cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of stochastic and deterministic trends on money–output causality: A multi-country investigation☆

Abstract This paper applies a statistical approach used by Stock and Watson (1989) in their study of U.S. money–output causality to analyze money–output relationships in five industrialized countries. In extending Stock and Watson's paper, we focus on whether money supply growth rates in our international sample seem to be characterized by deterministic time trends, and whether the practice of removing these trends sharpens statistical inference. We find evidence of deterministic trends in money supply growth in three of the five countries, but find that removin the time trends affects inference only in the U.S. sample. Moreover, the use of log-differenced data in two-, three-, and four-variable VARs in these countries provide very little information regarding macroeconomic relationships.
Diarrhea care in private practice.

To the Editor.— The article by Dr Snyder, "Use and Misuse of Oral Rehydration Therapy for Diarrhea,"1 led us to review our treatment of gastroenteritis, revise our telephone protocols, and seek out rehydration solutions. Our difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies mirrored that of Dr O9Banion.2 Expense to the patient is also an important factor: commercial premixed solutions sell for $4 to $6 per quart in our area, which many families cannot pay. Our solution was to obtain from the World Health Organization the name of the US supplier of oral rehydration solution (ORS) packets and order direct from the supplier (Jianas Bros Packaging Co, 2533 SW Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108).
Survey of reactive power planning methods

Reactive power planning (RPP) involves optimal allocation and determination of the types and sizes of the installed capacitors. Traditionally, the locations for placing new VAr sources were either simply estimated or directly assumed. Essentially, it is a large-scale nonlinear optimization problem with a large number of variables and uncertain parameters. there are no known ways to solve such nonlinear programming problems (NLP) exactly in a reasonable time. This paper introduces mathematical formulations and the advantages and disadvantages of nine categories of methods, which are divided into two groups, conventional and advanced optimization methods. The first group of methods is often trapped by a local optimal solution; the second one can guarantee the global optimum but needs more computing time. The corresponding development history period is also split into a conventional period and an artificial intelligence period. In the second period, there is a tendency to integrate several approaches to solve the RPP problem.
Aging and the Detection of Collision Events in Fog

The current study investigated age-related differences in the detection of collision events in fog. Observers were presented with displays simulating an object moving towards a driver at a constant speed and linear trajectory. The observers’ task was to detect whether the object would collide with them. Fog and display duration of the object were manipulated. We found that performance decreased when fog was simulated for older but not for younger observers. An age-related decrement was also found with shorter display durations. These results suggest that under poor weather conditions with reduced visibility, such as fog, older drivers may have increased accident risk due to decreased ability to detect impending collision events.
Working for God ? evaluating service delivery of religious not-for-profit health care providers in Uganda

Reinikka and Svensson exploit a unique micro-level data set on primary health care facilities in Uganda to address the question: What motivates religious not-for-profit (RNP) health care providers? The authors use two approaches to identify whether an altruistic (religious) effect exists in the data. First, examining cross-section variation, they show that RNP facilities hire qualified medical staff below the market wage, are more likely to provide propoor services and services with a public good element, and charge lower prices for services than for-profit facilities, although they provide a similar (observable) quality of care. RNP and for-profit facilities both provide better quality care than their government counterparts, although government facilities have better equipment. These findings are consistent with the view that RNP facilities are driven in part by altruistic concerns and that these preferences matter quantitatively. Second, the authors exploit a near natural experiment in which the government initiated a program of financial aid for the RNP sector. They show that financial aid leads to more laboratory testing of suspected malaria and intestinal worm cases, and hence higher quality of service and lower prices, but only in RNP facilities. The findings suggest that working for God matters.
Shared and unique responses of insects to the interaction of urbanization and background climate

Urbanization profoundly alters biological systems; yet the predictability of responses to urbanization based on key biological traits, the repeatability of these patterns among cities, and how the impact of urbanization on biological systems varies as a function of background climatic conditions remain unknown. We use insects as a focal system to review the major patterns of responses to urbanization, and develop a framework for exploring the shared and unique features that characterize insect responses to urbanization and how responses to urbanization might systematically vary along background environmental gradients in climate. We then illustrate this framework using established patterns in insect macrophysiology.
Iguales, Pero Diferentes: Comparación de Locales de Acceso Público a Computadores en Colombia (Español)

