cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drs. Cron and Chatham reply.

We appreciate the interest expressed by Dr. C.A. Moura and colleagues in our editorial regarding the role of the rheumatologist during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic1. The letter by C.A. Moura, et al emphasizes the need to understand mechanisms of disease underlying the more serious complications of COVID-19 infection, as well as to provide the best treatment possible to large numbers of seriously ill patients during a global pandemic2. Many of the treatments administered to date under crisis conditions in uncontrolled fashion have been based upon at least some mechanistic rationale as reflected in the Table 1 accompanying their letter. Well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCT) take time to design, undergo ethics board review, and enroll, and some of these are beginning to result. While the US National Institutes of Health–sponsored RCT with remdesivir has been reported to shorten the time to recovery and duration of hospitalization3, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the addition of immunomodulation will likely be required to forestall progression of respiratory failure, treat underlying vascular inflammation, and significantly affect survival1,4. Until definitive RCT can be completed, … Address correspondence to Dr. R. Cron, Children’s of Alabama, Division of Rheumatology, 1600 7th Ave. S., CPPN, Suite G10, Birmingham, AL 35233-1711, USA. Email: rcron{at}peds.uab.edu.
Impartial Network Orchestration: Multiple Service Domains and the Need for Intentional Neutrality

This study analyzes the potential for structural subgroups to form in complex, purpose-oriented networks, based on organizational domain. Additionally, it proposes the concept of impartial orchestr...
Association of smoke‐free laws with preterm or low birth weight deliveries—A multistate analysis

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between the change in statewide smoke-free laws and the rate of preterm or low birth weight delivery hospitalizations. DATA SOURCE 2002-2013 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases. STUDY DESIGN Quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design. We used multivariate logistic models to estimate the association between the change in state smoke-free laws and preterm or low birth weight delivery hospitalizations. The analyses were also stratified by maternal race/ethnicity to examine the differential effects by racial/ethnic groups. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Delivery hospitalizations among women aged 15-49 years were extracted using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and Diagnosis-Related Group codes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Non-Hispanic black mothers had a higher rate of preterm or low birth weight delivery hospitalization than other racial/ethnic groups. Overall, there was no association between the change in smoke-free laws and preterm or low birth weight delivery rate. Among non-Hispanic black mothers, the change in statewide smoke-free laws was associated with a 0.9-1.9 percentage point (P < .05) reduction in preterm or low birth weight delivery rate beginning in the third year after the laws took effect. There was no association among non-Hispanic white mothers. A decline in the black-white disparity of 0.6-1.6 percentage points (P < .05) in preterm or low birth weight delivery rates was associated with the change in state smoke-free laws. CONCLUSION The change in state smoke-free laws was associated with a reduction in racial/ethnic disparities in preterm or low birth weight delivery hospitalizations in selected US states.
Dissolution kinetics of a sodium borosilicate glass in Tris buffer solutions: impact of Tris concentration and acid (HCl/HNO3) identity

Understanding the corrosion behavior of glasses in near-neutral environments is crucial for many technologies including glasses for regenerative medicine and nuclear waste immobilization. To maintain consistent pH values throughout experiments in the pH = 7 to 9 regime, buffer solutions containing tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (“Tris”, or sometimes called THAM) are recommended in ISO standards 10993-14 and 23317 for evaluating biomaterial degradation and utilized throughout glass dissolution behavior literature—a key advantage being the absence of dissolved alkali/alkaline earth cations (i.e. Na+ or Ca2+) that can convolute experimental results due to solution feedback effects. Although Tris is effective at maintaining the solution pH, it has presented concerns due to the adverse artificial effects it produces while studying glass corrosion, especially in borosilicate glasses. Therefore, many open questions still remain on the topic of borosilicate glass interaction with Tris-based solutions. We have approached this topic by studying the dissolution behavior of a sodium borosilicate glass in a wide range of Tris-based solutions at 65 °C with varied acid identity (Tris–HCl vs. Tris–HNO3), buffer concentration (0.01 M to 0.5 M), and pH (7–9). The results have been discussed in reference to previous studies on this topic and the following conclusions have been made: (i) acid identity in Tris-based solutions does not exhibit a significant impact on the dissolution behavior of borosilicate glasses, (ii) ∼0.1 M Tris-based solutions are ideal for maintaining solution pH in the absence of obvious undesirable solution chemistry effects, and (iii) Tris–boron complexes can form in solution as a result of glass dissolution processes. The complex formation, however, exhibits a distinct temperature-dependence, and requires further study to uncover the precise mechanisms by which Tris-based solutions impact borosilicate glass dissolution behavior.
Improving absorption models for CO2 at high pressure and temperature using dual frequency comb spectroscopy

