cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Review of Image Segmentation Techniques for Tracking the Velum

Several studies have used 2D and 3D modeling to visualize the velum. Very few attempts have been made to track the velum and plot its movement against time. Image segmentation has been used widely for various purposes. However, its proficiency in tracking the velum is questionable at the moment. Two image segmentation methods, EdgeTrak and the Hidden Markov Model, are reviewed in this report. EdgeTrak, a software developed at VIMS Lab, has been proven to track the surface of a human tongue during speech production. An attempt was made to similarly track the velum during speech production using EdgeTrak but the results were disappointing. Also, synchronized audio mapping using the Hidden Markov Model was only partially successful. This paper describes the challenges image segmentation faces with regards to tracking the velum.
Effect of a Diet Low in Salts on Oestrous Cycle of Albino Mouse.

In 1922 Evans and Bishop1 found that a diet poor in salts had a definite effect on the oestrous cycle of the white rat. They found that on such a diet the experimental animals reached maturity later than their litter-mate controls and that only 15% of the oestrous cycles of these animals were of the 4 or 5 day length as opposed to 48% of those of the control animals.We have carried out similar experiments on the white mouse. The animals used were about 60 days of age. Vaginal smears were made daily for 3 weeks, and all animals not showing cycles of 4 to 5 day length were discarded. They were then divided into experimental and control groups.The following experimental diet was used: Casein 31%, dextrin 41%, Crisco 20%, cod liver oil 3%, yeast 5%.The control animals received the same diet, with the exception that salts were fed at a 7% level and the dextrin reduced to 35%.There was a very definite change in the oestrous cycles of the experimental animals, only 25% of the cycles being of the 4 on 5 day lengt...
Design of Computer Simulation Graphic User Interface Program Using OpenGL in the Missile 3D Model

A computer simulation Graphic User Interface(GUI)program is designed in this paper.It is designed in Visual C++ by using the OpenGL(Open Graphic Library)in Windows2000 system.The principle of this program is:get the output files of MATLAB simulation results,then translate them into datas of the missile's axis and the pitch angle.And relate the datas and the model-missile'movements in the 3D view,show the track of the missile.It is proved in the paper that this method is feasible and has a good result.
A Qualitative Investigation of College Students' Facebook Usage and Romantic Relationships: Implications for College Counselors

The use of social media is a societal trend influencing the way that individuals communicate with and relate to one another. Moreover, Facebook use may facilitate or hinder individuals' relationship growth and development. The purpose of this article is to (a) review research examining Facebook usage and interpersonal relationships, (b) present qualitative insight into the Facebook experiences of college students (N = 16) from a large southeastern university, and (c) offer implications for college counselors.
The Concept of Learning Equilibrium Dynamics in the Development of Solid Networks

A new approach is developed and tested to improve standard performance measures in neural networks. The concept consists of using connection weights as equilibria establishing functions in network dynamics and identifying the total state change in weights as the classifying information. The equilibrium concept is associated with “internal” learning where the connection weights are assumed to learn the dynamics of their environment prior to any training activity in the network. The method facilitates the identification of nonlinear decision boundaries and offers several desirable features including small memory size, no convergence problems and deterministic network architecture. Preliminary performance evaluations compared with the standard back-propagation network showed significant improvement in reducing the memory usage and training time for exclusive-or type problems.
Inferior Vena Cava Filters

Since the Greenfield filter was introduced in 1973, inferior vena cava (IVC) filters have evolved and adapted, and their use has exploded. This chapter will review standard and expanded uses of temporary and permanent IVC filters and discuss efficacy and use in specific patient populations. The technical considerations of filter placement and retrieval will be reviewed, and complications of IVC filters will be discussed.
Practices for the Classroom

This practice can be used to bring participants’ attention to the sense of connection that is created within the group as the course progresses. Class 6 of MBSR is an appropriate moment for it, as the interrelationships of the class have been developing and the curriculum is focused for the session on interpersonal communication.
Joint electrical engineering/physics course sequence for optics fundamentals and design

Optics is a key technology in a broad range of engineering and science applications of high national priority. Engineers and scientists with a sound background in this field are needed to preserve technical leadership and to establish new directions of research and development. To meet this educational need, a joint Electrical Engineering/Physics optics course sequence was created as PHYS 3445 Fundamentals of Optics and EE 4444 Optical Systems Design, both with a laboratory component. The objectives are to educate EE and Physics undergraduate students in the fundamentals of optics; in interdisciplinary problem solving; in design and analysis; in handling optical components; and in skills such as communications and team cooperation. Written technical reports in professional format are required, formal presentations are given, and participation in paper design contests is encouraged.
Environmental consequences of the flooding of the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant during Superstorm Sandy

