cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and predictors of quitline enrollment following hospital referral in real-world clinical practice

Abstract Tobacco quitlines are effective, and work best for callers who receive three or more counseling sessions. Clinical settings are adopting quitline referral as a method for providing cessation support but little is known regarding enrollment and engagement following these referrals. We used data from quitline fax-back reports to describe enrollment and treatment engagement of 878 hospitalized patients who smoke who were referred via secure email to quitline at discharge. We compared patient demographics, tobacco characteristics, and treatment engagement between those enrolled and not enrolled. We conducted chi-square and t-tests to determine which variables should be included in a logistic regression to determine predictors of quitline enrollment. We did not receive fax-back reports for 25% (n = 221) of referred patients; these were excluded from all but the intent-to-treat analysis. Among patients for whom we received reports, 20.4% enrolled and accepted at least one service from the quitline. Among the 79.6% (n = 523) of patients who smoke not enrolled, most (78.3%; n = 410) were classified by the quitline as unreachable. Age (p = .006), smoking within 30 min of waking (p = .005), and interest in quitting (p = .008) were significant predictors of quitline enrollment. Using an intent to treat analysis, 11.4% (n = 100) of all referred patients were enrolled and accepted a single or multi-call programs; 4.2% (n = 37) of all referred patients enrolled and accepted a multi-call counseling program. Quitlines are a pillar of U.S. tobacco treatment. For quitlines to fulfill their potential, quitlines and hospitals must identify effective strategies for reaching and treating referred patients who smoke. Quitlines are effective and are readily available to many in advanced economy countries. Treatment engagement appears to be a barrier to quitline participation as we found few patients who were referred to the quitline actually enrolled in care. Quitlines should consider adopting alternative methods for reaching patients who smoke. Future research is warranted to determine effective solutions to breakdowns in transitions of care.
Computer Vision Analysis of Intraoperative Video: Automated Recognition of Operative Steps in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Objective(s):To develop and assess AI algorithms to identify operative steps in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).Background:Computer vision, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), allows for quantitative analysis of video by computers for identification of objects and patterns, such as in auto
Potential influence of the corpus luteum on circulating reproductive and volume regulatory hormones, angiogenic and immunoregulatory factors in pregnant women

Cardiovascular function is impaired and preeclampsia risk elevated in women conceiving by in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the absence of a corpus luteum (CL). Here, we report the serial evaluation ...
Peer influence of injection drug use cessation among dyads in rural eastern Kentucky.

Abstract Background This analysis aims to assess whether injection drug use cessation among peers predicts injection drug use cessation among individuals and explores whether this association varies by relationship type and strength. Methods Data were collected through baseline and 6-month assessments for the Social Networks among Appalachian People study (2008–2011). Interviewer-administered surveys collected sociodemographic and drug use behaviors (past 6 months and lifetime). Participants also listed sex, drug use, and social support partners (past 6 months). Listed names were cross-referenced with survey participants to identify relationships between study participants. The analytic sample was further restricted to include only those relationship pairs where both individuals reported a history of injection drug use at baseline (n = 244 unique individuals and 746 dyads). We fit a generalized estimating equations logistic regression model to (1) assess the relationship between peer injection cessation and individual injection cessation and (2) determine whether the strength of this association differs by relationship-level variables (i.e., relationship role, relationship type, relationship duration, frequency of interaction, residential proximity). Results Overall, those with a network member who ceased injection drug use were more likely to stop injecting over the following 6-month period (AOR=1.65). The magnitude of this association was greater for social support partners (AOR=2.95), family members (AOR=3.56), those with whom the participant interacted at least daily (AOR=2.17), and those who the participant knew longer (AOR=2.09). Further, among family members, the effect size was greater when relationships were further restricted to immediate family members (AOR=5.35). Conclusion Our findings suggest that in this rural community, closer, more supportive relationships, may be more influential for modeling injection cessation; however, relationship-types were not mutually exclusive so differences in effect size across strata may not be statistically significant. In this setting, social support through the recovery process (including cessation attempts with peers) may increase likelihood of injection cessation.
Community Attitudes and Perceptions Concerning Rhinoceros Poaching and Conservation: A Case Study in Eswatini

Rhinoceros poaching has been recognized the world over as a conservation crisis, the result of the high price of horn and demand in Asian markets. The commitment and participation of local people in conservation activities, however, are crucial for conservation success. Here we assess attitudes and perceptions towards rhino poaching and conservation in light of surveys in two local communities adjacent to the Hlane Royal National Park in eSwatini where perhaps 100 black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhino occur. Our survey of 60 households addressed perceptions and attitudes towards rhino conservation and willingness to participate in rhino poaching and conservation activities. No efforts have been made to involve local people in conservation activities, and the people do not benefit from the park's activities. About 20% of respondents expressed their willingness to help rhino poachers provided they are paid for their services. Of the remaining 80%, some mentioned that they would not help poachers for fear of being apprehended. Still, some mentioned that they would not help poachers because of their concern about poaching and believe its prevention is important. Park authorities here and elsewhere could invest in building better people–park relationships, and provide opportunities for local communities to participate in conservation activities. Conservation policies to co-manage the resources could be used to deter poaching and to conserve wildlife involving local community members in monitoring and enforcement strategies.
Highly vulnerable children: how their caregivers’ savings group participation facilitated their well-being

