cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic ray tracing and its application in triangulated media

Hale and Cohen (1991) developed software to generate two-dimensional computer models of complex geology. Their method uses a triangulation technique designed to support efficient and accurate computation of seismic wavefields for models of the earth`s interior. Subsequently, Hale (1991) used this triangulation approach to perform dynamic ray tracing and create synthetic seismograms based on the method of Gaussian beams. Here, I extend this methodology to allow an increased variety of ray-theoretical experiments. Specifically, the developed program GBmod (Gaussian Beam MODeling) can produce arbitrary multiple sequences and incorporate attenuation and density variations. In addition, I have added an option to perform Fresnel-volume ray tracing (Cerveny and Soares, 1992). Corrections for reflection and transmission losses at interfaces, and for two-and-one-half-dimensional (2.5-D) spreading are included. However, despite these enhancements, difficulties remain in attempts to compute accurate synthetic seismograms if strong lateral velocity inhomogeneities are present. Here, these problems are discussed and, to a certain extent, reduced. I provide example computations of high-frequency seismograms based on the method of Gaussian beams to exhibit the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed modeling method and illustrate new features for both surface and vertical seismic profiling (VSP) acquisition geometries.
An examination of emotional and loss-of-control eating after sleeve gastrectomy surgery.

Abstract Emotional eating has been identified as a predictor of poorer weight loss outcomes in non-bariatric clinical samples. It is unknown, however, whether emotional eating contributes to poorer weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery or how it might be associated with loss-of-control (LOC) eating, a known predictor of post-surgical outcomes. This study examined the nature and significance of emotional eating among post-bariatric surgery patients with LOC eating. Participants (N = 134) were patients with LOC eating (at least once weekly) seeking treatment to help improve eating approximately 4–9 months following sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Participants were assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination-Bariatric Surgery Version interview, Yale Emotional Overeating Questionnaire, and Beck Depression Inventory-II. Emotional eating and LOC eating were significantly negatively correlated with post-surgical weight loss (p's
A Novel Pathogenic Variant in NDP Gene With Incomplete Penetrance Manifests as X-Linked Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a rare hereditary ocular disorder characterized by incomplete or abnormal development of peripheral retinal vasculature. The genes responsible for this disorder are associated with the wingless-related integration site (Wnt) signaling pathway, a critical pathway for the development of normal retinal vasculature. A pathogenic variant in any one of these genes may disrupt retinal vasculogenesis. Furthermore, the type and number of pathogenic variants may influence the severity of disease and clinical course. Here, the authors identify a novel pathogenic variant in the NDP gene, not previously described in the literature. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:120-124.].
Readmission risk and costs of firearm injuries in the United States, 2010-2015.

Background In 2015 there were 36,252 firearm-related deaths and 84,997 nonfatal injuries in the United States. The longitudinal burden of these injuries through readmissions is currently underestimated. We aimed to determine the 6-month readmission risk and hospital costs for patients injured by firearms. Methods We used the Nationwide Readmission Database 2010–2015 to assess the frequency of readmissions at 6 months, and hospital costs associated with readmissions for patients with firearm-related injuries. We produced nationally representative estimates of readmission risks and costs. Results Of patients discharged following a firearm injury, 15.6% were readmitted within 6 months. The average annual cost of inpatient hospitalizations for firearm injury was over $911 million, 9.5% of which was due to readmissions. Medicare and Medicaid covered 45.2% of total costs for the 5 years, and uninsured patients were responsible for 20.1%. Conclusions From 2010–2015, the average total cost of hospitalization for firearm injuries per patient was $32,700, almost 10% of which was due to readmissions within 6 months. Government insurance programs and the uninsured shouldered most of this.
A new implementation for online calculation of manipulator Jacobian

This paper describes a new implementation for calculating Jacobian and its time derivative for robot manipulators in real-time. The estimation of Jacobian is the key in the real-time implementation of kinematics and dynamics of complex planar or spatial robots with fixed as well as floating axes in which the Jacobian form changes with the structure. The proposed method is suitable for such implementations. The new method is based on matrix differential calculus. Unlike the conventional methods, which are based on screw theory, the Jacobian calculation in the proposed approach has been reduced to the inner product of two matrices. Use of the new method to derive linear and angular velocity parts of Jacobian and its time derivative is described in detail. We have demonstrated the method using a two-DOF spatial robot and a hyper-redundant spatial robot.
Fair compute loads enabled by blockchain: sharing models by alternating client and server roles