Abstract Failure of the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) during Superstorm Sandy led to adverse effects in the waters of Hempstead Bay, Long Island, NY. These appear to be related to large discharges of partially treated sewage through its primary and auxiliary outfalls. Modeled dilution discharges indicate that sewage infiltrated the bay, remaining up to 10 days. Water column impacts included salinity and dissolved oxygen declines, and biological oxygen demand and nitrogen concentration increases. While the STP does not appear to have released fecal coliform, there were elevated levels of enterococci within the bay for a considerable period following the storm, probably from multiple sources. The STP's reduced functioning and associated environmental impacts, even with resilience upgrades, are not conducive to removing the bay from the list of Impaired Water Bodies. The results reinforce the need to transfer the discharge from the existing outfall to the ocean.
Boundary Objects and Internal Control in Outsourced ISD Projects: Results of a Pilot Study

Control of outsourced IT projects is an important topic in several research disciplines. This study brings together two approaches from auditing and IS literature in order to obtain deeper understanding of control mechanisms in complex outsourced IT projects. It is proposed that communication tools, viewed as “boundary objects”, are also useful for implementing control functions, such as risk assessment and performance monitoring. To test this proposition, field data will be collected from managers of complex outsourced IT projects through an online survey instrument. This paper presents the results of pilot survey data analysis. The data suggest that different types of communication tools are suited to support different control objectives. Another observed pattern is that the number of different tools in use and requirements for specific tools in the outsourcing contract are negatively associated with project success.
Coverage control of moving sensor networks with multiple regions of interest

This paper addresses the coverage control problem in environments where several regions of interest exist. To this purpose, a heterogeneous group of robots are deployed to minimize a cost function defined with respect to various spatial probability density functions, each of which describes a desired area for a different group of robots. Each region of interest is assigned to a group of robots with respect to their dynamics and sensing capabilities. A distributed coverage scheme is proposed to allow adjusting to the environment with several important areas in a collaborative way. The regions with higher importance would be covered with an appropriate number of robots. The proposed method also allows for a better allocation of robots to guarantee the desired coverage over the region. Two numerical examples are finally given to examine the proposed coverage approach in case of multiple regions of interest that may need to be covered by a certain number of robots.
Identity Development of Adolescent Gay Black Males

During adolescence, self-identified gay black males may develop their identities differently than their gay white male counterparts. This may be attributed to the reconciliation of stressors when developing gay, black, and male identities within certain environmental contexts. To investigate this, twelve qualitative interviews were conducted of gay black males from which developmental themes were extracted. While many of the developmental processes are similar to their white homosexual counterparts, some differences were noted regarding racism, objectification by the white gay community, and use of the internet to develop particular identities. A new theory using dynamic systems theory that includes many complexities of identity development is proposed. A hybrid story-like model was developed to illustrate the roles of lenses and buffers as they pertain to how an identity functions. Lenses allow a person to see their way through a variety of experiences; buffers contain coping mechanisms and skills to alleviate tension from negative experiences. Future research should include other minority groups and women for a more complete picture of identity development processes. This would allow better tools to be built that can be utilized by intervention designers.
Magnetic Skyrmion as a Spintronic Deep Learning Spiking Neuron Processor

Deep spiking neural networks (SNNs) have emerged as one of the popular architectures in complex pattern recognition and classification tasks that can be enabled by low-power neuromorphic hardware. However, hardware implementation of such algorithms using conventional CMOS devices is area expensive and energy inefficient. This is owing to the fundamental mismatch between the underlying neuromophic computations and the CMOS transistors along with energy consumption involved in synaptic memory-access operations. Hence, there is a need for novel “neuro-mimetic” devices offering a direct mapping to synaptic and neuronal functionalities together with the possibility of providing in situ synaptic storage. Magnetic skyrmions have recently been proposed as a promising alternative for next-generation information carrier due to remarkably high stability, ultra-low depinning current density, and extremely compact size. In this paper, the design of skyrmion-based devices to emulate biological synapses and neurons is explored, and skyrmionic synapse-based crossbar architectures driving skyrmionic neurons are proposed. We perform a systematic device-circuit-architecture co-design for digit recognition with the MNIST handwritten digits dataset to evaluate the feasibility of our proposal. The device-to-system simulations indicate that the proposed skyrmion-based devices in deep SNNs can potentially achieve two orders of magnitude improvement in energy consumption over an optimized CMOS implementation at a 45 nm technology node.
Payroll, Revenue, and Labor Demand Effects of the Minimum Wage

We study the impact of the minimum wage hike in Seattle from $9.47 to $13 on wagebill, labor demand, and firm revenue using administrative data from the state of Washington. We show that the minimum wage affected businesses both at the intensive and extensive margins. At the intensive margin, businesses increased their labor costs and adjusted to the minimum wage by mildly reducing demand for low-wage jobs, but they largely did not pass the increase in labor costs to prices. At the extensive margin, the minimum wage led to higher rates of business exit and shifted the composition of entering businesses towards less labor-intensive businesses. Finally, we find that the extensive margin and the intensive margin effects were of the same order of magnitude, and were equally important for understanding the impacts of the minimum wage.
Lunar Occultations of IRAS Point Sources, 1991--2000

Preparation et presentation d'un «listing» des objets du catalogue «IRAS Point source catalog (1985)» qui doivent etre occultes par la Lune entre 1991 et 2000. Le listing complet est disponible sur bande magnetique. Une liste restreinte des objets avec une brillance de plus de 10 Iy a 12 et 100 μ est aussi presentee
Uses of Effective Dose: The Good, the Bad, and the Future.

