cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Posttraumatic Stress Following Pediatric Injury: Update on Diagnosis, Risk Factors, and Intervention

After pediatric injury, transient traumatic stress reactions are common, and about 1 in 6 children and their parents develop persistent posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms that are linked to poorer physical and functional recovery. Meta-analytic studies identify risk factors for persistent PTS, including preinjury psychological problems, peritrauma fear and perceived life threat, and posttrauma factors such as low social support, maladaptive coping strategies, and parent PTS symptoms. There is growing prospective data indicating that children’s subjective appraisals of the injury and its aftermath influence PTS development. Secondary prevention of injury-related PTS often involves parents and focuses on promoting adaptive child appraisals and coping strategies. Web-based psychoeducation and targeted brief early intervention for injured children and their parents have shown a modest effect, but additional research is needed to refine preventive approaches. There is a strong evidence base for effective psychological treatment of severe and persistent PTS via trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy; evidence is lacking for psychopharmacological treatment. Pediatric clinicians play a key role in preventing injury-related PTS by providing “trauma-informed” pediatric care (ie, recognizing preexisting trauma, addressing acute traumatic stress reactions associated with the injury event, minimizing potentially traumatic aspects of treatment, and identifying children who need additional monitoring or referral).
Du Bois and Diasporic Identity: The Veil and the Unveiling Project*:

Positioning Du Bois's arguments in The Souls of Black Folk (1903) within social theory enhances our understanding of the phenomenological dimensions of racial oppression and of how oppressed groups build on members' differences, as well as on what they share, to construct a cosmopolitan and richly textured community. Du Bois wrote Souls just at the beginning of the Great Migration but indicated that geographical dispersion would deepen racial solidarity, enhance the meaningfulness of community, and emancipate individual group members through participation in mainstream society while maintaining their black identity. Du Bois's writings have powerful implications for understanding how to promote racial justice, and contemporary readers might consider that they have implications for social justice more generally. An analysis of black newspapers that were published during the period of 1900 to 1935 illustrates how Du Bois's conceptions were woven into discourse and everyday practices.
Effect of alkaline earth ion as an inhibitor to alkaline attack on silica glass

Abstract Inhibitor action of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn and Al to the alkaline solution attack on silica glass was investigated. Metal silicate hydrated compound was formed on silica glass surface when a minute quantity of alkaline earth element was added to sodium hydroxide solution, while no such film was formed when Zn or Al was added. In addition, extensive crack growth was observed in the case of heavy alkaline earth elements such as Ba and Sr.
Origin and Dynamics of Cosmic Rays

As a consequence of the inability to observe directly the origin of a cosmic-ray particle, the development is begun with a discussion of the limitations within which a cosmicray accelerator mechanism can be constructed. Only the betatron effect and the Fermi mechanism can be allowed. Some of the many variations of these mechanisms which are to be found in the literature are reviewed. Then it is shown that trains of oppositely moving hydromagnetic waves of large amplitude and with sharp crests can accomplish large and continued particle accelerations which are adequate to maintain the observed galactic cosmic-ray field. The large acceleration arises as a consequence of the simple fact that each wave tends to sweep up the cosmic-ray particles before it, so that head-on collisions of particles with waves are much more common than overtaking collisions. It is pointed out that the sharp crests of the waves are a natural consequence of the observed supersonic mass motions. Therefore, the acceleration by oppositely moving waves does not depend upon any special wave form, and we suggest that it is the naturally occurring acceleration process. By treating the cosmic rays as a gas with relativistic thermal motions, it is shown that themore » cosmic-ray gas is effectively coupled to the motions of the ordinary matter both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. Thus the effective speed of sound must be computed in the composite cosmic-ray and ordinary gas. It is noted that with this composite speed of sound the irregular mass motions in the gilactic disk and halo are approximately Mach one. It is suggested that this represents a general dynamic balance to be found in all sufficiently active regions of space, and explains how it is that we often observe prolonged mass motions in the galaxy and in stellar atmospheres which would otherwise be computed to be highly supersonic and dissipative. The dynamic balance comes about from the fact that increased cosmicray density would reduce the effective Mach number below one, allowing the sharp crests of the hydromagnetic waves to degenerate, and thereby halting the production of cosmic-ray particles. (auth)« less
Remifentanil for use during conscious sedation in outpatient oral surgery.

