cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endovascular Thrombectomy for Pediatric Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Multi-Institutional Experience of Technical and Clinical Outcomes

Background Endovascular thrombectomy is a promising treatment for acute ischemic stroke in children, but outcome and technical data in pediatric patients with large-vessel occlusions are lacking. Objective To assess technical and clinical outcomes of thrombectomy in pediatric patients. Methods We undertook a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients who experienced acute ischemic stroke from April 2017 to April 2019 who had immediate, 30-, and 90-d follow-up. Patients were treated with endovascular thrombectomy at 5 US pediatric tertiary care facilities. We recorded initial and postprocedural modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade ≥ 2b, initial and postprocedural Pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) score, and pediatric modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 0 to 2 at 90 d. Results There were 23 thrombectomies in 21 patients (mean age 11.6 ± 4.9 yr, median 11.5, range 2.1-19; 52% female). A total of 19 (83%) thrombectomies resulted in mTICI grade ≥ 2b recanalization. The median PedNIHSS score was 13 on presentation (range 4-33) and 2 (range 0-26) at discharge (mean reduction 11.3 ± 6.1). A total of 14 (66%) patients had a mRS score of 0 to 2 at 30-d follow-up; 18/21 (86%) achieved that by 90 d. The median mRS was 1 (range 0-4) at 30 d and 1 (range 0-5) at 90 d. One patient required a blood transfusion after thrombectomy. Conclusion In this large series of pediatric patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy, successful recanalization was accomplished via a variety of approaches with excellent clinical outcomes; further prospective longitudinal study is needed.
Clarifying the New Problem for Quantum Mechanics: Reply to Vaidman

I respond to Vaidman’s recent criticisms of my paper “A New Problem for Quantum Mechanics”.
Burkholderia gladioli C101 metabolites protect tomato plants against Xanthomonas perforans infection

Root-associated bacteria can mitigate plant diseases which is mediated in part by their production of bioactive metabolites. This has fostered efforts to identify microorganisms with biocontrol efficacy and the development of novel ways to deploy biocontrol agents in agriculture. In this study, we explored the antagonistic potential of a diverse collection of rhizobacteria isolated from soybean rhizosphere against a broad range of plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi and oomycetes. Burkholderia gladioli C101 was identified as a rhizobacterial isolate that produced potent and heat-stable active secondary metabolites that inhibited the growth of many plant pathogens. A draft genome for B. gladioli C101 predicted the presence of many biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), including several with high % identity to known BGCs from Burkholderia and other bacterial taxa. A major limitation for biocontrol agents affiliated with genera that are potential opportunistic animal pathogens such as Burkholderia species is the need to conduct rigorous risk assessment of these isolates for crop use. Therefore, we explored the use of cell-free supernatants of B. gladioli C101 to limit plant pathogen growth. To test the effectiveness of cell-free supernatant as a foliar spray, an experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions on control of the foliar bacterial spot pathogen, Xanthomonas perforans on tomato. A significant reduction in bacterial spot disease severity was observed in greenhouse experiments when cell-free supernatants were applied prior to or after inoculation of tomato plants with X. perforans. Reduced disease severity was observed in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that the bioactive metabolites produced by B. gladioli C101 have applicability in plant disease management.
A rare pediatric case of cluster headaches after cardiac catheterization in a patient with an isolated innominate artery.

While cluster headaches are classified and considered a primary headache disorder, secondary causes of cluster headaches have been reported and may provide insight into cluster headaches' potential pathophysiology. The mechanisms underlying this headache phenotype are poorly understood, and several theories have been proposed that range from the activation within the posterior hypothalamus to autonomic tone dysfunction. We provide a review of reported cases in the literature describing secondary causes after cardiac procedures. We will present a novel pediatric case report of a 16-year-old boy with an isolated innominate artery who presented with acute new-onset headaches 8 h following cardiac catheterization of the aortic arch with arteriography and left pulmonary artery stent placement. The headaches were characterized by attacks of excruciating pain behind the left eye and jaw associated with ipsilateral photophobia, conjunctival injection, rhinorrhea, with severe agitation and restlessness. These met the International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 criteria for episodic cluster headaches. The headaches failed to respond to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, dopamine antagonists, and steroids. He showed an immediate response to treatment with oxygen. This unique case of cluster headaches following cardiac catheterization in a pediatric patient with an isolated innominate artery may provide new insight into cluster headaches' pathogenesis. We hypothesize that the cardiac catheterization induced cardiac autonomic changes that contributed to the development of his cluster headaches. The role of aortic arch anomalies and procedures in potential disruption of the autonomic tone and the causation of cluster headaches is an area requiring further study.
MEX3D is an oncogenic driver in prostate cancer.

