cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) as a Means of Evidence Tracking

Abstract Evidence tracking is central to the operation of forensic science laboratories. New technologies have the potential to revolutionize the entry, cataloging, and tracking of evidence. One of these technologies, radio frequency identification devices (RFID), has not been methodically tested for forensic use, either in the field or in the laboratory. This paper reports on a first-principle approach to testing RFID technology on evidence in various storage scenarios. The system yielded higher variance results than anticipated, from 0% read accuracy in some situations and nearly 100% in others. Research like this can demonstrate gaps in technology and application for forensic use.
Long-term placement trajectories of children who were maltreated and entered the child welfare system at an early age: consequences for physical and behavioral well-being

OBJECTIVE : This study aimed to identify children's long-term placement trajectories following early child welfare involvement and the association of these trajectories with subsequent physical and behavioral well-being. METHOD : Participants were 330 children who entered out-of-home care following a substantiated report of child abuse or neglect during infancy/early childhood and their caregivers. Participants were interviewed at child ages 4 and 12 years to assess children's physical and behavioral well-being and every 2 years in between to determine child placements. RESULTS : Latent Class Analyses identified four stable placement trajectories (i.e., adopted [32%], kinship care [15%], stable reunified [27%], and stable foster care [9%]), and two unstable trajectories (i.e., disrupted reunified [12%] and unstable foster care [5%]). Logistic regressions revealed that children in the unstable trajectories had significantly poorer physical and behavioral well-being than children in stable trajectories. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE : Maltreated children placed in out-of-home care are at risk for long-term placement instability and poorer physical and behavioral well-being. Language: en
Pathological Teasing and Bullying Turned Deadly: Shooters and Suicide

Abstract Bullying, a form of interpersonal violence, has emerged in the 21st century as an important public health issue. Bullying during childhood and adolescence is a common problem and occurs almost universally. It may be viewed on a continuum as a relationship problem in which power and aggression are inflicted on a vulnerable person to cause distress. However, teasing and bullying can turn deadly. A deeply troubled youth, after years of chronic bullying, may decide he has no alternative but suicide. The Daniel Scruggs case is one such example. Alternatively, the troubled youth may be attracted to the violent hero presented in the media that demonstrates his power via weapons as in the cases of school shootings. Why does bullying continue? Some of the problem is the belief that bullying is simply a part of growing up; adults who believe this are often unwilling to intervene. Bullies are not always easy to identify, as they are adept at concealing bullying behavior. Anti-bullying school programs have s...
The Significance of Antigenic Differences among Strains of the "A Group" of Influenza Viruses.

"Acute" and "convalescent" samples of serum from 40 patients from a localized outbreak of influenza were tested for mouse-protective antibodies against 7 different strains of influenza virus, which included 2 laboratory strains representative of "group A" and of "group B," and 5 strains from the investigated outbreak. The latter 5 strains although not identical were related to each other and to the PR8 strain. The chief point shown by the data was the considerable degree of antigenic difference among the 6 "group A" strains, evidenced by the marked differences in the protective capacities of the serums when tested against the various strains. A number of the "acute" serums showed high protective capacity against some strains but relatively little protective capacity against other strains. In the 5 instances in which it was possible to test the "acute" serums against strictly homologous strains of virus, no protective capacity was demonstrable. In 7 of 36 cases, the antibody responses evoked by influenza infections were not detectable by tests with some strains, but were detectable by tests against other related strains.
A somatic cell approach to the genetic analysis of the laboratory mouse

The determination of gene linkage in the laboratory mouse was approached through somatic cell techniques. Cells of an established line of Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts, E-36, were fused with a population of mouse macrophages obtained from the AHe/J inbred strain. A total of 62 primary and secondary clones were isolated in HAT selective medium and characterized for the segregation of 12 murine enzyme markers by starch gel electrophoresis. While all other enzymes segregated nonrandomly, GPI was generally retained. Twelve subclones were isolated in medium containing 8-azaguanine to determine whether this retention was due to a syntenic relationship between GPI and the enzymes of the salvage pathway of purine biosynthesis necessary for growth in HAT, but were found to express murine GPI. Of the other enzymes examined, MOD and MPI were determined to be syntenic and the others segregated independently of each other.
The limit of human adaptation to starvation

During the height of the 1992–93 famine in Somalia, data were collected from 573 inpatients at the Concern Worldwide Adult Therapeutic Centre in Baidoa, the town at the epicentre of the disaster. These data indicate that a body mass index (BMI, body weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared) of less than 10 kg m−2 can be compatible with life, so long as specialized care is provided. Such low levels of BMI may be explained, in part, by the high ambient temperature, the tall phenotype of the Somalis, the gradual reduction in food intake and previous exposure to chronic energy deficiency. Famine oedema occurred with the same prevalence in male and female patients, but male patients had more severe oedema and a poorer prognosis at any given degree of severity. Survival from these extremes of emaciation has never before been recorded, and many of the BMI values documented here are below the level of 12, previously thought to mark the limit of human adaptation to starvation.
The American Community Survey: general commentary on the findings from external evaluations

