cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensory deprivation stress and supplemental stimulation in the rat pup and preterm human neonate

This article reviews the literature and presents data from our laboratories on sensory deprivation stress and supplemental stimulation of the rat pup and the preterm neonate. The data suggest that the effects of maternal deprivation in the rat pup (suppression of growth hormone release and protein synthesis) are regulated by a specific form of tactile stimulation: only brush stroking of maternally deprived rat pups returned growth parameters to normal; other forms of stimulation, including kinesthetic and vestibular stimulation, were ineffective in restoring normal functions. Other data are presented demonstrating that very small preterm neonates given tactile-kinesthetic stimulation gain more weight per day, spend more time awake and active, and show more mature habituation, orientation, motor, and range of state behaviors on the Brazelton assessment.
Method for bridge repair

Repair of fractured porcelain pontics is simple and the results are satisfactory by use of the method described.
Methodological Issues in Pharmacotherapy Research in Older Adults

Background The shifting of demographics to an aging society with multiple chronic illnesses and increased heterogeneity has created an undeniable imperative regarding the knowledge about pharmacotherapy in older patients, especially because older adults have a higher rate of medication use compared with the general population. More research on pharmacotherapy in older adults is needed to maximize not only the appropriate use of medications but also the benefits of available treatments in this historically underrepresented group. Investigators face many challenges that may greatly affect the outcomes of research on pharmacotherapy in older adults. Objective This commentary discusses the common challenges of research on pharmacotherapy in older adults and provides strategies to overcome such challenges. Methods The following databases were searched for examples of concepts (dates: 1976–September 14, 2010; key terms: research [in the title] , aged, elderly, older adult, and geriatric ): PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Database (CINAHL), Family & Societal Studies Worldwide, Women's Studies International, Academic Search Premier, Health Source: Academic/Nursing Edition, ISI Web of Knowledge, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PsycInfo, and Social Work Abstracts. Results There are several methodological challenges related to study design, including the measurement of outcomes and the analytical plan; study implementation, such as the recruitment of sites and individuals; the informed-consent process; retention; and other practical considerations. A crucial area to consider is the measurement of medication adherence, both as an independent factor and as a confounder. Many challenges of research in older patients reflect the complexities of the aging process, including psychosocial consequences, and the resultant effects on study participation and outcomes. Conclusion It is hoped that the recommendations provided will help researchers and clinicians overcome the methodological challenges of conducting research on pharmacotherapy in older adults, thereby fostering more studies that critically evaluate pharmacotherapy and medication-management services and maximizing treatment outcomes in older adults.
Solid-Phase Synthesis of Isoxazoles and Isoxazolines: En Route to a New Class of Ionophores

Solid-phase organic synthesis (SPOS) was employed in the construction of isoxazole and/or isoxazoline polyheterocyclic systems. The [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of nitrile oxides, generated from the corresponding primary nitro compounds, with resin-bound alkynes or alkenes were highly efficient both chemically and with regard to purification. A parallel solution-phase synthesis was carried out which compared the synthetic efficiency in both media. SPOS of isoxazole/isoxazoline 11, employing a functionalized polystyrene resin, was found to be more efficient than the solution-phase approach. Three other oligoisoxazoles were prepared with average yields per step being 82, 84, and 89%.
Experiences of the Risen Jesus: The Foundational Historical Issue in the Early Proclamation of the Resurrection

Abstract: That Jesus' disciples experienced what they believed were appearances of the risen Jesus after his death is generally conceded by the critical scholarly community. The nature of these experiences is the key component in recent historical discussions. Drawn from a survey of recent scholarly resurrection studies, and building upon agreed data, various reasons are given to establish the reality of the disciples' experiences. Three major responses to the cause of these experiences are also outlined. The chief goal of this essay is not to decide between these three positions, but to narrow the focus of the current discussion.
Analytical design of intelligent machines

Abstract The problem of designing “intelligent machines” operating in uncertain environments with minimum supervision or interaction with a human operator is examined. The structure of an “intelligent machine” is defined to be the structure of a Hierarchically Intelligent Control System, composed of three levels hierarchically ordered according to the principle of “increasing precision with decreasing intelligence”, namely: the organizational level, performing general information processing tasks in association with a long-term memory, the coordination level, dealing with specific information processing tasks with a short-term memory, and the control level, which performs the execution of various tasks through hardware using feedback control methods. The behavior of such a machine may be managed by controls with special considerations and its “intelligence” is directly related to the derivation of a compatible measure that associates the intelligence of the higher levels with the concept of entropy, which is a sufficient analytic measure that unifies the treatment of all the levels of an “intelligent machine” as the mathematical problem of finding the right sequence of internal decisions and controls for a system structured in the order of intelligence and inverse order of precision such that it minimizes its total entropy. A case study on the automatic maintenance of a nuclear plant illustrates the proposed approach.
A comparison of failure predictions by strength and fracture mechanics techniques

