cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of detection model performance in power-law noise

Two alternative forced-choice (2AFC) nodule detection performances of a number of model observers were evaluated for detection of simulated nodules in filtered power-law (1/f3) noise. The models included the ideal observer, the channelized Fisher-Hotelling (FH) model with two different basis function sets, the non-prewhitening matched filter with an eye filter (NPWE), and the Rose model with no DC response (RoseNDC). Detectability of the designer nodule signal was investigated. It has equation s((rho) )equalsA*Rect((rho) /2)(1-(rho) 2)v, where (rho) is a normalized distance (r/R), R is the nodule radius and A is signal amplitude. The nodule profile can be changed (designed) by changing the value of v. For example, the result is a sharp-edged, flat-topped disc for v equal to zero and the projection of a sphere for v equal to 0.5. Human observer experiments were done with nodules based on v equal to 0, 0.5 and 1.5. For the v equal to 1.5 case, human results could be well fitted using a variety of models. The human CD diagram slopes were -0.12, +0.27 and +0.44 for v equal to 0, 0.5 and 1.5 respectively.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Wavefront engineering of semiconductor lasers using plasmonics

Plasmonics involves manipulation of surface plasmons (SPs), which are collective oscillations of surface electrons in metal interacting with an electromagnetic field. Plasmonic structures provide compact and integrated optical processing, where planar metallic structures can be used to manipulate the amplitude and phase of SPs in two dimensions at the subwavelength level. By integrating plasmonic structures on active optical devices, one can engineer and fabricate devices with small footprints and special beam profiles in the near-field and/or in the far-field. This talk summarizes our recent work on building integrated plasmonic collimators, beam splitters, and polarizers for semiconductor lasers.
Coal gasification using solar energy

Abstract A Gas Recirculation Solar Hybrid Technique developed at the University of New Hampshire for the gasification of carbonaceous materials using solar energy is discussed. The cost of substitute natural gas (SNG) manufactured from conventional and hybrid units of 7.08×106 m3 per day (250 MM SCF/D) capacity from various feed stocks has been computed and compared. It is estimated that by 1995 the cost of SNG from a hybrid system will be competitive with conventional gasification systems. The size of the hybrid plant versus gas cost has also been studied and it is found that for plants smaller than 0.566×106 m3 per day (20 MM SCF/D) of SNG, the gas cost increases exponentially. A bench scale unit of the UNH Gas Recirculation System for coal carbonization has been tested using an electric heater to simulate solar energy with nitrogen as the heat carrier gas. This study shows the successful carbonization of coal by indirectly transferring simulated solar heat, using the gas recirculation technique. The products obtained are similar to those from a conventional carbonization unit. Our results obtained so far show the UNH Gas Recirculation Solar Hybrid process is economically and technically feasible.
Java, Java, Java

Everyone is talking about Java. The driving force for this chatter is Java's simplicity and potential power. Java is programming language, and a language for the intranet and the World Wide Web (WWW). Java is a Write On one platform and Run on Many platforms (WORM) language. For network-friendly, platform-independent applications, Java (originally Oak) is an object oriented programming language. Java source code is compiled into a virtual machine code or bytecode. This makes the Java platform independent. It can be placed on a Web site, and executed on the client side on a PC-Intel, Mac, Motorola or UNIX-Solaris machine without recompiling. Sun Microsystems formally announced Java in May 1995. Java is the first language that has built-in capabilities for networking applications, in particular, creating dynamic Web pages. Java programs that run on the Internet Web pages are called applets. These applets are easily incorporated into Web pages. These applets are executed from homepages on remote Web sites. Java programs run interpretively on the client side. Java reduces development costs and speeds up the learning curve. Traditional client server development tools-such as Delphi, Power-Builder and Visual Basic-are losing ground to Java as a result. By the year-end of 1996, Java had moved ahead in use of both C and C++ and these application development tools.
Family Status of Amioides and the Senior Synonym of Coranthus (Percomorpha: Apogonidae)

Amioides, proposed as a synonym of Synagrops about 72 years ago, was recently recognized as a valid genus and provisionally placed in the Acropomatidae. Amioides is moved from Acropomatidae to Apogonidae based on family synapomorphies of having one supernumerary anal spine and a simple swimbladder. The first two anal spines have non-homologous positions in these two families based on the number of serial and supernumerary anal spines. Amioides is the senior synonym of Coranthus, a widely distributed, rarely collected, deep-dwelling cardinalfish (77–276 meters). A single species is recognized with Amioides grossidens as a junior synonym of Coranthus polyacanthus. Pore and free neuromast patterns for Amioides polyacanthus, new combination, are described.
Effective potentials for a class of supersymmetric theories

