cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Software maintenance management strategies: observations from the field

There is much literature describing software maintenance process models, but few comparative studies on the approaches used by managers in the field. This paper describes three software maintenance management strategies currently implemented by six organizations. The strategies are compared on the attributes of performance, economics, efficiency and end-product quality. The paper defines operational measurements for each attribute and describes the data collected over the past two years. The three strategies investigated were labelled the fixed staff/variable schedule, variable staff/fixed schedule and the variable staff/variable schedule. Each strategy has attributes that make it appealing for implementation by a software maintenance project manager. The fixed staff/variable schedule strategy had the fastest priority change response time, the variable staff/fixed schedule strategy had the highest throughput and the best on-schedule performance, and the variable staff/variable schedule had the lowest cost and highest quality. Thus, the key task for a manager is defining the attribute that they would most like to optimize and choosing a strategy that supports that goal. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Fecundity and Longevity Under Laboratory Conditions: Comparison of Populations from New York and Illinois on Acer saccharum

Reproductive traits and longevity of Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) from the Ravenswood, Chicago, IL, and Bayside, Queens, NY, populations were compared for first-generation adults that emerged from cut infested wood and for second-generation adults that were reared on artificial diet. Illinois females were significantly more fecund than those from New York when they emerged from infested wood and tended to be more fecund when reared on artificial diet. Weights of adult females that emerged from infested wood varied with the hosts they emerged from; but when reared on artificial diet, Illinois females were significantly heavier than New York females. There were no significant differences between the two populations in egg viability or adult longevity. In general, females laid more eggs and survived longer in the laboratory on sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marshall, than has generally been reported for this tree species. Larval food source and quality had significant effects on female fecundity and longevity. The above differences between the two populations and the effects of host quality and host species should be taken into account when management decisions are made in the current eradication program for A. glabripennis in the United States.
Performance evaluation of National Football League teams

Most recent empirical analyses of production in the sports economic literature have focused on Major League Baseball. This paper extends that literature by analysing football production in the National Football League (NFL). Using the Poisson regression model, we measure the performance of NFL teams and head coaches. The measure is based on a production process where player skills are converted into games won. The evidence reveals that quality coaching is an important component in the production process. It appears that efficient coaching can account for an additional three to four victories in a given season. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence for Sex-Specific Associations between Variation in Acid Phosphatase Locus 1 (ACP1) and Insulin Sensitivity in Mexican-Americans

Context: Acid phosphatase locus 1 (ACP1) is a low molecular weight tyrosine phosphatase that has been shown to be an important regulator of insulin receptor signaling. Objective: We tested whether variation in ACP1 is associated with type 2 diabetes-related traits in 1035 individuals in 339 Mexican-American families of probands with or without a previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Design: Study participants were phenotyped by oral glucose tolerance test (for glucose and insulin level) and iv glucose tolerance test (for insulin sensitivity and acute insulin response) and had dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans to assess body composition. Six tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified from among 15 SNPs genotyped across the ACP1 region. SNPs were tested for association with phenotypes using a likelihood ratio test under a variance components framework. Results: After Bonferroni correction, none of the SNPs were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus-related phenot...
Riverboat casinos’ impact on host communities: Comments from business owners and residents

A qualitative component was incorporated in a gaming impact study to explore how business owners and residents make sense of their lives and experiences with the presence of a riverboat casino in their community. Data collected were categorized to summarize their perceptions on the effect of riverboat casinos on their businesses, their lives, and the community. Most respondents’ comments represented a balanced view of the casinos’ influence. Increased gambling addiction appeared to be their major concern. This article provides insights of the real feelings of people who were affected the most by the gaming development.
Capacity dimensioning and routing for hybrid satellite and terrestrial systems

Satellite network architecture plays an important role in the success of a satellite business. For future commercial broadband data satellite networks integrated with the terrestrial network, satellite network topology, link capacity, and routing have major impacts on the cost of the network and the amount of revenue the network can generate. To find the most cost-effective satellite network topology, we propose a unified mathematical framework using a two-stage stochastic programming formulation. The solution to the stochastic programming formulation gives optimal link capacities and an optimal routing strategy for different network topologies, taking into account uncertainties in long-term aggregate traffic statistic estimation. Using a simple satellite network example, we show the feasible topology regions for three different satellite topologies and show that, for some parameter values, the hybrid topology is more cost effective than nonhybrid topologies. In the limit of high traffic rejection cost, stochastic dimensioning reduces to static dimensioning. We study worst case static dimensioning for a general geosynchronous earth orbit satellite network and show the feasible topology regions, as well as effective cost comparisons for different topologies. We conclude with a discussion on network cost and architectural flexibility relating to satellite network design.
Deuteron spin alignment in high-energy elastic proton-deuteron backscattering

