cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anesthesia care for adult live donor hepatectomy: our experiences with 100 cases.

A total of 100 patients who underwent elective lobar donor hepatectomy from 2000 to 2002 at the University of Rochester Medical Center were reviewed. Assessed clinical data were estimated blood loss, intraoperative central venous pressure (CVP), blood product and fluid administration, perioperative arterial blood gas tension and acid-base state, metabolic status, perioperative serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, prothrombin time, albumin, and lactate, procedure duration, and perioperative complications. All patients survived surgery, and the average duration of surgery (from skin incision to skin closure) was 615 ± 99.6 minutes. Mean blood loss was 549 ± 391 mL (range, 80-2,500 mL), and only 4 patients required homologous blood transfusion. The intraoperative blood loss did not correlate with CVP values. A total of 72 patients received isotonic sodium bicarbonate solution, and their metabolic variables were superior to those of normal saline group patients (arterial pH, 7.35 ± 0.03 vs. 7.29 ± 0.07; base excess, −4.3 ± 2.4 vs. 7.3 ± 3.4; and serum bicarbonate level, 20.6 ± 2.2 vs. 18.6 ± 2.9). However, the better control of metabolic acidosis was not associated with serum lactate levels or other outcome measures. Maintaining the CVP < 5 mmHg was not associated with blood loss. Clinically significant anesthetic complications were severe metabolic acidosis, pneumothorax and respiratory insufficiency immediately following extubation in the operating room. In conclusion, placement of a thoracic epidural catheter delivering a local anesthetic in addition to intravenous (IV) patient-controlled analgesia with opiates provided safe and effective pain control in most patients. Further prospective studies should shed a light on the optimal care of patients undergoing liver donor hepatic resection. Liver Transpl 13:537–542, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.
Engineering workstation as a training tool for process control design and implementation

Abstract This paper describes the total role of a PC-based Engineering Workstation (EWS) in designing and implementing the control functions. The plant is controlled, monitored, and managed by a microprocessor-based distributed control system that interfaces with EWS. The steps and procedures of the work for design using EWS are described. EWS is also used as a personal computer, and many off-line calculations are performed. The plant for the demonstrated case is a chiller system. The role of EWS as a significant training tool for control design and implementation, which received wide acceptance and has user appeal, has been demonstrated. The main advantages of EWS have been: (1) the ability to configure and edit all control system configurations before installation is complete, (2) to have on-site permanent drawings of control logics at any time, (3) to integrate various control symbols and load them onto control modules by operator-friendly software, and (4) to monitor the process operation for diagnosis and troubleshooting as a support to the user. In the body of the paper all hardware and software of the EWS are fully described along with the control logic diagrams in drawing format and CRT displays.
Another Cinder in the Eye of the Marlboro Man

JAMA Smoking Cessation and Risk of Age-Related Cataract in Men William G. Christen, ScD; Robert J. Glynn, ScD; Umed A. Ajani, MBBS; Debra A. Schaumberg, ScD; Julie E. Buring, ScD; Charles H. Hennekens, MD; JoAnn E. Manson, MD JAMA .2000;284:713-716 Corresponding author: William G. Christen, ScD, 900 Commonwealth Ave E, Boston, MA 02215-1204. Context Although cigarette smoking has been shown to be a risk factor for age-related cataract, data are inconclusive on the risk of cataract in individuals who quit smoking. Objective To examine the association between smoking cessation and incidence of age-related cataract. Design Prospective cohort study conducted from 1982 through 1997, with an average follow-up of 13.6 years. Setting and Participants A total of 20 907 US male physicians participating in the Physicians' Health Study I who did not have a diagnosis of age-related cataract at baseline and had reported their level of smoking at baseline. Main Outcome Measures Incident age-related cataract defined as self-report confirmed by medical record review, diagnosed after study randomization and responsible for vision loss to 20/30 or worse, and surgical extraction of incident age-related cataract, in relation to smoking status and years since quitting smoking. Results At baseline, 11% were current smokers, 39% were past smokers, and 50% were never smokers. Average reported cumulative dose of smoking at baseline was approximately 2-fold greater in current than in past smokers (35.8 vs 20.5 pack-years). Two thousand seventy-four incident cases of age-related cataract and 1193 cataract extractions were confirmed during follow-up. Compared with current smokers, multivariate relative risks (RRs) of cataract in past smokers who quit smoking fewer than 10 years, 10 to fewer than 20 years, and 20 or more years before the study were 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.98), 0.73 (95% CI, 0.61-0.88), and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.63-0.87), respectively, after adjustment for other risk factors for cataract and age at smoking inception. The RR for never smokers was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.54-0.76). The reduced risk in past smokers was principally due to a lower total cumulative dose (RR of cataract for increase of 10 pack-years of smoking, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.10). A benefit of stopping smoking independent of cumulative dose was suggested in some analyses. Results for cataract extraction were similar. Conclusion These prospective data indicate that while some smoking-related damage to the lens may be reversible, smoking cessation reduces the risk of cataract primarily by limiting total dose-related damage to the lens.
Structure effects seen in the dissociation of 3.5-MeV beams of CO+2 and N2O+ in thin foils☆

