cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical study of the transport processes occurring during the evaporation step in asymmetric membrane casting

Abstract A mathematical model is developed for the evaporation step in asymmetric membrane casting which allows for the convective transport induced by local film shrinkage because of both solvent loss and the excess volume of mixing effect. Realistic boundary conditions account for the gas phase mass transfer characteristics. Predictions for the cellulose acetate/acetone system are presented for the instantaneous concentration profiles, film thickness, and time required for the interface to skin. The results are presented in the form of dimensionless correlations which allow predicting the behavior during evaporative casting for generalized operating conditions. The predictions are compared with limited data for cellulose acetate/acetone. The model suggests that once the polymer/solvent system has been selected, the most influential process parameter is the gas phase mass transfer coefficient and that inadequate control of this parameter may account for the variability in membranes cast in similar devices operated under ostensibly the same conditions.
Fatigue and environmental resistance of polyester and nylon fibers

The fatigue resistance of individual synthetic fibers can govern the performance of complex fiber assemblies such as tire cord and marine rope under certain loading conditions. This paper explores the relative performance of polyester and nylon 6,6 fibers and yarns, both dry and in aqueous solutions, primarily synthetic seawater. Fiber failure over a range of loading conditions and frequencies was found to occur at a critical cumulative strain, governed by a creep rupture process; the cyclic lifetime for both fibers is predictable using a simple creep rupture based theory. Polyester is more resistant to creep rupture, and consequently outperforms nylon 6,6 in cyclic fatigue. The advantage of polyester is considerably greater in aqueous solutions, where the performance of the nylon is diminished. Other comparisons indicate that the particular polyester fibers studied have higher stiffness and strength, lower strain to failure, and much lower hysteresis energy absorption compared with the nylon. The actual fatigue performance of complex fiber assemblies such as ropes is also limited under many conditions by factors not present in single fiber or yarn fatigue, including hysteric heating and internal and external abrasion.
Vibration‐Assisted Crystallization Improves Organic/Dielectric Interface in Organic Thin‐Film Transistors

Solution processability of organic semiconductors allows high-throughput fabrication on arbitrary substrates at low-cost, but the films often exhibit low performance. Here, we report on a new method for device fabrication, vibration assisted crystallization (VAC) that produces superior films, which approach the fundamental performance limits shown in corresponding single-crystal measurements.
Layered video transmission over multirate DS-CDMA wireless systems

n this paper, we consider the transmission of video over wireless direct-sequence code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA) channels. A layered (scalable) video source codec is used and each layer is transmitted over a different CDMA channel. Spreading codes with different lengths are allowed for each CDMA channel (multirate CDMA). Thus, a different number of chips per bit can be used for the transmission of each scalable layer. For a given fixed energy value per chip and chip rate, the selection of a spreading code length affects the transmitted energy per bit and bit rate for each scalable layer. An MPEG-4 source encoder is used to provide a two-layer SNR scalable bitstream. Each of the two layers is channel-coded using Rate-Compatible Punctured Convolutional (RCPC) codes. Then, the data are interleaved, spread, carrier-modulated and transmitted over the wireless channel. A multipath Rayleigh fading channel is assumed. At the other end, we assume the presence of an antenna array receiver. After carrier demodulation, multiple-access-interference suppressing despreading is performed using space-time auxiliary vector (AV) filtering. The choice of the AV receiver is dictated by realistic channel fading rates that limit the data record available for receiver adaptation and redesign. Indeed, AV filter short-data-record estimators have been shown to exhibit superior bit-error-rate performance in comparison with LMS, RLS, SMI, or 'multistage nested Wiener' adaptive filter implementations. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of multirate DS-CDMA systems for wireless video transmission.
Cancer Type Does Not Affect Exercise-Mediated Improvements in Cardiorespiratory Function and Fatigue