Author(s): Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Gabriel, Rodney A; Ohno-Machado, Lucila | Abstract: ObjectiveDecentralized privacy-preserving predictive modeling enables multiple institutions to learn a more generalizable model on healthcare or genomic data by sharing the partially trained models instead of patient-level data, while avoiding risks such as single point of control. State-of-the-art blockchain-based methods remove the "server" role but can be less accurate than models that rely on a server. Therefore, we aim at developing a general model sharing framework to preserve predictive correctness, mitigate the risks of a centralized architecture, and compute the models in a fair way.Materials and methodsWe propose a framework that includes both server and "client" roles to preserve correctness. We adopt a blockchain network to obtain the benefits of decentralization, by alternating the roles for each site to ensure computational fairness. Also, we developed GloreChain (Grid Binary LOgistic REgression on Permissioned BlockChain) as a concrete example, and compared it to a centralized algorithm on 3 healthcare or genomic datasets to evaluate predictive correctness, number of learning iterations and execution time.ResultsGloreChain performs exactly the same as the centralized method in terms of correctness and number of iterations. It inherits the advantages of blockchain, at the cost of increased time to reach a consensus model.DiscussionOur framework is general or flexible and can also address intrinsic challenges of blockchain networks. Further investigations will focus on higher-dimensional datasets, additional use cases, privacy-preserving quality concerns, and ethical, legal, and social implications.ConclusionsOur framework provides a promising potential for institutions to learn a predictive model based on healthcare or genomic data in a privacy-preserving and decentralized way.
What Could Go Wrong?: Providing a Moral Grounding to the Ethics of Short-Term Medicine

This chapter explores not only frameworks for ethics in short-term medicine but the moral groundings that motivate these efforts. The argument begins by clarifying the language used when describing short-term medicine and pushes for the use of short-term medical immersions (STMI) as the preferred descriptor. After clarifying the language, the chapter looks at existing ethical frameworks that establish parameters for both individuals and institutions that participate in STMI. However, ethical frameworks imply values behind these ethical “dos and don’ts.” In an effort to explore the moral underpinning of the two ethical frameworks described, the final section turns to explore the philosophical notion of recognition.
52) Critical Care Capacity and the Rapid Response Team

Objective: Pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) capacity impacts timely and effective delivery of critical care to children who require it. Lack of a standard operating procedure (SOP) for identifying inpatients who need intensive care may contribute to delays in delivering critical care to these patients. During a 15 month period, delay in critical care delivery to general inpatients was identified as a contributing cause of harm in 9 of 18 inpatients who had a serious safety event. As a result of this common cause analysis finding, a performance …
Are Adolescent Climbers Aware of the Most Common Youth Climbing Injury and Safe Training Practices

Finger growth plate injuries are the most common youth climbing injuries. The purpose of our study was to understand youth awareness of the most common youth climbing injury and safe training practices. We surveyed climbers, ages eight to 18 years old, at the 2017 USA Climbing Sport and Speed Youth National Championships. A total of 267 climbers completed the survey (mean age = 14 ± 2.7 years; 52% male). The A2 pulley injury was reported as the most common youth climbing injury by the largest portion of participants, 36%. The second most commonly identified injury was at the growth plate of the finger, 15% of participants, which was reported as significantly less than the A2 pulley injury, p < 0.001. Six percent of climbers reported the correct safe age to start double dyno campus board training. Roughly 18% of athletes identified growth plate injuries exclusively as a stress fracture, whereas 29.2% of those climbers self-reported as informed about finger growth plate injuries, but only 7.4% of climbers who self-reported as uninformed answered this question correctly. Misperceptions about skeletally-immature climbing injuries are prevalent amongst youth climbers. Education on the prevalence of finger growth plate injuries and the scarcity of A2 pulley injuries in youth climbers can increase diagnostic accuracy, improve care, and reduce long-term complications.
Simulation-Based Training for Interprofessional Teams of Practicing Clinicians

Operating room teams require excellent teamwork and communication skills in order to provide high-quality, safe patient care. We developed a simulation-based team training program, funded by the hospital’s malpractice insurer, for teams of attending surgeons and anesthesiologists, as well as scrub technicians and nurses. This program has been well-received by participants, teaching faculty and hospital administration.
Inherent shutdown capabilities of metal-fueled liquid-metal-cooled reactors during unscrammed loss-of-flow and loss-of-heat-sink incidents

The longer term response of oxide- and metal-fueled liquid-metal-cooled reactors to unscrammed loss-of-flow and loss-of-heat-sink failures is investigated. The investigation consists of a review of numerical transient calculations performed by the Argonne National Laboratory Reactor Analysis and Safeety Division, and of analytical analyses of semiasymptotic states. The emphasis is on the identification and evaluation of an inherent shutdown state for metal fuel, with its high heat conductivity, as an alternate to the familiar low-power asymptotic critical state. Design implications for retaining the inherently effected shutdown for a sufficiently long period are discussed and quantitatively evaluated. In addition, the effect of uncertainties of reactivity coefficients on predictions for such unscrammed transients is investigated. It is shown how measurements during a preoperational safety demonstration phase can validate and possibly correct those predictions.
Limitations of Applying the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index in Pediatric Patients Receiving Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

