cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of the complex Kohn variational method to attosecond spectroscopy.

The complex Kohn variational method is extended to compute light-driven electronic transitions between continuum wave functions in atomic and molecular systems. This development enables the study of multiphoton processes in the perturbative regime for arbitrary light polarization. As a proof of principle, we apply the method to compute the photoelectron spectrum arising from the pump--probe two-photon ionization of helium induced by a sequence of extreme ultraviolet and infrared light pulses. We compare several two-photon ionization pump--probe spectra, resonant with the ($2s2p)\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{1}P_{1}^{o}$ Feshbach resonance, with independent simulations based on the atomic B-spline close-coupling stock code, and find good agreement between the two approaches. This finite-pulse perturbative approach is a step towards the ab initio study of weak-field attosecond processes in polyelectronic molecules.
Medicalization: Changing Contours, Characteristics, and Contexts

Medicalization has become a central analytical theme in medical sociology, a topic in medical sociology courses and the subject of hundreds if not thousands of articles (Conrad P (2007) The medicalization of society: on the transformation of human condition into treatable disorders. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore; Ballard K, Elston MA (2005) Medicalisation: a multi-dimensional concept. Soc Theory Heal 3:228–241; Clarke et al. 2010). Other scholars, including historians (Nye RA (2003) The evolution of the concept of medicalization in the late twentieth century. J Hist Behavioral Sci 39:115–129), anthropologists (Lock M (2001, Press 2006) Medicalization: cultural concerns. In: Smelser N, Baltes P (eds) International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences. Elsevier, New York), medical and public health researchers (Metzl JM, Herzig RM (2007) Medicalisation in the 21st century: an introduction. Lancet 369:697–698; Maloney 2011; Lantz et al. (2007) Health policy approaches to population health: the limits of medicalization. Health Affairs 26:1253–1257), economists (Thorpe KE, Philwaw M (2012) The medicalization of chronic disease and costs. Ann Rev Public Heal 23:409–423), bioethicists (Parens E (2011) On good and bad forms of medicalization. Bioethics doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2011.01885.x), and even literary scholars (Lane C (2007) Shyness: how normal behavior became a sickness. Yale University Press, New Haven) have also examined medicalization. Medicalization has been the subject of newspaper and magazine commentaries (e.g. Welch 2011) and discussion at (President’s Council on Bioethics (2003) Beyond therapy: biotechnology and the pursuit of happiness. The President’s Council on Bioethics, Washington). It seems clear that medicalization has become a topic of interest beyond sociology. Within medical sociology it is a concept that has moved from the periphery of intellectual interest in the 1970s to a central area of interest in the twenty-first century.
The Unemployed: Unmet Physical Need and Other Effects

From the very beginning, the labor force concepts employed in the Current Population Survey have been viewed as measures of the supply of labor [Bancroft, p. 188]. Further, the concept of unemployment in the CPS has been seen as measuring the “extent of unutilized labor immediately available in the economy” [Stein, p. 1409]. The CPS focuses on activity; that is, on what the person was doing during a specific week. Thus, information on the type of work done by the employed and the unemployed and the industry in which they labor has been regularly collected, extensively analyzed, and routinely reported for more than 50 years.
Hereditary Myeloperoxidase Deficiency

Subjects with neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency have been rarely reported. In part this may be due to the lack of a simple screening technique that would detect them. With the routine use of a cytochemical leukocyte differential counter that employs MPO stains, over a 40-mo a period 8 unrelated probands with partial MPO-deficiency and one with complete deficiency were identified. Family studies have identified 23 additional, partially deficient subjects. The largest pedigrees demonstrate that the carrier state or partial MPO deficiency is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Leukocytes from a subject with complete MPO deficiency and from some subjects with partial deficiency have impaired bactericidal activity against S. aureus. Superoxide generation was increased and chemiluminescence decreased in MPO-deficient leukocytes. Eleven subjects were prospectively followed for 18–30 mo. Only two partially deficient subjects have had serious infections consisting of recurrent streptococcal cellulitis and aseptic meningitis. These data suggest that leukocyte MPO deficiency is a common inherited defect that results in minimal clinical problems, supporting the concept of multiple leukocyte bacterial killing systems.
Video Voyeurs and the Covert Videotaping of Unsuspecting Victims: Psychological and Legal Consequences

Video voyeurs employ state of the art technology to gain access into the most private places where victims are covertly videotaped. Women are the usual victims of video voyeurs as they change their clothes, perform natural functions or engage in sexual activities. When the videotaping is discovered by the victim, serious psychological harm may result. A civil suit is the most common legal remedy sought. Criminal sanctions, when available, are often insufficient compared to the seriousness of the crime. While unauthorized, covert audiotaping is forbidden by both federal and state codes, videotaping is often not specifically mentioned. It appears that legislators do not fully appreciate the burgeoning of covert videotaping, the technological advances that have greatly expanded the possibilities for voyeuristic viewing and the harm done to victims of video voyeurs. Appropriate criminal sanctions need to be included in privacy statutes for unauthorized, video surveillance with or without accompanying audio transcription.
Investigation of Radiologic Landmarks Used to Decide the Appropriate Surgical Approach for Upper Thoracic Ventral Degenerative Disorders.

