cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MACHINE-VISION SYSTEM FOR MULTISPOT VEHICLE DETECTION

New technology and equipment are constantly sought by traffic engineers for dealing with the problem of urban congestion. Among the most promising concepts available today is the use of video imaging for vehicle detection, automatic surveillance, and extraction of data needed for developing advanced control concepts. In this paper, a recently developed video detection system is presented. The system operates in real time, it can detect traffic simultaneously at multiple points within the field of the camera's view, and it emulates loop detectors, i.e. it produces signals compatible with loops. The system was installed and tested both off‐line and in real time using taped data and field installations, respectively. The results up to this point suggest accuracy levels comparable to loops; higher accuracies than loops in speed measurements are expected. Finally, software is being developed for real‐time extraction of traffic parameters, state variables (i.e., queue lengths and size), and measures of effectiv...
An oscillographic study of afferent connections to the hippocampus in the cat (Felis domesticus).

Abstract 1. 1. Evoked responses have been recorded from the hippocampus as a result of stimulating at rates of from 1–15/sec in the so-called olfactory areas of the brain, including the olfactory bulb, olfactory tubercle, prepyriform and pyriform cortex, and amygdaloid nuclei. 2. 2. Hippocampal responses were also recorded when stimulating other areas of the brain, including the following: the septum, parts of the hypothalamus, certain thalamic nuclei, and the midbrain tegmentum. 3. 3. The hippocampal responses recorded when stimulating in the olfactory areas were abolished when the pyriform lobe was incised transversely, posterior to stimulation. 4. 4. Impulses from the olfactory areas of the brain go to the hippocampus. The directness of these projections (number of synapses) depends upon the specific area involved. 5. 5. Projections from the amygdala appear to be more direct than those from the olfactory bulb, olfactory tubercle, or prepyriform areas. 6. 6. Impulses from these olfactory areas traverse a route through the pyriform lobe and area entorhinalis to reach the hippocampus.
The extension of cracks at high temperature by growth and coalescence of voids

The problem of creep crack growth is studied analytically in this paper. The analysis assumes a sufficiently slow crack growth rate so that elastic effects can be neglected and hence the near tip stress field is well approximated by the C*(HRR) field. The crack is assumed to advance continuously due to the growth and coalescence of voids directly ahead of the crack tip. An exact solution for the entire growth historya(a), 0 ⩽a < ∞, is obtained as a function of crack extensiona andC* for a wide variety of void growth mechanisms. The solution shows that, for a finite nucleation zone with sizeR, the steady state crack extension rateass =a(a → ∞) is attained exponentially fast with characteristic distanceR. Another consequence of the solution is that is proportional toC*. An important result is that, for crack extensiona less thanR, the transient crack growth ratea(a) can be approximated by a closed form asymptotic series.
Magnetically Driven Assembly of Superparamagnetic Colloidal Particles

, ECE Department, Chicago, IL 60607Thin ferromagnetic film patterned into isolated islands is used to direct assembly ofsuperparamagnetic colloidal particles into two-dimensional arrays. Ferromagnetic islandspositioned under a template of micro-wells are shown to promote highly regular 2D arrays, whileexternal uniform magnetic field is used to bias the particles to attract or repel from the exposed endof the ferromagnetic islands. A theoretical analysis on the interactions between superparamagneticcolloidal particles with the template and external uniform magnetic fields is also presented.Keywords: Directed Assembly, Superparamagnetic, Colloidal, Biosensor, Particle Array.
Understanding the origin of species with genome-scale data: modelling gene flow

As it becomes easier to sequence multiple genomes from closely related species, evolutionary biologists working on speciation are struggling to get the most out of very large population genomic data sets. Such data hold the potential to resolve long-standing questions in evolutionary biology about the role of gene exchange in species formation. In principle, the new population genomic data can be used to disentangle the conflicting roles of natural selection and gene flow during the divergence process. However, there are great challenges in taking full advantage of such data, especially with regard to including recombination in genetic models of the divergence process. Current data, models, methods and the potential pitfalls in using them will be considered here.
Excitation of the squid axon membrane in isosmotic potassium chloride.

THE interesting recent findings in the frog node of Ranvier of an ‘action potential’ in isosmotic potassium chloride by Mueller1, and of two stable states in 20–40 mM potassium chloride by Stampfli2, raise the question as to whether or not similar phenomena are to be found in the squid axon membrane.
Inhibition of Photosynthesis by Oxygen in Isolated Spinach Chloroplasts