AbstractEffective dose (E) is a risk-adjusted dosimetric quantity developed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. It is a key metric for practical management of the risk of stochastic health effects in a comprehensive radiation protection program. The International Commission o
Lasers in Industry

Lasers and holography have found numerous uses in industry. We will review here a few of these applications.
Association Between Amyloid-β, Small-vessel Disease, and Neurodegeneration Biomarker Positivity, and Progression to Mild Cognitive Impairment in Cognitively Normal Individuals.

Background We estimated the prevalence and incidence of amyloid-β deposition (A), small-vessel disease (V), and neurodegeneration (N) biomarker positivity in community-dwelling cognitively normal individuals (CN). We determined the longitudinal association between the respective biomarker indices with progression to all-cause mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its amnestic and nonamnestic subtypes. Methods CN participants, recruited by advertising, underwent brain [C-11]Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB)-positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging, and [F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (FDG)-PET, and were designated as having high or low amyloid-β (A+/A-), greater or lower white matter hyperintensities burden (V+/V-) and diminished or normal cortical glucose metabolism (N+/N-). MCI was adjudicated using clinical assessments. We examined the association between A, V, and N biomarker positivity at study baseline and endpoint, with progression to MCI using linear regression, Cox proportional hazards and Kaplan-Meier analyses adjusted for age and APOE-e4 carrier status. Results In 98 CN individuals (average age 74 years, 65% female), A+, V+, and N+ prevalence was 26%, 33%, and 8%, respectively. At study endpoint (median: 5.5 years), an A+, but not a V+ or N+ scan, was associated with higher odds of all-cause MCI (Chi-square = 3.9, p = .048, odds ratio, 95% confidence interval = 2.6 [1.01-6.8]). Baseline A+, V+, or N+ were not associated with all-cause MCI, however, baseline A+ (p = .018) and A+N+ (p = .049), and endpoint A+N+ (p = .025) were associated with time to progression to amnestic, not nonamnestic, MCI. Conclusion Longitudinal assessments clarify the association between amyloid-β and progression to all-cause MCI in CN individuals. The association between biomarker positivity indices of amyloid-β and neurodegeneration, and amnestic MCI reflects the underlying pathology involved in the progression to prodromal Alzheimer's disease.
The Concept of Academic Mobility: Normative and Methodological Considerations:

Most of the literature on the development of educational inequality has operated under the achievement gaps paradigm, often assuming that the underlying normative and methodological foundations rel...
Objective sleep disturbance is associated with poor response to cognitive and behavioral treatments for insomnia in postmenopausal women.

Abstract Study objectives To determine whether insomnia patients with objective sleep disturbance are less responsive to cognitive and behavioral treatments than those without objective sleep disturbance, characterize effects of insomnia therapy on objective sleep, and determine whether reductions in nocturnal cognitive arousal correspond to changes in objective sleep. Methods Secondary analysis of a single-site, randomized controlled trial. 113 postmenopausal women (56.40±5.34 years) with menopause-related insomnia disorder were randomized to 3 treatment conditions: cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), sleep restriction therapy (SRT), or sleep education control. Primary outcomes were the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and polysomnography (PSG) sleep parameters and were collected at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Results Patients with lower pretreatment PSG sleep efficiency had lower rates of insomnia remission after treatment relative to those with higher sleep efficiency (37.8% vs 61.8%). Neither CBTI and SRT produced clinically meaningful effects on PSG sleep. Exploratory analyses revealed that reductions in nocturnal cognitive arousal were associated with decreases in PSG sleep latency, but not wake after sleep onset. Conclusions Our findings support an emerging literature suggesting that insomnia patients with objective sleep disturbance may have blunted response to insomnia therapy. Research is needed to enhance treatments to better improve insomnia in patients with objective sleep disturbance. A lack of observed CBTI and SRT effects on PSG sleep suggests that these therapies may be presently ill-designed to improve objective sleep. Nocturnal cognitive arousal may represent an entry point to improve objective sleep latency in insomnia. Name Behavioral Treatment of Menopausal Insomnia: Sleep and Daytime Outcomes. URL clinicaltrials.gov. Registration NCT01933295.
Breast Cancer and Secondary Cancer Recurrences After Autologous Tissue Reconstruction