Millions of Ethiopian children live in poverty. About two out of three attend primary school, while fewer than one in five attend secondary, and two in five are married by the age of 18. To amelior...
Implementation of a statewide, multisite fetal tele-echocardiography program: evaluation of more than 1100 fetuses over 9 years.

We sought to describe the implementation and effectiveness of a statewide fetal tele-echocardiography program serving a resource-limited population. In 2009, our heart center established six satellite clinics for fetal tele-echocardiography around the state. We retrospectively reviewed all fetal tele-echocardiograms performed through 2018. Yearly statewide prenatal detection rates of operable congenital heart disease were queried from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. In 1164 fetuses, fetal tele-echocardiography identified all types of congenital heart disease, with a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 97%. For the detection of ductal-dependent congenital heart disease, fetal tele-echocardiography was 100% sensitive and specific. Between 2009 and 2018, annual statewide prenatal detection rates of congenital heart disease requiring heart surgery in the first 6 months of life rose by 159% (17–44%; R2 = 0.88, p < 0.01). The present study provides a framework for an effective, large-scale fetal tele-echocardiography program.
Glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B: A key mediator and an emerging therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases

The glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB, also known as osteoactivin) is highly expressed in many cell types and regulates the homeostasis in various tissues. In different physiological contexts, it functions as a melanosome-associated protein, membrane-bound surface receptor, soluble ligand, or adhesion molecule. Therefore, GPNMB is involved in cell differentiation, migration, inflammation, metabolism, and neuroprotection. Because of its various involvement in different physiological conditions, GPNMB has been implicated in many diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, and more recently immune-mediated diseases. This review summarizes the regulation and function of GPNMB in normal physiology, and discusses the involvement of GPNMB in disease conditions with a particular focus on its potential role and therapeutic implications in autoimmunity.
Rod fractures and nonunions after long fusion to the sacrum for primary presentation adult spinal deformity: a comparison with and without interbody fusion in the distal lumbar spine.

Retrospective cohort study. To investigate the prevalence and incidence rate of rod fractures (RF) in patients undergoing surgery for correction of adult spinal deformity (ASD) with or without the use of interbody fusions in the caudal levels of the fusion construct. Data: Pseudarthrosis and rod fracture after long spinal fusion to the sacrum for correction of ASD remain a concern. We reviewed clinical records of patients who underwent surgery for correction of ASD between 2004 and 2014. All cases were primary (no prior spine fusion) surgeries with long fusion to the sacrum and bilateral spinopelvic fixation. Patients were dichotomized into one of two groups based on whether an interbody fusion was performed at the caudal levels of the fusion construct. The primary outcome of interest was the prevalence and incidence rate of RFs. A total of 230 patients underwent a long segment fusion for correction of ASD with mean follow-up of 55 months. 117 patients had an interbody fusion (IF) while 113 patients did not (NIF). At last follow-up, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of RFs between the cohort of patients IF vs NIF (IF cohort: n = 20, 17.9% vs NIF cohort: n = 15, 14.2%, p = 0.49). However, the incidence rate for bilateral rod fractures was 1.6%/year for IF group vs 1.0%/year for NIF group (p = 0.02). Location of RF was different between the two groups; RF (unilateral and bilateral) above L4 was the most common location in the IF group (n = 17/20; 85%) compared to L4–S1 in the NIF group (n = 11/15; 73%) (p = 0.02). Interbody fusion does not fully protect against rod failure in the lumbar spine in ASD patients with long posterior spinal fusion and may encourage failure at L2–L4, the levels above the interbody fusion. III.
The Local Lya Forest. III. Relationship between Lya Absorbers and Galaxies, Voids and Superclusters

