cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation for Virtual Dimensionality of Hyperspecyral Imagery

Determination of intrinsic dimensionality (ID) for remotely sensed imagery is a challenging problem. According to the definition given in Fukunaga (1990, p. 280), the ID, also referred to effective dimensionality, is the minimum number of parameters required to account for the observed properties of the data. A general approach to ID estimation is principal components analysis (PCA) that makes use of the eigenvalue distribution to determine ID. This approach may be suitable to multispectral imagery since only a small number of bands are used and the resulting ID is expected to be small. However, the PCA method can be difficult to implement if it is applied to hyperspectral imagery. More importantly, it may not be effective even if it is applicable. With very high spectral resolution hyperspectral sensors which can extract many unknown subtle material substances, determining ID of hyperspectral imagery is more problematic than that of multispectral imagery. In order to account for such unknown signal sources, we introduce a new definition, referred to as virtual dimensionality (VD) in this chapter, which is the minimum number of spectrally distinct signal sources that characterize the hyperspectral data from a perspective view of target detection and classification. These signal sources may include unknown interfering sources, which cannot be identified by a priori knowledge. With this new definition, three eigen-thresolding based methods are presented to determine VD of hyperspectral imagery. They are all derived from the Neyman-Pearson detection theory. Since an information criterion (AIC) and the minimum description length (MDL) have been commonly used in sensor array processing to estimate the number of signals impinging upon the array, they will be also investigated and evaluated for comparison.
Clinical and Radiographic Predictors of Acetabular Cartilage Lesions in Adolescents Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy.

Background:Acetabular cartilage lesions are a known cause of poor outcomes after hip arthroscopy and are seen regularly among adolescents. However, studies identifying preoperative factors predictive of acetabular cartilage lesions have been limited to adult populations.Purpose:To assess clinical and radiographic predictors of acetabular cartilage lesions in a large cohort of adolescents undergoing hip arthroscopy.Study Design:Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for idiopathic femoroacetabular impingement or acetabular labral tears at a children’s hospital were reviewed. Demographic predictors were analyzed by use of univariate logistic regression with generalized estimating equations. A matched case-control analysis was subsequently performed to identify radiographic predictors of acetabular cartilage lesions through use of univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression.Results:Four hundred two patients (446 hips) undergoing hip arthros...
Differences in Posttransplant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence by Etiology of Liver Disease.

The 5-year incidence of posttransplant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence is 8%-20%. Several studies have evaluated pretransplant risk factors for HCC recurrence, but nearly all data have treated HCC as a homogeneous condition across all etiologies of liver disease despite differences in tumor biology and baseline incidence of HCC. We sought to evaluate the impact of etiology of liver disease, maximum pretransplant alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and the interaction of the 2 factors on the risk of HCC recurrence. We performed a retrospective cohort study of HCC transplant recipients using United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data from 2002 to 2016. A competing risks regression was performed to identify variables associated with HCC recurrence and an interaction term between etiology and maximum AFP category. Among 18,406 recipients, 1484 patients experienced HCC recurrence over 3.1 years of median follow-up time. There was a significant interaction between AFP category and etiology of liver disease (P 1000 ng/mL, those with alcoholic liver disease had the highest risk of HCC recurrence among all etiologies. In conclusion, risk of HCC recurrence differs by etiology of liver disease, and the significance of elevated pretransplant AFP varies by etiology. Patients with alcoholic liver disease and elevated maximum AFP are at a uniquely high risk of HCC recurrence. These findings have potential UNOS policy implications because the transplant selection process may ultimately benefit from etiology-specific criteria.
Understanding Mechanisms behind Cultural Differences in Help Seeking Propensity

Cultural psychological literatures have documented that in contrary to Caucasians who are individualist, prioritize autonomy and independence, Asians are collectivists, prioritize group goals, interpersonal harmony and possess self-construal that very much overlaps with others of their in-group. Hence, Asians (including Asian Americans) should be more likely to seek help from their in-group. However, clinical psychological studies have documented Asian Americans’ underutilization of professional mental health compared to Westerners even in times of distress. In attempt to resolve previous conflicting cultural and clinical psychological literatures, this is the first study that examined help-seeking tendencies in other daily-life domains apart from mental health. Help-seeking is comprised of three elements: the willingness to seek help, comfort level when seeking help and the extent to which help-seekers expect to benefit from others. In the present study, I found that: 1. it was neither Asian Americans nor Westerners but Tsinghua University Asian students who reported the highest overall help-seeking propensity for relational problem, emotional distress and personal religious conflict; and 2. indicated greater preference for seeking help from career-driven connections when they were low-context communicators or when primed with high implicit power. Implications of findings for encouraging Asian immigrants and Caucasians’ help-seeking are discussed and explored.
Cheek Volumization and the Nasolabial Fold.