The inhibition of photosynthetic CO(2) fixation by O(2), commonly referred to as the Warburg effect, was examined in isolated intact spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplasts. The major characteristics of this effect in isolated chloroplasts are rapid reversibility when O(2) is replaced by N(2), an increased inhibition by O(2) at low concentrations of CO(2) and a decreased effect of O(2) with increased concentrations of CO(2).Both the DPN- and TPN-linked glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenases but not aldolase were inhibited by O(2). The photoreduction of TPN measured in fragmented chloroplast preparations was similar in N(2) and O(2) down to a concentration of 5 micromolar TPN. The effect of 100% O(2) on (14)CO(2) assimilation was overcome completely by fructose 1,6-diphosphate and by ribose 5-phosphate but not by ascorbate, cysteine, dithiothreitol and reduced lipoate. Glycolate became the major photosynthetic product at high partial pressures of O(2) or at low CO(2) concentrations. It is concluded that O(2) depresses photosynthesis primarily by causing a shift of a major portion of the total carbon into glycolate and impairing the functioning of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle. The mechanism whereby O(2) alters the flow of carbon into glycolate remains unknown.
Palladium-mediated intramolecular carbonylative annulation of o-alkynylphenols to synthesize benzo[b]furo[3,4-d]furan-1-ones.

The carbonylative annulation of o-alkynylphenols mediated by PdCl2(PPh3)2 and dppp in the presence of CsOAc at 55 °C in acetonitrile under a balloon pressure of CO generates functionalized benzo[b]furo[3,4-d]furan-1-ones in good yields. This novel synthetic approach provides a highly efficient method for diversification of the benzofuran scaffold for combinatorial synthesis.
Renal Handling of Carnitine in Secondary Carnitine Deficiency Disorders

ABSTRACT: Reduced plasma and tissue concentrations of carnitine, a cofactor required for fatty acid oxidation, are present in patients with inherited disorders of mitochondrial acyl-CoA oxidation that are associated with accumulations of acylcarnitines. To determine whether the secondary carnitine deficiency in these patients is due to excessive urinary loss of acylcarnitines, the development of carnitine deficiency was examined in patients with four different acyl-CoA oxidation disorders, including medium-chain and long-chain fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiencies, iso-valeric acidemia, and propionic acidemia. After a 3-mo period of treatment with oral carnitine to raise plasma total carnitine concentrations to or above normal, patients were started on a carnitine-free diet and the changes in plasma total and free carnitine levels and urinary total and free carnitine excretion were followed for 5 d. Patients with all four disorders showed a return of plasma carnitine levels and urinary carnitine excretion to baseline within 2 to 4 d. The rapidity of these changes could not be explained solely by excessive acylcarnitine wasting. Continued excretion of free carnitine in all patients indicated the additional presence of an impairment in renal transport of free carnitine. Consistent with this interpretation, estimates of renal thresholds for free carnitine gave values that were less than that for a control child in all four disorders and ranged as low as one half those reported in normal individuals. These results suggest that secondary carnitine deficiency in the acyl-CoA oxidation disorders is due to indirect as well as direct effects of accumulated acylcarnitines. Lowered renal free carnitine thresholds in these patients may reflect inhibition of free carnitine transport in the kidney by acylcarnitines.
Naming and gesturing spatial relations: Evidence from focal brain-injured individuals

Spatial language helps us to encode relations between objects and organize our thinking. Little is known about the neural instantiations of spatial language. Using voxel-lesion symptom mapping (VLSM), we tested the hypothesis that focal brain injured patients who had damage to left frontal–parietal peri-Sylvian regions would have difficulty in naming spatial relations between objects. We also investigated the relationship between impaired verbalization of spatial relations and spontaneous gesture production. Patients with left or right hemisphere damage and elderly control participants were asked to name static (e.g., an apple on a book) and dynamic (e.g., a pen moves over a box) locative relations depicted in brief video clips. The correct use of prepositions in each task and gestures that represent the spatial relations were coded. Damage to the left posterior middle frontal gyrus, the left inferior frontal gyrus, and the left anterior superior temporal gyrus were related to impairment in naming spatial relations. Production of spatial gestures negatively correlated with naming accuracy, suggesting that gestures might help or compensate for difficulty with lexical access. Additional analyses suggested that left hemisphere patients who had damage to the left posterior middle frontal gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus gestured less than expected, if gestures are used to compensate for impairments in retrieving prepositions.
Relationships among Preservice Teachers' Technology-Related Abilities, Beliefs, and Intentions to Use Technology in Their Future Classrooms:

This study investigated relationships among students' technology-related abilities, beliefs, and intentions. Participants were 217 preservice teachers who responded to post-course surveys. Value beliefs were the best predictor of their intentions to use a variety of software and their intentions regarding frequency of technology use with students in their future classrooms. Self-efficacy for technology integration also contributed to the prediction of intentions to use a variety of software, and technological abilities contributed to the prediction of intentions regarding frequency of future technology use. Constructivist beliefs were moderately correlated with self-efficacy and value beliefs, as well as with both types of intentions. The results highlight the importance of relationships between preservice teachers' beliefs and their potential integration of technology in their future classrooms.
The power method transformation: its probability density function, distribution function, and its further use for fitting data

The power method polynomial transformation is a popular algorithm used for simulating non-normal distributions because of its simplicity and ease of execution. The primary limitations of the power method transformation are that its probability density function (pdf) and cumulative distribution function (cdf) are unknown. In view of this, the power method's pdf and cdf are derived in general form. More specific properties are also derived for determining if a given transformation will also have an associated pdf in the context of polynomials of order three and five. Numerical examples and para-metric plots of power method densities are provided to confirm and demonstrate the methodology. It is also shown how the power method transformation can be applied in the context of parameter estimation and distribution fitting using data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study Project MATCH.
A new radiochemical method for detecting poly(A)-RNA.