Background Ventral lesions of upper thoracic spinal cord due to degenerative diseases are rare and often have poor operative outcomes. Anterior decompression of the lesion is difficult because of the local anatomy. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate reproducible anatomic measurements for selecting the best surgical approach for anterior decompression of ventral lesions of upper thoracic spinal cord. Methods Cases of anterior decompression of ventral lesions of upper thoracic spinal cord due to degenerative diseases at our institution from 2004 to 2015 were assessed. Several lines were drawn on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans of midsagittal sections of the upper thoracic spine to evaluate the most optimal approach for treating upper thoracic lesions. A line from the suprasternal notch to the vertebral body (suprasternal notch to vertebral body [SV] line) was accepted as baseline. Results The caudal edge of the lesion was above the SV line in 10 cases, each of which was treated via an anterior approach without sternotomy. The caudal edge was below the SV line in 7 cases, 5 of which underwent surgery with the sternum-splitting or transthoracic approach. The other 2 lesions were approached via an obliquely deviated route without sternotomy. The SV line sometimes changed with patients' posture alterations. Conclusions The SV line, a useful landmark for upper thoracic lesions, is not sufficiently reliable because it changes according to the patient's posture. By leaning in the direction of the surgical microscope, more caudal upper thoracic lesions can be reached than when using the SV line as a surgical landmark.
Abstract P360: Blunted Hemodynamic Response to Acute Mental Stress Among African Americans With Coronary Heart Disease

Introduction: Racial differences in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality are well established by middle age with African Americans contributing to higher rates of cardiovascular disease. ...
Two-tier model reduction of viscoelastically damped finite element models

Abstract Transient simulations of linear viscoelastically damped structures require excessive computational resources to directly integrate the full-order finite element model with time-stepping algorithms. Traditional modal reduction techniques are not directly applicable to these systems since viscoelastic materials depend on time and frequency. A more appropriate reduction basis is obtained from the nonlinear, complex eigenvalue problem, whose eigenvectors capture the appropriate kinematics and enable frequency-based mode selection; unfortunately, the computational cost is prohibitive for computing these modes from large-scale engineering models. To address this shortcoming, this work proposes a novel two-tier reduction procedure to reduce the upfront cost of solving the complex, nonlinear eigenvalue problem. The first reduction step reduces the full-order model with real mode shapes linearized about various centering frequencies to capture the kinematics over a full range of viscoelastic material behavior (glassy, rubbery, and glass-transition zones). This tier-one reduction preserves time-temperature superposition and allows the equations to depend parametrically on operating temperature. The second-level reduction then solves the complex, nonlinear eigenmode solutions in the tier-one reduced space about a fixed temperature to further reduce the equations-of-motion. The method is demonstrated on a cantilevered sandwich plate to showcase its accuracy and efficiency in comparison to full-order model predictions.
Improvements in Transmission-Based Isolation in a Large Northeastern Academic Medical Center Emergency Department

BACKGROUND Transmission-based precautions are used for selecting patients with specific diseases or pathogens to protect other patients and healthcare providers. Emergency Departments (ED) are the first line of defense to prevent entry of pathogens into the healthcare setting but are fast paced and quick turnaround departments. Despite well documented outbreaks occurring in this setting, in general, transmission - based precautions have been less frequently implemented in these units. Noting this issue, in the spring of 2016 the institution's Infection Control (IC) department partnered with ED leadership to promote improved use of transmission-based precautions. METHODS IC assessed the appropriate use of isolation signs posted as per written isolation orders between February 2016 through September 2018 and introduced progressive process improvements through education of the ED staff by IC and attention to standard work for surveillance. Near-real time feedback was given for compliance and non–compliance to individual providers and summary results were provided monthly to the ED leadership. Unusual observations were photographed and shared real-time with ED leadership. RESULTS Over the study period there were 753 total observations,and the percent of patients without appropriate signage decreased from 53% in the first year to 29% for the period from September 2017 through September 2018 (p-value CONCLUSIONS A collaborative quality improvement initiative between the IC and ED leadership led to a marked improvement in the appropriate use of transmission-based isolation signage. A culture of accountability coupled with a supportive relationship established between the departments helped drive culture change. More work efforts are now underway focusing on confirming that isolation precautions are ordered when appropriate, and to assess the time required to institute precautions.
Experiences of US Nephrologists in the Delivery of Conservative Care to Patients With Advanced Kidney Disease: A National Qualitative Study.

