cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online template induction for machine-generated emails

In emails, information abounds. Whether it be a bill reminder, a hotel confirmation, or a shipping notification, our emails contain useful bits of information that enable a number of applications. Most of this email traffic is machine-generated, sent from a business to a human. These business-to-consumer emails are typically instantiated from a set of email templates, and discovering these templates is a key step in enabling a variety of intelligent experiences. Existing email information extraction systems typically separate information extraction into two steps: an offline template discovery process (called template induction) that is periodically run on a sample of emails, and an online email annotation process that applies discovered templates to emails as they arrive. Since information extraction requires an email's template to be known, any delay in discovering a newly created template causes missed extractions, lowering the overall extraction coverage. In this paper, we present a novel system called Crusher that discovers templates completely online, reducing template discovery delay from a week (for the existing MapReduce-based batch system) to minutes. Furthermore, Crusher has a resource consumption footprint that is significantly smaller than the existing batch system. We also report on the surprising lesson we learned that conventional stream processing systems do not present a good framework on which to build Crusher. Crusher delivers an order of magnitude more throughput than a prototype built using a stream processing engine. We hope that these lessons help designers of stream processing systems accommodate a broader range of applications like online template induction in the future.
Building a Biomedical Ontology for Respiratory Tract Infection

Respiratory tract infections are most common disease which can affect any human during any part of their age. According to sources almost 60% of all antibiotic prescription is due to Respiratory tract infection. The concepts and their relations related to Respiratory tract infection are need to be explained with the help of biomedical literature as well as historical records. But these literature or records cannot be efficiently managed by users due to their unstructured representation. Biomedical Ontologies are best way to identify the concepts and their respective relations from huge amount of unstructured data. Our research aimed to create a biomedical Ontology for the domain of Respiratory tract infection using UMLS as a data source, which contains concepts, subtypes, their relationships, and semantic types. As a result ontology contains 26 main and sub types of Respiratory tract infections, also 234 broad relations with 107325 relation counts and 1151 narrow relation with 34580 relation counts. The ontology created is evaluated by domain experts and results are formulated.
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Technology in the Hospitality Industry: Current Applications and Future Trends

This study explores the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technology in the hospitality industry. After reviewing and evaluating research and articles, currently, robotics technology has been broadly applied into hotel, food and beverage, and meeting and convention; these are the three major segments in the hospitality industry. The impacts of AI and robotics technology on workforce, customers, and corporations are examined. Further, the authors explore the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technology. In the end of this literature review, the factors and the risks of robot industry are discussed.
Gait Deficits and Loss of Striatal Tyrosine Hydroxlase/Trk-B are Restored Following 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Treatment in a Progressive MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused by neurodegeneration of nigrostriatal neurons, resulting in dopamine (DA) stimulated motor deficits. Like brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) is an agonist of the tropomyosin receptor kinase-B (TrkB) and stimulates the same secondary cascades that promote neuronal growth, survival and differentiation. We used our progressive mouse model of PD by administering increasing doses of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) over 4 weeks (5 days/week), and then treated mice with DHF for 4 weeks after the cessation of the toxin injections (i.e., restoration). Mice treated with DHF recovered motorically, even after MPTP administration. Despite a 75% loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the dorsolateral (DL) striatum in the MPTP group, mice treated with DHF had a recovery comparable to that found in the respective control. There was no recovery of DA tissue levels within the DL striatum. In both the DL striatum and substantia nigra (SN)/midbrain, phosphorylated TrkB and secondary messengers were significantly increased following DHF compared to the MPTP only group. Expression of the sprouting biomarker, superior cervical ganglion 10 (SCG10), was increased ∼20% in the DL striatum and 66% in the SN/midbrain in mice treated with DHF compared to the MPTP only group. We report that after 4 weeks of progressive MPTP administration, DHF can restore motor deficits and TH within the DL striatum in a TrkB-dependent manner. Our data suggests that DHF may help alleviate motor symptoms of PD and restore the loss of DA terminals within the striatum.
‘Both needed and threatened’: Armed mothers in militant visuals:

Because women are assumed to be nonviolent, their participation in militant groups can humanize organizations and legitimize rebellion. But gender beliefs are deeply engrained, and consequently wom...
Mimicking nature for resilient resource and infrastructure network design

