cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abdominal adiposity and family income-to-poverty ratio in American women

Summary Objective We examined (a) secular changes in abdominal fat accumulation (AFA) and family income-to-poverty ratio (PIR) across race/ethnicity, education and age in Mexican (MA), non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and (b) association between PIR and AFA among American women. Methods Data ( n =9787) from 2001–2002 to 2009–2010 NHANES were used. Rates of AFA and poverty by race/ethnic, age and education categories were determined across study time points. Subjects with low and medium PIR values were classified as poor. Linear trends in AFA and PIR were evaluated. Study time-specific odds ratios (OR) from logistic regression models were used to estimate risk of AFA due to low to medium PIR. Statistical adjustments were made for race/ethnicity, education, age, and marital status. Results Increased trends in low to medium PIR and AFA in MA, NHW, and NHB American women were observed between 2001 and 2010. Poor women had much higher prevalence of AFA compared to richer women. For each of the studied periods, medium and low PIR were each associated with increased odds of AFA. The association between poverty and AFA was weakest in 2001–2002 (OR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.05–2.11) compared to 2009–2010 (OR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.21–2.22). Compared to NHW, being of MA and NHB race/ethnicity was also each associated with increased odds of AFA, controlling for other independent variables. Conclusions Increase in poverty and AFA, and positive association between decreased PIR and increased odds of AFA were observed in the period between 2001 and 2010 in MA, NHW, and NHB American women. A robust economic policy designed to alleviate poverty may be an important means of reducing the trajectory of AFA in American women.
An integrated decision support system for irrigation and water policy design: DSIRR

Abstract The Decision Support System for Irrigation (DSIRR) is a DSS for the economic-environmental assessment of agricultural activity focusing on irrigation, designed to answer both public and private needs. The program simulates the economically driven decision processes of farmers, permitting an accurate description of production and irrigation in terms of technology and agronomics. Distinct farm models can be constructed to describe the relevant production system in the catchment. Short and long term analyses can be conducted, the latter with endogenous investment choices. Solutions are found by applying multicriterial mathematical programming techniques. Farm models run under a graphical interface, which allows the user to quantify, by farm type, the utilization of water, labour and machinery, considering different types of soils, irrigation systems, water-yield functions and seasonality. Data are aggregated at catchment scale. Richness of information produced, flexibility and simplicity of use make DSIRR a useful tool for more sustainable agriculture and the definition of a sound water policy.
Enzymic method for quantitative determination of nanogram amounts of total and oxidized glutathione: Applications to mammalian blood and other tissues

Abstract A method for the analysis of nanogram quantities of glutathione has been developed which is based on the catalytic action of GSH or GSSG in the reduction of Ellman reagent (DTNB) by a mixture of TPNH and yeast glutathione reductase. Unlike previous methods of analysis the procedure described here effectively measures the total glutathione (GSH + GSSG) content of unknown mixtures and is not subject to appreciable interference by the presence of other thiol components. It is suggested that the catalytic action of glutathione in this system resides in the continual enzymic regeneration of GSH, present initially or formed enzymically from GSSG, following its interaction with the sulfhydryl reagent. The sensitivity of the method is such as to permit the determination of total glutathione in extracellular tissue fluids such as plasma, saliva, and urine normally containing very low levels of this material, essentially without pretreatment of the sample. The same is true for glutathione determinations of whole blood, in which the preliminary procedure is confined to the preparation of a 1:100 hemolyzate from as little as 10 μl of sample. Following published procedures, the pretreatment of tissue extracts with NEM to form an enzymically inactive complex with free GSH allowed the determination of the low levels of oxidized glutathione normally present therein. The use of the foregoing analytical method in the determination of total and oxidized glutathione contents of rat blood, kidney, and liver gave values in good agreement with those obtained by previous investigators.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist overuse: urologists' response to reimbursement and characteristics associated with persistent overuse.

Medicare reimbursement cuts have been associated with declining gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist overuse in localized prostate cancer. Medical school affiliation and foreign training have been associated with persistent overuse. However, physician-level prescribing changes and the practice type of persistent overusers have not been examined. We sought to describe physician-level changes in GnRH agonist overuse and test the association of time in practice and solo practice type with GnRH agonist overuse. We matched American Medical Association physician data for 2138 urologists to Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result-Medicare data for 12 943 men diagnosed with early-stage and lower-grade adenocarcinoma of the prostate between 2000 and 2007. We conducted a population-based, retrospective study using multilevel modeling to control for patient and provider characteristics. Three distinct patterns of GnRH agonist overuse were observed. Urologists’ time in practice was not associated with GnRH agonist overuse (odds ratio (OR) 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75–1.05). However, solo practice type (OR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.34–2.02), medical school affiliation (OR 0.65; 95% CI: 0.55–0.77) and patient race were. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks (OR 1.76; 95% CI: 1.37–2.27), Hispanics (OR 1.41; 95% CI: 1.12–1.79) and men of ‘other’ race (OR 1.44; 95% CI: 1.04–1.99) had greater odds of receiving unnecessary GnRH agonists. GnRH agonist overuse remains high among some urologists who may be professionally isolated and difficult to reach. These urologists treat more vulnerable populations, which may contribute to health disparities in prostate cancer treatment quality. Nonetheless, these findings provide guidance to develop interventions to address overuse in prostate cancer.
Sensetable: a wireless object tracking platform for tangible user interfaces

