cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of soil electrical conductivity to precision agriculture: theory, principles, and guidelines

Due in large measure to the prodigious research efforts of Rhoades and his colleagues at the George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory over the past two decades, soil electrical conductivity (EC), measured using electrical resistivity and electromagnetic induction (EM), is among the most useful and easily obtained spatial properties of soil that influences crop productivity. As a result, soil EC has become one of the most frequently used measurements to characterize field variability for application to precision agriculture. The value of spatial measurements of soil EC to precision agriculture is widely acknowledged, but soil EC is still often misunderstood and misinterpreted. To help clarify misconceptions, a general overview of the application of soil EC to precision agriculture is presented. The following areas are discussed with particular emphasis on spatial EC measurements: a brief history of the measurement of soil salinity with EC, the basic theories and principles of the soil EC measurement and what it actually measures, an overview of the measurement of soil salinity with various EC measurement techniques and equipment (specifically, electrical resistivity with the Wenner array and EM), examples of spatial EC surveys and their interpretation, applications and value of spatial measurements of soil EC to precision agriculture, and current and future developments. Precision agriculture is an outgrowth of technological developments, such as the soil EC measurement, which facilitate a spatial understanding of soil-water-plant relationships. The future of precision agriculture rests on the reliability, reproducibility, and understanding of these technologies.
Systolic Time Intervals in Heart Failure in Man

The duration of the systolic time intervals in nondigitalized patients with heart failure was determined from simultaneous fast speed recordings of the electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, and carotid arterial pulsation. These were compared with the systolic time intervals corrected for heart rate and sex in 211 normal subjects. The failing left ventricle is characterized by a prolongation in the systolic pre-ejection period and a diminution in the left ventricular ejection time while total electromechanical systole remains relatively unaltered. Both components of the pre-ejection period, the Q-1 interval and the isovolumic contraction time, were prolonged. These alterations in the phases of systole occur in the absence of a measurable change in ventricular depolarization time. The prolongation in the pre-ejection period is well correlated with the reduced stroke volume and cardiac output in heart failure and is independently augmented by high levels of arterial pressure. The abbreviation in left ventricul...
Numerical solution of the full-potential equation for rotors and oblique wings using a new wake model

A three-dimensional, full-potential, quasi-steady code TFAR1 is proposed for calculating the transonic flow past a lifting helicopter rotor blade and oblique wing. The TFAR1 uses a two-dimensional nonlinear wake-model that allows a jump in velocity potential to propagate with the local fluid flow in the wake. Rotor calculations were made for a single blade at an advance ratio of 0.3, a rotational tip Mach number of 0.7, and at 0-degree incidence. A 1/7-scale model of the Cobra Operational Load Survey (OLS) rotor blade is calculated, and the pressure distributions are compared to the measurements for azimuth angles 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 degrees at the 95 percent spanwise station of the OLS blade. Furthermore, an oblique wing with Korn airfoil was calculated at the high transonic free-stream Mach number of 0.9791, zero incidence, and yaw angle of 40 degrees. The TFAR1, coupled with a helicopter performance code CAMRAD (Johnson, 1981), provides a full-potential code for calculating the entire flow field for a multiple-bladed rotor in transonic lifting forward flight.
An investigation of self-injurious behaviors in adults with severe intellectual disabilities.

Abstract Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is commonly observed among individuals with intellectual disability (ID) living in state-run supports and services centers. Specific examples of SIB include poking oneself in the eye; harming oneself by hitting, scratching, or pinching; and pica (i.e., swallowing objects causing bodily harm). Previous research has focused on SIB in individuals with ID more generally without focusing on specific levels of ID or taking into account other important personal variables. This study examined 45 adults with severe ID living in two large state-run facilities in the Southeastern United States who were separated into groups for comparison (ASD and non ASD; verbal and nonverbal). Data was collected on the presence of SIB using the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Problem Behavior Adult Version (ASD-PBA). A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine if there were significant differences between groups on rates of SIB. Individuals with ID and ASD exhibited significantly higher rates of SIB than individuals with only ID, F (1,43) = 50.84, p
Is the slippery slope from steatosis to steatohepatitis paved with triglyceride or cholesterol

Accumulation of hepatic lipids has been thought to trigger the inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis that characterize progression of hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Mari et al. (2006) provide evidence for excessive mitochondrial free cholesterol as a cause of the progession of steatosis to more severe liver disease.
Web-based Training Method for Interpretation of Dental Images