Abstract We show examples of energy spectra obtained for ionic fragments that are emitted in the forward direction when 3.5-MeV beams of CO + 2 and N 2 O + dissociate in thin (≈ 150 A) carbon foils. The spectra demonstrate in a novel way the structures of the two species of incident molecular ions.
The Holocaust as a Source for Jewish-Christian Bonding

The crucible of the Holocaust distilled Judaism to its essence. The conception of sacred death which emerged included the elements of Akedah, physical suffering, love between God and man, and crucifixion. These elements were identified with sacred death by the Church Fathers during Christianity's formative martyrdom-period. But they were already present in Judaism and continued to be so into the modern era. The sacred death of the Holocaust is a source for intimate bonding between Judaism and Christianity, as proposed by Marcel Dubois, Franklin Sherman and Clemens Thoma. Nor does the bonding deplete the respective identities (for Judaism, the national suffering which redeemed the world, for Christianity the mystery of Christ's crucifixion which transfigured suffering and death into a crucible of resurrection) - as Juergen Moltman implies (according to Gregory Baum). The bonding also sets aside grounds for conversion to Christianity.
Trypanosoma congolense: isolation and purification.

Abstract Yields of Trypanosoma congolense grown in rats may be increased by placing the rats in a 37 °C environment for 1 hr prior to sacrifice. A further increase in the number of parasites recovered per rat may be achieved by replacement of blood removed by a lactated Ringer's solution with 5% glucose as the rat is being bled from the abdominal aorta. The Ringer's solution serves to maintain intravascular volume during the bleeding procedure and thereby prevents premature cardiac arrest. Erythrocytes in infected blood may be then lysed by raising and rapidly lowering the osmolarity of the blood. This permits separation of the trypanosomes from 95% of the erythrocytes by differential centrifugation. The remaining blood cell contamination may then be removed on a small DEAE-cellulose column. The purified trypanosomes are motile, infective, and intact as judged by electron microscopy. More than 10 10 purified T. congolense can be obtained from three adult rats by these methods.
Cancer pain and anxiety.

Anxiety and pain can be understood with a multidimensional framework that accounts for somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of these conditions. Patients who have cancer or treatment-related pain are more likely to be anxious than cancer patients without pain. Patients with cancer pain and anxiety cause difficult diagnostic dilemmas because some degree of anxiety is a normal response to having a severe medical illness. Furthermore, the somatic symptoms of anxiety often overlap with symptoms related to underlying disease processes or treatment effects. The degree of disruption in a patient’s life often is the critical factor in distinguishing normal from maladaptive anxiety. Making an accurate diagnosis will help guide anxiety treatment and screening instruments can facilitate the recognition of those patients in need of further assessment. The relationship between pain and anxiety is complex and bidirectional, with interactions occurring on physiologic and psychologic levels. There are a variety of psychopharmacologic, psychotherapeutic, and complementary/alternative treatments available. A comprehensive approach to care includes these approaches in an individualized way. Terminal sedation is examined as a compassionate option for relieving intractable distress at the end of life.
Rayleigh waves in a half-infinite elastic diatomic space

The paper examines propagation of plane waves over the surface of a half-infinite space whose material is elastic, and the particles include two atoms of different thermomechanical properties. After establishing the constitutive equations of the constituents, the equations of motion are solved by appeal to four quasi-potential functions. Satisfaction of the boundary conditions yields the characteristic equation of the problem which – in contrast to the conventional case and in agreement with seismological observations – indicates dispersion of the Rayleigh waves. An example involving relaxed bonds between the constituents is examined and illustrated by graphs. Die Arbeit untersucht die Ausbreitung elastischer Wellen uber die Oberflache eines Halbraumes, dessen Material elastisch ist und dessen Teilchen zwei Atome verschiedener thermomechanischer Eigenschaften enthalten. Nach Aufstellung der Materialgleichungen der Bestandteile werden die Bewegungsgleichungen mit Hilfe der vier Quasi-Potentialfunktionen gelost.Die Erfullung der Randbedingungen ergibt die charakteristische Gleichung des Problems, welche – im Gegensatz zum konventionellen Fall und in Ubereinstimmung mit seismologischen Beobachtungen – auf die Dispersion der Rayleighwellen hindeutet. Ein Beispiel mit gelockerten Bindungen zwischen den Bestandteilen wird untersucht und graphisch illustriert.
Mixed-function oxygenase activity and benzo[a]pyrene metabolism in the barnacle Balanus eburneus (Crustacea: Cirripedia)