We present dual frequency comb absorption spectroscopy of CO2 in conditions up to 25 bar and 981 K. We test and improve absorption models for these conditions to support applications in combustion and planetary science.
Importance of Cerebral O2 Extraction Reserve During Elevated Intracranial Pressure in Young Lambs

The cerebral vascular bed autoregulates its blood flow in the face of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) (Haggendal et al. 1970). With severe increases in ICP sufficient to reduce cerebral perfusion pressure below approximately 50 mm Hg, cerebral blood flow falls. However, it has been shown that cerebral oxygen consumption is maintained in dogs and rhesus monkeys in spite of a fall in cerebral flow (Grubb et al. 1975, Haggendal et al. 1970). This suggests that the brain has an oxygen extraction reserve which plays an important role in maintaining cerebral O2 uptake. Using the sheep as an experimental animal, we evaluated the importance of the oxygen extraction reserve during elevated ICP. We studied both newborn lambs and older lambs, for two reasons. First, it is not known how well cerebral blood flow is autoregulated and how cerebral O2 consumption is affected in the newborn when ICP is elevated. Second, the brain of the newborn lamb normally extracts a smaller fraction of oxygen than the adult sheep (Jones et al. 1982); thus, the newborn may have a greater O2 extraction reserve because it has a lower fractional O2 extraction under normal conditions.
General Equilibrium Effects Fo Taxation on Investment in a Developing Country: The Case of Pakistan

In this paper we specify a dynamic general equilibrium framework to evaluate the cost effectiveness of incentives for industrial and technological development offered through the tax code in Pakistan. The model enables us to estimate adjustment effects on factor use and output arising from a tax incentive policy change. Detailed calculations are presented showing change in output, use of capital by sector, changes in tax revenue paid by each sector and impacts on macroeconomic aggregates. Welfare gains and losses of urban and rural consumers associated with proposed policy changes are also estimated.
The Role of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis XIV. A STUDY OF THE INITIATION OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID SYNTHESIS

Abstract Initiation and growth of RNA chains in the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase reaction have been studied by measuring the incorporation of γ-32P-labeled nucleoside triphosphates and 14C- (or α-32P) nucleoside triphosphates into RNA. The ratio of total nucleotide of RNA synthesized to total initiation is a measure of the average chain length of the RNA produced in the polymerase reaction. The length of RNA chains synthesized is independent of nucleoside triphosphate concentration and of enzyme concentration after extensive RNA synthesis, since both initiation and synthesis increase proportionally. However, the average RNA chain length is dependent on DNA template concentration. The rate of RNA synthesis increases more rapidly than RNA chain initiation as the DNA concentration is elevated. The specificity of initiation of chains with either ATP or GTP is independent of the above three parameters. The nucleotide penultimate to the nucleoside triphosphate end has been determined with Escherichia coli and T4 DNA as templates. All four nucleotides are found in this position in a nonrandom distribution, although there is a preponderance of pyrimidine over purine nucleotides in this second position of a growing RNA chain. Of a number of inhibitors that have been examined for their differential effects on initiation and chain growth, actinomycin D hardly affects initiation of RNA chains but markedly inhibits the synthesis of RNA, thus leading to a marked decrease in the average chain length of the RNA products. With denatured DNA as template the average chain length is markedly decreased, since the number of initiations increases as much as 10-fold and synthesis is slower. With either denatured DNA or tobacco mosaic virus RNA as primer, initiation with GTP predominates over that with ATP. From the known molecular weight of RNA polymerase, it can be calculated that approximately 1 RNA chain is formed by 1 molecule of enzyme. With denatured DNA, reinitiation can occur such that several chains are formed per molecule of enzyme.
Local vanadium release from a calcium sulfate carrier accelerates fracture healing

This study evaluated the efficacy of using calcium sulfate (CaSO4) as a carrier for intramedullary delivery of an organic vanadium salt, vanadyl acetylacetonate (VAC) after femoral fracture. VAC can act as an insulin-mimetic and can be used to accelerate fracture healing in rats. A heterogenous mixture of VAC and CaSO4 was delivered to the fracture site of BB Wistar rats, and mechanical testing, histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) were performed to measure healing. At 4 weeks after fracture, maximum torque to failure, effective shear modulus, and effective shear stress were all significantly higher (p < 0.05) in rats treated with 0.25 mg/kg VAC–CaSO4 as compared to carrier control rats. Histomorphometry found a 71% increase in percent cartilage matrix (p < 0.05) and a 64% decrease in percent mineralized tissue (p < 0.05) at 2 weeks after fracture in rats treated with 0.25 mg/kg of VAC–CaSO4. Micro-CT analyses at 4 weeks found a more organized callus structure and higher trending maximum connected z-ray. fraction for VAC–CaSO4 groups. Evaluation of radiographs and serial histological sections at 12 weeks did not show any evidence of ectopic bone formation. As compared to previous studies, CaSO4 was an effective carrier for reducing the dose of VAC required to accelerate femoral fracture healing in rats. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:727–734, 2014.
Managing in the Virtual World: How Second Life is Rewriting the Rules of “Real Life” Business