Purpose: Remifentanil is a new, short-acting opioid that is similar pharmacodynamically to currently available opioids but differs in its pharmacokinetics. In the present study, we compared the use of remifentanil with the use of meperidine during intravenous conscious sedation for third molar surgery. Patients and Methods: Forty patients who were scheduled for the removal of impacted third molars were randomly assigned to undergo 1 of 2 intravenous conscious sedation techniques. For both groups, 50:50 nitrous oxide oxygen were administered via nasal hood, and midazolam was titrated to Verril's sign. Twenty patients each then received either remifentanil 0.05 μg/kg/min or meperidine 50 mg. Both patients and surgeons were blinded to the narcotic that was used. Blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were determined before sedation and every 5 minutes during surgery. Recovery was measured using serial Trieger tests every 5 minutes after surgery. Patient and surgeon satisfaction of the quality of sedation was measured with a visual analog scale. Results: Peak heart rate (91 beats/min for remifentanil vs 107 beats/min for meperidine, P < .01) and peak systolic blood pressure (131 mm Hg for remifentanil vs 142 mm Hg for meperidine, P < .05) were significantly lower for the remifentanil group. Although there was a trend toward increased surgeon satisfaction with remifentanil (86 of 100 with remifentanil vs 73 of 100 with meperidine), it was not found to be statistically significant. Likewise, other physiologic parameters were not found to be statistically significant. Conclusions: The lower peak heart rate and systolic blood pressure levels indicate that remifentanil may allow for less fluctuation in cardiovascular parameters. This could prove beneficial in patients with cardiovascular compromise. © 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:244-250, 2002
Rate coefficient for H + O2 + M = HO2 + M evaluated from shock tube measurements of induction times

Shock tube experiments measured hydrogen-air induction times near the second explosion limit. By matching these experimental results with numerically predicted induction times, the rate coefficient for the reaction H + O2 + M = HO2 + M was evaluated as k-sub 4,N2 = 3.3 (plus or minus .6) x 10 to the 15 cm to the 6th/sq mole/s.
Mesozooplankton and microzooplankton grazing during cyanobacterial blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie

Abstract Lake Erie is the most socioeconomically important and productive of the Laurentian (North American) Great Lakes. Since the mid-1990s cyanobacterial blooms dominated primarily by Microcystis have emerged to become annual, late summer events in the western basin of Lake Erie yet the effects of these blooms on food web dynamics and zooplankton grazing are unclear. From 2005 to 2007, grazing rates of cultured (Daphnia pulex) and natural assemblages of mesozooplankton and microzooplankton on five autotrophic populations were quantified during cyanobacterial blooms in western Lake Erie. While all groups of zooplankton grazed on all prey groups investigated, the grazing rates of natural and cultured mesozooplankton were inversely correlated with abundances of potentially toxic cyanobacteria (Microcystis, Anabaena, and Cylindrospermopsis; p
Tuberculosis: An Update for Clinicians

Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death due to a single pathogen world wide, and the number of tuberculosis cases in the United States has increased significantly since 1985. Drug-resistant ...
Pediatric-based assessment: children with school problems.

Twenty-one children with school problems underwent pediatric assessment within a university hospital primary care clinic. Assessment included history-taking facilitated by parent and teacher questionnaires, physical examinations, vision and hearing screening and neurodevelopmental examination. For 11 of the children, psychoeducational assessment was also obtained. Parent and school personnel were interviewed 2 to 6 months following assessment to determine implementation rates for recommendations. Overall, 66% of parent recommendations were implemented, including 72% of medical, 58% of mental health and 64% of educational recommendations. Seventy-two percent of school recommendations were implemented. Interdisciplinary evaluation as compared to pediatric-based assessment alone resulted in a greater number of recommendations generated (p less than .05) and a higher percentage of school recommendations implemented (p less than .01). Implementation rates for school recommendations were greater for young children (p less than .01). This study supports the usefulness of pediatric-based assessments for school problems and documents the advantages of an interdisciplinary approach to such children.
Giving notice: why privacy policies and security breach notifications aren't enough

Anecdotal evidence suggests that although consumers say they want companies to post privacy policies and make security breach disclosures, these notices are not actually having much of an effect on consumers. A number of further steps may be needed to realize the potential of transparency to improve the privacy and security of personal information. Companies are urged to go beyond notices and actually improve their privacy and security practices so that consumers have meaningful privacy choices and personal information is adequately protected.
Increased thermostability of Asn182 → Ala mutant Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase

Asn182 → Ala Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae had a first-order thermodeactivation coefficient 40% that of wild-type glucoamylase at pH 4.5 between 60° and 65°C, caused by the elimination of an Asn—Gly sequence subject to deamidation and eventual chain breakage. Above 70°C, and at pHs 3.5 and 5.5, thermodeactivation coefficients of wild-type and mutant enzymes were roughly equal, because the fastest deactivation mechanism was no longer deamidation. The mutation had little effect on the enzyme's optimal pH for activity and subsite map, or on the glucose yield from starch dextrin hydrolysis. During enzyme production by yeast fermentation, highest cell densities and activities of wild-type and mutant glucoamylases were attained after a period of glucose starvation, followed by a second addition of glucose. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mix&Match: a construction kit for visualization