As part of the Census Bureau's effort to prove the operational feasibility of the American Community Survey (ACS), the Bureau contracted with local ex- perts to conduct comparative analyses of the 1999-2001 ACS estimates with the 2000 Census data for various test counties. One of the goals of the ACS is to replace the decennial census long form. The resulting research papers analyzed various quality measures (response rates, allocation rates, and so on), conceptual differences in the two instruments, and statistical reliability in an effort to add to our assessment of the ACS as an adequate replacement instrument for collecting long form data. This paper discusses the results of these four research efforts and presents conclusions and recommendations for further Census Bureau action and research. The quality of traditional long form data, the importance of accurate population estimates and an accurate Master Address File (MAF), and continued research on the quality of small area data are discussed.
Effect of cocaine on intracellular calcium regulation in myometrium from pregnant women.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of cocaine on intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) regulation in human myometrial cells by determining the sources of Ca2+ it might mobilize, as well as assess the role cocaine might play in the catecholamine's effect on the cell's [Ca2+]i.Methods:Primary culture of myometrial cells from pregnant women was used as an experimental model. [Ca2+]i relative changes in response to cocaine and norepinephrine were measured with fura-2 fluorometry and analyzed bymeans of one-way analysisof variance.Results:Cocaine alone (10-8 to 10-3 mol/L) increased [Ca2+]i by up to 43 ± 18% over basal level in a dose-dependent manner. Norepinephrine also elevated [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner (202 ± 24% over basal level at 10-4 mol/L). The norepinephrine-evoked increase was inhibited in Ca2+-free media by 48% whereas the cocaine response was not affected. The Ca2+-channel antagonist nifedipine caused decrease in the [Ca2+]i response to 10-5 mol/L of norepinephrine by 48%, whereas t...
Effects of seasonal acclimation on the preferred body temperature of Thamnophis elegans vagrans

Abstract 1. 1.|An Experimental group of wandering garter snakes from a montane habitat was maintained over winter under laboratory conditions of total darkness and 4°C. 2. 2.|Their mean preferred body temperature (30.7°C) on a constant temperature thermal gradient was significantly higher than the preferred body temperature (24.5°C) of another group of wandering garter snakes collected and tested in late summer.
Microscopic studies of syntactic foams tested under three-point bending conditions

Use of syntactic foam as core material in the sandwich structured composites is increasing due to its higher compressive strength, damage tolerance and low moisture absorption compared to the open cell structured foams. Extensive microscopic examination of the syntactic foams tested under compressive and three-point bending conditions is undertaken in this study. The aim of the investigation is to determine the local fracture mode and correlate it with the microscopic structure of the material. Local stress states are identified in the material based on the microscopic fracture features. Syntactic foam tested in the study has resin to microballoons ratio of 1.52 by weight. Compression tests were conducted on the syntactic foam specimens having two different aspect rations, which were 0.4 and 0.91. Three-point bend tests were conducted on the sandwich structures containing syntactic foam as core material and glass fabric as the skin material.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Signatures of mode conversion and kinetic Alfvén waves at the magnetopause

It has been suggested that resonant mode conversion of compressional MHD waves into kinetic Alfven waves at the magnetopause can explain the abrupt transition in wave polarization from compressional to transverse commonly observed during magnetopause crossings [Johnson and Cheng, 1997b]. We analyze magnetic field data for magnetopause crossings as a function of magnetic shear angle (defined as the angle between the magnetic fields in the magnetosheath and magnetosphere) and compare with the theory of resonant mode conversion. The data suggest that amplification in the transverse magnetic field component at the magnetopause is not significant up to a threshold magnetic shear angle. Above the threshold angle significant amplification results but with weak dependence on magnetic shear angle. Waves with higher frequency are less amplified and have a higher threshold angle. These observations are qualitatively consistent with theoretical results obtained from the kinetic-fluid wave equations.
Distance from a Promoter Mutation to an RNA Synthesis Startpoint on Bacteriophage λ DNA

Sites of promoter and operator mutations are separated from the RNA synthesis startpoint by approximately 200 nucleotide pairs. Several models could explain how RNA polymerase can interact with such widely separated sites without transcribing the intervening region into RNA.
Improving Established Statewide Programs: A Component Theory of Evaluation