In this paper, we will explore the growth of virtual worlds – one of the most exciting and fast-growing concepts in the Web 2.0 era. We will see that while there has been significant growth across all demographic groups, online gaming in MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) are finding particular appeal in today’s youth – the so-called “digital native” generation. We then overview the today’s virtual world marketplace, both in the youth and adult-oriented markets. Second Life is emerging as the most important virtual world today, due to the intense interest amongst both large organizations and individual entrepreneurs to conduct real business in the virtual environment. Due to its prominence today and its forecasted growth over the next decade, we take a look at the unscripted world of Second Life, examining the corporate presence in-world, as well as the economic, technical, legal, ethical and security issues involved for companies doing business in the virtual world. In conclusion, we present an analysis of where we stand in terms of virtual world development today and a projection of where we will be heading in the near future. Finally, we present advice to management practitioners and academicians on how to learn about virtual worlds and explore the world of opportunities in them.
An Improved Sign Determination Algorithm

Recently there has been a lot of activity in algorithms that work over real closed fields, and that perform such calculations as quantifier elimination or computing connected components of semi-algebraic sets. A cornerstone of this work is a symbolic sign determination algorithm due to Ben-Or, Kozen and Reif [BOKR86]. In this paper we describe a new sign determination method based on the earlier algorithm, but with two advantages: (i) It is faster in the univariate case, and compares very well with numerical approaches, and (ii) In the general case, it allows purely symbolic quantifier elimination in pseudo-polynomial time. By purely symbolic, we mean that it is possible to eliminate a quantified variable from a system of polynomials no matter what the coefficient values are. The previous methods required the coefficients to be themselves polynomials in other variables and the number of arithmetic operations over the coefficient field increases with the degree of the coefficients. Our new method allows transcendental functions or derivatives to appear in the coefficients, and the number of arithmetic operations is completely independent of the coefficients.
Electrical-transport measurements of KC60.

We have measured the temperature-dependent electrical resistivity {rho} of polymerized KC{sub 60} from 410 to 1.9 K. {rho}({ital T}) shows evidence for a metal-to-semiconductor phase transition near 50 K, and increases dramatically{minus}ab decreasing temperature. Under applied hydrostatic pressure, {rho} decreases, and the 50-K transition is suppressed. No anomalous magnetoresistance is observed up to 7 T, and we find no evidence of superconductivity above 1.9 K.
Induction of inflammation, oxidative stress and autophagy in human alveolar type I epithelial cells following exposure to silver nanoparticles

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in health products is increasing due to their antimicrobial activity. However, their impact on health is poorly understood. It is known that the particle reactivity increases as size decreases, thus AgNPs may induce inflammatory responses that their bulk sized counterparts do not. It is known that 50% of inhaled nano-sized ( Human alveolar type I epithelial cells (TT1) were exposed to 80nm AgNPs for up to 24h. IL-6 and IL-8 release was measured by ELISA and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production measured by dihydroethidium staining. n-acetylcysteine (NAC) was used to evaluate the role of ROS in mediator release. The plasmid assay was used to assess free radical-induced DNA damage and the autophagy markers LC3II/LC3I measured by immunoblotting. AgNPs induced significant oxidative stress within 4h and IL-6 and IL-8 by 24h. NAC pre-treatment inhibited Ag50μg/ml-stimulation of IL-6 by 60% (P Our study shows that AgNPs induce oxidative stress-dependent inflammation, DNA damage and a unique finding of autophagy responses in TT1 cells suggesting that AgNPs may have adverse effects on the lung.
Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism presenting with severe hypocalcemia and asymptomatic basal ganglia calcification followed by acute intracerebral bleed.

ABSTRACT Objective To report a case of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism presenting with severe hypocalcemia and intracerebral calcifications that resulted in a spontaneous intracerebral bleed. Methods We present the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings in a woman with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism who developed spontaneous intracerebral bleed in the setting of chronic intracerebral calcifications. Results A 37-year-old woman presented with vague symptoms of hypocalcemia. Clinical evaluation revealed brisk deep tendon Reflexes and positive Chvostek's and Trousseau's signs. The serum calcium level was 3.7 mg/ dL (reference range, 8.0 to 10.6 mg/dL) and the phosphorus level was 8.2 mg/dL (reference range, 2.3 to 5.0 mg/dL). Serum intact parathyroid hormone was undetectable. Computed tomography of the head showed extensive bilateral symmetrical calcification of basal ganglia and dentate nucleus in the cerebellum and centrum semiovale. Fluid and electrolytes were replaced appropriately, and calcium and calcitriol were prescribed. While in the hospital, the patient developed an acute intracerebral bleed confirmed by computed tomography. The patient recovered without neurologic sequelae and was discharged from the hospital on calcium supplementation and calcitriol. Repeated computed tomography of the head 3 years later demonstrated complete resolution of the bleed. Conclusion This case suggests that patients with severe hypoparathyroidism and intracerebral calcification may be at risk for spontaneous intracerebral bleed and should be monitored accordingly. (Endocr Pract. 2007; 13:487-492
HISTORICAL CLUES TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE DYSFUNCTIONAL CHILD AND OTHER PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN CHILDREN