Abstract Radioiodine-substituted nucleosides in 125 I-labeled poly(U) are rapidly deiodinated by reaction with bisulfite at near neutral pH. The deiodination reaction is prevented by annealling of the iodinated poly(U) with poly(A). The latter characteristic is the basis for an analytical protocol used to characterize the composition of poly(A)-RNAs of the rat thyroid. A high molecular weight RNA species sedimenting at a rate similar to that of beef thyroglobulin mRNA was detected. The result of the analysis indicated that the rat RNA corresponding to the beef thyroglobulin messenger can be segregated by sedimentation. The assay for poly(A)-RNA based upon resistance to deiodination is advantageous in the analysis of small amounts of RNA since the test does not result in fragmentation of the polynucleotides.
Perception of computer dialogue personality: an exploratory study

Abstract This study presents an exploratory investigation into the perception of computer dialogue personality. Sixty-one subjects participated in a between subjects experimental design of computerized car ordering stimulus programs modeled to exhibit personality types: extravert-stable, extravert-unstable, introvert-stable, and introvert-unstable. Factor analysis of the perceived presence of twelve personality traits in the computer dialogue indicated subjects perceive computer dialogue personality in much the same manner as they characterize human personality. Perception of computer dialogue extraversion differences were more salient than neuroticism differences, but were not found to influence user satisfaction or performance. The study establishes an empirical groundwork for future development of computer dialogue personality methodologies.
Synthesis of actinide η2-pyridyl and η2-α-picolyl complexes by carbon–hydrogen bond activation

Studies in our laboratory have shown that the thorium(IV) complexes (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 ThPh 2 and (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Th(CH 2 Ph 2 ) 2 mediate carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage and dearomatization of the pyridine ring in pyridine N-oxide. Based upon these results, we examined the analogous chemistry with a variety of pyridine compounds to determine if the electron-withdrawing oxygen present in pyridine N-oxide was required for reactivity of this type. Interestingly, reaction of (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 An(CH 3 ) 2 (An = Th, U) with pyridine and substituted analogues produces CH 4 and the corresponding η 2 -(N,C)-pyridyl complexes by activation of the sp 2 -hybridized ortho C-H bond. Isotopic labeling studies indicate that the C-H activation reactions are consistent with a σ-bond metathesis mechanism. Additionally, the η 2 -(N,C)-pyridyl complexes undergo ligand-exchange reactions with both pyridine-d 5 and α-picoline.
On the significance of properly weighting sorption data for least squares analysis.

In this study, we examined the role of proper weighting in the least squares (LS) analysis of P sorption data when both the dependent (y) and independent (x) variables contain heteroscedastic errors. We compared parameter estimates and uncertainties obtained with unweighted LS (ULS) regression with those obtained using two diff erent weighted LS (WLS) regression methods. In the fi rst WLS method, we weighted the data by the inverse of the variance in y. In the second WLS method, we included the variance in x when calculating the weights. Th is method, commonly referred to as the eff ective variance method, has primarily been applied to data with uncorrelated errors in x and y, conditions not representative of sorption studies where values of y are calculated from measured values of x. Th erefore, in this study we tested a modifi ed version of the eff ective weighting function that specifi cally accounts for correlated errors in x and y. Th e accuracy of the diff erent weighting methods was assessed using Monte Carlo simulations and high-replication sorption data obtained for three diff erent soil types. Our fi ndings show that the eff ective variance weighting method provides superior parameter estimates and uncertainties compared with ULS or traditional WLS methods, although the diff erences between the weighting methods were not always large enough to be of practical concern. We also found that weighting by the eff ective variance allowed improved assessments of model fi ts. Our fi ndings are applicable to sorption studies where the dependent variable is calculated from measured values of the so-called independent variable
Understanding human-work domain interaction: Implications for the design of a corporate digital library

The author applies the cognitive work analysis (CWA) approach to investigate human–work interaction in a corporate setting. This study reports the analysis of data collected from a Web survey, diaries, and telephone interviews. The results present characterizations of actors and the work domain; three dimensions for each of the four interactive activities involved in the human–work interaction and their relationships are identified. An enhanced model and its implications for the development of a corporate digital library are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Current Management of Small Bowel Obstruction

