cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A dynamic programming inspired outlier rejection algorithm for image mosaicing problem

Image mosaicing is a challenging problem when there is one (or more) corrupt image(s) in the input sequence. Since the transformation of later images rely on the previous transformation calculations, one miscalculation error caused by the corrupt image propagates to other image transformations, which fails the whole process. It is not a trivial task to detect and remove these corrupt images, which we call “outliers”. In this paper, we propose a dynamic programming inspired outlier rejection algorithm to identify and remove the corrupt image(s) from the sequence. Our approach stores the previously calculated transformation matrices in a 2D array and determines the validity of composite transformations based on a decision criterion. This criterion identifies the transformations coming from corrupt images by comparing the direct registration of images and the composite transformations from existing matrices in the array. We have performed experiments on both synthetic and real datasets. Visual and numerical results show that the proposed algorithm is an efficient tool for detecting and rejecting the outlier image from the mosaic image.
ItAS Not the Thought that Counts: A Field Experiment on Gift Exchange and Giving at a Public University

One of the most important outstanding questions in fundraising is whether donor premiums, or gifts to prospective donors, are effective in increasing donations. Donors may be motivated by reciprocity, making premium recipients more likely to donate and give larger donations. Or donors may dislike premiums, preferring instead to maximize the value of their donations to the charity; in this case donor premiums would be ineffective. We conduct a field experiment in conjunction with the fundraising campaign of a major university to examine these questions. Treatments include a control, an unconditional premium with two gift quality levels, and a set of conditional premium treatments. The conditional treatments include opt-out and opt-in conditions to test whether donors prefer to forego premiums. Compared with the control, donors are twice as likely to give when they receive an unconditional, high-quality gift. The low-quality unconditional and all conditional premiums have little impact on the likelihood or level of giving. Donors do not respond negatively to premiums: rates of giving do not suffer when premiums are offered. In addition, few opt out given the opportunity to do so, indicating that they like gifts, and suggesting that reciprocity rather than altruism determines the impact of premiums on giving.Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
From Cataloguing and Back Again: A Librarian’s Tale

This article details the experience of working multiple departments within one library. A key difference between departments of Circulation and Technical services is the demand of emotional labor. ...
Comprehensive Comparison of Dysphagia Predominant Eosinophilic Esophagitis: With and Without Food Impaction

We describe 101 EoE patients with dysphagia, with food impaction (EoE-FI) and without food impaction (EoE-NoFI). Compare clinical features, endoscopy, histology and 10 additional histological features (AHF), and outcomes. Clinical features, dysphagia score, and endoscopic findings were captured. Eosinophils and 10 AHF at diagnosis and follow-up were done. Two hundred seven patients were seen with EoE, 101 patients with dysphagia enrolled; Follow period was; EoE-FI, and 71 EoE-NoFI and mean ages of 10.9 and 10.4 years, respectively (p = 0.27). Clinical features, EGD, and biopsies were almost similar in both groups. EoE-FI, 1.7 years (mean), range 1/12–8 years, and EoE-NoFI, 1.1 years (1/12–7 years). Dysphagia score improved from 3 to 1.25 in EoE-FI and 1.21 to 0.71 in EoE-NoFI (p < 0.001). Composite score improved from 3.3 to 1.45 and 2.49 to 1.48 (p < 0.001) in EoE-FI and EoE-NoFI; 15/30 (EoE-FI) and 45/71(EoE-NoFI) patients had repeat EGD. Peak eosinophils in EoE-FI improved from 60 to 27 (p = 0.03), and in EoE-NoFI from 47.6 to 33 (p = 0.001). Mean eosinophils in EoE-FI improved from 42 to 27.5 (p = 0.03), and EoE-NoFI from 39.3 to 22.1(p < 0.001). Comparison of the 10 AHF at diagnosis and follow-up showed minimal numerical (%) differences, and none were significant. During follow-up, none had recurrence or occurrence of FI in both groups. There were no significant differences in the clinical features and outcomes of dysphagia in EoE-FI and EoE-NoFI groups. Endoscopy including strictures and histologic findings of eosinophils and the 10 AHF were similar in both groups at diagnosis and follow-up.
Effects of Cranberry Juice Supplementation on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Emerging cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including central vascular function and HDL efflux, may be modifiable with food-based interventions such as cranberry juice. A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted in middle-aged adults with overweight/obesity (n = 40; mean BMI: 28.7 ± 0.8 kg/m2; mean age: 47 ± 2 years) and elevated brachial blood pressure (mean systolic/diastolic BP: 124 ± 2/81 ± 1 mm Hg). Study participants consumed 500 mL/d of cranberry juice (~16 fl oz; 27% cranberry juice) or a matched placebo juice in a randomized order (8-week supplementation periods; 8-week compliance break), with blood samples and vascular measurements obtained at study entry and following each supplementation period. There was no significant treatment effect of cranberry juice supplementation on the primary endpoint of central systolic blood pressure or central or brachial diastolic pressure. Cranberry juice significantly reduced 24-h diastolic ambulatory BP by ~2 mm Hg compared to the placebo (p = 0.05) during daytime hours. Cranberry juice supplementation did not alter LDL-C but significantly changed the composition of the lipoprotein profile compared to the placebo, increasing the concentration of large LDL-C particles (+29.5 vs. −6.7 nmol/L; p = 0.02) and LDL size (+0.073 vs. −0.068 nm; p = 0.001). There was no effect of treatment on ex vivo HDL efflux in the total population, but exploratory subgroup analyses identified an interaction between BMI and global HDL efflux (p = 0.02), with greater effect of cranberry juice in participants who were overweight. Exploratory analyses indicate that baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) values may moderate treatment effects. In this population of adults with elevated blood pressure, cranberry juice supplementation had no significant effect on central systolic blood pressure but did have modest effects on 24-h diastolic ambulatory BP and the lipoprotein profile. Future studies are needed to verify these findings and the results of our exploratory analyses related to baseline health moderators.
Keynes's Section 8 of Chapter 12 of the General Theory Completely Refutes Shackle's Unknowledge Definition of Uncertainty, His Attack on IS-LM and All 'Chapter 12' Types of Keynesianism