ABSTRACT Identifying which patients are at high risk for transplant-related mortality, prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), is crucial both to guide decision making with patients and families and to inform the alloHCT approach. There is a paucity of data evaluating the utility of the HCT comorbidity index (HCT-CI) in pediatric patients. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 188 patients who underwent alloHCT between January 2008 and October 2016 and assessed pretransplant comorbidities defined and weighted by the HCT-CI. The primary endpoint of our study was overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess survival estimates at 1-year post-transplant and did not differ based on HCT-CI scores: 78.7% (SE 6.69%) for HCT-CI = 0, 74.7% (SE 6.33%) for HCT-CI = 1 to 2, and 77.3% (SE 4.17%) for HCT-CI ≥3. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis did not show HCT-CI having an effect on OS: hazard ratio (HR) of 0.633 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.297 to 1.347) for HCT-CI scores 1 to 2 and HR of 0.935 (95% CI, 0.456 to 1.918) for HCT-CI scores ≥3 compared to scores of 0. The most frequent comorbidities observed were hepatic disease (mild in 29%, severe in 23%) and pulmonary disease (moderate in 15% and severe in 29%). However, only 55% were able to complete pulmonary function testing. Hepatic disease was based on transaminitis in 48% and by bilirubin alone in 26% of patients; 46% of patients with hepatic dysfunction had an underlying hemoglobinopathy and hyperbilirubinemia related to ongoing hemolysis. This study evaluates HCT-CI comorbidities in greater detail than has been performed previously in children undergoing alloHCT. We identify challenges with the HCT-CI in the pediatric population and highlight the comorbidities that may benefit from adjustments to their definition to create an improved risk assessment tool for children.
Nursing and Globalization in the Americas: A Critical Perspective

Acknowledgements Book Abstract Preface Merrill Singer The Context of Nursing and Globalization Karen Lucas Breda Nursing in Colombia Maria Claudia Duque-Paramo and Martha Cecilia Lopez-Maldonado Nursing in Chile Patricia Jara Concha, Veronica Behn Theune, Nestor Ortiz Rebolledo and Sandra Valenzuela Suazo Nursing in Argentina Maria Alejandra Chervo, Eduardo Miguel Arzani and Teresa Isable Micozzi Nursing in Brazil Mariani da Gloria Miotto Wright, Maria Cecilia Puntel de Almeida, Maria Itayra Coelho Souza Padilha, Helena M.S. Leal David, Gelson Luiz de Albuquerque and Jaqueline Da Silva Nursing in Mexico Lucila Cardenas Becerril, Maricela Sanchez Gandara, Beatriz Carmona Mejia and Beatriz Arana Gomez Nursing in Canada Susan E. French and Jessica D. Emed Nursing in the U.S.A. Karen Lucas Breda, Evelyn L. Barbee and Maria Zadoroznyj Synthesis of Case Studies: Implications for Global Nursing and Health Karen Lucas Breda Epilogue: Excerpt from "Canto General" Appendix A: Abbreviations and Acronyms Appendix B: Country Comparison of Nursing Titles & Educational Preparation Appendix C: Questions for Discussion and Dialogue
Characterization of the antibacterial activity from ethanolic extracts of the botanical, Larrea tridentata.

Background β-lactam antibiotics are a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics consisting of all antibiotic agents that contain a β-lactam ring in their molecular structures. β-lactam antibiotics are only known to be isolated from fungi (e.g. Acremonium chrysogenum, Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus nidulans) and bacteria (e.g. Streptomyces clavuligerus). We have shown that botanical extracts prepared from Larrea tridentata have strong antimicrobial activity against several bacteria, including members of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus genera. Methods Through resistance studies, inhibitor assays, and ELISA testing, we demonstrated L. tridentata extracts may contain a β-lactam type antibiotic activity. Results Based on the estimated β-lactam concentration within the extract, the antimicrobial activity of the L. tridentata extract was approximately 2000-8000-fold greater against Staphylococcus as compared to other β-lactams, penicillin or ampicillin. In the L. tridentata extract, this increased activity was found to be associated with the likely presence of a cofactor leading to increased potentiation of the β-lactam activity. This potentiation activity was also observed to enhance the activity of exogenously added natural penicillin antibiotics. Conclusions Although constituents were not isolated in this study, the results obtained strongly support the presence of β-lactam type antibiotic activity and antibiotic potentiation activity present in ethanolic extracts prepared from L. tridentata.
Maternal levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during early pregnancy in relation to preeclampsia subtypes

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been previously associated with preeclampsia, although findings are mixed. However, no studies have examined associatio...
Persons Institutionalized as Mentally Disabled

