cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Principal power of the CMB

We study the physical limitations placed on cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization measurements of the initial power spectrum. These limitations include geometric projection, acoustic physics, gravitational lensing and degeneracies with cosmological parameters. Detailed information on the spectrum is greatly assisted by polarization information and localized to the acoustic regime $k=0.02\ensuremath{-}0.2{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ with a fundamental resolution of $\ensuremath{\Delta}k/kg0.05.$ From this study we construct principal component based statistics, which are orthogonal to cosmological parameters including the initial amplitude and tilt of the spectrum, that best probe deviations from scale-free initial conditions. These statistics resemble Fourier modes confined to the acoustic regime and ultimately can yield $\ensuremath{\sim}50$ independent measurements of the power spectrum features to percent level precision. They are straightforwardly related to more traditional parametrizations, such as the running of the tilt, and in the future can provide many statistically independent measurements of it for consistency checks. Though we mainly consider physical limitations on the measurements, these techniques can be readily adapted to include instrumental limitations or other sources of power spectrum information.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Eaton atypicalpneumonia agent) in children's respiratory infections

Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes pneumonia and other lower respiratory disease inchildren and adults. This disease agent was found in a population of institutionalized children, although some of the children from whom it was isolated were apparently ill from something else, usually a virus infection. Children with left-to-right cardiac shunts were frequently infected. Detectable antibody levels were common, but primary infections appeared in small clusters separated by many months. Although the opportunities for a widespread infection were present in this closed population, the pattern of dissemination was slow and limited in scope. The carrier state and opportunistic infections with M. pneumoniae are still an unknown quantity.
Convergence properties of a nonvariational 3D MHD equilibrium code

Details are presented of the PIES code, which uses a nonvariational algorithm for calculating fully three-dimensional MHD equilibria. The convergence properties of the code are studied for several axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric finite ..beta.. equilibria that have magnetic surfaces. copyright 1989 Academic Press, Inc.
Effect of thyroid hormone supplementation on survival after bacterial infection.

During nonthyroidal illness in man and a number of experimental animals, serum total thyroid hormone levels are decreased. To determine whether the reduction in thyroid hormones that occurs during nonthyroidal illness is beneficial or harmful to the host, an experimental animal model was developed. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae type I, a known human pathogen. By 40 h after inoculation, serum total and free T4 and total T3 decreased significantly. Serum free T3 also decreased slightly but not significantly. When infected animals were injected daily with T4, there was a decrease in the time to death and significant increase in the total number of deaths compared to controls receiving vehicle alone. Control experiments showed that T4 did not affect the growth of S. pneumoniae on blood agar plates, and the injected T4 did not cause hyperthyroidism. These results suggest that the decrease in serum thyroid hormone that occurs during nonthyroidal illness is beneficial and m...
Application of decision theory to DUI assessment

The application of decision theory to screening of driving under the influence (DUI) offenders is illustrated in an evaluation study that investigated the validity of a structured interview and a survey instrument. These findings are examined graphically using the relative operating characteristic (ROC). This graph relates the proportion of true-positive cases to the proportion of false-positive cases for various placements of the decision cut-off score. The ROC's two principal parameters, test sensitivity and examiner bias, are used to provide a complete quantitative description of the performance of two screening instruments. A major goal of this study is to show how a new measure of examiner bias, the "cost ratio," improves the evaluation of DUI screening programs.
The fermentation of xylose: studies by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The fermentation ofd-xylose byPachysolen tannophilus, Candida shehatae, andPichia stipitis has been investigated by13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of both whole cells and extracts. The spectra of whole cells metabolizingd-xylose with natural isotopic abundance had significant resonance signals corresponding only to xylitol, ethanol and xylose. The spectra of whole cells in the presence of [1-13C]xylose or [2-13C]xylose had resonance signals corresponding to the C-1 or C-2, respectively, of xylose, the C-1 or C-2, respectively, of xylitol, and the C-2 or C-1, respectively, of ethanol. Xylitol was metabolized only in the presence of an electron acceptor (acetone) and the only identifiable product was ethanol. The fact that the amount of ethanol was insufficient to account for the xylitol metabolized indicates that an additional fate of xylitol carbon must exist, probably carbon dioxide. The rapid metabolism of xylulose to ethanol, xylitol and arabinitol indicates that xylulose is a true intermediate and that xylitol dehydrogenase catalyzes the reduction (or oxidation) with different stereochemical specificity from that which interconverts xylitol andd-xylulose. The amino acidl-alanine was identified by the resonance position of the C-3 carbon and by enzymatic analysis of incubation mixtures containing yeast and [1-13C]xylose or [1-13C]glucose. The position of the label from both substrates and the identification of isotope also in C-1 of alamine indicates flux through the transketolase/transaldolase pathway in the metabolism. The identification of a resonance signal corresponding to the C-1 of ethanol in spectra of yeast in the presence of [1-13C]xylose and fluoroacetate (but not arsenite) indicates the existence of equilibration of some precursor of ethanol (e.g. pyruvate) with a symmetric intermediate (e.g. fumarate or succinate) under these conditions.
NKT cell cytokine imbalance in murine diabetes mellitus.

