cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radar altimetry of large Martian craters

A total of 108 13-cm wavelength scans conducted for the 23 to -22 deg latitude regions of Mars during the 1971-1982 oppositions are of sufficiently high resolution to allow elevation differences of as much as 3 km over less than 10 deg longitude to be observed; most of this local relief is furnished by structural elements of impact craters. The data set has allowed identification of 152 complex degraded craters, some as small as 25 km diameter. Measured crater depths rarely exceed 2.5 km, and low exterior relief rather than overall low relief seems to be the distinguishing characteristic of large degraded craters. Processes other than fluvial sedimentation appear to have contributed to crater shallowing.
Prenatal prediction of infant atopy by maternal but not paternal total IgE levels.

Abstract Background The atopic history of parents has long been used to predict infant atopy. However, bias from questionnaires of allergic history are also frequently suspected, because a large number of vasomotor rhinitis, intrinsic asthma, and seborrheic dermatitis cases are probably misinterpreted to be atopic diseases. Objective We attempted to identify a risk factor other than parental atopic history to predict elevated infant IgE levels and infant atopy. Methods A total of 655 core families were prenatally recruited, and finally 545 families completed the study for the prospective analysis of infant atopy at 6 months of age. Atopic history and blood samples of parents were collected in the third trimester during pregnancy. Cord blood (CB) was collected immediately after birth. Infant blood samples and history of infant eczema were collected in the 6-month physical checkup clinic. Blood total IgE and specific IgE levels were determined by use of the Pharmacia CAP system. Results In univariate analysis, maternal, but not paternal, atopic history correlated with elevated CB IgE levels and the occurrence of infant eczema. Elevated maternal, but not paternal, total IgE levels (>150 KU/L) significantly correlated with increases of CB IgE levels (median, 0.54 vs 0.17 KU/L, P P P = .008). Multivariate logistical regression analysis, however, showed that only maternal total IgE levels correlated with CB and infant IgE levels and the development of infant eczema. Conclusions The maternal, but not paternal, total IgE level correlates with elevated infant IgE levels and infant atopy. This provides a high specificity (83%) and a sensitivity of 34% for prediction of infant atopy. This suggests that maternal factors, placental factors, or both have an impact on perinatal allergic sensitization.
Monoamine and diamine oxidase activity in the diagnosis of carcinoid tumors

This study determines if one could distinguish foregut from midgut carcinoid tumors by quantitative measurement of the monoamine oxidase (MAO) and diamine oxidase (DAO) activities in homogenates of tumors. The MAO activity of 16 foregut carcinoid tumors (1850 +/- 342 pmol/mg/minute) was significantly higher than the MAO activity of 11 midgut carcinoid tumors (407 +/- 43 pmol/mg/minute, P less than 0.01) with no overlap between the groups. Although all ten of the midgut carcinoids had measurable DAO activity (720 +/- 190 pmol/mg/minute), with the exception of one duodenal carcinoid tumor (33 pmol/mg/minute) the nine foregut carcinoid tumors evaluated did not have detectable DAO activity. The MAO activity of all of the foregut carcinoids was higher than that of 6 islet cell tumors, 28 paragangliomas, and 12 medullary carcinomas of the thyroid. Quantitative MAO and DAO activity may be useful in distinguishing foregut carcinoid tumors from other related tumors.
Selecting principal components in regression

Abstract Criteria for the deletion of principal components in regression are usually based on one of two indicators of components effects: (i) the magnitude of the eigenvalues of the predictor-variable correlation matrix or (ii) statistical tests of the significance of the components. Advocates of the first criterion cite guaranteed variance reduction properties as a rational for their proposals whereas proponents of inferential criteria point out that deletion solely on the basis of the magnitude of the eigenvalues ignores the potentials for bias. In this note we discuss the liminations of the second approach.
A unifying approach to multitarget tracking

A description is given of a global modeling approach developed for the multitarget tracking (MTT) problem. From a global modeling of this problem, both data association (DA) and maneuver estimation problems can be simultaneously solved using system identification techniques. With this approach, previously developed single-target tracking/acceleration estimation techniques can be directly used for the MTT problem. Both DA and MDE (maneuver detection and estimation) are viewed as simultaneous problems where possible interactions among the targets can be taken into consideration. The global modeling translates this problem to a system identification problem for systems with time-varying parameters where the parameters can take only a finite number of values at each time. This becomes an adaptive (multiple model) Kalman filtering (MMKF) problem whose solution can be computed. The computational load associated with the full solution of MMKF can then be reduced utilizing many types of approximate (suboptimal) solutions developed in the literature. >
Interocepttve Stimuli as Tools of Drug Development