Abstract 1. Microsomal cytochrone P -450-dependent mixed-function oxygenases were observed in digestive gland, intestine, cirri and gonad of the cirriped crustacean (barnacle) Balanus eburneus . 2. Levels of the microsomal electron transport components cytochrome P -450, cytochrome b 5 , NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and NADH-cytochrome c reductase in B. eburneus were lower than found in vertebrate liver, but like those seen in some decapod crustaceans. 3. The levels of benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase activity were maximal at pH 7.5 and at temperatures between 15 and 30°C. Maximal activities ranged between 2 and 43 pmol 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene min/mg microsomal protein as measured with a fluorescence assay. Activities were higher in summer than in winter. 4. Substrate saturation curves obtained for benzo[a]pyrene were hyperbolic, with none of the complexity seen in vertebrates. The K m S for benzo[a]pyrene metabolism in digestive gland and intestine were 6–7 × 10 −7 M. 5. Compounds eluting with 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene in HPLC analyses constituted almost 60% of metabolites formed by barnacle digestive gland microsomes. 9-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene, 7,8-dihydrodiol and 9,10-dihydrodiol were formed more slowly. 6. Benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase activity in tissue microsomes from untreated animals was inhibited more than 50% by 10 −4 M 7,8-benzoflavone. 7. Cytochromes P -450 in barnacles might be functionally related to the status of hormones regulating development and reproduction.
Purification and characterization of human prostatic acid phosphatase.

Human prostatic acid phosphatase (orthophosphoric monoester phosphohydrase, EC 3.1.3.2) is purified to homogeneity by standard procedures which include CM-Sephadex, Con A affinity chromatography and gel filtration. The purified enzyme is antigenically specific and has a M.W. of 100,000 with subunit M.W. of 48,000. However, the enzyme exhibited charge heterogeneity. Two major electrophoretic or chromatographic isozymic forms of PAP were separated by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography and their immunochemical identity was studied by immunodiffusion before and after the neuraminidase digestion. Quantitative precipitin and inhibition experiments showed immunological identity of the two chromatographic isozymes. Immunologic specificity of this enzyme resides on the protein moiety rather than the carbohydrate residue, although the latter group is mostly responsible for the charge group heterogeneity of the enzyme.
Hospitalization for mental illness in adolescents: Risk groups and impact on the health care system

Abstract Purpose: To determine the extent and cost of hospitalizations for mental illness among adolescents and to identify differences in acute care hospital use by gender and between racial/ethnic groups. Methods: Analysis of discharge data for adolescents, 10 to 19 years of age ( n = 27,595), with a principal diagnosis of mental illness from acute care hospitals in California in 1994. Relative risks (RRs) were calculated by race/ethnicity and gender and stratified by race/ethnicity and payment source. Results: Mental illness accounted for 14.8% of hospitalizations in this age group; the mean length of stay was 10.9 days. Total charges exceeded $300 million. Overall, adolescent boys had a slightly lower risk of hospitalization for mental illness than did adolescent girls (RR = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.87, 0.92) but a higher risk for certain diagnoses. Overall, nonwhite adolescents had a lower risk of hospitalization for mental illness than did white adolescents: African-Americans (RR = 0.77, 95% CI=0.74, 0.81), Latinos (RR = 0.32, 95% CI=0.31, 0.33), and Asians/others (RR = 0.27, 95% CI=0.26, 0.29). These differences remained significant after stratification by payment source. Conclusions: The risk of hospitalization for mental illness among adolescents varies by specific mental illness and by race/ethnicity. In light of the significant human and financial costs associated with hospitalization for mental illness, further research into the determinants of illness and the options for care is warranted.
Interphase model for retention and selectivity in micellar electrokinetic chromatography

The fundamental properties of micelles are reviewed to arrive at a working definition of a micellar solvent for micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). Emphasis is placed on the dynamic nature of micelles, the influence of the external electrolyte environment on micelle properties, and factors that influence solubility of neutral solutes in micelles. The solvation parameter model is used to characterize the capacity of common surfactants for defined intermolecular interactions as a basis for understanding selectivity in MEKC. The need for additional surfactants and their required solvation properties to provide a wider selectivity range for methods development is identified. As an approach to understanding the mechanism of retention in MEKC an interphase model is proposed.
A simple multiple variance ratio test

Abstract Empirical applications of the variance ratio (VR) test frequently employ multiple VR estimates to examine the random walk hypothesis against stationary alternatives. Failing to control the joint test size for these estimates results in very large Type I errors. This manuscript extends the Lo and MacKinlay (1988) methodology and provides a simple modification for testing multiple variance ratios. Monte Carlo results indicate that the size of our test is close to its nominal size and that it is as reliable as the Dickey-Fuller (D-F) and the Phillips-Perron (P-P) unit root tests. For a stationary AR(1) alternative, our test is comparable to both the D-F and the P-P tests and seems to be more powerful than these tests against two unit root alternatives, an ARIMA(1,1,1) and an ARIMA(1,1,0).
A new metabolic product of L-homocitrulline.