We present an environment in which users can interactively create different visualization methods. This modular and extensible environment encapsulates most of the existing visualization algorithms. Users can easily construct new visualization methods by combining simple, fine grain building blocks. These components operate on a local subset of the data and generally either look for target features or produce visual objects. Intermediate compositions may also be used to build more complex visualizations. This environment provides a foundation for building and exploring novel visualization methods. >
Bilayered Spin-S Heisenberg Model in Fractional Dimensions

The ground state and the phase transitions of the bilayered spin-S anti-ferromagnetic Heisenberg model were studied by Ng et al.1 by using the Schwinger boson mean field theory. In this paper, an analytic continuation of the self-consistent equations is carried out in order to study the extension of the model to fractional dimensions from 1 to 2. Decreasing the dimensionality from 2 has an effect similar to that of decreasing the spin S. The corresponding phase diagram and phase transition will also be discussed.
A new method of assessing aerosolized bacteria generated during orthodontic debonding procedures.

Introduction The main objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a new and innovative method of harvesting bacteria that are aerosolized during orthodontic debonding. Additionally, the protection efficacy of several commercially available masks from such aerosols was assessed in a pilot study. Methods Twenty-six subjects were debonded during aerosol sampling, by using an innovative collection system to harvest bonding dust liberated during debonding. Dark-field microscopy, gram-stain microscopy, and chemical identification were used to determine speciation of the collected aerosol from 23 subjects. Three additional subjects were used to test 3 commercial dental or protective masks to determine whether they provide effective protection from the aerosol. Results Twenty-one species of oral bacteria were identified by the new sampling technique. Two of the 3 masks that were tested offered no protection against the aerosolized bacteria. Conclusions A new and effective method for collecting airborne bacteria is presented. Some conventional dental masks offer no protection from aerosolized organisms liberated during debonding procedures. Further assessment of mask efficacy is ongoing.
Comments on the article Biomarkers for prostate cancer by Eric Schiffer

Dear Editor, With widespread PSA screening, the number of equivocal cases of prostate cancer has dramatically increased. This has led to a concomitant increase in the number of prostate biopsies, many of which might be deemed unnecessary. Prostate biopsy is an invasive procedure, fraught with potential complications. A non-invasive alternative would certainly be preferable. Dr. Eric Schiffer has reviewed the many prostate cancer biomarkers and their impact on the clinical management of this disease [1]. These biomarkers utilize blood, tissue, urine, and seminal fluid assays. He posits that both urine and seminal fluid may detect early prostate malignancy through exfoliated cancer cells and secreted prostate products. Urine may also be a potential source of prostate-specific markers. However, since a significant volume of seminal fluid is produced by the prostate and seminal vesicles, seminal fluid might be an even better choice for this purpose. Cytological examination of the seminal fluid may be able to provide a more direct method of revealing an underlying prostate and/or seminal vesicle malignancy and serve as an alternative to prostate biopsy. Differentiating prostate from other epithelial cells could present a problem for the cytologist. However, some investigators have reported having done so using special staining techniques [2, 3]. The use of semen cytology could not only evolve into a feasible method for identifying the tumor cells but also be able to ascertain the grade of the underlying tumor. In order to establish the validity of using semen cytology as a method for diagnosing prostate carcinoma, one must first find answers to the following questions: If the cancer cells found in a semen specimen are comparable to the cells from multiple biopsy specimens? (Taking into account that some of the prostate tissue may no longer be connected to the ductal system and might, therefore, not shed cells into the ejaculate.) What % of patients with low-grade prostate cancer has cancer cells in their semen? What % of patients with a high-grade tumor and/or seminal vesicle invasion has cancer cells in their semen? If the levels of PSA, PCA3 (and possibly other tumor markers as well) correlate positively with the biopsy and cytology results? What are the findings in a control group? There is a real need for a less invasive diagnostic procedure than prostate biopsy. Furthermore, if prostate malignancy is found, it is important to differentiate between the men with aggressive tumors from those with slow growing tumors which may present no clinical problems. I am hoping that these comments will stimulate a more thorough study to ascertain if semen cytology can be used as an alternative for prostate biopsy.
Effectiveness of a multi-faceted, school-based health intervention program with 4th graders in Alabama

Abstract Childhood obesity is considered one of the most prevalent, chronic disorders in the U.S. with Alabama among the states with the highest incidence. Schools have the opportunity to play a vital role in educating children about healthy nutritional, physical, and psychological choices. The purpose of this multi-faceted, school-based health intervention was to educate children about healthy nutrition, promote physical activity, and use avatars as an educational and motivational tool for understanding and developing healthy bodies. Six fourth-grade classrooms in rural Alabama participated. The intervention group consisted of 25 males and 26 females (43% African-American, 57% European-American; 26% obese, 14% overweight) who received a 10-week nutrition education program that incorporated classroom physical activity and exposure to avatars. The control group consisted of 30 males and 24 females (41% African-American, 59% European-American; 28% obese, 15% overweight) who received no intervention or initial avatar exposure. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance determined that only intervention children significantly improved their healthy food choice intentions, ability to identify fatty foods, and general nutrition knowledge at posttest. Additionally, most intervention students reported that manipulating their avatar's body size helped them think about healthy weight (86%-helpful, 12%-somewhat helpful) and their own best, healthy body size (76%-yes, 22%-maybe). Intervention children picked healthier avatars as their ideal/desired body size at posttest. This intervention improved nutrition knowledge and attitudes and provided preliminary evidence that avatars can be a useful tool in childhood health interventions to help elementary school students think about healthy weight and body size.
Effect of refrigerant oil additive on R134a and R123 boiling heat transfer performance