Predictions of lifetime under load were made for five ceramic materials using strength and fracture mechanics techniques. The double-torsion technique was used to obtain fracture mechanics data, while the stressing-rate technique was used to obtain strength data. An error analysis based on the error propagation law was performed to determine confidence limits for the failure predictions. Agreement of lifetime predictions by the stressing-rate and fracture mechanics techniques were obtained for only two of the materials. The implications of these results with regard to microstructural effects on crack propagation and design applications are discussed.
A New Analysis of the Magnitude of the February 1663 Earthquake at Charlevoix, Quebec

Abstract This paper presents a new and comprehensive analysis of the magnitude of the 1663 Charlevoix, Quebec, earthquake. Based on a modified Mercalli intensity scale (MMI) of about VI from reports of damage to chimneys and a masonry wall in Roxbury and Boston, Massachusetts, the best estimate of the moment magnitude of this earthquake is M 7.3 to 7.9 from MMI attenuation relations. Using ground-motion attenuation relations and the threshold for chimney and masonry damage from fragility curves for seventeenth- and eighteenth-century dwellings in Boston, the magnitude of the 1663 earthquake is at least M 6.9 if the damage occurred on very soft soil conditions and is M 7.3 to M 7.7 if the damage took place on firm soil or bedrock. Both the best estimate of a length of 73 km for the most active section of the Charlevoix Seismic Zone and an estimated fault area of 73 km×25 km for the 1663 earthquake are consistent with an earthquake of M 7.3 to 7.6 based on scaling relationships. Also, in the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquake sequence only the 7 February 1812 shock, the largest of the sequence, caused chimney damage beyond about 600 km. The 7 February New Madrid event is thought to have taken place on the Reelfoot fault, for which the length of the recent earthquake activity and of the suspected 1812 rupture is less than that of the active seismicity zone at Charlevoix. These observations suggest that the 1663 Charlevoix earthquake was approximately comparable in magnitude to or even larger than the largest of the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes and therefore was at least M 6.8. When put together, the several lines of analysis in this study indicate that the best estimate of the size of the 1663 earthquake is M 7.5±0.45.
Abrogation of resistance to Theiler's virus-induced demyelination in C57BL mice by total body irradiation

Theiler's murine encephalitis virus (TMEV) produces an unusual biphasic disease in susceptible mice characterized by poliomyelitis with early viral replication in neurons, followed by chronic demyelination with viral antigen expression in spinal cord white matter. In addition, infectious virus persists in the central nervous system (CNS) throughout the chronic phase of disease. Previous studies have indicated an important role for major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-gene products in determining resistance/susceptibility to disease. In particular, certain class I gene products of the D region of the H-2 gene complex render mice of the C57BL lineage resistant to induction of demyelination. Intracerebral infection of B10.S(DS) mice results in demyelination in the spinal cord while infection of C57BL/10(Db) or B10.S(9R)(Dd) fails to produce white matter destruction. In this study we showed that immunosuppression with gamma irradiation renders normally resistant B10.S(9R) and C57BL/10 mice susceptible to TMEV-induced demyelination and allowed for increased viral replication. In addition, the majority of irradiated C57BL/10 mice infected with virus showed extensive areas of CNS remyelination by oligodendrocytes beginning at 63 days post-infection. In contrast, immunosuppression of normally susceptible B10.S mice resulted in acute disease and high mortality accompanied by overwhelming destruction of neurons. The study supports the hypothesis that MHC-conferred resistance in C57BL mice is associated with MHC D region products and indicate an important active role for the immune system early in infection in limiting vital infection during disease induction in nonimmunosuppressed mice.
An Integrated Framework for Relating Diverse Consumer Characteristics to Supermarket Coupon Redemption

The author proposes a model of consumer redemption of grocery coupons, integrating the separate literatures on consumer demographics, nondemographic consumer characteristics, and cost/benefit perce...
Effects of background anger, provocation, and methylphenidate on emotional arousal and aggressive responding in attention-deficit hyperactivity disordered boys with and without concurrent aggressiveness

We investigated the effects of background anger, provocation, and methylphenidate on emotional, physiological, and behavioral responding in children with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with and without concurrent aggression. Our study revealed that ADHD boys showed more emotional and physiological distress when exposed to an interaction in which an administrator chastised each boy's favorite counselor, compared to a friendly interaction between the two adults. The background anger manipulation did not affect the aggressive behavior of the boys against an opponent in an aggressive game. High-aggressive (HA) ADHD boys were more likely to respond to provocation with aggression than low-aggressive (LA) ADHD boys, but only LA boys showed increased physiological reactivity with increasing provocation. Methylphenidate resulted in increased heart rates under all conditions and did not interact with any of the other findings.
DUAL FOCAL PLANE VISIBLE OPTICAL LIMITER

