cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traveling ionospheric disturbances detected by UHF angle-of-arrival measurements

Abstract From January 1971 to March 1973, the Millstone Hill L-band satellite tracking radar was employed in a study of ionospheric refraction. Satellites of the Navy Navigation Series were tracked smoothly by radar (at 1295 MHz) by commanding the 84-ft diameter antenna to follow the predicted path of the satellite across the sky, and allowing any measured angular errors slowly to close out the offsets. Simultaneously, the apparent position of the satellite was sensed passively by receiving (on the same antenna) the UHF beacon signals. Ionospheric refraction manifested itself during the rising and setting portions of the path as a displacement between the UHF and L-band apparent positions. In addition, quasi-sinusoidal fluctuations in the displacement were seen at intervals along thepath that are believed to be caused by traveling ionospheric disturbances. On 40% of all passes, these waves were present with wavelengths typically in the range 30–60 km. These TIDs were seen equally frequently at all local times and seasons. They did not give rise to significant fluctuations of total electron content along the line of sight to the satellite, as measured simultaneously by a differential-Doppler experiment. This suggests that they are confined largely to the lower thermosphere and manifest themselves in tilting the lower surface of the ionosphere where the density gradients are largest. The source of these TIDs is not known and they appear to have been little studied heretofore.
Wavelets Based on Prolate Spheroidal Wave Functions

The article is concerned with a particular multiresolution analysis (MRA) composed of Paley–Wiener spaces. Their usual wavelet basis consisting of sinc functions is replaced by one based on prolate spheroidal wave functions (PSWFs) which have much better time localization than the sinc function. The new wavelets preserve the high energy concentration in both the time and frequency domain inherited from PSWFs. Since the size of the energy concentration interval of PSWFs is one of the most important parameters in some applications, we modify the wavelets at different scales to retain a constant energy concentration interval. This requires a slight modification of the dilation relations, but leads to locally positive kernels. Convergence and other related properties, such as Gibbs phenomenon, of the associated approximations are discussed. A computationally friendly sampling technique is exploited to calculate the expansion coefficients. Several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the theory.
What Have We Learned since September 11, 2001? A Network Study of the Boston Marathon Bombings Response

In light of recent disasters, it is evident that more research is needed to understand how organizations can effectively coordinate disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. This research assesses the effectiveness of interorganizational coordination and collaboration in response to the Boston Marathon bombings. After reviewing the major changes in federal emergency management policies and frameworks since September 11, 2001, this article applies a social network analysis to compare the disaster response networks embodied in formal disaster preparedness plans with the actual response networks. Data come from content analyses of the Boston Emergency Operations Plan, national and local newspaper articles, after-action reports, and situation reports. The timely response to the bombings is attributable to long-term institutionalized planning efforts; multiple platforms established for frequent interorganizational interactions through formal plans, training, and exercises prior to disasters; and an integrated communication system.
On the acquisition of a semantic system

Two investigations of the acquisition of the meaning of always and never , and always, never, usually, seldom , and sometimes , respectively, are discussed. The results demonstrate that the acquisition sequence in which the meaning of related words are acquired may vary from child to child in the beginning of the acquisition process, but become consistent in the later parts of acquisition. This type of pattern reflects the importance of the amount and type of linguistic experience for the initial attachment of meaning to words and the later importance of general cognitive and semantic factors which are not easily influenced by varying linguistic experiences.
Concept and Reality: Managing Pikes Peak Library District's Community Resource and Information System.

In 1988, Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) celebrated the twelfth anniversary of its automated community information system. This vast local resource represents over 10,000 records of local information contained in eight public databases. The last twelve years have marked a period of intensive systems' development and maintenance, and afforded little occasion for reflection. This anniversary has presented PPLD with a twofold opportunity: to analyze the status of the files within the library's service plan and to chart their future direction.
Disposition and excretion of intravenous 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin (TBDD) in rats.