Abstract The appearance of an unidentified compound in rat urine following intraperitoneal injections of l -[ureido-14C]homocitrulline indicated that a previously unreported metabolite was being produced. Under acidic conditions the unknown was converted to a second compound. An apparently identical metabolite of homocitrulline was produced by treating this amino acid with l -amino acid oxidase.
The Effect of Driving Environments on Simulator Sickness

In order to be an effective tool for driver evaluation and education, driving simulators need to be better designed to reduce simulator sickness. This study investigated driving in four environment...
Increased small conductance calcium-activated potassium type 2 channel-mediated negative feedback on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors impairs synaptic plasticity following context-dependent sensitization to morphine.

Background Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is impaired following repeated morphine administration paired with a novel context. This procedure produces locomotor sensitization that can be abolished by blocking calcium (Ca 2+ )-permeable alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptors (AMPARs) in the hippocampus. However, the mechanisms underlying LTP impairment remain unclear. Here, we investigate the role of N -methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), AMPARs, and small conductance Ca 2+ -activated potassium type 2 (SK2) channels in LTP induction after context-dependent sensitization to morphine. Methods Mice were treated with saline or escalating doses of morphine (5, 8, 10, and 15 mg/kg) every 12 hours in a locomotor activity chamber and a challenge dose of 5 mg/kg morphine was given 1 week later. After the challenge, the hippocampi were removed to assay phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity, NMDAR, and SK2 channel synaptic expression or to perform electrophysiological recordings. Results Impaired hippocampal LTP, which accompanied morphine-induced context-dependent sensitization, could not be restored by blocking Ca 2+ -permeable AMPARs. Context-dependent sensitization to morphine altered hippocampal NMDAR subunit composition and enhanced the SK2 channel-mediated negative feedback on NMDAR. Increased PP2A activity observed following context-dependent sensitization suggests that the potentiated SK2 channel effect on NMDAR was mediated by increased SK2 sensitivity to Ca 2+ . Finally, inhibition of SK2 channel or PP2A activity restored LTP. Conclusions Our studies demonstrate that the SK2 channel-NMDAR feedback loop plays a role in opiate-induced impairment of hippocampal plasticity and that the positive modulation of SK2 channels occurs via increases in PP2A activity. This provides further evidence that small conductance Ca 2+ -activated potassium channels play a role in drug-induced plasticity.
Assessing goodness‐of‐fit of categorical regression models based on case‐control data

Summary Demonstrated equivalence between a categorical regression model based on case-control data and an I-sample semiparametric selection bias model leads to a new goodness-of-fit test. The proposed test statistic is an extension of an existing Kolmogorov–Smirnov-type statistic and is the weighted average of the absolute differences between two estimated distribution functions in each response category. The paper establishes an optimal property for the maximum semiparametric likelihood estimator of the parameters in the I-sample semiparametric selection bias model. It also presents a bootstrap procedure, some simulation results and an analysis of two real datasets.
Identification of adatoms on metal surfaces by STM : experiment and theory

Abstract The possibility of identifying the chemical nature of atomic adsorbates (C, N, O, F and S) on metal surfaces has been explored both theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that, although the tip and the surface may markedly influence the appearance of adatoms in STM images, atomic size and electronegativity are the dominant factors that determine the contrast. In this work, low-temperature (
Reliability Characteristics of a Markov System With a Mission of Random Duration

Realistic reliabilitiy measures are developed for s-coherent systems whose behavior can be modeled as a continuous-time Markov chain, and which terminate their useful life in some finite but random amount of time. An example is included to illustrate the use of the closed form expressions that are derived for these measures.
Genomic mutation consequence calculator

Summary: The genomic mutation consequence calculator (GMCC) is a tool that will reliably and quickly calculate the consequence of arbitrary genomic mutations. GMCC also reports supporting annotations for the specified genomic region. The particular strength of the GMCC is it works in genomic space, not simply in spliced transcript space as some similar tools do. Within gene features, GMCC can report on the effects on splice site, UTR and coding regions in all isoforms affected by the mutation. A considerable number of genomic annotations are also reported, including: genomic conservation score, known SNPs, COSMIC mutations, disease associations and others. The manual interface also offers link outs to various external databases and resources. In batch mode, GMCC returns a csv file which can easily be parsed by the end user. Audience: GMCC is intended to support the many tumor resequencing efforts, but can be useful to any study investigating genomic mutations. Availability: GMCC is freely available via a web portal with a manual mode and a batch query mode. It may be found at this URL: http://cbio.mskcc.org/gmcc Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: A FAQ and examples can be found at the URL above.
Influence of magnetic properties of shields on recording head instability parameters