Abstract Background The medical literature defining breast cancer recurrence and secondary cancers after autologous tissue reconstruction for breast cancer is sparse. We sought to identify and analyze occurrences at our institution. Materials and Methods A 20-year retrospective review of cancer recurrences and atypical breast neoplasms after autologous tissue breast reconstruction at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center was conducted after being granted a waiver from the Institutional Review Board. Results Eighteen locoregional recurrences among 337 cases were identified and analyzed. Overall recurrence rate was 5.3%. Four secondary cancers (1.2%) were radiation-induced angiosarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, and metaplastic carcinoma. One case of flat epithelial atypia was identified. Conclusion Our retrospective review found incidence and survival after treatment of breast cancer concordant with reports in the literature. We also identified and analyzed secondary neoplasms, including a unique case of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and metachronous recurrence of breast carcinoma. A case of recurrence as metaplastic carcinoma was identified.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients Requiring High-Acuity Care After Transplant Surgery: A 10-Year Single-Center Study.

Abstract Objective To study the characteristics and outcomes of a cohort of kidney transplant recipients who required high-acuity care after transplant surgery. Patients and Methods All adult (aged ≥18 years) solitary kidney transplant recipients from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2016, were screened and those who required high-acuity care within the same hospitalization were enrolled. Patient demographic and clinical data were collected from the departmental database and electronic DataMart. Results Of 1525 patients, 266 (17.4%) required high-acuity care after the kidney transplant operation: 166 (62.4%) directly from the operating room and 100 (37.6%) after an interval during the same hospitalization. Overall, 2 main indications were hypotension (n=87; 32.7%) and cardiac rhythm disturbances (n=83; 31.2%). Recipients in the direct admission group had higher medium body mass index (31.0 [interquartile range, 26.6-36.0] vs 28.0 [interquartile range, 24.3-32.4] kg/m2; P Conclusion In contemporary practice, patients with higher body mass index are more likely to require high-acuity care immediately after kidney transplant surgery. The most common reasons are hypotension and cardiac rhythm disorders. The overall intensive care unit mortality rate of these patients is low. However, these patients are at risk for graft loss and death in the long term compared with patients who do not require intensive care unit care after transplant surgery.
Nature-based solutions in hiding: goslings and greening in the still-industrial city

Nature-based solutions (NBS) include a wide range of ecosystem restoration and green infrastructure projects that are meant to also create economic and social benefits. In practice, NBS are increasingly tied to an outward-looking, post-industrial urban growth agenda. This focus ignores interventions which are less visible, smaller scale, and serve a working-class population in still-industrial areas of the city. In this short piece, we consider various small-scale interventions undertaken by the Newtown Creek Alliance to accomplish demonstrable environmental improvements along the heavily polluted industrial waterway of Newtown Creek in New York City. Though largely invisible within the larger conversation on NBS and urban development, these interventions have the potential for substantive environmental improvement that benefits existing long-term residents and users rather than being a tool to attract new residents and luxury development. We offer this example as an attempt to diversify the “best practice” case studies that will inform future NBS growth.
Conclusion: The Courage to Be

This concluding chapter draws together the existential themes of mortality, temporality, responsibility, choice, freedom and thrownness, that runs through this book. As shown throughout, the crisis that mothers experience is an existential crisis as it confronts mothers with the very tenets of their existence. To meet this challenge the author contends that existential courage is needed; courage to create themselves anew in the face of their difficulties and vulnerabilities. Surrendering to the experience of motherhood, rather than trying to control it, enables mothers to become more flexible and more active in their responses. In this way, mothers become more confident in their motherhood choices. By facing the uncertainty of motherhood with existential courage, mothers are able to find their own way of being a mother.
Mental health inequities and the pandemic: a communication emergency

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis.In fact, there is no doubt that everyone has been emotionally affected by the ongoing pandemic. The mental health cost of COVID-19 may well go beyond t...
The Effects of Atropine on the Interdigestive Phase of Gastric Secretion in Normal Individuals and in Patients with Peptic Ulcer

Summary The subcutaneous administration of 1.2 mg. of atropine sulfate practically abolished the secretion of HCl in the interdigestive phase of ten normal individuals. In twelve patients with active peptic ulcer the same amount of atropine inhibited but failed to suppress completely the secretion of HCI. These results suggest that the interdigestive phase of gastric secretion in patients with peptic ulcer is at least in part of humoral origin.
Forming a reference philosophy : The role of shared values

Summary Given the diverse nature of most academic reference units, agreement in service philosophy is not always possible and seldom occurs on its own. When conflicting philosophies coexist within the same reference department, library users may receive various levels of service from different individuals. This can be confusing and disappointing to users. In order to provide service which is consistent in nature and scope, individuals within the department staff must embrace the same or very similar service philosophy. It is the role of the department chair to lead the unit toward a service philosophy which all members of the department can embrace. The overall nature of this philosophy, while reflecting the library's mission and existing resources, should be based primarily upon the department's shared values. Discovering these values can be an exciting and informative process.
Delicious Tales of Guinea Pigs, Etc.

