cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-dimensional signal processing and mode tracking approach for guided wave based damage localization in X-COR sandwich composite

Abstract This paper presents a real-time signal processing and damage localization framework for ultrasonic guided wave based structural health monitoring of X-COR sandwich composites with a reference-free perspective. The high attenuation nature of X-COR composite significantly limits the ability to detect damage-induced reflected waveforms. Therefore, a novel multi-dimensional signal processing technique, coupled with a mode tracking approach for identifying trajectories and locating wave sources of all wave modes, including damage-induced converted modes, is proposed. The developed framework is experimentally validated using two internal damage scenarios: facesheet delamination and foam core separation. Results indicate that the framework offers not only high accuracy for locating internal damage positions, but also insights into guided wave propagation behaviors in highly complex composites such as the X-COR sandwich composite.
Complexity Theoretic Lower Bounds for Sparse Principal Component Detection

In the context of sparse principal component detection, we bring evidence towards the existence of a statistical price to pay for computational efficiency. We measure the performance of a test by the smallest signal strength that it can detect and we propose a computationally efficient method based on semidefinite programming.We also prove that the statistical performance of this test cannot be strictly improved by any computationally efficient method. Our results can be viewed as complexity theoretic lower bounds conditionally on the assumptions that some instances of the planted clique problem cannot be solved in randomized polynomial time.
Congestive heart failure in the elderly. The therapeutic challenge of atypical presentations.

PreviewCongestive heart failure can be the result of a host of underlying diseases and can be masked or mimicked by many others. In elderly patients, the natural changes of aging may complicate not only clinical presentation but also drug therapy. Dr Gupta discusses these issues in a brief and practical article that should be immediately useful in primary care practice.
Round Table Discussion of a MIS Spine Surgery Case

The patient is a 23-year-old woman, who was doing well until she was thrown from her horse. Since then she has had excruciating low back pain, radiating into her buttocks, the lateral aspect of her thighs, and into her lateral calves bilaterally. Neurologic examination is normal. She has no other medical comorbidities. This pain has been going on for 1 year and has not responded to pain medication, physical therapy, bracing, epidural steroids, and chiropractic manipulations with anything other than partial, temporary relief. She wishes to proceed with some type of surgery.
Teaching graphics programming on mobile devices

This is an experience report on teaching graphics programming using Android mobile devices. The goals were to cover standard introductory graphics programming topics and to pique interest by deploying graphics apps on mobile phones and tablets.
Generating XACML Enforcement Policies for Role-Based Access Control of XML Documents

Ensuring the security of electronic data has morphed into one of the most important requirements in domains such as health care, where the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) has been leveraged via standards such as the Health Level 7’s Clinical Document Architecture and the Continuity of Care Record. These standards dictate a need for approaches to secure XML schemas and documents. In this paper, we present a secure information engineering method that is capable of generating eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML) enforcement policies, defined in a role-based access control model (RBAC), that target XML schemas and their instances, allowing instances to be customized for users depending on their roles. To achieve this goal, we extend the Unified Modeling Language (UML) with two new diagrams: the XML Schema Class Diagram, which defines the structure of an XML document in UML style; and, the XML Role-Slice Diagram, which defines roles and associated privileges at a granular access control level. We utilize a personal health assistant mobile application for medication and chronic disease management to demonstrate the enforcement component of our work.
Alpha ketoglutarate levels, regulated by p53 and OGDH, determine autophagy and cell fate/apoptosis in response to Nutlin-3a

Activated p53 can promote apoptosis or cell cycle arrest. Differences in energy metabolism can influence cell fate in response to activated p53. Nutlin-3a is a preclinical drug and small molecule activator of p53. Alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) levels were reduced in cells sensitive to Nutlin-3a-induced apoptosis and increased in cells resistant to this apoptosis. Add-back of a cell-permeable αKG analog (DMKG) rescued cells from apoptosis in response to Nutlin-3a. OGDH is a component of the αKGDH complex that converts αKG to succinate. OGDH knockdown increased endogenous αKG levels and also rescued cells from Nutlin-3a-induced apoptosis. We previously showed reduced autophagy and ATG gene expression contributes to Nutlin-3a-induced apoptosis. DMKG and OGDH knockdown restored autophagy and ATG gene expression in Nutlin-3a-treated cells. These studies indicate αKG levels, regulated by p53 and OGDH, determine autophagy and apoptosis in response to Nutlin-3a.
Should estimates be analyzed instead of the raw data

There are often situations where estimates are analyzed as measurements. This article considers in one application whether the raw data underlying these estimates should be analyzed directly...
Association between duration or etiology of gastroparesis and clinical response after gastric per-oral endoscopic pyloromyotomy.

