cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ratio data and the quantification of drug effects

Abstract Analysis of data which have been arranged in some form of a ratio is frequently employed by several disciplines which use pharmacological agents as independent variables. When the denominator term of the ratio is also a measured variable, it has been shown that correlations are induced between variables sharing the common denominator. Therefore, when data from drug conditions are calculated as ratios or percentages of data from non-drug controls, statistical analyses may produce misleading results due to the mathematical properties of ratios. Using data from a pharmacological experiment, comparisons were made between analysis of data in ratio form and analysis of data where the denominator variable is taken as a concomitant variable. The results indicate that analyses using ratios decrease the sensitivity of the statistical test. Alternatives to the use of ratios are discussed.
Alfalfa as a single dietary source for molt induction in laying hens

Molting is a process by which a hen's reproductive tract is rejuvenated prior to the beginning of a laying cycle. This process is often artificially induced in commercial settings in order to extend the productive life of a flock of hens. The most common method for the induction of molt is feed withdrawal for a period of several days. It has been noted that feed withdrawal, while effective in inducing molt and allowing an adequate reproductive rest period for the hen, may cause deleterious effects on the animal. This has prompted the investigation of alternatives to feed deprivation for the induction of molt in commercial laying hens. This study involved feeding alfalfa to hens to assess its ability to induce molt. Results show that alfalfa meal and alfalfa pelleted diets were equally effective as feed withdrawal in causing ovary weight regression in birds. Molted hens induced by alfalfa diets exhibited postmolt levels of egg production over a twelve week period that were similar to that of hens molted by feed withdrawal. The postmolt eggs laid by hens molted by alfalfa were of comparable quality to eggs from feed deprived hens. Alfalfa, a fibrous feed with low metabolizable energy, may be provided to hens on an ad libitum basis for an effective molt induction that retains comparable egg quality and production.
Predicting The Environment For Sensitive Equipment

It is desirable that the vibration environment in buildings used to house vibration sensitive equipment, be reliably predicted before the equipment is required to perform. Within an existing building, this qualification of a facility may be possible by direct measurement. However, in the case of internal re-structuring or a new design some means of prediction is required at the concept stage, to give a reasonable assurance before resources are committed, that the installation will perform satisfactorily over the life of the building.
Fungal evolution and taxonomy

Fungi and insects are closely associated in many terrestrial and some aquatic habitats. In addition to the pathogenic associations, many more interactions involve fungal spore dispersal. Recent advances in the study of insect-associated fungi have come from phylogenic analyses with increased taxon sampling and additional DNA loci. In addition to providing stable phylogenies, some molecular studies have begun to unravel problems of dating of evolutionary events, convergent evolution and host switching. These studies also enlighten our understanding of fungal ecology and the development of organismal interactions. Mycologists continue to rely heavily, however, on identified specimens based on morphology to incorporate more of the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi in phylogenetic studies.
A Simplified Model for an Evolving Protoplanetary Nebula

The dynamical evolution of the protoplanetary nebula is investigated using analytical solutions of the surface density transport equations. Constant and beta viscosity turbulence models are compared with a functional analytical model and the well-known alpha viscosity formulation. The beta viscosity model, heretofore used for steady-state disks, is shown to be a viable tool for separating dynamic and thermodynamic properties of an evolving disk.
The return period of order statistics

It may be stressed that the results reached here are independent of the initial distribution and valid for any sample sizen and all order statistics. For example the expected return period for the smaller of two observations is 2, but infinite for the larger one and the variance of the return periods for both observations is infinite.
Exercise Physiology, Cognitive Function, and Physiologic Alterations in Extreme Conditions 2016.

Exercise physiology is a heterogeneous field of study that includes a broad array of disciplines evaluating the impact of physical stressors on the physiology of man. While man is exposed to a variety of environmental conditions, it is imperative that exercise physiologists elucidate how the added stress of a terrestrial extreme impacts man's thermal, metabolic, and cognitive abilities. Research regarding environmental extremes and exercise will enhance our understanding of how to safely compete athletically, navigate in unfamiliar locations, and aid military personnel during exposure to a variety of natural settings. The physiologic, metabolic, and cognitive responses in general are complex and differ between sexes, across the lifespan, and are impacted by heredity. When physical stress is coupled with varied ambient conditions (environmental stressors, i.e., heat, cold, altitude, hypoxia, and lower body negative pressure), there may be dramatic shifts in physiological and cognitive responses. Furthermore, this coupling of stressors may present a limitation in man's abilities to maintain homeostatic control across multiple organ systems. Such limitations may compromise safety and performance; thus further work in these areas is warranted. Through controlled experimentation, taking into account as many confounding factors as possible (i.e., gender, menses, age, training status, circadian rhythm, and diet), we evaluate combined physiologic and cognitive responses to environmental and exercise stresses. Recently, there has been growing concern for works elucidating how heat/cold stressors influence blood flow, cognitive function, and thermoregulation at rest and during exercise. While military personnel are often deployed to areas of low barometric pressure, research has also been conducted to better understand the effects of hypoxia on cognitive function. We invited investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand exercise physiology in ambient and extreme environmental conditions. Further research in these areas will allow for better precautionary and treatment guidelines in occupational and athletic settings. Ellen Glickman Edward J. Ryan David Bellar
Review of behavior on a disk from CMS academic software: Instructional programs for teaching teachers