AbstractTools of Drug DevelopmentDrug development is the foremost objective of most pharmacologists in the pharmaceutical companies and some pharmacologists in the other research institutions. To meet this objective, thousands of new chemical compounds must be evaluated in order to discover one which can be safely employed in the treatment of human illness. Such evaluation requires an enormous number of experimental subjects specially prepared for this purpose. Since use of human patients for initial screening of new chemicals is not feasible one must depend on laboratory animals that can be used repeatedly and extensively.
Coverage accuracy for a mean without third moment

For constructing a confidence interval for the mean of a random variable with a known variance, one may prefer the sample mean standardized by the true standard deviation to the Student's t-statistic since the information of knowing the variance is used in the former way. In this paper, by comparing the leading error term in the expansion of the coverage probability, we show that the above statement is not true when the third moment is infinite. Our theory prefers the Student's t-statistic either when one-sided confidence intervals are considered for a heavier tail distribution or when two-sided confidence intervals are considered. Unlike other existing expansions for the Student's t-statistic, the derived explicit expansion for the case of infinite third moment can be used to estimate the coverage error so that bias correction becomes possible.
4,4'-Bipyridine-terephthalic acid (1/1).

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C10H8N2·C8H6O4, consists of one half-mol­ecule of each moiety, 4,4′-bipyridine (bpy) and terephthalic acid (bdc), both being located on crystallographic inversion centers. They are linked together via strong inter­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming infinite chains propagating along [1-21]. The chains are further connected through C—H⋯O inter­actions giving sheets in (012). The sheets are linked via π–π inter­actions between the bpy rings and the bdc–bpy rings [centroid–centroid distances = 3.690 (2) and 3.869 (2) A], resulting in the formation of a three-dimensional supra­molecular layer-like structure.
The identity crisis of contemporary sociology

One source of sociology's organizational and academic problems is a growing lack of intellectual self‐definition. The frequent celebration of sociology as a multiparadigm discipline is both an effe...
326 EFFECTS OF THYROID HORMONE THERAPY IN CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM (CH)

Among 15 infants with CH, 6 were identified in our screening program with an elevated cord TSH ( > 100 μU/ml) and low T4 (< 5 μg/dl), and placed on thyroid hormone therapy within the first month of life. Within 4 weeks of therapy their serum TSH was suppressed below 12 μU/ml either by treatment with T4 alone or T3 and T4 combination therapy. An additional 9 infants not involved in a screening program were identified by clinical symptoms and referred for evaluation. Three infants were initially treated with 25 μg qd of T3, and serum TSH was < 12 μU/ml in all within 4 weeks. However, among 5 of 6 infants treated with T4 alone, the TSH did not suppress below 12 μU/ml until ≥ 3 months of therapy. During therapy in the 7 infants treated with T4 alone, serial reverse T3 (rT3) determinations revealed peak concentrations (106 ± 13.8 ng/dl, mean ± SEM) simultaneous with the initial suppression of TSH to normal and significantly greater than the rT3 levels just prior to suppression of TSH (66.7 ± 15 ng/dl, p<.001 by paired t test) and following TSH suppression (83.8 ± 16 ng/dl, p<.05). In summary, 1) T4 alone is adequate therapy for CH identified early by screening programs, but is associated with delayed TSH suppression in infants diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptomatology alone. 2) The peak rT3 levels associated with the initial TSH suppression suggest an increase in the monodeiodinacion of T4 to rT3, or decreased clearance of rT3 which may indicate the development of intracellular euthyroidism.
Alopecia Areata and Universalis in the Smyth Chicken Model for Spontaneous Autoimmune Vitiligo

The Smyth line (SL) chicken model for spontaneous, postnatal expression of vitiligo may also show varying incidences and degrees of severity ranging from alopecia areata-like to universalis-like integumental changes. Although human vitiligo patients are known to have a four times greater chance of having alopecia areata than do people without vitiligo, in the SL model, feather loss is limited to birds that show some degree of amelanosis of feather and skin tissue. Both the vitiligo and the alopecia have an autoimmune component, as shown by histologic and immunologic studies, including the correctional influences of corticosterone and cyclosporine-A. The major histocompatibility haplotype (MHC) has a major effect on the incidence and expression of the vitiligo, as well as the alopecia that occurs within vitiliginous birds. Three different MHC haplotypes were identified in the original line that was selected for vitiligo, and from these, three sublines were developed, each homozygous for a different haplo-type. Of the three sublines (SL101, SL102, and SL103) the vitiligo has a significantly earlier onset and severity in the SL101 than in the other two lines. The incidence of alopecia, however, is significantly lower in the SL101 subline than in the other two. Inheritance of the vitiligo is polygenic with an additional genetic component for the alopecia trait. It is hypothesized, but as yet unproven, that a feather development defect interacts with the SL melaniza-tion and immunologic defects to initiate the partial (areata) and complete (universalis) alopecias. The alopecia universalis is rarely seen until adulthood and is characterized by short (
Probing the Influence of Alloyed Sn on Pt(100) Surface Chemistry by CO Chemisorption