Rationale & Objective It is relatively unusual for US patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) to forgo initiation of maintenance dialysis. Our objective was to describe practice approaches of US nephrologists who have provided conservative care for members of this population. Study Design Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Setting & Participants A national sample of 21 nephrologists experienced in caring for patients with advanced CKD who decided not to start dialysis. Analytical Approach Grounded theory methods to identify dominant themes reflecting nephrologists’ experiences with and approaches to conservative care for patients with advanced CKD. Results Nephrologists who participated in this study were primarily from academic practices (n = 14) and urban areas (n = 15). Two prominent themes emerged from qualitative analysis reflecting nephrologists’ experiences with and approaches to conservative care: (1) person-centered practices, which described a holistic approach to care that included basing treatment decisions on what mattered most to individual patients, framing dialysis as an explicit choice, being mindful of sources of bias in medical decision making, and being flexible to the changing needs, values, and preferences of patients; and (2) improvising a care infrastructure, which described the challenges of managing patients conservatively within health systems that are not optimally configured to support their needs. Participating nephrologists described cobbling together resources, assuming a range of different health care roles, preparing patients to navigate health systems in which initiation of dialysis served as a powerful default, and championing the principles of conservative care among their colleagues. Limitations The themes identified likely are not generalizable to most US nephrologists. Conclusions Insights from a select group of US nephrologists who are early adopters of conservative care signal the need for a stronger cultural and health system commitment to building care models capable of supporting patients who choose to forgo dialysis.
Exemplary Practices in Cardiovascular Care: Results on Clinical Quality Measures from the EvidenceNOW Southwest Cooperative

Identifying characteristics of primary care practices that perform well on cardiovascular clinical quality measures (CQMs) may point to important practice improvement strategies. To identify practice characteristics associated with high performance on four cardiovascular disease CQMs. Longitudinal cohort study among 211 primary care practices in Colorado and New Mexico. Quarterly CQM reports were obtained from 178 (84.4%) practices. There was 100% response rate for baseline practice characteristics and implementation tracking surveys. Follow-up implementation tracking surveys were completed for 80.6% of practices. Adult patients, staff, and clinicians in family medicine, general internal medicine, and mixed-specialty practices. Practices received 9 months of practice facilitation and health information technology support, plus biannual collaborative learning sessions. This study identified practice characteristics associated with overall highest performance using area under the curve (AUC) analysis on aspirin therapy, blood pressure management, and smoking cessation CQMs. Among 178 practices, 39 were exemplars. Exemplars were more likely to be a Federally Qualified Health Center (69.2% vs 35.3%, p = 0.0006), have an underserved designation (69.2% vs 45.3%, p = 0.0083), and have higher percentage of patients with Medicaid (p < 0.0001). Exemplars reported greater use of cardiovascular disease registries (61.5% vs 29.5%,), standing orders (38.5 vs 22.3%) or electronic health record prompts (84.6% vs 49.6%) (all p < 0.05), were more likely to have medical home recognition (74.4% vs 43.2%, p = 0.0006), and reported greater implementation of building blocks of high-performing primary care: regular quality improvement team meetings (3.0 vs 2.2), patient experience survey (3.1 vs 2.2), and resources for patients to manage their health (3.0 vs 2.3). High improvers (n = 45) showed greater improvement implementing team-based care (32.8 vs 11.7, p = 0.0004) and population management (37.4 vs 20.5, p = 0.0057). Multiple strategies—registries, prompts and protocols, patient self-management support, and patient-team partnership activities—were associated with delivering high-quality cardiovascular care over time, measured by CQMs. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT02515578
Patterns and Trends of Hate Crime in America

This chapter presents hate crime patterns and trends using data from the UCR Hate Crimes Statistics Program and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Comparisons are made between these two data collection systems, noting where the NCVS and UCR agree and differ in findings regarding the occurrence of hate crime. We observe overall and recent trends from the UCR data for all hate crime, and for hate crimes separated into bias motivation categories, bias types, and offense types. Using data from the NCVS, we show patterns among hate crime victims and offenders. We exhibit how the strengths of each of these data collection systems can be utilized to better understand the nature and scope of hate crime in the United States.
John Paul II on Humanae Vitae and the Priority of Ethics over Technology