The programs on BOAD represent a set of useful simulations and demonstrations of learning phenomena that successfully convey important practical and theoretical information to students. The most successful modules deal with shaping and the selective effect of positive reinforcement on behavior. The range of examples is sufficiently broad to convey the generality of these learning phenomena, but the graphics and particular examples are better suited to the college classroom (for which they were developed and in which they have received extensive field testing) than to the general public, where some users might be distracted by working with simulated animal "subjects" or bored by the simple graphics. There is a separate application on the disk that drills students on behavioral vocabulary, a useful resource for helping to assure that behavioral issues are discussed using consistent terminology. Although a single disk is initialized for a single user so that individual progress can be tracked accurately in printed reports, the cost of a disk is so low that no student who needs to learn about teaching would be discouraged from purchasing it. In truth, this is the best deal in instructional software I have seen yet.
From shortage to longage: Forty years in the population vineyards

This is an essay on the cultural and social aspects of population control and carrying capacity throughout the world. (ANNOTATION)
New Rights Advocacy in a Global Public Domain

Social and economic policy decisions are increasingly being taken in a global public domain in which national/transnational boundaries are blurred, and the `public' domain includes non-state actors...
Fluorescence Spectra Of Normal And Atherosclerotic Human Aorta: Optimum Discriminant Analysis

ABSTRACT To evaluate the usefulness of tissue fluorescence to distinguish normal from atherosclerotic regions inhuman arteries, we examined fluorescence spectral maps obtained over a wide range of excitation andemission wavelengths from 15 normal and 26 atherosclerotic human aorta specimens. After defining criteriato maximize safety, ease of use, reproducibility and predictive accuracy, we derived an optimum fluorescencediscriminant function from this data set which reliably identifies normal and diseased arterial tissue, is independent of sampling device characteristics and vessel geometry, and utilizes simple, available methodologies. This discriminant function, the ratio of fluorescence intensity emitted at 380 nm to thatemitted at 420 nm with excitation wavelength of 360 nm [(I380420)360] compared favorably to otherfluorescent discrimination techniques previously described.1. INTRODUCTIONInitial attempts at human coronary artery laser angioplasty uggest that controlled application of laserenergy will be necessary for safe and effective recanalization'2. Such studies have heightened interest in
Use of Current Generation Perfluorocarbon Emulsions in Cardiac Surgery

The development of novel perfluorocarbon emulsions that contain higher concentrations of perfluorochemicals than previous emulsions has renewed interest in the use of this class of erythrocyte substitute in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Perfluorocarbons have the potential to increase the oxygen content of the perfusate and thus increase the capacity of the heart-lung machine to deliver oxygen to the body during CPB.Increasing the capacity of the heart-lung machine to deliver oxygen to the body has important implications for the conduct of cardiac operations. For example, adding perfluorocarbons to the pump prime solution may allow larger volumes of blood to be withdrawn from the patient immediately prior to bypass for transfusion after bypass. Lowering the acceptable hematocrit during CPB with the use of perfluorocarbons may also decrease the need for homologous transfusions of erythrocytes in neonates or anemic adults who undergo CPB.
Eco-buzz: an interactive eco-feedback system based on cultural forms of play

I present the design of Eco-Buzz, an interactive system designed to engage families in informal learning activities in which they seek out hidden sources of energy consumption in their homes. The system combines an electro-magnetic field (EMF) detector with a mobile tablet computer. Bringing the Eco-Buzz device within range of an electrical current activates the detector; the output from the detector is used to provide feedback during the activity.
High gain AlIn As/GaAsSb/AlInAs NpN HBTs on InP

We report the first growth and characterization of high gain double heterojunction NpN HBTs on InP with a lattice-matched GaAs5Sb5 base layer. This AllnAs/GaAsSb heterojunction has almost no discontinuity in the conduction band edge, eliminating the need to grade the emitter-to-base heterojunction to achieve optimal carrier injection. The layers were grown in a solid source MBE system, using tetramer As4 and Sb4 sources. Be is an efficient acceptor in the GaAsSb, but the mobility is about half that measured inp type GaAs on GaAs substrates. The HBTs fabricated were large area mesa isolated transistors, with a beta of 80 at a current density of 2 kA/cm2, and the gain remained high at lower current densities. The turnon voltage,V be, is only 0.45 V at a current density of 2 A/cm2.
Opto-electronic device structures fabricated by impurity induced disordering