This article describes an approach to evaluation that grew out of the need to develop a system that would first describe and then assess statewide services delivered to preschool children. Based on evaluability assessment, the component theory conceptualizes the unit of analysis for evaluation as the component and not the entire program. It is argued that this approach increases the generalizability and utilization of evaluations as well as enhancing the ability to evaluate many existing programs at the state level. An application of the approach to evaluating preschool intervention programs is discussed.
The varieties of visual persistence: Comments on Yeomans and Irwin

In a recent article, Yeomans and Irwin (1985) entered the current controversy about the nature and function of visual persistence, or iconic memory. Specifically, they reported no effect of varying target duration on a standard Sperling (1960) partial-report task, from which they concluded that such a task involves an energyindependent, nonvisible, informational persistence. Moreover, they proposed a two-stage model of visual persistence in order to incorporate these findings with those of other researchers who have reported significant energy effects on some visual persistence tasks. The first stage in their model is that of a brief (less than 300 msec) visible persistence that is inversely related to target energy (luminance or duration); the second stage is that of an informational persistence that can persist from 300 to 600 msec, independent of target intensity, and that may well be nonvisible in character. As Yeomans and Irwin noted, this model shares some characteristics with the alternate models of iconic memory suggested by Coltheart (1980) and DiLollo (1978, 1980). The purpose of the present note is to comment on both the logic of the Yeomans and Irwin procedure and the comprehensiveness of the model they propose with regard to the body ofcurrent empirical results. To anticipate the line of argument to follow, it will be contended that (1) a null effect is a logically weak position on which to base a model-especially given a notoriously complex and "noisy" experimental task-and (2) there are numerous published results that are inconsistent with the two-stage model favored by Yeomans and Irwin.
Chronic focal seizure disorder as a manifestation of intracranial iophendylate

Une femme de 46 ans a presente des crises epileptiques focales 10 a 15 ans apres myelographie a l'iophendylate. Les anomalies epileptogenes focales a l'EEG correspondaient a la localisation d'un residu d'iophendylate dans la scissure sylvienne droite. L'iophendylate intracrânien peut avoir produit une reaction meningee chronique entrainant une initiation corticale et un trouble epileptique chronique
The ebola virus interferon antagonist VP24 directly binds STAT1 and has a novel, pyramidal fold

Ebolaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with up to 90% lethality and in fatal cases, are characterized by early suppression of the host innate immune system. One of the proteins likely responsible for this effect is VP24. VP24 is known to antagonize interferon signaling by binding host karyopherin α proteins, thereby preventing them from transporting the tyrosine-phosphorylated transcription factor STAT1 to the nucleus. Here, we report that VP24 binds STAT1 directly, suggesting that VP24 can suppress at least two distinct branches of the interferon pathway. Here, we also report the first crystal structures of VP24, derived from different species of ebolavirus that are pathogenic (Sudan) and nonpathogenic to humans (Reston). These structures reveal that VP24 has a novel, pyramidal fold. A site on a particular face of the pyramid exhibits reduced solvent exchange when in complex with STAT1. This site is above two highly conserved pockets in VP24 that contain key residues previously implicated in virulence. These crystal structures and accompanying biochemical analysis map differences between pathogenic and nonpathogenic viruses, offer templates for drug design, and provide the three-dimensional framework necessary for biological dissection of the many functions of VP24 in the virus life cycle.
Two-photon anti-correlation in a Hanbury Brown-Twiss type experiment

Abstract A pair of orthogonally polarized signal and idler light quanta, degenerate in frequency and propagation direction, produced from type II parametric down conversion is sent through a Hanbury Brown-Twiss type experimental setup. We observed “anti-correlation” behavior of the pair in a coincidence photon counting measurement under certain experimental conditions.
Progress in developing the STFNSF configuration

The design features developed for the Spherical Tokamak (ST) in the PPPL pilot plant study was used as the starting point in developing designs to meet the mission of a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) considering a range of machine sizes based on the influence of tritium consumption and maintenance strategies. The compact nature of a steady state operated ST device for this mission pushes operating conditions and places challenges in the design of components, device maintenance and the integration of supports and services. This paper reviews the general arrangement, design details and maintenance strategy of the ST-FNSF device core for a 1.6-m and 1.0-m device; operating points which bracket the region between purchasing and breeding tritium.
Use of semiselective TOCSY and the pearson correlation for the metabonomic analysis of biofluid mixtures: application to urine.