Background Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common visceral malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in US men. The two most common genetic alterations in PCa are expression of the TMPRSS2/ERG (TE) fusion gene and loss of the PTEN tumor suppressor. These genetic alterations act cooperatively to transform prostatic epithelium but the exact mechanisms involved are unclear. Methods Microarray expression analysis of immortalized prostate epithelial cells transformed by loss of PTEN and expression of the TE fusion revealed MEX3D as one of the most highly upregulated genes. MEX3D expression in prostate cancer was examined in patient samples and in silico. In vitro and in vivo studies to characterize the biological impact of MEX3D were carried out. Analysis of the TCGA PanCancer database revealed TCF3 as a major target of MEX3D. The induction of TCF3 by MEX3D was confirmed and the biological impact of TCF3 examined by in vitro studies. Results MEX3D is expressed at increased levels in prostate cancer and is increased by decreased PTEN and/or expression of the TE fusion gene and drives soft agar colony formation, invasion and tumor formation in vivo. The known oncogenic transcription factor TCF3 is highly correlated with MEX3D in prostate cancer. MEX3D expression strongly induces TCF3, which promotes soft agar colony formation and invasion in vitro. Conclusions Loss of PTEN and expression of the TE fusion gene in prostate cancer strongly upregulates expression of MEX3D and its target TCF3 and promotes transformation associated phenotypes via this pathway.
Ligand binding studies, preliminary structure–activity relationship and detailed mechanistic characterization of 1-phenyl-6,6-dimethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine derivatives as inhibitors of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase

Gram-negative bacteria are implicated in the causation of life-threatening hospital-acquired infections. They acquire rapid resistance to multiple drugs and available antibiotics. Hence, there is the need to discover new antibacterial agents with novel scaffolds. For the first time, this study explores the 1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine and 1,2,4-triazine-2,4-diamine group of compounds as potential inhibitors of Escherichia coli DHFR, a pivotal enzyme in the thymidine and purine synthesis pathway. Using differential scanning fluorimetry, DSF, fifteen compounds with various substitutions on either the 3rd or 4th positions on the benzene group of 6,6-dimethyl-1-(benzene)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine were shown to bind to the enzyme with varying affinities. Then, the dose dependence of inhibition by these compounds was determined. Preliminary quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis and docking studies implicate the alkyl linker group and the sulfonyl fluoride group in increasing the potency of inhibition. 4-[4-[3-(4,6-diamino-2,2-dimethyl-1,3,5-triazin-1-yl)phenyl]butyl]benzenesulfonyl fluoride (NSC120927), the best hit from the study and a molecule with no reported inhibition of E. coli DHFR, potently inhibits the enzyme with a Ki value of 42.50 ± 5.34 nM, followed by 4-[6-[4-(4,6-diamino-2,2-dimethyl-1,3,5-triazin-1-yl)phenyl]hexyl]benzenesulfonyl fluoride (NSC132279), with a Ki value of 100.9 ± 12.7 nM. Detailed kinetic characterization of the inhibition brought about by five small-molecule hits shows that these inhibitors bind to the dihydrofolate binding site with preferential binding to the NADPH-bound binary form of the enzyme. Furthermore, in search of novel diaminotriazine scaffolds, it is shown that lamotrigine, a 1,2,4-triazine-3,5-diamine and a sodium-ion channel blocker class of antiepileptic drug, also inhibits E. coli DHFR. This is the first comprehensive study on the binding and inhibition brought about by diaminotriazines of a gram-negative prokaryotic enzyme and provides valuable insights into the SAR as an aid to the discovery of novel antibiotics.
A Place to Play: Teaching Communities How To Build Playgrounds

This case study focuses on the development of a train-the-trainer program which blends online resources and face-to-face instruction to assist people in leading communities which want to design and build safe and culturally-appropriate play areas. The case outlines the development of online resources and the iterations involved in developing and implementing strategies for face-to-face instruction.
Group Therapy -- Database Trials

Practicing librarians respond to a question about the advantages and disadvantages of making database trials available to university faculty.
Routine electrocardiograms after cardiac catheterization. Are they useful

In order to assess the value of routine electrocardiograms after cardiac catheterization (ECGs), 150 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization were studied prospectively. The physician performing each catheterization was asked to rate his or her clinical index of suspicion that the electrocardiogram would be changed as a result of events during the procedure. Clinical index of suspicion and electrocardiograms were then compared for their ability to predict outcomes. Urgent clinical events within 24 hours of cardiac catheterization were defined as (1) new intensive care unit admission; (2) myocardial infarction; (3) coronary artery bypass graft surgery; (4) percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; or (5) death. Chi square analysis demonstrated that neither ECGs (x2 = 2.12, p greater than 0.1) nor clinical index of suspicion (x2 = 2.43, p greater than 0.1) was better than chance alone in predicting urgent clinical events. The addition of ECGs to positive clinical index of suspicion did not increase the ability to predict urgent clinical events (x2 = 2.38, p greater than 0.1). Both ECGs and clinical index of suspicion were found to be relatively insensitive tests (sensitivity = 29% for ECGs, 43% for clinical index of suspicion). While both tests demonstrated high specificity, (89% for ECGs, 79% for clinical index of suspicion), their predictive value was equally poor (21% for ECGs, 17% for clinical index of suspicion). The addition of ECGs to clinical index of suspicion marginally increased the sensitivity of both tests to 50%. We conclude that routine postcatheterization electrocardiograms are no better at predicting urgent clinical events than clinical observation during catheterization alone, and should be performed only when index of suspicion dictates.
Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and epiaortic ultrasound for assessment of atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta.