We examine how John Paul II’s lifelong work on the issues surrounding family and human life as expressed in Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae (1968) are an exemplification of his principles for cultural renewal as stated in Redemptor Hominis (1979). The triad of principles, the primacy of persons over things, the priority of ethics over technology, and the superiority of spirit over matter provide a set of interlocking principles for discerning the true progress of modern culture. Contrary to the dominant view that artificial contraception represents an opportunity for great progress for women and for society, we argue that the ambivalent character of modern technology as established by Yves Rene Simon and Clive Staples Lewis points to a large downside of artificial contraception, namely, a real opportunity for the degradation of the marriage bond and the full flourishing of the human person. The substitution of technology as a way to regulate birth for personal choice and habit or virtue inverts the principle of ethics over technology and opens the door for the manipulation of women as predicted by Pope Paul VI which is a clear failure to place the primacy of the person over things. The fundamental error lies in the materialistic philosophy of life which refuses to acknowledge the superiority of spirit over matter. The battle over the issues at the heart of Humane Vitae constitutes a battle over the ultimate meaning of human existence as theistic or anti-theistic, Gospel or anti-Gospel, and thus it will always stand as a “sign of contradiction.”
Bit-Vector Rewriting with Automatic Rule Generation

Rewriting is essential for efficient bit-vector SMT solving. The rewriting algorithm commonly used by modern SMT solvers iteratively applies a set of ad hoc rewriting rules hard-coded into the solver to simplify the given formula at the preprocessing stage. This paper proposes an automatic approach to rewriting. The solver starts each invocation with an empty set of rewriting rules. The set is extended by applying at run-time an automatic SAT-based algorithm for new rewriting rule generation. The set of rules differs from instance to instance. We implemented our approach in the framework of an algorithm for equivalence and constant propagation, called 0-saturation, which we extended from purely propositional reasoning to bit-vector reasoning. Our approach results in a substantial performance improvement in a state-of-the-art SMT solver over various SMT-LIB families.
Individual heterozygosity predicts translocation success in threatened desert tortoises

Anthropogenic environmental modification is placing as many as 1 million species at risk of extinction. One management action for reducing extinction risk is translocation of individuals to locations from which they have disappeared or to new locations where biologists hypothesize they have a good chance of surviving. To maximize this survival probability, the standard practice is to move animals from the closest possible populations that contain presumably related individuals. In an empirical test of this conventional wisdom, we analyzed a genomic dataset for 166 translocated desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) that either survived or died over a period of two decades. We used genomic data to infer the geographic origin of translocated tortoises and found that individual heterozygosity predicted tortoise survival, whereas translocation distance or geographic unit of origin did not. Our results suggest a relatively simple indicator of the likelihood of a translocated individual's survival: heterozygosity.
Profiling epigenetic age in single cells

ABSTRACT DNA methylation of a defined set of CpG dinucleotides emerged as a critical and precise biomarker of the aging process. Multi-variate machine learning models, known as epigenetic clocks, can exploit quantitative changes in the methylome to predict the age of bulk tissue with remarkable accuracy. However, intrinsic sparsity and digitized methylation in individual cells have so far precluded the assessment of aging in single cell data. Here, we present scAge, a probabilistic approach to determine the epigenetic age of single cells, and validate our results in mice. scAge tissue-specific and multi-cell type single cell clocks correctly recapitulate chronological age of the original tissue, while uncovering the inherent heterogeneity that exists at the single-cell level. The data suggest that while tissues age in a coordinated fashion, some cells age more or less rapidly than others. We show that individual embryonic stem cells exhibit an age close to zero, that certain stem cells in a tissue show a reduced age compared to their chronological age, and that early embryogenesis is associated with the reduction of epigenetic age of individual cells, the latter supporting a natural rejuvenation event during gastrulation. scAge is both robust against the low coverage that is characteristic of single cell sequencing techniques and is flexible for studying any cell type and vertebrate organism of interest. This study demonstrates for the first time the potential for accurate epigenetic age profiling at single-cell resolution.
Predicting Cardiometabolic Risk From Visceral Abdominal Adiposity in Persons With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.

Abstract Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) have increased adiposity that may predispose to cardiovascular disease compared to those who are able-bodied (AB). The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and biomarkers of lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in persons with chronic SCI. A prospective observational study in participants with chronic SCI and age- and gender-matched AB controls. The study was conducted at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Private Rehabilitation Hospital. The quantification of DXA-derived VAT volume (VATvol) and blood-derived markers of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were determined in 100 SCI and 51 AB men. The VATvol was acquired from a total body DXA scan and analyzed using iDXA enCore CoreScan software (GE Lunar). Blood samples were collected for the serum lipid profile and plasma and glucose concentrations, with the latter two values used to calculate a measure of insulin resistance. In the SCI and AB groups, VAT% was significantly correlated with most cardiometabolic biomarkers. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis revealed that participants who had a VATvol above the cutoff value of 1630 cm3 were 3.1-, 4.8-, 5.6-, 19.2-, and 16.7-times more likely to have high serum triglycerides (R2N= 0.09, p = 0.014), low serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (R2N = 0.16, p
Comparative Energy, Environmental, and Economic Analysis of Traditional and E-Commerce DVD Rental Networks