Experiments measuring the transmission of 5 nanosecond (FWHM), 532 nm pulses through an optical limiter using two different nonlinear materials at two separate focal planes show by far the highest dynamic-range measured to date. This cascaded focus, f/5 optical limiter combines self focusing and consequent nonlinear scattering in CS2, with reverse saturable absorption in lead-phthalocyanine (PbPc). Both the AC Kerr effect and electrostriction contribute to the total refractive index change in CS2. Our beam propagation code is used to model the propagation of light through the 2 cm thick CS2 cell placed at the first focus, which protects a second 0.1 mm cell containing a solution of PbPc placed at the second focus. An aperture is placed in the focal plane of a final focusing lens to measure the "encircled" energy, defined as the energy passing through a 1.5 mrad diameter focal-plane aperture. Experiments and modeling show that the strong self-focusing in the CS2 keeps the energy at the second cell below its damage threshold. This combination of nonlinearities clamps the maximum encircled energy below 1 μJ for input energies up to 14.5 mJ at a 10 Hz repetition rate. This corresponds to a dynamic range of at least 7500 while it is possibly much greater since no damage occurred to any device components. Here we present details of the operation of this device.
Nodular pericardial metastases

A 50 year-old male with a 60 pack-year smoking history presented with worsening left upper back pain. He also complained of increasing shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, and unintentional 40-pound weight loss over the past four months. Chest computed tomography revealed a large left lower lobe mass (asterisk in Fig. 1A) and numerous soft tissue nodules along the pericardium (arrows in Fig. 1A and B). Echocardiogram also revealed echogenic pericardial nodules (Fig. 1C). Findings were most suggestive of primary bronchogenic malignancy with pericardial metastases. Subsequent biopsy of the left lower lobe mass revealed invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging done later for other reasons also demonstrated the enhancing nodules along the pericardium (Fig. 1D). Metastases to the heart are far more common than primary cardiac tumours. The pericardium is the most common
Oxidative Footprinting of Fibrillar and Prefibrillar Oligomer Forms of Amyloid Beta

The mechanism by which amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque accumulation contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains poorly understood. With biophysical, thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of the various Aβ structures involved in plaque development, we aim to identify connections between polymerization cascade events and AD pathogenesis. Herein, we present oxidative footprinting with mass spectrometry to probe the solvent accessibility of specific amino acid side chains in Aβ40 fibrils and oligomeric forms of Aβ40. These accessibilities are compared to those of a fully exposed reference state using hydroxyl radicals (∗OH) generated either by water radiolysis or by Fe(II)-EDTA reaction with peroxide. Using this information we distinguish topological relationships within the fibril to allow selection of the relevant tertiary structural model of fibrillar Aβ from those suggested by NMR and those by cryogenic electron microscopy. This work provides important steps towards correlating structure and morphology in Aβ fibrils -- essential for understanding the molecular pathogenesis of AD.
Perceived palatability of the prudent diet: results of a dietary demonstration for physicians.

“Product sampling” is an effective marketing strategy which lowers consumer buying resistance by providing a free sample of the product for the consumer to test. We used this strategy to demonstrate the palatability of the prudent diet (30–35% of calories from total fats, <10% from saturated fats, <3 g sodium, and increased fiber) to physicians attending a 5-day family practice continuing medical education conference. The effect of the intervention was evaluated with pre- and postintervention questionnaires and a 20% random sample of participants was surveyed 1 year later. The proportion of physicians who reported that they considered the diet to be “very palatable” rose from 26% before the demonstration to 64% after the demonstration. Only 5% of the physicians did not report a favorable response to the demonstration. Sixty-two percent of the physicians reported that the diet was better than expected, and 82% reported that the demonstration encouraged them to recommend the diet to their patients. One year after the intervention 60% considered the diet “very palatable” and 55% reported that the demonstration stimulated them to increase their dietary intervention activities. These data suggest that serving the prudent diet at continuing medical education programs helps to remove prejudices about the diet and encourages physicians to recommend the diet to their patients.
‘Presentable’: the body and neoliberal subjecthood in contemporary India

The opening up of the Indian economy through a series of neoliberal reforms since 1991 ushered in processes of globalization that have led to a rapidly changing socio-cultural environment in India. Economic growth, globalizing discourses, and new consumer choices have driven desires for new global-yet-Indian identities. An emerging consumer agency has allowed for the embodiment and performance of these identities at the site of the body, even as new spaces of consumption have necessitated new bodily dispositions and practices. In this paper, I focus on how access to new commodities and discourses has affected understandings of the modern Indian body. In particular, I concentrate on appearance and the notion of exercising consumer agency to be ‘presentable’ as a lens through which to examine broader aspects of the body in the creation of neoliberal subjects in India.
Impact of Public Reporting on Unreported Quality of Care