Background and Aims Gastric per-oral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (GPOEM) is a novel procedure with promising potential for the treatment of gastroparesis but with limited data regarding predictors of clinical response. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the procedure and explore the impact of duration and etiology (diabetic vs nondiabetic) of gastroparesis on clinical outcome as measured by the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI). Methods A single-center retrospective longitudinal study at a tertiary care hospital was performed over an 18-month period. Forty patients with refractory gastroparesis (25 nondiabetic and 15 diabetic patients) were included. Results GCSI significantly improved throughout the study period (F[2.176, 17.405] = 10.152, P = .001). The nausea/vomiting subscale showed sustained improvement through 18 months (F[2.213, 17.704] = 15.863, P Conclusions GPOEM appears to be a safe and effective minimally invasive therapy for refractory gastroparesis, especially for patients with predominant nausea/vomiting and shorter duration of disease, regardless of the etiology. We propose the clinical criteria for undergoing GPOEM should be a GCSI of at least 2.0 and a gastric retention of greater than 20%.
Do positive perceptions of correctional staff mitigate institutional violence among youthful offenders

Juvenile justice facilities can be dangerous places for adolescents and may promote violent behavior among incarcerated youth. With high rates of violence among detained juveniles, youth who do not feel safe may resort to violent behavior to protect themselves. However, this "cycle of violence" may be interrupted if youth can turn to correctional staff for support. Using a 3-wave, longitudinal sample of 373 male incarcerated adolescents, the results indicated that as compared to violence exposure prior to incarceration, exposure to institutional violence more strongly predicts violent behavior. Further, the findings indicated that perceptions of staff serve as a buffer to violence exposure and may interrupt the cycle of violence. Policy implications are discussed.
Electrocortical activity changes in response to unpredictable trip perturbations induced by a split-belt treadmill

This study explored the contributions of cortical activity in the primary sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) to recovery responses following unpredictable trip perturbations. A technology platform equipped with a programmable split-belt treadmill induced unpredictable trip perturbations while walking. 128-channel non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) signals were collected. Power spectral analysis was performed to quantify the electrocortical activity of two clusters in the SMC and PPC during quiet standing, steady state walking, and recovery periods. Alpha (8-13 Hz) power of the SMC and PPC was significantly suppressed during the recovery period compared to the standing and walking periods. The main finding of this study could inform the future development gait perturbation paradigms that facilitate the recovery responses in different populations, based on motor learning by repetition.
Teacher Preparation for Diversity: A National Study of Certification Requirements

This study examines state certification requirements for regular and vocational teachers regarding students with disabilities, disadvantages, and multicultural backgrounds. Certification offices of the Department of Education of every state and the District of Columbia responded. In addition, the perceptions of State Vocational Special Needs Supervisors toward these certification requirements, and their states' methods of support for vocational teachers are reported. Discussion and conclusions are presented.
Antioxidant/stress response in mouse epidermis following exposure to nitrogen mustard.

Nitrogen mustard (NM) is a highly reactive bifunctional alkylating agent that induces inflammation, edema and blistering in skin. An important mechanism mediating the action of NM and related mustards is oxidative stress. In these studies a modified murine patch-test model was used to analyze DNA damage and the antioxidant/stress response following NM exposure in isolated epidermis. NM (20 μmol) was applied to glass microfiber filters affixed to a shaved dorsal region of skin of CD-1 mice. NM caused structural damage to the stratum corneum as reflected by increases in transepidermal water loss and skin hydration. This was coordinate with edema, mast cell degranulation and epidermal hyperplasia. Within 3 h of NM exposure, a 4-fold increase in phosphorylated histone H2AX, a marker of DNA double-stranded breaks, and a 25-fold increase in phosphorylated p53, a DNA damage marker, were observed in the epidermis. This was associated with a 40% increase in 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine modified DNA in the epidermis and a 4-fold increase in 4-hydroxynonenal modified epidermal proteins. At 12 h post NM, there was a 3-75 fold increase in epidermal expression of antioxidant/stress proteins including heme oxygenase-1, thioredoxin reductase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, heat shock protein 27 and cyclooxygenase 2. These data indicate that NM induces early oxidative epidermal injury in mouse skin leading to an antioxidant/stress response. Agents that enhance this response may be useful in mitigating mustard-induced skin injury.
Mapping Shifting Discourses in Classroom Talk Through Indexical Discourse Analysis: From the World of Mathematics to the World of Work

In this paper, we outline how indexical discourse analysis coupled with an ethnomodelling framework can be used to analyse mathematical modelling interactions by making visible the interrelationship between the ideologies of the real world and mathematics. We illustrate this position by sharing classroom-based data of students’ ideas while considering business profitability problems. We investigate: How does focusing on indexical terms within classroom talk aid a researcher in detecting subtle shifts in discourse that represent different discursive worlds? We highlight how the teacher’s particular scaffolds shifted students’ work from solving an application task into a mathematical modelling inquiry.
Urine Drug Testing among Opioid-Naïve and Long-Term Opioid Nevada Medicaid Beneficiaries.