Background:The impression that cheek filling results in longitudinal shortening (“lift”) of the skin and elevation of the nasolabial crease or nasolabial fold has become common within the facial injection community but remains unsubstantiated.Methods:In this study, 77 patients were evaluated before
Robustly Executing DNNs in IoT Systems Using Coded Distributed Computing

Internet of Things (IoT) devices have access to an abundance of raw data for processing. With deep neural networks (DNNs), not only the demand for the computing power of IoT devices is increasing, but also privacy concerns are motivating the importance of close-to-edge computation. DNN execution by distributing its computation is common in IoT systems. However, managing unstable latencies in a network and intermittent failures are serious challenges. Our work provides robustness and close-to-zero recovery latency by adapting coded distributed computing (CDC). We analyze robust execution on a mesh of Raspberry Pis by studying four DNNs.
Measuring polynomial functions of states

In this paper I show that any $m$th-degree polynomial function of the elements of the density matrix $\rho$ can be determined by finding the expectation value of an observable on $m$ copies of $\rho$, without performing state tomography. Since a circuit exists which can approximate the measurement of any observable, in principle one can find a circuit which will estimate any such polynomial function by averaging over many runs. I construct some simple examples and compare these results to existing procedures.
Network-based prediction of polygenic disease genes involved in cell motility

Schizophrenia and autism are examples of polygenic diseases caused by a multitude of genetic variants, many of which are still poorly understood. Recently, both diseases have been associated with disrupted neuron motility and migration patterns, suggesting that aberrant cell motility is a phenotype for these neurological diseases. We formulate the Polygenic Disease Phenotype Problem which seeks to identify candidate disease genes that may be associated with a phenotype such as cell motility. We present a machine learning approach to solve this problem for schizophrenia and autism genes within a brain-specific functional interaction network. Our method outperforms peer semi-supervised learning approaches, achieving better cross-validation accuracy across different sets of gold-standard positives. We identify top candidates for both schizophrenia and autism, and select six genes labeled as schizophrenia positives that are predicted to be associated with cell motility for follow-up experiments. Candidate genes predicted by our method suggest testable hypotheses about these genes’ role in cell motility regulation, offering a framework for generating predictions for experimental validation.
A Two-step Estimation Approach for Logistic Varying Coefficient Modeling of Longitudinal Data

Varying coefficient models are useful for modeling longitudinal data and have been extensively studied in the past decade. Motivated by commonly encountered dichotomous outcomes in medical and health cohort studies, we propose a two-step method to estimate the regression coefficient functions in a logistic varying coefficient model for a longitudinal binary outcome. The model depicts time-varying covariate effects without imposing stringent parametric assumptions. The proposed estimation is simple and can be conveniently implemented using existing statistical packages such as SAS and R. We study asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators which lead to asymptotic inference and also develop bootstrap inferential procedures to test whether the coefficient functions are indeed time-varying or are equal to zero. The proposed methodology is illustrated with the analysis of a smoking cessation data set. Simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method compared to an alternative estimation method based on local maximum likelihood.
Association of serum chloride level alterations with in-hospital mortality.

Background We aimed to assess the association between alterations in serum chloride levels during hospitalisation and mortality. Methods We reviewed all adult patients admitted to our hospital from the year 2009 to 2013, who had at least two serum chloride measurements during hospitalisation. The serum chloride change during hospitalisation, defined as the absolute difference between the highest and lowest serum chloride levels, was categorised into seven groups; 0–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, 11–12 and ≥13 mEq/L. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the independent association between serum chloride change and in-hospital mortality, using the serum chloride change of 0–2 mEq/L as the reference group. Results A total of 57 880 patients, with median serum chloride change of 5 (IQR 3–9) mEq/L, were studied. The in-hospital mortality was progressively increased with larger chloride change, from 0.6% in group of 0–2 mEq/L to 5.9% in group of ≥13 mEq/L (p Conclusion Alterations in serum chloride during hospitalisation were associated with increased hospital mortality. The association was more prominent with upward than downward trend of serum chloride.
Quartet-Based Inference Methods are Statistically Consistent Under the Unified Duplication-Loss-Coalescence Model

The classic multispecies coalescent (MSC) model provides the means for theoretical justification of incomplete lineage sorting-aware species tree inference methods. A large body of work in phylogenetics is dedicated to the design of inference methods that are statistically consistent under MSC. One of such particularly popular methods is ASTRAL, a quartet-based species tree inference method. A few recent studies suggested that ASTRAL also performs well when given multi-locus gene trees in simulation studies. Further, Legried et al. recently demonstrated that ASTRAL is statistically consistent under the gene duplication and loss model (GDL). Note that GDL is prevalent in evolutionary histories and is a part of the powerful duplication-loss-coalescence evolutionary model (DLCoal) by Rasmussen and Kellis. In this work we prove that ASTRAL is statistically consistent under the general DLCoal model. Therefore, our result supports the empirical evidence from the simulation-based studies. More broadly, we prove that a randomly chosen quartet from a gene tree (with unique taxa) is more likely to agree with the respective species tree quartet than any of the two other quartets.
Pahalwan Baba Ramdev: Wrestling with yoga and middle-class masculinity in India