Abstract Polybrominated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans are of toxicologic interest due to potential occupational and environmental exposure and because of their structural similarity to the highly toxic chlorinated analogues. The excretion and terminal tissue distribution of [ 3 H]TBDD was studied in male F344 rats for 56 days following single iv doses of .001 or 0.1 μmol/kg. The major tissue depots of radioactivity were liver, adipose tissue, and skin, and tissue distribution was dose-dependent. At 56 days, liver concentrations in the high dose group were disproportionately increased compared to those of the low dose group. Liver:adipose tissue concentration ratios were 0.2 and 2.6 at the low and high doses, respectively. Elimination of radioactivity in the feces, the major route of excretion, and urine was also nonlinear with respect to dose. By Day 56, feces accounted for approximately 50% of the administered dose at the low dose versus 70% at the high dose. Based on fecal excretion, the apparent terminal whole body half-life was estimated to be 18 days for both dose groups. The time-dependent pattern of tissue disposition was characterized at the low dose over a 56-day period. Blood levels of radioactivity declined rapidly with 2% remaining in the blood by 24 hr. Radioactivity levels in the liver peaked by 7 hr and then gradually declined concomitant with a slow accumulation in adipose tissue. The terminal excretion half-life of radioactivity in adipose tissue was estimated to be 60 days. Liver:adipose tissue concentration ratios declined with time. Thus, the overall disposition of TBDD appears similar to that observed for the chlorinated analogue, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD). The results of these studies are consistent with the hypothesis that TBDD, like TCDD, induces a binding species in the liver which accounts for higher liver:adipose tissue concentration ratios at the high dose. The dose-dependent tissue disposition and excretion kinetics of these compounds suggest important considerations for extrapolations from high to low doses.
Hormone Receptor Expression in Renal Angiomyolipoma: Clinicopathologic Correlation

Objectives Although renal angiomyolipoma (AML) occurs more commonly in females than males, the origin of this difference in incidence by sex is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the expression of the androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor subtypes alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ), progesterone receptor, and the enzyme aromatase in renal AML. Methods We evaluated specimens from 110 patients who had undergone resection of a renal AML, including 90 women and 20 men. Immunohistochemistry was performed using monoclonal antibodies on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Expression was correlated with patient demographics and tumor pathologic features. Results ERβ was expressed in 100% (106 of 106) of the AML specimens evaluated. Of the 104 specimens that could be assessed for the AR, 82 (79%) demonstrated staining. Of 110 lesions, 31 (28%), 42 (38%), and 11 (10%) expressed ERα, progesterone receptor, and aromatase, respectively. The level of ERβ expression was not associated with patient age (P = 0.92), sex (P = 0.82), a diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis (P = 0.56), or histologic subtype of AML (P = 0.94). A trend was found toward increased AR expression in men (P = 0.069) and younger patients (P = 0.052), and ERα was expressed in the AML specimens from 5 (71%) of 7 patients with tuberous sclerosis compared with 26 (25%) of 103 without tuberous sclerosis (P = 0.018). Both AR and ERα expression were more common in the triphasic subtype of AML than in the lipomatous tumors (P = 0.046 for both). Conclusions The results of our study have shown that ERβ expression is ubiquitous in renal AML, and the AR is found in most tumors. ERα and progesterone receptor were expressed in approximately one third of cases. These data suggest a potential role for hormones in the pathogenesis and management of renal AML.
Sentence processing in children with early unilateral brain injury

This study examined how children use word order and animacy cues to determine the agent of the action in an on-line sentence-comprehension task. The subject group included 15 children, 5-12 years old, with brain injury incurred prior to the age of 2 months; 12 had left hemisphere (LH) damage and 3 had right hemisphere (RH) damage. The comparison group included 141 children, 5-10 years old, who were at the appropriate grade for age. The task required children to listen to sentences composed of two noun phrases (N) that varied in terms of animacy and a verb phrase (V) and then to indicate the agent of the action. Three word orders were presented: NVN, VNN, and NNV. Measures included the proportion of trials in which the first noun was selected (choice) and reaction time. Word order and animacy significantly influenced choice. The effect of subject group approached significance for choice. Word order and age influenced reaction time. The children with LH injury and two children with RH injury showed a developmental delay in choosing the appropriate N as agent; one child with RH injury had mature responses. The overlapping performance of children with LH and RH injury suggests that delays in the development of sentence comprehension strategies are more likely related to reliance on a smaller than usual neural network rather than to congenital specialization of the LH.
Determination of methylprednisolone in central nervous tissue and plasma using normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A sensitive and specific high-performance liquid chromatographic technique is described for the quantitative measurement of the synthetic glucocorticoid methylprednisolone in central nervous tissue (spinal cord) and plasma. Following intravenous administration, methylprednisolone is extracted from spinal cord tissue with diethyl ether—methylene chloride (60:40, v/v). The extract is washed sequentially with alkali, acid and water, concentrated, then chromatographed on an NH2 column using a mobile phase of methylene chloride—isopropanol (85:15, v/v). Steroid elution is monitored with an ultraviolet detector set at 254 nm. Such a system has a detection limit of 2.8 ng methylprednisolone. Extraction of methylprednisolone from spinal cord tissue is linear with tissue concentration and the recovery is around 70%. Endogenous hydrocortisone or other metabolites in the tissue do not interfere with the methylprednisolone peak. A description of the quantitation of methylprednisolone in cat lumbar spinal cord and plasma samples after single intravenous doses of methylprednisolone sodium succinate is given.
An algebraic array shape inference system for MATLAB