Los locales de acceso publico a computadores (CAP) acercan los beneficios de la computacion e Internet a un amplio sector de la poblacion de los paises latinoamericanos. Mientras que la mayoria de los estudios anteriores se ha enfocado principalmente en los telecentros, el presente estudio de locales CAP explora las similitudes y diferencias entre las bibliotecas, los telecentros y cibercafes en Colombia, con el objetivo de evaluar sus fortalezas y debilidades relativas, asi como brindar oportunidades a fin de otorgar mayor relevancia a los CAP para el desarrollo de las comunidades. Partimos de entrevistas, grupos focales y encuestas realizadas en el pais en el ano 2010. Mientras que las bibliotecas suelen contar con un fuerte apoyo institucional, a la vez son con frecuencia las menos preparadas para ofrecer eficaces servicios de tecnologias de la informacion y las comunicaciones. Los telecentros tienden a satisfacer las necesidades de poblaciones marginadas a traves de la capacitacion y el apoyo personalizados. Los cibercafes, la clase mas comun de local de CAP, tienden a ofrecer buenos servicios al cliente y asistencia practica, a pesar de que su proposito no sea el contribuir al desarrollo comunitario. El estudio concluye que existen ventajas especificas de cada clase de local de CAP, asi como posibilidades de fortalecer los lazos y la colaboracion entre ellos. A partir de estas conclusiones, surge la posibilidad fundamental de identificar los modos de mejorar la contribucion al desarrollo colectivo de los cibercafes, que son mucho mas numerosos en el pais que los telecentros y las bibliotecas juntos.
Macrophage Cell Line B6MP102 Resembles Peritoneal Macrophages in Tumor Cell Recognition and Killing

In this paper we describe the bone marrow-derived macrophage cell line B6MP102. We describe growth characteristics, responsiveness to biological response modifiers known to activate macrophages (MPs), and the ability of B6MP102--comparable to that of peritoneal MPs--to kill and discriminate tumor cells. We demonstrate that B6MP102 is easily maintained in culture in the presence of 15% L-M cell-conditioned media. We have found that the B6MP102 cell line is similar to in vivo-derived peritoneal MPs. These cells are responsive to biological response modifiers but are not spontaneously cytotoxic. They produce O2- in quantities comparable to that produced by peritoneal MPs, and they exhibit target ranges for direct killing similar to those of activated peritoneal MPs. In addition, B6MP102 is similar to MPs in mediating cytostasis. These latter two points are especially significant, suggesting that the mechanisms that MPs may use to distinguish and kill tumor cells are retained in the B6MP102 cell line. This makes the cell line a useful tool for studying MP-tumor cell interactions.
An Investigation of the Relationship Between fMRI and ERP Source Localized Measurements of Brain Activity during Face Processing

Brain activity patterns during face processing have been extensively explored with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related potentials (ERPs). ERP source localization adds a spatial dimension to the ERP time series recordings, which allows for a more direct comparison and integration with fMRI findings. The goals for this study were (1) to compare the spatial descriptions of neuronal activity during face processing obtained with fMRI and ERP source localization using low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA), and (2) to use the combined information from source localization and fMRI to explore how the temporal sequence of brain activity during face processing is summarized in fMRI activation maps. fMRI and high-density ERP data were acquired in separate sessions for 17 healthy adult males for a face and object processing task. LORETA statistical maps for the comparison of viewing faces and viewing houses were coregistered and compared to fMRI statistical maps for the same conditions. The spatial locations of face processing-sensitive activity measured by fMRI and LORETA were found to overlap in a number of areas including the bilateral fusiform gyri, the right superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri, and the bilateral precuneus. Both the fMRI and LORETA solutions additionally demonstrated activity in regions that did not overlap. fMRI and LORETA statistical maps of face processing-sensitive brain activity were found to converge spatially primarily at LORETA solution latencies that were within 18 ms of the N170 latency. The combination of data from these techniques suggested that electrical brain activity at the latency of the N170 is highly represented in fMRI statistical maps.
Quantitative 2-D dual energy imaging: towards 3-D selective reconstruction

We address the problem of applying Dual-Energy techniques to Image-Intensifierbased acquisition systems. We propose a new Dual Energy calibration and combination scheme, which takes into account the spatially non-uniform response of the Image Intensifier. During the calibration step, the coefficients of the combination are locally estimated for a set of uniformly spaced points over the image, and interpolated from these samples for the other points. In the combination step, the selective images are generated using the corresponding polynomia for each pixel. 3D selective reconstruction of bone-only structures is presented as a possible application. Experimental results obtained on anthropomorphic phantoms are discussed.
Efficient Synthesis of α-Aryl Esters by Room-Temperature Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling of Aryl Halides with Ester Enolates

A catalytic amount of Pd(dba)(2) ligated by either carbene precursor N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazolium (1) or P(t-Bu)(3) mediated the coupling of aryl halides and ester enolates to produce alpha-aryl esters in high yields at room temperature. The reaction was highly tolerant of functionalities and substitution patterns on the aryl halide. Improved protocols for the selective monoarylation of tert-butyl acetate and the efficient arylation of alpha,alpha-disubstituted esters were developed with LiNCy(2) as base and P(t-Bu)(3) as ligand. In addition, tert-butyl esters, such as those of Naproxen and Flurbiprofen, were prepared from tert-butyl propionate and aryl bromides in high yields in the presence of Pd(dba)(2) and the hindered, saturated heterocyclic carbene ligand precursor.
Some phenomena of seeing shapes in design