In the view of many people, Baba Ramdev embodies the practice of modern yoga in twenty-first century India. A tremendously successful entrepreneur, infamous ‘godman’ with political ties, and a highly visible TV personality, he is also a vocal supporter of pahalwani (Indian wrestling) as a way of life and of wrestling in India as a national sport. Beyond sponsorship of tournaments and support for a new professional wrestling league, he promotes a form of modern, nationalistic masculinity that draws on the ‘ideals’ of yoga, competitive athleticism, ‘Hindu’ conceptions of embodied power, and fetishized Vedic asceticism. In complex and often contradictory ways, Baba Ramdev's embodiment of these ideals shapes the bio-morality of wrestlers as they train, compete, and endorse his products. Critically analysed in terms of gender theory, his sponsorship of wrestling belies deep contradictions in religious nationalism, middle-class modernity, and in the gendered morality of both wrestling as a sport and yoga as a form of practice.
Fighting Against COVID-19 Requires Wearing a Face Mask by Not Some but All

This paper investigates the effects of wearing a face mask on fighting against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The formal analysis is achieved by using a difference-in-difference design, where U.S. county-level data on changes in COVID-19 cases or deaths are regressed on lagged changes in social interaction of people measured by Google mobility. The main contribution is achieved by distinguishing between the effects of social interaction on COVID-19 in mask-wearing versus non-mask-wearing counties determined by Dynata surveys. After controlling for county-specific and time-specific factors, the results show that social interaction causally increases both COVID-19 cases and deaths across U.S. counties. Wearing a face mask starts working to fight against COVID-19 only if more than 75% of people in a county "always" wear a face mask, while the effects of social interaction on COVID-19 are statistically eliminated when more than 85% of people in a county "always" wear a face mask.
Trap Cropping Harlequin Bug: Distance of Separation Influences Female Movement and Oviposition.

To evaluate perimeter trap crops for management of harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn), we undertook greenhouse and field experiments with mustard greens as trap crop for a collard cash crop. We confirmed that harlequin bugs prefer to immigrate to and reside on mustard. Females, however, in greenhouse cage experiments, ‘commuted’ to collards to lay their eggs. In separate spring and fall field plantings, using replicated 12 m by 12 m collard plots in 1-ha fields, we tested mustard planted as an adjacent perimeter trap crop, or a perimeter trap crop separated by 2 unplanted rows (2.3 m), or with no trap crop. Adults accumulated on the spring mustard crop but overall numbers remained low, with all collards sustaining <1% leaves damaged. In the fall, the separation of 2.3 m reduced oviposition on collards fourfold, and feeding damage approximately 2.5-fold, compared to collards with an adjacent trap crop. Fall control plots with no border trap crop showed even lower foliar damage; likely result of preferential immigration of harlequin bugs to mustard at the field scale, resulting in fewer bugs near the control treatment plots. Thus, the spatial arrangement of the mustard trap crop, and its separation from the cash crop, influences pest abundance and damage. A separated mustard border can reduce bug movement including female commuting and egg-laying, thus better protecting the collard cash crop. Future research should address reduction in area of trap crops, deployment of semiochemicals, and possible changes in timing, to promote trap cropping that is practical for grower implementation.
Simulation of the Higher Harmonics Source Determination in Power Supply Systems