A ccording to the American Cancer Society’s Survey, 28,900 new cases of oral cancer emerged in 2000. The death rate associated with oral cancer is particularly high because in more than half of the cases, the cancer is discovered late in its development. In these instances, radiography plays a key role in the diagnosis. Dentists trained in radiographic interpretation can determine the presence of tumors or growths, and can even distinguish malignant tumors from benign tumors based on their radiographic presentation. Interpretation of lesions in the jaws, therefore, is a vital professional skill for dental practitioners. Dentists’ encounters with non-routine radiographic pathology are limited because of the small size of patient pools and the relatively low occurrence rate of certain disease processes. However, meaningful oral and maxillofacial radiographic pathology, including oral cancer cases, do exist and have been diagnosed and treated each year. Furthermore, dentists are less confident about their ability to interpret radiographic images accurately. This lack of confidence could potentially lead to a failure to recognize or misdiagnosis significant pathology including cancer. Dental faculty is faced with the challenge of finding teaching cases from various sources because they often do not have their own. There is a real need to enhance radiographic interpretation and diagnosis skills for both dental students and current practitioners. Interpretation of radiographic dental images is a process of decision making, which requires a broad knowledge and in-depth familiarity with the underlying pathology and consequent radiographic manifestations. It is a significant part of the radiology curriculum taught in every dental school. There are meaningful teaching cases that are not used to full potential because these cases are not properly annotated, archived, and shared. In the case of rare oral disease processes, these cases may occur so infrequently that the student’s sole exposure is the depiction in a textbook. Currently, teaching cases for the training of dentists are developed on an as-needed basis and generally created and maintained locally. This process necessarily limits the exposure of teaching cases to the population served by that dental health center and often to students who work with a particular instructor. Some areas are not sufficiently demographically diverse to account for differences between ethnic groups, population ages or other factors. Most radiology interpretation courses at the pre-doctoral level are given in large lecture format.
Removal of Conflicting Molecular Symmetries Restores a Hexagonal Array of Six-Fold Phenyl Embraces in a bis(Trityl)-Containing Compound. I. Crystals of 1,1,1,6,6,6-Hexaphenyl-2,4-hexadiyne

Previously reported structures of 1,4-bis(3,3,3-triphenylpropynyl)benzene (1) showed molecules adopting a Ci point group in the triclinic space group P1. Reasoning that a symmetry conflict between the 3-fold symmetric triphenylmethyl groups and the 2-fold symmetric phenyl group may be responsible for the low symmetry crystal structure, it was speculated that the removal of the central benzene ring might lead to crystal symmetries where the molecular 3-fold axes might be elicited. To test that, we analyzed the crystallization and packing of 1,1,1,6,6,6-hexaphenyl-2,4-hexadiyne (2). Satisfyingly, compound 2 was found to crystallize in the rhombohedral space group R3 with three different molecular structures, one displaying a chiral C3 point group and the others a meso conformation with an S6 point group.
Regge Poles and Resonances in Strong Interaction

The scattering of two particles via the exchange of a resonance system is considered. The exchanged resonance is approximated by a pole in the Regge representation. The composite nature of the resonance is taken into account in the Regge-pole description so that one does not encounter divergence difficulties even though the exchanged resonance may be in a $J=1$ state.
The association between cannabis abuse and dependence and childhood physical and sexual abuse: Evidence from an offspring of twins design

AIM: This study examines the association between childhood physical abuse (CPA) and sexual abuse (CSA) and the development of cannabis abuse and dependence among adolescents and young adults while controlling for genetic and environmental risk factors. DESIGN: To control for familial risk differences related to paternal drug dependence that might confound the relationship between CSA and CPA and cannabis abuse/dependence, we created four groups based on father's and uncle's substance use dependence (SUD) status reflecting different degrees of genetic and environmental risks to offspring: (i) high genetic, high environmental risk; (ii) high genetic, low environmental risk; (iii) medium genetic, low environmental risk; and (iv) low genetic, low environmental risk. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent and young adult offspring of monozygotic and dizygotic US military veteran twin fathers (n = 819). MEASUREMENTS: Data on CPA and CSA, DSM-IV offspring cannabis abuse/dependence, other SUD and psychopathology and maternal and paternal SUD and psychopathology were collected via semi-structured telephone interview. FINDINGS: Twenty-three per cent of the offspring sample met life-time criteria for cannabis abuse/dependence and 8.55% and 12.82% reported CSA and CPA, respectively. Offspring exposed to CSA, but not CPA, were at significantly greater risk of developing cannabis abuse/dependence compared to those who had not experienced CSA (hazard ratio = 2.16; 95% confidence interval = 1.48-3.16) after controlling for genetic and familial environmental risk and offspring gender, alcohol abuse and dependence and conduct disorder. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that there are effects of CSA on development of cannabis abuse/dependence in addition to the genetic and familial environmental risk imparted by having a drug-dependent father. Language: en
A Pressure-Induced Phase Transformation in a UO3 Monohydrate