A Guinea Pig's History of Biology . The Plants and Animals Who Taught Us the Facts of Life. By Jim Endersby . Heinemann (Random House), London, 2007. 511 pp. £20. ISBN 9780434012596. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. $27.95. ISBN 9780674027138. This account for lay readers approaches the history of heredity and genetics through influential examples of the organisms that biologists studied in developing our current understanding.
Practical experiences in dual-use review

The U.S. government is debating how to handle national security risks posed by bioscience research. A research consortium shares lessons learned from their research oversight scheme.
Research Joint Ventures: An Antitrust Analysis

The long-run vitality of the United States economy requires a vigorous and ongoing research and development effort. In many of the dynamic, highgrowth industries, continuous innovation is necessary for competitive success. Some foreign governments already have targeted their entrants in these industries with various tools of public support, including several that are intended to encourage R&D directly or indirectly. For the United States to maintain a viable competitive position in the information-intensive sector, our public policy regarding R&D activities must be coherent and economically sensible.
Glycine-Cytochrome c Reductase from Nitrobacter agilis

Abstract An enzyme, designated glycine-cytochrome c reductase, catalyzing the reduction of cytochrome c in the presence of glycine, and apparently unlike other known enzymes catalyzing the oxidation of glycine, has been purified from the chemoautotrophic bacterium Nitrobacter agilis. The purification procedure of the activity, located in the 144,000 x g supernatant fraction from cells disrupted by sonic oscillation, included treatment with protamine sulfate, two precipitations with ammonium sulfate, adsorption on calcium phosphate gel, and chromatography on hydroxylapatite, diethylaminoethylcellulose, and Sephadex G-200 columns. Specific activity was thereby increased to about 250 times that in the 144,000 x g supernatant fraction, with a recovery of about 5% of the activity. Of a variety of substrates and acceptors listed, only glycine caused the enzymatic reduction of cytochrome c, and only cytochrome c was reduced in the presence of glycine. A molecular weight of about 69,000 was calculated using a Stokes radius of about 30 A, determined by Sephadex G-200 chromatography, and an s20, w of 5.6 S, determined by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. No evidence could be found for the role of cofactors in the reaction. In addition to ferrocytochrome c, the reaction products were shown to include ammonia and glyoxylate.
A recursive list paradigm with Java and C++ implementations

This paper presents a LISP-like recursive list paradigm with implementations in the form of Java and C++ classes. The efficacy of this approach is demonstrated in both languages with the presentation of subclasses that implement ordered lists.
Cancer: A moving target.

An in silico, three-dimensional model of tumour evolution suggests that cell motility is a key factor in the initial growth of a tumour mass. The model also reveals the dynamics of mutation spread. See Letter p.261 Although a large tumour can contain billions of cells, these masses are highly homogeneous. A mass of normal cells of that size would be expected to be genetically diverse due to the slow collection of modest random mutations following cell divisions, raising the question of how cancers can maintain homogeneity at such a scale. Here Martin Nowak and colleagues propose a model of tumour evolution that explains how short-range migration and cell turnover within the tumour can provide an environment of rapid cell mixing that would allow even a small selective advantage to dominate the cell mass within a relevant time frame.
Integrated TCAD and ECAD solutions - a paradigm shift

This paper highlights the emerging need for selective integration of physical-model based TCAD modeling and simulation tools that have been mostly applied to technology development with ECAD tools that have been traditionally used for product design. The emerging technology trends that lead to this paradigm shift are highlighted. The architecture and requirements of integrated TCAD-ECAD solutions are also discussed along with the infrastructure required to successfully meet this challenge.
The Real Energy Crisis

She stood at the podium wearing a pastel dress stiffened by yards of crinolines, hands shaking a little, internal butterflies fluttering. The audience of about 300 of her classmates and 1,000 parents and teachers was hushed and awaiting the beginning of the annual ninth grade promotion exercises. She took a deep breath and began her speech: The launching of the first Sputnik by the Russians and the sudden awareness of Soviet superiority in one area of science has had the effect of a stunning surprise on the American public... . Our schools will be called upon to supply an increasing number of persons with a wide range of skills, many in new fields resulting from the growth of technology. The welfare and security of our people as a whole may well depend on the extent to which we are able to educate each young man and woman to his or her full capacity... .
Remote sensing of temperature and pressure by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III will make multi-spectral measurements of the oxygen A-band absorption feature near 762 nm that can be used to retrieve profiles of temperature and pressure. The retrieval algorithm is based on a global fitting technique that uses a non-linear least squares procedure to simultaneously fit measured absorptivities from all spectral channels and slant paths. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated through a series of simulated retrievals using synthetic measurements with realistic noise. An assessment of the expected uncertainties associated with the retrieved temperature and pressure data products is also provided.
Heat effects upon annealing plastically deformed 304L stainless steel