Shackle’s attempt to completely redefine Keynes’s definition of uncertainty in chapter 12 of the General Theory, which was that uncertainty is an inverse function of the weight of the evidence as discussed in chapters 6 and 26 of the A Treatise on Probability, as unknowledge (no knowledge of the future ), fails once Keynes’s concluding section of chapter 12, section 8, is read. Keynes’s position is that there exists partial probable knowledge of the near future. Therefore, complete uncertainty can only exist in the far and distant future or long run ,a long run in which we are all dead, which Keynes denoted as 10 years in the General Theory ,and 20 to 33 years in his 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics article. Keynes’s IS-LM(LP) model therefore allows an economist, who is knowledgeable and careful about Keynes’s extensive qualifying discussions concerning the use of his IS-LM(LP) model on pages 298-303 of the General Theory, to calculate a quantitative, determinate, equilibrium position for the IS and LM(LP) curves in(Y) Aggregate Income-(r) rate of interest space. Shackle’s claim, that no IS-LM equilibrium can ever be calculated, due to his own definition of uncertainty as unknowledge, was completely rejected by Keynes on pages 298-303 of the General Theory. The “Chapter 12” interpretation of the General Theory, as defined by A. Coddington in a 1976 article in the Journal of Economic Literature, and supported by Joan Robinson, Shackle, and Paul Davidson, has nothing to support it once it is realized that Shackle’s unknowledge claims about Keynes’s uncertainty concept were completely and totally rejected by Keynes himself in his summary to chapter 12 of the General Theory,as well as by Keynes’s own definition on page 148 of chapter 12 of the General Theory.
Work Zone Detection For Autonomous Vehicles

Due to road maintenance and repair, a work zone can appear dynamically, and it may not be included in the map database. For driving safety, an autonomous vehicle needs to detect the work zone on the fly. However, work zone detection is relatively unexplored due to a lack of standard definitions and data. In this paper, we first formulate the work zone detection problem and its evaluation metrics. We then supplement additional work zone annotations in the autonomous driving dataset nuScenes. Next, we propose a detection pipeline for work zones that allows multi-modality sensor configurations. We implement three baseline algorithms using images, a lidar point cloud and a combination of both. Finally, we evaluate and compare their performance both qualitatively and quantitatively in our experiments. Our experimental results show that the fusion-based approach balances the detection accuracy of lidar-based and the range of camera-based approaches.
Validating Einstein's Principle of Equivalence in the Context of the Theory of Gravitational Relativity

Having validated local Lorentz invariance (LLI) on flat spacetime in a gravitational field of arbitrary strength in the context of the theory of gravitational relativity (TGR), and having shown that the weak equivalence principle (WEP) is valid in the context of TGR, in so far as it is valid at the classical (or Newtonian) gravitation limit in previous articles, the invariance with position on flat spacetime in every gravitational field of the non-gravitational and gravitational laws (in their usual instantaneous differential forms), are demonstrated in every gravitational field and consequently in the entire universe. This thereby validates the strong equivalence principle (SEP) in the context of TGR. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) that embodies LLI, WEP and SEP has thus been validated theoretically in the context of TGR in this and previous articles.
Acquired Atrioventricular Block