AbstractObjectives. This study sought to determine the role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and epiaortic ultrasound in the detection of atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta in patients...
“Gonadotropin-resistant ovaries” syndrome in association with secondary amenorrhea

Abstract Endocrinologic studies were done on a patient with “gonadotropin-resistant ovaries” syndrome presenting with secondary amenorrhea, increased secretion of gonadotropins, and unstimulated ovarian follicles. The feedback effects of estrogen upon the hypothalamic pituitary axis seemed to be present. Plasma levels of estradiol and estrone were in the low normal range. The levels of androgens in the plasma were slightly elevated, and the elevated levels appeared to be ovarian in origin. Clomiphene did not alter the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone significantly but increased the levels of estrone and estradiol. Histologic confirmation of unstimulated follicles and elevated levels of the gonadotropins, particularly FSH, are essential for diagnosis.
War: The Tyranny of a Concept

Most literature on state and regime formation, whether on Europe or the developing world, assumes war as a key independent variable, following Tilly's classic formulation. Cases where war is found to be less relevant, like Africa or Latin America, are deemed ‘deviations’ in need of explanation. Accounts such as Herbst's and Centeno's have enriched our understanding precisely by showing how war was not relevant for institution-building in these cases. Furthering these insights from the developing world, I argue that there is no 'deviation' to be explained. The developing world seems 'pathological' in its history, often in need of a 'stronger' state, only because we have failed to correctly assess what the historical record really teaches about the European experience for state formation. Tracing European institutional development from the Middle Ages uncovers a systematic pattern of state strength, even centralization, underlying the creation of effective state institutions. It is this institutional heritage that enables medieval polities to engage in successful warfare in the first place, just as the study of the developing world has shown. War, when it came, did not make any polity anything that it was not already on the way of becoming independently. War is epiphenomenal in the medieval European case. At most it is a multiplier, and when that, a multiplier of elements that are not necessarily the most desirable (such as a large, but not necessarily efficient, bureaucratic apparatus or the amount of taxes devoted to building a war machine). I offer both logical and historical reasons to show why the war paradigm, like most purely structural approaches, rests on insufficient foundations. To do so, I critically examine not only Tilly, but also the institutional refinements of his theory by Downing and Ertman, to show that even in the latters’ own logic, the effects of parliament preexist and trump war. I then give a brief account of the evidence from medieval England, France, Catalonia and Castile which supports this account. I conclude by pointing to the way the Prussian paradigm has tyrannized the social scientific literature on war. A historically nuanced understanding of the English trajectory, by contrast, demonstrates that the experience of the developing world, as we know it, has many more similarities with the European one than we commonly acknowledge.
Reduction in Thermal Droop Using Thick Single-Quantum-Well Structure in Semipolar (2021) Blue Light-Emitting Diodes

We report on the thermal performance of the electroluminescence of 12-nm-thick single-quantum-well (SQW) InGaN blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on the semipolar (2021) plane. At a current density 100 A/cm2, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) decreased by 9.7% when the temperature was increased from 20 to 100 °C. Hot/cold factors were more than 0.9 at current densities greater than 20 A/cm2. A high characteristic temperature of 900 K and low junction temperature of 68 °C were also measured using bare LED chips.
A model for excess base noise in bipolar junction transistors

Abstract The modeling of the bipolar junction transistor base region including noise performance has always been a problem. Theory is cumbersome, adequate measurements are difficult to make and the noise does not follow established theory. There is an excess noise up to five times greater than predicted by models. This paper gives the mechanism for the excess base noise with comparison to experimental data. Agreement between model and experiment is excellent. The new mechanism should not be difficult to include in CAE such as SPICE.
A note on the marginal benefits and efficiency of goods provided by local government

This paper focuses on the specification error found in many of the empirical studies dealing with the economic efficiency of local government in providing goods such as education. The paper argues that the compensated demand function—rather than the ordinary demand function—should be used in order to derive the marginal benefits of a given good. The ordinary demand functions used in previous studies would lead to inflated estimates of the marginal benefits and, therefore, to inaccurate empirical results. The paper presents a compensated demand function derived from a linear expenditure demand system. Using public education as an example, it demonstrates how such a statistically unobservable compensated demand function can be used to produce correct measurements of marginal benefits of a public service provided by local government. The results of the investigation into the efficiency aspects of public education will also be discussed.
Lack of compensatory growth under phosphorus deficiency in grazing-adapted grasses from the Serengeti Plains