Objective. The impact of quality improvement incentives on nontargeted care is unknown and some have expressed concern that such incentives may be harmful to nontargeted areas of care. Our objective is to examine the effect of publicly reporting quality information on unreported quality of care. Data Sources/Study Setting. The nursing home Minimum Data Set from 1999 to 2005 on all postacute care admissions. Study Design. We studied 13,683 skilled nursing facilities and examined how unreportedaspects ofclinicalcarechanged inresponse tochangesinreported careafter public reporting was initiated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on their website, Nursing Home Compare, in 2002. Principal Findings. We find that overall both unreported and reported care improved following the launch of public reporting. Improvements in unreported care were particularly large among facilities with high scores or that significantly improved on reported measures, whereas low-scoring facilities experienced no change or worsening of their unreported quality of care. Conclusions. Public reporting in the setting of postacute care had mixed effects on areas without public reporting, improving in high-ranking facilities, but worsening in low-ranking facilities. While the benefits of public reporting may extend beyond areas that are being directly measured, theseinitiatives may also widen the gap between high- and low-quality facilities.
Existence of best approximations by sums of exponentials

Abstract In this paper we shall show that each ƒϵ L p [0,1] (1 ⩽ p ⩽ ∞) has a best L p approximation from the set of exponential sums, V n ( S ), provided S is closed. Here V n ( S ) denotes the set of all solutions of all n -th order linear homogeneous differential equations with constant coefficients for which the roots of the corresponding characteristic polynomial all lie in S . We thus extend the previously known existence theorems which apply only in the special cases where S is compact or where S = R .
Data-driven simulations of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) platform

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) are two new sensors being developed by the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) that will extend over 35 years of archived Landsat data. In a departure from the whiskbroom design used by all previous generations of Landsat, the LDCM system will employ a pushbroom technology. Although the newly adopted modular array, pushbroom architecture has several advantages over the previous whiskbroom design, registration of the multi-spectral data products is a concern. In this paper, the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) tool was used to simulate an LDCM collection, which gives the team access to data that would not otherwise be available prior to launch. The DIRSIG model was used to simulate the two-instrument LDCM payload in order to study the geometric and radiometric impacts of the sensor design on the proposed processing chain. The Lake Tahoe area located in eastern California was chosen for this work because of its dramatic change in elevation, which was ideal for studying the geometric effects of the new Landsat sensor design. Multi-modal datasets were used to create the Lake Tahoe site model for use in DIRSIG. National Elevation Dataset (NED) data were used to create the digital elevation map (DEM) required by DIRSIG, QuickBird data were used to identify different material classes in the scene, and ASTER and Hyperion spectral data were used to assign radiometric properties to those classes. In order to model a realistic Landsat orbit in these simulations, orbital parameters were obtained from a Landsat 7 two-line element set and propagated with the SGP4 orbital position model. Line-of-sight vectors defining how the individual detector elements of the OLI and TIRS instruments project through the optics were measured and provided by NASA. Additionally, the relative spectral response functions for the 9 bands of OLI and the 2 bands of TIRS were measured and provided by NASA. The instruments were offset on the virtual satellite and data recorders used to generate ephemeris data for downstream processing. Finally, potential platform jitter spectra were measured and provided by NASA and incorporated into the simulations. Simulated imagery generated by the model was incrementally provided to the rest of the LDCM team in a spiral development cycle to constantly refine the simulations.
Room temperature nanofabrication of atomically registered heteromolecular organosilicon nanostructures using multistep feedback controlled lithography

Ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy is employed for the nanofabrication and characterization of atomically registered heteromolecular organosilicon nanostructures at room temperature. In the first fabrication step, feedback controlled lithography (FCL) is used to pattern individual 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) free radical molecules at opposite ends of the same dimer row on the Si(100)‐2×1:H surface. In atomic registration with the first pattern, FCL is subsequently applied for the removal of a single hydrogen atom. The resulting dangling bond templates the spontaneous growth of a styrene chain that is oriented along the underlying dimer row. The styrene chain growth is bounded by the originally patterned TEMPO molecules, thus resulting in a heteromolecular organosilicon nanostructure. The demonstration of multistep FCL suggests that this approach can be widely used for fundamental studies and fabricating prototype devices that require atomically registered organic molecules mou...
EPR linewidths in RbMnF3 and MnF2

Differences in the behavior of the EPR linewidths in RbMnF3 and MnF2 when the Neel point is approached from the high temperature side are shown to arise from the interplay of the dipolar interaction and the symmetry of the magnetic lattice.
The Opposite of Republican: Polarization and Political Categorization