Abstract An empirical study was designed and conducted not only to reveal the importance of restructuring shapes in design but to determine some of the variables embedded in such visual behaviour. Four phenomena of seeing shapes in design have been found. Firstly, both experienced and inexperienced designers can recognize explicit subshapes, however, only the former group can recognize implicit subshapes. Secondly, when people look at a shape, explicit, close, namable subshapes are the first to emerge. Thirdly, the time needed to find emergent subshapes is in proportion to the complexity of the shape, namely the number of subshapes it subsumes. Finally, due to their prior experience and professional training, experienced designers have lowered their thresholds of recognizing activation so that they are able to discover implicit emergent subshapes. Implications for design cognition and design computation are drawn from this experiment.
Crime victimization, alcohol consumption, and drug use in Canadian public housing

This exploratory study attempted to deal with the surprisingly small amount of scientific study of crime victimization specifically on public housing estates, particularly in Canada. In this study, 325 public housing residents in six estates in an Eastern Ontario urban center filled out survey questionnaires, while fifty-one were interviewed. Compared to the United States, there were significantly fewer single mothers and significantly more Whites. Predatory crime victimization was reported by these residents at a much higher level than for the general population in other Canadian or U.S. surveys. Still, males and youth were the residents most at risk for predatory crime victimization and substance abuse.
Conditions for the validity of Ginzburg-Landau equations in far-from-equilibrium kinetics

We consider open reactive systems driven far from equilibrium sustaining a hard-mode instability. We derive the analytic form of the coefficients in the Ginzburg-Landau potential functional by first reducing the problem to Poincar\'e normal form and then restricting the equations to the locally attractive manifold of states emerging beyond the instability. We conclude that the Hopf transversality conditions for bifurcation are not only sufficient but also necessary for the application of the Ginzburg-Landau equation. The Poincar\'e normal form reduction yields additional restrictions besides the Hopf hypotheses.
A case of 46,XY,5(3q-;14q+)Mat.

A newborn infant with a peculiar facies, micrognathia, bifid xiphoid, hyperextensibility of the fingers, inguinal hernia, cryptorchidism, omphalocele and a 46, XY, t(3q…14q +)mal karyotype is described. The causal relationship between the karyotypic and phenotypic findings is discussed and is not considered to he related toaneusomie de recombinaison.
Functional recovery in lumbar spine surgery: A controlled trial of health behavior change counseling to improve outcomes

In 2001, the Institute of Medicine issued a challenge to the American health care system to improve the quality of care by focusing on six major areas: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. The patient-centered model of care directly addresses important limits of surgical care of the lumbar spine, i.e., the lack of effective methods for increasing patient participation and engagement in post-operative follow-up. Recent evidence indicates that post-surgical outcomes are better among those with higher patient activation. We therefore developed an intervention based on the principles of motivational interviewing to increase patient activation: the Functional Recovery in Lumbar Spine Surgery Health Behavior Change Counseling (HBCC) intervention. The HBCC was designed to maximize post-operative engagement and participation in physical therapy and home exercise, to improve functional recovery, and to decrease pain in individuals undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery. From December 2009 through October 2012, 120 participants were recruited and divided into two groups: those receiving (intervention group, 60) and not receiving (control group, 60) the HBCC intervention. The current manuscript provides a detailed description of the theoretical framework and study design of the HBCC and describes the implementation of this health behavior intervention in a university-based spine service. The HBCC provides a model for conducting health behavioral research in a real-world setting.
Biogeochemistry: As different as night and day

An analysis of northern ecosystems shows that the effects on plant growth of rising night-time temperatures are opposite to those of increasing daytime temperatures — a finding that has implications for carbon-cycle models. See Letter p.88 Modelling and observational studies suggest that climate warming is likely to enhance vegetation growth in northern terrestrial ecosystems, increasing carbon storage. However, for the past 50 years the global land surface temperature has been warming faster during the night than during the day, and little is known about the potential effects of this asymmetry on the productivity of plants. Multiple lines of evidence presented in this study, including 28 years of satellite-derived data on vegetation greenness and extensive atmospheric CO2 measurements, suggest that day and night-time warming have divergent effects on vegetation productivity in the Northern Hemisphere. Daytime warming is associated with increasing productivity in wet and cool areas over boreal regions, but with decreasing productivity in dry temperate regions. In contrast, night-time warming decreases vegetation growth in boreal regions, but has mixed effects in dry temperate regions.
Changes in Volatile Sulfur Compounds in Strawberry Puree during Heating