An orthorhombic dipyramidal form and an orthorhombic lath-shaped form of UO3 monohydrate were grown hydrothermally. Optical and x-ray constants were determined for these crystalline modifications. The x-ray data corroborated previous data reported for the orthorhombic laths and for the dipyramidal form. An unreported phase transformation was observed to take place in the orthorhombic dipyramidal phase on the application of pressure. Optical and x-ray examinations of the new phase showed it to be identical to the orthorhombic lath phase. The transformation appeared to fit the "displacive transformation" classification. Optical observations made on partly transformed dipyramidal crystals lying on their (001) faces showed the two phases, the dipyramidal phase and the new phase, joined along a (11.1) dipyramid plane. The displacive movement appeared to have taken place in a dipyramid direction.
Base-layer motion estimation with limited enhancement-layer search window for hardware H.264/SVC encoder

In the hardware design of ME, memory bandwidth and on-chip memory size are major constraints to be considered, especially for mobile video encoder, so as to reduce power consumption and area. In a spatial scalable video encoder, with limited memory bandwidth and on-chip memory size to fetch and store reference frames, the search window for enhancement layer (EL) becomes relatively smaller than that of base layer (BL). However, the smaller search window in EL causes quality loss because scaled base-layer MVs may not be inside it and therefore inter-layer prediction cannot be fully exploited. To address this issue in the hardware H.264/SVC encoder, the base-layer ME with a new MV cost is proposed in this work. The proposed method can improve the coding efficiency of EL up to around 17 % at the cost of marginal BL quality and trade off the qualities of BL and EL.
Neonatal aspiration lesions of the hippocampal formation impair visual recognition memory when assessed by paired‐comparison task but not by delayed nonmatching‐to‐sample task

Previous experiments showed that neonatal aspiration lesions of the hippocampal formation in monkeys yield no visual recognition loss at delays up to 10 min, when recognition memory was assessed by a trial-unique delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMS) task. The present study examined whether neonatal hippocampal lesions also have no effect on visual recognition when assessed by a visual paired-comparison (VPC) task. In the VPC task, animals are looking at visual stimuli and their preference for viewing new stimuli is measured. Normal adult monkeys showed strong preference for looking at the novel stimuli at all delays tested. By contrast, adult monkeys with neonatal hippocampal lesions, which included the dentate gyrus, cornus ammon (CA) fields, subicular complex, and portions of parahippocampal areas TH/TF, showed preference for novelty at short delays of 10 s but not at longer delays of 30 s to 24 h. This visual recognition loss contrasts with the normal performance of the same operated animals when tested in the DNMS task. The discrepancy between the results obtained in the two recognition tasks suggests that, to perform normally on the DNMS task, the operated monkeys may have used behavioral strategies that do not depend on the integrity of the hippocampal formation. In this respect, VPC appears to be a more sensitive task than DNMS to detect damage to the hippocampal region in primates. Hippocampus 1999;9:609–616. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Alfalfa Establishment with and without Spring-Applied Herbicides

No-till establishment of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has increased significantly over the past decade, yet few studies have documented the effect of herbicide use at establishment on notill establishment-year yield and forage quality. Studies conducted in Michigan in 1989 and 1990 compared alfalfa establishment by conventional and no-tillage methods. Four establishment herbicide treatments (no herbicide, paraquat, paraquat + 2,4-DB, paraquat + EPTC + 2,4-DB) were compared with-in each tillage system. Treatments were evaluated by determining alfalfa plant population, forage yield, species composition, forage quality, and net economic return
Ribosomal RNA genes of Neurospora crassa: multiple copies and specificities.

Ribosomal RNA genes were isolated from the germinated conidial and mycelial cells of N. crassa by repeated cycles of 3H-DNA: rRNA reactions followed by hydroxyapatite chromatography. Specificity of multiple copies of those rDNAs with respect to N. crassa cell types was studied. The fraction of N. crassa germinated conidial in vitro labelled 3H-DNA recovered in the presence of rRNA isolated from the same cell type was about 2.2%, when compared with approximately 1.2% rDNAs obtained in mycelial cells. These isolated rDNAs reacted specifically to 26S and 17S rRNAs of eukaryotic (N. crassa) organisms and did not react with 4S tRNAs. rRNA:rDNA reassociation kinetics studies indicate that 90% of the rRNA genes were homogeneous and not identical with the other 10% rRNA genes isolated from N. crassa mycelia. These studies suggest that the possible heterogeneity of rDNA sequences of N. crassa cannot be attributed to inclusion of any tDNA sequences as has been shown in the heterogeneity of rDNA sequences of the bacterium Escherichia coli. The heterogeneity of multiple copies of N. crassa rDNAs could be due to differences in internal or external spacer regions of N. crassa rRNA genes.
Integrating Formal Methods Tools Into Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum

This paper presents the results of a successfully completed funded project in the area of Computer Science and Formal Methods Education. The project was an effort to study the integration of formal methods software tools into an undergraduate curriculum. Our goals were to pioneer an innovative methodology that will increase the learning experience by introducing the use of mechanized approaches in teaching formal methods and to demonstrate the potential of undergraduate students for learning formal analysis techniques, by using these software tools. This methodology depends on the traditional teaching models and adds the use of automated software tools to enhance the student's learning experience. At the conclusion of this study we demonstrated increased student performance and understanding of difficult concepts in formal software analysis and design problems with the use of mechanized assistants. All tools and educational materials developed as part of this project, are publicly available.
Pretreatment of amphiphilic comb polymer surfaces dramatically affects protein adsorption.