A minor subset of murine MHC class I-restricted T cells which express both the a/3 form of the T cell receptor and a NK lineage marker, termed NKT cells, is capable of secreting significant amounts of InterIeukin-4 and Interferon-γ upon activation. As such NKT cells may play a role in development of Thl and Th2 cells during T cell ontogeny or expansion of T cells expressing a dominant cytokine pattern in the effector phase. We have studied the role of NKT cells in a murine model of disease multidose streptozotocin induced diabetes mellitus (MDSDM). In MDSDM thymic and splenic NKT cells are present at normal levels but have greatly reduced capacity to secrete Interleukin-γ upon stimulation with anti-TCR antibody compared to control mice; conversely, Interferon-γ - secretion is maintained. By analysis of cytokine RNA production we found that treatment of several strains of mice with streptozotocin changes the peripheral helper T cell phenotype elicited after immunization with Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin from ...
Possible erasure of the imprint on a fragile X chromosome when transmitted by a male

Although most males with the fragile-X [fra(X)] syndrome do not reproduce, there are 2 published pedigrees that include affected males who have daughters and who thus appear to have transmitted the fragile-X chromosome to their progeny. In addition, one published fra(X) pedigree includes an apparently normal male who expresses cytogenetically the fra(X) site at high frequency and who has 3 daughters. In the 6 daughters of these 3 males, there is little or no cytogenetic expression of the fra(X). I interpret these pedigrees within the context of my X-inactivation imprinting model of the fra(X) syndrome (Genetics 117:587-599): the cytogenetic manifestation of the imprinted state of the mutant fra(X) chromosome [high percentage of cytogenetic expression] is no longer present in daughters of imprinted males. I propose that the imprinted state is erased when an imprinted fragile-X chromosome is passed through a male. Such erasure in the gender opposite to the gender that established the imprint is in accord with other examples of chromosome imprinting in mammals. Additional data from unpublished fra(X) pedigrees are requested.
Identification and analysis of essential Aspergillus nidulans genes using the heterokaryon rescue technique

In the heterokaryon rescue technique, gene deletions are carried out using the pyrG nutritional marker to replace the coding region of target genes via homologous recombination in Aspergillus nidulans. If an essential gene is deleted, the null allele is maintained in spontaneously generated heterokaryons that consist of two genetically distinct types of nuclei. One nuclear type has the essential gene deleted but has a functional pyrG allele (pyrG+). The other has the wild-type allele of the essential gene but lacks a functional pyrG allele (pyrG-). Thus, a simple growth test applied to the uninucleate asexual spores formed from primary transformants can identify deletions of genes that are non-essential from those that are essential and can only be propagated by heterokaryon rescue. The growth tests also enable the phenotype of the null allele to be defined. Diagnostic PCR can be used to confirm deletions at the molecular level. This technique is suitable for large-scale gene-deletion programs and can be completed within 3 weeks.
Model compound studies on the cleavage of glycosidic bonds by ozone in aqueous solution

Kinetic expressions have been developed for the initial phase of the reactions between ozone and methyl-β-D-glucopyranoside, a model compound for cellulose, in aqueous solutions at moderately low pH (pH 3) and ambient temperature. Ozone is reasonably stable under these conditions. The reaction is first order in the glucoside and ozone, second order overall. Kinetic and analytical data suggest that the glucoside is directly attacked by ozone to form polyoxide intermediates. The α-glucoside was more stable and was attacked by ozone exclusively at the acetal oxygen in the initial phase of the reaction. In contrast, the β-anomer was ozonized nearly twice as fast, and was attacked by ozone mainly at the C-H bond of the anomeric carbon. The latter reaction resulted in the formation of δ-gluconolactone, probably by way of a hydrotrioxide intermediate. The fragmentation of the intermediate could be assisted by properly oriented non-bonding orbitals of the two acetal oxygens. These stereoelectronic rules were previously proposed by Deslongchamp and coworkers on the ozonolysis of acetals in non-aqueous media. The activation energy for the reaction was 69.5 kJ/mole in both acetic and sulfuric acid solutions at pH 3. The presence of transition metal-ion, in particular Co(II) and Fe(II) ions, resulted in enhancement of both ozone decomposition and degradation of the glycoside, apparently caused by free radical reactions. In some cases, addition of acetic acid led to substantial suppression of the degradation of the glucoside.
Citrobacter brain abscesses in neonates: early surgical intervention and review of the literature