Abstract We compute one- and two-loop corrections to the effective potential for a class of models in which supersymmetry is spontaneously broken in an O'Raifeartaigh model.
IgM antibody—II The isolation and characterization of equine J chain

Abstract J chains were isolated from equine anti-lactose IgM. The amino acid content of equine J chain is similar to that of J chain from the other species but a methionine residue was not detected. The sedimentation constant of equine J chain is 1.37 s and the molecule bands isoelectrically as three distinct bands with pI's of 4.8, 4.9 and 5.0.
Iron Content of Modern Deposits in the Sonoran Desert: A Contribution to the Origin of Red Beds

Surface weathering on the Sonoran desert produces iron-bearing clay minerals which are concentrated in fine-grained sediments eroded from the desert. The clay fraction of the desert soils and desert-derived alluvium contains an average of about 4.5 percent total iron. An average of less than 1.0 percent iron occurs in oxide coatings on grains; the remainder is held in the clay-mineral lattices. It is inferred that under favorable interstitial chemical conditions the iron oxide coatings age to hematite and the clay undergoes postdepositional alteration, yielding additional iron which ultimately forms additional hematite pigment. Biotite, another important source of iron, commonly is associated with the clay and undergoes similar intrastratal alteration. It is concluded that the characteristic concentration of iron and hematite pigment in mudstones and shales in many ancient red beds, particularly in red beds that are associated with evaporites or aeolian sandstones, or both, reflects initial concentration of iron-bearing clay minerals and biotite in fine-grained sediments derived from desert source areas.
Time Estimation: Effects of Cognitive Task, Presentation Rate, and Delay

The variables of which subjective time is a function extend throughout a myriad of "people, places, and things." This study measured subjective estimations of time as a function of complexity of cognitive task including arithmetic and recall (within subjects), the rate of stimulus (digit span) information (between subjects), and the delay between stimulus presentation and estimations of time (between subjects). A mixed analysis of variance 2 x 2 x 3 (repeated-measures) factorial design showed that retrospective time estimations were significantly different as a function of the main effects of rate of digit presentation and delay. Men and women showed no differences with no significant interactions so their data were pooled. Quotient values for ratios of delayed versus immediate estimates and slow versus fast rates showed overestimates of "real time." Explanations based on the "storage-size model," the "attention-allocation" model, and comparisons with Pedri and Hesketh's 1993 data are discussed.
Prevalence of polysaccharide storage myopathy in horses with neuromuscular disorders.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Controversy exists as to the prevalence of polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) in breeds of horses and its impact on performance. Objectives: To determine 1) the prevalence of PSSM in horses that presented with a neuromuscular disorder, as well as breed, sex and age distributions and clinical signs 2) effect of diagnostic criteria on prevalence, breed distribution and age of horses diagnosed with PSSM. Methods: Fresh frozen biopsies (n = 1426) submitted to the Neuromuscular Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota were searched to identify horses diagnosed with PSSM. Horses with and without histological evidence of PSSM were compared. Biopsies were classified as Grade 1, containing aggregates of granular glycogen or Grade 2, containing periodic acid Schiff's (PAS) positive inclusions, traditionally resistant to amylase digestion. Results: Horses (n = 572: 40.1%) were identified with PSSM, of which 62.9% were Quarter Horse related breeds (QHR), 11.5% Draught breeds (DB) and 8.9% Warmblood breeds (WB). Exertional rhabdomyolysis was more prevalent in QHR than DB and WB, whereas QHR were less likely to have muscle atrophy compared to DB. QHR were less likely to have gait abnormalities than DB and WB. The highest within breed prevalence of PSSM was in DB at 63/116, WB 58/111 and QHR 360/753. Exclusion of Grade 1 criteria decreased the overall prevalence of PSSM to 21.7% of biopsy submissions, and decreased the within breed prevalence in each breed category. The within breed prevalence decreased most substantially in the breeds less commonly diagnosed with PSSM, Thoroughbreds (4.5%) and Arabians (2.5%). Conclusion: PSSM is a common cause of neuromuscular disease in QHR, DB and WB related breeds. Inclusion of granular glycogen as the sole diagnostic criterion may increase the sensitivity of this diagnostic test, but conversely it may decrease the specificity of the diagnosis resulting in the inclusion of horses of Thoroughbred, Arabian and other breeds. Potential relevance: PSSM is an important differential diagnosis for QHR, WB and DB presenting with signs of rhabdomyolysis, gait abnormalities and muscle atrophy.
Regulation of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1α-Hydroxylase Gene Expression by Parathyroid Hormone and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3

The conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) takes place mainly in the kidney and is catalyzed by the enzyme 1alpha-hydroxylase. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25-(OH)2D3 are well-known regulators of this tightly controlled step, but the mechanisms by which they modulate 1alpha-hydroxylase activity have not been fully delineated. Northern analysis showed PTH and forskolin rapidly and transiently increase 1alpha-hydroxylase expression in AOK-B50 cells and HKC-8 cells. Actinomycin D treatment blocks the increase, but cycloheximide does not. No decrease of 1alpha-hydroxylase transcript by 1,25-(OH)2D3 was observed in either cell line, although 24-hydroxylase levels were strongly induced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment. 1,25-(OH)2D3 suppressed the 1alpha-hydroxylase transcript in vivo both in the presence and absence of exogenously supplied PTH. These results suggest that the stimulatory action of PTH is directly on the 1alpha-hydroxylase gene, while the repressive action of 1,25-(OH)2D3 does not involve the parathyroid gland but is nevertheless indirect.
Accurate Numerical Method of Calculating Frequency Distribution Functions in Solids. II. Extension to hcp Crystals

In a recent article by the same authors, an accurate and rapid method for calculating frequency distribution functions has been described. This method is here extended to include hexagonal close-packed crystals only, but it is shown that it can be used for crystals of any symmetry. This method is applied to beryllium, magnesium, and zinc, for which there exist satisfactory force models derived from experiments of inelastic coherent scattering of slow neutrons. These models have also been used to derive the phonon dispersion relations along nine high-symmetry directions, which are used to identify critical points observed in the frequency distribution functions. For each metal, there is at least one major critical point which could not be correlated to the high-symmetry branches. The phonon frequency distribution function $g(\ensuremath{\nu})$ of beryllium indicates that it should be a favorable case for studying effects associated with heavy-impurity modes. The merits and also possible sources of error of this procedure are discussed. It is strongly recommended that the method be applied to calculations of electronic density of states.
Stem Cell Research and the Role of the New President's Council on Bioethics

dish is thus equivalent to allowing the embryo to die. If stem cells are then retrieved from the embryos that have expired, the retrieval is morally analogous to retrieval of vital organs from those who are newly deceased. Embryos in a petri dish may be killed by deliberately discarding them into the lab sink or adding a lethal compound to the medium surrounding them in the petri dish. Alternatively, they may be allowed to die in a respectful or disrespectful manner. Just as some people are allowed to die in a morally reprehensible way (e.g., when death is probably avoidable without extraordinary interventions), allowing embryos to die may be wrong if their probability of survival is high without extraordinary interventions. Since this is not the case, embryos may be allowed to die in a respectful manner; they may even be buried with an accompanying ritual, just as born humans are sometimes allowed to die and be buried with appropriate rituals. There seems, then, to be an ethical bypass to the dilemma faced by those who wish to avoid the direct killing of nascent human life while supporting the therapeutic possibilities of stem cell research. Regardless of whether developing embryos are deemed persons, respect for human life in its earliest stages is compatible with research on stem cells obtained from human embryos so long as the cells are retrieved from embryos that have been allowed, respectfully, to die.
Light field image sensors based on the Talbot effect

We present a pixel-scale sensor that uses the Talbot effect to detect the local intensity and incident angle of light. The sensor comprises two local diffraction gratings stacked above a photodiode. When illuminated by a plane wave, the upper grating generates a self-image at the half Talbot depth. The second grating, placed at this depth, blocks or passes light depending upon incident angle. Several such structures, tuned to different incident angles, are sufficient to extract local incident angle and intensity. Furthermore, arrays of such structures are sufficient to localize light sources in three dimensions without any additional optics.
Prioritization of Free-Text Clinical Documents: A Novel Use of a Bayesian Classifier