In this paper we present a system that electromagnetically tracks the positions and orientations of multiple wireless objects on a tabletop display surface. The system offers two types of improvements over existing tracking approaches such as computer vision. First, the system tracks objects quickly and accurately without susceptibility to occlusion or changes in lighting conditions. Second, the tracked objects have state that can be modified by attaching physical dials and modifiers. The system can detect these changes in real-time.We present several new interaction techniques developed in the context of this system. Finally, we present two applications of the system: chemistry and system dynamics simulation.
Nitrogen mineralization along an altitudinal gradient: interactions of soil temperature, moisture, and substrate quality.

Net soil N mineralization was measured in situ for 2 consecutive years along a 2000-m altitudinal gradient encompassing six vegetation types in northern California. Both anaerobic and aerobic field incubations showed that soil temperature and moisture strongly controlled N release. In sealed container studies, N mineralization per unit of total Kjeldahl N (tkn) had a Q10 rate of 2 and varied between 5 and 38 g N/kg tkn when moisture was abundant (anaerobic incubation). However, aerobic mineralization rates fell to between 2 and 22 g N/kg tkn because of summer drought. Aerobic rates were greatest at mid-elevations (the mixed-conifer forest), and were reduced by cold temperatures at higher elevations and by soil drought at lower. The lowest rate found for any site was in a pine plantation scalped of topsoil a decade previously, during site preparation. Open-container incubations involving intact, 15-cm soil cores and ion-exchange resins produced mineralization rates correlated with potential growing days, but not with rates from sealed containers. The forest floor accounted for nearly all the net N mobilized on the coldest site, but only one-half to one-third of the N mobilized on warmer sites. Open containers have important advantages in assessing soil N dynamics.
Use of Pretreated Lignocellulose for the Production of Cellulases

Tests made to utilize lignocellulosics as a substrate for the production of cellulases showed that the enzyme production from steam and explosion decompressed aspen wood (SED) by Tricoderma reesei RUT-C30 was low, and the enzyme system produced was deficient in exoglucanase and β-glucosidase activities. Mixing this substrate with 10–20% pure cellulose lessened this deficiency and improved enzyme production. The enzyme system produced from the mixed substrate was rich in xylanase and had saccharifying ability equal to that produced in medium containing pure cellulose.
NMR spectroscopy reveals the presence and association of lipids and keratin in adhesive gecko setae.

Lipid and protein aggregates are one of the fundamental materials of biological systems. Examples include cell membranes, insect cuticle, vertebrate epidermis, feathers, hair and adhesive structures known as ‘setae’ on gecko toes. Until recently gecko setae were assumed to be composed entirely of keratin, but analysis of footprints left behind by geckos walking on surfaces revealed that setae include various kinds of lipids. However, the arrangement and molecular-level behavior of lipids and keratin in the setae is still not known. In the present study we demonstrate, for the first time, the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques to confirm the presence of lipids and investigate their association with keratin in ‘pristine' sheds, or natural molts of the adhesive toe pad and non-adhesive regions of the skin. Analysis was also carried on the sheds after they were ‘delipidized’ to remove surface lipids. Our results show a distribution of similar lipids in both the skin and toe shed but with different dynamics at a molecular level. The present study can help us understand the gecko system both biologically and for design of synthetic adhesives, but the findings may be relevant to the characteristics of lipid-protein interactions in other biological systems.
Hormonal Regulation of Prostaglandin E2 Receptors: Localization and Expression in Rat Cervical Tissue

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) may regulate uterine activation and cervical ripening for labor through specific contractile and relaxatory receptors (EP1-4). The aim of this study was to determine the expression of PGE2 receptor isoforms in pregnant rat cervix during RU486-induced labor and progesterone supplementation to delay labor. Localization and expression of cervical PGE2 receptors were evaluated, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for EP1-4 was performed. EP1-4 were found in both cervical epithelium and smooth muscle. RU486 treatment increased EP2 and EP4 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression. Progesterone treatment had no effect on EP2 and EP4 mRNA expression but decreased EP4 protein. Hormonal manipulation resulted in differences in cellular localization of EP1 and EP3 in cervical epithelial cells, suggesting a specific role in that cell. Progesterone differentially regulates the expression of PGE2 receptor isoforms in the cervix. Elucidating the regulation of PGE2 receptors may facilitate improved approaches to the prevention and treatment of preterm labor.
Extraocular muscle dystonia due to acquired (non‐Wilsonian) hepatocerebral degeneration