The problem of inferring array shapes ahead of time in languages that exhibit both implicit and dynamic typing is a critical one because the ramifications of its solution are the better organization of array storage through compaction and reuse, and the generation of high-performance code through specialization by shape. This article addresses the problem in a prototypical implicitly and dynamically typed array language called MATLAB. The approach involves modeling the language's shape semantics using an algebraic system, and applying term rewriting techniques to evaluate expressions under this algebra. Unlike prior efforts at array shape determination, this enables the deduction of valuable shape information even when array extents are compile-time unknowns. Furthermore, unlike some previous methods, our approach doesn't impose monotonicity requirements on an operator's shape semantics. The work also describes an inference methodology and reports measurements from a type inference engine called MAGICA. In a benchmark suite of 17 programs, the shape inference subsystem in MAGICA detected the equivalence of over 61p of the symbolic shapes in six programs, and over 57p and 37p of the symbolic shapes in two others. In the remaining nine programs, all array shapes were inferred to be compile-time constants.
Analysis of series resistance of crystalline silicon solar cell with two-layer front metallization based on light-induced plating

Abstract Improving the front metallization quality of silicon solar cells should be a key to enhance cell performance. In this work, we investigated a two-layer metallization scheme involving light-induced plating (LIP) and tried to quantify its impact on the series resistance of the front grid metals and FFs on finished cells. To estimate the effect of LIP processing on a printed and fired seed layer, individual components of series resistance were measured before and after LIP processing. Among them, grid resistance and contact resistance were closely observed because of their large contribution to series resistance. To optimize the plating on the seed metal grid, the grid resistance of the two-layer metal grid structure was calculated as a function of cross section area of the plated layer. Contact resistivity of the grid before and after LIP processing was analyzed to understand the contact resistance reduction, as well. As a result, the efficiency of solar cells with 80 μm seed metal grid width increased by 0.3% absolute compared with conventional solar cells of 120 μm metal grid width. The total area of electrodes in conventional cells was 1800 mm 2 and electrodes area of LIP processed solar cells was 1400 mm 2 . The efficiency gain was due to reduction of shadowing loss from 7.7% to 6.0% without the increase of resistance due to two-layer front metallization.
Bile acid stimulation of colonic adenylate cyclase and secretion in the rabbit.

In vitro studies have suggested that the cyclic AMP system may be the mediator of bile acid-induced colonic secretion. The aims of our experiments were to quantify thein vivo effect of various doses of deoxycholic acid (DCA) on adenylate cyclase activity (AC) and net secretion in the rabbit colon. AC increased significantly (P<0.01) with each increasing concentration of DCA; at 8 mM the activity was 126±6 pmoles cAMP/mg protein/min, or 4 times the control. Phosphodiesterase activity (PDE) was affected and significantly decreased (P<0.01) only by 8 mM DCA. The volume of luminal fluid increased significantly (P<0.01) as a bicarbonate-rich solution with 4, 6, and 8 mM DCA in graded fashion. In conclusion, stimulation of a colonic mucosal cAMP system is strongly implicated as mediating DCA-induced colonic secretion.
The promising role of porous Si in mixed‐signal integrated circuit technology

A novel approach using unoxidized porous Si (UPS) as an isolation material for mixed-signal integrated circuit applications is presented. Very thick PS can be locally fabricated without severe stress problems. Relative dielectric constants of PS are adjustable from 3 to 9 by changing porosity from 78% to 24%. PS with more than 51% porosity has low loss tangent (<0.001) at 20 GHz demonstrating the superior dielectric material for RF ranges. PS trench inserted between two signal pads is shown to provide effective suppression of crosstalk through substrates. On-chip inductors built on porous Si regions have a Q max of 29 at 7 GHz and a resonant frequency that is higher than 20 GHz. Superb and controllable dielectric properties as well as mechanical integrity of porous Si have clearly demonstrated its promising role among various RF isolation materials for mixed-signal integrated circuits and system-on-chip.
Golay waveforms and adaptive estimation

An iterative range profile estimation process is derived for Golay waveforms. The Re-Iterative Super Resolution (RISR) algorithm is used in conjunction with Golay waveforms and processing for radar range-Doppler estimation. Various additional range-Doppler estimation methods that use RISR and Golay waveforms and processing are simulated for the sake of comparison. Range and Doppler sidelobes are seen in simulation to be mitigated to a significant extent by using RISR in conjunction with Golay waveforms and processing.
Determination of metronidazole in vaginal tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography using solid-phase extraction

Abstract A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination of metronidazole in vaginal tissue is reported. The method uses a Zorbax SB phenyl column with a 0.01 M aqueous monobasic potassium phosphate buffer (pH 4.0)-absolute methanol (85:15, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min and detection at 313 nm. Tinidazole was used as the internal standard. The method employed homogenization of tissue followed by solid-phase extraction. The quantitation was achieved within 30 min with sensitivity in the ng/g range. Metronidazole was linear in the 100–2000 ng/g range. The accuracy and precision were in the 1–4% range for the drug and the limit of detection was approximately 100 ng/g based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 and a 100-μl injection.
A Glass of Water Immediately Increases Gastric pH in Healthy Subjects

