cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy, and sleepiness in multiple sclerosis patients referred for clinical polysomnography.

Objectives. To assess the relationship between nocturnal polysomnographic (PSG) findings and a group of key self-reported symptoms—fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy, and sleepiness—among sleep-laboratory referred patients with and without multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods. PSG and questionnaire data from n = 30 MS patients and n = 30 matched controls were analyzed retrospectively. Associations between symptoms of fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy, sleepiness, and PSG variables of interest were examined among MS patients and controls. Results. More MS patients than controls reported fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy to occur often or almost always (Chi-square P < 0.0001 for each), but sleepiness was reported similarly by both groups (P = 0.3409). Among MS patients, tiredness correlated with sleepiness (Spearman correlation P = 0.005), and a trend emerged toward correlation between fatigue and sleepiness (Spearman correlation P = 0.076). Decreased sleep efficiency on PSGs correlated with fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy in MS patients (Spearman correlation P = 0.002, 0.029, and 0.048, resp.), but not sleepiness or any symptom among controls. Conclusion. In comparison to controls, MS patients report more fatigue, tiredness, and lack energy, but not sleepiness. Fatigue and related symptoms may arise from MS itself or in relation to reduced sleep efficiency.
Gender-Fair Teaching in Physical Education

(1995). Gender-Fair Teaching in Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 42-47.
Tin analogs of the vinylogous reformatsky reaction. Regio- and stereochemical considerations

Abstract Ethyl-4-(tri-n-butyltin)-3-methyl crotonate and ethyl 4-(tri-n-butyltin)-3-methoxycrotonate were condensed with benzaldehyde and cyclohexanone. The regio- and stereochemical profiles were determined in an effort to control the course of dienolate additions to carbonyl compounds under acid-catalyzed conditions.
Allocation of Discrete Energy on a Cloud-Computing Datacenter Using a Digital Power Grid

Electrical power supply of data centers constitutes major operational costs. In this paper, we focus on providing the supplying energy to exact match the consumption demands by using the properties of a digital power grid. Different from the present power grid, where energy is supplied continuously and in amounts to satisfy large demands, the digital power grid supplies energy in the form of packets and upon request. Energy packets are specifically addressed to one, or multiple servers and to no others, and they carry the amount of energy that has been requested. To evaluate the level of energy supply, we model the consumption time of a server as an ON-OFF Markov chain. Through simulation, we show that the digital grid not only reduces the energy safety margins used by current energy providers to assure system stability but it also highly satisfies the energy requests of data center servers when the capacity of the power grid equals the average energy request and without a safety margin.
An integrated approach to the study of pollution transport and waves in the costal zone- Part I: Data acquisition - Remote and in SITU sensing

This paper is one of three from NASA Langley Research Center. Together they describe a program to study pollution transport and waves in the Coastal Zone. This paper discusses the approach, the instrumentation, and the results to date of both remote and in situ sensing research at the NASA Langley Research Center. Three areas in remote sensing are singled out: The synoptic mapping of phytoplankton "blooms" by remote sensing of chlorophyll that was calibrated from in situ measurements, the development of a Multichannel Ocean Color Sensor (MOCS) that was used to map acid dumping, and the development of an Ocean Surface Parameter Remote Sensing System for aircraft with a potential for satellite operation. The latter system consists of an S-band radiometer, an L-band radiometer, a laser profilometer, a foam detector, and an infrared radiometer to measure temperature, salinity, winds, and wave conditions. In the in situ water measurements area, early results of water currents are shown that were determined from tracking a drifting buoy that can be tracked from shore, by aircraft, or from a satellite such as the French EOLE Satellite.
Teacher development and school improvement: The process of teacher change☆

Abstract The overall goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between teacher success in implementing innovative programs, teacher perceptions of self-efficacy, and the teacher-perceived value of the programs. Using behavioral observations, interviews, and questionnaires, teachers' performance, self-perceptions, and attitudes were measured at several time points during the initial year of implementation of an innovative adaptive mainstreaming program. Significant increases were observed in both teachers' levels of success and their perceptions of self-efficacy. Moreover, the timing of the most significant improvements suggests a natural sequence of development leading from improvement in teacher implementation of an innovation to subsequent increases in their perceptions of self-efficacy.
Probing the Steric Limits of Carbon−Gold Bond Formation: (Dialkylbiarylphosphine)gold(I) Aryls