Two shortgrass species (Sporobolus ioclados and Eustachys paspaloides) and two midgrass species (E. paspaloides and Pennisetum mezianum) from the Serengeti grasslands of Tanzania were grown under conditions of extreme phosphorus (P) deficiency. Production of each of these species is maintained or enhanced by defoliation under adequate nutrient supply (McNaughton et al. 1983). However, under the P-deficient conditions of our experiment, defoliation caused a reduction in biomass of all plant parts of each species. Green leaf biomass was reduced most strongly by defoliation, and crowns were least affected. Yield of biomass and nutrients to grazers (green leaves+clipped material) was enhanced by weekly defoliation in the shortgrass grazing-adapted species, whereas yield to producers (live biomass and nutrients retained by the plant) and yield to decomposers (litter) were strongly reduced by defoliation in all species. Phosphate absorption capacity (V max) measured on excised roots was enhanced by defoliation in the grazing-adapted Sporobolus, but, due to low affinity (high K m) of roots of defoliated plants for phosphate, absorption rate was not greatly altered at low solution concentrations. Phosphate absorption capacity was reduced or unaffected by defoliation in other species. We conclude that under conditions of P deficiency, plants are unable to acquire the nutrients necessary to replenish large nutrient losses to grazers. In low-nutrient environments, compensatory growth (stimulation of production by grazing) is not a viable strategy. Therefore, in these environments plants respond evolutionarily to herbivores by developing chemical or morphological defenses.
A bioMEMS device for the study of mechanical properties of cells

The tumor microenvironment is a complex system which is not fully understood. New technologies are needed to provide a better understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in promoting metastasis. The Nano Intravital Device, or NANIVID, has been developed as an optically transparent, implantable tool to study the tumor microenvironment. Two etched glass substrates are sealed using a thin polymer membrane to create a reservoir with a single outlet. This reservoir is loaded with a custom hydrogel blend that contains selected factors for delivery to the tumor microenvironment. When the device is implanted in the tumor, the hydrogel swells and releases these entrapped molecules, forming a sustained concentration gradient. The NANIVID has previously been successful in manipulating the tumor microenvironment both in vitro as well as in vivo. As metastatic cells intravasate, it has been shown that some are able to do so unscathed and reach their new location, while others are cleaved during the process 1 . There appears to be a correlation between cell migration and the mechanical properties of these cells. It is believed that these properties can be detected in real time by atomic force microscopy. In this study, metastatic MTLn3 rat mammary cells are seeded onto 1-dimensional microfibers and directed up a stable gradient of growth factor. The NANIVID device is placed behind our AFM tip, where it generates a stable chemotactic gradient of epidermal growth factor. Scanning confocal laser microscopy is also used to monitor movement of the cells over time. This experiment will shed light on the mechanical changes in metastatic cells as they undergo directed migration.
Airborne observations of the 1992 Arctic winter stratosphere by FTIR solar absorption spectroscopy

The JPL MkIV interferometer, a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer designed specifically for atmospheric remote sensing, made measurements of the composition of the Arctic stratosphere in January, February and March 1992. These measurements were made from the NASA DC-8 aircraft as part of the AASE2 campaign. The data reveal that despite 5 to 6 km of subsidence inside the vortex, which more than doubled the vertically integrated column amounts (burdens) of HF and HNO3 with respect to outside the vortex, considerable losses of NO2, HCl and ClNO3 were evident by mid-January. Temporary freeze-out of HNO3 was observed only on one occasion, Jan. 19, and was accompanied by substantial reductions in HCl and ClNO3. During February and March, ClNO3 and NO2 amounts increased dramatically. HCl also recovered but at a much slower rate, so that by March ClNO3 was the major reservoir of inorganic chlorine, at times exceeding HCl by a factor 2.
Clinical behavior of HPV-negative and HPV-positive vulvar cancers.

We thank the authors for their interest in our paper. They pose a conceptually interesting and potentially practice-changing question. Regrettably, our retrospective reviewdid not include information on the etiology of the carcinomatous vulvar lesions. HPV testing of vulvar cancers is not routine at our institution, and the presence of lichen sclerosus was not documented consistently enough to allow confident conclusions about the risk of recurrence or the possible benefits of treatment of lichen sclerosus with topical steroids. One of our inclusion criteriawas the presence of invasive cancer, and we have no data relevant to the authors' discussion of management of VIN. We believe our core conclusion: that women with close but clear margins can be managed expectantly. We did suggest that further prospective research is needed, and the authors' suggestions and ongoing research are one of those possible avenues. We look forward to the release of the manuscript that the authors mentioned describing the clinical course of HPV-negative vulvar cancers.
The Purine Nucleotide Cycle Revised