Purpose. Despite mounting evidence indicating that exercise training has a positive effect on cancer recovery, the influence of cancer type on the response to exercise training remains uncharacterized. Therefore, the adaptations to exercise training were compared between groups composed of 7 different forms of cancer. Methods. A total of 319 cancer survivors completed fatigue inventories and participated in assessments of cardiorespiratory function, which encompassed aerobic capacity (VO 2peak ), pulmonary function (forced vital capacity [FVC] and forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV 1 ]), and resting blood pressure and heart rate. Participants were divided into 7 groups based on cancer type, including breast cancer (BC, n = 170), prostate cancer and other male urogenital neoplasia (PC, n = 38), hematological malignancies (HM, n = 34), colorectal cancer (CC, n = 25), gynecological cancers (GC, n = 20), glandular and epithelial neoplasms (GEN, n = 20), and lung cancer (LC, n = 12). All participants completed an individualized, multimodal exercise intervention consisting of cardiorespiratory, flexibility, balance, and muscular strength training 3 days per week for 3 months. Following the intervention, all subjects were reassessed. Generalized Estimating Equations with exchangeable working correlation structure was used to model each response; the group by time interaction effect represented the effect of cancer type on exercise-associated improvements. Results. No significant (P > .05) group by time interaction effects were observed between different types of cancer for any parameter. Pre- to postexercise contrasts revealed significant improvements in VO 2peak in BC, PC, HM, and GEN at the Bonferroni adjusted significance level (.00714). Heart rate was significantly lowered in the BC and CC groups. Mean fatigue indices decreased by at least 17% in all groups, but these changes were only significant in the BC, HM, CC, and GC groups. Systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in BC and GC, and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly only in the BC group while pulmonary function remained unchanged in all cancer types. Conclusion. Although trends toward improved cardiorespiratory and fatigue parameters only reached significance in some groups, there were no significant differences between cancer types. This suggests that cardiorespiratory and fatigue improvements following rehabilitative exercise are not dependent on cancer type. Further research investigating alternative physiological parameters are needed to confirm the relationship between cancer type and exercise-mediated rehabilitation.
MR imagin—histopathologic correlation of thermal injuries induced with interstitial Nd:YAG laser irradiation in the chronic model

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-histopathologic correlation of thermal injuries induced with interstitial laser irradiation was performed in a chronic model up to 12 weeks after laser exposure. T2-weighted MR images showed irreversible coagulative necrosis as a low-signal-intensity area. A higher-intensity surrounding area, corresponding to edema, was also present in acute lesions on T2-weighted images. Serial studies of the chronic model showed that a substantial portion of the interstitial edema zone progressed to coagulative necrosis up to 7 days after laser irradiation. This necrotic zone decreased in size beyond 2 weeks, presumably through biologic healing. MR imaging and pathologic findings correlated well in the chronic model. MR imaging has the potential to depict acute, irreversible thermal damage even before morphologic change is seen at the standard pathologic examination. Recognizing the dynamics of tissue response to interstitial laser irradiation on MR images is valuable for estimation of true lesion volume.
Characterizing gaseous air cleaner performance in the field

As part of an ongoing effort to better understand the performance of indoor air cleaners in buildings, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has completed a series of gaseous air cleaner field tests and model simulations. This paper focuses on experiments to measure the removal of decane with a sorption-based in-duct gaseous air cleaner and a sorption-based portable air cleaner in a single-zone test house. Due to the lack of standardized gaseous air cleaner field testing protocols, a field test method was developed using semi-real-time concentration measurements and mass balance analysis. A total of 24 experiments were completed with directly measured single-pass removal efficiencies ranging from 24% to 56% and removal efficiencies based on a transient whole building mass balance ranging from 30% to 44%. Experimental results revealed important factors affecting field performance such as air cleaner contaminant loading for the in-duct air cleaner and room air mixing for the portable air cleaner. An additional six tests were conducted to evaluate the predictive capability of the indoor air quality model CONTAM.
Digital computer calculation of human pulmonary mechanics using a least squares fit technique

Abstract We have calculated pulmonary mechanics on six human subjects using a digital computer to least squares fit the equation describing pulmonary mechanics: P= 1 C V+RV for the constants C and R, during both the inspiratory and expiratory cycles. Values for compliance and resistance were found to be statistically identical with those calculated by methods which use isolated points in the breathing cycle. No difference in mechanics was observed between inspiration and expiration. The method's advantages over isolated-points methods are that best-fit parameters are better representations; it calculates parameters independently for inspiration and expiration; and it functions in real time.
Photoelastic and finite-element analysis of a quadripartite vault

A lively controversy exists in the architectural historical literature concerning the functional role of many Gothic cathedral structural elements. The most complex of these is the ribbed vault which has never before been fully analyzed.
IgG is associated with the asialoglycoprotein receptor in the human liver