Abstract Over the past several years, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) has become established as a viable technique for the fabrication of the thin quantum well layers required for efficient light emitting structures in the AlGaAs system. By combining the MOVCD growth technique with novel device processing via impurity induced disordering (IID), efficient, low threshold buried heterostructure lasers have been produced. IID has been investigated by the diffusion of both zinc and silicon, and it has been found that silicon disordering is more effective in creating the abrupt transitions between ordered and disordered materials required for low threshold laser structures. The optical and electronic confinement achieved by the IID technique have been shown to be sufficiently strong to produce semiconductor lasers with threshold currents approaching 1 mA in a device with a 1–2 μm wide lasing filament. Similar structures with a 7 μm wide active region have produced up to 80mW of continuous power. A conversion efficiency of more than 40% has been achieved with IID in single emitter devices at 25mW and multiple (10) emitter devices at 250 mW. The single emitter versions of these devices operate in a single longitudinal mode, with adjacent modes supressed by more than 22 dB. Preliminary lifetesting data on single emitter devices indicate lifetimes to be in the tens of thousands of hours. Thus it appears certain that the IID technique will become of increasing interest in the fabrication of future optoelectronic devices.
Sulfur chemistry in a copper smelter plume

Sulfur transformation chemistry was studied in the plume of the Utah smelter of Kennecott Copper Corporation from April to October 1977. Samples were taken at up to four locations from 4 to 60 km from the stacks. Data collected at each station included: SO2 concentration, low-volume collected total paniculate matter, high-volume collected size fractionated paniculate matter, wind velocity and direction, temperature, and relative humidity. Paniculate samples were analyzed for S(IV). sulfate, strong acid, anions, cations, and elemental concentrations using calorimetric, ion Chromatographie, FIXE, ESCA, ion microprobe, and SEM-ion microprobe techniques. The concentration of As in the paniculate matter was used as a conservative plume tracer. The ratios Mo/As, Pb/As, and Zn/As were constant in particulate matter collected at all sampling sites for any particle size. Strong mineral acid was neutralized by background metal oxide and/or carbonate particulates within 40km of the smelter. This neutralization process is limited only by the rate of incorporation of basic material into the plume. Two distinct metal-S(IV) species similar to those observed in laboratory aerosol experiments were found in the plume. The formation of paniculate S(IV) species occurs by interaction of SO2 (g) with both ambient and plume derived aerosol and is equilibrium controlled. The extent of formation of S(IV) complexes in the aerosol is directly proportional to the SO2(g) and paniculate (Cu + Fe) concentration and inversely proportional to the paniculate acidity. S(IV) species were stable in collected paniculate matter only in the neutralized material, but with proper sampling techniques could be demonstrated to also be present in very acidic particles at high ambient SO2(g) concentrations. Reduction of arsenate to arsenite by the aerosol S(IV) complexes during plume transport is suggested. The SO2(g)-sulfate conversion process in the plume is described by a mechanism which is first order in SO2(g). Equations are derived describing sulfur chemistry when both S(IV) and sulfate formation occur in a plume. The formation of sulfate results primarily in the formation of < 0.5 μm particulates. The formation process is not correlated with plume expansion, paniculate acidity, metal content, or S(IV) species. Due to meteorological restrictions on sampling, data were collected only during periods of maximum insolation. The formation of sulfate from SO2(g) in the plume during periods of high insolation is temperature dependent with an apparent activation energy of 16.6 ± 1.4 kcal mol−1 and a k1, value of 0.039h−1 at 25°C.
Sequential regional phase mapping of radionuclide gated biventriculograms in patients with left bundle branch block.

Phase analyses of biventricular radionuclide (RNA) gated studies were carried out in seven patients with normal conduction and in eight patients with left bundle branch block, (LBBB) all without significant abnormalities of hemodynamics or ventricular wall motion. The first Fourier harmonic of time-activity variation in each pixel was computed and displayed as an ampiltude image, a phase image, and a phase distribution histogram. In addition, automatically determined areas of earliest and latest phase for each ventricle were examined and compared. Qualitative analysis revealed relatively uniform distribution of phase across both ventricles in patients with normal conduction, but markedly delayed phase in the left ventricle (LV) of patients with LBBB. In addition, the location within the ventricles of areas of earliest and latest phase was somewhat different for the two groups, the most prominent finding being an area of earliest LV phase along the interventricular septum seen in seven of eight patients with LBBB but in none of the normal conduction patients. Quantitatively, relative measures of mean, early, and late phase calculated by subtracting respective RV from LV values of phase to give ΔMean, ΔEarly, and ΔLate showed marked LV phase delay in LBBB patients. Values of these parameters (normal conduction vs LBBB, mean ± SD) were ΔMean (−5 ± 2 vs 36 ± 9 degrees, p p = 0.0001), and ΔLate (−7 ± 8 vs 35 ± 11 degrees, p
Genetic analyses of the green visual pigments of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus).