Current guidelines recommend that, when prescribing opioids, providers use urine drug testing (UDT) for harm reduction. Objective: To identify whether Medicaid beneficiaries in Nevada at increased ...
The r-signed Birkhoff transform

Abstract We introduce the r -signed Birkhoff transform of a distributive lattice, extending Hsiao’s notion of the signed Birkhoff transform. We show how to compute the a b -index of the r -signed Birkhoff transform from the a b -index of the distributive lattice, generalizing work of Billera, Ehrenborg and Readdy, by extending their ω map to ω r . We also obtain new expressions for the a b -index of the r -cubical lattice in terms of the map ω r applied to all the permutations in the symmetric group. We show that the map r ⋅ ω r = ϑ r is an endomorphism on the Hopf algebra of quasisymmetric functions.
Chapter 8: Fetishization of Women’s Athletic Wear: Japanese Obsessions with Bloomers

Japan’s underground economy trades female athletic apparels. Examining this economy reveals how men continue to dominate social norms in Japan and turn women into a sexualized object of consumption.
Urban street tree characteristics and benefits in city centre, Reykjavik, Iceland

Abstract Urban street trees are often overlooked as essential contributors to the total urban canopy. The city centre of Reykjavik, Iceland was surveyed using random plots throughout the central portion of Reykjavik to determine species composition, structure, potential conflicts with infrastructure, and environmental benefits. In this portion of Reykjavik, 11 tree species were observed, dominated by Populus trichocarpa. For all species, the density was approximately 67 trees/km, which when compared with other Nordic cities was quite high. However, in terms of number of species, diversity was much lower compared to other Nordic cities. Street trees in this portion of the city sequester approximately 793 Mg of carbon. Value to the city summed to 15,764,000 ISK (134,000 USD), which partitioned to 187,000 ISK per kilometer or 128 ISK per capita. There were also conflicts identified with buildings and with sidewalks buckling, particularly with P. trichocarpa. Given the density and value of the trees in this portion of Reykjavik, it is imperative for additional work to be undertaken to manage the urban canopy and mitigate any costs associated with conflicts between trees and infrastructure throughout the city.
Industry Payments to Pain Medicine Physicians: An Analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Program

Objective To analyze industry payments to pain medicine physicians in the United States. Design Retrospective cohort study using publicly available databases. Subjects The study includes U.S. pain medicine physicians (PMPs) with reports in the Open Payments program from 2013 to 2018. Methods The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments program was analyzed for general, investment, and ownership payments to PMPs reported from 2013 to 2018. The nature, type, and geographic variation of payments were analyzed. Results The main findings of the study are as follows: 1) Payments made to PMPs constituted a small proportion of the payments made to all physicians in the United States, and the number of transactions and the total dollar amount seem to have decreased from 2016 to 2018. 2) The median number of payments among physicians with reported payments was around 4 (interquartile range: 18), and the majority of them were under $20. 3) The majority of payments were for in-kind items and services (85%) and were made for food and beverages (91%), travel and lodging (5.5%). 4) Some of the ownership and investment interest payments exceeded $500,000. 5) The top five drugs associated with physician payments included medications with opioids. 6) A very small minority of payments were made for entertainment or gifts. 7) A third of PMPs with reports had payments reported under more than one taxonomy. Conclusions Overall payments made to PMPs seem to be decreasing since 2016. The majority of the payments are made for the food, beverage, and travel categories. Public and physician awareness of the Open Payments system reports is essential to promote transparency and to minimize adverse effects of financial relationships on patient care.
Childhood adversity, socioemotional functioning and generalized anxiety in young adults from mixed immigration status families.

Abstract Background The translation of research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) into effective prevention and treatment of psychopathology requires examination of how ACEs impact mental health. Moreover, increased attention to more marginalized populations, such as immigration-affected ethnic-minority young adults, is greatly needed. Objective The current study tested the hypothesis that greater ACEs would be related to greater generalized anxiety symptoms directly and indirectly, via ACE-related deficits in coping efficacy, self-compassion, and perceived support, above and beyond immigration-related family stress. Participants and setting Participants included ethnic minority young adults (n = 322) attending a public university who reported having at least one family member living in the United States without legal protection and/or being undocumented themselves. Methods Data was collected online using validated measures of the primary study variables. Participants also completed a pilot measure of immigration-related stress in their family. A multiple mediation model was tested in a structural equation modeling framework. Results A substantial percentage of young adults experienced 4 or more ACEs and clinically-significant generalized anxiety symptoms (38.5% and 20.5%, respectively); a greater number of ACEs were directly (β = 0.33, p Conclusion Findings suggest that ACEs and generalized anxiety are prevalent in ethnic minority young adults from mixed legal status families and their association may be partially accounted for by ACE-related deficits in self-compassion.
A 10–110 GHz LNA with 19-25.5 dB Gain and 4.8-5.3 dB NF for Ultra-Wideband Applications in 90nm SiGe HBT Technology