The article deals with the issues of electricity quality in power supply systems. The quality of electrical energy is often determined not only by energy supplying organizations, but also by electricity consumers. A significant decrease in the quality of electricity inevitably leads to negative impacts on the electrical equipment of both energy enterprises and the consumers of electrical energy, providing these conditions for the occurrence of both technological and electromagnetic damage. Ultimately, it leads to financial losses and other undesirable consequences from violations of the electricity quality. The results of parameters measurements of the LED lamps modes operating obtained by the authors of the article are presented. The presence of electronic converters in these luminaires leads to the appearance of higher voltage and current harmonics. These results show that the massive use of LED lamps and other nonlinear consumers leads to a decrease in the quality of electricity in 0.38 kV electrical networks. On a computer model of the simplest power supply system with nonlinear consumers it is shown that constant monitoring of the values of load currents and voltages can be used to identify the causes of the appearance of current and voltage significant higher harmonics. Nonlinear resistances of load receivers or the sources of these harmonics are located in the electrical networks of power supply organizations. The use of resistance values monitoring in combination with monitoring the current with a frequency of more than 50 Hz in the neutral wire allows to determine with sufficient accuracy the cause of the distortions of the voltage and current curves sinusoidal shape.
Changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic among American veterans.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable behavioral health implications globally. One subgroup that may be of particular concern is U.S. veterans, who are susceptible to mental health and substance use concerns. The current study aimed to investigate changes in alcohol use and binge drinking before and during the first year of the pandemic among U.S. veterans, and how pre-pandemic mental health disorders, namely posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and COVID-19-related factors like loneliness, negative reactions to COVID-19, and economic hardship influenced alcohol use trends. Methods 1230 veterans were recruited in February 2020 as part of a larger survey study on veteran health behaviors. Veterans were asked to complete follow-up assessments throughout the pandemic at 6, 9, and 12- months. Results Overall, veterans reported a significant decrease in alcohol use (IRR = 0.98) and binge drinking (IRR = 0.11) However, women, racial/ethnic minority veterans, and those with pre-existing PTSD exhibited smaller decreases in alcohol use and binge drinking and overall higher rates of use compared to men, White veterans, and those without PTSD. Both economic hardship and negative reactions to COVID-19 were associated with greater alcohol and binge drinking whereas loneliness showed a negative association with alcohol use and binge drinking. Conclusions Veterans reported decreases in alcohol use and binge drinking throughout the pandemic, with heterogeneity in these outcomes noted for higher risk groups. Special research and clinical attention should be given to the behavioral health care needs of veterans in the post-pandemic period.
Criticality of a 237Np Sphere

A series of critical-mass experiments using a 6-kg neptunium sphere was performed on the Planet vertical-assembly machine at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The purpose of the experiments wa...
Data Mining Algorithms for Virtual Screening of Bioactive Compounds

In this chapter we study the problem of classifying chemical compound datasets. We present a sub-structure-based classification algorithm that decouples the sub-structure discovery process from the classification model construction and uses frequent subgraph discovery algorithms to find all topological and geometric sub-structures present in the dataset. The advantage of this approach is that during classification model construction, all relevant sub-structures are available allowing the classifier to intelligently select the most discriminating ones. The computational scalability is ensured by the use of highly efficient frequent subgraph discovery algorithms coupled with aggressive feature selection. Experimental evaluation on eight different classification problems shows that our approach is computationally scalable and on the average, outperforms existing schemes by 10% to 35%.
Effect of Glucose on the Formation of the Membrane-Bound Electron Transport System in Haemophilus parainfluenzae

The catabolism of glucose by Haemophilus parainfluenzae affected the formation of the primary dehydrogenases of the membrane-bound electron transport system. The formation of other components of the respiratory system, 2-demethyl vitamin K(2), cytochrome b(1), cytochrome c(1), and the cytochrome oxidases a(1), a(2), and o, is not affected by the catabolism of glucose. The formation of all components of the electron transport system is controlled by the identity and concentration of the terminal electron acceptors present in the growth medium.
Surface roughness scattering in ultrathin-body SOI MOSFETs

A rigorous surface roughness scattering model for ultrathin-body SOI MOSFETs is presented, which extends Ando’s model for bulk MOSFETs. The matrix element of the scattering potential includes a generalized Prange-Nee term and all the Coulomb interaction terms. Using this model, we study the effects of the silicon body thickness, effective field, and dielectric constant of the insulator on the roughness-limited low-field electron mobility in ultrathin-body SOI MOSFETs.
Are Legal Ethics Ethical? A Survey Experiment

Many core questions in legal ethics concern the relationship between ordinary morality and rules of professional conduct that govern lawyers. Do these legal ethics rules diverge from ordinary morality? Is the lawyer's role morally distinctive? Do professional norms establish what the lawyer has most reason to do? Conjectured answers to these questions abound. In this Article, we use methods from moral psychology and experimental philosophy to provide the first systematic, empirical examination of these questions. Based on results from a survey experiment, we find that legal ethics rules about advocacy and confidentiality diverge from lay moral judgments; that lay judgments do not, in general, attribute distinctive moral significance to the lawyer’s role; and that norms of professional conduct can change (but do not fully determine) lay judgments about the moral status of lawyers’ actions. We conclude by discussing some of the most important theoretical and policy implications of these findings.
Electrocardiographic Total 12-Lead QRS Voltage in Patients Having Operative Resection of Syphilitic Aortic Aneurysm

Electrocardiographic voltage has been used to determine the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy for about 70 years. Varying electrocardiographic criteria have been applied. We have found total 12-lead QRS voltage to be most useful in this regard. We measured total 12-lead QRS voltage in 24 patients in whom an ascending aortic aneurysm was resected and histologic study of its wall was classic of syphilitic aortitis. In these 24 patients total 12-lead QRS voltage ranged from 57 to 161 mm, averaging 120 ± 32 in the 11 men and 106 ± 24 mm in the 13 women. If normal 12-lead QRS voltage in adults is considered to be >175 mm not a single one of the 24 patients had normal voltage. Indeed, most were in the low normal area. Thus, this study provides some evidence via this indirect means that the heart itself is infrequently involved by syphilitic aortitis which produces an ascending aortic aneurysm of sufficient size to warrant resection.
The Ant Larvae of the Subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera; Formicidae): Supplement