There are many causes of atrioventricular (AV) block but progressive idiopathic fibrosis of the conduction system related to an aging process of the cardiac skeleton is the most common cause of chronic acquired AV block. Barring congenital AV block, Lyme disease is the most common cause of reversible third-degree AV block in young individuals and it is usually AV nodal. Before implantation of a permanent pacemaker, reversible causes of AV block such as Lyme disease, hypervagotonia, athletic heart, sleep apnea, ischemia, and drug, metabolic, or electrolytic imbalance must be excluded. Table 10.1 outlines the format used in the 2002 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (ACC/AHA/NASPE) guidelines for pacemaker implantation (1). The indications for permanent pacing in secondor thirddegree AV block unlikely to regress are often straightforward in symptomatic patients but they are more difficult in asymptomatic patients.
The Involution Model for S k

Let σ 1 = 1, σ 2 = (12), σ 3 = (12)(34),… be the conjugacy classes of involutions in S k . It was shown by Klyachko and by Inglis et al. [82] that it is possible to specify a set of characters \(\psi _{1},\psi _{2},\psi _{3},\ldots\) of degree 1 of the centralizers of \(\sigma _{1},\sigma _{2},\sigma _{3},\ldots\) such that the direct sum of the induced representations of the \(\psi_i\) contains every irreducible representation exactly once. In the next chapter, we will see that translating this fact and related ones to the unitary group gives classical facts about symmetric and exterior algebra decompositions due to Littlewood [120].
Black Transnationalism as Communitas: African Involvement in the National Negro Convention Movement, 1831-1864

This paper analyzes West African and Afro-Caribbean involvement in the National Negro Convention Movement of 1830 to 1864. These people participated in the struggle for African American emancipation by invoking tropes of a Black transnational community. Thus, this paper argues that transnational discourse, movement and migrationbased on peoples roots and routes throughout the Black Atlantic, including to and from West Africainformed Black nationalist political agendas. An examination of National Negro Convention minutes, as well as mid-nineteenth-century African American newspaper articles, reveals how African and Afro-Caribbean participants simultaneously served as advocates for transnational and national movements. In addition to partaking in debates surrounding emigration to Africa, Canada, and the West Indies, Africans and Afro-Caribbeans backed the development of Black institutions within the United States, which they hoped would enhance African American equality; however, they also advocated for Black transnational participation, in order to improve their own communities. Hence, Black transnationalism and the trope of African origins as the basis for communitas shaped Black nationalist movements. This paper, in turn, serves as a methodological exploration of the African diaspora as a useful framework through which to understand Africans role in the creation of local rhizomes within a transnational network.
Generalized Max Flows and Augmenting Paths

It is well-known that if augmenting paths are used to solve a max flow problem then two problems can arise: 1) the number of augmenting paths needed can depend on the size of the capacities; and 2) if the capacities are irrational then the algorithm need not even converge to an optimal solution. Edmonds and Karp [4] and Dinic [3] were the first to show that these problems can be overcome using minimum length augmenting paths. In this paper we examine to what extent augmenting paths and the results of Edmonds and Karp can be generalized. In particular, we consider these ideas for the following generalized max flow problem (first studied by Fulkerson [7]): maxx1:Ax=0,0≤x≤c.
One More Decidable Class of Finitely Ground Programs

When a logic program is processed by an answer set solver, the first task is to generate its instantiation. In a recent paper, Calimeri et el. made the idea of efficient instantiation precise for the case of disjunctive programs with function symbols, and introduced the class of "finitely ground" programs that can be efficiently instantiated. Since that class is undecidable, it is important to find its large decidable subsets. In this paper, we introduce such a subset--the class of argument-restricted programs. It includes, in particular, all finite domain programs, *** -restricted programs, and *** -restricted programs.
Interannual Variations of Outgoing IR Associated with Tropical Circulation Changes During 1974–78

Abstract Interannual variability of outgoing IR in the tropical Pacific Ocean is studied using measurements derived from the NOAA scanning radiometer. In addition to the usual mean maps, seasonal anomaly maps are constructed from June, July, August 1974-December 1977, January, February 1978. These IR anomalies are closely related to changes in convective cloudiness patterns. Time series representing the equatorial eastern Pacific sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies and monthly anomalies at various locations are also plotted. During this period a “warming event” occurs, in which SSTs in the eastern Pacific rapidly become anomalously warm. Dramatic changes in outgoing IR occur simultaneously with this SST increase. The region of convergence over Indonesia shifts eastward and connects to a well-developed intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). The South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) is also connected to the Indonesian convergence zone, but develops more slowly and does not reach its maximum strength unt...
Total Worker Health Implications for the Occupational Health Nurse

Total Worker Health™ is defined as a "strategy integrating occupational safety and health protection with health promotion to prevent worker injury and illness and to advance worker health and well-being." This strategy aligns workplace safety with individual behaviors that support healthy lifestyles. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 presumes that incentive-oriented worksite health promotion provides a critical pathway to reduce group health costs. Because of their scientific and clinical backgrounds, professional nurses are well qualified to educate and assist individuals with healthy lifestyle choices. Occupational health nurses and patient advocates can shape wellness initiatives that best serve both employees and their employers.
Effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on bell pepper production and green peach aphid infestations in New York