Among the populations to be studied by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research was that described as the institutionalized mentally infirm. Accordingly, as for other special subject populations described previously, the National Commission followed its usual series of contracted reports, public meetings and testimony, and commission debate to arrive at a set of proposed recommendations for HEW. In turn, HEW developed a set of proposed rules governing research with this population. Due at least in part to the freeze on government regulations, these proposed rules remain the ones for us to heed at present. It is not currently known whether these rules will be revised or made final by HHS in view of federal policy to limit regulatory activities and reduce government paperwork. In the author’s opinion, the proposed rules that do exist, as they appear appended to this chapter, should still serve as a useful guide for researchers in this area. Unless unusually substantial changes are made in the proposed rules, final rules (when published) should draw heavily on the proposed rules as appended to this chapter. Once again, the cautious researcher should consult federal agencies (e.g., the NIH Office for Protection from Research Risks) for current rules for this area still in a state of limbo.
Confrontation in Therapy with the Non-Working Patient: The Process

I have spoken to you before on the topic of “work and Mental Health”. Thus, you are familiar with my commitment to returning my non-working patients to work. I believe that, since work is part of both mental health and normal human development, we therapists should work to foster and sustain our patients capacities for meaningful work. We must do this because work promotes (i) self-esteem, (ii) frustration tolerance, (iii) a sense of personal control, and (iv) social connectedness — all things that are essential to mental health. Inevitably, my belief that I should do whatever I can to get patients to work has led me into confrontation with them over values. This confrontation is an integral part of therapy with non-working patients and, thus, I call my therapeutic approach with them, “confrontative therapy”.
Maintenance bioimmunotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer

Reason for withdrawal from publication Protocol withdrawn from Issue 12, 2016 as author team unable to complete the review.
The role of ready-to-eat cereal in the diets of children in the WIC Program: results from NHANES 2001-10 and USDA Food Patterns Equivalents Database (1021.2)

This study examined nutrient intakes, food sources of nutrients and food group consumption of children 1-5 years participating in the WIC program by ready-to-eat cereal (RTE) consumption pattern (n...
Donde se arguye del humor en los textos de la frontera

En este articulo se ejemplifica el uso y funcion del humor en algunos textos literarios de la frontera entre Mexico y Estados Unidos. Se aborda principalmente el humor como defensa a tres principales ejes (la ubicacion geografica, el debate entre la construccion de una identidad y la cultura estadounidense). Tambien se hace un acercamiento a la ironia como critica a un sistema o mecanismo y, finalmente, una aproximacion al humor como elemento valioso de la critica a la sociedad. El marco teorico se fundamenta en una revision de Umberto Eco acerca del humor y en algunos articulos que hablan sobre su manifestacion, tanto en la literatura mexicana como en la fronteriza.
Hyperplasia, Reactive Changes, and Metaplasia

Reactive and hyperplastic changes in cytologic specimens, specifically in bronchoscopic and FNA samples, are frequent causes of problems in differential diagnosis. Changes involving bronchial and alveolar epithelium are presented along with differential diagnosis from neoplastic conditions.
Aberant expansion of CXCR5+ memory CD4 T cells in SLE patients (HUM7P.307)

Autoreactive B cells in SLE undergo autoantigen selection, suggesting a requirement for germinal center follicular helper T (Tfh) cells in their maturation. However, evidence for dysregulation of Tfh cells in SLE and their potential contribution to disease remains unclear. Recently, blood CXCR5+ CD4 T cells, a heterogeneous pool consisting of functionally distinct Th1-, Th2-, and Th17-like subsets, have been proposed to be the circulating (blood) memory Tfh cells. We hypothesized that expanded CXCR5+ memory cells in the blood of human lupus patients promote B cell helper function reflecting the abnormal T-B cell responses in secondary lymphoid organs. We have characterized such cells in SLE patients by flow cytometry and T-B coculture studies. SLE patients had significant expansion of CXCR5+ICOShiPD-1hi CD4 T cells compared to controls. Such cells were Bcl6-, but robustly expressed IL-21 with a portion Ki-67+, indicating their functional activity. The blood cells were capable of providing blood-born memory B cells with survival and differentiation signals to secrete isotype switched Igs, including anti-nuclear antibodies. We speculate that therapies that alter T-B collaboration in lupus will abrogate their expansion, accompanied by reduced autoantibody titers and improved disease activity in SLE patients. Our results suggest that aberrant T-B collaboration in lupus is critical to disease pathogenesis and its blockade is likely to be important therapeutically.
MicroRNA-183 family conservation and ciliated neurosensory organ expression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an integral component of the metazoan genome and affect posttranscriptional repression of target messenger RNAs. The extreme phylogenetic conservation of certain miRNAs suggests their ancient origin and crucial function in conserved developmental processes. We demonstrate that highly conserved miRNA-183 orthologs exist in both deuterostomes and protostomes and their expression is predominant in ciliated ectodermal cells and organs. The miRNA-183 family members are expressed in vertebrate sensory hair cells, in innervated regions of invertebrate deuterostomes, and in sensilla of Drosophila and C. elegans. Thus, miRNA-183 family member expression is conserved in possibly homologous but morphologically distinct sensory cells and organs. The results suggest that miR-183 family members contribute specifically to neurosensory development or function, and that extant metazoan sensory organs are derived from cells that share genetic programs of common evolutionary origin.
Neurilemoma of the sciatic nerve mimicking tarsal tunnel syndrome. Report of a case.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is relatively uncommon, and it is usually caused by compression of the posterior tibial nerve at the laciniate ligament. Rarely, similar clinical symptoms can be caused by compression of a more proximal nerve
Murine models of asthma in understanding immune dysregulation in human asthma.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that has been on the rise in recent years despite increased use of medication. Nevertheless, the fundamental mechanisms that underlie the development and perturbation of the asthmatic state remain elusive. Asthma is characterized by variable airflow obstruction, airway Ž . hyperresponsiveness AHR and airway inflammation. The inflammatory response in the asthmatic lung is characterized by infiltration of the airway wall with mast cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils. Although asthma is multifactorial in origin, recent advances suggest that asthma is an immune disease with a prominent role for T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis. In particular, CD4 T cells producing Ž Ž . a Th2 pattern of cytokines interleukin IL -4, IL-5, . IL-13, IL-9 have been hypothesized to play a piv-
On the Weyl association of infinitesimal unitary and canonical transformations