The authors recently proposed an approach to the metabonomic analysis of biofluid mixtures based on the use of the selective TOCSY experiment (Sandusky, P.; Raftery, D. Anal. Chem. 2005, 77, 2455)....
False-negative indocyanine green videoangiography among complex unruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms: The importance of further aneurysm inspection

Successful surgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms requires complete occlusion of the aneurysm lumen while maintaining patency of the adjacent branching and perforating arteries. Intraoperative flow assessment allows aneurysm clip repositioning in the event these requirements are not met, avoiding the risk of postoperative rehemorrhage or infarction. A number of modalities have been proposed for primarily intraoperative qualitative blood flow assessment, including microdoppler ultrasonography, intraoperative digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and more recently noninvasive fluorescent angiography including indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent imaging. Puncture of the aneurysm dome to exclude aneurysm sac filling may also assess the efficacy of clip placement. Although a high concordance between ICG and DSA has been reported, there remains an important subset of aneurysms for which negative ICG study may erroneously suggest aneurysm occlusion. A high-risk situation for such a false-negative study is an atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm in which vessel wall plaque interferes with the ICG signal. Furthermore, a decreased flow within the aneurysm may not allow enough emission light for detection under the current technology. In this report, we describe our experience with cases of MCA aneurysms with false-negative ICG-VA studies requiring clip adjustment for optimal surgical treatment and discuss two illustrative cases of MCA aneurysms with intraoperative fluorescence studies that were falsely negative, requiring puncture of the aneurysm to correctly identify incomplete aneurysm occlusion.
Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Coumarin Anticoagulants XLIL: Effect of Phenobarbital on Systemic Availability of Orally Administered Dicumarol in Rats

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of phenobarbital on the systemic availability of orally administered dicumarol in rats. Adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats, matched for dicumarol free fraction in serum, received either phenobarbital sodium, 75 mg/kg, or saline solution, orally or intravenously, daily for 7 days. On Day 6, they also received 14C‐dicumarol, 2 mg/kg iv, and unlabeled dicumarol, 50 mg/kg po, in aqueous suspension. Venous blood samples were obtained serially over 32 hr through an indwelling cannula. Systemic dicumarol availability was determined from the dose‐normalized ratio of areas under the plasma concentration‐time curves. Phenobarbital treatment almost doubled the total clearance of dicumarol and the intrinsic clearance of free dicumarol, with no significant difference between the inductive effects of oral and intravenous doses of phenobarbital. Systemic dicumarol availability in control rats (mean ± SD) was 84 ± 8% ( n = 10) and 84 ± 10% ( n = 6) in the oral and intravenous phenobarbital studies, respectively. The systemic dicumarol availability in phenobarbital‐treated rats was appreciably lower: 48 ± 7% ( n = 10) and 61 ± 12% ( n = 6) for orally and intravenously treated animals, respectively. The effect of oral phenobarbital on systemic dicumarol availability was more pronounced than that of intravenous phenobarbital ( p < 0.025). The apparent first‐order absorption rate constants for the fraction of the dose available systemically were similar for control and treated animals. There was a positive correlation between systemic dicumarol availability and total dicumarol clearance in control animals ( p < 0.001). Proper matching of control and treated animals is, therefore, important for this type of study. The rat appears to be a good model for investigating the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of phenobarbital on dicumarol absorption observed previously in humans.
Excretion of steroids by the newborn infant.

Abstract The entire excreta from babies during the first few days after birth were extracted and analyzed for neutral steroids related to hormonal function. Material giving the Zimmermann reaction was found in the ketonic fraction, but no reaction with the antimony trichloride reaction of Pincus was obtained. The nonketonic fraction gave the antimony trichloride reaction. Both the ketonic Zimmermann-positive and the nonketonic antimony trichloride-positive substances decreased to very low levels during the first 10 days after birth. The material responsible for the color reaction in the nonketonic fraction was identified as androstane-3α, 17β-diol, probably a metabolic product of compounds formed in the fetal adrenal cortex.
Radiologic manifestations of Proteus syndrome.

Proteus syndrome is a sporadic disorder named for its highly variable manifestations. The disease causes tissue overgrowth in a mosaic pattern and may affect tissues derived from any germinal layer. The disease process is not usually apparent at birth but develops rapidly in childhood. Common manifestations include macrodactyly, vertebral abnormalities, asymmetric limb overgrowth and length discrepancy, hyperostosis, abnormal and asymmetric fat distribution, asymmetric muscle development, connective-tissue nevi, and vascular malformations. The features of Proteus syndrome indicate that the condition may be caused by a somatic alteration in a gene, but no specific genetic mutation has yet been identified. Therefore, the diagnosis and management of the disease depend heavily on clinical evaluation and imaging. Although the manifestations of Proteus syndrome are highly variable, accurate diagnosis is possible if standard diagnostic criteria are followed and if disease features are assessed in comparison with...
Reducing defects in IT service delivery