Onset of action of antisecretory agents is of pivotal importance for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treated “on-demand.” Aim To study the acute effect of acid-inhibiting drugs and water administration on gastric pH. Method A cross-over study was performed in 12 H. pylori (-), healthy subjects (6 men; mean age: 26 years). A single oral dose of the following agents was received with a wash-out period between each study: a glass of water (200 ml), antacid, ranitidine, omeprazole, esomeprazole, and rabeprazole. Gastric pH was recorded for 6 h after drug intake. Results Water increased gastric pH >4 in 10/12 subjects after 1 min. The time (median) needed to pH >4 was for: antacid 2 min, ranitidine 50 min, omeprazole 171 min, esomeprazole 151 min, and rabeprazole 175 min. Gastric pH >4 lasted for 3 min after water and for 12 min after antacids; it remained >4 until the end of recording in: 4/12 subjects with ranitidine, 11/12 with rabeprazole, and all with omeprazole and esomeprazole. Conclusion Water and antacid immediately increased gastric pH, while PPIs showed a delayed but prolonged effect compared to ranitidine.
Central fatigue during isometric exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

While both upper and lower motor neuron dysfunction may contribute to impaired muscle function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the precise mechanisms of muscle fatigue have not been clarified in this disease. Therefore, the central and peripheral factors in muscle fatigue were investigated during intermittent submaximal isometric ankle dorsiflexion in 7 patients with ALS and 6 healthy control subjects. Voluntary and electrically stimulated force, central and peripheral indices of muscle activation, and intramuscular energy metabolism were measured before and during exercise. At the end of exercise, only the ALS group had an increase in the “added force” in response to a stimulus train imposed during maximal voluntary contraction, indicating significant central fatigue in ALS. In support of this conclusion, patients with ALS had less intramuscular phosphocreatine depletion and less fatigue of stimulated tetanic force during exercise compared to control. Thus, due to the central failure, there was decreased muscle activation resulting in a smaller metabolic demand and less fatigue within the muscle itself. These data demonstrate a major contribution of central factors to muscle fatigue in ALS. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 909–914, 2000
Balancing Revenue and Nutrient Removals in Pinus elliottii Engelm. Stands Managed for Pinestraw and Wood Production

The forest floor is an important component for long-term forest productivity and sustainability because it plays a central role in carbon and nutrient cycling. Raking the recently senesced pine foliage off the forest floor (pinestraw raking) has become a profitable economic activity in the southeastern United States, despite its potential negative effects on long-term soil fertility. We analyzed the impact of different pinestraw raking scenarios on the profitability and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balance of slash pine (Pinus elliotti Engelm. var. elliottii) forests. To analyze the tradeoffs between economic returns and nutrient removals, we defined an index of ecological and economic efficiency: economic nutrient removal efficiency (ENRE), calculated as the amount of economic return (as defined by land expectation value) per unit of nutrient removed. Nutrient removals and economic returns were lower for forest stands that were managed less intensively for pinestraw raking (i.e., raking from age 8 until age 15) compared with stands managed intensively for pinestraw raking (i.e., raking from age 8 until rotation age). However, the former option was more efficient in terms of minimizing C and N removals per unit of economic return generated. Management practices that lead to increased site productivity can accelerate stand development and shorten the time to begin raking, increasing the ENRE of pinestraw raking. Stands managed exclusively for pinestraw production (with higher planting density and shorter rotations and wood harvest being a secondary objective) showed 5– 6 times lower ENRE than stands managed for traditional forestry, indicating much higher C and N removals for similar economic returns.
Vota por tu Futuro: Partisan Mobilization of Latino Voters in the 2000 Presidential Election

Over the past two presidential elections, the major parties have been making a push at appealing to Latinos, airing over 3000 political advertisements in Spanish in the 2000 presidential election. In this paper, we ask whether the political ads used in the 2000 election had any effect on Latino turnout. We argue that the effectiveness of ads on the likelihood of turnout depends on how targeted the ad is to Latinos and the individual’s process of acculturation. We test our hypotheses using data from the Campaign Media Analysis Group, merged with data from the 2000 National Annenberg Election Survey. We find that the effectiveness of the ads on the likelihood of turnout was mediated by the individual’s dominant language, which is taken as a proxy for the process of acculturation.
Inhibitors of NF-κB derived from thalidomide