This review is restricted to the operation of the purine cycle in mammalian muscle. A previous review provided a summary of early evidence for the operation of the cycle and of various functions proposed for the cycle. It also provided a brief history of work on ammonia production by muscle and other tissues and of the discovery of the enzymes of the purine nucleotide cycle. Recent reviews on the purine nucleotide cycle include those of Terjung et al. and van Waarde.
Multiple imputation using multivariate gh transformations

Multiple imputation has emerged as a popular approach to handling data sets with missing values. For incomplete continuous variables, imputations are usually produced using multivariate normal models. However, this approach might be problematic for variables with a strong non-normal shape, as it would generate imputations incoherent with actual distributions and thus lead to incorrect inferences. For non-normal data, we consider a multivariate extension of Tukey's gh distribution/transformation [38] to accommodate skewness and/or kurtosis and capture the correlation among the variables. We propose an algorithm to fit the incomplete data with the model and generate imputations. We apply the method to a national data set for hospital performance on several standard quality measures, which are highly skewed to the left and substantially correlated with each other. We use Monte Carlo studies to assess the performance of the proposed approach. We discuss possible generalizations and give some advices to practi...
The Negotiator and the Bomber: Analyzing the Critical Role of Active Listening in Crisis Negotiations

This article extends Michael R. Hammer and Randall G. Rogan's communication-based, interactive model of crisis negotiation by examining the role of active listening by a police negotiator in New South Wales, Australia in the process of serving a “high-risk warrant” on an armed and dangerous man who was expected to resist. Through an analysis of the interaction between the perpetrator and the negotiator, this paper demonstrates that the use of active listening in the early stages of the negotiation was a critical factor in the resolution of this crisis and is an essential skill for any hostage negotiator.
Still no certainty about the role of upfront bortezomib among patients with AL amyloidosis

In this issue of Leukemia, there are two important—albeit complicated—case-controlled series comparing bortezomib-containing therapeutic regimens to those without for the treatment of newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis.1,2 The first is a series of 164 patients treated in at the Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Center in Pavia, Italy, half of whom received bortezomib, melphalan and dexamethasone (BMDex)—the cases—and the other half, MDex—the controls.1 The second study is a series of 138 patients seen at the National Amyloidosis Centre in the UK, half of whom received cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (CVD)—the cases—and the other half who received cyclophosphamide, thalidomide and dexamethasone (CTD)—the controls.2 Both groups of authors used similar and appropriate matching criteria to select their controls (Table 1) with an emphasis on cardiac function,3, 4, 5 although the Italian patients were matched for more characteristics, including age (Table 1). Despite these efforts by these authors, the question regarding the added value of incorporating bortezomib into first-line therapy among patients with AL amyloidosis is still not adequately answered. We, therefore, continue to await the results of a randomized clinical trial (NCT01277016).
Relationships of plasma tryptophan availability to course of illness and clinical features of alcoholism: a preliminary study.

Rationale: Serotonergic (5-HT) mechanisms may be involved in impulse control (including anti-social behavior) across psychiatric syndromes. Age of onset may differentiate alcoholics on psychopathological characteristics associated with impulse control, especially mood disturbance, hostility, and a broad range of antisocial behaviors. Thus, there may be a predictable relationship between markers of 5-HT function and age of onset-related characteristics. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that there would be a predictable relationship between the ratio of plasma tryptophan to large neutral amino acids (i.e. TRYP/LNAA ratio), a marker of 5-HT function, age of onset and related psychopathological characteristics associated with impulse control. Methods: Fifty-eight male and female DSM-IV diagnosed alcoholics attending an outpatient treatment center completing a comprehensive psychopathological assessment, and from whom blood samples were obtained. Results: Plasma TRYP/LNAA ratio was positively correlated with symptoms of dysphoria, and negatively associated with harm avoidance on Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory. Low tryptophan availability was associated with antisocial-type personality characteristics. Interestingly, the few (nine) subjects who had both early onset alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder had a higher plasma tryptophan but similar TRYP/LNAA ratio to the others. Conclusions: These data suggest that a low plasma TRYP/LNAA ratio is associated with susceptibility to anxiety, antisocial-type personality characteristics, and an early age of onset for alcoholism. In contrast, a high plasma TRYP/LNAA ratio is associated with a later onset of alcoholism and dysphoria.
Adaptive vector quantization for binary images

This paper describes a vector quantization variant for lossy compression of binary images. This algorithm, adaptive binary vector quantization for binary images (ABVQ), uses a novel, doubly-adaptive codebook to minimize error while typically achieving compression higher than is achieved by lossless techniques. ABVQ provides sufficient fidelity to be used on text images, line drawings, graphics, or any other binary (two-tone, or bi-level) images. Experimental results are included in the paper.
Wavelet transforms and neural networks for compression and recognition