Purpose Citrobacter koseri, a facultatively anaerobic, lactose-fermenting, gram-negative bacilli, has a strong propensity to form cerebral abscesses. C. koseri brain abscesses can be a devastating disease of infancy and childhood with more than 30 % succumbing to the disease and more than 50 % suffering severe neurological deficits.
Rheology of rocksalt

Abstract We review progress in experimental determinations of transient and steady-state flow properties and processes of natural rocksalt aggregates, focusing primarily on results from Avery Island, Louisiana, domal salt. The steady-state flow field-established from constant stress and constant strain-rate tests at temperatures from 50 to 200°C, strain rates from 10−5 to 10−9 s−1 and differential stresses, σ, from 20.7 to 2.5 MPa-has been separated into two flow regimes, each fit by a power-law relation. At the higher stresses and strain rates this relation is e =1.6 ×10 −4 exp ( −68.1 RT.10 −3 )σ 5.3 for which the pre-exponential constant is expressed in MPa−5.3 s−1 and the apparent activation energy is in J mol−1. Creep rates predicted by equation (A) do not differ appreciably from those predicted previously. The relatively low stress, low strain-rate data are very well fit by e =8.1 ×10 −5 exp ( −51.6 RT.10 −3 σ 2.4 which is comparable conditions, predicts creep rates higher and equivalent viscosities lower than does equation (A) by two orders of magnitude. The change in behavior from (A) to (B) is ascribed to a change in rate-limiting mechanism from cross-slip of screw dislocations to the climb of edge dislocations in this dry material. Subgrain formation dominates microstructural development during steady-state flow of salt and, from determinations of average subgrain diameters in crystals from 20 different rocksalt bodies, flow stress levels between 0.6 and 1.4 MPa have been estimated. These values do not bear directly on arguments concerning the nature of forces initiating salt pillow growth because, apparently, evidence relating to the early deformational history has been overprinted. At that stage, fluid-assisted grain boundary diffusional processes might dominate dislocation creep, leading to a linear stress-strain rate mechanical response. Considering buoyancy forces alone, behavior described by equation (B) rather than (A) reduces the relief necessary to initiate pillow growth but a 1000-fold amplification is required to produce stress differences near 1 MPa. That forces other than buoyancy are important is indicated by the occurrence of these same paleostress levels in bedded salts and in shallow offshore concordant intrusions. Differential loading generally provides the most plausible initial driving force for the growth of diapiric salt structures.
Peripheral adaptations in trained aged rats with femoral artery stenosis.

The development and functional significance of exercise-induced peripheral adaptations were evaluated in aged animals with peripheral arterial insufficiency. Fisher 344 male rats (21 months old) were subjected to bilateral stenosis of the femoral arteries sufficient to limit active hyperemia but not to impair resting blood flow. Beginning the third day after stenosis, animals were (1) exercised by walking (n = 12) on a treadmill at 20 m/min at 15% inclination, twice a day, 5 days per week, or (2) limited to cage activity (n = 10). Exercise tolerance improved from approximately 5 to approximately 35 minutes (P < .001) over the 8 weeks of the training program but increased only marginally to approximately 8 minutes for the sedentary group. An isolated hind limb preparation perfused at equivalent blood flows (approximately 1 ml.min-1 x g-1 with an arterial blood oxygen content of approximately 20 vol%) was used to assess the functional and metabolic impact of muscle-specific adaptations during sequential contraction periods at 4, 8, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 tetani per minute. An initially similar force development of approximately 10 N/g was better maintained (P < .001) by the trained group. The peak oxygen consumption attained by the trained group of 5.68 +/- 0.34 mumol.min-1 x g-1 was greater (P < .01) than that of the sedentary group (4.34 +/- 0.29 mumol.min-1 x g-1). This was due to a greater oxygen extraction, since oxygen delivery was the same (approximately 10 mumol.min-1 x g-1) to muscles of both groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Death drive sublimation: A psychoanalytic perspective on technological development

This paper attempts to articulate, in a preliminary fashion, the concept of death drive sublimation, a theoretical possibility implied in Freud's later metapsychology but never explicitly elaborated as such. In conversation with Herbert Marcuse and Bernard Stiegler, I argue that “technological mastery” allows for an expression of the death drive that may be considered “sublimated” in line with a definition I offer following F.J. Hacker. The final two sections draw out the theoretical potential of this concept by first revisiting Christopher Lasch's “narcissism thesis” and then by examining Marcuse's understanding of superego formation under late capitalism. I close by outlining possibilities for future work.
Conjuring a New Category of Disability from Prenatal Cocaine Exposure: Are the Infants Unique Biological or Caretaking Casualties?.