Abstract We have cloned and sequenced the green opsin genes of rabbit and rat. When these genes are expressed in cultured cells and reconstituted with 11-cis retinal, the resulting visual pigments have wavelengths of maximal absorption ( λ max ) of 509 nm. These blue-shifted λ max values are fully explained by their aa composition A, Y, Y, T, and S at sites 180, 197, 277, 285, and 308, respectively. The inference on the ancestral pigment sequences strongly suggests that the rabbit and rat (and mouse) green pigments attained the extant λ max values independently, mainly by the single aa replacement A308S.
An importance sampling method based on the variance minimization with applications to Vehicle Routing Problem

Vehicle routing problem belongs to classical Combination Optimization hard problem and has been extensively studied by many researchers. Vehicle Routing Problem with Weight Coefficients and Stochastic Demands (WVRPSD) is established and a new implementation for importance sampling method to solve this model is proposed in this paper, in which the classical exponential change of measure is adopted to construct the family of importance sampling distributions, and the optimal importance sampling distribution is obtained by minimizing the variance of importance sampling estimator. Numerical experiments have been conducted and the results indicate that the method can effectively solve this problem.
The Search for Reconnection and Helicity During Formation of a Bounded Spheromak

Recent results from investigations using insertable magnetic probes at the Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment (SSPX) [E. B. Hooper et al., Nucl. Fusion 39, 863 (1999)] are presented. Experiments were carried out during pre-programmed, constant amplitude coaxial gun current pulses, where magnetic field increases stepwise with every pulse, but eventually saturates. Magnetic traces from the probe, which is electrically isolated from the plasma and spans the flux conserver radius, indicate there is a time lag at every pulse between the response to the current rise in the open flux surfaces (intercepting the electrodes) and the closed flux surfaces (linked around the open ones). This is interpreted as the time to buildup enough helicity in the open flux surfaces before reconnecting and merging with the closed ones. Future experimental and diagnostic plans to directly estimate the helicity in the open flux surfaces and measure reconnection are briefly discussed.
T1 Glottic Carcinoma Do Comorbidities, Facility Characteristics, and Sociodemographics Explain Survival Differences across Treatment Types?

Objective Recent large-scale studies have observed differences in survival following treatment for early laryngeal carcinoma depending on treatment type but were not able to take sociodemographic, comorbidity, and facility data into account. The objective of this study was to determine whether survival differences across treatment types persist when these factors are included in the analysis. Study design Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting Linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data files. Subjects and methods Medicare beneficiaries who were identified through the SEER registries (1991-2009) as having T1 glottic squamous cell carcinoma (scca) and a known treatment type were included. Results A total of 2338 patients with incident T1 glottic scca were identified. Most were white and male. Treatment type was radiation only in 47%, local surgery and radiation in 39%, and local surgery only in 14%. Black race and increased comorbidities were associated with worse survival. When sociodemographics, comorbidities, and facility characteristics were taken into account, survival differences were observed across treatment types, with those receiving local surgery demonstrating better overall and cancer-specific survival. Conclusion These results suggest that following treatment of T1 glottic scca, there may be survival differences across treatment types beyond those explained by sociodemographic, comorbidity, and facility characteristics.
Design guidelines for object-oriented software with an EMS man-machine interface application

Abstract Recent research has demonstrated the use of object-oriented programming (OOP) for application software, database management systems, and knowledge engineering. The aim is to achieve more reliable, re-usable, and flexible software. On beginning the development of an object-oriented program generating energy management system (EMS) displays for identifying faulted transmission lines in an electric power system, the authors discovered that the design methodologies for the OOP paradigm were not totally satisfactory. Thus the first phase of this project consisted of developing a new design procedure, based on indices, to ‘optimize’ the use of the encapsulation and inheritance features of OOP. This paper introduces the systematic procedure with the example of the EMS display program. The methodology, consisting of evaluating indices and constraints, provides insight into implementing software in the object-oriented structure.
Toward a Performance/Resilience Tool for Hardware/Software Co-design of High-Performance Computing Systems

xSim is a simulation-based performance investigation toolkit that permits running high-performance computing (HPC) applications in a controlled environment with millions of concurrent execution threads, while observing application performance in a simulated extreme-scale system for hardware/software co-design. The presented work details newly developed features for xSim that permit the injection of MPI process failures, the propagation/detection/notification of such failures within the simulation, and their handling using application-level checkpoint/restart. These new capabilities enable the observation of application behavior and performance under failure within a simulated future-generation HPC system using the most common fault handling technique.
THE EFFECTS OF VARYING CONCENTRATIONS OF COLCHICINE ON THE PROGRESSION OF GRASSHOPPER NEUROBLASTS INTO METAPHASE