An earlier study on the larvae of the Formicinae was published by the authors in 1953. The present supplement contains descriptions of the larvae of 44 additional species in the genera Acropyga, Calomyrmex, Camponotus, *Diodontolepis, Gesomyrmex, Melophorus, *Myrmecocystus, *Myrmecorhynchus, Notoncus, *Opisthopsis, Paratrechina, *Polyergus, Polyrhachis, *Prolasius and *Stigmacros. Genera marked with an asterisk are new to the authors collection and are characterized here for the first time. Necessary revisions are made in earlier descriptions and additional references to the literature are cited.
Distribution and Host Range of a Powdery Mildew Fungus Infecting Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata, in Southwestern Ohio

Abstract Garlic mustard is an invasive Eurasian biennial that has rapidly spread throughout the United States. In Southwestern Ohio, many garlic mustard populations are infected with Erysiphe cruciferarum, a causal agent of powdery mildew disease in Brassicaceous plants. We examined the regional distribution of E. cruciferarum on garlic mustard and determined the potential host range of E. cruciferarum on several native Brassicaceous species and selected Brassicaceous crop varieties. A survey of 19 natural areas in western Ohio revealed that populations of garlic mustard with high incidences of powdery mildew were largely centered in Montgomery and Greene Counties in Ohio, with disease incidence decreasing away from Dayton, Ohio. Sampling locations that were on level or southeast facing slopes had significantly higher disease incidences than those on northwest or southwest facing slopes. Five native spring ephemeral species, including four Cardamine species and one Arabis species, showed no obvious signs ...
Session 5: Who is Susceptible to Particulate Matter and Why?

(2000). Session 5: Who is Susceptible to Particulate Matter and Why? Inhalation Toxicology: Vol. 12, No. sup1, pp. 37-40.
Statistical Filtering of Cosmic Ray Events From Astronomical Charge-Coupled Device (Ccd) Images

The passage of cosmic ray secondaries through unthinned CCD detectors may produce numerous spurious images in moderate-length astronomical exposures min). The intensity of these cosmic ray tracks is usually greater than that of most of the features of interest. In the present paper we investigate the relative merits of several techniques for removing these artifacts from multiple CCD exposures of the same scene. We first investigate various single-point outlier rejectia criteria, and then go on to study techniques that make use of the spatial distribution of actual cosmic ray tracks. Applications of these techniques to typical astronomical CCD exposures are given.
Continuous, real-time, tele-monitoring of patients with chronic heart-failure: lessons learned from a pilot study

We present a smartphone-based system for remote real-time tele-monitoring of physical activity in patients with chronic heart-failure (CHF). We recently completed a pilot study with 15 subjects to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed monitoring in the real world and examine its requirements, privacy implications, usability, and other challenges encountered by the participants and healthcare providers. Our tele-monitoring system was designed to asses patient activity via minute-by-minute energy expenditure (EE) estimated from accelerometry. In addition, we tracked relative user location via global positioning system (GPS) to track outdoors activity and measure walking distance. The system also administered daily-surveys to inquire about vital signs and general cardiovascular symptoms. The collected data were securely transmitted to a central server where they were analyzed in real time and were accessible to the study medical staff to assess patients' health status and provide medical intervention if needed. Although the system was designed for tele-monitoring individuals with CHF, the challenges, privacy considerations, and lessons learned from this pilot study apply to other chronic health conditions that would benefit from continuous monitoring through mobile-health (mHealth) technologies, such as diabetes and hypertension.
An adaptive Fourier Bessel split-step method and variational techniques applied to nonlinear propagation in negative index materials

Starting from a simple dispersion relation that models negative index materials, we derive and develop the underlying partial differential equation for wave propagation in such a medium. In the first part we study the linear characteristics of wave and beam propagation in NIMs. In the second part we heuristically perform a nonlinear extension of the linear partial differential equation by adding cubic nonlinear terms as in the nonlinear Klein Gordon equation, and (d+1+1)- dimensional envelope solitary wave solutions are derived. Also, using variational techniques and an adaptive Fourier Bessel split-step numerical method, we show that nonlinearity management through a periodic variation of the nonlinearity coefficient helps in stabilization of spatial solitons.
Acute pyelonephritis in US hospitals in 1997: hospitalization and in-hospital mortality.