In order to determine the heat effects on the ..cap alpha..' ..-->.. ..gamma.. reversion, recovery, and recrystallization, calorimetric measurements were performed on plastically deformed 304L stainless steels. Hardness and magnetic measurements and optical microscopy observations were also made. (DLC)
DETERMINING MINIMUM SURVEY SAMPLE SIZE FOR MULTI-CELL CASE

Survey analysis method is widely used in many areas such as social study, marketing research, economics, public health, clinical trials and transportation data analysis. Minimum sample size determination is always needed before a survey is conducted to avoid huge cost. Some statistical methods can be found from the literature for finding the minimum required sample size. This paper proposes a method for finding the minimum total sample size needed for the survey when the population is divided into cells. The proposed method can be used for both the infinite population case and the finite population case. A computer program is needed to realize the sample size calculation. The computer program the authors used is SAS/IML, which is a special integrated matrix language (IML) procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software.
Effects of Human Neutrophils and Monocytes on Nocardia asteroides: Failure of Killing despite Occurrence of the Oxidative Metabolic Burst

To study mechanisms of resistance to Nocardia asteroides in vitro, suspensions of human neutrophils and monocytes were challenged with N. asteroides in the presence of autologous serum. At 4 hr, numbers of viable N. asteroides incubated with neutrophils and monocytes averaged only 10% and 21% less, respectively, than numbers of N. asteroides incubated without phagocytes. In contrast, a mean of > 90% of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus incubated with neutrophils and monocytes was killed. The failure to kill N. asteroides was not associated with absence of an oxidative metabolic burst by the phagocytes, since chemiluminescence occurred when phagocytes encountered N. asteroides and was blocked in preparations of N. asteroides and neutrophils by preincubation of the neutrophils with chlorpromazine. Thus, when cultured in suspension, human neutrophils and monocytes are unable to kill significant numbers of N. asteroides despite the occurrence of an oxidative metabolic burst.
Increased incidence and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis among uninsured children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract: Objectives: (a) To determine the incidence and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and (b) to stratify according to insurance status at the initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Research Design and Methods: Subjects included children <18 yr who presented with new-onset T1DM from January 2002 to December 2003 and were subsequently followed at the Barbara Davis Center. Insurance status and initial venous pH were obtained. Results: Overall, 383 subjects presented with new-onset T1DM and 359 (93.7%) were enrolled. Forty-three (12.0%) of these children were uninsured and 40 (11.1%) had Medicaid. One hundred and two (28.4%) subjects presented with DKA. When compared to the insured subjects, uninsured subjects had a significantly increased risk of presenting with DKA [odds ratios (OR): 6.19, 95% CI 3.04 – 12.60, p < 0.0001], as well as presenting with severe DKA, defined as venous pH <7.10 (OR: 6.09, 95% CI 3.21 – 11.56, p < 0.0001). There were no differences, however, between the insured and Medicaid subjects in their probability of presenting with DKA or severe DKA. The risk of presenting with DKA (as well as with severe DKA) was the highest among patients <4 yr old. Conclusions: At the time of initial diagnosis, uninsured patients were more likely to present with DKA than insured patients. Furthermore, when the uninsured subjects presented with DKA, the condition tended to be more severe and life-threatening. A potential explanation is that uninsured subjects may delay seeking timely medical care, thereby presenting more critically ill, whereas insured subjects may have their T1DM diagnosed earlier.
Observation of bulk defects by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy: Arsenic antisite defects in GaAs.

The scanning tunneling microscope is used to study arsenic-related point defects in low-temperature-grown GaAs. Tunneling spectroscopy reveals a band of donor states located near ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{v}}$+0.5 eV arising from the defects. Images of this state reveal a central defect core, with two satellites located about 15 \AA{} from the core. The structure of the defect is found to be consistent with that of an isolated arsenic antisite defect (As on a Ga site) in a tetrahedral environment.
Onset of convection in a horizontal porous layer saturated with cold water

Abstract This paper reports a theoretical investigation on the onset of convection in a horizontal porous layer saturated with water near the vicinity of its density maximum associated with the temperature of 3.98°C at atmospheric pressure. The study aims at determining the critical onset time at which convection starts in the layer, when the temperature of the top wall is suddenly lowered so that the Rayleigh number based on the layer height and the temperature difference between the two horizontal walls is considerably higher than the critical Rayleigh number required to initiate convective instability in the system. The problem was solved via linear stability analysis and by using a time-dependent mean temperature profile. The results reported in this study document the dependence of the critical onset time and the critical wave number on the Rayleigh number R, and the initial temperature of the layer, T0.
A Study of Shrinkage Stress Reduction and Mechanical Properties of Nanogel-Modified Resin Systems.