ABSTRACT: Solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/pulsed flame photometric detection was used to monitor methane thiol, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, methyl thioacetate, dimethyl sulfide, methyl thiobutyrate, and dimethyl trisulfide after heating strawberry puree at 95°C for 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.5, 4, and 10 min. After heating 10 min, dimethyl trisulfide increased from 0.11 to 0.41 ng/mL, and dimethyl disulfide decreased from 1.3 to 0.3 ng/mL. Concentrations of methyl thiobutyrate and methyl thioacetate were approximately 6 and 60 ng/mL, respectively, and essentially unaffected by heating. Dimethyl sulfide (cabbage aroma) was not detected in fresh puree but increased exponentially during heating, reaching a value of 500 ng/mL (100 × its odor threshold) at 10 min. Dimethyl sulfide was the major sulfur aroma impact compound in heated strawberry puree and a major contributor to the flavor change associated with heated strawberry puree.
Electrophysiologic properties of channels induced by Aβ25–35 in planar lipid bilayers

Abeta25-35, a fragment of the neurotoxic amyloid beta protein Abeta1-42 found in the brain of Alzheimer patients, possesses amyloidogenic, neurotoxins and channel forming abilities similar to that of Abeta1-42. We have previously reported that Abeta25-35 formed voltage-dependent, relatively nonselective, ion-permeable channels in planar lipid bilayers. Here, we show that Abeta25-35 formed channels in both solvent-containing and solvent-free bilayers. We also report that for Abeta25-35, channel forming activity was dependent on ionic strength, membrane lipid composition, and peptide concentration, but not on pH. Lower ionic strength and negatively charged lipids increased channel formation activity, while cholesterol decreased activity. The nonlinear function relating [Abeta25-35] and membrane activity suggests that aggregation of at least three monomers is required for channel formation.
Studies on the fine structure of cercarial tail muscle of Schistosoma sp. (Trematoda).

Three muscle cell types occur in the forked tail of Schistosoma sp. (Trematoda) cercarial larvae. These include a fast, cross-striated muscle functioning in rapid tail movements; a slow, smooth muscle at the body-tail juncture functioning in body and tail shape changes; and a slow, smooth muscle in the tail forks functioning to maintain fork ridgidity during backward swimming movements. The cross-straited muscle observed in this study is unique to platyhelminthes. The striations are the result of transversely aligned Z densities interspersed with branched elements of subsurface sarcoplasmic reticulum cisternae. The myofibrils of striated muscle cells are divided into sarcomeres with typical A and I bands reflecting overlapping thick and thin myofilaments. The smooth muscle cells found at the body-tail juncture are typical for platyhelminthes. They contain irregularly arranged Z densities, overlapping thick and thin myofilaments, and small amounts of subsurface sarcoplasmic reticulum cisternae. The smooth muscle cells found in the two caudal branched forks of the tail are unique in that their thick filaments exhibit a repeating cross-period striation of 350 to 400 A. The morphology of these three muscle cell types is a direct reflection of the three functions known to occur during backward and forward swimming movements in forked tail cercarial larvae.
Environmental influence on altered receptor function in a genetic disease: Insulin and glucose affect insulin receptors in myotonic dystrophy

Insulin action in vivo and insulin binding to monocytes in vitro were correlated in patients with myotonic dystrophy (MyD) and compared with healthy controls. Confirming our previous studies and those of others, the present results show that the glucose infusion rate (DR), an estimate of in vivo insulin sensitivity, was significantly diminished in MyD. At the same per cent of ideal body weight DR in MyD patients was considerably less than controls suggesting that obesity could not solely account for decreased insulin sensitivity in MyD. The relative capacity (RC), and relative affinity (ED50) of the insulin receptor in monocytes was significantly less in patients. The relative affinity (ED50) was improved by changing environmental insulin levels while receptor numbers (RC) were not. Insulin sensitivity and RC showed a trend toward a positive correlation although this did not reach statistical significance. Our data suggest that the alteration of the insulin receptor in MyD is different from obesity and from other disorders of the motor unit such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, where insulin sensitivity and RC are reduced but ED50 is unchanged. Thus, in MyD the receptor may be one of the loci where the resistance occurs.
Predicting Outcomes or Modeling Process? Commentary on the Health Action Process Approach