New applications in regenerative biotechnology require the ability to understand and control protein−surface interactions on micrometer and submicrometer length scales. Evidence presented here shows that micropatterned amphiphilic comb polymer films exhibit a pretreatment-dependent behavior with respect to protein adsorption for the proteins fibronectin, laminin, and for serum. A micropatterned surface, consisting of protein-reactive regions, separated by comb polymer, was created and tested for protein adsorption using the surface-sensitive imaging tool TOF−SIMS. Immersion of micropatterned surfaces in solutions of fibronectin or laminin resulted in uniform protein coverage on both the comb polymer and protein-reactive regions. However, preimmersion of similarly patterned surfaces in water for 2 h prior to protein incubation was found to dramatically improve the protein-resistant properties of the comb polymer regions. These results are consistent with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chain reorientation...
Crack azimuths on Europa: Sequencing of the northern leading hemisphere

[1] Nonsynchronous rotation of Europa should result in a periodic change in stress azimuths at any given location, which may result in a corresponding change in crack azimuths. An early study seemed to provide evidence for such variation within a crack sequence in the northern trailing hemisphere. However, more recent work with higher-resolution imagery resulted in a more complete sequence of cracks in the region and showed that the azimuth variation with time was not systematic. Similar results were found in the southern leading region. Here we investigate whether the northern leading region contains a crack record, on the basis of crosscutting relationships, that is adequate to indicate nonsynchronous rotation. As in the previous studies of other regions, we find no clear evidence of nonsynchronous rotation within crack azimuth patterns. However, there are other lines of evidence in support of nonsynchronous rotation. Therefore the lack of a continuous pattern of azimuth change with time is likely due to only a few cracks forming per cycle, thus hiding any discernable signal from nonsynchronous rotation in those regions. In that case, the cracks would have formed over numerous cycles of nonsynchronous rotation. The study also reveals a distinctive distribution of crack azimuths, with gaps at certain values. This distribution may reflect a combination of observation selection due to illumination and less-favorable cracking orientations.
A Dominant-negative Gα Mutant That Traps a Stable Rhodopsin-Gα-GTP-βγ Complex

Residues comprising the guanine nucleotide-binding sites of the α subunits of heterotrimeric (large) G-proteins (Gα subunits), as well as the Ras-related (small) G-proteins, are highly conserved. This is especially the case for the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) where both Gα subunits and Ras-related G-proteins have a conserved serine or threonine residue. Substitutions for this residue in Ras and related (small) G-proteins yield nucleotide-depleted, dominant-negative mutants. Here we have examined the consequences of changing the conserved serine residue in the P-loop to asparagine, within a chimeric Gα subunit (designated αT*) that is mainly comprised of the α subunit of the retinal G-protein transducin and a limited region from the α subunit of Gi1. The αT*(S43N) mutant exhibits a significantly higher rate of intrinsic GDP-GTP exchange compared with wild-type αT*, with light-activated rhodopsin (R*) causing only a moderate increase in the kinetics of nucleotide exchange on αT*(S43N). The αT*(S43N) mutant, when bound to either GDP or GTP, was able to significantly slow the rate of R*-catalyzed GDP-GTP exchange on wild-type αT*. Thus, GTP-bound αT*(S43N), as well as the GDP-bound mutant, is capable of forming a stable complex with R*. αT*(S43N) activated the cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) with a dose-response similar to wild-type αT*. Activation of the PDE by αT*(S43N) was unaffected if either R* or β1γ1 alone was present, whereas it was inhibited when R* and the β1γ1 subunit were added together. Overall, our studies suggest that the S43N substitution on αT* stabilizes an intermediate on the G-protein activation pathway consisting of an activated G-protein-coupled receptor, a GTP-bound Gα subunit, and the β1γ1 complex.
Some referents and measures of nonverbal behavior

This paper summarizes some of the measures of nonverbal behavior that have been found to be significant indicators of a communicator’s attitude toward, status relative to, and responsiveness to his addressee. The nonverbal cues considered include posture, position, movement, facial, and implicit verbal cues. In addition to providing criteria for the scoring of these cues, experimental findings that relate to the various cues are summarized.
Evidence supporting the internal, external, and contextual validity of a writing program targeting middle-school students with disabilities

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Mason, L. H., Kubina, R. M., & Taft, R. J. (2009). Developing quick writing skills of middle school students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education, 44, 205–220. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.
Birthdates of neurons in the retinal ganglion cell layer of the ferret