The chemisorption properties of the c(2×2) and (3√2×√2)R45° Sn/Pt(100) alloy surfaces, along with the clean Pt(100) surface, were investigated using CO as a probe molecule. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) studies revealed a reduction in CO desorption peak temperature, and thus the chemisorption bond energy, by alloying Sn into the Pt(100) surface. A large decrease was observed in the saturation coverage of CO on these alloyed surfaces at 150 K compared to the Pt(100) surface. The initial sticking coefficient of CO was found, however, to be nearly independent of the surface Sn concentration. High-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) studies showed that CO was only chemisorbed on atop sites on both alloys. Sn incorporation results in isolated Pt atoms at the surface of these two Sn/Pt(100) alloys and eliminates the possibility of CO bonding to multiple Pt centers, i.e., to pure-Pt 2- and 3-fold bridging sites.
Distribution, metabolism and excretion of a synthetic androgen 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone, a potential male-contraceptive

Abstract A synthetic androgen 7α-Methyl-19-nortestosterone (MENT) has a potential for therapeutic use in ‘androgen replacement therapy’ for hypogonadal men or as a hormonal male-contraceptive in normal men. Its tissue distribution, excretion and metabolic enzyme(s) have not been reported. Therefore, the present study tested the distribution and excretion of MENT in Sprague-Dawley rats castrated 24 h prior to the injection of tritium-labeled MENT (3H-MENT). Rats were euthanized at different time intervals after dosing, and the amount of radioactivity in various tissues/organs was measured following combustion in a Packard oxidizer. The radioactivity (% injected dose) was highest in the duodenal contents in the first 30 min of injection. Specific uptake of the steroid was observed in target tissues such as ventral prostate and seminal vesicles at 6 h, while in other tissues radioactivity equilibrated with blood. Liver and duodenum maintained high radioactivity throughout, as these organs were actively involved in the metabolism and excretion of most drugs. The excretion of 3H-MENT was investigated after subcutaneous injection of 3H-MENT into male rats housed in metabolic cages. Urine and feces were collected at different time intervals (up to 72 h) following injection. Results showed that the radioactivity was excreted via feces and urine in equal amounts by 30 h. Aiming to identify enzyme(s) involved in the MENT metabolism, we performed in vitro metabolism of 3H-MENT using rat and human liver microsomes, cytosol and recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes. The metabolites were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Three putative metabolites (in accordance with the report of Agarwal and Monder [Agarwal AK, Monder C. In vitro metabolism of 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone by rat liver, prostate, and epididymis. Endocrinology 1988;123:2187–93]), [i] 3-hydroxylated MENT by both rat and human liver cytosol; [ii] 16α-hydroxylated MENT (a polar metabolite) by both rat and human hepatic microsomes; and [iii] 7α-methyl-19-norandrostenedione (a non-polar metabolite) by human hepatic microsomes, were obtained. By employing chemical inhibitors and specific anti-CYP antibodies, 3H-MENT was found to be metabolized specifically by rat CYP 2C11 and 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3-HSD) enzymes whereas in humans it was accomplished by CYP 3A4, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) and 3-HSD enzymes.
Redispersible fast dissolving nanocomposite microparticles of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Abstract Enhanced recovery/dissolution of two wet media-milled, poorly water-soluble drugs, Griseofulvin (GF) and Azodicarbonamide (AZD), incorporated into nanocomposite microparticles (NCMPs) via fluidized bed drying (FBD) and spray-drying (SD) was investigated. The effects of drying method, drug loading, drug aqueous solubility/wettability as well as synergistic stabilization of the milled suspensions on nanoparticle recovery/dissolution were examined. Drug nanoparticle recovery from FBD and SD produced NCMPs having high drug loadings was evaluated upon gentle redispersion via optical microscopy and laser diffraction. During wet-milling, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) alone stabilized more wettable drug (AZD) nanoparticles with slight aggregation, but could not prevent aggregation of the GF nanoparticles. In contrast, well-dispersed, stable nanosuspensions of both drugs were produced when sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and HPC were combined. The FBD and SD NCMPs without SDS exhibited incomplete nanoparticle recovery, causing slower dissolution for GF, but not for AZD, likely due to higher aqueous solubility/wettability of AZD. For high active loaded NCMPs (FBD ∼50 wt%, SD ∼80 wt%) of either drug, HPC–SDS together owing to their synergistic stabilization led to fast redispersibility/dissolution, corroborated via optical microscopy and particle sizing. These positive attributes can help development of smaller, high drug-loaded dosage forms having enhanced bioavailability and better patient compliance.
Performance of One's Complement Caches