Schwarzer (2008) reviews the evidence for two major contributions of the Health Action Process Approach model (HAPA) to current theory and behavioral health research: (1) the differentiation of concepts by both content and process, and (2) clear recognition of the temporal aspect in the assembly of health behavior sequences. This commentary discusses four areas for HAPA to address for a more complete explanation of health behaviors and their determinants. Further, we suggest that incorporating into HAPA the hierarchical structure of the control systems that regulate health behaviors and the importance of concrete experience in initiating and maintaining behavior, elements emphasised in the Commonsense Model of Self-regulation, will enrich HAPA's theoretical base and increase its utility for the development of interventions for behavioral change. Schwarzer (2008) examine les donnees confirmant deux contributions majeures du modele de l’Approche du Processus de l’Action en faveur de la Sante (HAPA) a la theorie et aux recherches sur les comportements relatifs a la sante: 1) La differenciation des concepts a la fois par le contenu et le processus, 2) Un reperage precis de la dimension temporelle dans l’articulation des sequences comportementales relevant de la sante. Ce commentaire aborde quatre points qui permettraient a l’HAPA de fournir une explication plus complete des conduites liees a la sante et de leurs antecedents. Il semble en outre que l’introduction dans l’HAPA de la structure hierarchique des systemes de controle qui regulent les comportements de sante et de l’aspect important qu’est l’experience concrete dans l’amorce et le maintien du comportement, elements mis en valeur par le Modele du Sens Commun de l’Autoregulation, enrichirait les fondements theoriques de l’HAPA et augmenterait son utilite pour l’elaboration d’interventions en faveur du changement comportemental.
Effect of somatostatin on meal-induced gastric secretion in duodenal ulcer patients.

The effect of somatostatin, a growth hormone release-inhibiting hormone (GH-RIH), on basal and meal-, pentagastrin-, or histamine-stimulated gastric acid and pepsin secretion was studied in six duodenal ulcer patients. Intravenous GH-RIH infused in graded doses ranging from 0.62 to 5.0 μg/kg/hr produced a dose-related inhibition of pentagastrin-induced acid secretion reaching about 15% of control level at the dose of 5.0 μg/kg/hr. Acid inhibition was paralleled by a decrease in the pepsin output and accompanied by a dosedependent reduction in serum growth hormone and insulin levels measured by radio-immunoassay. GH-RIH used in a single dose of 2.5 μg/kg/hr produced about 85% inhibition of acid secretion induced by a meal (measured by intragastric titration) accompanied by a significant decrease in serum gastrin and insulin levels. The effect of GH-RIH on histamine-stimulated secretion was very modest and observed only after stopping the GH-RIH infusion. Thus GH-RIH suppressed acid and pepsin secretion induced by pentagastrin and a meal, and this effect was accompanied by a suppression of serum growth hormone and gastrin levels which may contribute to the inhibition of gastric secretion observed.
Acutely Trapped Ventricle: Clinical Significance and Benefit from Surgical Decompression

Focal ventricular obstruction—trapped ventricle—results in cerebrospinal fluid accumulation, mass effect and possible clinical deterioration. There are no systematic studies on the benefit of surgical decompression in adults. We reviewed patients admitted with acutely trapped ventricle on brain imaging to assess their prognosis and the effect of surgical intervention on 30-day mortality. Of the 392 patients with trapped ventricle, the most common causes were brain tumor (45 %), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) (20 %), and subdural hematoma (SDH) (14 %). Lateral ventricle trapping accounted for 97 % of cases. Two hundred and twenty-one patients (56 %) received a surgical intervention for trapped ventricle or its causes; 126 (83 %) were treated with craniotomy, 26 (17 %) with craniectomy, 30 (14 %) with external ventricular drain (EVD) alone, 23 (10 %) with ventriculoperitoneal shunt alone, and 16 (7 %) with endoscopic fenestration of the septum pellucidum. Surgical intervention was associated with mortality reduction from 95 % (n = 54) to 48 % (n = 11) in the ICH group, from 47 % (n = 27) to 12 % (n = 15) in the tumor group and from 90 % (n = 18) to 20 % (n = 7) in the SDH group (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Univariate logistic analysis showed that surgical intervention and tumor etiology were associated with decreased mortality while age, ICH etiology, intraventricular hemorrhage, midline shift, and anticoagulation were associated with increased mortality. On multivariate logistic regression, surgical intervention remained associated with decreased mortality (p < 0.0001; OR 0.20, 95 % CI 0.09–0.42). On subgroup analysis of the ICH cohort, surgical intervention was also associated with decreased mortality (p = 0.028). Neurosurgical intervention for decompression in patients with trapped ventricle can have a measurable beneficial effect on early mortality.
Marketers as noodlers

The article examines difficulties marketing instructors encounter in introductory marketing courses. Presentation of the factors responsible for the growing volume and importance of marketing and examination of the roles marketing performs for business and society can lead students to form negative attitudes. Students in their initial exposure to marketing study may come to view marketing as manipulative and of service only to production and profits. Suggestions are presented for logical development of these topics via positive and persuasive examples. A review of literature is presented indicating a wide divergency of views regarding the scope of marketing, a definition of the field, and societal contributions. Research findings are presented on the accumulation of marketing knowledge and the attitudes which are formed during study in the Marketing Principles course.
Heating of minor ions by the coronal slow shock