Abstract Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known in various cropping systems to increase plant growth and vigor, as well as induce resistance to pathogens and pests. A commercial soil amendment containing a mixture of two species of Bacillus PGPR ( Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ) was evaluated for impact on germination and initial growth of bell pepper plants, efficacy against the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer, and yield enhancement. Studies in the greenhouse revealed that pepper germination rate and dry weight of seedlings grown with or without Bacillus spp. did not differ significantly. In the field, the PGPR did not significantly reduce aphid populations compared to control plants, whereas imidacloprid was highly effective. An increase in yield compared with control plants was observed in the 2003 season, but not the following two seasons. Aphid pressure was high in 2003, and plants grown in the presence of Bacillus spp. exhibited substantial tolerance to aphids. That is, there were significantly higher populations of the green peach aphid on both control and PGPR-treated plants compared with imidacloprid-treated plants. However, fruit yield in the Bacillus spp. treatment was significantly greater than yield in the control treatment and similar to yield in insecticide-treated plots. Bacillus PGPR could be useful in a M. persicae management program for pepper plants grown in locations with consistently high aphid pressure.
Surface diffusion of interacting proteins. Effect of concentration on the lateral mobility of adsorbed bovine serum albumin

Surface diffusion of bovine serum albumin absorbed from aqueous solution to poly(methylmethacrylate) surfaces is significantly hindered by protein-protein lateral interactions. The long-time self diffusion coefficient measured by fluorescence recovery after pattern photobleaching decreases by approximately one order of magnitude as the surface area fraction occupied by protein increases from 0.10 to 0.69. Qualitative features of the surface concentration dependence of the self diffusion coefficient can be described by several recent models for lateral diffusion of interacting species. The mobile fraction is independent of the surface concentration, and both the self diffusion coefficient and the mobile fraction are constant between 15min and 7 h of adsorption.
Cherries and Health: A Review

Cherries, and in particular sweet cherries, are a nutritionally dense food rich in anthocyanins, quercetin, hydroxycinnamates, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, and melatonin. UV concentration, degree of ripeness, postharvest storage conditions, and processing, each can significantly alter the amounts of nutrients and bioactive components. These constituent nutrients and bioactive food components support the potential preventive health benefits of cherry intake in relation to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, and Alzheimer's disease. Mechanistically, cherries exhibit relatively high antioxidant activity, low glycemic response, COX 1 and 2 enzyme inhibition, and other anti-carcinogenic effects in vitro and in animal experiments. Well-designed cherry feeding studies are needed to further substantiate any health benefits in humans.
Satellite traces: An ionogram signature for large-scale wave structure and a precursor for equatorial spread F

[1] Although the source that controls day-to-day variability in the occurrence of equatorial plasma structure (i.e., equatorial spread F, or ESF) remains to be identified, progress is being made. There is evidence that the appearance of large-scale wave structure (LSWS) in the bottomside F layer, around the time of its post-sunset rise (PSSR), is a more-direct precursor of ESF than the PSSR itself. The bulk of the evidence, however, is in the form of “satellite” F traces in ionograms, which may be viewed as less than convincing, because these signatures have not been shown to be causally related to LSWS. In this paper, incoherent-scatter radar and ionosonde data, both collected on 24 July 1979 from the Kwajalein atoll, Marshall Islands, are used to show that this is indeed the case.
Recent Advances in Medicago truncatula Genomics

Legume rotation has allowed a consistent increase in crop yield and consequently in human population since the antiquity. Legumes will also be instrumental in our ability to maintain the sustainability of our agriculture while facing the challenges of increasing food and biofuel demand. Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus have emerged during the last decade as two major model systems for legume biology. Initially developed to dissect plant-microbe symbiotic interactions and especially legume nodulation, these two models are now widely used in a variety of biological fields from plant physiology and development to population genetics and structural genomics. This review highlights the genetic and genomic tools available to the M. truncatula community. Comparative genomic approaches to transfer biological information between model systems and legume crops are also discussed.
Lead loss problem for a thermocouple imbedded in a burning propellant.