Various pathophysiological relationships between IgA and the asialoglycoprotein receptor on hepatocytes have been proposed. As a step toward defining these relationships, we purified the receptor from human livers by means of p-aminophenyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-agarose affinity chromatography. Unexpectedly, we found the asialoglycoprotein receptor to be associated specifically with IgG. Evidence for the specific association included the following: (a) IgG, but little IgA or IgM, was associated with asialoglycoprotein receptor that had been bound to asialoorosomucoid in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; (b) the asialoglycoprotein receptor-associated IgG was predominantly IgG2 and IgG4 subclasses, whereas serum IgG is predominantly IgG1; and (c) some asialoglycoprotein receptor was specifically recovered together with IgG from an anti-IgG affinity column. The association of IgG with asialoglycoprotein receptor was not mediated by receptor recognition of carbohydrate moieties because IgG neither bound directly to asialoglycoprotein receptor nor inhibited binding of asialoglycoprotein receptor to asialoorosomucoid in vitro. The association could not be attributed to antigen-antibody interaction either. We conclude that IgG is associated in vitro with the asialoglycoprotein receptor by a mechanism not yet fully defined and speculate that the IgG serves an immunological function.
Symmetry and Transitivity Assumptions about a Nonspecified Logical Relation

Twenty-five subjects were presented with eight problems involving a non-specified relation, devoid of its concrete content. This relation was signified by the symbol (–-), thus logically precluding any knowledge about the properties of the relation. The problems were so designed that the truth evaluation of their solution statements reflected assumptions about the symmetry and transitivity properties of the relation. Six subjects assumed that the relation was both symmetrical and transitive, and 12 subjects assumed that it was symmetrical only. When these same 18 subjects were presented with problems which lent themselves to only one of these assumptions, all assumed that the relation was symmetrical rather than transitive. The remaining seven subjects made neither of these two assumptions in any of the problems. Examples of logical relations, given as part of the problems, and varying in their properties of symmetry and transitivity, had no effect on the subjects' assumptions. It is proposed that symmetr...
A simple and cost-effective method of DNA extraction from small formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue for molecular oncologic testing.

Extraction of DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is a critical step in molecular oncologic testing. As molecular oncology testing becomes more important for prognostic and therapeutic decision making and tissue specimens become smaller due to earlier detection of suspicious lesions and the use of fine needle aspiration methods for tissue collection, it becomes more challenging for the typical molecular pathology laboratory to obtain reliable test results. We developed a DNA extraction method to obtain sufficient quantity and high quality genomic DNA from limited FFPE tissue for molecular oncology testing using a combination of H&E stained slides, a matrix capture method and the Qiagen DNA column. Three DNA extraction methods were compared: our standard procedure of manually scraping tissue from unstained slides followed by DNA extraction using the QIAamp FFPE column (Qiagen, Valencia, CA), a glue capture method (Pinpoint Solution, Zymo Research Corp, Inc) on H&E stained slides followed by DNA extraction using either the QIAamp column or the column included with the Pinpoint kit (Zymo Research). The DNA extraction protocol was optimized. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired two-sample student’s t-test. The combination of the matrix capture method with the QIAamp column gave an equivalent amount of DNA as our standard extraction method using the unstained slides and a 4.6-fold higher DNA yield than using the Zymo column included in the Pinpoint Slide Solution kit. Several molecular tests were performed and DNA purified using the new method gave the same results as for the previous methods. Using H&E stained slides allows visual confirmation of tumor cells during microdissection. The Pinpoint solution made removal of specific tissue from the slides easier and reduced the risk of contamination and tissue loss. This DNA extraction method is simple, cost-effective, and blends with our current workflow requiring no additional equipment.
Adaptive and Maladaptive Behavior in Children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome

Children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) exhibit deficits in adaptive behavior but systematic studies using objective measures are lacking. This descriptive study assessed adaptive functioning in 19 children with SMS using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). Maladaptive behavior was examined through parent questionnaires and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Cognitive functioning was evaluated with an age-appropriate test. Children scored below average on VABS Communication, Daily Living Skills, and Socialization scales. Learning problems and hyperactivity scales on the Conner's Parent Rating Scale were elevated, and girls were more impulsive than boys. Stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors were present in all children. Cognitive functioning was delayed and consistent with communication and daily living skills, while socialization scores were higher than IQ.
Block Trading and Information Revelation around Quarterly Earnings Announcements

The author investigate the empirical importance of information revelation in the pricing of block trades. In particular, he examine whether block prices are correlated with the unexpected part of firms' quarterly earnings. For his sample of block trades, information revelation does indeed appear to be a significant factor shortly before earnings announcements. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Engineering Dispersion Relation of Photons in Vertical Cavity using High-Contrast Gratings

We show the dispersion relation of high-contrast grating based vertical cavity can be altered by orders of magnitude by engineering the angular phase response. The results may benefit Purcell enhancement and strong coupling using the cavity.
Retention Strategies for High-Risk Students at a Four-Year University

Intrusive retention strategies were implemented in an attempt to better the chances for success of high-risk students at Henderson State University. The author describes the origin, development, and results of Students in Retention, a program for probationary and first-time suspended students.
Mathematics Achievement: The Role of Homework and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