We report on the origin and the influence of small variations in magnetic properties of magnetically soft Sendust films, used as a bottom shield in magnetoresistive heads, on instability parameters probed by quasi-static measurements. A strong correlation of the shield's magnetic characteristics with the average wafer asymmetry range is found. The variations in magnetic properties are directly connected with local anisotropy effects as revealed by Kerr microscopy. A direct correlation of the domain structures at the shield's surface with microstructure of the film is found. The magnetic domains display a change of magnetics with film growth. The deviations of magnetic properties are due to small structural Sendust changes.
Children's and parents' daily stressful events and psychological symptoms

Associations of children's daily stressful events and their parents' daily hassles and psychological symptoms with children's emotional/behavioral problems were examined in a sample of fourth- and fifth-grade children and their parents. Correlational analyses indicated that children's self-reports of depressive symptoms were associated with children's daily stressors and mothers' daily hassles, and children's selfreports of anxiety symptoms were associated with children's daily stressors and both mothers' and fathers' daily hassles. Mothers' and fathers' reports of their children's internalizing emotional/behavioral problems were correlated with mothers' and fathers' daily stressors and symptoms. Hierarchical multiple-regression analyses revealed that (a) children's self-reports of depressive symptoms were associated with children's daily stressors, (b) children's self-reports of anxiety symptoms were associated with their parents' daily hassles, (c) mothers' reports of their children's internalizing emotional/behavioral problems were marginally associated with parents' symptoms, and (d) fathers' reports of their children's internalizing emotional/behavioral problems were associated with parents' symptoms and children's self-reports of daily stressors.
Oncolytic viruses as novel anticancer agents: turning one scourge against another.

Although the use of viruses as oncolytic agents is an historic concept, the use of genetically modified viruses to selectively target tumour cells is relatively novel and recent. The ability of viruses to efficiently infect and lyse cells, combined with the potential augmentation of this effect by progeny viruses throughout the tumour provide justification for exploitation of these agents in cancer therapy. Before application to humans, though, issues related to tumour cell selectivity, lack of toxicity to normal tissues and the effect of the antiviral immune response, will have to be clarified. The more commonly used oncolytic viruses are based on mutant strains of herpes simplex virus, adenovirus and reovirus. The tumour selectivity of each of these strains is discussed, particularly the complementation of the viral defect by cellular pathways involved in tumourigenesis. The combination of oncolytic viruses with radiation, chemotherapy and gene therapy is also reviewed. Further study of the interaction ...
Clinical evaluation of a root canal cement that contains paraformaldehyde

The clinical evaluation of a Formalin-containing root canal cement is presented. The effectiveness of a Formalin-containing root canal cernent in endodontic treatment is evaluated. A total of 76 teeth from 73 patients was used in a series of root canal treatments in which it was impossible to fill the canal to the apex; results of treatment were compared with the results in teeth with conventionally filled canals. The evaluation of the results shows Formalin-containing cements to have a useful place in endodontic therapy.
Organizational Determinants of Resident Satisfaction With Assisted Living

This article examines the relationship of organizational factors to resident satisfaction with assisted living, while controlling for resident characteristics. Data were collected in interviews with 156 residents in 13 assisted living facilities. Results indicate that more satisfied residents are also happier, more functionally independent, more involved in their housing decision, and less educated. When controlling for resident characteristics, higher levels of resident satisfaction are associated with smaller facility size, a moderate level of physical amenities, greater availability of personal space, fewer sociorecreational activities, and nonprofit ownership. These findings might be helpful in structuring a resident-centered regulatory approach to assisted living.
GENERATING FIBER LENGTH DISTRIBUTION FROM THE FIBROGRAM

Theoretical fibrograms were generated from fiber length distributions, and new fiber length distributions were then generated from these theoretical fibrograms for two, three, four, five, and six significant digits using differential and algorithm methods. A minimum of four significant digits of fibrogram data appears to be generally required to generate fiber length distributions for short, medium, and long varieties of measured fibers to closely simulate actual fiber length distributions using either the differential or algorithm method. The algorithm method takes fewer steps to generate a fiber length distribution than the differential method.
Selective antimicrobial action is provided by phenol-soluble modulins derived from Staphylococcus epidermidis, a normal resident of the skin.

Antimicrobial peptides serve as a first line of innate immune defense against invading organisms such as bacteria and viruses. In this study, we hypothesized that peptides produced by a normal microbial resident of human skin, Staphylococcus epidermidis, might also act as an antimicrobial shield and contribute to normal defense at the epidermal interface. We show by circular dichroism and tryptophan spectroscopy that phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) γ and δ produced by S. epidermidis have an α-helical character and a strong lipid membrane interaction similar to mammalian AMPs such as LL-37. Both PSMs directly induced lipid vesicle leakage and exerted selective antimicrobial action against skin pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. PSMs functionally cooperated with each other and LL-37 to enhance antimicrobial action. Moreover, PSMs reduced Group A Streptococcus (GAS) but not the survival of S. epidermidis on mouse skin. Thus, these data suggest that the production of PSMγ and PSMδ by S. epidermidis can benefit cutaneous immune defense by selectively inhibiting the survival of skin pathogens while maintaining the normal skin microbiome.
Modeling the anneal of radiation-induced trapped holes in a varying thermal environment