Two experiments examined the typicality structure of contrasting political categories. In Experiment 1, two separate groups of participants rated the typicality of 15 individuals, including political figures and media personalities, with respect to the categories Democrat or Republican. The relation between the two sets of ratings was negative, linear, and extremely strong, r = ).9957. Essentially, one category was treated as a mirror image of the other. Experiment 2 replicated this result, showing some boundary conditions, and extending the result to liberal and conservative categories. The same method was applied to two other pairs of contrasting categories, healthy and junk foods, and male and female jobs. For those categories, the relation between contrasting pairs was weaker and there was less of a direct trade-off between typicality in one category versus typicality in its opposite. The results are discussed in terms of implications for political decision making and reasoning, and conceptual representation.
On the removal of silver and antimony radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste by some classical means

After partial upgrading of a research reactor at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad, some waste effluents having 110mAg and 124Sb with higher activity levels than the disposal limits piled up because the waste storage capacity was not yet enhanced. Experimental work was conducted to arrive at some optimum procedure for the treatment of the waste to ensure smooth reactor operation. Different classical reagents and methods, e.g., using tellurium as a carrier of silver; chemical reduction and isotopic exchange of silver; using ion exchange resins, charcoal and manganese dioxide as cation adsorber and filtration of radiocolloids of silver, were tested. These experiments yielded interesting results and a few of them offered very cost- and time-effective decontamination of the wastewater, which is usually difficult to achieve through chemical treatment processes. Some of these experiments are presented here.
Gender Differences in Computer-Related Attitudes and Behavior: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract A meta-analysis of studies of gender differences in computer-related attitudes and behavior using US and Canadian participants found that men and boys exhibited greater sex-role stereotyping of computers, higher computer self-efficacy, and more positive affect about computers than did women and girls. These effect sizes varied as a function of study population — adult, college, high school, and grammar school — with the largest differences generally found for high school students. Gender differences in beliefs about computers approached zero and did not vary by study population. Gender differences in computer-related behaviors were small and did not differ as a function of study population. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Failures in sharing personal data on social networking sites

Sharing personal informatics data to social networking sites is a common and well-studied practice in both research and commercial applications, but there have been substantial mistakes and failures within this space that offer important lessons to application developers. We discuss three common types of failures salient in our own work, other research, and popular press stories. These failures surface important open questions to the field of personal informatics.
Automated external defibrillators and first responders: a satisfaction survey.

Abstract Primary objective: Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are used with increasing frequency in the United States by first responders (FR) such as police officers (PO) or firefighters (FF). However, FR satisfaction with use of AEDs has not been investigated. We hypothesized that FR satisfaction is comparable with that of paramedics (PA) and that, among those who have defibrillated with AEDs, those who have restored a pulse before PA arrival have a higher level of satisfaction than those who have not restored a pulse. Materials and methods: A 21-item questionnaire with closed answers was sent to FR and PA in four communities. Each answer was scored 0, 1 or 2. A score between 10 and 16 correlated with the highest satisfaction level. Results: 276 out of 311 questionnaires were returned (89%). Two hundred and eleven respondents (35 PA, 70 FF and 106 PO) had used an AED and 99 FF and PO had restored a pulse before PA arrival. The satisfaction level of PO, FF and PA was high as demonstrated by the scores: 13.26, 13.07 and 13.39, respectively. Use of AED and pulse restoration resulted in higher scores than those of groups who had been trained only and who had not restored a pulse. Conclusion: FR demonstrated a high level of satisfaction with using AEDs, and also had a favorable attitude toward implementation of AED use. Restoration of a pulse was clearly a factor responsible for a higher satisfaction. This positive attitude should encourage further implementation of early defibrillation programs in non-medical first responder settings.
Souvenir: flexible note-taking tool to pinpoint and share media in digital libraries

Digital media audio/video can be difficult to search and share in a personal way. Souvenir is a software system that offers users a flexible and comprehensive way to use their handwritten or text notes to retrieve and share specific media moments. Users can take notes on a variety of devices, such as the paper-based CrossPad, the Palm Pilot and standard keyboard devices. Souvenir segments handwritten notes into an effective media index without the need for handwriting recognition. Users can use their notes to create hyperlinks to random-access media stored in a digital library. Souvenir also has web publishing and email capabilities to enable anyone to access or email media moments directly from a web page. Souvenir annotations capture information that can not be easily inferred by automatic media indexing tools.
III.J. Cell Proliferation at the Vitreoretinal Interface in Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy and Related Disorders