This article focuses on selected historical clues that can help the busy pediatrician identify children who are at risk for or already suffering from psychosocial dysfunction. Certain historical elements have been chosen because they reveal either common areas of childhood dysfunction or potentially dire outcomes. The major function realms of a child's life are covered, such as family, school, peer relationships, activities, and emotions, as well as related topics such as injury, poverty, substance abuse, and risk-taking behavior. Questions designed to elicit the relevant historical clues are suggested. Used as a set, these questions are intended to bring to light sufficient psychosocial history for pediatricians to identify most dysfunctional children.
The separation of some steroids by glass-paper chromatography.

Abstract A rapid sensitive method for the separation of some steroids is presented. Compounds as closely related as an alcohol and its corresponding ketone were separated. Two pairs of cis-trans isomers were separated.
Estimation of long-term extreme response of operational and parked wind turbines: Validation and some new insights

Abstract In current wind turbine design standard, the long-term extreme responses of operational and parked wind turbines with various mean recurrence intervals (MRIs) are estimated from probability distribution of short-term 10-min extreme response under the assumption that the short-term extremes are statistically independent. This study examines the adequacy of this critical assumption through a Monte Carlo simulation procedure. The 10-min mean wind speed series are simulated based on translation process theory with prescribed Weibull distribution and power spectrum. The extreme response series are then generated using the distribution of extreme response under various mean wind speeds. The distribution of annual extreme response is determined from simulated samples and compared to that from distribution of short-term extreme. The results illustrate that the short-term extreme responses can be considered to be independent, while the mean wind speeds exhibit certain level of correlation. This study also presents improved methods for estimating long-term extreme response of parked turbines by using more accurate modeling of distribution tail of mean wind speed. A mixed distribution is suggested, which combines bulk distribution estimated from moderate wind speed data and tail distribution estimated by fitting the excesses above a given threshold with generalized Pareto and three parameters Weibull distributions. A new method of directly using annual maximum wind speed distribution is also proposed that takes into account the independent number of wind speed process in terms of extremal index. The results reveal the importance of better modeling of wind speed distribution tail in the estimation of extreme response of parked turbines.
Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on biocompatibility and cellular uptake of chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles

Using low molecular weight chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) prepared by an ionic gelation method, the authors report the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) on cell viability and nanoparticle uptake in cultured murine preosteoblasts. Particle size and zeta potential are measured using dynamic light scattering, and cell viability is evaluated using the of [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt; MTS] assay. Results show that 30 min delivery of CNPs at 0.5 mg/mL is able to prevent loss of cell viability due to either serum starvation or subsequent exposure to US (1 W/cm2 or 2 W/cm2, up to 1 min). Additionally, flow cytometry data suggest that there is a close association between cellular membrane integrity and the presence of CNPs when US at 2 W/cm2 is administered.
Cystathionine in the brains of tree shrews and other mammals

The amino acid cystathionine is reported to show higher concentrations in the brains of man as compared to those of other species. Two-dimensional separation by electrophoresis-chromatography and densitometric analysis of amino acids showed that the brains of tree shrews had levels of cystathionine intermediate between those of man and other mammals such as tamarins, hedgehogs, and rats. Cystathionine may be involved in the circadian rhythms ofTupaiidae. In man a 10 fold variation in cerebral cystathionine is related to pathological conditions. Greater concentrations in white matter as compared to grey matter and other regional differences in brain tissue support the findings from inherited disorders that cystathionine plays an important role in the normal as well as the abnormal functioning of the brain.
Chronic food restriction increases D-1 dopamine receptor agonist-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein in caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens.