The spin alignment (T20) of recoil deuterons in high-energy p-d elastic scattering at 180° is calculated in two models. One is the simple nucleon-transfer or pickup mechanism. The other is the extended pickup mechanism of Kerman and Kisslinger that includes, in addition to nucleon exchange, the exchange of N*(1688) resonance which is taken to be present in the deuteron with a small (1-2%) probability. For proton lab energies around 1 GeV, the Kerman-Kisslinger model gives alignments that are characteristically different from the predictions of the simple exchange model, showing that the presence of the N* in the deuteron has a significant effect at these energies.
Tree-ring evidence for 1842 1843 eruptive activity at the Goat Rocks dome, Mount St. Helens, Washington

Until the 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a debris fan and adjacent forest downslope from the dacitic Goat Rocks dome, on the north flank of the volcano, contained evidence that the dome was active in 1842 or 1843. The fan was destroyed by the debris avalanche of 18 May. Before 1980, the oldest tree cored on the debris fan showed that the fan predated 1855 by a few years. The young age of this tree suggests that the dome was active several decades after extrusion of the nearby andesitic “floating island” lava flow, dated to 1800. An anomalous series of narrow rings that starts with the 1843 ring is present in cores from two older trees adjacent to the fan. These ring-width patterns imply that these trees were damaged in late 1842 or early 1843 by flowage material from the dome; the trees were probably singed by an ash-cloud surge that originated on the dome as a hot-rock avalanche. Several lines of evidence suggest that the anomalous ring patterns record tree injury by surge, rather than by lahars or nonvolcanic causes (climate or insects). First, comparable ring patterns formed in all sampled trees that survived the 18 May surge, but formed in only a few sampled trees abraded or partially buried by 18 May lahars. Second, a 13-cm fine-ash layer, consistent with either tephra fall or surge emplacement, was present on the 1840s forest floor; yet the lack of similar tree-ring responses to 1980 tephra fall shows that such minor tephra fall could not have caused the ring patterns. Third, identical 1843 narrow-ring patterns are absent in control trees further from the volcano. The ring patterns of the trees adjacent to the Goat Rocks fan provide the first field evidence that the dome was active in late 1842 or early 1843. Thus, the new tree-ring dates confirm stratigraphic evidence for the youth of the activity of the Goat Rocks dome. They also link historical accounts of mid nineteenth century volcanism at Mount St. Helen with continuing dome extrusion. The dates additionally corroborate and revise the dacite-andesite-dacite petrologic cycle interpretation of Mount St. Helens' Goat Rocks eruptive period (1800–1857). They constrain the cycle to no more than 43 years. Lastly, the dates support the notion that the vent that erupted the 1800 dacitic T tephra was different from the one that produced the Goat Rocks dome. We infer that the magma that formed the “floating-island” lava flow plugged the T tephra vent. This forced residual magma from the compositionally zoned magma chamber into an alternate conduit. The second conduit produced the unnamed 1842 lithic tephra and the Goat Rocks dome.
Nucleation and crystallization in calcium aluminate glasses

Abstract The crystallization and nucleation mechanisms of a eutectic composition (46.5 wt% CaO, 53.5 wt% Al2O3) calcium aluminate glass were investigated by DTA, XRD and SEM. The crystallization temperature was found to vary from 940°C to 1040°C, and two phases appeared in the crystallized samples: Ca12Al14O33 (major phase) and CaAl2O4 (minor phase). Two kinds of crystal structures, dendritic and spherulitic, were observed by optical microscopy. Heating rate and particle size effects on crystal growth were studied by DTA. The average activation energies of crystal growth in two different particle sizes were determined to be 739 ± 4 kJ/mol by the Kissinger method and 694 ± 4 kJ/mol by the Augis–Bennett method. The average Avrami constant for two different sized particles was determined to be 1.7 ± 0.2 by the Ozawa equation. The DTA peak heights decreased with increasing particle size, which shows that the crystallization mechanism includes surface crystallization. A nucleation-rate type curve was obtained by investigating the relation between nucleation temperature and DTA peak height, which suggests that there are two independent nucleation rate maxima. Two, distinct crystallization peaks were observed in monolithic (non-powdered) samples by DTA, and were further studied by in situ XRD and SEM. It was determined that the two peaks correspond to surface and internal crystallization, respectively.
Fluctuations of an Exposed π‑Helix Involved in Lipoxygenase Substrate Recognition