SBO is a common disease with multiple causes. The most significant advances over the past several years have involved, first, decision-making techniques to promptly and accurately identify patients who will require exploration, and, second, the increasing use of laparoscopic techniques. "Complete" bowel obstruction is becoming an outdated term, as treatment algorithms use predictive models and oral contrast challenges to select patients for operation without recourse to the notion of "complete obstruction." Laparoscopic techniques are gaining acceptance as a primary modality in the treatment of SBO. Appropriate patient selection is necessary for success, but successful laparoscopic SBO management can reduce postoperative pain, minimize hospital stay, and may lead to fewer adhesions, possibly preventing further adhesive SBO. Strangulation obstruction is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in SBO. Although unrecognized strangulation obstructions remain, their incidence is decreasing with the new protocols in development. Future efforts should focus on incorporating predictive models into management with the goal of eliminating unrecognized strangulation obstructions. Further refinement of the predictive models incorporating outcomes of oral contrast challenges and molecular biomarker data may allow surgeons to reach this goal. In addition, the benefit of the elimination of interpractitioner variability conferred by standardized protocols will in itself improve patient outcomes.
Subantimicrobial Dose Doxycycline Effects on Osteopenic Bone Loss: Microbiologic Results

Background: Based on microbiologic concerns, the safety of a 24-month regimen of subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD; 20 mg twice a day) was evaluated in postmenopausal osteopenic women with periodontitis in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.Methods: Subgingival samples were collected from two sites (probing depth ≥5 mm) in each of 128 subjects at baseline, with the same sites resampled at the conclusion of the 2-year period. The samples were enumerated on selective and non-selective media and on doxycycline (4 μg/ml) medium. Up to five different colonial morphologies were subcultured from the doxycycline medium, identified to species, and susceptibilities determined to doxycycline and five other antibiotics. Data were analyzed for microbial differences in total colony forming units (CFU), periodontal and opportunistic pathogens, and changes in species and in susceptibilities of isolates recovered on doxycycline medium.Results: There was no significant evidence that changes ...
Evolution of the human fear-circuitry and acute sociogenic pseudoneurological symptoms: the Neolithic balanced-polymorphism hypothesis

In light of the increasing threat of large-scale massacres such as terrorism against non-combatants (civilians), more attention is warranted not only to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but also to acute sociogenic pseudoneurological ("conversion") symptoms, especially epidemic sociogenic symptoms. We posit that conversion disorders are etiologically related to specific evolutionary pressures (inescapable threats to life) in the late stage of the human environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA). Bracha et al. have recently argued that from the neuroevolutionary perspective, medically unexplained efferent vasovagal syncope and medically unexplained craniofacial musculoskeletal pain in young otherwise healthy individuals, may be taxonomized as stress and fear-circuitry disorders. In the present article, we extend neuroevolutionary perspectives to acute pseudoneurological sociogenic ("conversive") symptoms: psychogenic non-epileptic attacks ("pseudoseizures"), epidemic sociogenic disorders (DSM-IV-TR Epidemic "Hysteria"), conversive motor deficits (pseudo-paralysis and pseudo-cerebellar symptoms), and psychogenic blindness. We hypothesize that these perplexing pseudoneurological stress-triggered symptoms, which constitute psychopathology in extant humans, are traceable to allele-variant polymorphisms which spread during the Neolithic EEA. During Neolithic warfare, conversive symptoms may have increased the survival odds for some non-combatants by visually (i.e., "non-verbally") signaling to predatory conspecifics that one does not present a danger. This is consistent with the age and sex pattern of conversive disorders. Testable and falsifiable predictions are presented; e.g., at the genome-transcriptome interface, one of the major oligogenic loci involved in conversive spectrum disorders may carry a developmentally sensitive allele in a stable polymorphism (balanced polymorphism) in which the gene expression mechanism is gradually suppressed by pleiotropic androgens especially dehydroxyepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). Taxonomic implications for the much-needed rapprochement between the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) are discussed.
Primary care resident, faculty, and patient views of barriers to cultural competence, and the skills needed to overcome them.