Abstract Results of behavioral and c-fos immunohistochemical studies have suggested that chronic food restriction and maintenance of animals at 75–80% of free-feeding body weight may increase d -1 dopamine (DA) receptor function. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether d -1 DA receptor binding and/or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in caudate-putamen (CPu) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) are increased in food-restricted subjects. In the first experiment, saturation binding of the d -1 DA receptor antagonist [3H]SCH-23390 indicated no difference between food-restricted and ad libitum fed rats with regard to density or affinity of d -1 binding sites in CPu or NAc. In the second experiment, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) by i.c.v. injection of the d -1 DA receptor agonist SKF-82958 (20 μg) were markedly greater in food-restricted than ad libitum fed rats. Given a prior finding that SKF-82958 does not differentially stimulate adenylyl cyclase in CPu or NAc of food-restricted versus ad libitum fed subjects, the present results suggest that increased d -1 DA receptor-mediated ERK1/2 MAP kinase signaling may mediate the enhanced downstream activation of CREB, c-fos, and behavioral responses in food-restricted subjects. It is of interest that food restriction also increased the activation of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase/stress-activated protein kinase, but this effect was no greater in rats injected with SKF-82958 than in those injected with saline vehicle. This represents additional evidence of increased striatal cell signaling in food-restricted subjects, presumably in response to the i.c.v. injection procedure, although the underlying receptor mechanisms remain to be determined. There were no differences between feeding groups in protein levels of the major phosphatases, MKP-2 and PP1. The upregulation of striatal MAP kinase signaling in food-restricted animals may adaptively serve to facilitate associative learning but, at the same time, increase vulnerability to the rewarding and addictive properties of abused drugs.
Brain lactate in anoxia and hypothermia: Relationship to brain viability

Abstract A three- to fourfold increase in brain lactate was observed in rats and dogs 6 min after circulatory arrest. This did not change significantly during the following 84 min of observation. Carotid artery perfusion with 37 and 0 C isotonic saline altered this rise slightly, while perfusion with 24 C saline did not. Addition of 6.67 mmole/liter glucose to the perfusate caused a significantly higher rise in brain lactate at 37, but not at 0 C. These experiments are in agreement with evidence from reports of others which suggest that the glycolytic pathway is preserved in anoxic, hypothermic brain, but not in anoxic, normothermic brain. When compared with previous survivial experiments, they indicate that cerebral lactic acid cannot be used as an index of brain viability.
Comparison of scintillometer and microthermometer measurements of CN2

The atmospheric structure constant, CN2, has been measured by use of three instruments, one optical and two thermal. The data show very good correlation (ρxy = 0.88), but are related by a consistent scale factor: CN (optical) = 0.34 × 10−8 cm−2/3 + 1.45CN (thermal). Several effects are discussed-that may explain these results.
On-chip broadband spectral filtering using planar double high-contrast grating reflectors

We propose a broadband free-space on-chip spectrometer based on an array of integrated narrowband filters consisting of Fabry-Perot resonators formed by two high-contrast grating (HCG) based reflectors separated by a low-index thin layer with a fixed cavity thickness. Using numerical simulations, broadband tunability of resonance wavelengths was achieved only by changing the in-plane grating parameters such as period or duty cycle of HCGs while the substrate geometry was kept fixed. Experimentally, the HCG reflectors were fabricated on silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates and high reflectivity was measured, fabrication process for the proposed double HCG-based narrowband filter array was developed. The filtering function that can be spanned over a wide range of wavelengths was measured.
Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of lightning injuries: 2014 update.

To provide guidance to clinicians about best practices, the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the treatment and prevention of lightning injuries. These guidelines include a review of the epidemiology of lightning and recommendations for the prevention of lightning strikes, along with treatment recommendations organized by organ system. Recommendations are graded on the basis of the quality of supporting evidence according to criteria put forth by the American College of Chest Physicians. This is an updated version of the original WMS Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Lightning Injuries published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 2012;23(3):260–269.
P300 amplitude as an indicator of externalizing in adolescent males

Reduced P300 amplitude is reliably found in individuals with a personal or family history of alcohol problems. However, alcoholism is part of a broader externalizing spectrum that includes other substance use and antisocial disorders. We hypothesized that reduced P300 is an indicator of the common factor that underlies disorders within this spectrum. Community males (N=969) were assessed at age 17 in a visual oddball task. Externalizing was defined as the common factor underlying symptoms of alcohol dependence, drug dependence, nicotine dependence, conduct disorder, and adult antisocial behavior. A robust association was found between reduced P300 amplitude and the externalizing factor, and this relation accounted for links between specific externalizing disorders and P300. Our findings indicate that reduced P300 amplitude is an indicator of the broad neurobiological vulnerability that underlies disorders within the externalizing spectrum.
Calibration and characterization of trap detector filter radiometers

We describe the development of a mechanically simple, radiometrically stable transfer radiometer designed for both radiance and irradiance measurements. The filter radiometer consists of a six-element Si trap detector, a temperature stabilized filter wheel with up to 5 filters, and two precision apertures in a Gershun tube arrangement. With the Gershun tube installed, the instrument operates in radiance mode; with the front aperture removed, in irradiance mode. Two trap detector filter radiometers have been designed and built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for use in remote sensing applications. The filter radiometers have been characterized for optical and electrical performance, and have been calibrated for responsivity using both narrow-band, tunable-laser-illuminated and broad-band, lamp-illuminated integrating sphere sources. This paper describes the filter radiometer design, characterization, and deployments for two remote sensing projects.
Embryology and life history of chaetopleura apiculata