Background: The amount of incoming data into physicians’ offices is increasing, thereby making it difficult to process information efficiently and accurately to maximize positive patient outcomes. Current manual processes of screening for individual terms within long free-text documents are tedious and error-prone. This paper explores the use of statistical methods and computer systems to assist clinical data management. Objective: The objective of this study was to verify and validate the use of a naive Bayesian classifier as a means of properly prioritizing important clinical data, specifically that of free-text radiology reports. Methods: There were one hundred reports that were first used to train the algorithm based on physicians’ categorization of clinical reports as high-priority or low-priority. Then, the algorithm was used to evaluate 354 reports. Additional beautification procedures such as section extraction, text preprocessing, and negation detection were performed. Results: The algorithm evaluated the 354 reports with discrimination between high-priority and low-priority reports, resulting in a bimodal probability distribution. In all scenarios tested, the false negative rates were below 1.1% and the recall rates ranged from 95.65% to 98.91%. In the case of 50% prior probability and 80% threshold probability, the accuracy of this Bayesian classifier was 93.50%, with a positive predictive value (precision) of 80.54%. It also showed a sensitivity (recall) of 98.91% and a F-measure of 88.78%. Conclusions: The results showed that the algorithm could be trained to detect abnormal radiology results by accurately screening clinical reports. Such a technique can potentially be used to enable automatic flagging of critical results. In addition to accuracy, the algorithm was able to minimize false negatives, which is important for clinical applications. We conclude that a Bayesian statistical classifier, by flagging reports with abnormal findings, can assist a physician in reviewing radiology reports more efficiently. This higher level of prioritization allows physicians to address important radiologic findings in a timelier manner and may also aid in minimizing errors of omission. [JMIR Med Inform 2015;3(2):e17]
The floating-point unit of the PowerPC 603e microprocessor

The IBM PowerPC 603e floating-point unit (FPU) is an on-chip functional unit to support IEEE 754 standard single- and double-precision binary floating-point arithmetic operations. The design objectives are to be a low-cost, low-power, high-performance engine in a single-chip superscalar microprocessor. Using less than 15 mm 2 of the available silicon area on the chip (the size of the PowerPC 603e microprocessor is 98 mm 2 ) and operating at the peak clock frequency of 100 MHz, an average single-pumping multiply-add-fuse instruction has one-cycle throughput and four-cycle latency. An average double-pumping multiply-add-fuse instruction has two-cycle throughput and five-cycle latency. The estimated performance at 100 MHz is 105 against the SPECfp92 benchmark.
Tool Standardization in the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic: a Closer Look (with comments)

It has been postulated that one difference between Neanderthals and anatomically modern people lies in a ‘clearer mental template’ of flaked stone tools on the part of modern people. This is thought to have been manifested in greater tool standardization during the Upper Palaeolithic than in the Middle Palaeolithic. Testing of this hypothesis, using three samples of a characteristic Upper Palaeolithic tool class — burins — from one Middle Palaeolithic and two Upper Palaeolithic assemblages, reveals that they are equally standardized for both metric and non-metric traits. Further consideration suggests that most Palaeolithic flaked stone tools are poorly suited to test notions of standardization, although some tool attributes may be well suited when considered in specific adaptive contexts.
Effect of deferoxamine on late deaths following CPR in rats.

The iron-chelating agent deferoxamine was studied in an animal model as postresuscitation therapy to prevent late deaths and brain damage following total circulatory arrest and resuscitation. Cardiorespiratory arrest was induced by injection of cold, 1% KCl into the left ventricles of ketamine-anesthetized rats pretreated with succinylcholine, and by discontinuation of positive pressure ventilation. CPR was begun after six minutes, and animals with return of spontaneous circulation were entered into the study. Within five minutes after return of spontaneous circulation, treated animals received deferoxamine (50 mg/kg, IV). At ten days, 16 of 25 (64%) of treated animals had survived without neurologic deficit, compared to nine of 25 (36%) of controls (chi square = 3.92, P less than .05). Chelation of intracellular iron by deferoxamine may have prevented free-radical-mediated reactions that led to late deaths in control animals.
Graphical Models for Human Motion Modelling

The human figure exhibits complex and rich dynamic behavior that is both nonlinear and time-varying. To automate the process of motion modeling we consider a class of learned dynamic models cast in the framework of dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) applied to analysis and tracking of the human figure. While direct learning of DBN parameters is possible, Bayesian learning formalism suggests that hyperparametric model description that considers all possible model dynamics may be preferred. Such integration over all possible models results in a subspace embedding of the original motion measurements. To this end, we propose a new family of Marginal Auto-Regressive (MAR) graphical models that describe the space of all stable auto-regressive sequences, regardless of their specific dynamics. We show that the use of dynamics and MAR models may lead to better estimates of sequence subspaces than the ones obtained by traditional non-sequential methods. We then propose a learning method for estimating general nonlinear dynamic system models that utilizes the new MAR models. The utility of the proposed methods is tested on the task of tracking 3D articulated figures in monocular image sequences. We demonstrate that the use of MAR can result in efficient and accurate tracking of the human figure from ambiguous visual inputs.
Chromosomal and nuclear aberrations induced by ultrasonic vibrations.