The coronal slow shock has been predicted to exist embedded in large coronal holes at 4-10 solar radii. In this paper, a three-fluid model is used to study the jumps in minor ion properties across a slow shock such as the coronal slow shock. The jump conditions are formulated in the de Hoffmann-Teller frame of reference. The Rankine-Hugoniot solution determines the MHD flow and the magnetic field across the shocks. For each minor ion species, the fluid equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy can be solved to determine the velocity and the temperature of the ions across the shock. Also obtained is a similarity solution for heavy ions. The results show that, on the downstream side of the slow shock, the ion temperatures are nearly proportional to the ion masses for He, O, Si, and Fe, in agreement with observed ion temperatures in the inner solar wind. This indicates that the possibly existing coronal slow shock can be responsible for the observed heating of minor ions in the solar wind.
A contour tracing algorithm that preserves common boundaries between regions

Abstract In most literatures, the boundary of a region R is defined as the set of pixels in R that have at least one neighbor outside R. Applying this definition to images with multi-labels, for example results of segmentation, one will end up with nonoverlapping boundaries between regions. This contradicts the physical boundary concept and makes shape analysis among regions difficult. This paper presents a new, efficient contour tracing algorithm based on the extended boundary concept, a common boundary representation which shifts the inter-pixel boundary by one-half pixel toward the right and lower directions. It is shown that, in addition to the common boundary representation, the new algorithm has the following advantages over the old approaches: (1) It provides more detailed topological information in each contour. (2) The implementation in a table lookup method is easier and more efficient. (3) The complexity can be reduced to half because only one of each pair of neighboring regions needs to be traced. (4) Parallel processing is feasible. (5) The shapes of regions are well preserved.
The chemi- and bioluminescence of firefly luciferin: An efficient chemical production of electronically excited states

Abstract The chemi-and bioluminescence of firefly luciferin results in the emission of either red light or yellow-green light, depending on the amount of base present. The red emission stems from the formation of a dioxetane intermediate, with subsequent cleavage to yield the light emitter 22 in an electronically excited state. Yellow-green light emission stems from a second emitter 23 , derived from 22 during the lifetime of the excited state by a proton loss. These assignments were made by a combination of approaches involving the use of luciferin analogs, model light emitters, and a careful comparison of the light emitted in chemiluminescence with that emitted in bioluminescence and with the fluorescence of suitable model compounds.
Mortality in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Association with Impaired Wakefulness.

Sleep fragmentation from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is correlated with a shortened sleep latency on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Whether impairment of wakefulness is associated with increased mortality in OSA patients is unknown. We evaluated survival over an average timespan of 7.5 years from the date of diagnosis in a consecutive series of 322 OSA patients who had undergone nocturnal polysomnograpy and the MWT. Evaluable survival data were obtained in 142 patients. Twenty two had died. Deaths were predominantly due to cardiovascular disease. A comparison of the demographic and sleep study data between the alive and dead groups was significant for differences in MWT sleep latency and in age at time of diagnosis. The MWT mean sleep latency, when adjusted for age, was significantly shortened in the dead patients (28 ± 11 min vs. 21 ± 10 min, p < 0.005). Also, there was a significant decrease in survival in the patients whose MWT mean sleep latency was less than 20 min. These findings demonstrate an association between impairment of wakefulness and long-term mortality in OSA patients. This association was not evident for the other measures used to assess OSA severity.
Interferon-β inhibits progression of relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Abstract The results of two phase III clinical trials have recently shown that interferon-beta (IFN/3) is effective in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Treatment with IFN/3 results in a significant decrease in the rate of clinical relapse and a marked delay in progression to disability compared to placebo-treated control patients. In the present study, we demonstrate similar therapeutic effects after treating (SWR X SJL) F, mice with IFN/3 at the onset of clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a disease animal model widely used in MS studies. EAE was actively induced by immunization of (SWR × SJL) F1 mice with the immunodominant encephalitogenic peptide 139–151 of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). In blinded testing, mice treated with IFN/3 at EAE onset showed a delay in progression to clinical disability as determined by marked improvement with time in mean clinical score, significant delay in onset of relapse, and significant decrease in exacerbation frequency compared to placebo-treated control mice. The therapeutic effect of IFN/3 was accompanied by a significant inhibition of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTK) but not proliferation in response to the priming PLP 139–151. In addition, IFN/3 treatment resulted in an overall decrease in severity of both inflammation and demyelination in the central nervous system. These results mimic in an autoimmune animal model the effectiveness of IFN/3 treatment observed in MS. Moreover, our study suggests that anti-viral properties of IFN/3 are not essential for producing therapeutic effects in autoimmune demyelinating disease, and that the efficacy of IFN/3 in the treatment of MS may be due to inhibition of autoreactivity.
Temperature-Dependent Surface Electrochemistry on Pt Single Crystals in Alkaline Electrolyte: Part 1: CO Oxidation