The present study used the U.S. portion of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to examine how homework resources, mathematics self-efficacy, and time spent on homework impacted ...
Transparency and technology appropriation: social impacts of a video blogging system in dental hygiene clinical instruction

This work describes a multi-year ethnography-for-design study in a dental hygiene training program in San Diego, USA. We performed an ethnographic analysis of instructional practices used in clinical instruction, and helped design a new training laboratory, equipped with digital media technology, through which students and instructors could access a video blogging ('vlogging') system. We present an analysis of how the vlogging system transformed social and instructional interactions in clinical training. Additionally, we describe how the faculty's appropriation of vlog technology was initially challenged by the presentation of divergent methodology in vlog records, and increased transparency of teaching practices in video records.
Measuring interestingness of discovered skewed patterns in data cubes

This paper describes a methodology of OLAP cube navigation to identify interesting surprises by using a skewness based approach. Three different measures of interestingness of navigation rules are proposed. The navigation rules are examined for their interestingness in terms of their expectedness of skewness from neighborhood rules. A novel Axis Shift Theory (AST) to determine interesting navigation paths is presented along with an attribute influence approach for generalization of rules, which measures the interestingness of dimensional attributes and their relative influence on navigation paths. Detailed examples and extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of interestingness of navigation rules.
The effect of multisensory cues on attention in aging

The attention network test (ANT) assesses the effect of alerting and orienting cues on a visual flanker task measuring executive attention. Previous findings revealed that older adults demonstrate greater reaction times (RT) benefits when provided with visual orienting cues that offer both spatial and temporal information of an ensuing target. Given the overlap of neural substrates and networks involved in multisensory processing and cueing (i.e., alerting and orienting), an investigation of multisensory cueing effects on RT was warranted. The current study was designed to determine whether participants, both old and young, benefited from receiving multisensory alerting and orienting cues. Eighteen young (M=19.17 years; 45% female) and eighteen old (M=76.44 years; 61% female) individuals that were determined to be non-demented and without any medical or psychiatric conditions that would affect their performance were included. Results revealed main effects for the executive attention and orienting networks, but not for the alerting network. In terms of orienting, both old and young adults demonstrated significant orienting effects for auditory-somatosensory (AS), auditory-visual (AV), and visual-somatosensory (VS) cues. RT benefits of multisensory compared to unisensory orienting effects differed by cue type and age group; younger adults demonstrated greater RT benefits for AS orienting cues whereas older adults demonstrated greater RT benefits for AV orienting cues. Both groups, however, demonstrated significant RT benefits for multisensory VS orienting cues. These findings provide evidence for the facilitative effect of multisensory orienting cues, and not multisensory alerting cues, in old and young adults.
Glycine blocks the increase in intracellular free Ca2+ due to vasoactive mediators in hepatic parenchymal cells.

Recently, glycine has been shown to prevent liver injury after endotoxin treatment in vivo. We demonstrated that ethanol and endotoxin stimulated Kupffer cells to release PGE(2), which elevated oxygen consumption in parenchymal cells. Because glycine has been reported to protect renal tubular cells, isolated hepatocytes, and perfused livers against hypoxic injury, the purpose of this study was to determine whether glycine prevents increases in intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in hepatic parenchymal cells by agonists released during stress, such as with PGE(2) and adrenergic hormones. Liver parenchymal cells isolated from female Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured for 4 h in DMEM/F12 medium, and [Ca(2+)](i) in individual cells was assessed fluorometrically using the fluorescent calcium indicator fura 2. PGE(2) caused a dose-dependent increase in [Ca(2+)](i) from basal values of 130 +/- 10 to maximal levels of 434 +/- 55 nM. EGTA partially prevented this increase, indicating that either extracellular calcium or agonist binding is Ca(2+) dependent. 8-(Diethylamino)octyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (TMB-8), an agent that prevents the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, also partially blocked the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) caused by PGE(2), suggesting that intracellular Ca(2+) pools are involved. Together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that both the intracellular and extracellular Ca(2+) pools are involved in the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) caused by PGE(2). Interestingly, glycine, which activates anion (i.e., chloride) channels, blocked the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) due to PGE(2) in a dose-dependent manner. Low-dose strychnine, an antagonist of glycine-gated chloride channel in the central nervous system, partially reversed the inhibition by glycine. When extracellular Cl(-) was omitted, glycine was much less effective in preventing the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) due to PGE(2). Phenylephrine, an alpha(1)-type adrenergic receptor agonist, also increased [Ca(2+)](i), as expected, from 159 +/- 20 to 432 +/- 43 nM. Glycine also blocked the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) due to phenylephrine, and the effect was also reversed by low-dose strychnine. Together, these data indicate that glycine rapidly blocks the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) in hepatic parenchymal cells due to agonists released during stress, most likely by actions on a glycine-sensitive anion channel and that this may be a major aspect of glycine-induced hepatoprotection.
Children in Foster Care: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychiatric Diagnoses