In this paper, we use large-angle, nearby galaxy redshift surveys to investigate the relationship between the 81 low-redshift Lya absorbers in our HST/GHRS survey and galaxies, superclusters, and voids. In a subsample of 46 Lya absorbers located in regions where the February 8, 2000 CfA catalog is complete down to at least L* galaxies, the nearest galaxy neighbors range from 100kpc to >10 Mpc. Of these 46 absorbers, 8 are found in galaxy voids. After correcting for pathlength and sensitivity, we find that 22+-8% of the Lya absorbers lie in voids, which requires that at least some low-column density absorbers are not extended halos of individual bright galaxies. The number density of these clouds yields a baryon fraction of 4.5+-1.5% in voids. The stronger Lya absorbers (10^{13.2-15.4} cm^-2) cluster with galaxies more weakly than galaxies cluster with each other, while the weaker absorbers (10^{12.4-13.2} cm^-2) are more randomly distributed. The median distance from a low-z Lya absorber in our sample to its nearest galaxy neighbor (~500 kpc) is twice the median distance between bright galaxies in the same survey volume. This makes any purposed "association" between these Lya absorbers and individual galaxies problematic. The suggested correlation between Lya absorber equivalent width (W) and nearest-galaxy impact parameter does not extend to W 200kpc. Instead, we find statistical support for the contention that absorbers align with large-scale filaments of galaxies. While some strong (W>400mA) Lya absorbers may be gas in the extended gaseous halos of individual galaxies, much of the local Lya "forest" appears to be associated with the large-scale structures of galaxies and some with voids.
Maternal transfer of neutralizing antibodies to OspA after oral vaccination of the rodent reservoir

Lyme Disease presents unique challenges for public health efforts. We hypothesized that transfer of protective antibodies between mothers and offspring should occur after oral vaccination of C3H-HeN mice with E. coli overexpressing OspA. We present new evidence for maternal transfer of vaccine induced neutralizing anti-OspA IgG antibodies to mouse pups through ingestion of colostrum. Protective levels of OspA antibodies in pups were present from 2-5 weeks after birth and they persisted in some mice until 9 weeks of age. This was corroborated by detection of neutralizing antibodies in the serum of all pups at 2-3 weeks after birth and in some mice at 9 weeks of age. A clear association was found between robust antibody responses in mothers and the length of antibody persistence in the respective pups using a novel longitudinal Bayesian model. These factors are likely to impact the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi when reservoir targeted OspA-based vaccination interventions are implemented.
Variant N = (1,1) supergravity and (Minkowski)4 × S2 vacua

We construct the fermionic sector and supersymmetry transformation rules of a variant supergravity theory obtained by generalized Kaluza–Klein reduction from seven dimensions. We show that this model admits both (Minkowski)4 × S2 and (Minkowski)3 × S3 supersymmetric vacua. We perform a consistent Kaluza–Klein reduction on S2 and obtain supergravity coupled to a vector multiplet, which can be consistently truncated to give rise to supergravity with a chiral multiplet.
Association of blood calcium concentration in the first 3 days after parturition and energy balance metabolites at day 3 in milk with disease and production outcomes in multiparous Jersey cows

Research exploring specific associations of markers of negative energy balance and Ca in postpartum Jersey cows with lactation performance is lacking. Our objectives were to evaluate the associations of total Ca concentration (tCa) measured at 1 through 3 d in milk (DIM) and free fatty acids (FFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and glucose measured at 3 DIM with (1) the risk of multiparous Jersey cows being diagnosed with early-lactation diseases and culling, (2) milk production in the first 9 wk of lactation, and (3) the risk of pregnancy in the first 150 DIM. A cohort study was performed in 1 dairy herd in Texas. Multivariable Poisson regression models were built to evaluate the association of the analytes of interest with the risks of early-lactation diseases and culling in the first 60 DIM (i.e., binary outcomes). Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the association of the analytes of interest with milk production within the first 9 wk of lactation, and a Cox proportional hazard model was built to assess the risk of pregnancy within 150 DIM. A total of 380 cows were used in the final analyses. Total Ca measured at 1 through 3 DIM was not associated with the risk of metritis. Cows with increased FFA and BHB had an increased risk of being diagnosed with metritis and clinical mastitis, respectively. Increased concentrations of glucose and FFA and decreased tCa at 3 DIM were associated with an increased risk of culling. Reduced tCa concentrations at 1 DIM (≤1.84 mmol/L) and 2 DIM (≤2.04 mmol/L) were associated with increased milk production across the first 9 wk of lactation compared with tCa concentrations above those thresholds. Total Ca was not associated with milk production when assessed at 3 DIM, whereas increased FFA (≥0.37 mmol/L) and decreased glucose (≤2.96 mmol/L) at 3 DIM were associated with increased milk production. None of the metabolites measured were associated with the risk of pregnancy in the first 150 DIM. Our results demonstrate that tCa concentration assessed in the first 3 DIM show temporary associations with milk production and culling in multiparous Jersey cows. Although increased concentration of FFA assessed at 3 DIM was associated with greater milk yield, it was a detrimental factor for the risk of metritis. This study attempted to better elucidate the relationship of tCa, FFA, BHB, and glucose assessed in early postpartum with health and performance of Jersey cows. Based on this study, assessments performed at 3 DIM using tCa concentration ≤1.99 mmol/L for increased risk of early-lactation culling and FFA ≥0.43 mmol/L for increased risk of metritis could be used as starting points. More studies evaluating the dynamics of energy balance markers and tCa in postpartum Jersey cows using a greater number of herds are needed to better inform dairy consultants on critical levels for exacerbated postpartum negative energy balance and subclinical hypocalcemia for the Jersey breed.
Madelung deformity and Madelung-type deformities: a review of the clinical and radiological characteristics