Abstract Increasingly prevalent extreme weather events have caused resilience to become an essential sustainable development component for resource and infrastructure networks. Existing resilience metrics require detailed knowledge of the system and potential disruptions, which is not available in the early design stage. The lack of quantitative tools to guide the early stages of design for resilience, forces engineers to rely on heuristics (use physical redundancy, localized capacity, etc.). This research asserts that the required quantitative guidelines can be developed using the architecting principles of biological ecosystems, which maintain a unique balance between pathway redundancy and efficiency, enabling them to be both productive under normal circumstances and survive disruptions. Ecologists quantify this network characteristic using the ecological fitness function. This paper presents the required reformulation required to enable the use of this metric in the design and analysis of resource and infrastructure networks with multiple distinct, but interdependent, interactions. The proposed framework is validated by comparing the resilience characteristics of two notional supply chain designs: one designed for minimum shipping cost and the other designed using the proposed bio-inspired framework. The results support using the proposed bio-inspired framework to guide designers in creating resilient and sustainable resource and infrastructure networks.
Examining the Potential of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention in a Community Sample of Persons Who Use Stimulants Living in the Southern United States

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective HIV prevention strategy, is currently underutilized by several at-risk groups, including both persons who inject drugs and those who use drugs via other routes. Stimulant use is associated with increased HIV risk due to both sexual and injection risk behaviors. In this study, we examined PrEP awareness and acceptability in persons with biologically confirmed HIV-negative status who use stimulant drugs. We also examined HIV risk behaviors to identify how many participants met behavioral eligibility for PrEP. The sample of 352 participants was 46% female, 87% African American, and 45.69 years old on average. Over half the sample (n = 213) met criteria for PrEP candidacy, but less than 20% had heard of PrEP. Ratings for willingness to take PrEP were high. PrEP candidates reported more frequent and problematic stimulant use relative to non-candidates. Our results show that persons who use stimulants are a high-risk population that could benefit significantly from PrEP. Efforts to increase PrEP awareness among high-risk populations are critical for facilitating PrEP implementation and ensuring effective HIV prevention within these communities.
Special Populations in Psychiatric Emergency Services: Children and Adolescents

This chapter highlights the current state of child and adolescent emergency psychiatry, specifically the increase in pediatric psychiatry emergency room visits, and describes the roles the various emergency systems that assess and care for youth need to fill in this context. The authors also aim to enumerate the treatment modalities, types of staff, and interventions best suited to treat this population. The text also addresses the need for a greater investment in resources, both in infrastructure and specialized provider training, to allow for the implementation of innovative and efficient solutions to this growing gap in care.
Parker Solar Probe FIELDS Instrument Charging in the Near Sun Environment: Part 2: Comparison of In-Flight Data and Modeling Results

This research shows Part II of the Spacecraft Interaction Plasma Software (SPIS) used to model the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) FIELDS instrument and its interactions with the Solar Wind. Flight data w...
Validity of Parent Ratings of Speech Intelligibility for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Aim: To examine the relationship between subjective parent ratings of intelligibility and objectively measured intelligibility scores for children with cerebral palsy (CP) with differing levels of ...
Improving Testing by Mimicking User Behavior

In-house tests are hardly representative of the rich variety of software behaviors exercised by real users in the field. To bridge the gap between in-house tests and field executions, we need ways to (1) identify behavior exercised in the field but not in-house, and (2) generate new tests that exercise such (or at least similar) behavior. In this context, we propose Replica, a technique that uses field execution data to guide test generation. Replica instruments the software before deploying it, so that field data collection is triggered when a user exercises an untested behavior. Then, when it receives the collected field data, Replica uses guided symbolic execution to generate executions that exercise this previously untested behavior. Our empirical evaluation shows that Replica can successfully generate tests that mimic field executions in terms of both behaviors exercised and faults detected. Our results also show that Replica can outperform a state-of-the-art input-generation technique that does not leverage field data.
The need for shared personal/family archivists

Technologies have made it easy for individuals or families to generate and accumulate information collections with similar volume and complexity as institutional libraries or archives in the past. A survey was conducted to investigate people’s needs in managing and preserving personal/family information collections. The survey data show that many people have trouble in finding, sharing, preserving, and accessing personal/family information collections. Although some libraries and archives provide guidance, training, or equipment to assist people in managing and preserving their collections, very few people consider those services to be sufficient. These findings indicate an unmet need for a new type of archivists that serves the information management and preservation needs of individuals and families. This paper discusses mechanisms to develop a workforce of personal/family archivists and to match the supply and demand of personal/family archivist, as well as future work to further assess the need for shared personal/family archivists.
Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation Editor’s Vision: Ecological Perspectives on Consultation Scholarship During a Time of Need

I am honored and humbled to serve as the sixth Editor for the Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation (JEPC). The longevity of the journal, having recently celebrated its 30th year of...
Papilledema as the Sole Manifestation of Neuroborreliosis