This study examined psychiatric diagnoses and adverse childhood experiences in a matched sample (n = 144) of children enrolled in standard or treatment foster care programs and their associations with discharge placement restrictiveness for children (n = 90) in treatment foster care. Medical record data were extracted on psychiatric diagnoses, adverse childhood experiences, and discharge placement restrictiveness. Children in treatment versus standard foster care had significantly more psychiatric diagnoses and adverse childhood experiences. The presence of bipolar and opposi-tional defiant disorder was associated with a more restrictive discharge placement. Even without standardized screening, children with more severe presentations are found in treatment versus standard foster care. These findings support the need for coordinated mental health services in treatment foster care.
IQ Is Irrelevant to the Definition of Learning Disabilities: A Position in Search of Logic and Data

L'auteur critique la these developpee par SIEGEL (1989) selon laquelle le Q.I. n'est pas necessaire a la definition des difficultes d'apprentissage. Ces critiques sont basees sur les points suivants: 1) il y a des differences entre classification et identification; 2) il existe une conceptualisation de l'intelligence plus large que celle de Q.I.; 3) les difficultes d'apprentissage ne se reduisent pas a des troubles de lecture
Interferometric array imaging in clutter

We introduce a space-time interferometric array imaging functional that provides statistically stable images in cluttered environments. We also present a resolution theory for this imaging functional that relates the space-time coherence of the data to the range and cross-range resolution of the image. Extensive numerical simulations illustrate the theory and address some implementation issues.
A coupled surface-volume integral equation approach for the calculation of electromagnetic scattering from composite metallic and material targets

A coupled surface-volume integral equation approach is presented fur the calculation of electromagnetic scattering from conducting objects coated with materials. Free-space Green's function is used in the formulation of both integral equations. In the method of moments (MoM) solution to the integral equations, the target is discretized using triangular patches for conducting surfaces and tetrahedral cells for dielectric volume. General roof-top basis functions are used to expand the surface and volume currents, respectively. This approach is applicable to inhomogeneous material coating, and, because of the use of free-space Green's function, it can be easily accelerated using fast solvers such as the multilevel fast multipole algorithm.
Data fusion and tracking using HMMs in a distributed sensor network

This work deals with the problem of multiple target tracking, from the measurements made on a field of passive sonars activated by an active sonar (multistatic network). The difficulties encountered then are of two kinds: each sensor alone does not provide full observability of a target, and multiple, possibly maneuvering targets moving in a cluttered environment must be dealt with. The algorithm presented here is based on a discrete Markovian modelization of the targets evolution in time. It starts with a fusion of the detections obtained at each measurement time. Tracking and target motion analysis (TMA) are next achieved thanks to dynamic programming (DP). This approach leads to multiple and maneuvering target tracking, with few assumptions; for instance, the use of deterministic target state models are avoided. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
Converting legacy code into Ada: a cognitive approach

Describes a code conversion tool that helps programmers visualize and understand system design. The author first reviews current software reengineering tools and then describe a new cognitive approach to system (re)engineering based on code comprehension tools that provide a visual representation of code containing less cognitive noise. This better enables programmers to understand system design. The approach integrates code comprehension tools with current reengineering methodologies to create an integrated reengineering workbench for converting legacy code into newer languages such as Ada or C/C++. >
Active and Latent Failures in Aircraft Ground Damage Incidents

As part of a larger project to identify common human errors and system failures across different reporting systems, a large number of detailed reports of aircraft ground damage reports were analyzed. Such incidents cost major airlines tens of millions of dollars per year in repairs. It was found that consistent repeating patterns of incident emerged from the analysis based upon the final active failure and the resulting damage-causing impact. Behind these final outcomes, however, were numerous latent failures, or resident pathogens, which occurred across many hazard patterns.When the hazard patterns were expanded as event trees, the latent failures typical of each pattern were seen. For example, when a ground vehicle was driven into an aircraft, poorly maintained or substituted ground vehicles combined with management pressures for on-time departure and inadequate space around the aircraft led to the final or active failure.From these analyses, strategies for intervention can be derived at all systems lev...
Ethnic Differences in Coping with Interpersonal Stressors A Test of Self-Construals as Cultural Mediators