Introduction Primary care residencies are expected to provide training in cultural competence. However, we have insufficient information about the perceptions of stakeholders actually involved in healthcare (i.e. residents, faculty and patients) regarding commonly encountered cross‐cultural barriers and the skills required to overcome them. Method This study used a total of 10 focus groups to explore resident, faculty and patient attitudes and beliefs about what culturally competent doctor-patient communication means, what obstacles impede or prevent culturally competent communication, and what kinds of skills are helpful in achieving cultural competence. A content analysis was performed to identify major themes. Results Residents and faculty defined culturally competent communication in terms of both generic and culture-specific elements, however, patients tended to emphasize only generic attitudes and skills. Residents and patients were liable to blame each other in explaining barriers; faculty were more likely to consider systemic influences contributing to resident-patient difficulties. All groups emphasized appropriate skill and attitude development in learners as the key to successful communication. However, residents were sceptical of sensitivity and communication skills training, and worried that didactic presentations would result in cultural stereotyping. Discussion All stakeholders recognized the importance of effective doctor)patient communication. Of concern was the tendency of various stakeholders to engage in person)blame models.
Nonrobustness of the Pole Placement Design under Small Perturbations in Time Delays

It is proved that, by using state feedback, it is not possible to place the poles of a linear time invariant system to the left of a certain critical negative real number if the system dynamics is subject to small uncertain perturbations which include small time delays. Given a nominal controllable system (A,B) and a real number h≫0 (no matter how small) there exists a positive real number r and a (small) perturbation of the nominal model (described by the introduction of time delays not exceeding h in the state and input variables) such that for any feedback matrix K placing the eigenvalues of A + BK to the left of Re(s) = -r there is an eigenvalue of the perturbed closed loop system with real part not less than -r. This shows that left half planes which are sufficiently remote from the imaginary axis cannot be robustly assignable under small perturbations in time delays.
Self-Healing Biomaterials: Entangled DNA Networks

The material that the cell uses to store genetic information actually becomes self-healing material when it must be segregated, transported across the length of the cell even in the face of its entanglements with itself, or condensed to prepare for this large scale transport. This is a naturally-occuring soft material that is capable of self-repair. Moreover, there is evidence that the material first senses the possibility of a stress-inducing, potentially fatal (to genome stability) topological entanglement, and quickly fortifies itself to limit or prevent the damage. The issue of how topology is conserved (controlled) by this type of biomaterial is itself an interesting mystery. I will present our experimental results using a bottom-up design approach, borrowing the naturally-occurring materials from the cell to study the design principles of this behavior. We incorporated micron-sized particles in lambda-DNA entangled networks in the presence of the topoisomerase II motor that performs the strand passage, at controllable ratio of enzyme units per average DNA entanglement and ATP concentration. We used bright-field microscopy to directly track the movement of the particles, which couple to the DNA fluctuating movement. Our observed scaling behavior suggests entangled dynamics in the bare DNA system, and nonentangled Rouse dynamics, with enzyme performing topological constraint relaxation, in the DNA+topo II + ATP system. These very time-dependent scaling behaviors are all predicted theoretically for entangled polymers with inclusion of a constrained release process in the case of presence of active topo II. The material self-heals to such a degree that, at saturating topoisomerase II motor and ATP concentrations, the long DNA polymer molecules do not even “feel” one another despite being entangled. We compare our experimental results to predictions of the constraint release model, measuring the “healing rate” at different dynamical length scales.
Changes in Arterial Smooth Muscle Contractility, Contractile Proteins, and Arterial Wall Structure in Spontaneous Hypertension

Heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure are leading causes of death. Essential hypertension is the major predisposing risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Yet, after several decades of intensive investigation, the initiating causative mechanism of essential hypertension is still unknown. However, investigators in the field generally agree that an increased total peripheral resistance (TPR) is the fundamental hemodynamic disorder in essential hypertension. This review addresses the hypothesis that the increased TPR of essential hypertension is due to a defective mechanism in the contractility of arterial smooth muscle. Force-velocity and length-tension studies have shown that both caudal arterial muscle and mesenteric resistance arterial muscle from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) can shorten more and faster than muscle from normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). In addition, the SHR muscle relaxation rate is slower compared with the WKY muscle. These alterations in mechanical behavior of SHR arterial muscle appear to be primary to the high blood pressure since MK-421 (enalapril maleate)-treated SHR arterial muscle shows the same increased velocity of shortening, increased shortening ability, and decreased relaxation rate as the untreated SHR muscle. MK-421 is an angiotensin-converting enzyme blocker. SHR maintained on MK-421 treatment have normal blood pressures in spite of being of the genetically hypertensive strain. While these findings are encouraging, several other important issues supporting the hypothesis require resolution and warrant review. Firstly, structural alterations of blood vessel walls in hypertension cause the walls to thicken and encroach on the vessel lumens contributing to the increased TPR. Whether such wall thickening is the cause or consequence of high blood pressure has been controversial in the literature. In this report, data are presented from a study in which MK-421-treated SHR were utilized as a model of prehypertensive SHR. Light micrograph observations and morphometric analyses were made of cross-sections of mesenteric resistance arteries from SHR, MK-421-treated SHR, and WKY. Results show that the MK-421-treated SHR resistance arteries had media thicknesses and a number of smooth muscle cell layers that were significantly less than in the untreated SHR and not different from the WKY. Secondly, velocity of shortening is dependent on actomyosin ATPase activity, and, since maximum velocity of shortening has been shown to be increased in SHR arterial muscle, it became necessary to know whether or not an increased actomyosin ATPase activity might be responsible. Therefore, data from a study of SHR and WKY caudal arterial myofibrillar ATPase activities are compared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Comparison of 12-Core Versus 8-Core Prostate Biopsy: Multivariate Analysis of Large Series of US Veterans