Lyme disease is reportable, and approximately 30,000 cases/year are notified to the local and state health departments. However, other estimates based on insurance records suggest there are close to 476,000 cases/year that are diagnosed and treated. In addition to a large burden of illness, areas where Lyme disease is common are expanding. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of uncommon presentations of this condition. We describe the case of a 5-year-old girl who presented with papilledema as an isolated manifestation of Lyme disease. Of note, her ocular symptoms were intermittent and worse when tired. In endemic areas, Lyme disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with isolated ophthalmic findings even outside the usual Lyme season.
Oh No, Not Another Trolley! On the Need for a Co-Liberative Consciousness in CS Pedagogy

Due to growing concerns for the disproportionate dangers AI advances pose to marginalized groups, proposals for procedural solutions to ethics in AI abound. It is time to consider that some systems may be inherently unethical, even violent, whether or not they are fair. In this paper, we deploy a Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of long-format responses to ethical scenarios from computing science undergraduate students. We find that even among students that had a strong understanding of social justice and the power of AI to exacerbate existing inequities, most students contextualize these problems as the product of biased datasets and human mis/trust factors, rather than as problems of design and purpose. Further, while many students recognized racism and classism at play in the potential negative impacts of AI systems, most students failed to recognize ableism as a driving social force for inequity. As computing science faculty, we must recognize that our students graduate to become the researchers and developers of future technosocial systems. Pedagogically, we need more than procedural fixes to systemic inequities. We are not going to program our way into justice. We must learn to say no to building violent things.
Local Causes and Aggregate Implications of Land Use Regulation

I study why some cities have strict land use regulation, how regulation affects the U.S. economy, and how policymakers can mitigate its negative consequences. I develop a quantitative spatial equilibrium model where local regulation is determined endogenously, by voting. Homeowners in productive cities with attractive amenities vote for strict regulation. The model accounts for one-third of the observed variation in regulation across cities. Quantitative experiments show that excessive local regulation reduces aggregate productivity, but not necessarily welfare because, unlike renters, homeowners benefit from regulation. I propose federal policies that raise productivity and welfare by weakening incentives to regulate land use.
Cryogenic preservation of Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae, reactivation and completion of the life-cycle in the mosquito and vertebrate hosts

Background The cryopreservation of filarial nematodes has been studied for nearly 70 years. Largely, these studies examined the effectiveness of cryopreservation methods by using the post-thaw survival of microfilariae (mf) and the development to third-stage larvae (L3s) following inoculation into a competent insect vector. Only one study reported complete reestablishment of a filarial nematode (Brugia malayi) life-cycle in a competent vertebrate host from cryopreserved stock. Expanding on this previous research, a cryopreservation method was developed to cryopreserve the mf of the dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis. Methods A combination of cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and polyvinyl pyrolidone (PVP) at 6% and 4 mM, respectively, provided acceptable post-thaw survival of mf that developed into L3s in Aedes aegypti. L3s developed from cryopreserved and freshly collected mf in mosquitoes were inoculated into ferrets and dogs and were assessed after a sufficient duration post-inoculation for development into adult heartworms. Results Fewer adult heartworms derived from cryopreserved stocks of mf were recovered from ferrets compared to adult heartworms derived from freshly collected mf, and the former were smaller by weight and length. The onset of patency (circulating mf) occurred at similar post-inoculation time points and at similar mf densities in dogs infected with L3s sourced from cryopreserved stocks or freshly collected mf. Adults derived from cryopreserved mf have survived and produced viable mf for more than 3 years in dogs. Approximately 60% of inoculated L3s were recovered as adults from dogs at 2 and 3.5 years post-inoculation. Conclusions The results from these direct comparisons demonstrate that cryopreserved mf can develop into L3s in vector mosquitoes and that these L3s are infective to both dogs and ferrets, where they undergo normal development into adult worms. These worms are able to mate and produce viable mf and complete the heartworm lifecycle in dog.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: America’s Prophet of Expressive Individualism

This essay argues that Ralph Waldo Emerson is America’s prophet of expressive individualism—foreseeing, and calling into being, a new understanding of the individual. Far from being a defender of t...
Seeing the Rock: Expanding One’s Vision in Community with Preschool Knowers

This paper takes a philosophically informed approach to what it means to make sense of the world. Specifically, it asks how understanding might be enhanced when we listen to young children who are labelled with disabilities. To address this question, I describe a lesson I taught as a guest teacher in which my understanding of both a rock and an activity, descriptive inquiry, were challenged and expanded through the participation of a child identified with a significant language-based disability. To explore this event and its implications for what it means to teach and know, I juxtapose Jacques Derrida, Miranda Fricker, and Jacques Ranciere with each other and with my descriptions of the event.
Wages Against Artwork: Decommodified Labor and the Claims of Socially Engaged Art, by Leigh Claire La Berge

Throughout Wages Against Artwork: Decommodified Labor and the Claims of Socially Engaged Art, Leigh Claire La Berge critically analyzes labor culture in the visual arts economy with theoretical fra...
Majorization in IRn