The anneal of radiation-induced trapped holes in MOS transistors is found to be thermally activated. A quantitative, physical model based on thermal emission and tunneling is developed. It accurately predicts the anneal of radiation-induced trapped holes in constant or time-varying thermal environments. Data are presented which quantitatively verify the accuracy of the model for temperatures between 25 and 160 degrees C. This model provides the basis for developing accurate quantitative screens for the rebound failure mechanism. >
MANTICORE: Masking All Network Traffic via IP Concealment with OpenVPN Relaying to EC2

Malware and computer forensic researchers often communicate with malicious servers, either directly or indirectly, through the web browser or other ports utilized by malicious software. Communication with this form of adversary can sometimes necessitate the use of a proxy server in order to conceal the true origin of the researcher's traffic. Open source projects such as OpenVPN currently offer a structured method for establishing software based virtual private networks (VPNs) between arbitrary clients and servers. Likewise, paradigms exist which allow a user to proxy traffic from one end of a VPN to another, effectively masking the origin of traffic being sent to and from the client system. In this paper, we present MANTICORE -- a system that combines ideas from VPN with the instancing functionality of a cloud computing system in order to dynamically mask and reassign the apparent IP address of a researcher's system. We also present experimental evaluation of our system on Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).
Harvesting relational tables from lists on the web

A large number of web pages contain data structured in the form of "lists". Many such lists can be further split into multi-column tables, which can then be used in more semantically meaningful tasks. However, harvesting relational tables from such lists can be a challenging task. The lists are manually generated and hence need not have well defined templates -- they have inconsistent delimiters (if any) and often have missing information.We propose a novel technique for extracting tables from lists. The technique is domain-independent and operates in a fully unsupervised manner. We first use multiple sources of information to split individual lines into multiple fields, and then compare the splits across multiple lines to identify and fix incorrect splits and bad alignments. In particular, we exploit a corpus of HTML tables, also extracted from the Web, to identify likely fields and good alignments. For each extracted table, we compute an extraction score that reflects our confidence in the table's quality.We conducted an extensive experimental study using both real web lists and lists derived from tables on the Web. The experiments demonstrate the ability of our technique to extract tables with high accuracy. In addition, we applied our technique on a large sample of about 100,000 lists crawled from the Web. The analysis of the extracted tables have led us to believe that there are likely to be tens of millions of useful and query-able relational tables extractable from lists on the Web.
Notes on the status of Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii in the Northern Line Islands, Kiribati

Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii has a precarious status reflected by its disjunct distribution in the Pacific, with surviving populations in the Northern Line (Kiribati) and Austral Islands (French Polynesia) some 3,000 km apart, possibly as a result of Polynesian trade in red feathers. The species is extinct in the southern Cook Islands. On Rimatara (Austral Islands), where it is believed indigenous, it is still common but the recent introduction of the Rattus norvegicus is of concern. In the Northern Line Islands, R. rattus appears to have all but extirpated the lorikeet on Tabuaeran (Fanning Island), but one small population has apparently survived for over 70 years, an explanation for which may guide in situ conservation of Vini lorikeets on ship-rat-infested islands elsewhere. The arid and unpredictable climate of Kiritimati (Christmas Island) may preclude the establishment of lorikeets. Only on Teraina (Washington Island), where over 1,000 V. kuhlii survive, are there no confirmed threats and good in situ conservation potential.
Mapping Hierarchical Multiple File VHDL Kernels onto an SRC-7 High Performance Reconfigurable Computer

The increasing computational requirements of today's software systems have led researchers to investigate ways of accelerating military and scientific computing applications. Contemporary field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are now equipped with multimillion gate logic fabrics, faster clock rates, reasonably large on-chip memory, and fast I/O resources for off-chip communication. The use of FPGAs as reconfigurable computational units complementing a fixed computational device such as a general-purpose processor (GPP) is the basic idea behind what are known as high performance reconfigurable computers (HPRCs). These exciting architectures allow development of reconfigurable processors that target the computationally intensive parts of a given application. Ideally, one should use a high-level language (HLL) rather than a hardware description language (HDL) to implement HPRC-based applications. However, in order to accelerate some applications, an HDL must be used to design computational kernels. The HPRC used in the joint research project between the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center {DoD Supercomputing} Resource Center (ERDC DSRC) and Jackson State University (JSU) employs the SRC Computers' Carte development environment. Carte allows application development using a conventional HLL, an HLL-to-HDL compiler, and custom-built VHDL-based kernels ("user macros" in SRC parlance). Currently, the off-the-shelf Carte mechanism for incorporating user macros does not directly support the common case of a multiple file VHDL hierarchy. This research explores a novel approach that allows multiple file VHDL kernels to be mapped onto the SRC-7 HPRC. The approach facilitates the development of FPGA-based elements via a hybrid technique that uses the Carte HLL-to-HDL compiler in conjunction with multiple file VHDL-based user macros. This paper describes the use of this novel approach to map a parameterized, parallelized, and pipelined FPGA-based sparse matrix vector multiply kernel onto an SRC-7 HPRC. The HPRC-based version runs nearly four times faster than the software-only version.
Assessing spiritual growth and spiritual decline following a diagnosis of cancer: reliability and validity of the spiritual transformation scale