In IT Service Delivery organizations, Quality Analysts (QAs) are responsible for analyzing sets of service tickets to detect exceptional trends, launch investigations and identify and remove defects in the IT environment, thereby bringing down the volume of incidents over time. The large scale of operation (thousands of tickets), hard to detect temporal variations, mix of structured and unstructured data and lack of suitable tool support make the QA's job very time-consuming and challenging. Based on extensive interactions with QAs and field study, we have developed a tool named Drishti that combines a novel and highly interactive user interface, with advanced text processing and statistical analysis support to drastically reduce the time needed to carry out quality analysis, and improve the outcome. The tool has been deployed widely in IBM's global delivery centers and significant benefits have been realized in terms of productivity improvement of QAs as well as the number of investigations that could be triggered to reduce defects.
Returning a Research Participant's Genomic Results to Relatives: Perspectives from Managers of Two Distinct Research Biobanks

Research biobanks are heterogeneous and exist to manage diverse biosample types with the goal of facilitating and serving biomedical discovery. The perspectives of biobank managers are reviewed, and the perspectives of two biobank directors, one with experience in institutional biobanks and the other with national cooperative group banks, are presented. Most research biobanks are not designed, nor do they have the resources, to return research results and incidental findings to participants or their families.
Universal scaling of gas diffusion in porous media

Gas diffusion modeling in percolation clusters provides a theoretical framework to address gas transport in porous materials and soils. Applying this methodology, above the percolation threshold the air-filled porosity dependence of the gas diffusion in porous media follows universal scaling, a power law in the air-filled porosity (less a threshold value) with an exponent of 2.0. We evaluated our hypothesis using 71 experiments (632 data points) including repacked, undisturbed, and field measurements available in the literature. For this purpose, we digitized Dp/D0 (where Dp and D0 are gas diffusion coefficients in porous medium and free space, respectively) and e (air-filled porosity) values from graphs presented in seven published papers. We found that 66 experiments out of 71 followed universal scaling with the exponent 2, evidence that our percolation-based approach is robust. Integrating percolation and effective medium theories produced a numerical prefactor whose value depends on the air-filled porosity threshold and the air-filled porosity value above which the behavior of gas diffusion crosses over from percolation to effective medium.
Transient common peroneal nerve palsy following skeletal tibial traction in a morbidly obese patient - case report of a preventable complication

Today, skeletal tibial traction remains a mainstay of initial management following high-energy, major orthopaedic lower extremity trauma. Historically utilized as definitive fracture management, recent advances in surgical technology have moved skeletal tibial traction into the realm of temporary management, with benefits including fracture reduction, pain relief, and restoration of disturbed surrounding soft tissues, lowering wound complication and compartment syndrome rates. However, no procedure is without its risks. Here, we present a case of common peroneal palsy following skeletal tibial traction placement, which resolved with subsequent pin removal. Indications, proper placement, potential etiologies, and a review of the literature are also discussed.
Is the Contingent Negative Variation Contingent on a Motor Response

Ten subjects participated in an experiment in which each was presented with series of paired stimuli separated by 1000 msec. The first stimulus was a click. The second stimulus was either of two visual patterns, concentric circles or a star figure. Figure selection on each trial was determined by a random procedure. There were four experimental conditions: 1) Subjects pressed a switch following the presentation of either figure. 2) Subjects pressed a switch following the presentation of the star only. 3) Subjects guessed prior to the clicks, which figure would appear as S2; no overt motor response was required. 4) Subjects had to add 7 to a cumulative sum following a star, and subtract 7 following the circles; no overt motor response was required. Using data obtained from a vertex to linked ear derivation we conclude that the CNV is not contingent on a motor response to S2. The electrical potentials recorded following S2, and in particular the positive-going “resolution” of the CNV seemed to vary systematically with the experimental conditions. An application of Tucker's three-mode factor analysis to this CNV is reported.
Estimation-quantization geometry coding using normal meshes

A new algorithm for compressing three-dimensional triangular mesh data was used for representing surfaces. The estimation-quantization (EQ) algorithm was applied. EQ was originally designed for still image compression to the normal mesh wavelet coefficient. The EQ algorithm models the wavelet coefficients as a Gaussian random field with slowly varying standard deviation. By designing the quantizers in a rate-distortion optimal fashion, the previously proposed zerotree normal mesh compression algorithm has improved distortion by 0.5 to 1 dB.
Roles for ligases in the RNA editing complex of Trypanosoma brucei: band IV is needed for U-deletion and RNA repair