As mentioned in Chapter 1, the name majorization appears first in HLP (1959). The idea had appeared earlier (HLP, 1929) although unchristened. Muirhead who dealt with Z n + (i.e. vectors of non-negative integers) already had identified the partial order defined in (1.1) (i.e. majorization). But he, when he needed to refer to it, merely called it “ordering.” Perhaps it took the insight of HLP to recognize that little of Muirhead’s work need necessarily be restricted to integers, but the key ideas including Dalton’s transfer principle were already present in Muirhead’s paper. If there was anything lacking in Muirhead’s development, it was motivation for the novel results he obtained. He did exhibit the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality as an example of his general results, but proofs of that inequality are legion. If that was the only use of his “inequalities of symmetric algebraic functions of n letters”, then they might well remain buried in the Edinburgh proceedings. HLP effectively rescued Muirhead’s work from such potential obscurity. In the present book theorems will be stated in generality comparable to that achieved by HLP and will be ascribed to those authors. Muirhead’s priority will not be repeatedly asserted. HLP restricted attention to IR n + , but the restriction to the positive orthant can and will be often dispensed with. First let us establish the relationship between majorization as defined by HLP (i.e., (1.1)) and averaging as defined by Schur.
The Mass Spectra of 4‐(3‐Arylsydnonyl)Methanols and Their Derivatives: Formation of Ar‐N=C‐H Cation via a Hydrogen Migration

Fourteen mass spectra of the sydnonylmethanols and their derivatives have been measured under EI conditions. The process of losing a OR' radical and hydrogen migration reaction are accompanyed with lost of a CO and an NO channel. The competition between cleavage of C-0 bond and hydrogen migration is mainly controlled by the type and size of the R' group.
Mobile computing: DataMan project perspective

The objective of mobile computing is to develop system and application level software for small, battery powered terminals equipped with the wireless network connection. There is a rapidly growing interest in this field with companies spending billions of dollars developing technology and buying spectrum in the recent PCS auctions. In this paper we offer a perspective of mobile computing from the standpoint of our own research project at Rutgers University. The DataMan project (T.Imielinski as Project Director and B.R.Badrinath as the CoDirector) is funded by ARPA(within GLOMOprogram), and two awards from NSF as well as industry support through the industry sponsored Wireless Information Networks Laboratory (WINLAB).
Double-Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Cellobiohydrolase I

A double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for quantifying cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) in crude preparations of the cellulase complex from Trichoderma reesei. The other enzymes (endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase) in this complex and other ingredients in culture broth did not interfere with this assay. The antibody configuration that resulted in the highest specificity for the assay of CBH I employed a monoclonal antibody to coat wells in polystyrene plates and peroxidase-labeled polyclonal antibody to detect cellobiohydrolase bound to the immobilized monoclonal antibody. Previously, procedures have not been available for the direct assay of CBH I activity in the presence of the other enzymes in the complex, and current indirect procedures are cumbersome and inaccurate. The direct procedure described here is highly specific for CBH I and useful for quantifying this enzyme in the range of 0.1 to 0.8 mug/ml.
La indización de sueldos y salarios y el tipo real de cambio en economías abiertas pequeñas: Estudio de los efectos de las fluctuaciones de los ingresos de exportación

Muchos paises pequenos que exportan productos basicos primarios estan expuestos a los efectos de amplias fluctuaciones imprevisibles de sus ingresos de exportacion. Para adaptarse a ellas generalmente les resulta necesario modificar precios relativos tales como el salario real y el tipo real de cambio. En muchos de esos paises, sin embargo, esos ajustes no se pueden producir porque hay un regimen de indizacion que implica que el salario real o el tipo real de cambio no pueden variar. En este estudio se adapta el marco analitico presentado por Aizenman y Frenkel (1984, 1985) para las pequenas economias abiertas expuestas a la fluctuacion de sus ingresos de exportacion, y se sostiene que aun con un regimen de indizacion es posible llevar a cabo los necesarios ajustes de los salarios y el tipo de cambio. Esos ajustes se pueden obtener vinculando los salarios no solo a los precios sino tembien a las variaciones de caracter permanente de los ingresos de exportacion. Se demuestra que el vinculo entre la variacion de los salarios (o el tipo de cambio) y las fluctuaciones de los ingresos de exportacion que implica minimo desempleo depende del caracter de la conmocion que afecta a los ingresos de exportacion, y de la estructura de la economia. Por ejemplo: debe suponerse que la variacion de los ingresos de exportacion afecta mas a los paises que exportan recursos no renovables que a los que exportan recursos renovables, pues es de prever que la mayoria de las variaciones pronunciadas del precio de un recurso no renovable son de caracter permanente, y transitorias las de los recursos renovables. Ademas, cuanto mas abierta es una economia tanto mayor sera la reaccion de los salarios ante las variaciones de los ingresos de exportacion. En el analisis tambien se examinan los efectos de los diversos tipos de normas de indizacion sobre los niveles de bienestar y empleo. Se demuestra que las politicas de fijacion del tipo real de cambio son peores que las de fijacion de los salarios reales. Si a los fines de la indizacion de los salarios no se toma en cuenta la fluctuacion de los ingresos de exportacion y si solo el componente interno del indice de precios al consumidor (IPC), en lugar del IPC integro tambien se reduce al minimo el aumento del desempleo que produce la fluctuacion de los ingresos de exportacion.
Compact holographic memory implemented with photorefractive crystals