This study is a comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) of two competing digital video disc (DVD) rental networks: the e-commerce option, where the customer orders the movies online, and the traditional business option, where the customer goes to the rental store to rent a movie. The analytical framework proposed is for a customer living in the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. The primary energy and environmental performance for both networks are presented using a multicriterion LCA. The package selected by the traditional network is responsible for 67% of the difference in total energy consumption of the two alternatives. Results show that the e-commerce alternative consumed 33% less energy and emitted 40% less CO2 than the traditional option. A set of sensitivity analyses test the influence of distance traveled, transportation mode, and reuse of DVD and DVD packaging on the final results. The mode of transportation used by the customer in the traditional business model also affects global emissions and energy consumption. The customer walking to the store is by far the best option in the traditional network; however, the e-commerce option performed comparatively better despite all transportation modes tested. A novel economic indicator, ESAL, is used to compare different transportation modes based on the level of stress exerted on the pavement. The two networks are compared on the basis of cost accounting; consistent with its energy and environmental advantages, the e-commerce network also exerts lesser economic impact, by $1.17, for the functional unit tested.
Audit culture, accountability, and care: A phenomenological anthropology of child welfare:

Front-line child welfare workers have long since preoccupied social work, sociological, and anthropological scholarship. This article employs phenomenological anthropology to attend to the embodied...
Uveal Melanomas Near the Optic Disc or Fovea: Visual Results after Proton Beam Irradiation

Proximity to the disc and fovea is a risk factor for visual loss after proton beam irradiation of uveal melanomas. Of 562 eyes treated over a 10-year period with pretreatment visual acuity of 20/200 or better, 363 (64.6%) contained tumors within 2 disc diameters (DD) of the disc or fovea. Rates of visual loss after treatment to worse than 20/200 and causes of visual decline were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cumulative rates of visual loss among subjects with tumors near the disc or fovea were 33 and 47% 1 and 2 years after treatment compared to 17 and 28%, respectively, for subjects with tumors located farther from both structures. The leading cause of visual loss in the first year among eyes with tumors near the disc or fovea was retinal detachment. Controlling for other predictors of visual loss to worse than 20/200, location near the disc or fovea was independently related to visual loss primarily due to retinal detachment, cataract, and radiation retinopathy. Despite the unfavorable location of these tumors, over half of patients with 20/200 or better pretreatment visual acuity had useful vision 2 years after treatment.
Amplitude Modulated CW Radar

This paper describes a radar system in which a measure of range is obtained as the phase difference between amplitude modulations on the transmitter and echo signals. Significant features of this AM radar system are simplicity and capability of accurately measuring very short ranges. For instance, an experimental unit ranges from zero to 50 feet with maximum error of six inches.
Blepharoplasty Incisional Modalities: 4.0 Radiowave Surgery vs. CO2 Laser

Many modalities have been used for blepharoplasty incision, including scalpel, scissors, cautery, laser, and electrosurgery and radiowave surgery. Incision with hemostasis has many advantages in the extremely vascular periorbital tissues. Bleeding in the surgical field presents many problems for the surgeon and the patient. Poor visualization is a negative thing in any procedure. Increased bleeding can translate into increased postoperative swelling, bruising, and pain and prolongs healing. Using a bloodless incisional modality mitigates all of the above for the patient and hastens the procedure for the surgeon.
Synthesis of distortion compensated log-domain filters using state space techniques

A new state space method is proposed for the synthesis of "quasi-log domain" filters where the parasitic emitter resistance of transistors is built into the equation formulation. The explicit exponential maps for log domain filters are replaced with implicit exponential maps yielding modified nodal equations for active filters. Circuit realization is discussed and some example circuit topologies are proposed. Finally, the extension to general higher order filters is suggested.
A Salutary Shock: The European Suffrage Movement and Democracy in the European Community, 1948-1973

This article examines the experience of democratic participation during the European Community’s most undemocratic era, 1948-1973. An important segment of European activists, a suffrage movement of sorts, considered European-wide elections as the most effective technique of communicating European unity and establishing the EC’s democratic credentials. Going beyond strictly information dissemination, direct elections would engage citizens in ways pamphlets, protests, and petitions could not. Other political elites, however, preferred popular democracy in the form of national referendums, if at all. This article examines the origins and implications of incorporating the two democratic procedures (national referendums and direct elections) into the EC by the end of the 1970s. It also identifies a perceived deficit in democracy as a spectre that has haunted European activists since the first post-war European institutions of the late 1940s, a spectre that has always been closely related to an information deficit. Based on archival research across Western Europe, this article touches upon the larger historiographical issues of European democratization, political communication, and the role of elections in European unity.
Implementation, Sustainability, and Scaling up of Social-Emotional and Academic Innovations in Public Schools.