The second helix in lipoxygenases adapts to permit substrate access to the active site, but details of this process are varied and poorly understood. We therefore examined the dynamics of helix 2 in solutions of spin-labeled soybean lipoxygenase-1 and spin relaxation at 60 K of the spin-labels by catalytic iron. Helix 2 in soybean lipoxygenase structures is surface-exposed and contains one turn of π-helix, centrally located. A site-directed spin-label scan of 18 of the 21 helix 2 residues, and electron paramagnetic resonance, showed that the π-helical segment became unusually mobile, on a nanosecond time scale, under conditions favoring substrate binding (pH 9 and lipid addition), while segments before and after had relatively unchanged dynamics. Backbone dynamics of residues in the π-helical segment appeared to be correlated, at pH 9. Samples also were frozen to examine the polarity and proticity of the local environments, the effect of the local environment on intrinsic relaxation, and dipolar relaxation by two symmetries of catalytic iron. The average hyperfine tensor component, Azz, of four π-helix residues decreased by 1.75 G, with an increase in pH from 7 to 9, while it remained unaffected for nearby buried residues. Power saturation data suggested the change in polarity specific to the π-helix altered the intrinsic relaxation rates. Different symmetries of iron contributed to distance-dependent magnetic relaxation. We interpret these data to mean that a π-helix in the second helix of plant lipoxygenases is highly dynamic and is the site where lipid chains penetrate to inner helices that outline the substrate pocket.
FIM/IAP/TEM STUDIES OF HYDROGEN IN METALS

Etude du piegeage de l'hydrogene par les defauts du reseau metallique. Les defauts ainsi que l'hydrogene sont introduits par implantation ionique
Asystem for cutaneous electrical stimulation mimicking touch

An electrical system is described which produces pain-free touch sensations similar to those from mechanical stimulation. The apparatus is inexpensive, easily constructed, and can be used with human or animal Ss.
VORTEX2 Observations of a Low-Level Mesocyclone with Multiple Internal Rear-Flank Downdraft Momentum Surges in the 18 May 2010 Dumas, Texas, Supercell*

AbstractObservations collected in the second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment during a 15-min period of a supercell occurring on 18 May 2010 near Dumas, Texas, are presented. The primary data collection platforms include two Ka-band mobile Doppler radars, which collected a near-surface, short-baseline dual-Doppler dataset within the rear-flank outflow of the Dumas supercell; an X-band, phased-array mobile Doppler radar, which collected volumetric single-Doppler data with high temporal resolution; and in situ thermodynamic and wind observations of a six-probe mobile mesonet.Rapid evolution of the Dumas supercell was observed, including the development and decay of a low-level mesocyclone and four internal rear-flank downdraft (RFD) momentum surges. Intensification and upward growth of the low-level mesocyclone were observed during periods when the midlevel mesocyclone was minimally displaced from the low-level circulation, suggesting an upward-directed perturbation pressure g...
The effects of a subanesthetic dose of ketamine on verbal memory in normal volunteers

Rationale N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonists have been reported to induce schizophrenia-like symptoms in humans, including memory impairments. Although the NMDA receptor has been shown to impair memory acquisition by disrupting long-term potentiation (LTP), limited research has been done on studying the effects of NMDA antagonists on the post-LTP cascade of events implicated in consolidation as measured by administering the drug after the initial learning experience.
Simple model of laser damage initiation and conditioning in frequency conversion crystals

Laser conditioning, i.e. pre-exposure to less than damaging laser fluence, has been shown to improve the damage resistance of KDP/DKDP frequency conversion crystals. We have extended our damage model, small absorbing precursors with a distribution of sizes, to describe various damage related properties such as damage density and effects of laser conditioning in crystals. The model assumes the rate limiting process for both initiation and conditioning depends on temperature and that separate threshold temperatures exist for either conditioning or damage initiation to occur. This is reasonable in KDP/DKDP since the melting temperature is far below the temperatures associated with plasma formation and damage events. This model is capable of accounting for some recently observed damage-conditioning behaviors.
Microbial determinants of biochemical individuality and their impact on toxicology and pharmacology

Humans exhibit remarkable interindividual variations in the concentration of small molecules found throughout the body, due in part to concurrent variations in each person's associated microbial communities. Recent studies have begun to uncover how microbes interface with their host during exposure to drugs, dietary compounds, and environmental toxicants, with broader implications regarding the causes and consequences of biochemical individuality. Progress in this area will likely be an essential component of personalized medicine and might be accelerated through the implementation of experimental designs and theoretical principles honed through decades of work in the fields of toxicology and pharmacology.
SU‐GG‐T‐41: Dosimetric Impacts On Tissue Homogeneity Corrections in Electronic Brachytherapy

Purpose: With increasing interests in utilizing electronic brachytherapy in accelerated partial breast irradiation, the lack of tissue inhomogeneity correction in the dose calculation draws clinical attentions. In this study, a Monte Carlo based dose evaluation was assessed in a human anatomy phantom to demonstrate these dosimetricimpacts.Method and Materials: The dosimetriccharacteristics of Xoft S700 Axxent™ X‐ray source (Xoft, Fremont,CA) were evaluated using EGS4 Monte Carlo code to verify the calculation method and source parameter accuracy. A virtual female human phantom utilizing all clinical parameters was used in the simulation. A balloon (diameter = 5 cm) was inserted in the right breast of the phantom. A 1 cm expanded volume from the balloon surface was designed to define as planning target volume (PTV). The prescribed dose was 3.4 Gy to 5 selected points (anterior, posterior, right lateral, superior and inferior) of the PTV. Dose,dose volume histograms of the PTV and normal tissues, isodose distributions in axial, sagittal and coronal planes crossing the center of the balloon were evaluated. Results: Using measured 50 kVp source spectrum provided by Xoft Inc, the simulated radial dose function agrees well with the published data within 3%. The simulation shows clear dose uniformity with 90.6% of the prescription dose enclosing PTV. The two dimensional sagittal dose distributions show high skin and rib doses with reasonably acceptable doses to all other surrounding normal tissues. When accounted for the tissue heterogeneity, changes in the isodose distribution were observed. Conclusion: This has been our first EGS4 Monte Carlo simulation study for the Xoft electronic brachytherapy system. Preliminary results demonstrate the dosimetricimpact especially on the surrounding normal tissues, when tissue inhomogeneity consideration is taken into account.
Calcium-binding properties of wild-type and EF-hand mutants of s100b in the presence and absence of a peptide derived from the C-terminal negative regulatory domain of p53