The paper reviews the available literature on the biological mechanisms and effects of cocaine exposure impacting pregnant women, the fetus, the neonate, and the infant. The potential causal mechanisms for neural damage to the fetus are quite robust; however, the empirical literature does not support an inevitable developmental consequence for infants exposed in utero to cocaine. The most impaired of the cocaine-exposed infants do not seem to differ, behaviorally, from other groups of neurologically impaired infants. However, the infant exposed to cocaine in utero may have the added disadvantage of a dysfunctional caregiving environment focused more on drug habit maintenance than on caretaking. This combination of biological vulnerability and caretaking inadequacy increases the odds that a child will be a “caretaking casualty.” Classifications of children are useful only if they organize and name individuals with the same biological or behavioral characteristics. The classification of infants and young ch...
Sliding mode control of structural vibrations via active-passive hybrid piezoelectric networks

The purpose of this research is to address the issue of nonlinearities in APPN (Active-Passive Hybrid Piezoelectric Networks) based systems. Experimental effort is carried out to quantify the high order nonlinearity and hysteresis in piezoelectric actuation. Based on the sliding mode control theory, a robust controller is developed to compensate for the nonlinearities and uncertainties in the integrated system. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by a numerical example.
Recovery Of CO2 From Flue Gas For Enhanced Oil Recovery

This study was initiated to investigate the problems associated with recovery of CO/sub 2/ from flue gases for enhanced oil recovery. In particular, MEA and activated K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ absorbing solutions were evaluated. 12 refs.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation: Organizational Constraints on US Foreign Aid, 2004–11

Summary The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) was established in 2004 to channel billions of US foreign assistance dollars to various infrastructure projects within a select group of low income countries that could presumably help themselves, when ruling justly, investing in people, and encouraging economic freedom were considered primary contributors to self-sustaining economic growth. Through multi-method analysis, this study reveals that, with its choice of assessment categories and accompanying indicators, the MCC undermines its governing principles in aid-candidate qualification.
Neuron-specific enolase during the development of the organ of Corti.

Abstract NSE immunoreactivity has been studied in the organ of Corti of the developing mouse from birth to 21 days. NSE immunohistochemical stain is observed in spiral ganglion cells, in nerve fibers and in nerve endings of inner and outer hair cells, and in both populations of sensory cells. Spiral ganglion cells in lower and central parts of the ganglion stain for NSE at birth, but all nerve cells are stained by day 4. Radial and spiral fibers and the endings on inner hair cells stain at birth, but the nerve endings on outer hair cells develop NSE between days 3 and 6. The inner and outer hair cells are NSE-positive at day 2 but the NSE immunoreactivity in the outer hair cells decreases at the end of the second week until the cells become negative. The NSE stain in the neuronal pathways of the inner and outer hair cell regions increases for about 19 days, showing a predominant accumulation in neuronal endings. The data suggest that the development of NSE expression in the organ of Corti reflects the nascence and maturation of the synaptic contacts. Spiral neurons, their fibers and endings as well as inner and outer hair cells express NSE in the isolated organ of Corti in culture. Variability of stain among the different cell populations indicates a role of local factors in the regulation of NSE expression.
Suppression of the luteinizing hormone surge by chlordimeform in ovariectomized, steroid-primed female rats.

: The midcycle surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary provides the physiological trigger in the mammalian female for the process of ovulation. Accordingly, any agent that compromises the LH surge could function as a reproductive toxicant. Since ovariectomized (OVX) rats implanted with oestradiol capsules will exhibit daily afternoon surges, such animals can serve as a useful model for the investigation of toxicant-induced alterations in this functional hormonal event. The acaricide chlordimeform (CDF) has previously been found to decrease serum LH, probably by altering the hypothalamic noradrenergic transmitter control of LH secretion. Consequently, the present study focused on the effect of acute CDF administration on the appearance of the induced LH surge. Single intraperitoneal injections of CDF (0, 10, 25, 50 mg/kg) in OVX, oestradiol-implanted female Long-Evans rats approximately 5 hr prior to the expected surge caused a complete suppression at 25 and 50 mg/kg. Ten mg/kg had no effect on surge amplitude, but advanced the LH peak by 2 hr. The observed suppression did not persist beyond the day of CDF administration. Earlier dosing at 11 or 18 hr prior to the surge was without effect. Since CDF has been found to elevate serum corticosterone (CORT), 10 mg CORT/rat were given at different times prior to the surge. Twenty hr after administration only a partial lowering was seen; 5 hr exposure were ineffective. This indicates that an indirect adrenal effect was not the principal route, but may accompany an action of CDF on the hypothalamic mechanisms regulating the surge and becomes evident after more prolonged exposure.
Neutralizing Music Piracy: An Empirical Examination