Aryl-group transfer from arylboronic acids to gold has emerged as a functionally tolerant alternative to classical lithiation- and magnesiation-based synthesis of arylgold(I) species. Here, the scope of the reaction is explored with attention to the sterics of the boronic acid starting material and the supporting ligand on gold. Dicyclohexylbiaryl phosphines are selected as supporting ligands on gold(I) because of their substantial bulk. Aryl-group transfer is compatible with steric buildup on either reaction partner. The structural preference of gold(I) for linear, two-coordinate geometries circumvents potential steric clashes. The new organometallics likely gain added stability through dative interactions with the flanking phosphine biaryl arm and, in three cases, through π-interactions with the aryl ligand σ-bonded to gold. The new compounds are characterized by multinuclear NMR and optical spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction crystallography, and combustion analysis. All compounds absorb ultraviolet light ...
Improving Iris Recognition Performance Using Segmentation, Quality Enhancement, Match Score Fusion, and Indexing

This paper proposes algorithms for iris segmentation, quality enhancement, match score fusion, and indexing to improve both the accuracy and the speed of iris recognition. A curve evolution approach is proposed to effectively segment a nonideal iris image using the modified Mumford-Shah functional. Different enhancement algorithms are concurrently applied on the segmented iris image to produce multiple enhanced versions of the iris image. A support-vector-machine-based learning algorithm selects locally enhanced regions from each globally enhanced image and combines these good-quality regions to create a single high-quality iris image. Two distinct features are extracted from the high-quality iris image. The global textural feature is extracted using the 1-D log polar Gabor transform, and the local topological feature is extracted using Euler numbers. An intelligent fusion algorithm combines the textural and topological matching scores to further improve the iris recognition performance and reduce the false rejection rate, whereas an indexing algorithm enables fast and accurate iris identification. The verification and identification performance of the proposed algorithms is validated and compared with other algorithms using the CASIA Version 3, ICE 2005, and UBIRIS iris databases.
Nonthermal decontamination of biological media by atmospheric-pressure plasmas: review, analysis, and prospects

Although the use of an electrical discharge to disinfect water was suggested and applied more than a hundred years ago, basic and applied research on the interaction of plasmas with biological media was extensively carried out only relatively recently. In this context, a review of various works on the germicidal effects of atmospheric pressure, "cold" plasmas, is presented. The nonequilibrium discharge devices discussed in this review, which have been used in biological applications by various investigators, are the corona discharge, the diffuse dielectric-barrier discharge, the resistive barrier discharge, and the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. Analysis of the inactivation kinetics for various bacteria seeded in (or on) various media and exposed to the plasma generated by these devices, showed that three types of survivor curves exist, depending on the type of micro-organism, the type of medium, and the type of exposure (direct versus remote). Insights into the roles of UV radiation, active species, and charged particles has led to the conclusion that chemically reactive species, such as free radicals, play the most important role in the inactivation process. In addition, recent results suggesting that biomanipulation of the cells of micro-organisms with nonequilibrium plasmas is possible are highlighted.
A technique for determination of the chain length distribution from stress relaxation measurements in certain elastomers

A method of determining the approximate molecular weight distribution of elastically effective chains in elastomer networks is described. Results of analyses are presented showing that the molecular weight distribution of elastically effective chains in elastomers can be estimated from high-temperature stress relaxation experiments, provided the sample is known to undergo random scission along the main chains. This can be accomplished by numerically differentiating the data and using approximate equations. (JRD)
Is there a shaman in the house

This nonfictional narrative recounts a story of shared decision making between a veteran neurosurgeon and the family of a comatose patient who had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. After reviewing the option of surgery within the context of informed consent, the family remains frozen in indecision. Leaving behind him the world of the rational, the neurosurgeon makes a statement that reconnects the family to their deepest values. The neurosurgeon is portrayed as a modern equivalent of a shaman. A call is made for consideration of the complex topic of spiritual engagement during patient care.
Open adjacencies and k-breaks: Detecting simultaneous rearrangements in cancer genomes

The evolution of a cancer genome has traditionally been described as a sequential accumulation of mutations - including chromosomal rearrangements - over a period of time. Recent research suggests, however, that numerous rearrangements may be acquired simultaneously during a single cataclysmic event, leading to the proposal of new mechanisms of rearrangement such as chromothripsis and chromoplexy. We introduce two measures, open adjacency rate (OAR) and copy-number asymmetry enrichment (CAE), that assess the prevalence of simultaneously formed breakpoints, or k-breaks with k >2, compared to the sequential accumulation of standard rearrangements, or 2-breaks. We apply the OAR and the CAE to genome sequencing data from 121 cancer genomes from two different studies. We find that the OAR and CAE correlate well with previous analyses of chromothripsis/chromoplexy but make differing predictions on a small subset of genomes. These results lend support to the existence of simultaneous rearrangements, but also demonstrate the difficulty of characterizing such rearrangements using different criterion.
Cefepime-Aztreonam: a Unique Double β-Lactam Combination for Pseudomonas aeruginosa