We have designed and implemented a compact holographic memory module that uses a dual spatial-light modulator/detector optoelectronic integrated circuit in the lens-less phase- conjugate geometry. In this paper we discuss optical design and systems issues and present recent experimental results. ©2004 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.
Electromagnetic instability of an intense beam in a quadrupole focusing system

Discrete quadrupole focusing systems are subject to the electromagnetic instability, previously found in helical quadrupole strong focusing systems. The dispersion relation is derived. Analytical growth rates are obtained. Instability boundaries are established. Numerical solutions of the dispersion relation results show that the overall stability properties are not favorable for long pulse, high-current electron beams. >
Effects of Defending: The Longitudinal Relations Among Peer‐perceived Defending of Victimized Peers, Victimization, and Liking

Previous research has shown victims of peer aggression to be positively impacted by being defended by peers, but how enacted defending impacts defenders themselves is not thoroughly understood. In this study, the longitudinal associations between peer-perceived liking, enacted defending, and defender's own victimization were investigated among 336 adolescents (M age = 13.21 years). Peer perceived liking was expected to predict defending. It was also hypothesized that a reputation for defending victimized peers would be related to being perceived as less victimized and more liked over time. Results showed that peer perceived liking was not predictive of defending. Enacted defending was associated with a decrease in victimization over time, but also a decrease in peer-perceived liking. Defenders may benefit from enacted defending by decreasing their own victimization, but this benefit is nuanced.
What Can Motivational Interviewing Do for You

Abstract Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a promising 25-year-old therapeutic approach that integrates relationship-building principles and more directive strategies to move clients toward behavioral change. A large and expanding number of controlled research studies of MI have demonstrated its efficacy for addictive behaviors ranging from use of alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana to gambling. This commentary highlights how the articles in this special series have answered two interrelated remaining questions about MI: first, whether it works beyond addictions; second, whether it adds significantly to the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when combined with it as either a pretreatment or throughout treatment. The articles in this series provide excellent rationales for why MI should work for problems such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and suicide, and why combining it with CBT should enhance client outcomes for each of these areas. However, there is a paucity of research data—especially from clinical trials—to support the theories, leaving practitioners with a conflict between the two intertwined poles of practice and science.
Healthcare foodservice workers' knowledge of the dysphagia diet

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey current nutrition/foodservice‐related healthcare professionals to determine their level of knowledge about dysphagia, and their perceptions of dysphagic patients and their needs.Design/methodology/approach – A data collection instrument in the form of a questionnaire was developed to obtain an idea of the perceptions and knowledge‐level of diet/foodservice‐related healthcare workers about dysphagia. Subjects included foodservice workers, including food preparers and food deliverers at a large healthcare facility in the Southwestern United States. A total sample size of n=51 surveys was collected and analyzed.Findings – Given the means from this sample group, healthcare foodservice workers are lacking in some areas of knowledge concerning dysphagia patients, and their dietary needs. Education and training seem indicated, as the number of patients suffering from some degree of dysphagia is only going to increase as the US population ages.Originality/value – M...
Long-term effects of partial denervation on sprouting and muscle fiber area in rat plantaris

The long-term effects of partial denervation on the muscle fiber cross-sectional area, degree of axonal sprouting, and end-plate morphology were examined 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postsurgery in rat plantaris muscle. After 1 month of partial denervation, mean cross-sectional areas of type I and type II myofibers were significantly lower than that of sham-operated controls; fiber atrophy and hypertrophy was observed. After 3 months, we found no statistical difference in the mean cross-sectional fiber area between the two experimental groups. After 6 months, the fiber areas were now significantly larger than controls, possibly the result of compensatory work hypertrophy, due to the overuse of remaining hyperexpanded motor units. Preterminal, intranodal, and intraterminal sprouting were found to significantly increase from 1 to 6 months following partial denervation. While sprouting was enhanced, the number of terminal branch points per end plate did not change. Following 9 months of partial denervation and overuse, the mean fiber areas significantly decreased as compared to controls. The former muscles were found to contain angulated fibers, group atrophy, and increased levels of axonal sprouting. The number of terminal branches per end plate was now significantly increased over control values, possibly a compensatory response to reduced synthesis of neurotrophic factor(s) and/or transmitter-related components. At 12 months, fiber areas, axonal sprouting, and the number of terminal branches per end plate have all decreased. Degenerating end plates, denervated myofibers, angulated fibers, and group atrophy were observed. It would appear that aging-like changes are occurring earlier in chronically stressed, partially denervated muscles.
Coulomb Excitation of Elements of Medium and Heavy Mass