The current study sought to test the viability of employing Sykes and Matza's (1957) techniques of neutralization as a framework for understanding online music piracy. Using data from a sample of 2,032 undergraduates from a large Midwestern university, the relevance of neutralization theory is tested via multinomial logistic regression while controlling for other theoretical predictors and demographic variables. The findings indicated that greater acceptance of the techniques associated with denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victim, and appeal to higher loyalties significantly predicted moderate levels of piracy participation. Furthermore, the effect of appeals to higher loyalty on piracy was found to be conditioned by the respondent's approval of the behavior. Overall, results suggested that university settings may unwittingly facilitate a climate for online piracy whereby students place a higher value on group norms rather than legal norms and do not consider the harms associated wit...
A spectroscopic investigation of carbon-carbon bond formation by methylene insertion on a Ag(111) surface: mechanism and kinetics.

Using reflection−absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS), we have investigated the cross-coupling reaction between CH2(a) and CF3(a) on a Ag...
Implementation of an "after hours" resident educational program in a general surgery residency: a paradigm for increasing formal didactic training outside of the hospital setting in the era of the 80-hour workweek.

Introduction Residency programs have been forced to curtail many educational activities to comply with duty-hour restrictions. We describe an “after hours” educational program as a forum to provide small-group education customized for each training level to compliment our formal curriculum. Methods Sessions within each general surgery specialty were organized such that 1 session each month was open to either junior (R1 and R2) or senior (R3-R5) trainees and hosted by surgical faculty. Attendance was optional and limited to 15 residents per session with the format determined by the hosting faculty. Participants completed a postsession survey. Results Fourteen sessions were held during the 2008-2009 academic year. All sessions were >90% subscribed within 1 week of announcement and attendance was 88%. The average session duration was 2.6 ± 0.4 hours. Junior resident sessions focused on preparing R1 and R2 residents to handle common consult questions; senior resident sessions were modeled as “mock oral boards.” Resident and faculty responses to the postsession questionnaire were similar and favorable with respect to the educational value of this format. Conclusions There is enthusiasm among faculty and trainees to provide small-group, level-specific educational programs outside of the hospital setting and the 80-hour workweek. Such a program is easily implemented, highly effective, and well received. This format has the added benefit of improving interaction between faculty and residents and increasing the camaraderie of a surgical training program.
Identification of dimerization phase transitions driven by Peierls and other mechanisms

One-dimensional (1D) electronic structure is characteristic of face-to-face stacks of planar π-electron donors and/or acceptors. Dimerization phase transitions at Tc < 400 K occur for various stacking motifs. Excitations of the dimerized phase are used to distinguish between dimerization driven by electron–phonon coupling (Peierls) and other mechanisms in correlated systems with spin and charge degrees of freedom.
Time-optimal motion planning of autonomous vehicles in the presence of obstacles

This paper presents a novel motion planning approach inspired by the Dynamic Programming (DP) for mobile robots and other autonomous vehicles. The proposed discrete- time algorithm enables a multi-degree of freedom vehicle to reach its destination through an arbitrary obstacle field in a minimum number of time steps. Furthermore, the resulting optimal path is guaranteed to posses the required degree of smoothness and incorporates the motion state constraints such as velocity, acceleration, and jerk limits. The algorithm is proven to terminate in a finite number of steps without its computational complexity increasing with the type or number of obstacles. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated on a mobile robot modeled as a point-mass in a 2-dimensional space subject to velocity and acceleration limits.
High-Q RF MEMS capacitor with digital/analog tuning capabilities

This paper presents an RF MEMS switchedcapacitor suitable for tunable filters and reconfigurable matching networks. The switched-capacitor contains design features that result in a tunable capacitance ratio of 5–7, a high-Q (≫ 100) at C to X-band frequencies, and excellent reliability performance. The switched-capacitor has been temperature cycled to 120° C with only a 3–4 V change in the pull-down voltage. The design also features a digital switched-capacitor mode and an analog tuning mode, making it ideal for precision tuning.
Comparative Analysis of Extended Producer Responsibility Policy in the United States and Canada