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Power aware page allocation

One of the major challenges of post-PC computing is the need to reduce energy consumption, thereby extending the lifetime of the batteries that power these mobile devices. Memory is a particularly important target for efforts to improve energy efficiency. Memory technology is becoming available that offers power management features such as the ability to put individual chips in any one of several different power modes. In this paper we explore the interaction of page placement with static and dynamic hardware policies to exploit these emerging hardware features. In particular, we consider page allocation policies that can be employed by an informed operating system to complement the hardware power management strategies. We perform experiments using two complementary simulation environments: a trace-driven simulator with workload traces that are representative of mobile computing and an execution-driven simulator with a detailed processor/memory model and a more memory-intensive set of benchmarks (SPEC2000). Our results make a compelling case for a cooperative hardware/software approach for exploiting power-aware memory, with down to as little as 45% of the Energy• Delay for the best static policy and 1% to 20% of the Energy• Delay for a traditional full-power memory.
Morphological studies of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its blends with poly(methyl methacrylate)

Both pure poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) and its blends with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) develop a variety of morphologies when they are crystallized above the 420–424 K range. Two populations of spherulites as well as axialitelike growths are observed. Addition of the PMMA lowers the temperature where these new morphologies develop, makes the spherulites more open, causes the banding periodicity to decrease, and increases the number of small, coarse spherulites. These structures melt in three regimes. The highest-melting-point crystals arise only from a solid-solid transformation of the lowest-melting-point ones. This solid-state transition sometimes causes mixed spherulites to be formed in the blends. Electron and wide-angle x-ray diffraction show the lowest-melting-point species to be α crystals, while the other two are γ crystals. The highest-melting-point species, labeled γ′, and the α crystals seem to be more ordered than the other γ crystals.
Traditional Healing as Indigenous Knowledge: Its Relevance to HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa and the Implications for Counselors

This article integrates the results of several culture-based studies conducted over the past decade. Specifically, links are made between the continued relevance of the African traditional healer's corpus of knowledge, the efficacy of the healer's cultural authority, and the need for HIV/AIDS-related strategies and interventions that are culturally sensitive, especially counseling. Results of an initial investigation of traditional healing in Lesotho, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe are integrated with more recent research in Botswana and Namibia. Findings from these studies are meshed with preliminary results of an ongoing investigation of the contextual influences and cultural factors associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS in the southern African region. Outcomes of the combined investigations have supported further examination of traditional healing as an indigenous knowledge system, of its relevance to HIV/AIDS, and of its significance to professional counselors in Africa. Related recommendations are offered ...
Making Climate-Science Communication Evidence-Based — All the Way Down

Scientists and science communicators have appropriately turned to the science of science communication for guidance in overcoming public conflict over climate change. The value of the knowledge that this science can impart, however, depends on it being used scientifically. It is a mistake to believe that either social scientists or science communicators can intuit effective communication strategies by simply consulting compendiums of psychological mechanisms. Social scientists have used empirical methods to identify which of the myriad mechanisms that could plausibly be responsible for public conflict over climate change actually are. Science communicators should now use valid empirical methods to identify which plausible real-world strategies for counteracting those mechanisms actually work. Collaboration between social scientists and communicators on evidence-based field experiments is the best means of using and expanding our knowledge of how to communicate climate science.
Birth-site selection and predation risk of Rocky Mountain elk

We investigated the effects of predation risk on birth-site selection by Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) during summer in 2002–2004 in northeastern Oregon at macrohabitat (3rd-order selection) and microhabitat (4th-order selection) scales. This study describes vegetative characteristics of birth sites selected by female elk when young ,4–5 days old used the hiding strategy and predation sites when most predation events occurred on young .5 days old that used the fleeing strategy. At the macrohabitat scale we observed no evidence that female elk were influenced by predation risk when selecting a birth site on the basis of variables measured in this study. Females chose birth sites with less overhead cover than random sites, suggesting that they might have been influenced more by forage availability than predation risk. At the microhabitat scale females selected birth sites that had more overhead canopy cover and greater visibility at ground level than paired random sites, which suggested that birth-site selection at this scale was influenced by predation risk. Together, these results suggested that female elk selected areas for parturition at the macrohabitat scale that likely had forage to meet high nutritional demands of lactation and at the microhabitat scale selected areas that provided visibility to detect predators and reduce the risk of predation. Predators, mainly cougars (Puma concolor), killed young in areas closer to vegetative edges at the macrohabitat scale and with more visibility at the microhabitat scale. These areas were likely conducive to cougar hunting where sight and cover from forest edges can be important for stalking calves that are traveling with their mothers and family groups.
Problems in the assessment of relative risk of chronic disease among biological relatives of affected individuals