The breeding season of Chaetopleura apiculata begins about June 20th to June 25th and continues until about October 1st. Spawning takes place in the early evening, 8 to 11 O'clock. The cleavage and early development are strikingly similar to that of Ischnochiton as described by Heath, and is typically molluscan. The egg is enclosed in a bristly chorion from which it hatches after twenty-five to thirty hours. The larva is a large opaque trochophore which gradually transforms into a veliger larva by the development of the shell and foot. It settles to the bottom and metamorphoses into the adult form after six to ten days. It becomes sexually mature in one year and is full grown in three or four years, when it measures 29 × 18 mm. or less.
Agents of change on Mars’ northern dunes: CO2 ice and wind

Abstract Both wind and seasonal CO 2 ice sculpt the dunes of Mars in today’s climate. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned extensive temporal coverage of changes on the north polar dunes for nearly four Mars years. The processes driving dune morphology changes such as the formation of new alcoves have been investigated. Considerable interannual variability has been observed. Most changes occur in the period of time when HiRISE cannot image: late summer and fall when light levels are too low to see subtle changes on the dunes and the polar hood obscures the surface, and winter when the cap is in polar night. This is consistent with seasonal control but does not allow us to directly differentiate between eolian processes vs. CO 2 ice as the driving agent for alcove formation. Circumstantial evidence and observations of analog processes in the southern mid-latitudes however implicates processes associated with frost emplacement and removal.
The anatomic suitability of the C2 vertebra for intralaminar and pedicular fixation: a computed tomography study

Abstract Background context Several methods have been used to stabilize the atlantoaxial joint, including the use of C2 pedicle and laminar screws. No report has used computed tomography (CT) angiograms to compare the risk to the vertebral artery or assess the suitability for each fixation technique. Purpose To compare the suitability of C2 pedicle versus laminar screws using CT angiograms. Study design We retrospectively evaluated the anatomic dimensions of the C2 lamina and pedicle in 50 patients using CT angiograms. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the last 50 patients admitted who underwent CT angiograms of the head and neck. Data recorded included the pedicle length and width and the laminar length and width. Vertebral artery anatomy was also assessed to determine if an aberrant location would preclude pedicle fixation. Results Mean pedicle length and width were 15.5±3.5 and 4.7±1.7 mm, respectively, with 24% of patients having anatomy that would preclude 3.5-mm pedicle screw fixation. The mean lamina length and width were 25.2±3.6 and 5.5±1.4 mm, and more than 90% of patients could tolerate a 3.5-mm C2 laminar screw. Conclusion Preoperative CT angiography or noncontrast CT is an excellent method to delineate the anatomy at C2 to determine the suitability for pedicle or intralaminar fixation. In cases where vertebral artery anatomy precludes C2 pedicle fixation, more than 90% of patients may be a candidate for C2 intralaminar fixation.
Calculation of 3- and 4-bond proton-proton coupling constants in compounds modeling the peptide structure

Abstract The two angles φ and Ψ of a peptide residue determine the secondary structure of polypeptides. These two angles also determine the dihedral relation between protons separated by three and four bonds, respectively. These 3- and separated by three and four bonds, respectively. These 3-and 4-bond proton-proton coupling constants have been calculated, as a function of dihedral angle, for N-methylformamide and acetamide which model the peptide structure. The finite perturbation procedure was used and calculations were done with both CNDO and INDO (which includes σ−π spin polarization) wavefunctions in an effort to analyze π-contributions to the coupling. The vicinal or 3-bond coupling, as a function of dihedral dihedral angle, obeys theusual Karplus-type relation with the coupling being very small at 90° and large and positive when the protons are in a cis- or trans-relationship. The vicinal calculations, while in qualitative agreement with experiment, appear to overemphasize the difference between the coupling for protons cis- or trans-to each other, when compared with available empirical evidence. The 3-bond coupling is predicted to be the same whether it occurs in a cis- or trans-peptide. In cis-peptides, the 4-bond coupling is predicted to be as large as +2 Hz when the protons are in a W conformation, whereas, in trans-peptides the 4-bond coupling is predicted to be always less than ±.5 Hz. The predicted conformational dependence of the 4-bond proton-proton coupling in both cis- and trans-peptides has also been least-squares fit to a relation of the form 4J = A cos2 θ + B cos θ + C. Calculations on ethane, propene, and methylimide are compared with those on the amides.
Semi-automated logging of contact center telephone calls