This paper presents a broadband differential low-noise amplifier (LNA) at 10–110 GHz. The four-stage LNA is realized using 90 nm SiGe BiCMOS process having a 300 GHz f T HBT. Resistive feedback is used for operation at 10–50 GHz, and a wideband collector load with a linear impedance increase versus frequency compensates for the transistor output capacitance and guarantees a monotonic increase in the gain from 60 to 100 GHz. The LNA has a measured small-signal gain of 19-25.5 dB and the measured noise figure (NF) is 4.8-5.3 dB at 10–50 GHz. The LNA also achieves an output-referred 1dB compression point (OP1dB) of −3.3 dBm at 66 GHz. The differential LNA consumes 96 mW (48 mW half circuit) with an active circuit area of $1.3 \times 0.6\ \text{mm}^{2}$ . Application areas are in wideband receivers and in wideband microwave and millimeter-wave instrumentation systems.
Employee perceptions of ethical listening in U.S. organizations

Abstract Through a national online survey with 300 U.S. employees, this study revealed that nonmanagers and women are not satisfied with their organization’s listening efforts. Using the lens of employee-organization relationship theory, problematic issues were identified related to transparency, communication climate, and employee silence. Some of the barriers to effective listening were limited ability to share insights from listening with supervisors and other employees, poor or absent training for collecting and analyzing intelligence that can be gained from listening, and employees who were unwilling to speak up due to perceptions that management was not sincerely interested in what they have to say. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The Effects of Microsomal Enzymes on Chemical Oncogenesis in Culture

We have observed that fibroblastic cell lines derived from the same mouse strain can have different qualitative and quantitative responses to chemical oncogens with respect both to cytotoxicity and to oncogenic transformation. These variations may be the result of the inherent ability of each cell line to metabolize (and/or activate) these oncogens to more cytotoxic and oncogenic forms and/or detoxify these intermediates to less harmful xenobiotics. This chapter describes studies of the relationship between microsomal enzymes and chemical oncogenesis in cultured C3H mouse cells.
Methods for Environmental Impact Assessment: Theory and Application (Emphasis on Weighting-Scaling Checklists and Networks)

Several activities are required in the conducting of an environmental impact study, including impact identification, preparation of a description of the existing environment, impact prediction and assessment, and selection of the proposed action from a set of alternatives being evaluated to meet identified needs. The objectives of the various activities differ as do the usable methodologies for accomplishing the activities. The term methodology as used herein refers to structured approaches’ for achieving one or more of the basic activities. Since the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the United States, which became law on 1 January 1970, numerous methodologies have been developed to aid in achieving the various activities in the environmental impact assessment process. The purpose of this paper is to describe, checklists and networks as types of methodologies developed for usage in environmental impact studies. Background comments are provided on the purposes for methodologies as well as a classification scheme. Brief information is included on matrices, with primary attention devoted to four types of checklists.and, more specifically, to checklists which include importance-weighting of environmental factors, and the scaling or ranking of the impacts of alternatives on each factor.
Predictors of adaptive functioning and psychosocial adjustment in children with pediatric brain tumor: a report from the Brain Radiation Investigative Study Consortium.

Background Children are at risk for psychosocial and adaptive morbidities following diagnosis of and treatment for a pediatric brain tumor. This study examined whether familial/demographic, developmental, diagnostic, or treatment-related variables best predict the acute psychosocial adjustment and adaptive functioning of children soon after an initial diagnosis. Procedure Participants included 56 children (mean age = 10.72, SD = 4.02) newly diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor. Parents completed background/demographic forms and completed ratings of children's behavioral and emotional symptoms, and adaptive behavior. Diagnostic and treatment-related information was abstracted from medical records. Results Parent ratings of behavioral symptoms and adaptive functioning were within normative expectation, although rates of clinical impairment in adaptive functioning exceeded expected rates. A combination of familial/demographic and diagnostic variables were associated with acute functioning. In multiple regressions, tumor size best predicted adaptive functioning after initial diagnosis, whereas tumor location best predicted variance in behavioral symptoms. Conclusions Children may be more vulnerable to acute impairment in adaptive functioning following diagnosis of a pediatric brain tumor, but rates of behavioral symptoms were within expectation. Familial, sociodemographic, and diagnostic variables may help to identify those most at risk of impairment. Screening of these factors within tertiary care settings will be useful to identify those most in need of psychosocial care during the initial phases of treatment. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:509–516. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A critical review of question–behavior effect research