The present study determined the temporal and spatial patterns of genesis for neurons of different sizes in the retinal ganglion cell layer of the ferret. Fetal ferrets were exposed to tritiated thymidine on embryonic days E-22 through E-36. One to 3 months after birth, they were perfused and their retinae dissected, and autoradiographs were prepared from resinembedded sections throughout the entire flattened retinal ganglion cell layer. Soma size differences in conjunction with separate retrograde labeling and calbindin immunocytochemical studies were used as criteria for identifying different retinal ganglion cell subtypes in juvenile and adult ferrets. Neurons of different sizes in the ganglion cell layer were generated at different stages during development. Medium sized cells were generated primarily between E-22 and E-26; the largest cells were generated between E-24 and E-29; small cells were generated between E-26 and E-32; and very small cells were generated between E-29 and E-36. The former three groups were interpreted to be three subtypes of retinal ganglion cells, while the latter group was interpreted to be displaced amacrine cells. This temporal order of the genesis of ganglion cell classes is consistent with the spatial ordering of their fibers in the mature optic chiasm and tract, and it is consistent with the developmental change in decussation pattern recently shown in the optic pathway of embryonic ferrets. The spatial pattern of genesis suggests that ganglion cells of a particular class are added to the ganglion cell layer in a centroperipheral fashion initiated in the dorsocentral retina nasal to the area centralis. No evidence was found for a wave of ganglion cell addition that proceeded in a spiralling pattern around the area centralis, as has been reported in the cat.
988-1 Toward Establishing Anticoagulation Guidelines for Intravenous Heparin Administration Among Patients with Myocardial Infarction Given Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Heparin is recommended in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) treated with tPA to prevent early coronary arterial reocclusion. Although prior clinical studies suggest that an aPTT of at least 1.5 times control is required, experimental evidence has supported more aggressive degrees of anticoagulation (≥ 3 times control). To date, the benefit and potential risks of agg ressive heparin strategies have not been explored fully. In TIMI 5,246 patients with acute MI received accelerated tPA, oral aspirin and 5 days of either intravenous heparin (n = 79) or r-desulfatohirudin (n = 157). Cardiac catheterization was performed at 90 minutes and again at 18 to 36 hours. Coronary Angiography (18 to 36 hours) 6 hour aPTT 12 hour aPTT 6, 12 hour aPTT TIMI 3 TIMI 0,1,2 TIMI 3 TIMI 0,1,2 TIMI 3 TIMI 0,1,2 90 Min Angio TIMI 2.3 74.6 83.9 66.6 77.2 72.9 93.5 TIMI 0.1 – 1075 – 70.2 – 90.3 All aPTT's represent median values; no comparison was statistically significant Major hemorrhage (based on standard TIMI criteria) occurred in 23.3% of heparin-treated patients. A 12-hour aPTT greater than 75 seconds was observed in 92% of patients experiencing major hemorrhagic complications. We conclude that aggressive heparin strategies striving for an aPTT beyond 2.5 times control do not offer additional benefit but are associated with an increased risk of major hemorrhage.
Obese youths are not more likely to become depressed, but depressed youths are more likely to become obese.

BackgroundOverweight/obesity and depression are both major public health problems among adolescents. However, the question of a link between overweight/obesity and depression remains unresolved in this age group. We examined whether obesity increases risk of depression, or depression increases risk of obesity, or whether there is a reciprocal effect.MethodA two-wave prospective cohort study of adolescents aged 11–17 years at baseline (n = 4175) followed up a year later (n = 3134) sampled from the Houston metropolitan area. Overweight was defined as 95th percentile >body mass index (BMI) ⩽85th percentile and obese as BMI >95th percentile. Three indicators of depression were examined: any DSM-IV mood disorder, major depression, and symptoms of depression.ResultsData for the two-wave cohort indicated no evidence of reciprocal effects between weight and depression. Weight status predicted neither major depression nor depressive symptoms. However, mood disorders generally and major depression in particular increased risk of future obesity more than twofold. Depressed males had a sixfold increased risk of obesity. Females with depressive symptoms had a marginally increased risk of being overweight but not obese.ConclusionsOur findings, combined with those of recent meta-analyses, suggest that obese youths are not more likely to become depressed but that depressed youths are more likely to become obese.
Parents' reflections on managing their children's diabetes with insulin pumps.

