cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distortion of Interfaces in a Multilayer Polymer Co-extrusion Feedblock

Numerical simulations of co-extruded multilayered viscoelastic polymers flowing through a feed block were performed to analyze the effects of polymer rheology and process conditions on the distortion of interfaces between layers. Finite element simulations assuming Phan-Thien Tanner viscoelastic fluids were used to test the effects of increasing the number of layers introduced to the feed block and decreasing wall friction on interface distortion. It was found that increasing the number of layers introduced to the feed block decreased the overall distortion in the layers by reducing the overall magnitude of second normal stress differences and thus decreasing the normal in-plane velocities that cause distortion, which was validated by experiments. Decreasing wall friction was also found to decrease the amount of distortion in layer interfaces by decreasing the strength of these second normal stress differences.
Anthropogenic nitrogen oxide transport and deposition in Eastern North America

Abstract A long-range atmospheric transport and transformation model is presented for nitrogen oxides emitted by man-made sources. The model parameters are optimized by matching the model output—annual average nitrate (NO−3) wet deposition—to observed deposition at 109 precipitation sampling stations in eastern N America that operated continuously in the years 1980–1982. The root-mean-square residual between observations and predictions is 2.9 kg NO−3 ha−1 y−1 or 19.7% of the root-mean-square observed value. The trend of estimated annual average NO−3 concentrations in precipitation at Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire compares well with the observations from 1964 to 1981. Transfer coefficients decay nearly exponentially with distance with length scales of 200–800 km, depending on source-receptor orientation with respect to the resultant annual wind direction. The model is used for source apportionment of NO−3 wet deposition at several receptors and for estimating a nitrogen budget for eastern N America, including the transboundary fluxes between the U.S. and Canada.
Quality measures for the care of adult patients with restless legs syndrome.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) commissioned several Workgroups to develop quality measures for the care of patients with common sleep disorders, including adults with restless legs s...
Risk factors for recurrent lower extremity cellulitis in a U.S. Veterans Medical Center population.

ABSTRACT Background Despite the frequency of recurrent acute cellulitis of the lower extremities, factors associated with this infection have not been previously assessed in a case-control study among patients admitted to U.S. hospitals. Methods We compared the clinical characteristics of 47 patients with those of 94 age- and sex-matched control subjects admitted to the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Results In a multivariate analysis, two physical factors, lower extremity edema and body mass index, one behavioral factor, smoking, and one demographic factor, homelessness, were significantly and independently associated with recurrent cellulitis. The latter two factors have not previously been reported to be independently associated with cellulitis. Conclusions Our results suggest that increased emphasis on weight loss, smoking cessation, and improved foot hygiene in the homeless might decrease recurrences of lower extremity cellulitis.
Adaptation of family caregivers during the acute phase of adult BMT.

This study examined the course of adaptation as indicated by the level of emotional distress for family caregivers of adult BM recipients across the acute phase of the transplant trajectory. Factors influencing caregivers’ adaptation that could be potential markers of vulnerability to psychological and social morbidity were identified. The sample included 192 caregivers of either an autologous or allogeneic BMT recipient. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires at three time points in the trajectory: pre-transplant/pre-hospitalization (T1); during hospitalization, post-infusion (T2); 1 month post-discharge (T3). There was a decline in emotional distress from T1 to T3, and bivariate correlations indicated significant association of distress with variables hypothesized to be theoretically relevant. Specifically, greater personal control, a greater sense of spiritual connectedness, less disruption in the life of the caregiver and less use of avoidance coping were the strongest factors associated with lower emotional distress. In conclusion (1) levels of personal control and spirituality remained stable across time and were negatively associated with emotional distress. Therefore, they may provide an indication of caregiver resilience pre-transplant; (2) level of recipient symptomatology rather than BMT type appears to influence caregiver distress; (3) there are indications of the need for post-hospitalization follow-up with caregivers by the BMT team.
Parallel concepts in graph theory

One edge of a graph G is taken as a basic unit, regarded as the set of its two nodes. Two edges are called parallel (or independent) if they are disjoint. Then a 1-factor (or perfect matching) of G is a spanning set of parallel edges. A 1-factorization of G is a partition of its edge set E(G) into 1-factors, each of which is considered as a color class in a proper edge coloring of G. Then two edge colorings of G are called orthogonal if no two edges with the same first coloring have the same second coloring. Motivated by parallel processing computers, we propose the hierarchy of parallel structures in a graph consisting of (1) an edge, (2) a set of parallel edges, (3) a collection of parallel sets of edges, (4) a class of such orthogonal collections. We also consider similar hierarchies for triangles, nodes, paths, and stars, as well as analogous concepts in other branches of discrete mathematics.
DENSITY OF STATES FOR THE GRAVITATIONAL-FIELD IN BLACK-HOLE TOPOLOGIES