An in vitro pharmacokinetic model was used to determine if aztreonam could enhance the pharmacodynamics of cefepime or ceftazidime against an isogenic panel of Pseudomonas aeruginosa 164, including wild-type (WT), partially derepressed (PD), and fully derepressed (FD) phenotypes. Logarithmic-phase cultures were exposed to peak concentrations achieved in serum with 1- or 2-g intravenous doses, elimination pharmacokinetics were simulated, and viable bacterial counts were measured over three 8-h dosing intervals. In studies with cefepime and cefepime-aztreonam against the PD strain, samples were also filter sterilized, assayed for active cefepime, and assayed for nitrocefin hydrolysis activity before and after overnight dialysis. Against WT strains, the cefepime-aztreonam combination was the most active regimen, but viable counts at 24 h were only 1 log below those in cefepime-treated cultures. Against PD and FD strains, the antibacterial activity of cefepime-aztreonam was significantly enhanced over that of each drug alone, with 3.5 logs of killing by 24 h. Hydrolysis and bioassay studies demonstrated that aztreonam was inhibiting the extracellular cephalosporinase that had accumulated and was thus protecting cefepime in the extracellular environment. In contrast to cefepime-aztreonam, the pharmacodynamics of ceftazidime-aztreonam were not enhanced over those of aztreonam alone. Further pharmacodynamic studies with five other P. aeruginosa strains producing increased levels of cephalosporinase demonstrated that the enhanced pharmacodynamics of cefepime-aztreonam were not unique to the isogenic panel. The results of these studies demonstrate that aztreonam can enhance the antibacterial activity of cefepime against derepressed mutants of P. aeruginosa producing increased levels of cephalosporinase. This positive interaction appears to be due in part to the ability of aztreonam to protect cefepime from extracellular cephalosporinase inactivation. Clinical evaluation of this combination is warranted.
The Social Construction and Interpretation of Deviance - Jonestown and the Mass-Media

This paper reports on an investigation and analysis of social reactions to the events of November 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana. Critical attention is focused on the manner in which an official reality of these events was fashioned and presented by the mass media. Findings support the contention that the resulting interpretation was highly selective and stylized. Reasons for the symbolic construction of this reality of Jonestown are explored and related to the role played by experts and public officials. These findings are interpreted by way of the sociopolitical process whereby events are labeled and explained as social problems or deviance.
A neural interface microsystem with all optical telemetry for brain implantable neuroengineering application

We have developed a prototype cortical neural interface device for brain implantable neuroengineering application, featuring fiber optic guided all optical telemetry for neural data transmission as well as power/clock delivery to the implantable unit.
Microdialysis delivery of morphine to the hypoglossal nucleus of Wistar rat increases hypoglossal acetylcholine release.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The medullary hypoglossal nucleus (XII) innervates the genioglossal muscles of the tongue, and opioid-induced alterations in tongue muscle tone contribute to airway obstruction. Previous studies have shown that morphine causes a significant decrease in acetylcholine (ACh) release in some brain regions, but the effects of morphine on ACh release in XII have not been quantified. DESIGN A within-subjects design was used to test the hypothesis that morphine alters ACh release in XII of anesthetized Wistar rat. ACh release during microdialysis with Ringer's solution (control) was compared to ACh release during dialysis delivery of opioids. SETTING University of Michigan. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS N/A. INTERVENTIONS Microdialysis delivery of opioids to XII. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Morphine caused a statistically significant, concentration-dependent increase in XII ACh release. The increase in XII ACh release caused by 10 microM morphine was blocked by the mu opioid antagonist naloxone and not blocked by the kappa opioid antagonist norbinaltorphimine. CONCLUSIONS The data comprise the first direct measures of ACh release in XII and support the conclusion that morphine depresses hypoglossal nerve activity, in part, by increasing ACh release in XII. Activation of mu opioid receptors on inhibitory neurons within XII likely disinhibits cholinergic terminals, causing increased ACh release. The results are consistent with previous studies showing that blocking the enzymatic degradation of ACh in XII significantly inhibited tongue muscle activity.
Case studies: are we rejecting rigor or rediscovering richness?