Madelung deformity of the distal radius results from premature closure of the medial volar aspect of the distal radial physis, leading to increased volar tilt and increased inclination of the radial articular surface, triangulation of the carpus with proximal migration of the lunate and dorsal displacement of the distal ulna. The deformity is particularly common in Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis, but it may also occur in isolation. True Madelung deformity can be differentiated from Madelung-type deformities by the presence of an anomalous radiolunate ligament (Vickers ligament). In this article, we will review the imaging characteristics of true Madelung deformity, including the common “distal radius” variant, the less common “entire radius” variant and “reverse” Madelung deformity. We will discuss the role of the Vickers ligament in disease pathogenesis and its use in differentiating true Madelung deformity from Madelung-type deformities arising from trauma or multiple hereditary exostoses. Surgical management of these patients will also be addressed.
Morphological operators for enhanced polarimetric image target detection

We introduce an algorithm based on morphological filters with the Stokes parameters that augments the daytime and nighttime detection of weak-signal manmade objects immersed in a predominant natural background scene. The approach features a tailored sequence of signal-enhancing filters, consisting of core morphological operators (dilation, erosion) and higher level morphological operations (e.g., spatial gradient, opening, closing) to achieve a desired overarching goal. Using representative data from the SPICE database, the results show that the approach was able to automatically and persistently detect with a high confidence level the presence of three mobile military howitzer surrogates (targets) in natural clutter.
An experimental protocol for studying kinetics and catalyst deactivation: Application to heptane reforming on Pt-Re/Al2O3

We propose an experimental protocol that can provide a diagnostic tool for probing the state of catalyst coking and its influence on product composition in an operating reactor throughout the lifetime of the catalyst. The experimental equipment includes a vibrational microbalance, a multi-outlet fixed bed reactor, and a temperature-programmed oxidation appartus. We illustrates its use by applying it to n-heptane reformings on a commercial Pt-Re/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. The results idenfity five-memberee naphthenes (C5N) as the key source of coke and provide the data needed to develop kinetic models for both reforming and coking. From the measured or predicted C5N concentration, the models correctly predict the reactor coke profile and the reforming product composition as functions of on-stream time.
c-MYC induces mammary tumorigenesis by means of a preferred pathway involving spontaneous Kras2 mutations

Although the process of mammary tumorigenesis requires multiple genetic events, it is unclear to what extent carcinogenesis proceeds through preferred secondary pathways following a specific initiating oncogenic event. Similarly, the extent to which established mammary tumors remain dependent on individual mutations for maintenance of the transformed state is unknown. Here we use the tetracycline regulatory system to conditionally express the human c-MYC oncogene in the mammary epithelium of transgenic mice. MYC encodes a transcription factor implicated in multiple human cancers. In particular, amplification and overexpression of c-MYC in human breast cancers is associated with poor prognosis, although the genetic mechanisms by which c-MYC promotes tumor progression are poorly understood. We show that deregulated c-MYC expression in this inducible system results in the formation of invasive mammary adenocarcinomas, many of which fully regress following c-MYC deinduction. Approximately half of these tumors harbor spontaneous activating point mutations in the ras family of proto-oncogenes with a strong preference for Kras2 compared with Hras1. Nearly all tumors lacking activating ras mutations fully regressed following c-MYC deinduction, whereas tumors bearing ras mutations did not, suggesting that secondary mutations in ras contribute to tumor progression. These findings demonstrate that c-MYC-induced mammary tumorigenesis proceeds through a preferred secondary oncogenic pathway involving Kras2.
Ophthalmic and nasal mucosal tests as an aid in the determination of house dust allergy. A comparative study.