This chapter reviews research on the question–behavior effect, the phenomenon that asking questions influences respondents’ behavior. Two distinct research streams, the self-prophecy effect, concerned with socially normative behaviors, and the mere measurement effect, dealing with purchase behaviors without socially normative significance, are identified. Despite the recent attempt at integration, it is argued that there are fundamental differences between the two effects. Distinctions are also drawn between lab-based and field-based mere measurement effects, and between normatively consistent and implicit attitude-driven, normatively inconsistent self-prophecy effects. Key studies, theoretical explanations, and moderators of each effect are discussed, potential unanswered questions and research opportunities are identified, and significant managerial and policy implications are highlighted.
The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care

Is the American public ready for a revolution in health care that could surpass the effects of health care reform? Health care reform addresses the delivery process of health care. Eric Topol, in h...
Visualizing Spatial Resolution of Linear Estimation Techniques of Electromagnetic Brain Activity Localization

Various linear methods have been proposed to localize brain activity from external electromagnetic measurements. When interpreting the estimated spatiotemporal localizations, one must consider the spatial resolution of the particular approach. Locations with high spatial resolution increase the confidence of the estimates, whereas locations with poor resolution provide less useful localization estimates. We describe a “crosstalk” metric which provides a quanitative measurement of distortion at a given location from other locations within the brain. Crosstalk maps over the entire cortical surface provide a useful visualization of the spatial resolution of the inverse method.
Dying To Get Away With It: How the Abatement Doctrine Thwarts Justice--And What Should Be Done Instead

In December 2001, Ken Horton left the headquarters of Enron Corporation, personal items in hand, for the final time.1 Like many of the thousands of newly laid-off employees who left the bankrupt company at that time, he felt “betrayed by . . . [the] company he loved.”2 One of Horton’s regrets about his overall positive Enron experience was his investment strategy.3 “‘If I had to do it all over again, I would work at Enron again,’ he said. ‘I just would have invested a little differently.’”4 Due to the spectacular collapse of Enron in 2001, Horton incurred a sixfigure loss from his retirement account, which was loaded with Enron stock.5 Thanks to a scheme concocted by Kenneth L. Lay, Chief Executive Officer of Enron, and other company executives, Enron’s stock had been kept artificially high between 1998 and early 2001.6 Enron executives accomplished this feat by using various accounting tricks to conceal over $7 billion in losses.7 However, on October 22, 2001, the scheme began to crumble as Enron admitted it was under inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for possible conflicts of interest related to
Managing the Indus River basin in light of climate change

Abstract Global warming raises troubling questions about the ecological and economic future of large irrigated river basins such as the Indus River in Pakistan. But it is not clear how potential impacts might best be identified or addressed. This article reports on a multidisciplinary study of four distinct conceptual approaches to climate change: climate scenarios assessment; critical water management problems; historic antecedents and analogies; and Muslim political reconstruction. Current scientific research emphasizes the first approach, but the other three may be more important for water managers in the basin. The article reviews previous research on water resources effects of climate change; introduces the Indus basin; discusses the four conceptual approaches; and finally discusses prospects for coordinating them.
Nucleic Acid Flexibility and Dynamics: Deuterium NMR

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Deuterium Quadrupole Echo Spectra of Poly- and Oligonucleotides 3 Deuterium Relaxation Measurements and Rates of Internal Motion 4 Summary 5 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Robust forecasts and run-to-run control for processes with linear drifts

In semiconductor manufacturing process that experience a linear drift over time are forecasted using a double exponentially weighted moving average (d-EWMA) filter. The forecast is frequently used for run-to-run control where processing condition for next batch is adjusted based on the result of current and past batches. This filter has also been claimed as an optional filter for the IMA(2,2) process, which is the stochastic equivalent of a process with linear drifts. We show that the optimal filter for the IMA(2,2) process has a different structure from the d-EWMA filter but can be put in a form similar to it with the same effective tuning parameters. In addition, we address the situation where the process gain varies from batch to batch but within some a priori known bound. We propose a robust run-to-run control algorithm, which uses the d-EWMA or optimal filter but solves a min-max problem to find the input adjustment that minimizes the worst-case predicted error. Through a simple example, we demonstrate that the min-max formulation of run-to-run control allows for more aggressive choice of the filter tuning parameters without sacrificing robustness and therefore leads to better overall control performance.
A Review of: “Cognitive and Neuroscientific Aspects of Human Love: A Guide for Marriage and Couples Counseling. William A. Lambos, PhD and William G. Emener, PhD.”

I reviewed Lambos and Emener's 2010 book, Cognitive and Neuroscientific Aspects of Human Love: A Guide for Marriage and Couples Counseling, from the perspective of a social psychologist, researcher...
A Joint Frequency and Phasor Estimation Algorithm Using DFT Samples for Power Systems

Frequency and phasor are two important parameters for power system monitoring and operation. While most frequency and phasor estimation algorithms are developed separately and only work for complex-valued signals, we propose an iterative joint frequency and phasor estimation method for real-valued signals in power systems. Our proposed method is tested alongside existing algorithms using both numerically by simulations and the experimentally by OpenPMU system, an open source platform for synchronized PMU and smart grid research. The comparisons show that our proposed method not only beats existing single-task algorithms for steady-state signals but also tracks the transient signals with time-varying frequency very well.
Toxicity and metabolic effects of 3,4-dehydroproline in mice.