SUMMARY Case studies are receiving renewed interest as an alternative to traditional research methods and reports. This interest is part of a more general trend involving the rejection of modern science and scientific methods in the social sciences and helping professions, and what is often a strident and ill-informed advocacy of qualitative research methods. Qualitative research in general and case studies in particular have a number of disadvantages and should not be substituted for quantitative research methods. Nevertheless, case studies probably can make a worthwhile contribution to the search for knowledge in education by helping to communicate the richness of human interactions, and by providing examples of how theories and philosophies can actually be applied in real situations.
FPGA-based design of a high-performance and modular video processing platform

In this paper, an FPGA-based design and implementation of a high-performance video processing platform (VPP) is presented. A hardware/software codesign system is proposed on Xilinx Virtex II Pro FPGA to realize complex algorithms for real-time image and video processing. This paper presents the framework of the VPP, discusses the architectural building blocks and FPGA synthesis results. Each hardware (custom accelerator blocks) and software (code running on an embedded CPU core) component is described comprehensively, laying the foundation for an adaptable and modular embedded system. As a case study, a real-time motion detection algorithm is implemented, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed platform. Additional hardware accelerators can be easily plugged-in to the system for desired processing engines. VPP can be a robust, costeffective solution for a broad range of multimedia applications including broadcasting and streaming video, video on-demand, video encoding/decoding, surveillance, detection and recognition.
Domestic Violence and Chronic Malnutrition among Women and Children in India

Domestic violence has harmful physical and psychological health correlates, but there is little evidence regarding a relation between domestic violence and malnutrition. To investigate this relation, the authors analyzed data from 69,072 women aged 15–49 years and 14,552 children aged 12–35 months in the 1998–1999 Indian National Family Health Survey. Physical domestic violence victimization was self-reported by the women. Aspects of nutritional status included in this study were anemia and underweight. Anemia was measured with a blood test for hemoglobin. Underweight was calculated from anthropometric measurements and was determined as body mass index for women, and it included stunting and wasting for children. Results indicate associations of multiple incidents of domestic violence in the previous year with anemia (odds ratio ¼ 1.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.18) and underweight (odds ratio ¼ 1.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.13, 1.29) in women and a suggested relation among children. Possible mechanisms for this relation include withholding of food as a form of abuse and stressmediated influences of domestic violence on nutritional outcomes. These findings indicate that reducing domestic violence is important not only from a moral and intrinsic perspective but also because of the instrumental health benefits likely to accrue. anemia; body mass index; child nutrition disorders; domestic violence; India; malnutrition; women
A Decomposition of Hospital Profitability: An Application of DuPont Analysis to the US Market.

Objectives: This paper evaluates the drivers of profitability for a large sample of U.S. hospitals. Following a methodology frequently used by financial analysts, we use a DuPont analysis as a framework to evaluate the quality of earnings. By decomposing returns on equity (ROE) into profit margin, total asset turnover, and capital structure, the DuPont analysis reveals what drives overall profitability. Methods: Profit margin, the efficiency with which services are rendered (total asset turnover), and capital structure is calculated for 3,255 U.S. hospitals between 2007 and 2012 using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Healthcare Cost Report Information System (CMS Form 2552). The sample is then stratified by ownership, size, system affiliation, teaching status, critical access designation, and urban or non-urban location. Those hospital characteristics and interaction terms are then regressed (OLS) against the ROE and the respective DuPont components. Sensitivity to regression methodology is also investigated using a seemingly unrelated regression. Results: When the sample is stratified by hospital characteristics, the results indicate investor-owned hospitals have higher profit margins, higher efficiency, and are substantially more leveraged. Hospitals in systems are found to have higher ROE, margins, and efficiency but are associated with less leverage. In addition, a number of important and significant interactions between teaching status, ownership, location, critical access designation, and inclusion in a system are documented. Many of the significant relationships, most notably not-for-profit ownership, lose significance or are predominately associated with one interaction effect when interaction terms are introduced as explanatory variables. Results are not sensitive to the alternative methodology. Conclusion: The results of the DuPont analysis suggest that although there appears to be convergence in the behavior of NFP and IO hospitals, significant financial differences remain depending on their respective hospital characteristics. Those differences are tempered or exacerbated by location, size, teaching status, system affiliation, and critical access designation. With the exception of cost-based reimbursement for critical access hospitals, emerging payment systems are placing additional financial pressures on hospitals. The financial pressures being applied treat hospitals as a monolithic category and, given the delicate and often negative ROE for many hospitals, the long-term stability of the healthcare facility infrastructure may be negatively impacted.
Computer implementation in the reconstruction of 2-D flow velocity fields in ultrasound Doppler color imaging

Doppler color imaging can easily render flow information within the vessels and simultaneously provide anatomic information for diagnostic purposes. However, the angle dependence problem of the Doppler velocity measurement is a significant barrier for continuing progress toward quantitative clinical applications of this technology. This paper presents a method and the computer implementation for reconstruction of the 2-D flow velocity field (angle independent) in ultrasound Doppler color imaging. Formulae for deriving angle independent velocity amplitude and angle direction from the color images acquired with a linear array transducer are given. The hardware configuration of the data acquiring and processing system is described. Major considerations in the development of algorithms, especially the strategies for reducing the computation time are presented.
Implementation of dynamic crop growth processes into a land surface model: evaluation of energy, water and carbon fluxes under corn and soybean rotation