Abstract A series of nanogel compositions were prepared from urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) and isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA) in the presence of a thiol chain transfer agent. The linear oligomer of IBMA was synthesized by a similar solution polymerization technique. The nanogels were prepared with different crosslinker concentrations to achieve varied branching densities and molecular weights. The prepolymers were dispersed in triethylene glycol dimethacrylate at loading levels ranging from 10 wt.% to 50 wt.%. Photopolymerization reaction kinetics of all prepolymer modified systems were enhanced relative to the nanogel-free control during early stage polymerization while limiting conversion was similar for most samples. Volumetric polymerization shrinkage was reduced proportionally with the prepolymer content while the corresponding decrease in polymerization stress was potentially greater than an additive linear behavior. Flexural strength for inert linear polymer-modified systems decreased significantly with the increase in the prepolymer content; however, with an increase in the crosslinker concentration within the nanogel additives, and an increase in the concentration of residual pendant reactive sites, flexural strength was maintained or improved regardless of the nanogel loading level. This demonstrates that covalent attachment rather than just physical entanglement with the polymer matrix is important for effective polymer mechanical reinforcement by nanogel additives. Reactive nanogel additives can be considered as a practical, generic means to achieve substantial reductions in polymerization shrinkage and shrinkage stress in common polymers.
A miniature cooling system for Ge(Li) solid-state detectors☆

Abstract A cooling system using a Joule-Thompson cryostat is described for the convenient use of a Ge(Li) solid-state detector in a vacuum chamber or in an anticoincidence annulus.
Liquid Transport Through Fabrics; Wetting and Steady-State Flow Part II: Fabric Wetting

When a liquid front is forced upward through a fabric at a constant rate, the pressure measured in the liquid generally goes through first a negative and then a positive change during the interval required to wet through the fabric. Such a re sponse is unexpected if, as is customary, the fabric is considered as an array of cylindrical capillaries with axes in the direc tion of flow. With cylindrical capillaries the pressure could change in such a manner only if there were a change in the sur face energy of the capillary walls. In this paper the observed pressure changes are explained on the basis that the interfiber capillary channels are actually hourglass-shaped, so that the inclination of the fiber walls at the contact line, the meniscus shape, and thus the capillary pressure all change as the liquid front passes through. This analysis applies strictly to systems in equilibrium; for a moving liquid front, an increase in liquid flow velocity could be responsible for an increase in the height of the posi...
Subtypes of Adenosine Receptors in the Brainstem Mediate Opposite Blood Pressure Responses

Microinjections of selective agonists for adenosine receptor subtypes were made into the caudal NTS of rats. CGS 21680, a selective A2 receptor agonist, elicited pronounced, dose-related decreases in mean arterial blood pressure (ED50 = .021 nmols/rat). Conversely, CPA, a selective A1 receptor agonist, elicited potent dose-related increases in mean arterial blood pressure (ED50 = 0.185 nmols/rat). Additionally, the depressor responses elicited by the A2 agonist and the pressor responses elicited by the A1 agonist were completely and selectively blocked, respectively, by the selective A2 antagonist, CGS 15943A, and the selective A1 antagonist, DPCPX. These data indicate that selective activation of brainstem adenosine receptors in vivo may elicit distinct and opposing response patterns.
MINI OPEN CARPAL TUNNEL RELEASE

Release of the flexor retinaculum to decompress the median nerve is the most common surgical procedure in the hand, and the numbers continue to rise. The surgical intent is simple: cut the retinaculum only. Like most procedures so designed, the results are generally thought to be excellent. However, with the rising incidence of this problem in the workforce and the postoperative time loss, great effort has been directed to defining a less invasive surgery that would satisfactorily decompress the nerve but allow a speedier recovery and return to work. Thus, there have evolved various offshoot types of carpal tunnel releases: endoscopic and mini open. Each method has proponents and variations and generally yields very satisfactory results. However, without care, there may be more surgical complications, and we may not have effectively shortened the return to work time. Caution is the key. With careful attention to detail during the procedure, however, mini open carpal tunnel releases can provide a safe, effective, and minimally invasive method for accomplishing this frequent task. Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Methods for a public health response to birth defects clusters.