On-chip caches to reduce average memory access latency are commonplace in today's commercial microprocessors. These on-chip caches generally have low associativity and small cache sizes. Cache line conflicts are the main source of cache misses, which are critical for overall system performance. This paper introduces an innovative design for on-chip data caches of microprocessors, called one's complement cache. While binary complement numbers have been successfully used in designing arithmetic units, to the best of our knowledge, no one has ever considered using such complement numbers in cache memory designs. This paper will show that such complement numbers help greatly in reducing cache misses in a data cache, thereby improving data cache performance. By parallel computation of cache addresses and memory addresses, the new design does not increase the critical hit time of cache accesses. Cache misses caused by line interference are reduced by evenly distributing data items referenced by program loops across all sets in a cache. Even distribution of data in the cache is achieved by making the number of sets in the cache a prime or an odd number, so that the chance of related data being mapped to a same set is small. Trace-driven simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the new design. Performance results on benchmarks show that the new design improves cache performance significantly with negligible additional hardware cost.
Influences of landscape and lifestyle on home energy consumption

Rapid urbanization coupled with concerns about global climate change has renewed interest in energy conservation and carbon dioxide emissions reduction. Urban residential energy consumption is a valuable place to start reducing emissions, and urban tree planting programs have been both proposed and utilized as an energy conservation mechanism. Home energy savings associated with urban trees are often quantified using models because of the many complex interactions among variables that can influence home energy use. However, recent empirical analyses have found that energy savings associated with trees may be minimal relative to other important factors like building characteristics and human behaviors. We surveyed 176 residents from four neighborhoods in Raleigh, NC with varying socio-economic characteristics to assess relationships between summer energy usage, tree cover, homeowner behavior, and building characteristics. As hypothesized, we found that building characteristics, demographics, and human behaviors were all significant variables in describing the variability in summertime home energy usage. Although, total percent tree cover 18 m around the home did not affect summertime energy use, the number of trees in the NE and NW quadrants around each household did predict home energy use. These results indicate that planting trees may not be a successful strategy for reducing energy use from the residential sector in the heavily forested Southeast; rather efforts should target conservation and efficiency.
The function of the lens capsule in the accommodation of the eye

Although abundant evidence is now available in support of the general principle of Helmholtz's theory of accommodation, no definite explanation has been given of the formation of the lenticonus discovered by Tscherning, which led him to challenge that theory. In a paper which appeared in these Transactions in 1925 the present author suggested that the varying thickness of the capsule covering the anterior surface of the lens would account for the type of surface which Tscherning had described. The present paper describes the determination of the form of the anterior surface of the lenses of freshly dead animals, by making photographic records of the image reflected from the surface. The lenses of a number of different species were examined and records made when the lens was held under tension by its normal suspensions and also when the suspensions were removed. The thickness of the capsule in each case was then measured microscopically. The results show that in primates the anterior surface of the lens assumes a somewhat conical form with an area of increased curvature in the centre, when the suspensions are severed. The capsule of the primate lens has a zone of increased thickness surrounding a central thin area. Photographs of the profile view of a monkey's lens, which was removed from the eye and suspended in oil, showed it to be in the typical accommodated form. A similar view of the lens without its capsule showed a close approach to the unaccommodated form. The anterior lens capsule of animals of an order lower than the primates was found to be approximately uniform in thickness. The lenticonus is not found in these cases, and the removal of the capsule does not cause an appreciable change in the form of the lens. From these findings the theory is formulated that accommodation consists of a relaxation of tension upon the lens by the contraction of the ciliary muscle as stated by Helmholtz. This relaxation allows the capsule to press upon the lens substance and mould it into the accommodated form. In the unaccommodated state the tension under which the lens is held by its supporting fibres does not permit this compression. The unaccommodated lens substance is therefore in its unrestricted or natural form and not under compression as supposed in the Helmholtz theory.
Implications for switching restriction enzyme specificities from the structure of BstYI bound to a BglII DNA sequence.

Summary The type II restriction endonuclease BstYI recognizes the degenerate sequence 5′-RGATCY-3′ (where R=A/G and Y=C/T), which overlaps with both BamHI (GGATCC) and BglII (AGATCT), and thus raises the question of whether BstYI DNA recognition will be more BamHI-like or BglII-like. We present here the structure of BstYI bound to a cognate DNA sequence (AGATCT). We find the complex to be more BglII-like with similarities mapping to DNA conformation, domain organization, and residues involved in catalysis. However, BstYI is unique in containing an extended arm subdomain, and the mechanism of DNA capture has both BglII-like and BamHI-like elements. Further, DNA recognition is more minimal than BglII and BamHI, where only two residues mediate recognition of the entire core sequence. Taken together, the structure reveals a mechanism of degenerate DNA recognition and offers insights into the possibilities and limitations in altering specificities of closely related restriction enzymes .
Proteomic analysis of cisplatin-induced cochlear damage: Methods and early changes in protein expression