Abstract A series of compounds originally derived from thalidomide were synthesized and evaluated. The most potent compounds in this series, 5HPP-33 and compound 20, inhibited NF-κB activation in HeLa cells. Preliminary study indicated that the mechanism of inhibition of NF-κB activation is through inhibition of its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.
An integrated graphic scheme for the display of insulin prescription and blood glucose information.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine whether use of an integrated graphic scheme for the display of insulin prescription and blood glucose information has an impact on simulated decisi...
Nitrogen Fractions in Centrifuge Preparations from Milk

Summary Concentrations of seven nitrogen fractions were determined in 11 centrifuge preparations from a sample of milk. Larger noncasein nitrogen (NCN) values when the skimmilk entered a rapidly rotating bowl suggest that casein was thus disintegrated or homogenized. Ratios of five NCN fractions to total NCN were found to differ widely, indicating that the composition of whey in a moist sediment differed from that in the corresponding liquid whey. The distribution of NCN fractions differed among the preparations studied.
Bacterial abundance and activity in hazardous waste-contaminated soil.

The Office of Technology Assessment has estimated that there may be as many as 10,000 abandoned hazardous waste disposal sites across the United States, many of which have the potential to adversely impact drinking water supplies. Of the many options available for the remediation of these sites, the use of microorganisms to degrade organic chemicals offers many advantages in terms of speed, efficiency and cost. Bioremediation has been used with success to treat soils contaminated by kerosene and other hydrocarbon products. In these studies, the indigenous soil populations of the contaminated soils were effective in removing the spilled hydrocarbons and returning the soil to productivity. The effectiveness of bioremediation for nonhydrocarbon compounds or the complex mixtures of chemicals likely to occur at abandoned hazardous waste sites has received less attention. The present study was designed to determine the activity of indigenous microbial populations at a hazardous waste site, their degree of adaptation to toxic chemicals present in the waste mixture, and their ability to degrade toxic organic compounds, using phenol as a model substrate.
Group selection revisited

Evolution Through Group Selection. By V.C. Wynne-Edwards. Blackwell Scientific:1986. Pp.386. Hbk 29.50, 58; pbk 14.95, 29.
Screw dislocation in crystals with diamond structure

Abstract The model of dislocation in a lattice recently proposed by Maradudin is modified and applied to an estimate of the strain energy of a screw dislocation in crystals with the diamond structure, in particular Si and Ge.
600 THE RELATIONSHIP OF CHILDHOOD AND ADULT BLOOD PRESSURE–30 YEARS LATER

Blood pressure (BP) was reexamined 30 years later in 529 (62.2%) of 984 normal white children. In adults, normal BP was 160/95. In children, normal was 95th %tile. In males who were normal in childhood, 61% developed borderline or elevated BP, but this occurred in only 37.3% of females. Childhood weight predicted adult hypertension (HBP) better than childhood BP. Analysis of variance identified significant HBP in both sexes if the hemoglobin (Hgb) >15 gms (p 230 mgm%. (p 230 mgm%, elevated Hgb; and in females increased quetelet index or alcohol consumption. Lower BP were noted in single individuals and those with higher education. This long term follow-up study indicates the potential contribution of childhood BP to the hypertensive status of the adult.
Types of medication errors in north carolina nursing homes: A target for quality improvement

Abstract Background: Medication errors are an important problem in nursing homes, but little is known about the types of medications involved in errors in this setting. Gaining a better understanding of the types of medications commonly involved in medication errors in nursing homes would be an important step toward quality improvement. Objectives: This study sought to describe the types of medication errors most frequently reported to a statewide repository by North Carolina nursing homes. We also examined whether nursing homes reporting an error involving a drug on the updated Beers list of medications considered potentially inappropriate for use in the elderly were likely to report a greater number of medication errors or more harmful medication errors compared with nursing homes that did not report such an error. Methods: Medication errors were defined as preventable events that had the potential to cause/lead to or actually caused/led to inappropriate medication use or patient harm. We analyzed summary reports of medication errors submitted to the State of North Carolina by licensed nursing homes for the 9-month period from January 1, 2004, to September 30, 2004, using a Web-based reporting system. Drugs commonly involved in medication errors were summarized for all nursing homes in the state. Errors involving medications on the updated Beers list also were identified. Nursing homes were profiled and compared according to the type of medication error and whether the error reached the patient and/or caused harm. Results: Among the 384 licensed nursing homes included in our analysis, 9272 medication errors were reported. The specific medication involved was documented for 5986 of these errors. The medications most commonly involved in an error were lorazepam (457 errors [8%]), warfarin (349 [6%]), insulin (332 [6%]), hydrocodone and hydrocodone combinations (233 [4%]), furosemide (173 [3%]), and the fentanyl patch (150 [3%]). The medication errors disproportionately included central nervous system agents (16%) and analgesics (11%). Medications considered potentially inappropriate in the elderly were frequently involved in the reported errors (10% of all reported errors), with the greatest number of such errors associated with lorazepam (457 [8%]), alprazolam (130 [2%]), and digoxin (74 [1%]). Nursing homes reporting potentially inappropriate drugs among their 10 most common medication errors also reported a significantly greater mean number of errors compared with nursing homes that did not report such errors (26.9 vs 17.6, respectively; P P Conclusion: Based on the experience in North Carolina, quality improvement efforts in nursing homes should focus on the medications commonly involved in errors and should continue to discourage or closely monitor the use of medications considered potentially inappropriate in the elderly.
Discrete invariant imbedding and elliptic boundary-value problems over irregular regions