S100B is a dimeric Ca2+-binding protein that undergoes a 90 ± 3° rotation of helix 3 in the typical EF-hand domain (EF2) upon the addition of calcium. The large reorientation of this helix is a prerequisite for the interaction between each subunit of S100B and target proteins such as the tumor suppressor protein, p53. In this study, Tb3+ was used as a probe to examine how binding of a 22-residue peptide derived from the C-terminal regulatory domain of p53 affects the rate of Ca2+ ion dissociation. In competition studies with Tb3+, the dissociation rates of Ca2+ (koff) from the EF2 domains of S100B in the absence and presence of the p53 peptide was determined to be 60 and 7 s-1, respectively. These data are consistent with a previously reported result, which showed that that target peptide binding to S100B enhances its calcium-binding affinity [Rustandi et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 1951−1960]. The corresponding Ca2+ association rate constants for S100B, kon, for the EF2 domains in the absence and presenc...
Sinus tachycardia with atrioventricular block: an unusual presentation during neurocardiogenic (vasovagal) syncope.

Sinus Tachycardia with AV Block During VVS. Introduction: Neurocardiogenic (vasovagal) syncope is characterized by hypotension and bradycardia. The presence of sinus tachycardia along with AV block during syncope in patients with neurocardiogenic syncope has not been described previously. Methods and Results: Two female patients (18 and 16 years old) with recurrent syncope and documented sinus tachycardia at the time of syncope are described. Patient 1 had recurrent episodes of syncope. During one of these episodes, which occurred while she was being monitored, sinus tachycardia along with high-grade AV block was seen at the time of syncope and hypotension. Patient 2 had a history of recurrent syncope and seizure. During one of these episodes, she was documented to have ventricular asystole lasting for about 39 seconds. The sinus rate was 480 msec at the beginning, before slowing down to 960 msec prior to restoration of sinus rhythm with 1:1 AV conduction. The same scenario was repeated during head-up tilt testing. Both patients were treated successfully with oral disopyramide and, during a follow-up of 28 months and 9 months, have remained symptom-free. Conclusion: Sinus acceleration along with high-grade AV block during syncope and hypotension can occur in some patients with neurocardiogenic syncope. The exact mechanism of this phenomenon is unclear.
PROCESS-INDUCED RESIDUAL STRESS ANALYSIS OF AS4/3501-6 COMPOSITE MATERIAL

The development of process-induced residual stresses in a typical graphitt/epoxy composite material during cure is analyzed in this article. An extensive material characterization study of the resin system was reported in a previous article by the authors [1] and the results of that study are used to develop a cure-dependent viscoelastic material model for the composite system. A finite-element model is developed to solve the stress analysis problem. To overcome large memory storage requirements and lengthy calculation times, a recursive formulation is used in the finite-element analysis. Cure kinetic and heat transfer modeling are evaluated independently using the finite-difference method. Process-induced residual stresses in cross-ply laminates are calculated and the results are compared with elastic solutions. The res ults of the analysis indicate that in certain cases significant residual stresses are present during the cure cycle, even before final cool-down commences. Whether a material experiences ...
The effect of annealing pretreatment of Pd-Rh alloys on their hydrogen solubilities and thermodynamic parameters for H2 solution

Abstract Pressure-composition hydrogen isotherms in the temperature range 273 ⩽ T ⩽ 343 K have been determined for some Pd-rich Rh alloys with various degrees of homogeneity as a result of different cooling rates from above the miscibility gap. The following techniques have been employed to obtain different cooling rates: spin casting, fast quenching, slow quenching, furnace cooling (250 °C h−1) and prolonged annealing at 873 K; this order of cooling leads to an increasing extent of inhomogeneity. The dilute phase hydrogen solubilities are found to increase with increasing alloy inhomogeneity. The isotherms in the dilute region for the spin-cast alloy are the same as for the fast-quenched one. The partial molar enthalpy with ΔHHo at infinite dilution is less exothermic for the fast-quenched alloys as compared with the slow-quenched and furnace-cooled ones, but the enthalpy change for the plateau reaction, ΔHplat, does not change. Generally, for all these Pd-Rh alloys the hydrogen solubilities decrease with increasing Rh content and the relative partial molar enthalpy at infinite dilution, ΔHHo, and the enthalpy for hydride formation, ΔHplat, become less exothermic with increasing Rh content.
INBREEDING IN DARWIN'S MEDIUM GROUND FINCHES (GEOSPIZA FORTIS).