Abstract Comparative studies of skin tests, mucosal tests, and clinical histories in 245 patients with various respiratory allergies have shown that eye and nasal mucosal tests may help to determine the presence or absence of clinical allergy to house dust in those patients who have positive skin tests to house dust but who are uncertain as to the effect of dust exposure upon their symptoms. Such a determination may prevent the unnecessary use in some patients of those therapeutic measures (including hyposensitization) used in dust-sensitive patients. While our studies show that the nasal test is a more sensitive indicator of clinical sensitivity than the eye test, its use often is restricted by the presence of active symptoms, or of nasal obstruction, or of the possibility that the tests might induce active symptoms. Hence, in patients with positive skin test reactions and uncertain clinical histories or in those with negative skin tests and positive clinical histories, it is recommended that an eye test and, when necessary, a nasal test with house dust powder should be done to determine whether clinical allergy to house dust exists.
Succession Planning for Library Instruction

Detailed succession planning helps libraries pass information from one employee to the next. This is crucial in preparing for hiring, turnover, retirements, training of graduate teaching assistants in academic libraries, and other common situations. The authors of this article discuss succession planning for instruction programs in academic libraries. They provide strategies and tools for use and adaptation.
A Review of “Education for Library Cataloging: International Perspectives. Dajin D. Sun and Ruth C. Carter (Eds.)“

This collection of studies is intended by its editors to be “a cross-sectional document for the current status, developments, and trends of cataloging education around the world.” The volume is edi...
Pneumatosis coli: A benign form of necrotizing enterocolitis

Background: Recently, we observed an increase in the number of late preterm neonates with pneumatosis coli (Pcoli) an infrequently reported benign form of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Objective: To review our experience (2000-09) with infants who presented with visible blood in the stools (VBS) and pneumatosis intestinalis (PI). Methods: Retrospective cohort study. There were 65 infants who had VBS and PI. Thirty-two who constituted the pneumatosis coli (Pcoli) group were compared with 33 infants with VBS and PI who were designated as classic NEC. Results: 75% of Pcoli cases occurred during 2008-09. Demographics and obstetrical risk factors (except for preterm labor and antepartum steroid use) for the mothers of both groups were similar. Ninety-one percent of Pcoli were > 34w while 82% of classic NEC cases were 6 33w GA. At the time of diagnosis 70% of infants in the Pcoli group and 30% of those in the classic NEC group were< 7d old. In the Pcoli groupprior to VBS, 78% of these infants were taking formula and 22% formula and breast milk. VBS was the only clinical sign which prompted radiographic evaluation. Thirty of these 32 infants had blood cultures (all negative), 20% received antibiotics, 50% continued with feedings, no patients had surgery and all survived. In the classic NEC group prior to VBS 47% were taking formula, 47% formula and breast milk and 6% breast milk. Seventy-four percent of these infants had abdominal distention, emesis or apnea, 48% had abnormal WBC-diff, and 6 infants had positive blood cultures. Ten infants had surgery and 3 of them expired. Among Pcoli infants, PI was limited to the colon in 94% of the cases. In the classic NEC group 35% of infants had difuse PI, 65% had focal PI and 27% had portal venous gas. Conclusion: Pcoli is a benign form of NEC that affects mainly late preterm or term infants, who once diagnosed, in contrast to classic NEC patients, require less intensive care. Further studies are needed to elucidate etiology (including the rol e of feeding practices) and to explore preventive or therapeutic measures.
Foetal Rat Pancreas in Organ Culture: Effect of Corticosterone Concentrations on the Acinar and Islet Cell Components

Foetal rat pancreatic explants (20-day postcoitum) were grown in organ culture on medium enriched with serum and embryo extract containing various concentrations of corticosterone. Normal pancreatic exocrine morphology was preserved. In addition, media amylase concentration remained high and media insulin was suppressed. This is in sharp contrast to explants incubated on control medium without addition of steroid in which a rapid disappearance of the acinar component and a selective proliferation of the islet cells was noted. The magnitude of these effects was related to the concentration of the steroid. Corticosterone was effective in preserving pancreatic acinar cells through 8–10 days in vitro. Removal of high levels of corticosterone from the incubation medium after 4 days of culture resulted in a decrease in media amylase and a fall in explant acinar cell mass. The media insulin returned to control levels during the following 4 days of culture. Addition of corticosterone to the media following 4 days of control culture resulted in no increase in media amylase and no statistically significant differences in explant acinar cell mass. Media insulin was decreased from control levels following the additional 4 days of incubation. However, corticosterone, even at a concentration of 10.0 μg/ml, was not effective in depressing insulin secretion as was foetal adrenal co-culture. It is proposed that adrenal corticosteroids are responsible for the maintenance of differentiated acinar cells previously observed in pancreatic adrenal co-culture. This suggests that corticosteroids may play an important role in in vivo pancreatic morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation. In addition, adrenal corticosteroids directly inhibit insulin release from the explant beta cells in vitro.
The Two Quantum Excited States of the Hydrogen Molecule