The numerical solution of elliptic boundary-value problems has been the subject of a great deal of effort. At the present, the most popular methods for obtaining numerical results to these problems have been the finite difference techniques [ 11, [2]. S ince the system of linear algebraic equations arising from the finite difference approximation of a linear elliptic equation is sparse, many efficient iterative methods [3], [4] h ave been found to solve these equations. However, there are some difficulties associated with the iterative techniques which demonstrate the need for a practical direct (noniterative) technique. First, the rate of convergence of the more efficient iterative techniques such as successive overrelaxation [3] and alternating direction implicit methods [4] depends critically upon one or more parameters. The determination of optimal or near optimal parameters is a nontrivial mathematical problem since these parameters depend not only on the particular partial differential equation but also on the particular boundary values. In the nonlinear case, which is usually handled by quasilinearization [Sj, this problem is compounded since the partial differential equation changes in each qua&near iteration. Second, if the region is more general than a rectangle, the iterative techniques may either fail or have their rates of convergence decrease. The most serious problem, however, is concerned with what is meant by efficiency. In many situations, we are content with two or three place accuracy. However, we must solve the same problem with many different boundary conditions. A serious fault of the iterative techniques is that a given solution furnishes no information about other solutions. In this more general sense, the iterative techniques can be very inefficient. For these reasons, a direct method is desirable. We will show that a discrete version of invariant imbedding [6], [7] will provide such a method. We will develop the technique, first for a rectangular region. Then we will demonstrate how easily the method extends to irregular regions. Although our example will be Laplace’s equation, we will make no use of the theory of harmonic functions.
Self-grasping: a focal neurological sign.

A physical sign is described in patients with typical bilateral grasp responses, whereby one hand graps the contralateral forearm (self-grasping). Of 37 patients with strong bilateral grasp responses, unilateral self-grasping occurred in 8; of these 8 patients, 7 were hemiparetic and 5 showed extinction of double simultaneous stimulation. Two patients had bilateral self-grasping, and 27 avoided self-grasping. In contrast, only 4 of the 27 patients without self-grapsing were hemiparetic and 1 had associated sensory extinction. In 2 confused, uncooperative patients, unilateral self-grasping was the most easily demonstrable focal or asymmetrical sign. The sign indicates a contralateral frontal or parietal lobe lesion. It may be related to the inability to recognize onself.
Blood group investigations on the Carolinians and Chamorros of Saipan.

A comparison of the frequencies of blood groups, haptoglobins, and hemoglobins of Chamorros and Carolinians of Saipan showed significant differences in the Rh, MNS, P, and Kidd systems. The differences were not of sufficient magnitude to exclude the possibility that the two groups were of the same ethnic origin. Thalassemia of the β variety was detected in two Chamorros, indicating the presence of this complex in Micronesians as well as in other ethnic groups of the southwestern Pacific.
The cost of meristem limitation in Polygonum arenastrum: negative genetic correlations between fecundity and growth.

Growth and reproduction in higher plants depend on meristems, which have three developmental fates. A meristem can become reproductive, but doing so terminates its activity, it can differentiate vegetatively, or it can remain quiescent for extended periods. The first two fates are mutually exclusive, and only the second leads to the production of additional meristems for subsequent growth and reproduction. In Polygonum arenastrum (frequently referred to as P. aviculare in North American Floras), an annual species lacking quiescent meristems, a quantitative genetic analysis of inbred full-sibling families revealed genetic variation in the developmental pattern of axillary meristem commitment to vegetative growth versus reproduction. Developmental variation resulted in family differences in the age of first reproduction, in age-specific fecundity and growth, and in final plant size and reproductive output. Furthermore, there were strong negative genetic correlations between age-specific growth and fecundity. Early commitment of meristems to reproduction favors high early fecundity, but reduces the number of meristems available for vegetative differentiation, and leads to lowered growth rates and fecundity later in life, when meristems are limiting. Conversely, meristem commitment to vegetative growth early in life results in low early fecundity but high late fecundity and growth. Meristem limitation, like resource limitation, is a proximate mechanism that generates trade-offs between life history traits. Differences between meristem limitation and resource limitation are discussed. Meristem limitation leads automatically to a senescent life history because of the determinate fate of reproductive meristems. Developmental characters were also found to be genetically correlated with metamer characters (leaf size, internode length) and seed size in this selfing species. The pattern of correlation is suggestive of selection for particular suites of life history and morphological characters.
Geographic variation in minority participation in hospital management in the United States.