We studied the frequency and causes of inbreeding and its effect on reproductive success in a population of Darwin's Medium Ground Finches (Geospiza fortis) on Isla Daphne Major, Galapagos, during four breeding seasons (1981, 1983, 1984, and 1987). Pedigree analysis showed that levels of inbreeding were low but comparable with those observed in other passerine birds. For pairs with at least half of their grandparents known, approximately 20% of all pairings were between detectably related birds. The frequency of pairings between closely related birds (coefficient of kinship [φ] ≥ 0.250) among all pairs was 0.6%. We detected no effect of inbreeding on reproductive success, although sample sizes were small. The observed reproductive output of related pairs was not significantly different from the output of unrelated pairs, and there was no correlation between a pair's kinship coefficient and an estimate of the potential magnitude of inbreeding depression. Comparisons with a study of Great Tits (Parus major) by van Noordwijk and Scharloo (1981) suggest that, even if present, the fitness costs of inbreeding in this population of G. fortis would be low. Observed levels of inbreeding in each breeding episode were accurately predicted by simulations of random mating in which relatedness had no influence on pairing between individuals. This result suggests that levels of inbreeding in this population are determined more by demographic factors than by behavioral avoidance of mating with kin.
Evaluations of the von Kármán constant in the atmospheric surface layer

The von Karman constant . This is, thus, the largest, most comprehensive atmospheric data set ever used to evaluate the von Karman constant.
Inhibitor of O-Methylation of Epinephrine and Norepinephrine in vitro and in vivo

Pyrogallol inhibits the Omethylation of epinephrine and norepinephrine by catechol-O-methyl transferase in vitro as well as the metabolism of these catecholamines, and the formation of their O-methylated metabolites, in the intact mouse. Since pyrogallol also prolongs the physiological effects of epinephrine, it is suggested that catechol-O-methyl transferase terminates the actions of the catecholamine hormones.
The effect of quality and clarity on the recall of photographic illustrations

This study investigated the combined effects of the quality and clarity of a photographic illustration as factors influencing a viewer's recall of the content of the photography. The stylistic elements of lighting, image quality, degree of detail, image sharpness and perspective were manipulated in order to control the overall quality and clarity of the image. Photographs designated high signal noise ratio (S/N) had high overall quality and clarity. Photographs designated low S/N had minimum acceptable quality and clarity. Eighteen high and low S/N photographs of agricultural produce were shown randomly to 204 first-year communication students in four groups. The subjects were also identified according to their preferred information processing modality— visual, aural or visual and aural. Five days after the presentation of the photographs, the subjects were asked to list the content of as many photographs as they could remember.
Cytokine gene polymorphisms and graft-versus-host disease in children after matched sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a single-center experience.

Various polymorphisms in cytokine genes have recently been investigated as candidate risk factors in allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We retrospectively analyzed specific polymorphisms in genes for interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in a pediatric cohort of 57 histocompatibility leucocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling myeloablative transplants. Both recipient and donor genotypes were tested for association with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by statistical methods including Cox regression analysis. We found a significant association between the IL-10 promoter haplotype polymorphisms at positions -1082, -819 and -592 with the occurrence of severe (grades III–IV) acute GVHD (aGVHD). Recipients with the haplotype GCC had a statistically significant decreased risk of severe aGVHD (hazard risk (HR)=0.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06–0.67) in comparison with patients with other IL-10 haplotypes (P=0.008). Transplant-related mortality at 1 year was significantly lower in recipients with this haplotype (HR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.012–0.320) versus other IL-10 haplotypes (P=0.03), whereas overall survival was not influenced by IL-10 haplotype polymorphisms. In multivariate analysis, the presence of the IL-10 GCC haplotype was found as the only variable associated with a statistically significant decreased hazard of severe aGVHD development (P=0.02, HR=0.21, 95% CI: 0.05–0.78). These results suggest that pediatric patients possessing the IL-10 GCC haplotype may be protected from the occurrence of severe aGVHD in the setting of matched sibling HSCT.
Superovulation of rabbits with FSH alters in vivo development of vitrified morulae

Abstract Morulae were flushed from the oviducts and uteri of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits superovulated with either 6 (3 d) or 8 (4 d) injections of FSH and from nonsuperovulated controls. The percentages of embryos recovered from 4 d (100%, n=8) donors was significantly higher (P 0.05). The estimated overall efficiency of producing kits based on normal morulae collected for control and 4 d groups, however, was nearly two-fold that for females given 6 FSH treatments. We conclude that the 4 d FSH superovulation regimen enhances the efficiency of rabbit reproductive biotechnology after embryo cryopreservation. These findings have important implications for rabbit colony management using embryo cryopreservation.
Redistribution of health care costs after the adoption of positron emission tomography among medicare beneficiaries with non-small-cell lung cancer, 1998-2005.