A a flat solid-propellant surface has been ignited, and burning has gone on for a short time, a steady-state profile of temperature vs normal distance from the burningsurface is attained. When there is no reaction within the propellant up to the burning surface, and the solid has a constant thermal diffusivity, the temperature profile falls off exponentially; and, if the burning surface regresses at a constant rate toward a point within the propellant, that point will undergo an exponential increase in temperature with time. A very small thermocouple junction imbedded in the propellant also will undergo an exponential increase in temperature with time. To compute the heat losses through the thermocouple leads, one must consider the way in which the leads are directed outthrough the propellant. It is attractive to consider directing the leads away from the thermocouple junction along an isotherm to prevent heat loss through them. However, if we assume that an isotherm is represented by points equidistant from the burning surface, we can see that an isothermal surface could be very irregular because of the burning surface roughness in many propellants. Moreover, the full plane surface of a solid-propellant grain seldom is ignited all at once. These probable nonuniformities, coupled with the fact that the temperature gradient near the burning surface is very high (10°C/cm), lead one to conclude that the leads can not be directed from the junction parallel to the plane of the initial grain surface without the risk that the burning surface will reach the lead before the junction and preheat the junction by conduction through the lead. Therefore, one decides to direct the leads away from the burning surface, even though there may be a large heat loss through the leads. Since previous experimenters" have used this path for the leads, it is important to compute the heat losses and, if necessary, make suitable corrections to previous work. The following analysis shows that these losses may be quite significant, and that use of a flattened junction parallel to the burning surface can appreciably reduce the loss.
Molecular signatures associated with clinical outcome in patients with high-risk head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma treated by surgery and radiation

Purpose: The local-regional control rate for advanced head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains poor and is unpredictable for a given individual. This study examined whether gene expression patterns developed from tumors from surgicopathologic, criteria-defined, high-risk HNSCC patients could be correlated with clinical outcomes, namely, metastasis or nonrecurrent disease. Methods and Materials: Fifteen primary tumors from patients treated with a consistent protocol of surgery followed by radiotherapy were examined. Seven of these tumors were from high-risk patients who developed distant metastasis (DM), and eight tumors were from patients with no recurrence (NR) (median follow-up, 59 months). Results: Unsupervised clustering of gene expression did not separate the two groups from one another, but when supervised methodologies were applied, 205 genes discriminated the two groups. Within the DM group, genes associated with cell growth and proliferation; DNA replication, recombination, and repair; antiapoptotic pathways; cell adhesion; and angiogenesis were identified. For NR samples, discriminatory genes were associated with the onset of apoptosis. Conclusions: Our data suggest that gene expression analysis of surgically excised HNSCC tumors from patients considered at high risk for recurrence has the potential to identify individuals susceptible to metastasis on the basis of distinct gene-expression patterns. These patients would be ideal candidates for testing systemic therapy.
CONCENTRATIONS OF DOPAMINE AND NOREPINEPHRINE IN DISCRETE HYPOTHALAMIC NUCLEI DURING THE RAT ESTROUS CYCLE1

The norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) concentrations of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), arcuate nucleus (AN), ventromedial nucleus (VMN) and median eminence (ME) were measured during the estrous cycle. Nuclei were microdissected and assayed using the catecho1-0-methyl transferase enzymatic method. A significant increase in NE was observed between the morning and afternoon of proestrus (P) in the SCN. In contrast, no significant changes in DA were detected in any area on P. No change in NE or DA was found between the morning and afternoon of diestrus 1 (Dl). These findings are consistent with NE-containing neurons being involved in the surge of LH on the afternoon of proestrus.
Testing for moral hazard in reinsurance markets

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test for the existence of residual moral hazard in the three largest US reinsurance markets over the period 1995‐2000 and examine the effectiveness of retention limit, experience rating and long‐term contracting relationship in controlling for moral hazard.Design/methodology/approach – This paper focuses on one peculiar feature in the insurance industry, group affiliation, and tests the presence of residual moral hazard in reinsurance markets. This approach may enable moral hazard to be separated from adverse selection. Moreover, two different econometric methods are employed for the empirical tests: the non‐parametric matching estimators method and the parametric fixed effects model, which may enhance the robustness of the results.Findings – The author finds that, over the period 1995‐2000, residual moral hazard does not exist in the private passenger auto liability and product liability reinsurance markets, but might exist in the homeowners reinsurance market. T...
Cost benefits of hemoccult screening for colorectal carcinoma

Hemoccult screening for colorectal carcinoma was begun in 1979 at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, California, as part of a program for periodic health examinations. A concomitant cost-benefit analysis was conducted to determine the long-term medical care costs and survival benefits of this procedure. Of 14,041 patients ≥45 years of age mailed hemoccult slides, 10,255 (70.3%) returned them at the time of their examination. One hundred twelve (1.1%) were positive, and 12 colorectal carcinomas were detected. Additionally, 13 patients with one or more polyps ≥1 cm and 45 patients with other gastrointestinal sources of blood were found. Of the screened cases of colorectal carcinoma, 50% were in Dukes' stage A compared with 25% found in this stage in our institution in 1974, when screening was not done. Five-year Dukes' stage-specific medical care costs and mortality rates were developed from the 1974 cases and were then applied to the screened cases of colorectal cancer. A savings in medical care costs of $14,685 and a projected increase of 22 years in life expectancy was found.
A Clinical Approach to Technology Assessment: How Do We and How Should We Choose the Right Treatment?