Yields of gamma rays from thick targets of In, I 127 , Ta 181 , Re 185,187 , Ir 191,193 , Hg 198,199,200,202 , Th, and U were investigated under proton or alpha-particle bombardment in the energy range 2 to 4 Mev. By using the theory for electric excitation, reduced matrix elements for all electrically excited radiations were computed and compared with single-particle estimates. The results are interpreted in terms of the strong-coupling collective model of Bohr and Mottelson and compared with the systematic trends in the region of the closed shell at 126 neutrons. A 512-kev gamma ray excited in In by proton bombardment must result from a nuclear reaction. From excitation curves, gamma rays in I 127 at 60, 208, 392, 438, 631, 751, and 941 kev appear to arise from Coulomb excitation. No cascade radiations are observed. The radiations from Ta, Re, Ir, and Hg show the effects of a transition from the strong collective rotational motion to a collective vibrational nuclear motion or single-particle excitation as one approaches the closed neutron shell. Only the first excited states of Th 232 and U 238 were excited with alpha particles. No evidence for other levels was observed with proton excitation. The results agree within experimental error with other excitation measurements and with radiative lifetime measurements.
Site of Death Among Veterans Living in Veterans Affairs Nursing Homes

Abstract Objectives To determine predictors of dying in VA nursing homes, community living centers (CLCs), compared with dying in a hospital. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting VA CLCs. Participants Included were 7408 CLC decedents from FY2005 to FY2007. Measurements Outcome: Site of death obtained from VA Vital Statistics files. Predictors of Death Site: VA-MDS variables defining patient demographics, functional status, cognitive status, major diagnostic categories, and care planning documentation. Analysis Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio of death in the CLC relative to the hospital for patient and facility characteristics. Results Among decedents, 87% died in the CLC and 13% in a hospital. More than half of all decedents were neither enrolled in hospice nor designated as having end-stage disease. The strongest predictor of site of death in a CLC relative to a hospital was being enrolled in hospice (OR = 20.94; 95% CI: 12.38, 35.44). A designation of end-stage disease increased the odds of death in a CLC by 3.9 times (95% CI: 2.78, 5.47) compared with death in a hospital. Advance directive rates in CLCs were high (73.4%); having any advance directive increased the odds of death in a CLC by 1.57 times (95% CI: 1.35, 1.82). Conclusion Recognition of end-stage disease and documentation of advance directives are powerful determinants of site of death for CLC residents. Receipt of hospice care in a CLC is a strong predictor of site of death in a CLC even in the absence of collaboration with community-based hospice and financial incentives to avoid hospitalization.
What is the role of radiation in the treatment of subfoveal membranes : Review of radiobiologic, pathologic, and other considerations to initiate A multimodality discussion

Abstract Background: Single-dose–fraction conformal proton beam and multiple-fraction X ray dose schedules have been used to treat subfoveal neovascular membranes. All schedules successfully controlled membrane progression, stabilized vision in most patients, and increased visual acuity in some. Conformal protons also decreased the radiation dose to healthy tissues outside the designated volume (16 mm in diameter). It appears that radiation therapy could be useful and cost-effective, but neither the optimal time-dose schedule single or multiple dose fractions nor the type of radiation proton conformal beam or x-ray therapy are defined. Methods: By means of an extensive literature survey, we reviewed the rationale for using radiation to treat subfoveal neovascularization, examined a paradigm of radiation interaction with tissue, reviewed the histopathology of neovascular membranes, and documented the role of growth factors in the pathophysiology of the disease. Accepting that the eye is an extracranial brain extension, and that its microvasculature has properties similar to brain microvessels, we reviewed the radiobiologic response of brain microvessels. We also revisited the controversy concerning the efficacy of single-dose–fraction vs. multifraction schedules. Results: This paper outlines parameters within which radiation therapy’s role might be defined, and proposes a clinical radiation-biology scoring program to evaluate radiation effects, based on the SOMA concept. Conclusion: A prospective, controlled clinical trial is feasible and is indicated to determine radiation therapy’s role in managing the proliferative component of age-related macular degeneration.
Weakly union-free maximum packings