OBJECTIVES To investigate the impact of additional biopsy cores on prostate cancer diagnosis among US veterans. The reported rate of positive biopsy results varies from 20% to 40%. METHODS We analyzed 1546 consecutive initial prostate biopsy procedures (8-core and 12-core biopsy protocols) at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Both biopsy protocols targeted the peripheral zone. Cancer detection rates were compared between the 2 protocols in univariate and multivariate analyses with results expressed as odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Characteristics of cancer detected were also compared. Sensitivity analyses were performed for different population subgroups. RESULTS The overall positive biopsy rate was 49.9%, 51.2% in the 8-core group and 49.2% in the 12-core group. There was no difference between the 2 biopsy groups (adjusted odds ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval = 0.76-1.25). Advanced age and high body mass index were significantly associated with higher likelihood of prostate cancer, whereas larger prostate volumes were associated with lower risk. CONCLUSIONS In this large series of prostate biopsy procedures, in which the peripheral zone was well targeted, there was no evidence that 12-core biopsy improved the likelihood of prostate cancer diagnosis compared with 8-core biopsy. As such, the results of this cohort from a US veteran population suggest that targeting the peripheral zone is more important than the absolute number of biopsy cores. However, in certain subgroups of patients with specific clinical characteristics, such as those with very large prostates, more cores may be required. Further studies are needed to identify such characteristics.
On the estimation of radar rainfall error variance

Abstract One of the major problems in radar rainfall (RR) estimation is the lack of accurate reference data on area-averaged rainfall. Radar–raingauge (R–G) comparisons are commonly used to assess and to validate the radar algorithms, but large differences of the spatial resolution between raingauge and radar measurements prevent any straightforward interpretation of the results. We assume that the R–G difference variance can be partitioned into the error of the radar area-averaged rainfall estimate, and the area-point background originating from the resolution difference. A robust procedure to decompose these components, named the error separation method (ESM), is proposed, discussed, and demonstrated. If applied to a sufficiently large sample, it allows the estimation of the radar error part and description of the uncertainties of hydrological radar products in rigorous statistical terms. An extensive data set is used to illustrate the ESM application. Proportion of the error components in the R–G difference variance is studied as a function of rainfall accumulation time. The intervals from 5 min through 4 days are considered, and the radar grid resolution of 4 × 4 km is assumed. The results show that the area-point component is a dominant part of the R–G difference at short time scales, and remains significant even for the 4-day accumulations.
The Listeria monocytogenes hemolysin has an acidic pH optimum to compartmentalize activity and prevent damage to infected host cells

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen that escapes from a phagosome and grows in the host cell cytosol. The pore-forming cholesterol-dependent cytolysin, listeriolysin O (LLO), mediates bacterial escape from vesicles and is ∼10-fold more active at an acidic than neutral pH. By swapping dissimilar residues from a pH-insensitive orthologue, perfringolysin O (PFO), we identified leucine 461 as unique to pathogenic Listeria and responsible for the acidic pH optimum of LLO. Conversion of leucine 461 to the threonine present in PFO increased the hemolytic activity of LLO almost 10-fold at a neutral pH. L. monocytogenes synthesizing LLO L461T, expressed from its endogenous site on the bacterial chromosome, resulted in a 100-fold virulence defect in the mouse listeriosis model. These bacteria escaped from acidic phagosomes and initially grew normally in cells and spread cell to cell, but prematurely permeabilized the host membrane and killed the cell. These data show that the acidic pH optimum of LLO results from an adaptive mutation that acts to limit cytolytic activity to acidic vesicles and prevent damage in the host cytosol, a strategy also used by host cells to compartmentalize lysosomal hydrolases.
Distinctiveness of Adolescent and Emerging Adult Romantic Relationship Features in Predicting Externalizing Behavior Problems

Romantic relationship involvement has repeatedly been associated with the incidence of externalizing behavior problems, but little is known about the nature and developmental significance of this relation. The current study extends previous research by investigating whether and through what processes romantic relationships distinctively predict externalizing behavior problems during adolescence compared to emerging adulthood. Data came from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. As predicted, higher levels of romantic relationship security at 16 years were associated with lower levels of externalizing behavior problems during both adolescence and emerging adulthood, but this inverse relation was stronger for emerging adults than for adolescents. This relation was not attributable either to earlier quality of family and peer relationships or emerging adulthood competence. Thus, security of romantic relationships may become increasingly predictive of individual differences in externalizing behavior problems as individuals move from adolescence to emerging adulthood.
Phylogeny of the Apodan Holothurians (Echinodermata) inferred from morphology