To identify early changes in protein expression associated with cisplatin ototoxicity, we used two dimensional-difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to analyze proteins from P3 rat cochleae that were cultured for 3 h with or without 1 mM cisplatin. Replicate analysis of fluorescent images from six gels revealed significant (p < 0.01) cisplatin-induced changes (greater than 1.5-fold) in expression of 22 cochlear proteins. These include increases in the expression of five proteins, four of which were identified as nucleobindin 1, a nuclear calcium signaling and homeostasis protein (2.1-fold), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C, an RNA processing protein (1.8-fold), a 55 kDa protein that is either endothelial differentiation-related factor 1 or alpha-6 tubulin (1.7-fold), and calreticulin, a calcium binding chaperone of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, 1.6-fold). The expression of 17 proteins was significantly (p < 0.01) decreased by greater than 1.5-fold. These include ribonuclease/ angiogenin inhibitor 1(1.6-fold), RAS-like, family 12 (predicted), ras association (RalGDS/AF-6) domain family 5 (4.5-fold), homologous the RAS family of GTPase signaling proteins (2.4-fold), and Protein tyrosine phosphatase domain containing 1 (predicted, 6.1-fold). We identified seven cochlear proteins with either smaller (1.2-1.5-fold) or less significant (p < 0.05) cisplatin-induced changes in expression. Notably, heat shock 70 kDa protein 5 (Hspa5, Grp78, and BiP), an ER chaperone protein involved in stress response, decreased 1.7-fold. We observed changes consistent with phosphorylation in the level of isoforms of another ER stress-induced protein, glucose-regulated protein Grp58. Changes in cisplatin-induced protein expression are discussed with respect to known or hypothesized functions of the identified proteins.
Factorial Structure of the Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning Scale

This study investigated the constructs measured by the Self-efficacy for Self-regulated Learning Scale with 235 undergraduates. The 24 items, derived from 13 validated categories of self-regulated learning from Zimmerman and Martinez-Pons, assess efficacy beliefs about general strategies (11 items) and use of specific self-regulatory activities (13 items). Exploratory factor analysis using principal factors with oblique rotation indicated three factors of General Organization and Planning, Task Preparation Strategies, and Environmental Restructuring. Values of coefficient alpha for the three factors were .84, .72, and .79, respectively.
Randomized Controlled Trials in Industrial Low Back Pain Relating to Return to Work. Part 1. Acute Interventions

Employers and insurers are interested in being able to use cost-effective interventions for returning injured workers to the workplace. Unfortunately, truly objective information is lacking. The purpose of this and two subsequent review articles was to perform thorough scrutiny and methodologic comparison among all obtainable, published randomized and controlled studies on low back pain (LBP) interventions leading to return to work. The study was confined to English language articles published from 1975 through 1993. Of more than 4,000 LBP citations, more than 500 were chosen for review. Of that number, 35 articles met the selection criteria of randomization, reasonable controls, and work return comparisons. This paper focuses on the 10 articles relating to interventions for acute (less than 4 weeks) LBP, and considers bed rest, exercise, spinal manipulation, back school, and case management. A 26-point quality system was used to compare the methodologic rigor of each article. This literature survey demonstrated the meager scientific foundations on which our industrial rehabilitation programs are based.
Health promotion and osteoporosis prevention among postmenopausal women.

Background Although there is a plethora of literature about osteoporosis, little is known about the attitudinal variables that may predict osteoporosis-preventive behaviors (OPBs) among postmenopausal women. This study examined the relationship between variables from the Health Promotion Model (HPM) and OPBs of calcium intake, exercise participation, and taking of estrogen/hormone replacement therapy (ERT/HRT). Methods One hundred women completed measures of benefits and barriers to calcium intake, exercise participation, ERT/HRT usage; self-efficacy; control of health; importance of health; and health status. Participants also reported their actual calcium intake, exercise participation, and use of ERT/HRT: Results Participants consumed an average of 1,243 mg of calcium from milk, yogurt, calcium-rich foods, and supplements; 81% participated in weight-bearing and resistant training exercise but on an irregular basis; and 31% were users of ERT/HRT at the time of data collection. There were significant relationships between some of the HPM variables and calcium intake and exercise participation. There was a significant difference between past and current users of ERT regarding benefits and barriers to taking hormones. Hormone users reported higher calcium intake and greater exercise participation than nonusers. Conclusion There is early evidence that variables of the HPM are associated with OPBs. After continued testing, intervention programs for osteoporosis prevention may use variables of the HPM as a theoretical base for behavior changes.
Longitudinal lymphatic plexuses of the teniae coli and their probable clinical significance