This paper investigates the effect that an additive had on the boiling performance of an R134a/polyolester lubricant (POE) mixture and an R123/naphthenic mineral oil mixture on a roughened, horizontal flat surface. Both pool boiling heat transfer data and lubricant excesssurface density data aregiven for the R134a/POE (98% mass fraction/2% mass fraction) mixture before and after use of the additive. A spectrofluorometer was used to measure the lubricant excess density that was established by the boiling of the R134a/POE lubricant mixture before and after use of the additive. The measurements obtained from the spectrofluorometer suggest that the additive increases the total mass of lubricant on the boiling surface. The heat transfer data show that the additive caused an average and a maximum enhancement of the R134a/POE heat flux between 5 kW m � 2 and 22 kW m � 2 of approximately 73% and 95%, respectively. Conversely, for nearly the same heat flux range, the additive caused essentially no change in the pool boiling heat flux of an R123/mineral oil mixture. The lubricant excess surface density and interfacial surface tension measurements of this study were used to form the basis of a hypothesis for predicting when additives will enhance or degrade refrigerant/lubricant pool boiling. 2006 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.
Immunoaffinity removal of xenoreactive antibodies using modified dialysis or microfiltration membranes.

Hyperacute rejection following xenogeneic transplantation in primates is mediated by naturally occurring IgM antibodies, which are specifically directed to alpha-Galactosyl residues on many nonprimate mammalian cells. Current approaches to remove these anti-alphaGal IgM include plasmapheresis followed by immunoaffinity adsorption on bead columns using synthetic Gal epitopes, which requires two pieces of complex equipment. In this study, we explored the use of immunoaffinity adsorption with hollow fiber microporous or dialysis membranes to which a synthetic alphaGal trisaccharide ligand is bound. Covalent attachment of ligand directly to the surface produced negligible binding, but use of long-chain polyamines as reactive spacers yielded binding densities for anti-alphaGal IgM as high as 89 mg/mL membrane volume in breakthrough curve experiments with microporous nylon membranes having an internal surface area of 4.2 m(2)/mL membrane volume. A crossflow microfilter fabricated from the membranes described in this study and having about 0.4 m(2) luminal surface area would be able to carry out plasma separation and immunoadsorption in a single device with a large excess of binding capacity to ensure that all plasma that filters across the device and is returned to a human patient is essentially free of anti-alphaGal IgM. We conclude that immunoaffinity removal of xenoreactive antibodies using microfiltration hollow fiber membranes is feasible and has potential advantages of efficiency and simplicity for clinical application.
Cross Layer Denial of Service Attacks in Wireless Sensor Network Using Swarm Intelligence

Need for secure communication in wireless sensor network applications such as health monitoring system, building or infrastructure access systems, tsunami warning systems, etc. inspired this research. This paper is an extension to the smart building access system proposed in [1]. In this paper, a cross-layer security mechanism is proposed to detect denial of service (DoS) attacks and the countermeasures taken to avoid the same without comprising any network resources.
Three-Dimensional Resolution Doubling in Wide-Field Fluorescence Microscopy by Structured Illumination

Structured illumination microscopy is a method that can increase the spatial resolution of wide-field fluorescence microscopy beyond its classical limit by using spatially structured illumination light. Here we describe how this method can be applied in three dimensions to double the axial as well as the lateral resolution, with true optical sectioning. A grating is used to generate three mutually coherent light beams, which interfere in the specimen to form an illumination pattern that varies both laterally and axially. The spatially structured excitation intensity causes normally unreachable high-resolution information to become encoded into the observed images through spatial frequency mixing. This new information is computationally extracted and used to generate a three-dimensional reconstruction with twice as high resolution, in all three dimensions, as is possible in a conventional wide-field microscope. The method has been demonstrated on both test objects and biological specimens, and has produced the first light microscopy images of the synaptonemal complex in which the lateral elements are clearly resolved.
EXM eigen templates for detecting and classifying arbitrary junctions