Trypanosome RNA editing utilizes a seven polypeptide complex that includes two RNA ligases, band IV and band V. We now find that band IV protein contributes to the structural stability of the editing complex, so its lethal genetic knock-out could reflect structural or catalytic requirements. To assess the catalytic role in editing, we generated cell lines which inducibly replaced band IV protein with an enzymatically inactive but structurally conserved version. This induction halts cell growth, showing that catalytic activity is essential. These induced cells have impaired in vivo editing, specifically of RNAs requiring uridylate (U) deletion; unligated RNAs cleaved at U-deletion sites accumulated. Additionally, mitochondrial extracts of cells with reduced band IV activity were deficient in catalyzing U-deletion, specifically at its ligation step, but were not deficient in U-insertion. Thus band IV ligase is needed to seal RNAs in U-deletion. U-insertion does not appear to require band IV, so it might use the other ligase of the editing complex. Furthermore, band IV ligase was also found to serve an RNA repair function, both in vitro and in vivo.
Statistics of adaptive nulling and use of the generalized eigenrelation (GER) for modeling inhomogeneities in adaptive processing

This paper examines the integrity of the generalized eigenrelation (GER), which is an approach to assessing performance in an adaptive processing context involving covariance estimation when the adaptive processors are subject to undernulled interference. The GER is a mathematical relation, which if satisfied, often facilitates closed-form analysis of adaptive processors employing estimated covariances subject to inhomogeneities. The goal of this paper is to determine what impact this constraint has on the integrity of the adaptive nulling process. In order to examine the impact of the GER constraint on adaptive nulling, we establish fundamental statistical convergence properties of an adaptive null for the sample covariance-based (SCB) minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer. Novel exact expressions relating the mean and variance of an adaptive null of a homogeneously trained beamformer to the mean and variance of a nonhomogeneous trained beamformer are derived. In addition, it is shown that the Reed et al. (1974) result for required sample support can be highly inaccurate under nonhomogeneous conditions. Indeed, the required sample support can at times depend directly on the power of the undernulled interference.
Could nonshared environmental variance have evolved to assure diversification through randomness

Abstract One of the more striking findings of modern human behavior genetics is the relatively small role for shared environmental experience and the large role for what is called nonshared, or nonfamilial variance. Much of this may be just evolved randomness. There are sound evolutionary reasons why the genotype should diversify by producing phenotypes that differ. Where there are several possible states of nature, an organism whose genotype produces phenotypes specialized for only one environment will go extinct when the environment changes. Diversification can be achieved by having a single genotype randomly produce different phenotypes. Biological models, supported by evidence from other species, show that substantial phenotypical randomness will often be desirable. Biological mechanisms exist for providing randomness. Canalization will be selected for when a single phenotype is optimal, but canalization will be selected against where diversification is desirable. General biological theory predicts this effect, and examples from other species illustrate it. Variability in personality, sexual strategy, and disease resistance could be selected for. Evolution could select for contrast effects by which siblings come to be different. Thus, much of the nonshared variance found by behavior geneticists may be merely revolved randomness.
Molecular analysis and protein processing in late‐onset pompe disease patients with low levels of acid α‐glucosidase activity

Introduction: Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II, acid maltase deficiency) is caused by deficiency of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase (GAA). A few late-onset patients have been reported with skin fibroblast GAA activity levels of <2%. Methods: We measured GAA activity in skin fibroblasts from 101 patients with late-onset Pompe disease. Whenever possible, we performed Western blot analysis and correlated the results with GAA activity and GAA gene mutations. Results: Thirteen patients (13%) had skin fibroblast GAA activity of G. We performed Western blot on 11 patients with <1% GAA activity. All produced GAA protein that was at lower levels and/or was abnormally processed. Discussion: There is no common mutation associated with <1% GAA activity in late-onset Pompe disease patients. Most patients produce unprocessed forms of GAA protein compared with patients with higher GAA activity. Muscle Nerve, 2011
Simulation of multicomponent elution with the mobile phase containing competing modifiers

Abstract In elution chromatography, modifiers sometimes are added to the mobile phase to compete with sample solutes for binding sites in order to reduce the retention time and band spreading of sample solutes. In this work, the interrelationship between modifiers and sample solutes in preparative and large-scale chromatography is investigated using a nonlinear multicomponent rate model in which axial dispersion, film mass transfer, intraparticle diffusion, and multicomponent Langmuir isotherm are considered. The modifier with a constant concentration in the feed mobile phase is treated as one of the components in the governing equations of the model and is included in the multicomponent Langmuir isotherm. Peaks that are directly attributed to the modifier in the chromatogram are termed system peaks. It has been concluded that for an elution system with two sample solutes and one modifier, there exist three different patterns of system peaks if the sample contains the modifier, and six if the sample does not contain the modifier. It has been found that apart from the thermodynamic effects, the dispersion and mass transfer effects, in some cases, also play important roles in determining system peak patterns. Simulations for an elution system with two modifiers have also been investigated and discussed.
Untethered helmet mounted functional near infrared (fNIR) biomedical imaging