A question often asked in regard to a chronic disease is whether the risk to a biological relative of a case is elevated, and if so by how much the risk is altered. To answer this question, data may be collected directly with genetic objectives in mind by ascertaining populations of pedigrees. More often, the initial assessment of the question comes from family history data collected in an incidental manner in the course of a case-control or similar type of study. This paper discusses some limitations to the inferences which can be derived from such casual family history data. These include (i)poor statistical properties of standard relative risk measures, (ii) interpretational problems of observed relative risks when affected cases arise from genetic as well as nongenetic causes and when genes may not always be expressed in individuals in whom they are present, and (iii)confounding effects which may occur when a high risk allele alters the age of onset pattern of the disease. These problems result largely from a loss of design control over the degree of exposure of individuals ascertained and can lead to a small observed relative risk value even when genetic factors are important. Suggestions for handling such casual family history data are offered.
The Absence of a Relationship between Serum Precipitins and Pulmonary Disease in a Community

To study the role of serum precipitins in respiratory illness in a community, sera obtained from 3,047 residents of Tucson, Ariz, were tested for the presence of precipitating antibody to a battery of antigens. Positive reactions were obtained in 54 subjects (1.8 percent), a lower incidence than has been reported previously. The majority of these subjects were older than 54 years of age, an age distribution significantly older than the entire sample (P Micropolyspora faeni, Thermoactinomycetes candidus and vulgaris . Each subject with precipitins to one or more of the tested antigens was matched by age, sex, and socioeconomic class with two subjects from the sample who had negative precipitin reactions. The groups did not differ in their prevalence of respiratory symptoms or abnormalities of pulmonary function. We conclude that the presence of precipitating serum antibodies among subjects in a community is not indicative of the presence of immunologic pulmonary disease but merely reflects previous exposure to the tested antigen. In addition, individuals whose sera contain precipitating antibody appear to have no increased tendency to develop other types of pulmonary disease.
Endocrinology and child psychiatry. Introduction.

This Special Section is dedicated to Edward J. Sachar, M.D., on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday in 1983, in recognition of his scientific work in psychoneuroendocrinology and of his leadership in reintroducing endocrine and neuroendocrine considerations into developmental psychiatry.
Bioconversion of glycerol to ethanol by a mutant Enterobacter aerogenes.

The main objective of this research is to develop, by adaptive evolution, mutant strains of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 that are capable of withstanding high glycerol concentration as well as resisting ethanol-inhibition. The mutant will be used for high ethanol fermentation from glycerol feedstock. Ethanol production from pure (P-) and recovered (R-) glycerol using the stock was evaluated. A six-tube-subculture-generations method was used for developing the mutant. This involved subculturing the organism six consecutive times in tubes containing the same glycerol and ethanol concentrations at the same culture conditions. Then, the glycerol and/or ethanol concentration was increased and the six subculture generations were repeated. A strain capable of growing in 200 g/L glycerol and 30 g/L ethanol was obtained. The ability of this mutant, vis-a-vis the original strain, in utilizing glycerol in a high glycerol containing medium, with the concomitant ethanol yield, was assessed. Tryptic soy broth without dextrose (TSB) was used as the fermentation medium. Fermentation products were analyzed using HPLC. In a 20 g/L glycerol TSB, E. aerogenes ATCC 13048 converted 18.5 g/L P-glycerol and 17.8 g/L R-glycerol into 12 and 12.8 g/L ethanol, respectively. In a 50 g/L P-glycerol TSB, it utilized only 15.6 g/L glycerol; but the new strain used up 39 g/L, yielding 20 g/L ethanol after 120 h, an equivalence of 1.02 mol ethanol/mol-glycerol. This is the highest ethanol yield reported from glycerol bioconversion. The result of this P-glycerol fermentation can be duplicated using the R-glycerol from biodiesel production.
Development of a conceptual model of health-related quality of life among hepatitis C patients: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Aim The Food and Drug Administration guidelines emphasize that patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments used in clinical trials must be developed based on a conceptual model, yet existing PRO instruments currently used in clinical trials of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients are not based on a predetermined model. The purpose of this study was to identify a comprehensive list of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) themes that may be unique to HCV by reviewing qualitative research articles of HCV patients. The information collected from the review was used to develop a preliminary model of HRQoL in HCV patients. Methods Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO and PubMed were searched for peer-reviewed journals from 1989 to 2012. Set inclusion/exclusion criteria were utilized with a focus on HRQoL among HCV patients. Eligible articles that met quality assessment criteria were analyzed using meta-synthesis to generate categories and themes to propose a conceptual model. Results Ten articles that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and the quality assessment criteria were reviewed. Eleven themes were identified: physical symptoms, physical activities, guilt, stigma, emotional distress, psychological behavior, social relationship, social activities, work function, sexual function and cognitive function. These were further grouped into six HRQoL domains: physical, psychological/emotional, social, work, sexual and cognitive functionality. Conclusion The systematic review and the proposed model represent a useful starting point in the critical appraisal of the conceptual underpinnings of PRO instruments used in HCV patients.
Characterization of Novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis Mutants Hypersusceptible to β-Lactam Antibiotics