Introduction: Treatment patterns and cost implications of increased positron emission tomography imaging use since Medicare approval in 1998 are not well understood. We examined rates of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and inpatient and total health care costs between 1998 and 2005 among Medicare beneficiaries with non–small-cell lung cancer. Methods: Patients in this retrospective cohort study were 51,374 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with non–small-cell lung cancer between 1996 and 2005. The main outcome measures were receipt of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and inpatient and total health care costs within 1 year of diagnosis. Results: Between 1996–1997 and 2004–2005, the proportion of patients undergoing surgical resection decreased from 29% to 25%, the proportion receiving radiation therapy decreased from 49% to 43%, and inpatient costs decreased from $28,900 to $26,900. The proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy increased from 25% to 40% and total costs increased from $47,300 to $52,200 ( p Conclusions: Adoption of positron emission tomography between 1998 and 2005 was accompanied by decreases in rates of surgery and radiotherapy and in short-term inpatient costs among Medicare beneficiaries with non–small-cell lung cancer, although there was an increase in chemotherapy and overall costs.
Undetected disk errors in RAID arrays

Though remarkably reliable, disk drives do fail occasionally. Most failures can be detected immediately; moreover, such, failures can be modeled and addressed using technologies such as RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks). Unfortunately, disk drives can experience errors that are undetected by the drive-- which we refer to as undetected disk errors (UDEs). These errors can cause silent data corruption that may go completely undetected (until a system or application malfunction) or may be detected by software in the storage I/O stack. Continual increases in disk densities or in storage array sizes and more significantly the introduction of desktop-class drives in enterprise storage systems are increasing the likelihood of UDEs in a given system. Therefore, the incorporation of UDE detection (and correction) into storage systems is necessary to prevent increasing numbers of data corruption and data loss events. In this paper, we discuss the causes of UDEs and their effects on data integrity. We describe some of the basic techniques that have been applied to address this problem at various software layers in the I/O stack and describe a family of solutions that can be integrated into the RAID subsystem.
Barrier engineering in quantum dots in a well detector

Quantum dot infrared photodetectors have generated a lot of interest in the recent past due to their potential for low dark current and high operating temperature. We demonstrate the use of thin AlGaAs barrier layers in the quantum dots in a well (DWELL) heterostructure to enhance the quantum confinement of carriers in the excited energy level. By controlling the excited state energy of the DWELL structure between the confinement enhancing (CE) barriers and near the continuum level of the barrier between the stacks, high quantum confinement as well as high escape probability for the photoexcited carriers has been obtained. High responsivity and detectivity of 6.5x10 10 cm.Hz 1/2 W -1 (77K, 0.6V, 7.5mm, f/2), a factor of 10 improvement over a control sample without the CE barriers has been measured. The effect of changing the quantum well thickness and quantum dot size is also reported.
Electrophysiological effects of triiodothyronine and propranolol

The effects of triiodothyronine (T3), T3 combined with propranolol, and propranolol alone on somatosensory evoked responses (SER) and EEG were studied in 2 groups each of 6 male volunteer subjects. The following results were obtained: (1) T3 increased SER amplitude during the first 100 ms after stimulus. (2) Addition of propranolol elimi nated the SER amplitude increase resulting from T3 administration. (3) Neither T3 nor T3 plus propranolol significantly altered the mean level or the temporal variability of EEG amplitude and frequency. (4) There were no significant effects of propranolol alone on SER and EEG measures.
Alcohol and Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Suppression of Resistance to Cryptosporidium parvum Infection during Modulation of Cytokine Production

The effects of inoculation of LP-BM5 murine leukemia retrovirus and chronic ethanol (5% v/v) ingestion on immunomodulation and Cryptosporidium parvum infection in C57BL/6 female mice were evaluated. The intestinal mucosae of retrovirally immunosuppressed animals were heavily colonized by Cryptosporidium parasites, and oocysts shedding in the feces persisted throughout the duration of the study. Mortality was exacerbated by murine retrovirus infection alone and exacerbated with concomitant chronic alcohol feeding (42.8 and 69.4%). Chronic ethanol ingestion decreased production of interferon-gamma and soluble interleukin-2 receptor released in supernatants of splenocytes when stimulated with concanavalin A, compared with the control group. Decreased production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 receptor was further exacerbated due to retrovirus infection. Tumor necrosis factor production by splenocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, however, was significantly increased because of retrovirus infection. LP-BM5 retrovirus infection alone as well as with concomitant ethanol feeding altered cytokine production, which might have led to immunodeficiency. These changes may help explain the enhanced persistence of Cryptosporidiosis.
Aim and scope of the fellows forum