Few resources are available to guide public health officials in investigations of reported birth defects clusters. The majority of published resources focus on the investigation of cancer and infectious disease clusters and do not address clinical and epidemiologic concerns specific to birth defects research. This document aims to address these concerns, discuss the needs of the affected community, and provide suggestions for the development of a standardized protocol to be used as a guide in the investigation of birth defects clusters. We suggest that health departments and birth defects registries that may receive reports of birth defects clusters establish a protocol for responding that includes the following steps: develop a proactive plan for future birth defects cluster reports (step I), receive report of a birth defects cluster (step II), verify diagnoses and complete case ascertainment (step III), compare the observed rate to a reference rate (step IV), ascertain exposures among cases from available records (step V), interview case mothers (step VI), initiate further epidemiologic study-selection of controls (step VII), and communicate results to the community (step VIII). Specific criteria for continuing or terminating an investigation should be established before receiving cluster reports. The recommendations in this report should be carefully considered to ensure that the specific needs of the region, agency and affected community are met.
Energy Plantations in North Central United States: Status of Research and Development Plantations

Abstract Research over the past two decades has developed a system of growing trees under short rotations using agronomic cultural techniques. The trees can be used for fuel or for various fiber and chip products. Short-rotation energy plantations require moderate to good quality agricultural soils of medium texture, complete tillage before planting, good hybrid stock of the Populus genus, good weed control during the 2- to 3-year establishment period, and periodic fertilization, primarily with nitrogen. Hybrid poplars can yield as much as 7 dry tlaclyr, although 4 to 5 dry tlaclyr is probably a more achievable yield under large-scale production. These yields are based on total above-ground biomass, excluding leaves. Increased production and use of wood energy have a number of advantages, of which the most important are (I) a neutral or slightly positive impact on atmospheric CO2 balance, (2) an alternative cash crop for farmers, and (3) increased energy self-sufficiency. A network of plantations has been...
In-plane magnetophotoluminescence studies of modulation-doped GaAs/AlGaAs coupled double quantum wells

In-plane magnetic field photoluminescence spectra from n series of n-type modulation doped GaAs/Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As coupled double quantum wells show distinctive doublet structures related to the tunnel-split ground sub-level states. The magnetic field behavior of the upper transition from the antisymmetric state strongly depends on sample mobility. In a lower mobility sample, the transition energy displays an N-type kink with field (namely a maximum followed by a minimum), whereas higher mobility samples have a linear dependence. The former is attributed to a coupling mechanism due to homogeneous broadening of the electron and hole states. The results are in good agreement with recent theoretical calculations.
Reference and NIR model: an example of trash measurements in cotton fibres †

some scenarios, it is a considerable challenge to acquire accurate and consistent reference values of physical properties, especially if the samples are highly heterogeneous and cannot be easily processed (such as being ground) to ensure their uniformity. In an earlier report, 3 we proposed a pre-screening procedure to determine appropriate cotton calibration samples on the basis of two independent measurements of fibre strength prior to NIR model develop ment. In turn, we applied the same strategy to trash components in cotton fibres and, undoubtedly, it led to removal of some samples (or outliers) from the sample set. Ultimately, this raises an interesting question, namely what is the NIR spectral response to those outliers? Therefore, this note examines the predictive performance of a NIR model on cotton trash contents to samples belonging to various classes. For economic reasons, virtually the entire cotton crop in both the United States and Australia is harvested by machines. Such mechanically-harvested cotton typically contains 13–35% of foreign matter or trash. Considerable efforts have been made to remove as much of this trash as possible during the subsequent ginning and cleaning practices but it is impossible to separate all trash from the desirable lint fibres. 4
A Significant Proportion of Children with Morphea En Coup De Sabre and Parry‐Romberg Syndrome Have Neuroimaging Findings

En coup de sabre (ECDS) and Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) are variants of linear morphea on the head and neck that can be associated with neurologic manifestations. Intracranial abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are present in a significant proportion of individuals with these conditions. We describe 32 children from our institution with ECDS or PRS; neuroimaging was performed in 21 cases. We also review 51 additional cases from the literature. Nineteen percent of the children at our institution with ECDS or PRS had intracranial abnormalities on MRI, half of whom were asymptomatic. Hyperintensities on T2-weighted sequences were the most common finding, present in all children with intracranial abnormalities on MRI. Seizures (13%) and headaches (9%) were the most common neurologic symptom. Neurologic symptoms were not correlated with neuroimaging abnormalities, with two asymptomatic children having marked MRI findings and only two of nine symptomatic children having an abnormal MRI. Similarly the severity of the superficial disease did not predict neurologic involvement; a child with subtle skin involvement had striking MRI findings and seizures, whereas another with a bony defect had no brain parenchymal involvement. Neurologic symptoms and neuroimaging abnormalities are found in a surprisingly substantial percentage of children with ECDS and PRS. Early recognition of neurologic involvement is necessary because it affects treatment choices. Because clinical predictors of intracranial abnormalities are poor, strong consideration should be given to obtaining an MRI before treatment initiation to assist in management decisions and establish a baseline examination.