Abstract In the following we study the Weyl images of infinitesimal unitary transformations and the changes induced by them in the W space. We show that in general the changes are non-local, hence they do not correspond to infinitesimal canonical transformations; only linear transformations are exceptional because they do produce local changes. We also discuss the peculiar role of orbits in the W space, generated by the transformations whose generator is the Hamiltonian.
The Case of the Nonubiquitous Telson and the Fraudulent Furca

[Eine Ubersichtsstudie uber das "Telson" von fossilen und recenten Crustacea lasst einen uneinheitlichen Gebrauch dieses Terminus in der Vergangenheit erkennen. Das Telson ist ein terminaler Korperteil, welcher angegliedert ist an das hinterste Somit vieler, aber nicht aller Crustacea. Ihm fehlen die meisten Characteristica eines Somits, und es tragt niemals Anhange (die sogenannten "caudalen Rami"); es kann jedoch Marginal- oder Oberflachendornen tragen. Der Anus endet an der Telson-basis (primitiv) oder an seiner ventralen Oberflache, aber niemals terminal. In einigen Crustacea wird das terminale oder anale Somit falschlicherweise Telson genannt und seine Anhange, die Uropoden, irrtumlicherweise als caudale Rami bezeichnet. Solche Crustacea (z.B. Hutchinsoniella, Nebalia) besitzen kein Telson und haben ein abdominales Somit mehr als ihnen gewohnlich zugestanden wird., Eine Ubersichtsstudie uber das "Telson" von fossilen und recenten Crustacea lasst einen uneinheitlichen Gebrauch dieses Terminus in der Vergangenheit erkennen. Das Telson ist ein terminaler Korperteil, welcher angegliedert ist an das hinterste Somit vieler, aber nicht aller Crustacea. Ihm fehlen die meisten Characteristica eines Somits, und es tragt niemals Anhange (die sogenannten "caudalen Rami"); es kann jedoch Marginal- oder Oberflachendornen tragen. Der Anus endet an der Telson-basis (primitiv) oder an seiner ventralen Oberflache, aber niemals terminal. In einigen Crustacea wird das terminale oder anale Somit falschlicherweise Telson genannt und seine Anhange, die Uropoden, irrtumlicherweise als caudale Rami bezeichnet. Solche Crustacea (z.B. Hutchinsoniella, Nebalia) besitzen kein Telson und haben ein abdominales Somit mehr als ihnen gewohnlich zugestanden wird.]
Diversity, Communication, and Leadership in the Community College Faculty Search Process

This qualitative study investigated ethnic/racial diversity in the community college faculty search process. The researcher interviewed 12 participants—administrators and faculty members at three community colleges in a large district in the southwestern United States—who served on faculty search committees from 2006–2009. Analysis of the participants’ interviews specific to ethnic/racial diversity in the faculty search process revealed themes around the communication of diversity’s value and role at the institution and the role of the chair and administration. Results are discussed utilizing critical race theory as a framework to better understand and address the phenomenon. The study concludes with implications for policy and practice as well as recommendations for future research.
Monetary Unions and the Effects of Seigniorage Sharing

Abstract This paper examines the influence relative real income between countries and the distribution of seigniorage have on the equilibrium inflation rate. I find that the allocation of seigniorage influences the equilibrium inflation rate when relative real income differs between countries. When the allocation of seigniorage is from a "rich" country to a "poor" country, the equilibrium inflation rate increases. When the allocation of seigniorage is from a "poor" country to a "rich" country, the equilibrium inflation rate decreases.
Infrared spectra of carbon monoxide–hydrogen sulfide van der Waals complexes in the C–O stretching region

Abstract The CO-stretching vibration–rotation spectra of CO–H 2 S, CO–D 2 S, and CO–HDS complexes have been studied in the 2150 cm −1 region using a supersonic slit-jet expansion and a tunable diode laser spectrometer. The spectra were analyzed with the help of very recent microwave pure rotational studies of the same complexes. Two bands were assigned for each of the symmetric hydrogen sulfide isotopes, corresponding to the two nuclear spin modifications, para and ortho . The band origins were blue shifted, relative to the free CO molecule, by about 3.8 cm −1 for CO–H 2 S and 4.3 cm −1 for CO–D 2 S. These are considerably smaller shifts than exhibited by the related CO–water complexes, indicating that the intermolecular forces in CO–H 2 S are weaker and more isotropic.
High-energy radiations from space.

