrix is reduced to its minimal size through the identification of main patterns in order to eliminate redundancies. Bit-wise operations replace sets operations, thus the search for minimal coverings is performed in an efficient way. Resulting improvement is shown in the analysis of medium-sized data sets using two generic methods to obtain minimal coverings.
NEOCHONDROGENESIS FOR ARTICULAR BONE-CARTILAGE DEFECT: The use of free periosteal graft, porous metal mould and continuous passive motion in a rabbit model
Authors: Chiu K.Y. , Xie J. , Ngai W.K. , Cheah K.S.E. , Kuffner T. , Chow S.P. 
Published: July 2002

Full thickness articular bone-cartilage defects were created in the acetabulae of 35 adult rabbits. A double-layered titanium mesh was used in each hip so as to substitute for the bone defect. Free periosteal grafting was then sutured over the mesh, and the hip was subjected to continuous passive motion for 1 week in each rabbit. Under light microscopy, islands of chondroid tissues were shown to be present from 2 weeks onwards, and the dominant reparative tissue was hyaline-like cartilage after 6 months. The normal degree of metachromasia of the matrix by Safranin-0 staining was achieved in most but not all the specimens that were hyaline-like under the microscope. Analysis of the collagen types synthesised by the grafts revealed a combination of both type II and type I collagens. Immunohistochemical staining showed intense positive staining around the chondrocyte lacunae when stained with anti-type II collagen antibodies with the one-year group of rabbits. Although metachromasia of the matrix and collagen typing suggested that fibrocartilage was formed in addition to the hyaline cartilage, the gross appearance and nature of reparative tissues formed were quite promising. Periosteal grafting over a metallic, non-biological surface that provided the shape of the osseous defect in a massive articular defect was therefore a possible alternative.
MULTI-AGENT MARKET MODELING OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
Authors: ZIMMERMANN GEORG , NEUNEIER RALPH , GROTHMANN RALPH 
Published: July 2002

A market mechanism is basically driven by a superposition of decisions of many agents optimizing their profit. The macroeconomic price dynamic is a consequence of the cumulated excess demand/supply created on this micro level. The behavior analysis of a small number of agents is well understood through the game theory. In case of a large number of agents one may use the limiting case that an individual agent does not have an influence on the market, which allows the aggregation of agents by statistic methods. In contrast to this restriction, we can omit the assumption of an atomic market structure, if we model the market through a multi-agent approach. The contribution of the mathematical theory of neural networks to the market price formation is mostly seen on the econometric side: neural networks allow the fitting of high dimensional nonlinear dynamic models. Furthermore, in our opinion, there is a close relationship between economics and the modeling ability of neural networks because a neuron can be interpreted as a simple model of decision making. With this in mind, a neural network models the interaction of many decisions and, hence, can be interpreted as the price formation mechanism of a market.
CO-EVOLUTION OF FINITE STATE MACHINES FOR OPTIMIZATION: PROMOTION OF DEVICES WHICH SEARCH GLOBALLY
Authors: FREY CLEMENS 
Published: July 2002

In this work a co-evolutionary approach is used in conjunction with Genetic Programming operators in order to find certain transition rules for two-step discrete dynamical systems. This issue is similar to the well-known artificial-ant problem. We seek the dynamic system to produce a trajectory leading from given initial values to a maximum of a given spatial functional.This problem is recast into the framework of input-output relations for controllers, and the optimization is performed on program trees describing input filters and finite state machines incorporated by these controllers simultaneously. In the context of Genetic Programming there is always a set of test cases which has to be maintained for the evaluation of program trees. These test cases are subject to evolution here, too, so we employ a so-called host-parasitoid model in order to evolve optimizing dynamical systems.Reinterpreting these systems as algorithms for finding the maximum of a functional under constraints, we have derived a paradigm for the automatic generation of adapted optimization algorithms via optimal control. We provide numerical examples generated by the GP-system MathEvEco. These examples refer to key properties of the resulting strategies and they include statistical evidence showing that for this problem of system identification the co-evolutionary approach is superior to standard Genetic Programming.
Pipelining
Authors: Housel Barron C. 
Published: July 2002

In the past several years much attention has been given to the problem of data translation. The focus has been mainly on methodologies and specification languages for accomplishing this task. Recently, several prototype systems have emerged, and now the issues of implementation and performance must be addressed. In general, a data restructuring specification may contain multiple source and target files. This specification can be viewed as a “process graph” which is a network of restructuring operations subject to precedence constraints. One technique used to achieve good performance is that of pipelining data in the process graph.
In this paper we address a number of issues pertinent to a pipelining architecture. Specifically, we give algorithms for resolving deadlock situations which can arise, and partitioning the process graph to achieve an optimal schedule for executing the restructuring steps. In addition, we discuss how pipelining has influenced the design of the restructuring operations and the file structures used in an actual system.
A High-Scanning-Rate Storage Device for Computer Applications
Authors: Baumann D. M. 
Published: July 2002

The results of an investigation of the use of photographic techniques for high-scanning-rate digital storage are presented.
The most promising technique, that of utilizing a projection system and a rotating mirror, is described in detail. In this system, the binary-digital information recorded on a photographic medium in the form of spots is projected on a rotating mirror by a device similar to a common slide projector. The image reflected from the rotating mirror sweeps past a row of stationary photoelectric transducers and causes the transducers to “read” the stored information.
Experiments conducted with a simple slide projector and a rotating mirror resulted in a reading rate of 250,000 cps, with a mirror speed of 3600 rpm and a memory pattern of 110 lines per inch.