A previously undescribed lymphatic plexus was found coursing longitudinally in association with the teniae coli during a routine demonstration of the gastroenteric subserous lymphatics using the hydrogen peroxide method. Further investigation using sections of the colon from autopsy specimens and dogs showed this plexus to be a constant anatomic feature and suggested that deficiencies in the classic methods of lymph vessel demonstration were responsible for the lack of previous observations. As these lymphatics may course several centimeters in both anal and oral directions before draining into regional mesocolic lymphatics, they provide a route by which malignant cells may extend, or be forced by operative manipulation of a tumor, to more distant sites in the colon wall. With awareness of these plexuses, generous ranges of resection and prophylactic measures to reduce malignant cell transfer should help reduce their possible contribution to suture line recurrences of colon tumors.
Clinical Listening, Narrative Writing

Over the past 25 years, I was privileged to consult on a large number of individual clinical encounters, during which I was seen, and served, as an “ethicist”. At the same time, these and other facets of health care attracted my philosophical interests. Accordingly, a distinction became necessary so to enable keeping very different sorts of questions and problems distinct.
Drive-By Localization of Roadside WiFi Networks

We use a steerable beam directional antenna mounted on a moving vehicle to localize roadside WiFi access points (APs), located outdoors or inside buildings. Localizing APs is an important step towards understanding the topologies and network characteristics of large scale WiFi networks that are deployed in a chaotic fashion in urban areas. The idea is to estimate the angle of arrival of frames transmitted from the AP using signal strength information on different directional beams of the antenna - as the beam continuously rotates while the vehicle is moving. This information together with the GPS locations of the vehicle are used in a triangulation approach to localize the APs. We show how this method must be extended using a clustering approach to account for multi-path reflections in cluttered environments. Our technique is completely passive requiring minimum effort beyond driving the vehicle around in the neighborhood where the APs need to be localized, and is able to improve the localization accuracy by an order of magnitude compared with trilateration approaches using omnidirectional antennas, and by a factor of two relative to other known techniques using directional antennas.
The Analysis of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium in Siliceous Coal Ash and Related Materials by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy:

A method for the analysis of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in siliceous coal ash and related materials by atomic absorption spectroscopy is presented. The method involves the dissolution of all complex silicates present in coal ash after fusing with lithium tetraborate flux. Working curves utilizing standards composed of complex silicates are shown to be more accurate than the common water standards. The use of lithium tetraborate as a flux should also allow the method to be extended to permit the analysis of all major constituents of coal ash.
TUBOCURARINE AND THE NEONATE

SUMMARY Tubocurarine, given as a single bolus, may be used safely for neuromuscular blockade in the neonate. The recommended dose is 250 μg/kg at birth, increasing to 500 μg/kg at 28 days of age. This dose should be reduced in the event of prematurity, acidosis or hypothermia, or when certain antibiotics or inhalation anaesthetic agents are present in the tissues. A single dose as described has a duration of approximately 1 h and it is only after this time that satisfactory antagonism can be obtained. The potency of pancuronium when compared with tubocurarine in the study is 6 : 1, from birth to 28 days.
Characterization and Testing of a Skin Mimicking Material for Implantable Antennas Operating at ISM Band (2.4 GHz-2.48 GHz)

In this study, we present a simple recipe for a skin mimicking material intended for in vitro testing of implantable antennas operating at Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) (2.4 GHz2.48 GHz) band. The material is composed of de-ionized water, Triton X-100, and Diethylene Glycol Butyl Ether (DGBE). The relative dielectric constant and conductivity of the proposed material are within 0.5% and 3.4% of the properties of the reference human skin from the literature in the entire ISM band. In order to test the transmission characteristics of the material, in vitro measurements of a dual-band antenna are performed.
Communication About Health Disparities in the Mass Media

A variety of scholars have explored the role of communication in reducing, maintaining, and even widening health disparities, but comparatively less attention has focused on the content and effects of communication about health disparities in the mass media. This article aims to summarize the current state of knowledge about these issues by identifying key outcomes and audiences for mass-mediated communication about health disparities, describing what is known about public opinion about health disparities, reviewing selected research on the content and effects of mass-mediated communication about health disparities, and identifying priorities for future research to better understand the role of communication in shaping public support and collective action to reduce health disparities.
Aging-related sex-dependent loss of the circulating leptin 24-h rhythm in the rhesus monkey.