Broadband (30–1000MHz) frequency modulated spectroscopic measurements of brain tissue using near IR wavelengths are used for accurate extraction of absorption and scattering coefficients of cortex, CSF, and skull. Design of a helmet mounted untethered functional near IR system is presented in this paper that provides wireless communication between the monitoring and helmet mounted fNIR imaging sensors using high speed wireless ISM band Transmitter and UWB communication standards. Design specifications and predicted performance requirements are presented of the custom designed low power consuming optical transceivers and wireless communication subsystems using IBM 90nm CMOS foundry parameters.
Using electronic health records to predict severity of condition for congestive heart failure patients

We propose a novel way to design an analytics engine based exclusively on electronic health records (EHR). We focus our efforts on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) patients, although our approach could be extended to other chronic conditions. Our goal is to construct statistical models that predict a CHF patient's length of stay and by extension the severity of his/her condition. We show that it is possible to predict length of hospital stay based on physiological data collected from the first day of hospitalization. Using 10-fold cross validation we achieve accurate predictions with a root mean square error of 3.3 days for hospital stays that are less than 15 days in duration. We also propose a clustering of patients that organizes them to risk groups according to their estimated severity of condition.
SWAT and non-SWAT police officers and the use of force

Although many police departments use Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, surprisingly there is very little research on them. This study examined the use of force by SWAT and non-SWAT police officers. SWAT officers may be socialized to use force as a result of the dangerous situations they frequently encounter, and thus more likely to use force in non-SWAT situations. The results of this research note, however, indicated there was a statistical nonsignificant relationship between SWAT status and the use of force. Implications of the findings of this study are discussed.
Lipids in High-Risk Patients Presenting With Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Are We Missing the Target?

See related article, p 3343. Prospective clinical registries can serve a variety of important purposes, including providing data for quality improvement programs, monitoring real world benefits and complications of interventions expected based on the results of clinical trials (ie, clinical effectiveness), furnishing consistent information for selected groups of patients not available from administrative databases or other sources, identifying practice gaps, contributing to assessments of provider and institutional performance, and developing hypotheses to be tested in subsequent studies. Such registries also have inherent limitations. The data may be subject to selection and other biases and, because collection requires an underlying commitment and dedication of resourses to support the program, may not be generalizable to nonregisty settings.1 As a result of these and other issues, registry and nonregistry patients may have important differences in characteristics and outcomes.2 With this background, in this issue of Stroke, Saposnik et al report on an analysis of data from the high-quality, prospective American Heart Association Get-With-The-Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG) Registry finding that, of patients with an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), only 62% with existing coronary artery disease, 52% with diabetes mellitus, and 55% with a prior cerebrovascular event had an admission low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) <100 mg/dL and only 21% had an LDL-C <70 mg/dL.3,4 The authors conclude that, “This large study is unique in providing evidence that those high-risk patients with preexisting cerebrovascular disease alone or concomitant cerebrovascular disease and coronary artery disease received suboptimal therapy.” Given the proven reductions in stroke risk with lipid-lowering therapy, particularly with statins, in these and other high-risk populations,5 the implication is that better adherence …
Urban adolescent sexual and reproductive health in low-income and middle-income countries

One of the most important aspects of adolescent health is sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Currently, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) threaten the health of adolescents more than any other age group, and as many as 2.2 million adolescents are living with HIV. Understanding adolescents’ SRH needs and how to invest in improving their health can be best addressed by knowing more about the contexts that increase their vulnerability to poor sexual health outcomes. Recent evidence has highlighted an increasingly marginalised segment of the adolescent population—and that is the urban poor adolescent population in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Using an urban health framework, this paper examines the contextual factors within an urban community that influence the SRH of adolescents in LMIC. Findings show that while there is substantial research that has explored factors within the social environment, there is limited research that has explored factors within the physical environment, as well as research that has specifically explored urban adolescents’ use of SRH services and how such services can be best provided to this vulnerable population. This paper highlights the need for further research to understand the relationships between the urban poor environment and the SRH risks that adolescents face while living in such environments.
Early assessment of cancer outcomes in New York City firefighters after the 9/11 attacks: an observational cohort study.