Theory of two quantum states of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$.\char22{}There are sixteen possible wave functions for a pair of interacting H atoms which dissociate adiabatically into a normal H atom and a two quantum H atom. These wave functions give rise to eight distinct $S$ states and four distinct $P$ states (the latter are degenerate in the fixed nuclei problem). These states may be divided into four groups of three according to the symmetry of the wave functions with respect to (a) an interchange of electron coordinates, and (b) reflection in the plane which forms the perpendicular bisector of the internuclear axis. The principles of selection for transitions between these various types of electronic state are formulated and compared with the rules of Kronig. A first order perturbation theory computation of the potential energy curves for the $P$ states shows that two of them have the form requisite for the formation of stable molecules. These two may be identified respectively with the $C$ state (upper level for Werner bands) and the $2^{3}P$ state reported by Richardson. The agreement between the computed curves and the empirical data is fair.
Remote detection of water stress in orchard canopies using MODIS/ASTER airborne simulator (MASTER) data

Vegetation canopy water content (CWC) is an important parameter for monitoring natural and agricultural ecosystems. Previous studies focused on the observation of annual or monthly variations in CWC but lacked temporal details to study vegetation physiological activities within a diurnal cycle. This study provides an evaluation of detecting vegetation diurnal water stress using airborne data acquired with the MASTER instrument. Concurrent with the morning and afternoon acquisitions of MASTER data, an extensive field campaign was conducted over almond and pistachio orchards in southern San Joaquin Valley of California to collect CWC measurements. Statistical analysis of the field measurements indicated a significant decrease of CWC from morning to afternoon. Field measured CWC was linearly correlated to the normalized difference infrared index (NDII) calculated with atmospherically corrected MASTER reflectance data using either FLAASH or empirical line (EL). Our regression analysis demonstrated that both atmospheric corrections led to a root mean square error (RMSE) of approximately 0.035 kg/m2 for the estimation of CWC (R2=0.42 for FLAASH images and R2=0.45 for EL images). Remote detection of the subtle decline in CWC awaits an improved prediction of CWC. Diurnal CWC maps revealed the spatial patterns of vegetation water status in response to variations in irrigation treatment.
4.2.2 Organizational Safety: A Systems Engineering Perspective

Numerous studies have shown that organizational factors are contributors to major accidents, in particular, catastrophes, such as Chernobyl and Challenger. Organizational safety, as distinguished from industrial and system safety, can be viewed in a systems engineering context. Case histories of these and other disasters are reviewed with a focus on the organizational aspects. First, the systems engineering concept of the development and support systems, that is, the engineering and support organizations, as categories of enabling systems dictates that these systems be considered concurrently with the operational system in establishing the total system requirements. Secondly, the systems engineering processes of requirements development and synthesis enable the creation of an organizational system which meets the total system requirements for safety. Finally, systems of verification are addressed, both externally mandated systems as well as internally conducted audits.
A non-linear multi-criteria programming approach for determining county emergency medical service ambulance allocations

In this paper an integer, non-linear mathematical programming model is developed to allocate emergency medical service (EMS) ambulances to sectors within a county in order to meet a government-mandated response-time criterion. However, in addition to the response-time criterion, the model also reflects criteria for budget and work-load, and, since ambulance response is best described within the context of a queueing system, several of the model system constraints are based on queueing formulations adapted to a mathematical programming format. The model is developed and demonstrated within the context of an example of a county encompassing rural, urban and mixed sectors which exhibit different demand and geographic characteristics. The example model is solved using an integer, non-linear goal-programming technique. The solution results provide ambulance allocations to sectors within the county, the probability of an ambulance exceeding a prespecified response time, and the utilization factor for ambulances per sector.
The growth of single crystal Terfenol-D crystals

Rods of the highly magnetostrictive material, Terfenol-D, Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe2, have been prepared by both Bridgman and float zone techniques. It is found that the dendritic growth front consists of parallel sheets of dendrites growing with a primary direction of and sheet planes of {111}. Unseeded rods show a strong preference for alignment of the grains. Seeding experiments have been successful for orientations but not , and the cause of this difference is discussed. The single crystal rods are seen to contain parallel {111} twin boundaries throughout their volume, growing near the central plane of the dendrite sheets. These results are analogous to those of Ge and Si. The role of the twin planes on domain wall motion and methods of eliminating the twins are discussed.
Apoptotic Signaling through the β-Adrenergic Receptor A NEW Gs EFFECTOR PATHWAY

Stimulation of β-adrenergic receptor normally results in signaling by the heterotrimeric G protein Gs, leading to the activation of adenylyl cyclase, production of cAMP, and activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Here we report that cell death of thymocytes can be induced after stimulation of β-adrenergic receptor, or by addition of exogenous cAMP. Apoptotic cell death in both cases was observed with the appearance of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP end labeling reactivity and the activation of caspase-3 in S49 T cells. Using thymocytes deficient in either Gαs or PKA, we find that engagement of β-adrenergic receptors initiated a Gαs-dependent, PKA-independent pathway leading to apoptosis. This alternative pathway involves Src family tyrosine kinase Lck. Furthermore, we show that Lck protein kinase activity can be directly stimulated by purified Gαs. Our data reveal a new signaling pathway for Gαs, distinct from the classical PKA pathway, that accounts for the apoptotic action of β-adrenergic receptors.
The effects of setting, thematic familiarity, and type of contradiction on comprehension monitoring