The effects of four concentrations of colchicine (2.5 x 10(-7), x 10(-5), x 10(-3), and x 10(-2)M) on the cell cycle of grasshopper neuroblasts have been determined by direct observations on living cells. The lowest concentration, 2.5 x 10(-7)M, does not completely disorganize the spindle but does retard its action. The three higher concentrations disorganize the spindle, so that all cells reaching metaphase are blocked in a c-mitotic condition throughout the period of observations (308 min at 38 degrees C, the minimum duration of the cell cycle in untreated neuroblasts). Continuous treatment with all concentrations reduces the rate at which neuroblasts enter metaphase, the extent of the reduction being a function of increasing concentration and time of exposure. After a short exposure to 2.5 x 10(-5)M colchicine, the neuroblasts recover from the inhibiting effects on progression through the cycle to metaphase, but they show no recovery from the inhibiting effects on spindle formation for more than 3 hr. Apparent stimulation of progression rate occurs early in exposure to all concentrations and during recovery from a short exposure to 2.5 x 10(-5)M. Morphological alterations in the chromatin of telophase, interphase, and prophase cells are induced by the higher concentrations of colchicine. The data indicate that caution should be exercised in the use of colchicine for determining cell cycle duration and/or the effects of physical and chemical agents on the cycle.
Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) for photoacoustic imaging

In photoacoustic (optoacoustic) medical imaging, short laser pulses irradiate absorbing structures found in tissue, such as blood vessels, causing brief thermal expansions that in turn generate ultrasound waves. These ultrasound waves which correspond to the optical absorption distribution were imaged using a two dimensional array of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). Advantages of CMUT technology for photoacoustic imaging include the ease of integration with electronics, ability to fabricate large two dimensional arrays, arrays with arbitrary geometries, wide-bandwidth arrays and high-frequency arrays. In this study, a phantom consisting of three 0.86-mm inner diameter polyethylene tubes inside a tissue mimicking material was imaged using a 16 x 16 element CMUT array. The center tube was filled with India-ink to provide optical contrast. Traditional pulse-echo data as well as photoacoustic image data were taken. 2D cross-sectional slices and 3D volume rendered images are shown. Simple array tiling was attempted, whereby a 48 x 48 element array was simulated, to illustrate the advantages of larger arrays. Finally, the sensitivity of the photoacoustics setup to the concentration of ink in the tube was also explored. For the sensitivity experiment a different phantom consisting of only one 1.14-mm inner diameter polyethylene tube inside a tissue mimicking material was used. The concentration of the ink inside the tube was varied and images were taken.
The computational effect of price endings in multi‐dimensional price advertising

Research in marketing indicates that consumers may be sensitive to the final digits of prices. For example, despite being substantively equivalent, a price such as $199 may create more favorable price perceptions than $200. However, existing research has primarily focused on the effects of price endings in the context of uni‐dimensional prices – prices consisting of a single number. Advertised prices in the marketplace are often multi‐dimensional, consisting of numerous price dimensions. In such pricing contexts, price endings may influence consumers’ ability to conduct the arithmetic required to compute the total advertised price. Examines the effect of various price ending strategies on consumers’ computational efforts. The findings indicate that the more commonly exercised price ending strategies tend to result in prices that are the most difficult for consumers to evaluate.
Isolation of specific proteins affected by estradiol in the arcuate-median eminence of prepuberal female rats.

Abstract Prepuberal female rats (25 days of age) were injected with estradiol benzoate (EB 10 μg/rat, s.c. in oil) or oil vehicle. Forty-eight hours after treatment, all animals were decapitated, their brains removed and sectioned. The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and median eminence were microdissected and processed for isoelectric focusing followed by slab electrophoresis. The resulting two-dimensional electrophoretic gels were analyzed to quantitate the specific proteins resolved using a scanning microdensitometric method. Out of 235 proteins measured, 8 proteins were found to be significantly increased and 4 were decreased by EB treatment. The proteins which increased in concentration ranged in molecular weight from 15 to 43 kDa and isoelectric points (pI) of 4.9 to 7.0. The 4 proteins decreased by the EB treatment were 44, 67, 74 and 80 kDa in molecular weight and their pI's ranged from 6.5 to 7.1. It is suggested that these proteins might be involved in some of the neuroendocrine effects that are induced by estradiol in this region of the brain.
A Reflective Symmetry Descriptor for 3D Models