Worldwide expansion of agriculture is impacting the earth's climate by altering carbon, water, and energy fluxes, but the climate in turn is impacting crop production. To study this two-way interaction and its impact on seasonal dynamics of carbon, water, and energy fluxes, we implemented dynamic crop growth processes into a land surface model, the Integrated Science Assessment Model (ISAM). In particular, we implemented crop-specific phenology schemes and dynamic carbon allocation schemes. These schemes account for light, water, and nutrient stresses while allocating the assimilated carbon to leaf, root, stem, and grain pools. The dynamic vegetation structure simulation better captured the seasonal variability in leaf area index (LAI), canopy height, and root depth. We further implemented dynamic root distribution processes in soil layers, which better simulated the root response of soil water uptake and transpiration. Observational data for LAI, above- and belowground biomass, and carbon, water, and energy fluxes were compiled from two AmeriFlux sites, Mead, NE, and Bondville, IL, USA, to calibrate and evaluate the model performance. For the purposes of calibration and evaluation, we use a corn–soybean (C4–C3) rotation system over the period 2001–2004. The calibrated model was able to capture the diurnal and seasonal patterns of carbon assimilation and water and energy fluxes for the corn–soybean rotation system at these two sites. Specifically, the calculated gross primary production (GPP), net radiation fluxes at the top of the canopy, and latent heat fluxes compared well with observations. The largest bias in model results was in sensible heat flux (SH) for corn and soybean at both sites. The dynamic crop growth simulation better captured the seasonal variability in carbon and energy fluxes relative to the static simulation implemented in the original version of ISAM. Especially, with dynamic carbon allocation and root distribution processes, the model's simulated GPP and latent heat flux (LH) were in much better agreement with observational data than for the static root distribution simulation. Modeled latent heat based on dynamic growth processes increased by 12–27% during the growing season at both sites, leading to an improvement in modeled GPP by 13–61% compared to the estimates based on the original version of the ISAM.
Development and validation of an errorable car-following driver model

An errorable car-following driver model was presented in this paper. This model was developed for evaluating and designing of active safety technology. Longitudinal driving was first characterized from a naturalistic driving database. The stochastic part of longitudinal driving behavior was then studied and modeled by a random process. The resulting stochastic car-following model can reproduce the normal driver behavior and occasional deviations without crash. To make this model errorable, three error-inducing behaviors were analyzed. Perceptual limitation was studied and implemented as a quantizer. Next, based on the statistic analysis of the experimental data, the distracted driving was identified and modeled by a stochastic process. Later on, time delay was estimated by recursive least square method and was modeled by a stochastic process as well. These two processes were introduced as random disturbance of the stochastic driver model. With certain combination of those three error-inducing behaviors, accident/incident could happen. Twenty-five crashes happened after eight million miles simulation (272/100M VMT). This simulation crash rate is higher by about twice with 2005 NHTSA data (120/100M VMT).
Computation of Domain-Averaged Irradiance Using Satellite-Derived Cloud Properties

Abstract The respective errors caused by the gamma-weighted two-stream approximation and the effective thickness approximation for computing the domain-averaged broadband shortwave irradiance are evaluated using cloud optical thicknesses derived from 1 h of radiance measurements by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) over footprints of Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments. Domains are CERES footprints of which dimension varies approximately from 20 to 70 km, depending on the viewing zenith angle of the instruments. The average error in the top-of-atmosphere irradiance at a 30° solar zenith angle caused by the gamma-weighted two-stream approximation is 6.1 W m−2 (0.005 albedo bias) with a one-layer overcast cloud where a positive value indicates an overestimate by the approximation compared with the irradiance computed using the independent column approximation. Approximately one-half of the error is due to deviations of optical thickness distributions from a ga...
The Reserve Department Revisited: Study of Faculty and Student Use of the Capital University Library Reserve Department.