The Apodida is an order of littoral to deep-sea, largely infaunal sea cucumbers with about 270 extant species in 32 genera and three families, Synaptidae, Chiridotidae and Myriotrochidae. In this study, I perform the first phylogenetic test of the taxonomic and palaeontological hypotheses about evolutionary relationships within Apodida by using cladistic analyses of 34 morphological characters. I introduce several previously unconsidered synapomorphic characters, examine the relationships between all recognized suprageneric taxonomic groups and assess the assumptions of monophyly for each family. Maximum-parsimony analyses of type species from 14 genera and use of three rooting methods recovered identical topologies at the subordinal level and subfamily level within Synaptidae. Overall, the current higher-level classification of Apodida was well corroborated. Within Synaptidae, the relationships (Synaptinae, (Leptosynaptinae, Rynkatorpinae)) are well supported. The monophyly of Chiridotidae was not supported and appears paraphyletic at the subfamily level. Calibrating the phylogenetic hypothesis of Apodida against the fossil record indicated that most higher-level divergences occurred within the Palaeozoic, unlike that of extant non-holothuroid echinoderms, which radiated in the early Mesozoic. Synaptidae appears to have radiated during the Lower Cretaceous. Alternatively, and if one discounts the considerable ghost lineage duration that this hypothesis requires, they may have radiated during the Eocene.
FDG uptake correlates with recurrence and survival after treatment of unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer with high-dose proton therapy and chemotherapy

Background: We studied whether maximum standardized uptake values (SUV) from [ 18 F] PET/CT predict clinical outcome after concurrent proton/chemotherapy for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Eighty-four patients were treated prospectively with 74 Gy(RBE) proton therapy and concurrent chemotherapy. PET/CT scans were available before (SUV1) and within 6 months after (SUV2) treatment. The predictive value of clinical and PET/CT factors were analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. Results: Median survival time was 29.9 months. At 3 years, the local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rate was 34.8%; distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), 35.4%; progression-free survival (PFS), 31.2%; and overall survival (OS), 37.2%. Patients with SUV2 ≥3.6 (the median) had high rates of LR (p=0.021). Of 12 clinicopathologic features evaluated in univariate analysis, only KPS, SUV1, and SUV2 predicted LRFS, DMFS, PFS, and OS (p <0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that KPS (p=0.025) and SUV2 (p=0.017) were independently prognostic for LRFS and that SUV1, SUV2, and KPS were independently prognostic for DMFS, PFS, and OS (p <0.05). Conclusions: SUV2 predicted LRFS, and SUV1 and SUV2 predicted DMFS, PFS, and OS, in patients with stage III NSCLC treated with concurrent chemotherapy and high-dose proton therapy.
Directional recording of swell from distant storms

Almost fifteen years ago in the pages of this Journal, one of us presented power spectra of ocean waves and swell off Pendeen and Perranporth in north Cornwall (Barber & Ursell 1948). The outstanding feature of these spectra is the successive shift of peaks toward higher frequencies. This is the expected behaviour of dispersive wave trains from rather well-defined sources. Storms generate a broad spectrum of frequencies; the low frequencies are associated with the largest group velocity and accordingly are the first to arrive at distant stations. The time rate of increase in the frequency of peaks determines the distance and time of origin. In this way Barber & Ursell were able to identify the dispersive arrivals with a low pressure area in the North Atlantic, a tropical storm off Florida, and a storm off Cape Horn, at distances of 1200, 2800, and 6000 miles, respectively, from the Cornish stations. The measurements were consistent with the simple classical result that each frequency,/, is propagated with its appropriate group velocity, V = g/(47[/*). The present study is in a sense a refinement to the work of Barber & Ursell. The frequency resolution and sensitivity have each been increased by an order of m agnitude, and this makes it possible to detect and resolve meteorological sources that have previously been out of reach. The antipodal swell from the Indian Ocean is a case in point
Navigating the internet safely: recommendations for residential programs targeting at-risk adolescents.

Adolescence is a period during human development characterized by a variety of biological, psychological, and social changes. Navigating these changes can be a stressful experience for both adolescents and their families. To complicate matters further, the Internet has altered the landscape of human interaction in a way that may accentuate deficits in the capacity for self-sustaining, reciprocal peer relationships. Adolescents suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders may be especially prone to this influence, as evidenced by our observation of the growing clinical trend of adolescents admitted to inpatient and residential psychiatric units who present with a history of risky cyber-behaviors. Within these settings, education for adolescents and their families around appropriate use of the Internet, as well as social training for the online management of the impulsivity and poor judgment that is so often characteristic of adolescence, is vital. Milieu models employed in the treatment of emotionally troubled adolescents must adapt so as to incorporate the identification of problematic attachment behaviors not only in real-time relationships, but also as those behaviors inevitably occur in more troubling and potentially destructive ways over the Internet. The article addresses this need by offering recommendations for the creation of a skills-based, Internet-focused curriculum for inpatient and residential programs targeting at-risk adolescents. Evaluating the association between online communication habits and the evolution of disturbances in attachment systems is an important future direction for research aimed at safeguarding the emotional and physical well-being of all adolescents. Language: en
Assessing the Quality of Service Using Big Data Analytics: With Application to Healthcare