Computing reflective symmetries of 2D and 3D shapes is a classical problem in computer vision and computational geometry. Most prior work has focused on finding the main axes of symmetry, or determining that none exists. In this paper we introduce a new reflective symmetry descriptor that represents a measure of reflective symmetry for an arbitrary 3D model for all planes through the model’s center of mass (even if they are not planes of symmetry). The main benefits of this new shape descriptor are that it is defined over a canonical parameterization (the sphere) and describes global properties of a 3D shape. We show how to obtain a voxel grid from arbitrary 3D shapes and, using Fourier methods, we present an algorithm computes the symmetry descriptor in O(N4 log N) time for an N × N × N voxel grid and computes a multiresolution approximation in O(N3 log N) time. In our initial experiments, we have found that the symmetry descriptor is insensitive to noise and stable under point sampling. We have also found that it performs well in shape matching tasks, providing a measure of shape similarity that is orthogonal to existing methods.
Synthesis of 11C-radiopharmaceuticals using direct fixation of [11C]carbon dioxide and [11C]carbon monoxide

Abstract Synthesis of 11 C-labeled radiopharmaceuticals via direct fixation of [ 11 C]carbon dioxide and [ 11 C]carbon monoxide are described.
The Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy XXIII: the twenty-five-year incidence of macular edema in persons with type 1 diabetes.

Objective To examine the 25-year cumulative incidence of macular edema (ME) and its relation to various risk factors. Design Population-based study. Participants A total of 955 insulin-taking persons living in an 11-county area in southern Wisconsin with type 1 diabetes diagnosed before age 30 years who participated in baseline examinations (1980–1982) and at least 1 of 4 follow-up (4-, 10-, 14-, and 25-year) examinations (n = 891) or died before the first follow-up examination (n = 64). Methods Stereoscopic color fundus photographs were graded using the modified Airlie House classification and the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study retinopathy severity scheme. Competing risk of death was included in statistical models. Main Outcome Measures Incidence of ME and clinically significant ME (CSME). Results The 25-year cumulative incidence was 29% for ME and 17% for CSME. Annualized incidences of ME were 2.3%, 2.1%, 2.3%, and 0.9% in the first, second, third, and fourth follow-up periods of the study, respectively. In univariate analyses, the incidence of ME was associated with male sex, more severe diabetic retinopathy, higher glycosylated hemoglobin, proteinuria, higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and more pack-years of smoking. Multivariate analyses showed that the incidence of ME was related to higher baseline glycosylated hemoglobin (hazard ratio [HR] per 1% 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.25; P P = 0.004) and marginally to proteinuria (HR 1.43; 95% CI, 0.99–2.08; P = 0.06). Conclusions These data show that relatively high 25-year cumulative rates of incidence of ME were related to glycemia and blood pressure. The lower risk of incident ME in the last period of the study may reflect recent improvement in care. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Spallation xenon from mesosiderites

The cosmogenic xenon isotope patterns were calculated independently for each temperature fraction from Patwar and also for the Estherville mesosiderite data of KAISER and RAJAN. A distinct correlation with temperature was observed which is comparable to other results on achondrites and lunar materials. These spallation product compositional variations appear to depend on target and energy variations. Cosmogenic yields of 129Xe are also distinctly correlated, suggesting an insignificant contribution of radiogenic 129Xe, i.e., from extinct 129I decay. The 129Xe/126Xe spallation ratio varied from 0.7 in the high temperature fractions from Estherville to about 1.8 in the low temperature fractions from Patwar.
Torque, FMR and domain mode FMR relations in thin "Oblique anisotropy axis" films

Forms for the torque, ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and domain mode FMR (DMFMR) relations are derived for "oblique anisotropy axis" films. The energy derivative scheme, as described by Smit and Beljers for example, is employed. Under magnetic saturation conditions, torque and FMR formulae are obtained for an applied field \vec{H} in the vertical plane containing the tilted uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy axis. Shifts of the torque curve zero-crossings and of the extrema of the FMR line pattern are found. The situation when \vec{H} is in the basal plane is also addressed. For this case specific formulae are given, valid in the H/(2K/M) \gg 1 approximation. The formalism for the derivation of the DMFMR in this system under non-saturation conditions is presented. A stripe domain situation with \vec{H} in the basal plane is modeled.
Gassing, braking, and self-regulating: Error self-regulation, well-being, and goal-related processes

Abstract Social cognitive models point to a widespread appreciation for the role that self-regulation functions play in mediating social outcomes. The present five studies, involving 527 undergraduate participants, sought to build on such models in the context of individual differences in error self-regulation. In this respect, the studies used a robust cognitive model, namely one that proposes that people seek to interrupt processing routines after making an error in choice reaction time tasks. Studies 1–3 showed that greater tendencies toward error self-regulation predicted higher levels of well-being. Studies 4–5 extended such results by showing that greater tendencies toward error self-regulation predicted superior abilities to recognize motive-relevant stimuli (Study 4) and override a prior task set in favor of a new task set (Study 5). Overall, the findings both point to the functionality of individual differences in error self-regulation and help to elucidate the processing basis of such relations.
Comparison of selected volatile organic compounds during the summer and winter at urban sites in New Jersey