Minority participation in hospital management is, by all estimates, lower than almost anyone is prepared to accept. However, to date, there has been no published study of hospital management diversity using comprehensive national data. In the present study, the authors used data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to estimate more directly and comprehensively how management diversity in private U.S. hospitals varies by geographic area. Although minorities constitute over 33% of the U.S. population, they constitute only 14% of all top-level managers and officials in private U.S. hospitals. There is enormous geographic variation in this average across cities and regions. The authors found that minority management participation is systematically related to market factors, including demographic and education variables. These systematic patterns explain about 90% of the Metropolitan Statistical Area differences in minority manager percentage. However, even after adjusting observed variations ...
Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Modern Aspects of Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a devastating complication. Despite improvements in our understanding of PJI, the prevalence of this complication has not decreased in recent years, with various authors reporting rates of 1 to 2% after primary TJA and up to 7% following revision TJA. While the volume of publications, symposiums, and presentations on PJI is vast, controversy still remains regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with PJI. The purpose of this article is to provide a succinct summary of the recent literature on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a PJI after TJA.
Fetal doses to pregnant patients from CT with tube current modulation calculated using Monte Carlo simulations and realistic phantoms

To investigate the radiation dose to the fetus using retrospective tube current modulation (TCM) data selected from archived clinical records. This paper describes the calculation of fetal doses using retrospective TCM data and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Three TCM schemes were adopted for use with three pregnant patient phantoms. MC simulations were used to model CT scanners, TCM schemes and pregnant patients. Comparisons between organ doses from TCM schemes and those from non-TCM schemes show that these three TCM schemes reduced fetal doses by 14, 18 and 25 %, respectively. These organ doses were also compared with those from ImPACT calculation. It is found that the difference between the calculated fetal dose and the ImPACT reported dose is as high as 46 %. This work demonstrates methods to study organ doses from various TCM protocols and potential ways to improve the accuracy of CT dose calculation for pregnant patients.
Potential therapeutic applications of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides in modulation of splicing in primary immunodeficiency diseases

Highly complementary antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (AMOs) can bind to pre-mRNA and modulate splicing site selection. This offers a powerful tool to regulate the splicing process, such as correcting subtypes of splicing mutations and nonsense mutations and reprogramming alternative splicing processes. Therefore, AMO-mediated splicing modulation represents an attractive therapeutic strategy for genetic disorders. Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders that result from mutations in genes involved in development and maintenance of the immune system. Many of these mutations are splicing mutations and nonsense mutations that can be manipulated by AMOs. This review discusses AMO-mediated splicing modulation approaches and their potential applications in treating PIDs.
Mini M13 bacteriophage: Circular fragments of M13 DNA are replicated and packaged during normal infections

Abstract M13 filaments, 0.2–0.5 of the standard length consitituted 20% of a large stock of phages obtained after 8 passages beyond the initial single-plaque isolation. The mini particles, purified by sucrose velocity sedimentation, contain circular, single-strand DNA of 0.2–0.5 the normal length. The particles are reproduced only upon coinfection with normal M13. Infection with an equal number of mini and full-size M13 particles generated a majority of mini forms among the intracellular DNAs (duplex and single-stranded circles) and the released phage particles. Analysis of mini phage DNA by heteroduplex electron microscopy showed them to be fragments of the M13 circle containing the unique site for a restriction endonuclease and extending for a variable distance (about 0.2–0.5 unit length) in one direction from this site.
Comparative contributions of cognitive behaviour therapy strategies in the treatment of speech anxiety

The contribution of change strategies incorporated in cognitive behaviour therapy treatment packages has been inadequately investigated. The aim of this present research was to investigate, in two experiments, major components of cognitive behaviour therapy. The first treated individual strategies as separate experimental treatment interventions and ranked their effectiveness in alleviating speech anxiety. The second study evaluated treatment efficacy as a function of combining the experimental interventions. Both experiments utilized a 6-mth follow-up period. It was found that the provision of insight into the general form of maladaptive self-statements with rehearsal of non-demanding goal orientated self-statements was the most powerful strategy working towards behavioural change in both experiments. Socratic dialogue was associated with a deterioration of treatment effect observed in combined treatment conditions. The extent to which these findings support current rationales underlying the efficacy of current cognitive behaviour therapies was discussed and further investigation outlined.
A multilevel multispectral data set analysis in the visible and infrared wavelength regions