Abstract Robust recognition for image and speech processing needs data compression that preserves features. To accomplish this, we have utilized the discrete wavelet transforms and the continuous wavelet transforms (CWT) together with artificial neural networks (ANN) to achieve automatic pattern recognition. Our approach is motivated by the mathematical analog of the CWT to the human hearing and visual systems, e.g., the so-called Mexican hat and Gabor functions, Gaussian window, respectively. We develop an ANN method to construct an optimum mother wavelet that can organize sensor input data in the multiresolution format that seems to become essential for brainstyle computing. In one realization, the architecture of our ANN is similar to that of a radial basis function approach, except that each node is a wavelet having three learnable parameters: weight W ij , scale a, and shift b. The node is not a McCullouch-Pitts neuron but a “wave-on”. We still use a supervised learning conjugate gradient descent algorithm in these parameters to construct a “super-mother” wavelet from a superposition of a set of waveons-mother wavelets. Using these techniques, we can accomplish the signal-enhanced and feature-preserving compression, e.g., on the infrared images, that avoids the overtraining and overfitting that have plagued ANN's ability to generalize and abstract information.
Artifactual stimulation of vitellogenesis in Aedes aegypti by 20-hydroxyecdysone

Abstract Single or repeated, non-physiological, high doses (0.5–5.0 μg/female) of 20-hydroxyecdysone or ecdysone injected into sugar-fed female Aedes aegypti stimulated follicular growth and deposition of yolk, but suppressed accumulation of protein yolk to approximately one-third, and lipid yolk to one-half that in an equal number of follicles with equivalent yolk length taken from blood-fed controls. Physiological doses (500 pg/female) of ecdysone or 20-hydroxyecdysone or the implantation of ecdysone-secreting ovaries (verified by bioassay), into sugar-fed females failed to induce any yolk deposition. In these experiments, yolk precursors were not the limiting factor, because in decapitated females, digesting a blood meal, the injection of a physiological dose of 20-hydroxyecdysone or the implantation of ecdysone-secreting ovaries still did not stimulate vitellogenesis. Finally, continuous infusion of 500 pg or even 50 ng 20-hydroxyecdysone/hr for 22 hr was as ineffective as single or multiple injections of equivalent doses of hormone. Consequently, rapid excretion or catabolism of 20-hydroxyecdysone by the sugar-fed female does not explain the need for high doses to induce vitellogenesis, or the failure of oocytes to mature with normal protein and lipid content. Apparently, ovarian ecdysone is not the factor by which normal vitellogenesis is initiated and maintained in this mosquito.
Development of self-understanding in anorectic and nonanorectic adolescent girls

Abstract Clinical reports have consistently noted disturbances in the anorectic girl's self-concept, and have associated this with difficulties in the mother-daughter relationship. This study interprets these disturbances within the framework of a developmental approach to self-understanding in an attempt to shed further light on the significance of anorectic symptomatology. Age-matched anorectic and nonanorectic girls (one group with curvature of the spine and one group with no known physical or psychological disorder) were interviewed and responded to measures assessing: (1) developmental levels of different aspects of self-understanding; (2) locus of control; (3) self-concept in the context of the mother-daughter relationship; and (4) discrepancies between self-concept and inferred perspective of the mother about the self. Anorectic girls were found to be at a significantly lower developmental level of understanding of the volitional aspect of self-concept (control over their lives) than the normal controls. In the context of the mother-daughter relationship, the anorectic girls were less likely to think of themselves in terms of their communicativeness than the nonanorectic girls. Finally, an individual differences multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that in distinction from the two control groups, anorectic girls believed that their mothers evaluate them primarily on a dimension of competence.
The relationship of school absenteeism with body mass index, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status among fourth-grade children.

BACKGROUND: Data from a school-based study concerning fourth-grade children's dietary recall accuracy were linked with data from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) through the South Carolina Budget and Control Board Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) to investigate the relationships of children's school absenteeism with body mass index (BMI), academic achievement, and socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: Data for all variables were available for 920 fourth-grade children during 2 school years (2005–2006, 2006–2007). Number of school days absent for each child and eligibility for free/reduced-price school meals (SES measure) were provided to ORS by SCDE. Children's weight and height were measured by research staff; age/sex-specific BMI percentile was calculated and grouped into categories. For academic achievement, Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests scores were provided by the school district. The associations of absenteeism with BMI, academic achievement, SES, and school year were investigated with logistic binomial models using the modified sandwich variance estimator to adjust for multiple outcomes within schools. RESULTS: The relationships between absenteeism and each of BMI percentile category and SES were not significant (all coefficient p values > .118). The relationship between absenteeism and academic achievement was inversely significant (p value < .0001; coefficient = −.087). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the inverse relationship between absenteeism and academic achievement that was expected and has been found by other researchers. The lack of significant results concerning the relationships between absenteeism and both BMI and SES differs from earlier, limited research. More research to investigate these relationships is needed.
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy. II. An Experimental Realization