We present a video report of a patient with advanced non-Wilsonian cirrhotic liver disease who developed extraocular muscle dystonia (oculogyric crisis) and severe orofaciolingual dyskinesias. Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration causes choreic movements, especially of cranial muscles, but dystonic ocular spasm is an infrequent manifestation of this disorder. This case illustrates that AHD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of extraocular muscle dystonia.
Vibrational analysis of the first ultraviolet band system of aniline

Abstract Vibrational structure associated with the 2940-A band system of aniline vapor has been analyzed in some detail, and results are included for the − d 2 , − d 5 , and − d 7 isotopes. It is shown that the ω(NH 2 ) vibration is strongly anharmonic in the ground state, having the small-large alternation of quanta characteristic of a vibration occurring in a double-minimum potential. The data are consistent with an angle of about 46° between the ring-to-N bond and the NH 2 plane in the electronic ground state. The same vibration is not harmonic in the upper electronic state, though its anharmonic character is less strongly marked there than in the ground state. The data for the upper state are compatible with a double-minimum potential having a very small maximum for the all-coplanar configuration, but the evidence is not conclusive. All that can be said definitely is that ∂ 3 V ( q )∂ q 3 ≠ 0 for a considerable range of q to either side of q = 0. The term quasiplanar is proposed to cover this situation, a few other examples of which can be found in the literature. A complete classification of the vibronic sublevels of aniline is accomplished using a group G 8 of order eight; but the torsional splittings are not resolved in the electronic spectrum so that the practically useful group is G 4 , a sub-group of G 8 . G 4 is isomorphous with the point group C 2 v . The vibronic selection rules are discussed.
Skin cancer coverage in a national newspaper: a teachable moment.

Abstract Background. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify the number of published articles related to skin cancer in The New York Times newspaper from 1980–2004; (2) assess the content of the articles related to skin cancer, and (3) examine the trends in media coverage of skin cancer over time. Methods. We performed a content analysis on articles related to skin cancer appearing in The New York Times during January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2004, using the ProQuest® online content repository database and key words skin cancer. We conducted an advanced focus search of all “skin cancer” articles using key words “melanoma,” “squamous cell carcinoma,” “basal cell carcinoma,” “sunscreen,” “tanning,” “sunbathing,” and “tanning salon”. Results. We identified 874 published articles relating to skin cancer. Melanoma was the primary subject of the 874 articles, with 29% of the articles focusing on some aspect of melanoma. Coverage of other major subjects included sunscreen (11%), tanning (9%), basa...
Effects of optical irradiation parameters on safe peripheral nerve stimulation with infrared light

Optical stimulation (OS) is a relatively novel approach for restoring function to the damaged nervous system. The effectiveness and safety of OS is dependent upon selecting the appropriate stimulation parameters. This involves stimulating neurons to their activation threshold while preventing laser-induced tissue injury. Although significant advances have been made in studying the efficacy of OS, safety parameters are still being developed. We have employed electrophysiological techniques to determine salient experimental parameters of safety that can be used to optimize OS. Extracellular recordings of compound nerve potentials were obtained from excised adult rat sciatic nerves. OS was accomplished with infrared pulsed Nd:YAG, Er:YAG and diode lasers that had peak wavelength emissions at 1.064 μm, 2.94 μm and 1.85 μm, respectively. Electrically evoked compound action potentials (E-CAPs) were assayed before and after laser irradiation to determine if OS affected E-CAPs. Injurious laser irradiation doses were observed at levels 2-3 fold greater than optical threshold, producing tissue hyalinization and decreases in the peak amplitude of E-CAPs. However, effects on electrical threshold and conduction velocity were negligible. At laser irradiation doses near optical threshold, low repetition rates of laser pulses produced a gradual increase in laser evoked CAP (L-CAP) amplitudes, suggesting a cumulative effect in the interactions between light and tissue. Higher repetition rates (5-10 Hz) at laser irradiation doses 2-3 fold above optical threshold produced a decrement in L-CAP and E-CAP amplitudes. These results suggest that laser pulse parameters have a direct impact on optical stimulation and damage thresholds.
Ethics and Cyber Conflict: A Response to JME 12:1 (2013)

This article responds to several recent moral (as contrasted with legal) evaluations of cyber conflict appearing during the past several years. The principal (but not exclusive) focus is on articles recently published in this journal. Including those collected in a recent special issue of JME (12:1/January 2013), guest edited by Bradley J. Strawser. The author distinguishes moral from legal issues in cyber conflict under current international law, and examines claims (like those of cyber expert, Randall Dipert) that neither international law nor just war tradition is any longer sufficient to govern the utterly unique objects and events taking place within a peculiar sort of domain that knows no boundaries, and where conventional constraints (like transparency and accountability) are wholly absent. Other issues covered include recent cyber conflicts, and whether the sort of harm suffered there, or likely to be inflicted during a broader cyberattack (including that resulting from long-term espionage and sab...
Lipid analysis of cells and chromatophores of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides

Abstract The phospholipids and fatty acid analysis of four strains of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and of chromatophores from two strains show some differences and also show the presence of an unusual polar neutral lipid which is ninhydrin positive and which on acid hydrolysis yields ornithine and an unidentified amino compound. This lipid is called aminolipid-X and has a fatty acid composition very different from the phospholipids. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) contain a very small amount of plasmalogen forms as determined by combined mild alkaline hydrolysis, acetic acid hydrolysis and phospholipase A2 hydrolysis. The reaction of intact cells and chromatophores with trinitrobenzenesulfonate (TNBS), fluorodinitrobenzene (FDNB) and isethionylacetimidate (IA) show that 78% of the total PE in chromatophores is localized on the outer membrane surface. In intact cells about 15–35% of the total PE is localized on the outer surface of the plasma membrane.
The importance of site to mate choice: Mate and site fidelity in Piping Plovers

ABSTRACT Each breeding season, seasonally monogamous birds can divorce or reunite with their previous year's mate, assuming both partners survive and return. We tested a suite of variables related to mate choice and site choice to determine which of 4 prominent mate fidelity hypotheses (better [mate] option, habitat mediated, musical chairs, and bet-hedging) best explained the interyear reunion rate and breeding dispersal of a seasonally monogamous shorebird, Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), nesting on dynamic sandbars on the Missouri River, USA, 2005–2012. Of 252 pairs in which both members returned to the breeding grounds the following year, only 20% reunited. Pairs with an early-arriving male had the highest mate fidelity. Reunited pairs returned to previous nest sites (median breeding dispersal = 39 m), and divorced and widowed birds tended to move farther (median = 229 m and 193 m, respectively). Overall, site fidelity was higher in males than females. Previous reproductive success of a pair did n...
Radiotherapeutic Effects on Mammalian Tumour Cells: 1. Modification of Leukaemia L1210 Growth Kinetics with X-irradiation

SummaryThe effect of x-irradiation on the growth kinetics of mammalian tumour cells has been examined using the murine leukaemia L1210 system. After single doses of radiation, the surviving cells were found to have decreased virulence compared with single normal leukaemic cells as measured by the survival-time of recipient mice. Studies on cloned sub-lines demonstrated their capacity for continuous division resulting in death of inoculated animals, although the rate of proliferation determined from growth curves was significantly slower. These in vivo experiments confirm the in vitro observations that ionizing radiation produces a type of non-lethal hereditable damage which results in modification of cell-growth rates.
Use of the AAEM guidelines in electrodiagnosis of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine if practice patterns in Washington State were altered by the development and publication of the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine practice parameter for electrodiagnosis of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. Design: Medical records from 350 workers' compensation patients who underwent surgery for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow in Washington State were reviewed for the consistency of the electrodiagnosticians' report and the practice parameter. Statistical analysis (Χ 2 or Fischer's exact test) compared prepublication and postpublication patterns of test use. Results: Thirty-one percent of the 153 studies (n = 47) were not consistent with American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine guidelines before its publication vs. 34% of the 138 studies (n = 47) after publication. This was not a statistically significant change (P = 0.63). Conclusion: Evaluation of the usefulness and dissemination of the guidelines is warranted. The practice parameter may need to be simplified and educational efforts extended to improve provider use of new guidelines.
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Purpose of review: To describe the origin, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB). Recent findings: XDR TB is defined as the occurrence of TB in persons whose Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates are resistant to isoniazid and rifampin and to any fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin). As of June 2008, XDR TB has been found in 49 countries including the United States. It generally takes several weeks to detect XDR TB using conventional culture-based methods, although some progress is being made in developing rapid molecular tests. Treatment for XDR TB is difficult, usually requiring at least 18-24 months of four to six second-line anti-TB drugs. Treatment success rates are generally 30-50%, with very poor outcomes in HIV-infected patients. Management of contacts to infectious XDR TB patients is complicated by the lack of a proven effective treatment for XDR latent tuberculosis infection. Summary: XDR TB is an emerging global health threat. The disease is difficult and expensive to diagnose and treat, and outcomes are frequently poor. New rapid diagnostic tests and new classes of anti-TB drugs are needed to successfully combat this global problem.
Ring-Ribbon Transition and Parallel Alignment in SWNT Films on Polyelectrolytes