This study assessed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of an instrument designed to assess spiritual transformations following a diagnosis of cancer-the Spiritual Transformation Scale (STS). The instrument was administering to 253 people diagnosed with cancer within the previous 2 years. Two underlying factors emerged (spiritual growth (SG) and spiritual decline (SD)) with adequate internal reliability (alpha = 0.98 and 0.86, respectively) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.85 and 0.73, respectively). Validity was supported by correlations between SG and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) Positive Affect Subscale (r = 0.23, p < 0.001), the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r = 0.57, p < 0.001), and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). SD was associated with higher scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (r = 0.38, p < 0.001) and PANAS-Negative Affect Subscale (r = 0.40, p < 0.001), and lower scores on the PANAS-Positive Affect Subscale (r = -0.23, p < 0.001), and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r = -0.30, p < 0.001). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the subscales uniquely predicted adjustment beyond related constructs (intrinsic religiousness, spiritual coping, and general post-traumatic growth). The results indicate that the STS is psychometrically sound, with SG predicting better, and SD predicting poorer, mental and spiritual well-being following a diagnosis of cancer.
Stakeholder engagement analysis - a bioethics dilemma in patient-targeted intervention: patients with temporomandibular joint disorders

Modern health care in the field of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing is grounded in fundamental philosophy and epistemology of translational science. Recently in the U.S major national initiatives have been implemented in the hope of closing the gaps that sometimes exist between the two fundamental components of translational science, the translational research and translational effectiveness. Subsequent to these initiatives, many improvements have been made; however, important bioethical issues and limitations do still exist that need to be addressed. One such issue is the stakeholder engagement and its assessment and validation. Federal, state and local organizations such as PCORI and AHRQ concur that the key to a better understanding of the relationship between translational research and translational effectiveness is the assessment of the extent to which stakeholders are actively engaged in the translational process of healthcare. The stakeholder engagement analysis identifies who the stakeholders are, maps their contribution and involvement, evaluates their priorities and opinions, and accesses their current knowledge base. This analysis however requires conceptualization and validation from the bioethics standpoint. Here, we examine the bioethical dilemma of stakeholder engagement analysis in the context of the person-environment fit (PE-fit) theoretical model. This model is an approach to quantifying stakeholder engagement analysis for the design of patient-targeted interventions. In our previous studies of Alzheimer patients, we have developed, validated and used a simple instrument based on the PE-fit model that can be adapted and utilized in a much less studied pathology as a clinical model that has a wide range of symptoms and manifestations, the temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the jaw joint endowed with sensory and motor innervations that project from within the central nervous system and its dysfunction can be manifested systemically in forms of movement disorders, and related pathological symptomatologies. Currently, there is limited reliable evidence available to fully understand the complexity of the various domains of translational effectiveness, particularly in the context of stakeholder engagement and its assessment, validation as well as the bioethical implications as they pertain to evidence-based, effectivness-focused and patient-centered care.
A Comparison of Vancomycin and Metronidazole for the Treatment of Clostridium difficile–Associated Diarrhea, Stratified by Disease Severity

Background. The incidence and severity of Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been increasing, and there have been recent reports of metronidazole treatment failure. Metronidazole is still commonly used as first-line treatment for CDAD but has never been compared with vancomycin in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. We conducted such a trial, stratifying patients according to disease severity, to investigate whether one agent was superior for treating either mild or severe disease. Methods. From October 1994 through June 2002, patients with CDAD were stratified according to whether they had mild or severe disease based on clinical criteria and were randomly assigned to receive oral metronidazole (250 mg 4 times per day) or oral vancomycin (125 mg 4 times per day) for 10 days. Both groups received an oral placebo in addition to the study drug. Patients were followed up for 21 days to assess cure, treatment failure, relapse, or intolerance. Results. One hundred seventy-two patients were enrolled, and 150 of these patients successfully completed the trial. Among the patients with mild CDAD, treatment with metronidazole or vancomycin resulted in clinical cure in 90% and 98% of the patients, respectively ( P p .36). Among the patients with severe CDAD, treatment with metronidazole or vancomycin resulted in clinical cure in 76% and 97% of the patients, respectively (P p .02). Clinical symptoms recurred in 15% of the patients treated with metronidazole and 14% of those treated with vancomycin. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that metronidazole and vancomycin are equally effective for the treatment of mild CDAD, but vancomycin is superior for treating patients with severe CDAD.
Scale Effect on Principal Component Analysis for Vector Random Functions