This study examines ethnic differences in how Asian and White American students cope with interpersonal stressors and tests whether differences in self-construals mediate the relationship between ethnicity and coping. Asian Americans were found to be more oriented toward secondary control and less oriented toward primary control than White Americans. Independent self-construal fully mediated the ethnic difference in primary control. Greater orientation toward an independent self-construal accounted for the greater use of primary control among Whites, in relation to Asians. Interdependent self-construal partially mediated the ethnic difference in secondary control. Greater orientation toward an interdependent self-construal accountedforthe greateruse ofsecondarycontrolamongAsians, in relationto Whites. Otherfactors, suchas structural variables, may account for further ethnic variations in secondary control coping.
Dietary treatment of depression

The study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a refined sucrose and caffeine free diet in the treatment of depression. Twenty subjects meeting DSM-III-R criteria for a current episode of major depression completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), MMPI-D scale, SCL-90, Interpersonal Style Inventory (ISI), and a 3-day food record prior to, and following, consumption of a caffeine and refined sucrose free diet (experimental group) or a red meat and artificial sweetener free diet (control group). Subjects whose depression ameliorated after eliminating refined sucrose and caffeine completed a 3-month follow-up. The experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater decline in depression on all depression measures and on several measures of general psychopathology at posttest. This amelioration of depression was maintained at a 3-month follow-up.
Automatic detection of vehicle occupants: the imaging problem and its solution

The automatic detection and counting of vehicle occupants is a challenging research problem that was given little attention until recently. An automated vehicle-occupant-counting system would greatly facilitate the operation of freeway lanes reserved for car pools (high occupancy vehicle lanes or HOV lanes). There are three major aspects of this problem: (a) the imaging aspect (sensor phenomenology), (b) the pattern recognition aspect, and (c) the system architecture aspect. In this paper, we present a solution to the imaging aspect of the problem. We propose a novel system based on fusion of near-infrared imaging signals and we demonstrate its adequacy with theoretical and experimental arguments. We also compare our solution to other possible solutions across the electromagnetic spectrum, particularly in the thermal infrared and visible regions.
Computer-based management systems

Much has been written regarding the need for students majoring in information systems to take a sequence of courses in communications, both oral and written. Most curricula relegate this important area to electives. This curriculum in Computer-based Management Systems (CMS) addresses this issue in a straightforward manner by incorporating courses in humanities and technical communications as part of the major requirements. The curriculum and facilities supporting the curriculum are discussed.
Determination of receiver selectivity and transmit frequency using a common resonator

In this work, the determination of receiver selectivity and transmit frequency using a common resonator is presented for a 5.3 GHz transceiver employing a time division duplex, on-off keyed modulation format. The microstrip circuit is fabricated on Rogers RO4003/sup (R)/, a high frequency laminate. In receive mode, a 3 dB passband of 35 MHz and a small-signal gain of 26 dB has been achieved. In transmit mode, an output power of +7 dBm for the fundamental, -15.0 dBm for the second harmonic, -18.0 dBm for the third harmonic, and -35.0 dBm for the fourth harmonic has been achieved.
Urban Environmental Monitoring in Buenos Aires — Determining Green Areas

For urban planning and management, it is essential that detailed and up-to-date information about the urban ecosystem, with its high level of pattern heterogeneity, is available. In urban areas the steadily increasing land requirements for housing, new areas zoned for economic activities, and new provision of infrastructure, all lead to a reduction of green and open spaces. Owing to their high dynamism, such changes call for the use of methods which allow not only the updating of the planning basis, but also the recording of the consequences (Spitzer 1998). Remote sensing data can provide essential information that is both inexpensive and up-to-date. Formerly, this was only possible with high-cost airborne data. Today, high-resolution satellite data such as IKONOS, with more spectral information and 1–4 m spatial resolution, as well as alternative classification methods based on object-oriented analyses, plays an important role in urban studies.
Trace Metal Analysis by Gas Chromatography

Gas chromatography offers a promising new approach to the quantitative and qualitative analyses for trace amounts of metals. This technique has excellent potential because of its high sensitivity and the low cost of instrumentation. The method utilizes the formation of metal complexes, e.g., fluorinated chelates which are volatile and stable enough for gas chromatographic separation and measurement. Some of these metal chelates can be detected at extremely low concentrations, e.g., at the 10−13-g level by using the electron capture detector which is very sensitive to fluorinated metal chelates. The significance of this research is its potential use in medicine, chemistry, environmental health, and metallurgy, where the presence or absence of ultratrace amounts of metals can be extremely important.
Multisecond Periodicities in Basal Ganglia Firing Rates Correlate With Theta Bursts in Transcortical and Hippocampal EEG