Abstract The purpose of the present research was to determine the effects of setting, thematic familiarity, and type of contradiction on efficiency of comprehension monitoring. In the first study, third graders were told they were evaluating material for either a reading or a math class. They were presented themes which were either familiar or unfamiliar and contained either logical or numeric inconsistencies. It was found that children performed significantly better on familiar themes containing numeric inconsistencies. These findings were replicated in a second study which corrected for design problems in the first study. These results are consistent with the automatic-control processing model of attention.
Effect of Addition of TiB2 Powder on Formation Tendency of Amorphous Phase in La55Al25Ni20 Alloy

The effect of the addition of TiB 2 powder on the amorphous phase formation in a La 55 Al 25 Ni 20 alloy by controlling the fraction of its powder. These alloys are melted by a high frequency induction furnace, and quenched in water. Specimens are in the shape of a disk, 12 mm in diameter and I to 8 mm thick. The structure of the specimen consists of amorphous single phase or amorphous phase plus partly crystalline phase. In the alloy without addition of TiB 2 powder, amorphous phase forms only in the surface region of the specimen. By the addition of TiB 2 powder, amorphous phase comes to exist not only the surface but also the inside of the specimen, and the crystalline phase appears around TiB 2 particles. According to image processing analysis, the amorphous area in the composite material is enlarged in comparison with the case without addition of TiB 2 powder. The amorphous area increases with the fraction of TiB 2 in the composite material. The optimum incorporation fraction of TiB 2 is 10 mass% for the fraction of amorphous phase and for the uniform dispersion of its powder.
Lagged Fibonacci Random Number Generators for Distributed Memory Parallel Computers

To parallelize applications that require the use of random numbers, an efficient and good quality parallel random number generator is required. In this paper, we study the parallelization of lagged Fibonacci generators for distributed memory parallel computers. Two popular ways of generating a random sequence in parallel are studied: the contiguous subsequence technique and the leapfrog technique. We present a parallelization of the lagged Fibonacci plus/minus generators using the contiguous subsequence technique. For the leapfrog technique, we show that lagged Fibonacci generators with the exclusive or operator can be efficiently parallelized without any communication overhead when the number of processors is a power of 2. We also show that it is not possible to parallelize other lagged Fibonacci generators efficiently in a communication-free manner. We then present an efficient scalable parallelization of lagged Fibonacci plus/minus generators that uses communication. We discuss issues that arise in implementations of the proposed algorithms and comment on their practical efficiency.
At the Cinema: Aspiring to a Higher Ethical Standard

The film scenes focus the student viewers on ethical behavior, unethical behavior, or an ethical dilemma. Ethical behavior is behavior judged as good, right, just, honorable, and praiseworthy. Unethical behavior is behavior judged as wrong, dishonorable, or failing to meet an obligation. The judgment of behavior as ethical or unethical is based on principles, rules, or guides that come from an ethics theory, character traits, or social values (Brandt, 1996; Buchholz & Rosenthal, 1997; Rosenthal & Buchholz, 2000). Three ethics theories that can act as guides to ethical behavior are utilitarianism, rights, and justice. Utilitarianism asks a person to examine the effects of the person's actions to decide whether these actions are morally correct under utilitarian guidelines. An action is morally right if its total net benefit exceeds the total net benefit of any other action. A right is a person's just claim or entitlement. The right can focus on what that person does or on the action of other people toward the person. Justice-based ethics theories use a comparative process, which looks at the balance of benefits and burdens among members of a group or resulting from the application of laws, rules, and policies. When people face an ethical dilemma, they can apply one or more ethics theories to resolve it. Students will apply the ethics theories to various moral dilemmas shown in the film scenes. The proposed classroom experiences have three
Changes of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate receptors in layer v of epileptogenic, chronically isolated rat neocortex

Abstract In vivo chronic partial isolation of neocortical islands results in epileptogenesis that involves pyramidal neurons of layer V. To test whether an alteration in glutamate receptors might contribute to the epileptiform activity, we analysed the time-course of light microscopic changes in expression of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptors using subunit-specific antibodies. The isolation caused a rapid down-regulation of immunoreactivity for GluR1 and GluR2/3 subunits in deep layer V pyramidal neurons within the neocortical island which was evident 24 h post-lesion, and within three days was reduced to about 40–60% of the control level. Many pyramidal cells in deep layer V completely lacked GluR2. Between one and four weeks of survival, down-regulation of GluR2/3 and GluR2 involved the majority of pyramidal layer V neurons, except for cells in the upper part of layer V, and those within narrow areas of all sub-laminae of layer V (“micro-islands”). Initial down-regulation was also observed one to three days post-lesion for subunits 1 and 2 of the N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor, but in contrast to GluR2/3 immunoreactivity, NMDAR2A/B immunoreactivity was enhanced three weeks post-lesion. The present data provide evidence for plastic changes in glutamate receptors in neurons of partially isolated neocortical island. A sub-population of layer V neurons remains relatively unaffected, and would presumably be capable of generating fast glutamatergic synaptic potentials necessary for the development of synchronous epileptiform activity.
An optimization approach to the problem of protein structure prediction