Summary This article analyzes the policy choices and programmatic elements of extended producer responsibility (EPR) as implemented in the United States and Canada. The article traces the historical development of EPR in each country and defines common features of EPR in each nation. The U.S. states and the Canadian provinces have assumed the primary role, rather than the federal governments, for enacting producer responsibility requirements in their respective countries. However, the paths taken demonstrate several fundamental differences, including the prevalence of individual versus collective responsibility and the financing mechanisms implemented for EPR. Given the deepening experience with EPR and the breadth of its application to a widening array of products in the United States, the Canadian model for EPR is starting to receive more examination from policy makers in the United States, indicating that the policy and programmatic differences between the two nations may eventually be narrowing. The comparative policy analysis is illustrated through the lens of EPR regulatory efforts for waste electronics, with particular profiles of the programs in the State of Minnesota and Province of Ontario. Both approaches broadly reflect many of the policy considerations and governance and programmatic themes that dominate EPR programs in each country. Finally, the article offers recommendations for collaborative work between the United States and Canada to explore consistency between programs and other complementary strategies to support producer responsibility activities.
Low PMEPR Code Based on STAR-16-QAM Constellation for OFDM

High peak-to-mean envelope power ratio has been a major issue in the implementation of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems in low cost application devices. In this letter, we construct code with low peak to mean envelope power ratio based on construction of STAR-16-QAM constellation as a scaled set sum of two QPSK constellations. The construction of Golay sequences based on STAR-16-QAM constellation is shown and upper bound for peak-to-mean envelope power ratio for OFDM is derived.
Diagnostic utility of laboratory tests in alcoholic liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease is an important health problem in the US. A public health approach is proposed, using laboratory tests to identify patients with early fibrosis of the liver. A variety of serological markers of liver fibrosis based on collagen-related products (e.g., amino-terminal propeptides of type III procollagen) have been investigated. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal combination of tests for discriminating between steatosis and early fibrosis. Laboratory tests are also useful in excluding nonalcoholic liver diseases such as viral hepatitis, hemochromatosis, and Wilson disease. The monitoring of sobriety in patients with alcoholic liver disease by currently available tests is far from ideal. A new marker of excessive alcohol consumption, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin, is not usually affected by liver disease and thus shows promise as a marker of relapse in alcoholic patients. The development of reliable screening markers of fibrosis and sobriety could potentially reduce the health costs and suffering associated with the complications of alcoholic cirrhosis.
Health care robotics: a progress report

This paper describes the approach followed in the design of a service robot for health care applications. Under the auspices of the NASA Technology Transfer Program, a partnership was established between JPL and RWI, a manufacturer of mobile robots, to design and evaluate a mobile robot for health care assistance to the elderly and the handicapped. The activities of the first phase of the project include the development of a multi-modal operator interface, and the design and fabrication of a manipulator arm for the mobile robot. This paper describes the architecture of the system, the features of the manipulator arm, and the operator interface.
On being "up to other things": The nondirective attitude and therapist- frame responses in client-centered therapy and contemporary psychoanalysis

In this article I start with a summary of Brodley's writings on nondirectivity. I note that she acknowledged that therapist-frame responses, at times, can have an important impact on clients. However, she felt that the risks of therapist self-representations far outweigh the benefits. The main purpose of the article is to provide evidence of the usefulness of responses from the therapist's framework. In one example, I demonstrate the value of the kind of therapist-frame responses that give affirmation and support to clients. In other examples I show that being “up to other things,” by suggesting a change in the direction of a session, can be therapeutically helpful. Another purpose of the article is to describe the similarities that exist between client-centered therapy and contemporary psychoanalysis. For example, client-centered therapy and self psychology minimize therapist input and emphasize empathic understanding with clients. Both client-centered therapists and relational psychoanalysts seem to sha...
A convenient route to polyfunctionalised indeno[ 1,2 - b ]pyran derivatives

Abstract 2-Arylidene-1,3-indanediones undergo facile formal hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadditions with ynamines bearing electron-withdrawing groups yielding polyfunctionalised indeno[1,2-b]pyrans.
Delay-Sensitive Resource Management in Multi-Hop Cognitive Radio Networks

Dynamic resource management by the various cognitive nodes fundamentally changes the passive way that wireless nodes are currently adapting their transmission strategies to match available wireless resources, by enabling them to consciously influence the wireless system dynamics based on the gathered information about other network nodes. In this paper, we discuss the main challenges of performing such dynamic resource management by emphasizing the distributed information in the dynamic multi-agent system. Specifically, the decisions on how to adapt the aforementioned resource management at sources and relays need to be performed in an informationally-decentralized manner, as the tolerable delay does not allow propagating information back and forth throughout the multi-hop infrastructure to a centralized decision maker. The term "cognitive" refers in our paper to both the capability of the network nodes to achieving large spectral efficiencies through exploitation and mitigation of channel and interference variability by dynamically using different frequency bands as well as their ability to learn the "environment" (channel conditions and source characteristic) and the actions of competing nodes through the designed information exchange. We propose our dynamic resource management algorithms performed at each network nodes integrated with multi-agent learning that explicitly consider the timeliness and the cost of such information exchange. The results show that our dynamic resource management approach improves the PSNR of multiple video streams by more than 3 dB as opposed to the state-of-the-art dynamic frequency channel/route selection approaches without learning capability, when the network resources are limited.
Where we Go With a Little Good Information