Our laboratory previously constructed mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis with deletions in the genes for their major beta-lactamases, BlaC and BlaS, respectively, and showed that the mutants have increased susceptibilities to most beta-lactam antibiotics, particularly the penicillins. However, there is still a basal level of resistance in the mutants to certain penicillins, and the susceptibilities of the mutants to some cephalosporin-based beta-lactams are essentially the same as those of the wild types. We hypothesized that characterizing additional mutants (derived from beta-lactamase deletion mutants) that are hypersusceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics might reveal novel genes involved with other mechanisms of beta-lactam resistance, peptidoglycan assembly, and cell envelope physiology. We report here the isolation and characterization of nine beta-lactam antibiotic-hypersusceptible transposon mutants, two of which have insertions in genes known to be involved with peptidoglycan biosynthesis (ponA2 and dapB); the other seven mutants have insertions which affect novel genes. These genes can be classified into three groups: those involved with peptidoglycan biosynthesis, cell division, and other cell envelope processes. Two of the peptidoglycan-biosynthetic genes (ponA2 and pbpX) may encode beta-lactam antibiotic-resistant enzymes proposed to be involved with the synthesis of the unusual diaminopimelyl linkages within the mycobacterial peptidoglycan.
Workflow reengineering: a methodology for business process reengineering using workflow management technology

The workflow reengineering methodology (WRM) is a proposed methodology that uses workflow management automation to enable business process reengineering (BPR). Unlike published BPR methodologies that use historical and estimated process data gathered from workflow participants, WRM uses the more accurate, real-time process measurements, gathered by the workflow tool, to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility of the workflow. The methodology consists of five phases and 32 component steps, together with associated data collection forms to facilitate its implementation. Using the proposed methodology, a case study was conducted to improve the processing of on-line equipment manuals and electronic discrepancy reports for a Naval organization. Preliminary results indicate significant reduction in cycle time, costs as well as personnel required to manage the process.
Resolving attribute incompatibility in database integration: an evidential reasoning approach

Resolving domain incompatibility among independently developed databases often involves uncertain information. DeMichiel (1989) showed that uncertain information can be generated by the mapping of conflicting attributes to a common domain, based on some domain knowledge. The authors show that uncertain information can also arise when the database integration process requires information not directly represented in the component databases, but can be obtained through some summary of data. They therefore propose an extended relational model based on Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence (1976) to incorporate such uncertain knowledge about the source databases. They also develop a full set of extended relational operations over the extended relations. In particular, an extended union operation has been formalized to combine two extended relations using Dempster's rule of combination. The closure and boundedness properties of the proposed extended operations are formulated. >
Sexual history taking in the emergency department - more specificity required.

Abstract Background Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) are the most reported diseases in the United States, and emergency departments (ED) serve a population presenting with increased infection risk. However, identifying patients for whom sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening is appropriate requires accurate sexual history reporting. Study Objectives To examine the consistency with which ED patients answer general and specific sexual activity questions, and how responses relate to perceived STI risk. Methods Urban ED patients aged 15–34 years completed a sexual history survey containing sexual activity and perceived infection risk questions and provided urine and pharyngeal specimens for CT/GC analysis. Results Participants included 192 males and 301 females with a mean age of 25.2 years and were 65.7% white and 33.3% black. Thirty-eight (7.7%) were infected with CT or GC. In patients denying sexual activity in the past year (general question), 40.7% of such males and 45.0% of females also reported some form of specific sexual activity (activity misclassification). Among self-identified heterosexuals, 7.2% males and 7.5% females reported some form of homosexual activity (orientation misclassification; OM). OM individuals were more likely to perceive themselves at risk of infection both orally (odds ratio 2.92, confidence interval 1.12-7.63) and genitally (odds ratio 3.36, confidence interval 1.55-7.30). Conclusions Given that reported sexual activity and age are the only criteria for routine female screening, and that homosexual activity is one of the few screening criteria for males, our results show that a substantial proportion of ED patients eligible for screening may not be identified by reliance upon general sexual history questions.
Nonrigid shape correspondence using landmark sliding, insertion and deletion