Skylab multispectral scanner data, digitized Skylab color infrared (IR) photography, digitized Skylab black and white multiband photography, and Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) multi-spectral scanner data collected within a 24-h time period over an area in south-central Indiana near Bloomington on June 9 and 10, 1973, were compared in a machine-aided land use analysis of the area. The overall classification performance results, obtained with nine land use classes, were 87-percent correct classification using the "best" 4 channels of the Skylab multispectral scanner, 80 percent for the channels on the Skylab multispectral scanner which are spectrally comparable to the ERTS multispectral scanner, 88 percent for the ERTS multispectral scanner, 83 percent for the digitized color IR photography, and 76 percent for the digitized black and white multiband photography. The results indicate that the Skylab multispectral scanner may yield even higher classification accuracies when a noise filtered multispectral scanner data set becomes available in the near future.
Patterns in the recall of persons in a religious community

Abstract This paper examines the cognitive structures people use to organize persons in memory. Members of a Christian fellowship of Taiwanese and Taiwanese-American young adults free-listed the names of fellowship members. Perceived social proximity was the primary and general associative factor in subjects' recalls of fellowship members. Persons that were recalled successively were perceived to be much closer socially than would be expected by chance. Also, there were shorter pauses between adjacently recalled pairs of persons who were socially close than for those who were socially distant. Frequency (which persons tend to be recalled) and serial order (which persons tend to be mentioned earlier or later in recall) response patterns were influenced by persons' visibility in the fellowship and perceived social proximity to a subject. The results suggest that members of a community share a common cognitive structure of community members that is based on the community's social structure.
Identification of large scale climate patterns affecting snow variability in the eastern United States

This study investigates dominant patterns of snow variability and their relationship to large-scale climate circulations over the eastern half of the United States. Two snowfall variables—total seasonal snowfall (TSF) and number of snow days (NSD)—are examined. A principal components (PC) analysis is conducted on data from 124 snowfall stations. The leading mode of variability for both TSF and NSD is driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The secondary mode of variability for TSF is driven by the Pacific/North American pattern (PNA), while the secondary mode of variability for NSD is driven by a dipole pattern and is attributable to regional influences and noise. These patterns exhibit persistence, which provides prospects for seasonal predictions of snowfall variables. This research compliments and extends the work of Serreze et al(1998), who performed a PC analysis of geopotential heights during the winter season and correlated the spatial patterns of the leading modes of variability with seasonal snowfall values. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Auto-Regressive HMM Inference with Incomplete Data for Short-Horizon Wind Forecasting

Accurate short-term wind forecasts (STWFs), with time horizons from 0.5 to 6 hours, are essential for efficient integration of wind power to the electrical power grid. Physical models based on numerical weather predictions are currently not competitive, and research on machine learning approaches is ongoing. Two major challenges confronting these efforts are missing observations and weather-regime induced dependency shifts among wind variables. In this paper we introduce approaches that address both of these challenges. We describe a new regime-aware approach to STWF that use auto-regressive hidden Markov models (AR-HMM), a subclass of conditional linear Gaussian (CLG) models. Although AR-HMMs are a natural representation for weather regimes, as with CLG models in general, exact inference is NP-hard when observations are missing (Lerner and Parr, 2001). We introduce a simple approximate inference method for AR-HMMs, which we believe has applications in other problem domains. In an empirical evaluation on publicly available wind data from two geographically distinct regions, our approach makes significantly more accurate predictions than baseline models, and uncovers meteorologically relevant regimes.
Mean-field models of structure and dispersion of polymer-nanoparticle mixtures

We review some recent research developments in coarse-grained modeling based on mean-field approaches of the equilibrium dispersion and structure of polymer nanoparticle composites. We focus on three issues: (i) dispersion and phase behavior of particles in homopolymer matrices; (ii) dispersion in mixtures of homopolymers with grafted nanoparticles; (iii) self-assembly and organization of nanoparticles in block copolymer matrices. In each of these topics, we highlight that the dispersability and the resulting structure of the nanoparticle suspension may exhibit far more complexities than one may deduce using simple miscibility criterion involving the energetic interactions between the polymer matrix and the particle. In each case, we review our own research contributions accompanied by a brief discussion of related theoretical studies and some possible future directions.
Auditory Dysfunction Among Long-Term Consequences of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

The rates of concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are increasing, and audiology is one of the many fields in which increased attention is being paid to this major public health concern....
THE EFFECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICALLY BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ON WORKER PRODUCTIVITY: A META-ANALYSIS

A meta-analysis of the effects on worker productivity of 11 types of psychologically based organizational interventions showed that such programs, on average, raised worker productivity by nearly one-half standard deviation. The strength of effects was found to vary by type of intervention, criterion of productivity, contextual factors in organizations, and features of research design. Also discussed in the paper are comparisons of conclusions reached through meta-analysis versus traditional methods of literature review.