Abstract The acute and chronic effects of 3,4,-dehydroproline (DHP) were investigated in mice. Given as a single dose ip, DHP is 13 times more toxic than 1-proline, the LD50 being 0.62 ± 0.05 g/kg. Ultrastructural changes observed in liver hepatocytes and granuloma tissue fibroblasts at various time intervals after single injections of DHP demonstrated cytotoxic effects involving smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and rough endoplasmic reticulum. Chronic effects of DHP (12 mg/100 g/12 hr, ip) on collagenous and noncollagenous protein metabolism were studied in liver, normal skin, dermal wounds, and polyvinyl alcohol-induced granuloma tissue. To amplify the effect of DHP, all animals were kept on proline-deficient diets. This diet, however, did not affect the size of the free proline pool in the liver. Chronic DHP administration reduced the quantity and rate of synthesis of noncollagenous protein in granuloma tissue and inhibited noncollagenous protein synthesis in skin. DHP had no measurable effect on liver mitochondrial or microsomal protein metabolism. Although the breaking strength of skin wounds was significantly higher after DHP, no effect on collagen synthesis or accumulation was observed in any system. Complete amino acid analysis of purified collagen from skin showed negligible incorporation of DHP. We conclude that chronic in vivo administration of DHP is toxic and does not interfere with collagen accumulation in normal or repaired tissues.
Antidepressant pharmaceuticals in two U.S. effluent-impacted streams: occurrence and fate in water and sediment, and selective uptake in fish neural tissue.

Antidepressant pharmaceuticals are widely prescribed in the United States; release of municipal wastewater effluent is a primary route introducing them to aquatic environments, where little is know...
Transdermal estrogen reduces vascular resistance and serum cholesterol in postmenopausal women.

Abstract Objective: Our aim was to compare the effects of transdermal versus oral estrogens on vascular resistance index, mean arterial pressure, serum lipid concentrations, norepinephrine, and left ventricular structure. Study Design: Ten postmenopausal women received transdermal estradiol (0.05 mg/d) plus cyclic oral progesterone for 6 months. Responses were compared with those of 23 women receiving oral conjugated estrogens (0.625 mg/d) plus cyclic progesterone and with those of 9 subjects receiving placebo in a concurrent randomized trial. We assessed the vascular resistance index and the mean arterial pressure at rest and during behavioral stressors. Results: Oral and transdermal estrogen significantly decreased the vascular resistance index, mean arterial pressure, norepinephrine, and total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to a similar extent. Changes in the vascular resistance index and mean arterial pressure were equally evident at rest and during stress. Although both treatments reduced left ventricular mass (–4% to –6%) and relative wall thickness (–3% to –5%), these changes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Equivalent reductions in vascular resistance index, norepinephrine, mean arterial pressure, and cholesterol were observed with transdermal and oral estrogens. Future studies comparing novel hormone regimens with oral hormone replacement therapy should include multiple risk markers to allow better assessment of their potential impact on coronary artery health. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;184:926-33.)
Macroeconomic uncertainty and the risk premium in the foreign exchange market

Abstract In modeling the risk premium in the foreign exchange market, I assume that money and production follow a joint stochastic process with bivariate GARCH innovations. My formulation is based on Lucas' asset pricing model and implies that the risk premium in the foreign exchange market is due to time-varying volatilities in macroeconomic variables. Testing the model for three currencies shows the time-varying risk premium to be significant in explaining the deviation of the forward foreign exchange rate from the future spot rate. Diagnostic testing of the model partially supports the market efficiency hypothesis after accounting for the time-varying risk premium. (JEL F31). © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Administration of human chorionic gonadotropin affects sleep-wake phases and other associated behaviors in cycling female rats

We investigated the possible effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on sleep-wake phases and other associated behaviors controlled by the medial preoptic area, cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Chronic epidural electroencephalographic (EEG) and temporal muscle electromyographic (EMG) electrodes were placed in cycling female rats. After a week of recovery, rats were injected intraperitoneally at 3.00 pm on the day of proestrus with either saline or highly purified hCG or indomethacin or hCG plus indomethacin. Three hours after injection, EEG, EMG and behavioral activities were recorded for 3.5 h. The administration of hCG increased high and low amplitude sleep, resting phase and decreased active awake phase, walking, sniffing and chewing as compared to the controls. While the administration of indomethacin alone had no effect, coadministration inhibited hCG effects. Medial preoptic area, cerebral cortex and hippocampus contain immunostaining for LH/hCG receptors. The administration of hCG resulted in an increase of immunoreactive PGD2 and a decrease of PGE2 in median preoptic area, cerebral cortex and hippocampus as compared to the controls. In summary, hCG administration affects sleep-wake phases and other associated behaviors in rats which can collectively be described as decreased activity. These effects are probably mediated by increasing PGD2 and decreasing PGE2 in areas of brain which control these activities. The above findings may be relevant to pregnant women who experience decreased activity when hCG is present in the circulation and cerebrospinal fluid.
The Origins and Rise of Medieval Information Visualization