synopsis This paper describes the first experimental application of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, a new method for determining chemical kinetic constants and diffusion coefficients. These quantities are measured by observing the time behavior of the tiny concentration fluctuations which occur spontaneously in the reaction system even when it is in equilibrium. The equilibrium of the system is not disturbed during the experiment. The diffusion coefficients and chemical rate constants which determine the average time behavior of these spontaneous fluctuations are the same as those sought by more conventional methods including temperature-jump or other perturbation tecliniques. The experiment consists essentially in measuring the variation with time of the number of molecules of specified reactants in a defined open volume of solution. The concentration of a reactant is measured by its fluorescence; the sample volume is defined by a focused laser beam which excites the fluorescence. The fluorescent emission fluctuates in proportion with the changes in the number of fluorescent molecules as they diffuse into and out of the sample volume and as they are created or eliminated by the chemical reactions. The number of these reactant molecules must be small to permit detection of the concentration fluctuations. Hence the sample volume is small (10-8 rnl) and the concentration of the solutes is low (-10-9 M). We have applied this technique to the study of two prototype systems: the simple example of pure diffusion of a single fluorescent species, rhodamine 6G, and the more interesting but more challenging example of the reaction of macromolecular DNA with the drug ethidium bromide to form a fluorescent complex. The increase of the fluorescence of the ethidium bromide upon formation of the complex permits the observation of the decay of concentration fluctuations via the chemical reaction and consequently the determination of chemical rate constants.
Ordinal notations and well-orderings in bounded arithmetic

Abstract This paper investigates provability and non-provability of well-foundedness of ordinal notations in weak theories of bounded arithmetic. We define a notion of well-foundedness on bounded domains. We show that T21 and S22 can prove the well-foundedness on bounded domains of the ordinal notations below e0 and Γ0. As a corollary, the class of polynomial local search problems, PLS, can be augmented with cost functions that take ordinal values below e0 and Γ0 without increasing the class PLS.
Vapor composition profiles estimated for thermally degrading polyethylene

Calculated vapor pressures have been used to estimate the composition of the vapor over an equimolar mixture of linear alkanes and to make inferences about the effects of pressure on the thermal degradation of polyethylene as studied using thermogravimetry. The troublesome bubbling in molten PE degrading under vacuum conditions has been related to the boiling out of molecules in the range C30 to >C80. The effect of pressure in lowering the apparent overall activation energy has been ascribed to contributions from the lalent heats of vaporization of molecules in the range C15 to ∼C30.
Compatible Controllers for Time-varying Linear Plants

Abstract Problems relating to the optimal control of linear systems with quadratic cost invariably lead to analytic solutions requiring complete state feedback for their implementation. It is often the case in actual practice, however, that only a subset of the entire state vector can be measured. In such cases, one approach is to construct an estimator of the complete state via dynamic feedback elements, whose output is then used to construct a control that asymptotically approaches the optimum. A more general compatible controller theory, described here for optimizing time-varying linear plants, can often be implemented with less complexity than that required of observers or Kalman filter type designs.
Tuning proportional-integral controllers for processes with both inverse response and deadtime

Many tuning methods have been proposed over the last half-century. Most apply to deadtime/lag processes, but several have studied either integrating processes or inverse response processes. Very few have explored processes in which both deadtime and inverse responses occur. This type of response is observed in adiabatic tubular reactors when reactor outlet temperature Tout is the controlled variable and reactor inlet temperature Tin is the manipulated variable. Typically the control structure uses a cascade arrangement in which the secondary loop uses furnace heat input or heat-exchanger bypassing to control Tin. This paper addresses the problem of controlling processes that exhibit both inverse response and deadtime. The Ziegler−Nichols tuning method recommended in the literature is shown to give poor performance at both small and large values of deadtime and positive-zero time constant. A new tuning method is proposed in which the PI tuning constants are presented as functions of the positive zero τz an...
Intestinal calcium-binding protein in the baboon (Papio cynocephalus)

1. Calcium-binding protein (CaBP) has been isolated from baboon (Papio cynocephalus) intestinal mucosa by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. 2. Similarity in electrophoretic behavior, size and charge and immunologic structure are demonstrated between the baboon CaBP and CaBPs isolated from other species. 3. Baboon intestinal CaBP is resistant to neuraminidase digestion.
Møller scattering and the measurement of beta-ray longitudinal polarization

Abstract Two problems that are inherent in the measurement of longitudinal polarization of beta rays via Moller scattering (Bhabha scattering for positrons) are the low signal-to-noise ratio due to the electron-nucleon-scattered background and the small fraction of electrons that are polarized in the target. The present article shows how to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio by the collection of Moller-scattered events using a thick-lens beta-ray spectrometer where the entrance baffle is set very narrow to accommodate the relativistically contracted cone of Moller events; this in turn minimizes the electron-nucleon-scattered background and maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio. In the case of positrons, recent studies of electron channeling in crystals suggest a target that will reduce Bhabha scattering from the large fraction of unpolarized inner-shell electrons and predominantly pick off the polarized fraction of target electrons.
Soil indicators of agricultural impacts on northern prairie wetlands: Cottonwood lake research area, north Dakota, USA