A novel method for extracting parametric junction and corner features in images is presented. By treating each complex feature as a combination of elementary line and edge features, the method provides an efficient way to locate features of interest with reduced number of filtering operations. The expansion matching (EXM) method is used to design optimal detectors for a set of elementary model shape features. Next, the principal components of the Karhunen-Loeve (KL) representation of these model EXM detectors are used to filter the image and extract candidate interest points derived from the energy peaks of the eigen coefficients. The KL coefficients at these candidate points are then used to efficiently reconstruct the response and differentiate real junctions and corners from arbitrary features in the image. The method is robust to additive noise and is able to successfully extract, classify and find the myriad compositions of corner and junction features formed by combinations of two or more elementary edges or lines.
Inhaled Milrinone After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Abstract Background Proven strategies to reduce right ventricular (RV) dysfunction after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation are lacking. We sought to evaluate the tolerability, feasibility, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of inhaled milrinone (iMil) delivery after CF-LVAD implantation. Methods and Results We prospectively evaluated fixed-dose nebulized iMil delivered into a ventilator circuit for 24 hours in 10 postoperative CF-LVAD (Heartmate-II) patients. Tolerability (arrhythmias, hypotension, and hypersensitivity reaction), efficacy (hemodynamics), pharmacokinetics (plasma milrinone levels), and cost data were collected.Mean age was 56 ± 9 years, 90% were male, and mean INTERMACS profile was 2.5 ± 0.8. No new atrial arrhythmia events occurred, although 3 (30%) ventricular tachycardia (1 nonsustained, 2 sustained) events occurred. Sustained hypotension, drug hypersensitivity, death, or need for right ventricular assist device were not observed. Invasive mean pulmonary arterial pressure from baseline to during iMil therapy was improved ( P = .017). Mean plasma milrinone levels (ng/mL) at baseline, and 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours were 74.2 ± 35.4, 111.3 ± 70.9, 135.9 ± 41.5, 205.0 ± 86.7, 176.8 ± 61.3 187.6 ± 105.5, respectively. Reduced institutional cost was observed when iMil was compared with nitric oxide therapy over 24 hours ($165.29 vs $1,944.00, respectively). Conclusions iMil delivery after CF-LVAD implantation was well tolerated, feasible, and demonstrated favorable hemodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and cost profiles. iMil therapy warrants further study in larger clinical trials.
Time integrators based on approximate discontinuous Hamiltonians

SUMMARY We introduce a class of time integration algorithms for finite dimensional mechanical systems whose Hamiltonians are separable. By partitioning the system's configuration space to construct an approximate potential energy, we define an approximate discontinuous Hamiltonian (ADH) whose resulting equations of motion can be solved exactly. The resulting integrators are symplectic and precisely conserve the approximate energy, which by design is always close to the exact one. We then propose two ADH algorithms for finite element discretizations of nonlinear elastic bodies. These result in two classes of explicit asynchronous time integrators that are scalable and, because they conserve the approximate Hamiltonian, could be considered to be unconditionally stable in some circumstances. In addition, these integrators can naturally incorporate frictionless contact conditions. We discuss the momentum conservation properties of the resulting methods and demonstrate their performance with several problems, such as rotating bodies and multiple collisions of bodies with rigid boundaries. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chaos, Stability and Predictability in Newtonian Dynamics

The entrance of the subjects of limited predictability and of chaos into the fields of celestial mechanics and gravitational n — body dynamics is treated in this paper. The non-integrability of the gravitational many-body problem (for three or more participatmg masses), when combined with errors in modelling and with the uncertain values of the initial conditions, leads to bundles of trajectories instead of single orbits for a given dynamical problem. The consequences of these realistic considerations are treated and their effects in celestial mechanics are discussed.
Comparative Statics Analysis of Multiproduct Newsvendor Networks Under Responsive Pricing

We propose a novel analytic approach for the comparative statics analysis of multiproduct multiresource newsvendor networks under responsive pricing. Our approach involves exploiting the properties of the primal mathematical programming formulation and of the dual variables and linking those properties to the concept of convex orders and to properties of the underlying demand function. The use of convex orders allows us to establish our main results without restriction to a specific demand distribution. A major strength of our approach is that it is “scalable,” i.e., it applies to newsvendor networks with any number of “nonindependent” i.e., demand or resource sharing products and resources, without an exponential increase in effort as problem size increases. This is unlike the current approaches commonly used in the operations management literature, which typically involve a parametric analysis of the recourse problem, followed by the use of Jacobians and the implicit function theorem. Providing a rigorous framework for comparative statics analysis, which can be applied to other problems that are not amenable to traditional parametric analysis, is our main contribution. We demonstrate this approach on the optimal capacity decision problem in multiproduct newsvendor networks under responsive pricing, formulated as a two-stage stochastic programming problem with recourse: The firm determines the resource capacities ex ante, in the first stage, when demand intercepts are uncertain, and makes the pricing and production decisions ex post, in the second stage, when demand intercepts e.g., market conditions are fully observed. This particular problem and its variants are well studied in the operations management literature. A comparative statics analysis is integral to the study of the capacity investment decision, as it allows answers to important questions such as the following: “Does the firm acquire more or less of the different resources available as demand uncertainty increases? Does the firm benefit from an increase in demand uncertainty?” Using our proposed approach, we establish comparative statics results on how the newsvendor's expected profit and optimal capacity decision change with demand risk in multiproduct multiresource newsvendor networks. We also extend our analysis to the study of demand dependence in two-product networks.
A framework for unsupervised online human reaching motion recognition and early prediction