This paper considers the origins of the earliest designs for medieval information visualization. Works by Macrobius, Boethius, and Isidore of Seville are examined. These works are placed within the timeline of information visualization, and suggestions are made as to their antecedents.
Comment on "Direct mapping of the finite temperature phase diagram of strongly correlated quantum models".

A Comment on the Letter by Qi Zhou et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 085701 (2009). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
Spatial Patterns and Modeling of Reductive Ferrihydrite Transformation Observed in Artificial Soil Aggregates

Within soils, biogeochemical processes controlling elemental cycling are heterogeneously distributed owing, in large part, to the physical complexity of the media. Here we quantify how diffusive mass-transfer limitation at the soil aggregate scale controls the biogeochemical processes governing ferrihydrite reductive dissolution and secondary iron mineral formation. Artificial cm-scale aggregates made of ferrihydrite-coated sand inoculated with iron-reducing bacteria were placed in flow-through reactors, mimicking macro- and microporous soil environments. A reactive transport model was developed to delineate diffusively and advectively controlled regions, identify reaction zones and estimate kinetic parameters. Simulated iron (Fe) breakthrough-curves show good agreement with experimental results for a wide-range of flow rates and input lactate concentrations, with only a limited amount (< or =12%) of Fe lost in the reactor outflow over a 31 day period. Model simulations show substantial intra-aggregate, mm-scale radial variations in the secondary iron phase distributions, reproducing the trends observed experimentally where only limited transformation of ferrihydrite was found near the aggregate surface, whereas extensive formation of goethite/lepidocrocite and minor amounts of magnetite and/or siderite were observed toward the aggregate center. Our study highlights the important control of variations in transport intensities on microbially induced iron transformation at the soil aggregate scale.
Adaptability and efficacy of transgenic and wild-type Metaseiulus occidentalis (Acari : Phytoseiidae) compared as part of a risk assessment

Comparisons between transgenic (T) and wild-type Metaseiulus occidentalis colonies (COS) were made under laboratory conditions as part of a risk assessment effort prior to proposed field releases. There were no differences between the transgenic T18 colony and the COS strain in the daily egg production, hatchability at three temperatures and four relative humidity (RH) conditions, diapause incidence, or proportion of female progeny produced. Metaseiulus occidentalis eggs do not hatch at 38°C under any RH tested, nor at 33.5°C under 100% RH, indicating that high temperature and extreme RH affect egg hatch negatively. At 28.5 and 33.5°C, fewer eggs hatched at 32.5% than at 75.5 and 93% RH. Metaseiulus occidentalis cannot survive on any plant tested without prey nor on a diet of pollen alone; adult female mites cannot prey or survive on a diet of eggs and larvae of two lepidopteran species, indicating that the suitability of food sources has not been altered in the transgenic strain. Two subcolonies, derived from two transgenic strains using single females, differed in the rate of egg hatch at 28.5°C under 32.5 and 100% RH, indicating that reduced genetic variation and/or random genetic drift in the two lines may have led to differences in some biological characters. Since we did not find any significant differences between the T18 and COS colonies in the traits tested, the T18 colony is not expected to exhibit any new biological attributes in a proposed short-term field release.
Active control of Cheerios effect for dielectric fluid

This paper presents a novel method of manipulating objects floating on the free surface of dielectric fluids by combining “Cheerios effect” with di-electrowetting. Cheerios effect is a common phenomenon in which small floating objects are either attracted or repelled by the sidewall via capillary effects. The wettability of the sidewall surface is known to be a key parameter for this phenomenon. By controlling the contact angle of the sidewalls via di-electrowetting and thus distorting the adjacent interfaces, Cheerios effect can be controlled to manipulate floating objects. In this control, the titling angle of the sidewall is found to be critical. Theoretical calculation and experimental results are compared for various titling angles and applied voltages. The theory qualitatively agrees with the experiments. Using this method, a linear transportation of millimeter-sized floating object in a channel is achieved. By sequentially applying a voltage to the arrayed di-electrowetting electrodes on the titled sidewalls and by carefully controlling the time interval between switching shifts, the floating object can be propelled continuously along the channel.
Insulin Sensitivity and the Insulin-Like Growth Factor System in Prepubertal Boys with Premature Adrenarche