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin plays a pivotal role in the regulation of body weight and energy homeostasis. Many studies have indicated that the circulating levels of leptin show a 24-h rhythm, but the exact cause and nature of this rhythm is still unclear. In the present study, we remotely collected blood samples every hour from young and old, male and female rhesus monkeys, and examined their 24-h plasma leptin profiles. In both the young males (10‐11 years) and females (7‐13 years), a clear 24-h plasma leptin rhythm was evident with a peak occurring w4 h into the night and a nadir occurring w1 h into the day (lights on from 0700 to 1900 h). A 24-h plasma leptin rhythm was also observed in the old males (23‐30 years), even when they were maintained under constant lighting conditions (continuous dim illumination of w100 lx). In marked contrast, plasma leptin concentrations were relatively constant across the day and night in old peri- and post-menopausal females (17‐24 years), regardless of the lighting schedule. These data establish that rhesus monkeys, like humans, show a daily nocturnal rise in plasma leptin, and the magnitude of this rhythm undergoes a sex-specific aging-dependent attenuation. Furthermore, they suggest that the underlying endocrine mechanism may be driven in part by a circadian clock mechanism.
Design of turbo-coded modulation for the AWGN channel with Tikhonov phase error

We design 1-b/symbol/Hz parallel concatenated turbo-coded modulation (PCTCM) for the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with Tikhonov phase error. Constituent recursive convolutional codes are optimized so that the turbo codes have low error floors and low convergence thresholds. The pairwise error probability based on the maximum-likelihood decoding metric is used to select codes with low error floors. We also present a Gaussian approximation method that accurately predicts convergence thresholds for PCTCM codes on the AWGN/Tikhonov channel. Simulation results show that the selected codes perform within 0.6 dB of constellation constrained capacity, and have no detectable error floor down to bit-error rates of 10/sup -6/.
Effects of High-Intensity Resistance Training on Untrained Older Men. I. Strength, Cardiovascular, and Metabolic Responses

Most resistance training studies of older subjects have emphasized low-intensity, short-term training programs that have concentrated on strength measurements. The purpose of this study was, in addition to the determination of strength, to assess intramuscular and transport factors that may be associated with strength increments. Eighteen untrained men ages 60-75 years volunteered for the study; 9 were randomly placed in the resistance-training group (RT), and the other half served as untrained (UT) or control subjects. RT subjects performed a 16-week high-intensity (85-90% 1 repetition maximum (RT]) resistance training program (2 x/wk) consisting of 3 sets each to failure (6-8 repetitions based on 1 RM of 3 exercises): leg press (LP), half squat (HS), and leg extension (LE) with 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Pre- and post- training strength was measured for the 3 training exercises using a 1 RM protocol. Body fat was calculated using a 3-site skinfold method. Biopsies from the vastus lateralis m. were obtained for fiber type composition, cross-sectional area, and capillarization measurements. Exercise metabolism, electrocardiography, and arterial blood pressure were observed continuously during a progressive treadmill test, and resting echocardiographic data were recorded for all subjects. Pre- and post-training venous blood samples were analyzed for serum lipids. Resistance training caused significant changes in the following comparisons: % fat decreased in the RT group by almost 3%, strength improved for all exercises: LE = + 50.4%, LP = + 72.3%, HS = + 83.5%; type IIB fibers decreased and IIA fibers increased; cross-sectional areas of all fiber types (I, IIA, IIB) increased significantly, and capillary to fiber ratio increased but not significantly. No differences were noted for ECG and echocardiographic data. The RT group significantly improved treadmill performance and VO2max. Pre- and post-training serum lipids improved but not significantly. No significant changes occurred in any pre- to post-tests for the UT group. The results show that skeletal muscle in older, untrained men will respond with significant strength gains accompanied by considerable increases in fiber size and capillary density. Maximal working capacity, VO2max, and serum lipid profiles also benefited from high-intensity resistance training, but no changes were observed for HR max, or maximal responses of arterial blood pressure. Older men may not only tolerate very high intensity work loads but will exhibit intramuscular, cardiovascular, and metabolic changes similar to younger subjects.
Dopamine dysfunction in AD/HD: Integrating clinical and basic neuroscience research.

There is strong evidence that the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine are both important in the pathophysiology of ADHD, as well as in the mechanism of therapeutic action of stimulant drugs. Due to the known effects of stimulants in blocking reuptake of catecholamines and (in the case of D-amphetamine) facilitating their release, it has traditionally been believed that the stimulants compensate for catecholamine deficiency in ADHD. More recently, however, alternate hypotheses of a hyperdopaminergic and/or hyper-noradrenergic state in ADHD have been suggested. This paper will be limited to a review of the evidence for involvement of dopamine in mediating behavioral and cognitive symptoms and response to stimulants in ADHD, with implications for possible mechanisms.
Designing Contamination Warning Systems for Municipal Water Networks Using Imperfect Sensors