Potential damage to wetlands by land-use practices has prompted a need for relatively inexpensive, reliable indicators in monitoring ecological conditions. In this study, soil classification and the following soil tests, sodium bicarbonate-extractable P, nitrate (NO3 −), organic matter (OM), pH, clectrical conductivity (EC), and137Cs distribution, were used to compare four wetlands surrounded by cultivated land or grassland. Cumulic A horizons greater than 60-cm thick were found covering the wet meadow zone of the wetland surrounded by cultivated land. No cumulic A horizons were observed in wet meadow zones adjacent to grassland. Laboratory analyses of surface (0–15 cm) soil showed that the wetland surrounded by cultivated land had P cencentrations 2.5 to 6 times higher in the wet meadow and shallow marsh zones than did the other wetlands. In the wetland surrounded by cultivated land, the dominant soil separate in the wet meadow was silt, while sand was the dominant soil separate in the wet meadow zone in the other three wetlands. Phosphorus, OM, and NO3 − concentrations in wet meadow subsoils (15–60 cm) were higher in the wetland surrounded by cultivated land than in the wetlands surrounded by grasslands. Cesium-137 activities were about 3 to 6 times greater in surface (0–15 cm) soils collected from upland grassy slopes compared to cultivated slopes. Soil morphology,137Cs, P, and OM data indicate higher sedimentation and fertilization rates in wetlands next to cultivated fields.
Fast, automatic, procedure-level performance tuning

This paper presents an automated performance tuning solution, which partitions a program into a number of tuning sections and finds the best combination of compiler options for each section. Our solution builds on prior work on feedback-driven optimization, which tuned the whole program, instead of each section. Our key novel algorithm partitions a program into appropriate tuning sections. We also present the architecture of a system that automates the tuning process; it includes several pre-tuning steps that partition and instrument the program, followed by the actual tuning and the post-tuning assembly of the individually-optimized parts. Our system, called PEAK, achieves fast tuning speed by measuring a small number of invocations of each code section, instead of the whole-program execution time, as in common solutions. Compared to these solutions PEAK reduces tuning time from 2.19 hours to 5.85 minutes on average, while achieving similar program performance. PEAK improves the performance of SPEC CPU2000 FP benchmarks by 12% on average over GCC O3, the highest optimization level, on a Pentium IV machine.
Using the Crossword Puzzle Exercise in Introductory Microeconomics to Accelerate Business Student Learning

The authors propose using crossword puzzles for the purpose of assisting business students in their efforts to learn economics. The exercise provides students with a lively, creative, and challenging learning method. The authors developed an experiment to test whether the use of a crossword puzzle exercise would accelerate business student learning of basic economics vocabulary and terminology in undergraduate classes. The findings revealed that working crossword puzzles can help students build and maintain an introductory microeconomics vocabulary. Test results show that crossword puzzles do in fact aid student learning of microeconomics terms and do improve their grades on quizzes.
On the Relevance of Standpoint Epistemology to the Practice of Journalism: The Case for “Strong Objectivity”

This paper interrogates traditional notions of journalistic “objectivity” and its interpretation in conventional news reporting. I argue here that the underlying principles of objectivity devolve in practice to an epistemic relativism that fails to consider the validity of various truth claims. I propose an alternative of “strong objectivity” grounded in standpoint theory. I trace the arguments against scientific objectivity that parallel critiques of journalistic objectivity, then propose an alternative conception of praxis that maximizes reflexivity and has the potential to fulfill the liberatory goals of journalism.
Critical kinetics of volume phase transition of gels.

The volume phase transition of submillimeter spherical isopropylacrylamide gels shows critical kinetic behavior near the critical point; the transition takes an infinite time, and the thermal expansion becomes infinitely large. At the critical point the gels also undergo internal critical density fluctuations as revealed by photon-correlation spectroscopy. The observation of critical kinetics along with critical dynamics clarifies the physical principle of the kinetics of gel volume change.
Performance Analysis Of Matrix Preconditioning Algorithms On Parallel Optical Processors.

An efficient way of using analog optical associative processors is to implement robust computational algorithms that require high throughput rate but exhibit tolerance for roundoff errors and noise. Matrix preconditioning algorithms used for preprocessing the data of linear algebraic equations have these properties. In this paper, the performance of polynomial matrix preconditioning algorithms on optical processors is analyzed. The results of the error analysis and numerical experiments show that for a given set of data the spatial errors and detector noise below a certain threshold level do not affect the accuracy of optical preconditioning. It is also shown that optical preconditioning improves the rate of convergence and the accuracy of the final solution of a linear algebra problem. Simple and efficient optical preprocessors designed with preconditioning algorithms can thus assist parallel solvers of linear algebraic equations and other engineering problems.