This paper focuses on recognition and prediction of human reaching motion in industrial manipulation tasks. Several supervised learning methods have been proposed for this purpose, but we seek a method that can build models on-the-fly and adapt to new people and new motion styles as they emerge. Thus, unlike previous work, we propose an unsupervised online learning approach to the problem, which requires no offline training or manual categorization of trajectories. Our approach consists of a two-layer library of Gaussian Mixture Models that can be used both for recognition and prediction. We do not assume that the number of motion classes is known a priori, and thus the library grows if it cannot explain a new observed trajectory. Given an observed portion of a trajectory, the framework can predict the remainder of the trajectory by first determining what GMM it belongs to, and then using Gaussian Mixture Regression to predict the remainder of the trajectory. We tested our method on motion-capture data recorded during assembly tasks. Our results suggest that the proposed framework outperforms supervised methods in terms of both recognition and prediction. We also show the benefit of using our two-layer framework over simpler approaches.
The New York Farm Bureau and the Legislative Processes: A Study in Agricultural Politics

This study analyzes the role of the New York Farm Bureau in the state legislative processes during 1961–1965. The method is empirical and analytical, with extensive interviews and legislative and Bureau reports providing the major sources of data. It supports more general analyses of pressure group politics, such as those of V. O. Key and David Truman, by showing how the organizational unity and efficiency of the Bureau, combined with favorable political and institutional factors, give an organized farm group greater political influence than its numbers would seem to warrant. The conclusion is similar to that demonstrated by Hadwiger and Talbot in their recent study of national agricultural politics: that legislators and groups representing farming areas still determine, for the most part, the contents of governmental farm legislation. There is a need for increased study of state politics and the role of pressure groups, and especially for studies of New York. This analysis is one of several efforts made in recent years to meet this need, and it continues in a more microscopic way the pioneering work done by Belle Zeller in the 1930's on New York pressure group politics.
The Question of Afghanistan and Its Impact on U.S. Relations with Pakistan: The Need for Pragmatic Engagement

Relations between the U.S. and Pakistan have always been cyclical, oscillating from collaboration and friendship to noncooperation and enmity. A core reason for this is a failure by consecutive American administration to understand the nature of the Pakistani political system, in which social groups are central. Accordingly, U.S. policymakers have expectations and make demands that often manifest through the rubric of democracy promotion. The paper identifies two key obstacles to democracy promotion in Pakistan: ungoverned territories and social identity groups. The section examines these elements in respect to Afghanistan. The reason for that is because the second section expands the argument by shifting attention to U.S. policymakers who appear to have place Afghanistan at the heart of U.S. engagement in South Asia. In doing so, it is argue that as long as Afghanistan remains key to U.S. national security concerns, American interaction with Pakistan remains limited because the relations are not about the U.S. and Pakistan per se, but rather on how Pakistan can help the U.S. meet its national security interests in Afghanistan.
Modeling irradiation creep of graphite using rate theory

Abstract We have examined irradiation induced creep of graphite in the framework of transition state rate theory. Experimental data for two grades of nuclear graphite (H-337 and AGOT) have been analyzed to determine the stress exponent (n) and activation energy (Q) for plastic flow under irradiation. We show that the mean activation energy lies between 0.14 and 0.32 eV with a mean stress-exponent of 1.0 ± 0.2. A stress exponent of unity and the unusually low activation energies strongly indicate a diffusive defect transport mechanism for neutron doses in the range of 3–4 × 1022 n/cm2.
Two LANL laboratory astrophysics experiments

Two laboratory experiments are described that have been built at Los Alamos (LANL) to gain access to a wide range of fundamental plasma physics issues germane to astro, space, and fusion plasmas. The overarching theme is magnetized plasma dynamics which includes significant currents, MHD forces and instabilities, magnetic field creation and annihilation, sheared flows and shocks. The Relaxation Scaling Experiment (RSX) creates current sheets and flux ropes that exhibit fully 3D dynamics, and can kink, bounce, merge and reconnect, shred, and reform in complicated ways. Recent movies from a large data set describe the 3D magnetic structure of a driven and dissipative single flux rope that spontaneously self-saturates a kink instability. Examples of a coherent shear flow dynamo driven by colliding flux ropes will also be shown. The Magnetized Shock Experiment (MSX) uses Field reversed configuration (FRC) experimental hardware that forms and ejects FRCs at 150km/sec. This is sufficient to drive a collision less magnetized shock when stagnated into a mirror stopping field region with Alfven Mach number MA=3 so that super critical shocks can be studied. We are building a plasmoid accelerator to drive Mach numbers MA >> 3 to access solar wind and more exotic astrophysical regimes. Unique more » features of this experiment include access to parallel, oblique and perpendicular shocks, shock region much larger than ion gyro radii and ion inertial length, room for turbulence, and large magnetic and fluid Reynolds numbers. « less
P5.026 More Than Just Selling the Test: Pharmacist Opinion About the Sale of Over the Counter HIV Rapid Tests