Abstract PURPOSE: To describe the 1997 incidence of hospitalization for acute pyelonephritis in the US and the risk factors for in-hospital mortality associated with acute pyelonephritis. METHODS: Cases were defined as those with ICD9-CM codes corresponding to acute pyelonephritis in the 1997 Health Care Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Frequencies and calculations were weighted to produce either national or state estimates. Hospitalization rates were calculated using 1997 US Census Bureau population projections for the denominator. RESULTS: Females were almost five times as likely as males to be hospitalized for acute pyelonephritis (11.7/10,000 vs. 2.4/10,000), but males had higher mortality rates (16.5/1000 vs. 7.3/1000); 30% greater after adjustment. Hospitalization and in-hospital mortality rates increased with age, but not with diabetes. Mortality rates increased with number of procedures, diagnoses and having a major diagnostic category other than disorders of the kidney and urinary tract. Persons living in zip codes with lower median incomes were also at higher risk of mortality. There was little variation in mortality by hospital size, ownership, location or teaching status. CONCLUSION: In hospital mortality for pyelonephritis was associated with patient rather than hospital characteristics suggesting uniform application of standard care across hospitals and populations.
In Vivo release of norethindrone coupled to a biodegradable poly(α-amino acid) drug delivery system

Abstract The in vivo release of norethindrone from a biodegradable steroid–polymer conjugate was studied in rats. The drug-polymer conjugate, consisting of [ 3 H]norethindrone coupled via a 17-carbonate bond to poly- N 5 -(3-hydroxypropyl)-L-glutamine was administered to female rats by subcutaneous injection. The in vivo release of steroid, determined by measuring the daily radioactivity output in urine and feces, was fairly constant though it showed a gradual decrease during the 9-month study period. The data indicate that this biodegradable norethindrone–polymer conjugate is a potential candidate for the controlled delivery of norethindrone to effect long-term contraception.
The WIND spacecraft and its early scientific results

Abstract The WIND spacecraft, part of the ISTP program, was launched by NASA on 1 November 1994, to study the interplanetary medium and the effects of changes and disturbances in it upon the magnetosphere. Initially placed in a double-lunar-swingby orbit, which presently has a perigee of ∼1.5 and an apogee of ∼250 earth radii, the spacecraft may be inserted in 1997 into a halo orbit about the foreward libration point, L1 where it will remain for at least a year. WIND carries modern instrumentation to measure the magnetic field, solar wind and hot plasma, energetic particles and low energy cosmic rays, plasma and radio waves and plasma composition, in addition to two Gamma-ray burst detectors. One of the Gamma-ray instruments is the first Russian instrument to fly on a US spacecraft. This paper describes the spacecraft and some new results in various disciplines.
Sliding windows algorithm for B-spline multiplication

B-spline multiplication, that is, finding the coefficients of the product B-spline of two given B-splines, is useful as an end result, in addition to being an important prerequisite component to many other symbolic computation operations on B-splines. Algorithms for B-spline multiplication standardly use indirect approaches such as nodal interpolation or computing the product of each set of polynomial pieces using various bases. The original direct approach is complicated. B-spline blossoming provides another direct approach that can be straightforwardly translated from mathematical equation to implementation; however, the algorithm does not scale well with degree or dimension of the subject tensor product B-splines. We present the Sliding Windows Algorithm (SWA), a new blossoming based algorithm for B-spline multiplication that addresses the difficulties mentioned heretofore.
Development of a lavage technique for sampling Ceratomyxa shasta in adult salmonids

Ceratomyxa shasta, intestinal lavage technique for sampling intestinal tract of adult chinook salmon for parasite without sacrificing the fish
Evaluation of a digital optical ionizing radiation particle track detector

Abstract An outline of an ionizing radiation particle track detector is presented which can in principle, determine the three-dimensional spatial distribution of all the secondary electrons produced by the passage of the ionizing radiation through a low-pressure (0.1–10 kPa) gas. The electrons in the particle track are excited by the presence of a high-frequency ac electric field, and two digital cameras image the optical radiation produced in electronic excitation collisions of the surrounding gas by the electrons. The specific requirements of the detector for neutron dosimetry and microdosimetry are outlined (i.e., operating conditions of the digital cameras, high voltage fields, gas mixtures, etc.) along with an estimate of the resolution and sensitivity achievable with this technique. The proposed detector is shown to compare favorably with other methods for obtaining the details of the track structure, particularly in the quality of the information obtainable about the particle track and the comparative simplicity and adaptability of the detector for measuring the secondary electron track structure for many forms of ionizing radiation over a wide range of energies.
Neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells using microfluidic spatial confinement of cell parts and soluble factors

Embryonic stem cells provide a potential promising therapeutic approach for tissue regeneration. With the advent of microfluidic technology we can more closely recapitulate features of the native tissue environment. Here we use a contemporary compartmentalized device to culture mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and differentiate them with a defined neuronal medium into process-extending “neurons” that traverse a set of microgrooves from one compartment containing cell bodies to another that is devoid of cell bodies. This device allows spatial isolation of medium and cell parts, and contains a series of microgrooves that guide the paths of neuronal processes. We will use this new culturing approach to determine how various soluble factors or tissue targets might influence neuronal differentiation during development.
Unpinned GaAs MOS capacitors and transistors

Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors and field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) in the GaAs semiconductor system using an unpinned interface are described. The structures utilize plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD) for the silicon-dioxide insulator on GaAs that has been terminated with a few monolayers of silicon during growth by molecular beam epitaxy. Interface densities in the structures have been reduced to approximately 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/.eV/sup -1/. High-frequency characteristics indicate strong inversion of both p-type and n-type GaAs. The excellent insulating quality of the oxide has allowed demonstration of quasi-static characteristics. MOSFETs operating in depletion mode with a transconductance of 60 mS/mm at 8.0- mu m gate lengths have been fabricated. >
Twenty-four—hour ambulatory electrocardiography in elderly subjects: Prevalence of various arrhythmias and prognostic implications (report from the Bronx Longitudinal Aging Study)

Functional, ambulatory, community-dwelling subjects (n = 423, aged 75 to 85 years) underwent baseline 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG) examinations as part of the Bronx Aging Study, a 10-year prospective cohort study designed to identify risk factors and disease markers for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and dementia illnesses in old people. Premature ventricular contractions were the most commonly observed arrhythmia noted (93% of subjects), with a low prevalence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (5%), paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (13%), atrial fibrillation (4%), and atrioventricular blocks (4%). A 24-hour sinus rate of < 60 beats/min was noted in 13% of subjects, and 11% of subjects were noted to have transient episodes of severe bradycardia (< 40 beats/min). In a multivariate analysis, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia was an independent predictor of death (p = 0.015; relative risk [RR] 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4 to 5.8) and myocardial infarction (p = 0.031; RR 3.2; CI 1.2 to 9.4). Transient atrioventricular block was an independent predictor of stroke (p - 0.0006; RR 9.7; CI 3.3 to 28.9), as was sinus bradycardia over a 24-hour period (p = 0.033; RR 2.7; CI 1.2 to 6.4). Ventricular tachycardia approached significance as an independent predictor of multiinfarct dementia (p = 0.052; RR 6.3; CI 1.4 to 28.7). Episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, a trial tachycardia, and severe bradycardia were not associated with adverse outcomes. Some arrhythmias found on the ambulatory ECG in very old subjects can predict an increased risk for subsequent death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and multiinfarct dementia.
Quantitative testing of bedrock incision models for the Clearwater River, NW Washington State

[1] The incision of rivers in bedrock is thought to be an important factor that influences the evolution of relief in tectonically active orogens. At present, there are at least six competing models for incision of bedrock rivers, but these models have received little quantitative testing. We statistically evaluate these models using observations from the Clearwater River in northwestern Washington State, which crosses the actively rising forearc high of the Cascadia margin. A previous study has used fluvial terraces along the Clearwater to estimate bedrock incision rates over the last ∼150 kyr. They show that incision rates have been steady over the long-term (>50 kyr), consistent with other evidence based on isotopic cooling ages, for steady long-term (>1 Myr) erosion rates. The steady state character of the river allows us to use the relatively simple time-invariant solutions for the various incision models and also to estimate long-term sediment discharge along the river, which is a critical variable for some incision models. An interesting feature of the Clearwater River is that it has a downstream decrease in the rate of incision, from ∼0.9 mm/yr in the headwater to <0.1 mm/yr at the coast. None of the incision models, including the shear stress model, successfully accounts for this relationship. This result may be due to the simple way in which these models are used, commonly without consideration for the distribution of discharge with time, and the variable capacity of the river channel to contain peak flows along its course. We suggest some general improvements for the incision models, and also guidelines for selecting those rivers that will allow good discrimination between competing models.
Young Children's Human Figure Drawings and Cognitive Development:

The age-stage relationship between young children's human figure drawings and Piaget's levels of cognitive development was investigated using 45 young children ages 4 through 6 years. Analyses indicated a distinct monotonic trend between cognitive stage and drawing level; as cognitive ability increased so did drawing level. This suggests that children's human figure drawings can be a simple tool for the quick assessment of cognitive levels in young children.
Ab-initio studies of fluoroxytrifluoromethane geometry and electronic structure