Using a previously developed formulation of black-hole thermodynamics for a system of finite size, we show that the partition function of the related canonical ensemble can be used to obtain the density of states in the microcanonical ensemble. We work with the partition function in a zero-loop approximation based on classical solutions with fixed boundary data and obtain the corresponding density of states by using an inverse Laplace transform. The computation requires the introduction of a uniformizing variable so that a path can be defined along which the classical action of a stable black hole is single valued in the integration over imaginary inverse temperatures. Although the zero-loop partition function is not a Laplace transform, its inversion integral yielding the density of states is nevertheless well defined, and we show that it is the exact inverse of a Fourier-Laplace integration over all real energies, positive and negative. We argue that (1) this need for all positive and negative energies and (2) a constraint on the boundary data for obtaining the partition function from classical solutions are both consequences of the zero-loop approximation that should be absent in a complete quantum theory. We also find that the single-valued action enables a discussion of negative temperatures for positive mean energies that appear to be essential for a satisfactory relation between the partition function and the density of states in the zero-loop approximation. The full significance of this observation must await further study.
Reactivity to food odors during hypothalamic stimulation in rats not experienced with stimulation-induced eating.

Abstract Rats were given tests which permitted access to food-related or water-related stimuli, but which prevented the opportunity to eat or drink. The rats appeared attracted to odors or other stimuli associated with food when they were deprived of food and water for 23 hr. The rats were not attracted to the food stimuli when they were undeprived nor when they were subjected to electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus at an intensity which induced eating in later tests. If the rats were given the same brain stimulation when food and water deprived, they appeared attracted to the food stimuli. After finally permitting access to food and water during stimulation, it was found that those rats which became stimulation-induced eaters had not differed from the noneaters/drinkers on any of the prior tests, but that in later tests only the eaters readily approached food stimuli. The different behaviors of the eaters and noneaters did not appear to be attributable to emotional factors as previously suggested by others. The results are discussed in terms of both nonspecific arousal factors and specific hypothalamic contributions to stimulation-induced ingestive behaviors.
Advanced patterning solutions for self-aligned MOS structures in flash memory

The self-aligned MOS (SMS) structure in flash memory is a complex stack that requires novel patterning solutions. For the 90-nm node, we were able to implement an industry-leading 193-nm lithography process. At the 65-nm node, technical constraints drove a significant process flow change which incorporates an enhanced hardmask (EHM) layer. The benefit realized from this change is a wider process window for both lithography and etch.
Injection-locked 1.55 /spl mu/m VCSELs in analog and digital communication systems

VCSEL injection locking is demonstrated to increase laser bandwidth and reduce non-linearity and chirp. All these properties enhance analog and digital modulation performance.
Functional Analysis of the Interaction of a Tissue-Specific Factor with an Upstream Enhancer Element of the Rat Prolactin Gene

A nuclear factor which binds to an upstream element of the rat PRL gene has been identified and the functional properties of the factor-DNA interaction have been assessed by mutagenesis of the factor binding sites. Gel mobility shift assays have been used to identify a factor which binds to a fragment from the -1712 to -1494 region of the rat PRL gene. The DNA binding factor is present in nuclear extracts from PRL-producing GH3 cells, but not in nuclear extracts from several other cell lines. Although previous studies have shown that the estrogen receptor binds to this region of DNA, chromatography on heparin-agarose demonstrated that the factor detected by mobility shift assay is probably not the estrogen receptor. Nuclease protection experiments demonstrate that the factor binds to a discrete region at positions -1666 to -1652. The protected region includes half of a palindrome, TCATTAT … ATAATGA. Mutagenesis by T to G transversions of either both halves of this symmetrical sequence, or only the upstrea...
Cell cycle specificity of apoptosis during treatment of leukaemias.

This review summarizes our observations on the mechanism of induction of apoptosis in vitro in leukaemic cell lines and in vivo in patients with leukaemia undergoing chemotherapy, in relation to the cell cycle. Multiparameter flow cytometric methods allowed us to identify apoptotic cells and position them with respect to their cell cycle phase. Several antitumor agents of different classes have been characterized in terms of the cell cycle phase specificity of induction of apoptosis. Three types of apoptosis could be distinguished in relation to the initial damage to the cell vis-a-vis cell cycle position: (1) homo-phase apoptosis where the cells underwent apoptosis during the same phase in which they were initially affected; (2) homo-cycle apoptosis, where the cells underwent apoptosis during the same cell cycle in which they were initially affected, i.e., prior to or during the first mitosis, and (3) post-mitotic apoptosis, where cells underwent apoptosis during the cell cycle(s) subsequent to that in which the cell was initially affected, most likely at the G1 or G2 checkpoints of these cycle(s). Four ranges of drug concentration can be distinguished in vitro for most drugs, where either: (1) no immediate effects; (2) cytostasis or post-mitotic apoptosis; (3) homo-cycle or homo-phase apoptosis; or (4) necrosis are observed. Analysis of cell death of blast cells from peripheral blood or bone marrow of over 250 leukaemia patients (AML, ALL, CML in blast crisis) treated with various drugs during routine chemotherapy reveals that in the case of DNA topoisomerase inhibitors (e.g., mitoxantrone, VP-16) apoptosis is often rapid (peaks at 1-2 days after drug administration) and has features of homo-phase apoptosis. In contrast, cell death observed after administration of paclitaxel (taxol) or cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside) occurs later and has features of post-mitotic apoptosis: the cells divide but die in G1 of the subsequent cycle(s).
Anthelmintics for horses.