Purpose: To describe the experiences of parents managing the type 1 diabetes of their young children using an insulin pump. Design: Qualitative description, based on principles of naturalistic inquiry. Methods: Open-ended, in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 mothers and fathers of 16 children less than 12 years old in the eastern part of the United States. The children had been on pump treatment from 3 to 36 months. Data were managed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: Parents reported becoming comfortable with pump management 10 days to 2-3 months after the child started using it. During this adjustment period, they had to “rethink” how they managed the disease. Although using the pump required vigilance and more frequent glucose checking than did multiple daily injections (MDI), the pump provided better glucose control, easier disease management, fewer variables to manipulate, and more flexible meal times. A few parents were tempted to more tightly control the child's glucose levels, which could potentially increase parental stress. Fathers were actively involved in the day-to-day management and benefited from opportunities to participate in the child's care. They emphasized the importance of practicing the tasks associated with diabetes management to improve their confidence when caring for the child alone. Parents reported that everyone in the family experienced more freedom, flexibility, and spontaneity in their daily lives. Conclusions: For this sample of parents, the health and management benefits of their children's use of the insulin pump outweighed the adjustment challenges involved in changing from MDI.
Squaring down by static and dynamic compensators

Given a system, which is not necessarily invertible and which has an unequal number of inputs, a method of 'squaring down', that is a method of designing pre-compensators and postcompensators such that the resulting system has an equal number of inputs and outputs and is invertible, is presented. The compensators are, in general, dynamic and have the property that the additional finite zeros induced by them are assignable to the open left-half complex plan. Furthermore, the compensators are asymptotically stable, and hence do not deteriorate the robustness and performance of an eventual feedback design. Also, the compensator design preserves the stabilizability, detectability, and minimum-phase properties and the infinite zero structure of the original system. Thus, a method of designing nonsquare systems by converting them to square invertible systems is introduced. Two applications of such a design philosophy, (1) diagonal decoupling with state feedback; and (2) almost disturbance decoupling with output feedback, are pointed out. >
Do intranasal corticosteroids affect childhood growth

Topical intranasal corticosteroids (INS) are the most effective treatment for allergic rhinitis and are being increasingly prescribed to children. Due to the potent inhibition of childhood growth seen with oral corticosteroids, it is important to examine whether INS could have similar effects. The evidence available suggests that some INS, such as beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP), may slow growth when used regularly for prolonged periods. However, newer INS such as fluticasone propionate (FP) and mometasone furoate, which have substantially reduced bioavailability via gastrointestinal absorption, are unlikely to do so. Well-designed prospective studies are needed to distinguish those INS with reduced or absent effects on growth. In practice, choosing an INS which optimises the ratio of therapeutic effect to systemic bioavailability will probably reduce the risk of growth suppression to a negligible level.
The effect of update rate on the sense of presence within virtual environments

The current study was done to investigate the effect of varying the update rate of a computer-generated simulation (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 Hz) on the sense of presence within stereoscopic virtual environments. Thirteen subjects navigated a virtual representation of Stonehenge and were asked to search for a rune, inscribed upon the wall of one of Stonehenge's edifices. After performing the search task, subjects completed a questionnaire designed to assess their level of presence within the virtual environment. The results indicated that the subjective report of presence within the virtual environment was significantly less using an update rate of 5 and 10 Hz when compared to update rates of 20 and 25 Hz. Furthermore, the reported level of presence using a 15 Hz update rate was similar to the reported level of presence using update rates of 20 and 25 Hz thus indicating that computational resources could be saved using a slower update rate while maintaining a given level of presence. In addition, a factor analysis procedure indicated that the 13 questions designed to assess the subjects sense of presence within virtual Stonehenge could be grouped into three factors: (1) virtual presence, (2) navigation within the virtual environment, and (3) knowledge of real world surroundings while in the virtual world. Finally, comments on a descriptive model of presence within virtual environments are presented.
Exploiting Service Similarity for Privacy in Location-Based Search Queries

Location-based applications utilize the positioning capabilities of a mobile device to determine the current location of a user, and customize query results to include neighboring points of interests. However, location knowledge is often perceived as personal information. One of the immediate issues hindering the wide acceptance of location-based applications is the lack of appropriate methodologies that offer fine grain privacy controls to a user without vastly affecting the usability of the service. While a number of privacy-preserving models and algorithms have taken shape in the past few years, there is an almost universal need to specify one's privacy requirement without understanding its implications on the service quality. In this paper, we propose a user-centric location-based service architecture where a user can observe the impact of location inaccuracy on the service accuracy before deciding the geo-coordinates to use in a query. We construct a local search application based on this architecture and demonstrate how meaningful information can be exchanged between the user and the service provider to allow the inference of contours depicting the change in query results across a geographic area. Results indicate the possibility of large default privacy regions (areas of no change in result set) in such applications.
Synthesis of Digital PID Controllers for Discrete-Time Systems With Guaranteed Non-Overshooting Transient Response

In this paper, we present a new method of synthesizing digital PID controllers for discrete-time, Linear Time Invariant (LTI) Systems satisfying a class of transient response specifications. The problem of synthesizing a controller to achieve desirable transient specifications, such as requiring the transient response to be within an allowable range of overshoot, can be carried out as a problem of guaranteeing the impulse response of an appropriate closed loop error transfer function to be non-negative. An earlier result by the authors provides necessary and sufficient conditions for the impulse response of a discrete-time transfer function to be non-negative in terms of the requirement of a sequence of polynomials to be sign-invariant on the interval [1, ∞) . An application of this result to the error transfer function yields a sequence of polynomials which are required to be sign-invariant on [1, ∞) but whose coefficients are polynomial functions of the controller gains k1 , k2 and k3 .Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Relationships Among Cell Wall Constituents, Calcium and Texture During Cucumber Fermentation and Storage