Community pharmacy sale of over-the-counter (OTC) rapid HIV tests may provide an important extension of the public health system. U.S. pharmacy practise has expanded to include several public health services; however, nothing is known about pharmacist attitudes about OTC sale of HIV tests and related consultation opportunities. Methods This study identifies and explores the views of pharmacists regarding the sale of OTC rapid HIV tests. Exploratory interviews were conducted among a sample of 17 licenced community pharmacists in a Midwestern U.S. state with moderate HIV incidence. 30-minute interviews were conducted in person or by telephone between May and September 2012. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for a priori and open coding. Three investigators independently coded transcripts to assure interrator reliability. Findings Pharmacists had positive attitudes about the OTC rapid HIV test, as testing would likely result in more people learning their HIV status. Participants felt that the pharmacy role should not be limited to test kit sale. Pharmacists framed their role as health consultants focused specifically on results consultation and linkage to treatment. Point of sale was identified as the opportunity for consultation about the HIV test and to establish a relationship for future discussion about results and linkage to care. Conclusion Pharmacist consultation at point of OTC HIV test sale provides an important opportunity to increase options for linkage to HIV care. Future studies should investigate pharmacist opinion and attitudes about the OTC sale of rapid HIV test kits among a larger and more representative sample of community pharmacists, and in states with other geographic, socio demographic and epidemiologic characteristics.
Molecular Properties of Amphotericin B Membrane Channel: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Amphotericin B is a powerful but toxic antifungal antibiotic that is used to treat systemic infections. It forms ionic membrane channels in fungal cells. These antibiotic/sterol channels are responsible for the leakage of ions, which causes cell destruction. The detailed molecular properties and structure of amphotericin B channels are still unknown. In the current study, two molecular dynamic simulations were performed of a particular model of amphotericin B/cholesterol channel. The water and phospholipid environment were included in our simulations, and the results obtained were compared with available experimental data. It was found that it is mainly the hydrogen bonding interactions that keep the channel stable in its open form. Our study also revealed the important role of the intermolecular interactions among the hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups of the channel-forming molecules; in particular, some hydroxyl groups stand out as new "hot spots" that are potentially useful for chemotherapeutic investigations. Our results also help to clarify why certain antibiotic derivatives, with a blocked amino group, are less active. We present a hypothesis for the role of membrane lipids and cholesterol in the channel.
The Periodic Paralyses

Patient history and examination often provide sufficient diagnostic clues to allow appropriate classification of the patient with one of the primary periodic paralyses. This article reviews these disorders, their treatment, and the use of provocative testing in their diagnosis. Dysfunction of the muscle membrane sodium channel may be a “final common pathway” pathogenetic mechanism for many of the periodic paralyses.
Solidarity: Post-Modern Perspectives

Notions of solidarity are often advanced as rallying cries for various social goals. They are forwarded in appeal to sacrifice on behalf of others. They are also employed in invitations to establish in society generally some of the bonds found in voluntary communities.1 Appeals to solidarity are often engaged as well as indirect pleas that one be concerned for those in need. It is frequently difficult to gauge the sincerity and depth of many of the announcements of solidarity with those in need. As one moves from recognizing the hungry and the imperilled to fashioning particular large-scale social attempts to feed the hungry and protect the endangered, one fmds substantial disagreements. First, one must note how reticent most individuals are to provide resources to those in need. Though the commentator for this paper has sworn a vow of poverty, it is not as if he or many reading this paper live anywhere close to the poverty level. Indeed, any of the funds invested in buying the bottles of good wine we are likely to have consumed in the last year would probably have saved starving children in especially distressed areas of the world. When one speaks of solidarity, one surely means to keep it within limits
Headspace Sampling and Gas Chromatographic Determination of Styrene Migration from Food-Contact Polystyrene Cups into Beverages and Food Simulants

Migration studies using coffee, tea, water, and 8% ethanol were conducted with various types of food-contact polystyrene cups. Study conditions simulated filing and storage at room temperature and hot-filling or pasteurization above 150 degrees F (65.6 degrees C). The quantity of styrene migrating was determined by headspace sampling and gas chromatography (GC). The GC column was 6% Carbowax 20M on Chromosorb 101 with quantitation via a flame ionization detector. Detection limits ranged from 3 to 10 ppb in various liquids. The method and results of the migration studies are presented.
Linearly Ordered Spaces

Let [X,<] be a linearly ordered set, in the sense defined in Section 5. We define the induced neighborhood system N = N(<) in the following way. For each a ∈ X, let $$\left( { - \infty ,a} \right)\; = \;\left\{ {x\left| {x\; < \;a} \right.} \right\},\;\left( {a,\infty } \right)\; = \;\left\{ {x\left| {a\; < \;x} \right.} \right\}.$$
NFL Players' Decertification: Hail Mary or a Smart Play?