Abstract Modern equine anthelmintics can be divided into at least seven principal groups based on mode of action, i.e., benzimidazoles, pro-benzimidazoles, imidothiazoles, tetrahydropyrimidines, organophosphates, piperazines, and avermectins. The spectrum of activity of these drugs varies and resistance of cyathostomes to benzimidazole and pro-benzimidazole drugs has been observed in many areas. Cross resistance with other groups has not been reported in equines, however. Control is dependent upon understanding the capabilities of anthelmintics and the epizootiology of the important parasites, e.g., large strongyles, cyathostomes, ascarids and bots. Development of effective programs in a given region should be based on routine fecal analysis to ensure that treatment schedule and products selected are adequate for local climatic conditions and management methods.
Derivation of Clinically Relevant Boundary Conditions Suitable for Evaluation of Chronic Impingement of Lumbar Total Disk Replacement: Application to Standard Development

Currently available standardized methods for evaluating the long-term wear of total disk replacements do not incorporate the effects of potential device impingement. Creation of a standard that incorporates device impingement is difficult without a thorough understanding of the associated biomechanical environment. Arbitrary modification of the currently available wear-test protocols to account for device impingement may add unnecessary cost, and potentially inaccurate, unrealistic results. Finite element models provide the ability to control variation and test for a wide range of parameters without the excessive time and monetary costs associated with cadaveric testing or wear simulations. However, careful validation and verification of these models is required in order to ensure predictability. Retrieved implants can be used to validate the clinical predictability of finite element models (FEMs). The objective of the current study was to quantify the ability of a previously developed FEM of the lumbar spine to predict polyethylene damage modes and impingement in actual clinical scenarios, and extract the loading and boundary conditions for implementation into a new lumbar TDR wear simulation standard. In order to achieve this objective, actual clinical scenarios, associated with retrieved implants, were modeled and simulated. We hypothesized that clinical damage modes, including both impingement and non-impingement scenarios, can be predicted using a FEM that incorporates case-specific clinical factors, anterior-posterior shear forces, coupled translations, and facet contact.
Building the world's best hearing aid; regulation of cell fate in the cochlea

In mammals, auditory perception is initially mediated through sensory cells located in a rigorously patterned mosaic of unique cell types located within the coiled cochlea. Identification of the factors that direct multipotent progenitor cells to develop as each of these specialized cell types has the potential to enhance our understanding of the development of the auditory system and to identify potential targets for regenerative therapies. Recent results have identified specific signaling molecules and pathways, including Notch, Hedgehog, Sox2 and Fgfs, that guide progenitor cells to develop first as a sensory precursor, referred to as a prosensory cell, and subsequently as one of the specialized cell types within the sensory mosaic.
Incorporating Scene Context and Object Layout into Appearance Modeling

A scene category imposes tight distributions over the kind of objects that might appear in the scene, the appearance of those objects and their layout. In this paper, we propose a method to learn scene structures that can encode three main interlacing components of a scene: the scene category, the context-specific appearance of objects, and their layout. Our experimental evaluations show that our learned scene structures outperform state-of-the-art method of Deformable Part Models in detecting objects in a scene. Our scene structure provides a level of scene understanding that is amenable to deep visual inferences. The scene structures can also generate features that can later be used for scene categorization. Using these features, we also show promising results on scene categorization.
The trigeminal evoked potential: Part I. Long-latency responses in awake or anesthetized subjects.

ABSTRACTTRIGEMINAL EVOKED POTENTIALS have been elicited with differing methodologies that render responses almost as numerous as the number of laboratories reporting them. Forty-six trigeminal nerves were studied to investigate trigeminal evoked potentials in 20 awake, normal subjects and 20 patient
Perceptual sensitivity maps within globally defined visual shapes

AN unsolved problem of biology is the processing of global shape in natural vision. The known processes of early vision are spatially restricted (or local) operations, and little is known about their interactions in organizing the visual image into functionally coherent (or global) objects. Here we introduce a human psychophysical method which allows us to measure the effect of perceptual organization on the activity pattern of local visual detectors. We map differential contrast sensitivity for a target across regions enclosed by a boundary. We show that local contrast sensitivity is enhanced within the boundary even for large distances between the boundary and the target. Furthermore, the locations of maximal sensitivity enhancement in the sensitivity maps are determined by global shape properties. Our data support a class of models which describe shapes by the means of a medial axis transformation1–3, implying that the visual system extracts ‘skeletons’ as an intermediate-level representation of objects. The skeletal representation offers a structurally simplified shape description which can be used for higher-level operations and for coding into memory.
A role for Akt in the rapid regulation of inflammatory and apoptotic pathways in mouse bladder