The evidence required to support the use of new technology in medicine differs from that required for new drugs. On one extreme, very little may be required for small devices, but on the other strong evidence is required to support the use of truly novel, potentially dangerous, and high-cost machines. The randomized controlled trial is built into the evaluation of drugs and suits them well. It is not so well suited to the evaluation of major devices in which installation costs and return on investment are important. We discuss where the randomized controlled trial may still play a role and what alternatives may exist when this is not possible. We also discuss the role that independent bodies may have in determining whether or not a new device is not only safe but also adds to the medical landscape in a way that justifies its cost.
Infants’ understanding of the point gesture as an object-directed action

Abstract There have been many studies of infants’ propensity to orient in response to a point. However, little is known about infants’ understanding of the relation between a person who points and the referent object. In Study 1, a habituation paradigm was used to assess this understanding in 9- and 12-month-old infants. Infants saw an actor point to one of two toys during habituation, and then saw test events in which either the referent object or path of motion taken by the actor’s arm had changed. Twelve-month-olds looked longer at the former test event than the latter, indicating that they had encoded the relation between the actor and the referent. Nine-month-olds, in contrast, looked equally long at the two test events. Coding of infants’ attentional responses to the points indicated that these results did not derive from the “spotlighting” effects of points. These findings suggest that between 9 and 12 months, infants come to understand pointing as an object-directed action. The results of Study 2 suggest that between these ages, infants’ own use of object-directed points is related to their understanding of the points of others as object-directed.
The inactivation of posterior pituitary antidiuretic hormone by liver extracts.

INACTIVATION of the posterior pituitary antidiuretic hormone at some site in the body has been postulated by Ingram, Ladd and Benbow (1939) on the basis of the small amount excreted after injection of posterior pituitary preparations. The in vitro inactivation studies of Heller and Urban (1935) and the in vivo observations of Eversole, Birnie and Gaunt (1949) support the existence of such a system and indicate that the greatest activity is found in liver tissue. The inactivation of other posterior pituitary fractions, namely, the oxytocic (Gulland and Macrae, 1933) and pressor (Moller-Christensen, 1951) by the tissues have been reported. These reports, however, have not described the nature of the inactivating system. The present investigation was undertaken for the purpose of securing additional information regarding the nature of the system in rat liver homogenates which inactivates posterior pituitary antidiuretic hormone. Some of these observations have-been reported in an earlier abstract (Birnie, 19...
History, genetics and pathology of a leaf-cutting ant introduction: a case study of the Guadeloupe invasion

As dominant herbivores and notorious pests in their native Neotropics, introduced leaf-cutting ants have the potential for ecological and economic harm. Although a large-scale invasion of leaf-cutting ants has not occurred, an isolated introduction in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe provides useful insight into the progress of such an invasion. Since being first detected in 1954, Acromyrmex octospinosus has colonized virtually all available land area, defying an aggressive control campaign and damaging agriculture. I attempted to reconstruct the origins and spread of the invasion, as well as screen for the presence of garden pathogens, which could be used for biological control. Mitochondrial sequencing of the A. octospinosus complex throughout the Caribbean showed that the probable source of the invasion lies on Trinidad and Tobago or northeast South America. Using historical records and field surveys, the invasion’s rate of spread was estimated at 0.51 km/year. Microsatellite genotyping further confirmed the limited dispersal abilities of A. octospinosus, showing the presence of isolation by distance (even in a relatively small geographic area) and suggested ubiquitous local inbreeding. Although the invasion likely resulted from the introduction of a single colony, microsatellites showed a high level of genetic variation in the introduced population, likely as a consequence of multiple mating by the queen. A survey showed that the specialized fungus garden pathogen Escovopsis exists on the islands, suggesting that the successful spread of the ants was not due to escape from this parasite. Given that chemical control has failed in the past and that biological control using specialized garden pathogens seems improbable, only vigorous quarantine and inspection programs may prevent wide-scale leaf-cutting ant invasions in the future.
Endpoint considerations for clinical trials.

(2002). Endpoint considerations for clinical trials. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Motor Neuron Disorders: Vol. 3, No. sup1, pp. S3-S6.
Thin-film ceramic electrolytes deposited on porous and non-porous substrates by sol-gel techniques

Abstract Successful deposition of ultra-thin ceramic membranes by the sol-gel process could lead to greatly improved electrolyte devices. The parameters of the sol-gel technique which affect film cracking and continuity have been investigated, and the effect of substrate conditions and substrate porosity have been determined. Crack-free yttria-stabilized zirconia films having thickness of approximately 0.2 to 0.5 μm have been deposited on continuous quatz substrate. Preliminary results have also indicated that continuous sub-micron electrolyte films can be deposited on porous substrates.
Parity bit selected spreading sequences: a block coding approach to spread spectrum

Parity bits are used to select the spreading sequence from a set of orthogonal spreading sequences, The information bits are then spread by this spreading sequence. At the receiver, the spreading code employed is determined from the outputs of the filters that are matched to each spreading sequence. The information bits are then determined from the output of the specific matched filter. Error correction is then performed by assuming that the parity bits are correct.
Looking for a Way out.