We describe a large-scale, stochastic-perturbation global optimization algorithm used for determining the structure of proteins. The method incorporates secondary structure predictions (which describe the more basic elements of the protein structure) into the starting structures, and thereafter minimizes using a purely physics-based energy model. Results show this method to be particularly successful on protein targets where structural information from similar proteins is unavailable, i.e., the most difficult targets for most protein structure prediction methods. Our best result to date is on a protein target containing over 4000 atoms and ∼12,000 cartesian coordinates.
Web-based interactive courseware for information security

Interactive courseware encourages student participation and active learning. Prior research and teaching experience has shown that IT students prefer to learn information security in a hands-on manner. How do we offer information security as a distance learning course while give students the similar hands-on teaching and learning style as we do in a traditional classroom or lab? This paper discusses our experience in developing Web-based multimedia and interactive courseware for an undergraduate information security course. The courseware is based on a simple yet powerful software tool called MICS (Multimedia and Interactive Courseware Synthesizer), designed for generating multimedia and interactive courseware for science and engineering students. We report in this paper our experience in designing such a course development tool and in using the courseware in our IT curricula.
Analysis of Brain-Wave Generators as Multiple Statistical Time Series

An illustrative example of the spectral analysis of simultaneously recorded electroencephalograms(EEG's) is presented. The first topic is that of auto-spectral analysis, which is very similar to frequency analysis; then cross-spectral analysis is used to show that the major relationship among three of the traces analyzed is a linear one, while a fourth trace is nonlinearly activated. Two hypotheses suggested by this analysis are tested by methods of multivariate spectral analysis, a recently developed extension of the cross-spectral method.
Studies Of The Effects Of Pregnancy Serum On Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Functions

The phagocytosis of both viable and heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus by normal human neutrophils was diminished in the presence of pregnancy serum. Particle ingestion was reduced significantly (P < 0.0025) after 5 minutes of incubation when leukocytes were in 15% serum obtained during the latter phases of gestation. Control sera from normal adult females or males or from cord blood all functioned normally in support of phagocytosis. Intracellular metabolic events occurring after ingestion, including bacterial killing and nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction, were decreased in proportion to the number of particles ingested. Differential studies involving leukocytes obtained from either pregnant or control subjects, when suspended in either pregnancy or control serum pools, showed the inhibition was due to a humoral and not a cellular factor. Mixing experiments demonstrated that serum obtained during gestation contained a suppressor or neutrophil function rather than a deficiency of a factor required for phagocytosis. The pregnancy serum suppressant affected cells, not the particles ingested, and was found to be non-dialyzable and heat-stable. Hydrocortisone added to control sera to exceed the steroid concentrations found in pregnancy sera did not retard phagocytosis nor diminish bactericidal activity. The data suggest that the active serum component exerts its inhibitory action at the cell surface. Since polymorphonuclear leukocytes are important mediators of inflammation and are implicated in the pathogenesis of tissue destruction, the subsidence of inflammatory diseases during gestation could be related, at least in part, to the inhibitory effects of pregnancy serum on leukocyte functions.
Scent-marking and olfactory investigatory behavior in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus).

Olfactory-related behaviors were observed in social groups of Guyanese squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) during three distinct phases of the annual reproductive cycle. Olfactory investigation of females and environmental objects by males showed marked increases in frequency from the nonmating to the mating season and intermediate levels during a period of transition from mating to nonmating. Olfactory investigation by females also showed evidence of seasonality, though females engaged in investigatory behaviors less frequently than did males. Females sniffed environmental objects and the anogenital area of other females more often during the mating season than during either of the other two observation periods. The frequency of three probable scent-marking behaviors (rump rubbing, back rubbing, and urine washing) showed no evidence of seasonal variation. Overall, females rump-rubbed more than males, and males back-rubbed more than females. These data suggest that olfactory investigation of females by males is an important component of reproductive activities in the squirrel monkey. The seasonal pattern of male investigatory behavior does not appear to result from an increase in female scent marking during the mating season. Rather, it seems likely that female odors change during this phase of the reproductive cycle so as to provoke increased investigation by males.