This paper assesses the legality and utility of the NFL Players' Union decision to decertify and file an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL and its owners. The March 2011 decertification officially withdrew the NFLPA's status as the negotiating entity for NFL players, and in effect, unilaterally removed the league from the protections of labor law and subjected its policies to antitrust scrutiny. Precedent suggests that the decertification will be upheld as a legal bargaining tactic, however, it remains to be seen whether the decertification will be enough to enjoin the lockout. Either way, the decertification will greatly effect the labor negotiations going forward.
In vitro reconstitution demonstrates the cell wall ligase activity of LCP proteins

Sacculus is a peptidoglycan (PG) matrix that protects bacteria from osmotic lysis. In Gram-positive organisms, the sacculus is densely functionalized with glycopolymers important for survival, but the way in which assembly occurs is not known. In Staphylococcus aureus, three LCP (LytR-CpsA-Psr) family members have been implicated in attaching the major glycopolymer wall teichoic acid (WTA) to PG, but ligase activity has not been demonstrated for these or any other LCP proteins. Using WTA and PG substrates produced chemoenzymatically, we show that all three proteins can transfer WTA precursors to nascent PGs, establishing that LCP proteins are PG-glycopolymer ligases. Although all S. aureus LCP proteins have the capacity to attach WTA to PG, we show that their cellular functions are not redundant. Strains lacking lcpA have phenotypes similar to those of WTA-null strains, indicating that this is the most important WTA ligase. This work provides a foundation for studying how LCP enzymes participate in cell wall assembly.
Cognitive workload in conventional direct control vs. pattern recognition control of an upper-limb prosthesis

The purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive workload of able-bodied individuals when using a myoelectric prosthetic under direct control (DC) or electromyography pattern recognition (PR) control. Different from existing clinical evaluations involving dual-task performance, pupillography measured with an eye-tracking system was used to quantitatively assess user cognitive workload in using a 2 degree-of-freedom prosthesis for a clothespin task. Test results revealed the PR control to produce superior task performance and to require lower cognitive load than demanded of participants under the DC condition. This study provided evidence of both performance and workload advantages of PR control over DC control. PR control was more intuitive to the prosthesis user and, therefore, required less cognitive effort. Furthermore, the study identified a new effective measure of cognitive workload in upper limb prosthesis use via pupillography.
The effects of press freedom and biotech policy on Southeast Asian newspapers' coverage of genetically modified crops

This study determines whether a country’s degree of press freedom and national biotech policy influence its newspapers’ performance in reporting about GM crops. Using the tenets of social amplification of risk framework, agenda setting, and framing theory, a content analysis of articles from newspapers in the Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam was conducted. Results reveal that a freer press status fosters more stories and use of frames while a precautionary biotech policy favors the citing of more sources. The diversity of sources, however, produced a more polarized coverage that tended to be negative toward this innovation. Across the nations, the most dominant sources cited were politicians and government institutions followed by international and local NGOs. The top frames were those that discussed policy/legal issues, safety issues,
Case 3446Anolis chrysolepis Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Reptilia, Squamata): proposed precedence over Draconura nitens Wagler, 1830

The purpose of this application, under Articles 23.6, 23.12 and 81 of the Code, is to conserve the name Anolis chrysolepis Dumeril & Bibron, 1837, for a polytypic species of biogeographic importance. An older, less-used name Anolis nitens (Wagler, 1830), was rejected in a major revision (Vanzolini & Williams, 1970) as a name ‘of uncertain application [and] uncertain geographical provenance’, the first term being equivalent to nomen dubium as defined in the Code. The specific name nitens was published with a 4-line description in the monotypic genus Draconura; the type locality (‘America’) is vague and the holotype is unknown. It is indeed a nomen dubium that cannot unambiguously be assigned to any known lizard, although the possibility that the brief color description might prove diagnostic of a species waiting rediscovery cannot be rejected. Article 23.3.6 of the Code allows authors to use the junior name Anolis chrysolepis as valid. However, although never in prevailing usage historically, Anolis nitens nonetheless remains in competing use because of prior (and arguable) interpretation of Article 23. It is a major source of instability. It is proposed that the name Anolis chrysolepis Dumeril & Bibron, 1837, be given precedence over Draconura nitens Wagler, 1830, whenever the two are considered to be synonyms.