Summary Background The attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) on Sept 11, 2001 (9/11) created the potential for occupational exposure to known and suspected carcinogens. We examined cancer incidence and its potential association with exposure in the first 7 years after 9/11 in firefighters with health information before 9/11 and minimal loss to follow-up. Methods We assessed 9853 men who were employed as firefighters on Jan 1, 1996. On and after 9/11, person-time for 8927 firefighters was classified as WTC-exposed; all person-time before 9/11, and person-time after 9/11 for 926 non-WTC-exposed firefighters, was classified as non-WTC exposed. Cancer cases were confirmed by matches with state tumour registries or through appropriate documentation. We estimated the ratio of incidence rates in WTC-exposed firefighters to non-exposed firefighters, adjusted for age, race and ethnic origin, and secular trends, with the US National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) reference population. CIs were estimated with overdispersed Poisson models. Additional analyses included corrections for potential surveillance bias and modified cohort inclusion criteria. Findings Compared with the general male population in the USA with a similar demographic mix, the standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of the cancer incidence in WTC-exposed firefighters was 1·10 (95% CI 0·98–1·25). When compared with non-exposed firefighters, the SIR of cancer incidence in WTC-exposed firefighters was 1·19 (95% CI 0·96–1·47) corrected for possible surveillance bias and 1·32 (1·07–1·62) without correction for surveillance bias. Secondary analyses showed similar effect sizes. Interpretation We reported a modest excess of cancer cases in the WTC-exposed cohort. We remain cautious in our interpretation of this finding because the time since 9/11 is short for cancer outcomes, and the reported excess of cancers is not limited to specific organ types. As in any observational study, we cannot rule out the possibility that effects in the exposed group might be due to unidentified confounders. Continued follow-up will be important and should include cancer screening and prevention strategies. Funding National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Combinatorial Regulation by MrpC2 and FruA Involves Three Sites in the fmgE Promoter Region during Myxococcus xanthus Development

Starvation causes cells in a dense population of Myxococcus xanthus to change their gliding movements and construct mounds. Short-range C-signaling between rod-shaped cells within mounds induces gene expression that promotes differentiation into spherical spores. Several C-signal-dependent genes have been shown to be regulated by cooperative binding of two transcription factors to the promoter region. These FruA- and MrpC2-regulated genes (designated fmg) each exhibit a different arrangement of binding sites. Here, we describe fmgE, which appears to be regulated by three sites for cooperative binding of FruA and MrpC2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that association of MrpC2 and/or its longer form, MrpC with the fmgE promoter region, depends on FruA, consistent with cooperative binding of the two proteins in vivo. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with purified His10-MrpC2 and FruA-His6 indicated cooperative binding in vitro to three sites in the fmgE promoter region. The effects of mutations on binding in vitro and on expression of fmgE-lacZ fusions correlated site 1 (at about position −100 relative to the transcriptional start site) with negative regulation and site 2 (just upstream of the promoter) and site 3 (at about position +100) with positive regulation. Site 3 was bound by His10-MrpC2 alone, or the combination of His10-MrpC2 and FruA-His6, with the highest affinity, followed by site 1 and then site 2, supporting a model in which site 3 recruits MrpC2 and FruA to the fmgE promoter region, site 1 competes with site 2 for transcription factor binding, and site 2 occupancy is required to activate the promoter but only occurs when C-signaling produces a high concentration of active FruA.
Auto Source Code Generation and Run-Time Infrastructure and Environment for High Performance, Distributed Computing Systems

With the emergence of inexpensive commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, heterogeneous multi-processor HPC platforms have now become more affordable. However, the effort required in developing real-time applications that require high-performance and high input/output bandwidth for the HPC systems is still difficult. Honeywell Inc. has released a suite of tools called the Systems and Applications Genesis Environment (SAGE) which allows an engineer to develop and field applications efficiently on the HPCs. This paper briefly describes the SAGE tool suite, which is followed by a detailed description of the SAGE automatic code generation and run-time components used for COTS based heterogeneous HPC platform. Experiments were conducted and demonstrated to show that the SAGE generated glue (source) code with run-time executes comparably or within 75% efficiency to hand coded version of the Parallel 2D FFT and Distributed Corner Turn benchmarks that were executed on CSPI, Mercury and SKY compute platforms.
Can Fire Residues (Ash and Char) Affect Microbial Decomposition in Wetland Soils

With increasing fire frequency expected with climate change, understanding the direct and indirect effect of fire on the global carbon budget is critical. While many studies focus on carbon loss through biomass removal and shifts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, minimal studies have taken a mechanistic approach to determine the indirect effect of fire residues on GHG production post-fire. The study objective was to isolate the effect of vegetation-derived fire residues (char and ash) on microbial decomposition in wetland soils of varying phosphorus concentrations. Carbon GHG production was influenced by residue type and oxygen availability and results varied by soil phosphorus concentrations. Aerobic decomposition decreased following ash addition in low-phosphorus soil initially; however, there were no additional effects of residues on aerobic decomposition. Under anaerobic conditions, residues had no effect on decomposition in high-phosphorus soil. In contrast, char stimulated CO2 production; and regardless of residue, CH4 production was stimulated in low-phosphorus soil. While char contained higher available phosphorus and carbon relative to ash, ash still provided phosphorus suggesting variable gas production in situ may be dependent on fire residue proportion and associated nutrient input. Taken together, increased fire frequency associated with climate change may stimulate CH4 production in low-phosphorus wetlands.