Many attempts at bringing successful educational programs and products “to scale” as part of school reform, particularly in urban districts, have been disappointing. Based on the experiences of the...
Generation of antigen specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) directed against class II molecules expressed by activated T cells.

Abstract Mitogen-activated T cells were used to provide a source of Class II antigens to CTL originally stimulated against mononuclear cells expressing both foreign Class I and Class II determinants. Our results indicated that 7–10-day-old activated T antigen-presenting cells, which shared only Class II antigens with the original priming cell, were able to stimulated the differentiation of CTL-recognizing Class II determinants. The use of 14-day-old activated T cells as target cells in the CML assay, compared with 72 h PHA blasts or 7-day-old activated T cells, enabled a more sensitive detection of the anti-Class II CTL.
High-speed implementation of nonuniform rational B-splines

Nonuniform, rational B-splines (NUItBs) are the basis functions used to represent both free-form curves and surfaces and precise quadric primitives such as conics. NURBs are defined as ratios of linear combinations of nonuniform B-spline functions. In this paper, we present a new high-speed algorithm for the computation of nonuniform rational spline curves. We demonstrate this technique on a simple example and provide a computational complexity analysis.
Cross-reactivity of some rabbit anti-human lysozyme sera with gallinaceous lysozymes

Sera from several rabbits immunized with human lysozyme were found to agglutinate hen egg-white lysozyme-coated sheep red blood cells. When assayed for direct binding with 125I-labeled hen egg-white lysozyme, these sera were found to give approximately 5–10% of the binding found with 125I-labeled human lysozyme. This binding was inhibitable by unlabelled human lysozyme. Binding similar to that of hen egg-white lysozyme was found with Japanese quail lysozyme. However, 125I-labeled turkey egg-white lysozyme was found to be bound to a greater extent. An explanation offered for the greater cross-reactivity of turkey lysozyme with anti-human lysozyme, as compared to that found with hen or Japanese quail lysozyme, invokes the presence of Leu instead of His at position 15 in turkey and human lysozymes.
Schandaal In Oklahoma

‘A black eye for dentists around the nation’, noemde het hoofd van de inspectie de rampzalige toestand in een prakijk waar men zoiets nooit zou hebben verwacht.
SU‐E‐I‐15: CBCT Using a Robotic‐Arm Based Small Animal Irradiation System

Purpose: To assess quality of cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)images obtained by an image‐guided, robotic‐arm based small animal conformal radiation therapy device (SACRTD). Method and Materials: The SACRTD is equipped with a 40–225 kV X‐ray tube mounted on a custom made gantry, a 1024×1024 pixels flat panel detector (200 &#956;m resolution), a programmable six degrees of freedom robot for CBCTimaging and conformal delivery of radiationdoses. A series of 2D radiographic projection images were recorded in cone beam mode by placing and rotating microCT phantoms on the “palm” of the robotic arm. Reconstructed images were studied for image quality (spatial resolution,image uniformity, CT number linearity, voxel noise and artifacts. Results: The Shelley microCT QA phantom was used to assess image quality. Distances between the 5 beads in the geometric calibration plate were measured to within 0.3%. CT‐numbers measured using the CT‐number plate were linear with iodine density (R2>=0.995). Qualitative evaluation of reconstructed axial CT slices using the resolution plate resolved 200 &#956;m clearly. Quantitative spatial resolution was assessed using the slanted edge plate and found to be 3.16 lp/mm. Uniformity of the system was measured with the QRM microCT water phantom; the noise measured was 34 HU (average standard deviation of measured signal intensity). Finally, CBCTimages of the QRM multidisk phantom had minimal artifacts or distortions. Conclusions: Results showed that the SACRTD is capable of producing CBCTimages of high quality and sufficiently small spatial resolution for precise and conformal small animal dose delivery. With its combined dose delivery and imaging capabilities, the SACRTD is powerful tool for small animal research.
RURAL ELDERS AND THE DECISION TO STOP DRIVING

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors involved in rural older adults' decisions to stop driving. The sample was 30 men and 45 women with a mean age of 83.6 years. Prior accidents, feelings of insecurity about driving, impaired health, and the influence of family and friends were found to be significant factors in the decision to forfeit a driver's license. Regret and a sense of isolation were consequences of that decision.
Induction of fumarase in resting Euglena