A simple and reliable method of permanent organization of SWNTs into morphologically different films is described. Under standard adsorption conditions, SWNTs form films from randomly intersecting nanotubes. It was found that virtually perfect rings from single SWNTs also form spontaneously in these films. Adsorption in laminar flow produces SWNT ribbons with parallel alignment of the nanotubes. Further increase of the flow rate detaches SWNT from the surface.
Sedimentology and paleoecology of Pliocene shallow marine conglomerates, Salton Trough region, California

Abstract The basal portion of the Pliocene Imperial Formation, Salton Trough region, California, includes conglomerates which were deposited in a rift-related setting at the head of the Gulf of California. Conglomerates and associated pebbly sandstones contain a fully marine fauna and form a transgressive sequence which unconformably overlies a basement of Miocene volcanics. Sequences deposited adjacent to rock cliffs include stratified conglomerate of beach origin and clast-supported boulder conglomerate which formed as talus. These types of sediment were also transported downslope as sediment gravity flows and accumulated in topographically irregular, nearshore areas as a variety of boulder to pebble conglomerates. The conglomerates contain two types of displaced faunal assemblages which reflect different types of rocky shore to shallow subtidal communities. An assemblage dominated by small oysters and barnacles represents a low diversity community which lived on and among volcanic clasts in muddy, protected coves. Another assemblage represents a diverse community of corals, bryozoans, gastropods, bivalves, annelids, barnacles, decapods and echinoids which lived on and among boulders along coastlines. Both assemblages have analogues in the modern Gulf of California. Local depletion of volcanic clasts resulted in deposition of nearshore sandstone which prograded over conglomerate deposits. This sandstone is composed of volcanic rock fragments and abundant skeletal fragments which represent taxa from several coastal communities.
Profile curves for the m/g/1 queue with group arrivals

The purpose of profile curves is to serve as an “upper (or lower) stochastic envelope” of the path functions which are deemed to be statistically compatible with the proposed model. In defining these curves, we consider the joint stationary probability density of the queue length, given that the queue exceeds a given threshold K, and of the duration of such excursions. The profile curves are then the loci of given percentiles of the conditional probability densities of the queue length after successive numbers of services completed with the queue above threshold. Excessive excursions are either those that exceed the profile curve rapidly or those that stay above threshold for longer than can be expected. The occurrence of such excursions may require control actions or is an indication that the actual queue is no longer adequately described by the posited model. The profile curves are proposed as means to identify excessive excursions as soon as possible and serve in formalizing monitoring schemes for queu...
Emotion and executive functioning: The effect of normal mood states on fluency tasks

Induced positive affect (PA) can improve verbal fluency performance, and induced negative affect (NA) can increase design fluency performance (Bartolic, Basso, Schefft, Glauser, & Titanic-Schefft, 1999). Building on this, the current study investigated associations between everyday mood states and executive functions. Participants (N = 74, mean age = 51.19 years) completed verbal and design fluency tasks and a self-report affect task. PA was associated with better verbal fluency performance, although NA was not associated with design fluency. Variations in everyday PA may be associated with cognitive performance, whereas greater shifts in NA might be needed to establish associations with executive functioning.
Quantitative model for binary measurements of protein-protein interactions.

We develop a stochastic model for quantifying the binary measurements of protein-protein interactions. A key concept in the model is the binary response function (BRF) which represents the conditional probability of successfully detecting a protein-protein interaction with a given number of the protein complexes. A popular form of the BRF is introduced and the effect of the sharpness (Hill's coefficient) of this function is studied. Our model is motivated by the recently developed yeast two-hybrid method for measuring protein-protein interaction networks. We suggest that the same phenomenological BRF can also be applied to the mass spectroscopic measurement of protein-protein interactions. Based on the model, we investigate the contributions to the network topology of protein-protein interactions from (i) the distribution of protein binary association free energy, and from (ii) the cellular protein abundance. It is concluded that the association constants among different protein pairs cannot be totally in...
Rectifying conductance substates in a large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel: evidence for a fluctuating barrier mechanism.

In this study, we investigated the mechanism underlying the production of inwardly rectifying subconductance states induced in large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (maxi K(Ca) channels) by the small, homologous proteins, bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and dendrotoxin-I (DTX). Low-resolution bilayer recordings of BPTI-induced substates display excess noise that is well described by a beta-distribution characteristic of a filtered, two-state process. High-resolution patch recordings of maxi K(Ca) channels from vascular smooth muscle cells confirm that the BPTI-induced substate is actually comprised of rapid, voltage-dependent transitions between the open state and a nearly closed state. Patch recordings of DTX-induced substates also exhibit excess noise consistent with a similar two-state fluctuation process that occurs at rates faster than those measured for the BPTI-induced substate. The results indicate that these examples of ligand-induced substates originate by a fluctuating barrier mechanism that is similar to one class of models proposed by Dani, J.A., and J.A. Fox (1991. J. Theor. Biol. 153: 401-423) to explain subconductance behavior of ion channels. To assess the general impact of such rapid fluctuations on the practical measurement of unitary currents by amplitude histograms, we simulated single-channel records for a linear, three-state scheme of C (closed)-O(open)-S(substate). This simulation defines a range of transition rates relative to filter frequency where rapid fluctuations can lead to serious underestimation of actual unitary current levels. On the basis of these experiments and simulations, we conclude that fluctuating barrier processes and open channel noise may play an important physiological role in the modulation of ion permeation.
Real-time multivariate statistical classification of cells for flow cytometry and cell sorting: a data mining application for stem cell isolation and tumor purging