In this work we studied the continuous electrooxidation of CO dissolved in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte (COb) on Pt(hkl) at 275 and 333 K, respectively. The results clearly demonstrate that Pt(hkl) electr...
Sheathless Implantation of Permanent Coronary Sinus‐LV Pacing Leads

Background: Implantation of CS-LV pacing leads is usually accomplished through specialized sheaths with additional use of contrast venography and other steps. Direct implantation at a target pacing site could provide a simplified procedure with appropriate leads. Methods: A progressive CS-LV lead implant protocol was used, with initial attempts made to place the lead directly using only fluoroscopy and lead stylet or wire manipulation. Coronary sinus (CS) sheaths were only used later if direct lead placement failed. Results: There were 105 attempted implants with 96% (101/105) success. Leads were implanted sheathlessly in 69% (70/101) cases. Pacing parameters and final lead position did not differ significantly between implants that did or did not require sheaths for implants. Three peri-procedural complications occurred in implants where sheaths were used. In 33% (33/101) of implants, the leads were placed without the use of sheaths or contrast venography in 20 minutes or less. Conclusions: Direct placement of the CS-LV pacing lead without sheaths can be accomplished successfully in a majority of implants and in ≤20 minutes in a third, without inferior pacing parameters. This may provide for shorter or less technically difficult or expensive procedures with low risk.
Picosecond spectroscopy and imaging with pulsed and amplitude-modulated laser light: diffused photon density waves in highly scattering media

The possibility that clear images could be obtained of certain objects in the human body such as tumors, aneurysms, stroke volumes, degenerative diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and MID has been moving rapidly ahead during the past half dozen years. These advances are, on the one hand, better understood by the theory of photon migration, photon density, and on the other hand, by technical developments which have made the difficult problem of time resolved spectroscopy and phase modulation spectroscopy not only simple but also economical. The face that the laser community has seen fit to regard this as an important part of laser developments and technology is gratifying and surely essential to the development of the technology and its biomedical applications.
Urgency After a Sling: Review of the Management

Urinary urgency after synthetic sling surgery may be persistent urgency that preceded the surgery or de novo urgency that developed after surgery. Recent studies estimate a 40 % rate of persistent urgency after synthetic sling surgery in women with mixed urinary incontinence. Causes of de novo urgency after synthetic sling surgery include postoperative urinary tract infection (7.4–17.4 %), bladder outlet obstruction (1.9–19.7 %), perforation of the urinary tract (0.5–5 %), and idiopathic urgency (0–28 %). Given the temporal relationship of de novo urgency developing after surgery, until proven otherwise, one should assume that the etiology is obstruction. Evaluation includes a history and physical exam, urinalysis, and post-void residual. Cystoscopy and urodynamics may help rule out surgical complications. Management is based on the etiology of the urgency. Urinary tract perforation and bladder outlet obstruction are treated with surgical intervention. Idiopathic de novo or persistent urgency after synthetic sling surgery are treated similarly to idiopathic overactive bladder, with behavioral therapy as first-line treatment, antimuscarinics or beta-agonists as second-line therapy, and intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA or sacral neuromodulation as third-line therapy.
Physiological Profile of Caged Layers During One Production Season, Molt, and Postmolt: Organ Weights and Blood Constituents

Abstract Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) hens were sampled at 3 month intervals during a production season, a forced molt, and for 2 months postmolt. At each sampling time serum and organ weights were obtained. Body weight, liver weight, ovary weight, oviduct weight, right adrenal weight, spleen weight, adrenal cholesterol, hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum glucose, serum cholesterol, and serum total protein were determined. An increase in body weight and stable relative organ weights were observed throughout the season as well as fluctuations of blood constituents due to age, reproductive status, environmental effects, and forced molting.
Valence characteristics, costly policy and the median-crossing property: A diagrammatic exposition

Voters value valence characteristics such as honesty and competence. In this paper, we consider the situation where candidates may have more than one valence characteristic of importance to the voters. At the same time we introduce a new concept “the median-crossing property" which differs from single-peakedness and is less restrictive than the single-crossing property. If indifference curves satisfy the median-crossing property, then voting is transitive and the majority's preference rankings coincide with those of the median voter; if the indifference curves violate the median-crossing property, then intransitivity may arise. The framework also allows us to consider elections with costly policy.
A high-wavenumber viscosity for high-resolution numerical methods

A spectral-like viscosity is proposed for centered differencing schemes to help stabilize numerical solutions and reduce oscillations near discontinuities. Errors introduced by the added dissipation can be made arbitrarily small by adjusting the power of the derivative in the viscosity term. The high-wavenumber viscosity is combined with a 10th- order compact scheme to produce an accurate and efficient shock-capturing method. The new scheme compares favorably with other shock-capturing algorithms.
Aerosol Capture in Particle Laden Granular Beds in the Impaction Dominated Regime