A system using a memory pattern that is 4 by 4 inches and that contains 16 × 10
6
bits of information, each bit being 0.0005 by 0.002 inch, is proposed. This information would be written in parallel channels, each approximately 40 bits in width and 4 inches in length. Schemes for reading each of the channels repeatedly and for reading the channels successively are discussed. The reading rate should be greater than 1 million words per second.
Footnote to a Recent Paper
Authors: Goldstine H. H. 
Published: July 2002

In a recent paper
1
I stated that von Neumann had originated the suggestion for the use of Schur's canonical form for arbitrary matrices. I have since learned that the suggestion actually is due in the first instance to John Greenstadt, who brought it to von Neumann's attention. The history of this is rather interesting and was communicated to me in a letter from John Greenstadt, which I quote below.

“The full story is, that the triangularization occurred to me early in 1953, after trying in vain to find a general iterative diagonalization procedure, even where one knew that it was possible to diagonalize (defective degeneracy being the impossible case). It seemed to me that one thing that made for the stability of the Jacobi method was the fact that all the elements in the transformation matrix were less than 1. A natural generalization embodying this requirement was to consider unitary transformations. Then, a quick check of Murnaghan's book showed that one could hope only to triangularize, but that this was always possible.
“I did some hand calculations on this, and lo and behold! it converged in the few cases I tried. I then programmed it for the CPC and tried many other cases. For several months thereafter, Kogbetliantz, John Sheldon, and I tried to prove convergence, when the algorithm involved the sequential annihilation of off-diagonal elements. We (particularly Sheldon) tried many approaches, but with no hint of success. Finally, in the latter part of 1953, we decided to ask von Neumann, who was then a consultant for IBM, when he was in New York at our offices.

“I had prepared a writeup describing the procedure, but von Neumann (rightly) didn't want to bother reading it, so I explained it to him in about two minutes. He spent the next 15 minutes thinking up
all
the approaches we had thought of in three or four months, plus a few ones—all, however, without promise.

“At this point he decided that it was a nontrivial problem, and perhaps not worth it anyway, and immediately suggested minimizing the sum of squares of subdiagonal elements, which is, of course, the truly natural generalization of the Jacobi method. For the next 15 minutes he investigated the case when it would be impossible to make an improvement for a particular pivotal element and found that these cases were of measure zero.

“I recoded my procedure for the 701 and tried many other matrices of various sizes. I myself never had a failure, but it has since been demonstrated that the method will indeed fail for a class of matrices. Hence, a proof is clearly impossible. However, I think a
statistical
proof is possible, along lines suggested by Kogbetliantz, which, however, I have not been able to find. I do not think von Neumann's variation of the method would fail. (However, it is more complicated and time consuming.)”
Input Data Source Limitations for Real-Time Operation of Digital Computers
Authors: Schroeder R. 
Published: July 2002

The purpose of this paper is to consider the limiting conditions associated with the handling of many unrelated input data sources by a digital computer which utilizes binary internal logic. Equations are derived which relate the number of distinct input sources to their frequency through inequalities which specify the limiting conditions, i.e. the maximum number of data sources for a given input data frequency. Inequalities are derived for both serial and parallel input data configurations. The limiting conditions for real-time queuing are derived.
The modification of the above conditions when program operations are taken into account is examined, and the information content associated with the limiting conditions is discussed. The absolute limit on computer capacity is derived by considering the limit on the information which can be stored in a given computer. Finally, theoretical conclusions are applied to an exemplary model.
Efficient Exercising of Switching Elements in Nets of Identical Gates
Authors: Richards Donald L. 
Published: July 2002

The problem of finding a minimum number of patterns to exercise the logic elements of a combinational switching net is investigated. Throughout, the word “testing” refers to exercising of this kind; or, equivalently, to fault diagnosis where each line of the net can be directly observed. Any set of permanent faults can be selected to test against, examples of which range from “stuck-at” faults (allowing the most economical test) to “any possible fault” (requiring the most complete test).
The method used depends upon exact structural analysis rather than upon search algorithms or random pattern generation. The types of results presented appear to be fundamentally new. In particular, the maximum number of patterns required to test any one of an infinite class of nets is frequently found to be finite and extremely small. For example, any nontrivial connected tree of 2-input nand gates can be tested for “any possible fault” by exactly five patterns—no more and no less.

The method in brief: Given a set
F
of switching functions and a set of required inputs for each (collectively denoted
T
), a “testing” function is defined for each element of
F
for each positive integer
r
. If the lines of a net can be mapped to the domain of the testing functions
P
(
T, r
) so that the gates perform consistent with these functions, we say the net “accepts”
P
(
T, r
)—and then
r
patterns are sufficient to test the net for
T
.

Only nets in which each logic element is intended to realize the same switching function are discussed here. Trees (nets without fanout) are studied first, and the conditions under which a tree of identical gates “accepts” a partial function on an arbitrary domain is established. Then the common symmetric switching functions are separately investigated to find for each a minimum value of
r
such that all trees composed solely of the function accept
P
(
T, r
) (for various
T
). In most cases, as in the example given, the number of patterns required to test
any
such tree is extremely low.

The conditions under which all nets (nontrees included) accept a set of partial functions with arbitrary domain are then established. These conditions are rarely met in practice, even where
F
consists of a single function. However, many subclasses of nets can be identified which require only a few patterns at most (depending on the function and the class of faults selected). These subclasses often contain nets of arbitrary size and complexity, and frequently consist of exactly those nets for which a related graph can be “colored” (i.e.,
h
-node colored for some particular
h
) in the classical graph-theoretic sense. For example, any
net
of 2-input nand gates can be tested by five patterns if one of its related graphs is 2-colorable and another one is 3-colorable (!).

The detailed results and methods used to obtain them are summarized, and in conclusion coloring problems and test construction are commented upon.