Faculty and student use of print materials in the Capital University Library's Reserve Department is examined. Twenty-nine percent of the teaching faculty use the department's services for classroom instruction. Seven of twenty-four departments account for both the heaviest faculty and student use. However, only half of the 1994 examined items circulated once. Photocopies of articles and other short pieces received more use than monographs. Factors contributing to heavy use in a small number of departments include individual instructors' class design and use of reserve materials in courses that meet both departmental and university requirements.
Observer intervention in incidences of religious harassment in the workplace

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2011) reports that religious harassment claims have risen sharply over the past decade. However, victims of religious harassment may not always report h...
Creating twenty-first century Korean bodies: public movement education practice, cultural policy and therapeutic ethos

This article focuses on the public movement education practices of a group of middle-class, Korean dance instructors at the Korea Laban Movement Institute (KLMI), a recently established civil institution in Seoul, South Korea. The KLMI classes promote self-directed and well-rounded Korean bodies through student-centered and egalitarian movement instruction. In recent years, these classes received public funds from the culture and arts foundations supported by the state’s cultural policies, as well as attention from Korean public media. This research introduces the public movement education practices that have aligned well with the state’s early twenty-first century cultural policies by making culture and arts education more accessible to the average Korean. In addition, the study shows the broader impact of KLMI’s public movement education practices, which have merged into the political and social landscapes of contemporary South Korea.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: preclinical and clinical studies.

The production of neutrophil granulocytes is a complex and dynamic process during which a small number of self- renewing stem cells give rise to lineage-specific progenitors. One hematopoietic glycoprotein that appears to specifically control the survival, cycle activation, proliferation and terminal maturation of this myeloid lineage is granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Some topics discussed are its molecular characterization, biochemical purification, sources, and effects of administration.
Lewis Acid Based Sorption of Trace Amounts of RuCl3 by Polyaniline

A sorption process of RuCl3 in phosphate buffer by polyaniline (PANI) powder chemically synthesized from phosphoric acid was spectrophotometrically monitored as a function of time. It was determined that the sorption process follows the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and their constants were evaluated. It was determined that chemisorption was the rate-controlling step. By conducting detailed studies, we assigned the chemisorption to Lewis acid based interactions of the sorbent electron pair localized at the benzenoid amine (−NH2) and quinoid imine (═NH) groups, with the sorbate, RuCl3, as the electron acceptor. The stability of the interaction over a period of ∼1 week showed that the presence of the Ru(III) in the PANI matrix reverses its state from emeraldine base to emeraldine salt, resulting in a change of conductivity. The partial electron donor based charge transfer is a slow process as compared to the sorption process involving Bronsted acid doping.
Perceived overload as a predictor of physical strain among spousal and adult child caregivers of frail elders in the community

ABSTRACTFamily caregivers of frail elders can experience physical strain associated with caregiving. Identifying correlates of caregiver strain can provide an important impetus for tackling the causes and providing effective interventions. Utilizing data from the 1999 National Long-Term Care Survey, the current study examined correlates of caregiver physical strain among 956 family caregivers, using the stress process model. As multiple regression analyses indicated, the caregiver’s perceived overload predicted greater strain for both spousal and adult child caregivers. For both groups, common correlates of physical strain were caregiving demands, the caregiver’s perceived overload, and limitations placed on the caregiver’s life. The results demonstrate that the family relationship of the caregiver (spouse or adult child) leads to variations and dynamics in caregiver strains, due to qualitatively different relationships.
Intelligent buildings and intelligent agents - a human-centered framework for building controls

There has been increasing interest in applying agent technology to intelligent building controls. Scenarios in current research do not fit commercial buildings, in which both building operators and occupants can participate in operation decisions. Although personal control systems have been available to commercial buildings, individual differences in comfort requirements have not been fully addressed in control strategies. For most commercial buildings, control decisions are still based on generalized human requirements. This paper presents an agent-based control framework that accounts for individual differences and mitigates potential requirement conflicts.
Logistical Failure: An analysis of coordination between divisions of multi-modality imaging departments and its effects on productivity and patient satisfaction.

2814 Objectives Healthcare institutions continually aim to achieve efficiencies as a means of improving both quality of care and patient satisfaction. Hospitalized patients are frequently scheduled for multiple diagnostic imaging procedures which require visits to multiple, separate imaging departments. Efforts to integrate the scheduling of these studies varies significantly, leading to inefficiencies that negatively impact patient care. Organization with other departments is especially necessary in nuclear medicine to better utilize the department’s resources due to lengthy scan times. Other potential benefits of establishing required coordination of patient imaging studies may include early discharges and cost savings, better use of patient transport services, improved morale and teamwork in the radiology department, and improved patient satisfaction scores. Methods A survey will be conducted of medical imaging professionals and administrators assessing the current level of communication between different imaging modalities in their institutions. The survey will try to determine whether hospitals have official policies to promote a better work flow between imaging services, opinions on the efficiency of the current system, and what they believe should be done differently. Through this survey, it will be determined whether or not coordination between different radiologic modalities has a significant effect on nuclear medicine department productivity and overall patient experience. Results Results will be discussed upon completion of research. Conclusions We hypothesize that analysis of survey responses will identify a lack of coordination between the divisions of radiology departments. The perspectives of technologists and others in the field will provide useful insight on how to properly systemize these tasks. We will determine the best practices of the responses we receive in order to suggest a universal policy that can be implemented in healthcare institutions to better address this problem. Through the use of such a policy, we hypothesize that nuclear medicine department efficiency and patient satisfaction will increase.
Fatty Liver Disease, Women, and Aldosterone: Finding a Link in the Jackson Heart Study.