The growing usage of statistical shape analysis in medical imaging calls for effective methods for highly accurate shape correspondence. This paper presents a novel landmark-based method to correspond a set of 2D shape instances in a nonrigid fashion. Different from prior methods, the proposed method combines three important factors in measuring the shape-correspondence error: landmark-correspondence error, shape-representation error, and shape-representation compactness. In this method, these three important factors are explicitly handled by the landmark sliding, insertion, and deletion operations, respectively. The proposed method is tested on several sets of structural shape instances extracted from medical images. We also conduct an empirical study to compare the developed method to the popular Minimum Description Length method.
Investigating the Immigrant Paradox and Latino Adolescents' Academic Attitudes

This study investigates the immigrant paradox, whereby early generation immigrant youth exhibit more positive developmental outcomes than their later generation peers. Among our sample of Latino 9th graders (n 212) residing in impoverished, urban cities, we examine whether the immigrant paradox exists with regard to Latino adolescents’ educational values and school effort and whether cultural values serve as a protective factor for Latino youth. Our findings provide evidence for the immigrant paradox with regard to educational values in both our full sample as well as the Dominican American subsample and highlight the importance of drawing greater distinctions within cohorts of second-generation Latino youth. Further, greater endorsement of traditional cultural values, such as familismo and family obligations, were significantly related to adolescents’ educational values and school effort. Hence, this study underscores the importance of family processes and cultural values in motivating children of immigrants to succeed academically.
Homeland Security Risk and Preparedness in Police Agencies: The Insignificance of Actual Risk Factors

The connection between perceived risk of homeland security incidents and homeland security preparedness has received considerable support in policing literature. From a contingency theory perspecti...
Measuring patient views of physician communication skills: Development and testing of the Communication Assessment Tool

Objective: Interpersonal and communication skills have been identified as a core competency that must be demonstrated by physicians. We developed and tested a tool that can be used by patients to assess the interpersonal and communication skills of physicians-in-training and physicians-in-practice. Methods: We began by engaging in a systematic scale development process to obtain a psychometrically sound Communication Assessment Tool (CAT). This process yielded a 15-item instrument that is written at the fourth grade reading level and employs a five-point response scale, with 5 = excellent. Fourteen items focus on the physician and one targets the staff. Pilot testing established that the CAT differentiates between physicians who ratedhigh or low ona separate satisfaction scale. We conducted afield testwith physicians and patients from avarietyof specialties and regions within the US to assess the feasibility of using the CAT in everyday practice. Results: Thirty-eight physicians and 950 patients (25 patients per physician) participated in the field test. The average patient-reported mean score per physician was 4.68 across all CAT items (S.D. = 0.54, range 3.97‐4.95). The average proportion of excellent scores was 76.3% (S.D. = 11.1, range 45.7‐95.1%). Overall scale reliability was high (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96); alpha coefficients were uniformly high when reliability was examined per doctor. Conclusion: TheCATisareliableandvalidinstrumentformeasuringpatientperceptions ofphysicianperformanceinthearea ofinterpersonaland communication skills. The field test demonstrated that the CAT can be successfully completed by both physicians and patients across clinical specialties. Reporting the proportion of ‘‘excellent’’ratings given by patients is more useful than summarizing scores via means, which are highly skewed. Practice implications: Specialty boards, residency programs, medical schools, and practice plans may find the CAT valuable for both collecting information and providing feedback about interpersonal and communication skills. # 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Is there Collective Scientific Knowledge? Arguments from Explanation

If there is collective scientific knowledge, then at least some scientific groups have beliefs over and above the personal beliefs of their members. Gilbert's plural-subjects theory makes precise the notion of ‘over and above’ here. Some philosophers have used plural-subjects theory to argue that philosophical, historical and sociological studies of science should take account of collective beliefs of scientific groups. Their claims rest on the premise that our best explanations of scientific change include these collective beliefs. I argue that Gilbert's account of collective scientific belief does not provide a better explanation of scientific change than a non-collective alternative. A different defence of collective scientific belief and knowledge is needed.