Akt is linked to both inflammatory and neoplastic pathways. Akt activation is dependent on the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways. Upon phosphorylation by PI3K, Akt can phosphorylate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and members of the forkhead family of transcription factors, which includes AFX. Our goal is to examine the effect of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on early cellular signaling in inflammatory (NF-κB) and apoptotic pathways (AFX) in a mouse-bladder model and in T-24 urothelial cancer cells. Female C57BL/6 mice were given an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of LPS or LPS free water and sacrificed 0–120 minutes later. Bladders were harvested, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or immunoblotting performed using antibodies to PI3K, inhibitor kappa B-α (IκB-α), and total and phosphorylated Akt, NF-κB and AFX. Levels of IκB-α and total and phosphorylated Akt and NF-κB were determined in T-24 cells treated with LPS for 0–120 minutes. Bladders and T-24 cells were treated with PI3K inhibitors in some experiments. Protein amounts in different samples were normalized to immunoreactive actin. Phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated species of Akt, NF-κB, and AFX were localized to the urothelium. IP LPS injection rapidly (within 30 minutes) increased Akt phosphorylation. IP LPS injection decreased IκB-α levels, and increased NF-κB and AFX phosphorylation. Wortmannin effectively blocked phosphorylation of Akt in LPS-treated mice, and also reduced phosphorylation of AFX and, to a lesser extent, NF-κB. After treatment with LPS, Akt and NF-κB phosphorylation was rapidly increased in T-24 cells. Akt phosphorylation, and to a lesser extent NF-κB phosphorylation, were blocked by LY-294,002. LPS/PI3K/Akt is a cellular signaling pathway which rapidly activates downstream pathways of inflammation and neoplasia in bladder urothelium.
Isotopic incorporation rates for shark tissues from a long-term captive feeding study.

SUMMARY Stable isotope analysis has provided insight into the dietary and habitat patterns of many birds, mammals and teleost fish. A crucial biological parameter to interpret field stable isotope data is tissue incorporation rate, which has not been well studied in large ectotherms. We report the incorporation of carbon and nitrogen into the tissues of leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata). Because sharks have relatively slow metabolic rates and are difficult to maintain in captivity, no long-term feeding study has been conducted until the point of isotopic steady state with a diet. We kept six leopard sharks in captivity for 1250 days, measured their growth, and serially sampled plasma, red blood cells and muscle for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. A single-compartment model with first-order kinetics adequately described the incorporation patterns of carbon and nitrogen isotopes for these three tissues. Both carbon and nitrogen were incorporated faster in plasma than in muscle and red blood cells. The rate of incorporation of carbon into muscle was similar to that predicted by an allometric equation relating isotopic incorporation rate to body mass that was developed previously for teleosts. In spite of their large size and unusual physiology, the rates of isotopic incorporation in sharks seem to follow the same patterns found in other aquatic ectotherms.
Effects of septal lesions on palatability modulation of schedule-induced polydipsia

Abstract The effects of relatively large septal lesions on schedule-induced drinking of water, quinine hydrochloride, and saccharin solutions in three rats were determined. Results indicate that septal lesions enhance schedule-induced polydipsia and decrease an apparent palatability related inhibitory effect on drinking. The absence of these effects in one control animal with extensive damage in the dorsolateral portion of hypothalamus including the zona incerta and ventral thalamic nucleus suggests that these effects might be specific to the septum.
MONOCLONAL AUTOANTIBODY SCH94.03, WHICH PROMOTES CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM REMYELINATION, RECOGNIZES AN ANTIGEN ON THE SURFACE OF OLIGODENDROCYTES

A monoclonal antibody SCH94.03, made in syngeneic mice by injection of spinal cord homogenate, promotes central nervous system remyelination when injected into SJL/J mice chronically infected with Theiler's virus. To elucidate the mechanism of antibody-mediated remyelination, SCH94.03 was investigated by immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, immunoelectron microscopy, Western blotting, and immuno-thin layer chromatography. All cell types investigated in vitro showed strong cytoplasmic staining with a pattern resembling a cytoskeletal protein. In contrast, among the primary cultured cells studied, only oligodendrocytes showed strong surface reactivity. Other cell types, including astrocytes, microglia, Schwann cells, myoblasts, and T and B lymphocytes, were negative. Mouse and rat oligodendrocytes which showed strong surface reactivity exhibited a well-differentiated morphology, and approximately 50% expressed myelin basic protein. Since oligodendrocyte progenitors were negative for surface staining, the expression of the antigens recognized by this monoclonal antibody appears to be developmentally regulated, i.e., transiently expressed on younger, terminally differentiating oligodendrocytes. Among the cell lines studied, only two rat oligodendrocyte lineage cell lines showed surface reactivity with SCH 94.03. Western blotting of secondary isolated oligodendrocytes lysates revealed reactivity with multiple protein bands of 27, 32, 50, 100, and 106 kDa, whereas there was no reactivity to lipid antigens by immuno-thin layer chromatography. These results raise the possibility that SCH94.03 recognizes a novel oligodendrocyte-specific surface antigen, and may act directly on oligodendrocytes to promote remyelination.
PATCH EFFECT IN CYLINDRICAL GEOMETRY: THE STEP ACCELEROMETER