Survey of past, current, and planned U.S. high-energy astronomy observation (HEAO) experiments in space, and review of their significance. It is shown that astronomical observations from spacecraft during the first decade of space flight, though they be few and modest, have provided a wealth of new results that are most exciting, and that suggest that the next 20 or 30 years of space exploration may write a new chapter in the history of astrophysics and astronomy as important as the chapters initiated by Galileo or by the five-meter telescope on Mount Palomar. Special attention is given to the planned HEAO-A and HEAO-B experiment series.
Alterations in the behavioral effects of LSD by motivational and neurohumoral variables.

Abstract Forty naive male albino rats were trained to press a bar on a fixed-ratio (FR 32) schedule of water reinforcement. They were then divided into two groups, one of which (N = 20) recieved 5 min of extra water 12 hr before each experimental session; the other group N = 20) received no extra water. Half of the animals in each group was then given three daily doses (100 mg/kg) of the tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine methyl ester (PCPA) while the remaining animals were given control injections of the PCPA vehicle. Ten days following the last administration of PCPA (or vehicle) all animals were given a low dose of LSD (20 μg/kg). Bar-pressing behavior was significantly disrupted only in those animals receiving both PCPA and extra water. Central (whole brain) concentrations of serotonin (5-HT) were significantly lower in all animals which had been treated with PCPA. These results, along with those previously reported, suggest that amount of deprivation can be an important determinant of both the ability of drugs to alter behavior and the dependence of such alterations upon underlying neuronal activity.
A New Approach to the Structural Investigation of the Voltage-Sensitive Domain of Voltage-Gated Cation Channels as a Function of the Transmembrane Voltage

Two fundamentally different approaches, self-assembly from solution and directed-assembly at the water-gas interface, are effective in the vectorial immobilization of the expressed voltage-sensitive domain of the KvAP channel on a suitably alkylated surface of silicon. The solvation of the immobilized protein was subsequently exchanged to form a phospholipid bilayer by incubating in a phospholipid-detergent solution in the presence of BioBeads. The formation of the protein monolayer and the vectorial-orientation of the protein molecules therein were investigated via interferometric X-ray reflectivity. The electron density profile of the tethered protein monolayer is consistent with the profile computed from the crystal structure, irrespective of the preparation procedure. Formation of lipid bilayer will require confirmation via neutron reflectivity using deuterated phospholipid. This approach enables an investigation of the structure of the VSD itself, as well as within the intact Kv-channel, as a function of the applied transmembrane voltage via a number of time-resolved techniques.
Compact 10-TW, 800-fs Nd:glass laser

A tabletop Nd:phosphate glass laser system capable of producing a focused intensity in excess of 1018 W/cm2 is described. Optimization of chirped-pulse amplification, including spectral shaping and careful attention to beam quality, produces a transform-limited, 800-fs compressed pulse with a peak power of >10 TW in a near-diffraction-limited spatially uniform beam.
Engineering particle trajectories in microfluidic flows using particle shape.

Control over microparticle motions in flows allows the high throughput performance of operations on individual flowing objects. Uspal et al. show that particles with asymmetric shape can be focused to the centreline of microfluidic channels when driven by flow without the help of external forces.
Effects of Conditions of Incubation on the Binding of DNA-Loaded Liposomes to Plant Protoplasts

Summary The binding of DNA-loaded, positively charged, multilamellar vesicles and negatively charged, reverse evaporation vesicles to tobacco and carrot Protoplasts has been investigated. It was found that polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 increased binding of both types of liposomes to protoplasts. In addition, this binding was cooperative and competition between DNAloaded and empty liposomes could not be detected. A differential effect of pH on positively charged and negatively charged liposome binding to protoplasts was observed. The first ones bound best at pH 5.6 whereas the latter bound slightly better at pH 9.0. High salt medium considerably unpaired binding of positively charged liposomes while it affected negatively charged ones to a much lesser extent. It was also observed that the amount of DNA bound to protoplasts after liposome-mediated transfer decreased with time after resuspension of protoplasts in fresh medium. Less donor DNA degradation was observed when it was originally sequestered in negatively charged liposomes as compared to positively charged liposomes. Incorporation of soybean agglutinin into liposomes strongly increased their binding to protoplasts.
Visual scanning deficits in schizophrenia and their relationship to executive functioning impairment