Welcome to the first edition of the Fellows Forum of the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis. The Forum is a new, recurring feature that will appear on a regular basis in each volume of the journal. Its purpose is to recognize scholarly activities in clinical trainees participating in the continuum of cardiovascular science from bench to bedside and to encourage the next generation of clinician–scientists and investigators in the fields of cardiology, hematology, vascular medicine, and related disciplines. The Forum is open to individuals engaged in a residency program, as well as those who are in fellowship training positions. The Forum will publish meritorious original work devoted to fundamental science in the areas of cardiovascular disease, preclinical and clinical research, global health, and epidemiology. In some instances, highly unique case reports, or ones that include multimedia and/or video, will also be presented. In addition to being a prominent and distinguished channel for trainees to publish their original research or reports, the Fellows Forum also provides residents and fellows the opportunity to engage in the peerreview and editorial process, often for the first time. The Forum plans to add an online platform, such as a social media page, which would serve as a medium where fellows and residents may submit work to be featured and discussed amongst peers. We invite you to read and enjoy the innovative work presented here in the Forum, knowing that you may be reading the very first article from an emerging leader in our field. For more information or to submit a manuscript, contact lisa.noble@springer.com and/or go to http://www.springer. com/medicine/cardiology/journal/11239.
Sodium lidar–observed strong inertia‐gravity wave activities in the mesopause region over Fort Collins, Colorado (41°N, 105°W)

In December 2004, the Colorado State University sodium lidar system at Fort Collins, Colorado (41 deg N, 105 deg W), conducted an approximately 80-hour continuous campaign for the simultaneous observations of mesopause region sodium density, temperature, and zonal and meridional winds. This data set reveals the significant inertia-gravity wave activities with a period of approximately 18 hours, which are strong in both wind components since UT day 338 (second day of the campaign), and weak in temperature and sodium density. The considerable variability of wave activities was observed with both wind amplitudes growing up to approximately 40 m/s at 95-100 km in day 339 and then decreasing dramatically in day 340. We also found that the sodium density wave perturbation is correlated in phase with temperature perturbation below 90 km, and approximately 180 deg out of phase above. Applying the linear wave theory, we estimated the wave horizontal propagation direction, horizontal wavelength, and apparent horizontal phase speed to be approximately 25 deg south of west, approximately 1800 +/- 150 km, and approximately 28 +/- 2 m/s, respectively of wave intrinsic period, intrinsic phase speed, and vertical wavelength were also estimated. While the onset of enhanced inertia-gravity wave amplitude in the night of 338 was observed to be in coincidence with short-period gravity wave breaking via convective instability, the decrease of inertia-gravity wave amplitude after noon of day 339 was also observed to coincide with the development of atmospheric dynamical instability layers with downward phase progression clearly correlated with the 18-hour inertia-gravity wave, suggesting likely breaking of this inertia-gravity wave via dynamical (shear) instability.
Back-to-back “one-pot” [18F]FDG syntheses in a single Siemens-CTI chemistry process control unit

Simple changes in the chemistry, plumbing, and programming of the Siemens-CTI chemistry process control unit (CPCU) effectively double its output by enabling two back-to-back "1-pot" syntheses of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose in a single unit. Replacement of Kryptofix 2.2.2 with tetramethylammonium carbonate and elimination of diethyl ether from the procedure shorten synthesis time to 48 min, improve process and end-product safety, and increase end-of-synthesis yields from 37% to 52% by minimizing steps and transfer losses.
Hybrid input function estimation using a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) approach

A hybrid blood input function (BIF) model that incorporates region of interests (ROIs) based peak estimation and a two exponential tail model was proposed to describe the blood input function. The hybrid BIF model was applied to the single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) optimization based approach for BIF estimation using time activity curves (TACs) obtained from ROIs defined at left ventricle (LV) blood pool and myocardium regions of dynamic PET images. The proposed BIF estimation method was applied with 0, 1 and 2 blood samples as constraints for BIF estimation using simulated small animal PET data. Relative percentage difference of the area-under-curve (AUC) measurement between the estimated BIF and the true BIF was calculated to evaluate the BIF estimation accuracy. SIMO based BIF estimation using Feng's input function model was also applied for comparison. The hybrid method provided improved BIF estimation in terms of both mean accuracy and variability compared to Feng's model based BIF estimation in our simulation study. When two blood samples were used as constraints, the percentage BIF estimation error was 0.82 ± 4.32% for the hybrid approach and 4.63 ± 10.67% for the Feng's model based approach. Using hybrid BIF, improved kinetic parameter estimation was also obtained.
Intervention Strategies for Serving Students with Traumatic Brain Injury.

As school-age children are at the highest risk for sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI), educational professionals working in school settings will encounter students dealing with the after-effects of a TBI. These effects can influence students' ability to navigate the behavioral, social, and academic demands of the classroom. This article outlines the reintegration of students with a TBI as well as general interventions and strategies of which teachers, administrators, school psychologists, and other professionals need to be aware when working with these individuals. Best practices suggest that interventions and teaching strategies be multifaceted. Language: en
Maternal obesity, metabolic disease, and allostatic load.