Frankl and Furedi [11] established that the largest number of 3-subsets of ann-set, for which no four distinct setsA,B,D satisfyA∪B=C∪D, is at most\(\left\lfloor {\frac{{n(n - 1)}}{3}} \right\rfloor\). Chee, Colbourn, and Ling [6] established that this upper bound is met with few exceptions whenn≡0, 1 (mod 3). In this paper, it is established that the upper bound is also met with few exceptions whenn≡2 (mod 3).
Variance of Microsomal Protein and Cytochrome P450 2E1 and 3A Forms in Adult Human Liver

Differences in the pharmacokinetics of xenobiotics among humans makes them differentially susceptible to risk. Differences in enzyme content can mediate pharmacokinetic differences. Microsomal protein is often isolated from liver to characterize enzyme content and activity, but no measures exist to extrapolate these data to the intact liver. Measures were developed from up to 60 samples of adult human liver to characterize the content of microsomal protein and cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Statistical evaluations are necessary to estimate values far from the mean value. Adult human liver contains 52.9 +/- 1.476 mg microsomal protein per g; 2587 +/- 1.84 pmoles CYP2E1 per g; and 5237 +/- 2.214 pmols CYP3A per g (geometric mean +/- geometric standard deviation). These values are useful for identifying and testing susceptibility as a function of enzyme content when used to extrapolate in vitro rates of chemical metabolism for input to physiologically based pharmacokinetic models which can then be exercised to quantify the effect of variance in enzyme expression on risk-relevant pharmacokinetic outcomes.
The mechanical properties of reinforced ceramic, metal and intermetallic matrix composites

Abstract A perspective is presented concerning the mechanical properties of reinforced metal, intermetallic and ceramic matrix composites. The tensile properties in the longitudinal and transverse orientations are compared. Also, various modes of matrix cracking, subject to monotonic and cyclic loading, are described. Each behavior is related to such key variables as the interface properties, the matrix toughness and the thermal expansion misfit between the fiber and matrix. An attempt is made to provide a unified approach with emphasis on comparisons between different classes of composites.
Turbulent friction factor for two-phase: air-viscoelastic flows through a horizontal tube

The fully developed two-phase turbulent isothermal Fanning friction factors for air-viscoelastic fluid flows through a horizontal tube were measured experimentally. The viscoelastic fluids studied were aqueous solutions of polyacrylamide (100, 200, and 500 ppm by weight). Over the range of the apparent Reynolds number (Ree) from 10,000 to 100,000, the homogeneous model was found to be accurate enough for engineering prediction of turbulent friction factor for air-viscoelastic flows through horizontal tubes. A new correlation for the turbulent friction factor of airlriscoelastic plug flow is proposed.
Illy: clinical and public health implications of a street drug

We conducted a prospective, observational study of patients presenting to an emergency department with suspected use of a street drug known as "illy" to identify the active ingredient in "illy" and describe the clinical presentation and outcomes associated with its use. Vital signs, mental status, restraint use, and urine toxicology (UT) results were recorded. Patients were interviewed about drug use patterns and co-ingestants. Fifty-nine patients (89.9% males) with a mean age of 22 years (SD +/- 4.37) were enrolled over a 34-month period. UT was obtained in 61% of patients; of these 91.7% tested positive for phencyclidine (PCP). Seventy-eight percent of patients were discharged, (15.3%) required psychiatric evaluation; 3 were admitted, one died in the ED. Patients reported concurrent drug use (54%) and at-risk drinking (50%). PCP is likely the active component of "illy". Most patients require observation and supportive care only, however major complications including death may occur.
Iterative algorithm for layered optical remote sensing reflectance modeling of natural waters with depth-dependent aquatic constituent concentrations

This paper describes the radiative transfer of the sun’s electromagnetic energy utilizing a solution to the two-flow irradiance equations that generates fast and accurate estimates of light distributions in any layered media, such as water with depth dependent concentrations of water column constituents. The layered model is designed to generate synthetic water surface reflectance signatures and associated synthetic images, in the presence of depth dependent water constituents, various bottom types, and variable water depths. The layered model accounts for specular (collimated) irradiance below the water’s surface and utilizes boundary conditions that allow the absorption, backscatter, beam attenuation, and conversion (from specular irradiance to diffuse irradiance) coefficients to vary as a function of depth. In addition, the model allows one to compute the influences of submerged targets, bottom types or unique submerged targets or water column layers with defined by their reflectance signatures of unique absorption and backscatter characteristics. Model simulations are presented to demonstrate the utility of the model for development of remote sensing algorithms for use in coastal and marine water types.
Variations in water temperature and implications for trout populations in the Upper Schoharie Creek and West Kill, New York, USA