The actual distribution of charges on a metal does not guarantee its surface to be equipotential because of the impurities and microcrystal structure of the material. This phenomenon, known as patch effect, is responsible for the mutual force and torque between two metallic surfaces at a finite distance. Patch effect is important for any precision measurement whose set-up includes conducting surfaces in a closed proximity to each other. This is particularly true for the Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle experiment where the differential motion of cylindrical test masses will be used to test the universality of free fall to an unprecedented accuracy of about 1 part in 1018.
Critical Thinking in Respiratory Therapy

Critical thinking has been defined as the disciplined mental activity of evaluating arguments or propositions and making judgments that can guide the development of beliefs and action steps.[1][1] There is little if any debate that graduate respiratory therapists (RTs) must have critical thinking
Solid phase epitaxial regrowth of ion-implanted amorphous silicon characterized by differential reflectometry

Abstract Finer details of the solid phase epitaxial (SPE) regrowth of As+ implanted amorphous silicon has been studied utilizing differential reflectometry. Specifically, the dependence of the regrowth kinetics on implantation dose and implantation energy has been investigated. Four distinct regrowth regimes have been identified when an ion implantation dose of 1 × 1015 arsenic ions/cm15 was used. They essentially represent different migration rates of the amorphous/crystalline interface. A higher implantation dose (1 × 1016 ions/cm2) yields a modification of this annealing behavior. In this case, regime II is divided into three sub-regimes. critical arsenic concentrations at which a change in regrowth behavior is observed and the pertinent activation energies are given.
Political Accountability and Development in the Third World

Social scientists have done a substantial amount of work on the causes and problems of development in Africa and other parts of the developing world. Literature on the deficiencies and proposed remedies of Third World accounting has burgeoned in the past generation. During this same period, the boundaries of accounting have been expanded beyond the traditional stewardship function to embrace the broader political and socioeconomic concerns of society. However, the interaction between accountability, politics, and the dynamic structures and trends in socioeconomic development is a subject which is rarely broached in the literature. Africa is focused on as an example of a Third World region to illuminate the interaction between politics, accountability, and development literature in social sciences and accounting.
HCV F1/F2 patients: treat now or continue to wait

The treatment of chronic HCV is evolving rapidly. In 2014, three new oral antiviral agents, simeprevir, faldeprevir and sofosbuvir will become available for patients with HCV genotype 1. These agents have far less side effects than the first generation protease inhibitors telaprevir and boceprevir. Treatment will therefore be easier for patients to tolerate but still require peginterferon and ribavirin (PEGINF/RBV). The first IFN free therapy, sofosbuvir (SOF) and ribavirin (RBV), will also become available in 2014. This treatment is highly effective for patients with HCV genotype 2. However, SVR rates with SOF/RBV appear to be similar to that achieved with PEGINF/RBV in patients with HCV genotype 3. The first IFN-free all oral antiviral therapy combination for patients with HCV genotype 1 may be available late in 2014 or early 2015. The factors which should be considered when deciding whether to treat a patient with HCV now or to delay treatment until IFN free therapies are available is discussed.
Presence of a polyA tail at the 3' end of maize rayado fino virus RNA

Maize rayado fino virus (MRFV) is distinct from other marafiviruses in that its genome reportedly lacks a poly(A) tail at the 3’ terminus. We now show that the MRFV genome is indeed polyadenylated.
Chemical vapor deposition of metals: Part 2. Overview of selective CVD of Metals