Declining state support for public universities can create pressures for institutions both to resist the decline and adapt to it.
Chiropractic Use and Changes in Health Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries: A Comparative Effectiveness Observational Study

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chiropractic on 5 outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries: increased difficulties performing activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and lower body functions, as well as lower self-rated health and increased depressive symptoms. Methods Among all beneficiaries, we estimated the effect of chiropractic use on changes in health outcomes among those who used chiropractic compared with those who did not, and among beneficiaries with back conditions, we estimated the effect of chiropractic use relative to medical care, both during a 2- to 15-year period. Two analytic approaches were used—one assumed no selection bias, whereas the other adjusted for potential selection bias using propensity score methods. Results Among all beneficiaries, propensity score analyses indicated that chiropractic use led to comparable outcomes for ADLs, IADLs, and depressive symptoms, although there were increased risks associated with chiropractic for declines in lower body function and self-rated health. Propensity score analyses among beneficiaries with back conditions indicated that chiropractic use led to comparable outcomes for ADLs, IADLs, lower body function, and depressive symptoms, although there was an increased risk associated with chiropractic use for declines in self-rated health. Conclusion The evidence in this study suggests that chiropractic treatment has comparable effects on functional outcomes when compared with medical treatment for all Medicare beneficiaries, but increased risk for declines in self-rated health among beneficiaries with back conditions.
Human metapneumovirus and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Summary Objective Respiratory viruses are a common trigger for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a paramyxovirus associated with respiratory tract infections and wheezing. Our aim was to determine whether hMPV was associated with exacerbations of COPD. Methods The study was designed as an observational cohort study carried out in a 944-bed urban teaching hospital located in New Haven, Connecticut. Between December 2002 and May 2003, patients hospitalized due to an exacerbation of COPD were identified. Nasopharyngeal specimens obtained from these patients were tested for human metapneumovirus by RT–PCR and for respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B, parainfluenza-1, -2, and -3 and adenovirus by a cytospin-enhanced direct immunofluorescence assay and/or viral culture. Results Fifty individuals met enrollment criteria and hMPV was identified in 6 (12%), respiratory syncytial virus in 4 (8%), influenza A in 2 (4%) and parainfluenza type 3 in 1 (2%) patients. Both A and B hMPV genotypes were identified in patients hospitalized due to exacerbations of COPD. Conclusion hMPV was frequently identified in patients hospitalized due to an exacerbation of COPD. Further studies are necessary to determine the epidemiology and the impact of hMPV in COPD patients.
A metabolic signature of colon cancer initiating cells

Colon cancer initiating cells (CCICs) are more tumorigenic and metastatic than the majority of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. CCICs have also been associated with stem cell-like properties. However, there is a lack of system-level understanding of what mechanisms distinguish CCICs from common CRC cells. We compared the transcriptomes of CD133+ CCICs and CD133- CRC cells from multiple sources, which identified a distinct metabolic signature for CD133(high) CCICs. High-resolution unbiased metabolomics was then performed to validate this CCIC metabolic signature. Specifically, levels of enzymes and metabolites involved in glycolysis, the citric acid (TCA) cycle, and cysteine and methionine metabolism are altered in CCICs. Analyses of the alterations further suggest an epigenetic link. This metabolic signature provides mechanistic insights into CCIC phenotypes and may serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for future CRC treatment.
Effects of removing or adding structure (barnacle shells) on recruitment to a fouling community in Tampa Bay, Florida

The biological structure (shells) created by barnacles was manipulated in a series of field experiments to determine the importance of biologically induced habitat alterations on the initial development of a fouling community in Tampa Bay, Florida. Glass plates (25 cm2) were used as the substrata. Community development was compared among unmanipulated plates and plates that had been subjected to the removal of whole barnacles, the removal of the living portion of the barnacles, or the addition of artificial barnacle shells. Differing amounts of barnacle shell structure were added to examine the effects of changes in the structure as a result of growth and additional settlement. Two additional controls were included in the experiments to control for effects of manipulation (disturbance) and for changes in the colonization pool. The results showed that the presence or absence of barnacle shell structure had a large and immediate effect on recruitment. In general, recruitment was inhibited by the removal of whole barnacles, enhanced by the addition of barnacle shells, and not greatly affected by the removal of the living portion of the barnacle. Removal or addition of barnacles caused changes in the species composition of the colonists. Furthermore, changes in the amount of barnacle shell structure altered species composition. The treatments did not greatly affect the colonization of sessile species, but had a major effect on both abundance and number of motile species. Semi-sessile species (temporary tube-builders) exhibited a response intermediate to the sessile and motile species.
Detecting Transient Changes in Dynamic Displays: The More You Look, the Less You See