We consider the problem of designing a contaminant warning system for a municipal water distribution network that uses imperfect sensors, which can generate false-positive and false-negative detections. Although sensor placement optimization methods have been developed for contaminant warning systems, most sensor placement formulations assume perfect sensors, which does not accurately reflect the behavior of real sensor technology. We describe a general exact nonlinear formulation for imperfect sensors and a linear approximation. We consider six general solution strategies, some of which have multiple solution methods. We applied these methods to three test networks, including one with over 10,000 nodes. Our experiments indicate that it is worth deploying a sensor network even when sensors have low detection probability. They also indicate it is worth paying attention to sensor imperfections when placing sensors even when there is a response delay of up to 8 h. The best choice of solution strategy depends upon the user's goals and the problem size. However, for large-scale problems with a moderate number of sensors, using a local search for the linear approximation formulation provides a reasonable-quality solution in a few minutes of computation. Our models assume that sensors can fail via false negatives. Additionally, we discuss ways to model false positives, ways to limit them, and how to trade them off against false negatives. All of our solution methods can handle false positives but our experiments do not explicitly consider them.
In defense of hard-line replies to the multiple-case manipulation argument

I defend a hard-line reply to Derk Pereboom’s four-case manipulation argument. Pereboom accuses compatibilists who take a hard-line reply to his manipulation argument of adopting inappropriate initial attitudes towards the cases central to his argument. If Pereboom is correct he has shown that a hard-line response is inadequate. Fortunately for the compatibilist, Pereboom’s list of appropriate initial attitudes is incomplete and at least one of the initial attitudes he leaves out provides room for a revised hard-line reply to be successfully mounted against the multiple-case argument.
Past, present, and future of user interface software tools

A user interface software tool helps developers design and implement the user interface. Research on past tools has had enormous impact on today's developers—virtually all applications today are built using some form of user interface tool. In this article, we consider cases of both success and failure in past user interface tools. From these cases we extract a set of themes which can serve as lessons for future work. Using these themes, past tools can be characterized by what aspects of the user interface they addressed, their threshold and ceiling, what path of least resistance they offer, how predictable they are to use, and whether they addressed a target that became irrelevant. We believe the lessons of these past themes are particularly important now, because increasingly rapid technological changes are likely to significantly change user interfaces. We are at the dawn of an era where user interfaces are about to break out of the “desktop” box where they have been stuck for the past 15 years. The next millenium will open with an increasing diversity of user interface on an increasing diversity of computerized devices. These devices include hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones, pages, computerized pens, computerized notepads, and various kinds of desk and wall size-computers, as well as devices in everyday objects (such as mounted on refridgerators, or even embedded in truck tires). The increased connectivity of computers, initially evidenced by the World Wide Web, but spreading also with technologies such as personal-area networks, will also have a profound effect on the user interface to computers. Another important force will be recognition-based user interfaces, especially speech, and camera-based vision systems. Other changes we see are an increasing need for 3D and end-user customization, programming, and scripting. All of these changes will require significant support from the underlying user interface sofware tools.
Optimal Design and Experimental Characterization of a Compliant Mechanism Piezoelectric Actuator for Inertially Stabilized Rifle

Compliant mechanism amplifiers are often used in conjunction with piezoelectric actuators since they do not incur displacement losses that frequently occur in pin-jointed mechanisms. In this paper the design of a compliant mechanism amplifier and piezoelectric stack actuator is presented. The application is an inertially stabilized rifle (INSTAR) in which the compliant actuator is used to make small adjustments in the position of the barrel. A topology optimization method is used to obtain the initial topology of the compliant mechanism, followed by detailed finite element analysis. The effect of geometry parameters, material selection, and epoxy bonding layers in the piezoelectric actuator are studied. A prototype actuator is fabricated and characterized experimentally. The force and displacement performance of the prototype actuator are shown to exceed the design specifications for the INSTAR application.
Failure of standard imaging techniques in the staging of Ewing sarcoma. A case report.

The case that we are reporting is the first, to our knowledge, in which the radiographs of the chest were falsely negative for metastatic disease at the time of the original pneumothorax
Battlefield agent collaboration

Small air and ground physical agents (robots) will be ubiquitous on the battlefield of the 21st century, principally to lower the exposure to harm of our ground forces in urban and open terrain scenarios. Teams of small collaborating physical agents conducting tasks such as Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA), intelligence, chemical and biological agent detection, logistics, decoy, sentry; and communications relay will have advanced sensors, communications, and mobility characteristics. It is anticipated that there will be many levels of individual and team collaboration between the soldier and robot, robot to robot, and robot to mother ship. This paper presents applications and infrastructure components that illustrate each of these levels. As an example, consider the application where a team of twenty small robots must rapidly explore and define a building complex. Local interactions and decisions require peer to peer collaboration. Global direction and information fusion warrant a central team control provided by a mother ship. The mother ship must effectively deliver/retrieve, service, and control these robots as well as fuse the information gathered by these highly mobile robot teams. Any level of collaboration requires robust communications, specifically a mobile ad hoc network. The application of fixed ground sensors and mobile robots is also included in this paper. This paper discusses on going research at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory that supports the development of multi-robot collaboration. This research includes battlefield visualization, intelligent software agents, adaptive communications, sensor and information fusion, and multi-modal human computer interaction.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.