The Selective chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of metals from metal-containing compounds is reviewed and the approaches taken are classified according to the different physicochemical phenomena which take place on the growth and non-growth surfaces. These include: an intrinsic difference in reaction rates, sacrificial solid-state co-reactant, activation of the growth surface, radiation-induced activation of the growth surface, passivation of non-growth surfaces, and a physical nucleation barrier. The results from the literature suggest that surface modification, in which the growth surface is activated or the non-growth surface is passivated, is a promising method to control selectivity. However, few results are available from experiments with well-characterized surfaces, making meaningful comparisons of the origin of selective CVD difficult to interpret.
Engagement in activities is associated with affective arousal in Alzheimer's caregivers: a preliminary examination of the temporal relations between activity and affect.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the synchronous and temporal relations between engagement in activities and the two primary dimensions of affect, namely positive and negative affect, using an intensive time-series design called concomitant time series analysis (CTSA). Twentyfour dementia caregivers completed 56 diary measures (4 times per day for 2 weeks) assessing their experience of positive and negative affect as well as engagement in a variety of activities. Total number of activities was significantly correlated with positive affect (r = .40), but not negative affect (r = −.12). Obtained pleasure from activities was significantly correlated with both positive (r = .42) and negative affect (r = −.17). These results may help further develop behavioral models of depression by suggesting that behavioral or self-reinforcing activities are associated primarily (or more saliently) with one's experience of positive affect. Future research examining the effect of behavioral interventions on both positive and negative affect is suggested, as is the examination of factors that may be more strongly associated with negative affect.
The association between family structure and adolescent smoking among multicultural students in Hawaii

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine whether the prevalence of smoking was associated with family structure among multicultural adolescents and whether there was gender disparity on the association.
DETERMINING THE SEPARATION OF SIMPLE POLYGONS

Given simple polygons P and Q, their separation, denoted by σ(P, Q), is defined to be the minimum distance between their boundaries. We present a parallel algorithm for finding a closest pair among all pairs (p, q), p ∈ P and q ∈ Q. The algorithm runs in O (log n) time using O(n) processors on a CREW PRAM, where n = |P| + |Q|. This algorithm is time-optimal and improves by a factor of O (log n) on the time complexity of previous parallel methods. The algorithm can be implemented serially in Θ (n) time, which gives the first optimal sequential algorithm for determining the separation of simple polygons. Our results are obtained by providing a unified treatment of the separation and the closest visible vertex problems for simple polygons.
Comparative Experimental Performance of Bridge Deck Slabs with AFRP and Steel Precast Panels

AbstractFull-depth precast concrete panels expedite the construction process, enhance the safety and quality controls, and reduce the on-site labor requirements for bridge deck slab applications. However, corrosion-induced deterioration of conventional steel during the lifetime of the structure is a serious concern affecting the durability and serviceability of the deck panels. Although replacing conventional steel with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars has become more prevalent over the past few decades to overcome corrosion issues, there is still need for a comprehensive experimental study to investigate the constructability and structural performance of FRP concrete bridge deck slabs with precast panels at full scale. In this paper, a full-scale bridge deck slab consisting of full-depth precast panels reinforced and prestressed with aramid fiber reinforced polymer (AFRP) bars is experimentally investigated in terms of constructability and overall structural performance. It is then compared to a simil...
Combining audio and video to predict helpers' focus of attention in multiparty remote collaboration on physical tasks

The increasing interest in supporting multiparty remote collaboration has created both opportunities and challenges for the research community. The research reported here aims to develop tools to support multiparty remote collaborations and to study human behaviors using these tools. In this paper we first introduce an experimental multimedia (video and audio) system with which an expert can collaborate with several novices. We then use this system to study helpers' focus of attention (FOA) during a collaborative circuit assembly task. We investigate the relationship between FOA and language as well as activities using multimodal (audio and video) data, and use learning methods to predict helpers' FOA. We process different modalities separately and fusion the results to make a final decision. We employ a sliding window-based delayed labeling method to automatically predict changes in FOA in real time using only the dialogue among the helper and workers. We apply an adaptive background subtraction method and support vector machine to recognize the worker's activities from the video. To predict the helper's FOA, we make decisions using the information of joint project boundaries and workers' recent activities. The overall prediction accuracies are 79.52% using audio only and 81.79% using audio and video combined.
Table structure understanding and its performance evaluation

This paper presents a table structure understanding algorithm designed using optimization methods. The algorithm is probability based, where the probabilities are estimated from geometric measurements made on the various entities in a large training set. The methodology includes a global parameter optimization scheme, a novel automatic table ground truth generation system and a table structure understanding performance evaluation protocol. With a document data set having 518 table and 10,934 cell entities, it performed at the 96.76% accuracy rate on the cell level and 98.32% accuracy rate on the table level.
Endobronchial schwannoma presenting with bronchial obstruction

Schwannomas are relatively uncommon, benign nerve sheath tumors. Thoracic schwannomas most often appear in the posterior mediastinum. Pulmonary schwannomas are exceedingly rare and can present a diagnostic challenge. We present a case of an endobronchial schwannoma presenting with bronchial obstruction and review the literature of this unusual entity.
Urinary Excretion of Non-nitrogenous Organic Acids by Healthy Infants and Children

We have quantitated 14 non-nitrogenous organic acids in the urine of infants and children. Excretion values are calculated as total milligrams per day, milligrams per kilogram body weight per day, and milligrams per milligram of urinary creatinine. The correlation with creatinine excretion is high; thus, meaningful data can be obtained from casual samples of urines.
THE MORPHOLOGY OF BACTERIUM SHIGAE CULTIVATED ON VARIOUS MEDIA FAVORABLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FILTERABILITY AND LIFE CYCLE FORMS