Abstract Maternal obesity is a risk factor for many metabolic diseases for the mother, both during gestation and post partum, and for the child in later life. Obesity and pregnancy both result in altered physiological states, significantly different from the state of the non-obese, non-reproductive adult female. The concept of allostasis may be more appropriate for understanding the physiology of both pregnancy and obesity. In pregnancy these altered physiological states are adaptive, in both the evolutionary and physiological senses of the word. Obesity, however, represents a state outside of the adaptive evolutionary experience of our species. In both cases the altered physiological state derives at least in part from signals from an active endocrine organ. In obesity this is adipose tissue, and in pregnancy it is the placenta. The signaling molecules from adipose tissue and placenta all have multiple functions and can affect multiple organ systems. Placenta acts as a central regulator of metabolism for both the maternal and fetal compartments, in essence acting as a “third brain” during pregnancy. Both adipose tissue and placenta express many proinflammatory cytokines; obesity and pregnancy are states of low-grade inflammation. Both obesity and pregnancy are also states of insulin resistance, and maternal obesity is associated with fetal insulin resistance. We argue that obesity during pregnancy leads to sustained and inappropriate activation of normally adaptive regulatory circuits due in part to competing and conflicting signaling from adipose tissue and placenta. This results in allostatic load, leading to the eventual break down of regulatory mechanisms. The result is impaired metabolic function of the mother, and altered development of metabolic systems and potentially altered neural appetite circuits for the offspring.
Effects of d-amphetamine and fenfluramine on feeding patterns and activity of obese and lean Zucker rats

The effects of two doses of d-amphetamine and fenfluramine on male Zucker rats maintained ad lib on solid and liquid diets were investigated using the technique of meal pattern analysis. Amphetamine-induced anorexia was of short duration in both obese and lean rats. In the lean rats, anorexia was followed by rebound feeding resulting in little or no reduction in total daily intake. The drug reduced meal sizes of obese but not lean rats and caused a transient decrease in meal frequency. Increased spontaneous activity paralleled the decreased food intake. In contrast, anorexia following fenfluramine was greater, more prolonged and of equivalent magnitude in obese and in lean rats. No rebound feeding was observed. Reduction in intake was achieved primarily by changes in meal size rather than in meal frequency. These data demonstrate that food intakes of genetically obese Zucker rats are more susceptible to the action of d-amphetamine than those of lean rats, and are consistent with reports of differential neurotransmitter levels in the obese and lean rats.
Flow-mediated vasodilatation of the main pulmonary artery

This study compares the independent effects of flow (Qpa) and transmural pressure (Ppa) on the diameter (D) and length of a segment (L) of the main pulmonary artery (MPA) in anesthetized open-chested dogs. Qpa was increased by a shunt from the left lower lobe pulmonary artery to an external jugular vein. Ppa was increased with positive end-expiratory pressure (n = 5), or with a femoral arteriovenous shunt (n = 5). Mean Ppa, Qpa, D and L were calculated by averaging over a single cardiac cycle selected at end expiration of successive breaths. The independent effects of Ppa and Qpa on MPA dimensions were determined by multiple linear regression. The effects of Ppa delta D%/delta P% = 0.153 +/- 0.03 SE) and Qpa (delta D%/delta Q% = 0.021 +/- 0.004 SE) on D were similar in both groups of dogs. Changes of L (delta L%/delta Ppa% = 0.168 +/- 0.042 SE and delta Qpa% = 0.033 +/- 0.006 SE, n = 5) were similar to the corresponding changes of D. We conclude that the effects of flow are small relative to pressure and that flow not only causes vasodilatation but also vasoelongation of the MPA.
The Parallel Recognition of Classes of Graphs

Parallel cellular algorithms for recognizing adjacency and incidence matrices of several classes of graphs are given. These classes include cubic graphs, complete graphs, connected graphs, and trees.
Size of coronary sinus at necropsy in subjects without cardiac disease and in patients with various cardiac conditions

Abstract We and others have noted the coronary sinus (CS) to be enlarged in some patients with chronic congestive heart failure and in virtually all patients with drainage of a left superior vena cava into the CS. 1 The CS is receiving increasing attention because of its potential usefulness as a route for retrograde delivery to ventricular myocardium of cardioplegic solutions during cardiopulmonary bypass, of various antiarrhythmic agents during electrophysiologic testing and of blood and blood substitutes for symptomatic myocardial ischemia. In 1984, an entire symposium was devoted to myocardial protection through the CS, and the proceedings from it were published. 2 Despite the increasing interest in the CS, little anatomic information is available in subjects with normal hearts and in patients with abnormal hearts. To fill this void, we measured the circumference of the CS in 50 normal human hearts and in 234 hearts with various cardiac diseases unassociated with intercirculatory shunts.