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) refers to the proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial cells, hyalocytes, and glial cells at the vitreous and on the retinal surface in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Seen in 5–10 % of all cases of RRD [1] and found in 75 % of all recurrent retinal detachment cases [2], PVR is the most common reason for failure of retinal reattachment surgery. PVR results from the dispersion, migration, and proliferation of cells into the vitreous as well as the outer and inner surface of the retina. The cell types involved in the process of PVR formation include retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, hyalocytes, and glial cells [3]. Cytokines such as fibronectin and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) have also been implicated in the process of PVR formation [4]. These cells and cytokines lead to membrane formation and contraction of the vitreous and retina resulting in recurrent retinal detachment [4].
Sets of Nonnegative Matrices with Positive Inhomogeneous Products

Let X be a set of k×k matrices in which each element is nonnegative. For a positive integer n, let P(n) be an arbitrary product of n matrices from X, with any ordering and with repetitions permitted. Define X to be a primitive set if there is a positive integer n such that every P(n) is positive [i.e., every element of every P(n) is positive]. For any primitive set X of matrices, define the index g(X) to be the least positive n such that every P(n) is positive. We show that if X is a primitive set, then g(X)⩽2k−2. Moreover, there exists a primitive set Y such that g(Y) = 2k−2.
Green migration into rural America: The new frontier of environmentalism?

This article proposes that shifts in rural population and economic growth patterns may help explain rising levels of support for environmental values in many rural areas. In particular, it assesses a model of "green migration" that assumes that domestic in-migration, with its impacts on the character and composition of rural communities, is one of the reasons environmental values may be gaining support in rural America. Results based on survey data obtained from two groups of rural residents of southern Appalachia lend support to the model. A majority of the in-migrants to the region came because of its environment, and protecting environmental values remained a high priority. In-migrants are a bit more knowledgeable about environmental issues, more concerned about the environment, place higher priority on environmental protection, and are more engaged in activities that promote environmental values than nonmigrants. Knowledge of the sociodemographic characteristics of both groups of rural residents is ke...
Electrolyte absorption by gallbladders: Models of transport

Abstract A model of electrolyte absorption by gallbladder epithelium has been presented previously on the basis of studies on gallbladders of 12 species, including fishes, frogs, toad, turtle, guinea pig, rabbit, cat and dog. This model incorporates several physiologic and morphologic characteristics common to other transporting epithelia (e.g., intestine) such as energy-dependent solute pumps, osmotically-induced water flow into the lateral intercellular space and bulk flow of fluid driven by hydrostatic pressure along the lateral space toward the basement membrane. Because the transepithelial PD across the gallbladders of each of these species was near zero under most experimental conditions, the active transport mechanism (or, “pump”) at the basolateral membrane was considered to move Na and Cl in a coupled, one-for-one manner. The carrier mechanism was postulated to have a binding site for Na and one for Cl; it would function only if both sites were filled. Gallbladders from six other species investigated more recently (including man, monkeys, goose and Necturus) have serosa-positive transepithelial PDs of 2–8 mV. The possibility was suggested that rheogenic Na transport from mucosa to serosa might account for the PD in this group of tissues and the original model of transport would be inappropriate. This review will explore the possibility that a single model of electrolyte transport accounts for the data collected on gallbladders with PDs near zero and those having significant transepithelial PDs. An important finding which helps to reconcile the experimental observations on the two groups of gallbladders was the demonstration of coupled flux of Na and Cl from the mucosal solution into the epithelial cells. It appears that this rigid coupling of Na and Cl influx accounts for the lack of a significant PD in gallbladders of those species investigated in the earlier studies, and that rheogenic Na transport may be a property common to gallbladders of all species.
Novel daidzein analogs enhance osteogenic activity of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and adipose-derived stromal/stem cells through estrogen receptor dependent and independent mechanisms