Modern businesses use contact centers as a communication channel with users of their products and services. The largest factor in the expense of running a telephone contact center is the labor cost of its agents. IBM Research has built a new system, Contact-Center Agent Buddies (CAB), which is designed to help reduce the average handle time (AHT) for customer calls, thereby also reducing their cost. In this paper, we focus on the call logging subsystem, which helps agents reduce the time they spend documenting those calls. We built a Template CAB and a Call Logging CAB, using a pipeline consisting of audio capture of a telephone conversation, automatic speech recognition, text analysis, and log generation. We developed techniques for ASR text cleansing, including normalization of expressions and acronyms, domain terms, capitalization, and boundaries for sentences, paragraphs, and call segments. We found that simple heuristics suffice to generate high-quality logs from the normalized sentences. The pipeline yields a candidate call log which the agents can edit in less time than it takes them to generate call logs manually. Evaluation of the Call Logging CAB in an industrial contact center environment shows that it reduces the amount of time agents spend logging calls by at least 50% without compromising the quality of the resulting call documentation.
A Test of the Theory of Optimal Taxation for the United States, 1869-1989

A popular theory of optimal tax policies suggests that tax rates should follow a random walk. This paper extends the existing empirical literature in three ways. First, the impact on the marginal utility of consumption when the government chooses a tax plan to smooth the distorting impact of taxes is considered. Second, exogenous changes in the real rate of interest are incorporated into the government's optimal tax plan. Finally, the tax elasticity of output is not constant over time. Allowing for these changes, there is evidence that the government discounts the future, attempts to smooth the distorting impact of taxes on the marginal utility of consumption, and that the tax elasticity of output moves predictably during wars. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.
REWAS ’99: The TMS fall extraction and process metallurgy meeting

Several other salient topics were addressed at the meeting, including soil remediation, radioactive waste minimization, and gaseous effluent treatment. The highlight of this meeting from the technical viewpoint was the opportunity awarded to the participants for cross-fertilization of thoughts and ideas. The meeting served its dual purpose of generating a global realization and appreciation for waste and pollution problems and of promoting technologies that can effectively mitigate them.
National Trends in the Use of Psychotropic Medications by Children

ABSTRACT Objectives Little information exists on national trends in the use of psychotropic medication by children and adolescents. The objective of this report is to compare patterns and predictors of psychotropic medication use by children and adolescents in the United States in 1987 and 1996. Method An analysis of medication use data is presented from two nationally representative surveys of the general population focusing on children 18 years of age and younger who used one or more prescribed psychotropic medication during the survey years. Rates of stimulant, antidepressant, and other psychotropic medication use are reported. Results The overall annual rate of psychotropic medication use by children increased from 1.4 per 100 persons in 1987 to 3.9 in 1996 ( p Conclusion Between 1987 and 1996, there was a marked expansion in use of psychotropic medications by children, especially stimulants and antidepressants.
The Effects of Sexual Abuse on Children A Multidimensional View

Datawere collected at the Sexual Assault Center in Seattle on 369 sexually abused children and a community comparison sample of 318 not-abused children. Data describing the behavior of these children were collected from the child's parent and for the abused children from the social worker. Samples differed on a number of variables and these variables were used as control variables in the analysis. Results indicate that abused and not-abused children appear behaviorally different on a set of factors and clinical dimensions constructed from the parent-completed measure. Suggestions for future research are provided.
An inverse heat transfer model of thermal degradation within multifunctional tensioned cable structures

A method for the analysis of heat transfer within a multifunctional tensioned cable structure, resulting from external heating by the impingement of a hot gas, is presented. This method, which is based on inverse analysis, uses a conveniently applicable parametric model representation. The problem of failure prediction due to the thermal degradation of the various components within complex cable structures can be difficult due to the lack of information concerning both the anisotropic thermal properties that are typical of these composite structures, and the heat transfer between components internally. The method of analysis presented here provides a means of overcoming these difficulties and conveniently analyzing the performance of multifunctional tensioned cable structural elements that are subject to external heating. Proto-type simulations of heat transfer within a complex cable structure using the inverse parametric model representation are presented.
pH regulating transporters in neurons from various chemosensitive brainstem regions in neonatal rats

We studied the membrane transporters that mediate intracellular pH (pHi) recovery from acidification in brainstem neurons from chemosensitive regions of neonatal rats. Individual neurons within brainstem slices from the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), and the locus coeruleus (LC) were studied using a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye and fluorescence imaging microscopy. The rate of pHi recovery from an NH4Cl-induced acidification was measured, and the effects of inhibitors of various pH-regulating transporters determined. Hypercapnia (15% CO2) resulted in a maintained acidification in neurons from all three regions. Recovery in RTN neurons was nearly entirely eliminated by amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchange (NHE). Recovery in RTN neurons was blocked ∼50% by inhibitors of isoform 1 of NHE (NHE-1) but very little by an inhibitor of NHE-3 or by DIDS (an inhibitor of HCO3-dependent transport). In NTS neurons, amiloride blocked over 80% of the recovery, which was also blocked ∼65% by inhibitors of NHE-1 and 26% blocked by an inhibitor of NHE-3. Recovery in LC neurons, in contrast, was unaffected by amiloride or blockers of NHE isoforms but was dependent on Na+ and increased by external HCO3−. On the basis of these findings, pHi recovery from acidification appears to be largely mediated by NHE-1 in RTN neurons, by NHE-1 and NHE-3 in NTS neurons, and by a Na- and HCO3-dependent transporter in LC neurons. Thus, pHi recovery is mediated by different pH-regulating transporters in neurons from different chemosensitive regions, but recovery is suppressed by hypercapnia in all of the neurons.
Fully homomorphic encryption using ideal lattices