Abstract Many industries are riding the wave of big data as the new era of data-driven decision making is unveiling. The field of big data analytics is gaining fast traction in industry, academia and the government; the healthcare arena is no different. In this paper, big data analytics are applied to healthcare data that is collected from multiple sources to gain quality insights and apprehend best practices of the field (using new healthcare specific big data tools). The US states are unceasingly pursuing potential improvements to their healthcare's Quality of Service (QoS). Recent changes in data sharing provisions, such as the disposition of the recent Affordable Health Care Act (ACA), changed the rules of the game, and provided the US states with a new set of measurable health quality variables that they couldn't overlook anymore. Individuals in those states without health insurance tend to ignore visiting the clinic even if they feel symptoms of a disease; healthy young individuals with insurance can also have the same behavior. Health experts constantly recommend closer immersion in one's health and more engagement with preventive healthcare. In three experimental studies, this multidisciplinary paper examines historical health data from all over the country, assesses the medical QoS for multiple US states using a new healthcare-specific analytical infrastructure, delivers forecasts and correlations for future healthcare activities, and provides data-driven
Avoiding Lockout Instability for Towed Parafoil Systems

Many towed systems consist of a parent platform moving along the ground, air, or water surface connected to a towed vehicle via a tether line. Motion of a towed parafoil system can be complex and is driven by motion of the parent platform, canopy control inputs, and wind disturbances. A particularly problematic flight dynamic instability for this system is canopy lockout, in which the canopy attains a large lateral offset and bank angle resulting in high line tension. It is possible to use left and right brakes to return the system to its nominal position; however, if the lateral offset and bank angle are too large, it is not possible to restore the system to a nominal position, and the lateral offset and bank angle grows until impact with a ground surface. This paper explores the lockout phenomena using a multibody simulation and identifies passive means to avoid the instability by locating the tether connection point forward on the cradle in combination with sufficiently high cradle–canopy yaw stiffness...
PREREST AND POSTREST PERFORMANCE ON THE STABILOMETER AS A FUNCTION OF DISTRIBUTION OF PRACTICE.

Abstract Eight groups of male subjects participated in a study of the effects of distribution of practice on stabilometer (a “self-paced” balance platform) performance before and after rest. Four control groups had 11 trials of 30 sec., with either 10, 20, 30, or 40 sec. rest between trials, and four experimental groups were treated identically, except for a 5-min. rest after trial 8. The essential findings were that (a) distribution of practice had no effect on prerest performance and (b) after the 5-minute rest there was a significant change in performance, with gains being inversely related to prerest distribution of practice.
351 TOWARD SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN A LARGE, ACADEMIC VA MEDICAL CENTER.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are increasing in most developed societies, yet in America may be recognized by providers only about 11% of the time (Stevens, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol 2005;16:2439). Effective renal preservation programs are available to delay the onset of end-stage renal disease, so CKD non-recognition is a major barrier for their execution. Available solutions to this barrier include provider educational programs, Medicare financial rewards for provider performance, and expedited claims processing for compliant providers. Each solution is fraught with difficulties such as expense, “recipient burnout,” fear of loss of patient base, inertia, and “cherry picking” of easy cases. An alternative option in health care systems linked by information technology (IT) might be termed a “gentle reminder” system (GRS). This would involve an automatic search of all patients who have had a blood test in a particular month and to track those with a creatinine level drawn to examine all their values over the preceding year. If any were above some arbitrary level (we picked 1.4 as a start), the patients were classified as to whether they had seen a nephrologist within that year. For those who had not, we would generate a GRS which would be an alert included in the patient9s electronic record stating to the provider that a renal consultation might be considered. In this first phase of GRS development we examined the scope of the problem in our academic VA center, which has a patient enrolment of about 46,000. We looked for those patients categorized in 0.1 mg/dL increments of serum creatinine from 1.4 to 2.6 who were not enrolled in a renal clinic. The results revealed that most patients in the ranges of Stage 2 and 3 CKD are unrecognized (total patients with creatinines on the abscissa in dark bars and those not in renal clinics in light bars). Overall, we recognized only 43% of CKD patients over this range compared to 22 to 29% nationally (NHANES). The GRS is now active. Problems with this approach that need to be solved are it is intrusive on the practice patterns of primary care providers, it is strictly applicable only to a “command” type system typical of government, and it is not yet readily applicable to clinics that do not use IT. These difficulties may lessen with GRS usage.