Abnormal visual scanning of faces, objects, and line drawings has been observed in patients with schizophrenia and is thought to reflect neurocognitive impairment. In this study, a simultaneous measurement approach was used to assess whether schizophrenia patients demonstrate restricted visual scanning when confronted with a complex problem-solving stimulus, and whether visual scanning deficits are predictive of inflexible thinking. Thirty-eight schizophrenia patients and 30 comparison participants were presented with Rorschach inkblots while eye movements were monitored and verbal responses to the stimuli were recorded and scored for inflexible thinking using the Rorschach Repetition and Perseveration Scale. Schizophrenia patients demonstrated fewer and longer visual fixations and shorter total scanpath relative to comparison participants but did not differ on mean scanpath length. Among patients, fewer fixations were associated with a higher frequency of verbal perseverations. Correlations between scanning measures and symptoms showed that negative symptoms were related to a minimal scanning or "staring" approach. Results support previous findings of restricted visual scanning in schizophrenia patients, are consistent with previously observed relationships between visual scanning and symptom profiles, and suggest that visual organizational deficits during complex problem-solving tasks may be related to cognitive inflexibility and frontal-executive dysfunction.
Partial nephrectomy for incidental renal cell carcinoma.

Objective To evaluate the role of nephron-sparing surgery in patients with incidental renal cell carcinoma and a normal contralateral kidney. Patients and methods A total of 230 patients underwent curative surgery for unilateral renal cancer between 1979 and 1991. Of these, 41 had a partial nephrectomy. The numbers of patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy over the course of the study are compared. Results The number of partial compared to total nephrectomies increased from 8% in 1979-84, to 20% in 1984-88 and 30% in 1989-91. This reflected increased detection of incidental renal tumours by radiological imaging. The local recurrence rate in those patients who underwent partial nephrectomy was 2% and survival was 95%, with an average follow-up of 3 years (range, 2–13). Conclusion Nephron-sparing excision of small, incidental renal tumours achieved comparable early results to radical nephrectomy.
Afterthoughts on Child Custody Evaluations

This commentary is intended to complement the article by O'Donohue and Bradley (this issue). Additional issues related to local values, legal liabilities, and complex cognitive factors that may complicate and compromise child custody evaluations are briefly discussed.
Architectures for neural network knowledge processing

Summary form only given, as follows. The great majority of computational cognitive models have adhered to the physical symbol system hypothesis (PSSH) of Newell. An approach that seems to be incompatible with the PSSH is that of parallel distributed processing (PDP), or connectionism. It is a controversial issue as to whether PSSH or PDP is a better characterization of the mind. At the root of this controversy are two questions: what sort of computer is the brain, and what sort of programs run on that computer? A theory is presented which bridges the apparent gap between PSSH and PDP approaches. >
Stability of Linear Conservative Gyroscopic Systems

Sufficient conditions are obtained for the stability. The conditions are nonspectral, involve only the definiteness of certain combinations of the coefficient matrices, and may yield useful design constraints
Aggregation of Tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin within Modified Mesoporous MCM-41

We report the formation of monomeric and aggregated tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin encapsulated within an aluminosilicate mesostructure, specifically MCM-41, under different pH conditions. It was necessary to stabilize the synthesized MCM-41 through use of a silylation reagent, (aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, which cross-links oxygen on the surface (thus rigidifying the walls of the mesoporous material) and functionalizes the interface for proper guest−host interaction. XRD, UV−vis absorption, and fluorescence measurements are used as spectroscopic tools to characterize the various products.
Reorganizing patient care and workflow in the operating room: a cost-effectiveness study

Background Many surgeons believe that long turnover times between cases are a major impediment to their productivity. We hypothesized that redesigning the operating room (OR) and perioperative-staffing system to take advantage of parallel processing would improve throughput and lower the cost of care. Methods A state of the art high tech OR suite equipped with augmented data collection systems served as a living laboratory to evaluate both new devices and perioperative systems of care. The OR suite and all the experimental studies carried out in this setting were designated as the OR of the Future Project (ORF). Before constructing the ORF, modeling studies were conducted to inform the architectural and staffing design and estimate their benefit. In phase I a small prospective trial tested the main hypothesized benefits of the ORF: reduced patient intra-operative flow-time, wait-time and operative procedure time. In phase II a larger retrospective study was conducted to explore factors influencing these effects. A modified process costing method was used to estimate costs based on nationally derived data. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using standard methods. Results There were 385 cases matched by surgeon and procedure type in the retrospective dataset (182 ORF, 193 standard operating room [SOR]). The median Wait Time (12.5 m ORF vs 23.8 m SOR), Operative Procedure Time (56.1 m ORF vs 70.5 m SOR), Emergence Time (10.9 m ORF vs 14.5 m SOR) and Total Patient OR Flowtime (79.5 m ORF vs 108.9 m SOR) were all shorter in the ORF ( P P = ns). The potential change in patient throughput for the ORF was 2 additional patients/day. This improved throughput was primarily attributable to a marked reduction in the non-operative time (ie, those activities commonly accounting for “turnover time”) rather than facilitation of faster operations. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of ORF was $260 (interquartile range, $180 to $283). Conclusion The redesigned perioperative system improves patient flow, allowing more patients to be treated per day. Cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that the additional costs incurred by higher staffing ratios in an ORF environment are likely to be offset by increases in productivity. The benefits of this system are realized when performing multiple, short-to-medium duration procedures (eg,
A color quantization algorithm based on minimization of modified Lp norm error in a CIELAB space