We propose a fully homomorphic encryption scheme -- i.e., a scheme that allows one to evaluate circuits over encrypted data without being able to decrypt. Our solution comes in three steps. First, we provide a general result -- that, to construct an encryption scheme that permits evaluation of arbitrary circuits, it suffices to construct an encryption scheme that can evaluate (slightly augmented versions of) its own decryption circuit; we call a scheme that can evaluate its (augmented) decryption circuit bootstrappable.Next, we describe a public key encryption scheme using ideal lattices that is almost bootstrappable.Lattice-based cryptosystems typically have decryption algorithms with low circuit complexity, often dominated by an inner product computation that is in NC1. Also, ideal lattices provide both additive and multiplicative homomorphisms (modulo a public-key ideal in a polynomial ring that is represented as a lattice), as needed to evaluate general circuits.Unfortunately, our initial scheme is not quite bootstrappable -- i.e., the depth that the scheme can correctly evaluate can be logarithmic in the lattice dimension, just like the depth of the decryption circuit, but the latter is greater than the former. In the final step, we show how to modify the scheme to reduce the depth of the decryption circuit, and thereby obtain a bootstrappable encryption scheme, without reducing the depth that the scheme can evaluate. Abstractly, we accomplish this by enabling the encrypter to start the decryption process, leaving less work for the decrypter, much like the server leaves less work for the decrypter in a server-aided cryptosystem.
Analysis of the coupling of electromagnetic interference to unipolar cardiac pacemakers.

A theoretical analysis is developed to determine the behaviour of the unipolar pacemaker catheter as a receiving aerial. The theory is used to predict the effect of parameters such as the frequency and the length of the catheter on the coupling of electromagnetic interference to the pacemaker. The results are presented in terms of an equivalent circuit which is useful for developing simple experimental tests to evaluate the susceptibility of pacemakers to electro-magnetic interference. The theoretical results are shown to be in good agreement with measurements made on an actual catheter.
Elimination of Short-Day Melatonin Signaling Accelerates Gonadal Recrudescence but Does Not Break Refractoriness in Male Turkish Hamsters

Long days stimulate and short days (SDs) inhibit the reproductive axis of photoperiodic rodents. In long-day Turkish hamsters, unlike most other rodents, elimination of pineal melatonin secretion by constant light or pinealectomy initiates a cycle of gonadal involution and recrudescence outwardly similar to that induced by short days. The present study assessed whether short days and constant light induce the seasonal reproductive cycle via common or different interval timing mechanisms. Male hamsters that had undergone gonadal involution in SDs for 8 or 14 weeks were treated with LL for 14 and 8 weeks, respectively. If SDs and LL act via independent mechanisms, then gonadal quiescence of SD-regressed males, which normally lasts 10 weeks, might be extended by LL treatment; alternatively, if SDs and LL act on the same timer, or the timer cannot be retriggered, then LL will not extend the duration of reproductive quiescence. Neither of these outcomes materialized. Instead, male hamsters exposed to LL while reproductively quiescent exhibited accelerated gonadal recrudescence. Extended LL treatment did not restore responsiveness to SDs in photorefractory hamsters. In Turkish hamsters, photoperiodic history determines whether constant light inhibits or stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.
Creep behavior of commercial FeCrAl foils: Beneficial and detrimental effects of oxidation

Abstract Creep tests were performed at 875 °C and 1050 °C on commercially available FeCrAl foils (∼50 μm, 2 mil thickness) over a wide range of stress and duration. The oxide scales formed on the creep specimens were analyzed and compared to those that formed on unstressed specimens to assess the effect of stress and strain on oxide growth behavior. Below a specific stress threshold, the creep rate becomes moderately dependent on the applied load, the lifetime independent of that load, and rupture occurs due to the onset of breakaway oxidation. A creep rate model based on the strengthening of the FeCrAl foils due to load-bearing by the thermally grown alumina scale was observed to be in good agreement with the experimental results.
Sequential multi-hypothesis testing for compound Poisson processes

Suppose that there are finitely many simple hypotheses about the unknown arrival rate and mark distribution of a compound Poisson process, and that exactly one of them is correct. The objective is to determine the correct hypothesis with minimal error probability and as soon as possible after the observation of the process starts. This problem is formulated in a Bayesian framework, and its solution is presented. Provably convergent numerical methods and practical near-optimal strategies are described and illustrated on various examples.