Water temperature is a key component of aquatic ecosystems because it plays a pivotal role in determining the suitability of stream and river habitat to most freshwater fish species. Continuous temperature loggers and airborne thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing were used to assess temporal and spatial temperature patterns on the Upper Schoharie Creek and West Kill in the Catskill Mountains, New York, USA. Specific objectives were to characterize (1) contemporary thermal conditions, (2) temporal and spatial variations in stressful water temperatures, and (3) the availability of thermal refuges. In-stream loggers collected data from October 2010 to October 2012 and showed summer water temperatures exceeded the 1-day and 7-day thermal tolerance limits for trout survival at five of the seven study sites during both summers. Results of the 7 August 2012 TIR indicated there was little thermal refuge at the time of the flight. About 690,170 m2 of water surface area were mapped on the Upper Schoharie, yet only...
Clinical Diagnosis of Common Scalp Disorders

Scalp skin is unique on the body due to the density of hair follicles and high rate of sebum production. These features make it susceptible to superficial mycotic conditions (dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and tinea capitis), parasitic infestation (pediculosis capitis), and inflammatory conditions (psoriasis). Because these scalp conditions share similar clinical manifestations of scaling, inflammation, hair loss, and pruritus, differential diagnosis is critically important. Diagnostic techniques and effective treatment strategies for each of the above conditions will be discussed.
Mechanism of Cytoplasmic mRNA Translation

Protein synthesis is a fundamental process in gene expression that depends upon the abundance and accessibility of the mRNA transcript as well as the activity of many protein and RNA-protein complexes. Here we focus on the intricate mechanics of mRNA translation in the cytoplasm of higher plants. This chapter includes an inventory of the plant translational apparatus and a detailed review of the translational processes of initiation, elongation, and termination. The majority of mechanistic studies of cytoplasmic translation have been carried out in yeast and mammalian systems. The factors and mechanisms of translation are for the most part conserved across eukaryotes; however, some distinctions are known to exist in plants. A comprehensive understanding of the complex translational apparatus and its regulation in plants is warranted, as the modulation of protein production is critical to development, environmental plasticity and biomass yield in diverse ecosystems and agricultural settings.
125I-insulin receptor binding to cord blood erythrocytes of varying gestational age and comparison with adult values.

Summary: The measurement of 125I-insulin binding to erythrocytes from 34 samples of cord blood (% B/T = 11.2 ± 3.8) showed statistically significant differences when compared to adult erythrocytes (% B/T = 6.6 ± 1.7). Preterm erythrocytes (% B/T = 14.7 ± 3.4) bound significantly more insulin when compared to term erythrocytes (% B/T = 10.1 ± 3.2). The negative correlation (r = −0.613; P = 0.001) between insulin binding and gestational age indicates that the trend during the final trimester of gestation is toward the lower binding observed for adult cells.
Does pay-for-performance influence the quality of care?

Purpose of review To summarize studies of pay-for-performance programmes designed to address clinical quality of care markers in ambulatory settings at the level of the physician group or individual physician. Recent findings Seven randomized controlled trials and 15 nonrandomized studies were reviewed. Less than half of the randomized controlled trials showed positive results, whereas all but one of the nonrandomized studies showed positive or mixed results. Characteristics of the quality measures, incentives, providers, patients, and concurrent interventions probably influenced the results. Study methodology problems such as small sample sizes, selection bias, and inadequate control for confounders were common. Asthma quality of care markers were included in three nonrandomized studies, two of which showed positive results and one of which was negative. Summary The data reviewed in this article suggest that pay-for-performance programmes can improve markers of quality, though not always. Even when studies suggest positive effects, the designs often do not permit assurance that the effects are due to the incentives as compared with other factors. More and better-designed studies are needed to determine the actual effectiveness of incentives themselves isolated from other factors, circumstances that promote effectiveness, effectiveness relative to other strategies, and cost-effectiveness.
Theoretical studies of solute vibrational energy relaxation at liquid interfaces.

Recent advances in the theoretical understanding of solute vibrational energy relaxation at liquid interfaces and surfaces are described. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of the relaxation of an initially excited solute molecule are combined with equilibrium force autocorrelation calculations to gain insight into the factors that influence the vibrational relaxation rate. Diatomic and triatomic nonpolar, polar, and ionic solute molecules adsorbed at the liquid/vapor interface of several liquids as well as at the water/CCl4 liquid/liquid interface are considered. In general, the vibrational relaxation rate is significantly slower (a factor of 3 to 4) at the liquid/vapor and liquid/liquid interface than in the bulk due to the reduced density, which gives rise to a reduced contribution of the repulsive solvent−solute forces on the vibrational mode. The surface effects on the ionic solutes are much smaller (50% or less slower relaxation relative to the bulk). This is due to the fact that ionic s...