Abstract Exposure of dark-grown resting (carbon deficient) Euglena to light, ethanol or malate produced a transient increase in the specific activity of fumarase. Fumarase levels decreased 8–12 h after the start of induction and this decrease could not be prevented by additional inducer. During the period of fumarase accumulation, cycloheximide prevented further fumarase synthesis and enzyme levels decreased at a rate comparable to the rate of decline normally observed 8–12 h after the start of induction. Although the addition of ethanol to ethanol-induced cultures or malate to malate-induced cultures 12 or 24 h after the initial induction failed to maintain or induce additional fumarase synthesis, the addition of organic carbon to photoinduced cells 8 or 24 h after light exposure induced additional enzyme synthesis. Additional enzyme synthesis was not induced when ethanol- or malate-induced cells were exposed to light 12 or 24 h after organic carbon addition. Light exposure or ethanol addition failed to induce fumarase synthesis during balanced growth indicating that fumarse inducibility is a property of resting cells.
Identification of a series of benzoxazoles as potent 5-HT6 ligands

As part of our continuing efforts to identify therapeutics for CNS diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), we have been focused on the 5-HT(6) receptor in order to identify potent and selective ligands as a potential treatment for cognitive dysfunction. Herein we report the identification of a novel series of benzoxazole derivatives as potent 5-HT(6) ligands. The synthesis and detailed SAR of this class of compounds are reported. The compounds have been shown to be full antagonists in a cyclic AMP functional assay.
Science Education--I: The Spirit of Science

In these two essays we explore the questions: what are the essential features of a workable context for science education? What are the givens, the “of courses,” the “fundamental dispositions” toward science and toward education necessary — or at least sufficient — to provide a fertile ground upon which a functional approach to science education can be established? In the present essay it is argued first that science education must reflect that science is a way of thinking — in fact, more comprehensively, a way of being; and second, and that the fundamentally antiauthoritarian spirit of science must be reconciled with education, with its built-in tendency to be authoritarian.
Estimating the impact of enterprise resource planning project management decisions on post-implementation maintenance costs: a case study using simulation modelling

Organisations often make implementation decisions with little consideration for the maintenance phase of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, resulting in significant recurring maintenance costs. Poor cost estimations are likely related to the lack of an appropriate framework for enterprise-wide pre-packaged software maintenance, which requires an ongoing relationship with the software vendor (Markus, M.L., Tanis, C., and Fenema, P.C., 2000. Multisite ERP implementation. CACM, 43 (4), 42-46). The end result is that critical project decisions are made with little empirical data, resulting in substantial long-term cost impacts. The product of this research is a formal dynamic simulation model that enables theory testing, scenario exploration and policy analysis. The simulation model ERPMAINT1 was developed by combining and extending existing frameworks in several research domains, and by incorporating quantitative and qualitative case study data. The ERPMAINT1 model evaluates tradeoffs between different ERP project management decisions and their impact on post-implementation total cost of ownership (TCO). Through model simulations a variety of dynamic insights were revealed that could assist ERP project managers. Major findings from the simulation show that upfront investments in mentoring and system exposure translate to long-term cost savings. The findings also indicate that in addition to customisations, add-ons have a significant impact on TCO.
Effect of Anode Surface Roughness on Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells

A three-electrode system was used to study the effect of anode surface roughness on the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Two glassy carbon plates were polished to uniform roughness of the orders of magnitude of 10s of nm and 100s of nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to quantify the roughness as well as the 3D topography of the surfaces. Multiple electrochemical methods including potentiostatic tests, potentiodynamic tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized to monitor the performance of the glassy carbon electrodes. After 275 hours of experimentation, the current density generated by the rough electrode was much higher than that generated by the smooth one. Furthermore, the charge-transfer resistance of the rough electrode was lower than that of the smooth one. The better electrochemical performance of the rough surface may be due to denser biofilm grown on the surface, which was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).© 2012 ASME
Applying adaptation design patterns

Dynamic adaptation may be used to prevent software downtime while new requirements and responses to environmental conditions are incorporated into the system. Previously, we studied over thirty adaptation-related projects to develop twelve adaptation-oriented design patterns that can be leveraged from one adaptive system to another. This paper presents a case study in which we apply our adaptation patterns in the design of a dynamically adaptive news web server. This pattern-based design separates the functional logic from the adaptive logic, resulting in a system that supports dynamic adaptation and is easier to maintain and analyze. Furthermore, to address assurance concerns, we applied automated formal verification techniques to ensure instantiated pattern models satisfy invariant properties specified in each adaptation pattern.
Characteristics of patients with bulimia only, bulimia with affective disorder, and bulimia with substance abuse problems

Characteristics of patients with a diagnosis of bulimia only (N = 46), bulimia with a history of affective disorder (N = 34), and bulimia with a history of substance abuse (N = 34) were compared. Results showed that compared to patients with bulimia only or with bulimia and affective disorders, patients with bulimia and substance abuse experienced a higher rate of diuretic use to control weight, financial and work problems, stealing before and after the onset of the eating disorder, previous psychiatric inpatient treatment, and greater amount of alcohol use after the onset of the eating disorder. Both the substance abuse group and affective disorder group showed a higher incidence of attempted suicide, more social problems, and greater overall treatment rate than the bulimia only group. There were no significant differences among groups in their family histories.
Pause and rate effects in multiple-reinforcement fixed ratio schedules