Multivariate statistics can be used for visualization of cell subpopulations in multidimensional data space and for classification of cells within that data space. New data mining techniques we have developed, such as subtractive clustering, can be used to find the differences between test and control multiparameter flow cytometric data, e.g. in the problem of human stem cell isolation with tumor purging. They also can provide training data for subsequent multivariate statistical classification techniques such as discriminant function or logistic regression analyses. Using lookup tables, these multivariate statistical calculations can be performed in real-time, and can even include probabilities of misclassification. Thus, the only distinction between off-line classification of cells in data analysis and real-time statistical decision-making for cell sorting is the time limit in which a classification decision must be made. For real-time cell sorting we presently are able to perform these classifications in less than 625 microseconds, corresponding to the time that it takes the cell to travel from the laser intersection point to the sort decision point in a flow cytometer/cell sorter. Statistical decision making and the ability to include the costs of misclassification into that decision process will become important as flow cytometry/cell sorting moves from diagnostics to therapeutics.
Toward a theory of information processing on the time-frequency plane

Information processing theory aims to quantify how well signals encode information and how well systems process information. Time-frequency distributions have been used to represent the energy distribution of time-varying signals for the past twenty years. There has been a lot of research on various properties of these representations. However, there is a general lack of quantitative analysis in describing the amount of information encoded into a time-frequency distribution. This paper aims to quantify how well time-frequency distributions represent information by using information-theoretic distance measures. Different distance measures, such as Kullback-Leibler distance, R\'{e}nyi distance, will be adapted to the time-frequency plane. Their performance in quantifying the information in a given signal will be compared. A sensitivity analysis for different distance measures will be carried out to assess their robustness under perturbation. Different example signals will be considered for illustrating the information processing in time-frequency distributions.
Tenant Assignment Models

Public housing authorities must implement tenant assignment policies aimed at providing affordable, decent housing for low income households. We consider the implications of such assignment policies by presenting analytic forms for the mean and variance of applicant waiting times that account for varying requirements for housing, applicant dropout, and priority assignment schemes, including transfers and standard scoring methods. We also consider a simple model of project demographics.
Sorption and related properties of the swine antibiotic carbadox and associated N-oxide reduced metabolites.

Carbadox (CBX) (methyl 3-[2-quinoxalinylmethylene]carbazate N1, N4 dioxide) is a chemotherapeutic growth promoter and antibacterial drug added to feed for starter pigs. Toxicity of CBX and at least one of its metabolites (bis-desoxycarbadox; DCBX) has resulted in a number of studies regarding its stability and residence time in edible swine tissue; however, little is known on its environmental fate pertinent to the application of antibiotic-laden manure to agricultural fields. We measured sorption of CBX and DCBX by soils, sediment, and homoionic clays from 10 mM KCl and 5 mM CaCl2 solutions, sorption of two N-oxide reduced metabolites (N4 and N1) by a subset of soils from 5 mM CaCl2, octanol−water partition coefficients (Kow) of CBX and all three metabolites, and CBX solubility in water and mixed solvents. Sorption appeared well-correlated to organic carbon (OC) for the soils (e.g., log (Koc, L/kg OC) = 3.96 ± 0.18 for CBX). However, sorption was enhanced in the presence of K+, competitive sorption from ...
Regulation of forearm lipolysis in different types of obesity. In vivo evidence for adipocyte heterogeneity.

Abstract Forearm and systemic adipose tissue free fatty acid (FFA) release was measured in eight nonobese, six lower-body obese, and eight upper-body obese women under basal, hyperinsulinemic, and hypoinsulinemic conditions to determine whether forearm fat is regulated in a similar manner as whole body fat. Results: Adipose tissue palmitate release was greater from forearm than whole body (5.97 +/- 0.75 vs. 3.84 +/- 0.34 mumol.kg fat-1.min-1, respectively, P less than 0.005, n = 22 subjects). Systemic palmitate release, relative to fat mass, was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater in nonobese than upper-body obese, and upper-body obese than lower-body obese women, and forearm adipose tissue palmitate release followed the same pattern. Hyperinsulinemia suppressed systemic and forearm lipolysis to similar degrees, however, hypoinsulinemia consistently increased systemic palmitate flux without increasing forearm palmitate release. These results confirm the heterogeneity of adipose tissue in an in vivo model and emphasize the need to consider which adipose tissue depots are responsible for the differences in systemic FFA flux in obese and nonobese humans.
Cardiac Resource Utilization in Adults at a Freestanding Children's Hospital