A simple micro motion picture apparatus has been developed which is so inexpensive to construct and to operate that it can be used regularly for bacteriological research. With this equipment about 6000 feet of film representing 600 hours of photography have been made of B. shigae growing upon various solid media. These pictures illustrate the principal phenomena accompanying the development of this organism on ordinary nutrient media, on media consisting exclusively of either peptones or proteins, and on media containing small amounts of LiCl. Information has thus been gained concerning the existence of a life cycle in the Shiga bacillus and concerning its filterability through Berkefeld filters. The formation and history of the various "life cycle forms" are recorded but the evidence does not point to them as phases of actual cycles. In "filterable" B. shigae cultures—such as those grown in the so-called "K" broth or in lithium chloride-containing media—many small and short rods are present. It has been found that these dwarfed organisms pass through filters impervious to the cells of rapidly growing normal cultures. This offers a simple explanation of "quick reversions." The present experiments do not provide conclusive information concerning the slower reversions which are supposed to occur only after many days of treatment and incubation.
Chronic stroke survivors achieve comparable outcomes following virtual task specific repetitive training guided by a wearable robotic orthosis (UL-EXO7) and actual task specific repetitive training guided by a physical therapist

Survivors post stroke commonly have upper limb impairments. Patients can drive neural reorganization, brain recovery and return of function with task specific repetitive training (TSRT). Fifteen community independent stroke survivors (25e75 years, >6 months post stroke, Upper Limb Fugl Meyer [ULFM] scores 16e39) participated in this randomized feasibility study to compare outcomes of upper limb TSRT guided by a robotic orthosis (bilateral or unilateral) or a physical therapist. After 6 weeks of training (18 h), across all subjects, there were significant improvements in depression, flexibility, strength, tone, pain and voluntary movement (ULFM) (p < 0.05; effect sizes 0.49e3.53). Each training group significantly improved ULFM scores and range of motion without significant group differences. Virtual or actual TSRT performed with a robotic orthosis or a physical therapist significantly reduced arm impairments around the shoulder and elbow without significant gains in fine motor hand control, activities of daily living or independence.
Discovering Domain Specific Concepts within User-Generated Taxonomies

Collaborative tagging of resources on the Web has become a commonplace occurrence. Web sites allowing resources to be tagged provide a tremendous amount of user-generated taxonomic information. However, information seekers are hindered by the lack of organization within these tags as well as the multitude of domains encompassed within these sites. To address these issues, we propose a multi-step approach for creating domain specific concept hierarchies from collaborative tags. Each concept hierarchy is based on domain specific subject matters, which may span more than one tag, as opposed to related work which are only concerned with the relationships between single tags.
The Lake Ndutu Cranium and Early Homo Sapiens in Africa

The partial cranium from Lake Ndutu, near Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania, has generally been viewed as Homo erectus, although points of similarity to H. sapiens have also been recognized. Bones of the vault are in fact quite thick, and the cranium is small. Length and breadth dimensions are comparable to those of earlier H. erectus from Koobi Fora and Ileret, and the Ndutu individual is more similar in size to O.H. 12 than to O.H. 9. Unfortunately, the facial skeleton and frontal bone are very incomplete, and little useful information can be obtained from these parts of the existing reconstruction. The parietals are also damaged, but the left temporal is more satisfactorily preserved, and the occiput is nearly complete. Occipital morphology, mastoid shape, and characteristics of the glenoid cavity and tympanic plate probably provide the best available guide to affinities of the Ndutu hominid. In many of these features the cranium resembles Broken Hill, Elandsfontein, and other African fossils referred to archaic H. sapiens. There are some similarities to modern humans also, but no ties to the Neanderthals of Europe. Allocation of Ndutu to an African subspecies of H. sapiens seems most appropriate, even if the pattern of relationships between such archaic populations and recent humans is still unclear.
Imaging bone microdamage in vivo with positron emission tomography

Microdamage accumulation in bone is now considered a contributing cause for bone fragility in older women. However, there is still no method to detect and quantify microdamage in vivo. We have found that positron emission tomography (PET) may be useful to detect and quantify bone microdamage in vivo using a high-resolution PET scanner with [18F]NaF as the tracer. We have done several experiments using the rat ulnar loading model that demonstrate that (1) high-resolution [18F]NaF PET can detect newly created microdamage in vivo; (2) the microdamage detected in this way is co-localized with damage detected by histological and autoradiographic procedures; and (3) high-resolution [18F]NaF PET can distinguish between the effects of mechanical loading that does not produce damage and fatigue loading that creates microdamage. The high-resolution [18F]NaF PET shows promise as a non-invasive means to image bone microdamage.
Mechanisms Regulating Pattern Formation in the Amphibian Egg and Early Embryo