Demethylation of pectin was the major change in cell wall constituents which occurred during controlled fermentation of cucumbers. The average degree of polymerization of the pectin was 402 residues. This did not change until 6 months after brining. Galactose, xylose, glucose, mannose, and arabinose were present in order of decreasing abundance in the mesocarp cell walls. These noncellulosic neutral sugars did not change during cucumber fermentation and storage. Mesocarp firmness increased when pectin was demethylated, but the firmness subsequently decreased. Calcium chloride at 20 and 40 mM prevented firmness loss compared to fresh cucumbers during 11 months of storage.
A new benchmark for TiO2 nanotube array growth by anodization

We report on the anodic formation of a self-standing 720 μm thick TiO2 nanotubular membrane by complete consumption of a 250 μm thick titanium foil sample. By employing double sided electrochemical oxidation of titanium in an electrolyte comprised of water, NH4F, and ethylene glycol, we obtain two highly ordered, hexagonal close-packed titania nanotube arrays 360 μm in length that are separated by a thin compact oxide layer; the individual nanotubes in each array have an aspect ratio of ∼2200. The potentiostatic anodization of titanium in an ethylene glycol, NH4F, and water electrolyte dramatically increases the rate of nanotube array growth to approximately 15 μm/h, representing a growth rate ∼750−6000% greater than that seen, respectively, in other polar organic or aqueous based electrolytes previously used to form TiO2 nanotube arrays. We consider the effects of electrolyte composition, applied potential, and anodization duration on the length and diameter of the resulting nanotubes in terms of a growt...
Spontaneous emergence of periodic patterns in an evolutionary simulation of photonic structures

We simulate an evolutionary process for designing a novel high confinement photonic structure, starting with random patterns. We show an emergence of periodicity and the formation of a novel low modal volume resonator.
System to measure fixation shifts with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope

A scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) uses a novel principal to view the retina while simultaneously projecting high resolution targets onto the retina. Consequently, the SLO is potentially an excellent instrument to measure fixation stability in humans. We used a commercially available Rodenstock SLO to project a small cross onto the retina of normal subjects with the HeNe laser and simultaneously view their retinal vasculature with the SLO's infrared diode laser. The video images from the SLO were continuously recorded (at 30 frames per second) with a video-cassette recorder. The video was digitized in 16 consecutive frame increments with a 4 Mbyte frame grabber in a microcomputer. By marking the audio track of the video tape and measuring from the audio mark before digitizing, long segments (1,000's of consecutive frames) can be digitized. We developed software to automatically map the locations of venous crossings at multiple retinal locations. In early work with the system, we verified that the digitization process worked correctly by time-stamping the video and confirming that all video frames were captured without duplication or drop out. We measured the location of 2 retinal points in 1024 consecutive frames of 4 normal subjects and showed that these points could be accurately followed with the automatic system.
The Lie inner ideal structure of associative rings

An inner ideal of an associative ring R is an additive subgroup V of R such that [V[ VR]] C I/. This paper examines the inner ideal structure of semiprime associative rings and of the skew elements of prime rings with involution. The results are analogous to those obtained by Herstein, Baxter, and Erickson for the Lie ideals of these rings. In the special case when R is a simple Artinian ring with center 2 of characteristic not 2 or 3, and of dimension greater than 16 over 2, then [RR]/2 n [RR] is a simple Lie algebra over Z satisfying both the ascending and descending chain conditions on inner ideals. Every inner ideal has the form eRf for e, f idempotents of R such that fe = 0. Moreover, if * is an involution on R and if K denotes the skew elements relative to *, then [AX]/2 n [KK] also satisfies both chain conditions on inner ideals. Every inner ideal of this algebra can be written as eKe* for some idempotent e of R such that e*e = 0. The motivation to study inner ideals in Lie algebras can be found in a recent paper [3] by the author. The inner ideals of a Lie algebra are closely related to the ad-nilpotent elements, and certain restrictions on the adnilpotent elements yield an elementary criterion for distinguishing the nonclassical from classical simple Lie algebras over algebraically closed fields of characteristic p > 5. In what follows R is a noncommutative, associative ring. Say R is n-torsion free where n is a positive integer if, in R, nx = 0 implies x = 0. Let 2 denote the center of R, and given elements a, b in R, let [ab] = ab ~ ba. Then 2 {a E R 1 [ab] = 0 for all b in Ii}. Alternatively, given any a in R if D,,(r) = [ar], then 2 = {a E R / D, = O}. For subsets A, B of R use [AB]
Hepatic Steatosis Is Associated With Increased Frequency of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients With Hepatitis C-Related Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND. Chronic hepatitis C can result in fatty changes in the liver. Previous studies have suggested that hepatic steatosis is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The authors sought to determine whether hepatic steatosis is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a cohort of patients with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. METHODS. The authors retrospectively identified 94 consecutive patients with hepatitis C cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation from 1992 to 2005 and had pathology available for review. Of these, 32 had evidence of HCC, and 62 had no HCC on explant histology. All explant specimens were graded again for steatosis by a single, blinded pathologist. Steatosis, age, sex, body mass index, HCV RNA, HCV genotype, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, chronic alcohol use, and diabetes were examined in univariate and multivariate analyses for association with HCC. RESULTS. In total, 69% of patients in the HCC group and 50% of patients in the control group had evidence of steatosis (11) on histology. Odds ratios for the development of HCC for each grade of steatosis compared with grade 0 were as follows: grade 1 (1.61 [0.6–4.3]), grade 2 (3.68 [1.1–12.8]), and grade 3 or 4
Measuring MERCI: Exploring data mining techniques for examining the neurologic outcomes of stroke patients undergoing endo-vascular therapy at Erlanger Southeast Stroke Center

Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia (MERCI) has been supported by medical trials as an improved method of treating ischemic stroke past the safe window of time for administering clot-busting drugs, and was released for medical use in 2004. The importance of analyzing real-world data collected from MERCI clinical trials is key to providing insights on the effectiveness of MERCI. Most of the existing data analysis on MERCI results has thus far employed conventional statistical analysis techniques. To the best of our knowledge, advanced data analytics and data mining techniques have not yet been systematically applied. To address the issue in this thesis, we conduct a comprehensive study on employing state of the art machine learning algorithms to generate prediction criteria for the outcome of MERCI patients. Specifically, we investigate the issue of how to choose the most significant attributes of a data set with limited instance examples. We propose a few search algorithms to identify the significant attributes, followed by a thorough performance analysis for each algorithm. Finally, we apply our proposed approach to the real-world, de-identified patient data provided by Erlanger Southeast Regional Stroke Center, Chattanooga, TN. Our experimental results have demonstrated that our proposed approach performs well.
A probabilistic chemical sensor model for data fusion

For a data fusion system, taking data from chemical sensors and making inference about the source parameters of a chemical release in real time, a reversible probabilistic sensor model is proposed. Based on a simple ion mobility sensor with bar display, the proposed model represents a realistic sensor while yielding likelihood calculations fast enough to be used within a large inference engine. The sensor model and implementation strategy is described with initial results discussed in relation to a larger inference engine. The importance of approximating the integrals contained in the sensor models to ensure the model produces inference in the short time span required for real time inference is discussed and methods for improving the efficiency of the integral approximation proposed.
Toxicity of Nalidixic Acid on Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces lactis

Abstract The antibacterial drug nalidixic acid (Nal) can suppress the growth of Candida albicans at levels of the drug normally found in urine. Growth suppression increases as drug levels are increased, and Nal also causes a similar proportional inhibition of the synthesis of all cellular macromolecules. However, growth temperature (25 versus 37 C) and the divalent cations Mg2+ and Mn2+ can increase C. albicans resistance to Nal. Also, nitrogen depletion of Candida shows that Nal-treated and untreated cells exhibit no difference in leucine uptake during readaptation to nitrogen. In Nal-treated, nitrogen-starved cells, ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biosynthesis are less affected than in unstarved Nal-treated cells, but of the two nucleic acids DNA synthesis is the most affected. Nal-resistant strains of C. albicans exhibit a slight toxicity for macromolecular synthesis. Nal treatment of a synchronized population of Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in an increase in the culture mean doubling time of, at most, 20%, but Nal causes the loss of synchronous cell division. With a synchronized population of Kluyveromyces lactis, Nal causes an increase in the mean doubling time of upwards of 300%, with synchrony of cell division being maintained. It is known that S. cerevisiae asynchronously synthesizes mitochondrial DNA during the cell cycle, whereas with K. lactis it is synchronous. Thus, with C. albicans Nal toxicity is dependent both on the dose and the physiological state of the cell. Furthermore, Nal inhibits growth of yeast with synchronous mitochondrial DNA synthesis more adversely than yeast with asynchronous mitochondrial DNA synthesis.
Perceived Intelligence in Married Partners.

Twenty married couples were administered the Self-rating Scale of Intelligence and the Otis intelligence test. The SRSI provided subjects with the opportunity to make intelligent attributions for self, spouse, ideal spouse as well as to provide the expected rating of self by the spouse. For husbands, two important within-person relationships were identified: perceived intelligence similarity between self and spouse and support for one's self-concept from the spouse. For wives, the most significant comparison was found between spouse-ideal spouse perceptions. Positive correlations were generally found between self-other intelligence estimates and actual intelligence for both husbands and wives.