Objective This article aims to give a comprehensive description of cardiac resource utilization in adults at a freestanding children's hospital. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Large, tertiary, freestanding children's hospital. Patients Adults (18 years of age and older) seen within the heart center or evaluated by heart center personnel from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010. Results There were 2794 adults that utilized cardiology services during the study period. The mean patient age was 23.5 ± 8.4 years (18–70.5). The 1748 (62.6%) patients had a diagnosis of congenital heart disease. There were a total of 525 catheterization laboratory encounters and 104 cardiac surgical procedures performed on adult patients during the 5-year study period. The in-hospital mortality for all invasive encounters was 0%. The minor adverse event rate for all invasive encounters was 6.7% and 4.8%, respectively. Also, the overall major adverse event rates were 1.9% and 4.8%, respectively. There were 162 cardiology evaluations performed on adults in the emergency room. There were a total of 5489 adult cardiology clinic visits. The most common congenital heart disease diagnoses were: tetralogy of Fallot: 228 (13%), D-transposition of the great arteries: 208 (11.9%), single ventricle physiology: 187 (10.7%), atrial septal defect 128: (7.3%), and ventricular septal defect: 117 (6.7%). Overall, the complexity of congenital heart disease was: simple: 41%, moderate: 37%, and complex: 22%. Conclusions A significant and growing number of adult patients are currently being cared for at pediatric institutions. Excellent outcomes have been achieved at these centers with dedicated adult congenital heart disease services, consisting of both cardiologists and other faculty trained in adult medicine. Others with training in adult medicine, whether they be staff or contracted consulting services, are also required to help manage adult comorbidities.
Cognitive adaptation training for outpatients with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by cognitive deficits. These deficits in cognitive functioning have been shown to relate to a variety of functional and treatment outcomes. Cognitive adaptation training (CAT) is a home-based, manual-driven treatment that utilizes environmental supports and compensatory strategies to bypass cognitive deficits and improve target behaviors and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia. Unlike traditional case management, CAT provides environmental supports and compensatory strategies tailored to meet the behavioral style and neurocognitive deficits of each individual patient. The case of Ms. L. is presented to illustrate CAT treatment.
Building models from domain principles

A method of automatically constructing a system model or set of constraints from domain principles for solving the dynamic behavior of a mechanical system is presented. The following issues are emphasized: (1) the extraction of a necessary and sufficient set of system constraints from the fundamental principles and laws of physics based solely on the physical description of a given mechanical system, and (2) the modification of system constraints through time by detecting and identifying 'system discontinuities' due to collisions, separations. and other critical states associated with each system object. The first is accomplished by describing a mechanical system by a collection of object and interconnection primitives. which allows direct invocations and instantiations of all the relevant physics laws from the knowledge base. In consequence, the final constraints are selected on the basis of the A* algorithm. with heuristics providing the problem-solving expertise. The second is accomplished by monitoring whether the states of any individual subsystems evolve to system discontinuities represented by intra/inter subsystem critical states. >
Selective loss of high-frequency oscillations in phrenic and hypoglossal activity in the decerebrate rat during gasping.

Respiratory motor outputs contain medium-(MFO) and high-frequency oscillations (HFO) that are much faster than the fundamental breathing rhythm. However, the associated changes in power spectral ch...
Selective Recovery from Failures in a Task Parallel Programming Model

We present a fault tolerant task pool execution environment that is capable of performing fine-grain selective restart using a lightweight, distributed task completion tracking mechanism. Compared with conventional checkpoint/restart techniques, this system offers a recovery penalty that is proportional to the degree of failure rather than the system size. We evaluate this system using the Self Consistent Field (SCF) kernel which forms an important component in ab initio methods for computational chemistry. Experimental results indicate that fault tolerant task pools are robust in the presence of an arbitrary number of failures and that they offer low overhead in the absence of faults.
Shoe contact dermatitis: a case report of an acute severe reaction to potassium dichromate.