Multisecond oscillations in firing rate with periods in the range of 2-60 s (mean, 20-35 s) are present in 50-90% of spike trains from basal ganglia neurons recorded from locally anesthetized, immobilized rats. To determine whether these periodic oscillations are associated with similar periodicities in cortical activity, transcortical electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded in conjunction with single- or dual-unit neuronal activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the globus pallidus (GP), and the data were analyzed with spectral and wavelet analyses. Multisecond oscillations in firing rates of 31% of the STN neurons and 46% of the GP neurons with periodicities significantly correlated with bursts of theta (4-7 Hz) activity in transcortical EEG. Further recordings of localized field potentials in the hippocampus and frontal or parietal cortices simultaneously with GP unit activity showed field potentials from the hippocampus, but not from the frontal or parietal cortices, exhibited bursts of theta rhythm that were correlated with GP firing rate oscillations. These results demonstrate a functional connectivity between basal ganglia neuronal activity and theta band activity in the hippocampus.
Dynamics of postpartum endometrial cytology and bacteriology and their relationship to fertility in dairy cows.

Endometrial samples were obtained from 56 consecutively calving dairy cows examined for endometrial cytology and for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial growth. Changes over time, correlations between different cell types and between cell and bacterial populations and with fertility measures were calculated. The proportion of neutrophils in cytologic preparations decreased with time postpartum. Other cell types did not change significantly with time. The proportion of neutrophils early (Day 0 and 7) postpartum was negatively correlated with neutrophil proportion at 5 or 7 weeks postpartum and positively correlated with fertility. Cows with high proportion of neutrophils at 7 days postpartum (>40%) were significantly more likely to become pregnant than those with lower proportions of neutrophils. Escherichia coli were the bacteria most frequently isolated at 0 or 7 days postpartum but were uncommon after that. Trueperella pyogenes were most prevalent at 3 weeks postpartum and were more likely to infect cows that had previously been infected with E coli. The presence of T pyogenes at 3 weeks postpartum increased the risk of concomitant or later infection with gram-negative anaerobes. The presence of T pyogenes at 3 weeks postpartum significantly reduced the risk of pregnancy at 150 days in milk. The presence of alpha-hemolytic Streptoccus spp. at 7 days postpartum was associated with improved reproductive performance. The proportion of neutrophils at 5 and 7 weeks postpartum was related to concomitant bacterial infection. These findings suggest that rapid mobilization of neutrophils to the postpartum uterus is a beneficial response for uterine health in dairy cows.
Diagnosing Septic Arthritis in the Synovial White Cell Count “Gray Zone”

Differentiating septic arthritis of the pediatric hip from other causes of hip pain and effusion continues to present a diagnostic challenge for the clinician. Although septic arthritis traditional...
The American Colonial Service: The Career Paths of Territorial Governors

The paper examines the career paths of antebellum territorial governors, fleshing out their importance to the military protection of distant frontier regions and to the territories' integration into national patronage networks. The biographies of numerous territorial governors further indicate that service in the territories was an important stepping stone in their political careers. The paper seeks to explain the opportunities that territorial service offered to politically well connected individuals as well as their function in the integration of territorial peripheries into the American political system.
Leaders learning from leaders as an emergent action learning strategy

This account of practice describes what three executive leaders in a professional association have learned about action learning and their own practices of organizational renewal. Data are approached narratively and stories are told from the perspectives of diverse educators’ experiences, agency, and expertise. Mature organizations can be revitalized and diversified through the action learning of executive leaders who integrate a new and diverse faculty body into the governance structure and decision-making process. The goal of facilitating diversity goals for established organizations has relevance for universities, schools, businesses, and other learning environments. Public conversations can strengthen the diversity-oriented outreach missions of professional organizations.
Cruising for a Bruising

A 45-year-old female with a history of menorrhagia is referred to the emergency department because of severe anemia, hemoglobin (Hgb) level 5.5 g/dL, with dyspnea on exertion. The patient has had multiple pregnancies but no transfusions and reports taking no medications other than over-the-counter multivitamins. The patient is transfused with two units of immediate-spin-compatible O-positive red blood cells (RBCs) and discharged home.
Neuronal Dysregulation in Stroke-Associated Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA): Diagnostic Scales and Current Treatment Options.