The single grain capture efficiency η differs from the value η0 for a clean bed when the number N of captured aerosol particles per grain becomes sufficiently large. The dependence of η on N was found by numerically solving population balance equations for N k where N k is the number of clusters per grain containing k primary aerosol particles. The model requires two functions of k: βk, the fraction of the total flow past one grain that flows past a single cluster of size k; and ηk, the efficiency of capture from that flow. For this work we used βk = β1(1 + )/2 and (ηk − η0) = (η1 − η0) . The resulting dependence of η on N is given with reasonable accuracy by η = η0 + (η1 − η0)β1 N/[1 + g(β1 N)] with g(β1 N) = 0.13β1 N for β1 N 6. The penetration of monodisperse aerosols through initially clean granular beds was measured for sufficiently long challenge times that significant reductions in penetration occurred. Aerosol diameters D p ranged from 1.5 to 3.5 μm; superficial v...
Optimization of Discussion Forums for Online Students' Climate Literacy

Our previous research demonstrated that semester-long discussions resulted in significant increases in online students' climate literacy. When students expressed concern over the monotony of the se...
The Impact of a 2 × CO2 Climate on Lightning-Caused Fires

Future climate change could have significant repercussions for lightning-caused wildfires. Two empirical fire models are presented relating the frequency of lightning fires and the area burned by these fires to the effective precipitation and the frequency of thunderstorm activity. One model deals with the seasonal variations in lightning fires, while the second model deals with the interannual variations of lightning fires. These fire models are then used with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model to investigate possible changes in fire frequency and area burned in a 2 X CO2 climate. In the United States, the annual mean number of lightning fires increases by 44%, while the area burned increases by 78%. On a global scale, the largest increase in lightning fires can be expected in untouched tropical ecosystems where few natural fires occur today.
Determining Wheat Dough Mixing Characteristics from Power Consumption Profile of a Conventional Mixer

ABSTRACT A Hobart mixer with a pin-type attachment was used to mix soft wheat flour dough. Power consumption profiles were measured continuously during mixing for 20 min using a current transducer and a data logging system. Experimental variables were quantity of flour (500, 1,000, and 1,500 g of dry wheat flour), water content (43, 45, and 47%, wb), and mixer speed setting (low, medium, and high). The power consumption profiles were evaluated by moving average and spectral analysis. Peaks in the power consumption profiles were located to determine the optimal mixing time. The optimal mixing times were then compared with storage and viscous moduli measured using a dynamic rheometer to assure the maximum strength of wheat dough at the optimal mixing time. Tolerance was determined using the signal amplitude and phase angle data from spectral analysis. Optimal mixing times of various doughs at medium speed ranged from 510 to 850 sec; low and high flour quantities required longer mixing times than medium quan...
The qualitative behavior of coupled predator-prey oscillations as deduced from simple circle maps

Abstract Qualitative patterns of the non-equilibrium behavior of coupled consumer/resource systems, formulated as a standard circle map, are explored. Patterns of demographic locking, reflected as a “devil's staircase”, are observed in simulations of the MacArthur consumer/resource equations. As coupling strength increases the steps in the staircase become broader, eventually overlapping to form a chaotic pattern. In addition to the standard form of chaos formation from overlapping Arnold tongues, a pattern of period doubling in the non-invertible standard circle map corresponds to the pattern observed in the classic consumer/resource equations.
Embryonic even skipped–Dependent Muscle and Heart Cell Fates Are Required for Normal Adult Activity, Heart Function, and Lifespan

The Drosophila pair-rule gene even skipped (eve) is required for embryonic segmentation and later in specific cell lineages in both the nervous system and the mesoderm. We previously generated eve mesoderm-specific mutants by combining an eve null mutant with a rescuing transgene that includes the entire locus, but with the mesodermal enhancer removed. This allowed us to analyze in detail the defects that result from a precisely targeted elimination of mesodermal eve expression in the context of an otherwise normal embryo. Absence of mesodermal eve causes a highly selective loss of the entire eve-expressing lineage in this germ layer, including those progeny that do not continue to express eve, suggesting that mesodermal eve precursor specification is not implemented. Despite the resulting absence of a subset of muscles and pericardial cells, mesoderm-specific eve mutants survive to fertile adulthood, providing an opportunity to examine the effects of these developmental abnormalities on adult fitness and heart function. We find that in these mutants, flying ability, myocardial performance under normal and stressed conditions, and lifespan are severely reduced. These data imply a nonautonomous role of the affected pericardial cells and body wall muscles in developing and/or maintaining cardiac performance and possibly other functions contributing to normal lifespan. Given the similarities of molecular-genetic control between Drosophila and vertebrates, these findings suggest that peri/epicardial influences may well be important for proper myocardial function.