Context Fatty liver disease is one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of fatty liver. Objective Determine the relationship between fatty liver and aldosterone in a large cohort study. Design Community-based, observational cohort study of African Americans. Setting The original Jackson Heart Study cohort enrolled African American participants from the Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties. Participants Our study population consisted of 2507 Jackson Heart Study participants (1625 women and 882 men) who had liver attenuation measured per computed tomography scans, had aldosterone measurements, and were not taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Intervention There was no intervention. Main outcome measure Liver attenuation on computed tomography scans. Results Univariate regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between aldosterone levels and liver attenuation. Each doubling of aldosterone was associated with 1.08 Hounsfield unit decrease (95% confidence interval, 1.47 to -0.69, P < 0.001). A multivariable model adjusted for body mass index, age, alcohol intake, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance determined that the association was statistically significant only for women. Conclusion Our data demonstrate a positive association between aldosterone levels and fatty liver in African American women.
Prostate magnetic resonance imaging: The truth lies in the eye of the beholder.

Abstract Purpose To determine the diagnostic accuracy and interobserver variability of radiologic interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed for surgical planning before prostatectomy. Patients and methods The records of 233 men undergoing prostatectomy with presurgical multiparametric 3T surface body coil MRI were reviewed. All initial films were read by a fellowship-trained body radiologist provided with relevant clinical information. A senior radiologist then reread all pelvic MRIs blinded to the initial interpretation with findings from both readings compared to final pathology. Kappa (κ) scores as well as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were determined. Results When considering extraprostatic extension (EPE), there was low concordance comparing the initial vs. repeat MRI interpretation (κ = 0.22). Additionally, when the senior radiologist reread his own initial interpretation (n = 93, blinded to initial result), concordance for EPE was greater (κ = 0.36) albeit similarly low. With regard to EPE, a comparison of initial MRI interpretation vs. reread by senior radiologist noted universal improvements in diagnostic characteristics including sensitivity (30.3% vs. 56.1%), specificity (80.2% vs. 88.6%), PPV (37.7% vs. 66.1%), NPV (74.4% vs. 83.6%), and accuracy (66.1% vs. 79.4%). In contrast, seminal vesicle invasion interpretation was more uniform whereby initial MRI interpretation vs. reread yielded similar sensitivity (18.2% vs. 27.3%), specificity (97.2% vs. 93.8%), PPV (40.0% vs. 31.6%), NPV (91.9% vs. 92.5%), and accuracy (89.7% vs. 87.6%). Conclusions Even at a tertiary referral center, interobserver variability among radiologists regarding local extent of disease on prostate MRI is high. These observations underscore the importance of uniformity when defining criteria for EPE and seminal vesicle invasion to allow for optimal presurgical planning.
Alkali Feldspar Exsolution: Kinetics and Dependence on Alkali Interdiffusion

The coherent solvus and coherent spinodal for sanidine-high albite are reasonably well known from experimental studies. These relations together with experimental coarsening rates can be used to interpret the thermal histories of rapidly cooled cryptoperthites which are characterized by a coherent, lamellar microstructure. The lamellar spacing (λ) is largely dependent on the rate of cooling during the first 70°C after the sample has crossed the coherent spinodal; the compositional difference of the lamellae (∆C) is more dependent on the lower temperature history of these cryptoperthites.
Universal Donsker Classes and Type 2

In this note we give a partial analogue of a theorem of Pisier [6], which relates the universal Donsker property for classes of sets to a type 2 condition. Actually what we give here is less delicate, since it does not require the useful Lemma 7.13 of Dudley [1]. We start with some
Rights to housing. Developing societies

With China and India as examples, this chapter discusses the convergence and divergence of housing rights conditions in developing societies. In spite of national variations, a number of converging trends can be observed about the development of housing rights in cities of developing countries. First, housing rights for the urban poor have been largely compromised in the process of globalised urbanisation. Second, national legal institutions and policies distribute housing rights unequally to different groups. Third, a large discrepancy exists between official housing rights policies and implementation, which further fragments housing rights for the poor. And fourth, rapidly globalising cities in developing countries have become a fertile ground for housing rights activism.
Modulation of the RIG-I/MDA5-MAVS-dependent signaling pathway by distinct LCMV components shapes type I interferon responses (136.12)