Abstract This paper presents a comparison of summer and winter levels of twenty-five selected volatile organic compounds (VOC) measured as part of the New Jersey project on Airborne Toxic Elements and Organic Substances (ATEOS). Most of the selected VOC were found in the range of 0.01–1.00 ppbv, with the exception of toluene (1–5 ppbv) and benzene (1–3 ppbv). However, peak levels of many compounds increased more than 100 fold during specific pollutant episodes. Generally, VOC levels were higher in the winter than the summer. Day to day variations of measured aromatic VOC showed significant correlations at each site suggesting an area source (motor vehicles), while there was little relationship between chlorinated species. During summer oxidant episodes, selected VOC increased from 2–10 times at Newark and Elizabeth, but not at Camden. In the winter, nocturnal temperature inversions caused levels of selected VOC to increase from 2–3 times seasonal average at all sites.
Critical Incidents Among Novice Counselor Trainees

The authors attempted to gain an understanding of critical incidents (CIs) from the perspective of novice counselor trainees during their 1st year of supervised clinical practicum. Journals kept by 9 trainees in master's-level counseling programs were qualitatively analyzed using the discovery-oriented research methodology (A. Mahrer, 1988). One hundred fifty-seven CIs emerged in 5 major categories: (a) professional identity, (b) personal reactions, (c) competence, (d) supervision, and (e) philosophy of counseling. Implications of the findings are discussed for counselor development theory and research, as well as counselor training.
Ultrasound Diagnosis of Acute Thrombosis of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Case Report

Abstract Background Point-of-care ultrasound is an effective and reliable method to diagnosis the presence of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, there has been limited literature regarding ultrasound diagnosis of acute aortic thrombosis. Objective Discuss a patient case with acute aortic thrombosis diagnosed by point-of-care emergency ultrasound. Review common etiologies and treatment options in this rare diagnosis. Case Report A patient with a known abdominal aortic aneurysm presented with mottled lower extremities. Point-of-care ultrasound was utilized by her physicians to diagnose acute thrombosis of her abdominal aorta. With conservative treatment the patient survived to hospital discharge. Conclusion Aortic thrombosis is a rare and devastating problem that can be diagnosed with point-of-care ultrasound.
Methylmalonate excretion in a pregnancy at risk for methylmalonic acidaemia

Abstract In a pregnant woman, who had given birth to a child with methylmalonic acidaemia previously, urinary methylmalonate was measured at various intervals in the second half of the pregnancy. A significant increase was observed towards term. The child proved to be affected. This procedure enabled the detection of an affected fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy. If a case of methylmalonic acidaemia is detected in this way, treatment can be started immediately after birth.
People in predicament: A study in psychiatric and psychosocial epidemiology

A study of the entire population of an American island community at risk for a five-year period in respect to the experience of a variety of human predicaments of psychiatric or psychosocial nature is reported. The data showed that females were more often aware of the presence of psychological distress than were males and sought psychiatric help more often. Males, on the other hand, were more likely to show their distress by coming to the attention of educational, legal and social agencies. Adolescents and young adults were found to have high rates of such “acting out” and low rates of psychiatric consultation. Though in distress almost as often as any age group, they sought psychiatric help less often. Social class position in particular was highly associated with the mode of experience of predicaments. Disorders in awareness as shown by psychiatric consultation tended to be a higher class phenomenon and “acting out” a characteristic of those in the lower social class positions. The data show that though males are in predicament as frequently as females they are more likely to come to the attention of non-psychiatric agencies than females. Since females are apparently more aware of distress, they are likely to respond positively more often to the instrument used in many total prevalence studies. The study suggests that “total prevalence” surveys include items which will elicit the presence of parapsychiatric or psychosocial events and that psychiatric services be revised in such a manner as to be more inviting to those who express their psychological difficulties by “acting out”.
In-situ high temperature Raman and Brillouin light scattering studies of sodium silicate glasses

Abstract In-situ Raman and Brillouin light scattering experiments were carried out to study the structure and elastic properties of sodium silicate glasses xNa2O–(100 − x)SiO2 (x = 0, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40 mol%) from room temperature up to the respective glass transition temperature for each composition. Temperature independent shear modulus and Young's modulus were observed in 15Na2O–85SiO2 glass up to 400 °C, while the temperature independent bulk modulus occurred in glass with 15 to 20 mol% Na2O in the same temperature range. A simple correlation was established between the Raman spectrum of a sodium silicate glass at room temperature and the evolution of its elastic properties with increasing temperature. The silica network stiffens upon heating up due to the conformation change from α-like to β-like rings in silica-rich sodium silicate glasses, characterized by the main band at ~ 440 cm− 1 in Raman spectra. When the 950 cm− 1 band associated with the Q2 species becomes obvious after substantial amount of Na2O was added into the glass matrix, glasses behave like normal solids (softening upon heating up). If neither the main band at ~ 440 cm− 1 nor the 950 cm− 1 band is well defined, intermediate glasses emerge, whose elastic moduli do not change with temperature because the stiffening and softening effects become comparable.
A lower bounding method for channel and source coding probabilities