Abstract Ab-initio molecular orbital calculations using both minimal or STO-3G and extended or 4-31G basis sets have been applied to fluoroxytrifluormethane. Complete geometry optimizations using both basis sets have been applied to this molecule and the calculated structural parameters have been compared to the electron diffraction data. The extended basis set calculations are found to be in much better overall agreement with experiment although the minimal basis set does reproduce the angular parameters well, including the tilt angle. The barrier to the CF 3 torsion has been computed and it compares favorably with the microwave spectral value. The electronic structure of CF 3 OF and some related molecules have been examined by partitioning the electrons according to the method of Mulliken. The highest occupied orbital in CF 3 OF is found to be largely an O-F π * orbital and the O-F bond is also found to be the least ionic and weakest bond in the molecule. The computed dipole moment of CF 3 OF agrees well with the experimental value.
Proud osteochondral autograft versus synthetic plugs — Contact pressures with cyclical loading in a bovine knee model

Abstract Purpose To determine whether proud synthetic and proud osteochondral plugs conform to native surrounding cartilage after cyclical loading and if there are differences in height and contact pressure after loading. Methods Sixteen bovine knees were used. Each received one osteochondral plug and one of two types of synthetic plugs (Smith & Nephew TruFit® BGS plug or Kensey Nash OsseoFit® plug). Plugs were placed in the center of each condyle's highest pressure area of articulation identified prior to defect creation (control). Static loads of 800 N were applied and contact pressures measured with Tekscan sensors. Results Both types of synthetic grafts and the osteochondral grafts all subsided with cyclical loading (p Conclusions Precision and accuracy are demanded to achieve flush osteochondral plug placement and OsseoFit synthetic plugs may subside more with less pressure than TruFit plugs if placed proud.
Postharvest Storage Losses Associated with Rhizomania in Sugar Beet

Campbell, L. G., Klotz, K. L., and Smith, L. J. 2008. Postharvest storage losses associated with rhizomania in sugar beet. Plant Dis. 92:575-580. During storage of sugar beet, respiration and rots consume sucrose and produce invert sugar. Diseases that occur in the field can affect the magnitude of these losses. This research examines the storage of roots with rhizomania (caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus) and the effectiveness of rhizomania-resistant hybrids in reducing postharvest losses. Roots of susceptible hybrids from sites with rhizomania had respiration rates 30 days after harvest (DAH) that ranged from 0.68 to 2.79 mg of CO2 kg –1 h –1 higher than roots of the resistant hybrids. This difference ranged from 2.60 to 13.88 mg of CO2 kg–1 h–1 120 DAH. Roots of resistant hybrids from sites with rhizomania had 18 kg more sucrose per ton than roots from susceptible hybrids 30 DAH, with this difference increasing to 55 kg Mg–1 120 DAH. The invert sugar concentration of susceptible hybrids from sites with rhizomania ranged from 8.38 to 287 g per 100 g of sucrose higher than that for resistant hybrids 120 DAH. In contrast, differences between susceptible and resistant hybrids in respiration rate, sucrose loss, and invert sugar concentration in the absence of rhizomania were relatively small. Storage losses due to rhizomania can be minimized by planting resistant hybrids and processing roots from fields with rhizomania soon after harvest.
Immunological consequences of acute and chronic stressors: Mediating role of interpersonal relationships

This review presents recent studies examining the relationship between acute and chronic stressors, changes in immune function, and interpersonal relationships. Data are given which document immunosuppressive effects of commonplace, short-term stressors, as well as more prolonged stressors, such as marital disruption and caregiving for a relative with Alzheimer's disease. Immune changes included both quantitative and qualitative changes in immune cells, including changes in herpes virus latency, decreases in the percentages of T-helper lymphocytes and decreases in the numbers and function of natural killer cells. These effects occurred independently of changes in nutrition. Psychological variables, including loneliness, attachment and depression were related to the immune changes. The data are discussed in a framework in which quality interpersonal relationships may serve to attenuate the adverse immunological changes associated with psychological distress, and may have consequences for disease susceptibility and health.
Molecular basis of evolutionary adaptation at the lactate dehydrogenase-B locus in the fish Fundulus heteroclitus

At the extremes of its natural distribution, populations of the common killifish Fundulus heteroclitus experience a difference of more than 15 degrees C in mean annual temperature. These populations are virtually fixed for two different codominant alleles at the heart-type lactate dehydrogenase locus (Ldh-B) which code for allozymes with different and adaptive kinetic responses to temperature. Two populations near the extremes of the species range (i.e., Maine and Georgia) were further studied for thermal adaptation at this locus. In the absence of any kinetic differences one would predict that to maintain a constant reaction velocity, 2 to 3 times as much enzyme would be required for each 10 degrees C decrease in environmental temperature. Consistent with this adaptive strategy and in addition to the adaptive kinetic characteristics, the LDH-B4 enzyme (EC 1.1.1.27) concentration and its mRNA concentration were approximately twice as great in the northern population as in the southern population. Acclimation experiments allow us to conclude that these differences are due to a combination of fixed genetic traits (evolutionary adaptation) and plastic responses to temperature (physiological acclimation). Furthermore, our calculations show that the LDH-B4 reaction velocities are essentially equivalent for these two populations, even though they live in significantly different thermal environments.