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of fractures. Studies have demonstrated the use of phytoestrogens, or plant-derived estrogens, such as genistein and daidzein, to effectively increase osteogenic activity of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Herein, the effects of daidzein analogs on the osteogenic differentiation efficiency of human BMSC and adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASC) were explored. BMSCs and ASCs underwent osteogenic differentiation in the presence of vehicle, 17β-estradiol (E2), phytoestrogens, or daidzein analogs. Cells were stained for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymatic activity, calcium deposition by alizarin red s, and phosphate mineralization by silver nitrate. Gene expression analysis was conducted on cells treated with daidzein analogs. Cells treated with E2, daidzein, or genistein increased calcium deposition by 1.6-, 1.5-, and 1.4-fold, respectively, relative to vehicle-treated BMSCs and 1.6-, 1.7-, and 1.4-fold relative to vehicle-treated ASCs, respectively. BMSCs treated with daidzein analog 2c, 2g, and 2l demonstrated a 1.6-, 1.6-, and 1.9-fold increase in calcium deposition relative to vehicle-treated BMSCs, respectively, while ASCs treated with daidzein analog 2c, 2g, or 2l demonstrated a 1.7-, 2.0-, and 2.2-fold increase in calcium deposition relative to vehicle-treated ASCs, respectively. Additional analysis with BMSCs and ASCs was conducted in the more efficient compounds: 2g and 2l. ALP activity and phosphate mineralization was increased in 2g- and 2l-treated cells. The analysis of lineage specific gene expression demonstrated increased expression of key osteogenic genes (RUNX2, c-FOS, SPARC, DLX5, SPP1, COL1A1, IGF1, SOST, and DMP1) and earlier induction of these lineage specific genes, following treatment with 2g or 2l, relative to vehicle-treated cells. Estrogen receptor (ER) inhibitor studies demonstrated that ER antagonist fulvestrant inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of 2g in BMSCs and ASCs, while fulvestrant only attenuated the effects of 2l, suggesting that 2l acts by both ER dependent and independent pathways. These studies provide support for exploring the therapeutic efficacy of daidzein derivatives for the treatment of osteoporosis. Furthermore, the patterns of gene induction differed following treatment with each daidzein analog, suggesting that these daidzein analogs activate distinct ER and non-ER pathways to induce differentiation in BMSCs and ASCs.
Designing and deploying an information awareness interface

The concept of awareness has received increasing attention over the past several CSCW conferences. Although many awareness interfaces have been designed and studied, most have been limited deployments of research prototypes. In this paper we describe Sideshow, a peripheral awareness interface that was rapidly adopted by thousands of people in our company. Sideshow provides regularly updated peripheral awareness of a broad range of information from virtually any accessible web site or database. We discuss Sideshow's design and the experience of refining and redesigning the interface based on feedback from a rapidly expanding user community.
An RKHS analysis of sampling theorems for harmonic-limited signals

A T-periodic signal x(t) is said to be K-harmonic limited if, for some integer K > 0, its complex Fourier coefficients \{c_{n}\} satisfy c_{n} = 0 for |n| > K. Such signals may be completely reconstructed from a finite number of uniformly spaced signal samples taken over a period, a property which facilitates the representation of two-dimensional (polar form) signals used in computerized tomography. By employing a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) setting, a generalized theorem for sampling harmonic-limited signals is derived. All the special representations which have appeared in the literature with separate proofs, including three recent versions, [1]-[3], are shown to be special cases of the generalized reconstruction formula. Connections with Fourier series theory and Kramer's generalized sampling theorem are also discussed.
Register allocation for GaAs computer systems

When a VLSI processor is to be implemented using gallium arsenide rather than silicon technology, register allocation becomes far more important to the efficiency of the complete system. A novel graph-based scheme for finding the minimum execution-time register allocation is presented. Since arbitrary cost functions can be associated with various references and spilling conditions, this model can guarantee optimal register allocation for minimum execution time. With a small number of registers available, GaAs system performance can be greatly improved by optimal, as compared to traditional, register allocation. Moreover, the computational complexity of the proposed register allocation method is no worse than that of the standard graph-coloring technique. >
Feedback control of the spatiotemporal firing patterns of neural microcircuits

One of the fundamental objectives in systems neuroscience is to precisely control the spatiotemporal firing of cortical neurons to elicit a desired pattern of activity. In this work, we study the effects of intracortical micro-stimulation on the dynamics of a basal ganglia microcircuit model, and explore the feasibility of controlling the spatiotemporal firing patterns of the population in the presence of unobserved inputs. Results from the simulation study suggest that properly designed Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) feedback controller can force a subpopulation of output neurons to follow a prescribed spatiotemporal firing pattern despite the presence of unobserved inputs. The accuracy of the spike timing of the controlled neural firing with respect to the reference spike trains is in the order of tens of milliseconds. Even a simplified circuit model of Hammerstein-Wiener type can help in prescreening potential stimulation sites and analyzing the nominal stability of the closed-loop system.
Range image registration via probability field

This paper presents a powerful variant of the ICP (iterative closest point) algorithm for registering range images using a probability field. The probability field (p-field) represents the probability distribution of the surface position. By capitalizing on the properties of the range image, fast construction, compact representation, and efficient query of the p-field can be achieved. Different sensor models are supported by the p-field according to the properties of the range image. Range images can be precisely aligned by maximizing the probability of overlapping surfaces via the p-field
Combining ROPtool measurements of vascular tortuosity and width to quantify plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity

Background ROPtool is a computer program that is used to measure retinal vascular tortuosity and width. Our aim was to determine the best method for combining ROPtool's tortuosity and width values into an overall measure of plus disease. Methods ROPtool was used to measure vessel tortuosity and width in 184 quadrants of 46 RetCam images of premature infants. Five methods for combining tortuosity and width were assessed: the plus index and sum of adjusted indices provide tortuosity and width values using different scales; tortuosity-weighted plus increases the contribution of width as tortuosity increases; the vessel area index is used to average vessel area per unit length; and regression analysis establishes a mathematical equation to fit expert diagnosis. For each method, receiver operating characteristic curves were generated with a 3-expert consensus as the reference standard. Optimal cut points for plus disease were selected and then tested on a second set of 184 quadrants of 46 different images. Results When applied to the second data set, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.857 for plus index, 0.918 for sum of adjusted indices, 0.941 for tortuosity-weighted plus, 0.868 for vessel area index, and 0.934 for regression analysis methods. The highest sensitivities and specificities were for tortuosity-weighted plus (85% for both) and regression analysis methods (85% and 86%, respectively). Conclusions When combining ROPtool's measures of width and tortuosity, sum of adjusted indices, tortuosity-weighted plus, and regression analysis methods had high overall accuracy. ROPtool can now generate a clinically meaningful quantitative description of vascular abnormality to aid in plus disease diagnosis.
Link Performance of WiMAX PUSC

Link performance of WiMAX (802.16e) downlink and uplink using partial usage subchannelization (PUSC) is evaluated through link-level simulations. WiMAX using single transmit and two receive antennas is compared to a WiMAX system with four transmit and two receive antennas with closed-loop beamforming in the downlink and one transmit and eight receive antennas in the uplink. Two dimensional channel estimators are applied to estimate the channel frequency response using pilot symbols. Spatial channel modeling method is used to model the antenna correlations between multiple transmit and the multiple receive antennas. Link simulations demonstrate that significant link performance improvements can be achieved using closed-loop beamforming for downlink and using more receive antennas for uplink.
Need for Revised Total Eyes-Off-Road Criterion in the NHTSA Distraction Guidelines: Track Radio-Tuning Data

This study re-analyzes participant-level glance data from a NHTSA-sponsored test track study of nine radio-tuning tasks in five radios. NHTSA stated that in its judgment, all nine tasks met the definition of traditional manual radio tuning, and so collapsed the data across all participants to estimate an 85th percentile. NHTSA further stated that it combined that track percentile with the 85th percentile from a radio-tuning task in a separate simulator study, to set its total-eyes-off-road time (TEORT) acceptance criterion. Given NHTSA’s statements, individual radio-tuning tasks should, in general, meet the criteria created from them. This study performed such an analysis, and found that this expectation was not met. Four out of nine radio-tuning tasks did not meet the criterion. One problem is that NHTSA did not allow for variability in its 85th percentile estimate. Additionally, TEORT values were higher in the simulator than track for the same task with age-matched data, meaning that if the track tasks had been run in the simulator then the 85th percentile TEORT may have been higher. These issues illustrate the need for revising the criteria based on an improved analysis of the data that NHTSA used to set those criteria. Without doing so, many commonly-accepted secondary tasks (including manual radio tuning in many vehicles) would not meet the current NHTSA Guidelines glance criteria. Revised criteria should be derived in a way that would provide the needed consistency with age-balance requirements of task-acceptability testing, as well as allowing robustness for variability in the percentile estimates.
Phenomenological ReseaRch methods in the Psychological study of sexuality

In this chapter, we review issues central to the use of phenomenological research methods in the psychological study of sexuality. Phenomenological methods are characterized by close attention to the details of participants’ lived experience as well as an emphasis on participants’ interpretation of their experience. This group of methods is essential in psychological research on sexuality because it helps researchers to understand the phenomenon of sexuality as it is experienced in everyday life and under constant change. Beginning with a summary of the epistemological foundations of phenomenological research methods in psychology, we present an overview of several popular approaches to data collection and analysis that facilitate phenomenological investigations of sexuality. Classical foundations, future directions, limitations, advantages, and clinical and policy relevance are discussed via key exemplar studies of sexuality-related phenomena using phenomenological research methods.
Hugh Jordan Miser

Hugh Miser’s career path began as a university professor, but his World War II (WWII) service as a civilian military analyst brought him into the then embryonic field of operations research (OR). Once he was committed to OR, he helped shape this new profession in many important ways. He was a founding member of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA), served as its secretary and president (1962), as well as the editor of its journal. By his lectures and writings, he was recognized internationally as the conscience of the field—a prime mover whose main concern was the establishment of OR as a science and a profession. He received the Military Applications Society’s Jacinto Steinhardt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to military OR, ORSA’s Kimball Medal for distinguished service to the society and the profession, and was inducted into the International Federation of Operational Research Societies’ (IFORS) Hall of Fame. He was awarded the U.S. Air Force medal for outstanding and exceptional civil service.