Until recently, there was little understanding of the exact pathophysiology and treatment choices for stroke patients with Pseudobulbar affect (PBA). PBA is typically characterized by outbursts or uncontrollable laughing or crying and in the majority of patients, the outbursts being involuntary and incompatible with the patients’ emotional state. PBA is a behavioral syndrome reported to be displayed in 28-52% of stroke patients with first or multiple strokes, and incidence may be higher in patients who have had prior stroke events, and higher in females. There is typically involvement of glutaminergic, serotoninergic and dopaminergic neuronal circuits of the cortico-limbic-subcorticothalamic-pontocerebellar network. PBA is now understood to be a disinhibition syndrome in which specific pathways involving serotonin and glutamate are disrupted or modulated causing reduced cortical inhibition of a cerebellar/brainstem-situated “emotional” laughing or crying focal center. Stroke-induced disruption of one or more neuronal pathway circuits may “disinhibit” voluntary laughing and crying making the process involuntary. With a “new” treatment currently being marketed to treat PBA patients, this article will delve into the neurological and physiological basis for PBA in stroke, and review progress with the diagnosis and treatment of PBA.
[Genetic and molecular aspects in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: the search for the genes involved in clinical diagnosis].

INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still today one of the most widely researched medical problems around the world. It is the most common neuropsychiatric diagnosis in school-age children. The fact that it will affect the patient throughout their whole life together with the social and economic impact it has on the individual and on society are clearly acknowledged and are a motive for concern. The clinician who is faced with treating these patients has no doubt that this entity presents in familial groups. This gives rise to obvious difficulties when it comes to establishing therapeutic processes. Although intensive searches for genetic markers have been carried out, methodological problems that arise in the definition of phenotypes, as well as in the selection of genetic techniques and the genes targeted for research, have meant that less progress has been made in these studies than was initially expected. Some of the aspects that have been advancing in recent years include clarification of the clinical phenotype to be studied, the analysis of clinical information to be used for the selection of the genetic sample and agreements about the genes the search is to be focused on. Today several genetic markers that are highly associated with the entity are known. CONCLUSIONS We are very close to identifying specific genes, although this is only the first step towards understanding the underlying problem; how to use that information to benefit the patient is a challenge that researchers are currently facing.
JAPANESE AESTHETICS OF PACKAGING

In contemporary Japan, Westernization has transformed so many aspects of everyday lives in a relatively short period of time-just over a century-ranging from architecture to clothing, political system to industry. In the midst of this rapid Westernization, it may appear that traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibilities can be found only in time-honored art forms such as the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Noh theater, and calligraphy. However, in the Japanese cultural tradition, aesthetic considerations permeate every aspect of daily life. In the past, aesthetic sensibilities guided not only the creation and appreciation of painting, music, and literature, but also the experience of cooking, swordsmanship, and letter writing, as well as the cultivation of etiquette and moral virtues, and even the execution of ritual suicide.2 This aesthetic attention to various dimensions of daily life is still alive and well today.3 For example, seasonable haikus are featured daily on the front page of major newspapers, business letters are written with reference to the beauty of the season, food is carefully arranged on a plate specifically chosen to suit the particular food item and the season, both at restaurants and at home, and a gift is wrapped with an appropriate material in a meticulous manner. In what follows, I would like to take this last item, Japanese packaging, as an example of how highly sophisticated aesthetic sensibilities are involved in this rather mundane, and otherwise ordinary, object. I. THE ALLURE OF THE HIDDEN
Analysis of the effect of selecting statistically significant registered image pixels on individual face physiognomy recognition accuracy

Research in facial recognition techniques that can identify individuals in harsh conditions, such as crowded places with limited visibility, is still in its infancy. Such research is becoming more imperative in many applications including in homeland security. In order to build better facial recognition systems there is an imperative and primary need to understand how different factors and various facial features affect the recognition accuracy of existing popular facial recognition algorithms. In our prior work we presented the effect artifacts such as image registration, number and type of training templates, presence of varying amount of partial facial information, and the presence of color have on facial recognition accuracies. In this paper, we continue our investigation into how certain factors affect facial recognition by looking into what are the most statistically significant pixel-features in an image that differentiate a given individual face from the rest of the individual faces in a given data set. In particular, we propose an algorithm to derive a mask of the pixels with the highest statistical significance levels to identify a given face based on this mask. Our investigation shows that creating a mask using the two-sample t-test, selects the pixels that are most representative of a given individual face physiognomy when compared to face images of the rest of the individuals in a given database. We also show that using the t-test based mask relatively improves the face recognition accuracy in certain cases when compared to using the original full pixel intensity images. Finally, we show that using statistically significant pixel-based masks that differentiate an individual from the rest of the individuals, yields better results than those obtained using pixels that are instead common among similar individual faces.