Color quantization algorithms are used to select a small number of colors that can accurately represent the content of a particular image. In this research, we introduce a novel color quantization algorithm which is based on the minimization of a modified Lp norm rather than the more traditional L2 norm associated with mean square error (MSE). We demonstrate that the Lp optimization approach has two advantages. First, it distributes the colors more uniformly over the regions of the image; and second, the norm's value can be used as an effective criterion for selecting the minimum number of colors necessary to achieve accurate representation of the image. One potential disadvantage of the modified Lp norm criteria is that it could increase the computation of the associated clustering methods. However, we solve this problem by introducing a two stage clustering procedure in which the first stage (pre-clustering) agglomerates the full set of pixels into a relatively large number of discrete colors; and the second stage (post-clustering) performs modified Lp norm minimization using the reduced number of discrete colors resulting from the pre-clustering step. The number of groups used in the post-clustering is then chosen to be the smallest number that achieves a selected threshold value of the normalized Lp norm. This two-stage clustering process dramatically reduces computation by merging together colors before the computationally expensive modified Lp norm minimization is applied.
Method for the evaluation 3D noncontact inspection systems

Three dimensional, optical measurement systems are becoming more widely used in applications ranging from aerospace to automotive. These systems offer the potential for high speed, good accuracy, and more complete information than older contact based technology. However, the primary standards employed by many to evaluate these systems were specifically designed around touch probe based coordinate measurement machines (CMMs). These standards were designed to work with the limitations of touch probes, and in many cases cannot measure the types of features and errors associated with non-contact systems. This paper will discuss the deficiencies of employing contact based characterization tests to non-contact systems, and suggest a new set of tests specifically to cover the many aspects pertinent to non-contact, optical 3D measurement systems. Some of the performance aspects addressed in this characterization method include: sensitivity to surface reflectivity and roughness, the effect of angle of incidence of measurements, means to characterize volumetric variations that may fit complex functions, and considerations of both spatial and depth resolutions. Specific application areas will be discussed as well as the use of artifacts to provide practical functional data that can predict system performance on real world parts.
Application of optimal sign-vectors to reliability and cluster analysis

Expressions involving optimal sign vectors are derived so as to yield two new applications. First, coefficient alpha for the sign-weighted composite is maximized in analogy to Lord's scale-independent solution with differential weights. Second, optimal sign vectors are used to define two groups of objects that are maximally distinct in terms of a function of the squared euclidean distances between groups. An efficient computing algorithm is described along with several examples.
Higher-order spectra (HOS) invariants for shape recognition

Abstract This paper describes a shape feature-based invariant object recognition method. First, a set of features invariant to rotation, translation, and scaling (RTS) is generated using the Radon transform and bispectral analysis. In order to improve the noise resistance of the invariants, the ensemble averaging technique is introduced into the estimation of bispectra. The feature data are further reduced to a smaller set using thresholding and principal component analysis. The resultant feature invariants are proved to be more reliable and discriminable in the classification stage than the original ones. It is shown experimentally that the extracted higher-order spectra (HOS) invariants form compact and isolated clusters in the feature space, and that a simple minimum distance classifier yields high classification accuracy with low SNR inputs. The comparison study with Hu's moment invariants and Fourier descriptors also shows that the performance of the proposed method is better than these two methods especially in the presence of background noise. The HOS invariants algorithm is also applied to shape-similarity-based image indexing. A new similarity matching technique based on Tanimoto measure is employed for fast image retrieval. The retrieval accuracy is high as shown in the experimental results.
Development and Implementation of Targeted STEM Retention Strategies at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

Retention rates of undergraduates at large urban universities serving minority populations have been problematic, especially among students in science and technology fields. John Jay College of Cri...
The role of hemicelluloses in the oat plant.

Abstract Actively growing plants were surrounded by an atmosphere containing C14O2 for 4 hr. Subsequently, samples of the stem and leaves were taken at several day intervals till maturity. Cellulose, hemicellulose A, and hemicellulose B were isolated and their activities determined. The total activities rose during the first 5 days after labeling and remained constant thereafter. This clearly indicates that the hemicelluloses are stable end products of metabolism and are not part of a dynamic system. Therefore, the hemicelluloses of the oat plant function, at least under normal conditions, as structural components of the cell wall and not as food reserves.