We present a simple general method for lower bounding various probabilities that arise in channel coding and source coding. This method, which is suggested by the works of Blahut, 1972 , Blahut, 1974 and Marton (1974) , makes use of discrimination functions and the notion of “dummy” sources and channels. The sphere packing lower bound in channel coding is just one example of an exponentially tight lower bound obtained in this way.
Gene–Environment Interactions and Epigenetic Pathways in Autism: The Importance of One-Carbon Metabolism

Both genetic and epigenetic factors play important roles in the rate and severity of classic autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This review focuses on DNA methylation as a key epigenetic mechanism in autism. The critical role that one-carbon (C1) metabolism plays in establishing and maintaining DNA methylation patterns makes it a likely candidate pathway to regulate epigenetic processes in ASDs. This review is the first, to our knowledge, to examine how altering C1 metabolic function through genetic and environmental factors (focusing on diet) may lead to aberrant DNA methylation and increase susceptibility to ASDs. Additionally, the critical time windows for sensitivity to genetic and dietary factors both during the development of cortical networks implicated in ASDs and in regard to potential treatments are discussed. One thing is clear, if C1 metabolism plays a critical role in ASDs, it provides a potential avenue for treatment and perhaps, ultimately, prevention.
National arms acquisition as a rational competitive process

A formal dyadic model of the arms acquisition process is developed and analyzed through computer simulation. A rational model produces behavior consistent with a powerful security dilemma. A spiral model, in which images of the opponent become more aggressive, sparking an arms race, emerges from the simulation for deterrent nations. In addition to these anticipated findings, the rational arms model suggests that competitive factors have their greatest impact for rivals near parity; noncompetitive forces may drive the decision for unbalanced dyads. Also unpredicted from previous formal work, only one member of a competitive dyad needs to favor disarmanent for both nations to disarm.
Passive network tomography using Bayesian inference

In this paper, we investigate the problem of identifying lossy links in the interior of the Internet by passively observing the end-to-end performance of existing traffic between a server and its clients. This is in contrast to the previous work on network tomography (e.g., [1]) that has been based on active probing. The key advantage of a passive approach is that it does not introduce wasteful traffic which might perturb the object of inference, i.e., the link loss rates. Moreover, our techniques depend only on knowing the number of lost and successful packets sent to each client rather than the exact loss sequence required by previous techniques such as [1]. While accuracy of link loss rate inference may consequently suffer, our techniques can still pinpoint the trouble spots in the network (e.g., highly lossy links). We have developed three techniques for passive network tomography: Random Sampling, Linear Optimization, and Bayesian Inference using Gibbs Sampling. We have evaluated these techniques using simulations and traces gathered at a busy Web server. In this paper, we focus on the Gibbs Sampling technique; more information on the three techniques appears in [3].
Placentas and foetal health.

Summary The placenta provides many critical services to the developing foetus. Proper placental implantation, growth and function are necessary for normal foetal growth and development. Placental structure varies widely among species but all mammalian placentas have a convoluted materno-foetal interface that may be quite simple or highly complex; the more complicated interdigitations tend to characterise smaller placentas that have limited areas of contact between the placenta and the endometrium. The intimacy of the contact between maternal and foetal tissue varies from apposition only, as in the equine placenta, to invasion of maternal vessels by foetal cells, as in man. Abnormalities identified in the human placenta provide insight into maternal and foetal diseases that affect pregnancy outcome.
System-level optimization in wireless networks: managing interference and uncertainty via robust optimization

We consider a robust-optimization-driven systemlevel approach to interference management in a cellular broadband system operating in an interference-limited and highly dynamic regime. Here, base stations in neighboring cells (partially) coordinate their transmission schedules in an attempt to avoid simultaneous max-power transmission to their mutual cell edge. Limits on communication overhead and use of the backhaul require base station coordination to occur at a slower timescale than the customer arrival process. The central challenge is to properly structure coordination decisions at the slow timescale, as these subsequently restrict the actions of each base station until the next coordination period. Moreover, because coordination occurs at the slower timescale, the statistics of the arriving customers, e.g., the load, are typically only approximately known--thus, this coordination must be done with only approximate knowledge of statistics. We show that performance of existing approaches that assume exact knowledge of these statistics can degrade rapidly as the uncertainty in the arrival process increases. We show that a two-stage robust optimization framework is a natural way to model two-timescale decision problems. We provide tractable formulations for the base-station coordination problem and show that our formulation is robust to fluctuations (uncertainties) in the arriving load. This tolerance to load fluctuation also serves to reduce the need for frequent reoptimization across base stations, thus helping minimize the communication overhead required for system-level interference reduction. Our robust optimization formulations are flexible, allowing us to control the conservatism of the solution. Our simulations show that we can build in robustness without significant degradation of nominal performance.