Abstract Background Shoe contact dermatitis is common in both the pediatric and the adult populations. Severity of the reaction can vary greatly by patient. Objectives Health Care Professionals of all types should be familiar with shoe related dermatitis and aware of potential antigens that can precipitate a shoe contact dermatitis. Methods This article reviews one of the most common patch test, the T.R.U.E., Thin-layer Rapid Use of Epicutaneous test, for determination of the causative agent in a case of shoe contact dermatitis. Results This article outlines a severe reaction to dichromate in a shoe and the clinical treatment required for a severe, limb threatening, reaction which included in-patient and out-patient management of the condition. Conclusion The clinician will become familiar with several common antigens responsible for contact dermatitis, including rubber, dichromate, thimerosal and other medications and other non-shoe products that can contain these agents.
Utilizing time‐driven activity‐based costing to understand the short‐ and long‐term costs of treating localized, low‐risk prostate cancer

BACKGROUND Given the costs of delivering care for men with prostate cancer remain poorly described, this article reports the results of time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) for competing treatments of low-risk prostate cancer. METHODS Process maps were developed for each phase of care from the initial urologic visit through 12 years of follow-up for robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), cryotherapy, high–dose rate (HDR) and low–dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and active surveillance (AS). The last modality incorporated both traditional transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy and multiparametric-MRI/TRUS fusion biopsy. The costs of materials, equipment, personnel, and space were calculated per unit of time and based on the relative proportion of capacity used. TDABC for each treatment was defined as the sum of its resources. RESULTS Substantial cost variation was observed at 5 years, with costs ranging from $7,298 for AS to $23,565 for IMRT, and they remained consistent through 12 years of follow-up. LDR brachytherapy ($8,978) was notably cheaper than HDR brachytherapy ($11,448), and SBRT ($11,665) was notably cheaper than IMRT, with the cost savings attributable to shorter procedure times and fewer visits required for treatment. Both equipment costs and an inpatient stay ($2,306) contributed to the high cost of RALP ($16,946). Cryotherapy ($11,215) was more costly than LDR brachytherapy, largely because of increased single-use equipment costs ($6,292 vs $1,921). AS reached cost equivalence with LDR brachytherapy after 7 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The use of TDABC is feasible for analyzing cancer services and provides insights into cost-reduction tactics in an era focused on emphasizing value. By detailing all steps from diagnosis and treatment through 12 years of follow-up for low-risk prostate cancer, this study has demonstrated significant cost variation between competing treatments. Cancer 2016;122:447–455. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Smarter Sentencing Act Would Bring Needed Reform to Criminal Justice System

It is not often that you see a political coalition on Capitol Hill like the one that has come together to reform our federal sentencing laws. This is an issue that bridges the traditional divisions in our politics, bringing together individuals and organizations that don’t typically see eye to eye on public policy matters.
Origin of Strength Increase of Abraded or Indented Glass upon Annealing

La resistance mecanique de baguettes en verre sodocalcique et de borosilicate, avec une fissure agrandie augmente par recuit. Puisque la contrainte residuelle pres de l'extremite de la fissure agrandie est faible, cette augmentation de resistance indique qu'il se produit un emoussage de l'extremite de fissure
Evaluating impact of manageability features on device performance

Manageability is a key design constraint for IT solutions, defined as the range of operations required to maintain and administer system resources through their lifecycle phases. Emerging complex and powerful management platforms and automation software expose new tensions — between the host and management applications, between costs and performance, and between costs and complexity. In this paper, we take a systematic approach to the evaluation of manageability workloads and define metrics for evaluating manageability efficiency. We propose the Manageability Quotient (MaQ) as a holistic measure of a system's ability to deliver guarantees on both host and management application performance while minimizing cost. We evaluate a range of host and management workloads on various manageability platforms using the metrics. Our results, based on more than 4000 experiments, provides insights on the merits and demerits of different configurations.
Discriminative training via linear programming

This paper presents a linear programming approach to discriminative training. We first define a measure of discrimination of an arbitrary conditional probability model on a set of labeled training data. We consider maximizing discrimination on a parametric family of exponential models that arises naturally in the maximum entropy framework. We show that this optimization problem is globally convex in R/sup n/, and is moreover piecewise linear on R/sup n/. We propose a solution that involves solving a series of linear programming problems. We provide a characterization of global optimizers. We compare this framework with those of minimum classification error and maximum entropy.
Possession, Ecstasy, and Law in Ewe Voodoo

Possession, Ecstasy, and Law in Ewe Voodoo. Judy Rosenthal. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1998. xii. 282 pp., illustrations, notes, glossary, bibliography, index.
Optimization method to determine mass transfer variables in a PWR crud deposition risk assessment tool

ABSTRACTOptimization numerical method was implemented to determine several mass transfer coefficients in a crud-induced power shift risk assessment code. The approach was to utilize a multilevel strategy that targets different model parameters that first changes the major order variables, mass transfer inputs, then calibrates the minor order variables, crud source terms, according to available plant data. In this manner, the mass transfer inputs are effectively simplified as “dependent” on the crud source terms. Two optimization studies were performed using DAKOTA, a design and analysis toolkit, with the difference between the runs, being the number of model runs using BOA, allowed for adjusting the crud source terms, therefore, reducing the uncertainty with calibration. The result of the first case showed that the current best estimated values for the mass transfer coefficients, which were derived from first principle analysis, can be considered an optimized set. When the run limit of BOA was increased f...