Early and efficient induction of type I IFN and other interferon-stimulated genes following virus infection is essential for the control of the viral infection, and this induction is mostly controlled by the innate immune system via pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), including the endosomal Toll-like receptors and the retinoic acid inducible gene-I like RNA helicases RIG-I and MDA5. The prototypic arenavirus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), is an excellent system to study the impact of virus-host interactions on viral pathogenesis. Although most aspects of LCMV model have been extensively studied and the findings obtained from this model have been used to interpret the pathogenesis of human viral diseases, the molecular mechanisms by which LCMV modulates type I IFN responses are not clear. Better understanding of these mechanisms is critical for the development of novel vaccines and effective antiviral therapeutic strategies against arenavirus infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that LCMV genomic RNA activates the RIG-I/MDA5-MAVS-dependent signaling pathway to induce type I IFN responses. We further demonstrate that LCMV nucleoprotein inhibits LCMV RNA induced type I IFN responses by physically interacting with both RIG-I and MDA5 signaling molecules. These results indicate that interactions between LCMV viral proteins and viral genomic RNA and the host signaling molecules are critical to regulate the virus induced innate immune response.
Genetic and physiological aspects of photosynthetic gene function

Restriction endonuclease digestion analysis was used to determine the mode of inheritance of organelle DNAs in intraspecific reciprocal crosses of Glycine max (PI 27890) X G. max (PI 290135) and in interspecific crosses of G. max ('Clark') X G. soja (PI 65549). Parents were selected on the basis of characteristic chloroplast-DNA restriction fragment patterns obtained by electrophoresis on agarose gels following digestion with Clal restriction endonuclease. Chioroplast-DNA-enriched DNA samples were prepared from twoweek-old seedlings of the reciprocal hybrids and the respective parents. The restriction fragment pattern of the hybrid progeny was identical to that of the maternal parent in each case. Intermediate fragment patterns, indicative of biparental inheritance, were not observed, thus demonstrating maternal transmisssion of cnlorplast DNA within the genus Glycine subgenus Soja.
The clinical features of nail psoriasis

Nail involvement is present in over half of patients with psoriasis and consequently has a prominently negative impact on society. The clinical gamut of nail involvement is diverse and includes changes to the nail matrix, the nail bed, or both. The main nail matrix dystrophy is nail pitting while onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, splinter hemorrhages, and oil-drop discoloration are the major nail bed findings. Lesions of the nail plate are due to the location of disease in the nail matrix as well as the duration of the disease. This chapter will describe the broad array of clinical features of nail psoriasis in order to help clinicians identify the condition, which will enable dermatologists to treat the symptoms and hopefully improve patients’ lives.
The MicroCircuit Associative Memory Architecture

In this chapter we describe the MicroCircuit, a fundamental circuit for the distribution of information within the MicroCircuit Associative Memory. The MicroCircuit is based on the arborization patterns of cerebellar neurons. Overlapping MicroCircuit activity is used to describe memory read and write operations. Key features of the memory model include 1) its ability to manipulate very large input patterns, 2) its two-stage addressing mechanism, 3) its distributed storage of input data patterns, and 4) its statistical reconstruction of stored patterns during memory read operations. Measures for the memory's recall fidelity and storage capacity are derived and results of computer simulations are presented.
Illustrating where spatial perception versus memory-based representation: spatial neglect in a distinguished artist; a case report

Spatial neglect is a disorder of attention, perception, and processing of stimuli in contralesional space. The heterogeneous behaviors involve diverse neuroanatomical mechanisms. Anecdotal evidence suggests that neural circuitry of active spatial perception may differ from that used to encode spatial memory. These differences can escape detection by conventional assessments, thereby leading to missed diagnoses. We present a case, in an artist who demonstrates selective impairment in a contralesional space during active Where spatial perception. His performance is better when asked to draw entirely from memory. This case highlights the variability in neglect, importance for comprehensive testing, and encourages further investigation.
A Terahertz Microscopy Technique for Sweat Duct Detection

We propose a THz imaging technique that uses high reflective index optics to improve spatial resolution and enable a novel biometrics imaging tool. Specifically, with the use of THz waves we can penetrate the drier outer skin layers and provide anatomical information on the skin's layered morphology and the underlying structures (e.g. sweat ducts). Sweat ducts are subcutaneous helical structures that exhibit absorption in the sub-THz frequency range. The proposed THz microscopy configuration can acquire high spatial resolution images of the human skin and classify sweat ducts based on the backscattered THz spectrum. In this paper, the theoretical background of the microscopy technique and the experimental design are discussed. Finally, THz images of human fingerprints are presented, verifying the imaging capabilities of the proposed configuration.