Fixed ratio schedules were employed in which the number of unreinforced responsed per reinforced sequence was kept constant but the number of successive reinforced responses was systematically varied from one to four. Both higher run rates and shorter pauses in responding following reinforcement were related to greater numbers of reinforcements for the pigeons used in this study. With more than one reinforcement the post-reinforcement pause was frequently preceded by a short burst of responses.
Spray deposition of metals: A review

Abstract The development of spray atomization and collection processes, i.e. Osprey, consolidated spray deposition (CSD) and liquid dynamic compaction (LDC) was motivated by the severe problems of oxide contamination associated with quenched reactive metal powders as well as by the need to minimize the overall number of processing steps from the liquid metal to fully dense product, perhaps in the near-net shape state. So far, these techniques have been successfully applied to numerous aluminum-, magnesium-, nickel- and iron-based alloys, yielding attractive combinations of properties, which include improvements in tensile strength, axial fatigue strength, fatigue crack growth resistance, superplasticity and magnetic properties. Furthermore, experimental and mathematical modeling studies have shown that the aforementioned property improvements depend on the production of a rapidly solidified, microstructurally homogeneous material during spray deposition. In turn, the achievement of such structures depends on the characteristics of the atomized droplets in flight and on impact, i.e. droplet size and distribution, relative proportions of solid and liquid, temperatures, droplet velocities, dendrite arm spacings, degree of undercooling etc. The purpose of this paper is to review the more important findings over the past decade of spray atomization and collection studies.
Statistical Debugging for Simulations

Predictions from simulations have entered the mainstream of public policy and decision-making practices. Unfortunately, methods for gaining insight into faulty simulations outputs have not kept pace. Ideally, an insight gathering method would automatically identify the cause of a faulty output and explain to the simulation developer how to correct it. In the field of software engineering, this challenge has been addressed for general-purpose software through statistical debuggers. We present two research contributions, elastic predicates and many-valued labeling functions, that enable debuggers designed for general-purpose software to become more effective for simulations employing random variates and continuous numbers. Elastic predicates address deficiencies of existing debuggers related to continuous numbers, whereas many-valued labeling functions support the use of random variates. When used in combinations, these contributions allow a simulation developer tasked with localizing the program statement causing the faulty simulation output to examine 40p fewer statements than the leading alternatives. Our evaluation shows that elastic predicates and many-valued labeling functions maintain their ability to reduce the number of program statements that need to be examined under the imperfect conditions that developers experience in practice.
Metabolism of Indanyl Carbenicillin by Dogs, Rats, and Humans

Indanyl carbenicillin, an ester of carbenicillin with indanol, is absorbed in the intestine after oral administration and is subsequently hydrolyzed to release the parent antibiotic which can be measured in serum and urine. To study the metabolism of indanyl carbenicillin, labeled indanol was prepared by exchange with tritiated water and was used, with phenylmalonyl chloride and 6-aminopenicillanic acid, to prepare labeled indanyl carbenicillin. Labeled indanol and indanyl carbenicillin were orally administered to dogs and rats with good recovery of label in the urine. In the dog, indanol, whether administered as such or as indanyl carbenicillin, was excreted in the urine as the glucuronide and sulfate ester conjugates of indanol and as conjugates of two hydroxyindanones and two hydroxyindanols, as determined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Rats, conversely, excreted only the conjugates of indanol, whether indanol or indanyl carbenicillin was administered. After oral administration of unlabeled indanyl carbenicillin to humans, conjugates of indanol were recovered in the urine in excellent yield, as determined by a gas chromatographic assay. None of the other indanol metabolites formed by the dog was observed in human urine.
Maternal Xyleborus ferrugineus transmission of sterol or sterol-dependent metabolites necessary for progeny pupation☆

Aposymbiotic female Xyleborus ferrugineus transmitted, apparently transovarially, the sterol or sterol-dependent metabolites necessary for progeny pupation. Sterol for immature development was required in the progeny diet. When maintained on cholesterol-containing diet, maternal females lost their ability to pass required pupation factors to progeny.
Size distributions of species in fine particles in Denver using a microorifice impactor

Size-fractionated fine particles in Denver, Colorado, were collected by a microorifice impactor and analyzed for mass and elemental composition by a β-gauge and an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. A least-squares procedure was used to fit a lognormal distribution function to the data in order to determine values and uncertainties for the mass median aerodynamic diameter and geometric standard deviation. The validity of the uncertainties so determined was tested by comparing them to uncertainties derived from Monte Carlo simulations.