Girls with premature adrenarche (PA), similar to women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, display alterations in the IGF system, may have impaired insulin sensitivity, and demonstrate unfavorable lipid profiles. Girls with PA are also at increased risk for functional ovarian hyperandrogenism. Metabolic studies in boys with PA, however, are limited. The objective of this study was to determine whether boys with PA show alterations in insulin sensitivity and the IGF system. We studied an ethnically heterogeneous group of 19 prepubertal boys: 11 with PA (age, 8.2 ± 0.7 yr; body mass index (BMI)-Z score, 1.8 ± 1.1) and 8 controls (age, 7.9 ± 0.8 yr; BMI-Z score, 1.2 ± 1.0). Fasting levels of glucose, insulin, proinsulin (P0), hemoglobin A1c, testosterone, SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, LH, FSH, IGF-I, IGF-binding protein-1, IGF-binding protein-3, free IGF-I, and lipids were measured. Ten of 11 boys with PA and six of eight controls underwent standard oral glucose tolerance testing. T...
Modeling techniques in a parallelizing compiler for the b-hive multiprocessor system

The parallelizing compiler for the B-HIVE loosely-coupled multiprocessor system uses a medium grain model to minimize the communication overhead. A medium grain model is shown to be an optimum way of merging fine grain operations into parallel tasks such that the parallelism obtained at the grain level is retained and communication overhead is decreased. A new communication model is introduced in this paper, allowing additional overlap between computation and communication. Simulation results indicate that the medium grain communication model shows promise for automatic parallelization for a loosely-coupled multiprocessor system.
Methanol Oxidation on Platinum‐Tin Catalysts Dispersed on Poly(3‐methyl)thiophene Conducting Polymer

Platinum-tin catalysts were prepared by electrodeposition on poly(3-methyl)thiophene to investigate the effect of catalyst support and Pt loading on the electrochemical oxidation of methanol. The polymer-catalyst assembly was characterized by SEM/EDX, surface area measurements, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The Pt-Sn catalyst deposited in the hydrogen adsorption potential region showed an order of magnitude higher surface area. RBS studies enabled the estimation of the thickness and the distribution of the catalyst layer in the conducting polymer support
Separating points by spheres

With respect to a collection of N + m + 1 points in E^m and an integer k, 0 =< k =< N; a criterion is given for the existence of a hypersphere through m specified points and one other, so that the remaining N points are separated into k interior and N - k exterior. This result is used to solve some particular problems of separating points in the plane by circles.
Moments of utility functions and their applications

This paper presents moments and cross-moments of utility functions and measures of utility dependence. We start with an interpretation of the nth moment of a utility function, and describe methods for its assessment in practice and consistency checks that need to be satisfied for any assessed moments. We then show how moments of a utility function (i) provide a new method to determine the parameters of a given functional form of a utility function and (ii) to derive the functional form of a utility function that satisfies some given moment assessments. Next, we derive a fundamental formula that relates the expected utility of a joint distribution to the expected utility of the marginal distributions for multiattribute utility functions. We use this formulation to provide an intuitive interpretation for cross-moments of utility functions and illustrate their use in (i) constructing multiattribute utility functions that incorporate utility dependence and (ii) in providing necessary conditions for utility independence in decisions with multiple attributes. We end with a new measure of utility dependence for multiattribute utility functions and work through several examples to illustrate the approach.
Pancreatic Transplantation: Evaluation and Management:

More than 2 million people in the United States have type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pancreatic transplantation has emerged as the single most effective means of achieving normal glucose homeostasis in this patient population. Newer immunosuppressive agents and surgical techniques continue to evolve, resulting in improved long-term graft and patient survival. Herein, an understanding of the evaluation, technical aspects, and perioperative management of pancreas transplantation is outlined.
Clinical Effectiveness of a Pancreatic Enzyme Supplement

In 23 adult patients with pancreatic insufficiency, we evaluated the efficacy of a pancreatic enzyme delivered as pH-sensitive enteric-coated pancrelipase microspheres, and compared it with placebo and other available enzyme supplements. In a short-term study, fecal fat was 23.5 ± 7 g/day with the microspheres, compared with 29.9 ± 8 with other supplements, providing fat utilization of 76 ± 7% versus 63 ± 10% (p < 0.05). Microspheres reduced daily stool frequency to 1.9 movements from 4.3 on other enzymes (p < 0.01). These results were obtained with an average intake of 10 microsphere capsules/day. In a year-long study of 22 patients, an average weight gain of 4.0 ± 1.1 kg was observed associated with return of near-normal social and work life-style in previously housebound patients.
Vortices in Saturn's upper atmosphere

Saturn's magnetosphere exhibits phenomena with 10.7-hour periodicity that scientists do not fully understand. One proposed explanation is that twin vortices in the upper atmosphere at Saturn's north and south poles generate currents that drive the magnetosphere periodicity.