Principal component analysis (PCA) is commonly applied without looking at the ‘‘spatial support’’ (size and shape, of the samples and the field), and the cross-covariance structure of the explored attributes. This paper shows that PCA can depend on such spatial features. If the spatial random functions for attributes correspond to largely dissimilar variograms and crossvariograms, the scale effect will increase as well. On the other hand, under conditions of proportional shape of the variograms and cross-variograms (i.e., intrinsic coregionalization), no scale effect may occur. The theoretical analysis leads to eigenvalue and eigenvector functions of the size of the domain and sample supports. We termed this analysis ‘‘growing scale PCA,’’ where spatial (or time) scale refers to the size and shape of the domain and samples. An example of silt, sand, and clay attributes for a second-order stationary vector random function shows the correlation matrix asymptotically approaches constants at two or three times the largest range of the spherical variogram used in the nested model. This is contrary to the common belief that the correlation structure between attributes become constant at the range value. Results of growing scale PCA illustrate the rotation of the orthogonal space of the eigenvectors as the size of the domain grows. PCA results are strongly controlled by the multivariate matrix variogram model. This approach is useful for exploratory data analysis of spatially autocorrelated vector random functions.
A QoS-Aware Underwater Optimization Framework for Inter-Vehicle Communication using Acoustic Directional Transducers

Underwater acoustic communications consume a significant amount of energy due to the high transmission power (10-50 W) and long data packet transmission times (0.1-1 s). Mobile Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) can conserve energy by waiting for the `best' network topology configuration, e.g., a favorable alignment, before starting to communicate. Due to the frequency-selective underwater acoustic ambient noise and high medium power absorption — which increases exponentially with distance — a shorter distance between AUVs translates into a lower transmission loss and a higher available bandwidth. By leveraging the predictability of AUV trajectories, a novel solution is proposed that optimizes communications by delaying packet transmissions in order to wait for a favorable network topology (thus trading end-to-end delay for energy and/or throughput). In addition, the solution proposed — which is implemented and compared with geographic routing solutions and delay-tolerant networking solutions using an emulator that integrates underwater acoustic WHOI Micro-Modems — exploits the frequency-dependent radiation pattern of underwater acoustic transducers to reduce communication energy consumption by adjusting the transducer directivity on the fly.
Hypothesis or Abduction: The Originative Phase of Reasoning

We have already seen that Peirce, in his early “Faculties” essays, refers to cognitive processes of all types as “inferences.” (Cf. 5.237) The point of these essays is to deny that there is any such thing as an immediate intuition of any kind, and the word “inference,” or, better yet, “synthesis,” represents well his alternative view that all cognitive processes are movements of the mind from one thing to another. He compares thought to music in that its essence involves movement and that it has a natural end, i.e., belief and habit (both habits of action and habits of thought). For Peirce, there are three kinds of reasoning processes: deduction, induction, and abduction. Some of his greatest insights are found in his understanding of these modes of thought, and much of his philosophy is implicit in his explication of them. There are, however, certain very important clarifications and perhaps even improvements which can be made over the way Peirce sees the matter.
A STEFFENSEN TYPE INEQUALITY

Steffensen's inequality deals with the comparison between integrals over a whole interval (a,b) and integrals over a subset of (a,b). In this paper we prove an inequality which is similar to Steffensen's inequality. The most general form of this inequality deals with integrals over a measure space. We also consider the discrete case.
Disparities in Access to Easy-to-Use Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Objectives Families, clinicians and policymakers desire improved delivery of health and related services for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). We analyzed factors associated with ease of use in obtaining such services. We also explored what were specific difficulties or delays in receiving services. By examining data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN 2009–2010) and using the revised criteria for “ease of use,” we were able to assess the percentage of parents who reported that their experiences seeking services for their children met those criteria. Methods We performed Chi square tests to examine associations between the independent variables and their relationship to the difficulties or delays assessed in the survey; including: eligibility, availability of services, waiting lists, cost, and access to information. We used logistic regression to determine the association of meeting the “ease of use” criteria with socio-demographic, complexity of need, and access variables. Results Overall, a third of families of CSHCN (35.3 %) encounter difficulties, delays, or frustrations in obtaining health and related services. The lack of access to health and community services in this study fell most heavily on children from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds, those in poverty, and those with complex emotional/behavioral or developmental needs and functional limitations. Conclusions for Practice CSHCN require services from a broad array of providers across multiple systems. Unfortunately, there are certain difficulties that hamper the accessibility of these systems. These findings underscore the need for both practice-level response and systems-level reform to ensure equitable distribution of health and community resources.