OBJECTIVE: Two experiments examined the detectability of transient changes in cluttered and dynamic displays and optimal scan strategies for performance. BACKGROUND: Research has demonstrated that onset changes are prioritized by the attention system and onsets are often used to signal important display changes. However, research has mostly used uncluttered, static displays and has largely ignored the role of scan strategy. METHOD: We had participants monitor a cluttered and dynamic display and respond when an object changed color or onset abruptly. Scan strategies were also evaluated. In another experiment participants were instructed to use particular strategies to detect changes. RESULTS: Consistent with previous results, onset events were detected better than were color change events. Scan strategy accounted for a large proportion of variance in detection performance. Participants who made few eye movements performed best. Participants who actively scanned the display performed worst. When poor performers were instructed to make few eye movements, their performance matched that of the best performers. CONCLUSION: Onset alerts can be an effective means of signaling important events in complex displays. Additionally, scan strategy plays an important role in the detection of transient events. APPLICATION: These results have important implications for training operators to search for transient changes within dynamic and cluttered displays. Language: en
Regional EMS experience with etomidate for facilitated intubation

Objective. To report the preliminary experience of the Central New York emergency medical services (EMS) region with etomidate for prehospital facilitated intubation. Methods. Prospective recording of all intubations (facilitated and nonfacilitated) was completed during the first six months of the etomidate protocol, from January 1 to June 30, 2000. These results were compared with retrospective comparison data obtained for an 18-month period from stored documented prehospital care reports (PCRs), a period when diazepam was used for facilitated intubation. Results. During the study period, 343 (84%) of 409 attempted intubations were successful. Of these, 24 facilitated intubations (using etomidate) were attempted (all on breathing, agitated patients), and 19 (79%, CI 63%–95%) were successful. Eighteen of these (95%) were intubated successfully on the first attempt. The median age of the patients requiring intubation was 70 years (range 14–90), and 60% were female. There were no reported incidences of vomi...
A natural tensor product interpolation formula and the pseudoinverse of a matrix

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present a new interpolation formula for bivariate functions together with a brief discussion of its properties, including some error analysis, its relationship to other interpolation formulas, and an indication of how it can be generalized.
Comparison of Human Ventricular Activation with a Canine Model in Chronic Myocardial Infarction

Ventricular activation was studied in 20 patients with ischemic heart disease at the time of surgery for myocardial revascularization. Because most of the activation studies in man were limited to recording of epicardial potentials, a canine model of chronic infarction was also studied. Pre- and postinfarction data were recorded in dogs and correlated with the anatomy of the lesions. Epicardial Q waves, when associated with delayed epicardial activation, were diagnostic of underlying infarctions in areas of the heart that did not normally exhibit Q waves. In areas normally containing Q waves, underlying infarction was associated with Q waves greater in duration than the normal range determined for those areas of the epicardium. The experimental model of chronic infarction showed epicardial delay to be due to slowed intramyocardial activation rather than to delay in Purkinje conduction. Correlations between electrical and anatomic data in two patients suggested that, within limits, the detailed relationships between infarction and activation established with the canine model could be applied to human infarction to understand the genesis of the epicardial potentials and the ECG. The technique was also felt to have a practical clinical application in selection of areas of myocardium for vascular implants or infarctectomy.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of p53 DNA-Binding Domain

We have studied room-temperature structural and dynamic properties of the p53 DNA-binding domain in both DNA-bound and DNA-free states. A cumulative 55 ns of explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations with the particle mesh Ewald treatment of electrostatics was performed. It was found that the mean structures in the production portions of the trajectories agree well with the crystal structure: backbone root-mean-square deviations are in the range of 1.6 and 2.0 A. In both simulations, noticeable backbone deviations from the crystal structure are observed only in loop L6, due to the lack of crystal packing in the simulations. More deviations are observed in the DNA-free simulation, apparently due to the absence of DNA. Computed backbone B-factor is also in qualitative agreement with the crystal structure. Interestingly, little backbone structural change is observed between the mean simulated DNA-bound and DNA-free structures. A notable difference is observed only at the DNA-binding interface. The correlation between native contacts and inactivation mechanisms of tumor mutations is also discussed. In the H2 region, tumor mutations at sites D281, R282, E285, and E286 may weaken five key interactions that stabilize H2, indicating that their inactivation mechanisms may be related to the loss of local structure around H2, which in turn may reduce the overall stability to a measurable amount. In the L2 region, tumor mutations at sites Y163, K164, E171, V173, L194, R249, I251, and E271 are likely to be responsible for the loss of stability in the protein. In addition to apparent DNA contacts that are related to DNA binding, interactions R175/S183, S183/R196, and E198/N235 are highly occupied only in the DNA-bound form, indicating that they are more likely to be responsible for DNA binding.