Interest in pattern regulation arose with the first experiments of embryology almost a century ago. The hypotheses of His and Weismann (reviewed by Wilson, 1896) predicted that the fertilized egg behaves as a mosaic of autonomously differentiating parts, due to either the invisible promorphology of its cytoplasm (His) or the preexisting architecture of its chromosomes (Weismann). Roux’s first experiments in 1888 seemed to support these hypotheses: he pricked a frog egg (Rana esculenta) at the two-cell stage with a hot needle so as to inactivate one cell, hence half the egg, and found the other cell continuing to divide and in many cases developing into a half-embryo, usually a right or left half. Thus, the active cell failed to adjust its development to compensate for its defective neighbor, at least under these experimental conditions. The frog egg appeared to meet the definition of a mosaic egg, that is, one showing no pattern regulation.
Software Reliability - Let's Start Doing It

This paper examines the total software development process and defines the role of reliability engineering required to make the software perform reliably in the field. The definition of Reliability's role is based on the premise that reliable software is achieved through the application of good engineering discipline to the software development process. The role of reliability engineering is defined with respect to the other development team members' responsibilities so that all aspects of the software development process are covered, and responsibilities are not duplicated by the participating engineering groups. This paper is based on the reliability engineering program implemented by Honeywell in the development of the real-time operational software for the Space Shuttle Main Engine Controller. Reliability's involvement on the Space Shuttle program evolved through Honeywell's need to ensure the safety and reliability integrity of this critical man-rated space program software application. There have been no engine failures or premature engine shutdowns due to a Controller Software problem during the engine test program or during the Space Shuttle launches. The software development disciplines established on Space Shuttle program have been applied and refined on both military and commercial programs at Honeywell and form the basis of the company's software management guidelines for embedded computer systems.
Identification and cloning of a fur homologue from Neisseria meningitidis.

Summary The iron response in a number of bacterial systems is mediated by fur (ferric uptake regulation)-like regulatory systems. We have cloned and characterized a gene from Neisseria meningitidis that was homologous to Escherichia coli fur. This clone was capable of modulating expression from both E. coli and neisserial iron-regulated promoters in response to iron, and it produced a protein that reacted with anti-E. coli fur serum. Although the DNA and predicted amino acid sequences were very similar to those of four other published fur homologues, meningococcal fur was the most divergent of the group. Inability to construct a meningococcal fur mutant suggested that fur may be essential in this species.
The effects of high-dose recombinant soluble CD4 on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viremia

In vitro, low-passage clinical human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates require up to 1000 times greater serum levels of recombinant soluble CD4 (rsCD4) than have ever been given. To determine if sufficient serum levels of rsCD4 provide in vivo inhibition of HIV-1, 4 HIV-1 plasma-viremic subjects were given single-dose boluses of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/kg intravenous rsCD4. Plasma HIV-1 cultures were done after infusion. Three subjects demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in plasma HIV-1 viremia. The inhibitory effect of rsCD4 on plasma HIV-1 viremia was associated with the in vitro ID90-95 of the isolate, not the ID50. These data demonstrate that extremely high doses of rsCD4 inactivate cell-free HIV-1 in vivo and suggest that high doses of rsCD4 may have some short-term therapeutic utility, such as with accidental or occupational HIV-1 exposure.
Carbon dioxide pressure-concentration relationship in arterial and mixed venous blood during exercise

To calculate cardiac output by the indirect Fick principle, CO2 concentrations (Cco 2) of mixed venous (CvCO2 ) and arterial blood are commonly estimated from Pco 2, based on the assumption that t...
Association between Functional Connectivity Hubs and Brain Networks

Functional networks are usually accessed with "resting-state" functional magnetic resonance imaging using preselected "seeds" regions. Frequently, however, the selection of the seed locations is arbitrary. Recently, we proposed local functional connectivity density mapping (FCDM), an ultrafast data-driven to locate highly connected brain regions (functional hubs). Here, we used the functional hubs obtained from local FCDM to determine the functional networks of the resting state in 979 healthy subjects without a priori hypotheses on seed locations. In addition, we computed the global functional connectivity hubs. Seven networks covering 80% of the gray matter volume were identified. Four major cortical hubs (ventral precuneus/posterior cingulate, inferior parietal cortex, cuneus, and postcentral gyrus) were linked to 4 cortical networks (default mode, dorsal attention, visual, and somatosensory). Three subcortical networks were associated to the major subcortical hubs (cerebellum, thalamus, and amygdala). The networks differed in their resting activity and topology. The higher coupling and overlap of subcortical networks was associated to higher contribution of short-range functional connectivity in thalamus and cerebellum. Whereas cortical local FCD hubs were also hubs of long-range connectivity, which corroborates the key role of cortical hubs in network architecture, subcortical hubs had minimal long-range connectivity. The significant variability among functional networks may underlie their sensitivity/resilience to neuropathology.