When observers move through an environment, they are immersed in a sea of motions that guide their further movements. The horizontal relative motions of all possible pairs of stationary objects fall into three classes: They converge, diverge and slow down, or diverge with increasing velocity. Conjoined with ordinal depth information, the first two motions reveal nominal invariants, constraining heading to one side of the visual field. When two object pairs yield invariants on opposing sides of the heading, they can constrain judgments to a narrow region. Distributional analyses of responses in an experiment involving simulated observer movement suggest that observers follow these constraints.
Vasodilation induced by oxygen/glucose deprivation is attenuated in cerebral arteries of SUR2 null mice.

Physiological functions of arterial smooth muscle cell ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels, which are composed of inwardly rectifying K+ channel 6.1 and sulfonylurea receptor (SUR)-2 subunits, during ...
A Critical Examination of an Urban-Based Youth Empowerment Strategy: The Teen Empowerment Program

ABSTRACT Youths from marginalized and disenfranchised communities can be empowered to advocate for social justice through civic engagement and sociopolitical action. Examining youth empowerment programs, using critical social theory, builds upon our understanding of sociopolitical systems and oppression and provides a lens to examine mechanisms of change while applying theory to practice. Jennings, Parra-Medina, Messias, and McLoughlin (2006) have identified six dimensions of critical youth empowerment programs, which provide a framework for examining youth empowerment programs. This article presents the Teen Empowerment program, as implemented with high-risk youths in urban communities, and examines it along these six dimensions and provides a model for how to critically examine youth empowerment programs using this framework.
Microvascular oxygen tension and flow measurements in rodent cerebral cortex during baseline conditions and functional activation

Measuring cerebral oxygen delivery and metabolism microscopically is important for interpreting macroscopic functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and identifying pathological changes associated with stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain injury. Here, we present simultaneous, microscopic measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen partial pressure (pO2) in cortical microvessels of anesthetized rats under baseline conditions and during somatosensory stimulation. Using a custom-built imaging system, we measured CBF with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and vascular pO2 with confocal phosphorescence lifetime microscopy. Cerebral blood flow and pO2 measurements displayed heterogeneity over distances irresolvable with fMRI and positron emission tomography. Baseline measurements indicate O2 extraction from pial arterioles and homogeneity of ascending venule pO2 despite large variation in microvessel flows. Oxygen extraction is linearly related to flow in ascending venules, suggesting that flow in ascending venules closely matches oxygen demand of the drained territory. Oxygen partial pressure and relative CBF transients during somatosensory stimulation further indicate arteriolar O2 extraction and suggest that arterioles contribute to the fMRI blood oxygen level dependent response. Understanding O2 supply on a microscopic level will yield better insight into brain function and the underlying mechanisms of various neuropathologies.
Facilitating College Students' Recovery Through the Use of Collegiate Recovery Programs

This article describes an untapped resource that counselors can use to help serve the multiple needs of college students recovering from addiction: collegiate recovery programs. The authors provide detailed information about the collegiate recovery population and give examples of successful programs. Implications for future research are discussed, and suggestions are provided for facilitating student recovery and advocating for collegiate recovery programs.
Legacies of native climate regime govern responses of boreal soil microbes to litter stoichiometry and temperature

Abstract Temperature and substrate stoichiometry can influence soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, but whether their interactive effect is significant remains unclear. This study explores linkages between substrate stoichiometry and warming-induced patterns of microbial carbon (C) mineralization in boreal forest soils via replacements of native litterfall with Oi material possessing distinct δ13C and C:N. Following 120 day incubations of soils from sites similar except for mean annual temperature, we examined exo-enzyme activities, microbial biomass, and δ13C of respired CO2 and individual phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) to identify microbial community and decay responses to these experimental manipulations. In accordance with stoichiometric theory, we hypothesized that warming-induced increases in microbial use of naturally low C:N Oea materials and fungal incorporation of Oea would be enhanced when available Oi material exhibited relatively high C:N. These hypotheses were only partially supported. At the warmer site, higher C:N Oi was linked to an enhanced, warming-induced decline in Oi-derived CO2, lower C:N Oi prompted an increase in the warming-induced increase in phenol oxidase activities, and the interaction between temperature and Oi C:N had no influence on the relative abundances or activities of distinct microbial groups. In contrast, responses to Oi C:N and temperature at the cooler site were evident only via changes in the structure and substrate preference of the active microbial community; we observed a ∼25% increase in the incorporation of low C:N Oi into fungi relative to bacteria in these soils when they were incubated at a relatively high temperature. The data emphasize the importance of native climate imposing a legacy effect on how these microbial communities respond to temperature and substrate stoichiometry, by governing those communities' adaptive characteristics and the climate-related composition of the SOM on which they depend. That legacy effect is reflected in patterns of decay and in the relative abundances of microbial groups that both decay and generate SOM.
Piecewise Linear Branch Prediction

Improved branch prediction accuracy is essential to sustaining instruction throughput with todayýs deep pipelines. We introduce piecewise linear branch prediction, an idealized branch predictor that develops a set of linear functions, one for each program path to the branch to be predicted, that separate predicted taken from predicted not taken branches. Taken together, all of these linear functions form a piecewise linear decision surface. We present a limit study of this predictor showing its potential to greatly improve predictor accuracy. We then introduce a practical implementable branch predictor based on piecewise linear branch prediction. In making our predictor practical, we show how a parameterized version of it unifies the previously distinct concepts of perceptron prediction and path-based neural prediction. Our new branch predictor has implementation costs comparable to current prominent predictors in the literature while significantly improving accuracy. For a deeply pipelined simulated microarchitecture our predictor with a 256KB hardware budget improves the harmonic mean normalized instructions-per-cycle rate by 8% over both the original path-based neural predictor and 2Bc-gskew. The average misprediction rate is decreased by 16% over the path-based neural predictor and by 22% over 2Bc-gskew.
Loaded horizontal antenna over an imperfect ground

The Fresnel reflection coefficient technique is employed to establish an E -field integral equation for the antenna current. A resistive loading of the form \Lambda(x) = \Lambda_{0}/(1 - |x|/L) is used to load the antenna. An optimization technique is discussed for determining the value of critical loading \Lambda_{0}^{c} , which enforces a traveling wave current on the antenna. Results are given for the critical loading parameters, antenna currents, input impedances and radiation patterns versus different antenna dimensions and ground permittivities and conductivities. Some representative time-domain results for such loaded antennas are also included.
Resampling Approach for Determination of the Method for Reference Interval Calculation in Clinical Laboratory Practice

ABSTRACT Reference intervals (RI) play a key role in clinical interpretation of laboratory test results. Numerous articles are devoted to analyzing and discussing various methods of RI determination. The two most widely used approaches are the parametric method, which assumes data normality, and a nonparametric, rank-based procedure. The decision about which method to use is usually made arbitrarily. The goal of this study was to demonstrate that using a resampling approach for the comparison of RI determination techniques could help researchers select the right procedure. Three methods of RI calculation—parametric, transformed parametric, and quantile-based bootstrapping—were applied to multiple random samples drawn from 81 values of complement factor B observations and from a computer-simulated normally distributed population. It was shown that differences in RI between legitimate methods could be up to 20% and even more. The transformed parametric method was found to be the best method for the calculation of RI of non-normally distributed factor B estimations, producing an unbiased RI and the lowest confidence limits and interquartile ranges. For a simulated Gaussian population, parametric calculations, as expected, were the best; quantile-based bootstrapping produced biased results at low sample sizes, and the transformed parametric method generated heavily biased RI. The resampling approach could help compare different RI calculation methods. An algorithm showing a resampling procedure for choosing the appropriate method for RI calculations is included.
Hypercalcemia associated with sarcoidosis, hypernephroma and parathyroid adenoma: an unusual case with a nineteen-year follow up.

A case of hypercalcemia followed over 19 years is presented. The effect of the hypercalcemia on renal function is noted and was distinctly unusual in its mildness for a period of 13 years. The discovery in this patient of sarcoidosis with vitamin D sensitivity, hypernephroma and a parathyroid adenoma was extraordinary and hers is the first case so described.
Studies on the lymph system of digenetic trematodes

A survey is made of the literature pertaining to lymph systems of the various groups of trematodes in which they occur, together with descriptions of the lymph systems in several forms not previously studied. The author reports the presence of a lymph system in two families, Cyclocoelidae and Heronimidae, which heretofore were considered to be without such organs, and the significance of this characteristic feature of certain trematodes is discussed as bearing on the problem of the evolution of monostomes, amphistomes, and other distomes. The gross morphology and the histology of the structural units of the system are described for Paramphistomum stunkardi, an amphistome from a fish, and for Diplodiscus temporatus, an amphistome from an amphibian, together with observations on the ramifications and structural components of the system in Cotylophoron cotylophorum. Various theoretical considerations concerning the development, function, and taxonomic and phylogenetic significance are treated on the basis of the morphology of the system and its resemblance to certain components of the vascular system of higher forms. The lymph system in trematodes is the natural starting-point in any study of the phylogenetic development of vascular systems.